Facebook/The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
"Kenya is making a statement that, for us, ivory is worthless unless it is on our elephants." The above declaration was made by Uhuru Kenyatta, the president of Kenya, just before he set afire the first of several piles of elephant ivory and rhino horn, totaling more than 105 tons, on Saturday. Dodo Shows Cat Crazy Fluffy Cat Wants To Sit On His Dad At All Times Kenya's Nairobi National Park was home to this display, the biggest ivory burning in history, where several towers of smoldering ivory and horn products represented about 6,500 elephants and 450 rhinos who lost their lives to poachers. This weekend's ivory burn in Kenya followed shortly after a demonstration made by the country of Cameroon, where 2,000 elephant tusks and other ivory products were also burned. While this historic burning was met with some controversy, the overall message of the act remains crystal clear: We have to continue to fight for elephant and rhino lives before they're driven to extinction. "We shouldn't have to burn 105 tons of ivory and 1.5 tons of rhino horn," Richard Leakey, one of Kenya's leading conservationists, told the New York Times. "It is a disgraceful shame this continues," he said. When Justin Bieber isn't abandoning his former pet monkey in Germany, he's apparently petting Bengal tigers on leashes. Such was the case on Saturday in Toronto, where Bieber was attending his father's engagement party. The 22-year-old musician shared a photo on Instagram of himself stroking the tiger, which was quickly met with backlash on social media. Dodo Shows Soulmates Growling Little Kitten Becomes Her Mom's Best Friend Hackenberger is best known around the Hollywood circuit as an animal trainer who has provided animals to productions that include Seth Rogen's "The Interview" and Ang Lee's "Life of Pi." This event, which follows the jarring news of a leashed tiger cub named Nahla found wandering the streets of Texas, paints an inaccurate picture that suggests wild animals on leashes, and in close contact with humans, is a natural occurrence. The truth is that captive exotic animals like tigers are taken away from their homes in the wild or their mothers at a young age - then, they're forced to lead unnatural lives, often at the expense of their comfort. "Show business is no business for wild animals - it's disappointing to see another celebrity posing for a wild animal selfie," a statement from World Animal Protection noted. "Tigers are also highly unpredictable, with people around the world having been mauled or attacked when posing or interacting with these animals." A photos of Li Hongxia is propped against the refrigerated coffin that has held her body since February 25th. (Giulia Marchi/For The Washington Post) Two months after Li Hongxia was murdered, her body is not in the ground. She lies swathed in a pink duvet in a refrigerated coffin, in the house she shared with her husband. Hes accused of killing her. His family, who lived with them, fled town. Lis parents do not believe there can be justice for victims of domestic violence. Theyve seen the system fail those without connections; they know a conviction can require clout. Refusing to bury their daughter, who was strangled to death, is a bid to make local officials take notice, to make someone anyone care. In China, as elsewhere, domestic violence is a hidden epidemic a public health crisis dismissed as private scandal, a crime discounted or covered up. The state estimates that 1 in 4 Chinese women are beaten; experts think the figure is higher and note that statistics often exclude other forms of abuse. Tens of millions are at risk. Chinese feminists fought for decades to get the government to take notice, an effort galvanized in recent years by a string of brutal cases. In 2009, a young woman named Dong Shanshan was beaten to death by her husband after going to the police eight times. In 2011, Kim Lee, the American wife of a Chinese celebrity, went public with pictures of her battered face and her failed efforts to seek help from police. That a relatively wealthy, foreign woman was turned away reinforced a message Chinese women have heard for years: This is your problem. Go home and work it out. Since coming to power in 2012, the government led by President Xi Jinping has tried to make the issue of domestic violence a cornerstone of its social policy. The country last year passed a first-of-its-kind bill that targets domestic violence. On March 1, just days after Li was killed, it became law. The bill was hailed as a step in the right direction. Though it does not cover sexual abuse and ignores same-sex partnerships, it includes measures such as restraining orders that if requested and enforced might have helped Li. [Chinas fight for gay marriage is just beginning] But Lis short life and gruesome death show vividly the limits of using the courts alone to keep women safe. The government-linked body tasked with protecting women often works against them by promoting marriage at almost any cost, providing tips on how to win back partners and trusting perpetrators to change their violent ways. In the last year of her life, Li knew she needed help but was told repeatedly to go back to her husband. As she struggled, mostly alone, she faced a system utterly ill-equipped to save her and a society that, for the most part, did not think she needed help. Li, just 24, knew her husband might kill her. The question for China: Didnt anybody else? Yan Jiongjiong cries looking at pictures of her dead sister on the wall of the couples former residence. (Giulia Marchi/For The Washington Post) Nobody fights here Li was born and raised in Yan Guan, a cluster of homes set among the wheat fields of the Chinese heartland, south of where the Yellow River cuts the northern plain. The second daughter of the Yan family, she spent her first eight years living with a family friend, Li Jinzhong, while her parents raised a son. As a child, Li Hongxia was fun-loving and cheerful but not much of a student, her sister said. She finished middle school and joined the millions of Chinese migrants living between farms and the factory cities of the south. In 2013, an acquaintance one village over played matchmaker, introducing her to the shy young man she would marry, Zhang Yazhou. After their wedding, Li moved into his familys home in Zhang village, a 10-minute stroll from Yan Guan. In 2014, they had a daughter. Despite what later happened, neighbors remember the sight of them walking, elbows linked, down rutted, dusty roads. Interviews with more than a dozen villagers suggest the community saw domestic violence as something that happened often, but to other people. In this village, everyone has the same surname, so nobody fights here, said the matchmaker, Su Juan. Zhang Tuanjie, a young neighbor and friend of Zhang Yazhou, rides his bike near the area where the couple lived. (Giulia Marchi/For The Washington Post) In May last year, Li complained about pain in her lower back, the result, it later emerged, of an attack that sent her to a hospital for X-rays. When people asked about the injury, she said her husband had hurt her, accidentally, while walking on her back. When Li told her mother about the beating, she was advised to work things out at home. Her mother, Duan Liuzhi, said she discouraged her daughter from getting a divorce because ending a marriage might bring a bad reputation in town. [Video shows bystanders doing nothing as Chinese woman is attacked in hotel] For survivors of domestic violence in China, thats a common theme. Though divorce rates are on the rise, women face enormous pressure to get married and stay married. And that message is backed by the All-China Womens Federation, the group thats supposed to promote womens rights. The director of the federations Luyi County office, Guo Yanfang, said the organization has been spreading the word about the new anti-domestic-violence law and encouraging survivors to seek help. She said Li never came to them. As a female comrade with a family, you must first behave yourself and do well in your role as a wife, and second, if your husband makes trouble for you, you have to say it, Guo said. Citing a Chinese expression Demolishing 10 temples is better than destroying a marriage Guo said the federation encourages mediation in most cases of domestic violence. If he corrects his mistakes, things will be fine. Li Hongxia and her husband, Zhang Yazhou, are pictured together in 2013. Zhang is accused of murdering Li. (Giulia Marchi/For The Washington Post) But things were not fine and Li began to say so. In July, she posted online about the beating that led to her back injury, explaining that she initially stayed quiet out of shame. In December, she wrote about her fear of being choked to death a post that was viewed about 100 times. In comments, friends expressed support one mentioned the new law but many told her she ought to reconcile with her husband. Dont get divorced easily, think more about what will happen to your child, wrote one. Think positively and youll get through it, another said. Qi Lianfeng, the lawyer who represented Lee, the American woman battered by her Chinese husband, said Chinese survivors, like women elsewhere, are often told to stay when their life depends on leaving. Domestic violence often recurs, he said, and is very hard to change. [In China, a rare criminal case in which evidence made a difference] During the Lunar New Year festival, Zhang and Li welcomed guests to their home for food and drink. When Li said something Zhang did not like, he smashed the back of her head with a stool, Li told her family, an account later confirmed by Zhang Tuanjie, a neighbor who witnessed the assault. Li Hongxia in a hospital with a head wound in February. (Courtesy of the Yan family) Li was recovering in a hospital when she was allegedly strangled to death by her husband. (Courtesy of the Yan family) The Zhang family took Li to Luyi County Hospital, where she underwent tests. When her family arrived, the two clans fought in the corridors. Her husband was allowed to visit her room another legal and moral failure, according to Qi, the lawyer. After 12 days, Li, who was two months pregnant, was transferred to another, smaller hospital, Luyi Women and Childrens Healthcare, for an abortion. On Feb. 25, she texted her husband to say she was hungry. At 5:25 pm, he arrived, according to hospital footage obtained by The Washington Post. At 5:47 p.m., several nurses walked over to the door, tried the handle, then walked away, even though there was a second, unlocked entrance in an adjoining room, as well as a hall-facing window. The next day, the hospital offered her shocked parents about $6,000 for her death in its care. They took the cash. In the halls of the womens and childrens hospital, medical staff responded to questions about the case with shrugs, claiming that every person working the day of the killing was at lunch. Nobody saw him strangle her, said Li Ping, the head of pediatrics. A corridor at a womens and childrens hospital in Luyi, where Li Hongxia was strangled. (Giulia Marchi/For The Washington Post) Nobody came to help Shortly after the killing, Zhangs family left the village, fearing for their lives. Lis family broke into their home and laid Li to rest in the living room, surrounded by wedding pictures and piles of winter clothes. Her parents and siblings say that they have been left to shoulder Lis funeral and burial expenses and that theyve received little support, and considerable harassment, from local officials and police. Who will help us tend to this? asked Lis mother, Duan. Nobody came to help. In late April, nearly two months after the killing, Zhangs parents returned to the village to negotiate with the Yans. They have yet to reach an agreement or bury the body. Zhang is in police custody and was not available for comment. In a recent interview with Henan Television, a party-controlled station, he admitted to the May and February beatings but said Lis death was an impulsive mistake. We were fighting and I accidentally killed her, he said on camera. At the Luyi County police station, the lead investigator declined to comment, referring The Post to county-level propaganda officials, who in turn said to contact the provincial propaganda department. Reached by phone, provincial officials said they did not have jurisdiction. Asked how Li might have been protected, her life spared, Guo, the head of the local branch of the Womens Federation, said she was not sure. How could she have been protected? How should I know? Gu Jinglu reported from Luyi County. Read more: Horrors of one-child policy leave deep scars in Chinese society Despite real progress, Chinese women may be losing ground Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world It was an unorthodox tribute to an unorthodox composer. This past weekend, the Library of Congress and the Phillips Collection teamed up to honor the 78th birthday of Frederic Rzewski, the maverick pianist and composer, with three concerts and three world premieres. The first two were at the Library of Congress (Saturdays was reviewed by Patrick Rucker); the third, at the Phillips Collection on Sunday afternoon, was an utter delight. It feted Rzewski as performer, as colleague and as composer of some pretty wonderful pieces, including the longest-ever non-repetitive work for solo piano, The Road, an 8-hour opus, heard here in a more manageable excerpt. Rzewski responded with the new work, a warm, vivid piece for violin and piano called, deceptively, Notasonata. Call it what you will: This one is a keeper. There wasnt a weak link in the afternoon, a highlight of the Phillips Collections 75th anniversary season. Rzewski opened the proceedings with the Road excerpt, a section titled The same old story, based on a novel by Ivan Goncharov, which appears as Mile 52 of the 64-mile journey. Its a set of explorations, carried out in short bursts on the keyboard: now with formidable power, now with lyricism, and often with accompanying external noise: tongue-clicks, foot-stamps, a half-whistle, all communicating something human and probing and unfinished while Rzewski, a gifted pianist, drew huge masses of sound from the keys. Then the pianist Ursula Oppens who gave the world premiere of The People United . . . in 1976 at the Kennedy Center and the violinist Jennifer Koh, an assured contemporary-music virtuoso, lit into Notasonata, which opens with rich, singing lines from the violin, channeling the spirit of Shostakovich that Rzewski evoked in his program notes. Belying its title, the piece offered a spectrum of sonata-like gestures and movements: that singing theme from the violin; a wispy brief engaging scherzo, gentle treads from the piano, like clouds of mud rising beneath the violinists forward motion. But the music kept interrupting itself to examine, question and sometimes play with whatever it was doing at a particular moment. Its a piece to sink your teeth into, or your ears, and I look forward to hearing it again. [Pianist Benjamin Hochman explores variations during Kennedy Center debut] Other composers, on the concerts second half, made a perfect pendant to the first. Rzewski and Oppens sat side by side to perform Morton Feldmans Piano Four Hands, a Calder mobile of a piece that hangs individual notes, shivering and trembling, to circle through the air, sometimes colliding with each other. Lou Harrison was another American maverick increasingly appreciated these days as a pioneer as the PostClassical Ensemble recently reminded us with a Harrison tribute in March. It isnt often that you get to hear a major piece by him twice in the matter of a few weeks, but his Grand Duo, performed here by Oppens and Koh, was just done by Tim Fain and Michael Boriskin at the PostClassical concert. It shares many features of Rzewskis Notasonata: Both are significant works on a significant scale that take on musical traditions with stylistic independence, and that allow the instruments to sing. Koh was beautifully incisive; Oppens, firm and gentle. They brought the piece into sharp relief and communicated their own delight in it, particularly in the fifth and last movement, a zany, increasingly tangled Polka. Ive seldom left a concert hall humming Lou Harrison. Give me another chance to hear that new Rzewski piece and I may come out humming it, instead. [PostClassical Ensemble shows a new side of Lou Harrison] Nehal Joshi, foreground and, from left in background, Joe Isenberg, Felicia Curry and Ivy Vahanian, in Disgraced. (C. Stanley Photography) Range. Its such a crucial quality for an actor to possess, and as it happens, a fine example of it is on display in Arena Stages crackling production of Disgraced, Ayad Akhtars deeply engrossing, Pulitzer Prize-winning play about a Muslim American lawyer divided against himself. The particularly impressive conveyor of this trait on the stage of the Kreeger Theater is Nehal Joshi, who portrays Amir, a successful corporate lawyer who is forced, through a case involving an imam suspected of raising money for terrorists, to come to terms with his unresolved feelings about his own identity. Joshi, Arena audiences will recall, appeared as Ali Hakim, the wily Persian peddler in the companys smash-hit revival of Oklahoma! in 2010 and again in 2011. The impishness of that lighthearted, musical-comedy turn is nowhere to be discerned in Joshis proud, intensely watchable alpha-male Amir. And the transformation confirms an impression of Joshi as an actor to be reckoned with. The part has been written by Akhtar with both passion and a profound grasp of the contradictions America poses for a man of achievement who might be pulled out of airport security lines simply because of the color of his skin. In Joshi, Disgraced has found its ideal Amir, as the actor manages the plays most difficult demand: sensitizing us to the characters pain, even as were made aware of the damage he seems driven to inflict. Around Joshi, director Timothy Douglas deploys a cast so assured that to my mind the production surpasses the distinguished Broadway incarnation that ran for 149 performances during 2014-2015. Over the course of 90 minutes, the five actors illuminate from five sharply differentiated perspectives why the overlays of class, geopolitics, culture and religious belief have so blurred with emotion any rational discussion of what it means to be Muslim in America. The linchpin here is Akhtars story of misperception, regarding an unofficial appearance by Amir an American-born Muslim of South Asian descent at a court hearing for the accused imam. Akhtar builds into his plot a matrix of events that reveals how easily we all fall prey to our flawed assumptions; this pertains as much to the work of Amirs white wife, Emily (the exceptional Ivy Vahanian), a painter inspired by Islamic art, as it does to the interracial couple (Felicia Curry and Joe Isenberg) who show up for a dinner party marked by more heat being generated in Amir and Emilys gorgeous Manhattan living room than in their kitchen. The central irony of Disgraced is that it is out of love for Emily and her conviction that a Muslim religious leader could not get justice in this country that Amir goes to the court and suffers as a result. Misidentified by a newspaper covering the hearing as a member of the imams legal team, Amir is suddenly all but a pariah at work, where the Jewish senior lawyers had been considering making him a name partner. The ensuing investigation of him turns up a discrepancy in his employee application that in less charged circumstances would have been shrugged off, but now raises suspicions about darker motives and where Amirs allegiance really lies. Disgraced deals deftly with how prejudice waylays Amir. It skillfully outlines the permutations of betrayal he experiences, and not only as they concern Amirs ill-advised statement to a reporter at the hearing. Isenbergs Isaac, a curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art whos interested in Emilys paintings and is married to Currys Jory, another hot shot at the law firm, are implicated in undermining Amir in different aspects of his personal and professional lives. That Akhtar makes Isaac Jewish and Jory African American adds tantalizingly to the pot of accusation and resentment that boils over, as Amir senses both his livelihood and his marriage collapsing. Isenberg gives a subtle account of the patronizing Isaac, whos not quite the coolheaded intellectual he attempts to project, and Curry, a fixture of musical theater in these parts, is here rewarded with a juicy role that takes splendid advantage of her formidable dramatic gifts. Again, in her case, range proves to be an actors best friend. The fifth cast member, Samip Raval, does admirable work as Abe, a young, previously assimilated relative of Amir who is gravitating to Islamist extremism. Douglas wraps the tension of Disgraced in an elegant design: Tony Ciseks handsome apartment set reflects the arriviste appurtenances of a Manhattan corporate lawyers life, down to the abstract stone and metal sculptures on pedestals and walls, and Toni-Leslie Jamess costumes capture the arty Emilys casual stylishness and Jorys more aggressively tailored fashion sense. The polish of Michael Gilliams lighting design, meanwhile, is just what is needed to draw a spectators eye back to Emilys buoyant geometric painting over the fireplace, a work that seems to betoken her love of Amir. The last fading funnel of light, though, is reserved for Joshi, and rightly so. Amir pays a steep price for sticking his neck out, in a nation whose interest in trying to understand him seems to be dimming. And now, one wonders, how as a society we will ever manage to turn the light back up again. Disgraced, by Ayad Akhtar. Directed by Timothy Douglas. Set, Tony Cisek; costumes, Toni-Leslie James; lighting, Michael Gilliam; original music and sound, Fitz Patton; fight direction, Cliff Williams III. About 90 minutes. Tickets, $40-$90. Through May 29 at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. Visit arenastage.org or call 202-488-3300. One in a collection of essays celebrating the cooking of our mothers. Dominican Rice With Chicken. (Goran Kosanovic/For The Washington Post) On road trips throughout the Dominican Republic, my mother likes to point out her favorite houses. Theyre never mansions. Theyre the tiny wooden ones, painted the hues of a highlighter, with aluminum roofs she says make a soothing sound when it rains. Ive never understood it. I grew up in Santo Domingo, the countrys capital city of 3 million, roaring with reckless motorcyclists and banged-up cars booming reggaeton. It wasnt my mothers childhood, and the differences dont end there. [Make the recipe: Dominican Rice With Chicken] She spent her early years shuffling from one sugarcane field to another as her father worked his way up in a sugar company. She has nine siblings. I have one. By night, her childhood home was ablaze with gas lanterns; I hated it when the occasional blackout interrupted my marathons of The Sims. She had ducks, chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, pigs, goats and horses in her backyard. I had a goldfish once. When my mom was a kid, my grandmother would kill a backyard chicken and make locrio de pollo, a Dominican paella-like dish. When she was about 33 years old, my mom started making her own version arroz con pollo, or rice with chicken. Locrio and arroz con pollo look like twins but are prepared in different ways: For locrio, the chicken and rice are cooked at the same time, a togetherness that can result in dried-out meat or soupy rice. Arroz con pollo fixes that. The chicken is stewed with red onion, peppers, cilantro and tomato paste then removed from the pot and set aside. The rice cooks in the same pot, to which my mother wisely adds a splash of Presidente beer. The author and her mother, Oneida Moscoso. (Family photo) The two parts, rice and chicken, reunite when its time to eat. Lots of countries Spain, Peru, Puerto Rico, just to name a few lay claim to their own versions of the dish. But as far as I know, Dominicans are the only ones who have a savvy way to avoid pale stewed meat. When making the dish, my mother doesnt brown her chicken in oil alone. Instead, she builds a caramel base with sugar and oil. Once the caramel turns dark amber, she adds the meat and tosses it around until each piece is tinted deep gold. Even after stewing, the chicken emerges from the pot looking perfectly tan. Its the dish I make when my friends ask for a Dominican meal. Otherwise, Id probably serve slow-roasted salmon or something pretty by Ottolenghi. I dont cook the same recipes as my mother, but she was the one who taught me that food can provide both nourishment and joy. My mother makes her arroz con pollo whenever my brother and I return to Santo Domingo with our American spouses in tow, which inevitably leads my father to make his favorite joke: How come you only cook like this when they come to town? (In reality, everything she makes is fantastic.) Occasionally, she skips the conventional supermarket bird and orders a chicken, hard-boned and flavorful, straight from the Dominican countryside. Its a reminder of what life was like when she was a kid just like the framed photo of the tiny wooden house, colored white and bright blue, that for years has hung in my parents bedroom in Santo Domingo. More Mothers Day essays: My mom doesnt cook fancy, but she inspires me to do just that In the kitchen, my mother followed the rules straight from her sister My mother and I battled over food, until she made one special thing It didnt matter that we lived in Denver. In our house, soul food reigned Mom didnt teach me to cook. She taught me confidence, in and out the kitchen A mothers lesson in cooking for a crowd: Rely on the tried, true and remembered My mother had no chops in the kitchen, but she pulled off one thing beautifully Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 2 By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend: Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov discussed the issues of regional and the world policy with the Saudi Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud during his official visit to Saudi Arabia, said Turkmen government May 2. The president noted that Turkmenistan aims to efficiently use the existing potential to develop the mutually beneficial cooperation both bilaterally and within such international organizations as the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The Saudi minister, in turn, expressing support for the policy of peace and good neighborliness conducted by Turkmenistan, emphasized that the constructive approach of Ashgabat to solving global problems of humanity finds acceptance and understanding in the wide global circles. THE Region Heavy rain, hailstones hit Washington area High water blocked roads and intersections Monday night in Montgomery and Fairfax counties, as heavy rain pelted the Washington region, causing sudden floods. Trees toppled, electric wires came down and hailstones as big as golf balls were reported, not just in one or two areas, but in many parts of the region. More than an inch of rain fell in an hour in some spots. Many occupants were extricated from cars stalled by rising water along major roads in Montgomery, including Falls Road in the Potomac area, Parklawn Drive in the Rockville area and Newport Mill Road in the Wheaton area. In Fairfax County, authorities were trying Monday night to help occupants of a car stalled in the Great Falls area, at Walker Mill Road and Manning Street, to name only one spot. More than 9,000 homes and businesses in the District and the Maryland suburbs had lost electricity at one point, according to Pepco data. The figure in Northern Virginia was about 2,000. Trees fell in the District in the Foggy Bottom area at 21st and F streets, and at Loughboro and Chain Bridge roads in the citys northwestern corner. One tree fell on several cars in the 5500 block of 13th Street NW. Martin Weil MARYLAND Police nd man shot fatally in Brandywine Prince Georges County police are investigating the shooting death of a man found on a road near a residential neighborhood in Brandywine, a department spokesman said Monday. Officers were called about 1:50 p.m. to the 15100 block of General Lafayette Boulevard for the report of a shooting, said Cpl. Harry Bond, a police spokesman. Bond said authorities found the man, who was not identified by police. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Bond said. Victoria St. Martin VIRGINIA Fatal wrong-way crash on Beltway inner loop Virginia State Police said the driver of a sport-utility vehicle died Monday after he drove the wrong way on the Capital Beltways inner loop near Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria. The early morning crash involved several vehicles and caused traffic delays. The drivers name was not released, pending the notification of his relatives, authorities said. He is from New York and was the only occupant in the vehicle. The crash happened about 1:30 a.m. when a Honda CR-V heading east in the westbound lanes on the Beltway hit a Chevrolet Tahoe head-on. The driver of the Tahoe and a passenger were treated for injuries that werent considered life-threatening. Gift Article Share Montgomery County police are investigating a collision that killed a pedestrian in Rockville late Saturday. Police said a man in a wheelchair was hit at about 11:30 p.m. while trying to cross the 600 block of East Gude Drive from south to north. He was hit by a 2011 Toyota Scion xB. The victim whom police have not yet identified, pending notification of his family died of his injuries at the hospital early Sunday. This guy did not have any anchor or roots, Montgomery County police spokesman Paul Starks told The Washington Post in a phone interview on Monday, explaining why it had been difficult to contact the pedestrians family. The driver of the Toyota was identified as David Alan Campbell, 29, of Rockville. Police said the circumstances of the accident including whether the victim was in or near the crosswalk, and what the traffic light signal was showing at the time are under investigation by the departments Collision Reconstruction Unit. No charges have been filed as of this time. Anyone with information regarding the accident is asked to contact detectives at (240) 773-6620. GiftOutline Gift Article Thierry K. Nkusu, left, is charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing of Maria Mbunga, right, in Takoma Park, Md. (Courtesy of Takoma Park Police and Monique Gomillion.) The Maryland man arrested in the recent killing of a pregnant woman in Takoma Park stabbed her seven times in the neck, chest and abdomen, according to a new police affidavit filed in Montgomery Count District Court on Monday. Thierry K. Nkusu, 33, was ordered held without bond after a brief court hearing Monday, the result of an elevated charge of first-degree premeditated murder lodged against him. He was jailed on a second-degree murder charge. Friends of the victim, meanwhile, continued to mourn her and are baffled that anyone could viciously attack someone such as Maria Mbunga, 36, an outgoing school bus driver originally from Angola. As far as being an extrovert, she was off the scales, said Monique Gomillion, her boss at the West Farm Bus Depot in Silver Spring. She was a beautiful person. Mbunga had driven school bus routes in Montgomery since 2007, Gomillion said. She most recently was serving four schools, starting her day picking up high school students and moving on to a middle school and two elementary schools. She worked a different part-time job during the middle of the day and picked up the students again at the end of the day. Maria Mbunga drove a school bus and was recalled by a friends as a beautiful person. (Courtesy of Monique Gomillion) Maria had a passion for her job and for the kids she drove, Gomillion said. She also made a wide circle of friends among other drivers and employees at the bus depot. When some fell on hard times, she took them in, Gomillion said, including a single mother with an infant. She helped people get back on their feet, Gomillion said. And she was ecstatic about her first pregnancy, beaming with excitement. She just had that glow, Gomillion said. Mbungas unborn child did not survive the attack Wednesday. When the case broke last week, detectives at the Takoma Park Police Department locked in early on Nkusu, whom they described as Mbungas fiance. In court papers, detectives said that Nkusu had indicated to friends that he did not want to care for the baby. In their most recent affidavit, detectives said they spoke with a neighbor of Mbungas who heard yelling and crying from the apartment on Houston Avenue, just north of the D.C. border. Maria Mbunga was stabbed seven times inside her apartment. (Courtesy of Monique Gomillion) Leave me alone! a female voice yelled from inside Mbungas apartment, the affidavit says. The neighbor told detectives that a man also could be heard yelling, and a woman could be heard crying. Both voices seemed to have African accents, the witness told police. Nkusa has told police he is from Congo. The upgraded murder charges appear to be the result of autopsy results. Mbunga was found with seven stabbing and three cutting wounds including cuts on the back of her hands, an indication that she was trying to ward off an attack. One stab to Mbungas neck cut her jugular vein. Others injured her lungs and small intestine. At the crime scene, Takoma Park police officers found blood throughout the apartment, according to the new affidavit. Nkusu has told detectives that he and Mbunga had a good relationship and that he had often texted her to check on the progress of her pregnancy, according to court records. He stated they are both Christians and that they solve their problems with words, detectives wrote last week. Nkusu also said that he was attacked in the apartment by an unknown masked man. That story, according to police, fell apart. Earlier: Police describe how they say that Nkusus story crumbled At the bus depot, Gomillion recalled how Mbunga kept her students in line. She was no-nonsense, Gomillion said. She could handle 55 students behind her while driving a school bus. Gomillion said she had seen Mbunga in action dealing with an unruly student. You need to come up front with me, she would say, where I can talk with you. Eventually, whether it was that day, or days later, the student would get to go back to the seats with the others. Students and parents at all four schools Mbunga served were told of her death. The amount of details shared, according to a school spokesman, varied with the ages of the students. A lot of them were crying, Gomillion said. How do you explain something like this to kids, when you cant explain it to each other? The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to intervene in a former lawyers request to release records of a woman who ran a high-priced escort service in Washington that he claimed could be relevant to the 2016 presidential election. Without comment, the court denied a stay sought by Montgomery Blair Sibley, who had asked to be released from a lower court restraining order that barred him from sharing the records of Deborah Jeane Palfrey, known as the D.C. Madam. Sibley represented Palfrey, who committed suicide in 2008 after being found guilty of racketeering and money laundering in connection with the service. Restraining orders stemming from Palfreys federal case bar Sibley from releasing records he says he has kept, including names, Social Security numbers and addresses of 815 of Palfreys former clients and phone records of 40 other escort services operating in the Washington area. In February, Richard W. Roberts, who was chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District, denied Sibley permission to file a request to lift the court order. Rogers noted that Sibley was terminated from Palfreys civil case and has been suspended from practicing before the federal court in Washington since May 2008. Montgomery Blair Sibley. (Michael S. Williamson/THE WASHINGTON POST) [Former D.C. Madam lawyer says names in her records could be relevant to election] Why Sibley would have possession of subpoenaed records in a case from which he has been terminated and why he would not instead have turned all copies of them over to the defendants continuing counsel of record is not set forth in the motion, Roberts wrote. Then-senator David Vitter (R-La.) apologized in July 2007 after his telephone number appeared in the phone records released by Palfrey, prompting the court order. Sibley in a recent court filing identified 174 entities but not individuals whose phone lines he said were used to call Palfreys service, Pamela Martin & Associates, between 2000 and 2006, including those belonging to numerous federal agencies, foreign embassies and major companies. Sibley did not return messages for comment about his reaction to Mondays Supreme Court decision or his plans for the records. The mansion Riversdale was built in the early 19th century by a family that fled Antwerp to escape Napoleon's troops. It brought its collection of Old Master paintings with it, displaying them in 1816. (John Kelly/The Washington Post) Heres my pitch. I see this film as a heist picture. Its The Thomas Crown Affair meets Oceans 11. In breeches. The year is 1816, and a gang of dapper, wise-cracking art thieves is planning to steal the greatest collection of paintings ever assembled in the Western Hemisphere. An amazing array of Old Masters by the likes of Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, Jan Brueghel and Rembrandt van Rijn is just waiting to be plucked. And where are these works? On a plantation in Prince Georges County, Md. Whod a thunk it? Historian Susan Pearl, with the help of a curator at the National Gallery of Art, started tracking down the paintings that once were kept in Riversdale, a historic mansion in Prince Georges County, Md. (John Kelly/The Washington Post) Its totally incongruous, said Arthur Wheelock, curator of northern baroque paintings at the National Gallery of Art. How did such famous works come to find themselves just outside Bladensburg, Md., far from the courts and ateliers of Europe? The story is being told at Riversdale, the historic house owned by the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The mansion was built between 1801 and 1807 by Henri Joseph Stier, a wealthy Flemish financier who had spirited his family out of Antwerp as Napoleon started to carve up the Continent. Stier was concerned not just about his familys safety, but with the art collection his wifes father had assembled. These were exactly the type of paintings that were being grabbed by the French, Arthur said. Stier was absolutely right to try to prevent that and get them in safe territory. Thats his whole reason for coming to America. Stier and his family and 63 valuable paintings came to the United States in 1794. They first settled in Philadelphia, before moving to Maryland and building Riversdale. (It was Victorian developers who removed the s when creating the town we now know as Riverdale.) Stier and his wife, Marie Louise Peeters, returned to Europe in 1803, leaving their adult daughter Rosalie. She had married George Calvert, a descendant of the fifth Lord Baltimore. Some of the precious paintings were hung at Riversdale, but most remained safely in their packing crates, inspected regularly by Rosalie. In one letter to her father, she wrote, Last year we opened one case, it smelled like paint. I wiped the surface with a silk handkerchief, thus removing white spots that looked like mold. Though historians were vaguely aware of the collection, details were scarce. Then, in the mid-1980s, historian Susan Pearl started working on a history of Riversdale for the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission. She found a genealogist in Brussels who had access to a treasure trove of information about the Stier-Peeters family. He sent her boxes and boxes of document copies. Among them were packing slips for the paintings. Susan realized that she had the means to track the paintings. What did they depict? Had anyone seen them while they were in America? Where had they ended up? She contacted Arthur, the National Gallerys Old Master master. I thought he was going to hang up on me, Susan said. Instead, he said, Bring these papers and meet me at the gallery for lunch at your earliest convenience. With his help, Susan started tracking the paintings. Shes been doing it for 20 years. There were portraits by Van Dyck. There was a delightful scene of animals entering Noahs Ark, painted by Brueghel and now in the Getty in Los Angeles. There was Cimon and Pero (Roman Charity), painted around 1630 by Rubens and now in Amsterdams Rijksmuseum. (It might startle todays viewers, depicting as it does a woman secretly breastfeeding her father, who has been sentenced to death.) Said Arthur: These are the kind of names that the artists in America would go to Europe to study. Now they could go to Riversdale, and some did, including Gilbert Stuart and Rembrandt Peale. It was Peale who helped persuade Rosalie to open her house to visitors before she sent the paintings back to her father after Europe had settled down. And now Riversdale has been hung with reproductions of 16 of the paintings. They were bowled over, Susan said of visitors to what in April 1816 was the young countrys greatest art museum. Im sure it was buzzing. Said Arthur: I can just imagine the word-of-mouth rippling between Washington and Philadelphia. I can just envision how it builds: a little slowly, then people hear about it and a few more carriages go. Does one carriage contain thieves holding a forged letter of introduction, a powerful sleeping draught and special tools to razor the priceless canvases from their frames? In my movie it does. Some of the Finest Paintings Ever in America is the name of the exhibit, and it runs through Oct. 23 at Riversdale, 4811 Riverdale Rd., Riverdale Park. Walk-in tours are offered Friday and Sunday between noon and 3:30 p.m. or on other days by calling the Riversdale Visitor Center: 301-864-0420. Admission is $5, $4 for seniors, $2 for students. For more information, visit history.pgparks.com and click on calendar of events. Twitter: @johnkelly For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly. RICHMOND Democrat Justin Fairfax, a former federal prosecutor and 2013 attorney general candidate, is running for lieutenant governor. He is the first Democrat to officially jump into the statewide contest, while Republicans already have a crowded field including Sen. Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania), Sen. Jill Vogel (R-Fauquier) and Del. Glenn Davis (R-Virginia Beach). The candidacy of Fairfax, 37, an African American, would inject diversity and an energetic style into a Democratic ticket that includes the comparatively low-key Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring. I am passionate about creating and protecting economic security and opportunity for all Virginians, Fairfax said in a statement. As a former federal prosecutor, I know just how fragile security and stability for hard-working families can be. Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax) and longtime federal prosecutor Gene Rossi have each said they are considering running for lieutenant governor as Democrats. Fairfax, over the weekend, filed the paperwork to run, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Virginia Republicans jumped on Fairfaxs announcement as proof state Democrats have moved further to the left than the electorate. The 2017 Democrat primary is going to feature views on policy more consistent with the City of San Francisco than with the Commonwealth of Virginia, state GOP chairman John Whitbeck said in a statement. When Justin Fairfax ran for Attorney General he was defeated by the most extreme left politician in Virginias history. We expect him to run a Bernie Sanders-like campaign even further to the left to ensure he doesnt lose this time. In Virginia, the job is technically a part-time post with responsibility for overseeing the state Senate and breaking tie votes a task that can help some officeholders build a statewide profile and name recognition. [Ken Cuccinelli will not run for Virginia governor in 2017, he says] As co-owner of a dental practice with his dentist wife in Fairfax County and a father of two, Fairfax said he would work to strengthen the state economy. As lieutenant governor, I will fight for Virginias families and make sure every child across the commonwealth has the same opportunities I had to succeed, he said. Fairfax was co-chair of U.S. Sen. Mark Warners 2014 reelection and is part of an effort to increase diversity on the bench in Northern Virginia. He graduated from Duke University and Columbia Law School. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe made a decision to allow convicted felons to vote in November. Heres how the executive order works and why it has lead to a legal fight. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post) Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe made a decision to allow convicted felons to vote in November. Heres how the executive order works and why it has lead to a legal fight. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post) Virginia Republicans have hired a high-powered Washington lawyer to challenge Gov. Terry McAuliffes authority to give more than 200,000 ex-convicts the right to vote in the fall presidential election and beyond. GOP legislative leaders announced Monday that they have retained Charles J. Cooper, who ran the Office of Legal Counsel under President Ronald Reagan. Republicans said they are paying Cooper with private and political funds, not taxpayer money. [From the archives: Attorney Charles J. Cooper in the Reagan years] Governor McAuliffes flagrant disregard for the Constitution of Virginia and the rule of law must not go unchecked, Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr. (R-James City) said in a written statement. We have retained Mr. Cooper to examine the legal options to remedy this Washington-style overreach by the executive branch. Brian Coy, a spokesman for McAuliffe (D), said the governor was acting under the authority of the Virginias Constitution. It gives the governor power to grant various forms of executive clemency, including removal of political disabilities consequent upon conviction. The Governor is disappointed that Republicans would go to such lengths to continue locking people who have served their time out of their democracy, Coy said in an email. While Republicans may have found a Washington lawyer for their political lawsuit, they still have yet to articulate any specific constitutional objections to the Governor exercising a power that Article V Section 12 [of the state constitution] clearly grants him. These Virginians are qualified to vote and they deserve a voice, not more partisan schemes to disenfranchise them. Late last month, McAuliffe issued an executive order restoring voting rights to all felons who have completed their sentences and been released from supervised probation or parole. The order also restores their right to serve on juries and run for public office. It applies to all ex-felons, including those guilty of violent offenses such as murder and rape a point that has particularly incensed Republicans. [Virginia Republicans want a say on restoring voting rights to 200,000 felons] McAuliffe has said that the move will advance civil rights and help reintegrate former convicts. Once you have served your time and youve finished up your supervised parole . . . I want you back as a full citizen of the commonwealth, McAuliffe said when announcing his order. I want you to have a job. I want you paying taxes, and you cant be a second-class citizen. Republican critics have called it a political favor to one of McAuliffes closest friends and allies, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, who could benefit from higher numbers of minority voters. One in four African Americans in the swing state had been banned from voting because of laws restricting the rights of those with convictions. Governor McAuliffe adopted an unprecedented view of executive authority and exceeded the powers granted to him by the Constitution of Virginia when he issued the order restoring the rights of more than 200,000 convicted felons, House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) said in a written statement. It is the obligation of the legislative and judicial branches to serve as a check on overreaches of executive power. To that end, we are prepared to uphold the Constitution of Virginia and the rule of law by challenging Governor McAuliffes order in court. Virginia is one of 11 states that bar ex-offenders from voting unless they receive individual exemptions, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School. McAuliffes predecessor, Robert F. McDonnell (R), made sweeping changes to simplify and speed the application process for nonviolent offenders but stopped short of a blanket restoration. McDonnells predecessor, Democrat Timothy M. Kaine, who left office in early 2010 and now serves as a U.S. senator, considered a broader action but opted against it on the advice of his senior counsel, Mark Rubin. [Convicted felons in Virginia will now have the right to vote in November] A blanket order restoring the voting rights of everyone would be a rewrite of the law rather than a contemplated use of the executive clemency powers, Rubin wrote in 2010. And, the notion that the Constitution of the Commonwealth could be rewritten via executive order is troubling. Norment appeared to refer to that analysis in his statement announcing Coopers hiring. His predecessors and previous attorneys general examined this issue and consistently concluded Virginias governor does not have the power to issue blanket restorations, Norment said. By doing so now with the acknowledged goal of affecting the November election, he has overstepped the bounds of his authority and the constitutional limits on executive powers. Cooper is chairman of Washington-based Cooper & Kirk. He was a law clerk to then-Supreme Court Justice (and later Chief Justice) William H. Rehnquist. In 1985, Reagan appointed him assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel. Coopers work for the Reagan administration put him in the middle of hot-button legal issues of the day. In one of his more public and controversial legal opinions back then, Cooper argued that employers may fire people with AIDS because of fear that the disease may be contagious, even if that fear is irrational. He also was part of a small team that helped Rehnquist through highly contentious Senate hearings ahead of his elevation to chief justice. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 2 By Khalid Kazimov - Trend: Society of Iranian Petroleum Industry Equipment Manufacturers (SIPIEM) seeks to join efforts with international companies. Reza Khayamian, the head of the SIPIEM, said that a German delegation is expected in Iran to study opportunities for cooperation, Fars news agency reported. During the visit, SIPIEM will discuss inking a deal for cooperation with German companies. Khayamian further said that according to the Iran's sixth development plan, the country's oil industry needs an investment of $200 billion of which 60 percent will be spend on purchasing necessary equipment. Society of Iranian Petroleum Industry Equipment Manufacturers (SIPIEM) is a private association in the oil industry supplying a part of the petroleum equipment in the country. CONNECTICUT Governor wins award for refugee stance Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy received the 2016 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award on Sunday for his public support of resettling Syrian refugees in the United States. Kennedys grandson Jack Schlossberg presented the award to Malloy at a ceremony at the JFK Library in Boston. Malloy was selected to win the award from about 4,000 nominees. Malloy, a Democrat, was named this years recipient for his vocal support of refugee resettlement. Schlossberg credits Malloy with taking a stand against hateful, xenophobic rhetoric at a time when some governors and presidential candidates sought a ban on Syrian refugees. Fortunately for our country and for the refugees fleeing violence and terror at home, some Americans stood up for our values. Governor Malloy was one such American, Schlossberg said. Malloy announced three days after the Paris attacks that Connecticut would continue to accept refugees from Syria. Malloy personally greeted a refugee family from Syria that arrived in Connecticut in November after Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, a Republican, told them they were not welcome in his state. The family a mother, a father and their young son attended the ceremony. I decided to raise my voice and to make it clear that not all Americans believe that people should be barred at our door because of their religion or because of the geography from which they come, a choked-up Malloy said during a brief speech. Associated Press Florida First cruise ship sets sail for Havana After half a century of waiting, passengers have set sail from Miami on a historic cruise to Havana. Carnivals 704-passenger Adonia left port about 4:24 p.m. Sunday. The cruise comes after Cuba loosened its policy banning Cuban-born people from arriving in the country by sea. Cuban-born passengers were aboard. Carnival said the Adonia will cruise every other week from Miami to Cuba. Passenger Rick Schneider, 73, told the Sun-Sentinel that he waited 60 years for the chance to make the journey. He bought a Cuban flag for the occasion, which he waved at protesters who opposed the cruises. The Cuban government said the shift in policy removes prohibitions enacted when Cuban exiles were launching attacks by sea after the first Cuban revolution. Associated Press Four children, two adults die in Fla. crash: Six people, including four children, have died in a weekend crash on a South Florida interstate, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The crash involved a minivan and an SUV on Interstate 95 in Jupiter about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, authorities said. Highway Patrol Sgt. Mark Wysocky said Heidi Solis-Perez of Stuart, Fla., lost control of her Mercury Villager and hit a median wall. The vehicle then bounced off the wall and into the path of a Kia Sorento, Wysocky said. Six passengers, including four children in Solis-Perezs minivan, died in the crash. They were identified as: Reynaldo Diaz, 31; Andres Perez, 18; Sandy Julian-Solis, 17; Macareo Julian-Solos, 14; Alexander Julian-Solis, 7; and Marillany Julian-Solis, 5. Heidi Solis-Perez and another passenger, Daisy Julian-Solis, 11, were listed in serious condition. The driver of the Sorento, Sharwen Pierre Louis, 21, of Fort Pierce, suffered minor injuries. Hiker found dead in Alaska: A hiker has been found dead in Alaskas Denali National Park and Preserve, and authorities think he fell and suffered a fatal head injury. The National Park Service said that a ground team found the body of Michael Purdy, 24, of Portland, Ore., on Sunday near the north end of the Savage River Loop Trail. The agency said in a release that clues indicate Purdy diverted from the riverside trail to explore higher terrain and fell, hitting his head. Authorities think the accident happened Tuesday based on Purdys cellphone activity and sightings of his vehicle. The Park Service said Purdys remains will be recovered by the park helicopter, then transferred to the state medical examiner. Two reservation hospital agree to changes: Two government-run hospitals on Native American reservations in South Dakota have agreed to undertake significant quality-of-care changes. This means the facilities on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Indian Reservations will keep receiving crucial federal funding. The Indian Health Service, which administers the hospitals, announced Sunday that it met the deadline to reach last-chance remediation agreements for each facility with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The agreed-upon changes include the appointment of a monitor who will provide periodic progress reports, as well as the previously proposed privatization of the facilities emergency rooms. From news services FLORIDA FBI said to thwart plot to bomb Jewish center A mans planned explosive attack on a Jewish center in South Florida was thwarted by the FBI through an undercover operation involving a dummy bomb, authorities said Monday. James Medina, 40, made his initial appearance in federal court Monday following his arrest last week in the alleged plot against the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center, which includes a synagogue, a school and meeting halls. Medina is charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, which carries a potential life prison sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton said the FBI learned in March that Medina a Muslim convert who said in court he also goes by James Muhammad planned to bomb the center by placing a device under a car or throwing it over a wall. An FBI undercover operative was used to provide Medina with a fake bomb, and he was arrested after accepting it Friday near the Jewish center, Anton said. A 17-page FBI affidavit unsealed Monday includes numerous comments allegedly made by Medina about his plan, which initially envisioned use of AK-47-style weapons to shoot up the Jewish center. Associated Press TENNESSEE New law allows gunsfor college employees A bill allowing staff and faculty at Tennessees public colleges and universities to be armed on campus has become law without the signature of Gov. Bill Haslam (R). Haslam said in a statement Monday that he disagreed with the bill for not allowing campus leaders to make their own decision about allowing guns. But the governor acknowledged that the final version of the measure had addressed concerns raised by college administrators, with provisions protecting colleges from liability in lawsuits and a requirement to notify law enforcement about who is armed on campus. The National Rifle Association had argued against allowing individual institutions to opt out of the guns-on-campus bill. The bill was sponsored by state Rep. Andy H. Holt (R-Dresden) and state Sen. Mike Bell (R-Riceville). Associated Press KENTUCKY Judge restrains city from removing statue A judge on Monday temporarily barred the city of Louisville from removing a 70-foot-tall Confederate monument near the University of Louisville campus. Jefferson County Circuit Judge Judith McDonald-Burkman signed a restraining order forbidding the city from moving the 121-year-old obelisk honoring Kentuckians who died fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War. Mayor Greg Fischer (D) and James Ramsey, the universitys president, had announced Friday that they would remove the monument, marking the latest government effort to reconsider displaying Confederate symbols following the massacre of nine black churchgoers in South Carolina last summer. The city said the stone and bronze structure, for years a source of tension, would be disassembled and moved to storage until a decision is made on where it should be properly displayed. The Sons of Confederate Veterans and Everett Corley, a Republican running for Congress, filed for the restraining order on Monday. They contend that the mayor lacks the authority to remove the monument and did not follow proper protocol. The judge scheduled a hearing for Thursday morning. Associated Press GEORGIA Trial moved for man who left tot in hot car The trial of a Georgia man accused of intentionally leaving his toddler son in a hot SUV to die will be moved, the judge said Monday, granting a defense request to hold it elsewhere because pretrial publicity has caused potential jurors to form strong opinions about the case. Justin Ross Harris, 35, faces charges including murder in the June 18, 2014, death of his 22-month-old son, Cooper. Police have said the boy died after spending about seven hours in the SUV on a day when Atlanta-area temperatures reached at least into the high 80s. This courtroom has not been a place of mild opinions, Cobb County Superior Court Judge Mary Staley said, describing three weeks of questioning of potential jurors. She noted the emotionality of potential jurors comments, with one of them saying Harris should rot in hell, another calling him a pervert and one saying he deserves the death penalty, which prosecutors arent even seeking. There was no immediate indication to where the trial will be moved. Staley said she, the court administrator and attorneys will work together on that decision. Associated Press 120 children were given too much laughing gas, college says: More than 120 children may have received too much laughing gas during recent procedures at a University of Iowa clinic, the school said Monday. Patients who received treatment at the schools pediatric dentistry clinic in Iowa City between March 1 and April 20 have an extremely small risk of suffering any long-term health effects, the school said. The university said the patients were given higher-than-intended amounts of nitrous oxide, which is known as laughing gas and is commonly used in dentistry as an anesthetic. During a recent remodeling of the clinic, a contract worker installing the nitrous oxide system accidentally switched the tubes carrying nitrous oxide and oxygen, the university said. A supervisor who inspected the installation did not catch the error. Planned Parenthood clinic reopens after fatal attack: A Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic has reopened five months after an attack by a gunman left three people dead and nine more injured. The Colorado Springs Gazette reported that workers at the clinic have repaired damage from the Nov. 27 shootings and celebrated a full reopening Sunday. The emotional event was attended by employees, state officials and peaceful protesters. Robert Lewis Dear Jr. has admitted to opening fire at the clinic, and psychologists have testified that he has a delusional disorder. A judge has not yet made a decision about whether he is competent to stand trial. From news services Countries usually dont knowingly commit economic suicide, but in Britain, millions seem ready to give it a try. On June 23, the United Kingdom will vote to decide whether to quit the European Union, the 28-nation economic bloc with a population of 508 million and a gross domestic product of almost $17 trillion. Lets not be coy: Leaving the E.U. would be an act of national insanity. It would weaken the U.K. economy, one of Europes strongest. The E.U. absorbs 44 percent of Britains exports; these might suffer because trade barriers, now virtually nonexistent between the U.K. and other E.U. members, would probably rise. Meanwhile, Britain would become less attractive as a production platform for the rest of Europe, so that new foreign direct investment in the U.K. now $1.5 trillion would fall. Also threatened would be Londons status as Europes major financial center, home (for example) to 78 percent of E.U. foreign exchange trading. With the U.K. out of the E.U., some banking activities might move to Frankfurt or other cities. This would be a big blow. Losses could be considerable. A study from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), after making assumptions about U.K. trade and investment, concluded that Brexit shorthand for Britains exit from the E.U. could shave off $3,200 from average British household income by 2020. No one really knows, but other studies reach similar conclusions. Indeed, the adverse effects may be undercounted, argues OECD SecretaryGeneral Angel Gurria. Noting that U.K. economic growth in the first quarter of 2016 was the slowest since 2012, he says that uncertainty over Britains future is already causing businesses to delay hiring and investment decisions. What would Britain get from all this? Good question. There are three main complaints against the E.U., says Nile Gardiner, who was an aide to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and now works at the conservative Heritage Foundation. First, the outpouring of regulations from Brussels the seat of the E.U. has compromised Britains sovereignty. On some issues, the European Court of Justice can overrule British courts. Second, the E.U.s liberal migration rules may expose Britain to terrorists or overburden its welfare system. (Once people become E.U. citizens, they are allowed to live or work anywhere in the bloc.) Finally, the E.U. imposes costs on Britain an annual contribution to the E.U. budget plus the costs of regulations. The E.U. certainly isnt immune to criticism. It is often an elitist institution that has centralized too much power in Brussels for a continent characterized by huge differences of national history and culture. It has also committed massive errors, the adoption of the euro probably being the largest. (One currency didnt work well for all countries. Britain wisely decided not to join.) Still, most complaints seem exaggerated. The U.K.s net annual contribution to the E.U. budget is about 0.5 percent of Britains GDP. Thats hardly crushing. Some E.U. regulations may be overkill, but Britains labor and product markets are among the least regulated of advanced countries. As for immigrants, studies show that these workers pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits, says Frances Burwell of the Atlantic Council. Theyve come to work. What this debate is really about is Britains place in the world and its self-identity. Britain has long been of Europe but also apart from it. The British Empire was once the worlds largest. To be simply another member of a continental confederation, albeit an important member, offends this heritage. The nostalgic yearning is understandable, but it is not a policy. Ironically, leaving the E.U. would confirm the U.K.s reduced status. The U.K. would have to renegotiate its trading agreements with the E.U. and dozens of other countries. A deal with the E.U. is essential. For the U.K., the best outcome would be to retain much of its preferential access, which as a practical matter would mean continuing contributions to the E.U. budget and abiding by most E.U. regulations. The status quo would survive, except that the U.K. would have no influence over E.U. policies. Anything less than this would have the E.U. putting its own members at a competitive disadvantage. Viewed this way, Brexit is an absurdity. But it is a potentially destructive absurdity. It creates more uncertainty in a world awash in uncertainty. This would weaken an already sputtering global economy by giving firms and consumers another reason to pull back on spending. It would be better for the U.K. to stay in the E.U. It would also be better for the E.U., because Britain provides political and intellectual balance. Finally, it would be better for the United States, which doesnt need a major ally Britain to go delusional. Read more from Robert Samuelsons archive. IN CHINAs drive to modernize over the past few decades a period in which it became an economic superpower civil society groups took root, helping fight poverty and environmental damage, offering legal services, aiding migrants, and improving health care and education, among many other worthy pursuits. These groups, often supported from abroad, filled an important niche and attempted to remedy what the Chinese state neglected in an era of rapid change. The groups were loosely tolerated in a kind of gray zone . On Thursday, China took a major step toward ending that ambiguity and approved a law that could severely restrict the work of thousands of nongovernmental organizations, or NGOs, that receive help from overseas. After a months-long delay, the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress approved the third draft of a bill that would put foreign NGOs under the thumb of the Ministry of Public Security, rather than the Ministry of Civil Affairs, which had overseen them. In effect, China will place the NGO sector under the police, effective Jan. 1, 2017. The implementation of law in China is always uncertain, but the message is unmistakable. Most of these civil society groups lend a hand to the powerless, and not infrequently they come up against the bureaucracy and the state. If an NGO becomes too aggressive or demanding, or simply displeases the authorities, it may quickly face sanction by the Ministry of Public Security, which exists to protect the ruling Communist Party. The new law will give the ministry intrusive powers to register all such groups, examine their finances and interrogate workers. Those NGOs that are not approved will be forced to close. It appears the most draconian aspects of earlier drafts remain, despite protests from NGOs and foreign governments. China has been at the forefront of a war on NGOs that is being waged by authoritarian regimes around the world fearful of popular uprisings and suspicious that NGOs are planting seeds of revolt. In recent years, dozens of nations have imposed onerous rules, drying up international funding, limiting freedom of association and branding groups as foreign agents or spies. Even before adopting the law, China did not hesitate to quash those groups it suspected of supporting democracy, free speech and human rights. But now President Xi Jinping is going further than his predecessors in the post-Mao era. He is systematically attempting to strengthen the machinery of the Chinese state and impose top-down controls on civil society. Not every NGO will be policed under the measure, but just the threat of it will raise doubts among those wanting to help the dispossessed and distressed in China. The new law reflects Mr. Xis fear of his own people. It may make him feel more secure, at least for a time, but it will bring tangible suffering to the Chinese population. Humphrey Bogart as Fred C. Dobbs (left) and Tim Holt as Bob Curtin in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. ( 1942 Turner Entertainment) Roxanne Roberts wrote in the April 29 Style article about the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner that Donald Trumps possible narcissistic wound at that event may or may not have tipped the balance for his making a serious White House bid. It is said that Ronald Reagan was so narcissistically wounded by not getting the role he wanted in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre that it propelled him to seek the governorship of California. The protagonist in Edgar Allan Poes The Cask of Amontillado seemed so narcissistically wounded by his tormentor that he killed him by imprisonment in a wine cellar. Behavioral scientists have long known that a narcissistic wound, if deep enough, can be life-changing. Boyd Lee Burris, Rockville EVERYONE COMPLAINS about the high cost of prescription drugs, but not many people try to do anything about it. An admirable exception is the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which recently proposed a pilot program to change the way Medicare reimburses doctors for medications they administer directly to patients, as opposed to those distributed through pharmacies or hospitals. At present, the doctor gets the average price of a drug plus 6 percent, a clear incentive to use higher priced drugs instead of lower priced equivalents. HHS wants to make the reimbursement 2.5 percent plus a flat fee. The idea is to curb Medicare spending on physician-dispensed drugs which grew from $9.5 billion in 2005 to $22 billion in 2015 without harming quality of care. Alas, there is now an uproar against the proposal on Capitol Hill, where the two interest groups most affected, the pharmaceutical industry and certain medical specialties such as oncology, have immense clout. All 14 Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee are demanding the Obama administration withdraw the proposal and all 12 Democrats on the committee have signed a letter raising their concerns. Similar moves are afoot among both parties in the House. Lawmakers, echoing the lobbies talking points almost verbatim, claim the HHS plan will inflict economic damage on small, independent practitioners who tend to pay higher prices for drugs because they lack hospitals bargaining power, thus encouraging industry concentration and limiting patient choices. The obvious goal is to pressure HHS to weaken its plan before it becomes final in a couple of months. Yet a new analysis by the Evidence-Driven Drug Pricing Project at New Yorks Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center shows that the HHS proposal addresses a real problem and that the opponents complaints are probably overblown. Medicare rules do, indeed, encourage physicians to use more expensive drugs instead of cheaper equivalents, and the incentive is strongest with a relative handful of highly expensive cancer drugs. In effect, the status quo allows drug companies to raise prices in periodic increments and split the proceeds with the doctors who administer them, the study found. Meanwhile, when all sources of physician reimbursement, not just Medicare, are factored in, the HHS proposal would only modestly decrease the average oncology practices overall profit margin from 16.1 percent to 15.5 percent. Thats not a deal-breaker, but if anyone thinks it is, HHS could fix it by raising the proposed flat fee a few dollars. What we have here is another case study in why its so hard to reform health care: Almost any change, no matter how reasonable, creates winners and losers and the latter can always find a way to recast their narrow interests as a noble stand on behalf of seniors, or small business, or some other sympathetic stakeholder. Those interests have the ear of Congress, including, disappointingly, members of President Obamas own party who youd think would be defending his HHS officials instead of carping or remaining silent. The executive branch is on the side of consumers and taxpayers this time. We hope it doesnt back down. George F. Will painted a seriously distorted picture in his April 28 op-ed, Contain Puerto Ricos crisis. Mistakes have been made in Puerto Rico over many years and under both parties. Mr. Will neglected to note, however, that, over 10 years beginning in 1996, Congress phased out a manufacturing tax incentive that had benefited Puerto Rico since the 1970s. That move resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of jobs and plunged the island into a recession from which it has yet to emerge. Mr. Will also neglected to note the many steps taken in recent years to reduce public employment rolls, reform pensions, cut spending and increase revenue. The islands debt, unfortunately, is too large to service and maintain basic services. Neither the governor nor Puerto Ricos Senate president oppose a federal oversight board for the island. Eduardo Bhatia, the Senate president, said, I dont have a problem with a board that advises, that supervises, one with which we can have a discussion. Gov. Alejandro Garcia-Padilla said the legislation was a step in the right direction. Purchasers of Puerto Rican bonds should have known that Congress could extend restructuring authority to Puerto Rico. They purchased those bonds subject to that risk. Puerto Rico cannot emerge from the crisis without the temporary authority to restructure all of its debt; the consequences of cascading defaults will be far worse for all parties than the grant of this necessary authority now. Juan E. Hernandez, Washington The writer is the Puerto Rican governors Washington representative and director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 2 By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iran's non-oil exports to Italy witnessed a huge increase of 493.7 percent in the first Iranian calendar month (March 20 - Apr. 20), according to the Iranian Customs Administration's latest report published May 2. Iran exported 119,608 tons of non-oil goods, worth $71.81 million to Italy during that period. Tehran's non-oil exports to the European country were 2562.4 percent more in terms of volume as compared to the same period of last year. China was the main importer of the Iranian goods during the one-month period. Beijing's imports accounted for 26.5 percent of Iran's total non-oil exports in terms of value and 32.5 percent in terms of volume. Iran exported 2.65 million tons of non-oil goods, worth $797 million to China during the first Iranian calendar month. Iran's non-oil exports to China witnessed a rise of 11.78 percent in terms of value, while the volume of the Islamic Republic's non-oil exports to China rose by 73.9 percent, according to the Iranian Customs Administration. The UAE (with $443 million), Iraq ($398.8 million), South Korea ($278.2 million) and India ($262.8 million) were the other four biggest importers of the Iranian goods after China. The UAE's imports from Iran indicate a fall by 26.9 percent. Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic's exports to South Korea and India rose by 487 percent and 69.6 percent, respectively. Iran's exports to Iraq registered a fall of 8.3 percent during the period, as compared to the same month of the preceding year. Tehran's total non-oil exports surpassed $3 billion during the last Iranian calendar month, indicating a rise of 7.9 percent year-on-year. Philip M. Breedlove is NATOs Supreme Allied Commander Europe and commander of the U.S. European Command. When I became Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and commander of the U.S. European Command in May 2013, there was discussion in certain circles about the utility of NATO. I felt those discussions were completely without merit and that there was no need to engage. In my mind, and in the minds of the people who work in, around or with NATO, the utility of the alliance is self-evident. This was tantamount to having a discussion about the utility of the sun. The NATO alliance is arguably the most critical linchpin supporting stability on the continent that is home to the worlds largest integrated economy and, incidentally, on the continent that has in the past century or so spawned the worlds most destructive conflicts. As I wrap up my time as SACEUR, a tenure marked by the invasion of a neighboring state by Russian Federation forces, it seems utterly implausible that there are still those out there, some of them influential figures, who doubt the utility of NATO. So I feel the need to explain to my fellow countrymen why the United States absolutely needs NATO a NATO that is strong, resilient and united. In the century before I became SACEUR, approximately 100 million people died as a result of World Wars I and II[. Additionally, Europe was caught in a vicious cycle of violence where, from the Franco-Prussian wars to WWI and then WWII, the results of one war fed directly into the casus belli for the next. Thankfully, after WWII, we broke the pattern. In fact, since the inception of NATO, the European continent has enjoyed its longest period without a major power conflict in centuries. Though NATO cannot take all the credit for this prolonged period of relative peace, it is no mere coincidence that Europes stability and prosperity have developed alongside the worlds most capable and effective political-military alliance. Speaking of prosperity, the peace that NATO has facilitated has allowed our European allies to focus resources toward rebuilding the continent from the ravages of WWII. Europe rose from the ashes of destruction to now boast the highest gross domestic product of any continent. In terms of direct benefit to the United States, the European Union is our largest trading partner, comprising more than $698 billion in annual trade. Without NATO, those member nations would likely have maintained large and expensive standing armies not simply to protect against a potential threat from the east but also to protect against the threats that had consumed Europe from within for centuries. An additional key contribution is NATOs role in facilitating the peaceful transition of former Warsaw Pact countries from autocracies to thriving democracies. On the map of Europe today, recently democratic nations have far greater stability and prosperity if they are NATO members. The expense in assisting these allies to develop vibrant democracies and civil societies pales in comparison with the costs of turmoil and civil war. Looking at NATOs recent history, it is also important to note that an Article V, or collective defense, declaration has been made only once in the 67-year history of the alliance: in support of the United States after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Since our allies 2003 deployment to Afghanistan, they and our partners have fought beside us, for our defense. This is an alliance that has proved its worth, in the blood of its sons and daughters. Finally, if the naysayers still are not convinced of the criticality of this alliance, just look at the headlines. There is an arc of instability and aggression threatening our interests and our allies stretching from the Arctic, through Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and across North Africa. Only the most diehard isolationist could claim that this is not a direct threat to the United States and our interests. Our allies are on the front lines challenging Russian aggression, ungoverned and undergoverned spaces, and the worlds largest migrant crisis since WWII. Russias revanchist ambitions and illegal annexation of Crimea have led to the first attempt to change internationally recognized borders by force in Europe since the end of that conflict. Our allies are reacting and engaging. They have been essential in maintaining effective sanctions against the Russians and in ramping up exercises and assurance measures. In the past two years, we have seen a reversal in the trend of declining defense budgets among our allies. Though not all are achieving NATOs target level of defense spending at 2 percent of GDP, recent budget developments in many of the allied nations show defense spending increases. Additionally, and most significantly, allies are taking the lead. One of our newest adaptation measures in NATO is the creation of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force. This brigade-size task force, with all necessary enablers, is ready for deployment anywhere in Europe on a moments notice. It is anchored around brigades provided by non-U.S. members of the alliance. NATO has been and will continue to be the centerpiece to peace and stability in Europe. It is an institution indispensable in todays dangerous world. We Americans cannot stand alone. Our greatest strength is vested in our partners and allies who share our dreams, our values and, yes, shoulder-to-shoulder share our burdens. The photo accompanying the April 29 news article Biden makes first Iraq trip in 5 years showed Vice President Biden leaving an Air Force plane in Iraq. The lettering over the door read The Spirit of Strom Thurmond. Does the Air Force really endorse the former senator and one-time segregationist? The spirit of the United States is tarnished by this airplane. John Reynolds, Crozet, Va. Barack Obama is president of the United States. Over the past six years, Americas businesses have created more than 14 million new jobs. To keep this progress going, we need to pursue every avenue of economic growth. Today, some of our greatest economic opportunities abroad are in the Asia-Pacific region, which is on its way to becoming the most populous and lucrative market on the planet. Increasing trade in this area of the world would be a boon to American businesses and American workers, and it would give us a leg up on our economic competitors, including one we hear a lot about on the campaign trail these days: China. Of course, Chinas greatest economic opportunities also lie in its own neighborhood, which is why China is not wasting any time. As we speak, China is negotiating a trade deal that would carve up some of the fastest-growing markets in the world at our expense, putting American jobs, businesses and goods at risk. This past week, China and 15 other nations met in Australia with a goal of getting their deal, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, done before the end of this year. That trade deal wont prevent unfair competition among government-subsidized, state-owned enterprises. It wont protect a free and open Internet. Nor will it respect intellectual property rights in a way that ensures Americas creators, artists, filmmakers and entrepreneurs get their due. And it certainly wont enforce high standards for our workers and our environment. Fortunately, America has a plan of our own that meets each of these goals. As a Pacific power, the United States has pushed to develop a high-standard Trans- Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that puts American workers first and makes sure we write the rules of the road for trade in the 21st century. This agreement strengthens Americas economy. The TPP brings together 12 countries representing nearly 40 percent of the global economy to make sure that private firms have a fair shot at competing against state-owned enterprises. It keeps the Internet open and free. It strengthens the intellectual property protections our innovators need to take risks and create. And it levels the playing field by setting the highest enforceable standards and by removing barriers to selling our goods overseas including the elimination of more than 18,000 taxes that other countries put on products made in America. Simply put, once the TPP is in place, American businesses will export more of what they make. And that means supporting more higher-paying jobs. This agreement also strengthens Americas national security. When fewer people suffer in poverty, when our trading partners flourish and when we bind our economy closer to others in a strategically important region, America is both stronger and safer. But none of this will happen if the TPP doesnt become a reality. Thats because the Asia-Pacific region will continue its economic integration, with or without the United States. We can lead that process, or we can sit on the sidelines and watch prosperity pass us by. If we dont get the TPP done, American goods will continue to face high tariffs and other trade barriers in the region. American businesses will lose competitive access to Asian markets, which would mean fewer of the cars our autoworkers manufacture would make it to growing markets, more of our farmers and ranchers products would run into barriers abroad, and small-business owners hoping to sell their goods abroad would still find themselves ensnared in red tape. If we dont get the TPP done, employers across America will lose the chance to compete with other countries companies on a level playing field. And when American workers and businesses compete on a level playing field, no one can beat us. I understand the skepticism people have about trade agreements, particularly in communities where the effects of automation and globalization have hit workers and families the hardest. But building walls to isolate ourselves from the global economy would only isolate us from the incredible opportunities it provides. Instead, America should write the rules. America should call the shots. Other countries should play by the rules that America and our partners set, and not the other way around. Thats what the TPP gives us the power to do. Thats why my administration is working closely with leaders in Congress to secure bipartisan approval for our trade agreement, mindful that the longer we wait, the harder it will be to pass the TPP. The world has changed. The rules are changing with it. The United States, not countries like China, should write them. Lets seize this opportunity, pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership and make sure America isnt holding the bag, but holding the pen. Carly, we hardly knew ye. A week ago, Carly Fiorina was in a good position to enjoy the sheen of respectability she had acquired. The former Hewlett-Packard chief had run a solid presidential campaign and established herself as an adroit debater who could cut Donald Trump down to size. Then, on Wednesday, she became Ted Cruzs vice-presidential nominee accepting a nomination Cruz had no authority to bestow. In a case of exceptionally bad timing, Fiorina hitched herself to Cruz at precisely the moment his candidacy began to implode, as polls showed him fading in must-win Indiana before Tuesdays vote. Fiorinas previous criticism of Cruz and her checkered record at HP were again in the news. And now, alas, so is her singing: I know two girls that I just adore Im so happy I can see them more Because we travel on the bus all day We get to play, we get to play Fiorina sang these words to Cruzs two daughters in her acceptance speech. The eerie crooning, of the type heard in horror movies before something bad happens, made Fiorina a late-night sensation. Its like Disney gave the wicked stepmother her own song, Stephen Colbert observed. Musical sleuths identified the melody as Irving Berlins show tune Youre Just in Love: Put your head on my shoulder You need someone whos older A rubdown with a velvet glove 1 of 9 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Moments when Ted Cruz was more surprising than Donald Trump View Photos Although Trump has voiced myriad eyebrow-raising positions, Ted Cruz has at times taken more surprising stances. Caption Although Trump has voiced myriad eyebrow-raising positions, Ted Cruz has at times taken more surprising stances. Cruz and Trump Ted Cruz, left, and Donald Trump. Left: Cassi Alexandra for The Washington Post. Right: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. There is nothing you can take To relieve that pleasant ache Youre not sick Youre just in love This selection by Fiorina she delivered the unsettling news that she has four verses to her song puts the old in Grand Old Party. Its from the 1950 musical Call Me Madam, in which the Ethel Merman character, an heiress and ambassador, comforts her young aid, a diplomat in love with a princess. Fiorina, 61, is the one taking orders from Cruz, 45, but their relationship is no less peculiar. Its not Fiorinas fault that news broke just after her nomination was announced that former House speaker John Boehner, still a popular figure in nearby Ohio, had called Cruz Lucifer in the flesh and a miserable son of a bitch. Nor was it Fiorinas fault that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Friday gave Cruz such a tepid endorsement he said that he will be voting for Ted Cruz but that I particularly want to commend Donald Trump that Pence attempted a do-over in the form of an op-ed in the Indianapolis Star. But if Fiorina picked investments the way she picked her candidate, you can see why HP stopped requiring her services. She bought Cruz at the peak, when polls showed him close in Indiana. But an NBC-Wall Street Journal poll Sunday found Trump up 15 points. And now Cruz and Fiorina have to explain all those things she used to say about him: that Cruz is just like any other politician; that theres no honor in charging a hill that you know you cant take, only casualties, although Ted Cruz maybe got name recognition and money; and that it was odd that Senator Ted Cruz did not renounce his dual Canadian citizenship until 2014. Cruz now also has to defend Fiorinas record at HP, where she let go thousands and sent jobs to India and China. Will the Cruz-Fiorina team do the same thing to Indiana that she did to Hewlett-Packard? Fox Newss Chris Wallace asked Cruz on Sunday. The treatment didnt improve for Cruz when he took questions from reporters Monday morning in Indiana: How can he possibly beat Trump in California? Is there a path to victory if he doesnt win in Indiana? Would he drop out of the race before the convention in July? I am competing to the end, said Cruz, reminding all of his endorsement from Pence and his running mate. I am so proud this week to be standing shoulder to shoulder with my vice-presidential nominee, Carly Fiorina. But Fiorina was not standing at his shoulder later Monday, when he waded bravely into a group of Trump supporters outside his event. Cruz bravely tried to engage them in calm discussion. Donald Trump is deceiving you. He is playing you for a chump, Cruz said. The Trump supporters taunted Cruz: Do the math. . . . Time to drop out. . . . You are the problem, politician. . . . Wheres your Goldman Sachs jacket? . . . Lyin like you always do. . . . Are you Canadian? America, one said, would be a better country without you. If Cruz hadnt established himself as a singularly unlikable candidate, one could almost have felt sorry for him in that moment. He needed urgently for Fiorina to sing more Ethel Merman: They think that were through, but baby, Youll be swell! Youll be great! Gonna have the whole world on the plate! Starting here, starting now, Honey, everythings coming up roses! Twitter: @Milbank Read more from Dana Milbanks archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. Before his big foreign policy speech, Donald Trump let us know that it wont be the Trump Doctrine because in life you have to be flexible. You have to have flexibility. You have to change. You may say one thing, and then the following year you want to change it because circumstances are different. So we had the Monroe Doctrine, the Truman Doctrine, the Reagan Doctrine and the Bush Doctrine. But the Trump Doctrine is that doctrines are for losers. On the center right, there are plenty of philosophies realism, conservative internationalism and isolationism to choose from. So which does Trump subscribe to? None and all, depending on the day he is speaking. For example, Trump has announced some of the most ambitious goals in the Middle East of any presidential candidate in modern history. In his speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Trump promised that we will totally dismantle Irans global terror network, which he said had seeded terror groups all over the world and perpetrated terror attacks in 25 different countries on five continents. And Trump declared in no uncertain terms last week that the Islamic State will be gone if Im elected president. And theyll be gone quickly. They will be gone very, very quickly. Even the most enthusiastic advocates of the Bush Doctrine would never suggest that the Islamic State could be eliminated very, very quickly President George W. Bush described the battle against terrorism as a generational struggle. And the complete dismantlement of Irans terrorist infrastructure on five continents? Wow. Even the most ambitious neoconservatives have never gone that far. Yet at the same time, Trump has also repeatedly said he plans to pull out of the Middle East so that he can save money and focus on nation-building here at home. We are spending trillions of dollars in the Middle East, and the infrastructure of our country is disintegrating, Trump has said, adding elsewhere that We have to build our own country and thats what we have to focus on. That sounds a lot more like President Obama, who declared that over the last decade, we have spent a trillion dollars on war, at a time of rising debt and hard economic times. . . . It is time to focus on nation-building here at home. So which is it? Trump cant dismantle Irans terror network and destroy the Islamic State while at the same time withdrawing from the Middle East so that he can spend the money on bridges and infrastructure. Trump also contradicts himself when it comes to the ideological struggle with Islamist radicalism. In his speech last week, Trump correctly declared: Containing the spread of radical Islam must be a major foreign policy goal of the United States and indeed the world. Events may require the use of military force, but its also a philosophical struggle, like our long struggle in the Cold War. That sounds a lot like the Bush Doctrine. The war we fight today is more than a military conflict, Bush told the American Legion in 2006. It is the decisive ideological struggle of the 21st century. But Trump also declared in the same speech that our troubles in the Middle East began with the dangerous idea that we could make Western democracies out of countries that had no experience or interest in becoming a Western democracy. He has said that Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is someone with whom he could work (Ive been watching Assad, he told Foxs Bill OReilly, and Ive been pretty good at this stuff over the years, because deals are people. And Im looking at Assad and saying, Maybe hes better than the kind of people that were supposed to be backing ). Trump has also said that the world would be 100 percent better with Saddam Hussein and Moammar Gaddafi in power, and that in Egypt We should have backed [Hosni] Mubarak instead of dropping him like a dog. So Trump believes that (a) the war on terror is, like the Cold War, an ideological struggle between tyranny and freedom; and (b) that the way to win that ideological struggle is to support Middle Eastern tyrants as the alternative to Islamist radicalism? This isnt realism; it is incoherent. To complicate things further, Trump gave a name to his foreign policy non-doctrine: America First, he declared last week, will be the major and overriding theme of my administration. In the prepared text released by his campaign, the phrase America First was even capitalized. But America First has been the rallying cry of American isolationists for 75 years, ever since Charles Lindbergh and the America First Committee lobbied against U.S. involvement in World War II in the 1940s. On Fox News Sunday this weekend, Trump embraced his inner Lindbergh. Were defending Germany, were defending Japan, South Korea, were defending Saudi Arabia, Trump declared. Were the policeman to the world. And this country cant afford to do it. In other words, Trump has managed to embrace isolationism, realism and internationalism all at the same time. Give him this much: Thats pretty flexible. Read more from Marc Thiessens archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. The encouraging news from Latin America is that the leftist populists who for 15 years undermined the regions democratic institutions and wrecked its economies are being pushed out not by coups and juntas, but by democratic and constitutional means. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina is already gone, vanquished in a presidential election, and Brazils Dilma Rousseff is likely to be impeached in the coming days. The tipping point is the place where the movement began in the late 1990s: Venezuela, a country of 30 million that despite holding the worlds largest oil reserves has descended into a dystopia where food, medicine, water and electric power are critically scarce. Riots and looting broke out in several blacked-out cities last week, forcing the deployment of troops. A nation that 35 years ago was the richest in Latin America is now appealing to its neighbors for humanitarian deliveries to prevent epidemics and hunger. The regime that fostered this nightmare, headed by Hugo Chavez until his death in 2013, is on the way out: It cannot survive the economic crisis and mass discontent it has created. The question is whether the change will come relatively peacefully or through an upheaval that could turn Venezuela into a failed state and destabilize much of the region around it. A democratic outcome seemed possible in December, when a coalition of opposition parties won two-thirds of the seats in the National Assembly. Rather than concede or negotiate, however, the Chavista government, now headed by President Nicolas Maduro, dug in. At its direction, a constitutional tribunal stacked with party hacks has issued annulments of every act by the new assembly, including an amnesty for scores of political prisoners. Gangs of regime thugs now roam the streets on motorcycles and attack opposition gatherings. Meanwhile, the government is essentially shutting itself down: Last week Maduro ordered that state employees, who make up more than 30 percent of the workforce, would henceforth labor only two days a week, supposedly in order to save energy. Remarkably, most of the Western hemisphere is studiously ignoring this meltdown. The Obama administration and Washingtons Latin America watchers are obsessed with the presidents pet project, the opening to Cuba. As it happens, the Castros turned Venezuela into a satellite state, seeding its security forces and intelligence services with agents. Yet now that it is decreasingly able to supply discounted oil to its revolutionary mentor, Venezuela appears to have become an afterthought even in Havana. Last week a delegation of senior Venezuelan lawmakers traveled to Washington to make one more effort to call attention to their crisis. They had a simple message: Venezuela will end with a political change, because there is no other possibility, said Luis Florido, president of the National Assemblys foreign affairs commission. But the government will decide how this change happens. At the moment, the slim remaining hopes for a democratic solution rest on a constitutional provision allowing for a referendum to remove Maduro. The obstacles to its success are almost comically steep: The opposition must first persuade some 200,000 people to appear at a government office (now open two days a week) to vouch for their signatures on a petition, then collect the signatures of 20 percent of the electorate, or about 4 million people. If the referendum is held, the vote to remove Maduro would have to be higher than the total reported number of votes he received in his 2013 election. All this has to happen in the next nine months if a new presidential election is to be triggered. Yet just extracting the necessary forms for the first petition from the regime-controlled electoral commission cost the opposition six weeks. On Wednesday, Venezuelans massively departed from their perpetual lines in front of grocery stores to sign the petitions the opposition claimed it collected more than 1 million signatures in a day. But, said Carlos Vecchio, an exiled leader of the Voluntad Popular party, The crisis is moving at 2,000 kilometers an hour, but the potential solution is going at 2 kilometers an hour. The Venezuelan lawmakers had some practical and specific requests for the Obama administration, starting with the public release of the names and alleged offenses of top Venezuelan officials included on a confidential U.S. sanctions list. Theyd also like help finding the $300 billion to $400 billion they estimate has been stashed in foreign bank accounts by the Chavista elite; the money is desperately needed to import food and stave off a foreign debt default. Most of all, however, Venezuelans hope for U.S. leadership in pushing Maduro to accept an election. Said Vecchio: The moment has arrived when you can no longer ignore this. Because what happens in Venezuela is going to affect the whole region. Read more from Jackson Diehls archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. Regarding the April 27 editorial Nutty farm subsidies: Haiti has among the highest rates of chronic poverty in the world. Almost one-third of all childhood deaths are due to undernutrition, and Haiti is suffering from a crop-withering drought. For years, the United States has supported Haitians by helping to create jobs, boost incomes, reduce extreme poverty and ensure greater food security, especially for Haitis children. With the support of the Agriculture Departments McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, the USDA has partnered with the U.N. World Food Program to provide daily hot meals to more than 175,000 children at 610 schools in Haitis most severely drought-stricken areas. The meals, which incorporate donated U.S. bulgur wheat, green peas and vegetable oil, will be supplemented by a morning snack of roasted peanuts thanks to the recent U.S. donation. I recently visited one of the schools and saw firsthand the daily struggle many Haitian families face. To ensure this aid complements ongoing development assistance, the USDA is funding research by the World Food Program into the use of locally procured peanuts in emergency rations and in school food programs in Haiti. The USDA is also funding a new vocational agricultural school to train a new generation of Haitian agricultural professionals. Haiti remains in crisis, and the nations children need our help now. Thanks to U.S. farmers and agricultural innovation, they have it. Alexis Taylor, Washington The writer is deputy undersecretary for farm and foreign agricultural services at the U.S. Agriculture Department. Hillary Clinton is seen aboard the campaign bus in Cleveland on the third day of a bus tour through Pennsylvania and Ohio. July 31, 2016 Hillary Clinton is seen aboard the campaign bus in Cleveland on the third day of a bus tour through Pennsylvania and Ohio. Melina Mara/The Washington Post The former secretary of state, senator and first lady is the Democratic nominee for president. The former secretary of state visits key states in her quest to become the Democratic nominee for president. The former secretary of state visits key states in her quest to become the Democratic nominee for president. With Democratic front-runner Hillary Clintons campaign turning fully toward the general election, the candidate is speaking in increasingly strong terms about immediately tackling one of her partys most challenging domestic policy goals: gun control. Clinton says just as forcefully that immigration reform would be her top priority upon entering the White House. Without a dramatic Democratic sweep of Congress, few Democrats or Republicans believe that either of these giant promises has a chance in January. That puts Clinton in the somewhat tricky position of making promises that many doubt she could fulfill. But the Clinton campaign believes that public opinion has shifted on these two nationally divisive issues, making them winners for her to talk about in the general election. There is even hope among some Democrats that if Donald Trump is the Republican nominee, they could win enough seats in the House and Senate to put gun and immigration legislation back on the table. Privately, Clinton aides and allies are more circumspect, prioritizing what is actually possible at the outset of a Clinton presidency and which promises she would put on hold. The campaign says that there is no trade-off between immigration and gun control and that she has not overpromised on either. There is plenty of time to decide what comes when, campaign chairman John Podesta said. Thats what the transition is for, Podesta said, referring to the period between the election and the inauguration. Clinton is campaigning as the candidate of continuity preserving what Democrats generally see as President Obamas gains and making changes on his domestic agenda only at the margins. She is also promising to fix and finish what he has left undone, suggesting to different audiences that she could do so immediately. An overhaul of immigration laws, though anathema in the Republican presidential primary race, is still a better legislative bet than gun control, said Republicans and Democrats. Many Democrats think that would be doubly true if Republicans lose a large number of seats in November. The only way that the kind of gun control that shes talking about is going to happen is if theres a major sea change in Congress, said Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.). You know, Nancy Pelosi speaker again. Its not going to happen if theres a Republican House. Its just not. Independent analysts such as the Cook Political Report predict large gains for Democrats in the House. But even the projected range of 15 to 20 seats would leave the party short of the 30 needed to reclaim the House. As a result, Clinton and her allies in and out of Congress are gradually building a legislative agenda that would focus on immigration issues in Congress while mostly relying on the executive power of the presidency to further gun restrictions that would have little chance of becoming law. Clintons language on the campaign trail is more expansive. At a recent appearance in Hartford, Conn., she pledged that gun control would be at the top of her to-do list, no matter the strength of the opposition. We need a national movement to demand action in Congress and at the state level, Clinton said at a community meeting at a YMCA. The gun lobby is the most powerful lobby in Washington, she said. They have figured out how to really intimidate elected officials, at all levels, who basically stop thinking about this problem because they are too scared of the NRA, she continued, referring to the National Rifle Association. She has been more specific about an overhaul of the immigration system at the outset of a Clinton presidency, promising to advance comprehensive measures that would offer a path to full citizenship for illegal immigrants within her first 100 days. If Congress wont act, Ill defend President Obamas executive actions, and Ill go even further to keep families together, Clinton promised in January. Ill end family detention, close private immigrant detention centers and help more eligible people become naturalized. Clinton also has been mildly critical of Obamas deportation program, promising to stop deportations of almost everyone, aside from violent criminals or terrorists. Clintons policy agenda is the most detailed of any candidates on either side of the race. But without a single issue on par with Obamas health-care priority, her promises demand an evaluation of how to rank her priorities. In addition to gun control and immigration, she has promised to tackle college costs while simultaneously creating jobs, lowering prescription drug prices, fixing crumbling roads and bridges, and getting big money out of politics. And then theres curbing Wall Street excesses and promoting clean energy sources, among other things. Immigration and gun control are the issues she points to most frequently, and often with emotional stories and examples. At the YMCA discussion on guns, Clinton was introduced by Erica Smegielski, daughter of the Newtown, Conn., elementary school principal who was shot to death three years ago along with 20 students and five other staff members. Gun control has been a central topic for Clinton in her primary contest with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who has a mixed record on the issue. (The two will face off in their latest primary Tuesday, in Indiana.) But she has continued to mention the issue as she has turned her attention to the general election, frequently citing polling showing overwhelming public support for universal background checks. [Sanders makes public plea for Democratic superdelegates to switch to him] Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), herself a victim of gun violence, said Clinton is saying what many people want to hear about guns, even if Congress isnt listening. Speaking just outside the House chamber, she jabbed a finger back toward it and said of Republicans, They are totally tone-deaf to whats going on in the rest of the country. Gun control and immigration met with interlocking fates early in Obamas second term, when he and Vice President Biden made a pitch for legislation strengthening background checks on gun purchases and when the bipartisan Gang of Eight senators began work on a sweeping rewrite of immigration and border-security laws. After the outcry from the mass shooting in Newtown, Democratic leaders decided to move the gun measure first, in part because public polling showed that about 90 percent of Americans supported action. But the NRA, with help from moderate Republicans and some centrist Democrats, dug in for a fight. Democrats ditched the gun legislation and pivoted to immigration. Two months later, the Senate approved the immigration overhaul on a bipartisan vote of 68 to 32. The legislation included a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants. It never went anywhere in the House. Thats the history Clinton would inherit including the presumption that these big lifts can only be done one at a time, Democrats said. Clinton would go further than Obama to broaden requirements for background checks and narrow loopholes that allow largely unrestricted trafficking of guns online. Building on the steps pursued by President Obama, Secretary Clinton will take administrative action to require that any person attempting to sell a significant number of guns be deemed in the business of selling firearms, campaign press secretary Brian Fallon said. This would ensure that high-volume gun sellers are covered by the same common-sense rules that apply to gun stores including requiring background checks on gun sales, he said. She will also lead the charge on legislation to repeal the gun industrys unique immunity protection. It wont happen coming out of this election, said former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele. Theres not a legislative mood to make a change, even though the country is crying for that change, he said. It would take members losing their seats on that issue to get those who were fortunate enough to survive to begin to act. And Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.), whose district includes the site of the Newtown massacre, said changing gun laws is a long game at best. It will not change, I can assure you, unless we have a president insisting that it has to change, she said. How long that will take, I cannot tell you. Speier waved off any political consequences for Clinton if she werent able to deliver much on guns. Why would we say that about her versus Trump, who says things every day that he cant deliver on? Speier said. It shows that she has a backbone. We need a president who has a backbone, someone whos not going to, out of fear of blowback, say what needs to be said. The moms of America are going to embrace it; they want their kids to be able to play in a park without being shot. Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) said that Clinton is promising the moon to Democratic voters now, but he predicted she would back off in a general-election race. It may be a great talking point in a Democratic primary, Buck said. I think its going to be a liability when she runs for president. Clintons allies agree that immigration is more ripe for change, particularly if Republicans lose seats. But opposition remains fierce among the Houses more-conservative Republicans. Hopes for approving some version of that legislation in the House cratered two years ago when the sitting majority leader, Eric Cantor (R-Va.), lost his primary contest to an underfunded, little-known professor whose main issue was Cantors support of legalizing undocumented children who were brought into the country illegally by their parents or relatives. Ever since then, conservatives have vowed to thwart any effort by Clinton to move a far-reaching immigration bill through a Republican-controlled House next year. The American people would have an absolute cow, said Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.), who defeated Cantor, openly laughing at the idea. In most Republican districts, he said, immigration is a 70 to 80 percent issue toward opposing any leniency. I mean, its not even in the ballpark. Karoun Demirjian contributed to this report. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 2 By Fatih Karimov Trend: Irans imports from Russia registered a huge rise by 433.66 percent in terms of value during the first month of current Iranian fiscal year (March 20-Apr. 20), according to the Iranian Customs Administrations latest report published May 2. Russia exported 69,700 tons of products, worth $132.1 million to Iran in the one-month period. Despite the sharp rise in value of exported goods, Russias export to the Islamic was only 17.7 percent more in terms of volume during the period year-on-year. The Islamic Republic purchased 78.76 percent of its total imported goods in the one-month period from 10 countries China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Russia, Germany, India, South Korea, Switzerland, Netherlands and Italy. China was the main exporter of goods to Iran in the mentioned period. Beijings exports accounted for 19.37 percent of Irans total imports in terms of value and 10.76 percent in terms of volume. Tehrans imports from China decreased by 15.62 and 12.83 percent in terms of value and volume respectively year-on-year. Iran imported 207,134 tons of goods, worth $383.4 million, from China during the first Iranian calendar month. Iran also imported 368,692 tons of goods, worth $367.7 million, from the UAE, which marks 18.6 percent of Irans total imports value. Irans imports from the UAE witnessed 8.2 percent fall in terms of value and 12.38 percent increase in terms of volume respectively and as compared to the same period of preceding year. Turkey, Germany and South Korea exported $155.96 million, $112.89 million and $107.63 million worth of goods respectively to Iran. Iran imported 1.92 million tons of goods, worth $1.97 billion during the first Iranian calendar month, almost no changed compared to the same period of preceding year. With Holy Fire, fireworks and solemn Masses, Orthodox Christians around the world celebrated Easter on Sunday, commemorating the day followers think that Jesus was resurrected more than 2,000 years ago. Roman Catholics and Protestants marked Easter in March, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Eastern Orthodox churches celebrated Easter this week, using the older, Julian calendar. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev attended a midnight Mass in Moscows Christ the Savior Cathedral. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the worlds largest Orthodox Church, officiated. In Greece, the faithful attended Easter Mass holding candles lighted with Holy Fire from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The Holy Fire, coming from the Edicule, the chamber marking the site of Jesuss tomb, is held to light candles as a message to believers from heaven. The fire was transferred to Greece by plane and, as custom dictates, welcomed at Athens International Airport with the honors due a foreign head of state, before being taken across the country to reach the outermost parishes before midnight Sunday. The Holy Fire was also taken to Russia and other Orthodox nations. Fireworks are an essential part of the festivities, despite official disapproval from the Greek Orthodox Church. On the eastern Greek Aegean island of Chios, two parishes in the village of Vrontados stage a spectacular mock war with a hail of fireworks, drawing visitors from across the country. Perhaps surprisingly, no one was injured in the barrage of fireworks aimed at each churchs towers in Chios, but a man was seriously injured in Crete after falling from a high pole while helping set up another tradition, the burning of a Judas effigy. But not all was unified in the Orthodox world. In Ukraine, the second-largest Orthodox country, a recently agreed armistice between the government and Russian-backed separatists in the east was violated just as it was going into effect. One Ukrainian soldier was killed and several troops wounded, a government spokesman said, adding that separatists had shelled its positions overnight at several locations. And in the Middle East, the cradle of Christianity, Christians are a minority with often-difficult relations with the Muslim majority. Elsewhere in the region, the Islamic State militant group has targeted Christians, as well as Muslims unwilling to follow its extreme interpretation of Islam, for prosecution. We lift up in prayer the members of the Orthodox community who have been persecuted for their faith and subjected to unspeakable acts of violence, and we seek the release of those who have been kidnapped, President Obama said in a statement. We remember those who have been driven from their homelands . . . [and we] pledge to continue our work to ensure that all people are able to live in peace, justice, and freedom. Secretary of State John F. Kerry, left, and the U.N. Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, after talks in Geneva on May 2. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/AP) The United States and Russia are studying possible ways to separate rival forces in Syria, delineating potential safe zones for opposition fighters amid renewed violence that has threatened to fully collapse a two-month-old cease-fire attempt. Secretary of State John F. Kerry in Geneva on Monday for emergency meetings on the crisis said that the next 24 to 48 hours will be crucial in determining whether the plan will work. I dont want to make any promises that cant be kept, he said. [U.N. envoy fears catastrophic spiral in Aleppo] Kerry emphasized that the truce initially succeeded and continues in some parts of the country. But violence escalated recently, particularly in Aleppo, where at least 250 civilians have been killed over the past week, including staff and patients at a main hospital, largely by Syrian government airstrikes. There are only two air forces flying in that particular area, Kerry said, referring to the government and Russia, its primary backer. The Russians have been clear they are not flying. Russia and the United States play important, but opposing, roles in Syria. Moscow last year sent in warplanes to help the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Washington and its regional partners, including Saudi Arabia, support some rebel factions seeking Assads ouster. [Gallery: Mourning and misery in Aleppo] Kerry spoke after meetings with the top U.N. envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, and Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. State Department officials said Kerry spoke to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, by phone. He planned to return to Washington on Monday evening. We are trying in the next hours to see if it is possible to reach an agreement that can . . . create a path forward for the cessation to hold so that there isnt one day of silence or two days of silence, but an ongoing process that relieves the people of Syria from this devastation, from this day-to-day killing machine that is being unleashed by the Assad regime, he said. Just as the United States and its allies must keep our part of the bargain by ensuring the oppositions compliance, Kerry said, it is incumbent on Russia and Iran . . . to make sure that the regime is living up to its part of this agreement. De Mistura, who spoke at Kerrys side after their meeting, said: We are preparing the mechanism, but the mechanism needs a political will. Otherwise, we will have only a mechanism. But that actually [is] being started today, preparing for a much better mechanism for monitoring and controlling a new cease-fire, but we need political will. De Mistura plans to visit Moscow on Tuesday to discuss the new plans. He has said that nascent political talks between the opposition and the Syrian government to end the more than five-year-old conflict cannot continue unless the violence stops. Kerry was vague on how the new plan would work or be enforced, saying only that Washington and Moscow had agreed to significantly increase the number of personnel monitoring the cease-fire that took effect Feb. 27. He said they were working intensely to ensure that the task force does a better job, with a better ability to enforce the cease-fire. The safe zones under discussion, however, are not near the Turkish and Jordanian borders, which had been previously proposed by some regional leaders as possible no-fly zones. The Obama administration has consistently rejected using U.S. aircraft to protect such zones. [Two sides of Aleppo: Destruction and dining out] Instead, the plan would begin with areas in and around Aleppo and later expand to other regions to seek to divide opposition forces and the Syrian military. That plan, its proponents hope, would also attempt to isolate militias loyal to Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaedas Syrian affiliate, which is not covered by the cease-fire. The Syrian government and Russia have used the overlap of Jabhat al-Nusra and rebel forces in some areas to justify the renewed bombing. The United States and its allies have rejected those claims, noting that much of the bombing has been against civilian areas with minimal rebel presence, as well as places universally recognized as out of bounds, such as hospitals. Kerry acknowledged that the opposition also stepped up fighting and has been responsible for some of the recent carnage. But he insisted that the United States has upheld its end of the deal by urging U.S.-backed rebel factions to honor the truce. We want to make sure that Russia is doing the same with Assad, he said. One party is blatantly violating the agreement. Jubeir, whose government has supported some suspected Islamist groups and others in Syria, expressed strong doubt that Assad would comply with any plan that would stop airstrikes. [A grim tour inside Syrias chaos] The regime will not accept safe zones, Jubeir said. He accused Assad of conducting ethnic cleansing in areas currently outside government control, including Aleppo. The cease-fire was designed to provide space for the opposition and the Syrian government to hold political talks leading to a U.N.-backed transitional government, a new constitution and elections within 18 months. De Mistura said last week that there has been some progress in the talks, although they have so far been held only in proximity, with representatives from the government and the opposition sitting in separate rooms while he and his staff shuttle between them. Early last week, as the Aleppo attacks intensified, the opposition suspended its participation. There is no point in setting a date for resumption, de Mistura said, until the violence ends. In his more negative view of a truce, Jubeir said Saudi Arabia continues to favor supplying the rebels with heavier arms, including ground-to-air-missiles an escalation in weaponry that the United States has long rejected. We have said from Day One that the rebels should get all the weapons they need, he said, specifically noting shoulder-launched missiles. Asked separately about recent indications of strains in U.S.-Saudi relations, Jubeir described the ties as excellent, very strong. We may have differences on tactical issues over Syria and other regional matters, but our objectives are completely aligned. . . . The American commitment to the security of Saudi Arabia is unshakable. Jubeir repeated his governments call for the release of 28 pages of classified documents from the FBIs investigation into the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers, 15 of whom were Saudi citizens. While some members of Congress have said that the pages may prove official Saudi complicity in the attacks, both the administration and the Saudi government have rejected such claims and pointed to final investigative reports that labeled them without substance. So many years have gone by, and everybody knows whats in the 28 pages, despite a lot of innuendo and insinuations, Jubeir said. So, yes, release the 28 pages. And it would be nice if, when you release the 28 pages, you release the rebuttal. The Australian government is blatantly flouting last weeks ruling by Papua New Guineas Supreme Court to end the illegal detention of more than 900 refugees in an Australian-controlled prison camp on PNGs remote Manus Island. At Australias insistence, the detainees remain incarcerated inside the Manus facility, despite PNGs highest court ordering both the Australian and PNG governments to immediately stop violating the PNG constitutions ban on the unlawful deprivation of personal liberty. Despite Australia being directly responsible for the incarceration of the detainees since 2012, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbulls Liberal-National Coalition government has flatly refused to allow any of the detainees to enter Australia, or even be resettled in New Zealand. The governments defiance of the unanimous court ruling underscores the readiness of Australias political establishment to abrogate fundamental democratic and legal rights, by incarcerating innocent and desperate people indefinitely. With an extraordinary double dissolution election of all members of both houses of Australias parliament set to be called for July 2, the governments belligerent response also signals yet another drive to scapegoat refugees as a diversion from the worsening economic and social conditions being imposed on the working class in Australia. The opposition Labor Party leader, Bill Shorten, demonstrated the underlying bipartisan character of this policy, describing Labor as being on a unity ticket with the Coalition on ensuring the detainees were not brought to Australia. As part of his governments increasing efforts to drum up nationalism and jingoism, Turnbull adopted the slogan: A strong Australia is a secure Australia. He insinuated that the refugees represented a threat to Australias strong borders, declaring last Friday: We cant afford to let the empathy that we feel for the desperate circumstances that many people find themselves in to cloud our judgment. Our national security has to come first. The reality is that the vast majority of the asylum seekers, like the hundreds of thousands trying to enter Europe, are fleeing the devastating wars launched by the US and its allies, notably Australia, across the Middle East since 2001 in pursuit of domination over the strategic regions oil and other resources. Over the past two weeks, in the lead-up to the election, Turnbull has reinforced his governments commitment to US-led militarism, unveiling multi-billion dollar contracts to build new warship and submarines in Australia. Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton claimed: The supreme court in PNG didnt order for the regional processing centre to be closed. That is a straight lie. The judges ordered: Both the Australian and PNG governments shall forthwith take all necessary steps to cease and prevent the continued unconstitutional and illegal detention of the asylum seekers or transferees at the relocation centre on Manus Island. That court order is being directly violated. Not only have the external gates of the Manus detention centre, located inside a PNG naval base, stayed shut. Detainees inside the Manus facility told journalists that internal gates between different sections of the facility were locked again last Friday, after being temporarily opened the previous night. They were also again banned from using mobile phones to contact the outside world. The Turnbull government is using the threat of withdrawing aid from the impoverished former Australian colony as a means of compelling the PNG government to disobey or thwart the courts directive. According to the Australian, aid worth $300 million promised to PNG in return for hosting the detention camp will loom large as Australian officials head to PNG this week to insist that the detainees must stay in PNG. More than half the detainees already have been classified as refugees under international law, meaning that they have fled persecution for fear of their lives. But the Australian government is demanding that they either remain stranded in PNG or return to the countries they escaped. This demand clearly violates the international Refugees Convention, which prohibits refoulement or removal, back to face persecution. The handful of UN-recognised refugees who have been permitted to leave the detention centre to settle in PNG are living in such poverty that most have tried to return to the facility. The only alternative offered by the Australian government is resettlement in Cambodia, where conditions are even worse. Turnbull rejected an offer from New Zealand to take 150 refugees a year from Manus or Australias other offshore detention camp on Nauru, claiming that would give people smugglers a marketing opportunity. This only underscores the governments intent to block people from seeking asylum. People smugglersoften Indonesian fishermenhave been involved in refugee voyages only because of the measures taken by successive Australian governments, Coalition and Labor, to prevent any safe passage, including the use of naval vessels to repel boats. Turnbull made it clear that the Coalition will try to constantly whip up anti-refugee sentiment during the election campaign. You cannot trust them, he said of Labor, accusing it, and the Greens, of not being safe on borders. The truth is that Labor and the Greens are equally committed to the reactionary border protection framework. The previous minority Labor government, which was kept in office by the Greens, reopened the notorious Nauru and Manus camps in 2012. It did so amid rising unemployment and deepening austerity measures as the impact of the 2008 global financial crisis began to strike Australia. Labor reversed its 2007 election pledge to close the sites, whose brutality and abuses became a significant factor in the landslide defeat of the Howard Coalition government that originally established the camps in 2001. Labor prevailed upon Nauru and PNG to reopen the facilities, for the explicit purpose of punishing asylum seekers in order to deter others from trying to reach Australia. Labor imposed a no advantage testrefugees would be detained for the same length of time that other asylum seekers were forced to wait in refugee camps in Africa or the Middle East. That effectively meant indefinite detention. In February this year, Australias High Court dismissed a challenge to the constitutional validity of this offshore detention, and upheld legislation pushed through parliament last year, with Labors support, to retrospectively legalise the incarceration camps. The ruling demonstrated the lack of protection of even the most basic democratic rights under the Australian Constitution, including the right not to be detained without trial. The suspension of former London Mayor Ken Livingstone from the Labour Party in Britain on the spurious grounds of anti-Semitism is an outrageous violation of democratic rights and yet another shameless capitulation by the Jeremy Corbyn leadership to reactionary political forces. The Socialist Equality Party in Britain has longstanding and fundamental political differences with Livingstone. But it rejects the accusation that he is an anti-Semite as a politically motivated lie. Livingstone has been active in left-wing and radical causes for more than 40 years. To accuse him of anti-Semitism is not only a personal slander. The unjustified misuse of the termreducing anti-Semitism to the level of an epithethas the effect of trivialising a politically sinister and dangerous form of racism. Such misuse of the charge of anti-Semitism has become the stock-in-trade of Zionists and other right-wing forces seeking to discredit all political opposition to Israels oppression of the Palestinian people. The political forces behind the attack on Livingstone involve an unholy alliance of the Conservative Party, Zionist groups and right-wing sections of the Labour Party itself. The support lent to it by Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is yet another demonstration of his political cowardice and lack of principles. The suspension arises out of statements Livingstone made last week while opposing a similar action carried out against another Labour Party MP, Naz Shah. After defending Shah against charges of anti-Semitism, Livingstone went on to say, Lets remember, when Hitler won his election in 1932 [sic] his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism. [He then] went mad and ended up killing 6 million Jews. Within hours, dozens of reactionary Labour Party MPsincluding all three of the individuals Corbyn defeated in the party leadership contest last Septemberdemanded action against Livingstone. Corbyn suspended him that same day, declaring that his comments were unacceptable and that he would have to face an investigation. We are not tolerating anti-Semitism in any form whatsoever in our party, Corbyn said. As to the substance of the controversy, the worst that can be said about Livingstones comments is that he spoke with insufficient care. The statement that Hitler supported Zionism, without further qualification, is imprecise and challengeable on factual grounds. Hitler was a virulent anti-Semite, and whatever support he and his regime gave to Zionism was steeped in the most cynical political calculations and always subordinate to the Nazi leaders unwavering and pathological hatred of Jews. However, it is a matter of historical record that after Hitler came to power in 1933, significant sections of the Zionist movement in Germany sought an accommodation with the regime. Dealing with this subject in his book Nazi Germany and the Jews, the respected historian Saul Friedlander has written: Not only did the [Nazi] regime encourage Zionist activities on the territory of the Reich, but concrete economic measures were taken to ease the departure of Jews for Palestine. The so-called Haavarah (Hebrew: Transfer) Agreement, concluded on August 27, 1933, between the German Ministry of the Economy and Zionist representatives from Germany and Palestine, allowed Jewish emigrants indirect transfer of part of their assets and facilitated exports of goods from Nazi Germany to Palestine. Friedlander also cites a memorandum from leaders of the Zionist Federation of Germany sent on June 22, 1933, which, according to historian Francis Nicosia (author of Zionism and Anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany), seemed to profess a degree of sympathy for the volkish principles of the Hitler regime and argued that Zionism was compatible with these principles. The memorandum states: Zionism believes that the rebirth of the national life of a people, which is now occurring in Germany through the emphasis on its Christian and national character, must also come about among the Jewish people. For the Jewish people, too, national origin, religion, common destiny and a sense of its uniqueness must be of decisive importance to its existence. This demands the elimination of the egotistical individualism of the liberal era, and its replacement with a sense of community and collective responsibility. While the topic of Zionist relations with the Nazi regime is subject to varying interpretations, Livingstones statements have a factual foundation. That he has been suspended from the Labour Party for expressing his views on the matter is a violation of the most elementary democratic norms. An article that appeared in the Observer on Sunday, written by Nick Cohen, exposes the underlying political motivation of the campaign against Livingstone. Denouncing Livingstone and Corbyn in equal measure, Cohen libels Marxism as the political source of the Labour lefts supposed hostility to Jews. The Labour Party is led, according to Cohen, by dirty old men, with roots in the contaminated soil of Marxist totalitarianism. If it is to change, its leaders will either have to change their minds or be thrown out of office. [Emphasis in original] Cohen is a right-wing hack and venal warmonger, who defends the actions of an Israeli state run by political gangsters and war criminals. His lies are part of a concerted attempt to silence dissent and shift British politics sharply to the right. The provocation against Livingstone occurred just days before elections to the Scottish and Welsh Assemblies, to some English local authorities and for mayor of London. It was timed to inflict maximum damage on Jeremy Corbyn in the first national elections contested under his leadership. Rather than forthrightly defending Livingstone, Corbyn immediately prostrated himself before the right wing. His response to the anti-Livingstone campaign is that of a political coward. It demonstrates once again that Corbyns political role is to stifle and suppress the oppositional sentiment of the hundreds of thousands of workers and youth who elected him to the leadership of the Labour Party. Indeed, his tenure as the partys leader has not changed Labours policy one iotaso much so that today the partys right wing feels able to plan his ouster. Corbyns behavior exemplifies the lack of political principle characteristic of the entire Labour Party and its leadership. His main ally in the party, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, is already positioning himself as a possible replacement in the event of a leadership challenge. After committing any future Labour government to continued austerity measures, McDonnell attacked Corbyn for taking too long to suspend Livingstone. From Country Living Where he's been all these years remains a mystery, but Charlie the German shorthaired pointer is back with his human after going missing in 2006. The 12-year-old dog had been hanging out on the steps of a church in Brewton, Alabama, for three days when a good samaritan alerted animal welfare organization Souls On Board Rescue Ride. Rescue director Renee Jones took the sick and starving canine to a local veterinary clinic, where technicians detected his microchip. "To find out that he not only had a chip, but that the information was correct...it was a goosebump kind of moment," Jones told the Associated Press. Charlie's owner, Tracey Dove, had kept the contact information linked to the chip up to date. Veterinary officials said the Birmingham woman was speechless upon hearing that her beloved pooch was alive. Ten years ago, Charlie's pen was broken into; Dove believes he was stolen and had presumed him dead after so many year missing. "I was shocked, overwhelmed. I cried," Dove said. "It's amazing." "I would like to get inside his head to figure out where he's been," she added. Charlie's health is deteriorating-his fur has grayed and he's suffering from a cancerous mass on his chest-but Dove is determined to bring him home and "make his last days the best." Follow Country Living on Pinterest. When the nation tunes in to watch Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly interview GOP frontrunner Donald Trump on May 17, it will be the apotheosis of the presidential campaign as Reality TV. Two shellacked frenemies will overreact to a real slight for the benefit of the cameras a plot line perfected years ago by television producers. Whether Trump and Kellys attempt to patch things up turns into a grudge match, political theater or substantive debate over serious policy issues, those in the news media are already calling Must See TV. This weekend at the White House Correspondents Dinner, Variety asked journalists what Kelly should ask Trump. Some, like CNNs Jake Tapper, wouldnt share their closely-guarded questions, while others, like the Boston Globes Michael Rezendes, was happy give Kelly some ideas. n 1. One word: why? Charlie Rose, host of Charlie Rose and co-anchor of CBS This Morning. 2. I think she must ask him directly, how he could be so demeaning in his statements about women, and particularly about her. There are lots of different ways you can ask that question. She has a personal stake in it because I think his remarks about her were just kind of unforgivable. But he still hasnt gotten the hint. He still doesnt understand what the appropriate boundaries are for public discourse on any number of issues. Walter Robinson, investigative reporter for Boston Globes Spotlight division 3. Would he order a military strike on North Koreas nuclear program? Is he prepared to accept major losses in Seoul because the North Koreans would then rain hell down on Seoul. Jim Sciutto, chief national security correspondent for CNN 4. Im hoping to interview Donald Trump myself, so I dont want to give away any of my best questions. Im just looking forward a good conversation. Shes a serious journalist. Hes a presidential frontrunner. Im just looking forward to the interview. Wolf Blitzer, host of CNNs The Situation Room Story continues 5. I just want her to ask tough questions. It is great ratings. Were all going to be tuning in so I want her to be tough. Ill be the first one to be DVR-ing and watching live. I cant wait for it. Candace Cameron Bure, co-host of ABCs The View 6. Id just get right to it: Given everything youve said about me, given everything youve said about Hillary Clinton, do you have a problem with women in professional positions and positions of power? She should also ask him if he thinks some of the mayhem at his campaign rallies can be attributed to his rhetoric. Michael Rezendes, investigative reporter for Boston Globes Spotlight division 7. I would never be so presumptuous to tell Megyn what to ask. Jake Tapper, host of CNNs The Lead 8. Are your attacks against me calculated or are they spontaneous? When you are watching my show and you get angry, do you ever stop and put the keyboard down and think before you tweet? What advice has your wife Melania given you about the ways you describe me and belittle me? Brian Stelter, host of CNNs Reliable Sources 9. She should ask him why does he brag about getting 4-4.5 hours sleep and what effect does he think his sleep deprivation has on his decision making, his mood and his health? Arianna Huffington, editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post, author of The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time. 10. Im not giving Megyn Kelly advice. She knows exactly what to do. Anytime you get an interview with Donald, its unpredictable, but now we are getting down to the nitty and the gritty. Thats going to be must-see TV. Gayle King, co-anchor, CBS This Morning 11. I have a whole bunch of questions. Ill leave it to her. Obviously, the moment itself is going to be just a television moment when they get together and do that. Shes a real pro, and I think it will be fascinating to watch. Im going to get the popcorn. Bret Baier, host of Fox News Special Report 12. Truthfully, and this is going to be boring, but I would like to hear him talk about some of his policies beyond the personality clash. He just gave a big foreign policy speech. There is a ton of stuff to mine there. As somebody who covered the George W. Bush administration, their policy was to create democracy abroad. And he has completely turned that around and said it is not our job, and now a lot of Republicans really believe that. To explore that arc in the Republican Party with him would be really interesting. Dana Bash, chief political correspondent at CNN 13. How can you convince voters that your volatility isnt dangerous to them? Ashleigh Banfield, host of CNNs Legal View Related stories Omarosa Says Donald Trump Has a 'Big Heart' Inside the WHCA Dinner: Standing Ovations for President Obama's Final Comic Gig Watch Larry Wilmore's Full Speech at the White House Correspondents Dinner Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi and Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Bohuslav Sobotka in a meeting on Monday discussed cooperation on nuclear safety, Irna reported. During the meeting, Salehi said that the nuclear agreement between Iran and P5+1 showed that negotiation based on good will is the only way for resolution of problems and reaching win-win results. He added that execution of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action has prepared the ground for closer ties between Tehran and the world. Turning to the developments in Syria, Salehi said that dialogue between Syrian government and real opposition groups and formation of a national government is the only way to resolve the Syria crisis. Sobotka for his part welcomed the nuclear agreement between Iran and P5+1 and said that Chez Republic is ready to cooperate with Iran on nuclear safety. There are good grounds for cooperation between Iran and Chez Republic in fields of energy, mining, transportation and commerce, the official added. He note that Prague is in contact with Damascus in fighting against terrorist groups including Daesh (IS). From ELLE DECOR Well, this is one way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Manila Social Club's Executive Chef and co-owner Bjorn DelaCruz made headlines in January when he created the Golden Ube Cristal Donut, a $100 dessert which is filled with an ube mousse and champagne jelly, covered in icing made with Cristal champagne, and ultimately dusted with 24-karat gold, because why not? According to the New York Daily News, it takes 90 minutes to make a single one of these confections, and each donut is made with 1/4 cup of bubbly. DelaCruz is upping the ante in honor of Cinco de Mayo with the Patron Platinum Donut, a pastry made with platinum and Patron Platinum Tequila. And, since platinum is more valuable than gold, the sweets are going for $150 a pop, and all proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. Inspired by Patron's Margarita of the Year cocktail, DelaCruz's rose petal donut is filled with cream and a spicy ginger-jalapeno margarita jelly, covered in a sweet tequila frosting, and then topped off with sheets of edible silver and platinum. The donuts are only available at the restaurant's Brooklyn location during the week of Cinco de Mayo by special order. Considering that Town & Country reports customers have traveled from across the country to pick up golden donuts for weddings and special events, we're willing to bet foodies will be flocking to Brooklyn to try DelaCruz's latest creation. As for the rest of us? How about that Margarita of the Year? Donald Trump has made a big deal out of barring Muslims from entering the United States on the basis that some might be terrorists sneaking in to stage attacks. But the real front line in protecting Americans' safety may be much closer to home. America's own playpens. According to the Washington Post, our nation's nurseries are housing more than just unbearable levels of cuteness: Twenty-three people have been shot by toddlers in the U.S. since the start of 2016 exactly 23 more than have been shot by Muslim terrorists over the same period. Source: Mic/Washington Post Scary: Yet the threat posed by America's gun-toting 3 and unders hasn't drawn nearly the same backlash as that against Muslims begging the question of why our leaders are ignoring what, from a statistical standpoint, has proven the much bigger danger to our survival this year. So far, no one has called for a "temporary ban" on babies leaving the hospitals in which they were born. No pundit or law enforcement official has advocated a more aggressive vetting process for toddlers passing through America's airports, or OK'ed a multimillion-dollar police surveillance campaign to monitor places toddlers are known to frequent. Source: Darron Cummings/AP This is clearly to our detriment as a nation: Eleven of the toddler shooting cases in 2016 have been fatal, nine of which involved the toddler getting hold of a handgun and shooting him or herself, according to the report. But it's unclear what environmental factors are responsible for these tragedies, making it difficult to identify a concrete solution. The Post reports that Georgia and Missouri where the largest number of toddler shootings have occurred since 2015 have pretty lax laws governing how guns are stored to keep them away from kids. Sad that this is even a thing. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/05/01/toddlers-have-shot-at-least-23-people-this-year/ ...pic.twitter.com/OOlfMos8tx https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChYZonNVEAAxb3K.jpg:large On the other hand, New York state has no such laws at all, and has far fewer shootings of this sort. Story continues Mic recently suggested that more "gun-friendly" states including Missouri, Georgia, Florida and Texas saw higher rates of toddler-related gun violence because guns are more readily available there. This is far from a definitive answer, but regardless, the threat appears to be growing: Over the same four-month period last year, only 18 people were shot by toddlers in the U.S. A baby born in New York City. Then there's the other problem: Muslims in America haven't been afforded nearly the same benefit of the doubt as their diaper-wearing counterparts. Since 9/11, a spike in hate crimes against Muslims and Sikhs who are often mistaken for Muslims has accompanied a series of administrative and law enforcement practices that criminalize them. This includes the NYPD's disgraced Demographics Unit, which dedicated years of resources to surveilling Muslim neighborhoods in the tr-state area only to fail at uncovering a single piece of actionable intelligence. Despite Muslim terrorists having killed nobody in the U.S. in 2016, Muslims across the country are routinely made to suffer due to Islamophobic perceptions. There are now at least six documented incidents of Muslims being removed from commercial airline flights since November because their fellow passengers felt threatened by them including an Iraqi refugee who got kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight in April because a woman heard him speaking Arabic on the phone and got scared. If anything good should come of this, it's the lesson we can learn from how we've responded to the toddler shooting crisis compared to how we've treated Muslims: Don't criminalize an entire demographic based on the actions of a small few. But also, keep an eye on your damn kids. Key and Peele return with their R-rated take on action movies with the cat kidnapping escapades of "Keanu." Find out what it's all about with our quick preview. -- What's it about? -- Respectable family man Clarence is tasked with tracking down missing cat Keanu, and best bud Rell tags along to help out. He'll need help, as the cuddly kitty has become the prize pet of a violent underworld gang network. -- Who's in it? -- After five seasons of the 11-time Emmy-nominated, Peabody-award -winning sketch comedy series "Key & Peele," Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele reunite for their first co-headlining feature film. Key becomes Clarence, with Peele as Bell. Also part of the film's beefy cast are Method Man as crime boss Chedda and, in a coup resulting from similarities between "Keanu" and the straight-up action film "John Wick," Keanu Reeves himself, voicing the cat in a specially-filmed additional sequence. Also involved are Luiz Guzman ("Narcos"), Will Forte ("The Last Man on Earth"), Jason Mitchell ("Straight Outta Compton"), Nia Long ("Third Watch"), Darrell Britt-Gibson ("The Wire"), Tiffany Haddish ("The Carmichael Show") and Rob Huebel ("Childrens Hospital"). It's a good cast. -- Who's behind it? -- Peele wrote "Keanu" with Alex Rubens, who was also on board for "Key & Peele" as well as the well-loved "Community" and "Rick and Morty." Directing is Peter Atencio, another graduate of "Key & Peele," with 54 episodes' worth behind him. -- Is it any good? -- On its US debut, the R-rated "Keanu" is likely the best new wide release of the week. Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator whose main measure of quality is a simple good-or-bad division, has the comedy on an 81% approval rating from a sizable pool of 52 pro-grade reviews; 74% of the 8,000+ folks that have seen it liked it. Story continues Metacritic's average score is a bit less effervescent at 61%, while IMDB's users notched it at 6.7/10. -- When's it out? -- April 29 sees Keanu debut in the US and Canada, after an early release in Australia the week before, and a premiere screening at SXSW in March. -- Where's the trailer? -- Go wild with the YouTube playlist featuring the official trailer, a handful of TV spots, and the alternative trailer, "Kitten, Please," featuring cats only: youtu.be/K9zy27apgI8?list=PLVfin74Qx3tX9JI0RhPqrc3Z12vfg6cq3 Then Gangstify Your Pet on the movie's website. Most high school seniors aren't ready for college coursework in math and reading, according to data released last week from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, an ongoing assessment administered by the federal government. The data show 37 percent of seniors are ready for college-level math and reading, a slight decline from when the exams were last given in 2013. [Get do's and don'ts for parents to help teens build math interest and success.] Parents of high school freshmen and sophomores who are concerned their child isn't on the path to undergrad success should watch out for the following warning signs. -- Your teen consistently struggles on key academic skills. Students may be performing well in their courses overall, but could be struggling in specific academic areas that are crucial for success in college, like essay-writing, analyzing literature or on particular math skills, like problem-solving and basic algebra, says Brandi Cooper, a school counselor at Granville High School in Ohio. Parents should always review their child's report card, but can dig deeper into their child's marks on particular assignments if they have concerns, she says. Grades are typically calculated by a combination of assignments, including homework, projects and tests. Even if a student is doing well on one type of task, they could be struggling on another, she says. Additionally, students should plan to take the PSAT or PreACT preliminary college entrance exams; students can use their results to see if they are on the path to college success. Families can use this information to focus in on the academic areas where students are struggling to become college-ready. -- Your teen is lacking nonacademic skills that are critical for undergrad success. There are many factors that play into whether a student is ready for college, Cooper says, and academic readiness is just one factor. Students need to develop traits like independence, responsibility, learn how to seek out help when needed and develop the ability to advocate for themselves when they are on their own at college, says Cooper, who is also president of the Ohio School Counselor Association. Story continues Parents can model these skills for teens. For example, a parent might set up a meeting with a teacher to discuss their student's academic issues, but the student should attend so he or she can learn to take the lead on his or her academics. Together, families and teachers can set goals and agree on a plan to help the student be more successful. Twitter users chimed in with similar warning signs. @alipannoni @usnews Ask- is your child self directed? Does your child have good study skills? Critical thinking? good reader/comprehension -- Susan Siemer (@SFSiemer) April 28, 2016 Study habits are probably 1 vital thing to look at, but that's a big Q! RT @alipannoni on college courses Q #sccrowd #scchat #educhat #edu -- ScholarBound (@ScholarBound) April 29, 2016 @alipannoni @USNewsEducation @usnews lacking executive functioning skills -- Madeline Lundberg (@madelineyvette) April 29, 2016 @alipannoni ability to organize materials, plan specific steps needed to complete a task, initiate these steps to the complete task -- Madeline Lundberg (@madelineyvette) April 29, 2016 @alipannoni Also to make changes within the plan to make sure the task gets completed. Prioritizing also is part of executive functioning -- Madeline Lundberg (@madelineyvette) April 29, 2016 -- Your teen isn't reading enough. "Every night, a student should be reading something," says Brian Curtin, an English teacher at Schaumburg High School in Illinois. If a student comes home from school with nothing to read, that should be a cause for concern, and parents could contact their child's teachers to see what students are reading in class, he says. Students will be reading and writing a ton in college, whether they are a literature or biology major, says Curtin, the 2013 Illinois Teacher of the Year. The majority of reading college students do is nonfiction. Parents should encourage their teen to read different types of material, he says. And if a student is struggling in writing, that could be a sign that a student is not reading well, he says, since research shows that the ability to write is often a direct indication of reading skills. [Find out how parents and teachers can encourage teens to read for fun.] If parents are concerned their child isn't on the path to college success, they should reach out to their child's teacher to talk about it and see if there's anything the parent can do, Curtin says. "Communication solves all problems," he says. Have something of interest to share? Send your news to us at highschoolnotes@usnews.com. Alexandra Pannoni is an education Web producer at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at apannoni@usnews.com. Thirty-three lions boarded a record-breaking flight to a South African sanctuary after they were reportedly rescued from circuses in Peru and Colombia. Read: Ringling Bros. Circus Elephants Take to the Ring For Last Time in Final Act On Sunday As the plane touched down in Johannesburg, the lions could be heard "bellowing out a huge roar that echoed through the aircraft," as if in celebration of their new-found freedom, according to Animal Defenders International. The 1st day of the rest of their lives. Pictured: Easy, one of the #33lions taking #SpiritOfFreedomFlight to Africa pic.twitter.com/HWumzRzAWM ADI (@AnimalDefenders) May 2, 2016 This was the first time so many lions had been transported by air, according to ADI. The founder of the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Johannesburg even called the lions' journey to Africa their "birth-right." Iron, one of the nine Colombian lions on the flight, was the first to step into the sanctuary and immediately rubbed against a tree. "These animals had never felt grass beneath their feet, or the sun over their heads," ADI President Jan Creamer said. Iron is the first to be released! He's enjoying a satisfying rub against a tree! #33lions https://t.co/saoaOdVjMh pic.twitter.com/nd0gAVkskv ADI (@AnimalDefenders) May 1, 2016 During an 18-month mission, the animals were rescued from inhumane circus conditions in Peru and Colombia after new regulations on circuses and performing acts were passed, according to ADI. Story continues When the lions were rescued, many had been declawed and had broken teeth, while others had been bred in captivity, ADI said. They were deemed unfit to return to be released into the wild so they were instead transported to their forever home at the sanctuary. Among the animals, 24 lions were rescued from Peru and nine from Colombia. According to ADI, each animal cost about $10,000 to rescue, which was funded by donations. The donated chartered flight brought the Colombian lions from Bogota to Lima, where the remaining 24 lions were then loaded onto the flight. After some minor delays, the group then left on a 15-hour journey to Johannesburg. Read: Mountain Lion Who Has Been Imprisoned for 20 Years by Circus Finally Go Free Several representatives from ADI, including a veterinarian, were on the flight to monitor the lions, who traveled in individual crates. In the coming months, the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary will ease them into living in their new home with bonding activities, which includes re-introducing them to their families. Watch: American Tourist Mauled by Lion May Have Been Safe if She Followed The Rules Related Articles: Warning: This recap for the Drive" episode of Quantico contains spoilers. In which we find out the identity of The Voice for real, this time. We think. Here, 18 things we learned in the Drive episode of Quantico: 1. Wills not dead! Hes in the ICU, though, suffering from the effects of having cobbled together a nuke in the catacombs of the church where Alex and Shelby found him. Simon remains MIA. 2. Ryan and Nimah are hot on Alexs trail, and they burst into her apartment only to find Caleb, on her couch, eating cereal and watching home renovation TV. He tells Ryan that Alex hasnt been at her apartment in a day, and Miranda orders Ryan to bring Caleb into the office. Shell make him talk, she warns 3. Alex is on the run, meanwhile, but in touch with Shelby via phone. Shelby is using her laptop to search all the hospitals in the city for any patient description that might be Simon damn, that McGregor-Wyatt software can do anything! She locates a patient at St. Lukes that sounds almost exactly like Simon, and she and Alex agree to meet there to see if it might be their friend. 4. Dude at St. Lukes is not Simon hes Drew! Whuuuut? Yes, after Drew left Quantico on his huffy bike, he got a gig at a private security firm in New York. Shortly after, he received a call from The Voice, ordering him to rent a van and park it on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. Drew refused, until The Voice threatened his sister and her children. He rented the van, and then The Voice kept making more and more demands, he tells Alex and Shelby, like asking him to scope out train schedules and security cameras around NYC. After the first attack, he saw Alex on TV, he says, and started to make some connections, but didnt know who he could talk to, because he suspected it was an inside job at the FBI. Then he drops a big bombshell: he knows whos behind the attacks. Its Ryan! Of course, Shelby, and especially Alex, are skeptical, but Drew says they should get access to Ryans computer, phone, car maybe theyll even find evidence of some voice modification software, he suggests. He also tells them to look in his pocket for a flash drive he stole from his office, which has software that can help them decode Ryans computer passwords. What an incredibly informative and fruitful meeting Alex and Shelby are having with Deus Ex Machina Perales, er, Drew Perales. 5. In the Quantico timeline, with just two weeks until graduation, the NATS are getting close quarters combat training. They spar with each other inside The Box, a cage-like enclosure where Ryan kicks Alexs butt using a cool backflip off The Box walls (which he later tells her saved his life in Afghanistan). Instead of being angry about her defeat, Alex tells Ryan he just got lucky, and that even Ronda Rousey loses sometimes. Shes also super flirty with Ryan, prompting a snarky comment from Iris about how Drew has only been gone for, like, 20 minutes. Exes Ryan and Alex are so flirty that they even make dinner plans for two weeks ahead, post-graduation during which she plans to find out everything there is to know about him (the truth this time). Story continues 6. Caleb is also back for Quantico training, which ticks off Iris and Shelby, who thought he would be gone. When Iris confronts Caleb who got his own butt-kicking from Liam in the sparring session he tells her he needs her help with Shelby. Shelbys parents were just trying to use her for a final cash infusion, he says. Iris tells him Shelby has decided to change her field office assignment choice to Buffalo, so she can sneak over the border into Canada to meet up with her parents. Caleb tells Iris they have to stop that, to prevent Shelby from finding out the truth about her sneaky ma and pa. 7. The twins have decided to get aggressive and demand they not be assigned to any low-stakes terrorist cell infiltration projects, so they tell their new handler Susan Coombs theyre ready to go after the terrorists who attacked Quantico. Coombs says shell talk to her supervisors about it, but warns them, I dont need to tell you what happens if youre not ready. She does not, but if she could tell us some trick for keeping track of which twin is which, thatd be swell. 8. The NATS assignment for their penultimate week at Quantico is to visit FBI field offices, in groups, so they can be evaluated and so they can see how operations are run. Alex, Shelby, the twins, Caleb, Iris, and Fletcher go off with Ryan to Richmond, where theyre given minor tasks they find insultingly easy. The agent in charge of the office, Jordan Kent, assigns Alex, Iris, and Fletcher to work on the case of a local post office that was burgled, but with nothing missing at the end of the incident. That means they have to cold call people in the area 2,700 of them, Kent says to canvas for info. Alex finds a lead duh and she and Kent leave the office to investigate it. In the car, she asks Kent about Ryan, who he worked with in Chicago; Kent tells her to be careful around Mr. Booth. He says Ryan left his post an hour before the planned terrorist attack in Chicago the one that led to the death of Drews girlfriend and he doesnt buy that it was a coincidence. Related: Read All of Yahoo TVs Quantico Recaps 9. Nimah and Rainas handler tells them her supervisors are going to give them a chance to prove they can handle serious undercover work, and heres the test: when they go off to the Richmond office, one agent there will know they are twins. Using clues and cues they pick up on while there, they have to figure out who that agent is. If they can, theyre golden. If they blow the challenge somehow, I wont even be able to send you to Poughkeepsie, Coombs tells them, from which we infer that the FBI does not consider Poughkeepsie to be a hotbed of suspicious activity. But maybe they dont know thats where Jersey Shores Snooki is from? 10. Present day NYC: Ryan, Nimah, and Miranda are interrogating Caleb at the FBI office, when Caleb points out that, behind them, a computer seems to be on fire. Right he is: Shelby, once again using that magic McGregor-Wyatt software installed on the FBIs computer system, hacked her way in, turned off all the fans inside the computers, and launched all of the software on each one, making them overheat and spark a smoky mess. And while the office is being evacuated, Alex sneaks in and makes her way to Ryans computer. Yes, yes, Alex is wanted by the FBI, and yes, yes, that probably means Shelby should have been the one to sneak inside the FBI offices, but its not like Alex wasnt careful about walking into the building full of people trying to hunt her down she pulled her hoodie hat over her head. 11. In the Richmond office, Alex nearly blows an undercover case when she figures out a local man and former post office worker the one she and Kent went to investigate is under investigation for being involved with a child pornography ring. The FBI busts him in the end, but not before the baddie knocks Fletcher out and tries to kill Kent, whos saved by his rival. Ryan confronts Kent about why he told Alex about Chicago, and Kent says it was because he doesnt believe what Ryan did, leaving his post, was a mistake or coincidence. He thinks he left on purpose, because he wanted the militia to carry out the plan that would have killed hundreds of people if they hadnt been raided first. 12. Ryan, as part of his promise to tell Alex the truth about himself, decides to tell her the truth about what happened in Chicago, something he hasnt told anyone else. He says the night of the planned attack in Chicago, Liam called him and told him he should take off early, because Liam knew Ryan was upset about problems in his marriage to Hannah. Liam said he would cover for Ryan, but he got drunk in some bar and never showed up. When Ryan was investigated for the incident, he covered for Liam and never told anyone Liam was drunk and had committed to covering for Ryan. He tells Alex that Liams career was already hanging by a thread, and if the FBI found out what really happened, Liam would have been done. Alex asks him if he ever regretted hurting his own career advancement to save Liam. He did, he says until he met her. 13. Back in the present NYC timeline, just as Alex finds Ryans computer in his office and inserts Drews flash drive into it, Ryan comes in, gun drawn and pointed at her. They begin to argue, and when he tries to take her gun, they begin a repeat of their Quantico close quarters training exercise, complete with Alex now using Ryans backflip trick off his office wall. Their fight gets vicious, as they punch each other and throw each other across the room. Finally, she gets Ryan on the floor, and as he asks her to stop, she kicks him in the face and knocks him out. 14. In Richmond, the twins think they have the agent contact figured out: its agent Paul Garnett, whos been flirting with them all day. But they learn it was actually another agent in the office, and when they realize how wrong they were, and how theyve potentially ended their career when Paul threatens to tell their handler how badly they messed up, Nimah offers to take Paul up on the dinner invitation he had extended earlier. Later that night, she returns to the Quantico dorms, just as an envelope arrives with the twins assignment: theyre being sent to Queens to deal with a major Islamic terrorist cell. Rainas thrilled, but Nimah is acting very strange and withdrawn did she actually sleep with Paul to prevent him from squealing to Coombs about how the twins initially thought he was their Richmond contact? 15. Also at the Quantico dorms, Iris enters her room to find Shelby packing. She says shes dropping out of the program, which she has realized shes not fully committed to, so she can move to Europe and be with her parents. Knowing the truth about Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt, Iris shares it with Shelby, telling her how Caleb paid the Wyatts off so theyd leave Shelby alone, and wrote their letters to her so she wouldnt be sad. Shelby confronts Caleb, telling him she deserves a man who is strong enough to tell her the truth, and who trusts her enough to know she can deal with it. That aint him, she adds, and then goes back to her room to call Calebs dad, Clayton. She tells him the truth about her parents, and adds that she wants to help him find them and punish them for their crimes. 16. Ryan visits Liam in his office at Quantico and tells him he doesnt want to get stuck there, so he thinks hes going to be leaving. He also doesnt want to have to continue lying about what happened in Chicago, and Liam tells him he wont have to. Clayton just offered Liam a job in Washington, D.C., Liam says, and he told Clayton he wants Ryan to work with him there. Clayton agreed, saying Ryan has paid long enough for Chicago, and Ryan tells Liam hell consider the job offer. 17. Miranda and Nimah find Ryan knocked out in his office, and Miranda quickly puts the building on lockdown since she knows Alex is still inside. Alex, meanwhile, is trying to escape, when she gets a call from Drew 18. who tells her his flash drive, the one he told her to use to get Ryans passwords, actually planted a manifesto on Ryans computer that makes him look like a terrorist. Drews The Voice! Drew is the big baddie! And he tells Alex shes not done yet. He tells her to go downstairs into the parking garage and then directs her to a truck Ryans! He tells her to open the passenger door, where she finds the nuke. He instructs her to get into the truck and says if she doesnt follow his directions to the letter, he will kill Simon and detonate the nuke. All you have to do is drive, he tells her. And as Ryan, Miranda, and Nimah come running into the garage and spot Alex driving quickly away in Ryans truck, she speeds up and drives right towards a wall. Quantico airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on ABC. From Cosmopolitan Four University of Georgia students were killed Wednesday night after a car accident and a fifth student is in critical condition, according to the Athens Banner-Herald. The students have been identified as Kayla Canedo, 19, Brittany Feldman, 20, Christina Semeria, 19, and Halle Scott, 19. The driver, Agnes Kim, 21, is in critical condition. The five students, all members of UGA sororities, were driving down a two-lane highway just before 9 p.m. Wednesday when their car crossed into the center lane and was struck by a car coming in the opposite direction. The second car was driven by a 27-year-old woman who was taken to the hospital but has been released. The Georgia State Patrol, which is investigating the wreck, says alcohol didn't seem to play a role, according to the outlet. Yesterday, an emotional vigil was held on campus and students posted remembrances of the women on social media, with the hashtag #PrayForUGA used by those offering condolences. Follow Kate on Twitter. From Seventeen According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, up to 85 percent of women deal with at least one symptom of premenstrual syndrome, a.k.a. that general hot-garbage feeling you get in the days before your period arrives. And since it's so common, you might assume you just have to deal with the combo platter of cramps, bloating, headaches, or mood swings. But your period's going to stick around for awhile - like, decades - so don't just resign yourself to feeling crummy every month. Here's how to tell if your PMS is out of control and how to get it in check. 1. Your cramps are seriously painful. Cramps are a normal part of your cycle, but they shouldn't leave you doubled over in agony. Quick health-class recap: Right before your period starts, your body produces prostaglandins, which help your uterus contract to shed its lining. "Prostaglandins are evil," says Judith Simms-Cendan, a board-certified gynecologist at the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando and an associate professor at the University of Central Florida. "They're what cause that hot, flushed, crampy feeling." The good news? Ibuprofen can block your body from producing them, so if you take a dose at the first hint of cramping, you may be able to stave them off. If ibuprofen doesn't help, ask your gyno about oral contraceptives - they can thin the uterine lining, which can help lessen cramps. And if that doesn't work, your doctor may want to check for an underlying issue like endometriosis or irritable bowel syndrome, both of which can cause pelvic pain. 2. Your mood swings are causing problems. It's normal to feel a little crabby right before your period starts, but if you're stirring up Bachelor-worthy levels of drama every month, you may be dealing with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a severe form of PMS that can cause emotional symptoms like depression, anxiety, anger, and difficulty concentrating. "For patients with PMDD, it's significantly affecting their lives," says M. Susan Scanlon, MD, gynecologist at Midwest Center for Women's Healthcare, and author of The Gyne's Guide for College Women. "They're crying at times they shouldn't be; they're yelling at their roommates or their mom or their boyfriend. They think to themselves, 'I'm not even mad, why am I yelling at this person?'" If this sounds familiar, talk to your doctor - there are ways to manage PMDD symptoms so they're not ruining your relationships. Story continues 3. You're getting killer headaches. As if PMS weren't annoying enough, the hormonal changes can trigger migraines - severe, throbbing headaches that can stick around for up to three days. "It's an estrogen and progesterone withdrawal headache," Dr. Simms-Cendan says. If you're getting headaches on the regular, your doctor can recommend over-the-counter migraine meds or prescribe something stronger if needed. Keeping your hormones in check can also help, so birth control pills - which regulate your hormones - can work wonders for some women. Your gyno can recommend the best pill for the job, plus she can help explain the potential health benefits to your parents if they're a little skeptical. 4. You can't shake your bad mood. If your cramps subside, but your gloomy mood lingers, it may be more than just PMS. "A lot of people will attribute adolescent moodiness to PMS, when actually what they have is depression or anxiety," Dr. Simms-Cendan says. "Sometimes it feels more socially acceptable to say it's PMS, because then it's 'just hormones.'" Fluctuating hormones can make underlying depression or anxiety worse, so if you're feeling kind of blah the rest of the month too, talk to your doctor. The American Psychological Association estimates that 17 million Americans are treated for depression each year, so you're definitely not alone - ask for help if you need it! 5. You're missing school. You may assume that couch-bound misery just comes with the monthly territory, but if your attendance record is suffering, talk to a doctor. "If you're unable to make it to class and complete your assignments on time, then you should probably get some help," Dr. Scanlon says. PMS symptoms are annoying, but they shouldn't be so bad that you literally can't even drag yourself to the bus stop. Don't just "suck it up" - there are ways to soothe your symptoms so you're not always dreading that time of the month. Follow @Seventeen on Instagram. Tehran, Iran, May. 2 By Mehdi Sepahvand, Emil Ilgar - Trend: Iran and Korea to sign 44 memoranda of understandings (MoU), Iran's Foreign Ministry's spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari said at a press conference in Tehran, Trend's correspondent reported. South Korean President Park Geun-hye has arrived in Tehran on May 2. Ansari said that South Korean president will visit Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well. Park Geun-hye is the first South Korean president who visits Iran. The South Korean president is heading a large business delegation of over 230 executives during the three-day visit. The two countries are expected to sign contracts worth $13 to $17 billion for cooperation in various fields including the construction of hospitals, dams, railways and power plants as well as petrochemical, crude oil, infrastructure and industrial projects. Iran-South Korea trade turnover stood at $6.1 billion in 2015. The figure was $17.4 in 2011, Before Western countries imposed sanctions against Iran. South Korea is among the largest importers of Iranian oil. Many baby boomers plan to work either full time or part time during retirement. It makes sense, because there are many benefits to keeping a hand in the workforce after you retire: creating structure in your day, providing mental stimulation and supplementing your retirement income. [See: How Working an Extra Year Improves Your Retirement Finances.] Retirement does not have to be an all or nothing proposition, especially since many of us have been forced out of full-time employment by a layoff or health problem. So maybe we can take Social Security early, or perhaps we're eligible for a reduced pension. But we still have to scramble to put together a living income. Some may collect interest, dividends or rent money. Others may have a working spouse. But most of us can't afford to sit around and do nothing, so we supplement our income by doing something we enjoy. Here are some ideas: 1. Go part time. If you're tired of your job, maybe working 15 to 20 hours a week, instead of 35 or 40, would reinvigorate your enthusiasm. I know a lawyer, age 68, who goes to the office three days a week, and is on call from home the other two days. He makes less money, but his kids have graduated from college, so he doesn't need as much money. Similarly, a librarian, 63, cut back from 35 hours to 17 hours a week. She lost her benefits, but doesn't need them because she's on her husband's plan. Now she's got something more precious than money: time to pursue her own interests. Plus, she is done with the stress of workplace politics. 2. Become a consultant. If you have a skill or field of expertise, you may have the opportunity to leave work and ply your trade on your own behalf. One friend, now 72, left his old company and set up an office at home. He has a contract with his former employer to work 20 hours a month, and meanwhile has picked up a few other clients from old contacts. But he also doesn't have to work as hard, and he no longer has to suffer the indignities of the dreaded "performance appraisal." Again, he earns less money, but when he puts it together with 401(k) withdrawals and his somewhat reduced Social Security benefit (because he started at age 64) he has enough to support himself and his wife. Story continues [See: 10 Jobs Hiring Older Workers.] 3. Start a new career. Some people want to retire early and start off in a new direction. A financial executive, age 52, went back to school, got his nursing degree and began a new career in health care. He now works part time on his own schedule and feels much more socially useful. One mid-50s executive took an early retirement package and entered a mid-career program that trains high school science teachers. A 60-year-old primary school teacher did the opposite. She got burned out on kids, so she retired and went to work at a food cooperative where there are no staff meetings, no parent phone calls and no troublesome kids. She has no regrets. 4. Take a lower paid job. Sometimes the problem is not the work, but the relentlessness of the grind and the constant stress of a high-pressured job. For some people it makes sense to step off the treadmill and find a lower paying, but also less demanding job. A man in his early 60s owned a local power equipment business and sold out to a larger company. That gave him a decent nest egg, but not enough to live on. So he took a job at a hardware store. He knows the inventory, likes to chat up customers and now has time to pursue his musical interest singing with an a cappella group. 5. Earn extra money. There are other ways in our gig economy to bring in income. Some retirees sign up to drive with Uber or Lyft. Others rent out their homes through HomeAway or VRBO. I know one couple who retired to Florida, even though they couldn't really afford it. They put their house on Airbnb. They rent out two rooms during the winter, make enough money to pay their mortgage and taxes and have the house to themselves nine months a year. [See: 10 Ways to Make Extra Money in Retirement.] Working your way into retirement can provide the best of both worlds. You're free from the daily obligations you've been shouldering for years, but you're still making money. You have some structure in your life. You're meeting new people. And you're doing something useful that's making a difference in the world. Tom Sightings is the author of "You Only Retire Once" and blogs at Sightings at 60. From ELLE DECOR Golden hour is a designer's favorite time of day in Southern California. It's when the setting sun's rays brilliantly bounce off ornate Spanish tiles and gently rocking palms in the small towns hugging the coastline. The sea's azure blue relaxes into an inky midnight navy, while the vast sky grows sleepy with soft apricot and pinks. It is the collection of colors, textures, and patterns that headline the Santa Barbara-inspired Hollywood Chic design style, according to designer and blogger Will Taylor in his new book "Dream Decor." When "Modern Family" star Jesse Tyler Ferguson and his lawyer husband, Justin Mikita, moved into their Hollywood Hills home, they knew they wanted maintain its Spanish colonial features, including the intricate tile floors. Taylor helped them to do just that, while threading inspiration from Soho House creative clubs into the design. The fusion resulted in a strikingly elegant space that is glamorous, yet still characteristically California welcoming. Read on to see Taylor's eight ingredients for designing a home that's equally Hollywood chic. Ingredient 1: Wood Paneling The wood panel ceiling of the couple's living room marks the space with a warm, inviting aesthetic. A large horse sculpture made of old car parts gives the arched window commanding grandeur, while the oversized mirror above the fireplace creates a similar dramatic effect. The room is marked with personality-driven vintage pieces, such as trinket boxes, and a central hanging pendant. Ingredient 2: Marble "A focus on quietly luxurious materials lends a gently indulgent feel," says Taylor. In the kitchen, crisp white marble runs along the perimeter of the space, which is made light, spacious, and airy by the solid white cabinetry. The far wall is textured with wood-effect wallpaper and industrial metal pendants highlight the generous length of the central wooden table. Story continues Ingredient 3: Studded, Glamorous Wallpaper Borrowing from the glamour of Hollywood, the formal dining room's midnight-blue wallpaper broods in style. Brass studs adorn the wallpaper covering all four walls. A vintage lamp and mirrored console unit dressed in silverware supplement the lavish style, and the dark hardwood floors and wooden paneled ceilings draw the intimate space inwards. Ingredient 4: Statement Glass Lighting Hollywood Chic style embodies dramatic decor, and the ideal place for drama is the formal dining room. "As this is a space used less frequently than say, a bedroom or a living room, you can afford to have fewer parameters around your approach to the decor," says Taylor. In Jesse and Justin's dining space, a statement pendant made of grouped glass bells gives presence and pomp to the below table. Meanwhile, vintage-style brass wall lights contrast dramatically with the dark navy wallpaper. Long and luxurious window curtains cushion the windows, shouldered by symmetrical mirrored consoles and side lamps. Ingredient 5: Spanish Tiles Intricately detailed Spanish tiles are a hallmark of Southern California style. In the home's library, the rich pink-red floor tiling complements a tightly buttoned ochre leather sofa and brass floor lamp, channeling an indulgent Spanish Colonial style. Ingredient 6: Intense Turquois and Midnight Blue To maximize their outdoor space, Jesse and Justin took inspiration from the surrounding nature: The azure blue color of the pool's waters and the sunny sky is mirrored in the Spanish pool tiling. Throughout the rest of the outdoor space, window frames and doors are also splashed with azure blue, and succulents dress the area in lush green. Ingredients 7 & 8: Brass Touches and Club Chairs In the library room, a pair of brown leather armchairs face a tufted tan leather sofa in the reading area. A brass bar cart lends a touch of luxury, echoing the two reading lamps. Adapted from "Dream Decor" by Will Taylor. Every year, New York Citys Met Gala debuts Hollywoods elite showcasing various beauty looks that tend to range from downright shocking to absolutely stunning. A lot of work goes into each look, and thanks to social media, many celebrities have chosen to give their fans a glimpse into the daylong prep process. After browsing their latest snapshots, its safe to say that tonights tech-themed gala will be jam-packed with a few surprising style choices. Read on for our favorite celebrity beauty-prep photos! Doutzen Kroes Image courtesy of Instagram/Doutzen Kroes In probably one of the more dramatic beauty changes, Doutzen Kroes decided to dye her hair for the Met Gala, and considering that the choppy highlights cover her entire head, we cant wait to see what they look like. Karolina Kurkova Image courtesy of Instagram/Karolina Kurkova Celebrity makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury will be responsible for Karolinas look tonight. With hair in rollers and slicked-back bangs, were thinking her look will be more dramatic than this behind-the-scenes snap lets on. Kate Upton Image courtesy of Instagram/Bryce Scarlett Drinking lots of water is great for the skin, but sometimes celebrities cant wait for those benefits to kick in. So Kate Upton decided to skip the drinking part and instead have fluids infused with a cocktail of complexion-boosting nutrients pumped directly into her body for a pre-gala skin boost. Mindy Kaling (Image courtesy of Instagram/Mindy Kaling) Not only did Mindy Kaling give us a sneak peek at her red-colored mani in this pre-Met Gala snapshot, but she also gave us an inside look at her style choice for the big nighta long, white dress. Olivia Culpo Image courtesy of Instagram/Anita Patrickson Culpo looks undeniably stunning in this sleek, modern updo. The ends of the bun have such a hardened, sharp look that they almost dont look real! Adriana Lima Image courtesy of Instagram/Adriana Lima In true Adriana Lima fashion, the Victorias Secret model headed to the gym for a last-minute workout in preparation for tonights Met Gala. Story continues Allison Williams Image courtesy of Instagram/Allison Williams Allison Williams is taking tonights theme very seriously, choosing these tech-inspired nails to go with her outfit. Karlie Kloss Image courtesy of Instagram/Sir John Looking absolutely radiant, Karlie Kloss kept her look simple with red lips and glowing skin, courtesy of celebrity makeup artist Sir John. Jourdan Dunn Image courtesy of Instagram/Allure Sharing an exclusive image with Allure magazine, Dunn, in mid-makeup, shows off smoky eyes and a blunt bob. Read This Next: The Tragic Life of Americas First Supermodel Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. (Adds stock price, background) By Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Caroline Humer BOSTON/NEW YORK, May 2 (Reuters) - Billionaire investor William Ackman on Monday mounted a vigorous defense of Valeant Pharmaceuticals, ruling out any sale of the drug company's "crown jewel" assets but saying price cuts and even a new name may be in its future. Ackman, whose Pershing Square Capital Management owns 9 percent of Valeant, predicted the company would turn around with the help of its new chief executive officer and by selling greater volumes of products instead of just raising the price of its drugs. He also took aim at Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, who criticized Valeant at Berkshire's annual shareholder meeting over the weekend. "The company is not a sewer," Ackman said on CNBC television's "Halftime Report," echoing the words Munger used to describe Valeant. "It is not fair to indict an entire company based on the actions of a few," Ackman said. Valeant has become Ackman's biggest headache in the last year as the stock price tumbled some 85 percent. One year ago he touted the Canadian company as one of his best ideas at the Sohn Investment conference. This year he will not be speaking at the conference, where he has been a regular for years. Ackman told CNBC, he is sticking with Valeant because he feels he can "fix" the company. "The time to invest is pretty much when everyone thinks this is a bad idea," Ackman said, calling Valeant "the cheapest large company I've seen in my career." In the roughly six weeks that Ackman and his firm's Vice Chairman Steve Fraidin have been directors on Valeant's board, the board has hired Joseph Papa to replace Michael Pearson as chief executive and ensured that the company released its long delayed annual report on Friday. On Monday, Ackman said that Valeant does not have to sell any assets to meet obligations and added that it will have a "an investment grade balance sheet sometime within the next two to three years without selling one asset." Story continues At some point the Valeant name may be jettisoned, Ackman said, acknowledging that company employees are now embarrassed to say they work for the company. Valeant's aggressive accounting tactics and practice of pushing up prices on newly acquired drugs has hurt the company, putting it into the crosshairs of other prominent investors, including Munger and Buffett at Berkshire, who called Valeant's business model "enormously flawed." Munger acknowledged Ackman's investing acumen in an interview with Fox Business, saying "he's certainly made a brilliant investment in General Growth Properties and he's totally right about Herbalife " where Ackman has a $1 billion short position. Ackman said Valeant's management and the board understand the anger shown toward the company by lawmakers and investors. As Ackman spoke, Valeant's stock cut its losses by nearly half to trade at $32.52 per share. (Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Caroline Humer; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Cynthia Osterman) Image via Live Nation Image via Live Nation Aesop Rock has just released his newest album, The Impossible Kid, and hell be setting on a tour later this week in support of it. North Carolina recently introduced the controversial HB2 law, which discriminates against LGBT individuals (read more about the bill here), and Aesop has announced how he plans to support North Carolinas LGBT community. A number of musicians, in particular Bruce Springsteen, have reacted by canceling their shows in the state, but Aesop Rock has decided to take a different approach. Instead of canceling his Charlotte and Carrboro shows, Aesop Rock has announced that all proceeds from the shows will be donated directly to Equality NC, a non-profit organization committed to securing equal rights for LGBT North Carolinians. Writing on Facebook, Aesop said, The discriminatory HB2 law is shameful. We felt that canceling the show outright would not represent our fanbase who also stand against such injustices, and hope that by contributing to the fight locally we can do our small part in a much larger mission. Read Aesops full statement below via Facebook. All proceeds from the Carrboro and Charlotte, North Carolina stops of The Impossible Kid Tour will be donated to Equality NC a statewide, non-profit organization dedicated to securing equal rights and justice for LGBT North Carolinians. The discriminatory HB2 law is shameful. We felt that canceling the show outright would not represent our fanbase who also stand against such injustices, and hope that by contributing to the fight locally we can do our small part in a much larger mission. Please consider visiting http://equalitync.org, and donating to the cause. Thank you. The post Aesop Rock is Donating North Carolina Show Proceeds to LGBT Organization Equality NC appeared first on Pigeons & Planes. More from Pigeons & Planes By Sudarshan Varadhan (Reuters) - American International Group Inc (AIG.N), under fire from investors to improve its performance, reported a lower-than-expected profit for the third straight quarter as poor returns from hedge funds hurt its investment income. Shares of the biggest U.S. commercial insurer by premiums fell 3.3 percent in extended trading on Monday. AIG has been scaling back investments in hedge funds, which have borne the brunt of excessive market volatility in the past year. Big-name hedge funds favored by pension funds and the ultra-wealthy for their track record of stellar returns took a battering in the first quarter of 2016, with some posting their worst ever start to a year on record. AIG's weak results come at a time when the company is facing the possibility of having to set aside more capital as regulators worry about financial firms deemed "too big to fail". The insurer's near collapse in 2008 and its $182 billion bailout by the U.S. government led to its inclusion in the Federal Reserve's list of "systemically important financial institutions" (SIFIs). Chief Executive Peter Hancock said in March that a judge's ruling that MetLife Inc (MET.N) was not "too big to fail" opened up an opportunity for AIG to seek an exemption from the designation. Investors will look for an update on AIG's position when the company holds its post-earnings call on Tuesday. AIG has been under pressure from activist investor Carl Icahn to split into three independent companies. In February, the insurer agreed to add two members nominated by Icahn to its board. Billionaire investor John Paulson and Samuel Merksamer, a managing director at Icahn Capital LP, are expected to join AIG's board next week. The operating profit attributable to AIG fell 54 percent to $773 million in the first quarter, partly due to restructuring costs of $122 million. On a per-share basis, AIG earned 65 cents, far short of the average analyst estimate of $1.00, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Story continues Pre-tax income in AIG's commercial property and casualty insurance business, its biggest, fell 38.5 percent to $720 million. The unit's net investment income fell about 44 percent to $577 million. Shares of AIG, which traces its roots to a two-room office in Shanghai in 1919, were trading at $54.75 after the bell. Up to Monday's close, the stock had fallen nearly 9 percent this year. (Reporting By Sudarshan Varadhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Ted Kerr and Kirti Pandey) By Stine Jacobsen and Tim Hepher OSLO/PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus Helicopters is no longer recommending a blanket ban on commercial flights of its H225 Super Puma helicopter, saying initial evidence suggested there was no link between Friday's crash in Norway and two North Sea accidents in 2012. Airbus (AIR.PA), which had initially urged a halt to all public flights, said on Monday commercial operations could resume outside UK and Norway where regulators have imposed bans. Safety experts cautioned it was too early to say what caused the helicopter's rotor blades to detach, sending the aircraft plunging onto a rocky coastline off Bergen. In 2012, Super Pumas were grounded after two ditchings in the UK North Sea later blamed on gearbox cracks. A workhorse for the oil industry, the Super Puma has been in operation since the 1970s. There are 800 in operation worldwide. Some operators including CHC Helicopter, the owner of the crashed helicopter, said they were keeping Super Pumas grounded. Search-and-rescue operations were not affected. CHC said there had been no emergency calls from pilots before the crash and confirmed reports that the same helicopter had returned to base twice last week due to a warning light. After two parts were changed on successive days, the warning disappeared and the aircraft did six commercial flights on the eve of the crash without incident, CHC said, adding neither part was connected to the gearbox or rotor. Norway said cockpit voice and data recordings had been successfully downloaded and sent for analysis. Amateur video showed all five rotor blades, still apparently connected to their rotor head, spinning towards the ground after parting from the helicopter. Such accidents are extremely rare. The last such disaster involved an earlier version of Super Puma off Aberdeen in 2009, in which 16 people died. Oil companies and helicopter firms moved to rejig operations using Sikorsky (UTX.N) helicopters. But disruption has been tempered by a recent drop in activity driven by low oil prices. Story continues According to Norways's oil safety regulator, offshore helicopter traffic fell 11.9 percent between 2014 and 2015. "We must always do everything we can so that people can feel safe going to work," Statoil (STL.OL) Chief Executive Eldar Saetre said after visiting Gullfaks B oil platform, where the 11 workers who died had boarded the helicopter. The version of Super Puma which crashed, the H225, has been in use since 2004. There are 179 in service, including 40 in the North Sea. Bristow Group (BRS.N) said it was grounding 20 Super Pumas in Europe and Australia, sending its shares lower in New York. (Additional reporting by Gwladys Fouche; Editing by Greg Mahlich and David Evans) (Adds Statoil comment, North Sea operations, context of crash) By Stine Jacobsen and Tim Hepher OSLO/PARIS, May 2 (Reuters) - Airbus Helicopters is no longer recommending a blanket ban on commercial flights of its H225 Super Puma helicopter, saying initial evidence suggested there was no link between Friday's crash in Norway and two North Sea accidents in 2012. Airbus, which had initially urged a halt to all public flights, said on Monday commercial operations could resume outside UK and Norway where regulators have imposed bans. Safety experts cautioned it was too early to say what caused the helicopter's rotor blades to detach, sending the aircraft plunging onto a rocky coastline off Bergen. In 2012, Super Pumas were grounded after two ditchings in the UK North Sea later blamed on gearbox cracks. A workhorse for the oil industry, the Super Puma has been in operation since the 1970s. There are 800 in operation worldwide. Some operators including CHC Helicopter, the owner of the crashed helicopter, said they were keeping Super Pumas grounded. Search-and-rescue operations were not affected. CHC said there had been no emergency calls from pilots before the crash and confirmed reports that the same helicopter had returned to base twice last week due to a warning light. After two parts were changed on successive days, the warning disappeared and the aircraft did six commercial flights on the eve of the crash without incident, CHC said, adding neither part was connected to the gearbox or rotor. Norway said cockpit voice and data recordings had been successfully downloaded and sent for analysis. Amateur video showed all five rotor blades, still apparently connected to their rotor head, spinning towards the ground after parting from the helicopter. Such accidents are extremely rare. The last such disaster involved an earlier version of Super Puma off Aberdeen in 2009, in which 16 people died. Oil companies and helicopter firms moved to rejig operations using Sikorsky helicopters. But disruption has been tempered by a recent drop in activity driven by low oil prices. Story continues According to Norways's oil safety regulator, offshore helicopter traffic fell 11.9 percent between 2014 and 2015. "We must always do everything we can so that people can feel safe going to work," Statoil Chief Executive Eldar Saetre said after visiting Gullfaks B oil platform, where the 11 workers who died had boarded the helicopter. The version of Super Puma which crashed, the H225, has been in use since 2004. There are 179 in service, including 40 in the North Sea. Bristow Group said it was grounding 20 Super Pumas in Europe and Australia, sending its shares lower in New York. (Additional reporting by Gwladys Fouche; Editing by Greg Mahlich and David Evans) Tehran, Iran, May. 2 By Mehdi Sepahvand, Emil Ilgar - Trend: Despite many disagreements on regional developments, Iran' s strategy is to approach Turkey with as much positive outlook as possible, Foreign Ministry's Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari at a press conference in Tehran, Trend's correspondent reported. Ansari said on May 2 that Iran hopes the two countries manage disagreements, come up with the most beneficial arrangements for both sides and help resolve regional conflicts. Iran and Turkey have political disagreements in the region, especially over the Bashar Asad regime in Syria, supported by Tehran. Ansari also said that Iran and Canada held their first round of diplomatic talks to improve relations. Canada stopped diplomatic relations with Iran in 2012, calling Tehran "the biggest threat to the global security". Ansari also said that Iran will adopt a positive approach to re-establishing ties with Ireland if Dublin makes a formal request for reopening embassy. Ireland closed its embassy in Tehran in 2012 due to what called the "financial problems and economizing in expenditures". Ansari also said that Turkmenistan's President and some ministers are expected to visit Iran on May 7. He didn't give further information about the scheduled negotiations with Turkmen delegation. The Allstate Corporation ALL is set to report first-quarter 2016 earnings results on May 4. Last quarter, it posted a positive earnings surprise of 20.3%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors Affecting the Past Quarter Allstate estimates first-quarter catastrophe loss, stemming from hailstorms, at around $538 million. This should affect the underwriting income and combined ratio in the to-be-reported quarter. Though strategic actions undertaken should improve auto insurance profitability, one of the largest hailstorm to ever impact Allstate should weigh on the same. However, Esurance and Allstate Benefits are likely to show improvement in the first quarter. Initiatives to lower expenses should aid results. Share buybacks are likely to boost the bottom line. A strong foothold in the personal lines business should add to the top line. Also, pricing discipline, strong claim management and strategic acquisitions are likely to drive results in the Property-Liability segment. With respect to the surprise trend, Allstate surpassed expectations in three of the last four quarters, resulting in an average positive surprise of 1.88%. The companys share price has been fluctuating over the last few days. We wait to see how the stock reacts to the quarters results. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that Allstate is likely to beat earnings this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank of #1, 2 or 3 for this to happen. That is not the case here as you will see below. Zacks ESP: Allstate has an ESP of -3.49%. This is because the Most Accurate estimate stands at 83 cents and the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at 86 cents per share. Zacks Rank: Allstate has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Though this increases the predictive power of ESP, the companys negative ESP makes surprise prediction difficult. Stocks to Consider Here are three stocks from the finance sector that have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Prudential Financial, Inc PRU has an Earnings ESP of +0.42% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is scheduled to release first-quarter earnings results on May 4. Lincoln National Corporation LNC has an Earnings ESP of +0.67% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to release first-quarter earnings results on May 4. Physicians Realty Trust DOC has an Earnings ESP of +4.35% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to report first-quarter earnings results on May 5. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report LINCOLN NATL-IN (LNC): Free Stock Analysis Report PRUDENTIAL FINL (PRU): Free Stock Analysis Report ALLSTATE CORP (ALL): Free Stock Analysis Report PHYSICIANS RLTY (DOC): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research For Immediate Release Chicago, IL May 02, 2016 Zacks Equity Research highlights AMC Networks (AMCX) as the Bull of the Day and JD.com (JD) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on InBev (BUD), SABMiller (SBMRY) and Molson Coors Brewing (TAP). Here is a synopsis of all five stocks: Bull of the Day: AMC Networks (AMCX) owns and operates various cable television stations and engaged in producing programming and movie content. Its programming network channels include AMC, IFC, Sundance, WE, and BBC America. The company is best known for its shows Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul and Hell on Wheels. The company is the Bull of the Day after it recently became a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). AMC has a market cap of $4.75 Billion with a Forward PE of 11. The stock should be viewed as a value play with its low multiple, a factor giving it a Zacks Style Score of B in Value. The company has an expected 3-5 year growth rate just above 10%. The stock was recently upgraded by Macquarie with an $82 price target. The firm highlights AMCs efforts to build its ownership of premium programming and its valuation as reasons to like the stock. Macquarie notes the success of the international networks and that AMC can extend its content onto skinny bundles offering subscription video on demand. Relative Weakness AMCX has pulled back from its 2015 high of $83.97 to the $65 area. In February the stock hit a low of $60.67 and has since grinded its way higher. However, it hasnt seen much love during this recent rally as investors dont seem to be buying its valuation yet. There are concerns that the mega-hit programs have hit their peaks and room for growth is limited. Being that this is priced in the stock, any surprise in growth in the earnings numbers will send the stock higher. The company reports May 5th. Bear of the Day : JD.com (JD) operates as an online direct sales company in China that offers a selection of authentic products. after the company reported earnings late last week. The companies offers a wide variety of products including appliances, phones, furniture, jewelry, toys, books, tickets, and even alcohol. The Beijing based company is now a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) after a Q4 EPS miss and a large debt offering. Story continues The company has a market cap of $35 Billion and has negative EPS. The stock has Zacks Style Scores of D in Value and F in Growth, along with a D VGM score. The company falls in an industry ranked 180 out of 265 (Bottom 32%) of the Zacks Industry Rank. Estimates and Earnings Q4 earnings in early March came in at $-0.07 verse the $-0.02 expected. While revenue was a beat and enough to pop the stock to $30 a share, the stock has come all the way back and is looking weak after some falling estimate revisions and a debt offering. Revisions for the current year have been to the downside. Over the last 60 days, estimates have come 22% lower for fiscal year 2016. Additional content: AB InBev (BUD) Offers to Sell More SABMiller Assets for EU Approval Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) announced Friday that it had offered to sell the Central and Eastern European operations of SABMiller (SBMRY), which could be worth an estimated $8 billion, as it seeks European regulatory approval for companys $100 billion-plus takeover of its closest rival. The SABMiller-Anheuser-Busch combination would create an enormous company in the beer industry accounting for about 30% of global beer sales. Anheuser-Busch has entered into a number of agreements to sell a variety of assets from the combined company in order to appease skepticism and regularity concerns about the merger. Earlier this month, for example, AB InBev accepted an offer by Asahi Group Holdings of Japan to buy the beer brands Grolsch, Meantime, and Peroni, as well as some of SABMillers European operations, for 2.55 billion, or about $2.9 billion. Anheuser-Busch hopes to close the deal for SABMiller in the second half of this year. SABMillers Central and Eastern European businesses have been a core part of our growth story since we first embarked on our international expansion strategy over 20 years ago, Alan Clark, SABMillers chief executive, said in a news release. Mr. Clark added, We are very proud of these businesses, their brands and the people that have made them the successes they are today, and we will continue to grow and support them throughout this process. In November, Anheuser-Busch agreed to sell SABMillers 59% stake in MillerCoors in the United States to SABMillers partner in a joint venture, Molson Coors Brewing (TAP), for about $12 billion. That deal includes the global rights to the Miller brand and would make Molson Coors the second-largest brewer in the United States, behind Anheuser-Busch. According to a report via Reuters, the European Commission, the European Union's antitrust regulator, is set to deliver its verdict on the SABMiller takeover by May 24. If the Commission chose to open an in-depth investigation into the SAB deal, it would not receive clearance for up to 90 working days, a delay AB InBev may be keen to avoid. Anheuser-Busch InBev has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Get todays Zacks #1 Stock of the Day with your free subscription to Profit from the Pros newsletter: About the Bull and Bear of the Day Every day, the analysts at Zacks Equity Research select two stocks that are likely to outperform (Bull) or underperform (Bear) the markets over the next 3-6 months. About the Analyst Blog Updated throughout every trading day, the Analyst Blog provides analysis from Zacks Equity Research about the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. About Zacks Equity Research Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term. Continuous analyst coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons. Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Click here to subscribe to this free newsletter today. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AMC NETWORKS- A (AMCX): Free Stock Analysis Report JD.COM INC-ADR (JD): Free Stock Analysis Report ANHEUSER-BU ADR (BUD): Free Stock Analysis Report SABMILLER PLC (SBMRY): Free Stock Analysis Report MOLSON COORS-B (TAP): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood and Sam Hunt had themselves a night on Sunday. The three country artists enjoyed big wins during Foxs American Country Countdown Awards, which are based on album sales and radio airplay. The two-hour live broadcast from The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. actually had more performances (14) than awards (12), but these nights are always about the winners and those you can find in their entirety by scrolling down. A few highlights first: Bryan and Hunt were the multi-awards winners last evening, taking home two statues apiece. Bryan won the biggie Artist of the Year as well as Male Vocalist of the year. Hunt won for Breakthrough Male and best Digital Album. Underwood was tapped as top Female Vocalist, while Florida Georgia Line won Group/Duo of the Year. Also Read: 'Nashville': 9 Crazy Twists That No One Saw Coming (Photos) Here is the complete list of trophy-takers: ARTIST OF THE YEAR Luke Bryan MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Luke Bryan FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Carrie Underwood GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR Florida Georgia Line Also Read: Justin Bieber's 'Sorry' Gets Beatbox Makeover By 25 Country Artists (Video) BREAKTHROUGH MALE OF THE YEAR Sam Hunt BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE OF THE YEAR Kelsea Ballerini BREAKTHROUGH GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR Old Dominion SONG OF THE YEAR Die A Happy Man Thomas Rhett Also Read: Merle Haggard Once Saved Willie Nelson From a Pot-Free Bus ALBUM OF THE YEAR Traveller Chris Stapleton DIGITAL SONG OF THE YEAR Girl Crush Little Big Town DIGITAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR Montevallo Sam Hunt TOURING ARTIST OF THE YEAR Garth Brooks Also Read: Merle Haggard, Country Music Legend, Dies at 79 The American Country Countdown Awards are based on country musics longest-running radio countdown show, American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks. The show is produced by Dick Clark Productions, with Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, Mark Bracco, Richard Godfrey and Tom Forrest serving as executive producers. Story continues Related stories from TheWrap: Sturgill Simpson Sings Gorgeous, Haunting Nirvana 'In Bloom' Country Cover (Video) Country Singer Craig Strickland Died of Hypothermia, Medical Examiner Rules Joey Feek, Country Singer, Dies at 40 From Esquire Amy Schumer is a vocal advocate for gun control. Last July, two women were killed and nine others wounded during a screening of Schumer's movie, Trainwreck. After the shooting, Schumer joined her cousin, New York senator Chuck Schumer, to speak out against gun violence. She also appeared in a brilliant SNL sketch on the topic, parodying America's fascination with guns and its dismissal of common sense gun control. This Inside Amy Schumer skit echoes that sentiment. In the clip, Schumer is a Home Shopping Network host, peddling the perfect gift for convicted felons, suspected terrorists, and young children alike: a gun! Just dial the number on the screen and join the thousands purchasing firearms online and at gun shows with absolutely no background checks. (The number on the screen will actually direct you to a message from Everytown for Gun Safety.) Next up: Purchase the influence of senators and congressmen for much cheaper than you'd think! What to Expect from Becton, Dickinson and Company's Fiscal 2Q16 Analysts recommendations Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) is set to release its 2Q16 earnings results on May 5, 2016. In a Bloomberg survey of 20 brokerage companies recorded on April 29, 2016, about 55% of analysts rated BDX as a buy, and 45% rated it as a hold. No analysts rated BDX as a sell. The table above lists the 14 brokerage companies that have provided target prices for BDX over the next 12 months. The consensus 12-month target price for BDX is $165.13, amounting to ~2% return potential. This compares to BDXs price of $161.93 on April 28, 2016. As of April 29, RBC Capital Markets gave BDX a one-year target price of $153, the companys lowest target price. This target implies a -5.5% return over the next 12 months. Among the large investment banks, UBS gave BDX the highest one-year target price of $182, implying ~12.4% return potential over the next 12 months. Peers Baxter (BAX), Medtronic (MDT), and Boston Scientific (BSX) have average broker target prices of $47.56, $86.37, and $23.96, respectively. These figures imply returns of 7.6%, 9.1%, and 9.3%, respectively, in the next 12 months. ETFs with exposure to Becton, Dickinson and Company Investors can get exposure to BDX by investing in the PowerShares S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF (SPLV), which has 1.1% of its total holdings in BDX. One of the dividend ETFs, the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG), tracks a market capweighted index of the US companies that have been paying increasing dividends to their shareholders for at least 10 years. BDX accounts for about 1.6% of VIGs total holdings. Investors can also gain exposure to BDX through the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV), which has 0.19% of its total holdings in BDX. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: Why BHP Billiton's Fiscal 3Q16 Results Were a Mixed Bag (Continued from Prior Part) Analysts recommendations Among the analysts that track BHP Billiton (BHP) (BBL), 45% have given the company a buy recommendation, and 10% have given it a sell recommendation. For Rio Tinto (RIO), 41% of analysts are recommending a buy while 19% are recommending a buy for Vale (VALE). In comparison, Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Alcoa (AA) have 11% and 41% buy recommendations, respectively. Freeport-McMoRan forms 3.6% of the SPDR S&P Metals and Mining ETF (XME). Changes in analyst ratings Now lets discuss some recent target prices and recommendations with respect to BHP. Bank of America upgraded BHP Billiton from neutral to buy on April 18, 2016. Jefferies reiterated its hold recommendation on BHP stock on April 18, 2016. It has a target price of 800 pounds for the stock. Morgan Stanley has set a target price of 950 pounds for BHPs stock. It has an overweight rating on the stock. JP Morgan (JPM) retained its underweight recommendation for BHP while raising the target price from 665 pounds to 780 pounds. JPMorgan analyst Lyndon Fagan said that BHPs 24-month rail maintenance program is likely to restrict volume growth. He added, As with the Rio quarterly, the implication is a tighter iron ore balance in 2017, which is positive for prices. We expect this will trigger consensus iron ore price and earnings upgrades over the coming months. Browse this series on Market Realist: Photo: Getty Images What is it with South America and beauty pageant mix-ups? First there was Colombia, where Steve Harvey mistakenly announced Ariadna Gutierrez, Miss Colombia, to have won Miss Universe, only to decrown her moments later with the correction that Miss Philippines had actually won a very humiliating moment for first runner-up Gutierrez. Related: Miss Philippines Crowned Miss Universe After Steve Harvey Wrongly Named Colombia Winner Then, last week, it was Brazils turn to have confusion reign at Miss Rondonia Mundo, a regional contest that sends its winner on to the national Miss Brazil event. The last two contestants standing, Leticia Cappatto and Karliany Barbosa, held hands onstage as they awaited the results in front of a packed crowd in Porto Velho. And the next 50 seconds were sheer torture. Leticia Cappatto, who had her crown snatched off in front of a crowd. (Photo: Facebook) First, Cappatto was crowned the winner sloppily, with the crown instantly clanging to the floor. A handler quickly retrieved it and placed it back on Cappattos head, where it remained for just a nanosecond before a woman burst out onstage and snatched it, moving it back and forth between the two womens heads in a comically awkward and prolonged moment that ended only when the crown was finally put on a stunned Barbosas head. Related: Why Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach Doesnt Have Time for Drama Meanwhile, yet another stage assistant (there was a whole crew of them fluttering about) was busy trying to get the runner-up sash onto Cappatto, who tried to push him away, presumably to protest her embarrassing treatment, and who maintained a glorious death stare during the entire rest of the painful scene, even when the assistant hugged her. And then Cappatto was led away. Karliany Barbosa, who wound up the winner. (Photo: Facebook) How hard is it, people? I didnt know what to do when it happened, she reportedly said afterward. It felt like I was taking part in a scene from a film. I just wanted to leave that place; I felt humiliated. Barbosa, meanwhile, responding to charges of fraud, declared, If I won, it was on merit. I plan to start preparing myself shortly for the national competition. Ill do so with great pride, respect, and professionalism because the contest didnt just reward beauty; it also rewarded culture, ethics, and knowledge about the state of Rondonia. On Facebook, supporters have come out in sympathy for Cappattos tease. All this embarrassment has only served to show how much you are a winner!!! wrote one fan To me you are and will always be a champion. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 2 By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iran and South Korea eye to increase bilateral trade from current level of $6 billon per year to $18 billion, the Islamic Republic president Hassan Rouhani said. Rouhani made the remarks during a press conference with his visiting South Korean counterpart Park Geun-hye in Tehran May 2, Iran's state-run IRINN TV reported. Iran and South Korea will upgrade the mutual trade ties to strategic economic relations, he said. In this regard South Korean firms will invest in Iran and their activities in the Islamic Republic will be accompanied with transfer of technology into the country. Referring to signed cooperation documents between the two sides, Rouhani said that South Korean entrepreneurs will work in Iran's energy, mining and infrastructure sectors. He further said that developing banking relations and resuming correspondent banking ties is vital for expanding ties, adding the sides decided to take necessary measures in this field. Rouhani noted that Seoul and Tehran agreed to boost cooperation in tourism and cultural fields, adding South Korean firms will invest in Iran's tourism infrastructure, in particular construction of hotels. The Iranian president also said that the Islamic Republic wants peace and stability in Korea peninsula. Security in the peninsula as well as Middle East is important for mutual ties between Seoul and Tehran, he added. Iran is against production of all kinds of weapons of mass destruction, especially in Middle East and Korean peninsula, Rouhani underlined. President Rouhani also said that he has negotiated regional issues including crisis in Yemen and Syria with his South Korean counterpart. The South Korean president is heading a large business delegation of over 230 executives during the three-day visit to Iran. Iran-South Korea trade turnover stood at $6.1 billion in 2015. The figure was $17.4 in 2011, Before Western countries imposed sanctions against Iran. Iranian and South Korean officials signed 19 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on the sidelines of a meeting between President Rouhani and his South Korean counterpart May 2. ANZ Bank's interim net profit slumped 22 percent Tuesday on the back of impairment and restructuring charges, but the result was welcomed by the market as the lender repositions for a challenging future. The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group's result for the six months to March 31 came in at Aus$2.73 billion (US$2.0 billion), while cash profit, which strips out one-off and other items, was Aus$2.78 billion. The drop was largely down to Aus$717 million in one-off net charges, including an accounting change to its software capitalisation policy, a write-down related to the value of its investment in Malaysia's AmBank, and restructuring. In a surprise move, ANZ slashed its interim dividend seven percent to 80 cents. Despite this, its share price rocketed after initially plunging, ending 5.56 percent higher at Aus$25.05. "Overall, while the result was a slight miss, it is pleasing to see ANZ taking the right actions to address the market's concerns," said Watermark Funds Management analyst Omar Joshi in explaining the share price reaction. IG Markets chief strategist Chris Weston added: "The cash earnings are well below consensus, but this seems a function of a sizeable restructuring charge and therefore they are not as bad as feared." With banks juggling new rules that demand they hold more reserves as a buffer against mortgages, and fears over rising bad loans, ANZ chief executive Shayne Elliott said the one-off charges better positioned the bank for future profit growth. "This result reflects a challenging period for banking and we have taken the opportunity to move decisively and adapt to the changing environment by building a simpler, better capitalised and more balanced bank," he said. "We have strong underlying drivers in our Australia and New Zealand consumer and small business franchise and we have seen good early progress in transforming Institutional Banking. "This has been supported by prudent capital management and tight control of costs with total expenses, excluding the impact of specified items, being lower for the first time in seven halves." Story continues Elliott added that banking was experiencing rapid shifts in technology and regulation against a backdrop of low economic growth, volatile financial markets and rising credit costs. "Our priority is to take bold action to ensure ANZ is fit and ready for this future," he said. The soft numbers follow Westpac posting a three percent rise in interim net profit to Aus$3.70 billion on Monday, disappointing investors who savaged the share price. National Australia Bank reports its half-yearly results on Thursday. The Commonwealth Bank, the country's biggest lender, follows a different cycle. In February it posted a modest two percent rise in first-half net profit to Aus$4.62 billion. Tor Myhren Last December, Apple announced that it hired Tor Myhren from Grey Worldwide to be its VP of marketing communications. It's a senior role, reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook, and over the weekend, Apple added Myhren as a notable vice president on the senior leadership page on its website. Myhren is generally in charge of Apple's visuals and brand. He signs off on advertising like billboards, TV ad campaigns, web design, packaging, retail store displays, and other marketing communications. He replaced Hiroki Asai, an 18-year Apple veteran who retired last year and was known as one of the executives with the most knowledge of what former CEO Steve Jobs liked and disliked. From the press release announcing Myhren's hire: Tor will be responsible for Apples advertising efforts and will lead an award-winning team that spans a broad range of creative disciplines from video, motion graphics and interactive web design to packaging and retail store displays. At Grey, Myhren tripled the size of its flagship New York office to 1,000 staff members and was the creative mastermind behind the E*Trade talking baby. Apple is in the process of moving some of its advertising out of longtime partner Media Arts Lab into an internal "marcom" division. Recently, Apple produced a hit ad starring Taylor Swift in-house, for example. Myhren looks sharp in his headshot wearing a subtle camouflage sweater over a shirt and tie. He's the only executive on Apple's senior leadership page who is wearing a tie in his official PR bio headshot. Here's Apple's official bio: Tor Myhren is Apples vice president of Marketing Communications, reporting to CEO Tim Cook. Tor joined Apple in 2016 from Grey, where he was president and worldwide chief creative officer. As head of the Marketing Communications group, Tor leads a talented and creative team focused on Apples advertising, internet presence, package design and other consumer-facing marketing. A two-time TED speaker, Tor has been named to Fast Companys Most Creative People in Business, Fortunes 40 Under 40, AdAge's Creativity 50 honoring the world's 50 most influential creative minds, and was inducted into the Advertising Federation of America's Hall of Achievement. Tor is a former journalist and award-winning documentary filmmaker. He holds a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Occidental College. Story continues Tor Myhren NOW WATCH: Uber is making customers pay for having drivers wait More From Business Insider From Esquire An employee found dead at Apple's Cupertino, California, headquarters on Wednesday had a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, authorities say. CNN Money reports that Santa Clara sheriff's deputies were called to the facility at One Infinite Loop in the early morning and found a 25-year-old man in a conference room. They declared him dead on-site, and the medical examiner ruled it a suicide on Thursday. "After further investigation it appeared there was no foul play and no other individuals were involved," the sheriff's office said in a statement. Apple did not immediately respond to CNN's requests for comment after the medical examiner's report was released, but a spokeswoman did react Wednesday to the initial news of a death on campus. "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends, including the many people he worked with here at Apple," she said. "We are working to support them however we can in this difficult time." She added the company was "heartbroken by the tragic loss of a young and talented coworker." [H/T: CNN Money] By Noel Randewich SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) on Friday ended its worst week on the stock market since 2013 as worries festered about a slowdown in iPhone sales and after influential shareholder Carl Icahn revealed he sold his entire stake. Shares of Apple, a mainstay of many Wall Street portfolios and the largest component of the Standard & Poor's 500 index, have dropped 11 percent in the past five sessions. That shrank the technology behemoth's market capitalization by $65 billion (44.4 billion pounds), about equivalent to Cambodia's net wealth. Confidence in the Cupertino, California company has been shaken since posting its first-ever quarterly decline in iPhone sales and first revenue drop in 13 years on Tuesday, although Apple investors pointed to the stock's relatively low valuation as a key reason to hold onto the stock. "If you're going to buy Apple, you have to buy it for the long term, because the next year or two are going to be very tough," said Michael Yoshikami, chief executive of Destination Wealth Management, which owns Apple shares. Faced with lackluster sales of smartphones in the United States, Apple has bet on China as a major new growth engine, but progress there has been a let-down. Revenue from China slumped 26 percent during the March quarter and its iBooks Stores and iTunes Movie service in China were shut down last week after the introduction of new regulations on online publishing. Pointing to concerns that Beijing could make it difficult for Apple to conduct business in China, long-time Apple investor Carl Icahn told CNBC on Thursday that he had sold his stake in the company he previously described as a "no brainer" and undervalued. The selloff has left Apple trading at about 11 times its expected 12-month earnings, cheap compared to its average of 17.5 over the past 10 years. S&P 500 stocks on average are trading at 17 times expected earnings. "The tide is going out a bit, but it will probably improve in the fall with the launch of the next iPhone," said Pat Becker Jr, principal of Becker Capital Management, which also owns Apple stock. "This is an opportunity." Story continues Wall Street remains positive as 36 analysts tracked by Thomson Reuters recommend buying Apple's shares, while nine have neutral ratings and none recommend selling. The median of the analysts' price targets is $120, down from $130 at the end of March. The stock ended Friday at $93.75, down 1.14 percent. (Reporting by Noel Randewich; Editing by Bernard Orr) BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - An Argentine court has asked a judge to look into accusations of illicit enrichment against leftist former President Cristina Fernandez, state press agency Telam reported on Monday. Fernandez, who left office in December after eight years and was replaced by center-right Mauricio Macri, has already been accused of money laundering and overseeing irregularities at the central bank while she served. The cases have sparked massive demonstrations by her supporters, who say she is being persecuted by a new government bent on revenge. Fernandez is a divisive figure, revered by many for generous welfare programs and reviled by others for her economic policies. The latest accusation, issued by a public prosecutor, was initiated by an opposition politician. Fernandez and her son have been accused of illicit enrichment and the falsification of public documents relating to a company called Los Sauces, Telam said, citing legal sources. It said that Los Sauces in 2009 had over 9 million Argentine pesos ($635,000 at current exchange rates) in property investment. A spokesman for the attorney general's office said the investigating judge had issued a secrecy order on the case. Under Argentine law, the judge will decide whether to accept the charge and open an investigation. ($1 = 14.1660 Argentine pesos) (Reporting by Maximiliano Rizzi, Writing by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Dan Grebler) palmyra soldiers New documents obtained by Sky News revealed that the Syrian government's recapture of the ancient city of Palmyra from Islamic State militants was apparently part of a pre-arranged deal that allowed ISIS to remove its heavy weaponry from the city before withdrawing. Sky News reported that the documents came from a Free Syrian Army group comprised of ISIS defectors originally from Raqqa, ISIS' de facto capital in Syria. "Withdraw all heavy artillery and anti-aircraft machine guns from in and around Palmyra to Raqqa province," read one document that was dated just before the Syrian Arab Army recaptured Palmyra at the end of March. Stuart Ramsay, Sky News' chief correspondent, said he asked one of the defectors if ISIS was coordinating its movements directly with forces loyal to Assad and even with Russia, which backed the assault on Palmyra with heavy airstrikes. "Of course," the ISIS defector told Ramsay. The documents obtained by Sky News provide more evidence that the Assad regime has been colluding with the jihadists, who have captured more than half of Syria's territory since 2012. The Wall Street Journal reported last month on files uncovered during a raid on the home of Abu Sayyaf, the Islamic State "oil minister" who was killed by US Special Forces at his compound in Syria's Deir Ezzour province last May. The files revealed deals the Assad regime supposedly made with Sayyaf that, at one point, contributed up to 72% of ISIS' profits from natural resources. Abu Sayyaf's division had successfully negotiated agreements with the Assad regime to allow Islamic State trucks and pipelines to move from regime-controlled fields through territory controlled by the group, which is also known as ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh. The division helped the jihadists bring in roughly $40 million a month in oil sales alone, according to documents seen by The Journal. Story continues The natural-gas fields surrounding Palmyra were a particularly important source of revenue for the jihadists. They turned the gas into fuel which they then sold to Assad, according to Matthew Reed, the vice president of Foreign Reports Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm focused on oil and politics in the Middle East. The documents smuggled out of Raqqa to Sky News appeared to provide corroboration. "One document requests safe passage for a driver through IS checkpoints 'until he reaches the border with the Syrian regime to exchange oil for fertilizer,'" Ramsay wrote. He added: "The defectors claim that this is a trade agreement between the two sides that has been going on for years." NOW WATCH: Scientists have linked the deaths of three US presidents to the same surprising cause More From Business Insider As a federal prisoner, Clarence Aaron worked at every level of a prison-run manufacturing facility in Alabama. But when his life sentence was commuted by President Obama in 2014, he found those skills couldnt get him a job. Standing before a wooden podium in the U.S. Attorneys office for the Southern District of Alabama, Aaron had praise for the Bureau of Prisons program that trained him and allowed him to save $1,000 a year, but deep frustration with the workplaces who werent interested in hiring former felons. BOP gives you a whole lot of training, Aaron said. But once youre released into society its all null and void. Among the small audience assembled in the bland conference room was Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who recently finished her first year on the job with a tour of the mens federal prison where Aaron used to live, a briefing at the U.S. Attorneys office and even a short a one-on-one meeting with Aaron. Read More: Attorney General Loretta Lynch Gets a Glimpse of Life on the Inside In a wide-ranging conversation with TIME on the flight back to Washington, Lynch reflected on what Aaron said. He did everything that we tell inmates to do, he got an education, he advanced up the career ladder, and then theres no way to translate that into an effective employment base outside, she said. What we need to focus on is making sure that businesses recognize the value of the work hes done. Lynch had just wrapped a week of events that highlighted the Justice systems efforts to prepare inmates for return to society. Several announcements from the administration had come as a result; a call for governors to make it easier for returning citizens to get ID cards, efforts to increase health coverage for former inmates, and a proposal to ban the box for federal employees. The transcript below has been edited and condensed for clarity. Story continues Youre about a year into office, is this the issue you expected to be taking on? Is this where you wanted to be a year in, especially since going in you were dealing with Baltimore and issues involving police reform? It is. This issue is something that I looked at in the 90s. When I was the U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn under [Attorney General Janet] Reno, she was talking about reentry, she was talking about diversion and drug courts at that time, but we didnt have this national conversation on it. But we knew that if, for example, people who were incarcerated got a degree the recidivism rate goes down by a significant amount the higher amount of education they get. We knew that if they had jobs, the recidivism rate goes down. I saw that then and always thought if were going to talk about making a whole system more fair, we have to talk about reentry also. We will always have a strong law enforcement component to everything we do. We protect the American people, that is our core mission. But were also the Department of Justice and justice means fairness and equality in how we deal with everybody who comes through the system as well. Today you were able to hear from inmates and Mr. Clarence Aaron, a former inmate. His remarks seemed to send a signal that there is a lot of work ahead, despite the announcements the administration made this week. What did you take from his comments? How will his stories and the others you heard today help shape policy back home in Washingtonparticularly as it relates to bridging the gap, as Mr Aaron put it? I thought that he hit the nail on the head with that as being an important issue. We pinpointed it in our Roadmap to Reentry that Ive done about the Bureau of Prisons as something thats important because we were concerned about that, but to hear it in his words, particularly an individual who did so well with all the programs in prison. He did everything that we tell inmates to do, you know, he got an education, he advanced up the job ladder, the career ladder. And then theres no way to translate that into an effective employment base on the outside. Thats always the challenge. Hearing that what we need to focus on is making sure that businesses recognize the value of the work hes done is something that were going to have to work on. Were going to have to really focus on ways to characterize the work that the guys do and the women do in the prisons as transferable skills. Thats really going to be the key, I think. If youre an employer you can look at what Clarence Aaron did and your question is going to be, OK, how does that transfer to my place of employment? As almost anyone who is changing careers can tell you, that is a hurdle that you have to jump. So as we go back and look at policy and focus on what were going to for people who are just getting out, in halfway houses and we need to give them the continuity that were talking about this is going to be an important issue for us. How does ban the box speak to that? And what will it take to expand those programs across the country? The federal government, we hope, will be an example to the private sector and the value of banning the box to show that if you get through the system to the point where you were considering their background along with everything about themwere not saying ignore it, were not saying ignore what anyone has done, were saying consider it along with everything about the person. Give them a fair chance. Were hoping to be a leader in that. The federal government is a huge employer. A number of companies have that taken the pledge, the one that I mentioned that came into the White House earlier this month, we hope will also be business leaders in recognizing the value of welcoming returning citizens back. As with every every industry, when we talk with them were cognizant of their own security needs, were cognizant of the issues that they have to balance and we want to work with them to make sure they can strike that right balance so that they can ban the box. If they have to consider an issue maybe it affects where they place an employee, maybe it affects the kind of training they give that employee, maybe that employee wont be right for them, but at least theyre making that decision based on everything about the employee. Are there programs that can be that bridge? There are a lot of different programs out there one of the things that were trying to do is get a handle on whats out there so that when inmates leave they can in fact have a handbook of the next step to go to. One of the things that Ive heard from other formerly incarcerated individuals when Ive had roundtables in different cities is the need for a support system for the first weeks or months after release. We take that very seriously. Ive seen programs in various citiesI was in Boston where people can get an apprentice license for a trade while theyre incarcerated and will be able to go directly into a job. Those jobs work with them a lot on other skills. That direct placement model is one thing that works fairly well. That isnt going to work in every community or every profession, but thats an example of things that were looking at. You toured a prison today in Talladega, Alabama. There was an interesting moment at the inmate roundtable you sat in on at FCI Talladega where an inmate, named Tony Moses threw out the idea that maybe you would release him. Do you have any thoughts on that? What were you thinking when he said that? I think that it certainly, i think every inmate probably has the hope of an early release and if there are programs that he could enter into that would give him that opportunity i hope he would take advantage of them. Some of the programs give inmates the opportunity to hve some time shaved from their sentence, all the inmates I met today seem very committed to working, not just on their job skills and on their interpersonal skills and on themselves. Thats the real benefit of these programs. Its my hope that if there are programs like that he would take advantage of them. Anything surprise you? Anything stand out from the tour? I knew that FCI Talladega had terrific programs, and I certainly had heard that they were doing well in so many areas. I will say the Residential Drug Treatment Program was tremendous. I think that it really showed that people can make the kind of change that isnt just about getting a degree or learning a trade, that is internal to them. I think that it takes a lot of courage to sit in a room full of people that you think are going to judge you and admit that you have weaknesses and admit that you dont have all the answers and take constructive criticism from other people and then to stand up and try to provide that for other people. I thought that it was a very, very powerful program. I found it very, very moving. The Obama administration has clearly made this issue a priorityhow confident are you that the momentum that currently exists to implement criminal justice reforms will continue in say a Trump administration? As a Cabinet member, I dont comment on candidates. I dont have a comment on anyones potential administration. Theyll work that out for themselves, whoever is in the White House. I do think that the goal is to have these issues be recognized and certainly for this administration, it is to seize this moment when theres bipartisan support but theres also uniformity of thought. Theres a human cost and a financial cost, its a cost to us as a society in terms of how we treat people. Theres really been a connection on that. Many states have been leaders in that, states that have different demographics, different political backgrounds and leanings, theyve all come together. Texas has been a leader in this, actually, in terms of prison reform. In terms of working with the federal government to get grants for Second Chance Acts, for reentry courts and the like. My home state of North Carolina has also done similar things. And those states have seen the crime rate go down as they invest in returning citizens. It is certainly me hope that the practicality and the success of these programs will live on long after this administration. Criminal justice reform has proven to be a bipartisan issue, but there are other issues that the administration has taken up that are exposing some divisions. For instance, LGBT rights. How is Justice working with departments to consider pulling federal money from North Carolina as a response to their transgender bathroom law? North Carolina legislature came back this week considering a lot of options about the bill so were obviously looking to see what that bill will look like in the end, will that bill exist in the end so right now were monitoring that situation. Do you take it as a symbol of questions that we still have to work out as a country when it comes to what justice means? I think its a symbol of the fact that a lot of people do find change difficult. They find new ideas and change hard and they will often have a reaction to it that isnt the one that we hope that they would have that isnt the choice of fairness and inclusion. Its one based on misunderstanding. That happens in human history. Its my hope that we can move beyond that and that we can look at, as we protect the most vulnerable members of our society, the elderly, children, human trafficking victims that we focus on the fact that transgender individuals are often victimized. Theyre often discriminated against. If were going to move as a society towards a fair and more inclusive country, we have to protect their rights as well. Read More: Attorney General Says Bathroom Bills Show Change Is Difficult The Supreme Court arguments in a case involving the corruption conviction of former Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell indicated a lot of skepticism over the way Justice has interpreted federal corruption laws. How damaging would it be for the cause of prosecuting public corruption if the court were to rule against the government in this case, and raise the standard for bringing public corruption cases? We dont have a decision yet so Im not going to speculate as to what it may be. We will obviously wait with anticipation for that decision, look at it closely, and follow to law. Its been about 10 months since the Charleston shooter was arrested, but the department has not yet announced whether or not it will pursue the death penalty in that case. Is the administration reconsidering the death penalty in the wake of Charleston? No, I would say that the case is being considered like any other case. Were getting recommendations from the U.S. Attorneys Office, from the U.S. Attorney. It all comes to me for the final review and recommendation and were moving through that process. The DEA, a part of DOJ, is currently reviewing possibly downgrading marijuana from its current Schedule 1 status. Do you think marijuana deserves to be classified as a drug that is as dangerous as heroin or LSD? I will wait for their review. I think the issue in terms of how you schedule any drug is dependent upon what alternate uses there are for the drug. Im going to wait for their review and see what their conclusions are before I comment. * PayPal looking to roll out Xoom into Australia soon * WorldRemit expanding in Australia, New Zealand * Australia's traditional remitters shutting shop * Regulators identify remittances as a high-risk sector * Online remitters can track money flow easily- ABA By Swati Pandey and Nathan Lynch SYDNEY, May 3 (Reuters) - Digital money transfer companies including PayPal Holdings are rushing to grab a share of Australia's $35 billion remittance market, hoping to plug a vacuum left by the major domestic banks' exit from the space last year. U.S.-listed PayPal intends to roll out its online remitting platform Xoom into Australia soon, senior executives told Reuters, while U.K.-based WorldRemit in April said it had chosen Australia as its Asia-Pacific base. Australia is a fast-growing market for foreign money transfer operators thanks to a large migrant population with financial links to China, India, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans and the Pacific Islands. One in four Australians has migrated from overseas, government data shows. "This industry is belatedly moving online. Regulation and technology are driving this change," said Ismail Ahmed, founder of WorldRemit, which is also expanding in New Zealand. The entry of global digital payments players comes amid growing concern in Australia that the industry was drifting underground, after the major banks closed the accounts of money transfer businesses due to compliance risks. Accounting for about 80 percent of Australia's banking activity, the country's four major lenders felt particularly exposed to what regulators have identified as a high-risk sector for criminal activity like money laundering and terrorist financing, including transfers to militant groups like Islamic State. But the international scale and reputation of major digital players means they are better placed to manage the regulatory and law enforcement scrutiny than smaller agents who previously dominated the sector, industry players say. Story continues LOOKING FOR GROWTH Ahmed said he was scouting for acquisitions of niche players to further expand in Australia, already WorldRemit's second-biggest market for outbound remittances. New Zealand, with a similar migrant population to Australia's, is World Remit's fastest-growing country for outbound transfers. PayPal began making significant inroads into Australia after receiving a licence to hold funds on behalf of customers, although it cannot perform traditional banking services. It can also send money to under-developed countries with poor banking and mobile penetration. "In some markets home delivery is important and in those markets we do offer home delivery, where a courier will show up, ring your doorbell and give you an envelope with cash," said John Kunze, vice president of PayPal-owned Xoom. While customers can use their bank accounts to transfer money overseas, it can be expensive and time-consuming. Australian banks charge up to A$30 ($22.94) per transfer, compared with A$5-A$8 charged by remitters. The banks' mobile applications are clunky compared with the simple interfaces offered by remittance newcomers like InstaRem or WorldRemit. Xoom's Kunze said that while scale was a big advantage for PayPal, it came with a "mandate to run compliance, consumer protection and a safe business". "So we have to keep moving the ball forward on this as we grow," he said. Global digital players are well aware that any breach of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing rules could undermine their significant investment in the sector. "Online money transfer businesses have the benefit of being able to track where money has come from and where it is going to," Australian Bankers' Association Chief Executive Steven Munchenberg said. "It is still important, however, that they operate within an appropriate regulatory framework." ($1 = 1.3079 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Swati Pandey in SYDNEY and Nathan Lynch of Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence; Additional reporting by Charlotte Greenfield in WELLINGTON; Editing by Stephen Coates) The Daily Beast Beresford Hodge - PA ImagesLONDONRishi Sunak is to become Britains third prime minister of the year after winning a hastily arranged leadership contest on Monday in the wake of Liz Truss lightning downfall. After losing out to Truss in the summer, Sunak is on his way to Downing Street after his leadership race rival, Penny Mordaunt, withdrew from the contest at the last minute. While Truss became Britains leader after being voted in by Conservative Party membersless than one percent of the As Ted Cruz heads into the vital Indiana primary tomorrow, his presidential campaign is, by most accounts, losing momentum at a time it can least afford it. Over the weekend, he got bad news: Cruzs poll numbers are down. A New York Times story revealed that his support is weakening among Republican delegates who Cruz believed were a lock. The governor of the key state of Indiana, which votes tomorrow, again showed himself unable to muster a ringing endorsement for the Texas senator. Related: Ted Cruz Thinks Everyone Is Out to Get Him Cruzs chief rival, frontrunner Donald Trump, has amassed a large lead in pledged delegates, and stands a good chance of locking up the nomination before the Republican Partys national convention in July. Preventing Trump from doing that is now the only strategy remaining to Cruz. He is mathematically unable to win enough delegates in the remaining states to clinch the nomination himself, but he could still shoot for a contested convention by denying Trump the 1,237 majority. Part of what that means is that Cruz needs to deny Trump delegates at every turn, particularly in states like Indiana, which will award 27 of its 57 delegates to the candidate who wins statewide and 27 more to the winners of nine separate Congressional Districts. Unfortunately for Cruz, a poll released over the weekend by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal showed Trump with a dominant 15-point lead in that state. The current Real Clear Politics polling average for the state shows Trump with an average 4.1 percent lead. However, that includes one poll that appears to be a serious outlier, showing Cruz ahead by 16 points. Without it, Trumps average lead would be 7.5 percent. Cruz succeeded in earning the endorsement of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Friday, but the governors announcement on a radio program struck many as oddly backhanded. He spoke of his admiration for Trump, but said he had decided to vote for Cruz -- and he did it without really explaining why he preferred Cruz and, crucially, without urging voters to follow his lead. Story continues Related: Indianas Governor Just Endorsed Ted Cruz. And Donald Trump On Sunday afternoon, Pence published an op-ed in the Indianapolis Star that went a little further in explaining some of his thinking behind voting for Cruz, including his small government and social conservative positions. My vote goes to Ted Cruz because he is a principled conservative who will work to protect our constitutional liberties, bring back better-paying jobs, and serve all Americans with the character and judgment needed to revive our national strength. However, Pence once again stopped short of encouraging others to vote for Cruz as well, saying, I encourage every Hoosier to evaluate each of the candidates and exercise your right to vote in the May 3 Primary. Also on Sunday, The New York Times reported that Cruzs support among the committed Republicans who will serve as delegates at the convention in Cleveland is weakening. According to the story by Jeremy W. Peters, the Texan is having an increasingly difficult time securing delegates in states where they have not yet been chosen, and in states where the process is complete, some delegates who originally supported him are starting to waver. Related: Is Sanders About to Play the Email Card Against Clinton? This is significant because at this point, Cruzs only practical hope for the nomination is to deny Trump a first-ballot victory at the convention, and then count on many delegates who were pledged to Trump for one or two votes to flip to him on subsequent ballots. That shifting sentiment appears to be reflected in the Gallup tracking poll, which recently found that Cruz now has a net negative approval rating among Republicans, and that the ratio of approval to disapproval is getting worse. Its never over until the votes are counted, of course, but now, things are not looking good for the junior senator from Texas. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Baku, Azerbaijan, May 2 By Khalid Kazimov - Trend: Over the last Iranian calendar year (ended March 20) 64 business delegations from 28 countries visited the Islamic Republic. The Iranian deputy industry Minister, Valiollah Afkhami-Rad, has said that the number of foreign business delegations visiting Iran over the last year increased three times year-on-year, Mehr news agency reported. According to the official, 19 trade delegations from 16 countries arrived in Iran in 2014. The official further added that the delegations have discussed a range of field for cooperation including tourism, joint ventures as well as trade and engineering services. The number of foreign delegations arriving in Iran increased after clinching a deal last year between the Islamic Republic and the world powers to curb Tehran's controversial nuclear program. Nuclear related sanctions on the Islamic Republic were removed following the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on January 16. (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) reached a $190 million settlement with a federal home loan bank over four mortgage-related complaints, according to a securities filing on Monday. The bank had accrued "substantially all" of the settlement amount previously, Bank of America said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The settlement was dated on April 25. The litigation was started by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle, which later merged into the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines. A spokeswoman for the merged entity referred Reuters to another securities filing showing it had reached a settlement with an unnamed bank on April 25, but declined to say whether it was with Bank of America. (Reporting by Dan Freed; Editing by Sandra Maler) By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss NEW YORK (Reuters) - As a debate raged across the internet Monday over whether the mysterious founder of the bitcoin digital currency had finally been identified, executives at a major bitcoin conference in New York had a simple message: we've moved on. That's because bitcoin, the digital currency, has largely been supplanted by blockchain, the technology that underlies it, as the main interest of investors, technology companies and financial institutions. "If there is a 100 percent opportunity in the blockchain, bitcoin, or the currency, is only 1 percent of it," said Jerry Cuomo, vice president, Blockchain Technologies at International Business Machines Corp (IBM.N). "So there is a whole 99 percent that has broad applications across the broad industries." Over the past year numerous Wall Street firms, led by Goldman Sachs (GS.N), have declared their commitment to pursuing blockchain as a potential revolutionary technology for tracking and clearing financial transactions. The blockchain technology works by creating permanent, public "ledgers" of all transactions that could potentially replace complicated clearing and settlement systems with one simple ledger. Still, bitcoin is by far the largest implementation of blockchain technology and there is considerable debate as to whether one can truly develop without the other. "Bitcoin is still the only blockchain-enabled, cross-border large scale, provable application that's actually in production," said Joseph Guastella, a principal at Deloitte Consulting in New York. "Bitcoin as a currency may not be as relevant as it was in many ways, but it actually is relevant as a proof case for the blockchain technology." Bitcoins are created through a "mining" process, in which specialised computers solve complex math problems in exchange for bitcoins. One bitcoin (BTC=BTSP) is equivalent to $444.75 late on Monday and trade on various exchanges around the world. Story continues But bitcoin transaction volume has been in decline over the past six months amid a bitter split over technical changes in the protocol that are needed to increase the capacity of the system that produces them. Because the cryptocurrency has no formal governance, it relies on a core group of developers for direction - and they are sharply divided over the changes. But that debate was of relatively little concern to the Blockchain enthusiasts gathered in New York. Australian tech entrepreneur Craig Wright identified himself on Monday as the creator of controversial digital currency bitcoin. "It's irrelevant because his announcement doesn't solve a problem or resolve a conflict," said Bharat Solanki, managing director at Cambrian Consulting in New York. "It probably helps to determine the origins of bitcoin but only for recognition," Solanki said. For Naoki Taniguchi, a global innovation expert at The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd in San Francisco, he does not really care about who created bitcoin. "It's all about the blockchain," he said. (Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss; Editing by Jonathan Weber, Bernard Orr) May 1 (Reuters) Bayern Munich will put the disappointment of failing to secure the Bundesliga title behind them to focus on Tuesday's Champions League semi-final game against Atletico Madrid, chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said on Sunday. The German side host Atletico in the second leg on Tuesday having lost the first game 1-0 and they were held to a 1-1 draw by Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday. Of course we would have liked to win the Bundesliga," Rummenigge told the club's website. "I'd be lying if I told you otherwise. We can't do anything about it now," he added. "We're still five points clear and have a good goal difference. We now turn our full focus to Tuesday and we'll giveit everything." Bayern needed to beat Gladbach to guarantee theirthird consecutive domestic title and they took the lead when Thomas Muller struck in the sixth minute. They were forced to settle for a point, however, when Andre Hahn equalised 18 minutes from time. "We had hoped to clinch the title," Bayern defender Philipp Lahm said. "But against a tough side we didn't manage it. We'll just have to wait until next Saturday (away at mid-table Ingolstadt) to become champions again." Bayern are five points ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund with two matches to play. (Reporting by Ed Dove, editing by Ed Osmond) From ELLE This article originally appeared in the May 2016 issue of ELLE. Stranded on an island and lacking wind to propel his ship, The Odyssey's godsforsaken King Menelaus captures the sea deity Proteus and forces the prophetic shapeshifter to reveal not only how the king angered the gods in the first place, but also how to appease them and find his way home. Adam Haslett's chronicle of a family plagued by depression, Imagine Me Gone (Little, Brown), is preoccupied with the same intrinsically human hope: that seeking out clues from one's past might heal the present and safeguard the future. In fact, hints of the myth underpin the entire book, not least in Haslett's own protean ability to embody the varied viewpoints of Margaret; her depressive husband, John; and their children, Michael, Celia, and Alec. Spanning the decades from 1960s England to present-day Maine, the story centers around a heartbreaking decision by John that leaves Margaret to care for the children alone. And while Celia and Alec go on to build lives in San Francisco and New York, music junkie Michael matures from a precocious 12-year-old ("We can't listen to any more baroque music. It enervates the mind," he tells his mother) into an obsessive adult, haunted by a childhood vision he fervently wishes he'd acted upon and completely dependent on his family to keep him afloat. There are some books, and this is one, that grab you in the first paragraphs and don't let go, even when the last page has been read. Haslett is certainly not the first novelist to broach the topic of depression (and it's thematic in both his 2002 short-story collection You Are Not a Stranger Here and his award-winning 2010 novel Union Atlantic). But he's done so with such a fresh voice and playfulness of form-Michael's sections dance from imagined, parodic notes to his therapist, aunt, and creditors, to claustrophobic catalogs of star-crossed crushes and music history-that the resulting novel begs a reevaluation of how we view and cope with tragedy. It's the epitome of that oft-misappropriated axiom, comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. "That's the only real life, the only thing that makes you know you're alive-the backward ache," Michael tells his brother. "That's what music is. That's what you hear, when it's good: The worlds people lost, the ones they want back." Imagine Me Gone is very good music. Shares of Bemis Company, Inc. BMS lost roughly 0.02% on Friday, a day after the company reported its first-quarter 2016 results. Its adjusted earnings per share dropped 1.6% year over year to 60 cents per share. The net impact of currency translation reduced earnings per share in the reported quarter by approximately 3 cents, as compared to the first quarter of 2015. Earnings also lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 62 cents. Including acquisition-related costs of 1 cent per share each, earnings came in at 59 cents per share compared with 58 cents in the prior-year quarter. The year-ago quarter included restructuring charges of 3 cents. Operational Update Net sales declined 7% year over year to $967.9 million, also falling short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $985.2 million. Cost of products sold decreased 7.7% year over year to $759 million in the quarter. Gross profit declined 4% to $208.8 million from $217.5 million in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin expanded 70 basis points (bps) to 21.6% in the quarter. Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased to $99.4 million from $106.4 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted operating income dropped 2% year over year to $100 million. Adjusted operating margin increased 60 bps to 10.4% in the quarter. Segment Performance Net sales at the U.S. Packaging segment declined 6.6% year over year to $660.5 million. The decrease in net sales was due to the contractual pass-through of lower raw material costs as well as the mix of products sold. Segment operating profit increased to $101.7 million from $95.4 million in the prior-year quarter. Net sales at the Global Packaging segment went down 7.7% year over year to $307.4 million. Currency translation reduced net sales by 20.3%, primarily due to currencies in Latin America. The Dec 2015 Emplal acquisition drove net sales by 4%. Excluding the impact of currency translation and the acquisition, net sales increased by 8.6%. Adjusted segment operating profit plunged 44% to $16.3 million from $29.3 million in the year-ago quarter. Financial Update Bemis had cash and cash equivalents of $50.1 million at the end of first-quarter 2016 compared with $59.2 million at 2015 end. The company recorded cash flow from operations of $52.6 million in the reported quarter compared with $85.2 million in the prior-year period. Total debt increased to $1.44 billion as of Mar 31, 2016, from $1.38 billion as of Dec 31, 2015. As of Mar 31, 2016, total company net debt to adjusted EBITDA was 2.4 times. During the first quarter, Bemis repurchased 1 million shares for $44.3 million. As of Mar 31, 2016, approximately 22.4 million shares were available for repurchase. Adjusted return on invested capital (ROIC) increased to 10.5% as of Mar 31, 2016, from 9.9% as of Mar 31, 2015. On Feb 4, 2016, Bemis increased the authorization for share repurchases by 20 million additional shares, supplementing the previous remaining authorization. On Apr 20, 2016, Bemis announced its agreement to acquire the medical device packaging operations and related value-added services of SteriPack Group. Guidance Bemis expects full-year adjusted diluted earnings per share to be in the range of $2.68$2.78, compared to $2.68$2.83 expected earlier. It lowered the upper end of the full-year EPS guidance range due to the impact of operational inefficiencies on the companys Latin American business and the North American healthcare business. The company reaffirmed its outlook for cash from operations in the range of $450$500 million. It also retained its 2016 capital expenditures guidance of approximately $200 million to support productivity and efficiency projects as well as growth projects, driven by increased customer demand for value-added products. Bemis Global Packaging business was dampened by operational challenges in the Latin American business as well as the inefficient ramp-up of newly hired workforce at its expanded healthcare packaging facility in Wisconsin. The company is working to rectify these issues and expects that operating performance should be stabilized by the third quarter. Neenah, WI-based Bemis Company is a global manufacturer of flexible packaging products and pressure sensitive materials sold primarily to the food industry. The company also sells its products to other customers in the chemical, agri-business, medical, pharmaceutical, personal care, electronics, automotive, construction and graphic industries. Zacks Rank Currently, Bemis has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the industrial products sector include Graphic Packaging Holding Company GPK, Packaging Corporation of America PKG and Sonoco Products Co. SON. All these stocks carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report SONOCO PRODUCTS (SON): Free Stock Analysis Report BEMIS (BMS): Free Stock Analysis Report PACKAGING CORP (PKG): Free Stock Analysis Report GRAPHIC PKG HLD (GPK): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. This year, Yahoo Finance live-streamed Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK-A, BRK-B) annual shareholder meeting for the first time, allowing famed investors Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger to appear in the living rooms and on the mobile devices of people all around the world. But that didn't stop thousands of shareholders from lining up outside Omaha's CenturyLink Center as early as four o'clock in the morning to snag a good seat in the arena where Buffett and Munger would answer questions. With no assigned seating and some 40,000 shareholders in town for the meeting, you can understand why. Yahoo Finance spoke with early-morning Buffett fans from all around the world, including China, Australia, and Sweden. Many of the shareholders said they had been loyally attending the meeting for over a decade. They said they embraced the "carnival atmosphere" and the ability to meet new friends, but most importantly, the chance to learn from Buffett and Munger about investing and life in general. Their enthusiasm continued throughout the entire meeting, with the arena frequently erupting in laughter and applause. Those watching the live stream missed the rain but were able to listen to Buffett's and Munger's words of wisdom. In his annual shareholder letter earlier this year, Buffett explained why they decided to live stream the event. Charlie and I have finally decided to enter the 21st century, wrote Buffet. He also referenced his age. "Charlie is 92, and I am 85. If we were partners with you in a small business and were charged with running the place, you would want to look in occasionally to make sure we hadnt drifted off into la-la land. Shareholders, in contrast, should not need to come to Omaha to monitor how we look and sound. (In making your evaluation, be kind: Allow for the fact that we didnt look that impressive when we were at our best.)" Click here to view a full replay of the 2016 Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting, which Yahoo Finance live-streamed exclusively. At this page you can also find our extensive coverage of the event. bernie sanders Sen. Bernie Sanders is planning on taking his presidential bid all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this summer. And it looks like his rhetorical shots at Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton will go with him. Leading up to Indiana's primary on Tuesday, Sanders has proved more than willing to continue drawing contrasts with Clinton on major issues. During a Monday campaign rally in Indiana, Sanders reiterated his usual attacks on Clinton's campaign-finance structure, pausing for boos and cracking jokes about Clinton's private speeches to Goldman Sachs. "We said, 'Hell no' to super PACs. We don't represent Wall Street or the billionaire class," Sanders said. He added: "Secretary Clinton has chosen another approach to raise her money. She has not one but several super PACs. In the last reporting period, her major super PAC reported raising $25 million from special interests, including $15 million from Wall Street." For a moment late last month, it appeared that Sanders might dial back his attacks against his rival, as Clinton's lead in the Democratic race expanded with big victories in primaries in New York and up and down the East Coast. Speaking to The New York Times last week, senior campaign strategist Tad Devine said that the Sanders campaign would "reassess" its strategy after a string of recent losses. Some political observers noted that the campaign made no mention of Clinton in a statement following Sanders' losses, indicating that he might have been preparing to shift from his rhetorical focus on the frontrunner. But people close to the campaign have maintained that Sanders is serious about his pledge to participate in a "contested convention." He also reiterated the vow during a Sunday press conference. Meanwhile, Sanders has continued to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the Democratic presidential-selection process. On Monday, Sanders used Clinton's massive lead among Democratic superdelegates elected officials and party officials who represent a small portion of the delegates needed to clinch the nomination to illustrate how a "rigged system" was built to stymie insurgent candidacies. He again reminded superdelegates that he polls better in hypothetical general-election matchups with Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. Story continues Speaking to supporters on Monday, Sanders reflected on the opposition that his campaign faced in the past year from many Democrats. "We were taking on the entire Democratic Party establishment," Sanders said, as the audience cheered. "Looks like you're not intimidated by the establishment." The Clinton campaign has not been pleased by Sanders' persistent attacks on his Democratic presidential rival, which some allies fear could help burnish Republican attacks on Clinton in the general election should she capture the nomination. On Monday, the Sanders campaign and the Republican National Committee blasted out to reporters a Politico story within four minutes of each other. The story said that the Clinton campaign has benefited massively from the money it has raised for Democratic state parties, which have received comparatively little in return. "Secretary Clinton has exploited the rules in ways that let her high-dollar donors like Alice Walton of Walmart fame and the actor George Clooney and his super-rich Hollywood friends skirt legal limits on campaign contributions," Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said. He added an apparent reference to a line from the Politico story that quoted state-party fundraisers as worrying that they were "essentially acting as money laundering conduits" for Clinton and the Democratic National Committee. "If Secretary Clinton can't raise the funds needed to run in a competitive primary without resorting to laundering, how will she compete against Donald Trump in a general election?" he said. Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump waves as he arrives to speak at the California GOP convention in Burlingame, California, U.S., April 29, 2016. REUTERS/Stephen Lam And for his part, Trump has begun incorporating Sanders into his stump speech, repeatedly asserting that he'll attempt to build on Sanders' characterizations of Clinton. "Bernie Sanders has a message that's interesting," Trump told "Morning Joe" last month. "I'm going to be taking a lot of the things that Bernie said and using them." He continued: "I can reread some of his speeches and I can get some very good material." On Sunday, Sanders brushed off Trump's comments. "The Republican Party and Trump have the resources to do all the opposition research they want on Secretary Clinton. They don't need Bernie Sanders' critiques of the secretary," Sanders said. But he may not have a choice over how Trump uses his words. Trump frequently cites Sanders' assertion that "something is clearly lacking" in Clinton's judgment. "Now, he's saying bad things about Hillary. And he's really correct. He says she doesn't have the judgment to be president," Trump said at a campaign rally in New York last month, referring to Sanders. hillary clinton The Vermont senator is publicly attempting to walk a fine line, maintaining attacks on Clinton while acknowledging that the former secretary of state would be a better choice than Trump. During an event at the National Press Club on Sunday, Sanders defended his decision to continue drawing contrasts with Clinton, while also acknowledging Trump's overt attempts to co-opt Sanders rhetoric to woo his supporters. "Secretary Clinton and I have different points of view on a number of different issues. And I have tried my hardest to run an issue-oriented campaign explaining to the American people the differences that we have," Sanders said. But he quickly added: Trump is trying in a number of ways to tap into a number of my support. If I lose the nomination, he will not get that support. If I lose the nomination, and we're here to do everything we can to win it, I will fight as hard as I can to make certain that Donald Trump does not become president of the United States. Clinton has not so subtly attempted several times to transition to the general election over the last several months by praising Sanders and extending an olive branch to his supporters. "I applaud Sen. Sanders and his millions of supporters for wanting to get unaccountable money out of our politics and giving greater emphasis to closing the gap of inequality," Clinton said during her primary-night victory speech last week. "And I know together we will get that done," she added. "Because whether you support Sen. Sanders or support me, there's much more that unites us than divides us." NOW WATCH: Watch Bernie Sanders rant on why Hillary Clinton isnt qualified to be president More From Business Insider Baku, Azerbaijan, May 2 By Emil Ilgar - Trend: Head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi has started his visit to the Czech Republic. "Salehi will visit Slovakia as well. He will negotiate with officials and visit the nuclear facilities in those countries," Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, told ISNA news agency May 2. Earlier, the official website of the Czech Republic's Foreign Ministry reported that the Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek will hold talks with Salehi, who will be visiting the country on May 2-3. "His visit will take place within the framework of the conclusion of nuclear agreement with Iran (JCPOA or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), subsequent easing of international sanctions and shared interest in boosting the Czech-Iranian relations," the report added. The report said Salehi will also meet with the Czech Minister of Trade and Industry Jan Mladek and will be received by Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka. He will also hold talks with the Head of the State Office for Nuclear Safety Dana Drabova. "The meetings will focus on enhancing cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, as closer collaboration within this area may contribute to broader international control of Iranian nuclear program and to strengthening the bilateral relations and mutual trust," read the foreign ministry's message. The message said the current developments in the Middle East are another major topic to be discussed during the meetings. By Jonathan Stempel OMAHA, May 2 (Reuters) - Warren Buffett, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, is known for his keen eye for a bargain. And there were plenty on offer for shareholders attending Berkshire's annual meeting over the weekend, where goods from some 50 Berkshire businesses were on show, often at big discounts. Shareholder Shelli Clausen thought a $5 kitchen spatula from Berkshire's Pampered Chef business fit the bill. "It's a good buy, and it's fun to get the good deals," she said while waiting in a line a couple of hundred deep in downtown Omaha's CenturyLink Center, where Buffett had addressed shareholders and taken questions. When not listening to the Oracle of Omaha and his partner Charlie Munger, shareholders had two days to browse and buy Berkshire's products. These included See's Candies peanut brittle that Buffett and Munger chomped during the meeting. Courtney Cohen, a sales director at See's Candies, estimated that 19,000 of the 22,956 pounds of candy that the company brought to the meeting were sold. Dairy Queen events manager Dean Peters said those shareholders needing an ice cream fix consumed about 28,000 of its Dilly, Vanilla Orange and Fudge bars and its Mini Oreo Blizzards. Those with more to spend could buy a $9,277 pair of white gold diamond stud earrings from Borsheim's jewelry. Some vendors said numbers seemed down on in 2015, when Buffett celebrated his 50th anniversary running Berkshire. Official attendance was not immediately known, but this year's meeting was the first to be streamed online. This was widely cited as a reason Omaha may have attracted fewer people to the weekend of events that Buffett calls "Woodstock for Capitalists." Buffett said on CNBC on Monday that he thought attendance was down by 10 percent. Among the other Berkshire businesses on show were Kirby vacuum cleaners sold through in-home demonstrations and Fruit of the Loom clothing brand, which was among the more popular items. Story continues Fruit of the Loom had to put up a barrier at one stage to stop shareholders from overwhelming staff selling its $8 neon green "Berky Boxer" shorts, or the bright yellow 2015 edition for just $3. "It's packed, incredibly packed," first-time attendee Steve Peters, from nearby Papillion, Nebraska, said. He and his wife Marlene had just bought a bed from Nebraska Furniture Mart and jackets from Fechheimer Brothers. "There are good deals," Marlene Peters said. Just what Buffett would want his shareholders to say. (Reporting By Jonathan Stempel in Omaha, Nebraska. Editing by Jane Merriman) for bob It can be hard for people on Wall Street to agree on anything. Whether they're on different sides of a trade or simply in competition for business, it's rare that they see eye to eye. One issue, however, is uniting some of the largest names in finance for one cause: fiscal stimulus. With big names including JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon and hedge fund billionaire Carl Icahn, it seems there is a growing chorus among the major players in finance that the government needs to spend more money. Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, in an interview with Bloomberg Go last Wednesday said spending to build up infrastructure was a huge positive for the US economy. "You are creating jobs, creating a better and more efficient grid, better and more efficient roads, ports, airports," Fink said. "So you can get a mileage out of it. So I believe that is what we need in this country." Fink also said he thought such spending would have a meaningful impact on US gross domestic product. Dimon, for his part, wrote that part of the solution to the "serious issues" facing the US was to increase federal investments. "I won't go into a lot of detail but will list only some key concerns: the long-term fiscal and tax issues (driven mostly by healthcare and Social Security costs, as well as complex and poorly designed corporate and individual taxes), immigration, education (especially in inner city schools) and the need for good, longterm infrastructure plans," he wrote in his annual letter to shareholders. In an interview with CNBC on Thursday, Icahn said there would be a "day of reckoning" in the market if fiscal stimulus did not occur, adding that there "could certainly be more spending." Why fiscal stimulus? These financial heavyweights are suggesting such a strategy for two reasons a short-term benefit and a long-term benefit. Story continues On the one hand, there is the short-term need to increase growth. GDP has been lackluster during the recovery from the financial crisis, and it seems that the Federal Reserve has done all it can from the supply side to help stimulate spending. The thinking is that the effectiveness of money-supply stimulus is wearing off and government efforts should focus on demand. Fiscal stimulus jump-starts the economy by creating jobs. Those people with new jobs are more likely to spend more, thus supporting other industries. Basically, government spending would induce more consumer spending and strengthen household finances to move the wheels of the economy and kick-start growth. highway construction The second argument for fiscal stimulus is the long-term impact, which is what Dimon is really driving at. The idea here is that by investing now, the government could strength the US's position as a global leader and head off some of the under-the-surface problems that could bubble up later. For instance, one big way the government can spend is investments in highways and bridges. Much of the US's infrastructure system is struggling. Spending now will help maintain the transportation network before the system falls into disrepair. This spending has benefits that go beyond maintaining physical infrastructure. Highways and bridges facilitate movement that is vital to the economy. Without it, growth will slow, potentially setting up a negative spiral. Slow growth makes it harder to bring in government receipts while also leaving fewer people with enough savings for retirement. As Dimon noted, this could end up with a generation of people unable to retire and a government unable to support them. "The problem is not that the US economy won't be able to take care of its citizens it is that taking away benefits, creating intergenerational warfare and scapegoating will make for very difficult and bad politics," Dimon wrote. "This is a tragedy that we can see coming. Early action would be relatively painless." So taking action now kick starts the economy. There's just one problem The issue, as it stands now, is that executing this sort of government stimulus requires, well, the government. Many elected officials are worried about the $19 trillion in debt that the US government holds (whether that's actually an issue is another question), so attempting to convince Congress that adding more debt is the solution is a tough sell. As Icahn noted in his interview with CNBC, it is unlikely that much will happen on the spending front anytime soon. Icahn said Congress was "grid-locked obsessed" and "obsessed with this deficit to a point that I think it's almost pathological." Additionally, with the election season underway it is unlikely, in the absence of a serious crisis, that the federal government would enact any large-scale spending program. The likes of Jamie Dimon, Carl Icahn, and Larry Fink are used to getting what they want. On this occasion though, it looks as if they will be left disappointed. NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy More From Business Insider Bill Ackman Finance Insider is Business Insider's midday summary of the top stories of the past 24 hours. To sign up, scroll to the bottom of this page and click "Get updates in your inbox," or click here. Activist investor Bill Ackman says "of course" he regrets investing in Valeant. "There's been a lot of brain damage in the last five weeks working with the board," he said in an interview with CNBC. Atlantic City just averted a massive disaster, and three banks just lost close to $100 million from the collapse of another megadeal. Goldman Sachs is going down-market, and everyone is looking at Goldman's fixed income business when they should be looking at the equities unit. Morgan Stanley questioned the dominance of Bloomberg, and the response shows just how entrenched it is. Business Insider is reporting from the Milken Institute conference. Economist Mohammed El-Erian painted a pretty depressing picture of the global economy on one panel early Monday. The same panel agreed that there's a word for people who don't know how to invest in emerging markets: "tourists." Check back here for more coverage through the rest of the day. Lastly, Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting took place over the weekend. Here's what you missed, and here is Myles Udland on what the meeting is really about. Here are the top Wall Street headlines at midday: Craig Wright claims he created Bitcoin - The Australian IT executive who late last year was engulfed by rumors that he invented Bitcoin has claimed he really is behind the digital currency. Forget millennials these 2 groups are the real future of America's consumers - Everyone keeps talking about millennials and their shopping habits. The biggest names in finance all want the government to do one thing, but it's not going to happen - It can be hard for people on Wall Street to agree on anything. Tesla put a Model X in a giant plastic bubble to test Bioweapon Defense Mode - Tesla's Bioweapon Defense Mode is one of the company's most talked about, but least understood features. Story continues China is carrying $1 trillion in bad debt - The amount of debt being carried in the Chinese economy mostly by state-owned "zombie" companies is now so high that it could lead to a financial crisis. Meet the billionaires of 740 Park Avenue, one of New York's historic 'Towers of Power' - On a quiet, tree-lined block on the Upper East Side, 740 Park Avenue rises up: a legendary address, at one time considered (and, perhaps, still) the most important residential building in New York City. More From Business Insider Warning: getimagesize(): php_network_getaddresses: getaddrinfo failed: Temporary failure in name resolution in /home/sites/www.businessinsider.com/releases/20160428201955/models/Post.php on line 1606 Warning: getimagesize(http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/57270233910584716f8bfe88/craig%20wright.png): failed to open stream: php_network_getaddresses: getaddrinfo failed: Temporary failure in name resolution in /home/sites/www.businessinsider.com/releases/20160428201955/models/Post.php on line 1606 Warning: Division by zero in /home/sites/www.businessinsider.com/releases/20160428201955/models/Post.php on line 1610 satoshi nakamoto The world, particularly the geek world, can't stand a mystery. That's why there's been so much attention paid to trying to find out who invented Bitcoin, a form of money that lives only on the internet and is created through a complicated set of cryptography security rules. Bitcoin's creator is known as "Satoshi Nakamoto" only no one knows for sure who Satoshi Nakamoto is. On Monday morning, the controversy erupted again when Australian businessman Craig Wright wrote a blog post claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto. Wright has been labeled the Bitcoin creator before, in a widely read expose by Wired in 2015. Wired later admitted it might have fallen for "an elaborate, long-planned hoax." The problem is, that the proof Wright offered in his blog post on Monday, as well as the proof in earlier investigative reports on Wright, has been largely discredited. 'Intentional scammery' On some levels, the proof isn't that complicated to show. Satoshi Nakamoto owns a unique key. Coded, encrypted messages sent to Satoshi Nakamoto's known public address can only be opened with this key. Although Wright's blog post talked a lot about cryptography and keys, experts who looked at the post said it was at best inconclusive. At worst, they believed it was a charlatan's trick to fool someone without the technical sophistication to understand it. Story continues Craig Wright Or, as cryptography expert Drew Blas wrote: "Wright's post is flimflam and hokum which stands up to a few minutes of cursory scrutiny, and demonstrates a competent sysadmin's level of familiarity with cryptographic tools, but ultimately demonstrates no non-public information about Satoshi." Another crypto expert, Dan Kaminsky, examined the proof, and labeled it "intentional scammery." And based on this stuff, anybody who's anyone would likely dismiss Wright's claims but for one thing: One of the most respected public figures in the Bitcoin world, Bitcoin Foundation chief scientist, Gavin Andresen, believes Wright. Andresen published his own blog post on Monday where he said Craig Wright is indeed Satoshi Nakamoto and that Wright proved it to him. Andresen didn't share the technical proof. Banning the top guy People don't understand why Andresen believes Wright when there's evidence that directly contradicts Wright's claims. People then started wondering if Andresen's blog and accounts were hacked. Gavin Andresen And then the Bitcoin community took the shocking move of banning Andresen from directly contributing code to the Bitcoin project, at least for now. They blocked his Github account from being able to add new code to the Bitcoin project. Then Andresen said in a public talk on Monday that, no, his accounts were not hacked. He really believes Wright is the father of Bitcoin. And the stalemate continues. One of the smartest guys involved in Bitcoin thinks Wright is Satoshi Nakamoto while most of the other smart people involved do not. As Dan Kaminsky wrote in his post about it all: "UPDATE: *facepalm*" Andresen has not yet responded to a request for comment. NOW WATCH: ASSAULT RIFLES AND BATH SALTS John McAfee tells the inside story behind his outrageous viral video More From Business Insider Michael Bloomberg was skewered by President Obama at the White House Correspondents Association dinner in Washington on Saturday night but that was nothing compared to the reception he got in Michigan a few hours before. During his commencement address at the University of Michigan on Saturday morning, the former New York City mayor was booed loudly over his criticism of so-called safe spaces on college campuses. The whole purpose of college is to learn how to deal with difficult situations not run away from them, Bloomberg told the schools graduating class. One of the most dangerous places on a college campus is a safe space because it creates the false impression that we can insulate ourselves from those who hold different views. Earlier this year, a student center for gay, bisexual and transgender students at Michigan created a relaxing, positive space ahead of a debate titled Does Feminism Have a Free Speech Problem? The event, the center said, included speakers whose rhetoric is incredibly harmful to many members of our campus community. Bloomberg who once banned the sale of large sugar-sweetened drinks in New York City in an effort to combat obesity blasted school officials for bowing to public pressure to shield students from uncomfortable ideas. We cant do this, and we shouldnt try not in politics or in the workplace, the billionaire said. In the global economy, and in a democratic society, an open mind is the most valuable asset you can possess. Bloomberg, who briefly considered a third-party bid for president earlier this year, also denounced the demagoguery he says is on display in the 2016 race. In this years presidential election, weve seen more demagoguery from both parties than I can remember in my lifetime, he said. Our country is facing serious and difficult challenges. But rather than offering realistic solutions, candidates in both parties are blaming our problems on easy targets who breed resentment. For Republicans, its Mexicans here illegally and Muslims. And for Democrats, its the wealthy and Wall Street. The truth is: We cannot solve the problems we face by blaming anyone. Story continues At the White House Correspondents dinner, Obama spotted Bloomberg and called him out. I see Mike Bloomberg, the president said. Mike, a combative, controversial New York billionaire is leading the GOP primary, and it is not you. That has to sting a little bit. Obama used Bloombergs appearance to pivot to a joke targeting Donald Trump. Its not an entirely fair comparison between you and the Donald, he said. After all, Mike was a big-city mayor. He knows policy in depth. And hes actually worth the amount of money that he says he is. Obama, its worth noting, has voiced similar criticism of safe spaces. Ive heard of some college campuses where they dont want to have a guest speaker who is too conservative, he said during a town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, last year. Or they dont want to read a book if it has language that is offensive to African-Americans or somehow sends a demeaning signal towards women. "Ive got to tell you, I dont agree with that, either, he continued. I dont agree that you, when you become students at colleges, have to be coddled and protected from different points of views. By Scott Malone BOSTON (Reuters) - The bodies of renowned U.S. mountaineers Alex Lowe and David Bridges, who died in a 1999 avalanche in the Himalayas, have been found by another pair of climbers, according to a charity founded and run by Lowe's widow. Climbers David Goettler of Germany and Ueli Steck of Switzerland were preparing for an attempt to reach the summit of Shishapangma in Tibet, the world's 14th-highest peak, when they discovered two bodies encased in ice on a glacier, the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation said on its website on Friday. The bodies had clothing and backpacks that matched the gear Lowe and Bridges were wearing when they disappeared. NBC News reported the bodies were found last week. Lowe, who was 40 at the time of his death, was regarded as the best American mountaineer of his generation when he and Bridges were swept away during an expedition that aimed to ski down the 26,291-foot (8,013 m) peak. A third climber, Conrad Anker, was injured but survived. "Alex and David vanished, were captured and frozen in time," Lowe's widow, Jenni Lowe-Anker, said in a statement. "Now they are found. We are thankful. Conrad, the boys and I will make our pilgrimage to Shishapangma. It is time to put Alex to rest." Lowe-Anker married Anker in 2001 and the climber adopted her three sons. She serves as president of the Lowe foundation, which provides advice and financial support to humanitarian programs that operate in remote parts of the world. Lowe's accomplishments included two climbs to the top of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, several first ascents in Antarctica and dozens of less prominent but highly technical ascents. Glaciers in the Himalayas have been shrinking in the past few decades, according to a landmark 2013 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But it is unclear whether the emergence of Lowe's and Bridges' bodies was related to glacial retreat. Story continues "It all depends on the conditions," said Cameron Wake, a glacier expert at the University of New Hampshire's Climate Change Project, who has worked on Shishapangma. "Glaciers are constantly in a state of flux." Lowe and Bridges are not the first mountaineers whose remains attracted attention when they emerged from ice years after their deaths. A pioneering 1980 paper in the Journal of Glaciology on the speed of glacial movement hinged on the discovery of equipment from a 1959 expedition led by Briton Keith Warburton to Pakistan's Batura Muztagh mountains, which was likely swept away by an avalanche. Shoes, a hammer and a camera used by the group turned up in 1975 and again later in 1978, leading the paper's author to conclude the glacier in question traveled about 1,300 meters a year. (Reporting by Scott Malone in Boston; Editing by Bill Trott) Boston Scientific Reports 1Q16 Earnings: What Was the Reaction? (Continued from Prior Part) Analyst recommendations Lets look at analysts recommendations and target prices for Boston Scientifics (BSX) stock over the next year. Based on recommendations of 27 broker firms in a Bloomberg survey, 81.5% gave Boston Scientific a rating of buy. The company was rated hold by 18% of the analysts. None of the brokerage firms rated the company a sell. The table above lists the 22 brokerage firms that provided a target price for Boston Scientific for the next 12 months. The consensus 12-month target price is $23.88, amounting to a 9.4% return potential against the stock price of $21.83 on April 28, 2016. As of April 28, 2016, Jefferies and BTIG gave Boston Scientific a one-year target price of $21, the lowest target price of all. This target implies a -4% return over the next 12 months. Among the large investment banks, Morgan Stanley gave Boston Scientific a one-year target price of $25, which implies a ~14.5% return potential over the next 12 months. Peers Baxter International (BAX), Edwards Lifesciences (EW), and Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) have average broker target prices of $47.56, $117, and $162.90, respectively. These figures imply returns of 7.2%, 9.6%, and 13.9%, respectively, in the next 12 months. ETFs with exposure to Boston Scientific Investors can get exposure to Boston Scientific by investing in the Guggenheim S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP), which has 0.22% of its total holdings in Boston Scientific. The Guggenheim S&P 500 Pure Growth ETF (RPG) tracks an index that contains the highest-growth stocks of the S&P 500. Boston Scientific accounts for about 0.89% of RPGs total holdings. Browse this series on Market Realist: Sao Paulo (AFP) - Irate Brazilians found themselves without the popular WhatsApp smartphone messaging application for the second time in six months Monday, after a court blocked the service for 72 hours. A flurry of angry commentary immediately broke out online after a small-town judge blocked WhatsApp nationwide because Facebook, its owner, failed to hand over information requested in a drug-trafficking investigation. The court order from Judge Marcel Montalvao in the northeastern town of Lagarto, in Sergipe state, shut down WhatsApp from 2:00 pm (1700 GMT). According to Brazilian media reports, drug traffickers targeted in the investigation had been using WhatsApp to discuss their business. It is the latest standoff between the Brazilian authorities and Facebook, which has said it has no technical means for cooperating with such requests. Facebook's vice president for Latin America, Diego Dzodan, was arrested in March over the same case. Police said they were holding the Argentine national responsible for "repeated non-compliance with court orders." Another judge in Sergipe state ordered his release the following day, ruling the arrest amounted to "unlawful coercion." WhatsApp was previously suspended in Brazil in December over another case. Shocked, cranky Brazilians woke up on December 17 to find their WhatsApp service had been shut down overnight, leaving many without a key means of communication. WhatsApp is widely used in Brazil, where cell phone fees for texting and calls are among the highest in the world. The free app is installed on nine in 10 smartphones in the country. The December blackout ended after about 12 hours, when a higher court in Sao Paulo state threw out the two-day suspension. On that occasion, Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg called it "a sad day for Brazil," noting the country's history of support for an open Internet. The companies deny obstructing justice and say they have done whatever they can to help. Story continues - 'Again?' - Monday's shutdown drew disbelieving, sometimes obscenity-laced reactions online. Like many Brazilians who rely on the service, Twitter user Acaua Tavares reacted with the Portuguese acronym "PQP," roughly equivalent to "WTF?" in English. "WhatsApp blocked again, PQP! That's Brazil," he wrote. Many commenters reacted with a single question: "Again?" Brazil's five cell phone providers all complied with the court order. Media reports said they would have faced fines of $140,000 a day for failing to do so. During the last shutdown, the providers appealed the court order, arguing it affected millions of people unconnected to the case. A Facebook spokesman in Brazil declined to comment. Google has also found itself in the firing line in Brazil. Three years ago, the search engine giant's top Brazil executive was accused of breaking election laws when he refused to remove videos on YouTube that were critical of a mayoral candidate in Mato Grosso do Sul state. The cases echo Apple's showdown with the US government over its refusal to cooperate with the FBI in unlocking an iPhone used by one of the shooters in a mass killing by a couple in San Bernardino, California, last year. The FBI said national security was at stake, while Apple said it was taking a stand against government intrusion into privacy. Ultimately, the government managed to hack the phone without Apple's help. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 2 By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Prominent Iraqi Shia leader Muqtada Al-Sadr has left the Iraqi city of Najaf for Tehran, Iran amid the increasing political tensions in his country. Al-Sadr left Iraq on a plane belonging to Iran's flag carrier, Iran Air, the Fars news agency reported May 2. Iraqi sources described the visit as "unexpected." Hundreds of people loyal to Al-Sadr stormed Iraq's parliament in Baghdad last week in protest against the continuing deadlock in approving a new cabinet. Supporters of the Shia cleric broke through barricades of the fortified Green Zone for the first time after the MPs failed to convene for a vote. Al-Sadr wants the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to commit to the plan of replacing the ministers with non-partisan technocrats. Powerful parties in the parliament have refused to approve the change for several weeks. SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A Brazilian judge ordered wireless phone carriers to block access to Facebook Inc's (FB.O) WhatsApp for 72 hours throughout Latin America's largest country on Monday, the second such move against the popular messaging application in five months. The decision by the judge in the northeastern state of Sergipe applies to the five main wireless operators in Brazil and affects WhatsApp's more than 100 million users in the country. The reason for the order is not known due to legal secrecy in an ongoing case in the Sergipe state court. In a statement, WhatsApp said the company is "disappointed at the decision" after doing the utmost to cooperate with Brazilian tribunals. The decision "punishes more than 100 million users who depend upon us to communicate themselves, run their business and more, just to force us hand over information that we don't have," the statement said, without elaborating. It was the second time since mid-December that the text message and internet voice telephone service for smartphones has been the target of a blocking order. A Sao Paulo state judge ordered the service be shut down for 48 hours on Dec. 15, after Facebook failed to comply with an order, although another court interrupted that suspension shortly afterward. Judge Marcel Maia Montalvao of Sergipe state is the same judge who in March ordered the imprisonment of a Brazil-based Facebook executive for failing to comply with an attempted block on WhatsApp. He was jailed and subsequently freed. Executives at the five carriers - Telefonica Brasil SA, America Movil SAB's Claro, TIM Participacoes SA, Oi SA and Nextel Participacoes SA - did not have an immediate comment. (Reporting by Alberto Alerigi Jr and Guillermo Parra-Bernal; Editing by Mary Milliken and Dan Grebler) (Adds WhatsApp comments throughout) SAO PAULO, May 2 (Reuters) - A Brazilian judge ordered wireless phone carriers to block access to Facebook Inc's WhatsApp for 72 hours throughout Latin America's largest country on Monday, the second such move against the popular messaging application in five months. The decision by the judge in the northeastern state of Sergipe applies to the five main wireless operators in Brazil and affects WhatsApp's more than 100 million users in the country. The reason for the order is not known due to legal secrecy in an ongoing case in the Sergipe state court. In a statement, WhatsApp said the company is "disappointed at the decision" after doing the utmost to cooperate with Brazilian tribunals. The decision "punishes more than 100 million users who depend upon us to communicate themselves, run their business and more, just to force us hand over information that we don't have," the statement said, without elaborating. It was the second time since mid-December that the text message and internet voice telephone service for smartphones has been the target of a blocking order. A Sao Paulo state judge ordered the service be shut down for 48 hours on Dec. 15, after Facebook failed to comply with an order, although another court interrupted that suspension shortly afterward. Judge Marcel Maia Montalvao of Sergipe state is the same judge who in March ordered the imprisonment of a Brazil-based Facebook executive for failing to comply with an attempted block on WhatsApp. He was jailed and subsequently freed. Executives at the five carriers - Telefonica Brasil SA, America Movil SAB's Claro, TIM Participacoes SA, Oi SA and Nextel Participacoes SA - did not have an immediate comment. (Reporting by Alberto Alerigi Jr and Guillermo Parra-Bernal; Editing by Mary Milliken and Dan Grebler) (Recasts to add results details throughout) SAO PAULO, May 2 (Reuters) - Cielo SA beat first-quarter profit estimates on Monday, reflecting efforts to curb costs and boost receivables prepayment income even as the harshest recession in decades dragged down volumes for Brazil's No. 1 card payment processor. Net income at Barueri, Brazil-based Cielo totaled 1.038 billion reais ($297 million) last quarter, up 15.5 percent from the previous three months. The figure was way above the average consensus estimate of 915 million reais compiled by Thomson Reuters. A decline in card usage during the quarter was offset by rising merchant discount fees and the rising cost of borrowing at which Cielo pegs the purchase of receivables from clients. Lower maintenance and marketing expenses helped boost earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization - a gauge of profit known as EBITDA - to a quarterly record. Volume growth for credit, debit and agriculture-related card transactions slowed last quarter. Costs slumped 6.8 percent from the prior three months, helping Chief Executive Officer Romulo Dias in his bid to keep growth of the indicator between 4 percent and 6 percent this year. The numbers underscore the threat that the longest recession in decades poses to financial companies which, like Cielo, process transactions for consumers and companies alike. Still, Dias has put profitability at the forefront in recent quarters as a way to defend the company from the impact of Brazil's downturn and mounting competition. Management will discuss first-quarter results with investors on a conference call early on Tuesday. Gross income from prepayment of receivables came in 18 percent above estimates, totaling 653.8 million reais last quarter. To reduce Cielo's increasing dependence on receivables discounting, which remained at a near record 63 percent of profit last quarter, Dias is focusing on growth at processing joint venture Cateno and grabbing market share form rivals. Net revenue rose 4.8 percent to 3.047 billion reais, below average consensus at 3.267 billion reais. EBITDA hit 1.407 billion reais, below average consensus at 1.667 billion reais. ($1 = 3.4978 Brazilian reais) (Reporting by Guillermo Parra-Bernal; Editing by Bernard Orr and Andrew Hay) (Adds details on rise in social spending) SAO PAULO, May 1 (Reuters) - Brazil's beleaguered President Dilma Rousseff on Sunday vowed to raise spending on her party's signature anti-poverty program in an appeal to her political base, warning that her opponents would slash social expenditure if she is stripped of office. Left-leaning Rousseff, speaking at a Labor Day rally in the industrial heartland of Sao Paulo, said her ouster by the Senate next month would open room for a dismantling of labor rules that protect millions of workers in Latin America's largest economy. A Senate committee is discussing whether to accept a request by the lower house to put Rousseff on trial for allegedly breaking budgetary rules. If a majority of the 81-seat Senate votes to do so, as expected, Rousseff could be suspended from office as soon as May 11 and her vice president will take over. Recent polls show that a clear majority of senators favor putting Rousseff on trial for using state banks to fund government programs - an offense that violates Brazil's fiscal responsibility law. With close aides admitting her suspension looks likely, Rousseff has launched a wave of announcements that appeal to voters of her Workers Party. On Sunday, she announced an average 9 percent increase in the Bolsa Family cash transfer program and promised a new wave of public housing. The moves follows data last week that showed tumbling tax revenues led to a widening of the budget deficit in March. "They are saying this government is finished. They are trying to paralyze us, but the government is doing its part," Rousseff said. She repeated her allegations that there was no legal basis for her dismissal. "This is not only a coup against a democratically elected government, but also a coup against the hard-won rights of the workers of this country." Brazil's Supreme Court has rejected government injunctions against the impeachment process. Rousseff said her opponents, in addition to loosening labor legislation, planned to weaken social programs that have helped keep the Workers Party in power since 2003. Story continues Senior figures in Vice President Michel Temer's PMDB party have said that if he takes office next month his government would maintain Bolsa Familia and other welfare programs. Businesses have for decades complained about Brazil's labor code for excessively raising the cost of hiring and stimulating unnecessary litigation between employers and workers. Newspapers have reported that Temer would be willing to revise some aspects of the legislation to resuscitate an economy braced for a second straight year of contraction. Temer told SBT channel on Thursday that, if Rousseff were impeached, his administration would make job creation a priority. (Reporting by Guillermo Parra-Bernal and Lisandra Paraguassu; Editing by Alan Crosby and Andrew Hay) Sculptures and carvings dating back more than 1,700 years have been discovered in the remains of a shrine and its courtyard in the ancient city of Bazira. The sculptures illustrate the religious life of the city, telling tales from Buddhism and other ancient religions. Also called Vajirasthana, Bazira is located the in the Swat Valley in Pakistan. It was first constructed as a small town, during the second century B.C., and eventually developed into a city located within the Kushan Empire. At its peak, this empire ruled territory extending from modern-day India to central Asia. The Kushan Empire declined during the third century A.D., at the same time that a series of earthquakes ravaged Bazira. The damage caused by the earthquakes and the financial problems brought about by the decline of the Kushan Empire meant that Bazira gradually fell into ruin, with the city abandoned by the end of the third century. Today, the ruins of Bazira are located near the modern-day village of Barikot. The Italian Archaeological Mission has been excavating Bazira since 1978, gradually unearthing remains of the ancient city. [See Photos of the Ancient City Ruins and Sculptures] The great departure One of the sculptures, carved in green schist, depicts a prince named Siddhartha leaving a palace on a horse named Kanthaka. The sculpture likely form part of the shrine's decoration, the archaeologists said. According to ancient Buddhist stories, Siddhartha was a wealthy prince who lived in a palace in Kapilavastu, which is in modern-day Nepal. He lived a cloistered life, but one day he ventured outside his palace and encountered the suffering faced by common people. After this experience, he decided to leave his palace to live as a poor man in order to seek enlightenment. He later became the Gautama Buddha. [In Photos: An Ancient Buddhist Monastery] In the carved scene, two spirits known as yakshas support Kanthaka's hooves, wrote archaeologist Luca Olivieri, who directs excavations at Bazira, in the Journal of Inner Asian Art and Archaeology. Meanwhile, the town goddess of Kapilavastu, who is shown wearing a crown, holds her hands together in a sign of veneration. Story continues An unknown man maybe a deity, Olivieri said stands behind Kanthaka, with his left hand to his mouth and his right hand waving a scarf-like garment called an uttariya. Goat's head and wine In the courtyard, archaeologists found another carving, this one dating to a time after an earthquake had damaged the shrine. The shrine had been rebuilt using perishable materials, likely wooden posts, the archaeologists said. Also at around this time, the courtyard was converted into a kitchen area that serviced nearby homes. The carving "pictures an unknown deity, an aged male figure sitting on a throne, with long, curled hair, holding a wine goblet and a severed goat head in his hands," Olivieri told Live Science, adding that the figure looks a bit like images of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. Wine was widely produced in the Swat Valley, and some people in the area, even monastic Buddhists, had issues with drinking alcohol, Olivieri said. "We found dozens of ancient winepresses and vats in the countryside," Olivieri said. From "texts, it seems that Buddhist schools tried their best to curb the habit of consuming wine and other 'intoxicating drinks' even amongst the monastic community," he added. The goat's head in the carving also symbolizes a local passion, Olivieri said. "The goat is an animal associated to the mountains in the cultures of Hindu Kush, the local region," Olivieri said, adding that it was used as an icon in ancient rock art. Stupa with lions Another beautiful carving that once decorated the shrine depicts a stupa, a structure shaped like a mound that is used for meditation. Near the top of the stupa is a platform known as a harmika, which is decorated with a rosette design. Above the harmika, there are three parasol-like structures called chattrasthat face up toward the sky. Two columns, with lions on top, are carved next to the stupa. The lions peer down at the stupa (which is at the same height as the columns), as if they are watching over it. This scene could be based off of a real, ancient stupa that existed in the Swat Valley, Olivieri said. "Real stupas with four columns topped by crouching lions' statuesat the corners of the lower podium have been documented in Swat," Olivieri told Live Science. One stupa like this was excavated in the 1960s and 1970s. Archaeologists found that it was used between the first and fourth centuries A.D., the same time that Bazira flourished. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Buenos Aires judge Roberto Gallardo issued a ban this past Friday (April 29) ordering all dance clubs and music venues in the city to shut down in light of the five drug-related deaths at Time Warp music festival on April 16. According to Reuters, the city's tango milongas and dance-related cultural center events were the only venues allowed to operate under the ban, which otherwise called for a suspension of "all commercial activity involving dancing with live or recorded music." "It's like shutting the vegetable store because you found food poisoning at the butcher shop," said Jorge Becco, head of the Buenos Aires chamber of discotheque owners. "How do you obey a totally unconstitutional order like this one?" Becco added that all of the chamber's businesses are in compliance with all security measures. The ban was soon overturned after Buenos Aires Chief of Government Horacio Rodriguez Larreta called for its removal, however. The debate rages on as politicians and judges try to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring. 5 Die After Time Warp Electronic Music Festival in Argentina Larreta, who backed a temporary ban on music festival permits, criticized the hard-line approach and the curtailing of the city's vibrant nightlife. The drug problem, Larreta argued, does not exist solely on nightclub grounds. "What do we do? Do we close down night clubs?" Larreta said. "We know that the teens are drinking alcohol in pre-parties. Do we suspend pre-parties? So then they're going to go out and drink on the street Do we prohibit the use of the streets?" Larreta believes a possible solution to this would be an open discussion regarding drugs. "We have to work on this from their time in school," he said. "The state can better educate people. There is a lot of hypocrisy about this topic and it is difficult for parents to discuss. There are many who don't want to have this discussion with their kids." Adolf Hitler Nazis While hiding in a fortified two level 3,000-square-foot underground bunker, one of history's most brutal tyrants promised the world that his empire would reign for 1,000 years. Hitler's Third Reich lasted 12 years, and officially ended on April 30, 1945, when the Fuhrer committed suicide in his bunker with his new wife after learning Allied Forces had surrounded Berlin. Hitler's last hours eva braun hitler The day before his death, 56-year-old Hitler married his long-term mistress, 33-year-old Eva Braun. After his brief wedding ceremony Hitler began preparing his last will and political statement with his secretary Traudl Junge at approximately 4:00 PM. "What I possess belongs - in so far as it has any value, to the Party. Should this no longer exist, to the State; should the State also be destroyed, no further decision of mine is necessary," Hitler's will stated. "I myself and my wife, in order to escape the disgrace of deposition or capitulation, choose death. It is our wish to be burnt immediately on the spot where I have carried out the greatest part of my daily work in the course of a twelve years' service to my people." Later on that day Hitler learned his Italian counterpart Benito Mussolini was executed by a mob of anti-fascist partisans. Here's a summary of Hitler's last day as reported by MentalFloss: Screen Shot 2015 04 30 at 10.58.38 AM Hitler's body hitler sofa Sitting on a sofa next to each other in the living room of the Fuhrerbunker, Hitler and his new bride Braun poisoned themselves with cyanide pills and then for good measure, the Nazi leader reportedly shot himself in the head. While various historians dispute the scenario of Hitler actually ending his life with a gunshot, the Russian government claimed they had a portion of Hitler's alleged skull complete with a bullet hole, The Guardian reports. Story continues The fractured skull, which was reportedly taken from the bunker went on public display in Moscow in 2000. Paired with the skull was what Russian intelligence said is Hitler's jawbone. hitler's teeth Almost a decade later, American researchers claimed by way of DNA testing that the cranial fragment actually belonged to a woman approximately 40 years old, The Guardian reports. The orders to be "burnt immediately" were reportedly followed when SS officers wrapped the bodies of the Fuhrer and Braun in blankets and then placed them on a small pyre where SS officer Otto Gunsche set the remains ablaze. NOW WATCH: We went inside a secret basement under Grand Central that was one of the biggest World War II targets More From Business Insider Tehran, Iran, May 2 By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend: The Iranian parliament has passed a law to grant citizenship to the families of non-Iranians killed fighting for the Islamic Republic. The law notes citizenship should be given to the families of non-Iranians "killed in the Iran-Iraq war or later," IRINN news agency reported May 2. The condition laid by the law is that the troopers should have been sent on mission "by authorized bodies." The law comes as in recent years reports have been received about people from Afghanistan or other Iranian neighbors being killed in Syria while fighting for the IRGC or more recently the Iranian Army. The bodies of a number of the non-Iranians so killed have already been buried in Iran with official processions. Called "defendants of the shrine" in Iran, the officers comprise Iran's military advisory forces sent to Syria to help the Bashar Assad government fight terrorists. Tehran maintains the forces do not engage in direct combat, but only offer consultation to Syrian forces. WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - The Canadian government said on Monday it would compensate the country's dairy farmers for increased European imports allowed under a pending free trade deal. The government will meet with the dairy industry within the next 30 days to discuss compensation, said Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland in a joint statement. Talks will include help for farmers and processors, they said. The previous Conservative government, which the Liberals defeated in October, had promised before the last election to compensate dairy, poultry and egg farmers a total of C$4.3 billion (US$3.43 billion) over 15 years for losses under the European Union trade deal as well as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The Liberal promise of compensation does not include TPP, however, because it is less certain the deal will be completed. Under Canada's free trade deal with the European Union, which the affected countries have not yet ratified, European dairies would receive tariff-free access for an additional 17,700 tonnes of cheese, representing about 2 percent of Canadian cheese consumption and more than doubling their current allotment, according to Dairy Farmers of Canada. The trade deal could take effect in 2017. Canada's dairy industry operates under a system of supply, price and import controls, sheltering farmers from drops in global prices. Canada's dairy industry has long enjoyed outsized influence with politicians of all stripes, because of vigorous lobbying and its concentration in the three most populous provinces of Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. ($1 = 1.2539 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Rod Nickel in Winnipeg, Manitoba; Editing by Steve Orlofsky) By Leah Schnurr and David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - The top Canadian official probing a request by planemaker Bombardier Inc for aid to support its new CSeries passenger jet on Monday indicated for the first time that Ottawa actively wanted to help the company, highlighting the number of jobs it provides. Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains until now has said merely that the Liberal government would closely examine Bombardier's request for $1 billion in aid and outlined some of the concessions he wants in return. But on Monday he went notably further, detailing how much help Ottawa had given the company over the last 40 years and stressing the number of aerospace jobs across Canada that depended on Bombardier continuing to operate. "We've been there with the company in the past, we've continued to remain engaged with the company and we want to be part of a solution going forward," he told reporters. The CSeries is years late and billions of dollars over budget. The government has previously said it wants assurances on jobs, investment in research and the location of Bombardier's headquarters, which are in the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec. Noting that Bombardier has 950 suppliers across Canada, Bains added: "This is not simply a Quebec issue. This is a Canadian issue. This is a strong Canadian brand. We believe in it." Bains later told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp that Ottawa had provided C$1.3 billion ($1.0 billion) in loans and contributions to the firm over the past four decades. This sum infuriates critics who complain Ottawa is engaging in corporate welfare to support a badly run company. Sources say Ottawa is pressing Bombardier over its dual-class share structure, which is disliked by investors and analysts alike on the grounds it gives the company's founding families too much control. Executives said last week they had no intention of changing the structure. Asked about those comments, Bains told the CBC that the share structure was just one of many issues that needed to be addressed, but gave no further details. Last week the CSeries received a major boost when Delta Air Lines Inc ordered 75 of the jets with an option for another 50. (Writing by David Ljunggren; Editing by Leslie Adler) * Canadian dollar at C$1.2531, or 79.80 U.S. cents * Bond prices lower across the maturity curve TORONTO, May 2 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar strengthened slightly against a broadly weaker U.S. counterpart on Monday, edging toward a nearly 10-month high reached last week. The loonie, as Canada's dollar is commonly known, has rallied 17 percent from a 12-year low in January of C$1.4689, helped by rebounding oil prices, fiscal stimulus and stronger-than-expected domestic economic activity. Growth picked up in the Canadian manufacturing sector in April for the second month in a row as businesses increased their production volumes in response to stronger demand. The greenback fell against a basket of major currencies as solid German manufacturing data helped push the euro higher. Oil prices edged back from 2016 highs on Monday as rising production in the Middle East outweighed a decline in U.S. output and a sliding dollar. U.S. crude was down 1.39 percent at $45.28 a barrel. At 9:45 a.m. EDT (1345 GMT), the Canadian dollar was trading at C$1.2531 to the greenback, or 79.80 U.S. cents, slightly stronger than Friday's close of C$1.2548, or 79.69 U.S. cents. The currency's strongest level of the session was C$1.2514, while its weakest was C$1.2559. On Friday, the loonie touched C$1.2497, its strongest since July 1. Speculators have increased bullish bets on the loonie, Commodity Futures Trading Commission data showed on Friday. Net long Canadian dollar positions rose to 11,999 contracts in the week ended on Tuesday from 7,308 in the prior week. Canadian government bond prices were lower across the maturity curve in sympathy with U.S. Treasuries. The two-year price fell 3 Canadian cents to yield 0.708 percent, its highest since June 23, while the benchmark 10-year fell 11 Canadian cents to yield 1.526 percent. Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz will participate on Tuesday in a panel entitled "Monetary Policy: Out of Ammunition?" at the Milken Institute in Los Angeles. Canada's trade report for March is awaited on Wednesday, while the nation's April employment report is due on Friday. (Reporting by Fergal Smith; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn) * Canadian dollar at C$1.2536 or 79.77 U.S. cents * Bond prices mixed across the maturity curve (Adds updated prices, quotes, details) TORONTO/OTTAWA, May 2 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar rose modestly against the greenback on Monday as the benefit from a broadly weaker U.S. dollar was offset by a drop in oil prices, which have been a major driver for the commodity-sensitive loonie. Investors were also consolidating positions after a Canadian dollar rally of 17 percent from a 12-year low in January of C$1.4689, helped by rebounding oil prices, fiscal stimulus and stronger-than-expected domestic economic activity. The loonie also faces technical resistance rising past the C$1.25 level, which it broke through on Friday but could not sustain. After such a strong rally, the Canadian dollar is likely to be rangebound for now around current levels, without major catalysts to push it significantly lower or higher, said Don Mikolich, executive director of foreign exchange sales at CIBC Capital Markets. "A bit of the panic from earlier in the year has disappeared," said Mikolich. "Similarly, it's hard to justify seeing the Canadian dollar a whole lot stronger, given that we are still only at $45 oil and we're not looking to hike rates until perhaps sometime in the second half of next year." The Canadian dollar ended the North American trading session at C$1.2536 to the greenback, or 79.77 U.S. cents, slightly stronger than Friday's close of C$1.2548, or 79.69 U.S. cents. Oil prices tumbled as production in the Middle East neared all-time peaks. U.S. crude ended down $1.14 at $44.78 a barrel. The greenback fell against a basket of major currencies as solid German manufacturing data helped push the euro higher. The domestic economic calendar was light, with the main report showing growth picked up in the Canadian manufacturing sector in April for the second month in a row as businesses increased their production volumes in response to stronger demand. Story continues Speculators have increased their bullish bets on the loonie, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission data showed on Friday. Net long Canadian dollar positions rose to 11,999 contracts in the week ended on Tuesday from 7,308 in the prior week. Canadian government bond prices were mixed across the maturity curve, with the two-year price up half a Canadian cent to yield 0.691 percent, while the benchmark 10-year fell 15 Canadian cents to yield 1.530 percent. (Reporting by Fergal Smith and Leah Schnurr; Editing by Peter Cooney) Ted Cruz went head to head with a Trump supporter outside a restaurant in Marion, Indiana, confronting the man over the front-runners violence while seeking his support. If I were Donald Trump, I wouldnt have come over and talk to you, I wouldnt have shown you that respect in fact, you know what I would have done, I would have told the folks over there go over and punch those guys in the face. Thats what Donald does to protestersIn fact he says Ill pay your legal fees if you punch him in the face Youre lying like you always do, said the Trump supporter. Cruz continued to explain why he felt Trump was an incompetent candidate before the supporter interrupted Indiana doesnt want you. Cruz responded: a question that everyone here should ask do you want your kids repeating the words of Donald Trump? Would you be proud if your kids came home cursing and yelling and insulting? Related Articles VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 2, 2016 / Canadian International Minerals Inc. ("Canadian International" or "CIN") (CIN.V) and Noram Ventures Inc. ("Noram") (NRM.V) are pleased to announce the signing of a Letter of Intent (the "LOI") to cooperatively advance the Alberta Lithium Brine Project (the "Project") in west-central Alberta, Canada. The LOI outlines the general terms and conditions of a definitive agreement, pursuant to which Noram may earn a 50% interest in the Project. The Project is host to the multi-element Sturgeon Lake Brine Deposit, which has a National Instrument 43-101 Inferred Resource estimate of 2,049,000 tonnes of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent ("LCE"). This Inferred Resource estimate was announced by Canadian International in a news release dated January 25, 2016 (see the associated technical report, prepared by APEX Geoscience Ltd. ("APEX"), under Canadian International's profile on SEDAR.com or on the CIN website). Project Introduction The Alberta Lithium Brine Project is located in west-central Alberta, directly south and west of the town of Valleyview, and approximately 270 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. The Project consists of 15 contiguous Metallic and Industrial Minerals Permits (the "MAIM Permits"), encompassing an area of over 328,000 acres (over 132,000 hectares). The MAIM Permits grant the holder the exclusive right to explore for metallic and industrial minerals. Previous exploration and development in the vicinity of the Project area is traditionally petroleum-related, with numerous oilfields known to underlie the Project and nearby area. The Project is strategically positioned over the Sturgeon Lake oilfield, which was discovered in 1952 and continues to produce hydrocarbons to this day. Thus, the Project area has over 60 years' worth of infrastructure upgrades and investments, including major and secondary highways, rail, and power lines associated with the development of the energy resource sector and the town of Valleyview. The Sturgeon Lake oilfield is a mature petroleum field. At present most of the wells produce excessive amounts of formation water (brine) in comparison to petroleum products. Currently, the extracted brine is essentially waste material that is treated to separate and remove petroleum products prior to being injected back into subsurface formations. Genesis of the Project The first comprehensive overview of the mineral potential of formation waters (brines) in Alberta was developed by the Alberta Geological Survey in the mid-1990s. Hitchon et al. (1995) compiled nearly 130,000 analyses of formation waters from across the province, and identified three geographic areas in west-central Alberta with potential for economic lithium extraction, one of which being the area encompassed by the Alberta Lithium Brine Project. The highest lithium value from historical well sample analyses in this area was 140 mg/L (equivalent to 140 ppm); the highest lithium concentration result in the Hitchon et al. (1995) study. During 2009-2012, the previous operators of the Project commissioned APEX to undertake a formation water sampling program from the active oil and gas wells in the area. A total of 47 Leduc Formation (Woodbend Group) brine samples were collected from hydrocarbon production wells within the Sturgeon Lake oilfield yielding lithium values of up to 84 mg/L (84 ppm). Using these assay data, and after undertaking further hydrogeological studies to characterize the Leduc aquifer, APEX prepared a National Instrument 43-101 Inferred Resource estimate for the Project in 2012. In 2015, Canadian International commissioned APEX, who concluded that the mineral resource estimate is still relevant and reliable, to refresh the technical report to reflect the Project's change of ownership. The report was announced on January 22, 2016, and is summarized as follows: - At an average grade of 67.5 mg/L and assuming 5.7 billion cubic metres of water the inferred resource estimate for lithium is 385,000 tonnes (2,049,000 tonnes of Li2CO3); - At an average grade of 4,641.3 mg/L and assuming 5.7 billion cubic metres of water the inferred resource estimate for potassium is 26,455,000 tonnes (31,868,000 tonnes of K2O); - At an average grade of 114.0 mg/L and assuming 5.7 billion cubic metres of water the inferred resource estimate for boron is 650,000 tonnes (2,093,000 tonnes of B2O3); and - At an average grade of 394.3 mg/L and assuming 5.7 billion cubic metres of water the inferred resource estimate for bromine is 2,248,000 tonnes (2,248,000 tonnes Br2). Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by geology, environment, permitting, legal, title, taxes, socio-political, marketing or other relevant issues. In addition, the quality and grade of reported inferred resource in this estimation are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these inferred resources as an indicated or measured mineral resource, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an indicated or measured resource category. Exploration and Development Plans Canadian International and Noram have assembled a technical team to facilitate the exploration and development of the Leduc Lithium Brine project. Mr. Roy Eccles, P.Geol, through APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, Alberta has been retained to manage the geological and hydrogeological aspects of the Project. Mr. Eccles is widely recognized as an authoritative source on Alberta mineral-enriched brines, having worked extensively on various projects across the province, both as a private consultant with APEX, and during his previous tenure as Scientific Authority with the Alberta Geological Survey. Dr. John Burba and Mr. Marc Privitera have been retained to manage the chemical, engineering, and mineral extraction aspects of the Project. Dr. John Burba is a physical chemist and a world-renowned pioneer in lithium and other mineral extraction technologies. Dr. Burba's 35-year career includes lengthy periods at Dow Chemical Co., FMC Corp., and Great Lakes Chemical Corp. (now Chemtura Corp.), where he worked on a number of lithium brine projects in North and South America. Most recently, Dr. Burba served as CEO of Simbol Materials, a company focused on the recovery of lithium from geothermal brines in southern California. Under his leadership, Simbol successfully developed a proprietary process capable of producing low-cost, high-purity lithium products from brines that were previously believed to be too high in contaminants to be economically processed. Mr. Marc Privitera is a chemical engineer with over 30 years' experience in chemical process design and engineering. He is a proven leader with a long track record of success in developing technologies and advancing projects for both large corporations and venture capital funded startups. Mr. Privitera is the Principal Engineer and Co-Founder of PreProcess Inc., a California- based process development, engineering, and automation firm. Recent achievements within the lithium production field include the development, engineering, and pilot operations for a $400 million lithium hydroxide plant for Simbol Materials, and consulting for various spodumene projects around the world. Phase 1 development plans are currently being finalized, and are expected to include bulk formation water (brine) sampling and bench-scale testing for the extraction of lithium and other elements of interest from these brines. CIN and Noram will provide an update on these plans within the coming weeks. In addition, a technical presentation is being planned for late May in Vancouver, British Columbia. If you would like to attend, please sign-up at the following link: http://www.cin-v.com/technical-presentation-signup.html Terms of the Agreement Noram may earn a 50% interest in the Project under the following terms: - Cash payment of $20,000 on signing of the LOI (paid), - Cash payment of $20,000 and issuance of 5,000,000 common shares on acceptance of the definitive agreement by the TSX Venture Exchange (subject to escrow), - Exploration expenditures of $1,000,000 by December 2017, including a $150,000 work deposit by June 1, 2016, - Issuance of 5,000,000 common shares on completion of the earn-in, and - CIN will serve as operator of the Project. Mark Ireton, President of Noram, said, "We are pleased to have entered into this agreement with CIN, which is another significant step in establishing Noram's role in the Green Energy Revolution through the development of lithium and graphite projects. The exploration and management team that has been assembled is world class and we are looking forward to establishing the 2016-17 work programs on our lithium and graphite properties." Michael Schuss, President of Canadian International, said, "We are excited to be working with the team at Noram. The Alberta Lithium Brine project is the most advanced lithium brine project in Canada, and we look forward to moving it ahead with the technical team." Qualified Person The scientific and technical disclosure in this news release has been reviewed by Roy Eccles, P. Geol., a Qualified Person under the terms of NI 43-101. For further information, please contact: Canadian International Minerals Inc. Michael E. Schuss President and CEO Phone: 604-241-2254 Website: www.cin-v.com Noram Ventures Inc. Mark Ireton President and CEO Phone: 604-761-9994 Website: www.noramventures.com Forward-looking Information This news release contains projections and forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. The following are important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements; the uncertainty of future profitability; and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results and the Company's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information. Actual results and future events could differ materially from anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and expressed qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Noram Ventures Inc. Http%3a%2f%2fi.blueprint.mashable.com%2ffsk0akqtq20qvsowjytcyzc566k%3d%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f76599%2fcarp It has been a big day in Australia: Carp, carp and some more carp. Yea, no one here really knows what is going on either. Let's break it down. On Sunday, the Australian government announced a A$15 million project to release the herpes virus into a river to kill off a huge amount of a type of fish that is considered a massive pest. This fish is carp. It looks like this: Carp. Image: Getty Images/StockFood They are going to kill thousands of tonnes of European carp in the Murray-Darling River. Some people are warning that this is going to end in a big pile of dead, smelly fish. Other people, such as the Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, are just getting used to saying the word. CARP. CARP. CARP. The infamous Johnny Depp politician will not stop carping on about carp. But give Barnaby a break, he has had a very tough weekend. Press conferences are becoming increasingly difficult. Senator Nick Xenophon just wants to "congratulate Christopher Pyne on his plan to give herpes to carp." Everyone is standing together in the face of carp. While some geniuses are already making ringtones. Carp became the most popular fish in Australia on Monday afternoon. For all the wrong reasons. Please... no... more... carp... Carp. Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said on Monday that Iran-South Korea relations should steer clear of the US-led sanctions and sabotage, Irna reported. The Supreme Leader made the remarks in a meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye. Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran-South Korean ties should be independent of sanctions and influence and sabotage of the US, rather should proceed strongly and sincerely with sustainability. The Supreme Leader said contracts and agreements between the two sides should be concluded in a way that foreign harmful factors and sanctions would not leave negative impacts on them because it is not acceptable that relations between Iran and South Korea be affected by the US and its ill-will. The Ayatollah said cooperation and exchange of experience between the two countries in various scientific, technological, political, social and security domains will benefit the two sides. 'We in foreign policy are highly willing to develop ties with the Asian nations due to the cultural and historical affinities. So, I believe that there is more possibility for mutual understanding, agreement and cooperation with the countries, including South Korea, which is a developed Asian state.' Ayatollah Khamenei drew attention to manaces of terrorism and said that unless a real and proper approach is adopted to deal with the manaces of terrorism and insecurity, its eradication would be more difficult in future and no country will be immune to such a threat. The Supreme Leader criticized the US approach of dividing terrorism to good and bad and said that the US chants the slogan of campaign against terrorism but in practice it is not sincere, while terrorism in any form is bad and dangerous to nations and security of countries because in absence of security there will be no favorable progress. On Iran-South Korea cooperation and agreements and on priorities for bilateral cooperation, the Supreme Leader said there is possibility for fruitful cooperation between Iran and South Korea but Iran's priorities to cooperation are not restricted to trade but the sort of contracts should be inked that would be needed for Iran in the infrastructures and general economy sectors. The Supreme Leader said the agreements between the two sides should not be affected by foreign factors and it is an essential exigency for mutual cooperation. The Paramount Leader then referred to ups and downs in Iran-South Korea relations and said fortunately, now the South Korean government is a collaborative government and Iran enjoys abundant capacity like young, talented and educated work force necessary for growing sustainable cooperation. Park for her part said her visit to Tehran is a valuable opportunity for expansion of bilateral ties and growing mutual confidence. 'During sanctions, we tried to continue presence in Iran as much as possible. Iran enjoys efficient and effective workforce and exceptional geographic situation. We hope bilateral relations will expand in the economic sector in particular. I am confident that emphasis of Your Excellency on Iran's economic growth and development will bring very bright prospects for your country and we are ready to upgrade cooperation in various sectors like environment protection, science and technology and economy.' CF Industries CF will release its first-quarter 2016 results after the bell on May 4. In the last quarter, the fertilizer maker had delivered a negative earnings surprise of 11.63%. Profits tumbled roughly 89% in the quarter, hurt by lower fertilizer prices. Sales fell year over year, but managed to beat expectations. Lower pricing across most segments weighed on the top line in the quarter. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors to Consider CF Industries, in its last earnings call, said that it expects overall nitrogen fertilizer demand in North America to remain steady on a year over year basis in 2016 as an expected increase in corn acres will be offset by a projected decline in wheat acres. CF Industries continues to see pricing pressure in its nitrogen business. Urea prices have been under pressure due to higher supply from Chinese producers. Global capacity expansion continues to exert pressure on urea and other nitrogen fertilizer prices, mainly urea ammonium nitrate (UAN). Elevated supply in the global nitrogen market is pressurizing prices, causing farmers to delay buying activities. Moreover, the devaluation of the Chinese currency and reduced coal prices have contributed to a decline in urea prices. Lower prices for nitrogen fertilizer weighed on CF Industries bottom line in the last reported quarter and are expected to remain a headwind in the March quarter. Abundant global supply contributed to lower pricing across the companys ammonia, granular urea and UAN units in fourth-quarter 2015, leading to double digit declines in sales in these businesses. Revenue weakness across these businesses may continue to put pressure on the company's top line in the first quarter, thereby affecting its profits. Nevertheless, CF Industries remains on track with its capacity expansion projects in Louisiana and Iowa. Both projects will expand the companys production capacity by 1.7 million tons or 25%. CF Industries plans to spend roughly $1.2 billion in 2016 on capacity expansion projects. The company, in Mar 2016, announced the start-up of its new UAN plant at its Nitrogen Complex in Donaldsonville, LA. The plant, which became operational in early March, has achieved consistent, stable operation and produced more than 80,000 tons of UAN since start-up. The start-up of the UAN plant is part of the companys major capacity expansion projects in North America. It is the second new plant to be commissioned and also the biggest operating single-train UAN plant globally. The proposed acquisition of the specific assets of Netherlands-based fertilizers producer OCI N.V. also represents a significant move by CF Industries. The merger will create a global nitrogen behemoth and is expected to boost CF Industries production capacity by 65%. It will also extend the companys portfolio into the rapidly growing methanol market. CF Industries expects to achieve around $500 million (post-tax) in annual run-rate synergies from the transaction (expected to close in mid-2016) through optimization of operations, capital and corporate structure. The company also expects to achieve meaningful cost reduction and operational efficiencies by leveraging the most extensive distribution network in North America. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that CF Industries is likely to beat estimates this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1, 2 or 3 for this to happen. This is not the case here, as you will see below: Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP for CF Industries is -11.77%. This is because the Most Accurate Estimate is 45 cents, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at 51 cents. Zacks Rank: CF Industries Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) increases the predictive power of ESP. However, we need to have a positive ESP to be confident about an earnings surprise. We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Stocks That Warrant a Look Here are some companies in the basic materials sector you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company SMG has an Earnings ESP of +1.12% and a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Orion Engineered Carbons SA OEC has an Earnings ESP of +13.79% and a Zacks Rank #3. Albemarle Corporation ALB has an Earnings ESP of +1.18% and a Zacks Rank #3. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report ALBEMARLE CORP (ALB): Free Stock Analysis Report ORION ENGINRD (OEC): Free Stock Analysis Report CF INDUS HLDGS (CF): Free Stock Analysis Report SCOTTS MIRCL-GR (SMG): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By Sarah Marsh HAVANA (Reuters) - Chanel, the world's second largest luxury brand, said on Monday its efforts to curb the grey market have been successful and are helping boost revenue in China despite weaker overall demand for luxury goods. The company narrowed its price gaps between the United States, Europe and Asia last year to prevent smugglers buying goods in one region to re-sell to another in the grey market. "We reduced quite a lot the parallel market, mainly in Asia, and we have double-digit growth in our boutiques in mainland China," Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel's president of fashion, said in an interview in Havana. Chanel will unveil its latest Cruise collection in Havana on Tuesday, in Cuba's first major fashion show since the 1959 revolution and another sign of warming relations between the Communist-ruled island and the West. The United States and Cuba formally agreed to restore diplomatic relations last July. Despite the success in curbing grey market sales, the privately owned company expects slower sales growth this year, Pavlovsky told Reuters in Havana's landmark Teatro Marti. He declined to disclose figures. He noted that Chanel has an entire team, including external lawyers, that monitors the secondary market. The luxury goods industry been plagued in the last few months as a drop in global tourist traffic due to recent terrorist attacks, slower economic growth in China, and record low oil prices have dented the purchasing power of important luxury buyers from Russia and the Middle East. In April, industry leader LVMH (LVMH.PA) said its fashion and leather goods sales were flat while Hermes (HRMS.PA) said revenue growth slowed in the first quarter. Pavlovsky said fewer Russians were travelling due to the weak rouble, and Brazil's recession has curbed demand there. But Chanel was seeing solid growth in the United States, some parts of Europe such as Britain, Russia, China, Japan and Korea, he said. Chinese and Russians not travelling abroad as much were buying more at home. Story continues "There is a slowdown but not such a big slowdown," he said. Pavlovsky said Chanel was presenting its latest inter-seasonal Cruise line in Cuba because the country had inspired Karl Lagerfeld, the company's chief designer and creative director. Chanel, which began as a millinery store in 1909 in Paris, was also returning to its roots, he added. Founder Coco Chanel designed early collections for wealthy and glamorous Americans holidaying on yachts and cruises in the Caribbean. Cruises to Cuba had been forbidden during the country's standoff with the United States. Earlier on Monday, the first U.S. cruise ship to sail to the island in more than 50 years docked in Havana. Chanel, which has fewer than 200 boutiques worldwide, will not be setting up shop in Cuba any time soon, Pavlovsky said. "Why not, one day," he said. "But not in the coming years." (Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Richard Chang) For Ben Rattray, the founder of Change.org, the moment his life changed was when his younger brother came out as gay. For Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, an Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker from Pakistan, it was when she was a young girl and drove through a poor neighborhood on the way to school in the morning. If you speak the truth, I will stand with you, and so will the world, Obaid-Chinoy said her father told her years later about writing about what she saw. TIME brought together Obaid-Chinoy and Rattray, both former TIME 100 honorees, as part of a new video series that sparks conversation between pioneers in different fields. Watch More: Arianna Huffington and a NBA Star on Why Sleep Is Crucial to Success Their discussion ranged from how they both got their start to the best way to inspire others to take action for a cause, and even to Obaid-Chinoys footwear at this years Academy Awards, where she won for Documentary (Short Subject). I went onstage to accept my Academy Award wearing flip-flops, she said. My mother, shes like, who wears flip-flops to accept their Academy Award? By Rich McKay ATLANTA (Reuters) - A Georgia judge granted a change of venue Monday in the murder trial of a man accused of intentionally leaving his toddler son in a hot car for seven hours while he exchanged nude photos with women online. Citing intensive media coverage and negative opinions expressed by potential jurors, Georgia Superior Court Judge Mary Staley halted jury selection after agreeing that Justin Ross Harris, 35, could not get a fair trial in the same suburban Atlanta community where 22-month-old Cooper died on a sweltering hot day in June 2014. "I hate to use vulgarity, but one juror said 'rot in hell,'" Staley said from the bench. "To say that some of the jurors' questionnaires showed a negative opinion to the defendant is an understatement." The judge has not announced a new location or time frame for the selection process to start over. Jury selection began three weeks ago with 500 people summoned for the high-profile case, more than 250 screened with a 17-page questionnaire and 41 potential jurors qualifying to be in the final jury of 12. They were to decide if Harris simply forgot that Cooper was in the SUV and drove on to work rather than dropping him off at daycare or, as the prosecution contends, he wanted an expedient way out of being a parent in order to carry on affairs with other women and have a child-free lifestyle. The prosecution is not seeking the death penalty, but with malice murder, child cruelty and other charges, including sending lewd pictures to underage girls, Harris could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted. The pervasive opinion against Harris has whipped up public emotion so much that "the public is foregoing issues of guilt or innocence" and instead was talking about bringing back "old sparky" the electric chair once used in Georgia, defense attorney T. Bryan Lumpkin said in arguing to move the trial. Prosecutors said they were disappointed but will respect the judge's decision. "Whenever and wherever this case is set for trial, the state will be ready," Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds said in a statement. (Reporting by Karen Brooks; Editing by Andrew Hay) (Adds report of CEO being summoned by Internet regulator, share price reaction) BEIJING, May 2 (Reuters) - China's Internet regulator said on Monday it will send a team to investigate Baidu Inc over the death of a university student who used the Chinese search engine to look for treatment for his cancer. Wei Zexi, 21, died last month of a rare form of cancer. He had look online via Baidu for the best place for treatment, finding a department under the Second Hospital of Beijing Armed Police Corps which offered an experimental form of treatment that ultimately failed, according to state media. Before dying, Wei accused Baidu online of promoting false medical information, as well as the hospital for misleading advertising in claiming a high success rate for the treatment, state radio said. "Wei's family says they trusted the treatment because it was promoted by one of the military hospitals which are considered credible, and the attending doctor had appeared on many mainstream media platforms," state radio said. The regulator said in a short statement that Wei's case had attracted widespread attention on the Internet. It, the health ministry and State Administration for Industry and Commerce would investigate Baidu and "handle it in accordance with the law" and publicise its findings, it said. Baidu said in a statement it deeply regretted Wei's death and sent its condolences to his family. "Baidu strives to provide a safe and trustworthy search experience for our users, and have launched an immediate investigation of the matter," it said. The company added it welcomed the investigation and would fully cooperate. Baidu shares dropped six percent in early New York trading. Chinese Internet portal Sina, citing unidentified sources within Baidu, said the regulator had also asked to speak to Baidu CEO, Robin Li, although it was not clear what the subject might be. A Baidu spokeswoman said the company had no additional comment. Reuters was not able to reach the hospital for comment. Story continues Baidu has been in trouble before on medical related issues. This year, it was criticised for selling management rights for an online forum related to haemophilia to an unlicensed private hospital, which then used the platform for self-promotion and which also deleted comments that challenged its credentials, the official Xinhua news agency said. In 2010, China's state-run television accused Baidu of promoting counterfeit drugs through its search engine. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Louise Ireland) BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Internet regulator said on Monday it will send a team to investigate Baidu Inc over the death of a university student who used the Chinese search engine to look for treatment for his cancer. Wei Zexi, 21, died last month of a rare form of cancer. He had searched Baidu for the best place for treatment, finding a department under the Second Hospital of Beijing Armed Police Corps which offered an experimental treatment that ultimately failed, according to state media. Before dying, Wei accused Baidu online of promoting false medical information, as well as the hospital for misleading advertising in claiming a high success rate for the treatment, state radio said. "Wei's family says they trusted the treatment because it was promoted by one of the military hospitals which are considered credible, and the attending doctor had appeared on many mainstream media platforms," state radio said. The regulator said in a short statement that Wei's case had attracted widespread attention on the Internet. It said it would investigate Baidu, the health ministry and State Administration for Industry and Commerce, and "handle it in accordance with the law." The regulator said it would make its findings public. Baidu said in a statement it deeply regretted Wei's death and sent condolences to his family. The company added it welcomed the investigation and would fully cooperate. "Baidu strives to provide a safe and trustworthy search experience for our users, and have launched an immediate investigation of the matter," the company said. Baidu shares hit a session low of $176.50, before trading down 7.9 percent at $179.95 on heavy volume at mid-morning. Chinese Internet portal Sina, citing unidentified sources within Baidu, said the regulator had also asked to speak to Baidu's chief executive, Robin Li, although it was not clear what the subject might be. A Baidu spokeswoman said the company had no additional comment. The hospital could not be reached for comment. Story continues Earlier this year, Baidu was criticized for selling management rights for a hemophilia online forum to an unlicensed private hospital, which used the platform for self-promotion and deleted comments that challenged its credentials, the official Xinhua news agency said. In 2010, China's state-run television accused Baidu of promoting counterfeit drugs through its search engine. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Louise Ireland and Richard Chang) Tens of thousands of shareholders flocked to Omaha, Neb., this weekend for Berkshire Hathaways (BRK-A, BRK-B) annual conference to hear CEO Warren Buffett and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger give an update on the $360 billion conglomerate and watch them drink Coke. And notably among the faithful this year was a growing number of Buffett fans from China around 3,000. For me, Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger are the gods of investing. We feel lucky that we can come here and they can share their luck with us, says Xiang Wang, 38, president of Invesmart, a Shenzhen-based fund manager. A true follower, Wang said he has attended the meeting every year since becoming a Berkshire shareholder in 2011. Last year he organized a trip for 30 of his friends. This year he came with his wife and an employee and his family. And a highlight every year is a visit to Buffetts home. We go to the outside of his house because normal people like us want to feel closer to Warren Buffett, he says. At the shareholder meeting last year Wang actually got the opportunity to meet the Oracle of Omaha himself. There is a rumor that circulates among Chinese circles that if you spend more than $250,000 on Berkshire products at the conference, you can meet Buffett, says Jing Li, the founder and president of JingLi U.S., a marketing firm that helps organize U.S. tours for Chinese investors. (Wang planned his own trip to Omaha.) Theres no official rule but Wang decided to test out the theory anyway. The annual meeting is held at Omahas CenturyLink Center and several of Berkshires 62 subsidiaries are showcased in the exhibit hall every year. He bought about $200,000 worth of jewelry from Borsheims, a Berkshire-owned company, despite being told repeatedly that Buffett was too busy, particularly because it was the 50th annual meeting. However, once Wang began accumulating items, he says he saw shiny coins and dollar signs from the salesmans eyes. Those dollar signs led to Borsheims setting up a meet and greet for Wang and Buffett after the Invest in Yourself 5K race that Berkshire organizes every year. Story continues Source: Xiang Wang Wang made the most of his 15 minutes by asking Buffett two questions one about the Chinese economy and one about why he doesnt invest in Chinese companies. Buffetts response to the latter: Because I have an American heart. Li hears at least one story like Wangs at every annual meeting. Buffett knows how important the Chinese are among his investors, Li says. This year she partnered with three tour groups to organize a 10-day trip for 45 people from China, which included a weekend in Omaha, a trip to Stanford University, Google and Facebook headquarters, and a day trip to Las Vegas. In total, the trip, including all travel and lodging, came to about $13,600 per person. She calls the annual meeting the biggest annual party of high-quality, wealthy Chinese investors. The key thing for them is to network with other investors. Thats why Chinese internet behemoth Tencent (TCEHY) and media company Sina (SINA) organized meetings at Omahas Hilton for Chinese investors to network and mingle. This is not just an event to listen to Warren Buffett. Its a social networking event among the Chinese investors, Li says. They actually go to talk about other investment opportunities with each other. Li says for Chinese financiers, attending the annual meeting is a rite of passage. Most of them dont speak English well and need translators. But they come to experience the whole event because many of them have so much money. They dont care about how much they need to spend if it means theres a chance they can meet Buffett. And investors like Wang say theyd do it again in a heartbeat. Click here to view a full replay of the 2016 Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting, which Yahoo Finance live-streamed exclusively. At this page you can also find our extensive coverage of the event. ROME (Reuters) - Chinese police are joining Italian officers on the streets of Rome and Milan in an experiment aimed at helping tourists from China feel safe, Italy's interior ministry said on Monday. The experiment is the first of its kind in Europe, China's ambassador to Italy, Li Ruiyu, said at a meeting to announce the project, according to a statement from the ministry. The four Chinese officers, who were trained by Italians in Beijing, will wear the same uniforms they wear at home so their compatriots can recognize them easily. More than 3 million Chinese tourists come to Italy every year, according to Liao Jinrong, the director general of the Chinese International Cooperation Bureau. "This service was planned with Chinese tourists in mind, and if it works well we may consider other forms of collaboration, given the presence of the Chinese community in our country," said Interior Minister Angelino Alfano. The officers will share information with Italian police and help Chinese tourists if they need to contact local authorities and diplomats from Monday until May 13, the ministry said. Liao, the head of the Chinese International Cooperation Bureau, said the officers' assignment was a "historic moment", recalling that the route between China and Italy had been mapped out 700 years ago by Venetian merchant traveler Marco Polo. (Reporting by Isla Binnie) Spokesman of Foreign Ministry Hossein Jaberi Ansari said on Monday that the Islamic Republic of Iran is keen on closer cooperation with the Turkish government to help resolve the regional crises, according to Irna. Expressing view points by different experts, figures and professors has no problem, he said, adding that the Foreign Ministry is to expand bilateral ties between Iran and Turkey. The two countries have longstanding relations and like many other countries there were some differences in interpretation of regional developments, he said. He said that Iran's strategic choice is to continue cooperation with the Turkish government and limit differences and manage the case and try to focus on common interests. Continuation of current crises is not to the interest of the regional nations and governments, Jaberi Ansari added. May 2 (Reuters) - Chipmaker Marvell Technology Group Ltd has appointed Richard Hill its chairman, as part of an agreement it reached with activist hedge fund Starboard Value LP last week. Marvell had reached an agreement with Starboard to add to its board three independent directors nominated by the hedge fund. Hill, whose appointment came into effect on Sunday, is also among the four independent directors that Yahoo Inc agreed to add to its board last week under pressure from Starboard. He is also on the board of software maker Autodesk Inc . Starboard, which has been agitating for changes at Marvell since early this year, has a 6.5 percent stake in the chipmaker. Peter Feld and Oleg Khaykin are the other two directors that Marvell added to its board. (Reporting by Kshitiz Goliya in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirti Pandey) The CIA marked the fifth anniversary of the daring raid that killed Osama bin Laden by revealing some little-known details about the operation in real-time on Twitter. Over a series of tweets posted to its verified Twitter feed on Sunday, the agency gave its 1.3 million Twitter followers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how the mission unfolded. The timing of the posts more or less matched the CIAs official timeline of the assault on the al-Qaida leaders compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. To mark the 5th anniversary, the CIA explained, we will tweet the raid as if it were happening today. Features High walls/barbed wire Double entry gates No internet/phone connection Trash burned not collected#UBLRaid pic.twitter.com/KyPIFPxA4d CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016 Assault team trained on an exact life-size replica of compound w movable walls to prep for any internal layout they might encounter#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016 Join us beginning at 1:25 p.m. EDT today as we tweet the #UBLRaid as if it were happening today. pic.twitter.com/x8EBpW571f CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016 1:25 pm EDT-@POTUS, DCIA Panetta, & JSOC commander Admiral McRaven approve execution of op in Abbottabad.#UBLRaid pic.twitter.com/YhvuJVrMVc CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016 1:51 pm EDT - Helicopters depart from Afghanistan for compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016 3:30 pm EDT - 2 helicopters descend on compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. 1 crashes, but assault continues without delay or injury#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016 3:30 pm EDT - @POTUS watches situation on ground in Abbottabad live in Situation Room#UBLRaid pic.twitter.com/59KPF7eUTr CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016 3:39 pm EDT - Usama Bin Ladin found on third floor and killed#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016 3:39 pm 4:10 pm EDT Team retrieves large quantity of materials from compound for intel analysis#UBLRaidhttps://t.co/yl1FjRA0qk CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016 3:53 pm EDT - @POTUS receives tentative confirmation of positive identification of Usama Bin Ladin#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016 4:05 pm EDT - First helicopter leaves the area to go back to Afghanistan#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016 4:08 pm EDT - Assault Team destroys crashed helicopter#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016 4:10 pm EDT Backup helicopter picks up remaining team members & materials & leaves Abbottabad#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016 5:53 pm EDT - Helicopters return to Afghanistan where Admiral McRaven greets team#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016 7:01 pm EDT - @POTUS receives confirmation of high probability of positive identification of Usama Bin Ladin#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016 Daring #UBLRaid was an IC team effort & in close collaboration with our military partners.https://t.co/rklCIRLlgF pic.twitter.com/xZObdGeqPR CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016 Hillary Clinton, who was then secretary of state, says she believes the Pakistanis knew bin Laden was hiding in their country, but that the United States was unable to prove the suspicion. Story continues There was never any evidence that we could uncover that led directly to the top of the Pakistani military and intelligence service, Clinton told CNN in a primetime special on the raid set to air on Monday. I believe Pakistanis knew. I believe Pakistanis either in service or retired or both knew. Meanwhile, the network also tracked down Sohaib Athar, the Pakistani software engineer who unwittingly broke the news that the raid on the bin Laden compound was underway. Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event). Sohaib Athar (@ReallyVirtual) May 1, 2011 Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event), Athar tweeted before hearing an explosion. A huge window shaking bang here in Abbottabad Cantt. I hope its not the start of something nasty :-S Sohaib Athar (@ReallyVirtual) May 1, 2011 I thought finally the terrorists had made themselves known in Abbottabad, Athar, who still works as an IT consultant in Pakistan, told CNN in January. Since taliban (probably) don't have helicpoters, and since they're saying it was not "ours", so must be a complicated situation #abbottabad Sohaib Athar (@ReallyVirtual) May 1, 2011 He soon found out along with the rest of the world what he was, in fact, tweeting about. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 2, 2016 / CIBT Education Group Inc. (TSX: MBA, OTCQX International: MBAIF) ("CIBT" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has signed a binding letter agreement (the "Agreement") with an English as a Second Language school (the "School") headquartered in Vancouver, Canada for the purchase of all of the assets of the School. Formal closing of this transaction is expected to occur before the end of June 2016, subject to the negotiation and execution of a comprehensive agreement and the satisfaction or waiver of several other conditions. Acquisition details will be disclosed after closing. The School enjoys an excellent reputation in the international student community with a strong presence in the Japanese and Latin American markets. Since inception 16 years ago, the School has educated over twenty thousand students. Over the years, the School has grown steadily, and developed many long-standing relationships with education partners outside of North America. This new acquisition will be integrated with our education assets in Canada and to bundle international education with accommodation and excursion services. "We are pleased with the results from our due diligence and can clearly see that the School has been operated by a dedicated management team, loyal long-term staffs and reputable business partners from around the world", commented Toby Chu, President and Chief Executive Officer, Vice Chairman of CIBT. "With our GEC branded student housing portfolio growing at a steady pace of $30 million on average over the last 6 quarters and reaching over $155 million in total, we are well positioned to service the housing needs of the students that will now be a part of the CIBT Education Group family." CIBT also reports that it has suspended its current Normal Course Issuer Bid (share buy-back) activities until further notice. About CIBT Education Group: CIBT Education Group Inc. is an education management company focused on the global education market since 1994. Listed in Canada on the Toronto Stock Exchange and in the U.S. on the OTCQX International, CIBT owns and operates a network of business, technical and language colleges in North America and Asia. CIBT offers cooperative joint programs in 12 countries with campuses, recruitment offices and training centers enrolling over 7,000 students annually. Its education business is operated through Sprott Shaw College (established in 1903), Acsenda School of Management, CIBT School of Business China, and Global Education Alliance Recruitment Centers in China and other overseas countries. Through these subsidiaries, CIBT offers recognized and approved business and management degrees, programs in college preparation, healthcare, hotel management and tourism, English language training, English Teacher Certifications, junior and high school preparation programs for overseas study, and other career/vocational training. CIBT also owns Irix Design Group, a leading design and advertising company based in Vancouver, Canada, Global Education Alliance ("GEA") and Global Education City Holdings Inc. ("GEC"). GEA recruits international students for many elite kindergarten, primary, secondary schools and universities in North America. GEC is an investment holding and management company with a special focus on education related real estate projects in Canada. Visit us online at www.cibt.net and watch our corporate video at http://cibt.net/about/. Story continues Toby Chu Vice-Chairman, President & CEO CIBT Education Group Inc. Investor Relations Contact: 1-604-871-9909 extension 318 or Email: info@cibt.net SOURCE: CIBT Education Group Inc. Polk City (United States) (AFP) - When Mysore performed in the Ringling Brothers' traveling circus, she waltzed, she hooked her trunk onto another elephant's tail, and she stood on her hind legs in a line for a trick known as the long mount. Now at the age of about 70 -- and one of the oldest Asian elephants in the world -- Mysore is retired at the circus's refuge in central Florida, where she gets weekly pedicures, daily baths, naps on a giant dirt pile, eats ground-up hay and more than six loaves of wheat bread a day. "Boy, she loves the bread," says Janice Aria, the director of animal stewardship at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation, where Mysore arrived in 2006. This week, the remaining 11 elephants that traveled in the Ringling Brothers circus will join Mysore and 27 other pachyderms in retirement, ending a 145-year tradition of elephants performing in the circus. "It is sad. You feel it is the end of an era," says long-time trainer Trudy Williams. The circus has faced torrents of criticism from animal rights groups, including widely circulated videos from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that show a male handler hitting elephants with a pointed-stick, known as an ankus, before a performance. Ringling Brothers was also embroiled in a 14-year lawsuit in which animal rights groups alleged the circus was mistreating its herd. The case was eventually thrown out after a lead witness was found to have been paid for his testimony by animal rights groups. By 2014, the plaintiffs, including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Humane Society, had been ordered to pay the circus $25 million to reimburse its legal fees. - 'Outlawed' tool - What finally ended the shows for traveling elephants were the actions of a handful of local municipalities in California, Massachusetts and Virginia that banned circus trainers from using the ankus, a stick about two feet long (0.6 meters) with metal hooks on the end. Story continues Handlers employed by Ringling Brothers maintain that the tool is not used to harm to elephants -- which typically weigh 8,000 pounds (3,600 kilograms) -- but merely to signal them and give them tactile directions. "You just don't stand around one of these animals without one of these tools," says Aria. The logistics of being able to perform with elephants in some cities but not others became too much, Aria says, and the circus announced it would end elephant participation in its shows in 2016, two years earlier than planned. - Retirement life - The Ringling Brothers herd is the largest in the western hemisphere for Asian elephants, listed as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which says 40,000-50,000 exist in the world in highly fragmented populations. The Polk City conservation facility rests on 200 acres (80 hectares) of land in central Florida where orange groves are a common crop. It opened in 1995 as a place to keep the herd, to breed and raise young ones -- 26 babies were born here -- and to shelter those who simply "never took a shine to circus life," says Aria. Female elephants are usually paired up and kept in fields that are fenced in with thin electrical wire. Because of her age, Mysore stays in her own pen. The males, which like to fight and spar with others, are kept alone behind sturdier bars. Their sperm is collected for breeding purposes, and sometimes a female is put into their enclosure for breeding, or they are sent out to other facilities to mate. Here, the elephants are fed 2.5 tons of hay daily, and up to 800 pounds of fruit, veggies and greens. They are led into a barn in the afternoon, and chained for the night. Aria says the elephants are so used to these tethers that they won't relax or eat without them. But the facility has its critics, and many in the community of people who deal with elephants -- from zoos to sanctuaries to researchers of elephants in the wild -- are divided about what it means to treat elephants well. "Their environment needs to stimulate them. That particular piece of property is not an environment that would stimulate an elephant," says Carol Buckley, who was part of a team that inspected the Polk City facility several years ago for the lawsuit. "It is like a stockyard. It is flat, square, boring," says Buckley, who advocates for female-only elephant sanctuaries in which the animals are not dominated by humans and contact with people is kept to a minimum. But Ringling Brothers trainer Erik Montgomery says people need to know how to live with elephants. "The truth of the matter is elephants - especially Asian elephants -- are not going to be around in the future without people's help, without being in responsible, man-managed facilities," he says. "As long as we can enrich their lives and have a relationship with them -- and enrich our own lives in the process -- I think that is the way to go." Mysore -- who was born in India and named after a city there before being shipped to the United States in 1947 -- is a prime example of an elephant living a long and healthy life in the care of humans, Montgomery says. "Without that human intervention, she wouldn't be here today," he adds. By Amanda Becker and Ginger Gibson WASHINGTON/CARMEL, Ind. (Reuters) - U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton met with coal and steel workers in the Appalachian region on Monday in an effort to win over blue-collar voters in a part of the country with strong support for Republican Donald Trump. The real estate mogul made his own pitch on Monday to voters in areas struggling from the loss of industry, telling a crowd in Indiana he would create "clean coal" jobs. Clinton has increasingly turned her attention beyond the Democratic Party nomination fight with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and is making early moves to try to siphon support from Trump ahead of a possible match-up in the Nov. 8 election. On Monday, she met union leaders and some of the 600 workers who were laid off last year when AK Steel Holding Corp announced it would idle a furnace in eastern Kentucky. She said jobs losses in manufacturing and the coal industry in the area had been a heavy blow. "Talk about a ripple effect. It's just devastating communities," Clinton told workers around a table at an Italian restaurant in the town of Ashland. While the Republican presidential candidates focus on Tuesday's primary contest in Indiana, Clinton launched a trip to Appalachia this week that will include events in Ohio and West Virginia. She has a large lead over Sanders for the Democratic nomination. Unions typically back Democratic candidates, and union leaders have endorsed both Clinton and Sanders in the 2016 presidential race. But Trump's pro-coal, anti-trade message and outsider status has resonated with some blue collar union members frustrated with Washington politicians. He and other Republicans also accuse President Barack Obama's administration of waging a "war on coal" by imposing strict environmental regulations. "I'm a free-market guy, but not when you're getting killed," Trump said at a rally in Carmel, Indiana. "Look at steel, it's being wiped out. Your coal industry is wiped out, and China is taking our coal." The New York businessman won the Republican nominating contest in Kentucky in March, sweeping most of the counties in the economically struggling east of the state. Parts of Appalachia, a region that spans multiple states across the eastern United States, have struggled with poverty and job losses. West Virginia's unemployment rate of 6.5 percent in March was well above the national rate of 5 percent, according to Labor Department data. Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.1 percent, while the figure in Kentucky was 5.6 percent. It will be an uphill struggle for Clinton there if she wins the nomination. She has pledged more than $30 billion to help regions that depend on coal, but her promise was overshadowed when she said in March that the country would "put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business." And her husband, former President Bill Clinton, campaigned on Sunday in West Virginia, encountering protests from Trump supporters. West Virginia last voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in 1996, when Bill Clinton was running for his second four-year term. He is the only Democrat who has won Kentucky since 1980. TRUMP IN INDIANA Trump will take a leap toward winning the Republican nomination if he comes out ahead in Tuesday's Indiana primary. His success in the race for the White House may well ride on the support of Republican evangelicals. Top rival Ted Cruz planned stops to greet voters across the state on Monday, running into a group of Trump supporters in Marion, Indiana who berated him. He deployed his wife, Heidi, and Carly Fiorina, the ex-candidate who Cruz has chosen as his running mate if he gets the Republican nomination, to a coffee shop and art gallery in Carmel, Indiana. Cruz, who lags Trump in delegates to the Republican National Convention in July, told reporters on Monday he would stay in the race "as long as we have a viable path to victory." Republicans plan to tie Clinton to what they say is an anemic economy under President Barack Obama. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Monday cited data released last week that showed economic growth slipped in the first quarter to its slowest pace in two years. "Struggling Americans will never get ahead under Hillary Clinton. They are going to keep getting taken to the cleaners," Priebus said in an opinion piece for RealClearPolitics. (Additional reporting by Valerie Volcovici and Doina Chiacu in Washington, and Alana Wise in Indiana; Writing by Emily Stephenson; Editing by Caren Bohan and Alistair Bell) As they look ahead to the general election, some commentators envision a campaign in which Donald Trump attacks viciously and Hillary Clinton makes a virtue of her refusal to stoop to his level. I think Trumps method will be to turn on the insult comedy against Hillary Clinton, declared GOP consultant Mike Murphy earlier this week. Her big judo move is playing the victim. Voxs Ezra Klein speculated earlier this year that Trump sets up Clinton for a much softer and unifying message than shed be able to get away with against a candidate like [Marco] Rubio. I doubt it will play out that way. Rope-a-dope isnt Clintons style. When facing political threats, her pattern has been to strike firstand with great force. In Carl Bernsteins biography, A Woman in Charge, he notes that when Clinton was four, a bigger girl bullied her. Declaring, Theres no room in this house for cowards, Dorothy Howell Rodham told her daughter to punch the girl, which Hillary did. Thats pretty much been Hillarys instinct since she and Bill entered politics. In his first campaign, a bid to unseat Republican Representative John Paul Hammerschmidt in 1974, Bill Clinton vowed to eschew negative attacks and just stick to the issues. But in their biography, Her Way, Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta Jr. claim that Hillary urged attacking Hammerschmidts morals and his judgment. Recommended: The Obama Doctrine In 1980, when it became clear that Bill might lose his bid for reelection as Arkansass governor, Hillary called in Dick Morris. According to Gerth and Van Natta, one campaign staffer objected: This guy is poison. To which Hillary responded, If you want to be in this kind of business, this is the kind of person you have to deal with. In her book, For Love of Politics, Sally Bedell Smith quotes Hillary saying, We need to learn how the bad boys do it. Story continues Morris would later tell Bernstein: She believes always in taking the fight to the other side. In every campaign strategy meeting Ive ever been in with her, she always wants to run negative ads. She always wants to go on the attack. Stanley Greenberg, whom the Clintons brought in to help run Bills gubernatorial reelection bid in 1990, observed the same thing. He arrived to find the Clintons debating how aggressive to go in attacking the opponent and when to do it. And I can tell you she came down on the side of aggressive. Hillary, Greenberg noted, thought: Democrats were soft in campaigns. They didnt fight And I think that Hillary was of that point of view that you were not going to have peoples confidence unless you could show that youre strong and tough against your opponents. Your opponents need to know that youre not going to be passive, youre not going to be a punching bag. In 1992, when Gennifer Flowerss affair allegations threatened to derail Bills bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary urged attacking both her veracity and her motives, according to campaign aide Dee Dee Myers. Bernstein claims Hillary also urged the campaign to peddle stories about George H.W. Bushs alleged affairs. In the words of one aide, Shes happiest when shes fighting, when she has identified the enemy and goes into attack mode Thats what she thrives on more than anythingthe battle. Recommended: Why the U.S. Congress Gets Paid to Do Nothing Trump calls himself a counterpuncher. But Hillary Clinton likes to strike first. In the first Democratic debate last October, many pundits assumed Bernie Sanders, as the insurgent, would go on the attack. Instead, Clinton did. First she mocked Sanderss suggestion that America should resemble Denmark. Then she attacked his votes against gun control. Its likely Clinton will try to do the same against Trump. The New York Times has already reported that, rather than staying above the fray, the Clinton campaign plans sustained and brutal attacks on Mr. Trump for his temperament, his business dealings, and his remarks about women. The conventional wisdom is that Trumps penchant for gutter politics makes him difficult for Clinton to handle. I suspect thats wrong. Clintons instinct is to use hardball tactics in pursuit of what she sees as the greater good. Barack Obama and Sanders, by running as high-minded idealists, made that harder. Every time she attacked them, she risked playing into their depiction of her as ruthless and unprincipled. Trump, by contrast, because hes so odious, liberates her to wage total war. Which is exactly what she likes to do. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. (Repeats with no changes) By Allison Martell NEW YORK, April 29 (Reuters) - Canada's biggest railway struggled to keep some heavily used track in adequate repair even after a string of derailments last year showed the danger of moving oil on poorly maintained track, documents obtained by Reuters show. Three trains derailed along one 296 mile (476 km) section of Canadian National Railway Co track in northern Ontario in February and March last year. The third train spilled crude oil in and around a river near the town of Gogama, igniting a fire that burned for days. More than 100 pages of correspondence and inspection reports obtained by Reuters under Canada's freedom of information law show that a March inspection by Transport Canada, the ministry responsible for rail safety, found a number of problems with the track. But the documents also show that during a July inspection, months after normal operations resumed, inspectors found new track problems, including rail that had been secured with too few bolts, and defective ties. CN brought its trains back up to normal speeds in late May. (Graphic: http://tmsnrt.rs/1reqKif) CN Rail told Reuters the July inspection ultimately uncovered 57 defects, including 10 that required temporary speed reductions. Seven of those 10 were on the main line. CN said the defects found in July were repaired by Sept. 3. Transport Canada lifted its March safety notice on Dec. 15, 2015, signaling that it believed safety problems in the area had been resolved. But the regulator has not conducted a track inspection since July. Evidence that problems persisted after the first inspection has one residents' group wondering how definitive the ministry's all-clear is. "Wow. It wasn't taken care of," said Natalie Sear-Beland, spokeswoman for the Gogama Citizens' Committee, a group formed last year, after learning about the July inspection results. Sear-Beland said the town has been "completely in the dark" about track conditions, and she fears there could be another accident. Story continues "We have heard nothing from Transport Canada," she said. "If Transport Canada were more hands on, more often, I think they wouldn't have as many problems." CN says it took "decisive action" after the derailments, adopting new procedures, audits and checklists to prevent maintenance errors, increasing inspections, raising some internal track repair standards, and increasing engineering supervision in the region. "We believe the citizens of Gogama should be reassured by Transport Canada's satisfaction with the current condition of the Ruel Subdivision," the railway said in a statement. The railway's overall accident rate improved in 2015, coming in below the industry average, CN said. "CN is investing heavily in people, process, capital and technology to minimize risk and continually reduce accidents and injuries," said Sam Berrada, vice-president for safety and sustainability, in an e-mailed statement. RAILS AND HUMAN FACTORS Transport Canada, made aware of the Gogama resident group's concerns said: "Canada maintains one of the safest rail transportation systems in the world as a result of shared efforts between numerous partners including governments, railway companies and communities." Investigations into last year's cluster of derailments are still ongoing, but CN said it believed they were "likely caused by a combination of track conditions, inadequate process controls and human factors." The documents show Transport Canada sent CN a safety notice on March 12, 2015, days after the Gogama derailment, saying that defective rail conditions may have played a role. "As such, there is risk that another derailment may occur before the root cause is found," it warned. Inspectors monitored CN's track repairs and the railway's work to determine causes in the months after the derailments. Last year, a Reuters analysis found that CN's safety record had deteriorated in 2014, as accidents in Canada linked to poor track conditions spiked. There was no similar pattern at the competing Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. CN blamed the trend on bad weather and heavy traffic, and later promised to spend C$500 million upgrading track in Western Canada. (http://reut.rs/1rnzkv5) The railway has not suffered a severe derailment since the Gogama accident, but the inspection reports describe defects that could have increased the risk of accidents along a line that carries oil trains from Western Canada to refineries on the east coast. Ian Naish, a former director of rail and pipeline investigations at the Transportation Safety Board, reviewed the inspection reports, and said they showed CN did not meet minimum track safety standards designed to prevent derailments. "There are lots of places where they weren't in compliance," he said. On the seven defects serious enough to require speed restrictions on the main line, Naish said: "It seems to me there shouldn't be any, if they are doing regular inspections." Of the 10 defects that required speed restrictions, CN said eight involved track geometry, and two involved ties. Frances Gelinas, the member of provincial parliament who represents the area, said Gogama, which depends on tourism revenue, is still feeling the effects of the derailment. "It is life before the derailment, and life after the derailment. Nothing is the same," she said. "Recruiting tourists to come and hunt and fish in Gogama is really tough." Some local residents have retained a civil litigator, James Wallbridge, but Wallbridge said they have not yet decided how to proceed. "We are going to review the cleanup efforts and we should be in a position to make some decisions by the end of May," he said. CN declined to comment on how the cause of the derailments might affect its liability, or whether any damages could be material. (Reporting by Allison Martell; Editing by Tomasz Janowski) Baku, Azerbaijan, May 2 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkish artillery is shelling the positions of the "Islamic State" (IS, aka ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) terrorist group in Syria, said Turkey's General Staff May 2. As many as 34 militants have been liquidated as the result of shelling, according to the staff. Strongholds of terrorists in Syria have also been destroyed. Last week, Turkish artillery shelled positions of the IS militants in northern Syria. It is reported that these operations started after a systematic shelling by IS militants of two southern provinces of Turkey - Kilis and Hatay. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu While appearing on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, Republican presidential candidate and confirmed human Sen. Ted Cruz defended his position on transgender women using men's bathrooms. Cruz attempted to derail the conversation by saying that people like he or Tapper should not be in women's restrooms that's when Tapper reminded Cruz that neither he nor Cruz identifies as female. Source: Mic/YouTube "You and I don't identify as female. You and I aren't transgender. We this law wouldn't be about you and me going into a women's room." Tapper said. Tapper began the conversation by showing footage of transgender celebrity Caitlyn Jenner using the women's restroom at Trump Tower and calling Cruz out for his transphobic remarks. As Jenner steps out of the restroom, she says, "And by the way, Ted [Cruz], nobody got molested." Cruz, after watching the video, doubled down on his recent comments at an Indiana rally about "adult men" in bathrooms "with little girls" and called transgender women grown men again. He then added, "This is the height of political correctness. And frankly, the concern is not the Caitlyn Jenners of the world." CNN's Jake Tapper Schooled Ted Cruz on Transgender Bathrooms Right to His Inhuman Face Cruz probably doesn't realize that, by embracing these views on transgender people, he's actually hurting this already-marginalized population. Since North Carolina passed HB2, which requires people to use the bathroom that matches their gender assigned at birth rather than their gender identity, calls to a trans-focused North Carolina crisis hotline doubled. In April, event staff at a Cruz event kicked a transgender teen out of the event for no reason. However, while Cruz supports HB2, companies like Target and PayPal, celebrities like Bruce Springsteen and several activists from inside and outside the transgender community have spoken out against it and some have even taken selfies against it. The Obama administration has given CNNs Peter Bergen unprecedented access to the White House for a special commemorating the fifth anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden. Bergen wasnt a random choice; hes one of the only Western journalists to have met the al Qaeda leader when he was alive. We did not seek this out. [The White House] sought us out. They wanted to give the interview to me, Bergen told TheWrap. Bergen is CNNs national security analyst who interviewed bin Laden back in 1997, one of only two interviews the terrorist mastermind ever granted to Western TV news organizations. We Got Him, the special that Obama hand-picked Bergen to host, airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 PT. Also Read: Why CNN's Clarissa Ward May Be the Biggest Badass in Cable News When Bergen met the al Qaeda leader nearly 20 years ago, he didnt know what to expect. I wasnt very clear what he was going to look like. He was very tall. He spoke relatively quietly. I thought he might be a table-thumping revolutionary, but he carried himself like a cleric, Bergen said. He seemed very well informed and intelligent. The people around him hung on his every word. Bergen was blindfolded and brought to Afghanistan via Pakistan, driving through remote mountains and stripped of all equipment. Al Qaeda actually provided the camera that was used to film the interview and Bergens crew wasnt allowed to bring anything along except the clothes they showed up wearing. He declared war on the United States during this interview, the first time he had done so to a Western audience, Bergen said before explaining that he never thought the terrorist would be capable of a 9/11-type attack. Also Read: CNN Takes Viewers Back to 1986 With VR, Studio Re-Creation of Challenger Explosion Its one thing to understand that they had a desire to attack the United States, but another thing to imagine what happened on 9/11, Bergen said. While meeting with bin Laden is obviously extremely rare, Bergens interview with President Obama was fairly unique itself. Bergen visited the White House last Thursday to tape tonights special. Story continues We sat down with President Obama in the situation room, which is highly unusual, to do an interview there, he explained. President Obama walked Bergen through the process by which he decided to authorize the raid, which ultimately led to bin Ladens death. The president explained that multiple risks were involved, from SEALs getting captured to bin Laden not even being at the compound. Also Read: White House Correspondents' Dinner: Obama's 11 Best Jokes About Trump, Clinton and More It was obviously a risky decision that worked out well, Bergen said. After Obama chatted with Bergen in the main Situation Room, the two moved to its smaller version, where the infamous photo was taken of the president and his cabinet as they watched the raid unfold. Apparently, technical difficulties forced them to switch rooms on the night of the raid and Obama mimicked the situation, moving Bergens interview to the backup Situation Room. Its a room thats not larger than two or three closets, Bergen said. They crammed in there because in the main situation room they couldnt see [live footage] of the raid. They were able to get a video feed in the smaller room. When they heard word bin Laden was killed in action, President Obama simply said, We got him. Despite having met bin Laden in person, Bergen treated the raid as a typical news event. Also Read: Sorry, Mainstream Media - President Obama Grants Interview to College Newspaper Its not like I had a warm and fuzzy relationship with him, he says. Bergen probably feels a little warmer and fuzzier when it comes to Obama, calling the opportunity to produce this special gratifying and amazing. Related stories from TheWrap: CNN, Fox News Enjoy April Ratings Bumps Thanks to Political Coverage Even Syrians Are Obsessed With Donald Trump, CNN's Clarissa Ward Says Why CNN's Clarissa Ward May Be the Biggest Badass in Cable News From Esquire Is this the best local news clip that ever happened? It's a tough call, but it deserves consideration. First, there's the story itself: Chris Gaither is an 11-year-old from Talladega, Alabama. Chris was home alone on Wednesday morning when a burglar broke into his house. Chris's response to this home invasion was to grab a nine-millimeter handgun, fire (and miss) 11 shots at the burglar as he ran for the hills, and finally hit him with a "full metal jacket" bullet as he tried to climb a fence at the edge of the property. Then there's how it all was reported. There's the one-on-one interview with an 11-year-old in front of some car. There's the hokey local news narrating, complete with the pronunciation of bullets (boo-letts) and the clarification that although this burglar had robbed the family before, they don't know the guy. Also, they really captured the basset hound sign well: Then there was Chris's description of the decisive moment: "It went straight through the back of him, in his leg. And he started crying like a little baby." "A baby....that learned his lesson," the reporter quipped. To top it all off, Chris addressed the camera and offered a chilling message: "I hope you learned your lesson for comin' to this house trying to steal stuff." [H/T: Mandatory, WVTM] By David Bailey (Reuters) - Colorado's Supreme Court on Monday struck down voter-approved bans on fracking and the storage of fracking waste within the cities of Fort Collins and Longmont, ruling they conflicted with state law. Voters in Longmont approved a ban in 2012, while voters about 30 miles north in Fort Collins approved a five-year moratorium in November 2013, drawing legal challenges from the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, an industry trade group. Lower courts subsequently sided with the association, invalidating the Fort Collins moratorium and the Longmont ban. The Colorado Supreme Court affirmed the rulings in separate decisions. Justice Richard Gabriel said the Longmont ban could result in uneven and potentially wasteful oil and gas production and affect the rights of the owners of those interests. The decisions in Colorado are the latest rulings on attempts to curb the hotly contested oil and gas extraction process known as fracking through popular votes. In Denton, Texas, for example, voters approved a hydraulic fracturing ban in 2014 that prompted lawsuits by a Texas industry trade group and bills in the Texas legislature that eventually led to a state law that prohibited cities from interfering. The Colorado Supreme Court found the Longmont ban and Fort Collins moratorium operationally conflict with the application of the state's Oil and Gas Conservation Act. If left in place, the Longmont ban "could ultimately lead to a patchwork of regulation that would inhibit the efficient development of oil and gas resources," Gabriel wrote. As was the case with the Longmont case, Gabriel said, the Fort Collins moratorium would render the state's statutes and regulatory scheme superfluous for at least a lengthy period, materially impeding Colorado's interests in efficient development of oil and gas resources. Gabriel noted that proponents of fracking tout the economic advantages of extracting previously inaccessible oil and gas and opponents warn of health risks and environmental damage, but he said the cases did not hinge on deciding if either side was correct. Story continues Dan Haley, chief executive of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, said the rulings send a strong message. "Bans and moratoriums on oil and gas are not a reasonable or responsible way to address local concerns," he said. The Sierra Club, which intervened in the Longmont case, called the decisions deeply unsettling. (Reporting by David Bailey in Minneapolis; Editing by Steve Orlofsky) For Ted Cruz, it all comes down to Indiana. Tuesdays primary is a crossroads for the GOP race: Will the party look to continue the battle to stop Donald Trumps nomination with a contested convention, or is it ready to start rallying behind him? Cruz, who trails by as much as 15 points in recent surveys is betting it all on the state, amid a fundraising crunch and an exhausting schedule. His hail Mary selection of a running-mate before the primary, combined with the backing of the states governor, Mike Pence, could help narrow the gap in the final daysor, like most traditional endorsements, fall by the wayside in the year of Trump. Trump, meanwhile, is growing confident about his chances, predicting a swift end to the fighting. If Trump pulls off another win, hell be on a clear path to winning 1,237 delegates before the convention. Meanwhile, Cruzs efforts to woo delegates for a potential contested convention continues to show signs of success and indications that his success might not hold should he continue losing states. In Arizona and Virginia this weekend, Cruzs team secured slots for their loyalists over Trumps, boosting their second-ballot odds. Additionally, in New Hampshire, anti-Trump forces locked down slots on the influential convention committees, which will govern the gathering in Cleveland. But it may all be for nothing, as some delegates who are backing Cruz are softening their opposition to Trump as he moves closer to the nomination. Bernie Sanders vaunted fundraising operation slowed down in April, raising $20 million less than the prior month and putting him at parity with Hillary Clinton for the first time in months. Both raised about $26 million for their campaigns, with Clinton raising a further $10 million for the Democratic Party. In a Sunday press conference, Sanders tried to argue that he has a narrow path to victory, calling on super-delegates from states that backed him to switch their allegiance. Short of that, Sanders stands to be mathematically eliminated from the nomination as soon as this week, and top aides are already contemplating how to bring about a rapprochement with the Clinton campaign. Story continues President Obama made his final appearance at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Attorney General Loretta Lynch visits a prison. And why Marco Rubio isnt backing Cruz. Here are your must-reads: Must Reads Ted Cruz Doubles Down on Indiana as Campaign Struggles TIMEs Philip Elliott on the embattled candidates turnaround promise A Confident Trump Seeks Knockout of Cruz in Indiana Ahead in polls, Trump eyes victory [Associated Press] Attorney General Loretta Lynch Gets a Glimpse of Life on the Inside TIMEs Maya Rhodan follows the nations top law enforcement official to prison Ted Cruzs Support Softens Among the Delegates He Courted Throwing convention strategy into doubt [New York Times] Trump Rallies Leave Some Cities With a Security Bill A week of violent protests spotlights funding challenges [Wall Street Journal] Sound Off We cant continue to allow China to rape our country. And thats what theyre doing. Donald Trump at an Indiana rally Sunday Youve got to admit it, though, Hillary trying to appeal to young voters is a little bit like your relative just signed up for Facebook. Dear America, did you get my poke?' President Obama at his final White House Correspondents Dinner Bits and Bites Ted Cruz Refuses to Say He Wont Support Donald Trump [NBC] Attorney General Says Bathroom Bills Show Change Is Difficult [TIME] Watch President Obamas Full Routine at the White House Correspondents Dinner [TIME] Michael Bloomberg Blasts Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders in Commencement Speech [TIME] Bob Knight Explains Why He Endorsed Donald Trump [TIME] Indiana Gov. Mike Pence Endorses Ted Cruz [TIME] Why Rubio Hasnt Endorsed Cruz [Politico] Sanders Renews Push for Superdelegates [Wall Street Journal] By Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It's a U.S. taxpayer's dream: make the Internal Revenue Service go away, and the largest conservative group in Congress is endorsing just that. The Republican Study Committee, which counts over two-thirds of House of Representatives Republicans as its members, called recently for "the complete elimination of the IRS." The committee's support for this idea, once confined to the fringes of conservative ideology, suggests it is more widely accepted on Capitol Hill than ever. But many in Washington, including some Republicans, have trouble taking it seriously. Calls to abolish the IRS have not been well thought through, Republican Representative Charles Boustany said in an interview. Before we start making blanket statements about abolishing the IRS, I think its important to focus on what the tax code for the 21st century should look like," said Boustany, who does not belong to the 172-member study committee. In an election year of dramatic rhetoric that is often short on details, the committee's proposal, released April 22 and echoing language from a March budget plan, is brief. As part of a wider appeal for federal tax reform, the committee says simply: "This proposal takes the bold step of calling for the complete elimination of the IRS. Tax collection and enforcement activities would be moved to a new, smaller and more accountable department at the Treasury." No further specifics were offered for how to replace an agency that is already part of the Treasury, collected $3.3 trillion in revenue in 2015 and processed 240 million tax returns. Texas Representative Bill Flores, chairman of the study committee, was not available for comment. His spokeswoman Caitlin Carroll said the IRS closure proposal should be seen as part of a larger push for comprehensive tax reform. Matthew Gardner, head of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a tax research group, said most tax reform plans would still need a tax collector with enforcement powers. "It's hard to imagine a situation in which we wouldn't need a sophisticated tax collection and enforcement capacity," he said. "We are in an election year, and bashing the IRS is particularly attractive in an election year," said Steven Rosenthal, senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center think-tank. From a global perspective, the IRS does a good job, he said, noting that U.S. income tax compliance is about 82 percent, one of the highest levels in the world. Still, in the United States, antipathy for the IRS is widespread and long-standing. One of Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz's biggest applause lines on the campaign trail is, "Imagine abolishing the IRS!" 'SOUNDS TRUMPISH' Asked recently about Cruz's line and calls to close the agency, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said: "If you want to call it something other than the IRS and that makes you feel better, that's OK with me. But ultimately you got to have somebody somewhere who collects the information, audits it and makes sure its accurate and valid and collects the funding." Cruz's tax plan, unveiled in November, would create a flat 10 percent individual income tax and junk the present tax brackets. High-income households would benefit the most under his plan, according to the Tax Policy Center, a joint venture of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution. Some Democrats scoff at the IRS closure proposal. "If there are problems at the IRS ... we can straighten it out," said Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings. He added that Republicans should be wary of advocating an idea that "sounds Trumpish." Donald Trump, the anti-establishment front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, has not called for abolition of the IRS. Congress has cut the IRS' budget 17 percent in real terms since 2010. In mid-April, the House approved several IRS-bashing bills, including one to prevent it from making new hires until the Treasury certifies no agency employees are seriously delinquent on taxes themselves. That bill and another one that would prevent the IRS from spending user fees it collects without congressional approval have been placed on the Senate calendar by Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. This means they can be brought up for debate and a vote, although no action has been set on either proposal. The IRS has long been a congressional punching bag. But Republicans have been hitting it harder since the IRS several years ago applied extra scrutiny to conservative groups' applications for tax-exempt status between 2010 and 2012. Republican Representative Rob Woodall of Georgia has introduced a bill every year since he entered Congress in 2011 to eliminate income taxes and abolish the IRS. Support for Woodall's bill has grown to 73 co-sponsors, including the heads of the House tax and budget committees, but it has never advanced. Nor has a similar bill in the Senate. It was unclear how House Speaker Paul Ryan would treat the study committee's proposal in drafting a party policy agenda ahead of the Republican convention in Cleveland in July. "The speaker welcomes input from the RSC and all members of our conference," said Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong. Ryan has sidestepped calls for abolishing the IRS in the past, while frequently criticizing the agency. (Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh, David Gregorio and Dan Grebler) A projectile, reportedly fired from Syria, has killed one person in Turkey's southeastern border province of Kilis, Anadolu agency reported citing local sources. According to sources speaking anonymously, one rocket landed Monday evening in Peace Street in the Kazim Karabekir neighborhood. Eighteen-year-old Syrian national Nur Dervis was killed. Fellow Syrian Emine Asseni, 36, and Turkish national Mustafa Mutluer, 31, were wounded and taken to Kilis State Hospital. According to military sources, Turkish artillery fired on Daesh positions in Suran, Arshak, Ikdakh and Ihtimalat regions on the Syrian side of the border in retaliation, killing 50 Daesh terrorists. This latest death follows similar attacks Sunday, when eight people were injured after four rockets landed in the same area, prompting a return of fire across the border by the Turkish military. Kilis lies six kilometers (four miles) from the Syrian border. Turkey has been under indiscriminate rocket attack from inside Syria since mid-January. In Kilis province alone, a total of 20 people have been killed and 60 others have been wounded as a result. Copa Holdings SA CPA is scheduled to release first-quarter 2016 results on May 5, after market close. In the last quarter, the company posted a positive 10.61% earnings surprise. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Why a Likely Positive Surprise? Our proven model shows that Copa Holdings is likely to beat earnings because it has the right combination of two key ingredients. Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP for the company stand at +8.7% because the Most Accurate estimate is $1.50 while the Zacks Consensus Estimate is lower at $1.38. This serves as a meaningful and leading indicator of a likely positive earnings surprise. Zacks Rank: Copa Holdings currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Note that stocks with a Zacks Rank #1, 2 or 3 have a significantly higher chance of beating earnings.Conversely, the Sell-rated stocks (Zacks Rank #4 and 5) should never be considered going into an earnings announcement. The combination of Copa Holdings Zacks Rank #3 and +8.7% ESP makes us reasonably confident of an earnings beat. What's Driving the Better-than-Expected Earnings? Despite the softness in the Brazilian economy and the weakening of real against the strong U.S. dollar, the carrier is set to gain from the increase in air travel demand. Moreover, Rio Olympic Games, scheduled to start this August, is likely to boost pre-bookings of tickets for the carrier. Copa Holdings recently reported a healthy increase in traffic for March. Load factor (% of seats filled by passengers) declined in the month as capacity contracted while traffic imcreased. The carrier also reported an increase in February traffic. We expect the trend to continue when the carrier reports its first-quarter results Other Stocks to Consider Here are some other companies you may want to consider as our model shows these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter. ACI Worldwide, Inc. ACIW, with an earnings ESP of 12.5% and a Zacks Rank #3. Story continues Time Warner Inc. TWX, with an Earnings ESP of +1.55% and a Zacks Rank #3. Cinemark Holdings, Inc. CNK, with an Earnings ESP of +2.13% and a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report COPA HLDGS SA-A (CPA): Free Stock Analysis Report TIME WARNER INC (TWX): Free Stock Analysis Report ACI WORLDWIDE (ACIW): Free Stock Analysis Report CINEMARK HLDGS (CNK): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research BEDMINSTER, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / May 2, 2016 / CorMedix Inc. (NYSE MKT: CRMD), a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapeutic products for the prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory disease, announced today the appointment of Myron Kaplan, to serve on CorMedix's Board of Directors. Mr. Kaplan brings to the Board extensive legal and business experience from his decades of work representing hedge funds and public and private businesses in a wide array of industries as outside general counsel and special counsel, and service as a director for a number of public and private companies and nonprofit organizations. Randy Milby, CorMedix CEO, said, "Myron's extensive and deep well of knowledge will be an asset to CorMedix, where we are executing on multiple initiatives that are expected to add value for the Company. We are looking forward to continuing the current U.S. Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of Neutrolin in hemodialysis patients, receiving results and to finalizing the pathway for FDA approval. We are also learning a great deal about how Neutrolin performs in a real world setting based on our commercial experience in Europe. Finally, the encouraging data we are generating for taurolidine as a potent antimicrobial component of medical materials and devices is expected to lead to development partnerships. Myron's wide range of expertise can help guide CorMedix to success in our current and future endeavors." Myron Kaplan, stated, "I am excited to be joining CorMedix as it continues to develop and commercialize its novel solutions for the prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases. I look forward to working with the other members of the Board and management in creating value for stockholders." Myron Kaplan is a founding partner of Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen, P.C., where he has practiced corporate and securities law for more than forty years. Among other responsibilities at the firm, Mr. Kaplan represents hedge funds and other companies in a broad spectrum of industries and works on financings, mergers and acquisitions, governance and compensation issues, distribution and license agreements and joint ventures. In 2012, Mr. Kaplan became a trustee of the Lehman Brothers Plan Holding Trust. He has served as a Director of a number of public companies and nonprofit organizations. Previously, he served as a member of the board of directors of SAirGroup Finance (USA) Inc., a subsidiary of SAirGroup that had publicly issued debt securities, Trans World Airlines, Inc. and Kitty Hawk, Inc. Mr. Kaplan graduated from Columbia College and holds a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. The appointment was made upon the request of Manchester Securities Corp., or Manchester, which partially exercised its right to appoint up to two members to our Board of Directors. Manchester holds the Board appointment rights pursuant to a letter agreement, dated March 3, 2015, between us and Manchester, which letter agreement was entered into as part of the backstop financing made available to us by Manchester in March 2015. About CorMedix Inc. CorMedix Inc. is an emerging commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company that initiated a Phase 3 clinical study of a novel anti-infective solution, Neutrolin in hemodialysis patients in the United States in December 2015. The Company seeks to in-license, develop and commercialize therapeutic products for the prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases. CorMedix's first commercial product in Europe is Neutrolin, a catheter lock solution for the prevention of catheter related bloodstream infections and maintenance of catheter patency in tunneled, cuffed, central venous catheters used for vascular access in hemodialysis patients, in addition to oncology patients, critical care patients, and patients receiving total parenteral nutrition, IV hydration, and/or IV medications. The FDA has granted Fast Track status to Neutrolin Catheter Lock Solution and also has designated Neutrolin as a Qualified Infectious Disease Product for oncology, hemodialysis, and critical care/intensive care patients, where catheter-related blood stream infections and clotting can be life-threatening. The initial and planned indications aim to address significant needs in catheter-based treatments in the U.S. and the rest of the world. For more information visit: www.cormedix.com. For Investors & Media: CorMedix Maureen McEnroe, CFA: Maureen@machealthcare.com; (914) 588-1873 Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc. Joshua Drumm, Ph.D.: jdrumm@tiberend.com; (212) 375-2664 Janine McCargo: jmccargo@tiberend.com; (646) 604-5150 Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, regarding management's expectations, beliefs, goals, plans or CorMedix's prospects, future financial position, financing plans, future revenues and projected costs should be considered forward-looking. Readers are cautioned that actual results may differ materially from projections or estimates due to a variety of important factors, including: the results of studies regarding Neutrolin conducted by us and others; the cost, timing and results of the planned Phase 3 trials for Neutrolin in the U.S.; obtaining regulatory approvals to conduct clinical trials and to commercialize CorMedix's product candidates, including marketing of Neutrolin in countries other than Europe; obtaining additional financing to support CorMedix's research and development and clinical activities and operations; the risks associated with the launch of Neutrolin in new markets; CorMedix's ability to enter into, execute upon and maintain collaborations with third parties for its development and marketing programs; CorMedix's ability to maintain its listing on the NYSE MKT; the risks and uncertainties associated with CorMedix's ability to manage its limited cash resources; the outcome of clinical trials of CorMedix's product candidates and whether they demonstrate these candidates' safety and effectiveness; CorMedix's ability to identify and enter into strategic transactions; CorMedix's dependence on its collaborations and its license relationships; achieving milestones under CorMedix's collaborations; CorMedix's dependence on preclinical and clinical investigators, preclinical and clinical research organizations, manufacturers, sales and marketing organizations, and consultants; and protecting the intellectual property developed by or licensed to CorMedix. These and other risks are described in greater detail in CorMedix's filings with the SEC, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or upon request from CorMedix. CorMedix may not actually achieve the goals or plans described in its forward-looking statements, and investors should not place undue reliance on these statements. CorMedix assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. SOURCE: CorMedix Inc. Brasilia (AFP) - Brazil's chief prosecutor asked the Supreme Court Monday to authorize a corruption investigation of opposition leader Aecio Neves, one of embattled President Dilma Rousseff's top rivals. Chief prosecutor Rodrigo Janot wants to investigate Neves over allegations he took bribes from a corruption scheme at a state electric company, a case linked to a wider scandal centered on state oil giant Petrobras that is also hurting Rousseff's political future, an adviser to the prosecutor told AFP. The case stems from accusations by Senator Delcidio do Amaral, who agreed to cooperate with investigators after being arrested in the Petrobras probe. He said Neves received bribes from a corruption scheme at electric company Furnas that allegedly worked in much the same way as the Petrobras operation. In that case, investigators say construction firms bribed corrupt Petrobras executives and politicians to let them divvy up contracts with the company and overbill it by billions of dollars. Neves's office said the senator had done nothing wrong. "References to Senator Aecio's name are all based on hearsay, there is no proof or evidence of any irregularity," an adviser told journalists. "These are old questions that have already been the subject of previous investigations, which were thrown out, or questions that have no relation to the senator." Neves, the head of the center-right PSDB party, narrowly lost to Rousseff in the 2014 presidential election. The case comes as speculation swirls over who could be Brazil's next president, with Rousseff facing likely impeachment before the senate. The leftist president is accused in the impeachment case of illegally doctoring the government's accounts. But she is also under fire over a deep recession and the explosive, far-reaching Petrobras scandal -- even though she has not been implicated in that personally. A recent poll put Neves in second place if early elections were to be held to resolve the political crisis, as 62 percent of Brazilians want. Environmentalist Marina Silva was in first place with 39 percent, seven points ahead of Neves. In less unique election years, little to no national attention is given to statewide party conventions, where state party leaders and activists meet to discuss various issues, put forth a platform, and conduct other official state party business. Earlier this month however, the Colorado GOP state convention made national headlines after Ted Cruz swept the delegate allocation that was determined at the convention without a popular election. More recently, some attention has shifted to the upcoming Republican state convention in Texas, which will take place May 12th-14th. While the allocation of delegates from Texas to the GOP national convention was determined in the states March 1st primary, the emerging controversy surrounding the convention is about a debate over a pro-Texas secession plank to the party platform. Earlier this year, 270 county conventions took place across Texas, and at least 10 counties passed resolutions to adopt a pro-secession platform. Texas GOP party officials fear that this support and momentum will force them to hold an official vote at the state convention on whether to include a pro-secession plank in the state GOP platform. While one-in-three Texans think that the state has the right to secede, a vast majority of those polled would chose to stay in the United States if they were voting on the issue. Activists submitted to the White House a petition for Texas secession with over 100,000 signatures in 2012, and they have recently tried other political means to advance their movement. Pro-secession activists are inspired in part by Texas history and are aggrieved by what they see as misconduct by the federal government. Before 1836, Texas was a Mexican province, but seceded for various reasons, including a slavery ban in Mexico and geographical proximity to and important trade relations with the United States. After existing as the independent Republic of Texas for 9 years, Texas was ultimately admitted as a state in 1845, which precipitated the Mexican-American War. Story continues Today, pro-secession activists lament various actions by the federal government that meddle with the lives, liberty, and property of the people of Texas. While secession is scoffed at by mainstream Texas politicians and by the GOP party establishment, Texas current suit against the Obama administrations executive actions on immigration makes similar complaints about putative burdens that the federal government is foisting upon the state. Of course, the debate over whether states can secede from the United States was officially put to an end by the Civil War. During his first Inaugural Address, President Abraham Lincoln declared that no state, upon its own mere notion, can lawfully get out of the Unionin view of the Constitution and the laws, the Union is unbroken. After the war, the Supreme Court endorsed Lincolns view on the constitutionality of secession. In 1868 Texas was a party to a case before the Court, Texas v. White, where the Court ruled that when Texas became one of the United States, she entered into an indissoluble relation. The Court put to rest any 10th amendment claims that states retain the right to leave the Union as they please, as Chief Justice Salmon Chase wrote that the Constitution, in all its provisions, looks to an indestructible Union. Despite this, pro-secession activists point to the Texas state constitution as a legal justification for secession, deny the legitimacy of the 1868 Supreme Court ruling, and draw inspiration from the Declaration of Independence. Back in 2012, the National Constitution Centers constitutional literacy adviser Lyle Denniston wrote for us about the Texas secession debate, and the possibility that Texas could leave the United States if it had permission from the other 49 states. Dennistion said Texas v. White made voluntary secession with permission impractical without a constitutional amendment granting the government the power to let Texas go. In order to overrule Texas v. White by constitutional amendment, a secession proposal would have to modify the very Preamble of the Constitution, in which the nations people created a more perfect Union, and would have to wipe out the guarantee in Article IV of a republican form of government in each state, he said. Historical Stories on Constitution Daily Forgotten facts about George Washingtons private life The most underrated Founding Father: Oliver Ellsworth? 50 interesting facts about Abraham Lincolns life 10 surprising birthday facts about President James Monroe That tight ponytail can cause hair loss. (Photo: Getty Images) If youre addicted to ponytails, braids, or weaves, you might want to let your hair loose for a while. According to a new study review published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, researchers found strong ties between tightly wound styles and hair loss. Johns Hopkins University researchers were interested in figuring out whether certain types of hairstyles contributed to the development of traction alopecia (TA), a diagnosis of exclusion common among African-Americans. As many as one-third of African-American women may suffer from the condition, which is characterized by gradual hair loss when the follicle is repeatedly damaged or the root is continually stressed. The researchers reviewed 19 studies on hair loss and found a strong association between certain hair-stressing dos and TA. They identified a variety of common styles that may lead to the condition, breaking them up into high-risk, moderate-risk, and low-risk styles. Related: Why Bouncy Blowout Hair Is Over Tight ponytails, tight buns, braids, dreadlocks, weaves, extensions, and chemical straightening were among the high-risk group. Moderate-risk hairstyles included thermal straightening, permanent weaving, and wigs with clips and hairline adhesives. Low-risk styles were loose updos and natural hairstyles. According to Gary Goldenberg, MD, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, different styles can damage hair in a number of ways. Long-term use of certain techniques and chemicals can damage the root of the hair, causing hair loss, he tells Yahoo Beauty. Hairstyles can also damage the hair over time when they pull the hair too tight. This can damage the hair itself, and also damage the root over time. The most recent review focused primarily on African-American women and their hairstyles, since TA is most common among this group of women. However, Goldenberg says styling the hair in the stressful manners listed can be detrimental for women of any race and ultimately lead to hair loss. Story continues Related: Hair Talk: Ken Paves and Larry Sims You dont have to give up your favorite tight hairstyle forever, though, says Goldenberg. Just be smart about maintaining the health of your mane. Varying your hairstyle is important, he explains. I also recommend patients prolong the period of time between chemical treatments, or stop them completely. So if its a ballerina bun on Monday, let your hair go loose and natural on Tuesday. The less you stress your strands, the better. Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. If someone wants to find out who you are online, it's not a question of if they can. It's just a question of when. For years, the press dizzied itself looking for the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of bitcoin. Now, he's sick of hiding. Australian computer scientist Craig Wright declared Monday he is Nakamoto, providing evidence by signing a block of text with the cryptographic key allegedly used by Nakamoto in early bitcoin transactions. "There are lots of stories out there that have been made up and I don't like it hurting those people I care about," Wright told the BBC. "I don't want any of them to be impacted by this." Many suspect Nakamoto has amassed about 1 million bitcoins, which is worth about $450 million. So when Wright was outed last year by W Australian tax authorities began investigating him. Outing himself could be a precautionary measure to protect him from a widespread fraud investigation. Unmasked, maybe? Bitcoin aficionados and the cryptography community have strong doubts about Wright's claim that he's Nakamoto. Even the verification Wright provided so far isn't enough for the bitcoin community, since Wright isn't providing a robust body of new evidence. Bitcoin developer Peter Todd told Fortune the new proof Wright provided is "like photocopying someone else's signature on a publicly available document and claiming it's proof you are them." I'll believe Craig Wright when he signs a message with Satoshi's key in public, not at a secret meeting with the BBC @rowhoop Signing "Craig Wright, Satoshi" would be enough. Until that is done, he is not Satoshi. Craig Wright is NOT #SatoshiNakamoto. He just reused a publicly available signature with block 9 key. Sign "CW is Satoshi" if you can! In that case, the real Nakamoto is, incredibly, still out there anonymously, sitting on half a billion dollars and shaking his damn head at us. The 1970s rule as far as the Directors Guild of America is concerned. In a poll of DGA members (published last week) taken to identify the 80 best-directed films made in the 80 years since the guild's founding in 1936, 18 of the chosen movies were released during the decade of the so-called New Hollywood, a period when a significant number of the guild's current membership were in their formative years or ramping up their careers. Francis Ford Coppola, who on Friday planted his hand-and-footprints in the cement in the forecourt of the hallowed Chinese Theater, dominated that decade and the list itself by placing three films in the top 10: The Godfather, which is No. 1; The Godfather Part II, at No. 6; and Apocalypse Now right behind in seventh place. Another of the so-called Movie Brats, Steven Spielberg, tied Stanley Kubrick for most titles on the list with five apiece. The most startling bit of information in the DGA's announcement is that only 13.7 percent of the membership voted in the poll, or 2,189 people. Why so shy or lazy? I've got to think that a much higher percentage votes for the annual guild awards. Putting together lists like this can be fun, so I wish more of this knowledgeable group had participated and thereby given the results a bit more weight. But tallies like this always strike sparks in different ways and can be interesting to break them down. The mid-century decades dominated, with the 1950s rating 14 titles and the 1960s notching 13. By contrast, the venerated 1930s slipped in just two films, and from 1939 at that, the inevitable Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, both directed by Victor Fleming. The 1940s did a bit better, with nine classics in the mix, led by Citizen Kane at No. 2, Casablanca at No. 5 and It's A Wonderful Life at No. 15. On the other end of the spectrum, the membership has been reluctant to quickly anoint films made in this century as all-time classics. Only four films released since 2000 made the list, and they're all in the lower realms of the ranking: Avatar, The Hurt Locker, There Will Be Blood and Birdman. Story continues The DGA has been parsimonious, to say the least, in its consideration of foreign-language films, including only two Kurosawa classics - Rashomon and Seven Samurai - and four Italian features - 8 , The Conformist, The Bicycle Thief and Cinema Paradiso. No French or Swedish films, nothing from Germany, Spain or anywhere else. No Bergman, Bunuel, Renoir, Truffaut, Godard, Visconti, Antonioni and so many others. By largely ignoring the 1930s and opening the door just a bit more on the 1940s, the guild also snubbed quite a few of the great Hollywood masters, including Hawks, Lubitsch, Sturges, Cukor, Minnelli, Preminger and multiple Oscar winners such as McCarey, Stevens and Zinnemann. Also left out entirely were some of the most successful and/or acclaimed filmmakers of the late 1960s and 1970s, such as Penn, Altman, Frankenheimer (no The Manchurian Candidate?), Friedkin and Bogdanovich. And then there are some of the top directors of the past 20 years or so who went similarly unmentioned: David Fincher, Terrence Malick, David Lynch, Oliver Stone, Michael Mann, Steven Soderbergh, Wes Anderson and Ang Lee. And there are no genuine film noirs, which I thought might have crept onto such a list by this time. Combing through the rundown a third and fourth time, I was surprised by the durability of certain Oscar-garlanded titles that I thought no one cared much about anymore, such as Doctor Zhivago, The Sting, Gandhi, Cinema Paradiso and Forrest Gump. I was stunned that, if two Sergio Leone films were going to make the list, one of them would be cumbersome and little-seen-in-its-day Once Upon a Time in America. It's beyond my imagination that The Shawshank Redemption is rated by the rank-and-file as the 17th best-directed film of the past 80 years. And what is it about Birdman that made it the only film released over the past seven years to rate a mention? Now if only the remaining 86.3 percent of the guild would name its favorites, we might have something to go on. Turkish security forces have foiled almost 50 would-be suicide attacks in the country since January, a senior government minister has said, according to Anadolu agency. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Monday that out of a total of 85 foiled attacks, 49 were suicide plots. Speaking to the media following a cabinet meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential palace in capital Ankara, Kurtulmus the efforts to foil such attacks were seen as a "highly important measure in terms of fighting terrorism in Turkey". Speaking separately on Monday, Interior Minister Efkan Ala said forensic evidence had revealed the identity of a female suicide bomber who blew herself up in a Turkish city last week. Ala said 24-year-old Eser Cali had been a member of the terrorist PKK group. Turkey has been scene of a series of suicide bomb attacks from both Daesh and PKK terrorist organizations this year. Turkey takes part in an international coalition against the Daesh group and has also been fighting the PKK which resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state last July. Last week's attack in Bursa targeted the entrance of a historic bazaar in the northwestern city, killing the bomber and injuring 20 people. In mid-March, a car bomb targeted a major transport hub in the capital which includes Ankara's busiest metro station and dozens of bus stops. The blast left 37 people dead and dozens of others injured. Rather than getting a ticket, this young fire department paramedic walked away from a traffic stop with an engagement ring. Sarah Stewart, 22, was driving through Rapid City, South Dakota on April 27 when she was pulled over by a police officer on a residential street. Read: Bride and Groom Say 'I Do' in The Kmart Toy Aisle, Where They First Met Police dash cam footage shows Rapid City Senior Officer Dan Anderson walking up to her minivan and asking her to step outside. Then she realized he wasn't alone. Her boyfriend, 23-year-old Officer Nick Allender, got out of the cruiser and took a ring box from Anderson before dropping to his knee. "Sarah, you make me so happy and I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you please marry me?" he asked her, the dash cam footage shows. She said yes. The police department shared footage of the proposal on Facebook. Brendyn Medina, a spokesperson for the Rapid City Police Department, told InsideEdition.com that only a few officers knew what Officer Allender, who's been with the department since 2014, had planned. But now that word has spread, they couldn't be happier. Read: This Guy Made His Girlfriend Climb Up 100ft Mast for an Over the Top Proposal The Rapid City Police Department is bursting with excitement about the proposal," he said. "As soon as we learned the proposal had been captured on the in-car video, we knew we had to share it. This sort of nation-wide attention goes a long way to help the public recognize the human side of the public servants that protect our communities every day. "Our agency, along with the Rapid City Fire Department, couldnt be happier for Nick and Sarah. Medina added that Senior Officer Anderson proposed to his wife in a similar way a few years ago "so it was fitting that Anderson helps Officer Allender do the same." Watch: Koala Helps Man's Wild Proposal Story continues Related Articles: From Esquire Ron Miscavige, father of Scientology's controversial leader David Miscavige, spoke out against the church and his son on ABC's 20/20 Friday night. The most interesting moments were when former Scientologists talked about living in (and escaping) the prison-like Gold Base where some members live and work in service of the church. The Miscavige family joined the Church of Scientology when David Miscavige was young. Though Ron was the one initially interested in the religion, David took to the church immediately, claiming the Scientology practice of auditing cured him of asthma that afflicted him as a child. The founder of the church, L. Ron Hubbard, took David under his wing and David quickly became distanced from his family. The family, however, remained members of the church and even moved to Gold Base, a Scientology compound with a prison-like atmosphere and long, grueling work hours. "[Gold Base is] a compoundwhere your mail going out is read before its seal and sent out, where before you get your mail, it's opened and read before you get it," Ron told 20/20. "Phone calls, you're on the phone, somebody else is listening on an extension." Though the church claims Gold Base residents can leave at any time, former Gold Base security guard Gary Morehead told a different story: "I used to have to keep a statistic which is a printed out graph of security threats, and that was the people who wanted to leave or the people who had left that we brought back and were undergoing handling." One morning, Ron and his wife Becky left the compound under the guise of going to a music studio and never returned. Former Scientologist Leah Remini offered to let David Miscavige's family live with her until they were able to find a home of their own. But they had not escaped the church entirely. David Miscavige hired private investigators to follow Ron Miscavige's every move for years after his escape. A representative for Scientology claimed the investigators were hired by church lawyers and not David. Ron Miscavige's memoir about his son and time in the church, Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me, will be released on May 3. Malia Obama may be going to Harvard, but the brainy 17-year-old is in no rush. Shes taking a gap year before enrolling with the freshman class of 2017, the White House announced Sunday. Theres a certain stigma around taking a year off before college in the U.S. images of slipper-clad teens binge-watching Netflix come to mind but there are plenty of higher education leaders who would love to see more American students follow in Malias footsteps. Proponents like the American Gap Association, a nonprofit that accredits some gap year programs in the U.S., argue that gap years help better prepare students for college and can even help them graduate faster. It takes most college students six years to complete a four-year degree, a trend often blamed on switching majors or transferring schools. When students have time to try their hand at different professions or areas of study before they choose a major, they may avoid the kind of costly academic changes that can delay graduation. A gap year is structured and intentional time, says Andrea Wien, author of Gap to Great: The Parents Guide to a Gap Year. Theyre planning this out, setting goals and thinking about what types of activities theyre interested in when theyre not bound by obligations. Many colleges today allow students to defer their acceptance for up to one year, with certain requirements. For example, at Harvard, students arent allowed to earn any academic credit from another institution during their time off. Other schools, like Boston University and the University of Maryland, require students to make a nonrefundable deposit usually several hundred dollars to reserve their spot. (The AGA keeps a running list of school requirements on its website). One important point parents and students should know before planning a gap year is that it isnt a vacation. A gap year is really time where you can explore potential career opportunities, maybe travel and have some experiences outside of the bubble of the classroom, Wien says. Story continues Students can spend a gap year simply working a full-time job, but traditional gap years involve a mix of paid and volunteer work in a field that interests the student. Harvard University graduate Liza MacEachern, 24, broke her gap year into several chapters. She volunteered at a mix of nonprofits (Teach for America, Dress for Success), an orphanage, and spent several months working on a farm in Italy through a foundation called Spannocchia. Throughout her gap year, she earned extra cash by babysitting. Liza spent part of her gap year in Italy, working on an organic farm, before enrolling at Harvard University. I sort of reached this point where I wasnt looking forward to going to school, she told Yahoo Finance. I knew college was an important time so I reached a point where I decided I needed to take a year off. MacEachern started planning her gap year with her end goal a spring internship at an organic farm in Tuscany, Italy. See reached out to her network of family and friends to find enough volunteer work to flesh out the rest of the year. At volunteer gigs in Houston and Boston, she stayed with family to cover her housing. Her parents paid her way to Italy, and she earned money for food and housing by working 8-hour days on the farm. I just felt as a female that I was able to gain a lot of confidence in who I was and a more direct idea of what I wanted to do, she said. I had more responsibility for myself. Gap years can get expensive, costing families anywhere from $500 to as much as $50,000. The bills can especially skyrocket when students set their sights overseas. Parents may have saved for four years of school and an extra year is not really in their budget, Wien says. To help ease sticker shock, some schools, such as Florida State University, and gap year programs offer scholarship dollars. Theres a list of other gap year scholarships on Americangap.org. Another way organizations help reduce cost is by organizing home stays, group lodging with other volunteers, or arrangements where volunteers work for lodging and food. AmeriCorps takes volunteers ages 18 to 24 and provides a monthly living stipend. Like MacEachern, students can find internships or volunteer work close to home to save on housing and travel expenses. For parents, the hardest part about agreeing to a gap year is allowing their kid to break out of the traditional four-year school mold. A gap year is a good way to give a student some independence and build up their resilience, Wien says. If theyre faced with home sickness or failure, theyre going to have already had that experience when they start college. And theyve had to get through it on their own. After her gap year, McEachern went on to study human evolutionary biology, a branch of anthropology, and now works as an analyst for a Boston-based financial firm. Theres plenty of support for students and families planning a gap year online. Wien has launched her own Facebook community for so-called gappers and the AGA has a wealth of resources online. Check with your schools career services department for information as well. Mandi Woodruff is a reporter for Yahoo Finance and host of Brown Ambition, a weekly podcast about career, life and money. Read more: 9 little-known Amazon Prime perks Inside the secret world of womens tackle football See the laundry detergent ad that has everyone talking about gender roles COPENHAGEN/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Denmark extended temporary controls at its border with Germany on Monday, imposed to help control an influx of migrants, as the European Commission confirmed it would shortly authorize more such extensions within the passport-free Schengen zone. Seven members of the Schengen zone, including Germany and Denmark, have introduced temporary border controls after more than one million migrants entered the European Union last year, mostly via Greece. The European Commission, struggling to prevent the collapse of the Schengen accord, is expected this month to allow EU member states to retain the emergency border checks, which are due to expire in May, for a while longer. Denmark, which first introduced border checks on Jan. 4 in response to similar steps by its northern neighbor Sweden, said it had prolonged them by a further 30 days to June 2, citing concerns about illegal immigration. In Brussels, Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said: "By May 12 at the latest (the Commission) should have a decision ready which would allow (us) to prolong internal border controls under the Schengen Borders Code." "We have a decision on this ready for next Wednesday," she told a daily news briefing. Countries that first resorted to internal border checks blamed Greece - Europe's main point of entry for the refugees and migrants fleeing wars and poverty in the Middle East and Africa - for not controlling its part of Schengen's external border well enough. The Commission launched a procedure against Greece on that basis, which allows it to approve a further extension of the temporary border checks other countries have introduced. Brussels can authorize border checks inside Schengen to be in place for a maximum of two years in total. A European Commission source told Reuters it was leaning toward allowing their extension until November. The move will be welcomed by Germany, which had asked Brussels for the extension. Even though Greece has improved its record considerably since first being criticized by Brussels, there are still "some deficiencies" in its border management, Andreeva said. (Reporting by Ole Mikkelsen and Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Gareth Jones) (Reuters) - Detroit Public Schools closed nearly all of its 97 schools on Monday as hundreds of teachers called in sick to protest the cash-strapped city's revelation that it will soon run out of money to pay employees. The shutdown due to "teacher sickouts" was announced on the website for Michigan's largest public school system with 45,786 students, which has been under state control since 2009. Detroit Federation of Teachers Interim President Ivy Bailey said in a statement on Sunday that the district was "effectively locking our members out of the classrooms" by failing to guarantee that teachers will be paid once the fiscal year wraps up on June 30. "There's a basic agreement in America: When you put in a day's work, you'll receive a day's pay," Bailey said in a statement. The Michigan legislature approved $48.7 million in supplemental funding but that will allow the district to meet payroll only through the end of June, said Steven Rhodes, a former federal bankruptcy judge who is the schools' emergency manager. He urged state lawmakers to approve a $715 million rescue plan that would create a new Detroit Education Commission, with broad authority to control new school openings for the next five years. Without that extra money, teachers on an annual 26-paycheck cycle will go unpaid and there will be no funds available for Summer School or year-round special education services, Rhodes said. "Working without pay is the straw that breaks the camels back," Bailey said. "Teachers have mortgage payments, utility bills, grocery bills. Being paid for their work isnt a luxury, its a necessity," Bailey said. (Reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York) Detroit's got a major problem on its hands this Teacher Appreciation Day. Most of its teachers are fed up so fed up, in fact, that they're staging a district-wide teacher sickout that's forced 94 of the city's 97 public schools to close on Monday. The protests come after Detroit Public Schools' emergency manager Steven Rhodes announced in an email to teachers Friday that the city's finances were so bad that it wouldn't be able to make payroll after more than $48 million in state emergency aid runs out on June 30. "The $48.7 million in supplemental funding recently passed by the Michigan Legislature will provide enough funding for DPS to pay all employees through the end of the fiscal year, on June 30, 2016," Rhodes wrote in the email to teachers. "However, without the passage of the more comprehensive $715 million education reform package that is now being considered by the Michigan House of Representatives, there will be no funds available to pay any of our employees." Shut it down #DPS #shutitdown #supportdpsteacherspic.twitter.com/ZlT6Hd6ctO https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Chdd5GDU4AAbBnM.jpg:large The protests highlight rising tensions between public workers in the city and its Republican-led state government, which workers have argued wields outsized power in the economically distressed city. "This is about getting local control back of our schools," Mayowa Reynolds, a dance and performing arts teacher at Detroit's Cass Technical High School, said in a phone interview with Mic. "Legislators don't want to do that and they're using teachers and students as pawns in their political fight." Privatizing public education. That fight has become increasingly pitched in Detroit, whose schools the state seized control of in 1999. In March 2009, Robert Bobb, the first of five emergency managers officials who are appointed by governor Rob Snyder without any public input was appointed to manage the district's finances. (Michigan's emergency manager law was expanded in 2011 and has been widely blamed for Flint's water crisis). Currently, the state's legislature is considering a bill that would create the Detroit Education Commission, made up of three public school and three charter school representatives, to determine which of the district's schools could be closed. The bill would also split the Detroit Public School district in two and introduce controversial A-F grades for schools, moves that many of the school's current teachers see as concessions to charter school operators. Story continues For teachers like Reynolds, Rhodes' claim that the district is broke also reads as a concession that the state's reliance on emergency managers is a mistake. "The state has been running the schools since 1999, so the debt that's been created has been created under their watch," Reynolds said. Detroit's K-12 schools have changed drastically in recent years. In the six years between 2009 and 2015, the district's enrollment has fallen 50%, from 95,000 students to 48,900. More than 90 schools have been closed, and there are calls to close 24 others. While public schools have shuttered, charter school enrollment has steadily risen. Between 2010 and 2013, charter schools grew by 42%, with 32 new schools opening. That rapid growth has made Detroit the third-largest market for charter schools in the country, behind New Orleans and Washington, D.C. "It's just a privatization orgy," Elena Herrada, a current member of the Detroit Board of Education, said in a phone interview about what's led up to Monday's sickout. "It's not complicated, [but] what is complicated is the various things [emergency managers] do to justify [the takeover]." Herrada pointed out that Rhodes, who's now the emergency manager overseeing the city's schools, is a retired judge who previously presided over the city's bankruptcy proceedings. "They want to remove any public oversight of the schools, which is me and 10 other school board members." The fight continues. Monday's sickout is the second such protest waged by Detroit's teachers in 2016. The first happened in January, when 85 closed for the day as teachers took to the streets to protest deplorable conditions of their school buildings. They also tweeted photos of stained ceilings, do-it-yourself paint jobs and disgusting-looking student lunches. Toilets that leaks into a pre-school classroom. DPS @ktwomeyMEdpic.twitter.com/2lH8VKyTMZ https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CYnMY56UMAM9aoh.jpg:large In case the legislature has forgotten. This is the current situation. Time to try democracy. #supportDPSteacherspic.twitter.com/iBf9aASQTu https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CboQHy8VAAMdUYx.jpg:large This is the lunch for HS students. Is this a healthy/filling lunch? This is it until home. #supportDPSteacherspic.twitter.com/8r9zVKzGgI https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CbGSqQJUAAA3NsJ.jpg:large With Friday's news that $48.7 million has come and gone, teachers and students are left wondering: Where did all that money go? The city's remaining 2,600 teachers are now calling for an audit of the school district's finances to find out. "Most teachers in Detroit that work here, we teach because we live here, we love here, we're here for the children," Reynolds said. "We can't work for free." Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (NYSE: DO) disclosed that it hired Kelly Youngblood as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective May 3. According to the company, Youngblood would succeed Gary Krenek as he was set to retire after 33 years of service to the Company and its predecessors. Diamond Offshore Drilling President and CEO Marc Edwards commented, "We are very pleased to have someone with Kelly's industry knowledge, finance and accounting expertise and existing relationships throughout the investment community assume the role of Chief Financial Officer. Gary has made significant contributions to Diamond Offshore over his long career, which includes 18 years as Chief Financial Officer. As the longest serving CFO in the offshore drilling industry, he will be missed, and we wish him well in his retirement." The company stated Youngblood held a variety of managerial positions with Halliburton Company joining it in 1988 as a Staff Accountant. He also served in numerous financial management positions for Halliburton and its subsidiaries. That included Senior Director, Finance - Western Hemisphere and Director, External Reporting and Accounting Research. The stock shed 0.12 percent on Friday. See more from Benzinga 2016 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Suspected phone scammers are taken into custody in Beijing in 2012. (Photo : Reuters) Mobile phone scammers have almost victimized Lei Jun, the billionaire chairman and CEO of Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, who complained about receiving a phishing text message on his Sina Weibo account on Wednesday, April 26, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Advertisement According to Lei, the scammers sent the message using the number 95555, the official hotline of China Merchants Bank. The first message read: "China Merchants Bank notice: your account has been locked, please log onto m.cmbghna.com to register under your real name, or your bank card will be cancelled." The second message said: "China Merchants Bank urgent notice: your mobile bank account will expire today, please log onto m.cmbghna.com to register again and if no re-registration is conducted, your bank card will be cancelled." Lei also posted screenshots of the phishing messages he received over the past month, the report said. "Text message scams are so rampant. I just received another one. Everybody be careful!" Lei added. "Dear customer, your mobile banking service will expire tomorrow. Please log on to [the site] for verification," a message sent to Lei on Tuesday, April 26, said. Lei's previous posts were mostly on Xiaomi and other tech news, but with his recent posts about the scam, thousands of social media users reacted. "I have a friend who was cheated out of 200,000 yuan ($30,800)," one Weibo user wrote. Another user asked Lei what he would do to stop the fraudulent messages. "Mr. Lei, can you make a smartphone that can detect all these scams?" microblogger "C Luoxuan" asked. Some peers in the industry took time to make fun of Lei's experience and promote their brands. "When it comes to detecting phishing messages, 360 is the expert. Mr. Lei should communicate with us more often," Zhou Hongyi, chairman of Qihoo 360, wrote. "I suggest you switch to Huawei smartphones, and these scams won't bother you anymore," said product manager Li Xiaolong from Huawei Technologies, Xiaomi's rival phone maker. According to the report, mobile phone users in China lose thousands of yuan from phishing text messages and phone scams every year. Recently, authorities nabbed 62 persons suspected to be involved in a 117-million-yuan scam in Guizhou Province believed to be the biggest telecom fraud case in the country. What Drove Eli Lilly's 1Q16 Revenue Growth? (Continued from Prior Part) Endocrinology franchise As discussed earlier, Eli Lillys (LLY) human pharmaceuticals segment reported an increase of ~5.5% at ~$4,110 million for 1Q16, as compared to ~$3,895 million for 1Q15. This segment deals with different therapeutic areas including endocrinology, neuroscience, oncology, cardiovascular, and others. The endocrinology franchise contributed ~36.1% of total revenues for Eli Lilly. Some of the franchises blockbuster drugs are Humalog, Humulin, and Forteo. Humalog The Humalog portfolio consists of different meal-time insulin products used to lower the blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes. The sales for Humalog products decreased by ~11.4% to $606 million during 1Q16, as compared to $684 million for 1Q15. US sales fell ~14% in the US and 7% internationally. The decrease was due to a fall in the drugs realized prices following the changes in rebate estimates and discounts. This decrease is a temporary effect, and the revenues will recover growth in coming quarters. Humalog competes with Novolog from Novo Nordisk (NVO) while Sanofi (SNY) is developing a biosimilar for Humalog. Humulin The Humulin portfolio consists of concentrated insulin products used to lower the blood sugar levels in patients with type-one and type-two diabetes mellitus. These are used in cases where patients require a higher dosage of insulin. The sales of Humulin products increased by ~12.9% to $356 million in 1Q16, as compared to ~$316 million in 1Q15. This includes an increase of ~34% in the US sales and a decrease of 15% in international sales. The increase was due to higher realized prices following changes in government rebates and partially due to the increased sales. Forteo Forteo, another blockbuster drug from Eli Lilly, is used in the treatment of osteoporosis. Forteo sales rose by ~8.7% to $318.6 million in 1Q16, as compared to ~$293 million in 1Q15. This includes an increase of ~21% in US sales and flat international sales. The increase was due to higher realized prices following changes in government rebates in the US markets, partially offset by lower realized prices due to price revision in Japan and the negative impact of foreign exchange in international markets. Story continues Some other drugs for osteoporosis include Allergans (ACT) Actonel and Roches (RHHBY) subsidiary Genentechs Boniva. Investors can consider ETFs like the Market Vectors Pharmaceutical ETF (PPH), which invests 4.6% of its portfolio in Eli Lilly or the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV), which holds ~0.5% of its total assets in Eli Lilly. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: Exxon Mobils 1Q16 Earnings: Downstream, Chemicals Save the Day Exxon Mobils 1Q16 performance Exxon Mobil (XOM) posted its 1Q16 results on April 29, 2016. Before we proceed with an earnings review, lets quickly examine XOMs 1Q16 performance compared to the estimates. In 1Q16, XOMs revenues surpassed Wall Street estimates by 10%. The companys 1Q16 EPS (earnings per share) stood at $0.43, about 49% higher than the estimated EPS of $0.29. However, this was 63% lower than the 1Q15 adjusted EPS of $1.20. Exxon Mobils 1Q16 earnings Exxon Mobil (XOM) saw a decline in earnings from $4.9 billion in 1Q15 to $1.8 billion in 1Q16. This was due to a loss in its upstream segment. Its downstream segment saw a decline in earnings. This was partly offset by a rise in XOMs chemical segment earnings. Earnings from the upstream segment declined from $2.9 billion in 1Q15 to -$76 million in 1Q16 due to the steep fall in oil prices. WTI (West Texas Intermediate) average prices fell from $49 per barrel in 1Q15 to $33 per barrel in 1Q16. XOMs downstream segment saw its earnings fall from $1.7 billion in 1Q15 to $0.91 billion in 1Q16 due to lower margins. Well take a detailed look at XOMs quarterly segment-wise performance in the next part. Exxon Mobils peers BP (BP) and Total (TOT) have also witnessed a decline in their 1Q16 adjusted earnings compared to 1Q15 due to a fall in their upstream earnings. According to Wall Street estimates, Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) is expected to post lower EPS in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15. The PowerShares Dynamic Large Cap Value ETF (PWV) has ~11% exposure to energy sector stocks. Next, lets look at Exxon Mobils segments in 1Q16. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: What Can Investors Expect from Hain Celestial's 3Q16 Results? (Continued from Prior Part) Hain Celestials performance in 2Q16 Hain Celestial Groups (HAIN) fiscal 2Q16 had the strongest revenue performance in its history. The net sales for 2Q16 were $752.6 milliona rise of 8.1% YoY (year-over-year). The company showed strong sales growth in constant currency terms in some of its major brands including Plainville Farms, Tilda, Ellas Kitchen, Sun-Pat, The Greek Gods, Alba Botanica, and Avalon Organics. The Empire, Kosher Valley, Joya, and Live Clean brands acquired after fiscal 2Q15 also contributed to the revenue growth. However, foreign exchange had an impact of $18.3 million on the revenue. Earnings rose The company has been on an overall positive earnings growth trend since fiscal 1Q11. The 2Q16 EPS (earnings per share) also increased 6% to $0.57compared to $0.54 in 2Q15. However, there was a slight impact of $0.01 per diluted share from foreign currencies. The company also beat analysts estimates by 5.6% for fiscal 2Q16. The fiscal 2Q16 EPS were a little ahead of the guidance provided by the company. Gross margin fell Various factors were responsible for the decrease in the gross margin for 2Q16. The factors included the composition of the companys US segment sales mix, increased investment in trade spending in the US to drive current and future consumption, the impact of Project Castle, and the cost of US dollar purchases in the companys Canadian business. Peers performance Hain Celestials competitors in the industry include Cal-Maine Foods (CALM), Mead Johnson Nutrition Company (MJN), and Pinnacle Foods (PF). They recorded revenue of $450 million, $967 million, and $722 million, respectively, for their last reported quarters. The PowerShares DWA Consumer Staples Momentum Portfolio (PSL) invests 1.3% of its holdings in Pinnacle Foods. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: What Do National Oilwell Varco's Fiscal 1Q16 Earnings Tell Investors? (Continued from Prior Part) National Oilwell Varcos share price National Oilwell Varco released its financial results for fiscal 1Q16 on April 28, 2016. Its share price reacted positively. It rose ~4.4% to $33.10 from the previous days close. Since the beginning of this year, its share price is down ~4%. Schlumberger (SLB) released its financial information for fiscal 1Q16 on April 21. It saw an ~2% decrease in its share price on the day of the earnings release. National Oilwell Varcos share price returns compared to the industry In the past year, National Oilwell Varcos stock has returned -33% (net of dividends) until April 28. It underperformed the Market Vectors Oil Services ETF (OIH). OIH returned -19%. The Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE), the broader energy industry ETF, had a -16% return. National Oilwell Varco underperformed the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). SPY produced ~1% returns during the same period. National Oilwell Varco outperformed the US rig count. It returned -54% in the past year. Does National Oilwell Varco see a deterioration in the order backlog? National Oilwell Varcos Completion & Production Solutions beat the Rig Systems segment in terms of new order additions in fiscal 1Q16. Its fiscal 1Q16 order additions in the Rig Systems segment fell 59% to $97 millioncompared to $236 million in fiscal 1Q15. National Oilwell Varco derived $770 million in revenue out of the segment backlog during the latest quarterdown 66% from fiscal 1Q15. Its Completion & Production Solutions segment order addition was $328 million in fiscal 1Q16nearly unchanged from a year ago. National Oilwell Varco derived $330 million in revenue out of the segment backlogdown 41% from fiscal 1Q15. However, a potential bankruptcy of SETE, National Oilwell Varcos customer in Brazil, could provide a blow to its backlog. This could reduce National Oilwell Varcos returns going forward. Read What Challenges Does National Oilwell Varco Face before Recovery? to learn about National Oilwell Varco in more detail. Story continues Next, well discuss Wall Street analysts targets for National Oilwell Varco. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: (Thinkstock) If you prefer staying in on a Saturday night to catch up on some reading rather than having a movie date with your closest friends, you might be better off. New research published in the British Journal of Psychology says smart people are happier when they spend less time with their friends. Researchers studied the living patterns, relationships and IQ of 15,000 people between the ages of 18 and 28. Their findings have been labeled paleo-happiness. ALSO SEE: How to tell if your products are actually green According to the theory, also known as the savanna theory of happiness, people are more content when they live like our ancestors did - in less populated areas and frequently interacting with their peers. Lead authors of the study, Satoshi Kanazawa of the London School of Economics and Norman Li from the Singapore Management University, theorize that people who live in more densely populated areas are less satisfied with their life. The evolutionary psychologists also discovered that individuals are happier when they spend more time with their close friends. However, the findings differed for those with a higher IQ. The authors write, more intelligent individuals were actually less satisfied with life if they socialized with their friends more frequently. According to Kanazawa and Li this is because brighter people are better at adapting to busier cities, like Manhattan, and dont need constant companionship. A happiness researcher from the Brookings Institute, Carol Graham, notes that intelligent people may be preoccupied with other tasks that require more seclusion - like writing a book. ALSO SEE: Breast cancer charity uses clever trick to get past social media nudity censorship The findings in here suggest (and it is no surprise) that those with more intelligence and capacity to use it are less likely to spend so much time socializing because they are focused on some other longer term objective, she tells The Washington Post. While these are some interesting ideas to consider, keep in mind that paleo-happiness is just a theory - so even if you do prefer spending your time alone, try and see your friends every once in a while! What do you think of the findings from this new study? Let us know your thoughts by tweeting to @YahooStyleCA. Dolly Partons Coat of Many Colors, the NBC film based on Partons classic song about her mothers love, hits DVD on May 3, just in time for Mothers Day. When the film aired last December, it was a hit with critics and audiences alike. Related: Dolly Partons Coat of Many Colors Is A Sentimental Beauty Through the years, people loved the song, but they really loved the movie. I was just so proud that it touched peoples lives in the way that it did, Parton tells Yahoo TV in the video interview above. You never know if somethings gonna be hit or not, and something so personal to you you dont know if its too personal. The film, which became the top-rated TV movie on a broadcast network in more than six years, dives deep into a family tragedy that shook but ultimately strengthened both the Partons faith and the relationship between young Dolly (Alyvia Alyn Lind) and her mother (Jennifer Nettles). Related: Why the Coat in Dolly Partons 'Coat of Many Colors TV Movie Doesnt Look Like the Real One It has brought families together, and its made peoples faith a little stronger. Its like, Oh great, Im glad you talked about God. Im glad you talked about your faith. I think that it really was meaningful to a lot of people, Parton says. I miss that type of stuff on TV myself, like The Waltons and Little House on the Prairie and those sorts of things. I wondered if there was a market for it, and evidently there still is. In fact, if producers can assemble the same cast, including Rick Schroder as Dollys dad Parton would love to do another movie, perhaps with a Christmas theme, or maybe even a series. (For the record, wed watch a movie centered on an older Dolly and the creation of Dollywood.) In the meantime, Parton will be back in her beloved Tennessee on May 6 for Dollys Homecoming Parade, Pigeon Forges 31st annual salute to its hometown star. For the first time, the parade which Dolly will lead from atop a float themed for her new theater in town, Dolly Partons Lumberjack Adventure Dinner & Show, will be streamed live on her Facebook page. Story continues In June, shell hit the road for her largest North American tour in over two decades in support of her forthcoming album Pure & Simple with Dollys Biggest Hits. That gave us an excuse to ask Parton a very important question: Does she name her wigs? Her answer below. And finally, on September 9, Rhino will release The Complete Trio Collection, a remastered three-CD set of the two albums Parton recorded with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris Trio (1987) and Trio II (1999). The third CD features 20 songs, including alternate takes of album tracks and 11 previously unreleased recordings from the trio spanning both album sessions. Dolly Partons Coat of Many Colors hits DVD May 3. Politician Donald Trump, now leading in the Republican primaries, is strongly anti-immigrant. But Businessman Trump wants more high-skill visas and hires foreign workers in his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort. Which one is right? Here is Politician Trumps position on immigration on his website: The influx of foreign workers holds down salaries, keeps unemployment high, and makes it difficult for poor and working class Americans including immigrants themselves and their children to earn a middle class wage. Related: Heres the Problem With Trumps Plan to Pay for the Border Wall And here is Businessman Trumps position in the March 3 Republican debate on Fox News, Theyll go to Harvard, theyll go to Stanford, theyll go to Wharton, as soon as theyre finished theyll get shoved out. They want to stay in this country. They want to stay here desperately; theyre not able to stay here. For that purpose, we absolutely have to be able to keep the brain power in this country. Will the real Donald please stand up? And lets hope that its not Politician Trump. Economic growth and employment in the United States could be improved by bringing in workers from abroad because employment is not a zero-sum game. Neither the economy nor jobs are a fixed pie to be divided, with more for some resulting in less for others. Rather, employment is a dynamic cycle always poised for growth. Greater immigration would allow the U.S. economy to operate more efficiently, creating more jobs for native-born Americans. In 2014, immigrants represented 29 percent of all new entrepreneurs, according to the Kauffman Foundations 2015 Index of Startup Activity. According to the Index, Immigrants continue to be almost twice as likely as the native-born to become entrepreneurs, with the Rate of New Entrepreneurs being 0.52 percent for immigrants, as opposed to 0.27 percent for the native-born. Related: Outrageous! $1 Billion to Post One Form on Immigration Site New Entrepreneurs by Nativity Immigrants tend to have different skills from the native-born population that complement the skills of the U.S. labor force and have only a small effect on wages, concludes University of California at Davis professor Giovanni Peri. Immigrants make the economy more efficient by reducing bottlenecks caused by labor shortages, both in high-skill and low-skill areas. Story continues Those skills and job preferences complement rather than substitute for native-born workers, too, making U.S. workers more productive and attracting capital that takes advantage of new opportunities for growth. Although immigrants will be substitutes for some primarily low-skilled workers, many of whom are also immigrants, the negative effect on such workers is much smaller than the positive effect for everyone else. The economy as a whole gains, with substantially more winners than losers, even in the short term. In our society, this makes it possible for the winners to compensate those who lose from immigration and still come out ahead. Related: Trump Out of Step With Americans Over Immigration Policy In 2014, 42 percent of students who got PhDs in physics and 37 percent who got PhDs in chemistry were foreign non-resident visa holders, according to National Science Foundation data. The United States would be better off if these students could stay here and add to the wealth of the country, as Businessman Trump has pointed out, rather than being sent home. Previous research by Tel Aviv University professor Neil Gandal, University of Michigan professor Gordon Hanson, and Dartmouth University professor Matthew Slaughter has noted that the influx of Russian immigration to Israel did not lower wages. Nor did University of California (Berkeley) professor David Card find that the Mariel boatlift affected wages in Miami. As Businessman Trump knows, Americas goal should be an immigration policy that fosters economic growth. We should be giving visas to those skilled and unskilled workers who can contribute to the U.S. economy. Politician Trump, its already time to retire. This commentary was originally published on Economics 21, a website of the Manhattan Institute. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Image via Instagram Image via Instagram During a recent conversation with Zane Lowe, Drake said he has some other songs in the stash, that hes gonna have an arsenal of songs that have nothing to do with Views. It turns out this may not have been just an off-the-cuff comment, and that he really might be ready to release another project very soon. During a performance in Toronto this weekend, Drake addressed the crowd and said, Just because Views came out, it doesnt mean theres not new music on the way, so Ill see you soon. Given Drakes recent level of productivity, a new release from him this quickly isnt out of the question: Views is his third major project since February 2015, following his mixtapes If Youre Reading This Its Too Late and What a Time to Be Alive. Watch Drake deliver the news himself below. The post Drake Has New Music On The Way appeared first on Pigeons & Planes. More from Pigeons & Planes 10s of journalists start a 2-day sit-in at the union's HQ after security stormed building to arrest 2 wanted colleagues; union board calls for sacking of interior minister; police deny breaking law in raid Egypt's Press Syndicate has called for the immediate sacking of the interior minister and a general assembly on Wednesday in protest of the storming of its headquarters Sunday evening, in what it said was a first since its founding 75 years ago. The union condemned what it described as a "barbaric attack" and a "flagrant assault" on journalists and the press after security forces stormed the downtown Cairo building and arrested two journalists. In the early hours of Monday morning, shortly after the incident, tens of journalists, lawyers and human rights activists started a sit-at at the syndicate to protest the storming and the arrest of journalists Amr Badr and Mahmoud El-Sakka. In an urgent meeting convened by the syndicate's board and attended by hundreds of journalists, the union called for the "immediate dismissal" of the interior minister. "The syndicate's board affirms that the 'calamity' of the aggression against the syndicate's headquarters--in violation of the law, the constitution and all political, national and international norms--can't be erased without the dismissal of the interior minister." The syndicate has called on members to continue a round-the-clock sit-in at the HQ until Wednesday's general assembly which was set for 1pm Wednesday. The board also invited all editors-in-chief of all major public and private newspapers and all former members of the board to a meeting on 12pm that day. On Monday afternoon, tens of journalists and supporters sat inside the lobby of the union's HQ to escape blistering sun on the building's steps. The members of the board convened a round-the-clock session on the premises, and popped out of their meeting room every now and then to update members and answer queries. Later in the afternoon, as the heat subsided, tens of journalists came out of the lobby carrying their cameras and pens to chant against what they described as police thuggery. Amr Badr, editor-in-chief and founder of Yanair (January) news portal, and journalist Mahmoud El-Sakka, who works for the same website, were staging a sit-in in the syndicate to protest against their arrest warrants as well as the storming of their homes by security forces last month. Badr and El-Sakka are veterans of both the 2011 revolution that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak and the Tamarod movement that spearheaded the movement to oust Mubarak's successor, Islamist Mohamed Morsi, in 2013. Ministry and union differ on story The interior ministry said in a statement Monday morning that it followed all legal procedures while carrying out the arrests and had secured the approval of the prosecution prior to entering the union. The ministry said it had sent a force comprised of eight officers who apprehended the two journalists "without any use of force." The two journalists are accused of "inciting violation of the protest law, disrupting security and attempting to destabilise the country," the ministry added, saying both journalists sought to use the syndicate building to avoid arrest. Egyptian press law mandates that the police must obtain the approval of the general prosecution before entering the premises of the union, and can only do so in the presence of the head of the union. The ministry stressed in its the statement that it "appreciates journalists and the patriotic role they play," while stressing its "respect for freedom of opinion and expression." The ministry added that the two journalists have been referred to prosecutors for questioning. Syndicate head Yehia Qallash and other journalists said the ministry's move was a clear violation of Egyptian press law. "Security forces should have informed the syndicate beforehand ... what happened is unprecedented in the history of the syndicate [which was founded in 1941]," Qallash said in TV comments Sunday Qallash told CBC TV that around 50 security personnel broke into the syndicate to execute the arrest warrants against Badr and El-Sakka. Professional unions support Sameh Ashour, head of the Lawyers' Syndicate, denounced the ministry's storming of the "sister" journalists' union and declared solidarity with journalists, stressing that lawyers have a stake in defending freedom of expression and the press. A dozen members of the lawyers syndicate are currently facing charges of breaking the protest law. Several other professional syndicates have condemned Sunday's storming of the Press Syndicate. The engineering syndicate denounced on Monday morning the interior ministry's actions as a "disgraceful aggression," and called for an immediate probe into the circumstances surrounding the journalists' arrests. The syndicate added that it will provide "full support" to the press syndicate during any legal proceedings against the interior ministry. The Doctor's Syndicate also issued a statement on declaring solidarity with the journalists, and stressed its readiness to back any legal actions the Press Syndicate plans to take against this unprecedented attack on professional unions. A small coalition of independent MPs known as 25-30 block also condemned the police attack and the arrests, calling it an "unjustifiable escalation against opinion makers." The MPs called on Prime Minister Sherif Ismail to issue an official apology to the union and demanded the release of all those arrested since the first anti-island protest of 15 April. Police arrested scores of journalists during the events but later released them after syndicate intervention with the ministry of interior. Search Keywords: Short link: Stocks (^DJI, ^GSPC, ^IXIC, ^RUT) are up modestly at midday after a disappointing close to the month of April. Financials (XLF) and Consumer Discretionary (XLY) are leading, while energy (XLE) is lagging, mirroring the downturn in crude oil. Keith Bliss of Cuttone & Co. joins us live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange for more on the markets. Joining Alexis Christoforous to discuss some of the other big stories of the day are Yahoo Finance's Nicole Sinclair and Melody Hahm. ECB publishes evidence that key U.S. data is leaked This morning, the ECB published a report that used statistical data to show that it's very likely that information is being leaked and traded on ahead of big U.S. reports. This brings to focus the allegations of leaks by the Federal Reserve. Nigeria, Angola downgraded by Moody's on oil concerns It wouldn't be a day in the markets without another big oil story. Crude has rallied nearly 80% off its February lows, which has had ripple effects across the globe. Moody's downgraded the credit ratings of four African nations, including the two largest oil producers on the continent, Nigeria and Angola. Chinese investor pays $200k for Buffett face time In case you missed it, Yahoo Finance live streamed the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting on Saturday. Of course, Warren Buffett was his usual charming, folksy self. It's no surprise that the event drew 40,000 attendees, as people just can't get close enough to the Oracle of Omaha. One person recently paid 200,000 dollars for some Buffett face time. Cairo (AFP) - Egyptian authorities on Monday ordered the detention of two journalists for 15 days after their arrest on allegations of incitement to protest, a judicial source said. The decision comes a day after police stormed the headquarters of the journalists' association in central Cairo and arrested Amr Badr and Mahmud el-Sakka. A judicial source on Sunday said the pair had been wanted for alleged incitement to protest in violation of the law. On Monday, the prosecutor of the Shubra al-Khaimah district of Cairo said the pair would be held for 15 days as part of an investigation which also includes allegations they had called for a "coup". Badr heads the website Babawet Yanayer which is opposed to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Sakka works for the same organisation whose Arabic name means January Gate in a nod to the January 2011 uprising. Sakka had announced on Facebook plans to join April protests against a decision by the government to hand over to Saudi Arabia two Red Sea islands. Authorities arrested more than 1,200 people after the protests, with dozens still in detention, according to a group of lawyers who defend activists. In July 2013, Sisi, then the army chief, overthrew Egypt's Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and began a deadly crackdown on his supporters. Authorities have since banned all but police-approved rallies and overseen a crackdown that has left hundreds of Morsi supporters dead and thousands imprisoned. Several secular and leftist activists who spearheaded the 2011 uprising against longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak have also been jailed. Meanwhile the journalists' association has denounced the police raid targeting its headquarters and called for the resignation of the interior minister. CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian police raided the press syndicate in Cairo late on Sunday and arrested two journalists critical of the government, a syndicate official and reporters said in what the labor union called an unprecedented crackdown on the media. Labor union officials said this was the first time that police had raided its building -- a traditional spot in downtown Cairo for staging protests -- as authorities seek to quell rising dissent against President Abdel Fattah Sisi. The interior ministry denied officers had stormed the press labor union building but confirmed it had arrested journalists Mahmoud El Sakka and Amr Badr who work for the opposition website Bawabet Yanayer inside the syndicate. Hundreds of officers have been deployed in central Cairo since protests erupted on April 15 against Sisi's decision to hand over two islands to Saudi Arabia, with thousands calling for the government to fall, a slogan from the 2011 Arab Spring uprising. Police dispersed smaller protests two weeks later. The protests signal that the former general, who is also under fire because of the struggling economy, no longer enjoys the broad public support that allowed him to round up thousands of opponents after he seized power in 2013. On Sunday, journalists held a sit-in inside the union when officers arrested the two reporters, syndicate officials said. "The press syndicate calls for the resignation of the interior minister and an open sit-in," the union said in a statement. Mahmoud Kamel, a member of the syndicate board, said over 40 policemen raided the building but the interior ministry said its force consisted of only eight officers. "The ministry affirms that it did not raid the syndicate or use any kind of force in arresting the two journalists who handed themselves in as soon as they were told there was an arrest warrant," the interior ministry said in a statement. A security guard was wounded in the eye when police raided the union, Kamel said. CRITICISM The state prosecutor said it had ordered the arrest of the two reporters as they were being investigated for "spreading news based on lies" and possessing fire arms and Molotov cocktails, state news agency MENA said. "This is unprecedented, no president or prime minister or interior minister has ever dared to do something like this," Kamel said. Under the law only a prosecutor is allowed to search the union in the presence of its chairman or deputy, he added. Dozens of journalists later held a new sit-in at the syndicate to protest against the arrest but police closed off streets to the building on Monday. Sisi faces criticism for putting the uninhabited Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir in Saudi waters though there are no signs that his rule is under threat. However, even local media, which once suggested he could do no wrong, have been saying the government has mishandled a series of crises, from a probe into the killing of Italian graduate student Giulio Regeni, 28, in Cairo, to a bomb that brought down a Russian airliner in the Sinai Peninsula last October. Torture marks on Regeni's body prompted rights groups to conclude he died at the hands of security forces, which Egypt denies. That revived complaints of police brutality, one of the issues that led Egyptians to challenge the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak toppled in 2011. (Reporting by Cairo newsroom; Editing by Andrew Hay and Richard Balmforth) CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian police raided the press syndicate in Cairo late on Sunday and arrested two journalists critical of the government, a syndicate official and reporters said in what the labour union called an unprecedented crackdown on the media. Labour union officials said this was the first time that police had raided its building -- a traditional spot in downtown Cairo for staging protests -- as authorities seek to quell rising dissent against President Abdel Fattah Sisi. The interior ministry denied officers had stormed the press labour union building but confirmed it had arrested journalists Mahmoud El Sakka and Amr Badr who work for the opposition website Bawabet Yanayer inside the syndicate. Hundreds of officers have been deployed in central Cairo since protests erupted on April 15 against Sisi's decision to hand over two islands to Saudi Arabia, with thousands calling for the government to fall, a slogan from the 2011 Arab Spring uprising. Police dispersed smaller protests two weeks later. The protests signal that the former general, who is also under fire because of the struggling economy, no longer enjoys the broad public support that allowed him to round up thousands of opponents after he seized power in 2013. On Sunday, journalists held a sit-in inside the union when officers arrested the two reporters, syndicate officials said. "The press syndicate calls for the resignation of the interior minister and an open sit-in," the union said in a statement. Mahmoud Kamel, a member of the syndicate board, said over 40 policemen raided the building but the interior ministry said its force consisted of only eight officers. "The ministry affirms that it did not raid the syndicate or use any kind of force in arresting the two journalists who handed themselves in as soon as they were told there was an arrest warrant," the interior ministry said in a statement. A security guard was wounded in the eye when police raided the union, Kamel said. CRITICISM The state prosecutor said it had ordered the arrest of the two reporters as they were being investigated for "spreading news based on lies" and possessing fire arms and Molotov cocktails, state news agency MENA said. "This is unprecedented, no president or prime minister or interior minister has ever dared to do something like this," Kamel said. Under the law only a prosecutor is allowed to search the union in the presence of its chairman or deputy, he added. Dozens of journalists later held a new sit-in at the syndicate to protest against the arrest but police closed off streets to the building on Monday. Sisi faces criticism for putting the uninhabited Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir in Saudi waters though there are no signs that his rule is under threat. However, even local media, which once suggested he could do no wrong, have been saying the government has mishandled a series of crises, from a probe into the killing of Italian graduate student Giulio Regeni, 28, in Cairo, to a bomb that brought down a Russian airliner in the Sinai Peninsula last October. Torture marks on Regeni's body prompted rights groups to conclude he died at the hands of security forces, which Egypt denies. That revived complaints of police brutality, one of the issues that led Egyptians to challenge the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak toppled in 2011. (Reporting by Cairo newsroom; Editing by Andrew Hay and Richard Balmforth) Endocyte, Inc. ECYT is slated to report first-quarter 2016 results on May 4. Endocyte has a mixed track record. The company has beaten estimates in three of the last four quarters, with a positive average earnings surprise of 8.57%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors Influencing This Quarter Being a development-stage biotech company, Endocyte does not have any approved product in its portfolio. In this scenario, investors are expected to keep an eye on pipeline development at the company. Endocytes pipeline includes vintafolide (non-small cell lung cancer/NSCLC), EC1456 (advanced solid tumors) and EC1169 (recurrent prostate cancer). A phase I dose-escalation study on EC1456 is currently underway. The company is considering two schedules for the candidate. With the determination of the maximum-tolerated dose, the company will evaluate these schedules in up to 40 second-line non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients selected by EC20 imaging with all FR-positive disease. It expects single-agent efficacy data in NSCLC by 2016-end. Once the optimal schedule is determined, cohorts with new indications and combinations with other drugs may be initiated in preparation for randomized trials for triple-negative breast and ovarian cancers among others. Meanwhile, after determining the maximum tolerated dose of EC1169 (currently in a dose-escalation trial with a once weekly schedule), the candidate will be evaluated as a single-agent therapy in advanced prostate cancer patients previously treated with hormone therapy. Endocyte expects single-agent efficacy data in prostate cancer in late 2016 or 2017. Patient enrolment is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2016. The expansion phase of the trials will initially focus on EC1456 in NSCLC patients followed by EC1169 for prostate cancer. Consequently, the company expects spending to be higher in the second half of 2016 as the trials for EC1456 and EC1169 are expanded once their maximum-tolerated doses have been determined. We expect Endocyte to shed some light on its progress on these studies during its first-quarter call. Story continues What Our Model Indicates Our proven model does not conclusively show that Endocyte is likely to beat estimates this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), #2 (Buy) or #3 (Hold) to beat estimates. That is not the case here, as you will see below. Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is 0.00%, since the Most Accurate estimate is in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 26 cents. Zacks Rank: Endocytes Zacks Rank #2 increases the predictive power of ESP. However, the companys 0.00% ESP makes surprise prediction difficult. We caution against stocks with Zacks Ranks #4 or #5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing a negative estimate revision momentum. Stocks That Warrant a Look Here are some health care stocks that you may want to consider, as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter. Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc JAZZ has an Earnings ESP of +4.58% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is expected to release first-quarter results on May 10. Impax Laboratories Inc. IPXL has an Earnings ESP of +8.89% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is expected to release first-quarter results on May 10. Intrexon Corporation XON has an Earnings ESP of +17.39% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is expected to release first-quarter results on May 10. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report JAZZ PHARMACEUT (JAZZ): Free Stock Analysis Report IMPAX LABORATRS (IPXL): Free Stock Analysis Report ENDOCYTE INC (ECYT): Free Stock Analysis Report INTREXON CORP (XON): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union executive will propose on Wednesday relaxing visa requirements for Turks, two sources said, after Ankara threatened to walk away from a migration agreement unless the EU eased travel rules for Turkish citizens. The 28-nation EU depends on Ankara's cooperation to maintain a March agreement that has helped stem the flow of refugees and migrants arriving from Turkey, which saw more than a million people reached Greece and Italy last year. Liberalising visa rules for Turkey, a Muslim country of 79 million people, is a contentious issue among EU states. But Brussels is pressing ahead so it can keep the migration accord in place, as Europe struggles with its worst migration crisis since World War Two. An EU official and a source close to the negotiations between Brussels and Ankara said a meeting of the EU's executive European Commission on Wednesday will propose easing the visa requirements. The second source said a preparatory meeting on Monday backed the move before the EU Commission discusses the matter on Wednesday. Turkey is supposed to fulfill 72 requirements to win visa liberalization, and an EU official said on April 21 that Ankara has satisfied fewer than half of them. However, the second source said on Monday that Turkey has since met many more, though it was clear it would not tick all 72 by Wednesday. An EU diplomat said separately on Monday that Turkey was now meeting 65 of the benchmarks. The diplomat said it was wrong to only adopt a "quantitative approach" to progress on them. It was not clear whether the 65 had been met completely or only partly, but the swift change shows Brussels is striving to provide more lenient travel rules, which would still not allow Turks to work or stay in the EU longer than three months. European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva earlier on Monday highlighted progress on the Turkish side: "Turkey has made a lot of efforts over the past weeks and days to meet the criteria, including for example ... on access to the labor market for non-Syrian refugees." Among the biggest obstacles are Ankara's refusal to recognize EU member Cyprus and its patchy record on civil and minority rights, freedom of expression and the rule of law. (Reporting by Paul Taylor, Francesco Guarascio and Gabriela Baczynska, editing by Larry King) By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - Europe's Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom pleaded with Britons not to leave the European Union and she promised to take a tough line on China's steel exports on Monday. Malmstrom told an audience of students and trade lawyers in Geneva that she really hoped "Brits will choose to stay" in the European Union when they vote in the Brexit referendum next month. "We want them, we love them, we need them. And we hope that they need love and want us as well," she said. Asked if she shared U.S. President Barack Obama's view that a newly independent Britain would be at "the back of the queue" for new trade talks, Malmstrom told reporters that it all depended on the model chosen by the Brexit camp. "Im not going to give those scenarios beforehand because its up to them to vote. Do they want a free trade agreement, do they want to be like Norway, do they want to join EFTA, do they want something totally different?" She declined to say that Britain would not be a priority in trade talks but suggested that the EU already had its hands full with other negotiations. "We are now negotiating around 20 agreements so we have things to do." The EU is planning trade talks with Mexico, Chile, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Mercosur countries in Latin America. It also plans to modernise and broaden a limited customs union with Turkey to include industry, agriculture, investment, procurement and services, Malmstrom said. One impending question for Malmstrom is the decision about whether or not to designate China as a market economy. China says it was promised such a designation by the end of this year when it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001. But the move would make it harder for the EU to challenge Chinese dumping of cheap goods on the European market. Malmstrom said even if China was officially designated as a market economy, the EU would make sure it had "robust" instruments to ensure Beijing traded fairly. Story continues "Right now we have problems with a lot of products coming from China," she said, citing steel, aluminium and ceramics. The Commission was also talking to EU member states about reviving a proposal to update its trade defences, a plan that has been stuck in the European Council since about 2012, Malmstrom said. (Editing by Louise Ireland) Blink-182 is back! The SoCal pop-punkers are back in action this year with a new single, a new album in the works, and an upcoming tour, their first in North America since 2013. According to bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, the band hasn't missed a beat. "It's been a year and a half of speculation and 'What's it gonna sound like?' and 'Is this gonna sound like Blink?' and 'What's Blink really about?'" Hoppus told ET of the band's upcoming seventh studio album, California. "I think this record really, really shows people that we are Blink-182." WATCH: Tyler Posey Wants to Take Tom DeLonge's Place in Blink-182 The band, which formed in the suburbs of San Diego in 1992 and ruled the pop and rock charts with irreverent anthems throughout the late '90s and early aughts, sat down with ET's Katie Krause to talk about their "fresh start," and moving on without founding member Tom DeLonge, who departed the band last year. "I consider it more of a rebirth than an evolution," Hoppus explained at the Blind Dragon in Los Angeles on Thursday. "I feel like this album really takes us back to what Blink is all about." "It's a rebirth in that it feels like old Blink, but in a new presentation," he added. Alkaline Trio guitarist and vocalist Matt Skiba joined Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker after DeLonge departed the band last year, and made his mark on the band right away, penning the second verse to California's first single, "Bored to Death," which, true to Hoppus' word, sounds very much like the Blink hits that fans love and remember. "From my point of view, it was sort of a response to Mark's call in the first verse of us traversing a relationship and kind of navigating through when things get real murky," Skiba explained of his verse. "It's easier to say you're bored, or to be angry, than it is to be sad. To me, that's what that verse and that song represents." Story continues "That's what it's about," Hoppus agreed. "It just felt very natural, and the song fell into place." RELATED: Travis Barker Gets Shockingly Candid About Drug Abuse and Being 'Borderline Suicidal' on Blink-182 Tour While Skiba has been friends with Hoppus and Barker for many years, the Alkaline Trio frontman admits that officially joining the Blink-182 lineup was something else entirely. "Making music with someone is like asking another man to dance," he said with a laugh. "Just getting comfortable in a studio setting and being able to express your ideas...you know, these guys are the best." "It's a dream in many ways," he added. "Being in this band and working with these guys, it's amazing." Getty Images EXCLUSIVE: Panic! At The Disco's Brendon Urie on Spencer Smith's Addiction and Possible Band Reunion As for the new music, Barker said that California is "kind of like [1999's] Enema of the State meets the untitled album [2003's blink-182]," though the band admits that there is a "really sentimental ballad" on the record. "It's called 'Home Is Such a Lonely Place,' which I think is probably the bleakest line on the whole record," Hoppus explained. "[It's] one of my favorite lyrics on the record as well, but it just brings a very lonely feeling." However, fans need not worry that a few years and fatherhood have softened the rockers. The new album will still have plenty of, as Hoppus put it, "We're-gonna-go-and break-things" songs. "One of the last songs we wrote, called 'Teenage Satellites,' it was one of the last days of recording, and it was another song that came together really fast," he recalled. "I got to the studio early and I was literally just hitting one chord on the guitar over and over again. John [Feldmann, the album's producer] walked in, and he's like 'What's that?' and I said, 'I don't know, it's just something I made up.'" "Then Travis came in, and he had an idea... and that was another song that was built in a day," he continued. "It's a good, like, teen anthem." Blink-182's new album, California, will be released July 1. The band's upcoming tour kicks off in Southaven, Mississippi on June 16. WATCH: 7 Things You Didn't Know About Blink-182's 'All The Small Things' Related Articles Exelixis, Inc. EXEL is scheduled to report first-quarter 2016 results on May 4 after the market closes. Exelixis has a mixed track record so far. The company surpassed expectations in two of the last four quarters with an average positive earnings surprise of 5.16%. Let's see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors Influencing this Quarter Exelixis lead drug, Cometriq (cabozantinib), is approved for the treatment of progressive, metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). The company received a significant boost in Apr 2016, when the FDA approved Cabometyx (cabozantinib) tablets for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have received prior anti-angiogenic therapy. We note that the company was evaluating a tablet formulation of cabozantinib, distinct from the capsule form, for advanced RCC. Meanwhile, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted for review a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for Cabometyx for the same indication. Meanwhile, Exelixis entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Ipsen for the commercialization and further development of Cabometyx. Per the terms, Ipsen will enjoy exclusive commercialization rights for current and potential future indications of the drug outside the U.S., Canada and Japan. Exelixis, on the other hand, will retain rights to commercialize the drug in the U.S. and Canada, and is entitled to milestone payments of $260 million in 2016. The company is in the process of building incremental infrastructure necessary for a potential launch of the Cabometyx in the U.S. Another product in Exelixis portfolio is Cotellic (cobimetinib), which gained approval, in combination with Roche Holdings RHHBY Zelboraf, in the U.S. in Nov 2015 for the treatment of advanced melanoma. Consequently, the company plans to support Roche for the launch of the drug in the U.S. As a result of these activities, the company expects operating expenses of around $240 million to $270 million. Story continues What Our Model Indicates Our proven model does not conclusively show that Exelixis is likely to beat estimates this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. But that is not the case here, as you will see below. Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is -8.00%. This is because both the Most Accurate estimate currently stands at 27 cents while the Zacks Consensus Estimate stands at a loss of 25 cents. Zacks Rank: Though the companys Zacks Rank #3 increases the predictive power of ESP, its negative ESP makes surprise prediction difficult. We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Stocks That Warrant a Look Here are a couple of companies you may want to consider as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc JAZZ has an Earnings ESP of +4.58% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is expected to release first-quarter results on May 10. Impax Laboratories Inc. IPXL has an Earnings ESP of +8.89% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is expected to release first-quarter results on May 10. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report ROCHE HLDG LTD (RHHBY): Free Stock Analysis Report EXELIXIS INC (EXEL): Free Stock Analysis Report JAZZ PHARMACEUT (JAZZ): Free Stock Analysis Report IMPAX LABORATRS (IPXL): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research For Immediate Release Chicago, IL May 02, 2016 Zacks.com releases the list of companies likely to issue earnings surprises. This weeks list includes Exxon (XOM), Chevron (CVX),Alphabet (GOOGL) and Apple ( AAPL). To see more earnings analysis, visit https://at.zacks.com/?id=3207. Every day, Zacks.com makes their Bull Stock of the Day available, free of charge. To see it, click here . Why Are More Companies Beating Q1 Earnings Estimates? We are past the halfway mark in the Q1 reporting cycle, with results from 62% of the S&P 500 members already out. With results from another 130 index members on the docket this week (more than 1100 companies in total), the Q1 earnings season will have ended for more than 88% of the indexs total membership by the end of this week. The trends we have seen already this earnings season are not expected to change in any notable way with the still-to-come reports. These trends include widespread growth challenges, more numerous positive surprises and fewer negative revisions to current-quarter estimates. It is perhaps not surprising to see a bigger proportion of companies beat estimates given how low estimates had fallen ahead of the start of this reporting cycle. The recent pullback in the exchange value of the U.S. dollar is likely helping on the margin side as well. But for the most part, the more widespread positive surprises are a function of low estimates. The more notable development on the earnings front is the deceleration in negative estimate revisions to current-period estimates (estimates for 2016 Q2). Please note that estimates for the current period (2016 Q2) are still coming down and the trend will likely accelerate in the coming days as more companies report Q1 results and provide guidance about Q2. As negative as this revisions trend looks, it is nevertheless an improvement over what we had seen in the comparable period in the preceding earnings cycle. A continuation of this decelerating negative revisions trend through the coming days will represent a notable improvement in the overall corporate earnings picture. The improved commodity-price backdrop and the reduced dollar drag are some of the more plausible explanations for this development. But it is also likely that Q2 estimates had already fallen enough at the time when Q1 estimates were coming down and there is simply not that much need for further downward adjustments. Q1 Earnings Scorecard (As of Friday, April 29th) We now have Q1 results from 310 S&P 500 members that combined account for 72.8% of the indexs total market capitalization. Total earnings for these index members are down -7.2% from the same period last year on -2.4% lower revenues, with 71.9% beating EPS estimates and 57.1% beating revenue estimates. The percentage of companies that are able to beat both EPS and revenue estimates is tracking 47.7% at this stage. As referred to earlier, the two key takeaways from the results thus far are: First , the growth challenge is not only very obvious, but also widespread. The Energy sector is no doubt dragging the reported growth pace quite a bit, following year-over-year comparisons we saw in the Exxon (XOM) and Chevron (CVX) reports. But the growth comparison still remains unfavorable even if we exclude the reported Energy sector reports from the sample of reported results. Second , positive surprises are more numerous, particularly on the revenues side. The big driver of this is the low levels to which estimates had fallen ahead of the start of this earnings season. But as indicated earlier, the improving dollar is helping matters to some extent as well. This incidence of more numerous positive surprises is visible in the blended beats comparisons as well; blended beats refer to companies that beat both revenues as well EPS estimates. At present, 47.7% of the 310 S&P 500 members that have reported results are beating both EPS and revenue estimates, which is better than what we saw from the same group of companies in the preceding quarter as well as the 4-quarter and 12-quarter averages. Even the beleaguered Basic Materials and Industrial Products sectors have beat EPS and revenue estimates more often this time around compared to other recent periods. The proportion of Basic Material sector companies that have beat both EPS and revenue estimates in Q1 is 42.9%, which compares to 4-quarter and 12-quarter averages of 8.9% and 23.8%, respectively. The highest blended beat % are for the Construction and Medical sectors while the lowest is for Finance. Tech Sector Results Market participants found the Tech sectors Q1 earnings performance to be disappointing, with a number of the bellwethers like Googles parentAlphabet (GOOGL), Apple ( AAPL) and others coming up short of estimates in their results and/or guidance. Including all of the Tech sector reports that have come out already, we have Q1 results from 85.3% of the sectors total market capitalization in the S&P 500 index. Total earnings for these Tech companies are down -5.9% on +0.7% higher revenues, with 65.8% beating EPS estimates and 50% beating revenue estimates. Excluding the Apple drag, total earnings for the rest of the sector would be up +0.8%. This is weak performance from these Tech companies relative to what we have seen from the same group of companies in other recent periods. What this shows is that not only growth remains challenged, but fewer are able to beat expectations. In fact, positive revenue surprises are tracking 10 percentage points below the 4-quarter average and 13 percentage points below the 12-quarter average. Q1 Estimates As a Whole Combining the actual results from the 310 S&P 500 members that have reported results with estimates for the still-to-come 190 members, total Q1 earnings are currently expected to be down -7.3% from the same period last year on -1.1% lower revenues. This will be the 4th quarter in a row of earnings declines for the index. Energy is the big drag in Q1, as it has been in other recent periods, with total earnings for the sector expected to be down -111.8% from the same period last year on -31.8% lower revenues. Excluding the Energy sector, earnings growth for the remainder of the index would still be in the negative down -1.8%. In total, 9 of the 16 Zacks sectors are on track for negative earnings growth in Q1, including Finance and Technology, the two biggest sectors in the index. Current quarterly earnings growth expectations for the index in 2016 Q1 and the following four quarters contrasted with actual declines in the preceding three quarters. Growth is expected to be negative in 2016 Q2 and barely in positive territory in the following quarter. Story continues Q1 is on track to be the 4th quarter in a row of earnings declines for the index. This trend of earnings declines is expected to continue into the second quarter and most likely into the following one as well. Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today. Find out What is happening in the stock market today on zacks.com. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report EXXON MOBIL CRP (XOM): Free Stock Analysis Report CHEVRON CORP (CVX): Free Stock Analysis Report ALPHABET INC-A (GOOGL): Free Stock Analysis Report APPLE INC (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Never forgotten. Sheryl Sandberg remembered her late husband, Dave Goldberg, one year after his tragic death with a touching post on Sunday, May 1. My deepest thanks to my family and friends who have shared their memories of Dave and carried me and my children through this past year, the Facebook CEO, 46, wrote. I will always miss you, Dave. There is no end to love. PHOTOS: Celebrity CEOs: Stars Who Run Their Own Business Empires Facebook cofounder Mark Zuckerberg commented on the sweet pic, writing, We love you, Sheryl. Goldberg died unexpectedly at the age of 47 on May 1, 2015. The SurveyMonkey CEO fell off a treadmill at a gym while on vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with his family. The cause of death was later revealed to be head trauma and blood loss. PHOTOS: Stars Gone Too Soon Sandberg, who was married to Goldberg for 11 years and shared two children with him, is now reportedly dating gaming mogul Bobby Kotick. Everyone is happy for her, because she deserves to be happy, and Bobby is great, a source told Page Six in March. As I look to the new year, and my children and I have worked so hard to rebuild our lives and find happiness and joy and gratitude again, I think the support of strangers and our friends made a huge difference, the Lean In author said in an interview on the Today show in December. PHOTOS: Celebrity Deaths in 2016: Stars We've Lost She added, I always loved Facebooks mission, but now I feel even closer to it in, I think, a much deeper and more profound way. NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, which may soon win parliamentary approval, would significantly strengthen the hand of banks in resolving a $100 billion bad loan headache. Experts caution, however, that it would take years to train up a new class of insolvency professionals and compile debt records to make the British-style regime effective. Here are some of the highlights of the bankruptcy code: UNIFIED BANKRUPTCY CODE The government plans to repeal an ineffectual, century-old insolvency law and amend 11 laws currently dealing with defaulters. Once fully implemented, the code would seek to speed up debt recoveries and restructurings by setting a deadline of 180 days to decide the fate of a company that defaults. APPLICATION The code will apply to companies, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, individuals and any other body specified by the government. INSOLVENCY RESOLUTION For individuals the process could be initiated either by the debtor or the creditors. For companies, the resolution process will have to be completed within 180 days, with an extension of up to 90 days if 75 percent of creditors agree. The process will involve negotiations between the debtor and creditors to draft a resolution plan. If they agree, the plan could be submitted to the authority. If no agreement is reached, the company would automatically go into liquidation. The process will be managed by a licenced insolvency professional who will also control the assets of the debtor during the process. The code plans to set up information utilities to collect, collate and disseminate information to facilitate insolvency proceedings. INSOLVENCY REGULATOR The insolvency regulator would have representatives from government and the central bank, and oversee and regulate insolvency agencies. TRIBUNALS The National Company Law Tribunal would under the code address grievances relating to insolvency, bankruptcy and liquidation of companies. Debt Recovery Tribunals would deal with individual cases. Story continues Their decisions could be challenged in appellate tribunals and before the Supreme Court. PENALTIES A debtor could be jailed for up to five years for concealing property or defrauding creditors. (Writing by Manoj Kumar; Editing by Kim Coghill) Aix-en-Provence (France) (AFP) - A French appeals court on Monday upheld a four-year prison sentence for the founder of PIP, the manufacturer of defective breast implants that caused a health scare across Europe and South America. The court in the southern city of Aix-en-Provence confirmed the fraud convictions against Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) founder Jean-Claude Mas, 76. The court also upheld the 2013 trial's order that Mas pay 75,000 euros ($86,000) and be banned for life from working in medical services or running a company. Mas also faces two other pending legal cases, one for involuntary manslaughter -- the implants were suspected in several deaths from systemic toxicity -- and another linked to the financial implications of the scandal. The court also upheld guilty verdicts against four other PIP executives. One, the firm's former finance director Claude Couty, will serve a one-year prison sentence. The scandal first emerged in 2010 after doctors noticed abnormally high rupture rates in women with PIP implants. It gathered steam worldwide in 2011, with some 300,000 women in 65 countries believed to have received the faulty implants. In France alone, 18,000 women had PIP implants removed because of a risk of rupture or because they had become highly uncomfortable. In the appeal, which was held at a congress centre to accommodate all the plaintiffs, Mas denied that the implants made by his company from industrial-grade silicon gel carried any health risk and insisted that they had been subjected to comprehensive tests. - Seven times cheaper - The prosecution said Mas "was not a scientist at all -- his only concern was financial". The gel that PIP produced was seven times cheaper than a substance that it could have bought. "The PIP gel was the best," Mas insisted. When the chief judge Eric Cibiel asked whether it was also the cheapest, Mas said: "Well yes, and all the better for it." Mas denied that he had committed fraud, telling the court: "I fail to see who has been defrauded." Story continues Yet tests showed that PIP implants ruptured more easily than other implants. One victim told the appeal that PIP had ruined thousands of lives. Around 7,000 women have sued for damages. "They made laboratory rats of 7,000 of us," one woman said. The faulty implants had caused a "health time bomb". PIP employees testified that Mas ruled the company with an iron fist and refused to accept any criticism, especially of "his" gel. He claimed he had been ruined by the scandal and had to survive on his monthly pension of 1,850 euros ($2,125). The scandal had ramifications around the world. It is thought that around 47,000 British women received PIP implants, with the vast majority fitted by private clinics, mostly for breast reconstruction after cancer treatment. More than half of PIP implants were exported to South America. A congressional delegation arrived in Cairo Monday for a multi-day visit which will feature a number of meetings with Egyptian officials on US-Egyptian ties and counterterrorism efforts, the US embassy in Cairo has said. The delegation is headed by Congressman Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, which is in charge of protecting the US against terrorist attacks. The delegation plans to meet with senior Egyptian officials to "discuss counterterrorism efforts, the US-Egyptian partnership, and shared interests in regional security and stability," the embassy said in a statement. Ahram Arabic news website, quoting security sources, said the delegation is comprised of 24 members. Last Month, a congressional delegation headed by speaker of the US House of Representative, Paul Ryan held talks with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Al on security issues and bilateral cooperation. The United States provides Egypt with $1.3 billion in military aid every year, with the 2016 package including $150 million in economic assistance. Search Keywords: Short link: On Friday night, FBI authorities arrested a man allegedly attempting to carry out a deadly terrorist attack on Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center, a synagogue in Miami. James Medina, 40, allegedly intended to use a "weapon of mass destruction," according to the Miami Herald, to execute a bombing during the synagogue's crowded Friday services. Officials suspect Medina's plot was motivated by anti-Semitism. Read more: People Are Leaving Severed Pigs Heads in Mosques The center's rabbi, Jonathan Berkun, and executive director, Elliot Karp, explained in a Facebook post that the FBI agents arrested Medina on "well-founded" terrorism suspicions. "They assured us that the synagogue and school were never at risk at any time during the investigation and arrest, and that there are no credible threats directed against us at the present time," they wrote. Berkun and Karp emphasized that they are working with local law enforcement to ensure the safety of their community members. The Herald reported authorities held Medina at Miami's Federal Detention Center over the weekend and that he will appear in court on Monday to face charges. By Lindsay Dunsmuir AMELIA ISLAND, Fla (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve may need more powers to provide emergency funding to securities firms in times of extreme stress in order to deal with a liquidity crunch, New York Federal Reserve President William Dudley said on Sunday. "Providing these firms with access to the discount window might be worth exploring," Dudley said in prepared remarks at a financial markets conference in Amelia Island, Florida organized by the Atlanta Fed. The discount window is a credit facility through which banks borrow directly from the U.S. central bank in order to cope with liquidity shortages. The Fed currently has limited ability to provide funding to securities firms in such situations, with the discount window only available to depository institutions. But the transformation of securities firms since the financial crisis, Dudley said, with the major ones now part of bank holding companies and subject to capital and liquidity stress tests, meant the environment has now changed. "To me, this is a more reasonable proposition now than it was prior to the crisis when the major dealers weren't subject to those safeguards," he said. Dudley did not mention monetary policy or the U.S. economic outlook in his remarks. Other "significant gaps" remain in the lender-of-last-resort function, Dudley added. On this, he cited work being done on a global level by the Bank of International Settlements, known as the central banks' central bank, which is studying deficiencies with respect to systemically important firms that operate across countries. Dudley called for greater attention in order to determine which country would be the lender-of-last-resort for such companies during another crisis. "Expectations about who will be the lender-of-last-resort need to be well understood in both the home and host countries," he said. (Reporting by Lindsay Dunsmuir; Editing by Diane Craft) By Richard and Martin MADRID (Reuters) - Former world number one Roger Federer has pulled out of this week's Madrid Open with a back injury. The Swiss great traveled to the Spanish capital for the tournament but was unable to practice on Monday and announced his withdrawal. Federer, however, said he would be back for the Rome Masters next week. "I don't want to take more chances as I know I'm not going to be fully ready for Wednesday," he added, referring to his opening match. "I would rather play it safe and rest up now and get ready for Rome. I'm sorry to the tournament for coming and leaving without playing. "I arrived and I was okay and then I practiced on Saturday and hurt my back a little bit and stopped early. I'm very disappointed to say the least," said Federer. "I changed my schedule around and practiced well in Switzerland before coming here." Federer said he was not worried about his preparations for the French Open that starts on May 22. "I've been doing a lot of practice on clay," the world number three explained. "I don't always need a lot of matches to feel 100 percent ready. "With my experience and the way I feel about big tournaments, if I have matches, great. If I don't, I trust in my game, in my mind that I'll be fine regardless of the preparations." (Editing by Tony Jimenez) (credit: Kate Wellington) (credit: Kate Wellington) On April 22, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe ordered the restoration of voting rights for more than 200,000 citizens with past criminal convictions, drawing attention to a growing national issue. The governors executive order, announced on the steps of the Virginia state capitol, applies to all violent and nonviolent offenders who had served their full prison sentence and completed parole or probation prior to the order. Although previous governors have restored voting rights to particular individuals, McAuliffe is the first to do so for an entire class of people. In a post on Medium, McAuliffe acknowledged Virginias history of racismpowerfully epitomized and enforced by a 1902 Jim Crow constitution that included poll taxes, literacy tests, and greater restrictions on felon voting rightsand cast his order as a moment of redemption and progress. If we are going to build a stronger Virginia, we must open doors to participation in civic life for people who return to society seeking a second chance, he writes. I believe it is time to cast off Virginias troubling history of injustice and embrace an honest, clean process for restoring the rights of these men and women. In another sign of the nations polarized politics, Republicans in the state expressed sympathy for the goal of reintegrating prisoners into society but criticized the move as motivated by close ties to the Clinton family. The singular purpose of Terry McAuliffes governorship is to elect Hillary Clinton president of the United States, said William Howell, Virginia Speaker of the House. Ed Gillespie, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, said he believes in redemption and reconciliation but that McAuliffes order was a reckless abuse of executive power. Regardless of intentions, McAuliffe believes he stands on solid constitutional ground. Article V, Section 12 of the Virginia state constitution states that the governors clemency power includes the ability to grant reprieves and pardons after conviction and to remove political disabilities consequent upon conviction. A.E. Dick Howard, professor at the University of Virginia School of Law and past speaker at the National Constitution Center, said there is simply no question about the governors authority to restore voting rights to a large group. Still, legal challenges may be forthcoming. Story continues According to the Sentencing Project, more than 5.8 million U.S. citizens with past criminal convictions are unable to vote, including more than 2.2 million African Americans. Only two statesVermont and Mainehave no restrictions on voting rights; after the April 22 order, Kentucky, Florida, and Iowa are now the only states with permanent felon disenfranchisement. Most are somewhere in between. Although the right to vote is not explicitly enumerated in the text of the U.S. Constitution, it appears in five separate places: the 14th Amendment, the 15th Amendment, the 19th Amendment, the 24th Amendment and the 26th Amendment. According to Roger Pilon of the Cato Institute, its so implicit as to be all but explicit. Nevertheless, constitutional challenges to restrictions on voting rights for convicted felons have been unsuccessful. In Richardson v. Ramirez (1974), felons argued that such restrictions violate equal protection rights, but the U.S. Supreme Court held that Section 2 of the 14th Amendment gives affirmative sanction to those rules. In Hunter v. Underwood (1985), the Court did strike down restrictions that are the result of purposeful racial discrimination, but most limits on felon voting rights have withstood scrutiny. Its not likely that courts will settle the debate over felon voting rights anytime soon. But the recent news out of Virginia may prove to be a turning point in the ongoing political fight. Nicandro Iannacci is a web content strategist at the National Constitution Center. Recent Stories on Constitution Daily Podcast: Bob McDonnell, public corruption, and the Supreme Court Supreme Court rules on political speech and the First Amendment Video: Randy Barnett on our Republican Constitution By Heather Somerville and Tim McLaughlin (Reuters) - Valuations of apartment-sharing startup Airbnb Inc and other promising pre-IPO companies rose in March, according to the latest monthly estimates released by Fidelity Investments. Through mutual funds that include the $100 billion-plus Contrafund (FCNTX.O), Boston-based Fidelity has become one of the largest investors in companies before they go public. Fidelity fund holdings include richly valued technology companies such as Pinterest, Snapchat and Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL]. Based mainly on financial results, the monthly reports offer a rare glimpse into the performance of private tech companies, whose valuations would otherwise remain unknown until they went public. Initial public offerings in the sector have come to a near standstill, forcing startups to stay private far longer, which many can do because of their successful fundraising. The value of Contrafund's Series E stake in Pinterest was unchanged at $414.5 million in March. But that is still bigger than portfolio manager Will Danoff's stake in Marriott International Inc ($352 million) or Bank of America Corp ($283 million), fund disclosures show. As of March 31, Fidelity valued Contrafund's stake in Airbnb at $69.2 million, up 9 percent from February, according to a holdings report released on Saturday. The estimated value of storage tech startup Nutanix in the fund rose 19 percent to $40.3 million in March. The value of big data software company Cloudera in Contrafund was estimated at $32.4 million, up 20 percent. Fidelity's estimated valuations tend to fluctuate, with companies marked down one month only to rise in value the next. Once Fidelity invests, it holds regular meetings with companies to see if they can make accurate quarterly projections and handle tough questions from portfolio managers. "That's the way it works as a public company - sometimes you go up; sometimes you go down," said CloudFlare Chief Executive Officer Matthew Prince. "I actually think it's really healthy. It helps you walk before you run." Story continues Contrafund's stake in the cyber security company rose slightly in March to $20.2 million, Fidelity's report said. Prince said he spends time explaining the valuation fluctuations to his staff members, who are sometimes rattled by reports of markdowns. Fidelity led the $110 million round CloudFlare raised in September, and Prince said he knew at the time the deal meant regular public disclosures. (Reporting by Heather Somerville in San Francisco and Tim McLaughlin in Boston; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn) Taking a leaf from 84, Charing Cross Road, Xue Xiaolus Book of Love centers on a Macau casino hostess and L.A. realtor who fall in love on paper rather than in the flesh. For a romantic comedy, theres almost no spark or intimacy; instead, it boasts more gambling and swindling than Wong Jings From Vegas to Macau trilogy. But the emotional journeys of two opportunists losing their bearings in cities overrun by mainland big-spenders prove more engaging. Piggybacking on Xues sophomore hit Finding Mr. Right, the film, which reunites co-stars Tang Wei and Wu Xiubo, has secured releases in the U.S., U.K. and Australia, though its appeal may not translate to non-Chinese viewers. Xues last film was a sleeper that grossed $79 million, cementing the romantic comedy as a most lucrative genre in Chinas burgeoning commercial market. She set a trend by referencing Sleepless in Seattle in a way that acknowledges how China devours American mainstream culture. Here, she invokes the chaste, slow-burning affinity between New York writer Helene Hanff and English antiquarian bookseller Frank Doel, chronicled in Hanffs 1970 book 84, Charing Cross Road. Its an interesting cross-cultural premise to be sure, although with the Chinese population buried headlong in the phone app We Chat, a story of two people bonding over handwritten missives gushing with classical literary quotations is too quaint to hold water. The screenplay, co-written by Mia Jiao, who penned Cao Baopings excellent coming-of-age drama Einstein & Einstein, addresses such intergenerational problems as the isolation of elderly immigrants or the antisocial behavior of parachute kids, reflecting the sensitivity Xue demonstrated both in her directorial debut Ocean Heaven and her screenplay for Chen Kaiges Together (both father-son melodramas). In an introductory voiceover, Jiao Jiao (Tang), who works as a casino publicist, asserts that Macaus gaming revenue exceeds Vegas by sevenfold. Sadly the citys prosperity eludes her. Not only does her gambling addiction always land her in debt, but shes shortchanged by every man she meets, as when she takes out a loan to help a math prodigy classmate (Lu Yi). Story continues Over in L.A., real estate agent Daniel (Wu) is enjoying the windfall of mainlanders flocking to buy homes in upscale neighborhoods so their kids could get into elite schools and colleges. He comes across a lovely century-old house and at once sees lucrative redevelopment potential. He befriends the octogenarian owners, Mr. Lin (Paul Chin Pei) and his wife (Wu Yanshu), acting like a surrogate son. Jiao has remarked that Chinese peoples favorite pursuits are gambling and property speculation, and to that end, Xue throws in lots of casino and realty know-how and jargon to mildly amusing effect. She also evokes the unnaturally heightened thrill of conspicuous consumption, which breeds a sense of smug entitlement. As Jiao and Daniel both try to make a living on the margins of that privileged segment in mainland society, its not surprising that they buy into the mood of excess and wish this ostentatious wealth would rub off on them. One empathizes with their social complexes since neither could bring themselves to be ruthless. In spite of his initially mercenary motives, Daniels growing attachment to the Lins ends up as the films most solid emotional backbone. Likewise, Jiaos dalliance with a client (Wang Zhiwen) poignantly underlines her insecurity. Still, when it comes to plotting their epistolary meet-cute, the details are muddled and the passage to intimacy forced and insipid. A corny stunt has them hold conversations with one anothers imagined personas an insufferably tweedy professor and a waif-like schoolgirl where the hideous visual effects alone reduce the scenes to farce. Midway through the film, serendipity brings them both to Las Vegas, but what ought to be the climax of their date is instead overshadowed by other developments. Even when the denouement springs a supposedly clever surprise, the mechanics of the plot device remain iffy. Just as there was little chemistry in their previous partnerships, they evince even lower intensity in their long-distance courtship. With dissimilar performance styles, the expressive Tang and the muted Wu seem better off moving in their own narrative spheres. Its up to the diverse supporting cast to provide a fuller emotional fabric, and Chin is especially delightful as the cranky old codger with a mushy heart. Other Hong Kong veterans, such as Kara Hui and Sam Lee as Jiaos stepmother and debt-collector respectively, also have more screen presence than the toneless Wu. Like Finding Mr. Right, the production employs an ace Hong Kong crew but cannot dress up the storys inherent tackiness. Shooting in Chongqing, Macau, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and London, Chan Chi-yings cinematography suggests stylistic disarray, while Cheung Ka-fais editing lets the plot meander. Although the story has nothing to do with Xues previous hit, it strains for some connection by the Chinese title, which translates as From Beijing to Seattle: The Not-Dumb Love Letter. Related stories China Box Office: 'Book of Love' Wins May Day Weekend Ann Hui Named As Best By Hong Kong Directors' Guild Tang Wei's B.O. Power Trimmed by Chinese Censors' Strong Hand Egypt's speaker of parliament Ali Abdel-Al arrived in the South African capital of Johannesburg Monday for a multi-day visit to attend meetings of the current session of the Pan-African Parliament. The top Egyptian parliamentarian, who left Cairo late Sunday, is due to deliver a speech during the inaugural meeting of the chamber's second ordinary session, which runs from 3 May until 13 May. Abdel- Al, accompanied by Egyptian parliamentary delegates, will attend the parliament's meetings until 6 May, Egypt's state news agency MENA reported. During his stay, Abdel-Al is planned to hold talks with South African President Jacob Zuma to discuss "bilateral as well as and regional and international issues of mutual interest," MENA added. The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) is the legislative organ of the African Union, a union of 54 member countries throughout the African continent. Egypt's participation in the May session marks the resumption of its activities in the PAP after a three-year lapse. Egypt has been without a parliament since 2012, effectively barring it from participation in the PAP. A new lower house was elected in January. As with other member states, Egypt is represented in the PAP by five parliamentarians. Cairo was suspended from all African Union activities in mid-2013 following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, but was reinstated as a member a year later. Search Keywords: Short link: From Road & Track In 1903, at 2:30 in the afternoon of May 16, bicycle racer George A. Wyman left Lotta's Fountain in San Francisco atop a California Motor Company motor-bicycle. Nearly two months later, he arrived in New York City, the first man to ever cross America with a motorized vehicle. After 51 days, Wyman became a lesser Charles Lindbergh, achieving a crossing never before attempted. But soon after the trip, his motorcycle disappeared: somewhere in San Francisco, maybe hanging from a bar, maybe lost in the 1906 earthquake. Wyman himself didn't know. Now, the George A. Wyman Memorial Project may have found it. Wyman kept a diary throughout the journey, and it can be found here. It reads like a Steinbeckian retelling of The Iliad, a trial by fire across the North American continent. Wyman traveled light, carrying a Kodak camera, a small set of clothes, and a Smith & Wesson .38 revolver. Decades before asphalt crisscrossed the country, he spent most of his time riding atop railroad tracks. (Imagine the butt-numbing bumpiness.) He faced snow in the Sierra Nevadas. He raised the ire of shepherds, whose sheep scattered at the sound of his motorcycle. He got 120 miles per gallon, but he still had to find oil and gasoline. An excellent mechanic, he improvised repairs nearly the entire way across. In Wyoming, a rancher pulled him out of the mud with a team of horses. The crankshaft broke outside Aurora, Illinois, and he pedaled to Chicago and spent five days in the city's seedy underbelly waiting for a replacement to arrive by train. In Albany, his engine finally gave up the ghost; he pedaled the remaining 150 miles to New York City. After the trip, he and the bike returned to San Francisco. This time, by train. Twenty days later, Horatio Nelson Jackson, Sewall Crocker, and a pitbull named Bud crossed the country in a Winton automobile, and blew Wyman's achievement into the weeds. In the Seventies, Los Angeles Times publisher Otis Chandler purchased what he thought was the 1902 machine, as convinced by its owner. For decades, the only proof that it was Wyman's was Chandler's word. He restored it from its terrible shape, and put it on display in his museum in Oxnard, now the Mullin Automotive Museum. When he passed away in 2006, a new owner reached out to the Wyman Memorial Project. One can imagine how eager both parties are to have the machine authenticated. Wyman made many modifications to the Regular Model, and underneath the restoration, if there's any evidence to such, then it could all be real. So who knows? It could be Wyman's bike, it could not-but it's the finest 1902 California Regular Model in existence. That alone is worth some merit, and money. And if it is the first motorized vehicle to cross from sea to shining sea, says the Wyman Project, it would be "a national treasure of the first order." Atlas Obscura has the full story, as well as the Wyman Project's website. Images via the Wyman Memorial Project, go-faster.com Companies are Profitable CHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / May 2, 2016 / FlexFridge Inc. (FLXR), The world's first foldable mini-fridge company is in discussions to acquire two manufacturing companies in order to produce our commercial version of the mini-fridge. The commercial version of FlexFridge is a more durable and more feature rich product designed for hotels and businesses. The commercial version will provide a service plan in the revenue sharing agreement which allows for the hotels to send the mini-fridge in for repairs and servicing. If we are able to come to an agreement with the manufacturing companies, it will provide immediate income which we will invest into upgrading the manufacturing facilities. FlexFridge will offer a series of flexible, mini-fridges that utilize wheels and a handle for transportation and mobility. Businesses, hotels, and individual consumers can make use of this portable mini-fridge for a variety of purposes, including: hotel guest rental, outdoor parties, and dorm rooms. The FlexFridge is the first device of its kind. Its built-in rechargeable battery allows for up to eight hours of mobile refrigeration, and its gyroscopic compressor means it can be stored in any position and still function perfectly. Those interested can see the FlexFridge for themselves at www.flexfridge.com and opt into the newsletter to stay up to date with the progress of the world's first foldable compact fridge. About FlexFridge, Inc. FlexFridge is a four-cubic-foot, foldable portable mini-fridge. It was designed to allow students, campers, hotels, and businesses easy access to spacious fridge-space. Customers can utilize the compact fridge in their dorm rooms, RVs, hotel rooms, or offices. FlexFridge has all the convenience of a cooler with all the power of a fridge. SAFE HARBOR A "Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Certain statements contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of terms such as "may," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "continue" (or the negative thereof), or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risk, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results implied by such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. FlexFridge assumes no obligation, does not intend to update these forward-looking statements and takes no obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties not paid for by FlexFridge. Investors are encouraged to review FlexFridge's public filings on SEC.gov, including its unaudited and audited financial statements and its Registration Statement, Form 10-Ks, and Form 10-Qs that contain general business information about the company's operations, results of operations, and risks associated with the company and its operations. Please review all of our filings. Story continues For more information, please contact: Sales: investors@flexfridge.com (312) 614-1222 www.flexfridge.com SOURCE: FlexFridge, Inc. Washington (AFP) - A Florida man has been arrested and charged with trying to blow up a synagogue with a fake bomb following an FBI sting operation. James Gonzalo Medina, 40, was accused of intending to use a "weapon of mass destruction" at a synagogue in the city of Aventura near Miami, the US Justice Department said Monday. The FBI had earlier placed him under surveillance after he expressed anti-Semitic sentiments to an undercover informant. The criminal complaint says Medina claimed to have converted to Islam about four years ago and planned to claim that the so-called Islamic State group had planned the attack. After Medina studied the synagogue, he was given an inert device he believed to be a bomb. He was arrested Friday while en route to the synagogue. In an April 1 conversation, Medina told the undercover officer that Yom Kippur, one of the most important Jewish holidays, would be "a good day to go and bomb them," according to the criminal complaint. He also recorded farewell videos in which he made threats and said goodbye to his family. "I am a Muslim and I don't like what is going on in this world. I'm going to handle business here in America. Aventura, watch your back. ISIS is in the house," the complaint said he declared in one video. Rabbi Jonathan Berkun and other officials from the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center said on Twitter that the synagogue and its affiliated school were open and "operating as usual" on Monday. "The synagogue was never at risk nor are there any credible threats directed against the congregation at the present time," they added. Medina, who was charged Saturday, could face life in prison. He has not yet been indicted. The FBI employs a network of informants that is estimated to number at least 15,000. Often well-compensated, they take part in investigations into a wide range of activities from pedophilia and drugs to Islamic extremism. Critics accuse them of sometimes pressuring vulnerable people to commit crimes. The Q1 earnings season has so far been better than expected with many companies reporting positive earnings as well as sales surprises. According to an earnings preview report, total earnings for the 310 S&P 500 members that have reported results are down 7.2% from the year-ago period due to 2.4% lower revenues. Nonetheless, 71.9% of the companies that have released their Q1 results have beaten earnings estimates and 57.1% have surpassed top-line expectations. Last week was more or less a good one for the food companies. Among the food behemoths that reported last week, global snacking powerhouse Mondelez International, Inc. MDLZ beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for both earnings and revenues despite rising currency headwinds and other global pressures. The Hershey Company HSY also beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings but missed the same for revenues. Soft global retail and consumer demand amid increasing consumer inclination toward healthier and simpler food limited top-line growth for the companies. Moreover, weakening international currencies and economic slowdown in many emerging countries hurt international sales and profits. Smaller companies like B&G Foods, Inc. BGS and Pinnacle Foods, Inc. PF also reported their results last week. While B&G Foods beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for both earnings and revenues, Pinnacle Foods delivered in-line earnings with sales falling short of estimates. A couple of recent acquisitions resulted in positive year over sales growth at both the companies. Supply chain productivity gains and lower overhead costs boosted profits at most of these food companies. Three food companies, Kellogg Company K, The Kraft Heinz Company KHC, and Archer-Daniels-Midland Company ADM are set to report their quarterly results this week. Will these food companies put up a decent performance as well? Lets have a look at what might be in store for them. The Kraft Heinz Company The Pittsburgh, PA-based consumer packaged food and beverage company will report Q1 results on May 4, after the market closes. Last quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 6.90%. Despite lackluster sales figures, the packaged food company delivered positive earnings surprises in three of the past four quarters with an average surprise of 1.08%. Story continues For Q1, the company has an Earnings ESP of 1.64% and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter is pegged at 61 cents. Despite Kraft Heinz relatively soft sales, cost savings have led to better margins, mainly in the developed markets of the U.S. and Europe. We expect the trend to continue in Q1.(Read more: Kraft Heinz Likely to Top Q1 Earnings: Will Stock Gain?) Kellogg Company The Battle Creek, MI-based company is set to report Q1 results on May 5, before the market opens. Last quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 5.33%. Notably, the cereal and snacks company delivered positive earnings surprises in each of the past four quarters with an average surprise of 3.84%. The company has an Earnings ESP of -2.15% and a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter is pegged at 93 cents per share. After struggling for two years, Kellogg witnessed better-than-expected sales trends in 2015, especially in the U.S. cereal businesses. Moreover, improved organic sales growth and strong Project K cost savings boosted margins despite higher investments in food and brand building. We expect these positive trends to continue in Q1. However, the U.S. snacks business will remain a drag which, coupled with currency headwinds, will limit revenue growth to some extent. (Read more: Will Q1 Earnings Hold a Surprise for Kellogg Stock?) Archer-Daniels-Midland Company Archer Daniels is slated to report Q1 results on May 3, before the opening bell. In the last quarter, the agricultural company posted a negative earnings surprise of 6.15%. In fact, Archer Daniels missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by an average of 5.22% over the past four quarters. For Q1, the company has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter is pegged at 43 cents. Archer Daniels has been reporting weak sales figures over the past many quarters due to adverse market conditions and ongoing currency headwinds. Soft sales and weak margins have been hurting earnings as well. We do not expect any significant improvement in Q1. (Read more: Will Archer Daniels Q1 Earnings Weigh on the Stock?) Dont miss out on our full earnings release articles for these stocks, as the actual results might hold some surprises! Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report HERSHEY CO/THE (HSY): Free Stock Analysis Report B&G FOODS CL-A (BGS): Free Stock Analysis Report KELLOGG CO (K): Free Stock Analysis Report ARCHER DANIELS (ADM): Free Stock Analysis Report MONDELEZ INTL (MDLZ): Free Stock Analysis Report PINNACLE FOODS (PF): Free Stock Analysis Report KRAFT HEINZ CO (KHC): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research From Esquire In Lenin's Tomb, his lucid account of the end of Soviet Russia, David Remnick uses as an epigraph a famous quote from Czech author Milan Kundera. "The struggle of man against power," Kundera wrote, "is the struggle of memory against forgetting." The philosophy was central to Remnick's contention throughout the book that one of the critical weaknesses of the Soviet state, and of all of its satellite governments in Eastern Europe, including Kundera's Czechoslovakia, was that it required its citizens to fight against their own memory, to unknow what they clearly knew. Sooner or later, the effort to forget and to unknow becomes too much of a burden for too many people and they force the collapse of the system. Humans are driven to remember. Humans can crack from the effort it takes to deny and to forget. The consequences can be therapeutic or they can be catastrophic, for people and for the political societies into which they organize themselves. This is as true of liberal democracies as it is true of authoritarian states. In fact, the effects of forgetting can be worse in the former, because citizens of authoritarian states see the effects of forgetting and unknowing in every transaction in their daily lives. In liberal democracies, and especially in this one, there are so many distractions and so many options and so much media that the corrosive effects of the loss of the power of memory can elude anyone's notice until something important comes apart all at once. Language and memory must work together not only to preserve the past but to illuminate the present and to build a future. The 2016 presidential campaign-and the success of Donald Trump on the Republican side-has been a triumph of how easily memory can lose the struggle against forgetting and, therefore, how easily society can lose the struggle against power. There is so much that we have forgotten in this country. We've forgotten, over and over again, how easily we can be stampeded into action that is contrary to the national interest and to our own individual self-interest. We have forgotten McCarthy and Nixon. We have forgotten how easily we can be lied to. We have forgotten the U-2 incident and the Bay of Pigs and the sale of missiles to the mullahs. And along comes someone like Trump, and he tells us that forgetting is our actual power and that memory is the enemy. Story continues The first decade of the twenty-first century gave us a great deal to forget. It began with an extended mess of a presidential election that ended with the unprecedented interference of a politicized Supreme Court. It was marked early on by an unthinkable attack on the American mainland. At this point, we forgot everything we already knew. We knew from our long involvement in the Middle East where the sources of the rage were. We forgot. We knew from Vietnam the perils of involving the country in a land war in Asia. We forgot. We knew from Nuremberg and from Tokyo what were war crimes and what were not. We forgot that we had virtually invented the concept of a war crime. We forgot. In all cases, we forgot because we chose to forget. We chose to believe that forgetting gave us real power and that memory made us weak. We even forgot how well we knew that was a lie. Twenty-odd years ago, at the urging of a great editor, I wrote a long piece at another magazine about my family's experience with Alzheimer's disease, which eventually took my father and all of his siblings. It is a terrifying disease for a writer because it attacks those aspects of the individual that are so crucial to the act of writing-namely memory and language. Without memory, there can be no connection with the world, nothing salvaged or brought forward. Without language, memory is orphaned. Without both of them, history is mute. That story, and the experience of writing it, has bled into parts of my work in a hundred different ways, but the main points remain the same. Language and memory must work together not only to preserve the past but to illuminate the present and to build a future. The disease robbed my father of both language and memory, and thus it robbed him of his past, his present, and his future. He spent his last years as a kind of vagabond, a stranger to himself, a permanent refugee in an unmoored life. I watch the presidential campaign this year, and I watch how the country has abandoned self-government and the idea of a political commonwealth, and I see a country that is voluntarily taking upon itself my father's disease. A vagabond country, making itself a stranger to itself, a permanent refugee country, unmoored from its history. A country that remembers, a country with an empowered memory that acts as a check on the dangerous excesses of power itself, does not produce a Donald Trump. It was the very first Republican president who said the most memorable thing about memory, and its mystic chords, and how he hoped, one day, those chords once again would be touched by the better angels of our nature. That was Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address. By the time he came to deliver his second, in which he appealed to the country to remember how it had torn itself apart, six hundred thousand Americans had slaughtered one another in a war that was only then beginning to come to an end: Fondly do we hope-fervently do we pray-that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue, until all the wealth piled by the bond-man's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether." Remember, this passage said to the people of a tattered and bleeding nation. Bind up the wounds. Take care of him who has borne the battle, and his widow and orphan, too. Achieve a just and lasting peace between yourselves and all nations. But first, remember how this misery came to pass. Remember what we are capable of doing to one another if we lose faith in every institution of self-government, especially those into which we are supposed to channel our passions to constructive purpose. Remember, Lincoln said in this speech, which was his last warning to the nation he'd preserved. Remember that we can be killers. Remember that, and you can be strong and powerful enough to not allow it to happen again. The late historian Michael Kammen likened even the newest Americans to Fortinbras in Hamlet, who declares that he has "some rights of memory in this kingdom." Even the immigrants most lately arrived can, Kammen argued, "have an imaginative and meaningful relationship to the determinative aspects of American history." In the campaign now ongoing, we see successful candidates running against the very notion of what Kammen was talking about. When Trump chants his mantra-"Make America Great Again"-the rest of the slogan is unsaid but obvious. The implied conclusion is "Before All of Them Wrecked It." And that is what has been selling, all year long, because while the struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting, there is no guarantee that either struggle will end in triumph. Originally published in the May 2016 issue. Click here to respond to this post on the official Esquire Politics Facebook page. Former Los Angeles County prosecutor Christopher Darden was recently thrust back into the spotlight thanks to the popular FX series about the O.J. Simpson criminal trial, but for the most part, he remained quiet - until now. On Monday, Darden appeared on the Today show as part of its new series "Where Are They Now: Case Closed." First and foremost, Darden said he does not regret having Simpson try on the bloody gloves found during the investigation into the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. "I think the trial was lost way before then," Darden said "I think the whole glove thing was just the most brilliant move in any criminal courtroom in the history of American jurisprudence. Let me go on the record and say I can't regret it. It's the past." The glove debacle was a turning point in the case, experts contend, and was a high-drama moment in FX's The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Darden said he was doing all he could to win the case, which included taking "unorthodox approaches," meaning the glove demonstration. "Desperate times call for desperate measures," he said. Darden said he did not pay much attention to the 10-part FX series, which ran from Feb. 2 to April 5. "I think that's the healthiest thing for me to do," he added. Tensions between Darden and the late Johnnie Cochran, Simpson's lead attorney, were as high as depicted on the show, but Darden said the two men made amends after the case. "I miss him," Darden said. "I wish he were here so we could argue about [the case] some more." Darden was also asked about the possible romantic relationship between himself and co-prosecutor Marcia Clark, which was depicted in the FX series. He sidestepped by saying he would wait to comment until Clark was sitting next to him. "If I were to say I had a relationship with Marcia Clark, people would say we lost the case because we were more interested in intimacy than in the law and the facts," Darden said. "That would be an even worse position to be in." Read More: 'The People v. O.J. Simpson': How Accurate Was the Final Episode? From Popular Mechanics There's a little piece of our neighborhood way, way out where it doesn't belong, at the end of the solar system. Astronomers just discovered this space object unlike any other. It's an ancient chunk of rock and ice, long ago flung into the Oort cloud. What makes this hunk of rock special is that it's the first piece of matter from Earth's inner solar system neighborhood discovered returning from the Oort cloud. This frosty fringe of our solar system is where most comets call home. Even more intriguingly, "we think it might be fresh Earth-forming material that has been preserved for billions of years," says Karen Meech, the team's leader at the Institute for Astronomy in the University of Hawaii. That would make C/2014 S3 a tantalizing historical fragment without comparison. "It's possible it will never be observed again." The strange object-glimpsed during the Pan-STARS astronomical survey and named C/2014 S3-was announced today in the journal Science Advances. Meech and her colleagues uncovered the origins and composition of this strange rock by analyzing the light coming off it-its dusty fingerprint, if you will-as it ripped past the Sun in 2014. That was their one chance at this, as C/2014 S3 is zooming headlong back to the Oort cloud and can no longer be seen. With a 860-year orbit, "it's possible it will never be observed again," she says. That fingerprint showed that C/2014 S3 was surprisingly very similar to a common type of asteroid that hails from our solar neighborhood, called an S-type asteroid. Yet one thing about this space traveler was unlike any S-type asteroid you can find today. It still had fragments of ice clinging to it, remnants of the object's creation. For all other S-type asteroids, that ancient ice has long since evaporated, leaving behind a trace of minerals as the only proof it was ever there. Meech considers C/2014 S3 an important discovery for two main reasons. First, its mere existence will help astrophysicists refine their competing theories that explain the evolution of our solar system. Many such models models suggest that early on, the giant gas planets like Jupiter and Saturn migrated to their current orbits, flinging material in their path into the fringes of our solar system. That's how Meech and colleagues believe that C/2014 S3 ended up in the Oort cloud. However, given the origin and age of the material, C/2014 S3 "is potentially from the very place where Earth was getting its material to grow during its formation," she says. If that's true-and if other objects like C/2014 S3 are found and studied more quickly-scientists might be able to use such objects to answer questions as far reaching as the origin of Earth's organic compounds, and where we got all this water. "But whats really quite exciting is that there are still new, never-before-seen things in our solar system like this that we're able to discover," Meech says. Egyptian prosecutors had issued a statement earlier Monday saying the 2 journalists arrested from the press syndicate Sunday evening are currently being questioned on accusations of spreading false news and incitement Egyptian prosecutors ordered the detention of journalists Amr Badr and Mahmoud El-Sakka for 15 days pending further investigations on various charges including spreading false news and plotting to suspend the constitution. Egypt's prosecution had questioned Monday afternoon Badr and El-Sakka - two journalists arrested during the ministry of interior's storming of the press syndicate on Sunday evening - on accusations of spreading false news, inciting the public, and plotting to overthrow the regime. According to judicial sources, police have accused Badr and El-Sakka of "joining organisations that aim to suspend the constitution and overthrow the country's republican system." The prosecution is also questioning the two journalists on accusations of obstructing government administration, harming national unity and social peace, preparing to print material to achieve their aims, and spreading false news to disturb public security. In an official statement released on Monday afternoon, prosecutors explained that they had issued on 19 April an arrest warrant for the two journalists and seven others based on police claims that the nine "possessed firearms and Molotov cocktails with the aim of carrying out attacks on police, army forces, and vital facilities." According to the prosecution's Monday statement, police investigations showed that the suspects were spreading "false news and rumours to incite the public through social media outlets (Facebook) in the lead up to Sinai Liberation Day celebration on 25 April." The prosecution concluded by calling on the public to rely only on its official statements on the ongoing investigations. Amr Badr, editor-in-chief and founder of Yanair (January) website, and journalist Mahmoud El-Sakka, who works for the same website, were staging a sit-in in the syndicate to protest against their arrest warrants as well as the storming of their homes by security forces last month. Badr and El-Sakka are veterans of both the 2011 revolution that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak and the Tamarod movement that spearheaded the movement to oust Mubarak's successor, Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, in 2013. The union charged that during the Sunday evening raid in which the journalists were arrested, police broke press law that mandates that the police must obtain the approval of the general prosecution before entering the premises of the union, and can only do so in the presence of the head of the union. The union condemned what it described as a "barbaric attack" and a "flagrant assault" on journalists and the press after security forces stormed the building and arrested the two journalists. The interior ministry has denied in a statement the storming after a wave of criticism and condemnations by the journalists and other professional unions, stressing that it followed all legal procedures while carrying out the arrests and had secured the approval of the prosecution prior to entering the union. Shorty after the storming and subsequent arrests, the union's board called for the immediate sacking of the interior minister. In an emergency meeting in the early hours of Monday morning, the board also called on all union members to attend a general assembly on Wednesday, urging members that started a spontaneous sit-in at the HQ following the arrests to continue their action round the clock until the 4 May general assembly. Heads of the lawyers', engineers, and doctors' syndicates have all condemned the storming of the press syndicate, vowing to support the journalists in their fight for "the dignity of their profession". According to the political prisoners advocacy group Freedom for the Brave, in the last three weeks hundreds of activists and demonstrators were arrested in an around protests against Egypt's decision to acknowledge Saudi Arabia's sovereignty over two Red Sea islands. Many of those arrested were subsequently released, but last week tens were referred to misdemeanor court on various charges including taking part in unauthorised protests. During the wave of arrests, police stopped scores of journalists, but later released them after syndicate intervention with the ministry of interior. On 25 April, security forces shut down all roads leading to the journalists syndicate in Downtown Cairo to prevent a planned protest against the islands deal, allowing only few supporters of the agreement to express their backing of the government's decision at the steps of the under-lockdown syndicate headquarters. Search Keywords: Short link: brightwheel shark tank There's never an easy time to leave a comfortable job to start a business, but it's especially risky when your daughter is six months old and your wife is on unpaid maternity leave. That's the gamble San Francisco-based entrepreneur Dave Vasen took in June 2014 when he left an executive position at AltSchool to found KidCasa, a preschool management service that later became Brightwheel. It's paid off. After a year of development and the branding relaunch, Vasen raised a $2.2 million seed round led by Eniac Ventures and RRE Ventures in June 2015. Just a few weeks later, Vasen saw "Shark Tank" was having tryouts down the street from his office and, because he had the idea of applying in the back of his head for some time, decided to improvise an audition. He was called back for filming in September, and his appearance was finally broadcast Friday in the latest episode of the show's seventh season. It revealed that he raised another $600,000 from investors Mark Cuban and guest Shark Chris Sacca, the billionaire investor best known for his lucrative early deals with Twitter, Uber, and Instagram. "I'll never forget hugging them after the deal," Vasen told Business Insider. "I have such admiration for them." Vasen entered the Tank seeking $400,000 for a 4% stake in Brightwheel, giving his company a $10 million valuation. He was hopped up on two Red Bulls he chugged while waiting in the trailer the producers gave him. Vasen explained to the Sharks that as the father of a toddler and as someone who's spent the majority of his career in the education space, he's seen firsthand that the operators of a preschool are placed in a uniquely challenging situation. "They're not just managing a classroom, but managing a business, too," he said. Brightwheel is a service that allows preschool owners and employees to monitor both their paperwork and their students, with updates linked to a smartphone app for parents. Story continues Here's the app in action: Vasen launched the pilot program in the fall of 2014 with 10 preschools, and as he stood in the Tank he had recruited 2,500 schools across all 50 states. Brightwheel is free to download, but a premium account is available in packages ranging from $40 to $200 per month, depending on how many accounts will be linked together for a school. Vasen told the investors his projected revenue was $1 million for 2015, $6 million for 2016, and $20 million for 2017. In the edited version of the pitch that aired, it appears that Vasen captured the attention of a few of the Sharks immediately, but he told Business Insider that the full experience which lasted over an hour was much more stressful. "It got pretty negative pretty quickly," he said. Daymond John and Mark Cuban have explained repeatedly that they're always on the lookout for "gold diggers" entrepreneurs with no intention of making a deal who use their "Shark Tank" appearance as a free commercial. Vasen realized that he was putting the entire reputation of his company on the line, and that if he bungled his pitch, he would be embarrassing himself, his family, and his other investors. He explained to the Sharks that he was turning to them to get an adviser on his side who would put in much more work than the typical investor, and that even though he had accomplished a level of success with a small team, he needed the help to scale. That was satisfactory for Kevin O'Leary, who opened up negotiations by offering $400,000 for 10% equity, cutting the company's valuation down from $10 million to $4 million. By this point, Cuban was sufficiently convinced Vasen was the real deal and began considering an offer because he realized "my kid's preschool desperately needed this exact type of software," he told us. Sacca jumped in, dismissing O'Leary's sharp devaluation, but saying he needed to invest on the same terms as the seed round, where the company was valued at $8.2 million. That meant his $400,000 would get him 4.85% equity. Vasen quickly told Sacca the deal sounded good to him, but that he wanted to see if anyone else wanted to split it. Sacca mocked the other Sharks, saying that they would be helpful to Brightwheel if Vasen was looking to make some T-shirts or get something into Bed Bath & Beyond. "What do you think you need from the rest of the line here?" he asked. Cuban was offended. "Are you serious? Are you really that clueless?" He jabbed back, saying that when Sacca affiliated himself with a company, "it adds a lot of street cred to his little part of the world. Once you get outside of that little bubble called Silicon Valley, it doesn't mean sh--." "Uber, Twitter, Instagram operate in their own little world," Sacca said sarcastically. "I've never been outside of San Francisco. Sorry." Vasen said he was thinking "this is surreal" as the two investors he had set his eyes on, Cuban and Sacca, spent minutes yelling at each other from opposite ends of the panel. mark cuban chris sacca shark tank Vasen kept his focus and after some more back-and-forth, offered Sacca and Cuban a joint deal: $600,000 for 6%, split evenly, at the originally proposed $10 million valuation. Sacca said he'd compromise by doing that at a $9 million valuation, meaning he and Cuban would each get a 3.34% stake for $300,000. Cuban said that worked for him, and Vasen took the deal. And though Sacca kicked off a spat with Cuban that genuinely got both riled up, he told Business Insider that he and Cuban are old friends and that when Sacca took Cuban's offer last year to appear on a few episodes of "Shark Tank," "I agreed to go on the show so I wouldn't miss the opportunity to bust his balls in front of millions of Americans. There is no doubt he adds an incredible amount of value to his companies. But I'm there to make sure he doesn't get a free ride anymore." As for why he invested in Brightwheel, Sacca said, "My best entrepreneurs always have one thing in common: They radiate a sense of the inevitability of their success. Dave didn't need to sell us. Instead you can tell he just knows that Brightwheel is going to win the space. That's simply irresistible. "Plus, in the same way that Uber solves a problem for both drivers and riders, I love how Brightwheel dramatically improves the lives of hardworking teachers, thrills parents, and empowers school administrators," he added. "You nail a solution for those three groups and you've got a huge business on your hands." NOW WATCH: At Sam Adams, its OK to tell your boss f--- you More From Business Insider Four people were killed when the crude bombs they were making exploded in India's West Bengal, where bitterly fought state elections are underway, a senior police official said Monday. Another six people were injured in the explosion on Sunday night in a village about 360 kilometres (220 miles) north of Kolkata, close to the eastern state's border with Bangladesh. "Four people were killed and six others injured when the bombs they were making exploded in a house at Baisnabnagar village," Anuj Sharma, West Bengal additional director general of police, told AFP. "The explosion rocked the area and damaged the house." Police were investigating the reasons for the bombmaking but no arrests have been made so far, Sharma said. West Bengal is set to hold the final phase of staggered state elections on Thursday. Homemade bombs are sometimes planted by workers from rival political parties to intimidate voters ahead of polling day. India has sent extra security forces to West Bengal for the election. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is battling left-wing rivals and the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which rules at national level. Banerjee's Trinamool Congress party has also been hit by bitter infighting among its rival factions. Two people were killed in March when their homemade bombs accidently exploded, also in West Bengal, while police in February recovered 80 crude bombs from the house of a local leader of the Trinamool Congress party, according to local media. Even the White House Correspondents' Dinner wasn't safe from a little drama. A scuffle ensued between Fox News correspondent Jesse Watters (The O'Reilly Factor) and Huffington Post Washington bureau chief Ryan Grim at the MSNBC afterparty Saturday night at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Grim told The Hollywood Reporter he filmed Watters on his cellphone, asking him to apologize for an earlier incident that dates back to 2009 with one of his colleagues, when Watters snatched his phone. A fight started when Grim tried to retrieve it back. Grim said the evening escalated to Watters throwing punches at him. Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel tweeted a photo of the incident with the caption, "Brawl between @ryangrim and @jessebwatters at MSNBC party." The two journalists were eventually separated by RNC executive director Sean Spicer. Brawl between @ryangrim and @jessebwatters at MSNBC party. pic.twitter.com/Fy7VKFBdmh - daveweigel (@daveweigel) May 1, 2016 Who won the fight @jessebwatters @ryangrim? #nerdprom pic.twitter.com/aMTIGJKjvZ - Cassandra Fairbanks (@CassandraRules) May 1, 2016 Read More: President Obama Takes Aim at CNN, Trump, Hillary Clinton in White House Correspondents' Dinner Remarks Grim told THR he asked Watters to apologize on camera at the party for his confrontation in 2009 with Amanda Terkel, who is now a colleague of Grim's at Huffington Post. Terkel wrote for Think Progress that she was once stalked and later ambushed on the street by Watters, who forced her to recant her statements about Bill O'Reilly into a camera. She titled her story, "I Was Followed, Harassed, and Ambushed by Bill O'Reilly's Producer." "Jesse should retire from the ambush business if he can't deal with it on the other end," Grim told THR. A Fox News spokesperson told THR that Watters will address the issue tomorrow night on The O'Reilly Factor. Read More: CNN's Don Lemon Gives Larry Wilmore the Finger at White House Correspondents' Dinner By Matthias Blamont and Jean-Baptiste Vey PARIS, May 2 (Reuters) - France will press its G7 partners this month to launch an "irreversible" process to control the prices of new medicines, part of a global drive to make life-saving drugs more affordable, three sources told Reuters. President Francois Hollande said in March he would push for the international regulation of drugs prices when he meets other G7 leaders in Ise-Shima, Japan on May 26-27. The sources said the issue was now on the summit agenda and health ministers will continue work on it in Kobe in September when other parties, such as the pharmaceutical companies themselves, could potentially be involved. "We need to initiate this process with firmness, and the president wants it to be irreversible," said a source close to Hollande. The rising cost of ground-breaking medicines has been criticised around the world, with campaigners in developing countries demanding reform of the patent system to make vital treatments more affordable. G7 nations are home to most of the leading drug makers and while governments are keen to tackle rising health costs they may be reluctant to pitch themselves against their own pharmaceutical industries. Any regulation would have to balance the need to keep costs down with the need for pharmaceutical companies like U.S group Pfizer, France's Sanofi or Britain's GlaxoSmithKline to retain financial incentives for innovation. G7 delegations have begun initial talks on the issue but no one expects a breakthrough in the near future, one of the sources said. A United Nations panel is discussing ways to improve access to medicines and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has promised to rein in prices in the United States. In the latest move by the pharmaceuticals industry to address criticism on prices, GlaxoSmithKline said in March it would adopt a graduated approach to patenting its medicines depending on the wealth of different countries. (Additionnal reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Richard Lough and Robin Pomeroy) By Matthias Blamont and Jean-Baptiste Vey PARIS (Reuters) - France will press its G7 partners this month to launch an "irreversible" process to control the prices of new medicines, part of a global drive to make life-saving drugs more affordable, three sources told Reuters. President Francois Hollande said in March he would push for the international regulation of drugs prices when he meets other G7 leaders in Ise-Shima, Japan on May 26-27. The sources said the issue was now on the summit agenda and health ministers will continue work on it in Kobe in September when other parties, such as the pharmaceutical companies themselves, could potentially be involved. "We need to initiate this process with firmness, and the president wants it to be irreversible," said a source close to Hollande. The rising cost of ground-breaking medicines has been criticized around the world, with campaigners in developing countries demanding reform of the patent system to make vital treatments more affordable. G7 nations are home to most of the leading drug makers and while governments are keen to tackle rising health costs they may be reluctant to pitch themselves against their own pharmaceutical industries. Any regulation would have to balance the need to keep costs down with the need for pharmaceutical companies like U.S group Pfizer, France's Sanofi or Britain's GlaxoSmithKline to retain financial incentives for innovation. G7 delegations have begun initial talks on the issue but no one expects a breakthrough in the near future, one of the sources said. A United Nations panel is discussing ways to improve access to medicines and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has promised to rein in prices in the United States. In the latest move by the pharmaceuticals industry to address criticism on prices, GlaxoSmithKline said in March it would adopt a graduated approach to patenting its medicines depending on the wealth of different countries. (Additionnal reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Richard Lough and Robin Pomeroy) Jet ski racing champion Franky Zapata has set a new hoverboard world record, reports The Verge. Zapata set the record on Saturday for the farthest flight by a hoverboard with the Flyboard Air. It is the latest creation from Zapatas extreme watersports brand Zapata Racing, and follows the previously-released Flyboard and Hoverboard by ZR. The jet-powered Flyboard Air took off on the coast of Sausset-les-Pins, near Marseille, France, flying for 7,388 feet (2,252 meters) to set the new record. Its distance far surpassed that set by Canadian inventor Catalin Alexandru Duru back in 2015. Although Zapatas other inventions require various attachments in order to work, the new Flyboard Air can fly independently, with the company saying the device can reach an impressive 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) in the air, with a maximum speed of 93 miles (149.6 kilometers) per hour. Freeport-McMoRans 1Q16 Earnings Call: Mostly About Asset Sales (Continued from Prior Part) Freeport-McMoRans 1Q16 call During its 4Q15 earnings conference call, Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) mentioned an asset sales program to raise $5 billion$10 billion to shore up its balance sheet. The asset sales issue dominated management discussions and analysts questions during Freeport-McMoRans 1Q16 call. And thats not without a reason. Asset sales have been the key driver of Freeports price action this year. You can find out more about this in How Morenci Deal Changed Freeport-McMoRans Future. Other commodity (DJP) producers, including Rio Tinto (RIO), BHP Billiton (BHP), and Glencore (GLNCY), are looking at various ways to strengthen their balance sheets. Updates from 1Q16 call So far, Freeport has announced asset sales transactions totaling $1.4 billion, as you can see in the above graph. According to Richard Adkerson, Freeports CEO (chief executive officer), the company is advancing discussions on additional transactions. He also said that the scarcity of quality assets in the copper business is attracting significant interest from potential purchasers. Although Freeport had earlier listed several alternatives to generate cash, the tone of its 1Q16 call suggests that management is primarily looking to sell stakes in some of its copper assets. However, Freeport might not consider selling its oil and gas assets since they might not fetch the expected price in the current markets. Instead, Freeport hinted at further cost reduction in the energy business and preserving the asset. Equity transaction? Last year, Freeport-McMoRan raised $2 billion by selling shares. But according to Freeport, the company might not immediately consider another equity transaction. However, the company didnt totally rule out raising fresh equity as an alternative, should the asset sales transactions not materialize. Nonetheless, copper, which has always been Freeports strength, might just bail out the company from the debt trap its in from the failed energy adventure. Story continues Stay tuned to Market Realists Copper page for the upcoming earnings in this industry. Browse this series on Market Realist: Geneva (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry launched a desperate push Monday to salvage a ceasefire in Syria, as the country's second city of Aleppo reeled from a week of fighting that killed hundreds of civilians. With the two-month old truce brokered by the United States and Russia under severe threat, Kerry said Washington and Moscow had made progress in trying to contain the bloodshed, but warned it was premature to promise success. The top US diplomat gave some of his most downbeat comments yet after meeting the United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura in Geneva, saying the conflict was "in many ways out of control and deeply disturbing to everybody in the world, I hope." The US and Russia have agreed to bolster the number of Geneva-based ceasefire monitors, Kerry told reporters, pledging to work "in the next hours" to rein in violence on the ground. In and around Aleppo, a week of fighting has killed more than 250 people. Kerry accused President Bashar al-Assad's regime of deliberately targeting three clinics and a major hospital last week. "The attack on this hospital is unconscionable," he said. "And it has to stop." There was a relative lull in the unrest later Monday, allowing some residents to venture out into the streets, AFP's correspondents in Aleppo said, with some even opening up shops. Greengrocer Abu Nazem said he had not worked all of last week out of fear of air raids. "I decided to come back to work today but despite the calm I am still afraid. Sometimes I hear motorbikes going past and I dive for cover because I think it's a military plane," he told AFP. - Diplomatic push - Kerry said a bolstered group of ceasefire monitors will track violations "24 hours a day, seven days a week." A senior US diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US, Russia and the UN have moved forward on a new ceasefire mechanism for Aleppo, but a deal was not complete. Story continues Kerry stressed that the goal was to reinforce a broad truce capable of withstanding further tests. "We're trying to press this as fast as possible but I don't want to make any promises that can't be kept," he told reporters after meeting de Mistura and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir -- whose government has influence with key rebel groups. Before leaving Geneva en route to Washington, Kerry called Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss safeguarding the flagging truce. The pair "agreed on new measures to be taken by Moscow and Washington", a Russian foreign ministry statement said, without providing details. De Mistura was due to fly to Moscow for talks with Lavrov on Tuesday. - Aleppo violence - While agreeing in theory to support a ceasefire, Russia has done little to rein in Assad's forces around Aleppo, which were in action again early Monday. Several neighbourhoods, including the heavily-populated Bustan al-Qasr district, were hit, according to AFP's correspondent in the northern city. Kerry said Washington would press moderate rebels to separate themselves from the Al-Nusra Front's jihadists in Aleppo. Russia and Assad's regime have used the presence of Al-Nusra, which was not party to a February 27 ceasefire deal, as an excuse to press their offensive. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor says at least 253 civilians -- including 49 children -- have been killed on both sides of divided Aleppo since April 22. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed for the ceasefire to be extended to include Aleppo as a matter of urgency. The city was initially left out of a deal to "reinforce" the February truce agreement. The freeze in fighting, announced on Friday, applied to battlefronts in the coastal province of Latakia and Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus. State television reported a Syrian army announcement on Monday that the freeze has been extended for another 48 hours in Eastern Ghouta, until 1:00 am Wednesday (2200 GMT Tuesday). The same "freeze" is set to hold until 1:00 am Tuesday in Latakia, a regime stronghold. Syria's conflict erupted in 2011 after the brutal repression of anti-government protests and has since escalated into a complex, multi-faceted war, which has killed more than 270,000 people. The renewed bloodshed has dampened hopes that the ceasefire could finally lay the groundwork for an end to the conflict. Last month's peace talks in Geneva failed to make headway, although de Mistura has voiced hope they can resume next month. There was a mini-Friends reunion last night and were not quite sure how to deal with it, with Matt LeBlanc showcasing his undying support for former co-star Matthew Perry as he made the time to watch his West End play End Of Longing. Well, he probably owes him with the amount of plays Chandler Bing had to watch Joey Tribbiani in throughout the ten series of Friends, eh? Copyright: Getty The pair had us coming over all nostalgic as Matt shared a photo of their reunion on his Twitter account alongside the caption: Went to support my pal last night @MatthewPerry in The End of Longing. "Great performances by the whole cast. But the best was from Matthew, right Matt? Its good to see the two together again as Matthews commitment to the London production meant that he missed the huge Friends reunion earlier this year, when the cast got together to pay tribute to director James Burrows. Unfortunately the actor was forced to miss attending the do in person, but he was sure to record an introduction for his former castmates, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, and Matt LeBlanc. Matt is currently in London thanks to his new role presenting the reboot of Top Gear alongside Chris Evans, and with Matthews show continuing on stage for a little while yet were going to hold out for plenty more Joey and Chandler reunions while theyre in the same city. Cant quite recall what happened in the previous episode? Read our recap here. Please just click READ MORE, because weve got a lot to talk about, and I dont want to spoil passers-by. GUYS. Jon Snow is alive. This is not a drill. This is not grainy paparazzi photos of Kit Harington. This is not the length of his hair. This is not the cast cagily saying Jon Snow is dead, because he WAS but hes NOT and lets just get to the recap of Home, OK? RELATEDGame of Thrones Kit Harington to Fans: Sorry for Lying to Everyone! HOUSE STARK: WHATCHOO TALKIN BOUT, HODOR? EDITION | The Three-Eyed Raven and Bran are both warged out or looking like it, at least but when we flip to a new scene we realize theyre standing in the background of a Winterfell-set scene, where Ned and Benjen Stark as boys are sparring. Lyanna rides in like the mythical creature shell eventually become, and we get a glimpse of a non-addled Hodor as a boy (whose real name is Willis!) before the Raven announces, Its time to go. Bran comes to and wonders why the older man dragged him from the memory. The Raven implies that its not good to spend too much time in the past that way. Hodor is there, too; he carries Bran outside to see Meera, whos ventured outside the cave. The Three-Eyed Raven says theres a war coming, he warns her. And were going to fight it in there? she says dispassionately. After he leaves, one of the Ravens creepy tree kids tells Meera that Bran will need her greatly in time to come. RELATEDExclusive: Offed Game of Thrones Star Reflects on [Spoiler]s Surprise Death A Lot of People Are Going to Be Very Happy HOUSE LANNISTER | Some drunken idiot in Kings Landing tells a ribald story about how Cersei enthusiastically responded to his lascivious overtures during her walk of shame. Later, when that man steps into the alley to pee, The Mountain simply and disgustingly pulverizes his skull. Story continues The Mountain returns to Cerseis side just in time to see Tommens army deny her passage to Myrcellas funeral. Over at the sept, Jaime wonders why the king has been so distant with his mother. Everything she endured, she did it for you, he reminds the boy, who angrily says he cant go see her but its because hes feeling crushing guilt over Cerseis walk of atonement and Margaerys imprisonment. Go and see your mother, Tommen, Jaime advises his son/nephew just after the High Sparrow arrives. That gives the two men a little alone time to talk (Side note: During the chat, we learn those corpse-eye stones are supposed to remind us not to fear death. Neat!) Jaime threatens the holy man with violence and is surprised when hes not intimidated perhaps its because a ton of his armed followers have suddenly filed into the chamber? The High Sparrow leaves, and Jaime seems very unsettled by his decree that a large number of poor, powerless people working together can overthrow an empire. Tommen does as the Kingslayer asks and visits Cersei, to whom he apologizes. She forgives him, but he doesnt take the absolution. You raised me to be strong. I wasnt, but I want to be. Help me, he pleads. Always, she whispers, hugging him to her. RELATEDGame of Thrones Star John Bradley Says Jon Snows Death Would Destroy Sam Game of Thrones Jon Snow Alive HOUSE LANNISTER: QUIT DRAGON YOUR HEELS EDITION | If I lost my cock, Id drink all the time. Thats how Tyrion opens the meeting of Daenerys small council. Members in attendance: Varys, Grey Worm, Missandei and Lannister himself. First order of business: The masters of Astapor and Yunkai have retaken the cities, meaning Mereen is the only city Daenerys freed. Second order of business: Tyrions brief history of dragons (they love to be wild, they eventually wither and die off in captivity) before taking a torch and Varys to visit Daenerys babies, who are still chained up in the crypt, refusing to eat. Though they initially growl fire his way, Tyrion sweet talks the scaly beasts into recognizing him as a friend, so they dont flambe him as he pets their necks and removes their chains. Is it weird that after he frees them, I think for a moment the dragons are going to hug? Probably. Anyway, the dragons crawl back into the darkness and Tyrion and Varys skedaddle before one or both of them becomes a shish kabob. THE MEN OF THE WALL | The time has run out for Ser Davos and the men protecting Jon Snows body. Alliser knocks on the door, still promising peace, but the way his men have their weapons drawn sends a completely different message. So does his decision to hack the door down with an ax. Just as he breaks through, a loud sound from just outside the gates stops everyone cold: Its a giant, and he busts into Castle Black with the Wildlings and Dolorous Edd, effectively ending the hostilities (but no one tells Olly, who tries to Ygritte Torumund out of existence. Nice try, little jerk. Stay in your lane.) Davos later goes to see a melancholy Melisandre, whos staring into the fireplace in her room. He wants to talk about Jon Snow, the former Lord Commander, as she notes. Does he have to be? the knight asks. She tiredly replies that some have the power to return the dead to life, but shes not the man for the job. He lists her applicable skills (drinking poison and living, giving birth to a demonic smoke demon of demony badness), then bucks her up: Im not asking the Lord of Light for help. Im asking the woman who showed me miracles exist. She looks like shes about to cry as she says she never had the gift of reanimation. Well, he wonders, Have you ever tried? Game of Thrones Jon Snow Alive So the Red Priestess washes him, clips some of his hair, does some chanting, stroking and burning, then lays her hands on his chest and chants some more. When it doesnt work, she whispers, Please but nothing happens and everyone leaves except for Davos and Ghost. Finally, even Davos exits the room then Ghost gets up. And Jon takes a breath. And another. Yep, hes alive! RELATEDGame of Thrones Maisie Williams Says Blind Arya Is Very Much the Underdog HOUSE STARK: THE STREETS AINT FOR NO ONE EDITION | The Waif comes around and delivers Aryas daily beating, which goes a little better than the last one we saw. Then Jaqen shows up and tempts Arya with the promise of shelter, food and her returned eyesight if shell just say shes Arya Stark. A girl has no name, she replies each time, which is the right answer, and he leads her away. HOUSE BOLTON: FAREWELL FATHER EDITION | With Sansa still gone, Ramsay suggests that the Bolton army storm The Wall, where shes surely headed. Roose is not on board with that plan at all mainly because its a terrible one but the men are interrupted by the news that Walda has just given birth to a baby boy. Which means that Roose now has a legitimate heir. Which means that Ramsay is of no real use to him anymore. So after a congratulatory hug from the bastard and a few words of consolation from his dad (Youll always be my firstborn), Ramsay stabs his dad in the gut a couple times and kills him. Send word throughout the north, Ramsay then tells the shocked maester, whos seen the whole thing: Roose is dead, poisoned by his enemies. As if that werent enough horror from the Bolton clan for one episode, Ramsay then leads an unsuspecting (and oblivious to the death) Walda into the kennels and unlocks some of the violent dogs cages. Where is Lord Bolton? she asks, hysteria growing. I am Lord Bolton, he replies calmly. Please, Ramsay, he is your brother! she pleads. I prefer being an only child, he says, whistling (oh god no) for the dogs (oh god hes going to do it) who fall upon the woman and her newborn as we hear their screams. RELATEDGame of Thrones Maisie Williams Praises Her Stunt Double, Previews Aryas Fight: Oh My Gosh, Girl, Get Up! HOUSE STARK: THEON, OUT! EDITION | Brienne fills Sansa in on seeing Arya with The Hound. I should have gone with you when I had the chance, Lady Stark tells her new protector, who consoles her by saying, It was a difficult choice, milady. Weve all had to make difficult choices. Speaking of which, Theon has made his own tough decision: Hes not coming with them to The Wall. I would have died to get you there, he says, crying after saying that he doesnt want to be forgiven for the awful acts he committed against the Starks. She hugs him, and he asks for a horse: Hes going home. HOUSE GREYJOY: WHAT IS DEAD MAY NEVERMIND EDITION | Yara briefs her father on the Ironborn loss at Deepwood Motte. We can defeat anyone at sea, but their holdings on land are much more tenuous, she explains. He doesnt want to hear it, and storms out, running into his brother whos been presumed dead and/or crazy for some time. I am the first storm, and the last, and youre in my way, Yaras uncle tells Balon, then pitches him over the side of a swaying rope bridge in the middle of a storm. At Balons funeral, Yara swears to find the murderer and feed him alive to the sharks. She assumes shell take over as ruler of the Ironborn, but an elder informs her that shell have to fight for it like everyone else. What did you think of this weeks insane episode? Did you truly think Jon was gone for good? Let us hear about it in the comments! Launch Gallery: Game of Thrones Season 6 Photos Related stories Grey's Anatomy's McDreamy Is Alive!... in Thrones-Inspired Promo Parody Oprah Winfrey to Star in HBO Movie Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Game of Thrones' Kit Harington to Fans: 'Sorry for Lying to Everyone!' May 2 (Reuters) - Gannett Co Inc plans to urge Tribune Publishing Co's shareholders to withhold their votes on election of board nominees as it looks to engage the publisher of Chicago Tribune in takeover talks. Tribune's shareholders are scheduled to vote on the election of eight nominees to the company's board at its annual meeting on June 2. Gannett, the publisher of USA Today, said last week it offered $12.25 per share in cash for Tribune. Gannett Chief Executive Robert Dickey said in a statement on Monday that Tribune stockholders, by withholding their votes, could send a "clear message" to Tribune's board that it should engage in talks with the company. Tribune's shares were down about 2 percent at $11.11 in noon trading on Monday. (Reporting by Rishika Sadam in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirti Pandey) Stockholm (AFP) - US television channel Logo, geared toward the LGBT community, will broadcast the May 14 Eurovision Song Contest final live in the United States, organisers announced on Monday. The European Broadcasting Union said it had signed a deal with the channel, part of the Viacom group, making it the first US broadcaster of the event, to be held this year in Stockholm. "The Eurovision Song Contest is now a truly global phenomenon and we are extremely happy that US viewers now get to join those all over Europe, Australia and Asia," the contest's executive supervisor Jon Ola Sand said in a statement. Last year, 197 million people watched Sweden's Mans Zelmerlow take home the grand final. Logo, aimed at the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, is available in "nearly 50 million homes", according to the EBU. Eurovision has for decades been a hugely popular event in gay culture circles, to the extent that the only flags authorised in the venue during the broadcast are those of the UN member states, the European Union and the rainbow flag. One star-studded 21st birthday party wasn't enough for Gigi Hadid! After celebrating at the Hollywood hot spot The Nice Guy on Friday, Hadid traveled to Las Vegas for blowout at Wynn Las Vegas' brand new nightclub, Intrigue. The Victoria's Secret model, who turned 21 on April 23, flaunted her flawless figure in a very low-cut, form-fitting dress with a super-high hemline that she paired with tan, knee-high suede boots. Getty Images WATCH: Gigi Hadid Has Star-Studded 21st Birthday Bash in Hollywood! Hadid was joined by her mom, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Hadid, as well as two dozen other friends and relatives, though boyfriend Zayn Malik wasn't in attendance. An eyewitness told ET that Hadid appeared to be having tons of fun with her formidable squad, drinking cocktails and even dancing and singing together when Beyonce's hit "Formation" came on in the club. WATCH: Gigi Hadid Celebrates Her 21st Birthday With Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris on a Plane During Coachella To celebrate the milestone birthday, Intrigue went all out for the stunning supermodel. They presented her with customized bottles of alcohol, dazzling sparklers and even an ornate, booze-themed birthday cake. Getty Images WATCH: Gigi Hadid Flaunts Underboob in Sexy 'Sports Illustrated' Photoshoot The multi-level confection was topped with a giant faux martini glass -- complete with giant, fake cocktail olives -- and adorned with the number "21" written in gold letters. Her guests all circled around to cheer her on as she accepted the delicious gift. ETONLINE WATCH: Rihanna and Leonardo DiCaprio Spotted Hanging Out at Intrigue Nightclub Grand Opening Plenty of other A-listers were hanging out at the brand-new hot spot on Saturday. An eyewitness saw Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane, Creed star Michael B. Jordan and music producer David Guetta all kicking back at the club, separate from each other and Hadid's party, though Leonardo DiCaprio did make an appearance at the fete. Story continues DiCaprio and Rihanna reunited at Intrigue the night before for the club's grand opening, but their paths apparently didn't cross when both returned to the hot spot on Saturday. For more on the Oscar winner and the pop star's party-filled Friday night, check out the video below. Related Articles GLAAD released its fourth annual Studio Responsibility Index this morning, finding that the racial diversity of LGBT characters drastically decreased since last years report and that there remains a lack of substantial LGBT characters in mainstream films. No studios were given a Good rating for their 2015 films while Paramount, Disney and Warner Bros received Failing grades from the media advocacy watchdog for their portrayals of LGBT people. GLAADs index maps the quantity, quality, and diversity of images of LGBT people in films released by the seven largest studios during the calendar year. The group found that of the 126 releases from the major studios in 2015, 22 (17.5%) included characters identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender. That reps no change from the 17.5% of films found to be inclusive in the previous report. The group says the majority of LGBT characters in 2015 were minor roles. Hollywoods films lag far behind any other form of media when it comes to portrayals of LGBT characters, said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. Too often, the few LGBT characters that make it to the big screen are the target of a punchline or token characters. The film industry must embrace new and inclusive stories if it wants to remain competitive and relevant. GLAAD said both Paramount and Disney completely excluded LGBT characters in their 2015 film slates. It added that transgender representation is shockingly low, with only one character in the mainstream releases of 2015 Warners Hot Pursuit whose brief appearance served as a punchline. While Warner received a Good rating for 2014, GLAAD this year handed out no such stamps of approval. Of the other majors, Fox, Lionsgate, Sony and Universal all received ratings of Adequate. But, GLAAD said, Adequate is no longer adequate and beginning next year, the SRI will use a five-star scale, from one star (Failing) to five stars (Excellent). Story continues Particularly upsetting is the dismal racial diversity of LGBT characters across all media platforms. But, says GLAAD, film sadly took a step back this year with a near seven-percentage point drop in LGBT characters of color There is not just one LGBT experience and there are plenty of diverse and groundbreaking stories about the LGBT community yet to be told. Creators must tell the stories of our large and diverse community through the eyes of more than one character, thereby creating opportunities for compelling storylines. There was better news on the specialty side. GLAAD examined the releases of four smaller affiliated studios (Focus, Fox Searchlight, Roadside Attractions and Sony Classics) to draw a comparison. Of the 46 films released under those studios imprints in 2015, GLAAD found 10 (22%) to be LGBT-inclusive an increase from the 10.6% from the same divisions in 2014. GLAAD noted that films which relied on gay panic and defamatory stereotypes for cheap laughs included Kevin Hart-starring films Get Hard (WB) and The Wedding Ringer (Sony), which contain more blatant and incessant gay panic humor than we have seen in a Hollywood film in years. Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (Par) also received a mention. GLAAD said it would like to see a greater number of mainstream films pass whats known as the Vito Russo Test. Inspired by the Bechdel Test (and named for Vito Russo, author of the groundbreaking 1981 study of gay Hollywood The Celluloid Closet), its a set of criteria which analyzes how LGBT characters are represented in a fictional work. After improvements in the past few years, only eight of the 22 major studio films that featured an LGBT character passed the test for 2015, the lowest percentage in the studys history. Related stories 'The Nice Guys' Extremely Accurate 70s Retro Trailer: Like A Hug From A Pet Rock Viacom CEO Says Talks To Sell Paramount Stake "On Track" To Wrap In June Viacom Tops Fiscal Q2 Revenue Expectations But Ad Sales Stay Soft The Turkish military has reportedly hit Islamic State (IS) group positions in Syria with artillery and drone attacks, killing 63 militants. The state-owned Anadolu Agency said Monday the strikes took out multiple rocket launchers and gun positions. Four drones deployed from the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey took part in the operation and killed 29 militants. The remaining 34 IS fighters were "neutralized" by rockets and shelling from Turkey, according to the agency. The AP was unable to immediately verify the report. The offensive started on Sunday when four rockets fired from Syria hit the Turkish border town of Kilis and wounded eight people. The wider province of Kilis borders territory contested by IS group militants, anti-government Syrian rebels and Kurdish factions. The Turkish army typically responds to fire from Syria in line with its rules of engagement. In the past year, Turkey has also witnessed suicide bombings linked to the IS as well as attacks linked to Kurdish militants. The latest came Sunday, when a car bomb detonated outside a police station in the southern city of Gaziantep, near Syria. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for that attack but anti-terrorism units raided 20 Gaziantep addresses overnight in search for suspects. Search Keywords: Short link: By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS - Google (GOOGL.O) is likely to face its first European Union antitrust sanction this year, with little prospect of it settling a test case with the bloc's regulator over its shopping service, people familiar with the matter said. There are few incentives left for either party to reach a deal in a six-year dispute that could set a precedent for Google searches for hotels, flights and other services and tests regulators' ability to ensure diversity on the Web. Alphabet Inc's Google, which was hit by a second EU antitrust charge this month for using its dominant Android mobile operating system to squeeze out rivals, shows little sign of backing down after years of wrangling with European authorities. Several people familiar with the matter said they believe that after three failed compromise attempts since 2010, Google has no plan to try to settle allegations that its Web search results favour its own shopping service, unless the EU watchdog changes its stance. Such a change of heart appears unlikely, with European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager -- a Dane whose team is leading the Google investigation -- showing little interest in reaching a settlement where there is no finding of wrongdoing or a fine against the company, other people said. Underpinning Vestager's tough approach, and the Commission's case, are scores of complaints from companies, big and small, on both sides of the Atlantic. Alphabet shares were flat at 1824 GMT. MICROSOFT'S SHADOW For Google, which has denied any wrongdoing, the stakes are high. Some rivals are convinced that any fine is effectively a cost of doing business and it has more to gain in profit from its existing business model than conceding to complaints. The European Commission declined to comment. "From a pure profitability perspective, it is better off dragging out the competition case, continuing its practices for as long as possible, and ultimately paying a fine that will be smaller than the profits it generates by continuing the conduct," Thomas Vinje, a lawyer who advises several of Google's competitors, told Reuters. Story continues However, some sources said they see last week's low-key pact with arch-rival Microsoft to withdraw all regulatory complaints against each other as a signal that Google might in time choose to strike a deal with Brussels. By doing so it would avoid a repeat of Microsoft's damaging fight with the European Commission and by settling at least its dispute with the EU over Internet shopping might also head off possible actions by other regulators. One source said it was too early for Google to rule anything out or in regarding the EU case. To date, Google has a mixed record in taking on regulators globally, winning some battles and losing others. However, Microsoft offers a salutary lesson to those who want to take on the Commission, Ioannis Kokkoris, a law professor at Queen Mary University of London, said. Microsoft ended up with fines of more than 2.2 billion euros (1.7 billion pounds) after a decade-long battle with the Commission. "You are entering a long battle, an expensive battle. And if you go to court, the outcome would not necessarily be better," Kokkoris said. Michelin-stared British TV chef Gordon Ramsey will be taking to the Williams-Sonoma Culinary Stage alongside Iron Chef' Masaharu Morimoto at this year's event The BottleRock Napa Valley festival celebrates the best in food, drink and in music from the region. This year's show will include over 100 culinary stars as well as a host of special appearances from musicians, athletes and actors showing off their kitchen skills. From May 27-29 alongside chefs like Ramsey, Michael Mina, Ken Frank and Mourad Lahlou; Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters will also be swapping musical instruments for cooking appliances. The musical bill for the event, confirmed on Monday, promises performances from Stevie Wonder, Florence + The Machine as well as the aforementioned Red Hot Chili Peppers. For more information visit the festival's website. A popular YouTube vlogger made his grandfathers birthday wish come true by surprising him with his dream car. Read: Man Teaches Homeless Woman to Read During His Lunch Breaks British YouTube personality Tom Cassell, also known as Tom Syndicate, went to a Jaguar dealership in England to purchase the luxury car for his grandfather. I promised I would buy him a Jaguar when I was younger," Cassell said in a video posted on YouTube. "He said, If you ever make money, Tommy, you better buy me a Jaguar. Because of you guys giving me this opportunity, I have been able to make my granddads dream come true. In an email to InsideEdition.com, Cassell explained that he first had the idea to treat his grandfather to the car when he was just 11 years old. "I was playing video games at his house and in the game I was driving a Jaguar," he recalled. "He jokingly implied to me that when I had enough money when I was older that I'd buy him the car. "Obviously being the young I CAN DO ANYTHING kid I was, I said YES!" As the video shows, Cassell hid in the truck of the car and waited for his grandfather, Harry Spencer, to arrive at the dealership with his dad. The 22-year-old's dad began filming the moment as his son popped out of the trunk to say: Happy Birthday, pop! Spencer thought his grandson was in America and was shocked to see him. The folks at the dealership even brought out a special cake to celebrate the occasion. Tom and his grandfather went for a ride and when they arrived back home, the birthday boy was like a kid in a candy store, filled with excitement examining his new car. Spencer opened all the doors, seats and windows in the car and managed to lock himself in the backseat thanks to its child safety locks. But now he's getting used to it, Cassell said. "He loves the car and drives it like a true gentleman," he told IE.com. Story continues Read: Personal Trainer Leaves Infant Daughter In Unlocked Car During Work Out With Client Before the incredible gift, Spencer had driven a Toyota Rav-4, which he used to drive his wife around before she passed away from motor neuron disease (ALS). Cassell continues to raise money towards finding a cure through a JustGiving page. Cassell was very proud he was able to do this for his grandfather and posted about the experience on Instagram: Watch: The Craziest Car Chases Caught on Camera Related Articles: By Caroline Copley BERLIN (Reuters) - A sweeping free trade deal being negotiated between the European Union and the United States would lower food safety and environmental standards, Greenpeace said on Monday, citing confidential documents from the talks. But the European Commission said the documents reflected negotiating positions, not any final outcome, and the EU's chief negotiator dismissed some of Greenpeace's points as "flatly wrong." The U.S. Trade Representative's office also rejected them. While it would not comment on the "validity of alleged leaks," a spokesman said "the interpretations being given to these texts appear to be misleading at best and flat-out wrong at worst." Greenpeace opposes the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), arguing with other critics that it would hand too much power to big business at the expense of consumers and national governments. Supporters say the TTIP would deliver more than $100 billion of economic gains on both sides of the Atlantic. Greenpeace Netherlands published 248 pages of "consolidated texts" for 13 chapters, or about half, of the deal on the website TTIP-leaks.org on Monday. They date from early April, before a round of meetings in New York last week. "We've done this to ignite a debate," Greenpeace trade expert Juergen Knirsch told a news conference in Berlin, adding that the documents showed the negotiations should be halted. "The best thing the EU Commission can do is to say 'Sorry, we've made a mistake'." European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom called the leak a "storm in a teacup" and told an audience in Geneva the EU would not compromise its principles just to get a deal before U.S. President Barack Obama leaves office in January 2017. "If it is not good enough we just have to say 'Sorry but we have to put this on ice' and wait for the next administration. Obviously we lose time and momentum but we cannot agree to TTIP-lite or something thats not good enough," she said. The White House had no comment on the veracity of the documents but said the leak was unlikely to derail negotiations. "There is the potential, and we certainly are aiming, to complete these talks by the end of the year, and I don't think there's anything about this leak that is going to have a material impact on our ability to do that," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Monday. Greenpeace said the documents showed differences had become entrenched between the two sides of the Atlantic. Malmstrom said it was "not very dramatic" to say there were disagreements and the EU was being as open as possible about the negotiations. Knirsch said the texts showed the United States wanted to replace Europe's "precautionary principle" - which prevents potentially harmful products from coming to market when their effect is unknown or disputed - with a less stringent approach. Malmstrom said the precautionary principle was part of the "acquis" - the laws binding the EU together - and Greenpeace's assertion was not true. Malmstrom called on EU governments to do more to explain TTIP's merits to their populations. NO CHANGES ON GMOS In Europe, there is widespread opposition to allowing more imports of U.S. agricultural products due to concerns about genetically modified foods. In Brussels, EU chief negotiator Ignacio Garcia Bercero dismissed Greenpeace's comments on the precautionary principle, adding: "We have made crystal clear that we would not agree on anything that implies changes of our regulatory regime on GMOs (genetically modified organisms)." The negotiators aim to have "consolidated texts" by July, when a 14th round of talks is due to be held. They would then try to settle the thornier issues in the second half of 2016. A survey published last month by the Bertelsmann Foundation showed waning support for a TTIP deal in both Germany and the United States after three years of negotiations. A spokesman for the German government said it was still working to complete a deal. An Economy Ministry spokeswoman said Germany would not accept lower food safety standards. (Additional reporting by Phil Blenkinsop in Brussels, Tom Miles in Geneva, Toby Sterling in Amsterdam and Susan Heavey abd Roberta Rampton in Washington; Editing by Andrew Roche and Andrea Ricci) Mexican pay-TV and broadcasting behemoth Grupo Televisa S.A. TV reported weak financial results in the first quarter of 2016. Both the top and the bottom line lagged the respective Zacks Consensus Estimate. Net income in the reported quarter came in at approximately $56.8 million, down a substantial 45.6% year over year. Quarterly earnings per Global Depository Shares (GDS) were 1 cent, significantly below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 6 cents. Consolidated net revenue of around $1,258 million in the reported quarter improved 9.5% over the prior-year quarter but failed to meet the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,282 million. Gross margin came in at 44.1% compared with 43.9% in the year-ago quarter. Consolidated operating income was $191.4 million, plunging 31.2% from the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 15.2% compared with 24.2% in the year-ago quarter. Capital expenditure, during the reported quarter, was approximately $330.7 million. At the end of 2015, Televisa had approximately $3,435 million in cash and marketable securities and $6,632.5 million of outstanding debt compared with $3,174.2 million of cash and marketable securities and $6,472.5 million of outstanding debt at the end of 2015. At the end of the reported quarter, the debt-to-capitalization ratio was around 0.54 against 0.52 at the end of 2015. Content Segment Content Segment revenues came in at $435.3 million, up 7.2% year over year. Operating profit was $153.6 million, up 1.8% year over year, while operating margin was 35.3% compared with 37.2% in the year-ago quarter. Quarterly royalty from Univision was $70.7 million, up 7.7% year over year. Within this segment, Advertising revenues totaled $259 million, down 3.1% year over year. Network Subscription revenues were $62.3 million, indicating an increase of 31.2% year over year. Licensing and Syndication revenues were $113.9 million, up 25% year over year. Sky Segment Sky segment revenues came in at $309.4 million, up 15.7% year over year. Operating profit was $139.4 million, up 12.1% year over year. Quarterly operating margin was 45% compared with 46.5% in the year-ago quarter. Story continues Cable Segment Cable segment revenues of $440.8 million increased 13.5% year over year. Operating profit was $182.3 million, up 18.6% year over year. Operating margin came in at 41.4% compared with 39.6% in the year-ago quarter. Other Businesses Segment Other Business revenues were $102.7 million, down 7.5% year over year. Operating income was $8.2 million, down a substantial 36.1% year over year. Operating margin was 8% down from 11.6% in the year-ago quarter. Subscriber Statistics As of Mar 31, 2016, Televisa had 4,153,300 Video subscribers; 3,147,286 Broadband Internet subscribers; and 1,968,590 Telephony subscribers, which together constituted 9,269,176 revenue generating units (RGU) in the Telecommunications segment. The company also had 7,682,379 net active Satellite TV subscribers, up 13.7% year over year. In the reported quarter, the Sky segment added 398,217 net active subscribers. Zacks Rank and Stock to Consider Televisa currently holds a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Some better-ranked stocks in the same industry include Cumulus Media Inc. CMLS, Gray Television Inc. GTN and AMC Networks Inc. AMCX. While Cumulus and Gray aport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), AMC Networks carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report GRUPO TELEVISA (TV): Free Stock Analysis Report CUMULUS MEDIA (CMLS): Free Stock Analysis Report GRAY TELEVSN (GTN): Free Stock Analysis Report AMC NETWORKS- A (AMCX): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Guatemala City (AFP) - Security forces on Monday launched raids on one of the biggest gangs in Guatemala, arresting 72 suspected members of a cell specializing in extortion, officials said. More than 120 raids were carried out by nearly 300 law enforcement officers and prosecutors in the south, center and northeast of the country. "The operation is focused on fighting the scourge of extortion," the chief state prosecutor, Thelma Aldana, told a news conference. The raids targeted members of the notorious Barrio 18 gang who formed an ring known as "Solo para Locos" ("Only for Crazies") that strongarmed public transport companies plying routes between the capital and southern coastal areas, according to the public ministry. Aldana said the extortion cell earned nearly $400,000 a year from its illegal activities and was linked to 30 murders. Travel on buses in Guatemala has become increasingly risky in recent years because of the rampant extortion. A spokeswoman for the public ministry said the raids on Monday turned up weapons and ammunition, grenades and other explosives, cellphones, and cash. She said the criminals involved usually intimidated or launched armed attacks against bus companies. The investigation leading to the arrests started a year ago. Those arrested were charged and put in jail pending trial. The raids took place in the central province of Guatemala, in the southern provinces of Retalhuleu, Escuintla and Santa Rosa and in Izabal, northeast of the capital. Guatemala forms Central America's infamous "Northern Triangle" along with neighboring Honduras and El Salvador. The three countries are prey to vicious gangs that murder, extort and deal in drugs. Some 6,000 people die in Guatemala every year in violence attributed to the gangs. By Lisa Maria Garza DALLAS (Reuters) - A gun owner was fatally shot in a Dallas-area drugstore parking lot on Monday after intervening in a domestic dispute in which a woman was wounded, police said. The unidentified man who was killed was shopping with his wife at a Walgreens in Arlington, west of Dallas, when they saw a female employee who had been shot in the leg near the store entrance, an Arlington police spokesman told reporters at the scene. The man went to his vehicle, retrieved his weapon and confronted the man who had shot the woman, Lieutenant Christopher Cook said. "The suspect was trying to leave in the car. Thats when the good Samaritan pointed his firearm, trying to get the car to stop," Cook said. The suspect left his vehicle, shot the man in the head and fled the scene, police said. He later surrendered to police 60 miles from the scene of the shooting. The suspect has been identified as Ricci Bradden, 22, and is thought to be the husband or boyfriend of the woman who was shot. He is in custody on a homicide charge, police said. The wounded woman was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. (Reporting by Lisa Maria Garza; Editing by Jon Herskovitz and Peter Cooney) By Crispian Balmer ROME (Reuters) - A U.N. court has ruled that India must allow an Italian marine detained in Delhi for more than four years to go home, Italy's Foreign Ministry said on Monday. India acknowledged the ruling but said Salvatore Girone would remain under the authority of its Supreme Court which might impose various conditions on his release. Girone is one of two Italian marines were arrested in India in 2012 on suspicion of killing two fishermen while on an anti-piracy mission on an Italian oil tanker. One returned to Italy with health problems, but India has refused to let Girone go. He is living in the Italian embassy in Delhi. "This really is a significant step forward which we have worked on with great dedication," Prime Minister Matteo Renzi told reporters. "I'll take advantage of this moment to send a message of friendship to the great people of India." The case has soured relations between India and Italy, and also overshadowed Delhi's efforts to improve its ties with the European Union as other EU countries backed Rome in the row. Looking to overcome the legal impasse, the two countries agreed last year to move their dispute to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and abide by its decision. The Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that in an initial ruling, the court had decided that Girone should be allowed home while it continued its deliberations, which might take many months. The court itself declined to comment. Responding hours later, India said Girone should be free to return home for the duration of the U.N. investigation, but stressed that he would remain on bail and would have to return to India if the Hague court ruled that India could try the case. The Ministry of External Affairs said the Supreme Court might demand that he surrender his passport to the Italian authorities and not leave Italy without Indian permission. The U.N. court will continue to review the merits of the case and no date has been set for a definitive ruling. "The government underlines that today's court decision ... will not influence the progress of the arbitration procedures, which should decide if Italy or India has jurisdiction in the case," Italy's Foreign Ministry said. Italy has argued that the case should not be heard in India because it said the incident had occurred in international waters. India said it remained confident that the issue of jurisdiction would be decided in its favor. Marines are viewed by Italy as state officials immune to foreign prosecution. Italy has paid $190,000 in compensation to each victim's family. (Additional reporting by Douglas Busvine in Delhi and Thomas Escritt in Amsterdam; Editing by Louise Ireland) By Will Boggs MD NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When little kids have the stomach flu and need to drink fluids, half-strength apple juice and whatever fluid the child prefers - can be as effective as expensive electrolyte solutions, researchers say. The treatment of stomach flu, or gastroenteritis, usually focuses on replacing fluids lost through diarrhea or vomiting, but the electrolyte solutions are relatively expensive and kids often don't like the way they taste. In many high-income countries, the use of dilute apple juice and preferred fluids may be an appropriate alternative to electrolyte maintenance solution use in children with mild gastroenteritis and minimal dehydration, Dr. Steven D. Freedman from University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada told Reuters Health by email. Freedmans team studied 647 children ages six months to five years old who came to the emergency department with mild dehydration from stomach flu. Half the children were given half-strength apple juice followed by their favorite drink, and half received an apple-flavored electrolyte solution, the researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Twenty-five percent of the kids who drank the electrolyte solution still needed intravenous (IV) fluids or other additional treatment, compared to only about 17 percent of the kids who drank apple juice and their favorite drink. Two-year-olds and older children responded best to apple juice, but even the younger group fared slightly better with apple juice than with the electrolyte solution. In addition, children treated with apple juice required fewer IV fluids and had lower hospitalization rates than children treated with the electrolyte solution. "These results challenge the recommendation to routinely administer electrolyte maintenance solution when diarrhea begins," the researchers say. But apple juice is not always the best treatment. Our study specifically excluded high-risk children, and such children should continue to receive electrolyte maintenance solution, Freedman said. This would include children younger than six months of age, those with moderate to severe dehydration, children receiving care in a region where severe disease and dehydration are common, and those at risk for electrolyte abnormalities. He also favors electrolyte solutions for children with other significant medical conditions. Dr. Francois Angoulvant from Hopital Necker-Enfants Malades in Villejuif, France, who has studied this topic, told Reuters Health by email, If a child more than two years of age with mild dehydration refuses to drink electrolyte maintenance solution, the use of half-strength apple juice/preferred fluids therapy is legitimate. He would not use half-strength apple juice in younger children, however. Dr. Ivan D. Florez from Universidad de Antioguia, Medellin, Colombia told Reuters Health by email that more information is needed before switching from electrolyte solution to apple juice. "(People) should think of apple juice as a promising intervention that needs further studies," he said, adding that "these results are not applicable in low- and middle-income settings." SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1SV1GGi Journal of the American Medical Association, online April 30, 2016. One Turkish soldier was killed and 20 others were wounded when a car bomb blamed on Kurdish militants exploded in the Kurdish-majority southeast, the army said on Monday. In a statement, the army said a total of 23 people were wounded in the blast which took place late on Sunday, 20 of them soldiers and three of them civilian family members. The car bomb detonated near a military command complex in the Dicle district of the Kurdish majority province of Diyarbakir, a security source told AFP, blaming the attack on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The command post and an adjacent housing area for families was seriously damaged in the attack, the Dogan news agency reported. Police stopped a suspicious car after the attack but the suspects inside opened fire, injuring a judge and three police officers before they fled, the agency said. Turkey has been waging a major military offensive against the PKK, listed as a terror group by Ankara and much of the international community, after a two-year fragile ceasefire collapsed last summer. Since then, hundreds of members of the Turkish security forces have been killed. The renewed conflict has also struck at the heart of the country, with two attacks that killed dozens of people in the capital Ankara claimed by a PKK splinter group, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK). The same group on Sunday claimed last week's suicide bombing in Bursa, Turkey's former Ottoman capital, which only killed the female bomber. Over 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK took up arms in 1984 demanding a homeland for Turkey's biggest minority. Since then, the group has pared back its demands to focus on cultural rights and a measure of autonomy. On Sunday, two police were killed and 22 other people were wounded in another car bomb attack in the southern city of Gaziantep, a major refugee hub, with initial suspicion for that attack falling on militants. Search Keywords: Short link: Here are some of the stocks the Yahoo Finance team will be watching for you today. Baker Hughes (BHI) shares were lower in early trading. The oil producer plans to buy back $1.5 billion in stock after a merger was called off with Halliburton (HAL). Halliburton has till Wednesday to pay for a breakup deal that's worth over $3 billion, which is how Baker Hughes will finance the buyback. The $28 billion merger is off after opposition from U.S. and European antitrust regulators. Apollo Education (APOL) soared in early trading following news that a group of investors, including private equity firm Apollo Global Management, have raised their offer to buy the University of Phoenix owner for $1.14 billion, or $10 a share. That's up from $9.50 a share. This is in an effort to win over reluctant shareholders. Apple (AAPL) shares remain in focus this morning. The stock fell 11% last week after the company reported its first revenue decline in 13 years. Groupon (GRPN) shares fell in morning trading after RBC Capital downgraded the stock to under-perform from sector perform and cut its price target on the stock by a buck, to $3 a share. New York (AFP) - US oilfield services giants Halliburton and Baker Hughes were picking up the pieces of their broken merger deal Monday after antitrust regulators' opposition proved too great to overcome. Halliburton and Baker Hughes announced late Sunday they had called off their $28.6 billion merger that would have combined the world's number two and number three oilfield services company to create a powerful rival to global leader Schlumberger. The deal was intended to strengthen the competitive position of both companies as the US oil industry grapples with a dive in crude prices that began almost two years ago and has led to production cutbacks, layoffs and bankruptcies. Under the terms of the deal, initially valued at $34.6 billion when it was announced in November 2014, Halliburton would have swallowed Baker Hughes. "Challenges in obtaining remaining regulatory approvals and general industry conditions that severely damaged deal economics led to the conclusion that termination is the best course of action," Halliburton's chairman and chief executive, Dave Lesar, said in a statement. Now that the deal is scuppered, Halliburton must pay Baker Hughes a $3.5 billion breakup fee. Baker Hughes moved swiftly Monday to lay out its path as a stand-alone company, announcing a series of actions to reduce costs and streamline its business. It said it would use the $3.5 billion merger breakup fee to buy back $1.5 billion of shares and $1 billion of debt. Baker Hughes said it was now free to take measures to slash costs that had been retained in compliance with the merger deal. The initial phase of the cost cutting is expected to result in $500 million of annualized savings by the end of 2016, the company said. "The company will approach these actions thoughtfully, decisively and swiftly to position the company for success and to maximize shareholder value," said Martin Craighead, Baker Hughes chairman and CEO, in a statement. Story continues Shares in Baker Hughes were up 0.3 percent in pre-market trade, while Halliburton gained 1.0 percent. Evercore ISI analysts said the termination of the deal was expected and favorable for Baker Hughes. "The company has maintained a pristine balance sheet through the downturn, and the $3.5 billion fee from Halliburton will only improve its cash position," they said in a client note. "A crucial next step for Baker Hughes will be to put the managerial pieces in place to position the company to capture maximum value in the impending industry upturn." - US antitrust muscle - The collapse of the deal came less than a month after the US Justice Department filed suit to block the proposed merger, saying it would eliminate competition, raise prices and reduce innovation in the oil services business. The Justice Department said the transaction would eliminate head-to-head competition in markets for 23 products or services, creating a virtual duopoly for key oil services such as offshore well completions and onshore and offshore cementing. It said the merger would remove the incentives for two industry leaders to improve technology and that low oil prices did not justify a bad deal for consumers. US Attorney General Loretta Lynch welcomed the deal's demise. "The companies' decision to abandon this transaction -- which would have left many oilfield service markets in the hands of a duopoly -- is a victory for the US economy and for all Americans," Lynch said in a statement. "This case serves as a stark reminder that no merger is too big or too complex to be challenged." The Justice Department said that before it filed suit, Halliburton had offered to divest certain assets in an effort to address its concerns, but that the proposal fell short of satisfying competition issues. Across the Atlantic, the European Commission in January had opened a probe into the proposed merger, citing concern it would increase oil and gas exploration costs resulting in higher energy prices in Europe. In 2015, Halliburton had revenues of $23.6 billion, while Baker Hughes had revenues of $15.7 billion. Schlumberger's revenues were $35.5 billion. By Lawrence Delevingne LOS ANGELES, May 2 (Reuters) - Ray Dalio, the billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates, has defended his firm's unconventional management style - based on employees openly challenging each other and giving themselves continuous performance feedback - saying it created a focus on "independent thinking." "It is a culture, but it's the opposite of a cult," Dalio said at a rare public speaking appearance at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles on Monday. The world's largest hedge fund, with about $150 billion in assets under management, is known for what it calls a system of "radical transparency," envisioned as a meritocracy of ideas where open challenge between employees is encouraged. But Bridgewater is also known for relatively high turnover among its roughly 1,500-person Westport, Connecticut-based staff. An estimated 25 percent departs during the first 18 months of employment. "It's painful in the moment sometimes," Dalio said in reference to employees giving each other near-constant feedback on personal strengths and weaknesses. "People are not used to those things." The hour-long, on-stage appearance came after Bridgewater received some negative attention in February over a reported schism between Dalio and a top deputy, Greg Jensen, over succession planning. Bridgewater at the time called the report an exaggeration of what occurred. Dalio did not address the topic on Monday. Dalio, interviewed by Robert Kegan of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, noted how employees use iPads with proprietary "dot collector" software. Employees use the application to rate co-workers on 60 personal attributes, such as creativity and reliability. Employees also have a "believability" rating based on their expertise in a particular area. Bridgewater records most of what happens internally, and workers are required to watch 15 minutes of video a day on what is going on inside the firm. "By bringing it all to the surface, particularly disagreements to the surface, it's very powerful," Dalio said. He said everyone at the firm participated in the feedback system, including him. "I need that challenge," Dalio said. "I get literally thousands of negative dots all the time - and I reward people for that." Dalio, 66, said Bridgewater's system was broadly applicable outside the firm. "I do believe that the greatest problem of mankind is the inability to get inside their heads... and work in a more effective way." (Reporting by Lawrence Delevingne; Editing by Bill Rigby) CARMEL, Ind. Heidi Cruz knows that her husband, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is not the Zodiac Killer, no matter what people online say. Heidi spent Monday morning traveling across Indiana in support of her husbands presidential campaign. At a cafe in Carmel, Yahoo News asked for her reaction to a series of jokes that Comedy Central host Larry Wilmore made at the White House Correspondents dinner on Saturday night, where he repeatedly called her husband the Zodiac Killer. Well, Ive been married to him for 15 years, and I know pretty well who he is, so it doesnt bother me at all. Theres a lot of garbage out there, Heidi said. There is a popular Internet meme where people have asked whether Ted Cruz is the infamous Zodiac Killer, who was responsible for a string of unsolved murders and taunting letters to law enforcement in California during the late 1960s and early 70s. This meme has spread widely, even though Cruz was born in 1970, two years after the first killings took place and is most definitely not the Zodiac Killer. Wilmore made a string of references to the meme during his appearance at the dinner in front of an audience that included President Obama and the White House press corps. There is a joke going around the Internet that Ted Cruz is actually the Zodiac Killer, Wilmore said, later adding, Recently, Ted Cruz got a string of wins and endorsements. Then everybody remembered who Ted Cruz is the Zodiac Killer. Ted Cruz hugs his wife, Heidi, during a campaign event in Milwaukee on Tuesday, April 5, 2016. (AP/Paul Sancya) Wilmore made several other comments about the meme at the event. Yahoo News asked Heidi about his remarks after a pair of supporters she met with marveled at her ability to deal with the smearing and the scorched-earth stuff going on during this heated GOP primary. Well, its amazing how a lot of people are swayed by it, Heidi said. Part of it is, the news media is 24/7, and they dont let up. Indiana has become a crucial battleground in the Republican primary as frontrunner Donald Trump is approaching the number of delegates he needs to secure the nomination on the first ballot at the partys convention. Polls currently show Trump ahead in Indiana. However, Cruz is hoping to come from behind and begin a series of victories that will keep Trump under the delegate threshold and lead to a contested convention. From Cosmopolitan A crowd of protesters swarmed Donald Trump's Thursday night rally in Costa Mesa, California, unleashing what CBS This Morning calls "some of the worst political violence of the presidential campaign." Police on horseback and riot gear were called in to disperse a crowd that gathered in the streets in front of the OC Fair & Event Center, where Trump was speaking. CNN reports that several protesters smashed police cars and at least one Donald Trump supporter was punched among the chaos. Many demonstrators held up Mexican flags to protest Trump's immigration policy, which includes the deportation of 11 million undocumented immigrants and building a wall at the Mexican border. According to a tweet from the Orange County Sheriff's Department last night, about 20 people were arrested and the crowd was dispersed by 11 p.m., three hours after Trump's rally ended: This is hardly the first Trump event to draw violence. Last month, a Trump rally in Chicago was canceled amid concerns of violence. Protesters, supporters, and even reporters have been assaulted on numerous occasions - as Slate's list of incidences of violence at Trump events recounts, in February, a photographer was slammed to the ground by Secret Service; in November, a black protester in Alabama was punched and choked at a rally; and in October, a man assaulted a Latino protester, among many other altercations in the past several months. Trump, a polarizing figure who has openly insulted women and immigrants, has encouraged violence at his rallies in previous statements and in March said he would pay the legal fees of any supporter who'd "knock the crap out" of agitated protesters. Follow Prachi on Twitter. "Geronimo ... Geronimo. E.K.I.A. Enemy Killed in Action." The time in Abbottabad, Pakistan, was approximately 1 a.m. local time (3:51 p.m. EST) when Navy Adm. William McRaven, then the commander of SEAL Team 6, relayed word that Osama bin Laden had been killed. At 4:06 p.m. on May 1, 2011 (12:36 a.m., May 2, in Pakistan), the White House's official photographer, Pete Souza, took the following iconic photograph of President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and the national-security team monitoring Operation Neptune Spear in real time. "I need to watch this," Obama is said to have remarked, hunkering down in a spare chair in one of the White House's smaller conference rooms. Obama entered the room as one of the two SEAL helicopters crash-landed at the bin Laden compound. "I was thinking that this is not an ideal start," Obama would later tell CNN's Peter Bergen. He described the call to strike the compound as "emblematic of presidential decision-making." "You're always working with probabilities," he said, "and you make a decision, not based on 100% certainty, but with the best information that you've got." All 23 SEALs were unharmed, and the terrorist leader behind the September 11 attacks on the US, Osama bin Laden, was killed. situation room obama biden clinton osama raid [Seated in this picture from left to right: Vice President Biden, the President, Brig. Gen. Webb, Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and then Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Standing, from left, are: Admiral Mike Mullen, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; National Security Advisor Tom Donilon; Chief of Staff Bill Daley; Tony Blinken, National Security Advisor to the Vice President; Audrey Tomason Director for Counterterrorism; John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.] NOW WATCH: The US is showing its strength against Russia by sending its most advanced warplanes to the Black Sea More From Business Insider Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., April 28, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Via Dave Lutz at JonesTrading, here's a super-quick guide to what traders are talking about right now: Good Morning! US Futures are climbing small, led by a 30bp pop in the Russell - Trading overseas quite quiet with many exchanges including London closed for Holiday, having most exchanges in Europe seeing turnover 25-40% below the average trend. The DAX is climbing almost 1% tho, with exporters like Autos and Financials jumping in Frankfurt. Italys Banking sector was a Sell the news after Italys government-orchestrated bailout fund undertook its first rescue mission tho, hitting their market for almost 40bp. Over in Asia, Japan reopened and was hit for 3.1% as the Yen ripped higher - Japanese markets are closed from Tuesday through Thursday for Golden Week - Aussie lost 20bp as Westpac results weighed while Markets in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia were closed for public holidays. Treasuries are holding Fridays bid as Bund Yields drop to 25bp from Fridays 31bp peak, knocking the US10YY to 1.81%. The Yen is retreating slightly from a 18month high as Abe begins his roadshow across Europe but the Euro is popping early, and nearing 1.15. With the DXY rapidly approaching the lows of August 2015, we have a tailwind for commodities, led by Gold popping 75bp and trying for air above $1300. The Oil complex is shrugging offFridays OPEC headers and rapidly approaching unchanged, with WTI nearing $46 early as Gasoline breaks into the green. Natty gas tho is getting hit for 2% as (hopefully) warmer May weather comes into focus. We do have a day chock full of Central Bank Speakers, starting with Fed's Lockhart (Non-voter, Neutral), at 8:50. We get Markit US Manufacturing PMI, right when the ECB Publishes Weekly, Monthly QE Holdings. Draghi Speaks at ADB Meeting in Frankfurt at 10am, just as US ISM Manufacturing and Construction Spending hits. After the close, Fed's Williams (Non-voter, Neutral) Speaks in Los Angeles at 5:30. Down in Washington, the House and Senate are not in session, but headline focus will be on Puerto Rico not making a $420mln debt payment today. Story continues NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy More From Business Insider Photo credit: AP From Town & Country Update 1/25/17: Malia Obama is getting an early start on her entry into the film business. The former first daughter was spotted at the Sundance Film Festival yesterday, where she took in a screening of Beach Rats at the Yarrow Theater in Park City, according to the New York Post and the Wrap. The indie-film, set on Coney Island, has been described as a "gritty tale of young people adrift." Photo credit: AP Obama, 18, is going to intern with the Weinstein Company this year before she starts college at Harvard in the fall, but the Post reported that her Sundance attendance was not connected to that plan. Update 1/20/17: Malia Obama, the eldest First Daughter, has landed an internship with Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. The 18-year-old Obama, who is currently taking a gap year between high school and college, will work out of the Weinstein Company's New York City office in February following her family's vacation in Palm Springs, according to the Hollywood Reporter. She's done previous work in the industry. Obama interned on the set of HBO's Girls in 2015, and also worked as a production assistant on the set of Halle Berry's CBS show, Extant. Democratic fundraiser Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob run the Weinstein Company, which has produced Oscar-winning films like The King's Speech and Shakespeare in Love. (Lion and The Founder are a couple of its current buzzy releases.) It was also reported earlier this week that Obama took a secret, five-day trip to Bolivia and Peru late last year. The educational trek, which Obama underwent with a group of teenagers, was organized by the tour company Where There Be Dragons. Because of America's strained political relationship with Bolivia, the trip reportedly involved a phone call from President Obama to Bolivia's President Evo Morales requesting "his government's cooperation in ensuring discretion and security for his daughter's trip." Story continues [contentlinks align="center" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related%20Story" customtitles="What%20Obama%20Is%20Doing%20After%20He%20Leaves%20the%20Presidency" customimages="" content="article.9262"] Original 5/1/16: The presidential daughter is joining the Crimson. Malia Obama, the president's eldest daughter, will head to Harvard University after she finishes her senior year at Sidwell Friends School this spring and takes a gap year, the White House announced this morning. The announcement came after months of speculation over where the first daughter would complete her higher education. As of last October, Malia had toured six of the eight Ivy League colleges (Brown, Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale) along with Stanford and the University of California, Berkeley. She'd also visited Barnard, New York University, Tufts, and Wesleyan, according to the Times. She sported a Stanford t-shirt on a 2014 bike ride with her father on Martha's Vineyard (below), sending internet commenters into a frenzy of conjecture that she'd already chosen to attend the same school as former first daughter Chelsea Clinton. (Her dad has expressed his fondness for the university, telling a group at a Palo Alto cybersecurity summer in early 2015, "Let's face it, I like Stanford grads ... I've got to admit, like, I kind of want to go here.") Photo credit: Getty Last September, the president told a group of students in Des Moines, Iowa that he'd encouraged Malia "not to stress too much about having to get into one particular college." "There are a lot of good colleges and universities out there, and it's important, I think, for everybody here to understand you can find a college or university that gives you a great education," Obama said. "Just because it's not some name-brand, famous, fancy school doesn't mean that you're not going to get a great education there. So one is, lower the stress levels in terms of just having to get into one particular school." He also said he hoped she would "be open to new experiences" and not "make your decision based on, well, where are all my friends going so that I can do the exact same things with the exact same friends that I did in high school." It was sound advice for the students in the audience as well as his daughter herself. Earlier this year he talked about what it's been like to watch Malia get ready to depart for college. "It's hard," he said on Ellen. "As Michelle reminds me, our job is to prepare them not to need us and both of my daughters are wonderful people. And Malia is more than ready to leave, but I'm not ready for her to leave. I was asked if I would speak at her graduation and I said, absolutely not because I'm gonna be sitting there with dark glasses sobbing. Yeah she's one of my best friends. It's gonna be hard for me not to have her around all the time. But she's ready to go. You can tell. She's just a really smart, capable person. She's ready to make her own way." Earlier, the president said to a crowd in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that he couldn't talk about Malia's leaving home because just the thought of it made him cry. We can only imaging how emotional the former president might become when he moves Malia into Harvard yard in the fall of 2017. Follow Sam on Twitter. You Might Also Like A car bomb targeting Shia pilgrims killed at least 14 people in southern Baghdad on Monday, security and medical sources said. An Iraqi security command said a suicide bomber detonated the explosives-rigged vehicle, while other officials said it was a car bomb. At least 14 people were killed and at least 41 others wounded, security and medical officials said. They said several women and children were among the victims. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion, but such attacks are usually carried out by the Islamic State (IS) militant group. IS perpetrated a similar attack against pilgrims on the outskirts of Baghdad on Saturday, killing at least 23 people. Many of the main thoroughfares in the city are closed in the days leading up to the annual commemoration of Imam Musa Kadhim's death, an important date in the Shia Muslim calendar. Kadhim, the seventh of 12 imams revered in Shia Islam, died in 799 AD. The pilgrimage to his shrine in northern Baghdad has in recent years turned into a huge event that brings the capital to a standstill for days. The main commemoration at the shrine in Baghdad's Kadhimiya neighbourhood will take place on Tuesday. Search Keywords: Short link: At 15 years old, Natalia Nodiff ended up in isolation at a Massachusetts psychiatric ward the mental health equivalent of solitary confinement for consoling another patient. Nodiff, who is half Indian, was admitted after experiencing psychosis. When she extended a sympathetic hand to another patient a young white woman the woman complained to hospital staff. Though Nodiff had no record of aggressive behavior and had shown no signs of aggression in the hospital, staff deemed her a threat. They secluded Nodiff in an isolation room at the center of the U-shaped medical unit behind the nurse's station. Nodiff sat in the room alone, highly medicated. Thirteen years later, Nodiff considers this her first experience of trauma. "To me, mental illness is not a scientific disease it's just suffering," said Nodiff, an activist with the , a support network for people who "experience the world in ways that are often diagnosed as mental illness." Source: Flickr Every year since 1949, nonprofit organization Mental Health Awareness has sponsored Mental Health Awareness Month, jostling for attention with one of more than 25 causes in May. The campaign seeks to decrease the stigma around mental health and encourage treatment. But the spotlight advocates shine on the issue exposes cracks in the mental health care system, which victimizes minorities as often as it helps them. Mental Health Awareness Month should be as much about fixing the system as it is about shepherding people into it. Nodiff said her early encounter with the mental health system showed her how ill equipped it is to serve marginalized communities. S For many minorities, the mental health system, the criminal justice system and foster care system Minorities' experiences with these institutions stops them from getting treatment in the first place. While it's hard to say with precision how many people of color go untreated for mental illness, people of color are not receiving the care they need. Because of a history of mistrust and misdiagnoses, only 20% of black adults seek mental health care. Latinos seek treatment at half that rate. Asians are the least likely racial group to access services only 5% of Asian men and 4% of Asian women seek the help the need. Story continues People of color's reluctance to seek treatment may stem from lack of awareness, but minorities are rightfully distrustful of accessing care. Agustina Vidal, programs coordinator at Icarus Project, said awareness campaigns that only encourage people to enter the medical system often put people of color in harm's way. "[These campaigns] say, 'I'm depressed and I got help and you can get help too.' We need to be careful because if I'm saying that to a black woman I'm putting her at potential risk," Vidal said to Mic in a phone interview. While people of color of all backgrounds face negative consequences when interacting with the mental health care system, consequences in America for black people are often the most severe. Racial bias and stereotyping lead health care providers to perceive black people as "aggressive" and misdiagnose them as schizophrenic. A recent study found black patients were 2 to be diagnosed with the mental illness than white patients. People of color who express frustration with racial discrimination to their therapist's face being pathologized with diagnoses such as: panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders. For many, diagnosis is the first step to getting treatment, but a black person diagnosed with mental illness in America is more likely to face punitive consequences once in the system. Source: Flickr Required by law to report child abuse, mental health professionals disproportionately report people of color for child abuse. A 2002 study found that, in Illinois, black parents are reported to child protective services at three times the rate of white parents. For black women, racist assumptions become racist realities. They become "unfit mothers" and are separated from their children, who enter foster care. According to a 2012 study in Child Abuse & Neglect, black children and children of mothers with mental illness are both at higher risk for entering the foster care system, a system that can itself cause trauma. Though they only make up 14% of children, black children make up 24% of children in foster care. While black women face run-ins with the foster care system, black men diagnosed with mental illness are more likely to be ushered into the criminal justice system, according to the American Psychological Association. Rather than getting treatment, black men get incarcerated. A 2014 report from the National Research Council reported 64% of people in local jails and 56% of people in prisons exhibited symptoms of mental illness. "A lot of people are really struggling with societal not individual problems." People of color who do see a mental health professional are very likely to meet someone who has no idea what it is like to face racism on a daily basis. "A lot of people are really struggling with societal not individual problems," said Ann Marie Yamada, a professor of social work at the University of Southern California. "Mental health traditionally has not been set up to look beyond mental capacity." Nodiff said talking to therapists about racial discrimination has been the hardest challenge for her as someone living with a mental illness. "It's difficult not just because it's uncomfortable to talk about it, but because they don't seem to know how to respond to it," she said. "That's something ongoing that continues to come up. There are cultural differences that white, the kind of white training and therapeutic training doesn't necessarily address." Studies have long shown that structural racism pollutes mental health in communities of color a phenomenon Yamada has witnessed firsthand. "We're not paying enough attention to the stresses and traumas that people face on a day-to-day basis," Yamada said. "It's a mental warzone for [people of color] and it requires the same time and attention that we give to veterans." Source: Flickr But whereas soldiers are deployed to war zones and some return, the warzone for people of color is all around them. Because the mental health issues that people of color face are structural, "What about people who live in communities that are unsafe or threatening? That their friends are getting killed? That they have children that they fear for them when they go out and not know if they're going to come back? How is that not going to create mental health problems in people?" Vidal said. "It's a mental warzone for people of color and it requires the same time and attention that we give to veterans." Nodiff now lives on her own and is attending college something psychiatrists told her she would never be able to do with her diagnoses. Nodiff proclaims those diagnoses were made without social context and were, thus, false. "I think that, for me, a lot of my issues do boil down to social issues," she said. "And they are not just in my brain." Like Nodiff, not all of people of color's mental health issues can be reduced to brain chemistry. Because social realities cannot be divorced from mental ones, mental health awareness actually means awareness of inequalities economic, racial and social. A call for mental health awareness is really a call for action on behalf of marginalized communities. "We need to heal the community to heal ourselves," Vidal said. "We change ourselves through changing the world around us. Social justice and mental wellness cannot be separated." Less than 24 hours after President Barack Obama finished cracking his last jokes for journalists at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, Hillary Clinton spoke to African-American leaders about how she'll protect the legacy of the nation's first black commander-in-chief. Given the tone and terms in which she spoke, it's clear the Democratic presidential frontrunner is as confident as ever about her sense of kinship and support in the black community. "We've been blessed to have this strong, thoughtful leader sitting in the Oval Office and an exceptional first lady by his side," Clinton told thousands in a largely black audience at the NAACP's First for Freedom Fund Dinner in Detroit on Sunday. "They have made us proud." Read more: 7 Times Larry Wilmore Made White People Uncomfortable At the WHCD "They have represented America to the world with style and grace, and it is up to us to make sure that when they leave the White House, the concerns and priorities they've championed, the hopes and dreams that Americans have entrusted to them, don't also leave." Source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Clinton painted her likely Republican opponent in the general election as the biggest threat to Obama's accomplishments, which include the expansion of health care for low-income Americans, funding for historically black colleges and universities and federal drug sentencing reforms. "We cannot let Barack Obama's legacy fall into Donald Trump's hands," Clinton said in her keynote speech at the dinner. The black community doesn't need to look any further than Trump's record of disrespect toward Obama, Clinton said, reminding the audience that the billionaire real estate mogul "led the insidious birther movement to discredit the president's citizenship." She also mentioned former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke, as a refresher on Trump's slow disavowal of his and other white supremacists' campaign endorsements. Story continues Sunday's speech was hardly the first time that Clinton has emphasized Obama's race and legacy before largely African-American audiences. Ahead of the presidential primaries in South Carolina and Alabama, where blacks make up a significant bloc of Democratic voters, Clinton met with national civil rights leaders to discuss how she'd protect historic civil rights victories that were won generations ago. She and Democratic opponent Bernie Sanders took meetings with Black Lives Matter activists and made criminal justice and policing reforms central in their pitches to African-Americans. But Sanders has persistently trailed Clinton among black voters. Clinton's support among blacks remained high in spite of recent criticism that she, as first lady, championed a national policing expansion in the 1990s that led to mass incarceration of black men. During a debate in Brooklyn, New York, Clinton apologized to black voters for the "unintended" consequences of the 1994 crime bill. But in Sunday evening's dinner, Clinton seemed to pivot to speaking more broadly about black Americans' contributions to the nation. "We have to look at our great country," she said. "Look at this amazing gathering. People from every background. Every race. Every religion. Coming together as one people, one nation." h/t BuzzFeed Think 2016 might finally be the year to tackle that big home renovation project youve been putting off? Welcome to the club. Fueled largely by the rebounding housing market, home improvement spending is projected to reach $155 billion this year, surpassing the peak set in 2006, according to Harvards Joint Center for Housing Studies. At the same time, the construction industry is in the throes of a massive labor shortage, having shed more than 2 million jobs since 2007. You dont need a degree in Keynesian economics to spot the problem: Demand for home renovation work is swiftly outpacing the supply of qualified professionals. Its gotten to the point that Ive had to tell clients that it might be a few months before I can take them on, says LuAnn Fabian, a general contractor based in Hermosa Beach, Calif. So if you want to be in your dream kitchen by the holidays, you could be clutching your tile samples a lot longer than anticipated. Though the number of remodeling pros has declined, there are still less experiencedand less scrupulousones out there, according to a recent survey of 300 general contractors from around the country conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. Among the shady industry practices general contractors reported are contractors using unskilled laborers to carry out their work, and winning jobs with lowball bids and then jacking up the cost later with unforeseen problems. Our home renovation survey asked the crucial questions you might not know to ask, such as: How much wiggle room is there in the estimate? (Hint: more than you may think.) What are the biggest homeowner mistakes? How long do projects really take? The answers, along with insights from other design and remodeling professionals, inform this, our home renovation survival guide. Follow our advice and you could save thousands of dollars on your renovation without compromising qualityor losing your cool. More on Home Renovation Can You Find a Good Contractor Online? Assembling the Right Home Remodeling Team Pros and Cons of Taking a Contractor Loan Know What Type of Remodeling Contract You're Signing Story continues The Planning Phase Proper planning is the best predictor of satisfaction and will also minimize the number of costly changes you make once the work is underway. So before you even think of looking for a contractor, youll need to spend time gathering ideas and taking a hard look at your own budget. A 2015 report from Houzz, a home-design website, found that half of homeowners who renovated their kitchen gathered ideas for six months or longer. You can organize inspirational photos by using Houzzs ideabook feature or starting a Pinterest page; an old-fashioned scrapbook with pictures from your favorite magazines will also work. As excited as you might be to get started, avoid the temptation to rush: Chances are youll be living with the results of the home renovation project for a long time, so youll want to get it right. Consider factoring major life changes into your plan, which could include an accessible walk-in shower or an open-plan family room big enough to accommodate your future teenage kids and their friends. Remember to consider the impact on the resale value of your home, too, even if you have no plans to move. For example, you might not have any use for the second bathroom with a full tub, but youll probably regret converting it into a home office or workout room if you ever do decide to sell, because additional bathrooms are always a big selling point. Once you have a clear idea of what youd like to do and how much you can realistically spend, its time to bring in the pros. For major home renovation projectssay, a gut kitchen renovation or family room additionyou should gather your entire team as early as possible. Its always best to have the architect and the general contractor working together right from the start, says Dawn Zuber, an architect based in Canton, Mich. If youre not knocking down walls or making other structural changes, an interior designer or a certified kitchen and bath designer can probably draw up the plans; most charge fees between 4 and 7 percent of the total budgetcompared with the 10 to 20 percent most architects charge. Whether you opt for an architect or a designer, insist on 3D drawings: Theyll help you visualize the remodeled space better than flat elevations will. Cutting-edge design pros are beginning to use virtual reality software to create immersive spaces that clients can experience by wearing a special headset. The technology isnt widely available but could soon significantly reduce remodelers remorse. Establish a system of checks and balances between your design team and your contractor from the start. Its those big decisions made in the first 10 to 15 percent of the design process that have the most impact on cost, says Marc Truant, president of a Boston-based design-build firmthe term for remodeling businesses that provide both the design and construction work. An experienced general contractor will help you head off things you cant afford before you pay for finished drawings. Though word-of-mouth referrals from friends and neighbors are the best way to find remodeling pros, real estate agents can also provide leads to reputable general contractors. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry offers a state-by-state directory of certified contractors on its website, nari.org (its members must go through extensive screening and testing and adhere to a strict code of ethics), and online home services, such as Angies List, HomeAdvisor, and Porch, can also help you find pros. Remember these rules as you go through the vetting process: Check credentials. Even if they come with a glowing review from your sister-in-law, you still need to check the bona fides of every professional on your short list. In our survey, almost a fifth of general contractors lacked either a state license or the proper insurance, and 9 percent lacked both. Though proper credentials arent a guarantee of quality, theyre a good sign that the general contractor runs a reputable business. Whats more, our survey found that fully accredited general contractors are better at holding down costs when unexpected problems arise. The Contractors License Reference Site (at contractors-license.org) has information on licensing requirements in your state and a list of licensed contractors. Listen to your gut. Trust and a good rapport between you and your contractor are essential. Any negative feelings you have during the initial interview (Too bossy? Condescending? Rushed?) will only intensify as the home renovation project heats up. Its also important to understand how a general contractor communicates during a project and to be comfortable with that method. Ask whether youll be dealing with him directly, or whether hell be delegating the job to one of his project managers (if the latter, make sure to vet the manager, too). Beyond face time, some general contractors rely on email or handwritten notes, and others use construction management software, which lets a homeowner track scheduling, payments, shipments, and more. Remember that budgets are a moving target. The number you start out with during the planning phase is likely to change when you begin to see what materials actually cost. general contractors have to make similar calculations, factoring what they think the job will cost against their own profit margins and unforeseen expenses. Always negotiate. Only 4 percent of the general contractors in our survey said they are never willing to negotiate the price of a job (66 percent are somewhat willing, and 30 percent are very willing). Getting bids from at least three general contractors will give you a sense of the market rate and also provide bargaining power. Remember, the lowest bid may not be the best, says Katherine Hutt, national spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau. Conventional wisdom holds that you should throw out the highest bid, but if you think that the general contractor offering it is the best person for the job, its worth trying to negotiate a lower price. Keeping the business of a repeat customer was the biggest reason to haggle, cited by 75 percent of general contractors, who reported offering a median discount of 10 percent. So if theres more work coming down the line, be sure to mention that during negotiations. Combining projects could also save you in the long run: Two-thirds of general contractors said they offer discounts on jobs involving more than one room (10 percent was the median discount offered on multiroom projects in our survey). Be prepared for surprises. When we asked general contractors about job-related (as opposed to people-related) problems that lead to delays or cost overruns, they said that many of the culprits are hidden behind wallsstructural damage, for example, or electrical wiring that isnt up to code. Even though most contractors plan for those contingencies, we recommend adding at least a 10 percent cushion into your budget to cover such surprises. On major home renovation projects, its worth paying a few hundred dollars for a pre-inspection by a certified home inspector. Even a good general contractor might only look as far as the kitchen or bathroom; we see the house as a system, says Frank Lesh, executive director of the American Society of Home Inspectors. Lets say youre putting in an extra bathroom. Well come in with sewer scopes to make sure the plumbing system can handle the extra stress. Larger contracting companies might offer a pre-inspection as part of their overall service. We have a building performance engineer on our team who specializes in exploratory work, says John Kraemer, a general contractor based in Edina, Minn. Using an infrared camera, he might find missing floor joists or walls that dont have any insulation. Youll still have to deal with the problems, but not in the last-minute manner that can quickly blow the budget. Get everything in writing. No matter how much faith you have in your general contractor, a written contract is an essential protection for both of you. It should specify the full scope of the work, including a detailed breakdown of labor and material costs for each part of the project. For example, the electrical costs shouldnt be a single dollar amount. The contract should list the number of outlets, switches, and light fixtures, including all model numbers. It should also state a start and completion date (ask for a penalty fee of, say, $50 to $100 for every day past the deadline) and include a payment schedule, such as a 5 percent initial deposit with the remainder paid at defined milestones, for example, demolition, rough framing, and installation of finish materials. Be sure the contract also spells out exclusions, or whats not included. Want to save money by handling the debris removal or finish painting on your own? That must be stipulated. For major home renovation projects, its also worth including an arbitration clause. Should a major dispute arise between you and your general contractor that cant be settled in good faith, the clause provides language for resolution outside the court system, often with a state-appointed mediator. As for the fine print, watch out for allowances, which give the contractor a lot of leeway in the prices of products and materials, and can end up busting the budget very quickly. Cover your assets. Nine out of 10 general contractors in our survey say they provide a written guarantee for their work, so insist on one in the contract. The median time period was 15 months, with 14 percent of respondents promising more than three years of coverage. Even if your contract doesnt include a guarantee, youll enjoy some protection if the contractor is licensed. For example, the California State License Board will rule on complaints involving patent defects (such as a cabinet thats coming off the wall) for up to four years and on latent structural defects (like a buckling foundation) for up to 10 years. The Work Phase No matter how well you plan, remodeling is full of uncertainty. I always tell my clients to bump up their estimates of time and money by 20 percent, says Bruce Irving, a renovation consultant based in Cambridge, Mass. According to our survey, kitchen projects require a median of three weeks to complete, but a third of them take four weeks or longer. The work is messy, too. If theres any way for you to move in with relatives or into a hotel, at least during the dusty demo phase, youll minimize stressalong with possible exposure to hazardous materials. If your home was built before 1978, your general contractor will need to follow the Environmental Protection Agencys Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, which includes containing lead dust with plastic sheeting and disposing of contaminated debris in heavy-duty bags. Store valuable or treasured items far from the work site or at a storage facility. If you have to stay in the house, a good contractor will help you find ways to keep disruptions to a minimum, by setting up a temporary food-prep space and relocating the refrigerator, for instance, during a kitchen renovation. These other tips will save you trouble once the work begins: Stay involved. You cant just write the contractor a checkthen check out. Homeowner involvement throughout the project is critical, Truant says. Even if youve moved out of the house, plan on a couple of in-person meetings every week and more frequent meetings at crucial points, such as during the demolition phase or before tile is installed (changing the layout or grout color can be difficult and costly once work has started). Stick to the plan. Changing your mind after the work is underway is the biggest mistake homeowners make, and it can be the costliest too, according to our survey. So-called change orders, or work that arises after the contract has been signed, inflate the budget by an average of 10 percent. It might be as simple as adding another couple of light fixtures in the hall, but that means the general contractor has to get the electrician back in, and probably the painter, too. The domino effect quickly adds up, and the homeowner foots the bill. Make the general contractor your point person. Engaging the subcontractors directly often creates conflict. If you have a question about their workor their behaviortell the general contractor and let him or her handle it. Though you shouldnt engage the subcontractors, you do need to be sure theyre being paid. If theyre not, you could be held liable. Stipulate in the contract that the general contractor will provide you with lien releases (basically proofs of payment) signed by the general contractor and subcontractor throughout the project. Dont demolish your relationships along the way. Client-contractor relations arent the only ones that get tested on a remodel. Couples often feel the strain as well. Consider a January 2016 survey from Houzz, which found that 41 percent of people who remodeled with their partner found the experience frustrating; 7 percent felt they needed couples counseling during the process, and 5 percent even considered a breakup. A home remodel is a blank canvas upon which any unresolved issues in your relationship will be painted, Irving says. He recommends that, whenever possible, couples should try their hand at a small project before tackling a potential relationship wrecker. Have the bathroom retiled and see how that goes before you do a master suite addition, he suggests. The Post-Project Phase Theres no such thing as perfection on a remodeling job. That said, dont make the final payment until youre 100 percent satisfied with the project. Making sure the electrical plates are dead-square on the walls is worth being picky about, says Irving. Otherwise they will haunt you. Share your experience. Word-of-mouth still rules, but the power of online reviews on sites such as HomeAdvisor and Porch is getting stronger. Whether you had a great experience or a terrible one, youll be providing a valuable service to other homeowners (and threatening to share a negative experience might also bring a wayward contractor back in line). If you follow our guidelines, though, chances are your remodel will turn out just the way you wanted. Then its time to start dreaming about your next project. Editor's Note: This article also appeared in the June 2016 issue of Consumer Reports magazine. More from Consumer Reports: The best matching washers and dryers Generator Buying Guide 8 ways to boost your home value Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright 2006-2016 Consumers Union of U.S. Santosh Nair Honda in Malaysia has launched a new teaser website called Ride The Dream for the new Honda Civic 1.5 Turbo. Honda is banking on generating awareness with its upcoming C-segment sporty saloon. The website hosts a few pages that reveal details about this vehicle. Viewers get to glimpse the new Civic 1.5 Turbos LED headlamps and DRLs. These headlamps will be an upgrade from the units that are functional on the current Civic in Malaysia. Power will be generated by the 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that uses a CVT gearbox. While 173bhp will be available on tap, theres 220Nm of torque too. Sources say that this will be the first Japanese C-segment saloon to come with a downsized turbocharged powertrain in Malaysia. The regular versions of the Civic come with a naturally aspirated 1.8-litre engine that makes 141bhp. Buyers can expect to get features like an eight-way adjustable power seat, six airbags and electronic stability control. Theres also an electric parking brake, auto brake hold, and an auto lock feature which automatically locks the car when you move away from it. Owners will also benefit from a remote engine start feature which helps if you need to start the car and air-con to keep everything cool when youre ready to drive. Honda India has no plans yet to bring the Civic back to Indian shores. For more news,reviews,videos and information about cars, visit CarWale.com. Check On-Road Prices | Find New Cars | Upcoming Cars | Compare Cars | Dealer Locator By Humphrey Malalo NAIROBI (Reuters) - Aid workers said hopes were fading of finding more survivors in the rubble of a collapsed building in Kenya's capital on Monday, as the death toll reached 21. Police said they were questioning the owner of the six-storey residential block that collapsed late on Friday after days of heavy rain and floods, but no one had been charged. Residents and rescue workers have been sifting through piles of broken concrete at the site in the eastern Huruma suburb ever since, rescuing 135 people, according to the latest police figures. But conditions were getting more challenging, Kenya Red Cross told Reuters. "In conditions of no air, dirt, no food, no water, it's very difficult for that person to stay alive," Red Cross official Anthony Mwangi said. Authorities had condemned the 198-room building and there has been no official explanation of why it remained occupied. Government critics say corruption is rampant and real estate developers often violate construction codes to minimise costs, with little or no penalties from authorities. (Editing by Elias Biryabarema and Andrew Heavens) Housing prices in the Seattle area rose 11 percent last year, marking a surge of nearly twice the national average. Speaking to Fox Business, PwC Real Estate Trends' Mitch Roschelle said the sustainability of the growth seen in the Seattle market is a "concern," as the city is a "one-industry town" and not comparable to a more diversified city like San Francisco. Roschelle said there is a lot of demand for housing in Seattle, particularly among graduating college students. On the other hand, while supply of new housing is increasing in the area, it is expensive and "really not affordable for the kids." Related Link: How Is Housing Shaping Up For 2016? Roschelle added that the median price of a house across the United States is around $231,000. Meanwhile, the average housing price in Seattle is in the $400,000-range. As such, it is a "challenge" for first time home buyers to find housing in the surging market. On the other hand, the average housing price in New York city region is $1.2 million although much of the pricing comes from high-end properties in Manhattan. "The high end supply of the market is over-developed," Roschelle said. "The low end supply is not available." Finally, Roschelle suggested that in an era of rising home prices, it is "never a good idea" for first time buyers to wait, as they risk waiting too long and missing out on appreciating prices. However, he did acknowledge that even as a real estate expert, it may difficult to time the market. See more from Benzinga 2016 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. With Brexit a Consideration, What's Next for Gold? HSBC on the dollar HSBC sees the possibility of $1,300 per ounce for gold if the United Kingdom chooses to opt out of the European Union. The banks foreign-exchange team looks for the euro to rise against the US dollar by the current years end. Thus, the weakness in the US dollar will further help dollar-denominated assets. The US dollar and gold prices are often inversely related. Though there may be short-term variations, in the long run, this relationship will likely hold strong. Golds potential Analysts at HSBC support the view that that the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan have initiated a truce in the global currency war. According to the bank, the possible Brexit move by the United Kingdom and the weakness in the US dollar are both supportive of a rise in golds price. The bank also mentioned that gold may be driven by potential hedging prior the Brexit referendum. The Swiss franc could also be a useful instrument for hedging purposes. The oil markets recovery could also add some stimulus to the rise in gold prices. Precious metals funds and miners Precious metal gains are often quickly reflected in funds such as the iShares Gold Trust ETF (IAU) and the iShares Silver Trust ETF (SLV). These two funds closely followed gold and silver and rose 2.1% and 14.9%, respectively, on a trailing-30-day basis. The mining shares that remained the biggest gainers in the past month were Yamana Gold (AUY), First Majestic Silver (AG), and IAMGOLD (IAG). Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: France called Monday on the International Syria Support Group to hold urgent ministerial-level talks to restore the country's tattered ceasefire, condemning deadly air strikes by the Damascus regime. Paris urged the 17-nation ISSG to "restore the ceasefire, reaffirm the need to protect civilian populations... and give a chance to negotiations towards a political settlement," said foreign ministry spokesman Romain Nadal. "France forcefully condemns the (Damascus) regime's attacks that have caused many casualties (and) calls on the supporters of the regime (Russia and Iran)... to use their influence on Damascus to silence the weapons," he said in a statement. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, speaking during a trip to Mali, added that France was "totally mobilised" pressing for the peace process to resume "as quickly as possible. "For that the strikes on Aleppo must stop," he said. "We have told our US partners that we want the greatest pressure put on Russia to intervene with the Damascus regime" which Moscow supports, to stop the bombing of Aleppo. The ISSG is co-chaired by the United States and Russia, which brokered the February 27 "cessation of hostilities" deal. But the truce has been shattered in the past week, especially in Aleppo, where more than 250 civilians including some 50 children have been killed since April 22, most in air raids carried out by the Syrian regime. US Secretary of State John Kerry, currently in Geneva in efforts to salvage the truce, said Syria's civil war was "in many ways out of control". UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura, who has been leading negotiations between Damascus and the opposition since the start of the year, is expected to hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday. Search Keywords: Short link: Hulk Hogan isn't resting on the laurels of his $140 million trial victory against Gawker over the publishing of a sex tape. On Monday, the former professional wrestler (real name: Terry Bollea) brought a new lawsuit against Gawker and others over more disclosures in recent months. On the verge of Hogan's first trial against Gawker, The National Enquirer and Radar Online reported he used the N-word and made racist comments about his daughter Brooke's boyfriend in an extended transcript of the sex-tape footage. That revelation prompted Hogan to begin an investigation of the leak. Today's complaint filed in Pinellas County, Florida appears to be the culmination of these efforts. According to Hogan's lawsuit, he went to law enforcement in 2012 to find out more about who was responsible for obtaining and disseminating the 2007 tape of his sexual encounter with the then wife of his former best friend, shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge. Both the U.S. government and state of Florida declined to prosecute. Hogan alleges that in 2012, the sex tape wound up in the hands of employees at Cox Radio, specifically Michael Calta aka "Cowhead" and Matthew Christian Loyd aka "Spice Boy," who, according to the complaint, "communicated repeatedly regarding the formulation and execution of a plan to release the surreptitious recordings of [Hogan], including their strategy for releasing portions of same to media outlets for the purposing of causing substantial economic harm to Plaintiff, among others; while also furthering their own radio broadcasting careers." Calta and Loyd were allegedly assisted by Tony Burton, a talent agent at Buchwald & Associates, who is said to have communicated with Gawker's then editor A.J. Daulerio. Within days, says Hogan in his lawsuit, Calta, Loyd, Burton or Keith Davidson (a suspended lawyer retained by them) sent Gawker a DVD of a more than 30-minute Hulk Hogan sex tape. Story continues As Gawker published a short excerpt - which led to Hogan's privacy lawsuit where he got a $140 million verdict - Hogan says he received a $1 million demand from these Cox employees. "Davidson, representing and acting on behalf of and in concert with the Extortionists, also told Plaintiff's counsel that the Extortionists... arranged for the 30 Minute Video to be sent to Gawker as a 'shot across the bow' as part of the scheme to extort money from Plaintiff," states the complaint. Hogan went to law enforcement, who he says advised him about the limited statute of limitations. But after the FBI was contacted, a sting operation occurred at a Clearwater Beach hotel. As the FBI recorded the encounter, Hogan's lawyer handed over a $150,000 check with a commitment for another $150,000 in return for the salacious materials. Last year, the results of FBI's investigation came up in the battle between Hogan and Gawker. With just weeks to go before a trial originally scheduled for last July, Gawker filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the FBI in hopes of obtaining the results of its Hogan investigation. "It became clear that Gawker misrepresented the reason why it was seeking discovery of the FBI extortion investigation and operation," states the new Hogan lawsuit. "Gawker, having become aware through discovery in the Prior Action that other surreptitious recordings seized during the FBI sting operation purportedly contained racially insensitive statements by Plaintiff, used the Gawker-FBI Action to try to gain access to video and/or audio footage of Plaintiff making such statements, so Gawker could use such statements against Plaintiff to destroy him publicly and as leverage to try to force Plaintiff to settle or drop his claims heading into a jury trial in the Prior Action." According to Hogan, Gawker repeatedly threatened him that it would go public about his racially insensitive comments. Gawker has presented it differently, saying that the racist comments reveal Hogan's true motivation for filing a lawsuit and his alleged lack of harm. Regardless of the truth, until an appeals court intervened, Hogan was able to get the judge to confer confidentiality on the FBI materials. This meant that Gawker couldn't disclose what it had learned about the FBI investigation nor present these materials at trial. "Gawker found just the solution," continues the complaint. "Dylan Howard, a senior editor at The National Enquirer and its sister publication RadarOnline.com, who was a personal friend of Daulerio at the time, gave notice to Plaintiff's counsel on July 23, 2015 that the Enquirer intended to publish excerpts from the very court-protected, confidential, 'sealed' transcript that Gawker had been threatening to release publicly for months." Hogan points to a July 24, 2015 blog post by Gawker founder Nick Denton that Hogan's "real secret" would come out as well as tweets from Daulerio. He's alleging Gawker "participated in, facilitated and/or contributed to the use and public dissemination of the content of court-protected confidential transcript to the Enquirer," which he says harmed his brand and caused the termination of his endorsement contracts and relationship with the WWE. Hogan adds that Gawker's strategy was to "deliberately and repeatedly" file materials with Hogan's offensive language with knowledge that the media would seek to unseal such materials. "Gawker's plan succeeded," he says. Hogan is now suing Buchwald, the Cox employees and Davidson for invasion of privacy while targeting Gawker for intentional interference with contractual relations and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Hulu is developing a new streaming service that would act like an over-the-top cable bundle, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The service is said to be similar to that of Dish's SlingTV, which offers live streams of a number of broadcast and cable networks. WSJ, citing sources familiar with Hulu's plans, reported Sunday that the streamer is eyeing an early 2017 launch for the service and is nearing agreements with owners Disney and 21st Century Fox to license their channels. A Hulu spokeswoman declined to comment. Representatives for Disney and Fox did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hulu, which also counts NBCUniversal as a silent owner, currently offers a three-tiered subscription streaming service that gives its subscribers access to shows like The Bachelor and Saturday Night Live the day after they air on TV. It also streams full seasons of older shows like Seinfeld and has a growing slate of originals. Last year, Hulu also began offering its subscribers slightly discounted subscriptions to Showtime's OTT service. But with this new platform, the streamer would be going after customers who are looking for ways to catch their favorite shows in real-time without subscribing to an expensive cable package. Apple tried to strike deals for a similar service last year but it did not come together. Meanwhile, Dish launched SlingTV last year with a $20 a month price point and access to a small bundle of channels, plus add-ons like HBO. PlayStation also operates a similar service, Vue, that starts at $40 a month. Hulu is said to be considering a $40 price tag, according to the report. Read More: Elisabeth Moss to Star in Hulu Straight-to-Series Drama 'Handmaid's Tale' (Exclusive) Hundreds of protesters gathered Monday outside the headquarters of a Hong Kong newspaper where a respected editor was recently sacked after publishing a front-page story linked to the Panama Papers leak. Around 300 reporters, activists and members of the public rallied over the firing of Keung Kwok-yuen, saying it was further evidence of deteriorating press freedoms in the semi-autonomous city as Beijing tightens its grip. Keung was sacked overnight last month from investigative newspaper Ming Pao, whose former chief editor was stabbed by masked attackers in the street two years ago. His sacking coincided with the paper publishing a front-page story linking top Hong Kong businessmen and politicians to new revelations from the Panama Papers. The trove of documents, released in April by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, has exposed how Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca helped China's rich and powerful funnel their wealth into tax havens. "The public is very concerned over press freedoms in Hong Kong. We have been doing a good job... covering a lot of news including sensitive political issues such as human rights in China," said Phyllis Tsang, head of the newspaper's staff association. "We demand a clear explanation (from the management) on the real reasons for the firing of Mr. Keung. Was there any relation to this kind of reporting?" Protesters sat on the ground outside Ming Pao's offices Monday afternoon. One banner read: "They can't fire us all." Some also held up pieces of ginger -- which sounds "Keung", the editor's surname, in Cantonese. "Hong Kong is a unique place in China where there is freedom of the press... Such freedoms could deteriorate if the bosses bow to pressure," said reader Stanley Ng, 55, an urban planner, who had joined the protest. Lawmaker Emily Lau of the Democratic Party warned Beijing was "exerting a lot of pressure on media and many news organisations are willing to comply". Story continues "Hong Kong people have to stick together to defend editorial independence," she said. Reporters have said the decision to sack Keung was taken by Malaysian chief editor Chong Tien Siong, who is seen as pro-Beijing. Chong was brought in two years ago to replace veteran investigative journalist Kevin Lau as chief editor, triggering protests by newspaper staff. Soon after, Lau was stabbed in broad daylight leaving him severely wounded, sparking major concerns over reporting freedoms. By Sophie Sassard and Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) - London Stock Exchange Group and Deutsche Boerse may have to delay a vote on their proposed merger until after Britain's EU referendum, handing more time to Intercontinental Exchange to decide whether to make a counter-bid for the British bourse. LSEG had been expected to hold a special shareholder meeting to approve the merger with Deutsche Boerse before Britain votes on June 23 on whether to quit the EU. ICE would have to file any counterbid seven days before that meeting - with Britain's future in the European Union still very much in doubt. For American ICE, the London Stock Exchange would be a more attractive target within the European Union. Deutsche Boerse still needs to file a full set of merger documents with its German regulators, a convoluted process that probably cannot be done now before the referendum date. Sources familiar with the matter say LSEG may delay its shareholder meeting until this process is completed to ensure regulators are happy, though no decision has been taken and LSEG may still move early. The London bourse could also risk a backlash among its investors by asking them to vote on the Deutsche Boerse deal before a possible Brexit, even though the two European exchanges have presented their proposed deal as "Brexit" proof given their combination would straddle the EU and Britain, should it leave. If the pair wait until after the referendum to try to seal their all share "merger of equals", uncertainty over Britain's future will have been removed. ICE will have more time to come up with a rival bid and win the backing of its shareholders. Departure from the bloc would create upheaval for London, Europe's biggest financial center where trillions of pounds of day-to-day business runs on EU rules. One person familiar with ICE said any counter bid would likely be a straightforward takeover in the form of shares and some cash, and at a premium that is "reasonably higher than Deutsche Boerse's". This would put pressure on Deutsche Boerse to sweeten its deal - which currently offers LSEG shareholders 0.4421 shares in the combined group per LSEG share they own - by including a cash element or extra dividend. LSEG, ICE and Deutsche Boerse did not comment for this article. LEVERAGE QUESTION A takeover by ICE would create the world's biggest trading-to-clearing exchange group, crossing the Atlantic and trading and clearing stocks, derivatives, energy and commodities. ICE is a known quantity to UK regulators. It bought the International Petroleum Exchange in 2001 and later became owner of London-based LIFFE derivatives exchange, rival of Deutsche Boerse's Eurex platform, as part of ICE's takeover of New York Stock Exchange-Euronext in 2013. ICE, however, faces some thorny questions: could a combined business still be regionally attractive under a Brexit, can it afford a knock-out offer, and would EU competition regulators approve a deal? Supporters of Deutsche Boerse's all-share deal say ICE is too indebted to make a killer bid after paying $5.2 billion in December for data firm IDC, a view those close to ICE dismiss. ICE had a consolidated debt of $7.3 billion at the end of 2015, according to its annual report. But leaking news that ICE has lined up a group of banks to help finance a possible deal was a handy trial balloon to test the reaction of ICE shareholders, analysts said. It had no major negative impact on ICE's shares. "They are very conscious of their own stock price, that they are a growth company. If they had not done the IDC deal, you would see this move a little quicker," said Richard Daniels, senior analyst of TABB Group in New York. In any case, ICE would have a year or so to reduce its debt to core earnings ratio before it had to write a check for LSEG, ICE's supporters say. A banker not advising ICE said the company has the capacity to fund a takeover while repaying debt thanks to its high margins and proven record of creating value through acquisitions. ICE, however, is seen as having less scope than Deutsche Boerse to trumpet a big headline figure for synergies. "Most Deutsche Boerse synergies would come from cuts in high tech jobs in Frankfurt. Half of the synergies will come from IT. ICE is leaner," a person familiar with ICE said. BREXIT PROOF? A combined ICE-LSEG group would have operations in continental Europe and London to ease the impact of a Brexit. LSEG owns Borsa Italiana in Milan and LCH.Clearnet, a clearing house based in Paris and London. However, to get round possible competition concerns and sweeten France, ICE could offload Borsa Italiana and the French Clearnet half of LCH.Clearnet to Paris-based exchange Euronext, TABB's Daniels said. Proceeds from such sales would also help ICE pay down debt while still leaving a combined LSEG-ICE Group with ICE's existing euro zone trading and clearing operation in the Netherlands. Others are more skeptical that this would be enough. "ICE faces the same antitrust concerns as Deutsche Boerse, which I feel are insurmountable when it comes to clearing in European derivatives," said Patrick Young, publisher of industry daily Exchange Invest. Under a Brexit, the European Central Bank would be expected to put pressure on market participants to shift euro-denominated trading and clearing, currently a major chunk of London's business, to the single currency area. ICE's euro zone based operations are seen as too small and specialist for now to handle such large volumes in a short period. Deutsche Boerse has said its deal is Brexit-proof, though some analysts doubt any deal can be and question whether the German exchange's shareholders would fall in line if Britain left the EU. "If Brexit happened, that would likely prove a major issue and most likely a deal-breaker for both deals," a banker close to exchanges said. (Additional reporting by John McCrank in New York and Anjuli Davies in London; editing by Janet McBride) On April 22, CNNs Christiane Amanpour asked Iceland President Olafur Grimsson: Do you have any offshore accounts? Does your wife have any offshore accounts? Is there anything thats going to be discovered about you and your family? No, no, no, no, no, Grimsson replied. Thats not going to be the case. But secret records obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and other media partners show that Grimssons spouse, First Lady Dorrit Moussaieff, has had extensive links to the offshore world. While Grimsson himself doesn't have an offshore account in the records, First Lady Moussaieff was listed as a beneficiary of five companies and trusts that have held Swiss banks accounts, according to documents obtained from whistleblowers by Le Monde, Suddeutsche Zeitung and ICIJ in the Swiss Leaks and Panama Papers investigations. Her family, including her two sisters, had accounts that together held as much as $80 million in HSBCs Swiss Private Bank in 2006 and 2007. Dorrit Moussaieff herself appears not to have played a role in most of the holdings. The documents dont show any wrongdoing by Dorrit Moussaieff, and it is not necessarily illegal to have offshore companies or Swiss bank accounts. But the documents raise questions about whether Icelands first lady benefited from the offshore tax strategies of her parents and whether her interests have been fully disclosed. Earlier revelations about the offshore holdings of Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson had forced the prime ministers resignation. Grimsson explained his about-face on running for his sixth term as president by saying he wanted to bring some stability to a country that suffered a financial collapse in 2008 and is now going through a political crisis. Later in the CNN interview, Grimsson called the Panama Papers a great public service and a wakeup call about problems in the global economy that need to be addressed. In a statement to ICIJ, a spokesman for Grimsson said: President Grimsson does not have, nor has he at any time had, any information about the financial affairs of his wife or other members of the Moussaieff family. He and his wife lead independent lives. Story continues In a statement to The Guardian, another ICIJ media partner, Grimsson noted that he has always been very critical of tax-driven offshore structures and for decades advocated a fair and balanced tax system. In a letter to ICIJ, the first ladys law firm wrote: Ms. Moussaieff and her husband have always and continue to conduct their financial affairs entirely separately from each other and neither has knowledge of the others financial circumstances. Ms. Moussaieffs private financial affairs are conducted in compliance with all relevant tax and legal regimes. Any insinuation to the contrary would be defamatory. There is no public interest in the disclosure of private financial information, the letter said. This story is part of The Panama Papers. Click here to read more stories in this series. Don't miss another Accountability investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. Moussaieff, the daughter of a wealthy Israeli who made his fortune in jewelry, married Icelandic President Olafur Grimsson in 2003. She moved her legal residence to London in 2012 to help run the family business. That came months after news reports that Moussaieff didnt pay wealth taxes in Iceland because her assets were abroad. Several of the structures set up through HSBC and Mossack Fonseca by members of her family are trusts. For instance, HSBC listed the first lady as the both the settlor and beneficiary, along with her two sisters, of Jaywick Properties Inc. and the Moussaieff Sharon Trust. The first lady was also a secondary beneficiary of Elyakeen Limited, the Moussaieff Life Interest Trust and Easton Investments Inc. Elyakeen Limited was registered with Mossack Fonseca in the British Virgin Islands in 1995. Its stock was in bearer shares, certificates that allow whoever holds the paper to anonymously transfer or claim their value. Today they are banned in many countries because of their usefulness in aiding money laundering and tax evasion. A settlor is the person who transfers control of assets to a trustee, who manages them on behalf of the beneficiaries, which, in some trusts, may include the settlor. Trusts can make it easier to transfer assets after death, eliminate probate costs and reduce estate taxes. Both of Dorrit Moussaieffs sisters but not the first lady had large trusts in their names at HSBCs Swiss bank. The Tamara Moussaieff Trust held $29.5 million at one point in 2006 and 2007, while one owned by Sharon Levontin, called Levontin 2002 Discret Sett, held $27.6 million in the same period. HSBC documents also include the Mrs S Levontin Trust, which at one point in 2006 and 2007 held $2 million in six accounts at the bank. The Elyakeen bearer shares were held for the Moussaieffs by a Zurich trust management company. In 1999, the directors opened bank accounts in Elyakeens name at Deutsche Bank and at the Royal Bank of Scotland. Elyakeen was dissolved in 2003. Elyakeens HSBC profile was created in 1997. It is unclear how much money was in Elyakeens accounts, but one Mossack Fonseca document dated April 4, 2002, shows significant sums. The Directors had been approached by the trustees to consider waiving the loan of ($18.8 million) repayable by them, following tax advice from KPMG, according to the minutes of the board meeting. Elyakeen also paid out a $1.6 million dividend at that meeting. Reykjavik Grapevine reported on April 25 that the Moussaieff family had another company registered with Mossack Fonseca in the British Virgin Islands. That company, Lasca Finance Limited, was disclosed in public filings of Moussaieff Jewellers Limited, the family firm. Neither the President nor his wife, Dorrit Moussaieff, has any knowledge of this company or had heard about it before, Grimssons spokesman said in a statement. Dorrit's father is no longer alive, and her mother, who is 86, has no recollection of this company. Alisa and Tamara Moussaieff and Sharon Levontin did not respond to requests for comment. This story is part of The Panama Papers. Click here to read more stories in this series. Related stories Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C. An international tribunal has ruled that an Italian marine accused of killing two fishermen in India should be allowed to return home pending trial, Italy's foreign ministry said Monday. Salvatore Girone and fellow marine Massimiliano Latorre are accused of shooting the fishermen while protecting an Italian oil tanker as part of an anti-piracy mission off India's southern Kerala coast in 2012. While Latorre was allowed to travel back to Italy in 2014 for treatment after suffering a stroke, Girone has been barred from leaving India pending the resolution of a dispute between New Delhi and Rome over which country has jurisdiction in the case. He is currently living in Italy's embassy in New Delhi. Italy initiated international arbitration proceedings in the case last year, referring the row to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague and asking it to rule on where the men should be tried. In an interim ruling cited by Italy's foreign ministry to be officially announced on Tuesday, the PCA -- which helps resolve disputes among states -- found Girone should be allowed to return home until the arbitration process is complete. "The decisions regarding his return will be arranged by Italy and India," the foreign ministry said in a note, adding it expected "a constructive attitude from India". The detention of the marines, the murder charges and the long wait for the case to be resolved are sore subjects in Italy, with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi regularly flayed by opposition leaders for failing to get both men home. "Happy for Salvatore Girone's return, I confirm our friendship with and desire to collaborate with India," Renzi wrote on Twitter. Italy insists the oil tanker, the MV Enrica Lexie, was in international waters at the time of the incident. India argues the case is not a maritime dispute but "a double murder at sea", in which one fisherman was shot in the head and the other in the stomach. Italy's foreign ministry said the tribunal's decision was "good news for the two marines, for their families and... the government", which would immediately begin consultations with India so Girone could be returned "shortly". Girone's wife, Vania Ardito, told Italian media she wanted to "thank everyone who has been involved in this case". His father, Michele, said: "If it's true, I'm overjoyed. It's wonderful news". By Sankalp Phartiyal and Devidutta Tripathy NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Rajya Sabha on Monday approved an amendment to the mining law, allowing the transfer of mines from sellers to buyers in a victory for the State Bank of India (SBI) that had lobbied for the change. Under pressure to cut corporate bad debts of more than $120 billion, lenders including SBI have been trying to forge tie-ups between distressed cement, steel and power companies and those that are in better shape. The amendment to the Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation Act, requested by SBI some three months ago, has now cleared both houses of parliament and should soon become law. Mines Secretary Balvinder Kumar told Reuters the changes were mainly aimed at helping companies sell limestone mining licences along with their cement plants. It could also facilitate a merger of the Indian assets of France's Lafarge and Switzerland's Holcim after a global merger between the two companies last year created Lafargeholcim. SBI chair Arundhati Bhattacharya welcomed the move. "This will enable banks to sell assets to relieve stress in group accounts," she told Reuters. "Without (the) amendment selling was becoming untenable as assets were losing value in the absence of mines." The deal will help UltraTech Cement Ltd's efforts to complete a deal to buy heavily indebted Jaiprakash Associates Ltd's cement plants for 159 billion rupees ($2.39 billion) along with its limestone mines. UltraTech's finance head Atul Daga told Reuters before the parliament vote that the amendment would clear the way for the deal without leaving "any ambiguity on the value of the mines". He predicted more deals in the sector but did not elaborate. Dalmia Bharat Ltd, which had also bid for the Jaiprakash cement plants, said the changes would help it look for deals in the longer run given its ambition to grow from being the No.3 player in the country. "It will allow for consolidation, it will allow for efficiency, it will allow for scale of operations," Sundeep Kumar, Dalmia Bharat's corporate affairs head, said ahead of the upper house vote. ($1 = 66.4425 Indian rupees) (Writing and additional reporting by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Douglas Busvine and David Evans) By James Oliphant INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Donald Trump's success in the race for the White House may well depend on the support of Republican evangelicals suspicious of the front-runner's more liberal side as he discloses his social views. A New York businessman who has never held public office, Trump has had some success with evangelicals in states such as South Carolina. But there are signs of slippage on the eve of Tuesday's nominating contest in Indiana, a conservative Midwestern U.S. state that has voted Republican in nine of the last 10 presidential elections. Trump, 69, has taken stances on Planned Parenthood family clinics and gay and transgender rights that raise Christian conservative concerns, including in such states as Indiana where they make up a high proportion of voters. A new NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist opinion poll shows Trump with a wide lead in Indiana, 49 percent, to 34 percent for his nearest rival, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, and 13 percent for Ohio Governor John Kasich. Most previous Indiana opinion polls showed a tighter race with Trump leading Cruz by only a few points. A Trump win in the state could be crucial to his chances of securing the nomination but may also offer a gauge of whether he can rally evangelicals. Cruz, 45, emphasizes his Christian faith on the campaign trail. Focused on Indiana, he says Trump is not an authentic Republican. A new Cruz advertisement brands Trump and Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton as two sides of the same coin. "Both support the Obamacare individual mandate. Both support taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood. Both support letting transgender men go in little girls bathrooms," it says. Trump has praised Planned Parenthood family clinics as having helped millions of women even if he opposes funding its abortion component. He backs letting transgender people use the bathroom "they feel is appropriate." If evangelicals are unenthusiastic, they could sit out the Nov. 8 general election, potentially handing the White House to former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, or her rival, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders. The fear is a lot of them are going to stay home, said Bob Vander Plaats, a leading evangelical activist in Iowa. You cant win without our base. TRANSGENDER LAW Trump rankled some social conservatives by criticizing North Carolinas controversial law that requires transgender people to use the bathroom of the gender of their birth. "The restroom thing is big with a lot of people, said Shan Rutherford, a pastor in Greenwood, Indiana. Rutherford said he was initially drawn to Trumps message, but was put off by his stance on social issues and his insulting demeanor on the campaign trail. Rutherford, who backs Cruz, said if the White House race came down to Trump versus Clinton, he might not vote. The Pew Research Center says 45 percent of registered Republican voters nationwide identify themselves as born-again or evangelical. Pew also found that only 44 percent of Republicans view Trump as a religious person. By contrast, 76 percent viewed Cruz that way. Cruz has assailed Trump for his stance on the North Carolina bathroom law. Trump has said there have been few problems with transgender people using bathrooms. He also has said the question should be left to states to decide. Cruz charges allowing grown men in bathrooms with little girls is opening the door for predators. On Friday, Cruz was endorsed by Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a social conservative who last year signed a bill that critics said could be used by business owners to deny services to same-sex couples. Trump has said he supports prohibiting companies from firing employees based on sexual orientation, although he has criticized last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. Cruz has deployed his father, Rafael Cruz, an evangelical minister, as a surrogate in churches in Indiana. VOTER TURNOUT KEY A Reuters/Ipsos tracking poll showed 19 percent of respondents would not vote in a White House race between Trump and Clinton. But when filtered to those who attend church nearly every week, the number jumped to 28 percent. The party cannot afford a low turnout in November. Demographic trends in recent years have favored Democrats, with the pool of Republican voters, overwhelmingly white and older, steadily shrinking. Eric Houseman, a paramedic from Indianapolis who attended a Cruz rally in Franklin, Indiana, predicted Trump would lose support through such missteps as inaccurately referring in January to a book of the Bible as "Two Corinthians rather than Second Corinthians or Corinthians II. People are beginning to see hes a lot of talk, Houseman said. Upstate, Ron Johnson, pastor at the Living Stones Church in Crown Point, votes Republican but was adamant that he would not vote for Trump. Trump does not share his Christian values, Johnson said. I am not going to be part of the demise of this country, he said. But Mark Burns, a South Carolina pastor who has become a leading Trump surrogate in the media, said Trumps appeal to evangelicals does not stem from the strength of his religious views. Were not voting for the next pastor. Were voting for the next commander-in-chief, Burns said. (Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu in Washington; Editing by Caren Bohan and Howard Goller) * Government has succeeded in reducing power outages * Next phase of coal reforms likely to be harder * Coal unions say will resist reforms causing major job losses * Plans include sale of 10 percent of mining giant By Krishna N. Das NEW DELHI, May 3 (Reuters) - Plans by India's coal monopoly to buy billions of dollars of new machinery and outsource work are facing resistance from powerful unions worried about job losses, in a potential blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise to bring electricity to all. State-run Coal India Ltd, the world's biggest coal miner, has already doubled output growth since Modi came to power two years ago, owing to the removal of hurdles to production like environmental clearances and land acquisition. The increase turned coal shortages at India's power plants to oversupply, making it one of the administration's biggest successes. The next phase of restructuring the notoriously inefficient behemoth is likely to be harder, however, and is crucial to the government's ambition to sell 10 percent of the $27 billion company to raise funds for further growth and investment. New Delhi also wants to double annual output to 1 billion tonnes by 2019/20 to meet future demand, and to do that it must radically increase productivity. Coal India's output-per-man shift is estimated at one-eighth of Peabody Energy Corp, the world's largest private coal producer that recently filed for bankruptcy protection. Already, labour unions, with a history of hostility towards management, are pushing back on Coal India's plans, fearing modernization and outsourcing will hit jobs, said leaders of two unions that cover a majority of the company's 371,000 employees. Strikes, sometimes every few months, have disrupted output, although under Modi the unions have been more cooperative. "High-tech mining will mean fewer job opportunities for labourers and no job guarantee for existing employees," said Baij Nath Rai, president of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), which says it represents 100,000 Coal India employees and contractors. Story continues "We strongly protest this, and have already taken up the issue with the government. They will not dare do anything if there is a strong protest." The BMS's view is likely to carry extra weight, as it is loosely affiliated with the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is the ideological parent of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). COAL INDIA UNIT SAYS OUTSOURCING WORKS Rai said Piyush Goyal, minister for power, coal and renewable energy, had been trying to convince unions to play along with the reforms. Early last year, the unions planned a strike to protest against moves to open up the coal sector to private firms and sell a 10 percent stake. But they called off a five-day stoppage on its second day after Goyal formed a committee to look into their concerns so that they "do not have to go on strike again". Coal India officials also say they constantly talk to workers on various issues, but union leaders, including BMS's Rai, said they would resist any move deemed "anti-labourer". "The government is doing this slowly, so that there is not much protest all of a sudden," said D.D. Ramanandan of the All India Coal Workers Federation, which says it represents more than 100,000 Coal India employees and contractors. "We have consistently opposed this policy and will sit together with all the unions to decide the future course of action," Ramanandan said. Federal Coal Secretary Anil Swarup and several senior Coal India officials said the company planned to push ahead. It wants to spend billions of dollars over the next few years, including around $1.3 billion this year, to buy equipment and expand mines, where workers often use shovels and picks to dig for coal underground, one of the officials said. The company also plans to stop filling most vacancies arising from retirements over the next three years, and outsource more mining to private companies, the officials added. "Outsourcing helps in more ways than one," Swarup told Reuters. "If they bring in efficient technology, because they are paid for that, it will make the people in Coal India understand they too can become more efficient." The government's production and productivity plans have drawn support from the London-based World Coal Association, a trade group of coal producers and mining equipment makers. Coal India's equipment orders, some already placed, are a bright spot for machinery makers such as U.S. firm Caterpillar , Japan's Komatsu and India's Larsen & Toubro , at a time when most miners are scaling back production amid a global supply glut. Coal India unit Mahanadi Coalfields pioneered outsourcing of mining work a few years ago and is now the company's biggest producer and fastest growing unit. Deepak Srivastava, Mahanadi's chief vigilance officer, said around 90 percent of the unit's mining work is done by contractors who have performed better than in-house miners. The ratio is much lower for other Coal India units but will increase, he added. Swarup, who has overseen an overhaul of Coal India's anti-theft and monitoring systems this year, said he hoped the push for efficiency and extensive use of machines would help attract investors if the government were to sell a stake. "We keep doing our job in terms of increasing production and productivity and improving quality," Swarup said. "Our assumption is that once you do that shareholders would be interested." (Editing by Paritosh Bansal and Mike Collett-White) Finnish broadcaster YLE says it won't provide documents related to the Panama Papers to the country's tax authority, which has demanded access to them in an apparent move to trace tax dodgers with offshore accounts. YLE lawyer Kirsi-Marja Okkonen says they won't comply with the request from the Finnish Tax Authority, which set an April 29 deadline for receiving the information. She said Monday that tax officials had also threatened to call on police to help them obtain the documents. Okkonen said Monday that YLE will appeal to the Helsinki Administrative Court. It has until mid-July to do so. The tax office move has been widely criticized in the Nordic country, which hosts World Press Freedom day this week with more than 1,000 media professionals expected to attend. Search Keywords: Short link: Ten Indonesian sailors arrived in Jakarta late on Sunday night, hours after they were released from captivity by the Abu Sayyaf militant group in the southern Philippines. Indonesian President Joko Widodo welcomed the mens release. Alhamdulilah [praise be to God], 10 Indonesian citizens who were held captive are free. They will return home. Thank you, the Philippine government and others who helped, Jokowi, as the President is popularly known, tweeted on Sunday evening. We will work hard to release the remaining four Indonesian citizens, Jokowi further tweeted. We will intensify patrols so no kidnapping will happen again. The seamen were kidnapped in late March. Four more Indonesian sailors were abducted by Abu Sayyaf militants in mid-April and they are still captive, along with other hostages from other countries. Abu Sayyaf, whose leader has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS), abducts journalists and tourists and demands ransoms in exchange of their release. Last Monday, a Canadian hostage was beheaded in southern Philippines after the deadline for ransom lapsed. Initial media reports said the company employing the kidnapped Indonesian men, PT Patria Maritime Lines, paid the $1 million ransom demanded by Abu Sayyaf. But Indonesian negotiator Kivlan Zen, a retired army general who was on a peacekeeping duty in southern Philippines in 199596, said the release was purely due to negotiations and didnt involve paying any ransom although the company did prepare the money. Just in case if they changed their mind, Kivlan said, according to news website Tempo.com. Chief Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan refused to say anything about the ransom. I dont want to speculate, he told journalists on Monday. Jakarta will host a meeting of Foreign Ministers and military chiefs from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines on Thursday to discuss maritime security and joint patrol in the waters where Abu Sayyaf has been wreaking havoc. Courtesy of Polka Pants Ask anyone to paint a picture of what a professional kitchen might look like and the same impression will crop up. Shouty chefs, clattering pans, sweaty foreheads - every Hell's Kitchen stereotype rolled into one, with added expletives. But how often would there be a woman in the picture? According to the Guardian, fewer than one in five professional chefs are female. Unlike most traditionally male-dominated industries, the numbers are actually dropping. Hospitality recruiter The Change Group recently reported that over the past three years only one in eight applications for chef jobs were female. Yet the food industry is more ubiquitous than ever. Switch on the television and you'll see another group of amateurs battle it out over fondant potatoes and red wine reductions, or take a glance at a bestselling books list and be met with Nigella and Gizzi. Food blogs are flourishing and street food stalls and novel food pop ups smatter the pages of Time Out London each week. So why are there so few female chefs controlling our country's kitchens? Workplace gender equality has taken positive steps in the right direction the gender pay gap is now at it's lowest percentage in history and the number of workplace sex discrimination cases have been dropping - but the chef industry seems to have been left behind. Anna Tobias is Head Chef at Rochelle Canteen in Shoreditch and previously worked at Michelin starred restaurant River Cafe. Heading up a busy kitchen, she understands the drawbacks women consider when thinking about a cooking career. Rochelle Canteen Courtesy of Arnold & Henderson "The stereotypical concerns that put women off are the fact that it's portrayed as a bit of a boy's club," says Anna. "Plus, it's quite a physical job, so if purely on genetics we are weaker that is seen as a hurdle." These concerns are part in blame to the media, which Anna thinks portrays kitchens inaccurately. "It's done the kitchen industry a massive disservice. Beyond glorifying macho and aggressive behaviour it's also implying that's how every kitchen runs and also slightly implying that it's the only way to run a kitchen, which is completely not the case." Story continues Whether the case or not, popular culture isn't helping. Last year Bradley Cooper starred in Burnt, as a macho chef recovering from drug abuse while simultaneously pursuing his dreams of Michelin stars and the perfect tomato consomme. Executively produced by Gordon Ramsay and with "special dishes" by Marcus Wareing, the film was an alpha-male love-in doing the industry absolutely no favours when it came to correcting its reputation for gender imbalance. Elizabeth Allen Photo by Steele Haigh Providing a perfect antidote to Cooper's portrayal is Elizabeth Allen, Head Chef at Pidgin in Hackney and previous Masterchef contestant. After training as an architect, Elizabeth switched to cooking and hasn't looked back since. "Nothing really put me off in the start because I just wanted to get involved and be around food," says Elizabeth. "The hours were daunting though, especially if you're young. You don't get any weekends ever again." Head chefs can expect to work upwards of 65 hours a week with double shifts, early prep starts and late service finishes the norm. However, unsociable hours aside, chefs like Elizabeth are so passionate about their skill, they'll work relentlessly for it. But is the male-heavy environment a welcoming one for women? "When you're the only female in the kitchen, it's obvious to see that discrimination. There have been a couple of occasions where it got a bit too much" says Elizabeth, in reference to sexist comments she received at a previous job. "I raised it with my manager and they were like 'just get on with it'. If a guy was being harassed by a girl would they say the same? Not that that would ever be the instance." After that, Elizabeth "just moved on". If the kitchen industry offers one luxury, it's the ability to "just move on". Until recently, skilled chefs were listed on the Home Office's Shortage Occupations. Ask any chef and they're quick to tell you the difficulty surrounding hiring (and keeping) staff. For women, this is sometimes a bonus. An abundance of jobs means that picking your kitchens wisely is easy, and switching when things aren't right is far simpler than in other industries. However everyone knows that cheffing isn't a glamorous job and this is something former fashion-designer-turned-chef Maxine Thompson has tackled in her own way. Believing in an alternative to unflattering chef's trousers, Maxine created her own, Polka Pants. Specifically designed for women, they're equipped with a high waist and a handy belt-loop-cum-tea-towel-holder. "I started speaking with female chefs and discovered that the majority of them experienced the same problem as me," says Maxine. "We were limited to chain store trousers or cooking in jeans." Courtesy of Polka Pants Alongside Polka Pants, Maxine is a chef herself and has also been at the tail end of 'boys club' kitchen behaviour. "A chef de partie once threw a plate at me, so I caught it and threw it back at him. Needless to say he never tried anything like that again." Her resilient attitude is indicative of the modern generation of female chefs that has come to the forefront. Disciplined and passionate, they're determined to use their gender as an advantage, either to shatter stereotypes or fill a previous gender gap in the industry. It's encouraging a culture of female support. A newly launched monthly night, Women of Restaurants, offers a chance to meet other industry girls and discuss topics from juggling family life to working nights. Founded by Grace Welch, senior manager at Spring restaurant (who proudly sport an all-female kitchen team), the night is hosted in various dining rooms across London, and in Grace's words, "Is a great opportunity to share experiences with sympathetic ears." It's just one of many positive developments in the industry that's reflected by the number of women who are interested in pursuing a food career; despite the crushingly low percentage of female chefs, surprisingly more women are studying cooking than men in catering schools. Jenny Stringer is principle of Leith's School of Cooking and says 60% of her diploma students are female, however she blames the lack of women pursuing a cooking career in traditional kitchens on the new opportunities the industry offers. "People now know a bit more about the fact there are different jobs" says Jenny. "So a lot of our students will go onto have a mixed freelance life. They'll do some cooking, a farmer's market, a pop-up, food writing, styling and just have different projects." Jenny's point is an important one. The lack of female chefs can't be blamed solely on the proportion of men in the industry. The issue runs far deeper and ultimately comes down to the fact that more flexible, enticing food jobs now exist and offer women the opportunity to work, whilst being able to bring up a family and be home before bedtime. Courtesy of Polka Pants For those like Anna and Elizabeth, whose hearts lie in the drama of a professional kitchen, the long hours and daunting prospect of having children alongside their demanding careers is just one they have to accept and challenge to become fairer. More flexible kitchen rotas are needed, says Anna: "The rotas are done on a weekly basis, you don't know next week what you will be working. There's a lack of stability and structure." It's not always the men themselves that reinforce sexism in the industry, but a wider attitude. Anna and Elizabeth are quick to defend the industry's men, who largely have provided them only with support. "All of the men I work with currently are amazing," comments Anna. The current picture is that of promise yes, things need to change, but no workplace is perfect. Female chefs are no longer resigned solely to pastry, nor are they seen as any less capable because of their sex. This in itself is progress, and a sign of changing times. But more changes are needed. "If women aren't entering into the industry there's going to be a shortfall," says Elizabeth. Kitchens need women desperately, more than ever, and there really is no better time to join than now. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? 20 GIFs That Are Generally OK To Send To Your Colleagues The Problem With Your Debit Card This Is The Secret To Getting Ahead At Work New York (AFP) - A historic Serbian church in the heart of midtown Manhattan has been reduced to smoldering ruins, following a massive fire late Sunday. Parts of the charred exterior walls are all that remain of the Saint Sava Cathedral, an Orthodox church near New York's famed Flatiron building. Authorities have yet to determine what led to the fire, which sent thick plumes of smoke billowing through the heart of the city as massive flames lit up the neighborhood. "No cause yet," a fire department spokesman told AFP. "We won't know for a while." The spectacular blaze occurred just hours after Sunday celebrations at Saint Sava in honor of Orthodox Easter, one of the holiest days of the calendar in the Serbian community. "We had service on Sunday. There were around 700 people. It finished around 1 pm. Nobody was in the church and then this came," said Father Djokan Majstorovic, who said the church was "very lucky" that the building was empty when disaster struck. About 170 firefighters spent several hours battling the inferno, which was finally extinguished early on Monday. Ingram Micro Inc. IM reported first-quarter 2016 non-GAAP earnings (excluding amortization of intangible assets, reorganization charges and other one-time items) of 35 cents per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 55 cents. Also, earnings decreased from 43 cents reported in the year-ago quarter. Ingram Micro Inc. (IM) Street EPS & Surprise Percent - Last 5 Quarters | FindTheCompany Quarter Details Ingram Micros first-quarter revenues of $9.337 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $9.828 billion and decreased 12.3% from the year-ago quarter. The year-over-year decrease was primarily due to the negative impact of foreign currency translation. Geographically, revenues from North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific came in at $3.88 billion, $2.66 billion, $599.8 million and $2.19 billion, respectively. Ingram Micros gross margin came in at 6.8% compared with 5.8% in the year-ago quarter. The companys non-GAAP operating expenses increased 9.9% year over year to $549.7 million. Also, as a percentage of revenues, expenses were up 119 basis points (bps), primarily due to higher selling, general and administrative expenses. The company recorded a 19.2% decrease in non-GAAP operating income, which came in at $101.3 million, primarily due to significant foreign currency headwinds and higher operating expenses. Operating margin also decreased 10 bps year over year to 1.1%. Ingram Micro reported non-GAAP net income of $52.6 million or 35 cents per share. Non-GAAP net income excludes the effect of intangible assets, reorganization charges and other one-time items. Ingram Micro exited the first quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $1.12 billion compared with $935.3 million in the previous quarter. Accounts receivable were $4.69 billion. Total debt (including current portion) was $1.22 billion compared with $1.23 billion in the last quarter. The company generated cash flow of approximately $274.6 million from operational activities during the quarter. Conclusion Ingram Micro reported lower-than-expected first-quarter 2016 results, with both the top and the bottom lines missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Moreover, both revenues and earnings decreased on a year-over-year basis primarily due to foreign exchange fluctuations. Nonetheless, the companys focus on the high-margin market and strategic acquisitions to increase market share are encouraging. Ingram Micro has been striking distribution deals with a number of original equipment manufacturers, thereby expanding its product portfolio. Additionally, Ingram Micros exposure in cloud computing products is expected to drive growth. Going forward, we remain fairly optimistic about Ingram Micros strategic relationship with network giants such as Juniper Networks Inc. JNPR and International Business Machines IBM. The companys growing exposure in the small and medium business (SMB) and improving profitability are encouraging. However, its significant European exposure and debt burden remain concerns. Currently, Ingram Micro has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Investors may consider a better-ranked technology stock, Facebook, Inc. FB, carrying a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report INTL BUS MACH (IBM): Free Stock Analysis Report JUNIPER NETWRKS (JNPR): Free Stock Analysis Report INGRAM MICRO (IM): Free Stock Analysis Report FACEBOOK INC-A (FB): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Baxter's 1Q16 Earnings Beat Estimates, Post Improved Margins (Continued from Prior Part) 1Q16 performance Baxter International (BAX) reported ~$2.4 billion in total revenues in 1Q16. Of that, ~$1.5 billion was contributed by the companys Hospital Products business. The segment accounted for about 62% of Baxters total revenues. These sales figures represent an ~4% YoY (year-over-year) increase in 1Q16 on an operational basis. However, the sales were negatively impacted by the continued foreign exchange impact. Additionally, in 1Q16, Baxter did not register any impact of competition surrounding US cyclophosphamide on the IPS (integrated pharmacy solutions) segment sales, as substantiated by the US cyclophosphamide sales of around $60 million in the equivalent quarter to that generated in the previous quarter. The Fluid Systems franchise witnessed strong YoY operational sales growth of approximately 11%. This compares to the IPS franchise YoY sales growth of ~3% and the decline of ~2% in the Surgical Care franchise revenues. Key growth drivers Baxter International (BAX) is a leading medical devices manufacturer with wide geographical presence and a broad portfolio of hospital products, leading the companys growth primarily through innovation. The recently relaunched SIGMA SPECTRUM infusion pump and demand for IV (intravenous) solutions in the United States were the primary contributors to the fluid systems franchise sales. In the IPS (integrated pharmacy solutions) franchise, 1Q16 sales mainly grew due to the broadening of the product portfolio through the launch of NUMETA G13 and Vancomycin saline. Vancomycin saline is a premixed drug used in the Baxters Galaxy flexible container, which is a drug delivery system. NUMETA G13 is a nutrition product for the preterm infants (born before 37 weeks of gestation) that the company plans to launch in 20 countries in 2016. Although the Surgical Care segment sales declined in 1Q16 due to lower biosurgery sales, innovation is expected to drive segment growth in the near future. Story continues Some of Baxters major competitors include Becton Dickinson (BDX), Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO), and CR Bard (BCR). Investors seeking exposure to Baxter International can invest in the iShares MSCI USA Minimum Volatility ETF (USMV). BAX accounts for approximately 0.53% of USMVs total holdings. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: Tehran (AFP) - Iran has passed a law allowing the government to grant citizenship to the families of foreigners killed while fighting for the Islamic republic, the official IRNA news agency reported Monday. "Members of the parliament authorised the government to grant Iranian citizenship to the wife, children and parents of foreign martyrs who died on a mission... during the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988) and afterwards," it said. Citizenship must be awarded "within a maximum period of one year after the request", IRNA added. Iran's outgoing conservative-dominated parliament will serve until late May. No figures are available on the number of foreign fighters killed during the Iran-Iraq war, but Afghans, and even a group of Iraqis, fought alongside Iranian forces against the regime of Saddam Hussein. The law could apply to "volunteers" from Afghanistan and Pakistan who are fighting in Syria and Iraq against jihadists including the Islamic State group and Al-Nusra Front. Shiite Iran is a staunch supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and provides financial and military support to his regime. Tehran says its Fatemiyoun Brigade, comprised of Afghan recruits, are volunteers defending sacred Shiite sites in Syria and Iraq against Sunni extremists like those of IS. The Islamic republic denies having any boots on the ground and insists its commanders and generals act as "military advisers" in Syria and Iraq. Iranian media regularly report on the death of Afghan and Pakistani volunteers in Syria and Iraq, whose bodies are buried in Iran. More than three million Afghans live in Iran, one million as legal migrants. An Iranian woman casts her ballot in Tehran. Irans new parliament will have more women than clerics for the first time since before the 1979 Islamic revolution when it is sworn in later this month. Although the female members only number 17 out of the 290 members of parliamentwho approve cabinet appointments and new legislationonly 16 clerics were elected, the BBC reports. The number of clerical members of parliament has been falling steadily from the the 164 elected following the 1979 revolution, AFP reports. Run-off elections held on Friday (April 29) saw moderates and reformists allied with President Hassan Rouhani win a working majority in parliament for the first time in over a decade, according to the BBC. Hardliners, meanwhile, won fewer than a third of seats. It indicates the power, activism and persistence of Iranian women against all odds, Professor Arshin Adib-Moghaddam from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and author of On the Arab Revolts and the Iranian Revolution told Quartz. The newly elected appointments are likely to be rather more supportive of the cautiously transformative policies of the Rouhani administration, Professor Adib-Moghaddam said. Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news. More stories from Quartz: The first known death from the Zika virus on U.S. territory was reported Friday as lawmakers left Washington for a weeklong recess. Neither house of Congress has approved funding to combat Zika, despite increasingly dire warnings from U.S. health officials. It was the death of an elderly man in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, that marked an ominous milestone for the Zika virus in the United States. A Zika infection usually is not life threatening, but it may spread from a pregnant woman to her child and cause microcephaly and other severe conditions. "This is a public health emergency. That is what our public health experts have told us," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest late last week. The White House has requested nearly $2 billion in emergency funding to target the mosquito that carries Zika and promote the development of a vaccine. The Republican-led Congress has yet to act, saying more information is needed. "We should at least have a plan from the administration for how the money is going to be spent," said Republican Senator John Cornyn. "There is no plan; it is a blank check." Democrats note Congress approved larger sums with relative speed to fight Ebola and the H1N1 flu. "If they will not give the experts the resources they need to combat Zika, what do they propose?" asked Democratic Senator Harry Reid. "We could ask the Zika mosquitos -- the Zika-carrying mosquitos, we could ask them: 'Do not breed this year.'" Baghdad (AFP) - Iraqi forces advancing from two opposite directions in Anbar have joined up, reducing the isolation of the city of Haditha, military sources said on Monday. A statement from Iraq's joint operations command coordinating the fight against the Islamic State group said forces retook several villages from the jihadists along the Euphrates River. The Iraqi army's 7th division had been moving down the river from Al-Baghdadi and eventually joined up with forces from the counter-terrorism service moving up from the town of Heet. "The road is therefore open between Heet and Haditha, via Al-Baghdadi, after an 18-month siege by the terrorists of Daesh," the statement said, using an Arabic acronym for IS. "The siege of Haditha and Al-Baghdadi was broken after liberating the strategic highway between Baghdadi and Heet," Major General Ali Ibrahim Daboun, the army commander responsible for the area, told AFP. However, a commander of Haditha's tribal fighters said the area of Al-Dulab, which lies in a loop of the Euphrates just east of Al-Baghdadi, was still in IS hands. "The people are hopeful but for now nobody will take the risk of travelling on this road so long as Al-Dulab has not been retaken," Sheikh Abdullah al-Jughaifi told AFP by phone from Haditha. Haditha, 210 kilometres (130 miles) northwest of the capital Baghdad, is the third city in the vast province of Anbar and lies near the country's second largest dam. It has come under repeated attack since the jihadists launched their massive offensive in Iraq in June 2014, but the dominant tribes there were opposed to IS and able to hold them off. For months, the city's main lifeline was the nearby military base of Al-Asad, which was only accessible by air. "The engineering corps of the army continues to remove explosive devices to reopen the road for goods, oil products and food," Daboun said. Iraqi forces, with backing from the US-led coalition that carries out daily air strikes against IS, has retaken significant ground from the jihadists in recent months. IS still controls Fallujah city only 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad, but it is almost completely besieged by pro-government forces. The jihadists also hold large areas deeper in the province, including along the border with Syria. Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - An Israeli military court ordered a Palestinian journalist to be detained for four months without trial or any charges Monday, on the eve of World Press Freedom Day. Omar Nazzal was arrested on April 23 at the border between the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Jordan, where he had been due to fly to a European Federation of Journalists gathering in Bosnia. The military court met on Sunday before announcing its decision to put him in administrative detention for four months, said Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency. An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed Nazzal would be held in administrative detention until August 22 "over his participation in a terrorist organisation" and not "because of his activity as a journalist". Under its administrative detention law, Israel can hold suspects for indefinite periods without charging or putting them on trial. Israel's Shin Bet security service said Nazzal, a member of the general secretariat of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS), was detained because of "his involvement in terror group activities". It said the journalist, 54, was recently appointed to a top position at Falestine al-Youm television which Israel's army forcibly closed in Ramallah on accusations of incitement to violence. Nazzal left the position several months ago. Monday's court announcement comes on the eve of World Press Freedom Day, the lead-up to which Palestinians have been using to condemn Israel. Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian political leader, on Monday urged immediate intervention "to ensure Israel is accountable for the blatant and planned escalation against Palestinian media". The journalists' union says that Israel is also holding in detention another 19 Palestinian journalists and students of journalism, one of them for more than 20 years. Israel has also forced the closure of several Palestinian television and radio stations since the outbreak of a wave of attacks that has killed more than 200 Palestinians and about 30 Israelis since October. By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel plans to reopen a second border point for commercial traffic into the Gaza Strip, an official said on Monday, a step in gradually easing the blockade imposed on the Palestinian enclave since 2007. The decision to allow trucks through the Erez terminal, on Gaza's northeastern tip, was taken in recognition that a truce that ended the 2014 war against Hamas is holding, the official said. Israel says its blockade prevents the movement of militants and stops construction materials that could be used by Hamas to make bunkers and tunnels. Palestinians there say they are under siege and are unable to rebuild homes destroyed by Israeli bombing. Israel halted commercial traffic through Erez in 2000, after a Palestinian revolt erupted, and only passengers transit has been allowed since. The official said details of its reopening were still being worked out, and gave no implementation date: "It won't be today or tomorrow." Changing Gaza policy is politically sensitive in Israel, as Hamas, while holding fire, remains openly hostile toward it, so the announcement was kept low-key. Regional powers Egypt and Turkey also have a close interest in what happens in Gaza. Egypt, which has the only other border with Gaza, has helped Israel maintain the blockade, deeming Hamas a threat. Turkey has said improving relations with Israel is dependent on the blockade ending. The official said the decision was mainly aimed at reducing pressure on the sole crossing point currently handling commercial traffic, Kerem Shalom in southeastern Gaza, as well as reducing truck traffic on Israeli roads leading to it. But the official added that Israel "has an interest in Gazans living in dignity - both on a humanitarian level, and because it helps preserve the quiet, in parallel to the security deterrence that exists. It is good for both Gazans and for us." Erez will eventually handle at least half of the around 600 trucks that go through Kerem Shalon daily, the official said. Asked whether the new measure could herald an overall increase in exports to Gaza, the official said, "No problem, to the degree that it depends on us," meaning that the border could be closed again in the event of Palestinian attacks. Gaza is home to 1.95 million Palestinians, 80 percent of whom are dependent on aid, according to the United Nations. Economists say the current levels of imports have been enough to maintain basic living standards but not to generate recovery, and unemployment has spiraled from 28 percent to 43 percent since the 2014 war. "Gaza needs cement, all kinds and sizes of lumber, raw chemicals, iron for metalworks, all of which have ceased completely," said Mahed Al-Tabbaa, a Palestinian economist. "What counts is whether Israel will allow the banned goods to enter Gaza, not an increase the number of trucks carrying the already permitted list of goods." (Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon on Monday announced the reopening of one of the main crossing points into the Palestinian Gaza Strip, which has been closed for at least eight years. However he did not give a date for the reopening of the Erez crossing in the north of the territory, saying only that this "will not happen tomorrow or the day after". "It is in our interests that a significant amount of truckloads of food continues to go to Gaza," a spokesman for Yaalon said in a statement. "It is our interest that Gazans live in dignity. Both from a humanitarian point of view and because this is a way to protect the peace, in addition to existing security deterrents." Yaalon also spoke of the necessity to ease congestion at the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south, currently the only conduit for goods between Israel and the Gaza Strip. He said that "at least half of what currently goes via Kerem Shalom" will be redirected to Erez. Israel imposed a tight air, sea and land blockade on Gaza in 2006, designed to prevent the Islamist Hamas movement that controls the territory from rearming. Bordered to the north and east by Israel and with the Mediterranean Sea to its west, the enclave is also subjected to an Egyptian blockade to the south. Israel controls all but one of the crossing points with Gaza -- the Rafah crossing into Egypt, The Erez crossing was closed to the passage of goods in 2008. TEL AVIV, May 2 (Reuters) - Israeli mobile chip designer Ceva Inc slightly exceeded expectations with a more than doubling of its quarterly profit, boosted by higher licensing and royalty revenue for chips used in smartphones, autos and cameras. Ceva said on Monday it earned 17 cents a share excluding one-time items in the first quarter, up from 8 cents a share a year earlier. Revenue rose 19 percent to a record $16.5 million. The company was forecast to earn 16 cents a share ex-items on revenue of $16.3 million, according to Thomson One I/B/E/S. During the quarter, Ceva signed 11 license agreements, including three with first-time customers. "The licensing environment continued to be favourable, particularly for our vision products with three new vision deals signed," said Ceva Chief Executive Gideon Wertheizer. Chief Financial Officer Yaniv Arieli said Ceva's market share in the LTE cellphone market continued, with a record 35 million units shipped in the quarter, resulting in 31 percent year-over-year royalty revenue growth. (Reporting by Tova Cohen) NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Italian marine Salvatore Girone, one of two sailors under investigation over the killing of two Indian fishermen during an anti-piracy mission in 2012, can return home, the Indian foreign ministry said on Monday. A U.N. arbitration court hearing the case ruled earlier that India should release Girone, who has been detained in Delhi for more than four years. "While remaining under the authority of the Supreme Court of India, he may return to Italy for the duration of the present arbitration," India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. "The Tribunal confirmed Italy's obligation to return him to India in case it was found that India had jurisdiction over him in respect of the incident." (Reporting by Douglas Busvine; editing by Andrew Roche) ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Ivory Coast will break up its long-standing electricity and water monopolies and introduce competition to reduce prices amid growing public concern over price increases, President Alassane Ouattara said. The government decided in June last year to increase electricity prices by 16 percent over three years to keep pace with production costs. Under the arrangement electricity prices were scheduled to increase by 5 percent in January. But some customers saw rates rise by as much as 40 percent, according to a government investigation, prompting Ouattara to cancel the January increases and call for a more competitive industry. "This situation reminds us of the need to open up the water and electricity sectors to competition," Ouattara, a former senior International Monetary Fund official, said in a Labour Day speech on national television on Sunday. "It is competition that will lower the price of electricity. I appeal to all those who wish to invest in that sector," he said. The West African nation has emerged from a decade of political turmoil and civil war as one of the continent's rising stars economically, with growth averaging around 9 percent for the past four years. However, critics of the government complain that most Ivorians have not benefited from the new-found prosperity. During his re-election campaign last year Ouattara promised to make economic growth more inclusive. The Companie Ivoirienne d'Electricite (CIE), majority owned by Africa-focused public utilities manager Eranove Group, has supplied electricity to the Ivory Coast since 1990 under an agreement with the government. The deal, which puts CIE in charge of the distribution of power to homes and businesses, is not due to expire until 2020. It is unclear how the utility markets will be liberalised or if it can be done before the agreement between CIE and the government ends in 2020. But it is likely to be a major issue in French-speaking West Africa's biggest economy where power producers are struggling to keep pace with growing consumption. Demand for electricity is rising by some 10 percent a year, and the energy minister said last year that $20 billion of investment is needed in the industry over the next 15 years. (Reporting by Ange Aboa; Writing by Edward McAllister; Editing by Joe Bavier, Greg Mahlich) Remus Lupin harry potter warner bros "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling kept her tradition of apologizing and explaining one death on the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts on Monday. The bloody battle saw Voldemort's forces descend on Harry Potter, his teachers, his classmates, and the secret society of wizards against Voldemort, The Order of the Phoenix. This year, Rowling chose to explain why Remus Lupin "had to die." Professor Lupin was a friend of Harry Potter's parents while they attended Hogwarts, and became one of Harry's substitute parents. He was also a werewolf, having been bitten by the werewolf Greyback at a young age. He died during the Battle of Hogwarts. His death hit fans especially hard, because his wife Tonks also died, leaving their young son an orphan. Once again, it's the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts so, as promised, I shall apologise for a death. This year: Remus Lupin. J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 2, 2016 Rowling said Lupin's fate was attached to another character, Arthur Weasley. Arthur was Harry Potter's best friend Ron's father. In the interests of total honesty I'd also like to confess that I didn't decide to kill Lupin until I wrote Order if the Phoenix. J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 2, 2016 Arthur lived, so Lupin had to die. I'm sorry. I didn't enjoy doing it. The only time my editor ever saw me cry was over the fate of Teddy. J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 2, 2016 Last year, on this day, Rowling apologized for killing Fred Weasley during the Battle, which she said was the "worst [death] for me, so I started with him. NOW WATCH: This early audition proves that Daniel Radcliffe was born to play Harry Potter More From Business Insider Guy Pearce you know him from Memento and Iron Man 3 has had an alternate-continent career as Jack Irish, a crime-solver in the Australian TV series of the same name. A new, six-part Jack Irish adventure begins streaming on Acorn TV on Monday, and its a good, intriguing mystery. Irish is a former lawyer and private detective who these days is a stubble-chinned, debt-collector-for-hire. I have no idea how Irish managed to attract his girlfriend, journalist Linda Hillier, played by the exceedingly charming Marta Dusseldorp, whose praises I recently sang in a review of her own two series, Janet King and A Place To Call Home. At the start of the new Jack Irish TV-movie titled Blind Faith, Jack and Linda are frosty with each other, and shes headed off to Manila to write some stories and see if she and Irish care enough about each other to reunite. Meanwhile, Jacks back at home in Australia, where hes hired to find the brother of a wealthy client who its no spoiler to reveal is not the missing fellows brother at all, but rather someone involved in some sort of vindictive religious cult. The plot developments are a bit foggy in the first hour, but what keeps things interesting is Pearce and his character, a kind of Aussie variation on the brooding crime-solver that pops up over here occasionally Im thinking particularly of Tom Sellecks excellent series of Jesse Stone TV-movies. Like Stone, Irish is an aging loner whose independent-guy routine is becoming more threadbare the deeper into middle-age he gets. It gives Pearce an opportunity to play rueful weariness, which he does very well indeed. And like another well-known TV detective, James Garners Jim Rockford, Jack Irish is frequently clueless about the true nature of the mystery hes solving until hes taken a few punches to the gut and been lied to by, well, almost anyone, ranging from clients to suspects. Like many a hardboiled private investigator, Irish has a wary relationship with the local police. The Irish TV-movies are based on Peter Temples crime novels, and the dialogue as provided by writers Andrew Knight and Matt Cameron has a pleasing tartness. If youre looking for mysteries tougher than the procedurals on CBS, this is a fine option. Jack Irish: Blind Faith is streaming now on Acorn TV. A Taiwan-born American citizen has admitted selling nuclear information to China while he was a senior manager at the U.S. government's Tennessee Valley Authority, federal officials say. Court records unsealed Friday show that Ching Ning Guey admitted traveling to China and receiving payments in return for handing over restricted information about U.S. nuclear technology. Federal officials who discussed the case indicated China is suspected of running a spy program to evade U.S. security precautions and collect high-tech information. An indictment filed more than a year ago but kept secret charged Guey with one count of conspiracy to illegally participate in the development of nuclear material outside of the United States and one count of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government. Prosecutors say he had been specifically warned not to share restricted nuclear information in advance of his trip to China. (photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images) One of the 2016 New Orleans Jazz Festivals most anticipated lineups of heavy-hitting headliners was knocked out of commission in its second weekend, when severe rain, lightning, and winds hit on Saturday.A majority of the fans waiting to see Stevie Wonder, Beck, Snoop Dogg, Buddy Guy, Arturo Sandoval, and others stayed put through the downpour that started around 4 p.m.; when the rain finally let up over an hour later, power had been knocked out and stage gear damaged (including Wonders grand piano for Stevie Wonder). The mammoth Fair Grounds Race Course where Jazz Fest is held wasnt just waterlogged flash flooding had changed its topography into a land of small lakes and new Mississippi River tributaries that were more than knee-deep in some areas. Complaints from those who had come to see their favorite acts, now canceled, were inevitable, and concertgoers had a legitimate gripe after toughing it out through the mini-monsoon. But there were dozens hundreds, actually of options to still make for a great second weekend of music and mud at Jazz Fest. Here are but 10 of many 1. Stevie Wonder & Prince-ly Purple With a full week to work out arrangements after Princes untimely passing, tributes to the Prince-ly one were abundant on the second weekend of Jazz Fest. But the best homage was possibly the unrehearsed (and probably least heard) nod by Stevie Wonder. Ninety minutes after Saturdays Fest-finishing storm started, and a few minutes after it was officially shut down, Stevie Wonder was led out onto the Acura Stage, where the sound system was completely dead. Through a megaphone Wonder led sopping members of the remaining crowd who were within shouting distance in a short sing-along of Purple Rain. There had been numerous celebrations Princes of music and life through the city, and one could almost expect that someone would seed the unremitting rainclouds so that they would pour purple. Topping off a set of soaring jams at Fest, My Morning Jacket was joined by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band for Sign O the Times and Purple Rain. And New Orleans bounce queen Big Freedia offered his own Purple Rain before Saturdays deluge. Story continues 2. Tribute to Allen Toussaint Last year at this point, we were talking about the longevity of Allen Toussaints influential career. This year, after Mr. New Orleanss heart attack last November, a parade of music heavyweights gathered to celebrate Toussaints never-ending musical importance. Thank you for coming to our house, Toussaints son Clarence told the soaked Gentilly crowd, because thats what Jazz Fest was to [my father]. Art Neville, Bonnie Raitt, Cyrille Neville, ELS, and Keith Claiborne sang their respects while Jon Batiste (on loan from David Letterman), Dr. John, Davell Crawford, and Joe Krown sat at Toussaints piano to dig into a nuggets from the songmasters extensive songbook. Together with a band that included many of Allens longtime band members, they underscored the slip-and-slide groove that was key in a roll call of Toussaint songs including Working in a Coal Mine, Get Out of My Life Woman, Lady Marmalade, and Southern Nights as well as Dr. Johns poignant salute to his old friend, Life. 3. Elvis Costello Backed by an all-star big band and sporting an Allen Toussaint button on his Prince-purple beret, Elvis Costello, demonstrating why hes one of our generations greatest songwriters, delivered a set peppered with slashes of his punk-era hits as well as samplings of his collaborations one of New Orleanss great song men, Mr. Toussaint. Costello performed songs from their collaborations, including the lofty "Ascension Day (from 2006s River in Reverse) and "Whos Gonna Help Brother Get Further, backed by the Crescent City Horns, mixed in with scissor-sharp and energized versions of his own Radio Radio, I Dont Want To Go To Chelsea, and Every Day I Write the Book. Costello also covered Toussaints I Cried My Last Tear and told stories of their tours together before closing out Thursday with a fierce Pump It Up. 4. Dr. John & the Night Trippers Nothing says New Orleans better than a set of classic swamp-funk from the Doctor, even if it was shortened by the storms that would knock out the rest of Saturdays lineup. For 35 minutes, players from the Dirty Dozen brass joined members of Dr. Johns regular Night Trippers to slither through his gris-gris collection of tunes including that ranged from Iko Iko to the menacing I Walk on Gilded Splinters. The set also included Right Place, Wrong Time, Earl Kings Make a Better World, and a guest shot on melodica by Jon Batiste on Big Shot (from Locked Down album, produced by Dan Auerbach) before Good Night, Irene unexpectedly but appropriately finished off the day. 5. Neil Young Neil Youngs moody, whammy-bar set of guitar fireworks with nephew Lukas (son of Willie) Nelson and Promise of the Real was huge. At times, the sonic boom of their long, massive jamsresonated like ocean liners grinding against one another, creating a reverberating bang-and-clang that seemingly boomed in protest to the stormy skies. The bigger protest, though, was happening onstage, where Young had staged an anti-GMO plant harvest to reinforce the title track of his recent album, The Monsanto Years. As Young and band reeled out faves like Rockin the Free World, Country Home, and Powderfinger, songs extended into jams that seemed like theyd never wind down. The next song is exactly like the last one, Young said at one point, only not as long. 6. Paul Simon Speaking of songwriters, this critic is the first to admit that he sometimes forgets that Paul Simon is pretty great at penning catchy tunes, too. By including some Clifton Chenier zydeco flavorings, Simon showed that the gulf between accordion-flavored Graceland and bayou tunes really isnt that wide. A few minutes after a set of classic singalongs (including 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, You Can Call Me Al) and encores that were highlighted by the swaying lilt of a definitive The Boxer, Simon ambled back onstage to offer a solo lullaby of Sound of Silence. 7. Mavis Staples In the Blues Tent, the rhythm & rock gospel of Mavis Staples was again an inspiration. Belting out songs from her stirring Living on the Edge CD, with songs by Ben Harper, Neko Case, Nick Cave, and Jon Batiste, Mavis proclaimed, I wont turn around, Ive come too far, yall. The set peaked when Mavis led the march up Freedom Highway, an upbeat protest song written in the 1960s by her late dad Pops to honor the civil rights trek from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. I was there, and Im still here fighting for hope love and peace, she declared before launching into Levon Helmss The Weight" 8. Irma Thomas Even at 75 years of age, Irma Thomass reign as Soul Queen of New Orleans shows no signs of ending any time soon. Animatedly roaming the Acura Stage on Friday, Irma who also performed a special Gospel Soul of Irma Thomas spotlight set Sunday in the Gospel Tent invigorated the audience with Ruler of My Heart, Its Raining, and other tracks from her early-1960s collaborations with Allen Toussaint. Before a moving rendition of Forever Young, she took time to reclaim" Time Is on My Side from the Rolling Stones, who had a hit with the song after hearing Irmas version. I look a hell of a lot better than he does at 75, she smirked. 9. Snarky Puppy The last time Snarky Puppy played Jazz Fest, they rode a wave of frenetic overload ready to burst at the seams. This time, maturity and depth ruled the day, mirroring the incredible sense for adventure and crafty arrangements on the jazz-fusion collectives brand-new album, Culcha Vulcha. Horns ricocheted off the bass-and-drums beat while syncopated keys and guitar percolations up the melodic ante. In other sections their nuanced textures sounded like a heady big-band reincarnation of Band X. Later, they played a surprise show at Republic joined by special guest Derek Smalls of Spinal Tap (aka Harry Shearer) for a rousing rendition of Taps bootlylicious classic, Big Bottom. 10. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue When Troy Trombone Shorty Andrews was given the chance a few years back to take over the duties of closing Jazz Fest from the Neville Brothers, some questioned his ability to do so. He himself was not one of those people. And now in 2016 we all look to Trombone Shorty to take Jazz Fest out on the highest of notes, this year ignoring the persistent rain. With Ivan Neville on keys and the ever-young energy of his Orleans Avenue band to fuel the grand finale, Andrews was electric, a whirlwind of energy who dove into the mud-stained crowd with his horn to lead a second line parade of one. We aint afraid of no rain, he declared while directing the band, all wearing Prince-worthy purple, from Do to Me" through "Hurricane Season. For an encore, Andrews mashed When the Saints Go Marching In" with Everybody Needs Somebody, a bright finish that almost let us forget what a sloggy wet mess Jazz Fest had been and bright enough that well be back next year for another hopefully sunny helping. Jessica Alba Jessica Albas $1.7 billion startup, The Honest Co., has delivered a scathing response to its critics, particularly the group that filed a lawsuit in April regarding its baby formula. The statement blasts advocacy groups for using Honest and Jessica Albas high profile to air their grievances with organic labeling in general. This lawsuit should be taking up their disagreement over existing organic standards with the U.S. government, not with Honest, the company writes. Honest, which sells eco-friendly household products like premium diapers and toothpaste, has had to fend off multiple recent lawsuits and reports that allege its products use synthetic ingredients and are deceptively labeled. But the accusations that its baby formula contains synthetic and toxic ingredients seem to have hit particularly close to home. The company writes that cofounder Chris Gavigan spent years developing Honests Organic Infant Formula, with his own family in mind, after being told by a doctor that his newborn son was experiencing "failure to thrive. Here are the points Honest gives about the April lawsuit and its formula. It says Honest's Organic Infant Formula is: Fully compliant and meets all safety and nutritional standards. Cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and labeled with the USDA Organic Seal; the seal certifies Honest Organic Premium Infant Formula as USDA Organic in strict accordance with the National Organic Program. Manufactured according to FDA standards in an ISO 9001:2008-certified, infant formula-manufacturing facility located within the United States. Dairy ingredients are sourced from leading dairy markets, including the United States, Canada and New Zealand. The FDA-inspected facility has been producing infant formulas for more than 30 years in strict compliance with good manufacturing practices (GMP). The facilitys manufacturing team is led by top scientists, nutritionists, engineers, regulatory experts and quality assurance specialists in the industry. Certified organic and contains at least 95% organic ingredients as required by USDA. Any ingredients, including the 11 ingredients alleged in the suit as non-organic, are ingredients that occur naturally in breast milk, are important for infant growth and development, and are all either permitted or required by the FDA to be present in infant formula. Story continues Honest, which raised $100 million last year at a $1.7 billion valuation, is seeking to go public, and is working with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley on the deal, according to Bloomberg's Lizette Chapman and Alex Barinka. NOW WATCH: How to find out your Uber passenger rating More From Business Insider A judge has agreed to move the trial of Justin Ross Harris, the man accused of murdering his 22-month-old son by allegedly intentionally leaving him in a hot car, on the grounds that the pretrial publicity has made it impossible to find an impartial jury. Jury selection began three weeks ago, when 550 potential jurors arrived at the Cobb County Courthouse in Marietta, Georgia. In 15 days, the prosecution and defense qualified approximately 40 panelists for potential service on the jury. But on Monday, that work was undone when judge Mary Staley ruled that the high-profile trial would be moved to a new location in Georgia. Now, the prosecution and defense will have to agree upon a new venue for the trial. The ruling was a victory for defense attorney Maddox Kilgore, who has argued that his client would not get a fair trial in the Atlanta area. In a statement, Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds reacted to the ruling: "While weare certainly disappointed, we understand and respect the court's ruling. Whenever and wherever this case is set for trial, the state will be ready." On the June 14, 2014 day Harris allegedly left his son, Cooper, in the family's SUV to go to his web developer job at Home Depot, the outside temperatures were nearly 90 degrees. An autopsy found that Cooper died of hyperthermia. In a pretrial hearing, a detective told the court that Harris had exchanged sexual text messages with six different females while his son was dying in the car. One of the females he allegedly sexted was just 16 years old. (Harris tried to have the alleged racy text messages declared inadmissible at trial.) Judge Agrees To Move the Trial of Justin Ross Harris, Accused in 'Hot Car Death' of Toddler son| Crime & Courts, Murder, True Crime, Justin Ross Harris In a 2014 probable cause hearing, detective Phil Stoddard outlined Harris's alleged strange behavior, both before and after Cooper's death. According to Stoddard, Harris had researched hot car deaths online. He also searched "how to survive in prison." Surveillance video had shown Harris returning to the car during lunchtime and placing two boxes of light bulbs inside. He didn't look at Cooper's car seat. Stoddard also testified that Harris grew belligerent with responding officers after discovering Cooper's lifeless body. When he was arrested, Harris allegedly said, "But there was no malicious intent." Harris grew belligerent with responding officers after discovering Cooper's lifeless body. When he was arrested, Harris allegedly said, "But there was no malicious intent." Kilgore contends that Harris merely forgot about Cooper because he was distracted and that he never intended to harm his son. Prosecutors charged Harris with eight felony counts, including malice murder, cruelty to children and criminal attempt to commit a felony. He faces life in prison if he's found guilty. mothers day 1 Julia Roberts may not have a lot of screen time in the new comedy Mothers Day, which opened in theaters over the weekend, but she certainly got paid like she was the star. The actress, who only worked on the film for four days, was paid $3 million for her supporting role, according to Variety. When Roberts was one of the biggest stars on the planet, in romantic comedies like Notting Hill and Runaway Bride, she became the first woman to get paid $20 million for a movie when she played the lead in Erin Brockovich, for which she won an Oscar. Though she cant command that kind of price anymore, what she got for Mothers Day proves she can still take in a big paycheck for a relatively minor amount of work. It doesn't look like her star wattage helped the movie any, though. "Mother's Day," which also featured Jennifer Aniston and Kate Hudson, debuted to a soft $8.30 million. That's the lowest opening of any of the Garry Marshall-directed holiday comedies ("Valentine's Day," "New Year's Eve") before it. Adding further insult, Julia Roberts' terrible wig became a recurring punchline for critics of the movie, who made it already one of the worst-reviewed of the year. This has been a recurring theme for Roberts of late. Last years The Secret in their Eyes only earned $32.1 million worldwide, and though she received a best supporting actress Oscar nomination for 2013s August Osage County, the film only had a worldwide gross of $74.1 million. Roberts hopes to rebound on May 13 when she stars opposite George Clooney in the thriller Money Monster, directed by Jodie Foster. NOW WATCH: Back in 2014, dancer Misty Copeland told us a story about working with Prince More From Business Insider Katrina Kaif has been busy shooting for a magazine cover in the lovely locales of island Cebu in Philippines. Katrina, who was seen sporting a Sundry - Je T'aime Crop Sweatshirt, is clicked here at the Mactan International Airport. Check out Katrina getting all set to take off, with her team. The lovely actress who was last seen in the movieFitoor, will next be seen in Baar Baar Dekho opposite Sidharth Malhotra. She will also be seen in Jagga Jasoos along with ex-boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor. Do you dig this look of Katrina? From Cosmopolitan At last night's White House Correspondents Dinner - aka "nerd prom" -President Obama got serious about roasting pretty much everyone and anyone. Included in his jokey wrath? Kendall Jenner! Addressing the room, President Obama said of Kendall, "We had a chance to meet her backstage and she seems like a very nice young woman. I'm not exactly sure what she does but I am told that my Twitter mentions are about to go through the roof." Truth! As for what it was like for Kendall to meet President Obama, she told People that it was her first time being legit ~starstruck~. He also asked her to pass on a message to two of her famous relatives. "He was like, 'Say hi to Kim and Kanye,'" she said. "I was like 'Okay.'" And although President Obama didn't ask about her, Kris Jenner was equally excited about her daughter's opportunity to meet POTUS. "She's already Instagrammed it," she said. "I know she's proud. She's all over it." And Instagram it, she did! And seriously, one last look at that dress because it's ridiculously gorgeous: Here's Obama's best jokes from the dinner, including the one about Kendall! It's a delightful romp and man, I sure will miss this guy when he's retired. Follow Laura on Twitter. President Barack and Obama and his wife Michelle's elder daughter will take a year off after graduating from high school and attend the prestigious Harvard University in 2017. "The President and Mrs. Obama announced today that their daughter Malia will attend Harvard University in the fall of 2017 as a member of the Class of 2021. Malia will take a gap year before beginning school," a White House statement said Sunday. Kenneth Bae spoke out Monday morning in a rare interview since his release from North Korea, describing his long days of hard labor during his imprisonment in the isolated country. I worked from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at night, working on the field, carrying rock, shoveling coal, Bae told CNN of his captivity from 2012 to November 2014. Bae had been sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for carrying out hostile acts against the country, and was the U.S. citizen detained for the longest in North Korea since the Korean War. Bae had worked for a tour company that took people into North Korea, and was arrested in 2012 during one of those trips. Bae also said Monday that his captors caused him anguish by repeatedly telling him, No one remembers you. You have been forgotten by people, your government. Youre not going home anytime soon. [CNN] By Steve Bittenbender LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Reuters) - A state judge in Louisville, Kentucky, on Monday temporarily blocked a move by the city and a local university to take down a longstanding monument to Confederate soldiers. Jefferson Circuit Judge Judith McDonald-Burkman issued the temporary injunction after the Sons of Confederate Veterans and others announced their intent to legally block the move by Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and University of Louisville President Dr. James Ramsey. A hearing on whether to permanently grant the injunction has been scheduled for 1030 am local time on Thursday, according to Ed Springston, one of the men who sought the injunction with the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Fischer's spokesman Chris Poynter said in a text that the mayor stood by his decision to move the statue to a more appropriate location. On Friday, local leaders announced plans to dismantle the 70-foot monument, clean it and place it in storage until another site could be found. University spokesman John Karman said in a Monday email that the school would support the city's efforts to move the statue as the case moves through the courts. Located near the university's main campus, the 121-year-old monument has been a source of controversy at the school. In a Friday statement, Ramsey said the memorial, given to the city by the Kentucky Woman's Monument Association to commemorate Kentuckians who died for the Confederacy, needed a more appropriate location than near a modern campus that celebrates its diversity. A diversity committee at the university was the latest group to target the monument, joining a national push to remove what they consider emblems of slavery that have become a rallying symbol for racism and xenophobia in the United States. Public symbols of the Confederacy including the Confederate flag have been the center of controversy across the U.S. South after a white gunman allegedly shot dead nine black worshipers at a historic church in Charleston, South Carolina in July 2015. Story continues Supporters say they are symbols of the South's history and culture, as well a memorial to the roughly 480,000 Confederate casualties during the Civil War. Opposition to the removal of the Kentucky statue quickly gathered momentum. Thomas McAdam, the Louisville lawyer representing the organization and other plaintiffs, could not be reached to comment on Monday, but in a Facebook post last week called the city's plan "historical revisionism." The destruction of public monuments is a desecration of our honored dead, and an example of liberal fascism in its ugliest form, he said in the post. (Reporting by Steve Bittenbender, Editing by Ben Klayman and Andrew Hay) Nairobi (AFP) - The death toll in the collapse of a six-storey building in Nairobi rose to 21 on Monday after four more bodies were pulled from the rubble of the residential structure that gave way during weekend storms. "As of today we have 21 people dead so far after four bodies were retrieved in the night and another died in hospital," the head of the National Disaster Management Unit, Pius Masai, told reporters, revising a previous count of 16 dead. Authorities had previously put the number of deaths in Friday's collapse of the building in the low-income district of Huruma at 16. But the Kenya Red Cross said 60 people were still missing, meaning the final toll could be much higher, although it was unclear whether those sought were at home when the building buckled. The building, which was home to more than 150 families, many of them living crammed into a single room, had been earmarked for demolition after being declared structurally unsound. But an order by building authorities for the evacuation of the bloc, built only two years ago near a river, went ignored. On Saturday, President Uhuru Kenyatta called for the building's owner to be arrested, A day later, the owner turned himself over to police. Several buildings have collapsed in recent years in Nairobi and other Kenyan cities, where a property boom has seen buildings shoot up at speed, often with scant regard for building regulations. The deaths in Huruma bring to at least 28 the number of people who died in Nairobi since the weekend in accidents linked to floods caused by torrential rains. On Saturday, Kenya, led by President Uluru Kenyatta, torched 105 metric tons (or over 230,000 pounds) of recovered ivory tusks in a huge bonfire. The ivory burned was worth $150 million, or up to 8,000 elephants and 343 rhinos, according to Associated Press. The 11 burning pyres the largest single burning of ivory ever were a statement to demonstrate Kenya's seriousness about ending the illegal poaching and trading of ivory by showing how ivory is "worthless unless it is on our elephants," Kenyatta said, according to Slate. "No one, and I repeat, no one, has any business in trading in ivory, for this trade means death the death of our elephants and the death of our natural heritage," Kenyatta said, according to the New York Times. Usually, elephants are killed by poachers and their tusks are sent to Asia, where they are made into items like combs or eyeglass frames, via the black market. Poaching for ivory is one of the dominant factors in elephants' declining population, despite the sale of ivory being banned in 1989, Slate reported. Source: Ben Curtis/AP In 1989, Kenyan conservationist Richard Leakey similarly burned a large bonfire of ivory. "My feeling is that many people who are buying this ivory in China and elsewhere simply don't know what it is doing to elephants," Leakey said of Saturday's burning, according to Scientific America. "It will help open their eyes to what is actually happening." Not everyone believes the politically charged burning was necessary, arguing that the money should have been used to protect the nation's wildlife rather than just burned away. But Kenyan politicians argued the point that the ivory should not have value to begin with. In the 1970s, just four decades ago, Africa had over 1.3 million elephants roaming the continent. Now that number has dwindled to just 500,000, the Associated Press reported. By Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Lesley Wroughton AMMAN/GENEVA (Reuters) - Washington and Moscow said on Monday they were working hard to extend a truce in Syria to Aleppo, the divided northern city where a sharp escalation of violence in recent weeks has left a ceasefire in tatters and torpedoed peace talks. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was in Geneva for meetings with other dignitaries to try to revive the two-month-old U.S. and Russia-sponsored cessation of hostilities, which quieted guns for the first time during the five-year Syrian war but which has unraveled in recent days. Syria announced temporary local truces in two areas last week. But those agreements have not been extended to Aleppo, where government air strikes and rebel shelling have killed hundreds of civilians in the past week, including more than 50 people in a hospital rebels say was deliberately targeted by the army. The Aleppo fighting threatens to wreck the first peace talks involving the warring parties, which are due to resume at an unspecified date after breaking up in April when the opposition delegation walked out citing government ceasefire violations. "We're getting closer to a place of understanding, but we have some work to do, and that's why we're here," Kerry said at the start of a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. Kerry said he hoped for more clarity in the next day or so on restoring the nationwide ceasefire. The United States and Russia had agreed to keep extra staff in Geneva to work on it. "Both sides, the opposition and the regime, have contributed to this chaos, and we are working over the next hours intensely in order to try to restore the cessation of hostilities," Kerry said. He later spoke by telephone to Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The Russian Foreign Ministry said they both called on all sides to observe the ceasefire. A Russian military official, General Sergei Kuralenko, said talks were under way on extending the local truces to Aleppo. ALEPPO KEY TO PEACE The United States and Russia have taken the leading roles in diplomacy since Moscow joined the war last year with an air campaign that tipped the balance of power in favor of President Bashar al-Assad, its ally. Washington is among Western and regional powers that say Assad must leave office. The White House said on Monday Assad's government needed to live up to its ceasefire commitments. The civil war in Syria has killed hundred of thousands of people, driven millions from their homes, created the world's worst refugee crisis and provided a base for Islamic State militants who have launched attacks elsewhere. All diplomatic efforts to resolve it have foundered over the fate of Assad, who refuses to accept opposition demands that he leave power. The local truces, known as a "regime of calm", were launched in the Eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus and the countryside of northern Latakia province from Saturday morning in a bid to revive the overall ceasefire. The Latakia truce was for three days and the Ghouta truce, initially for 24 hours, was also extended by another 48. Both cover areas where there has been heavy fighting. But without a similar truce in Aleppo, divided for years between government and rebel zones, there appears to be little hope of restoring the overall ceasefire so talks can resume. De Mistura, due to travel to Moscow for talks with Lavrov, said in a statement there could be no progress in political talks without the ceasefire and other steps to bring "tangible benefits on the ground for the Syrian people". Aleppo remains the biggest prize for Assad's forces hoping to take full control of the city, Syria's largest before the war. The nearby countryside includes the last strip of the Syria-Turkish border in the hands of Arab Sunni rebels. CIVILIANS KILLED The opposition accuses the government of deliberately targeting civilians in rebel held parts of Aleppo to drive them out. For its part, the government says rebels have been heavily shelling government-held areas, proving they are receiving sophisticated weapons from foreign sponsors. A British-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, has reported scores of civilians killed on both sides in recent days, although more in rebel-held territory. Syrian state television said on Monday that a missile had hit the surroundings of Aleppo University Medical Hospital, and several civilians were injured by rebel mortar attacks on the residential area of Jamiyat Hay al Zahra in western Aleppo. The rebel-held local council of Aleppo city announced a state of emergency in areas it runs due to the intense bombardment. About 350,000-400,000 people are believed to remain in rebel-held parts of what was once a city of 2 million. Mohammad Muaz Abu Saleh, a senior councillor in the rebel Aleppo governate council, said residents were nonetheless not abandoning opposition-held areas. "Those who wanted to leave Aleppo have fled," he said. Those who have stayed behind "have decided to stay under all circumstances of shelling and siege. Aleppo will remain populated with its people not leaving." Amar al-Absi, a resident of a rebel-held area, said: "There was heavy shelling throughout the night. In my neighborhood, Salah al-Deen, a missile hit a building that was empty and it was leveled but there were no casualties." In Hama, a western city, government troops surrounded a prison and fired teargas to put down a revolt by inmates, who seized several guards in protest against their planned transfer to a military prison, the Observatory reported. In countryside north of Aleppo, other rebel groups have battled Islamic State fighters who are not party to any ceasefire. Amaq, a news agency affiliated to Islamic State, said the militants had gained control of three villages near the border with Turkey, cutting supply routes of other rebels, despite Turkish shelling. The Observatory said the militants had staged a counterattack to regain ground lost from other rebels in to-and-fro fighting that has seen no major gains for any side. Two rockets hit the Turkish town of Kilis near Islamic State positions in Syria on Monday, killing one person and wounding others, a security source told Reuters. The source said the Turkish military returned fire hitting IS targets. Ankara said it had killed 34 militants on Sunday. Turkey, a NATO ally and backer of anti-Assad rebels, is part of a U.S.-led coalition launching air strikes against Islamic State but is also strongly opposed to the main Kurdish militia in Syria, Washington's closest ally on the ground. Another major supporter of the rebels is Saudi Arabia, whose Foreign Minister Jubeir blamed the latest escalation on the government and called for Assad to step down. "He can leave through a political process, which we hope he will do, or he will be removed by force," Jubeir said alongside Kerry. (The online version of this story corrects the spelling of John Kerry in paragraph two.) (additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in GENEVA, John Davison in BEIRUT and Orhan Coskun in ANKARA, writing by Peter Graff; editing by Robin Pomeroy and Philippa Fletcher) GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday he hoped for greater clarity over the next day or so on restoring a nationwide ceasefire in Syria and had agreed with Russia on strengthened monitoring once it was in place. "Both sides, the opposition and the regime, have contributed to this chaos, and we are working over the next hours intensely in order to try to restore the cessation of hostilities," Kerry told reporters in Geneva after talks with UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura. "...Russia and the United States have agreed that there will be additional personnel who will work from here, in Geneva, on a daily basis ... in order to make sure there is a better ability to be able to enforce (it)." (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton and Stephanie Nebenay; editing by John Stonestreet) Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson has reached a settlement with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation regarding a drug test that showed nandrolone, an anabolic steroid, and an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ration in his system. The TDLR oversees regulation of the state's combat sports. The drug test in question stems from Kimbo's fight with Dada 5000 (real name Dhafir Harris) at Bellator 149, which took place on Feb. 19 in Houston. Though Kimbo initially was silent on the matter, following Bellator booking him for the main event of Bellator 158 on July 16 in London, his camp negotiated a settlement with the TDLR, according to an initial report by MMAJunkie.com. There was no explanation as to why the TDLR lessened Kimbo's punishment. HOT TOPIC > Conor McGregor Blasts Nate Diaz, UFC 200, and Brock Lesnar Kimbo reportedly waived the right to a hearing, instead agreeing to a $2,500 fine and the revocation of his license to fight in Texas. According to TDLR records, Kimbo's license was originally slated to expire on March 4, 2017. His fight with Dada 5000, initially a victory, was also changed to a no contest. The settlement was a lessening of the original 90-day suspension, license revocation, and $4,000 fine. Despite the license revocation, Bellator is moving ahead with Kimbo headlining the promotion's first event in London. He squares off with James Thompson in a rematch of their EliteXC fight from May of 2008, which Kimbo won. There is no mixed martial arts regulatory body in England, so Bellator will instead use the International Sport Karate Association to oversee the event. Follow MMAWeekly.com on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram PRISTINA (Reuters) - A Turkish Airlines jet carrying 143 passengers and eight crew from Istanbul skidded off the runway on Monday when landing at Kosovo's sole airport, officials said. "Turkish Airlines flight TK1018 from Istanbul has had a minor incident and fortunately no one was injured, airport spokeswoman Valentina Gara said. The airport will remain closed for few hours until some initial technical investigations are finished. A flight from Brussels was diverted to Tirana, Albania. Local media showed images of the Turkish Airlines jet standing in a grassy area next to the runway. "Thanks God we (were) saved from a tragedy," one passenger wrote in a facebook posting with photos of the aircraft. Authorities are investigating what caused the incident. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; editing by Andrew Roche) * Kuwait slower than rest of Gulf to push austerity * Three-day strike over pay hit oil output * Thousands of workers unhappy with spending reforms * Kuwait has history of labour disputes * Rambunctious parliament must be handled carefully By Sylvia Westall and Ahmed Hagagy KUWAIT, May 2 (Reuters) - A three-day strike by oil workers in Kuwait last month over pay reforms shows the government faces considerable opposition as it prepares to push through painful and controversial cuts to longstanding welfare benefits. Oil-exporting states around the Gulf are reducing subsidies for fuel, public utilities and food, and freezing or slowing the growth of public sector wages, as they try to curb big budget deficits caused by low oil prices. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain have all taken such steps in the past six months. But Kuwait has been slower to act; reforms were still being discussed in parliament last week and no timetable has been set. In mid-March, Finance Minister Anas al-Saleh said the cabinet had approved in principle a "repricing" of some commodities and public services, but he gave no details and did not mention a date for the changes. One reason for the delay is that Kuwait has more of a history of industrial action than the rest of the Gulf, where unions are banned or tightly controlled. In recent years, brief work stoppages over pay and conditions have also hit Kuwait's national airline and the customs administration. More broadly, Kuwait's political environment is freer - in contrast to the other wealthy Gulf states, members of its rambunctious parliament routinely criticise government policy, and citizens are not shy about complaining on social media. In 2012, thousands of Kuwaitis demonstrated repeatedly against a new electoral law which they said disadvantaged the opposition. Such protests are almost unheard of in the other Gulf states. The result is that Kuwait's government is having a harder time imposing austerity policies than its counterparts, and the extent of those policies is still uncertain. Story continues "The oil strike was a showdown between a welfare government and a civil society fearful that the government will solve its problem, resulting from a lack of planning, at its expense," said Shafeeq Ghabra, political science professor at Kuwait University. "This strike shows that the government needs to have a major dialogue with civil society regarding economic as well political reform." Billions of dollars are at stake; finance ministry undersecretary Khalifa Hamada told the al-Qabas newspaper at the end of last year that "rationalising" subsidies would save the government 2.6 billion dinars ($8.7 billion) over three years. Savings would be greater if the bloated public payroll could be reformed. The finance ministry projected in January that the government would run a budget deficit of 12.2 billion dinars in the fiscal year starting on April 1, 2016, after state contributions to the sovereign wealth fund. STRIKE Between 7,000 and 13,000 of around 18,000 Kuwaiti nationals in the oil sector took part in the strike in late April, union members estimated. Union membership is not compulsory and foreign workers are not permitted to strike. Workers were protesting a proposed overhaul of the public sector payroll system that would set uniform standards for salaries, bonuses and benefits. The Oil and Petrochemical Industries Workers Confederation fears the government will use the reform to freeze salaries of higher-paid employees. Ultimately, the union called off the strike "in honour of his highness the Emir", and the government insisted it made no concessions - an apparent victory for authorities. But the union has been talking to the government since the strike ended, so concessions could still be made. Kuwait's oil output fell as low as 1.1 million barrels per day during the strike from the usual output of around 3 million bpd, tarnishing the country's image as a reliable exporter. "The workers have achieved their main objective of getting their message across," said Faisal Abu Sulaib, another political science professor at Kuwait University. Saif al-Qahtani, chairman of the oil workers' union, said he could not speak for other unions but that some of them also opposed wage system reform. Some other union members and analysts said a string of strikes in Kuwait remained unlikely. An official at the headquarters of the Kuwait Trade Union Federation, which represents 15 unions in the energy and government sectors, said it had not been informed of any other planned walkouts. Nevertheless, in the wake of the oil strike, the government may move even more gradually and cautiously with reforms. While most of the current parliament has been relatively supportive of the idea of reform, legislative elections are due next year, and the government will not want the issue of austerity to cause the election of a more antagonistic parliament. "Negotiations may take time, but my expectation is that the government will ultimately move towards a compromise on some of the union's demands to prevent further economically damaging escalations," said Coline Schep, a Middle East and North Africa associate at consultancy Eurasia Group. "Future strike action in the oil sector, or public sector more broadly, cannot be ruled out as it is a fairly well-established phenomenon in Kuwait...It is in the government's interest to try and avert further stoppages." (Editing by Andrew Torchia, Janet McBride) A ballistic missile whose launch from a submarine on April 23 North Korea described as an "enormous success" in fact blew up in mid-air, a military officer here said Sunday. The missile flew about 30 km but exploded and split into several pieces, he said. The official [North] Korea's Central News Agency said the following day the launch was aimed at increasing the reliability of separation and accuracy of the warhead's detonation device. But the first and second boosters never separated, apparently due to a technical problem, and the accuracy of the detonation device is moot. Some civilian missile experts speculated that the missile was only fueled for 30 km, but the military here said an observation ship was spotted scores of kilometers from the point of explosion, suggesting the regime had hoped it would fly much farther. That brings the North's failed ballistic missile launches in recent days to three after land-launched Musudan missiles also exploded on April 15 and 28. Kylie Jenner just got ANOTHER mysterious red tattoo Kylie Jenner just got ANOTHER mysterious red tattoo If ever a pinky finger was to dominate headlines, it could only be one belonging to King Kylie, aka the inimitable Kylie Jenner. A photo posted by King Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Apr 27, 2016 at 7:09pm PDT On Saturday evening, the 18-year-old phenomenon took to Snapchat to document what looks like a brand new inking on her right pinky finger. Though she posted a series of video snaps (with brother-in-law Kanye Wests Life of Pablo album playing in the background), the actual tattoo remains a mystery, for now. A video posted by Kylie Jenner Snapchats (@kylizzlesnapchats) on May 1, 2016 at 5:18am PDT However, Jenner visited the famous Jon Boys Tattoos in NYC with her BFFs Jordyn Woods and Justine Skye, so perhaps some friendship tats are possibilities? Or a shoutout to her uber-successful Lip Kit line? Or a nod to her beloved puppies, Italian greyhounds Norman and Bambi? But lets remember its Kylie; the girl with the ever-revolving hair color is impossible to predict. This mysterious pinky tattoo is the fourth for the youngest daughter of Kris and Caitlyn Jenner. Theres a tiny red heart on the back of her left arm, Sanity inked in red on her hip, and her Grandmothers name Mary Jo written in her Grandfathers handwriting on her other arm. Jenner got this one touched up while in the shop and we cant help but wonder if this was Grandmas request. And like any powerful king, Ms. Jenner didnt leave the shop without marking her territory. She inked a red crown beside a K in one of the only empty spaces remaining on the shop owners left forearm. He insisted she do it herself, and Kylie was happy to comply with the request. A video posted by Kylie Jenner Snapchats (@kylizzlesnapchats) on May 1, 2016 at 5:18am PDT King Kylie reigns on! The post Kylie Jenner just got ANOTHER mysterious red tattoo appeared first on HelloGiggles. From Road & Track Just last week, we marked the anniversary of Chrysler purchasing Lamborghini. It was a strange, short affair that wrangled a long-forgotten Lamborghini concept car out of it, and a cab-forward legacy for Chrysler that its marketing department today all but forgets. If the Portofino was a "what-if" question (what if there was a four-door Lamborghini? What if Chrysler played off its design for the better part of a decade?) then the Pregunta was an open-ended one: a question in Spanish, a question to Lamborghini's future, and a question shouted defiantly: what if our cars looked like fighter jets? The Bertone-designed Pregunta debuted at the Paris Motor Show in October of 1998, a month after Audi AG acquired the company. Lamborghini had been controlled by Indonesian holding company Megatech, a billionaire's adventure game registered in Bermuda, whose former executive was convicted of hiring an assassin to kill an Indonesian judge. The constantly shifting endeavour had barely been able to scrape by when the 1997 Asian financial crisis hit. It was the final straw. In Germany, however, things were booming quite nicely. The same year that Indonesia melted down, Volkswagen introduced a twelve-cylinder supercar of its own and CEO Ferdinand Piech went on a shopping spree, snapping up Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini. Under Audi's fold, Lamborghini was about to do great things. But there was still something from the Diablo generation to show off. No car can wear its aviation-wannabe credentials as a Lamborghini. Case in point: the Pregunta featured carbon-fiber bodywork built by Heuliez, overlaid with the same matte-grey paint used on the Dassault Rafale fighter jet. The lights were fiber optics. The curvy, colorful, painfully-Nineties cockpit-complete with gated shifter!-mimicked fighter-jet glass screens and featured rear-view cameras instead of mirrors and nascent GPS navigation. The seats looked like they could eject. The doors opened skyward, naturally, taking with them huge and swoopy air intakes. Story continues Specs included the Diablo's chassis and running gear, modified to rear-drive only, and pumping out 530 horsepower from its V-12. It could hit the standing kilometer in just 20 seconds. Nearly every press photo saw it parked in front of a Rafale, including the period promotional video above, where the two tried to race. With a rumored 206mph top speed the Pregunta held up pretty well, at least until the pesky airborne business. But it still looked like it could take right off. And as recently as 2013, French dealer Autodrome put it up for auction, at a little over two million dollars. Lamborghini has built many crazy, outlandish, and long-forgotten concept cars-it's what it does best. Long before the F-22-inspired Reventon, long before the Megatron-inspired Veneno, the Pregunta posed a question that's been answered, repeatedly, ever since. Scuffles broke out between legislators from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) during a meeting over the potential lifting of legal immunity for parliamentarians on Monday, May 2. The meeting of the constitutional commission at the Turkish National Assembly reportedly took place after a previous session on April 28 was postponed when it descended into a fistfight. The HDP believes the bill is aimed at suppressing dissent against the AKP government. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for the prosecution of several HDP members, accusing them of support for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The footage, shot by a journalist sitting in on the session, shows lawmakers throwing punches at each other amidst the heated pdebate. Turkish media reports said that AKP Deputy Mustafa Sentop called for a short break to end the scuffles prior to resuming the parliamentary session. Credit: Hayri Demir A look at what's happening all around the majors today: --- FLIPPY Jose Bautista and the Toronto Blue Jays welcome Texas to town for the first time since their raucous Game 5 of the AL Division Series. That decisive matchup at Rogers Centre last October included Bautista's high-flying bat flip, a couple of angry confrontations and fans throwing debris. FAMILIAR FACE Giants newcomer Johnny Cueto returns to Great American Ball Park to face the Reds. The All-Star made the first 213 starts of his career for Cincinnati before being traded last July to Kansas City in a package that included pitcher Brandon Finnegan. Cueto signed with San Francisco in the offseason and has done well so far, going 4-1 with a 2.65 ERA. He'll face Finnegan (1-1, 3.86) in this matchup. BACK AGAIN Jason Hammel (3-0, 0.75) carries the NL's best ERA into Pittsburgh when the Cubs visit PNC Park for the first time since last year's wild-card game. Jake Arrieta outpitched Gerrit Cole to win that matchup 4-0 in October. Cole will start this game against Hammel. A HOME RUN AL Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel starts the series opener vs. Minnesota at Minute Maid Park. The Astros lefty is 2-3 with a 4.41 ERA overall this season, but has won 17 straight decisions at home dating to 2014. WANTS ONE At 0-4, James Shields starts for the Padres at home against Colorado. He is 13-11 with a 3.86 ERA in 38 starts with San Diego since signing a $75 million, four-year contract as a free agent before the 2015 season. Did Edwards Lifesciences 1Q16 Earnings Beat Expectations? (Continued from Prior Part) Overview Edwards Lifesciences (EW) is the leader in the transcatheter heart valve market and has a strong portfolio of TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) products under the brand name Sapien. These valves are used to treat patients suffering from advanced cardiovascular disease. Medtronics (MDT) CoreValve is a major competitor of EWs Sapien products in the TAVR market. St. Jude Medical (STJ) and Boston Scientific (BSX) also manufacture TAVR products and present significant competition to Edwards Lifesciences. Investors seeking exposure to Edwards Lifesciences and its peers can invest in the First Trust Health Care AlphaDEX Fund (FXH). EW accounts for approximately 2.6% of FXHs holdings. 1Q16 performance Edwards Lifesciences (EW) reported ~$697 million in total revenue in 1Q16. Of that, ~$366 million was contributed by the companys THV (Transcatheter Heart Valve) Therapy segment. The segment accounted for about 53% of Edwards Lifesciences total revenues. This sales figure represents a ~38% YoY (year-over-year) increase in 1Q16 as compared to the YoY sales growth of ~32% in the previous quarter. In the Unites States, THV sales grew by approximately 64%, whereas the international sales registered a growth of ~13% on a YoY basis. The strong THV sales growth, however, is expected to be weighed down by the increasing competition in the segment, and the company will likely experience market share erosion in the near future. However, the total THV market size is also expected to grow at a fast pace driven by the continued adoption of TAVR therapies worldwide. To learn more about opportunities in this segment, read Rising THV Demand Could Drive Edwards Lifesciences Growth. Key growth drivers The strong procedure growth in the United States and in international markets is driving THV sales growth on a YoY basis. This therapy has enormous growth potential going forward. The launch of Sapien 3 valves in the United States in July 2015 also fueled this segments growth. Also, the positive clinical results for the use of Sapien valves in intermediate-risk patients are expected to broaden the market size in the near future. The company has also initiated clinical trials for the use of Sapien TAVR technology in low-risk patients, which will further expand its customer base and strengthen the long-term growth potential of the product segment. Story continues In the next part of this series, well look at Edward Lifesciences gross margin. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: London (AFP) - Leicester's players celebrated their remarkable Premier League title triumph with a party at star striker Jamie Vardy's house on Monday. Claudio Ranieri's side were crowned England champions for the first time in their 132-year history after second placed Tottenham were held to a 2-2 draw at Chelsea. Tottenham had taken a two-goal lead by half-time but, with several Foxes players watching nervously at Vardy's house, Gary Cahill got one back for Chelsea and an 83rd minute equaliser from Eden Hazard completed Leicester's fairytale success. Having been photographed arriving for the gathering at Vardy's house to watch the match on television, Leicester's newly crowned champions were able to celebrate together once the final whistle blew at Stamford Bridge. Christian Fuchs, Robert Huth, Wes Morgan and Shinji Okazaki were all seen driving to Vardy's Melton Mowbray home, while a number of supporters also gathered outside the gates of the house. Fuchs posted a video clip on Twitter that perfectly captured the emotion of the moment when Leicester's title was confirmed. Shouting joyously and hugging each other, the players were seen jumping around in front of a television. The footage quickly became a social media sensation and US network NBC carried an extended version of it as Leicester's against-the-odds success was enjoyed around the world. Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri's whereabouts were unknown however. The Italian said he was going to his homeland to fulfil a lunch date with his 96-year-old mother and would not be back until after full-time, but reports suggested he instead chose to fly home earlier. From LennyLetter In 2004, journalist and filmmaker Laura Poitras traveled to Iraq to document the lives of the country's citizens under U.S. occupation. Poitras focused on Dr. Riyadh al-Adhadh, a Sunni politician. The resulting documentary, My Country, My Country, was the first in a trilogy of films - including Citizenfour, the Oscar-winning documentary about NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden - Poitras has made about the ramifications of the American surveillance state after 9/11. In November of 2004, Poitras filmed eight minutes and 16 seconds of footage from a roof in Baghdad following the raid of a mosque. The last room of Poitras's exhibition at the Whitney Museum of Art, "Astro Noise," which closes May 1, features her voice on a loop narrating her now-12-year ordeal with the Department of Homeland Security. "These eight minutes changed my life, but I didn't know it at the time. After returning to the United States, I was placed on a government watch list and detained and searched every time I crossed the U.S. border." The footage from the documentary plays alongside. ("Astro Noise" refers to the name of the encrypted file Snowden sent to Poitras in 2011.) She moved to Berlin for several years as a result of being on that watch list, and has only recently moved back to the U.S. Looking at the installations in "Astro Noise" meant facing the intricate design of war. There were reproductions of classified drone-strike orders that stood under dimmed lights as if they were ancient artifacts, not contemporary communications. In addition to running a film studio, Praxis Films, Poitras is also one of the founding editors, with Glenn Greenwald, of The Intercept, a website dedicated "to publishing fearless, adversarial journalism." This March, Poitras co-launched Field of Vision, a digital lab for alternative filmmaking. "We just premiered a short called Concerned Student 1950 at the True/False festival," says Poitras. "It's about the students organizing at Mizzou. With this project [Field of Vision], we're commissioning other people to make films. Students who were at the university who have the access. It's an example of how to build trust where press is normally shut out." Concerned Student 1950 can be viewed here. Story continues I met with Poitras in her New York studio to talk about "Astro Noise," the art of surveillance, and the global and domestic repercussions of the war on terror. Doreen St. Felix: You're first and foremost a filmmaker, a documentarian. Have you found that there are certain truths you've been able to convey with this new exhibition that you hadn't been able to via film? Laura Poitras: I think that working in the museum context allows me to do different things from long-form filmmaking. For instance, the first piece you see, [O'Say Can You See,] is video of people gathering at Ground Zero, and then on the other side [of the projection] you see grainy footage of interrogations from Afghanistan. That [footage] is about 15 minutes long. In a feature-length film, a 15-minute view is pretty hard to do. It creates this certain kind of limitation in terms of how you can really fully express things. Working within this context, where I let the viewer decide how much time they want to spend watching. DSF: "Astro Noise" is an immersive experience, confrontational. Have you watched viewers negotiating their role in the space? LP: Not that much, actually. The first days I tried to stay out because I didn't want to be disruptive. I actually want to go back now and spend some time there, because, in a way, the work isn't finished until it's viewed, and until people relate to it. I feel that that's the same with cinema that you show in a theater. But usually, with cinema, you get to sit in the room and see how it plays. You feel how it is when there are bodies in the room. One of the things I'm really happy about is that people are stopping and spending time. They're taking it slowly. I think that's one of the things I wanted to get through [with] this work. DSF: To the extent that the viewer is integral to the completion of the piece, did you have a particular kind of viewer in mind? What does it mean for an American, maybe even a New Yorker, to look at classified documents detailing military operations, as opposed to someone from a different country? Maybe even somebody from one of those countries under siege by America's war on terror? LP: I feel that because I'm making work about America and the repercussions of American policy, that this is an audience I want to speak to directly. I want to speak to them about things that people are not thinking about as much as I think we should. Things like the occupation of Iraq, and Guantanamo, torture, drone wars. These are things that are being done in our names. I am interested in how to humanize the war on terror for everyone, so that we understand it. So that, hopefully, you could just imagine what it would be like if your town was occupied, or if there were drones flying overhead and killing people. I think that if you could imagine another country was flying drones over Texas and killing people, people would be angry. They would be upset. Somehow there is this hierarchy of viewing other people's lives in the world. That's pretty tragic. Trying to shift those hierarchies is how to make it more level. That human life, loss of human life is tragic. It is life. The repercussions of the war on terror have been horrible for lots of places in the world. We can look at Iraq for instance. The country has been destroyed from the ground up. So many people have died. The intellectual class has been killed. You have a power vacuum, which you now see ISIS stepping into. This is a country that's going to take generations to rebuild. Most Americans don't have a clue of the repercussions. DSF: The immersion "Astro Noise" invites is limited, though. For instance, the installation "Bed Down Location" features video projections of Yemeni and Somali skies studded with drone strikes. Viewers can lie down on a carpeted platform and look up. The immersion only extends to this specific art, [in an] American-centric context. LP: Right. The idea was to ask people to imagine that. To ask people to imagine what it's like to be in places where we're flying drones and killing people. Most people who will enter the museum are not going to be the targets of these strikes. There are other works that do try to address that. We've worked with several organizations that do a lot of work with drone victims. One being Reprieve, which is a UK organization that represents victims and brings legal cases. We worked with them and the families to get footage. A museum space is a place of privilege by definition, right? There is always a risk of making something that can only reach a certain audience. It's potentially a risk. I've tried to make the work reach people, not a certain class of people. DSF: Surveillance theory, or sociological theory about the relationship between state surveillance and state punishment, is beginning to gain mainstream currency. Schools are developing programs around it; the NSA leaks vastly increased awareness of the issue. Do you have any thoughts on the relationship between the surveillance state and art? LP: That's a question of, how do you represent the surveillance, because it's by definition hard to see. There are a lot of people who've done incredible work around that, [like] Trevor Paglen, whose work I greatly admire. It's not like the surveillance state grew overnight. You just have to look back at the FBI files of Martin Luther King Jr., for instance. The surveillance state has been around for a long time, and it's oftentimes linked to systems of power and control. The risk that Snowden took to reveal information made people who were maybe not thinking about these things before think about them. If you are an activist or somebody who is dissenting in some way, then you're aware the state might be interested in monitoring you. If you're not in that category, then you're not thinking about it. If you look at a country like East Germany, with pervasive surveillance, people understand it's a dark thing. It's dangerous, and it's corrosive, disruptive to many different activities, human relationships, creativity, social dissent. The debate that's going on between Apple [and the FBI] shows you have, now, whole industries weighing in, talking about the need for privacy, and creating limits around what law enforcement can and can't do. How to represent surveillance in an art context ... I'm not sure. I guess I always think of art as something driven by what an artist wants to express about the world. If surveillance is something that is urgent for an artist to talk about, then it's relevant. I don't think artists sit and look at a list of potential themes and say, "Oh, I'll choose this one." For me, surveillance is a piece of [the] puzzle of looking at post-9/11 America. We can do a lot of occupying of countries like Afghanistan or Iraq. If you look inside the United States, you see surveillance - not just electronic surveillance, but informants - the FBI going into Muslim-American communities. DSF: Like the NYU Muslim students who have been surveilled by the NYPD. Before you go, I want to return to MLK. The FBI sent him correspondence basically encouraging him to kill himself while he was under their watch. As much as new surveillance theory is couched in the post-9/11 narrative, documents show that a lot of the programs in use were actually perfected years ago on black and brown activists. LP: Anyone who is potentially a threat to the state, or a threat to the status quo, gets targeted by surveillance programs. You're right, it's not just post-9/11 America. You see it with the kind of surveillance around Occupy Wall Street. And now Black Lives Matter. DSF: You wound up becoming the subject of your own work when the government began surveilling you in 2006. Does it feel like you're being watched? Are you paranoid? LP: I get asked that a lot, about being paranoid. I want to clarify, because I actually have been watched. Usually paranoid refers to the fear of being watched. I don't live my life worried about [it]. It actually validates more than makes me more paranoid. It's like, "Oh, I was right to, for instance, go to Berlin to edit. It wouldn't have been a good idea to stay here, given the level of investigation that was going on." I'm really careful. If a source reaches out to me, then I'll get paranoid and will become protective of that communication. I feel that the obligation I have as a journalist to protect the source is important. Knowing that I myself am targeted means there are more risks for anyone who contacts me. For my day-to-day life? I figure if they want to watch ... they're just wasting their time. This interview has been condensed and edited. Doreen St. Felix is a writer for MTV News. After more than five decades of diplomatic relations, the leaders of Korea and Iran will finally meet for their first summit. The aim is to expand cooperation in a multitude of fields after international sanctions were lifted on Tehran. Presidents Park Geun-hye and Hassan Rouhani will discuss ways to boost bilateral trade, both in volume and variety. The two leaders are expected to seal deals worth billions of dollars, giving Korean companies an opportunity to expand their participation in massive infrastructure projects aimed at rebuilding the Iranian economy. Park will also sit down with Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. New Delhi (AFP) - Beleaguered Indian liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya on Monday resigned as a lawmaker, even as a committee was preparing to expel him from parliament over an unpaid billion dollar bank loan. The 60-year-old, a part-owner of the Force India Formula 1 team who used to run a liquor empire and Kingfisher Airlines, left India on March 2 despite calls for his arrest and is believed to be in Britain. "He has resigned from Rajya Sabha (upper house) of the Indian parliament," Mallya's spokesman told AFP. Last week the ethics committee from parliament's upper house asked the embattled businessman to explain his conduct, after it unanimously decided to expel him over huge bank debts. He reportedly travelled to Britain on a diplomatic passport while a group of public banks chased him for $1.43 billion in unpaid loans. A two-time independent MP, Mallya has an arrest warrant against him over money laundering charges. Once dubbed the "King of Good Times" for his lavish lifestyle, he represented his home state of Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha in 2002 and became a politician again in 2010, a term expiring in June 2016. An active Twitter user, his profile continues to introduce him as a member of parliament. Last month the Indian government revoked Mallya's passport, after he repeatedly failed to appear before investigators looking into financial irregularities at Kingfisher Airlines, which shut down in 2012 after several loss-making years. India has requested British authorities to deport him to face investigations in his home country. His massive debt has become a symbol of Indian banks' vast volume of bad loans -- meaning in default or close to it -- seen as a threat to financial stability in Asia's third-largest economy. He has denied absconding and has criticised the media for what he has called a "witch hunt". From Esquire Waves of protests and violence are following Donald Trump through California. This afternoon, hundreds of people gathered outside a a hotel in Burlingame, near San Francisco, where Trump is scheduled to speak at a GOP convention. Several live streams of the protests popped up on Facebook, including this one from BuzzFeed, showing a relatively festive atmosphere. In fact, the protests had a nice beat, thanks to the Brass Liberation Orchestra, which played during the fracas, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. But the protests also had a wilder edge. At one point, authorities stopped protesters from storming the building. A Trump protester was reportedly punched in the back of the head. And the BuzzFeed stream showed what appeared to be teenagers selling eggs to hurl at Trump. The protesters certainly caught Trump's attention. "That was not the easiest entrance I ever made," he said during his speech, according to the Chronicle. "It was like crossing the border." Friday's protests follow an evening of clashes resulting in what CBS News called "some of the worst political violence of the presidential campaign." Police in riot gear dispersed a crowd in Costa Mesa, California that gathered outside a convention center where Trump was speaking. Follow me on twitter @johnblank100 This week kick-starts the merry month of May. The Sell in May short crowd must keep crowing that old traders mantra. It helps their bearish team on to victory. In the Global Week ahead, I wouldnt bet on macro data out on the U.S. (or abroad for that matter) to support the short view. Full share valuations on U.S. share indices help shorts -- not looming U.S. macro forecasts. A looming bull report is the U.S. nonfarm payroll report, out on Friday. The Federal government says +200K should print as April job additions. ADP private data out Wednesday forecasts virtually the same at +195K. U.S. unemployment claims out on Thursday appear rock bottom at 260K. The U.S. horizon looks clear, once again. As an economist, please help me. I dont understand where to find the worry about the U.S. economy. This type of U.S. jobs data looks solid. +200K a month ties to modest and stable expansion in U.S. GDP growth. Also this week, global traders get comprehensive readings on manufacturing PMIs and services PMIs. Only Brazil looks to remain a threat to longs. Europe composite PMIs forecast ongoing manufacturing expansion and services expansion. Greece is the sole country exempted from Europes expansion, and it is old news. China manufacturing PMIs -- both official and the private Caixin -- comes out on Tuesday. China got an advance PMI reading out last weekend. This showed a stable print, albeit barely in expansion. Tepid expansion says Chinas manufacturing circumstance is not strong enough to raise markets consensus, but not weak enough to scare investors, either. Its a wait-and-see game with China. Mexico and U.S. PMIs should move little. Each shows stable expansion. Brazil looks terrible again. A looming 39 print on Brazilian services looks appalling. 50 marks the line into expansion. It is well past time: shift leaders and policies, Brazil! Just do it in an orderly fashion. We got bullish additions to the Zacks VGM (Value-Growth-Momentum) A ranks with Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) ratings over the weekend. Two stocks showed up from inside the U.S. commercial real estate business. One is a commercial real estate service provider. The other is a metal building manufacturer. Fresh high marks speak to the turn up in commercial real estate market in the USA generally. (1) HFF Inc. (HF) went to a Zacks VGM of A. This is a $1.2 billion market cap real estate operations company. The stock also holds a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) rating. HFF Inc. operates out of eighteen offices nationwide and is a leading provider of commercial real estate and capital market services to the U.S. commercial real estate industry. (2) Gibraltar Industries (ROCK) went to a Zacks VGM of A. This is an $800 million market cap building and construction maintenance company. The stock also holds a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) rating. Gibraltar Industries, Inc. is a leading manufacturer, processor and distributor of metals and other engineered materials for the building products, vehicular and other industrial markets. Over in Europe, a large-cap stock name I have seen periodically on Zacks top stock lists re-appeared again. (3) UPM-Kymmene (UPMKY) is a $10.3 billion market cap ADR stock in the paper and related products industry. The Zacks Industry Rank for Paper is high at 56 out of 265 (top 21%). The stock also holds a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) rating. UPM-Kymmene Corporation is a global paper and forest products company. The Company is engaged in the production of paper, with an emphasis on the manufacture and sale of printing and writing papers. One major driver of the manufacturing upturn in Europe is straightforward. Producer price indexes there are falling -4.6% y/y. European PPI data showing this better cost competiveness is out on Tuesday. Here are key Global-Macro fundamentals out this week On Monday, Europe saw a spate of new manufacturing PMIs and slight overall improvement The overall Eurozone composite went to 51.7 from 51.5 -- Expansion in train. Story continues The Swiss PMI was 54.7 vs. 53.2 prior The Italy PMI was 53.9 vs. 53.5 prior The German PMI was 51.8 vs. 51.9 prior The France PMI was 48.0 vs. 48.3 prior In Latin America, it is a tale of two very different countries. The Markit manufacturing PMI for Brazil should be 47 vs. a prior 46. Both are weak. The Markit manufacturing PMI for Mexico should be 53 vs. a prior 53.2. Expansion. This is strong. In the U.S./U.K., there is a stable, low growth environment for manufacturers. The US ISM for manufacturing looks to get to 51.4 vs. a prior 51.8. The CIPS/Markit manufacturing PMI for the UK should be 51.2 vs. a prior 51. Australias NAB Business Confidence index moved to 5 from a prior 4. Japans vehicle sales rose +7.2% y/y, reversing a -3.2% y/y decline. Mario Draghi speaks in Frankfurt, Germany. On Tuesday, Chinas official manufacturing PMI should be 49.8 vs. a prior 50.2. The Caixin manufacturing PMI was 49.9 vs. a prior 49.7. The Eurozone PPI should be down -0.1% m/m from a prior -0.7% m/m mark. That puts the overall PPI at -4.6% y/y. This falling producer cost index is why Europes manufacturing is expanding. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) overnight rate should remain at 2.0%. U.S. vehicle sales should remain strong at 17.3 million units. The Bank of Canadas Poloz speaks in Los Angeles. The Feds Lockhart speaks in Florida. On Wednesday, Europe will report its Services PMIs. A strong expansion is in the cards. The Eurozone services PMI composite should remain at 53. Thats solid expansion. Spains services PMI should be 55 vs. a prior 55.3 Germanys services PMI should be 54.6 vs. a prior 54.6 Frances services PMI should be 50.8 vs. a prior 50.8 Greece should be 49 The Eurozone retail trade number should rise to +2.7% y/y vs. a prior +2.4% y/y number. U.S. ADP payrolls should be 195K versus a prior 200K. The U.S. expansion marches on. The U.S. ISM non-manufacturing index should get to 54.7 from a prior 54.5. Brazils composite PMI should be 40.8, with a face plant 39 recession forecast for services. Ouch! The Feds Kashkari speaks in Rochester, MN. On Thursday, the China Caixin services PMI should be 52.2. The U.K.s Halifax house price index should be +9.6% y/y, down from +10.1% y/y, but still too strong. U.S. initial claims should be rock bottom at 260K. The Bank of Mexico (Banxico) holds its monetary policy meeting. No change at 3.75% is expected. On Friday, U.S. nonfarm payrolls should see another +200K. Thats been the approximate monthly U.S. job additions number for some time. The U.S. unemployment rate looks to be unchanged at 5.0% from a prior 5.0%. The coming U.S. jobs data for April 2016 says all is fine. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report HFF INC-A (HF): Free Stock Analysis Report GIBRALTAR INDUS (ROCK): Free Stock Analysis Report UPM-KYMMENE ADR (UPMKY): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Sprouts' 1Q16 Earnings: Management, Wall Street Are Optimistic Sprouts Farmers Markets 1Q16 results preview Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) is slated to release its financial results for 1Q16 on Thursday, May 5, 2016. The company topped analyst revenue and earnings estimates in the final quarter of 2015. Revenue for 4Q15 stood at $930 million, around $20 million, or 2.4%, higher than the consensus revenue estimate. The company reported EPS (earnings per share) of $0.18, ~15% more than the average analyst EPS estimate of $0.16. Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) is expected to have a solid start to fiscal 2016. Wall Street is expecting SFMs 1Q16 EPS to register a massive 14.4% YoY (year-over-year) increase to $0.30. Sales are predicted to touch the $1 billion mark in 1Q16, registering an 18% YoY growth. On average, the 22 analysts that cover the company rate the stock a 2.2 on a scale of one (buy) to five (sell). About Sprouts Farmers Market Established in 2002, Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) operates as a value-oriented healthy grocery store that offers fresh natural and organic food. The company operates 217 stores in 13 US states, as of December 31, 2015. It follows a small-box format with an average store size of 28,00030,000 square feet, which is about half the size of Whole Foods Markets (WFM) stores and one-third the size of Krogers (KR) combination stores. SFM has delivered strong financial performance, even as increasing competition has started to weigh on the results of its competitors Whole Foods Market (WFM) and The Fresh Market (TFM). Investors looking for diversified exposure to Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) can invest in the Guggenheim S&P MidCap 400 Pure Growth ETF (RFG). SFM has a weight of ~1.8% in RFG. Whats in this series? This series is an earnings preview of Sprouts Farmers Markets (SFM) 1Q16 results. Well look at the companys financial performance and its key drivers, take a look at the management guidance, evaluate the companys stock performance, and look at its current valuation compared to its peers. Story continues The companys peer set in this series will include Kroger (KR), Whole Foods Market (WFM), The Fresh Market (TFM), and SuperValu (SVU). Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: Contract drilling services provider Helmerich & Payne Inc. HP reported net operating loss per share for the second fiscal quarter of 2016 (three months ended Dec 31, 2015) excluding special items of 24 cents, wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate for a loss of 22 cents and deteriorating considerably from last years profits. The underperformance came amid sharply lower drilling activity. Revenues of $438.2 million was down more than 50% from the second fiscal quarter of 2015 but came above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $393.7 million on greater operational efficiency. Segment Performance U.S. Land Operations: During the quarter, operating revenues totaled $349.3 million (80% of total revenue), down 51% year over year. While average rig revenue per operating day was $34,218 - 10% above the year-ago period, average rig margin per day was up 14% to $20,079. However, utilization levels plunged to 31% (from 68% in the second fiscal quarter of 2015), pushing down the segment operating income by 72% from the year-earlier quarter to $62.5 million. Offshore Operations: Helmerich & Paynes offshore revenues were down 45% year over year to $34.3 million. Daily average rig revenue fell 44% to $28,004 and average rig margin per day tumbled 61% to $7,346. This led to the steep decline in the segment operating income, which dived 83% from the previous year period to $3.3 million. Meanwhile, rig utilization came down from the year-ago level of 98% to 84%. International Land Operations: Helmerich & Paynes international land operations recorded revenues of $51.4 million, down from $101.0 million in the previous-year quarter. Average daily rig revenue was $36,774, down 29% from the corresponding period last year, while rig margin per day was $10,487, lower than the $14, 293 a year ago. The negative sentiment was further aggravated by declining activity levels, which plunged to 38% from 49% a year ago. As a result, the segment posted a quarterly loss of $2.3 million, as against income of $10.6 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015. Story continues Capital Expenditure & Balance Sheet During the quarter, Helmerich & Payne spent approximately $66 million on capital programs. As of Mar 31, 2016, the company had approximately $898 million in cash, while long-term debt stood at $492.9 million (debt-to-capitalization ratio of 9.3%). Guidance The Tulsa, OK-based company expects activity in the U.S. land segment to fall by 25-28% sequentially during the third fiscal quarter of 2016. While the average rig revenue per day is likely to be around $25,000, daily average rig cost is expected to go down to roughly $13,800 during next quarter. As for the offshore segment, Helmerich & Payne sees the average rig margin per day to be around $8,000 during the third quarter of fiscal 2016 and revenue days to fall by 8% sequentially. Lastly, the international land segment will likely experience a decline in revenue days by 3% in the next quarter, while average rig margin per day is expected to average roughly $11,000. Zacks Rank Helmerich & Payne whose peers include the likes of Patterson-UTI Energy Inc. PTEN, Nabors Industries Ltd. NBR and Transocean Ltd. RIG currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report PATTERSON-UTI (PTEN): Free Stock Analysis Report TRANSOCEAN LTD (RIG): Free Stock Analysis Report HELMERICH&PAYNE (HP): Free Stock Analysis Report NABORS IND (NBR): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research From Town & Country Yale University announced yesterday that it will build two new residential colleges but retain the name of one of the existing 12 colleges, Calhoun, which had sparked controversy over its namesake, John C. Calhoun, a Confederate leader who graduated from New Haven in the 1800s. Yale President Peter Salovey said that the two new colleges, which will open in 2017, will be named for Benjamin Franklin and Pauli Murray, a Yale Law alumna and civil rights activist who is both the first African-American and the first woman to be honored with a residential college name. The university will also change the title of "master," which is used to refer to a faculty member who lives with his or her family in a college and acts as its leader, to "head of college." "Ours is a nation that often refuses to face its own history of slavery and racism. Yale is part of that history," Salovey said in a statement. "We cannot erase American history but we can confront it, teach it, and learn from it. The decision to retain Calhoun College's name reflects the importance of this vital educational imperative." "To ensure a deeper, more consistent, and more explicit understanding of Yale's institutional history," the announcement said, the university will also start "a historical study, beginning with an examination of the legacy of John C. Calhoun." In addition to the choice to retain the Calhoun name, which the Black Student Alliance called "a regression," some students were surprised by Franklin's selection since the founding father did not attend Yale-although he did receive an honorary M.A. from the university in 1753. According to the New York Times, Salovey justified the decision by explaining that Franklin was a "personal hero and role model" of Charles. B. Johnson, the billionaire Yale alum whose $250 million donation is being used to pay for the new buildings. The "master" title change echoes a move by Harvard, which earlier this year announced it was replacing the "house master" moniker with "faculty dean." Princeton beat them both though; it changed the residential college "master" title to "head of college" last fall. From Cosmopolitan Our eldest First Daughter is all grown up and I'm not crying, you are! The Washington Post reports that the 17-year-old daughter of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will be attending Harvard University. I've never heard of it, but it must be good if Malia is going there. The nation (OK, some newspapers) has long been speculating where the Sidwell Friends senior would matriculate. "The one thing I've been telling my daughters is that I don't want them to choose a name," Michelle Obama told Seventeen in April. "I don't want them to think, 'Oh I should go to these top schools.' We live in a country where there are thousands of amazing universities. So, the question is: What's going to work for you?" Although part of me wishes the answer to that question was just, "I'm running off to join the circus! Later, losers!" I guess it's more realistic to think that one of the most famous teens in the country would choose an Ivy League. However, she won't be starting at Harvard in the fall. In a statement released by the White House on Sunday, it was announced that Malia will "will take a gap year before beginning school." She'll start Harvard in the fall of 2017 as a member of the class of 2021. (Side note: I AM SO OLD.) Good for her! I hope she gets to go to Paris and eat a million baguettes while petting tiny French dogs in berets along the Siene. Malia, if you need a chaperone/eating companion, please let me know ASAP. I will stock up on stretchy pants and meet you in Amsterdam! Follow Laura on Twitter. The average annual tuition fees at Korean universities stand at W6.68 million a year (US$1=W1,142). Most universities have either cut or frozen tuition fees this year at the urging of the government, but the average still rose 0.2 percent from last year. The Education Ministry blames an increase in the number of science and engineering students, who pay more than in other departments. The ministry on Friday posted the fees of the countrys 180 accredited universities on the Internet, and only two raised their fees. Yonsei University is the most expensive at W8.74 million, followed by Eulji University (W8.5 million), Ewha Womans University (W8.47 million), Chugye University for the Arts and Korea Aerospace University (W8.47 million). Hanyang (W8.4 million), and Sungkyunkwan (W8.35 million) are also expensive. Seoul National University (W5.96 million) is the costliest public university. The average per-capita tuition at public universities is W4.12 million and at private universities W7.36 million. A man with a concealed-carry permit accidentally discharged his gun, which was in his back pocket at the time, during a children's swimming lesson at the University of Charleston in West Virginia on Friday evening. On Saturday morning, 41-year-old Lloyd Simms turned himself into the local police department, claiming responsibility for the incident. Jackie Kay, the mother of the 17-year-old woman who was teaching the children's class, explained her daughter's account of the incident: "This man was sitting not two feet away and his gun went off," Kay said, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail. "She said he had a huge hole in his pocket." "Everyone was upset it could have been a terrible tragedy for many people," Kay added. "Firearms are not allowed on our campus," Dave Traube, Director of Communications at UC, told WSAZ. "It's a very serious situation, just the fact that it was there." According to Traube, Simms is the guardian of one of the children who was partaking in the swimming lesson. However, Simms is now banned from the campus. MILAN (Reuters) - Ferrari (RACE.MI) Chairman Sergio Marchionne will also become the luxury carmaker's chief executive after Amedeo Felisa's decision to retire, the company said in a statement on Monday. Felisa's departure was expected for months after sources told Reuters last August that the executive born in 1946 was getting ready to retire. Felisa, who previously headed product development at Alfa Romeo, joined Ferrari in 1990 and became its CEO in 2008. Marchionne will assume the CEO responsibilities at the Italian luxury group while retaining his current role as chairman. Felisa will continue to serve on the board of directors as technical advisor to the company. (Reporting by Agnieszka Flak; editing by Francesca Landini) (Repeats to wider audience) By Paul Kilby NEW YORK, April 29 (IFR) - Several billion dollars worth of Argentina bond supply is expected to hit the market in coming weeks as the country's provincial borrowers prepare to take advantage of the positive glow left over by the sovereign's blowout US$16.5bn multi-tranche transaction earlier this month. The Argentine Province of Neuquen will start fixed-income investor meetings ahead of a possible US dollar 144A/RegS transaction through Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan. The borrower will visit accounts in Boston on Monday, in New York on Tuesday and in London on Wednesday. The offering of bonds, which will be backed by gas royalties, is being done in conjunction with an exchange for its outstanding 2021s. Argentina's Province of Chubut is also preparing to sell an up to US$83m New York law bond due in 2023, according to Moody's, which assigned a B3 rating to the issue. The fixed-rate bond, backed by contributions from Pan American Energy, will have a grace period of seven quarters before amortizing in 20 installments, the rating agency said. The Provinces of Mendoza and Cordoba, as well as the City of Buenos Aires, are also expected to issue debt in coming weeks, government officials said last week. (Reporting by Paul Kilby) It's been 12 year since Friends ended, but Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc are still best buds. The two actors reunited in London on Saturday backstage at The Playhouse Theatre, where LeBlanc supported Perry after a performance of The End of Longing. The dark comedy is 46-year-old Perry's playwriting debut, which he also stars in. Getty Images WATCH: 'Friends' Cast Reunites for James Burrows Special: Could They Be Any More Adorable? "Went to see The End Of Longing last night and ran into this dude," LeBlanc, 48, joked on Instagram. "He and the cast were great. Way to go bro." Perry plays an alcoholic photographer in the play, who shares a night with three other characters at a downtown Los Angeles bar and their lives later become entwined. The End of Longing is set to continue performances through May 14. Earlier this year, almost the entire Friends cast -- minus Perry -- reunited to honor legendary TV director and producer James Burrows. "In the beginning it was not a hard thing," Jennifer Aniston said of filming the beloved show at the event. "We just wanted to hang out with each other We really just fell in love and adored each other instantly and would hang out at each other's houses and watch the show together." WATCH: The 'Friends' Cast Gets Asked If They Signed Contracts Not to Sleep With Each Other "It was just lovely to all be in the same room," Schwimmer told ET at the premiere of FX's The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story in Los Angeles in January. "He is a prolific director and he really, really helped forge the cast as an ensemble. He really clarified all those relationships from the get go." Watch below: Related Articles Ever wanted to own an article of clothing from the Fashion Police queen herself? Now you can! PEOPLE can exclusively reveal that Melissa Rivers is donating her late mother Joan's iconic, one-of-a-kind rainbow coat to the Family Equality Council to be included in their upcoming auction. Melissa Rivers to Donate Late Mother Joan's Iconic Rainbow Coat for Auction to Promote LGBT Awareness| Gays & Lesbians in Entertainment, People Picks, StyleWatch, TV News, Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers "My mother loved, respected and celebrated families of all kinds," Melissa, 48, said in a press release for the auction, which will take place May 9 at the Night at the Pier gala in at Pier 60 in New York City. "She would be thrilled to know that her coat, which celebrates diversity, is being sold to benefit loving families," added Melissa. "Joan Rivers was a celebrity pioneer in her unbridled support of the LGBT community," said Ian Patrick, Deputy Director of Events at Family Equality Council. "We are honored to offer this precious piece of her legacy to support our work to secure a rightful place for LGBTQ-headed families in America." The coat, which Joan originally wore at the Las Vegas Pride Parade in 2012, is a glittery gold gown adorned with a ruffled-neckline, and opens up to reveal a sparkly rainbow lining. It was designed by Broadway costume designer William Ivey Long at Joan's request and will be available for bidding at the auction itself as well as online ahead of time. The coat was part of the legendary comedian collection of unique clothing, jewelry and art, much of which will be sold at an upcoming Christie's auction in New York City on June 22. The auction house is putting up more than 200 of Rivers' prized possessions from her Manhattan penthouse, with items ranging from $500 to $200,000, and including everything from a Tiffany water bowl engraved with Spike to an Edouard Vuillard painting with an estimated value of $120,000a$180,000. Bids on Rivers' coat can be submitted now. 5b86fa82a2f1469a962b92357a8ae8bf Just call her Apple Wintour. It's the first Monday in May, which means celebrities and fashionistas alike will flock to the Metropolitan Museum for Anna Wintour's resplendent gala, which boasts a high-tech theme this year alongside its high-fashion. SEE ALSO: 'Humans of New York' photographer captures intimate Met Gala moments The gala's theme, "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology," celebrates the individuality of haute couture with the forward-thinking nature of ready-to-wear pieces. Fittingly, the gala is sponsored by Apple, with Apple's Chief Design Officer Johnny Ive and Taylor Swift as co-chairs. See what all the celebrities wore on fashion's biggest night. Demi Lovato Image: FilmMagic Jessica Hart Image: Getty Images Diplo Image: Getty Images Rami Malek Image: Getty Images Lily-Rose Melody Depp Image: FilmMagic Kendall Jenner (L) and Cindy Crawford Image: Getty Images Adriana Lima Image: FilmMagic Hailey Rhode Image: FilmMagic Kylie Jenner Image: Getty Images will.i.am Image: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor Image: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Dakota Fanning Image: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Paul Rudd Image: Getty Images Ellie Bamber Image: Getty Images Kate Bosworth Image: Getty Images Sarah Jessica Parker Image: WireImage Kate Upton Image: Getty Images Hailee Steinfeld Image: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Misty Copeland Image: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Selena Gomez Image: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Carmelo Anthony and La La Anthony Image: FilmMagic Uma Thurman Image: Getty Images Rita Ora Image: FilmMagic Saoirse Ronan Image: Getty Images Rose Byrne Image: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Chloe Grace Moretz Image: Getty Images Taylor Swift Wiz Khalifa Image: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Jimmy Iovine and Liberty Ross Image: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Tavi Gevinson Image: Getty Images Catt Sadler Image: Getty Images Alicia Vikander Image: Getty Images Story continues Poppy Delevingne Image: Getty Images Jack Huston Image: Getty Images Aja King Image: Getty Images Herizen F. Guardiola Image: Getty Images Juno Temple Image: Getty Images Omar Mahmood Former New York City Mayor Bloomberg gave an impassioned graduation speech at the University of Michigan on Saturday, where he railed against colleges that cave to pressure for "safe spaces" because of "microaggressions." At one point, he turned his attention to graduating senior Omar Mahmood to commend him for not caving to political correctness. "I know that one of today's graduates, Omar Mahmood, has faced threats and intimidation because he dared to write political satire about being left-handed in the Michigan Daily and he refused to apologize for it," Bloomberg said during the speech. "Omar, wherever you are out there, I'm glad you stood your ground," he continued. Ironically, Mahmood and his friends showed up at graduation with oversized sodas in hand to mock the former mayor. "A couple friends and I were sipping 7-Eleven Big Gulps during the mayor's address in a cheeky protest against his ban on large sodas," Mahmood said. He had no idea that Bloomberg's speech would praise the senior for a 2014 piece of political satire called "Do the Left Thing," written for The Michigan Review. The piece centers on Mahmood, who identifies as "deeply culturally Muslim," taking an imaginary fall on the steps of the library and a "cis-gendered hetero upper-class man" offers to help him up. But Mahmood "waved his hand aside and got up of my own accord." Mahmood wrote: He shouted after me, "I was just trying to do the right thing!" The right thing... The right thing... I became so aware at that moment of the left hand that I had thrust out before falling, and suddenly my humanity was reduced to my handydnyss. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks to reporters after his meeting with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, in this file photo taken February 27, 2013. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/Files Mahmood, who wrote the piece in 20 minutes, says that he was guided by a desire to push back at extreme political correctness. "I had been frustrated by the culture of stifling debate on campus through the guise of political correctness, of oversensitivity," he said. "I sought to make fun of it in a light-hearted way." Story continues He still characterizes his words as tame, but many students on campus were outraged. To start, the door to Mahmood's room was vandalized with hate messages. And Mahmood says that writing the piece also cost him his job at The Michigan Daily, the University of Michigan's student-run paper, where Mahmood also worked, in addition to the The Michigan Review, an independent paper where he published the story. The Daily did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "I've always stood for open dialogue, always questioning our assumptions and thinking critically about everything, and always pursuing the truth no matter how it makes us feel," said Mahmood, who holds conservative and liberal opinions. Being singled out in front of thousands of classmates may have been intimidating for some students, especially since Mahmood had no forewarning that the former mayor had written him into his speech. But he took the commendation in stride. "I was very humbled and moved by his words to me," he said. "He spoke about bridging gaps. He spoke about how we need to open doors, not build walls. He called out Trump. He called out Bernie. He called out demagoguery." NOW WATCH: This college student was kicked off a flight and interrogated by the FBI for speaking Arabic More From Business Insider Jakarta (AFP) - An Indonesian sailor told Monday how Philippine Islamic militants threatened to slit his throat during a terrifying kidnap ordeal, a day after he and nine other crew members were released. The sailors were freed Sunday in the strife-torn southern Philippines after more than a month in the hands of Abu Sayyaf militants, and flew back to Jakarta. The Indonesians were among about 20 foreigners abducted in a recent Abu Sayyaf kidnapping spree, and their release came just days after the militants beheaded a Canadian hostage. The sailors, who were taken hostage in late March from a tugboat transporting a coal barge, were reunited with their families Monday after doctors confirmed they were in good health. Crew member Julian Philip described how they were taken hostage by eight militants disguised in Philippine police uniforms, who boarded the tug from speedboats and tied up the sailors. The barge was then abandoned, and the Indonesians were taken to an island and divided into two groups. They were moved every few days to avoid the military, which has launched an assault against Abu Sayyaf. "We were all stressed out because they frequently threatened to slit our throats," he told reporters after the 10 were reunited with their families at the foreign ministry. However, Philip added the militants did not harm them and he thought that in reality "they did not want any of us to die as they would not get any money". - Questions over ransom - He said he did not know whether a ransom was paid for their release. "We were just put in a car and sent on our way and told to look for the governor's house," he said. The sailors turned up at the house of a local governor on Jolo, a mountainous and jungle-clad island in the far south of the Philippines that is an Abu Sayyaf stronghold. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Monday the release had been a "long process as the situation on the ground was very volatile, with a high degree of complexity". Story continues But she dodged questions about whether a ransom had been paid. The Abu Sayyaf does not normally free hostages unless ransom demands are met. The militants had demanded $21 million for the release of Canadian John Ridsdel, whose severed head was found on a street in Jolo. There were emotional scenes at the ministry as the sailors were reunited with their families, with Youla Lasut, one of the men's wives, giving tearful thanks. "On behalf of my family I would like to thank the foreign minister and the company for their help in releasing my husbands and his friends," she said. Authorities say the Abu Sayyaf is still holding at least 11 foreign hostages -- four sailors from Indonesia and four others from Malaysia, a Canadian tourist, a Norwegian resort owner and a Dutch birdwatcher. Abu Sayyaf is a radical offshoot of a Muslim separatist insurgency in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines. Its leaders have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, but analysts say they are more focused on kidnappings for ransom than setting up a caliphate. By David Bailey MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - Lawyers charged with untangling the multimillion-dollar estate of music superstar Prince said on Monday they still have not located a will that could avert a years-long dispute over his fortune but have not stopped looking. Six siblings or half-siblings of Prince, who was found dead at age 57 at his home in suburban Minneapolis on April 21, were listed as heirs in court documents filed in Carver County District Court in Chaska, Minnesota, where a brief hearing was held before Judge Kevin Eide. The exact value of Prince's estate has not yet been disclosed but his music catalog alone has been estimated at more than $500 million. Bremer Trust, National Association, a bank where Prince conducted business for years, could play a key role as a special administrator to safeguard his fortune. The bank was appointed at the request of Prince's sister, Tyka Nelson, and Eide reconfirmed that appointment during the hearing. Natasha Robertson, an attorney for Bremer Trust, said the search for a will continues. Eide said the court would not find at this time that there is no will - only that one has not been found. Creditors and inheritors can file claims against the estate. Prince, whose full name was Prince Rogers Nelson, was married and divorced twice. He had no living children. Under Minnesota law, his assets are likely to be split evenly among the siblings, tax attorney Steve Hopkins said. Hopkins said the bigger the estate, the greater the likelihood there will be a dispute by claimants that could take years to settle. Prince's affairs seems destined for tax court, much like superstar Michael Jackson's estate, which is in a high priced skirmish with the Internal Revenue Service over the value of Jackson's name and image, Forbes reported. Prince, whose hits included "Purple Rain" and "When Doves Cry," owned royalties from his more than 30 albums and had regained ownership of his master recordings. He was said to have a cache of unheard recordings, including an album cut with late jazz trumpet great Miles Davis. It could be weeks before results are released from an autopsy on Prince, whose body was found in an elevator at his home-studio complex called Paisley Park in a Minneapolis suburb. The cause of death remains undetermined. Prescription opioid medication was found on him, media reported, citing law enforcement sources. Police have said they found no signs of suicide or obvious trauma in Prince's death. (Reporting by Ben Klayman; Editing by Bill Trott) An American mom and daughter who went missing in the New Zealand wilderness for five days have been saved after rescuers spotted "HELP" written in fern fronds on the ground. Rachel Lloyd, a 22-year-old exchange student at Massey University in Palmerston North, and her mother, 47-year-old Carolyn Lloyd, who was visiting from North Carolina, packed water and a few snacks before setting off for a day hike in Tararua Forest Park last Tuesday. Read: TV Crew Saves Castaway After Spotting Him On Deserted Island: 'He Was Ready to Die' But during their walk, the experienced hikers became confused over the trail markings. They lost sight of the trail's orange markers and instead started following blue signs, which were actually in place for pest tracking. "It got very steep, very jungly," Rachel told the Associated Press from hospital on Monday. "The markers completely stopped after about 20 minutes but it was so steep it was physically impossible to climb back up." They did not have equipment to keep them warm so they lay on top of each other instead and tried to sleep. On the second day, Rachel slipped and knocked her head on a rock, leaving her struggling to walk and disorientated. "That's when I started going downhill," she said. "I could never get dry and couldn't get warm the rest of the trip... I was trying to stay positive, and constantly praying, asking God to be with us." They were carrying cell phones but were unable to get service. Eventually, the cell phones ran out of battery. As the days stretched on, Rachel said she feared she would die and began telling her mom her dying wishes, such as who should get souvenirs she had purchased in New Zealand, the Associated Press reported. "I was terrified as a mother," Carolyn said. "I was doing everything I could to keep her alive." On the fourth day, Carolyn started making six-feet-high "HELP" signs using dead fern fronds and sticks. She crafted one sign on a creek bed and another in a clearing. Story continues Searches were already underway for the missing mom and daughter. The alarm was raised when Carolyn did not check out of her hotel or return her rental car, and authorities found the vehicle near the trail. Family back in the U.S. had become concerned after they were unable to contact the pair. Amalgamated Helicopters helped the search and spotted the mom and daughter's "HELP" sign on Saturday. '"HELP" is a message that needs no explanation," the company wrote on Facebook as they shared photos of the signs. "This is exactly what pilots JD and Jamie saw when on a search for the two missing American women on Saturday." The pilots "located the pair with arms waving in desperation," the company wrote. "Landing nearby they were met with gratitude and a sense of relief." Read: Castaways Rescued After Spelling 'Help' in Palm Fronds on Remote Island Beach The women were taken to a hospital to recover. In a message shared by the helicopter company, the Lloyd family thanked the police and search crews for bringing the duo to safety. "We would like to express our eternal gratitude for your incredible effort and response in searching for and finding our family members," it said. "The coordinated effort put forth was exemplary. We applaud the leadership involved and the swift actions taken upon learning they were missing. "We are half a world away, and needed to put our faith in the efforts of strangers to find our lost loved ones, but the good people of New Zealand came through for us in the most amazing way!" Rachel said she plans on finishing the semester in New Zealand before returning to North Carolina. "I'm feeling so, so much better," she told the AP from the hospital. "On both sides of the equator, everyone's support and love has been so overwhelming." Watch: Teen Alone on Kayak Gets Rescued After Drifting Away From Family Related Articles: Last month, 41-year-old blogger Sara Lindberg crushed social stigmas surrounding parenting and mental health when she wrote a viral letter about anxiety, addressed to her 8-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son. "Anxiety has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember," Lindberg wrote. "It's been my constant companion through adulthood; it was even with me when I was your age." The letter sparked an outpouring of personal stories from parents across the country struggling with the same issues. Since May is Mental Health Month, Lindberg replied to the initial response to her viral letter with another personal post about parenting and anxiety. "Mental health is not something to be ashamed of and the more we own our stories, the better chance we have at living a life filled with happiness," Source: Facebook In a phone interview, Lindberg said her posts have clearly struck a chord with parents and teens alike. A school counselor in Bremerton, Washington, Lindberg said that several students have come forward after reading her blog posts to seek help with their anxiety and panic attacks for the first time. Parents have also come forward to ask her for advice on how to talk to kids about their own anxiety and depression. It Took Me 30 Years to Get Help for My Anxietyhttp://www.babble.com/body-mind/it-took-me-30-years-to-get-help-for-my-anxiety/ ... Statistically speaking, young women are more likely to struggle with anxiety than their male classmates, and that gendered experience of mental health continues into adulthood. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, women are twice more likely to have an anxiety disorder than men. T here's still a social stigma. A lot of women feel isolated and don't talk to each other about it." Story continues Lindberg believes there should be more resources for parents should walk a fine line to establish healthy communication patterns. "I think parents who overshare [about mental health issues] can be really detrimental," Lindberg warned. "But I want to be the one who explains to them why I might act in a certain way ... I tell my daughter if you talk about it, it doesn't have control over you." Lindberg also emphasized how important it is for parents to find fellow adults they feel comfortable and safe talking to about mental health. "So many kids sit in my office and say they're too scared to tell anyone," Lindberg said. "It's important for kids to see we struggle and there are ways to deal with our struggle ... to see solutions." h/t Self MoneyGram International Inc. MGI reported first-quarter earnings of 17 cents per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 11 cents by 54.6%. The bottom line also increased 54.6% from 11 cents in the prior-year quarter. MoneyGrams total revenue for the reported quarter was $358 million, up 10% on a constant currency basis and 8% on a reported basis. Fees and other revenues increased 8.3% to $354.7 million, while investment revenues surged 27.6% to $3.7 million. The top line also narrowly surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $353 million by 1.4%. The companys adjusted EBITDA came in at $69.8 million, up 28% on a reported basis and 29% on constant currency basis. Total operating expenses inched up 1.9% year over year to $335.3 million. Segment Details In the Global Funds Transfer segment, money transfer transactions grew 7% year on year. Money transfer revenues increased 10% on a reported currency basis and 12% on a constant currency basis to $316.2 million. Non-U.S. revenues surged 16% on the back of solid performance in Africa and Europe. The U.S. Outbound revenues increased 11% driven by sends to Latin America and Africa. Revenues from U.S. Outbound and Non-U.S. sends, which account for 87% of total money transfer revenues, grew 15% year over year on a constant currency basis. Digital money transfer transactions, which increased 23% year on year, represented 15% of the total money transfer transactions. Digital money transfer revenues, which grew 31% year on year, accounted for 12% of the total money transfer revenues. The results were driven by higher customer adoption of MoneyGrams kiosks and moneygram.com, mobile solutions and account deposit services. The Financial Paper Products segment reported total revenue of $18.1 million, down 1% year over year, due to a 3% decline in money order revenues. Nonetheless, the downside was partially offset by an increase in official check revenues. Adjusted operating margin deteriorated to 24.9% from 29.5% in the year-ago quarter. Liquidity As of Mar 31,2016 MoneyGram had cash and cash equivalents of $141.5 million, down 14% from $164.5 million at year-end 2015 and total assets of $4.3 billion, down 4.4% from $4.5 billion. The company exited the first quarter with $940.8 million of outstanding debt, down 0.2% from $942.6 million at year-end 2015. Adjusted free cash flow was $31.6 million in the quarter, comparing favorably with cash outflow of $34.3 million. Full-year 2016 Outlook MoneyGram reiterated its 2016 outlook for constant currency revenue growth between 8% and 10%. It increased its full-year constant currency adjusted EBITDA growth projection to 911% based on the robust first-quarter performance. Zacks Rank and Performance of Other Players in the Sector Currently, MoneyGram carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). The bottom line at American Express Co. AXP, MasterCard MA and Visa Inc V beat their respective Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter ending as of Mar 31, 2016. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report MONEYGRAM INTL (MGI): Free Stock Analysis Report AMER EXPRESS CO (AXP): Free Stock Analysis Report MASTERCARD INC (MA): Free Stock Analysis Report VISA INC-A (V): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Mongrel International has boarded sales, excluding Canada and the U.S., on Tribeca title The Fixer. The deal was brokered by CAA, which has North America. The drama will make its market debut in Cannes next week. Directed by Ian Olds, who co-wrote with Paul Felten, it stars Melissa Leo, James Franco, Rachel Brosnahan, Thomas Jay Ryan, and newcomer Dominic Rains. Rains scooped the Best Actor prize at Tribeca last month. Inspired by Olds documentary about an Afghani guide to Western journalists, The Fixer follows Osman (Rains) who is granted asylum in the U.S. He lands in a small bohemian town in Northern California where he befriends a couple of locals, recruiting them to help penetrate the towns peculiar subculture. When one mysteriously goes missing, Osman gets drawn into the towns dark underbelly in order to find him. Producers are Caroline von Kuhns ACE Productions, in association with Night & Day Pictures, Rabbit Bandini Productions, Gigi Films, Amphora Films, Green Street Film Company, Heart-Headed Productions, RAA Ventures and Relic Pictures. hana's suitcase Seville International will introduce Canadian-German co-production Hanas Suitcase to buyers in Cannes. The eOne company has boarded international rights to the film from director and screenwriter Ken Scott (Starbuck). An adaptation of Karen Levines non-fiction book of the same name, the story is set during and after World War II. It follows the journey of three characters whose lives are interwoven into a tale of great resilience: 11-year-old Hana who is separated from her family and sent to the Theresienstadt Ghetto; Fumiko, a passionate educator, who in 2000 risks her career to put together an exhibit about the Holocaust; and George, a rich entrepreneur who has suppressed his traumatizing past as an Auschwitz survivor and is also Hanas brother. Christian Larouche of Christal Films is producing with Scott under his Cinemascott Productions banner, and Henning Molfenter of Babelsberg Film. Ascot Elite reps the film in German-speaking Europe. Related stories Kevin Macdonald To Helm Whitney Houston Doc From 'Searching For Sugarman' Producer - Cannes Jeff Baena's 'The Little Hours' Acquired By Concourse; Alison Brie, Dave Franco Star - Cannes Mark Padilla Joins Double Dutch International A SVP Sales & Acquisitions The World Health Organization has declared the rapid spread of the Zika viruswhich has been linked to serious birth defects and is transmitted mainly by mosquitoesan international public health emergency. In response to this growing threat, Consumer Reports is releasing free to the public its exclusive test results and Ratings of mosquito repellentsincluding those that will protect you best against Aedes mosquitoes, the type that carry Zika. The Zika virus can make anyone sick for up to a week with fever, rash, joint pain, red eyes, and other symptoms. But it's especially dangerous for women who are pregnant or considering pregnancy because it increases the risk of babies born with microcephaly, a condition marked by an abnormally small head and incomplete brain development. There is currently no vaccine to prevent the disease or drug to treat it, making it essential that people avoid mosquito bites, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC emphasizes that avoiding mosquito bites requires multiple strategies, such as wearing long-sleeved pants and shirts when outdoors. But it says that mosquito repellents are essential, too. Using an insect repellent is one of the best ways you can protect yourself from Zika and other diseases transmitted by mosquitoes," says Harry Savage, chief of ecology and entomology activity at the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases. And Consumer Reports' tests showed that some repellents worked much better than others at protecting against the type of mosquitoes that transmit Zika. The CDC has urged pregnant women against travel to countries where Zika has been reported, mostly in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. While no cases have yet been traced to mosquito bites received on the U.S. mainland, experts predict some spread of the disease in the U.S. as the weather warms up, particularly in Florida, Texas, and other Southern states where the Aedes mosquitoes that carry the disease are most prevalent. Story continues The Most Effective Insect Repellents To find the most effective mosquito repellents, we tested products containing a variety of ingredients, including deet, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, chemicals called IR3535 and 2-undecanone, as well as a variety of plant oils, such as cedar, citronella, geraniol, lemongrass, and rosemary. The most effective products against Aedes mosquitoes were Sawyer Picaridin and Natrapel 8 Hour, which each contain 20 percent picaridin, and Off! Deepwoods VIII, which contains 25 percent deet. They kept the mosquitoes from biting for about 8 hours. (The Sawyer product was our top insect repellent overall. It was the only one that also kept Culex mosquitoes, which can spread West Nile disease, and deer ticks, which can spread Lyme disease, away for at least 8 hours.) Ben's 30% DEET Tick & Insect Wilderness Formula kept Aedes mosquitoes away for 7.5 hours and Repel Lemon Eucalyptus, containing 30 percent lemon eucalyptus, stopped them for 7 hours. The IR3535 products didnt make our list of recommended sprays. Neither did repellents with 2-Undecananone or those that contained 7 percent deet or less than 20 percent picaridin. We advise skipping most products made with natural plant oils, such as California Baby Natural Bug Blend (a blend of citronella, lemongrass oil, cedar oil, and other ingredients) and EcoSmart Organic, (which includes geraniol, rosemary oil, cinnamon oil, and lemongrass oil). They did not last for more than 1 hour against Aedes mosquitoes, and some failed almost immediately. In addition, those products are not registered by the Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates skin-applied repellents and evaluates them for safety and effectiveness. Most plant-oil products are exempt from scrutiny by the EPA because the agency considers them to be a minimum risk to human health. Instead, the CDC recommends using EPA-registered insect repellents. To see if a mosquito repellent is registered by the EPA, look for its registration number ("EPA Reg.") on the back of the label. The Best Way to Use Mosquito Repellent Insect repellents that use deet come in varying concentrations, ranging from 4 percent to 100 percent. Our previous tests show that concentrations of 30 percent provide the same protection against mosquitoes as higher percentages for up to 8 hours. But higher concentrations of deet have been linked to rashes, disorientation, and seizures. Thats why Consumer Reports says you should avoid mosquito repellents with more than 30 percent deet and not use it at all on infants younger than 2 months. Women who are pregnant or breast feeding can safely use deet, picaridin, lemon eucalyptus, and IR3535, according to the EPA, if they are applied properly. Here are tips from the EPA on how to use insect repellent: Apply repellents only to exposed skin or clothingnever put it on under clothing. Use just enough to cover and only for as long as needed; heavy doses dont work better. Dont apply mosquito repellents over cuts, wounds, or irritated skin or immediately after shaving. When applying to your face, spray first on your hands, then rub in, avoiding your eyes and mouth, and using sparingly around ears. Dont let young children apply. Instead, put it on your own hands, then rub it on. Limit use on childrens hands, because they often put their hands in their eyes and mouths. Dont use near food, and wash hands after application and before eating or drinking. At the end of the day, wash treated skin with soap and water, and wash treated clothing in a separate wash before wearing again. Check our mosquito repellent Ratings. More from Consumer Reports: How to raise your good cholesterol Do the new blood pressure guidelines affect me? 8 Ways to Save on a Gym Membership Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright 2006-2016 Consumers Union of U.S. An outbreak of mumps at Harvard University continues to grow, and experts say the close living spaces in college dorms may make people particularly susceptible to the virus, even if they've been vaccinated. This week, the Cambridge Public Health Department confirmed that more than 40 people at the university have been sickened with the mumps virus. The outbreak began in late February, when two students contracted the disease. Mumps infections are fairly uncommon in the United States, with usually a couple hundred to a couple thousand cases occurring each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Outbreaks typically don't happen in the general population, but instead are more likely to occur among people who live in close quarters, such as college dorms, said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious-disease specialist and a senior associate at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Center for Health Security. [9 Ways Going to College Affects Your Health] That's because people in college dorms often share living spaces with dozens of people, giving them more opportunities to be exposed to the virus, either on surfaces or through contact with other people, Adalja said. Although being vaccinated against mumps can prevent a person from getting sick if he or she has been exposed to lower levels of the virus, for people living in dorms, vaccination may not be enough to ward off an infection, he said. "The exposure that they have to mumps is so high in these situations that it overcomes the ability of the vaccine to protect them," Adalja told Live Science. "It may be that, in these special situations, a much higher level of antibodies [against mumps] is needed to keep the virus at bay," Adalja said. People typically receive two doses of the mumps vaccine (which is part of the measles, mumps and rubella shot) in childhood, and the vaccine is up to 88 percent effective at preventing the disease. Adalja noted that in some past mumps outbreaks, colleges have given students an extra, third dose of the mumps vaccine, which was enough to quell these outbreaks. Story continues According to The Boston Globe, all of the infected students at Harvard were vaccinated against mumps. (The University has not suggested that people receive a third dose of the vaccine.) Mumps causes swelling of the salivary glands, leading to puffy cheeks. It can also cause fever, headache, fatigue and loss of appetite, according to the CDC. Most people completely recover from the virus in a few weeks. The virus is spread through saliva, and people can be contagious for up to two days before they show symptoms. The Cambridge Public Health Department is advising students with mumps to refrain from public activities for five days after they become ill. Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Charlie Munger, the outspoken and iconoclastic 92-year-old vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) says that Donald Trump is A true believer. He truly believes in himself. Munger went on to call that behavior a form of sickness. Asked if Trump would be harmful to America if elected, Munger responded that Hed be far from ideal. As for the chances of Trump getting elected, Munger characterized them as far above zero. Related: Warren Buffett isnt worried about President Trump I sat down with Munger for an interview in Omaha the day after Berkshire Hathaways annual meeting which you can watch here. Munger addressed a number of Berkshire related issues in a wide-ranging discussion, including the companys exposure to the insurance business, which Munger said had been dramatically reduced. Insurance has always been a tough business and parts of it are getting even tougher, Munger said. Too much new capital and too much stupidity. Its going to have a bad outcome. Munger elaborated on his comment that the ratings agencies were wrong not to award Berkshire a triple A credit rating. Only Johnson and Johnson (JNJ) and Microsoft (MSFT) have a triple A rating, Munger pointed out. [But] if I had to loan money for thirty years to one of those companies or Berkshire, Id chose Berkshire in a minute. I think were a better credit than they rate us, but what do we care. Munger defended Berkshires investment in Coke (KO). People have to take in this immense amount of water every day or they will die. One of the things you can do to add to daily pleasure is flavor the water and get a tiny touch of stimulation from it. That basically does more good than harm in my opinion. The pleasure and slightly increased acuity that comes from drinking Coca-Cola isif the average life on the planet is one week shorter because everybody is drinking soft drinks, I think thats a choice people ought to be allowed to make. Munger said that while some individuals abuse it and get in trouble by weighing 400 pounds, there are blessings and advantages. Story continues Related: Warren Buffett will not apologize for his junk food addiction Munger continued, what could be more asinine than making a judgment about something without taking into account both the advantages and disadvantages? What kind of a nut would just look at one side and not the other? More from Yahoo Finance 13 key moments from Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting Buffett: Choosing between two very rich guys? Pick the older one Here's the cool Berkshire Hathaway stuff you can buy at the annual meeting Murali Pillai, PAPs candidate for the Bukit Batok by-election, accompanied by ex-Hong Kah GRC MP Ang Mong Seng and Jurong GRC MP Ang Wei Neng, talking to a family during his walkabout in the constituency. Photo: Safhras Khan/Yahoo Singapore. Murali Pillai, the Peoples Action Party candidate for the 7 May Bukit Batok by-election, unveiled more details about his healthcare plans for the residents in the constituency on Monday (2 May). Speaking to reporters after a morning walkabout that ended in front of St Lukes Community Hospital at Bukit Batok Street 11, Murali said that there are plans to partner the Good Life Co-operative to help residents meet their healthcare needs and make medical costs affordable. The lawyer, who is known as Ah Mu to many residents, said that he has been working with the co-operative since he was serving in the Paya Lebar ward and started the Wellness Bus Programme in July 2015. Murali, who is running against Chee Soon Juan, the chief of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), said that his plans were conceived after numerous discussions with residents. Residents are concerned with medical costs, especially the elderly and those with long-term medical needs. The idea is to address the issue of cost, particularly for the sandwich class that do not receive (the same level of) benefits as compared to the needy families, he said. Plans to raise medical literacy Murali said that there is also a need to raise medical literacy and he wants to reach out to as many residents in Bukit Batok as possible to do so. For him to implement his ideas, Murali said that he wants the support from the residents and promised to do what is necessary to ensure that the needs of the community are met. Accompanying Murali were former Member of Parliament (MP) Ang Mong Seng and current MPs Rahayu Mahzam and Ang Wei Neng, and the PAP members mingled with residents near the wet market at Block 154, Bukit Batok Street 11. Working with community leaders for the community The chairman of Good Life, Dr Carol Tan, was on hand to explain about the co-operative. Story continues Murali Pillai introducing Dr Carol Tan (third from left), Chairman of the Good Life Co-operative. Photo: Safhras Khan/Yahoo Singapore Tan said that the co-operative has been working with community leaders in reaching out to the residents. She said that there is currently a pool of volunteer doctors and nurses who have been working with Murali since last year. When it comes to helping the community we engage community leaders and there is no need for us to consider the race, religion or political affiliation of a person, she added. As a co-operative, she said that Good Life is able to buy medical supplies at a discounted rate, which in turn means selling them to residents at lower prices. Not riding on coattails of PAP heavyweights Meanwhile, Murali reiterated that he is his own man as he stands against SDPs Chee. SDP has said that Murali needed PAPs heavyweight ministers, such as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, to garner support from the residents for him. But Murali disagreed, pointing out that he is the one who will take care of Bukit Batok residents. Im the candidate and Im here to persuade the residents of my plans. I appreciate their presence (during the walkabouts) but I will have to do what is necessary for the needs of Bukit Batok residents, said Murali. How a Nas song defined my fight for higher education How a Nas song defined my fight for higher education Welcome to Formative Jukebox, a column exploring the personal relationships people have with music. Every week, a writer will tackle a song, album, show, or musical artist and their influence on our lives. Tune in every week for a brand new essay. I was the kid in college who took full of advantage of the pop culture classes I could take to meet course requirements. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to take a class on rap and hip-hop. It was a historical and sociological approach, a series of conversations about the impact of hip-hop artists, songs, and albums on music history and cultural identity. Settling into my usual seat in the lecture hall, I expected this class session to go like any other: We would listen to a few songs, hear historical facts from our professor, and maybe start a discussion. I didnt expect to hear a song from my childhood. As the crisp beat started, accompanied by the piano notes of Beethovens Fur Elise, I recognized the song as I Can by Nas. Suddenly, I didnt feel like I was sitting in a lecture hall at the University of Southern California anymore. Flashback: I was sitting in another classroom, this one from my childhood, listening as my teacher played this same song for us. I was back in elementary school a bushy-haired, bespectacled kid who cried when she sucked at kickball; I excelled at writing and participated in poetry recitals. In an instant, I was right back at the beginning of my journey of attaining higher education and achieving my academic goals. First released in 2003, I Can appeared as a second single on Nass album Gods Son. I knew little about the background of the song (I later learned it also sampled The Honey Drippers Impeach the President), but its emotional impact was huge on me. I grew up in South Los Angeles, a low-income area where (according to the Los Angeles Times) only 5.3% of the population 25 and older has a four-year degree. With the help of my teachers and family, I became the first person in my family to go straight from high school to a university. My elementary school teacher constantly gloated about me to my parents and pushed me to keep getting good grades. My mom insisted I go to a middle school in Marina Del Rey and later a private high school in Culver City to get a better education. She made the high school payments each month while raising me as a single parent. Every day, my older brother woke up early enough to drop me off at my high school before going to work. Story continues I know the work ethic and determination they instilled in me helped me become the first person in my immediate and extended family to get a masters degree. When I heard I Can again at USC, a wave of emotion hit me hard, and my heart started beating quickly. My professor began her usual routine, breaking down the song and its implications. The first lines of it are sung by a child and repeated by a crowd of other kids: I know I can / be what I wanna be / if I work hard at it / Ill be where I wanna be. As I started to tune back into the lecture, I heard my professor say: I dont understand though, why Nas would choose Fur Elise as one of the components of the song? Why not expose youth to some great African American music or poets instead? I raised my hand and tried to keep my voice from shaking as I explained why I thought the choice made sense. I Can was the first time I ever even heard Fur Elise, and I can say with confidence that that was also true for most of my elementary school classmates. Despite my journey to reaching my educational goals, I always felt out of place in the schools I attended later in life. High school was a huge culture shock, as the student body was mostly Caucasian and Asian (my neighborhood and previous schools were composed primarily of Hispanic/Latino and African-American/Black communities). In my high school years, I visited Trader Joes for the first time and learned what a musical was. At the University of Southern California, I was close to home, but the environment inside was a different world. I spent time with students who spent amounts of money I could only dream of, and felt uncomfortable with the little luxuries the school provided: The student center with its fireplace and footstools, the free laptops you could borrow from the computer lab, the expansive gym with a swimming pool and Jacuzzi. I always felt a little out of place, a little inferior. Both my high school and college were breeding grounds for fierce competition. Not only did you have to be intelligent, you needed to be an all-around amazing person. What could someone who grew up in south Los Angeles and struggled to even understand simple cultural references possibly do to compete with all that? In later verses, I Can goes on to explain the history of African-American culture and the temptations that kids must avoid on the streets. Although I am not part of this specific community, the songs lyrics still hit home: If the truth is told, the youth can grow / they learn to survive until they gain control / nobody says you have to be gangstas, hoes / read more learn more change the globe. I always kept my nose down, focusing on getting a good GPA and improving my writing. Even in the moments when I felt so out of place it hurt, I told myself to stay focused on success. I read books voraciously, sometimes getting in trouble for trying to read under the table during dinner. I recognized, even at a young age, that education would get me to a better place. It seems like a cheesy song, an over-the-top call for youth to avoid the evils of the streets and find a good career. But I Can will forever summarize my journey to get where I am today and the sacrifices and efforts of those that cheered me on. The post How a Nas song defined my fight for higher education appeared first on HelloGiggles. The Washington Nationals' first three games in Missouri proved fruitful, but the next three come against a team that's been a little more difficult to beat at home. That might not matter if Gio Gonzalez can keep limiting teams the way he has so far this season Monday night against the Kansas City Royals. Washington (17-7) canceled out three home losses to Philadelphia with a three-game sweep in St. Louis over the weekend for a fine start to a difficult 10-game road trip that ends with four against the MLB-leading Chicago Cubs. "For us to be able to come in here and take three games from them, that's huge, especially on this road trip," Sunday starter Max Scherzer told MLB's official website. "This road trip is going to tell us where we're at. We started off well." It came with Bryce Harper striking out in all four of his at-bats, and the reigning NL MVP is 1 for 17 in his last five games. It's often been Harper and Daniel Murphy pacing the offense, but they'll eventually need Anthony Rendon (.240), Ryan Zimmerman (.219), Jayson Werth (.213), Michael A. Taylor (.190) and Danny Espinosa (.188) to get going. Clint Robinson stepped up with a two-run homer for just his second hit in 23 at-bats this season. "It's a long season, and it's going to have to come from somewhere other than the same guys every day," Robinson said. "It's got to come from different sources. So today, that was an example of that." The Washington staff combined to allow two runs in the last two games against the Cardinals, and Gonzalez is one of a few good options to continue the impressive pitching. Gonzalez (1-1, 1.42 ERA) gave up two runs - one earned - and five hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 3-0 home loss to the Phillies on Wednesday and has allowed four total earned runs over his four starts with a .196 opponent batting average. The left-hander has only faced the Royals once since 2011 but is 3-3 with a 7.49 ERA in eight career starts against them. Salvador Perez (5 for 6) and Eric Hosmer (4 for 6 with two home runs and three walks) have hit him best. Story continues The Washington-Montreal franchise is 9-3 against the Royals and has won two of three in both of its past visits to Kansas City. Even so, the Royals (13-11) will be happy to return home after a 1-5 road trip on which they avoided going winless only with Sunday's 4-1 win in Seattle. Prior to taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning, they'd gone 27 innings without scoring. Alcides Escobar was 3 for 5 after going 2 for 24 in his previous six games, while Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain each had two hits. "We knew we were going to have to find ways to scratch runs across the board, and we did a good job of that," Hosmer, who's 7 for 16 with two home runs in his last four. "We had some things going on the bases today, we had some big hits." The Royals are 8-3 at home and haven't lost a series of any real consequence in Kansas City since Minnesota took two of three from July 2-4. They went 4-8 with three series losses from Sept. 4 through the end of the regular season last year but entered that span with a 13-game lead in the AL Central. Kansas City looks to Edinson Volquez to bounce back after allowing a career high in hits the last time out. Volquez (3-1, 3.34) gave up eight runs and 12 hits in five innings of Tuesday's 9-4 loss at the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander's ERA jumped more than threefold from 1.09. Murphy is 6 for 15 against Volquez, but Harper is 0 for 6. STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - The NATO alliance is weighing rotating four battalions of troops through Eastern member states, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Monday, in the latest proposal by allies to guard against aggressive behavior by Russia. The Baltic states - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - which joined NATO in 2004, have requested greater presence of the alliance, fearing a threat from Russia after it annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. Carter acknowledged NATO deliberations included the deployment of the four battalions to the Baltic states and Poland. The Wall Street Journal said this would likely total about 4,000 troops split between the United States and its allies. "That's one of the options that's being discussed," Carter told reporters traveling with him at the start of a three-day trip to Germany, declining to enter into details about the deliberations by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. "We're obviously involved in those discussions. I just dont want to get out in front of where that goes." U.S. officials say the goal in Europe is to move increasingly from efforts to reassure allies to broader activity to deter any aggressive moves by Russia. The United States has already budgeted to sharply boost military training and exercises and last month announced it would deploy continuous rotations of U.S.-based armored brigade combat teams to Europe. Carter's trip to Germany will include meetings with Army General Curtis Scaparrotti as he takes over as the next NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, succeeding U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove. Scaparrotti told a Senate hearing last month that a resurgent Russia was displaying "increasingly aggressive behavior that challenges the international norms, often in violation of international law." (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Matthew Lewis) We dare you not to smile! Bhutan's royal palace has released an adorable new photo of Prince Jigme Namgyel ahead of the three-month anniversary of his birth. The sweet picture has been posted on both his parents' Facebook pages as well as the national website. With his sweet face, gorgeous eyes and one amazing head of hair the heir to the Bhutan throne is making hearts melt all over the world. Is the Newborn Dragon Prince the World's Most Handsome Royal Baby?| The Royals And since his royal parents are affectionately known as the "William and Kate of the Himalayas," then little Jigme could easily be the "Prince George of the Himalayas." The Dragon Prince is expected to succeed to the throne of the remote Asian kingdom, which is set in the mountains between China and India and was recently visited by Prince William and Princess Kate during their tour of India. Is the Newborn Dragon Prince the World's Most Handsome Royal Baby?| The Royals Will and Kate were in Bhutan last month to increase links between the two countries. The royal couples spent the day together, touring the gorgeous grounds of the Bhutanese palace. They enjoyed a private dinner later in the evening. Need a little inspiration? Click here to subscribe to the Daily Smile Newsletter for uplifting, feel-good stories that brighten up your inbox. The Dragon Prince's arrival on February 5 was greeted with celebrations throughout Bhutan, which until 1999 banned both television and the Internet. Social-driven media player BuzzFeed now has 7 billion monthly views of its content up 2.5 times a year ago and CEO Jonah Peretti says thats driven by a deep understanding of what its audience wants to see and share. Peretti, at the companys Digital Content NewFronts presentation Monday in New York, claimed that unlike old-fashioned media, BuzzFeed creates content rooted in an empathy with viewers to deliver what they really like. And the company wants to bring more advertisers into the picture, announcing a new program with investor NBCUniversal to co-produce branded video content for brands. The purpose of a lot of this content is to connect with an audience, and understand that audience and help that audience connect with other people by sharing that content, Peretti told the crowd of ad and media execs. The majority of BuzzFeeds views are now video. Of course, how many of those billions of views BuzzFeed actually makes money on is a different question. About 75% of those 7 billion views (up from 2.8 billion monthly content views a year ago) are on other platforms. BuzzFeed revealed that 27% of its monthly views come from Facebook native video, followed by 23% on its own properties and apps, which execs said have about 200 million unique monthly viewers. Another 21% are via Snapchat, and 14% are on YouTube. We dont care where we publish that content as long as BuzzFeed closes the feedback loop with data on how the viewers are engaging with the content, he said. NBCUniversal, which invested $200 million in BuzzFeed last summer, is cooperatively working with the company to bring talent from both organizations into pitches with brand advertisers, said Frank Cooper, BuzzFeeds CMO and chief creative officer. The partnership is still in early stages, but we believe its a powerful addition to the spectrum of sponsorship, creation and integrating, he said. A big chunk of BuzzFeeds surge in views has come from Tasty, its food and recipes video network that launched in August 2015. In March, Tasty generated 2.2 billion video views, according to research firm Tubular Labs. Story continues Tasty was not in business a year ago and its now the largest food network in the world, BuzzFeed president Greg Coleman said. Since launching, the network now includes Tasty Junior, with kid-friendly recipes; Tasty Happy Hour with drink recipes; and Mom vs. Chef, which in which kids vote on who whips up a secret ingredient best mom or chef. The company has a core competency in generating viral views, Peretti maintained. He cited BuzzFeeds video of a watermelon that was exploded using rubber bands broadcast on Facebook Live in April, which pulled in over 800,000 concurrent viewers and has generated more than 10 million views overall. Its the first time weve had a number thats comparable to TV, he claimed. But as observers have pointed out, TV ratings are reported differently (on the basis of average audience per minute) so the audience for the bursting melon was not really in the same league as television. At the event, BuzzFeeds popular comedy quartet the Try Guys (pictured above) Ned Fulmer, Keith Habersberger, Zach Kornfeld and Eugene Lee Yang came onstage to unveil their latest project: The Try Kids, which will feature adorable tots in various settings trying things for the first time. The Try Guys, who have accumulated north of 500 million video views on YouTube and Facebook, arrived and exited to the strains of Celine Dions My Heart Will Go On. They test short things and build them out, and that kind of culture permeates the entire organization, said Ze Frank, president of BuzzFeed Motion Pictures, the companys video division. The Try Guys, he noted, not only star in their segments but also write and produce them: We do our best to foster multihypenates to get the job done, said Frank. Other new projects from BuzzFeed Motion Pictures include Broke, a 12-episode sitcom created by and starring Quinta Brunson, based on her experience with her friends moving from Philadelphia to L.A. without much money in the bank. We were broke but happy and Id never seen that in the media, said Brunson, who also is leading development of an upcoming stand-up special for BuzzFeed with up-and-coming comedians. BuzzFeeds Ashly Perez announced plans to develop second and third seasons of You Do You, a comedic soap opera for millennial femmes, which debuted at No. 1 in the iTunes TV store last fall. Women in media are not allowed to tell stories for themselves, said Perez, who described herself as a Cuban-Korean-Filipino first-generation American. In You Do You, Perez said, the focus is on female characters traditionally relegated to side roles. The coolest part was it was the result of us engaging with the audience it was because for two years, we were engaging with 2.6 million women who wanted to see themselves represented, she said. Both Broke and You Do You are projects that germinated on BuzzFeed Violet video team, which focuses on short, relatable videos that are the good kind of awkward. We want to bring things out that brands will want to buy immediately in the (ad-supported VOD) space, said Matthew Henick, head of development, BuzzFeed Motion Pictures. We are a content production studio but we also have huge promotional and marketing capabilities as well. Last month, BuzzFeed adopted a new talent-relationship program, under which creators will receive a revenue share for all of the programming they produce for BuzzFeed, in exchange for remaining exclusively affiliated with the company. That came after Matt Bellassai, star of BuzzFeeds Whine About It comedic video series, left the company to strike out on his own and signed a deal with CAA. Weve cracked something that allows us to move between branded content, TV and movies (with talent), Henick said. Its not Hollywood economics. No matter what the project with us, its predictable about where the money is going in a very transparent way. He added, Were building basically individual production companies around each talent. BuzzFeed held the presentation billed as a feast, in a nod to the fast-growing Tasty network at Skylight at Moynihan Station in midtown Manhattan, serving up veggie sliders, pad thai, barbacoa beef tacos and other eats. Related stories NBCUniversal in Talks to Join Hulu Channel Bundle (EXCLUSIVE) NBC Brings Olympics Coverage to Snapchat, With A Little Help From BuzzFeed NBCUniversal Cable Networks Promotes Three Programming Execs 26961eca020d443785ca7bfbfecb24a4 Scientists have discovered three new planets that may be the most likely location for alien life yet discovered. The newfound planets circle a star just 40 light-years away from Earth. The findings were presented Monday in a new study in the journal Nature Geoscience The three worlds all circle the ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, and all are just about the size of Earth. Its even possible that the planets could be orbiting in the habitable zone of the host star orbits that would allow liquid water to be sustained on the planet's surface. These worlds, however, are no Earth twins, according to the study. They are the first planets found in orbit around an ultracool dwarf star, a type of long-lived stellar object far cooler and dimmer than the sun. SEE ALSO: A planet may be forming in the habitable zone of an alien sun In fact, if you were to stand on the surface of TRAPPIST-1d, which is considered the most potentially habitable of the three planets, you would probably see a huge, red star in the sky. According to astronomer Michael Gillon, a researcher at the University of Liege in Beligum and co-author of the new study, you would be able to look directly at the star without sunglasses. You can see, close to the star, the two other planets. They are big enough for you to see some detail of their surface or of their atmosphere. Now let's look where you stand, Gillon told Mashable via email. The landscape is reddish, as the star does not emit bluer light. You are on a ground made of rocks, or of ice. Or you are on a huge reddish ocean. Maybe there [are] big volcanoes in eruption in the background," he said. "Maybe there is some creature coming closer and closer to you. We can't say. Not yet. Earth-sized exoplanets The question of alien life notwithstanding, Gillon and his colleagues do know a few important things about the new exoplanets. Story continues For one thing, it's clear that the three planets orbit quite close to their star. Two make a full circuit of their star once every 1.5 days and 2.4 days, respectively, while the orbit of the third planet isnt well defined yet. Although it sounds like the planets would fry by being located so close to the star, theyre actually pretty comfortable. Image: ESO Because the star is so dim, its habitable nearer to it than it is for brighter stars, such as the sun. On the outer planet, the temperature should be somewhere between 200 Kelvin [minus-100 degrees Fahrenheit] and 300 Kelvin [80 degrees Fahrenheit]," Gillon said. "Pretty cold, or perfect for a barbecue. On the two inner planets, the dayside is hot, above 350 Kelvin [170 degrees Fahrenheit]." But a part of the night side could be close to 300 Kelvin, fine for spending some holidays there. Allowing alien civilizations to grow Stars like TRAPPIST-1 can be very long-lived. Unlike more massive stars, ultracool dwarf stars are able to remain in a stable state for billions upon billions of years without running out of fuel to burn. That long-lived system could be just what life needs to thrive. The stability of this star is important, since civilizations of intelligent life likely take a long time to grow up. Image: ESO/M. Kornmesser "They could potentially be very nice places to be for a civilization for a long time," NASA's Steve Howell, project scientist for the K2 mission, an exoplanet hunting telescope, told Mashable in an interview. Howell was not involved in the new study. "You would get civilizations that could last for a long time, or evolution of life could take a long, long time but it would have all that time before the star does something crazy," Howell said. Ultracool dwarfs arent perfect, however. These types of stars can shoot off extreme flares that send radiation off into their systems, possibly impacting planets the way the most severe solar storms do when they slam into Earths magnetic field. Hunting for life One day, maybe in the not too distant future, scientists might actually be able to say whether there are creatures likely to be living on those worlds. Scientists have found multiple exoplanets that could potentially be habitable, but these three worlds around TRAPPIST-1 are particularly tantalizing because of their proximity to Earth. Image: ESO/M. Kornmesser/N. Risinger (s But, unlike all previously found Earth-like exoplanets, e.g. Kepler-186f, these new planets are well-suited for detailed study, so we will be able to learn a lot about them in the near-future, Gillon said. And researchers are already expecting plenty of follow-up observations. "At 40 light-years away, my guess is that this particular planet system will now be the most studied planet system until the next cool one comes along," Howell said. Howell expects that the Hubble Space Telescope will take a look at the three newfound planets, and the K2 mission which is responsible for finding multiple exoplanets itself will be able to take a look at the planetary system within the next year as part of an observing campaign. The Hubble should even be able to tell if theres a significant amount of water in the atmospheres of the planets. NASAs James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), expected to launch in 2018, will also have the ability to check out the TRAPPIST-1 system in great detail. With JWST, we will really probe the atmosphere in detail, Gillon said. The study of these fascinating planets is just beginning! Comedian Nick Offerman will preside over the 20th Annual Webby Awards, it was announced Monday. The event, which awards the best of the internet, has tapped the Parks and Recreation alum as host because he "perfectly captures the creativity and ingenuity that the Webby Awards love to recognize," according to executive director David-Michel Davies. He added: "And, also, the man carved wooden emojis, which is really all that matters." Offerman, whose acting credits also include TV's Fargo and the film 21 Jump Street, among others, will open the awards show, but perhaps his most important job that evening will be to ensure that Webby winners abide by the five-word acceptance speech rule. This is Offerman's first time hosting the ceremony, which last year tapped Hannibal Buress as its emcee. Past hosts of the Webbys, which are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, include Rob Corddry, Lisa Kudrow and Patton Oswalt. The Hollywood Reporter is among the winners of a Webby Award this year. Other winners, announced April 26, include Michelle Obama, Tracy Morgan and SNL 40. The Webbys are set to take place May 16 at Cipriani Wall Street. A stream of the show will be available the following day on WebbyAwards.com. From Esquire Just based on the organization's name, it's easy for people to draw conclusions about the Satanic Temple. It wouldn't be wrong to assume that members worship Satan and participate in unsavory rituals. But this isn't the case. The Satanic Temple is actually an atheistic religion that uses the term "Satanic" as an example of any individual's right as an American citizen to worship however he or she wishes. It's more an exercise in free speech than an actual religion in any conventional meaning of the word. That's why members have no problem being associated the fallen angel, the ruler of the demons and bringer of evil. In fact, they will politely debate it with you. Please, though, do not associate the Satanists with Ted Cruz. This week, during a talk at Stanford University, former Speaker of the House John Boehner told students that Ted Cruz is "Lucifer in the flesh." And yesterday, a blogger for Patheos reached out to Satanic Temple founder Lucien Greaves (a.k.a. Doug Mesner) for his thoughts on the comparison: Boehner's comment is illustrative of how well past time it is to adjust our mythologies to reflect our realities. Cruz's failures of reason, compassion, decency, and humanity are products of his Christian pandering, if not an actual Christian faith. It grows tedious when pedophile priests and loathsome politicians are conveniently dismissed as Satanic, even as they spew biblical verse and prostrate themselves before the cross, recruiting the Christian faithful. Satanists will have nothing to do with any of them. A wildly rational organization, the Satanic Temple has always been good about handling its often-negative media attention admirably. Mesner regularly mounts articulate and level-headed defenses against antagonistic Fox News anchors. And in the wake of the Paris attacks, the organization made national news when it sincerely offered to protect any Muslims who felt unsafe during a period of despicable Islamophobia. In many ways, the Satanic Temple actually makes far more sense than Ted Cruz, so you can imagine why they wouldn't want to be associated with him. But if Cruz's own political party, his own family, his college classmates, and now the Satanic Temple would rather have nothing to do with him, where will he go? The Illuminati? The Juggalos? [h/t: Uproxx] By Andrew Chung NEW YORK (Reuters) - Graphics chip maker Nvidia Corp announced a settlement of a patent dispute with Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Monday, hours before a U.S. trade agency was due to rule on a complaint that could have blocked importation of some of Nvidia's products. The settlement puts an immediate end to the tit-for-tat battle between the companies, each of which had claimed the other used its processor technology without permission. The U.S. International Trade Commission case will be dismissed as a result of the deal as well as all litigation between the companies in federal court and at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Nvidia said in a statement. The sprawling litigation illustrated how important graphics processing units are becoming in mobile devices as consumers demand more sophisticated games and video-playing functions. Both companies will license a small number of patents to each other but there will be no broad cross-licensing of patents or other compensation, Nvidia said in a statement. Spokesman Hector Marinez declined further comment. Samsung said in a statement posted to its website, "We are happy to resolve this dispute through a fair settlement." The trade commission, which has the power to block the import of products it finds infringe a U.S. patent, had been set to issue its final decision in its review of a ruling by a commission judge that Nvidia infringed three Samsung's graphics-related patents. Samsung filed its trade complaint against Nvidia in November 2014, alleging infringement by Nvidia's chips and Shield tablet computer. The South Korean electronics company also filed suit in Virginia federal court. Nvidia won one trial in that case, while another was scheduled for this month. Samsung's legal actions came after Nvidia, which is based in Santa Clara, California, but manufactures chips abroad, filed complaints of its own against Samsung. The case is In re Certain Graphics Processing Chips, in the U.S. International Trade Commission, No. 337-941. (Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill Trott) Paris (AFP) - New Zealand's former prime minister Helen Clark was in Paris on Monday at the start of a tour of key world capitals in her campaign to head the United Nations. Although Clark would become the first woman to hold the top job at the world body, she told AFP she had "never asked for supporters because I'm a woman." But the former three-term prime minister added: "Of course I am a woman, and I bring that perspective to a job." "It holds generally true that women carry a broad range of family responsibilities" and give priority to health and education, said Clark, 66. As such, women are a vector for peace and stability, she said, stressing: "Peace really matters to women." Clark has headed the largest UN agency, the UN Development Programme, which implements the body's worldwide economic development operations, since 2009. Clark plans to push her bid in each of the capitals of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- France, Britain, the United States, Russia and China -- the main gatekeepers in the process. She and three other women are among the nine candidates so far in the running to succeed Ban Ki-moon of South Korea. Bulgaria's Irina Bokova, head of the UN cultural agency UNESCO, is considered a strong contender and would be the first UN chief from eastern Europe, the only region that has yet to be represented in the top job. Given an unwritten rule of regional rotation to fill the post, Clark may be at a disadvantage being from the same Asia-Pacific region as Ban. But she said "this time the member states are looking more at the scale of what is needed" in a secretary-general, adding that she offered "pragmatic and effective" leadership. The UN Security Council is expected to begin a round of straw polls in July to nominate a candidate. The General Assembly is expected to endorse the choice in October, and the successful candidate will begin work on January 1, 2017. The White House on Monday said it is still weighing a possible first presidential visit to Hiroshima, one of two Japanese cities bombed by a US nuclear weapon. "We're obviously hard at work planning that trip," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said of a potential visit that could prove controversial. "The president has been to Japan three or four times as president, and each time the president has traveled there, this question has come up and we've considered it each time." Obama will visit central Japan in late May for a Group of Seven summit. Last month, Secretary of State John Kerry became the highest ranking US political figure to visit Hiroshima. He said he was "deeply moved" by the experience and a "gut-wrenching display that tugs at all your sensibilities as a human being." "Everyone should visit Hiroshima, and everyone means everyone," he added, fueling speculation that Obama would go. Japan has long urged world leaders to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki to see the horrors of the atomic bombings and join efforts to eradicate nuclear arms. But a presidential visit could rile Obama's opponents and some in the military whose predecessors carried out presidential orders to drop the bombs. The visit would come at a particularly sensitive time. This December marks the 75th anniversary of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, in Obama's home state of Hawaii. On August 6, 1945, the US dropped the world's first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing around 140,000 people, including those who survived the explosion itself but died soon after from severe radiation exposure. Three days later, the US military dropped a plutonium bomb on the port city of Nagasaki, killing some 74,000 people. The bombings are controversial in the United States, where opinion remains divided over whether their use in the closing days of World War II was justified. Earnest said Obama did not believe the United States owes Japan an apology for that military action. By Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Monday took the political battle over his pick for a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court to the home states of seven Republican senators up for re-election in November. Obama conducted interviews with local television anchors where he argued that Republican senators should hold confirmation hearings and vote on his nomination of appellate Judge Merrick Garland to the top court. "What my argument is: Let the American people see Judge Garland, let him answer questions, let them hear his responses," the Democratic president told WDAF-TV FOX 4 in Kansas City, Missouri, a market that straddles states where Senators Roy Blunt of Missouri and Jerry Moran of Kansas are up for re-election. Republican leaders have been resolute that Obama's successor, who will be elected on Nov. 8 and take office on Jan. 20, should fill the vacancy left by February's death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. Republicans are hoping their party's candidate wins the presidency and can make the appointment. The court is now split 4-4 between conservatives and liberals, meaning Scalia's successor could influence its ideological direction for years to come. Obama has argued the Senate has a responsibility to formally consider Garland's nomination, telling ABC affiliate WMUR in Manchester, New Hampshire, that the judge was "maybe the most qualified nominee that weve seen before the Senate for a Supreme Court seat." New Hampshire's Kelly Ayotte is viewed as one of the most vulnerable Senate Republican incumbents. She met with Garland but wants the Senate to wait until after the election to act on the nomination. "I know that folks like Senator Ayotte met with him and the fact that they're not calling a hearing or vote means they're not doing their job," Obama said in the interview. In a separate interview with WMUR, Ayotte defended her position. "In my view waiting for the election, we are in the midst of a presidential nomination process, to have the people weigh in the election in November is important considering we have a 4-4 court," she said. Obama also talked with a television anchor from Iowa, home to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, who has helped lead efforts to block Garland. The president spoke as well with anchors from Ohio, where Senator Rob Portman faces a competitive re-election race; Wisconsin, where Senator Ron Johnson is running again; and Phoenix, home to Senator John McCain of Arizona. (Additional reporting by Mohammad Zargham, Eric Walsh, David Alexander and Tim Ahmann; Editing by Peter Cooney,) President Obama will visit Hiroshima when he travels to Japan this month for a summit of key industrialized nations, the White House announced Tuesday. It will be the first visit to the city by a sitting president since World War II, but the Obama administration said he will not apologize for the decision to destroy that city with an atomic bomb. He will not revisit the decision to use the atomic bomb at the end of World War II. Instead, he will offer a forward-looking vision focused on our shared future, explained Ben Rhodes, the deputy national security adviser. The question arose because John Kerry recently became the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Hiroshimas Peace Memorial Park. Declaring the experience gut-wrenching, Kerry said he would urge Obama to make the trip. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, center left, puts his arm around Japans foreign minister, Fumio Kishida, after they and fellow G-7 foreign ministers laid wreaths at the cenotaph at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum in Hiroshima, Japan. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) It tugs at all of your sensibilities as a human being. It reminds everybody of the extraordinary complexity of choices in war and of what war does to people, to communities, to countries, to the world, Kerry said after his April 11 visit. Obama has said since at least November 2009 that he would like to visit Hiroshima and also Nagasaki, the target of the second American nuclear bomb dropped in wartime. I certainly would be honored; it would be meaningful for me to visit those two cities in the future, he said at a press conference with Japans then prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama. Rhodes wrote Tuesday that Obama will visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on May 27. This post was originally published on May 2. It was updated Tuesday after the White House announced Obamas plans. (Cover tile photo: Kimimasa Mayama/Reuters) Every year, celebrities and models alike slip into their most daring dresses and expertly tailored suits and glide down the red carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. To them, it is Fashion Prom. t is the Costume Institute Gala. To most, it is the Met Gala. Taylor's done it. Beyonce's done it. Rihanna's certainly done it. Anyone who's anyone has done it. With the gala starting in 1948, it has been fashion's most head-turning annual fundraiser, pairing together fashion industry elite (including Calvin Klein and Tom Ford) with celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Kendall Jenner, all in the name of art or, rather, the Costume Institute's latest exhibit. The annual event's purpose is to raise money (and attention) for the Institute's latest exhibition, which comes with a theme. V The exhibition itself can be a retrospective of just one designer or a celebration of innovation, like it is with this year's theme of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology." When Rihanna walked the red carpet wrapped in what looked like a very beautiful egg and cheese omelet, it was for the 2015 exhibition "China: Through the Looking Glass." And when Kim Kardashian attended in that loud floral, body-hugging dress that made her look more like an ottoman than a human, it was for the 2013 exhibition "PUNK: Chaos to Couture." Rihanna in 2015 and Kim Kardashian in 2013 In its earliest stages, the gala was simply seen as a fundraiser and dinner, and it's largely still that, with seats at tables inside (for non-celebrities) going for a whopping $30,000. But now, it's turned into somewhat of a spectacle. This year, that is never so apparent as, for the first time ever, Giuliana Rancic and E! News will be on the red carpet, looking for dresses that attempt to capture this year's theme. As it stands now, it's one of the only events where the red carpet is covered, but the actual ceremony is not. Story continues I Though many dressed beautifully (see: Princess Diana), the Mat Gala really wasn't as much of a fashion event (see: Kirsten Princess Diana with firned Liz Tilberis (L) and Christy Turlington with designer Calvin Klein (R) at the Gala for Christian Dior in 1996 Alicia Keys (L) and Jake Gyllenhaal with Kirsten Dunst (R) at the Gala in 2003 for the exhibition Goddess: The Classical Mode In 2006, the New York Times' Cathy Horyn compared the event to the Academy Awards' Vanity Fair after party. "Both parties are outlets for the ego, though it's unlikely that the Met ball will supplant the Hollywood party in star power," she wrote. "Even designers have an implacable sense of priority." But as the years ticked on, and the tabloid age took hold, it became a prime time for celebrities to have their "red carpet moment." With more photographers and outlets covering the gala, more celebrities came with a motive: to be seen. Gisele Bundchen with rapper and designer Sean Combs (L) and the rapper Eve with designer Tom Ford at the 2003 Met Gala This is the time and place many a star has attempted to make a name for themselves via just one red carpet look. Like Scarlett Johansson and Renee Zellweger who both showed up the 2004 Gala for the exhibition "Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century," ready to stun. Scarlett Johansson and Renee Zellweger at the 2004 Met Gala Over just the past few years, the Gala transformed from just another red carpet event to a stage on which the stars can pull out a look they'd wear absolutely nowhere else. Because of that, we've witnessed celebrities take giant sartorial risks. Take Sarah Jessica Parker, for instance, who joyously takes each year's theme to a new level and causes a bit of a press firestorm while doing so. Sarah Jessica Parker in 2006, 2013 and 2015 On Monday night, with a technology-driven theme, we could see some stars taking the opportunity to look like a robot, or wear a gown that 3D prints itself or otherwise exhibits this sort of innovative technology the exhibition holds so dear. At this point, there's only one thing you can be sure of at this very expensive dinner: It'll be interesting. From Popular Mechanics Jerry Miculek loves Captain America. Before testing out his homemade titanium Captain America shield, Miculek gives a rundown of all the things he loves about the leader of Marvel's Avengers: "he's not just a patriotic solider that stands for what America is, but instead stands for what America should strive to be." He's giving this monologue while wearing a Captain America costume, right before he shoots a Colt .45 at his shield. This is all well and good, but now Miculek, who on his YouTube page claims to be the "arguably the fastest & most renown shooter to ever live," has decided that defensive measures are not enough. He wants to see how his shield will perform as an offensive weapon. The answer is extremely well. Miculek's shield is made of solid titanium, and he chucks at it what he calls "an exact duplicate of the human body, has all the organs, consistency." He jokes the dummy is a bad dude, "with a rap sheet as long as my leg," and proceeds to take the dummy's head clean off. "Head shot!," he exclaims, and is then taken back by the power of his weapon. Ribs get cracked, there's internal bleeding, and again, there's no head left. When the Civil War comes, it looks like Miculek's picked a winning side. Oprah Winfrey is set to star in HBO Films' upcoming adaptation of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, PEOPLE confirms. Winfrey, 62, has long been involved with the project, adapted from Rebecca Skloot's 2010 book of the same name. The media mogul signed on as an executive producer when the book's film rights were first acquired in 2010, and the network announced on Monday that she will star in the biopic as well as co-executive producing it with Skloot and True Blood creator Alan Ball. The movie, set to begin filming this summer, centers on the true story of Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman whose cervical cancer cells were used to create the first immortal human cell line, HeLa, in 1951. The story is told from the perspective of Winfrey's character, protagonist Deborah Lacks, who explores how the unlicensed harvesting of her mother's cancerous cells led to unprecedented medical breakthroughs. Winfrey made her big-screen debut in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple, which earned her an Oscar nomination in 1986. In recent years, she has starred as a supporting actress in Selma and Lee Daniels' The Butler. RELATED VIDEO: Oprah Winfrey Honors Her Late Friend Maya Angelou Winfrey also has a recurring role on the upcoming drama Greenleaf. Henrietta Lacks' sons Zakariyya Rahman and David Lacks, Jr., as well as granddaughter Jeri Lacksare will serve as consultants on the HBO project. A premiere date for the movie has not yet been announced, but in the meantime, Winfrey fans can get their hands on their very own piece of the iconic Oprah Winfrey Show beginning Thursday at 3 p.m., a select number of studio audience chairs will be available for auction via ScreenBid, with net proceeds going to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation. As with the commander of an army, or the leader of any enterprise, so is it with the mistress of a house, Isabella Beeton wrote in 1861 as she set out to arm British housewives with the stirring, chopping and hostessing skills they would need to do battle for Victorian respectability. But make no mistake: Mrs. Beeton was no mere housewife. She was a hardworking journalist who helped whip up British cookery for better or worse and give rise to the Real Simple approach to life management. Born Isabella Mary Mayson in 1836, the future Mrs. Beeton was the eldest of 21 children; her father died when she was young, and her mother remarried the socially aspiring Henry Dorling. Helping manage the melded household was valuable training for Isabellas later career skills that were further honed at finishing school in Heidelberg, Germany, where she learned German and French. But her upwardly mobile parents were less than thrilled by her choice of a husband: The handsome and ambitious publisher Samuel Beeton was a bit of a Jack the lad, says Cambridge University history professor Lucy Delap. Disappointed that Isabella didnt marry up, Delap says, Dorling refused to attend the wedding. The best-selling writer and journalist helped Victorian women break through social barriers, and she remains very much a part of British culture today. In 1857, the Beetons welcomed a son, who died at 3 months. Isabella suffered a series of miscarriages and the birth of another son, who died at age 3 a pattern that suggests that [Isabella] was of the thousands of unfortunate young Victorian brides who were infected with syphilis on their honeymoon, writes Kathryn Hughes in The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs. Beeton. Domestic bliss wasnt coming easily, so Isabella applied herself to the family business, translating German and French stories for Samuels publication The Englishwomans Domestic Magazine. Within a couple of years, she was writing her own articles on cooking, housekeeping and fashion, and as her readership grew, she and Samuel organized a compendium: Mrs Beetons Book of Household Management. Story continues Gettyimages 173337136 Game dishes from Mrs. Beetons recipe book. Source: Getty The book covered every imaginable aspect of domesticity, from child-rearing to cleaning rugs and pickling onions. Among the 2,751 entries, there are step-by-step recipes (a novelty at the time), instructions for folding napkins, seasonal information, and guidance on how to manage servants and which item of Victorian kitchen equipment to use for what cooking task. One passage about moldy cheese warns that decomposing bodies are not wholesome eating, and new moms are advised not to breast-feed after attending the theater, because your breast milk will be overexcited, Delap explains, laughing. In effect, the quirky guide served as a manual for those eager to climb the social ladder. You may not know the etiquette about how to do this or that, but Im going to explain it to you, Delap says of Beetons tone. If Beetons notion to offer a practical guide for keeping house was strikingly original, her recipes were decidedly secondhand. She liberally lifted ideas from others and, even worse, many recipes did not work. The recipes were not tried and tested, so theyre famous for having problems in them, Delap says. Its even been suggested that Britains domestic goddess didnt know how to cook. She mightve just dabbled, says Delap, noting that Beetons social status probably meant servants did most of the cooking. But that doesnt mean Beeton is to blame for Britains reputation for bland cooking. Beeton may have been sparing with the spices, but her recipes were really quite experimental, Delap argues. And she didnt need garlic or olive oil to stir up excitement. Mrs Beetons Book of Household Management sold 60,000 copies its first year and nearly 2 million by 1868 by which time, Isabella had been dead for three years. At age 28, she succumbed to puerperal fever following the birth of her second surviving son a fact her husband chose to gloss over in a bid to keep the brand alive and selling. While Isabella was reasonably well known during her lifetime, she became famous in death. Thanks to the repeated use of her name to sell further versions, her reputation was growing across the 19th century, says Delap, noting that several revised editions of the guide were released, along with new manuals on everything from cold desserts and embroidery to microwave cookery all carrying Beetons name. If Isabella and her brand seemed inseparable, in truth, the original guide was never really her, Delap says, since she reproduced others ideas. She was kind of a magpie figure, as Delap puts it, more than a powerhouse in her own right, but still, the approach worked. Not only did Beetons brand thrive, but it also gave rise to the straightforward, organized, Im on your level approach we see in modern cookbooks the world over. Beetons domesticity may irk some feminists, but if you think of her life as a whole, Delap says, she was actually quite a promising model for feminists. Indeed, the best-selling writer and journalist helped Victorian women break through social barriers, and she remains very much a part of British culture today. Beeton represented the place we go to be loved and fed, Hughes writes, and thus became part of the fabric of who we feel ourselves to be. Tourists Map Berlin There's a word for investors who don't know what they are doing in emerging markets, according to a panel at the Milken Conference in Los Angeles on Monday. It's "tourists." You may have heard this word before. Economist and hedge fund manager Mark Dow famously coined the term "Macro Tourists" to describe investors who left the asset classes they knew to opine on macroeconomics topics. There's more to it, though and the panelists speaking at a talk entitled 'Global Capital Markets: Deflation or Stabilization?' did a great job of explaining exactly what it means, and why tourists make the global economy more volatile. "Emerging markets have the problem of the tourist," said panelist Mohamed El-Erian. "There aren't enough dedicated investors," and that leads to liquidity issues. He described this kind of investor as someone who sees an exotic locale in a magazine and decides they want to go there on vacation. The problem is that at one sign of instability they scarper. Say there's a riot in another part of the country that somehow interrupts this person's nice cocktail by the pool, well, then it's time to head to the airport. El-Erian sees Argentina's recent $16 billion bond auction as a perfect example of this. You'll recall that the country has been a pariah of international markets since 2001, when the country defaulted on its debt. It just recently reentered the global economy after a new pro-market government agreed to pay creditors who had taken the country to court for years. "Argentina did not deserve $16 billion of new capital at the rate they [investors] put it in," said El-Erian. The country was able to attract crossover investors tourists. "But my prediction is that the minute something goes on in Argentine politics" liquidity will dry up, he said. This speaks to the way tourists look at things it's very short term. One feature of this short termism is that instead of looking at emerging market economies in isolation, they simply compare one to the other. For example, Brazil has had a rough year, so Argentina is looking good in comparison. Story continues But that doesn't necessarily mean Argentina is good. Part of this is a function of some investors needing to diversify their portfolios across regions and asset classes. And some of this is just tourists being tourists. NOW WATCH: How one simple mistake cost 'Real Housewives' superstar Bethenny Frankel millions More From Business Insider Incredible to meet two of the Little Rock Ninepioneers of the civil rights movement and inspiration for Blackbird. pic.twitter.com/QrnOQnqrFX Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) May 1, 2016 Saturday nights show in Little Rock, Arkansas, was extra special for Paul McCartney because Sir Paul got to meet two of the women who inspired one of the Beatles most poignant songs, Blackbird. Backstage at the Verizon Arena, McCartney spent some time with Thelma Mothershed Wair and Elizabeth Eckford, two members of the Little Rock Nine. The group of nine black students enrolled at the previously all-white Little Rock Central High School in 1957 after the Supreme Courts Brown v. Board of Education ruling declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional. The nine were initially prevented from entering the school when Arkansas governor, Orval Faubus, called out the National Guard to block them before President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent federal troops to ensure they could attend classes. The nine were credited with introducing a young McCartney to the civil rights struggle and inspiring the lyrics to Blackbird, which appeared on 1968s White Album. Take these broken wings and learn to fly/ All your life/ You were only waiting for this moment to arise, McCartney sings on the track. Colombian authorities deported Gerson Galvez, who is nicknamed Caracol and described as Perus most wanted man, to Peru on May 1 after he was captured in a shopping center in Medellin, Colombia. Galvez is wanted in connection with running a feared crime gang, Barrio King, which is believed to be involved in illegal drug trafficking and several killings, including the murder of a rival Peruvian drug lord. Credit: Periscope/Colombia Police Justin Bieber has landed in hot water with the animal rights group PETA after posing with a chained tiger over the weekend during a VIP engagement party in Toronto for his father, Jeremy Bieber. PETA on Monday said the tiger comes from the Bowmanville Zoo, where the owner, Michael Hackenberger, a tiger trainer for Hollywood movies, now faces five animal cruelty charges after being allegedly caught on video whipping a Siberian tiger in his care. "Justin Bieber is lucky not to have had his throat torn out by this stressed captive tiger," PETA svp communications Lisa Lange said in a statement. A PETA spokesperson told the Hollywood Reporter the tiger is owned and trained by Hackenberger. "The tiger who appeared at the Bieber party is identical to Robbie, a Bowmanville Zoo tiger we know is used for encounters with the public and was used in The Interview," the animal rights group said in a statement. "Each tiger's stripes are unique, and Robbie even has several additional unique characteristics that match up with the Bieber tiger: pigmentation on the nose, a tear-drop shape above one of his eyes, and identical bald patches on the nose," the statement continues. Read More: Hollywood Animal Trainer Faces Cruelty Charges PETA also sent a letter to Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun, to tell the pop star the big cat came from the local zoo. "We know he (Bieber) is drawn to animals, but this is the very worst way to recognize this interest because exotic animals are usually torn away from their mothers prematurely, beaten into submission by trainers, are often doped up to be docile, and are deprived of everything that's natural and important to them," the letter stated. Another animal rights group, World Animal Protection, also criticized Bieber for posing for a "selfie" with a wild animal. "To people with huge influence like Justin Bieber, our message is simple: tigers are wild animals, not entertainers ... People posing with wildlife don't realize that a 'once in a lifetime' photo for them means a lifetime of misery for the animal," the group said in a statement. Story continues The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals last month brought formal charges against Hackenberger. His zoo is located roughly an hour outside of Toronto. Hackenberger has supplied animals for a number of TV and film productions including Seth Rogen's The Interview as well as, most famously, Jonas, a Bengal tiger who featured prominently in Ang Lee's Life of Pi (although the 2012 film also used computer-generated visual effects to portray the tiger). A Hollywood Reporter investigation revealed in 2013 that another tiger on the set of Life of Pi allegedly nearly drowned during filming, according to an email from an American Humane Association monitor. Hackenberger has denied claims by PETA that he struck the Siberian tiger with a whip 19 times. The Ontario SPCA began probing the alleged animal abuse by Hackenberger after PETA posted video of his behavior. Read More: 'Life of Pi' Tiger Trainer Allegedly Caught on Video Whipping Animal May 2, 11:30 a.m. Updated with statement from World Animal Protection. Bieber posted the below photo to Instagram of the chained tiger he spent time with over the weekend. A photo posted by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) on Apr 30, 2016 at 4:05pm PDT With Brexit a Consideration, What's Next for Gold? (Continued from Prior Part) Haven bids for gold Gold prices have been steadily rising in the past couple of months. At first, there was global unrest combined with routing equities. Then, there was the oil market slump, followed the Federal Reserves fear, followed by the weakening US dollar. Whats next? Gold is a traditionally preferred store-of-value asset. It offers no coupons like Treasuries and no dividends like stocks. However, investors flock to gold during times of economic uncertainty, buoying the precious metal. Silver and other precious metals such as platinum and palladium often follow the same route as gold. Industry analysts predict that the golds price could explode and touch the $1,300 mark if Great Britain decides to leave the European Union (or EU). The referendum on the countrys EU membership on June 23, 2016, could result in excess volatility in the core currencies involved, including the euro and the British pound. It could also send shock waves to the US dollar, impacting gold. Most of golds rise in the current year has been driven by haven bids. With the possibility of Brexit in June, its possible that haven bids for gold and silver will rise further. Gold takes miners along for the ride Gold has surged a whopping 20.2% on a year-to-date basis and has given its best quarterly performance of the past decade. The gains in gold and silver are often extended to funds such as the Global X Silver Miners ETF (SIL) and the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX). These two funds rose 3.2% and 4.6%, respectively, on April 28, 2016, due to the impressive gains in all four precious metals. The mining companies that remained the best performers on April 28 included Kinross Gold (KGC), Harmony Gold (HMY), and Gold Fields (GFI). These three companies rose by 10%, 8%, and 7.6%, respectively, on April 28. Together, these three stocks make up approximately 8% of the fluctuations in GDX. Story continues Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: President Barack Obama took the stage for his last (and "perhaps the last," he joked) White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday (April 30), taking shots at everything from Hillary Clinton to Prince George to the GOP. "I am excited," he began. "If this material works well, I'm going to use it at Goldman Sachs next year. Earn me some serious Tubmans. "Next year at this time, someone else will be standing here at this very spot," Obama said, saying he was getting sentimental. "And it's anyone's guess who she will be," he added, alluding to frontrunner Hillary Clinton. He later added that Clinton trying to appeal to young people was "a little like a relative trying to use Facebook." "Dear America, did you get my poke? Is it appearing on your wall? I'm not sure I'm using this right. Love, Aunt Hillary," Obama said, mimicking Clinton's voice. Clinton later responded to the joke by calling herself "Aunt Hillary" in a tweet. @potus Nice job last night. Aunt Hillary approves. #WHCD -H - Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) May 1, 2016 The President also addressed how eight years ago he was "a young man full of idealism, "but look at me now," he joked, "just counting down the days until my death panel." Obama also spoke about soon becoming a lame duck, which will be odd for him because Republicans won't listem to him anymore and "won't take my calls," he said sarcastically. He also called out GOP chairman Reince Priebus, telling him that the current Republican race to the White House "is just going great." He even compared the current crop of GOP candidates to the dinner attendees "choosing steak or fish, but writing in Paul Ryan." Leaders have been "anticipating my departure," said Obama. "Last week, Prince George showed up to meet me in his bathrobe. That was a slap in the face." Story continues Lamenting the many reporters who have left the White House recently as they ready for his departure, the POTUS added his sadness that Jake Tapper "left journalism to join CNN." Obama also took a moment to thank Joe Biden for his years of work, friendship and "for not shooting anybody in the face," he quipped in a nod to Dick Cheney. Turning to "fantasy film" Spotlight, he even thanked the investigative journalists who "hold the powerful accountable" - Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo and Liev Schreiber. Obama also had a Socialist "comrade" joke for Bernie Sanders after introducing the Democratic candidate. "We've got the bright new face of the Democratic party here tonight, Mr. Bernie Sanders," he said to loud applause. "Bernie, you look like a million bucks. Or to put it in terms you'll understand, you look like 37,000 donations of $20 each." The President almost finished his speech before interrupting himself: "Nah, I'm just kidding. You know I've got to talk about Trump! We weren't just going to stop there. Come on!" Saying that he's hurt that Donald Trump didn't show up because "we had so much fun the last time," he asked, "Is this dinner too tacky for the Donald? What could he possibly be doing instead? At home, eating a Trump steak? Tweeting out insults to Angela Merkel? "I don't want to spend too much time on the Donald, following your lead," Obama said to the journalists in the audience. "I want to show some restraint. Because I think we can all agree that from the start, he's gotten the appropriate amount of coverage befitting the seriousness of his candidacy. I hope you're happy." Introducing Larry Wilmore, he called the host "one of the two black guys who's not Jon Stewart. You're the South African, right?" Last year, Obama made headlines for performing his remarks with Key and Peele's Keegan-Michael Key as his "anger translator," when the duo took on CNN and The Walking Dead. Watch his full speech below. This article originally appeared on The Hollywood Reporter May 2 - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. The Times * Only way is up for oil price (http://bit.ly/1raDJB3) The oil price may have reached its floor after touching decade-low levels this year because of fears about a supply glut and a stand-off between the big producing nations, according to the world's leading energy official. * Blackstone races to top of private equity mountain (http://bit.ly/26IFQwK">http://bit.ly/26IFQwK)(http://bit.ly/26IFQwK">http://bit.ly/26IFQwK) Blackstone Group has raised a bumper $60 billion from private equity investors over the past five years, claiming the title of the world's biggest private equity group and leaving its rivals far behind. The Guardian * Leaked TTIP documents cast doubt on EU-US trade deal (http://bit.ly/23gYuYe) Talks for a free trade deal between Europe and the U.S. face a serious impasse with "irreconcilable" differences in some areas, according to leaked negotiating texts. * Europe's liberal illusions shatter as Greek tragedy plays on (http://bit.ly/26IGpXy) Greece is running out of money. The government in Athens is raiding the budgets of the health service and public utilities to pay salaries and pensions. Without fresh financial support it will struggle to make a debt payment due in July. The Telegraph * Lord Grabiner to be quizzed by MPs over BHS collapse (http://bit.ly/1SWIP0y) Lord Grabiner, the chairman of Arcadia, is due to be called to help MPs to understand why BHS was sold for 1 pound ($1.46) to Retail Acquisitions 13 months before its dramatic collapse. * BT to let rival use its ducts and poles in bid to boost competition (http://bit.ly/23hrfnD) BT Group is in talks to open up its infrastructure to a rival in a landmark test of Ofcom's plan to introduce more competition for its much criticised Openreach network monopoly. Sky News * Butterkist owner to pass on the popcorn Story continues (http://bit.ly/23esjsm) The private equity group which owns stakes in corporate giants such as Hilton Worldwide and Versace is to take advantage of soaring UK consumer demand for popcorn by putting the Butterkist brand up for sale. ($1 = 0.6851 pounds) (Compiled by Shivam Srivastava in Bengaluru; Editing by Diane Craft) prince Prince was one of the last truly enigmatic music superstars, and one myth stood above all others for his fans: the vault. The late musician was known for his prolific creative output (he had a recording studio in his massive Minnesota complex), and much of it never saw the light of day, instead getting stashed away in a vault. Now that vault has been drilled open by Bremer Trust, the financial institution given temporary control over Prince's estate, since he did not have a will, according to ABC News. Apparently only Prince himself had the code to the vault, which was locked shut with a large spinning wheel. Susan Rogers, Prince's former recording engineer, told "Good Morning America" that shelves filled up quickly in the giant room. "We could put out more work in a month than most people could do in a year or more," she said. There's reportedly so much unheard material in the vault, we could be listening to a new Prince album every year for the next century. That would make Prince by far the most active posthumous artist ever and it could reshape his entire legacy. "One day, someone will release them," Prince previously said of the treasure trove of music on "The View" back in 2012. "I don't know that I'll get to release them. There's just so many." It's anyone's guess how the music will eventually come out, as command of Prince's estate will likely transfer from Bremer to Prince's sister Tyka Nelson and his half-siblings. But you can rest assured it'll come out, one way or another no one would let that stay hidden away. NOW WATCH: 'Saturday Night Live' took on Sanders and Clinton's feisty exchange in Brooklyn More From Business Insider Happy birthday, Princess Charlotte! Prince William and Kate Middleton's adorable daughter turned one on Monday, and naturally, everyone helped celebrate the big milestone. Kensington Palace revealed just some of the gifts Charlotte has received from world leaders, including two from President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama. During the Obamas' visit to the UK last week -- when they enjoyed a cozy private dinner with Will, Kate, and Prince Harry -- the couple gave Princess Charlotte a jigsaw puzzle and a "Bo" teddy bear, paying tribute to their beloved Portuguese Water Dog, Bo. The stuffed animal matches the one they previously gave to her older brother, Prince George. WATCH: Princess Charlotte and Prince George Are as Cute as Ever in New Royal Family Photo Other thoughtful gifts include Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's presents of a snowsuit, a book, and a $100,000 donation to Immunize Canada, a coalition promoting the understanding and use of recommended vaccines. Will and Kate were also given gifts for Charlotte during official state visits throughout the year, including a silver rattle from the President of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto, and his wife, Senora Angelica Rivera, last March. During Chinese president Xi Jinping's visit last October, Charlotte was given a set of silk figurines, depicting the traditional Chinese novel, Dream of the Red Chamber. Prince Harry was also given gifts to pass along to his niece during his own official visits, such as a New Zealand Rugby sleepsuit and Wellington Rugby snowsuit during his tour of the country last May. In addition, the Prime Minister of New Zealand gave a selection of teddy bears, baby blankets and bootees, all made from Stansborough wool. Gifts and letters for Charlotte have been received from 64 countries around the world, from Armenia to Zambia, Kensington Palace revealed on Monday. "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are incredibly grateful for all the letters, gifts and good wishes they have been fortunate to receive in the year since Princess Charlotte was born," the statement reads. Story continues NEWS: Prince William Says Charlotte Is an 'Easy' Baby, but He's Preparing for 'Drama' On Sunday, the palace shared four new adorable photos of Charlotte that Kate actually took herself. The Vogue cover girl took the sweet snapshots earlier this month at Amnar Hall, the family's country home in Norfolk, England. We hope that everyone enjoys these lovely photos as much as we do. pic.twitter.com/PqZnnQyX9h Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) May 1, 2016 Watch the video below for more super cute pics of Charlotte! Related Articles BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government troops surrounded Hama prison in the west of the country on Monday and fired tear gas after inmates revolted, seizing several guards, a monitoring group reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said inmates were protesting against a planned transfer of prisoners from Hama to Sednaya military prison north of Damascus. Those held in the Hama jail include political and Islamist prisoners, it said. An insurgent group operating near Hama, located 210 km (130 miles) from Damascus, said it was ready to shell government militias in towns nearby in response to mistreatment of the inmates, who it said were demanding "basic rights" including trial, the British-based Observatory reported. The Ajnad al-Sham group said prisoners had urged the armed opposition to "break the siege" by government forces. Insurgents later shelled Maharda, one of the towns Ajnad al-Sham threatened to attack, the Observatory reported. It was not immediately clear if the shelling was linked. An interior ministry official denied "reports from some media about Hama central prison", state news agency SANA said, without elaborating. In August last year hundreds of inmates at the prison rioted in protest against conditions and harsh sentences. International rights groups say thousands of detainees are held in Syrian government prisons without charge and many of them are subjected to torture, a claim denied by the authorities. The Syrian conflict began in 2011 with popular protests against President Bashar al-Assad and spiralled into civil war after a crackdown by security forces. (Reporting by John Davison; Editing by Andrew Roche) Screen Shot 2016 05 02 at 2.50.47 PM Ted Cruz on Monday found himself locked in a heated exchange with ardent Donald Trump supporters lasting more than six minutes. Surrounded by a swath of media at a campaign stop in Indiana, Cruz stood his ground as a Trump supporter repeatedly called him "Lyin' Ted," Trump's preferred moniker for his presidential rival. "Career politicians have killed America," one Trump supporter shouted at him. "You are the problem." Cruz engaged in a back and forth with the Trump supporters, insisting that the real-estate mogul's plans to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, along with other policy promises, are a scam on voters. It came a day before the Indiana primary, in which Cruz is making something of a last-ditch effort to blunt Trump's momentum. "With all respect, Donald Trump is deceiving you," Cruz said. "He is playing you for a chump." "Where's your Goldman Sachs jacket at?" one of the men shot back after praising Trump for being "self-funded." "We know your wife worked there." The supporters also asked Cruz, a strong supporter of looser gun regulations, what he'd do to protect the Second Amendment. "I have defended the Second Amendment in front of the Supreme Court," the Texas senator said. "Donald Trump is a New York liberal who will take away your Second Amendment rights." "Look, sir, I appreciate you being out here speaking," Cruz continued. "But if I were Donald Trump, I wouldn't have come over and talked to you. I wouldn't have shown you that respect. As a matter of fact, you know what I would've done? I would've told the folks over there to go over and punch you guys in the face." The Trump supporters then hit the senator with chants of "Ted's truth" and "Lyin' Ted." "What word did I say was a lie?" Cruz shot back. "About Donald telling people to punch people," the man standing directly in front of him answered. Cruz asked the men to Google Trump's comments from earlier in the year when he said that he'd like to "punch" a protester "in the face." Story continues "Look, this was on national television," Cruz said. At this point, the Trump supporters began to cut off Cruz's answers. "America is a better country," Cruz began. "Without you," the supporters interjected. Cruz, who is trailing Trump by more than nine points in the latest RealClearPolitics average of several polls, went to point out that he had "been respectful the entire time." "A question that everyone here should ask," he continued, before the Trump supporters cut him off again. "Are you Canadian?" they asked. Watch the full interaction below: NOW WATCH: Its surreal to watch this 2011 video of Obama and Seth Meyers taunting Trump about a presidential run More From Business Insider On Sunday, Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla announced Puerto Rico's Government Development Bank would default on roughly $389 million in payments to bondholders. According to CNBC, the missed payment represents the largest of those since its first-ever default in August, when the island only paid $628,000 of a $58 million payment just a fraction of Puerto Rico's over $70 billion total debt. Combined with an unemployment rate of nearly 12%, more than double that of mainland United States, Puerto Rico's ongoing economic crisis has its residents migrating at an unprecedented rate. CNN reported that 84,000 people left the island for the U.S. in 2014 alone, amounting to about 230 people a day. After a decade-long recession, more Puerto Ricans now live in the U.S. than in Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican capitol According to the Washington Post, Puerto Rico's next payment deadline is July 1, at which time the bank owes another $2 billion to its creditors. Currently, the U.S. House of Representatives has a bill to reduce the island's debt, though the perception of the legislation qualifying as a "bailout" though it wouldn't allocate any government funding to Puerto Rico has resulted in some push back. Last month, Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda penned an op-ed in the New York Times, urging the U.S. Congress to save Puerto Rico from buckling under its debt. "Please let us not get bogged down in Puerto Rico's status," wrote Miranda. "If a ship is sinking, you don't ask, 'Well, what type of ship is it and what type of ship should it be?' You rescue the people aboard." By Nick Brown and Daniel Bases SAN JUAN/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Puerto Rico's Government Development Bank, the main funding source for the U.S. commonwealth's public agencies, said it reached a tentative restructuring deal with some major creditors hours after declaring it would skip a $422 million debt payment. The agreed framework is "a vital first step" that needs both restructuring legislation from the U.S. federal government and participation from all of the GDBs creditors in order to work, the bank said in the statement issued late on Sunday. Puerto Rico overall faces $70 billion in debt, a staggering 45-percent poverty rate and a shrinking population as it enters the most dire stretch of its fiscal crisis. It owes another $1.9 billion on July 1 that Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla says it cannot pay. Both the government and the creditors, who call themselves the Ad Hoc Group and hold roughly $935 million of the GDB's nearly $4 billion in bonds, said they would continue negotiations for another 30 days. These creditors said in a statement on Monday they would not pursue legal action during that time, although that does not preclude smaller investors from filing lawsuits. As a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico cannot file for bankruptcy protection. It has been pleading for Washington to offer it a lifeline. The GDB default is the most significant yet in Puerto Rico, because the bank acts as the main depositary and liquidity source for public agencies like the islands highway and infrastructure authorities. The indicative terms of the deal reached with the Ad Hoc group is a two-step debt exchange where they would likely recoup about 47 percent of what they are owed. Puerto Rico has reached forbearance or restructuring deals with firms holding about $153 million of the debt due on Monday, and has said it will pay another $22 million in interest. That leaves some $247 million that will be defaulted upon, mostly held by smaller investors without the organization or deep pockets of the ad hoc group. Story continues One major investor, who requested anonymity while talks are under way, said there is discussion over reducing the need for 100 percent of creditors to agree to the terms. "If we can get that down to 95 percent participation or so, we think we can get there, without any federal legislation," the investor said. Sources involved in the talks told Reuters the Ad Hoc Group holds about $120 million of the debt due Monday. A second investor whose firm manages more than $10 billion but is not involved in the talks, said they were holding their bonds to see how any deal would work and hoped rules overseeing bond agreements are not changed after the fact. "I'm unlikely to buy again if they are not transparent and change the rules governing their debt after the fact," said the second investor, who requested anonymity because of the ongoing talks. Multiple market sources said the GDB's 2011 Series B senior notes that are going unpaid are being quoted in the market at around 20 cents on the dollar. 'PAINFUL' DECISION In a televised speech on Sunday evening, Puerto Rico Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla imposed a moratorium on the debt payment, a "painful" decision he blamed on the absence of U.S. Congressional action to solve Puerto Rico's debt crisis. Puerto Rico owes another $1.9 billion on July 1 that Garcia Padilla has said it cannot pay. Congress is debating a bill that would put the islands finances under federal oversight and allow it to restructure debt in a bankruptcy-like process, but the bill has faced criticism from conservative and liberal wings of both parties. Pedro Pierluisi, the island's representative in Congress, spread the blame. "Puerto Rico is in this situation for two reasons: profound inequality at the federal level and profound mismanagement at the local level," he said in a statement on Monday. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday he hoped developments would push Congress to act and give the island needed restructuring authority. The Ad Hoc Group includes hedge funds Avenue Capital Management, Brigade Capital Management, Claren Road Asset Management, Fir Tree Partners, Fore Research & Management and Solus Alternative Asset Management. (Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton in Washington; Editing by Nick Zieminski) (Updates with more details from government, adds video link) By Nick Brown and Daniel Bases SAN JUAN/NEW YORK, May 2 (Reuters) - Puerto Rico's Government Development Bank, the main funding source for the U.S. commonwealth's public agencies, said it reached a tentative restructuring deal with some major creditors hours after declaring it would skip a $422 million debt payment. The agreed framework is "a vital first step" that needs both restructuring legislation from the U.S. federal government and participation from all of the GDB's creditors in order to work, the bank said in the statement issued late on Sunday. Puerto Rico overall faces $70 billion in debt, a staggering 45-percent poverty rate and a shrinking population as it enters the most dire stretch of its fiscal crisis. It owes another $1.9 billion on July 1 that Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla says it cannot pay. Both the government and the creditors, who call themselves the Ad Hoc Group and hold roughly $935 million of the GDB's nearly $4 billion in bonds, said they would continue negotiations for another 30 days. These creditors said in a statement on Monday they would not pursue legal action during that time, although that does not preclude smaller investors from filing lawsuits. As a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico cannot file for bankruptcy protection. It has been pleading for Washington to offer it a lifeline. The GDB default is the most significant yet in Puerto Rico, because the bank acts as the main depositary and liquidity source for public agencies like the island's highway and infrastructure authorities. The indicative terms of the deal reached with the Ad Hoc group is a two-step debt exchange where they would likely recoup about 47 percent of what they are owed. Puerto Rico has reached forbearance or restructuring deals with firms holding about $153 million of the debt due on Monday, and has said it will pay another $22 million in interest. That leaves some $247 million that will be defaulted upon, mostly held by smaller investors without the organization or deep pockets of the ad hoc group. Story continues One major investor, who requested anonymity while talks are under way, said there is discussion over reducing the need for 100 percent of creditors to agree to the terms. "If we can get that down to 95 percent participation or so, we think we can get there, without any federal legislation," the investor said. Sources involved in the talks told Reuters the Ad Hoc Group holds about $120 million of the debt due Monday. A second investor whose firm manages more than $10 billion but is not involved in the talks, said they were holding their bonds to see how any deal would work and hoped rules overseeing bond agreements are not changed after the fact. "I'm unlikely to buy again if they are not transparent and change the rules governing their debt after the fact," said the second investor, who requested anonymity because of the ongoing talks. Multiple market sources said the GDB's 2011 Series B senior notes that are going unpaid are being quoted in the market at around 20 cents on the dollar. 'PAINFUL' DECISION In a televised speech on Sunday evening, Puerto Rico Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla imposed a moratorium on the debt payment, a "painful" decision he blamed on the absence of U.S. Congressional action to solve Puerto Rico's debt crisis. Puerto Rico owes another $1.9 billion on July 1 that Garcia Padilla has said it cannot pay. Congress is debating a bill that would put the island's finances under federal oversight and allow it to restructure debt in a bankruptcy-like process, but the bill has faced criticism from conservative and liberal wings of both parties. Pedro Pierluisi, the island's representative in Congress, spread the blame. "Puerto Rico is in this situation for two reasons: profound inequality at the federal level and profound mismanagement at the local level," he said in a statement on Monday. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday he hoped developments would push Congress to act and give the island needed restructuring authority. The Ad Hoc Group includes hedge funds Avenue Capital Management, Brigade Capital Management, Claren Road Asset Management, Fir Tree Partners, Fore Research & Management and Solus Alternative Asset Management. (Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton in Washington; Editing by Nick Zieminski) Qualcomm's Fiscal 2Q16 Earnings: A Mixed Bag (Continued from Prior Part) Qualcomm eyes adjacent markets In the previous part of this series, we saw that Qualcomms (QCOM) chipset and licensing business is being impacted by a slowdown in the smartphone market, especially premium phones. Hence, the company is looking to expand in other high-growth markets where its connectivity and ARM chips can serve well. The company has identified four markets: automotive, networking, mobile computing, and IoT (Internet of Things). Adjacent markets revenue contribution in fiscal 2016 In the automotive space, Qualcomms Snapdragon 820A module has been launched. In the networking space, Qualcomm offers more than 240 router, home gateway, and set-top box designs. In the IoT space, Qualcomm chips power more than 100 wearable devices, of which 80% were Googles (GOOG) Android smartwatch designs. In terms of unit shipments, more than 1 billion IoT devices powered by Qualcomm technology have been shipped. Qualcomm expects these adjacent markets to contribute ~$2.5 billion toward QCT (Qualcomm CDMA Technologies) revenue in fiscal 2016. Data center Qualcomm (QCOM) is looking to gain some share in the data center market with its ARM architecture server chips. Several chip makers such as Cavium, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and AppliedMicro offer ARM chips that have been adopted by several server systems like Hewlett-Packard Enterprises (HPE) Moonshot servers. The use of ARM servers is confined to a few cloud and web service customers and has been unable to compete with Intels (INTC) x86 servers. Until now, Qualcomm has been growing slowly in this market. However, with the slowdown in the smartphone market, a new growth area is what it needs. It has partnered with Guizhou Province to design and build data center chips for China (FXI), which is expected to become the second-largest server market after the US. According to a Bloomberg report, Google is in talks with Qualcomm to use the latters chips in its data centers. Story continues During the company fiscal 2Q16 earnings call, Qualcomms president, Derek Aberle, hinted that the company may start shipping its server chips in fiscal 2H17. Responding to an analysts question, he noted, Our assumption is that we will be shipping samples toward the end of the year, and revenue would be something that would flow through mid to late next year. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: Montreal (AFP) - Media tycoon Pierre Karl Peladeau announced Monday he is quitting politics, less than one year after taking up the cause of splitting Quebec province from the rest of Canada. Peladeau told a press conference that he was quitting as head of the Parti Quebecois (PQ) -- the standardbearer of the Quebec separatist movement -- in order to focus on mending family problems. "I'm faced with choosing between my family and my political project," the 54-year-old said, adding that he chose to resign "for the good of my children." Three months ago, Peladeau separated with his wife, popular local television host Julie Snyder. They had married in August 2015 after 14 years together. The couple, who are currently in counseling, have a son aged 10 and a seven-year-old daughter. Peladeau is heir to the powerful Quebecor Media group, which owns newspapers and broadcasting assets in the province. The billionaire took Canada by surprise when he announced in April 2014 his support for Quebec independence, with a fist pump at a televised event. The same month, he was elected to the Quebec legislature as a member of the opposition PQ, and in May 2015, he was elected leader of the PQ. London (AFP) - Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri called his Chelsea counterpart Guus Hiddink on Monday to thank him for the draw with Tottenham Hotspur that gave his team the Premier League title. Spurs' 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge brought Leicester the first top-flight title in their 132-year history and Ranieri, who was sacked by Chelsea in 2004, was quickly on the phone to express his gratitude. "Just after the final whistle, I got a call from Ranieri," Hiddink, Chelsea's interim manager, told his post-match press conference. "He called us and thanked us for what we did, especially in the second half. I congratulated him for being champion. "I think they deserve it. It might be not a surprise anymore, but maybe a shock for the established clubs that they did so well. "They didn't implode. There was no tension when they started smelling the title. That's why I think they deserve the title." Asked if Ranieri, who cried on the pitch following Leicester's recent 2-0 win at Sunderland, had sounded emotional, Hiddink replied: "Yeah. I didn't see any tears because it was not a Facetime conversation. "But his voice was trembling a bit. Five times, (he said) thanks. Because the emotion is going up." Ranieri, 64, was reported to have returned to England earlier on Monday after making a quick trip to Italy in order to have lunch with his 96-year-old mother, Renata. The genial Italian will get his hands on the first league title of his 30-year managerial career on Saturday after Leicester's final home game against Everton. - Pochettino defends players - Spurs looked to have done enough to keep the title race alive after goals from Harry Kane -- his 25th of the campaign -- and Son Heung-Min put them 2-0 up, but Gary Cahill reduced the arrears before substitute Eden Hazard curled in a stunning and decisive 83rd-minute equaliser. Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino backed his players to bounce back from the disappointment of missing out on the title. Story continues "I want to congratulate Leicester and Claudio Ranieri and all the players," the Argentine said. "It's a fantastic season for them. But we feel very disappointed because were were 2-0 up and in the second half had opportunities to score. "But it's not a moment to analyse the game. The players are very disappointed and sad, but this is a good feeling. "For the future, we are the youngest squad of the Premier League and I think we're in a fantastic position. "We're disappointed for the title, but now we need to refocus and try to keep our place. Our objective is to finish second." Spurs midfielder Mousa Dembele is likely to face retrospective disciplinary action after appearing to gouge Diego Costa's eye, while there were mass touchline melees shortly before half-time and after the final whistle. But Pochettino, who said he "didn't see" the Dembele incident, claimed his side's feistiness was purely a sign of their desire to win. "In football this sometimes happens, with the emotion," he said. "We need to learn, but I can say I feel very proud of our players and our supporters and the future will be brilliant." Sagar Bhanushali Renault India has been spotted testing their Kwid small car with the AMT gearbox. Caught on test somewhere in Chennai, the Kwid AMT is due for launch this festive season besides bringing in a more powerful 1-litre version. The Kwid AMT wears the same look as its manual equivalent. The only differentiating bit over the skin is the Easy-R badge which signifies that its the automated-manual version. Inside, the car will feature a rotary knob as the gear selector which will be mounted on to the dashboard. The Renault Kwid has truly been a game changer for Renault India. Competing in the highly crucial entry-level small car segment, the Kwid has amassed a lot of interest among buyers and as a result, has contributed to a massive 160 per cent increase in Renaults overall sales for March 2016, compared to the same period last year. Source: Anythingonwheels For more news,reviews,videos and information about cars, visit CarWale.com. Check On-Road Prices | Find New Cars | Upcoming Cars | Compare Cars | Dealer Locator By Emma Thomasson BERLIN (Reuters) - Rocket Internet said on Monday two supervisory board members from long-standing investor Kinnevik would step down at its annual shareholder meeting on June 9. The move follows differences between the two companies over the valuation of joint investments, with Kinnevik putting a lower price on most of them and Rocket shares falling sharply last week as analysts questioned some of its valuations. Rocket said in a statement Kinnevik CEO Lorenzo Grabau and Erik Mitteregger would resign from the supervisory board and be replaced by two members independent of its shareholders. A Rocket spokesman said the departure was agreed by mutual consent. But company sources have told Reuters Grabau and Rocket CEO Oliver Samwer have disagreed for a while over strategy. A Kinnevik spokesman said its two board members were stepping down to avoid any potential conflicts of interest over future investments. "This has nothing to do with any disagreement. We continue to work together. We just believe it is more prudent not to sit on the board," he said. Grabau was replaced as chairman of Rocket's supervisory board in December by former ProSieben digital media manager Marcus Englert. In February, Grabau told Reuters this was because Rocket had moved from being a pure internet incubator to being more like an investment firm in online companies with a model very similar to Kinnevik's, making it important to have an independent chairman. Analysts predict Kinnevik will eventually seek to part ways with Rocket as Kinnevik shifts its investments into education, financial technology and healthcare. Founded in Berlin by brothers Oliver, Alexander and Marc Samwer in 2007, Rocket has set up dozens of ecommerce sites, aiming to replicate the success of Amazon and Alibaba in Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America and Russia. But some investors are concerned over the scale of losses at its start-ups ranging from online fashion to food delivery, as well as delays to planned listings due to volatile markets. Story continues Rocket's shares tumbled last week after a new fundraising with Kinnevik for its Global Fashion Group (GFG) slashed the start-up's valuation by two thirds. The stock was down another 3.1 percent at 1220 GMT. Kinnevik was one of the first investors in Rocket and still has a 13 percent holding - as well as stakes in several of its major start-ups - making it the firm's second-biggest shareholder after the Samwer brothers' 38 percent stake. Rocket said the two Kinnevik board members would be replaced by former Deutsche Bank finance chief Stefan Krause and French telecoms group Orange's deputy chief executive Pierre Louette. Kinnevik is still represented on the supervisory board of online fashion firm Zalando - its most successful joint investment so far with Rocket. Kinnevik Chairman Cristina Stenbeck has been chairwoman of Zalando's supervisory board since 2014 and Grabau has been vice chairman since 2013. (Additional reporting by Nadine Schimroszik in Berlin and Mia Shanley in Stockholm; Editing by Maria Sheahan and Mark Potter) Announcement to the Toronto Stock Exchange and Australian Stock Exchange SUBIACO, WA / ACCESSWIRE / May 2, 2016 / The Board of RTG Mining Inc. ("RTG," "the Company") (TSX Code: RTG, ASX Code: RTG) announces that it has today filed a technical report ("the Report") for the Mabilo Copper-Gold-Iron Project in the Philippines, pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The Report provides detail on the disclosure contained in the Company's news release issued on March 18, 2016, announcing the results of the Feasibility Study for the Mabilo Project. The Company confirms that there are no material differences between the results announced on March 18, 2016 and the results contained in the Report. The Report can be found on the RTG Mining website (www.rtgmining.com) and under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. ABOUT RTG MINING INC RTG Mining Inc. is a mining and exploration company listed on the main board of the Toronto Stock Exchange and Australian Securities Exchange Limited. RTG is focused on developing the high grade copper/gold/magnetite Mabilo Project and advancing exploration on the highly prospective Bunawan Project, both in the Philippines, while also identifying major new projects which will allow the Company to move quickly and safely to production. RTG has an experienced management team (previously responsible for the development of the Masbate Gold Mine in the Philippines through CGA Mining Limited), and has B2Gold as one of its major shareholders in the Company. B2Gold is a member of both the S&P/TSX Global Gold and Global Mining Indices. ENQUIRIES Australian Contact President & CEO - Justine Magee Tel: +61 8 6489 2900 Fax: +61 8 6489 2920 Email: jmagee@rtgmining.com North America Contact Investor Relations - Jaime Wells Tel: +1 (970) 640 0611 Email: jwells@rtgmining.com CAUTIONARY NOTE STATEMENT Certain statements contained in this announcement constitute forward looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws including, among others, statements made or implied relating to the Company's objectives, strategies to achieve those objectives, the Company's beliefs, plans, estimates and intentions, and similar statements concerning anticipated future events, results, circumstances, performance or expectations that are not historical facts. Forward looking statements generally can be identified by words such as "objective," "may," "will," "expect," "likely," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "should," "plans" or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. Such forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and reflect the Company's current beliefs based on information currently available to management. Such statements involve estimates and assumptions that are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors inherent in the business of the Company and the risk factors discussed in the Annual Information Form and other materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities from time to time which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the mining industry (including operational risks; risks in exploration, and development; the uncertainties involved in the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits, resources or reserves; and the uncertainty of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates); the risk of gold, copper and other commodity price and foreign exchange rate fluctuations; the ability of the Company to fund the capital and operating expenses necessary to achieve the business objectives of the Company; the uncertainty associated with commercial negotiations and negotiating with foreign governments; the risks associated with international business activities; risks related to operating in Nigeria and the Philippines; environmental risk; the dependence on key personnel; and the ability to access capital markets. Story continues Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made and readers are advised to consider such forward looking statements in light of the risks set forth above. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances. SOURCE: RTG Mining Inc. Moscow (AFP) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is to host UN envoy Staffan de Mistura for talks on Syria in Moscow on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said. "Talks between Mistura and Sergei Lavrov followed by a press conference will take place" in Moscow, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told AFP on Monday. The talks will be held amid accusations by the United States and other supporters of the Syrian opposition that Russia has violated international agreements to back peace in the war-torn country. Washington and Moscow are the joint sponsors of the Syrian peace process, and de Mistura had made it clear that he sees little hope of progress without their agreement. But the United States charges that Russia, while agreeing to support a ceasefire, has done little to rein in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces around Aleppo. The head of Moscow's coordination centre in Syria, Lieutenant General Sergei Kuralenko, said on Sunday that talks to include Aleppo province in a so-called "regime of silence" -- or freeze in fighting -- had begun. Kuralenko told reporters on Monday that those talks were still continuing. Russia says it will not ask the Syrian regime to halt air raids on Aleppo as it believes they are helping to combat jihadist groups there. More than 270,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 with protests demanding Assad's ouster. From Cosmopolitan On Thursday, Ryan Reynolds posted a moving tribute on Facebook to his friend and Deadpool superfan Connor McGrath, who lost his battle to leukemia earlier in the week. McGrath was 13 years old. "For three straight years, my friend, Connor McGrath drop-kicked cancer... Not sure how... Maybe the cancer cheated... But the fight came to an end two nights ago," Reynolds wrote. Reynolds and Connor met through the Make-a-Wish Foundation, when he traveled up to Edmonton, Alberta to show him a rough cut of Deadpool. He wrote that Connor had that comedic quality that you see in great performers, a "running commentary/observational skill people are just lucky to be born with." "I'm grateful I got to orbit Connor's world for a brief time," Reynolds continued. Grateful for the pages and pages of hilarious texts between us... Grateful to his parents for allowing Connor to spend time with a foul-mouthed child in the body of a 39 year old." See his post in full below: Follow Diana on Twitter. BUYERS: Aidy Bryant and Conner OMalley LOCATION: New York City, NY PRICE: $995,000 SIZE: (approx.) 850 square feet, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Veteran celebrity real estate informant Polly Wannacracker sent word via covert communique and property records do indeed confirm that professionally upwardly mobile comedy couple Aidy Bryant and Conner OMalley shelled out $995,000 for a modestly sized if hardly inexpensive co-operative apartment at the London Terrace complex in New York Citys bustling, art gallery-filled Chelsea neighborhood. Bryant and OMalley were improv standouts in Chicago before she secured a coveted spot on Saturday Night Live in 2012. He currently toils as a writer for Late Night with Seth Meyers and shes recently popped up on the HBO hit series Girls and the IFC mockumentary spoof Documentary Now! along with the Louis C.K.-written web series Horace and Pete and last year the couple teamed up for an outlandish and hilariously ribald scene on the critically acclaimed sitcom Broad City. At around 850-square-feet, the one-bedroom and one-bathroom apartment isnt going to win any size contests but, according to online marketing materials, it does benefit from nine-foot beamed ceilings, refurbished oak floorboards stained the color of black coffee, and a renovated bathroom that retains London Terraces signature black and white mosaic tile flooring and white subway tiled walls. The stripped steel front door opens less than ideally although not all that unusually for smaller apartments in New York City directly into an inarguably compact kitchen that incorporates just enough black granite topped counter space to unpack Chinese take-out plus a convenient two-stool snack bar. The main living space comfortably accommodates separate living and dining spaces and has two large north-facing windows that provide an over-the-townhouse-rooftops view of the Empire State Building. The listing was handled by Douglas Elliman broker Bruce Wayne Solomon. Our research indicates the jokester couple didnt have far to schlep their belongings as they previously paid somewhere around $4,200/month to rent a one-bedroom and one-bathroom apartment with two decorative fireplaces and a private terrace in a landmarked, 19th-century Greek Revival-style townhouse thats just a few blocks south of their new digs. Residents of the titanic London Terrace complex, who once-upon-a-time included this property gossip, are provided with round-the-clock doorman and concierge services, a half-sized Olympic swimming pool with lockers and steam rooms, a ground-level courtyard and planted roof terrace with wrap-around city views, and, for additional monthly fees, a full-service fitness facility and an on-site parking garage. In addition to several other former Saturday Night Live who include but are not limited to Chris Kattan and Bill Hader, the multi-building complex has been home a hefty number of high-profile residents including Debbie Harry, Katherine Helmond, and Susan Sontag whose former penthouse is now owned by The Sopranos writer/producer David Chase who acquired it in 2013 for $9.65 million. Exterior image: Christopher Bride for Property Shark Listing photos and floor plan: Douglas Elliman Related stories Louis C.K. to Release More 'Horace & Pete' Saturday, Drops Prices Vimeo Launches Slate of 3 Originals, Including Drag Queen Bianca Del Rio Standup Special 'SNL': How Will NBC, Lorne Michaels Fix the Cast Conundrum? In the end, actually, were all dead. Living in a dystopia hurts peoples feelings. I spent nine months reading smutty fan fiction, and my teachers believe its academic. So go the witty summaries of students submitting their theses on lolmythesis.com. Its the ultimate in intellectual humble-brag-slash-self-deprecation: I went to a fancy school and all I got was this completely obvious statement about the world! Right about now, undergrad and grad students are probably turning in amply footnoted, double-spaced, 100-page opuses that might be read by a few bespectacled eyes and then shoved onto a shelf or maybe into a journal. They will experience the momentary zoom of satisfaction, sleep for hours, graduate and never talk about those years of work in full color again. Many people might cite this as the ultimate example of the uselessness of the humanities: Theyre irrelevant, and theyre privileged. As Marco Rubio quipped back when he was still a thing, We need more welders, less philosophers. (A humanities education might have reminded him that its fewer, not less, but oh, well.) Were in a transitional period, says David Schaberg, dean of humanities at UCLA a large public university where humanities classes offer a smaller respite from mega-lecture halls. What if, though, these fat forgotten papers hold the key to saving the humanities at a time when they sure as hell need saving: The National Endowment for the Humanities, which provides research grants and support, reported last October that appropriations were slashed 20 percent between 2010 and 2015. Heres the twist: When students file those papers, capstones or final projects which were arguing all students should do, in some form they must include an element of relevancy: a talk, a service-learning initiative, a magazine article, a public installation, a conference, a door-to-door sales pitch, anything that gets that work out of the library and into the world. Employers could attend fairs to hire those with projects that apply to their field. Story continues Theres much one could try. Public-facing philosopher Alain de Botton makes a good example; he wrote a literary biography of Proust called How Proust Can Change Your Life, which tricks us into learning about this whiny flowery Frenchman by offering self-help lessons. The sciences need this too if youre studying black-hole physics, I think you owe all of us who had shitty science educations a child-friendly, elegant explanation of your field. Or take Victoria Williamson, an alumna of the University of Dallas now working at an IT firm in Texas who studied in a philosophically infused psychology department. Her thesis might boil down to this: Telling someone they have a mental disorder matters. It affects how they view the world and themselves. She talked to clinicians who diagnosed patients with mental illnesses and examined the psychological and existential effects. A relevancy requirement might have been a good thing for me, she says; she would have ditched some of the Heideggerian musings on existentialism and we might have gotten more sensitive shrinks. Schabeg agrees students should think about relevancy, but he suggests starting that process not just at graduation but at matriculation. The idea of tacking it on at the end sounds distasteful to him, like an exit exam. Plus: It depends on how you define relevancy, he says. You might end up implying that universities are vocational. And were not asking people to prepare for a first job were asking them to prepare for a lifetime of thinking. Related Articles From Seventeen Hayley Lack and Jenna Waite, seniors at Foothill High School in Palo Cedro, California, are nominated for prom royalty. Even though they were voted for by the student body and approved by ASB (a class that handles student body issues), the school administration has banned the couple from running for their prom court. In the past, Foothill students voted for prom court in pairs - for example, if Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik attended Foothill, you'd vote for Gigi and Zayn together rather than voting for Gigi for prom queen and Zayn as prom king. But now that a lesbian couple is running, Foothill is changing its policy. The principal now says students must vote for individuals rather than for couples, because having a same-sex couple win would be unfair to the gender not represented, the Redding Record Searchlight reports. The Foothill student body is overwhelmingly in favor of letting Hayley and Jenna run together against the other two straight couples nominated. When Hayley vented about the issue on Facebook, her community responded positively with messages of support. Hayley appeared on her friend Austin Witherspoon's YouTube show "The Journal of a Wayward Adventurer" for an interview about the controversy. "They're saying it has to be a king as a boy and a queen as a girl because it says royalty king and queen," Hayley told Austin. "Whenever Jenna talked to the head principal, he said, well, in England, they have kings and queens, so we should just keep it the same." But Hayley says if she and Jenna win prom royalty, they'd be happy to be called "prom king" and "prom queen." The administration's decision is not popular among the student body. "It's kind of hard to even want to be a part of the nominations and even want to go to dances or anything... feeling like I can't be myself without being discriminated against," junior Sabrina Vallejo told the Redding Record Searchlight. "Every girl wants to have that moment where they feel like a princess, you know? And it's like I can't really express that or have that moment like any other girl would because I found happiness with someone who isn't a boy." From Cosmopolitan After students nominated Hayley Lack, 16, and her girlfriend as this year's prom king and queen at Foothill High School in Palo Cedro, California, the school principal says a couple made up of two girls can't win, because "it's not fair to the boy gender." In an email with Cosmopolitan.com, Lack said she and her classmates disagree with the administration's decision to disallow two women to win the traditional titles. "The students and myself believe that there was equal opportunity for both males and females because every senior had the ability to be nominated," she said. "We are asking for anyone, regardless of gender, to be able to win king or queen. With that, they would have equal opportunity." Students at Foothill High and two other high schools in the same district are fighting back with a "Petition for Equality for Same Sex Couples at Foothill High School," started by Lack and her girlfriend, that Lack estimates has been signed by more than one hundred people at this point. Megan Cowee, a 17-year-old junior at Shasta High School, another school in Foothill's district, started passing the petition around to her classmates and said she's seen nothing but support for the couple. "Even though Foothill is one of our rival schools, we can all come together to support what the students believe is right," Cowee said. "In this case, it's the right for the students to be able to vote for whoever they want their prom king and queen to be no matter the gender. Even though we're young, it doesn't mean we don't know what we're doing." Lack added that this isn't the first time her school has treated LGBT students in a way she sees as unfair and discriminatory. "[Students] are infuriated because this has happened before with another lesbian couple during homecoming," she said. Foothill Principal Jim Bartow told Mic that the reason the school won't allow Lack and her girlfriend to be prom king and queen is because students are meant to elect individuals - not couples at a joint item. "They [the girls] are both able to run separately, but we don't nominate as couples," he told Mic. "It's not fair to the boy gender." He clarified that he's not against their "lesbian relationship," he just sees the students' wishes as being unfair to anyone who wants to be king or queen but isn't in a relationship. Story continues But Lack said that her classmates don't feel that way, they don't see having two girls as prom king and queen as being "not fair" to boys at all. "The students and myself believe that there was equal opportunity for both males and females because every senior was had the ability to be nominated," she said. "Even now, if they allowed my girlfriend and I to be nominated for prom king and queen, they would still have an opportunity. There would still be two guys on the ballot for king. It is by popular vote of the student body, if they vote to have two girls for king and queen, then how is that not equal? The boys had an equal opportunity to win." At the end of the fight, Lack just hopes that raising her voice against the administration, with the assistance of her classmates, makes it so that both boys and girls can be nominated for queen in the future. "We want this to be available for all the students after we go off to college," she said. You can watch a video of Lack speaking out against her school's decision below. Follow Hannah on Twitter. TORONTO, May 2 (Reuters) - Bank of Nova Scotia will book a second-quarter restructuring charge of about C$275 million ($219.33 million) as part of its effort to improve productivity and drive "digital transformation", Canada's third-biggest lender said on Monday. The bank, which operates under the Scotiabank banner, said in October it was cutting an undisclosed number of jobs as part of a cost-reduction strategy. It cited technology changes as one reason. The lender, which is expected to report its fiscal second-quarter results on May 31, said the charge will equate to about 22 Canadian cents a share. In a research note, CIBC analyst Robert Sedran suggested there could be more such charges to come. "Given the underlying trends and the need to deal with legacy systems and processes that will preoccupy bank management for the next several years, this type of charge has a run-rate feel to it," he said. Bank of Nova Scotia shares were down 0.7 percent at C$65.31 in early trading in Toronto. Other major Canadian bank shares were also lower on Monday. Banks have been looking to cut costs and drive technology changes as customers increasingly move away from brick-and-mortar branches to online transactions. ($1 = 1.2538 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by John Tilak; Editing by James Dalgleish) After releasing his final album, No Way Out 2, Sean 'Diddy' Combs will focus on acting, according to a new interview with the rapper. "I'm going to put out my last album and devote 100 percent of my time to doing films I want to stop at a great place," he tells Cigar Aficionado magazine (quote via People). "And a final album is a great place to stop. I want to take a victory lap, to do a world tour and really enjoy it once last time." Diddy's Son Christian Combs Signs With Bad Boy Records Diddy -- who is on the cover of the magazine's June issue (hitting newsstands May 3) -- added: "When I'm gone, only the songs will survive. I know I'm making music that will live on. I don't go into the studio just to be hot or to hear myself on the radio. Michael Jackson, Tupac, Biggie -- part of them lives on in their music, even though they're not here anymore. That's really deep, man. The only thing like that is religion." He previously mentioned that No Way Out 2 would be his last album in late 2015. At publication time, the album's release date is unknown, though it is expected to drop some time in 2016. MOSCOW (Reuters) - The second stage of a joint European-Russian mission to search for signs of life on Mars has been delayed from 2018 to 2020, the European Space Agency and Russia's Roscosmos said on Monday. The new planned launch date for the second ExoMars mission was July 2020, Interfax news agency cited state-run Roscosmos as saying. It will incorporate a Russian-led surface platform and European-led rover, to be launched from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan. The decision to put back the launch was a joint one that took into account delays in European and Russian industrial activities, the European agency said in a statement. A spacecraft left Baikonur in March in the first stage of the program. It carried an atmospheric probe that is to study trace gases such as methane -- a chemical that on Earth is strongly tied to life - that previous Mars missions have detected in the planet's atmosphere. The craft is due to arrive in October. The second-stage rover is meant to be the first with the ability to both move across Mars' surface and drill into the ground to collect and analyze samples. Roscosmos was not available for comment on Monday, a public holiday in Russia. (Reporting by Alexander Winning and Scot Stevenson; Editing by Alison Williams and John Stonestreet) * Abe won plaudits for new corporate governance rules * Scandals at Mitsubishi Motors, Toshiba show more action needed * Whistle-blower protection, stiffer penalties sought By Linda Sieg TOKYO, May 3 (Reuters) - A spate of high-profile scandals at leading Japanese companies show reforms and rhetoric aimed at improving the country's corporate governance do not go far enough to unwind the culture of secrecy and hierarchy that plagues Japan Inc. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won applause for introducing new corporate governance rules over the past two years in bid to attract foreign investment and shake-up Japan's too-cozy corporate culture. But scandals including Mitsubishi Motor Corp's admission that it used non-compliant fuel economy testing methods for decades and last year's admission by laptop-to-nuclear conglomerate Toshiba Corp that it had inflated profits suggest much more remains to be done. Nearly five years after Michael Woodford was fired for exposing a cover-up at Olympus Corp, the British ex-CEO of the Japanese medical imaging gear maker says he's still treated like a pariah in Japan, a view not uncommon in a corporate culture where whistleblowers are more often disdained than admired. "It is evident to me that 80 percent or more of senior business leaders (in Japan) consider me as someone who betrayed my company," Woodford, who now runs a business consultancy and lives in London, told Reuters in a telephone interview. "I'm seen to be a leper in Japan." Better protection for whistleblowers, training for board directors and stiffer penalties are among the measures experts prescribe to change an inward-looking corporate culture that values unquestioning loyalty to top bosses. "Japanese corporations still have significant problems with the secrecy of their corporate dealings and lack of transparency in their finances and operations," said Thomas Clarke, director of the Key University Research Centre for Corporate Governance at the University of Technology in Sydney. Story continues Abe's policy team introduced a new corporate governance code in 2015, setting rules on disclosure, shareholders' rights and independent directors. While not legally binding, the Tokyo bourse requires listed firms to "comply or explain" why not, and a "stewardship code" introduced the year before was supposed to encourage disgruntled investors to speak out. Experts laud the changes and say they may even be partly responsible for recent scandals coming to light. "Bad things happen at big companies. The question is, how are they dealt with," said Jesper Koll, CEO of fund manager WisdomTree Japan. "Sweeping them under the carpet is no longer an option." GAPS AND GLIMMERS Experts also warn against wholesale adoption of a U.S. model tying executive compensation to short-term investor returns. Some caution against at pointing the finger just at Japan, given scandals around the world, including Volkswagen's cheating on emissions. "If you start looking around the world, Japan has its problems, but are they really any worse than anywhere else?" said Andrew DeWit, a professor of policy studies at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. Still, big gaps remain to be filled in Japan. "At the level of policy, it is dramatic, but the content is underwhelming," Jamie Allen, secretary general of the Hong-Kong based Asian Corporate Governance Association, told Reuters. Requiring two outside directors - Toshiba had four on its 16-member board even as the scandal brewed - is insufficient if they lack they lack the authority or independence to challenge the CEO and other inside directors. "Most outside directors won't feel they ought to be questioning the corporate culture. They were invited to the board and they feel they ought to be polite," said Nicholas Benes, representative director of the Board Director Training Institute of Japan. Better protection for whistleblowers like Woodford would help. The government has a hotline for anonymous complaints but provides little protection or incentive for employees to speak out. Bolstering such protection would tell companies they have no alternative than to run a clean ship, Benes said. Glimmers of change have emerged. Retail group Seven & i named an executive backed by U.S. activist investor Daniel Loeb as president of its parent company earlier this month, prompting its 83-year-old patriarch Toshifumi Suzuki to resign. [nL3N17M2PO} Battered Sharp Corp's recent choice of Taiwan's Foxconn as its successful takeover suitor may also reflect the drive for better corporate governance. Still, broader and deeper change will take time, bolder reforms and education at all corporate levels, as well as among institutional investors often wary of challenging management. "It is a cultural issue - they have to give up hierarchical obedience," said University of Technology's Clarke. "They have to do this because if they cannot be more alert and agile as companies, they will not succeed in the modern world." (Additional reporting by Stanley White and Ritsuko Ando; Editing by Lincoln Feast) On Monday evening, the biggest names in fashion will gather in New York City for the annual Met Gala. With the documentary The First Monday in May having recently shed light on the galas behind-the-scenes elements, the world is sure to be paying as much attention as ever to the looks that come down the red carpet. And the celebrity invitees are sure to take their own stabs at interpreting this years themefashion in an age of technologywith futuristic looks. But, even as designers look to the future, its worth remembering that todays fashions are never truly divorced from those of the past. With that in mind, take a look back at the fashions of the 1950s, as shown on the cover of LIFE Magazine. Throughout the decade, the magazine traced the evolution of fashion from demure tailored shirts and classic beach looks to casual college trends and elegant evening wear. (And, of course, canasta pajamas.) For those whose preferred looks are less sci-fi and more retro, the photographs can be a trove of inspiration. Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk. Bike thieves are a big problem across the United States, especially in Southern California. Read: Many Restaurants With Kobe Beef on Their Menus Are Not Actually Serving Kobe Beef So INSIDE EDITION wanted to see how long it would take for a thief to snatch a pricey bike. To do so, Helens Cycles, a popular bike shop in Southern California, loaned us a $2,500 Trek mountain bike. Then, security expert Jason Cecchettini planted hidden GPS and radio tracking devices on the bike. IEs Lisa Guerrero locked the bike to a signpost in North Hollywood and soon enough, a man used a wire cutter to break the lock and take off with the bike. A wild chase ensued through the streets of North Hollywood. Using the tracking devices, we followed the thief to an underground Los Angeles Metro station and found him sitting on the train platform with the bike resting next to him. Why did you steal my bike? Guerrero asked. I wanted to get high. I'm an addict, he admitted. She replied: That gives you the right to take someone else's property? No. It doesn't, he said. The thief then took off on a train. Guerrero also locked the bike up on the Venice Beach boardwalk and once the sun went down, the bike attracted lots of interest. One man walked past the bike five times before pulling out a tool and cutting through the cable lock. There he goes. He just took our bike! Guerrero said as the thief pedaled away. Read: How Easy Is It to Buy An Armored Truck? Again, using GPS, we followed him for two-and-a-half miles to neighboring Marina Del Rey. You just stole my bike! Guerrero said. But he responded: I didn't steal this bike. I just saw it here. But his story changed when we showed him the video. This is the first time you've stolen a bike? Guerrero asked. Yes, the thief responded. Los Angeles Police Department officers arrived at the scene and arrested the thief. Story continues One of the officers thanked Inside Edition: This is great that you guys actually did this, he said. You probably got someone off the street that's been doing it for a while. Watch: Undercover Investigation Gets the 'Kingpin' of Bicycle Thieves Arrested Related Articles: Dakar (AFP) - Senegal and the United States on Monday signed a defence accord allowing "the permanent presence" of American soldiers in the west African country, especially to help fight against the terrorist threat. A key point of the accord will give US troops access to areas in Senegal, such as airports and military installations, in order to respond to security or health needs, according to officials, who did not talk about US bases in the country. The accord allows for "the permanent presence of American soldiers in Senegal" and aims to "face up to the common difficulties in security" in the region, said Senegalese Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye at the signing alongside the US ambassador to Dakar, James Zumwalt. After Ebola, which caused more than 11,000 deaths since late 2013 in West Africa, the US diplomat noted that the next crisis could be another epidemic, or a natural disaster calling for a humanitarian response "or a terrorist threat". The accord sets out the rules for cooperation between the US and Senegalese forces and the conditions for access and for using installations while US soldiers are in Senegal, Zumwalt added. It also allows for training to enable US and Senegalese forces "to be better prepared to respond together to the risks which threaten our common interests," he said. Senegal has up to now been spared the deadly jihadist attacks that have hit neighbouring countries, killing 30 people in Burkina Faso's capital in January and causing 19 deaths at an Ivory Coast beach resort in March. Dakar has beefed up security in many public places including hotels and administration buildings. On Friday night, Seth MacFarlane performed the first of two 90-minute shows of emotive American standards and Swing-era hidden gems at Wynn Las Vegas' Encore Theater, backed by the orchestra from Steve Wynn's ShowStoppers, plus a few musicians he brought in from Los Angeles. With just a stool and a decanter of what was presumably Jack Daniels, Frank Sinatra's favorite spirit, MacFarlane returned to the stage where he hosted "Sinatra 100 - An All-Star Grammy Concert" in December. MacFarlane delivered with one-liners that brilliantly intercut the classic vibe in the room. "I hope the Wynn don't kick me out like the Oscars did," he sang, "Steve, there's still time to fire me." He also modified the song "I Love Las Vegas" to his own comedic specifications, "I love Vegas like Mark Wahlberg loves his Teddy," he sang. And he, of course, offered the obligatory Trump joke: "New York in autumn the leaves get crisp, the air changes and Donald Trump turns even brighter orange." MacFarlane closed the night with an encore of the quintessential "Luck Be a Lady." After the show, it was all about the Wynn's new club Intrigue, as the stars hit the cream-colored club, the epicenter of which is an outdoor cascading multi-tiered waterfall and three water/fire fountains. More than two-dozen projectors with graphics from Vello Virkhaus' V Squared Labs enliven the space. Formerly Tryst nightclub, Intrigue ushers in a new era in Las Vegas nightlife, where electronic dance music DJs no longer will be the focus, according to Wynn COO and nightlife luminary Sean Christie. Instead of concert-style performances, he wants to shift the focus to the crowd, the service and the experience. Creed star Michael B. Jordan was fully feeling the social interaction vibe. "It's all about getting together and having a good time," he said. "There are many people coming from all over the country to support this club - I am lucky to be part of that crew." Read More: How to Celebrate Sinatra's 100th Birthday in Style in Las Vegas In contrast, Christie pointed out one of Intrigue's unique features, an amenity that most guests will never see: the Private Club. "If you're not known to us, then you're probably not going to get in," he said. "We want to cultivate an audience inside the Private Club for [VIPs] or people wanting a discreet experience." With a capacity of around 50 people, the enclave has a vinyl-only DJ booth with a wall of LPs on hand and bottle lockers inspired by Louis Vuitton steamer trunks: Each one is numbered and will be assigned to guests for spirit storage, should they need to hold a bottle for a return visit. There also is a small walk-up bar and mixology program for those mingling and not seated at one of a handful of tables. The most important feature of the PC is that it's a social media-free zone - those who take pictures will be warned and then asked to leave if they break the rule. "This is as private as you're going to get," said Christie. "A lot of celebrities don't like coming to Las Vegas nightclubs, because the next day a press release goes out. Here, we control the crowd maybe then they have a few drinks and say, 'Hey, you know what, I'm ready to go to that next level,' and all they have to do is open the door. We have back hallways that allow people to come into the experience without having to go through the public." Kate Hudson compared the experience to her Halloween Party, which also is a social media-less event. "I like it because I think we all need to be connecting more," she said. "I love social media, but it's nice to just put it away and people have more fun when the cameras are down and you are actually looking in each other's eyes. I'm not usually up in the club, but Intrigue is a wonderful excuse to have some fun." In contrast to what goes on in the Private Club, outside on the patio surrounding the waterfall, there are "selfie" stations with chandeliers providing the perfect lighting. The cinematic quality of Intrigue is paramount to Christie, who undoubtedly will shop it as a location as part of an initiative he has been working on to bring film and television projects to the resort, including 2015's Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, this year's Frank & Lola and coming in 2017, The House with Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler. As the party wound down, Rihanna popped in around 3 a.m., wearing a black silk jumpsuit, gold necklace and low bun. She had performed earlier in the night at Mandalay Bay. Social media rumors swirled that Leonardo DiCaprio also was in the house. On Saturday night, Intrigue's big moment will continue as it hosts Gigi Hadid's 21st birthday. Read More: All the Ways Gigi Hadid Celebrated Her Birthday Week Apparently The Interview the Seth Rogen-James Franco North Korea comedy that caused a political firestorm and led to the Sony hack was considered so legitimately dangerous that the studio hired security guards to protect Rogen and other key members of the creative team. Well, at least for a little while. Related: 8 Reasons the Sony Hack Was Even Crazier Than You Thought The studio provided the filmmakers with security, in case someone from North Korea was going to kill us, I guess, Rogen said during a recent episode of the U.K.s The Graham Norton Show. And then literally one day, they were just gone. I called everyone else. I was like, Is your guy still there? They were like, No, my guys gone. Rogens security guard didnt disappear because Kim Jong-un had him taken out; the star of Neighbors 2 said that Sony just didnt want to pay for him anymore. I was like, I guess Im safe now, he joked. Related: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron Battle Sorority Girls in Neighbors 2 NSFW New Trailer Rogen didnt explain whether the security guards were put in place pre- or post-Sony hack (post-, probably) nor how long they protected and served Rogen and his colleagues. But during his time sitting next to fellow guest Paul Rudd and chatting with Norton, he did tell a fascinating story about working with a live tiger while filming The Interview. Because apparently everything associated with that movie required people to put their lives in jeopardy. The Interview: Watch the teaser trailer: NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 2, 2016 / The following statement is being issued by Levi & Korsinsky, LLP: To: All Persons or Entities who purchased TiVo Inc. (TIVO) stock prior to April 29, 2016. You are hereby notified that Levi & Korsinsky, LLP has commenced an investigation into the fairness of the sale of TiVo Inc. to Rovi Corporation (ROVI) for $10.70 per share, comprised of $2.75 per share in cash and $7.95 in shares of the new holding company. To learn more about the action and your rights, go to: http://zlk.9nl.com/tivo or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@zlk.com or by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972. There is no cost or obligation to you. Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, and Washington D.C. The firm's attorneys have extensive expertise in prosecuting securities litigation involving financial fraud, representing investors throughout the nation in securities lawsuits and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders. For more information, please feel free to contact any of the attorneys listed below. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Joseph Levi, Esq. Eduard Korsinsky, Esq. 30 Broad Street - 24th Floor New York, NY 10004 Tel: (212) 363-7500 Toll Free: (877) 363-5972 Fax: (212) 363-7171 www.zlk.com SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Highlights of EMC Corporation's 1Q16 Results (Continued from Prior Part) Cloud infrastructure spending expected to rise YoY According to market research firm IDC, spending on cloud infrastructure gear is expected to have a CAGR of 12.5% between 20152020. While public cloud spending is expected to grow by 13.8%, private cloud spending is expected to rise by a CAGR of 10.2%. IDC expects 30.2% and 15.8% of its server, storage, and switch spending to go toward public and private cloud, respectively, by 2020. A substantial amount of cloud spending will go to white-box manufacturers such as Quanta, Compal, and Wistron. These firms revenues have increased significantly after selling services to heavyweights such as Amazon (AMZN), Facebook (FB), and Google (GOOG). Facebook accounts for 3.9% of the First Trust ISE Cloud Computing Index ETF (SKYY). IDC also projects cloud infrastructure will account for 46% of all spending on IT infrastructure by 2020. It stated that this growth will come at the expense of traditional data center infrastructure gear whose spending is expected to fall from 69.8% in 2015 to 54% in 2020. How will it impact companies in this sector? The fall in enterprise data center spending is likely to impact firms such as Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE), EMC, and NetApp (NTAP). HPE received 51% of its fiscal 2015 revenues from the Enterprise group, which provides IT hardware and related services. EMC Corp. (EMC) received almost 66% of its 2015 revenues from its Information Storage business and 27% from VMware (VMW). VMwares server virtualization software sales are under pressure, driven by the migration of workloads that ran on VMwares public clouds. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: The overwhelming majority of Detroit Public Schools will be closed Monday after the teachers union in the city called for a sickout over concerns about the finances of Michigans largest school district. The following schools will be closed tomorrow, Monday, May 2 due to teacher sickouts https://t.co/XKdR6SEpEy DetroitPublicSchools (@Detroitk12) May 2, 2016 In all, 94 out of 97 schools will be closed Monday, according to The Detroit News, which adds: Union leaders reacted harshly over the weekend after DPS Emergency Manager Steven Rhodes informed them the district wont be able to make payroll after $48.7 million in emergency state aid runs out on June 30. Rhodes acknowledged in an email to The Detroit News the school district will run out of money then. The Detroit Federation of Teachers, which represents most of the teachers taking part in Mondays sickout, said in a series of tweets that its members will rally at 10 a.m. outside the school districts central administration offices. The News adds: Public school teacher strikes are illegal in Michigan, and a spate of coordinated sickouts in DPS this winter has caused lawmakers to consider tightening the definition of what constitutes a strike. More from the newspaper: New questions about districts management under Rhodes predecessors came to light recently when the school district disclosed to state officials that up to $30 million in federal aid earmarked for employee pensions was never sent to the state pension fund. The Detroit News reported April 26 that the matter is being investigated in an audit. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Siemens AG will pay Israel 160 million shekels ($43 million) to settle a decade-old corruption case in which the German group was accused of bribing executives at a state-owned utility to win contracts, Israeli authorities said on Monday. The settlement was announced by Israel's Justice Ministry, which has been investigating whether Siemens paid millions of dollars in bribes to officials at Israel Electric Corp (IEC) to win contracts from 1999 to 2005. "We are pleased that the Israeli State Authorities chose to have an arrangement that does not include an indictment against Siemens AG recognising....that Siemens fully cooperated in the course of the investigation," Siemens said in an e-mailed statement. It said it planned to continue its business in Israel on a significant scale, including purchasing Israeli products and services and investing in Israeli companies. ($1 = 3.7450 shekels) (Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch in Jerusalem and Joern Poltz in Munich; Editing by David Evans and Keith Weir) May 2 (Reuters) - A Silicon Valley executive agreed to pay $534,303 to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charges he conducted insider trading in a semiconductor equipment company that was hoping to solicit a competing bid before being sold, the regulator said on Monday. Peter Nunan, 58, of Monte Sereno, California, was accused of buying 105,000 shares of FSI International Inc while it was in talks to be acquired by Tokyo Electron Ltd, based on confidential tips from an FSI director eager for a counteroffer from Japan's Screen Holdings Co. The SEC said Nunan, then a senior engineering fellow at a Screen Holdings unit, acted as a conduit in passing the director's tips to a Screen Holdings executive who evaluated potential mergers. Nunan bought his FSI shares in the six months before the Chaska, Minnesota-based company agreed to be acquired by Tokyo Electron on Aug. 13, 2012, news that caused FSI's stock price to rise 52 percent, the SEC said. He sold most of his shares a day later, it added. Under the settlement, Nunan will give up $254,858 of ill-gotten profit, pay a civil fine in the same amount, and pay $24,587 of interest. He did not admit or deny wrongdoing. A lawyer for Nunan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Alan Crosby) Two years ago, Silicon Valley nearly broke the internet with its elaborate dick joke. Now in its third season, the HBO series is poised to do it again - this time with a horse dick. On Sunday, the Mike Judge-created comedy served up a jaw-dropping scene featuring two thoroughbreds having sex (see below). The horse-humping takes place in the background as tech genius Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch) attempts to have a serious conversation with newcomer Jack Barker (Stephen Tobolowsky) about the future of his startup. But Richard, understandably, becomes distracted by the explicit act, which involves a very large, erect horse penis, lots of thrusting and, yes, even fluids. The graphic scene begs the question: Was it real? "Yes, they are really having sex," Judge, who directed the episode, tells The Hollywood Reporter. "There is no CG - we captured that moment." Given the unconventional nature of the shoot and HBO's less-than-perfect track record with horses (see: David Milch's short-lived drama Luck), THR caught up with Judge to discuss how YouTube videos inspired the scene, the FBI raid that delayed filming and why they had to repeat the footage in the editing room ("The horses actually go very quickly," he says with a laugh). So, the horses were really going at it? Yep, it's real horse porn. How did the idea originate? Originally we had them at a vintage racetrack, but we just weren't finding anything funny about it. I think it was Dick Costello, the ex-Twitter CEO who was in the writers room part-time this season, who told us about a guy who had just blown a ton of money on racehorses. So we started talking about racehorses and looked on YouTube. That's where we saw these videos of them having sex and it was just making us laugh. That's how it started. And then what did the next steps look like? Well, we had to do a lot of horse research. We kind of had our hopes dashed at one point because someone was saying, "Oh no, it's all done artificially. They would never do that." But then we looked into it further and found out that most species of thoroughbreds will only inseminate naturally. So we just looked for a place where it was actually going to happen. Story continues Are places like that fairly easy to find? Well actually the first place we went to shoot it, if our camera crew had gotten there about 15 minutes later, they would have gotten arrested. The whole place was some kind of front for selling pot down in Temecula somewhere. The FBI raided it and there were all these cop cars there saying, "Turn around!" So we had to reschedule it for a couple weeks later. Wow, so where did you actually end up filming? Up in one of the canyons between Westlake and Malibu. We just had to look for places where this was going to happen already and just shoot it since it's all real. How long did it take to get the money shot? Oh, less than a minute. That's the only thing that's fake is, well, the horses actually go very quickly. So we had to repeat the footage some - not too much, but if you cut it all together, the horse just finishes really fast. It would not go on as long as that conversation Richard and Jack are having in the scene. Do the horses need any sort of encouraging? Nope, the minute the male sees the mare in heat, no coaxing has to be done. (Laughs.) I mean, they go crazy. There's a bunch of videos on YouTube Did you have to do multiple takes? No, just that one shot. We had lined up some other opportunities in case that other one didn't work. But after the first one, we were good. We just set up those cameras and they went at it. Read More: Bros, Bongs and Bay Area Satire: On Set With HBO's 'Silicon Valley' Did you shoot the scene with the actors in front of the action or did you work some magic in post? We did a little bit of combining. We shot the horses getting it on, got that out of the way and then did the dialogue. It wasn't happening entirely when they were talking - that would have been very difficult to coordinate, but they were definitely at the horse place. How did everyone on set react? There was lots of laughing and lots of, "Oh my god, this is crazy. I can't believe we're doing this." It was funny, you would see one person after another just [lose it]. I think their reaction was basically similar to what Thomas' character is doing in the show. And you didn't have to cycle through multiple horses or anything? No, just those two onscreen. They're hard to find, but we got very lucky that it all worked. I mean, I would have kept trying if we hadn't gotten those two. Like I said, the only thing that threw us off was the FBI raid, which is just insane. What about the people onscreen who are holding the horses? Those are the wranglers. Their job is to breed the horses. They're there because you have to be careful - the studs get so excited that they sometimes injure the mare. So they are there specifically to keep the horses from getting hurt during the process because the horses are obviously really valuable as is their sperm. (Laughs.) I didn't really know much at all about horses before this, so we had to get some horse experts involved. I'm assuming the American Humane Association was also there to monitor things, yes? Yeah, we had the American Humane Society reps who oversee things any time there's an animal. HBO is really good about that. One thing I learned about this is that in the artificial insemination process - which is not the method we used but is the more standard way to do it - there are these male horses who start having sex with the female horses but are then pulled off before they ejaculate. So basically, this horse's entire life is having sex not to completion and being blue balled. I think the Humane Society ought to get involved in that one because that's really cruel. (Laughs.) Is that why you chose to go the natural route? It's just more clear what's going on. And the artificial way just doesn't look as fun. (Laughs.) If you look closely on camera, you can see that the horse definitely finished. Read More: 'Silicon Valley' Boss on Season 3, Mark Zuckerberg and Ex-Twitter CEO Dick Costolo What notes did HBO have? It's funny, I actually have an email from [senior vp of comedy programming] Amy Gravitt where she said, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but can we have more screen time with the horses having sex?" She actually asked for more sex. (Laughs.) She was right though, so we put it behind some more shots than we originally had. You might as well go all the way, right? Given that HBO has a questionable history of working with horses on Luck, what was their reaction when you pitched them a horse sex scene? They were just very sensitive and wanted to make sure that we did everything right. They're very good about that. Obviously, none of us wanted any damage to be done to the horses. But this is something they do all the time since, well, the evolution of horses so there was never any risk. Are you happy with how the scene turned out? I have to say, I was a little worried about it, but I've seen it in front of an audience and it got huge laughs. It came off better than I had hoped. It's funny, in the writers room, we were like, "Has anybody done this before? It seems like someone would have done this before." But I guess no one has had the poor taste. See More: Emmys: Inside HBO's Bro-Centric Comedy 'Silicon Valley' ROME, May 2 (Reuters) - Talks on concluding Greece's bailout review to unlock new funds and debt relief are progressing only slowly and no deal is likely at a special meeting of euro zone finance ministers on May 9, two sources close to the talks said on Monday. The sources said it would take longer to reach a deal on reforms needed to complete the review of Greece's third international financial rescue and agree on contingency steps that Athens must ready in case it misses its fiscal targets. "We're making slow progress," one of the sources said. "I wouldn't expect a final agreement at the May 9 meeting. That's too soon. There are some weeks to go after that." The biggest remaining obstacle is the form and content of the contingency measures, which Greece is resisting, he said. The source said it would be preferable to wrap up an accord before Britain's June 23 referendum on whether to stay in the European Union to avoid any atmosphere of crisis at that time. However, he said Greece did not need the next tranche of euro zone funds until mid-July, so there was no sense of overwhelming urgency. The second source said more time was also needed to bridge the gaps between the International Monetary Fund and European lenders on a debt restructuring for Greece, with Germany - the biggest European creditor - arguing publicly that Athens does not need debt relief. The chairman of euro zone finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, last week called an extraordinary meeting of the Eurogroup for May 9 amid reports that an agreement was close. European Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici told reporters then: "We are 99 percent of the way there, we have converged on almost all aspects", referring to the basic reform package. But he added that more work was needed on the contingency steps. (Writing by Paul Taylor; Editing by Jan Strupczewski and Gareth Jones) Shares of Sonic Automotive Inc. SAH increased 15.3% to $19.04 on Apr 26, after the company reported first-quarter 2016 results. Sonic Automotive recorded adjusted earnings per share of 39 cents in the first quarter of 2016 that increased 5.4% from 37 cents earned in the year-ago quarter. However, earnings per share fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 40 cents. Adjusted net income was $18.2 million compared with $18.8 million in the first quarter of 2015. On a reported basis, Sonic Automotives earnings from continuing operations came in at $14.5 million or 31 cents per share, up from $14.4 million or 28 cents per share in the prior-year quarter. Total revenue in the quarter was $2.23 billion, almost in line with the year-ago quarter. However, the figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.33 billion. Revenues from new vehicles decreased 3.1% to $1.2 billion, while the same from used vehicles improved 0.8% to $598.4 million in the quarter. Wholesale vehicle revenues rose 6.5% to $44.4 million. Revenues from parts, service and collision repair increased 7.1% to $346.1 million, while finance, insurance and other revenues grew 8.9% to $81.3 million. Gross profit improved 3% to $345.2 million in the reported quarter from $335 million a year ago. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased to $284.4 million from $270.9 million in the year-ago quarter. The company recorded operating loss of $18.5 million compared to $16.4 million in the first quarter of 2015. Dividend Update The board of directors of Sonic Automotive announced a quarterly dividend of 5 cents per share. The dividend will be paid on Jul 15, to shareholders on record as of Jun 15, 2016. Share Repurchases In the first quarter of 2016, Sonic Automotive repurchased 4.1 million shares for $74.4 million. The companys board of directors increased its share repurchase authorization by $100 million during the quarter. As of Mar 31, 2016, the company had around $70.6 million remaining under its share repurchases authorization. From Mar 31, through Apr 26, 2016, the company repurchased 363,000 shares for $6.4 million. Business Update Sonic Automotive expects that the EchoPark stores will continue to grow and mature. The company is focused on expansion in Denver. It will open two new stores in the Denver market in the second quarter of 2016 and another store by the end of this year. Sonic Automotive will also introduce the EchoPark brand in the Texas and Carolinas markets by 2017. 2016 Outlook Sonic Automotive reaffirmed its earnings per share guidance in the range of $2.07$2.17. In 2016, the company will invest around $250 million for acquiring land and setting up facilities. Charlotte, NC-based Sonic Automotive is a Fortune 500 company and one of the prominent automotive retailers in the U.S. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Stocks to Consider Some better-ranked automobile stocks include Lear Corp. LEA, Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation FDML and Superior Industries International, Inc. SUP. All three stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report SONIC AUTOMOTVE (SAH): Free Stock Analysis Report SUPERIOR INDS (SUP): Free Stock Analysis Report LEAR CORPORATN (LEA): Free Stock Analysis Report FEDERAL MOGUL-A (FDML): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By Harro Ten Wolde FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German online music start-up SoundCloud said on Tuesday it has expanded its new subscription service SoundCloud Go to the United Kingdom and Ireland, weeks after launching in the United States as it chases competitors such as Apple and Spotify. SoundCloud, which enables people to record, upload, promote, and share their own music and other audio files, said it would offer its content free of advertising in the UK for a monthly subscription fee of 9.99 pounds ($14.64) and in Ireland for 9.99 euros ($11.50). Last year consumers spent $5 billion on music streaming subscriptions, a rise of 70 percent from the previous year. "Streaming is at a very early stage," Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud's Chief Technology Officer and co-founder told Reuters. "SoundCloud is not a profitable business yet. And that is very intentional. We are investing heavily in growth and that is what we will continue to do. We are in this for the long haul." SoundCloud currently has 175 million users but Wahlforss said he could not give an indication of its number of paying subscribers as most of them were still in their free trial period. Spotify had 30 million subscribers at the end of March, while Apple Music had a tally of more than 10 million subscribers early this year. SoundCloud's Wahlforss said the company would rapidly introduce SoundCloud Go to other countries around the world. "We are planning to roll out to multiple territories this year. We are looking at a couple of years to really take this to the whole world," he said, declining to give further details about the next countries it intends to roll out. Financing the roll-out is not a problem, Wahlforss said. SoundCloud earlier this year raised around $35 million in debt financing and has an option to secure another $70 million through a convertible bond. "The business is well funded and we can continue executing according to plan," Wahlforss said. (Additional reporting by Eric Auchard; Editing by Greg Mahlich) South Korea warned on Monday there is a risk of its citizens being abducted by Pyongyang in retaliation for the defection of a dozen North Korean staff at a restaurant in China. Twelve women working at the restaurant in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo defected to the South with their manager last month. Seoul said they came voluntarily while the North insists they were tricked into defecting by South Korean spies who effectively "kidnapped" them. The South's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korea affairs, said overseas missions had been advised to heighten their vigilance. "We are closely watching out for multiple possibilities, including abduction or terrorism ... by the North," said ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-Hee. "We are trying to ensure the safety of our nationals," he told reporters. Seoul's Hankook Ilbo daily reported Monday that Pyongyang was plotting to abduct South Koreans to trade for the 13 defectors. "They set the target of 120 people including expats, soldiers and officials," the newspaper said, citing an official source familiar with North Korean affairs. Nearly 30,000 North Koreans have, over the decades, fled poverty and repression at home to settle in the capitalist South. But group defections are rare, especially by overseas restaurant staff who are generally hand-picked from families that are "loyal" to the regime. Pyongyang has proposed sending the women's parents to Seoul to meet their daughters and has released a video of them tearfully demanding their return. North Korea has a track record when it comes to abductions. In the most high-profile case, late leader Kim Jong-Il had a famed South Korean film director and his actress wife kidnapped in Hong Kong in 1978, in order to make films in the North. The couple escaped in 1986. In 2002, North Korea admitted it had kidnapped 13 Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s to train its spies in Japanese language and customs. gentrification, up-and-coming, 'it' neighborhood First come the shabby chic bars with cleverly updated snacks (masala Chex Mix, anyone?). Then theres the influx of bearded, skinny-jeans-wearing hipsters. Then a cute cafe pops up on one corner, a farm-to-table eatery helmed by a chef with a pedigree on another. Suddenly, the neighborhood is hot, hot, hotwith the housing prices to prove it. Welcome to gentrification, both the scourge and the savior of low-income areas throughout the nations most desirable cities. So how can buyers without crystal balls figure out exactly which neighborhoods are about to popthe ones that are great deals now and will be wildly popular (and unaffordable) in just a few years? Think of it as real estate roulette. Its an exciting game with a huge payout, but steeper-than-ever odds. More and more buyers are searching for the next Williamsburg or Austin or even Oakland. Buts its challenging these days to truly get ahead of the market and find gentrifying neighborhoods, according to a Washington Post analysis of Black Knight Financial Services data. Timing and prescience are everything in this game. Its too late, for example, for buyers trying to score an amazing deal in Brooklyns long-downtrodden Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, a historic area that is now poised for a major renaissance. A ZIP code in Bed-Stuy topped the list of hoods with the highest price appreciation of single-family homes, rising a whopping 194%, according to the Post analysis of data from 2004 through 2015. For comparison, a typical single-family homes value went up just under 14% during the same time period. The median listing price for homes in newly chic Bed-Stuyan area once best known as a late-night punch line in standup routines about street crimewas $1,374,500, according to realtor.com. The neighborhood, filled with fabulous brownstones, borders uber-uber-pricey/trendy Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Buyers on the prowl for these kinds of opportunities should note that gentrification typically happens only in the most in-demand areas and cities where theres a shortage of prime housing, says Daniel Shoag, a public policy professor at Harvard University. But experts say there may be signs that an area is destined for hotness, providing home buyers with the best return on their investments. Story continues They should focus on neighborhoods next to richer ones where there is likely to be spillover, he says. One way to plot out potential purchases is to pull out a map of the city and look at the outlying neighborhoods, says Eric Benaim, CEO of Modern Spaces, a real estate brokerage in several of New York Citys once up-and-coming neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn. They should then evaluate the areas school systems, proximity to public transportation, and parking spot prices over the past few years. If the price to park a car is heading up, its a sign that more residents of means are moving in. Buyers should also look into industrial swaths of cities that have recently been rezoned. Those blocks of abandoned warehouses could be turned into lofts or knocked down to make way for high-rise towers, Benaim says. And dont forget the artists. They make a not-so-cool neighborhood cool. Developers usually follow, [as do] the coffee shops, bookstores, and galleries, he says. Then the prices go up and, unfortunately for the artists, they get priced out and have to move to the next neighborhood. Other signs of gentrification include an increase in homes with updated exteriors and expansion by local employers such as corporations and hospitals, says Rob Silverman, an urban planning professor at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Those types of investments are signs that an area might be turning around, Silverman says. Walkable neighborhoods with architecturally interesting homes are also more likely to come up. But buyers should be prepared to hurry up to score the best dealand then wait for home prices to appreciate. In some places, it might take 10 or 15 years for a neighborhood to completely turn around, Silverman says. In other places, where the level of investment is higher, gentrification might take half that time. Here are some of the biggest price rises due to gentrification: Brooklyn, NY (11216) at 194%, to a median $1,374,500 Austin, TX (78702) at 172%, to a median $398,450 Portland, OR (97227) at 108%, to a median $537,500 Nashville, TN (37206) at 108%, to a median $389,450 New Orleans (70119) at 108%, to a median $289,900 Source: ZIP codes and percentages are from the Washington Post analysis of Black Knight Financial Services data from 2004 through 2015. Median prices are from realtor.com. The post How to Spot the Next Neighborhood Thats Ready to Gentrify appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com. Related Articles Starbucks We've all experienced the annoyance of buying an ice coffee only to be left with nothing but a cup of ice after a few long sips. One woman, however, is trying to turn that moment of annoyance into a class-action lawsuit. Starbucks is facing a $5 million lawsuit over the amount of ice the chain uses in its drinks, NBC News reports. The lawsuit was filed in Northern Illinois Federal Court last week by Stacy Pincus. NBC reports that the suit claims the coffee chain is tricking customers by adding too much ice to its beverages in an attempt to increase the drinks' profitability. For example, while a Venti drink is advertised as containing 24 fluid ounces, customers ordering a Venti will typically receive about 14 fluid ounces of the Starbucks cold drink, whether it be ice coffee, ice tea, Refreshers or Fizzio handcrafted sodas. Ice chunks fill up the rest of the cup, something the lawsuit argues is misleading and false advertising. The proposed class-action case seeks to represent the "millions" of customers who have purchased a cold drink from Starbucks in the past 10 years. Starbucks representative Jaime Riley said in a statement to Business Insider that the lawsuit was "without merit," as "customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any 'iced' beverage." The lawsuit comes on the heels of another case in which customers claim Starbucks is purposefully ripping off customers. A class-action lawsuit filed in March accuses the chain of underfilling lattes by roughly 25%. NOW WATCH: How to make a 'flat white' the Australian coffee drink that has Americans all confused More From Business Insider Real estate investment trust (REIT) Rayonier Inc. RYN is expected to report first-quarter 2016 results on May 4, 2016, after the market closes. The company reported a positive earnings surprise of 28.57% in the preceding quarter, and an average beat of 20.78% for the trailing four quarters. The Zacks Consensus estimate for first-quarter earnings is currently pegged at 8 cents. Lets see how things have shaped up prior to this announcement. Factors to Consider Rayonier owns or leases a 2.7 million acres of timberland in some of the most productive timber-growing regions of the U.S. and New Zealand. Importantly, the timberlands are strategically located near the pulpwood consuming mills which manufacture products for the growing end-markets. In addition, a rising demand from pellet manufacturers, mainly in Texas and Georgia, is aiding the REIT. All these should have positive impact on first-quarter 2016 results. Also, the company enjoys favorable demand-supply dynamics and is, therefore, able to enjoy better pricing power. Further, the company aims at enhancing its timberland base through disciplined acquisition. However, similar to other timberland REITs, Rayoniers business is governed by rules of the federal and state forestry commissions. In other words, Rayonier has to comply with stricter regulatory requirements compared with other industries. Further, higher degree of volatility in timber prices and seasonality associated with forest products industry continue to pose headwinds before the company. Moreover, Rayonier faces cut-throat competition from national and local players regarding a number of factors, including quality and price. Also, wood products, in general, are encountering increasing rivalry from a variety of substitutes like non-wood and engineered wood products. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that Rayonier will beat earnings this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. That is not the case here as you will see below. Zacks ESP: Both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate currently stand at 8 cents, which translates into an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. Zacks Rank: Rayoniers Zacks Rank #3, when combined with a 0.00% Earnings ESP, makes surprise prediction difficult. Note that we caution against stocks with Zacks Rank #4 or #5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Stocks to Consider Here are a few stocks in the REIT sector you may want to consider instead, as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to post a positive surprise this quarter: Douglas Emmett Inc DEI has an Earnings ESP of +2.38% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company will report on May 3. Gramercy Property Trust Inc. GPT has an Earnings ESP of +5.88% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company will release results on May 4. Federal Realty Investment Trust FRT has an Earnings ESP of +1.46% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company will report first-quarter 2016 results on May 4. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report RAYONIER INC (RYN): Free Stock Analysis Report FED RLTY INV (FRT): Free Stock Analysis Report DOUGLAS EMMETT (DEI): Free Stock Analysis Report GRAMERCY PPT TR (GPT): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research In the days of yore, summer times were reserved for visits to grandparents homes or maybe a swimming or an art/hobby class but largely a whole lot of time just doing nothing. Times are changing and now, it is not uncommon to find parents planning study vacations abroad to enable their kids to learn a new skill which could be either related to academics or be just to better their personalities or further a sport. Kids have never been busier; perhaps more so during the holidays and surely, nobody wants to waste a single minute whiling away doing sweet nothings. Summer courses in institutions of repute especially are a great way to familiarise oneself with the challenges of living abroad, adapting to different cultures and experiencing new learning environments. The exposure offered is tremendous and it is a great way to build confidence, learn a new skill, make new friends .. all this while having loads of fun. The courses vary from one week to even three months and most of the top universities offer them in a range of subjects from law, economics, humanities, arts, painting, medicine and health, management, computer science, ..the list is endless. All this of course, for a price. We list here some options: http://pages.jh.edu/summer/precollege/summer/miniterms John Hopkins University has courses in molecular biology, medicine, nutrition, counselling, CAD and many others. http://www.lse.ac.uk/study/summerSchools/summerSchool/courses If one wants to experience a slice of London School of Economics, courses galore in areas of social sciences, arts ,design and architecture, environmental studies, journalism and media and the likes. https://summer.stanford Stanford too has summer courses in many fields like engineering & technology, natural sciences & mathematics, hospitality, leisure & sports, agriculture & forestry, computer science and a host of other fantastic ones. http://oxfordsummercourses.com Story continues If Oxford is on your wish list for higher studies, what better way to experience life at Oxford than testing with short summer courses. From philosophy to classical civilisation, physics, chemistry, English, theology, philosophy, the choice is vast and aplenty. http://summer.berkeley.edu If Berkeley is your dream destination, you can select from film and media, engineering, ethnic studies, energy, environmental design, landscape architecture, gender and womens studies and whole lot of the unusual stuff can be explored here. http://wharton.braingainmag.com Who wouldnt want a slice of Wharton? At US$5000, you can enrol in their KWHS Global Young Leaders Academy which is a two-week intensive, summer leadership program designed for the 15 - 18 age group. It combines business studies and hands-on workshops, with organized field trips and socio-cultural activities. The program draws its content from more than 400 lesson plans on the Knowledge@Wharton High School portal with focus on economics, finance, entrepreneurship, leadership and social studies. If the aim is to enrich your childs life in more ways than one, volunteering abroad too is an incredible way to partake in community service initiatives. http://www.goeco.org/tags/teenage-volunteeringTeenage Goeco.org offers fantastic programs all over the world which help one give back to the society while enriching lives. One can choose from projects in Asiua, Australasia, Africa, Europe, Israel, South & Central Americas and South Africa. If you are passionate about wild life and want to make a difference, then you could volunteer at the African Wildlife Ranch by helping their staff with conservation efforts and experience close encounters with a range of fascinating creatures! One could also travel to South Africa and volunteer in the Great White Shark capital of the world. Cage dive with Great Whites and contribute to marine conservation and eco-tourism efforts in the stunning Gansbaai area! The site offers plenty of opportunities in various categories like medical, humanities, education, wildlife et al. Worth a dekko if your idea of education is not limited to classroom studies and if you are a passionate giver. https://www.volunteeringsolutions.com This site offers options in 21 countries with 122 options! You could volunteer in childcare - social welfare project work in childcare centers, orphanages, safe houses for women and children or in a home for physically and mentally challenged in Cape Town or join the Medical internship Program and work at the local government and private Nepalese hospitals and medical clinics in Nepal or volunteer at an Elephant Camp near Chiang Mai. The Elephant Camp is surrounded by lush green mountains from all sides. Volunteers assist and work alongside elephant trainers and other Camp staff to bathe and feed elephants and help with safety procedures with day tourists upon their arrival. They also learn how to be elephant trainers. Alternately, there are women empowerment programs in Rabat - Morocco, to improve the lives of women in Morocco as still lot of women are abused and live in abject poverty. One can also spend time in teaching them skills such as sewing, painting, cooking, computer and other skills which can help them in their daily lives. These volunteering projects help not just make a difference to the society but also enrich the participants lives by teaching them more than classrooms ever can. Images Courtesy : Ananya R. After weeks of will-he-or-wont-he legal wrangling and posturing, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge today ruled that Sumner Redstone will give testimony in the looming trial over who controls the moguls health care and ultimately perhaps who pulls the strings on his approximately $40 billion in corporate assets. As the only concern of this case is Redstones welfare, his appearance is of the utmost significance, Judge David Cowan said in a tentative ruling Monday. However, testimony from the 92-year old media mogul will not take place in a downtown courtroom. The ruling stipulates that Pierce ODonnell or another lawyer for Redstones ex-companion Manuela Herzer can take 15 minutes of testimony at Redstones Beverly Hills home. A lawyer for Redstone can then have 15 minutes to question the mogul. While Herzer and Redstone family members are not allowed to be present, speech therapist Anne Lefton will be in the room to assist if the moguls speech impediment becomes an issue. Although no date for the testimony has been set, it is expected to take place in the next couple of days as Redstone is the first witness being called by the plaintiff on Friday. Video of the questioning will be taken and shown in a closed courtroom and wont be made public; a transcript will made public after Cowan sees the footage. With four days to go until the trial over the ex-Viacom and CBS boss heath care and competency begins, Cowans ruling Monday that the ailing 92-year Redstone does have make an appearance of sorts is just the latest twist in the more than five-month-old matter and the already embarrassing and potentially corporately divisive proceedings. Once promising settlement talks with Herzer remain scuttled. Allowing Redstone to testify at home is consistent with accommodations to which a person with disabilities would be rightfully entitled, said Cowans tentative today. As a cautionary measure, Redstones counsel shall also have the unilateral right to terminate the deposition should he or she believe there is at that time any risk to Redstones health going forward. The Court expects that the experienced lead counsel for Herzer shall take the deposition in a non-adversarial way so as not to cause undue stress to Redstone. Story continues Earlier Monday, Herzers Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinge lawyers filled an opposition to the attempt by Redstones attorneys to keep the mogul out of the trial directly. This very motion to quash is still another attempt on the part of Counsel to sequester Redstone in Beverly Park and prevent the Court from seeing for itself his tragically debilitated mental condition, stated the redacted 17-page filing (read it here). This latest sparring over the media moguls presence in the case be it in the courtroom or another location started last week when Herzers legal team filed to have Redstone as a witness. Having promised in an April 14 hearing that they would not call their client as a witness, Redstones Loeb & Loeb attorneys pushed to keep him out of the matter, citing his speech impediment and other maladies. At one point lat month, Redstones lawyers floated the notion of having the mogul offer written testimony, but Cowan quickly put an end to that idea. Philippe Dauman Shari Redstone Set to start on May 6 in L.A. Superior Court, the non-jury trial stemming out of Herzers initial late-November filing will also see appearances by Herzer; a plethora of medical professionals and household employees; plus Sheri Redstone; her fathers other ex-companion Sydney Holland; and Viacom CEO and chairman Philippe Dauman. The Viacom chief, who is also Redstones current health care agent, will likely appear in video snippets from his April 26 NYC deposition. With a final status conference scheduled for May 5, the trial will run until May 16 with short opening arguments by both sides Friday morning. In other moves in the matter, Herzers side has filed paperwork (read it here) requesting the court to divide the trial. In a tactical move of having your cake and eating it too, the legal team want the competency issue dealt with first and the undue influence topic only addressed if Cowan doesnt decide initially that the media mogul is incompetent. Cowan deferred any decision on the bifurcation until the May 5 status conference. That competency has been at the heart of the matter since Herzer first turned to the courts late last fall after being kicked out of Redstones Beverly Hills home, dropped from a $70 million payout of cash and real estate in his will, and replaced by Dauman as the person who is enabled to make medical decisions for the mogul if he cant for himself. Calling Redstone a living ghost, Herzer alleges that he didnt want the changes made and may not have even independently signed the required documents. RelatedSumner Redstone Wont Have To Give Deposition In Health Care Lawsuit Adding fuel to Herers fire, it now looks like that Redstones condition has been in question by his own people for over a year. A recently revealed April 9, 2015 email from an estate-planning lawyer advising Herzer and then fellow Redstone companion Holland on behalf of the moguls reps expressed concerns about his state serious concerns. In reference to a then-upcoming Vanity Fair interview, Adam Streisand warned Herzer and Holland that if Redstone shamed his daughter Sheri, she might seek a conservatorship over him that could mean, his current condition will become public, and Viacom will have to remove Sumner as an officer/director and stop paying him compensation. U.S. Markets Hope To Recover After Major Losses Last Week With Redstone still controlling 80% of the voting shares at Viacom and CBS, such corporate moves could have big-money implications. To that end, Wall Street is paying a lot of attention even though Redstone is now more removed from the immediacy of corporate diligence. After submitting to a court-ordered medical examination by a doctor of Herzers in late January, the National Amusements Inc. owner resigned from his position as executive chairman at CBS on February 3, with Les Moonves replacing him soon afterward in a clear attempt to avoid further corporate controversy. The next day, Redstone dropped being executive chairman of Viacom with Dauman voted in to the job by the board over the clear objections of Sheri Redstone. The younger Redstone was set to take over from Dauman as her fathers health care agent in the deal that was being formatted in settlement talks last month. That all came crashing down when things hit an impasse, in the words of Herzers lead lawyer ODonnell, and fell apart in mid-April. At that time, sources told Deadline that Sheri Redstone was a big proponent of a deal with Herzer. Now the younger Redstone and Herzer will both have the opportunity to give their opinion on the state of Sumner in the trial both ultimately probably wanted to avoid so will, it seems, Sumner Redstone himself. Related stories Watch: Tony Awards Nominations Live Stream 'Star Trek': CBS Series To Begin Filming This Fall In Toronto TV Upfronts 2016 Schedule: NBC, ESPN & Fox Consolidate Events; CBS At The Plaza VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 2, 2016 / Sunridge Gold Corp. (the "Company" or "Sunridge") (TSX.V: SGC / OTCQX: SGCNF) reports that an estimated total amount of $88.7 million will be distributed in two distributions as a return of capital to its shareholders of record on May 18, 2016 (the "Record Date"), the date the Board of Directors has determined as the record date. Sunridge will apply to the TSX Venture Exchange to have both its shares and share purchase warrants de-listed from trading effective at the close of trading on May 13, 2016 (the "De-Listing Date") to allow the trades to settle in advance of the Record Date. As part of the Company's reorganization for the next 6 months until dissolution Craig Angus, Neil O'Brien and Steve Gatley will resign from the Board of Directors of Sunridge on the De-Listing Date to leave four directors on the board. All remaining directors and management continuing with the Company until dissolution offer their gratitude and thanks the outgoing director's oversight, contribution and dedication over the years that they have served Sunridge. In addition, with effect on April 30, 2016, employment will be terminated for Scott Ansell (VP Project Development), David Daoud (VP Exploration and Geology) and Greg Davis (VP Business Development). Sunridge management and directors takes this opportunity to thank them for all of their hard work and contributions to the success of the Asmara project. As announced on April 26, 2016, the Company was paid a total of US$68.6 million net of taxes paid to the government of Eritrea on closing the sale of Sunridge's 60% interest in the Asmara Mining Share Company ("AMSC") to Sichuan Road & Bridge Mining Investment Development Corp. Ltd. ("SRBM"). The second and final instalment of US$7.33 million from SRBM, which is secured by a bank guarantee, is required to be paid to Sunridge by October 26, 2016. On January 22, 2016, the shareholders of Sunridge approved the distribution of the net proceeds of the sale of AMSC as a return on capital to the shareholders in two tranches (the "Distributions") and after having satisfied all the liabilities of the Company to be followed by the voluntary dissolution of Sunridge. The Board of Directors is withholding certain funds from the first Distribution to meet the obligations of the Company and its continued operation for the next 6 months until dissolution and have determined that, assuming a US dollars/Canadian dollars exchange rate of 1.25 on the date the funds are converted to Canadian dollars prior to the distribution that the estimated first Distribution will total $77.5 million or $0.35 per share. It has been assumed in this calculation that all stock options and share purchase warrants that have an exercise price of under $0.35 per share will have been exercised before the Record Date. This first Distribution will therefore be adjusted by the actual proceeds from exercise of outstanding stock options and share purchase warrants and the actual amount of the previously announced $0.02 payment made to warrant holders of record on the Record Date for the cancellation of listed share purchase warrants that have not been exercised before the Record Date. As it is not yet known what the bank buy rate of US dollars will be on the payment date of the first Distribution or how many stock options and/or share purchase warrants will be exercised before the Record Date it is not possible to state with certainty the exact amount of the first Distribution. The Company will announce the actual adjusted amount on May 16, 2016. This first Distribution will be paid to shareholders of record on the Record Date by the Company's transfer agent approximately three business days from the Record Date. On that same day, the Company's transfer agent will pay the warrant holders of record on the Record Date a cancellation fee of $0.02. The second Distribution is expected to be paid to the same shareholders of record on the Record Date on or about November 4, 2016. The amount to be distributed will include the final principal and interest of the Deferred Payment, combined with any remaining cash after all remaining obligations of the Company have been settled and is currently expected to be a further $0.04 to $0.05 a share. The Company will then voluntarily dissolve after the second Distribution has been paid and all obligations of the Company have been settled. For additional information on the Company visit our website at www.sunridgegold.com or call Greg Davis at the number listed below. SUNRIDGE GOLD CORP. "Michael Hopley" Michael Hopley, President and Chief Executive Officer For further information contact: Greg Davis, VP Business Development Email: greg@sunridgegold.com Tel: 604-688-1263 (direct) Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains certain statements or disclosures that may constitute forward-looking statements or information ("forward-looking statements") under applicable securities laws. All statements and disclosures, other than those of historical fact, which address activities, events, outcomes, results or developments that management or the directors of the Company, anticipate or expect may, or will occur in the future (in whole or in part) should be considered forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements presented in such statements or disclosures may, among other things, relate to: the currency exchange rates, the amounts to be paid and the provisions to be made to settle the Company's obligations, the timing and amounts of any cash distributions to be made by the Company, and the planned dissolution of the Company. Risks and uncertainties relating to such matters include Chinese regulatory approvals and other risks and uncertainties of completing complex international transactions. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or disclosures. SOURCE: Sunridge Gold Corp. By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined a request from shareholders seeking to revive their class action lawsuit against BP claiming the British oil company misrepresented its safety procedures prior to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The court left in place a September 2015 ruling by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that refused to certify the lawsuit filed by investors who bought shares in the 2-1/2 years before the spill. BP'swill@cvradio.com
Here's your guide to Corpus Christi's Dia de los Muertos festival
The goals for the event are to celebrate and honor the cultural heritage of Mexico and educate and unite the Corpus Christi community.
SHARE
By Chris Ramirez of the Caller-Times
NuStar Energy cracked the top 10 on Fortune Magazine's coveted "50 Best Workplaces for Giving Back" list.
The San Antonio master limited partnership ranked ninth on the list compiled by the business publication. It was the only the only energy company on the ranking.
Great Place to Work Institute analyzed surveys from nearly 600 companies to rank those that best create a sense of purpose and meaning among their employees through involvement in the community. The Best Workplaces for Giving Back also considered feedback from about 240,000 employees, as well as their companies' volunteer programs and charitable giving relative to revenue.
In a statement, NuStar president/CEO Brad Barron credited board chairman Bill Greehey with fostering a culture of caring and sharing within the company.
NuStar operates 8,643 miles of pipeline and 87 terminal and storage facilities that store and distribute crude oil, refined products and specialty liquids.
The company has deep roots in the Coastal Bend, having invested more than $70 million in its Corpus Christi operations the past 10 years. In 2014, it completed work on a new dock at the Port of Corpus Christi, with a storage capacity of 1.6 million barrels.
Twitter: @Caller_ChrisRam
Natalia Contreras/Caller-Times Mary Garcia adds a hair piece on her granddaughter Mariela Garcia, 8, on Sunday before a performance. Mariela danced a traditional San Luis Potosi dance during the KSAB 99.9 annual Cinco de Mayo festival at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds.
SHARE Natalia Contreras/Caller-Times Members of the Alcorta's Compania de Danza Folklorica perform Sunday at the KSAB 99.9 annual Cinco de Mayo festival at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds. Natalia Contreras/Caller-Times Members of the Alcorta's Compania de Danza Folklorica perform Sunday at the KSAB 99.9 annual Cinco de Mayo festival at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds.
By Natalia Contreras of the Caller-Times
Mariela Garcia, 8, said she has been dancing Folklorico since she was 3 years old.
On Sunday, Mariela wore a traditional dress from San Luis Potosi.
"I like the outfits and the music," Mariela said as she stood patiently by her grandmother, Mary Garcia, who added a hair piece on her before her performance.
Mariela performed with the Alcorta's Compania de Danza Folklorica during the KSAB 99.9 annual Cinco de Mayo festival at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds in Robstown.
Garcia said her granddaughter has performed at the festival for the past four years.
She said she is proud to know her granddaughter knows about her culture and her roots at an early age.
"It's so important that these kids know about their culture," Garcia said. "They should never forget about it."
The festival featured about 15 food and 35 retail arts and crafts vendors.
Live music included Ricky Naranjo y Los Gamblers, Chente Barrera y Taconazo, La Conquista, Gabriel Zavala, Vidal, and Juan P. Moreno & The Texas Renegades.
Celeste Herrera, KSAB 99.9 account executive said for several years the event's purpose has been to bring family fun and culture to the community.
She said event officials welcome about 3,000 listeners from the Coastal Bend at the festival.
"This has always been our favorite event because people can bring friends and family," Herrera said. "It's also a chance to embrace our Hispanic culture through music, food and the vendors here."
Brenda Garza said this was the first time she and her family attended the festival.
She said she tries to expose her children, Jaxen, 2, and Kaylee, 1, to Hispanic celebrations as much as she can.
"We saw this on Facebook and thought it would be a good way to get together and get out," Garza said. "There are a lot of kids who don't speak Spanish or maybe their parents don't either. It's always good to know about that part of yourself."
Twitter: @CallerNatalia
SHARE Andrews
By Krista M. Torralva of the Caller-Times
The Bexar County District Attorney's Office dismissed a barratry case against a Corpus Christi lawyer Monday.
Prosecutors cited insufficient evidence to prosecute Keith Gould, 54, who had been indicted in 2014 on three counts of barratry.
Barratry, or illegally soliciting clients, is commonly known as ambulance chasing.
"The state is unable to prove all the elements of the offense of barratry beyond a reasonable doubt," prosecutors wrote in the dismissal form filed in 186 District Judge Jefferson Moore's court.
The case stemmed from circumstances surrounding a 2011 lawsuit filed by a former employee who claimed the Gould Law Firm in Corpus Christi and the Andrews and Gould Law Firm in San Antonio paid employees to solicit cases.
Gould was not immediately available for comment Monday. In 2011, Gould said the lawsuit was the result of a disgruntled employee who was fired for misconduct and insubordination.
Gould's lawyer, Demetrio Duarte, praised the justice system for working correctly in the case against Gould and called Gould a "good and honest lawyer."
Paul David Andrews, 59, was also charged with barratry and solicitation of capital murder. As part of a plea deal, Andrews pleaded no contest in March to solicitation of murder and the barratry charges will be dismissed, court officials said. Andrews, who is out of jail on bail, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12. Andrews gave up his law license in lieu of discipline in 2014.
Officials told the San Antonio Express News that an informant told investigators that Andrews made plans with him to have a witness in the barratry case killed. The former employee sued Andrews and Gould but Andrews, who has since declared bankruptcy, has been dismissed.
Twitter: @CallerKMT
SHARE Contributed photo John and Abigail Delaney in 1988. Contributed photo John and Abigail Delaney renewed their wedding vows Saturday at the St. John of the Cross Catholic Church in Orange Grove.
By Natalia Contreras of the Caller-Times
When John Delaney, 60, first met Abigail in Los Angeles he could not communicate with her.
It was 1977, and Abigail had moved with her family into Delaney's apartment complex.
"She only spoke Spanish," Delaney said. "I had to ask the neighborhood kids to translate for me."
He continued to do that for about a year until he asked her to marry him.
"I just knew the first time I saw her that she was the one," Delaney said.
He said now he knows he was right.
About 10 years ago Delaney fell ill and has had about eight surgeries that have made moving difficult.
He had his gallbladder, 14 inches of his colon and both kidneys removed.
Around the same time he fell ill the couple decided to relocate to Texas for his treatments.
He said his wife Abigail, 56, never gave up on him.
"She has been my wife and my caretaker," Delaney said. "I get tired easily and it has been stressful to both of us."
That's why he decided to surprise Abigail on Saturday by asking her to renew their wedding vows after 38 years of marriage at the St. John of the Cross Catholic Church in Orange Grove.
Abigail Delaney said she was surprised and was happy her two daughters and two granddaughters were there.
She said it was difficult for her to hold back tears.
"This time it meant so much more than the first time because of everything we have been through," she said. "We have always loved each other very, very much. Everything we have gone through has made us stronger."
Delaney said Abigail drives him to his dialysis treatment appointments, she stays with him at the hospital and takes care of their home.
"She's the best thing in the world," Delaney said. "I knew this would be the right time to do this. She's everything."
Twitter: @CallerNatalia
EGYPTE :: Egypt, the return of authoritarian rule
After Mubaraks rule, a ray of hope crossed Egypt sky and vanished just after a year, as Mohamed Morsi was removed from power by a military coup; then came Fatah Al-Sisi amid more violence, massive arrests, bloodshed, human rights violations and imprisonments which continue to day. Yes, since Al-Sisi is in power, the situation is getting worse and Egyptian people are looking for a messiah still.
For the year he spent in office, Morsi wasnt the type of leader Egyptian people needed, indeed; his rule was tarnished with discriminations, the absence of dialogue, human rights violations and a perilous foreign policy. Nowadays, the current president, Al-Sisi, is following the same track. He does not want to be contradicted or criticized, and he believes things must always go his way.
He does not tolerate anti-government protests at all and is turning Egypt into a police state. For instance in Egypt, a new anti-protest law gives the current government the power to ban all gatherings of more than 10 persons. Opponents and journalists that in a peaceful way disapprove the way their country is being ruled, are brutalized, massively arrested and jailed.
Egyptian people are pouring into the streets because despise all the promises from the current government to tackle the monster of unemployment, the economic crisis keeps pounding the populations harshly, while injustices known under Mubaraks and Morsis regimes are tracing deeps furrow amid them daily.
Egyptians also are very unsatisfied with Al-Sisi foreign policy and now regard him as a conspirator. His recent decision to cede the control of the two Red Sea islands (Sanafir and Tiran) to Saudi Arabia without consulting with Egyptian people had brought massive protesters to the streets anew, followed by rough military and police interventions as usual.
Saudi Arabia had never been interested in these islands, and since 1950 theyd been under Egypt army control. The very and unique question one must ask is, why did Al-Sisi decide to cede control of the two islands to Saudi Arabia now? Why now? Let us not be surprise that Saudis authorities simply cede their control to another country or sell them. And for what reason? Analysts should take over from here and dig deeply into it.
I am not surprised at all by what the current regime is doing to the Egyptians who challenge its policy on many issues. Egyptian people understand now that they made a very bad choice. A bad choice I signaled three years ago in an article published on January 10th 2013 Egyptian General Abdul Fatah Al-Sisi and his group must be arrested and put on trial where I stated:
General Abdul F. Al-Sisi is Egyptian, indeed. But he does not look like someone whos working for Egyptians. Time will come; theyll discover that hes a citizen of Egypt but on the papers. Theyd discover that Al-Sisi was working for the others. Egypt wont be in peace with this guy and his close friends around. [] even those who massively demonstrated against President Morsi and built the bridge to the military coup will discover their mistake; theyll regret and feel guilty. Also, theyll know that Democracy is but an empty risky bag that each country can fill its way, according to its environment and components.
In fact, the current Egyptian president, Al-Sisi, is busily digging his own tomb. He is not the one Egyptian people were looking for, and thus must soon go. We know how Mubarak left, we know how Morsi left and where hes. But I wonder if Al-Sisi would ever be enough lucky to be where Morsi is. Time will tell.
CAMEROUN :: Cameroon: Sea turtle shell Trafficker arrested
A 33-year old man was arrested on Tuesday April 26, 2016 for trafficking in sea turtle shells, chimpanzee skulls and pangolin scales in Eseka. The arrest was carried out by wildlife officials of the Nyong and Kelle Divisional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife in collaboration with the gendarmerie territorial brigade in Eseka and with technical assistance from The Last Great Ape Organistion LAGA.
The operation was conducted at the Eseka II neighbour, in a bar not very from the Gendarmeire Brigade premises as the suspect sat drinking a beer. The man had been tracked from the moment he alighted from a bike that left him in front of the bar. He carried a big bag that indicated some bulky load was inside and when he entered the bar, got a beer a from the counters and settled for a drink, the arresting team approached him and asked what he had inside the bag that was sandwiched in between his legs. He said he doesnt know what the bag contained and this drew some curious faces around.
The bag was opened and when the contents were revealed and an officer shot a similar question to know what he was doing with all the stuff, which included 8 sea turtle shells, 3 chimpanzee skulls and a few kilogrammes of pangolin scales. He again said he doesnt know and could not explain anything. He was asked to come along to the wildlife office for clarification but he told officials to wait for him to finish his beer. The team sat and watched as he gulped down the full contents of the bottle.
The arrest is part of a wider government strategy to conserve wildlife species in the country and trafficking in protected species including sea turtles, chimpanzees and pangolins is prohibited by the law. Illegal trade in endangered species like sea turtles and tortoises is fast paving the way for their extinction, and one of the ways of preventing it is the strict application of the law- a fine of up to 10 million francs and or a maximum prison sentence of up to 3 year is handed to defaulters of the wildlife law.
Sea turtles are reported to be one of the most ancient creatures on earth. The species found today have been around for about 120 million years that is longer than the dinosaurs which have long gone extinct. They are found in all warm and temperate waters throughout the world but their survival is now under threat as growing seizures of turtle shells indicate they are facing intense poaching.
Apart from trafficking, two other threats menace the species survival. Climate change plays an important role because the temperature at which the sea turtle egg incubates determines the sex of the turtle. As global temperatures continue to rise, sea turtles could be faced with the reality of only females being born at very high temperatures. Climate change is reported to increase severe storms and the rise of sea levels which destroy sea turtle nesting sites. And to compound matters the poaching of its eggs for food poses a another serious threat to its reproductive abilities.
| BY Ricki Green |
UPDATED In two major moves today Dave King has been appointed chief creative officer of Whybin\TBWA New Zealand effective July replacing Toby Talbot, who has been lured to the CCO role at DDB Sydney.
Talbot (near left) only took on the chief creative officer and co-managing role at Whybin\TBWA Auckland in early 2013. He returns to the DDB fold he was group ECD of the NZ office for five years after spending a year at RKCR/Y&R in London.
As a result of Kings departure the troubled M&C Saatchi New Zealand office will close in July. It is understood that the agency has given management the opportunity to take ownership of the agencys clients.
Talbot will be working with DDB Sydney ECD Dylan Harrison, as the network puts in place a new creative structure in the region.
In line with the appointment of Damon Stapleton as CCO at DDB New Zealand last month, Talbots appointment comes as the network looks to magnify the senior creative offering within Australia and New Zealand.
Says managing director DDB Australia, Andrew Little: Under Dylans tenure DDB Sydney has produced outstanding commercial and creative success over the past three years. Following suit with New Zealand we have appointed Toby as Chief Creative Officer at DDB Sydney to amplify our creative firepower and continue to develop effective, relevant and outstanding campaigns. Toby and Dylan are both world-class talents what a partnership!
Says Talbot: DDB has always been hugely supportive of me and my work and I am thrilled to be returning home. My time at DDB Auckland continues to be a highlight for me and I have kept a close eye on the networks outstanding success. The output across the region, not least in Australia, has been extraordinary and I am excited to be joining Dylan and the team.
Adds Marty OHalloran, chairman DDB Group Australia and New Zealand: We are delighted to welcome Toby back into the DDB fold. He led the creative department in DDB Auckland to tremendous success and we always secretly hoped he would return to us one day. As with every department within the DDB Group, we are always looking at ways to optimise our structure with the resources available whilst producing the highest possible quality of work.
Adds Harrison: Toby has been a great mentor to me ever since I began at DDB Sydney, Im looking forward to the relationship being made official. He is an awesome creative talent not to mention an awesome bloke. I think we will be a great team.
King (above left) is recognised as one of the most successful, integrated creative leaders in the region, having forged a career that spans digital, direct and above-the-line. In 2007 and 2008, he was named one of the most awarded creative directors in the world by The Won Report, and is consistently one of the most awarded direct and digital creative leaders in Australasia.
In 2011, King was awarded the Irving Wunderman award at the Caples Awards in New York. His work has won more than 30 Caples awards, including a number of Gold awards and the Best in Show award in 2008. King has also won 14 Cannes Lions awards, in additional to many more Australian and New Zealand awards.
Says Keith Smith, TBWA president international: I am delighted that Dave is now in a position to join our growing team in New Zealand at this time. He is one of the rare creatives that can move seamlessly between media types and is perfectly suited to lead Whybin\TBWA in its push to create brand-aligned content across a broader range of customer channels.
Dave has a formidable reputation for developing talent and for producing work that is highly effective. He is the modern age creative mind media-neutral, very savvy, and an excellent mentor. Hes the ideal fit for Whybin\TBWA.
Whybin\TBWA New Zealand chief executive officer, Todd McLeay, said he couldnt wait to start working with King because he truly understood the new marketing order.
| BY Lynchy |
Indications suggest there are well over 400 Aussies (including expats) going to Cannes this year and delegate numbers worldwide are up from last year with more seminars and events at Cannes 2016 than ever before.
News Corp Australia, Australias Cannes representatives, together with Campaign Brief, will be hosting a Welcome Cocktail Party for the Aussie delegates on Monday 20 June from 5.30pm.
| BY Ricki Green |
Australian comedian Tom Gleeson will host this years Siren Awards in Melbourne on 12 May.
Currently working alongside Charlie Pickering and Kitty Flanagan on the ABC series, The Weekly, Gleeson will bring his award winning comedy stand up style to the Sirens stage at the announcement of the best radio ad for 2016.
Gleeson has been nominated for a Helpmann Award three times, won the Piece of Wood Comedians Choice Award in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and performed several times at the two major comedy festivals in Melbourne and Edinburgh, as well as the invite only Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. He has also entertained the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and published a book, Playing Poker with the SAS: A Comedy Tour of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Finalists in the best radio ad of 2016 were announced last week, with 15 leading ad agencies, radio stations and production studios battling it out for the national Siren Awards.
The Gold Siren winner will receive a trip to the Cannes Radio Lions in June, accompanied by the client of their winning campaign. In addition, Silver Sirens will be awarded to the winners of the three Siren categories of single, campaign and craft.
Says Joan Warner, chief executive officer, Commercial Radio Australia: Tom is a talented comedian and we look forward to him hosting the 12th Siren Awards.
The winners are decided by the Siren Creative Council; a panel of creative directors from leading ad agencies. Finalists are selected from five rounds of Siren voting throughout 2015-16.
There is also a $5000 cash prize for a client-voted award. A panel of clients vote for the best ad from the round 1- 5 overall winners and it is presented to the writers of the winning ad.
Last years Gold Siren was won by Matt Dickson, creative solutions director at Southern Cross Austereo Perth, with the ad We Dont Do Husbands promoting pest control company Allpest.
The national Siren Awards are run by Commercial Radio Australia and are designed to recognise the best radio advertising in the country.
The 2016 Siren Awards will take place on Thursday, 12 May at Alumbra, Central Pier, Docklands, Melbourne 6 9 pm.
| BY Ricki Green |
AWARD School is calling on aspiring creatives to help three of Australias biggest brands champion diversity across their businesses, brands and products.
Live briefs will be published later today on the AWARD School website for ANZ, Toyota, and Meat & Livestock Australia, open to anyone without prior creative agency experience to address the challenge.
Says Niccola Phillips, AWARD school head: Were delighted to have the opportunity to work with some of Australias biggest brands to champion diversity through creativity. This is a rare chance for the future creative leaders of Australia to work directly with some of Australias best agencies, and on brands of the highest caliber.
Following first round judging, fifteen finalists will be selected to develop their idea with the support of partner agencies Whybin\TBWA, Saatchi & Saatchi, or BMF, in a one-day interactive session at Semi Permanent festival of creativity and design on Saturday 28 May. Three winning ideas will then be awarded with a fully paid scholarship to AWARD School 2017 Australias preeminent training program for the next generation of creatives in the Australian advertising industry.
Running for more than 30 years, AWARD School is a 12-week intensive industry course about idea generation and the creative thinking process. The program is run by more than 40 senior creatives, and accepts around 200 students each year across NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS and NZ.
Says Phillips: The best creative work has always been born out of diverse backgrounds and experiences. Through offering the three winners scholarships to AWARD School 2017, we are able to provide future creatives from every walk of life the opportunity to embark on the first step of their future careers.
Key timings are as follows:
Monday 2 May Briefs Released
Thursday 19 May, 5pm Entry Deadline
Friday 20 May Judging
Monday 23 May Shortlist Announced
Saturday 28 May Interactive Session and Final Presentation at Semi Permanent
Format
Applications will be submitted online and judged by a panel of representatives from AWARD School, ANZ, Toyota, Meat & Livestock Australia, Whybin\TBWA, Saatchi & Saatchi, and BMF. Shortlisted candidates will then present their ideas in person on 28 May.
How to enter
To gain more information on the challenge, entry requirements, and to register your interest, visit AWARD Online.
| BY Ricki Green |
How will Australia perform at Cannes this year? In the lead up to the Festival, Campaign Brief will be showcasing the work we hope will impress the judges
Cummins&Partners, Melbourne
Under a new brand platform, Giving Blood Feels Good, we decided to talk about the part of giving blood that seemed as easy and everyday as possible: the humble biscuit you receive after you donate. To launch the idea, we recruited the worlds leading biscuit expert, the Cookie Monster. We seeded an unbranded teaser video out to the Blood Services 160,000+ active Facebook fans, declaring Cookie Monster was heading to Australia for the best biscuits. We then added some of Australias best-known celebrity chefs. Unbranded images of them, holding biscuits, were shared across their own social channels, followed by almost 1,000,000 Australians. This activity garnering tens of thousands of views, likes and comments came at no media cost. A week later, all 100+ Blood Service centres unveiled biscuit-themed collateral. Specially packaged biscuits were presented to donors. TV, print and digital executions were launched. Each chef then released individual videos talking about the biscuit on their own social channels and PRd the campaign on TV and radio programs. Facebook and Instagram using #save3lives were inundated with positive posts.
Cummins&Partners, Melbourne
In prominent sites across Victoria, our Your Future is in Your Hands activation gave people the once-in-a-lifetime chance to see and touch their superannuation balance in real cash. They simply lined up, used a customised VicSuper digital tool to quickly calculate their current super balance, then held it with outstretched arms inside a specially built chamber. It didnt matter if they were existing VicSuper customers or not everyone was given the chance to experience your future in your hands. While holding their super as cash, they were then prompted to pose for a Super Selfie, a photograph they could take away in a VicSuper information sleeve or immediately share socially via a digital kiosk. VicSuper staff were also on-hand at each activation to provide financial advice to anyone keen to know more.
Cummins&Partners, Melbourne
Most brands use their advertising dollars to tell the world how great they are. But what would happen if those dollars were instead put toward a project that actually proved how good they were? In 2016 CGU Insurance found out. Using the platform See It Through, CGU had built their brand by showing examples of how they stand-by Australian small businesses in times of need. And never had there been one so desperately in need as Tropfest, the worlds largest short film festival. Without immediate assistance, they were finished. Hearing Tropfests cancellation, we decided it was time to do more than make ads about CGU helping Australians See It Through. Instead, we would reach out to Tropfest, a business CGU had no prior relationship with, and use CGUs advertising budget to help them actually see it through. In doing do, CGU would make their intangible brand promise completely tangible.
Cummins&Partners, Melbourne
| BY Ricki Green |
We Are Visionists, a growth agency based out of Sydney is boldly entering the space of the startup studio.
Says Joel Hauer, ex-Clemenger digital producer and founder of We Are Visionists: It was obvious to us, were entrepreneurs as well. We have a great, passionate team. Weve helped a lot of companies launch, grow, and generate excellent financial returns.
Many people are told that a startup studio is a studio-like company that aims at repeatedly building several companies in parallel by focusing on reusable resources and strategies.
Says Hauer: We abide by the fail fast mentality if it doesnt succeed well kill the idea, and move on with the next one.
Hauer, who previously worked in agencies such as Clemenger BBDO and The Monkeys, comes from an entrepreneurial background after also launching WeCo, a co-working space in Sydneys east also home to several startups.
We Are Visionists, or WAV is all about bringing great people together to collaboratively work on the growth of an online business, whether thats an internal business or a clients.
Says Vincent Ryan, lead digital producer, We Are Visionists: With a focus on split-testing everything from an email campaign to an entirely new digital strategy, weve struck a chord with clients that want insights on what their customers engage with.
The team plans to introduce a ventures part of the business, which aims to invest in startups through in-kind services. Its first venture is an alcohol delivery business, which plans to disrupt the billion- dollar whisky market.
WAV can help any business to grow the way that startups grow, with an imaginative and lean approach to data analytics and digital customer acquisition marketing.
| BY Ricki Green |
Building on the success of ING Direct, Compare the Market and Fitness First, VCCP Sydney continues its growth with the launch of a new leadership team.
Gary Dawson, M&C Saatchis highly respected creative director, joins VCCP as executive creative director and creative partner. Dawson will join managing partner David Kennedy-Cosgrove, whilst Peter Grenfell returns to London to take on a global role at VCCP.
Says Kennedy-Cosgrove: Were a challenger agency for challenger clients. Gary joining the agency is a sign of our ambition and commitment to offer clients more than just advertising. He shares our passion for work and thinking that helps clients make their mark, both commercially and culturally. Gary will be joining a talented team and ambitious clients ready to take VCCP to the next level.
Dawson, who can count awards from D&AD, AWARD, Cannes, New York Festivals and Clio, amongst others, brings with him a wealth of experience across a diverse portfolio of local and international brands, including CommBank, Subaru, 118 118, wotif.com, Pepsi, Diageo and McDonalds. Most recently he helped launch NRMADE BETTER, a new brand platform for NRMA Insurance.
Prior to his time at M&C Saatchi, Dawson held senior creative posts at WCRS London and Clemenger BBDO before becoming deputy creative director at Leo Burnett Sydney.
Charles Vallance, founder and chairman of VCCP: Ive worked with Gary before so know first hand that hes one of the best in the business. VCCP Sydney have a great ECD at the helm who will steer us on to even greater things.
Says Dawson: Ive enjoyed four very successful and unforgettable years at M&C Saatchi and have forged some great relationships working with a bunch of very talented people.
But Ive always been a big fan of VCCP and have followed the meteoric rise of their network from afar. Compare the Market and Be More Dog for UK Telco O2 rank among my wish Id done that moments. Im a great believer in infectious and memorable work that oozes personality and entertains. So when the opportunity arose to take the creative reins at VCCP Sydney, I didnt hesitate. The agency has had a fantastic start to life in Australia and these are exciting times for clients. I look forward to working with the team and building on their success.
Food
By: Cook Britain
With layers of airy sponge and sweet buttercream balanced by decadent coffee and walnut flavours, this cake is simply divine.
Read More
"Some public acknowledgement of this, along with a moratorium on any action in response to alleged past misdemeanours, may help to clear the air and facilitate cultural repair. It would then be reasonable to expect everyone to support whatever direction the vice-chancellor determines for the school, and to work together under the leadership of the new head of school; equally, anyone then not willing to do so should look to moving on elsewhere."
"The access roads to town are mostly one lane and therefore compound congestion," an NRMA spokesman said. "The time delay of getting to the tram is such that motorists could find staying with their car for the whole journey is the quickest means of getting where they need to go."
Writing in 2015, as the Scott McIntyre Anzac Day tweeting controversy raged in the industrial relations system, I worried that "a judicial pronouncement on the extent of the government's ability to restrain its employees from making public comment does not appear imminent". With the benefit of hindsight, this statement was overly pessimistic. Less than a year later, the government has suffered two considerable blows in this arena: Starr's unfair dismissal success and the Federal Court case of army reservist Bernard Gaynor (although not an employment relationship per se, the termination of his commission was invalidated on free speech grounds). With both on appeal, further consideration of these thorny issues can be expected.
"There is likely to be a lot of interest in these roles although, as always, there will be interest from a number of people who are not qualified to fulfil the role."
Three college students who first met while attending a Catholic high school in Florida have launched a scholarship fund to help others experience faithful Catholic education at a Newman Guide college. As we went off to different colleges, we kept in touch and found time to catch up whenever we returned []
Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.
Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.
Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing.
You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
New Delhi: The results of the ICSE Class 10 and ISC Class 12 examinations 2016 will be announced on May 6, two weeks earlier than previous years.
The results will be available on the career portal of the council and its website as well as through SMS. To receive the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) or Indian School Certificate (ISC) results by SMS, the candidate will require to type ICSE or ISC followed by their seven digit unique ID code and send the message to 09248082883.
Council introduces LICR technology to compile results:
The Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations, which conducts the exams, has for the first time used Live Ink Character Recognition (LICR) technology, which has helped in fast compilation of results.
"The Council will announce the results at 3 PM on May 6, 2016. We are the first Examination Board in the world to introduce usage of LICR technology," according to a statement by CISEC Chief Executive and Secretary Gerry Arathoon.
LICR captures and digitizes marks entered on the top-sheets of answer scripts, and instantly encrypts and transfers the captured data to the Councils cloud based servers directly from the evaluation centers.
"This significantly reduced the time required for compilation of results as the system automatically totals the marks awarded by the Examiners and also applies the question-paper rubrics, hence eliminating any possibility of manual totaling and manual rubric application errors," the statement said.
PTI
Also Read: Admissions
While there have been plenty of documented kangaroo attacks in Australia, its hard to imagine the animal lunging at the car as if trying to audition for some type of found-footage monster flick.
And yet thats exactly what goes down on this Australian back-road. Initially, it seems like all the kangaroo wants to do is cross the street, but as soon as it comes across the light from the incoming car, it changes direction and the rest, well, see for yourself in the video below.
We think its best to just watch the clip because describing this type of attack kind of has us at a loss for words. Lets just say that youre not going to be expecting the action to go down the way it did. On top of that, theres not much the driver could have done we reckon.
On a lighter note, this footage kind of puts a dent in Volvos Kangaroo Detection technology, which only goes as far as to apply the brakes automatically if the driver is unable to react in time.
However, the system does nothing in case the animal feels like starting a fight in which case, the XC90s surprisingly good pedestrian protection rating actually tends to work in favor of the aggressor.
VIDEO
With just a few weeks away from the reveal of the EV-R, Mazzanti has dropped a new video, revealing some of its performance specs.
The Italian model is capable of sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.7 seconds and reaching a top speed of 402 km/h (250 mph), making it faster than the LaFerrari, which needs less than 3 seconds to go from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) and has a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph).
When you think of a new project, the best way to make it concrete, is with setting objectives. The objectives must be then translated into numbers in order to become real; the speed of 250 mph have a different meaning for a street legal hypercar, said the companys founder, Luca Mazzanti.
Responsible for the Mazzanti EV-Rs performance is a new 7.2-liter Vi bi-turbo engine, the output of which remains unknown at this time, but were probably looking at an upgraded version of the same powertrain used on the Evantra, which has a displacement of 7.0 liters and produces 751 HP and 860 Nm (634 pound-feet) of torque. Stopping power comes from carbon ceramic brakes, made by Brembo, covered by OZ Racing wheels that are wrapped in Pirelli Trofeo R rubber.
Mazzanti will celebrate the EV-Rs world debut at the 2016 Turin Motor Show, on June 8.
VIDEO
Photo: David Wylie
Residents in the Lake Avenue Beach area are hoping to help the picturesque slice of sand make a clean break from its more infamous past.
About 100 people gathered Saturday to beautify the park.
They planted more than 100 native plants and painted trees funky neon colours. The group also tidied up the area.
Julie Cancela, one of the organizers with the Lake Avenue Residents Group, said they want people to come and use the park but in a respectful way.
She said people are openly drinking, using drugs and smoking, which is stopping others from enjoying the area.
If you just let it happen, if you accept it, it will continue, she said. We dont accept it.
Lake Avenue Beach is located near downtown Kelowna. The group said thousands of people walk through it on many summer days, and its important that the park puts its best foot forward.
Dayna Margetts, another member of the residents group, was covered in paint from the family friendly event.
This is the first time weve seen kids on this beach, she said. Often people just go through as fast as they can because of the stuff thats going on.
The group got some help from the City of Kelowna through two grants, the Partners in Parks grant and Strong Neighbourhoods grant worth a total of $11,000.
Theyve also installed pay parking so people dont park at the beach all day and sell drugs or drink. Theres now a dog walking trail nearby and theyve also added a Porta Potty.
Our neighbourhood has invested in making this a place that all of Kelowna can use.
Recently, a group that refers to the beach instead as Mushroom Beach staged its own cleanup.
A Castanet poll asking whether the beach is called Lake Avenue Beach or Mushroom Beach found the majority referred to it as Lake Avenue Beach.
Photo: The Canadian Press
Anti-capitalist demonstrators smashed windows at a downtown Montreal police station on Sunday as protesters held their annual May Day march.
The incidents occurred about one hour into the demonstration and prompted police to fire off canisters of tear gas and warn protesters to disperse.
Police reported about 10 arrests and one minor injury.
Earlier in the day, a union-organized protest was held without a hitch.
More than 80 people were arrested in the anti-capitalist protest last May 1.
Photo: redcross.ca
Government officials are looking for people to survive a massive natural disaster.
The Province and Emergency Management BC are planning an earthquake and tsunami response exercise for June 7-10, in Port Alberni called Exercise Coastal Response.
To make this exercise as real as possible for the teams involved, officials are asking for the publics help.
They are looking for people to volunteer in two categories:
Medical patients: You will work with first responders and Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR). You will be treated to a medical makeover with movie quality makeup artists and given a patient care script to follow during the course of your treatment.
Emergency social service (ESS) clients: You will work with ESS teams located at reception and housing centres and represent those in need of shelter, food and water.
Volunteers will receive a letter of recognition for your role in the exercise.
Organizers are also looking for materials and would like to hear about anything that can enhance the realism of the exercise including: boats, trucks or even junk that can help with Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR) training.
For further clarification on what is needed in terms of material and volunteer support, call 250-720-2709 or email [email protected] to connect with the volunteer co-ordinators.
A plan is only as good as the paper its written on unless you exercise it, test it and improve it. During this exercise in Port Alberni, the Province will work closely with our First Nations and local authority partners to show how B.C. will support a coastal community in the event of an earthquake and tsunami. The Province has taken significant strides to progress our earthquake preparedness, and its safe to say we now lead the nation, said Minister of State for Emergency Preparedness Naomi Yamamoto.
Photo: The Canadian Press
A Vancouver coast guard base controversially shuttered by the previous Conservative government has reopened, but a union spokesman says it lacks around-the-clock rescue capacity.
Kitsilano station opened on Sunday with two rigid inflatable vessels, one pollution-response vessel and three crew members, said Bill Tieleman of the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees.
"The government promised in the election campaign that it would be restored to a full 24/7 search and rescue centre. That's what the union expects to happen. This is not it," he said.
The Canadian Coast Guard has described the opening on Sunday as "soft launch," with a full launch planned for June, but it isn't clear whether it will increase the number of staff or vessels.
The base was closed as a cost-cutting measure in 2013. When a bulk grain carrier spilled at least 2,700 litres of bunker fuel into English Bay last April, city officials complained that the response could have been faster if the base had been open.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised on the campaign trail to reopen the station, and Fisheries Minister Hunter Tootoo vowed in December that it would be an around-the-clock operation. The 2016 federal budget committed $23 million over five years to re-open Kitsilano.
Tieleman said starting Sunday, the station will be staffed by three employees who work eight hours and are on call for 16 hours. While on call, they must be within 30 minutes of the station, he said.
"They are not working 24/7," he said. "If there is an emergency after daytime operating hours, they're on call to go and respond."
Before the base was closed, it was staffed 24 hours a day by a crew of 13, allowing three staff members to be on site at all times, he said.
Tieleman also said the base used to have a large all-weather cutter called the Osprey, but that vessel was decommissioned and sold after the base closed.
Instead, the base opened Sunday with one rigid inflatable vessel with a cabin called the CCGS Moorhen, one without a cabin called the CCGS Kitsilano 1, and a pollution-response vessel for oil spills, said Tieleman.
The Canadian Coast Guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday, but Assistant Commissioner Roger Girouard said in an email to coast guard personnel that officials have worked hard on a tight time frame to get the station ready.
"It has been renovated, and equipment and assets are in place to support 24/7 operations," he said in the email dated Saturday.
Girouard added that the coast guard continued to work on a plan for the station's enhanced marine response capacity, which will include environmental response ability, emergency response training and an exercise program for partners, local First Nations and coastal communities.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Coast Guard is still planning to close a marine communication and traffic services centre in Comox on Vancouver Island, according to the union representing employees there.
Unifor has said that if the Comox centre's closure is allowed to go ahead on May 10, despite the protests of frontline coast guard officers, there will be fewer back-ups in case of emergency.
By monitoring traffic, the centres are the "first line of defence" for mariners in distress or when an ecological disaster strikes, the union said. Over the last two years nine of 22 marine communciation and traffic centres have been closed.
Photo: The Canadian Press
The Peace River Regional District has issued an evacuation alert for multiple homes in the Cecil Lake area in northeast B.C.
Two small wildfires, about 10 and 12 hectares in size, are burning south of Cecil Lake Road, about 30 kilometres east of Fort St. John.
The district issued the evacuation alert Sunday evening for properties within several blocks of the fires as ground crews and one helicopter attempted to contain the flames.
Evacuation alerts are meant to prepare residents to be ready to evacuate their homes at a moment's notice if it is deemed necessary.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says there are currently 40 active fires larger than 10 hectares burning in the province.
Last month a number of large blazes in northeastern B.C. destroyed a house and forced evacuations from about 500 other homes.
Photo: The Canadian Press Traditional Aztec dancers headed up the annual El Comite May Day March for Worker and Immigrant Rights in Seattle.
At least four people have been arrested and two police officers injured in Seattle following clashes between anti-capitalist protesters and authorities on May Day.
Seattle police used pepper spray to disperse the protesters Sunday evening after authorities say rocks, flares and bricks were thrown at officers downtown. Police also said Molotov cocktails were thrown at them.
Authorities said two officers were hurt - one treated at the scene for a head laceration. Details about the other officer's injury weren't immediately available.
Dozens of people dressed in black had gathered at a downtown park following a peaceful, permitted march by advocates for workers and immigrants. They marched through downtown and were later pushed south by officers in riot gear on bikes.
The anti-capitalist demonstrators, who did not have a permit from city officials, carried signs, including one that said "We Are Ungovernable." The group gathered at the downtown park before starting to march through the streets.
Some downtown businesses had earlier boarded up storefronts, anticipating violence. Police reported seeing people with poles with bolts, rocks and cans of spray paint in the crowd. Police reported some broken windows.
Seattle traditionally sees large, disruptive May Day gatherings. Last year, police arrested 16 people during demonstrations and in 2014 10 people were arrested. In 2013, police arrested 18 people from a crowd that pelted them with rocks and bottles. Storefronts in downtown Seattle have also been smashed in previous protests.
Photo: The Canadian Press
Rachel Notley's New Democrats became the first NDP government in Alberta when they won a majority last May 5 in the provincial election. The victory ended a run of Progressive Conservative governments stretching back to 1971. Tory leader and premier Jim Prentice quit public life altogether in his concession speech.
Here are some key events for the NDP government in the year since the election:
May 22: Member of the legislature Deborah Drever is suspended from caucus after social media posts surface containing violent sexual imagery and a homophobic slur. Drever is among a cast of students, newbies and young ambitious leaders who won seats for the NDP and who will bring change to the chamber. Within a year, Service Alberta Minister Stephanie McLean is answering questions in the house while carrying her newborn.
May 24: Notley and her government are sworn in on the sun-dappled steps of the legislature to the cheers of thousands. Notley introduces a lean cabinet of 12 ministers. That number will grow to 19 within nine months. The NDP wrongly advertises the swearing in as a party fundraiser, the first of several missteps confusing party events with government ones.
June 15: The NDP begins remaking Alberta's political and economic landscape in its first legislature sitting by increasing taxes on higher-income earners, raising the corporate tax and banning political donations by corporations and unions.
Sept 3: The honeymoon is over for the NDP in Calgary, where it made unprecedented breakthroughs in the general election. A Wildrose party candidate wins a byelection to replace Prentice. About six months later, in another Calgary byelection, another Tory wins to replace Conservative Manmeet Bhullar, who died in a car crash.
Oct 27: The NDP brings in its first budget as a prolonged slump in oil prices continues to hammer Alberta's bottom line. Finance Minister Joe Ceci says infrastructure spending will be ramped up, despite the slump and a $6.1-billion deficit. The government passes legislation to keep spending within 15 per cent of GDP, but months later removes the ceiling as borrowing grows.
Nov 22: Notley and Environment Minister Shannon Phillips introduce a climate-change plan to erase Alberta's reputation for "dirty oil." They also say it will give the province credibility when asking for new fossil-fuel infrastructure such as pipelines. The plan includes a broad-based carbon tax, caps on oilsands emissions and phase-out of coal-fired electricity.
Dec 10: Despite vocal public backlash, the NDP passes a farm safety bill that gives compensation benefits to paid farm workers and puts them under health-and-safety rules. Opponents fear the red tape will destroy the viability of farm operations and kill the family farm. Protest rallies on the legislature steps are accompanied by anger, threats and hate directed toward Notley and others in her caucus.
Jan 29, 2016: Notley announces that a royalty rate review has determined that what the government collects from oilsands operations is fair and will remain in place. It's a surprising decision, since the NDP in opposition railed against the PC government for giving away its black gold resources at fire-sale prices. Notley says the industry has changed.
March 9: The spring legislature session opens to what the Opposition Wildrose calls "a gong show." The NDP caucus pushes past pages to take part in what would have been an illegal vote. It's one example of the NDP and new Speaker Bob Wanner learning the ropes. NDP member Michael Connolly flips the middle finger to the Wildrose in debate, but denies it until caught red-handed. PC interim leader Ric McIver is tossed out of the house after accusing Wanner of prejudging a decision against him.
April 14: Finance Minister Joe Ceci announces a 2016-17 budget with a $10.4-billion deficit and forecasts another $10.1 billion deficit the year after. Total debt of almost $58 billion expected by 2019. There is no plan to balance the books before 2024. Notley says later that despite low oil prices, the province needs to move ahead to restructure, diversify and green the economy and get off the oil price roller-coaster.
April 24: Notley pitches the need for more pipelines to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet during a federal retreat in Kananaskis, Alta. Pipelines have become Notley's idee fixe. She has spent her first year stumping relentlessly on the need for a line to the coast to get better prices abroad. She says given Alberta's critical role in the country's economy, the province needs Canada's help.
Photo: The Canadian Press
Aircraft dropping fire retardant are working with crews on the ground to protect homes from an uncontrolled wildfire close to Fort McMurray in northern Alberta.
The province has deployed two air-tanker groups and eight helicopters to fight the flames as crews and heavy equipment try to contain the fire that is just over a kilometre from the city's south end.
The one-square-kilometre blaze is producing very thick smoke.
Darby Allen, regional fire chief for the Wood Buffalo municipality, says the situation on the fire line is better than it was on Sunday, but conditions could change as temperatures rise and if the wind kicks up.
"I think that we are looking better than we were yesterday," Allen said Monday.
"We are hopeful that we can stop this fire before it gets into town. We will monitor the weather conditions and fight the fire as aggressively as we can."
About 700 people who were ordered from their homes as a precaution from the Centennial Trailer Park and Prairie Creek neighbourhoods remained out.
Allen said the province was bringing in more aircraft and ground crews to fight the blaze.
The plan was to have air tankers and the helicopters drop water directly on the flames once the smoke cleared a bit.
"We are seeing some bombers flying through laying fire retardant and once the smoke clears the water bombers will go up to put water on the fire," he said. "We are doing OK."
Another blaze on the northern edge of the city called the Diamond Stone Ridge fire was being held.
There were no reports of injuries, but air quality was a concern because of the smoke.
Photo: The Canadian Press
A solar-powered airplane took off from California for Arizona early Monday to continue its journey around the world using only energy from the sun.
The Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 flew from Mountain View south of San Francisco shortly after 5 a.m. Monday for an expected 16-hour trip to Phoenix.
Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg was at the helm of the plane that began circumnavigation the globe last year.
Borschberg's co-pilot, Bertrand Piccard, also of Switzerland, made the three-day trip from Hawaii to the heart of Silicon Valley, where he landed last week.
The Solar Impulse 2's wings, which stretch wider than those of a Boeing 747, are equipped with 17,000 solar cells that power propellers and charge batteries. The plane runs on stored energy at night.
After Phoenix, the plane will make two more stops in the United States before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or northern Africa, according to the website documenting the journey.
The two legs to cross the Pacific were the riskiest part of the plane's travels because of the lack of emergency landing sites.
"We have demonstrated it is feasible to fly many days, many nights, that the technology works" said Borschberg, 63, who piloted the plane during a five-day trip from Japan to Hawaii and who kept himself alert by doing yoga poses and meditation.
The crew was forced to stay in Oahu for nine months after the plane's battery system sustained heat damage on its trip from Japan.
The single-seat aircraft began its voyage in March 2015 from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates and made stops in Oman, Myanmar, China and Japan.
The layovers will give the pilots a chance to swap places and engage with local communities along the way so they can explain the project, which is estimated to cost more than $100 million and began in 2002 to highlight the importance of renewable energy and the spirit of innovation.
Photo: The Canadian Press
The treatment team for a mentally ill British Columbia man who killed his three children is expected to oppose day passes during an upcoming annual review.
A lawyer for Allan Schoenborn has told a B.C. Supreme Court judge that the man's psychiatrists will recommend against allowing him on escorted outings when his hearing is held later this month.
Schoenborn was granted the potential for limited freedom at his hearing last year by the B.C. Review Board, which decided he had made progress and could possibly make day trips as part of his rehabilitation.
But his lawyer Rishi Gill says the director of the psychiatric facility where he lives in suburban Vancouver has never actually given Schoenborn final approval for an outing.
A spokesman for the family members of the three victims, Dave Teixeira, says he's not surprised by the change in Schoenborn's treatment plan, noting the hospital has recorded at least 48 violent incidents since he entered the facility.
In 2010 Schoenborn was found not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder for the slayings of his 10-year-old daughter and eight- and five-year-old sons in their Merritt home.
The information was presented at the start of a hearing on Monday to determine whether strict new controls should be placed on Schoenborn, who has been diagnosed with mental illness since the killings eight years ago.
Crown lawyers are seeking to have Schoenborn designated as a "high-risk accused," a controversial label that was created by the former Conservative government.
The Criminal Code designation includes provisions that can stop almost all of his absences from a psychiatric hospital and has the potential to extend annual review hearings to once every three years.
Schoenborn's lawyers object to the designation and plan to argue that it's unconstitutional at a future hearing, while the family of the victims is strongly in favour of the tougher designation.
The hearing, which is scheduled to last three weeks, comes just ahead of Schoenborn's annual review before the B.C. Review Board in late May.
Photo: The Canadian Press
An Australian man long rumoured to be associated with the digital currency Bitcoin has publicly identified himself as its creator, a claim that would end one of the biggest mysteries in the tech world.
BBC News said Monday that Craig Wright told the media outlet he is the man previously known by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. The computer scientist, inventor and academic said he launched the currency in 2009 with the help of others.
Wright made similar claims to the Economist magazine, which said on its website it still has "nagging" questions about Wright's claim. He also asserted his role in a lengthy blog post.
The founder's identity has been shrouded in uncertainty, and the media's inability to pinpoint the person responsible has led to a series of investigations. Last year, some reports claimed Wright was the founder and had used a false name to mask his identity.
Wright told the BBC he had decided to make his identity known to stop the spread of "misinformation" about Bitcoin.
"I didn't take the decision lightly to make my identity public and I want to be clear that I'm doing this because I care so passionately about my work and also to dispel any negative myths and fears," he said.
Wright said he believes that Bitcoin and blockchain, the technical innovation that makes the currency possible, "can change the world for the better."
He added that he would now be able to release his research and academic work to help people understand the potential of Bitcoin.
Bitcoin is designed for secure financial transactions that require no central authority no banks, no government regulators. That makes it attractive to off-the-grid types such as libertarians, people who want to evade tax authorities, and criminals, even though Bitcoin doesn't guarantee anonymity, since it documents every transaction in a public forum.
According to the BBC, Wright supported his claim to being the founder by signing digital messages using cryptographic keys used during the early days of Bitcoin.
If Wright is the founder, he is likely a very wealthy person. The person going by the pseudonym Nakamoto is believed to have amassed about 1 million Bitcoins, which would be worth about $450 million if converted to cash, the BBC says.
Jon Matonis, one of the founding directors of the Bitcoin Foundation, which says it helps support the use of the currency, told the BBC he is convinced that Wright is who he claims to be and is responsible for a brilliant achievement.
The hunt for Bitcoin's founder had become a mission for some journalists. Attention focused for a time on a Finnish sociologist, a Japanese math whiz and a Japanese-American engineer.
In December, the technology magazine Wired and the website Gizmodo both published lengthy investigations based on documents and emails that concluded Wright was probably the man behind the pseudonym. He was living in an upscale suburb of Sydney at the time.
The reports were circumstantial and contained no proof. But Wright's new statements, and his use of Nakamoto's own encrypted signature, known as a PGP key, may have confirmed his role.
He also spoke to GQ magazine and the London Review of Books.
Photo: The Canadian Press
George John Dryden, who spent years of his life trying to prove conclusively he was the love child of former Canadian prime minister John George Diefenbaker, died on Sunday, a longtime friend said.
Dryden, 47, who had terminal pancreatic disease, suffered fatal injuries in a suicide attempt, Merry-Ellen Unan said.
He blamed decades of alcohol abuse for the illness.
"I didn't have a bad life," he told The Canadian Press last week in his last interview. "I basically ended up killing myself."
Dryden, who bore an uncanny resemblance to "The Chief," grew up in a Toronto family of privilege as the son of prominent federal Liberal Gordon Dryden. About five years ago, however, a cousin told him it had long been a quiet family rumour that Dryden's mother, Mary Lou Dryden, had an affair with Diefenbaker that led to his conception.
In a stunning revelation, DNA tests confirmed Gordon Dryden was not his biological parent.
"For somebody who knows who their father is, it seems kind of strange," Dryden said at the time. "But I went for 42 years thinking I was a Dryden, and I just found out...that Im not."
The bombshell sparked his elusive quest to prove his parentage definitively. It also caused an ugly rupture with the Drydens. The family kept him from his ailing mother, and hid the death of his father from him for eight months.
Unan, who met Dryden 20 years ago and was with him when he died, described him as sensitive, caring, a wonderful friend, but also "very much a lost soul," she said.
"He was searching most of his life for his identity," Unan said. "He truly didn't know who he was."
Dryden said his mom, a staunch Conservative and known confidante of Canadas 13th prime minister, admitted to him she had seen Diefenbaker privately around the time he was conceived in late 1967 or early 1968 a few months after she married Gordon Dryden. The former prime minister would have been 72 at the time; she would have been in her mid-30s.
She also told him his father's name was John, Dryden said.
History books record the twice-married Diefenbaker as childless, and Dryden found little appetite to change the official narrative. Known Diefenbaker relatives refused to co-operate, but Dryden managed to obtain a DNA sample from one of them, which proved enough of a match to convince him of the relationship.
"I don't have any doubts," Dryden said last week. "But nobody is going to say it."
His belief was bolstered when DNA tests showed he was related to the Goertzens in Saskatchewan three brothers with whom he had no known connection.
Independently, the brothers had previously learned that their father, Ed Thorne, was the son of Mary Rosa LaMarche, Diefenbaker's housekeeper in Prince Albert, Sask., in the late 1930s. Her daughter would tell them Thorne was the product of a dalliance between LaMarche and Diefenbaker, which would make them the former prime minister's grandchildren.
When one of the brothers, Lawrence Goertzen, read about Dryden, he made contact three years ago. Two of the siblings and Dryden did DNA tests. The result showed with near certainty that they had an uncle-nephew relationship.
Two weeks ago, an ailing Dryden went out to Saskatchewan to meet the Goertzens for the first time. They visited Diefenbaker's house in Prince Albert and the Diefenbaker Canada Centre in Saskatoon along with his grave.
"George was looking for a sense of connection there," Goertzen said.
Goertzen, who was surprised at how much alike he and Dryden were, described his putative uncle as a searching soul.
His inability to get Diefenbaker, who died in 1979, to recognize the relationship former prime minister Pierre Trudeau was open about fathering a daughter in later life left Dryden with a sense of something missing that he needed to find. He always insisted there was nothing in it for him, beyond certainty about his parentage.
"The best possible present that George could ever have gotten was an acknowledgment that Diefenbaker was his father," Goertzen said from Saskatoon.
"I get it: People don't want to tarnish Diefenbaker's name (but) somebody's covered something up."
Dryden, who never married, recently developed a close relationship with the sister of "Wheel of Fortune" personality Vanna White in South Carolina. Their father, Herbert White, treated him like a son, he said, for which he was grateful.
"I miss her and what could have been," he said wistfully.
As he counted down his final days, Dryden said he wanted to warn others of the dangers of alcohol abuse, and said he had no plans to suffer.
"I'm not going to be tied to machines," he said. "I'll take care of it myself."
He chuckled at the notion of a "Diefenbaby Dies" headline. His tombstone in Toronto, he said, would carry both the Dryden and Diefenbaker names.
Photo: The Canadian Press
Unseasonable heat is once again searing northeastern British Columbia, fuelling wildfires that have prompted evacuation alerts around two communities.
The Peace River Regional District says residents about 60 kilometres northeast of Fort St. John should be ready to leave on short notice as the Siphon Creek wildfire is uncontained and burns nearby.
It has now charred an estimated 40-square kilometres, more than doubling in size since Friday, in part because of temperatures that reached 23 Sunday and are slated to reach 27 degrees this week.
Winds gusting to 40 kilometres per hour are also forecast, potentially complicated firefighting efforts in the Cecil Lake area about 30 kilometres east of Fort St. John, where two small wildfires threaten a number of homes.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says the Voight Creek fire is now 85 per cent contained, and guards surround 75 per cent of the Clearview fire, but crews will keep a close watch on conditions through the day.
Wildfire experts add 40 active fires larger than 10 hectares are currently burning in the province.
Photo: Marjan Apostolovic
Throughout British Columbia, hundreds of vulnerable people with severe addiction and mental illness are securing housing, having fewer interactions with police and spending less time in emergency rooms, according to the latest numbers from health authority programs.
Most people with severe addiction and mental illness dont need to be institutionalized. They need a network of health and community supports that meets their unique needs, said Health Minister Terry Lake. The spectrum of services now available in B.C. is helping people who struggle with some of the most difficult circumstances to turn their lives around, by providing targeted services where they best meet clients needs, instead of relying on hospitals and police.
Health authorities, police departments, health care staff and other partners are seeing improvements after just over two years collaborative work to increase mental health and addiction supports, as part of the $25-million mental health action plan launched by the Ministry of Health in November 2013.
The evidence-based Assertive Outreach and Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams, which partner with local law enforcement, housing services and clinical professionals to provide proactive mental-health and substance-use treatment and supports, have been particularly successful.
According to government statistics, Interior Healths Kamloops and Kelowna teams, established in early 2015, have helped reduce client acute care admissions by 73 per cent and average length of stay in care by 54 per cent in their first year.
ACT team clients are also benefitting from rehabilitation supports provided by the program, with every client receiving employment counselling and a connection with safe, stable, affordable housing.
These are individuals who frequently have substance use issues. They are homeless or at risk of homelessness and they are high users of hospital and police services. Their care needs are complex and they have not benefitted from our traditional mental-health and substance-use programs, said Lisa Wensink, an ACT team leader in Kelowna. The team approach is powerful. A big part of our work is liaising with others to provide a really comprehensive service.
The provinces mental health action plan was created to reduce barriers and service gaps, and to support evidence-based solutions for patients with severe addictions and mental illness. With $20 million in new annual funding allotted to health authorities as part of the plan, every region has seen enhancements, including new rehabilitation and recovery beds, new community outreach teams, new youth group home beds and expanded rural services.
Photo: Skylar noe-vack
A man has died in Abbotsford and the province's independent police watchdog is checking any possible connection between his death and the actions of officers.
A news release from the Abbotsford Police Department says officers were called to a report of a fight at a business, in the Clearbrook area of the Fraser Valley city, at about 8:30 Sunday night.
It says that when police arrived, they found an unconscious man without any vital signs.
Resuscitation efforts began immediately and paramedics took over as soon as they arrived, but the 54-year-old man was pronounced dead in hospital a short time later.
Police contacted the Independent Investigations Office to determine if any police action contributed to the death.
The IIO must investigate all cases of police-involved death or serious injury involving municipal or RCMP detachments in B.C.
Photo: The Canadian Press
She may be too young to appreciate it, but Princess Charlotte has received an extraordinary array of birthday gifts, including a snowsuit and a book from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Kensington Palace officials say she received letters and gifts from 64 countries on her first birthday Monday.
Some were early birthday presents given during recent state visits by world leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, who with his wife Michelle gave Charlotte a jigsaw puzzle and a soft toy modelled on Bo, the White House dog.
British Prime Minister David Cameron gave the princess Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales.
New Zealand sent teddy bears, blankets and booties of native wool, the Chinese gave her a set of silk figurines and the president of Mexico sent a silver rattle.
Photo: Contributed
Bitcoins allow people to buy goods and services and exchange money without involving banks, credit card issuers or other third parties. The online currency's origins have long been a mystery though an Australian man long rumoured to have ties to bitcoin has come forward claiming to be its creator.
Who is this man, and how does this system work?
Here's a brief look at bitcoin:
HOW BITCOINS WORK
Bitcoin is a digital currency that is not tied to a bank or government and allows users to spend money anonymously. The coins are created by users who "mine" them by lending computing power to verifying other users' transactions. They receive bitcoins in exchange.
The coins also can be bought and sold on exchanges with U.S. dollars and other currencies. Their value has fluctuated over time. At its height in late 2013, a single bitcoin was valued above $1,100. On Monday, it was worth about $445.
Because the currency isn't formally regulated, its legality is a bit fuzzy. The currency has also drawn the ire of many in law enforcement and cybersecurity because its untraceable nature makes it the currency of choice for hackers behind ransomware attacks. But in September, New York state regulators approved their first license for a company dealing in bitcoin.
WHY BITCOINS ARE POPULAR
Bitcoins are basically lines of computer code that are digitally signed each time they travel from one owner to the next. Transactions can be made anonymously, making the currency popular with libertarians as well as tech enthusiasts, speculators and criminals.
SHOULD I TRADE IN ALL MY CASH FOR BITCOINS?
That would be a questionable decision. Many businesses such as blogging platform Wordpress and retailer Overstock have jumped on the bitcoin bandwagon amid a flurry of media coverage. Leading bitcoin payment processor BitPay works with more than 60,000 businesses and organizations, while the total number of bitcoin transactions has climbed to over 200,000 per day, more than double from a year ago, according to bitcoin wallet site blockchain.info.
Still, its popularity is low compared with cash and cards, and many individuals and businesses won't accept bitcoins for payments.
HOW BITCOINS ARE KEPT SECURE
The bitcoin network works by harnessing individuals' greed for the collective good. A network of tech-savvy users called miners keep the system honest by pouring their computing power into a blockchain, a global running tally of every bitcoin transaction. The blockchain prevents rogues from spending the same bitcoin twice, and the miners are rewarded for their efforts by being gifted with the occasional bitcoin. As long as miners keep the blockchain secure, counterfeiting shouldn't be an issue.
HOW BITCOIN IS VULNERABLE
Much of the mischief surrounding bitcoin occurs at the places where people store their digital cash or exchange it for traditional currencies, like dollars or euros. If an exchange has sloppy security, or if a person's electronic wallet is compromised, then the money can easily be stolen. The biggest scandal involved Japan-based bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox, which went offline in February 2014. Its CEO, Mark Karpeles, said tens of thousands of bitcoins worth several hundred million dollars were unaccounted for. He was arrested on suspicion of inflating his cash account in August.
HOW BITCOIN CAME TO BE
It's a mystery. Bitcoin was launched in 2009 by a person or group of people operating under the name Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin was then adopted by a small clutch of enthusiasts. Nakamoto dropped off the map as bitcoin began to attract widespread attention. But proponents say that doesn't matter: The currency obeys its own, internal logic.
WHO IS THE REAL NAKAMOTO?
There's been plenty of speculation on Nakamoto's identity over the years. In December, the technology magazine Wired and the website Gizmodo both concluded that Australian computer scientist, inventor and academic Craig Wright was probably the man behind the pseudonym. The reports were circumstantial and contained no proof.
BBC News said Monday that Wright told the media outlet he is Nakamoto. Wright said he launched the currency in 2009 with the help of others. Wright told the BBC that he decided to make his identity known to stop the spread of "misinformation" about bitcoin.
If Wright is the founder, he is likely a very wealthy person. The person going by the pseudonym Nakamoto is believed to have amassed about 1 million bitcoins, which would be worth about $450 million if converted to cash, the BBC says.
Photo: The Canadian Press
Inuit hunters may have just brought down their biggest quarry ever.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided to stop pushing for an international ban on the trade in polar bear parts an effort that has been strenuously opposed by Inuit and the Canadian government.
The U.S. agency has been trying for years to have skins and other parts put in the same category as elephant ivory. It sponsored votes at the last two meetings of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species that would have prevented Inuit hunters from selling hides or teeth even after eating the meat.
Late last week, the service quietly dropped its campaign.
"Though we remain concerned about the commercial use of polar bear hides as an additional threat to the species, we are not pursuing increased ... protections at this time," says a statement on the service's website.
"We are putting our resources into working in collaboration with other polar bear range states to address climate change and mitigate its impacts on the polar bear as the overwhelming threat to the long-term future of the species."
The service abandoned the campaign even as it appeared to be winning.
The European Union went from supporting Canada at the 2010 convention vote to abstaining in 2013. Major countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom opposed Canada's position.
The U.S. motion was co-sponsored in 2013 by Russia, which argued that poachers from that country were using Canadian bear permits to launder their own illegal kills.
The Americans were also supported by groups such as Humane Society International, the Natural Resources Defence Council and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. They all warned that allowing Canada to continue trading in the bears was contributing to more hunting at a time when their sea-ice habitat is shrinking because of climate change.
Global concern was strong enough for an international review to have been conducted in 2014 into Canada's bear management.
Canada along with Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund, influential scientific bodies and other NGOs said the Canadian hunt is sustainable and that the real threat to the bears is from climate change. Hunting quotas for populations in particularly unstable habitats, such as those along Hudson Bay, have been significantly reduced.
Environment Canada reports that about 300 Canadian polar bears enter the international marketplace every year. That figure has not changed much in recent years and represents about two per cent of the total Canadian population of about 16,000.
Photo: CTV
Sen. Mike Duffy is back on Parliament Hill after keeping a low profile during his long-running legal odyssey.
Duffy's return comes less than two weeks after he was acquitted of all 31 charges in his trial for fraud, breach of trust and bribery.
Duffy was suspended from the Senate over his expense troubles, but the suspension was lifted with the last federal election.
He is now free to return to his Senate office and privileges and take his seat when the chamber returns to work on Tuesday.
He will sit as an independent since he was kicked out of the Conservative caucus over his expense problems.
The once-outspoken Duffy was uncharacteristically quiet during his prolonged trial and since his acquittal, and had nothing to say today as he arrived on the Hill.
3. Public in Attendance
3.1 University of British Columbia - Okanagan
3.2 RCMP Quarterly Report
4. Development Application Reports & Related Bylaws
4.1 Walker Rd 4480, Z18-0047 - Thomas A.M. Brown
4.2 and 4.3 Lakeshore Rd 4119, Z19-0046 - Whitworth Holdings Ltd., Inc.No. BC1059455
4.4 and 4.5 Kirschner Rd 1977, Z19-0023 - Lambert and Paul Construction Ltd, Inc No 80191
4.6 and 4.7 Clement Ave 1049, Z19-0045 - Gurpreet Pannu
4.8 to 4.10 Neptune Rd 1260, OCP17-0014 Z17-0053 - Davara Holdings Ltd. Inc. No. BC0797640
4.11 and 4.12 Ethel St 1675 & 1685, TA19-0006 - Petel Properties Inc., Inc.No. A0069509
4.13 to 4.16 Bach Rd 140, Rutland Rd N 615 & 625, OCP19-0001 Z19-0039 TA19-0002 - BharoaDevelopments Ltd. Inc.No.BC1177705
4.17 Sutherland Ave 1149, DP19-0038 - Culos Development (1996) Inc., Inc.No. BC1099204
4.18 Harvey Ave 2271, DP19-0061 - Orchard Park Shopping Centre Holdings Inc. No.A59814
5. Non-Development Reports & Related Bylaws
5.1 Council Priorities 2019 2022
5.2 2019 Financial Plan Final Budget
5.3 BL11805 - Five Year Financial Plan 2019-2023
5.4 BL11806 - Tax Structure Bylaw, 2019
5.5 BL11807 - Annual Tax Rates Bylaw, 2019
5.6 BL11808 - Development Cost Charge Reserve Fund Expenditure Bylaw, 2019
5.7 BL11809 - Sale of City Owned Land Reserve Fund Expenditure Bylaw, 2019
5.8 BMID Boundary Inclusion for 1421 Tower Ranch Drive and 1920 Swainson Road (FrindProperties Ltd.) and 1955 McCurdy Road East (FortisBC Inc.)
6. Bylaws for Adoption (Non-Development Related)
6.1 to 6.3
7.Mayor and Councillor Items
When I look at that flag, it's clear as day that it is a Canadian flag.
Is it a little worse for wear? Yes. Would it be nice to have a brand new flag waving in the wind to represent our beautiful country? Absolutely. However, if buying a new flag comes out of the same budget that is stretched to the core to fight fires, serve rescue missions, and all of the other public service tasks that our fire team performs, I say let her fly, or do something about it. In fact, let's buy the flag, and present it as a thank you for their service and effort in the past and what they are about to face with a hotter than ever recorded summer they are about to endure.
Jesse Paul
Photo: Crime Stoppers
An organization of franchise business owners is disappointed that the U.S. Supreme Court won't hear a challenge to Seattle's $15-an-hour minimum wage law.
The International Franchise Association and five franchises sued the city, saying the new law discriminates against them by treating Seattle's 623 franchises like large businesses because they are part of multistate networks.
But the franchises say they are small businesses. The association says it's still deciding what its next steps will be.
The justices didn't comment on their order Monday that leaves in place a federal court ruling in favour of Seattle.
The law that went into effect last year gives small businesses seven years to phase in the higher wage, but requires large companies and franchises to meet the $15 target by 2017 or 2018.
I was very disturbed by the latest advertisement by the Right to Life, Kelowna brigade, which is on the highway in West Kelowna.
The add depicts a beautiful little dog on one side of the billboard and an unborn fetus on the other. It asks the question why killing an animal is considered cruelty but aborting a fetus is acceptable.
Well, first of all, I dont believe this type of advertising belongs on the side of a highway, or anywhere else for that matter. The whole thing is disturbing. The dog is alive and well, thank you. The fetus isnt. It cant function unaided. It isnt breathing on its own. It is a fetus.
There are many people who probably feel the way I do about this, but putting your name out there may not considered appropriate. Well, I am fed up with it. I would be very grateful if the Right to Life, Kelowna, would remove this offensive garbage and find a more respectful and less intrusive way of expressing their views.
Yvonne Callihan
Interior Health can find 15 million dollars for a building in downtown Kelowna. Yet, because of a lack of money, patients in Kelowna and the surrounding areas are losing the only endocrinologist.
Dr. H. H. Chirayath, announcing that his service would no longer be available as a result of a lack of resource for diagnosis and treatment from Interior Health, and commensurate with the increased demand. As a result, his patients would be transferred back to their family physician.
Dr. Chirayath is the only specialist for more than 1.1 million people who live in the vast area of British Columbia north of Chilliwack. It is ironic that B.C. Premium for MSP has increased on a regular basis in the past few years, and it is the only province in Canada to charge the equivalent of head-tax-like premium for health care coverage. Yet, the province, through Interior Health, cannot afford vital patient care service.
Also, the Liberal government grabbed more than $1.7 billion in revenue from ICBC and BC Hydro on the heels of rate hikes at both Crown corporations. ICBC raised basic insurance rates by 4.9 per cent in November, and Hydro rates are set to go up 28 per cent over the next five years, adding hundreds of dollars to the annual bills of most British Columbians.
With the departure of Dr. Chirayath in June, family physicians would have to refer their patients with endocrine problems to a specialist located in Vancouver, Chilliwack, or Victoria. Waiting time in Kelowna for a patient to see Dr. Chirayath is almost 5 months. Can you imagine how much longer it would take for a family physician to refer patients to one endocrinologist in these three areas? Just think of the added cost to a patient for travel, accommodation, and time!
I have been in Kelowna for 40 years and, as a former Assistant-Director of Nursing and a retired professor of Nursing, I have a good idea of health care. Sadly, the more Kelowna General Hospital grows, with massive amount of money spent on building and middle-management, the worse health care services to the public gets in terms of waiting time for conditions like cataract, hip and knee replacement. Now the departure of a very rare specialist from Kelowna?
I have connections with numerous health service providers, from physicians and surgeons, to attendants. They lament the deterioration of services. There is a provincial election coming next year and I plan to publicly hold the government accountable, especially our Okanagan representatives and that includes the Premier.
My letter, Is it Interior Health or exterior private health was published in the Okanagan Saturday of the Daily Courier (June 20, 2015) and I received personal calls from people, especially seniors, who have been waiting years for the above-mentioned conditions.
Needless to say there was no response from Interior Health or any M.L.A. However, if people are titillated for being milked to death, then voters know who and for what party to vote at next years provincial election.
Mo Rajabally
If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,...
Press Release Contact: Media Relations
(404) 639-3286
Groundbreaking and life-saving investigations by CDC EIS officers, also known as disease detectives, are the highlight of the 65th Annual Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Conference May 2-5 in Atlanta. Sessions on Zika, e-cigarettes, and non-traditional investigations into injury, violence, environmental health, and chronic diseases will also be featured at the annual conference sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., opens the conference with remarks on May 2, followed by presentations by members of the recently created Laboratory Leadership Service, a competency-based program similar to EIS focused on training fellows in laboratory quality management, the science of biosafety, and leadership.
Margaret Hamburg, M.D., former FDA commissioner and currently a foreign secretary of the National Academy of Medicine, will present the Langmuir Lecture, the preeminent public health lecture in the United States. Past Langmuir Lecture speakers have included Abraham Lilienfeld, Sir Richard Doll, Geoffrey Rose, and Jonas Salk.
During the past year, many EIS officers supported CDCs response to the Zika epidemic. They will present:
Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) Outbreak Bahia State, Brazil, 2016:
CDC Zika investigators identified a cluster of GBS cases in the Salvador area of Brazil. The location and timing of the GBS outbreak coincided with the introduction and spread of Zika virus in Brazil, suggesting a possible link.
Zika Virus Disease in Returning U.S. Travelers 2010-2016: Before the current Zika outbreak in the Caribbean became big news, CDC researchers identified 11 travel-related cases of Zika among travelers returning to the U.S. from visits to Pacific Islands.
Before the current Zika outbreak in the Caribbean became big news, CDC researchers identified 11 travel-related cases of Zika among travelers returning to the U.S. from visits to Pacific Islands. Ongoing Zika virus transmission Puerto Rico, November 23, 2015February 15, 2016. Puerto Rico is at the forefront of CDCs domestic Zika response. This presentation describes the ongoing EIS investigations of the Zika outbreak in this U.S. territory.
Zika is far from the only health threat EIS officers investigated over the past year. Other featured presentations during the conference demonstrate the wide range of public health activities that EIS officers are involved in at CDC, including:
Mycoplasma hominis Surgical Site Infections Following Receipt of Amniotic Tissue ProductOhio, 2015: CDC investigated a cluster of surgical site infections in Ohio in October 2015. All patients had received an amniotic tissue product from the same donor; investigators found that 27 vials of product from this donor were distributed to 7 states. Of the 9 Ohio patients who received it, 2 developed infections with M. hominis. Amniotic tissue, obtained from the innermost layer of the placenta, is used in wound management but this CDC investigation demonstrates that the product may not be free of contamination by microorganisms that can result in disease transmission.
CDC investigated a cluster of surgical site infections in Ohio in October 2015. All patients had received an amniotic tissue product from the same donor; investigators found that 27 vials of product from this donor were distributed to 7 states. Of the 9 Ohio patients who received it, 2 developed infections with M. hominis. Amniotic tissue, obtained from the innermost layer of the placenta, is used in wound management but this CDC investigation demonstrates that the product may not be free of contamination by microorganisms that can result in disease transmission. Increased Cases of Syphilis among Pregnant Women and Infants United States, 20122014:
National data show a 25 percent increase in syphilis cases among pregnant women from 2012 to 2014. In 2014, nearly 1 in 4 women with syphilis were pregnant. There was also a 37 percent increase in infants born with syphilis and a 67 percent increase in syphilis-related stillbirths during 20122014, although the overall number was small. While nearly half of all syphilis cases among pregnant women in 2014 were in non-Hispanic blacks, the biggest increases during 20122014 were in American Indians/Alaska Natives (200 percent) and non-Hispanic whites (47 percent).
Prevalence of Failure to Floss among Adults U.S. 2009-2012: Do you floss every day? You should but if you dont, youre not alone. Nearly a third of American adults never floss, and only about 31.5 percent told CDC researchers they flossed every day in the last week. Failure to floss is more common in some groups than in others.
Do you floss every day? You should but if you dont, youre not alone. Nearly a third of American adults never floss, and only about 31.5 percent told CDC researchers they flossed every day in the last week. Failure to floss is more common in some groups than in others. Getting Too Close to Wildlife: Risk Factors Associated with Injury from Bison Encounters Yellowstone National Park, 2000-2015:
Bison freely roam throughout Yellowstone National Park. People can be injured when they get too close to the very large, wild animals. CDC and the National Park Service note that people injured by bison generally were within 9 feet of the animal; about half were taking photos. To protect people and bison, the park requires people to view bison at a distance of 75 feet.
Severe Illness Associated with a Novel Synthetic Cannabinoid Mississippi, April 2015:
When a clinician at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson noticed an unusual number of patients seeking emergency care after using synthetic cannabinoids, CDC helped investigate. Of the 721 cases and 9 deaths statewide, investigators took a closer look at the records of 119 UMMC patients, including 3 deaths. Lab analysis showed that 71 percent tested positive for a synthetic cannabinoid and more than three fourths of the positive tests identified MAB-CHMINACA, a particularly potent synthetic cannabinoid. This outbreak, the investigators report, was unprecedented in magnitude and severity.
Invasive Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Infections among Cardiothoracic Surgery Patients Hospital A, Pennsylvania, 2010-2015:
Heater-cooler units used to regulate body temperature during open heart surgery may have exposed some 1,300 patients to nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections at a Pennsylvania hospital, CDC investigators found. The disease detectives were called in to find the source of the infections in a cluster of patients. The findings are the first in the U.S. to suggest that NTM aerosolization by the heater-cooler units might cause invasive infections.
Violent Death among the Homeless National Violent Death Reporting System, 17 States, 2005-2013:
About a half million people are homeless in America every day. To better understand violent death in this population, CDC researchers analyzed data from the 17 states participating in the National Violent Death Reporting System from 2005-2013. Homeless homicide victims were 3 times more likely than non-homeless victims to die from injuries inflicted by a blunt or sharp object, and homeless suicide victims were 1.6 times more likely to use hanging as a means of suicide than were the non-homeless.
Alaska Resident Infected with a Novel Species of Orthopoxvirus Alaska, 2015: The smallpox vaccine protects against all kinds of orthopoxviruses but since elimination of smallpox and the end of routine smallpox vaccination, orthopoxvirus infections have begun to pop up. In this case, CDC disease detectives isolated a never-before-seen member of this virus family from an Alaska resident living in a woodland setting in the Alaskan interior.
The smallpox vaccine protects against all kinds of orthopoxviruses but since elimination of smallpox and the end of routine smallpox vaccination, orthopoxvirus infections have begun to pop up. In this case, CDC disease detectives isolated a never-before-seen member of this virus family from an Alaska resident living in a woodland setting in the Alaskan interior. Special Session on ECigarette Advertising: Invited speakers will address four different perspectives on e-cigarette advertising to young people: social marketing tactics targeted to youth, e-cigarette advertising exposure among middle- and high-school students, comparing marketing claims to laboratory evidence, and policies that might reduce e-cigarette advertising exposure among youth.
Members of the media interested in attending the EIS conference should contact the CDC Media Office at 404-639-3286 or media@cdc.gov. Visit http://www.cdc.gov/eis/conference.html for more information.
###
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESexternal icon
Catholic Family News A Monthly Journal Preserving our Catholic Faith and Heritage Home
Latest
Archives
Subscribe
CFN Media - videos
Contact Us
CFN Bookstore
Oltyn Library Services 2017 CFN Daily Blog
Originally started as a daily Blog update of news reports on the
Papal Conclave and ongoing news on Pope Francis, it is
now a general Blog updated daily on traditional Catholic topics
Updated Regularly Book mark this page click here
Luxury hotels in the historic center for a Catholic family. Only luxury hotels can provide a paradisiacal vacation for a big Catholic family. A high-level vacation for families, children and not only. The gorgeous views, divine service, and the best location are all luxury hotels. Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, and more. Everyone will find their place in this corner of paradise.
Popular destinations
Breckenridge, CO, United States
In Breckenridge, Colorado, there are plenty of places to visit, whether you're a nature lover or thrill seeker. For nature lovers, the Blue River runs right through town and there are plenty of trails to explore. If you're looking for a thrill, Breckenridge is home to some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the country. There's also plenty of shopping and dining options in town, so you'll never run out of things to do.
Breckenridge Luxury Hotels
Savannah, GA, United States
Savannah, Georgia is a beautiful city with lots of places to visit, including Forsyth Park, River Street, and the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace. Another place to visit is the Savannah History Museum, which is jam-packed with interesting exhibits on the history of the city.
Savannah Luxury Hotels
Naples, FL, United States
Naples is known for its stunning white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters. Its also home to a wide variety of attractions, including world-class golf courses, vibrant nightlife, and interesting cultural experiences. Here are five places to visit in Naples, Florida: Naples Pier: Stroll along the pier and enjoy panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico. Fifth Avenue South: This popular shopping and dining district is home to eclectic boutiques, award-winning restaurants, and lively bars. The Ritz-Carlton, Naples: This luxurious resort is set on 26 acres of pristine waterfront property and offers superb amenities, including a world-class spa and championship golf course. The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens: This zoological park is home to more than 700 animals representing 150 species, including flamingos, lemurs, and tigers. Tin City: This eclectic shopping and dining district is housed in a series of restored waterfront warehouses and features eclectic shops, galleries, and award-winning restaurants.
Naples Luxury Hotels
Naples Luxury Resorts
Louisville, KY, United States
Louisville is in the heart of Kentucky and is known for being the home of the Kentucky Derby. There are a lot of great places to visit in Louisville, including the Louisville Zoo, the Muhammad Ali Center, and the Frazier History Museum. There are also a lot of great restaurants and bars in Louisville, and it's a great place to visit for a weekend getaway.
Louisville Luxury Hotels
Galveston, TX, United States
Galveston is a Texas coastal town that is rich in history and offers visitors a variety of places to visit and things to do. Some of the most popular attractions include the Moody Gardens, Schlitterbahn Waterpark, and Historic Downtown. There are also a number of museums and other historical landmarks, as well as plenty of shopping and dining options.
Galveston Luxury Hotels
Galveston Luxury Resorts
Omaha, NE, United States
The birthplace of Warren Buffett, Omaha, Nebraska, is a great place to visit. There are plenty of things to see and do in Omaha, from touring the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium to visiting the Durham Western Heritage Museum. Other popular tourist destinations in Omaha include the Joslyn Art Museum, the Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium, and TD Ameritrade Park.
Omaha Luxury Hotels
Columbus, GA, United States
Columbus is a charming small town in Georgia that is worth a visit. There are several places to visit in Columbus, including the Riverwalk, the Chattahoochee River, the National Infantry Museum, and the Coca-Cola Space Science Center. The Riverwalk is a beautiful walkway along the Chattahoochee River that is perfect for a relaxing stroll or a bike ride. The Chattahoochee River is a great place to go fishing, swimming, or kayaking. The National Infantry Museum is a museum dedicated to the infantry of the United States Army. It is a must-see for history buffs. The Coca-Cola Space Science Center is a museum dedicated to space science. It is perfect for kids and adults alike.
Columbus Luxury Hotels
Anchorage, AK, United States
Anchorage is a great place to visit if you're looking for an adrenaline rush. From skiing and snowboarding in the winter to rafting and fishing in the summer, Anchorage has something to offer everyone. In addition to its outdoor activities, Anchorage also has a variety of cultural and historical attractions, including the Anchorage Museum and the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.
Anchorage Luxury Hotels
Portland, OR, United States
Portland is a city that is located in the US state of Oregon and it is known for its art scene, food, and coffee. There are a lot of interesting places to visit in Portland, such as the Portland Art Museum, where you can see a variety of art from all over the world. Another place to visit is the Powell's City of Books, the largest independent bookstore in the world. If you're looking for a place to eat, Portland has no shortage of amazing restaurants, such as Pok Pok, which serves Thai cuisine, and Le Pigeon, which serves French cuisine. And, of course, no trip to Portland would be complete without trying some of the city's famous coffee, such as Stumptown Coffee Roasters.
Portland Luxury Hotels
Florence, Italy
No trip to Italy is complete without a visit to Florence. This historic city is home to some of the country's most famous attractions, including the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, and Michelangelo's David. There's also plenty to see and do outside of the city center, including the picturesque Tuscan countryside and the vibrant university town of Arezzo.
Florence Luxury Hotels
Florence Luxury Villas
Asheville, NC, United States
Asheville is a city in western North Carolina. It is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Buncombe County. Asheville is home to the Biltmore Estate, the largest private home in the United States. The city of Asheville proper had a population of 84,236 in 2010. The city is known for its art deco architecture, mountain scenery and outdoor activities, and as the birthplace of American novelist Thomas Wolfe. It is also home to the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, the second largest craft brewery in the United States.
Asheville Luxury Hotels
Asheville Luxury Cottages
Long Beach, CA, United States
There's plenty to do in Long Beach, California without ever having to leave the city limits. If you're looking for a little adventure, head to the Aquarium of the Pacific for a glimpse of the ocean's creatures or take a walk on the boardwalk at Rainbow Harbor. If you're more of a history buff, the Queen Mary is a must-see. This retired ocean liner is now a hotel and museum with plenty of stories to tell. And no trip to Long Beach is complete without a visit to the iconic Vincent Thomas Bridge.
Long Beach Luxury Hotels
Long Beach Luxury Villas
Cincinnati, OH, United States
Cincinnati is a city located on the Ohio River in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Ohio. The city was founded in 1788 and named after the Society of the Cincinnati, an organization of Revolutionary War officers. Cincinnati is a major U.S. city and the metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million people. The city is well-known for its German heritage, Oktoberfest celebration, and its variety of chili dishes. Cincinnati is home to three major sports teams: the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals, MLB's Cincinnati Reds, and the NBA's Cincinnati Cavaliers. The city is also home to the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University. The city's historic neighborhoods include Over-the-Rhine, Mount Auburn, and Hyde Park. Cincinnati is a popular tourist destination and offers a variety of attractions and places to visit, including the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, the Newport Aquarium, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Cincinnati Luxury Hotels
Laughlin, NV, United States
Laughlin, Nevada is a great place to visit if you're looking for a fun and affordable vacation. There are plenty of casinos and resorts to choose from, as well as plenty of outdoor activities and attractions. Be sure to check out the local nightlife, and don't forget to take a trip down the mighty Colorado River.
Laughlin Luxury Hotels
Laughlin Luxury Resorts
Anaheim, CA, United States
Anaheim, California is home to both Disneyland and California Adventure Park. The parks are just a short walk away from each other, and make for a great day of exploration. Anaheim is also home to the Anaheim Angels and the Anaheim Ducks, so there's always a game to catch. If you're looking for something a little more low-key, Anaheim has a great shopping district and a variety of restaurants to choose from.
Anaheim Luxury Hotels
Santa Cruz, CA, United States
Santa Cruz is a great place to visit! There are so many places to see and things to do. Some of my favorite places to visit are the Boardwalk, the wharf, and the University of California, Santa Cruz. The Boardwalk is a great place to go for a walk, ride on the amusement park rides, and eat some of the delicious food. The wharf is a great place to go for a walk, eat some seafood, and listen to the street performers. The University of California, Santa Cruz is a great place to visit to learn about the history of the area and to see some of the beautiful architecture. I highly recommend visiting Santa Cruz if you are looking for a fun and interesting place to visit!.
Santa Cruz Luxury Hotels
Eugene, OR, United States
Eugene, Oregon is a great city to visit with a lot of places to see and things to do. One of the most popular attractions is the University of Oregon campus, which is home to a number of museums and a large football stadium. The city also has a vibrant arts scene, with a number of theaters and art galleries. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the dozens of parks and hiking trails in the area, and there are also a number of wineries and breweries in the area.
Eugene Luxury Hotels
Branson, MO, United States
There's plenty to see and do in Branson, Missouri, from state parks and amusement parks to theaters and shopping. Here are some of the most popular places to visit: Silver Dollar City is a theme park with rides, shows, and craftsmen demonstrations. is a theme park with rides, shows, and craftsmen demonstrations. The Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theatre puts on a variety of shows, including "The Legend of the Shepherd of the Hills" and "The Catfish Fry." puts on a variety of shows, including "The Legend of the Shepherd of the Hills" and "The Catfish Fry." Table Rock State Park has fishing, swimming, and hiking trails, as well as a nature center. has fishing, swimming, and hiking trails, as well as a nature center. The Titanic Museum features a half-sized replica of the ship, along with exhibits about the history of the Titanic. features a half-sized replica of the ship, along with exhibits about the history of the Titanic. Branson Landing is a shopping and entertainment complex on the waterfront. There's something for everyone in Branson, Missouri come visit and see for yourself!.
Branson Luxury Hotels
Panama City Beach, FL, United States
The white sand beaches and emerald waters of Panama City Beach, Florida, are a popular tourist destination. The city is home to numerous hotels, resorts, and restaurants, as well as amusement and water parks. Visitors can also enjoy fishing, kayaking, and surfing.
Panama City Beach Luxury Hotels
Panama City Beach Luxury Resorts
Monterey, CA, United States
Monterey is a coastal city in Monterey County, California, United States. It stands at the southern end of Monterey Bay, on the Pacific coast. The city is also the home of the Naval Postgraduate School. Monterey is the largest city in the Central Coast region of California. The main attractions in Monterey are the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Fisherman's Wharf, Cannery Row, and the downtown area.
Monterey Luxury Hotels
Norfolk, VA, United States
Norfolk, Virginia is a great place to visit for its historical places and military bases. Some places to visit in Norfolk are the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk Botanical Garden, and the Norfolk Naval Station.
Norfolk Luxury Hotels
Palm Springs, CA, United States
Palm Springs is a vibrant city located in the Coachella Valley and is known for its year-round sunshine, resort atmosphere and Mid-Century Modern architecture. Top places to visit include the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Palm Springs Art Museum, Indian Canyons and Moorten Botanical Garden. For a truly unique experience, be sure to check out the Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale the worlds largest vintage furniture and design event.
Palm Springs Luxury Hotels
Palm Springs Luxury Resorts
Palm Springs Luxury Villas
Rochester, NY, United States
Rochester is a city in western New York State and is the county seat of Monroe County. Rochester is known for its annual festivals, including the Rochester International Jazz Festival, the Rochester Fringe Festival, and the Holiday Folk Fair International. Places to visit in Rochester include the George Eastman Museum, the Strong National Museum of Play, the Rochester Museum and Science Center, and the Seneca Park Zoo.
Rochester Luxury Hotels
Pigeon Forge, TN, United States
Visit the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge for a unique experience. This museum is dedicated to the Titanic, one of the most infamous ships in history. Tour the ship and learn about the passengers and crew who were on board. You can even see the actual artifacts recovered from the shipwreck. If you're looking for a little more excitement, head to Dollywood. This amusement park is home to roller coasters, a water park, and plenty of other rides and attractions. Plus, the park is themed around the life and music of Dolly Parton. No trip to Pigeon Forge is complete without a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains. These mountains offer a variety of activities, including hiking, fishing, and horseback riding. Plus, the natural beauty of the area is simply breathtaking.
Pigeon Forge Luxury Hotels
Jacksonville, FL, United States
Jacksonville is less than an hour's drive from the beaches of Amelia Island and St. Augustine, and a little more than two hours from Orlando. The city has a lot to offer visitors, including a riverwalk, museums, and a vibrant arts scene. Jacksonville is also home to the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team.
Jacksonville Luxury Hotels
Minsk, Belarus
Minsk, the capital of Belarus, is a city that has something for everyone. If you're looking for a little history, Minsk has plenty of it, with churches and monuments dating back to the 12th century. If you're looking for a lively nightlife, Minsk has that, too, with plenty of bars, clubs, and restaurants. And if you're looking for a little nature, Minsk has parks and gardens to enjoy. Here are just a few of the places you can visit in Minsk: The Holy Spirit Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in Minsk, is a must-visit for history buffs. The National Library of Belarus is a huge library with more than 18 million items in its collection. The Opera and Ballet Theatre is a beautiful building that hosts performances of both opera and ballet. The Victory Park is a large park with a war memorial, a children's playground, and a lake. And for a little bit of nature in the heart of the city, the Botanical Garden is a great place to relax and take a break from the hustle and bustle of Minsk.
Minsk Luxury Hotels
Jaipur, India
Jaipur is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. It is the capital of the state of Rajasthan and is known for its palaces, forts and temples. Some of the places to visit in Jaipur include the Amber Fort, the City Palace, the Jantar Mantar Observatory and the Hawa Mahal. Jaipur is also a great place to shop for traditional Indian handicrafts.
Jaipur Luxury Hotels
Chicago, IL, United States
Chicago is a city full of culture and history. There are plenty of places to visit, such as the Willis Tower, Buckingham Fountain, and the Lincoln Park Zoo. Chicago is also home to many restaurants and bars, so there is something for everyone.
Chicago Luxury Hotels
Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland is a beautiful city located on the north island of New Zealand. There are many places to visit in Auckland, including the Sky Tower, the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and the Auckland Domain. The beaches in Auckland are also worth visiting, especially Karekare and Piha. Auckland is a great place to visit, and I highly recommend it!.
Auckland Luxury Hotels
Auckland Luxury Villas
Amsterdam, Netherlands
If you're looking for a city that's got it all, Amsterdam should be your go-to destination. From the city's lively and vibrant nightlife to its charming and quiet neighborhoods, Amsterdam has something for everyone. Be sure to check out the Anne Frank Huis, the Rijksmuseum, and the Van Gogh Museum, as these are some of the most popular attractions in the city. And if you're looking for a little bit of nature, be sure to take a walk or bike ride through Amsterdam's many parks.
Amsterdam Luxury Hotels
Berlin, Germany
There are so many great places to visit in Berlin that it can be hard to know where to start. From the iconic Brandenburg Gate to the fascinating Reichstag Building, there's something for everyone in this vibrant city. If you're looking for a bit of history, make sure to check out the Berlin Wall Memorial or the DDR Museum. And for those looking for a bit more fun, there's always the Alexanderplatz Christmas Market or the Zoologischer Garten. No matter what your interests, Berlin is a city you won't want to miss.
Berlin Luxury Hotels
Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok is a city of contrasts with its gleaming temples and skyscrapers, chaotic markets and tranquil canals. While it's a popular tourist destination, Bangkok is a city that can be enjoyed by visitors of all ages. Some of the top places to visit in Bangkok include the Grand Palace, Wat Arun, the floating markets and the Chatuchak Weekend Market.
Bangkok Luxury Hotels
Bangkok Luxury Resorts
Bangkok Luxury Villas
Bruges, Belgium
Bruges is a city in Belgium that is worth visiting. It is full of medieval charm and there are a lot of things to see and do. Some of the places to visit include the Markt, the Belfry, and the Begijnhof.
Bruges Luxury Hotels
Brussels, Belgium
Brussels is a city in Belgium that is best known for its chocolate, waffles, and beer. But there is much more to see and do in Brussels than just indulge in the local cuisine. There are a number of interesting historical landmarks to visit, such as the Grand Place and the Atomium, as well as a variety of parks and gardens. And, of course, Brussels is also a great city to explore on foot.
Brussels Luxury Hotels
Budapest, Hungary
Budapest, Hungary's capital, is a city of thermal baths and medival, baroque and art nouveau architecture. Crowded with tourists, the city is bisected by the Danube River into the hilly Buda and the more developed and flat Pest. Among the main places of interest are the neo-Gothic Parliament, the Chain Bridge linking Buda and Pest, the Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion on the Buda bank, and the State Opera House and Heroes' Square on the Pest side.
Budapest Luxury Hotels
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Home to some of the best beaches in Mexico, Playa del Carmen is a favorite tourist destination for visitors from all over the world. With its lively nightlife, gorgeous coastline and ample shopping opportunities, there's something for everyone in this tropical paradise. Don't miss the opportunity to visit some of the area's most popular attractions, such as the ancient Mayan ruins of Tulum and Coba, or the eco-friendly Turtle Beach. With its friendly people, delicious food and stunning scenery, Playa del Carmen is a place you'll never want to leave.
Playa del Carmen Luxury Hotels
Playa del Carmen Luxury Resorts
Playa del Carmen Luxury Villas
Denver, CO, United States
Denver is a great city for visitors. There are so many places to see and things to do. Some of the top places to visit include the 16th Street Mall, the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Denver Art Museum, and the Colorado State Capitol. There are also plenty of great restaurants and shops to explore. Denver is definitely a city worth visiting!.
Denver Luxury Hotels
Dublin, Ireland
Dublin is a city located in Ireland. It's a city full of culture, with plenty of places to visit. Some popular tourist spots are the Guinness Storehouse, Trinity College, and the Dublin Castle. There are also plenty of pubs and restaurants to discover.
Dublin Luxury Hotels
Dusseldorf, Germany
Dusseldorf, Germany is a city with many different places to visit. The city has a mix of old and new buildings, and a variety of activities to do. The best places to visit in Dusseldorf are the Konigsallee, the Rhine Tower, and the Oktoberfest. The Konigsallee is an open-air shopping mall that has many high-end stores. The Rhine Tower is the tallest building in the city and offers great views of Dusseldorf. The Oktoberfest is a week-long festival that celebrates German culture and food.
Dusseldorf Luxury Hotels
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Edinburgh, Scotland is a beautiful city to visit. The architecture is very old and unique, and there are plenty of historical places to visit, like Edinburgh Castle. There are also plenty of parks and gardens, and lots of shops and restaurants.
Edinburgh Luxury Hotels
Rome, Italy
Rome is a city rich in history and filled with beautiful places to visit. Make sure to stop by the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Pantheon. Also be sure to visit St. Peters Basilica and the Sistine Chapel while in Rome. If youre looking for a little more nature in your trip, head to the Villa Borghese gardens or the Janiculum Hill for some wonderful views of the city. And of course, no trip to Rome is complete without a gelato!.
Rome Luxury Hotels
Rome Luxury Villas
New York, NY, United States
There are many amazing places to visit in New York State. Some of my favorites are the Niagara Falls, the Adirondack Mountains, and the Finger Lakes. If you're looking for a city break, New York City is definitely worth a visit. There's endless things to see and do, from touring the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to visiting world-famous museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History. No matter what your interests are, you'll be able to find something to enjoy in New York State.
New York Luxury Hotels
New York Luxury Villas
London, United Kingdom
London is a city rich in history and full of amazing places to visit. Some of my favorite places are Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and the Tower of London. There is so much to see and do in London, you could spend weeks here and never run out of things to do. If you're looking for a city full of culture and history, London is the place for you.
London Luxury Hotels
London Luxury Cottages
Madrid, Spain
Madrid is one of the most beautiful and culturally rich cities in the world. From the Royal Palace to the Prado Museum, theres plenty to see and do in Madrid. If youre looking for a little bit of nature, Madrid has plenty of parks, like the Buen Retiro Park, to relax in. And dont forget to try some of the delicious tapas and wine while youre in town.
Madrid Luxury Hotels
Memphis, TN, United States
The birthplace of rock 'n' roll, Memphis is a city rich in history and culture. From Graceland to Beale Street, there are plenty of places to visit in Memphis. Be sure to check out Sun Studio, where rock 'n' roll was born, and the National Civil Rights Museum, which tells the story of the African-American civil rights movement. Memphis is also home to some amazing food, so be sure to try some of the city's famous barbecue and soul food.
Memphis Luxury Hotels
Miami Beach, FL, United States
There is much to explore in Miami Beach, from the famous Art Deco district to the vast beaches and crystal-clear waters. Outdoor enthusiasts will love the opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and paddleboarding, while history buffs can explore the ancient burial mounds at Miami Beach. Shoppers and foodies will find plenty to keep them busy, with vibrant neighborhoods like Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive offering unique boutiques and award-winning restaurants. And of course, no trip to Miami Beach is complete without a visit to world-famous South Beach.
Miami Beach Luxury Hotels
Miami Beach Luxury Resorts
New Orleans, LA, United States
You can't visit New Orleans without trying some of the local food. Beignets, Po' Boys, and gumbo are just a few of the must-try dishes. While you're in town, be sure to check out the French Quarter, Jackson Square, and St. Louis Cathedral. If you're looking for some nightlife, Bourbon Street is the place to be. And, of course, no trip to New Orleans is complete without a visit to Mardi Gras!.
New Orleans Luxury Hotels
Milan, Italy
Milan is a city located in the Lombardy region of Italy. It is a popular tourist destination because of its historical and artistic heritage. Some of the places you should visit while in Milan are the Duomo, La Scala, and Castello Sforzesco.
Milan Luxury Hotels
Naples, Italy
Naples is one of the most beautiful and historic cities in Italy. There are countless places to visit, such as the Royal Palace, the Museum of San Martino, and the Church of Gesu Nuovo. Naples is also home to excellent shopping and dining options. Be sure to enjoy a cup of coffee at one of the city's many cafes and take a stroll through the picturesque streets.
Naples Luxury Hotels
Paris, France
Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It's home to iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum, as well as a thriving nightlife and restaurant scene. If you're looking to explore all that Paris has to offer, here are some of the top places to visit: The Eiffel Tower: This iconic landmark is a must-see in Paris. Climb to the top for stunning views of the city, or take a ride on the elevator to the bottom for a closer look at the structure. The Louvre Museum: This world-famous museum is home to some of the most famous works of art in the world, including the Mona Lisa. The Notre Dame Cathedral: This beautiful cathedral is one of the most famous landmarks in Paris. Make sure to climb to the top for some amazing views of the city. The Champs-Elysees: This famous avenue is a popular destination for shopping and dining. Be sure to wander down the street and take in all the sights and sounds. The Arc de Triomphe: This towering arch is another iconic landmark in Paris. Climb to the top for some amazing views of the city.
Paris Luxury Hotels
Paris Luxury Villas
Prague, Czech Republic
Prague is a city rich in history and culture. There are plenty of places to visit, including the Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, and the Old Town Square. There are also plenty of restaurants and bars to enjoy, and the nightlife is vibrant. Prague is a truly unique city and a must-visit for anyone traveling to the Czech Republic.
Prague Luxury Hotels
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Located on the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana is known for its beautiful beaches and turquoise waters. This paradise is a favorite destination for travelers looking for a Caribbean getaway. Punta Cana is home to a wide variety of resorts and activities, from enjoying the sand and surf to golfing, spas, and shopping. Nature lovers can also explore the areas jungles, caves, and waterfalls.
Punta Cana Luxury Hotels
Punta Cana Luxury Resorts
Punta Cana Luxury Villas
Marbella, Spain
If you're looking for an idyllic and luxurious Spanish escape, look no further than Marbella. Located on the country's Costa del Sol, Marbella is home to stunning beaches, top-notch resorts, world-class golfing, and much more. A visit to Marbella is the perfect way to experience all that Spain has to offer.
Marbella Luxury Hotels
Marbella Luxury Villas
Marrakesh, Morocco
Marrakesh is a city in Morocco that is full of culture and history. There are several places to visit in Marrakesh, including the Palace of the Bahia, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, and the Saadian Tombs. The souks (markets) are also a must-see, where you can find everything from souvenirs to spices to traditional clothing. Be sure to enjoy a meal in one of the many restaurants or cafes in Marrakesh; the food is delicious and the atmosphere is always lively. Marrakesh is a wonderful city to explore and definitely worth a visit!.
Marrakesh Luxury Hotels
San Francisco, CA, United States
San Francisco is a popular tourist destination, and for good reason. There are plenty of things to see and do in this vibrant city. Here are some of the top places to visit: 1. Fisherman's Wharf: This neighborhood is home to a variety of shops and restaurants, as well as a popular pier where you can enjoy views of the bay. 2. The Golden Gate Bridge: This iconic bridge is a must-see for any visitor to San Francisco. 3. Alcatraz Island: This former federal prison is now a popular tourist attraction. It's a must-see for fans of history and crime dramas. 4. Chinatown: This colorful neighborhood is home to some of the best food in San Francisco. Be sure to check out the Dragon Gate entrance. 5. The Mission District: This trendy neighborhood is home to hip restaurants, bars, and art galleries.
San Francisco Luxury Hotels
Moscow, Russia
Moscow, Russia is a beautiful city with plenty of places to visit. Some of the most popular tourist attractions are the Kremlin, Red Square, and Saint Basil's Cathedral. Other great places to see include the Bolshoi Theatre, Gorky Park, and the Tretyakov Gallery. There are also many churches and other historical buildings to explore. Moscow is a lively city with a lot of culture and nightlife. There is something for everyone to enjoy in Moscow.
Moscow Luxury Hotels
Venice, Italy
Venice is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The city is built on a lagoon in northeast Italy and is known for its canals and gondolas. There are many places to visit in Venice, including the Grand Canal, St. Marks Square, and the Rialto Bridge. Venice is also home to many museums, including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
Venice Luxury Hotels
Vienna, Austria
Vienna, Austria is a city with a long and rich history. There are many places to visit in Vienna, including the Hofburg Palace, the Ringstrasse, and St. Stephen's Cathedral. Vienna is also home to some of the world's best shopping, including the Karntner Strasse and the Graben. Finally, no visit to Vienna is complete without experiencing the city's world-famous nightlife.
Vienna Luxury Hotels
Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich is a marvelous city located in the heart of Switzerland. It is a city that has something to offer for everyone. From amazing restaurants and beautiful architecture to exciting nightlife and gorgeous parks, Zurich has something for everyone. Some of the most popular places to visit in Zurich include the Bahnhofstrasse, which is the city's most famous shopping street, the Lindenhof, which is a beautiful park with amazing views of the city, and Grossmunster, which is a stunning Romanesque church. Zurich is also home to some of the best museums in the world, including the famed Museum of Art and the Swiss National Museum. With its mix of old-world charm and modern amenities, Zurich is a city that is definitely worth exploring.
Zurich Luxury Hotels
Acapulco, Mexico
If you're looking for a Mexican vacation spot with plenty of history and culture to explore, Acapulco is a great option. From the archeological wonders of the ancient city to the stunning coastal views, there's something for everyone in Acapulco. Plus, with its temperate climate, it's a great escape from colder winter weather.
Acapulco Luxury Hotels
Acapulco Luxury Resorts
Acapulco Luxury Villas
Nashville, TN, United States
One of the United States' most interesting places to visit is Nashville, Tennessee. There's plenty to see and do there, from the Grand Ole Opry to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Music is a big part of the city's history and culture, so be sure to catch a show while you're in town. Other popular attractions include the Ryman Auditorium, the Parthenon, and the Jack Daniel's Distillery. Nashville is also a great place to eat, with a wide variety of restaurants serving up everything from barbecue to Mexican food. So if you're looking for an exciting and diverse city to visit, be sure to add Nashville to your list.
Nashville Luxury Hotels
Nashville Luxury Villas
Atlanta, GA, United States
What's not to love about Atlanta? From the iconic Georgia Aquarium to the World of Coke, from the Fox Theatre to Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta offers a wealth of destinations for tourists. Sports fans will want to check out the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and history buffs will enjoy the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. Braves fans can take a tour of SunTrust Park, and shoppers will enjoy the many boutiques and malls in the city. There's also a great restaurant scene in Atlanta, and music lovers will want to check out the many venues offering live music. Whether you're looking for a fun family vacation spot or a place to explore on your own, Atlanta is a great choice!.
Atlanta Luxury Hotels
Miami, FL, United States
The Magic City is a top tourist destination for a reasonthere are endless things to do in Miami! From exploring the trendy neighborhoods and dazzling beaches to soaking up the Latin culture and nightlife, Miami is jam-packed with amazing places to visit. Here are a few of our favorites: 1. Wynwood Walls: This outdoor art exhibit is a must-see for any art lover. The colorful murals are awe-inspiring and definitely Instagram-worthy. 2. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens: This estate is dripping with luxury and opulence, from the grandiose architecture to the expansive gardens. It's the perfect place for a day of relaxation. 3. South Beach: This world-famous beach is a must-visit for any sun-seeker. The crystal-clear water and soft sand make for the perfect day-long beach getaway. 4. Little Havana: Experience Cuban culture at its best in Little Havana. From delicious food to lively music and dance, there's something for everyone in this vibrant district. 5. Art Deco District: This district is home to Miami's most iconic architecture. Take a stroll down the charming streets and admire the colorful buildings that make Miami so unique.
Miami Luxury Hotels
Miami Luxury Villas
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo is a must-see destination in Japan. There are endless places to explore in this city - temples, shrines, gardens, and more. The Shinjuku district is a great place to start, with its neon-lit streets and myriad shops and restaurants. For a taste of traditional Japan, visit the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa or the Imperial Palace. Nature lovers will enjoy the Hamarikyu Gardens or the Hama-rikyu Teien Garden. And for a unique experience, take a trip to Mount Fuji.
Tokyo Luxury Hotels
Tokyo Luxury Villas
Buenos Aires, Argentina
There are plenty of places to visit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Some popular tourist destinations include the obelisk, the Casa Rosada, and the Puerto Madero district. Every barrio (neighborhood) has its own unique culture and flavor. San Telmo, La Boca, and Palermo are some of the most popular barrios. There are also many parks and plazas, such as Plaza de Mayo and Plaza de la Republica, that are worth checking out.
Buenos Aires Luxury Hotels
Hamburg, Germany
One of the most popular tourist destinations in Germany is Hamburg. From the lively and colorful harbor district to the grandiose City Hall, there is plenty to see and do in Hamburg. Some of the other popular places to visit include the Reeperbahn district with its pubs and nightlife, the Planten un Blomen botanical gardens, and the architecturally stunning Rathausmarkt square.
Hamburg Luxury Hotels
Lisbon, Portugal
The capital of Portugal, Lisbon is a city of fascinating contrasts. From its coastal location, visitors can enjoy stunning ocean views, while its hilly, narrow streets are home to a maze of charming traditional homes and lively nightlife. A city of 7 hills, Lisbon is a bustling metropolis with something for everyone. Here are some of the top places to visit: The Belem Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Lisbons most iconic landmarks. This 16th-century fortress and lighthouse is a must-see for visitors. The Alfama district, with its winding streets and tile-roofed homes, is the oldest district in Lisbon. This is the perfect place to get lost and explore the citys history. The Lisbon Zoo is a great place to enjoy a day out with the family, with over 2,000 animals from around the world. The Christ the King statue, located atop a hill in the suburb of Almada, offers impressive views of Lisbon and the river Tagus. The Lisbon Oceanarium, located in the Parque das Nacoes district, is home to more than 12,000 marine creatures and is one of the largest aquariums in Europe.
Lisbon Luxury Hotels
Lisbon Luxury Villas
Malaga, Spain
Malaga is an attractive seaside city in southern Spain with a long history. There are many places to visit in Malaga, including the Gibralfaro Castle, the Alcazaba fortress, and the Malaga Cathedral. Malaga is also home to a variety of museums, including the Picasso Museum. The city is well known for its beaches, and there are many delightful places to relax and enjoy the sun and the sea.
Malaga Luxury Hotels
Malaga Luxury Villas
Munich, Germany
When planning a vacation to Munich, Germany, be sure to include these top places to visit: The Marienplatz is a must-see square in the city center, featuring a beautiful Glockenspiel show and the Old and New Town Halls. The Englisher Garten, Europes largest city park, is a great place for a relaxing stroll or a picnic. OlympiaPark is home to the famous 1972 Olympic Stadium as well as a huge amusement park. The Frauenkirche is a stunning church in the old town with a Glockenspiel of its own. Beer lovers will want to visit the Hofbrauhaus, the worlds most famous beer hall. For a bit of history and culture, check out the LudwigMaximilians-University and the Deutsches Museum. There is so much to see and do in Munich these are just a few highlights!.
Munich Luxury Hotels
Granada, Spain
Granada is a city in southern Spain that is known for its Moorish architecture and history. The city is home to the Alhambra, a palace and fortress that was constructed in the late 1300s. Visitors can also enjoy the citys many churches, including the Cathedral of Granada. Granada is also a convenient base for exploring the other cities and towns in Andalusia.
Granada Luxury Hotels
Bucharest, Romania
Bucharest is a city full of history and culture. There are many places to visit, such as the Palace of Parliament, which is the world's largest civilian building. Other places to visit include the old city center, which is full of charming streets and buildings, and the Botanical Garden, which is the largest botanical garden in Romania.
Bucharest Luxury Hotels
Bologna, Italy
Bologna, Italy is a beautiful city with plenty of places to visit. Some popular tourist destinations include the Piazza Maggiore, the Tower of Asinelli, and the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca. There are also plenty of museums and churches to explore, and the city is full of charming restaurants and cafes. Bologna is an excellent destination for a vacation, and there is something for everyone to enjoy in this amazing city.
Bologna Luxury Hotels
Porto, Portugal
Porto is a port city in Portugal that is well known for its wine. It's also a city with a long and rich history. There are many places to visit in Porto, including the old city center, the Dom Luis I Bridge, and the Clerigos Tower. Porto is also home to the famous Port wine caves, which are a must-visit for wine lovers.
Porto Luxury Hotels
Cologne, Germany
Cologne, located on the Rhine River in western Germany, is a city well worth visiting. The city has a long and rich history, dating back to the time of the Roman Empire. Some of the city's most popular tourist attractions include the Cologne Cathedral, Hohenzollern Bridge, and the RheinEnergieStadion. Additionally, Cologne is home to a wide variety of museums, shops, and restaurants. In fact, the city has been ranked as one of the best places to live in Germany. So, if you're looking for a great European city to visit, be sure to add Cologne to your list.
Cologne Luxury Hotels
Istanbul, Turkey
If you're looking for an exotic and affordable vacation destination, look no further than Istanbul, Turkey. Filled with historical places to visit and bargains to be found, Istanbul offers something for everyone. Be sure to visit the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the Blue Mosque while you're there. Don't forget to bargain for the best prices when shopping in the bazaars, and enjoy some delicious Turkish cuisine while you're at it. Istanbul is sure to leave you with a lasting impression.
Istanbul Luxury Hotels
Istanbul Luxury Villas
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubai is a fascinating and exotic city that offers visitors a mix of traditional Middle Eastern culture and modern, cosmopolitan life. There are plenty of places to visit in Dubai, from the towering skyscrapers of Downtown Dubai to the luxury shopping malls and luxurious hotels of the Palm Jumeirah. Don't miss a chance to experience an Arabian night out on an epic dhow cruise, or take a trip out into the Arabian Desert to see the stunning sand dunes.
Dubai Luxury Hotels
Dubai Luxury Resorts
Dubai Luxury Villas
Antwerp, Belgium
Antwerp is a city located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital of the province of Antwerp and has a population of over half a million people. Antwerp is a popular tourist destination due to its many historical buildings, museums, and art galleries. Some of the most popular places to visit in Antwerp are the Cathedral of Our Lady, the City Hall, the Rubenshuis, and the Antwerp Zoo.
Antwerp Luxury Hotels
Lyon, France
Lyon is a beautiful city in the south of France that is full of culture and places to visit. Some of the most popular places to visit in Lyon are the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere, the Place Bellecour, and the Vieux Lyon. The Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere is a beautiful cathedral that is a must-see when visiting Lyon. The Place Bellecour is a large square in the heart of Lyon that is full of restaurants and cafes. The Vieux Lyon is a district in Lyon that is full of old buildings and is a great place to wander around and take in the sights.
Lyon Luxury Hotels
Athens, Greece
If you find yourself in Athens, there are definitely some spots you won't want to miss. The Acropolis, Parthenon, and Olympic Stadium are all essential stops, but there are plenty of others, too. If you're looking for a bit of history, the National Archaeological Museum is a must-see, while nature lovers will enjoy a visit to the botanical gardens. If you're looking to relax, take a walk along the beach in Glyfada or head to the Plaka district for a charming and picturesque setting. No matter what you're interested in, Athens has something for you.
Athens Luxury Hotels
Athens Luxury Villas
Helsinki, Finland
While in Helsinki, make sure to visit these popular tourist destinations: The Senate Square and Lutheran Cathedral The Sibelius Monument Ateneum Art Museum Market Square Helsinki Zoo.
Helsinki Luxury Hotels
Vilnius, Lithuania
The capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, is a picturesque city with a rich history. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is full of charming churches, narrow streets, and pretty squares. There are also lots of museums and other places of interest to visit, including the Hill of Crosses, Gediminas Tower, and the Presidential Palace. Vilnius is a great city to explore on foot, and there are plenty of cafes, restaurants, and bars to enjoy in the evening.
Vilnius Luxury Hotels
Reykjavik, Iceland
A city of remote beauty, Reykjavik is teeming with interesting places to visit. One of the worlds most northern capitals, Reykjavik offers stunning landscapes and a wealth of cultural experiences. From the iconic Hallgrimskirkja church to the popular Golden Circle tour, theres plenty to see and do in Reykjavik. Be sure to check out the citys lively nightlife scene, too you wont be disappointed!.
Reykjavik Luxury Hotels
Glasgow, United Kingdom
Some of the most popular places to visit in Glasgow include the Gallery of Modern Art, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Riverside Museum, and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre. There are also many wonderful parks and gardens to explore, including the Botanic Gardens and Glasgow Green. For those interested in history and architecture, there are many fascinating old buildings to see, such as the Glasgow Cathedral and the University of Glasgow. And for those looking for a lively nightlife, Glasgow has no shortage of pubs, clubs, and restaurants.
Glasgow Luxury Hotels
Los Angeles, CA, United States
As the birthplace of Hollywood and home to some of the world's most recognisable landmarks, there's no shortage of places to visit in Los Angeles. Start by exploring the city's iconic neighbourhoods like Beverly Hills and Hollywood, then venture out to attractions like the Griffith Observatory, Venice Beach and Disneyland. And don't forget to savour the city's world-famous cultural scene, with its abundance of museums, theatres and restaurants.
Los Angeles Luxury Hotels
Los Angeles Luxury Villas
San Diego, CA, United States
San Diego is a city located in California and is a major tourist destination. One of the main reasons people visit the city is for its many beaches. Coronado Beach, Mission Beach, and Pacific Beach are some of the most popular and are all within close proximity to the city center. Other attractions in San Diego include the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld San Diego, and the USS Midway Museum. Restaurants, bars, and shopping can be found throughout the city, and world-renowned museums, like the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, are also located in San Diego.
San Diego Luxury Hotels
San Diego Luxury Resorts
San Diego Luxury Villas
Washington, DC, United States
Washington, D.C. is a city full of history and places to visit. Some popular places to visit are the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, and the Smithsonian. D.C. is also home to a number of monuments and memorials, like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. There are also a number of museums in D.C., like the American History Museum and the National Air and Space Museum.
Washington Luxury Hotels
Cancun, Mexico
Cancun is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Mexico. Aside from its beautiful beaches, there are plenty of places to visit and things to do in Cancun. Some of the most popular attractions include the ancient ruins of Chichen Itza, the eco-park Xcaret, and the nightclubs and bars in the resort district.
Cancun Luxury Hotels
Cancun Luxury Resorts
Cancun Luxury Villas
Virginia Beach, VA, United States
Virginia Beach is one of the top tourist destinations on the East Coast. From the Virginia Beach Boardwalk to the miles of sandy beaches, there's something for everyone to enjoy. There are also plenty of restaurants, shops, and other attractions to keep visitors busy. Some of the most popular places to visit in Virginia Beach include: The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center : This aquarium is home to more than 20,000 animals, including sharks, dolphins, and rays. : This aquarium is home to more than 20,000 animals, including sharks, dolphins, and rays. The Virginia Beach Boardwalk: This 3.5-mile boardwalk is one of the most popular attractions in Virginia Beach. It features a wide variety of shops, restaurants, and amusements. This 3.5-mile boardwalk is one of the most popular attractions in Virginia Beach. It features a wide variety of shops, restaurants, and amusements. First Landing State Park: This park offers miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as a beachfront area for swimming and sunbathing. This park offers miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as a beachfront area for swimming and sunbathing. Cape Henry Lighthouse: This lighthouse is one of the oldest in the country and offers stunning views of the Chesapeake Bay. There are plenty of other things to do in Virginia Beach, including dolphin and whale watching tours, kayaking, and golfing. Whether you're looking for a fun family vacation or a romantic getaway, Virginia Beach is sure to please.
Virginia Beach Luxury Hotels
Virginia Beach Luxury Resorts
Beijing, China
If you're looking for an amazing cultural experience, be sure to add Beijing, China to your travel bucket list! With beautiful temples, charming hutongs (traditional alleyways), and a lively food scene, there's something for everyone in this bustling city. Plus, Beijing is home to some of the most iconic attractions in China, like the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City. So if you're looking for an unforgettable East Asian adventure, be sure to add Beijing to your list!.
Beijing Luxury Hotels
Seoul, South Korea
Seoul is a metropolitan city that is home to over 10 million people. It is a city full of culture, history, and a vibrant nightlife. There are plenty of places to visit in Seoul, including the Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, and N Seoul Tower. The Jeongdongne district is a must-see for anyone interested in art and culture, and the Itaewon district is a great place to go for a night on the town.
Seoul Luxury Hotels
South Lake Tahoe, CA, United States
Known for its dramatic lake and mountain scenery, South Lake Tahoe offers visitors plenty of places to visit and things to do. Some of the most popular attractions include floating down the river on a tube, hiking the trails in the summer and skiing or snowboarding the slopes in the winter. The city also has a variety of restaurants and nightlife options, as well as casinos for those looking to try their luck.
South Lake Tahoe Luxury Hotels
South Lake Tahoe Luxury Resorts
Daytona Beach, FL, United States
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. It is approximately 40 miles northeast of Orlando, and 85 miles southeast of Jacksonville. The city is known as "The World's Most Famous Beach." Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Fun Coast region of Florida. The Daytona Beach area is a popular tourist destination. It is well known for its beaches, sports events, and motorsports. Daytona Beach was the birthplace of NASCAR and home to its first track, Daytona International Speedway. Dayton Beach also features a large number of tourist-oriented businesses, such as motels, restaurants, and bars.
Daytona Beach Luxury Hotels
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The coastline of Rio de Janeiro is breathtaking, and the views from Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf Mountain are unforgettable. Rio's world-famous beaches are the perfect place to relax and enjoy the sun and the surf. The city's rich culture and history can be experienced in its many museums and in the lively nightlife. Rio is also a great place to shop for souvenirs.
Rio de Janeiro Luxury Hotels
Rio de Janeiro Luxury Villas
Jaco, Costa Rica
Jaco is a town on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. It's about an hour drive from San Jose and is a popular spot for surfers, sunbathers, and tourists. There are a number of beaches in the area, as well as restaurants, bars, and hotels. If you're looking for a place to relax and enjoy the Costa Rican sun and beaches, Jaco is a great option.
Jaco Luxury Hotels
Oslo, Norway
Oslo, Norway is a city with plenty of places to visit. You can find the peace and tranquility of nature parks and green spaces, experience the city's vibrant nightlife, or take in the historical and cultural sights. Here are a few of the top places to visit in Oslo: The Royal Palace: Oslo's Royal Palace is the official residence of Norway's king and queen. The palace is open to the public year-round, and offers a glimpse into the lives of the royal family. Oslo's Royal Palace is the official residence of Norway's king and queen. The palace is open to the public year-round, and offers a glimpse into the lives of the royal family. Vigeland Park: Considered one of Oslo's most popular tourist destinations, Vigeland Park is home to over 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. The park is a great place to spend a sunny day outdoors. Considered one of Oslo's most popular tourist destinations, Vigeland Park is home to over 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. The park is a great place to spend a sunny day outdoors. The Maritime Museum: This museum is home to a variety of exhibits on Norway's maritime history. Visitors can explore everything from Viking ships to modern submarines. This museum is home to a variety of exhibits on Norway's maritime history. Visitors can explore everything from Viking ships to modern submarines. The National Gallery: The National Gallery is Norway's largest art museum, and home to a vast collection of paintings and sculptures from the country's most famous artists. The National Gallery is Norway's largest art museum, and home to a vast collection of paintings and sculptures from the country's most famous artists. Aker Brygge: Aker Brygge is a popular waterfront district in Oslo, home to a variety of bars, restaurants, and shops. The area is a great place to people watch and enjoy the view of the Oslo Fjord.
Oslo Luxury Hotels
Lima, Peru
If you're looking for a city that's bursting with culture and flavor, Lima, Peru is the place for you! This vibrant destination is home to some of the most amazing places to visit in all of South America. From ancient ruins to lush rainforests, there's something for everyone in Lima. Here are just a few of the must-see attractions in this amazing city: The Larco Museum is one of Lima's top tourist destinations. This incredible museum is home to one of the largest collections of pre-Columbian art in the world. The Historic Center of Lima is a must-see for any history lover. This vibrant area is home to some of the oldest architecture in Lima, including the iconic San Francisco Monastery. If you're looking for a little bit of jungle in the city, head to the Parque de la Reserva. This lush park is home to beautiful gardens, a zoo, and even a butterfly farm! No trip to Lima would be complete without a visit to Machu Picchu. This ancient Inca citadel is one of the most iconic sites in all of South America.
Lima Luxury Hotels
Ankara, Turkey
Ankara is the cultural and political center of Turkey. The city is home to many museums, including the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, and is a popular destination for tourists. The Citadel, the Ataturk Mausoleum, and the War of Independence Museum are all popular tourist destinations in Ankara. The city is also home to a vibrant nightlife and is a popular destination for students.
Ankara Luxury Hotels
Birmingham, United Kingdom
There are plenty of great places to visit in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Some of the most popular places to go include the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and the Black Country Living Museum. These places are all great for tourists, as they offer a variety of attractions, including beautiful gardens, interesting art, and a recreation of an old-fashioned town. Additionally, there are plenty of other great places to visit in Birmingham, such as the Jewellery Quarter and the German Christmas Market.
Birmingham Luxury Hotels
York, United Kingdom
With a rich history that spans back over 1,000 years, York is a must-visit destination in the United Kingdom. Explore the city's medieval architecture and narrow cobblestone streets, or enjoy a leisurely walk along the River Ouse. Visitors can also enjoy a variety of cultural experiences, such as the York Minster cathedral, the Jorvik Viking Centre, and the National Railway Museum. There are also plenty of shops and restaurants to enjoy in York.
York Luxury Hotels
Inverness, United Kingdom
Inverness, Scotland is a must-see destination on any traveler's list. Filled with rolling green hills, historical sites, and plenty of outdoor activities, there's something for everyone in this charming town. Start by exploring the city center, which is home to a variety of shops and restaurants. Make sure to check out the Inverness Castle, which offers commanding views of the area, and the Inverness Cathedral, a beautiful example of medieval architecture. Outside of the city center, there are plenty of other attractions to explore. The Loch Ness Monster is said to make its home in the loch here, and visitors can take boat tours to hunt for the mythical creature. If you're looking for a more active adventure, take a hike in the hills or go fishing on the loch. No matter what you choose to do, Inverness is a beautiful and welcoming town that is sure to charm you.
Inverness Luxury Hotels
Marseille, France
The Vieux Port (Old Harbor) is the oldest port in France. It is a beautiful place to visit with its sailboats, restaurants, and cafes. The Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica is also worth a visit. It offers stunning views of the city. If you're looking for a more lively atmosphere, head to the La Canebiere. It's a wide avenue with plenty of shops and restaurants.
Marseille Luxury Hotels
Marseille Luxury Villas
Honolulu, HI, United States
Honolulu is a city located on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, United States. It is the most populous city in the state of Hawaii and the county seat of the City and County of Honolulu. Honolulu is the cultural, commercial, and financial center of Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is one of the most famous beaches in the world and is located in Honolulu. Other places to visit in Honolulu include Diamond Head, the USS Arizona Memorial, and Hanauma Bay.
Honolulu Luxury Hotels
Honolulu Luxury Resorts
Honolulu Luxury Villas
Bar Harbor, ME, United States
Famous for lobster and stunning ocean views, Bar Harbor is a popular destination in Maine. There are plenty of things to do in the town and its surroundings, including hiking, biking, whale watching, and exploring Acadia National Park.
Bar Harbor Luxury Hotels
Colorado Springs, CO, United States
There are many places to visit in Colorado Springs. Garden of the Gods is a popular park with beautiful rock formations. Pike's Peak is a 14,115 foot mountain that offers great views and outdoor activities. The Broadmoor is a world-renowned resort with lovely gardens and a championship golf course. Royal Gorge Bridge is the world's highest suspension bridge and a popular tourist spot.
Colorado Springs Luxury Hotels
Fort Myers Beach, FL, United States
Just an hours drive from the Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach is a popular tourist spot, especially in the winter when the snowbirds migrate down. The seven-mile-long beach is known for its white sand and clear water and is a popular spot for swimming, sunbathing, fishing, and kayaking. There are also a number of restaurants and bars in the area, as well as a few stores.
Fort Myers Beach Luxury Hotels
Biloxi, MS, United States
There are plenty of places to explore in Biloxi, Mississippi from the citys iconic Beaches to the picturesque Bay Saint Louis. Venture into the citys downtown area to check out the many shops and restaurants, or take a walk along the shoreline. No matter what you choose to do, youre sure to have a great time in Biloxi.
Biloxi Luxury Hotels
Palermo, Italy
If you're looking for a city with a rich and diverse history, Palermo is the place for you. This coastal city in Italy is teeming with medieval architecture, churches, and cathedrals. Be sure to check out the Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Europe, and the Palazzo dei Normanni, the seat of the Sicilian government. Don't miss out on the city's vibrant nightlife and vast array of restaurants that serve up some of the best food in the country.
Palermo Luxury Hotels
Palermo Luxury Villas
Manila, Philippines
The capital of the Philippines, Manila is a fascinating city with a rich history and a vibrant culture. There are plenty of places to visit in Manila, including the walled city of Intramuros, the Rizal Park, and the Manila Bay. The city is also home to a large number of churches, including the Manila Cathedral and the San Agustin Church. Manila is a great city to explore on foot, and there are plenty of restaurants and shops to enjoy.
Manila Luxury Hotels
Zermatt, Switzerland
Zermatt is an alpine village in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is famous for its ski resort, mountaineering and hiking trails. The views of the Matterhorn from Zermatt are iconic. The village is car-free, making it a cyclists' and pedestrians' paradise. There are many places to visit in Zermatt, including the village's beautiful churches, impressive museums, and great restaurants.
Zermatt Luxury Hotels
Basel, Switzerland
Basel is a city located in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine. Basel has a population of about 176,000 and is the third most populous city in Switzerland. Basel has many interesting places to visit, including the Basel Munster, the Basel Rathaus (town hall), the Basel Zoo, and the Munsterhof, the old town square. Basel also has a number of art museums, including the Kunstmuseum Basel, the Fondation Beyeler, and the Schaulager. Basel is a great city to visit, and I highly recommend it!.
Basel Luxury Hotels
Copenhagen, Denmark
There are a number of places to visit in Copenhagen, Denmark. Some of the most popular tourist destinations include Tivoli Gardens, Nyhavn, and the Rosenborg Castle Gardens. Tivoli Gardens is a beautiful amusement park that has something for everyone. It is perfect for a day of fun with family or friends. Nyhavn is a charming canal district that is popular for its brightly colored houses and lively atmosphere. Visitors can enjoy a relaxing cruise down the canal or take a seat in one of the many cafes and restaurants. The Rosenborg Castle Gardens are home to a majestic castle as well as beautifully landscaped gardens. There is plenty to see and do in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Copenhagen Luxury Hotels
Steamboat Springs, CO, United States
Steamboat Springs is located in northwestern Colorado. The town is named for the steamboats that traveled up the Yampa River in the 1800s. Today, the town is a popular tourist destination, known for its skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and rafting.
Steamboat Springs Luxury Hotels
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and is home to many tourist attractions. Some popular places to visit in Abu Dhabi include the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Ferrari World Theme Park, and the Yas Island Waterpark. There are also a number of museums and shopping malls in Abu Dhabi, making it a great destination for those looking for a mix of culture and leisure.
Abu Dhabi Luxury Hotels
Abu Dhabi Luxury Resorts
Abu Dhabi Luxury Villas
Bogota, Colombia
There's a lot to see and do in Bogota. Some of the top places to visit include the historical La Candelaria district, the cobblestone streets of Plaza de Bolivar, the Monserrate mountain, the Bogota Botanical Garden, and the Gold Museum. La Candelaria is home to many brightly-colored colonial buildings, churches, and plazas. Plaza de Bolivar is the center of Bogota and is surrounded by important landmarks like the Presidential Palace and the National Capitol. The Monserrate mountain is a popular tourist destination due to its stunning views of Bogota. The Bogota Botanical Garden is the largest in Colombia and features a wide variety of plants and trees. The Gold Museum is home to the largest collection of Pre-Columbian gold artifacts in the world.
Bogota Luxury Hotels
Cebu, Philippines
Due to its location and its rich history, there are plenty of places to visit in Cebu. Some of the most popular tourist destinations include the Cebu Taoist Temple, the Fort San Pedro, the Yap-San Diego Ancestral House, and the Magellan's Cross.
Cebu Luxury Hotels
Cebu Luxury Resorts
Lagos, Portugal
Lagos is a small town in Portugal with a population of around 22,000. It's located in the Algarve region and is a popular tourist destination. Some of the places to visit in Lagos are the beaches, the old town, and the Marina. The beaches are beautiful and there are a lot of them to choose from. The old town is a maze of narrow streets and alleyways with lots of shops and restaurants. The Marina is a great place to walk around and watch the boats.
Lagos Luxury Hotels
Medellin, Colombia
Some places to visit in Medellin, Colombia are: the Botanical Garden, the Ethnographic Museum, the Jardin Botanico, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Park of Lights, and the San Pedro Claver Church.
Medellin Luxury Hotels
Genoa, Italy
While there are many places to visit in Genoa, one of the must-sees is the city's cathedral. Dedicated to San Lorenzo, the church features an intricate Gothic facade and a Renaissance interior. If you're looking for a place to take in some stunning views, head to the Genoa Aquarium, which is located on the promenade stretching along the city's harbor.
Genoa Luxury Hotels
Hoi An, Vietnam
Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Vietnam. Its a bridge town thats best explored on foot. The narrow streets are a mix of Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese architecture. There are tailors, artisans, and lantern shops galore. The food is also some of the best in Vietnam. Be sure to try the local specialties, like Cao Lau and White Rose dumplings.
Hoi An Luxury Hotels
Hoi An Luxury Resorts
Baku, Azerbaijan
Baku, Azerbaijan is a city with a lot of culture and history. There are a lot of places to visit, like the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower. There are also a lot of great restaurants, like the Flame Club, which has a great atmosphere and delicious food.
Baku Luxury Hotels
San Luis Obispo, CA, United States
San Luis Obispo is a city located in the central coast of California. It's known for its natural beauty, relaxed vibe, and abundance of things to do. Some of the top places to visit in San Luis Obispo include the Madonna Inn, Hearst Castle, and the Paso Robles wine country. The city is also home to a variety of beaches, parks, and other attractions. In addition, San Luis Obispo is a great place to live, with plenty of restaurants, shops, and other amenities.
San Luis Obispo Luxury Hotels
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Colombo is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. The city is located on the west coast of the island and is the administrative, commercial, and industrial center of Sri Lanka. Colombo is also the center of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, with numerous Buddhist temples. There are a number of places to visit in Colombo, including the Galle Face Green, the Dutch fort, the Pettah Bazaar, and the Sri Lankan National Museum.
Colombo Luxury Hotels
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
The city of Yogyakarta in Indonesia is home to some of the most stunning temples and historical landmarks in the country. The city is also a great place to enjoy traditional Javanese culture and cuisine. Some of the must-see places in Yogyakarta include the Borobudur Temple, the Prambanan Temple, and the Sultan's Palace.
Yogyakarta Luxury Hotels
Cefalu, Italy
Looking for a beautiful and historic place to visit in Italy? Look no further than Cefalu. This town is teeming with history and stunning architecture, and its location on the coast makes it the perfect place to relax and take in the stunning scenery. Don't miss the Duomo di Cefalu, a 12th century Norman church that is definitely worth a visit, or the Palazzo dei Normanni, a former royal palace.
Cefalu Luxury Hotels
San Jose, CA, United States
San Jose, California, is home to a variety of tourist destinations. Some popular places to visit include the Winchester Mystery House, the Tech Museum of Innovation, and the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. There are also a number of lovely parks, such as Kelley Park and Plaza de Cesar Chavez, that are well worth a visit. San Jose is also home to a number of great restaurants, so be sure to check out the local cuisine. Whatever your interests, San Jose has something to offer visitors.
San Jose Luxury Hotels
Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong is one of the most popular destinations for tourists in China. There are many places to visit in Hong Kong, including the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Victoria Peak, and the Temple Street Night Market. Hong Kong is also a great place to shop, with many high-end malls and markets.
Hong Kong Luxury Hotels
Hong Kong Luxury Resorts
Orlando, FL, United States
Orlando is a city in the central region of Florida, in the United States. The city is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the metropolitan area also known as Greater Orlando. Orlando is well known for its theme parks, including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, and SeaWorld Orlando. Other tourist destinations in Orlando include the Holy Land Experience, the Orlando Science Center, and the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. Orlando is also home to the University of Central Florida, one of the largest universities in the United States.
Orlando Luxury Hotels
Orlando Luxury Resorts
Orlando Luxury Villas
Philadelphia, PA, United States
If youre looking for a place thats rich in history and culture, Philadelphia is the place for you. The city is home to numerous iconic landmarks, including the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Theres also a great variety of museums and other attractions to explore, such as the Philadelphia Zoo and the Please Touch Museum. And, of course, Philly is the birthplace of Americas favorite sandwich, the cheesesteak. So why not visit Americas most historic city and see for yourself what all the fuss is about?.
Philadelphia Luxury Hotels
Nice, France
France is known for its many beautiful places to visit, and Nice is no exception. With its stunning coastline and mild climate, Nice is a popular tourist destination. Some of the most popular places to visit in Nice include the Promenade des Anglais, the Castle Hill, and the Old Town. There is also a wide variety of shops and restaurants to enjoy in Nice. If you're looking for a beautiful and relaxing place to visit in France, Nice is definitely worth considering.
Nice Luxury Hotels
Nice Luxury Villas
Singapore, Singapore
Singapore is a popular tourist destination, brimming with cultural and natural attractions. From award-winning restaurants to serene gardens and pristine beaches, there is much to explore in this diverse city-state. Here are some of the top places to visit in Singapore: 1. Marina Bay: This iconic waterfront district is home to stunning architecture, world-class landmarks, and a vibrant nightlife. 2. Gardens by the Bay: These stunning gardens feature a mix of plants from around the world, as well as towering sculptures and a biodome. 3. Chinatown: This lively district is home to traditional Chinese shops and restaurants, as well as vibrant street markets. 4. Little India: This neighborhood is known for its vibrant culture and colorful temples. 5. Sentosa Island: This resort island is home to sandy beaches, lush rainforests, and a variety of entertainment options.
Singapore Luxury Hotels
Singapore Luxury Resorts
Nottingham, United Kingdom
Nottingham is a city in the East Midlands of England. It is one of the United Kingdom's major cities, with a population of over 321,000. The city is home to two universities, Queen's Medical Centre, and seven football grounds. Nottingham is known for its lace-making and bicycle manufacturing. The city has a rich history, dating back to the Bronze Age. There are plenty of places to visit in Nottingham, including the Nottingham Castle, the Sherwood Forest, and the National Ice Centre. The city also has a lively nightlife, with a variety of pubs and bars.
Nottingham Luxury Hotels
Cannes, France
Cannes is a city located in the south of France. Some of the places to visit in Cannes are the Palais des Festivals et des Congres, the Boulevard de la Croisette, and Le Suquet.
Cannes Luxury Hotels
Cannes Luxury Villas
Park City, UT, United States
Park City, Utah, offers visitors a wealth of places to visit and things to do. Main Street, with its charming shops and restaurants, is a must-see. The Park City Museum tells the town's fascinating history, and the Park City Utah Temple is a beautiful sight. For outdoor enthusiasts, there's plenty of skiing and snowboarding in the winter and hiking and mountain biking in the summer. And don't forget to visit the Olympic Park, where the 2002 Winter Olympics were held.
Park City Luxury Hotels
Park City Luxury Resorts
Port Angeles, WA, United States
If you're looking for a quaint, small town to visit in the US, Port Angeles is worth a stop. Located in the state of Washington, it's right on the Pacific coast with stunning views of the Olympic Mountains. There's plenty of things to do in the area, from hiking and fishing to whale watching and enjoying the local restaurants and breweries.
Port Angeles Luxury Hotels
Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
If you're looking for a fun-filled Florida getaway, look no further than Fort Lauderdale! With its miles of pristine beaches, world-famous shopping and vibrant nightlife, there's something for everyone in this seaside city. Here are some of the top places to visit in Fort Lauderdale: Las Olas Boulevard: This popular shopping and dining district is home to some of Fort Lauderdale's most upscale boutiques and restaurants. The Beach: With its wide, sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, Fort Lauderdale's beach is a major draw for visitors. The Everglades: Just a short drive from Fort Lauderdale, the Everglades are home to an abundance of wildlife, including alligators, bald eagles and manatees. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts: This world-class performing arts center is home to a variety of theater, dance and music performances. So what are you waiting for? Book your trip to Fort Lauderdale today!.
Fort Lauderdale Luxury Hotels
Fort Lauderdale Luxury Resorts
Myrtle Beach, SC, United States
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is a popular tourist destination. There are plenty of places to visit in the area, including amusement parks, beaches, and golf courses. Myrtle Beach also has a lively nightlife, with plenty of bars and restaurants.
Myrtle Beach Luxury Hotels
Myrtle Beach Luxury Resorts
Salzburg, Austria
Salzburg is one of the most visited places in Austria. It is a city rich in history and culture. There are many places to visit, such as the Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Mirabell Palace, and the Salzburg Cathedral. There are also many hiking trails and parks to enjoy.
Salzburg Luxury Hotels
Pattaya, Thailand
Pattaya is an amazing city with plenty of places to visit and things to do. One of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand, Pattaya offers something for everyone. There are lovely beaches, interesting temples, great shopping, and exciting nightlife. With its moderate climate and affordable prices, it's no wonder Pattaya is a favorite destination for tourists from all over the world.
Pattaya Luxury Hotels
Pattaya Luxury Resorts
Pattaya Luxury Villas
Dallas, TX, United States
Dallas is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the ninth most populous city in the United States and the third most populous city in the state of Texas. Dallas is also the main city of the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the United States. The city's prominence arose from its historical importance as a center for the oil and cotton industries, and its position as a major transportation hub for the South. Dallas is home to the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. The city's economy is primarily based on banking, commerce, telecommunications, technology, energy, healthcare and medical research, and transportation. The city is home to the world's largest airline hub and the third largest cargo airport in the United States.
Dallas Luxury Hotels
Kolkata, India
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. The city is located on the east bank of the Hooghly River. It is the second most populous city in India, after Mumbai, and the third most populous metropolitan area in India, after Mumbai and Delhi. The city is notable for its colonial architecture, art and culture, and for its overwhelming poverty. Kolkata is home to the Indian Museum, the Calcutta Stock Exchange, the National Library of India, and the Indian Statistical Institute.
Kolkata Luxury Hotels
San Antonio, TX, United States
San Antonio is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Texas. There are plenty of places to visit in this city, from the well-known River Walk to the exquisite Spanish missions. If you're looking for a fun place to spend the day, you can't go wrong with San Antonio.
San Antonio Luxury Hotels
Seattle, WA, United States
There are many wonderful places to visit in Seattle, Washington. Some of the most popular attractions include Pike Place Market, the Seattle Space Needle, and the Museum of Pop Culture. There are also many parks and gardens, such as Volunteer Park and Seattle Chinese Garden, as well as plenty of restaurants and shops. Located on the other side of the world, Western Australia is a great place to visit for those looking for something different. Some of the most popular attractions include Rottnest Island, the Margaret River region, and Monkey Mia. There are also plenty of beautiful parks and gardens, such as Kings Park and Botanic Garden, as well as restaurants and shops.
Seattle Luxury Hotels
Liverpool, United Kingdom
Liverpool is a city located in North West England and is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom. The city is known for its football teams Liverpool and Everton, The Beatles, and its maritime history. Liverpool is a popular tourist destination and is home to various tourist attractions including Mersey Ferry, Liverpool Cathedral, and Albert Dock.
Liverpool Luxury Hotels
Malmo, Sweden
Malmo is Sweden's third largest city with a population of over 310,000. It is located in the province of Scania on the country's southern tip. Malmo is a vibrant city with a strong arts and cultural scene. There are plenty of places to visit in Malmo, including the Malmo Castle, the Botanical Gardens, and the Turning Torso skyscraper. Malmo is also home to a large shopping district and a lively nightlife.
Malmo Luxury Hotels
Gothenburg, Sweden
Goteborg, Sweden's second largest city, is a major port on the country's west coast. It's a popular tourist destination, known for its lively nightlife, beautiful architecture and delicious seafood. Some of the city's highlights include the Liseberg amusement park, the Botanical Garden, and the charming old town district. Goteborg is also home to a large number of museums, including the Volvo Museum, the Maritime Museum and the Universeum science center.
Gothenburg Luxury Hotels
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia and is a city full of culture and history. There are many places to visit in Ljubljana, such as the castle, the old town, and the cathedral. The city is also home to many museums, art galleries, and parks. Ljubljana is a great city to explore on foot, and there are many restaurants and cafes to enjoy.
Ljubljana Luxury Hotels
Sydney, NSW, Australia
Australia is a vast country with plenty of stunning places to visit, but Sydney is undoubtedly one of the most popular tourist destinations on the continent. From the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge to the beautiful beaches and lush national parks, there's something for everyone in this lively city. There's also a thriving food and nightlife scene, so you'll never run out of things to do in Sydney.
Sydney Luxury Hotels
Sydney Luxury Villas
Melbourne, VIC, Australia
There's a lot to love about Melbourne its lively arts and culture scene, its parks and gardens, its diverse range of restaurants and cafes, and its stunning architecture. Here are some of the best places to visit in Melbourne: - Federation Square: This iconic square is a great place to people-watch and take in the city's impressive architecture. It's also home to a number of museums and galleries, including the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and the National Gallery of Victoria. - Queen Victoria Market: This vibrant market is a must-visit for foodies and shoppers alike. It's the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere, and offers a vast array of fresh produce, meat, seafood, and souvenirs. - Melbourne Cricket Ground: If you're a sports fan, be sure to check out the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is the largest cricket stadium in the world. It's also home to the Australian Football League, and has hosted a number of major sporting events, including the Commonwealth Games and the Rugby Union World Cup. - Royal Botanic Gardens: These beautiful gardens are a great place to relax and take in some of Melbourne's natural beauty. They're home to a number of different gardens, including the Australian Garden, the Sculpture Garden, and the Japanese Garden.
Melbourne Luxury Hotels
Melbourne Luxury Villas
Vancouver, BC, Canada
The top places to visit in Vancouver are Stanley Park, Granville Island, Gastown, and Chinatown. These are all must-see attractions that offer an array of activities, scenery, and history. Stanley Park is a world-famous urban park that features greenery, beaches, gardens, and a stunning view of the North Shore Mountains. Granville Island is a vibrant neighbourhood with unique shops, restaurants, and art galleries. Gastown is the city's oldest neighbourhood and is home to charming cobblestone streets and funky boutiques. Chinatown is one of the largest and most vibrant Chinatowns in North America and offers delicious food, interesting history, and vibrant culture.
Vancouver Luxury Hotels
Toronto, ON, Canada
From the CN Tower and Hockey Hall of Fame to the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Distillery District, there are plenty of amazing places to visit in Toronto, Canada. With something for everyone, Toronto is a great city to explore. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your trip today!.
Toronto Luxury Hotels
Montreal, QC, Canada
Montreal is a vibrant city with something for everyone. There are plenty of places to visit, including the Notre Dame Basilica, the Olympic Stadium, and Mount Royal. The city is also home to a lively arts and culture scene, with theatres, art galleries, and music venues. Montreal is a great place to visit year-round, with festivals and events happening throughout the year.
Montreal Luxury Hotels
Seville, Spain
Seville is one of the most visited places in Spain for a plethora of reasons: its stunning architecture, tapas bars, flamenco and great weather. The Giralda Tower is a must-see when in Seville as is the Plaza de Espana. Andalusian culture is heavily present in the city and is best experienced by wandering the narrow streets and alleyways, popping into a lively tapas bar for a drink and some snacks or enjoying a flamenco show.
Seville Luxury Hotels
Seville Luxury Villas
Ocean City, MD, United States
Ocean City is a seaside resort town in Worcester County, Maryland, on the Atlantic coast. It is well known for its long promenade, its fishing, and its crab cuisine. There are plenty of places to visit in Ocean City, including the boardwalk, amusement rides, shopping, and restaurants. You can also visit the Assateague Island National Seashore, which is home to wild horses, or head to the nearby town of Berlin for more shopping and dining options.
Ocean City Luxury Hotels
Cambridge, MA, United States
If you're looking for a quintessential New England town to visit, Cambridge, Massachusetts is the place for you. With its elaborate architecture and Colonial history, Cambridge is a lively town with plenty of things to see and do - perfect for a weekend getaway. Some of the places you won't want to miss include the Harvard University campus, the charming and lively shops and restaurants in Harvard Square, and the leafy paths of the Cambridge Common.
Cambridge Luxury Hotels
Laguna Beach, CA, United States
Laguna Beach, California is a place known for its stunningly beautiful coastline, excellent restaurants, and art galleries. But there's more to Laguna Beach than meets the eye. Here are some of the best places to visit in Laguna Beach: Crystal Cove State Park: This state park is known for its coves, tidepools, and bluffs. It's a great place to go hiking, swimming, and snorkeling. Heisler Park: This park is a great place for a walk or a picnic. It's also home to some of the best views of the Pacific Coast. Downtown Laguna Beach: This charming downtown area is home to art galleries, boutique shops, and excellent restaurants. Aliso Beach: This beach is known for its excellent surfing and swimming conditions. It's also a great place to take a walk or enjoy a picnic.
Laguna Beach Luxury Hotels
Hot Springs, AR, United States
In downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas, you'll find historic buildings, antique shops, and art galleries. For nature lovers, there are also plenty of places to visit, including the Garland County Arboretum, Ouachita National Forest, and Hot Springs National Park. Spa enthusiasts can enjoy a relaxing day in one of the area's hot springs. And no trip to Hot Springs is complete without a visit to the world-famous Bathhouse Row.
Hot Springs Luxury Hotels
Sedona, AZ, United States
There are many places to visit in Sedona, Arizona. Among the most popular are the Chapel of the Holy Cross, Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, and Boynton Canyon. The town's unique red-rock formations and ancient ruins offer plenty of photo opportunities. Visitors can also enjoy hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Sedona is a great place to relax and take in the natural beauty of the Southwest.
Sedona Luxury Hotels
Sedona Luxury Resorts
Boulder, CO, United States
Boulder, Colorado is a breathtaking city nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The city is home to stunning views, ample outdoor recreation, and a lively arts scene. Outdoor enthusiasts will love exploring the city's many trails, parks, and open spaces. History buffs will enjoy checking out the city's museums and historic sites. Culture seekers will appreciate the city's many theaters, art galleries, and restaurants. No matter what your interests, you'll find something to love in Boulder.
Boulder Luxury Hotels
Key West, FL, United States
Key West is a small island off the coast of Florida that is filled with history, charm, and fun places to visit. Its lush tropical setting and the laid-back vibe of the island make it a popular destination for those looking for a relaxing getaway. There are plenty of places to explore in Key West, from the charming historic district to the crystal-clear waters of the Florida Keys. Here are some of the top places to visit in Key West: -The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum: This iconic museum is dedicated to the life and work of Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway, who lived in Key West for over 20 years. -Duval Street: This lively street is the heart of Key West's nightlife and is home to many bars and restaurants. -The Southernmost Point: This landmark is located at the end of Duval Street and is the southernmost point in the continental United States. -The Key West Lighthouse: This picturesque lighthouse is a popular spot for tourists and offers stunning views of the island. -The African American Heritage House: This museum is dedicated to the history and culture of African Americans in Key West. -The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory: This attraction is home to over 2,000 butterflies and a variety of other tropical plants and animals.
Key West Luxury Hotels
Key West Luxury Resorts
Key West Luxury Cottages
Key West Luxury Villas
Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm, Sweden is a city with many places to visit. One place is the Vasa Museum, which is home to a ship that sunk in 1628 and was raised from the ocean floor 333 years later. The ship is preserved and on display in the museum. Another place to visit is the Royal Palace, the official residence of the Swedish monarch. The palace is open for tours, and visitors can see the royal apartments, the throne room, and the Hall of State.
Stockholm Luxury Hotels
Destin, FL, United States
Looking for a place to visit in Florida? Look no further than Destin! This city is home to beautiful beaches, wonderful restaurants, and plenty of places to shop. No matter what you're looking for, you can find it in Destin. Be sure to check out the Destin Harbor and the fishing pier for amazing views and plenty of things to do. If you're looking for a place to relax, head to the beach and enjoy the sun and sand. There's something for everyone in Destin, so be sure to visit this amazing city!.
Destin Luxury Hotels
Destin Luxury Resorts
Ashland, OR, United States
There are many places to visit in Ashland, Oregon. Some of the most popular places are the Shakespeare Festival, Lithia Park, and Mt. Ashland. The Shakespeare Festival is a great place to see some of the best plays in the world. Lithia Park is a beautiful park with a river running through it. Mt. Ashland is a great place to go skiing in the winter.
Ashland Luxury Hotels
Seaside, OR, United States
One of the most beautiful places on the Oregon Coast is Seaside. With its wide, sandy beach and majestic promenade, Seaside is a popular tourist destination. There are plenty of places to eat and shop, and the Seaside Aquarium is a must-see. Visitors can also enjoy fishing, whale watching, or just taking a leisurely stroll along the beach.
Seaside Luxury Hotels
Newport, RI, United States
Newport is a picturesque town located in southern Rhode Island that is home to some of the most visited tourist destinations in the United States. The city is known for its miles of beaches and historic mansions that line the coast. Some popular places to visit in Newport include the Cliff Walk, the Breakers Mansion, the Museum of Yachting, and the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Newport Luxury Hotels
Siena, Italy
Siena, Italy is a popular tourist destination, thanks to its well-preserved medieval city center. The city is famous for its art, food, and wine. Siena is located in the heart of Tuscany, making it the perfect base for exploring this beautiful region of Italy. Don't miss the Duomo (cathedral), the Piazza del Campo, and the Torre del Mangia.
Siena Luxury Hotels
Reno, NV, United States
Home to the University of Nevada, Reno and a wide variety of cultural and natural attractions, Reno is a great place to visit. Some of the top places to see in Reno include the Nevada Museum of Art, the Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center, and the Reno Events Center. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy hiking and skiing at Lake Tahoe and biking and kayaking on the Truckee River. In addition, Reno is home to a diverse array of restaurants and nightlife venues.
Reno Luxury Hotels
Atlantic City, NJ, United States
Atlantic City is a popular East Coast tourist destination, known for its boardwalks, beaches and casinos. There are plenty of places to visit in Atlantic City, from the Boardwalk Hall and the Absecon Lighthouse to the Atlantic City Aquarium and Lucy the Elephant. For a more thrilling experience, head to one of the city's casinos, where you can try your hand at blackjack, slots, roulette and more. Atlantic City also offers a wide variety of restaurants, from seafood spots to pizza places, so you're sure to find something to your taste. And if you're looking for some nightlife action, the city has you covered there too. Atlantic City is definitely a place worth visiting!.
Atlantic City Luxury Hotels
Atlantic City Luxury Resorts
Lake George, NY, United States
Looking for a place to visit in upstate New York? Look no further than the stunning Lake George. This picturesque locale is located in the heart of the Adirondacks and is known for its pristine beauty and terrific recreational opportunities. Visitors can enjoy hiking, biking, boating, fishing, and skiing, among other activities. Don't miss the chance to take in the spectacular views from the summit of Prospect Mountain or from the water's edge.
Lake George Luxury Hotels
Buffalo, NY, United States
If you're looking for a city that has it all, Buffalo is the place to be. From its vibrant downtown district to its abundance of parks and nature preserves, there's something for everyone in Buffalo. Here are some of the top places to visit in Buffalo: 1. The Buffalo Zoo - One of the top zoos in the country, the Buffalo Zoo is a must-visit for animal lovers of all ages. 2. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery - Buffalo's answer to the Louvre, the Albright-Knox is home to some of the world's most famous paintings and sculptures. 3. The Buffalo-Niagara Heritage Village - This living history museum offers a glimpse into what life was like in Buffalo in the 1800s. 4. The Buffalo River - Take a walk or bike ride along the Buffalo River, one of the city's most picturesque areas. 5. Delaware Park - This large park is home to a variety of attractions, including a zoo, a golf course, and a nature preserve.
Buffalo Luxury Hotels
Rochester, MN, United States
Rochester, Minnesota is a city with plenty of places to visit. There's the Mayo Clinic, the Apache Mall, and several other shopping areas, as well as a variety of restaurants. There are also a few parks and golf courses. For those who love the outdoors, Rochester is also close to several state parks and the Mississippi River.
Rochester Luxury Hotels
Duluth, MN, United States
If you're looking for an amazing place to visit, Duluth, Minnesota should definitely be at the top of your list. This city is home to some of the most beautiful scenery in the United States, and there are plenty of things to do here that will keep you entertained for days on end. Some of the most popular places to visit in Duluth include the Aerial Lift Bridge, the Glensheen Mansion, and Chester Creek Park. Additionally, there are a number of excellent restaurants and shopping areas in the city, so be sure to explore everything that Duluth has to offer.
Duluth Luxury Hotels
Maputo, Mozambique
Maputo is the capital of Mozambique and a city full of culture and history. There are many places to visit in Maputo, such as the Jose Eduardo dos Santos Museum, the Maputo Cathedral, and the Rua da Independencia. Maputo is also home to the Maputo Bay, which offers beautiful beaches and great seafood.
Maputo Luxury Hotels
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona, located on the northeast coast of Spain, is a renowned tourist destination and one of the most popular cities in the world. There are plenty of places to visit in Barcelona, such as the Gothic Quarter, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Parc Guell, La Sagrada Familia, and more. The city is also home to a lively nightlife and some of the best restaurants in the country.
Barcelona Luxury Hotels
Barcelona Luxury Villas
Split, Croatia
Split is a city on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. It is the second-largest city in Croatia and the largest city in Dalmatia. It has a population of over 200,000 inhabitants. The metropolitan area, which includes the City of Split and the surrounding towns, has a population of over 330,000. Split is a popular tourist destination and is the home of the Diocletian's Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other popular tourist destinations include the Riva, the Peristyle, the Cathedral of Saint Domnius, and Sustipan.
Split Luxury Hotels
Split Luxury Villas
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Dubrovnik is a city on the Adriatic Sea in Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, a seaport and the administrative center of Dubrovnik-Neretva County. Dubrovnik is nicknamed "The Pearl of the Adriatic".
Dubrovnik Luxury Hotels
Dubrovnik Luxury Villas
Byron Bay, NSW, Australia
Byron Bay is a magical place. It's no wonder that it's one of the most popular destinations in Australia. The town is set in a beautiful location, surrounded by rolling green hills and the bright blue ocean. There's plenty to do in Byron Bay, whether you're looking for a relaxing beach holiday or an adventure-filled trip. Some of the top places to visit in Byron Bay include the iconic lighthouse, the stunning beaches, and the lush rainforest. There's also a great nightlife and plenty of restaurants and cafes to enjoy. If you're looking for an amazing Australian getaway, be sure to add Byron Bay to your list!.
Byron Bay Luxury Hotels
Wellington, New Zealand
If you're looking for a little slice of heaven on earth, look no further than Wellington, New Zealand. With its gorgeous landscape and plethora of activities, there's something for everyone here. Whether you're a nature lover or a city slicker, Wellington has something special to offer. Top Wellington attractions include the Zealandia eco-sanctuary, the cable car up to the Botanic Gardens, and the sprawling Te Papa museum. For those who love getting out into the great outdoors, there are plenty of hiking and biking trails, as well as lovely seaside towns and villages to explore. And of course, no trip to Wellington would be complete without trying some of the delicious local cuisine be sure to sample a traditional Maori hangi feast! So what are you waiting for? Book your flight to Wellington today and start planning your perfect holiday!.
Wellington Luxury Hotels
Saint Louis, MO, United States
If you're looking for a fun place to visit with a rich history and plenty of things to see and do, look no further than Saint Louis, Missouri. This vibrant city is home to a variety of interesting attractions, including the Gateway Arch, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. There's also no shortage of restaurants and shopping options in Saint Louis. So, whether you're looking for a place to explore new cultures and cuisines or you're just looking for a place to have some fun, Saint Louis is a great option.
Saint Louis Luxury Hotels
Bloomington, IN, United States
The city of Bloomington, Indiana is home to a variety of attractions and places to visit. The Indiana University campus is a popular destination, as is the city's historic downtown district. Monroe County Courthouse
Dr. Megan Moe, associate professor of communication at Lee University, was named the American Advertising Federation District 7 Educator of the Year, receiving the Donald G. Hileman Award.
According to the AAF D7, the Donald G. Hileman Award recognizes a college educator for outstanding service to advertising, AAF District 7, his/her club or generation, and college advertising students through his/her volunteer efforts to the student advertising team, a student advertising club, and teaching of superior quality.
"One of my greatest joys is working with the advertising students at Lee University, said Dr. Moe. I love their creativeness, their energy, and their passion. I am blessed to have full support from AAF Chattanooga, our local professional club, which is committed to advertising educational programs. When I learned they nominated me for the award, I was honored to be recognized by this set of influential professionals."
Dr. Moe was honored in 2013 by the National Communication Association with the Mid-Career Award for teaching leadership and artistic scholarship. She has served in leadership roles in the NCA including the National Nominating Committee. She was also a Page Legacy Scholar at Penn State University, and has presented research at various academic conventions including the NCA, Southern States Communication Association, and Association for Theatre in Higher Education.
At Lee, Dr. Moe is the discipline coordinator for the communication program and oversees the advertising emphasis of the communication degree. She serves as the faculty advisor for the Lee Advertising Federation and as sponsor for Lees National Student Advertising Competition team. As an educational representative, she has served as a board member for AAF Chattanooga for nearly 10 years.
As a board member of Bachman Academy, a school specializing in educating 6-12th grade students with learning differences, Dr. Moes current research interests include social skills training for teens with social deficits. Prior to teaching at Lee, Dr. Moe was involved in numerous communication fields including as a reporter, market researcher, floor director and camera operator, public service announcement writer for PBS, writer, director, actor, and a drama coordinator for her New York Church.
Established in 1905, the AAF protects and promotes the well-being of advertising. It represents nearly 40,000 advertising professionals across the United States, with more than 5,000 college chapter members and approximately 100 corporate members. The AAF annually hosts the Advertising Hall of Fame, the American Advertising Awards, the NSAC, the Mosaic Center on Multiculturalism, and summer ad camps for high school students. AAF District 7 represents the 5-state region of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
Tennessee Solar Solutions was recognized at the BRIC Awards (Building Recognition in Chattanooga), taking home the Sustainable Project of the Year - Peoples Choice Award.Tennessee Solar Solutions winning project consisted of building a solar installation on a trailer for the Urban Green Lab based in Nashville. The Mobile Lab brings hands-on learning and demonstrations about sustainability to middle and high schools.We are so proud to have the community demonstrate strong support for our innovative use of solar power and sustainability, said Anthony Roden, founder and president of Tennessee Solar Solutions.Adding solar to the Mobile Lab gives students the chance to see sustainable energy in action. We hope that more companies will take advantage of solar in unique ways after seeing this successful project.The 34-foot gooseneck trailer is topped with six, 300 watt solar panels. This provides 90 percent of labs energy needs. The project was completed in the spring of 2016 and is now traveling to schools in middle Tennessee.The goal of the BRIC Awards was to showcase the best of the best in each category, said Dawn Hjelseth, director of development at green|spaces. For the sustainable project of the year category, we looked for projects that excelled in achieving a strong triple bottom line - meaning it was not only environmentally beneficial but was also socially and economically beneficial to the community. We had over 100 people vote in selecting the winner.
Russian President Valdimir Putin and President Barack Obama shake hands for the cameras before the start of a bilateral meeting at the United Nations headquarters September 28, 2015 in New York City. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)
Politicians do it. Businessmen do it. Secret societies do it. Even a well-trained dog does it. When it comes to handshakes, you've probably heard all the tired advice: Shake it like you mean it. Grip firmly, stand up straight, look them in the eyes.
But here's a more interesting question: Why exactly do we feel the compulsion to shake hands when we're saying hello, making a deal, or burying hatchets? Here's what the research says about this most common of rituals-and how the act can change the way people perceive us.
Advertisement
- Why we shake it: As anybody who owns a rear-sniffing dog knows, animals use ritualized physical contact when they meet somebody new. Handshake-like interactions are likely ancient.
"At a basic level, you're literally showing your hand and letting it known that you can be trusted, because you don't have a concealed weapon or are hiding anything else," says Florin Dolcos, an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Illinois who has studied the science of handshakes. "It's very primal, but this is how we probably started shaking hands in the first place."
Advertisement
Dolcos also points to a fundamental need for humans to connect physically with each other-especially when establishing a sense of trust and safety. And while we're comfortable cuddling or hugging family members, a handshake allows for such touch in a way that is less likely to put strangers off-or weird them out.
Handshakes could also be used to, quite literally, sniff other people out. A 2015 study conducted at Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science used cameras to show that people often instinctively smell their hands after shaking somebody else's. The researchers theorize that this behavior is similar to that displayed by other mammals, such as rodents and dogs, that often use their sense of smell as a part of social interactions.
- It's about trust: In a 2012 study published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Dolcos and his wife Sanda Dolcos, also a faculty member at the University of Illinois, found that simply adding a handshake to a social interaction made people more likely to view others more positively.
In the study, researchers placed subjects in an fMRI brain scanner while showing them movies of social interactions. Some of these movies showed people engaged in "approach" behaviors that signaled a positive social interaction, while others included "avoidance" behaviors that suggested one person was less than thrilled to be interacting with the other. With all types of interactions-friendly, unfriendly, and anything in between-adding a handshake caused test subjects to rate the people they viewed as more confident, trustworthy, and interesting.
"At a general level, it seems that shaking hands before a social interaction will make things more likely to go well," Sanda Dolcos says.
- Touch can help seal deals-even bad ones:
This study reenforces another one published in 2010 in the journal Psychological Science that found that that minimal amounts of physical contact could increase a person's sense of security to the point that he or she is more likely to make risky financial decisions. For the study, researchers at Columbia University and the University of Alberta greeted some test subjects with a 1-second pat on the back of the shoulder prior to giving them the option of choosing between a certain cash payout or a risky bet. Those who received the touch were far more likely to take the riskier route.
But guys shouldn't view this as carte blanche to get too touchy-feely with with clients: While the effect was seen on both male and female test subjects, it was present only when the person doing the touching was a woman-a result that researchers theorize could be related to feelings of maternal security. And while handshakes certainly did put test subjects at ease, a light touch on the back of the shoulder (right below the deltoid, if you're asking) proved far more effective in creating a sense of security and encouraging subjects to go for the gamble.
Advertisement
"Doctors do this all the time, sometimes also salespeople," says Jonathan Levav, one of the study's authors who is now an associate professor of marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. "Certain kinds of touch can make people more comfortable-consciously or nonconsciously-and that can have an effect on the decisions that they make."
Bloomberg
Breakfast tacos will be free 9-11 a.m. on Cinco de Mayo at Big Star's walk-up window. The restaurant is launching breakfast tacos with sister spot Dove's Luncheonette. (Sandy Noto)
With Cinco de Mayo just days away, dozens of restaurants and bars in Chicago and suburbs are readying drink and food specials to mark the Mexican army's victory over France during the Battle of Puebla in 1862 -- or did you forget that part? Regardless, here's a selection of places where you can indulge, from free tacos to cocktail and beer specials to full multicourse dinners.
Beatrix (519 N. Clark St., 284-1377): Featuring $5.50 pineapple habanero margaritas all day.
Bub City (5441 Park Place, Rosemont, 847-261-0399): The Rosemont location has a build-your-own nacho bar ($8 per visit), and Coronas ($4) and margaritas ($8) on special.
Big Star (1531 N. Damen Ave., 773-235-4039): Big Star is teaming with sister restaurant Dove's Luncheonette to offer free breakfast tacos 9-11 a.m. on Cinco de Mayo -- one per person while supplies last. Choices include vegetarian, steak, and egg and chorizo options. Available at Big Star's takeout window. Additional tacos are available for purchase.
Cactus Bar & Grill (404 S. Wells St., 312-922-3830): Don Julio tequila representatives will be on hand to sample spirits 5-7 p.m. Featured cocktails include Don Julio margaritas ($8), paloma supremas ($8) and blanco mojitos ($10). Draft specials ($6) include Ska Mexican Logger, Tocayo Hominy White Ale, 21st Amendment El Sully and Oskar Blues Beerito.
Cantina Laredo (508 N. State St., 312-955-0014): Two special margaritas will be added to the restaurant's extensive list: Cinco 'Rita ($11.50) features five kinds of tequila, and Verde Infusion 'Rita ($12) has cucumber-infused mezcal and blanco tequila. Sierra Nevada Otra Vez ($6) is also available.
Clark Street Dog (3040 N. Clark St., 773-281-6690): Specials include a queso burger ($4.59 single, $6.59 double) featuring a quarter-pound burger served with pico de gallo and Chihuahua cheese. Modelo and Corona bottles are $6 each.
Commonwealth Tavern (2000 W. Roscoe St., 773-697-7965): Drink specials include margaritas and Mexican mules ($6 each) and Dos Equis Tall Boys ($5).
Cinco Division: For a Cinco de Mayo bar crawl, seven bars along Division Street celebrate with $5.50 Corona and $5 tequila cocktails, including Original Mother's (26 W. Division St., 312-642-7251), She-Nannigan's House of Beer (16 W. Division St., 312-642-2344), Coconutz Chicago (13 W. Division St., 312-266-0944), Mother's Too (14 W. Division St., 312-266-7444), The Lodge Tavern (21 W. Division St., 312-642-4406), Butch McGuire's (20 W. Division St., 312-787-4318) and Hopsmith Tavern (15 W. Division St., 312-600-9816).
The Duck Inn (2701 S. Eleanor St., 312-724-8811): Start the celebration a day early, 6-10 p.m. May 4. The fiesta features a Mexican-inspired buffet ($35); drink specials include tequila shots ($5) and banana margaritas ($8).
Flagship (1622 W. Belmont Ave., 773-281-3805): Drink specials include Modelo drafts ($4), Tijuana Sweet Heat margaritas ($5) and Blue Moon drafts ($3).
Foodlife (835 N. Michigan Ave., 312-335-3663): From 2 to 5 p.m., tacos are specially priced at $2; choose from vegetarian and various meat options.
Mercadito (108 W. Kinzie St., 312-329-9555): A Cinco de Mayo menu ($40) offers three types of guacamole, two types of salsa, four types of tacos and two sides. Flan de cajeta is served for dessert. To celebrate ahead of time, the restaurant's La Mez Lounge will also host a Cinco de Mayo fiesta ($60) on May 3, featuring five courses with beverage pairings and a cooking demo.
Mahoney's Pub & Grille (551 N. Ogden Ave., 312-733-2121): Specials include tacos ($2), Corona ($3) and Jose Cuervo margaritas ($5).
Mity Nice Bar & Grill (835 N. Michigan Ave., 312-335-4745): Baja tuna and chili-lime chicken tacos are half off. They'll be $9 and $7, respectively, during lunch and dinner.
Nana (3267 S. Halsted St., 312-929-2486): The organic restaurant's four-course prix fixe menu ($35) includes a cocktail pairing with each dish. The first course is kingfish ceviche with avocado and yucca chips. It's followed by chicken roulade served with Aztec grits and fire-roasted tomato salsa, and the third course is cochinita pibil with zucchini ribbons in a pea basil cream. Dessert is margarita curd with cake croutons and berries. The dinner is at 7 p.m.; reservations are required.
Petterino's (150 N. Dearborn St., 312-422-0150): Chef/partner Mychael Bonner offers a Mexican-themed cooking class that transitions into a sit-down dinner ($34.95) paired with a cocktail or glass of wine. Menu items include ceviche, guacamole, pueblana beef tinga and churros for dessert. It begins at 6 p.m.; call for reservations.
Rebar (401 N. Wabash Ave., 312-588-8034): Celebrate with Rebar's Single de Mayo (tickets start at $55), which includes a Herradura tequila tasting, mezcal margaritas, micheladas, sangria and appetizers along with dance lessons and some games designed for mingling.
R.J. Grunts (2056 N. Lincoln Park W., 773-929-5363): Drink specials include margaritas ($5) and Coronas ($2).
Robert's Pizza, the month-old spot in Streeterville, is offering pizza for Cinco de Mayo. Yes, pizza. The huevos rancheros pie is $18. Oh, and hibiscus margaritas are $12. (Jason Little)
Robert's Pizza Co. (355 E. Ohio St., 312-222-0905): The newly opened pizza purveyor will offer a huevos rancheros pizza ($18) featuring black beans, chorizo, queso fresco, scallion, cilantro, salsa verde and eggs. A hibiscus margarita ($12) will also be featured.
Rockit Bar & Grill (22 W. Hubbard St., 312-645-6000): Mark the holiday May 2-6, with menu specials such as cilantro-lime shrimp tacos ($16), chicken chili verde nachos ($14) and steak quesadillas ($14). Coronas are $5 each.
Both Taco Joint locations will offer a beer and a shot of tequila for $5 on Cinco de Mayo. (Taco Joint)
Taco Joint (158 W. Ontario St., 312-337-8226; 1969 N. Halsted St., 312-951-2457): Both locations offer a beer and tequila shot ($5) special: a can of Modelo Especial with chilled Jimador blanco. Liter margarita bottles (normally $32-38), which serve four, will be $5 off.
Tavern on Little Fort (4128 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-360-1869): Specials include tacos ($2), margaritas ($6) and Mexican mules ($6).
Tallboy Taco (325 W. Huron St., 312-488-4917): Casamigos tequila flights ($15), any two tacos and a tallboy beer ($10), and any taco and a Tecate ($5) are on special all day. Additionally, 5-7 p.m., margaritas are $8 (normally $12).
Tuscany (1014 W. Taylor St., 312-829-1990): Pizza specials for Cinco de Mayo? Yes. Selections ($5 at lunch and dinner) include margherita; speck with gorgonzola, smoked prosciutto and mozzarella; funghi e taleggio with arugula and truffle oil; affumicata with smoked mozzarella, apple bacon, tomatoes, caramelized onion; and others. Oh, and there will be margaritas, also $5.
Althea Legaspi is a freelance writer.
Advertisement
Note: This story has been edited to eliminate an event at Stretch Bar, which has been canceled.
"The whole reason I moved to the city is because of how great the transportation is and I don't have a car," said Natalie Jose, 34, a stand-up comedian who says she was evicted from her apartment in Logan Square after her rent jumped to $1,095 from $735. "I don't know how I can afford to stay in Chicago."
In the 40 years since the war ended, most Americans have moved on. Unless you lost a loved one there were nearly 60,000 American fatalities or know a veteran suffering in the aftermath, Vietnam has been filed away as ancient history. It has taken a back seat to the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A woman was shot and killed as she sat in a car at an intersection in Edgewater early Monday, among five people shot in Chicago since Sunday morning, according to police.
The 21-year-old woman was with her boyfriend at Ridge and Peterson avenues about 1 a.m., when someone got out of a gray sedan and fired shots, hitting her in the head, police said. She was taken to St. Francis Hospital and pronounced dead.
The woman was identified as Karina Soria-Bautista of the 4900 block of North Rockwell Street, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
Police believe she was not the target of the shooting. A law enforcement source said her boyfriend is a member of the Latin Kings street gang.
No one was reported in custody.
Other shootings:
A 65-year-old man was shot in a West Pullman backyard Sunday night, police said.
He was in the back of a home in the 12100 block of South Wentworth Avenue at 9:40 p.m. when someone began shooting from the alley, said Officer Hector Alfaro, a Chicago police spokesman. He was hit in the lower back and the right arm and went to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. His condition was stabilized.
In the South Austin neighborhood about 7:05 p.m., someone shot a 36-year-old man sitting in a parked vehicle in the first block of North Long Avenue. He made it to Loretto Hospital on his own and was transferred to Stroger Hospital for treatment of chest and shoulder gunshot wounds.
Advertisement
A 21-year-old woman was shot and killed while sitting inside a car that was stopped at a red light in the Edgewater neighborhood May 2, 2016. (CBS Chicago)
About 5:25 p.m. a 27-year-old woman was shot in the East Garfield Park neighborhood. The woman was shot in the arm near West Walnut Street and South Homan Avenue, police said. She walked into University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System and was listed in good condition.
An 18-year-old man was seriously wounded Sunday morning in a shooting on the West Side in the city's West Garfield Park neighborhood. The shooting happened about 9:45 a.m. in the 4100 block of West Wilcox Street, said Officer Jose Estrada, a Chicago police spokesman.
The man suffered gunshot wounds to the thigh and abdomen. He was taken in serious condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, Estrada said.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry listens as Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, gives a statement to the media during a bilateral meeting on Syria in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 1, 2016. (DENIS BALIBOUSE / AP)
GENEVA Scrambling to resuscitate a nearly dead truce in Syria, the Obama administration has again been forced to turn to Russia for help, with little hope for the desired U.S. outcome.
At stake are thousands of lives and the fate of a feeble peace process essential to the fight against the Islamic State group, and Secretary of State John Kerry has appealed once more to his Russian counterpart for assistance in containing and reducing the violence, particularly around city of Aleppo.
Advertisement
"We are talking directly to the Russians, even now," Kerry said on his arrival in Geneva as he began talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh. "The hope is we can make some progress, but the UN Security Council Resolution calls for a full country, countrywide, cessation and also for all of the country to be accessible to humanitarian assistance. Obviously that hasn't happened and isn't happening."
"These are critical hours. We look for Russia's cooperation. We obviously look for the regime to listen to Russia and to respond to the international communities' powerful statement to the UN Security Council."
Advertisement
Kerry spoke at length on Friday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to that end, and had been hoping to meet with Lavrov soon, according to U.S. officials.
In Geneva, Kerry met with Judeh and was to meet U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Monday before returning to Washington.
But Lavrov was not expected to be in Geneva, complicating Kerry's efforts to make the case directly to the Russians for more pressure on their Syrian government allies to stop or at least limit attacks in Aleppo.
The State Department said Kerry, in his meetings, would "review ongoing efforts to reaffirm the cessation of hostilities nationwide in Syria, obtain the full humanitarian access to which the Syrian government committed and support a political transition."
Specific, viable options to achieve those broad goals are limited, and Friday's announcement of a new, partial cease-fire that does not include Aleppo underscored the difficulty Kerry faced.
U.S. and other officials described that initiative, brokered mainly by Russia and the United States as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group, as a "reinforcement" of the February truce, now largely in tatters, that they hope to extend from Damascus and the capital's suburbs and the coastal province of Latakia to other areas.
"This is an agreement within the task force, but certainly on the part of the U.S. and Russia that there would be a reinforcement of the cessation of hostilities in these specific areas as a start, with the expectation that this ... would be then extended elsewhere," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.
Syria's military extended a unilateral cease-fire around the capital for another 24 hours on Sunday, and relative calm set in across much of the country after days of heavy fighting concentrated in Aleppo.
Advertisement
For that city, the U.S. is considering drawing up with the Russians a detailed map that would lay out "safe zones." Civilians and members of moderate opposition groups covered by the truce could find shelter from persistent attacks by Syrian President Bashar Assad's military, which claims to be targeting terrorists.
One U.S. official said "hard lines" would delineate specific areas and neighborhoods. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
It was not immediately clear whether Russia would accept such a plan or if Moscow could persuade the Assad government to respect the prospective zones. Some U.S. officials are skeptical of the chances for success, but also note that it is worth a try to at least reduce the violence that has wracked Aleppo for the past week, with hundreds killed and thousands wounded.
Kerry discussed the deteriorating situation in calls over the past days with de Mistura and the head of a Syrian opposition negotiating committee. "We are working on specific initiatives to de-escalate the increased fighting and defuse tensions and hope to make tangible progress on such initiatives soon," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.
For the administration, Friday's announcement about the partial cease-fire is largely a means to measure the commitment of the warring parties to the concept of a truce that could lead to serious peace talks.
"It's a test for the Russians and for the regime, as well as for the Syrian opposition," Toner said.
Advertisement
The administration's problem is that the Russians, the Assad government and the opposition backed by the U.S. and its partners have all failed that test in the past.
In particular, the administration has been routinely disappointed that Russia has not lived up to pledges that U.S. officials think it has made. From the start of the conflict, the administration has sought numerous times for Moscow to use its influence with Damascus to bring about an end to the violence and to advance a political transition. At each turn, those hopes have been dashed with Russia continuing, and even increasing, its support for Assad.
U.S. officials concede there is little to suggest that will change.
Associated Press
The free trade agreement signed by Australia and China late last year is "delivering" for Australian businesses, the nation's Minister for Trade and Investment said on Monday.
Steven Ciobo said the Chinese appetite for premium Australian products such as wine, beef, seafood and vegetables had contributed to a number of impressive gains in export levels, and praised the government's decision to sign the historic China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA).
He said the reduction and abolition of tariffs on agricultural products had led to a big increase in export requests from China; something he said was greatly benefiting Australian businesses and would continue to do so for "years to come."
Among the best performing exports were bottled wine, lobsters and fresh cherries, while products such as beef, other varieties of seafood and livestock feed all experienced significant rises in export levels.
"Between January and March 2016, Chinese imports of Australian bottled wine grew more than 60 percent compared to the same period 12 months previously, to reach 160 million U.S. dollars, as tariffs were cut twice, from 14 percent to 8.4 percent," Ciobo said in a statement released on Monday.
"With tariffs cut, China's 9 million U.S. dollars' worth of imports of fresh Australian lobster between January and March were triple those of 12 months ago, and exceeded China's entire 2015 imports of Australian lobster. Milk powder and fresh cherry imports more than doubled."
"Chinese imports of other products -- including fresh mangoes, fresh abalone, fresh and frozen boneless beef, various types of cheese, and hay and chaff -- grew impressively as ChAFTA cut tariffs and boosted Australia's competitive position."
Ciobo said the encouraging export figures would continue to rise as Asia's middle class grows, with increased demand not only from China, but from Japan and Korea as well, after Australia signed free trade deals with both nations earlier this decade.
"This positions Australia to continue to capitalize on the rapid expansion of Asia's middle classes and their demand for the high quality produce and other goods we can provide," Ciobo said.
"This means exciting opportunities for Australian businesses and will drive jobs and growth in the Australian economy."
Australian entrepreneurs in Sydney are paving the way for a new export to China -- cans of Australian air.
John Dickinson and Theo Ruygrok, founders and directors of Green & Clean, devised a way for those overseas and in China to have a taste of Australian air harvested from some of the nation's most iconic locations.
Ruygrok told Xinhua on Monday he found that pollution in some parts of China was quite heavy and he wanted to do something about it.
"When I came back to Australia (from China) and found pristine locations that we have, we came up with the idea of bottling pure air from those locations," Ruygrok said.
Green & Clean harvests air with a mobile farming unit from some of Australia's most picturesque and pristine locations such as Sydney's Bondi Beach and Queensland's Gold Coast.
The company sold the cans of air in souvenir shops and airports, where customers can take "part of Australia back to their home country."
Ruygrok recommended users take 10 deep breaths from the can to help clear their lungs, which contains approximately 140 breaths of clean Australian air.
The company is in the process of finding a Chinese distributor for their product.
You are here: Home
Chinese authorities are worried about a drastic decline in the number of engaged couples having premarital physical checkups.
Since the government made checks on reproductive health non-compulsory in 2003, fewer and fewer people have been choosing to have them, with many regions reporting a corresponding increase in birth defects.
Beijing resident Zhu Hongfang and her boyfriend plan to tie the knot soon, but a premarital checkup is not on their agenda.
I cant see the point, as we have the checkups organized by our employers once a year and were both healthy, Zhu said.
The premarital checkup rate in Beijing fell to under 7 percent in 2014, according to Xi Shuyan, an official with the citys municipal health and family planning commission.
In Guangzhou, capital of South Chinas Guangdong Province just 7 percent of people got a premarital checkup in 2011.
Meanwhile, as well as increased birth defects, there has been a higher rate of diseases found in premarital checkups since 2003.
In 1996, 5 percent of people taking checkups in Beijing were found to have diseases, while the rate increased to 13 percent in 2014.
Statistics from Guangdong claim almost 3 percent of newborns in cities in the Pearl River Delta had birth defects in 2011, roughly double the percentage in 2001.
According to the National Health and Family Planning Commission, about 900,000 babies are born with mental or physical disabilities every year in China.
Xi said some diseases have a great influence on marriage and childbirth, not only affecting the health of the couple but also causing infertility or birth defects.
Although the rise in birth defects rate is a result of multiple causes, the drop in premarital checkups is an important one, she said.
Beijing has been providing premarital checkups for over 30 years. The service has been free for permanent residents since 2006.
Geng Yutian, deputy director of the Beijing health commission, said authorities should improve services during premarital checkups and use publicity to raise awareness of their importance.
Flash
Followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr are seen in central Baghdad, Iraq on April 30, 2016. Thousands of followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Saturday stormed the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad and took control of the parliament building and surrounding areas, while dozens of lawmakers, officials and employees tried to escape the government district. [Xinhua]
Thousands of followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Sunday started to withdraw from the Green Zone in central Baghdad in honor for a major Shiite ritual and to give time for the political parties to agree on reforms demanded by the protesters.
A statement issued by a committee of Sadr aides, responsible for organizing the protest, said "the masses from a position of strength announces evacuation from the Green Zone."
The statement said that the move came as hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslims gather at the mausoleum of Imam Musa al-Kadhim in Baghdad's northern district of Kadhmiyah to commemorate the death of the seventh of the most revered 12 Shiite Imams.
The statement reiterated the demand of Sadr's followers to vote in new cabinet members of independent technocrats.
The statement warned that if the government and the parliament fail to meet their demand, there would be call for early elections, while the people will take all lawful means, like entering the headquarters of the three presidencies (President, Premier and Speaker) and announcing civil disobedience and public strike.
On Saturday, thousands of Sadr followers broke into the heavily fortified Green Zone and took control of the parliament building and surrounding areas, while dozens of lawmakers, officials and employees tried to escape the government district.
Breaking into the Green Zone came minutes after Sadr delivered a televised speech from the holy Shiite city of Najaf, in which he rejected the latest approval of partial cabinet members presented earlier by Abadi.
"Any minister in the Iraqi government is not our candidate and represents only his government," Sadr said, confirming that he and his followers "will not participate in any political process that includes quota system."
He accused all the political blocs of being determined to vote on their loyal ministers under the title of political technocrats.
"All those political blocs decided to kill the real reform movement through today's parliament session," Sadr said, referring to the parliament session which failed earlier in the day to achieve quorum due to deep division by the political blocs over the new candidates presented by Abadi for his new cabinet.
Some political blocs and politicians apparently have been resisting the reforms because there is a lack of trust among the political parties, which see that such reforms are marginalizing their factions.
Sadr's discontent with the partial cabinet reshuffle was seen as a signal for his followers to increase pressure on the parliament by storming the Green Zone.
A series of failed reform measures have paralyzed Iraq's parliament and the government as the country struggles to fight the Islamic State militant group, which seizes swathes of territories in northern and western Iraq. The country is also in dire need to respond to an economic crisis sparked in part by a plunge in global oil prices.
Li Jiangong
China Aid
By Ava Collins
(Zhumadian, HenanApril 27, 2016) On April 25, less than two weeks after a Christian woman died from being buried alive at a forced church demolition, local authorities ruled that the disputed land where the incident took place belongs to the church and its pastor for use as a religious site.
Following international outcry condemning the April 14 killing of Ding Cuimei, wife of Beitou Churchs pastor Li Jiangong, a special task force consisting of the township government, the local ministry of land and resources and a village administrative committee declared that the land where the incident took place is the property of Li Jiangong and Beitou Church. A report issued by the task force declares that no individual or other organization should claim land from the church and designates the site for religious use.
Despite the victory for his church, Li Jiangong is concerned about the lack of action regarding his wifes death. Though two members of the demolition crew were criminally detained at the time of the incident, authorities have released no information regarding their possible charges. The investigative bureau has reportedly taken no further action on the case.
Li Dunyong, a lawyer from Beijing, will represent the family in the case of Dings murder. After an autopsy, Dings body was placed in a preservative case under a temporary tent near the site where she was killed.
Ding Cuimeis body has been preserved at the site where she
was killed. (Photo: China Aid)
While we are glad to see that the local authorities acted swiftly and fairly under international pressure to resolve the churchs right to their land, we are concerned that justice for the family of the martyr is still not done, said Bob Fu, president of China Aid. Pastor Lis wife, Sister Ding Cuimei, was brutally killed on April 14. We appeal to the Chinese authorities to hold those criminal perpetrators accountable with a fair investigation and standard judicial process with full justice and unhindered legal representation by Beijing based human rights lawyer Li Dunyong.
China Aid reports on cases such as the murder of Ding Cuimei and the persecution of Beitou Church in order to expose abuses by the Chinese government and encourage the families of those affected. If you would like to help China Aid support legal cases such as the murder of Ding, please consider donating to our legal defense fund.
China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.chinaaid.org
People of Wa ethnic group and tourists take part in the "Monihei" Carnival in Cangyuan, Southwest China's Yunnan province, May 1, 2016. As a tradition, Wa people throw and smear muddy water onto each other to express their wishes for health and happiness during the "Monihei" carnival. [Photo/Xinhua]
Chinese travelers can now make purchases at Thai 7-Eleven convenience stores using the Alipay app on the smartphones at 9,000 Counter Service cashiers - with no transaction fees.
The cross-boarder mobile payment service partnership was announced on Saturday night in Bangkok and began on Sunday.
"Chinese travelers need many things when they land in a foreign country, such as food, drinks, mobile sim card. ... They may not have had the opportunity to exchange renminbi for the local currency before they have to make a purchase. Alipay wants Chinese tourists to enjoy the kind of convenience they are used to in their home market," said Jia Hang, executive director of the global strategic partnership department at Ant Financial, the parent company of Alipay.
"We are also providing 7-Eleven stores with various marketing tools to reach their Chinese customers," said Jia, adding that Alipay is also considering launching a car-hailing service in Thailand that targets Chinese travelers.
China has been the biggest market source for Thai tourism since 2012, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Last year, Thailand welcomed 7.9 million Chinese tourists, 27 percent of all international arrivals.
Chinese travelers spend 6,400 baht ($183) per person per day in Thailand, compared with an average tourist spending of 5,690 baht per day. The local tourism authority is expecting to host 8.8 million Chinese travelers by the end of the year.
"Cross-boarder services in the mobile payment industry often face various challenges in local markets. But with the large and increasing number of Chinese travelers, particularly more young and individual travelers, we are confident in developing our business in Thailand, even if the new method of payment has not been well accepted by Thai people," Jia said.
Chinese mobile payment services have expanded quickly in Thailand over the past two years. In August, Alipay began online shopping service for Chinese customers at Thailand's largest duty free shop, King Power. Other mobile payment services affiliated with China's WeChat and Baidu also started their business in Thailand at the beginning of this year.
"Convenient payments like Alipay will effectively stimulate Chinese tourists spending in Thailand. This will also benefit SMEs that distribute souvenir products for Chinese tourists in 7-Eleven stores," said Weeradej Ackapolpanish, vice-president of Counter Service, a leading payment service company in Thailand.
zhaoyanrong@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily 05/02/2016 page2)
Lawsuits against central and Beijing government departments have substantially increased since a law was adopted last year easing residents' path to challenge official administrations in court.
Beijing courts agreed to hear 10,786 administrative disputes from May 1, 2015, when the Chinese Administrative Procedure Law took effect, to April 20, a year-on-year increase of 111 percent, according to a Beijing High People's Court report issued on Friday.
According to the report, the central government was named as defendant in 1,866 cases - up by 450 percent year-on-year - and Beijing municipal departments in 526 cases - a 525 percent increase.
The surge in such litigation must be attributed to the revised law, under which superior authorities can be simultaneously named as defendants along with their directly involved local counterparts, said Lou Yuhong, chief judge of the Administrative Case Tribunal at the Beijing court.
"Residents can apply to the higher authority for a review if they find a district bureau has erred in its work. Previously, the district bureau would be the only defendant if residents turned to the courts," Lou said.
About 30 percent of the administrative lawsuits heard last year concerned government failures, she said, "which means mistakes and illegal behavior still exist in some administrations and residents are aware of their enhanced rights to protect themselves in court".
Most administrative disputes heard in the city's courts in the past year regarded people's rights in civil affairs related to urban construction, taxes, education, labor services or social protection, she said, and around 20 percent regarded information provided by government entities.
In one case, a Beijing resident surnamed Han sued the Haidian district government in Beijing's No 1 Intermediate People's Court because the information it provided him on a civil matter differed from that it gave a friend on the same question.
"During the hearing, we found that the response Han received was correct, but incomplete," said Qi Ying, deputy chief judge at the administrative tribunal.
"It's not that governments refuse to give information, but that some of their disclosures are inaccurate," Qi said.
Lou said that such administrative cases previously often took more than six months to resolve, but they can now be finished within two.
More governments have opened their work to the public since the new law took effect, she said. In addition, heads of government departments sued by residents are expected to appear in court when their cases are heard, "which is another big requirement and progress brought by the new law," she said.
So far, officials have made court appearances in 587 lawsuits, and in 60 such cases they were heads of administrations, the report said.
caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily 05/02/2016 page2)
The People's Liberation Army has released a rap-style music video filled with masculine lyrics and advanced weaponry in an attempt to attract more young people to join the military.
The song, called Battle Declaration, was posted on 81.cn, the PLA Daily's website, on Thursday. It is the first hip-hop video made by the PLA.
Previous PLA songs have been sung to the accompaniment of orchestral melodies, and their lyrics were carefully worded to avoid being too aggressive. By comparison, Battle Declaration, in an unmistakable effort to cater to the taste of young people, features a popular hip-hop style, and the lyrics hide neither combativeness nor a desire to fight.
The video starts with a young PLA soldier touching his uniform and putting on his cap. Then a man's voice comes in and says, "There are always missions in soldiers' minds, enemies in their eyes, responsibilities on their shoulders, and passions in their hearts."
The song then continues: "There could be a war at any time. Are you ready for that?"
The video shows soldiers training and exercising, fighter jets conducting dogfights and missiles being fired, among other military activities.
Almost all of the PLA's best weaponry is displayed in the video, including the aircraft carrier Liaoning, J-11 fighter jet, Type-99A tank and DF-11 ballistic missile.
Satellites and spacecraft also appear in the video, which indicates the PLA has placed unprecedented importance on its space force, said a PLA publicity expert who asked to be identified only as Jiao.
Moreover, the appearance of the military's space assets also intends to impress upon viewers that "the PLA is no longer the poorly equipped one that they saw from TV dramas, but a powerful force as modernized as the United States military," he told China Daily.
Jiao said the hip-hop video could be a big help in recruiting young people.
The PLA is striving to recruit more educated young people. An increasing number of media reports say some young people spare no efforts to avoid military service.
Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said at a news conference on Thursday that a man's youth is not only about being cool, but also about being responsible for the nation and its security.
zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn
Telecom fraud suspectes are escorted off a plane by Chinese police from Kenya. [Photo/Xinhua]
Scammers could get life on the mainland, compared with up to 5 years in Taiwan
Considering the comparatively lighter punishments that convicted telecom swindlers face in Taiwan, repatriating Taiwan suspects to the mainland and trying them according to the mainland's laws will better help in fighting crime and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of people on both sides of the Straits, experts have said.
In Taiwan, people found guilty of conducting telecom fraud face a maximum prison sentence of five years, while the maximum on the mainland is life, said Fan Chongyi, a professor at the Procedural Law Research Institute at the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing.
"Suspects who were sent back to Taiwan were given lenient sentences or even acquitted. Many of them later resumed swindling," Fan said.
The comments came after 97 suspects, implicated in more than 100 major telecom fraud cases across the mainland, were repatriated from Malaysia on Saturday, including 32 who were originally from Taiwan.
As all of the alleged victims were from the mainland, that means the mainland has territorial jurisdiction over the cases, regardless of where the alleged perpetrators were from, said Li Juqian, deputy head of the International Law School under the CUPL.
"It was in accordance with international law and mainland law that Malaysia deported the suspects to the mainland. The move is unchallengeable in terms of the law," Li said.
The 97 repatriated suspects are now being held at a detention center in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, said Zhang Jun, a senior investigator from the Ministry of Public Security.
The fact that the suspects were sent back to the mainland ensures that the police stand the best chance of obtaining evidence and investigating the case thoroughly, Zhang said.
Criminals could face harsher penalties on the mainland than they might in Taiwan and that is likely to deter others from carrying out similar crimes, Zhang added.
A Taiwan resident surnamed Hsu, who was one of the telecom fraud suspects deported from Kenya to the Chinese mainland earlier in April, said the main reason he was attracted to telecom fraud was that "money comes easy and punishment is light", Xinhua News Agency reported.
Hsu was sentenced to seven months in prison the first time he was caught by Taiwan authorities.
"If I had have known I could have been deported to the mainland this time, I would definitely have been too afraid to have done this," Hsu said.
Xinhua contributed to this story.
Over 980 square meters' lavenders blossomed at Mount Chaya in Zhumadian city, inviting tourists there to take photos.[Photo/IC]
China concluded its rotating presidency on April 30of the UN Security Council for April.
Under the month-long Chinese presidency, the Security Council convened 21 open meetings and 23 closed consultations, adopted seven resolutions and three presidential statements, said Liu Jieyi, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, on April 29 at the UN headquarters in New York.
In April, China heldthree open debates at the Security Council on issues including terrorism, the Palestine issue and piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea.
Under the Chinese initiative, an open debate was held at the Security Council on April 14 to discuss the issue of countering terrorism, which is a major concern now.
The debate heard a briefing by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and statements by representatives of more than 70 countries, further strengthening the political will of the international community in fighting terrorism.
Liu called for international efforts to update means of response and effectively suppress use of the internet and social media for terrorism at the open debate.
As a result, it is widely agreed upon that the international community should use political, economic and cultural means in an integrated manner to address both the symptoms and the root causes of terrorism.
Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians prompted a second open debate at the Security Council on April 18.
The demolition of Palestinian homes and businesses in the West Bank was continuing at an alarming rate and plans for more illegal Jewish settlements in the area cast doubt on Israel's commitment to a two-State solution, Ban said at the start of the debate.
The creation of new facts on the ground through demolitions and settlement-building raises questions about whether Israel's ultimate goal is in fact to drive Palestinians out of certain parts of the West Bank, thereby undermining any prospect of transition to a viable Palestinian State, Ban said.
The third open council debate on piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea,was convened on April 25 and jointly organized by China, Senegal and Angola.
The Gulf of Guinea has seen frequent pirate attacks and armed robbery throughout its territorial waters in recent years. These attacks feature links to terrorism organizations, illegal armed groups and criminal gangs.
Apart from these open debates, China also led council members to promote peace process in such countries as Syria, Yemen and South Sudan, urging political solutions to the crises. Meanwhile, the Security Council also discussed issues including Cote d'Ivoire, Somalia and Ukraine.
Participants of Fudan China-Europe Forum organized by Fudan University and the University of Copenhagen have discussed on regional integration on Friday. [Provided to China Daily]
The five Nordic countries generally hold the same position as Denmark to give China market-economy status, but it is up to individual countries to decide and not the Nordic Council of Ministers, according to Dagfinn Hoybraten, secretary-general of the council.
"I think, in general, it is the Nordic policy toward that way (recognizing China's market-economy status) but it is a question for individual governments to address," Hoybraten told China Daily in Copenhagen on April 29 at the Europe-China Forum organized by Fudan University and Copenhagen University.
Denmark supported the recognition of China's full-market economy status after President Xi Jinping met Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen on March 31 at the sidelines of the global nuclear security summit in Washington.
The Nordic Council of Ministers is responsible for policy coordination between Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, which has already signed a free-trade agreement with China.
Hoybraten is scheduled to visit China at the end of May to attend the Shanghai Forum, organized by Fudan University. Last week's forum in Copenhagen was an annual event of the Fudan-European Center for China Studies, a joint initiative of Fudan University and the University of Copenhagen to meet a growing demand for China-Europe exchanges.
Whether to give China market-economy status at the end of this year after 15 years of a transitional period of China joining the World Trade Organization is testing EU-China relations.
Beijing said China should be automatically given such treatment in line with its WTO accession agreements. Yang Yanyi, Chinese ambassador to the EU, said recently that China trusts the EU's political wisdom and looks forward to the EU's timely compliance with the WTO agreement and recognition of China's market-economy status.
"Such a constructive move will strengthen an open and reliable bilateral economic environment, boost trade and investment and reduce trade frictions," said Yang.
The EU has launched its "approval process" by asking for public consultations, a European Commission assessment and European Parliament voting while many member states such as the UK and Germany have agreed to give China such treatment.
Analysts have expressed concern that the EU's approach instead of granting China such status automatically may make the process complicated and damage bilateral relationships.
(Photo : Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images) Actress Fan Bingbing attends a charity event on April 15, 2016 in Beijing, China.
Advertisement
China passed a long awaited law on Thursday, April 28 governing the registration, operation, funding, and supervision of foreign chairities in the country.
The law seeks "to regulate and guide activities conducted by overseas funding agencies within mainland China, safeguard their lawful rights and interests, and promote exchanges and cooperation."
Like Us on Facebook
Advertisement
The law puts a strong emphasis on protecting China's security: Article 5 of this new law mentioned that NGOs "must not endanger China's national unity, security, or ethnic unity; must not harm China's national interests, societal public interest and the lawful rights and interests of citizens, legal persons, and other organizations; [...] must not engage in or fund for-profit activities or political activities, and must not illegally engage in or fund religious activities."
The new law gives the police power to review the source of funding and examine the spending pattern of foreign non-government organisations (NGOs) on a regular basis and take appropriate legal actions. This police is also authorized to interrogate the administrators of these NGOs and convince their Chinese partner agencies to terminate any project considered a threat to the country's security.
Thousand NGOs founded, run or financed by foreigners are currently operating in China in various fields ranging from animal protection to human rights law and environmental protection.
There are numbers of overseas NGOs, who have partnered with Chinese academic and social groups, but work in a legal gray area that leaves them susceptible to clampdowns by the security forces.
The new draft law says the foreign charity organisations are not required to seek approval for occasional activities and projects but their Chinese partner organisations will have to register with local authorities 15 days before the start of the project.
The draft law says that foreign charities - whether running long term offices or operating infrequent programs in China - generally would not be permitted to recruit new staffs except for those allowed by the state council. That is largely because China is encouraging its scientists to join powerful international organizations in science and technology.
Advertisement
TagsNGO, Charity, china
(Photo : LOBSANG WANGYAL/AFP/Getty Images) Sikyong (Prime Minister) of the Central Tibetan Administration Lobsang Sangay was one of the 69 attendee of the conference.
Advertisement
Close to 69 foreign delegates, including Uyghur American Association president Ilshat Hasan, were present at a summit on "Strengthening the Alliance to Advance People's Dream" at Norbu House in McLeodganj, Dharmashala, India on Thursday, April 28.
The summit was convened by Yang Jiamil, a known US-based Chinese dissident leader. Dharmasala in Himachal Pradesh, India is the home to Dalai Lama, the spiritual Tibet leader, and is where the Tibetan government-in-exile is situated.
Like Us on Facebook
Advertisement
According to the Hindustan Times, "although the Indian government led by PM Narendra Modi rejected visa request of Uyghur leader Dolkun Isa, it seemingly permitted at least eight Chinese activists and a prominent Uighur leader to participate in the Dharamsala consultation."
During the second week of April, India's decision to grant an electronic visa to Dolkun Isa, a prominent forerunner of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), attracted protests from China. New Delhi subsequently withdrew the visa. The goof happened apparently because an Interpol red corner notice issued against Isa in 1998 did not figure in the records of India's department of immigration.
China considers WUC leaders as promoters of terrorism in its unstable Muslim-dominated Xinjiang province. India's earlier decision to grant Isa a visa was seen as a retort to Beijing decision to block an attempt by India to blacklist Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Masood Azhar in the United Nations (UN) last month.
Xinjiang, which has a population of over 10 million Uyghur Muslims, has been at the center of major disturbances in China in recent years. Chinese authorities have linked the unrest to the global rise in terrorism.
Advertisement
Tagsuyghur, china, India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dalai Lama
(Photo : Getty Images/Muhannad Fala'ah) Iraqi MPs failed to reach a quorum to ratify the Prime Minister's new scheme.
Advertisement
A state of emergency has been declared in Baghdad after its Green Zone was breached by supporters of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and entered the parliament building on Sunday.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi said that security has been restored in the city and called on the demonstrators to go back to the "designated protest areas."
Like Us on Facebook
Advertisement
The Green Zone is the location of many government offices in Baghdad.
Prime Minister Al-Abadi threatened to arrest the protesters, sending them to a retreat from the area. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr also called for protesters to end their siege of parliament.
The storm-in is the culmination of months of protests across the country that casted a shadow of uncertainty over the current political system. The current regime was put in place by the US-led coalition after it toppled the long-standing command of the late Saddam Hussein.
Muqtada al-Sadr has a history of leading violent protests against US troops during the Iraq war. In a statement issued on Saturday, he declared, "History will record the birth of a new Iraq, from the ashes of corruption and the corrupt."
The protestester condemned the Iraqi parliament's failure to convene for voting to approve new ministers. Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi's efforts to replace party-affiliated ministers with technocrats stalled as MPs failed to form a quorum required for approval.
Following Sadr's news conference in Najaf where he criticized the political deadlock, the unrest began to proliferate. He accused that politicians have "refused to end corruption and refused to end quotas," referring to the system of sharing government posts on the basis of sectarian and political affiliations.
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq has expressed grave concerns about the situation.
Advertisement
TagsIraq, United Nations, Muqtada Al-Sadr, Haider al-Abadi
(Photo : John Stillwell | WPA Pool/Getty Images) Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, with their children, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, enjoy a short private skiing break on March 3, 2016 in the French Alps, France.
Advertisement
In celebration of Princess Charlotte's first birthday on May 2, her mother, the Duchess of Cambridge shared photos of her through Twitter.
Kensington Palace said that, "The duke and duchess are very happy to be able to share these important family moments and hope that everyone enjoys these lovely photos as much as they do," according to BBC News.
Like Us on Facebook
Advertisement
It was revealed that Princess Kate personally captured the photos at their home in Norfolk in April. One of them showed a close-up shot of Princess Charlotte walking while pushing a wooden building bricks trolley.
Princess Charlotte was also photographed while playing at their home in blue and pink outfits with matching hair bow. The post also included a still of Prince George cradling his then five-weeks-old baby sister at Anmer Hall.
According to a source from the palace, "Turning one is an important family milestone, and the family is happy to share these pictures."
Although the royal couple gave their fans a surprise, Princess Charlotte's first birthday will be celebrated "privately" on Friday with her family. Luckily, her special day also falls on a UK public holiday.
The royal family has been sharing adorable photos of Princess Charlotte before her first birthday hits and the most recent was one of her sitting on her great-grandmother Elizabeth II on her 90th birthday.
Meanwhile, as her special day approaches, the Duchess of Cambridge will get have a helping hand from Prince George.
According to the royal couple's maternity nurse, Sarah Dixon, "George will enjoy all the birthday festivities, and I'm sure there will be a few of his friends invited too."
"He'll help Charlotte open all her gifts - older siblings love to do that," she continued.
Advertisement
Tagsprincess charlotte, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Kate, Prince William, Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte Birthday
(Photo : Getty Images) A Chinese man smokes as he shields himself under an umbrella from the snow during a snowfall on November 22, 2014 outside the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.
Advertisement
The Shanghai Health Enhancement Commission revealed that the majority of the people they surveyed are open to following the smoking ban in public places, should the proposal becomes a law.
The website asked 17,000 respondents in Shanghai if they will abide by the new regulation. 94 percent said yes, while 2 percent said they will only follow it when there are other people in the area. The other 1 percent said that they will stop smoking if a third party reminded them. The other 2 percent did not express their opinions.
Like Us on Facebook
Advertisement
Questioned if they would smoke outdoors in the presence of children and women, 94 percent said they will not while 3 percent said that they may not if alerted to the women and children's presence. The remaining 1 percent said that they will still smoke.
Currently, 16 percent smoke indoors, 18 percent stop smoking indoors when other people are present, while 64 percent never smoke indoors.
Smoking is not allowed in 13 kinds of public places in Shanghai, including children's hospitals, and primary and kindergarten schools. Shanghai's local government submitted a draft amendment in April to the National Legislature to implement a citywide ban on smoking.
The revised version covers all public areas in Shanghai such as airports and train stations which currently have designated smoking areas. If the bill materializes, Shanghai will become China's third city that has a complete smoking ban, joining Beijing and Shenzhen.
Shanghai aims to implement the new rules before November when it will host the 9th Global Conference on Health Promotion in partnership with the World Health Organization.
Advertisement
Tagssmoking ban, smoking ban in China
(Photo : Getty Images.) A new study has revealed that China exports more counterfeit goods than any other country in the world.
Advertisement
China tops the list of countries exporting fake and counterfeit goods across the world, according to a joint study conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Union's Intellectual Property Office (EU IPO).
China accounted for a whopping 63.2 percent share in the estimated half-a-trillion dollar counterfeit and fake goods exported globally, the study said.
Like Us on Facebook
Advertisement
Turkey is second in the list with 3.3 percent share, while Singapore and Thailand are in third and fourth with 1.9 percent and 1.6 percent shares, respectively. China's neighbor India is fifth in the list.
The study is based on the analysis of nearly half a million custom goods seized from across the world from 2011 to 2013. Its value amounted to $461 billion.
The OECD said that US, Italian, and French brands are the most hit by counterfeit goods. The study also revealed that even Chinese companies were not immune from the effects of fake and pirated products.
"While China is the top provenance of fake goods, its most innovative companies also fall victim to counterfeiters," the study said.
Footwear, chemicals, perfumes, handbags and machine parts were found to be immensely popular with manufacturers of fake items.
"The traffic goes through complex routes via major trade hubs like Hong Kong and Singapore and free trade zones such as those in the United Arab Emirates. Other transit points include countries with weak governance and widespread organised crime such as Afghanistan and Syria," the study explained.
Advertisement
Tagschina, counterfeit goods, chinese goods, Counterfeiters in China, fake China, Made in China, items made in China
(Photo : Getty Images) A large percentage of Hong Kong's middle class admitted they wanted to kill themselves, according to a study conducted by a non-government organization
Advertisement
Mental health experts in Hong Kong were alarmed after a large percentage of the city's middle class reported that they often thought about committing suicide in the past 30 days.
A study conducted by the Caritas Centre for Human Empowerment and Achievement on the mental health state of the Hong Kong middle class found out that almost 90 percent of those surveyed said they have thought about suicide "many times."
Like Us on Facebook
Advertisement
Caritas project manager Li Po-kay expressed alarm about the result of the study.
Mental Health Crisis
She said this "mental health crisis" that is happening to the middle class men and women could worsen if not properly addressed.
"Many middle-class people don't want to seek help out of fear of labelling, losing face, their professional image or having their work abilities questioned by employers," she said.
Hong Kong psychiatrists said middle class professionals are prone to mental health problems as they have to juggle work and family lives, leaving them with so much pressure to handle.
Mental Health Study
The study was conducted through the internet and phone conversations between May and December last year to screen for mental disorders. It surveyed 688 people and were asked about how they felt about handling stress at work and at home.
It revealed that while almost half of the middle class men and women in Hong Kong believed they were in a healthy mental state, the World Health Organization mental health benchmarks indicated that more than half of the respondents need psychological help.
Only 13 percent of those surveyed sought medical help for their mental condition.
The survey classifies the middle class as professionals who earn HK$ 20,000 to HK$100,000 per month.
Around 1.7 million Hong Kongers suffer from various types of mental illness, according to medical authorities.
Advertisement
TagsHong Kong, mental health experts, mental health crisis, middle class professionals, mental illness, Hong Kong state of mind, Hong Kong mental health
(Photo : YouTube Screenshot) China is getting a taste of Australia's fresh air.
Advertisement
More Chinese people will soon experience a taste of Australian air after two entrepreneurs from Sydney opened its Green Clean air business to capture and bottle fresh air for the Chinese market.
John Dickinson and Theo Ruygrok managed to contain air from Australia and sell them into cans for $18.80 each.
Like Us on Facebook
Advertisement
"We want to give people internationally a chance to taste what our beautiful air is like," Dickinson said.
The bottled air products were fresh from the Blue Mountains, Bondi Beach, New Zealand, Tasmania, and Yarra Valley. They said they plan to harvest more from other locations.
Dickinson added that they intentionally displayed the photo of the air's origin so foreign tourists could "take a bit of Australia home with them." For Chinese netizens, it is more for their health.
"There's real interest in having some clean air from places they trust," Dickinson said. He observed that China's middle class is beginning to become anxious of China's poor air quality.
The entrepreneurs partnered with a mechanical engineer to help them design a device that could harvest fresh air from open spaces. The system uses filters and nozzles to compress the air into a can.
Each place possesses different air quality characteristics. For instance, Blue Mountains have eucalyptus traces, while Bondi Beach has a salty taste.
"Some people will sense that," Dickinson said. "Each can is quite individual."
Each can contains an equivalent of 130 deep breaths via a mouthpiece. The two began exporting cans of fresh air in China, while rich Chinese families have personal shoppers to ship Australian air overseas.
"We all love the pure air from Australia," Vivian Zhou, a Chinese personal shopper told Seven News. "I buy the air from Australia for my clients and I post it back to them."
According to studies, China's poor air quality has brought over 1.6 million deaths each year. Beijing traffic officers are mostly affected, with their life span shortened only up to 43 years old because of the constant exposure to exhaust and dirty air.
Advertisement
Tagschina, Australia, clean air, Green Clean
(Photo : Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) A model astronaut in the Astronaut Gallery at Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center on April 3, 2016 in Houston, Texas.
Advertisement
NASA expects to intensify its cooperation with China in the area of civilian space exploration, as the head of the US space agency described the Asian giant as a "potential partner" and not a threat.
This was the core of NASA Administrator Charles Bolden's remarks during an event hosted by the Washington-based think-tank Strategies and International Studies, reported the China Daily.
Like Us on Facebook
Advertisement
"Since I only view civilian space, I see them as a potential partner," Bolden said in his message.
"They're already a partner in some areas" he added, referring to NASA and China's cooperation in areas such as Earth and lunar science, including collaborative research with the Chinese Academy of Sciences on geodetics and glacial characterization in the Himalaya region.
"So there are potential areas of partnerships there, but because of congressional restrictions right now, we are limited to merely multilateral activities," the NASA administrator continued. "Engagement always beats isolation. Engagement always beats trying to do things on their own."
It can be recalled that the US Congress passed a law in 2011 which prohibited NASA from hosting Chinese visitors at its facilities.
The law likewise barred the space agency from working with researchers who were connected with any Chinese government entity or enterprise.
In a groundbreaking move on Sunday, China expressed its willingness to work hand in hand with all nations including the United States in space exploration.
The Chinese government believes that close cooperation between major space players will lead to the development of mankind.
"China will not rule out cooperating with any country, and that includes the United States," noted Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut during celebrations of the first China Space Day.
With these latest developments, NASA and China's increased cooperation in space-related activities are anticipated to bring humankind closer to its dream of conquering the vast frontiers of outer space.
Advertisement
Tagschina, NASA, charles bolden
(Photo : Jung Yeon-Je-Pool/Getty Images) Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (C) waves after his speech as South Korean President Park Geun-Hye (R) and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (2nd R) give claps during a business summit on Nov. 1, 2015 in Seoul, South Korea.
Advertisement
China-Japan relations is anticipated to improve, as high-ranking officials of the world's two leading economies committed to increase collaboration and pursue common development goals.
In a landmark meeting between Premier Li Keqiang and visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, the former urged Japan to continue to maintain positive and peaceful policies towards China, China Daily reported.
Like Us on Facebook
Advertisement
Li said that it is only by doing so that the current diplomatic relations between the two countries will be enhanced.
The Chinese premier stressed that stable ties between the two Asian countries will ultimately benefit their people, and consequently, foster greater regional and global stability and prosperity.
Li noted that despite setbacks in China-Japan relations in recent years, there are strong indications that Sino-Japanese ties are actually improving.
Although he described the relationship between their countries as "fragile," Li said that China is willing to extend its trust for its Asian neighbor, which could eventually lead towards the normalization of their bilateral ties.
"China hopes Japan will maintain peaceful development and make real steps toward fulfilling its agreement to take up opportunities created by China's peaceful development," he said.
Li pointed out that Japan should be more circumspect in handling foreign policy issues, which could adversely affect China-Japan relations.
He added that Japan must work towards building a positive atmosphere that would encourage the resumption of bilateral dialogues, as well as the trilateral leaders' meeting between China, South Korea and Japan.
For his part, Kishida said that Japan is willing to show mutual respect, strengthen political trust, and manage disputes with China.
As a measure of good will, he declared that Japan will expand cooperation with China in various fields, which aim to strengthen diplomatic relations between the two.
It is Kishida's first official visit to China since becoming foreign minister more than three years ago.
He is the first Japanese foreign minister who has travelled to China since Shinzo Abe's re-election in 2012, a strong indication of improving China-Japan relations.
Advertisement
Tagschina, Japan, Premier Li Kequiang
(Photo : Getty Images) Last week Japan detained the Tung Sheng Chi 16 - a Taiwanese trawler - near Okinotorishima, an area frequented by up to 200 Taiwanese fishing boats per year.
Advertisement
Taiwan sent two patrol ships to Japan's Okinotorishima Island on Sunday in response to the seizure of a Taiwanese fishing vessel by the Japanese coast guard last week.
The ships - a coast guard ship and a Council of Agriculture vessel - left from Kaohsiung and will be followed by warships, said government spokesperson David Lo.
Like Us on Facebook
Advertisement
Although Japan's claim to Okinotorishima is disputed by China, Taiwan, and South Korea, a 2013 fisheries agreement between Taiwan and Japan enabled Taiwan's fishing activities to continue peacefully in the surrounding waters - until now.
Last week Japan detained the Tung Sheng Chi 16 - a Taiwanese trawler - near Okinotorishima, an area frequented by up to 200 Taiwanese fishing boats per year.
Japan considers the atoll an island, giving the country rights to an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles and justifying the seizure of the Taiwanese vessel, which ventured within 150 nautical miles of the territory. Taiwan views Okinotorishima as a reef with no protected waters.
"Japan has no right to ban our fishing boats from the area. The government will resolutely defend the rights and freedom of our fishermen in international waters," Taiwan's coast guard said in a statement.
The ships' deployment will last between one to three months as the two sides are waiting for Taiwan's government to transition from current president Ma Ying-jeou to newly-elected Tsai Ing-wen on May 20.
Alex Chiang, professor of international relations at Taipei's National Chengchi University, is not overly concerned about the conflict.
"I don't think (the dispute) will get any bigger. I think the Ma government has to take some stand. Japan will hold on and talk to the new government."
Prior to the 2013 fisheries agreement, the worst incident between the two countries involved ships firing water cannons at each other.
Advertisement
TagsJapan, Taiwan, Japan seizes fishing boat, coast guard, disputed islands, Okinotorishima island, tung sheng chi 16, international waters
(Photo : Getty Images) Philippines Presidential Candidate Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday that he will seek bilateral dialogue with China to resolve South China Sea issue.
Advertisement
Rodrigo Duterte, one of the frontrunners in the Philippines presidential elections, said on Sunday that he is willing to stage bilateral dialogue with China if the current multilateral talks fail to resolve the South China Sea issue.
"If negotiations will be in still waters in 1 or 2 years, I will talk to the Chinese," Duterte told his supporters in Manila.
Like Us on Facebook
Advertisement
Duterte said he may even invite Beijing to build key railway projects in the country if their bilateral dialogue fetches desirable results.
However, the 71-year-old presidential nominee reiterated that he would not leave any stone unturned in defending the Philippines' claim over the contested maritime territory. Duterte said that he would forge deeper ties with western powers to compel China to accept the Philippines' stand over the South China Sea.
Duterte's friendly policy toward China would mark a stark departure from outgoing President Benigno Aquino's aggressive policy. Aquino government's 'anti-China policy' resulted in the Philippines lodging a case against China to settle the dispute over the South China Sea in an arbitration court in the Hague.
A judgment over the case is expected this week, but China has categorically said that it would not accept the judgment of the arbitration court.
Duterte did not make any comments about the ongoing case in the Hague.
Duterte is a favorite among five presidential candidates to replace the outgoing President Benigno Aquino. He is leading most opinion and exit polls, with the latest polls showing that around 33 percent of the people in the Philippines support him.
Duterte was the mayor of Davao City for over two decades and is one of the most popular leaders in the Philippines. He is credited with drastically improving the economy and security of Davao City.
Advertisement
Tagschina, Philippine, Rodrigo Duterte, South China Sea
(Photo : Zapata Racing) Franky Zapata flies on his jet powered Flyboard Air
Advertisement
Frenchman Franky Zapata, a champion jetskier and inventor, flew his jet-powered hoverboard named Flyboard Air for some 2,252 meters (7,388) feet) to set a new world record for distance. The record was confirmed by Guinness.
He broke the old record of just 275.9 meters (905 feet, 2 inches) set by Canadian inventor Catalin Alexandru Duru in 2015.
Like Us on Facebook
Advertisement
Goodbye, jet pack. Hello, jet hoverboard.
Zapata's breathtaking and record setting feat of solo flight off the coast of Sausset-les-Pins in southern France was recorded on video. You can see it on YouTube.
"This has really been a life's work," Zapata said after his flight.
"It's an amazing sensation, it's really peaceful," he said. "I open my arms because it helps me control my movements, but when you open your hands and you feel the wind go through your hand and you have nothing under your feet - it's hard to describe, really. You have to experience this moment in your life."
Next after this incredible adventure is to make the Flyboard Air smaller and more consumer friendly, said Zapata. He also intends to have pilots of his future hoverboards sit down. Zapata stood up for the entire duration of his flight that took him 100 feet above the water.
He said his Flyboard Air uses what he describes as an "Independent Propulsion Unit." This unit consists of four 250 horsepower turbo engines fueled by Jet A1 kerosene, the same fuel used in jetliner engines. Zapata carried the highly inflammable fuel in a tank strapped to his back.
It's a problem Zapata has to address in the consumer version of his Flyboard Air. There are two other engines on each side of the machine used to stabilize the board in flight.
Zapata Racing, the company Zapata founded to promote and build his flying machines, said the Flyboard Air can reach a maximum height of 10,000 feet and speed up to a maximum of 150 kilometers per hour.
Advertisement
TagsFranky Zapata, jet-powered hoverboard, Flyboard Air, Sausset-les-Pins, Zapata Racing
(Photo : Reuters) Major graphics card manufacturer Nvidia is betting big in the future of virtual reality.
Advertisement
Two next generation GeForce cards are set to be unveiled during Nvidia Editor's Event, which will be held on May 6.
According to a leaked information prior to the company's event, the California-based technology company, Nvidia, is set to announce two powerful GeForce graphic cards, which is presumed to be the GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 that will be made available to the public on June.
Like Us on Facebook
Advertisement
The new Pascal cards, which will have its hard launch at Computex 2016, will be the successor to Nvidia's current high-end cards, namely GTX 980 Ti, GTX 980 and GTX 970.
GTX 1080 has been confirmed to feature 8GB GDDR5X memory chips, while GTX 1070 will feature 8GB GDDR5 memory chips. It is said that the GeForce GTX 1080 will be equipped with an innovative Pascal design and 16nm FinFet process. The said graphic card will be one of the most powerful GPU ever created by Nvidia.
GeForce GTX 1070, on the other hand, is expected to run a bit slower that GeForce GTX 1080; however, compared to its predecessors, this will still be a better choice as it is an upgraded GPU version.
In terms of pricing, GTX 1070 is expected to be priced at $449, while GTX 1080 will be priced at $599.
On other news, Samsung and Nvidia have agreed to settle the lawsuits they filed between them. It can be remembered that in 2014, both companies filed lawsuit against each other due to patent infringement.
Samsung and Nvidia may have agreed to settle their issues, but no other details were disclosed to the public.
Advertisement
TagsGeForce GTX 1080, GeForce GTX 1070, Nvidia, Samsung, Nvidia vs Samsung
Bigotry, abuse, incarceration worldwide indicates 'serious and sustained assault' against religious liberty 02 May, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , |
WASHINGTON (Christian Examiner) Religious freedom is imperiled now as never before, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in its annual report May 2.
The report, which monitors abuses of religious rights and encourages foreign governments to adopt policies favorable to religious liberty, recommends nine countries be re-designated as "countries of particular concern" or "CPCs" by the U.S. State Department after continued and egregious violations of the rights of religious minorities there.
Those countries include Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. There is also sufficient evidence to warrant the CPC designation for eight other countries, including the Central African Republic, Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan, and Vietnam.
From the plight of new and longstanding prisoners of conscience, to the dramatic rise in the numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons, to the continued acts of bigotry against Jews and Muslims in Europe, and to the other abuses detailed in this report, there was no shortage of attendant suffering worldwide.
A second tier of countries was also recommended to receive the CPC designation, but being "Tier 2" likely means the State Department will not recognize them as particularly troublesome because of their long-term or burgeoning political relationship with the U.S. For example, Turkey, India and Cuba are unlikely to receive the designation since Turkey and India are major U.S. allies, serving as counterbalances to Russia and China, and since the Obama administration is seeking detente with Cuba.
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, and Russia are designated as "Tier 2" countries, as well.
"By any measure, religious freedom abroad has been under serious and sustained assault since the release of our commission's last Annual Report in 2015. From the plight of new and longstanding prisoners of conscience, to the dramatic rise in the numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons, to the continued acts of bigotry against Jews and Muslims in Europe, and to the other abuses detailed in this report, there was no shortage of attendant suffering worldwide," the report claims.
"The incarceration of prisoners of conscience people whom governments hold for reasons including those related to religion remains astonishingly widespread, occurring in country after country, and underscores the impact of the laws and policies that led to their imprisonment."
The 276-page report then highlights specific countries where religious abuses are occurring.
In North Korea, the communist regime of Kim Jong-Un imprisons thousands of religious believers, the report claims, even though it is nearly impossible to obtain information about the inner workings of the closed society. USCIRF notes in its report that the government controls "all political and religious expression" and punishes those who do not follow the regime. The regime also demands allegiance to its own religion, Juche, which emphasizes devotion to the Kim family and "self-reliance."
"Religious freedom is non-existent. Individuals secretly engaging in religious activities are subject to arrest, torture, imprisonment, and execution. North Koreans suspected of contacts with South Koreans or foreign missionaries or who are caught possessing Bibles have been executed," the report claims.
Most of the countries mentioned as CPCs are countries where Islam is the predominant religion and where religious liberty has never been part of political life. That includes countries in both the Middle East and Asia. Pakistan, which neighbors both Afghanistan and India, for example, is listed as a CPC.
"More people are on death row or serving life sentences for blasphemy in Pakistan than in any other country in the world," the report claims. "Aggressive enforcement of these [blasphemy] laws emboldens the Pakistani Taliban and individual vigilantes, triggering horrific violence against religious communities and individuals perceived as transgressors, most recently Christians and Muslim bystanders on Easter Sunday 2016 in Lahore."
China also receives significant attention in the report because the country recently tore down crosses on Christian churches, has imprisoned house church leaders and Uighur Muslims, and even holds prisoners is "'black jails' or brainwashing centers, with credible reports of torture, sexual violence, psychiatric experimentation and organ harvesting.
"Over the past year, the Chinese government has stepped up its persecution of religious groups deemed a threat to the state's supremacy and maintenance of a 'socialist society.' Christian communities have borne a significant brunt of the oppression, with numerous churches bulldozed and crosses torn down," the report notes.
The report also sheds light on the rising tide of anti-Semitism in Europe, especially France, and also criticizes the sectarian strife in Iraq and Syria, where much of the persecution of religious minorities is carried out by non-state actors such as the Islamic State. However, Iraq is also criticized for its government's indifference to Shiite militias who inflict human rights abuses on Sunni Muslims.
Russia is criticized in the report for its approach to dealing with those who attack the Russian Orthodox Church on social media and its investigation of those who align with Jehovah's Witnesses. Both are normally charged and imprisoned.
The report provides names of Muslim prisoners in Russia, but it is unclear why those associated with Hizb ut-Tahrir, a radical Islamic group that seeks to establish a global caliphate like ISIS, are listed as prisoners of conscience rather than terrorists. Hizb ut-Tahrir has been banned in Russia for its radical Islamist ideology. The USCIRF claims it is "non-violent."
Rome's Trevi fountain painted in red light to symbolize martyrs blood 02 May, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , |
ROME (Christian Examiner) Rome's Trevi Fountain was awash in blood red light April 29 as the Catholic faithful remembered the persecuted church worldwide.
During the nighttime demonstration, the voices of Christians from persecuted communities worldwide resounded from speakers across the square. The Christians told stories of how their loved ones and friends were martyred for their faith and they also called for an end to the violence.
Cardinal Mauro Piacenza said the purpose of the event was to remember the blood of the martyrs "spilled by the violence of men and the sin of the world."
Piacenze said the martyrs had shared in the suffering of Christ but, he added, they had made "a real and vicarious atonement, through Christ, with Christ and in Christ, in favor of all men."
Protestants reject the idea that the death of martyrs has any salvific benefit for others.
The cardinal, who leads the church's Apostolic Penitentiary and president of Aid to the Church in Need, said the martyrs had "entered into the glory of Paradise, with the palm of martyrdom in their hands and girded with the crown of glory."
The Apostolic Penitentiary is the arm of the church that grants indulgences, or the forgiveness of sins an act Protestants also reject as antithetical to Scripture.
Still, the martyrdom of Catholics, Protestant Christians and other religious minorities has come into sharper focus in recent days. Among the countries where persecution has intensified are Nigeria, North Korea, Somalia, Iraq, Syria and Pakistan.
Among those present were Luka Loteng, whose Christian friends from Garissa University were killed by Al-Shabaab militants from Sudan in 2015.
A member of the Missionaries of Charity, a largely Pakistani Catholic charity, was also present. Four of the nuns from the group were killed in Yemen earlier this year when militants aligned with the Islamic State attacked the nursing home where they worked.
Two weeks ago on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis said in an address that persecution is "the daily bread of the church."
"Jesus said so himself," Francis said as he reminded his audience that Christians today are suffering in the same way they did when torn apart by lions in the Colosseum.
"Today, on Easter Sunday, just three weeks ago ... Those Christians who were celebrating Easter in Pakistan were martyred because they were celebrating the Risen Christ. Thus, the history of the Church goes ahead with its martyrs."
On March 18, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry formally designated the actions of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria toward Christians as "genocide."
The #WeAreN2016 Congress testified about the persecution against Christians at a United Nations event held on April 28 in New York. The panel was comprised of experts and eyewitnesses of the violence perpetrated against Christians in middle-eastern and African countries of Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, which are besieged by Islamic State and other militant organizations.
The 'N', or in Arabic, is a symbol that stands for Nazarene or Christian, which ISIS drew on the doorways of believers, to identify them in cities that have been captured.
The panel was organized and co-sponsored by CitizensGo, Mas Libres, Defense of Christians, and is supported by many religious leaders including Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN.
The event discussed the violence against and mass exodus of Christians and minorities in the terror-stricken areas of Middle East, apart from the treatment of believers in countries such as Pakistan, where the Christians are in minority.
The website of the congress states that "Christians account for 80% of persecuted minorities. They are victims of the deliberate infliction of conditions of life that are calculated to bring about their physical destruction in whole or in part."
"They are being murdered, beheaded, crucified, beaten, extorted, abducted, and tortured. They have been victims of summary executions," it continues.
The panel demanded that the international community take action to stop the atrocities and work to bring relief to the victims.
"We have a unique opportunity to change things for the better," said Carl Anderson, head of the Knights of Columbus. "Never before has the world's attention been so focused on the suffering of these minorities. Never has their plight been so high on the agenda of the world's governments, the vast majority of the world's Muslims, and all people of good will."
The UN event, which lasted three days from April 28 to 30, featured many panels, including one on sexual violence inflicted on Christian and Yazidi women.
"Women and girls in particular have been subjected to forms of sexual violence such as rape, and have been victims of forced marriages and human trafficking. Children have been transferred to other groups and forcibly recruited. Christian churches and religious and cultural sites have been vandalized. Christian towns, villages, and districts have been devastated," #WeAreN2016 said.
Last week, the House of Commons in UK voted unanimously (278-0) to pronounce IS atrocities as genocide against Christians and other minorities.
In March, the US Secretary of State John Kerry also called the extremist group's activities "genocidal".
The Islamic State is a militant organization that wants to form its caliphate (Daesh) in the Middle East, and still retains large territories in Syria and Iraq, despite significant losses during the past few months. Boko Haram (which means 'western education is sin'), is active in western African countries of Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon, and has also pledged allegiance to ISIS.
A Chinese pastor who defended churches facing demolition and contacted the US consulate in Shanghai and foreign journalists was imprisoned along with his wife and son on April 26.
Wen Xiaowu leads a house church in Zhejiang province (which is also called the "Jerusalem of China") was accused by the authorities for disturbing social order and hindering public services, according to China Aid.
Xiaowu and his wife both gave legal consultation to churches who are facing cross demolition campaign.
They had met with the US consulate members and foreign journalists to give them an update about the cross demolition situation in China.
The family is not allowed to meet with relatives, and their house was ransacked by the authorities who also took their personal items including laptops.
"He [Wen] is a man with integrity and passion who is always ready to help others. Despite the constant threats state security agents posed to him and his family in the past few years, he and his wife have been boldly providing legal counsel for churches and persecuted human rights defenders in Zhejiang," said China Aid President Bob Fu. "I urge the U.S. government to work with the Chinese authorities for the immediate release of the Wen family and other innocent church leaders who are under arrest."
Since the year began, multiple churches have been demolished in Zhejiang and neighboring province of Fujian.
Some of the churches were not registered with the local government. A Yulin Furen Christian Church in Fujian was registered before, but due to changing regulations over the last several years, it was not registered at the time it was deemed unauthorized by the officials.
"Previously, it was registered and approved, but not in recent years," an individual from the Fuqing Christian Association told China Aid. "At this time, a real estate certificate is required for registration [in Fuqing] ... [Therefore], we cannot just go register, even if we want to do so. There are still many [churches] that have not registered."
However, no reason was given to demolish many other churches, according to eyewitnesses.
"The Chinese authorities have no reason for the demolition of the church. All of our churches will defend to the death and refuse to let them break down. This is religious persecution with no right to suppress us," said Wen Xiaowu, a local believer.
Some cross demolitions were also done secretly by the authorities. Waipu church in Wenzhou had its cross removed by the officials in the early morning hours with no heavy equipment used, so that the congregation would not be alerted of the action. Authorities also confiscated the church's surveillance and video equipment.
"These demolition personnel came suddenly, and many believers did not know [what was happening]," recounted a church who only gave his last name Wu.
Another church in Wenzhou was also demolished late at night, Wu said.
The authorities have faced stiff protests from congregations who knew that their church was targeted for cross removal or demolition. Local media reported that last year in July, a team of about 600 people comprising police, fire protection, and urban management met with strong resistance from members at Kau Yan church in Shuitou town of Zhejiang province.
Huge cranes, fire engines, and ambulance were mobilized to break down Kau Yan's cross. The church members confronted the police, who also used batons to injure people. Four people were seriously wounded and hospitalized in Wenzhou. The demolition was unsuccessful and the authorities returned after a struggle lasting over an hour.
In April, a pastor's wife was buried alive after she stepped in front of a bulldozer as it proceeded to demolish Beitou Church in Henan province, because the land on which it stood was claimed by a real-estate developer. After about two weeks the land was restored to the church by authorities, and will be used for religious purposes.
For his latest research, University of Virginia sociologist W. Bradford Wilcox stepped out of the ivory tower and relocated to New York City. He and his family spent a year living in Harlem, interviewing pastors and members Of black and Latino churches in their neighborhood, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.
Wilcox and co-author Nicholas H. Wolfingers analysis appears in the new book Soul Mates: Religion, Sex, Love and Marriage among African Americans and Latinos(Oxford University Press). The academics reached across ideological aisles to explore the ways Christian faith has bolstered two of the countrys most vulnerable ethnic groups.
A Roman Catholic, Wilcox is perhaps best known to CT readers for his research on marriage. He recently spoke with assistant editor Morgan Lee about the crucial role of Latino and African American pastors, why they hesitate to preach about sex, and what everyone might learn from his findings.
Youre married, religious, conservative, and have children. Your co-author, Wolfinger, is single, an agnostic, progressive, and childless. What compelled you to write a book together?
The academy is pretty divided, ideologically speaking. Most scholars, particularly in sociology, have a more progressive and often more secular perspective on the world than do ordinary Americans. There are few opportunities for scholars who dont share the same ideological commitment to engage in a meaningful way. Despite our differences, Wolfinger and I share a commitment to the truth and to trying to understand whats happening in the data. For people who are skeptical of our empirical claims about marriage and church, its important to underline the fact that a progressive was also doing the statistics. ...
1
You have reached the end of this Article Preview You have reached the end of this Article Preview To continue reading, subscribe now. Subscribers have full digital access.
Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.
Pastor Calls for National Boycott of Lutheran Social Services
Contact: Rev. CJ Conner, 620-255-9597
DODGE CITY, Kan., May 2, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- Lutheran Pastor Rev. CJ Conner of Dodge City, Kansas, calls on Christians of good conscience to boycott Lutheran Social Services (LSS).
Lutheran Social Services has resettled at least 1000 Muslims in the state of Minnesota alone and recently released a booklet titled, "My Neighbor is Muslim, Exploring the Muslim Faith."
Once an essential Lutheran Institution in American Christianity, Rev. Conner believes that LSS is unapologetically obsessed with resettling Muslim refugees to the exclusion of persecuted Christians. Their refugee programs are directed by Yusuf Abdi in Minnesota.
Rev. Conner says, "Jodi Harpstead, Executive Director of LSS Minnesota, lauds the booklet, 'My Neighbor is a Muslim.' She partnered with Hassan Ali Mohamud the founder, Imam, and director of the Minnesota Da'wah Institute. All we hear about is their work with Muslims."
Dr. Stephen Kirby recently wrote about the Lutheran Social Services booklet and Harpstead's associate, Hassan Ali Mohamud, in the March Edition of Frontpage Magazine:
"Ironically, the Muslim imam selected to endorse this booklet appears to be a Hamas supporter, believes that Shariah Law should be enforced in American communities where Muslims are the majority, heads one of two mosques that have been the focus of articles about Somali youth leaving Minneapolis to fight for a terrorist organization, and was recently refused a government security clearance."
Says Rev. Conner, "Christians are being slaughtered, children beheaded, and Lutheran Social Services has abandoned them. Not unlike the Lutheran Leftists in Hitler's Germany who turned a blind eye to the Jewish Holocaust, LSS of Minnesota has turned their back on the victims of the Christian genocide. LSS would rather play footsy with the likes of Hassan Ali Mohamud."
"Christians have lamented the suffering of our brothers and sisters around the world and have asked, 'What can we do to stop the genocide? What can we do to help them?' Start by closing your pocketbook to Lutheran Social Services and re-directing that money to Christian organizations who care about the plight of Christians, who resettle Christians, and who leave the resettlement of questionable Muslim refugees to the Mosques."
"We need a national boycott of Lutheran Social Services. We need to stop giving money to Christian organizations who don't care about Christians being murdered by Muslims for their faith"
Find Out More:
home World Christian missionary gets 10 years hard labor in North Korea after 'espionage' allegations
A Korean American man was sentenced on Friday, April 29 to 10 years of hard labor in North Korea after he was convicted guilty on charges of "unpardonable espionage."
North Korean authorities said Kim Dong Chul, 62, was stealing valuable information including military secrets and giving them to South Korea.
"The accused confessed to all crimes he had committed ... and gathered and offered information on its party, state and military affairs to the South Korean puppet regime, which are tantamount to state subversive plots and espionage," North Korean state news agency KCNA reported, according to Reuters.
Kim, who was born in Seoul, is a naturalized U.S. citizen. Before his arrest in October 2015, he had been frequenting North Korea on business trips, having established a business in the special economic zone in Rason in 2008.
In January, a woman saw him on T.V. and recognized him as the Christian missionary she had met in the U.S. in 2007. Ma Young-ae said she remembered seeing Kim talk to churches and ask for their support in the work that he was doing in North Korea.
Kim had been sending medical aid to Rason from China in order "to help poor North Koreans," according to a previous Reuters report.
Ma's statement was confirmed by another pastor, Park Simon, who had been with Kim in some church gatherings. Park said he knew Kim often went to North Korea.
Kim reportedly had asked for help from the U.S. and South Korea to save him. The U.S. State Department refused to comment on the issue, though a department official said they knew about the North Korean Supreme Court's decision regarding Kim.
Aside from Kim, there are five other foreigners detained in North Korea. The country ranks number one among the countries where Christians suffer the most persecution, with an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 Christians serving time in various labor camps.
Biggest megachurches located not in U.S. but in Asia, Africa: More people embracing Jesus Christ worldwide
When we say largest megachurches in the world, Americans are likely to immediately think of the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texaswhich boasts of some 43,500 people attending its services weeklyor Potter's House in Dallas.
However, Leadership Network's Warren Bird, an expert when it comes to the subject of megachurches, recently released a research showing that Christian churches with the largest attendance are not located in the United States but in Asia and Africa.
In an article on the Leadership Network's website, Bird named the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea as the most attended Christian church in the world. This Pentecostal church, located in the capital city of Seoul, boasts of 480,000 people attending its weekly services and 830,000 individuals in total membership.
In far distant second are the Deeper Christian Ministry and the Onnuri Community Church, which are both located in Nigeria. These churches each have a total attendance of 75,000 individuals on a weekly basis.
Bird said these figures give Christians reason to celebrate, since these indicate that more and more people are embracing Jesus Christ in different parts of the world.
"Accurate data allows us to see the larger picture of what God seems to be doing. For starters, you'll observe that the world's biggest churches are not in the United States (and further, the United States did not even start the trend of megachurches)," Bird wrote.
He also expects Christian churches to continue to grow around the world, even in countries where other religions are more dominant.
"You'll also see which countries have the newer growth of larger churches (and as this list grows, I'm convinced that we'll document that there are far more megachurches outside the United States than in it)," Bird said.
"As one example, India today has more believers than at any time in its 4,000-year history, and as my list populates, I suspect we'll find a growing number of megachurches there. You can explore everything from average pastor age to the likelihood level of Pentecostal/charismatic theology in these large churches," he added.
California judge rules woman's lawsuit vs. Church of Scientology can go to trial
A California judge ruled on Wednesday that a woman's lawsuit against the Church of Scientology can proceed to trial, denying the organisation's motion for summary judgment. In law, summary judgment is a judgment rendered by a court prior to a verdict because no material issue of fact exists and one party or the other is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.
Judge John Doyle of the Los Angeles Superior Court said former Scientologist Laura DeCrescenzo's allegations against the church that she was forced to have an abortion, worked long hours and stayed against her will, will be tried in court. She filed the lawsuit in 2009.
In 1991 when she was just 12 years old, DeCrescenzo signed a "billion year contract" with Scientology and moved into the church's "Pac Base" in Hollywood, ABC7 reports.
Her parents were also Scientology members and they encouraged her to join the church at a young age.
In her second amended complaint in 2010, DeCrescenzo said Scientology forced her to have an abortion in violation of her privacy; deprived her of liberty; imprisoned her; intentionally inflicted emotional distress; violated wage and hour laws; and conducted unfair business practices.
She said the church forced her to have an abortion when she got pregnant at 17, saying she was threatened that she would lose her position in the Sea Org, her housing and her husband if she did not comply.
"I was told by the commanding officer of my organisation that. She immediately started telling me that at this point the baby wasn't a baby, it was just tissue," she said in 2010.
She added, "I never agreed to have an abortion. Did I concede? Yes, I did. Does it kill me every day? Yes, it does."
Scientology admitted that church policy bars active members of the Sea Org from having young children.
"To be clear, defendants do not argue that a church may physically force a woman to have an abortion," according to Bert Deixler, attorney for the Church of Scientology International.
But he said the issue is that under the First Amendment, churches may urge a minister of a religious order to forego having a baby for religious life.
DeCrescenzo said she stayed in Scientology for more than a decade as she fell under a powerful sway of the church.
Judge Doyle ordered both sides to return to court in June to set a trial date.
Christian missionary sentenced to 10 years hard labour in North Korea
A Christian missionary has been sentenced to 10 years in one of North Korea's punitive hard labour camps for alleged "unpardonable espionage".
Kim Dong Chul, aged 62, who was born in South Korea and is a naturalised US citizen was accused of stealing information, including military secrets, and passing it on to South Korea.
North Korean state news agency KCNA reported: "The accused confessed to all crimes he had committed and gathered and offered information on its party, state and military affairs to the South Korean puppet regime, which are tantamount to state subversive plots and espionage," according to Reuters.
At a press conference in March in Pyongyang, Dong Chul, who lived in Virginia in the United States, appeared to confess. Foreign prisoners are often forced to confess in North Korea. He told reporters he had been paid by intelligence officers from South Korea and that he had been introduced to them by US intelligence.
Before Dong Chul was arrested last October, he had set up a business in a part of Rason in North Korea that is set aside as a special economic zone.
Earlier this year, a woman who saw him on television recognised him as a Christian missionary who she had seen give testimony in the US about the work he was doing in North Korea. A pastor also recognised him as the same man.
He has asked both the US and South Korea for help. He is one of six foreigners known to be held by North Korea, where as many as 70,000 Christians are currently imprisoned in labour camps. About 300,000 of North Korea's 25.3 million population are believed to be Christian. Open Doors ranks the country in first place on its persecution watch list.
North Korea did its fourth nuclear test in January and has also done recent nuclear missle tests, breaching UN sanctions. Last Thursday, an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council was called after two mid-range ballistic missiles crashed after they were launched. A fifth test is believed imminent.
Kidnapped bishop handcuffed and beaten then released
A bishop in southern India has been released after suffering kidnap and violent assault.
Bishop Gallela Prasad, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cuddapah in the state of Andhra Pradesh, was blind-folded, handcuffed and kidnapped on his way home from celebrating Mass at the popular Karunagiri Shrine.
Bishop Prasad, aged 54, whose motto is "The Lord is my strength and I trust in him", said he was taken to an undisclosed location by the kidnappers. "They hit me and punched me resulting in injuries all over my body. I did not resist," he told ucanews.com.
He said he was quizzed repeatedly about diocesan finances by his assailants. Cuddapah is a suffragan diocese of Hyderabad Archdiocese and has more than 100,000 Catholics.
The kidnappers also demanded five million rupees, or over 50,000. They told him that since he helped so many other people, he should help them too. They also claimed to be from the police before releasing him the following day. "They appeared to be paid goons and non-Christians from the way they talked and behaved," he said.
Archbishop Thumma Bala of Hyderabad said in a statement: "It is unbelievable that such a violent atrocity is perpetrated on a high ranking religious leader of a minority community, who is totally dedicated to the service of the needy and marginalised."
Massive fire destroys historic New York cathedral
The beautiful 19th century Gothic Revial Cathedral of St Sava in New York was destroyed by fire yesterday evening.
The blaze broke out as 700 members of the Serbian cathedral's congregation were inside, celebrating the Orthodox Easter. No one was injured.
More than 170 firefighters were called to the fire which could be seen for many blocks.
"We're all alive, but the building is gone," Father Djokan Majstorovic, parish priest, told RT.
"It's heartbreaking. My parents were the first couple married there in 1944 after it was reconsecrated as an Orthodox church," Melana Pejakovich, of Nevada, also told RT.
Formerly a church of The Episcopal Church by architect Richard Upjohn, it opened in 1855. It ceased being an Episcopal Church in 1915. The building was sold to the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1943. It was made an official New York City landmark and entered into the National Register of Historic Places.
The chapel was designated a New York City landmark in 1968, and the complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
According to reports from the scene, the fire is being treated as suspicious.
Report: Religious freedom under 'serious and sustained assault' around the world
Religious freedom has come under "serious and sustained assault" across the globe in the past year, according to an annual report released today.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released its 2016 report, and found that religious liberty has deteriorated around the world, with abuses committed by both state and non-state actors.
A number of countries are "plagued by extremism and religious freedom violations," the report said.
"By any measure, religious freedom abroad has been under serious and sustained assault since the release of our commission's last Annual Report in 2015," the USCIRF said. "From the plight of new and longstanding prisoners of conscience, to the dramatic rise in the numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons, to the continued acts of bigotry against Jews and Muslims in Europe... there was no shortage of attendant suffering worldwide."
The report highlights religious freedom violations in more than 30 countries, including China, Sudan, North Korea, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iraq and Syria.
The USCIRF recommended that the US State Department add eight more countries to its list of "countries of particular concern", where "particularly severe violations of religious freedom are perpetuated or tolerated".
Included in that list were Vietnam, Egypt and the Central African Republic.
In China, the communist government has "stepped up its persecution of religious groups deemed a threat to the state's supremacy and maintenance of a 'socialist society'," the report said. "Christian communities have borne a significant brunt of the oppression, with numerous churches bulldozed and crosses torn down".
In Eritrea, up to 3,000 people are believed to be imprisoned on religious grounds, and to receive "the cruelest punishments". In Pakistan more people are serving life sentences or are on death row for blasphemy than any other country in the world.
The report also brands Islamic State's treatment of Yazidis, Christians, Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims who do not "subscribe to [its] barbaric interpretation of Islam" as "a genocidal effort to erase their presence" from Iraq and Syria.
The report condemns ISIS' "summary executions, rape, sexual enslavement, abduction of children, destruction of houses of worship, and forced conversions".
"The governments of Syria and Iraq can be characterised by their near-incapacity to protect segments of their population from ISIL [ISIS] and other non-state actors, as well as their complicity in fuelling the sectarian tensions that have made their nations so vulnerable," the report continued.
"Syria's government has no only fuelled these tensions but committed crimes against humanity in its treatment of Sunni Muslims."
In Western Europe, there has been a rise in anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim incidents, the USCIRF said, characterising this as a "disturbing trend". it noted that various European countries restrict individuals from wearing religious symbols.
The international community must act to end religious freedom abuses, the commission said.
"[These] are crises in their own right which cry out for continued action on the part of the international community, including the United States. To be effective, such action must recognize the unmistakable fact that religious freedom is a common thread in each of these challenges, and deserves a seat at the table when nations discuss humanitarian, security, and other pressing issues.
"The United States and other countries must fully accord this right the respect it deserves and redouble their efforts to defend this pivotal liberty worldwide."
The report covers the period from February 1, 2015 to February 29, 2016.
'Star Trek' anthology news: Series begins filming this fall
The upcoming "Star Trek" anthology series, which will be managed by showrunner Bryan Fuller, will begin filming this Fall. According to Trek Core, this means the series may be ready sooner than later and CBS may be premiering the new series as early as January 2017.
As stated in a report from Cinema Blend, Paramount Pictures issued a mandate that any other "Star Trek" project could not be released until six months after they launch "Star Trek Beyond" in theaters. The movie is set to be released this coming July 22, meaning the earliest the new series could premiere would be the end of January or early February.
The series has yet to be given an official subtitle and the studios have not yet announced directors or cast for the series. It has been confirmed that the plot of season 1 will take place before the events of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" but after "Star Trek: The Original Series" therefore the series will not have cameos from the movies.
Given that it is an anthology serires the second season will be set in a different time period and will have a different cast of characters. It is undetermined if future seasons will be set in the "Prime" universe of the franchise or the rebooted universe that was made with the 2009 reboot movie.
TrekCore also points out that this is the first live-action "Star Trek" television series that is not going to be filmed in Los Angeles, California. Instead, the series will be filmed in Toronto, Canada, which is also where Bryan Fuller is working on the upcoming "American Gods" series with author Neil Gaiman.
"Star Trek" has traditionally been filmed in Los Angeles but this has changed with the 2009 reboot film and the projects that followed. "Star Trek Beyond" notably filmed in several different international locations such as Dubai, Vancouver, United Arab Emirates and British Columbia.
U2 star The Edge rocks up at the Vatican
U2's The Edge, also known as David Evans, has become the first contemporary artist to play a gig in Rome's iconic 15th century Sistine Chapel.
The rock guitarist, with seven Irish teenagers on stage with him, sang four songs, including a cover of Leonard Cohen's If It Be Your Will and three U2 songs.
The gig was part of the Cellular Horizons conference organised by the Stem for Life Foundation which promotes the use of adult stem cells to cure rare diseases. The Edge's audience consisted of 200 doctors, scientists and donors connected with the foundation.
Evans' own daughter overcame leukaemia in 2006. A year later he joined the board of the Angiogenesis Foundation, which promotes new blood vessell growth. Just weeks ago, his father died of cancer.
"Usually when I mention angiogenesis people's eyes glaze over. But you all understand what I am talking about," he said during the performance.
"When they asked me if I wanted to become the first contemporary artist to play in the Sistine Chapel, I didn't know what to say because usually there's this other guy who sings," he said, according to NBC.
He thanked Pope Francis "for allowing us to use the most beautiful parish hall in the world".
He added: "Being Irish you learn very early that if you want to be asked to come back it's very important to thank the local parish priest for the loan of the hall."
Vice President Joe Biden, whose son Beau recently died of brain cancer, addressed the conference on the vital need for cancer research funding.
Annabelle Breakey
Think cheddar is better? Go bonkers for brie? Then what we're about to say might be bittersweet: America won't be running out of cheese anytime soon, but it's bad news for American dairy farmers.
According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, our current level of stockpiled cheese is the highest it has been in 32 years. More than half of it is American cheese, followed by 2 percent of Swiss, with the remaining amount labeled as "other."
Reason being, dairy imports from Europe have steadily been on the rise while cheese prices have been falling. That means other countries won't be buying our higher priced cheese, while we also opt to import the cheaper stuff instead of consuming our own.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
Fans of Asian fare could spend weeks dining out and never have to visit a restaurant a second time. Here are some recommended stops:
Banana Leaf
A pretty dining room, attentive service and exuberant Malaysian fare means there might be a line to get a seat in this Chinatown restaurant. 9889 Bellaire, 713-771-8118; 9896 Bellaire, 713-271-2338; bananaleafhouston.com.
Bon Ga Garden
Everything served in this Spring Branch Korean restaurant - spicy stews, seafood pancakes, bibimbap - warms the soul. 9861 Long Point, 713-461-5265.
Crawfish & Noodles
Houston has many Vietnamese/Cajun smash-ups, and this is one of the best. The crazy-popular restaurant serves up steaming bags of crawfish and crabs, as well as noodle dishes and fried seafood. 11360 Bellaire, 281-988-8098; crawfishandnoodle.com.
Huynh
This is home-style Vietnamese cooking at its finest, from stunning chargrilled pork soft rolls, to vivid duck salad, to flash-fried chicken with crushed rice, cabbage pickle and a frizzly fried egg. Major bang for the buck. BYOB. 912 St. Emanuel, 713-224-8964; huynhrestauranthouston.com.
Izakaya
This Midtown Japanese-inspired pub is striking in design, but it is the marvelous fare that keeps the dining room jammed with foodies. Don't miss the Vuelve a la Vida and the Tori Kawa chicken-skin skewers. 318 Gray, 713-527-8988; houstonizakaya.com.
Kata Robata
Chef Manabu Horiuchi - known as Hori-san to the legion of fans who pack the sushi bar - has a gift with fish. And what's served here is among the most carefully sourced protein in town. 3600 Kirby, 713-526-8858; katarobata.com.
Kuu
This contemporary dining room is a stage for chef Adison Lee, who marries Gulf Coast seasonality with the spirit of Japanese kaiseki. The menu is always evolving. 947 N. Gessner, 713-461-1688; kuurestaurant.com.
Mala Sichuan Bistro
This family-owned business is known for its spicy dishes, such as the Three Pepper Beaten Duck. Lightweights, beware: Dishes range from fiery to tongue-numbing. 1201 Westheimer, 832-767-0911; 9348 Bellaire, 713-995-1889.
Uchi
This Austin transplant, from James Beard Award-winning chef Tyson Cole, turns out inspired sushi, sashimi and modern Japanese plates that are as pretty as the dazzling dining room. While reservations can be tough, the restaurant greets walk-ins with a smile. 904 Westheimer, 713-522-4808; uchirestaurants.com.
Vieng Thai
There's a reason chefs and wine professionals dote on this unpretentious restaurant on a scruffy stretch of Long Point. The flavors are exhilarating, it's BYOB and the price is right. 6929 Long Point, 713-688-9910.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
Whether you are seeking a taco or a mind-blowing mole, you will find plenty of places serving authentic Mexican fare and the comfort foods we call Tex-Mex. Here are some recommended restaurants:
Arnaldo Richards' Picos
Chef-owner Richards' menu draws from the seven distinct regions of Mexican cuisine. Don't miss sauteed calamari, cochinita pibil, enchiladas moles and chiles nogada. The margaritas are renowned. 3601 Kirby,832-831-9940; picos.net.Cuchara
What's not to love about this hip Montrose restaurant? There's the all-female kitchen that cooks with love and authenticity, the colorful murals that decorate the dining room and an adults-only vibe after dark. 214 Fairview, 713-942-0000; cuchararestaurant.com.
El Real
Housed in the restored Tower Theater, this temple of Tex-Mex serves vintage fare, such as puffy tacos and cheese enchiladas topped with chili gravy. 1201 Westheimer, 713-524-1201; elrealtexmex.com.El Tiempo
The expensive chow at El Tiempo is outstanding - deliciously charred fajitas, pillowy flour tacos, amazing salsa. The margaritas are potent and tasty, which is a rare combination. 5602 Washington, 713-681-3645; 322 Westheimer, 713-807-8101; and six other Houston-area locations;eltiempocantina.com.
Goode Co. Taqueria
Trendy restaurants come and go, but this Houston icon is still the go-to cafe for comforting Tex-Mex and hefty, mesquite-grilled burgers. 4902 Kirby, 713-520-9153; goodecompany.com.
Irma's
Irma Galvan's legendary downtown lunch spot is known for the namesake owner's comforting Mexican sauces and stews, gracious hospitality and homemade lemonade. Irma's serves high quality fare and the prices reflect that. 22 N. Chenevert, 713-222-0767;irmasoriginal.com.
Molina's Cantina
In the vast salsa sea of Tex-Mex joints in Houston, Molina's gets bonus points for authenticity (don't miss the chili). Just know you'll be presented with two red salsas. Insiders know to ask for the green. 4720 Washington,713-862-0013; 7901 Westheimer,713-782-0861; 3801 Bellaire, 713-432-1626; molinascantina.com.
Original Ninfa's on Navigation
As the name implies, this is where it all started. If you believe the legend, Mama Ninfa was (is) the patron saint of Tex-Mex. In her once-tiny kitchen, she cranked out the world's first fajitas. 2704 Navigation, 713-228-1175; ninfas.com.
Spanish Village
It's simple Tex-Mex fare served in a colorful and festive setting for more than 50 years. More than a few Houstonians admit their love of Spanish Village is fanned by the house margarita. The slushy margaritas are tart, lively and, yes, intoxicating. 4720 Almeda, 713-523-2861; spanishvillagerestaurant.com.
Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen
Sylvia Casares' plates feature fresh ingredients and complex flavors. Among her enchilada offerings: squash and corn, crab and grilled pork with a fiery red sauce. 6401 Woodway, 713-334-7295; 1140 Eldridge, 832-230-3842; 12637 Westheimer, 281-679-8300; sylviasenchiladas.com.
Firefighters battled a blaze Monday morning at a Mexican restaurant in southwest Houston.
The fire broke out about 8:10 a.m. at Mexico Lindo restaurant, 6500 Fondren near Clarewood, according to the Houston Fire Department.
Officials said when firefighters arrived they found flames ripping from the eatery and smoke billowing into the sky. More firefighters and equipment were sent to the scene to help battle the flames. Firefighters got the fire under control about 30 minutes later.
The flames and smoke badly damaged the building. No injuries were reported.
Motorists in the vicinity of the fire may see delays as traffic is rerouted away from the scene.
Investigators are trying to determine what sparked he blaze.
Two people have been arrested and four others are wanted in connection with a dogfighting ring uncovered in Jefferson County earlier this spring.
Beaumont residents Abdual Ramon Bluitt, 38, and Robert Ray Hale, 37, are both charged with engaging in organized criminal activity.
An Austin High School student who brought a gun to school was arrested Monday, Houston Independent School District officials said.
The unnamed student is charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon to the 1700 Dumble St. school.
"In addition to criminal charges, the student also will face appropriate disciplinary action," according to a statement released by the school district. "HISD takes these situations very seriously, as the safety of students and staff is always the district's top priority."
The school is southeast of downtown.
Related: Student accused of having a gun at Cullen Middle School
No other details were released. This is a developing story.
A seasoned Santa-Claus-for-hire Monday pleaded guilty in a Corpus Christi federal courtroom to distributing child pornography online.
Nine days before Christmas 2015, Corpus Christi police executed a search warrant at Reynaldo Ramirez's home. The 38-year-old admitted he had an addiction to child pornography and had been downloading it for six years, according to court documents.
During their search, police came upon a Santa costume along with a trove of wrapped gifts in a closet. Ramirez told the officers he had four Santa gigs lined up that weekend and others booked later in the month. He had been working as Santa Claus for 15 years, prosecutors said.
Court documents indicate that a Corpus Christi police detective traced several files on the file-sharing program Ares, to the IP address of Ramirez. Homeland Security officials also assisted in the investigation, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas said in a written statement.
Police seized several digital devices containing child pornography, including video of a 4-year-old girl touching her chest and exposing her genitals. Ramirez also told investigators he had sexually assaulted a four-year-old child.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos heard Reynaldo Ramirez's plea and set sentencing for Aug. 1.
Texas A&M will spend $150 million building a 2,000-acre research park and education center on an old air base just west of its main campus between Houston and Austin, college officials announced Monday.
University officials are planning to entice private companies specializing in robotics, autonomous vehicles, chemical safety to set up research and development operations in the research park to get new products ready for the commercial marketplace. For example, the research campus hopefully will be a place to test driverless cars, drones and other autonomous vehicles, university officials said.
A key part of the ambitious project will be a new education center that will offer a four-year college degree path for students who didn't make the cut for admission to A&M's College Station campus, but still want to live in Bryan-College Station. Students could start their degrees at the center and could graduate from the center or transfer to main campus.
AGGIE LIFE: The tradition, secrets and myths of Texas A&M University
"We must offer new, transformative business models whether we are moving our research from the laboratories into the marketplace, or helping more students to achieve a college education," said John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. "It is a big idea and it is important that the Texas A&M University System nurture big ideas."
The education center will come a little later. There isn't anything exactly like it in Texas, and the courses and degrees offered there will require approval from the state and accrediting bodies. Other teaching centers with multiple universities are housed far away from those universities. This one is on the doorstep of A&M's College Station campus. It's aimed at keeping the roughly 10,000 students who are rejected from A&M and choose to go out of state in Texas.
A&M ALUMNI: Famous former Texas A&M Aggies
The university will spend $25 million to demolish 32 old buildings on the air base tract, rebuild roads and upgrade utilities. A&M will save the chapel and a couple of hangars in recognition of the historic role of the air base. Another $125 million will go toward building seven new buildings, including the Center for Infrastructure Renewal a $73-million endeavor funded by the state. The university also will build a building for research focused on automated vehicles, robotics, chemical safety and industrial distribution. The site will remain home to a law enforcement training facility, as well.
A&M officials expect to begin work next year and plan to open the new campus in 2018.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
A Houston teenager who died in a hotel bed after prom in 2014, was killed by an overdose of drugs and alcohol, not because of rough sex, her boyfriend's lawyer said Monday.
Eddie Herrera, 20, faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted of seriously injuring Jacqueline Gomez, his date to the senior prom for Aldine school district's MacArthur High School.
"They were happy," said defense attorney Doug O'Brien. "There's no reason for him to choke his prom date to death."
DETAILS EMERGE: Texts hint girl may have overdosed after prom
During opening statements in Herrera's trial, prosecutors said he was 18 when he, with help from his mother, rented a hotel room, bought two large bottles of whiskey and obtained pharmaceutical painkillers on May 17, 2014.
"You're going to learn about the web of lies and deceit propagated by Eddie Herrera and his mother," said prosecutor Justin Wood. "(Herrera's mother) doles out 10 hydrocodone pills each and sets them up for one heck of a fantastic prom night."
THE CRIME: Girl's death morning after prom ruled homicide
In front of a jury of 10 men and two women, Wood focused on the hours before 17-year-old Gomez was found, including conference calls from Herrera's mother to Gomez's mother so the two teens could secretly spend the night at the hotel.
Herrera, then 18, woke up to find Gomez, dead in bed and called his mother. She was in the hotel lobby, waiting for the teens to get up so she could take them home.
MORE CHARGES: Mom arrested and charged in prom night death that included sex, drugs and alcohol
After she found her son with Gomez's body, she and her son put clothes on the teen's body before calling 911, prosecutors said.
Paramedics pronounced her dead on arrival at the hotel. She was found with elevated levels of hydrocodone in her system and a blood alcohol level of .26, more than three times the legal limit to drive. She also had bruising around her neck.
Herrera told investigators he had choked her during consensual sex.
LAWSUIT: Mom's lawsuit claims daughter's prom date choked her to death
Her death was ruled "undetermined" after medical examiners could not decide whether she died from an overdose or from being choked.
More than six months after the incident, investigators interviewed Herrera again and filed criminal charges, saying his stories were inconsistent. They also charged his mother with drug possession. Her criminal case is pending.
Herrera is not charged with murder, and prosecutors do not have to prove that he killed Gomez. Instead, he is charged with the first degree felony of domestic violence, so prosecutors have to prove that he caused serious bodily injury.
The trial, in state District Judge Vanessa Velasquez's court, is expected to last less than a week.
brian.rogers@chron.com
twitter.com/brianjrogers
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
Following a two-day hearing in Austin, the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners is still probably at least five months away from making a decision on disciplining a Brenham practitioner who boasted about killing a cat with a bow and arrow.
Dr. Kristen Lindsey, a licensed veterinarian since 2012, caused a storm of controversy in June when she shot an orange tabby with a bow and arrow and posted a photo on Facebook.
Following an uproar from animal welfare advocates, the veterinary board filed a formal complaint in October to revoke Lindsey's license.
RELATED: Vet who shot cart with an arrow facing Texas veterinary board this week
A day-long mediation in March failed to resolve the matter, leading to the "contested case" hearing at the State Office of Administrative Hearings in Austin.
Now, several legal steps must take place before the board can take disciplinary action, according to a statement on the board's website:
- Both parties (Lindsey and the board) must submit written closing arguments by June 10.
- Each party may then submit a written reply to the other party's argument by July 1.
- The administrative law judge who presided at the hearing then has 60 days to issue a "proposal for decision" (PFD), and the parties have a chance to file written responses to the proposal.
- Once the replies are complete, the proposal will be presented to the full board at its next meeting, which is expected to take place Oct. 18.
RELATED: Mediation fails to resolve case against vet who shot cat with arrow
Two groups that have pressed for Lindsey's license to be revoked -- Alley Cat Allies and Animal Legal Defense Fund -- sent representatives to the hearing and posted synopses of the two-day proceeding. Alley Cat Allies posted this summary of the Austin hearing. Lora Dunn, staff attorney and interim director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund's Criminal Justice Program, prepared this hearing summary.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
A 53-year-old Texas woman performed a "topless handstand" at a courthouse two days before a jury found her guilty last week of stealing four 30-packs of beer, according to a news report.
RELATED: Sextet of alleged child predators arrested in Central Texas sting operation near Fort Hood
The Texarkana Gazette reported that Annette Laverne Harris was sentenced to 23 months in a state jail on Wednesday for the early 2015 theft.
Initially, Harris was scheduled to make a plea on Monday, but became belligerent in the courtroom, the Gazette reported.
State District Judge Bobby Lockhart ordered Harris into custody, according to the newspaper.
RELATED: Police: Austin man 'grinded' on woman at bar before throwing glass at her face
"As soon as we put her in the witness room to await transport, she took off her T-shirt and bra, climbed under a chair and put her feet and rear end against the wall," Chad Ford, a Bowie County Sheriff's Office Investigator, testified Wednesday. "It appeared she was attempting to do a topless handstand."
Lockhart scolded Harris sitting in a wheelchair for her behavior and told her he did not believe that she needed the chair or that she suffered from mental illness.
RELATED: North Texas man recaptured after mother, girlfriend allegedly helped him escape from jail
"You've been six times in front of me, and there have been no signs of mental illness. No signs of any handicap," State District Judge Bobby Lockhart told Harris. "Those two conditions only surface when you're going to be arrested. You're not a very good thief, and you're an even worse actress."
According to the newspaper, Harris had stolen four 30-packs of beer on Jan. 27, 2015 but police had been unable to catch her initially. A store manager wrote down the license plate of her car when Harris repeated the offense on Feb. 2, 2015, the newspaper reported.
RELATED: Pennsylvania woman arrested for having loud sex, yelling racial slurs at neighbors
Harris resisted arrest when Texarkana police officers detained her later that day, kicking the inside of a patrol car, cursing and "saying disgusting things involving her body," officer James Harris testified Wednesday.
jfechter@mySA.com
Twitter: @JFreports
An Alabama home-school student proved that old adage: The only way to stop a bad guy with a hamper is a good guy with a gun.
Chris Gaither, 11, was alone on the first floor of his Talladega, Ala., home, protecting our freedoms when he heard someone break into his house and walk up the stairs, Birmingham's WVTM-TV reported.
An online retailer of prophylactics has announced a new line of Hillary Clinton-branded condoms titled "Slick Willy Wants Back In."
Priced at around $10 for a five-pack, RipnRoll.com is really just selling regular condoms with gawdy packaging. They did the same with Donald Trump not too long ago as well.
A story swiftly spreading online charges Sen. Ted Cruz with pretending not to notice as his vice presidential pick Carly Fiorina falls off the stage at an Indiana campaign event.
But an alternate video angle posted on the website Mediaite shows the circulating narrative is an extreme exaggeration.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
Sen. Ted Cruz refused to answer whether he'd support GOP frontrunner as his party's nominee during a tense interview Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press, even as host Chuck Todd prodded nine times for Cruz to take a side.
Cruz did give an indication of his position when he said, "Trump's winning the nomination loses the country and I am not willing to give up on America."
His comment is another omen of trouble ahead for the GOP when it comes time rally behind a nominee.
RELATED: Divisive GOP presidential race ventures into unknown territory
This election cycle has sharply divided the Republican Party between followers of Trump, of Cruz, and those in the middle who are unsatisfied with their options, thanks largely to the candidates' sharp rhetoric against each other and against the party's so-called establishment.
RELATED: Odd fellows: Cruz becomes GOP establishment's best hope
A month ago, experts called it unprecedented in American political history when the Republican candidates unanimously declined to pledge their support to the party's eventual nominee. Cruz on Sunday significantly upped the rancor, telling Todd that nominating his rival would virtually be the end of America.
"We are headed to a contested convention and I'm going to win and I'm not willing to concede this country," Cruz said. "If we lose this we lose our country. We lose the Supreme Court for a generation. Religious liberty is taken away, the Second Amendment is taken away. Our kids are bankrupted. We are at the edge of a cliff."
RELATED: Ted Cruz: Trump may encourage riots at contested convention
The sharp splits in the Republican electorate have prompted anticipation of trouble at the party's convention in Cleveland in July. No matter the winner Trump, Cruz or a surprise a big voting bloc will become highly irate.
Whether this race goes to a contested convention depends largely on what happens Tuesday in Indiana, where Trump stands a chance to step within striking range of an outright win.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
An old anecdote says that President Lyndon Johnson once spread a rumor about a political opponent and said, "Of course it ain't true, but I want to make the son of a bitch deny it."
Such a sweet, twisted victory almost came for a collection of social media warriors who months ago began to allege that Sen. Ted Cruz is the Zodiac Killer a still-unknown serial murderer from California.
Cruz's wife Heidi addressed the allegations on Monday with Yahoo News, saying she was unphased by the internet rumor.
RELATED: No, Ted Cruz didn't ignore Carly Fiorina when she fell off the stage
Never mind that Cruz was born after most of the Zodiac murders happened; proponents of the meme "Ted Cruz is the Zodiac Killer" say that's not the point. It is admittedly absurd (and to be clear, not true).
"I helped spread the rumor because it was funny on its own," said Nate Lamagna, a comedian who encouraged Twitter users to Google the meme and force it into the most searched terms after a GOP debate in February. "But even funnier to think of the poor social media manager on the Cruz campaign seeing it pop up as a trend on Twitter and Google."
Since then it's become more than a meme. There are now dozens of variations of "Ted Cruz is the Zodiac Killer" t-shirts, and a Houston dive bar offers a bloody-looking cocktail by the same name. So, what the heck does it even mean?
RELATED: Killer cocktail named after Ted Cruz, sort of
"It's not really about believing whether he could secretly murder people, it's more about demonizing his character," said Julie Lozano, bartender and creator of the killer cocktail at Houston's Grand Prize bar in Montrose.
In other words, it's a wackier way of saying "Ted Cruz is Satan" (and actually former House Speaker John Boehner pretty much said exactly that on Friday).
Most propagators of the meme claim left-leaning inclinations, and decry Cruz's frequent calls for increased militarism and warfare, and what they see as his push for discrimination based on religion and gender.
During the White House Correspondents Dinner Saturday, comedian Larry Wilmore brought the meme to light with repeated reference.
RELATED: Republican John Boehner calls Ted Cruz 'Lucifer in the flesh'
"Recently, Ted Cruz got a string of wins and endorsements," Wilmore said in his standup act. "Then everybody remembered who Ted Cruz is the Zodiac Killer."
He next day, a reporter for Yahoo News asked Heidi Cruz about the rumors at a campaign stop in Carmel Indiana.
"It's amazing how a lot of people are swayed by it," she told Yahoo. "Well, I've been married to him for 15 years, and I know pretty well who he is, so it doesn't bother me at all. There's a lot of garbage out there."
RELATED: Ted Cruz: Donald Trump may encourage riots at contested GOP convention
In addition to getting several mentions in a nationally televised event Sunday and spawning a line of t-shirts, the meme has inspired a collection of social media groups, including one on Facebook with 27,000 members.
And it's been explored in articles by a handful of major publications.
Lamagna said, "In an election with so many candidates pumping so much money into advertising and media coverage, it is fun to control the dialogue on social media."
In spite of a week full of ambitious attention grabs, a new poll out of Indiana bodes poorly for the presidential campaign of Sen. Ted Cruz.
That state's Tuesday vote could push GOP frontrunner Donald Trump within striking distance of the 1,237-delegate threshold needed to clinch the nomination. For Cruz, keeping Trump from a sweeping Hoosier win seems crucial to his campaign's future in this race.
It will be a challenge, according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist poll released Sunday, which found Cruz trailing 15 points behind Trump in Indiana. It's the widest lead given to Trump by any major Indiana poll yet.
It comes even after a pair of unconventional Cruz campaign stunts last week sought to reclaim the spotlight from Trump in Indiana. On Wednesday Cruz announced former rival Carly Fiorina as his running mate in a move to divert media attention from Trumps five-state sweep the night before.
RELATED: Cruz taps fellow outsider Fiorina as running mate
Days before that, Cruz announced a surprising alliance with rival GOP candidate John Kasich, with a stated aim of blocking Trump. Under the accord, Kasich pulled his forces from Indiana, leaving Cruz to court all Hoosier republicans willing to take anyone but Trump. It may have backfired.
RELATED: Cruz defends anti-Trump pact with Kasich
Fifty-eight percent of respondents said they disapproved of that agreement, according to the new poll, while 34 percent approved.
That's according to responses from 645 likely Republican voters, and results have a 3.9 percent margin of error. The plentiful polls of this election cycle deserve healthy of skepticism. Most in Indiana, however, have given Trump a strong lead. Only one of seven state polls aggregated by Real Clear Politics gave Cruz a lead (by 16 points).
All together, the aggregator puts Trump ahead by nearly eight points.
A candidate can win all of Indiana's 57 delegates by winning a majority in the statewide vote and each of the nine congressional districts. If Trump does that, he'll need barely less than half of the remaining bound delegates in the race to clinch the nomination.
That seems like a plausible feat for Trump, especially with the nation's largest delegate cache looming in California, where Trump commands a strong lead in polls.
Cruz's only remaining hope in this race is forcing a contested convention, where Trump fails to cross the necessary 1,237-delegate threshold. In that case, the delegates would revote on the convention floor in Cleveland in July to pick a nominee. Experts say Cruz would have the upper hand in that scenario.
Either way, this race will draw out until the very end: the nation's last primary in its westernmost time zone. It's a picture perfect ending for what's already been an exceptional cycle.
John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images
Villagers in Indonesia were disappointed to learn that an "angel" that fell from the skies is actually a sex toy, a turn of events that many humans of a different mindset would not be disappointed by at all.
The tale begins in Bangaii, days after an auspicious solar eclipse appeared over the region. A 21-year-old fisherman was walking the beach when he spotted a beautiful, lonely angel on the sand. Naturally, he took her appearance as a sign from heaven and he gently bundled her up and took her home.
Another plane with evacuees from Kashechewan First Nation arrived in Thunder Bay on Sunday. Around eight flights were expected to arrive in the city from the remote First Nation community throughout the day. The evacuation was in anticipation of possible flooding in the community.
The television anchor told a heartwarming story of a disabled young man taken to his high school prom by 37 dates. It was a memorable day for he and his classmates, the anchor concluded.
Thats a common error that occurs in writing more than it does in speech. As we frequently say, pronouns can be difficult. As we did previously on this subject, we could go all grammar on you and talk about subject pronouns and object pronouns or the nominative, accusative, and objective case, but its easier to offer simple tests to let you see when youre using the right one.
In the above example, just eliminate his classmates and its clear what you would say: It was a memorable day for him. Even if you switch the word order, the pronoun doesnt change: It was a memorable day for his classmates and him.
That was easy, yes? Apply the same test when other people are involved: Lets say the young man is telling people about the prom. Would he say
a) Me and they had a great time.
Sign up for CJR 's daily email
b) Them and I had a great time.
c) I and they had a great time.
d) They and I had a great time.
e) Them and me had a great time.
f) Some combination of the above.
g) Something else.
(He could, of course, just avoid the issue by saying We had a great time, but what would be the fun in that?)
This is a trick question.
A grammarian or the test above will tell you that c) and d) are correct, because I had a great time and they had a great time are both correct. But language is affected by idioms. (Its also affected by idiots, but theyre not relevant here.) While I and they is technically correct, it doesnt sound right to most American ears. Me and them had a great time may not sound correct to others, which is why our usual advice when confronted with a difficult question of right or wrong is to avoid the problem entirely and rewrite the sentence.
Now, lets move our pronouns to the end of the sentence. I had a great time with they, seems obviously wrong. But what about I had a better time than they? Should it be I had a better time than them?
One school of thought says that, because the sentence is a comparison, it needs to be balanced with the verb on either side: I had a better time than (they/them) had. In that scenario, its obvious that he had a better time than they.
But those idioms moved in again, and, as weve dropped the verb at the end of the sentence, the pronoun has started to change as well. Its nearly as common to see or hear I had a better time than them as to hear I had a better time than they. If you can stand the grammar, one English language and usage site has examined this change and concluded: Both forms are standard, so my advice to a writer choosing between these forms is to consider that the traditionally correct form is unimpeachably correct but a bit formal. Choose the form that best matches [the] tone and formality level of your writing.
That writer said it better than us/we did/can.
Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today
Merrill Perlman managed copy desks across the newsroom at the New York Times, where she worked for twenty-five years. Follow her on Twitter at @meperl.
Over a 40-year career at The Miami Herald, Tim Chapman covered more than 50 hurricanes, rolled up on thousands of crime scenes and parachuted, figuratively speaking, into wars and coups around the regionthough those who know him wouldnt be surprised if he jumped out of a plane to get a photo. His images recorded the best and the very worst of Miami, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Now retired, Chapman has donated more than 750,000 photos and negativeshis entire archiveto the HistoryMiami museum, which has launched an exhibit, Newsman: The photojournalism of Tim Chapman. More than 300 people attended the sold-out opening on April 15.
After attending the show myself, I spoke with Chapman, an old friend and former colleague, about the tales behind the pictures. He may be retired, but he hasnt mellowedhes still cantankerous, and he still loves a good story.
Below is an edited excerpt of our conversation, which was less an interview and more just Chapman telling stories. Note: the post contains graphic images and some salty language.
*****
Chapman: I always felt it was historically important to save every image because it represented everythingthe history of myself, the history of our town, the history of photography in that period of time, and the region. Its all Ive ever done.
Im gonna light a cigar here.
Sign up for weekly emails from the United States Project
CJR: Ok. Go ahead.
[After a brief pause.] The whole point of the exhibit was recording the history of everything I covered. Nicaragua for 11 years, Salvador for 10, Colombia. Miami street violence. Miami is the best news town, no doubt.
I was the Everglades guy and the news guy. One section of the exhibit is Everglades. Thats something I did my whole life, trying to show people why they should save it.
The maze of Shark River winds through the largest mangrove forest in the northern hemisphere in Everglades National Park. Photo by Tim Chapman
It was amazing to see all of the stories youve covered. The mass suicide images from Jonestown, Guyana, were horrible. Tell me a little bit about going down there.
I was always ready to go. I always kept a couple thousand dollars and visa photos in my locker. That day, I came in around four oclock in the morning to work on some prints or something. I walked out into the newsroom and they had this wire machine kicking out stuff and all of the sudden it said reports of shootings and possibly several hundred people dead and maybe a congressman. I said, Jesus whats going on there? It kept going.
I got my money and a couple editors came in and I said look, Im going. What was fantastic is there were decision-makers at that time. They said, get there any way you can.
The Guyanese military was there and they had some Hueys, American choppers. I talked my way on. When we landed, the military wouldnt even walk in. There were hundreds and hundreds of bodies. You could smell it from the helicopter a few hundred feet up. In 80, 90 degree heat, they started decomposing rapidly. Youve smelled bodies. Theres nothing like it.
I just kept shooting. I realized I had to shoot as much of it as I could. We only had an hour and a half because we had to get back before dark. I knew I had to record it because nobody would believe it. If you didnt photograph that, who would believe it?
A photographer records victims of the Jonestown Massacre in the jungles of Guyana, November
1978. Photo by Tim Chapman
After covering that, hell it was easy. Nothing ever shocked me ever again.
The Herald was bold enough to run it. I wanted people to get up in the morning and look at the front page of the Herald and see what they needed to see. Not what they wanted to see. I fought that battle a lot.
At the exhibit, I read that at some point you decided to stop going to Haiti. What happened?
I first went to Haiti in 79. I saw quite a bit, the despair, the basic rape of the island. I went back many times. I covered coups, counter-coups. I really always loved Haitians and Haiti. I always felt a real bond with them. They had been under the thumb of Duvalier and the tyranny of that. Then they had hope. I went down there during the [1994 U.S.] invasion and there was all this hope again. Aristide was put back in power, taking out the military regime. And yet again, I had hope, just like the Haitians did. Immediately after, there was so much corruption. One of the aid busses that the doctors had raised money for, they got strong-armed for bribe money to bring it into the country.
Haitians celebrate following a U.S.-led invasion in 1994 to reinstate President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Photo by Tim Chapman
I always had a mission. My mission was not for adventure. My mission was to help change the world. But all the photos I took [in Haiti] started to repeat themselves. Those photos you see, I could have shot them in 79, or 80, or 82 or 83, 90, 94. And they didnt make a difference. I had to make a decisionIm not going back to Haiti ever again unless its to rescue somebody whos kidnapped, you know a friend of mine. I felt that way after a while in some parts of the Middle East because of the religious zealots. I was enchanted with the Middle East. I made the decision to cover things I felt I had a slim chance of helping change. There are many things where I dont know if photography makes a difference.
You covered a lot of crime in Miami, a lot of crime scenes, a lot of kids killed. Did you ever feel like anything changed or got better?
I actually think we made a difference in the Cocaine Cowboy years. I photographed, I think, like 300 bodies one of those years. I actually do believe that us showing this incredible violence that had come to us because people like to snort lines of cokewe showed society, hey, theres a cost. I do believe that our coverage, people finally said, you know this is crazy. I do believe that Miami over a period of time changed that. I do believe we made a difference.
A man was shot and killed and stuffed in the trunk of a car that was left in an apartment building parking lot, one of the many victims of violence during Miamis cocaine cowboys era. Photo by Tim Chapman
The scanner is the heart of the city. The best way to get out of a shitty assignment was to say Hey, you want me to go get that mug shot, or do you want me to shoot this quadruple murder in Medley? I got out of half the shitty assignments because I found better news.
Tell me about the iguanas falling out of the trees when it got cold.
I dictated a story to Casey Frank, a great editor at the Herald. In that one I got a quote from a ranger who said, Iguanas are falling from the sky like rain. And Casey said what? I handed him the phone and said, tell him what you just told me. Casey made sure. It was just too perfect, the quote.
Because he doubted me, I took one of the comatose iguanas and put him in my camera bag and I took him in and put it on his desk. It was barely blinking its eye. And I said, dont ever doubt me again. It got near the computer and started warming up.
You always had a thing for reptiles.
I used to supplement my income by catching rattlesnakes and selling them to a scientist for $3 a foot. One day, I was running late to work. I had a duffel bag with three of them in it. After work, I got down to my jeep and somebody had taken a box of bolts out of my jeep. They were scattered around.
Then I found the duffel bag. They had dropped it after checking out what was inside. They were only pygmy rattlers. Theyll bite you, but your hand will just swell upit hurts, but they wont kill you. Luckily, when they dropped the duffel, the flap fell back over it. The snakes were comfortable enough. I counted. All three were still in there.
Nobody ever broke into my fucking jeep again. Better than a goddamn alarm. But I almost released rattlesnakes in front of the Herald building. I didnt tell anybody about that for years.
Tim Chapman in his M-38 Willys 1951 Military Jeep in the Everglades, photographed in 1972 catching live rattlesnakes to earn extra money while he worked part-time in the Herald photo lab. Chapmans first photo in the Herald was of an Everglades fire he shot on one of his snake hunts.
Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today
Susannah Nesmith is CJRs correspondent for Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. She is a freelance writer based in Miami with more than 25 years working for regional and national outlets. Follow her on Twitter @susannahnesmith.
Kids In Danger (KID), Consumer Federation of America (CFA), Consumers Union and the National Center for Health Research called on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to secure a formal recall of IKEA furniture responsible for the deaths of three toddlers in tip-over incidents.
In a letter to CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye, the groups urged the safety agency to take strong, immediate action to better protect children from the tip-over hazard of certain IKEA Malm dressers. Just last week, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported the February death of a 22-month-old boy in Apple Valley, Minnesota, who died when the Malm dresser in his room tipped over on him.
This is the third confirmed tip-over death from IKEA Malm dressers. In July 2015, the CPSC and IKEA announced two deaths from tipping dressers, and launched a repair and education campaign for the products, but did not issue a recall. In the letter sent today, the safety advocacy groups urged a formal recall, including a stop-sale of unsafe products and refunds for consumers who would like them.
To learn that a tipping IKEA Malm dresser killed yet another child, when the company and the CPSC chose not to do a recall after the first two deaths, is beyond heartbreaking it is unacceptable, wrote the groups.
The July 2015 announcement by CPSC and IKEA also did not inform consumers that the IKEA dresser in question fails to meet a voluntary safety standard agreed to by the furniture industry, ASTM F2057-14. While the voluntary standard is considered by many to be weak, it does require testing to ensure each drawer is able to withstand a 50-pound weight, while open, without the dresser tipping over. At less than 2 years old, it is unlikely the child in the most recent death weighed more than 50 pounds. Had the dresser complied with industry standards, he may have survived.
We urge the CPSC to take further action and deem this compliance action a recall, the groups added. We recommend a stop sale of the type of furniture that was involved in deaths and that does not meet the ASTM standard, as well as refunds for consumers who want them. For those who want to anchor the furniture, IKEA should develop a program to provide an incentive for consumers to anchor their furniture.
Source: Kids In Danger, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union and the National Center for Health Research
The upcoming wildfire season across the U.S. isnt expected to be as bad as last years infernos, when a record 15,800 square miles burned, the nations top wildland firefighting official said Wednesday.
But parts of the nation should expect a rough season after a warm, dry winter or because of long-term drought, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said.
Southern California, other parts of the Southwest, Alaska and Montana are all vulnerable, he said.
So where we anticipate the severity of the fire season will not be at the same level as last year, we still expect to have some areas that will be really active, Tidwell said.
Tidwell discussed the fire outlook with The Associated Press four days before the federal government issues its wildfire outlook for the summer season. He was in Denver for a conference on forest health.
California is vulnerable because much of the state remains in a drought, despite an El Nino weather system that brought near-average snowfall to its northern mountains. Wildfires have already broken out in Alaska after a warm winter with below-average precipitation.
Slightly more than half the land scorched by wildfires last year was in Alaska, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, which coordinates firefighting nationwide. Washington and Oregon accounted for 18 percent.
The Forest Service, the nations primary firefighting agency, spent a record $1.72 billion on firefighting last year.
The overall bill for wildfires, including prevention programs and the cost of putting crews, equipment and aircraft on fire lines, is consuming a growing share of the Forest Service budget. That has forced cuts in forestry research, campground and trail maintenance and other areas, Tidwell said.
The Obama administration has been pressing Congress to pay the cost of fighting the worst fires from natural disaster funds, rather than the Forest Service budget. Tidwell said the largest 1 or 2 percent of wildfires account for about 30 percent of the costs.
Congress has not agreed to the change, but it did approve an additional $520 million for fighting fires this season, Tidwell said.
He said climate change is making wildfires worse, heating up the air, drying out forests and extending the wildfire season by an average of 78 days since 1998. A growing number of homes at the forests edge, which firefighters call the wildland-urban interface, also drives up costs by forcing managers to concentrate crews and equipment to protect communities, he said.
Tidwell said state and federal agencies need to thin those forests to a more natural state to prevent fires and make them easier to fight. Researchers say decades of over-aggressive firefighting have left forests dense with living and dead trees and more prone to deadly mega-fires.
With a chuckle and a smile, Tidwell defended Smokey Bear, his agencys memorable mascot, from allegations of making things worse by portraying fire as evil instead of part of the natural cycle that kept forests healthy. Smokeys original message, Only you can prevent forest fires, has been updated to Only you can prevent wildfires.
Really, Smokey was just talking about those human-caused fires which actually occur at the wrong time of the year, not where the natural fire occurs, Tidwell said. Those are the fires that the Forest Service still wants to stop, he said.
Smokey Bear gets no blame for the situation we have today, he said.
Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
After a contentious and bumpy process that saw Floridas top Republican officials deadlock several times, the state has a new insurance commissioner just weeks before the start of hurricane season.
During an emergency meeting on Friday, Gov. Rick Scott and the three members of the Florida Cabinet voted to elevate Deputy Commissioner David Altmaier to the top post. Altmaier, 34, will be paid $165,000 a year $50,000 over his current salary.
Scott and the Cabinet agreed on Altmaier only after Scott refused to support two other names initially suggested by Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater. The governor and the three members of the Cabinet must vote on the position, but an arcane state law allows Scott and Atwater to individually veto the choice.
Altmaier, a former Kentucky math teacher who started out as an insurance examiner with the state in 2008 and quickly rose through the ranks, will succeed current commissioner Kevin McCarty.
Atwater heaped praise on Altmaier even though he wasnt his initial pick for the job, saying that he displayed a good knowledge of Floridas complex insurance market.
This guy is impressive, Atwater said. I think people can rest comfortably there is a real talent here.
The job of insurance commissioner in Florida is crucial because the person regulates an important industry in a hurricane-prone state. Hurricane season starts on June 1. The selection of a new commissioner triggered a furious behind-the-scenes lobbying effort among those aligned with various parts of the industry.
McCarty had been on the job for 13 years, including a time when the homeowners insurance market nearly collapsed following a two-year period when the state was hit with eight storms.
Right after being re-elected in 2014 Scott said he wanted to replace McCarty, but Atwater didnt support the move at the time. McCarty announced back in January that he would resign May 2. At the urging of Atwater, he will help Altmaier over the next 60 days.
Both Scott and Atwater had offered up rival candidates in two previous meetings, but were unable to reach an agreement.
Altmaier, who oversaw the state office that deals primarily with property insurance, emerged as a possible compromise candidate for the job in the last week. Altmaier once taught algebra and geometry before he moved to Florida. He worked briefly in an insurance agents office before taking his first position with the Office of Insurance Regulation. Voter records show that he is a registered independent. He changed his party affiliation from Democrat in March of this year.
Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Marcus Turner
Marcus Turner, left, with attorney Don Hicks, was found guilty of murder on Monday.
(Adam Ferrise, cleveland.com)
AKRON, Ohio -- An Akron man was found guilty Monday in a 2013 revenge slaying.
The jury of nine women and three men found Marcus Turner, 39, guilty of murder and felonious assault in the Sept. 12, 2013 shooting of Amandeep Singh.
Retired Visiting Judge H.F. Inderlied Jr. sentenced Turner to life in prison with parole eligibility in 18 years.
"I know it was a bad situation and someone lost their life," Turner said. "I don't know what to say."
The jury deliberated about seven hours on Friday and returned their verdicts after another five hours on Monday.
A different jury in 2013 deadlocked on the murder and felonious assault charges and prosecutors elected to try the case again. That jury found Turner not guilty of aggravated murder and guilty of possessing a weapon as a felon in the 21-year-old's death. He was sentenced to three years in prison for the gun conviction.
Prosecutors said Turner came home from his job at Summit Plastics the day before the shooting and noticed that someone broke into his apartment.
A television, Nintendo Wii video game system and a computer were stolen. Turner reported the break-in to police and named Singh and another man, Carlton Smith, 30, as the people he thought robbed him.
Turner's neighbor told him that she saw Smith and Singh leave his apartment with grocery bags earlier in the day.
Turner got angry that Smith and Singh weren't immediately arrested. Neither were charged in the burglary.
Turner went over to Smith's apartment later that day with a gun. Nothing happened because Smith refused to go outside.
Smith and Singh walked out of Smith's apartment about 10:45 p.m. to buy cigarettes. Smith told police he saw Turner lurking around a corner with a gun and heard gunshots as he ran back to his apartment.
Turner fired several gunshots at Singh, police said. One hit him in the buttocks. A second bullet went through the left side of his lower back and out his right thigh, severing a major artery.
Singh was taken to a hospital where he died about an hour later. Prosecutors said cellphone records placed Turner at the scene. Smith also testified in the trial about seeing Turner with a gun shortly before Singh was shot and killed.
Defense attorney Don Hicks argued that Smith was a career criminal who testified in exchange for a shortened prison sentence.
If you want to comment on this story, please go to our crime and courts comments section.
Jerry Jefferson
Jerry Jefferson, left, with attorney Ed Smith.
(Adam Ferrise, cleveland.com)
AKRON, Ohio -- An Akron man admitted Monday to being part of the Hazel Block street gang, the second time a member of that gang has been convicted in the last two months.
Jerry Jefferson, 20, pleaded guilty to participating in a criminal gang and possessing a weapon as a felon. Summit County Common Pleas Judge Tammy O'Brien sentenced him to three years in prison.
Assistant Summit County Prosecutor Kevin Mayer said he will not oppose judicial release in six months. Jefferson declined to say anything before the sentence except to make sure the deal included a possibility he could be released from prison early.
Akron police officers and Summit County Sheriff deputies on Nov. 2 arrested Jefferson on East Glenwood and Oxford avenues.
Officers reported knowing that Jefferson had a warrant out for his arrest stemming from a probation violation in a March 2015 burglary conviction.
Jefferson noticed the officers and ran. Officers caught up with him down the road and took him into custody. Jefferson had a loaded handgun tucked in his waistband. He later admitted to police that the gun belonged to him.
Jefferson was sentenced in March to two years on probation for a May 2014 burglary. Jefferson and two others broke into a home in the 600 block of Upson Street while the homeowner was in Florida.
They stole two televisions, three window air-conditioning units, a microwave, laptop computer, stereo system and a tan pit bull.
Two other accused Hazel Block gang members have been charged recently.
Roy Hill, 21, is scheduled for trial May 19 on several charges, including being part of the street gang.
Hill is in photos with other gang members flashing gang signs and wearing "gang attire," police said. Hill also has a tattoo on his chest that says "Hazel Block," according to court records.
Hill is also charged with felonious assault in connection with the Dec. 3 shooting of a 44-year-old man in the leg and hand as they argued in the 100 block of South Portage Path.
Another gang member, Trevonte Mitchell, was arrested in October and eventually pleaded guilty to being part of the gang. He was sentenced to two years in prison.
If you want to comment on this story, please go to our crime and courts comments section.
Akron double murder
An Akron mother and her son were fatally shot in this home. The woman's 9-year-old daughter was in the house and unharmed.
(Adam Ferrise, cleveland.com)
AKRON, Ohio -- Sonia Freeman was a devoted mother who sang in the church choir.
Her 28-year-old son Christopher Lane-Freeman took care of his 9-year-old sister and worked in the maintenance department at the Akron Art Museum since 2011, his father John Freeman said.
The mother and son were fatally shot about 10 p.m. Sunday inside their home in the 1200 block of Hartford Avenue. No arrests have been made and Akron police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Police said they have no motive for the shooting.
"They were both really great people," John Freeman said in a phone interview from Atlanta. "She was devoted to her church. She was an outstanding mom. This is just unbelievable."
Freeman said his son was quiet and mostly kept to himself. Neighbors said he took care of his sister and drove her to school every morning.
Sonia Freeman, 48, worked with people with mental illnesses at Community Support Services for more than 15 years, Freeman said.
Other family members contacted Monday said they were too upset to speak about their loved ones. Family and friends made a makeshift memorial on the front steps with balloons and stuffed animals.
Akron police said the 9-year-old girl was at the home at the time of the shooting. She called 911 and reported that her brother had been shot dead and her mother was shot in the chest but was still alive.
Akron police found Sonia Freeman near the staircase on the first floor of the home. Sonia Freeman told police three men entered her home and shot at her and her son. The three gunmen then ran from the home, the girl told 911 dispatchers.
Sonia Freeman can be heard in the background giving information to her daughter to relay to the dispatchers.
"My mom got shot 12 times and my brother got shot," the girl told dispatchers. "They're hurt. My mother is laying on the floor and can't get up...My brother's dead."
Sonia Freeman was taken to Akron General Medical Center, where she died of a gunshot wound to her chest.
Lane-Freeman was found dead in his upstairs bedroom with multiple gunshot wounds to his chest and stomach, police said. Their deaths were ruled homicides.
The 9-year-old girl was unharmed.
One neighbor, who said she didn't want to be identified, said the girl was a third-grader and often played in the neighborhood with other kids. She's now in the care of other family members.
Several neighbors said Freeman was known to attend New Trinity Baptist Church every Sunday.
"They were real quiet and kept to themselves for the most part," neighbor Marcus Cooper said. "They would throw their hand up and wave when they saw us, but that was about it. There were never any problems over there that we knew of."
If you want to comment on this story, please go to our crime and courts comments section.
If you want to cut college costs and limit student loan debt, then the old adage is true "time is money." The sticker price for a four-year college degree can easily tip into six figures; for the 2015-16 academic year, the College Board estimated the cost to attend at almost $44,000 for a private nonprofit institution and about $20,000 for a public one, including tuition, fees and room and board. But many students don't graduate on time, a trend that pushes up the price of that degree. "For a four-year institution, most of the students are not graduating in four years," said Jeffrey Selingo, author of "There Is Life After College." Among students who started at a four-year private nonprofit college in 2007 (the latest data available), just 52.8 percent graduated within four years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. At public four-year colleges, 33.5 percent got their four-year degree on time, and at for-profit four-year colleges, 22.5 percent did. By the six-year mark, 59.4 percent of students had graduated, including 65.3 percent of those attending a private nonprofit college, 57.7 percent of those at a public college and 31.9 percent of those at a for-profit college.
Speeding up the timeline to graduate early or at the very least, on time can reduce the tab considerably. "How easy is it to do today? It's not particularly easy," said Paul Weinstein, director of Johns Hopkins University's graduate program in public management, who has studied the potential savings of shifting to a three-year degree system. While some colleges have accelerated programs (more on that below), most students looking to graduate sooner than usual are in the position of trying to compress four years of requirements into three. "You're talking about the very top-notch students who are able to do that," he said. "At first, it was a money play," said Elizabeth Schirmer Shores, 31, who fulfilled undergraduate requirements for a double major in marketing and international business from Villanova University in three years, thanks to a combination of credits earned in high school and extra classes taken in college. (Shores stayed for a fourth year to walk with her class, but her bill was limited to just one course. She spent the rest of her time in internships.)
Elizabeth Schirmer Shores Source: Brandi Beaty
Later, Shores who is currently on sabbatical from her role as vice president of sales and marketing for Sweetwater Energy, serving as executive director for nonprofit Untapped Shores International shaved six months off her MBA through the University of Rochester. The program was supposed to take 3.5 years, but she sped through by taking two extra online classes through Harvard University Extension School. "College classes can rise up to $4,000 per class," she said. "It adds up to maybe tens of thousands of dollars saved."
Here's how to quickly get that degree:
Score on exams. AP classes as well as the College-Level Examination Program and DSST exams allow students to obtain college credits without taking college courses. "I've seen cases where students have been able to waive an entire freshman year by doing well on these placement tests," said David Levy, editor of Edvisors.com. Exam costs are cheaper than college courses. Each AP exam costs $92 ($62 for low-income students), for example, but state and school rebates may cover some or all of the cost.
Before you bank on this strategy, however, make sure your college of choice will accept such credits, said Weinstein. Many have tightened requirements to accept only top scores, or nixed using them at all, he said. For example, Dartmouth College no longer accepts AP scores toward graduation requirements, only using them to determine course placement. Start college classes early. Check to see if any local colleges offer early access for high school students, either in addition to their regular high school course load or through concurrent enrollment programs where a student earns both high school and college course credit. As a high school student, Shores was able to take two free college classes for credit through the University of Rochester, netting an extra six credits. At Marlboro College, high school juniors or seniors can take one free class and Vermont residents can take up to two others without cost through its dual enrollment program. (Subsequent classes are offered at a discount.) The Community College of Baltimore County lets eligible high school students take up to four classes tuition free; other programs allow for parallel enrollment and dual credit. Colleges don't always accept transfer credits, however, said Weinstein. Try to get a sense of the transfer requirements at the colleges where you plan to apply.
Consider accelerated programs. When deciding among Colleges A, B and C, factor in whether there are accelerated programs. Syracuse University, for example, offers a "3+3" program through its Whitman School of Management and College of Law for students who want to pursue both an undergraduate and law degree at a faster pace. Purdue University's Brian Lamb School of Communication has three-year plans of study in five majors, with estimated savings of $9,290 compared with a four-year degree for in-state residents and $18,692 for nonresidents.
Check for competency-based programs. "[These programs] set out a series of skills you need to have for a degree and learning outcomes and tests you on those outcomes," Selingo said. That can help accelerate a degree if you're coming to college with work or military experience, he said. At Western Governor's University, which offers a competency-based program, the average student graduates with a bachelor's degree in less than three years and spends roughly $18,000 on his degree.
Not all competency-based programs are created equal, Selingo said. Assess the college's reputation and program requirements before diving in.
Develop a game plan. Map out a path to graduation, figuring out which prerequisites and required class you need to take when, Levy said. Missing out on a class that's only offered once a year could add a semester or more to your graduation timeline. (If a class is full, ask the professor or dean's office for an override.) Creating a plan can also help you find overlap can one class do double-duty for your major, as well as a general college requirement?
"The best thing a student can do is check with his or her advisor to make sure they're on track," Levy said. Ask the college for a review of your requirements well ahead of graduation to make sure you won't come up short. Overload. "Most students take the minimum course load to be a full-time student," said Levy. Usually, that's 12 credits. But many colleges allow students to take 15 or 18 credits before incurring additional charges, he said. Provided you can handle the work, those extra free classes could eliminate a semester or more. Branch out. Don't limit yourself to classes during the regular semester and at your own college. Summer and winter intercession classes (at your own college or elsewhere) are often cheaper per credit. Purdue's accelerated programs, for example, estimate the cost of a summer on campus, including tuition, room and board, at $5,501 roughly half the cost to attend for a single regular semester.
Firefighters are battling a huge fire at a historic church in New York City.
Authorities say no serious juries have been reported in the blaze that broke out early Sunday evening at the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava in Manhattan.
Parts of the roof collapsed and smoke billowed from the Gothic Revival style building.
The fire broke out on the same day Orthodox Christians around the world celebrated Easter. The church website listed services that morning and an Easter luncheon at 1 p.m.
A church priest, Father Djokan Majstorovic, says he felt like he was "in a nightmare" as he tried to get to the fire scene that was blocked off by firefighters.
The church was built in the early 1850s and was designated a city landmark in 1968.
Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.
watch now
The world's biggest sovereign wealth fund is launching a crackdown on executive pay, targeting high salaries at companies around the globe in an attempt to exert its influence in a debate that has been gathering pace in recent months.
Norway's $870bn oil fund, which has previously refused to interfere in how much chief executives are paid, has decided that its position is untenable and is looking for a first company to target publicly on pay in the coming months. The move is significant for almost every listed company in the world as Norway's oil fund owns on average 1.3 per cent of each one. The decision comes as executive pay faces increased scrutiny from shareholders, with British companies in particular facing renewed anger from investors over excessive wages.
Weir Group investors last week defeated management pay plans at the UK engineering company with a 72 per cent majority in the biggest protest against executive pay since binding UK votes were introduced.
"We have so far looked at this in a way that has focused on pay structures rather than pay levels. We think, due to the way the issue of executive remuneration has developed, that we will have to look at what an appropriate level of executive remuneration is as well," Yngve Slyngstad, chief executive of the fund, told the Financial Times. The fund has been making a big push to be more active in corporate governance matters such as election of directors and board composition. But it has previously shied away from taking a view on executive pay, due to concerns that its actions would be perceived as being influenced by Scandinavian pay conditions. Executives in the region are paid much less than in the UK or US and the gap between the highest and lowest paid in companies is far smaller. Last month the fund voted in favour of BP chief executive Bob Dudley's pay rise, despite an overwhelming majority of other investors voting against his 20 per cent increase after it made its worst ever financial loss.
watch now
Puerto Rico will miss a major debt payment due to creditors Monday, registering the largest default to date for the fiscally struggling U.S. territory.
Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla announced on Sunday the "very difficult decision" to declare a moratorium on the $389 million debt service payment due to bondholders of the island's Government Development Bank, which acts as the island's primary fiscal agent and lender of last resort.
"We would have preferred to have had a legal framework to restructure our debts in an orderly manner," Garcia Padilla said in a televised address in Spanish. "But faced with the inability to meet the demands of our creditors and the needs of our people, I had to make a choice. I decided that essential services for the 3.5 million American citizens in Puerto Rico came first."
This will not be the first default for Puerto Rico. According to Moody's Investors Services, the government has failed to make about $143 million in debt obligation payments since its historic default in August on subject-to-appropriation bonds issued by the Public Finance Corporation.
Atlantic City decided to make its $1.8 million bond payment Monday to avoid default, Mayor Don Guardian said.
The resort has struggled as casinos have closed, taking jobs with them and leaving the city with a widening deficit. The state of New Jersey has cast doubt on the city's abilities to make payments like school district remittances.
"Financially, we're running on fumes," Guardian said. "Massive inherited legacy debt from years of bad decisions on all levels by government, ... we really are teetering on the edge."
The $1.8 million payment was due Monday. Asked whether the city rummaged through "the couch cushions" to come up with the money, the mayor said yes.
The risk of artificial intelligence software becoming super smart is "way out in the future," Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates told CNBC Monday.
In the next 10 to 20 years, AI is going to be "extremely helpful" in managing our lives, Gates said in a "Squawk Box" interview.
Instead of being glued to your computer or smartphone all day trying to keep up with emails, texts and all the other information flooding in, Gates said what he called "alter-ego software" is going to shoulder that burden.
"It will look at all the new information and present to you, knowing about your interests, what would be most valuable," he predicted, saying Microsoft along with the Google unit Alphabet , Facebook and Apple are making great strides in artificial intelligence.
"What we're [also] seeing is, for the first time, computers can see as well as humans. If you combine that with arm-like manipulation, then they could make us far more productive," Gates said, but acknowledged the job market will need to adjust to more machines doing rote work.
Gates, a Berkshire Hathaway board member, appeared on "Squawk Box" Monday from Omaha, Nebraska, with Berkshire Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett, who hosted the company's annual shareholders meeting on Saturday.
He's absolutely sure beyond a reasonable doubt even if few others are.
At the Consensus 2016 event in midtown Manhattan on Monday, surrounded by longtime bitcoin believers, speculative investors and many in between, early bitcoin developer Gavin Andresen stood on stage and declared that he was confident he knew who had created the powerful technology.
That is, Andresen the chief scientist for the Bitcoin Foundation and a longtime member of the cryptocurrency's primary development community said he was not troubled by the outcry of criticism that had erupted since multiple media outlets reported an Australian entrepreneur's claims that he was the notoriously secretive Satoshi Nakamoto.
"I still believe that Craig Wright is, beyond a reasonable doubt, Satoshi Nakamoto," Andresen said Monday during a panel at the conference an event focused on bitcoin and distributed ledger technology adding that his recent blog post to that effect was not the result of a hacking as some had claimed.
And Andresen's opinion is hard to discount: He was the core developer of bitcoin's code for many of its early years. In fact, he's been deemed "the man who really built bitcoin," for his work after Nakamoto apparently put him in charge.
But at that Monday panel, only a few hours after Andresen had told the world he was confident Wright was the technology's true creator, others were pushing back.
"I think he's not Satoshi," Vitalik Buterin, the founder of bitcoin competitor (or compliment, depending on who you ask) Ethereum, said as Andresen wrapped up echoing a sentiment expressed by many others at the event.
Tweet
A rail-thin 20-something in a t-shirt among Monday's Wall Street-heavy crowd, Buterin pitched the Nakamoto question as a simple matter of game theory: The true bitcoin creator could have chosen a clear and obvious way to show his identity, or he could have conducted a convoluted and trust-requiring proof.
"Instead he's taken this path where he wrote this big long blog post with 200 lines that are so confusing ... and tries to only show that signature to a few select people and we're supposed to trust them," Buterin said. "In general, signalling theory says that if you have a good way of proving something and a noisy way of proving something, and you choose the noisy way, that means chances are it's because you couldn't do the good way in the first place."
Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright says he's the inventor of the digital currency bitcoin .
Wright told the BBC that he is Satoshi Nakamoto, the shadowy creator of the cryptocurrency, in a move that could end the years-long search for the inventor. In a follow-up blog post on Monday, Wright thanked everyone who helped out in bitcoin's beginnings.
"I have been staring at my screen for hours, but I cannot summon the words to express the depth of my gratitude to those that have supported the bitcoin project from its inception too many names to list. You have dedicated vast swathes of your time, committed your gifts, sacrificed relationships and REM sleep for years to an open source project that could have come to nothing. And yet still you fought. This incredible community's passion and intellect and perseverance has taken my small contribution and nurtured it, enhanced it, breathed life into it. You have given the world a great gift. Thank you," Wright wrote.
"Be assured, just as you have worked, I have not been idle during these many years. Since those early days, after distancing myself from the public persona that was Satoshi, I have poured every measure of myself into research. I have been silent, but I have not been absent. I have been engaged with an exceptional group and look forward to sharing our remarkable work when they are ready."
To prove his claim, Wright digitally signed a message using the cryptographic keys that were associated with the creator and was backed up by experts.
"These are the blocks used to send 10 bitcoins to Hal Finney in January [2009] as the first bitcoin transaction," Wright told the BBC.
Wright said Finney helped turn his vision of bitcoin into reality.
watch now
watch now
watch now
watch now
Wall Street and Congress are, in part, to blame for Puerto Rico's debt crisis, the president and CEO of the National Puerto Rican Coalition said Monday. The island was set to default on a $389 million debt payment to bondholders Monday. "Let's be real here, Puerto Rico is in an economic, unstable situation in its relationship with the United States. And that is Congress, how Congress decided to build this relationship with Puerto Rico," Rafael Fantauzzi said in an interview with CNBC's "Power Lunch."
A barman serves a customer as Alejandro Garcia Padilla, governor of Puerto Rico, is seen giving a speech on a television screen in a bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Erika P. Rodriguez | Bloomberg | Getty Images
He also pointed to hedge funds that own Puerto Rican debt, noting that some of them also own Argentinian debt. "Guess what they waited 10 years and they got their pay off. But Puerto Rico is a very, very, very different situation." However, municipal bond investor Hector Negroni, co-CEO of Fundamental Credit Opportunities, called blaming creditors for Puerto Rico's situation "a little appalling." "Our entire marketplace rests upon the rule of law and faith in governments to perform, to live within their means and to make amends to creditors when they fall short," he told "Power Lunch."
Baidu shares closed down almost 8 percent Monday after Chinese news outlet Sina reported the company's CEO, Robin Li, would be summoned by Chinese authorities over the death of a student.
China's Internet regulator said on Monday it would send an investigation team to Chinese search leader Baidu over the death of a university student, who had used the search engine to look for treatment for his cancer.
Wei Zexi, 21, died last month of a rare form of cancer.
He had turned to Baidu to look online for the best place for treatment, finding a department under the Second Hospital of Beijing Armed Police Corps that offered an experimental form of treatment that ultimately failed, according to state media.
Before dying, Wei had posted criticism online accusing Baidu of promoting false medical information, as well as the hospital for misleading advertising in claiming a high success rate for the experimental treatment, state radio said.
To mark the fifth anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden, the CIA Monday "live tweeted" the special forces raid on the al-Qaeda leader's compound in Pakistan in a move that was slammed on social media as "inappropriate" and "distasteful".
Bin Laden, a key leader of al-Qaida, had been identified as the al-Qeada leader behind the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S. and was finally tracked down in May 2011 when U.S. military raided a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan and killed Bin Laden. His body was buried at sea.
"Death of Usama Bin Ladin marked significant victory in US-led campaign to disrupt, dismantle, & defeat al-Qa`ida. #UBLRaid," the CIA wrote on Twitter before commencing a to-the-minute live-tweeting session of the mission.
Here are a few examples:
TWEET
TWEET
TWEET
TWEET
Unsurprisingly the internet didn't react well with many denouncing the stunt as poor taste.
TWEET
TWEET
Others wondered when it would live-tweet other historic events.
TWEET
And some questioned the agency's public relations strategy.
TWEET
TWEET
TWEET
A CIA spokesperson defended the live-tweeting.
"The takedown of bin Laden stands as one of the great intelligence successes of all time. History has been a key element of CIA's social media efforts," CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani told ABC News.
"On the fifth anniversary, it is appropriate to remember the day and honor all those who had a hand in this achievement."
He added that the CIA has done a similar exercise to mark other events, including the Glomar operation, Argo, U-2 shootdown, and the evacuation of Saigon.
When Baker Hughes and Halliburton called off their merger, CNBC's Jim Cramer wasn't surprised, saying the decision to pursue the deal was based on advice that was "so stupid it really is rather extraordinary."
The two oilfield services companies ditched their $28 billion merger after antitrust concerns surfaced from a regulatory lawsuit. Haliburton will pay a $3.5 billion breakup fee for the axed merger, according to Reuters.
The companies had expected the merger to result in "compelling benefits" as the U.S. oil industry battles with historically low prices amid oversupply, according to a statement.
"Today's outcome is disappointing because of our strong belief in the vast potential of the business combination to deliver benefits for shareholders, customers and both companies' employees," Martin Craighead, Baker Hughes' CEO, said in the statement.
watch now
Donald Trump has taken his rhetoric about China to a new level, accusing the country of "raping" the U.S. China's trade policy has been a frequent target of the Republican front-runner. In the past, Trump claimed the country's currency devaluation would "suck the blood out" of America.
As a singularly unloved candidate, Clinton has known from the outset that her only path to the presidency involved convincing voters whose passions lie elsewhere of her acceptability. Her long record in the public eye, and her willingness to shift positions with the political winds, has given almost everyone looking for a straw to clutch some reason to hope that their favorite Hillary persona is the one that would emerge to govern.
Trump, on the other hand, has given Sigh-OK voters very little reassurance. For months, we have argued that Trump needs to provide personnel announcements and policy details capable of convincing skeptical Republicans that he plans to govern as a Republican. Newt Gingrich, one of Trump's biggest boosters, has made numerous public calls for him to begin a series of substantive speeches.
So far, Trump has made two serious scripted presentations, both on foreign policy: One to AIPAC in March, and one last week at the Center for National Interest. While those speeches represent a start, Trump needs to provide far more guidance to those asking: "Why should those who question your innate greatness nevertheless conclude that you will be an acceptable President?"
We have never been bashful about our own preferences. We continue to believe that Cruz's passion and moral clarity, his fidelity to the nation's constitutional underpinnings, and his views on national security, foreign affairs, and economic growth would make him an excellent president; our skepticism about Trump's performance in each of these areas lead us to doubt his potential for such excellence.
watch now
A drug that has shown success in helping opioid addicts control their dependence on heroin and painkillers soon could see increased use by patients and adoption by doctors if federal authorities approve a new delivery method for the medication.
The medication, called Probuphine, would be the first implantable version of the drug buprenorphine, which over the past 14 years has become a popular tool for eliminating opioid withdrawal symptoms in addicts.
During the period, opioid addiction has reached crisis proportions in the United States, where upwards of 80 people fatally overdose each day, and where the recent death of music superstar Prince is being investigated for a possible connection to painkillers. Research has shown that recovering addicts who do not manage their dependence with medication are significantly more likely to relapse into illicit drug use than people who take buprenorphine, which is often sold under the brand name Suboxone, or other medications including methadone and naltrexone. About a quarter of the 2.8 million people estimated to have diagnosed opioid abuse disorder take buprenorphine.
Current versions of buprenorphine are "sublingual" they require users to take a pill or a film every day and hold it under their tongue for about 15 minutes, without swallowing, until it dissolves. In contrast, Probuphine has four small stick-like implants, which can be inserted by a doctor under the skin in the users' upper arm, during a session in the physician's office lasting less than 15 minutes. The implant remains there for up to six months, delivering a steady dosage of buprenorphine to users' bloodstream. After that, it is extracted during a procedure lasting a half hour or less, and can be replaced with another implant. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to rule on whether Probuphine can go on sale by the end of May. The product was developed by Titan Pharmaceuticals and is licensed to Braeburn Pharmaceuticals for sale in North America, which is the largest market by far for drugs to treat opioid dependence. Braeburn Pharmaceuticals said there is already strong interest in Probuphine. About 4,000 doctors have already signed up to ask to be trained in how to implant and remove the drug. While 28,000 doctors are federally authorized to prescribe buphrenorphine, only about 6,000 write about 90 percent of the total prescriptions in the U.S. The company says that the advantage of Probuphine would be not only in removing the need to hold a pill or film in one's mouth for a quarter hour every day, but also save the embarrassment and hassle of getting prescriptions refilled at a pharmacist. Probuphone also avoids either the chance for "diversion" someone else other than the prescribed person taking the pill. Behshad Sheldon, CEO of Braeburn Pharmaceuticals, said the relatively low percentage of authorized doctors writing prescriptions for buprenorphine reflects the fact that many physicians "don't like the idea of diversions" and their worry about getting scammed by patients who might sell the medication on the black market.
Probuphine, a buprenorphine implant for long-term maintenance treatment of opioid addiction. Source: Braeburn Pharmaceuticals
Sheldon noted that Probuphine could limit the risk of an addict stopping the buprenorphine dosage one day and relapsing to illegal drugs, perhaps fatally. "Every time somebody uses there's a chance to die, especially if they've been clean," Sheldon said. "Their brain no longer knows what they're used to, and the same dosage that they used to get high could kill them." And with Probuphine, Sheldon said, addicts "no longer have to be reminded to have to take your medicine" every day. "You can focus on different parts of your recovery," she said. "What patients have is ... peace of mind and freedom. They don't get looks from the pharmacist [when they fill their prescription]. They don't have worry about their boyfriend stealing it or that kind of thing," Sheldon said. Sheldon said doctors would be more inclined to prescribe implants because their concerns about diversion of buprenorphine would be mitigated. "Just by coming on to the market, there's going to easily be 2,000 or 3,000 doctors that haven't taken patients and would be doing so," she said. "That in itself is going to expand the number of patients." Sarah Wilson, a 40-year-old mom of four from Jacksonsville, Florida, said that buprenorphine "has been a lifesaver" for her. She also said the implant was both more convenient and safer for her and her family. Wilson suffered serious spinal damage in 2008 when a suicidal man rammed his car at 65 mpg into Wilson's vehicle containing her and two of her children. After losing her secretarial job and her health insurance, Wilson was no longer able to afford the pricey specialty injections that had successfully managed her chronic pain. But her doctor told her she could afford hydrocodone, a powerful painkiller pill. Wilson began taking hydrocodone regularly in 2010, and "I realized I had a dependency in 2012." "I was taking 300 milligrams a day," she said. "My recommended dosage was 90 milligrams a day." Wilson fed her habit by buying hydrocodone from friends, and paid for the pills in part by stealing from her father, a retired police officer father, and her mother, a nurse. Although she knew what she was doing was illegal and wrong, her fear of withdrawal and of being in pain without medication kept her using hydrocodone. She admitted her secret addiction after her parents voiced their suspicions which were proven false that Wilson's husband was the one stealing from them. But she told them "I can't go into detox. I said I can't face the pain of detox and the daily pain of my injuries."
But after her husband spotted an advertisement targeted at people suffering from opioid dependency, Wilson was in a doctor's office, where she was placed into a clinical research trial for buprenorphine. She said she was "scared to death" before taking the drug, worried that the initial nausea she was already feeling from not taking her opioid painkiller would get worse as she withdrew further. But within a half hour of taking buprenorphine, her withdrawal symptoms were "gone. And I was shocked," she said. Wilson said she has never relapsed while on buprenorphine, which she notes not only has treated "my addiction, it also treats my pain." And after starting on 16 milligrams of the medication three years ago, she has since moved down to 8 milligrams daily. Wilson last year participated in another trial involving buprenorphine, this one being a six-month double-blind, double-dummy trial of Probuphine. She and more than 170 regular users of buprenorphine were given arm implants and an oral version of the drug, and not told which one actually contained the buprenorphine and which one contained a placebo. Participants had to already have been using buprenorphine for 90 days without evidence of illegal drug use. She later found out that she was among half of the participants whose implant contained buprenorphine. The trial found that more than 96 percent of the Probuphine users had been free of any opioid use for at least four months, compared with 87.6 percent of people who used the oral form of buphrenorphine. And almost 86 percent of the people who used Probuphine in the trial managed to stay off illicit opioids for the entire six months, which was nearly 14 percentage points better than the group that used oral versions containing buprenorphine. Sheldon said one of the relapses in an earlier trial of the implant was fatal. That was by a woman who was taking the oral version and stopped using the medication. Three days later, Sheldon said, the woman overdosed in front of her children, and died.
Sarah Wilson Source: Sarah Wilson
The latest trial results represented a big step forward for Titan Pharmaceuticals and Braeburn Pharmaceuticals. The companies had been asked to run the trial by the FDA because the agency was concerned that past trials, which has showed Probuphine performed better than a placebo for new users of the buprenophine, did not contain high enough dosages of buprenorphine for the results to be clinically meaningful. In the latest trial, "the agreement with the FDA was that we would just meet 'non-inferiority,'" said Sheldon. Non-inferiority means that the new version of the drug would not lead to worse outcomes for patients and Probuphine trial showed actual improvement.
"What this means is that in the population that we were treating, there's an advantage, probably, to having an implant," said Dr. Richard Rosenthal, medical director of addiction psychiatry in the Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System in New York City, and the investigator for the Probuphine trial. Rosenthal said federal approval of the implant should be "a no-brainer" based on the results of the latest clinical trial. He said addiction specialists such as himself are desperate for ways to help opioid-dependent people get off clean. "We've got an epidemic," Rosenthal said. "I want to get people to get treatment. And the relapse rates for when people [aren't on dependency-controlling medication] are abysmal." "Hopefully this medication gets approved, and we'll have another weapon against this epidemic."
Amid stagnant economic growth around the global, investors may need to buy companies that are doing the growing for themselves.
"The investor has to do a lot of homework because growth just isn't popping out at you," Fort Pitt Capital portfolio manager Kim Forrest said Friday on CNBC's "Trading Nation." "So what you have to do is look at their earnings calls and look at the earnings announcements, and see those companies that are actually gaining market share."
The first two companies she points to are in the insurance brokerage area, a sector that has seen steady growth with sales and earnings outlooks projected to rise over the next few years. Her top picks include Illinois-based Arthur J. Gallagher and Marsh & McLennan . Gallagher has managed to grow its annual revenue each year going back to 2005, with 17 percent top-line growth enjoyed in 2015 and 45 percent in 2014.
Forrest also recommended RPM International , an American multinational company specializing in high-performance building maintenance products.
Read More Goldman: Fed could hike 3 times, buy these stocks
While Forrest encourages buying tried-and-true industry names, Max Wolff, chief economist at Manhattan Venture Partners, looks to tech-related sectors. His list may not include today's floundering big-cap tech companies, but rather names that could be set to rise with growing demand in the future.
One of those areas includes the cybersecurity sector, given possible government regulations that Wolff believes will give specific companies a leg up even in times of an economic slowdown.
"We think there are new regulations coming into play [in cybersecurity] that would mean you're legally responsible for being hacked, particularly if you're a financial institution," Wolff said. "That's going to put a big premium, and it's going to mean that your insurers require you to spend more money on cybersecurity as a legal defense and a stipulation. Names like FireEye and Palo Alto Networks look a little better, particularly as they come down to earth."
Wolff also points to the e-commerce sector as more consumers move toward online outlets. Here, he cites the money-losing, peer-to-peer art and supply site Etsy , which has seen its shares plunge.
Canadian e-commerce software developer Shopify rounds out Wolff's list.
If the names are not currently at the top of the average investor's buy list, that's part of the idea. To Forrest's point, finding good stocks in a weak macro environment probably takes a bit more digging.
Disclosure: The Fort Pitt fund managed by Forrest has positions in AJC, MMC and RPM. Neither Wolff nor his firm have any positions in the companies he mentioned.
Disclaimer
watch now
Lawyers charged with untangling the multi-million dollar estate of music superstar Prince, who died with no known will, head to court on Monday for the start of what could be a years-long dispute over his fortune. Six siblings or half-siblings of Prince, found dead at age 57 at his home in suburban Minneapolis on April 21, were listed as heirs in court documents filed in Carver County District Court in Chaska, Minnesota, where the hearing gets under way before Judge Kevin Eide.
The exact value of Prince's estate has not yet been disclosed, but his music catalog alone has been estimated at over $500 million.
Prince Matt Kent | WireImage | Getty Images
Bremer Trust, National Association, a bank where Prince conducted business for years, could play a key role as a special administrator to safeguard his fortune. The bank was appointed at the request of Prince's sister, Tyka Nelson, and Judge Eide will hear any objections on Monday, Minnesota courts spokesman Kyle Christopherson said. Creditors and inheritors also can file claims against the estate, he said. "We're not sure who's coming to sort of stake a claim," Christopherson said.
Born Prince Rogers Nelson, Prince, whose hits included "Purple Rain" and "When Doves Cry," was married and divorced twice. He had no living children. Under Minnesota law, his assets are likely to be split evenly among the siblings, tax attorney Steve Hopkins said.
Hopkins said the bigger the estate, the greater the likelihood there will be a dispute by claimants that could take years to settle.
Pakistan has been beleaguered by terrorism and security "challenges" but is still managing to focus on growth and job-creation, the country's minister for finance, revenue, economic affairs, statistics and privatization told CNBC. "Pakistan's economy has shown great resilience against the global trend of developing countries and the emerging markets which have seen negative declines," Mohammad Ishaq Dar told CNBC on Monday. "We have shown seven-year high growth in the last fiscal year and in the current year we hope to cross 5 percent. We are aiming at a growth rate of 7 percent in the next two fiscal years so things are moving quite nicely," he said, speaking on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Asia Development Bank in Frankfurt.
ASIF HASSAN/AFP/Getty Images
"But we had two serious challenges apart from macro-economic stability which is now in order, one was security and extremism and in June 2014, Pakistan took a bold decision to have an all-out war against terrorism and it's a fairly costly item," he said. Pakistan has been a hot-bed of terrorist activity despite attempts to combat insurgents in predominantly the north-western region of the country that are linked to the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and so-called Islamic State. Despite the government being an ally of western countries' alliance against terrorism, the conservative Muslim country has also been accused of having an ambivalent stance towards religious extremism and, at worst, of sponsoring and harboring terrorists. Pakistan's government strongly rebuffs such accusations, pointing to the arrests of high-ranking terrorist suspects since 9/11 attacks and claiming that it assisted the U.S. in its pursuit of Osama bin Laden, the founder and head of Al Qaeda, who was killed in Pakistan in 2011.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note , which moves inversely to its price, rose to 1.862 percent, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond climbed to 2.714 percent.
U.S. sovereign bonds fell Monday after of a swathe of economic data.
All eyes were on data releases Monday, including the final reading for Markit's manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI), which came in at 50.8.
The ISM manufacturing came in at 50.8, below expectations.
March construction spending rose 0.3 percent, but was expected to show a 0.6 percent rise, compared with a 0.5 percent contraction in February.
Investors will also keep an eye on San Francisco Federal Reserve President John Williams, who is set to deliver a speech on systemic risk at the Milken Institute's 2016 Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California at 5:30 p.m. ET.
An auto-rickshaw drives along a flooded street in Colombo Ishara S. Kodikara | AFP | Getty Images
Sri Lanka's deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) may have averted a crisis, but the bailout may undermine a key source of strength: the country's impressive economic growth rate. The deeply indebted country inked an agreement for a $1.5 billion bailout, announced Friday, as it faced heavy fund outflows and overseas debt payments amid declining foreign-exchange reserves, which could have caused a balance of payments crisis. Foreign-exchange reserves fell by a third from late 2014 to $6.2 billion at the end of March, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, credit rating company Moody's Investors Service, in a report last week before the IMF deal, noted that general government debt was around 76 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2015, up 71.6 percent from five years earlier. "Without an IMF loan, Sri Lanka would have been in a precarious position," Krystal Tan, an Asia economist at Capital Economics, said in a note Saturday, noting that foreign exchange reserves only covered around 80 percent of short-term external debt. She estimated the bailout would boost reserves to around 108 percent of short-term debt, a bit above the minimum of 100 percent recommended by many economists.
But the deal is likely to come with costs. "Growth is likely to slow further over the next couple of years," Tan said. She forecasts the economy will grow at just 4.5 percent this year and next, compared with an average of 6.4 percent between 2010-15. In a report Tuesday, the IMF has also cut its projections for Sri Lanka's economic growth, now forecasting 2016 and 2017 at 5.0 percent each, down around 1.5 percentage points from October World Economic Outlook forecasts.
Despite its financial wobbles, economic growth in Sri Lanka has been impressive in recent years. Fitch Ratings, which rates Sri Lanka at B+, noted in February that median growth for 'B' and 'BB' rated countries is around 4.6% and 3.9% respectively. But the country's economy may lose a key support. "While the IMF deal should prevent a crisis in the short-term, policy will need to be tightened to ensure Sri Lanka does not find itself in the same mess again," Tan said, noting the agreement is contingent on plans to narrow the fiscal deficit. That's no small feat: Sri Lanka has now pledged to cut its fiscal deficit to 3.5 percent of GDP from 7.4 percent of GDP in 2015, which itself was well above a 4.4 percent target, and up from 2014's 5.7 percent, Tan noted. In a March note, Standard & Poor's said that government investment was a key factor underpinning economic growth; it affirmed Sri Lanka's B+ rating, but cut the outlook to negative from stable. At the time, S&P said it expected real per capital GDP growth of 5.5 percent over 2016-19, which it estimated was equivalent to 6.2 percent real GDP growth.
A crackdown on terrorism financing in the wake of the attacks on Paris and Brussels will see European regulators tighten up the rules governing digital-only currencies like bitcoin and prepaid payment cards. In June, the European Commission (the legislative arm of the European Union) is set to update its anti-money laundering rules to force virtual currency exchange platforms to check their clients are who they claim.
Belgian military forces patrol tourist streets in Brussels. Justin Solomon | CNBC
Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are characterized by their anonymity, with neither payers nor payees required to identify themselves and the system open for anybody to use. Regulators believe this makes them attractive to criminals. "The Commission proposes to bring virtual currency exchange platforms under the scope of the anti-money laundering directive, so that these platforms have to apply customer due-diligence controls when exchanging virtual for real currencies, ending the anonymity associated with such exchanges," the European Commission said in a news release in February. Identification could take the form of a passport, official photographic ID or proof of residence such as a utility bill.
ISIS and the Dark Web
This follows reports the so-called Islamic State which claimed responsibility for the attacks on March in Brussels and November in Paris was receiving funding via the so-called Dark Web. This is the encrypted, hard-to-reach part of the internet where bitcoin or other digital-only currencies are the preferred payment methods. "There is a shadow banking system that now exists around the world that is capable of moving unlimited amounts of money They (terrorists or criminals) know the banking system is well-monitored," Scott Dueweke, the founder of Zebryx, a digital identity consultancy, told CNBC via phone. In October, a report from the U.K. Treasury and Home Office concluded digital-only currencies were already the preferred method of online payment for illicit goods like firearms and drugs. The report added that the money-laundering risk associated with digital-only currencies was low, but could rise if their use became more prevalent. A few months later, in January, Dutch authorities arrested 10 people accused of running a bitcoin-laundering ring.
Any impact?
For many leading bitcoin exchanges, the change will have negligible impact, as they already comply with best practice on anti-money laundering and "know your customer" rules, Garrick Hileman, an academic at the University of Cambridge in England's Judge Business School, told CNBC via phone.
Those exchanges already in compliance include San Francisco-based Kraken, which claims to be the largest euro-bitcoin exchange, and Circle, a peer-to-peer digital currency player that has secured Barclays as a U.K. banking partner, Hileman said. Other players in the space will need to come up to standard or consider relocating their operations away from the European Union or not serving EU customers. Some jurisdictions such as the U.S. and the U.K. have already launched similar crackdowns to that planned by the EU, which hopes to persuade others to do the same.
Yuriko Nakao | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Pre-paid, no name
The EU also plans to toughen up on the identification requirements for using prepaid instruments, of which consumer prepaid cards make up the vast majority. These are not linked to a bank account, are topped up with cash and can include cards linked to a particular store. It is believed prepaid cards were another means used by terrorists to anonymously finance purchases for last year's Paris attacks. Under the current rules, no identification is needed for non-reloadable cards worth up to 250 euros ($283), or 500 euros for those than can only be used in one country. These thresholds are likely to be lowered under the news rules and cardholders may need to identify themselves with an ID card or passport.
UTICA, N.Y. The Kelberman Center, an affiliate of Upstate Cerebral Palsy, announced it has hired Leah Welchons as senior psychologist.
Dr. Welchons joins the clinical staff of the Kelberman Center after previously serving as attending psychologist in the Developmental Medicine Center at Boston Childrens Hospital and as an instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School.
In addition to her clinical work at Boston Childrens, Welchons also chaired a committee to provide training on Autism Spectrum Disorders for hospital staff, according to a news release from the Kelberman Center.
The Kelberman Center, which is headquartered in Utica and has an office in Syracuse, says its a regional center for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Its services include evaluation and diagnosis, individualized education and services, social and life skills enhancement, and training and research.
In her role as senior psychologist, Dr. Welchons provides diagnostic evaluations to patients and clinical-case support to Kelberman Center staff. This summer, Welchons will transfer her services to the new Kelberman Center clinical offices at 2608 Genesee St. in Utica, according to the release.
Welchons received her doctoral degree from Syracuse University and completed her internship at the May Institute in Randolph, Massachusetts. She finished a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in the Developmental Medicine Center at Boston Childrens Hospital before joining the staff there.
Contact The Business Journal News Network at news@cnybj.com
SYRACUSE, N.Y. St. Josephs Health announced that Dr. Heather Finger has joined St. Josephs Physicians Family Medicine at its North Medical Center location in Clay.
Before St. Josephs Physicians, Finger practiced as a family medicine provider in Central Square. She has 11 years of practical experience in a rural primary care environment caring for patients of all ages, including the diagnosis, ongoing management, and education of individuals and families about disease and preventive care, according to a St. Josephs Health news release.
Dr. Fingers experience in family and rural medicine coupled with her professional interests in womens care and diabetes is a great asset to our team of skilled physicians. Julianne Himes, chief operating officer for St. Josephs Physicians, said in the release.
Fingers interests include womens health, the assessment and treatment of cervical dysplasia through colposcopy, and the management of Diabetes Mellitus including insulin pump therapy.
She earned her doctor of medicine degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University and completed her residency in family practice at St. Josephs Hospital Health Center.
Dr. Finger is currently accepting new patients at St. Josephs Physicians Family Medicine North Medical Center, located at 5100 W. Taft Road.
St. Josephs Health is a nonprofit regional health-care system based in Syracuse, providing services to patients throughout Central New York and northern Pennsylvania. St. Josephs Health is affiliated with Franciscan Companies and St. Josephs Physicians, and is part of Trinity Health.
Contact The Business Journal News Network at news@cnybj.com
Photo credit: Manufacturers Association of Central New York
DeWITT, N.Y. The Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY) has tabbed Feldmeier Equipments director of engineering as its Innovator of the Year.
MACNY will honor Kyle Brown during its annual dinner on May 19 at the Oncenter in downtown Syracuse.
The MACNY Innovator of the Year Award, which Corning, Inc. sponsors, recognizes individuals within a company who consistently demonstrate forward thinking ideas in the areas of technology, innovation and advancement of products and production, according to MACNY.
Jeanne Jackson, Feldmeiers VP of human resources, nominated Brown for the honor.
Brown demonstrated his ability to lead and innovate and we feel he sets an example for others, Jackson said in a MACNY news release.
He joined DeWittbased Feldmeier Equipment as a design engineer in 1997. Brown then served as general manager (GM) of Feldmeiers Little Falls facility from 2000 to 2015.
Brown has since relocated to the companys DeWitt site to serve as the firms director of engineering.
Browns efforts at the firm have contributed to the growth and continuous innovation at Feldmeier Equipment, MACNY said.
During his 15 years as GM, the Little Falls location expanded to two facilities and grew from 110 to 180 employees.
Brown also recently received his first patent for a thru-shaft cleaning strategy that cleans hard-to-inspect areas on mixers. Using the mixer shaft as a rotary-spray device, the method reaches areas that are typically a cleaning liability, according to MACNY.
We received numerous submissions celebrating employee innovation within MACNY member companies, and we commend all of this years nominees. We were particularly impressed with Kyles leadership and commitment to developing competitive solutions. MACNY and its members look forward to recognizing Kyles exemplary innovation at the 103rd annual dinner, Randy Wolken, president of MACNY, said in the release.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
Family aims to raise awareness about invisible illness
Michelle and Jason Kemp's two children were born with cystic fibrosis. The Columbia family shares their story to raise awareness about the genetic disorder.
By Kevin McKenzie of The Commercial Appeal
A free-market think tank based in Nashville today launched a legal attack on a Tennessee licensing requirement to shampoo hair, with two Memphis sisters as prime examples of citizens denied opportunity by bureaucracy.
The Beacon Center of Tennessee held a media conference outside Memphis City Hall with the two sisters, Tammy Nutall-Pritchard and Debra Nutall, while filing a lawsuit in Davidson Countys Chancery Court in Nashville.
Aimed at the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, the civil rights lawsuit contends that requiring a license to shampoo hair infringes on a right to earn an honest living.
As one of five states that require the licensing for shampooing, Tennessee calls for the most hours of education, at 300, the Beacon Center maintains.
The lawsuit contends that state regulators could not identify any cosmetology school offering the training, which includes shampoo theory, rinsing and answering the phone.
With no licensing available for shampooing, only cosmetologists, whose licenses require 1,500 hours of schooling, have a monopoly on shampooing, the lawsuit contends.
Shampooing, its just one of those things, we all do it every day," said Braden Boucek, director of litigation for the Beacon Center. Its hard to see a case for why that needs to be licensed to begin with.
Kevin Walters, a spokesman for the state Department of Commerce & Insurance that includes the cosmetology board, said state officials had no comment about the lawsuit at this time.
The lawsuit lists Tammy Nutall-Pritchard, 47, a resource officer for Humes Preparatory Academy in Memphis, as its plaintiff.
Her sister, Debra Nutall, 54, is known as a pioneer in the natural hair-braiding business. Tennessee state licensing for hair-braiding earlier drove Debra Nutall to Mississippi, although she said shes no longer in the business.
Nutall-Pritchard wants to supplement her income by shampooing at a beauty shop, but not at the price of getting a cosmetology license. The Beacon Center cited one example of a cosmetology program costing $3,225.
We dont have an issue with going to cosmetology, its the hours, Nutall-Pritchard said. Thats too many hours and too much money.
A new state law, the Right to Earn a Living Act, requires new scrutiny of regulations that could limit entry into businesses and professions. It requires the state to look at all of the ways it regulates low-income fields, Boucek said.
The Beacon Center pointed to licensing of shampoo technicians as an example of why the act was needed. The Goldwater Institute, an advocate of limited government, recommends that all states adopt it.
An Institute for Justice study called License to Work ranked Tennessee as the 13th worst state in terms of burdening low-income professions, Boucek said.
Its everything from makeup artist, natural hair braiding, but its also soil sampler, bartender, youve got to have a license to be a court clerk, locksmith is another one, he said. We think that this is a right that we need to open up.
SHARE photo courtesy artandremembrance.org Esther Nisenthal Krinitz's selection of needlepoint works about her experiences during World War II is on display at Temple Israel Museum in Memphis through May 13.
By Fredric Koeppel, Special to The Commercial Appeal
The horrors of the Holocaust have received many kinds of creative treatments, from documentary and narrative films, to novels, stories and nonfiction prose, to plays and artworks.
Few approaches, however, feel as personal as the exhibition "Fabric of Survival: The Art of Esther Nisenthal Krinitz," on display through May 13 at the Temple Israel Museum. The artist, whose family was destroyed in the death camps of Poland during World War II, later in life fashioned 36 fabric panels through needle and thread, employing such techniques as stitching, crocheting and embroidery to produce a unique visual narrative of persecution, escape and survival.
When Esther was 15, in 1942, German soldiers ordered the Jews in her Polish village of Mniszek to report to the train station. Everyone knew they would be boarding trains delivering them to certain death. However, with her mother's approval, Esther and her younger sister assumed identities as Polish Catholics, and they were taken in by a farm family where they were hidden for the rest of the war. The sisters never saw their family again.
The girls arrived at a displaced-persons camp after the war. Esther met Max Krinitz, married him and moved to the United States. Trained as a dressmaker but not as an artist, at age 50, in 1977, at her home in Brooklyn, Krinitz began the project that would culminate in the work for which she is now known, as well as a documentary film, a book, a foundation and a website. She died in 2001.
"My mother's experiences were not a secret," said Bernice Steinhardt in a telephone interview from Newark Liberty International Airport, where she was about to board a flight to Barcelona. "She always talked about her life before the war and during the war. We grew up with these stories. It was like an adventure story, but as I grew older, it took on more poignancy."
Steinhardt and her sister Helene McQuade created the exhibition through the nonprofit organization Art and Remembrance.
"The pictures work on so many levels, and touch universal themes. Everyone understands the story of a girl forced to leave her home. And there's a great deal of contemporary resonance," she said, referring to the influx of refugees to Europe fleeing oppression and the carnage of war in the Middle East.
The exhibition, Steinhardt said, appeals "to people eager to learn something about their history, about their lives and what happened during the war."
That's why Temple Israel wanted to have "Fabric of Survival" in its museum.
"We strive to bring traveling exhibitions to Memphis that would have relevance to religious school students, to middle-age and older people, too," said Jerrold Graber, past chairman of Temple Israel's museum committee. "We thought this was quite unique, even though it told a familiar story, and told it through one individual's experiences. The fact that the artist was self-taught also felt important to us. The story itself is one of courage, and it took courage to create these works of art."
The original panels have been displayed at 20 or so venues around the country, and there's also an exhibition of photographic reproductions. The 30-minute film, "Through the Eye of the Needle," about Krinitz's achievement, shows continuously during exhibition hours.
FedEx Custom Critical White Glove Services provided transportation for the exhibition from Washington, D.C., to Memphis, ensuring that the panels were protected in a temperature-controlled situation.
SHARE
The Memphis Jewish Community Center is partnering with Memphis in May to present a program about the historic Jewish community in Montreal.
The center's J-Ed Series welcomes Eddie Paul, head of bibliographic and information services at Montreal's Jewish Public Library, to speak at 7:30 Tuesday at the center, 6560 Poplar Ave. In "St. Urbain Legends: A 100-year Photo-history of Stories Told from the Jewish Public Library in Montreal," he will trace the origins of the library, which opened in 1914, the political climate that led to its founding, and "the evolution of the library to what it is today: a multicultural, multi-linguistic entity with collections ranging from 15th century incunabula (books printed before the year 1501) to e-books." It holds the largest circulating collection of Judaica in North America.
Paul's talk will introduce the companion exhibit, "Stories Told: 100 Years of the JPL," which is on display through May in the center's Shainberg Gallery. Through photographs and other historical items, the exhibit demonstrates the Jewish Public Library's role in serving both Jewish and non-Jewish communities while preserving a rich heritage.
The talk and the gallery exhibit are free and open to the public. In addition to the MJCC and Memphis in May, the exhibit and speaker are presented by Facing History and Ourselves, The Jewish Historical Society, and the Memphis Public Library and Information Center.
Beginners wanting an introduction to crafts like bookbinding and journaling can attend a Daydreaming on Paper workshop Saturday at the South Main Book Juggler.
Dawn Vinson of DaydreamingOnPaper.com will lead the workshop, in which participants will make a soft-cover, single-signature notebook and get ideas for how to use it. The 90-minute session includes hands-on instruction, journal exercises, and a detailed handout for future reference.
The $10 workshop price includes materials and light refreshments. It starts at 1 p.m. at the Book Juggler, 548 S. Main St.
Contact Vinson at drv1913@yahoo.com or 901-330-8571 for more information.
May 10, 2015 - Chefs Michael Patrick (right) and John Fitzgerad Kennedy put together Southern inspired dishes for Mother's Day brunch at Rizzo's Diner on South Main Street Sunday morning. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)
Don't forget: Sunday is Mother's Day. If a restaurant is typically open for brunch, you'd better believe it's open then. Mother's Day and Easter are the busiest brunch days of the year. But there's plenty going on this weekend to entertain Mom if you want to do something a little different.
Don't forget the Memphis Greek Festival, which I told you about in last week's column. It runs 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 573 N. Highland St. All the good food you've come to expect, music, dancing, wine there's nothing about it she won't like. If she's not up for it, at least get a box of pastries and take them to her on Mother's Day. You'll be her favorite.
How about this? On Saturday, take her to Cafe du Memphis at Overton Park. The Rotary Club of Memphis will host a New Orleans-style brunch with shrimp and grits, beignets, cafe au lait, mimosas, Bloody Marys and more. It's from 9 a.m. till noon at the pavilion on East Parkway, and you can buy tickets at cafedumemphis.com; they range from about $8 for beignets and coffee up to about $16 for a full plate (and way north for sponsorships). Proceeds benefit the Dorothy Day House. When your bellies are full, head over to Art in the Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Memphis College of Art, and stop in Memphis Brooks Museum of Art for Party for the Century, the 100th anniversary party for the museum; make a day of it in Overton Park.
And while you're there: Latino Memphis Festival celebrating Brazil will also take place in Overton Park. It promises a lot of high-energy fun for you, Mom, the kids everyone. It's 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and Mom can even get in her Zumba workout (twice, if she wants). All kinds of things are going on, including a salsa contest (you can judge for People's Choice), music, a Carnaval parade, capoeira demonstrations (Brazilian martial arts, and you can join in if you want), a 5K run, a 1-mile fun run lots and lots to do and plenty of Brazilian barbecue to eat and caipirinhas to drink. Get more information at latinomemphis.org.
This and that
Pup Crawl: OK, OK I know we already took care of Mother's Day. But I'm just saying that there are moms around town who would love to do this, because dogs and drinks: The Cooper-Young Pup Crawl is 6 to 9 p.m. May 12. You go to the gazebo at the corner of Cooper Street and Young Avenue, get a wristband, then go to any of the 10 bars listed below and order the specialty cocktail. By wearing the wristband, you ensure that 10 percent of the price of your drink goes to the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County. Live music by Mark Edgar Stuart, adoptable dogs at each place, and you can even take your own dog if you want; most patios welcome your four-legged buddies.
The participating bars and their drinks are Alchemy, Hound Dog; Bar DKDC, I Wanna Be Your DoG; Beauty Shop, Walking the Dog; Cafe Ole, Clifford's Cocktail; Celtic Crossing Irish Pub, Irish Setter; Hammer & Ale, Barking Pale Ale; Next Door, Ruff Punch; Stone Soup Cafe, Red-Nosed Bully; Tsunami, Shih Tzu Not; Young Avenue Deli, Junkyard Dog.
Sad news: John's Pantry in Cordova is closing June 1. Be sure to go by 8046 Willow Tree Lane to visit John Moberly before he closes up shop (it faces Germantown Parkway, so you can see it from the street). Regular customers will be glad to know that he said he'll be glad to share his recipes with you, if you ask nicely.
Woman's Exchange
The Tea Room at the Woman's Exchange, 88 Racine St., has a new menu. When was the last time you ate lunch there? I don't remember, either, but I'll be going soon. Some of the new items include the Triple Salad Plate, with a scoop of chicken salad, tuna salad and potato salad, served with finger sandwiches and fresh fruit; chicken or seafood crepes; and Rev's Famous Chicken Spaghetti Fiesta. Daily specials change and include Lacy Special, fried catfish, and beef tenderloin (still on Thursdays). Hours are 11:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 901-327-5681 for more information.
Recipe of the week
Tuna salad is my peanut butter. I loved it when I was a kid and still turn to it for a quick bite today. This recipe is going in my rotation for sure: Tuna with avocado = great.
Photos by Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal May 1, 2016 - Blues musician Leo "Bud" Welch performs at the Blues Shack during the final day of the 2016 Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival at Tom Lee Park.
SHARE April 30, 2016 - Lauren Frost (from left), Whitney Williams and Erin Miller Williams dance to the sounds of The Lone Bellow during the final day of the 2016 Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival at Tom Lee Park. April 30, 2016 - Performer Courtney Barnett energized the crowd at the Bud Light Stage during the final day of the 2016 Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival at Tom Lee Park. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal) April 30, 2016 - Dan Auerbach of The Arcs performs during the final day of the 2016 Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival at Tom Lee Park. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal) Related Photos Beale Street Music Festival 2016 - Day Three Gallery
By Bob Mehr, mehr@commercialappeal.com
The proverbial sun set on another Beale Street Music Festival as Sunday brought a close to the 39th annual edition of Memphis in May's centerpiece event.
Music fest organizers had a busy weekend, dealing with hard daytime rains and flash flood warnings on Friday, and then having to repair several smaller structures damaged by winds on Saturday morning, forcing a handful of early shows to be canceled. Despite a few of Mother Nature's ravages, the festival largely went on unscathed. Weather during the bulk of the performances was both dry and temperate, factors that are always considered major victories for organizers.
"That's always a good thing, and as a result everyone who we expected to draw a big crowd drew a big crowd," said Memphis in May's Director of Marketing, Penelope Huston.
Huston also noted that the decision to stagger Sunday's headlining sets from Paul Simon, Beck and Zedd allowed festivalgoers to see most or all of the day's big names.
Sunday began with a lovely acoustic set from Those Pretty Wrongs. Led by Memphian Jody Stephens a founding member and lone survivor of the iconic cult band Big Star the group's first ever local performance came just a few weeks ahead of their debut album release. And yet most of the songs they played sun-dappled, harmony-laden pop numbers in the mold of Big Star, the Byrds, Beach Boys and Beatles sounded wonderfully and reassuringly familiar.
Stephens' partner in the project, Los Angeles musician Luther Russell, added soulful guitar figures and vocal touches to the songs. Though the crowd for the show was modest (the audience did grow considerably by set's end) it was, by any measure, an auspicious hometown debut for Stephens and company.
In any festival, an artist's value is about name recognition as much as musical worth. Perhaps that's why The Arcs' early evening turn was not as buzzed about or well attended as one would expect surprising given that it's the new project from Black Keys front man Dan Auerbach.
Leading the Keys, Auerbach headlined a packed music fest appearance just three years ago. Working in the same blues-pop mold as his longtime band, Auerbach actually proved to be the least interesting element of the Arcs. Manning several positions on stage, the group's multi-instrumental wiz Richard Swift actually produced the more intriguing musical textures, while a backing group, the all-female outfit Mariachi Flor de Toloache, had the more engaging stage presence.
Australian indie rocker Courtney Barnett made her first appearance in Memphis, riding high off the critical acclaim, strong sales and Grammy nomination for her debut album. If some of the praise heaped on the Melbourne songstress has seemed a tad over the top Barnett trades in a throwback brand of '90s-style indie guitar rock watching her set it was hard not to be charmed by her buzzing songs, guitar heroics and grinning slacker persona. The crowd, which was sizeable, though not massive, was deeply attentive as they sang along loudly and cheered Barnett's every solo wildly.
Despite a sunset slot, rock legend Paul Simon's music fest set seemed to suffer for some reason. Perhaps it was a hangover from a weekend New Orleans Jazz Fest concert that was underwhelming according to several reports, or simply a question of age/fatigue, but Simon's voice was notably diminished compared to his last stop in town at Mud Island in 2011.
Whatever the cause, after an early run through some familiar hits ("50 Ways to Leave Your Lover") and favorites off "Graceland" ("That Was Your Mother"), Simon seemed to stagnate, having a hard time parlaying the audience's early excitement into actual momentum during the middle part of the set. He would eventually recover with run of big hits "Slip Slidin' Away," "Mother and Child Reunion," "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" later in the performance.
Post-rocker Beck, on the other hand, had control of his audience from the first and never let up. Opening with a rousing version of the "Odelay" burner "Devil's Haircut," the Los Angeles-based musical alchemist put together a hard charging set list that kept the audience's energy and spirits high, capping the festival in triumphant fashion.
Here's what to expect in Memphis real estate for the rest of 2022
Business
SHARE
By Kevin McKenzie of The Commercial Appeal
A state probe into more than $160,000 meant to help feed low-income children during the summer of 2014 has landed a former ministry prophetess from Memphis behind bars in Florida.
Jeannette Jives-Nealy, 48, currently a resident of Tampa, Florida, has been held since Friday after a Shelby County grand jury indicted her last week on a charge of theft over $60,000, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Jives-Nealy is being held without bond in the Hillsborough County jail awaiting extradition to Shelby County, the TBI reported.
Jives-Nealy was a prophetess affiliated with the Kingdom Dominion Worldwide Ministries in Memphis, which received funding from the Tennessee Department of Human Services to provide food for low-income children during that summer, TBI agents reported.
The probe was triggered when state comptroller's office auditors found about $162,165 for the summer program unaccounted for in financial statements for the nonprofit organization.
By Yolanda Jones and Ryan Poe of The Commercial Appeal
A serial drunken driver, who was charged in a fifth crash that killed two Briarcrest Christian School students and injured three other people last year in Marshall County, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to the charges Monday and was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Melandus Penson, 33, was sentenced in a Holly Springs courtroom to 60 years in prison, with another 60 years suspended, and five years of post-release supervision for four counts of DUI involving death or maiming, and one count of aggravated assault by culpable negligence.
Penson, from Belden, was driving a Dodge Charger that rammed the rear of a car driven by Roxanne Anderson, the grandmother of one of the girls, along U.S. 78 in Marshall County at about 6:30 a.m. on May 31. The impact knocked the car into a utility pole, killing Rachel Lynch, 17, and Maddie Kruse, 16. Caroline Kam, 18, received minor injuries while Kara Holden, 17, suffered a broken collarbone, broken ribs and other injuries.
The four girls, then rising seniors at Briarcrest, were headed to Florida for a beach vacation just a few days after school ended last summer, the survivors and the victims families testified Monday, said state District Attorney Ben Creekmore.
Creekmore said there was no one in the courtroom who was not visibly moved by the testimony about the crashs aftermath, including the judge.
For them, they were beyond excited, he said of the victims, recalling Kams testimony about the beach trip. And they went to beyond healing in an instant.
Penson, who had four previous DUI convictions from as many different Mississippi jurisdictions, in addition to a reckless driving conviction in Mississippi and speeding in Florida, stood to ask for forgiveness and to say that he wasnt a stumbling drunk, said his Tupelo-based attorney, Rob Laher.
At the time of the fatal crash, Pensons blood-alcohol level was .14 nearly twice the states legal limit. Penson said he had consumed alcohol the night before, but not that morning, according to Laher.
Youre not left with a lot to say other than asking for forgiveness, asking for mercy, asking for hope, Laher said of Pensons history of DUI-related charges.
Laher said it was odd but understandable that the family didnt offer forgiveness to the victim. But Creekmore said that, if that was true, it was probably because Pensons remarks seemed more about justifying his actions than asking for forgiveness.
Both Creekmore and Laher said the sentence was fair, even though Penson could only serve a fraction of his sentence before hes released.
Family members of the victims and survivors didnt immediately return phone calls and emails.
SHARE
By Kevin McKenzie of The Commercial Appeal
Memphis police on Sunday continued investigating shootings outside a store on Airways north of Interstate 240 that left one young man dead and another injured late Saturday.
A 21-year-old man died on the sidewalk outside Airways Food Mart, 2293 Airways, and a 23-year-old was taken to the Regional Medical Center for treatment of noncritical injuries, according to police.
Authorities on Sunday did not release the names of the victims. The gunfire was reported about 11:40 p.m.
Police said an initial investigation determined that the man who was fatally shot had emerged from the store earlier, confronted and argued with other men and then left.
He returned with other men and two men opened fire, shooting the two victims.
Fred Griffith/The Commercial Appeal files All Metro Baseball team members pose for a group photo at Tim McCarver Stadium on May 3, 1984. Left to Right (front row) Marvin Davis, Northside; Rodney Swindle, Westwood; Jean Gentleman, Germantown; Chris Marable, CBHS; David Lail, Germantown; Forest Nabors, Germantown; Mike Haag, CBHS; Cecil Carney, Bishop Byrne; and Kevin Locastro, Bishop Byrne. (second row) Chip Moreland, CBHS; Randy Smith, ECS; Terry Babb, Elliston; Ray Archer, Raleigh-Egypt; Kyle Coleman, Raleigh-Egypt; Phillip Cummings, White Station; Mike O'Neill, Germantown; John Wakefield, Harding; and Keith Wilson, Harding.
SHARE
May 2
25 years ago: 1991
Ronnie Morgan, Harold Purnell and Michael Saripkin can't make it to Shelby State Community College's graduation ceremony Friday night. So they got their certificates in office technology at a special ceremony Wednesday at the Shelby County Correction Center. Morgan, Purnell and Saripkin are inmates at the center. They are the first three graduates of Shelby State's off-campus program at the prison. Shelby State has been offering college-credit classes at the prison since 1986. More than 600 inmates have taken classes, including a record 225 enrolled this semester.
50 years ago: 1966
WASHINGTON Congressional coin watchers proclaimed Sunday that the coin shortage is over except for John F. Kennedy half dollars, which are hoarded almost as fast as they are produced. Representative Dante Fascell (D., Fla.) who conducted an investigation of the shortage which started in 1964, released a report by the House Government Operations Committee that expressed mystification at the shortage of half dollars.
75 years ago: 1941
A fund of $5,000 to administer "The Memphis Plan," which will provide hospitality to visiting soldiers to the city, will be raised by the sale of official shields to merchants, Dave Ballon, committee secretary said yesterday.
100 years ago: 1916
Child labor, the disgrace of the South Atlantic states, which is claimed to exist also in Tennessee, could not exist if women of the South were allowed to vote, said Miss Margaret Foley, the Boston women suffrage worker, in an address to the young women students of West Tennessee Normal yesterday afternoon.
125 years ago: 1891
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. The state medical convention adjourned last night. The only charges brought against members were those against Dr. John R. Dale of Arkadelphia. He was charged with undercharging patients as to professional fees.
SHARE
Efforts by the administration of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland to mediate the parking dispute between the Memphis Zoo and the Overton Park Conservancy finally are yielding results.
Strickland, who took office Jan. 1, announced Thursday the city and zoo will create between 225 and 325 new parking spaces near Overton Park, which will give the zoo more than half the spaces it needs to stop its questionable practice of using the park's greensward for overflow parking.
What still is needed, however, is a long-term, holistic solution for parking and traffic flow for the extremely popular zoo and an iconic urban park that is home to some of the city's most important amenities.
The zoo and the conservancy, which manages the park under contract with the city, have participated in mediation since March 24, following the City Council's approval of a resolution earlier that month giving control over much of the greensward to the zoo.
To create the new spaces, the city will add on-street parking in the southern lane of North Parkway near Rhodes College, and the zoo will reconfigure its existing parking lot, following the recommendation of a recently released Overton Park Conservancy-commissioned parking and traffic study.
Frankly, this move is low-hanging fruit ideas proposed during the administration of former mayor A C Wharton. Strickland deserves credit, though, for being able to get this done.
The City Council, which made the controversy worse when it adopted the resolution, is planning to butt in again.
That should be a cause for trepidation since some council members made it clear the greensward parking situation, in their opinion, is much ado about nothing.
Chairman Kemp Conrad, anticipating a parking compromise between the zoo and the conservancy, said Friday the council is drafting a placeholder ordinance, which could put additional pressure on the zoo and the conservancy to find a long-term solution to the zoo using the grassy area in the park for overflow parking on peak attendance days.
That would be a good thing if that is going to be the real reason for the proposed ordinance, and not a vehicle to get angry park advocates out of the council's hair.
The opening of the zoo's newest exhibit, the Zambezi River Hippo Camp, last week is expected to draw even more visitors to the zoo, exacerbating the greensward parking issue.
The compromise announced Thursday is placing an adhesive bandage on a major wound. Nonetheless, we hope it is the first step toward finding a permanent, viable solution.
The zoo needs more parking, and the conservancy and other park advocates have a legitimate point that at some point the greensward has to stop being used as a parking lot.
We have supported mediation as the best way to find a permanent solution. The zoo and conservancy are making progress on that front. Interference from 13 City Council members with 13 different agendas will only clog up the process.
SHARE
Philip Williams
Cordova
Fox News and other right-wing commentators have the audacity to try to blame President Obama and Hillary Clinton for the rise of the Islamic State.
The George W. Bush administration falsely claimed an invasion of Iraq was needed because Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction that posed a threat to the United States and the world.
The invasion of Iraq found no weapons of mass destruction, but brought about the needless deaths of 4,491 U.S. service members.
The invasion also destabilized Iraq, allowing al-Qaida, which the Bush administration should have concentrated on destroying instead of invading Iraq, to grow stronger and also gave rise to the forces that would become the Islamic State.
Had Bush done what he should have done, when he had the whole country and most of the world behind him, and focused on destroying al-Qaida, the world would be a much safer place today. Al-Qaida could have been eradicated, and the Islamic State would not exist.
SHARE
By Ann Friedman
Even before most major news outlets confirmed that Prince had died, mournful posts began filling my timeline. First, there was denial: "No. No. No," a friend tweeted. "Not Prince . . . not Prince," wrote another. The other stages of grief soon followed.
I scrolled past concert memories on Facebook. Instagram was full of stills from "Purple Rain" and, later, photos of Los Angeles City Hall, Niagara Falls and the Eiffel Tower lit purple. Prince's actual funeral was attended by just 20 close friends and family members. Online, millions of us mourned together.
The outpouring was sincere, but also eerily familiar. Prince's death was a replay of David Bowie's in January, with echoes of the public mourning for the victims of the November terrorist attacks in Paris. Have we made an unspoken pact? When a death is newsworthy, we must grieve collectively now.
Because of social media, everyday people feel pressure to grapple with questions of etiquette that, in previous decades, only celebrities in the public eye and subject to public criticism for perceived insensitivity had to address.
If you've never traveled to Paris, is it necessary to denounce terrorism there? Is it enough to acknowledge the death of a well-known artist R.I.P., Prince or must you put together a heartfelt tribute?
In fact, no one would take offense if some of us decided to skip a round of grieving if we decided not to change our avatars in memoriam. Probably no one would even notice. But perhaps that's beside the point.
"Thinking about how we mourn artists we've never met," tweeted one woman after David Bowie died. "We don't cry because we knew them, we cry because they helped us know ourselves."
In that vein, we seize upon celebrity deaths as yet another opportunity to express ourselves. The Fox sketch comedy show "Party Over Here" recently mocked online celebrity-death tributes as little more than self-congratulatory posturing. "Let us celebrate Jackie," says comedian Alison Rich, in a skit that supposes Jackie Chan has died, "but let us also remember to celebrate me."
Brief exclamations of sorrow often precede lengthy remembrances. We tell our followers how listening to a deceased artist's lesser-known albums helped us survive high school, or just a rough night in high school. We expect and accept this routine, which seems more meaningful than simply saying, "I was a fan." But we also have standards. While grieving publicly, we feel we must avoid the appearance of self-promotion at all costs.
Corporate marketers have learned this the hard way. After Prince's death, the official Cheerios account tweeted a purple background with the words, "Rest in Peace" on top. The "i" was dotted with a Cheerio, and the hashtag was #prince. Mourning fans were outraged by the opportunism of the tweet, which was soon taken down. There was a similar incident involving Hamburger Helper.
Collective grief can be a balm. But sometimes weighing in feels more performative than personal. We need to reclaim the option of saying nothing at all to disconnect the association between remaining silent and not caring. We don't expect constant digital updates from someone who has recently lost a loved one, nor should we expect such missives from each other after a headline-grabbing tragedy or celebrity death. We should grant ourselves permission to stay out of the public mourning ritual, whether because we're not personally affected, or because we are affected so deeply we cannot immediately translate our grief to words. There is also comfort in silence.
Ann Friedman is a contributing writer to the Los Angeles Times' opinion section.
Select Commodity All Ajwan Alasande Gram Almond(Badam) Alsandikai Amaranthus Ambada Seed Amla(Nelli Kai) Amphophalus Antawala Anthorium Apple Apricot(Jardalu/Khumani) Arecanut(Betelnut/Supari) Arecanut(Betelnut/Supari) Arhar (Tur/Red Gram)(Whole) Arhar (Tur/Red Gram)(Whole) Arhar Dal(Tur Dal) Ashgourd Astera Avare Dal Bajra(Pearl Millet/Cumbu) Bajra(Pearl Millet/Cumbu) Balekai Bamboo Banana Banana - Green Barley (Jau) Bay leaf (Tejpatta) Beans Beaten Rice Beetroot Bengal Gram Dal (Chana Dal) Bengal Gram(Gram)(Whole) Ber(Zizyphus/Borehannu) Ber(Zizyphus/Borehannu) Betal Leaves Bhindi(Ladies Finger) Bitter gourd Black Gram (Urd Beans)(Whole) Black Gram Dal (Urd Dal) Black pepper BOP Bottle gourd Bran Brinjal Broken Rice Broomstick(Flower Broom) Bull Bunch Beans Cabbage Calf Capsicum Cardamoms Carnation Carrot Cashewnuts Castor Seed Cauliflower Chapparad Avare Chennangi Dal Cherry Chikoos(Sapota) Chili Red Chilly Capsicum Chow Chow Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum(Loose) Cinamon(Dalchini) Cloves Cluster beans Cock Cocoa Coconut Coconut Oil Coconut Seed Coffee Colacasia Copra Coriander(Leaves) Corriander seed Cotton Cotton Seed Cow Cowpea (Lobia/Karamani) Cowpea (Lobia/Karamani) Cowpea(Veg) Cucumbar(Kheera) Cummin Seed(Jeera) Custard Apple (Sharifa) Dalda Dhaincha Drumstick Dry Chillies Dry Fodder Dry Grapes Duck Duster Beans Egg Elephant Yam (Suran) Field Pea Firewood Fish Foxtail Millet(Navane) French Beans (Frasbean) Galgal(Lemon) Garlic Ghee Gingelly Oil Ginger(Dry) Ginger(Green) Gladiolus Cut Flower Goat Gram Raw(Chholia) Gramflour Grapes Green Avare (W) Green Chilli Green Fodder Green Gram (Moong)(Whole) Green Gram Dal (Moong Dal) Green Peas Ground Nut Oil Ground Nut Seed Groundnut Groundnut (Split) Groundnut pods (raw) Guar Guar Seed(Cluster Beans Seed) Guava Gur(Jaggery) He Buffalo Hen Hippe Seed Honge seed Hybrid Cumbu Indian Beans (Seam) Indian Colza(Sarson) Isabgul (Psyllium) Jack Fruit Jaffri Jamun(Narale Hannu) Jarbara Jasmine Jowar(Sorghum) Jute Kabuli Chana(Chickpeas-White) Kacholam Kakada Kankambra Karamani Karbuja(Musk Melon) Kartali (Kantola) Khoya Kinnow Knool Khol Kodo Millet(Varagu) Kulthi(Horse Gram) Lak(Teora) Leafy Vegetable Lemon Lentil (Masur)(Whole) Lilly Lime Linseed Lint Litchi Little gourd (Kundru) Long Melon(Kakri) Lotus Lotus Sticks Lukad Mahedi Mahua Mahua Seed(Hippe seed) Maida Atta Maize Mango Mango (Raw-Ripe) Marasebu Marget Marigold(Calcutta) Marigold(loose) Mashrooms Masur Dal Mataki Methi Seeds Methi(Leaves) Millets Mint(Pudina) Moath Dal Mousambi(Sweet Lime) Mustard Mustard Oil Myrobolan(Harad) Neem Seed Niger Seed (Ramtil) Nutmeg Onion Onion Green Orange Orchid Ox Paddy(Dhan)(Basmati) Paddy(Dhan)(Common) Papaya Papaya (Raw) Patti Calcutta Peach Pear(Marasebu) Peas cod Peas Wet Peas(Dry) Pegeon Pea (Arhar Fali) Pepper garbled Pepper ungarbled Persimon(Japani Fal) Pigs Pineapple Plum Pointed gourd (Parval) Pomegranate Potato Pumpkin Raddish Ragi (Finger Millet) Raibel Rajgir Ram Rat Tail Radish (Mogari) Raya Resinwood Rice Ridge gourd(Tori) Ridgeguard(Tori) Rose(Local) Rose(Loose) Rose(Loose)) Round gourd Rubber Sabu Dan Sabu Dana Safflower Sajje Same/Savi Season Leaves Seemebadnekai Seetafal Seetapal Sesamum(Sesame,Gingelly,Til) Sesamum(Sesame,Gingelly,Til) She Buffalo She Goat Sheep Snake gourd Snakeguard Soanf Soapnut(Antawala/Retha) Soapnut(Antawala/Retha) Soji Soyabean Spinach Sponge gourd Squash(Chappal Kadoo) Sugar Sugarcane Sunflower Sunhemp Suram Surat Beans (Papadi) Suva (Dill Seed) Suvarna Gadde Sweet Potato Sweet Pumpkin T.V. Cumbu T.V. Cumbu Tamarind Fruit Tamarind Seed Tapioca Taramira Tender Coconut Thinai (Italian Millet) Thogrikai Thondekai Tinda Tobacco Tomato Toria Tube Rose(Double) Tube Rose(Loose) Tube Rose(Single) Turmeric Turmeric (raw) Turnip Walnut Water Melon Wheat Wheat Atta White Peas White Pumpkin Wood Yam Yam (Ratalu)
Select State
Select Market
Employees that need access to certain business data on the go can now build their own app for it using a tool from Microsoft that went into public beta on Friday.
The company has announced that it's opening up its PowerApps app creation service to the world, after a private beta period that began last year.
PowerApps allows line of business employees to take data from a variety of sources and create apps that run on phones and tablets without requiring them to do any coding. Developers' time is often constrained, so doing something like creating a mobile expense reporting app might not be a top priority, even if it would save time and money.
Applications built with PowerApps, which can run on iOS, Android and the Web, can pull data from sources including Dropbox, OneDrive, Dynamics CRM and SharePoint Online. That's notable, since it shows Microsoft reaching outside its own products to include some that it competes with.
Apps built with PowerApps can then be loaded into the PowerApps app on iOS and Android, and accessed on the go. The apps aren't full native mobile apps, so companies shouldn't think of it as something that could be used to create a product for consumers or for external use.
When users first sign into PowerApps, they're greeted by a set of sample applications that help show them how to do things like track a budget. Once they're comfortable with the service, they can download the PowerApps Studio from the Windows Store onto a computer running Windows 10, and build applications with it.
They can then make that application available for colleagues to use on their phones, tablets and the Web.
Businesses that rely on Microsoft Access to build applications should pay particular attention to this launch, since this seems to be something that replaces the app-creation capabilities of Microsoft's prosumer database product. PowerApps's capabilities feel similar to some of what Access is capable of, and also extend those powers to mobile devices.
Microsoft hasn't said that it plans to replace Access, but giving it major updates and improvements doesn't seem to be one of Microsoft's priorities. At the very least, PowerApps should be of interest to Access-reliant organizations because it could do what that application does better, even if Microsoft doesn't choose to replace it wholesale.
With PowerApps, Microsoft is playing in a rough and tumble market, which includes Salesforce and SkyGiraffe, a startup that the company funded through its Microsoft Ventures program. The latter has said that it looks forward to competing with Microsoft in this arena.
Database fans, start your clocks: Microsoft announced Monday that its new version of SQL Server will be out of beta and ready for commercial release on June 1.
The news means that companies waiting to pick up SQL Server 2016 until its general availability can start planning their adoption.
SQL Server 2016 comes with a suite of new features over its predecessor, including a new Stretch Database function that allows users to store some of their data in a database on-premises and send infrequently used data to Microsoft's Azure cloud. An application connected to a database using that feature can still see all the data from different sources, though.
Another marquee feature is the new Always Encrypted function, which makes it possible for users to encrypt data at the column level both at rest and in memory. That's still only scratching the surface of the software, which also supports creating mobile business intelligence dashboards and new functionality for big data applications.
SQL Server 2016 will come in four editions: Enterprise, Standard, Developer and Express. The latter two will be available for free, similar to what Microsoft offered with SQL Server 2014.
In addition to its on-premises release, Microsoft will also have a virtual machine available on June 1 through its Azure cloud platform that will make it easy for companies to deploy SQL Server 2016 in the cloud.
Many of the new features in SQL Server 2016 like Always Encrypted and Stretch Database are already available in Microsoft's Azure SQL Database managed service, but the virtual machine will be useful for companies that prefer to manage their own database infrastructure or that plan to roll out SQL Server 2016 on premises and want to test it in the cloud.
All of this comes a few months after Microsoft shocked the world by announcing that it would also release SQL Server on Linux in the future. That's a powerful sign of Microsoft's strategy of making its tools available to users on a wide variety of platforms, even those that the company doesn't control.
Microsoft last week outlined the timetable it will use to drop browser support for sites that secure traffic with SHA-1 certificates, part of an Internet-wide plan to rid the Internet of the weaker encryption.
With the delivery of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update -- slated to ship sometime this summer -- both Internet Explorer (IE) and Edge will stop displaying a lock icon for sites that reply on a SHA-1 certificate. That icon signals that the bits back and forth between browser and website are encrypted, and so not vulnerable to spying.
But Microsoft and other browser makers -- including Google and Mozilla -- have declared that SHA-1 certificates are unsafe because their encryption was insufficiently strong. Originally, the browser builders had agreed to stop trusting SHA-1-signed certificates on Jan. 1, 2017, but new research last year prompted them to consider a July 1, 2016 deadline.
Security researchers have demonstrated that cybercriminals can craft fake SHA-1-based certificates, which they could then use to dupe users into believing that a counterfeit website was the real deal.
Microsoft's IE and Edge won't actually block sites signed with a SHA-1 certificate until Feb. 14, 2017, that month's Patch Tuesday. Between this summer's removal of the lock icon and next year, users will be able to browse to such websites even though they will be marked as insecure.
The first-stage changes to Edge and IE11 in Windows 10 will appear with the Anniversary Update for that OS, and simultaneously in separate updates to IE11 for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. Microsoft said nothing about whether it would also update IE9, the sole company browser supported on Windows Vista. The omission may be due to Vista's impending April 2017 retirement.
Google and Mozilla have also pledged to drop support for SHA-1 by Jan. 1, 2017, but both have said that they may accelerate that to July 1, 2016.
Microsoft will update its Windows 10 Insider preview "soon," the company said in a Friday blog post, with the change to the lock icon.
The Redmond, Wash., company has published technical information here about its plans to end support for SHA-1-signed certificates.
This story, "Microsoft to begin SHA-1 crypto shutoff with Windows 10's summer upgrade" was originally published by Computerworld .
Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright is bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto, he claimed on his personal blog and in media interviews on Monday. Within hours, skeptics were pointing to flaws in his claims.
Wright was first outed as the developer of the cryptocurrency by Wired magazine in December, but would not confirm the magazine's claims at the time. Days later the magazine said fresh evidence pointed to another possibility it had raised: that Wright may be a sophisticated hoaxer.
But Wright really is Satoshi, he has claimed in interviews with the BBC, The Economist and GQ -- but not Wired.
The BBC backed his claim enthusiastically, headlining it "Craig Wright revealed as Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto." The Economist was more measured: "Craig Steven Wright claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto. Is he?"
Many readers are even more skeptical, but that's something Wright is resigned to.
"Some people will believe, some people won't, and to tell the truth, I don't really care," Wright said in a video interview with the BBC.
Satoshi's identity has been shrouded in mystery in the years since he withdrew from bitcoin development. His reappearance now could influence the future direction of bitcoin, including a key debate about the size of blocks in the blockchain.
Wright posted instructions on his personal blog on Monday on how to verify the validity of a digital signature -- and implied that a gobbledygook-looking string of text -- "IFdyaWdodCwgaXQgaXMgbm90IHRoZSBzYW1lIGFzIGlmIEkgc2lnbiBDcmFpZyBXcmlnaHQsIFNhdG9zaGkuCgo=" -- was a digitally signed message with a signature matching the private encryption key used to sign the ninth block of the bitcoin blockchain, thus proving that he is the technology's inventor.
However, a number of people are already disputing whether Wright's blog post proves anything at all.
The mysterious string of text is not a digital signature at all, they say, but merely a Base-64 encoding of the end of an earlier paragraph in the blog post: "Wright, it is not the same as if I sign Craig Wright, Satoshi."
Furthermore, say others, the encryption key linked to Satoshi that Wright uses is already publicly known as it is contained in the ninth block. Anyone with some knowledge of cryptography could have performed the same demonstration, they say.
In his video interview with the BBC, Wright himself betrays this: "I am about to demonstrate the signing of a message with the public key that is associated with the first transaction ever done on bitcoin," he says. But in fact, it is the private key of a public-private key pair that is used to sign a message.
Any signature associated with the ninth block of the bitcoin blockchain is significant because it contained a transaction transferring bitcoins from Satoshi to the late Hal Finney, a cryptographer and early bitcoin enthusiast.
While the private key to the ninth block is extremely likely to have been controlled by Satoshi, Wright's production of a message signed with that key would not in itself be conclusive proof that he and Satoshi are one and the same: Someone else could have used the private key at some time in the past to sign the message Wright claims to have signed.
Wright's refusal to sign a message chosen by someone else to demonstrate his possession of the key may be a sign that he cannot, as The Economist suggested.
The ninth block in the blockchain is important for its link to Finney, but the real Satoshi would also have possessed the private keys used to sign still earlier blocks in the bitcoin blockchain, including the all-important first.
Wright appeared to sign a message with the private key to the first block in a demonstration for The Economist but, the magazine warned, "Such demonstrations can be stage-managed; and information that allows us to go through the verification process independently was provided too late for us to do so fully." Nevertheless, the magazine said, Wright "seems to be in possession of the keys, at least for block 9."
Wright's claims and demonstration were enough to convince two stalwarts of the bitcoin community, Jon Matonis and Gavin Andresen, who communicated electronically with Satoshi in the early days of bitcoin without ever knowing his true identity.
Matonis, the founding director of the Bitcoin Foundation, corresponded with Satoshi in early 2010. He first ran into Wright at a conference on June 4, 2015, and that night told his wife he had "this weird feeling of having just met Satoshi," he wrote Monday morning in a blog post entitled, "How I met Satoshi."
At proof sessions in London last month, Matonis wrote, Wright signed and verified a message in his presence using the private keys from newly generated coins in the first and ninth bitcoin blocks.
"According to me, the proof is conclusive and I have no doubt that Craig Steven Wright is the person behind the Bitcoin technology, Nakamoto consensus, and the Satoshi Nakamoto name," Matonis wrote.
As for Andresen, who took over from Satoshi as lead developer of the bitcoin software, Wright's demonstrations were equally convincing: "I believe Craig Steven Wright is the person who invented Bitcoin," he wrote on his blog on Monday.
Andresen attended the same meetings in London as Matonis and the reporters from The Economist, the BBC and GQ.
"An initial email conversation convinced me that there was a very good chance he was the same person Id communicated with in 2010 and early 2011. After spending time with him I am convinced beyond a reasonable doubt: Craig Wright is Satoshi," Andresen wrote.
So what made Wright decide to make his claim now?
"I didn't decide," he told the BBC in a video interview. "I had people decide this matter for me. And they're making life difficult not for me but my friends, my family, my staff. I have staff here in London, I have staff overseas, and they want to be private, they don't want all of this to affect them. I don't want any of them to be impacted by this."
Other news organizations hoping Wright will repeat his claims and his message-signing demonstration on camera are out of luck.
"I'm going to come in front of the camera once, and I will never be on a camera, ever again, for any TV station or any media, ever," he said.
Dells planned $67 billion acquisition of EMC will create a broad collection of businesses called Dell Technologies.
Under that umbrella, the pure Dell name will live on in the companys client business, including its PCs, while its enterprise infrastructure division will be called Dell EMC, chairman and CEO Michael Dell announced on Monday at EMC World in Las Vegas.
Dell Technologies will be the only company selling everything from edge devices to core data centers and cloud infrastructure, a mission that rival HP backed away from when it split into Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Inc., Dell said.
He pitched the end-to-end strategy as a boon to customers who want a single partner that can do everything, letting them focus on business growth.
You want technology made easier, Dell said.
Dell Technologies will include all of whats called Dell today, plus EMCs core Information Infrastructure storage division, Pivotal, Virtustream, the partly public VMware and two security businesses: Dells SecureWorks and EMCs RSA unit.
For EMC, owning a collection of semi-autonomous businesses and making them add up to something more is called federation, and it has come under attack from some investors and skeptics. On Monday, Dell called it a family and said Dell Technologies will be able to align its businesses and invest in new technologies at its own pace as a privately held company.
The acquisition is on track under its original terms and timeline, Michael Dell said. The deal still needs regulatory and shareholder approvals.
EMC Chairman and CEO Joe Tucci received a standing ovation as he addressed the annual conference for what is likely to be the last time, before introducing Dell. Tucci has been CEO since 2001, one of the longest tenures in the tech industry.
EMC is joining Dell to take advantage of a revolution in technology brought about by cloud computing, the Internet of Things and agile software development, Tucci said.
We have to rediscover the art of writing software, Tucci said. Thats going to take IT to new heights, and youll see IT budgets go up significantly.
Qatar National Bank has admitted that its systems were hacked but said that the information released online was a combination of data picked up from the attack and from other sources such as social media.
The incident would not have a financial impact on the banks customers whose accounts are secure the bank said, without providing details of how its systems were hacked, the possible identity of the hackers, and what information was harvested.
The announcement Sunday by one of the leading financial institution in the Middle East follows the posting online last week of leaked documents. The attack only targeted a portion of Qatar-based customers, the bank said, claiming the hack attempted to target the banks reputation rather than specifically its customers.
QNB Groups Risk Team monitored abnormal activity in our system environment, this was immediately communicated to relevant authorities, the bank said in a statement. We also took immediate steps and our systems are fully secure and operational.
The 1.4GB trove of documents leaked online included both financial information such as customer transaction logs, personal identification numbers and credit card data, but on closer scrutiny was found to have folders with detailed profiles on specific individuals, including what appeared to be files on members of the Qatari royal family, employees of media outlet Al Jazeera, and people listed as working for the British MI6 and some other intelligence agencies, security firm Trend Micro said on Wednesday.
The attackers used an open source SQL injection tool to extract all of the customer data they needed, wrote Simon Edwards, cyber security expert at Trend Micro. SQL injection is used against against websites which use SQL (structured query language) to query information from the database server.
The log file suggests that the attack could have started about nine months ago in July last year, Edwards said.
QNB said Tuesday that it would not comment on reports in social media of an alleged data breach, but sought to assure all concerned that there was no financial impact on the bank or its clients.
A Turkish far-right group, called Bozkurtlar for Grey Wolves, has claimed responsibility for the bank breach, wrote security researcher Omar Benbouazza. The hack could be linked to the Syrian conflict, he added.
The group has uploaded a video online, claiming its role in the hack. The bank made a big mistake using known vulnerable software in the targeted host, said Benbouazza, who also believes that the attackers used an SQL injection.
Google Apps is getting a new set of tutorials. The tech giant announced Monday that it has acquired Synergyse, a startup that offered businesses a guided tutorial for Google Apps.
Synergyse's technology allowed businesses to give their users step-by-step interactive guides to doing things inside Google Apps like sending emails in Gmail, setting up appointments in Calendar and getting started with Docs. The tutorials are frequently updated with new features that Google releases, so users can stay current with new functionality that gets added to the different services.
Later this year, Google will integrate Synergyse's tutorials into Google Apps, so all Google's customers can have access to the services and get their employees up to speed on working in Apps.
The reason for the acquisition is pretty clear: Google said that on average, Synergyse customers make 35 percent greater use of Apps compared to other companies that dont have the training service. By extending that capability to more Apps customers, Google should be able to increase adoption of its productivity software and make it less likely for businesses to switch to another service like Office 365.
A representative for Google declined to disclose the terms of the deal. Existing Synergyse customers will continue to have access to the service now and after it has been integrated into Google Apps.
The move is another sign of the company's increased emphasis on driving adoption of its productivity suite, especially among businesses. A major hurdle that Google faces when it comes to attracting existing businesses is helping administrators manage the transition between Office (or another productivity software suite) and Apps.
Offering training for users who aren't comfortable with Google Apps may help the company pick up customers who might otherwise have stayed with what's comfortable.
While some Canadian officials are worried about distracted driving in the future, such as drivers being too busy having sex in self-driving cars to be attentive to the vehicles take over command, Michigan lawmakers are so worried about car hacking that theyve proposed making it punishable by life in prison.
Michigan Senators Ken Horn and Mike Kowall have proposed a cybersecurity bill aimed at hackers and connected and autonomous cars. While Senate Bill 928 (pdf) sets out the type of crime and corresponding sentencing guidelines for car hacking, Senate Bill 927 (pdf) spells out that car hacking will be a felony. Further down, the legislation says car hacking will be punishable by life in prison. I pasted that portion under the red line for your convenience to see it for yourself.
Automotive News quoted Kowall as saying, I hope that we never have to use it. That's why the penalties are what they are. The potential for severe injury and death are pretty high. Some of these people are pretty clever. As opposed to waiting for something bad to happen, we're going to be proactive on this and try to keep up with technology.
Of course we dont want to wait until hackers are remotely taking control and crashing cars before we figure out what should be done to malicious attackers, but if security researchers cant look for vulnerabilities without fear of life in prison, then arent we all less safe?
Would we have been better off not to know that hackers could remotely seize control of a Jeep as it is speeding down the highway? I dont think so. 1.4 million vehicles were recalled to fix the flaw in Fiat Chryslers uConnect. How else would the vulnerability have been fixed? Last month, the FBI and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a warning about cars being increasingly vulnerable to hacking. It specifically mentioned the scary Jeep hack. Security awareness is a good thing, but locking up people who discover the flaws that lead to awareness is a terrible idea.
If the bill was approved, it could signal a screeching halt to presentations such as the upcoming Remote Exploitation of an Unaltered Passenger Vehicle keynote to be given by Charlie Miller at the SecureWorld conference. Miller seems understandably aggravated, judging by an all-CAP tweet.
His follow-up tweet suggests we could all be convicted of a car hacking felony in Michigan.
And this is being proposed in Michigan, really? Ironically, Michigan is home of the University of Michigans Mcity, the worlds first controlled environment specifically designed to test the potential of connected and automated vehicle technologies that will lead the way to mass-market driverless cars. The 32-acre full-scale simulated real-world urban environment has been used for testing by Ford. Testing the real potential of connected or semi-autonomous cars surely involves hacking for safety and security purposes?
Michigan has Detroit, aka Motor City, and the state is also competing against California as the ultimate testing site for autonomous vehicles; in fact, Michigan used its harsh winters and real potholes as an argument for why it should be selected. All together, it makes Michigan a mighty strange place to try to pass a law which would lock car hackers up for life.
Distracted drivers
Regarding the Canadian concerns about distracted driving mentioned at the beginning of the article, CBC News quoted Barrie Kirk, of the Canadian Automated Vehicles Center of Excellence, as saying: I am predicting that, once computers are doing the driving, there will be a lot more sex in cars. That's one of several things people will do which will inhibit their ability to respond quickly when the computer says to the human, Take over. Kirk believes that once cars are fully self-driving, it may not be an easy task to ensure drivers are paying attention to the road and can assume control of the vehicle in case of an emergency.
Maybe don't tell Michigan...it might be outlawed and punishable by being locked up for life.
Nvidia and Samsung have avoided a potentially ugly court battle with a settlement that ends all outstanding intellectual property litigation between the two companies.
Nvidia sued both Samsung and Qualcomm in September 2014, accusing them of infringing seven of Nvidia's GPU patents.
Under Monday's agreement, Nvidia and Samsung will license "a small number" of patents to each other, though they said there's no broad cross-license agreement. There's also no financial payment.
Nvidia's short statement makes no mention of Qualcomm, so the two may still be at loggerheads.
Nvidia filed its complaints in federal district court and also with the U.S. International Trade Commission, asking it to block shipments of Galaxy phones and tablets with graphics processors from Qualcomm, ARM and Imagination Technologies.
Samsung countersued Nvidia and Velocity Micro for patent infringement, and for supposedly false claims by Nvidia that its Tegra K1 was the world's fastest mobile processor. Samsung claimed its Exynos 5433 was faster in some benchmarks.
The lawsuits disrupted otherwise peaceful relations between makers of ARM chips and opened the door to a potentially ugly court battle. Samsung's ARM-based chips are still used in mobile devices, but Nvidia has been focusing less on phones lately and more on automobiles, virtual reality and PCs.
Nvidia declined to comment further on the agreement and Samsung said it was "happy to resolve this dispute through a fair settlement."
At the time, Nvidia said it was the first intellectual property lawsuit it had initiated against another company in its 21-year history.
Ashland Electric Products Inc. of Rochester won a $142,266 federal contract from the Defense Logistics Agency for centrifugal fans.
L-3 Communications Corp. of Londonderry, won a $100,770 federal contract from the Defense Logistics Agency for night vision image intensifier housings.
MPB Corp. of Lebanon won a $74,888 federal contract from the Defense Logistics Agency for airframe roller bearings.
MPB Corp. dba Timken Aerospace of Lebanon won a $52,637.40 federal contract modification from the Defense Logistics Agency for cylindrical roller bearings.
Gentex Corp. of Manchester won a $41,313.58 federal contract modification from the Defense Logistics Agency for special purpose electrical cable assemblies.
Continental Microwave & Tool Co. Inc. of Exeter won a $36,584 federal contract from the Defense Logistics Agency for radio frequency cable assemblies.
Lyme Computer Systems Inc. of Lyme won a $34,002.04 federal contract set aside for small business from the U.S. Department of Labor for information technology equipment.
Historic Homes Inc. of Salisbury won a $16,600 federal contract set aside for small business from the U.S. Forest Service for floor stabilization. The place of performance will be at the Russell-Colbath Historic House in Albany.
Targeted News Service
Lord Flight is Chairman of Flight & Partners Recovery Fund, and is a former Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
The disgraceful conduct of the BMA, which behaves like the worst of the trade unions prior to the Thatcher Reforms, has not had adequate exposure. It told its members that the proposed new contract which offers a 13.5 per cent increase in basic pay, an overall pay increase for 75 per cent of the workforce and a guarantee of no pay cuts for anyone would slash their salaries by 30-40 per cent. The BMA has been negotiating with the Government for three years, during which time there have been three independent processes to broker a settlement and 75 negotiation meetings. The Government has granted 73 concessions towards the BMAs position. Yet the BMA says it will only drop the strike if it is allowed to resume its obstructive tactics.
Young doctors have been wickedly misled by the BMA to break the Hippocratic Oath although one in five has had the bravery to cross the picket lines. 125,000 operations and appointments have already been cancelled by 45,000 doctors. This is disgraceful. Not only is the pay deal offered very reasonable, but also young doctors should remember that the taxpayer has invested huge sums in their training.
Part of the reason for the BMAs aggressive behaviour is that the last Labour Government caved in to its demands for large extra pay and reduced out of hours responsibilities after the BMA declared war over attempts to reform the consultant contract in 2003. Labour gave the consultants a 27 per cent pay rise, along with the right for the first time to opt out of weekend work. Labour also oversaw the 2004 GP contract which increased salaries by 50 per centand so enabled GPs to take up the offer to allow them, for the first time, to opt out of providing out of hours care. The BMA negotiators later admitted they could not believe their luck.
The costs of the NHS have risen from about 20 billion a year when John Major was Prime Minister to 145 billion a year forecast for 2016/17. An independent report has found that 43 per cent of the additional NHS funding has gone on higher pay and prices, largely resulting from Labours cave in on pay in 2003/04. Proper manning of hospitals at weekends, moving to a seven-day service, represent a sensible and correct use of resources, because an ageing population and new clinical techniques are increasing the demands on the NHS.
Jeremy Hunt is correct to stand his ground, and should have greater support from both the total community of doctors and the public. The BMA needs dealing with, although it is worth noting that many doctors do not now join it. It has knowingly misled up to 45,000 junior doctors to substitute a hypocritical oath for their Hippocratic Oath. The letter from the BMA to junior doctors wrongly assures them that patients safety is the responsibility of hospitals and NHS Trusts, not individual doctors. The BMA has even circulated advice stating that doctors should feel no obligation to take responsibility nor return to work if disaster struck at their hospital, unless agreed by their Union contrary to the meaning of the Hippocratic Oath.
It is clear that the unrealistic objective of the BMA is to topple the Government. I just hope those young doctors whom the BMA has misled to go on strike will wake up to how they are being exploited by the BMA.
I thought that I should say something about the EU Referendum. It strikes me the Governments fear campaign has been over the top and is, if anything, having a contrary impact. People did not like Barack Obama being sent in to tell us what to do, and the main thing that people remember was that the President used the English word queue rather than its American equivalent line, indicating he had clearly been set up!
George Osbornes dodgy Treasury dossier went over most peoples heads. Those who understand such territory quickly spotted it was not based on fact but on highly debatable assumptions, with results that were magnified by Gordon Brown-type accounting cheating.
The Treasury considered the widest possible concept of income as GDP per household, where they should have taken disposable income per household: the GDP difference was divided not by the number of households, predicted to be 31 million in 2030, but by todays smaller number of 27 million both slights of hands boosting the alleged cost of Brexit. The extent to which the Chancellor claims we will be poorer is a bogus calculation of what is anyway a bogus concept. The range of independent forecasts of the impact on GDP of leaving the EU varies from minus 6 per cent to plus 10 per cent.
People also felt that the Government had cheated in going against what Parliament had advised in producing its 9m pro-EU membership propaganda document full of errors and questionable assumptions. It appears, however, that few people have actually read it!
The Remain Campaign is starting to run out of heavies to prompt to give dire warnings, where its key weakness is that it has little or nothing positive to say with regard to the claimed advantages of EU membership. It tried to make much of the role of the EU in keeping us safe from terrorists, but Sir Richard Dearlove, the former head of M16 boss, has put paid to that.
As he pointed out, our security and peace over the last half century have stemmed not from the EU but from NATO. We share serious intelligence only with the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Senior security figures privately deride EU intelligence sharing as of limited benefit. As Sir Richard pointed out, there could be positive benefits from Brexit, given the enhanced border controls and the extradition powers the UK could introduce outside the EU.
Nadhim Zahawi is a member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and MP for Stratford On Avon.
As London faces the decision on Thursday about who should be the new Mayor, many politicians in the Labour party have, during the last few weeks, been accusing Zac Goldsmith of running a racist campaign. Its the same old accusation from the same old Labour party. If youre not comfortable with something, get up on your high horse, claim someones racist until theyve been shouted down and then you can go home and convince yourself youve won the argument.
Quite frankly, it is appalling for the accusation of racism an accusation that is one of the most serious that can be made to be thrown around and used to make political points and to provide protection against questions that need to be asked.
This use grossly devalues the term of racism. It detracts from the suffering of people faced with real racism; whether theyre attacked in the street, or find themselves unable to find a job because their name or face doesnt quite fit. Anyone that has actually felt the sting of racism for themselves should be disgusted with its use in this pathetic way.
Why do I feel so strongly about Labour throwing around this term? Firstly, because Sadiq Khan has genuine questions to answer. Ive known Sadiq for many years, having both served together on Wandsworth Council in the 1990s and I know he is not a radical Islamist. But no one is saying he is. Hes simply being asked why he has, not just once but repeatedly, allowed himself to be associated with a number of individuals who have expressed abhorrent opinions, again and again. As a man who wishes to run London, he should answer questions about judgement without hiding behind cries of racism.
The idea that Zac Goldsmith, or any other Conservative is raising these issues because they have a problem with Sadiq being a Muslim is a joke. Has there been an outcry amongst my party whenever a Muslim, or any other individual from an ethnic minority background has ascended to be a councillor, an MP or a Secretary of State? No: in the modern Conservative party every person from every background has been supported, valued, and encouraged. I should know.
The invalidity of this accusation, and the obviousness of its weakness is shown by Yvette Coopers about-face on the subject. When she was running against Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership contest just eight months ago, remember- she was saying that he should distance himself from those who have quite extreme views, homophobic and pushing homophobic abuse and pushing extremist abuse. Now that Zac has said much the same about Sadiq she has said that it is a full blown racist scream.
Is it seriously only legitimate to ask such questions of a white man but not, in exactly the same terms, of a Muslim? If this was genuinely their thought process, it would be a case of patronising oversensitivity, but its not. The difference is not one of race, but one of party. Sadiq Khan is Labour, and Zac Goldsmith is a Conservative. Therefore its legitimate for Cooper to question Corbyn, but Zac cannot do the same to Sadiq. In reality, it is throwing around the accusation of racism for party political ends, to help a Labour candidate win an election, and it has been disgraceful to see.
Questions still need to be asked about the judgement of Sadiq Khan and Jeremy Corbyn. They are both putting themselves forward for difficult positions of great responsibility. No one wishes to see Hamas being invited to Downing Street, or anti-Semites visiting City Hall and they have met with these people, and spoken alongside them on many occasions. If their attitudes to legitimising these people has changed, then thats great. But we need to know why it has changed, and how they came to realisation that it is wrong to legitimise them. I cannot see how asking this is anything other than reasonable
Of course weve seen people being called racist for asking valid questions before. Just remember the last Labour Government, when anyone questioning their open door immigration policy was accused of being racist. They couldnt have been worried about the increase in demand for hospitals, schools or housing; they were just racist idiots. Or as the former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown said in one case, just bigoted. Its sad that despite claiming theyd learned their lesson on immigration, Labour quickly reached for the racism card, cynically and offensively.
It is even more galling that these accusations come at the time when another Labour MP stands accused of having made and supported anti-Semitic statements. Statements that included the relocation of Israel from the Middle East; this is not legitimate questioning of Israeli policy, but a suggestion that fits the description of ethnic cleansing. And in the context of a procession of anti-Semitic scandals involving a number of Labour members and councillors making other disgraceful comments, it just beggars belief that the party can still feel comfortable throwing racism around to silence others.
So no, Labour. I will not take a lecture on racism from you. Racism is awful, it blights too many lives in this country and it must be tackled by everyone; but we cannot allow false accusations of racism to be used in this way. It has to stop.
The question was whether or not David Cameron and George Osborne and other Remain campaigners
or Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and other Leave campaigners
or all four and both campaigns equally
are most to blame for the dangers to party unity after the EU referendum ends.
We also listed a blame-the-press option, as follows: There is no substantial danger to party unity after the EU referendum ends. The media is simply getting over-excited as usual.
The replies from our Party member respondents broke down as follows:
52 per cent said Cameron, Osborne and the Remain campaign is most to blame.
16 per cent said that Boris, Gove and the Leave campaign is most to blame.
11 per cent said blame should be shared equally.
And 20 per took the its-all-a-media-storm-in-a-teacup option.
Not a helpful finding for Downing Street.
Elsewhere, on our regular voting intention for the referendum question, there is no movement at worth noting.
Definitely for Remain: 19 per cent ( + 2 per cent).
Definitely for Leave: 59 per cent ( 1 per cent).
Leaning to Remain: 9 per cent ( + 1 per cent).
Leaning to Leave: 10 per cent ( 3 per cent).
Yet again, the sheer consistency of the survey shines through the returns.
SUBSCRIBE
Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates straight in your inbox.
Close
UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor is back yapping and is expectedly looking for ways to get himself back into UFC 200. His original tiff, a rematch with Nate Diaz was pulled recently after the Irishman refused to take part in the promotional tour for UFC 200.
With McGregor citing that he wanted to prepare and redeem himself following the second round submission at UFC 196, The Notorious found himself out of the main event. To date, Nate Diaz is still without an opponent though it is possible he too could be pulled. Diaz made it clear that he is only interested in McGregor and no one else.
Replacing the botched main event was a rematch as well. Instead of a McGregor vs. Diaz rematch, Jon Jones returns to face UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier. Knowing the drama and rivalry between the two fighters, such drowned all potential disappointment of not seeing McGregor once more.
McGregor has however not completely closed the door on being at UFC 200 which will be held at the T-Mobile Arena on July 9. Technically he is sort of promoting his rematch with Diaz though on a different medium which is Instagram.
A video posted by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on May 1, 2016 at 4:21am PDT
His efforts of drawing support to pressure Dana White and the UFC is unlikely to work with the cards already set.
Listen, Conors going to fight again, White said via MMA Junkie. Hes going to fight at UFC 201, 202, 203 whatever the deal might be. whats next when that plays out. But (UFC) 200 is the fight everybodys been looking to for a long time. It is what it is. The shows going to roll on, and Conor will fight again.
With more than a month to go, it will be interesting if any changes will allow McGregor back in. If not, the Irishmans future is equally interesting.
With UFC 200 officially out for now, it will be interesting where McGregor will be fighting next. A rematch with Diaz is still hanging but there is also his actual title that needs to be defended. In fact his challenger will be known at UFC 200 as well.
Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar will be slugging it out to determine the interim champion and the winner will get the change to lay his hands on McGregor moving forward. Both are eager to get their hands on the Irishman so that could stand out as a better matchup than a rematch with Diaz.
See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Printer Friendly Version For A New Rendezvous With Dr Ambedkar By Subhash Gatade 02 May, 2016
Countercurrents.org ..These are no ordinary times to discuss Dalit vision* or rather reach a consensus around what could be called Dalit Vision.You have on the one hand the upheaval witnessed in the country especially among educated young dalits and broader democratic sections symbolised by the institutional murder of Rohith Vemula and the mass movement which it has generated and at the other end of the spectrum renowned Dalit leaders paying obeisance before rabid reactionary forces. You have on the one hand slogans of Jai Bhim and Lal Salaam being raised in unison on campuses across the country and on the other the process of mythologising Dr Ambedkar and marginalising his meaning being underway nonetheless. Today as we embark on the task of understanding/analysing/debating Dalit Vision we have before us its multiple readings. A new radical reading of it visible in the experiences of the Ambedkar-Periyar Study Circle at IIT Madras or Ambedkar Students Association at HCU or at the other end of the spectrum people who venerate globalisation as the panacea of Dalit's ills or tell us that with advance of capitalism castes will vanish away are also there to proclaim that they are the true legatee of this vision. In fact a possibility does exist that the emancipatory thrust in this worldview is slowly being marginalised on the altar of pragmatic politics or around our immediate concerns of daily life. As an aside it is important to remember that Dr Ambedkar did have apprehensions about it and had cautioned his followers to this effect. It is one of the most poignant moments of his life that in a public meeting held in Agra in Feb 1956 - where there was a large gathering of newly educated youth from oppressed communities - he literally became emotional (in fact the late Prof Tulsi Ram has written that he literally cried) when he realised that they were not bothered about society or other depressed sections. 2. How does one proceed then to define/debate/discuss Dalit Vision in the present context, which is 'beyond rhetoric, decorative politicos and Brahminical hegemony? One way is to 'collect' all those 'visions' or readings and find some commonality from them. Definitely an impossible task ! What commonality could be derived from a 'vision' whose one manifestation supports status quoist politics and the other opposes it. Perhaps the best option available is to not to look at its present day exponents or its various manifestations available but its best exponent ever and see how he envisioned things, how he analysed 'his' present or how he forecasted 'future', what sort of cautions he shared with his comrades to be taken note of and taking him as our pole star look at 'our' present, and define Dalit Vision for our times. This revisiting would also serve another purpose. We have been witness to a new brand of converts supposedly to Ambedkar's worldview who have started claiming him more aggressively these days surpassing even his loyal followers. Our search would also help demonstrate how the forefathers of these new converts derided him when he was alive and even after his death and how he opposed their politics tooth and nail and cautioned his followers about it. Today when they are competing with each other to lay claim over his legacy let us not forget that one of their ideologues had even penned a few hundred page monograph 'Worshipping False Gods' in mid-nineties - which spew venom against Dr Ambedkar (http://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/falsifying-the-truth/203929) - an act for which he was suitably rewarded by them when they held reins of power at the centre for the first time, an act for which one is yet to see any apology or self-criticism from them. 3. Everybody would agree that it is challenging task to encapsulate a great wo/man's vision in a few words- who as a public figure has impacted not only her/his generation but future generations, initiated or channelised debates in the society, led struggles, mobilised people, wrote thousands of pages and left a legacy for all of us to carry forward ? And within a short timespan available before us it is next to impossible to look at Ambedkar's complete journey or rather quest to usher into - what Prof Gopal Guru writes - 'enlightened, inclusive India' from a 'bahishkrut' India. To save time one can focus more on the last decade of his life - the most tumultuous period in his as well as the newly independent nation's life - to know the important concerns which bothered his mind and how he envisioned the future trajectory of the movement he led and how he tried to chart a roadmap for the nascent nation with due support/cooperation and at times resistance from leading stalwarts of his time. It is true that such a focus would obviously rob us of an opportunity to look at the historic MahadSatyagrah - which we in Marathi call as 'Mahad Kranti' (1927) an important milestone in his political life, neither we will be able to look at the historic rally he organised against KhotPratha- a feudal practice - alongwith Communists, or his growing disillusionment with Hinduism witnessed after the unsuccessful Satyagrah for temple entry at 'KalaramMandir, Nashik' which continued for five years, the way he formed Independent Labour Party or how he told his followers (in his speech to Dalit Rail Workers) that they have to fight the twin enemies of 'Capitalism' and 'Brahminism' etc and many other milestones of his life. 4. First of all what was his vision for independent India or how he looked at a future roadmap for India. Yes, he has been rightly called the Chief architect of the Constitution and it was his intervention/presence - definitely with due support from Nehru and others - that he could include important pro-people or pro-dispriviledged provisions into it but we cannot be under any illusion that it was only 'his vision' which triumphed ultimately. The making of constitution itself was marked by pressures and counterpressures - from believers of radical change to the status quoists - and what came out can at best could be called a compromise document between various contending forces, ideas. Dr Ambedkar's separation between beginning of political democracy in India with the advent of one man one vote regime and the long hiatus he viewed for ushering into social democracy- regime of one man one value while dedicating constitution to the nation was in fact a reminder of the fact that the struggle is still not over. At another place he similarly underlined the limitations of such a constitutional exercise in a backward society like ours Indians today are governed by two ideologies. Their political ideal set in the preamble of the constitution affirms a life of liberty, equality and fraternity whereas their social ideal embedded in their religion denies it to them (As an aside let me mention here that I continue to have my reservations about Dr Ambedkar's participation in the making of constitution. What would have been the course of history if he would have decided to remain outside and fought for inclusion of pro-people provisions? While one can marvel at the strategic move by Gandhi who insisted for his inclusion - despite his lifelong struggle against Congress - but why Dr Ambedkar felt compelled to take up the work.Of course, that is for another time to sort out. ) And if we are keen to know his 'vision' about a future India then it can be discerned in the less discussed monograph 'States and Minorities : What are Their Rights and How to Secure them in the Constitution of Free India' which was basically a '[m]emorandum on the Safeguards for the Scheduled Castes for being submitted to the Constituent Assembly on behalf of the Scheduled Castes Federation' he led. (http://www.ambedkar.org/ambcd/10A.%20Statesand%20Minorities%20Preface.htm) The said monograph by the political organisation he led then does not limit itself to 'safeguards' but also talks of danger of majoritarianism, incompatibility of Hinduism with any change, and also suggests model of economic development which he himself describes as 'state socialism' 5. It would be quite enlightening for many of us how in the same monograph he envisaged that 'state shall not recognise any religion as state religion' and 'guarantee to every citizen liberty of conscience' but coming to the aspect of protection against economic exploitation declared that 'key industries shall be owned and run by the state' and even basic industries 'shall be owned by the state and run by the state'. He was of the opinion that 'agriculture shall be state industry 'where - state shall divide the land acquired into farms of standard size, and farm shall be cultivated as a collective farm, in accordance with rules and directions by the government and 'tenants shall share among themselves in the manner prescribed the produce of the farm left after the payment of charges properly leviable on the farm' He further explains this clause in the following words: 'The main purpose behind the clause is to put an obligation on the State to plan the economic life of the people on lines which would lead to highest point of productivity without closing every avenue to private enterprise, and also provide for the equitable distribution of wealth. The plan set out in the clause proposes State ownership in agriculture with a collectivised method of cultivation and a modified form of State Socialism in the field of industry.'..'State Socialism is essential for the rapid industrialisation of India. Private enterprise cannot do it and if it did it would produce those inequalities of wealth which private capitalism has produced in Europe and which should be a warning to Indians. Consolidation of Holdings and Tenancy legislation are worse than useless.' Interestingly he does not propose that the idea of state socialism should be left to legislatures but by 'law of the constitution.' The plan has two special features. One is that it proposes State Socialism in important fields of economic life. The second special feature of the plan is that it does not leave the establishment of State Socialism to the will of the Legislature. It establishes State Socialism by the Law of the Constitution and thus makes it unalterable by any act of the Legislature and the Executive.' 6. In the same monograph he clearly differentiates between 'Untouchables' and 'Hindus'. Gone were the days when he felt that Hinduism would reform itself from within and also it had been more than a decade that he had declared at Yeola conference that he 'may be born a Hindu but he will not die a Hindu'. He is unequivocal about the 'Hindu population which is hostile to them (untouchables)' and emphasises that it is 'not ashamed of committing any inequity or atrocity against them'. He is also not hopeful about their situation under Swaraj what can Swaraj mean to the Untouchables ? It can only mean one thing, namely, that while today it is only the administration that is in the hands of the Hindus, under Swaraj the Legislature and Executive will also be in the hands of the Hindus, it goes without saying that such a Swaraj would aggravate the sufferings of the Untouchables. For, in addition to an hostile administration, there will be an indifferent Legislature and a callous Executive. The result will be that the administration unbridled in venom and in harshness, uncontrolled by the Legislature and the Executive, may pursue its policy of inequity towards the Untouchables without any curb. To put it differently, under Swaraj the Untouchables will have no way of escape from the destiny of degradation which Hindus and Hinduism have fixed for them... He was very much aware about the dangers of majoritarianism implicit in the way Indian nationalism has developed which according to him [h]as developed a new doctrine which may be called the Divine Right of the Majority to rule the minorities according to the wishes of the majority. Any claim for the sharing of power by the minority is called communalism while the monopolizing of the whole power by the majority is called Nationalism. And to protect the rights of the minorities (remember he does not restrict himself with religious minorities here but also includes the 'scheduled castes' in his definition) he proposes a form of executive which could serve following purposes (i) To prevent the majority from forming a Government without giving any opportunity to the minorities to have a say in the matter. (ii) To prevent the majority from having exclusive control over-administration and thereby make the tyranny of the minority by the majority possible. (iii) To prevent the inclusion by the Majority Party in the Executive representatives of the minorities who have no confidence of the minorities. (iv) To provide a stable Executive necessary for good and efficient administration. In fact, his fears vis-a-vis the majoriatarian impulses were evident in the political manifesto of the Scheduled Castes Federation itself the political outfit which was set up by him in 1942 which rejected the RSS and Hindu Mahasabha as reactionary organizations. The Scheduled Castes Federation will not have any alliance with any reactionary party such as the Hindu Mahasabha or the RSS, (See Vol 10 of Dr BhimraoRamjiAmbedkarCharitragranth, a Marathi book by ChangdevBhavanraoKhairmode, or refer to http://www.hardnewsmedia.com/2016/04/appropriating-ambedkar#sthash.b53dwFL4.dpuf) And anyone who has looked at the making of Indian constitution would tell us why he considered them 'reactionary' parties. History is witness to the fact that they opposed its making and suggested in their organs that instead of a new constitution, the newly independent nation should adopt Manusmriti. A laughable suggestion right now but was seriously raised by its proponents. The worst [thing] about the new Constitution of Bharat, is that there is nothing Bharatiya about it [T]here is no trace of ancient Bharatiya constitutional laws, institutions, nomenclature and phraseology in it...no mention of the unique constitutional developments in ancient Bharat. Manus laws were written long before Lycurgus of Sparta or Solon of Persia. To this day his laws as enunciated in the Manusmriti excite the admiration of the world and elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity [among Hindus in India]. But to our constitutional pundits that means nothing. (Excerpts of Editorial on Constitution, Organiser' November 30, 1949, whose final draft had just been presented to the Constituent Assembly by Ambedkar. In his monograph 'Pakistan or Partition of India' he reiterates his fears vis-a-vis the possible majoritarian turn at the hands of those who vouched for 'Hindu Raj' If Hindu Raj does become a fact, it will no doubt, be the greatest calamity for this country. No matter what the Hindus say, Hinduism is a menace to liberty, equality and fraternity. On that account it is incompatible with democracy. Hindu Raj must be prevented at any cost. Ambedkar, Pakistan or Partition of India, p. 358 7. Much on the lines of lack of debate/discussion around 'States and Minorities' another important intervention during that period led by him has also received little attention. It was related to the struggle for Hindu Code Bill and happened to be the first attempt in independent India to reform Hindu personal laws to give greater rights to Hindu women. Attempt was to put a stamp on monogamy and also ensure separation rights to Women and also grant them rights in property. We know very well that it was a key reason that Ambedkar resigned from the Cabinet led by Nehru because he felt that despite lot of attempts not much headway could be made in granting these rights. In his resignation letter he underlined the importance he attached to the bill To leave inequality between class and class, between sex and sex, which is the soul of Hindu Society untouched and to go on passing legislation relating to economic problems is to make a farce of our Constitution and to build a palace on a dung heap. This is the significance I attached to the Hindu Code. - (See more at: http://www.hardnewsmedia.com/2016/04/appropriating-ambedkar#sthash.b53dwFL4.dpuf) It is now history how the Hindutva Right and the Conservative Sections within the Congress coupled with the Saffron robed Swamis and Sadhus had joined hands to oppose the enactment of Hindu Code Bill. In fact, this motley combination of reactionary, status quoist forces did not limit itself to issuing statements it opposed the bill on the streets and led large scale mobilisation at pan India level against the bill. There were occasions when they even tried to storm Dr Ambedkar's residence in Delhi. The main argument peddled against Ambedkar was that the bill was an attack on 'Hindu Religion and Culture' One can get an idea of the resistance to the bill listening to the intervention by AcharyaKriplani on the floor of the house. While supporting the bill he said "I am afraid I do not see the point in Hindu religion being in danger, Hindu religion is not in danger when Hindus are thieves, rogues, black marketeers and bribe-takers. Hindu religion is not endangered by people who want to reform a particular law . May be, they are over zealous, but it is better to be over zealous in things idealistic than be corrupt in material things. " .. AcharyaKripalani on the floor of the house while discussing Hindu Code Bill, (24 Dec 1949, Economic Weekly) An excerpt from RamchandraGuha's book gives an idea about the resistance to the bill. The anti-Hindu code bill committee held hundreds of meetings throughout India, where sundry swamis denounced the proposed legislation. The participants in this movement presented themselves as religious warriors (dharmaveer) fighting a religious war (dharmayudh). The RashtriyaSwayamsewakSangh threw its weight behind the agitation. On the 11th of December, 1949, the RSS organised a public meeting at the Ramlila grounds in Delhi, where speaker after speaker condemned the bill. One called it an atom bomb on Hindu society The next day a group of RSS workers marched on the assembly buildings, shouting Down with Hindu code bill The protesters burnt effigies of the prime minister and Dr Ambedkar, and then vandalised the car of Sheikh Abdullah. ('India after Gandhi', Guha ; See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/bhagwats-ambedkar/#sthash.6ZNPVwHq.dpuf) Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, founder of BJPs predecessor, the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, had said the Bill would shatter the magnificent structure of Hindu culture. In fact, like Mahatma Phule - whom he called the 'Greatest Shudra' and included him in the triumvirate of Buddha, Kabir whom he considered to be his teachers - the concern for women's emancipation always existed in movement led by Ambedkar. 8. I will accept and follow the teachings of Buddha. I will keep my people away from the different opinions of Hinyan and Mahayan, two religious orders. Our BouddhaDhamma is a new BouddhaDhamma, Navayan. Dr.BabasahebAmbedkar,Press interview on 13 October 1956 at Sham Hotel, Nagpur An important development in the last decade of his life was his decision to embrace Buddhism with lakhs of followers. Apart from his deep fascination for Buddhism from younger days, his conversion to Buddhism had also to do with his contention that the 'untouchables' were in fact former Buddhists. He elaborates it in his book 'The Untouchables: A Thesis on the Origin of Untouchability(1948). ( For details : https://kafila.org/2016/04/26/jayadeva-uyangoda-on-ambedkars-legacy/) Thus it could be also said to be return to 'their' original religion than a conversion. Interestingly one finds deep commonality between Dr Ambedkar and JyotheeThass, the great Tamil-Buddhist Scholar, who also maintained that 'Untouchables' were early Buddhists. His 'conversion' to Buddhism was also renouncement of Hinduism which according to him had '[p]roved detrimental to progress and prosperity of my predecssors and which has regarded human beings as unequal and despicable' ( See Pledge 19) If one refers to the 22 pledges he administered to the followers on the occasion then one can broadly categorise them into four -complete rejection of Hindu gods (e.g. I will not accept Brahma,Vishnu and Mahesh as God and will not worship them) and their worship and the related rituals (I will not perform shraddhaPaksh or Pind Dana(Rituals to respect the dead), acceptance of the principles and teachings of Buddhism, declaration that 'all human beings are equal' and 'no faith in divine incarnation'. An important aspect of this 'return' or 'conversion' is the fact that it was also a reinterpretation of Buddhism which he described as Navayan - a new vehicle. Apart from a big monograph 'Buddha and His Dhamma' where he tries to revisit Buddha one can get a glimpse of his reading of Buddha and his teachings from the speech he delivered in Kathmandu, merely a fortnight before his death which was posthumously published as 'Buddha Or Karl Marx.' (http://www.ambedkar.org/ambcd/20.Buddha%20or%20Karl%20Marx.htm) Summarising 'The Creed of Buddhism' he while underlining necessity of 'religion for a free society' says many things which would be rather unacceptable to a scholar or follower of religion where he seems to reject the 'necessity of God' as well as Shastrasand rituals . Like he says 'Religion must relate to facts of life and not to theories and speculations about God, or Soul or Heaven or Earth' 'It is wrong to make God the centre of Religion.', It is wrong to make salvation of the soul as the centre of Religion, It is wrong to make animal sacrifices to be the centre of religion; real Religion lives in the heart of man and not in the Shastras ; Man and morality must be the centre of religion. If not, Religion is a cruel superstition; It is not enough for Morality to be the ideal of life. Since there is no God it must become the law of life.' Ambedkar differentiates himself from popular definitions of religion first by criticising the way religion(s) have tried to explain origin and end of world around and says that its 'function is to to reconstruct the world and to make it happy'. And he further explores source of unhappiness and does not talk about 'sins' or 'otherworldly affairs' but says that 'unhappiness in the world is due to conflict of interest and the only way to solve it is to follow the AshtangaMarga' Further elaborating on 'Creed of Buddhism' he says that 'private ownership of property brings power to one class and sorrow to another' and 'it is necessary for the good of Society that this sorrow be removed by removing its cause' While religions the world over have remained the basis of 'othering' - which in extreme cases have resulted in big genocides also - Buddhism as perceived by Ambedkar ' All human beings are equal' 'Worth and not birth is the measure of man'. While supporting 'War for truth and justice' and also emphasising that 'Victor has duties towards the Vanquished' in the last portion of his summary of creed of Buddhism', he not only challenges monopoly of the few over learning (Every one has a right to learn. Learning is as necessary for man to live as food is) , he also discusses that ' Everything is subject to the law of causation' and 'nothing is final,; Nothing is infallible. Nothing is binding forever. Everything is subject to inquiry and examination' 'Nothing is permanent or sanatan. Everything is subject to change. Being is always becoming.' 9. This speech - as the title shows - also throws light on his views about Marxism. Of course it is not for the first time that he had expressed his views on the theme. In his famous booklet 'Annihilation of Caste' he had already made it clear that while he appreciates goal of Marxism but is repelled by its Indian Practioners. In this speech also he declares that 'Buddha is not away from Marx' if 'for misery one reads exploitation', For him non-violence is not an issue of principle. 'The Buddha was against violence. But he was also in favour of justice and where justice required he permitted the use of force. ' Ambedkar further writes that 'Violence cannot be altogether dispensed with. Even in non-communist countries a murderer is hanged. Does not hanging amount to violence? Non-communist countries go to war with non-communist countries. Millions of people are killed. Is this no violence? If a murderer can be killed, because he has killed a citizen, if a soldier can be killed in war because he belongs to a hostile nation why cannot a property owner be killed if his ownership leads to misery for the rest of humanity? There is no reason to make an exception in favour of the property owner, why one should regard private property as sacrosanct.' He also underlines that even 'Buddha established Communism so far as the Sangh was concerned' The Russians are proud of their Communism. But they forget that the wonder of all wonders is that the Buddha established Communism so far as the Sangh was concerned without dictatorship. It may be that it was a communism on a very small scale but it was communism without dictatorship a miracle which Lenin failed to do. Of course he underlines that 'The Buddha's method was different. His method was to change the mind of man: to alter his disposition: so that whatever man does, he does it voluntarily without the use of force or compulsion. Perhaps the last para in his speech he makes concluding remarks in this debate and seems to validate [what friend AnandTeltumbde calls] 'his decision as confirming to Marxism, minus violence and dictatorship in the latter.' (http://www.countercurrents.org/teltumbde160812.htm) ..It has been claimed that the Communist Dictatorship in Russia has wonderful achievements to its credit. There can be no denial of it. That is why I say that a Russian Dictatorship would be good for all backward countries. But this is no argument for permanent Dictatorship. ... We welcome the Russian Revolution because it aims to produce equality. But it cannot be too much emphasised that in producing equality society cannot afford to sacrifice fraternity or liberty. Equality will be of no value without fraternity or liberty. It seems that the three can coexist only if one follows the way of the Buddha. Communism can give one but not all. 10. As I said in the beginning these are no ordinary times to discuss Dalit vision. We have before us an India where (to quote Prof AchinVanaik) ..[t]he centre of gravity has shifted perhaps decisively to the right, in three crucial spheres : economy, secularism and democracy. It is an India where the political dispensation at the centre is busy furthering the exclusivist/majoritarian worldview of HindutvaSupremacism coupled with the neoliberal agenda under the glib talk of development and concerted attack has been unleashed on (what Ambedkar defined as ) minorities of various kinds and other deprived sections. What can be said to be the contours of Dalit Vision for our times then. It will have to be necessarily for ensuring that'state shall not recognise any religion as state religion' and 'guarantee to every citizen liberty of conscience', it has to be against 'majoritarianism of every kind' and specifically -to prevent majority from forming a Government without giving any opportunity to the minorities to have a say in the matter.- for women's emancipation,, for State ownership in agriculture with a collectivised method of cultivation and a modified form of State Socialism in the field of industry, against inequalities of wealth which private capitalism produces, it will have to be necessarily for annihilation of caste as The existence of the Caste System is a standing denial of the existence of ideals of society and therefore of democracy.(Speech on the Voice of America radio (20 th May 1956) It will be for reason and rationality and scientific temper and not for dumbing down of minds. It does not need reminding that it will not be based on sanitisation or vulgarisation of Dr Ambedkar in any form as it is being experimented these days. While his appropriation by the Hindutva Right has been widely commented upon and exposed as their attempts to carve out a 'suitable' Ambedkar for their project based on exclusion and hatred, much needs to be done to expose his projection as a free market economist. (http://www.countercurrents.org/teltumbde110911.htm) Scholarly sounding pieces have appeared based on selective quotes from his vast corpus of writings to project him as a 'Free Market Economist [ http://blog.mises.org/16519/ambedkar-the-forgotten-free-market-economist/ ] or Capitalism is being valorised supposedly for annihilation of caste (Chandrabhan Prasad and MilindKamble, Manifesto to end caste : Push Capitalism and industrialisation to eradicate this pernicious system, Times of India, 23 rd January 2013). It is being argued by noted columnists and upcoming industrialists from the oppressed communities that Capital is the surest means to fight caste. In dalit's hands, capital becomes an anti-caste weapon; little wonder that the traditional caste code prohibits dalits from accumulating wealth. Dalit capitalism is the answer to that regime of discrimination. The manifesto demands promotion of dalit capitalism through a variety of means-procurement, credit options and partnerships. An important point is Dalit Vision will have to be wary of 'Hero worship' or laying 'liberties at the feet of a great man' as it can culminate in 'subverting of institutions' in a Democracy as Ambedkar has warned us. In fact he had this to say while dedicating Constitution to the nation. This caution is far more necessary in the case of India than in the case of any other country. For in India, Bhakti or what may be called the path of devotion or hero-worship, plays a part in its politics unequalled in magnitude by the part it plays in the politics of any other country in the world. Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics, Bhakti or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship. Everybody can see that this caution has contemporary import. It was only last month that a responsible minister of the ruling dispensation told us that honourable PM was "God's gift to India' While Bhakts can rejoice about this unique gift to India every sensible person would agree that if this trend is allowed to continue then it is a 'sure road to degradation and eventual dictatorship.'
(Draft of Presentation made at a Discussion on Dalit Vision : Beyond Rhetoric, decorative politicos, Brahminical hegemony and Maharashtra 1 st May 2016, organised by India International Centre, Maharashtra SanskritikaniRannanitiAdhyaynSamiti and Working Group on Alternative Strategies) Subhash Gatade is the author of Pahad Se Uncha Aadmi (2010) Godse's Children: Hindutva Terror in India,(2011) and The Saffron Condition: The Politics of Repression and Exclusion in Neoliberal India(2011). He is also the Convener of New Socialist Initiative (NSI) Email : subhash.gatade@gmail.com
Tweet WhatsApp Share Share on Tumblr Comments are moderated
Research That's A Blessing And Research That's A Threat
By Anwar Khursheed
02 May, 2016
Countercurrents.org
Science through its application brought terrific benefits to society, yet upon closer analysis environmental pollution, ecological imbalances, radiation causing indescribably horrific sufferings. There is a thin line between research that's a blessing and research that's a threat.
Professor Lisa Bortolotti, University of Birmingham while discussing philosophy of cognitive science in her book titled An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (John Wiley and Sons Ltd) provided a lively and accessible introduction to ethical implications of scientific research. She paid special attention to the complex relationship between the advancement of science, policymaking, and public interest and to the continuity between scientific research and other human activities. David Papineau says In a way, bioethics is the science of science.
Bioethics is the moral discernment as it relates to medical policy, practice, and research concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, and philosophy. The scope of bioethics includes cloning, gene therapy, life extension, human genetic engineering, astroethics and life in space. There is no dearth of examples of conflicting science; to name a few;
The experimental mutation of rare viruses, development of nuclear weapon in the name of power generation and nuclear medicine through uranium enrichment, thought policing by using Brain scanning to accurately read a person's thoughts could be a valid apprehension of misuse; otherwise an extraordinary tool to enhance security or the treatment of brain damaged patients unable to move or communicate, the charge of artificial rains over the coffee plantation is initially a fiction but could be reality in future. The best possible elucidation to global warming is manipulating Earth's environment on a planetary scale through geoengineering, Prenatal diagnosis lies in the fragments of DNA to develop fetal genetic screening raising the thorny ethical issues.
The experimental mutation of rare viruses can do either help in developing new strains to curb potential hazards or create a new deadly virus which could be potential bio-weapon. The possibility of such a situation does exist in many scientific fields, whose enquiry may cause serious threat to the global security. The ethical issues as the outcome of many researches could create painful social dilemmas.
Separation of radioisotopes for nuclear power generation and nuclear medicine production could be very tempting, but the same could be used for development of nuclear weapons, the same research could either be bane or boon. Uranium found in nature consists largely of two isotopes, U-235 and U-238. The production of energy in nuclear reactors is from the 'fission' or splitting of the U-235 atoms, a process which releases energy in the form of heat. U-235 is the main fissile isotope of uranium. Natural uranium contains 0.7% of the U-235 isotope. The remaining 99.3% is mostly the U-238 isotope which does not contribute directly to the fission process. Isotope separation is a physical process to concentrate (enrich) one isotope relative to others from 0.7% to 3% to 5% U-235 in their fuel. The extent of enrichment extended beyond 90% is sufficient to make a bomb. Because the chemistry of the various isotopes is almost identical, sorting one from another has always been one of the major barriers to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Today's state-of-the-art technology involves cascades of thousands of centrifuges, and huge infrastructure, normally difficult to perform secretly; the stalemate of Iran and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the most recent episode.
Alternatively, lasers can be used quickly, quietly and more efficiently to excite the levels associated with the desired isotope and, together with other technology; can sort the uranium-235 from the rest. Nearly a decade back South Korea applied laser technology to enrich uranium-235 to near weapons purity in a matter of weeks. However, it remained unnoticed and undetected for years together and was unearthed accidently.
This advent of laser which started with the separation of Calcium-48 for medical use in the diagnosis of bone disorders; and Nickel-64, a promising agent for cancer therapy developed by Texan researcher Mark Raizen. The desired isotopes push electrons into higher energy states by the cheap and tunable laser whose wavelength of operation can be altered in a controlled manner. Despite acute shortage of medical isotopes the high risk of nuclear proliferation does exist. Opinion is divided; Raizen argued that it is unlikely that his technique will work well for heavy elements such as uranium but others stress that laser-enrichment technology should be undertaken with caution as it make ends up into unsafe hands or even terrorists.
Thought policing by using Brain scanning to accurately read a person's thoughts could be a valid apprehension of misuse; otherwise an extraordinary tool to enhance security or the treatment of brain damaged patients unable to move or communicate. Accurately reading a person's thoughts could be an extraordinary breakthrough namely; application in criminals arrest, brain damaged patients cure, recovery of voice, taste, touch, movements and other feelings through functional MRI.
At the same time each person's brain is different; it's far from clear that scientists will ever come up with a general-purpose 'mind-reading' algorithm for all. For another, functional MRI machines could not easily be deployed in airports. Even if they were, a simple shake of the head would throw them off. You can't build a detector that says 'this person is going to blow up a plane now. The entrepreneurship in 'neuromarketing' has already introduced lie-detection and tools of measuring an individual's subconscious emotional responses to stimuli. All this please us till it is used for well being, but the moment it comes to mind that someone could use a machine to gain access to your most secret inner thoughts the prospect of such a device raises hackles.
The best possible elucidation to global warming is manipulating Earth's environment on a planetary scale through geoengineering; for instance ambient temperature control through solar -radiation management by virtue of tiny particle spraying in the stratosphere to reflect or attract the incoming sunlight or shifting of excess carbon dioxide from the air through algal blooming of large water bodies by nutrient seeding (iron) to shift the carbon dioxide from the air to the ocean floor.
The charge of artificial rains over the coffee plantation is initially a fiction but could be reality in future. The conservationists perhaps rightly expect that geoengineering might be reckless in the extreme and further ignite the volatile politics of climate change. The Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engineering (SPICE) project of the British government consisted of pumping water up a one-kilometer tall hose and spray it into the air to test solar-radiation management to investigate the technique which could produce the same type of global cooling effect as a large volcanic eruption such as Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in June 1991 (but without any disruption from hot lava, ash or smoke, which would not be present). In the two years following that eruption the Earth cooled on average by about half a degree Celsius. The objective of SPICE research project was to understand whether or not these natural processes can be mimicked and, if so, with what effect, but the project was halted out of the concerns about the lack of government regulation of such geoengineering projects were raised. The opinion was much split on those who favour says the altitude is too low to alter the climate, and there is plenty of water vapour already up there, David Keith, a geoengineering specialist at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts says It doesn't pose a risk other than the hose falling on someone's head,, however on the other side of the fence environmentalists sounded the alarm on moral hazard in addition to unintended consequences such as accidentally shifting rainfall patterns and triggering droughts. The environmental organizations such as Ottawa, Canada based ETC Group; its director Pat Mooney argues that the very presence of such an experiment may make politicians think that there's a way to wriggle out of emissions caps underway on climate negotiations stalled around the world and It will be an easy way for governments to sidestep their obligations,.
Prenatal diagnosis lies in the fragments of DNA to develop fetal genetic screening to understand the baby's future behaviour and health. Cure of specific diseases based on this method are already a reality; for example Downs syndrome detection in the embryo itself is more than 95% sensitive, making it comparable to more invasive tests such as amniocentesis. Because it carries no risk, says Dennis Lo, a pathologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Other genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis may also be detected during early pregnancy, but it raises some thorny societal questions and many more pregnancies might be terminated, there are countries that are very concerned about mental retardation and might be willing to enforce genetic selection to avoid it, insurance companies or public-health services might resist paying for the care of disabled children if their birth could have been avoided opined Henry Greely, a bioethicist at Stanford University in California. Developments in genomics have made full foetal sequencing possible and affordable, might raise even more contentious issues like termination of pregnancy due to high disease risk even though that disease might occur much later in old age in the future, or might never occur at all, given that it is currently impossible to predict whether this condition or the vast majority of other diseases will occur on the basis of genetic information alone.
At present, there are no guidelines on how to counsel prospective parents about the avalanche of genetic information they may be about to receive. Dennis Los predicament is how to convince parents before birth about a disease that could be cured within a child's lifetime. Who knows where medical science will be in 60 years?
The ethics or philosophy of science has in more recent times become an increasingly important subject, but the modern day scientific ethics has their roots under the ethics or morality underpinning Islamic Science. Incisive thought from one of the greatest Muslim scholars of all time, Al-Ghazali (1058-1111) and great historian Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406)), states that "total reflection also includes inner reflection, and the pursuit of knowledge should not be divorced from ethical and value criteria." Hence, one could indeed argue that experimental and empirical efforts cannot be completely divorced from one's heart, inner intuition, insight or conscience. Reason and revelation go hand in hand, it would then seem, while science and knowledge are at once personal and social. Consideration for higher ethics under Islam is expressed in many ways. As early as the 9th century, the physician Ishaq bin Ali Rahawi wrote the first treatise on`adab al-tabib, i.e. medical ethics. In this treatise, Rahawi labels physicians as "guardians of souls and bodies" and in this treatise he spells out all the deeds and acts a Muslim physician must observe. Muhammad ibn Zakariya ar-Razi (854-925), too, in his medical work did so much to `humanise' medicine by taking into consideration the patient's problems and attitudes and God imposed on physicians the oath not to compose mortiferous remedies."
The modern history of ethics in science started with Renaissance when science got popular with the masses, but most of the scientists remained cautious about the application and use of their work. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) drew a distinction between offensive and defensive warfare, and emphasized the role of good defenses in protecting peoples liberty from tyrants. He refused to divulge the details of his plans for submarines out of his apprehension. John Napier (1550-1617), the inventor of logarithms, also experimented with a new form of artillery. Upon seeing its destructive power, he decided to keep its details a secret, and even spoke from his deathbed against the creation of new kinds of weapons. Robert Boyle (1627-1691) a pioneer of physics and chemistry concealed all his inventions related to a variety of potentially harmful subjects, including poisons, invisible ink, counterfeit money, explosives, and kinetic weaponry and said my love of Mankind has obliged me to conceal, even from my nearest Friends. Alfred H. Lloyd (1905) Ethics and Its History (American Journal of Sociology, 11, No. 2) is a detailed discourse on this topic published more than a century back describing the Dependence of Ethics on Natural Science, and the Important Difference between Ethics as Personal Experience and Ethics as a Social Profession.
The golden principle is the dissemination of knowledge; despite the fact that people did not always think that the benefits of freely disseminating knowledge outweighed the harms. F.S. Taylors in his book The Alchemists, (H. Schuman, 1949) says, Alchemy was certainly intended to be useful .... But [the alchemist] never proposes the public use of such things, the disclosing of his knowledge for the benefit of man. . Any disclosure of the alchemical secret was felt to be profoundly wrong, and likely to bring immediate punishment from on high. The reason generally given for such secrecy was the probable abuse by wicked men of the power that the alchemical would give . The alchemists, indeed, felt a strong moral responsibility that is not always acknowledged by the scientists of today.
The intention is not to create panic but to just press the alarm button that look we should not be swayed by the rosy claims rather go by the ethics, if benefits greatly outweigh the risks.
Dr. Anwar Khursheed is Professor of Environmental Engineering in the Department of Civil Engineering in Aligarh Muslim University and University Engineer, Building Department, AMU Aligarh. He did his under graduate and masters programme from AMU and PhD from IIT Roorkee. He possesses teaching and research experience of about 33 years. He has also served for three years in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He was involved many design and consultancy projects out of which 46 were major. He is mainly teaching subjects related to Environmental & Pollution Control Engineering. His research areas are Wastewater Treatment, Energy Recovery Processes, Nutrient Removal, and Reverse osmosis. He has published more than forty (40) papers in various International and National journals and conferences. He has also delivered dozens of invited talks and expert lectures, 59 projects and dissertations. He has completed large number of projects including Campus-wide Networking on 10 Gigabyte OFC backbone & Camus Wi-Fi projects and Construction projects of more than 200 crores. He also headed Computer Centre as its Director and FCI as Principal and presently he also hold the position of Nodal Officer of the Camus-wide Networking Project (Wi-Fi Project).
Asthma: We Can Beat It But Not Kill It
By Shobha Shukla
02 May, 2016
Citizen News Service - CNS
World Asthma Day is Tuesday, 3rd May 2016
Asthma is a common chronic non-communicable disease (NCD) that is usually characterised by inflammation of the bronchial tubes or airways of the lungs. 10,000 litres of air and blood pass through our lungs and, as a result, they deliver 350 litres of oxygen every day. If this delivery is hampered in any way it leads to respiratory distress or breathlessness. The episodic onset of respiratory symptoms is called an asthma attack.
During an asthma attack, the bronchial tubes in the lungs become inflamed and narrow, resulting in wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing. Even though asthma cannot be cured, we can keep it under control with proper management. The Global Asthma Report 2014, pegs the number of people suffering from this disease worldwide at 334 million. The report also says that even though asthma is a rare cause of mortality, contributing to less than 1% of all deaths in most countries, it is often a cause of reduced quality of life not only due to its physical ill effects, but also due to its high economic, burden. It is also a major cause of school and work absence. Further, avoidable asthma deaths are still occurring due to inappropriate management of asthma, including over-reliance on reliever medication rather than preventer medication.
India has an estimated 30 million people with asthmaaccounting for nearly 10% of the global burden. During a recent webinar [Watch the webinar recording here: www.bit.ly/apr16-recording ] organised by CNS (Citizen News Service) and The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), in the lead up to World Asthma Day, Professor Surya Kant, Head, Respiratory Medicine Department, King George Medical University, strongly advocated use of inhaler therapy (as opposed to oral therapy) for management of asthma. He informed that while a reliever inhaler is used to quickly relieve (within few minutes) a bronchial spasm caused by sudden constriction of the airways muscles, a preventer/controller inhaler has anti-inflammatory properties. It takes 1-3 hours to act, and has a long term effect lasting more than12 hours.
While relievers provide symptomatic relief, they are not meant for regular use. Preventer inhalers should be taken regularly, twice daily, by people living with asthmairrespective of their status of wellness, advised Dr Surya Kant. If a person is on proper inhalation therapy, he/she can keep this lifelong disease under control forever and lead a very normal and healthy life. But if they are on oral therapy, then they lead a compromised life and mortality rates could also be high. However, he lamented that in India only 20% of the patients use inhalers while the rest 80% are on oral therapy. Prof Surya Kant also warned against use of alternative medicine to treat asthma. Till date no medicine other than inhalation therapy is effective for asthma management. Many herbal medicines were used before the advent of inhalation therapy, as there was no proper medication available. But as of now, no herbal, ayurvedic or any other system of medication can manage asthma. So please do not go for any medication other than preventer inhalation therapy. If a person is on proper inhalation therapy, he/she can lead a very normal and healthy life. But if they are on oral therapy, then mortality rates could be high.
Bronchial asthma is due to interaction between genetic constitution of a person and the environment. If a person is genetically hypersensitive, environmental irritants like air pollution, tobacco smoke, indoor and outdoor allergens, biomass smoke, harmful chemicals in the workplace, as well as cold air, iced drinks and physical exercise can act as potential triggers of asthma attacks and must be avoided by asthma patients as much as possible. Iced drinks are a big causative factor for asthma in a hot country like India. A study conducted at the Patel Chest Institute, Delhi found that mosquito repellants are also a trigger/causative factor for asthma. Also smells of room fresheners, paints, incense sticks, perfumes etc should also be avoided by those with asthma, warned Dr Surya Kant.
In recent years, Yoga has gained global popularity as a form of exercise with general life-style benefits. Some studies have also investigated the potential of yoga to relieve asthma-related problems. A recent systematic review by Cochrane, has summarised the results of 15 such randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared yoga with usual care or no/sham intervention in people with asthma, and reported at least one of the following outcomes: quality of life, asthma symptom score, asthma control, lung function measures, asthma medication usage, and adverse events. Most of these studies had been conducted in India, followed by Europe and the United States. 6 studies looked into the effects of breathing alone during yogic exercises, whilst the other assessed the effects of yoga that included breathing, posture and meditation.
The review authors found moderate-quality evidence in 5 studies that yoga leads to small improvements in quality of life and symptoms in people with asthma. However, evidence about potential adverse effects of yoga and its impact on lung function and medication usage is uncertain, because either the results varied or only a few very small studies reported these outcomes. As a holistic therapy, yoga might have the potential to relieve both the physical and psychological suffering of people with asthma. However, the review authors warn that while practicing yoga might have some beneficial effect on symptoms and quality of life in people with asthma, RCTs with large sample sizes and high methodological and reporting quality are needed to draw any firm conclusions about the effects of yoga for asthma. In the aforesaid webinar, that was incidentally organised just one day before the release of the Cochrane review, Dr Surya Kant too had said that, as of now, Yoga exercises might help, but cannot be an alternative to inhalation therapy. Rather Yoga could be an add-on to inhalation therapy.
Prof Surya Kant advocates the 5-D approach for asthma management comprising;
Doctorwell trained and well informed Diagnosis/Differential diagnosis correct and accurate Drug and dosageappropriate inhaler therapy Devicedry powder or multi dose inhaler Deliberationpatient education and guidance
Shobha Shukla is the Managing Editor of Citizen News Service - CNS. Twitter: @shobha1shukla, @cns_health; Facebook.com/CNS.page; Email: shobha@citizen-news.org; website: www.citizen-news.org)
US Military Whitewashes Attack On Afghan Hospital
By Peter Symonds
30 April 2016
WSWS.org
The Pentagons final report into last Octobers deadly US airstrike on a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital in northern Afghanistan is a brazen whitewash. The protracted attack by an AC-130 gunship on the medical facility in Kunduz killed 42 civilians, some of whom were burned alive in their beds, and others mowed down as they attempted to flee.
General Joseph Votel, commander of US Central Command, told a press conference yesterday that the attack on the MSF hospital was not a war crime because it had not been intentional. He claimed that neither the gunship crew members nor the Special Forces on the ground directing the attack knew they were striking a medical facility.
The report blamed the deaths on human errors compounded by process and equipment failures. None of those involved will face a court marshal or criminal charges. Instead, 16 American military personnel have been punished with administrative actions that range from suspension and removal from command to letters of reprimand. None have been named, and some are still active in overseas war zones.
The Pentagons account of events on the night of October 3 is riddled with contradictions. The AC-130 supposedly took off early without the crew being briefed and without a database being uploaded to the aircrafts computers that would have identified the Kunduz hospital as a protected building. MSF had previously provided coordinates to the US military, and the hospital was marked with the organisations insignia.
The report claimed that the hospital had been mistaken for the intended targetthe National Directorate of Security building that had been taken over by Taliban forcessome 400 metres away. The aircrafts data link failed and it came under fire, forcing it to move to a safe distance. The coordinates provided by Afghan ground forces supposedly directed the aircrafts weapons at an empty field, forcing the crew to rely on visual identification.
At 2:08 am, the AC-130 gunship, which is armed with 40mm and 20mm cannons as well as a 105mm howitzer, began its devastating attack. Within minutes, MSF personnel contacted the American military saying they were under fire, but the onslaught continued.
According to the Pentagon report, the Special Forces commander on the ground finally called off the attack at 2:38 amhalf an hour later. A MSF inquiry based on eyewitness statements found the assault continued for between 60 and 75 minutes, clearly contradicting the Pentagons claims.
Moreover, the Pentagon report itself concluded that the hospital was not being used by the Taliban as a base of operationsnegating Afghan government allegations to the contrary. No one was firing or carrying out hostile acts from the hospital. Yet the Special Forces commander on the ground ordered the attack anyway in violation of rules of engagement that authorise airstrikes only to protect US or allied forces.
At his press conference, General Votel justified the attack by declaring that the American aircraft was operating in an extraordinarily intense combat situation in which it was trying to support Afghan troops. At the same time, he claimed that it was often not possible for trained operators to tell if fire was coming from a particular building or location.
The Pentagons account is simply not credible. If the aircraft was plagued by equipment failure and the crew had difficulty identifying the target, why was the mission not simply aborted?
Doctors Without Borders has reiterated its call for an independent inquiry. MSF President Meinie Nicolai told the media: Todays briefing amounts to an admission of an uncontrolled military operation in a densely populated urban area, during when US forces failed to follow the basic laws of war...
There are questions here, on the self defence called in by the troops, even though it was a quiet evening. Why didnt they call off the operation if they had such a malfunctioning system, they had a duty to take precautions, and they had doubts about the target? Nicolai said.
John Sifton, Asia policy director of Human Rights Watch, told the New York Times that the failure to bring criminal charges was inexplicable. He said that the Pentagons assertion that no war crime had been committed because the attack was unintentional was flatly wrong, pointing out that recklessness or negligence did not absolve someone of criminal responsibility.
In reality, the Pentagons elaborate account of human errors and equipment malfunctions stinks of a carefully contrived cover-up. A far more straightforward explanation is that the US military deliberately targeted the hospital either to assassinate a particular high-value individual, or to destroy a facility that treated everyone, including wounded Taliban fighters.
The chief responsibility for what is clearly a war crime rests not just with the immediate operational commanders but with the Pentagon top brass and the Obama administration. Hundreds of civilians have been slaughtered as a result of indiscriminate drone attacks in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and other countries.
Moreover, in nearly a decade-and-a-half of war in Afghanistan, the Pentagon has routinely denied responsibility for civilian deaths. It has acknowledged such crimes only when, as in the case of the Kunduz hospital, the evidence is overwhelming. In the wake of the Kunduz slaughter, the US military provided a so-called condolence payment of $6,000 to the families of the dead and $3,000 to injured victims.
The Pentagons whitewash of the airstrike on the Kunduz hospital is in marked contrast to the immediate US condemnation of an alleged Syrian government attack on a MSF hospital in the city of Aleppo on Wednesday. At least 27 patients and staff were killed in the attack.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the US was outraged by the attack. Without waiting for facts and details, he declared that it appears to have been a deliberate strike on a known facility and follows the Assad regimes appalling record of striking such facilities.
Kerrys denunciation of the Aleppo attack simply underscores the crimes of the Obama administration for which no one has been held accountable.
TTIP Leaked Documents Show Obama Demands Killing Paris Accord Against Climate Change
By Eric Zuesse
02 May, 2016
Countercurrents.org
"248 pages of leaked Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiating texts show that the American negotiating position, as Greenpeace put the matter, allows "No place for climate protection in TTIP, and, though "We have known that the EU position was bad, now we see the US position is even worse.
Jorgo Riss, Director of Greenpeace EU, said, "The effects of TTIP would be initially subtle but ultimately devastating. It would lead to European laws being judged disregarding environmental protection and public health concerns.
A 70-year-old EU rule, which allows nations to restrict trade in order to protect human, animal and plant life or health," or for "the conservation of exhaustible natural resources, would end, if U.S. President Barack Obama gets what he wants.
Furthermore, the Precautionary principle is forgotten: its currently enshrined in the EU Treaty, but Obama wants it gone; it is stated in the EU Treaty as allowing "rapid response in the face of a possible danger to human, animal or plant health, or to protect the environment. In particular, where scientific data do not permit a complete evaluation of the risk, recourse to this principle may, for example, be used to stop distribution or order withdrawal from the market of products likely to be hazardous. Obama wants there to be no ability for EU nations to withdraw from the market products likely to be hazardous. All products would be assumed safe, unless proven not to be.
Other TTIP developments in recent days:
Britains Independent headlined on April 29th, "TTIP could cause an NHS sell-off and UK Parliament would be powerless to stop it, says leading union, and reported that a labor union, Unite, was determined to block TTIP from going into effect in the UK: "Gail Cartmail, Unite assistant general secretary, said that it was 'a scandal' that MPs [Members of Parliament] may not have the democratic power to stop TTIP, which she said 'threatens the irreversible sell-off of our NHS [National Health Service]. Privatization of government assets is favorably viewed by Obama.
Tamara Hervey, a professor of EU law at the University of Sheffield, told the Independent, "The UK government could include a reservation in the agreement to say that it does not include the NHS. As far as I understand, that isn't on the table, even though several other EU countries have already put such reservations in the negotiating text. British Prime Minister David Cameron, like Obama, is strongly in favor of privatization.
The Independent said, "Obama used a recent visit to the EU to push for the completion of TTIP, promising it would remove 'regulatory and bureaucratic irritants and blockages to trade. Now, we know that in his mind the EUs existing regulations concerning environmental protection and product safety belong in that category: bureaucratic irritants and blockages to trade.
Britains Guardian banners on May 1st, Leaked TTIP Documents Cast Doubt on EU-US Trade Deal, and Arthur Nelson in Brussels, reports that, "Because of a European ban on animal testing, 'the EU and US approaches remain irreconcilable and EU market access problems will therefore remain, which is yet further indication of Obamas free-market convictions: he doesnt accept any ban on animal-testing of products. Presumably, he wants to allow corporations to determine what the cheapest way to determine a products safety or dangerousness is, regardless of whether the animal model thats used tells anything reliable about the products safety on humans. If one nations testing procedure is less reliable than anothers, then Obama wants the two to compete as equals, so that the incentive will exist for all corporations to use the cheapest method, regardless of the methods reliability, or even humaneness. Obama didnt run for President as a libertarian, but he turns out to be remarkably libertarian in his policies. Hes pushing for a vigorous race to the bottom, in all sorts of regulations.
Polls show Obama to have extremely high approval-ratings in European countries, such as 62% in Germany (far higher than any German national politician). Polls also show TTIP to be extremely unpopular there. The contradiction apparently isnt noticed by respondents approval of a politician has no clear correlation with the politicians policies. Obama is black, and he speaks well; and, perhaps thats enough. Perhaps Europeans dont really care very much about such things as global warming, product-safety, or humaneness toward animals. If thats true, then EU Parliamentarians can likewise ignore such matters and simply vote to approve TTIP, notwithstanding the merely nominal opposition to it amongst the electorate. The percentage of voters who really care about such issues might actually be inconsequential. If thats the situation, then corruption makes sense, because the money that a politician thereby obtains for his/her campaign will far outbalance the potential loss of voters support that results from violating their interests only words will matter, a politicians actual record wont, in terms of the given politicians support by voters. If thats true, then the results of democracy might be no better than the results of dictatorship; there might be no real difference.
Certainly, the disabling of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change would have enormous impact; but, if a politicians rhetoric has a bigger effect on his favorability-rating than his policies do, Obama might be highly regarded even when the planet is burning up as a consequence of his policies.
Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of Theyre Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records, 1910-2010, and of CHRISTS VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that Created Christianity.
SHARE
Alzheimer's Association Program: "Living with Alzheimer's," 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday at the Alzheimer's Association, 701 N. Weinbach Ave. ($5 donation suggested). Registration required by calling 800-272-3900.
FA (Families Anonymous): a 12-step fellowship for the family and friends of those individuals with drug, alcohol or related behavioral issues. Meetings are at 10 a.m. Saturdays at Methodist Temple, 2109 Lincoln Ave. Use the Kelsey Avenue entrance, second floor. Information: 812-550-5777.
Bereavement support group: Meeting 5:30-7 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month in the large group meeting room, second floor of Central Library, 200 SE MLK Blvd.
Men's bereavement support group: Meeting 9-10:30 a.m. the second Monday of each month in Room 204 at Deaconess VNA Plus, 610 E. Walnut St.
Support group for bipolar/manic-depressive disorder: Meeting 7 p.m. the first and third Wednesday of each month, Kempf Bipolar Wellness Center, third floor of St. Mary's Rehabilitation Institute, 3700 Washington Ave. Information: 812-485-4934.
Survivors of Suicide support group: Meeting 6:30 p.m. the first and third Monday of each month, Methodist Temple, 2109 Lincoln Ave. Information: Mental Health America at 812-426-2640.
Mending Hearts pregnancy loss support group: Meeting 6:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month, Gift Conference Room, off the lobby of St. Mary's Hospital for Women & Children, 3700 Washington Ave. Information: 812-485-4204.
Men's cancer support group: Meeting 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month, St. Mary's Epworth Crossing Community Conference Room, 100 St. Mary's Epworth Crossing, Newburgh. Information: 812-485-5725.
Stroke support group: Meeting 10 a.m. the fourth Wednesday of each month, St. Mary's Community Education Room at Washington Square Mall, 5011 Washington Ave. Information: 812-485-5607.
ALS support group: Meeting 6:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month, Meeting Room E, Deaconess Gateway Hospital. The support group is for patients, caregivers and survivors who have lost someone to Lou Gehrig's disease.
Women's cancer support group: Meeting 5:30 p.m. the second and fourth Monday of each month, St. Mary's Epworth Crossing Community Conference Room. Information: 812-485-5725.
Pulmonary fibrosis support group: Meeting 4 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month, Room 1420, Deaconess Hospital, 600 Mary St. Information: 812-450-6000 or deaconess.com/calendar.
COPD/asthma support group: Meeting 4 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month, Room 1420, Deaconess Hospital, 600 Mary St. Information: 812-450-6000 or deaconess.com/calendar.
Parkinson's support group: Meeting at 5:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month, Room 350, Deaconess Physician Center, 600 Mary St. Information: 812-450-6000 or deaconess.com/calendar.
Tri-State Multiple Sclerosis Association support group meetings: 10 a.m. the second Saturday of each month, Tri-State MS Association Office, 971 S. Kenmore Drive, Evansville (contact Nita Ruxer at 812-479-3544 or Sharon Omer at 270-333-4701); 10 a.m. the fourth Saturday of each month, Gibson General Hospital, fifth floor, first room on the right, 1808 Sherman Drive, Princeton, Indiana (contact Alice Burkhart at 812-782-3735); 11 a.m. the second Tuesday of each month, Twilight Towers, in the cafeteria, 1648 10th St., Tell City (contact Terri Hasty at 812-649-4013 or Gayle Taylor 812-719-2417); 10 a.m. the third Saturday of each month, Daviess Community Hospital, Washington, Indiana (contact Cindy Kalberer at 812-254-6735 or Fran Neal at 812-259-1565); 10 a.m. the first Saturday of each month, Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, 2360 Green River Road, Henderson, Kentucky, (contact Meg Burnley at 270-826-9507 or Debbie Whittington at 270-827-8298); 6 p.m. the second Monday of each month, Owensboro Health Healthpark, 1006 Ford Ave, Owensboro, Kentucky; and 11 a.m. the first Saturday of each month, Fairfield Memorial Hospital in the board room of Horizon Clinic, 303 NW 11th St., Fairfield, Illinois (contact Kathie Hill at 618-847-8452).
Compiled by Leah Ward,
leah.ward@courierpress.com.
SHARE Carltez J. Taylor
By Mark Wilson of the Courier and Press
The Vanderburgh County Prosecutor's Office will seek a life sentence for an Evansville teenager accused of a fatal shooting linked to an alleged gang rivalry.
Carltez Taylor, 18, is charged with murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the Nov. 28 shooting of 17-year-old Javion Wilson.
Prosecutors on Friday filed a notice to seek a life without parole sentence for Taylor if convicted and cited criminal gang activity as the sole statutory reason for it.
Defense attorney Barry Blackard has objected and a hearing has been set for 2 p.m. May 9 in Circuit Court.
"It just seems extreme under this set of circumstances," Blackard said.
He said the life-without-parole notice, as well as the conspiracy charge, were filed after the Feb. 20 deadline for making new filings in the case.
"The paperwork filing on Friday morning allows our office an option as we go forward with the case," said Whitney Riggs, spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office. "His eligibility for life without parole is due to the facts of the case. Ultimately though, the final decision will be up to the jury."
Under Indiana law, in cases where life without parole or death sentences are sought juries decide whether or not to recommend it. Criminal gang activity is one of the aggravating factors listed in Indiana law that the state must prove to secure a life without parole or death sentence. Judges are legally bound to accept the jury's sentence.
Blackard said that DNA was recovered from a handgun reportedly used in the shooting but it does not match Taylor.
"I've seen many cases that are far more egregious than this, where there was far more evidence, and life without parole was not filed," Blackard said.
Investigators were told Taylor had "announced his intent to kill members of the gang known as "Cream Team" just before the shooting, according to an affidavit of probable cause. That proclamation was made while Taylor was inside a residence at 819 W. Franklin St. on the night of the shooting. Taylor is also accused of showing a gun to other people before he allegedly confronted Wilson in the street.
The conspiracy charge is based on the March grand jury indictment of Danilyn Grossman, 17, who has been charged with aiding, inducing or causing murder.
Taylor, Grossman, and possibly others are alleged to have conspired to lure Wilson to the street corner, where he was shot, and then to hide evidence, including a gun. According to the charge, Grossman and/or Taylor contacted Wilson by cell phone and convinced him to go to an area around Second Avenue and Franklin Street. Taylor and possibly others then reportedly exited the house with a 9 mm handgun.
Grossman is alleged to have met Wilson, who was with another male, and reportedly convinced them to wait at the corner of Michigan Street and Second Avenue. Taylor is then accused of firing the gun at them, according to the charge.
The last life without parole case in Vanderburgh County was in September 2015, when a Superior Court jury recommended not to impose a life sentence on Christopher Compton, after convicting him of three counts of murder for starting a fatal fire. However, in Compton's case, Judge Robert Pigman sentenced him to consecutive sentences for 200 years in prison.
Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks during a United Steel Workers Local 1999 rally in Indianapolis, Friday, April 29, 2016. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
By Zach Evans of the Courier and Press
Several thousand people are expected Downtown Monday morning for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders' campaign rally ahead of the Tuesday primary.
But local law enforcement say don't expect the same numbers -- or fervor -- as last week's Donald Trump rally.
Sanders, who's trailing Hillary Clinton in the primary race, will hold a rally at Old National Events Plaza. Doors open at 8 a.m. with the event starting at 10 a.m.
The exhibit rooms will be standing room only on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Sanders will be the third White House hopeful to assemble at Old National Events Plaza in the last week. Republican candidate Ted Cruz had a crowd of about 1,000 last Sunday, and Republican front-runner Donald Trump brought in about 12,000 for his rally Thursday.
Sheriff Dave Wedding expects several thousand Downtown for the rally on Monday, but expects a calmer atmosphere.
"I don't think Bernie will bring the dynamics that Donald Trump did. I think the crowd will be smaller, and there won't be as much tension in the air," Wedding said.
Despite issues at other Trump rallies across the country, including one in California that included arrests and violence between protesters and rally-goers hours after his Evansville stop, there were few issues between protesters and attendees at the Trump event Thursday except for a protester arrested on suspicion of "mooning."
Sanders, who's had a campaign office in town for more than a month, is the first Democratic presidential candidate to visit Evansville.
Clinton has had very little presence in Southwestern Indiana this primary election. There is no Clinton campaign headquarters in Evansville, and she's had no campaign stops in the region so far.
Former President Bill Clinton made a pair of small stops in town a private speech with union labor officials and local Democrats and a meet-and-greet at Penny Lane Coffeehouse.
In 2008, when she was chasing then Sen. Barack Obama's delegate lead, Clinton and her surrogates made a handful of stops in the region. Clinton narrowly won Indiana, including Vanderburgh County, eight years ago.
The margin is thin, but Clinton has polled better than Sanders in Indiana this month, so far.
In an NBC-Wall Street Journal-Marist College poll (pdf) published Sunday, Clinton had a slim edge over Sanders, with 50 percent of likely Democratic primary voters saying they'd vote for her and 46 percent saying they'd vote for Sanders. That four percent split is less than the poll's 4.6 percent margin of error.
Three percent of respondents were undecided in the poll.
By Richard Gootee of the Courier and Press
The polls in Indiana are open until 6 p.m.
And for Vanderburgh County residents that means registered voters can cast their ballots at any of the county's vote centers, regardless of which precinct they call home. Unlike in last year's municipal elections, all 22 voting centers countywide not just the ones inside Evansville city limits will be open starting at 6 a.m. All polls in Indiana close at 6 p.m. local time.
However, there is one recent location change: The Salvation Army is no longer being used as such a center. After last fall's city election, officials at the North Fulton Avenue location asked to be replaced as a voting location because it was interfering with meal service. Taking the Salvation Army's place is Pleasant Chapel Baptist Church, located at 1305 W. Florida St.
For a full list of voting centers visit the county clerk's webpage at www.vanderburghgov.org.
In 2015, Albright United Methodist Church replaced Old North Methodist Church as a voting center. Albright will again be used as voting center this year while Old North will not. Albright is located at 606 Van Dusen Ave.
Because of Election Day, the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Civic Center is closed on Tuesday.
All Hoosier voters, Vanderburgh County or otherwise, will need to present a valid driver's license or identification to vote on Tuesday. Prospective voters who do not have such identification may be allowed to cast a provisional ballot. Bureau of Motor Vehicle branches are open on Tuesday until 6 p.m., for people who need to obtain or renew items that can be used for proper identification.
A lawsuit filed on 14 April by US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharra gives an insider's view on how frighteningly easy it is for a company to be duped out of a huge sum of money. In this case almost US$100 million (AU$128 million).
The civil forfeiture lawsuit was filed in federal court in New York City and is being brought on behalf of an unidentified American company that was suckered out of $98.9 million over a four-week period late last northern summer.
Luckily, the majority of the money has already been recovered and this suit is specifically going after the remaining US$25 million that is being held in at least 20 overseas banks, according to court documents.
This is more than twice as large as any reported loss that we have seen, Ryan Kalember, senior vice president of Cybersecurity Strategy, told SCMagazine.com in an email Friday US time.
What this case perfectly illustrates is the step-by-step process a criminal can take implementing such a scam and all of the warnings that were ignored by the victim.
The scam
Considering the massive pile of money involved, the scheme itself was extremely simple and used by cybercriminals every day, albeit to normally steal smaller amounts of plain old data. It was a classic spearphishing attack.
According to Bharra's suit, the scam was initiated around 10 August 2015, when the victimised company received an email purportedly from an Asian-based vendor with which it has frequently done business in the past.
The email in question contained the name D Talan, AR and was not picked up not by the victim company itself. Instead it came to an email address set up and monitored by an outside firm hired by the victim to deal with its vendors and other payees.
The initial email from Talan simply asked for some background information regarding its billing history with the victim. This information was supplied on 11 August and then that same day a follow up email was received by the vendor's partner from Talan informing the company that the vendor's banking information would be changing and they wished to know who to contact at the victim company to make the change so any payments would go to the correct account. On 17 August Talan gave the victim's payment partner the new account information and it was placed into the victim's system.
Starting around 21 August the payment partner began sending a series of 16 payments to the new, fraudulent account, as part of its usual business. All appeared to be going well when on 14 September both the victim and its payment company received word from the real vendor that it had not received any payments starting 22 August, or the day after Talan's account information was input into the system.
Warning signs
A quick investigation ensued and when Talan's email was studied it was quickly discovered to have several irregularities, including a @mail.md domain instead of the vendor's corporate domain name. In addition, it indicated that the domain was hosted in Moldova, far from the vendor's true location in Asia.
The final indicator that something was amiss was that the funds were deposited into a Eurobank facility in Cyprus, and not at a bank in the vendor's home nation.
If any of these indicators had been flagged from the start the entire scam would have been stopped in its tracks.
Employees should be suspicious if they receive a request for unusual information or a wire transfer via email, even if it appears to come from a high-level executive. Check the reply-to email address and always call to confirm. If a vendor changes their wiring instructions over email, call them to confirm. If the CEO requests a significant transfer that is unusual, call him or her to confirm it. If the email header has a warning from your email security system, such as a subject like [BULK] or [SUSPICIOUS], then contact the vendor directly on the phone, do not enter the invoice for payment, Kalember said.
Lucky
A US magistrate working with Eurobank quickly froze the Cypriot account stopping about US$74 million of the stolen money from moving out.
This was an extremely lucky and somewhat rare occurrence as most wire transfers one completed are tough to reverse.
Recovering money can be difficult if sent by wire. As the transaction may be irreversible within a short time window. There have been many variations of these scams in the past and they have been going on for some time. Luckily, international law enforcement has been taking note of these scams to better monitor, mitigate the financial losses and arrest the criminals responsible, Terrence Gareau, chief scientist of Nexusguard, told SCMagazine.com in an email.
The victim was not so lucky with its remaining funds because the bad guys had almost immediately moved them from Eurobank and spread them around to 19 other banks to help duck authorities.
The court document did indicate that US authorities know where those accounts are located with one being in Estonia.
This article originally appeared at scmagazineus.com
Amazon Web Services has announced that its physical data migration device Snowball is now available in Australia.
Snowball, first debuted at the vendor's re:Invent conference last November, is a rented device that physically migrates data from on-premises hardware to the AWS public cloud.
AWS chief security information officer Stephen Schmidt said Wednesday morning at AWS Summit Sydney that Sydney, to serve the Asia-Pacific, and Dublin, to serve the European Union, have opened as the first Snowball reception centres outside North America.
The geographic expansion came simultaneously as the release of a new 80TB Snowball device, up from the 50TB capacity released last year. Sydney and Ireland will only accept the new 80TB model for processing.
Schmidt told the packed crowd at the Hordern Pavilion that his company is seeking to "increase the awareness and delivery" of Snowball internationally.
"We're committed to having Snowball available in every AWS region by the end of 2016," he said.
The 23-kg Snowball, which looks like a hard suitcase, is "rugged enough to withstand a 6G jolt" and has a 10GB network connection. The rental service includes couriering of the appliance to and from the data source.
Stephen Schmidt and Snowball at AWS Summit Sydney
Data transfer acceleration: money back guarantee
The cloud giant also launched the Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration service. The offering attempts to speed up data uploads by utilising Amazon edge - a 50-location network that was previously reserved for the Amazon CloudFront content delivery service.
Schmidt said that even the best technology could not overcome physics and the tyranny of distance: "We've provided tools in the past to accelerate [data movement] as much as we can, through multi-part uploads. But for very large files that need to move long distances, this can still be very challenging."
However, using a reserved network - currently used primarily for downloading content - for mass data uploads resulted in a 300 percent improvement in transfer speeds "for most use-cases".
Schmidt expressed AWS' confidence in the acceleration with a satisfaction guarantee.
"If you try out our transfer acceleration service and it's not faster than your standard upload, you don't pay for it," he said at the Sydney conference.
Partners, customers and potential customers from around Australia are attending the AWS Summit Wednesday and Thursday in inner city Sydney.
Lifeboat Network has sprung a leak.
A division of Hydreon Corporation, Lifeboat runs servers for Minecraft Pocket Edition the smartphone version of the immensely popular video game Minecraft. According to security researcher Troy Hunt, who maintains a database of compromised user credentials, accessible via his Have I Been Pwned? website, Lifeboat's network was hacked in January 2016, resulting in a data breach exposing the mobile game's seven million-plus user base.
Hunt, also a Microsoft regional director, publicly exposed the data leak yesterday on Twitter, noting that at the time, six percent of Lifeboat gamers' credentials were already on his database.
In a subsequent interview with Motherboard, Hunt accused Lifeboat of failing to notify its customers of the incident. Moreover, passwords accessed in the breach also hashed with a weak MD5 algorithm, making them susceptible to cracking.
Just today, Lifeboat issued a security update acknowledging the breach, noting that leaked information included usernames, weakly encrypted passwords and emails, but not personal information such as real names or addresses.
In its statement, Lifeboat explained that upon learning of the breach, it chose to be discreet, forcing customers to reset their passwords without explaining why. We did not learn of the breach until late February. At that time we prompted you to choose a new password in-game," the statement read. "The password that you chose is encrypted using much stronger algorithms, and we've taken steps to better guard the data.
In the Motherboard article, several Minecraft Pocket Edition players said they never received a password reset.
"I'm glad to finally see a statement from them, although I feel it makes some dangerous assumptions about the risks they consciously left people exposed to," Hunt told SCMagazine.com via email. "By only prompting a reset in-game, people never learned of the risks to their other accounts where they'd reused credentials. To suggest they don't know of anyone having had their email or other services hacked as a result is ludicrous; how would they know when nobody had any reason to point the finger at Lifeboat?"
This article originally appeared at scmagazineus.com
Tri-state reseller Viatek has signed a five-year contract with the company behind the high-profile WestConnex motorway project in Sydney.
Sydney Motorway Corporation (SMC) went to market in September before deciding on Viatek as its 'ICT-as-a-service' provider. The value of the deal was not disclosed.
Viatek is immensely pleased to win this comprehensive tender. We understand from SMC that three of the main reasons we were selected were: our good references; that our proposal and service offerings were well structured and easy to understand; and our as-a-service consumption pricing model, Viatek managing director Jonathan Salmon said.
The $16.8 billion WestConnex project is dubbed the "biggest transport project in Australia" by the NSW government and SMC, and involves 33km of new and widened motorways through inner-west Sydney including tunnels.
WestConnex project
The wide-ranging deal will see Viatek supply and deploy networks, enterprise voice and security, desktop PCs, SOE, Microsoft Office 365, infrastructure-as-a-service, service desk, field services and IT procurement.
Notwithstanding the diverse technical nature of the relationship, Salmon emphasised the "utility-inspired" consumption pricing model for the SMC.
An innovative ICTaaS model like this has been talked about for a number of years now, but few organisations have deployed it in the manner SMC has done, he said.
The agreement gives SMC the requested flexibility as staffing levels naturally move up and down over the lifetime of this enormous project, and it also allows the business to better manage its fluctuating ICT demands."
The Melbourne-headquartered Viatek Group, through acquisitions, has transformed from its print roots to a full-service IT company in recent years. The company boasts strong regional reach with branches like Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Sheppparton, Newcastle, Orange and Wagga Wagga. The Sydney office is located in the northern suburb of Artarmon.
The flood of executive departures at Symantec reached all the way to the top levels of the security vendor Thursday with the news that Michael Brown would be stepping down from his position as president and CEO.
Symantec did not provide a reason for Brown's departure, saying only that he would remain with the company as director and CEO until a successor had been found. The company said the board of directors had already begun its search with the assistance of an executive search firm.
Ajei Gopal has joined the California-based company as interim president and chief operating officer. Gopal is a former senior vice president and general manager at Hewlett Packard Enterprise and current operating partner at Silver Lake, which recently took a $500 million strategic investment in Symantec.
The company formed a new office of the president, which includes Gopal, executive vice president and CFO Thomas Seifert, and executive vice president, general counsel and secretary Scott Taylor.
Chairman of the board of directors Daniel Schulman said Symantec has executed on its company transformation priorities, making the time right for an executive transition.
"We thank Mike for guiding Symantec through a critical period of transition as president and CEO Given our solid financial foundation and clear path forward as the leader in cybersecurity, this is the right time to transition leadership for Symantecs next chapter of growth. We appreciate Mikes continued support as the board conducts a thoughtful and comprehensive search for Symantecs next CEO," Schulman said in a statement.
Drastic changes
The Symantec transformation has been drastic over the past three years, trying to turn the company back to growth and position it for relevancy once again in the new security landscape. That transformation has included the sale of its Veritas storage business earlier this year, a new product road map around enterprise security, cost structure improvements, executive leadership additions and returning cash to shareholders.
"I am extremely proud of what our team has accomplished. I look forward to supporting this transition as we continue executing on our unified security strategy, building our enterprise security sales pipeline, improving our cost structure and efficiently allocating capital," Brown said in a statement about his departure.
Symantec also said the company had lowered its revenue guidance for the upcoming quarter to US$873 million, down from an expected range of US$885 million to US$915 million. The company said it now expects non-GAAP operating margins of 25 percent, down from 26 percent to 28 percent, and earnings per share of 22 cents, down from 24 cents to 27 cents.
The company said the revenue drop was due to lower-than-expected licence revenue and more deferred revenue than anticipated, due to the company's subscription service business.
"The shift to more ratable revenue is consistent with our unified security strategy, as more customers are buying security offerings that require continuous protection and monitoring to remain up to date and protected against the latest threats," Brown said in a statement about the revenue expectation changes. Earnings are expected to be announced 12 May.
Brown's departure is the latest in an executive exodus at Symantec in recent months, particularly around the company's channel team. Most recently, the security vendor lost Americas channel chief Stephen Thomas, who took a role as vice president of sales for North America at Cyberbit Commercial Solutions.
Other recent departures include Adrian Jones, executive vice president and general manager of global sales and operations; Tom LaRocca,vice president of global channel programs and sales; and Sean Maxwell, vice president of global sales strategy and field enablement.
Sources with knowledge of the situation have also told CRN USA layoffs have already started at the security vendor, including in the company's sales organisation.
This article originally appeared at crn.com
JB Hi-Fi has rescued the channel of Chinese smartphone vendor Oppo after the collapse of Dick Smith.
The electronics retailer will stock Oppos entire device range, which includes the R7s, R7 Plus, F1 and the new flagship R9 and R9 Plus smartphones. JB Hi-Fi will also stock Oppo phone covers, cases and chargers.
Oppo Australias marketing director Michael Tran said he was pleased with the vendors progress in Australia so far.
We know from customer feedback that when Aussies experience our products, they fall in love with them, said Tran. Our partnership with JB Hi-Fi will help us get into the hands of Aussies nationwide, which is very important in building our brand."
Dick Smith scooped an exclusive retail agreement to sell Oppos R7 and R7 Plus in June last year. The retailer went on the offensive by opening dedicated kiosks in 150 stores alongside Apple and Samsung.
After Dick Smith fell into administration, Oppo began talks with other resellers to stock its devices.
Tran told CRN that Oppo was left in the dark on its retail future after Dick Smiths assets were acquired by Kogan in March. Optus was signed on to sell Oppos budget F1 smartphone in its retail stores. Optus also sells the Oppo R7 on a $40-per-month plan.
Google has promoted director of Asia-Pacific sales operations and strategy Jason Pellegrino as the new managing director of Australia and New Zealand.
The move follows just two months after former MD Maile Carnegie left Google after three years to join ANZ Bank as its new head of digital banking.
Pellegrino joined Google in 2008 as head of strategy and sales operations for Australia, responsible for business strategy and commercial opportunities. In 2011, he transitioned into the sales director role before moving to the Asia-Pacific sales operations and strategy job in 2014.
Google Australia reported revenue of $501.8 million for the financial year ending 31 December, an increase of $63.2 million. Net profit dipped slightly from $49.2 million to $47.1 million.
EMC wants to undercut competitors such as Pure Storage and Nimble with its new Unity all-flash array, which it claimed is half the price of competitive products.
The 2U (two rack unit) product starts at US$18,000 (A$23,500). It has been designed for the smaller end of town not typically EMC's sweet spot, admitted Jeremy Burton, president of products and marketing, EMC at the vendor's conference in Las Vegas.
"We made our name as a company focusing on the high-end enterprise. We have never really built out volume distribution, therefore, we have not really built a lot of volume products. Unity was absolutely designed and architected as a volume product."
The product is aimed at small, mid-sized and departmental enterprise IT deployments, and also comes in a hybrid array configurations priced at less than US$10,000.
By deploying multiple Unity arrays, users can scale up to 3 Petabytes of storage, with up to 300,0000 IOPS.
Unity was announced on the opening day of EMC World. The array's entry-level nature chimes with the mainstream market approach of Dell, which is in the process of acquiring EMC.
Burton added: "With Unity, we as EMC will do well with it. In the hands of Dell's distribution channel, which has historically been a volume channel, I think we can do amazing things."
Unity will be sold though EMC's two Australian distributors, Ingram Micro and Avnet.
Darren Adams, Australian & New Zealand general manager of Avnet Technology Solutions, is in Las Vegas for EMC World. He told CRN that the distributor already had sales and technical staff skilled up on the Unity range. "Therefore, Unity is quotable and orderable from Avnet now."
Adams expected Unity to "give EMC a real technological lift, particularly in the mid-tier market".
"Additionally, Avnet will be immediately offering Unity to our partners as one of the many options available in our new Powered-by-Avnet solution that CRN wrote about recently," Adams added.
Also in Las Vegas for EMC World is Jonathan Fox, general manager of Ingram Micro Australia's Advanced Solutions Group. The distie's team "have been fully trained and have been able to quote since late April," Fox told CRN.
"The product set is available to be ordered from us now and we've already seen a strong uptake and pipeline building."
"We're excited about what the new products will mean for our mid-market business given the aggressive price point we see, combined with some of the simplicity of management and deployment," he added.
"It will also complement the existing EMC portfolio and fit nicely into the overall Dell/EMC value proposition as we see the two businesses merge to become Dell Technologies," said Fox.
The journalist travelled to EMC World as a guest of EMC.
Results from two recent studies suggest that cybersecurity needs an overhaul at most companies with root causes of the problem including poor communication, a lack of employee awareness, slowed productivity and a lack of budget.
In its 2016 Cybersecurity Confidence Report, Barkly, an endpoint security company, surveyed 350 IT pros to determine the top security concerns for 2016 and gauge how confident IT leaders are when it comes to cybersecurity issues. The survey looked at IT leaders' biggest security concerns, levels of confidence around security, number of breaches in 2015, amount of time spent on security, biggest priorities in IT and the downsides to current security solutions -- and, for the most part, the results were grim.
Security is on the top IT leader's mind, especially as hacks become more frequent, sophisticated and malicious, but the report also uncovered some shocking truths about cybersecurity in the enterprise. The report showed major flaws in how businesses and IT leaders approach security, and it boils down to a lack of communication between the C-Suite and IT leaders, as well as a general frustration with how security slows down overall productivity in the company.
But just because security might bog down productivity, or IT leaders and executives suffer from a lack of communication, businesses need to remain vigilant regarding security. Jack Danahy, CTO and co-founder of Barkly, says efficiency should be redefined. "Good security does not bog down efficiency. Efficiency can't be measured by how fast a single user can accomplish a particular task; it must be directly linked to the performance of the organization as a whole."
Confidence in security is low
For IT pros did not express high levels of confidence when it comes to security. Fifty percent reported that they aren't confident in their current security products and initiatives, while one in five don't believe it's even possible to have effective endpoint security. The study shows that three out of four IT leaders say employees' understanding of cybersecurity is, at best, moderate -- which only further diminishes confidence in cybersecurity.
For employees, it's a matter of them not understand what's at stake if they ignore security protocol -- oftentimes they simply feel security measures hinder their productivity, which only motivates them to take shortcuts. Danahy likens enterprise security to a pilot getting a plane ready for take-off. After boarding, passengers have to sit and wait for the pilot to complete a checklist, and it might mean the plane gets off the ground a bit later than scheduled, but "no one thinks of this as bogging down the flying process. It is a thoughtful, proven technique to ensure a higher level of safety."
Most importantly, Danahy says that a lack of confidence from IT or employees aren't valid excuses for why businesses aren't living up to cybersecurity expectations. "Every business leader should know whether they are secure enough or not. They should ask themselves that question, and then force themselves to support the reasons for their response."
[ Related story: 5 tips for defending against advanced persistent threats ]
Difficulty proving security ROI
Another reason IT pros are abandoning effective security practices is that it's difficult to calculate the ROI of security. The study found that 54 percent of respondents have low confidence in their company's ability to demonstrate the ROI of security. For business leaders, the biggest motivation for implementing new process, procedures, or expanding budgets boils down to how much money they can make on the initiative.
But IT pros are finding it hard to concretely define the ROI around security, whether it's purchasing new software, hardware or implementing company-wide security measures. Still, 52 percent of IT executives say they "would still jump at the chance to purchase new, improved security software, and one in four say there is no limit to what they would pay for something more effective and reliable."
Another cybersecurity study from the ISACA/RSA found that, while 82 percent of board members are concerned about cybersecurity, the reality is that only one in seven CIOs report directly to the CEO and most are completely left off the board. And that's in an environment where 74 percent of security pros believe a cyberattack will occur in 2016, with 30 percent reporting daily phishing attempts, according to the study.
Businesses might need to move beyond an ROI-based attitude -- at least around cybersecurity -- says Eddie Schwartz, ISACA board member, chair of ISACA's Cybersecurity Task Force and president and COO of WhiteOps. "It's ridiculous to talk about ROI or the lack of ROI relative to cybersecurity at this point. It's clear from all of the breaches over the last several years that cybersecurity should be a key investment area for CIOs. If CIOs can't explain the value of security investments as easily as they explain the value of other features of their IT investment programs, they should not be CIOs."
[ Related story: 5 signs you've been hit with an advanced persistent threat ]
Are IT pros are giving up?
The survey asked how many breaches respondents experienced in the last year, and one third of respondents said they weren't sure. But for those who were aware, companies with less than 1,000 employees averaged two breaches, while companies with over 10,000 employees reported an average of 2.7 breaches for the year. The study from ISACA/RSA found similar stats for 2015, with 24 percent stating they "didn't know" if user credentials were hacked or stolen or if hackers exploited their organization. Twenty-three percent couldn't say if they had experienced an "advanced persistent threat attack," while 20 percent didn't know if corporate assets were "hijacked for botnet use."
When asked in the Barkly study what the biggest issues around implementing effective security procedures are, 41 percent said they slow down the system, 33 percent said they're too expensive, 36 percent cited too many updates and 20 percent said that security "requires too much headcount to manage." IT leaders are being forced to choose between strong security and productivity, and most companies are sticking to the latter, according to the data from Barkly. Ultimately, these solutions aren't stopping breaches, as the study points out, and the effects are simply slowing down day-to-day business.
But if security pros are worried now, it's only going to get worse as technology changes faster and becomes more advanced. And as the skills gap grows wider -- with too many security jobs and not enough qualified candidates to fill them -- the problem will only increase. The ISACA/RSA study also found that two emerging industry trends -- artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things -- are causing growing concern for security pros. The study found that 42 percent believed AI would increase risk in the short term, while 62 percent agreed that it will certainly cause problems in the long term. More than half of the respondents also cited the IoT as a potential platform for more expansive and intelligent hacks.
Ultimately, the results from both show businesses need to reconsider their cybersecurity measures. "IT leaders should see security as an intrinsic and critical part of their overall program. By doing so, they would be demonstrating leadership across their own organization and for their customers that they care about protecting information," Schwartz says.
Related Video
This story, "IT leaders pick productivity over security" was originally published by CIO .
Thousands of taxpayers have been impacted by a wave of Phishing attacks targeting W-2 records, with more than sixty organizations reporting such incidents in the first half of the year.
By taking advantage of the trust relationships that exist within a given company; these attacks have resulted in at least $2.3 billion in losses over the last three years.
Business Email Compromise / Correspondence attacks (BEC attacks) aren't overly clever, but they're effective. A person with authority is impersonated, and a lower-level staffer is asked to share W-2 records or related payroll information. That's all there is to it.
Because the request looks and feels legitimate, the employee usually complies, but there have been a few cases where the scam was flagged before any damage could be done.
Last month, Jonathan Sander, vice president at Lieberman Software, remarked to Salted Hash that the common theme in each successful attack is also the reason why the success rate should be zero.
"The employee shouldnt have been able to access that much data without some sort of oversight kicking in. The fact that a single employee, for any reason, could grab so much data and simply send it to anyone, regardless of who they think that person is, is a scary prospect when you stop to think about it. Of course, you can also ask why an employee would be fooled into thinking that an executive would be making such a sweeping request," Sander said.
In the first quarter of 2016, at least 41 organizations were victimized by BEC attacks, but that number is closer to 70 when additional disclosures are counted. Some organizations were successfully hit earlier in the year, but only just recently discovered the problem, delaying notification.
On April 25, GoldKey | PHR, a hotel management company that controls a large part of the rooms on Virginia Beach, disclosed that W-2 information was compromised on February 29, but this fact wasn't discovered until April 3. The cause of the breach was listed as a "criminal Phishing email" and impacted at least 3,000 people.
Also on April 25, NetBrain Technologies Inc., a network visualization firm based in Burlington, Massachusetts, said someone posed as a company executive and requested 2015 W-2 data on March 3. The documents were delivered as asked, impacting all employees.
On April 12, the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida disclosed that on March 17, someone impersonated the author of the notice itself, Betsy Laughlin, the Director of Finance, and requested 2015 W-2 records. Because the request was spoofed to appear as if she sent it, the employee who received it didn't hesitate.
On April 26, Michels Corporation, a contractor based in Brownsville, Wisconsin, disclosed that a company executive was impersonated by a scammer, requesting 2015 W-2 records. The incident occurred on April 16, and impacted more than 5,000 current and former employees.
With a low barrier of entry to launch such a campaign, and an even lower overhead, criminals show no signs of slowing when it comes to targeting W-2 information. Even if the stolen data isn't used immediately, it can be compiled and sold for a number of different uses.
"If your CEO appears to be emailing you for a list of company employees, check it out before you respond. Everyone has a responsibility to remain diligent about confirming the identity of people requesting personal information about employees," IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said in a statement issued earlier this year with a memo warning about the rise in BEC attacks.
Many of the firms that have disclosed these incidents report that employees have detected tax fraud, which seems to be the ultimate goal in these attacks. Since 2015, the FBI says there has been a 270-percent increase in the number of identified victims and exposed losses.
BRIDGEPORT When outdoor retailing giant Bass Pro Shops was designing its 150,000-square-foot store along the harbor, city fire officials spent several days reviewing the plans to ensure they met safety guidelines.
That time would have added up to a nice bit of revenue for cash-strapped Bridgeport had the city actually charged fees for the fire marshals services.
While marshals are required to sign off on construction plans ahead of the permits being issued, We never charged before, said Fire Chief Brian Rooney.
And last year was a boomer year with Bass Pro, which would have been a massive amount of revenue, Rooney said.
As Mayor Joe Ganims administration hikes fees in parks and other departments to try and balance the books, Rooney wants to start charging anyone who has the fire marshals office eyeball construction designs.
The fire marshals office already levy $100 fees for required inspections of everything from hotels to public halls, day care centers and dry cleaners. Rooney and the marshals office are proposing establishing a minimum $50 fee to review designs for small projects, then figuring out how to escalate the price tag from there for bigger, more time-consuming developments like Bass Pro.
Rooney said not only are the fees justified by the time marshals office personnel spend hunkered over building plans, taking them away from other important work like site inspections, but in some cases the people or companies doing the construction never return to pick up those designs.
And while Bass Pro is a missed opportunity it opened on the Steel Point redevelopment area in November there are other major projects in the pipeline, from new apartment buildings downtown to a luxury movie theater at Steel Point.
It will add up, believe me, Rooney said.
He estimated the fees could total $10,000 in the first year. Ganims budget office is sticking with a more conservative $5,000.
While for some it might seem like a no-brainer to impose such fees, Bridgeport is hardly the only big city not doing it. New Haven and Stamford, for example, do not charge for that fire marshal service.
But Keith Flood, immediate past president of the Connecticut Fire Marshals Association, said in an email, There are a number of cities and towns that have plan review fees. Those, Flood said, includes West Haven, where he is fire marshal.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
BRIDGEPORT Nirone Gully Guns Hutton was going down for murder Monday two slugs fired in the back of 25-year-old Juan Marcano and a jurys guilty verdict made that a certainty.
What wasnt certain until the 32-year-old Hutton opened his mouth in court was where Superior Court Judge Maria Kahn was going to land on the sentencing scale of 25 to 60 years.
This wasnt a fair trial. It felt like 1960s Mississippi when blacks had no rights, Hutton exclaimed as a crowd of his family and friends nodded in agreement from the back of the courtroom.
Everybody here is pointing fingers at me, but you guys railroaded me the whole time. Judge, you never gave me a fair trial only in Bridgeport.
Huttons lawyer, Robert Berke, attempted to explain away his clients outburst, describing him as passionate.
But in the end, Kahn sentenced Hutton to 55 years in prison.
This was a brutal killing, the judge told Hutton. The victim was lured into a building and positioned so that he was shot in the back and the only one responsible is you, Mr. Hutton.
Marcano was found lying in a stairwell of Building 5 in the Greene Homes on Feb. 27, 2007, with two bullet holes in his back. But despite a police investigation, the case remained unsolved for six years.
During that time, Marcanos mother, Star Beauregard, was relentless in her efforts to keep the investigation open.
Nirone Hutton decided to play God and take the life of my only son, she tearfully told the judge Monday.
Then, turning to where Hutton sat rolling his eyes and shaking his head she added, You shot my son not once but twice in the back and that shows you are a coward. You left him to die like an animal.
Senior Assistant States Attorney Joseph Harry praised the work of police in the case, but said it wasnt cracked until members of the public came forward with vital information.
Witnesses during the two-week trial testified that Marcano, who did not live in the housing project, had been visiting some girls there when he was confronted by members of the Harlem 5 Star Generals, a franchise of the Bloods gang that controlled the building.
Harry said Marcano took on the leader of the gang, Garrett "Slim" Bostick, and appeared to be getting the best of him when Hutton put two 38-caliber slugs into Marcano's back.
Within hours of the shooting of Marcano, federal agents rounded up members of the gang after finding them with a cache of guns and ammo. Harry said that Marcano, on his death bed, was able to identify Bostick as the man he fought, he couldn't identify the shooter.
Police later got a big break when they intercepted a letter to a prison inmate from "Gully Guns," according to trial testimony.
The letter, read to the jury stated: "I redrum this (expletive). Gee got caught with the slammy after the redrum went down. I got that redrum under my belt that's crazy cause I aint trying to go to jail," police said.
Redrum is code for murder on the streets. Slammy is a gun, the prosecutor told the jurors.
Police said a fingerprint lifted from the letter was Huttons.
Following his arrest in October 2013, police said Hutton confessed to killing Marcano.
On the witness stand, Hutton reiterated that he had shot the victim, but claimed he did it in self-defense.
Hutton claimed Marcano had been pistol-whipping his friend, and out of fear the victim was about to shoot them, he fired his gun.
A resolution that would have added Connecticut to a list of 25 states demanding a national constitutional convention crashed and burned last week in a quiet collision in a noisy hallway outside the House of Representatives.
The proposed conventions purpose was ostensibly to overturn the controversial Citizens United decision in which the U.S. Supreme Court allowed unlimited corporate and union money in political campaigns.
Rep. Bob Godfrey, D-Danbury, led the charge against what is a wolf in sheeps clothing, backed by ultra-cons and a group called Wolf PAC, and killed the bill, 26-17, before the House gaveled in.
Godfrey, in the hustle of the meeting, went off on the forces behind the call for a national convention.
They want some limitations on federal powers, he said. They want the ability of states to overturn both congressional acts and Supreme Court decisions. They want to deal with amending the U.S. Constitution so the 50 governors, by a majority vote, can amend the Constitution. They want to change the Electoral College, which I would be in favor of, but they also want to put a right-to-life clause in the Constitution. They want to put a marriage is a man and woman in the Constitution. I dont think this is the time and this isnt the state. Once a constitutional convention convenes it can do anything it wants.
The bear facts
A bill that cleared the House last week 124-20 would allow the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to write regulations on bear and coyote habitat.
But environmentalists in the House warned that it could allow the DEEP to make life difficult for people who feed birds, ducks and even stray cats if the food attracts bear and coyote. While the regulations would include outreach to communities with literature, Rep. Craig Miner, R-Litchfield, warned that environmental conservation officers could find themselves confronting bird lovers in their homes over inadvertently feeding bears.
James Albis, D-East Haven, co-chairman of the Environment Committee, confirmed that residents have to stop doing things like leaving out plates of food for neighborhood bear.
These events are only going to become more prevalent as the population of bears increases in our state, Albis said. You could have a bird feeder out, but not during these months.
Like many bills this time of year, the title of the legislation: An Act Concerning the Prevention of the Habituation of Potentially Dangerous Animals and the Status of Snapping Turtles Under State Law, has been watered down. The turtle part was excised, which is too bad, because the tough but important animals are getting hunted for sale in Asian food markets out-of-state, said Rep. Phil Miller, D-Essex.
Smarter than the average law
Miner, sensing that the chamber needed some levity, offered an amendment that would exempt a famous animal from the regulations If the bear was found to be smarter than the average bear 2) if the feeding occurred from a picnic basket Yes, its Yogi Bear.
Albis, given a chance at Miners amendment, asked How do we determine whether a bear is smarter than average?
The gentleman has spoken, I think, at length about the regulatory process and I would expect that this would be handled through some deliberative process in the DEEP, Miner replied, to general laughter in the House. He then withdrew the amendment.
Rock, paper, scissors
A lawmaker named Al Adinolfi, R-Cheshire, the other night went after the bill that would expedite the seizure of firearms from people, mostly men, who are targets of temporary restraining orders.
The bill passed 140-42 and went to the Senate, but Adinolfi probably didnt help his cause, when he described a family member of his who had been murdered with a sledge hammer.
Tone deafness
This gave Sen. William Tong, D-Stamford, the co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee who introduced the bill on the House floor, an opening.
He talked about an incident in Manchester, years ago, when his parents operated a small store on Main Street. A man came in and confronted his mother, saying he had a gun and ordering her into the back of the store.
She didnt argue and she started to walk down the aisle, Tong recalled in the hushed chamber. Halfway down that aisle, my mom decided Im not going out like that today, so my mother turned around, in her mid-50s at that time, and confronted this man who she thought had a gun. He had a knife and so in a rage my mother lunged at this man to save her life. And he raised up that knife and proceeded to lunge toward her in attempt to stab her. My mother grabbed that knife with her bare hands and held onto it for dear life. And to this day her pinkie is messed up from that encounter. There was a scuffle, he stabbed her multiple times and my mother stumbled out the back of the store into the pizza palace next door and proceeded to bleed profusely and luckily they were able to call an ambulance and my mother lived. I will never forget seeing my mother in Hartford Hospital having been stabbed within inches of her life. My mother is with me because that man did not have a gun. If he had had a gun my mother would have never stood a chance.
Adinolfi, who is not running for re-election, was tone-deaf to the moment. I think that kind of agrees with my thoughts that your mother, thank God, wasnt killed but she could have been. I had to go down and identify a body that was bludgeoned to death with a sledge hammer. It probably would have been better for him to be shot with a gun because he wouldnt have suffered as much. Adinolfi challenged the premise that the bill was to protect the lives of woman.
Closing up shop
Officially called Hillary for America, three volunteers and a supervisor were busy calling registered Democrats throughout the 4th Congressional District, which includes most of lower Fairfield County. It wasnt quite like the phone banks of yore these days the volunteers use their cell phones.
Thirteen-year-old Rowen Villamil of Newtowns Sandy Hook section, said that it was the tragedy of Dec. 14, 2012 that gave her reason to work for the Clinton campaign.
The son of my voice teacher was killed that day, a terrible day, she said on Primary Day last week. Sandy Hook is still a gun-loving place, and after the shooting I became very interested in gun-control advocacy. I love her policies on gun control and the environment. I could go on for hours on how much I love Hillary.
She said that in her school in Brookfield, most of her classmates lean to the right.
When they found out I was a Hillary supporter, it was like, Oh, good, someone we can argue with, she said. Theres a little tension there.
Villamil was joined at the Hillary for America center by Anna Green, 16, a student at Fairfield Warde High School, said that she volunteers for Clinton to be a part of the Democratic process.
Even though were too young to vote, were not too young to back the candidate who would make the best president, Green said.
JBurgeson@CTPost.com
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
Donald Trumps supporters are threatening to boycott the annual state Republican party fundraising dinner after Carly Fiorina, Ted Cruzs running mate, was announced as the events keynote speaker.
Trump swept almost the entire state in the April 24 GOP primary, while Cruz failed to win a single city or town. The next day, Cruz added Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO and one-time presidential candidate to his ticket.
Fiorina had been chosen weeks before the primary as the headliner for the Prescott Bush Awards Dinner, the partys main fundraiser, which is named for the late Bush family patriarch from Greenwich. Since she was added to the Cruz ticket, however, Fiorina has repeatedly assailed Trump, saying he would get shellacked by Clinton.
If she continues up to the Bush dinner publicly bashing Trump, then youre going to see a revolution at the Bush dinner with a lot of a Trump supporters walking out, said Joe Visconti, a Trump organizer and former gubernatorial candidate.
But Visconti is urging restraint from his fellow Trump backers, some of whom, he said, have talked about boycotting the May 24 dinner and organizing a separate event. For Republicans to take back the White House, Visconti said, they need Cruz, a Texas Senator, and his supporters to coalesce around Trump, who won all 28 of Connecticuts GOP delegates. If Trump wins Indiana and West Virginia this Tuesday and next Tuesday, Fiorinas role as a Trump critic could dramatically change, Visconti said.
Will she capitulate that (Trump) is the nominee or will she continue to be negative? Visconti said. (Then) theres going to be a problem. At that particular point, there will be a boycott of the Bush dinner.
State GOP Chairman J.R. Romano, who vowed to support the primary winner on the first ballot at the partys national convention this summer as a delegate, did not respond to a request for comment.
Carl Higbie, a retired Navy SEAL from Greenwich who is volunteering for Trumps campaign, said he has also heard rumblings among the Trump faithful of a boycott or competing event.
This dinner is not about Carly, Higbie said. Its not about Trump. Its about the Connecticut Republican Party. For long-term supporters of the Connecticut Republican Party to not support this dinner, I think, is foolish because theyre only hurting the end goal and helping Hillary Clinton. Ive told people, Dont be an idiot. If you want to do something, do something on another night.
Bob MacGuffie, a tea party stalwart from Fairfield who led the volunteer effort in the state for Cruz, characterized Trumps supporters as thin-skinned.
They shouldnt be afraid of Carly Fiorina coming in and standing on conservative values, MacGuffie said. The Trumpeteers should have a little more respect for the conservatives.
Previous keynote speakers for the event, which MacGuffie is skipping, include Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Mitt and Ann Romney.
Im sure (Fiorina) will put in a pitch for the ticket shes on, MacGuffie said.
A request for comment was left Monday for the Cruz-Fiorina campaign.
Jamie Millington, who has endorsed Trump and is Fairfields Republican Town Committee chairman, said Fiorina is savvy enough to realize it would be tone deaf to badmouth the GOP frontrunner.
If she starts giving us the Cruz stump speech, its not going to be well received, Millington said. Overall, when you look at the election results for Connecticut, Ted Cruz really got trounced. His message is not selling here in Connecticut.
Millington was one of several GOP leaders who called on the rival factions to unite for the good of the party. So did Bridgeport RTC Chairman Mike Garrett, who is also supporting Trump.
I would not hold that against her, Garrett said of Fiorinas alliance with Cruz. I understand what her role is.
Art Mannion, a Republican State Central Committee member from Danbury, said he expects cooler heads to prevail.
I think all of those suggestions may be in the heat of the moment, Mannion said of a boycott. People are making bombastic statements. Were all good Republicans who will support whoever the Republican nominee is.
neil.vigdor@scni.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy
Federal legislation aimed at stopping the nations prescription drug shortage has worked but not well enough. A new study out of Yale University shows that, while there are fewer new drug shortages since the legislation passed in 2012, many medications are still in short supply, particularly those used to treat critically ill patients in hospital emergency rooms and intensive care units.
The types of drugs were seeing shortages of are the kind that get used every day, said Arjun Venkatesh, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Yale, and the studys senior author. This is a public health crisis.
In the study, published in the May issue of Health Affairs, researchers examined data from the University of Utahs Drug Information Service to determine whether the 2012 passage of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act had any effect on drug shortages. The FDA defines a drug shortage as a period of time when the demand or projected demand for a medication exceeds its supply.
The act was spurred by a huge spike in pharmaceutical shortages in the years leading up to its passage. According to the University of Utah, there were 210 drug shortages in 2011, compared with only 70 just five years earlier, in 2006. The FDA Safety and Innovation Act, among other things, gave the FDA the power to speed up the development of new medicines that could help address shortages.
Venkatesh, who is also an emergency room physician, said he wanted to examine the laws effectiveness after having multiple incidents in the same day when drugs he needed were in short supply.
About a year or so ago, I wanted to order some saline, he said. When I entered the order into the computer, immediately I got this warning saying Can you use an alternative?
Venkatesh had a similar experience later that day when trying to order another medication.
I wasnt able to get access to the first choice drugs I wanted, he said.
He wanted to see if this experience was common. In reviewing the University of Utahs data, the Yale researchers and their coauthors found that the overall number of new shortages appeared to decline after the passage of the FDA Safety and Innovation Act. But they found that shortages remained, and more than half of them involved acute care drugs. These included such commonly used medications as saline, certain antibiotics and even naloxone often used to reverse drug overdoses.
Researchers found that the average duration of these shortages was about eight months.
Its unclear why these particular drugs are the ones experiencing shortages, but Venkatesh said the reasons are likely financial. Bridgeport Hospital Chief Medical Officer Michael Ivy agreed. A lot of these (drugs) are generic and companies dont make as much money off of them, he said.
Ivy said he wasnt surprised by the findings of the Yale study. We get updates on drug shortages regularly, and it impacts the patients and the doctors who take care of them all the time, he said.
Though physicians have the option of using alternatives, Venkatesh said these often arent ideal, as they can be less effective, more costly or have more side effects than the drug of choice. We really want to use this research to highlight this issue and say Hey this problem isnt solved, he said.
When I sit at dinner with my family, I often think about my students. I have been a teacher in Bridgeport for many years and have seen the disparities between my own son, who lives in a suburban home and attends a suburban school, and the challenges my students face in a high-poverty, urban community.
I know my students have the potential to succeed. I also know that my students go home praying that no bullets will pass through their windows, and hoping they will have food to eat. I understand that it is often a world of haves and have nots. So I work hard to provide the education and knowledge they will need to grow and achieve. My students deserve an academic experience that lifts them up and helps them overcome the obstacles they face.
Respecting the potential and humanity of each student should be at the heart of our public school education system. Far too often, however, students in high-poverty schools must confront not only the challenges in their community, but also the burden of an impersonal, standardized testing scheme that too often results in the wrong priorities and fails to identify and address their needs.
My students deserve assessments that are free from bias and are designed to benefit them not testing corporations. Thats why the idea of linking the state mastery exam, the Smarter Balanced or SBAC test to teacher evaluation is wrong for both teachers and students. The State Department of Education admits that SBAC is not meant as a diagnostic measure to directly inform a teachers classroom instruction on a daily or weekly basis. It in no way helps inform the instruction of my students.
A mastery exam is supposed to measure knowledge in a uniform and fair manner, and not discriminate against students on the basis of income or whether they have desktops, laptops and computer tablets at home. It is especially punishing and developmentally inappropriate for special-education students, English language learners, students below grade level, and younger students, as they must stare into a computer screen for many hours and become discouraged and frustrated with a test that does not accommodate their needs. For some, it is a crushing experience.
This is an important civil rights issue. I recently joined several of my urban teacher colleagues, who are members of the Connecticut Education Associations Ethnic Minority Affairs Commission, and met with representatives of the Connecticut African-American Affairs Commission and state lawmakers who are members of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus.
We explained the harmful effects of SBAC on all students, but especially on students in low-income districts like ours. We discussed the research that shows how the awkward, computerized format of the SBAC test creates a significant technology gap for students in high-poverty schools.
We talked about the unintended consequence of linking this unfair and biased test to a teachers evaluation, especially for urban teachers. There are much better, more accurate tools to measure the effectiveness of teachers. Urban districts like mine are often training grounds for talented, beginning educators who leave urban schools for jobs in the suburbs, where resources and learning conditions are more conductive to school success.
My colleagues and I told the legislators that the state requirement linking the invalid SBAC test and teacher evaluations is a disincentive to committed educators who want to stay in city schools. We urged them to focus their energies on enabling our cities to retain these educators, and develop innovations for cities seeking to attract and retain high-quality teachers, especially minority teachers.
Teachers know what matters most: providing engaging instruction and promoting skills that lead to lifelong learning such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity. These skills are not measured well or at all by standardized tests. Connecticut should join the majority of states that have already rejected the SBAC test, and refuse to undermine the integrity of teacher evaluations. Senate Bill 380, currently before the state legislature would do just that.
Eliminating SBAC from teacher evaluation will increase reliability and validity. Evaluations currently include the review of multiple measures of student performance, growth and development, including tests that are designed specifically to measure the progress of classroom learning. I assess my students using classroom-based projects, assignments and tests that give me immediate feedback so that I can target my instruction to help them achieve at the highest levels. I want to be evaluated based on the growth of my students during the course of the school year, in the subjects and skills that I teach.
As a teacher, I have chosen to dedicate my life to helping my students achieve within and outside of the classroom. There is nothing more important than the education of our children, and we owe it to our students to assess that education in a manner that is honest, valid and fair.
Its what we should all want. Legislators must reach this same conclusion for the sake of our children and our future.
Mia Dimbo lives in Branford and teaches in Bridgeport.
Pa. is about to vote. Here's what to know about voting and ballot access in 2022
Elections
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Charlie Crist square off in their only TV debate
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Democrat Charlie Crist are expected to tussle over the economy, abortion and culture war issues.
Lifestyle | Daily Life | News | The Sydney Morning Herald
Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later.
Dismiss
Through three years of ferocious fighting in Afghanistan, Nangyalai Dawoodzai served this country loyally.
Despite the daily risk of reprisal from the Taliban, he acted as a translator and local guide to British soldiers on missions into deeply hostile territory.
But when his service was over, instead of rewarding his courage, we abandoned him with tragic consequences.
Fellow translators said Nangyalai Dawoodzai was deeply depressed about the threat of being thrown out of the UK despite working with British forces in war-ravaged Helmand province (pictured)
After constant death threats at home, he made his way to Britain in the hope of sanctuary.
Yet in an act of callous ingratitude, we slammed the door in his face his asylum application was refused.
And rather than be deported, he took his own life.
His suicide is a tragedy that shames our nation and highlights the plight of some 600 other interpreters still living in Afghanistan, who are in mortal danger solely because they worked for Britain.
The resurgent Taliban has branded them infidels and pledged to hunt them down.
There have already been several attempted murders and at least one translator was recently shot as a spy.
Yet still we refuse them shelter.
Dawoodzai, 29, paid people smugglers to reach the UK after receiving Taliban death threats in his homeland (file image of Helmand province)
The Daily Mails Betrayal of the Brave campaign has highlighted the plight of former frontline translators who remained in Afghanistan after UK forces left and have been targeted by the Taliban because of their service (file image of Helmand province)
After the Iraq war, asylum was granted to 1,500 interpreters. Their Afghan counterparts are probably in even greater danger and the Mail believes we have an equally strong moral duty to them.
Our Betrayal of the Brave campaign, which has led the way in highlighting this injustice, is backed by a petition of 180,000 signatures including military chiefs, soldiers and MPs. The Home Office must act now, before any more translators die.
Britain gives refuge to war criminals, terror suspects and endless thousands of random migrants who arrive from Calais in the backs of lorries with far weaker claims on our hospitality. How can we, in all conscience, deny a safe haven to friends who stood by us in time of need?
Strictly a non-starter
If reported leaks from the BBC White Paper are to be believed, Culture Secretary John Whittingdale has come up with some interesting and important ideas.
Publishing the earnings of on-screen talent, for example, would give licence-fee payers a greater insight into how their money is spent.
And a review of programme quality in five years time may help ensure the corporation isnt dumbing down standards in a chase for higher ratings.
If reported leaks from the BBC White Paper are to be believed, Culture Secretary John Whittingdale (pictured) has come up with some interesting and important ideas
But the suggestion it should stop screening its most popular shows on Saturday and Sunday evenings to avoid clashing with ITV is surely a non-starter.
For many families, weekends are the only time they sit down to watch television together and they deserve the best.
Is the BBC expected to schedule its most boring programmes in these prime time slots rather than its most entertaining?
Its difficult to see how screening an extended edition of Newsnight at 6.30 on Saturday evenings instead of Strictly Come Dancing would benefit the viewing public.
Yet another celebrity witch-hunt has come to an ignominious conclusion after the collapse of 37-year-old sexual abuse allegations against John Inman.
But this was not before the much-loved actors reputation had been unjustly trashed.
After the fiasco of Operation Midland, the inquiry into a supposed VIP paedophile ring, youd have thought the police would have learned to treat flimsy historic claims with extreme caution. Lets hope they heed that lesson now.
It was surely unfair of Education Secretary Nicky Morgan to accuse a male head teacher of sexism for suggesting she wasnt in control of her department.
Advertisement
First, we had to find the panda in a sea of snowmen. Then, we looked for the potato in a crowd of hamsters.
And now? Daily Mail Online wants you to find Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in a pack of playing cards.
The Republican and Democratic front-runners' faces are both hidden somewhere among the kings and queens in this illustrated image but can you scope them out without a hint?
Playing games: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's faces are hidden in this pile of playing cards
Sparring: Donald, 68, and Clinton, 69, have been trading words about whether Hillary is playing the 'woman card' simply because she is a woman
The pile of face cards is, truly, the perfect puzzle game for the pair, particularly because Trump, 69, continues to make snide comments about Clinton, 69, playing her 'woman card'.
'The only card she has is the woman card,' he told Fox News Sunday, adding in an interview with Today: 'Without the woman's card, Hillary would not even be a viable person to even run for a city council position.'
In fact, from the frequency and manner in which he's used the phrase, some have joked that the candidate seems to think the 'woman card' is an actual physical card Clinton carries in her wallet.
'Mr. Trump accused me of playing the, quote, "woman card,"' she fired back. 'Well, if fighting for women's health care and paid family leave and equal pay is playing the woman card, then deal me in.'
But whether Hillary's playing the 'woman card' or hiding her face on a 'Queen card', this puzzle is the first of its kind to get political.
Drawn by artist Michael Rogalski exclusively for Daily Mail Online, it plays off the popular internet craze of these Where's Waldo-style games.
Found! Clinton is hidden on a queen card toward the bottom, while Trump is upside down in the top right corner
Back in December, the internet first started to go wild over these puzzles, which disguise something in a crowd of lookalikes.
Hungarian artist Gergely Dudas posted the first, a Christmas puzzle, hiding a panda among a group of snowmen on his Facebook page on December.
Dudas drew hundreds of carrot-nosed snowmen and challenged his followers to find the single bear among them.
The puzzle was shared 100,000 times within days, and inspired a slew of similar puzzles a panda hidden among Stormtroopers, a dog lost among pandas, a cat among owls.
Some were drawn by Dudas himself, while others were created by admiring copycats.
He has also gone on to draw several more holiday-themed puzzles, including one that hides an Easter egg among bunnies.
More games: In December, these Where's Waldo-style puzzles began sweeping the internet
Who meows? He created several more puzzles which were also quite popular, including this one that hides a cat among owls
In a galaxy far, far away: Here, a panda is hidden among a bunch of Star Wars characters, including Stromtroopers
My mother lived to be 90 and I was so lucky because it meant I had time to thank her. I remember the day I did it, over a cup of tea in her kitchen. Thank you, Mum, I blurted. For everything.
I'm so glad I did it, but you need more special words for what the women of my mother's time did for their daughters.
Mum was born in New South Wales in Australia in 1912, into a world where women were second-class citizens. Her parents were barely literate country people - her father was a sheep shearer - and the first struggle was to go to high school.
Special bond: Kates mother loved her career and her children and managed to juggle both successfully
Even the teachers discouraged girls from getting an education. But she was clever and determined, and did well enough to study pharmacy, alongside 80 men and five other women. Even when she graduated, plenty of customers wouldn't be served by a 'lady pharmacist'.
She married my father, a solicitor, who turned out to be an irregular earner, and opened her own pharmacy to support the family. It was unheard of for a woman - a mother - to have a business of her own.
One of my most vivid memories is of Mum in a white coat taking a prescription and getting down the glass jars with Latin writing on them. I was proud of her. She was the only mother I knew who'd write 'H2O' instead of 'water' in a recipe.
But I can also remember when the juggling act of running a business and organising a household finally became impossible. Her partner in the business - a carefree young bachelor - started to be late taking over in the afternoon, so she'd be late picking me up from school.
I'd be in tears. The teacher would be furious. I'd hear her hiss to another teacher: 'Mrs Gee's late again!'
For my sake, Mum finally had to give up the business. I think now that it must have broken her heart. But when I was old enough she went back to university and had a second career as an inspiring teacher.
When Kate Grenville was a child, she sometimes wished her mother was around more - but now she realises what gifts her mother gave her
'You can do anything, anything at all,' she'd say to me. 'Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't.'
In the Fifties and Sixties, when I was growing up, someone had to tell you that, because it wasn't the way the world looked.
The 'careers corner' at my high school had pamphlets about being a teacher, nurse or dressmaker. That was about it. But Mum assumed I'd get a proper education, find a purpose in life and live beyond the narrow confines of the home.
She also hoped I'd get married and have children. She often told my brothers and me that having children was the best and most important thing she'd ever done. 'Women can do it all,' she'd say. 'Just not all at the same time.'
I offered to help her cook dinner one night. 'No,' she said. 'Go and do your homework. That's more important'
I must have been a teenager when I offered to help her cook dinner one night. 'No,' she said. 'Go and do your homework. That's more important.' I insisted, but she put down the saucepan of potatoes and looked me full in the eye.
'I don't want to teach you how to cook and clean,' she said. 'If I do, you'll just become some man's domestic slave.'
So when I left home to live with my boyfriend, we lived in squalor and ate baked beans out of the tin.
His mother came to visit one day and - seeing the mess through her eyes - I asked: 'Mrs Goodwin, how often should you clean a house?'
There was a pause. Finally, she said: 'Well, when it gets dirty, dear.'
Mum did teach me one or two things about cooking, but only what would be useful for a woman like herself.
She showed me how you could buy cheap cuts of meat and casserole them in a slow oven. That way, she said, you could go away and do something more interesting while the meal looked after itself.
Kate was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for The Secret River in 2006
She also taught me something else: forget diamonds, machines are a girl's best friend.
I heard her arguing with Dad one night about what we called the 'washing-up machine' (Mum was an early adopter). Dad thought it was a crazy extravagance.
'But Ken, your mother had servants. Well, these machines are the new servants,' I heard her say.
The pharmacy was a long way from where we lived, so Mum bought her own car, a stumpy little navy-blue box. Dad wouldn't have been seen dead driving that.
We were the first two-car family I knew. I grew up knowing that having your own wheels opened the door to an independent life, and I got my licence on the day I was legally allowed to drive.
Mum earned her own money. She could spend it however she chose. If her marriage became impossible (as it eventually did), she could leave. Of all the things she wanted me to know, that was the most important.
I didn't become 'some man's domestic slave'. But I've also never had the kind of equal partnership in a marriage that Mum taught me to hope for. I've shared my life with some wonderful men, but none would do his share of the housework.
Like Mum, I've found myself squeezed between two ugly roles: the nag and the resentful doormat (research shows I'm not alone).
When I was a child, I sometimes wished my mother was more like other mothers. They never missed being there, waiting at the school gate. But I realise now what gifts my mother gave me.
Like most writers, at first I got a lot of rejections. What kept me going was what Mum had shown me: harness that negative energy and turn it around. Don't complain about the washing up, buy a machine to do it.
The way to harness a rejection slip was to re-read the story through the cold eyes of whoever had rejected it (not the warm glow of your own admiration). Armed with the weapon of distance, you could improve it.
It took eight years for my first big public success, but Mum was with me every step of the way. She sent me money when things were tight, took the children for the morning so I could write.
Most important was her example: in her 50s - divorced and lonely - she picked herself up and created a whole second life.
The success that has meant most to me was being shortlisted for the Booker Prize for The Secret River in 2006. It's a novel based on stories about a convict ancestor that Mum told me. She died while I was writing the book, but, as I sat in London's Guildhall waiting for the announcement, I knew she was with me.
Her great-great-grandfather, an illiterate Thames bargeman, had stood in this hall, waiting to be given his apprenticeship papers. Now, thanks to Mum telling me those stories about him, here I was in the same splendid place.
Mum's is the story of hundreds of thousands of women whose stories usually aren't told. They were the first ones, the brave ones, determined to live the fullest life they could, against the grain of the society they lived in, and to give their daughters the gift of their example.
Advertisement
That natural smile, the softly sunlit skin, the barely there make-up Remind you of anyone?
Diana, Princess of Wales, featured on four Vogue covers, but her loveliest was also her most informal a simple black jumper, tousled hair and her head resting on her arms, cornflower-blue eyes looking straight at you.
So when the Duchess of Cambridge finally came to make her Vogue debut, its no surprise that the 34-year-olds cover has echoes of her late mother-in-law, with a set of photographs that emphasise Kates natural, country-set style and, of course, her megawatt smile.
Scroll down for video
The Duchess of Cambridge has made her Vogue debut, with a set of photographs that emphasise Kates natural, country-set style and, of course, her megawatt smile
Theyre certainly a far cry from Princess Annes three oh-so-glam appearances as a Vogue cover girl in the Seventies.
And while securing Kate as a cover star is a huge coup for Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman, it is clearly Kate who has taken the reins on the project.
Coinciding with the release of her own photos to mark Princess Charlottes first birthday today, Kate has shown once again her determination to maintain as much control as possible over her familys public image.
Casting aside much of the slick tailoring, grand millinery and dazzling jewellery that she often wears for public engagements, these new images of the Duchess of Cambridge are redolent of the point-to-points and country shows of the Home Counties set albeit with plenty of fashionable energy lent by brands such as Burberry and British Vogues fashion director Lucinda Chambers.
Chambers is known for a quirkier take on British heritage style, blending ballgowns and wellies, but she clearly exercised restraint when it came to Kate, a young woman determined to define her own public image.
Its no surprise that the 34-year-olds cover has echoes of her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana (left), and theyre certainly a far cry from Princess Annes three oh-so-glam appearances as a Vogue cover girl in the Seventies (right)
Her off-duty wardrobe in this shoot with skinny jeans, Breton tops, shearling coats, waxed jackets, boots and crisp shirts does as much to portray a certain look as the McQueen suits and Emilia Wickstead gowns she favours for official engagements.
Whether frolicking on the polo lawns of Gloucestershire or hanging out on country estates with posh pals, this is the tribal style of William and Kates glossy posse.
Yes, she may be a fashion icon, but these photographs, which were commissioned in collaboration with Londons National Portrait Gallery to commemorate Vogues centenary, are far more revealing than most fashion shoots.
HAT'S THE WAY TO SEE OFF A RIVAL!
Kate's hat works to make her look down-to-earth in a way thats strangely reminiscent of Prince Williams old flame Jecca Craig (left) or of Jane Seymour's role in Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman (right)
In an Australian Akubra-style fur felt hat, the sort worn by Outback cattle herders, Kate looks ready to leap into the saddle.
The hat, from trendy vintage outlet, Beyond Retro, sells for 38.
Its an unusual choice, given her hair is her crowning glory, and the brim casts a heavy shadow on her face but it works to make her look down-to-earth in a way thats strangely reminiscent of Prince Williams old flame Jecca Craig (top) or of Jane Seymour's role in Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman.
NICE GNASHERS
Straight, even and gleaming, Kates teeth are a sight to entice any of us to visit the orthodontist.
Refreshingly, she doesnt appear to have succumbed to the Hollywood trend for over-whitening them. It is known she wore a dental brace at the age of 12 and it is also thought she had invisible braces fitted ahead of her engagement to help give her that perfect smile.
At 4,495, Kates chocolate suede double-breasted tailored coat is hardly one of her High Street bargains
A 4,495 CALF SUEDE COAT
At 4,495, Kates chocolate suede double-breasted tailored coat is hardly one of her High Street bargains. The Burberry number has oversized lapels with topstitched bound edging that make for a striking frame to her face on the magazines cover photo, where she is seen in a head and shoulders shot. It reflects Kates off-duty style: she often wears an Alice Temperley shearling jacket and favours brown coats. The classic white cotton shirt also by Burberry for a mere 325 adds to the wholesome, casual image, while subtly pandering to Vogues audience and advertisers.
ONE SHOOT - BUT TWO HAIRSTYLES
Kate would have had the opportunity to work with any one of Vogues elite army of session stylists, but the Duchess chose instead to have her personal and very loyal hairdresser, Amanda Cook Tucker, work with her on the shoot. In this image, Cook Tucker has probably used tongs to bring back the natural curl and bounce in Kates brunette locks. But for the shots where shes wearing a hat, her naturally wavy hair has been blow-dried straight and brushed through to create a more natural, glossy, outdoorsy style.
NO PANDA EYES AND A FEW LINES!
Kate normally favours heavy eyeliner, but Vogue make-up artist Sally Branka has persuaded her to try softer, blended eyeshadow and a dark brown brow pencil.
The outcome? She looks so much younger and fresher. Branka has matched this with a tawny lipstick and warmed her complexion with a light dusting of bronzer.
The result is fresh-faced and natural, though a surprising amount of cosmetics will have been used for this no make-up make-up look. Refreshingly, there is little or no touching-up work, allowing Kates natural facial lines to show. As usual, she is seen without nail polish.
IS THAT CAR A PRODUCT PLACEMENT?
Its an unusual fashion accessory... but clearly visible in the background is a Land Rover Defender, leading some to speculate that it may be a deliberate product placement.
In fact, although Land Rover does hold the Royal Warrant and is a favourite with all the family, the model was discontinued in January... 68 years after it was launched.
SHE'S MADE SURE WE CLOCK DI'S RING
Kates hands are oh-so-casually arranged to show off the ever-present sapphire and diamond engagement ring that once adorned Dianas hand.
The heirloom was left to William on his mothers death. Instantly recognisable, it draws the eye in with its dazzling gems, especially when worn with casual country clothing. It is worn with two other narrow bands, one of which is her wedding band, made from Welsh gold.
HOT YOUNG SNAPPER
Kate chose London-born fashion photographer Josh Olins, 36, for the shoot.
Olins, who lives in New York, has photographed a host of celebrities including Emma Watson, the Beckhams and Julia Roberts, and has also done advertising campaigns for Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Mango, H&M and Gap.
AT 35, SHE LOVES YUMMY BRETON TOPS
Kate's 35 striped top is from the French label Petit Bateau, a favourite with yummy mummies.
A childrens brand at first, the company launched a womenswear collection after slender mums began slipping their tiny frames into their kids Breton tops.
Kate has a penchant for Breton stripes, with those by her favoured brand ME + EM selling out after she wore them to the polo with George. They look great with jeans but stylish dressed up with a blazer.
By leaning across this gate (left), Kate neatly obscures her wasp-thin waist, ensuring there wont be more sniping about her oh-so slender frame. Kate's 35 striped top (right) is from the French label Petit Bateau, a favourite with yummy mummies
WHO NEEDS A STUDIO?
Determined to reinforce her status as a woman who is happiest away from the bustle and glamour of urban life, Kate decreed that the shoot would take place near Anmer Hall, her Norfolk home.
It is believed that some of the images were taken on the Queens Sandringham estate in January, with the whole project kept so secret that only a handful of Vogue staff even knew it was happening.
GATE HELPS HIDE SO-SKINNY WAIST
Many of the other royal attendees chose to wear one for the banquet
Royals from around the world gathered in Sweden for a lavish banquet on Saturday, to celebrate King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden's 70th birthday.
And while royals including Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Princess Takamado of Japan all chose to wear tiaras for the occasion, Princess Mary opted for something a little different.
Arriving to the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on a chilly Saturday evening, the Princess donned a modern golden headpiece by Ole Lynggaard - an official jeweller appointed to the Danish Royal Court.
Scroll down for video
No tiara: Crown Princess Mary of Denmark chose to forego a tiara for King Carl XVI Gustaf's 70th birthday celebrations in Sweden over the weekend
Sticking with tradition: Princess Madeleine of Sweden (left) and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden (right) both chose to wear tiaras for the occasion
Modern twist: Arriving to the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on Saturday evening, Princess Mary donned a modern golden headpiece by Ole Lynggaard - an official jeweller appointed to the Danish Royal Court
The exclusive floral piece was inspired by Japanese minimalism and adorned with fine diamonds and intricate leaf-inspired detailing.
There is no strict etiquette surrounding tiaras and royalty, but tradition would normally dictate that a night time event attended by numerous members of royalty and notable people would be the ideal time... though it is not uncommon for women to opt for a brooch or small headpiece instead.
The stylish Princess also donned a conservative yet fitted white and yellow floral print gown for the occasion, which she paired with a golden clutch and matching yellow heels.
Chic: The exclusive floral piece was inspired by Japanese minimalism and adorned with fine diamonds and intricate leaf-inspired detailing and she paired it with a fitted white and yellow floral gown
Formalities: Queen Mathilde of Belgium (left) and Princess Takamado (right) of Japan both stepped out in glamorous tiaras for the lavish banquet
Sparkling royals: Princess Anna of Bavaria (left) and Princess Martha Louise of Norway (right) also kept to tradition with stylish tiaras
Chilly choice: Mary's hair was styled with simple classic waves and once again she chose to forego a coat for the occasion, despite the temperature in Sweden averaging just five degrees (pictured with Queen Silvia)
Her hair was styled with simple classic waves and once again she chose to forego a coat, despite the temperature in Sweden averaging just five degrees.
She was snapped leaving the Danish Royal Yacht, the Dannebrog, to attend the banquet alongside her husband who was dressed in formal black tie attire and his military medals.
As she left she was all smiles and waved to members of the public on the docks.
On her way: She was snapped leaving the Danish Royal Yacht, the Dannebrog, to attend the banquet alongside her husband who was dressed in formal black tie attire and his military medals
Group photo: Mary wasn't the only one without a tiara, with a few other attendees also choosing to go without
All smiles: As she left she waved to members of the public on the docks
On Sunday, the mother-of-four and her husband Crown Prince Frederik attended the King's birthday lunch at City Hall in Stockholm, with the Princess opting for a classic understated look in a beige trench coat and nude Christian Louboutin heels.
For a splash of colour the 44-year-old paired the look with an elegant purple pillbox hat, purple leather clutch and matching purple gloves.
Princess Mary wore the exact same outfit in March 2015, when she welcomed Queen Maxima of the Netherlands to Denmark.
Birthday party: On Sunday, Mary and Crown Prince Frederik attended the King's birthday lunch at City Hall in Stockholm
Elegance: The Princess opted for a classic understated look in a beige trench coat and nude Christian Louboutin heels
Chic: Princess Mary wore the exact same outfit in March 2015 (pictured), when she welcomed Queen Maxima of the Netherlands to Denmark
Thrifty: It's not the first time the Princess has repeated outfits and regularly recycles her favourite pieces
Underneath the heavy coat she wore an understated cream Prada dress.
The Princess posed for photos alongside her husband before joining guests including Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, Denmark's Queen Margrethe and Japan's Princess Takamado.
She was seen cozying up to her beau in the cold weather and laughing with he and other guests as they met on the balcony to sing.
Simple yet striking: For a splash of colour she paired the look with an elegant purple pillbox hat, purple leather clutch and matching purple gloves
Clare snapped a selfie with him and posted it on Instagram
They met at a Dog Lover's Show and she said he was her 'perfect husband'
They're both single and have an unrivalled passion for animals.
So it comes as no surprise that Married At First Sight Australia bride Clare Verrall developed an instant crush on celebrity vet Dr Chris Brown after meeting him at a 'Dog Lover's Show' over the weekend.
The bubbly 32-year-old, from Melbourne, took to Instagram after the show and excitedly shared a selfie of herself and the handsome TV vet.
Scroll down for video
Dog lovers unite: Married At First Sight bride Clare Verrall developed an instant crush on celebrity vet Dr Chris Brown after meeting him over the weekend
Moving on: The striking blonde, 32, was paired with controversial 'groom' Jono Pitman on Married At First Sight Australia, season two
'Preeeeeeetty sure I've found the absolutely perfect husband number two, no 'experts' required [sic],' she captioned the snap, adding a heart-eyed emoji.
'He's "what I ordered",' she added in the comments, alluding to a comment made by her controversial TV groom Jono, who famously said Clare 'wasn't what he ordered'.
Clare, who recently slipped and fell on a piece of ice while out with fellow MAFS star Erin Bateman and broke her wrist, also had the Bondi Vet star sign her plaster cast for good luck.
'Preeeeeeetty sure I've found the absolutely perfect husband number two': Clare also showed off her newly signed plaster cast on Instagram
Where else? Clare ran into the celebrity vet at the Dog Lover's Show
'Temporary cast signed by @drchrisbrown for good luck. Bring on tomorrow's surgery! Once it's full of plates & screws this is totally going to become my super strong jar opening wrist!!! [sic]' She wrote on another photo, showing off his signature.
On Monday morning the striking blonde shared a video of herself (the autographed cast front and centre) ahead of having surgery on her wrist.
'Project for everyone, I'm in the hospital. Don't Google the operation you're about to have and then watch a 10 minute gruesome YouTube video on it,' she said.
'It just makes you want to run home... No.'
Clumsy: Clare recently slipped and fell on a piece of ice while out with fellow MAFS star Erin Bateman (left) and broke her wrist
Chris for good luck: 'Project for everyone, I'm in the hospital. Don't Google the operation you're about to have and then watch a 10 minute gruesome YouTube video on it,' she said
Clare's TV groom Jono has also moved on from their dysfunctional relationship and has already started up a new relationship and gone through another break up since filming.
Before appearing on Married At First Sight Australia, Daily Mail Australia reported that Jono Pitman, 28, had already found love with a woman not on the show.
But the show may have torn the couple apart, with the reality star revealing on Friday morning that he is now '100 per cent single.'
Appearing on Fitzy and Wippa, Jono was asked whether he was single amidst claims he had gotten back with his ex-girlfriend.
Controversy: Before appearing on Married At First Sight Australia, Daily Mail Australia reported that Jono Pitman, 28, had already found love with a woman not on the show
Confirmed: But it seems the show may have torn the couple apart, with the reality star revealing on Friday morning that is is now '100 per cent single'
New lady: However fans hoping for a happy ending for the pair were left disappointed when a woman named Rachael shared a loving photo of herself with Jono before the show went to air
'It's sort of been a little bit of an up and down process since the show,' Jono said.
'I can say now that I'm 100 per cent single. A week or two weeks ago I said I was seeing someone, I was trying to work things out with a certain person.
'But unfortunately that didn't work.'
Didn't work out: 'I can say now that I'm 100 per cent single. A week of two weeks ago I said I was seeing someone, I was trying to work things out with a certain person,' Jono said
Short-lived: Interaction between the pair goes as far back as August (before filming), with Jono previously commenting on a Facebook photo of Rachael lying on the ground with her hair up
Jono said of Clare: 'She's basically the opposite of what I expected to walk down the aisle. She's not what I... Not what I ordered.'
However fans hoping for a happy ending for the pair were left disappointed when a woman named Rachael shared a loving photo of herself with Jono before the show went to air.
'You annoy the absolute s**t out of me, but there's no one else I could imagine waking up next to every morning,' the Melbourne-based blonde wrote on Instagram with the hashtags #soppypost, #mrperfect and #thanksforbeingyou and emojis of a boy and girl holding hands and a kissing face.
Not so private: She also tagged Jono's Instagram account where he had written several flirty comments on Rachael's pictures previously
She also tagged Jono's Instagram account where he had written several flirty comments on Rachael's pictures previously.
Interaction between the pair goes as far back as August (before filming), with Jono previously commenting on a Facebook photo of Rachael lying on the ground with her hair up.
There's a new angry looking, but utterly cute, feline on the social media scene and he may just be a rival for Grumpy Cat.
Emergency Norman, an 'adorable a**hole' according to his owner, has been taking Twitter by storm and gathered a following of die hard fans.
The British Shorthair cat, one of the rarer 'longhair' varieties, seems to almost always have an angry look on his face in photos, whilst still managing to be incredibly cute.
Purrrfect: Emergency Norman (above) is the latest pet to rival social media star grumpy cat in looks
Look at me: Norman has a cult following on Twitter, where his owner posts photos of the feline around the house
Looks that could kill: According to his Twitter account, Norman is an 'adorable a**hole'
'His hair is so good': Norman's owner, Anna Spargo-Ryan, says that Norman is 'just a general p***k' and compared him to a private school boy
Social media star: Norman is a British Shorthair cat, one of the rarer longhaired varieties, and lives in Melbourne with his family
And the Melbourne cat's behavior isn't fantastic either, according to his owner Anna Spargo-Ryan.
'Hes just a general p***k,' Ms Spargo-Ryan told Daily Mail Australia. 'Hes like a private school boy whos never had to work for anything because his hair is so good.'
'If you try to cuddle him on your terms, hell put his claw in your earlobe, but if youre on the toilet, he is all over you.'
Norman's hobbies include stealing tomatoes from the bench and hiding them around the house, lying on the clothes airer and watching his owners from afar with a deadly look in his eyes.
Ow: Ms Spargo-Ryan says that you never know how Norman is going to be adnt hat 'If you try to cuddle him on your terms, hell put his claw in your earlobe'
Look into my eyes: Norman often likes to sit and watch his family with his piercing yellow eyes, looking as if he is going in for the kill
Naughty: Norman has been known to steal tomatoes from the kitchen bench and hide them all over the house
'He sits on them like a brooding hen': He also does things like collect avocado seeds and hide them under the oven
Adorable: Ms Spargo-Ryan says that the cat can be lovely sometimes, just enough to make everyone fall in love with him
'His behavior is so peculiar. Last month I realised hes been cultivating a collection of avocado seeds under the oven. He sits on them like a brooding hen,' Ms Spargo-Ryan said.
'The first day he was here, he didnt want anyone to pick him up and we thought it was just first-day nerves, settling in, you know. But weve since realised thats just his personality.'
But she said that he can also be lovely when he wants to be, sleeping on the end of her bed under the doona like a human and very occasionally permitting a cuddle.
Who I am: Ms Spargo-Ryan says that when he was a kitten, they thought he disliked cuddles because he was nervous, but soon realised it was just the cat's personality
Popular: Norman has 1,700 followers on Twitter who follow his every move and eargerly anticipate updates on the cat
Only a baby: Ms Spargo-Ryan started the Twitter account in November 2014, just a month after getting Norman as a kitten
Fluffy and fierce: The author uses the account to give updates on what Norman likes and dislikes each day
'Things Norman hates today: bright lights, racism in police work': Ms Spargo-Ryan also makes jokes on Norman's account relating to current affairs and news
Ms Spargo-Ryan started the Emergency Norman Twitter account in November 2014, only a month after the cat joined her family.
She uses the account to post pictures of Norman, detailing what he is loving or hating that day. Often the posts are poking fun at topics in the news.
'Things Norman hates today: bright lights, racism in police work,' the caption on one photo reads.
As bank holiday viewing goes, an hour-long programme about UK railways sounded just the ticket.
But viewers tuning into the second episode of Paul Merton's new series Secret Stations got more than they bargained for after a segment on salmon breeding saw the funnyman pleasuring a fish.
Twitter, unsurprisingly, was quickly awash with surprise at the moment, in which Merton get to grips with the salmon in a bid to help keep the population of the species up.
Scroll down for video
'You wouldn't catch Michael Portillo pleasuring a fish!' Paul Merton gets involved in salmon breeding for his new show Secret Stations on Channel Four
Head of Fish Bob Kindness at Attadale in the Scottish Highlands 'milks' the salmon, adding its sperm into a bowl full of eggs for fertilisation
Viewers were more than a little awkward about the scene, expecting a sedentary tale of UK railway history from Merton's Secret Stations
The cringe-worthy scene came about after Merton, 58, visited Attadale, on the Kyle of Lochalsh line in the Highlands.
When Head of Fish Bob Kindness asked Merton to get involved with 'stripping', essentially extracting salmon semen for the purpose of producing more of the fish, he didn't look too pleased.
However, after donning a pair of latex gloves, the comic began the process and looked rather awkward doing so, as did the salmon.
@andybailey123 wrote: 'Paul Merton pleasuring a fish? You wouldn't catch Michael Portillo doing this. Nice cap though!' after watching.
@MarkA380 added: 'Was watching Paul Merton's #SecretStations expecting a program about trains but it's now showing him making a fish c**'
And @dumbpea said: 'Nothing in the ads for #SecretStations prepared me for Paul Merton "milking" a salmon.'
Viewers took to Twitter to express their surprise at the section about salmon breeding
@PGFParsons quipped: 'Not sure about my Bearnese sauce on the steak tonight after watching Paul Merton 'milk' a male salmon #PaulMertonsSecretStations.'
Others were plain disturbed: @AmarylisValdeon penned: 'Erm... Disturbed that I have just watched Paul Merton w**king off a salmon! #secretstations'.
@davenoisome said: 'Watching Paul Merton fertilising a salmon...no, seriously #Ch4'
It was a moment of television that seemed to deviate off topic, with the genteel title suggesting this would be a Portillo-style amble around the UK with Merton's trademark wit thrown in.
Of the series, Merton, whose dad was a London Underground train driver, has said railway stations have long since provided a huge source of fascination.
He says: 'I love railways. Uncovering the secrets behind these humble request stops, all the places that aren't in any travel brochures... you have to get yourself on a train!'
In the show, his first destination is the Scottish Highlands, taking the Kyle Line from Inverness to the Kyle of Lochalsh on the west coast and hopping off at Attadale.
Almost there! Merton milks the salmon, adding the sperm to the eggs
Let's make baby salmon! Nothing scientific here...simply a bowl of eggs left to be fertilized by the eggs
Paul Merton at Knucklas Railway Station, Glyndwr Knighton, on his journey around the UK for a new series
Joanna Macpherson pictured stopping the train at Attadale with a view over Loch Carron to the Isle of Skye, one of the 152 request stations in Britain
Knucklas Railway Station is one of the request stops Paul visits on his travels
There to meet him on the platform - with a view over Loch Carron to the Isle of Skye - is the laird's daughter, Joanna Macpherson.
When the station opened in 1873, the laird was Alexander Matheson, who made his fortune selling opium to the Chinese.
He built the railway so, of course, had his own station just yards from home. Back then it was a shack with a red flag to wave down the train. Not much has changed, as Merton discovers here and in lots of other places too.
Surprisingly, there are 152 of these tiny request stations - sometimes just a platform in the back of beyond - and they equate to 6 per cent of all our railway stations.
Princess Charlotte may have only just reached her first birthday but it appears that the one-year-old may have already developed expensive taste.
Over the past year Prince George's little sister has been lavished with gifts and letters from 64 countries around the world, from Australia to Bhutan.
The youngest member of the royal family has received tokens from well-wishers across the world, including blankets, clothes, cards, books, toys and hand-knitted bootees.
Scroll down for video
Princess Charlotte celebrates her first birthday today and Kensington Palace have revealed some of the lavish gifts the princess received over the past year. Here the youngest royal appears in one of the official photos released by Kensignton Palace yesterday
The Natural Sapphire Company claims it gifted the young royal with this 8 carat rattle decorated with diamonds, rubies and sapphires worth 30,000 to mark her birth
The list of gifts from schools, community groups and individuals includes a 54,000 charity donation and a silver rattle over the past year.
Not mentioned on the list is an 18 carat white gold rattle decorated with diamonds, rubies and sapphires to form the Union Jack worth 30,000.
The Natural Sapphire Company claims to have gifted Charlotte with the lavish baby toy in celebration of her birth in May last year.
The company says that it presented the gift to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's second child by way of thank you as, following the couple's engagement, sales soared as women tried to replicate the Duchess' sapphire engagement ring.
Kensington Palace were unable to confirm whether the rattle had been received by Prince William and Kate - adding that, as a general rule, gifts from commercial companies were not accepted.
The unique toy is not the only luxurious gift to be bestowed on the baby, with a silver rattle being given to her by the President of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto, and his wife, Senora Angelica Rivera, during their visit to Britain in 2015.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have expressed their gratitude for the many letters and gifts that their daughter has received
During their recent visit to London, Barack and Michelle Obama gifted Charlotte with a jigsaw and a stuffed dog (seen on the table)
The dog is a replica of Bo the President's very own Portuguese Water Dog (pictured left)
Charlotte was also gifted with a jigsaw from the Obamas, which may have been this one featuring Bo
The President and the First Lady of the USA gave Princess Charlotte a children's rocking chair and baby blanket after she was born, not dissimilar to the ones pictured
CHARLOTTE'S GIFTS OVER THE PAST YEAR New Zealand Rugby sleepsuit and Wellington Rugby snowsuit, given to her uncle Prince Harry during his tour of New Zealand.
The Australian Government sent a cot blanket made from Tasmanian merino wool sourced from Launcestons renowned Waverley Woollen Mills. The blanket is embroidered with the Australian floral emblem, the wattle, by members of the ACT Embroiderers Guild, and contributed AUS$10,000 to the Healesville Sanctuary, part of Zoos Victoria, to support the important work it is doing for the Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus).
The Prime Minister of Canada gave a snowsuit, a book, and made a $100,000 donation to Immunize Canada
The Prime Minister David Cameron gave Princess Charlotte a copy of Hans Christian Anderson's Fairy Tales
The Prime Minister of New Zealand gave a selection of teddy bears, baby blankets and bootees, all made from Stansborough wool
During the Chinese state visit PSSC was given a set of silk figurines, depicting the traditional Chinese story, 'Dream of the Red Chamber'
During the 2015 Mexican state visit, the President of Mexico and Senora Angelica Rivera gave Princess Charlotte a silver rattle
The President and the First Lady of the USA gave Princess Charlotte a children's rocking chair and baby blanket after she was born. During their recent visit to the UK, they gave Princess Charlotte a jigsaw and a 'Bo' teddy(their Portuguese Water Dog), to match Prince George's.
In Bhutan, both Prince George and Princess Charlotte were given coats by Their Majesty The King and Queen of Bhutan.
The princess has also had some very generous charitable donations made in her name including one for 54,000 from the former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper.
Despite her many expensive presents it appears that Charlotte still favours her stuffed toys above anything else.
Photographs of her at six months old showed her laughing at her Fuddlewuddle puppy, from British company Jellycat costing just 16.
Hurricanes captain Conrad Smith presents Prince Harry with a personalized onesie for his niece Princess Charlotte during his visit to New Zealand
Princess Charlotte was presented with this pink dress by the Israeli president Reuven Rivlin
The Prime Minister of Canada gave the young Princess what is believed to be a Canada Goose snowsuit not dissimilar to the one pictured
'The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are incredibly grateful for all the letters, gifts and good wishes they have been fortunate to receive in the year since Princess Charlotte was born,' a spokesman for Kensington Palace said.
'The couple have taken a number of gifts into their home, some gifts are stored within The Royal Household, and some gifts were donated to organisations which could make good use of them.'
It marked the celebration yesterday by releasing four new pictures of the birthday girl.
In one of the pictures Charlotte, wearing a little pink cardigan with a matching pink bow in her hair, can be seen pushing her walker across a lawn.
The Australian Government sent a cot blanket made from Tasmanian merino wool sourced from Launcestons renowned Waverley Woollen Mills, pictured here
The blanket was embroidered with the Australian floral emblem, the wattle, by members of the ACT Embroiderers Guild
David Cameron gave the princess a book of fairy tales by Hans Christian Anderson, such as the one pictured here (right)
Both Prince George and Princess Charlotte were given coats by Their Majesty The King and Queen of Bhutan
The King and Queen of Bhutan are believed to have gifted the princess and her brother with these coats from designer Chimmi Choden
In another she gazes thoughtfully at the camera and appears relaxed and happy - perhaps because her mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, was behind the lens.
A third photograph shows her leaning on a wooden chair, this time wearing a cream cardigan over a blue dress with a blue ribbon clip in her hair, Meanwhile the final image reveals Charlotte's startling resemblance to George as she clambers on a wicker chair, playfully glancing back towards the camera.
The royals released the images yesterday on their Twitter account and said: 'The Duke and Duchess are delighted to share new photographs of Princess Charlotte. The Duchess took these pictures of her daughter in April at their home in Norfolk.
'The Duke and Duchess are happy to be able to share these family moments, ahead of their daughter's first birthday. We hope that everyone enjoys these lovely photos as much as we do.'
To mark the princess' first birthday Kensington Palace has released four new pictures of the youngest member of the royal family. She is pictured here in a photo taken at home by the Duchess of Cambridge
The young royal was first introduced to the public on the day she was born, May 2 2015, and like her older brother the images of the tiny infant were captured by the world's media.
But Charlotte's privacy has been carefully guarded by the Cambridge's and in the past year she has only been seen in public on one other occasion - her christening.
On that day her cheeky big brother George stole the limelight by standing on tiptoe to peer into her pram and chatting to the Queen, who bent down to speak to her great-grandson.
Since then Charlotte has only been seen in a handful of pictures released to mark her milestones - including her at six months, her first Christmas and most recently in a group picture with the Queen's other great-grandchildren and youngest grandchildren to mark the monarch's 90th birthday.
Despite appearing in a few official photographs, Charlotte's outfits have attracted huge attention on social media.
Curious: Princess Charlotte gazes at the camera in this photograph taken by her mother the Duchess of Cambridge to mark her birthday
The Duchess of Cambridge shot these pictures of Charlotte at six months old in November with her favourite toy, a Fuddlewuddle
Lauren Greene and Chrissy Diaz blog about the clothes the young Princess and her brother George wear on their website princegeorgepieces.com - providing information for the young royals' growing legion of fans.
Charlotte has been photographed a number of times in floral dresses, matched with cardigans and the royal bloggers believe this repetition is an attempt to stop her becoming the focus of the fashion world like her mother Kate.
Chrissy believes Kate is making a 'commentary on the monarchy' with the outfit choices, adding: 'While there's a decision to remain fresh there's also a sense of tradition.'
There are also a number of similarities between the children's look and what members of the royal family have worn in the past, notably the Prince of Wales and William when they were children.
With the princess fourth in line to the throne, she will be an important figure in the monarchy in the years to come.
A celebrity massage therapist is mouthing off about her unusual technique that sees her biting her clients.
Dorothy Stein, 48, from New Jersey, was nicknamed Dr Dot by musician Frank Zappa in the early days of her career when she used her skills to nab free concert tickets and meet her favourite rock stars backstage.
Since then, Dr Dot has massaged - and bitten - an impressive roster of famous names, including one famous band who were 'massage virgins'.
Scroll down for video
Doctor Dot, real name Dorothy Stein, has built up a successful massage career thanks to her unusual technique of biting her clients. Pictured: Dr Dot biting Elena Pogosyan
Journist Elena says she was surprised at how much she enjoyed her massage session saying that there 'is no way to explain it'
Journalist, Elena Pogosyan, visited Dr Dot for one of her renowned massages delivered with her patented, 'bite method'.
Elena said: 'I was a little bit apprehensive about getting bitten by a woman I've never met. I didn't want to walk into a Fifty Shades Of Grey scene.'
But most of Dr Dot's clients are eager to sample her talents. A certain British music mogul is a big fan. Dr Dot revealed: 'He loves a gentle bite massage'.
Other celebrities demand a more 'sensual' approach. Dr Dot says that one female rockstar demands that she is massaged all over her front, although Dot adds, 'I've never bitten boobs though.'
Dorothy made her first forays into therapeutic biting at the age of five, encouraged by her 'hippy' mother.
She said: 'She wanted me to massage her but my hands weren't strong enough, so she just kept on saying 'Bite me! So I've been doing this my whole life.'
Dorothy began using her biting technique at the age of five while massaging her mother and now the 'bite method' is her signature
Dorothy, demonstrating her technique on Elena Pogosyan, used to give out free massages to big rockstars in order to get into concerts without paying
At 15, Dr Dot gave her first backstage massage to Sheffield-born rockers Def Leppard.
She said: 'I wanted to get into shows for free and meet the people who wrote the lyrics that were so close to my heart.
Before adding any oil I bite the whole back up and down, in a very fluid motion
'It was a choice of either money or massage. So I chose massage.'
Since then, Dr Dot has traded her services to see over 3,000 concerts for free.
Giving free massages helped build her reputation, and she now charges around $150 (102) for a massage session - with no extra fee for biting.
The colourful masseur told Refinery29 how she has practised her biting technique on Sting and Simon Cowell.
She says: 'Naturally, I ask the client if they want to try it first. And then - before adding any oil - I bite the whole back up and down, in a very fluid motion, bit by bit, avoiding any bones. I do the neck and shoulders, and sometimes the glutes, too.
Giving free massages helped build the flamboyant masseuse's reputation, and she now charges around $150 (102) for a massage
'I take big bites, obviously not firm enough to break skin, but firm and deep enough to grab and "tenderise" the back muscles, warming them up for the real rubdown that follows.
'Ive never hurt anyone doing it; its actually divine for the client, as its a sensation theyve never experienced before. Theyre marching into the unknown and putting their trust in me.'
'I'll never forget this experience because it's not every day I have a woman biting my back
Elena was certainly surprised at how much she enjoyed it.
She said: 'It felt like someone biting my back - there's literally no other way to explain it, but it feels good.
'I'll never forget this experience because it's not every day I have a woman biting my back or my neck or playing with my feet or biting my butt.'
Dr Dot usually starts her sessions with biting - she describes it as the 'appetiser to the full meal'.
She bites their backs and buttocks, before rubbing oil on their skin and moving on to a more traditional massage.
Twitter users have taken to social media in the hope of persuading Disney to introduce their first ever openly gay character in one of their films.
The social media campaigners have been using the hashtag #GiveElsaAGirlfriend to persuade the creators of Frozen to make Elsa a lesbian for the sequel.
The hashtag was started by writer Alexis Isabel who tweeted the company directly asking them to consider the possibility of introducing a gay princess.
Scroll down for video
Twitter users have been using the hashtag #GiveElsaAGirlfriend in the hope of persuading Disney producers to introduce their first ever openly gay character in the Frozen sequel
She wrote: 'Dear @Disney, #GiveElsaAGirlfriend' which has now had more than 1,000 retweets and 2,000 likes since she it was posted on Saturday.
It wasn't long before others showed their support with their own messages aimed at Disney.
Members of the LGBT community pointed out that the Frozen narrative particularly resonates with them because it mirrors the journey of coming out.
The hashtag was started by writer Alexis Isabel and has since seen thousands of tweets pour in in support of the idea
Queen Elsa struggles to keep her powers hidden from her family and worries about being accepted, hiding in her castle until she finally reveals her secret and finds happiness.
Kenneth Sergienko pointed this out when he tweeted: 'Given that Frozen was one giant metaphor for the closet, to #GiveElsaAGirlfriend is just logical. More LGBT representation is a great idea.'
Dana Addams agreed adding: '#GiveElsaAGirlfriend because half of Frozen is one big metaphor for being in the closet, getting outed and coming to terms with yourself...'
Many Twitter users pointed out the symmetry between Queen Elsa's storyline and the journey of coming out
Several gay women took to the social media site to say that they would have appreciated a lesbian princess as a Disney heroine when they were younger.
Cry baby explained: 'Please please please #GiveElsaAGirlfriend my life would've been so much easier as a kid if this were a thing.'
Jordan agreed adding: 'A gay Disney princess would have helped me feel so much more normal when I was younger. Representation is important #GiveElsaAGirlfriend '
Many gay women explained that they would have greatly appreciated a lesbian Disney heroine while they were growing up
Other account holders shared inspiring tweets which included the lyrics from the 2013 smash hit film.
Marceylan said: '#GiveElsaAGirlfriend because we are in the 21st century, we must take it upon ourselves to end stereotypes, let it go.'
Annie was queenvives added: 'Love is an open door. This door should be open to everyone, not just straight people #GiveElsaAGirlfriend'
Whether the campaign will be a success or not remains to be seen with the sequel to Frozen not due to hit our screens before 2018. MailOnline has contacted Disney for a comment.
Some users chose to use the movie's song lyrics to drive home their message for the campaign
A pair of stunning Mormon sisters are being called the 'next Kendall and Kylie Jenner' and they're certainly following in the reality stars' big-brand footsteps
The Smith sisters Pyper America, 19, and Daisy Clementine, 20 first started earning media mentions thanks to their equally good-looking little brother, 17-year-old model Lucky Blue Smith.
But now the blonde beauties are getting plenty of recognition in their own right, thanks to a steady stream of gigs that include a new campaign for mega-retailer Forever 21.
Big gig: Sisters Pyper America (top) and Daisy Clementine Smith (bottom) are starring in Forever 21's latest campaign
Summer Lovin': They posed side-by-side in a series of images modeling the brand's summer collection
Having fun: Pyper, 19, and Daisy, 20, can be seen goofing around in some shots
The genetically-gifted duo star side-by-side in the brand's new images, which seem them modeling swimwear, tops, shorts, and dresses.
In one shot, Daisy wearing a cropped cami lays in the lap of her little sister, who modeling a neoprene bikini top.
In another shot, it's Daisy modeling swimwear with a denim jacket whole Pyper lounges nearby in a yellow dress.
Besides summery staples like maxi dresses and cutoff shorts, they also bring their best accessory game in stretchy choker necklaces, round sunglasses, and high-top sneakers.
With their complementary good looks and fashion brand bona fides, it's no wonder Pyper and Daisy are drawing comparisons to Kendall and Kylie.
DIY girl: Pyper flaunted her bright pink hair, which she dyed herself
Busy bee: Older sister Daisy (pictured) has also modeled for Nordstrom, Nylon, and BELLOmag
That face: Pyper has posed for Air France Madame, Vogue China, V Magazine, and L'officiel Thailand
Pyper, in particular, seems to be going the Kendall route with a jam-packed schedule full of designer campaigns, magazine shoots, and for the first time ever an invite to this year's Met Gala.
'Going to the Met Gala for my first time tomorrow,' she teased on Instagram yesterday. 'Follow my Snapchat if you wanna watch me pretend like I know what I'm doing.'
She's shot campaigns for Gap and Calvin Klein Jeans, and walked the runway for Giorgio Armani and Moschino.
Recently, she's also posed for Air France Madame, Vogue China, V Magazine, L'officiel Thailand, and a collaboration between Fendi and Beats by Dre.
Pyper who died her own hair pink on camera in January also has the same social media philosophy as the Jenner girls.
She told Elle in March: 'Instagram is an insight into your life. It's been a great tool for my work it's another way to build my brand.'
Fab style: The duo clearly has good genes though they didn't wear much denim in the shoot
Social popularity: Pyper has talked about using Instagram as a tool to build her brand
Big sister Daisy's also been keeping busy. The first of her siblings to be scouted, she modeled for Nordstrom, Nylon, and BELLOmag, and walked the runway for Ermanno Scervino and Philipp Plein bug especially loves when she gets to do her job with family
'Photoshoots with my siblings are my favorite ever,' she told Nylon earlier this year. 'You just mess around and you just do the most fun job in the world with the most fun people and you just have a great time.'
'Its really cool because because modeling can be so misunderstood, and unless youre in the industry, its hard for people to wrap their minds around it,' she went on. 'Its really refreshing to talk to my siblings about it because they get it. They live it.'
Major event: She also shared on Instagram that she will be attending tonight's Met Gala in New York City
Good-looking fam: Pyper and Daisy also model alongside their other siblings, Lucky Blue (left) and Starlee (right)
Following in their footsteps: Kendall and Kylie have lived much of their lives in the spotlight - however Pyper and Daisy are relatively new to the world of fashion and fame
Though the girls sure don't seem afraid to model bikinis, low-cut tops, or short shorts and have even been known to share some lingerie shots on Instagram they still insist that they're adhering to their strict Mormon roots, which ban things like cigarettes, alcohol, and even coffee.
'At a recent shoot, they asked me to do a nude shot I turned that down. But I don't think I'm missing out,' Pyper told Allure this year.
She also explained that she's aware that some people see contradictions between what she does and how she was brought up, first in Utah and then in Los Angeles.
The 36-year-old King of Bhutan has an incredibly thick-looking head of hair and luckily for his newborn son, it seems to be genetic.
A new close-up image of the young prince, named Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, shows that at just three months old, he already has quite a lush 'do.
In fact, his parents King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema seem to be able to easily brush and style the his long locks.
What a 'do! A website curated by Bhutan's Royal Office for Media released a desktop calendar image featuring the country's newborn prince, Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck
The website Yellow Bhutan which is curated by the country's Royal Office for Media released this week a set of 'desktop calendars' for May 2016 featuring an image of the young prince.
The hi-res images can be used for wallpapers on computers or smartphones, and show little Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck wrapped in yellow and staring at the camera.
The tot has thick, side-swept brown hair, which looks recently brushed and perfect parted.
His parents, known as the Dragon King and Queen, only released his name last month when he was two months old.
Bhutan's new crown prince was officially bestowed with the name at a solemn religious ceremony at a majestic 17th century palace that houses the relics of a famous Buddhist master.
Welcome to the world: Last month, the baby's parents, King Jigme and Queen Jetsun, revealed his name in a public ceremony
Touch-ups: Ahead of the ceremony, the Prince's proud grandfather, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, was seen lovingly tidying his mop of dark hair with a soft white brush
Kinley Dorji, the government's information secretary, said the naming ceremony was held to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the day that Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, a revered Tibetan Buddhist master, arrived in Bhutan.
Dorji said the relics of this revered Buddhist master were preserved at the Punakha palace, where the naming ceremony was held.
'The prince has symbolically received his name from Zhabdrung Rinpoche,' Dorji said.
At the Thangzona outside the Dzong, thousands of people had gathered to commemorate Zhabdrung Kuchoe, as well as to celebrate the new Prince.
Bhutan's king and queen prayed at a Buddhist monastery in the capital, Thimphu, before driving to Punakha, where the ceremony took place.
The King carried the baby prince, draped in a yellow blanket, as he walked the short distance alongside his wife to the Punakha Dzong complex, followed by Buddhist monks in maroon robes and musicians playing pipes. There, they were received by His Holiness, the Je Khenpo.
Big family: The little boy was attended to by his parents, his grandfather the former King, and the former King's five wives (pictured)
Loyal: Though his father took multiple wives, King Jigme has said he will only marry Queen Jetsun and remain faithful to her
Revealing the crown prince's name, the King said: 'The Gyalsey is not just the prince of the King and Gyaltsuen, but a son to all the Bhutanese people.
'Jigme means fearless. It symbolizes great courage to overcome any challenge that he may confront in future as he serves our country.
He continued: 'When the time comes for Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck to serve his country, he must always place the concerns of his country above all else and serve his people justly with great love and dedication.
'It will be his sacred responsibility to build a harmonious and just society, and thereby, fulfill all the aspirations of his people.'
Ahead of the ceremony the Prince's proud grandfather, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, was seen lovingly tidying his mop of dark hair with a soft white brush, and his grandmother presented him with the yellow shawl he was wrapped in for the special day.
The naming ceremony topped off an exciting week for the tiny Himalayan Kingdom, during which time they welcomed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Rolling out the red carpet: His Royal Highness The Gyalsey is brought into the Punakha Dzong for the first time
Super ceremony: The little boy was carried to the Punakha Dzong complex, followed by Buddhist monks in maroon robes and musicians playing pipes
A-list visitors: Shortly before the naming ceremony, the Dragon King and Queen welcomed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Bhutan
William and Kate tried their hand at archery, the national sport, and enjoyed a private dinner with the Bhutanese royals.
They also trekked three hours to the iconic Tiger's Nest Monastery. Situated about 10,000ft (3,000m) above sea level and on a cliff face, the monastery is considered to be one of the holiest for the Bhutanese people.
The royal couple showed off the queen's baby bump in a picture released in January. The child, the couple's first, was delivered Feb. 5 by a medical team at Lingkana Palace in Thimphu.
THE KING'S FULL SPEECH AT HIS SON'S NAMING CEREMONY It is most auspicious for all of us to have gathered here today to observe the sacred occasion of Zhabdrung Kuchoe at Pungtang Dewachenpoi Phodrang, the principal seat of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. All the people of our country were joyously united in offering prayers when our son was born in February this year. I express my appreciation to all the people of twenty dzongkhags for your prayers, support and love, and wish you Tashi Delek on the auspicious occasion of Zhabdrung Kuchoe. Today is a very significant day in an exceptional year filled with propitious events. The year marks the birth anniversary of Guru Rinpoche and the 400th anniversary of Zhabdrung's arrival in Bhutan. Along with His Majesty Fourth Druk Gyalpo, I and my son offered our prayers today to Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel in the sacred Machen Lhakhang for the present and future wellbeing of our people and country. Never before has there been a time when the royal grandfather, father and son of the Wangchuck Dynasty came together at the same time to offer prayers in the sacred temple of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. This has come to signify a most fortunate event on a most auspicious day. As I have said before, the Gyalsey is not just the prince of the King and Gyaltsuen, but a son to all the Bhutanese people. After profound contemplation, he has been named Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck in the sacred Machen Lhakhang. Jigme means fearless. It symbolizes great courage to overcome any challenge that he may confront in future as he serves our country. Namgyel means victorious in all directions and victory over all obstacles. It is a name taken from the revered Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, who enabled the Dharma to flourish in all directions as prophesied by Guru Rinpoche. Wangchuck is the name of the royal lineage and dynasty. When the time comes for Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck to serve his country, he must always place the concerns of his country above all else and serve his people justly with great love and dedication. It will be his sacred responsibility to build a harmonious and just society, and thereby, fulfill all the aspirations of his people. He must live such a life as a good human being and serve his country in a manner that it will be exemplary and worthy of emulation. He will also have the responsibility to preserve and foster the legacies and teachings of Guru Rinpoche and Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. My heartfelt prayers and aspirations are that during his reign, our people will be able to enjoy even greater peace, security, prosperity and happiness than they have in the past. I thank all the people of the twenty dzongkhags for your continued support, loyalty and dedication.
The young couple made news in Bhutan while they were dating, when Wangchuck displayed open affection for his wife-to-be.
He publicly held her hand and even planted kisses on her cheek, something rare in conservative Bhutan, particularly among royalty.
Wangchuck ascended Bhutan's throne in November 2008, when his father, King Jigme Singhye Wangchuck, abdicated in his favor.
By that time, the older Wangchuck had also guided the remote Himalayan kingdom toward democracy.
In March that same year, the kingdom held its first democratic election and voted in a new parliament that can constitutionally impeach the king.
Karen Lovell, 33, died at Wythenshawe Hospital hours after the junior doctors strike ended
A mother whose daughter died at the end of the two-day junior doctors' strike has launched an impassioned attack against Jeremy Hunt's treatment of the 'wonderful' NHS medics who fought to save her.
Grieving Julie Lovell says she will 'NOT accept' daughter Karen's death being included in any statistics aimed at discrediting the striking doctors, whose cause she fully supports.
Miss Lovell passed away at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester on Wednesday night, just hours after the strike over proposed new contracts ended.
The 33-year-old had been in critical care for four weeks following an operation on her heart.
Last week Health Minister Mr Hunt warned the strike action would create an 'unacceptable' risk of patient deaths - and Julie says she will not have her daughter used as a political pawn.
In a powerful Facebook post to the politician, which has been shared more than 40,000 times, Ms Lovell, 51, praised the staff at Wythenshawe Hospital and slammed Mr Hunt for what she referred to as his 'attempt to destroy and discredit' the NHS.
She wrote: 'Jeremy Hunt. How dare you! My darling daughter passed away at 9pm Wednesday evening in Wythenshawe hospital at the end of the two day strike by the young doctors whom I fully support.
'She did not die due to this strike and I will NOT accept her name included in any statistics saying it was.
Scroll down for video
'Every member of the doctors and nurses who looked after and worked tirelessly for the 4 weeks she was in there were and remain amazing people.
'How dare you Mr Hunt. I challenge you to sit quietly in intensive care and watch the staff treat patients with so much care and attention. Both nurses and doctors at all levels. 12 hour shifts 16 hour shifts and more.
Julie Lovell, pictured with daughter Jenny, 24, said she did not want Karen's death to be used as a statistic against junior doctors and praised the care she received before her death
Karen Lovell had suffered from heart problems since she was a baby and died at 9pm Wednesday evening in Wythenshawe hospital at the end of the two day strike. Her mother praised her 'amazing care'
'Our NHS is amazing and deserves to be supported and saved.
'My daughter Karen had many procedures some surgical and Mr Hunt even on Sundays! How dare you Mr Hunt!
'Karen and every other patient in that Critical Care Unit received expert care and treatment day and night and 7 days a week despite your attempt to destroy and discredit these wonderful people who I know did everything in their power to save my beautiful daughter.
The doctors and nurses fought tirelessly to save her, and she underwent several procedures after her operation - one of which was on a Sunday and another on the day she passed away Julie Lovell, 51
'How dare YOU Mr Hunt. And thank you everyone at Wythenshawe.'
She explained her daughter had suffered with heart problems since she was a child.
'She had her heart repaired 20 years ago and has always had problems. Over the past five years her health really deteriorated.
'Karen went into Wythenshawe on April 4 and was operated on a week later to replace valves in her heart. Sadly she never regained consciousness.
'The doctors and nurses fought tirelessly to save her, and she underwent several procedures after her operation - one of which was on a Sunday and another on the day she passed away.
'I am a big supporter of the NHS and junior doctors, and it was my biggest fear that Karen became a statistic used by Jeremy Hunt against these wonderful people. They cannot be blamed for her death.'
The Zika virus could be more dangerous in pregnant women than first feared, Brazilian scientists have warned.
Experts are now linking it to several neurological conditions - in addition to microcephaly, where babies are born with abnormally small heads.
Dr Renato Sa, an obstetrician and foetal medicine specialist, said he believes babies in up to a fifth of pregnant women with the virus could be affected.
The expectation is that a woman who has had Zika has a one per cent chance of having a baby with microcephaly,' he told the BBC.
Experts now say that Zika could affect babies in 20 per cent of pregnancies where the mother has the virus
'But if we consider a range of other possible neurological conditions, that figure rises to about 20 per cent.
The virus has long been linked to babies being born with microcephaly - a disease characterised by unusually small heads and developmental problems.
It has also been linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome - a nerve disorder that causes temporary muscle paralysis.
Previous estimates have suggested one per cent of women who have had Zika during pregnancy will have a child with microcephaly.
But a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, said 29 per cent of scans showed abnormalities in babies in the womb, including growth restrictions, in women infected with Zika.
It comes after experts Europe should brace itself for the arrival of the Zika because mosquitoes carrying the virus will flock to the continent as summer arrives.
Despite a decline in cases in Brazil, there is the potential for a 'marked increase' in Zika infections as the virus spreads to new parts of the world, according to the United Nations' health agency.
Until now Zika has been largely contained to Latin America and the Caribbean - but as summer arrives in the northern hemisphere the mosquitoes that carry the disease will travel to Europe.
Marie-Paule Kieny, the World Health Organisation's assistant director general, said: 'As seasonal temperatures begin to rise in Europe, two species of Aedes mosquito which we know transmit the virus will begin to circulate.
'The mosquito knows no borders.'
There is also a risk men infected with Zika could pass the disease on to women via sex, and the world 'could see a marked increase in the number of people with Zika and related complications,' Ms Kieny said.
The virus is known to be transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes found in the tropics.
But the second Zika-transmitting mosquito, Aedes albopictus, has been found in European countries in the summer including France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Croatia.
Scientists at the University of Oxford produced map charting the potential spread of the Zika virus across the world - but they did not predict it would spread to Europe
A Zika-transmitting mosquito, Aedes albopictus, has been found in European countries in the summer including France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Croatia
However, Aedes albopictus mosquito is less prone to causing outbreaks than its cousin Aeses aegypti, according to new research by the Pasteur Institute.
A virus can also be introduced to a new region when a local mosquito picks it up from an infected human - someone coming back from a holiday in South America, for example.
If it lives long enough, the mosquito then infects people who it bites, starting a vicious cycle.
In Brazil, the country hardest hit by the outbreak, officials are investigating more than 2,500 cases of suspected microcephaly.
But Ms Kiely said infections are 'clearly on the decline'.
She made the comments at a Zika conference in Paris, in which 600 disease experts from 43 nations are meeting to analyse data on the outbreak.
Despite a flurry of research, very little is known about the virus, including how long it can hide out in the human body and the degree of risk of sexual transmission.
It is also not known exactly which diseases and disorders it may cause or all the mosquito types capable of transmitting it.
As seasonal temperatures begin to rise in Europe, two species of Aedes mosquito which we know transmit the virus will begin to circulate. The mosquito knows no borders Marie-Paule Kieny, the World Health Organisation's assistant director general
Professor David Heymann, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said: 'It's not what we know but what we don't know that is concerning.
'We can't make recommendations for prevention if we don't understand the full potential of a virus or bacteria.'
As there is no vaccine or treatment for the virus, Ms Kieny described it as a 'global emergency' and a 'growing threat'.
Developing new tools for quickly diagnosing infections - particularly in pregnant women whose babies risk severe disability - is an 'urgent priority', she added.
Scientists in the United States, France, Brazil, India and Austria are working on 23 vaccine-development projects, she said.
But it could take years to create, so the feasibility of an 'emergency-use' vaccine is being examined.
Until then, the first line of defence remains controlling mosquitoes and preventing people being bitten, experts said.
And women in regions where there is an outbreak are advised to put off becoming pregnant.
There have been an estimate two million cases of Zika across 40 countries, with 1.5 million infections in Brazil
Duane Gubler of the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, said Zika 'surprised' the world, just as Ebola before it, despite both viruses having been known about for decades.
'I think we should take this as a wakeup call and start developing our surveillance systems so we can monitor these viruses a little more effectively,' he told the conference.
Ms Kieny said particular vigilance was required in Africa, where the virus was first discovered in Uganda in 1947.
A Zika outbreak began in Brazil in early 2015, followed nine months later by an surge of infants born with microcephaly, and an increase in Guillain-Barre cases.
Brazil reported some 1.5 million infections out of an estimated global total of two million in more than 40 countries.
In eight nations, there have been reports of person-to-person transmission via sex.
Two years ago, I was diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica and have been taking (steroid) prednisolone ever since Im now down to two 1 mg pills daily.
You recently advised someone not to take this for more than two weeks. I tried to stop the pills last year, but the pain returned within a couple of days. I am 75, have an underactive thyroid and high blood pressure, but I feel well generally and walk regularly.
Marion Holloran, Hornchurch, Essex
Please accept my apologies if an earlier response to a readers letter was misleading.
Let me reassure you that in the case of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), regular treatment with a low dose of the steroid prednisolone is the correct approach, even if it has to be continued for some years.
First, a bit more about the condition. Most people with PMR are in their 60s or older it is very rare in those under 50 and typically women are affected.
The main symptoms are aching and stiffness on waking in the morning, often lasting several hours, mainly in the muscles of the shoulders and upper arms, hips and thighs.
The body needs steroids for many processes, including maintaining normal blood pressure if you take away the artificial supply by suddenly stopping the tablets, the normal supply takes a while to kick in
Some patients experience swelling or stiffness of small joints in the hands and feet. There may be more general symptoms of fatigue, weight loss and a slightly raised temperature.
There is no PMR test as such diagnosis is generally based on symptoms and history, as well as blood tests to check for levels of inflammation in the body.
Treatment usually starts with a low dose of prednisolone 10 mg or 12 mg. This is so effective it can confirm diagnosis, with improvement often seen within days.
Most people will need the treatment for a couple of years, sometimes longer. However, we know that, when taken over a long period, steroids such as prednisolone can have serious side-effects.
These include weight gain, diabetes, stomach ulcers, osteoporosis, increase in blood pressure and a disturbed sleep pattern. This is why I cautioned another reader to limit the duration of prednisolone treatment (at a higher dose and for a different condition) to a short course of less than two weeks.
Even when the patient is on very low doses of the medication as in your case we must be constantly aware of the potential for side-effects.
This means keeping a monthly weight chart and checking urine for sugar (steroids taken long-term may lead to diabetes); other things to watch for are indigestion (the medication may irritate the lining of the stomach).
Patients need to take a regular medication to help protect against steroid-induced osteoporosis at the very least this means taking daily calcium with vitamin D tablets.
It is important to note that steroids such as prednisolone must not be stopped suddenly. This is because the drug suppresses the production of steroid hormones by the adrenal glands (the treatment provides steroids in greater levels than the body does).
The body needs steroids for many processes, including maintaining normal blood pressure if you take away the artificial supply by suddenly stopping the tablets, the normal supply takes a while to kick in.
When your doctor does eventually stop your steroid treatment, it will be done gradually, to allow the adrenal glands to build up their natural production.
In November 2014 I had a seizure in the night I was told it was a nocturnal clonic seizure. Thirteen months passed before I had another, also at night. This time epilepsy was diagnosed and I was advised to take medication.
Since taking lamotrigine I feel tired, depressed, weepy and have an atrocious memory. I want to know what caused the seizures, and if there is an alternative to the medication. Also, my eye prescription has changed recently could seizures have caused this?
Name and address withheld
IT MUST have been alarming to be diagnosed with epilepsy.
The term describes many different kinds of disorder where there is abnormal electrical activity in the brain leading to seizures. It affects about 3 per cent of people, with new cases usually seen in infants and children and people over 50.
With any form of epilepsy, the seizures can occur when the patient is asleep. But in your type, this is the only time they occur.
It can be difficult to diagnose nocturnal epilepsy without a witness to the seizure.
Nocturnal seizures are thought to be triggered by changes in the electrical activity of the brain as you move between the stages of sleep they typically occur during light sleep, or soon after dozing off.
Sometimes it can be confused with disorders called parasomnias (undesirable physical events that happen as you fall asleep or during lighter sleep).
These include hypnic jerks, where the body twitches involuntarily, and bruxism, the medical term for grinding teeth.
Fortunately, as you say in your longer letter, your husband was there to witness the signs of a tonic-clonic seizure (the most common type) stiffening of your entire body, jerking of all the limbs with loss of consciousness (which is why, as your letter also states, your husband could not wake you).
Nocturnal seizures are thought to be triggered by changes in the electrical activity of the brain as you move between the stages of sleep they typically occur during light sleep, or soon after dozing off.
Nocturnal seizures can disrupt your sleep affecting concentration and performance the next day but I can find no evidence that they cause the changes in eyesight that you mention. The treatment of nocturnal seizures is similar to the treatment of daytime seizures, and is no less necessary.
WRITE TO DR SCURR To contact Dr Scurr with a health query, write to him at Good Health Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email drmartin@dailymail.co.uk - including contact details. Dr Scurr cannot enter into personal correspondence. His replies cannot apply to individual cases and should be taken in a general context. Always consult your own GP with any health worries.
Effective treatment should prevent future seizures, avoid side-effects and maintain quality of life.
In your case, lamotrigine has been successful on the first goal and failed on the second two, bearing in mind your tiredness, emotional state and poor memory (more common side-effects of this drug are rash, nausea, tremor, dizziness and double vision).
Being able to tolerate the side-effects is as important as the treatments effectiveness. Your specialist will be aware that no single drug is ideal for every patient only about half of patients are successfully treated with the first drug prescribed.
You probably need to change to a different drug, which can be discussed with your neurologist.
When an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan shows no abnormalities (as you say happened to you in your longer letter), the seizures cannot be attributed to any pathology in the brain (such as stroke or tumour).
The cause must therefore be considered as idiopathic (that is, of no known cause).
Dehydration, low blood sugar and sleep deprivation may trigger seizures in susceptible people, but they are not the cause of the problem, which will have to remain unexplained.
I very much hope that your neurology team will be able to find you a tolerable and effective alternative medication.
BTW...Why I Think The Circumcision of Boys is Wrong
The circumcision of baby boys is something that divides opinion, triggering strong emotion on both sides.
Last month, a high court judge prevented a Muslim father having his two sons circumcised against their mothers wishes. The judge suggested that young children should not undergo the procedure until they are old enough to decide for themselves.
Although doctors recognise the deep religious, symbolic and cultural sensitivity surrounding it, here in the UK, routine circumcision of baby boys is virtually only practised for religious, rather than medical, reasons.
Circumcision is a violation of human rights and society has an obligation to protect children too young to object
Studies that suggest circumcision reduces the risk of urinary tract infections and HIV are not seen as sufficient proof that this procedure is better than other, less invasive methods. Circumcision is painful, I have no doubt.
Until recently, the operation was carried out without any pain relief, and even though local anaesthetic is now used almost universally, studies show the most effective form fails in 6 to 8 per cent of cases.
Regardless of the method of pain relief, the baby will be in agony for days afterwards, until the wound has healed.
In my view, circumcision is a violation of human rights, and society has an obligation to protect children too young to object.
And last year, a very careful study in Denmark of 340,000 boys born between 1994 and 2003 showed that those who undergo circumcision at birth run a greater risk of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
For many years, we have known that pain and stressful surgery in early childhood can have long-term psychological consequences indeed, newborns perceive pain and stress in the same way as older children and adults. Other studies have confirmed a link between a single painful injury and lifelong problems with stress response.
This sort of information prompted the vast Danish study, which found a 46-62 per cent increased risk of ASD in circumcised boys in the first ten years of life, and an 80-83 per cent increase in the first four years. This is shocking.
More research is needed and the study falls short of identifying what might cause the link, but it must set us thinking.
And then what about the ethics? Many children do not later share their parents beliefs or even their cultural values.
Taping the mouth shut while you sleep may offer a new way to tackle snoring.
A device which sticks to the outside of the mouth and stops it opening during sleep is being trialled in a new U.S. study involving 30 patients.
Scientists say the approach forces people to breathe though their noses, and this could help tackle sleep apnoea where the tissues in the throat collapse repeatedly during the night, blocking the airways.
Consequently, people stop breathing for up to ten seconds at a time.
The theory is that breathing through the mouth more is one of the main causes of apnoeas (the period when someone stops breathing) as well as snoring (the sound produced as air squeezes through restricted airways at the back of the throat).
A device which sticks to the outside of the mouth and stops it opening during sleep is being trialled in a new U.S. study involving 30 patients - potentially curing snoring
This is because when you sleep with your mouth open, the incoming air is cold and hits the back of the throat at high speed. This combination can make the soft tissue at the back of the throat vibrate and constrict.
Conversely, when we breathe through our nose the air coming in warms up as it goes through the nasal passageway, and when it comes into contact with the back of the throat it isnt as turbulent and doesnt cause the effects that would lead to an apnoea or snoring.
Scientists believe that the new treatment, by encouraging patients to breathe through their noses, will overcome this problem.
Sleep apnoea is thought to affect around one in five adults in Britain, and studies suggest 60 per cent of over-65s suffer from it.
It deprives the body of oxygen and, if left untreated, can contribute to long-term problems such as high blood pressure, heart failure and tumour growth.
Risk factors for sleep apnoea include being overweight, having a large neck and smoking. Some medications, including sleeping pills, are linked to it and hormonal changes in the menopause can lead to throat muscles relaxing.
The standard treatment is with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) a face mask the patient wears while sleeping, which delivers pressurised air to prevent the soft tissue of the throat collapsing and the airway closing.
Sleep apnoea is thought to affect around 1 in 5 adults in Britain, with 60 per cent of over-65s affected by it
It is effective, but almost half of CPAP users abandon the treatment as they find the equipment (which includes hoses, cords, masks and straps around the head) and its bulky design unbearable. However, the new device the Varnum mouthpiece is far more discreet and is essentially a disposable sticky patch that is placed over the mouth and stuck on around the lips before sleep.
It is an interesting study using a simple, cheap and user-friendly device that has potential to reduce snoring and apnoea in selected mouth-breathers Professor Jaydip Ray, ENT Surgeon
It has a tiny hole in the centre that allows a small amount of air in and out just enough without vibrating the throat tissue in order to make it more comfortable to use, and not wake patients up during the night if they subconsciously start breathing through their mouth.
In a previous study last year at the National Taiwan University, where patients had their mouths sealed while sleeping with a similar sticky patch, there was a significant reduction in the number of apnoeas they had per hour.
They also had quieter snores indicating less severe sleep apnoea, according to the journal Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.
A pilot study with the Varnum mouthpiece has found it produces a threefold drop in snoring, too.
And now, in the new study at the Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, 30 patients will use the mouthpiece for one night in a sleep laboratory and the number of sleep apnoeas will be monitored, as well as the changes in breathing rate and movement of soft tissue in the throat.
Should flu jabs be given in the morning?
This was the suggestion of a recent study, which found that elderly people vaccinated between 9am and 11am produced more antibodies against flu than those who had the jab in the afternoon.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham said levels of key chemicals in our immune system are higher earlier in the day, so the body responds better to vaccines.
There is plenty of evidence that the time of day we take some medicines and use certain products can make a difference to how well they work, and may reduce their side-effects
But Bryony Dean Franklin, a London-based pharmacist and professor of medication safety at UCL School of Pharmacy, believes it is too early to draw any conclusions.
Producing antibodies is not the same as preventing a case of flu, she says.
If the jury is still out on flu jabs, there is plenty of evidence that the time of day we take some medicines and use certain products can make a difference to how well they work, and may reduce their side-effects.
Are blood pressure pills best first thing?
When it comes to taking certain medications for cardiovascular health, there is an optimum time based on our body clock.
Also known as our circadian rhythm, this controls everything from sleep patterns to hormones, metabolism, bowel movements, blood pressure and the functions of our organs.
Some statins which reduce the amount of so-called bad LDL cholesterol produced by the liver should be taken in the evening, says June Davison, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation. This is because liver production of cholesterol is highest at night.
However, this rule only applies to short-acting statins such as simvastatin, which lose half their strength in two to three hours. Longer-acting ones such as atorvastatin, which lose half their strength in 14 hours, can be taken regularly at any time of day.
Patients with high blood pressure will often be advised to take their medication such as ACE inhibitors or calcium channel blockers in the morning. This is because blood pressure normally rises as the body releases a wake up surge of the hormone cortisol.
The morning can also be a good time to take diuretics which reduce pressure in the arteries by encouraging water excretion so patients avoid having to get up at night to relieve themselves.
However, researchers are looking at whether certain patients should take their blood pressure medication at night.
A 2011 Canadian study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that for some people ACE inhibitors work best when taken at night because they reduce the effect of a hormone that is most active during sleep.
This hormone can cause the heart to enlarge, and can increase the risk of cardiac damage in patients with heart problems.
Use antiperspirant BEFORE bed
Applying deodorant first thing may seem like a sensible way to face the day. But research suggests that applying antiperspirants at night is actually more effective.
A study of 60 women aged between 18 and 65, cited in the journal The Dermatologist in May 2009, showed that those who used antiperspirants at night had much higher sweat reduction rates after three, seven and ten days than women who used the products in the morning.
Although the exact mechanism is unclear, it is thought that the antiperspirant has time to set in the pores during sleep, then lasts for hours on waking.
Although the exact mechanism is unclear, it is thought that the antiperspirant has time to set in the pores during sleep, then lasts for hours on waking
It is logical enough because if you apply antiperspirant in the morning, when you are more likely to sweat as a result of emotional triggers such as stress, the product will just be washed straight off, says Dr Nick Lowe, a consultant dermatologist based in London.
And although it may seem obvious, it makes sense to apply some anti-ageing creams at night, too.
As Dr Lowe points out, the active ingredient retinoid, in some preparations, can degrade when exposed to visible light. Over-the-counter acne creams should also be applied last thing at night, says Sultan Dajani, a community pharmacist and spokesman for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
This allows the cream to do its work without being affected by things such as the weather and pollution, he adds.
Many patients with eczema and psoriasis prefer to apply emollients at bedtime, as these itchy skin conditions often get worse at night.
Cancer drugs that work in your sleep
Cancer doctors are looking at how they can use the body clock to make chemotherapy more effective.
A drug known as 5-fluorouracil, used to treat colorectal cancer, is now often given before bedtime because this is when healthy cells seem to be at rest.
One theory is that they are less likely to interact with the drug at night, leaving the abnormal, and more active, cancer cells to take the full onslaught.
However, more research is needed to establish cause and effect, says pharmacist Professor Franklin, who adds that exact treatment and timings should be based on a patients individual response and side-effects.
During sleep, the function of the digestive system is also markedly reduced.
For this reason, it is best to take medications for chronic constipation, such as lactulose and Fybogel, last thing at night, explains Sultan Dajani.
A drug known as 5-fluorouracil, used to treat colorectal cancer, is now often given before bedtime because this is when healthy cells seem to be at rest
The drugs work by irritating the bowel slightly and are slow acting, he adds.
It helps that bowel movements have slowed right down at night so the drug can get to work. Eight hours later, the patient wakes and typically passes a bowel movement.
The pills to pop before breakfast
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which suppress acid production in the stomach, are widely prescribed for heartburn. The usual advice is to take them 30 minutes before breakfast, because eating causes acid to be produced.
However, recent research suggests these drugs may be more effective when taken at night. A 2003 U.S. study, by the University of Kansas School of Medicine, found that heartburn sufferers who took a common PPI before their evening meal, were far more likely to report reduced symptoms than those who took the drug in the morning.
The theory is that taking them at night ensures levels of stomach acid are low when the patient goes to bed lying prone can make heartburn worse because acid can splash back into the oesophagus.
Another pre-breakfast drug is alendronate, for the bone-thinning condition osteoporosis. Sticking to this time ensures there is no food in the stomach that can bind to the medication and prevent it working properly, says Sultan Dajani.
When to take asthma medication
Our lungs are influenced by the body clock in a number of ways that can affect when drugs are most effective, says Dr Richard Russell, a consultant chest physician at Lymington New Forest Hospital, Hampshire.
Asthma symptoms are often worse at night because the bodys natural levels of cortisol, which acts as an anti-inflammatory, and adrenaline, which helps the walls of the bronchi relax and stay open, are lowest between midnight and 4am.
Another issue is that the vagus nerve which regulates the resting state of the lungs is most relaxed in the early morning before waking.
This causes the airways to narrow, which can also make asthma symptoms worse. Therefore, doctors often recommend patients take steroid inhalers before they go to sleep.
Asthma symptoms are worse at night because the bodys levels of cortisol, an anti-inflammatory, and adrenaline, which helps the walls of the bronchi relax and stay open, are lowest between midnight and 4am
However oral steroids, which are more powerful, can interfere with good sleep, so patients may be advised to avoid them after 6pm.
Taking steroid medication once in the morning and once in the evening should give relief for 24 hours, according to Dr Russell, who is also a spokesman for the British Lung Foundation.
Meanwhile, people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an umbrella condition that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, tend to have more severe symptoms during the day when they are physically active.
Once-daily medication for this condition is usually taken in the morning so it works when needed, explains Dr Russell.
P.S. How can shift workers get it right?
Around 3.5 million people work shifts, which can throw their body clocks out of kilter and make it hard to judge the best time to take prescribed drugs.
Drugs such as low-dose daily aspirin, which can be prescribed to reduce blood pressure, should ideally be taken when you wake whether that is 7am or 1pm because this is when blood pressure rises, says Sultan Dajani.
However, it is better to take it at the same time each day to ensure you dont forget.
Short-acting statins should still be taken at night, whether that is the beginning or end of someones working shift. Diuretics, which cause frequent trips to the loo, should be taken before a period of activity and wakefulness, whenever that falls in the day.
Large campuses, elegantly designed buildings, manicured lawns, modern facilities and scientists busy with test tubes. This is how our national research laboratories are perceived.
We have a vast number of them all over the country, thanks to early investments made in development of scientific research infrastructure.
This has helped India develop an excellent pool of trained manpower and emerge as a leading producer of scientific papers in recent decades.
Elite Institutions: India has developed an excellent pool of trained manpower and has emerged as a leading producer of scientific papers in recent decades
Yet, such centres of scientific research are seen more as ivory towers or islands of excellence in a land of mediocre science education.
Universities and colleges teaching science struggle to attract bright young minds for careers in science, for reasons such as lack of basic lab infrastructure, libraries and manpower.
We need to literally build bridges between the two systems, because one depends on another.
This is what the National Institute of Immunology (NII), a research laboratory under the Department of Biotechnology, is attempting for the past one year.
The institute has designed a programme, Science Setu, to facilitate interaction between its top scientists and students from colleges of the University of Delhi (DU).
The interaction takes place in NII campus as well as in respective colleges. DU students come to NII and spend time in its labs, while NII scientists go to different colleges delivering popular talks on subjects like stem cells and DNA fingerprinting, highlighting latest trends including their own work.
College teachers are also mentored on innovative teaching methodologies, careers in research, science policy, etc. DU colleges participating in this programme are Daulat Ram, Dayal Singh, Gargi, Hansraj, Hindu, Miranda House, Ramjas, Khalsa, Sri Venkateswara, Zakir Hussain, Shivaji and Institute of Home Economics.
The initiative is a good example of how innovative methods can be deployed to promote science education and encourage young students to pursue a research career.
It is also an opportunity for scientists to contribute to the education system. Leading global centres of learning like Yale, MIT and Harvard have extensive outreach programmes, including summer courses for school kids.
Such courses are taught by scientists - sometimes Nobel laureates - working in cutting edge of scientific research.
This kind of high-quality interface with scientists in universities and research institutes can leave a lasting impression on young minds and motivate children to become scientists.
The programme has generated a great deal of goodwill and excitement in the academic community, and will benefit both NII and the partner colleges, says Dr Chandrima Shaha, director of NII, who is engaged in research on cell death.
The feedback from colleges has been good. About 50 students have been given training in wet laboratory for varying periods of time, in some cases up to three months.
Large groups of students from colleges have visited our labs and 16 scientists have delivered multiple lectures in colleges.
Creating an interest in science through actual laboratory work and exposure to practising scientists would certainly help students to get into the scientific research stream, feels Dr Shaha. It is an example worth emulating by national institutes all over the country.
Another delay to MCI reform
The directive of the Supreme court to appoint a panel to oversee functioning of the Medical Council of India (MCI) on Monday comes after failure of the government to clean up the mess.
In the past five years, several health ministers and government panels have reviewed working of MCI and made suggestions, but nothing has changed the way it functions.
The last such attempt was made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, which recommended that the council be disbanded and replaced by a new regulator through a new legislation.
Instead of acting on the recommendations right away, the government has once again gone into a committee mode.
A four-member panel headed by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya has been constituted to suggest an implementation framework for restructuring of MCI.
Now this panel has started consulting experts, many of whom had already deposed before the parliamentary panel and also a Group of Experts in 2014 which too had recommended an independent National Medical Commission.
The UPA government had even brought a Bill for setting up National Commission for Human Resources for Health (NCHRH) to subsume the role of all councils including MCI.
Every sane exert/committee has called for a new structure to replace MCI which was once dubbed a den of corruption by the Delhi High Court, but vested interests in the business of medical education are so powerful that nothing changes.
Tobacco firms begin to implement 85 per cent pictorial health warnings
After having failed to coerce the government on cigarette health warnings, the tobacco industry is slowly falling in line.
Several leading smoking and chewing tobacco companies have started implementing 85 per cent pictorial health warnings on both sides of their product packs.
A few cigarette and beedi manufacturers are yet to comply with the new regulation.
The claim by certain tobacco companies about limited branding space due to the size of the warnings is unwarranted. Many cigarette and khaini companies have already printed the 85 per cent pictorial warnings on both sides, which shows that it is practical and possible to print the warning along with other product information, says an official of the Voluntary Health Association of India, which monitors tobacco products.
The tobacco industry, in its offensive against pictorial warnings, is advancing absurd argument that large pictorial warnings would give rise to illicit trade in cigarettes.
First, illicit trade - if at all it is a problem - is an enforcement issue. Second, if Indian products will carry prominent pictorial warning, it will be much easier to identify smuggled packs.
New Delhi and Italy have arrived at a different interpretation of an order from the UN arbitration tribunal of an Italian marine held in India on murder charges.
The accused has been allowed to return home pending the arbitration proceedings at The Hague.
Sources said saying Italy was misrepresenting the order which actually affirms the Indian Supreme Court's authority over the matter.
Two Italian marines - Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone - are facing charges of murdering two Indian fishermen in 2012 off the Kerala coast
The tribunal order affirms Supreme Court of Indias authority. India and Italy asked to approach the Supreme Court for relaxation of bail conditions for Girone. The possible return to Italy (by the Marine) is strictly conditional on Italy guaranteeing to return him if required, an Indian official said.
Two Italian marines - Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone - are facing charges of murdering two Indian fishermen in 2012 off the Kerala coast.
Latorre is back in Italy after a stroke in 2014 while Girone is staying in Italian embassy here.
The two countries have agreed to arbitration by the UN Court.
Reports from Rome said the UN tribunal court has ruled that pending arbitration proceedings, Girone may be permitted to return home.
However, the tribunal's order is expected to be made public on Tuesday. The Italian Foreign Ministry said the arbitral tribunal set up in The Hague has anticipated its decision that Rifleman Girone (be allowed to go) back in Italy until the end of the arbitration proceedings, initiated by the government on June India, Italy differ on UN marines report 26, 2015.
The return of the conditions will be agreed between Italy and India. Italy in March had asked the PCA judges to order India to release its detained marine Girone, saying otherwise he risks four more years in India without any charges being made which would amount to grave violation of his human rights.
The PCA is hearing arguments by the two sides. The arbitration could last at least three or four years which means that Girone risks being held in (New) Delhi, without any charges being made, for a total of seven-eight years, Italy's representative had told the court.
Girone is one of two Italian marines - on board ship 'Enrica Lexie' - accused by India of killing two two fishermen.
He has not been able to leave India, aside from a few brief permits, since the incident.
Meanwhile, Italian news agency ANSA quoted Italian Premier Matteo Renzi as saying that he was sending a message of friendship and cooperation to the great people of India and to the Indian prime minister (Narendra Modi) after the news that marine Salvatore Girone is to return to Italy.
Vijay Mallya has resigned from the Rajya Sabha
Days before a parliamentary panel was set to expel him from the Rajya Sabha, business tycoon Vijay Mallya has beaten them to the punch, and resigned.
Mallya, who is wanted by in case of banks frauds worth Rs 9,000 crore and is currently in Uk, sent his resignation letter to avoid further ignominy.
I don't want my name and reputation to be further dragged in the mud and since recent events suggest that I will not get a fair trial or justice, I am here by resigning as a member of the Rajya Sabha with immediate effect, Mallya said in his resignation letter.
The Ethics Committee of the Upper House was set to expel Mallya in its meeting scheduled for May 3.
Last week, the panel had reached a consensus to expel the tycoon but had given him a weeks time to present his case.
We have examined the entire issue related to Mallyas case. The documents that we had sought from banks have also come. There was a unanimous view in the panel that he should be expelled from the House membership. But still we have decided to give him a week time to tell us whatever he has to say. The next meeting of the committee has been fixed on May 3, Karan Singh, chairman of the panel had said.
Mallya has made it clear that he has no plans to face the case lodged by public sector banks, to whom his defunct Kingfisher Airlines owes over a billion dollars.
With his passport revoked, Mallya has described his status as being in forced exile, blaming banks for refusing several plans for repayment offered by him.
We have always been in dialogue with banks saying: We wish to settle. But we wish to settle at a reasonable number that we can afford and banks can justify on the basis of settlements done before, Mallya had said in a recent interview.
Mallya flew to London on March 2 when public sector banks belatedly accelerated efforts to recover the $1.4 billion owed by Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.
India has asked for Britain to deport him, and an arrest warrant has been issued for him by a Mumbai court on money-laundering charges.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav headed to Ballia district in Purvanchal region of the state on Monday with a number of schemes, just a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana on Sunday.
His maiden speech at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Chandrashekhar University was mainly aimed at offering clarifications against allegations regarding the law and order situation in the state, and boasting about the various schemes launched by his government over the past four years.
Our dial 100 service is the fastest in the country and the cops reach the spot within 10 minutes. Very soon, there will be no need for a complainant to go to the police station. The police will be at your doorstep, Yadav said.
UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is presented a model of Samajwadi Party symbol - cycle - by supporters during a public meeting in Ballia
Taking a jibe at the Centres Ujwala scheme, Yadav asked Cylinder toh mil jayega, usse bharwaoge kaise?(You will get a cylinder for free but how will you refill it?). Our government is providing Samajwadi pension to 30 lakh families and soon it will accommodate another 25 lakh families. It is just a matter of assessment and we will see how long the central governments pension scheme is on.
Continuing with the attack, Yadav said his four-year-old government could be pitted against the two-year-old central government on the basis of developmental works.
We have developed by many folds with our limited resources and have fulfilled all the promises we made during the last elections. We had high expectations from this (BJP) government and were hopeful that the central budget (for UP) will increase. However, our hopes have all been in vain.
The All Indian Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) 2016, being treated as the first phase of the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), was held in 1,040 examination centres in 52 cities, on Sunday.
The competitive examination (for entrance to MBBS and BDS courses across the country) was held amid tight security this year.
Around 6,67,000 aspirants appeared for the first phase of NEET on Sunday. The second phase of the common medical entrance test will be held on July 24.
Students arrive at an examination centre to appear for the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET)
Aspirants were allowed to bring an admit card, a passport size photo and a postcard size photo and nothing else, not even pen/pencil or paper.
Most Aspiring medical students across the country complained that the paper was lengthy despite being an easy one.
The biology section, was lengthier when compared to the other sections. Several questions in the section were out of syllabus. Only those who studied beyond NCERT, would have answered it, said Rishab Sood, one of the aspirants.
Meanwhile, more than 30 students coming to Bal Bharati Public School in Pitampura failed to sit for the medical examination, due to alleged irresponsible behaviour of the school authorities.
Parents and students claimed that the school did not give clear directions for the entry into the school and the students got confused over four of the school gates.
We kept standing in the queue, but the school authorities closed the gates at 9.30 am and did not let us enter and sit for the examination. The school should have made necessary arrangements, said Anil Thakur, one of the parents.
The school authorities later called the police after some of the parents created ruckus outside the premises.
Aspirants were not allowed to enter the examination centre wearing caps, rings, bracelet or any religious symbols.
Candidates had to take off wallets, shoes and wrist watches.
Students had a proper dress code to adhere to as they were not allowed to enter the examination hall carrying any kind of stationary or mobile phones.
Taking note of previous years All India Pre Medical Test that was nullified by the Supreme Court due to incidents of cheating, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) officials left no stone un-turned, to ensure a free and fare examination.
Stringent security measures were put by the CBSE to deter any wrong-doing.
On April 28 the Supreme Court cleared the path for the medical students by holding the NEET- a single common entrance test for the admission to MBBS and BDS courses - in two phases.
The decision will impact on the students career as now no private institute can hold a separate entrance test.
The new decision will force the private institutes to grant admissions.
Sources in the Health Ministry had said that this measure has been taken to keep a control over the private Medical Institutes that had become money-minting machines, and would demand huge sums from the students in exchange for a place.
Fee hike: Parents in Gurugram threaten to move court
By Ajay Kumar
Miffed with the unprecedented enhancement in private school fees for the 2016-17 academic session, hundreds of parents gathered at Leisure Valley Park and threatened to take the legal route if the price-hike was not withdrawn.
The parents body blamed the policies of Haryana government, which has allowed the private schools to arbitrarily increase the fee on account of tuition, transportation and development work in the school.
This is simply bizarre to know that each and every school has hiked fees up to 23 per cent, said Nandini Kulshrestha, whose 7-year-old son is a student of Alpine Convent School in Sector 38.
She asked: For a middle class family, how would we manage such a steep hike every year. Such enhancements are totally unfair for majority of the parents here.
Michal Saini, a resident of Sector 31, whose son studies at Ryan International School said: I met Haryana education minister Ram Bilash Sharma six times in the last year and requested him to curb the fee hike for this academic session. Sharma had ensured me and constituted a committee in this matter. We have still been harassed by the schools as the committee has no accountability.
Since schools were allotted land at subsidised rate and as per bylaws for private schools drawn by Haryana education board to facilitate fair and low cost education to tax payers children. Despite that private schools are flouting all norms and implementing their monopoly at the behest of state government, Saini said.
The penalising policies of private schools are affecting the parents so that they are not even thinking of expressing negative thoughts.
I have been so fed up with regular fee hike every year that I put my kid in government school and deposited a lump sum in bank under a long term policy, so that I can give donations at the time of his college admission. If I was capable of donation, I would put my kid in premier institutions of the country, said Parveen Kataria, whose daughter was also a student of Ryan International school.
Kataria added: With a well planned strategy, these private schools are responsible for destroying the academic structure in government schools in a systematic way. This is hurting us dearly now.
Another parent Saurabh Agrawal said he along with other parents met Gurgaon deputy commissioner TL Satya Prakash urging him to intervene in the issue.
He claimed the deputy commissioner suggested them to settle the matter with the principal.
After protests in Hawaii in the US against the proposed Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) project alternative sites are being explored including Ladakh.
The project was to come up at Mauna Kea in Hawaii. But, protests by the locals and indigenous population has stalled the project. The construction was expected to start on Mauna Kea, Hawaii in 2015.
However, it is now stalled due to the recent decision of the Supreme Court of Hawaii to revoke the construction permit on procedural grounds.
The construction was expected to start on Mauna Kea, Hawaii in 2015. However, it is now stalled due to the recent decision of the Supreme court of Hawaii revoking the construction permit on procedural grounds.
The State of Hawaii agencies are working on the permit process following the prescribed procedure by the court.
TMT is pursuing the matter in consultation with the University of Hawaii (land lease holder) and other agencies.
It seeks to construct TMT on Mauna Kea which is the preferred choice, said Bacham Eswar Reddy, Programme Director.
However, given the importance of the project, in terms of finance and its scientific value, the project partners are also looking at alternate sites, both in the northern and southern hemispheres.
These include sites in Chile, Hanle, Ladakh and others which are all being evaluated for technical and logistical suitability.
It is expected that on-site civil work on the project may be delayed by about 18-24 months.
However, work on telescope and observatory subsystems continues across the partnership, Reddy added.
India is a 10 per cent partner in the TMT project, which also includes China, Japan, Canada and the US.
On the Indian side, the project is being handled by the Ministry of Science and Technology and Department of Atomic Energy.
If the programme comes to India, it will open several doors.
The project is expected to improve employment opportunities for the local people besides development of the region.
TMT being the largest optical and infrared telescope in the northern hemisphere will strengthen the domestic programme of the country in this field and lead to several discoveries, which will inspire future generations.
The BJP and its allies are expected to gain seats in the next round of elections in the Rajya Sabha in June-July. But, this would still not be sufficient for them to overcome the Opposition.
According to sources, over 50 seats from various states will fall vacant in June and July, as members retire.
The BJP is expected to improve its tally by eight seats in this round, but will still not achieve the comfort level, where it can easily push through legislation with help from its allies.
Since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in which the BJP secured an absolute majority of 282 seats in the Lower House, the saffron party has been facing stiff opposition from the Congress and its allies, who have been setting the agenda in the Rajya Sabha, disrupting the House at will.
Among the key BJP members who will retire from the Upper House in the next few months are Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman from Andhra Pradesh, Suresh Prabhu and Birender Singh from Haryana, MJ Akbar from Jharkhand, M Venkaiah Naidu from Karnataka, Piyush Goyal from Maharashtra, and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi from Uttar Pradesh.
At present, the BJP has 49 members while its allies the Shiv Sena and the Shiromani Akali Dal have three seats each.
Against this, the Congress alone has 65 members, while SP has 15, JD(U) has 13, TMC has 12, BSP has 10 and NCP has six keeping the ruling party managers on the tenterhooks.
Sources said around 15 BJP members will retire over the next few months, but the saffron party hopes to re-elect 17 members.
Likewise, around 21 Congress members will retire over the next few months and the party is expected to re-elect around 13.
The rest will depend on the position of regional players, who may like to re-elect a candidate of their choice.
In the past, aggressive opposition has stalled the Upper House over issues such as alleged helping of former IPL chief Lalit Modi, provocative speeches by BJP leaders, intolerance, Presidents rule in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and naming of Sonia Gandhi in the AgustaWestland deal.
The ruling party leaders have often suggested a re-organisation of the Upper House, arguing that a hostile opposition was deliberately blocking passage of key legislations.
The Congress, on the other hand, claims the effective strength of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha helps in retaining a balance in the functioning of the Parliament and keeping a check on the BJP.
Prashant Kishor suggests Rahul Gandhi as first choice for CM post
Party wants Pahul Gandhi as the face of UP elections
Congress master poll strategist Prashant Kishor has strongly suggested that Rahul Gandhi should be made the party's face in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2017.
Highly placed sources in the Congress told India Today that Kishor feels the only way the party can come back to power in 2019, is if people start believing that the Congress vice president can lead them to victory in the election.
He feels the best place to start the experiment is the politically-important state of Uttar Pradesh.
However, if Rahul does not agree to the proposal, Priyanka Gandhi may be made the party's face in Uttar Pradesh.
In case both disagree, then Kishor will be suggesting the name of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit.
More than 6,100 personnel and three IAF choppers fitted with water carrying Bambi buckets, have been deployed in Uttarakhand to douse the forest fire that engulfed large part of the hill state.
As many as 6,000 personnel comprising NDRF, SDRF, state police, forest staff and volunteers have been deployed to douse the fire.
Three Indian Air Force helicopters (1 ALH and 2 Mi 17) with Bambi bucket and 116 rescuers of National Disaster Response Force were also deployed to help the state government in controlling the situation.
An Indian Air Force helicopter fitted with a Bambi bucket dumps water in the forests of Uttarakhand to douse the raging fire
The situation is under control now, a Home Ministry spokesperson said.
A four-member Central team of experts, including Special Director Centre for Fire Explosives KC Wadha and director of Delhi Fire Services GC Misra have reached Uttarakhand to assess the situation and suggest possible remedies.
In view of the urgency of the matter, the team will submit it's report to the Home Ministry within a week with its recommendations.
Earlier in the day, Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the forest fire situation with the top officials of the Uttarakhand government, and assured them of all central assistance.
Singh had on Saturday spoken to Governor KK Paul, who briefed him about the prevailing crisis.
The three IAF choppers on Sunday dumped loads of water on forest fires raging for the last several days in Nainital and Pauri districts in Uttarakhand.
The authorities claimed that the situation is gradually getting under control, latest satellite imagery of the forest fires has reported that the blaze has been extinguished in over 75 per cent of the affected area in the hill state.
The water sprinkling operations commenced on Sunday as part of efforts to douse the fires that has killed seven persons and destroyed 2,269 hectares of forested land.
PM Modi distributed e-rickshaws in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency
Even the PM's tight schedule could not prevent him from visiting his constituency again.
PM Narendra Modi was in Varanasi on Sunday and it was his seventh visit to the temple town after assuming office nearly two years ago.
Modi spent six hours in the city during which he presided over a function where e-rickshaws were distributed to hundreds of beneficiaries.
He interacted with distinguished persons hailing from the city, including educationists, jurists and those running self-help groups.
Shahs Kerala trip cancelled
BJP President Amit Shah, who was to kickoff his campaign tour of Kerala for the May 16 Assembly elections on Sunday, cancelled his visit following indisposition.
Shah was scheduled to arrive at Thiruvananthapuram to attend a meeting of party workers and three public gatherings, but cancelled the trip as he took ill, party sources said.
The BJP, has not yet opened its account in the Assembly.
Didi warns the cops in West Bengal
Claiming that a section of police officials have unleashed terror on people at the behest of the Election Commission, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee warned them of consequences if she is voted to power again.
Those responsible will have to face the consequences.
EC's duty is to ensure free and fair poll, but they have unleashed terror with the help of a section of police officials, Banerjee alleged, addressing an election rally in Midnapore district.
Anandiben takes a cue from PM
Taking a cue from PM Modis Smart Cities plan, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel said her government has decided to make 300 villages across the state self-reliant.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its Parivar have denounced the International Workers Day saying the tradition is alien to Indian culture and the ideology of cultural nationalism.
The RSS also claimed that the day smacks of Marxist-Leftist inclination towards creating societal discord.
The Narendra Modi-led BJP dispensation and organisations under the Right-wing umbrella are on a drive to change the public discourse of India not just in the political realm, but also otherwise.
Labour Day was observed in different part of the country, but, the RSS claims that it is alien to Indian culture
While Modi spoke on the occasion on Sunday at a rally in Ballia, he spoke of a new mantra.
Against the leftist slogan of Workers of the World Unite, Modi posited Labourers, Unite the World.
The situation has changed. The biggest cementing factor is the sweat of the workers who can unite the world, Modi said.
Modi chided the Left as he went on to note that those who used to raise slogans of uniting the workers have been losing ground the world over.
In an exclusive interview with Mail Today, general secretary of RSS-affiliated workers body Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) Vrijesh Upadhyay said the concept of May Day was alien to the India ethos and dubbed the Left-dominated trade unionism as the biggest enemy of labourers and workers.
This maverick Spartan style of mobilization of workers needed to be rooted out of India, he added.
The BMS does not recognise May Day and thus we dont celebrate it. It does not send a good message among workers. On the contrary, we celebrate Indian workers day on Vishwakarma Jayanti on September 17. Otherwise May Day is celebrated across the world and we hope well for it, said Upadhyay.
Meanwhile, Congress-supported trade union, the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) declined to comment on the issue.
It is their personal belief and they are welcome to believe in what they do, said Amit Yadav of INTUC.
The BMS leader pointed that while a certain section across the world celebrated the day under the ideological influence of Marxism, the country in which it originated does not commemorate it.
The day is celebrated to commemorate the Haymarket Affair which happened in Chicago in May 1886, US itself does not celebrate it, Upadhyay added.
The organisation believes that one of the reasons for not celebrating the day was the bloodbath and violence that occurred on the occasion in 1886.
Rolls-Royce has won the contract to design the 200million Boaty McBoatface polar research vessel.
The ship will be one of the most sophisticated floating laboratories in the polar regions when it takes to the seas in 2019.
Commissioned by the Natural Environment Research Council, it will be built in Birkenhead but is not expected to keep the joke name that was chosen by more than 120,000 people when a social media campaign backfired.
Riding into the ice: The ship will be one of the most sophisticated floating laboratories in the polar regions
Shipbuilder Cammell Laird will announce this week it has selected the engineering giants design, which includes four Rolls-Royce engines.
These will power a propulsion system consisting of two stainless steel ice-smashing propellers and a set of positioning thrusters usually found on oil rig supply ships, which are used to maintain a specific position regardless of the weather conditions.
The hulls design means that the vessel will actually ride up on to the ice to crush it. The design has also been specially modified to reduce the amount of noise the vessel makes underwater, so that the scientists will be able to observe marine life without causing too much interference.
The deal is important to Rolls-Royce because its marine division had been dependent on the oil and gas market for half of its 1.3billion revenues last year and has been hit hard by the falling price of crude.
Metals tycoon Sanjeev Gupta is seeking a $1billion (684million) war chest to rescue the UK arm of Tata Steel and has lined up investment bank Macquarie as a backer.
Sources revealed that the entrepreneur behind Liberty House, who recently bought two Scottish steel mills from Tata, has privately calculated that he will need about $1billion in working capital to keep the various sites operational.
The jobs of thousands of steel workers are hanging in the balance ahead of tomorrows deadline for initial bids.
Seeking financial support: Metals tycoon Sanjeev Gupta
Tata has told more than 190 suitors they have to submit letters of intent for the business, which are aimed at identifying the serious players.
Port Talbot was put up for sale last month by the Indian conglomerate, which decided to pull out of the UK altogether after rejecting a 100million rescue plan because it was unaffordable.
If a buyer cannot be found it would mean up to 7,000 staff and contractors at the South Wales plant will lose their jobs.
At least three firms have publicly expressed an interest and are racing to submit their letters of intent in time for Tuesdays deadline.
Liberty House has said it will submit a letter of intent to Tata Steel on time. It has formed a team of advisers that include Jon Bolton, a former director of Tata Steel who is also chairman of the UK Steel trade association.
Lead adviser Macquarie Capital, along with a number of other backers, are believed to have offered financial support to help Gupta towards his $1billion target.
Gupta is thought to want to convert at least one of the Port Talbot blast furnaces to a cheaper electric arc furnace which is able to recycle steel.
Tony Pedder, chairman of Sheffield Forgemasters, has set up a consortium called Albion Steel, which is also mulling an offer. Pedder is a former executive of Corus, which evolved into Tata UK.
Nurofen-owner Reckitt Benckiser faces a shareholder backlash this week after handing its boss more than 23million in pay and perks.
Rakesh Kapoor, chief executive of the FTSE 100 consumer goods company, saw his earnings jump from 12.8million in 2014 to 23.2million last year.
Investors are expected to voice their anger at the pay deal at the companys annual meeting on Thursday as Reckitt becomes the latest firm to face a rebellion in the so-called shareholder spring.
Golden pay: Rakesh Kapoor, chief executive of Nurofen-owner Reckitt Benckiser
The UK Individual Shareholders Society, or ShareSoc as it is known, described Kapoors earnings for 2015 as indefensibly high and urged investors to vote against it. The group, which represents small shareholders, pointed out that Kapoor has now earned 56million since he took over as chief executive in 2011
It also noted that Kapoor and his predecessor Bart Becht collectively received 120million from Reckitt over the past seven years.
ShareSoc director Cliff Weight said: A reasonable, fair and adequate chief executive remuneration would be less than half this amount.
A string of chief executives have faced a backlash over fat cat pay this year. The most dramatic came last week when more than 72 per cent of shareholders in FTSE 250 engineer Weir Group voted down a plan to allow executives to take home millions in share options regardless of how well the company performed.
It followed a revolt at BP where just over 59 per cent of shareholders rejected a pay package of almost 14million for chief executive Bob Dudley.
A Sydney primary school-teacher says 'airy-fairy' holistic education of children in our classrooms has been a failure and is the main cause behind plummeting numeracy skills.
Jo Otto, 43, has more than 20 years experience in teaching and was shocked to find many children did not know the basics of mathematics, like their times-tables.
'It's not the teachers fault, and it's not their parents fault, it's all about the children's holistic development which is bull****,' she told Daily Mail Australia.
Jo Otto, 43, the primary school teacher who says the holistic approach to education has been failing children. She now goes into schools to showcase her learning App - Maths Rockx
A veteran Sydney schoolteacher has slammed modern education methods as 'airy fairy'
Jo Otto took a Year 6 class as a substitute teacher and found several students counting with their fingers
The problem came to a head the day she took a Year 6 class and began with what she called a 'maths warm-up'.
'They were kids who were supposed to be heading to high school and I said "let's do our times tables", well some just looked up to the sky, others were trying to work it out in their heads,' she said.
Ms Otto is critical of the modern-day learning method she calls 'strategising', with the emphasis on how students get to an answer rather than being taught memory recall.
'They would do 5,10, 15, 20 on their hands, they would count up in blocks of five,' she revealed.
'Numeracy skills have plummeted because you dont teach them facts, what has been taught has been illogical.
'Even I was confused, I didn't understand it.'
A 2016 OECD report found almost half of Australia's teenage students were not meeting minimum international standards in mathematics studies
According to the OECD, 42% of Australias 15-year-olds are not proficient in maths, and in high school it's even worse, with half of all students failing to attain the minimum international standard.
Ms Otto believes the 'practice makes perfect' model is a proven method for teaching and learning maths.
'Rote [memory] learning became a dirty word, you cant get better without practising - its like getting better at footy you have to practice kicking the ball,' she said.
She recalled once being caught out trying to teach maths the old-school way.
'I was doing times tables with my Year 6 on the blackboard, and the principal walked in and 'I s*** myself' because we were taught as teachers not to do that,' she admitted.
Jo Otto, a Sydney primary school teacher, has developed an an App called Maths Rockx to help students learn their basic multiplication skills in class
THE SONGS HELPING CHILDREN LOVE MATHEMATICS Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire Schoolchildren enjoy a lesson of Maths Rockx by singing their times tables to familiar tunes Kelly Clarkson - Stronger One Directon - What Makes you Beautiful P!NK - So What OneRepublic - Counting Stars Aqua - Doctor Jones Hoodoo Gurus - Whats My Scene Lady Gaga - Born This Way Usher ft. will.i.am - OMG Lloyd ft. Andre 3000 - Dedication to my Ex Happy Pharrell Wiliams
Still, Jo Otto turned her frustration into a passion for finding a way for children to learn the old-fashioned way with the aid of music, and enlisted the help of entertainers Lady Gaga and One Direction.
Ms Otto said she decided to 'fix things' and came up with an idea to get kids loving maths - by encouraging them to sing their times tables.
Maths Rockx uses popular music to create memory triggers for the lyrics, which are changed to reflect numbers.
'There were kids in some classes who had this bad attitude and kept telling me I hate maths and didnt want to learn and then all of a sudden they get up and start clapping and dancing.'
The Otto family Jackson , Stuart, Jo and Angel. The Maths Rockx App has been a family affair
While the likes of Lady Gaga, Pink, Usher and One Direction quickly agreed to having their songs aligned with the maths learning App, others include Katy Perry, Beyonce and George Michael denied permission.
Maths Rockx quickly made its way into the top five education Apps in Australia and New Zealand and has already gone top 50 in the UK in less than 24 hours.
The App has cost her about $120,000, with most of the costs going to licensing fees for the music.
Ms Otto revealed that she had seen children 'that really struggled with most aspects of school' actually enjoyed maths because this technique was successful for them.
Even her own children, Jackson, 6, and Angel, 4, have benefited from the musical approach to maths.
'Since they [the children] have heard the songs a billion times they can't help but learn,' she added.
'We teach kids their ABCs in that melody style, and this is basically the same principle.
Increases could also affect millions of Americans who purchase individual policies outside the government system
More than 12 million people nationwide get coverage though the health law's
Insurers will seek significant premium hikes under President Barack Obama's health care law this summer - stiff medicine for consumers and voters ahead of November's election.
Expect the state-by-state premium requests to reflect what insurers see as the bottom line: The health law has been a financial drain for many companies.
They're setting the stage for 2017 hikes that could reach well into the double digits.
For example, in Virginia, a state that reports early, nine insurers returning to the HealthCare.gov marketplace are seeking average premium increases that range from 9.4 percent to 37.1 percent.
Those initial estimates filed with the state may change. Many buyers won't know their actual premiums until Nov. 1, when open enrollment in the government-manged health programs begins anew. That's a week before the general election.
Scroll down for video
Expect insurers to seek significant premium increases under President Barack Obama's health care law, in a wave of state-level requests rippling across the country ahead of the election this fall
More than 12 million people nationwide get coverage though the health law's markets, which offer subsidized private insurance. But the increases could also affect several million who purchase individual policies outside the government system.
Going into their fourth year, the health law's markets are still searching for stability. That's in contrast to more-established government programs like Medicaid and Medicare Advantage, in which private insurers profitably cover tens of millions of people.
The health law's nagging problems center on lower-than-hoped-for enrollment, sicker-than-expected customers, and a balky internal stabilization system that didn't deliver as advertised and was already scheduled to be pared back next year.
This year, premiums for a benchmark silver plan rose by a little more than 7 percent on average, according to administration figures. A spike for 2017 would fire up the long-running political debate over the divisive law, which persists despite two Supreme Court decisions upholding Obama's signature program, and the president's veto of a Republican repeal bill.
Of the presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton is the only one promising to build on the Affordable Care Act. She's proposed an aggressive effort to increase enrollment along with measures to reduce consumer costs.
The Republican candidates all want to repeal 'Obamacare.' Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders would incorporate it into a bigger government-run system covering everyone known as Medicaid-for-all.
The health law is 'likely in for a significant market correction over the next year or two,' said Larry Levitt of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. 'There have been a lot of signals from insurers that premiums are headed up.'
Standard & Poor's health insurance analyst Deep Banerjee said he expects premium hikes to be higher for 2017 than in the larger, more stable market for employer coverage.
Insurers are facing higher medical costs from health law customers, and some companies priced their initial coverage too low in an attempt to grab new business.
'What they are doing now is trying to catch up,' said Banerjee.
Aetna chairman and CEO Mark Bertolini said Thursday the nation's third-largest health insurer still sees a good business opportunity, but Congress needs to provide leeway for companies to design lower-cost plans tailored to young, healthy people.
'We will see the dynamics of the market get tougher as we go forward if we don't get those kinds of structural changes,' he said. How that would happen in a politically polarized atmosphere, Bertolini did not explain.
Aetna lost more than $100 million on its health law business last year but hopes to break even this year.
The administration says talk of premium increases is premature and overblown. Initial requests from insurers will get knocked back in some states, officials say, aided by a rate-review process strengthened under the health law.
Pro-choice demonstrators appear outside of the Supreme Court as arguments were heard in a case against the Affordable Care Act in March. A long-running political debate over the divisive law, which persists despite two Supreme Court decisions upholding it and the president's veto of a Republican repeal bill, could restart if premiums go up for next year
Most significantly, more than 8 out of 10 customers in the health law's markets get subsidies to help pay their premiums, and that financial assistance will increase as premiums rise. Many have also shown they're willing to shop around for lower-priced coverage.
'Marketplace consumers would do well to put little stock in initial rate filings,' spokesman Ben Wakana said in a statement. 'Averages based on proposed premium changes are not a reliable indicator of what typical consumers will actually pay.'
Also mitigating the pressure for higher premiums is a one-year moratorium for 2017 on a health law tax on insurers, part of last year's federal budget deal.
Still, it's hard to ignore the litany of insurer complaints.
Last month, an analysis of medical claims from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association concluded that insurers gained a sicker, more expensive patient population as a result of the law. The 'Blues' represent the most common brand of insurance.
Recently, UnitedHealth, the nation's biggest insurer, said it will radically pull back from the health law markets, citing estimated losses of $650 million this year, on top of $475 million it lost last year.
Many insurers struggled because they didn't know how much medical care their new customers would use. Some patients had been out of the health care system for years and had been holding off getting needed care. Insurers also say they've been hurt by customers who signed up outside the regular enrollment period and then used a lot of services.
Advertisement
Since arriving in the capital last month Saudi billionaire Turki Bin Abdullah, 23, (pictured on Saturday) has made headlines for the extravagant display of wealth that is his fleet of gold supercars
He is the mysterious playboy owner of the fleet of golden supercars worth millions, is a close friend of American rapper Dr Dre and stays in only the most luxurious hotels the world's richest cities have to offer.
Since arriving in London in March Saudi billionaire Turki Bin Abdullah, 23, has made headlines for the extravagant - and some say gaudy - display of wealth which includes a custom 350,000 Aventador, a 370,000 six-wheeler Mercedes AMG off-roader, a 350,000 Rolls Phantom Coupe, a 220,000 Bentley Flying Spur and a 180,000 Lamborghini Huracan all painted a uniform shade of gold and imported from the Middle East.
He and his entourage are regularly spotted cruising around the affluent streets of West London, where even among the cars of the super wealthy his golden fleet sticks out like a sore thumb.
Various reports have described him as a wealthy sheik, an Arab playboy, a Saudi Prince and a businessman. But no one seems to know exactly who he is, what he does or what he is worth.
Online there are hints that he is linked to the Saudi royal family - the House of Saud - on his mother's side, but no English language media outlets have been able to definitively confirm this rumour.
So who exactly is Turki Bin Abdullah?
MailOnline exclusively met him to find out - although he proved rather elusive to pin down.
But even when we did manage to finally track him down he was reluctant to reveal any sort of personal information, although he was happy to talk about his cars, which he described as his 'passion.'
We did, however, discover that he is surprisingly shy for one so ostentatious; that he freely admits he is bankrolled by his father, who 'buys me what I want', although he is setting up his own yet-to-be revealed business; he is friends with Canadian rapper Drake and American rap legend Dr Dre, who is personally designing him a pair of one-of-a-kind solid gold Beats By Dr Dre headphones; and, rather sweetly, he counts his mother as his most treasured possession.
He also revealed his first ever car was a Porsche 911 and that he customises each of his cars, spending hundreds of thousands on each vehicle to have to covered in gold vinyl as it is his favourite - and lucky - colour.
And Bin Abdullah is clearly generous - he tips parking attendants 50 a time and hands out designer goods to his friends like sweets.
We arranged to meet Bin Abdullah at The Mall, close to Buckingham Palace, at the spot where rich Londoners like to see and be seen in their luxury cars on the weekend.
Despite it being a Saturday, which meant the tourist hotspot was crawling with visitors, we did not have any difficulty in spotting the entourage as they made a head-turning arrival in the bright gold Bentley and Mercedes AMG off-roader.
After several minutes the doors of the Mercedes opened and Bin Abdullah's entourage poured out, a group including his PR man, his security detail and some friends.
They then surrounded the Bentley and, finally, the star of the show himself stepped out. Bin Abdullah was not what we were expecting. Diminutive and baby cheeked he stepped out of the vehicle and shyly shook our hands while his entourage attempted to hold back the crowd of interested passers-by.
Despite his taste for the eye-catching the 23-year-old clearly did not relish being the centre of everyone's attention. Some of the people in the growing crowd had begun shoving one another in order to get a better look at the circus which was unfolding before us.
All of a sudden Bin Abdullah bolted, walking quickly away from the cars while talking on his phone.
Flash: He owns a custom 350,000 Aventador, a 370,000 six-wheeler Mercedes AMG off-roader, a 350,000 Rolls Phantom Coupe, a 220,000 Bentley Flying Spur and a 180,000 Lambo Huracan all painted a uniform shade of gold and imported from the Middle East
Eye-catching: Two of the golden cars were parked outside London's exclusive 5* Mandarin Oriental hotel in London during our interview
His security team nodded at us to follow so we dutifully wandered over to a quiet spot where we were told the interview had to be moved as there were 'too many people around'.
We were told to hop in a taxi and to meet Bin Abdullah at London's opulent Mandarin Oriental and the golden vehicles would follow.
But as we pulled away a police car suddenly rolled up behind us after letting out a bleep of sirens.
The officers appeared to be asking what exactly the supercars were doing parking brazenly in the middle of The Mall on a Saturday afternoon.
After a minute and some gesturing on both sides we moved off.
Playboy: Various media reports have described Bin Abdullah as a wealthy sheik, an Arab playboy, a Saudi Prince and a businessman
Fleet: Bin Abdullah posted this photo on Instagram of just some of his golden vehicles - his first ever car was a Porsche 911
Unfortunately the relief was short lived. As we circled around the busy roundabout at Hyde Park Corner we were confused and then rather alarmed when the golden cars carried on going.
It was all going a bit Benny Hill.
We decided to carry on to the hotel and hope they turned up. I sent a text to Michael, Bin Abdullah's PR man, who sent the reassuring reply 'We will be there in 5.'
Half an hour later we were still waiting in the opulent surroundings of one of London's most luxurious hotels where Abdullah regularly stayed before he got his own apartment in Mayfair.
Finally, the entourage and Bin Abdullah turned up. Michael the PR cheerfully told us: 'This is what it's like - our plans change all the time!'
As they settled in with us it appeared some soul searching had been taking place on the journey. 'He doesn't want to do video or pictures,' Michael the PR man told me. 'It's fine - you just ask the questions and write them down.'
After explaining for some time the way MailOnline works we settled on a compromise: One photo, five minutes of video and no awkward questions.
Jet set life: Bin Abdullah shared this picture of his friends (left) on a private jet as they head between the Middle East and Europe
Expensive taste: Bin Abdullah also revealed his first ever car was a Porsche 911 and that he customises each of his cars, spending hundreds of thousands on each vehicle to have to covered in gold vinyl as it is his favourite - and lucky - colour
Although Bin Abdullah was very polite throughout our unusual afternoon together it was made clear to us, through Michael the PR man, that certain topics were very much off limits, particularly regarding his family and royal connections.
Despite the fact he regularly documents his exploits online - including the time he chased a camel through the desert and the occasion he strapped a cheetah into the front seat - he would not be drawn on the personal.
Before he moved to an apartment in Mayfair he used to stay at The Dorchester and the Mandarin Oriental - two of London's most expensive hotels.
He did reveal that all together he has seven gold cars - but has only brought four of them to London, which is one of his favourite cities along with Paris.
But Bin Abdullah was very keen to make one point: He resents the implication that he is one of those who drive their cars loudly and anti-socially through West London.
Glitz: Bin Abdullah and his entourage are regularly spotted cruising around the affluent streets of West London in the golden cars
Beast: When we finally managed to track Bin Abdullah down he was reluctant to reveal any sort of personal information, although he was happy to talk about his cars, which he described as his 'passion'
He says he never breaks the law - PR man Michael was quick to brush over the issue of parking tickets - and it appears to be a bugbear for him that media outlets in the Middle East have tried to portray him as a feckless driver terrorising London.
He said: 'I've been in London for two months - if I was breaking the law like some people say, the UK has a government and police, they would not let me drive if I was breaking the law.
'In two months I have not had a speeding ticket or broken any red lights. If I did do something London has police and they will not let this happen.
'If I did something wrong they will stop me, but they don't stop me because I don't do anything illegal.'
He also revealed that on one occasion, while staying at a luxury hotel in Paris, security caught someone putting a lighter to the body of one of his cars because the hapless would-be thief thought it was real gold which would melt off.
While talking about the cars Bin Abdullah, who described them as his passion, was animated and keen to talk. But when it came to personal questions he closed off - and Michael, from Throne Entertainment PR & Communications, was clearly keen that he did not give too much away as it could be a - in his words - 'security breach'.
But perhaps they have good reason to be caution. In the last year three members of the Saudi royal family have gone missing without explanation.
So who exactly is Turki Bin Abdullah? I'm still not entirely sure - which appears to be exactly how he likes it.
Bizarre: Bin Abdullah recently shared this image of a cheetah strapped into the front seat of one of his golden cars on Instagram
Seattle police used pepper spray Sunday evening to disperse black-clad anti-capitalist protesters during a rowdy May Day gathering.
Protesters threw rocks, flares, bricks, fireworks and Molotov cocktails at police officers during the rally according to authorities.
At least nine people were arrested and five officers were hurt including one treated at the scene for a head laceration.
A second police officer was bitten by a protester and a third was hurt, but not burned, after being hit by a Molotov cocktail.
The clashes in Seattle followed a peaceful march in the city earlier in the day by advocates for workers and immigrants, just one of several events in cities nationwide Sunday to call for better wages for workers, an end to deportations and support for an Obama administration plan to give work permits to immigrants in the country illegally whose children are American citizens.
Scroll down for video
Some May Day protesters in Seattle clashed with police. Pictured, officers fire rubber bullets at protesters after they threw rocks and fireworks at them along 2nd Ave
Seattle police officers stand by during an anti-capitalism protest Sunday in Seattle. At least seven were arrested in the city
A Seattle police officer uses pepper spray during an anti-capitalism protest Sunday, as a protester takes cover behind a black flag
A man lies in the street after being struck in the face by an object during anti-capitalist protests
Police detain a protester during anti-capitalist protests following May Day marches in Seattle
Seattle Police arrest a protester on 4th Avenue South in Sodo during the annual May Day Anti-Capitalist protest
Polic make an arrest in the parking lot of Cosco on South 4th Street in Seattle
A person helps a woman who has been pepper sprayed in the face during protests in Seattle
A woman is helped after being pepper sprayed in Seattle during protests Sunday
A blast ball explodes on 3rd Avenue and Washington in Pioneer Square in Seattle. Five police officers were injured in the protests
Police officers on bicycles detain a protester during anti-capitalist protests following May Day marches in Seattle
'This is no longer a peaceful march,' Steve Wilske, Seattle Police assistant chief (not pictured), said in a statement on Twitter and police ordered protesters to disperse
A police flashbang device explodes among a crowd of protesters in Seattle Sunday
At least nine people were arrested during protests in Seattle, and five police officers were injured
A person spray paints under an on ramp during an anti-capitalism protest in Seattle
The anti-capitalist demonstrators, who didn't have a permit from city officials, then started marching through the streets. They carried signs including one that said, 'We Are Ungovernable'
Seattle Police throw blast balls into the crowd of protesters to disperse them at 2nd Avenue and Cherry during the annual May Day Anti-Capitalist protest
Rocks, fireworks, and other items sit in Westlake Park after the beginning of anti-capitalist protests following May Day marches
Hundreds of May Day marchers chanting slogans and carrying signs and at least one Donald Trump pinata took to the streets of Los Angeles.
'We want them to hear our voices, to know that we are here and that we want a better life, with jobs,' said Norberto Guiterrez, a 46-year-old immigrant from Mexico who joined families, union members and students who marched through downtown.
Demonstrators repeatedly called out Donald Trump for his remarks about immigrants, workers and women. The leading Republican presidential contender has called for a wall on the border with Mexico and chided Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton for playing the so-called 'woman card.'
'In addition to fighting for workers' rights, we are fighting for our dignity this time around, our self-respect,' said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesman for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.
Marchers heading up Broadway demand an end to deportations and tout immigrants' rights in U.S. policy during the annual El Comite May Day March for Worker and Immigrant Rights in Seattle
Hundreds of May Day marchers chanting slogans and carrying signs - these say 'Immigrant Workers Want Respect'- take to the streets of Los Angeles, calling for immigrant and worker rights
A member of the 'Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition' poses in front of a giant effigy of US Republican Party presidential hopeful Donald Trump as they protest on May Day in Los Angeles
Protesters in several U.S. cities took the opportunity to denounce Donald Trump Sunday. Pictured, a Trump effigy in Los Angeles
A woman carries a pinata based on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during one of several May Day marches on May 1, 2016 in Los Angeles
Left, a demonstrator is seen near a sign that reads, 'Stop killer cops!' Right, A man carries a sign critical of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Los Angeles
People wave and call 'We are here' and 'You are not alone' in Spanish to immigrant detainees at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles
Children join immigration rights protesters during a May Day rally to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Los Angeles
A man carries a sign that reads 'Don't put us down' during a protest at the ICE detention center in Los Angeles
A woman holds a child as she gazes up at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles Sunday
'We can certainly encourage folks to look at what they're watching, what they're hearing and have them represent themselves and their families whether they can vote or not and say, "We are not the rapists. We are not the criminals you are talking about. And we are quite good for this country,"' Cabrera said.
Trump says he is not racist or anti-immigrant; he says he simply wants the U.S. to stop illegal immigration and control its borders.
Around the world, union members have traditionally marched on May 1 for workers' rights. In the United States, the annual events have become a rallying point for immigrants and their supporters since massive demonstrations in 2006 against a proposed immigration enforcement bill.
In recent years, the marches have waned in size in U.S. cities, but the tradition has continued.
Children marched in Los Angeles holding a sign that read 'Don't deport my parents'
People in Los Angeles gaze up at the Metropolitan Detention Center where immigrant detainees are held
In Seattle dozens of people dressed in black had gathered at a downtown park following the earlier, peaceful march.
The anti-capitalist demonstrators, who didn't have a permit from city officials, then started marching through the streets. They carried signs including one that said, 'We Are Ungovernable.'
Some downtown businesses had earlier boarded up storefronts, anticipating violence. Police said there was some property damage, including broken window at a residential building.
Several reports of assaults on officers and broken windows. "This is no longer a peaceful march" -A/C Wilske Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) May 2, 2016
'This is no longer a peaceful march,' Steve Wilske, Seattle Police assistant chief, said in a statement on Twitter and police ordered protesters to disperse.
Bicycle police in riot gear helped push the crowd south of downtown, where it began to disperse.
Seattle traditionally sees large, disruptive May Day gatherings. Last year police arrested 16 people during demonstrations and in 2014 10 people were arrested.
In 2013, police arrested 18 people from a crowd that pelted them with rocks and bottles. Storefronts in downtown Seattle have also been smashed in previous protests.
Immigration rights protester Enma Torres wipes a tear as she holds an effigy of US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump during a rally outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center
In San Francisco, hundreds of marchers rallied at Fisherman's Wharf for immigrant and workers' rights and to demand justice for several men fatally shot by city police.
Across the bay in Oakland, close to 1,000 people marched in the Fruitvale district to raise awareness for workers, housing and immigrant rights and denounce Trump.
Meanwhile, social justice advocates in Durham, New Hampshire, made the rejection of racism, xenophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment the themes of their annual rally.
Marchers in San Francisco rally in support of immigrant and workers' rights and to demand justice for several men fatally shot by city police during May Day demonstrations
San Francisco saw one of several events in cities nationwide to call for better wages for workers, and an end to deportations
Protesters pass San Francisco's Ferry Building as they rally in support of immigrant and workers' rights and to demand justice for several men fatally shot by city police
Hundreds of May Day marchers chanting slogans and carrying signs - and one carrying a Donald Trump - take to the streets of Los Angeles, calling for immigrant and worker rights
Los Angeles protesters shout slogans during May Day protests in the city Sunday
Bernie Sanders says he has an 'uphill climb' to the Democratic nomination that relies on him winning over superdelegates, the elected officials, lobbyists and other party insiders who are free to back either candidate, but it's not an impossibility.
He's asking those party leaders, who overwhelmingly support rival Hillary Clinton, to 'go into their hearts' and change their support to him ahead of a contested convention.
The U.S. senator had to lay off hundreds of staffers last week as his campaign suffered stinging defeats in states it expected to win, and the Sanders campaign yesterday announced a sharp $20 million decline in donations in the month of April.
He reasserted Sunday that he intends to stay in the race until its completion and said the Democratic Party can 'be unified after the convention' in July where its nominee will be formally selected.
Bernie Sanders says he has an 'uphill climb' to the Democratic nomination that relies on him winning over superdelegates, the elected officials, lobbyists and other party insiders who are free to back either candidate, but it's not an impossibility
Sanders reasserted Sunday that he intends to stay in the race until its completion and said the Democratic Party can 'be unified after the convention' in July where its nominee will be formally selected. His supporters are seen here at a rally yesterday in Indiania
The U.S. senator had to lay off hundreds of staffers last week as his campaign suffered stinging defeats in states it expected to win, and the Sanders campaign yesterday announced a sharp $20 million decline in donations in the month of April. He's trudging on, though
In a press conference organized to mark the year anniversary of his insurgent bid, Sanders called on the superdelegates to reflect the vote in their state.
He also cast himself as more electable against Donald Trump, arguing that superdelegates should prioritize beating the GOP frontrunner over other concerns.
'It's a steep hill to climb,' he admitted, at the press conference in Washington, D.C. on Sunday. 'But, at the end of the day the responsibility that superdelegates have is to decide what is best for the country and what is best for the Democratic Party.'
His plea to party bigwigs is one that even some aides call ironic, given that Sanders has focused his campaign on taking down what he calls a corrupt political establishment.
The Vermont senator formally joined the Democratic Party a year ago, after serving decades in Congress as a self-identified democratic socialist.
He said Sunday on Face the Nation of the superdelegates debacle, 'thats not the point at all.'
'What is unfair is when I win a state by 70 percent of the vote and super delegates in that state vote for Hillary Clinton because theyre part of the Democratic establishment, thats unfair.
'Whats unfair is before I even get in to the campaign, Hillary Clinton has some 4, 500...superdelegates who are on her side,' Sanders said.
Sanders says he needs to win just 65 percent of the remaining pledged delegates available to catch up with Clinton before the party's convention.
It's not as simple as that. To win the nomination, at this point, Sanders would also have to flip hundreds of superdelegates, far more than the several dozens that changed from Clinton to support then Illinois Senator Barack Obama eight years ago.
And if he doesn't catch up to her in vote totals over the next two months, he would also have to convince superdelegates to vote against the national pledged delegate leader an unprecedented political maneuver.
Though they've been part of Democratic presidential elections since 1984, the superdelegates have never been a determining factor for the nomination because they've never overturned the candidate that leads nationally in pledged delegates.
Hillary Clinton is 91 percent of the way to clinching the Democratic nomination when including superdelegates. She leads in both pledged delegates by 1,645 to Sanders' 1,318, according to the Associated Press. It takes 2,383 to win.
Sanders would need to win more than 82 percent of the remaining delegates and uncommitted superdelegates through June if he hopes to clinch the nomination; currently, Sanders has been winning just 39 percent.
So far, no Clinton-backing superdelegates have flipped to Sanders, despite an aggressive lobbying campaign from his supporters that in some cases included harassing phones calls and online threats.
To win the nomination at this point, Sanders would have to flip hundreds of superdelegates supporting Hillary Clinton, seen here yesterday in Indiana, as well
Despite her lead, Sanders says he plans to compete through the remainder of the primary contests in May and June. The question is whether he'll have the resources to fund an aggressive advertising campaign, particularly in the expensive media markets of California.
The Democratic presidential candidate said on Sunday that he brought in about $26 million in April for his campaign, a steep decline from the $46 million he raised in March.
Earlier this week that he was laying off hundreds of staffers after losses last month in New York and several East coast primaries.
The campaign said it was downsizing its staff because about 80 percent of the primaries and caucuses had been completed and the changes would allow it to focus heavily on California.
Sanders' campaign did not report Sunday how much it spent in April or how much it had in the bank at the end of the month.
The figures will be included in fundraising reports filed with the Federal Election Commission later in the month.
The former secretary of state entered April with $29 million in the bank compared to $17 million for Sanders.
Her campaign said this morning that she raised $26.4 million in April for herself on top of the $9.5 million she raised through her joint fundraising committee with the DNC.
In past months Sanders had significantly outraised her, allowing him to spend millions more on TV advertising in influential states. This month's deficit means he won't have as much cash to pour into California.
He's has vowed to campaign into the party's convention in Philadelphia in July and seek as many delegates as possible to influence the party's platform.
Sanders is in Indiana today and will campaign in Kentucky tomorrow. Indiana votes Tuesday and Kentucky is on the docket a week later alongside West Virginia - three states Sanders expects to win.
Senior adviser Tad Devine told the AP, 'We also can do arithmetic. We understand her advantage is substantial.
One day, a terrifying hereditary illness will stop siblings Hayley and Lachlan Webb from ever going to sleep again and eventually it will kill them.
The brother and sister from Queensland have inherited the extremely rare disease known as Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) from their family and have no idea when it will strike, 60 Minutes reports.
The rare genetic disease, which affects less than one in 10 million people worldwide, is a debilitating brain disease with no treatment and no cure.
Scroll down for video
Queensland siblings Hayley and Lachlan Webb have inherited an extremely rare disease known as Fatal Familial Insomnia, which will one day stop them from ever going to sleep again and eventually will kill them
Anyone who has FFI is tragically destined to die because it stops them from ever falling into a deep sleep and leads to rapid mental and physical deterioration.
Hayley, 30, and Lachlan, 28, first became aware of the genetic time bomb in their family when they were teenagers and their grandmother became ill.
'In my early teens I remember becoming aware of it, aware we had this family curse,' Ms Webb said.
'My grandma started getting sick and dying. Her eyesight went, she had signs of dementia, she was hallucinating and couldn't talk. Eventually she was diagnosed with FFI, that was the first time the family even knew that FFI existed.'
Ms Webb, who is a Channel Nine news reporter, said her mother started showing the first symptoms in 2011.
Hayley, who is a Nine News reporter, is taking part in a pioneering study at the University of California to help find a cure for the brain disease that affects less than one in 10 people worldwide
Hayley and Lachlan (pictured with their parents) first became aware of the genetic time bomb in their family when they were teenagers and their grandmother became ill
The 30-year-old television reporter said she first became aware of the 'family curse' when she was a teenager and her grandmother started to show symptoms. Her grandmother passed away aged 69
'I remember leaving for work to my new post on the Sunshine Coast and mum saying 'have a great day, I'm so proud of you' and then later that week coming back and she was calling me Jillian and she thought I was the housekeeper. It was incredibly aggressive,' she said.
The aggressive disease took hold giving her full blown hallucinations and she tragically passed away after six months.
FFI causes abnormal clumps of protein that damages nerve cells and eventually causing sponge-like holes in the thalamus - the part of the brain that regulates sleep.
'Your body is not allowing you to rejuvenate at all so it's like being awake for the last six months of your life,' Mr Webb said.
Hayley's mother started showing the first symptoms in 2011 but the aggressive disease took hold and six months later she died
Hayley, pictured with her mum after she was diagnosed, said her mother had full blown hallucinations towards the end. The disease begins with exhaustion and leads to a decline in mental and physical capabilities
Hayley and Lachlan say they have no idea when Fatal Familial Insomnia will strike. There is currently no treatment and no cure for the debilitating brain disease
While there is currently no cure, the siblings are taking part in a pioneering study at the University of California being led by US couple Eric Minikel and Sonia Vallabah to help find a remedy.
The siblings have no idea when the disease could strike for them.
'My aunty passed away at 42, my mum passed away at 61, my grandmother passed away at 69 - mum's brother died at 20... we're just hoping we're not one of the young ones,' Ms Webb said.
'It could happen tomorrow but until we're in that danger zone we probably have a good 10 years up our sleeve and I am praying that there is a cure between now and then.
'I don't want to sit here while the sands through the hour glass pass waiting for it to trigger and for me to cark it. I want information, I want answers and I want a bloody cure.'
Lachlan underwent tests alongside his sister in San Francisco to help with research into the fatal disease
The siblings say they are determined not to let Fatal Familial Insomnia rule their lives
Johnson accused of asking Julie Bishop for help with her financial woes
Ex-employees say she was more focused on celebrities than paying bills
Celebrity designer Johanna Johnson jet-setted around the world in the comforts of First Class while failing to pay staff superannuation, it has been claimed.
The designer, whose bridal dress business went into liquidation earlier this year, is alleged to have defaulted on staff pay and taxes for years.
She is accused of owing more than $1million to the Australian Taxation Office and $25,000 to a former production manager.
Former employees claim Johanna, who counts Madonna and Kim Kardashian among celebrity clients, ignored the company's financial woes to globe trot and build a reputation among Hollywood's A-list.
Scroll down for video
Celebrity designer Johanna Johnson (right) was more focused on mingling with Hollywood's stars than paying employees' superannuation, former staff have claimed. She is seen above with star stylist Rachael Zoe (left) in Los Angeles
'These were all of course work trips, but personally it was a little bit of a slip in the face for us,' one former employee told The Daily Telegraph.
'It showed where her priorities lay and also that she didn't really care and had no interest in the superannuation situation.'
During one trip the designer checked in to the Quantas First Class Lounge, boasting to Facebook followers jokingly as she made her way to Texas from Sydney.
Another claimed she still received invoices from overseas suppliers after leaving the company.
'She has run away from all her problems and, as a result, her employees will never receive their entitlements and clients will never receive their gowns.'
The designer did not respond to Daily Mail Australia's request for comment and has not spoken publicly of the allegations.
Earlier this month Ms Johnson was ordered to pay $1.1million to the Australian Tax Office or face losing her empire.
Ms Johnson has allegedly been ordered to pay more than $1million to the Australian Tax Office or faces losing her business
Johanna regularly shares photographs from the red carpets of Hollywood events, posing with celebrities for snaps to appear on her Instagram account. She is seen above with actress Laverne Cox (left) and Michelle Dockery (right)
The designer (seen above during another trip to Lake Como) is also accused of not paying staff's superannuation
She was also told to hand over $25,000 in unpaid superannuation and taxes to former head of production, Alana Teasal, it was reported.
Ms Teasel told Fairfax Media how she had grown tired of watching her former employer travel the world to shower celebrities with free merchandise.
'Seeing Johanna Johnson continue to dress celebrities for free, participate in fashion weeks and go overseas for red carpet collections ... when she owes myself and others (entitlements) is the reason why I have pushed forward with the wind-up of her company.
'I feel like I need to stand up not just for myself as a former employee but also all the other ex-employees who are owed significant superannuation,' she said.
The designer is also accused of approaching Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, another of her clients, to ask for help.
'Today's office': Another photograph from the designer's travels revealed her drinking wine in a swimming pool at an L.A. house
She is also accused of asking Foreign Minister Julie Bishop for help on her taxes, an allegation the politician denied
Ms Johnson announced she was moving her company's head office to Los Angeles earlier this month. She is seen (left) during another trip to Hollywood and (right) at Vogue's Manhattan office
Ms Johnson has assured customers that while her Australian business faces collapse, brides with outstanding orders for wedding dresses will receive them
According to The Daily Telegraph the politician, who has worn the designer's gowns to a number of events, refused.
'Ms Bishop did not become involved in resolving the dispute and at no time was there any direct contact between Ms Bishop and the ATO, nor has there been any request for preferential treatment for Ms Johnson,' her office said.
The designer's Facebook page has been flooded with messages from panicked brides claiming to have been stood up for appointments and fittings at the brand's boutiques despite paying thousands for bespoke gowns.
The designer counts Maddona (above in one of her designs) and Kim Kardashian among celebrity clients
Ms Johnson assured fans it was 'business as usual' last month when announcing her company's move to America
Earlier this month Ms Johnson assured customers it was 'business as usual' after relocating its offices to Los Angeles.
In a lengthy post she described needing to spend more time with her children but insisted she said: 'To my dearest clients and brides... I need more time with my babies, and to get somewhat of a work/life balance back.
'(As much as I love my work, 7 day weeks are not good for anyone's soul!) We look forward to seeing our lovely clients in their fittings and updating you all with these great things ahead. Kindest, JJ.'
Brides took to Facebook to share their fears after learning of the business's insolvency last month
A statement issued by the business followed, reading: 'Johanna Johnson has decided to relocate her operational headquarters to the United States. It is very much business as usual. All manufacturing and local client sales will remain in Sydney as we continue to deliver our luxury products locally and internationally, and prepare to launch our new collection in Los Angeles in the following weeks.
'To facilitate this expansion the Australian company will undergo a process of administration as the management operations are transitioned to the US head office.
'This is simply an internal process and we are very excited for the possibilities this will bring for both the brand and our treasured clientele as we continue to deliver our "Made in Australia" product to the world.'
A teenager who died after being 'shot in the neck' with an air rifle at close range has been named locally as tributes have been paid to him on social media.
The 13-year-old has been named online by friends as Ben Wragge and a page has been created on Facebook honouring his memory.
Two other teenagers were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter but have since been released on bail until June while police continue an investigation.
The boy is believed to have been hit in the neck by an air rifle pellet and was taken by ambulance to West Suffolk Hospital in a 'critical' condition. However, he died from his injuries a short time later.
The teenager who died after being 'shot with an air rifle' has been named locally as Ben Wragge, pictured
Ben, left and right, died due to 'an injury caused by an air pellet', police confirmed in a statement today
Tributes have been left at Thurston Community College, pictured, where the 13-year-old was a pupil
Messages of support and love for Ben have been attached to many of the flowers left at the school gates
Police confirmed his identity in an update today and a post mortem has taken place which found he died of 'an injury caused by an air pellet'.
Detectives are understood to be working on the theory that he was shot accidentally and that there was no intention to harm him.
MailOnline approached his family today but neither his father Robert, 41, or mother Claire, 40, wished to comment.
Dozens of his friends took to social media to pay tribute to the teenager.
A Facebook memorial page set up in his name reads: 'This page is in memory of Ben Wragge a dear friend gone but never forgotten.'
Ty Grant Marzell said: 'Ben u were like a brother to me in beyton and we were still close in thurston (sic) I really hope you will be okay up there mate! I will see you on the other side my friend.'
Shannon Buckley wrote: 'RIP Ben will be missed by so many people. You was such a good friend.
'Such a good hearted boy had so much more a head off. 'Why would stupid people want to take you from us, I love you.
'My throughputs (sic) will go out to you and your family and friends. Rest in paradise.'
Lewis Duncan posted: 'R.I.P Ben Ben Wragge ily bro, we all are going to miss you mate love you lots and have fun up there.'
And Leah Stevens added: 'Rest in peace Ben. My thoughts are with his family through this tragic time. You will be missed by so many Ben, we love you'.
A police presence remained in place in Thurston today as officers continued to investigate the teenager's death.
This black and white photo has been used on a Facebook tribute page to Ben on which he is described as a 'funny and smiley' boy
He was described in Facebook comments as a 'good-hearted boy' who 'will be missed by so many people'
Detectives are said to be working on the theory he was shot accidentally and that no harm was intended
Zak Goddard said: 'You will always be in everyones heart u was so funny (sic). Ben always had a smile on his face and he would want us to be happy so we now know he is in a better place.'
Another friend tweeted: 'Rest in peace Ben Wragge, you were a top lad who always put smiles on everyone's face. You'll be missed'
Another Twitter user added: 'RIP Ben Wragge, heaven has gained another angel.'
Asha Row wrote on Facebook: 'RIP Ben such a tragic thing to happen. We talked a few times at school and you were a good person. My heart goes to you and you family. Fly high, heavens gained another angel.'
The rev Manette Crossman, 51, the vicar of St Peter's Church, Thurston, said: 'People in the village are absolutely horrified by what has happened.
Tributes were yesterday paid to the mature and intelligent schoolboy. Helen Wilson, the principal of his school, Thurston Community College, said: He was an extremely likeable character, whose calm and respectful demeanour made him popular. Ben will be sadly missed.
One tribute, pictured, described Ben as an 'amazing friend' from a school pal identified as Harry E
The popular teenager has been inundated with tributes both physical and online since the tragedy
'Thurston is such a peaceful place and you don't expect things like this to happen here.
'Our thoughts go out to the family and we villagers will be there to support them through the incredibly tough weeks ahead.'
Neighbours said they had been told that the victim did not live at the address where the shooting occurred.
One resident said: 'I was told that it was a group of boys who play together quite a lot. I think they were messing around with an air rifle.
'It went off and a pellet hit the boy in the neck and he didn't make it.
'A lot of people have air rifles around here and we never believed they could kill someone.
'It must have been a chance thing. He could have been hit in the jugular. I just don't know.
'It just hit him in a place where it shouldn't have. At close range you never know what is going to happen.
'I know that the boy who died didn't live at the house. I think he was just there to play.
'It is really bad, what happened. I have heard of accidents with air rifles in other places. It just shows the dangers.'
The house where the shooting happened is home to a middle-aged couple who have children.
Another neighbour said: 'They are a decent family. What happened is just awful.'
The boy who died is believed to have lived in the village, which has a population of around 3,200.
Last night, police refused to disclose the ages of the two teenagers who were arrested.
A Suffolk Police spokesman said: 'Two teenagers have been arrested following the death of a 14-year old-boy after an incident at an address in Thurston.
'Police were called by the ambulance service at 1.35pm following reports of a male having sustained life threatening injuries.
Ben was taken by ambulance to West Suffolk Hospital (pictured) in a 'critical' condition. However, he died from his injuries a short time later
'The injured teenager was taken to West Suffolk Hospital in a critical condition, where he sadly died a short while later.
'At this early stage, police believe there was a discharge of a firearm, and are investigating the circumstances around the incident.
'Police have arrested two teenage boys on suspicion of manslaughter, and they have been taken to Bury Police Investigation Centre for questioning.'
Young people aged 14 to 17 can legally borrow an air rifle and ammunition and shoot unsupervised on private land when they have permission.
But the British Association for Shooting and Conservation website states that anyone in the age bracket cannot buy, hire or own an air weapon.
Any gun that they use has to be looked after by a 'responsible adult' aged over 18, normally a parent or guardian.
Children aged under 14 can use an air rifle on private land when they have permission, as long as they are supervised by a person aged over 21.
There are no restrictions on anyone aged over18 buying an air rifle and ammunition and using it.
Rhys Johnson, ten was accidentally shot dead by a 12-year-old friend with an airgun in September 2009 in Llansmlet, Swansea.
Restaurants could be banned from adding a service charge to bills under a Government crackdown on rip-off tips.
New laws could also make them spell out that tipping is always voluntary.
Customers would have to opt in to make an extra payment and bosses would not be able to suggest an amount.
A dramatic overhaul of tipping policy could also see owners forced to give staff every penny in tips and service charge instead of taking a share or all of it themselves.
Business Secretary Sajid Javid will publish a nationwide consultation setting out the Governments proposals for the handling of tips following a seven-month investigation.
Scroll down for video
Restaurants could be banned from adding a service charge to bills under a Government crackdown on rip-off tips (File photo)
It follows a row over firms taking staff tips to make up for the costs of introducing the higher national Living Wage.
Coffee shop chain Le Pain Quotidien was sharply criticised for stopping paid breaks and for failing to pass on all staff tips as a result of the increased living wage.
Pizza chain Zizzi was also accused of slashing staff perks, including the amount they take home from tips, ahead of its introduction.
Meanwhile French-style brasserie Cote, which has dozens of branches nationwide, was accused of using the automatic service charge to subsidise its waiters wages.
And last year it emerged that chains such as Cafe Rouge, Bella Italia and Prezzo kept 10 per cent of the service charge if customers paid by card.
There has also been public anger at restaurants failing to make it clear to customers that they do not have to pay a service charge or that tips do not go to staff.
Some diners also complained that they had been led to inadvertently tip twice once through a service charge mentioned only in the small print on a bill or menu, and again when they were asked to leave a discretionary sum when they came to pay.
Under the Government plans, a current voluntary code of practice could be enshrined in law to force restaurants to be more transparent and make it clear to customers they do not have to pay tips.
Workers would receive all of their tips given to them for their service, rather than the money going to their bosses.
Mr Javid will say: We want workers who earn a tip to be able to keep it. We will look closely at all the options, including legislation if necessary.
Currently there is no legal requirement covering what proportion of a discretionary tip should go to staff and how much to the employer.
Business Secretary Sajid Javid will publish a nationwide consultation setting out the Governments proposals for the handling of tips following a seven-month investigation (File photo)
The voluntary code of practice was introduced in October 2009 to improve the information available on tips, gratuities, cover and service charges.
But critics claim restaurants and bars are still not being transparent enough.
Under the options being considered by the Government is a suggestion that no bills should have a discretionary service charge. Instead, the customer would choose how much to tip.
In another option, bills could carry a suggested 5, 10 or 15 per cent tip with the customer free to choose one amount or nothing.
Last night unions welcomed the plans. Dave Turnbull of Unite called it a massive victory for waiting staff, adding: All they want is what any worker wants to take home what they have earned, no corners cut.
But he said it would need to be made law.
A construction worker has been taken to hospital after he was run down by a car stolen from a road works site.
Security footage from a nearby pub shows the thief making a getaway with the truck which was parked on the Melbourne construction site with the keys in the ignition.
A 28-year-old tradesman working on the site tried to stop the thief from driving away by placing his hands on the bonnet of the truck.
The thief sped away hitting the tradie who was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He suffered neck and arm injuries but no broken bones.
Security footage from a nearby pub captures the moment the thief gets into the car and tries to make a getaway
The vehicle was parked on the Melbourne construction site with the keys in the ignition. The robbery occurred just before 1am on Monday morning
The footage captures the moment the thief enters the vehicle and the tradesman, wearing a white jumpsuit, can be seen running up to the truck
The footage captures the moment the thief enters the vehicle and the tradesman, wearing a white jumpsuit, can be seen running up to the truck.
The tradie jumps in front of the car, putting his hands on the bonnet in an attempt to stop the thief.
Despite this, the thief drives on and hits the 28-year-old who falls to the ground and rolls a few times. He struggles to get up as the thief escapes.
The tradie jumped in front of the car, putting his hands on the bonnet in an attempt to stop the thief
The thief drives away in the vehicle and hits the 28-year-old who falls to the ground and rolls a few times. He struggles to get up as the thief escapes
The footage shows the construction worker lying on the ground after being hit by the truck. He was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital suffering neck and arm injuries but no broken bones
Police are continuing to investigate the robbery which happened just before 1am in Melbourne's city centre Monday morning.
The owner of the vehicle, Nicholas Cashin from Momentum Traffic Control, arrived at the scene a soon after the incident.
He told 9News his biggest concern was for his injured friend.
'Specialists' undergo an 11-week training program and are paid $52,397
Police buildings will undergo a radical security overhaul, with Tuesday's Budget to announce $150 million in funding for armed guards and building improvements.
The new funding is a reaction to the increased terrorist threat and attacks on police. The money will be rolled out over five years.
Curtis Cheng, a police staffer, was shot dead last October by a 15-year old outside Parramatta Police Station in western Sydney
Numan Haider stabbed an Australian Federal Police Officer and a Victoria Police Officer outside the Endeavour Hills police station in Melbourne in September 2014
The money will allow for a new group of Protective Service Officers to protect Australian Federal Police and Australian Crime Commission buildings and their personnel.
Police have been the target of two terrorism-linked attacks over the last 18 months.
In the first Islamic State-inspired attack, radicalised teenager Numan Haider stabbed two Federal police officers in September of 2014, before being shot dead by police.
In October 2015, police accountant Curtis Cheng was murdered by an alleged Islamic State terror cell operating in Western Sydney.
The moment a 15-year-old boy began shooting outside Parramatta police station
Extra security will be funded in Tuesday's Budget for police officers after two terror attacks on officers in 18 months
On top of the initial funding, the ACC will receive $5.1million to upgrade physical and personnel security.
The new security measures will also include a revamp to the personal security of AFP officers, with a study underway into developing 'enhanced protective technical capabilities' for officers. This will also cover the use of special firearms.
Numan Haider had been on police watch-lists for some time as he began to display more radicalised behaviour
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Counter-Terrorism Michael Keenan told The Daily Telegraph it was essential to mitigate the heightened threat of attack against law enforcement agencies.
According to the AFP website, Protective Service Officers are paid $52,397 during an 11-week live-in training program and after graduation they receive a 22% composite allowance.
Tributes were left outside of NSW police headquarters following the shooting of long term employee Curtis Cheng
A 29-year-old woman who was killed in a collision with a duck boat while riding a motor scooter in Boston has been identified.
Family members identified the victim as Allison Warmuth, an insurance underwriter, who often traveled on the red moped that she was riding when the vehicle crashed into her, according to the Boston Globe.
Warmuth's parents Martha and Ivan Warmuth said Sunday that they are stunned by the fatal crash, which happened around 11.30am on Saturday.
Her friend, a 32-year-old man, was also on the moped but he was not seriously injured.
Allison Warmuth, 29, was killed in a collision with a duck boat while riding her motor scooter near a park in Boston
Family members identified Warmuth, who was an insurance underwriter who often traveled on the red moped she was riding when the vehicle crashed into her
Martha Warmuth told the Globe that her daughter was 'an incredible person'.
Allison Warmuth had been a resident of the Boston area for more than five years.
She was a senior underwriter at Lexington Insurance Company, according to the Globe.
Warmuth had been rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital after the accident but later died of her injuries, according to Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans.
The boat was carrying more than 20 people, according to Boston.com. None of the passengers had been reported injured.
Duck boats are amphibious sightseeing vehicles that can ride on water or road.
In September, a duck boat in Seattle swerved into a charter bus carrying international students while crossing the Aurora Bridge.
Four students died and 40 people were treated at the hospital.
A Boston duck boat (pictured above at an earlier time) was involved in the accident
Councils raised almost 20million from fines for littering as they handed out penalties at the rate of nine every hour (stock image)
Councils raised almost 20million from fines for littering as they handed out penalties at the rate of nine every hour.
New figures show councils across the UK issued 477,957 fixed-penalty notices for littering since 2010.
Fines for dropping rubbish soared dramatically as they are used a cash cow for councils hit by dramatic cuts.
A Freedom of Information request found there were 48,000 fines issued across the country in 2010 compared to 115,000 last year.
Councils more than doubled their annual income from 2.1mililon in 2010 to 4.9million in 2015.
Penalties set by councils for offenders range from 50 to 80 but the Department for Communities and Local Government is expected to recommend a higher figure of 150.
The minimum fine is set to double from 50 to 100.
Between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2015, councils raised 19,806, 949, according to the Sunday Times (must keep).
Figures do not reveal how many notices were unpaid and how many were appealed.
The total number of fines and the sum collected across the UK is likely to be considerably higher.
Of the 434 local authorities approached, only 229 provided comparable data.
The London borough of Enfield earned 1.5m from fines over the period, the most of any council and 150 times the national average of 10,000.
It was among four London boroughs in the top five. Maidstone in Kent had the second highest income from fines.
Councils claimed the money raised from fines did not cover the cost of cleaning up the streets.
They have said they are not trying to make money, but encourage locals not to drop litter and keep the streets cleaner.
In Enfield the litter enforcement teams were nicknamed the Black Watch when they began.
Retired estate agent Nigel King told the newspaper: We would do well to copy Singapore. There, people know they will be treated harshly for dropping litter and it is very clean as a result.
Daniel Anderson, Enfield councils cabinet member for environment said: We make no apology for targeting those who drop litter, adopting a zero tolerance approach.'
Sheriff Jim McDonnell said he will now conduct email audits of his employees to prevent this incident from repeating in the future
Tom Angel (pictured), now-former chief of staff for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office, resigned on Sunday after emails mocking Muslims, Mexicans, blacks, women and other minorities surfaced
A Los Angeles Sheriff's Office official has turned in his resignation after a series of offensive emails mocking Muslims, Mexicans, blacks, women and other minorities surfaced.
Tom Angel, now-former chief of staff for the LASD, left the department after Jim McDonnell accepted his resignation, it was announced Sunday.
The emails were sent during Angel's time with the Burbank Police Department and include him asking a colleague 'how many virgins Muslims get in heaven' and forwarding tasteless jokes.
'I took my Biology exam last Friday. I was asked to name two things commonly found in cells. Apparently "Blacks" and "Mexicans" were NOT the correct answers,' one of the jokes read.
Another set of emails were chain emails with distasteful jokes.
One had the subject line 'How dumb is dumb?'
It went on to list 20 reasons 'Muslim Terrorists are so quick to commit suicide' and included 'Towels for hats', 'Constant wailing from some idiot in a tower' and 'You can't wash off the smell of donkey'.
Angel sent the emails to private citizens and the Los Angeles Times did not reveal their identities as to not invade their privacy.
The emails, sent during 2012 and 2013 when Angel was the No. 2 police officer at the Burbank department, were made public after a records request by the Los Angeles Times.
'This incident is one that I find deeply troubling.
The Los Angeles Times was able to obtain the emails from 2012 anf 2013 when Angel worked for the Burbank Police Department
Despite the Sheriffs Departments many recent efforts to fortify public trust and enhance internal and external accountability and transparency, this incident reminds us that we and other law enforcement agencies still have work to do.
'I intend to turn this situation into a learning opportunity for all LASD personnel,' McDonnell told the Los Angeles Times.
McDonnell said the department would now conduct audits of its employees emails in order to prevent another incident like this from happening again.
Shortly after it was revealed Angel stepped down, the LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis released a statement praising McDonnell for his work to reform the Sheriff's Department.
She added there 'is still much work to be done'.
'We must move forward and strive for a law enforcement work culture that values diversity and promotes tolerance,' she said.
Advertisement
A 160-year-old Orthodox Christian cathedral in New York has been completely destroyed after a huge fire tore through it on Sunday
The blaze broke out at the Serbian Cathedral of Saint Sava on 25th Street in Manhattan's Flatiron district at around 7pm.
It is not known how the fire started, though it is believed to have broken out on the first floor of the building before consuming the interior and roof.
An FDNY spokesman said that nobody was believed to be inside the building at the time the fire started, and there have been no reports of injuries.
Fire officials said the church's caretaker ran inside the church to try to put out the blaze but suffered minor smoke inhalation and had to be rescued.
'I feel like I'm in a nightmare right now,' said church priest, Father Djokan Majstorovic as he tried to get to the fire scene that was blocked off by firefighters.
Alex Velic, 31, the caretaker's stepson, told the Daily News he lives next door. He said he smelled smoke and came outside and saw the church on fire.
'Once the fire caught the wood there was flames coming out of the top of the church. That's when people were going crazy,' Velic said. "I'm in shock. I don't know what to say. It's sad.'
Scroll down for video
The Serbian Cathedral of Saint Sava, on 25th Street in Manhattan, New York, has been completely gutted by flames after a huge fire broke out there at around 7pm on Sunday
Orthodox Easter celebrations were scheduled to take place at the Church earlier today with a Confession and Communion service at 9am, a liturgy at 10am and a lunch scheduled to start at 1pm
Fire crews were pictured desperately trying to dampen the flames as they scorched through the roof of the beautiful gothic-style building, rising at least 50ft up from street level
The church, which was designed by celebrated architect Richard M. Upjohn, appeared to have been completely gutted by the blaze, though fortunately FDNY officials do not believe anyone was inside at the time
More than 170 firefighters were dispatched to deal with the blaze, the FDNY said. It is not clear how the fire started, though it is believed to have broken out on the first floor (pictured, the cathedral before and during the fire)
Images taken from above show how the flames completely engulfed the church, streaming from the windows and burning the roof away
Orthodox Easter celebrations were held in the building earlier in the day, including a lunch at 1pm, according to the church's website.
The extent of the damage is also currently unknown, but images taken by bystanders appear to show the entire building has been destroyed.
Dozens of fire engines and at least 170 firefighter were scrambled to deal with the fire, the FDNY said, as flames could be seen shooting from the rose window at the front of the building.
Views from above show the fire streaming from the apex of the church roof, around 50ft above street level.
While the true extent of the damage is unknown, images suggest nothing more than a shell of a building will be left behind, as windows burst from the heat and the roof was almost entirely scorched away
Hundreds of stunned onlookers gathered in the streets near the church to watch fire crews try in vain to save the historic building
Firefighters were still battling to put the blaze out as night fell in New York, while most of the building appeared to have been destroyed
Stunned onlookers were described 'crying' in the street on social media, while others mourned a 'huge loss for the community'
The church was designed in 1845 and built in the early 1850s, and was the first place to hold an Orthodox liturgy in the U.S., an event hailed at the time as the 'inauguration of the Russian-Greek Church in America'
More than 170 firefighters were called to the scene of the blaze along with dozens of vehicles, and continued damping down the fire as darkness fell on Sunday night
Aerial images of the cathedral show the horrifying extent of the damage to the building, once branded 'irreplaceable' by New York officials
Hundreds of onlookers gathered in the street to watch the vain attempts to save the building, with dozens taking to Twitter to describe the scene.
One user, going by the name Matty Brocker, said people were 'crying' as the building went up in smoke, while others branded the sigh 'horrific' and mourned a 'huge loss for the community'.
The Serbian Cathedral of Saint Sava was designed in 1850 by architect Richard M. Upjohn, the founder of the American Institute of Architects, and first consecrated in 1855 by the Episcopal Diocese.
Firemen remained on scene tamping the flames down until late on Sunday night, revealing through the smoke how little of the church was left following the fire that broke out hours earlier
Through the smoke a few charred roof beams appeared to be all that remained of the church roof, while the ornate stained glass windows were also gone, having exploded outward during the blaze
Once firemen have finished extinguishing the blaze the gothic-revival building will need to be assessed to see whether it can be repaired
Dozens of firemen remained on the scene overnight to keep the embers of the church from burning up again
While the fire has almost certainly destroyed the building, there have been no deaths or injuries reported from the blaze so far
The church was designated a New York City landmark in 1968 and at the time the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission said the church's 'striking appearance commands special attention.
It added that 'its special character, historic significance, and aesthetic interest and value of the development, heritage, and cultural characteristics of New York make it irreplaceable.'
In 1865 the church played host to the first Orthodox liturgy was held in an Episcopal church in the U.S., an event described at the time as the 'inauguration of the Russian-Greek Church in America.'
American writer Edith Wharton married socialite Edward Wharton in the chapel in 1885, and later immortalized the church in her famous novel, The Age of Innocence.
Designed by Richard M. Upjohn, founder of the American Institute of Architects, the church was consecrated in 1855 and made a New York landmark in 1968 (pictured before the fire)
Designating the church a landmark, the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission said the church's 'striking appearance commands special attention' (pictured before the fire)
Advertisement
Captain Cook's famous ship has seemingly been discovered in the US 230 years since it was sold, sunk and forgotten.
The Endeavour is one of the most famous ships in naval history and was used by Captain James Cook to discover the East Coast of Australia in 1770.
The last sighting of the Endeavour was around 1778 when it is believed the ship was sold, renamed the Lord Sandwich, and then used to transport British troops during the American Revolution.
Archaeologists believe they have found the scuttled remains of the Endeavour just off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island in Narragansett Bay.
The Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project made the discovery, saying the ship was scuttled in Newport Harbor in 1778 by British forces in the lead up to the Battle of Rhode Island.
Scroll down for video
The HMS Endeavour (replica pictured) was a British research vessel sailed through the Pacific by Captain James Cook. In 1769 Captain Cook circumnavigated New Zealand in the ship before landing in Australia a year later
The wreck of the Endeavour was found in Newport Harbor in Rhode Island. It is thought the wreck was sunk there in an attempt to block the harbor before the Battle of Rhode Island in 1778
Earl of Pembroke, later HMS Endeavour, leaving Whitby Harbour in 1768
The HMS Endeavour was first launched in 1764 as the Earl of Pembroke, and then renamed His Majesty's Bark the Endeavour after it was purchased four years later by the British Royal Navy.
Captain James Cook returned the Endeavour to England in 1771 where it was largely forgotten before it was sold four years later
It was sent out to explore the Pacific Ocean in August 1768 both to observe the 1769 transit of Venus across the sun and in the search for the continent which was then called Terra Australis Incognita, or unknown Southern land.
The previous transit of Venus in 1639 had provided a vast amount of the information astronomers and scientists had about the size of the solar system and universe.
The ship departed from Pymouth with 94 people on board, including Captain Cook.
It traveled down the coast of Africa before cutting across the Atlantic and arriving in Rio de Janeiro in November of that year.
The boat then set out to round Cape Horn, which it managed to do in January after its third try after wind, stormy weather and difficult conditions forced Captain Cook to turn back during his first two attempts.
In April the ship reached Tahiti, where it stayed for the next four months and were astronomer Charles Green was able to study the transit of Venus in June.
After months exploring the Pacific for islands, the Endeavour reached the coast of New Zealand in October, becoming the first European vessel to land on the island in over 100 years.
Dutch explored Abel Tasman had previously reached the islands of New Zealand and Tasmania during his 1642 journey while with the Dutch East India Company.
Cook spent six months exploring and mapping the coast of New Zealand and claimed the land for Great Britain before sailing west.
In April of 1770 individuals on the ship first spotted Australia, and on April 29 the HMS Endeavour became the first European vessel to make landfall on the east coast of the island.
Cook spent four months charting the coast and at one point ran into trouble when the ship struck part of the Great Barrier Reef.
The ship was 24 miles off the coast at the time with not enough life boats, but managed to clear the water from the hull of the ship and make its way safely back to shore.
The ship continued to explore the island, and in November was taken out of the water to have major repairs done before setting sail back to Great Britain.
It set sail the day after Christmas, and in March rounded the Cape of Good Hope before docking in Cape Town.
On July 12 it made its way into port in Dover, almost three years after it first left from Plymouth.
A print from an oil painting attributed to J Clevely, showing Captain James Cook arriving at Queen Charlotte's Sound in New Zealand
Endeavour beached at Endeavour River for repairs after her grounding on the Great Barrier Reef in 1770
A print from a painting showing Captain James Cook taking possession of New South Wales
Cook was later promoted to Commander and explored the Pacific twice more on the HMS Resolution.
He was killed in 1779 during a fight with Hawaiians on the island.
HISTORY OF COOK'S ENDEAVOUR The HMS Endeavour was a British research vessel sailed by Captain James Cook. Captain Cook set off from England in the Endeavour in 1768 in search of Australia then known as the 'unknown Southern Land'. The Endeavour was a small ship - less than 100ft long - and housed a crew of around 100 sailors. Before coming to Australia, Captain Cook reached New Zealand in 1769. He circumnavigated New Zealand's North and South Islands and drew the first complete chart of the country's coast. The Endeavour was the first ship to reach the East Coast of Australia, landing in Botany Bay in 1770. The vessel returned to England in 1771 and was largely forgotten before it was sold in 1775 and renamed The Lord Sandwich. Source: Australian National Maritime Museum
The Endeavor soon become a naval transport ship, and was sold to a shipping magnate just before the start of the Revolutionary War.
That individual then tried to sell the ship back to the British when the demand for ships increased during the war but they would not accept the vessel given its age and what it had been through over the years.
The seller then made the decision to rename the boat Lord Sandwich and try to sell it again, which worked after the boat underwent serious repairs.
It was sent to Rhode Island as a prison ship when the British attempted to recapture the port city of Newport in 1778, and there it was blown up in hopes of creating a blockade in the harbor during the Battle of Rhode Island.
The Endeavour was discovered alongside 13 other ships in a massive archaeological investigation that combined high-tech mapping of the seabed with analysis of historical shipping documents found in London.
RIMAP said it was '80 to 100 per cent certain' that the remains it has discovered belonged to the Endeavour.
In a statement, the group said: 'RIMAP has mapped 9 archaeological sites of the 13 ships that were scuttled in Newport Harbor in 1778 during the American Revolution.
'One group of 5 ships included the Lord Sandwich transport, formerly Captain James Cook's Endeavour.
'All of the 13 ships lost in Newport during the Revolution are important to American history, but it will be a national celebration in Australia when RIMAP identifies the Endeavour.'
More details about the discovery, including scans and documents will be presented on Wednesday.
A cutaway painting of Captain Cook's Endeavour ship during its journey
An 1893 chart showing Endeavour's track Captain Cook's famous ship
It was sent to Rhode Island as a prison ship when the British attempted to recapture the port city of Newport in 1778, and there it was blown up in hopes of creating a blockade in the harbor during the Battle of Rhode Island (ships entering the port before the Battle above)
Graphics and other materials related to this effort will also be placed on this website for public review on this day.
This date will mark Rhode Island's 240th birthday as the anniversary of the Rhode Island Colonial legislature's disavowal of loyalty to the King of England in 1776.
That was two months before all the colonies issued the formal Declaration of Independence.
In 1998 a RIMAP scientist first discovered historical documents in a shipping archive which hinted that the Endeavour had been renamed and scuttled in the United States.
In 2014 the Australian National Maritime Museum funded RIMAP to investigate the theory further.
Scandal-hit Royal Bank of Scotland will remove its RBS branding from high street branches in an attempt to break with its toxic past.
More than 300 outlets in England and Wales will be rebranded as Williams & Glyn.
The group, which famously sponsors the Six Nations rugby tournament, will continue to be called RBS on the stock exchange.
Scandal-hit Royal Bank of Scotland will remove its RBS branding from high street branches in an attempt to break with its toxic past
But in a return to its pre-crisis roots the bank will rebrand its 200 Scottish branches as Royal Bank of Scotland.
The bank plans to sell or float the Williams & Glyn operation by the end of next year.
The group also has 1,000 NatWest branches across England and Wales which will become the leading brand in these regions.
Disgraced former chief executive Fred Goodwin championed the RBS name believing Royal Bank of Scotland was too parochial for a global bank
It is understood that the companys Ulster Bank will remain the same in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
In 2008 RBS was bailed out by the taxpayer who footed a 46bn bill during the height of the financial crisis.
Since then the bank has been fined hundreds of millions of pounds for Libor and foreign exchange rate rigging.
The rebranding is being seen an attempt to move on from these scandals.
Disgraced former chief executive Fred Goodwin championed the RBS name believing Royal Bank of Scotland was too parochial for a global bank.
He promoted the acronym as part of his aggressive global expansion strategy that finally brought the bank to its knees.
David Wheldon, chief marketing officer, said: We are no longer a global bank with global ambitions to be the biggest. We are now a UK and Ireland focused bank with a strong bank of brands and an ambition to be the best bank for customers.
He added: As part of our strategy to build a stronger, simpler, fairer bank we are dialling up our brands and directing our efforts to make each of our customer brands number one in their respective markets.
Last week RBS reported a doubling of net losses to nearly 1bn in the first quarter.
Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assads top cleric has issued a chilling fatwa calling for the extermination of civilians in the city of Aleppo.
His bloodthirsty demand came after air strikes and shelling have caused daily massacres in the besieged rebel stronghold.
The fall of Aleppo would strike a devastating blow against those opposed to Assad in Syrias five-year civil war.
Scroll down for video
The fatwa was passed by the tyrants top Sunni cleric, Ahmad Badr al-Hassoun, (pictured) against ordinary Syrians living in the eastern parts of Aleppo which is under the control of opposition forces
The fatwa was passed by the tyrants top Sunni cleric, Ahmad Badr al-Hassoun, against ordinary Syrians living in the eastern parts of Aleppo which is under the control of opposition forces.
He said: I call upon the Syrian Army to show us its rage and I also call upon our leader to show us their rage in exterminating those criminals.
Bombs and missiles have rained down on residential areas for nearly 10 days, killing more than 250 people including at least 40 children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Some 30 airstrikes took place on Saturday, although there was less shelling reported yesterday.
The Kremlin, which backs Assad, has rejected calls to rein in its ally although it said it was working to freeze fighting.
No, we are not going to put pressure on (Assad) because one must understand that the situation in Aleppo is part of this fight against the terrorist threat, declared Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov.
At least 27 people died when a hospital was hit last week, leaving a delicate truce negotiated in February hanging by a thread.
Since breaking its ceasefire nine days ago, the regime has reportedly launched more than 260 airstrikes, 110 artillery strikes and 18 missiles, and has dropped 68 bombs.
A health worker carries a girl, who has been rescued from the wreckage, after the helicopters belonging to the Syrian army carried out a barrel bomb attack on a medical center in the opposition controlled Bustan al-Qasr neighborhood of Aleppo (pictured)
Civil defense workers and civilians carry out search and rescue works after the Russian forces staged air-strikes in Bustan al Qasr neighborhood of Aleppo (pictured)
Some humanitarian organisations are poised to pull out of the city.
A draft statement being circulated among non-governmental aid organisations, seen by the Observer newspaper, warns of a complete absence of the fundamentals of safe humanitarian intervention and accuses Assads regime of targeting them on purpose.
This weekend, the United States again demanded that Assads forces halt their bombardment. Secretary of State John Kerry was flying to Geneva last night for talks with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura.
A new round of UN-backed peace talks is set to start in Geneva on May 10.
Yesterday families continued to flee Aleppos rebel-held eastern district.
The situation has become unbearable, said Abu Mohammed as he prepared to leave with his wife and five children. Everything is paralysed.
The violence in Aleppo has severely tested the February 27 truce between the regime and non-jihadist rebels intended to pave the way to an end to the conflict.
A pro-government newspaper vowed on Thursday the army was preparing an offensive to recapture all of Aleppo and the surrounding province.
Thousands of parents have threatened to take their children out of school tomorrow in protest against tests taken by six and seven-year-olds.
Mothers and fathers across the country have signed an online petition by the Let Our Kids Be Kids campaign pledging to keep their child at home for a day of fun learning.
Under government rules, children are only allowed to be taken out of school in exceptional circumstances, with fines of 120 per child for those who disobey.
Tougher assessments have been introduced this year by Nicky Morgan, the education secretary (left). Right is a stock image of an exam
But it is understood that some teachers are supportive of the campaign and may not register the absences as unauthorised.
The parents are protesting against the tests taken by pupils in Year 2 of primary school.
Tougher assessments have been introduced this year by Nicky Morgan, the education secretary, who wants British pupils to become more competitive internationally.
A petition has been signed by more than 30,000 people backing a kids strike, with around 300 small events across the country for those staying off school.
Children are tested at the end of infant and junior school to measure schools performance.
Children do not have to revise but parents say the pressure on teachers is causing unnecessary stress in classrooms and hampering creativity.
The anonymous organisers of the campaign founded by five parents of Year 2 pupils have written to Mrs Morgan saying: Children as young as six are labelling themselves failures and crying about going to school. We know this because we are [their] parents.
The capacity for children of this age to actually learn the concepts you have asked them to learn is questionable. Childrens mental health is at risk because of the increased pressure they face through primary school testing.
Parents arent employed or paid by you. You cant dismiss our concerns as being about pay or holidays or pension plans ... our priority is the happiness and wellbeing of our children.
Sub-postmasters, who were allegedly wrongfully convicted or unfairly forced to pay back 'missing cash' due to IT glitches, have launched a mass High Court compensation claim against the Post Office.
So far 125 persecuted former Post Office workers have teamed up to take legal action against the 'corporate bully' and many more are likely to join in the claim that could cost the publicly-owned company millions in damages.
Many dozens of Post Office staff been jailed, forced into bankruptcy and had their reputations ruined in what has been described as one of the most widespread miscarriages of justice in the UK this century.
Sub-postmasters, who were allegedly wrongfully convicted or unfairly forced to pay back 'missing cash' due to IT glitches, have launched a mass High Court compensation claim against the Post Office (file picture)
The group secured external funding to cover all costs for the legal case in return for a cut of the proceeds if they are successful.
The Criminal Courts Review Commission (CCRC) has also been considering applications from at least 15 sup-postmasters who were prosecuted in cases related to the Post Office's controversial Horizon software system. The body, which can send cases to the Appeal Court, has been looking at the claims for a year and is likely to make a ruling next month.
The High Court case was revealed by a statement from the organisation Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance (JFSA) in which it accused the Post Office of 'corporate blindness and arrogance' by its repeated refusal 'to accept the truth.'
It stated: 'Denial and cover up has been the only response from this government supported organisation. Therefore in order to finally bring resolution and redress to those who have had to suffer injustice by a corporate bully abusing its power, we have had to issue proceedings against it in the High Court.'
Alan Bates, the alliance founder, said: 'None of us would be involved if we didn't think we would win and we would not have secured legal support and finance if people didn't believe in it.'
The Daily Mail revealed the scandal of computer faults being blamed for wrecking dozens of lives three years ago.
Branch 'losses' identified by the computer system led to sub-postmasters having to hand over thousands or tens of thousands of pounds. Others were ruthlessly prosecuted for false accounting or theft with many feeling pressured into pleading guilty in a plea bargain deal to avoid jail.
Last April an independent report by forensic accountants Second Sight hired by the Post Office to investigate the Horizon system suggested discrepancies could have been caused by computer failures, cyber criminals or human error.
So far 125 persecuted former Post Office workers have teamed up to take legal action against the 'corporate bully' and many more are likely to join in the High Court (pictured) claim that could cost the company millions
It also accused the Post Office of failing 'in many cases' to identify the 'root causes of shortfalls' before starting civil or criminal proceedings.
The report said the Post Office failed to provide the accountancy firm with the documentation required and 'terminated' their contract before the research was finished.
Demands for a full judge-led inquiry followed, but with the Post Office refusing to accept wrong-doing sub-postmasters have now turned to the courts for justice.
Jo Hamilton, 58, ran the sub-post office in the Hampshire village of South Warnborough and was prosecuted over an alleged 36,000 shortfall. She always insisted she took no money but admitted a false accounting charged to avoid being jailed for theft.
Mrs Hamilton, who is one of the people involved in the High Court claim and CCRC review, said yesterday: 'I am absolutely positive we are going to win. We have so much evidence now that we didn't have when we first started fighting for justice. We've got masses of evidence and I think they're in big trouble.'
She described victims like herself as 'law-abiding middle aged people' whose lives have been unfairly ruined.
The Post Office has refused to accept blame. It has long said the number of complaints about the IT system was a 'tiny fraction' of the 500,000 people who used it effectively.
Cleared: The historic sex allegations against Are You Being Served? actor John Inman have been dropped by Devon and Cornwall Police
The family of John Inman reacted with fury yesterday as the late actor was cleared of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy almost four decades ago.
Police announced they were dropping their inquiry into the claim made against the TV star nine years after his death.
The collapse of the investigation came as a former police chief said too much time and money was being spent on looking into historical sex claims at the expense of protecting children today.
Devon and Cornwall Police launched the investigation into the star of sitcom Are You Being Served? in January this year after a father-of-two told police he was assaulted 36 years ago.
The man, now 48, claimed he was lured to a hotel room by a friend of Inman on the promise of an acting role. He told detectives he was forced to perform a sex act on the then 44-year-old actor on several occasions at the Imperial Hotel and the Princess Theatre in Torquay, Devon, in 1979.
But after a four-month inquiry, officers concluded the claims could never be proven as both the accused had died.
Yesterday Inmans family said people had been jumping on the bandwagon following the Jimmy Savile scandal. They also criticised police, accusing them of a celebrity witch-hunt.
His sister-in-law Patricia Inman, 75, said: It was very upsetting when you knew he was a person that would never do such a thing, it would never cross his mind...
I found it very hard to comprehend that people would ever suspect something like this of him.
She added: Im pleased they are dropping the case but they should never have been looking into it in the first place. It was a complete waste of time and money.
Comments: Sir Hugh Orde, said the police have to focus on people who need our protection now rather than spending money on historical cases
Inman, who played Mr Humphries in Are You Being Served?, was one of the biggest names on TV when the incidents allegedly happened. At its peak, the sitcom had up to 22million viewers tuning in.
At the time of his death from liver disease in 2007 aged 71, he had never been accused of any offence.
Known for his Im free catchphrase, Inman, who in later years specialised as a panto dame, married long-term partner Ron Lynch in 2005. The latest historical sex claims fiasco comes after Scotland Yard shelved its 1.8million Operation Midland investigation into claims of a VIP paedophile ring in March without a single arrest.
Yesterday Sir Hugh Orde, former head of the Association of Chief Police Officers, criticised the focus on old child abuse cases. You fully resource a historic investigation, yet you dont fully resource a current day investigation, he said.
That is back to front. We have to focus on people who need our protection now. But Liz Dux, of Slater and Gordon Lawyers, who represented Savile victims, said: Its very dangerous if an offender thinks, Well, if I committed my crime 40 years ago Im not going to be prosecuted because there isnt any police money. That would be a terrible message to send out.
Lebanese officials said he was there to plan a terrorist attack
An Australian man has been arrested in Lebanon and could be facing terrorism charges
The man has been named as Mark Eddie Maximus according to Lebanese media sources.
The ABC reports that the man is a dual Australian-Syrian national and was arrested in Tripoli, the largest city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in the country.
Mark Eddie Maximus was arrested in Tripoli, the largest city in northern Lebanon, and faces terrorism charges
Officials received intelligence that Mr Maximus was in the city to plan a terrorist attack. He was arrested in the Dam wal Farz district on Sunday and detained by army intelligence officers
'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is seeking to confirm reports of the detention of an Australian man in Tripoli, Lebanon on suspicion of terrorism-related offences,' a spokeswoman from the department said to AAP.
Mr Maximus was arrested in the Dam wal Farz district on Sunday and detained by army intelligence officers on 'suspicion of belonging to a terrorist group', according to a Voice of Lebanon report.
The unconfirmed reports say officials received intelligence that Mr Maximus was in the city to plan a terrorist attack.
Mr Maximus was reportedly picked up after a vehicle in which he was travelling was tracked by Lebanese intelligence who arrested him after an exchange of gunfire.
Authorities were still reportedly looking for a woman, who is also suspected of having ties with the Islamic State group.
Sir Eric Pickles said he was not entirely convinced by the Prime Ministers argument that taking in 3,000 children would encourage more to make the dangerous crossing
A Cabinet minister yesterday became the most senior Tory MP to suggest he could rebel in a Commons vote against David Camerons refusal to let child refugees in Europe into Britain.
Sir Eric Pickles said he was not entirely convinced by the Prime Ministers argument that taking in 3,000 children would encourage more to make the dangerous crossing.
The Communities Secretary said he would seriously consider voting against the Government and was not averse to giving more help to children travelling on their own.
He said he was not in doubt that the Government was since about their worries that taking children from Europe would encourage more of them to make the journey across the sea.
But he said: I am not in the government so I will say I myself am not entirely convinced by their argument, I just gave them the benefit of the doubt in this vote.
Asked on Sky News Murnaghan programme if he remained to be persuaded, he said: I remain to be persuaded.
As many as 30 Tory MPs and eight members of the Democratic Unionist Party have signalled they intend to switch sides and back a compromise plan put forward by Labour peer Lord Dubs.
His attempt to make Britain take 3,000 child refugees from the EU was blocked in a Commons vote last Monday with a majority of just 18.
They are set to vote in favour of his amendment, which does not specify an exact number, when they come before the Commons on May 9.
To avoid a humiliating defeat, ministers are reconsidering whether to offer sanctuary to thousands of unaccompanied children in camps on the Continent.
In a sign Number 10 will be forced into a U-turn on the issue, last night a spokesman said: Its quite a different amendment.
Mr Pickles said: If it comes back to the House I will give it very serious consideration.
He added: I would not be averse to seeing unaccompanied children given additional help.
His comments were echoed by Jason McCartney, MP for Colne Valley, the latest Tory to switch sides after mounting pressure.
The Communities Secretary said he would seriously consider voting against the Government and was not averse to giving more help to children travelling on their own. Pictured, Syrian refugee children in Turkey
He said: The government is right we mustnt encourage people smugglers and more refugees to take the perilous journey across Europe and the Mediterranean.
As a dad myself I think we should do more to help vulnerable unaccompanied children and I hope ministers will work with Lords Dubs to accept his compassionate proposals.
This is about doing the right thing and I hope it doesnt come to another Parliamentary vote, if it does I will be supporting the new Dubs amendment.
In a full-page leader last Thursday, the Daily Mail said: We believe that the plight of these unaccompanied children now in Europe hundreds of them on our very doorstep in the Channel ports of France has become so harrowing that we simply cannot turn our backs.
It added that strict checks must be made to establish that those granted asylum are genuine refugees and the age they claim to be, but in the exceptional circumstances of the crisis it would be wrong not to help such children, who should be allowed a one-off amnesty.
As many as 30 Tory MPs and eight members of the Democratic Unionist Party have signalled they intend to switch sides and back a compromise plan put forward by Labour peer Lord Dubs. Pictured, children shelter from the rain at a makeshift camp near the village of Idomeni not far from the Greek-Macedonian border
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said on the programme yesterday: The Government says the UK is taking children from the camps because otherwise it would encourage smugglers.
I think that is a bogus argument. The children are not safe. What these young people have seen is appalling.
More than 600 people were evacuated from New South Wales Parliament House over a 'security threat' after a suspicious item was found.
A NSW Police spokeswoman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia a police operation was underway at Hospital Road in central Sydney on Monday.
'Officers attached to Sydney City Local Area Command were called shortly after 10am after concerns were raised about an item found at the location,' she said.
More than 600 people were evacuated from New South Wales Parliament House over a 'security threat' after a suspicious item was found
Parliament staffer John Townsend, who was inside the building, tweeted a photo of people being evacuated, saying: 'NSW Parliament House is being evacuated due to a "security threat".'
He told Daily Mail Australia there were more than 600 people - including ministers, staff members and school groups - as it was the start of a sitting week.
'There was a suspicious package at the State Library concourse. Parliament was evacuated and police rescue are on site,' Mr Townsend said.
People were allowed back in an hour later about 11.15am after police deemed the area safe.
A suspicious package was found at the State Library concourse. Above are police at the scene
People were allowed back in an hour later after police swarmed the scene
The New South Wales Parliament House has been evacuated over a 'security threat' after a suspicious item was found. Above is a picture of the scene from parliament staffer John Townsend
A police spokeswoman said a bag had been found and it was 'inspected by specialist officers and rendered safe'.
'A number of evacuations were carried out as a precaution and people were allowed back in,' she said.
Investigations into the incident are continuing.
Parents should be stripped of the right to take their children out of religious education lessons to reduce the risk of them being radicalised, head teachers say.
Advocates of the move said parents 'may not always know what is best' for their children and that their needs may fall 'outside of their own experience'.
School leaders voted yesterday in favour of making RE compulsory in schools amid fears that those not taking part could be vulnerable to being groomed by extremists.
Scroll down for video
School leaders have voted in favour of making RE compulsory in British schools amid fears that those not taking part could be vulnerable to being groomed by extremists (file picture, posed by models)
The National Association of Head Teachers, which has 28,000 members, will now lobby the government to revoke the existing legal framework which allows families to withdraw children.
It is understood parents from a variety of different communities have made requests to teachers to excuse children from learning about certain religions.
The move was co-led by Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson, head of a Birmingham school which was embroiled in the 'Trojan Horse' scandal.
She said it was crucial for pupils to learn about other faiths because groomers and radicalisers 'exploit the us and them syndrome'.
However, the resolution is likely to prove controversial with some parents' groups who have said in the past that schools should not undermine the wishes of families.
The motion vows to 'negotiate with the Department for Education to revoke the existing legal framework which entitles parents to be able to withdraw their children from Religious Education'.
Speaking in favour of the motion, Hilary Alcock, head teacher of Buntingsdale Primary School and Nursery in Shropshire, said schools needed to show they 'respect what is important to pupils and make RE an entitlement for all'.
She added: 'Parents may know their children best, but they may not always know what is best for them.
The move was co-led by Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson (pictured), head of a Birmingham school which was embroiled in the 'Trojan Horse' scandal
'What is best for them as they grow up in modern Britain may be outside of their own experience and their child's primary socialisation.'
Seconding the motion, Ms Hewitt-Clarkson added: 'If it's laughable that we would withdraw our children from English or science why is it OK to withdraw from RE?
'We share many beliefs as human beings and are usually very different in a few. This is diversity and a good thing. Allowing withdrawal is not inclusive, it's divisive.
'Groomers and radicalisers exploit the us and them syndrome, they exploit ignorance and narrow views of life.
'Learning about the teaching of love, not hate, has to be a good thing. Designing a Christmas card does not make you a Christian, visiting a Sikh temple does not make you a Sikh, being interested in Ramadan does not make a Muslim. They make you a participant in life.'
Ms Hewitt-Clarkson, head of Anderton Park Primary in Sparkhill, has been subjected to death threats for running an anti-homophobic bullying programme.
The school, which caters for a mostly Muslim community, had a dead dog planted outside its gates last year, which staff interpreted as an act of intimidation.
In the years after she took over leadership in 2012, she battled with a small but significant minority of hardline governors and parents who tried to undermine her.
Ms Hewitt-Clarkson gave evidence to last year's Clarke inquiry led by former counter-terrorism police chief Peter Clarke into the Trojan Horse controversy.
She also spoke during last year's NAHT conference about the climate of 'fear and intimidation still prevalent' in Birmingham in the wake of the affair, which saw extremists try to impose an Islamic agenda on a number of state schools.
It comes after the government launched a drive to teach 'British Values' in schools, including tolerance of other faiths, in a bid to clamp down on classroom radicalisation.
Hannah Gilley, one of the eight victims of a horrific mass shooting in south Ohio, was 'an innocent who was in the wrong place at the wrong time,' a family friend has claimed.
Patty Hammond, 46, attended the 20-year-old's funeral on Saturday a week after the new mother was shot dead alongside seven members of the Rhoden family in the town of Piketon.
While police have revealed no suspects or motive in the killings, the presence of marijuana grow sites near the bodies have led many to believe the murders were drug-related.
Speaking to Mail Online, Hammond said: 'She didn't deserve to die like that - she wasn't into drugs and, from what I hear locally, she didn't have any drugs in her system when she died.
Scroll down for video
Patty Hammond, 46 (left), a family friend of murdered Hannah Gilley, 20 (right), claims the mother was not targeted because she was involved in drugs, but was murdered for her connection to the Rhoden family
Gilley, who was buried on Saturday (pictured), was married to 20-year-old Clarence 'Frankie' Rhoden with whom she had a six-month-old child who luckily survived the massacre unharmed
'That poor girl shouldn't even have been there when the killers showed up.'
Blonde-haired Hannah - the mother of a six month old son by her fiance, Clarence 'Frankie' Rhoden, also 20 - was shot dead execution-style on April 22 along with Frankie.
When police arrived to investigate, they found a commercial marijuana-growing operation in three of the four Rhoden homes the bodies were found in.
The discovery triggered rumors over whether the deceased family members had been dealing drugs locally, or were involved with a sinister Mexican drug cartel.
Others wondered if the victims had double-crossed a dope dealing partner who'd taken his revenge by wiping them out in one evil professional 'hit'.
Cops investigating the gruesome killings won't comment on any of these theories.
Meanwhile married mother of three Patty Hammond insisted: 'Hannah's family knows that she wasn't involved in any of that drug stuff, especially since she had a baby boy.
'I have nothing against the Rhodens - they suffered a huge loss with seven of their family killed with Hannah and I feel for them.
'But what upsets me is that all the attention around here has been on the Rhodens. It's the Rhodens this and the Rhodens that - nobody says anything about Hannah.
Gilley was shot dead alongside seven other members of the Rhoden family last week in the town of Piketon, Ohio, where police still have road blocks in place around the family home
Hammond says she is trying to support Gilley's family by helping them raise money to pay for her funeral (left) while the Rhoden family hold their own fundraiser on the same day (right)
'It's like poor Hannah has been booted aside like she wasn't even there - yet she died a horrible death just like all those Rhodens did. And she was innocent!'
When Patty heard that of a benefit on May 7 to raise money for the Rhoden family to pay for the funeral of six family members scheduled for Tuesday, she decided to organize a benefit for Gilley on the same day.
Patty - who is in the process of buying restaurant Beril's Bar and Grill, where she works - decided to hold the fundraiser for Gilley there.
She has printed flyers and posters which read: 'Benefit for Hannah Gilley - a victim of the tragic massacre on Union Hill (the Piketon street where three of the four murder homes are located).'
Patty hopes to raise the $7,900 the Gilley family paid for their daughter's funeral last Saturday.
She added: 'Hannah's family isn't rich - nobody around here is - so I want to help out as much as I can.'
'I wanted to make sure that Hannah's family - and her baby boy - aren't left out and lost in the shuffle.They need support too. '
The other benefit the same day is being organized by the Red Knights Motorcycle Club, Ohio Chapter 14, and its posters and fliers declare: 'All proceeds go to the Rhoden Family.'
Hammond says she has nothing against the Rhoden family and feels sorry for their loss, but says Gilley (casket, pictured) is being forgotten
Gary Rhoden, 38, was the first of those killed to be buried on Thursday last week. Gilley was buried on Saturday (pictured) while burials for the six other victims are planned for Saturday
While one recent report claimed that the Rhodens lost some support around Piketon when revelations about the marijuana found at their homes came out, there is clearly still a lot of sympathy for the family in this poor, run-down community.
Dave Entler, former U.S.Marine who now works a nearby nuclear plant near Piketon, said: 'The Rhodens were good people and I don't know if they were involved with drugs or if they weren't.
'But what I do know is that Pine County is one of the poorest counties in Ohio.
'There's a lot of people out of work around here and people do what they have to do to get by, to put food on the table for their families.'
About 25 per cent of the residents of Pike and Neighboring Pike counties live at or below the poverty line, compared to 16 per cent of Americans, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
Average family income in the area is 60-70 percent of the national average.
Even as families lay their loved ones to rest and attempt to deal with the emotional damage caused by the killings, police seem to be no closer to finding those responsible.
Cops still have road blocks preventing all but residents from getting to Union Hill, where three of the homes used in the executions are located.
One of Salim Mehajer's little sisters has been crowned a beauty queen, in a rare bright spot for the suspended Auburn deputy mayor.
Mr Mehajer couldn't keep the smile off his face as Mary (Mariam) Mehajer was crowned Miss Lebanon 2016 after blitzing the runway in a purple skirt on Sunday.
The suspended deputy mayor of Auburn expressed his congratulations with a vague Facebook platitude: 'Greatness is to stay humble when the world calls you great,' he wrote.
Scroll down for video
Salim Mehajer's little sister, Mary, took out the title of 'Miss Lebanon Australia' at Doltone House in Pyrmont, Sydney, at the weekend
Strutting her stuff, Ms Mehajer (centre) faced off against eight competitors in her quest for the prestigious title, catching the attention of several onlookers (right)
The nervous competitors, including Ms Mehajer (in a silver sequined dress, centre), placed their hands on their hips as they waiting for the winner to be announecd
Belle of the ball! Touting a bouquet of flowers, Mary Mehajer poses with a friend (left) after sweeping the title. On right, she is pictured during a candid moment with Salim Mehajer's wife, Aysha
In this family photo obtained by Daily Mail Australia, Mary is pictured furthest on right with (from left) Aysha Mehajer, Salim Mehajer, the matriarch of the eight-strong clan Amal and sister Khadijeh
The 'baby' of the Mehajer family cradled a large bouquet as she posed for pictures with her parents, Mohamed and Amal, and the rest of the clan
Older sister Aisha has had similar success in the contest in the past. She was named Miss Personality Miss Lebanon Australia in 2015.
She gushed over her sister's victory - 'she made the whole family proud!' - which was watched by several hundred people and the patriarch and matriarch of the Mehajer clan, Mohamed and Amal.
The competition was held at Doltone House in Pyrmont, Sydney, with organiser Joe Khoury telling Daily Mail Australia the rules as 'exactly the same' as your run of the mill pageant.
At the end of the day, Ms Mehajer beat out eight other competitors to take out the title, with competitors Mary Hakim and Jessica Nercessian coming in as first and second runners up.
In recent days, the western Sydney clan has been the subject of increased attention after rumours Mr Mehajer has split from his wife Aysha.
Mr Mehajer was allegedly seen 'screaming' and 'yelling' out the front of a home in the Illawarra region where his wife was staying a week ago.
In recent days, a cryptic posts filled with loving messages about his wife have disappeared and re-appeared from his Facebook page.
Salim's older sister Khadijeh 'Kat' Mehajer is likely to bring some more good news to the family with a 'big wedding' to fiance Ibrahim Sakalaki expected later this year.
Old pictures obtained by Daily Mail Australia a fortnight ago showed 'Kat' has turned over a glamorous new leaf in the lead-up to the ceremony.
Future bride Khadijeh 'Kat' Mehajer is pictured several years ago upon her graduation with a Bachelor of Criminology
The bride-to-be isn't afraid of sharing pictures with the world of herself with future husband Ibrahim Sakalaki
Khadijeh (left) is pictured with look-a-like sister Aiisha (right). The pair are often confused with one another
Salim Mehajer's wife Aysha Mehajer (centre) is pictured with Khadijeh (right) during family celebrations
Despite the newfound attention, Kat Mehajer has remained silent, working hard to promote her familys new Beauty Bar business on Instagram.
The Mehajer clan has courted the spotlight since Salim's extravagant wedding in August 2015. But it has brought an unprecedented level of scrutiny to his personal, business and council affairs.
The wedding - which he hired helicopters and Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Harley Davidsons for - also left Mr Mehajer with a $220 City Council fine for closing Frances Street in Lidcombe.
Stark pictures also emerged of Salim Mehajer's wife, Aysha, in her youth before she met Mr Mehajer and changed her name by deed poll from April Amelia Learmonth.
Khadijeh wearing a blue wig with her beau Ibraham Sakalaki. The date of their wedding has been kept tight lipped
Salim Mehajer married Aysha in what he called the 'wedding of the century' last year, and has faced the unforgiving glare of the public spotlight ever since
Aysha Mehajer is pictured left, in recent years, and right, in a yearbook photo first obtained by Daily Mail Australia last year
Speculation has ratcheted up about Mr Mehajer's relationship with Aysha in recent days, with her emailing A Current Affair a statement under her previous name, April Learmonth
Lenda Asberry, 62, was killed along with her four great-grandchildren, as she tried her hardest to save them all from a devastating flash flood in Texas
A 62-year-old great-grandmother, who was killed along with her four grandchildren, tried her hardest to save them all from a devastating flash flood in Texas.
The family of Lenda Asberry said she did everything she could to save her four great-grandchildren, before they were killed in a flood, according to KHOU.
Asberry was in her home with her grandchildren, nine-year-old Venetia Asberry, eight-year-old Devonte Asberry, seven-year-old Von Anthony Johnson Jr and six-year-old Jamonika Johnson, when heavy rains led to a flash flood in the area.
The flood waters rose quickly as Asberry got the children out of the home in an attempt to get to safety.
'She made it out of the house with those babies, all four of em,' Toya Johnson, Asberry's daughter, told KHOU.
Johnson, who is also the aunt of the children, said authorities told the family the water had risen up to Asberry's neck, as she struggled to get to safety.
She told the station that a 'tide of water' became 'too much pressure for her with all those kids' and moments later they were all swept away in the waters.
Kwanae Johnson, the mother of the children, cried hysterically as family members comforted her as she grieved.
'Lord, you took four babies from me, and God, I don't know what to do,' she said during an interview with KHOU. 'They were my heart.'
Tragic: Asberry was in her home with her four great-grandchildren (pictured), nine-year-old Venetia Asberry, eight-year-old Devonte Asberry, seven-year-old Von Anthony Johnson Jr and six-year-old Jamonika Johnson, when heavy rains lead to a flash flood in the area. It is unclear when this photo was taken
Kwanae Johnson (pictured), the mother of the children, cried hysterically as family members comforted her as she grieved
'Lord, you took four babies from me, and God, I don't know what to do,' she said cried. 'They were my heart'
Asberry was known to almost everyone as Miss Peaches. She was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Captain James Muniz of the Palestine Police Department told CBS46 that the water 'was up to the roofline of the homes and that's what prevented the people from being able to get away'.
'The water just came up too fast.'
More than 7 inches of rain fell in less than half an hour on Friday night.
Muniz said that six to 10 homes in a Palestine cul-de-sac were severely damaged following the heavy rainfall.
All other residents of the cul-de-sac were accounted for, he said.
City crews found the five bodies near one of the homes before dawn after the floodwaters had receded.
'The water came down the hill,' Muniz said.
'The street was full of mud, so the water just came up. With the enormous amount of rain we had, we had people tell us that within minutes, the water was waist deep.'
City officials used a dump truck to rescue one man from the roof of a home, Muniz said.
One neighbor told authorities that he saw the family but lost sight of them as he waded through waist-deep water.
Asberry was known to almost everyone as Miss Peaches. She was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother
'The water was up to the roof-line of the homes and that's what prevented the people from being able to get away,' said Captain James Muniz of the Palestine Police Department
Inside the flooded home in Palestine. One neighbor told authorities that he saw the family but lost sight of them as he waded through waist-deep water
Police said that several people called to tell them that the grandmother and her children were missing
Tragedy: City crews found the five bodies near one of the homes before dawn after the floodwaters had receded. Pictured here is a bar under water nearby
Submerged: Muniz said six to 10 homes in a Palestine cul-de-sac (Palestine pictured) were severely damaged
Police said that several people called to tell them that the grandmother and her children were missing.
The family is planning to bury Asberry with her great-grandchildren in Dallas.
They've created a GoFundMe page to help pay for substantial and unexpected funeral expenses.
'It's really hard for us having to try to bury five people at one time, so we need all the support we can get. We are asking for all prayers,' Johnson told KHOU. 'It's just devastating.'
'We started to get overwhelmed with calls,' said Muniz.
'We had fire and other city workers out looking for them and once the water receded, we found them,' he told NBC.
Officials say that floodwaters from a creek swept Giovani Olivas, a 30-year-old man also from Palestine, away from his vehicle off US 79 shortly after midnight.
'The water was rising so he got out of his vehicle. Some folks on the other side of the creek tried to help him, and he didn't make it,' Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor said. 'He washed away.'
Olivas was the flood's sixth victim.
Palestine police say all six bodies have been taken to Tyler for autopsies, which will be completed on Monday.
Residents who evacuated their homes are now trying to see if they can save their personal belongings from the damage.
The Red Cross is helping six to eight families in the neighborhood who were displaced by the flooding, NBC reported.
'All the residences are empty right now. The people are going to go back in a see if they can salvage anything,' Muniz said.
One woman recalled leaving a bar called The Shelton Gin in East Texas as it was beginning to fill with rain water.
There was over half a foot of rain fall that fell in Texas. The waters rose very quickly overnight in Palestine, Texas, but the water became too deep for swift water rescues, said the fire chief
Under water: One woman recalled leaving a bar called The Shelton Gin in East Texas as it was beginning to fill with rain water
That was some total craziness now that it is all sinking in. Wow! Now I can't sleep! Wide awake thinking about what could have happened! Geesh!,' wrote Rebecca Longcrier Pue on her Facebook page about the bar
Aftermath: Pictured here is an old Palestine, Texas, business destroyed by the flood that shocked the state
'This was a few minutes before we left the gin. It was totally crazy. I have never seen water rise that fast. What a crazy night. We lost some cars, my truck, and a some really cool businesses in the holler.
'We all made it out. Wow. That was some total craziness now that it is all sinking in. Wow! Now I can't sleep! Wide awake thinking about what could have happened! Geesh!,' wrote Rebecca Longcrier Pue on her Facebook page along with a photo of the flooded bar.
The flooding was the result of a storm that hit the South and the Plains on Friday through Saturday.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas until early Saturday.
A home in Fletcher, Oklahoma, was also severely damaged but there were no injuries, officials said.
Tornadoes snaked across northern and eastern Texas and southern Oklahoma, causing severe damage, including fallen tree limbs and power lines that slowed first-responders.
The heavy rain in East Texas began on Friday night continuing into the morning on Saturday. At least six to 10 homes in a Palestine cul-de-sac (not pictured) were severely damaged following heavy rainfall
Advertisement
Thousands of Queensland workers have marched through Brisbane streets carrying banners and balloons to mark the 125th anniversary of the famous shearers' strike of 1891 and Labour Day.
Although confined to a wheelchair in the 34 degree heat, former prime minister Bob Hawke led the charge on Monday and addressed a strong crowd in Barcaldine, 1000 kilometres north-west of Brisbane, saying the Outback town was 'where the great Australian Labor Party started'.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her Minister for Health Cameron Dick also joined Mr Hawke as well as hundreds of Barcaldine unionists and locals.
Scroll down for video
Although confined to a wheelchair, former prime minister Bob Hawke joined thousands of workers as they marched through Brisbane for Labour Day, to mark 125 years since shearers' strike
Thousands of Queensland workers marched through Brisbane streets carrying banners and balloons to mark the 125th anniversary of the famous shearers' strike of 1891 and Labour Day on Monday
After leading the rally, Mr Hawke rose from his wheelchair and took the stage. He praised Ms Palaszczuk's government, saying: 'You are going well mate, you are going very well'.
'No institution, more than the union movement and Labor Party, have approached what their contribution has been in shaping the character and quality of the Australia we enjoy today,' he said, according the The ABC.
The 86-year-old continued standing as the crowd sang the union song 'Solidarity Forever'.
As he spoke, back south 15,000 unionists marched from Brisbane's CBD to the RNA Showgrounds, chanting and waving flags.
The public holiday was shifted to the second half of the year by the former Newman government, before the Labor party reversed the change.
But Ms Palaszczuk's decision has come with mixed reactions as Queensland Council of Unions general secretary Ros McLennan said the public holidays should be spread out over the year.
After leading the rally further north in Barcaldine, Mr Hawke rose from his wheelchair and took the stage. He praised Ms Palaszczuk's government, saying: 'You are going well mate, you are going very well'
CMEFU members were in full force as the Queensland Unions celebrated their holiday restoration during the Labour Day march
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (left) and her Minister for Health Cameron Dick (top right) also joined Mr Hawke and the 15,000 unionists, politicians and locals
The state's Labour Day has been returned to May by Ms Palaszczuk after former premier Campbell Newman moved it to October
'Nobody is talking about moving Easter, no one is talking about moving Anzac Day,' he said, The Courier Mail reported.
'By God, Labour Day has been celebrated for 100 years in May.'
Queensland Council of Unions (QCU) president Rohan Webb said last week 'tens of thousands' of people turned out for Anzac Day.
'We have no doubt we're going to see tens of thousands of people come out here for Labour Day to recognise the achievements of working families in this country,' he said at the Anzac Day march in Brisbane's CBD.
When questioned on his comparison, Mr Webb Spoke of the traditions of Anzac Day and the 'great men and women' who fought for Australia.
'A lot of them came back and became trade unionists in this country and led the charge across the country to ensure decency,' he said.
But Ms Palaszczuk's decision has come with mixed reactions as Queensland Council of Unions general secretary Ros McLennan said the public holidays should be spread out over the year
Unionists celebrated the holiday being moved back to May, after former premier Campbell Newman shifted the public holiday to October
'Returning servicemen weren't looked after that well when they returned to the country.
'They got together, they unionised ... and we saw the strength of the union movement flow straight out of that for many decades.'
Mr Webb didn't believe returned servicemen or women would be offended by his comments.
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations Grace Grace said Labour Day was special for workers and Anzac Day was special for soldiers.
'They're equally important to both sides,' she said.
According to the Queensland Council of Unions, this years March focused on protesting against corporation and wealthy Australians who avoided paying tax.
Ms McLennan said unions would not consider moving the public holiday back to October.
'Public holidays are about the entire community, it's not about a commercial imperative.'
Company's revenue went up by 276% to $394m last year
The NHS has been hit by a 14-fold increase in the price of basic medicines like eyedrops after a Canadian drugs group introduced astonishing price hikes.
Concordia Healthcares surge in pricing affects the cost of fusidic acid eyedrops for bacterial conjunctivitis - for which it is the only manufacturer - from 2.09 in May 2013 to 29.06 in April 2016.
Other products affected include ear drops and a hyperthyroidism treatment, for which prices have risen fivefold in the past three years.
The NHS has been hit by a 14-fold increase in the price on a a range of basic medicines provided by a Canadian drugs company. They include treatments for conjunctivitis and hyperthyroidism
The dramatic increase in costs paid by the NHS has exposed a major potential flaw in Britains healthcare system, which normally pays less for drugs than the US.
Although the cost of branded medicines is under tight control in the UK, the market for generic off-patent drugs is less regulated as costs are normally kept down by competition between rivals.
But steep price hikes appear to have been allowed to have been pushed through because AMCo, a British sector of Concordia, specialises in niche medicines and therefore has very little or no competition.
AMCo, which had UK sales of around 250m last year, was bought by Concordia last September for 2.3bn. At the time, AMCos chief exective John Beighton said that Britain was a prime market [for] being able to move prices.
The firm, which has also steeply increased the price of many of its medicines in the US, saw its revenue shoot up 276 per cent last year to $394m, thanks to price rises and acquisitions.
The NHS has admitted that it needs to remain vigilant on the issue, and that drug companies should not be irresponsible with their pricing.
Ear drops are one of the treatments that has seen a rise. Prices have gone up by fivefold in the past three years
A spokesperson for NHS England said: While the NHS is making major investments in new drug treatments this year, it is also essential that drug companies price their products responsibly.
The recent public backlash against price gouging in various countries including the United States has underlined the need for continuing vigilance on this issue.
According to Concordia, many of its medicine prices include pharmacist payments, and it provides many medicines offering very significant savings to the NHS.
It also said that AMCos last annualised weighted average selling price across all the medicines it sells in the UK was just 4.90, which is less than the standard adult prescription payment of 8.40.
Michael Rea, chief executive of Rx Savings, told the Financial Times: These types of price increases are eroding the American economy. Consumers, employers and health plans simply cannot keep up with the unsustainable trajectory.
Concordias price surge is reminiscent of a plot employed in the US last year by so-called bad boy of pharma Martin Shkreli, the founder of Turing Pharmaceuticals, who increased the cost of a medicine for Aids by 5,000 per cent.
The Competition and Markets Authority has investigated drug pricing in the UK previously.
A paraplegic man plans to walk down the aisle on his wedding day with the aid of a wearable robotic exoskeleton.
Conor McGrory, 23, from Perth was diagnosed as a T7 paraplegic at the age of 21 after a motorcycle accident in 2014.
Doctors told Mr McGrory that he would never walk again, but in his own way he has proved their diagnosis wrong, with the use of a robotic exoskeleton call a ReWalk.
The electrician misjudged a corner in Neerabup, north of the Western Australia capital city, flipping his bike, breaking his back and losing all function in his legs.
'I had all my protective gear on, absolutely everything. I didn't have a scratch on my body but I broke my back,' Mr McGrory told Perth Now.
Conor McGrory, 23, (right) from Perth and fiancee Ellie Pollard, 22, (left) are raising funds for a ReWalk after he was diagnosed as a T7 paraplegic after a motorcycle accident in 2014
Doctors told Mr McGrory that he would never walk again, but now with the aid of the ReWalk he is able to stand up, walk and even climb stairs
The ReWalk allows those who have injured spinal cords to stand up, walk and even climb stairs.
The Israeli-made technology provides battery-powered hip and knee motion, using changes in the wearer's centre of gravity to control movement
Earlier this year Mr McGrory, along with fiancee Ellie Pollard, 22, flew up to Making Strides, the only Australian retailer of the ReWalk, in the Gold Coast to try out a ReWalk himself.
'It was amazing to be back at my level with my partner and be able to give her a hug standing up.'
Mr McGrory, is the first person in Western Australia to own the robotic exoskeleton, but the ability to walk has come with a substantial price tag of $130,000.
Mr McGrory, (middle right) along with fiancee Ellie Pollard, (middle left) flew up to Making Strides in the Gold Coast to try out a ReWalk. The robotic exoskeleton comes with a price tag of $130,000
The Israeli-made technology provides battery-powered hip and knee motion, using changes in the wearer's centre of gravity to control movement
The couple have set up a GoFundMe fundraising page to help make ends meet.
'Whilst this is a huge price tag, there is no price that I would put on being able to get up and walk wherever I want, whenever I want. I am now seeking assistance from those who can help me in purchasing my ReWalk,' Mr McGrory wrote on the page.
'The ReWalk is something that is available now and it has changed my life for the better. I am able to get up and walk in places I never thought possible; including down the aisle on my wedding day!'
Mr McGrory worries that the couple won't be able to afford a wedding after the purchase.
'It's going to be pop-up tents, party pies and party poppers. That'll be about the extent of it.'
However fiancee, Ms Pollard said the were focused on tackling 'one goal at a time'.
A woman, who gave birth to a baby girl while sitting in the back seat of her Honda, asked the car company for a new vehicle.
Beth Newell, a writer, editor and director, became a mother early Sunday when she gave birth to her daughter in what appears to be the back seat of a vehicle.
Newell tweeted a photo of her and her daughter that was captioned: '@Honda, earlier today I gave birth to my daughter in the back of a Honda Fit. It is a mess. Can I have a free car?'
Beth Newell (pictured), a writer, editor and director, became a mother early Sunday when she gave birth to her daughter in what appears to be the back seat of a vehicle. She then tweeted the photo asking Honda for a new vehicle
Her tweet has been retweeted more than 8,000 times. Several Twitter users are routing for Newell and hoping Honda will give her a new car
'If they don't give you a car, I'm trading in my civic,' Holly S GoLightly wrote
Newell (pictured) is the founder and editor of satirical ladiess journal, Reductress, which describes itself as the one and only fake womens news magazine
Her tweet has been retweeted more than 8,000 times.
Several Twitter users are routing for Newell and hoping Honda will give her a new car.
'If they don't give you a car, I'm trading in my civic,' Holly S GoLightly wrote.
Lauren Duca tweeted: 'OMG, get it, Beth. @Honda, give Beth a new car.'
Another user who goes by Slav tweeted to Honda that Newell 'bloody well deserves one'.
But some users weren't so convinced.
One Twitter user asked the question: 'Why does Honda have to fork over a car because this chick has bad timing?'
While a Facebook user wrote: 'Doubt that it's real.'
Newell is the founder and editor of satirical ladiess journal, Reductress, which describes itself as the one and only fake womens news magazine.
The magazine also has a podcast called Mouth Time, according to her Twitter bio.
Newell also teaches Sketch Writing at The Magnet Theater in New York City, where shes written and directed several sketch shows, according to her website.
Despite some negative reactions to Newell's request, there were twice as many people rooting for her and asking Honda to give her a new car
Osama bin Laden died in the early hours of May 2, 2011 after NAVY Seals stormed his Pakistan compound
The CIA has been mocked and criticised after deciding to 'live tweet' the operation which killed Osama bin Laden on the fifth anniversary of the raid.
The CIA announced the commemoration of the May 1, 2011, operation in a tweet Sunday: 'Join us beginning at 1:25 p.m. EDT today as we tweet the #UBLRaid as if it were happening today.'
Immediately, social media users questioned the appropriateness of the stunt.
'This is messed up,' wrote @J0ule. 'Why re-live tweet a killing? Do you think killing is some form of entertainment?'
'How does this differentiate you from ISIS and their videos?' questioned RedLessGeorge (@RedLessGeorge).
Equally incensed, Legalize Ketchup (@loudlod) wrote: 'Honestly @CIA, are you trying to start World War 3?'
Meanwhile, Nick Bedo tweeted: 'This is in extremely poor taste.'
Others mocked the organisation's decision, wondering what they might 'live tweet' next.
'I look forward to the Kennedy assassination tweet special,' wrote Marc West (@westius).
'Shattered I missed last month's Bay of Pigs 55th anniversary play-by-play,' added Stephen McAteer (@smcateer).
Bin Laden was killed shortly after 1am on May 2, 2011, local time, at the hands of NAVY Seals who had stormed the compound in Pakistan where he had been hiding for years.
Scroll down for video
The first tweet in Sunday's 'live' session shows Leon Panetta, then-director of the Central Intelligence Agency
But the moment it was announced, Twitter's users reacted in horror - with some asking if they were trying to start another war, and others questioning the thinking behind the decision
The angry and disgusted tweets far outweighed the number supporting the publicity stunt
Other Twitter users began to mock the organisation by suggesting other events they could 'live tweet'
Sunday's time-stamped tweets began the narrative at the moment then-director of the CIA Leon Panetta approved the operation in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
The final tweet came at 7:01, when Obama received confirmation of 'high probability of positive identification' of the former al-Qaeda leader.
'The takedown of bin Laden stands as one of the great intelligence successes of all time. History has been a key element of CIA's social media efforts,' CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani said in a statement, according to ABC News.
'On the fifth anniversary, it is appropriate to remember the day and honor all those who had a hand in this achievement.'
Earlier on Sunday, President Barack Obama spoke to CNNs Peter Bergen about the raid, which has become one of his defining legacies of his time in the White House.
During the interview, Bergen said that the last person bin Laden saw on Earth was an American.
Between 1:51pm and 3:30pm Eastern time, two helicopters departed from Afghanistan for bin Laden's Pakistan compound. One of the original helicopters crashed on arrival
The iconic photo of Obama and his staff watching the operation from the Situation Room was taken at 3:30pm
Al-Qaeda leader an 9/11 planner Osama bin Laden was killed by Navy SEALS at 3:39pm Eastern time
Shortly before 4pm, the team that carried out the raid began retrieving materials from bin Laden's compound. Obama received 'tentative confirmation of positive identification' of the al-Qaeda leader at 3:53pm
Shortly after 4pm, the first helicopter left the compound for Afghanistan, and the second, crashed one is destroyed
The remaining team members were picked up at 4:10pm and arrived in Afghanistan shortly before 6pm
At 7:01pm Eastern time, Obama received confirmation that there was a 'high probability' bin Laden had been identified
Obama replied: And hopefully, at that moment, he understood that the American people hadnt forgotten the some 3,000 people who he killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The Obama administration had used it as a poignant example of the presidents willingness to act aggressively against terror, despite usually maintaining a more cautious foreign policy.
Five years after ordering the raid, Obama spoke about the decision for an Anderson Cooper 360 episode called We Got Him, which will air on Monday, saying he knew it was risky but that it was our best chance to get bin Laden.
A timeline shows how the raid unfolded after Obama ordered NAVY Seals to storm bin Laden's compound
In this February 26, 2012, photo, Pakistani boys play as bin Laden's compound is being demolished in the background
Americans celebrate on May 1, 2011 after Obama announced bin Laden was dead. Polls showed over 90 percent of Americans approved of the raid
After discussions with our principals, it was clear to me that this was going to be our best chance to get bin Laden, he said.
Bin Laden was buried at sea shortly after his killing. No unequivocal proof of his death has been released to the public, although al-Qaeda confirmed their leader's passing on May 6, 2011.
Former and current detainees at the Manus Island immigration detention centre have lodged an application for compensation after a court ruling decreed their detention is and was illegal.
The ruling from the Supreme Court was made on Tuesday, and has opened the door for more than 900 current and former asylum seekers to each claim up to $125,000.
This amount is based on past compensation cases and the amount of time each asylum seeker spent in the detention facility, Ben Lomai, the lawyer leading the claim, told the ABC.
Scroll down for video
The PNG Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, has offered to take some of the 'skilled' men who have been declared genuine refugees
There are currently 850 asylum seekers still on Manus Island, though Australia and Papua New Guinea are both unwilling to take responsibility for them
While Papua New Guinea is named as partly responsible in the application, the group are seeking their compensation from the Commonwealth of Australia.
'As you will note, the Memorandum of Understanding provides that the Australian Commonwealth Government is responsible for all the costs associated with offshore processing,' Mr Lomai told the ABC.
This will increase the pressure on Australian and PNG governments to work out who is responsible for the 850 asylum seekers still on Manus Island, as if the compensation is granted, that country will have to foot the bill for all 900 claims.
Since the Supreme Court ruled to close down the centre last Tuesday, PNG and Australia have been fighting to declare themselves free of responsibility.
400 of the 850 men who were detained at the time of the ruling have been found to be genuine refugees.
Papua New Guinea's High Commissioner, Charles Lepani, told Sky News the PNG Prime Minister had made it clear some of the genuine refugees 'with skills' would be welcome to settle in the country.
About 400 of the 850 men detained on Manus Island have been found to be genuine refugees
The small island nation has declined to accept responsibility for all of the asylum seekers however, despite Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton maintaining that they are legally responsible.
According to Mr Lomai, the two governments are scheduled to discuss the matter this week.
'What transpires within that discussion, we [will wait] to hear,' he said.
According to Fairfax, Australia has been in negotiations with Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia since February about taking some of the detainees from the Nauru and Manus Island detention centres.
Both major parties remain adamant that the asylum seekers will not be settled in Australia.
Aspiring model Lucille Butterworth was strangled by a convicted murderer, a coronial inquest has found almost 50 years after he death.
Ms Butterworth, 20, went missing on August 25, 1969 after she was dropped off at a bus stop at Claremont, north of Hobart, by a colleague she worked with at a radio station.
Witnesses told the inquest she was picked up by an 'old bomb' turquoise green Holden FB after she missed the bus to New Norfolk.
Aspiring model Lucille Butterworth was strangled by a convicted murderer, a coronial inquest has found almost 50 years after he death
Coroner Simon Cooper found the car was driven by Geoffrey Hunt who confessed to raping and murdering another Hobart woman Susan Knight in 1976.
'On the journey to New Norfolk Mr Hunt stopped the FB Holden, strangled Miss Butterworth in the vehicle and thereafter disposed of her body,' Mr Cooper said.
But Mr Cooper was unable to rule what was the cause of Ms Butterworth's death because her body was never found.
'In the absence of any medical evidence I am unable to find the precise cause of Miss Butterworth's death,' he said.
Coroner Simon Cooper found Ms Butterworth had been picked up by convicted murder Geoffrey Hunt on August 25, 1969 after she missed her bus
Witnesses told the inquest the 20-year-old typist was picked up by an 'old bomb' turquoise green Holden FB after she missed the bus to New Norfolk in Tasmania
'I am unable to make any finding as to whether Miss Butterworth was alive or dead when Mr Hunt disposed of her body.'
Mr Cooper also sent his sympathies to Ms Butterworth's family and friends.
'I extend my sincere condolences to the family of Lucille Gaye Butterworth and all those who knew her, loved her and felt her loss,' he said.
At the time of her death, the 20-year-old typist was 'informally engaged' to John Fitzgerald.
In an interview with Channel Seven's Sunday Night last year, Hunt's brother, who did not wish to give his first name, said given the evidence and his experiences growing up led him to believe that there was a 'good possibility' his brother did kill Ms Butterworth.
In an interview last year, Hunt's brother (above), who did not wish to give his first name, said given the evidence and his experiences growing up led him to believe that his brother did kill Ms Butterworth
At the time of her death, the 20-year-old typist was 'informally engaged' to John Fitzgerald (above)
'He was like a time bomb waiting to explode. So putting it all together, I'd have to say a very good possibility,' Hunt's brother said.
Hunt was sentenced to life in prison for the killing of Ms Knight as that was the only conviction for murder at the time.
But he was re-sentenced in 1999 to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole term of 25 years.
Hunt was released on parole on June 6, 2000.
Hundreds of Telstra customers were affected by an internet outage just hours after the communications company announced it would spend $50 million to fix its previous network issues.
Customers took to social media website Twitter on Monday morning to complain about not having any ADSL access.
'Our depots in Hendra, Logan and Miami Qld are all down. Does S/E Qld not have any internet??? [sic]' one man wrote.
Hundreds of Telstra customers were affected by an internet outage just hours after the communications company announced it would spend $50 million to fix its previous network issues
Others complained they could not watch popular fantasy series Game of Thrones due to network problems.
'Outage in 4552 [postcode for the Sunshine Coast]? Not working and now crying Coz I can't watch game of thrones [sic],' a second man said.
'JUST FIX THE INTERNET @Telstra! GAME OF THRONES NEEDS TO BE WATCHED [sic],' another unhappy customer wrote.
There were 1,023 outage issues reported just after 11am, with people mainly from Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria complaining of internet, mobile and phone problems, according to aussieoutages.com.
There were 1,023 outage issues reported just after 11am, with people from Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria complaining of internet, mobile and phone problems. Above are the areas affected
A Telstra spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the outage 'affected a small number' of customers.
'There was an outage issue with our fixed broadband service in Queensland,' he said.
'That was caused by a hardware fault and it lasted less than half an hour.
'Our customers were back on the network within half an hour and it was only in Queensland.'
The spokesman denied there was an outage involving Telstra's mobile network as reported by other media.
The fixed broadband outage came just hours after Telstra announced it would be investing $50 million to put in place recommendations that came off the back of its review into its network issues.
A string of outages earlier this year, including three outages in six weeks, sparked a review into the telecommunications giant's network.
Telstra's chief operations officer Kate McKenzie said the company would be spending about $25 million on installing better monitoring equipment.
'In any highly sophisticated world class network like ours there will always be disruptions which is why we use sophisticated tools to help us better detect issues and allow stronger monitoring,' she said.
'We are going to make even further investments in this area to take advantage of some of the most cutting edge technology becoming available.
'We will be specifically introducing more real time traffic monitoring along with more real time customer impact reporting.
'This will assist in getting better early warning of any traffic patterns in the network that might be a cause for concern.'
The other $25 million will be spent on increasing the company's capacity to handle a large number of reconnections that happen at the same time.
'What this means is that in the event of a disconnection, a much larger number of customers will be able to re-register at the same time so any disruption to services will be of a much shorter duration,' Ms McKenzie said.
Donald Trump used the word 'rape' to describe America's trade deficit with China during a rally in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Sunday night.
The Republican frontrunner, who has lashed out at 'politically correct' speech in the past, told supporters: 'We cannot continue to allow China to rape our country. And that's what they're doing.'
While the bombastic billionaire has often attacked the U.S.-Chinese trade deficit, the Fort Wayne rally marks the first time in recent history he has chosen to use the word 'rape' to describe it.
Scroll down for video
Donald Trump accused China of carrying out 'the biggest theft in the history of the world' over the U.S. trade deficit, comparing it to 'rape' in a typically inflammatory speech
According to CNN, Trump has used the inflammatory term to describe the deficit once before, back in 2011, as he toured a defense manufacturer in New Hampshire.
While the remark is likely to play well to Trump's base of supporters who appreciate his willingness to say things other candidates will not, it is unlikely to play well with women, a category where he is badly lacking support.
Trump has already made missteps with female voters, particularly when he said women who have abortions will be punished under his administration, before later backtracking on the comment.
An endorsement from Mike Tyson, the former world heavyweight boxer who was convicted of rape in Indiana, has also provided ammunition for Trump's rivals.
While the current frontrunner lauded Tyson as a 'strong guy', Ted Cruz went on the attack, saying: 'I don't think rapists are tough guys. I think rapists are weak, they're bullies and they're cowards.'
Addressing the crowd in Indiana ahead of the state's primary on Tuesday, Trump added: 'We're going to turn it around. And we have the cards, don't forget it.
'We're like the piggy bank that's being robbed. We have the cards. We have a lot of power with China.'
In a familiar tone to his previous speeches, Trump then went on to say he didn't blame China for the deficit, but laid the blame with America's leaders who he branded 'grossly incompetent'.
Trump has accused China, among other countries, of 'killing' the U.S. on trade, saying they have deliberately devalued their currency to make sure export markets favor them.
This is not the first time Trump has described the deficit in such terms, using the word 'rape' once before back in 2011 as he toured a defense manufacturer in New Hampshire
The trade deficit is a measure of the value of goods America exports to China, versus the value of goods coming back the other way.
While the U.S. shipped around $9million worth of goods to China per month throughout 2015, China returned an average of $40million worth per month, according to the United States Census Bureau.
Over the course of last year that led to a trade deficit in excess of $365million, while the total this year has already reached almost $60million.
Trump is widely expected to win Indiana, a state once led by Ted Cruz, after a poll released on Sunday showed him with a 15-point lead ahead of voting.
However, Cruz has vowed not to give up on Indiana, saying he is 'barnstorming' the state in a campaign bus with his wife ahead of polling.
A resounding win for Trump would put him in prime position to secure close to the required 1,237 delegates ahead of the Republican convention, giving his candidacy a clear head-start in subsequent rounds of voting.
Acknowledging this, Cruz has described Indiana as a 'crucial' battleground for his campaign, though stopped short of calling it a 'must-win'.
Ben Batterham will promise to live in a secret location and will be allowed to return to his apprentice chef job at the exclusive Newcastle Club if his $100,000 bail application succeeds on Friday.
The 33-year-old, who was charged with with the murder of 'home invader' Ricky Slater on Easter Saturday, is hopeful of being freed from Cessnock Correctional Centre after his parents put up the surety at Newcastle Magistrates Court.
The Newcastle Club, a private members club in the NSW Hunter Valley with strict dress regulations and exclusive membership, is understood to have offered to re-employ Batterham if he is released from custody.
The accused's parents, Bruce Batterham, an IT executive and Dianne Batterham, the manager of the Newcastle Family Medical Practice, have mortgaged one of their properties to raise the proposed bail sum.
Ben Batterham will promise to live at a secret location and will be allowed to return to his chef's job at the exclusive Newcastle Club if his $100,000 bail application is successful on Friday
Ben Batterham's parents, father Bruce Batterham (pictured) and medical practice manager mother Dianne have reportedly mortgaged a home to raise the $100,000 believed necessary to get their son bailed on a murder charge
Cleary Street, pictured in daylight and showing the house (left) owned by Benn Batterham's parents Bruce and Dianne and the home (right) the couple bought for their son where the fatal incident began
Batterham is understood to be 'very keen' to get out of prison and resume living with his partner Monique and their young daughter who were in the house on Cleary Street, Hamilton, in Newcastle, where the incident leading to Slater's death began.
His lawyers are examining photographs of the bite mark alleged to have been inflicted by Slater on Batterham's upper right arm for signs that Slater possibly choked or failed to get enough oxygen during the struggle which preceded his death.
Ricky Slater, who had a criminal record for rape, assault, drug possession and break and enter offences and had been released from prison last December, allegedly appeared in the hallway of Batterham's home at around 3.30am on March 26.
Batterham was drinking beer to celebrate his birthday and chatting 'about old times' with a friend, Paul O'Keeffe, in the kitchen of his home.
Slater 'didn't didn't get past the hallway', Batterham's lawyer, the eminent Sydney barrister Winston Terracini, SC.
Scroll down for video
Ben Batterham's lawyer said he had never met Ricky Slater before the 34-year-old convicted criminal allegedly entered his home while Batterham was having birthday drinks
Ricky Slater allegedly entered Ben Batterham's home (pictured) but was chased out by the chef and down the street
Batterham's barrister, leading Sydney criminal defence lawyer Winston Terracini SC (pictured) is examining photos of bite marks allegedly inflicted by Slater on Batterham's right bicep
Mr Terracini asserted that Slater went nowhere near the bedroom of Batterham and his partner Monique's young daughter and was unknown to the apprentice chef when he turned up at the house.
Batterham, whose lawyers will tell the magistrate on Friday that he had never before met Slater,ran from the kitchen down the hallway towards Slater and said something like 'get out. what the hell are you doing here'.
He then dialled Triple-O as he chased him, but did not speak with police and some way down from Batterham's home the struggle allegedly ensued.
Batterham was allegedly bitten twice, had his tooth chipped and cheekbone injured as he held down the 120kg Slater and waited for police to arrive.
Photographs of the bite just below Batterham's right bicep show a mark in the shape of both upper and lower teeth. Batterham has since undergone hospital tests for Hepatitis C, HIV and tetanus.
Mr Terracini said Batterham was 'scared and angry' and the chase allegedly continued for between 10 and 20 seconds out of Batterham's yard and onto the footpath.
The footpath outside Ben Batterham's home where Ricky Slater was allegedly chased at around 3.30am on March 26 (left). Batterham (right) alleges he was bitten by Slater
The street was poorly lit and for a few moments in the early-morning gloom Batterham could no longer see the man he says was Slater, but the intruder then jumped out at him and there was a verbal confrontation and swearing exchange about the fact that Batterham had allegedly called the police.
According to Mr Terracini, Batterham then 'tried to restrain him and wait for the police'. He said Batterham, who was considerably smaller than the taller, heavier Slater 'held him on the ground and in the process he [Slater] bites more than once ... just below the right bicep'.
Slater allegedly continued to resist being held down and chipped Batterham's tooth and injured his cheekbone.
At some point, Slater allegedly lost consciousness and when emergency services arrived at the scene, he was placed on a stretcher and taken to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital, where he was placed on life support.
Doctors found that his brain had been deprived of oxygen for too long and the following day, Easter Sunday, his mother Beryl Dickson, her daughters and estranged husband Ricky Slater Snr made the decision to turn off Slater's life support.
At the same hospital, Ben Batterham was treated for his injuries. He had turned himself into police on the Saturday and Paul O'Keeffe was questioned by detectives but then released.
Eminent Sydney defence lawyer, Winston Terracini SC (pictured), will apply for bail in Newcastle Magistrates Court this Friday on behalf of Ben Batterham, the chef charged with 'home invader' Ricky Slater's murder
Slater, pictured with his mother Beryl Dickson, was chased out of Ben Batterham's hallway and down the street before the chef held allegedly him down as the convicted rapist is said to have bit and struck him
An autopsy on Ricky Slater (pictured) has yet to be released by authorities to Ben Batterham's lawyers
Batterham, who had turned himself into police and been charged with grievous bodily harm, had his charge upgraded to murder. He was taken to the Mater Hospital in Newcastle to be tested for a range of diseases including HIV, Hepatitis and tetanus.
Batterham was placed in a maximum security remand cell at Cessnock Correctional Centre where he has been visited by his parents and by his partner Monique.
Mr Terracini visited Batterham in the cells at Cessnock and inspected the bite marks below his right bicep, the chipped tooth and cheekbone injury.
Dianne and Bruce Batterham, who are health centre manager and IT professionals and who live in the house next door to the dilapidated home they bought for their son, initially struggled to raise the $100,000 believed sufficient to apply for bail.
Bruce Batterham was retrenched from his IT executive job at Hunter Water six months ago and Dianne Batterham's role is clerical rather than medical.
The couple are believed to have now successfully raised the sum by mortgaging one of their properties.
Mr Terracini, who specialises in complex murder and manslaughter cases, with a history of defending notable clients including Gordon Wood and Keli Lane, will appear in Newcastle Court on Friday on behalf of Batterham, whose family is hoping for his release soon after.
Ben Batterham's arrest has caused significant outrage in the community, with 112,000 people signing a change.org petition demanding his immediate release.
Many have claimed that the father-of-one was simply defending his home and family after the convicted sex offender allegedly broke in.
Ricky Slater (pictured) 'didn't get past the hallway' of Ben Batterham's home and when spotted by the chef from the kitchen where Batterham was drinking beer with an old friend was chased out and down the road
TIMELINE OF RICKY SLATER'S ALLEGED MURDER BY BEN BATTERHAM Richard James 'Ricky' Slater allegedly entered the Cleary Street, Hamilton home of Ben Batterham at around 3.30 am on Waster Saturday, March 26. Slater, a 34-year-old convicted rapist with a 15-year adult criminal history of assault, drug possession and break and enter offences, entered the hallway of the home where Batterham was drinking beer with his friend Paul O'Keefffe of Brisbane. The two, who had known each other from when they lived in Melbourne were celebrating Batterhma's 33rd birthday and 'talking about old times' when Slater, who Batterham had never before met, appeared in the hallway. Batterham ran down the hallway towards Slater, yelling out 'get out. what the hell are you doing here' and chased Slater through his yard and down Cleary Street. En route, Batterham dialled Triple-0 Zero and in the gloom of the poorly lit street lost sight of Slater, who then emerged from the gloom. Batterhma tackled Slater to the ground and was holding him down to wait for police to arrive andmake an arrest. During this physical struggle, Slater allegedly bit Batterham twice just below the apprentice chef's right bicep, chipped his tooth and injured Batterham's cheekbone. Police arrived at the scene where Mr Batterham was struggling with Slater who lost consciousness and was rushed to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle. Doctors fund that Slater had been deprived of oxygen to his brain and the following day, Slater's family turned off his life support. Treated for his injuries and charged with causing grievous bodily harm, Batterham was taken into custody and charged with murder. He was placed in a maximum security remand cell at Cessnock Correctional Centre and taken to the Mater Hospital in Newcastle to be tested for HIV, Hepatitis and tetanus. His parents, Bruce and Dianne Batterham have raised $100,000 for a bail application on May 6. Prominent defence barrister Winston Terracini, SC, will make the application in Newcastle Magistrates Court.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls received a fierce yet traditional Maori welcome in New Zealand ahead of formal talks with John Key.
Mr Valls was given a 'Hongi', or touching of the noses, when he arrived at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on Monday flanked by a large security team.
While the Hongi is normally considered a friendly welcome, Mr Valls and the two warriors he was greeted by appeared to stare aggressively at each other during the traditional greeting.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls received a fierce yet traditional Maori welcome in Auckland on Monday as he was given a 'Hongi', or touching of the noses
He was accompanied by New Zealand Governor-General Lewis Moeau who could be heard explaining the ceremony to the French PM, according to the NZ Herald.
A young armed warrior was pictured approaching Mr Valls before the dignitary picked up a leaf - or token - that was left by the warrior as a sign of peace.
Mr Valls arrived in New Zealand on Sunday after visiting the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia.
His visit involved talks with Mr Key about trade and investment opportunities, counter-terrorism and connections to the Pacific.
While the Hongi is normally considered a friendly welcome, Mr Valls and the two warriors he was greeted by appeared to stare aggressively at each other during the traditional greeting
A young armed warrior was pictured approaching Mr Valls during the traditional welcome before the prime minister picked up a leaf - or token - that was left by the warrior as a sign of peace
Local Maori performers welcomed French Prime Minister Manuel Valls at the official ceremony of welcome at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on Monday
Mr Valls detoured to Australia on Monday afternoon to meet with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Canberra to flesh out details of the country's largest-ever defence contract.
Their meeting comes a week after the government announced French industrial group DCNS would design and construct 12 submarines to replace Australia's Collins class vessels, at a cost of around $50 billion.
Mr Valls told reporters the strategic relationship between France and Australia had just reached 'another level' with that decision.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls (left) was accompanied by New Zealand Governor-General Lewis Moeau (right) who could be heard explaining the ceremony to the French PM
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls inspected the Guard of Honour at the war memorial ahead of formal talks with New Zealand PM John Key on Monday
'It is a partnership that binds us for a very long time - 50 years at least,' he said.
A French reporter quizzed Mr Valls on why he had come to Australia given the contract is yet to be detailed.
The Prime Minister noted he was in New Zealand when the Australian announcement was made and had already delayed a trip Down Under earlier this year.
"The political life in Australia meant that unfortunately we could not postpone this meeting," he said, referring to expectations Mr Turnbull will call an election shortly.
Mr Valls arrived in New Zealand on Sunday to the official welcome (pictured) after visiting the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia
An asylum-seeker who set himself on fire to protest against Australia's immigration detention laws on Nauru went 10 hours before being medicated for his burns, his wife has claimed.
Omid Masoumali died in Brisbane on Friday two days after being airlifted off the island where he doused himself in petrol and set himself alight in front of UNHCR officials to protest against conditions at the processing centre.
The 23-year-old's widow Nana claims he was forced to spend up to ten hours after the incident waiting for an air ambulance and was not given morphine despite suffering excruciating burns to most of his body.
Omid Masoumali, who died in Brisbane after setting himself on fire in a detention camp in Nauru, went hours without pain relief, his wife has claimed.
Sydney-based Dr Barri Phatarfod, who spoke with the widow via an interpreter after his death, told Daily Mail Australia she was 'distraught' by her late husband's treatment.
'When he was still in hospital on Nauru it seemed he had been intubated but clearly he didn't have any morphine - there's a video of him racing around.
'I spoke with his wife when he'd arrived in Brisbane late on Thursday. He'd already spent 12 or 27 hours on Nauru (after the incident) despite having his injuries on Wednesday.
Mr Masoumali, 23, was airlifted to a Brisbane hospital on Thursday but died the following day.
'She said he was swollen and unrecognisable, that doctors were telling her he was at one point brain dead.'
It is not clear how long officials waited after Mr Masoumali had set himself on fire before phoning for an air ambulance.
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection did not respond to Daily Mail Australia's request for comment on Monday.
A candlelight vigil was held in Mr Masoumali's memory in Sydney on Saturday, with signs displayed saying 'Killed by detention on Nauru. Close the camps now'
Shocking footage of the moment Omid set himself on fire in protest of Australia's detention laws emerged last week (above)
It is understood an air ambulance was requested from Queensland based company Care Flight but Dr Phatarfod alleges the company had difficulty finding a pilot to operate it.
Slamming the conditions at the detention camp, she said: 'Nauru is a six hour flight from Austraia, in order for them to be evacuated then you need to put the call in.
'At the absolute earliest it would have taken 12 hours. You simply can't put 700 people that far away, children, young kids.
'The camps are grossly inadequate for anything other than the most basic of procedures. There is no intensive care unit let alone a burns unit. It's hopelessly ill-equipped.'
On Saturday a vigil was held for Mr Masoumali outside Sydney's Town Hall where members of the Refugee Action Coaltiion pleaded for those being held on Nauru to be brought to Australia.
Five people have attempted suicide at the detention camp in the last 24 hours, said the Australian Refugee Action Coalition.
The man was heard screaming 'I can't take it anymore' before he set himself alight in front of other detainees
Their attempts coincided with a visit from the UNHCR refugee agency visits the island.
It comes after the decision by the Papua New Guinean government that Australia's detention centre on Manus Island, which houses more than 900 asylum seekers, was operating illegally.
Mr Masoumali's shocking act was filmed by a fellow immigrant last week. In the footage he could be heard shouting: 'This is how tired we are, this action will prove how exhausted we are.
'I can not take it anymore,' according to a witness who spoke to Fairfax.
He lay on the ground until being ushered to a medical facility on Wednesday. Further footage showed him running around frantically while awaiting treatment.
Mr Masoumali arrived in Brisbane by air ambulance on Thursday morning and died on Friday afternoon.
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection issued this statement shortly afterwards: 'The man was taken to Republic of Nauru Hospital for medical treatment by the Nauruan authorities.
'He was then transferred to Australia by air ambulance for medical treatment. The man passed away this afternoon in a Brisbane hospital.
'The department expresses its sympathies to his wife, family and friends.'
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said an immediate medical evacuation has been requested on Wednesday.
'He is in a very, very serious condition and his outlook is not good at all,' he said.
Peter Dutton said he sympathises with the people detained on Nauru, acknowledging they are in a 'very desperate situation', but confirmed Australia will show no leniency when it comes to border security
Refugee groups claim four other people previously tried to self-harm by swallowing washing powder over the weekend.
Iranian women, Marziyeh Faghih, 28, and Amineh Shajira, 34, have also been missing since Sunday. It is feared that they may have disappeared at sea after trying to flee the island.
Police on Nauru also arrested a 38-year-old Iranian refugee last week after he splashed himself with petrol and tried to set himself alight.
The string of protests come as Australia's policy of detaining and settling refugees trying to reach the country in foreign nations comes under new pressure.
Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court ruled that Australia's detention of asylum seekers on that country's Manus Island was illegal on Tuesday, with the government confirming shortly after that the centre will be closed.
Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said in a statement on Wednesday that the centre is unconstitutional and would be shut down as soon as Australia makes arrangements for the refugees held there.
'Respecting this ruling, Papua New Guinea will immediately ask the Australian government to make alternative arrangements for the asylum seekers currently held at the regional processing centre,' Mr O'Neill said.
Loani Henao, counsel for the PNG opposition leader told Sky News, that the two governments will have to work together to relocate the refugees.
'It effectively means both governments must take steps to effectively shut down the Manus Island detention centre,' he said on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said in a statement on Wednesday that the centre is unconstitutional and would be shut down as soon as Australia makes arrangements for the refugees held there
Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court ruled that Australia's detention of asylum seekers on that country's Manus Island was illegal on Tuesday. Pictured Manus Island
Despite international outcry, Mr Dutton has reiterated the government's tough stance on asylum seekers who tried to enter Australia illegally.
He said that while they are in a 'very desperate situation', those who try to gain access to Australia by boat will never be allowed to settle in the country.
'The Government's policy remains absolute and that is that we are not going to allow people to settle in our country if they've sought to come here illegally by boat,' Mr Dutton said on Wednesday.
'We don't want advocates saying to people who are on Nauru or Manus... that if you don't engage somehow you'll come to Australia.'
He has urged 'well intentioned' refugee advocates not to deliver false hope to the populations detained overseas.
'It doesn't matter what others are saying to you, it doesn't matter what people from Australia who are sending you social media messages are saying, you will not ever settle in Australia,' he said.
'That has been the absolute determination of this Government from day one.'
He confirmed incident occurred while officials from the United Nations refugee agency were on the island but had no advice about whether there was a link between the two.
The Nauruan government have warned others to 'refrain' from shocking protests of this nature, adding there is 'no value in such behaviour'
Albert Moyer (pictured), a high school French teacher has been accused of not being able to speak the language he's been teaching his students
A high school French teacher has been accused of not being able to speak the language he's been teaching his students.
Albert Moyer, said that the extent of his French education was just one year in high school, according to an investigation by KHOU 11.
Moyer has been teaching at the Houston Independent School District's Energy Institute High School, where one student said that the only word Moyer knows is 'bonjour'.
Moyer was hired to replace Jean Cius, a certified French teacher for more than 25 years.
Cius was removed from the school after a dispute in December, according to KHOU 11.
But student Nathanial White's told the station that his teacher knows the word 'bonjour' and has to look up anyhting more complex on Google.
Replaced teacher Cius told the station: 'It makes me extremely mad. I feel bad for the fact that the kids are not learning.'
Cius was later declared fit for duty, but the high school didn't give him back his old job and instead he now works at another high school where he monitors the halls.
'I feel so bad for the taxpayers because they're paying me for not doing anything at all,' he told KHOU 11.
Moyer (pictured) said that the extent of his French education was just one year in high school
Student, Nathanial White (pictured), said that the only word that his teacher really knows is 'bonjour'
But even though Cius is no longer teaching Nathanial's French class, his report card shows that the school is still using Cius as the teacher of record, according to KHOU 11.
Moyer said there is two sides to every story in a blog post on his website.
He said: 'First and foremost most associate teachers are placed in positions on temporary or long-term basis.
'Education today has a real talent pool issue. We have a shortage of teachers across America, and some teachers have to be removed for a variety of reasons, from criminal issues, to not doing their jobs.'
Moyer went on to say that his job is to 'be as qualified as I can in an emergency wherever I am placed'.
'I have had numerous assignments in all subjects. I am extremely reliable with a strong track record of success for over 13 years.'
The high school released a statement that said school officials work 'diligently year-round to fill open teaching positions across the district with the best qualified applicants'.
'It can often become a difficult task to find certified foreign language teachers, in the middle of the academic school year, to fill the needs of the district.
'Effective French teachers are especially hard to come by. However, the district continues its efforts to hire talented foreign language teachers to instruct HISD students.'
Moyer remains in his position at the present time.
The Energy Institute High School sent out a letter from the principal following KHOU's investigation and parents telling them their child's teacher is not highly qualified.
Moyer was hired to replace Jean Cius (pictured), a certified French teacher for more than 25 years. Cius was removed from the school after a dispute in December. Cius said he feels 'bad for the fact that the kids are not learning'
Lindt Cafe siege gunman Man Haron Monis was a dangerous, selfish psychopath and a lone wolf terrorist who would have killed more hostages had police not ended the ordeal, an inquest has heard.
Monis also adopted violent extremism as a means of self-aggrandisement, and his mix of anti-social and narcissistic personality disorders put him at the 'epicentre' of a dangerous personality group, psychiatrist Dr Jonathan Phillips said on Monday.
But he also found Monis didn't have a psychiatric illness, rather a complex personality disorder which led to vicious, deceitful, manipulative and anti-social attitudes and behaviour.
Scroll down for video
Man Haron Monis, the Lindt Cafe siege gunman who killed cafe manager Tori Johnson was a 'psychopath' who would have killed more hostages according to a psychologist
'He lived by the premise that he was always right,' Dr Phillips told the coronial inquest into the siege which took place over two days in December 2014.
'Monis constructed and lived in a world where he took no notice of others.'
Dr Phillips has been called to give evidence about about the personality and mental state of Monis.
Monis took 18 people hostage in the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place, Sydney, in December 2014
Katrina Dawson (left) was killed in gunfire when police stormed the cafe after Tori Johnson (right) was shot dead by Monis
Under old definitions and terms Monis would have been called a psychopath, given his ability to mimic normal functions while having no empathy or difficulty inflicting immense harm on others, the inquest heard.
'Other people merely became objects in his egocentric psychological world,' Dr Phillips said.
Monis adopted his strong religious views about 2008, but only as a way to further his own cause.
Jieun Bae was pictured running towards waiting police as she fled the scene of the Sydney cafe siege
The siege lasted sixteen hours, though some hostages were able to escape before police stormed in
Hostages were forced to read the demands of Monis on video, which were then published to social media and shared widely
He had also been facing a raft of charges relating to his time working as a 'spiritual healer', including 22 counts of aggravated sexual assault and 14 counts of aggravated indecent assault.
Monis used that position as nothing more than a front to have non-consensual sex with female clients, Dr Phillips said.
While finding Monis had suffered from anxiety and depression, Dr Phillips said it was no different to what everyone experiences 'from time to time'.
Monis claimed that there were others roaming around Sydney who could detonate more bombs in busy city locations
Dr Phillips never met Monis but has reviewed material and worked with two people who had previously treated him.
He found him to be a 'lone wolf' terrorist.
'Monis had orchestrated the incident in a meticulous and callous manner,' he said.
Monis took 18 people hostage on December 15, 2014.
Sixteen hours after he first drew a sawn-off shotgun from a bag and ordered the cafe closed, police stormed the building to end the stand-off, Monis killed cafe manager Tori Johnson, and Monis and barrister Katrina Dawson were left dead following the gunfight.
Julie Taylor was 19 weeks pregnant when she was taken hostage in the Lindt cafe in 2014
Ms Taylor was held in the cafe alongside her best friend, Katrina Dawson, who was killed in gunfire as police moved in to arrest Monis
Had the siege dragged on, more hostages would have been killed, Dr Phillips said.
'Each individual hour increased the risk of mayhem and murder,' he said.
'If the siege had not been terminated ... Monis would have gone on to murder multiple hostages.'
The long-running inquest continues before NSW Coroner Michael Barnes in Sydney.
Sydney siege survivor Paolo Vessallo was one of 18 hostages held in the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place
Marcia Mikhael, who was taken hostage in the siege, said that she initially thought the siege was a prank, before speaking to police and media
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) British consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser apologized Monday for selling deadly disinfectants that killed or injured hundreds of people, five years after the government ordered the company to remove the products from shelves for health risks.
Ataur Safdar, head of the company's Korean division, said the company accepted responsibility and wanted to make amends. He spoke at a news conference, where he was interrupted by angry and tearful victims and family members who cursed and hit him.
A teenager with a big, green oxygen tank, and four other people who were apparently victims or their families, walked to the stage to confront Safdar.
A relative of a victim in the British disinfectant case complains to Ata Safdar, head of British firm Reckitt Benckiser Korea, right, during a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, May 2, 2016. British consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser has apologized and accepted responsibility for selling deadly disinfectants that killed or injured about 180 people. (Yun Dong-jin/Yonhap via AP) KOREA OUT
"Can you save the child? What are you going to do?" said a woman, in a scene broadcast live on television. "Why did it take so long?" a man said.
Safdar said the company will come up with a plan to compensate victims. It will also provide 10 billion won ($8.8 million) to a humanitarian fund for them, including 5 billion won it pledged two years earlier. He called the day "an important milestone in achieving progress for victims."
But the victims and families rejected the apology, appealing to the South Korean public to punish Reckitt Benckiser with a boycott. In a press conference outside the prosecutors' office, victims and campaigners lined up the products made by Reckitt Benckiser and asked the public not to buy them.
The apology came as South Korean prosecutors were investigating Reckitt Benckiser and about a dozen other companies for selling or manufacturing unsafe disinfectants. Earlier the company had refused to take responsibility.
In a separate statement after the press conference, civic groups representing the victims said they planned to file a complaint against Rakesh Kapoor, the British company's chief executive officer, and the company's seven other board members for failing to conduct safety tests before the disinfectant's launch in 2001 and until sales were discontinued in 2011.
The victims have already filed a complaint against 10 disinfectant manufacturers and 19 companies that sold the products.
The health risks from the disinfectants came to attention in 2011 with mysterious lung ailments that killed pregnant women. Later that year, authorities said the chemicals PHMG and PGH in the disinfectants that many South Korean households used to cleanse humidifiers were to blame.
Nearly all households in South Korea use a humidifier during the dry winter season. Many victims were children and pregnant women who had the most exposure to the chemicals emitted by their home humidifiers.
South Korea's government said it would compensate 221 confirmed victims, 95 of whom died. Another 309 people were denied government compensation on the grounds they had not proven their sicknesses were linked to the chemicals.
Civic groups said the government tally understates the number of victims. They estimate that the disinfectants killed 239 and injured 1,289. Officials are investigating and expect more applications for compensation.
Reckitt Benckiser sold millions of bottles of liquid disinfectant, called Oxy Ssak Ssak, containing the harmful chemicals for about a decade and was blamed for 100 deaths.
A report posted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health says the chemical PHMG can pose "a critical health hazard when inhaled in the form of droplets." The NIH has also recorded acute toxic effects for both PHMG and PGH.
An Australian court recently ordered Reckitt Benckiser to pay 1.7 million Australian dollars ($1.3 million) in penalties after ruling that the company misled consumers about the effectiveness of a popular painkiller.
The Federal Court ruled the company deceived Australians by selling Nurofen painkillers marketed as relief for specific ailments, such as back pain and period pain, when all of the products contained an identical amount of the same active ingredient, ibuprofen lysine.
___
Lee can be reached on Twitter: www.twitter.com/YKLeeAP
Her previous works can be found on: http://bigstory.ap.org/content/youkyung-lee
Ata Safdar, head of British firm Reckitt Benckiser Korea, bows during a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, May 2, 2016
British consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser has apologized and accepted responsibility for selling deadly disinfectants that killed or injured about 180 people
A relative of a victim complains to Ata Safdar, head of British firm Reckitt Benckiser Korea, right, during a press conference
Residents complained it would pollute their roads, stink the air and bring in immigrants that would change the town's character
Half-ton pickup trucks crowd the curb outside the One Horse Saloon, a neon Coors Light sign in the window and rib-eye steaks on the menu, but otherwise Nickerson, Nebraska, is nearly silent on a spring evening, with only rumbling freight trains interrupting bird songs.
Regional economic development officials thought it was the perfect spot for a chicken processing plant that would liven up the 400-person town with 1,100 jobs, more than it had ever seen.
When plans leaked out, though, there was no celebration, only furious opposition that culminated in residents packing the fire hall to complain the roads couldn't handle the truck traffic, the stench from the plant would be unbearable and immigrants and out-of-towners would flood the area, overwhelming schools and changing the town's character.
"Everyone was against it," said Jackie Ladd, who has lived there for more than 30 years. "How many jobs would it mean for people here? Not many."
Scroll down for video
The town of Nickerson, Nebraska turned down the chance to gain 1,1000 new jobs from a chicken processing plant - because they wanted to preserve their rural way of life
Regional economic development officials had thought Nickerson would be the perfect spot for a chicken processing plant, bringing more jobs than the town had ever seen
The village board unanimously voted against the proposed $300 million plant, and two weeks later, the company said they'd take their plant - and money - elsewhere.
Deep-rooted, rural agricultural communities around the U.S. are seeking economic investments to keep from shedding residents, but those very places face trade-offs that increasing numbers of those who oppose meat processing plants say threaten to burden their way of life and bring in outsiders.
"Maybe it's just an issue of the times in which we live in which so many people want certain things but they don't want the inconveniences that go with them," said Chris Young, executive director of the American Association of Meat Processors.
Nickerson fought against Georgia-based Lincoln Premium Poultry, which wanted to process 1.6 million chickens a week for warehouse chain Costco. It was a similar story in Turlock, California, which turned down a hog-processing plant last fall, and Port Arthur, Texas, where residents last week stopped a meat processing plant. There also were complaints this month about a huge hog processing plant planned in Mason City, Iowa, but the project has moved ahead.
Courtesy WOWT
But residents packed the fire hall (pictured) to list their complaints: the roads couldn't handle the truck traffic, the stench from the plant would be unbearable and immigrants would flood the area
The village board unanimously voted against the proposed $300million plant and two weeks later the company said they'd take their plant - and money - elsewhere
The Nickerson plant would have helped area farmers, who mostly grow corn and soybeans, start up poultry operations and buy locally grown grain for feed, said Willow Holliback, who lives 40 miles away and heads an agriculture group that backed the proposal.
"When farmers are doing well, the towns are doing well," she said.
The question of who would work the tough jobs was at the forefront of the debate, though many were adamant they aren't anti-immigrant. Opposition leader Randy Ruppert even announced: "This is not about race. This is not about religion."
But both were raised at the raucous April 4 meeting where the local board rejected the plant. One speaker said he'd toured a chicken processing plant elsewhere and felt nervous because most of the workers were minorities.
More overtly, John Wiegert, from nearby Fremont where two meat processors employ many immigrants, questioned whether Nickerson's plant would attract legal immigrants from Somalia - more than 1,000 of whom have moved to other Nebraska cities for similar jobs, along with people from Mexico, Central America and Southeast Asia.
"Being a Christian, I don't want Somalis in here," Wiegert, who has led efforts to deny rental housing to immigrants in the country illegally, told the crowd. "They're of Muslim descent. I'm worried about the type of people this is going to attract."
Nickerson fought against Georgia-based Lincoln Premium Poultry, which wanted to process 1.6 million chickens a week for warehouse chain Costco
Others pointed out that, given Nebraska's unemployment rate is among the nation's lowest near 3 percent, few local residents would accept the entry-level jobs. While the projected wage of $13 to $17 an hour was above the region's current median wage for production workers, opponents argued meat processors generally have high turnover.
"We aren't against jobs," farmer John Schauer said. "We want clean, stable jobs."
The land is flat and rich around Nickerson, which is a half-mile off a narrow state highway about 30 miles from Omaha. The town's tidy but often faded single-story homes sit on large, grassy lots. There's a small cluster of commercial buildings, most of them long shuttered, and a grain elevator.
Its school was demolished more than a decade ago, leaving only the old playground, but residents take pride in the regional school district. Superintendent Jeremy Klein told the village board he worried new students would overwhelm local schools and that tax breaks would limit any extra money to hire more teachers.
"It's impossible to know what the size of that impact will be," Klein said days later.
People seem to be more willing than in earlier eras to fight developments they think could harm the environment or change an area's character, University of Nebraska-Lincoln economics professor Eric Thompson said, even if the development offers an economic boost.
Mason City official Brent Trout said he heard all the arguments against the $240 million plant planned some 200 miles northeast of Nickerson: What's the environmental impact of an operation that will process up to 22,000 hogs daily? How will 2,000 new jobs affect the isolated city of 27,500?
It's already hard to attract employers to Mason City, which has lost about 10 percent of its population over the last 30 years, he said. But, like Nickerson, Mason City's best selling point is its focus on agriculture: "This is what Iowa is. This is what Iowa does," Trout said. "We raise pigs and we process pigs."
Although Nickerson residents have succeeded in pushing away the industrial-scale operation, opponents said they're getting better organized to help the town that's targeted next.
Victims hit with 400 bills for 'fake' 0843 or 0845 calls lasting up to 12 hours
A disabled pensioner says she has been charged 289 for an eight hour phone call she never made as more victims are being ripped off by a new terrifying scam.
Oriel Ross-Wardell, 77, from Hull, claims she could not have been on her mobile because she left it at home while she visited her daughter in Sheffield, who is undergoing cancer treatment.
Mrs Ross-Wardell, who is nearly housebound, only bought her new smartphone five days before the 'fake' call but had already shut it in a drawer because she 'didn't have a clue how to use it'.
But 02 took 279 from her bank account, leaving her without any money for food, heating or to take her puppy to the vet for its immunisations.
Mrs Ross-Wardell is one of dozens of new victims who have contacted MailOnline saying they have also been ripped off and left out of pocket by up to 400 for calls they never made.
Terrifying: Oriel Ross-Wardell from Hull, East Yorkshire, who has had 279 taken by 02 for a call she never made - because the phone was in a drawer and she was 70 miles away
Shocking: Mrs Ross-Wardell says she 'nearly died' when she saw 279 had come out of her account - leaving her overdrawn and without money for food (pictured is her bank statement)
The scam begins with the customer receiving a call from an unfamiliar number that starts with 0845 or 0843 - usually resulting in a missed call.
The customer never answers the call typically lasts just a fraction of a second and it's recorded on their mobile handset as a missed call.
Weeks later, the bewildered victim receives a bill showing they called that number back and owe a huge sum.
Some victims are vulnerable or even children who have accused their mobile phone networks of taking money without consent and then refusing to accept it is a mistake.
Ofcom has launched an investigation but while phone companies including Vodafone, 02 and EE have refunded some victims - but in many cases they continue to insist their customers rang the premium rate number. Police are not yet investigating it as fraud.
This is despite many of these calls, lasting between three and 12 hours, happened in the middle of the night, while phones were switched off or in Mrs Ross-Wardells case, when her mobile was 70 miles away in a drawer.
HOW THE TERRIFYING NEW PHONE SCAM WORKS 1. Mystery call from 0845 or 0843 number 2. Person receiving call usually ignores it believing it is a nuisance caller 3. It appears as a missed call - no voicemail is left 4. In some cases the person has no missed call at all 5. Weeks later the victim will receive a huge bill of up to 400 showing they have called the 0845 or 0843 number back 6. Because systems show a call has been made the mobile networks will not refund without evidence
She told MailOnline: I had this bog-standard phone for years but it got wet and I thought I would get one of these smart phones.
But I couldnt get the menu up let alone make a call. I havent got a clue.
I had only had it for five days when 02 said I had made an eight hour call to an 0843 number.
Now I can talk for England but I was visiting my daughter in Sheffield, the phone was shut in a drawer at home because I didn't even know how to use it.
02 just took 279 from my account without ever sending me a bill.
I nearly died when I found out - it was the first time in my life I have ever been overdrawn. I didnt have any money for food or to take my puppy to the vets.
02 are adamant I made the call but my Asda delivery driver saw the MailOnline piece and printed it off for me to show it was a scam.
Mrs Ross-Wardell has taken a direct debit indemnity with her bank, which means that the bank will cover the cost until the cash is returned.
She said: If 02 dont pay back that money to me I will have to pay the bank - I just dont know where Ill find it from.
Now I can talk for England but I was visiting my daughter in Sheffield, the phone was shut in a drawer at home because I didn't even know how to use it Victim Oriel Ross-Wardell, 77
O2 say they have blocked some 0845 and 0843 numbers as a 'precaution' but maintain it is likely that the calls took place.
A spokesman said: 'We have no evidence that our customers have been billed for calls that have not been made.
There could be a number of reasons why customers may not have been aware that a call had been made, for instance, they may have inadvertently dialled a missed call and in some cases, customers may not have ended the call correctly on their handset'.
Jane Brady, 45, was handed a 51 bill for a four hour call made by her daughter Anna, 15, even though they were on a family trip to the cinema.
Vodafone refused to accept the truth - and only paid the money back when she went to the ombudsman that helps regulate networks.
Row: Jane Brady and her daughter Anna Brady, who was charged 51 for a call she never made on New Year's Day
Evidence: The Bradys were in the cinema watching a film when 15-year-old Anna was meant to be calling a compensation hotline
She said: Vodafone tried to charge us 51 for a four-hour phone call to an 0843 number my daughter never made.
'We complained and told them that we had all been in the cinema and that it was impossible - but Vodafone were insistent that she had called. They were having absolutely none of it.
'It couldn't have been a pocket call and she didn't even have the number saved in her phone.
'The idea that a 15-year-old would spend four hours on the phone to a flight compensation company is crazy.
'Eventually Vodafone said that they would pay 50 per cent but I told them why should I pay for something that I didn't owe.
'It was only when I went to the Ombudsman they finally accepted our story.
'I couldn't believe it when I saw the story on MailOnline because I had been having this same discussion with Vodafone since January. I now know many others have been in the same position, and that really worries me.
'It has taken five months to get to this point - and we are still haven't seen a penny of the money they took.
I was particularly upset with the implication that I had accidentally turned on my phone in my hand bag or I had given the phone to someone else. Hazel Brown, 64, who was charged 211 for a call she never made
Hazel Brown, 64, from Surrey, was unfairly charged 211 for a seven hour call she never made.
Vodafone refused to refund the cash despite Mrs Brown making seven phone calls to customer services.
But they finally gave back the money when she produced three witnesses to confirm she was not on her phone at the time and wrote to the chief executive.
She said: 'I believe this scam is orchestrated by a very sophisticated criminal organisation who by their nature are without moral conscience.
'I found the range of responses from Vodafone to my approaches incredulous. I was driven to tears with sheer frustration at one point finding myself going around in circles. I was particularly upset with the implication that I had accidentally turned on my phone in my hand bag or I had given the phone to someone else.
'I was surprised that Vodaphone did not take my information seriously. I supplied them with a link to a website, that I had found after a quick search on the Internet, showing that others had similar experiences with the same 08 number. It was only as a result of my letter to the chief executive that the issue was addressed'.
Upset: Hazel Brown, 64, left, from Surrey, was unfairly charged 211, right, for a seven hour call she never made - she believes the scam is criminal
In every case seen by MailOnline, mainly involving Vodafone, EE and O2 customers, the scam begins with the customer receiving a call from an unfamiliar number that starts with 0845 or 0843.
In almost all the cases we have seen, the return call supposedly made by the customer is shown to have lasted between three and 12 hours.
Yet the victims have no recollection at all of calling the number on their bill.
Many say they didn't even see the missed call, let alone ring back. Others say they did notice a strange number pop up on their phone, but just ignored it.
Customers who ask their mobile supplier to waive the charges are being fobbed off and told to pay up.
Victim: Ruth Dance was hit with a bill for 300 from Vodafone
Vodafone insists the problem is not its fault. EE and O2 customers have also come forward to say they have been handed refunds, but the companies are yet to comment.
Communications watchdog Ofcom says customers of several mobile firms providers are being hit and has launched an investigation.
A spokesman said: 'We are very concerned to hear of a number of people receiving mobile charges they didnt expect. Ofcom is working with the mobile operators, industry experts and partner regulators to establish the causes and address the problem.
'We are pleased that Vodafone is blocking suspicious numbers and refunding affected customers. We advise those who believe they are affected to contact their phone company promptly.
The mobile giants admit their customers are victims of a clever scam but seem to have little idea of how it works.
One theory is that hackers are gaining access to mobile users' accounts and making fraudulent calls in their names.
Vodafone denies this suggestion - O2 and EE failed to respond.
The offending numbers appear to be for several different claims management firms touting flight delay compensation.
One theory is that crooks hire 0845 and 0843 numbers and set high fees for incoming calls.
They then hack into victims' mobiles and program them to automatically call back if there is a missed call from the scammer's 08 number.
The cost appears on the customer's bill and, like with any premium phone line, the mobile company passes on a share to the company that hired the 08 number.
That means the crooks can take a cut of the exorbitant charges.
Ofcom say they are working with the mobile networks to find the source of the problems, but refuse to say what they think the problem is.
Telecommunications expert Ben Levitan says: 'There are people who spend their lives looking at phone companies' systems and ways to make money from them.
'People share these secrets online and use them, but the criminals can be very hard to trace and catch.'
A Vodafone spokesman says: 'Our systems have not been compromised or breached.
'Our security monitoring systems have identified that a number of customers have returned unsolicited calls, leading to them being charged significant amounts.
'We have taken proactive measures to ensure none of the customers affected are out of pocket and have identified and blocked the numbers creating this issue.
'As this is an industry-wide issue, we are working with Ofcom and other operators to identify and close down this issue as soon as we can.'
Threat: One theory is that hackers are gaining access to mobile users' accounts and making fraudulent calls in their names
The Navy SEAL who claims to have killed bin Laden was eating a sandwich next to the al-Qaeda leader's body when news of his death broke over television.
Still in their uniforms, Rob O'Neill and the other members of Seal Team 6 watched as President Barack Obama declared their mission a success to the American people.
'I heard him say Osama bin Laden, I looked at Osama bin Laden - I thought, "How in the world did I get here from Butte, Montana?"' O'Neill recalled Sunday in a Fox interview.
O'Neill was at the Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, and bin Laden's corpse lay on a table beside him.
Scroll down for video
Former Navy SEAL Rob O'Neill, left, claims to have fired the shot that killed Usama bin Laden, right. He recalled Sunday the moment the news of the al-Qaeda leader's death broke
Bin Laden was killed shortly after 1am on May 2, 2011, local time, after the Seal Team stormed the compound in Pakistan where he had been hiding for years.
Sunday marked the fifth anniversary of the May 1, 2011 raid.
O'Neill told Fox how he explained bin Laden's killing to the families of victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks:
'I explained how I went into a room and I saw him and he was standing 3 feet in front of me and he was a threat and I shot him.'
John Brennan, who was chief counter-terrorism adviser to Obama during the bin Laden raid and now the director of the CIA, spoke on Meet the Press Sunday about the continuing threat of Islamist terrorism.
FDNY firefighter Aaron Clark looks on from atop a firetruck as people celebrate in Times Square after the death of accused 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden
Students gather at the fence on the north side of the White House, chant 'U.S.A.! U.S.A.!' and sing the Star Spangled Banner while U.S. President Barack Obama announces the death of Osama Bin Laden
He said ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi could make a future, symbolic target of a U.S. assassination.
'He's important and we will destroy ISIL, I have no doubt in my mind,' Brennan said, using an alternate acronym for ISIS.
'Bin Laden had important symbolism and, if we got Baghdadi. it would have great impact on the organization. We're going to have to remain very focused.'
Recalling the night that bin Laden's death was announced, Brennan said:
'I remember that same evening, the chants of "USA" and "CIA," culmination of hard work. We had destroyed a large part of Al Qaeda.'
On Sunday, President Barack Obama spoke to CNN's Peter Bergen about the raid against bin Laden, which has become one of his defining legacies of his time in the White House.
During the interview, Bergen said that 'the last person bin Laden saw on Earth was an American.'
A timeline shows how the raid unfolded after Obama ordered NAVY Seals to storm bin Laden's compound
People walk past Osama bin Laden's compound, where he was killed during a raid by U.S. special forces, May 3, 2011 in Abottabad, Pakistan
Pakistani boys collect debris at the site of the crashed helicopter outside the hideout house of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden following his death
Obama replied: 'And hopefully, at that moment, he understood that the American people hadn't forgotten the some 3,000 people who he killed' on September 11, 2001.
The Obama administration had used it as a poignant example of the president's willingness to act aggressively against terror, despite usually maintaining a more cautious foreign policy.
Five years after ordering the raid, Obama spoke about the decision for an Anderson Cooper 360 episode called 'We Got Him,' which will air on Monday, saying he knew it was risky but that it was 'our best chance to get bin Laden.'
'After discussions with our principals, it was clear to me that this was going to be our best chance to get bin Laden,' he said.
Bin Laden was buried at sea shortly after his killing. No unequivocal proof of his death has been released to the public, although al-Qaeda confirmed their leader's passing on May 6, 2011.
The Sydney teenager charged with plotting an Anzac Day terror attack said he wanted to 'terrorise' non-Muslims on their day of celebration, a court has heard.
The 16-year-old was trying to find a gun and a bomb manual to carry out the attack before he was caught by undercover officers posing as extremists, it is alleged.
Speaking at the teen's bail hearing, crown prosecutor Chris Choi said there was a strong case against the boy, who had been plotting the attack from as early as April 16.
Scroll down for video
Zemarai Khatiz (centre) the lawyer representing a 16-year old-accused of planning an Anzac Day terrorist attack leaves court on Tuesday after entering a not guilty plea
When asked why he chose April 25, the teenager replied: 'Because here in Australia the kafir (non-Muslims) celebrate Anzac Day and I want to terrorise them on the day', Ms Choi said.
The boy's mother wept and buried her head on her husband's shoulder during the prosecutor's address at the Parramatta Children's Court.
The boy's father later pleaded in court for his son to be allowed to come home.
He said: 'To get my son back home I would do anything ... I love him with all my heart and he's everything to me.'
Police presence was increased across the state following the arrest of the teenager. Above are officers at Martin Place in central Sydney last month
The boy was not in court and instead appeared by video link.
He has been in custody since April 24, when he was arrested by officers from the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) near his home in Sydney's west.
Ms Choi said the teenager first came under investigation between May 5 and May 8 last year.
He was at that time referred to the national disruption group and agreed to undergo a de-radicalisation program to address 'violent, extremist behaviours', a program which he was still on when arrested.
The Sydney teenager, 16, was arrested on Sunday and he was charged with terror-related offences. He was allegedly planning an attack for Anzac Day (above is the Martin Place service) and tried to get a gun
The boy's profile picture for a messaging application was a lion on the Islamic State flag and there was evidence on his phone that he'd accessed recruitment videos and other Islamic State propaganda.
Ms Choi said there was a serious risk the boy would fail to appear or endanger the safety of the public if he was granted bail.
If he was released, she argued, he had a greater urgency to achieve 'what he failed to do' on Anzac Day.
The boy was taken to Auburn Police Station (pictured) and he appeared at Parramatta Children's Court
The boy's lawyer, Zemarai Khatiz, has argued he should be granted bail because his age and youth mean there are exceptional circumstances in place.
Last week Mr Khatiz submitted a list of strict potential bail conditions, including a condition the boy would wear an ankle bracelet if released.
Mr Khatiz also said the boy's family was willing to use its $1.2 million home as security if the teenager was granted bail.
Following the boy's arrest in late April, NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said police were working around the clock to keep the public safe.
He said: 'The risk from this particular threat has been thwarted. Do not let an event like this stop you from going out.
'So, please, don't be perturbed. We are doing absolutely everything we can to keep people safe. This threat has been dealt with.'
A British grandmother knocked unconscious by a gang of thugs in Thailand has spoken for the first time about her shocking ordeal, telling a court: 'I still have nightmares.'
Still bearing a black eye from her savage beating, Rosemary Owen appeared at court to testify against her alleged attackers but was too traumatised to face them in the same room.
Mrs Owen, her husband Lewis and their son, also called Lewis, were seen on CCTV being pounded by a drunken gang in the resort of Hua Hin last month, leaving them lying lifeless on the ground.
Mrs Owen, 68, spent weeks in hospital after suffering serious eye and head injuries.
She told the Hua-Hin provincial court: 'I still have nightmares. And the headaches. The headaches are there all the time.
'I don't know if it will always stay with me, the memory, but for now I have nightmares and it is sad that this has happened to me by a small group of Thai people, people who I love.'
Scroll down for video
Beaten black and blue: Grandmother Rosemary Owen arrives at Hua Hin provincial court to give evidence against her alleged attackers after she, her husband and son were knocked unconscious by a gang of thugs
Brave: Mrs Owen, her husband Lewis and their son, also called Lewis, were seen on CCTV being pounded by a drunken gang in the resort of Hua Hin last month, leaving them lying lifeless on the ground
Lewis Owen also appeared at the Hua Hin provincial court under heavy security to give evidence
Beaten: The couple and their son Lewis, 43, were left knocked out cold and lying in the street during Thai New Year festivities in the popular resort of Hua Hin, after being attacked by a gang of local youths
Mrs Owen, from Cardiff, was speaking in a private room, giving evidence to a court official, because she was too nervous to be in the same room as her alleged attackers.
She was spared the ordeal of trying to recall what had happened in a bar street late at night, particularly as she had indicated that she couldn't remember much about the moment she was punched to the ground and then kicked hard in the face, rendering her unconscious.
But the court officer still had to try to bring back some of the incident and passed to Mrs Owen still photographs taken from the CCTV footage.
Mr Owen, 68, was giving evidence in an adjoining courtroom, coming eye-to-eye with the three men who had allegedly assaulted the family and who were now sitting smartly dressed before the judge.
Mrs Owen said that because of her ongoing headaches she would be consulting specialists on her return to the UK.
She said: 'I'm looking forward so much to seeing my family again. I know the family and all our friends have been very worried about us.
'But our Thai friends have been just wonderful. I cannot imagine what life would have been like here without the support of our Thai friends.'
Police officers jumped in front of cameras and waved their arms in front of lenses to try to prevent photos being taken of the couple as they arrived at Hua Hin provincial court
Ordeal: Mrs Owen, from Cardiff, gave evidence in a private room because she was too nervous to be in the same room as her alleged attackers
Only one observer was allowed to sit in on the discussion Mrs Owen had with the court official and even then note taking was not allowed.
And the courtroom next door was closed to the public with only people closely related to the case being allowed to sit in and hear Mr Owen give his evidence.
The couple's son, Lewis, has already given a full statement to police prior to his return to Singapore, where he lives.
A friend of the couple said they were slowly recovering physically, but Mrs Owen has made it clear that she still has a long emotional road ahead of her.
Their arrival at the monolithic court house on the outskirts of the popular beachside resort was heralded by a convoy of police cars, with their lights flashing.
The British couple were driven around to a side entrance, but were not allowed to step out from their vehicle until police had formed a mini guard of honour in order to keep cameras at bay.
Police officers jumped in front of the cameras and waved their arms in front of lenses to try to prevent photos being taken of the couple who are at the centre of what Thai people believe was an attack which could seriously harm the tourist industry.
Arrested: Thai police parade the suspects Suppata Baitong and Yingyai Sangkham, both aged 32, who have been arrested in connection with the horrific assault
Locals gather next to the prison truck that brought the accused to the court in Hua Hin
Members of the British Embassy arrive at the court. The couple's case has become a high profile affair in Thailand because of the brutality of the assault
Mrs Owen was dressed in a dark blue blouse and black pants, while her husband wore a white shirt and black trousers.
They walked through the court corridors before emerging in the main foyer, from where they were led upstairs, Mr Owen to the courtroom and his wife to a side room with a less austere atmosphere.
The case is expected to take several weeks.
The family were on holiday on the beach resort of Hua Hin when they were attacked. Mr Owen, who lives in Singapore said neither he nor his elderly parents would go back.
Mr Owen, 43, said: 'I'm not going back to Thailand again. Mum and dad won't be either. Never, ever again.
'My mum and dad are on the mend so it is all okay. Dad had six stitches in his forehead and there is some heavy bruising and he had two black eyes.
'They were a bit worried about my mum but she is okay. The swelling was not going down on her brain but they have done some operations.
'Mum and dad have been going to Thailand for a long time. I don't get to see them very often, I see them at Christmas and at my dad's birthday,' he told The Mirror.
Hopsitalised: Rose Owen and her businessman husband Lewis were were set upon after their son, also called Lewis, spilled one of the gang's drinks. This photo, released by the Thai tourist board, shows Mrs Owen in hospital following the April 13 assault
Holiday: The grandparents were on a month-long holiday in Thailand when their dream trip turned into a nightmare, after the couple were viciously attacked by a gang of drunken thugs
Mr Owen and his parents were walking along the street when they were attacked. He said the CCTV footage of the assault was so violent that police would not let them look at it.
He said he suffered 16 stitches, but luckily all of the damage was above his hairline.
He said he believed the attacks were entirely random. Mrs Owen has since been released from hospital.
One of the men launched a flying punch at Mr Lewis when he brushed past him and seemed to spill his drink while he was involved in an altercation with another man.
His mother, who lives in a village near Cardiff, Wales, tries to reason with them, before slapping one man.
Seconds later, her husband is punched by a man who runs up to him, seemingly in order to land a hit with the most force possible.
Mrs Owen then tries to escape the violence.
In the next moment, one of them walks up to her and punched her so hard in the face the grandmother is sent flying to the floor, knocked unconscious.
As she lies unmoving on the ground, her husband and son are subjected to a barrage of punches and kicks.
Catalyst: The row appeared to start when Lewis, known as Blue to his friends, put his hand out and brushed a local man who had collided with him as they walked down the road
Hurt: The couple's grown up son can be seen clutching his head in agony in the left of this image, after he was pushed to the ground seconds after touching the man
This horrific image shows the moment the elderly woman was punched in the face (circled) during the fight, after she approached one of the gang members and appeared to try to reason with him
As the stunned woman tried to sit back up after being punched in the face, one of the attackers kicks her hard on the jaw knocking her unconscious (circled)
Mrs Owen then comes around and props herself up, at which point her assailant walks over and kicks her so hard in the face her head snaps back, out cold once more.
By the time the men had finished their vicious attack, which happened at around 2am on Wednesday in the popular tourist resort of Hua Hin, all three Owens were lying on the floor.
The crowd which had stood by and watched the brutal beatings only daring to step forward once they were sure the gang had left.
The couple's case has become such a high profile affair in Thailand because of the brutality of the assault in a tourist town that is popular with Britons more than other nationalities.
A British man dining out with his wife in cheap Thai restaurant said it was 'just like Benidorm.'
News of the Welsh family's beating had spread quickly through the bars and cafes, with many people commenting that it was fortunate a CCTV camera had captured the assault.
But the tourist authority and the police, while accepting the camera had made it possible to identify the alleged attackers, were perturbed that the video had been made public from an unidentified source, tarnishing the image of the town.
The couple's daughter Ceri was visibly upset at her home in Barry, three miles from her parents country cottage, just outside of Cardiff.
This is the first photograph of the British couple beaten by Thai thugs in a horrific street assault after being released from hospital - with the wife sporting a shocking black eye
Injured: Mrs Owen - pictured on holiday in the country last year - is understood to still be recovering in hospital, having suffered head injuries. The couple have been visiting the country since the 80s
Horror: The early morning attack happened in the popular tourist resort of Hua Hin, where the family from Wales were celebrating Thai New Year. Pictured: Mr Lewis, who runs an engineering company in Cardiff
The mother-of-two said: 'My mum and dad are in hospital abroad, I'm too upset to say anything.'
A picture showing Mrs Owen with members of the Thai tourist board while recovering was released to the local media, showing her badly damaged face.
In the leafy village of Wenvoe, five miles outside of Cardiff, neighbours are still in shock after seeing the footage of their friends being so horrifically attacked.
Dave Cannon, chairman of the village hall committee, a long-time friend who has been to Thailand with the couple, told MailOnline: 'I've been in touch with Lew by text after seeing the pictures of the attack.
'It was a hell of a shock to hear what happened to them.'
Friends revealed the couple had visited Thailand almost every year since falling in love with the country in the 80s.
Birthday: The family always enjoyed spending Mr Owen's birthday in Thailand, as it coincided with the New Year celebrations. The family joked it was like the entire country came out to celebrate
Brutal: Mrs Owen was initially punched in the face, after trying to escape. When she came back around, one of the attackers walked over and kicked her hard in the face, knocking her out again
And they are always in Thailand for the Songkran festival - which falls the same day as Mr Owen's birthday.
'They always go to the festival, it is a part of their holiday,' Mr Cannon, 71, told MailOnline.
'It is a family joke - Lew reckons the whole of Thailand is celebrating his birthday that day.
Mr Cannon has visited Thailand with the couple and was last in the country with them in 2007, from which he has a souvenir plate in his hallway with a picture of himself and Mr Owen taken as they were sitting in a boat on the way to the Floating Market near Bangkok.
He said: 'They love it out there. They used to travel around Vietnam Laos and Cambodia but they always return to Thailand, it's their favourite place.
'They go sightseeing and have made lots of friends over there.
'Their Thai friends bake a cake every year for Lew's birthday.'
Attacked: Lewis, pictured, lives in Thailand, and his parents visit once a year - sometimes with friends
Break: Mr Owen runs a successful electrical engineering company in Cardiff
Local police chief in Hua Hin and the head of the local tourist authority held a press conference on April 17 where they confirmed they had arrested two men - Suppata Baitong and Yingyai Sangkham, both aged 32 - in connection with the incident.
Chief Police Colonel Chaiyakorn Sriladecho explained that the younger Mr Owen accidentally bumped into Suppata, who had been drinking and responded by pushing him into a table.
Mr Owen then asked Suppata not to hurt his son, at which point it is alleged four other men turned up at the scene and assaulted the father, son and the mother.
Police added that the family had identified the arrested men, who had apologised to the victims for being drunk and that officers are still looking for the accomplices.
Colonel Sriladecho also added that the son suffered head injuries that required minor stitches with the father suffering a gash to his forehead and had eight stitches.
Police said the son has already left Thailand, while Mr and Mrs Owen are still in the country helping with the police investigation but will leave on Wednesday.
A three-year-old boy is in critical condition after being dragged from a pond in Sydney's north.
Several ambulances, police and fire crews were called to a home on Chiltern Road in Ingleside just before 3pm on Monday after receiving reports the child was in the water.
NSW Ambulance Paramedics treated the toddler on the scene before he was rushed to the Children's Hospital in Randwick.
Scroll down for video
A three-year-old boy is in critical condition after being dragged from a pond in Sydney's north
Several ambulances, police and fire crews were called to a home on Chiltern Road in Ingleside just before 3pm on Monday after receiving reports the child was in the water
NSW Ambulance Paramedics treated the toddler on the scene before he was rushed to the Children's Hospital in Randwick
Officers from Northern Beaches Local Area Command are at the scene and have launched an investigation into the near drowning.
The pond appears to be adjacent to a small house with a tin roof.
Officers from Northern Beaches Local Area Command are at the scene and have launched an investigation into the near drowning
The pond appears to be adjacent to a small house with a tin roof
A 70-year-old Australian man charged with sexually assaulting a handful of Balinese children has been seen for the first time in his cell.
Robert Andrew Fiddel Ellis was arrested in January on the suspicion of molesting four young girls by enticing them with shoes, toys and cash.
Photographs have emerged of the man in a cell at the prosecutor's office in Denpasar where he is awaiting trial.
Robert Andrew Fiddel Ellis, 70, was arrested in January on suspicion of child sexual offences. He has been seen for the first time in his cell at the Denpasar Prosecutor's Office in Bali (above)
Hunched over on a concrete seat dressed in a t-shirt and thongs, he was seen staring vacantly in to space on Monday surrounded by plastic bags.
It is the first time he has been seen since January when police took him in to custody on suspicion of molesting the children who were all older than 10.
Authorities are questioning four other children from the markets where they worked.
'These victims are not school children, but children who are working in the market,' said Bali Provincial Police Spokesman Hery Wiyanto earlier this year.
'When he met them, he asked the victims to come with him and promised them something.'
Ellis was seen sitting on a tiled seat dressed in a white t-shirt, shorts and thongs for the first time since his arrest three months ago
The man was surrounded by belongings including a water bottle, plastic bags and a rubbish bin in the holding cell
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'Due to privacy obligations, we are unable to provide further information'.
However, 'the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance, in accordance with the Consular Services Charter, to an Australian man arrested in Bali.'
Upon detention in January Ellis was given a health check. It was said at the time authorities were seeking a lawyer and translator before questioning him.
His arrest came after a tip-off from a charity for Balinese street children whose founder said they were suspicious of his frequent visits in 2011.
A sign in the cell read: 'Keep proper hygiene'. Ellis's distinctive strawberry-blonde beard was still in tact
It is not clear whether the man has yet received legal representation. He is accused of luring street children back to his rented home to assault them
Charity founder Luh Putu Anggraeni said Ellis allegedly had a list of children's names and record of how much money he had spent on each in his possession.
It is claimed that he gave the children gifts to the value of around $20.
The man faces abuse charges carrying a maximum 15 years' jail.
Children allegedly told authorities they were brought to the man's rental home in Denpasar and molested in a bath tub, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Authorities claim the man kept a list of children's names and the amount of money he had spent on them in the markets
Robert Andrew Fiddel Ellis (pictured) has been accused of molesting four girls - all aged over 10-years-old
The 70-year-old is being escorted by Bali police at police headquarters in Denpasar earlier this year
As Malcolm Turnbull and his team put the finishing touches on this year's federal Budget, former prime minister Tony Abbott has been involved in another spill on the floor of Parliament.
The nation's former leader dribbled a few drops of water on the floor of the House of Representatives during Question Time on Monday.
Clutching three glasses in a triangle hold, Mr Abbott deftly delivered the glasses to his colleagues Andrew Robb and Kevin Andrews.
Scroll down for video
Confidently making his way over to the bench, Tony Abbott attempted to deliver glasses of water to his colleagues Andrew Robb and Kevin Andrews
Clutching three glasses in a triangle hold, Mr Abbott was snapped by news photographers who were said to have gone into 'Abbottmania' when the Liberal backbencher picked up the drinks
News photographers were said to have gone into 'Abbottmania' when the Liberal backbencher picked up the drinks.
Despite the constant frenzy around his most banal activities, Mr Abbott has pledged to stay in politics, telling Peninsula Living last month he still has 'fire in the belly' for politics.
He said his stature as a former prime minister would help get things done for voters in his electorate of Warringah.
It was another spill on the floor of Parliament, when Abbott made his way over to his seat during Question time
A few drops splattered on the floor, but the spill was nothing like September 2014
'It definitely helps an electorate to have someone well known - and as a former prime minister, I am definitely well known,' he was quoted saying.
'I can say things in the party room and in the media and generally get attention.'
Treasurer Scott Morrison will hand down an election year Budget at 7.30pm AEST on Tuesday. He has described it as an economic plan aimed at helping Australians who want to achieve more.
The first British troops have arrived in Somalia as part of efforts to tackle the threat from Islamist militants, just days after ISIS claimed its first ever attack in the East African country.
The soldiers, the first of up to 70 set to be deployed there this year, are part of a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission to counter the extremist group al Shabab.
The troops arrive just days after ISIS claimed its first attack in the country, blowing up an African Union car just outside the capital Mogadishu.
Somalia has long been dominated by the extremist al-Shabaab military group (pictured), which is battling African Union forces for control of the country. British troops will be providing support to the AU forces
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the UK is commited to targeting terrorism around the world
The group has released several propaganda videos recently imploring al-Shabaab fighters - who have been aligned to Al-Qaeda for several years - to break ranks and join them.
If they did, Somalia would become the terror group's first outpost in East Africa.
However, they will not be on the front line.
The military personnel, from Force Troop Command, 1 Div and Field Army training, will ffer medical, engineering and logistical support to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
When David Cameron announced the deployment last September he made assurances that 'all the right force protection arrangements' would be put in place to minimise the risk of harm to any UK troops.
Speaking this week, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the move reinforces the UK's commitment to targeting terrorism around the world.
He added: 'This deployment is another demonstration of the flexibility and global reach of our Armed Forces.
'Alongside our efforts in Iraq, Syria and Nigeria, it shows our determination to tackle terrorism wherever it rears its head.'
However, the troops arrival comes just days after ISIS claimed its first attack in Somalia, which has long been aligned to al-Qaeda. The terrorist group is calling on al-Shabaab to join its ranks
The Prime Minister also announced personnel would be deploying to South Sudan, where inter-tribal fighting has forced people from their homes and left millions facing a severe food shortage, to provide engineering work to strengthen infrastructure.
Another is the alleged leader of Islamist group that kidnaps and tortures
Germany is due to begin its first ever trials over atrocities committed in Syria, further raising fears that terrorists are sneaking into the country among refugees.
The suspects to appear in court this week include a man who was pictured posing with severed heads, the leader of a notorious Islamist group and a Syrian who is accused of kidnapping a UN soldier.
Authorities have been dealing with 25 to 30 tip-offs every day from asylum seekers reporting possible jihadis who could be looking to carry out lone wolf attacks on German soil.
Prosecutors have so far examined 127 cases and heard 4,500 witnesses but this effort led to only four trials, including a conviction for genocide.
The first case to be heard in Frankfurt tomorrow is that of a German national who posted pictures of himself posing with the heads of two decapitated civilians on Facebook (file photo of ISIS terrorists)
'Ten investigations linked to Syria or Iraq are currently being examined by the federal prosecutor,' said a spokesman for the prosecutor's office.
These make but some of more than 30 cases against former jihadists over their membership to a terrorist group.
The first case to be heard in Frankfurt tomorrow is that of German national Aria L, 21, who posted photos of himself with two decapitated heads on Facebook after travelling to the Middle East posing as a volunteer.
Another key war crimes suspect, Syrian born Ibrahim al-F, 41, is thought to be the leader of an Islamist rebel group known for kidnapping and torturing civilians in Aleppo.
While his fellow countryman Suliman A.S, 24, is suspected of having kidnapped a UN soldier in 2013.
Investigations had to be stepped up following the arrival 1.1million asylum seekers in Germany last year - around 40 per cent of whom fled the wars in Syria and Iraq.
But since 2013, refugees looking to settle in Germany have had to complete a form asking if they have witnessed war crimes or could name perpetrators of violations.
Authorities have been dealing with 25 to 30 tip-offs every day from asylum seekers (pictured, migrants arriving in Munich) reporting possible jihadis
Prosecutors have so far examined 127 cases and heard 4,500 witnesses but this effort led to only four trials of potential jihadis (pictured, an ISIS terrorist in Syria)
'The refugee influx has provided new opportunities for prosecutors to collect specific information,' said Geraldine Mattioli, expert on international justice at Human Rights Watch.
Investigators dealing with Syrian cases face the additional challenge of access because - with war still raging in the country - they are unable to travel there to gather evidence.
While propaganda images posted by jihadist fighters on social networks offer a glimpse of the atrocities, it is difficult to authenticate the photos or their provenance.
But with the mass arrivals of refugees, Germany is taking a proactive stance by collecting information little by little, and organising it by country, rather than waiting for specific accusations before taking action.
The hope is that each piece of information being collected could one day help build a broader picture or point to a specific trend.
Germany is no stranger to trying war crimes committed abroad, although past attempts have been met with mixed success.
In 1993, pushed by an inflow of refugees fleeing the war in Yugoslavia, Germany formed a special police unit dedicated to investigating war crimes committed in the Balkans.
Other European countries took similar action, with one of the most active investigations carried out by Dutch police.
Investigations into potential jihadis had to be stepped up following the arrival 1.1million asylum seekers in Germany last year (pictured, migrants off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa)
Since 2013, refugees looking to settle in Germany (pictutred, Chancellor Angela Merkel who adopted an open door policy to refugees) have had to complete a form asking if they have witnessed war crimes
Undeterred, the prosecution service sought ways to refine their procedure, becoming more sophisticated in tackling cases involving massacres in Africa's Great Lakes region.
There, the judiciary dispatched its investigators to collect evidence on the ground and sought to offer better protection for witnesses.
The painstaking task led to the convictions of two Rwandan rebel leaders for masterminding massacres in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo from their homes in Germany.
The village of Pozieres, in northern France, was wiped off the face of the earth in just four weeks during the battle
Century-old photographs show the devastation of the Battle of the Somme as an entire village is reduced to rubble
Advertisement
These shocking aerial photographs show the devastation of the Battle of the Somme as an entire village is wiped off the face of the earth in just four weeks.
The pictures, printed from fragile glass negatives, were taken by members of the Royal Flying Corps using a camera which was strapped to the side of a two-seater plane.
They had flown above Pozieres in northern France on June 17, 1916 and captured a bird's-eye view of the small village, which was unscathed with its buildings and roads intact.
However, just more than a month later, a plane flew over the exact spot and photographed the same part of the residential area - and the buildings and roads had been completely obliterated and reduced to rubble.
Before: The village of Pozieres in northern France was photographed on June 17, 1916, and was unscathed with its buildings and roads intact
After: But just four weeks later, a photographer on a plane captured a bird's-eye view of the same village - which had been wiped off the face of the earth following the Battle of Pozieres
The village had fallen victim to the Battle of Pozieres - which was a two-week struggle for the area during the middle stages of the Somme Offensive in 1916.
At the time, Pozieres was in the centre of what was the British sector of the Somme battlefield, despite being an important German defensive position.
It was the scene of bitter and costly fighting for the 1st, 2nd and 4th Australian Divisions in July 1916 as the Australians and British fought together to try and defeat the German empire.
Between July 13 and July 17, the British field army known as the The Fourth Army made four attacks against Pozieres and in this period, the village was subjected to a heavy bombardment and reduced to rubble.
Poignant aerial photographs showing the Somme battlefields where more than 1million men were wounded or killed have inspired an English poet to pen a new series of writings. One of the century-old photographs (pictured) shows the line of the Roman road between Bapaume and Albert in northern France
And these poignant aerial photographs showing the Somme battlefields where more than 1million men were wounded or killed have now inspired an English poet to pen a new series of writings.
Simon Armitage, 52, looked at the century-old evocative images of the French villages and he was immediately motivated to create a new collection of poems.
His new work will be displayed for the first time as part of the Fierce Light exhibition at the Norfolk and Norwich festival later this month.
The exhibition will feature Mr Armitage's collection of six poems, called Still, which will be engraved onto the aerial photographs of the WWI battlefields.
This aerial photographs of the Somme battlefields shows the village of Courcelette and sugar refinery in September 1916
Mr Armitage, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, said he was immediately drawn to the photographs because they look 'beautiful and idyllic'.
He said: 'I am responding poetically to a series of photographs from the First World War, essentially about a road which sort of describes the direction and extent of the Somme Offensive.'
He added: 'And one of the things that interested me about them is that a lot of these photographs look very beautiful and idyllic.
'They sometimes show landscapes which are either untouched or which conceal the horror.
'I'm choosing six or seven of these images and then I'm writing poetry which is going to be engraved onto glass to mimic the glass negatives which were being used at the time.'
The photographs, printed from fragile glass negatives, were captured by members of the Royal Flying Corps using a camera which was strapped to the side of a two-seater plane
Mr Armitage, (pictured) from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, said he was immediately drawn to the photographs because they look 'beautiful and idyllic'
The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, was a battle fought by the French and British empires against the German empire.
It was one of the largest battles of World War I and more than 20,000 men were slaughtered in just one day.
Alan Wakefield, a historian specialising in first world war photography at the Imperial War Museum, told The Guardian that the flyers bragged they could have the images processed, printed, and couriered by motorcycle to a desk at the War Office, within half an hour of the plane landing.
He said: 'They prided themselves in the quality of the photographs, but it was in their interest to get it right the first time otherwise they would have to go right back and do it again.'
AN EXTRACT FROM SIMON ARMITAGE'S NEW POEM, STILL: A time will certainly come in these rich vales When a ploughman slicing open the soil Will crunch through rusting spears, or strike A headless iron helmet with his spade, Or stare, wordless, at the harvest of raw bones He exhumes from the earths unmarked grave.
Mr Wakefield has a staggering 120,000 glass negatives in his care, which is the largest collection in the world.
By 1916, the photographers could load a cartridge with several glass plates into the camera, but would then have to replace them repeatedly when flying.
The camera man was also responsible for looking out for German fighter pilots and was in control of the only gun on board.
Indeed, many paid with their lives as they tried to capture the information with a camera, because the images were only obtained when the pilot flew slowly, in a straight line and at a constant level - straight over the German lines.
Meanwhile, people operating the observation balloons were given an even more dangerous task after being sent up 3,000ft in a basket and were the only troops given parachutes.
Mr Wakefield added: 'The trouble was they were only sent up in still weather, so they were jumping with a blazing balloon falling straight down on top of them.
'This is what flying was really about in the first world war people remember the air aces and the dog fights, but they were really only operating in support of the observers.'
Mr Armitage is Professor of Poetry at the University of Sheffield. He has published ten collections of poetry and is the author of two novels as well as the best-selling memoir, All Points North
Mr Armitage went into the IWM photographic store in central London, to look through the archive with Mr Wakefield and choose the images.
He told the Guardian the photographs offered an unfamiliar visual perspective of the conflict, seen not from the trenches but from the sky.
One of the century-old photographs shows the line of the Roman road between Bapaume and Albert in northern France.
It was the location of one of the most notorious killing grounds of the First World War.
Another picture shows location of where The Battle of Pozieres took place, which was a two-week struggle for the village of Pozieres during the middle stages of the Somme Offensive in 1916.
The Battle of the Somme (pictured) began at 7.30am, and by the following morning 19,240 British soldiers had died. Almost 40,000 more British men were wounded, captured or missing in action
Mr Armitage is Professor of Poetry at the University of Sheffield. He has published ten collections of poetry and is the author of two novels as well as the best-selling memoir, All Points North.
In 2010, he received the CBE for his services to poetry.
The exhibition Fierce Light will also feature poems from Paul Muldoon, Jo Shapcott and Jackie Kay.
Its world premiere will be at the East Gallery of Norwich University of the Arts on May 10, and the exhibition will run until June 4.
A 15-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy have been charged after allegedly stabbing and trying to rob a 28-year-old man the girl met on Tinder.
The alleged victim picked up the girl at an address in Massey, a suburb north-west of Auckland, after meeting through dating app, according to the New Zealand Herald.
He was allegedly asked by the female to drive down a driveway where the 14-year-old male was hiding in the bushes.
Scroll down for video
The 28-year-old male was found injured in the middle of a roundabout in the north-west suburb of Massey in Auckland
He was taken to Waitakere hospital where he was treated for a deep wound in the chest and a collapsed lung
A male, allegedly armed with a weapon, then approached the vehicle, according to a report on Stuff.co.nz.
The man tried to drive away but was allegedly stabbed in the chest by the girl.
He made an attempt to get away from the scene but collapsed.
The teenage girl has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent to rob the man on Friday night.
The 14-year-old boy has been charged with being a party to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to rob.
A police spokesman said emergency services arrived on the scene and found the victim in the middle of a roundabout on the corner of Triangle road and Huruhuru road at 11.50pm.
The 28-year-old was taken to Waitakere Hospital by ambulance with a deep cut just below his collar bone and a collapsed lung.
The female offender has appeared in front of a youth court on Monday while the 14-year-old will appear in Waitakere district court on Tuesday.
He was allegedly attacked by a 15-year-old girl in his car after they met through dating app Tinder
The girl's 14 year-old male friend has been charged being a party to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to rob and will appear in Waitakere District Court on Tuesday
Salim Mulla, pictured while mayor in 2014, today became the second Labour councillor to be suspended in as many hours
Labour today suspended three councillors over allegations of anti-Semitism as leader Jeremy Corbyn scrambled to draw a line under a toxic row just days before crunch polls.
Burnley councillor Shah Hussein joined the list of suspended Labour politicians shortly before 5pm this afternoon after it emerged he tweeted at an Israeli footballer that 'your country doing the same thing that hitler did to ur race'.
Nottingham City councillor Ilyas Aziz was the first suspended today at around 11.20am and he was swiftly followed by Salim Mulla, a former mayor of Blackburn, around two hours later.
The quick-fire suspensions came amid the continuing fall out from Ken Livingstone's incendiary remarks that Hitler supported 'Zionism' before he went 'mad and killed six million Jews'.
In stark contrast to last week's damaging delays surrounding Mr Livingstone and Bradford West MP Naz Shah, Labour issued statements announcing suspensions within minutes of allegations emerging.
Councillor Mulla was suspended after posts emerged which included backing for a conspiracy that Israel was to blame for the Sandy Hook school shooting in the United States.
He also posted a call for Israel to be 're-located' to the US - using the same graphic shared by MP Naz Shah a week ago that triggered the toxic row.
In a further post, Mr Mulla suggested an Israeli conspiracy was funding ISIS - drawing a direct link between the decision of France to recognise calls for a Palestinian state and the Paris attacks.
Mr Aziz was the first Labour councillor suspended today.
The party acted after it was claimed he had posted on Facebook: 'Jews and Muslims lived together in the Middle East, in peace pre 1948. Perhaps it would have been wiser to create Israel in America it's big enough. They could relocate even now'.'
In another post dating back to 2014, linking to an article about Nazi Germany, Mr Aziz said: 'A reminder of the treatment and suffering of Jews in Nazi Germany. Are there are any similarities to how Israel is treating Palestinians.'
Mr Aziz's Twitter account shows him to be a strong supporter of Mr Corbyn - including a retweet of Mr Corbyn's May Day speech insisting Labour was not anti-Semitic.
He has also tweeted pictures of himself with Mr Corbyn at a rally during last year's leadership campaign.
The allegations all emerged on the political blog Guido Fawkes.
Ilyas Aziz, right, tweeted a picture of himself campaigning with Jeremy Corbyn during last year's leadership campaign. He was the first councillor to be suspended by Labour today
Mr Aziz today denied some of the claims made against him, including denials he had posted some of the comments visible on his account.
Asked if he suggested Israel could be relocated and whether he feared he could be suspended as a result - as it was the same suggestion that led to the action against MP Naz Shah - Mr Aziz said: 'I didn't write that.'
On the comparison with the Nazis, Mr Aziz said: 'That one possibly (was) because you make a comparison that it's wrong, that nobody should be doing that.'
Asked whether he thought that people who criticised Israeli policy faced being accused of anti-Semitism, he said: 'I think you need to be careful.
'The thing you have got to try and appreciate is that if a particular government - whether it's the Israeli government, whether it's the British government - if the government is actually doing something wrong they should be criticised.
'But not the population itself, it's got nothing to do with them, it's got nothing to do with the religion.'
Councillor Shah Hussain became the third Labour councillor to be suspended today after his 2014 tweet to footballer Yossi Benayoun became public
He added that 'as politicians you need to be careful' and said he supported the suspensions imposed on Ms Shah and Mr Livingstone.
Mr Aziz added: 'But at the same time I'm also a great believer that justice should be done and I think they should do a swift inquiry into exactly what the feelings are and if the party feels that they have crossed a boundary then yes, they should be suspended or expelled.'
Mr Corbyn's hesitation over suspending Ms Shah last Wednesday drew more fire a day later when Mr Livingstone made his explosive claims on breakfast radio only to be met with hours of silence from the leaders' office.
In other developments today, there were renewed threats of a front bench walkout on Mr Corbyn if Thursday's results are as bad as some in Labour fear.
Polls suggest Labour will lose 150 or more council seats, lose control in the Welsh Assembly and potentially fall to third in Scotland.
Sadiq Khan admitted at the weekend the anti-Semitism row was hurting his bid to be London Mayor despite him being favourite to be the first Labour winner of City Hall since Mr Livingstone.
Former London mayor Mr Livingstone caused and then stoked outrage with his repeated claim Hitler was a Zionist last week
It has also emerged Mr Livingstone's 'guru' on Hitler and Zionism is a Jewish Trotskyite who spent three years in prison for cannabis possession and obstructing the police.
Lenni Brenner wrote 'Zionism in the Age of Dictators' in 1983, detailing a pact between Zionists and Nazis to help Jews emigrate to Palestine.
The revelation Mr Livingstone's incendiary remarks were based on the 1983 text added a bizarre new element to the scandal today.
The Times today reported Mr Livingstone has threatened to table the book as evidence in a hearing over his suspension for anti-Semitism.
Mr Brenner was a left wing campus agitator at Berkeley, California, during the 1960s.
He was jailed for 39 months in San Luis Obispo state prison after being caught with a cannabis cigarette. His probation was extended into a jail term after he was accused of blocking a door during a student protest.
Mr Livingstone cited the claims in his 2011 autobiography, admitting he was 'shocked by the revelations'.
Mr Livingstone wrote: 'Of course Labour Zionists cannot be blamed for not anticipating Nazism would become the greatest evil in human history but however well intentioned their motives it was a catastrophic error of judgement not to throw all the resources of Zionism against Nazism.'
He added: 'Brenner's books helped form by view of Zionism and its history so I was not going to be silenced by smears of anti-Semitism whenever I criticised Israeli government policies.'
Mr Corbyn could face a walk out of shadow ministers if the anti-Semitism row makes Labour's expected bad results even worse after Mr Livingstone's incendiary remarks
Sources told The Times that members of the shadow cabinet had renewed discussions of whether to move against Mr Corbyn following Thursday's election.
They said: 'People who are doing frontbench jobs, who are on the soft left, are quite embarrassed now about the fact they are linked to this team.
'After the local elections a few people might prise themselves away from it. A lot of them are saying, 'Why are we making excuses for this team all the time?' You could certainly see some shift in personnel.'
Yesterday, the bitter row escalated again amid fresh warnings that Labour will be hammered by voters for failing to deal with the issue.
Shadow Cabinet member Diane Abbott risked further inflaming the row threatening to engulf the party ahead of key elections by lashing out at 'smears'.
Unite boss Len McCluskey also waded in to accuse Blairite MPs of 'manipulating' anti-Semitism concerns in a bid to unseat the leader.
But Israeli Ambassador Mark Regev condemned links to Hamas and Hezbollah as he warned that Labour appeared to be 'in denial' about issues among its activists.
Zipporah Lisle-Mainwaring, 67, (pictured) painted her multi-million pound Kensington townhouse in red and white stripes
The woman who painted a multi-million pound townhouse in red and white stripes has revealed she has spent an 'absurd' amount in planning applications and legal fees during a bitter row over the property with her neighbours and council bosses.
Zipporah Lisle-Mainwaring, 67, is in the process of pulling down the mews property in Kensington, west London, which was branded an 'eyesore' by neighbours after the stripes appeared last Spring.
She had been ordered to repaint the building in January after a court ruled that the colour scheme damaged the exclusive area's aesthetic appeal, but now plans to completely rebuild it - subject to agreement from her adjoining neighbours.
Details of the row with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council, and the attempts by South African businessman Niall Carroll - who lives next door - to block her plans, are now set to be revealed in a Channel 4 documentary, Posh Neighbours At War, which airs this evening.
Speaking ahead of the documentary airing, Ms Lisle-Mainwaring told The Times that she had spent a 'seven figure' sum during the four-year dispute, which began with an application for a double basement, in which she planned to house a pool.
Scroll down for video
'I supposed I never had a doll's house and now I like playing house,' she told Stefanie Marsh in the Times2 interview. 'But of course, I was forced to pay an absurd amount on planning and appeals.'
She added: 'I could give all my money to charity, but I'm not that nice a person.'
Ms Lisle-Mainwaring, who divides her time between Switzerland and London, paid 4.7million for the property in August 2012, when it was being used as office space.
Ms Lisle-Mainwarin said she had chosen to paint her property in protest over the council's refusal to grant her permission to change the use of the building from storage into residential use
South African businessman Niall Carroll (pictured), who lives next door to Ms Lisle-Mainwaring, complained to the High Court that he had not been properly consulted over her attempt to change the property use from storage to residential
She was able to change the building's planning designation to storage space, but in July 2013, her application to convert the property into a residential classification and extend it to include a double 'super' basement was refused.
She then submitted a second planning application in December 2013, but this was refused by the planning committee in May last year despite being recommended for approval by planning officers.
After six planning applications, Ms Lisle-Mainwaring was granted permission to change the building's use into a residential property in February - a month after she was ordered to repaint the house within 28 days, although that deadline was later put on hold after she lodged an appeal against the decision made by Hammersmith magistrates.
The stripes had appeared on the building in March last year, in a paint job that took 'five-and-a-half hours', after Ms Lisle-Mainwaring won the right to change the property into a home, only for the approval to be quashed by the High Court after a complaint by Mr Carroll over the fact he had not been properly consulted.
Ms Lisle-Mainwaring is in the process of pulling down the mews property in Kensington, west London, which was branded an 'eyesore' by neighbours after the stripes appeared last Spring
He had been allowed to build his own basement swimming pool, but told the Channel 4 programme that this was built 'under a different set of circumstances', and that noise from the building work on Ms Lisle-Mainwaring's property would force him to leave his home.
'I don't think you can say because the Queen has a tiara, everyone should be allowed a tiara,' he told the documentary makers.
Ms Lisle-Mainwaring's neighbours were not impressed with the paintwork, with some likening the outlandish stripes to a 'beachside hut' and others claiming they were 'horrendously unhappy' with the decoration.
She told Times2 that she had chosen to paint her property in protest over the council's refusal to grant her change of usage application.
'I was making a statement: if you want a warehouse, this is a warehouse,' she said.
She was later ordered to repaint it by the council, but took the authority to court challenging the decision.
During that court hearing in January this year, her lawyer denied that the house was out of character for the conservation area where it is situated.
But District Judge Susan Baines ruled that the colour of the house 'had an adverse effect of the amenity of the area' and ordered the homeowner to repaint it within 28 days - meaning it should have been restored to its white colouring by the end of February.
The judge added: 'The applicant did not have to choose such a garish red colour and in so doing brought harm to the amenity of the area.
'She should have been aware of the nature of the area and it was incumbent upon her to paint the property in a similar manner to other properties.'
Ms Lisle-Mainwaring lodged an appeal against the judge's ruling, which automatically suspended the deadline by which she was supposed to paint the house.
She started work on knocking down the empty building on March 22, with scaffolding erected outside and asbestos removed, but is now awaiting a so-called party wall agreement from her adjoining neighbours - including Mr Carroll - before she can completely level the building.
Last week the Evening Standard reported that Ms Lisle-Mainwaring will be replacing the property with a new four-bedroom home, and now plans to request planning permission for a single basement extension.
She said she had 'no doubt' her neighbours would cause her more 'terrible problems' for her plans, adding: 'It has been very stressful but at least I have a comfortable home to live in and am not going to go bankrupt.'
Nicola Sturgeon today insisted there should be a second independence referendum within five years if there is a decisive turn in support despite a backlash over the SNP plan to restart campaigning.
Just four days before Ms Sturgeon is expected to re-elected as First Minister with an increased majority, she said it would be democratic to hold a second poll if the evidence shows independence would be successful.
The SNP plans to restart its independence campaign this summer despite not including a second referendum in its manifesto for Thursday's election.
In a fiery pre-election debate last night, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson blasted that it was 'not on' for Ms Sturgeon to break her promise on the 2014 referendum being a 'once in a lifetime' event.
Nicola Sturgeon said there should be a second independence referendum if there is sustained support for a Yes vote in opinion polls
Polls suggest Ms Davidson could be installed as opposition leader by Thursday's elections as Labour's turmoil could propel the Conservative's into second place in Holyrood.
Ms Sturgeon said she would look for 'sustained' support for independence in a 'range of opinion polls'.
She added: 'I've believed in independence all my adult life.
'I would like it to be within five years but I don't know that the majority of people in Scotland would support it within that timescale because I accept that I didn't... persuade enough people in 2014.
'So if we are ever going to be independent, we've got more people to persuade.'
In the BBC interview, Ms Sturgeon today rejected claims she was breaking a promise.
She said: 'I'm making a simple democratic point, we had a referendum in 2014, much to my regret, those of us arguing for independence didn't win that referendum.
'If there's no shift in opinion from that which we saw expressed in 2014, I don't think we would have the right to propose a second referendum.
'But on the other side of that argument, if we do see a shift in opinion, if independence becomes the clear option, the preferred option of the majority of the people in Scotland then I don't think it would be right for politicians to stand in the way of that because the decision belongs in the hands of the people.'
Scotland's party leaders - from left Scottish Labour Party leader Kezia Dugdale, BBC presenter Sarah Smith, Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie - clashed over independence at last night's debate
Speaking in last's debate, Ms Davidson said: 'It's not up to her to see one opinion poll she likes and say we're putting this country through it once more.
'It's not on.'
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale accused Ms Sturgeon of 'trying to pull the wool over people's eyes'.
She added: 'So many people in Scotland just want to move on from that referendum of the past. We have substantial new tax and welfare powers coming to the Scottish Parliament.
A British company executive was physically attacked by angry relatives of victims whose deaths have been linked to its products in South Korea.
Nearly 180 South Koreans have died or suffered injuries as a result of lung injuries caused by a humidifier sterilizer sold by Reckitt Benckiser, forcing the company to make a public apology.
Ata Safdar, the head of Reckitt Benckiser Korea and Japan, was slapped during a news conference in Seoul on Monday where he apologised to the victims for his firm's role in selling the dangerous product.
Slap: The head of Reckitt Benckiser Korea and Japan, Ata Safdar, is attacked by families of victims as he apologised for his firm's role in selling a humidifier disinfectant blamed for nearly 100 deaths in South Korea
Confrontation: Nearly 180 South Koreans have died or suffered injuries as a result of lung injuries caused by a humidifier sterilizer sold by Reckitt Benckiser
The news conference in a Seoul hotel marked the first publicacceptance of responsibility by the firm, which also manufactures Nurofen painkillers and Durex condoms, for its role in abitter controversy that has raged since 2011.
The government said last year that 92 people were believedto have died from causes related to the humidifier products -not all them marketed by Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, which was thegroup's South Korean arm at the time.
Mr Safdar was attacked after making an apology which saw him bow several times before an audience that included victims and their families.
'Today's apology, was about acceptance of responsibility forthe harm that Oxy HS (humidifier sterilizers) has caused,'Safdar said.
Sorry: Mr Safdar bowed several times during the apology
'This is the first time we are accepting the fullestresponsibility, and we are offering a complete and full apology.
'We were late, five years have passed, we are alsoapologising far too late. This is what we are apologisingabout.'
As he spoke, a man stepped on to the stage, shoutingexpletives and slapping him on the back of the neck.
'This is heartbreaking,' Safdar said as he asked to beallowed to continue. 'I apologise again. I would request that Iam allowed to finish my statement, please.'
Another man who mounted the stage shouted: 'It's too late.'
Sales of the sterilizers, a liquid added to the water ofhumidifiers, were suspended by the South Korean government in2011.
Safdar said some 178 users of its products are among thosebelieved by the South Korean government to have been affected,and he outlined a plan to set up a compensation panel.
South Korea says 530 people had registered claims since 2011of lung ailments from using humidifier sterilizers marketed byOxy Reckitt Benckiser, and similar products marketed by otherfirms.
South Korea is believed to be the only country where theproducts were sold, according to a government official.
South Korean prosecutors have opened a criminalinvestigation against makers of the products.
Reckitt Benckiser's global brands include Dettol antisepticwash, Nurofen and Durex condoms.
Monday's apology comes as the company braces itself for a shareholder backlash, after handing its boss more than 23million in pay and perks.
Rakesh Kapoor, chief executive of the FTSE 100 consumer goods company, saw his earnings jump from 12.8million in 2014 to 23.2million last year.
Dave Campbell, 68, from Manchester, who was locked up in a Thai prison for eight months
A British grandfather who was locked up in a Thai jail while facing a manslaughter charge claims he was sexually abused by guards and beaten by fellow inmates at the 'squalid' prison.
Dave Campbell, who is originally from Salford, Manchester, has lived in the country since 2014 and was horrifically injured in a motorbike collision in Ban Phe in March last year.
He spent more than three weeks in hospital and another three weeks in jail - before being hauled before the courts after a French woman involved in the crash died.
Mr Campbell, 68, claims he has now been told by lawyers representing the French woman's partner that they are pushing for manslaughter charges against him
The incident came while driving at night, when Mr Campbell collided with another bike, which didn't have its lights on and was carrying three people who weren't wearing helmets - a French man and woman and a local.
After being knocked unconscious, he was left with broken ribs and severe cuts. He also claims he nearly lost an eye in the incident and has been left suffering terrible memory loss.
When he was discharged from hospital, the grandfather says he voluntarily went to a police station to tell officers he had been involved in the crash.
He was told there was no record of the incident and thought the matter had ended there.
But around six weeks later, he was arrested, was told he faced an assault charge and claimed officers tried to force him to sign a confession.
He said his phone was confiscated and claimed he was denied access to a lawyer and British consular assistance.
After being taken to a cell, Mr Campbell's friends attempted to bail him out after police asked for 10,000 Thai Baht - around 200 - but the price soon rocketed to 2,000.
He was then taken to Rayong, shackled to three other prisoners, before being thrown in a cell with 30 hardened criminals for three days.
The pensioner said he was then put in another jail for two weeks, where he was beaten and robbed by prisoners in a tiny cell - and humiliated by laughing guards who sexually assaulted him after stripping him naked.
He explained: 'From the minute I was arrested, they were shouting at me, slapping me, prodding me. They wouldnt let me speak to anyone and just said I was guilty. Ive had no idea whats been going on for 14 months.
While in the prison Mr Campbell claims that he was beaten by fellow inmates and sexually abused by prison guards
'In prison, they made my life hell. The guards hit me for fun and the prisoners beat me and robbed me.
'Im out of jail now, but Ive been a prisoner for eight months. Its ruined my life, put me in thousands in debt through borrowing for hospital and legal bills, and put years on my life.
'Im not entirely sure what Im being accused of. All I know is that it was an accident. Ive done nothing wrong, but Ive been treated like a criminal.'
Around eight months after Mr Campbell was released from prison and the case reached court after the French man involved in the crash returned to Thailand, claiming his partner had died of her injuries.
He said French lawyers have told him a manslaughter charge could be brought against him when the case continues on May 30, having been adjourned.
British troops arrived in Somalia today to join efforts against Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia.
The soldiers, the first of up to 70 set to be deployed there this year, are part of a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission to counter the extremist group.
The military personnel, from Force Troop Command, 1 Div and Field Army training, will offer medical, engineering and logistical support to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the move reinforces the UK's commitment to targeting terrorism around the world.
The British troops will join a multi-national effort to stop the Al-Shabaab militants Somalia (file picture) by offering medical, engineering and logistical support to the African Union forces
Al-Shabaab is al-Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia and operates primarily out of the country's southern and central regions.
Mr Fallon added: 'This deployment is another demonstration of the flexibility and global reach of our Armed Forces.
'Alongside our efforts in Iraq, Syria and Nigeria, it shows our determination to tackle terrorism wherever it rears its head.'
Announcing the deployment in September as he prepared to attend a summit at the UN General Assembly in New York, David Cameron said 'all the right force protection arrangements' would be put in place to minimise the risk of harm.
The Prime Minister also announced personnel would be deploying to South Sudan, where inter-tribal fighting has forced people from their homes and left millions facing a severe food shortage, to provide engineering work to strengthen infrastructure.
The assignments are part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) pledge to double the number of UK troops on UN peacekeeping tasks from the 300 currently deployed.
The new deployment comes amid continued speculation about Britain's role in a mission to support the new Government in Libya.
Last month, Philip Hammond admitted Britain might have to deploy combat troops to fight ISIS in Libya.
The Foreign Secretary acknowledged the severity of the threat on Europe's doorstep as a new government in Tripoli battles to exert some control over the war-torn country.
Mr Hammond has repeatedly said in recent weeks there are no plans in place for Britain to join a new mission in Libya - despite firm reports a 1,000-strong British force will be deployed on a training mission.
But in a newspaper interview Mr Hammond said nothing should be ruled out, adding Royal Air Force or Royal Navy assets could also be deployed alongside the Army.
A one-year-old girl has tragically died in a fierce unit fire after her mother and three-year-old brother were rescued from the blaze.
The 22-year-old woman and her son were rescued from the balcony after the fire broke out at an apartment complex on Mowatt Street in East Queanbeyan, in southern New South Wales.
Emergency crews arrived just before 3pm on Monday to find the unit alight and neighbours trying desperately to enter the property.
Scroll down for video
A one-year-old girl died in the blaze on Mowatt Street in East Queanbeyan on Monday
Kenny Cameron, who lives in the unit next door, told the ABC: 'There was black toxic smoke bellowing out from the next-door neighbour's door.
'I tried to kick down the door and I could hear [the mother] screaming inside that she couldn't find her little baby girl.'
NSW Police confirmed a child's body was found inside the unit shortly after 4pm, after the fire was extinguished.
The girl's mother and her three-year-old brother were rescued from the unit's balcony
NSW Police confirmed a child's body was found inside the unit shortly after 4:00pm, after the fire was extinguished
Fire and Rescue NSW Commander Luke Unsworth said it was fortunate there were not three deaths in the fire.
'The mother and one of the children were actually on the balcony of the unit and with the assistance of NSW Police we managed to put a ladder up onto the balcony and rescue the mother and child,' he told the ABC.
'The firefighters that were now inside the unit were faced with an intense fire. There was a lot of flames, a lot of smoke.
Kenny Cameron, pictured, said: 'I tried to kick down the door and I could hear [the mother] screaming inside that she couldn't find her little baby girl'
The three-year-old boy was treated for smoke inhalation and the mother was treated for burns by paramedics. They have both been taken to the Canberra Hospital.
Three police officers and three firefighters were also needed treatment for smoke inhalation at the scene.
Advertisement
New Zealand is world renowned for their beautiful and dramatic natural scenery and airplane passengers have taken to social media to share some of the country's most spectacular images from up in the air.
Air New Zealand is encouraging their customers to share their best shots on social media of the land of the long white cloud using the hashtag #AirNZshareme.
Close to 16,000 images have been shared by travelers keen to show off their photography skills and filter editing prowess.
Stunning pictures show off New Zealands beautiful snow-capped mountains and coastline from the comfort of the window seat
A passenger captures the sunset and clouds with tinges of pink and purple that almost look like cotton-candy
This passenger traveling from Auckland to Wellington snapped a picture of Mount Taranaki, a strato volcano, located on the west coast of New Zealand's north island
An Air NZ passenger captures the dramatic snow capped mountains near Mount Cook on the south island
The images captured show off the beautiful and unique landscapes from the window seats of tourists.
From snow-capped mountains to clouds in the sunset that almost look like cotton-candy and aerial views Queenstown and Wellington.
Many of the breath taking photographs have been shared by Air New Zealand's official social media accounts.
A traveler flying out of Wellington has shared an amazing evening photo of the city and lights below, with the clouds and sunset
Amazing aerial shot captured flying over the picturesque Wellington's coastline and shared on social media
A passenger captures the dramatic mountains flying from Queenstown to Auckland during winter
The hashtag #AirNZShareMe has allowed keen travelers to show off their pictures of New Zealands stunning natural scenery
A second refugee on Nauru has set herself on fire, just days after a male refugee died from self-inflicted burns.
The Nauruan government confirmed the 21-year-old female refugee from Somalia had critical injuries after setting herself alight on Monday and was being treated at Nauru hospital.
The government said in a statement it was distressed that refugees were attempting 'dreadful acts' to influence the Australian government's immigration policies.
The woman's name is Hadon, Refugee Action Coalition said.
Scroll down for video
The Nauruan government confirmed a 21-year-old female refugee from Somalia had critical injuries after setting herself alight on Monday (stock image)
The Nauru government said the woman was being treated by four emergency doctors from Australia and emergency medical evacuation had been requested.
A source reportedly said a witness said her burns were more serious than those Omid suffered, Guardian Australia reported.
It's alleged the 21-year-old was one of three refugees returned to Nauru last week, after being taken from Brisbane's immigration transit accommodation.
She was brought to Australia in November after suffering a head injury in a motorcycle accident and was reportedly forcibly removed from Brisbane last Wednesday morning about 3am by Border Force officials.
Ian Rintoul, spokesman for Refugee Action Coalition, told Daily Mail Australia they he could not confirm when that would be.
Despite Nauru government's report the woman is 21, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre has claimed she is 19-years-old and was taken to Nauru detention when she was 16.
A spokesperson for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection said they are 'supporting the Government of Nauru to identify appropriate medical treatment options'.
A vigil for Hadon has been organised for Wednesday at 5.30pm at Sydney's Town Hall.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young wrote on Twitter: 'A young woman who asked Aust for help has now set herself on fire after losing all hope for freedom. Our nations heart is better than this.'
'This is another self-harm attempt that is Peter Dutton's responsibility,' Mr Rintoul said in a statement.
'A vulnerable young woman who needed protection was a victim of a spiteful removal. She has been sent to the toxic environment that the Minister has created on Nauru. Tragically this was entirely predictable.'
In a statement, the Nauruan government stressed refugees on Nauru are given the same freedoms as citizens but 'have better facilities'.
'Refugees and asylum seekers are not distressed due to their conditions,' the statement said.
'Their conditions are better than most other refugee camps across the world.'
The Nauruan government called for refugee advocates to stop giving refugees and asylum seekers false hope and 'stirring up these protests'.
Mr Masoumali set himself alight on Wednesday and was airlifted to a Brisbane hospital on Thursday but died the following day
A candlelight vigil was held in Mr Masoumali's memory in Sydney on Saturday, with signs displayed saying 'Killed by detention on Nauru. Close the camps now'
'This is very distressing for support workers, health workers and all others who work closely with our refugee community,' the government said.
Australians have aired outrage at the self-immolation, calling on Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton to bring refugees remaining on Nauru to Australia.
The incident comes just days after Iranian asylum seeker Omid set himself on fire in front of refugee advocates who were visiting Nauru.
He died in Brisbane Hospital on Friday.
The Nauruan government denies reports Omid was not provided quality care at Nauru hospital.
Mr Dutton's office and the Immigration Department have been contacted for comment.
It comes after the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court found Australia's detention of refugees on Manus Island illegal, prompting asylum seekers to seek up to $125,000 in compensation each.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Another refugee, 21, has set herself alight in detention on Nauru just days after the death of Omid Masoumali, 23 (pictured)
Shocking footage of the moment Omid set himself on fire in protest of Australia's detention laws emerged last week (above)
The man was heard screaming 'I can't take it anymore' before he set himself alight in front of other detainees
A heart-stopping 360 degree view 'on board' a 7000ft wingsuit BASE jump shows what it's like to fly just 10ft above the ground.
As Jarno Cordia prepares for the death-defying descent off a mountain near Chamonix, France, he stares straight down the rock face.
Once the 38-year-old professional wingsuit pilot takes flight, the vertigo inducing height becomes clearer as he plummets to the ground at 140mph.
He's not afraid of heights: As Jarno Cordia prepares for the death-defying descent off a mountain near Chamonix, France, he stares straight down the rock face
Soaring down: Once the 38-year-old professional wingsuit pilot takes flight, the vertigo inducing height becomes clearer as he plummets to the ground at 140mph
While passing flying partner, Aurelien, snowy mountain peaks are quickly replaced by sunnier tree tops and dry ground.
As the thrilling footage comes to an end, Jarno glides perilously close to canopies and earth below at speeds of up to 50mph.
Jarno, from Den Haag, Netherlands, said: 'The experience of flying a wingsuit is quite an amazing one.
'Having the ability to fly several miles, using your own body to manipulate the air around you, makes you feel like you're donning an Iron Man suit.
'Though for sure the sport does carry its risks, I can't say that's ever a conscious thought.'
Jarno has been flying wingsuits for 13 years and has completed a few hundred skydives in places ranging from Europe to Brazil, South Africa, USA and China.
An average freefall would see Jarno diving towards the earth at 120mph, but the wingsuit slows down the descent rate to 50mph.
He added: 'Through over 4500 jumps of training while skydiving, I've learnt to control my movement to a very high degree of precision.
'It's a very peaceful, yet intense state of mind, with visuals like nothing else on earth.
'I'm aware of the risks the sport carries but touch wood I've never had any injury or scary situations.'
Terrifying: Jarno has been flying wingsuits for 13 years and has completed a few hundred skydives in places ranging from Europe to Brazil, South Africa, USA and China
Flyign team: While passing flying partner, Aurelien, snowy mountain peaks are quickly replaced by sunnier tree tops and dry ground
Close to earth: As the thrilling footage comes to an end, Jarno glides perilously close to canopies and earth below at speeds of up to 50mph
Jarno worked on the video with Scopic.nl, a Dutch company specialising in 360 degree video.
He said: 'We had worked together to produce a wingsuit documentary before but wanted to try something in 360.
'We hope to one day make a complete virtual directory documentary on wingsuit flyers.
BASE jumping is parachuting or wingsuit flying from a fixed structure or cliff and 'base' is an acronym which stands for Building, Antenna, Span (such as bridges), and Earth (such as cliffs and mountaintops ) that jumpers can parachute from.
The term was originally coined by the legendary Carl Boenish, often seen as the father of base jumping.
The extreme sport is significantly more dangerous than jumping from a plane with a parachute as they take place at lower altitudes.
In July 2015 Ian Flanders, 37, a wingsuit base jumper, died in Turkey during the country's first ever exhibition of the dangerous sport when his parachute cord became tangled and he plummeted to his death in a rocky valley.
Flanders was the 264th jumper to die since record keeping began.
High up: An average freefall would see Jarno diving towards the earth at 120mph, but the wingsuit slows down the descent rate to 50mph
Strong winds and powerful thunderstorms are set to hit Melbourne on Tuesday, while other capital cities can prepare to bask in sunshine.
The wild weather predicted for Melbourne follows a battering in the city on Sunday when storms brought down trees and damaged buildings in parts of the city.
Victoria's State Emergency Service (SES) issued a severe weather warning for Tuesday, with winds of 110km/h and seas expected to top seven metres.
Scroll down for video
Melbourne took a battering on Sunday when severe thunderstorms brought down trees and damaged buildings in parts of the city
Victoria's State Emergency Service has predicted more chaos on Tuesday, issuing a severe weather warning, with winds of 110km/h and seas expected to top seven metres
The SES has warned of likely power outages, fallen trees and branches and severe wind gusts in parts of Victoria
The SES has warned of likely power outages, downed trees and severe wind gusts in parts of the state.
But the storms are expected to be isolated in the southeastern part of the country, with other major capitals enjoying more of Australia's endless summer-type conditions.
In Sydney, temperatures are expected to climb to 25C on Tuesday. This is a return to fine weather after temperatures dropped to a chilly 6.5C on Sunday night finally giving the city a taste of autumn.
In Sydney, temperatures dropped to a chilly 6.5C on Sunday night, and it seemed autumn had finally arrived. But the harbour city will enjoy glorious weather in the coming days, with temperatures expected to reach 25C on Tuesday
Brisbane, having just sweltered through its hottest April on record, can expect a warm and sunny 30C on Tuesday
While Brisbane, having just sweltered through its hottest April on record, can expect a warm and sunny 30C.
While day time temperatures remain above average, it seems the country is finally beginning to cool off after a scorching and seemingly endless summer.
May will be for the most part dry, with only a scattering of storms in parts of the New South Wales north east.
'It's definitely starting to feel like autumn now,' said Weatherzone meteorologist Tristan Meyers.
'It has been warmer in some places and cooler in others - with temperatures dropping down in Sydney.
'Over the next few days New South Wales will remain a touch above average.'
Last week most of the country basked in summer temperatures, with many flocking to the beach to make the most of the heat. Above, sun-seekers at Bondi Beach
While a drier and warm autumn can be expected this month, winter will be rung in with heavy rainfall.
'Rather than a wet end of autumn we could have rainfall increasing in to June and July, particularly in southern parts of the country.
'Next week, from sort of Saturday onwards, there will be fairly decent rain across the south and south east of the country,' Mr Meyers added.
'We may get some good rain in May but it's certainly drier than average,' he said.
It comes after a lengthy summer which brought record temperatures for the month of April. Last week sun-seekers turned out in their droves to soak up the last of the good weather.
The NSW Riverina region recorded the warmest day in 11 years at 28C. The average maximum temperature for the area at this time of year is around 22C.
An employment tribunal lasted seven days and ruled that he lost his claim
Usman, from Birmingham, said he was sacked due to racial discrimination
He showed stunned colleagues the 'aggressive' and 'sinister' photographs
Khalid Usman, 23, has been sacked by Jaguar after posing with AK47 rifle
Khalid Usman, 23, (pictured) posed with the deadly weapon and wore a 'have a got at me face' which was similar to those in 'Dirty Harry' films, an employment tribunal heard
A Muslim car plant worker has been sacked by Jaguar after he 'intimidated' colleagues by showing them pictures of him clutching an AK47 assault rifle - just days after the Charlie Hebdo terrorist atrocity.
Khalid Usman, 23, posed with the deadly weapon and wore a 'have a go at me face', similar to those in 'Dirty Harry' films, an employment tribunal heard.
He was in Pakistan when the photographs were taken and Mr Usman, from Birmingham, West Midlands, argued that 'guns are part of the Pakistani culture' in that particular region.
But when he returned to the UK, Mr Usman showed the 'sinister', 'aggressive' and 'menacing' pictures on his phone to shocked workers who were left feeling intimidated.
He did so just days after the Charlie Hebdo killing spree in Paris on January 7 this year, a terrorist attack which killed 11 employees at the satirical weekly newspaper.
Mr Usman was the shown the door by Jaguar Land Rover after he proudly shared the images with frightened employees, the hearing in Birmingham heard.
Mr Usman has now lost a legal action against the motor giant after claiming his dismissal was due to racial discrimination.
The hearing heard the company's reputation would be tarnished if the photographs fell into the hands of the press.
Sarah George, representing Jaguar Land Rover, said the pictures showed Mr Usman pointing an AK47 at the camera.
She said: 'Mr Usman wore a challenging 'have a go at me' facial expression in the images, similar to those seen in the Dirty Harry films.
'The images were regarded as sinister, aggressive and menacing.'
Miss George added workers found the photos offensive and intimidating. One was frightened and wondered why Mr Usman was dressed in black.
But Mr Usman, who worked at the company's Castle Bromwich plant, stressed in a witness statement that there were no sinister motives behind the snaps.
He was holidaying in a remote, mountainous part of Pakistan where it is common to carry arms as protection against bandits when he posed for the pictures.
Mr Usman, who had been employed by Jaguar for a year, said: 'Guns are part of the Pakistani culture in this region.
Mr Usman, who worked at the company's Castle Bromwich plant (pictured), claimed in a witness statement that there were no sinister motives behind the snaps
An employment tribunal in Birmingham heard Mr Usman, 23, pointed an AK47 (similar to the one pictured) at the camera
'The images could only be viewed by my friends and family but I was asked to show them to work colleagues on my return to work.'
Mr Usman argued that his dismissal was down to racial discrimination.
He added: 'I was the only Pakistani Muslim working in C block.'
Indonesian president's attempts to clamp down on industry have been met with
Advertisement
The orphaned orangutan sits quietly as the vet listens to his heartbeat - barely moving, bedraggled, seemingly on the point of death.
But he is the lucky one: he has been rescued. His mother was not so lucky, becoming another victim of the greed which is slowly destroying vast swathes of a ranforest known as 'the earth's lungs'.
Because there is a lot money to be made here in the Leuser Ecosystem Area, in Gunung Leuser National Park, Sumatra - but only if you cut the trees down, and destroy a habitat.
Endangered: This orphaned Sumatran orangutan is one of just 7,300 left in the wild, fighting to survive as their habitat is slowly destroyed by the demand for palm oil, which needs vast areas for plantations, and the logging industry - both legal and illegal
Extinct: As demand for palm oil, used in everything from biscuits to shampoo, increases, so does the likelihood the Sumatran orangutan will be wiped out forever. Pictured: An orphaned male orangutan
Oxygen: These orphans come from the Leuser Ecosystem Area, in Gunung Leuser National Park, - a rainforest known as 'the earth's lungs'
The biggest culprit in recent years is the palm oil industry, whose plantations encroach into the forest as demand for the product - used in everything from biscuits to shampoo - skyrockets.
Added to this are the forest fires which tear through the trees every year during the dry season due to illegal slash-and-burn clearance.
This combination of deforestation, forest fires and palm oil production on the Leuser Ecosystem Area - classed as a raninforest in danger by UNESCO - has meant the already critically endangered Sumatran orangutan is now even closer to becoming extinct.
At one point in the 1990s, it was estimated the forest was being destroyed so quickly, the habitat of 1,000 orangutans was disappearing every single year.
Photographer Sutanta Aditya, who spent time photographing the rainforest, plantations and wildlife to highlight the issue, said: 'According to the IUCN, over the last 75 years the population of Sumatran orangutans has decreased by 80 percent.'
What's more, the palm oil plantations that operate in the core zone of the national park have resulted in Indonesia producing more greenhouse gasses than the US and China, based on factors such as peatland degradation, forest fires and deforestation.
The photographer added: 'CO2 emissions even when a forest fire in 2015 totalled 1.700 million tonnes, exceeding the CO2 emissions of the United States.'
There are also problems with drought and local farmers hope to continue farming in the area, despite the effects of the palm oil industry.
However, there may be hope on the horizon: Indonesia is pushing to ban new palm oil operations after last year's haze-belching forest fires were partly blamed on the industry's expansion.
Smog: The deforestation is not only slowly killing the wildlife, but also has devastating consequence for pollution levels
Greed: Palm oil brings in millions every year to Indonesia, and supports some 24,000 people, either directly or indirectly, giving the companies a lot of sway. Pictured: A person walking inside the palm oil plantation
Ban: Indonesian president Joko Widodo has proposed a halt on granting new land for palm oil plantations in the country
Threat: Many people remain unconvinced that it will work, with the Indonesian Palm Oil Association claiming it would damage the country if they were not allowed to continue to grow. Pictured: Environmental activist Awaluddin Syam, 62, prays beside the deforestation land area
President Joko Widodo has proposed a halt on granting new land for palm oil plantations in the world's top producer of the edible vegetable oil - a proposal which is aimed at reducing environmental destruction caused by the industry and halting the annual smog outbreaks.
In a statement, he said that 'palm oil concessions available at the moment are already adequate' and urged producers to concentrate on using better seeds to increase their yields.
But the Indonesian Palm Oil Association warned that the ban could damage a mainstay of Southeast Asia's biggest economy that supports 24million jobs, directly or indirectly.
'Palm oil is a strategic sector which contributed $19billion in exports in 2015,' said Tofan Madji, a spokesman for the group, which represents some 650 companies.
'It contributes to economic growth, especially in remote areas.'
Activists were cautious about the proposal, with Greenpeace Indonesia warning it would not be effective unless the government introduces a tough regulation, rather than just a weaker 'presidential instruction'.
Saved: An orphaned baby Sumatran orangutan called Leo undergoing his medical check-up
Attempts: The palm oil plan follows a 2015 ban on new development on all peatlands after swathes of carbon-rich peat were drained for use as plantations in recent years, creating highly flammable areas. Pictured: A worker carries an orphaned orangutan
Laws: The government has also pledged to punish more than 50 companies accused over last year's forest fires, but it suffered a setback when a lawsuit against a pulp and paper company accused of failing to prevent the blazes was rejected
Difficult: Herry Purnomo, a scientist at the Indonesia-based Center for International Forestry Research, believes the forest will continue to be destroyed for as long as there is money to be made from the palm oil industry
Kiki Taufik, Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner, also warned of implementation problems as various parts of government would need to work together for a ban to operate smoothly.
'This is probably one of the hardest parts. Lack of coordination among officials is common and it often leads to bad implementation of regulations,' Taufik said.
A moratorium on new logging permits on primary forest and peatlands - defined as areas not logged in recent history - has been in place since 2011, but campaigners say it has sometimes been ignored when local governments grant concessions.
The palm oil plan follows a 2015 ban on new development on all peatlands after swathes of carbon-rich peat were drained for use as plantations in recent years, creating highly flammable areas.
The government has also pledged to punish more than 50 companies accused over last year's forest fires. But it suffered a setback in December when a court rejected a $565million lawsuit against a pulp and paper company accused of failing to prevent the blazes.
Some believe that little can be done to stop the annual fires when there is still money to be made from palm oil.
'The main cause of forest fires is greed,' said Herry Purnomo, a scientist at the Indonesia-based Center for International Forestry Research.
Plans to give visa-free travel to Europe for 75million people from Turkey are set to be given the go-ahead this week despite Ankara not fulfilling all of its criteria.
The European Commission is expected to recommend the move on Wednesday despite deep public misgivings in some countries.
In an apparent panic over attempts to tackle the migrant crisis, it has asked EU governments and the European Parliament to approve the decision by the end of June.
But Turkey has not yet fully complied with an agreement to introduce 72 pieces of legislation to qualify for the waiver scheme.
Women and children at a makeshift camp for migrants and refugees at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece. Many thousands of migrants remain at the border with Macedonia, hoping that the border crossing will reopen, allowing them to move north into central Europe
An EU source told EUobserver: 'They [the commission] will issue a positive recommendation.
'But it remains to be seen what kind of legal formulas and tricks they will use to justify the move.'
Under the visa proposals, tourists from Turkey will be able to move freely within the 26-member Schengen zone for up to three months.
In return, Turkey has agreed to take back one Syrian migrant who crosses to Greece in exchange for a Syrian in one of its refugee camps.
The move comes as Germany and other EU countries plan to ask the EU Commission for an extension of border controls within the Schengen zone for another six months, because they fear a new wave of migrants.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maizere's spokesman says a letter is being sent on Monday asking for an extension of the controls on the German-Austrian border, which were implemented last year when thousands of migrants crossed into Germany daily.
De Maizere has expressed concern before that an increasing number of migrants will try to reach Europe this summer by crossing the Mediterranean Sea from lawless Lib
Sinan Ulgen, the head of the Istanbul-based Centre for Economics, said Turkey's visa deal was a 'cornerstone' of the migrant agreement, but warned that Ankara had threatened to stop migrant readmissions unless it was granted the travel perks.
Mohammoud Attaki, from Damascus, Syria, shaves his beard on the platform of a train station which was turned into a makeshift camp crowded by migrants at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece
Among the criteria Turkey is expected to meet is a revision of anti-terror laws to protect minority rights and starting judicial cooperation with Cyprus, which Turkey does not recognise as a state.
Ulgen told EUobserver that those reforms would be the hardest 'because it comes at a time when Turkey is facing a wave of terrorist attacks by the PKK and Islamic State.'
A senior EU official familiar with the negotiations insisted that Europe had not 'lowered our standards', adding that 'Turkey had raised its game'.
He was seeking to explain how the EU executive could certify compliance after telling lawmakers just two weeks ago that Ankara had met fewer than half the so-called benchmarks.
The political reality is that Brussels cannot say 'No' and risk a collapse of a much criticized March 18 EU-Turkey deal that was a turning point in Europe's migration crisis.
It may lack political support to sustain a 'Yes', but the Turkish government won't take 'Later' for an answer.
So in the time-honoured EU manner, the Commission will present a package aimed at offering something for everyone.
The commission recommendation must be approved by a majority of EU states and by MEPs.
Turkey, which has a population of 75 million, has been included as part of a deal brokered by Germany for cooperation in controlling the flow of migrants to Europe.
Migrants line-up for food at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, on Monday
Germany took in more than a million asylum seekers last year as part of Chancellor Angela Merkel's 'open door' policy, and is keen to curb the flow of migrants.
France and Germany have proposed a new 'emergency brake' that could suspend visa-free travel for countries that no longer meet the specific criteria.
But commission officials have indicated that idea has been rejected.
A senior EU source told the Sunday Times Turkey could threaten to 'open the floodgates' irrespective of any safeguards .
'The threat will always be there, not just regarding visas, but also perhaps in disputes related to human rights or the Kurdish issue,' the diplomat said.
It comes as new figures revealed nearly 90,000 migrants who applied for asylum in Europe in 2015 were unaccompanied children a four-fold increase from the year before.
Eurostat, the European Commission's official statistics office, said 88, 300 sought refuge last year compared to 23,000 in 2014 and between 11,000 and 13,000 from 2008-2013.
The first U.S. cruise ship in nearly 40 years crossed the Florida Straits from Miami and docked in Havana on Monday, restarting commercial travel on waters that served as a stage for a half-century of Cold War hostility.
Carnival Cruise Line's Adonia became the first U.S. cruise ship in Havana since President Jimmy Carter eliminated virtually all restrictions of U.S. travel to Cuba in the late 1970s.
Travel limits were restored after Carter left office and U.S. cruises to Cuba only become possible again after Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro declared detente on December 17, 2014.
Scroll down for video
Cuban soldiers watch the Carnival Adonia cruise ship arrive from Miami, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, May 2, 2016. The Adonia's arrival is the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most U.S.-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
A woman from Cuba waves as Adonia leaves port in Miami, Sunday, May 1, 2016, en route to Cuba. (Patrick Farrell/The Miami Herald via AP)
Hundreds of workers and passersby gathered to watch, some cheering, as the gleaming white 704-passenger ship pulled into the dock - the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most U.S.-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.
The straits were blocked by the U.S. during the Cuban Missile Crisis and tens of thousands of Cubans have fled across them to Florida on homemade rafts - with untold thousands dying in the process.
The number of Cubans trying to cross the straits is at its highest point in eight years and cruises and merchant ships regularly rescue rafters from the straits.
The Adonia (under the banner 'Fathom') is one of Carnival's smaller ships - roughly half the size of some larger European vessels that already dock in Havana - but U.S. cruises are expected to bring Cuba tens of millions of dollars in badly needed foreign hard currency if traffic increases as expected.
More than a dozen lines have announced plans to run U.S.-Cuba cruises and operations come to fruition, then Cuba could earn more than $80 million a year, according to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council said in a report Monday.
People watch the Carnival Adonia cruise ship arrive from Miami, in Havana, Cuba, on Monday, May 2, 2016. The Adonia's arrival is the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most U.S.-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.
Most of the money goes directly to the Cuban government, council head John Kavulich said. He estimated that the cruise companies pay the government $500,000 per cruise, while passengers spend about $100 person in each city they visit.
Carnival says the Adonia will cruise twice a month from Miami to Havana, where it will start a $1,800 per person seven-day circuit of Cuba with stops in the cities of Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba.
The trips include on-board workshops on Cuban history and culture and tours of the cities that make them qualify as 'people-to-people' educational travel, avoiding a ban on pure tourism that remains part of U.S. law.
People watch Carnival's Adonia cruise ship arrive from Miami, in Havana, Cuba, Monday.
Optional activities for the Adonia's passengers include a walking tour of Old Havana's colonial plazas and a $219 per person trip to the Tropicana cabaret in a classic car.
Before the 1959 Cuban revolution, cruise ships regularly traveled from the U.S. to Cuba, with elegant Caribbean cruises departing from New York and $42 overnight weekend jaunts leaving twice a week from Miami, said Michael L. Grace, an amateur cruise ship historian.
New York cruises featured dressy dinners, movies, dancing and betting on 'horse races' in which a steward dragged wooden horses around a ballroom track according to rolls of dice that determined how many feet each could move per turn.
People take photos as Adonia leaves port in Miami. After a half-century of waiting, passengers finally set sail on Sunday from Miami on an historic cruise to Cuba. Carnival's Cuba cruises, operating under its Fathom band, will visit the ports of Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba.
Rick Schneider of Delray Beach waves a Cuban flag onboard the Adonia as the ship leaves port in Miami.
Passengers on board the Adonia watch as the ship leaves port in Miami on its way to Havana, Cuba.
The United Fruit company operated once-a-week cruise service out of New Orleans, too, he said.
'Cuba was a very big destination for Americans, just enormous,' he said.
Cruises dwindled in the years leading up to the Cuban Revolution and ended entirely after Castro overthrew the U.S.-backed government.
People display a Cuban flag as they wait for passengers from Carnival's Adonia cruise ship to arrive from Miami.
Passengers of the first US-to-Cuba cruise ship to arrive in the island nation in decades, walk in the streets of Havana right after disembarking on Monday.
After Carter dropped limits on Cuba travel, 400 passengers, including musical legend Dizzy Gillespie sailed from New Orleans to Cuba on a 1977 'Jazz Cruise' aboard the MS Daphne.
Like the Adonia, it sailed despite dockside protests by Cuban exiles, and continued protests and bomb threats forced Carras Cruises to cancel additional sailings, Grace said.
The following year, however, Daphne made a several cruises from New Orleans to Cuba and other destinations in the Caribbean.
Cuba cut back on all cruise tourism in 2005, ending a joint venture with Italian terminal management company Silares Terminales del Caribe and Fidel Castro blasted cruise ships during a four-and-a-half hour speech on state television.
'Floating hotels come, floating restaurants, floating theaters, floating diversions visit countries to leave their trash, their empty cans and papers for a few miserable cents,' Castro said.
Today, the Cuban government sees cruises as an easy source of revenue that can bring thousands more American travelers without placing additional demand on the country's maxed-out food supplies and overbooked hotels.
Before detente, Americans made surreptitious yacht trips to Cuba during Caribbean vacations and the number of Americans coming by boat has climbed since 2014, including passengers on cruise ships registered in third countries and sailing from other ports in the Caribbean. Traffic remains low, however, for a major tourist attraction only 90 miles (145 kilometers) from Florida.
Aiming to change that as part of a policy of diplomatic and economic normalization, Obama approved U.S. cruises to Cuba in 2015.
St. Petersburg residents and sisters, Janet Rappazini, left, and Jackie Ely, center, check-in as they board the Adonia before ship leaves port in Miami.
Janet Rappazini, left, and Jackie Ely, center, hand their documents to security agent, Mazanne Jean, as they board Carnival Corp.'s Adonia. (Carl Juste/The Miami Herald via AP)
A dancer of the welcoming commission waits at the entrance of the cruise terminal in Havana as passengers of the first US-to-Cuba cruise ship to arrive on the island.
The Doral, Florida-based Carnival Cruise Line announced during Obama's historic trip to Cuba in March that it would begin cruises to Cuba starting May 1.
Unexpected trouble arose after Cuban-Americans in Miami began complaining that Cuban rules barred them from traveling to the country of their birth by ship.
As Carnival considered delaying the first sailing, Cuba announced April 22 it was changing the rule to allow Cubans and Cuban-Americans to travel on cruise ships, merchant vessels and, sometime in the future, yachts and other private boats.
Norwegian Cruise Line says it is in negotiations with Cuban authorities and hopes to begin cruises from the U.S. to Cuba this year.
Cruise traffic is key to the Cuban government's reengineering of the industrial Port of Havana as a tourist attraction.
Security agent looks over towards the Carnival Crop.'s Adonia as passengers board before it leaves port in Miami on Sunday en route to Cuba.
After decades of treating the more than 500-year-old bay as a receptacle for industrial waste, the government is moving container traffic to the Port of Mariel west of the city, tearing out abandoned buildings and slowly renovating decrepit warehouses as breweries and museums connected by waterfront promenades.
A 17-year-old girl has died after taking a form of ecstasy known as 'MasterCard' today, prompting police to warn anyone else who may have consumed the drug to seek urgent medical help.
Police were called to the Victoria Warehouse in Manchester at around 5am this morning, where the teenager had suffered an adverse reaction after allegedly taking one of the pills during a night out.
It is understood the girl had been attending a Bank Holiday Monday club night called 'Don't Let Daddy Know' at the venue when she was taken ill.
She was rushed to hospital but died shortly afterwards.
A teenage girl has died after taking a form of ecstasy known as 'MasterCard' today, as police warned anyone else who may have consumed the drug to seek urgent medical help
Police have today urged anyone who may have taken a similar pill to urgently seek medical attention, while those who might know where the drug had come from were told to contact officers.
The drugs are pink in colour and are shaped like the MasterCard credit card logo, with the name stamped on one side.
The girl's identity is not yet known.
Detective Inspector Helen Bell from Greater Manchester Polices Trafford Division said: 'This is a tragic situation, the death of a young person is always devastating, but in these circumstances, it is all the more heart breaking.
'My thoughts are with her family and friends at this time.
'Sadly we know it is very unlikely that the girl was the only person to have taken this drug last night.
'We are appealing to anyone who may have taken this form of ecstasy, known as "MasterCard" to get checked out urgently.
'Even if you took it some hours ago, this pill will still be in your system and could be seriously harming your health.
Police were called to the Victoria Warehouse (pictured) in Manchester at around 5am this morning, where the teenager had suffered an adverse reaction after allegedly taking one of the pills during a night out
'Anyone with any information about what happened or where this drug may have come from is asked to contact police as soon as possible.'
The club night, also known as #DLDK, returned to Victoria Warehouse following a sell out debut last year, and it is believed up to 5,000 clubbers packed into the venue to see acts such as Showtek, Blasterjaxx, Don Diablo and Laidback Luke.
According to event information posted online, the venue operates a zero tolerance drugs policy.
'Victoria Warehouse do NOT condone the use of drugs at their events,' it said. 'As a condition of entry everyone will be searched on the way in. We have a zero tolerance policy for anyone found with drugs on their person.'
It added: 'Victoria Warehouse are extremely concerned about customers using such drugs. No drugs are safe but if you do take drugs please wait for them to take effect before taking more. Mixing drugs with alcohol can also be extremely dangerous.
'There is a welfare / medic area on site for all of our events at the Victoria Warehouse. If you or a friend feels at all unwell throughout the night, please come and find a member of staff to help.'
Five-year-old Keshav Sahu, who is recovering in hospital after doctors found a toothbrush lodged in his stomach, which had been there for a year
An Indian boy who complained of stomach ache is recovering in hospital after doctors removed a six-inch long toothbrush which had been in his stomach for almost a year.
Five-year-old Keshav Sahu complained of being in pain forcing doctors to operate where they found the object near his bladder.
The youngster from Chhattisgarh in eastern India, had swallowed the toothbrush but didn't tell his puzzled parents, who kept giving him medicine to make him fell better.
But when the pain worsened, his father Hemant took him to Raipur Medical College for treatment, where doctors detected a stone in his bladder and a six-inch long object.
And when doctors operated on the child, they were shocked to find the toothbrush.
Dr Patel, the paediatric surgeon who treated the boy, said: 'The foreign object was not clear in the x-ray and ultrasound.
'When we pulled the stone out of the boy's bladder, a 15cm long stick came out with the stone covered with blood. Later, we came to know that it was a toothbrush.
'The toothbrush had ripped three holes in the child's intestine before it reached the bladder.
'The stone was removed and the internal damage was tended to immediately.'
Meanwhile Mr Sahu, 33, was shocked when he learnt about his son's condition.
He said: 'He never told me he swallowed a toothbrush. He had been complaining of stomach pain and would throw up food.
'While we tried to subside the pain with painkillers, he would only cry every day.'
Keshav is now recovering fast but is still unsure of how he swallowed the toothbrush.
Keshav is now recovering fast but is still unsure of how he swallowed the toothbrush, pictured after it was removed by surgeons
He told the doctors that he might have not have told his parents out of fear.
Dr Patel added: 'It was an unusual case as generally we come across cases like swallowing of coins by children.
A rhino has been shot and killed in India's Kaziranga National Park, just weeks after another killing took place hours after the park had been visited by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The female rhino was found with her horn sawn off in Kaziranga, home to the world's biggest population of the one horned rhino on Monday, taking the total number poached this year to eight.
Last month, another rhino was killed 12 hours after Prince William and his wife Duchess Catherine had visited Kaziranga to raise awareness about protection of the species.
Tragedy: Another rhino has been killed in Kaziranga National Park on Monday, taking the total number poached this year to eight
The rhino was killed just weeks after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the Kaziranga National Park in Assam during their week-long tour to Indian and Bhutan
This image shows another rhino, which was shot dead at Kaziaranga National park hours after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge went on safari there to raise awareness about the endangered animals
Poachers killed the male rhino in Kaziranga National Park in Assam using high-powered assault rifles - and 88 empty cases fired from AK-47s were found lying near the slain creature.
Forest officials said they heard a burst of gunfire just hours after the royal couple had driven through the park in an open jeep, with security vehicles escorting them.
Following the callous shooting the Royal couple released the following statement: 'The Duke and Duchess were angry to hear about the killing of this rhino during their visit.
'They hope their time in Kaziranga encourages others to support the brave rangers that are protecting animals that are so important to the communities that surround the national park.'
The rhino was killed about 12.5 miles away from the Diphlu River Lodge where William and Catherine stayed on April 13, before leaving for Bhutan the following day.
The rhino was killed about 20km (12.5 miles) away from the Diphlu River Lodge where Prince William and Princess Kate stayed during their visit
Forest officials said they heard a burst of gunfire, just hours after the royal couple had driven through the park in an open jeep, with security vehicles escorting them
A forest official shows the empty AK-47 cartridges, which were recovered near the dead rhino
A forest official makes the shape of a rhino using the empty cartridges of the weapons used to kill it
Poachers killed a female rhino just two days before the royal visit. The horns of both that female and the male killed on the day of the Royal visit were hacked off by poachers.
The poachers shot the female rhinoceros and, while it was still alive, sawed off its horn before fleeing before dawn Sunday, wildlife official Subasis Das said.
Once the dying animal was discovered, park officials rushed to try to save it but were unsuccessful, he said.
Six rhinos have been poached at the sanctuary so far this year, after 20 were killed in 2015.
M.K. Yadava a former director of the Kazrianga Park said: 'It is war against poachers and sometime we win, but many times we lose due to scarcity of resources.'
All five of the world's rhino species are under constant threat from poachers seeking their horns to sell on the black market.
Demand is high in countries such as China and Vietnam, where people mistakenly believe consuming rhino horns can increase male potency.
The 480-square-kilometer grassland park is home to the world's largest population of rare, one-horned rhinos, as well as other endangered species including swamp deer and the Hoolock gibbon.
The Royal pair travelled in an open-air jeep on their safari trip around the National Park
Look over there! Prince William and the guide appear to be pointing out a passing creature to and excited Kate
Prince William (centre) feeds baby elephants as a rhino calf looks on at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation
Armed with large bottles of milk, the The Duke and Duchess fed the hungry animals during a trip to a sanctuary in Kaziranga National Park in Assam.
The calves were clearly impatient to get their meal and bellowed when they first saw rangers approaching with the flasks.
The couple were touring Kaziranga National Park home to elephants, water buffalo, the endangered swamp deer, tigers, and two-thirds of the world's population of Indian one-horned rhinoceroses.
The park in the state of Assam, in the north east of India, is a unique mix of grasslands, wetlands and forest and is more than 800,000 square kilometres in size and has designated a Unesco World Heritage Site.
William, who is a passionate conservationist, and Kate were introduced to the group of young animals at Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC).
It provides emergency care and rehabilitation for wild animals that have been injured, displaced, or orphaned.
In a large area of grassland and sparse woodland the baby animals had gathered under the shade of a tree waiting for the royal couple who walked towards them.
The maternal instincts of the Cambridges - who left their two children at home before setting off on their Indian tour - came to the fore during the encounter.
Kate admitted that she was 'terribly missing' her own children after four days away, adding that Prince George was 'too naughty' to bring on the trip because the two-year-old 'would be running all over the place'.
The Duke and Duchess were touring Kaziranga National Park, home to elephants, water buffalo, the endangered swamp deer, tigers, and two-thirds of the world's population of Indian one-horned rhinoceroses
The park in the state of Assam in the north east of India is a unique mix of grasslands, wetlands and forest and is more than 800,000 square kilometres in size and has designated a Unesco World Heritage Site
The maternal instincts of the Cambridges - who left their two children at home before setting off on their Indian tour - came to the fore during the encounter
A mother-of-four says she is lucky to be alive after suffering a fall during a Mexican zip lining excursion.
Heather Gladden, 36, of Cloverdale, California, suffered bruising and cable burns throughout her body after a zip line malfunctioned during what was supposed to be a romantic and relaxing getaway with her husband Ryan last week.
The Gladdens booked a zip line excursion through the Nogalito Eco Park in Puerto Vallarta last Thursday, during one of the stops on their Mexican cruise.
Scroll down for video
Heather Gladden suffered a 500 foot fall into a Mexican rainforest last week, when a zip line she was riding malfunctioned
The 36-year-old mother-of-four suffered bruising and cable burns throughout her body, but luckily no broken bones
Mrs Gladden says she watched her husband zip line across the 2,100-foot canyon without incident.
But when she was attached to the line and sent down the canyon, something happened halfway through and she suddenly plummeted 500 feet straight down into the jungle.
'Next thing I could hear the trees rustling through my ears and the noise of the tree branches,' Mrs Gladden told KPIX. 'And then just a hard yank and then when I opened up my eyes I was upside down in the tree.'
After her fall, Mrs Gladden's (left) husband Ryan (right) came running to her rescue and found her dangling upside down, 40 feet up in the forest
Paramedics helped get her down from the trees and take her to the hospital. But the Gladdens decided not to stay overnight, returning to their cruise ship so they could seek medical treatment back in the U.S.
Mr Gladden watched the accident play out from the other side of the canyon, and immediately ran to his wife's aide, directed by her screams.
When he found his wife, she was dangling upside down from the rainforest canopy, about 40 feet up.
An ambulance was called and paramedics helped free Mrs Gladden and take her to the hospital.
While doctors wanted her to stay overnight, the Gladdens decided to return to the cruise ship, which would have left without them. The cruise then returned to San Pedro, where they parked their car, and they immediately drove home to northern California, arriving early Sunday morning.
At Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital, Mrs Gladden says she was treated for bruising and cable burns. She says she may have a torn ACL but she's lucky in that she didn't actually break any bones. She credits the rainforest canopy with breaking her fall.
While the Gladdens believe that the zip line snapped or broke, the company that runs the tour says it was not as dramatic.
Nogalito manager Nuria Flores Gonzalez told the Press Democrat that the zip line did not detach or break at one end, but that it dropped when a cable support mechanism failed.
'It got weak in some way and thats what made it drop lower than normal,' Flores said. 'I believe it was a slow drop.'
Three bombs targetting Shiite pilgrims have killed at least 14 people in Baghdad - including women and children.
The largest bomb, planted in a parked car in the south of the city, killed 11 and wounded at least another 30.
It is thought ISIS are behind the deadly blasts, which appeared to be targeting pilgrims gathering in Baghdad for the annual commemoration of Imam Musa Kadhim's death in 799 AD.
The biggest blast, in the south of the city, the aftermath pictured here, killed 11 people and wounded 30
Iraqis look at the damage following the car bomb, which was targeting pilgrims heading to commemorate the death of Imam al-Kadhim
The second blast ripped through Tarmiya, 15 miles north of the city. The explosives were planted in the ground, killing two and wounded six.
The third bomb was a roadside blast in Khalisa, a town 20 miles south of the city. One person died and two were wounded.
Their deaths are added to the 23 who were killed in similar attacks on the outskirts of Baghdad on Saturday.
If they are all linked to ISIS, it follows a trend which has seen the group increase the number of attacks it carries out as it tries to response to substantial territorial losses.
U.S.-based analysis firm IHS calculated there were 891 attacks in the first quarter of 2016 across Iraq and Syria, more than in any three-month period since the militants' sweeping advance in mid-2014.
Those attacks killed 2,150 people, a 44 percent rise over the previous three months and the highest quarterly toll in nearly a year.
At the same time, the U.S. military has estimated ISIS's territory in Iraq has shrunk by about 40 percent from its 2014 peak and 20 percent in Syria.
ISIS has yet to claim responsibility for the attacks, but it has been increasing them as it loses ground
Monday's deaths are added to the 23 killed in similar attacks on the outskirts of Baghdad on Saturday
'The group is resorting more and more to mass-casualty violence as it comes under heavy pressure from multiple angles,' said Matthew Henman, head of IHS Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Centre.
The IHS report also noted a rise in Islamic State attacks in Libya, where the militants have grown in strength, taking over the central city of Sirte and attacking oilfields. Analysis showed almost as many attacks in the first three months of this year as in the preceding six months.
IHS said Islamic State activity has also spiked around the northwestern town of Sabratha it described as a key staging ground for attacks in neighbouring Tunisia.
Male driver, 55, has been arrested and questioned by Humberside Police
Ms Jackson described as 'lovely mother who lived for her kids'
Tributes have been paid to a mother and daughter who were killed after being hit by a lorry on a pedestrian crossing outside an Iceland.
The family, named locally as Zena Jackson, 43, and daughter Cidalia, six, died after they were hit by the HGV while they were believed to be in the road on the crossing.
The pair were crossing the road outside an Iceland store in Springbank in Hull, East Yorkshire, who lived just a short walk away from where the accident happened, when they were hit by the lorry driven by a 55-year-old man.
The driver has since been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and is helping police with their inquiries.
Zena Jackson, left, 43, and daughter Cidalia, right, six, were killed after being hit by a lorry on a pedestrian crossing in Hull
Flowers and tributes have since been left in huge numbers by well-wishers at the crossing outside the Iceland
Katie Fairweather, who knew Ms Jackson and her daughter well, said the mother 'lived for her kids'.
She said: 'She was lovely and she now leaves her other children behind. She was one of those people who just lived for her kids.
'Her daughter was a beautiful child who was always well-behaved and well-mannered. She was an absolute angel.
'It is sickening what has happened and I know lots of people who haven't slept since it happened.'
Ms Fairweather's daughter Abbie, eight, was a friend of Cidalia and added: 'She was really nice and always happy. Her mum took me to the park once and we had a nice time.'
Donna Grayson, whose eight-year-old daughter Demi-Rose went to school with Cidalia, said: 'It is devastating news.
'I am just absolutely blown away by it all. The whole community is. I think everyone is in disbelief.
'My daughter knew the girl from the school. She classed her as her little friend. I had to break it to her. She is devastated.
'I was speaking to the mum just last week. The school had a dance competition and we were all there outside having a laugh and a joke.
The fence along the road has been adorned with bouquets and messages of love for the mother and daughter
Ms Jackson was described as a 'wonderful mum' while family friends said her daughter was 'always happy'
'She was lovely. She was a wonderful mum. Always there for her kids.
'Everybody knew her in some way and mostly through her children and the school and a lot out of school as well. It is the family I feel so sorry for.'
Tributes left on railings close to where the incident happened said: 'Sleep tight beautiful girl, safe in the arms of your mum.'
Another said: 'Taken too soon beautiful girl. Now an angel in the sky wrapped in the arms of your mum.'
A soft toy 'from your school friends' was also left at the scene.
Jalal Hassan, who worked as Tabarak Food, near to the crossing, said: 'I was crying for much of the day after what I witnessed, I won't be able to sleep for a week.
'I just saw the woman and child at the crossing and saw the lorry come up. It was horrible. I knew there was nothing I could do.'
The driver of the lorry, 55, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving
Tributes have also been paid on Facebook from Ms Jackson's son and Cidalia's brother, Aidan Jackson.
He said: 'R.I.P. to the most wonderful loving mum I could ever ask for and my beautiful little sister Cidalia.
'You both will always be in our hearts and I'm going to cherish every single moment I had with both of you. I love you both so much.'
Family friend Ruhal Husain described Ms Jackson as a 'devoted mother' and said Cidilia was a girl who 'brought happiness and joy to everyone who knew her'.
Mr Husain is hosting a fundraising page which has already raised thousands of pounds on behalf of Ms Jackson's family.
Migrant children trapped in a Greek border camp are being given English lessons in a makeshift school as they desperately wait for a new life in Europe.
More than 10,000 migrants have been stranded in squalid conditions for weeks at Idomeni on the Macedonian border after the so-called Balkan route was shut down.
Greek authorities have sought to clear the facility but most have refused to relocate to other camps further inland, hoping that the borders might reopen.
But with no sign of when that might happen, a temporary school has been set up in a tent, offering classes from English and maths to drawing and yoga.
Children attend an English lesson inside a tent at the Idomeni migrant camp on the Greek-Macedonian border
Children show their drawings during an English lesson at the makeshift migrant camp on the Greek border
Children learn how to describe the part of the human body in English during a class inside a makeshift school
A girl plays next to the school schedule board that offers migrants classes from English and maths to yoga
It comes as new figures revealed that nearly 90,000 migrants who applied for asylum in Europe in 2015 were unaccompanied children a four-fold increase on the year before.
Eurostat, the European Commission's official statistics office, said 88,300 sought refuge last year compared to 23,000 in 2014 and between 11,000 and 13,000 in each year from 2008-2013.
Over half were aged 16 to 17, while those aged 14 to 15 accounted for 29 per cent and those under 14 around 13 per cent.
More than 90 per cent were boys, while around half were Afghans, the figures showed.
People look into a classroom set under a tent at a makeshift camp for migrants at the Greek-Macedonia border
Ordeal: New figures have revealed that nearly 90,000 migrants who applied for asylum in Europe in 2015 were unaccompanied children a four-fold increase on the year before
More than 10,000 are in the overcrowded camp in Idomeni, separated from Macedonia with a barbed wire fence
The scenes at Idomeni mirror those of the so-called Jungle migrant camp in Calais where facilities including mosques, schools and even a nightclub were set up to meet the needs of thousands of refugees trying to reach Britain.
Some 54,000 people, many of them fleeing the war in Syria, have been stranded on Greek territory since the closure of the migrant route through the Balkans in February.
More than 10,000 are in the overcrowded camp in Idomeni, separated from Macedonia with a double barbed wire fence.
Groups have intermittently tried to cross the border, where they face the Macedonian police and army.
Children draw during an English lesson inside a tent at the makeshift camp at the Greek-Macedonian border
The scenes at Idomeni mirror those at the so-called Jungle migrant camp in Calais where mosques, schools and even a nightclub were set up to meet the needs of thousands of refugees trying to reach Britain
Two weeks ago some 260 refugees were injured when Macedonian police fired tear gas in a bid to prevent a large group from storming the border.
Last month, three Afghans drowned trying to wade through the river into Macedonia, while another 1,500 who followed them made it across the border only to be rounded up and sent back by troops.
Last month, a Macedonian army spokesman said the police and military 'daily discover 50 to 300 illegal migrants who are trying to enter into the country or break the fence' and send them back to Greece.
Macedonia, a non-EU and non-NATO country of two million people, has deployed its army at the border since August last year to control the influx of refugees and other migrants hoping to start new lives in northern Europe.
Squalor: A child drinks water from a pipe on the platform of a trim station which was turned into a makeshift camp crowded by migrants at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni
Women and children at a makeshift camp for migrants and refugees at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece. Many thousands of migrants remain at the border with Macedonia, hoping that the border crossing will reopen, allowing them to move north into central Europe
Syria's civil war is 'in many ways out of control' US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned, as rebel groups reject local ceasefires.
Kerry, who was in Geneva to meet with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura, vowed to work hard in the 'coming hours' to salvage a tattered truce between government forces and the rebels.
The ceasefire, brokered by Russia and the U.S. in February, appears to be on the brink of collapsing entirely, after an escalation of violence in the divided city of Aleppo put peace talks at risk.
Scroll down for video
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, with the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, right, has warned the conflict is 'in many ways out of control' as he tries to save the fragile ceasefire
Tensions have been mounting as violence in the northern city of Aleppo, where more than 250 people have died in the last nine days. Pictured: Syrian kids gather around the rubbles of houses at Damascus' Cobar region to protest against Assad Regime forces' air attacks
And now rebel groups - speaking through the Free Syrian Army - have said that 'any attack against any liberated area where one of our factions is present will be considered an assault against all factions', which means 'we will have a right to respond'.
Meanwhile, a leading pro-government newspaper in Syria claimed the army is preparing a major offensive to recapture the whole of Aleppo and its surrounding province.
The editorial in Al-Watan came as fighting intensifies in and around the divided city despite a February ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States.
'Now is the time to launch the battle for the complete liberation of Aleppo,' the paper said.
'It's no secret that the Syrian army has prepared this decisive battle with its allies. It will not take long to begin, nor to finish.'
A source close to the regime also said the army would launch a major offensive in the coming days.
'The army is preparing a huge operation in the coming days to push the rebels away from the city by encircling it and creating a security zone,' the source said.
Kerry admitted on Monday that, while the ceasefire was holding in some parts of the country, the situation in Aleppo - where more than 250 people have died in shelling and airstrikes in the last nine days, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights - was particularly bad.
A leading pro-government newspaper in Syria claimed the army is preparing a major offensive to recapture the whole of Aleppo and its surrounding province. Pictured: A man carries an injured child in Aleppo
There, he said, Bashar al-Assad's regime had deliberately targeted three clinics and a major hospital, killing doctors and patients and threatening the truce.
'The attack on this hospital is unconscionable,' he said. 'And it has to stop.'
Kerry said he would call his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov later Monday to press for the ceasefire to be restored - but he did not promise success.
Standing by de Mistura, he thanked him for supporting a political process in the midst of 'a conflict that is in may ways out of control and deeply disturbing to everybody in the world, I hope.'
Rebel groups - speaking through the Free Syrian Army - have said that 'any attack against any liberated area where one of our factions is present will be considered an assault against all factions', which means 'we will have a right to respond'. Pictured: Syrians evacuate a toddler from a destroyed building
Kerry also met with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir while in Geneva, who spoke out against Russia's continued airstrikes, calling them an 'outrage' and a criminal violation of humanitarian law.
He said that Syrian President Bashar Assad would be held accountable for the attacks and would be removed from power either through a political process or by force.
He's been condemned by other Muslim leaders and banned from several mosques but a brave man has broken his silence to come out as Australia's first openly gay Imam.
Melbourne Imam Nur Warsame - who is a well-respected leader of a mosque in the Islamic community in Australia - was once married and has a young daughter.
The Somali-born man revealed his battle with reconciling his faith and sexual identity for decades - and at one point, he attempted to take his own life after suffering years of trauma.
Scroll down for video
Melbourne man Nur Warsame (pictured) speaks out about his sexuality as Australia's first openly gay Imam
'Reconciling spirituality with sexuality is a very difficult journey,' he told the SBS program The Feed.
But after living in silence, the father of one has taken a bold step after coming out publicly in a bid to provide support to young gay Muslims who are too afraid to speak up.
'My intentions are to try to make a difference in Muslim homes,' he said.
'The idea is to make avenues and paths for other young queer Muslims to live their lives to the fullest and to hold on to their spirituality.'
The Somali-born man (pictured after being interviewed on Joy FM) was once married and has a young daughter
And that's exactly what he's done by setting up a safe space across Melbourne for closeted LGBT Muslims to share their experiences and seek advice with one another.
'The reason it's difficult for people to come out in the Muslim world or Islamic communities is because the losses are too high, the risks are too great.
'I mean there is even a risk to your life because the conservative school of thought in Islam to counter homosexuality is to be killed, that's your repentance.'
Many Muslim countries still impose the death penalty if anyone is convicted of 'homosexuality'.
Earlier this year, photographs and videos emerged online showing two men bound and blindfolded being thrown to their deaths after they were said to have 'engaged in homosexual activities'.
There were children of different
The internet has fallen in love with an adorable indigenous girl who could not stop yawning during a speech by the Mexican President.
The girl, whose name is still unknown, was one of several children stood on a stage behind Enrique Pena Nieto in Guadalajara, Jalisco state.
But it was clear from her expression - and constant yawning - that she was not entertained by the leader's words.
A young indigenous girl has become an internet sensation after she was filmed yawning behind Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto
Her yawns were so loud they were picked up by the president's microphone as he addressed the audience at the opening ceremony of Tianguis Turistico 2016, a fair promoting tourism to Guadalajara.
Behind him were several children of different ages and backgrounds, but it was one little girl in a pink and white dress that caught the eye.
She repeatedly yawned, her mouth wide open, before rubbing her face to try and stay awake during the speech.
At one point the First Lady of Mexico, Angelica Rivera, held the young girl's face and shook it gently to try and wake her.
The President even put his arm around the little girl - unaware of what has been happening behind his back - and began talking about 'the excitement' the children were showing.
The young girl's yawns were so loud they were picked up by the president's (pictured) microphone
At one point the First Lady of Mexico (top left), Angelica Rivera, shook the girl to wake her
The President even put his arm around the little girl and began talking about 'the excitement' the children were showing
The incident was soon trending on Twitter with the hash tag #TodosSomosLaNina (we are all the girl).
One user commented: 'What else needs to be said if the little girl did us the favour of saying it all?'
A never-before-seen photo released by the father of David Miscavige shows the controversial Scientology leader posing with his family - including his wife Shelly who has been reported missing multiple times over the past few years.
Ron Miscavige appeared on Good Morning America Monday to promote his upcoming book about the Church, Ruthless, and shared a family photo with his wife, children and grandchildren from when they were all still members of Scientology.
Since that time Ron and his wife have left the Church, as has his oldest son Ron Miscavige Jr. and his family.
Everyone else remains in Scientology including Shelly, who was the subject of a 2013 missing-person report filed by her friend Leah Remini after she had not been seen in several years.
Scroll down for video
Rare sighting: Scientology leader David Miscavige and his wife Shelly (above) are seen together in a newly released photo
Family affair: The picture was shared by David's father Ron Miscavige (center with first wife Loretta) and also shows his brother Ron Jr. (second from right), his sister Lori (third from left) and their children
Ron has been cut off from his family since he made the decision to leave the Church in 2012 with his second wife Becky.
The pair drove for three days across the country after leaving one of Scientology's California compounds, eventually ending up in Wisconsin.
His son Ron Miscavige Jr. was the first to leave the Church in 2000, followed five years later by Ron Jr.'s daughter Jenna.
Jenna has also written a book about the Church, Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape.
She said in her book that after her mother and father left Scientology in 2000 she was not allowed to receive mail from them and could not use a phone for a year.
Ron's daughters and David's sisters Denise and Lori and still members of Scientology, and have disconnected from Ron and Ron Jr.
It is unclear why Shelly has not been seen in public since 2007, but after Remini filed her report in 2013 Shelly did speak with members of the Los Angeles Police Department and say she was fine and not being held against her will by the Church.
Her location is unknown.
She and David married in 1982, and four years later he became Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center after the death of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.
Concern: Shelly has not been seen in public since 2007 and in 2013 her friend Leah Remini (above last week) filed a missing-person report
Claim: A 2014 report claimed Shelly was sent away to a secret Church facility in 2006 after making executive decisions behind her husband David's back (David above with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in 2008)
Remini first grew alarmed about Shelly she said at the 2006 wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, which the wife of the Church leader did not attend.
'Shelly was always where David Miscavige was,' Remini explained in an interview with ABC News last year.
'It was a wedding of the century it was like, "wheres Shelly?"'
Making things even more odd for Remini was that she could never get an answer when she asked people at the wedding.
'Its such a simple thing. Its a big wedding that the leader of the Church is here and his wife isn't. Its getting weirder because you're making it weirder,' said Remini.
A Vanity Fair story from March 2014 claimed that Shelley is being kept at Twin Peaks, Rimforest, a 500-acre site that is located a little over an hour outside Los Angeles.
There is heavy security on the site, which is also outfitted to house David and Scientology paterfamilias Tom Cruise in the event of a nuclear Armageddon.
She has been there since 2006, but reportedly remains incredibly loyal to the Church.
Donald Trump insisted on Monday that the only reason he skipped Saturday's annual White House Correspondents Association dinner was because he could trust the press to report honestly on his reactions to being the butt of jokes.
The Republican front-runner said on CNN's 'New Day' that when he attended in 2011 and took repeated comic blasts from President Barack Obama, 'I thought it was fine. ... I'll tell you what honestly, I had a great time.'
The president saved his best Donald jokes for last at Saturday's DC event.
Obama joked Trump's foreign policy experience is meeting with 'Miss Sweden [and] Miss Argentina' and Trump could close Gitmo because he's good at running waterfront properties to the ground.'
Miss Sweden Camilla Hansson said she thought it was kind of funny' and sang Trump's praises, calling him a 'larger-than-life character.'
NO-SHOW: Trump, shown Sunday in Indiana, skipped the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner on Saturday, saying he couldn't trust the political press to report that he knows how to take a joke
BIG FAN: After Obama joked about Trump's foreign policy experience, hinting it was limited to the Miss Universe contest, Miss Sweden, Camilla Hansson said she wouldn't mind discussing anything with the front-runner and called him him a 'larger-than-life character.'
Obama cracked wise in 2011 about Trump's dalliance with the 'birther' movement and his role on 'Celebrity Apprentice' being a ludicrous model for presidential leadership.
C-SPAN's cameras showed Trump stoically taking his beating but not laughing along with it.
But he claimed Monday that he took it all in stride.
'I said, 'The President is joking. I had a great time.' I told that to the press as I was leaving,' he told CNN.
''Did you like it?' I said, 'I had a great time. he did well, everything. I had a fantastic time.' The next day, they said, 'Donald Trump had a miserable time. he felt humiliated'.'
'I didn't feel humiliated. I had a great time,' Trump reiterated. 'So the press is very dishonest. They don't report the truth. And therefore it's easier not to go.'
Washington Post feature writer Roxanne Roberts backed Trump up on Thursday, writing that she was seated close enough to Trump in 2011 to be forced to look around his hair to see the president.
Like this time around, he was being talked about as a natural Republican presidential hopeful.
Trump told reporters that night, Roberts recalls, that 'he'd had a great time and was honored to be skewered by the president. And then he headed to the airport to jet home.'
'Pundits took that as yet more proof that he was upset, but some VIPs stick around for the after-parties, and some beeline to their private jets which is why, Trump says, he didn't linger.'
GOOD SPORT: The GOP front-runner said on CNN that when he attended in 2011 and took repeated comic blasts from President Barack Obama, 'I thought it was fine. ... I'll tell you what honestly, I had a great time'
'The next morning, the newspapers had a different version that boiled down to 'Trump humiliated',' Roberts wrote. 'Trump says he was baffled by the headlines, because that wasn't his take on the night.'
Trump conceded that he didn't like comedian Seth Myers' jokes, but insisted he thought Obama's routine was funny.
Meyers that night was more caustic.
'Trump owns the Miss USA Pageant, which is great for Republicans, because it will streamline their search for a vice president,' he said.
'Donald Trump said recently he's got a great relationship with 'the blacks.' Unless the Blacks are a family of white people, I bet he's mistaken.'
Trump said the following morning on the Fox news Channel that 'I thought Seth Meyers, frankly, his delivery was not good he's a stutterer and he really was having a hard time.'
On Saturday, Obama attended his final correspondents' dinner and took a few more chunks out of Trump's hide while he watched on television.
Trump's contact with world leaders, he chuckled, consisted of meetings with international beauty pageant winners.
But 'I would have loved to have gone ... no matter how great a time that I would have, it wouldn't matter,' Trump said Monday of the anticipated press onslaught.
'They will say 'Donald Trump was humiliated! Donald Trump had a miserable time!' You know, that's what they did last time. I had really a great time. Hey look: You had the President of the United States spending much of his speech on me ... and he was very respectful. It was good.'
'The one group that lies more than Lyin' Ted Cruz is the press, the media. They really are bad. They really are dishonest. And that's why their poll numbers with people in the public are so low,' Trump said.
NO SMILES: C-SPAN's camera showed the billionaire stoically staring at President Obama as he delivered his Trump wisecracks during the 2011 Correspondents dinner
'I'm a big boy. When I do something that's off, I don't mind being criticized. But they make things up. They literally make up things that you said. And they cut you off at half-sentences. ... I've gotten used to it but the press is so dishonest, especially the political press.'
Trump's two adult sons Eric and Don Jr. did attend the event in Washington on Saturday.
Eric said that next year it will be his father dishing out the witty barbs.
'We'll take some shots back next year,' he told The Hill, a Washington, D.C. newspaper. 'He who laughs last laughs longest, right?'
And Don Jr. assured CNN that his family is used to people tossing chuckles in their direction.
'If there's anyone that can make fun of ourselves, it's my father, it's me, it's our family. That's what we are,' he said as he arrived at the dinner.
Friends said Welsh had been depressed his blog wasn't making money
Blogger said Trump would win next week's Indiana vote with 50 per cent
primary prediction in case 'I'm not around to see the vote results'
Gary Welsh, who wrote the respected conservative blog Advance Indiana, was found dead in the stairwell of an apartment block on Sunday
Police are investigating the 'tragic suicide' of a prominent political blogger after his final column predicted an Indiana win for Donald Trump.
Gary Welsh, who wrote the highly respected conservative blog Advance Indiana, was found dead in the stairwell of an apartment block in Park Avenue, Indianapolis, on Sunday, the Indy Star reports.
The witness, who discovered the body shortly before 8am, told police that they had seen a gun lying next to the body. Welsh was pronounced dead at the scene by medics.
Welsh, who was a practicing attorney, was renowned for his no-nonsense posts which took aim at Democrats and Republicans alike.
His final post, published on Friday, was discussing the latest poll results in Republican presidential race.
In an article which now seems tragically ominous, Welsh made his prediction of which candidate would win between Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
'If I'm not around to see the vote results, my prediction is that Trump wins Indiana with just shy of 50% of the vote,' he said.
'But he will carry every single congressional district and sweep the delegatesassuming the party-chosen delegates honor their rules-bound commitment to support the winner on the first ballot.'
Several of his readers appeared to have become alarmed by the worrying post.
Marycatherine Barton wrote: 'Btw, Gary, should we read any foreboding in your words about 'if you are around for the election results.' Take care of yourself, please.'
Welsh is suspected to have taken his own life just two days later.
His friend and fellow attorney, Jim Klimek, who worked across the hall from Welsh, told the Indiana Business Journal that the blogger had seemed depressed recently and had been concerned that his blog was barely making money.
Police are investigating his death as a 'tragic suicide' blogger after his final column predicted a win for Donald Trump
The 53-year-old had been blogging for more than a decade as 'a way of communicating my discontent with the political state of affairs in Indiana.'
Welsh's body was taken to the Marion County Coroner's Office, where an autopsy is expected to be performed Monday.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said that an official cause of death will be announced shortly.
For confidential support in the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.
A depraved former priest was able to carry out a decade-long reign of abuse against three girls and nine boys because he was protected by the Catholic Church, a Sydney judge says.
Loud applause broke out in court on Monday as John Joseph Farrell was led from the dock after being sentenced to 29 years behind bars, with a minimum of 18 years, for his crimes in Moree and Tamworth, in country NSW.
Victims and their loved ones packed into the courtroom at Sydney's Downing Centre District Court to watch the 62-year-old face sentencing for dozens of historical sexual crimes committed against children between 1979 and 1988.
Former priest John Joseph Farrell (pictured three years ago), 62, has been sentenced to 29 years in jail for sexually abusing nine altar boys and three girls between 1979 and 1988
The victim Mark Boughton appeared at the Downing Centre District Court with his wife Belinda beside him. He is one of the victims who will be suing the Catholic Church for compensation
The disgraced ex-priest sat with his eyes closed as Judge Peter Zahra told how he preyed on his victims, grooming the children, cultivating the trust of their parents and exploiting his powerful position as a priest.
'This allowed him to offend whenever and wherever he chose,' Judge Zahra said.
'The offender created situations where he was confident he would not be detected even where his sexual abuse was, at times, brazen in the extreme.'
The judge said that although there was evidence senior members of the Catholic Church were told of Farrell's crimes many years before he was brought to justice, allegations levelled by complainants 'appeared to be frustrated either by the failure of those within the church to pursue any investigation or by dissuading further complaint'.
Authorities in the Catholic Church knew of Farrell's crimes and protected him for 10 years until he was suspended in 1992
'The offender was thereby protected from the authorities by those within the church who chose to move the offender rather than inform the authorities,' Judge Zahra said.
Outside court on Monday Mark Boughton, one of Farrell's victims, described the church's actions as 'despicable'.
He is one of a number of victims who are expected to seek compensation in civil proceedings.
'You've got to bring it out and get justice,' Mr Boughton said in a report by Seven News.
'They knew it was happening and they didn't do anything about it,' he said.
'They just pushed it under the rug and tried to forget about it, or paid people to forget.
'It won't be forgotten.'
After Farrell forced an altar boy to perform oral sex, the boy told an adult in the presbytery what had happened and was told 'they would sort it out.'
But when the boy next saw Farrell, the priest raped him behind the altar for what 'felt like hours' as he whispered threats in his ear.
'The complainant said that he felt excruciating pain,' Judge Zahra said.
'The offender whispered that if the complainant told anyone he would kill him or his family.'
Another boy who was repeatedly molested admitted to his mother that Farrell had 'touched' him.
The mother promptly contacted a monsignor who asked Farrell to leave the parish.
But the priest went on to serve in a number of other parishes and was not suspended from public ministry until 1992.
Mr Boughton said: 'They [the Catholic Church] knew it was happening and they didn't do anything about it'
The court heard that although the complainant went on to contact the nation's most senior Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, in 2002 to ask why the church had not responded to his family's allegations, Farrell was not laicised until 2005.
Around the time of the initial disclosure, the victim's mother also sought advice from a nun who told her 'the church had a large amount of money to fight such allegations'.
Five men have been arrested in Sweden for sexually assaulting a teenage boy at a housing centre for asylum seekers near the Norwegian border.
The victim, aged between 15 and 18, was reportedly attacked on Sunday at a refugee centre in Arjang, Varmland, where he was being housed along with the five accused.
The five men were initially arrested for attempted rape, but charges were later downgraded to aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault, and threatening behaviour.
Allegations: The victim, a boy in his late teens, was reportedly sexually assaulted and assaulted by five men at this asylum seekers' housing in Arjang, Varmland
'It was not the kind of violence which is required for a rape,' Varmland police's Tommy Lindh told The Local.
'There's a difference between rape and aggravated sexual assault. You can make a person commit sexual acts without using violence, for instance.'
The five men remain in custody and Varmland police said they will continue interviews on Monday.
This is the latest sexual attack at asylum seekers housing centres to take place in Sweden in recent months.
A 12-year-old boy was raped by two men at home for underaged unaccompanied migrants and refugees in Alvesta, Smaland.
The five men, who reportedly live at the centre with the victim, were initially arrested on rape charges, which were downgraded to aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault, and threatening behaviour
The boy is said to have been beaten and then raped, first by one of the men, and then by the other.
The first rape was allegedly filmed by one of the men, and sent over to the second suspect's mobile phone.
The men had claimed to have been 15 and 16 when applying for asylum, but after undergoing a dental age assessment in the wake of their arrest for the alleged rape, they have been found to be over 18.
Sweden welcomed more than 163,000 migrants and refugees in 2015, more than any other European nation per capita.
While asylum is granted to all refugees, asylum for migrants is needs-based and the application process can be long and arduous, particularly after the recent influx.
Influx: Sweden welcomed more migrants and refugees per capita than any other EU nation in 2015, with some 165,000 people arriving in the country
This has led to many asylum seekers' housing centres becoming overcrowded, and migrants and refugees struggling to integrate as they cannot apply for jobs or access education.
The Scandinavian country, which has a population of nearly 10 million, imposed compulsory border-control ID checks in January to try to curb the influx.
Europe is facing it's biggest wave of immigration since the Second World War, with millions risking their lives to leave war and terror behind, or simply to seek a better life on another continent.
A recent UN report shows that in the first two months of 2016, more than 130,000 refugees and migrants crossed the Mediterranean Sea - more than the total number for the first half of 2015.
Two 10,500-a-year private schools have been accused of sexism after boys were told to wear pinstriped business suits while girls say they have been forced to dress 'like secretaries'.
Bablake and King Henry VIII schools in Coventry have been criticised after introducing new uniforms for sixth formers that some parents and pupils say promote 'gender stereotyping'.
The new dress code, which will come into force in September and will cost as much as 230, was revealed in a glossy brochure, produced by corporate suit-maker Brook Taverner.
Two 10,500-a-year private schools have been accused of sexism after boys were told to wear pinstriped business suits while girls say they have been forced to dress 'like secretaries'. The new dress codes were revealed in this glossy brochure, produced by corporate suit-maker Brook Taverner
Photographs in the catalogue show men power-dressed in pinstriped suits complete with waistcoats while women model secretarial outfits with many skirts cut above the knee.
There are both trouser and skirt options for girls, but pupils from the schools - run by Coventry School Foundation - have expressed outrage on social media, branding the new uniform policy 'out-dated sexist rubbish.'
Deeps Sinha tweeted: 'This issue with uniforms isn't just us being petulant or anything, we have genuine cause for concern.
'The uniforms seem mainly directed towards girls, as the boys' uniforms are mostly generic and already what they wear.'
Bablake school in Coventry (pictured) has been criticised after introducing new uniforms that some parents and pupils say promote 'gender stereotyping'
King Henry VIII school, which like Bablake is run by Coventry School Foundation, is also bringing in the new dress code for sixth formers
Hannah Rose added: 'A school that apparently celebrates diversity, but wants to shun individuality with a sixth form uniform well done.'
Another said: 'So the boys wear business suits straight out of Wall Street while the girls totter about on high heels in secretary skirts. When did Bablake turn into Mad Men?
'A truly shocking example of an out-dated sexist set of gender stereotypes. Rubbish.'
A now defunct account set up on Twitter to fight the uniform stated: 'Bablake pupils be like, oh well rules are rules lets all just follow the uniform code.
'This is a sexist issue.'
However, pupil Adam Keir defended the policy, and wrote: 'People confusing rights with rules.
'We have the right to education, so many children don't. How's that for oppression of rights? Open your eyes.'
Nick Payne added: 'The reason they're doing this is because for years girls have disobeyed the much more lenient dress code that they had in place.'
Mark Woodward, head of careers at Bablake, tweeted: 'The Bablake I am so proud of encourages free debate and is fiercely supportive of feminism and equality.
Photographs in the catalogue show men power-dressed in pinstriped suits complete with waistcoats while women model secretarial outfits with many skirts cut above the knee
BOYS UNIFORM Cassino or Imola jackets - 105 Trousers - 49. Prato shirt - 32 Brusso waistcoat - 45 Total - 231
GIRLS UNIFORM Calvi or Novara jackets - 95 Bronte skirt - 95 Felina blouse - 24 Scapoli waistcoat - 45 Total - 209
'Would urge students and parents to consult school re uniform concerns as all pupils' well-being crucial.'
Parents have also expressed their anger over the changes.
'I am outraged,' said one. 'They are letting the boys dress like high-flying CEOs while forcing the girls to dress like secretaries.
'Parents pay a not inconsiderable amount of money to send their daughters to this school. The vast majority would certainly not expect the school to tell them to dress like a woman from the 1950s.'
Another parent added: 'We paid for our children to go to a progressive school, but this is like the bad old days.
'It seems sexism is still rife amongst the powers that be. It's a disgrace.'
Currently Bablake sixth form pupils are told they have 'flexibility' when it comes to clothing, 'with the expectation that they will exercise this greater freedom responsibly', while it is expected that Henry VIII students will have a 'professional, clean and smart appearance'.
Coventry School Foundation has said the move to review the sixth form dress code is about maintaining standards in both schools, and there are plenty of options to satisfy pupils.
A spokesman for Coventry School Foundation said: 'We have been looking at our sixth form dress code for a while to ensure our standards are maintained.
'Both King Henry VIII and Bablake Schools have either consulted or are in the process of consulting with parents, pupils, staff and governors about the possibility of introducing a selection of standardised suits for both boys and girls rather than the current vaguer interpretation of smart business wear.
'There is quite a range - with several different styles and jackets.
Disturbing CCTV footage of two men repeatedly beating an innocent bystander last year, has led to one man sentenced to 12 months in jail with no parole, while the other walks free.
The victim is seen being furiously punched, thrown to the ground and kicked in the face before the two attackers walk away from the incident.
The brawl was believed to have started after an argument erupted between two groups of men in front of the McDonald's on George Street in Sydney's city centre last year, reported Nine News.
Disturbing CCTV footage of two men repeatedly beating an innocent bystander in Sydney's city centre last year, has led to one man sentenced to 12-months in jail with no parole, while the other walks free
The victim is seen being furiously punched, thrown to the ground and kicked in the face before the two attackers walk away from the incident
Out of the two men charged only one received a year in jail, while the other was sentenced to two months, before being immediately released on parole.
The shocking footage shows a man pushing the victim into a nearby pole before pummeling his head continuously and cornering him in an alcove on the busy Sydney street.
When the victim tries to leave the brawl, both offenders are seen following him onto the street and throwing him to the ground.
Both attackers are relentless with their punches - only stopping to pick the victim up and slam him on the ground.
Despite the dozens of onlookers, no one diffused the fight. The brawl was believed to have started after an argument erupted between two groups of men in front of the McDonald's on George Street in the city centre
Out of the two men charged only one received a year in jail, while the other was sentenced to two months, before being immediately released on parole
One aggressor then fly-kicks the targeted man in the face, walks away and then returns to punch him in the head.
After the attack, the victim is seen standing up and gesturing at the offenders before they both walk away from the scene.
One of the charged offenders is then seen picking up his jacket before leaving.
The shocking footage shows a man pushing the victim into a nearby pole before pummeling his head continuously and cornering him in an alcove on the busy Sydney street
When the victim tries to leave the brawl, both offenders are seen following him onto the street and throwing him to the ground
Dozens of onlookers witnessed the event according to a report by Nine News, but none attempted to diffuse the fight.
A Sydney court that was shown the confronting CCTV footage, described the attack as 'sickening', reported Seven News.
The court was also heard describing the fight as 'an ugly incident, comprising of violence of a relatively high order', reported Nine News.
After the attack, the victim is seen standing up and gesturing at the offenders before they both walk away from the scene
A 41-year-old woman who stopped to defend her younger brother during a DUI arrest on a Florida highway was also charged with drunken driving.
The arrests occurred along Interstate 75 near Ocala early Friday morning.
Officers received a bulletin to be on the lookout for a reckless driver going southbound in the interstate and a trooper stopped the vehicle on State Road 200 east of Southwest 43rd Street Road, according to Ocala Star Banner.
Ercilia Moncada (left), 41, stopped to defend her baby brother, Josue Moncada, 31, from a DUI but ended up in the slammer on a DUI charge herself
The trooper smelled alcohol on 31-year-old Josue Moncada and arrested him. Minutes later, his sister, Ercilia Moncada, 41, arrived in her vehicle and argued with the trooper over her brother's arrest.
Another trooper was called to the scene, found her to be impaired, and arrested her. The handcuffed woman escaped from the patrol car, but was later captured in the 2300 block of Southeast 19th Circle.
A huge trade deal between the US and EU would place corporate interests above the environment and consumer safety, according to documents released by Greenpeace.
The campaign group managed to obtain 248 pages of classified material relating to the proposal called the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
And they published it all online to 'shine a light' on the closed door talks to forge what would be the world's biggest bilateral trade and investment agreement.
Volker Gassner from Greenpeace holds the 248 page classified document that has been leaked by the capign group, during a press call in Berlin
Greenepeace presented the documents, saying: 'This treaty is threatening to have far reaching implications for the environment and the lives of more than 800 million cizitens in the EU and U.S.'
At an event in Berlin today, Greenepeace presented the documents, saying: 'This treaty is threatening to have far reaching implications for the environment and the lives of more than 800 million cizitens in the EU and U.S.'
Both Washington and Brussels want the mega-deal completed this year before US President Barack Obama leaves office, but the agreement in the making has faced mounting opposition on both sides of the Atlantic.
In Europe there is deep suspicion that TTIP will erode social, ecological and consumer protections to the advantage of big business, while the US has also seen rising protectionist sentiment.
Greenpeace said the papers show, for example, that the US wants to be able to scrap existing EU rules in areas such as food labelling or approval of dangerous chemicals if it they spell barriers to free trade.
'TTIP is about a huge transfer of power from people to big business,' the group argued, having also projected an image of a classified text passage onto the facade of Berlin's parliament building.
In Brussels, Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem insisted that the papers 'reflect each side's negotiating position, nothing else. And it shouldn't come as a surprise that there are areas where the EU and the US have different views'.
'It begs to be said, again and again: no EU trade agreement will ever lower our level of protection of consumers, or food safety, or of the environment,' Malmstrom said in a blog.
Greenpeace said the cache, a snapshot from ongoing talks, represents two-thirds of the TTIP draft text as of the latest round of talks in April, and covers a range of sectors from telecoms to autos to agriculture.
Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily, which received the documents early, said they indeed 'show that the opponents' fears are not unfounded ... They show that the reality of the negotiations is worse than these dark forebodings.'
A man reads the classified papers which Greenpeace says show corporate interests are being put before consumer or environmental safety
The Munich-based daily said the papers show that the US side is trying to use the carrot of easing restrictions on auto imports from Europe for concessions on its agricultural exports, perhaps including genetically modified foods.
The Sueddeutsche - the paper behind the publication of the so-called 'Panama Papers' - also charged that some political leaders who publicly defend TTIP 'either don't know the status of negotiations, or are deliberately leaving the public in the dark'.
The newspaper focussed on a controversial TTIP proposal to set up private investor courts that would allow multinational companies to sue governments if they deem public policy to hinder fair competition.
While Brussels and Berlin had suggested, after strong opposition, that the investor courts are off the table, the newspaper said that 'that was not and is not true'.
Although the EU had made such a proposal, 'the Americans flatly rejected it' and the issue had not been seriously negotiated yet.
TTIP is billed as a free-trade deal for the 21st century, focused on harmonising regulations, lowering barriers on investment, opening access to government contracts and addressing new areas like data trade.
The classified papers are available to read in a glass container close to the Brandenburg Gate. Last week, Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a joint pitch for TTIP, saying it would spur much-needed economic growth
Last week, Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a joint pitch for TTIP, saying it would spur much-needed economic growth.
Following the latest negotiations last month, US and EU said they had made progress but 'substantial work' remained to agree a deal in 2016.
They said that while 97 per cent of tariff issues had been covered, three percent - the most challenging, including for farm products - remained.
French newspaper Le Monde, which also had access to the leaked documents early, said they showed that 'the Europeans (are) more involved and more interested in negotiations' than the Americans, whose stance it described as 'reluctant'.
Greenpeace said the confidential documents prove that long-standing environmental protections are being ignored and that, for example, there is no mention at all in the proposed text of global goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
'These leaked documents confirm what we have been saying for a long time,' said Greenpeace EU director Jorgo Riss.
Nicole Wilfinger, 37, was arrested on Friday for allegedly having sex with a student
A middle school math teacher was arrested last week on charges of having sex with a student.
Nicole Wilfinger, a 37-year-old 8th grade math teacher at Las Vegas' Molasky Junior High School, was arrested on Friday.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Wilfinger was hit with three charges of sexual seduction by a person older than 21, one charge of engaging in sexual conduct with a student between 14 and 15 years of age, one charge of engaging in sexual conduct with a student between 16 and 17 years of age and three charges of lewdness with a child older than 14.
It's unclear if the charges refer to one student or multiple, and how far back the alleged incident or incidents took place.
Wilfinger was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on $60,000 bail on Friday, but appears to have been released since then. She was due in court Saturday morning for a hearing.
On Friday, the school sent a message to parents notifying them of Wilfinger's arrest, according to a mother's post on Facebook viewed by the Review-Journal.
Wilfinger has worked at the school since 2012, and previously taught at Hyde Park Junior High School.
In a picture that appears to have been taking for the school yearbook, Wilfinger bizarrely wears a necklace that reads 'SWAG'.
According to Facebook, she appears to be married with a young daughter.
It's unclear if Wilfinger is still employed by the school district. The Clark County School District's communications office did not immediately return Daily Mail Online's calls Monday morning.
A gun-loving British paedophile has been jailed for almost 20 years for carrying out sex attacks against children while living in luxury in Crete.
Douglas Barr, born in Dundee, Scotland, tortured his young victims and kept them prisoner in a basement during his campaign of abuse on the Greek island, a court heard.
He has now been convicted and is behind bars at one of Greece's most notorious jails after one lawyer described him as the 'literal definition of barbarity'.
Douglas Barr, born in Dundee, Scotland, tortured his victims and kept them prisoner in a basement during his campaign of abuse on the Greek island, a court heard
Barr has now been convicted and is behind bars at Greece's most notorious jail after one lawyer described him as the 'literal definition of barbarity'
Allegations of sex abuse were made concerning two girls who told a trial in Greece that they had been raped by the married 56-year-old, who moved to the resort of Tavronitis in 2007.
According to the Sunday Post, the court was told that British state hand-outs were funding his life in Crete amid reports he was receiving up to 4,500 a month.
Pictures have also emerged of the heavily built child abuser posing with a range of guns.
Barr, who lived in Leeds before moving to Crete, was arrested in January last year after a row over a car crash.
After driving drunk into a parked car, the owner complained only for Barr to return to the scene with a gun.
It was while he was behind bars and awaiting trial that his victims came forward and told locals what had happened to them. British and Greek authorities were notified and an investigation got underway.
Allegations of sex abuse were made concerning two girls who told a trial in Greece that they had been raped by the married 56-year-old, who moved to Crete (shown in the file picture) in 2007
The Sunday Post reports how lawyer Notis Fyllakis described Barr in court as as the 'definition of barbarity' and 'ethically spineless'.
'The psychological and physical violence against these children paints a picture of a villain which not even Charles Dickens could have imagined.
'I do not believe that this terrible series of events will be resolved easily. It is being investigated by many different levels already.'
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been liaising with Greek authorities.
A spokesman said: 'We have remained in contact with Greek authorities since the detention of a British national in January 2015, and continue to provide consular assistance.'
She plans to return to North American jungles and open her own sanctuary
The 25-year-old is using data to complete PhD studies in Swansea, Wales
Meet the real-life Dr Dolittle on a mission to save adorable orphaned sloths.
Zoologist Becky Cliffe is studying the cuddly critters for her PhD studies at Swansea University, having spent five years at the world-famous Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica.
During her time there animal lover Becky, 25, compiled data on a number of poorly and orphaned animals suffering from limb deformities and albinism.
These are genetic problems she believes are caused by pesticides sprayed on fruit crops and loss of habitat which has resulted in inbreeding.
Zoologist Becky Cliffe (pictured) is studying the cuddly critters for her PhD studies at Swansea University
Beck is now studying in Wales having spent five years at the world-famous Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica
The 25-year-old compiled data on a number of poorly and orphaned animals suffering from limb deformities and albinism
She said: 'Many people love sloths and find them very cute and cuddly but they don't know what problems they're facing.
'As consumers people want to help but don't realise the impact of buying products which have been sprayed with pesticides.
'It's only until you go out to the rainforests that you see the affect it's really having.'
Becky is now sifting through the data as a part of a long-term investigation into sloth genetics and habitat in a bid to protect future generations.
She said: 'I think the biggest step in making a change is to do real science.'
Becky has been fascinated with animals since she was a tiny tot, revealing that when her parents sat her in front of the TV she'd demand to sit outside instead.
She said: 'I've always loved all animals. When my parents would try and make me sit in front of the TV I would make a fuss as I always had to be outside - even in the rain.
'As long as I was outside with nature I was happy.'
Her love of sloths developed at the age of 17 when she took an interest in tropical biology.
She said: 'I didn't know a lot about sloths as they weren't well studied, it was only when an opportunity to work with them came up from through university that I learned more about them.
Becky says she has been fascinated with animals since she was a tiny tot, revealing that when her parents sat her in front of the TV she'd demand to sit outside instead
Becky explained that despite their lazy reputation two-fingered sloths are quite feisty and can only be captured with the help of a vet
Caring for sloths is no mean feat, as they can scratch, bite, are incredibly strong and are reluctant to let go of the tree they are hanging on to
'The more I learned, the more I became obsessed with them - they are my life.'
Becky explained that despite their lazy reputation two-fingered sloths are quite feisty and can only be captured with the help of a vet.
She revealed they can scratch, bite, are incredibly strong and are reluctant to let go of the tree and be examined.
With no financial backing for the project, Becky turned to online crowd-funding website Indiegogo to raise the money needed for basic lab equipment to process the data.
She smashed the $15,000 target and can now give the cash to Dr. Sofia (Sonia) Consuegra del Olmo, Associate Professor in Biosciences at Swansea University, to conduct the tests.
She said: 'I'm very lucky to be working with her - she's a big deal in the world of conservation genetics.'
Becky admitted that she now has to get to grips with the data she's amassed in the last five years to complete her PhD before returning to Costa Rica and her beloved sloths.
She said: 'It was so hard to leave the jungle - I plan on going back out there. My dream is to set up my own sloth conservation foundation.'
A baby sloth called Onesie hangs on to the finger of a worker at the Costa Rican sanctuary as it takes a nap
The campaign for Brexit was blasted by Dragons' Den star Hilary Devey today for casting fake 'dragons' in a spoof TV advert.
The Britain Stronger in Europe (BSE) campaign slammed its rival Vote Leave for not taking the EU referendum seriously after the casting note for its ads emerged.
The casting note said Vote Leave was planning three different sketches - a Dragons' Den spoof where 'Jean Junket' would be grilled on the EU, a Sepp Blatter sketch and a comical vox pop of Londoners.
The brief for the campaign suggests the films will aim to show Vote Leave 'from a more liberal view' and look to change the perception it is only backed by 'white, middle-class Tories'.
Dragons' Den star Hilary Devey, who is a spokeswoman for Britain Stronger in Europe, blasted Vote Leave for casting fake dragons for a TV ad instead of finding real business people to make its case
Ms Devey, who speaks on small business issues for BSE, told MailOnline: 'I'm not surprised that they are having to use fake 'dragons' because real business people overwhelmingly know that we are better off in Europe.
'I'm used to asking tough questions and it's the Leave campaign that are failing to provide any answers about what being Out of Europe looks like.
'It's a shame the campaign are resorting to gimmicks of this type when we should be having a real debate about the negative impact leaving the EU would have on Britain's businesses large and small.'
James McGrory, BSE chief campaign spokesman added: 'Vote Leave are at least displaying some self-awareness with their brief that their campaign is seen as being dominated by Tory obsessives.
'They are scrabbling around to cast fake dragons and an imitation Sepp Blatter because they know they have not got any credible arguments to make on the economy.
'This is not a joke. This is the biggest decision we will take as a country in a generation.
'Instead of spoofs to pretend that everything will be fine if we leave the EU, Vote Leave should be explaining what will happen to jobs and prices.
'Leaving the EU is a risk we cannot afford to take.'
The Vote Leave casting note calls for an actor to play Jean Junket, a fictional EU Commission. Pictured left is Jean Claude Juncker, the EU Commission President, and Sepp Blatter - who Vote Leave want to replicate in another of its planned adverts
The casting note sought an actor to play EU Commission 'Jean Junket' - describing the ideal actor as a 'a rotund man who gets himself in a flap under the pressure of the 'Dragons' he is asking for investment'.
The 'dragons' in the sketch would be John Sessions, Lewis Macleod, Kate Robbins and Steve Furst, according to the document.
Britain Stronger in Europe has secured Hilary Devey as small business spokeswoman and the endorsement of Kelly Hoppen. Both appeared as investors on the hit BBC Two show.
The second sketch needs an actor to play Sepp Blatter - with the notes seeking someone with 'excellent comedy skills and physical awareness'.
For the third sketch, Vote Leave is seeking a 'gobby youth' who will be mixed in with 'real people' being interviewed in an improvised sketch in London.
The notes to the casting call said all three of the spoof films could be used online, on social media, in official Vote Leave referendum broadcasts or on the radio.
as walks into the path of the tram
This is the horrifying moment a woman is is run over by a tram as she crosses the tracks - but miraculously survives.
Dashcam from a nearby car in the city of Sosnowiec in southern Poland filmed the moment the oblivious lady walked straight into the path of the oncoming vehicle and was dragged along the track before being sucked underneath.
Fortunately the quick-thinking tram driver managed to react in time and slammed on the brakes preventing the victim from being pulled under the wheels of the heavy transport vehicle.
Striding across the track: Dashcam filmed the moment the oblivious lady (right) walked straight into the path of the oncoming vehicle and was dragged along the track before being sucked underneath
Not paying attention: It is unclear in the grainy video whether the woman's negligence was caused by her listening to music or talking on the telephone
However the woman, 42, was still seriously injured in the alarming accident.
According to rescue workers, the unnamed lady was still able to speak when they turned up, and they managed to remove her from underneath the tram with the aid of firemen. She was then rushed to hospital.
She has suffered acute internal injuries but is expected to make a recovery.
The footage from Tuesday 26 April showing the heart-stopping moment she disappears under the tram has now been released by police in Sosnowiec.
They hope to warn citizens to always be vigilant and take more care when crossing roads or tram tracks.
It is unclear in the grainy video whether the woman's negligence was caused by her listening to music or talking on the telephone.
The incident occurred at 7.40am but the trams were restored to action by 9am.
Local police were contacted but are unable to provide more information as the accident is currently under investigation.
Impact: The tram smashes into the woman as she blindly crosses the tracks
Struck down: Fortunately the quick-thinking tram driver managed to react in time and slammed on the brakes preventing the victim from being pulled under the wheels of the heavy transport vehicle
Dragged under: The unnamed lady was still able to speak when they turned up, and they managed to remove her from underneath the tram with the aid of firemen.She was then rushed her to hospital
James Medina, 40, is accused of planning a bomb attack against a Florida Jewish center
A Florida man who planned an explosive attack against a Jewish center was busted by the FBI after he accepted a dummy bomb from an undercover agent, authorities said Monday.
James Medina, 40, made his initial appearance in federal court Monday following his arrest last week in the alleged plot against the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center, which includes a synagogue, school and meeting halls.
Medina is charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, which carries a potential life prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton said the FBI learned in March that Medina, a Muslim convert, planned to bomb the center by placing a device under a car or throwing it over a wall.
An FBI undercover operative was used to provide Medina with a fake bomb, and he was arrested after accepting it on Friday near the Jewish center, Anton said.
A judge appointed a public defender for Medina, who began his court appearance by announcing 'I got a few words of my own. My name is James Medina, aka James Mohammed,' according to the Sun-Sentinel.
U.S. Magistrate Judge William C. Turnoff told Medina he might want to keep his mouth shut.
'I urge you to understand that anything you say can be used against you,' Turnoff said.
Scroll down for video
A planned explosive attack on the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center was thwarted by the FBI through an undercover operation, authorities said Monday
A bail hearing was scheduled for Thursday.
U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., who represents many of the Jewish center's 800 congregant families, suggested that Medina may have been motivated by anti-Jewish bias. The plot would have struck during the synagogue's Passover celebration last week.
'This attempted attack is a harsh reminder that there are many in our community who are motivated by bigotry and violence,' she said in an email statement. 'As a community and a nation we must work together to confront this kind of hatred.'
A 17-page FBI affidavit unsealed Monday includes numerous comments allegedly made by Medina about his plan, which initially envisioned use of AK-47-style weapons to shoot up the Jewish center. Several of these conversations were recorded by an informant identified only as a 'confidential human source' in the document.
According to the FBI, Medina wanted to create a leaflet to be left at the scene in which he would claim the attack was traced to the ISIS terror group. There's no evidence the group was actually linked to Medina, but he told the informant that leaflet would 'make it look like it's ISIS here in America. Just like that.'
In a photograph posted to social media, Medina poses in front of a mosque at an unknown location
The plot, Medina said in one conversation, would be to 'strike back at the Jews, by going to a synagogue and just spraying everybody ... It's a war man and it's, like, it's time to strike back here in America.' Later, Medina called the plan 'my call of duty.'
'When I'm doing this, I feel that I'm doing it for a good cause for Allah,' he is quoted as saying.
Another undercover FBI employee several times asked Medina whether he really wanted to go through with the plot, which might include killing women and children.
'I'm up for it. I really am. This is no joke. This is serious, dog,' Medina said on an FBI recording.
The Aventura center's Rabbi Jonathan Berkun and Executive Director Elliott Karp released a statement on the center's Facebook page saying the FBI stepped in before any harm could be done. Berkun and Karp said they had been briefed on the case by law enforcement officials.
'They assured us that the synagogue and school were never at risk at any time during the investigation and arrest, and that there are no credible threats directed against us at the present time,' their statement said.
Medina said in court he is unemployed, divorced and has no assets. According to Local 10 News, he was homeless and regularly ate lunch at the Jubilee Center of South Broward.
A French former gym manager is believed to have been promoted to the top of ISIS to co-ordinate attacks on the West as a reward for planning the Paris massacre.
Abu Suleyman al-Faransi has been given a senior position in the terror group's foreign intelligence branch, the first Western European to rise to such an elite rank, according to a defector.
He is said to have impressed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi after presenting him with a blueprint for November's gun and suicide bomb attacks that killed 130 people in the French capital.
Scroll down for video
A French former gym manager (not pictured) is believed to have been promoted to the top of ISIS command after impressing leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (right) with his blueprint for the Paris massacre in November
There are also indications the militant dubbed the French emir of ISIS may have been behind last month's Brussels attacks.
A French security source described him to The Daily Beast as the 'head of overall operations for Europe' while a senior U.S. official said there is 'good' intelligence that appears to confirm his role.
His meteoric rise suggests the terror group is shifting its focus to spearheading attacks on the West using militants with European backgrounds to fine-tune operations.
An ISIS defector known as Abu Khaled said Suleyman was 'smart, disciplined, well respected... and more sophisticated' than his predecessor Abu Abdelrahman.
A French policeman assists a blood-covered victim near the Bataclan concert hall following the ISIS attacks that killed 130 people in Paris in November
Carnage: There are also indications Suleyman dubbed the French emir of ISIS may have been behind last month's Brussels attacks on the airport (above) and Metro station
He said Suleyman had the advantage of being 'born, raised and educated in France' and was often mistaken for a white convert due to his light-skinned appearance.
'He knows Western culture very well, its strengths and its weaknesses,' he added.
The son of an imam, Suleyman is said to have run fitness clubs in Paris before fleeing to Syria with his wife and two children at some point during the civil war.
His wife, who is a French citizen, is expecting their third child.
The are understood to live in al-Bab, an ISIS-controlled town in the district of Aleppo that is home to the group's Amn al-Kharji foreign intelligence headquarters.
An ISIS cell in France threatened new rocket attacks on passenger jets and a new Charlie Hebdo-style massacre in chilling undercover video (pictured) filmed by a journalist who infiltrated the group
The journalist, a Muslim using the pseudonym Said Ramzi, also received instructions to 'shoot until death' in a nightclub slaughter and set off an explosives vest if security turn up
The militant, whose real name has not been disclosed, is the second jihadi to go by the nom de guerre Abu Suleyman al-Faransi who has been linked to the Paris attacks.
The other, Charaffe al Mouadan, who had direct ties to the Paris 'mastermind' Abdelhamid Abaaoud, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in December while reportedly plotting other attacks.
Abaaoud, 28, was killed in a police raid in north Paris days after the coordinated shootings and bombings in the French capital on November 13.
It comes as an ISIS cell in France threatened rocket attacks on passenger jets and a new Charlie Hebdo-style massacre in chilling undercover video filmed by a journalist who infiltrated the group.
The journalist, a Muslim using the pseudonym Said Ramzi, also received instructions to 'shoot until death' in a nightclub slaughter and set off an explosive vest if security turn up.
Police in Italy believe that a young girl who fell to her death from an eight storey block of flats was raped by a man and thrown off the balcony.
Six-year-old Fortuna Loffredo died in June 2014 in Caivano near Naples and since the investigation into her death was re-opened recently, Italy has been shocked by the horrific details on how she was murdered.
A 44-year-old man, Raimondo Caputo has been arrested and charged with her rape and murder, which police say came when she refused his sexual advances.
Six-year-old Fotuna Loffredo, who police in Italy believe was raped before being thrown to her death from an eight floor balcony
They say he was only detained when one of his children claimed they too had been sexually abused.
The man is now in prison in Rome and has denied the charges.
Caputo was already in investigative custody after he was accused of molesting his own children.
Despite the police investigation into the alleged wrongdoings, Caputo had met a conspiracy of silence in the area, with the breakthrough allowing them to arrest the suspect and his girlfriend when their children told detectives what had been going on.
Caputo was detained and his girlfriend, 32, was ordered to remain on house arrest on charges of sexually abusing the children she had had with her lover, including a three-year-old child.
The children are in care and the couple have had a bottle with flammable liquid thrown at the couple's window, which set the property on fire.
Prosecutors said they had suspected since the beginning that the six-year-old Fortuna had been the victim of a paedophilia ring
Her mother, Domenica Guardato, said that she had always believed all along that the couple were responsible for her daughter's death
The latest charges of rape and murder follow a two-year investigation which had sparked controversy when an autopsy revealed the dead six-year-old child had been sexually abused.
Caputo had in the meantime been kept in investigative custody since November 2015 on suspicion of sexually abusing his three-year-old daughter.
Prosecutors said they had suspected since the beginning that the six-year-old Fortuna had been the victim of a paedophilia ring.
Her mother, Domenica Guardato, said that she had always believed all along that the couple were responsible for her daughter's death.
She said: 'I've always been sure that it was them, I always said it. I've never met him, but I asked her and she always denied it.'
Guardato said that everyone in the neighbourhood had kept quiet about her daughter Fortuna's death, invoking an unspoken code of silence about the crime.
She added: 'I was thinking, hoping, that today, at least today, someone from this cursed place would come up to me to say something, a hug, but instead, nothing. Here, there's always been and there always will be silence.
Pope Francis broke off script during his Sunday Mass at the Vatican calling for paedophiles such as Fortuna's abuser to be 'severely punished'
'I am the only one to speak because here I am with an immense pain that will never go away. Because I loved Fortuna, as only a mother can, and they killed her. And still today I don't know why.'
Naples prosecutor Domenico Airoma said that it was children who gave their investigation a breakthrough.
'The adults were hindering the investigation. The children permitted the turnaround', Airoma said, referring specifically to the three children of the arrested man's girlfriend.
Airoma said that the adults in the neighbourhood had 'a conspiracy of silence, indifference, and culpable collusion'.
Meanwhile, yesterday Pope Francis has called for 'severe punishment' for paedophiles such as her abuser.
'This is a tragedy. We should not tolerate the abuse of minors,' Francis said, departing from prepared remarks at his weekly Sunday message and blessing to tens of thousands of people in St Peter's Square.
Willie Bee Turner, 21, was sentenced to almost four years in prison for the horrific abuse and killing of his puppy, Angel Star
A 21-year-old California man was sentenced on Friday to three years and eight months in prison for burning his eight-week old Chihuahua puppy alive in 2015.
Willie Bee Turner of Sacramento was found guilty of the heinous crime on March 3. In January 2015, when the tan puppy, which Turner had named Angel Star, defecated on his friend's floor, Turner doused the helpless animal in bleach and tossed her off a balcony. The puppy miraculously survived.
The next night, he locked the puppy in a portable kennel and set the animal on fire on the sidewalk outside a Masonic Lodge on Becerra Way near Marconi Avenue, burning her alive, according to the Sacramento Bee.
A driver passing by saw the blaze and called 911 - horrified firefighters found the puppy's charred remains.
Turner was arrested in February after tips from the outraged public led to his whereabouts.
In addition to his three years and eight months prison sentence, Turner cannot own a pet for 10 years and he will be registered as a lifetime arson offender and can no longer own or possess a firearm.
Animal rights advocates (above) protested at every court date of Willie Bee Turner, who burned his puppy alive, but Jennifer Canady, a regular at his trial, says his three years and eight month sentence isn't enough
Court Judge Lawrence Brown, who sentenced Turner to the max allowable under state guidelines, was clearly horrified at the convicted man's actions.
'There is a darkness in the defendant,' said the judge, who mentioned taking his own dog out for a walk that morning.
Deputy District Attorney Hilary Bagley, who prosecuted the crime, said the sentence was 'piddly' and noted Turner's statement to the court, in which he said he will 'take responsibility for the things he did not do.'
Bagley said that 'significant introspection' was needed for a crime of that nature if the convicted is to enter back into society. 'Clearly, that hasn't happened,' she said.
Animal advocate Jennifer Canady, who devotedly attended Turner's court appearances, told the Sacramento Bee: 'The results of this grotesque case of cruelty the outcome of three years, eight months for the tossing off a balcony, dousing with bleach and the setting of this monsters puppy on fire hardly does justice to this little life.'
Legislators have had difficulty trying to extend the terms for animal abusers. Republican State Sen. Jeff Stone, who represents Riverside County, recently lost a bid to double the sentences for animal cruelty crimes.
Two police officers have been reprimanded for breaching security protocol after they stopped to help change a woman's tyre.
The officers, from Chatswood on Sydney's North Shore, had spotted the woman with a busted tyre on the side of the road.
The helpful cops stopped to assist the woman and found the jack in her car was not working.
A police officer was praised for assisting a couple to change their tyre on Anzac Day, just day before another pair of officers were reprimanded for doing the same thing
NSW Police spokesperson said: 'Police are there to help to the public but it is crucial that the assistance is balanced all the time with best interest of the community'
One of the officers returned to their station to pick up better equipment while the other stayed with the woman and her car to to keep them safe, according to a report by The Daily Telegraph.
The incident became an issue after the woman notified the station's superior officer in Chatswood commending the officers that helped her, according to Nine News.
After receiving a letter the pair were spoken to and disciplined their superior who told them it was the NRMA's job to change tyres and that they were safety breaching protocol by putting their lives and the lives of the public in danger.
The superior officer gave a dressing down to the police involved, saying that it was not their job to change tyres and that they were breaching protocol
A NSW police spokeswoman played down the incident saying that there was no official reprimand on the officers involved.
A NSW police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'The officers actions in this incident compromised their ability to effectively respond to an emergency and to also involved possible breaches of security protocols.'
'Police are there to help to the public but it is crucial that the assistance is balanced all the time with best interest of the community.'
'There has been no official reprimand.'
This comes after officers in The Hills district, in the north-west of Sydney, were commended for helping to change a tyre for a couple visiting from Victoria on Anzac Day while conducting Random Breath Tests.
In a post written on The Hills LAC Facebook page, along with a photo of the officers, police said: 'Quick to prove we have better customer service than our brothers and sisters from down south, Victoria Police, the tyre was changed in no time and the travelers on their way.'
Smith Sr., 45, was due in court the day after his death to face 14 felonies
One woman told investigators Makayla laughed and admitted to the killing after police found his body two days later
A 14-year-old girl has been charged as an adult in the death of her mother's boyfriend, 45, who was found lying in a pool of blood on his kitchen floor with a shell casing next to him.
Makayla Dawn Brown is accused of first-degree murder in the killing of Mario Smith Sr. in his Ripley, Oklahoma, home on April 19.
Investigators are looking into claims the teenager shot Smith because he reportedly pistol-whipped her mother, KFOR reported.
One witness saw Makayla shoot Smith in the head while another woman told investigators the teenager laughed when she admitted to killing Smith two days later, according to an arrest warrant affidavit cited by the Stillwater News Press.
Makayla Dawn Brown, 14, is accused of killing Mario Smith Sr. (pictured), with one witness claiming she acted in revenge because he pistol-whipped her mother a month before. He was due in court to face 14 felonies the very next day
Smith, Makayla Brown, and her mother Tysa Brown were all in the 45-year-old's home on April 19, along with several other friends and family members.
Merrill Carter, Smith's cousin who was in the house at the time, told the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation he saw Makayla walk into the kitchen and pull out a gun.
Tysa's friend Alexis Terry said she saw Makayla shoot Smith once in the head, claiming the 14-year-old had done so because he had physically abused her mother by hitting her in the head with a gun, according to the affidavit.
Another woman said she thought Makayla was 'bragging' when the teenager laughed and admitted to shooting Smith two days later after his body was found.
Authorities found Smith two days later, face down on his kitchen floor in a pool of his own blood. There was a nine-millimeter shell casing next to him.
The weapon has not been recovered, although witnesses said Makayla shot Smith with a caramel-colored semi-automatic pistol, according to the affidavit.
Smith's son told authorities his father owned a gun similar to the one described by the witnesses.
Witnesses also added they did not believe Tysa was involved in Smith's death because she was visibly upset.
Smith, who died one day before he was due to appear in court, was charged with 14 felonies across three cases related to methamphetamine, marijuana, stealing, firearms, assault and battery, the News Press reported.
Makayla has been charged as an adult.
Republican candidates are in an all-out push in the final hours before Indiana voters go to the polls, with Donald Trump hoping to score a big victory that would propel him to the national GOP convention by winning a state Ted Cruz has elevated.
Cruz has been throwing everything he has into the Indiana contest, with a Hail Mary naming of Carly Fiorina to be his running made and a splashy endorsement by Gov. Mike Pence. If Trump is able to haul in the state's 57 delegates, it could set up the real estate mogul to be able to win the nomination on the first ballot, which would scuttle Cruz's effort to be able to get in on subsequent ballots.
A win by Hillary Clinton over Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders would continue to pad her delegate lead, as even Sanders acknowledges he must rack up huge wins while converting super delegates over to his side.
'I am in for the distance as long as we have a viable path to victory. I am competing to the end,' said Cruz Monday as he kicked off a series of campaign retail stops.
Cruz vows he'll stay in the race but a big win by Trump would deflate his campaign
The Texas senator is bringing Pence along for the ride, while rolling out TV ads touting Pence's support though Pence last week only says he was 'voting' for Cruz without giving a more full-throated endorsements.
Indiana has 57 delegates, with 30 voted to the statewide winner.
Cruz is increasingly casting his battle against Trump as a good vs. evil contest.
'I trust the good people of Indiana to differentiate. We are not a country built on hatred. We are not a country built on anger, on pettiness. We are not a country built on bullying,' Cruz said Monday morning at the start of his full day of campaigning.
'We are not a country about selfishness ... We are not a bitter, angry petty bigoted people. That is not America. I reject that vision of America,' he continued. 'We are not an angry, ugly people. And the people of Indiana, the people of Indiana have good judgement, good values the people of Indiana are the heartland of this country.'
Trump and Cruz face their latest battleground in Indiana on Tuesday
Trump has said if his campaign wins in Indiana, 'It's over.' His blowout victories in five states last week lowered the threshold of remaining delegates needed to win. Now Trump get can by without winning a majority of remaining delegates
A strong performance by Cruz would keep the angry primary fight going, and put an intense focus on California, which votes June 7.
Trump leads Cruz by 15 points 49 percent to 34 percent in the latest Wall Street Journal / NBC poll.
Acknowledging the stakes Sunday night at a rally, Cruz said: "This whole long, wild ride of an election has all culminated with the entire country with its eyes fixed on the state of Indiana. The people of this great state, I believe the country is depending on you to pull us back from the brink."
He showed some frustration when a young heckler yelled out, 'You suck.'
Cruz responded: 'Children should actually speak with respect. Imagine what a different world it would be if someone told Donald Trump that years ago.
Cruz continued: 'You know, in my household when a child behaves that way they get a spanking,' to cheers.
Sanders has begun to acknowledge his own challenges, after laying off hundreds of staffers and being unable to take away Clinton's delegate lead despite continuing to draw huge crowds and score primary and caucus wins.
Sanders was holding another big rally in Evansville, Indiana Monday, and urging supporters to turn out. He trails Clinton by 4 percentage points in the Journal/ NBC poll.
'It's a steep hill to climb,' Sanders said at a D.C. press conference Sunday. 'But, at the end of the day the responsibility that superdelegates have is to decide what is best for the country and what is best for the Democratic Party.'
Sanders is urging party big shots and other Democrats who serve as super delegates and get to cast votes at the convention to honor the vote in their particular states though many committed to backing Clinton months ago.
Hillary Clinton holds a delegate lead but that doesn't mean Bernie Sanders is going anywhere
'What is unfair is when I win a state by 70 percent of the vote and super delegates in that state vote for Hillary Clinton because theyre part of the Democratic establishment, thats unfair.
'Whats unfair is before I even get in to the campaign, Hillary Clinton has some 4, 500...superdelegates who are on her side,' he grumbled.
Cruz was set to hold five Indiana events Monday.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich pulled out of the state after reaching a controversial pact with Cruz meant to deny Trump from amassing delegates.
Although the pact immediately frayed, Cruz has said he won't focus on New Mexico and Oregon as part of the deal.
Kasich released a new radio ad in Oregon Monday. 'John Kasich leaves no one behind,' a moderator says. America never give up.'
Kasich was still scoring 13 per cent in the Journal's Indiana poll, an indication that the pact wasn't working.
Trump mocked his rivals on Sunday. "They're like hanging by their fingertips," he said [saying] "Don't let me fall! Don't let me fall!"
The mogul has two rallies planned Monday
He's vowing to go after Clinton. "I haven't started on Hillary yet," he told CNN.
But only 300,000 kits have been sent out for 27million dangerous units sold
From 2015, Ikea has sent kits to owners to secure furniture to walls
That says it must be stable with a 50lb weight hanging from an open drawer
He was the third child to be killed in a tip-over accident since 2014
Killed: Ted McGee (left) was just 22 months old when a Malm dresser from Ikea tipped over and killed him in February. Critics say it doesn't meet industry standards for tipping over
Outrage is mounting against Ikea, whose low-cost Malm range of dressers have now killed three toddlers in the US, with claims the dressers don't meet industry standards and that the company is avoiding withdrawing the dangerous items.
The latest victim, Theodore 'Ted' McGee, was just 22 months old when the tall, six-drawer Malm dresser bought by parents Jeremy and Janet fell on him in their home in Apple Valley, Minnesota, on February 22.
They had thought the boy was napping at the time and didn't realize an accident had occurred until it was too late, attorney Alan Feldman told Philly.com in April. 'They didn't hear the dresser fall,' he said. 'They didn't hear Ted scream.'
In February 2014, two-year-old Curran Collas of West Chester, Pennsylvania, was killed when a six-drawer Malm dresser he was attempting to climb fell on top of him.
And four months later another two-year-old, Camden Ellis of Snohomish, Washington, died after four days on a ventilator after a smaller, three-drawer version of the Malm dresser pinned him.
In July last year, it was revealed that 14 tippings of Malm furniture had been reported since 1989, with four injuries and three deaths - not including Collas and Ellis - MSN reported.
Now The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has launched an investigation into McGee's death, which it calls a 'tragic tip-over fatality', Philly.com reported Monday.
And a committee is looking at proposals to tighten up existing laws.
But it's too little, too late say critics, who are questioning why Ikea didn't withdraw all its Malm units, which do not meet an industry-standard stability test.
Scroll down for video
Victims: Curran Collas (left, with mom Jackie Collas) and Camden Ellis (right), both two, were also killed by Malm furniture. Ikea has not withdrawn the 27million units in danger of tipping over, 7million of which are Malms
In a report on Wednesday, the website said the test requires a dresser to remain stable with a 50-pound weight hung on an extended drawer even when tip restraints - which secure furniture to walls for stability - aren't used.
It's a standard the Malm fails.
'The furniture is unsafe,' parents wrote in a letter campaign to the CPSC last week. 'The weight of a 22-month-old baby was enough to tip it.'
Rather than withdraw the furniture after the first two deaths, Ikea and the CPSC launched what they called a 'repair program' for the 27million dressers - 7million of which were Malms - that had been sold and were in danger of tipping.
The move, which came in 2015, was technically a recall under the commission's rules - though Ikea resisted the term, saying that none of the shipped units were returned or replaced.
Instead, it shipped out free 'restraint kits' to those who bought the furniture, allowing them to secure their units to walls.
They also ran an 'awareness campaign' that included this video, which shows a three-drawer Malm falling over in slow motion with the statistic 'Every two weeks, a child in the US dies from furniture, appliances or TVs tipping over.'
But the McGee family, who bought their Malm in 2012, say they were unaware of the campaign.
And with only 300,000 restraint kits shipped - just 1.1 percent of the 27million easily tipped units - some are asking why the Malms and other furniture weren't simply taken back by the company.
'Obviously, it's a question we have,' the McGees' lawyer Dan Mann, who works with Feldman at Feldman Shepherd, told Philly.com Monday.
'Whether the outcome would have been different if there has been a full-blown recall... Whether he'd still be alive.'
Dangerous: In 2015, Ikea ran a campaign to warn of the dangers of tipping furniture, with a video showing a Malm drawer (pictured) falling over. But the McGees say they were unaware
Warning: Ikea has shipped out 'restraint kits' to people with dangerous furniture, but only 300,000 have been sent. The McGees say they were unaware of the program, which might have saved their son's life
Now pressure is mounting, with the parents in last week's letter campaign being joined by Members of Congress, who are writing their own letter.
The CPSC has declined to comment on its investigation or previous negotiations with Ikea, saying it is federally prohibited from talking about any of its work without the consent of the company it is investigating.
Missed: Critics say that McGee (pictured, with aunt Heather Noble) would not have tipped the Malm if it had met the standard, which requires stability even with a 50-pound weight hanging from an open drawer
But CPSC commissioner Marietta Robinson, who is working to strengthen laws surrounding industry regulations, says that there is a loophole that at least one company uses to bypass standards.
She said the company claims its dressers are designed to be used ONLY when anchored to a wall - so they don't need to pass the 50-pound stability test.
She refused to name the company, but Philly.com noted that it was the same argument Ikea used to defend its Malm dressers.
'It would be like car companies saying we don't have to put air bags in cars if somebody drives them drunk,' Robinson said.
'One has nothing to do with the other. The standard has to do with the manufacturer's responsibility to make the furniture stable.'
Her committee is attempting to remove the loophole, but is receiving push-back from furniture companies.
They say more effort should be done to reprimand those who don't meet the standards rather than changing the standards themselves.
However, Robinson has succeeded in negotiating more power for her five-member committee to approve action plans companies make regarding potentially dangerous products.
Previously, they were approved solely by the executive director's office.
'If a so-called recall or repair program does not correct the defect that's causing the injury or death, then we should not go along with it and we shouldn't put our stamp of approval on it,' Robinson told Philly.com.
'We should litigate and try to get the companies that have the defect to fix it.'
Advertisement
Investigators are calling the fire that broke out at a historic Orthodox Christian cathedral in New York City on Sunday 'suspicious'.
The blaze broke out at the 160-year-old Serbian Cathedral of Saint Sava Sunday evening around 7pm, shortly after Easter celebrations wrapped up at the church. The fire spread so quickly that firefighters were not able to go inside the building to put out the flames and it waged out of control for three hours.
By Monday morning, the New York City landmark was gutted, with only its stone shell left remaining. Luckily, no one was inside the building when the fire started and there are no reports of injuries.
Following the devastating blaze, an anonymous fire official spoke with Daily Mail Online and said that the fire was suspicious because it appeared to start in the roof area and burned so intensely that it likely wasn't sparked by a candle.
Scroll down for video
The 160-year-old Serbian Cathedral of Saint Sava in New York City was gutted by a fire that broke out at the church Sunday night, following Easter celebrations. Above, the church on Monday
Investigators are calling the fire that broke out at the historic church 'suspicious' since the fire seemed more intense than something started by church candles. Above, the church on Monday
The blaze broke out around 7pm, not long after the church celebrated Easter with a luncheon. Nobody was believed to be inside the church when the fire broke out and no injuries have been reported. Above, the church on Monday
By Monday morning, the New York City landmark was gutted, with only its stone shell left remaining. The roof had also collapsed in places and fire officials said the building was in danger of falling down. Above, the church on Monday
Firefighters continued to douse the building in cold water Monday morning to make sure no other flare ups would happen. Above, the church on Monday
The charred remains of the roof are seen as firefighters continue to work at the scene where the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sava was gutted in a massive fire Sunday evening in the Flatiron District on May 02, 2016 in New York City
. The fire, which started on the day which Serbian Orthodox parishioners had celebrated Easter at the church, injured a number of firefighters, none critically. The landmark church was a historic testament to the once vibrant Serbian community in the area
Firefighters continued to work at the scene Monday morning, spraying water all over the ruins of the building
'We were not immediately able to determine the cause so its being deemed suspicious, and is under investigation,' FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Michael Gala told the New York Post on Monday.
'We were only committed inside the structure for a few minutes (fighting the flames on Sunday night) before we were overwhelmed (by the fires intensity),' Gala added.
Firefighters continued to douse the church in cold water Monday morning, to guard against potential flare ups.
Fire officials say that the fire caused portions of the roof to collapse and that the building is in danger of falling down.
The Cathedral of Saint Sava was one of three Orthodox Christian churches that went up in flames on Sunday, the day Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter. The other two fires happened at Orthodox churches in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia.
'We were not immediately able to determine the cause so its being deemed suspicious, and is under investigation,' FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Michael Gala told the New York Post on Monday. Above, the church on Monday
'We were only committed inside the structure for a few minutes (fighting the flames on Sunday night) before we were overwhelmed (by the fires intensity),' FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Michael Gala said. Above, the church on Monday
The cathedral was one of three Orthodox Christian churches that went up in flames on Sunday, the day Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter. The other two fires happened at Orthodox churches in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. Above, the Manhattan church on Monday
Fire officials said the church's caretaker ran inside the church to try to put out the blaze but suffered minor smoke inhalation and had to be rescued
'I feel like I'm in a nightmare right now,' the church's priest, Father Djokan Majstorovic, said as he tried to get to the fire scene on Sunday
The cathedral appeared to be a shell on Monday morning, when the blaze was finally put out. It's unclear whether the building can be saved
The charred shell of the roof are seen above in this picture from the scene Monday morning, after the Sunday night blaze
Fire officials said the church's caretaker ran inside the church to try to put out the blaze but suffered minor smoke inhalation and had to be rescued.
'I feel like I'm in a nightmare right now,' said church priest, Father Djokan Majstorovic as he tried to get to the fire scene that was blocked off by firefighters.
Alex Velic, 31, the caretaker's stepson, told the New York Daily News he lives next door. He said he smelled smoke and came outside and saw the church on fire.
'Once the fire caught the wood there was flames coming out of the top of the church. That's when people were going crazy,' Velic said. "I'm in shock. I don't know what to say. It's sad.'
Hundreds of people gathered around and stared in horror as flames overtook the building Sunday night in New York City
Orthodox Easter celebrations took place earlier on Sunday with a Confession and Communion service at 9am, a liturgy at 10am and a lunch scheduled to start at 1pm
Fire crews were pictured desperately trying to dampen the flames as they scorched through the roof of the beautiful Gothic-style building, rising at least 50 feet up from street level
The church, which was designed by celebrated architect Richard M. Upjohn, was completely gutted by the blaze
More than 170 firefighters were dispatched to deal with the blaze, the FDNY said
Images taken from above show how the flames completely engulfed the church, streaming from the windows and burning the roof away
Orthodox Easter celebrations were held in the building earlier in the day, including a lunch at 1pm, according to the church's website.
The extent of the damage is currently unknown, but images taken by bystanders appear to show the entire building has been destroyed.
Dozens of fire engines and at least 170 firefighters were scrambled to deal with the fire, the FDNY said, as flames could be seen shooting from the rose window at the front of the building.
Views from above showed the fire streaming from the apex of the church roof, around 50 feet above street level.
While the true extent of the damage is unknown, images suggest nothing more than a shell of a building will be left behind, as windows burst from the heat and the roof was almost entirely scorched away
Hundreds of stunned onlookers gathered in the streets near the church to watch fire crews try in vain to save the historic building
Firefighters were still battling to put the blaze out as night fell in New York, while most of the building appeared to have been destroyed
Stunned onlookers were described 'crying' in the street on social media, while others mourned a 'huge loss for the community'
The church was designed in 1845 and built in the early 1850s, and was the first place to hold an Orthodox liturgy in the U.S., an event hailed at the time as the 'inauguration of the Russian-Greek Church in America'
More than 170 firefighters were called to the scene of the blaze along with dozens of vehicles, and continued damping down the fire as darkness fell on Sunday night
Aerial images of the cathedral show the horrifying extent of the damage to the building, once branded 'irreplaceable' by New York officials
Hundreds of onlookers gathered in the street to watch attempts to save the building, with dozens taking to Twitter to describe the scene.
One user, going by the name Matty Brocker, said people were 'crying' as the building went up in smoke, while others branded the sight 'horrific' and mourned a 'huge loss for the community'.
The Serbian Cathedral of Saint Sava was designed in 1850 by architect Richard M. Upjohn, the founder of the American Institute of Architects, and first consecrated in 1855 by the Episcopal Diocese as Trinity Chapel.
The church was designated a New York City landmark in 1968 and at the time the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission said the church's 'striking appearance commands special attention.
It added that 'its special character, historic significance, and aesthetic interest and value of the development, heritage, and cultural characteristics of New York make it irreplaceable.'
In 1865 the church played host to the first Orthodox liturgy held in an Episcopal church in the U.S., an event described at the time as the 'inauguration of the Russian-Greek Church in America.'
American writer Edith Wharton married socialite Edward Wharton in the chapel in 1885, and later immortalized the church in her famous novel, The Age of Innocence.
Firemen remained on scene tamping the flames down until late on Sunday night, revealing through the smoke how little of the church was left following the fire that broke out hours earlier
Through the smoke a few charred roof beams appeared to be all that remained of the church roof, while the ornate stained glass windows were also gone, having exploded outward during the blaze
Once firemen have finished extinguishing the blaze the Gothic-revival building will need to be assessed to see whether it can be repaired
Dozens of firemen remained on the scene overnight to keep the embers of the church from burning up again
While the fire has almost certainly destroyed the building, there have been no deaths or injuries reported from the blaze so far
Designed by Richard M. Upjohn, founder of the American Institute of Architects, the church was consecrated in 1855 and made a New York landmark in 1968 (pictured before the fire)
Designating the church a landmark, the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission said the church's 'striking appearance commands special attention' (pictured before the fire)
He goes under the wheels after falling over in front of the truck
Huge truck filmed as it drives into a group of spectators
This is the dramatic moment a huge truck drove into a group of spectators, running over a photographer in Russia.
The lorry had been competing in the Zoloto Kagana rally in south-western Russia's Astrakhan Oblast region when the driver suddenly lost control of the vehicle.
Video coverage shows it hurtling towards a group of spectators who frantically try to get out of its way as it careers over sand dunes.
However, one photographer can be seen trying to capture the moment, and does not get out of the way fast enough.
The man, reportedly in his 40s, loses his footing right in front of the huge vehicle and goes under the wheels.
The photographer was later flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital where doctors described his condition as critical.
He is suffering from multiple internal injuries, a broken arm and broken ribs.
The driver of the vehicle, who did not wish to give his name, said he had not seen the man through the sandstorm thrown up by the powerful truck's wheels.
Out of control: The lorry had been competing in the Zoloto Kagana rally when the driver suddenly appears to lose control of the vehicle, hurtling towards a group of spectators who frantically try to get out of its way
The photographer, seen wearing jeans and a grey hoodie, falls over and is caught under the wheels of the lorry
The driver of the vehicle, who did not wish to give his name, said he had not seen the man through the sandstorm thrown up by the powerful truck's wheels
He said: 'We only found out about the accident at the finish line. We didn't see anything at the time due to the large swirl of sand.'
Police said the man had been standing too close to the track in the 'Big Brother' section of the rally.
A spokesman said: 'He ended up too close to the lorries due to his own carelessness. He has been evacuated by the police officers assigned for security work at the event.'
The injured man was employed by the rally and had just arrived at the track with a group of journalists.
The video of the accident has attracted more than 120,000 views on video-sharing websites in just a few days.
Advertisement
It comes with endless Harbour Views, period elegance and a home theatre, so it's little wonder this Sydney mansion was snapped up less than a week after it was put on the market.
Goldman Sachs executive director David Nolan and wife Anita sold their Vaucluse residence on Saturday for $12.5million - making a cool $7.9m profit in the process.
The Nolans had lived in the house since 2002 and recently purchased the former Windsor Castle hotel in Paddington for a record-equalling $11.85m.
A multi-million dollar view: The new owners of this Vaucluse property will enjoy uninterrupted views of Sydney Harbour from their lounge room
Designed by John R Brogan and redesigned by Garth Barnett, the 1930s architecture brings incredible elegance to the home
David Nolan and wife Anita sold the property for $12.5million, a significant increase on the $4.6million they paid for it in 2002
Designed by architect John R Brogan and redesigned by Garth Barnett, it sits less than 100 metres from Hermit Bay Beach among some of Sydney's most prestigious homes.
In leaving the Vaucluse Road address, the couple give up their uninterrupted views from Rose Bay to Middle Head through the arch windows from their lounge room.
The exquisite circa 1930s architecture is a standout feature of the home, however dashes of modern elegance manage to bring it into the 21st century.
The elegant tallow wood floorboards combine beautifully with the decor inside the waterfront mansion
The kitchen boasts a stone island bench and Miele and Gaggenau appliances and is a major feature of the house
The modern touches combine perfectly with the old school elegance throughout the entirety of the property
The effortless transition from the inside of the home to the outdoor area and swimming pool is an entertainer's dream
A stone island kitchen boasting Miele and Gaggenau appliances is a real feature, while the beautiful combination of tallow wood floorboards and stained glass bay windows add to the luxurious feeling.
There's the effortless transition from the inside of the home to the ideal outdoor entertaining area and swimming pool.
Not only are the former owners bidding farewell to their panoramic views of the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and Sydney's CBD, but also a luxurious master bedroom and dual garage.
They'll also say goodbye to a 1200 bottle wine cellar.
Imagine waking up to this view every morning! This is the lifestyle that a spare $12.5m can buy
The agent who listed the house said there was currently a shortage of high-end properties in the Sydney market
Uninterrupted views of landmarks for as far as the eye can see come from the loungeroom of this Sydney mansion
The mansion sits less than 100 metres from Hermit Bay Beach among some of Sydney's most prestigious homes
The agent who listed the house said there was currently a shortage of high-end properties in the Sydney market, meaning it was little surprise it was snapped up so quickly.
'Its simply a matter of there being more buyers than vendors in the $10 million-plus market, Will Manning of McGrath Estate Agents told Domain.com.au.
Agents say vendors have disappeared for different reasons including the upcoming federal election and international money market nerves.
The elegant grand entrance to this 1930s mansion is just a sign of what is to come once you step inside!
With the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House in the background, it's little wonder this property sold for such a high price
A man suspected of murdering an American au-pair in Vienna may have acted out of jealousy after finding her lying next to a 15-year-old Afghan boy, Austrian police have claimed.
Lauren Mann, 25, was found naked at her apartment in the Wieden district of the Austrian capital on January 25 after her employers told police she had not picked up their child from school.
A Gambian asylum seeker - identified only as Abdou I. - has been charged with her murder but insist he was not in the city at the time of her death.
A man suspected of murdering American au-pair Lauren Mann (pictured) in Vienna may have acted out of jealousy after finding her lying next to a 15-year-old Afghan boy, Austrian police have claimed
Lauren Mann, 25, was found naked at her apartment in the Wieden district of the Austrian capital on January 25 after her employers told police she had not picked up their child from school
According to The Local, investigators now believe Abdou I. killed her in a jealous rage after entering her flat and finding her with her arm around a 15-year-old boy from Afghanistan.
During a police interview, the 24-year-old suspect said he had left the city and was in Switzerland when she was killed.
Firemen broke down the door to her flat to find her half-undressed body lying face down on a mattress and surrounded by burning candles, having been violently suffocated.
Police have already claimed that Abdou's sperm was found on her body and bed. He has admitted having a sexual relationship with her.
Investigators now believe Abdou I. killed her in a jealous rage after entering her flat and finding her with her arm around a 15-year-old boy from Afghanistan. Police officers work at the scene of the grisly slaying
He was arrested nine days after her death at a refugee centre in Switzerland.
In March, it was reported that Ms Mann may have met him via the CouchSurfing website.
According to Kurier.at, the 25-year-old was active on CouchSurfing, and her profile on the accommodation website states she had met many friends by using the service.
Her profile also reveals she had graduated from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Music and French.
This is the dramatic moment a group of female passengers turned on a man after he had sexually harassed on of them while on a bus in Turkey.
The incident, caught on camera, showed the 34-year-old man, identified only by his initials AEA, being confronted by his victim after he allegedly showed her his genitals on the bus in Turkey's north-western Kocaeli province.
The disgusted woman then starts beating the accused harasser, and when he does not react, other women on the bus join in, with some of them kicking him.
A group of female passengers on a bus in Turkey began attacking a man when he showed one of them his genitals
As the blows grew more and more frequent, he was forced to try and climb off the bus when the doors opened
As the blows grew more and more frequent, he was forced to try and climb off the bus when the doors opened.
But he was then grabbed by another passenger after trying to flee when the bus doors opened.
Eyewitnesses said when the woman realised what the man was showing her, she screamed and started hitting him, and then the other women joined in.
They said the police were quickly on the scene because the bus driver had only opened the doors when he was driving alongside the Basiskele Police Station.
Police interviewed the victim, and he was arrested and is currently in custody.
The incident was recorded by the security camera of the bus with the footage given to police who are investigating.
Eyewitnesses said when the woman realised what the man was showing her, she screamed and started hitting him, and then the other women joined in
Daily Mail astrologer Jonathan Cainer died today following a suspected heart attack at home.
The enormously popular newspaper horoscope writer was found by his wife Sue, who raised the alarm, but was pronounced dead at hospital.
Mr Cainer, 58, was the Daily Mail astrologer from 1992 to 2000 and returned to his column with the newspaper in 2004.
He was read by some 12 million followers around the world and his horoscopes were translated into Japanese, Spanish, Italian and Chinese.
Daily Mail astrologer Jonathan Cainer died today following a suspected heart attack at home. He was found by his wife Sue and was pronounced dead in hospital. He is pictured left on This Morning in July 2013
Mr Cainer, 58, was the Daily Mail astrologer from 1992 to 2000 and returned to his column with the newspaper in 2004. He is pictured during one of his performances at the Literary Arena of Latitude Festival, Suffolk
His younger brother Daniel, a musician, said his family believed he had suffered a heart attack after he was found collapsed in his office at the familys home in North Yorkshire.
The cause of death has yet to be confirmed. He had suffered a previous heart attack a year ago but was thought to have made a good recovery.
SAGITTARIUS: NOV 23 - DEC 21 READING FOR MAY 3, 2016 Life is very short and theres no time for fussing and fighting my friend . . . So sang The Beatles in We Can Work It Out. Not that this stopped them from fussing or fighting in the years after that song became a hit. Did they work it out? Well, they at least stopped long enough to notice how short life is and they shared some sense of the precious perspective with which we should all view our existence. You may not have all the answers, but you have enough to make today a good day. Advertisement
Mr Cainer, a former nightclub manager, studied at the Faculty of Astrological Studies in London and got his first astrology column with the now-defunct Today newspaper in 1986.
He went on to work at the Daily Express and the Daily Mirror but was best known for his columns for the Daily Mail, which were read by millions.
His brother Daniel said: Jonathan had this great talent not only his gift and wisdom but also the ability to make people feel he was speaking directly to them as individuals.
I think that was the key, that people felt he spoke to them personally.
Even the most cynical and hardened person could read their forecast and be amazed by its accuracy.
One reader said he was spookily accurate and I think that was borne out by his own prediction for his sun-sign, Sagittarius, today.
He was read by some 12 million followers around the world and his horoscopes were translated into Japanese, Spanish, Italian and Chinese. Cainer is pictured at the Sunrise festival in Bruton, Somerset (left) in May 2009 and at his home in North Yorkshire (right)
Mr Cainer (pictured), a former nightclub manager, studied at the Faculty of Astrological Studies in London and got his first astrology column with the now-defunct Today newspaper in 1986
Mr Cainers daily horoscope for his own sun-sign today began: Were not here for long. So make the most of every moment.
We forget this so often, and get caught up in missions, and desires. We think we have forever and a day.
'MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY MOMENT': JONATHAN CAINER'S HOROSCOPE ON THE DAY OF HIS DEATH We're not here for long. So make the most of every moment. We forget this so often, and get caught up in missions, and desires. We think we have forever and a day. In one way, we may be right for are we not eternal spirits, temporarily residing in finite physical form? An elevated perspective is key to a meaningful existence. As Jupiter soon reaches the end of its retrograde phase, youll find the higher you rise, the further you see. Advertisement
Born in Surbiton, Surrey, in 1957 to David, a bank worker, and Ruth, a medical secretary, Mr Cainer had six brothers and sisters.
He left school at 15 with no qualifications and became a petrol pump attendant, then moved to the US in the 1980s to manage a nightclub and his brothers musical career.
Once in Los Angeles, he met a psychic poet, Charles John Quarto, who told him he would go on to write an astrology column which would be followed by millions.
Returning to Britain, he studied at the Faculty of Astrological Studies in London before beginning his newspaper career.
His newspaper columns, phone lines and website went on to make him one of the worlds best-read astrologers and he employed a 30-strong support team for his business, which had a reported turnover of some 2million a year.
Tragedy struck in 1992 when his wife, Melanie, died during surgery following a car crash.
Mr Cainer was at their home, looking after their young children, but later recalled: I was serving tea to the kids and suddenly, sound and vision in the corner of the room.
Born in Surbiton, Surrey, in 1957 to David, a bank worker, and Ruth, a medical secretary, Mr Cainer (left and right) had six brothers and sisters. He left school at 15 and became a petrol pump attendant
It was Mel in a strange blue light, looking serene. She said: Jon, I think Im going
I said: No youre not, I need you here. She said: No, no, I think I am So I wasnt too surprised when the doctor later told me shed died in surgery. I said I thought as much.
A six-month-old boy who died after his brain was starved of oxygen was forced to wait up to four hours for an ambulance while paramedics were on a lunch break, an inquest heard.
Kyran Day was admitted to Shoalhaven Hospital on the south coast of NSW on the night of October 19, 2013 where he was allegedly misdiagnosed with gastroenteritis, The Daily Telegraph reported.
But by the time he was formally diagnosed with a bowel obstruction and rushed to Sydney Children's Hospital to undergo surgery, the toddler had suffered several cardiac arrests.
Kyran Day (pictured) died in October 2013 after he was allegedly misdiagnosed and suffered cardiac arrests
A heartbreaking photo shows Kyran lying in a hospital bed with his parents Naomi and Grant Day by his side
His parents Naomi and Grant Day speaks out about their grief, saying they want justice for their son Kryan
His parents Naomi and Grant Day - who are expected to testify at Glebe Coroner's Court - have spoken of their devastation following the death of their son, saying they want justice.
'This is our 3rd year now and it's been hell but we will keep going until we have answers and justice for Kyran James day,' Mrs Day wrote on Facebook.
Mr Day said: 'We will fight and continue to fight for change and Kyran's legacy for all the babies, children and parents without a voice.'
A heartbreaking photograph shows the baby boy lying in a hospital bed with his distraught parents by his side in the hours leading to his death.
Three days after he was first admitted, Kyran died after his brain was starved of oxygen (pictured right with his mum and the badge (left) his family wore to the first day of the inquest on Monday)
Little Kyran was admitted to hospital on the night of October 19, 2013 where he was allegedly misdiagnosed
His parents Naomi and Grant Day have spoken of their devastation following the death of their son Kyran
The coronial inquest heard Dr Toby Greenacre refused to re-examine Kyran because he had 'more urgent cases' and two ambulances were delayed as emergency crews were on their lunch break.
After waiting four hours for an ambulance, the family were finally airlifted to Sydney but three days after he was first admitted, the young boy died from oxygen starvation.
The two-week inquest will examine Shoalhaven Hospital staff who were involved in the case, including a paediatrician, two nurses, Newborn Emergency Transport Service and NSW Ambulance.
Advertisement
The final moments of Aleppo's 'last pediatrician', killed in a Russian airstrike as he began work last week, have been caught in chilling CCTV footage.
Mohammad Wassim Maaz was killed along with 26 other people - patients, doctors and visitors among them - when the Russian bombs hit the Al Quds hospital last Wednesday.
And now CCTV from inside the hospital has revealed how he and others spent the last moments, unaware of the terrible end which was about to befall them.
The harrowing footage shows doctors and what appear to be visitors making their way around the halls of the Medicins sans Frontiere's supported hospital on Wednesday evening.
Mohammad Wassim Maaz - the last paediatrician in Aleppo - gets ready to start his night shift at Al QudS hospital last Wednesday
Less than 10 seconds after Dr Maaz walks out of sight of the camera, the explosion hits the corridor, engulfing it in flames
After it strikes, everything goes black, the dust just visible swirling in front of the camera - until you can just make out the figure of person, seemingly clutching a baby or small child
Another camera captures porters wheeling a person down the corridor, before cutting to footage of Dr Maaz, making his way down the stairs to start his shift.
Wearing his green scrubs, ready to start a night shift at the hospital, he turns the corner - out of sight of the cameras.
Seconds later, the camera is engulfed with flames, apparently coming from the same room the pediatrician had just entered.
It is the explosion that kills him and two of his colleagues, as well as countless civilians.
After it strikes, everything goes black, the dust just visible swirling in front of the camera.
And then the figure of a person appears from the dark, apparently clutching a baby or small child.
In less damaged corridors, people are seen trying to help each other, while a camera trained on the outside of the hospital shows people carrying torches running down the road.
Whether it is to help the injured, or flee danger, is unknown.
Today, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry condemned the bombing as 'unconscionable', adding: 'It has to stop.
Meanwhile, the UN said it was 'catastrophic', while Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir laid the blame at Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's door.
'There is only one side that is flying airplanes, and that is Bashar al-Assad and his allies, so they are responsible for the massacre of women, children, and the elderly,' he said. 'They are responsible for the murder of doctors and medical personnel, and this situation, any way you slice it, will not stand. The world is not going to allow them to get away with this.'
Dr Maaz (left), described as the last paediatrician in Aleppo, was among dozens killed when jets attacked the Al Quds hospital (right)
Other cameras show different parts of the hospital which suffered less damage than the corridor Dr Maaz was walking down
In another part of the hospital, people start to tend to the injured as they come to terms with what has just happened
An injured woman covered in blood and dust staggers to safety after an air strike hits a rebel-held area of Aleppo
Obliterated: Children walk amid the rubble of destroyed buildings after air strikes on the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Kalasa in Aleppo
A Syrian family walks amid the rubble of destroyed buildings after a reported airstrike in the Bustan al-Qasr rebel-held district of Aleppo
Distraught: Syrians walk amid the rubble of destroyed buildings after air strikes on the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Kalasa in Aleppo
More than 250 people have been killed in the last nine days, the vast majority on the rebel side, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says.
And without the hospital, the situation is looking even more dire for those trapped inside the city/
'This devastating attack has destroyed a vital hospital in Aleppo, and the main referral centre for paediatric care in the area,' said Muskilda Zancada, MSF head of mission, Syria, shortly after the attack. 'Where is the outrage among those with the power and obligation to stop this carnage?'
International Committee of the Red Cross spokesman Ewan Watson said: 'It is unacceptable, any attack on hospitals is a war crime. But it is up to an investigator and it is for a court to take that decision on whether it is a war crime or not.'
The city of Aleppo is at the epicentre of a military escalation that has undermined peace talks in Geneva to end the five-year-old war and UN envoy Stefan de Mistura appealed to the presidents of the United States and Russia to intervene.
'The catastrophic deterioration in Aleppo over the last 24-48 hours' has jeopardised the aid lifeline that delivers supplies to millions of Syrians, said Jan Egeland, chairman of the UN humanitarian task force.
'I could not in any way express how high the stakes are for the next hours and days.'
The Geneva talks aim to end a war that has killed more than 250,000 people, created the world's worst refugee crisis, allowed for the rise of Islamic State and drawn in regional and major powers but the negotiations have all but failed and a truce to allow them to take place has collapsed.
A badly wounded man is loaded on to a vehicle so he can be taken to hospital for treatment for his injuries
A man carries a child after airstrikes destroy a rebel-held area of Aleppo. The violence brings the death toll over 24 hours to at least 61
The White Helmets have been braving the continued bombing in an effort to drag people from the rubble
The Syrian regime has been pounding rebel-held areas in Aleppo since the weekend including the hospital
Winding up the Geneva talks, de Mistura said he aimed to resume them in May, but gave no date.
'Wherever you are, you hear explosions of mortars, shelling and planes flying over,' Valter Gros, who heads the International Committee of the Red Cross Aleppo office, said.
'There is no neighbourhood of the city that hasn't been hit. People are living on the edge. Everyone here fears for their lives and nobody knows what is coming next,' he said.
A Syrian military source said government planes had not been in areas where air raids were reported. Syria's army denied reports that the Syrian air force targeted the hospital.
The Russian defence ministry, whose air strikes have swung the war in favour of President Bashar al-Assad, could not immediately be reached for comment. Russia has previously denied hitting civilian targets in Syria where it launched air raids late last year to bolster its ally.
The British-based Observatory said 31 people were killed as a result of air strikes on several areas of opposition-held Aleppo on Thursday.
Syrian civil defence volunteers evacuate a baby from a destroyed building in the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Kalasa in Aleppo
Six days of air strikes and rebel shelling in Aleppo, which is split between government forces and rebels, have killed some 200 people in the city, two-thirds of them on the opposition side, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says
A Civil Defence worker carries a child through the rubble-strewn streets of Aleppo after airstrikes by suspected government forces
A civil defence member carries a child to safety after she is pulled from the rubble in Aleppo
In addition, it said at least 27 people were killed in the air strike on the hospital that was struck late on Wednesday. Rescue workers put the toll higher.
In government-held areas, rebel mortar shelling killed at least 14 people, the Observatory and Syria's state news agency SANA reported.
Peace talks, which have been deeply divided on the future of Assad, looked to be over last week when the opposition walked out.
They said the Syrian government was stalling for time to advance on the ground and calling for implementation of a UN resolution requiring full humanitarian access to besieged areas.
De Mistura voiced deep concern at the truce unravelling in Aleppo and at least three other places, but also said he saw some narrowing of positions between the government and opposition visions of political transition.
'Hence my appeal for a U.S.-Russian urgent initiative at the highest level, because the legacy of both President Obama and President Putin is linked to the success of what has been a unique initiative,' de Mistura told a news conference.
The damage at the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)-backed Al Quds hospital after it was hit by airstrikes in a rebel-held area of Aleppo
They should 'be able to revitalise what they have created and which is still alive but barely'.
The United States and Russia must convene a ministerial meeting of major and regional powers who compose the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), he said.
Egeland said: 'So the appeal of Staffan de Mistura to the United States, to Russia and to the other powers in the ISSG is 'you did it once, you can do it again.''
Bashar Ja'afari, who led the government delegation, said on Tuesday the round had been 'useful and constructive'. But he gave no sign of ceding to the opposition HNC's central demand for a political transition without Assad. The government has said the future of Assad is non-negotiable.
De Mistura, asked whether Assad's fate was discussed, replied: 'We didn't get into names of people ... but actually how to change the current governance.'
More than 100 people have been killed in airstrikes in Aleppo with scores injured since Friday afternoon
The state run media service has blamed many of the deaths on the Al Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front
The UN envoy said the two sides remained far apart in their vision of a political transition, but shared some 'commonalities', including the view 'that the transitional governance could include members of the present government and the opposition, independents and others'.
Giving a chilling statistic about the backdrop of violence against which the talks played out, de Mistura said that in the past 48 hours there had been an average of one Syrian civilian killed every 25 minutes and one wounded every 13 minutes.
Hossam Abu Ghayth, 29, a documentary film-maker living in the rebel-held area of Kalasa in Aleppo which was bombed on Thursday, said by WhatsApp: 'There are still planes (flying)... they're hitting everything, mosques, markets, residential buildings, field hospitals.
'Dozens of people are under the rubble and the Civil Defence cannot dig out the bodies because of the intensity' of the bombardments.
Tony Ishak, 26, a resident of the government-held area of Suleimaniya in Aleppo and a politics student, said via WhatsApp:
A 26-year-old woman driving along a highway in Milwaukee was shot and killed by her two-year-old son in the backseat who got his hands on a gun last week.
Patrice Price was pronounced dead on scene after deputies were alerted to the crash around 10:30am on 26th April.
Patrice Price, 26, was driving when she was shot and killed by her two-year-old son in the backseat who got his hands on a gun last week
It's believed that the gun was left in the car by the woman's boyfriend, who works as a security guard
'Initial witness accounts indicate that a child in the back seat of the vehicle got a hold of a gun and discharged the firearm, sending a single bullet into the driver's back,' the local police department said in a statement. 'The MCSO investigation into the death is on-going.'
Price was driving a car owned by her security guard boyfriend, who allegedly left the firearm inside.
The same week, a three-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed himself with his father's gun.
Holston Cole died last Tuesday from the self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest after finding the semi-automatic pistol inside his father David's book bag at his Paulding County home, Georgia.
Deputies responded to a 911 call just after 7am while the toddler's parents were getting him ready for the day.
Holston Cole (pictured with with parents David and Haley Cole and one-year-old twin sisters Paisley and Macy) died last Tuesday from the self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest after finding the semi-automatic pistol inside his father David's book bag at his Paulding County home, Georgia
No charges have been filed. It is not known who owns the gun and how the child got access to it
First responders performed CPR on the toddler when they arrived before taking him to a nearby hospital.
But he was pronounced dead a short time later, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.
Holston lived at the residence with parents David and Haley Cole and one-year-old twin sisters Paisley and Macy.
No charges have been filed. It is not known who owns the gun and how the child got access to it.
Investigators would not reveal what type of gun was used. They would only reveal that it was a small handgun.
Pastor Paul Richardson, who is acting as spokesman for the family, said that Holston was 'full of life' and a 'happy little boy'.
A three-year-old toddler picked up a loaded pistol at his great-grandparents' house and accidentally shot and killed his nine-year-old sister, on February 6.
Third-grader Kimberly Reylander suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was flown by a medical helicopter from the home in Irondale, Alabama to Children's of Alabama hospital, where she died.
A relative who was not home at the time had left the loaded gun on the nightstand, not realizing the children would be in the house that day, police chief Ken Atkinson said.
Kimberly Reylander, nine, was remembered as smart, sweet, artistic and beautiful by her relatives. Her obituary reads: 'Kimi was her Mommy and Daddy's little angel. She was a gifted singer and artist.'
The other adults in the house were unaware the gun was in the room where Kimberly and her brother were playing.
Kimberly's great-grandfather, Joel Watson said he and the other adults rushed into the room once they heard the gunshot.
He told WIAT: 'Her grandma was laying the towel on her head and laid down there and started praying, she was praying, I was praying, my wife was screaming and praying.
'Nobody knows how that feels until you experience it.'
The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, when Kimberly was sitting on the floor of the bedroom in the 2000 block of Monroe Drive, about 14 miles outside of Birmingham.
Kimberly and her brother lived nearby with their mother.
Kimberly (left) died after her three-year-old brother accidentally shot her with a pistol left on their great-grandparents' nightstand in Irondale, Alabama
Atkinson called it 'a tragic accident', but an investigation is still underway.
Her maternal grandfather Rodney Watson told WBRC: 'She was a beautiful child, straight A student, she loved God, she loved singing at church, she was just a precious angel.'
He added: 'You know, I've always had this thought that this could only happen to someone else, you know you only hear about these things, but when it hits home it's hard.'
Irondale police said there were no charges filed at this time.
A North Carolina mother was jailed after her two-year-old son found a gun inside his mother's purse and shot himself in the stomach.
Valencia Burks, 22, was charged with reckless conduct on March 23 after her son Chandler Burks, accidentally shot himself at a hotel Lithonia, Atlanta at around 2.30am.
Valencia Burks, 22, was charged with reckless conduct on March 23 after her son Chandler Burks, accidentally shot himself at a hotel Lithonia, Atlanta at around 2.30am
The toddler was rushed to hospital where he underwent surgery but is expected to make a full recovery.
Dekalb Police Sgt Vincent Gamble said the boy took the gun out of the purse as his mother slept. His older brother and the female friend are also believed to have been asleep, according to WXIA.
A high-profile pro-gun activist was shot in the back by her four-year-old son after he found her pistol lying on the back seat of her truck just 24 hours after he boasted about his shooting skills online.
Jamie Gilt, 31, who posts about firearms on her social media accounts was driving through Putnam County, Jacksonville, Florida, on Tuesday in her truck when she was wounded after the toddler picked up the weapon and shot her in the back.
It came just a day after she said the youngster would get 'jacked up' before a shooting practice on a page dedicated to her musings on Second Amendment rights.
On the profile Jamie Gilt for Gun Sense she wrote: 'Even my 4 year old gets jacked up to target shoot with the .22'.
Jamie Gilt was shot in the back by her son as they drove through Putnam County in Jacksonville Florida
She runs the Jamie Gilt for Gun Sense page on Facebook which promotes Second Amendment rights
Discussing gun rights on Facebook, Gilt wrote Monday that her '4 year old gets jacked up to target shoot'
She reportedly believes she has the right to shoot anyone who threatens her family - and plans to teach her offspring the same mentality.
According to CBS47, Gilt was on her way to pick up a horse when the shooting unfolded.
Her four-year-old son picked up a loaded .45 semi-automatic handgun from the back seat, pointed it towards his mother and pulled the trigger.
The powerful round went through the front seat and passed through Gilt's body .
Gilt flagged down a passing Sheriff's deputy and told him that she had been shot.
Deputies recovered a .45 semi-automatic handgun from the floor of the truck. They are satisfied that the round was fired from inside the vehicle.
Gilt and her son had been travelling to pick up a horse from a relative when the accident happened.
Before being transported to the emergency room, the victim told deputies that her son had accidentally shot her.
'The investigation by Major Crimes Unit Detectives and the analysis of the crime scene confirmed that the victim was accidentally shot by the young boy who was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle.
Another family, in Kansas City, were left grieving after their two-year-old daughter was shot by her three-year-old brother.
Police were called to the home in Lawn on the afternoon of April 21 after reports that little Shaquille Kornegay had been shot in the head. The only other person in the house at that time was her older brother, authorities said.
Courtenay Shaquel Block, 24, has been charged with 1st degree endangering the welfare of a child, armed criminal action, and tampering with physical evidence after after his two-year-old daughter was shot by her three-year-old brother
The girl's father, Courtenay Shaquel Block, 24, has since been charged with 1st degree endangering the welfare of a child, armed criminal action, and tampering with physical evidence.
Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters-Baker said: 'This homicide was 100 percent preventable,' Baker said, according to a news release. 'This is tragic. We must do a better job of protecting our most vulnerable, our children.'
Just one day after the death of Shaquille Kornegay, a three-year-old boy in Louisiana picked up a pistol and accidentally shot himself in the head.
Alverious Demars and the boy's mother had been lying in bed together when the youngster was somehow able to get hold of the gun and fire it, police say.
The child was taken to Natchitoches Regional Medical Center, where he later died.
Just one day after the death of Shaquille Kornegay, a three-year-old boy in Louisiana picked up a pistol and accidentally shot himself in the head. Demars, 22, of Natchitoches, was arrested after the tragic accident on counts of negligent homicide
Demars, 22, of Natchitoches, was arrested after the tragic accident on counts of negligent homicide and obstruction of justice in connection. The latter charge arises from the fact that the gun has yet to be found.
Gilbert Sr had threatened to slash his son's weekly allowance by $200
to deem if he is fit to stand trial
A hedge fund manager whose spoiled son is standing trial for his murder after he cut his allowance by $200 was only worth $585,555.50, it has been revealed.
Thomas Gilbert Jr, 31, is accused of murdering his father, Thomas Gilbert Sr, in January 2015 after he threatened to slash his weekly allowance from $600 to $400 and to stop paying the rent on his $2,400-a-month Chelsea apartment, authorities say.
But while Gilbert Sr was believed to be worth as much as $200 million at the time of his death, court documents obtained by the New York Post have revealed he had less than $10,000 in stocks and bonds, under $20,000 in cash and retirement accounts, and some $500,000 in 'miscellaneous' assets.
Thomas Gilbert Jr (pictured) is accused of murdering his father, Thomas Gilbert Sr, after he threatened to slash his weekly allowance from $600 to $400 and stop paying the rent on his $2,400-a-month
But while Gilbert Sr (right) was believed to be worth at least $200 million at the time of his death, court documents have revealed he was actually worth $585,555.50. Left, Thomas Gilbert Jr
Gilbert Sr was once a successful Wall Street man who lived in an Upper East Side brownstone but after a bid to start his own hedge fund failed, he was forced to sell the home and start renting a Beekman Place apartment.
The family rented out a home in the Hamptons they had owned, where Gilbert Sr had been a member of the tony Maidstone Club.
Gilbert Jr - known as Tommy - meanwhile was not working, despite an economics degree from Princeton, and relied on his father to cover the $2,400 rent on his Chelsea apartment as well as a weekly $600 allowance.
Before Princeton he went to Deerfield for boarding school and the all boys, exclusive Manhattan day school Buckley before that.
A judge had previously rejected Gilbert Jr's lawyer's plea for insanity back in November after he said his client had been seriously mentally ill and should not stand trial. His attorney, Alex Spiro, is being paid for by his mother, Shelley Rea Gilbert.
The New York Times had reported that Gilbert Jr was taking medication for his mental illness while at Princeton, according to evidence eluded to in a State Supreme Court hearing in Manhattan.
In the same hearing, the court also learnt that Gilbert Jr had experimented with illegal drugs while at Princeton, including LSD, magic mushrooms, cocaine and marijuana.
He has also previously talked about people 'infecting his mind' and has claimed skits on Saturday Night Live were attempts to mock him.
A judge had previously rejected Tommy's lawyer's plea for insanity back in November after he said his client had been seriously mentally ill and should not stand trial
His attorney, Alex Spiro, (right) is being paid for by Gilbert Jr's mother, Shelley Rea Gilbert (left)
Though he was deemed mentally fit in November, a new court ruling made on April 28 means that a judge will hear testimony from two new court psychiatrists on Gilbert's mental state and review the question of his competency once again at a hearing in June.
Gilbert Jr, who rarely appears in court but chooses instead to write letters to the judge, was present at the hearing and also took the opportunity to complain that he doesn't have cable in his jail cell.
Manhattan socialite Anna Rothschild, 50, dated the accused killer in 2014 and said he was a loner with few friends who deeply resented his father and was obsessed with how he would 'never be good enough' for his dad.
The twice-divorced Upper East Side woman said he was jobless - and seemed to have few prospects, and little interest, for finding serious work. Instead, he spent most his time in the Hamptons, going to the gym, doing yoga and surfing.
His one professional aspiration was founding his own hedge fund - but he complained that his father wouldn't give him the seed money to start it, Miss Rothschild said.
Miss Rothschild said Gilbert Jr was also preoccupied with how controlling his father was with his money and was convinced that he could never do anything to gain his approval
Manhattan socialite Anna Rothschild, 49, dated the accused killer (pictured together) dated in 2014 and said he was a loner with few friends
The socialite told the Daily Mail Online earlier this year that she was repeatedly warned by her friend that Gilbert Jr 'would chop her into tiny pieces'.
Gilbert Jr. had allegedly tried to stage his father's body to make it look like a suicide - placing the .40-caliber Glock pistol on his chest.
The trial is not Gibert Jr's first brush with the law.
While a student, in 2007, he was arrested after head-butting a nurse treating him at a hospital while he was high, but the charges were dropped after he agreed to counselling.
Gilbert Jr was also reportedly ordered to undergo anger management in 2013 after assaulting his roommate and friend Peter Smith, breaking his nose during a bust-up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
In 2014 he stole a flag from the Smith family estate in Sagaponack, New York, and was charged with petit larceny.
Gilbert Jr (pictured left, while at Princeton, and right) experimented with illegal drugs, including LSD, magic mushrooms, cocaine and marijuana, a court heard
Gilbert Sr, 70, was found with a single gunshot wound to the head at the family's apartment in Midtown Manhattan. Pictured, his body is carried out of the property
He breached a court order later that year by approaching Mr Smith and was questioned after the Smith family home was attacked by an arsonist two weeks later. Gilbert Jr was not charged in connection with the blaze.
The millionaire heir was also banned from an exclusive club in the Hamptons after allegedly threatening to kill a member of staff there.
Gilbert Jr was a major beneficiary of his father's will which was written just two years before the alleged patricide - and he could receive payments he is due to help pay legal fees. He also has one sister.
A mother-of-two shot during the execution of notorious underworld figure Walid Wally Ahmad says her children have helped her to move on from the horrific events of that day.
Hoda Darwiche, 32, had stopped to buy a coffee at a cafe before heading to the gym at a shopping centre in Bankstown in Sydneys south-west when a masked gunman opened fire at Ahmad and an associated on Friday.
Ms Darwiche was caught in the crossfire and shot in the leg. She was at first believed by police to be at the cafe with Ahmad, but was later revealed to be an innocent bystander.
Scroll down for video
Mother-of-two, Hoda Darwiche, 32, (pictured, right) that was shot during the execution of notorious underworld figure Walid Wally Ahmad says her children have helped her to move on from the horrific events of that day
Caught in the cross-fire Ms Darwiche was shot in the leg. Paramedics attended to her on scene and took her to Liverpool hospital along with another man, 51, believed to be Nael Hamid, Ahmad's associate
Ahmads associate, Nael Hamid, 51, was also wounded.
Paramedics attended to Ms Darwiche and the 51-year-old before taking them both to Liverpool hospital to be treated.
In a picture showing Ms Darwiches children posted to Instagram on Friday, she wrote: When I look at them smiling and happy like this Ill forget everything happening, reported The Daily Telegraph.
Former neighbours told the Telegraph that the Darwiche family were lovely and were shocked to learn the friendly mother had become a victim of the Bankstown shooting.
New South Wales police said: 'Initial inquiries have led police to confirm the woman injured in the incident was an innocent bystander, and was sitting at a coffee table nearby when she was shot in the leg.
Ms Darwiche was comforted by a picture of her children and posted it on Instagram and said: When I look at them smiling and happy like this Ill forget everything happening
'She is believed to not be linked in any way to those involved in the shooting.'
Ahmad, 41, was shot dead in a 'well-planned ambush' on the rooftop carpark at Bankstown Central shopping centre in the 'execution styled attack'.
Shocking footage which emerged from the moment paramedics tried to resuscitate Ahmad shows the gangland figure struggling for life before going into cardiac arrest.
His family and friends were heard screaming 'Walid, Walid! Don't die on me Walid!'
The 32-year-old had stopped to buy a coffee before the gym at Bankstown Central in Sydneys south-west, when a masked gunman opened fire at Ahmad and his associate on Friday
Nael Hamid (pictured) is thought to be Ahmad's bouncer and made light of the situation by saying his injuries were due to 'fireworks'
The 41-year-old known criminal was ruthlessly shot eight times according to witness accounts on the day.
A crime scene has been established at the popular south-west Sydney shopping centre while detectives and forensic specialists examine the area.
Police said: 'Officers from State Crime Command's Homicide Squad have taken carriage of the investigation and have established Strike Force Bindon as inquiries into the incident continue.'
The search for the shooter who gunned down Ahmad has spread to Victoria.
Shocking footage emerged of the moment paramedics tried to resuscitate Ahmad. Family members can be heard screaming: 'Walid, Walid! Don't die on me Walid!'
Police have voiced fears that a war between rival Sydney crime gangs, thought to have stemmed from a drugs debt, could escalate following the death of the convicted killer
Police investigating Friday's shooting in Bankstown have shifted their focus to an abandoned vehicle found on the Hume Highway.
NSW Police confirmed they had been contacted by Victoria police after a single-vehicle crashed in Benalla.
Police have reason to believe the car might be linked to the shooting reported The Sydney Morning Herald.
Police investigating the crash found the car empty and mangled among trees just off the Hume Freeway near Baddaginnie.
Ahmad is a central figure among Sydney's middle eastern crime gangs and his death has sparked serious concerns about an emerging gang war
The gunman is believed to have escaped in a Mercedes, which was found burned out less than 1km away
Police are still trying to confirm who was driving the vehicle when it crashed.
Detective Superintendent on the investigation, David Eardley said: 'It's clearly targeted, this is not a random shooting.'
'We're certainly not ruling out any links - we're looking at all opportunists and all avenues of investigation.'
It has also been reported a senior police officer from the Middle Eastern Crime Squad has said people would 'be lining up to kill him'.
Ahmad's family were seen looking distraught following the shooting at the shopping centre
Ahmad was wanted for questioning over the fatal shooting of Safwan Charbaji (pictured) outside the A Team Smash Repairs in Condell Park on April 9
'In the past few months he has been spiralling out of control and bingeing on cocaine,' The Daily Telegraph reported.
Ahmad, a known standover man, was wanted by police for questioning the fatal shooting of Safwan Charbaji, which is believed to be the reason for his murder.
Charbaji was killed at his smash repairs business earlier this month in Condell Park.
'There are two distinct crime groups now involved in a feud and they are extremely violent,' a sebuir police officer told the Telegraph.
Images of an abandoned vehicle in Victoria has led police investigators over the border from New South Wales to search for Ahmad's shooter. The incident is said to have been a targeted attack
Bankstown Central shopping centre is located about 20km south-west of Sydney
The 41-year-old, who is believed to be married with children, was also reportedly being investigated over his role in an extortion racket.
Ahmad was jailed in 2005 after shooting dead Mayez Danny at Greenacre in Sydney's south-west in 2002.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that he was well known for intimidation and stand over tactics, particularly in the automotive industry.
Anyone with information that could assist police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The shooting of Ahmad is believed to have been triggered by the fatal attack of fatal shooting of Safwan Charbaji earlier this month. Police are still searching for the unknown gunman
Most Presidents try to make every last day in power count, so why does Obama look like his practicing for a new career as stand-up comic rather than trying to secure what's left of his legacy?
School is definitely out for the summer at The White House.
When President Obama isn't encouraging non-binary students to be proud of their sexuality - of which they are uncertain - he's prancing around the Oval Office like a kid with a new phone, making spoof videos to entertain the nation.
Obama seems to be practiving for a post-White House stand up career. He made a spoof video released Saturday night where he practices Snapchat, makes jokes about morning beer and chills in his cool sunglasses with John Boehner
He's so down with the kids, he's underground. So busy coolin' with his homies he's got brain freeze.
And that's precisely the problem.
It may be fairly entertaining to watch someone in high office show they are not actually made of stone. He even managed to get our Queen in on the act, sparring with Prince Harry ahead of the Invictus Games. And she's only ever played the fool with the immaculate James Bond.
Admittedly he is able to do things no other politician can; sing, dance, act human. It's a credible threat he'd be pretty useful between the sheets with Michelle - something I can't say of the British Prime Minister who undoubtedly keeps his socks on for comfort.
But being a regular guy, does not excuse a President acting like a kid from YouTube desperate to advertise Oreos or snag a TV deal. Someone needs to tell him to put his phone away and concentrate on how he wants to be remembered. And I can't believe this is it.
Usually at this point in Presidential proceedings, the man in charge of the Free World is trying to make every last day of power count - busy jet-setting about, securing their legacy as a global statesman, for their future, more lucrative career *see Tony Blair for details*.
Mic drop! Malia, right, is off to Harvard and by the time she gets there he'll be instagramming photos in a leotard at this rate. His approval ratings have plummeted
In contrast, I am assuming Obama believes his calling is as a stand up comic or after-dinner speaker, because he is advertising his services like a hooker wearing a safety harness and no knickers.
His kids must be mortified. Malia is off to Harvard in a year and if her dad continues on his current trajectory by then he'll be posting Insta pics of himself in a leotard doing yoga at the 18th hole.
It's not as if he just a got SAT scores north of 1500 and has cause to celebrate. Voters have been singularly unimpressed with his ability to deliver on his promises during his administration.
Despite starting his presidency with some of the highest approval ratings in history, a FoxNews poll earlier this year shows his approval rating is on the floor. This brilliant orator capable who said 'yes we can' has turned into 'no, we didn't...but have you seen my clip on Buzzfeed? Voters are disillusioned and don't want to be fed click-bait.
Despite the big fish showing up for a celeb-fest at his final Correspondents Dinner, history tends not too judge Presidents of the United States on their gags or their guest lists. Bit rather on things they actually achieved.
The Obamas even got the royals in on his routine - sparring with Prince Harry and the Queen ahead of the Invictus Games
Playing a video of his bloopers during his time in office, we saw him fall down the stairs of Air Force One, trip up steps into the office and getting The Beast stuck on a nasty ramp. But he left out some of the biggest bloopers from his time in office; not achieving gun reform, not delivering on Obamacare and failing to make the country safer from terrorism.
A defining moment of the new Presidential race was Obama's failure to respond at speed to the terror shootings at San Bernardino, seeming weak in the face of attack. Meanwhile two thirds of voters says he has failed to handle ISIS, a similar number say he has failed to curtail illegal immigration.
His impotence in this area fueled the surge of Republican support for Donald Trump. At a time when the country was gripped by fear, Donald reassured them he would build a wall and ban Muslims from the USA.
Bombastic rhetoric? Absolutely. I recognise these are impossible promises to keep. But they did at least indicate a man in touch with the mood of the nation. As opposed to a man closer to his own reflection in the mirror.
It's no wonder Americans are voting for Trump - the country is mad and sick of the joker who is slow to respond to national security issues
In the latest Fox poll, 61 percent of voters say they are unhappy with the direction of the country under Obama. Nearly 70% saying they are somewhat angry about the situation.
Looking at the strength of support for Donald Trump, winning all five of his recent primaries and his promise to 'Make America Great Again' suggesting a turn-around after 'no, we didn't', I'd say 'somewhat angry' was an understatement. Most look fuming mad.
Even if you aren't a Republican and support the other Beast in the Presidential fleet - Hillary Clinton - you might recognize she has quite a task on her hands. Many will vote for anything other than more of the same.
While some may not be enjoying the emergence of Donald Trump 2.0, he is looking a great deal more Presidential than the current joker enjoying the limelight.
Hollywood star Emma Thompson today revealed she would abandon voting Labour on Thursday despite being 'inspired' by Jeremy Corbyn's leadership.
In a fresh blow to the Labour leader, Ms Thompson endorsed the Women's Equality Party in the race for London's City Hall.
The party's candidate Sophie Walker is a rank outsider in the race, the focus of which has been on the contest between Labour's Sadiq Khan and Tory Zac Goldsmith.
But Ms Thompson said she had decided after a lifetime of voting Labour she had decided to do 'something new' with her ballot.
Oscar winner Emma Thompson, left, today said she would end a lifetime of Labour voting and instead back the Women's Equality Party on Thursday, represented in the London mayoral contest by Sophie Walker, right
She said she was motivated by 30 years of failure to tackle the gender pay gap and warned: 'I don't feel spoken to by Labour.'
Ms Thompson made her intervention in a letter to The Guardian.
She said: 'I just got to the point where I thought, Im 57, I have voted Labour all my life, I have spent my life living and working in the capital, and I can safely say I have never known it worse.'
The Harry Potter actress added: 'To be sure, there have been some good shifts but by and large, the dreams of my generation have not been realised and many of our hopes have been dashed.'
Endorsing the Women's Equality Party, Ms Thompson said: 'I am backing them because I have met and talked with them and a more committed, bright, inspiring bunch of women with fantastic ideas I have never found.
'I am inspired by Jeremy Corbyn, but I feel like I need to do something new.'
Ms Thompson has made a series of political interventions in recent weeks.
She joined a Greenpeace fracking protest last week, trespassing into a field earmarked for drilling.
Ms Thompson was spoken to by police officers during the stunt - and even had to shelter in a tent after an irate farmer sprayed raw sewage at the protesters.
The Oscar winner also hit the headlines earlier this year when she waded into the Brexit debate.
She sparked outrage by deriding Britain as a tiny cake-filled misery-laden island which must stay in the European Union.
Advertisement
Dozens of holidaymakers abandoned their cars and started to walk towards Manchester Airport after police closed four lanes of the congested M56.
Officers blocked off part of the motorway for nearly three hours while responding to 'an incident on an over bridge' at Junction 4 yesterday evening.
Police shut part of the motorway on Sunday evening as officers tried to talk a man safely down from a bridge at around 6.30pm, and he came down at around 9pm.
Meanwhile desperate passengers caught in the tailback were seen dragging their suitcases towards the airport, fearful they would miss their flights.
Backlog: Police closed part of the M56 while they responded to an 'incident on an overbridge' near Manchester Airport yesterday
Helping hand: Motorists helped each other over the fence as they made the journey on foot, left, and dragged their luggage along the road
Desperate: Holidaymakers abandoned their vehicles and started to climb up the embankment on the side of the motorway
Photographs show passengers trekking along the hard shoulder and helping each other over fences on the side of the road.
North West Motorway Police tweeted about the incident yesterday evening, urging motorists to remain in their vehicles and off the hard shoulder so emergency vehicles could attend the scene.
Some 40 minutes later, the force announced it would be closing the motorway between junctions two and three and advised those travelling to the airport to allow extra time for their journeys.
However frustrated motorists caught up in the chaos decided to continue their journeys on foot, determined to keep their travel plans.
Plea: Officers took to Twitter to urge motorists to remain in the car rather than walk towards the airport
Concerned: Passengers with suitcases were seen talking to officials on the hard shoulder of the motorway
Abandoned: Passengers were seen standing on the hard shoulder, while others climbed up the embankment
Passengers pulled their suitcases alongside the parked cars, while others climbed up the embankment and clambered over a fence to reach a footpath.
The exodus prompted the police to tweet: 'Closures will remain but if are trapped in the tail back. RETURN TO YOUR VEHICLE IMMEDIATLY we will be getting you moving in next few mins [sic].'
Later the force wrote: 'Incident at J4 #M56 has now concluded. We will be stopping the traffic whilst closures (cones) are removed & the full c/way opened.'
Warning: People caught in the traffic jam gathered on the hard shoulder as officers tried to offer assistance
Finding a way: Two motorists were seen climbing over a fence on the side of the road to escape the traffic
Thousands of travellers queued for hours and some missed their flights amid tighter security checks at the newly reopened departures hall at Brussels airport following the terror attacks in March.
Angry passengers took to social media to complain of three-hour waits due to increased security screening at Brussels Zaventem Airport, which reopened yesterday.
One traveller Jan Drahokoupil tweeted: 'Over 2h wait to get into the reopened @BrusselsAirport. A big fail for passengers and Bxl business.'
Scroll down for video
Chaos: Thousands of travellers queued for hours and some missed their flights amid tighter security checks at Brussels Airport today
Passengers, some of whom missed their flights from the airport - took to social media to vent their anger
The tightened security comes after two suicide bombers killed 16 people at Brussels airport in March
Jan Spooren wrote on Twitter: 'For those traveling through @BrusselsAiport - make it 4 hours 2 b there b4 scheduled departure time - it's 1 big mess.'
The airport had already resumed some flights before the check-in hall was reopened, but passengers had been using a temporary check-in tent due to extensive damage to the departure hall.
Passenger Julius Waller tweeted: 'Belgian incompetence. Lines from parking to departure hall. Passengers like sardines. #brusselairport 2hrsto fly.'
Cliff Mosco posted a photograph of queues at the airport alongside the message: '4 hours just to get into the airport and missed my flight. And there is no air Canada rep in the building. #fml.'
Another, Jan Spooren added on Twitter: 'For those traveling through @BrusselsAiport - make it 4 hours 2 b there b4 scheduled departure time - it's 1 big mess.'
The former Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme missed his flight yesterday morning after waiting two-and-a-half hours at the airport, according to La Libre newspaper.
Waiting: Passengers took to social media to complain of three-hour waits due to increased security screening
Brussels Airport spokesperson Nathalie Van Impe told AD.nl: 'The first day of major operational change is always difficult.'
She said the operations would be evaluated and she suspects 'it will improve in the coming days'.
The two airport suicide bombers are believed to be Najim Laachraoui and Ibrahim El-Bakraoui. The pair killed 16 people when they blew themselves up within seconds of each other.
One of the blasts hit the heart of the packed American Airlines check in desk, and the other struck outside Starbucks as early morning travellers ran for their lives.
The third bomb - thought to be comprised of the heaviest explosive - was left abandoned as the 'man in white' fled the scene.
The newly-repaired departure hall was opened yesterday after a special ceremony presided over by Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel.
Attackers: The two airport suicide bombers are believed to be Najim Laachraoui and Ibrahim El-Bakraoui
The two suicide bombers killed 16 people at Brussels airport when they blew themselves up within seconds of each other
'We all choose to resist. Today, our capital's airport is reopening. Brussels is back in business,' Michel told a gathered crowd near a plaque bearing the names of victims, surrounded by photos and flowers.
In a statement, Brussels Airport Company CEO Arnaud Feist called it 'an important day in the recovery' of the airport and in efforts to revive the city's image. Feist said he hoped the airport would be back at 100 per cent capacity by mid-June.
A nine-year-old girl called 911 to report her brother had been killed by three men and her mother was still alive after she had been shot 12 times in the chest, police said.
Christopher Lane Freeman, 28, was shot multiple times in the upstairs bedroom of the family home in Akron, Ohio around 10pm Sunday.
Mother Sonia Freeman, 48, was found downstairs after she tried to confront the men and later died at Akron General Medical Center.
A nine-year-old girl called 911 to report her brother Christopher Lane Freeman, 28 (left) had been killed by three men and her mother Sonia Freeman, 48, (right) was still alive after she had been shot 12 times in the chest, police said
Christopher (left) worked at the Akron Art Museum and drove his little sister to school every morning. Sonia, who won an ugly sweater contest (right) was a regular church goer who helped people with mental illnesses
The Akron police are searching for two to three men in their 20s, thought to be responsible for the shootings, although no motive has been determined yet.
Christopher sustained multiple gunshot wounds, and his younger sister said he was dead by the time she called 911.
He worked in the maintenance department at the Akron Art Museum, and regularly took care of his sister and drove her to school every morning, his father John Freeman toldCleveland.com in a phone interview from Atlanta, Georgia.
Sonia was shot in the chest when she tried to confront the intruders, and she was found near the staircase in the home.
The 48-year-old mother, who died in the hospital, was a regular church-goer who worked for the Community Support Services helping people with mental illnesses for more than 15 years, according to Cleveland.com
John told the local news website: 'They were both really great people. She was devoted to her church. She was an outstanding mom. This is just unbelievable.'
Members of the community left balloons outside their door on Monday, while
The young girl, who a neighbor said was in the third grade, is in the custody of extended family. She was not harmed.
No arrests have been made so far.
Ted Cruz is refusing to say whether he'd support Donald Trump for president if the real estate mogul who regularly brands him as 'Lyin' Ted' were to capture the Republican nomination.
The Texas senator dodged repeated efforts by 'Meet the Press' host Chuck Todd to pin him down on whether he'd back Trump, just days before the Indiana primary which could shake up the race.
'I am going to beat Donald Trump,' Cruz declared, despite polls that show him trailing in Indiana as Trump gets closer to the requisite 1,237 delegates needed to win on the first ballot.
Cruz tangled with Chuck Todd on 'Meet the Press' but wouldn't get pinned down on backing Trump
Todd kicked off the interrogation Sunday after Cruz ripped Trump as the 'ultimate' DC insider.
'You've spent this entire interview trying to eviscerate Donald Trump. If he's the nominee, I take it you can't support him anymore, can you?' asked Todd, a longtime political journalist.
'I believe if the Republican Party nominates Donald Trump we will lose to Hillary,' Cruz responded.
'But are you going to support him,' Todd followed up.
'We will lose, responded Cruz.
Then the anchor tried another tack.'I understand what you believe in the Republican Party. Can you support him? Can you tell your delegates: 'Lay down your arms.''
Then Cruz went on the attack. 'I recognize that many in the media would love for me to surrender to Donald Trump,' Cruz said, because that would mean Clinton would win.
'It's about the numbers,' countered Todd. 'Republican voters are the ones rejecting you, this is not a media conspiracy.'
Cruz shot back: 'With all due respect, the media has given $2 billion of free advertising to Donald.'
'You can't answer that question,' blasted Todd.
'Chuck, let me finish this point I'm making,' pivoting to lines about the need for another debate and an attack on network executives.
Then Cruz went right after NBC, saying 'Your network's executives are partisan Democrats.
'It's just not true, but go ahead, said Todd, defending his bosses. 'You're broad brushing here ... this is exactly what people hate about the media and politics, broad brushes, right?'
'That is the reality of it. The media created this Trump phenomenon ... and then they don't hold him accountable.'
Trump has hauled in endorsements from several of his former rivals, but Cruz may be a tough sell
The host wasn't giving up.Trump is already calling on Cruz to get out of the race if he fails to be Trump in Indiana, after Cruz camped out in the state in a last-ditch effort to hold down Trump's delegate count so that he can be taken down at the GOP convention.
'Are you going to support Donald Trump if he's the nominee?' Todd asked.
'I am going to beat Donald Trump. We are headed to a contested convention, and we're gonna win, and I'm not willing to concede this country,' Cruz said.
Telling sign: Cruz won't agree to back Trump if Trump wins the GOP nomination
Finally, Cruz had had enough.
'You're welcome to lobby for support for Trump as much as possible,' he lectured Todd.
Todd then waved the white flag. 'All right, so let the record show, you have not taken a position on whether Trump whether you can support Trump if he's the nominee. Fair enough?'
But Cruz, a skilled debater when he was a student a Princeton University, took the last word. 'And let the record show you tried very, very hard to get me to commit to supporting Trump. The record will show that.'
Donald Trump called on Ted Cruz on Monday to quit the presidential race and go back to the U.S. Senate if Tuesday's Indiana primary ends with the billlionaire beating the senator.
'Yes, he should. He should leave the race if I win,' Trump told DailyMail.com in a wide-ranging interview at an Indianapolis hotel during his last day of campaigning in the Hoosier State.
'Now, let's see what happens. Indiana's a great state and I have the support of Bobby Knight and so many other people. We'll have to see what happens, but yes, I think he should get out of the race,' Trump said.
The Republican front-runner also said Cruz's 'tough temperament' might make him unsuitable for a spot on his short-list of potential Supreme Court nominees a consolation prize he could offer the Texas as a party-unifying gesture.
Instead, Trump insisted Ted prepare to pack his bags and doubled down on his demand later during a lunchtime stop at Shapiro's Delicatessen a few blocks from Lucas Oil Stadium.
Asked during an impromptu press gaggle whether an Indiana defeat should spell the end of a Cruz candidacy, he told reporters: 'I think it should.'
DROP DEAD, TED: Donald Trump told DailyMail.com that if Ted Cruz can't beat him tomorrow in Indiana, it will be time for him to throw in the towel
WIDE-RANGING: Monday morning's interview in Indianapolis touched on foreign policy, Trump's attitude toward the media, and even whether a President Trump would deliver a comedy routine at the White House Correspondents Association's annual gala
A Cruz spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Monday morning's interview touched on Trump's foreign policy goals, his attitude toward the media, his criticism of past Republican National Conventions, and whether a President Trump would deliver a comedy routine at the White House Correspondents Association's annual gala.
Indiana's 57 delegates to the Republican National Convention, should Trump claim them in Tuesday's winner-take-all primary election, would put the businessman within striking distance of the magic number 1,237 that he needs in order to become the party's White House nominee.
Cruz has insisted that he will stay in the contest all the way to the July convention in Cleveland, Ohio.
he launched an ad Monday in Indiana in which he tries to turn Trump's nickname for him 'Lyin' Ted' back on the real estate tycoon.
The ad, titled 'Lying,' features an announcer claiming that 'Donald Trump is lying about Ted Cruz' with respect to the senator's positions on trade, illegal immigration and work visas.
'Trump also had a one-million-dollar judgment against him for hiring illegals,' the ad claims.
'What a phony.'
LYIN' DON? Ted Cruz's last-ditch effort to salvage an Indiana win is to turn Trump's nickname for him back on the billionaire
But Indianans seem to be siding with Trump, giving him a 15-point edge in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released yesterday.
Trump lashed out at Cruz Monday morning, telling DailyMail.com that he disagrees with the Texan's characterization of him earlier in the day as a hateful bully and his base as 'bitter, angry, petty, bigoted people.'
'That is not America. I reject that vision of America,' Cruz told reporters in Indiana after a campaign stop.
'They're not angry,' Trump said of his loyal following. 'They're very disappointed in politicians like him that get a lot of money from special interest groups, and they protect their special interest groups very much to the detriment of the country.'
LOSING PATIENCE: Trump rejected Ted Cruz's criticism of his base as 'bitter, angry, petty, bigoted people' as he said they were just 'very disappointed in politicians like him'
HOME STRETCH? Trump will look practically unbeatable if he wins Indiana's 57 Republican convention delegates Tuesday in a winner-take-all primary election
Trump has faced calls for specifics about how he will 'unify' the Republican Party if he performs well enough in the remaining ten primary elections to claim the GOP's nomination outright.
But the billionaire said he isn't ready to put Cruz on the Supreme Court as a consolation prize because his 'temperament' might not be suited to the job.
Cruz, once the solicitor general for the Lone Star State, argued nine cases before America's highest court, winning five of them.
'I don't know. I'd have to think about it. That's a big decision,' he told DailyMail.com, saying that he's aware of Cruz's record as a constitutional lawyer.
'But there's a whole question of uniting, and there's a whole question as to temperament. And I'd have to think about it.'
Trump raised Cruz's 'temperament' four separate times while explaining why putting the lawmaker on his Supreme Court short-list wasn't an easy call.
He has said in the past that in order to quell conservatives' concerns about how he would approach Supreme Court appointments, he would release a list of names during the campaign and pledge to to only choose nominees from it.
'He's got a tough temperament for what we're talking about,' Trump said of Cruz. 'You have to be a very, very smart, rational person in my opinion, to be a justice of any kind at a high level or low.'
'You need a proper temperament. And that would be a question that I would have.'
MORE TO COME: DailyMail.com will publish additional segments of Trump's interview with U.S. Political Editor David Martosko (pictured at right)
At Shapiro's, Trump projected confidence as the lunch crowd milled around him and asked for autographs and selfies. He signed one man's $50 bill before dining at a table that included campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and nonfiction author Ed Klein.
Asked whether the general election season begins for him on Wednesday, he said: 'Yes, I mean it's sort of already started.'
A woman who was held captive in a cellar after responding to a singles advert in the newspaper has died in Germany, it has been claimed.
The victim was allegedly kept captive for several weeks by a man and his ex-wife in Hoxter and died from a 'blunt trauma' to her head, prosecutors said.
A statement from the police and prosecutor's office said the 41-year-old victim made contact with a 46-year-old man through a newspaper advert.
The victim was reportedly held captive in a cellar in this house after responding to a singles advert
She then moved into the man's house in Hoxter, where he lived with his ex-wife, 47, and it is believed the victim was held there for several weeks.
It is believed the woman was physically abused, but there was no evidence of sexual abuse. Bild reported she had been kept in a cellar and described it as 'The Horror House of Hoxter'.
The suspects tried to take the injured woman back to her apartment, but called an ambulance when their vehicle broke down, according to NBC News.
She later died in hospital and the suspects were arrested on April 21.
German media has reported there may be other victims.
More than a quarter century after the largest art heist in US history, FBI agents returned to search a reputed mobster's Connecticut home for the second time in an attempt to recover the renowned artwork.
FBI agents returned to Robert Gentile's Manchester home on Monday in the search for a Manet, Degas, Rembrandt, and Vermeer among several other works stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990.
Two thieves dressed as Boston police officers entered the museum saying they were responding to a call, and handcuffed two guards in the basement before they made off with 13 pieces worth a total of $500million.
FBI agents returned to the Manchester home of Robert Gentile (right) on Monday in the search for 13 artworks stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston (left) in 1990
None of the artwork has been recovered, and no one has ever been arrested in connection to the crime.
Authorities have searched Gentile's home before, including one time with ground penetrating radar in his yard in what Gentile's lawyer called a veiled attempt to find the artwork.
Agents also have removed items from Gentile's house and searched a backyard shed.
Federal officials declined to say why FBI agents went to Gentile's home. Gentile's lawyer, A. Ryan McGuigan, who was at the scene, also declined to comment.
In 2010, the widow of Boston mobster Robert Guarante told investigators her late husband had two of the paintings, but passed them on to Gentile, according to Boston Magazine.
'The FBI is conducting court-authorized activity ... in connection with an ongoing federal investigation,' said Kristen Setera, a spokeswoman for the FBI in Boston. 'We will have no further comment at this time.'
Gentile has told authorities that he doesn't know anything about the stolen paintings, and McGuigan has denied prosecutors' allegations that Gentile is a made member of the Philadelphia Mafia.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Durham has said in court that Gentile once told an undercover FBI agent that he had access to two of the stolen paintings and could negotiate the sale of each for $500,000.
Durham also has said that authorities have evidence Gentile, who currently is charged in a weapons case, talked about the paintings with at least three fellow prisoners at a Rhode Island jail, including giving them information on who to call about the art and what code name to use.
In 2010, the widow of Boston mobster Robert Guarante told investigators her late husband had two of the paintings, but passed them on to Gentile, according to Boston Magazine
The museum is offering a $100,000 reward for one of the least valuable items, a bronze eagle finial (left), and a $5 million for information leading to the recovery of the works in good condition (right, Chez Tortoni by Eduardo Manet, stolen in the heist)
Gentile has told authorities that he doesn't know anything about the stolen paintings Assistant U.S. Attorney John Durham said authorities have evidence Gentile talked about the paintings with at least three fellow prisoners at a Rhode Island jail (pictured, The Concert by Johannes Vermeer)
McGuigan has alleged that because the FBI believes Gentile has not been forthcoming with everything he knows about the heist, the agency has set him up for arrests twice in the last three years.
Gentile is charged with selling a loaded .38-caliber revolver for $1,000 to a cooperating government witness at his Manchester home. He has pleaded not guilty and is detained without bail.
In May 2013, Gentile was sentenced to more than two years in prison for illegally selling prescription drugs and possessing guns, silencers and ammunition.
In that case, Durham said federal agents found in Gentile's home a handwritten list of the stolen paintings and their estimated worth, along with a newspaper article about the museum heist a day after it happened.
Three years ago, the FBI in Boston said investigators believed the art thieves belonged to a criminal organization based in New England and the mid-Atlantic.
They believe the art was taken to Connecticut and Pennsylvania in the years after the theft and offered for sale in Philadelphia. After that, the trail went cold.
The museum is still offering a $5 million reward for the return of the artwork.
The Islamic State and Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad have been colluding, according to leaked documents.
An investigation suggests there was co-operation between the regime and the terror group over the city of Palmyra, which was held by ISIS for nearly a year before it was retaken by Syrian forces in March.
They also appear to show ISIS and the Syrian government made a deal to trade oil for fertiliser.
Leaked documents: One letter, penned before the ancient city of Palmyra was recaptured, read: 'Withdraw all heavy artillery and anti-aircraft machine guns from in and around Palmyra to Raqqa province'
An ISIS defector confirmed ISIS was coordinating the movement of its fighters in coordination with the Syrian army and the Russian airforce
The ancient city of Palmyra was held by ISIS for nearly a year before it was retaken by Syrian forces in March
The information was revealed in letters - copies of documents sent from ISIS headquarters - which were among 22,000 files obtained by Sky News.
One letter, penned before the ancient city of Palmyra was recaptured, read: 'Withdraw all heavy artillery and anti-aircraft machine guns from in and around Palmyra to Raqqa province.'
Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site northeast of Damascus known as the 'Pearl of the Desert', was taken back by the Russian-backed Syrian army from ISIS fighters last month.
The city was a major tourist destination before the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011, known for its ancient ruins, colonnaded streets and 2,000-year-old temples.
Jihadis seized Palmyra last year and beheaded its 82-year-old former antiquities chief three months later.
The jihadists destroyed some of the city's most striking monuments and used the ancient amphitheatre as a venue for public executions.
An ISIS defector confirmed to Sky News reporter Stuart Ramsay that the terror group was coordinating the movement of its fighters in coordination with the Syrian army and the Russian airforce.
Another asks for a driver to be able to travel through the terror group's checkpoints 'until he reaches the border with the Syrian regime to exchange oil for fertiliser'.
A letter asks for a driver to be able to travel through the terror group's checkpoints 'until he reaches the border with the Syrian regime to exchange oil for fertiliser'
The Islamic State and Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad have been colluding, according to leaked documents
The letters also show there were arrangements for ISIS to evacuate areas before Assad's forces attacked.
And they reveal ISIS has been training foreign fighters to attack targets in the West for longer than was originally thought - for years.
Professor Anthony Glees, director of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the the University of Buckingham, believes such a deal could be a game-changer.
'Deals between two mortal enemies invariably mean one side is winning - but not yet - and the other is losing but isn't defeated and is hoping to stabilise its position,' he said.
'Certainly ISIS has no genuine interest in safeguarding our common cultural heritage. It's about hanging on to weapons and territory. In this case it can only mean Assad and Putin think they are winning and ISIS knows it is losing. But not yet.
'For us in Europe any deal between these two is very bad news. First because both Assad and ISIS terrorise the people in Syria and that will lead to more suffering and more refugees.
'Second it could strengthen rather than weaken ISIS. We in Europe are far less safe if this story is true.
'We in the West are slowly squeezing IS. We should do all we can to prevent them from wriggling loose.'
MailOnline has been unable to verify the authenticity of the documents obtained by Sky News through the Free Syrian Army.
The former lawyer for DC madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey claims records contains a name which
The Supreme Court has rejected a plea to release phone records from a notorious DC madam, despite claims from her former attorney that they're 'very relevant' to the presidential election.
Montgomery Blair Sibley had asked the court to lift a restraining order which prevented him from releasing the names of clients who called Deborah Jeane Palfrey for prostitutes between 2000 and 2006.
The lawyer has long-claimed that one of the names in the documents is closely linked to this year's presidential race. It is not clear whether the individual is a candidate or an aide.
But the rumors swirling round the secret client list has already forced Ted Cruz to deny that he used the service or cheated on his wife.
Scroll down for video
The Supreme Court has rejected a plea to release phone records from a notorious DC madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey (right, in 2007) despite claims from her former attorney Montgomery Blair Sibley (L) that they're 'very relevant' to the presidential election
The Republican candidate's digits were alleged to have been included in 15,000 pages of phone records dating back two decades.
The allegations came after Cruz, who has made his evangelical faith a central plank of his campaign, was accused of cheating on his wife Heidi and having had five 'mistresses'.
Last month he issued a furious denial, branding the call girl claims 'complete garbage' and telling Fox News: 'I have always been faithful to my wife.'
The DC Madam, Palfrey, operated Pamela Martin and Associates and made $2 million servicing wealthy clients over more than a decade.
At the time of her arrest in 2006 her escorts had slept with officials in the White House, the Pentagon, lobbyists and high-powered lawyers.
Palfrey hanged herself in May 2008 before she could be sent to prison to serve a 55 year sentence.
Her former lawyer, who Palfrey fired before she killed herself, was barred from ever sharing the records she had left behind in a court order imposed during the 2008 trial.
Montgomery Blair Sibley had asked to lift a restraining order which prevented him from releasing the names of clients who called Deborah Jeane Palfrey for prostitutes between 2000 and 2006
Her former lawyer, who Palfrey fired before she killed herself, was barred from ever sharing the records she had left behind in a court order imposed during the 2008 trial
Since then, Sibley has repeatedly challenged the restraining order imposed during that trial and has even threatened to release the records and face the consequences later if the courts did not modify the order.
Sibley was furious the Supreme Court refused to release the records but said he would 'sleep on it' before making a decision whether to breach the restraining order.
'I'd like to be able to stand up and [release the records] on the Supreme Court steps, but maybe my interests are served by just having it 'appear' and make it more to trace back to me or the others that have it,' he told US News.
'Maybe it would give me more comfort that I wouldn't face criminal prosecution. We'll see.'
He that his argument was 'legitimate' and added that he wanted the courts to know they had 'lost personal jurisdiction' of him with their decision.
Earlier this month, Sibley released the names of 174 businesses and agencies whose employees allegedly called the madam's escort service.
The entities that include government agencies, embassies and huge companies that he says phoned Deborah Jeane Palfrey for call girls between 2000 and 2006.
Rumors swirling round the secret client list has already forced Ted Cruz to deny that he used had ever cheated on his wife
Last month Cruz issued a furious denial, branding the call girl claims 'complete garbage' and telling Fox News: 'I have always been faithful to my wife'
Family values: Ted Cruz has taken his wife Heidi and their two daughters, Catherine and Caroline, on the stump
Among those named were the FBI, IRS, the State Department, the Department of Commerce, the Embassy of Japan, Lockheed Martin and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
In an email to Daily Mail Online, Sibley said he obtained the information from cell phone numbers dug up in a subpoena conducted by Verizon.
Despite naming the organizations, the lawyer is still barred from naming any of the supposed 815 clients who are said to have hired escorts.
He hopes to release both the raw phone logs, which have an estimated 5,000 phone numbers, and a Verizon Wireless subpoena which Sibley says contains names, addresses and Social Security numbers of 815 of those callers.
The subpoena response contains the ties to high profile political figure involved in the presidential race, he claims.
In January, the then-chief judge of U.S. District Court in Washington refused to allow a clerk to file the motion seeking consideration of the individual names, saying Sibley had no legal right to hold the records, as Palfrey fired him before her trial.
Sibley disagreed and took the argument to the D.C. Circuit federal appeals court but was again refused.
The lawyer represented Palfrey in 2008 when she was convicted of federal racketeering and various prostitution charges.
The scandal of her arrest rocked the nation's capital as some of the city's biggest power players, including father-of-four Senator David Vitter, were outed.
Palfrey hanged herself in 2008 before she was set to be sentenced for her crimes and left the book containing details of her 815 clients behind
The attorney has hit headlines in the past. He filed a failed lawsuit claiming Barack Obama isn't a natural-born citizen and also ran for president in 2012 as a write-in candidate
News of Palfrey's death in 2008 followed reports she handed a list of telephone numbers of 15,000 clients to a U.S. television network
She had vowed to identify as many well-known figures as possible to subpoena them as defense witnesses.
Palfrey had insisted her company, Pamela Martin and Associates, was a legal enterprise that provided 'high-end' clients with nude dancing and massage, but not sex and initially considered selling her phone records in order to raise money for her defense.
When she later released her phone records for free, they ended up shedding little further light on her clientele.
However, the subpoena response may contain much more damning information.
When records were released in 2007, they lead to exposure of high profile people. In what could be the biggest sex scandal in the U.S. capital for more than a decade, Ms Palfrey caused the resignation of married 65-year-old Randall Tobias, a deputy to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The list also thrust another official, Pentagon adviser Harlan Ullman, into the heart of the scandal.
However Senator David Vitter was one of the biggest victims. He admitted to being on Palfrey's 'list' and was forced into a grovelling apology.
He suffered months of attack ads and recently addressed the scandal in a campaign video.
The 30-second commercial released in November shows Vitter sitting at a kitchen table as he talks to the camera, saying: 'Fifteen years ago, I failed my family but found forgiveness and love.'
'I learned that our falls aren't what define us but rather how we get up, accept responsibility and earn redemption,' Vitter says, as the ad next shows him eating dinner with his family.
However, Vitter never directly refers to his involvement in a prostitution ring in Washington D.C., which was discovered in 2007 - seven years after he began using the service, according to his own words.
Those records had time gaps meaning the names of certain clients may have been held back.
However, a former researcher for Palfrey, Matt Janovic, said he had a copy of the subpoena response and could not see a connection to Cruz.
After three weeks of more than 80 prospective juror interviews, a judge has ruled a change in venue for the murder trial of Justin Ross Harris.
Harris, 35, has been held in jail on charges including malice murder, felony murder and first-degree cruelty to children since the day his 22-month-old son Cooper died in June 2014, after being left in an SUV car with the windows up for seven hours.
Harris' attorneys argued pretrial publicity had saturated the metro Atlanta county where the boy died and has resulted in a 'pervasive, persistent opinion of guilt.'
They filed a motion for a change of venue Friday afternoon, about three weeks into jury selection.
After three weeks of more than 80 prospective juror interviews, a judge has ruled a change in venue for the murder trial of Justin Ross Harris (pictured in court Monday)
Cobb Superior Court Judge Mary Staley (pictured in court Monday) listened as defense team went through each of the potential jurors, one by one, to say why they could show prejudice
Jurors will decide if 22-month-old son Cooper Harris died of heatstroke in a closed-up and unbearably hot car because his dad forgot to take him to daycare or if it was a deliberate and cruel murder by design, carefully researched and planned
Once a county in Georgia has been selected, a fresh jury pool will be summoned and the process begins anew.
For more than an hour Monday, only a few days before opening arguments were expected to begin, Cobb Superior Court Judge Mary Staley listened as Harris' defense lawyers went through the long list of potential jurors one by one, explaining why they felt each of those prospects should be removed because of their prejudicial opinions.
Forty-one local residents have been qualified to serve on the jury, but five have already stated their belief in Harris' guilt. The court needs one more juror from which to select a panel of 12 plus four alternates.
Judge Staley ordered both prosecution and defense teams to 'collaborate' on a jury that is acceptable to both.
Despite her final ruling, Judge Staley said moving the trial would be expensive and complicated, with the potential to find themselves in a courtroom with no security, air conditioning, or nearby hotels to accommodate the large number of people who would be housed for as long as six weeks.
Both prosecution and defense as well as judge and court staff will need to stay wherever the new location is for the duration of the trial and may get weekends off, the court heard today.
Brunswick, Georgia was put forward as a potential option but the court will decide on a new location over the next few days.
Police believe Harris (left and right) intentionally left his son in the car to die in the sweltering summer heat while he worked as his web development job at a Home Depot satellite office
Justin Ross Harris defense attorneys plead to Cobb County Superior Court Judge Mary Staley for a change of venue for Harris' first-degree murder trial, citing counsel inability to find jurors who haven't already decided on defendant's guilt
Police believe Harris intentionally left his son in the car to die in the sweltering summer heat while he worked as his web development job at a Home Depot satellite office.
Investigators said Harris had breakfast with his son at a Chick-fil-A restaurant shortly before placing him into a rear-facing child's car seat in the back of his silver Hyundai Tucson SUV, and then driving short distance to his job - two minutes and less than a mile away.
Police said Harris backed his into a parking space about 9.30 am and then walked into the glass and steel office building, leaving his toddler son strapped in his car seat for nearly seven hours with the car's windows rolled up.
The toddler died of hyperthermia, according to the county medical examiner's report. Weather experts said the outdoor temperature reached 92 degrees on that day. They believe temperatures could have climbed to 120 degrees or more inside the car.
Harris' attorneys insist Cooper's death was an accident. They maintain their client simply forgot to take his son to a company-operated daycare center a mile away before starting his workday.
Harris' ex-wife Leanna (pictured right with Harris) was also questioned by police and initially considered a possible accomplice in Cooper's death, sources said. She was not charged
They also maintain Harris didn't notice that his toddler son was still strapped in his car seat when he stopped briefly at his vehicle several hours later, and placed some light bulbs he had purchased onto his SUV's front seat.
Harris reportedly left his office about 4.16 pm, police said. Harris told police he was on his way to a movie theater when he realized his son was still in the car. Witnesses said he screeched to a halt just inside the entrance to an outdoor shopping center, hysterically screaming, 'Oh my God, my son is dead! What have I done?'
In the October 2015 pretrial hearings, Det. Phil Stoddard of the Cobb County Police Department read several conversations from KIK, a social media phone application where Ross Harris allegedly asked a 17-year-old girl to send picture of her lower private body parts.
The detective said Harris met the girl online when she was 16 years old. Harris was aware of her age, the detective said.
During an interview with investigators, Harris admitted he recently researched, through the internet, 'child deaths inside vehicles and what temperature it needs to be for that to occur,' search warrants stated. 'Justin stated that he was fearful that this could happen,' according to police.
Advertisement
A pride of lions have been photographed in Bradford - but they're not big cats roaming the streets, rather, the Carroll family who have undergone an incredible metamorphosis.
Claudia and Rob Carroll and their children Finn, six, and Reuben, two, from Bradford, have been transformed into a pride of lions thanks to the digital creativity of US-based artist Devin Mitchell.
The family were selected from hundreds of competition entrants and Devin spent four days working with the facial characteristics of each individual to turn them into realistic lions.
Devin used the big cat characteristics from the famous Lion King characters - including Simba and Nala - for the incredible transformation, with breathtaking results.
The Carroll lion pride: From left, mum Claudia, Finn, 6, dad Rob, and Reuben, 2, underwent the jaw-dropping transformation thanks to the creative genius of American-based artist Devin Mitchell
After being selected from hundreds of competition entries, the Carroll family were photographed in portrait set-ups, which Devin Mitchell used to transform into their big cat counterparts by using digital artistry techniques
Using only digital artistry, Devin worked with the facial features and structure of each family member to create a unique lion portrait.
The metamorphosis was commissioned by Disney Junior to celebrate the new series of The Lion King spin-off, The Lion Guard, which airs on Disney Junior.
Digital artist Devin said: 'I was thrilled to be asked to work on such a creative project.
'It was great fun turning one family into their very own pride like that in The Lion Guard series, and testing my skills to bring out the animal characteristics for each of their different portraits!'
Each individual lion image of the Carroll family, mum Claudia, dad Rob and their sons Finn, six, and Reuben, two, took a day to create.
Six-year-old Finn Carroll is transformed into a big cat - the artist used the big cat characteristics from the famous Lion King characters for the incredible metamorphosis
Rob Carroll - or Mufasa? Using only digital artistry, Devin worked with the facial features and structure of each family member to create a unique lion portrait
Devin took inspiration from the much-loved lion characters in The Lion Guard series, using the big cat characteristics from characters including Simba, Nala (the cubs in The Lion King) and their cub Kion.
The family, from Bradford, were photographed in the UK by photographer Daniel Lewis with their hands precisely placed over their faces to give a canvas for Devin to work with.
During the shoot a specific set-up using a single light source from a 45 degree angle was used to give a 'natural dimension' to the face.
Claudia Carroll, who entered the competition for her family, said: 'It was amazing to see the final portraits - we're such huge fans of Disney and the first Lion King film.
'And the kids especially loved seeing how they would look if our family were to be our very own 'pride' of lions together, like Simba and Nala's family in The Lion Guard.'
Mum Claudia undergoes a metamorphosis to become the lioness of the Carroll pride. The family were photographed with their hands precisely placed over their faces to give a canvas for Devin to work with
Reuben - or Simba? The two-year-old and his family were picked from hundreds of competition entrants to take part in the unique photographic session
Rep. Renee Ellmers poured some jet fuel into what was already expected a biting primary battle for North Carolina's 2nd District congressional seat.
Ellmers posted to her Facebook page a picture of her rival, Rep. George Holding, snoozing on a commercial flight.
'My opponent George Holding made sure to get another nap in after voting against North Carolina road projects, our family farms, disease prevention and even funding for our troops,' she wrote, deploying the hashtags 'low energy' and 'not for us.'
Republicans George Holding (left) and Renee Ellmers (right) are engaged in a tough primary race as Holding changed districts after redistricting to wage a bid against Ellmers, also an incumbent
On Friday, Rep. Renee Ellmers posted a picture of her opponent, George Holding, taking a snooze on a commercial airlines flight. Ellmers sounded like Donald Trump by calling Holding 'low energy'
Ellmers and Holding, both Republicans who currently serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, are fighting for the same seat after North Carolina lawmakers redrew the borders this spring.
Ellmers, who came to Congress in 2010 along with droves of Tea Party-elected peers, has fallen out of step with the right-wing of the Republican party, with many now labeling her too establishment, and thus attracting a primary challenge from the right.
Ellmers' name was also entangled with that of House
She originally expected to have four primary challengers including Frank Roche, who she beat 59 to 41 percent in the Republican primary, before going on to beat Democrat Clay Aiken, of 'American Idol' fame, in the general election.
Even more threatening than Roche was Jim Duncan, the chairman of the Chatham County Republican Party, who planned to run against Ellmers.
But in February, the state's districts were redrawn by lawmakers trying to comply with a three-judge panel's ruling that two of North Carolina's congressional districts were racial gerrymanders.
Holding, who had represented the 13th District, decided to swoop in and challenge Ellmers in the newly redrawn 2nd District.
In the meantime, Roche decided to drop out.
'My ultimate objective has been to unseat Ellmers for her betrayal of 2nd District voters, conservatives and Americans across the country,' Roche wrote in a statement that announced he would not be running, according to Raleigh newspaper, the News & Observer.
'George Holding's entry into the race, a well funded and seemingly more conservative incumbent than is Rep. Ellmers, should ensure she only serves three terms,' Roche added.
The redistricting also forced Duncan not to stay in and he exited the race in late March.
'We looked at all districts,' said Duncan's spokesperson Sean Moser. 'We talked to representatives of all districts. It just didn't seem to be a good fit with what Jim was wanting to accomplish.'
'We're sure Mr. Holding is going to defeat Miss Ellmers and will have a good run in Congress,' Moser told the newspaper.
Another candidate, Greg Brannon, who unsuccessfully tried to mount a primary challenge to Sen. Richard Burr, has also joined the congressional race.
Because of the redistricting the congressional primary got moved back to June 7, while the presidential took place on March 15.
Ellmers, who said she voted for Ohio Gov. John Kasich in the Chatham County GOP Conventions straw poll, said she actually voted for Donald Trump in her state's presidential primary, according to Roll Call.
It wasn't long before she took a page out of the Trump playbook too, labeling Holding 'low energy,' the damaging term The Donald successfully deployed against Jeb Bush.
This is the mentally disabled teenager found dead with her uterus removed inside her family's burned out home - after claiming she had been impregnated by her stepfather.
Holli Jeffcoat, from Lubbock, Texas was found dead on February 10 with her throat cut and womb and uterus removed.
Her stepfather James Holland had been accused of raping her and was arrested in March on three counts of sexual abuse.
Scroll down for video
Holli Jeffcoat (pictured) had her throat slit and uterus removed in a brutal killing in February. Her death came soon after she accused her stepfather of sexually assaulting her
Now Holli's mother Debi Holland has been arrested on a charge of aggravated sexual assault. She is accused of having covered up her husband's alleged crimes.
However, no one has been charged in the death of the 18-year-old from Idalou, who was reportedly stabbed in her home before being burned.
Video courtesy: KCBD
According to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Debi Holland's arrest warrant offers harrowing new details about the alleged abuse.
Investigators believed Holland had 'first hand knowledge' of her husband's abuse and was 'allowing' it to continue.
Abuse of the teenager was suspected as early as 2010, when the youngster tested positive for an STD in a blood sample taken following a car crash. No charges were brought against her abuser.
However, in January this year the special needs teenager - who had the mental age of a seven-year-old - told school officials that she didn't want to go home with her stepfather because the 'sex hurt'.
She also said participating in her PE class was painful because she could feel the baby moving inside her - but her mother had told her they could not afford to get rid of the unwanted pregnancy.
In interviews with investigating authorities, Holland initially denied her husband was a drug or alcohol user.
However, she later admitted he had been intravenously using methamphetamine for a long period of time.
James Holland (pictured) was arrested in March following accusations he was sexually abusing his special needs stepdaughter and had impregnated her
Debi Holland (pictured) is accused by police of having allowed her husband to abuse her daughter
to ground below where he lay motionless
This is the shocking moment a tourist fell off the Great Wall of China and lived to tell the tale.
The man was visiting the famously beautiful Jiankou section of the Great Wall during the May Day Holiday when he lost his balance and fell over the edge.
He plummeted to the ground below and his fall was captured on camera by a passing tourist with a camera phone.
Drop: The man fell from the Great Wall of China and plummeted to the ground below where he lay motionless
The footage shows the man lying motionless on the ground afterwards and the emergency services rushing to help.
Amazingly, the man only suffered minor injuries on his leg and waist and was taken to safety in a stretcher.
It is not clear how far the man fell but some parts of the wall are up to 30ft high.
The Jiankou section is a photographic hotspot due to its unique style, steep mountains and beautiful scenery.
'Jiankou', is translated as 'Arrow Nock' in English, for the shape of the collapsed ridge opening is reminiscent of an arrow nock.
Miracle: Amazingly, the man only suffered minor injuries on his leg and waist and was taken to safety in a stretcher
A three-year-old boy has died in hospital after being found unconscious in a neighbour's pond in Sydney.
Bob Watt Jr was riding his bike at his family's Ingleside home in Sydney's north when he wandered onto the adjoining property on Monday afternoon.
The boy was found floating unconscious in the pond by his father Robert, who had been working nearby, about 10 minutes later, the Manly Daily reports.
Scroll down for video
Three-year-old Bob Watt Jr was riding his bike at his family's Ingleside home in Sydney's north on Monday afternoon when he wandered onto the neighbour's property.
A three-year-old boy has died in hospital after being found unconscious in a pond at a property at Ingleside in Sydney's north on Monday afternoon
He was pulled from the water by his father just before 3pm and a neighbour raised the alarm with emergency services.
Paramedics treated the boy at the scene before he was rushed to Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick in a critical condition.
Police said the boy died overnight.
Joe Gigliotti, the man who leases the home to Bob's parents, told the Manly Daily he saw the boy riding his bike up the driveway about 10 minutes before he was found.
Emergency services were called following reports of a child in water after the toddler wandered from his home onto the adjoining property on Monday afternoon
Paramedics worked on the boy at the scene and transferred him to hospital in a critical condition
'I saw the father walking up and down the drive way and next door looking for him. And then I was up on the roof of my property doing some repair work and the next thing I hear is all these sirens,' he said.
'I asked the father what happened, he said he looked for him next door, here, and at first he saw the bike on the edge of the dam, and then he saw the little boy face down in the dam and he went to pick him up but he was all blue, his face was all blue.'
Officers from Northern Beaches Local Area Command attended the location and have commenced an investigation.
A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.
Two U.S. missionaries who were found dead in Jamaica appear to have been shot, officials say.
The bodies Randy Hentzel, 48, and Harold Nichols, 53, were discovered among bushes in separate areas of St. Mary parish on the Caribbean island over the weekend.
Though an autopsy is pending, sources close to the investigation told CBS 48 Hours the men were shot dead.
Both had left their resort, Tower Isle, on motorbikes at 8am on Sunday.
American missionaries Harold Nichols, 53, (left) and Randy Hentzel, 48, (right) have been found dead in Kingston, Jamaica
Hentzel was found hours later at 2pm.
At 5pm next day, during a search for evidence, investigators found Nichols' body.
It is believed the pair were killed on April 30.
There have been no arrests, and investigators made no comment about a possible motive.
Police did not provide hometowns for the victims. Hentzel's Facebook page said he was from Donnellson, Iowa.
Nichols' hometown appeared to be Salamanca, New York.
Both missionaries lived and worked in Jamaica for a Pennsylvania-based religious organization called Teams for Medical Missions.
The two men and their families did evangelism and Bible ministry and built homes in Kingston, Jamaica
Both men appeared to be married from images on their Facebooks and listed their current residences as being in Jamaica
The two men and their families did evangelism and Bible ministry and built homes.
'We do not know who would do this or what their motivation was.
'These men greatly loved the people of Jamaica and were greatly loved in return,' said John Heater, executive director of Teams for Medical Missions.
'We are devastated to hear this news and will be praying for the Hentzels and Nichols and Teams and the St. Mary's Parish and communities they served in Jamaica,' Wendy Irwin wrote on a Facebook post from Teams.
Diana Milhone Merrifield posted: 'So very sorry for the loss of these saints, and the pain their loss leaves behind.'
On social media, fellow missionary Merlin Pratt said he was told the two men were killed on their way to check on the foundation of a house they were building for an impoverished family.
The men's bodies were found in bushes near a parish on St Mary. A country of about 2.7 million people, Jamaica had at least 1,192 slayings in 2015
Jamaica had at least 1,192 slayings in 2015, a roughly 20 percent increase from the previous year.
A country of about 2.7 million people, Jamaica has long been ranked among the most violent countries in the world.
Paul Gatling served 10 years in jail for a murder he did not commit.
He was released in 1974 after the Legal Aid Society proved there was no way he pulled the trigger that killed Brooklyn-based artist Lawrence Rothbort in 1963.
But despite having his 30-year sentence commuted, the 81-year-old retired landscaper from Virginia has remained - at least on record - a convicted murderer ever since.
On Monday, after 50 years of limited citizenship, he was finally vindicated as Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson moved to overturn his conviction.
The moment was poignant, emotional and somber. The judge apologized and Gatling hugged his crying ex-wife and a friend.
'There's a lot of water gone under the bridge, but the bridge is still standing,' Gatling, who walks with a cane, said after the court proceeding.
Scroll down for video
Absolved: Paul Gatling, who served 10 years in jail for a murder he did not commit, is cleared of his crime in a Brooklyn court on Monday at the age of 81 - five decades after he was released from prison
The moment was poignant, emotional and somber. The judge apologized and Gatling hugged his crying ex-wife
It came a year after Gatling asked Brooklyn's Conviction Review Unit to look into his case.
His is now the 20th case that has been vacated in just two years since Thompson set up the groundbreaking crack team of researchers to investigate wrongful convictions.
'Paul Gatling repeatedly proclaimed his innocence even as he faced the death penalty back in the 60s,' Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said.
'He was pressured to plead guilty and, sadly, did not receive a fair trial.'
In Gatling's case, he was jailed after a man who committed perjury in other cases identified him as the suspect.
Rothbort was shot in his Brooklyn home.
His wife told police that a man with a shotgun had entered the apartment and demanded money, shooting her husband when he refused. She provided a description, but no suspect was found.
Thompson said Gatling, 29 at the time, was questioned after another man said he saw him in the area.
That man was a witness in other cases and was known to have committed perjury, Thompson said, adding that other circumstances also led to Gatling not receiving a fair trial.
Rothbort's wife, nine-months pregnant at the time of the trial, said Gatling was the man who had killed her husband, despite not being able to identify him in a line up previously.
No physical evidence tied him to the crime.
Defense attorneys were never given some police reports, including a description of the suspect as several years younger than Gatling.
Finally: Gatling emerges from court beaming on Monday. He is pictured (left) with Malvina Nathanson, his lawyer since 1973. Gatling was accused of shooting dead a Brooklyn artist by a known perjurer
Gatling's attorney and family pressed him to plead guilty to second-degree murder, afraid that he would otherwise face the death penalty if convicted.
He agreed, and was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison in October 1964.
His sentence was commuted by then-Gov. Nelson Rockefeller at the behest of the Legal Aid Society and he was released in January 1974.
A Somali woman named Hodan Yasin, 21, has become the second refugee to set herself on fire at Nauru just days after a fellow refugee died from self-inflicted burns.
Witnesses told the Refugee Action Coalition Ms Yasin suffered severe burns and all off her clothes were burnt off.
One witness said her burns were as bad as Omid Masoumali who died on Friday, two days after being airlifted off the island where he doused himself in petrol and set himself alight to protest against conditions at the processing centre.
Scroll down for video
A Somali refugee named Hodan Yasin, 21, became the second refugee to set herself on fire on Nauru just days after a fellow refugee died from self-inflicted burns
Witnesses told the Refugee Action Coalition she suffered severe burns and all off her clothes were burnt off. Above is a stock image of Nauru's off-shore detention centre
RAC's Ian Rintoul told Daily Mail Australia he did not know what condition Ms Yasin. She arrived at the Royal Brisbane Hospital on Tuesday.
Mr Rintoul also said the 21-year-old referred to herself as Hodan, but was officially recorded as Hadon.
Another refugee on Manus Island posted about the incident, expressing his sadness about the situation.
'I'm so sorry my sister hodan yasin [sic], she was in detention centre more than three years, and now she is burning her self on fire,' he said.
'I can imagine what cause this problem... I'm not sure if she is a live [sic] or not. Anyway I'm praying for you.
'Please where is the human rights? Where is the justice in this world ? Where are the people saying we look after the human being? Why they don't talk the people are dying in manus Island and nauru?
'Who will take the responsibility our bleeding blood? Please let them know the human rights this situation. We're in defence we can't talk so please we need help.'
The Government of Nauru confirmed a 21-year-old female refugee from Somalia had critical injuries after setting herself alight on Monday.
The government said in a statement it was distressed that refugees were attempting 'dreadful acts' to influence the Australian Government's immigration policies.
It said Ms Yasin was being treated by four emergency doctors from Australia.
The 21-year-old was one of three refugees returned to Nauru last week after being taken from Brisbane's immigration transit accommodation.
She was brought to Australia in November after suffering a head injury in a motorcycle accident and was reportedly forcibly removed from Brisbane on Wednesday about 3am by Border Force officials.
Despite the Government of Nauru's report the woman is 21, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre claimed she is 19 years old and was taken to Nauru detention when she was 16.
A spokesperson for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection said they were 'supporting the Government of Nauru to identify appropriate medical treatment options'.
Omid Masoumali set himself alight on Wednesday and was airlifted to a Brisbane hospital on Thursday but died the following day
A candlelight vigil was held in Mr Masoumali's memory in Sydney following his death, with signs displayed saying 'Killed by detention on Nauru. Close the camps now'
A vigil for Ms Yasin has been organised for Wednesday at 5.30pm at Sydney's Town Hall.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young wrote on Twitter: 'A young woman who asked Aust [sic] for help has now set herself on fire after losing all hope for freedom. Our nations heart is better than this.'
Mr Rintoul said in statement: 'This is another self-harm attempt that is [Australia's Immigration Minister] Peter Dutton's responsibility.
'A vulnerable young woman who needed protection was a victim of a spiteful removal.
'She has been sent to the toxic environment that the Minister has created on Nauru. Tragically this was entirely predictable.'
The Government of Nauru stressed refugees on the island were given the same freedoms as citizens but had 'better facilities'.
'Refugees and asylum seekers are not distressed due to their conditions,' a statement said.
'Their conditions are better than most other refugee camps across the world.'
The island's government called for refugee advocates to stop giving refugees and asylum seekers false hope and 'stirring up these protests'.
The 21-year-old set herself alight in detention on Nauru just days after the death of Mr Masoumali, 23 (pictured in hospital)
Shocking footage of the moment Omid set himself on fire in protest of Australia's detention laws emerged last week (above)
The man was heard screaming 'I can't take it anymore' before he set himself alight in front of other detainees
'This is very distressing for support workers, health workers and all others who work closely with our refugee community,' the government said.
Australians have aired outrage at the self-immolation, calling on Immigration Minister Peter Dutton to bring refugees remaining on Nauru to Australia.
The incident comes just days after Iranian asylum seeker Mr Masoumali set himself on fire in front of refugee advocates who were visiting Nauru.
He died in a Brisbane hospital on Friday.
The Nauruan government denies reports Mr Masoumali was not provided quality care at Nauru Hospital.
Mr Dutton's office and the Immigration Department have been contacted for comment.
It comes after the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court found Australia's detention of refugees on Manus Island illegal, prompting asylum seekers to seek up to $125,000 in compensation each.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
A St. Louis Cardinals pitcher has been accused of knowingly giving his partner a sexually transmitted disease.
Carlos Martinez is the subject of a $1.5million lawsuit filed by his lover, who allegedly tested positive for an infection days after they broke off a relationship in December.
According to court documents, the 24-year-old starter from the Dominican Republic met the woman in 2012 and had an on-and-off relationship for the next two years.
They reportedly had sex again on December 16, 2015. Two days later the woman, who has not been identified, fell ill and tested positive for a STD.
A St. Louis Cardinals Carlos Martinez pitcher has been accused of knowingly giving his partner a sexually transmitted disease
Reports suggest she even asked the All Star about his sexual health before they started their brief tryst, but he insisted he was clear.
She's now suing him for battery, negligent transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, fraud.
It comes two years after Martinez was reprimanded by the Cardinals for favoriting pornographic images on his Twitter account.
Martinez's attorney Ruben Scolavino denied the allegations.
He told TMZ: 'I can tell you most assuredly the allegations are 100 per cent false.' Daily Mail Online has contacted him for comment.
The Cardinals's management is aware of the situation. They let Martinez leave the team on Friday so he could go to Miami where the lawsuit has been filed.
General manager John Mozeliak told the St. Louis Dispatch: 'We wait. And once we learn more, then well have more of an idea. These are things you just learn as you go.'
'My understanding is that he and his attorney are working on it,' he added.
He didn't want to elaborate on the content of the lawsuit.
Sources told ESPN the MLB would not be investigating Martinez under their domestic violence policy as it falls under their jurisdiction.
In 2014, the Cardinals management worked to clear up Martinez's social media after he continually shared explicit content on Twitter.
At the time, Mike Matheny told the Dispatch he was embarrassed with Martinez's conduct.
The 24-year-old is the subject of a $1.5million lawsuit filed by his lover, who allegedly tested positive for an infection days after they broke off a relationship in December
More than 80 EU nationals are arrested in London every day, the Mail can reveal.
The scale of crime linked to European nationals is exposed in official police figures which show nearly 100,000 arrests in three years.
Scotland Yard data, published after a Freedom of Information request, showed the Met has arrested more than 30,000 EU nationals in the capital in each of the past three years.
The figures sparked renewed calls for Britain to quit the EU to restore immigration and border controls.
Scotland Yard data, published after a Freedom of Information request, showed the Met has arrested more than 30,000 EU nationals in the capital in each of the past three years (file photo)
The revelations come just days after Justice Secretary Michael Gove warned that staying in the EU would see huge pressure placed on Britain's jails.
He said there were already 10,000 foreign criminals in UK jails - with one in 20 from Albania, which wants to join the EU in the coming years.
Last night backbench Tory MP and Eurosceptic Philip Davies said: 'The Home Secretary says EU membership is vital as it has allowed the extradition of 5,000 criminals from the UK.
'That's dwarfed by the sheer number being arrested on our streets every year. Being outside the EU would allow us to be able to stop them coming in in the first place.'
Among the individuals represented by the figures are Latvian murderer Arnis Zalkalns.
He was let into Britain despite serving seven years in jail in his country for killing his wife.
Theresa May, left, urged Britons to vote to stay in the EU, warning security and crime fighting would be made much difficult if we leave. Michael Gove, right, warned staying in the EU would place pressure on Britain's jails
He moved to the UK in 2007 but police did not know about this conviction when he was questioned about a sexual assault on a girl in London.
He was not prosecuted and went on to murder schoolgirl Alice Gross in August 2014. He was later found hanged.
Figures from the Freedom of Information request reveal 30,561 non UK EU nationals were arrested in London in 2015.
There were 32,214 arrested in 2014 and 32,851 in 2013.
In 2013 a total of 13,087 - more than 1000 a month - were charged. In 2014 that figure was 12,266 and last year 11,285.
Home Secretary Theresa May last week urged Britons to vote to stay in the EU, warning that security and crime fighting would be made much difficult if we leave.
She pointed to the European Arrest Warrant saying it allowed 5,000 suspects to be sent overseas to face justice.
At the same time, she said, 675 convicted individuals or suspects had been brought to the UK.
Official figures suggest there are a record three million Europeans living in the UK.
Husband and wife reportedly worked to recruit new jihadis for ISIS
An American couple who pledged allegiance to ISIS have been killed in a drone strike in Syria, social media accounts linked to the terror group have revealed.
The husband and wife were identified as Abu Isa Al-Amriki and Umm Isa Al-Amriki, but their birth names were not given.
ISIS often use the term Al-Amriki to refer to Americans. The couple worked as recruiters for the terror group, Fox News reports.
Scroll down for video
An American couple who pledged allegiance to ISIS have been killed in a drone strike in Syria. Pictured, a man rides a motorbike through Aleppo on Monday after the Bab al-Hadid neighborhood was targeted by air strikes
The drone strike that killed them took place in late April, according to the Middle East Media Research Institutes Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor.
They were hit in their house by the airstrikes, one ISIS-linked account said.
O my sister Umm Isa Al Amriki, I miss you so much, wrote a woman who goes by the nom de guerre Umm Sayyaf on Twitter. May Allah accept you and your husband as martyrs in Jannah Al Firdaws [paradise].
The wife was keen to make ISIS appealing to women, Fox reports.
Her posts including one of her holding a suicide belt, which she said she hoped to use herself to kill infidels.
She was also only looking to communicate with other women, reportedly writing on social media: My account is for sisters only, so unless you menstruate, do not message me.
It is not clear who carried out the drone strike that killed the couple.
A U.S strike killed ISIS executioner Jihadi John, whose real name is Mohammed Emwazi, in November last year.
The government has failed to stop more than 250 Americans from travelling abroad to join terrorist groups, including ISIS, since 2011, a congressional study found late last year.
The study revealed that, overall, 30,000 foreign fighters have fled to Iraq and Syria to join ISIS or similar groups.
But in October last year, FBI director James Comey said federal law enforcement had seen far fewer Americans trying to travel abroad to join ISIS.
Scores of ministers and officials are cashing in on their time in office by picking up lucrative jobs in the private sector.
Many are working in the very sectors they used to regulate while in government. Those taking advantage of this 'revolving door' include Danny Alexander, the Lib Dem former Treasury chief.
After losing his seat at last year's election he has been taken on by a Chinese-run bank. Whitehall watchdogs have stipulated only that he must not exploit the 'privileged information' he picked up as George Osborne's deputy.
Sir Danny can still lobby his former colleagues, allowing him to try to cash in on his Treasury contacts.
Despite rules against the use of insider information, hundreds of former public servants are pocketing jackpot wages from private firms.
In-depth analysis by the Daily Mail shows that the stampede has barely slowed despite a promise of action from David Cameron in 2010.
On leaving a government department two-thirds of ministers and officials now take a private job in the same sector.
Acoba, the appointments watchdog, has dealt with 371 individuals since 2008 and 247 of them followed this route. Not one application for clearance was turned down.
Jobs waved through include:
Roles in the energy sector for six former energy ministers;
Charles Hendry signed up for Britain to get electricity from Iceland then took a job with a firm working on the project;
Ed Davey struck a money-spinning nuclear deal with EDF and now works for a lobbying firm that has the French firm as a client;
Fourteen out of 15 trade and business ministers went into the City or commerce and six out of nine health ministers took jobs with health firms;
A diplomat who 'helped halt' a corruption inquiry into the Saudis and BAE Systems later took directorship with the defence firm;
Sir Henry Bellingham used his position as Africa minister to lobby Mozambique in support of a mining company he now chairs, on 4,000 a month.
Taking advantage: Former Lib Dem Treasury chief Sir Danny Alexander works for a bank
Before taking up roles outside government, ministers and senior civil servants have to apply to Acoba the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments which examines any potential conflicts of interest.
Appointed under the auspices of the Cabinet Office, its job is to scrutinise job applications and stop outgoing ministers and mandarins exploiting their 'insider information'.
It can advise the Prime Minister that a particular minister or crown servant's job application is 'unsuitable' but it has never wielded this power.
Instead it issues 'advice' such as: 'For two years from his last day in ministerial office, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government.'
The civil service once a job for life is now increasingly seen as a taxpayer-funded springboard to personal riches in the private sector.
In the Treasury, 17 out of the 21 civil servants who applied for clearance left public service for jobs in the banking or business worlds.
Of 41 from the Ministry of Defence, 32 were poached by arms firms or other defence-related companies, the Mail's dossier shows.
Bernard Jenkin, who chairs the Commons public affairs committee, demanded a complete revamp, saying: 'Acoba is an advisory body, with no regulatory powers and is frequently ignored.'
David Davis, Tory MP and former chairman of the public accounts committee, said it should be mandatory for senior public servants to take two years of purdah.
'There should be a clear break, whether that's former ministers, senior civil servants or generals,' he said. 'Acoba is far too weak. It has given lots and lots of exemptions. It almost seems like exemptions are the norm.
'Cabinet ministers and senior civil servants are not underpaid. It shouldn't be that they just go off and take work where they use their influence and their contact network.
'It simply compounds the problem if a British government minister goes and works for any foreign power.' Alistair Graham, former chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, said: 'The problem is we don't know what goes on behind closed doors.
Springboard: On leaving a government department two-thirds of ministers and officials now take a private job in the same sector. Pictured, MPs in the House of Commons
'It is very difficult to control these things. It may well be that people are abusing their past experience of government for personal advantage.'
Paul Flynn, a Labour MP and member of the Commons public administration committee, said he had no idea the situation was so bad.
'It's a deep-seated and growing scandal, where MPs are allowed to prostitute their insider knowledge to the highest bidder,' he added.
'These people are appointed for their contacts, the people they know, to oil the wheels. They should be banned.'
He said Acoba was less watchdog, more 'pussycat without teeth and claws'.
Last month Baroness Browning, who chairs Acoba, told MPs her committee was worried about the trend toward ministers seeking employment in the sectors they had responsibility for.
She said the watchdog had neither 'the resources nor the remit' to make the significant changes required.
The former Tory minister called for the power to take ministers to court if they took jobs against Acoba's advice.
Douglas Carswell, the Ukip MP for Clacton, said: 'Some of these people are trading on insider information in any normal marketplace, they'd expect to join Bernie Madoff in prison, but in politics it seems to be a way of life.
A baby has been born with a total of 31 fingers and toes to shocked parents who say there were no indications of his deformities on pre-natal scans.
The three-month-old boy, nicknamed Honghong, has 15 fingers and 16 toes. Incredibly, he also has two palms on each hand, with no thumbs, according to People's Daily Online.
His parents are now desperate to find medical treatment for him as doctors at their local hospital in Hunan, central China, tells them surgery will be extremely difficult.
Extreme: Honghong from Hunan, China, is born with extra fingers and toes in an extreme case of polydactyly
Unexpected: The family says they went for several pre-natal scans and were told their baby was 'normal'
Reality: Both of Honghong's feet have eight toes while one of his hands has eight fingers and the other, seven
Honghong has an extreme case of polydactyly.
The medical condition, where children are born with extra fingers or toes, appears in approximately one in 1,000 cases. But to have so many extra digits is extremely rare.
According to the report, Honghong's mother also suffers from polydactyly and has extra digits on both her hands and feet.
She was worried about passing it on to her child so she had multiple examinations at hospitals in Shenzhen, south China.
When she was half way through her pregnancy, she even visited Futian District Maternity Hospital in Shenzhen to get a four-dimensional ulltrasound.
She was again told that the baby had no deformities.
Genetic: Honghong's mother also suffers from the condition and was worried about passing her genes on
Desperate: The baby is able to get surgery to correct the deformity but it will be too expensive for the family
But the couple, who live in rural Hunan, were horrified to find that their son's polydactyly is even more severe than that of his mother.
Both of Honghong's feet have eight toes while one of his hands has eight fingers and the other, seven.
Liu Hong, a professor at Hunan Provincial People's Hospital for Pediatric Orthopedics, told Honghong's father Zou Chenglin that surgery will be extremely difficult.
The boy is currently too young for anaesthetics but he will need to undergo surgery between six months and a year before the bones set.
Unfortunately for the impoverished family, the surgeries are likely to cost in the to cost hundreds of thousands of Yuan (tens of thousands of pounds) - too much for them to bear.
Now, the three-month-old boy's parents are desperately trying to find money to fund the treatment for their son.
SouthAfrica's Salt telescope has once again surprised astronomers by helping to detect the first white dwarfpulsar.
A pulsar is a type of neutron star, a collapsed core of an extremely massive star that exploded in a supernova.
This is the latest discovery to be made by the largest optical telescope in the southern hemisphere as astronomers hope it will help unlock the galaxy's secrets.
South Africa's Salt telescope (pictured) has once again surprised astronomers by helping to detect the first white dwarf pulsar. A pulsar is a type of neutron star, a collapsed core of an extremely massive star that exploded in a supernova. A white dwarf star is pictured in the constellation Aquarius
Scientists know of neutron stars, large objects about thesize of the sun that have compacted down at the end of theirlives to something about 6 miles (10km) across, the last stopbefore a black hole.
These incredibly dense objects have been knownfor decades to produce pulsars, which emit regular pulses ofradio waves and other electromagnetic radiation at rates of upto one thousand pulses per second.
'But there is another class of compact objects called whitedwarfs, bigger, the size of the earth,' said Ted Williams, a director at the South African Astronomical Observatory managing the site.
'So rather than 10kilometres in size we are looking at 6,000 kilometres and we'vejust discovered the very first white dwarf pulsar.
The white dwarf pulsar is the latest discovery to be made by the largest optical telescope (pictured) in the southern hemisphere as astronomers hope it will help unlock the galaxy's secrets
Shared by a consortium of partners from South Africa, India, America and Europe, Salt's queuing system allows it to interrupt routine observations and within minutes focus its 32ft (10-metre) optical telescope on new discoveries. The dome of the telescope is pictured
WHITE DWARFS AND PULSARS White dwarfs and pulsars represent distinct classes of compact objects that are born in the wake of stellar death. A white dwarf forms when a star similar in mass to our sun runs out of nuclear fuel. As the outer layers puff off into space, the core gravitationally contracts into a sphere about the size of Earth, but with roughly the mass of our sun. The white dwarf starts off scorching hot from the stars residual heat. But with nothing to sustain nuclear reactions, it slowly cools over billions of years, eventually fading to near invisibility as a black dwarf. A pulsar is a type of neutron star, a collapsed core of an extremely massive star that exploded in a supernova. Whereas white dwarfs have incredibly high densities by earthly standards, neutron stars are even denser, cramming roughly 1.3 solar masses into a city-sized sphere. Pulsars give off radio and X-ray pulsations in lighthouse-like beams.
White dwarfs and pulsars represent distinct classes of compact objects that are born in the wake of stellar death.
A white dwarf forms when a star similar in mass to our sun runs out of nuclear fuel.
As the outer layers puff off into space, the core gravitationally contracts into a sphere about the size of Earth, but with roughly the mass of our sun.
The white dwarf starts off scorching hot from the stars residual heat.
But with nothing to sustain nuclear reactions, it slowly cools over billions of years, eventually fading to near invisibility as a black dwarf.
A pulsar is a type of neutron star, a collapsed core of an extremely massive star that exploded in a supernova.
Whereas white dwarfs have incredibly high densities by earthly standards, neutron stars are even denser, cramming roughly 1.3 solar masses into a city-sized sphere.
Pulsars give off radio and X-ray pulsations in lighthouse-like beams.
Quick reaction times, as well as being significantly cheaperthan similar European or American facilities in producing thescience are key competitive advantages, said a senior astronomerat the Salt consortium during a media visit.
Shared by a consortium of partners from South Africa, India,America and Europe, Salt's queuing system allows it to interruptroutine observations and within minutes focus its 32ft (10-metre) optical telescope on new discoveries, said Williams.
In February, Salt was the first major telescope to take a spectrum of a supernova in the nearby Centaurus A. It also helped reveal one of the biggest explosions ever recorded in the universe, 200 times more powerful than a typical supernova (pictured) and believed to have shone at 570 billion times the brightness of the sun
In February, Salt was the first major telescope to take aspectrum of a supernova in the nearby Centaurus A galaxy hoursafter its discovery.
It also helped reveal one of the biggest explosions everrecorded in the universe, 200 times more powerful than a typicalsupernova and believed to have shone at 570 billion times thebrightness of the sun.
'It is what we wanted for South Africa and for Africa, notto stay at the margins but actually at the centre and beginningto do world-class quality work,' said Naledi Pandor, SouthAfrica's science minister who visited the telescope on Friday.
The bond between man and dog is so strong that their hearts beat in sync, a study has found.
Australian researchers separated three dogs from their owners, strapped heart monitors on the people and animals and then watched what happened when they were reunited.
Doggy and human heart rates quickly fell and then began to mirror each other.
Charts showed that despite beating at different rates, they followed the same pattern, with each dogs heart rising and falling in tandem with its masters.
Australian researchers separated three dogs from their owners, strapped heart monitors on the people and animals and then watched what happened when they were reunited
Researcher Mia Cobb, of Melbournes Monash University, told the Huffington Post: I was impressed at how much they came together.
The fact that they shared patterns do closely surprised me.
This kind of effect of experiencing a lowered heart rate makes a significant difference to our overall wellbeing.
If we can decrease our heart rate by hanging out with our animals, thats something that can really benefit the community.
Colleague Dr Craig Duncan, said: Stress is a major killer in todays society and, as we get busier and busier, it is something that is really important for us to try to help with.
The Hearts Aligned project aims to show how pet ownership can help us positively deal with the stressors of everyday life.
Charts showed that despite beating at different rates, they followed the same pattern, with each dogs heart rising and falling in tandem with its masters
The study, which was funded by pet food firm Pedigree, is just the latest to show that having a dog is good for the heart.
For instance, a review of research by the American Heart Association suggested that pet owners have healthier hearts than other people and dog owners particularly benefit.
This may be because of the necessity to go for walks, whatever the weather.
Millions of mutant mosquitoes are poised to be taken from the UK and released in Florida in the fight against zika virus.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads the disease, has been genetically modified by a British biotech company to pass on a 'killer' gene.
This shortens the life of their young, which should make the population crash and halt the spread of zika.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito (pictured), which spreads the disease, has been genetically modified by a British biotech company to pass on a 'killer' gene and is poised to be taken to Florida in the fight against the Zika virus
Trials in Brazil have shown mosquito numbers to fall by 90 per cent, an 'unprecedented level of control'.
The World Health Organisation has declared the disease's rise a public health emergency and pregnant women have been warned not to travel to infected areas.
Already rife in South America, and a growing threat to the US, zika is blamed for thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains.
Florida has been identified as one of the most likely places for the disease to gain a foothold, and, with no treatments for zika available, regulators have provisionally approved the release of GM mosquitoes.
Derric Nimmo, a bioscientist with Oxitec, an Oxford University spin-out company, told the Sunday Times: 'We would expect to release about 3.3million mosquitoes over nine months just over 200,000 a week.
Already rife in South America, and a growing threat to the US, zika is blamed for thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains. Pictured: Larvae of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes found in Recife, Brazil
'We know this technology works very well.
'It's a matter of scaling up and drawing up a release strategy.'
The plans have come up against opposition, with some Key West residents saying the mutant bugs carry unknown risks to the environment and to humans, and their release could deter tourists.
But Dr Amesh Adalja, of the University of Pittsburgh, said: 'The fight against mosquito-borne diseases has been going on for over a century.
Advertisement
Solar Impulse 2 is preparing to leave California for Arizona later today as it continues its journey around the world using only energy from the sun.
The Swiss-made aircraft will take off from Mountain View before dawn on Monday for what should be a 16-hour flight to Phoenix.
Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg will be at the helm of the plane that began circumnavigation the globe last year.
The Swiss-made aircraft (pictured above California) will take off from Mountain View before dawn on Monday for what should be a 16-hour flight to Phoenix. Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg will be at the helm of the plane that began circumnavigation the globe last year
Borschberg's co-pilot, Bertrand Piccard, also of Switzerland, made the three-day trip from Hawaii to the heart of Silicon Valley, where he landed last week.
After Phoenix, the plane will make two more stops in the US before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or northern Africa. The two legs to cross the Pacific were the riskiest part of the plane's travels because of the lack of emergency landing sites.
'We have demonstrated it is feasible to fly many days, many nights, that the technology works' said Borschberg, 63, who piloted the plane during a five-day trip from Japan to Hawaii and who kept himself alert by doing yoga poses and meditation.
The crew was forced to stay in Oahu for nine months after the plane's battery system sustained heat damage on its trip from Japan.
The layovers will give the pilots a chance to swap places and engage with local communities along the way so they can explain the project, which is estimated to cost more than $100 million and began in 2002 to highlight the importance of renewable energy and the spirit of innovation.
The solar-powered airplane landed in California (pictured) last week after completing a risky, three-day flight across the Pacific Ocean as part of its journey around the world. The landing came several hours after Piccard performed a dazzling fly-by over the Golden Gate Bridge (pictured) as spectators watched the narrow aircraft with extra wide wings from below
Pilot Bertrand Piccard landed the Solar Impulse 2 in Mountain View, in the Silicon Valley south of San Francisco (pictured), at 11.45pm local time (06:44am UTC on 24 April) following a 62-hour, non-stop solo flight without fuel
During the flight, as Piccard performed a fly-by over Golden Gate Bridge (pictured), he said: 'I crossed the bridge. I am officially in America.'
Last week's landing came several hours after Piccard performed a dazzling fly-by over the Golden Gate Bridge as spectators watched the narrow aircraft with extra wide wings from below.
At the controls of Si2, Bertrand Piccard touched down at the Moffett Airfield, home to Nasa's Ames Research Centre and to Google's Planetary Ventures, after a flight of three days and two nights and 2,810 miles (4,523 km).
Piccard said at a news conference after he landed: 'You know there was a moment in the night, I was watching the reflection of the moon on the ocean and I was thinking 'I'm completely alone in this tiny cockpit and I feel completely confident.
At the controls of Si2, Piccard touched down at the Moffett Airfield (pictured), home to Nasa's Ames Research Centre and to Google's Planetary Ventures, after a flight of three days and two nights and 2,810 miles (4,523 km)
The solar-powered airplane is attempting to circumnavigate the globe to promote clean energy and the spirit of innovation. The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Hawaii in July and was forced to stay in the islands after the plane's battery system sustained heat damage on its trip from Japan. The plane is pictured above San Francisco
Piccard and fellow Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg (pictured together) have been taking turns flying the plane since taking off from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, in March 2015
'And I was really thankful to life for bringing me this experience. It's maybe this is one of the most fantastic experiences of life I've had.'
During the flight as he performed a fly-by over Golden Gate Bridge, Piccard said: 'I crossed the bridge. I am officially in America.'
'Solar Impulse showcases that today, exploration is no longer about conquering new territories, because even the moon has already been conquered, but about exploring new ways to have a better quality of life on Earth,' Piccard continued.
'It is more than an airplane: it is a concentration of clean technologies, a genuine flying laboratory, and illustrates that solutions exist today to meet the major challenges facing our society.'
Piccard was all smiles as he waved to the crowd after landing the plane (pictured left), which has had some bumps on its around-the-world journey. The plane's maximum altitude is 27,900ft (8,500m) but this drops to 3,280ft (1,000m), when the pilot (Piccard is pictured right) is able to take short 20-minute catnaps
HOW DOES SOLAR IMPULSE WORK? Solar Impulse 2 is powered by 17,000 solar cells and on-board rechargeable lithium batteries, allowing it to fly through the night. Its wingspan is longer than a jumbo jet but its light construction keeps its weight to about as much as a car. Solar Impulse 2 relies on getting enough solar power during the day to survive the night. It is also extremely light - about the weight of a car - and as wide as a passenger jet. Both of these combined means it is extremely susceptible to the weather. In high winds it can struggle to stay aloft at the altitudes necessary to gather sunlight. Advertisement
Piccard and Borschberg have been taking turns flying the plane on an around-the-world trip since taking off from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, in March 2015.
The plane's maximum altitude is 27,900ft (8,500m) but this drops to 3,280ft (1,000m), when the pilot is able to take short 20-minute catnaps.
The goal of the project is to show the possibilities of renewable energy such as solar power.
To help break up the long periods in the cramped cockpit, the pilots planned to land Solar Impulse 2 in 12 locations around the world.
The Solar Impulse 2 has made stops in Oman, Myanmar, China, Japan and Hawaii.
The trans-Pacific leg was the riskiest part of the plane's global travels because of the lack of emergency landing sites.
Although it's most recent landing was a success, the aircraft faced a few bumps along the way.
After taking off in Abu Dhabi on 9 March 2015, it stopped in Muscat in Oman before heading to Ahmedabad in India on 10 March and Varanasi, also in India, on 18 March.
On the same day it flew to Mandalay, Burma, before making a pit stop in Chongqing, China on 29 March - for three weeks, rather than the one planned.
After Nanjing in China, the next was a five-day flight to Honolulu in Hawaii, before its unscheduled stop in Japan.
The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Hawaii in July and was forced to stay in the islands after the plane's battery system sustained heat damage on its trip from Japan.
The plane performed a dazzling fly-by over San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge before landing on Saturday night. Although it's most recent landing was a success, the aircraft faced a few bumps along the way including a battery failure last year
Piccard hugs his wife Michelle (pictured left) outside the cockpit of Solar Impulse 2 after the successful landing. The Solar Impulse 2 (pictured right flying over San Francisco) has made stops in Oman, Myanmar, China, Japan and Hawaii
The trans-Pacific leg was the riskiest part of the plane's global travels because of the lack of emergency landing sites. The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Hawaii in July and was forced to stay in the islands after the plane's battery system sustained heat damage on its trip from Japan
The team was delayed in Asia, as well. When first attempting to fly from Nanjing, China, to Hawaii, the crew had to divert to Japan because of unfavourable weather and a damaged wing.
A month later, when weather conditions were finally right, the plane departed from Nagoya in central Japan for Hawaii.
The plane's ideal flight speed is about 28 mph, though that can double during the day when the sun's rays are strongest.
The carbon-fibre aircraft weighs more than 5,000 pounds (2,268kg), or about as much as a midsize truck.
The plane, piloted by Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard, completed a 62-hour nonstop solo flight without fuel
The goal of the project is to show the possibilities of renewable energy such as solar power. To help break up the long periods in the cramped cockpit, the pilots planned to land Solar Impulse 2 in 12 locations around the world. Piccard is pictured taking a selfie on board Solar Impulse 2 during a test flight over the Pacific Ocean
Piccard said: 'You know there was a moment in the night, I was watching the reflection of the moon on the ocean and I was thinking 'I'm completely alone in this tiny cockpit and I feel completely confident''
The project, which began in 2002 and is estimated to cost more than $100million, is meant to highlight the importance of renewable energy and the spirit of innovation. The flight is pictured above the Golden Gate Bridge
The tranSolar Impulse 2 will make three more stops in the United States before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or Northern Africa
'I think innovation and pioneering must continue,' Piccard said. 'It must continue for better quality of life, for clean technologies, for renewable energy - this is where the pioneers can really express themselves and be successful.'
Solar-powered air travel is not yet commercially practical, however, given the slow travel time, weather and weight constraints of the aircraft.
'Maybe it will be boring in 20 years when all the airplanes will be electric and people will say 'Oh it's routine'', said Piccard.
'But now, today, an airplane that is electric, with electric engines, that produces its own energy with the sun, it can never be boring. It's a miracle of technology.'
The carbon-fibre aircraft (pictured) weighs more than 5,000 pounds, or about as much as a midsize truck
The plane's wings, which stretch wider than those of a Boeing 747, are equipped with 17,000 solar cells that power propellers and charge batteries. The plane runs on stored energy at night
After years of speculation and rumours, Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright has officially announced he is the Bitcoin creator.
Dr Wright was unofficially named as the founder in a report released at the end of last year and the 45-year-old has now outed himself publicly for the first time.
He is also said to have provided 'technical proof' to back up last year's claims, which many believed at the time were an elaborate hoax.
After years of speculation and rumours, Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright (pictured) has officially announced he is Bitcoin creator. Dr Wright was unofficially named as the founder in a report released at the end of last year and the 45-year-old has now outed himself publicly for the first time
Dr Wright was named in two reports in December 2015 following investigations by Wired and Gizmodo.
The report features posts on Dr Wright's blog - which was deleted after the report was published - that declared his intent to launch a 'cryptocurrency paper' in 2008.
In another post from 10 January 2009, Wright announced the launch of bitcoin 'tomorrow' - which would have been published in Australian time before the 3pm launch on 9 January in American time.
The report also contained a leaked email Dr Wright drafted during a tax dispute with the Australian government which was signed 'Satoshi Nakamoto' but was never sent
A leaked transcript of a meeting between Dr Wright's and Australian tax officials in 2014 which saw him seemingly confess to 'running' Bitcoin was also published in the report.
He has now confirmed his identity to the BBC, the Economist and GQ.
The report features posts on Dr Wright's blog - which was deleted after the report was published - that declared his intent to launch a 'cryptocurrency paper' in 2008. In another post from 10 January 2009, Wright (pictured) announced the launch of bitcoin 'tomorrow' - which would have been published ahead of the launch
Bitcoins (illustrated) are lines of computer code that are digitally signed each time they travel from one owner to the next. They are the basic unit of a new online economy which runs independently of any company, bank, or government
The currency launched in 2009 by a group of people operating under the name Satoshi Nakamoto. Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto (pictured) was wrongly identified as the inventor in 2014
A video filmed by the BBC shows him providing the technical proof to the organisation's Rory Cellan-Jones.
Elsewhere, leading members of the Bitcoin community are said to have corroborated his claim.
Dr Wright (pictured) has confirmed his identity to the BBC, the Economist and GQ
Bitcoins are lines of computer code that are digitally signed each time they travel from one owner to the next.
They are the basic unit of a new online economy which runs independently of any company, bank, or government.
Because Bitcoins allow people to trade money without a third party getting involved, they have become popular with libertarians as well as technophiles, speculators - and criminals.
The currency launched in 2009 by a group of people operating under the name Satoshi Nakamoto and it was then adopted by a small clutch of enthusiasts.
Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto was wrongly identified as the inventor in 2014.
The New York Times, Newsweek and other publications have guessed at Nakamoto's real identity and Nakamoto was nominated for a Nobel prize earlier this month but was declared ineligible do to his mysterious identity.
This prompted the following tweet from Dr Wright: 'If Satoshi-chan was made for an ACM turing price [sic] or an Alfred Nobel in Economics he would let you bloody know that'.
Dr Wright is now planning to release further information in a bid to verify he is who he says he is.
Following the Wired report, Dr Wright said he used nearly $85 million worth of the currency to buy gold and software based on advice from businessman Mark Ferrier.
He allegedly struck a deal with former mining contractor Mark Ferrier in 2013 and planned to use the gold to build his business,The Australian reported.
WHAT IS A BITCOIN? A LOOK AT THE DIGITAL CURRENCY What is a bitcoin? Bitcoins are lines of computer code that are digitally signed each time they travel from one owner to the next. They are the basic unit of a new online economy which runs independently of any company, bank, or government. Because Bitcoins allow people to trade money without a third party getting involved, they have become popular with libertarians as well as technophiles, speculators and criminals. Who's behind the currency? Bitcoin was launched in 2009 by a person or group of people operating under the name Satoshi Nakamoto and then adopted by a small clutch of enthusiasts. Nakamoto dropped off the map as Bitcoin began to attract widespread attention, but proponents say that doesn't matter: the currency obeys its own, internal logic. Dr Craig Wright was suspected as the creator following a report by Wired last year and he has now confirmed his identity as the cryptocrrency's founder.
What's a bitcoin worth?
Like any other currency, Bitcoins are only worth as much as you and your counterpart want them to be. Bitcoins are lines of computer code that are digitally signed each time they travel from one owner to the next. Physical coin used as an illustration In its early days, boosters swapped Bitcoins back and forth for minor favors or just as a game. One website even gave them away for free. As the market matured, the value of each Bitcoin grew. At its height, a single Bitcoin was valued at $1,200.
Is the currency widely used?
That's debatable. Businesses ranging from blogging platform Wordpress to retailer Overstock have jumped on the Bitcoin bandwagon amid a flurry of media coverage, but it's not clear whether the currency has really taken off. On the one hand, leading Bitcoin payment processor BitPay works with more than 20,000 businesses - roughly five times more than it did last year. On the other, the total number of Bitcoin transactions has stayed roughly constant at between 60,000 and 70,000 per day over the same period, according to Bitcoin wallet site blockchain.info.
Is Bitcoin particularly vulnerable to counterfeiting?
The Bitcoin network works by harnessing individuals' greed for the collective good. A network of tech-savvy users called miners keep the system honest by pouring their computing power into a blockchain, a global running tally of every bitcoin transaction. The blockchain prevents rogues from spending the same bitcoin twice, and the miners are rewarded for their efforts by being gifted with the occasional Bitcoin. As long as miners keep the blockchain secure, counterfeiting shouldn't be an issue. Advertisement
But the alleged deal fell through, prompting Dr Wright to sue Mr Ferrier for $84.25 million in the Federal court, but the claim was dropped in 2014.
The pair met at a mining conference and allegedly agreed Mr Ferrier would buy software on Mr Wright's behalf.
Dr Wright claimed Mr Ferrier, who was working with an ASX-listed goldmining company, also persuaded him to purchase gold - allegedly telling him gold was a good asset to have in case the price of 'funny money' Bitcoin crashed.
Following the report being published in December, more than a dozen Australia Federal Police officers raided Dr Wright's Gordon property on Sydney's north shore hours, but they denied any link to the Wired report
Dr Wright alleged he paid Mr Ferrier the value of $38.8 million, equivalent to 245,103 Bitcoins, in August 2013 and a further $20.3 million, or 135,000 Bitcoins, the next month.
Later in 2013, Dr Wright launched action against Mr Ferrier in court, however, discontinued it in March 2014.
In December, Mr Ferrier said he had 'never met' Dr Wright before the legal action, and said the academic had not paid him 'one cent'.
At the same time, more than a dozen Australia Federal Police officers raided Dr Wright's Gordon property on Sydney's north shore hours, but they denied any link to the Wired report.
From safety issues to technical problems, there are many issues that need to be addressed before self-driving cars can hit the roads.
But one, possibly unexpected, consequence of the autonomous cars is that they could give sex lives a boost.
A Canadian expert believes people will have 'a lot more sex in cars', once a computer takes over and this could be dangerous as the 'drivers' won't be paying attention to the road.
From safety issues to technical problems, there are many issues that need to be addressed before self-driving cars can hit the roads. Now a Canadian expert believes people will have 'a lot more sex in cars', once a computer takes over and this could be dangerous as the 'drivers' won't be paying attention to the road
The claims were made by Barrie Kirk from the Canadian Automated Vehicles Centre of Excellence.
'I am predicting that, once computers are doing the driving, there will be a lot more sex in cars,' said Kirk.
'That's one of several things people will do which will inhibit their ability to respond quickly when the computer says to the human, 'Take over.''
'Drivers tend to overestimate the performance of automation and will naturally turn their focus away from the road when they turn on their auto-pilot,' said a note obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.
This note is part of a series of briefing notes given to Transport Minister Marc Garneau.
Current Canadian standards don't prohibit driverless vehicles, but last month's federal budget included money for Transport Canada to develop regulations around the vehicles.
'Drivers tend to overestimate the performance of automation and will naturally turn their focus away from the road when they turn on their auto-pilot,' said a briefing note given to Candaian Transport Minister Marc Garneau. Current Canadian standards don't prohibit driverless vehicles
Last month's federal budget included money for Transport Canada to develop regulations around the vehicles. These regulations include adding a 'fail-safe that can respond to situations when the driver is not available,' according to the briefing notes. A stock image of a self-driving car is pictured
These regulations include adding a 'fail-safe that can respond to situations when the driver is not available,' according to the briefing notes.
Elsewhere, in a bid to push forward with plans for self-driving cars in the US, Alphabet's Google recently teamed up with Ford and Uber to form a coalition to push for federal action.
Sweden-based Volvo, which is owned by China's ZhejiangGeely Holding Group, and Uber rival Lyft also arepart of the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets.
The group said in a statement it will 'work with lawmakers, regulators and the public to realise the safety and societal benefits of self-driving vehicles.'
The coalition said David Strickland will be the coalition's counseland spokesman.
California has proposed barring self-driving cars that do not have steering wheels, pedals and a licensed driver ready to take over in an emergency, which Google (self-driving car pictured) has opposed. Under current regulations, fully autonomous vehicles without human controls are not legal in the US
A draft roadmap for having self-driving cars within five years and autonomous vehicles for driving by 2025 in China could also be unveiled as early as this year. The draft will set out standards, including a common language for cars to communicate as well as regulatory guidelines. Changan Auto's self-driving car is shown
He is the former top official of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the US auto safety agency that is writing new guidance on self-driving cars.
A draft roadmap for having highway-ready, self-driving carswithin five years and autonomous vehicles for urban driving by2025 could also be be unveiled in China this year.
The draft will set out technical standards, including a common language for cars to communicate with each other and infrastructure, and regulatory guidelines.
At a most basic level, the committee will define a'self-driving' car and set a minimum level of functionality.
In other respects, China plans to be more ambitious and mayadopt cellular data technology - already used in many cars toaccess the web - for cars to communicate, rather than thededicated short-range communications (DSRC) standard used in theUS and Europe.
Modern humans arrived in Europe 45,000 years ago but little is known about how they spread across the continent before the introduction of farming.
Now, researchers carrying out the most detailed genetic analysis of Upper Paleolithic Europeans to date have discovered a major new lineage of early modern humans.
This group, which lived in the northwest 35,000 years ago, directly contributed to the ancestry of present-day Europeans and is believed to have been formed of the 'founding fathers' of Europe.
Researchers carrying out the most detailed genetic analysis of Upper Paleolithic Europeans to date have discovered a major new lineage of early modern humans. This group, which lived in the northwest around 35,000 years ago, directly contributed to the ancestry of present-day Europeans (artist's impression pictured)
Archaeological studies have previously found modern humans swept into Europe 45,000 years ago.
This ultimately led to the demise of the Neanderthals, despite the fact some modern humans interbred with these cousins.
During the Ice Age that ended 12,000 years ago, with its peak between 25,000 and 19,000 years ago when the melt started, glaciers covered Scandinavia and northern Europe all the way to northern France.
As the ice sheets retreated at the end of the last Ice Age, the region was repopulated.
David Reich and his colleagues from Harvard University analysed genome-wide data from 51 modern humans who lived between 45,000 and 7,000 years ago to study this repopulation.
TRACING EUROPEAN ANCESTRY The genetic data shows that, beginning 37,000 years ago, all Europeans come from a single population that persisted through the Ice Age. The founding population has deep branches in different parts of Europe, one of which is represented by a specimen from Belgium. In fact, present-day Europeans can trace their ancestry back to this group of humans who lived in northwest Europe 35,000 years ago. However, this founding population, which was part of the Aurignacian culture, became displaced when another group of early humans arrived on the scene in many parts of Europe 33,000 years ago. This group was made up of members of a different culture known as the Gravettian. Around 19,000 years ago, a population related to the Aurignacian culture re-expanded across Europe. It is thought these people went on to repopulate Europe after ice sheets retreated. Based on the earliest sample in which this ancestry is observed, it is plausible this population expanded from the southwest - present-day Spain - after the Ice Age peaked. Advertisement
Remains found from this period include three 31,000-year-old skulls from Dolni Vestonice in the Czech Republic, the lower jaw of the 19,000-year-old 'Red Lady of El Miron Cave' and the skull of a 14,000-year-old individual discovered at the Villabruna in northeastern Italy, among others.
The genetic data shows that, beginning 37,000 years ago, all Europeans come from a single founding population that persisted through the Ice Age.
The founding population has deep branches in different parts of Europe, one of which is represented by a specimen from Belgium.
In fact, present-day Europeans can trace their ancestry back to this group of humans who lived in northwest Europe 35,000 years ago.
However, this founding population, which was part of the Aurignacian culture, became displaced when another group of early humans, members of a different culture known as the Gravettian, arrived on the scene in many parts of Europe 33,000 years ago.
Then, around 19,000 years ago, a population related to the Aurignacian culture re-expanded across Europe.
It is thought these people went on to repopulate Europe after the vast ice sheets retreated.
Based on the earliest sample in which this ancestry is observed, it is plausible this population expanded from the southwest - present-day Spain - after the Ice Age peaked.
The second event the researchers detected happened 14,000 years ago when populations from the southeast, around Turkey and Greece, spread into Europe, displacing the first group of humans.
Professor Reich added: 'We see a new population turnover in Europe, and this time it seems to be from the east, not the west.
Researchers from Harvard University analysed genome-wide data from 51 modern humans who lived between 45,000 and 7,000 years ago. The location and age of these humans is shown. Each bar corresponds to an individual, the colour represents the genetically defined cluster, and the height is proportional to age
The team studied three 31,000-year-old skulls from Dolni Vestonice in the Czech Republic (pictured). For 5,000 years after this group lived, all samples, from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Austria and Italy, were found to be closely related, reflecting a population expansion associated with the Gravettian archaeological culture
An early branch of the European founder population was displaced across much of Europe for around fifteen thousand years before becoming widespread again. The lower jaw of the 19,000-year-old 'Red Lady of El Miron Cave' is pictured. This is the first individual in the study to show the resurgence of ancestry
BATTLE OF THE CULTURES: AURIGNACIAN VERSUS GRAVETTIAN The genetic analysis shows the Aurignacian culture was displaced by the Gravettian culture, but later re-emerged. Radiocarbon dating shows the Aurignacian culture from Europe and southwest Asia dominated from 47,000 to 41,000 years ago, although emerged in smaller groups earlier than this. The group is categorised by its tools made of bone or antler points with grooves cut in the bottom. The Aurignacian culture is categorised by its tools made of bone or antler points with grooves cut in the bottom as well as bladelets (pictured) Elsewhere, they made flint tools include blades and bladelets. The people of this culture are also linked with early cave art, including animal engravings and imagery in the Chauvet cave in southern France. By comparison, the Gravettians were a Stone Age culture known for making small pointed blades who lived across much of Europe. This group of hunter gatherers lived in central and Eastern Europe between 30,000 and 20,000 years ago. Remains of this prehistoric culture have been found in caves in southern France and more open sites on the plains of Central Europe and Russia. Isotopic studies of human remains from the Czech Republic have also revealed that mammoths formed a large part of the Gravettian diet. Advertisement
'We see very different genetics spreading across Europe that displaces the people from the southwest who were there before.
'These people persisted for many thousands of years until the arrival of farming.'
The study, published in Nature, also detected some mixture with Neanderthals, around 45,000 years ago, as modern humans spread across Europe.
The prehistoric human populations contained three to six per cent of Neanderthal DNA, but today most humans only have about two per cent.
'Neanderthal DNA is slightly toxic to modern humans' and this study provides evidence that natural selection is removing Neanderthal ancestry,' Professor Reich added.
The genetic analysis shows the Aurignacian culture was displaced by the Gravettian culture, but later re-emerged. Radiocarbon dating shows the Aurignacian culture from Europe and southwest Asia dominated from 47,000 to 41,000 years ago (locations pictured), although emerged in smaller groups earlier than this
During the first major warming period at the end of the Ice Age, a new population swept in from the southeast, drawing the gene pools of Europeans and Near Easterners closer together. The skull of a 14,000-year-old individual discovered at the Villabruna in northeastern Italy is pictured
Ancient specimens are frequently contaminated with microbial DNA, as well as DNA from archaeologists or lab technicians who have handled the specimens.
The arm bone of a 35,000-year-old individual from Belgium who was part of a previously undiscovered major lineage
To solve this problem scientists used a technique called in-solution hybrid capture enrichment.
They used about 1.2 million 52-base-pair DNA sequences corresponding to positions in the human genome that they were interested in as bait to target specific segments of DNA.
After they washed the ancient DNA over the 1.2 million probe sequences, the researchers sequenced the ancient DNA that was captured by the probes.
Prior to the Harvard Medical School study there were only four samples of prehistoric European modern humans 45,000 to 7,000 years old for which genomic data were available.
This made it difficult to understand how human populations migrated or evolved during this period.
Using a new technique, more samples could be assessed.
Professor Reich continued: 'Trying to represent this vast period of European history with just four samples is like trying to summarise a movie with four still images.
'With 51 samples, everything changes; we can follow the narrative arc; we get a vivid sense of the dynamic changes over time.
'And what we see is a population history that is no less complicated than that in the last 7,000 years, with multiple episodes of population replacement and immigration on a vast and dramatic scale, at a time when the climate was changing dramatically.'
The people of the hamlets of Kobakini at the headwaters of the Kapau were strangely quiet at our arrival. They were insistent that we must not linger. They brought us food in exchange for knives and salt, yet they carried with them an air of supressed animosity that I found hard to explain.
There was a difference in these people. They did not yell insults at the patrol or apparently want to challenge us merely for the love of a fight, yet truculence was not far from the surface.
Then I saw that some carried steel axes, although I thought I was the first white they had met. I saw a belt, and some buckles and some European clothing, and when finally two men were seen with shotgun barrels used as handles for their stone clubs, I began to understand.
Well camp here, Nusa, I announced, and camp we did, despite our obvious unpopularity, which was quickly growing.
We camped outside one hamlet, and very soon afterwards my suspicions were confirmed. In a nearby gully the police found the evidence of a massacre. It was a pitiful sight. The remains of two murdered white men and their carriers lay just as they must have been killed. Their bodies were decomposing now, but boots unmistakably identified the two white men.
Who were they? I had no idea of their names, but I supposed they had been prospecting. Meanwhile our discovery of the massacre made the watching Kukukuku nearly mad with rage.
This was unfortunate, because now that we had stumbled on the scene of the murders we could hardly move on without taking action, or else the already over-confident Kukukuku would think we were running away.
I tried to think it out carefully. There could be no thought of investigating the murders and then deciding what individuals were guilty. These primitive people had no conception of the white mans laws. Yet a lesson had to be taught the lesson that this sort of attack had to end.
I decided we would capture some of the men, notably the two who had been displaying the gun-barrels in their clubs, and take them to Salamaua as prisoners. After a suitable indoctrination period they could be returned to their homes to spread the gospel.
Constable Nusa remarked that the Kukukuku didnt look as if they intended to wait much longer before attacking us, anyhow, so the sooner our job was done the better.
Well surround the hamlet first thing in the morning, Nusa. You pick the fittest of the carriers to help in holding about ten men. If we end with five that should do, anyhow.
We collected better than five, but couldnt manage ten. We started off with ten, but as our men struggled with them at first light, two of the Kukukuku kicking and biting like maniacs got away.
Right, Nusa! These eight will do! Well soon have the whole crowd of them on our heels!
We did too. We got moving quickly with our eight men including the two men with the gun barrels but the disturbance had brought the men from the other hamlets on to the scene.
I was at the rear with Lance-Corporal Anis and a police party, and soon had to order the police to fire in the air to keep the Kukukuku at a safe distance. They were hopping mad.
Then, suddenly, our attackers ceased to follow us. Soon there was hardly a sound. Our prisoners gave no trouble they were trembling and obviously in a nervous state, with the fear of death in their eyes. They clearly felt we would kill them, and I felt sorry for them as we continued quickly east.
Our captives were each handcuffed and a cord from the handcuffs was tied to the wrist of an escorting policeman one policeman for each prisoner.
Eventually we came to outlying hamlets, and there was nothing we could do to stop some of the prisoners from shouting out for help.
But as it happened it did them no good for the hamlets were deserted an ominous sign, I thought, that the news had travelled and that trouble was afoot. I could do nothing but keep going at the fastest clip possible.
Theyll be after us, Nusa, I told the corporal when we stopped for a rest at one stage. I cant believe they will let us get away with this easily.
The country was heavily timbered and suitable for a surprise attack now, so the police and I took it in turns to walk ahead of the patrol as points in case of ambush.
We were each on point for twenty minutes at a time, walking about 100 yards ahead of the patrol.
We were able to camp that night without having seen any signs of an attack. Next day I estimated we were about three days walking from Mark Pitts post at Otibanda.
We stuck camp early and had a hard climb to the top of the divide. Soon we came to a large hamlet. Here one of our prisoners, the most powerful man of the lot, resumed his shouts for help and then finally lay down and refused to walk. We moved him only by half-carrying him.
We entered heavy jungle as we followed a stream I hoped was the Waikanda, and the track down became overgrown and very steep. A light rain began, resulting in the track becoming greasy and slippery so that the eight police to whom the prisoners were attached were in difficulties.
Ahead of us, Corporal Nusa was just commencing his period of point and had reached the bottom of the ravine, ready to begin climbing the other side.
Leading the patrol proper, about 100 yards behind Nusa, was Lance-Corporal Anis. I followed him a few feet away, together with Bob, my Airedale, and strung out behind us in this difficult piece of country were the rest of the patrol.
We drew level with a large clump of bamboo near the stream at the foot of the ravine when the attack came. I felt a sudden blow in the stomach, like a punch. I was startled to find myself on the ground, where I saw that an arrow was sticking out from my middle.
There seemed to be dead silence. It occurred to me that I had best get my pistol. I was still trying to draw it it seemed stuck in the holster when a man jumped from the bamboo and fired an arrow point-blank into my right thigh.
Now everything was noise. There were roars, shouts and rifle shots. The man above me had a mouth bright red with betel, I noticed, as he raised his club. I still couldnt get at my holster.
There was an explosion a few inches above my head, and the red-mouthed Kukukuku came crashing down on top of me. Boko (McCarthys cook) had shot the man with my Winchester.
The terrible position we were in suddenly became clear, and I began to struggle to my feet, amazed at the number of arrows that were now coming from the bamboos. I saw two strike Anis as he charged, shouting, into the bamboo with his bayonet fixed. Anis disappeared but the police were firing and the gully was alive with yells and shots.
Another few minutes and it was all over. The noise stopped as suddenly as it had begun and there was an uncanny stillness. The attackers were gone.
We counted our casualties. Lance-Corporal Anis was badly wounded. He had several arrow wounds and one had entered his chest on the left side. He was bleeding freely from wounds caused by a club.
Near him in the bamboo were the bodies of two of the attacking Kukukuku he had killed. Constable Suaga had a head injury and arrow wounds in his left and right sides, and his wounds too were serious.
Constables Gwambilon and Natava were badly wounded with arrows Gwambilon had one arrow in his neck. My personal boy, Tami, had taken an arrow clean through his left breast the point was sticking out his back.
Constables Sigasik and Boganau also had arrow wounds, but they made light of them as they set about doing what they could for the other wounded. Of my own arrows, one had gone in near my navel and one into my thigh. The arrow wound on the knee was no trouble.
Not one of our carriers had been hurt, but the powerful Kukukuku prisoner who had specialised in calling out for help was dead with five arrows in him all from the bows of the men who had tried to rescue him.
And seven of the attackers were lying dead. Some we recognised as men of Kobakini the hamlets where the white men has been massacred.
The attack had been carefully planned and well carried out. The men at Kobakini had ceased to follow us after the arrests and had circled ahead to find out which way we were going.
They must have watched our camp and calculated correctly which track we would follow. They had laid an ambush in the best possible place and there they had caught us as we negotiated the difficult ravine and had let the pointman, Nusa, go unscathed while they concentrated their arrows on the police and myself, who had arms.
Five police and myself out of 13 armed men was good shooting. With us out of the way, the attackers would have been able to kill the unarmed carriers with ease. My boy Tami had been shot because he carried a shotgun.
These bow and arrow men had had a tactical victory and they deserved better success, for seven of their men still remained with us as prisoners.
We had few medicines and these were simple, consisting of iodine and aspirin. The remaining police kept guard in case the Kukukuku attacked again as we tended the wounded.
Anis looked as if he were dying. He was conscious but his reddish skin was almost white from loss of blood. By charging into the bamboo Anis had given the police time to recover and so had saved us all. I told him so.
Boganau underlined all our feelings when he held on to the weakening Anis and said, Anis, you are a true man! Anis was a Catholic and one of the police gave him a rosary to hold.
I suddenly realised that it was 25 April and in the towns they would be commemorating Anzac Day. I had now been out for two and a half months during which we had covered more than 240 miles.
Obviously the time had come to get to Otibanda just as soon as we could if we were going to survive at all. We would have to carry Anis, Suaga and Tami on stretchers which we would make from ground sheets.
Gwambilon and Natava, although seriously wounded, would be able to walk if they had a carrier on either side of them. If we walked for the rest of the day and all night, we might be able to reach Otibanda the next day, I thought.
We would have to dump most of our food and equipment for the dash and hope we wouldnt be attacked again from some of the Kukukuku hamlets we would still have to pass. A patrol of cripples couldnt face anybody looking for even half a fight.
I pulled the arrow out of my thigh. But every time I touched the one in my belly it was worse than jabbing a raw nerve in a tooth. I finally broke the shaft off and let the point remain not game enough to let anyone else touch it.
But the police were wiser. There was no argument. All at once Corporal Nusa grabbed both my arms from behind and held me. Constable Boganau said, Sorry too much kiap! at the same time as he jerked the barbed arrow head from my vitals.
It hurt like hell, and I fainted. As I came to, I found them pouring iodine into the wound and rubbing the stinging selat plant into my skin.
Thank you, Nusa. Many thanks Boganau, I said, getting shakily to my feet. Their action had been the sensible thing to do, and now that it was over I was grateful.
We moved off. I found I was able to walk well enough if I held my stomach with one hand. My thigh wound did not trouble me.
I was glad when the night came and the darkness sheltered our many weaknesses. My own weaknesses were brought home to me when I called for a rest about 8 oclock and found my leg stiffening alarmingly.
At the same time I had an almost irresistible desire to sleep. Sleep in these circumstances would, I realised, be fatal, and in any case there were men more badly hurt.
We kept walking, and as the long night wore on, it became a nightmare for all of us. We were staggering badly, and little was said as we concentrated on the business of pushing on to Otibanda and to Mark Pitt, who, thank God, had studied medicine.
Indescribably dirty, ragged and bloodstained we staggered in to the post early next day, and Pitt wasted no time in treating the wounded.
Advertisement
The end is coming for the famous Black Hawk helicopter - but not without a battle.
Two teams - Sikorsky-Boeing with their Defiant, and Bell Helicopter-Lockheed Martin with their V280, are vying for the lucractive contract to create a 'supercopter'.
Both are set to take off for the first time next year in the final stage of the battle to replace the Black Hawk.
Scroll down for video
The Bell Helicopter design, which is called the V-280 Valor, is an advanced tilt-rotor design that is based upon technology similar to the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey
The Sikorsky-Boeing entry, called the SB-1 Defiant, is a compound helicopter design with co-axial rotors and a pusher-propeller
COMPETITORS AT A GLANCE The Sikorsky-Boeing entry, called the SB-1 Defiant, is a compound helicopter design with co-axial rotors and a pusher-propeller. The Bell Helicopter design, which is called the V-280 Valor, is an advanced tilt-rotor design that is based upon technology similar to the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey. The new tilt-rotor is smaller, faster and much more manoeuvrable than the Osprey and has a top speed of over 300 knots.
The two prototype aircraft will be built and flown as part of a project called the Joint Multi Role Technology Demonstrator Air Vehicle, which will then inform the Army's Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program to replace the long-serving Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and Boeing AH-64E Apache.
The FVL program will also inform the US Navy's MH-XX program to replace the MH-60 Seahawk.
Bell revealed this week it believes it's entrant could enter service in 2024.
'There's no real technology that needs to be further developed for us to be able to design and develop an aircraft that meets those requirements,' said Vince Tobin, Bell's vice president of advanced tiltrotor systems, according to DefenceOne.
'Our big push now is that, after we fly this and prove out that we can build this aircraft, that we are ready to go into engineering and manufacturing development.'
The Sikorsky-Boeing team is also hoping to fly in 2017, said Doug Shidler, Sikorskys program director for its Joint Multi-Role tech demonstrator.
'The intent of the JMR TD effort is to maximize the knowledge gain and risk reduction toward an anticipated Future Vertical Lift acquisition program,' said Dan Bailey, the Army's JMR/FVL program director when the two finalists were announced.
Two other teams led by Karem Aircraft and AVX Aircraft were not selected for continued development, but the service is still interested in their technologies.
'The Army will seek to continue technology development efforts with those teams based on resources and opportunities,' the service said.
The Sikorsky-Boeing entry, called the SB-1 Defiant, is a compound helicopter design with co-axial rotors and a pusher-propeller.
The Bell Helicopter design, which is called the V-280 Valor, is an advanced tilt-rotor design that is based upon technology similar to the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey.
The new tilt-rotor is smaller, faster and much more manoeuvrable than the Osprey and has a top speed of over 300 knots.
The Future Vertical Lift (FVL) is a program to develop a family of military helicopters for the United States Armed Forces.
The Bell Helicopter design, which is called the V-280 Valor, is an advanced tilt-rotor design that is based upon technology similar to the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey.
The Bell V280 program completed its final design and risk review period in August, and construction has already begun.
Four different sizes of aircraft are to be developed, and they will share common hardware such as sensors, avionics, engines, and weapons.
It will eventually lead to replacements for the Army's UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook, and OH-58 Kiowa helicopters.
The precursor for FVL is the Joint Multi-Role (JMR) helicopter program, which will provide technology demonstrations planned for 2017.
Chris Gehler, director of Bell Helicopter's advanced tilt-rotor systems, said the V280 program completed its final design and risk review period in August. Spirit Aerosystems has completed building the fuselage in Wichita, Kansas, and shipped it to Amarillo just before AUSA.
'This is real. The aircraft is coming together now,' Gehler told Defense News.
Spirit Aerosystems has completed building the fuselage in Wichita, Kansas, and shipped it to Amarillo ahead of flight tests in 2017
THE DEFIANT-1 The Sikorsky-Boeing entry, called the SB-1 Defiant, is a compound helicopter design with co-axial rotors and a pusher-propeller. The design will have a cruise speed of 250 kn (290 mph; 460 km/h), but less range due to using the 'old' T55 engine. The SB-1 will be quick and nimble, with fast acceleration and deceleration, side-to-side movement, and hovering with the tail up and nose down. The Defiant demonstrator will be powered by the Honeywell T55, which powers the CH-47 Chinook. It will be slightly modified to better operate at slower speeds down to 85% rpm.
'We've got all kinds of pieces and parts, different technologies and things that are yielding today and starting to flow to Amarillo.'
'About this time next year,' he said, the aircraft will look ready to fly and the team will be running pre-flight checks, ground runs, shake tests and other reliability activities.
The U.S. Army-led Joint Multi-Role Demonstrator (JMR-TD) program is the science and technology precursor to the Department of Defense's Future Vertical Lift program expected to replace 2,000 to 4,000 medium-class utility and attack helicopters.
The U.S. Army and Department of Defense are seeking leap-ahead capabilities and have identified a speed of 230+ knots as a key discriminating capability.
Apple's shares have suffered its longest losing streak since July 1998.
Shares of the iPhone-maker posted fell 0.1% Monday for an eighth consecutive session of losses, following the company's announcement last week that iPhone sales fell for the first time ever in a quarter and revenue fell for the first time since 2003.
However, Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC's Jim Cramer 'I couldn't disagree more' when asked if the tech giant's best days were now behind it, saying claims the firm is dead were 'a huge overreaction'.
Scroll down for video
Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC's Jim Cramer 'I couldn't disagree more' when asked if the tech giant's best days were now behind it.
The latest share performance is Apples longest losing streak since July 1998, according to WSJ Market Data Group.
The last time Apple stock suffered 8 straight days of losses was on July 27th 1998.
'The most important thing is that customers love our products,' Cook said.
'That is the most important thing for the long term of Apple,' Cook said.
Cook also addressed claims the Apple Watch has been a failure, claiming 'We're still in learning mode...you'll see the Apple Watch get better and better.'
'Our first goal is to establish a new category...we wanted to roll out slowly' he said.
Last week for the first time in the iPhone's history, Apple has revealed a year-on-year drop in sales of its handset - and its first drop in overall revenue since 2003.
The firm's quarterly results were below Wall Street targets, and it forecast another disappointing quarter - which saw Apple's shares down more than 5 percent in early after-hours trading.
Apple says the slump is sales was caused by 'macroeconomic headwinds' and the iPhone 6 being 'an anomaly' as it offered an entirely new size handset.
Apple said it sold 51.2 million iPhones in its second fiscal quarter, down from 61.2 million in the same quarter a year ago but above analysts' estimates of about 50 million devices.
Sales fell faster in China than in any other region, down 26 percent compared to the previous year, and sales in the Americas were down 10 percent.
RESULTS AT A GLANCE Apple sold more than 51.2 million iPhones in the first three months of 2016 - while racking up $10.5 billion in quarterly profit. That was more than many analysts expected, but still fewer than the 61 million iPhones sold a year earlier. Revenue of $50.56 billion missed expectations of $51.97 billion. Apple Music now has 13m subscribers
Over all, Apple sold 16 percent fewer iPhones in the quarter compared to the same quarter last year - although Tim Cook pointed out the results no not include sales of the smaller iPhone SE.
He claimed demand for the new handset had been 'very strong, and exceeds supply at this point'.
After five successive quarters where Apple has reported record revenues, the first three months of 2016 are the worst in 13 years.
The company is battling perceptions that its latest iPhones aren't dramatically different from previous models, as overall smartphone sales are slowing around the world.
'I think that the market, as you know, is currently not growing,' Cook said in response to an analyst question.
'However, my view is that's an overhang of macroeconomic environment in many different places in the world.
'We are very optimistic that this too shall pass and that the market, and particularly us, shall grow again.'
'Unit sales of Apple Watch met our expectations,' said Cook.
'In fact, sales of Apple Watch in its first year exceeded iPhone sales in its first year - and we've learnt a lot.'
'We are unwavering in protecting out customers data,' said Cook.
'The future of Apple is very bright, out future product pripeline has some amazing products'
Cook also made a rare reference to the firm's aquisition strategy.
'We've made 15 acquisitions in the last four quarter,' he said.
'And we are always on the lookout.'
Apple also said it was raising its capital return program by$50 billion through a $35 billion increase in its share buybackauthorization and a 10 percent rise in the quarterly dividend.
A cloud over Apple: After five successive quarters where Apple has reported record revenues, the first three months of 2016 are likely to be the worst in 13 years.
'Despite the pause in our growth, the results reflect our team executed extremely well in the face of strong macroeconomic headwinds,' said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO.
'We are very happy with the continued strong growth in revenue from Services, thanks to the incredible strength of the Apple ecosystem and our growing base of over one billion active devices.'
Apple was hard pressed to top sales from the year-ago quarter, which was boosted by the recent launch of a new generation of iPhones, Apple Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri told Reuters in an interview. The phones featured larger screen sizes and sparked historic sales.
'The iPhone 6 is an anomaly, and so it creates a very difficult comparison for us,' he said.
'We generated strong operating cash flow of $11.6 billion and returned $10 billion to shareholders through our capital return program during the March quarter,' said Luca Maestri, Apple's CFO.
YEAR-ON-YEAR COMPARISONS iPhone Q1 2015: 61.2 million Q1 2016: 50.4 million iPad Q1 2015: 12.6 million Q1 2016: 10.1 million Profit Q1 2015: $13.6 billion Q1 2016: $11.1 billion Sales Q1 2015: $58 billion Q1 2015: $50 to $53 billion
'Thanks to the strength of our business results, we are happy to be announcing today a further increase of the program to $250 billion.'
But earnings of $1.90 per share fell short of the averageanalyst estimate of $2 per share, according to Thomson ReutersI/B/E/S.
Revenue of $50.56 billion missed expectations of $51.97billion.
Apple forecast third-quarter revenue of $41 billion to $43billion, short of the Wall Street consensus of $47.3 billion.
While Apple executives had predicted iPhone sales woulddecline this quarter, they must reassure investors that the drop represents a momentary roadblock for the company, rather than apermanent shift for the product that fueled its meteoric rise.
After years of blockbuster sales, many investors fear thatthe iPhone has reached a point of saturation, spelling the endfor Apple's era of exponential growth.
The company has yet to present another device that can drivesales on that order, though last year it released the AppleWatch, its first new product without legendary co-founder SteveJobs at the helm.
Rather than buying the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, many consumersare waiting for the release of the expected iPhone 7 later thisyear to upgrade their phones, according to analysts.
Apple had planned to release its quarterly results on Mondaybut delayed the event by a day due to the memorial service forBill Campbell, a longtime Apple board member who mentored manyprominent executives in Silicon Valley.
In the first quarter of 2015, Apple sold 61.2 million iPhones.
This is significant because around two thirds of the firm's revenue comes from the sale of iPhones.
In the first quarter of 2015, Apple sold 61.2 million iPhones and the latest forecast suggests the first quarter of 2016 will show sales of 50.4 million - down 18 per cent. Apple Vice President Greg Joswiak introduces the iPhone SE during an event at the Apple headquarters in Cupertino in March
Slowing growth in China has been suggested as the core reason for the drop, an area Apple has focused on heavily in the last two years, alongside the increasingly saturated smartphone market - with competition from rivals such as Samsung continuing, but also due to improved performances from Chinese firms including Huawei.
In January, Apple, the world's most valuable publicly tradedcompany, forecast its first revenue drop in 13 years and postedthe slowest-ever increase in iPhone shipments, suggesting thetechnology company's period of exponential growth may be ending.
A less-than-stellar report from the company, however, may toan extent be baked into the price of its shares, analysts said.
'They have been talking about it for long enough,' saidScott Fullman, chief strategist at Revere Securities LLC.Fullman's family has a position in Apple stock.
Apple shares are down about 20 percent over the last year,compared with a 1.1 percent dip in the S&P 500 index.
OnTuesday, the shares fell 0.3 percent to $104.66, a six-week low.
'People are also maybe hoping that there's going to besomething said that will help prop the stock up,' Fullman said.
An increase in Apple's 47 cent quarterly cash dividend and aboost to its stock buyback plan could be good news for theshares.
The fall comes off the back of figures released in January which showed the iPhone made Apple more money in just a single quarter than Google's Android platform has ever made.
Slowing growth in China has been suggested as the core reason for the drop, an area Apple has focused on heavily in the last two years, alongside the increasingly saturated smartphone market - with competition from rivals such as Samsung and Huawei. Apple boss Tim Cook is pictured with the iPhone 6
It emerged Google has made $31 billion (22 billion) in revenue from its Android operating system, but the figure is dwarfed by Apple, which generated more than $32billion from iPhone sales alone in a single quarter last year.
Google's parent company, Alphabet, has been keen to keep its earnings close to its chest, but the figures were made public during an ongoing court case with computer technology company Oracle.
It also follows reports Apple will push its next major iPhone launch to 2017.
An analyst has said that the next flagship phone, expected to be called the iPhone 7, will lack 'many attractive selling points' and could be remarkably similar to the iPhone 6 and 6S.
The analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, from KGI Securities, added that despite the forecasts, he estimates that iPhone SE shipments will rise from 12 million to 18 million handsets.
Advertisement
A stunning superyacht that was owned by Mikhail Lesin a former Vladimir Putin adviser who died under mysterious circumstances has sold for tens of millions of pounds.
The 55-metre (180ft) vessel, Serenity, was built for Lesin, founder of the Kremlin-funded broadcaster RT and Putins one-time chief propagandist, in 2011 and was in limbo while his assets were arranged following his death.
Serenity had an asking price of 37million (29million, $42million) when it went on the market around three months ago and has been delivered to its new owner, who paid an undisclosed price.
Scroll down for video
The 55-metre (180-ft) vessel Serenity was built for Mikhail Lesin, founder of the broadcaster RT and Vladimir Putins former adviser
Serenity had an asking price of 37million (29million, $42million) when it went on the market around three months ago
Launched in 2011, the superyacht was undergoing a refit when Lesin was found dead under mysterious circumstances last November
Serenity's amenities include a full gym with air conditioning and sliding glass doors that can be opened for al fresco workouts
Lesin, a 57-year-old millionaire and Russias former press minister, was found dead in a Washington, DC, hotel room last November, with an autopsy revealing he died of blunt force injuries. The investigation into his death continues.
At the time of his death his superyacht, launched in 2011, was being overhauled at a shipyard in Brisbane, Australia.
Last February, Serenity was put up for sale and made the 11,000-mile journey to the Palm Beach International Boat Show once Lesins assets were sorted, Yacht Harbour reported.
The sale was handled by Florida-based brokerage firm IYC.
Dimitri Semenikhin, founder of Yacht Harbour, told MailOnline Travel: 'It's unclear what was the final price the yacht sold for. However, as it was a quick sale, it is likely that the final price was lower than the asking price which was set near replacement cost.'
Lesin's superyacht remained at a shipyard in Brisbane, Australia, for a few months following his death until his assets were sorted
Designed by Omega Architects, its on-board amenities include a bar, sauna, steam room, massage room, hot tub and swimming platform
IYC said at the time of the listing that Serenity was in immaculate condition and the only 55-metre Heesen superyacht on the market
Calling it a high pedigree motor yacht, IYC said at the time of the listing that Serenity was in immaculate condition and the only 55-metre Heesen superyacht on the market.
Designed by Omega Architects, its on-board amenities include a full gym on the top deck, sauna, steam room, massage room, hot tub and swimming platform.
The gym has air conditioning and sliding glass doors that can be opened for al fresco workouts, said IYC.
Serenity can accommodate up to 12 guests in six staterooms, and its owners suite on the main deck has an en-suite marble bathroom
Last February, Serenity was put up for sale and made the 11,000-mile journey to the Palm Beach International Boat Show
Serenity's on-board gym is stocked with professional grade workout equipment manufactured by Italian company Technogym
Mikhail Lesin, a 57-year-old millionaire and Russias former press minister, was found dead in a Washington DC hotel room last year
Serenity can accommodate up to 12 guests in six staterooms, and its owners suite on the main deck has impressive views through floor-to-ceiling windows, walk-in closets, a private office, marble bathroom with his and hers sinks, and a hot tub.
IYC said Serenity is designed for an active owner who demands performance.
If you have ever been in a situation which words fail to describe in English then look no further.
Thanks to a new infographic 50 untranslatable words from countries including Norway, Germany and Japan have been explained in a helpful series of illustrations.
The lively infographic, which was created by Morningside Translations, reveals the words or phrases used in languages such as Swedish, Italian and Russian, that describe the moments in life that are hard to explain and have no counterpart in English.
For example buying a book and not reading it would be Tsundoku in Japanese, and Yiddish word Trepverter describes the annoying moments in life where you think of a witty comeback, but it's far too late to use it.
Tartle in Scottish is the act of hesitating while introducing someone whose name you have forgotten - something you may do when taking a Fika in Sweden, which means gathering with others to to take a break from everyday routines.
Ranging from the touching to the ridiculous, here the infographic illustrates some of the world's most untranslatable moments, from the Norwegian word to describe the euphoria you feel when you fall in love to the German word for hatching an ingenious plan while drunk.
A traveller has been fined 1,000 after he disobeyed the captain's order to turn off his mobile phone or switch it to flight mode before take-off.
Aaron McWilliams, 32, from St Kew Highway, Cornwall, was charged after he flew from Amsterdam to Exeter last December.
Before take-off, Flybe crew delivered their usual safety instructions and ordered all passengers to comply with rules that state mobile phones, tablets and e-readers must be off or in aeroplane mode throughout the flight.
Aaron McWilliams, from Cornwall, was charged after he flew from Amsterdam to Exeter last December
McWilliams admitted to a charge of failing to obey the command of the captain of the aircraft and a second charge of behaving in a threatening manner towards a female member of the crew.
He was fined 500 on each charge and ordered to pay a total of 1,135 with costs.
A Flybe spokesperson said: 'Flybe has a zero-tolerance attitude towards any disruptive behaviour that has the potential to jeopardise the safety of its passengers and crew.'
UK Civil Aviation Authority rules allow for devices such as mobile phones to be used during a flight as long as they are in aeroplane mode before departure.
Most airlines ban passengers from using their mobiles for voice calls or text messaging in the air (file photo)
Personal electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets need to be turned off because they would otherwise transmit signals that could interfere with the pilots' radio communications with air traffic control.
A mobile that hasnt been switched to flight mode may annoy pilots and air traffic controllers with an unpleasant sound.
Its the same kind of noise that can be heard over speakers if a mobile is nearby and its due to the phones powerful radio emissions.
There is no evidence signals from passengers electronic devices have ever caused a plane to malfunction and crash.
Berlin authorities have made it illegal for tourists to rent out their apartments using Airbnb and its competitors, in a bid to protect affordable housing and to keep city rent as low as possible.
Property owners who are discovered to be listing their properties can now be fined up to 100,000 (78,260).
The German capital fears that the growing trend of people letting out apartments to tourists through sites such as Airbnb, Wimdu and 9Flats is cutting into a limited property supply and driving up rents.
Berlin authorities have made it illegal for tourists to rent out their apartments using Airbnb and its competitors, in a bid to protect affordable housing
The new law bans the short-term renting of entire apartments to tourists without a city permit, although Berliners can still let single rooms
The ruling falls under a new law, Zweckentfremdungsverbot, which was passed in 2014, but only came into effect on May 1.
It bans the short-term renting of entire apartments to tourists without a city permit, although Berliners can still let single rooms.
To catch them, the city has even appealed to the 'civic spirit' of its residents and asked them to anonymously report any suspected misuse online.
It is 'a necessary and sensible instrument against the housing shortage in Berlin,' said Andreas Geisel, Berlin's head of urban development.
'I am absolutely determined to return such misappropriated apartments to the people of Berlin and to newcomers,' he said.
The move tackles the issue of soaring rent in Berlin, which rose 56 per cent between 2009 and 2014, although amounts are still low in comparison to other major European cities.
Berlin has become one of Europe's top travel destinations, with 30.2million overnight stays last year, the Airbnb trend has also impacted the local hotel industry
Investors have been accused of causing a housing shortage by holding onto their pads for short-term holiday lets, instead of having long-term tenants.
San Francisco-based Airbnb - short for the business's original name AirBed & Breakfast - is the biggest of several sites that allow people to offer and find such rental accommodation worldwide.
A spokesperson for Airbnb said: 'Berlin's housing law is complex and unclear, and the government has released conflicting and confusing statements on how it will be implemented.
'This is bad news for Berlin and regular locals who occasionally share their homes to afford living costs in the city they love.
'Berliners understand home sharing is different to other forms of accommodation in the city and want clear and simple home sharing rules.
'We will continue to encourage the government to listen to the people of Berlin and follow the lead of other major cities that have introduced clear, simple and progressive rules to support regular local residents who share their homes to pay the bills.'
In 2015 around 568,000 Airbnb guests visited Berlin and stayed in local homes, with the overwhelming majority saying they chose Airbnb to experience life like a local
While Berlin has become one of Europe's top travel destinations, with 30.2 million overnight stays last year, the Airbnb trend has also impacted the local hotel industry.
According to research firm GBI, the private online bookings represent a 'parallel market of an additional 6.1 million' overnight stays a year.
More than 20,000 Berliners shared their homes last year on Airbnb, with the typical host earning an additional 1,800 (1,408) by sharing their space for 34 nights, according to the letting site.
A third of these hosts said they rely on this additional income to pay the bills and make ends meet.
In 2015 around 568,000 Airbnb guests visited Berlin and stayed in local homes, with the overwhelming majority saying they chose Airbnb to experience life like a local.
The average stay and party size was 4.6 nights with 2.3 people.
She's found success in drama and horror films, and is once again stretching her comedy muscles in Bad Neighbours 2: Sorority Rising, opposite Seth Rogen.
But despite her many talents, Australian actress Rose Byrne admits that female roles in comedy scripts aren't quite up to the level of their male counterparts.
'Most things I read, I still would much rather play the guy,' the 36-year-old told The Cut recently.
Australian actress Rose Byrne (pictured) told The Cut that female roles in comedy scripts aren't quite up to the level of their male counterparts, admitting: 'Most things I read, I still would much rather play the guy'
Rose added that 'there have been some changes' to how women are portrayed in the last few years, but says she '(wishes) there was more.'
She also reckons that Bad Neighbours 2 director Nicholas Stoller and actor-writer Seth are helping to get 'rid of the stereotypes' and create funny roles for women besides simply The Nagging Wife.
Meanwhile, the Damages star, who hails from Sydney, NSW, also spoke briefly about how motherhood has changed her outlook on life.
Rose, pictured alongside Bad Neighbours 2: Sorority Rising co-stars Seth Rogan and Zac Efron, added that 'there have been some changes' to how women are portrayed in comedy films in the last few years, but says she '(wishes) there was more'
Rose also reckons that Bad Neighbours 2 director Nicholas Stoller and actor-writer Seth are helping to get 'rid of the stereotypes' and create funny roles for women besides simply The Nagging Wife
Rose welcomed her first child, baby son Rocco, with long-term partner Bobby Cannavale in February this year.
'Its been a different kind of year,' she told the New York magazine-affiliated publication. 'Having a child, you sort of reprioritize. All of the cliches are true.'
Rose reportedly began dating Bobby, star of HBO's Boardwalk Empire, following an after party in November 2012, the New York Daily News reported.
Happy couple: Rose has been in a relationship with Boardwalk Empire star Bobby Cannavale (left) since 2012, and earlier this year they welcomed their first child together, baby son Rocco
The following year, Bobby confirmed his relationship with Rose during his Best Supporting Actor acceptance speech at the Emmy Awards, calling her the 'love of (his) life'.
Rose was previously in a long-term relationship with Australian actor-director Brendan Cowell for over six years before their split in January 2010.
Meanwhile, Bobby was married to actress and screenwriter Jenny Lumet from 1994 to 2003, which produced one child.
They've been best friends for many a year after striking up a firm-friendship in their teens.
So it was little surprise that Daisy Lowe was the first person Nick Grimshaw called after moving into his new house in East London, on Sunday.
Having moved into his new house, the Radio One DJ, 31, appeared to have enlisted the 27-year-old model's help to settle in over the May bank holiday.
Scroll down for video
With a little help from his friends: Daisy Lowe appeared to be the first person Nick Grimshaw called after he moved into his new house in East London, on Sunday
Arriving at Nick's new abode in a 4X4, the pair appeared to have been picking up a few select items for Daisy's visit - with the model arriving with a shopping bag in hand full of groceries.
And it looked as though Daisy was planning on spending some quality time with her BFF in his new abode, as she sported a large velvet bag - possibly signalling an overnight stay at the house.
While the pair were undoubtedly looking forward to a catch-up over the bank holiday, Daisy wasn't about to let her fashion credentials slip.
Settling in: Having moved into his new house, the Radio One DJ, 31, appeared to have enlisted the 27-year-old model's help to settle in over the May bank holiday
BFFsL Arriving at Nick's new abode in a 4X4, the pair appeared to have been picking up a few select items for Daisy's visit - with the model arriving with a shopping bag in hand full of groceries
Embracing the warm weather, the face of Triumph lingerie opted for a saucy summer ensemble - donning a see-through polka dot dress.
Flashing a hint of skin as well as her underwear, the raven-haired beauty made sure her dress straddled the sartorial line between racy and modest.
Adding her customary rock chick twist to her look, Daisy teamed the floaty number with a pair of sturdy black army-style boots.
Summer sauciness: Embracing the warm weather, the face of Triumph lingerie opted for a saucy summer ensemble - donning a see-through polka dot dress
Ready for all weather: Adding her customary rock chick twist to her look, Daisy teamed the floaty number with a pair of sturdy black army-style boots and a black fur-trimmed rain coat
But clearly prepared for the changeable nature of the British weather, the model rounded her look off with a black light-weight raincoat, which featured a fur trimmed collar.
Daisy rounded her summery look off with a pair of over-sized shades, while she also sported a pair of large silver hooped earrings.
She wore her long locks in a typically on-point yet dishevelled manner, with her dark her tumbling down around her shoulders.
Raven-haired beauty: She wore her long locks in a typically on-point yet dishevelled manner, with her dark her tumbling down around her shoulders
Sleep over? And it looked as though Daisy was planning on spending some quality time with her BFF in his new abode, as she sported a large velvet bag - possibly signalling an overnight stay at the house
Nick meanwhile went for a casual vibe, pairing a dark plaid shirt with a pair of skinny jeans and a pair of matching Converse.
With his peroxide locks swept back into a quiff, the former X Factor judge looked his usual slick self.
The breakfast show DJ rounded his look off with a pair of wayfarer style shades, while he also sported a lanyard and an array of trinkets and keys in one hand.
He's known for his controversial and outlandish comments, but Joel Creasey took it one step further as he took to the stage in Perth for his solo comedy show.
The stand-up comic regaled a crass joke of Bindi Irwin seeing him masturbating when they were both filming I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, earlier this year.
Taking to the stage at the Regal Theatre with his show The Crown Prince, the Western Australian reports the show host jokingly gave details of Wildlife Warrior Bindi, 17, accidentally catching him in the act.
Scroll down for video
Crass: Joel Creasey pretended to recount a moment Bindi Irwin saw him masturbating when they were both filming I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
Special guest appearance: Bindi appeared on I'm A Celeb with her mother Terri and her brother Robert and the trio featured in two episodes of the show
He joked that she saw him through a set of binoculars while he was at his open air accommodation.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted a representative of Bindi and Joel for comment.
Earlier this year, Joel hosted the spin-off of the show NOW! while Bindi made a guest appearance in the South African jungle with her family, but complained she could not stick being cut off from the outside world for long.
At home: Bindi is seen here at Australia Zoo, Queensland with a tiger cub and her mother Terri
During her short stint on the Channel Ten show, the former Dancing With The Stars US winner said she would 'go insane' and 'would not do well,' given the harsh conditions, adding: 'I don't think I could do it.'
Turning to her brother Robert, 12, and mother Terri, she said: 'I would really miss you guys.
'The food doesn't bother me, that's all good,' she explained, adding: 'I can build a campfire and I am okay with wildlife, but you are getting cut off from the outside world - that would be weird!'
'I would not do well': While making her appearance on the show Bindi admitted she couldn't survive in the jungle and would 'go insane' if cut off from the outside world
She went on: 'That would be weird, imagine coming back, just all of this flood of information,' she went on.
'I would have a real hard time with it,' she confessed.
The family's matriarch, Terri, also admitted that she would not fare well in the jungle, saying: 'I could not survive six weeks under these conditions!'
The Irwin's were guests on one episode to teach the contestants about wildlife.
They bought with them a large Burmese Python which they showcased to the camp-mates and hosted a jungle quiz game called Clash Of The Irwin's, as they tested contestants on their jungle knowledge in a bid to win a wildlife safari experience with the family.
She had quite the evening when she met President Obama at the White House Correspondents Dinner the night before.
And Kendall Jenner came back down to earth with a bump on Sunday as she stepped out in dreary conditions in New York for a solo stroll.
The 20-year-old Chanel muse flashed her toned tummy in a white crop top and high waist jeans with pristine white sneakers.
Scroll down for video
Back to reality: Kendall Jenner stepped out in a dreary looking New York on Sunday after meeting with President Obama the night before at the White House Correspondents Dinner
She layered on a chic striped coat and donned circular sunglasses along with some silver chokers to complete the look.
Her brunette locks were swept up in a no-nonsense ponytail for the outing.
Kendall seemed quite starstruck when she met the POTUS on Saturday night and shared a starry eyed Snapchat during the evening.
See Kendall Jenner updates as she flashes her toned tummy on wet New York outing
Casually clad: The 20-year-old model flashed her toned tummy in a white crop top and high-waist jeans
Low-key outing: The model covered up in a long striped coat and shaded her eyes with circular sunglasses
'He was like, 'Say hi to Kim and Kanye,'' she told People afterwards. I was like, 'Okay.''
Obama even mentioned the reality star in his speech during the dinner.
'Kendall Jenner is also here. We had a chance to meet her backstage and she seems like a very nice young woman,' he said.
Watch out! Kendall accessorised with silver necklaces and kept her head down as she checked her messages
'Im not exactly sure what she does but I am told that my Twitter mentions are about to go through the roof.' he joked.
Kendall looked stunning on the night, wearing a black strapless dress and diamond choker.
Her beautiful Vivienne Westwood designer gown had a sweetheart neckline and a slit at the bottom.
Meanwhile season 12 of Keeping Up With The Kardashians premieres Sunday night.
Kendall seemed quite starstruck when she met the POTUS on Saturday night and shared a starry eyed Snapchat during the evening
At its worst, it brought unspeakable cruelty, deprivation and injustice. To say that the European colonial record is mixed is a major understatement and, very understandably, few if any of the colonised were terribly appreciative of the experience.
At its best, along with undoubted exploitation, European colonialism brought many benefits to its colonies in the form of education services, health care, transportation systems and so forth.
Over that period, the major European powers collectively extended their political, military and economic control over virtually the whole world. For good or for ill, vast numbers of human beings were subjected to an abrupt and often traumatic change process in what was a massive collision between cultures.
DEPENDING on your interpretation of history, the European Age of Empire lasted from around 1600 to the late 1960's, give or take a few years.
Now, the sun has well and truly set on the Age of Empire and no-one is lamenting its passing. There is plenty of debate amongst historians about not just the facts surrounding this period but, much more significantly, the motivations, intentions and actions of the colonisers and the responses of the colonised.
In an Australian context, this debate has taken the form of the so-called history wars. On one side we have those who espouse what is called the "black armband" view of Australian history, who tend to dwell upon the bad things that happened, especially the terrible treatment of the Aboriginal people.
The proponents of this view have clashed often and fiercely with those who prefer to adopt what they regard as a more balanced viewpoint. The latter argue that Australia's bloody and racist origins, while quite real, should not be allowed to define the country and its people.
Where the truth lies, as is often the case, is still rather hard to discern. Personally, I subscribe to a "grey armband" view of all history, including Australia's.
There are now comparatively few people left alive who have experienced colonialism, either as colonist or coloniser. Firsthand accounts of the colonial experience do exist in fair quantity, by both colonialists and colonisers, but not so much in the case of Papua New Guinea.
Colonial histories may generally accord with the known facts but can sometimes diverge wildly when it comes to attributing motivations to the main actors and meaning to events.
Sources like the autobiographies of politicians are notoriously self serving and unreliable. Winston Churchill once quipped that he would be depicted favourably in the history of World War II because he intended to write it (which he did).
Biographies are sometimes even worse, especially if the biographer falls under the spell of his or her subject. This can lead to results that range from outright hagiographies to books in which inconvenient truths are downplayed or spun to put the subject in a more favourable light. Damning critiques can be just as bad because they are frequently so unbalanced.
These problems mean that divining the truth becomes tricky for any historian intrepid enough to tackle as potentially thorny a topic as colonialism. From an academic standpoint, it is a case of "here there be dragons"!
As a former representative of a colonial regime, I try very hard to take what I think is a balanced view of Australia's record in PNG. The more sceptical reader might immediately think, "well, he would say that, wouldn't he?" and be well within their rights to do so.
Those of us who were the colonisers tend, I think, to view our time in PNG through a gentle haze of nostalgia. As a consequence, we tend to either down play or simply ignore "inconvenient truths".
Thus the social chasm that existed between Australians and Papua New Guineans, and the accompanying patronising or casually racist behaviour, is rarely a feature of the colonisers version of PNG history.
Also, there is a tendency to underplay just how privileged an existence it was possible to have when you, the coloniser, could exert almost total control over the social and economic lives of others. For example, I always had a household servant (haus boi or manki masta) during my time in PNG, who relieved me of a great deal of tedious work.
This was not, and is not, the typical experience of supposedly egalitarian Australians, yet in PNG we collectively embraced with enthusiasm the idea of having household staff. It seems that a life of privilege is terribly easy to get used to.
Similarly, whilst on patrol, I was sometimes in command of a small detachment of armed police and was received by villagers with a degree of deference and respect that was essentially earned by my predecessors, not by me.
Of course, at the time, I was too busy doing whatever job I had to do to reflect upon this. I just took it for granted that my authority would be respected and my commands obeyed.
It never crossed my mind to try to imagine what the villagers thought about me as an individual or why they mostly decided to uncomplainingly endure my intrusion into their lives. I was, after all, a very young "liklik kiap" or "taubada mereki" and so, in their cultures, ought to have had very little personal status.
I have read recently where the late Viscount William Slim, a former Governor General of Australia and Field Marshal in the British Army, once told Sir Paul Hasluck (then Minister for Territories and later Governor General himself) that he regarded the pacification of Papua New Guinea by a tiny handful of Australian kiaps as something that he would have felt unable to achieve without using an entire army.
To my mind, this is an illuminating comment not only about the intrepid nature of the early kiaps but, just as importantly, the thinking of people they came into contact with.
It is almost as if Papua New Guineans collectively, once they understood the severe power imbalance which confronted them, made a conscious decision to at least tolerate, if not immediately embrace, this new and alien culture rather than engage in futile resistance.
After all, Papua New Guinean warriors were no less brave than, say, the Zulus in South Africa. They did not simply give up without a fight, as their clashes with patrols attest.
However, they did not need to be slain in vast numbers in pitched battles with armed troops before realising that spears, bows and arrows could never defeat rifles.
Courage was, it seems, soon tempered by a pragmatic realisation that at least nominal acquiescence to the demands of the colonial regime was a smarter long term strategy.
This is, of course, mere speculation on my part and points to a significant problem in trying to understand the history of colonialism in PNG. Why was it that a handful of armed men were able to so quickly bring under colonial control such a large number of people?
It cannot possibly have been just force of arms alone. Papua New Guineans warriors could, theoretically at least, have overwhelmed even a well armed patrol, provided they were willing to take serious casualties doing so. This certainly happened in places like South Africa, notably when a Zulu army defeated the British at the Battle of Isandlwana in 1879.
Also, Papua New Guineans could have adopted a guerrilla warfare approach that would have tied down huge numbers of troops or police for a long period. This was the strategy followed by the Apache in the US. Led by their famous chief, Geronimo, the Apache harassed the US army from 1850 to 1886 before finally being subdued.
That Papua New Guineans did neither of these things has never been completely explained, at least to my satisfaction. I think that it has simply been assumed that force of arms, combined with the fragmentary nature of traditional PNG societies, are sufficient explanation, but this is probably not the full story.
It seems plausible to me that those people first contacted by the kiaps and other Europeans simply decided that it may be in their best interests to cooperate with these strangers who could wield, so it must have seemed, near mystical powers.
After all, very few demands were initially made of them other than that they obey the laws of a distant and poorly understood "gavman", as represented by the kiap. In most cases, the latter tended only to wander by from time to time, rather than being a continuous presence. The truly disruptive nature of colonial rule was revealed only slowly, over a period of years.
So, for example, in 1970 I patrolled in the mountains lying to the north of Kerema, a place which by then had some 70 years experience of colonial rule. Despite this, the people living in those mountains (the much feared Kukukuku) were still living essentially traditional lives.
There were some signs of European influence such as steel axe heads and knives, the odd radio receiver, a couple of distinctly dodgy airstrips, a few crude tracks that could cope with a motorbike, and a small number of mission run schools. But, despite this, the influence of the colonial regime was fairly tenuous, even after several decades of contact.
It struck me then, as it does now, that the colonial hand rested only very lightly upon those people. They could thus afford to cooperate with the colonial government when it suited and largely ignore it if it did not. Was this a conscious strategy for them or just the way it worked out?
I think that any history of Papua New Guinea's colonial experience will be incomplete unless and until the memories of those with direct experience of the colonial era can be recorded. The trouble is that time is fast running out to do this.
It therefore is important that PNG historians do their best to collect oral histories about this period before it is too late. How accurate these might be is, of course, a matter of conjecture, but it remains an important task to be undertaken.
Only with such evidence to hand will it be possible to form a fair and balanced judgement about PNG's colonial experience.
They met and fell in love on the hit reality dating show The Bachelor last year.
And while Sam Wood and Snezana Markoski's romance has been played out under the scrutinizing glare of the public, the couple have found an upside to living life in the spotlight, managing to turn their fame into fortune.
Since going public with their romance in September, the loved-up couple - who have just been named as ambassadors for Weet-Bix - have managed to cash in on their love story with lucrative endorsements.
Scroll down for video
Cashing in: Sam Wood and Snezana Markoski have managed to turn their fame into fortune securing a number of lucrative endoresments
From what they eat for breakfast, to the clothes they wear, even the holidays they go on - it seems the world is their oyster when it comes to promoting their lives using their social media pages.
It's hardly surprising that brands are eager to work with the pair, considering between them they amass a following of almost half a million on Instagram alone.
The genetically-blessed duo are even rumoured to be televising their wedding later this year.
See The Bachelor updates as Sam Wood and Snezana Markoski cash in on their love story
Business-savy: The couple have managed to cash in on their love story at every opportunity - from what they eat for breakfast to the clothes they wear, even the holidays they go on - it seems nothing is off limits
Nothing is off limits: The pair have managed to turn their very public romance into a highly marketable business deal - and they have the Instagram endorsements to prove it
In Snezana's recent posts she's thanked Diamond Kicks for a pair of $240 customised Nike trainers and regularly posts about food delivery service Hello Fresh.
The beauty praised Pallas Couture for her custom-designed, and no doubt pricey, engagement party dress.
Meanwhile Sam recently thanked a friend after being gifted a GHD hair dryer, an ELEVEN hair straightener iron and even received a standing work station from In Movement Australia.
The couple also documented their every movement during their recent trip to Singapore tagging the Tourism Signapore account in ever image, suggesting they could have been invited on the trip for free.
Gym entrepreneur Sam proposed to Snezana with a mammoth $50,000 diamond ring from Bensimon Diamonds during a romantic trip to his native Tasmania.
Wardrobes to die for: The couple have all the latest trends at their beck and call
Lavish: Snezana was even recently being gifted with a pair of 'authentic sneakers using the highest quality Swarovski crystals
Lady of leisure: Snezana has also enjoyed luxuriant beauty treatments at day spas
She's got it all: Hair and makeup sessions, massages and facials are also covered
High flyers: The couple have been lucky enough to go on a number of all-expenses paid for holidays
Seeing the world: The family have visited a number of overseas destinations including Singapore
Getting out there: The family also enjoyed a trip to Tasmania - where Sam proposed to Snezana
Healthy: The pair have promoted every food item from protein balls to breakfast cereal and have a number of lucrative business deals with pre-packaged grocery companies including Hello Fresh
Not subtle: Everything down to the sauce they put on their food is on the house - with Snezana previously endorsing her 'favourite snack' - Kraft cheese singles and Masterchef tomato sauce
Pricey: Sam proposed with a ring thought to be worth $50,000
Dream: Sam and Snez had their engagement party organised for them at the Pop Up Patch in Melbourne, with the help of an events planner
Settling in: For their new home, the pair have been lucky enough to stock it with everything from plush sofas valued at more than $2,200
Romantic: They were also spruiked Sheridan bed linen starting at $279.95
Just for his gym: Sam has been gifted with items including GHD hair dryers ($310), ELEVEN hair straighteners ($250) and even a standing work station from In Movement Australia
Nothing is off limits: Even Snezana's daughter Eve appears to be getting in on the action
Cashing in: The 10-year-old has also had her wardrobe padded out with the latest designer threads for children, including adorable items from clothing retailer Zara
The loved-up couple, who found each other on the third season of hit dating show, got engaged in December, and by the sounds of things wedding plans will not be too far down the track.
Sam confirmed the purchase of a family home in late December, with Snezana and daughter Eve moving from Perth to join him in Melbourne in February.
She's never embarrassed to flaunt her figure in a daring outfit.
But newly single Paris Hilton got more than she bargained for when her demure black dress appeared to turn see-through as she left a restaurant in London.
The 35-year-old seemed oblivious to the cringe-worthy wardrobe malfunction as she playfully posed for the camera, on Sunday.
Scroll down for video
Flashing under the flash: Paris Hilton got more than she bargained for when her demure black dress appeared to turn see-through as she left a restaurant in London on Sunday evening
However, despite being fully dressed in the long-sleeved mini-dress, the flash from the camera meant that Paris's modest assets were clearly on display.
The American socialite wore a cut-out skater dress for her meal at China Tang in Mayfair.
She topped off her simple all-black look with a thin choker, a small leather handbag and kept things chic in the footwear department with thigh-high suede boots that featured a towering heel.
The actress also appeared to be toting a fur shawl to keep off the spring chill.
Unsuspecting: The 35-year-old seemed oblivious to the cringe-worthy wardrobe malfunction as she playfully posed for the camera, on Sunday
Not so demure: Despite being fully dressed in the long-sleeved mini-dress, the flash from the camera meant that Paris's modest assets were clearly on display
Lady in black: Paris topped off her simple all-black look with a thin choker, a small leather handbag and kept things chic in the footwear department with thigh-high suede boots that featured a towering heel
Paris maintained her high-glamour look in the makeup department with a dewy complexion and perfectly contoured cheeks.
She also opted to draw attention to her eyes with a large set of false eyelashes and kept her lips simple in a nude shade.
The blonde bombshell styled her hair glamorously with large bouncy curls and a sweeping side fringe.
Fresh faced: Paris maintained her high-glamour look in the makeup department with a dewy complexion and perfectly contoured cheeks
Poser: She opted to draw attention to her eyes with a large set of false eyelashes and kept her lips simple in a nude shade
Over-exposed: The blonde bombshell styled her hair glamorously with large bouncy curls and a sweeping side fringe
And despite pouting and putting her hands on her hips in a sultry manner, Paris kept her phone tightly in her grasp.
Paris' current trip to London comes after reports that she has parted ways with her millionaire boyfriend Thomas Gross after just one year of dating, according to TMZ.
Sources close to the reality star allegedly told the outlet that the duo broke things off over a month go because they could failed to find a balance between running their own empires from one place
Thomas is based in Switzerland, while Paris' fashion and DJ work insists the beauty regularly jets between Los Angeles and Ibiza, something she struggled to do from their home in the Swiss Alps.
Constantly contactable: Despite pouting and putting her hands on her hips in a sultry manner, Paris kept her phone tightly in her grasp
Newly single: Paris' current trip to London comes after reports that she has parted ways with her millionaire boyfriend Thomas Gross after just one year of dating
The publication also claimed that Paris found it difficult to be away from her sister and mother, despite her ability to make the 12-hour flight between L.A. and Switzerland on Gross' private jet.
It was also suggested that the TV personality missed her dogs, who were forced to remain in LA during her relationship with Thomas.
The blonde beauty started dating the Swiss businessman after meeting at the Cannes Film Festival last May, and was rumoured to have relocated to Europe to be close to him.
Victoria's Secret model Shanina Shaik exudes effortless elegance on the cover of Emirates Woman magazine.
The 25-year-old Australian model, who travelled to Dubai to shoot for the publication, stuns in an off-white frilly dress while flaunting a glowing complexion.
Sitting down in the shot, the runway sensation of mixed Australian, Lithuanian, Pakistani and Saudi Arabian descent, stares into the camera while revealing a glimpse of her slender arms and toned legs.
Scroll down for video
Stunning: Victoria's Secret model Shanina Shaik exudes effortless elegance on the cover of Emirates Woman magazine
Not only does her outfit feature frilly straps, but mesh fabric covers her back to add a stylish touch to the look.
Her dark tresses are worn back in a sleek bun, while she accessorises with a pair of delicate drop earrings and a complementing necklace.
Furthermore, Shanina's stunning facial features are brought to the reader's attention, thanks to a slick of pink lipstick and lashings of jet black mascara.
'Sizzle and Shaik,' reads the caption on the cover of the magazine, and Shanina happily speaks with magazine about her career and cultural upbringing.
Model life: Shanina has become one of the world's most in-demand models because of her striking features and perfectly toned body
Runway sensation: Shanina displayed her figure at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York last year
'I was born and raised Muslim and I lived a very normal lifestyle,' the beauty, whose father is of Pakistani and Saudi Arabian descent, says.
'My father is very open to my job and understanding and he is very grateful for the woman I have become.
'Im a very sophisticated and respectful woman. I had a great upbringing and a great lifestyle with my sibling.'
Family love: Shanina pictured with her mother Kim who is of Lithuanian and Australian heritage
Younger years: The Victoria's Secret model and her younger brother Shah were raised by mother Kim in suburban Melbourne
The Victoria's Secret model and her younger brother Shah were raised by mother Kim in suburban Melbourne.
She has previously spoken out about being bullied during her teenage years due to her mixed ethnicity.
The brunette beauty shot to fame after finishing as runner-up in 2008 on Australian reality television show Make Me A Supermodel.
She subsequently scored a breakthrough when she walked in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2011, and has been strutting the runway for the luxurious lingerie line ever since.
Strutting it: Shanina pictured at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in London in 2014
Nowadays it is something of an achievement for a celebrity marriage that starts in Vegas to last two days, never mind two decades.
So no wonder Kelly Ripa decided to celebrate her 20th marriage anniversary with Mark Consuelos by posting a joyful image of them together on Instagram on Sunday.
In the picture the Live With Kelly And Michael favourite is cuddling up to the Latino beefcake as they enjoy a glittering evening on the red carpet together.
The Roaring 20: Kelly Ripa marked her 20th wedding anniversary to Mark Consuelos with a touching Instagram post on Sunday
The 45-year-old blonde beauty captioned the snap: ''The Roaring 20! I love you @instasuelos #cheerstotwentyyears.'
Touching stuff indeed, and a reflection of the devotion the couple have shared for each other since they got hitched after shockingly eloping to Las Vegas together in 1996.
Since then, they have had three children together, 18-year-old Michael, Lola, 14, and 13-year-old Joaquin.
Now: Kelly and Mark attending the star-studded Vanity Fair Oscar Party earlier this year
Then: The busty beauty and her husband were a slightly bigger draw at the 1997 Soap Opera Digest Awards
The dynamic duo first met on the set of All My Children, where Kelly played Hayley Vaughan and he played her on-screen love interest Mateo Santos.
Sadly for Kelly, her anniversary celebrations have been over-shadowed by the dramas surrounding her co-host Michael Strahan's shock departure from their show as a new host on Good Morning America.
But she made sure to draw attention to her milestone on the show when she shared an image of her wearing her wedding dress from their big day 20 years ago when she returned to the show on Tuesday.
Still fits! Kelly shared a picture from her short anniversary celebration vacation in Turks and Caicos wearing her original wedding dress
Eloped: She shared a snap in the dress from their Vegas wedding in 1996
If anything, she appears to be slimmer than she was two decades ago when she walked up the aisle in the floor-length embroidered spaghetti-strap simple gown.
The pint-sized starlet looked to be make-up free and tanned as she showed off her toned physique, cuddled up to her handsome partner as they enjoyed a break in in Turks and Caicos.
'Thats my wedding dress. And guess what? It still fits!' she told viewers.
Life imitating, erm, art: Kelly and Mark starred together as on-screen lovers on All My Children, here in 1996
Actress Claire Foy - who plays Her Majesty in TV drama The Crown - had to fit her filming commitments around her own baby's feeding routine
Tracing the life of the Queen from her wedding in 1947 to the present day was always going to be a daunting challenge for the makers of TV drama The Crown, but its leading lady had another complication.
Claire Foy - who plays Her Majesty - had to fit her filming commitments around her own baby's feeding schedule.
'Claire was breastfeeding, her chaperones were constantly rushing off to bring bottles to supplement her, and the whole schedule was shot around her timing for the breast feeding,' says animal trainer Luke Cornell, who worked on scenes in South Africa. 'It was crazy.'
In the drama, which begins on Netflix this autumn, South Africa doubles as Kenya, where the young Princess Elizabeth was staying with Prince Philip when she learnt that her father had died.
Cornell adds: 'I used two of my cheetahs with Claire, about 25 metres from her, and she was really terrified, but I constantly assured her it's not dangerous.'
Revolting students snub Wills
Poor Prince William. Accused of being 'work-shy', he's told to go away by his ungrateful future subjects when he does venture out of his Norfolk idyll.
Wills is due to cut the ribbon on the 10.5 million library at Magdalen College, Oxford, next week and some students are revolting.
'Prince William has made it to his current position simply by being born to a certain father,' complains Magdalen undergraduate Ted Mair. 'This appears to me as exactly the kind of cultural elitism that Magdalen, as part of the University of Oxford, should be discouraging. As an institution trying to open its gates to students from as many walks of life as possible, this choice of guest seems like a step backwards.'
William's great, great uncle, Edward VIII, was at Magdalen, but perhaps it's best not to bring that up: he left after eight terms with no qualifications.
Now Lipman's show is halted by 999 drama
Does any West End show reach its finale these days? A day after Funny Girl was called off for 'technical reasons' as leading lady Sheridan Smith was slurring her words, a different production was cancelled at the interval.
My Mother Said I Never Should, starring Maureen Lipman, failed to go on after the interval at the St James Theatre because a middle-aged member of the audience fell down its steep stairs.
'The lady was in some distress and had to be laid out over three chairs,' says my man in the stalls. 'An ambulance had to be called.'
Lipman went on stage to apologise and offered free tickets for a later date. Cold comfort for her friend Sharon Gless, the Cagney & Lacey star, who was in the audience for Funny Girl the previous night.
Body beautiful Aidan Turner, who set pulses racing as Ross Poldark, also sent his own bank balance into a spin. The actor racked up earnings of almost 300,000 in the year to last February. Figures for his company, Achroi which means heart in his native Irish reveal assets of 287,000. After creditors are satisfied, it was left with healthy reserves of 200,000. His electrician father Pearse and mother Eileen are directors of the company, but he owns all 100 shares.
Truly, madly, eventually! Juliet weds, 23 years on
It'll never last. Truly, Madly, Deeply star Juliet Stevenson is poised to marry her 'partner' of 23 years but don't let her hear you saying that.
The 59-year-old actress, who has two children with her long-term companion, anthropologist Hugh Brody, 72, says: 'After all this time, we are thinking of getting married.
'We have been together for 23 years and I call him my husband because I hate the word 'partner'.
Truly, Madly, Deeply star Juliet Stevenson is poised to marry her 'partner' of 23 years, Hugh Brody (pictured)
'It doesn't feel right to use the same word for someone you are in business with and someone you are in bed with.'
She adds: 'I feel this is my person, I love him and vice versa, so if we got married then it would be to celebrate that. It would be to celebrate love.'
Juliet lost her good friend and Truly co-star Alan Rickman, who died in January aged 69.
She turned heads in a custom-made Prada frock at last year's Met Gala.
And Margot Robbie will no doubt dazzle in another dramatic ensemble as she is expected to attend the star-studded event again on Monday night.
The 25-year-old was spotted leaving a hotel in New York City with a bodyguard on Sunday night ahead of the upcoming red gala.
Scroll down for video
Margot in Manhattan: The Australian actress was spotted leaving a New York City hotel on Sunday night
She wore a navy silk shirt dress and kept her slender legs warm in black opaque tights and a pair of blue suede ankle boots to match her trendy attire.
The former Neighbours star wore her glossy blonde locks in a low ponytail with a middle part, while clutching her black leather handbag as she exited the building.
Silky smooth: Margot kept her figure hidden in a navy silk shirt dress as she left the building on Sunday night
Fashionable: The former Neighbours actress kept her shiny blonde tresses pulled back in a low ponytail and her makeup simple for the fitting
Margot smiled and chatted to her bodyguard, who was keeping the Australian stunner undercover with an umbrella, as they walked out onto the street.
The Wolf of Wall Street actress is expected to attend this year's Met Gala on Monday night, where fashion and movie stars collide at the biggest style event of the year.
But there's been no reports on what the stunner will wear, given the theme of this year is Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.
Bronzed babe: The Gold Coast-born beauty flaunted her glowy complexion as she headed out, accompanied by her bodyguard
The actress has recently been promoting her upcoming flick Suicide Squad, in which she plays fictional supervillain Harley Quinn.
Suicide Squad follows a group of supervillains imprisoned in an asylum who are offered clemency by a secret government agency in return for carrying out covert black ops.
Also starring in the movie are the likes of Will Smith, Care Delevingne and Jared Leto.
Margot is also set to appear in film Legend Of Tarzan alongside Alexander Skarsgard.
Former Victoria's Secret beauty Erin Heatherton showed off her stunning 6ft frame during a trip to Mexico this week.
The 27-year-old sported a mismatched bikini on a beach in Tulum as she enjoyed a day of leisure with girlfriends.
Erin displayed her slender physique in striped briefs and a red patterned bikini top as she sipped a drink while chatting with pals.
Bikini beauty: Erin Heatherton was spotted having fun with pals on a beach in Mexico on Saturday
Soaking up the sun: The 27-year-old former Victoria's Secret model sported a mismatched bikini which showed off her slender physique
The blonde beauty wore her curly locks up in a messy bun and donned tortoiseshell sunglasses,
After soaking up some sun the Illinois born beauty larked about with a pair of white Capri pants, pulling them on her head and dancing around.
The leggy star - who dated Leonardo DiCaprio in 2011 for about a year - also accessorized with a pair of headphones around her neck and a red tote bag as she wandered away from the beach with a girlfriend.
Giggles: Erin was in high spirits as she larked about with a white pair of Capri pants
That's a novel way to wear them! The star appeared to be putting the pants on her head
Erin parted ways with Victoria's Secret in 2013 and recently revealed she went through a lot of 'self-questioning' afterwards.
'My last two Victorias Secret shows, I was told I had to lose weight,' Erin told Time magazine.
'I look back like, "Really?"'
She said she succeeded in hitting her target weight in 2012 but the following year it just wouldn't happen.
Larking about: The model was certainly making herself laugh as she fooled around
Letting her hair down: The blonde beauty pranced around with the trousers on her head
After eating healthy and exercising twice a day, Erin said her body 'just wouldn't do it.'
'I was really depressed because I was working so hard and I felt like my body was resisting me,' she said.
'And I got to a point where one night I got home from a workout, and I remember staring at my food and thinking, "Maybe I should just not eat."'
'I realized I couldn't go out into the world - parading my body and myself in front of all these women who look up to me - and tell them that this is easy and simple and everyone can do this,
'I'm willing to sacrifice my pride, in a sense, and my privacy because I know that if I don't speak about it, I could be withholding information that would really help women.
Mismatched chic: Erin teamed striped briefs with a red patterned bikini top
Heading for shade: The Illinois born beauty packed up her red tote and headed off with her girlfriend
The 6ft stunner had her headphones wrapped around her neck as she wandered off
'It hurts too much to keep it in, and that's why Im not keeping it in now,' she said about why she decided to speak out.
Last month she posted an Instagram with an inspiring message for her fans - part of which read: 'The breakdown to breakthrough moment in my life has allowed me to become the truest version of myself. In my moment of failure, I stood in the face of adversity.
'I was struggling with my body image and the pressures to fulfill the demands of perfectionism upon me. I am not perfect. Through this struggle, however, I found the strength to love myself. I stood in my power. '
She's the party girl who recently admitted to joining the dating app Tinder.
And it appears Brynne Edelsten is enjoying single life as she is spotted clutching onto a very muscly male companion during a night out in Melbourne on Sunday.
The 33-year-old was pictured smiling seemingly obvlious to the fact her plunging pink top had slipped down to expose her polka-dot bra.
Scroll down for video
Busting out: Brynne Edelsten, 33, popped out of her pink top during a night in Melbourne with a mystery man
The blonde appeared a little worse for wear as she steadied herself with the aid of her male friend.
Brynne showed off her slim legs in a pair of black leather hot pants and gold strappy heels. She completed the look with some chunky gold arm jewellery.
Her mystery male friend meanwhile, accentuated his built torso with a figure-hugging white shirt, which he teamed with terracotta pants and tan boots.
Brynne didn't let go of her friend the whole time as they walked through the streets of Melbourne.
Who's the hunk? The socialite and her male companion kept close as they enjoyed a night on the town on Sunday
At one point, the pair sat down on a bench as the former Dancing with the Stars contestant rested her head on his shoulder.
The outing comes after Brynne revealed she was on Tinder, showing off her profile to photographers while partying in the city.
A representative for the blonde model confirmed it was indeed her account.
Single and ready to mingle: Brynne's representative confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the reality TV star is 'exploring her options' on Tinder
'Yes, that's Brynne's Tinder account,' the representative said, before adding: 'She's a single girl and like lots of single girls she's just exploring her options.'
The discovery of her online dating account came days after she opened up about her infamous marriage to medical entrepreneur Geoffrey Edelsten, telling Channel Seven's The Morning Show: 'I don't regret marrying him.'
The reality TV star added that she could understand why the public had branded her as a 'gold digger' at the time.
'I don't regret marrying him:' Last month, the model admitted she doesn't regret her marriage to Geoffrey Edelsten
'Obviously when you see someone - I was 25 and Geoff was 65 at the time - obviously you're gonna think 'gold digger' - who's not gonna think that?'
She continued: 'I just loved him. But he wasn't the right person for me and it didn't work out, but I don't regret marrying him.'
Brynne and Geoffrey tied the knot in 2009, but their marriage fell apart after five years, with the blonde claiming her ex-husband had a fling with other woman.
Putting herself out there: The blonde model has recently joined dating app Tinder in a bid to find love following her split from personal trainer Red Ra
Months following their very public split she moved on to personal trainer Red Ra. They too called time on their relationship after a short few months.
Brynne, who unveiled her new look earlier this year, has been spotted in Melbourne's social circuit more recently of late after having a drug possession charge quashed by police.
She had been due to face trial for alleged possession of an ecstasy tablet but had the charge dropped in Western Australia.
Fear The Walking Dead is well known for its blood and guts and terrifying action.
The latest episode on Sunday titled Blood In The Streets took an unexpected turn and revealed the tender gay love story behind much of the key action.
As a team of modern-day pirates took over the ship the Abigail, mysterious Victor Strand was seen trying to escape in a dinghy - only to be shot at, seemingly hit and also lost in the water as his boat deflated from after being shot.
In deep water: Victor Strand tried to flee the Abigail after pirates boarded his yacht but was shot at on Sunday's episode of Fear The Walking Dead
It sparked a series of flashbacks into how Strand got there - revealing an unexpected gay love story at the heart of his story and why he is so desperate to get to Mexico.
They showed him in a relationship with a wealthy businessman Thomas Abigail - clearly the Abigail the boat is named after - after initially trying to rip him off in his hometown of New Orleans because he was left bankrupt by Hurricane Katrina.
They were then shown in a paradise-like villa in Mexico - with Thomas explaining that life there was all they needed no matter what happens in the rest of the world.
Tender moment: Thomas Abigail and Victor gave each other a kiss goodbye
In the beginning: Victor was shown with Thomas as Hurricane Katrina left him bankrupt
Credit cards: Thomas was wasted as Victor took a bunch of his credit cards
Well never want for anything, Thomas told him, holding his hand as the lay together in the sun overlooking a stunning view.
This place makes me feel as if the rest of the world has fallen away and we dont need it, he added, unknowingly predicting the future.
The flashbacks ended with Thomas begging Strand not to go to Los Angeles for a business meeting for the pairs work buying land, telling him there was rioting all over the country.
New obligation: Thomas and his muscle Luis paid Victor a a visit after he stole the credit cards
Ill close quick and come right back. Ill be fine, Victor said, not knowing the nightmare that awaited.
The pair were then seen sharing an affectionate kiss, with Victor promising: Two days. Ill be back in two days.
The episode had started with young Nick swimming ashore secretly at night - naked and carrying his clothes in a plastic bag - and then killing a zombie he lured to an abandoned survivors camp full of tents.
Mexican villa: Victor and Thomas soon made up and were enjoying themselves at his Mexican villa
He was shown gagging as he tore open its belly to cover himself in its blood and guts - with the next zombie he saw walking straight pass him, not realizing he was one of the living.
Nick was seen holding a piece of paper with an address and finding himself in a gated, well-to-do street - finally meeting up with Luis Flores, a man seen in the flashbacks as working with Victors lover Thomas as his muscle and right-hand man.
It soon became clear that Strand had sent Nick to get Luis who was a key part of the plan to get to Mexico, but that the plan did not include the others.
On a mission: Nick was sent on a mission by Victor to retrieve Luis
I secured transit for two, Luis told Nick. I secured money for two. Adding seven more - its a problem.
OK, well Strand must have planned for us, Nick said optimistically.
As they made their way to the Abigail, Nick realized that there were armed strangers onboard - with Luis using a high-powered rifle to shoot dead two of them, with the others onboard quickly capturing the others.
Armed strangers: Luis and Nick used binoculars and spotted armed people on the Abigail
In the crosshairs: A high-powered rifle was used by Luis to take out two of the pirates
Strand sent me to get Luis, OK - hes going to help us get to Mexico, Nick told the others when they finally got onboard, understandably wary of the armed stranger he had brought with him.
I was getting Strand into Mexico, Luis corrected him, quickly warning the others when they said Strand was shot and missing in the water: We will not cross the border without him. Without Strand, we dont get into Mexico.
The episode ended with Strand being found in the water, getting lifted out injured but still alive by Madison.
Helping hand: Victor was rescued after fleeing the yacht
To the rescue: Madison helped pull Victor out of the water
As well as key insight into his motivation to get to Mexico, the flashbacks also gave major background into who Strand is as a person, telling Thomas when he first met him he was the son of a street mall preacher father and a mom who Im sure she lived a fruitful and fulfilling life. far from us.
He also told him how his real estate investments were all destroyed in Katrina, telling him: Everything I own is submerged and beyond salvage. Im bankrupt.
The ended their night of drinking with Strand taking Thomas to his hotel room - then stealing all his credit cards.
Flashback scenes: Thomas and Victor were shown getting to know each other
Thomas soon tracked him down - with Luis by his side - and confronted hm about taking out $36,000 in cash advances.
If youre not going to call the police in, I thank you. If you want a return on your investment, Ill oblige, Strand said, insisting when he was told he would have to pay it back: I intended to. With interest.
Before leaving, Thomas had warned him: I dont pardon you. I obligated you.
Candid conversation: Victor said he intended to pay Thomas back but he wasn't pardoned
The pirates who forced their way on to the Abigail had tricked their way onboard by pretending a heavily pregnant woman in their group was having complications and bleeding heavily.
Once there, Alicia soon realized they included Jack, the boy she had been talking to on the radio, giving him too much information about their whereabouts while doing so.
But they knew more than she had told them - including the names and faces of everyone onboard - and when their captain, Connor, finally arrived, he made it clear he was only interested in Travis and Alicia, taking them with him before Luis arrived for the shootout.
Pregnant lady: Madison helped an injured pregnant woman who turned out to be a pirate
Ruthless pirate: One of the pirates was quick to threaten people
Tough spot: Travis volunteered to start the yacht's engines without the keys
Knocked out: Madison was knocked out by the pregnant woman she was trying to help
Before leaving, Alicia had told Jack that she would happily go with him but only with my family.
I cant abandon them. Back at your base Ill contribute - Ill help. I can be with you if I know theyre safe. You have to protect my family, she said, hugging him when he finally untied her.
Fear The Walking Dead continues next week on AMC.
They'll no doubt have their outfits meticulously planned out for Monday night's Met Gala.
So Kylie Jenner - who is rumoured to be making her first appearance at the event this year - and sister Kendall kept it low-key on Sunday as they headed to Nobu restaurant in New York.
The reality star chose a layered look with a baggy beige coat over the top of casual black trousers and trainers.
Scroll down for video
Family meet-up: Kylie and Kendall Jenner headed to Nobu in New York on Sunday to meet with mom Kris and her boyfriend Corey Gamble
The 18-year-old sported her raven locks in loose curls and sported a full face of makeup.
Curiously the teen also carried a vintage style camera for the outing.
Kendall, 20, flashed her toned tummy in a white crop top and high waist jeans with black ankle boots.
She layered on a chic striped coat and donned some silver chokers to complete the look.
See Kylie Jenner updates as she and Kendall go to dinner in New York and meet with Kris
Dressed down: Kylie, 18, opted for a layered look with baggy camel hued coat, casual trousers and black trainers
Her brunette locks were swept up in a no-nonsense ponytail for the outing.
The siblings also met with mum Kris, 60 and her boyfriend Corey Gamble, 35.
The couple coordinated in all-black with the momager accentuating her legs in leggings and strappy heels with a chic coat.
Intriguing outfit: The teen wore a full face of makeup with her casual ensemble and also carried a vintage style camera
From day to night: Kendall wore the same outfit she wore during the day but switched her sneakers for black ankle boots
Kendall and Kris, along with Kim, 35, went to the Met Gala last year and this year it is thought that Kylie will be joining the trio.
No doubt the clan will have fun with this year's theme 'Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology'
Meanwhile Kendall was quite starstruck when she met President Obama at the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday night and shared a starry eyed Snapchat during the evening.
Going strong: Kris, 60 and her boyfriend Corey Gamble left the restaurant ahead of her two daughters
Coordinated couple: Kris and her 35-year-old beau opted for all-black ensembles
Back to reality: Kendall stepped out in a dreary looking New York earlier in the day after meeting with President Obama the night before at the White House Correspondents Dinner
'He was like, 'Say hi to Kim and Kanye,'' she told People afterwards. I was like, 'Okay.''
Obama even mentioned the reality star in his speech during the dinner.
'Kendall Jenner is also here. We had a chance to meet her backstage and she seems like a very nice young woman,' he said.
Casually clad: The 20-year-old model flashed her toned tummy in a white crop top and high-waist jeans
Low-key outing: The model covered up in a long striped coat and shaded her eyes with circular sunglasses
Watch out! Kendall accessorised with silver necklaces and kept her head down as she checked her messages
'Im not exactly sure what she does but I am told that my Twitter mentions are about to go through the roof.' he joked.
Kendall looked stunning on the night, wearing a black strapless dress and diamond choker.
Her beautiful Vivienne Westwood designer gown had a sweetheart neckline and a slit at the bottom.
Meanwhile season 12 of Keeping Up With The Kardashians premieres Sunday night.
Kendall seemed quite starstruck when she met the POTUS on Saturday night and shared a starry eyed Snapchat during the evening
Many of the issues here involve some continuity with problems that occurred during the violent conflict, 1988 to 1997. But there are also significant new developments.
Its hardly surprising that, in the aftermath of such a violent, bitter and divisive conflict, that many opposing factions and divisions exist in Bougainville, and that consequentially, there is still much mistrust.
In a real sense it is a post-conflict situation in that Bougainvilles violent, destructive, and deeply divisive nine year civil war ended almost 19 years ago, in mid-1997.
MANY of the Autonomous Bougainville Governments (ABG) leadership challenges are inherent in the general situation of Bougainville in 2016.
While the mainstream former Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) and Bougainville Resistance Force (BRF) elements that supported the peace process now largely work well together, at the local level there remain many unresolved divisions where reconciliation is still required.
While the BRA and the BRF no longer exist as armed militias, since about 2010 former combatant organisations have emerged as significant political voices in Bougainville.
To some extent this development reflects uncertainty for some former senior leaders about whether President Momis, elected in mid-2010, was too much a Papua New Guinean nationalist, and not sufficiently committed to the holding a referendum on independence for Bougainville.
While that concern has now reduced significantly, I think it contributed to a number of pressures that saw the former combatants become more politically active.
A complicating factor here is the various business and other economic interests of several key former combatant leaders. Some of them use their ex-combatant networks to advance such interests.
Of course, there are other sources of significant division and tension. They include several different Meekamui factions, none of which participated in the weapons disposal process under the Bougainville Peace Agreement and so remain in possession of numerous firearms.
Another source of tensions is a group led by former BRA leader, Sam Kauona, who has long had interest in establishing mining operations in association with dual Australian/Canadian citizen Lindsay Semple and who - whenever they fear their mining interests are not sufficiently guaranteed attacks the ABG as being under the control of Bougainville Copper Ltd and its 53% majority shareholder, Rio Tinto.
In general the ABG faces grave difficulties because of the weakness in administration and policy capacity in both Bougainvilles Public Service and Police Service.
It was one of the great tragedies of the Bougainville conflict that the remarkable capacity of the North Solomons Provincial Government administration, built up over the 15 years from 1974, was almost entirely destroyed. It could not simply be re-established after the conflict.
The very much weakened administration of the Bougainville Interim Provincial Government was taken over by the ABG in mid-2005. But during the conflict, management, planning and accountability mechanisms had been severely weakened.
While the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the Bougainville constitutional laws make a remarkably extensive range of functions and powers available to the ABG, there is a transfer process involved.
It involves the ABG initiating the transfer process by request to the PNG national government. Negotiation is then required to develop necessary transfer plans within a year.
The plans are required to take account of the need to build the necessary ABG capacity and provide it with the necessary financial resources to take over the functions and powers in question.
The transfer process for many functions and powers has become bogged down in problems, misunderstandings and inertia. In general theres been a failure to address ABG capacity and resources needs.
The much slower than anticipated progress in transfer of powers has resulted in frustration, and contributed to widespread criticism of the ABG for lack of performance, and failure to meet expectations.
If the ABG is to achieve real autonomy, or to have independence available as a real option in the future, achieving fiscal self-reliance is essential. But the challenges of achieving that goal - so strongly emphasised by the Bougainville Constitution - are immense.
It is the need to explore realistic means of achieving that goal that has been a major factor leading the ABG to consider the possibility of permitting strictly limited large-scale mining.
However, any such mining must be on a dramatically different basis from the grossly unfair conditions under which BCL operated the Panguna mine.
There are critics of ABG mining policy. The main ones are a few noisy outsiders. They include the NGO Jubilee Australia and close associates of Jubilee that post endless anonymous postings on the PNG Mine Watch and PNG Exposed blogs.
They refuse to in any way recognise the grave dilemmas facing the ABG. They have no understanding of the realities of Bougainville and the complex leadership challenges facing us.
Little more needs to be said here about the referendum, other than to emphasise that the ABG has heavy constitutional and political responsibilities in relation to referendum preparations. It is now increasingly likely to be held in 2019.
Following the conduct of the referendum, the ABG will need to shoulder even more significant responsibilities, in terms of negotiating with PNG on implementation of the outcome and managing the ensuing situation.
An unexpected challenge for the ABG has been the sometimes amazing extent of deeply misleading public commentary on Bougainville, the ABG, its mining policy, and related matters. This commentary began mainly in 2012 as the ABG moved to develop its own mining laws.
The main attacks have come from two sources. One involves small groups in Bougainville. The other is a closely linked external network. Their main message is that - in some way never explained and with no credible evidence ever provided - the ABG is under the control of, or part of a conspiracy with, Rio Tinto, BCL, Australia and PNG.
This conspiracy (or so they say) is intended to force the re-opening of the Panguna mine against the united opposition of the people of Bougainville.
The small group inside Bougainville involves a few foreign adventurers seeking control of mining resources. They do so by fostering links with Bougainville factions. The adventurers and their local supporters fear that ABG mining policy and legislation will limit their opportunities.
The external network centres on UK-based Australian academic activist, Kristian Lasslett. His network comprises his close associates, including: the NGO, Jubilee Australia; the two blogs run by the PNG-based Bismarck Ramu Group PNG Mine Watch and PNG Exposed; the Bougainville Freedom Movement; a group of criminologists supposedly studying state crime, calling itself the State Crime Initiative; and an Australian activist journalist, Anthony Loewenstein.
All network elements have their own ideological positions that they project onto Bougainville. They do so with virtually no understanding of, or interest in, what is really happening in Bougainville.
They do not need much in the way of evidence, mainly because they have no interest in understanding our complex reality. Rather, they pick and choose a bit of information here, an opinion expressed there, and twist what little they have to fit their own pre-conceived theoretical or ideological position.
The misinformation that they put out has very little impact in Bougainville. But the internal and external contributors are mutually reinforcing. The external network undoubtedly provides encouragement to the foreign adventurers and their associates in Bougainville.
The misleading commentary does also perhaps influence perceptions of Bougainville by uninformed observers outside Bougainville. So while not a major leadership challenge, it is certainly one that we would prefer to do without.
While undoubtedly the ABG faces many complex and difficult leadership challenges, we are facing them honestly. We constantly explore our best options for dealing with them. Although our resources are extremely limited, we work hard to change that situation, and to face our challenges head on.
I can say little more than that.
Full version of Mr Nisiras speech - Download 'Challenges facing the Bougainville Government' by Patrick Nisira
Patrick Nisira is vice-president of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. This article is extracted from a speech given late last week at the Australian National University in Canberra
With their blog titled A Bikini A Day, fans would expect nothing less than daily swimwear updates from Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman.
And on Sunday the two stunners certainly didn't disappoint, as they posed in matching sleek black bikinis at South Beach in Miami.
'Matching hair clips. Matching bikinis. @mondayswimwear #tashanddev,' read the caption next to a photo of the pair shared on 25-year-old Natasha's Instagram account.
Scroll down for video
Matching: On Sunday Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman stunned in sleek black bikinis on Instagram
In the image the busty beauties were seen resting on some beachside chairs, with their ample cleavage and toned stomachs on display for all to see.
Natasha's golden tresses were pulled back on this occasion, while Devin's caramel locks were worn half-up and half-down.
Another solo image of Natasha was uploaded to their swimwear line Monday Swimwear's Instagram page.
Reclining on a beach chair, the blonde beauty let her stunning figure do the talking.
Flaunting it: A Bikini A Day co-founder Natasha showed off her bikini body while sunbaking at South Beach in Miami
Her bikini top's neckline dipped in across the front, revealing her ample assets and tanlines.
Last week the girls were seen relatively more covered up, ditching the sunbaking for another task they had at hand.
The stunners decided to hit the road with UberEats, to distribute healthy lunch options to those who'd ordered from the SELF magazine editors' menu.
Sharing the good news to Instagram, Natasha and Devin uploaded photos of themselves standing next to a black four-wheel-drive with huge grins.
Covered up: Last week the girls were seen relatively more covered up, when distributing healthy lunch options
Doing what they do best! Natasha and Devin are the co-founders of the highly lucrative A Bikini A Day
The blonde beauty Natasha donned a pair of mid-rise blue jeans and a black cropped top which showed just a flash of her toned midriff.
She casually draped a burgundy leather jacket over her shoulders and pumped up her height with a pair of tan leather mules.
Her best friend and business partner Devin meanwhile opted for a pair of distressed boyfriend jeans with slashes across the thighs.
She put her assets on display in a plunging white shirt, which she'd tied up the front in a knot to crop it as well as rolling up the sleeves.
In the caption, Sydney-born Natasha wrote: 'Devin and I are going to be personally delivering food to anyone who orders healthy options from the Self Editors Ubereats menu!'
They're gearing up to attend the all important Met Gala on Monday night.
But Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and her fiance Jason Statham were enjoying a low-key date night ahead of the glamorous event, looking more loved-up than ever as they rocked matching tuxedo jackets.
The 29-year-old model went hand-in-hand with the Hollywood hardman as they stepped out in New York City on Sunday.
Scroll down for video
Style savvy: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and her fiance Jason Statham were rocking matching looks as they stepped out in New York City on Sunday
Rosie opted for her fail safe fashion look, slipping into a low-cut, lace-trimmed camisole and a pair of skinny leather trousers.
The British bombshell covered up in a cool jacket with a silk embellished lapels, adding a touch of glamour thanks to a satin clutch bag.
The M&S beauty completed her look with a pair of silver earrings and styled her blonde locks in loose waves.
Elegant as ever: Rosie opted for her fail safe fashion look, slipping into a low-cut, lace-trimmed camisole and a pair of skinny leather trousers
Jason, 48, was leading the way out of the pair's hotel, sporting a similar smart jacket and a crisp white shirt.
The Expendables star popped the question to his partner of five years in January with a $350,000 diamond ring.
The blonde stunner debuted her engagement ring on the red carpet at the 73rd annual Golden Globes earlier this year.
Glamorous: The British bombshell covered up in a cool jacket with a silk embellished lapels, adding a touch of glamour thanks to a satin clutch bag
Rosie's effortlessly chic ensemble gave a promising nod to Monday night's Met Gala, which will bring together the biggest names in fashion and the world's most stylish celebrities to help benefit the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute.
With this years theme announced as Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, Rosie spoke to Violet Grey about her intense preparations.
Explaining that her custom made dress 'has been hand transported back and forth from LA for fittings multiple times', she gushed: 'I cant wait to see it completely finished!'
She's worked hard on her figure after shedding more than three stone to drop down to a size 8.
And Vicky Pattison showcased the fruits of her labour as she shared behind-the-scenes snaps from a fitness shoot in Tenerife over the weekend.
Putting her cleavage on display in a lime green bikini, the former Geordie Shore star, 28, delighted her Instagram followers with the very sexy selfie.
Scroll down for video
A happy Bank Holiday indeed! Vicky Pattison put on a busty display as she treated her Instagram followers to a behind-the-scenes shot from her fitness shoot in Tenerife over the weekend
Modelling a bikini from her Ann Summers collection, Vicky captioned the shot simply '#SwimsuitSunday'.
The Ex On The Beach personality previously shared another snap as she frolicked in front of the camera on her work trip.
Vicky looked sensational as she topped up her tan in her skimpy neon green bikini, straddling a fun flamingo float.
The brunette teased a top-secret fitness campaign with a series of Instagram pictures capturing the sun-soaked pool day.
Hard day's work! The former Geordie Shore star, 28, previously shared a snap of her frolicking in a picturesque pool on an inflatable lilo
The picture, which was shared as a throwback snap, was captioned: '#SwimsuitSaturday... Already' missing tennaz with the squad.. But this picture makes me smile!
In another image from the same pool day, the fiery brunette sat with her back to the camera in a sexy, backless one-piece.
With a plate of fruit next to her, Vicky cut a lonely figure as she looked out at her stunning view.
Scenic views: In another image which seemed to be from a different swim session, the fiery brunette sat with her back to the camera in a sexy red one-piece, which showed off her toned back
Paying those bills: Vicky was in Spain to shoot a fitness campaign
The pool seemed to be on a balcony, overlooking the Spanish town where Vicky engaged in her photo-shoot.
Balancing out the jealousy-inducing snaps of her lounging poolside, the reality star shared a behind the scenes image of her on a shoot, being shaded by a palm tree.
Wearing a red sleeveless crop and a floral figure-hugging skirt, she looked the epitome of health as she posed up a storm.
The I'm A Celeb winner also honed her modelling skills earlier this week as her flaunted her fabulous figure for her latest fashion collection for online retailers, Honeyz.
THAT'S A WRAP!!!!: Vicky credited her glam squad for a fun few days in Tenerife, where she shot the campaign
She looked summer-ready in the outfits which ranged from tiny crop tops to glamorous maxi dresses.
Speaking about her collection, the TV personality said: 'Having my own fashion collection is just a dream come true.
'Everyone who knows me knows I am obsessed with fashion, whats hot, whats not, so to be involved from day one was incredible.
Summer chic: The former Geordie Shore star looked ready for summer for her latest fashion collection for online retailers, Honeyz
Style queen: Vicky Pattison proved she had earned her style crown as she showcased her designing prowess
She has also been putting on quite the sexy display whilst promoting the Ann Summers line.
The star, who strips down to seriously racy swimwear for the brand's latest campaign, has revealed that the sexy shots are the perfect f*** you to all the trolls who mocked her during her time on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline about the campaign, Vicky admitted: This was my f*** you to everyone who said anything negative about me.
Vicky, however managed to make it back in time from her Spanish trip to attend Ferne McCann's penultimate Gatsby performance at London's Union Theatre.
The Great Gang: Ferne McCann had the support of her reality star friends (L-R) Vicky Pattison, Danielle Armstrong, Ferne, Jess Wright) who attended the penultimate show of her musical Gatsby
It's the long-awaited tenth season of Australia's Next Top Model.
And as filming kicked off in Sydney on Saturday, Daily Mail Australia can now exclusively reveal some of the faces that will by vying for the title.
There seemed to be a strong trend of long locks among the contestants, with a Kendall Jenner lookalike and a statuesque brunette in fern-printed pants leading the pack.
Scroll down for video
First look! Daily Mail Australia can now exclusively reveal some of the faces that will by vying for the title
There was plenty of fierce attitude among the group, and despite being competitors they seemed to enjoy each other's company.
Showing her fashion flare, the model with the leaf-printed pants was particularly eye-catching, and as she strutted down the wharf she appeared to have already nailed the 'smize' - a term coined by the show's creator Tyra Banks which means smiling with your eyes.
She wore a simple black, long-sleeve top so as not to distract from her bold trousers, and she pumped up her height with a pair of platform heels.
It's a trend! Many of the girls displayed long luscious locks, though this could change come makeover week
Strutting their stuff: Filming for the show commenced on Saturday at The Rocks in Sydney
Taking direction: The contestants appeared relaxed and focussed as they listened to a member of the crew
There was also the striking Kendall Jenner lookalike, who donned a stylish, pinstripe dress by Australian label Shona Joy.
She too had long, raven locks, which she styled straight and donned a black fedora as a chic accessory.
Another contestant with a celebrity doppelganger was the girl in the pink, python printed dress, who bore a striking resemblance to Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Georgina in Gossip Girl.
Fresh faced: The girls appeared to be wearing very little makeup
Walking the walk: The winner of the series will be launched into the spotlight like so many of her predecessors
Another doppelganger: The contestant in the python skirt bore a striking resemblance to Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Georgina in Gossip Girl
Following in their footsteps: The girls will be launched into the spotlight like their predecessors, such as cycle three winner Alice Burdeau (L) and Montana Cox, who won cycle seven (R)
The winner of the series will be launched into the spotlight like so many of her predecessors including David Jones ambassador Montana Cox, who won cycle seven in 2011.
Montana has well and truly been the show's most successful winners, having walked for some of the world's most coveted fashion houses in fashion weeks around the world.
Alice Burdeu, who won the series' third cycle, has gone on to forge a hugely successful career internationally, having walked for Giorgio Armani, Louis Vuitton and Alexander McQueen.
Supermodel Megan Gale joins the cast as a permanent judge, joining host Jennifer Hawkins, Alex Perry, Cheyenne Tozzi and mentors Zac and Jordan Stenmark.
Together Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc played the most endearing best pals in TV history.
And the Friend stars were back together again on Saturday night in London as Matt went along to support his long-time friend and former co-star Matthew at his play The End Of Longing, at The Playhouse Theatre.
The actors looked incredibly dapper as they caught up at the weekend, while happily posing for pictures and no doubt invoking excitement in the millions of fans across the world who grew up loving them as Chandler Bing and Joey Tribbiani.
Scroll down for video
The bromance continues! Matt LeBlanc (left) visited Matthew Perry at his London-based play The End Of Longing at The Playhouse Theatre on Saturday night
However, it's fair to say the two comedy sitcom stalwarts now look a world away from their younger selves, the playful roommates whose bromance lives on today in TV repeats and box sets across the globe.
Star of the show Matthew, 46, kept it simple after his performance in a white shirt and black blazer, teamed with simple trousers and trainers.
The actor - who also wrote the play, his playwriting debut - sported a heavy mass of salt and pepper stubble and his hair was grown out, falling loosely over his forehead.
Could there BE a better TV duo? Matt played Joey Tribbiani while Matthew brought the jovial Chandler Bing to life on the hit US TV series, from 1994 to 2004
My, how they've changed: Matt and Matthew may have aged, but they still looked handsome as they posed backstage together after the show
And Matt, 48, cut a handsome figure in a blue and green tartan jacket with jeans and a crisp white shirt.
He went for a more clean-cut look, no doubt keeping himself neat and tidy as he continues work on his forthcoming stint as a presenter Top Gear, of which he is the new host along with Chris Evans.
After the performance, Matt happily shared his brief review of the theatrical performance, writing on Twitter: 'Went to support my pal last night @MatthewPerry in The End of Longing. Great performances by the whole cast.'
Matthew and Matt kicked off their Friends careers in 1994 as Chandler and Joey respectively, the best buddies who shared a special bond through thick and thin for a decade, until the hit sitcom ended in 2004.
Had a great time: New Top Gear host Matt, 48, tweeted his enjoyment of The End Of Longing for his fans
They endured silly spats, the adopting of a chick and a duck, moving across the hall to the girls' apartment after winning a game, Joey moving out briefly when his soap opera career kicked off and finally living apart as Chandler's romance with Monica grew.
And, while they have stayed in touch over the years since the show ended - as all of the Friends stars have (Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer) - Matthew recently admitted that he hadn't yet spoken to Matt about his new job on the BBC motoring programme.
During an appearance on Alan Carr's Chatty Man, Matthew said: 'It's a very exciting job for him because he loves cars. He must be thrilled.
'I haven't spoken to him since he booked the gig but he is going to be great.'
Wardrobe goals: Matthew (left) won the hearts of millions of fans across the globe as quick-witted, self-deprecating Chandler, while Matt (right) portrayed hungry ladies' man Joey flawlessly
But it seems the delightful UK-based duo have finally had that catch up, as Matt went down to the theatre to watch the show, which ends on May 14 after a two and a half month run.
The play has thus far had mixed reviews, with it coming under fire for a lack of character depth and a predictable storyline.
The End Of Longing's website says: 'Meet Jack, Stephanie, Joseph and Stevie: four lost souls, entering their forties and searching for meaning.
'After sharing one raucous night together in a downtown Los Angeles bar, their lives become irreversibly entwined in a rollercoaster journey that forces them to confront the darker sides of their relationships.
'A fast paced and bittersweet comic play, The End of Longing, will make you realise that broken people don't need to stay broken.'
London, baby! The Matts' reunion at the weekend no doubt harked back to this Series 4 episode, where the Friends travelled to London for Ross Geller and Emily's wedding
It's one of the most star-studded nights of the fashion calendar, with the great and good of the sartorial elite vying for the most dramatic outfit.
And James Corden was worlds away from his comic roots as he and wife Julia Carey attended Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's pre-Met Gala dinner in New York City on Sunday evening.
Enjoying a celebratory night out prior to the main event, the couple demonstrated their style savvy as they mingled with a rather chic crowd.
Scroll down for video
Stylish night out: James Corden was worlds away from his comic roots as he and wife Julia Carey attended Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's pre-Met Gala dinner in New York City on Sunday evening
Julia certainly dressed to impress for the occasion, looking the epitome of ladylike elegance in a sophisticated checked wool pencil dress in grey and baby pink.
The mother-of-two - who raises son Max, five, and daughter Carey, 19 months, with James - elongated her toned and tanned pins with a pair of towering nude patent stilettos and toted her belongings in a small black clutch bag.
The Late Late Show host James, 37, didn't let the side down sartorially and was suited and booted to perfection in a dapper navy two-piece.
Checking things out: Enjoying a celebratory night out prior to the main event, the couple demonstrated their style savvy as they mingled with a rather chic crowd
Teaming his midnight blue tailoring with a crisp white shirt and a slim raspberry-coloured tie, the television funnyman completed his dinner date look with a pair of chocolate brown leather boots.
The pair - who married in 2012 made the successful transatlantic shift in 2014 where James has rapidly expanded his circle of celebrity friends.
James and Julia were certainly in good company at the event, with pop princess Taylor Swift also pictured leaving Wintour's Manhattan home.
Effortless elegance: Julia certainly dressed to impress for the occasion, looking the epitome of ladylike elegance in a sophisticated checked wool pencil dress in grey and baby pink
The 2016 Met Gala is set to take place at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night, with a theme in place of Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.
As one of the most star-studded nights in the fashion calendar, the annual Met Gala attracts a wealth of big names from both sides of the Atlantic.
This year's event will see the likes of Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Karlie Kloss, Bella Hadid, Katy Perry and Selena Gomez in attendance, while Kylie Jenner, 18, is set to make her hotly-anticipated Met Gala debut.
Mingling with the style elite: The mother-of-two - who raises son Max, five, and daughter Carey, 19 months, with James - elongated her toned and tanned pins with a pair of towering nude patent stilettos
She has acted as a body double for both Cameron Diaz and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini.
And Chloe Goodman proved she certainly has the credentials for the job as she stripped down to just a bikini during a recent trip to Lanzarote.
The 22-year-old slipped into a simple yet effective turquoise bikini which enhanced both her bust and derriere to perfection due to its scanty shape.
Scroll down for video
Blue beauty: Chloe Goodman proved she certainly has the credentials for the job as she stripped down to just a bikini during a recent trip to Lanzarote
Chloe kept the shape of her two-piece simple to afford a better look at her phenomenal curves comprising of her pert bust and derriere.
The stunning star, who shot to fame on Ex On The Beach in 2014, utilised the halterneck detail on the top to boost her bust to perfection.
Her bottoms were relatively high-rise in the leg and extended into a thong-style back which did little to cover the majority of her posterior - no doubt intentionally.
Never far from a smattering of bling, Chloe slipped into a pair of bejewelled flip-flops which were black in body but diamond studded on the strap.
Feeling chesty: The 22-year-old slipped into a simple yet effective turquoise bikini which enhanced both her bust and derriere to perfection due to its scanty shape
Oops! Her bottoms were relatively high-rise in the leg and extended into a thong-style back which did little to cover the majority of her posterior - no doubt intentionally
Punctuating some detail into her simple ensemble, Chloe sported oversized mirrored sunglasses in an aviator style which shielded her make-up laden visage.
She scraped her hair into a high bun, which accentuated the red and brown hues of her lustrous tresses.
Ensuring she stays sun safe, Chloe paid special attention to every inch of her frame when intricately applying her suncream to her entire physique.
Despite the seemingly overcast weather, the Brighton-born beauty was not held back from flashing her figure in her tiny two-piece.
Poolside posing: Punctuating some detail into her simple ensemble, Chloe sported oversized mirrored sunglasses in an aviator style which shielded her make-up laden visage
Hello there! Chloe no doubt thrilled fellow sunworshippers as she flashed her perky posterior
Relaxation mode: Chloe puller her best pout as she soaked up the sun by the pool
Bending over: At one point Chloe contorted herself onto all fours to pose up a storm
Catching them rays: Ensuring she returned to UK soil with a deep tan, Chloe rotated regularly on the sun lounger
Sun cream time: Chloe lathered on the sun cream, proving herself to be sun safe while flashing the flesh
Catching an i(phone) full: Ensuring she was entertained by the pool, Chloe caught up on the news on her phone
In January, she hinted to fans that she was working on her shape when she posted a lingerie mirror selfie that simply said 'under construction'.
Chloe previously shed a stone in 10 weeks in preparation for 2015's Celebrity Big Brother, saying that she wanted to shake her 'jelly belly.'
There was certainly no sign of a belly as the brunette sat up on her knees at the poolside, showing off a mass of her curves for all to see.
The reality TV star recently took a stab at the new recruits for MTV's Ex On The Beach, making the observation that producers' 'standard of girls' had slipped since the first series, in which she starred.
She told The Daily Star: 'Since I filmed the show I've continued to watch each series and I've noticed the standard of girls has been dropping in terms of how they look and how they act.'
Incredible curves: The reality TV star recently took a stab at the new recruits for MTV's Ex On The Beach, making the observation that producers' 'standard of girls' had slipped since the first series, in which she starred
Showing what she's got: She told The Daily Star : 'Since I filmed the show I've continued to watch each series and I've noticed the standard of girls has been dropping in terms of how they look and how they act'
Wowsers! Chloe previously shed a stone in 10 weeks in preparation for 2015's Celebrity Big Brother, saying that she wanted to shake her 'jelly belly'
Despite being some of the biggest names in Hollywood, Naomi Watts and Liev Shreiber are able to maintain a typical family lifestyle
The doting 47-year-old mother and her partner, 48, took some time out of their busy schedules to take their sons Alexander, eight, and Samuel, seven, fishing in Malibu on Sunday.
Liev was seen to be showing their golden-haired boys how to cast a line as they enjoyed the low-key afternoon.
Family day out! Naomi Watts enjoyed an afternoon of fishing with her partner Liev Schreiber and their children Alexander, eight, and Samuel, seven, in Malibu on Sunday
The English-born Australian actress was dressed suitably casually for the outing in a pair of three-quarter length jeans with a striped T-shirt and Birkenstock sandals.
Meanwhile Liev donned a pair of camouflage cargo shorts, a black sweatshirt and also a pair of black Birkenstock sandals.
The outing comes a day after the 21 Grams star shared a sweet selfie with her family that she shared to Instagram.
Keeping it simple: The English-born Australian actress was dressed suitably casually for the outing in a pair of three-quarter length jeans
Lending a hand: Liev was seen to be showing their golden-haired boys how to cast a line as they enjoyed the low-key afternoon
'My tribe #family xxx, the actress simply captioned the snap.
The lovely picture saw the happy family look downwards into the camera lens, while enjoying the balmy outdoor climes.
Naomi and Liev were recently reunited after the Spotlight actor returned from a stint of filming Ray Donovan in Primm, Nevada.
Their bonding session also comes soon after the mother-of-two spoke openly about her 11-year relationship with her beau in the spring fashion forward issue of Los Angeles Confidential.
'My tribe': Naomi recently shared a cute snap with her family and shared it to Instagram
'Relationships are hard whether you're famous or not, she confessed. I don't know anyone who doesn't have to work on it. Being an actor doesn't change anything.'
'I'm sure it's the same if you're a doctor or a couple of lawyers, she added.
You have high-pressure jobs, lots of hours, stresses that come unexpectedly - and you have to figure out how to be present in the midst of it all.'
Naomi and her long-time love have starred in three films together, with the latest - The Bleeder - set to be released later this year.
Naomi and Liev also played in the 2006 drama The Painted Veil as well as Movie 43, an anthology comedy.
She's preparing to dazzle alongside the great and good of the sartorial elite at the 2016 Met Gala on Monday night.
But Bella Hadid ensured all eyes were well and truly on her as she attended Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's pre-Met Gala dinner at her Manhattan home on Sunday night.
The supermodel, 19, put her catwalk queen figure on full display as she emerged from the event, slipping into a slinky strapless silk midi-dress in metallic pink.
Scroll down for video
Bella of the ball: Bella Hadid ensured all eyes were well and truly on her as she attended Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's pre-Met Gala dinner at her Manhattan home on Sunday night
Featuring a daring split, the form-fitting garment highlighted the brunette beauty's slim physique to perfection as she enjoyed her night out on the town alongside a rather stylish crowd.
Bella wore her sleek dark locks scraped back from her face into her signature low ponytail, and accentuated her striking features with natural make-up.
The runway goddess - the younger sister of fellow supermodel Gigi Hadid, 21 - added height to her 5ft 7in frame with a pair of towering strappy sandals and toted her belongings in a delicate blush pink box bag.
Bella's look was worlds away from the grunge-inspired ensemble she favoured earlier in the day as she indulged in a designer shopping spree at Givenchy.
Model behaviour: The supermodel, 19, put her catwalk queen figure on full display as she emerged from the event, slipping into a slinky strapless silk midi-dress in metallic pink
Metallic magic: Featuring a daring split, the form-fitting garment highlighted the brunette beauty's slim physique to perfection as she enjoyed her night out on the town alongside a rather stylish crowd
Showcasing her envy-inducing washboard abs, the model teamed a loose-fitting white cropped sweater with charcoal ripped jeans and black leather sneakers as she enjoyed a spot of retail therapy.
Bella was in good company at Wintour's bash with pop princess Taylor Swift and The Late Late Show host James Corden also in attendance at the pre-Met Gala dinner.
As well as vying with the sartorial elite on the red carpet at Monday night's star-studded bash, Bella - who has been in a relationship with Canadian musician The Weeknd, 26, for over a year - will no doubt be looking forward to a reunion with her sister Gigi.
Bella was unable to attend Gigi's celebrity-packed 21st birthday party at West Hollywood hotspot, The Nice Guy, on Thursday evening, which saw the likes of Taylor Swift, Kendall Jenner, Khloe Kardashian and Gigi's pop heartthrob boyfriend Zayn Malik, 22, turn out to celebrate her big day.
Punk rock princess: Bella's look was worlds away from the grunge-inspired ensemble she favoured earlier in the day as she indulged in a designer shopping spree at Givenchy
Supermodel siblings: Bella - pictured with Gigi Hadid at a Stuart Weitzman event in New York City last month - will no doubt be looking forward to a reunion with her sister on Monday night
Although the rest of the Hadid family were in attendance at the birthday bash, Bella was busy with work commitments in New York City.
The brunette has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame over the past year, and recently landed her first Vogue cover for the Turkish edition of the fashion bible.
Bella couldn't wait to share her milestone moment on Instagram, posting the cover alongside a gushing thank you note to photographer Sebastian Faena, and stylist Konca Aykan.
'I can't believe it!!! My first VOGUE cover !!!Thank you @vogueturkiye and my wonderful @sebastianfaena & so talented @koncaaykan for creating such an amazing story with me,' she wrote.
Talented teen: The brunette has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame over the past year, and recently landed her first Vogue cover for the Turkish edition of the fashion bible
The 2016 Met Gala is set to take place at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night, with a theme in place of Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.
As one of the most star-studded nights in the fashion calendar, the annual Met Gala attracts a wealth of big names from both sides of the Atlantic.
This year's event will see the likes of Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Karlie Kloss, Katy Perry and Selena Gomez in attendance, while Kylie Jenner, 18, is set to make her hotly-anticipated Met Gala debut.
Star-studded: Bella was in good company at Wintour's bash with The Late Late Show host James Corden and his wife Julia Carey also in attendance at the pre-Met Gala dinner
He was meant to leave the judges of MasterChef Australia speechless with his roast chicken and chips with a mushroom medley dish.
But cooking hopeful Adam left George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan lost for words for the complete opposite reason.
During the hour episode on Monday night the South Australia was slammed by the professional cooks for using bottled vegetable stock.
Firing line: MasterChef hopeful Adam (pictured) was slammed by judges George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan on Monday night after using pre-packaged vegetable stock
Walking slowly towards the work bench, George commented: 'What is this? Gary...'
His co-star was quick to quiz Adam on his purpose of the pre-packaged product, saying 'What do we make stock from?'
'We make stock from chicken,' he bluntly replied.
Later on in the episode Adam revealed he regretted his decision to use the vegetable stock in his piece to camera.
Not impressed: Walking slowly towards the work bench, George (R) commented: 'What is this? Gary...' to which Gary (L) questioned Adam, saying 'What do we make stock from?'
Devastated: Later on in the episode Adam said: 'I'm absolutely kicking myself. Vegetable stock. What was I thinking? I can't serve this to the judges like this. There's an apron on the line. How the hell am I gonna fix this?'
'I'm absolutely kicking myself. Vegetable stock. What was I thinking? I can't serve this to the judges like this.' he said while holding back the tears.
'There's an apron on the line. How the hell am I gonna fix this?'
Adam went on to explain: 'I'm in trouble. The judges have picked me up for using vegetable stock, so I've got to fix this mushroom sauce and quickly, but I'm really not sure how.
'I'm racking my brains as to how I'm going to get some more flavour into that sauce and I realise that I've got chicken bones in front of me, so why wouldn't I put them into my sauce? Hopefully if I can caramelise them, they'll give me the punch that I need so that sauce really pops.'
Picking up his game: Despite the minor set back, Adam managed to save his dish from being ripped apart in the critique
Happier: After eating a spoonful of the gravy, George said 'It's tough because we come up there and basically took you to town and crucify you but you know, you've got to lift yourself up and cook a dish. And you did that'
Despite the minor set back, Adam managed to save his dish from being ripped apart in the critique.
After eating a spoonful of the gravy, George said 'It's tough because we come up there and basically took you to town and crucify you but you know, you've got to lift yourself up and cook a dish. And you did that!'
Matt Preston added: Big thumbs-up because you've nailed the chicken. There's some good elements on that and I'm really pleased for you. Well done.'
Adam was later presented with one of the four aprons, sending him through to the top 24.
MasterChef Australia airs on Network 10 on Sundays to Thursdays at 7.30pm.
It began a long time ago. In pre-independence times it developed mostly in places like the Gazelle Peninsula on New Britain and around the larger towns like Port Moresby, Lae and Mount Hagen.
Most of them are not only without land, they are also poverty stricken and deprived.
THERE is a largely invisible class of people that have been developing in Papua New Guinea for some time now the people without land.
Provinces like Simbu began experiencing land pressures before independence. There were simply too many Simbus for the available land. The land that was available was jealously guarded by clans who had no desire to make it available for use by traditional enemies.
On the Gazelle Peninsula, the burgeoning Tolai people were under stress and running out of land too. In their case, the cause was over population exacerbated by the vast areas of traditional land which had been taken up for plantations, most notably by the Catholic Church.
The Australian administrations response at the time was to resettle people in other districts (now provinces). To do this they bought surplus land in areas with low populations and set up resettlement schemes with plantations for products like oil palm and rubber. This is when the great highlands exodus began in earnest.
The drift to urban areas made many people landless when their former clan land was swallowed up to accommodate the needs of a growing town population. The biggest impact was in Port Moresby on the Motu and Koiari people, but by the 1990s immigrants to Mount Hagen and Lae had lost their land and had nowhere to go back to.
Resource development, especially mining, also made many people landless but the biggest impact by far has come from logging, particularly that carried out under Special Agricultural and Business Leases (SABLs).
In most cases, but especially with SABLs, the people losing their land receive little or no compensation. What they get is miserly and nowhere near enough for them to re-establish their lives elsewhere. In many cases there is no elsewhere anyway. And too often, unscrupulous wantoks make off with most of the proceeds.
Migration had emerged as a problem before independence. People saw the commerce and the bright lights of the towns and wanted to be part of it. When their dreams were not realised they stayed on in settlements just hoping things would get better.
The urban areas didnt get better, they got worse, but these people had children and those children had children and soon the link to the home villages and clans was broken permanently and they had nowhere to go. In their villages the land they might have inherited had gone to other people and they had been forgotten. As far as their home villages were concerned, they had ceased to exist.
If they werent there already, these deprived people - with no land, no prospects and no income - tended to drift to the fringes of the towns.
They still do, and in increasing numbers. On top of that they are reproducing at an alarming rate, very often outside marriage. Single women with dependent children are now a significant demographic in most towns. Increasingly, as traditional norms break down, it is the case in rural areas too.
The landless people of Papua New Guinea are a ticking time bomb.
Their options are severely limited. To get by, they often become involved in crime. Good people have become thieves simply to survive. And this is what they teach their children.
A few struggle above the pack, mostly by preying on their fellow citizens. They become big time criminals and join the elite as bona fide big men.
It is a strange irony that the poor steal from the poor; but it happens everywhere. The rich also steal from the poor in more sophisticated ways. Everyone steals from the poor.
The poor people steal, go hungry and resort to alcohol and drugs to dull their pain. The latter makes them even more prone to exploitation.
It is not a story unique to Papua New Guinea. It happens in most third world countries, especially Africa, and it happens in advanced western economies too.
The poor and landless are the people who will eventually rise up in revolution (if we take other revolutions as case studies, led by middle class dissidents).
They will reach a point where they have nothing to lose and, even if they fail, as is often the case, they will at least gain the satisfaction of destroying many of those people who have exploited them.
A sensible government would look after its poor and landless but where can you find a sensible government in these greedy times? The very term has become an oxymoron.
For Australia, which has its own problems of inequality, the time bomb is sitting on its doorstep, just 10 kilometres away at low tide. But for some reason the Australian government cant see it.
Neither can the Papua New Guinean government, and it sitting right on top.
Why are governments so stupid? Why do they persist in allowing the development of the things that will eventually develop the potential to destroy them?
She still floating on cloud nine after becoming Mrs Pete Evans.
And now the MKR judge's new wife Nicola Robinson Evans has taken to social media to show off the finer details of her stunning bohemian inspired gown.
Sharing a candid snap from their special day, Nicola has her back to the camera as she faces her paleo-loving chef, which shows the more intricate details of her kimono style dress, including flared sleeves, lace and patterned cut-outs.
Scroll down for video
Blushing bride: My Kitchen Rules judge Pete Evans new wife Nicola Robinson Evans has taken to social media to show off her stunning bohemian inspired wedding dress
The blushing bride also reveals that she was responsible for making her impressive flowing veil in the caption.
Nicole also shared a number of other special snaps from their romantic day including a snap of herself riding a horse while her whimsical gown draped across the back.
Pete and Nicola exchanged their vows in an intimate rustic farmhouse ceremony.
Whimsical: In a series of pictures uploaded to Instagram, the more intricate details of her kimono style dress are shown including flared sleeves, lace and patterned cut-outs
Talented: The blushing bride also revealed on social media that she was responsible for making her impressive flowing veil in the caption
Days after saying 'I do' My Kitchen Rules judge Pete Evans reiterated his love for second wife Nicola Robinson Evans, 39, with a tender message on Instagram.
The television personality penned a gushing tribute on Sunday, saying: 'Everyday is unique & special, but this particular day was a fairy tail! [sic].
'Thank you for creating such a wonderfully magic day to celebrate LOVE!'
Special day: Pete and Nicola exchanged their vows in an intimate rustic farmhouse ceremony.
Thank you for creating such a wonderfully magic day': My Kitchen Rules judge Pete Evans reiterated his love for second wife Nicola Robinson Evans, 39, with a tender message on Instagram last week
The couple married in front of Pete's two children Indii and Chilli and his three ladies were pictured on horseback riding through a paddock on their wedding day.
Last week, days after tying the knot, Peter proudly called Nicole, who dubs herself Nutritionmermaid on Instagram, his wife in a social media post.
And on Saturday, Nicola shared the picture alongside the words: 'We're not shy of a little dance in the rain... My Dragon & I! #onefoot #onelove #oneness'.
Galloping into happily ever after: Nicola Robinson Evans, 39, provided a glimpse at her dreamy nuptials with a photo of herself riding horseback through a paddock while clad in her wedding dress this week
Pete also shared the photo and captioned it simply with: 'Like the wind! #fearless'.
It comes after Nicola made her marriage Instagram official by changing her name to Nicola Robinson Evans on the photo-sharing platform.
Her handle nutritionmermaid remains the same.
Taking the next step: Nicola has changed her Instagram name to 'Nicola Robinson Evans' after tying the knot with THE My Kitchen Rules judge
Slight change: Her handle nutritionmermaid remains the same, though her name is now extended
In an article published in New Idea magazine earlier this week, Nicola opened up about her decision to change her surname after marrying 42-year-old celebrity chef Pete.
'I've always felt reluctant to change my name out of respect for my own family, but it's definitely time for me to honour Pete and share his last name,' she told the publication.
The couple also shared some details of their farmhouse wedding in New South Wales with the magazine.
Making the switch: She told New Idea magazine 'it's definitely time for me to honour Pete and share his last name'
The couple revealed the intimate affair was complete with 'butterfly bridesmaids, four-legged guests and Paleo cake'.
'We didn't write vows, we chose to do what we call "winging it",' Nicola revealed of the pair's nuptials.
'We shared our deepest hopes, dreams and promises from our hearts.'
The pair's nuptials come after the celebrity chef proposed last year while they were on holiday in New York.
Loved up: Pete met his second wife Nicola in Adelaide four years ago, and she has been a driving force behind his Paleo lifestyle
They met four years ago in Adelaide and she has been a driving force behind his Paleo lifestyle.
Nicola was previously married to millionaire Warriors rugby league club owner, Eric Watson, though they didn't have children together.
He's been busy filming World War II drama Allied since last month.
And Brad Pitt was back in action again last week as he got to work on the set of the romantic thriller in the Oxfordshire countryside.
The 52-year-old actor was joined by a host of extras, who took part in a line-up to determine who looked the most like the A-list star for some last minute double filming.
Scroll down for video
Back in action: Brad Pitt was hard at work filming upcoming war drama Allied in the Oxfordshire countryside last week
Brad looked dapper in his military uniform as he confidently strode onto the set, his smart coat billowing in the wind.
The Hollywood star was seen chatting to crew members as they discussed the finer details of the day's work.
Allied, set in 1942, is based on the true story about two assassins who fall in love during a war mission.
Making an entrance: Brad looked dapper in his military uniform as he confidently strode onto the set
Line up: The 52-year-old actor was joined by a host of extras, who took part in a line-up to determine which man looked the most like the A-list star for some last minute double filming
The previously untitled film sees Brad's character, Max Vatan, fall in love with French agent Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard) during a mission to kill a German ambassador holed up in Casablanca.
According to uinterview, 'the two ultimately marry and start a family but Max soon learns that Marianne is likely a Nazi spy'.
Brad also stars alongside Mean Girls actress Lizzy Caplan and Downton Abbey's Matthew Goode in the war drama.
Romance: Brad's character, Max Vatan, falls in love with French agent Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard) during a mission to kill a German ambassador holed up in Casablanca
True tale: Allied, set in 1942, is based on the true story about two assassins who fall in love during a war mission
Plot: According to uinterview , 'the two ultimately marry and start a family but Max soon learns that Marianne is likely a Nazi spy'
All-star cast: Brad also appears alongside Mean Girls actress Lizzy Caplan and Downton Abbey's Matthew Goode in the war drama
The film is directed Robert Zemeckis (Back To The Future) and is slated for release later this year on November 23.
While Brad looks set to be working in England for the foreseeable future, he won't have to make do without his family as they reportedly moved into an eight-bedroom, 14,700-per-month rental house in Surrey at the end of February.
The Oscar-nominated actor shares six children with his wife Angelina Jolie; Maddox, 14; Pax, 12, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, nine, and seven-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.
As reported by Us Weekly, The Jolie-Pitt's new family home is described as a 'beautiful, White House-style' home in the well-heeled county, an area popular with commuters to London.
In addition to eight-bedrooms, the spacious estate has an indoor pool and gym, and is close to the River Thames.
Making the move: Brad reportedly moved into an eight-bedroom, 14,700-per-month rental house in Surrey with his famous family at the end of February
Permanent base: Brad looks set to be working in England for the foreseeable future
She often treats her fans with a glimpse into her adorable daughter's world.
And Kim Kardashian proved that life really is a fairytale for her daughter as she posted a sweet snap of North dressed up in a princess costume.
In the snap taken while North was sat down on the floor, the two-year-old cutie was seen sporting a pretty purple dress and a white tiara.
Scroll down for video
Hot mum: Kim Kardashian proved that life really is a fairytale for her daughter as she posted a sweet snap of North dressed up in a princess costume
Precious: In the snap taken while North was sat down on the floor, the two-year-old cutie was seen sporting a pretty purple dress and a white tiara
With her hair left out in its natural curls, the famous tot could be seen playing with a cute white toy cat as Kim wrote: 'She sleeps in costumes'.
However, Kim's Snapchat story started on a far more racy note as she put on a very busty display in a skintight tank-top.
The 35-year-old reality star gae a typically eye-popping closeup view of her ample bosom in the short video clip.
See Kim Kardashian updates as she shares sweet snap of 'princess' daughter North
She's got some front! Kim's Snapchat story started on a far more racy note as she put on a very busty display in a skintight tank-top
Her best assets: The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star went with minimal makeup as to not draw any attention away from the main attraction
The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star modelled her sexiest power poses while filming from several angles, ensuring fans would not miss an inch of the revealing number.
She wore her chestnut locks down in relaxed waves and went with minimal makeup as to not draw any attention away from the main attraction.
Her rapper husband, Kanye West, 38, stood behind his wife of nearly two years with his head down as she proudly publicized her famous cleavage.
Showstopper! The reality star filmed from several angles, ensuring fans would not miss an inch of her ample cleavage
The couple recently arrived in New York City as they will be attending the star-studded Met Gala on Monday.
Not only will Kim and Kanye make an appearance at the ball but it's likely most of the Jenner/Kardashian clan will also make an appearance.
On Friday Vogue released a flashback video of Kim and her supermodel sister Kendall Jenner discussing their plans for the evening back in February during New York Fashion Week.
'I feel like we should all go together,' Kim said. 'Like, all wear the same designer and just have, like, our looks be like the family Christmas card.'
Supportive spouse: Kim's rapper husband, Kanye West, 38, stood behind his wife of nearly two years with his head down as she proudly publicized her famous cleavage
Adding: 'We can use our Met picture up the stairs as our family Christmas card since we never have time anymore to take photos.'
But if Kim's gown on Monday is anything like the one she wore at last year's gala, that holiday card might have to come with a warning label.
Barely protecting her modesty the mother-of-two pushed the boundaries in a sheer Roberto Cavalli by Peter Dundas gown.
Upcoming: Kim recently arrived in New York City as she's gearing up for the Met Gala on Monday night
It was her most daring dress yet as she flashed flesh and forwent underwear in the revealing lace number.
This year's theme of the ball - which is being held on Monday, May 2 - is 'Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.'
The Gala will be hosted by Taylor Swift, Anna Wintour, and cochairs Idris Elba and Jonathan Ive.
Flashing her flesh! Barely protecting her modesty the mother-of-two pushed the boundaries in a sheer Roberto Cavalli by Peter Dundas gown at the Met Gala in 2015
Daring to bare! It was Kim's most daring dress yet as she flashed flesh and forwent underwear in the revealing lace number
She first gave us a glimpse of her inner cowgirl in a revealing shot last week.
And now Imogen Anthony has gotten even cheekier as she shared another country and western-themed snap, this time flaunting her pert posterior in the same bottom-less chaps.
Taking to Instagram, the 25-year-old uploaded the seductive shot, showing off her derriere in a pair of black Brazilian-cut underpants and matching strapless bra while also donning the brown suede fringed chaps.
Scroll down for video
Cheeky! Imogen Anthony has taken to social media to share another seductive snaps of herself posing in bottom-less cowboy chaps
'Babes in California,' the pink-haired beauty captioned the picture before adding, 'Vintage fringed, leather chaps are everything. New blog post w/ outfit details coming soon to #IMMYTURE.'
Imogen also then added the hashtags #putyourbackintoit #giddyup #cowgirl.
Despite pulling on a somewhat demure display on social media lately, the girlfriend of radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands was up to her old tricks when she posted the first cheeky shot.
Not one to ever shy away from attention, the former Maxim model had no qualms flashing her bum cheeks in the brazen snap.
Revealing her inner cowgirl! The girlfriend of Kyle Sandilands first showed off her pert posterior in a pair of cowboy chaps in a racy snap last week
The aspiring fashion designer confidently posed as she writhed her slender frame into a sultry pose.
The controversial beauty accessorised her country and western-themed look with her bright pink cotton-candy hair and a small black choker.
'When yo girl as wild as the motherf****** west,' she wrote in the caption - no doubt directed at her beau Kyle.
She added the hashtags 'coming soon,' 'Immyture' and 'White Trash Royalty' - providing a subtle hint that the revealing pants may be soon be available for purchase under her fashion label, allowing her fans to easily emulate her signature style.
Something to share? The 25-year-old sparked speculation of a pregnancy on Friday when she posed naked and pushed her tummy out to look like a baby bump
Late last month Imogen fuelled speculation of a pregnancy as she posed side on, naked with an arm covering her breast and her stomach pushed out to look like a baby bump.
The outspoken model posted the image to her public Snapchat account, cryptically captioning it with 'Shh...' as she posed in the bathroom.
Imogen flashed some serious skin in the image, her modesty barely covered.
Her pastel coloured locks were wrapped up in a towel and she held another in front of herself while making sure to lean back and push her stomach out.
Her followers immediately began speculating that she was expecting, with one even commenting: 'I have a feeling Imogen is pregnant? Nice snap and congrats if it's true'
When contacted by Daily Mail Australia, Imogen's management denied that there was any news to announce.
Questionable: Her followers immediately began speculating that she was expecting, with one even commenting: 'I have a feeling Imogen is pregnant? Nice snap and congrats if it's true'
Cheeky: Following the post, the Maxim model took to Snapchat again, confessing to her followers that she was just bloated because it was 'that time of the month' after posting a picture of herself with a flat stomach less than a week earlier
Following her post, Imogen took to Snapchat again, confessing to her followers that she was just bloated because it was 'that time of the month'.
Throughout her recent trip to Los Angeles with her beau Kyle, the beauty has shared plenty of snaps of herself on social media, including a nearly naked photograph.
In the image she was seen placing the palms of her hands over her breasts and posing in a doorway wearing only a beige pair of knickers.
She stretched her back straight and glared out into the distance while displaying some serious underboob.
No news: When contacted by Daily Mail Australia, Imogen's management denied that there was any news to announce
They're both widely rumoured to be the next James Bond.
And Idris Elba and Tom Hiddleston proved there's certainly no rivalry between them as they enjoyed a pre-Met Ball dinner at VOGUE Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour's home in New York City on Sunday night.
The British actors appeared to be having a whale of a time on their boys' night out, emerging from the VIP gathering in fits of giggles.
Scroll down for video
Shaken, not stirred: Bond contenders Idris Elba and Tom Hiddleston enjoyed a pre-Met Ball dinner at VOGUE Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour's home in New York City on Sunday night
The handsome duo were both showcasing their sartorial expertise in stylish evening wear, and it seems they'd have no trouble playing part of the charming spy.
Idris opted for smart black chinos and matching polo neck, with a velvet blazer featuring silk lapels completing the look.
Tom donned an eye-catching burgundy suit with a baby blue shirt, wearing his hair slicked back.
The pair were in great spirits as they headed off into the night, ensuring they got some rest ahead of Monday's star-studded fashion gathering.
Jovial: The pair were in great spirits as they headed off into the night, ensuring they got some rest ahead of Monday's star-studded fashion gathering
Their outing comes as former James Bond star George Lazenby backed Idris Elba to be the next actor to play 007.
The Australian, who starred in the 1969 film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, said there would be 'a lot of people scratching their head' if a black actor was cast as the character, created by Ian Fleming, but he believed hiring Elba would be a 'good idea'.
When asked whether a black actor could play Bond, Lazenby, 76, told the Press Association: 'That's beyond me. I mean, why not? That's what I say.
Dapper duo: The handsome British actors were both showcasing their sartorial expertise in stylish suits, with Idris donning a velvet jacket and Tom opting for a burgundy suit
Big decision: Daniel Craig is widely rumoured to have turned down the opportunity to play 007 one more time
'But then on the other hand, you're going to have a lot of people scratching their head going "James Bond wasn't black".
Asked whether Elba would make a good James Bond, Lazenby replied: 'Why not? It would be a good idea.'
Daniel Craig is widely rumoured to have turned down the opportunity to play 007 one more time as new US television series Purity has meant he will be too busy to reprise the role.
Show of support: Their outing comes as former James Bond star George Lazenby, who starred in the 1969 film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, backed Idris to be the next actor to play 007
No doubt the decision will come as little surprise to Bond fans as Daniel claimed he'd rather slash his wrists than play James Bond again, after playing the secret agent for a decade.
Both Tom and Idris have shut down rumours they would be taking over from Craig in the past, with Tom once again dismissing the claims over the weekend.
Speaking at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, he said: 'The thing is the position is not vacant," he said. "So, I don't know that I can answer that question until it is.'
She was crowned the winner of Australia's Next Top Model in 2011 and is by far the most successful graduate of the reality series thus far.
And Montana Cox will now offer her years of expertise to this year's batch of modelling hopefulls as a guest mentor.
Speaking with The Daily Telegraph in an interview published on Tuesday, the 22-year-old said she feels 'nervous' about being on the other side of the table.
'It's scary being on the other side, judging them': Montana Cox said she feels 'nervous' about taking on the role of mentor for this year's batch of contestants
'It's kind of scary now I'm on the other side, judging them,' she said.
'But at least I know what they are going through, so I can help them out in that way.'
Now based in New York, Montana has well and truly been the show's most successful winners, having walked for some of the world's most coveted fashion houses.
'I know what they are going through': The 22-year-old was crowned winner of the show's seventh cycle in 2011
International success! The brunette beauty has walked for some of the most coveted fashion houses in the world
But her beginnings on the international fashion week circuit didn't start off smoothly.
She was lucky enough to score the near-impossible opportunity to walk in a casting for Gucci, only to trip in front of everyone.
'My bad experiences have always got to do with an unaware perception of my limbs, more than anything else,' she told blog All My Friends Are Models.
'I'm incredibly goofy!' Montana's international career didn't get off to the smoothest start, having tripped and fallen in front of casting agents at Gucci
'I'm incredibly goofy!'
Montana will join twin models Zac and Jordan Stenmark on the show as mentors on the show's tenth cycle.
Jennifer Hawkins will return as host, alongside judges Alex Perry and Megan Gale, who is now a permanent fixture on the panel.
She's a busy mother-of-three with a superhero hunk for a husband.
But Elsa Pataky has taken time out to spend quality time with her two-year-old twins Tristan and Sasha as she dedicated a loving snap to all mothers on Spanish Mother's Day.
Taking to Instagram the 39-year-old shared a picturesque shot of the trio on the beach which shows a silhouette of the stunning actress lifting one of her sons up above her head while the other plays by her feet in the sand.
Scroll down for video
A mother's love: Elsa Pataky has taken to social media to celebrate Spanish Mother's Day on May 1 with a picturesque shot of her enjoying a beach day with her two-year-old twin sons
Elsa first captions the picture in her native Spanish tongue before adding the English translation writing, 'Mother love, makes possible the impossible! , congrats to all the Spanish mums!!'
While Australians will give love to their mother's this weekend on May 8, Spain celebrates the day on May 1.
Chris and Elsa also have a three-year-old daughter India.
The Fast and The Furious star isn't shy to show off her gorgeous children regularly sharing adorable pictures to social media.
Loved up: Elsa and husband Chris Hemsworth (R) have three children together, three-year-old India and twin sons Sasha and Tristan
In late March Elsa posted a birthday tribute to her twin boys as they celebrated their second birthday with their handsome father.
As the twins hold on tight while giving their movie star father a massive hug, Chris reciprocates, wrapping his muscular arms around his blond boys who have their backs to the camera.
The loved-up parents wed at the end of 2010 and welcomed their daughter two years later.
Birthday celebrations! In late March the 39-year-old actress posted a birthday tribute to her twin boys as they celebrated their second birthday with their handsome father
Young family: The Fast and The Furious star isn't shy to show off her gorgeous children regularly sharing adorable pictures to social media
Earlier this week, Chris, who relocated his young family from LA to Byron Bay on the New South Wales north coast last year, spoke to TV Week about the love he has for his wife of six years.
'Each week I find something different, more I love about her,' he told the publication.
'It continues to grow, which is a great thing.
'It just made sense to both of us. There was an ease to it neither of us had had before,' he concluded.
The family are regularly seen enjoying the relaxed beach lifestyle in Byron Bay and were this week seen with Chris' younger brother Liam and his rumoured fiancee Miley Cyrus.
Big daddy! Earlier this week, Chris, who relocated his young family from LA to Byron Bay on the New South Wales north coast last year, spoke to TV Week about the love he has for his wife of six years
'Each week I find something different, more I love about her':The pair began dating at the start of 2010 before tying the knot over the Christmas holiday the same year
Supermodels eat carbs, apparently.
At least Cindy Crawford does. The leggy Vogue model posted a photo on Instagram on Sunday revealing a poolside lunch of pasta and a bowl of bread.
The 50-year-old beauty may eat Italian food but she looks none the worse for the wear.
Poolside carbs: Cindy Crawford, 50, posted a photo on Instagram on Sunday revealing a pasta lunch with a bowl of bread
Cindy captioned the Sunday Funday post with 'Lunch by the pool' and a sun emoji.
The backdrop featured a nearby pool, large wood lounge chairs with plush white cushions, and the ocean in the distance.
The blue tabletop was set for eight.
Spaghetti noodles filled a large white bowl which was joined by a bread basket.
While meatballs covered in tomato sauce were featured in the center on a large platter.
Model physique: The mother-of-two flaunted the starchy poolside meal a month after she shared this snap on Instagram which showcased her flawless swimsuit body
A mixed greens salad plate and water glasses filled to the brim were also present.
The sunny photo op appeared to be a perfect day for al-fresco dining.
The carbs, however, don't seem to affect Cindy's famous model physique.
Proud husband: Cindy's husband, Rande Gerber, 54, has shared many bikini-clad shots of his supermodel wife on social media. Rande posted this picture to Instagram 9 months ago
She flaunted the starchy poolside meal a month after she shared a snap showcasing her flawless swimsuit body.
The mother-of-two re-grammed the shot from husband, Rande Gerber, 54, and she garnered nearly 37,000 likes.
In the Instagram Cindy rocks a black string bikini which showed off her flat hard abs.
Bare-faced and beautiful: Rande shared this close-up shot of his wife seven months ago with the caption, 'Who needs hair and make-up when you look like this after jumping in the ocean'
The supermodel's long brunette locks blew in the wind as she gazed off in the distance with a pair of dark shades over her eyes.
Cindy's proud husband has shared many bikini-clad shots of his supermodel wife on social media.
One close-up shot taken seven months ago revealed that famous mole and a bare-faced Cindy with wet tresses.
Rande captioned the stunner: 'Who needs hair and make-up when you look like this after jumping in the ocean.'
And in February 2015 for Valentine's Day Rande shared an Instagram of his bikini-clad wife that went viral.
They share a history on BBC One time travelling drama, Doctor Who.
And for actors Billie Piper and Matt Smith, it was just like old times again this week, when they were pictured hanging out in Soho, London.
Billie, who confirmed her split from husband Lawrence Fox two months ago, seemed to be turning to an old friend as they duo reunited in the British capital.
Scroll down for video
Reunited: Former Doctor Who stars Billie Piper and Matt Smith were spotted hanging out in Soho, London this week
Newly-single Billie cut a very casual figure in an oversized striped hoodie, which she paired with skinny jeans and ankle boots.
She was puffing on a cigarette through scarlet lips while Matt talked away on his mobile phone during their meeting.
The actor formerly known best as The Doctor was more sharp in a long navy coat and a dark jumper.
Matt was evidently relaxed in his former co-star's company; even wearing his hand in his trousers while consumed with his phonecall.
Making up for lost time: The old friends both previously worked on Doctor Who in the Noughties
Catching up: The daytime date meant that the duo had old ground to cover
Casual outing: Both in jeans, Billie and Matt were very casual for their daytime meet up
Having managed to go unnoticed on the streets of London, the acting duo later hopped into a taxi that afternoon.
TV heartthrob Matt has found his home in the States more recently, filming new projects, but on British TV he played the eleventh Doctor, preceding Peter Capaldi, between 2010 and 2013.
Secret Diary Of A Call Girl's Billie starred as one of the primary companions of the ninth and tenth Doctors, playing Rose Tyler after the 2006 revival,
While Matt and Billie never starred in Doctor Who together, they certainly seem to share a lot of history.
Walking and talking: Matt was consumed with a phone call during his time out with Billie
Busy bee: He seemed to be busy making plans as he chatted away with a mobile in hand
Matt and Billie previously shared a date in 2006, which was kept a secret until 2010 when pictures of the pair holding hands at a Surrey fete emerged.
Pride And Prejudice And Zombies star Matt - whose exes include Daisy Lowe and Brazilian actress Mayana Moura - has now been in a relationship with Cinderella actress Lily James since 2014.
Meanwhile Billie found love with now-husband Laurence the year after the secret date, in 2007, and they have two sons together.
Chris Evans' ex Billie and musician-cum-actor Laurence announced their separation after eight years of marriage at the end of March.
Going unnoticed: They seemed to go largely unnoticed in London's busy streets
Pacing about: They hung out in London, after Matt has more recently been spending time Stateside
Moving on: They hopped into a car to get around London that afternoon
No public transport please: The acting duo previously shared a secret date in 2006
Never co-stars: They were never co-stars, because Billie starred in Doctor Who in 2005
He's no stranger to dating having had his first girlfriend when he was just 13.
Michael Jackson's son Prince Jackson was spotted out for lunch with a female friend in Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles, on Sunday.
The 19-year-old and the mystery brunette cuddled up for a big hug before going their separate ways.
Big hugs: Michael Jackson's son Prince Jackson cuddled up with his gal pal after lunch in Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles, on Sunday
The couple looked quite close during their meal, laughing and chatting as they ate.
Prince was casually dressed like any teen lad in a dark blue T-shirt with a graphic image on the front, black cargo trousers and black boots.
He covered his dark hair with a khaki cap with an American flag on the front, shading his eyes from the bright sun that glinted off the gold pendant he wore on a long gold chain around his neck.
Prince also sported a small, neatly trimmed beard on his chin.
His friend showed off her shapely legs in skin tight yoga pants which she teamed with a plum-coloured sweatshirt and white sneakers.
Al fresco: The 19-year-old and his friend opted to eat outside on the beautiful day and she checked her phone as they laughed and chatted in the sunshine
Sunday fun-day: The couple obviously had a good time as they couldn't wipe the smiles off their faces
Her long hair cascaded down her back and she flicked it away from her face as they strolled.
Prince first started dating his school sweetheart Niki Berger in 2010 when he was just 13, after meeting at Buckley High School in Sherman Oaks, California.
They broke up a year later but reunited in 2012 and stayed together for another year, splitting when he was 16, according to RadarOnline.
Casual date: The brunette showed off her shapely legs in yoga leggings teamed with a plum sweatshirt and white sneakers while Prince opted for a blue T-shirt, black cargo trousers and black shoes
He then dated another classmate, Nikita Bess, for 11 months before they split in December 2014.
The oldest son of the late King of Pop has been seen out with a few other girls since then.
Meanwhile, June 25 will mark the seven-year anniversary of his father's death.
Michael passed away in 2009 at the age of 50, leaving Prince and his siblings sister Paris, 18, and 14-year-old brother Prince Michael, aka Blanket.
Extrasolar planet ESO
Astronomers using the TRAPPIST telescope at ESOs La Silla Observatory have discovered three planets orbiting an ultracool dwarf star just 40 light-years from Earth.
These worlds have sizes and temperatures similar to those of Venus and Earth and are the best targets found so far for the search for life outside the Solar System. They are the first planets ever discovered around such a tiny and dim star. The new results will be published in the journal Nature on 2 May 2016.
A team of astronomers led by Michael Gillon, of the Institut dAstrophysique et Geophysique at the University of Liege in Belgium, have used the Belgian TRAPPIST telescope [1] to observe the star 2MASS J23062928-0502285, now also known as TRAPPIST-1. They found that this dim and cool star faded slightly at regular intervals, indicating that several objects were passing between the star and the Earth [2]. Detailed analysis showed that three planets with similar sizes to the Earth were present.
TRAPPIST-1 is an ultracool dwarf star it is much cooler and redder than the Sun and barely larger than Jupiter. Such stars are both very common in the Milky Way and very long-lived, but this is the first time that planets have been found around one of them. Despite being so close to the Earth, this star is too dim and too red to be seen with the naked eye or even visually with a large amateur telescope. It lies in the constellation of Aquarius (The Water Carrier).
Emmanuel Jehin, a co-author of the new study, is excited: This really is a paradigm shift with regards to the planet population and the path towards finding life in the Universe. So far, the existence of such red worlds orbiting ultra-cool dwarf stars was purely theoretical, but now we have not just one lonely planet around such a faint red star but a complete system of three planets!
Michael Gillon, lead author of the paper presenting the discovery, explains the significance of the new findings: Why are we trying to detect Earth-like planets around the smallest and coolest stars in the solar neighbourhood? The reason is simple: systems around these tiny stars are the only places where we can detect life on an Earth-sized exoplanet with our current technology. So if we want to find life elsewhere in the Universe, this is where we should start to look.
Astronomers will search for signs of life by studying the effect that the atmosphere of a transiting planet has on the light reaching Earth. For Earth-sized planets orbiting most stars this tiny effect is swamped by the brilliance of the starlight. Only for the case of faint red ultra-cool dwarf stars like TRAPPIST-1 is this effect big enough to be detected.
Follow-up observations with larger telescopes, including the HAWK-I instrument on ESOs 8-metre Very Large Telescope in Chile, have shown that the planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1 have sizes very similar to that of Earth. Two of the planets have orbital periods of about 1.5 days and 2.4 days respectively, and the third planet has a less well determined period in the range 4.5 to 73 days.
With such short orbital periods, the planets are between 20 and 100 times closer to their star than the Earth to the Sun. The structure of this planetary system is much more similar in scale to the system of Jupiters moons than to that of the Solar System, explains Michael Gillon.
Although they orbit very close to their host dwarf star, the inner two planets only receive four times and twice, respectively, the amount of radiation received by the Earth, because their star is much fainter than the Sun. That puts them closer to the star than the habitable zone for this system, although it is still possible that they possess habitable regions on their surfaces. The third, outer, planets orbit is not yet well known, but it probably receives less radiation than the Earth does, but maybe still enough to lie within the habitable zone.
Thanks to several giant telescopes currently under construction, including ESOs E-ELT and the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope due to launch for 2018, we will soon be able to study the atmospheric composition of these planets and to explore them first for water, then for traces of biological activity. Thats a giant step in the search for life in the Universe, concludes Julien de Wit, a co-author from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA.
This work opens up a new direction for exoplanet hunting, as around 15% of the stars near to the Sun are ultra-cool dwarf stars, and it also serves to highlight that the search for exoplanets has now entered the realm of potentially habitable cousins of the Earth. The TRAPPIST survey is a prototype for a more ambitious project called SPECULOOS that will be installed at ESOs Paranal Observatory [3].
Notes
[1] TRAPPIST (the TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope) is a Belgian robotic 0.6-metre telescope operated from the University of Liege and based at ESOs La Silla Observatory in Chile. It spends much of its time monitoring the light from around 60 of the nearest ultracool dwarf stars and brown dwarfs (stars which are not quite massive enough to initiate sustained nuclear fusion in their cores), looking for evidence of planetary transits.The target in this case, TRAPPIST-1, is an ultracool dwarf, with about 0.05% of the Suns luminosity and a mass of about 8% that of the Sun.
[2] This is one of the main methods that astronomers use to identify the presence of a planet around a star. They look at the light coming from the star, to see if some of the light is blocked as the planet passes in front of its host star on the line of sight to Earth transits the star, as astronomers say. As the planet orbits around its star, we expect to see regular small dips in the light coming from the star as the planet moves in front of it.
[3] SPECULOOS is mostly funded by the European Research Council and led also by the University of Liege. Four 1-metre robotic telescopes will be installed at the Paranal Observatory to search for habitable planets around 500 ultra-cool stars over the next five years.
More information
This research was presented in a paper entitled Temperate Earth-sized planets transiting a nearby ultracool dwarf star, by M. Gillon et al., to appear in the journal Nature.
The team is composed of: M. Gillon (Institut dAstrophysique et Geophysique, Universite de Liege, Belgium), E. Jehin (Institut dAstrophysique et Geophysique, Universite de Liege, Belgium), S. M. Lederer (NASA Johnson Space Center, USA), L. Delrez (Institut dAstrophysique et Geophysique, Universite de Liege, Belgium), J. de Wit (Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA), A. Burdanov (Institut dAstrophysique et Geophysique, Universite de Liege, Belgium), V. Van Grootel (Institut dAstrophysique et Geophysique, Universite de Liege, Belgium), A. J. Burgasser (Center for Astrophysics and Space Science, University of California, San Diego, USA and Infrared Telescope Facility, operated by the University of Hawaii), C. Opitom (Institut dAstrophysique et Geophysique, Universite de Liege, Belgium), A. H. M. J. Triaud (Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, UK), B-O. Demory (Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, UK), D.K. Sahu (Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, India), D. B. Gagliuffi (Center for Astrophysics and Space Science, University of California, San Diego, USA and Infrared Telescope Facility, operated by the University of Hawaii), P. Magain (Institut dAstrophysique et Geophysique, Universite de Liege, Belgium) and D. Queloz (Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, UK).
Khloe Kardashian has always been very up front about her personal struggles on Keeping Up With The Kardashians - from her split with Lamar Odom to her struggles with her weight.
And on Monday she was her most frank yet when talking about life pre-fame in a touching post to her website khloewithak.com.
The 31-year-old beauty offered an impressively honest account of her high school years where she felt she was not as popular as older sisters Kim and Kourtney, and had a difficult time getting good grades.
See Khloe Kardashian updates as she gives honest account of her high school years
Her painful past: Khloe Kardashian shared on her website on Monday that she struggled during her high school years; here she is seen in the early 1990s
She has triumphed: The E! queen, now 31-years-old, looks better than ever and is the most liked Kardashian; here she is pictured on Thursday at The Nice Guy in West Hollywood
The post was titled: XOXO: All About My Education.
'My education didn't follow a traditional trajectory, but I'm thankful for my parents who listened and supported me when I was having trouble. I know you've been curious about this (it's one of the top questions Googled about me, apparently), so here are the ABCs of my education!' she wrote.
The star revealed she dropped out of her first high school.
Too cute! The siren, seen here with her mother's father, said: 'My education didn't follow a traditional trajectory, but I'm thankful for my parents who listened and supported me when I was having trouble'
Her family: 'I went to Marymount in ninth grade, while Kourt and Kim were there, but after they left, I felt like I had no one to be with,' she said; here she is seen in 1995
'I went to Marymount in ninth grade, while Kourt and Kim were there, but after they left, I felt like I had no one to be with,' she said.
'I struggled really hard in school, so I took myself out of Marymount and forged my parents' names to enroll in Alexandria Academy. My dad was livid when he found out, and I was so scared, I was shaking.
'He told me, "I'm so pissed, but the fact that you put so much effort into all of this ... I'm going to let you do this. But you have to keep a certain GPA."
A new life: 'I struggled really hard in school, so I took myself out of Marymount and forged my parents' names to enroll in Alexandria Academy. My dad was livid when he found out, and I was so scared, I was shaking,' she wrote
Suddenly a siren: The reality diva looked like a svelte supermodel next to a much shorter Kim in 2006 when Khloe was 21-years-old
The Strong Looks Better Naked author continued: 'Alexandria Academy is not at-home, you go to a school, and there are tutors that give you individual attention. I needed that. I really did not know one person there. I knew college wasn't for me, and I graduated from Alexandria with honorswhich I never would've done in a traditional school.'
Though school got easier, it was hard being in the shadow of Kim and Kourtney.
'While I loved having my built-in group with Kim and Kourtney, it was hard for me at times,' she confessed.
Two years later: Khloe is full reality TV mode with Kim and Kourtney in 2008; here she is 23-years-old
Gaining momentum: In season two Khloe really started to blossom; she has said she was not popular in his school like her sisters
'They may have already graduated when I got to school, but I remember that teachers would always exclaim, "You're THEIR sister?" I didn't have my own identity and was compared to them. Kim and Kourtney were so popular.'
Khloe went her own path.
'I didn't care about being popular in school, and was nice to everyone. If you were a loner I was like, "Come and sit with me!"' she said.
Siren: These days the star looks the best in the family thanks to steady workouts and cutting down on sugar
Turns out school was hard for her because she had some roadblocks.
'I really loved to write, so English class was my favorite, but there was one teacher who had it out for me and almost crushed my love of writing.
'This teacher would consistently give me C's or D's on my papers.
'I wanted to know what I was doing wrong because I cared about my writing, but she wouldn't help me or give me constructive criticism.
'My dad read my papers and felt the grades weren't justified so, as a test, he wrote one of my papers and I turned it in. The teacher still gave me a D!'
She added: 'My dad pulled me out of the class. I also loved theologyI think religions and how it intersects with culture and history is fascinating. I love learning, but don't give me a test, LOL! I didn't get A's and B's, but I enjoyed that stuff.'
Blac Chyna had the safe in her Tarzana, California, mansion broken into over the weekend.
The thief made off with a whopping $200,000 as well as several pieces of jewelry, according to a Monday report from TMZ. It was her fiance Rob Kardashian who noticed the money and gems were missing and called police.
On Tuesday the site added that the beauty believes it was a 'close friend' who committed the crime and now she is trying to track down the person by looking over security footage.
She'll get the person: Blac Chyna is trying to track down the 'friend' who stole $200,000 and jewelry from her Tarzana home over the weekend, according to TMZ; here she is seen in April; that's fiance Rob Kardashian behind her
The site also alleged that Blac is certain the criminal is a person who is now 'jealous' of her new life.
The star has given up alcohol and cigarettes since she started dating Rob Kardashian.
And she also has been living much better with more fame - Kim Kardashian is a pal again - and that $325,000 diamond ring from the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star.
Home invasion: Chyna seen in March with fiance Rob
Splashy: The looker lives inside the Silver Hawk Ridge community of Tarzana
'Signs point to the culprit being someone close to her and Rob,' said a source.
There was 'no obvious signs of entry,' law enforcement sources told TMZ, and the safe wasn't 'busted open.' That has led police to believe it was someone in the couple's 'inner circle.'
The site added that very few people even knew the safe exited, so that narrows the field.
Rob has been living with the model ever since his sister Khloe Kardashian kicked him out of her Calabasas mansion, which was once owned by Justin Bieber.
Time to rethink your friends: 'Signs point to the culprit being someone close to her and Rob,' said a source
This burglary comes just after news that Blac's sex tape with ex Tyga might be sold.
Chyna is allegedly doing everything in her power to stop her on-camera romp with Kylie Jenner's beau from hitting the internet.
The 27-year-old star is planning to take legal action should her X-rated antics surface online, according to TMZ.
Blac Chyna's lawyer Walter Mosley told the gossip site she will go after punters 'with a vengeance'.
This is getting complicated: This burglary comes just after news that Blac's sex tape with ex Tyga might be sold. Chyna is allegedly doing everything in her power to stop her on-camera romp with Kylie Jenner's beau from hitting the internet
Meanwhile, Rob was featured heavily on Sunday's season 12 premiere of KUWTK.
Khloe Kardashian said Rob 'burned his last bridge' when he bought Chyna back to her house.
The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star slammed her brother for 'disrespecting' her by bringing his now-fiancee to her home when he was living there.
Mad: Meanwhile, Rob was featured heavily on Sunday's season 12 premiere of KUWTK. Khloe Kardashian said Rob 'burned his last bridge' when he bought Chyna back to her house
The 31-year-old fumed: 'Do you want to hear the craziest story? Rob was asking what time I would be home and I got home 30 minutes than the time that I told him I was coming home so I walked in on him with Blac Chyna at my house.'
The event took place earlier this year and the family is now embracing Chyna. Even Kylie - who feuded with the model after she started dating her baby daddy Tyga - has posed with the siren for selfies.
But back when Rob first started seeing Blac, there was a lot of tension.
All on TV: The 31-year-old fumed: 'Do you want to hear the craziest story? Rob was asking what time I would be home and I got home 30 minutes than the time that I told him I was coming home so I walked in on him with Blac Chyna at my house'
Khloe especially didn't like it when she found the beauty at her sprawling Calabasas mansion, which was once owned by Justin Bieber.
'Theres alcohol everywhere. Hes having the time of his life. Dont you dare make me feel uncomfortable in my own home.'
She added: 'I dont really care who Rob dates but having Chyna over at my house without my knowledge is disrespectful.
Kerry Washington is pregnant again.
The Scandal star, 39, is expecting her second child with husband Nnamdi Asomugha, according to E! News.
This comes just after the two were seen on the red carpet on Saturday evening at the White House Correspondents' dinner in Washington DC.
Scroll down for video
Baby on board? Kerry Washington is pregnant again. The Scandal star is expecting her second child with husband Nnamdi Asomugha, according to E! News; here she is seen on Monday in NYC
Clever clothes? It seemed as if she could have been hiding a bump in a distracting black and white print floral dress with polka dots. A leather jacket also helped conceal what could be a pregnant belly
Pregnant belly or burrito? The beauty showed off some of her tummy when she sat down for a GMA chat
Kerry's rep told DailyMail she does not comment on her clients' personal lives.
The New York native was last seen on Monday morning in Manhattan ahead of her Met Gala appearance. She was heading in for an interview with Good Morning America.
It seemed as if she could have been hiding a bump in a distracting black and white Self Portrait print floral dress with polka dots.
A leather jacket also helped conceal what could be a pregnant belly.
Doing just fine: This comes just after the two were seen on the red carpet on Saturday evening at the White House Correspondents' dinner in Washington DC
Hiding her tummy again: The siren put her hands in front of her belly on the red carpet
With her TV co-workers: The leggy star with Scandal actor Tony Goldwyn and show creator Shonda Rhimes
Motherhood seems to agree with the TV icon.
Last year she told the Los Angeles Times: 'I will say I feel really, really blessed. I just feel really blessed that I'm kind of living extraordinary dreams come true in my work life and in my personal life.'
Kerry likes to keep her family life private.
She secretly married the San Francisco 49ers cornerback in 2013 and has stayed away from Twitter.
'Well...I still won't talk about my personal life on here,' she said last year. 'But...I see your tweets. And I am filled with gratitude! XO #HappyMothersDay.'
Pre-gala: The siren with Tony at the White House in this Instagram snap
On GMA she talked Monday night's Met Gala. 'You have to be able to touch up your own lipstick and wear a dress you can eat in,' she said.
The gala overseen by Vogues Anna Wintour has as its theme Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.
'For me, this night is really strictly about fashion,' said Washington. 'This night is really about fashion as art and celebrating the Met and celebrating the history of great fashion and how it fits into our context of American art, international art.'
Last year, Washington wore pink Prada ball gown.
He's been at the centre of some baby drama on-screen as part of his role in Eastenders.
But James Bye, 32, who plays Martin Fowler in the BBC soap, couldn't have looked happier as he introduced his new baby, Louis George alongside his beautiful wife Victoria.
And despite being delivered ten days after his due date, the couple OK! about the very hands-on water birth.
Scroll down for video
New arrival: EastEnders star James Bye, 32, who plays Martin Fowler introduces new baby Louis George alongside his wife Victoria
Louis was born at 6.50pm on March 9 at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire, and weighed a healthy 8lb 15oz.
Speaking to OK! magazine about the water birth, James said: 'I got my trunks on and got in, too.
'I put my hand down and held his head. It was the most amazing feeling on earth.
Read the full story in this week's OK! Magazine - out today
'I can't put into words what it felt like to do it, to pull him into this world.'
And they added that working through the birthing process together helped to strengthen their bond as a couple.
Posing alongside her beautiful family, Victoria, said: 'It makes you stronger as a couple to share these experiences and go through them together.
'Part of me did wonder whether it would faze James to see me in all my glory through labour - the scarier, gorier parts particularly.
'But he wanted to be there and to be a part of it.'
And although the couple are dealing with the stresses of being new parents, they say that they also have a little helper on hand for extra assistance.
Victoria, said: 'Edward's just fallen in love with him.
'When Louis cries, Edward runs up to him and says "Shhh, it's okay."
'When I arrive to pick up Edward from nursery now it's "Baby Louis" he shouts in greeting, rather than "Mummy".'
Meanwhile, James has been embroiled in a heart-breaking storyline, which sees his on-screen partner Stacey (Lacey Turner) suffer from postpartum psychosis after giving birth to son Arthur, who Martin wrongly believes is his.
Speaking about his career in an interview, last year, he said: 'There were times I thought about giving up and if it hadn't been for my wife I would have. I'd tell her, "It's not gonna happen," but Victoria kept me going and would write to agents and casting directors.
'It's incredible to have someone like that by your side.'
See EastEnders updates as James Bye and wife Victoria celebrate their new son
Close to home: James has been embroiled in a heart-breaking storyline, which sees his on-screen partner Stacey (Lacey Turner) suffer from postpartum psychosis after giving birth to son Arthur
He added that Victoria, who he met aged 22, continues to help him.
He said: 'You become a team; she gives me advice on my scripts I know with her input I'll do better. Or if there's a scene we think isn't working, she'll suggest we do it another way.
'She looks after our son full-time at the moment, but she's come from the industry, having done acting, singing and modelling, so she knows what she's talking about. It's not like getting my nan to direct me!'
James says the greatest thing about joining EastEnders is being able to support his family while doing a job he adores.
He said: 'It doesn't matter what time you get up or get home because I'm know I'm providing for my family and working with the best people in the world.'
Her love-life has once again been thrown into the spotlight thanks to her rollercoaster romance with Gary 'Gaz' Beadle.
But Charlotte Crosby has been making the most of the May bank holiday, and has been showing her Geordie Shore co-star exactly what he's missing out on in a series of Instagram posts.
Taking to social media on Monday evening, the 25-year-old reality star shared yet another leggy selfie, which saw Charlotte posing up a storm in a daring cream playsuit.
Scroll down for video
Another leggy display: Charlotte Crosby has been making the most of the May bank holiday, and has been showing her Geordie Shore co-star exactly what he's missing out on in a series of Instagram posts
Snapping a full-length selfie of herself, Charlotte made sure that she captured every inch of her saucy yet stylish outfit for the evening.
Making sure her toned legs were firmly on display thanks to the one-piece's thigh-skimming design, Charlotte looked to have made sure all eyes would be on her.
Featuring a cinched-in waistline and a flesh-flashing corseted neckline, the sleeveless garment highlighted the reality star's incredible figure to the max.
And as always the Northern lass appeared to have taken extra care to ensure her hair was immaculately styled, with her long tresses falling curling waves past her shoulders.
Legs for miles: Charlotte Crosby shared a very Instagram post on Sunday in which she wowed in a super short playsuit from her own fashion collection
Being a selfie Queen, Charlotte was sure to fix a smouldering expression on her face for the snap - with the MTV star defining her striking features with some expertly applied make-up.
However the leggy selfie was the latest in a series of saucy and fun-filled Instagram snap from across the weekend.
As Charlotte put on another pin-parading performance on Saturday night, as she showed off her slim curves in a super short black playsuit.
Further defining her legs with a sky high pair of statement heels, which also added some extra inches to her frame.
What's the worst that could happen? It looks as though Charlotte is getting ready to let her hair down with a couple of pals in her new outfit
Charlotte simply captioned the image with the words: 'Bank holiday b***hes Playsuit @inthestyleuk.'
The snap comes as the lovely lady came over all shy while leaving a restaurant on Thursday night, covering her face with a napkin instead of her posing for the cameras.
She has been going through a tough time as rumours swirled of her on/off boyfriend Gary Beadle bedded two women while filming MTV reality show Ex On The Beach.
Dressed in a demure golden silk shirt, jeans and ankle boots, love-lorn Charlotte joined the rest of the Geordie Shore crew - minus Gary who was still on his way home from Thailand - for a meal.
Shy: Charlotte Crosby hid her face with a purple napkin when she left Mambos in South Shields on Thursday night as on/off boyfriend Gaz Beadle jetted back into the UK
Sheepish: Gary Beadle arrived at Heathrow on Friday morning to face the music with on/off girlfriend Charlotte after rumours emerged about fling with co-star Jemma Lucy, who was also pictured arriving home
The reality TV star could have found recent events too much to handle, as she tried to leave Mambos restaurant in South Shields incognito.
Meanwhile, Gary was spotted in Heathrow Airport after touching down from south east Asia on Friday Morning.
Wheeling his luggage through arrivals, the 28-year-old looked sheepish.
It is thought he will face crisis talks with Charlotte, who he has dated on and off since he joined the Geordie Shore house in 2011.
Charlotte voiced her concerns that Gary would was going to play away while he films his second stint on MTV dating show Ex On The Beach - a show centered around dating and dalliances.
Geordie stars: Holly Hagan was also pictured leaving Mambos on Thursday, but was happy to be photographed
Woman in black: Chloe Ferry was also present at the dinner, which was the first time Charlotte has been seen since the drama emerged about Gary and Jemma Lucy
The Sunderland-born beauty insisted that if Gary returns and announces he has romanced a cast mate - she would break things off for good.
Her vow comes after reports surfaced claiming he worked his charm on two of his co-stars on upcoming season of the controversial MTV hit - allegedly bedding both Charlotte Dawson, daughter of late comic Les, and returning cast-member Olivia Walsh.
A source told The Sun: 'Gaz and the girls barely knew each other, but they were determined to make this the raunchiest series of Ex on the Beach ever and jumped into bed with each other pretty much as soon as the cameras were on.
'It was a total free for all and even though Gaz has slept with over 1,000 women, it'll be a night he never forgets. He definitely wasn't thinking about how Charlotte C may feel.'
The claims come as Charlotte threatened to quit Geordie Shore after it emerged Gaz had a fling with another Ex On The Beach star - Jemma Lucy.
Sideboob ahoy: Jemma Lucy posted a photo of herself wearing a very low-cut black vest and shorts as she waded through the water
The notorious reality star was also pictured arriving back in the UK on Friday. She was seen sporting her Thailand-tan as she waited in the miserable weather at Manchester airport to be picked up.
Despite her adamant sentiments, she also revealed that if he managed to stay faithful they could give their relationship a go.
She adds: But if he comes back and says: "I didnt get with anyone and I realise I just want to be with you," then Ill say lets be in a relationship.
'I do care so much about the boy and I want more than anything for us to be together.
It's the biggest night for fashion and the ladies must look their best.
So it's no wonder several of the attendees of the 2016 Met Gala - which is held in New York City and has the theme Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology this year - started primping early.
Karolina Kurkova, Adriana Lima, Karlie Kloss and Alessandra Ambrosio got an especially early jump as they revealed on their Instagram accounts.
Scroll down for video
She does it white: Karolina Kurkova posted one of the chicest getting-glam photos as she got ready for the Met Gala on Monday
The frill of it all! She also gave a look at her pretty lit-up dress which she described as 'emotional'
Karolina posted one of the chicest getting-glam photos as she got ready in a bathroom.
The 32-year-old had on white cream and sipped from a cappuccino cup.
The blonde model's caption read: 'In the very good hands of @ctilburymakeup and @lacyredway. Starting early with curlers and a clay mask to prep the skin & hair. #kkbeauty #MetGala #KKgoestoMetGala #MetGala2016'
She also gave a look at her pretty dress which she described as 'emotional.' It was co-designed by Marchesa and IBM.
She always goes for the sexy look: Kate Hudson gave no clue as to what her gown would look like as she sat in the makeup chair
Rico Suave: Nick Jonas - who was reportedly with Hudson on Sunday night - posed in a tux by a window
Kate Hudson gave no clue as to what her gown would look like as she sat in the makeup chair.
She wore a white robe with black piping and her blonde hair was down.
Her caption read, 'We starting.' Her reported beau Nick Jonas was also seen getting spiffed up.
She's so in Vogue: Gigi Hadid looked flawless as she was getting powdered
Her name says it all: Bella Hadid had on mirrored sunglasses and her hair pulled back with a black choker
She looks half her age! Cindy Crawford, 50, flashed her leg while getting touched up at The Lowe in NYC
Sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid were both getting glammed up for the big event.
Gigi looked flawless as she was getting powered. She was on Tommy Hilfiger's Snapchat.
Bella had on mirrored sunglasses and her hair pulled back with a black choker.
Work it girl: Adriana Lima got in a last workout before the Met Gala on Monday and said in her caption she was 'ready for a good night'
Purrr: Lima looked like Catwoman as she had on an eye mask
Blue mood? Alessandra Ambrosio had on a blue facial scrub and puckered for the camera. She wrote Glam Cam over the image.
Naughty little girl: Jourdan Dunn, 25, stuck her tongue out for Allure. The caption read: ;allure#MetGala beauty prep with the gorgeous @officialjdunn! Stay tuned for more'
Lima got in a last workout before the Met Gala and said in her caption she was 'ready for a good night.'
The 34-year-old wore a neon top and looked toned to the max.
Alessandra had on a blue facial scrub and puckered for the camera. She wrote Glam Cam over the image.
What will she do? Karlie hinted that she was going to wear a wig
Nice: First she showed an image with her blonde locks pulled back
So Lulu of her: Then KK revealed what she looked like with a black bob on
Posing: The girlfriend of $200m man Josh Kushner put her hands under her chain in a Vogue pose
Will she really wear a wig? Kendall Jenner teased she would have on this hair piece as she sat for Estee Lauder
Karlie hinted that she was going to wear a wig as she first showed an image with her blonde locks pulled back then revealed what she looked like with a black bob on.
There were several other wigs in the background, all with short hair.
She had three male attendants around her - one looked as if he belonged in a 90s music video.
Lady Gaga posed away in her hotel room on the Upper East Side.
She will shock for sure: Lady Gaga posed away in her hotel room on the Upper East Side
Flowers everywhere: The singer shared this image of the bouquet in her room
Freida Pinto shared a photo where designer Tory Burch was putting the finishing touches on her white dress that had ruffles on the back.
The actress had her hair pinned up and her face could not be seen.
Tori on the other hand was made up with large earrings.
Light and lovely: Freida Pinto shared a photo where designer Tory Burch was putting the finishing touches on her white dress that had ruffles on the back
Hailey Baldwin shared an image where a man was looking at her long honey locks.
The ex of Justin Bieber looked to already have sharply drawn in eyebrows and she was sipping from a glass of water in a hotel room.
Later she shared a look at her nails.
Hails alert: Hailey Baldwin shared an image where a man was looking at her long honey locks
Silver! The ex of Justin Bieber later she shared a look at her nails
Maria Sharapova looked fresh faced as she sat in a makeup chair.
Her hair was down and there was zero hint of what her look would be, but the tennis ace is sure to stun.
It also looked as if she had eyelash extensions.
Clean: Maria Sharapova looked fresh faced as she sat in a makeup chair
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit is hosted by Taylor Swift as well as Editor of American Vogue Anna Wintour, Idris Elba, and Jonathan Ive, chief design officer of Apple.
Anna took over as chairwoman of the gala in 1999.
Since then, she has been instrumental in transforming a local philanthropic event into a massive event.
Practice makes semi perfect: Giuliana Rancic getting ready with her co-stars on Monday
Blinging in the Gala: Lena Dunham showed off her hands with her fave pals
It has been called the Oscars of the East Coast.
The honorary chairs are the Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld; Miuccia Prada; and Nicolas Ghesquiere, Louis Vuittons artistic director.
All will be in attendance except for Mr. Lagerfeld, who will be in Cuba because the Chanel Cruise show is in Havana the day after the gala, according to the New York Times.
The site added that tickets this year are $30,000 apiece, and tables are $275,000. The party and exhibit are sponsored (this year Apple is the main underwriter), so all the money raised from ticket sales goes to the Costume Institute. Last year, more than $12.5 million was raised.
A look: Dresses on display at the "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" press preview at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on at Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday
There were disturbing signs that Made In Chelsea was being over-run with newcomers who were even more vacuous and preposterous than the shows regulars. Hard to witness and even more difficult to believe possible.
For example you might think Jamie going out with one bland Sloanie called Jess was enough. Jessica Molly managed to make her rival seem interesting (well almost) - something the scriptwriters had been trying to achieve for the last few series.
After all Jessica Molly was basically just a shameless hanger-on the best mate of Lucy Watsons sister who was herself nothing more than an adjunct cashing in on her siblings fame.
Scroll down for video
There were disturbing signs that Made In Chelsea was being over-run with newcomers: For example you might think Jamie going out with one bland Sloanie called Jess was enough - he had to go out with Frankie too!
No doubt next year we can look forward to Jessica Molly having her own sister or sidekick. As for Frankie (Jamies other date) ranked lower still, because she wasnt even called Jess.
For years now Victoria Harber-Baker has been Mark-Francis Vandellis confidante/groupie like a designer version of Hinge and Bracket. This week, Victoria finally got her own lackey in the shape of Tallulah Rufus-Isaacs.
Tallulah spoke a strange form of English not just because she was American, but because she used a syntax that seemingly stressed every 8th word regardless of its significance.
Victoria is someone I spend a lot of time with on her OWN, Tallulah drawled, which was preferable to Rosie or anyone who knew them. I want to take it clear to YOU that Im not taking her SIDE.
A real achievement! Jessica Molly managed to make her rival seem interesting (well almost) - something the scriptwriters had been trying to achieve for the last few series
Another new face: Victoria finally got her own lackey in the shape of Tallulah Rufus-Isaacs - who spoke a strange form of English, using a syntax that seemingly stressed every 8th word regardless of its significance
Predictably Tallulah failed to persuade Victoria to bury the hatchet except in Rosies head.
I dont think you change my life at all, Victoria informed Rosie before flouncing out of the peace talks by concluding. I really cant be bothered with this s**t anymore ! Ciao ! (Top tip: there is no better/bitchier way to make your exit than having Ciao ! as your final word.)
As for the series other newcomer, Olivia Bentleys biggest talent was not her photography but her penchant for looking down on her fellow novices.
Do you ever wear heels? she sneered elegantly to Jess, adding tartly maybe you should.
Big trouble in little Chelsea: Predictably Tallulah failed to persuade Victoria to bury the hatchet except in Rosies head
Ice cold! I dont think you change my life at all, Victoria informed Rosie before flouncing out of the peace talks by concluding. I really cant be bothered with this s**t anymore ! Ciao!
Her advice to Frankie before her date with Jamie meanwhile was the exact opposite but equally pithy.
Youll have to wear flats. Otherwise youll be looking down at the small b*****d.
Ouch. Heaven help the first man/victim Olivia is paired up with.
As for MiCs stalwarts, they were in surprisingly forgiving mood.
This weeks episode included the strange sight of Stephanie Pratt pouring her heart out to Nicola Hughes and inviting her to the Maldives. This was just a fortnight after the old pro (of Reality TV that is) had targeted Nicolas boyfriend Alex Mytton as an option a betrayal Nicola seemed to forget after the mention of the word Maldives (as if shed been hypnotised).
Acerbic to the max? As for the series other newcomer, Olivia Bentleys biggest talent was not her photography but her penchant for looking down on her fellow novices
Friend or foe? Youll have to wear flats. Otherwise youll be looking down at the small b*****d, quipped Olivia as she met up with Frankie and Jess
Lucy Watson of course was less benevolent about Stephanie, particularly as it was her birthday.
I dont need a friend thats going to try and drag me down, she purred pointedly, as if the rest of us did.
Just be nice ! Binky beseeched, as if she hadnt seen Made In Chelsea before let alone actually been friends with her.
I dont want to be nice, Lucy Watson concluded - something none of us wanted either.
Her birthday was ruined even further when James revealed he had given a lift to two girls Sam had picked up at a pardy.
Why would you put two random girls in my car?! Watson gasped, seemingly more upset about them being random than female. I dont want skank cells all over my car ! she continued as if skank cells were a perfectly normal concept. Seriously, did you get it cleaned?
Another MIC stalwart, Little Louise Thompson, was also having trouble with her love life despite (or because of) her other half (Alik Fonzarelli Alfus) living as far away from her as possible in New York, where he was still making hideous leather waistcoats for the few remaining fans of Miami Vice.
On the rocks? Another MiC stalwart, Little Louise Thompson, was also having trouble with her love life despite (or because of) her other half (Alik Fonzarelli Alfus) living as far away from her as possible - in NYC
Hair-low Alik. Hi ham just cawling becawse I haff nort spoh-ken to yew in a why-yal-er: Despite her best efforts Lousie couldn't talk to Alik until he decided to call her via Skype
Hi liter-al-air haff nort slept, Louise complained, trying to sound as posh as the other gals and pouring Rosie a cup of what Louise called hairball tea.
Louise feared Alik was playing away because he had been posting pictures on social medi-yah.
He-eee has been hact-airng com-pleeee-ter-lair different-lair. Hes gorn hout ever-air night. Its a gut instinct. Im not being ov-ah dramatic.
As if...
If you feel that something is wrong then chances are something IS wrong, Rosie told her comfortingly. (Thats what friends are for.)
When Louise phoned Alik sensibly he didnt answer, forcing Louise to leave a message.
Hair-low Alik. Hi ham just cawling becawse I haff nort spoh-ken to yew in a why-yal-er.
Ive just been going out a lot: Alik explained their lack of communication - which she probably knew from his photos from nightclubs across New Yorks five boroughs
A tearful subject: I have had opportunities to be with other people, he told her. I hate this distance thing an excuse that basically implied any infidelity was her fault for not being there to stop him
Eventually they spoke via the scientific, futuristic, breakthrough that is Skype. This was a scene that confirmed we can put a man on the moon but the scratchy picture and delay means Skype still looks and sound like, welllike youre talking to someone who is on the moon.
Whats going on? Louise asked in the manner of fellow social commentator Marvin Gaye only if Marvin had actually said warts gurgh-hing hon?
Ive just been going out a lot, Alik explained - which she probably knew from his photos from nightclubs across New Yorks five boroughs.
Poor Louise was at her wits end admittedly not something that takes long.
My mind is going craze-air ! she wailed. I just feel like Im rilly, rilly, on hedge. Ive felt rilly, rilly, uncomfortable the last few days. I feel like there is someone else. Youve been posting pictures of girls on social medi-yah.
Ever the gentleman, Alik immediately sought to put her mind at ease.
I have had opportunities to be with other people, he told her for reasons of his own (and the scriptwriters). I hate this distance thing an excuse that basically implied any infidelity was her fault for not being there to stop him.
Hi ham hupset, Louise sobbed (or tried to). I need to come to Hamerica and speak to yew.
Sure enough she had reluctantly flown to New York for a single scene talking to Rosie rather than Alik.
Im hoffering to drop ever-air-thang to be-hee hout hair in New-hew York, Louise protested as if her life in London involved running a multinational company rather than appearing on Made In Chelsea.
Im prepared for the worst, she continued in the manner of a tragic heroine on a par with Greta Garbo. Its not what I want. But in a way Im already imagining what itll like to be single.
To be fair, with her track record, this shouldnt be that hard.
She's getting ready to reprise her role as Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades Darker.
But it seems all 27-year-old actress Dakota Johnson can think about is her off-screen beau, Matthew Hitt.
Dakota and her indie rock musician boyfriend were seen strolling arm in arm through NoHo in New York on Monday.
Scroll down for video
The couple that dresses together: Dakota Johnson and Matthew Hitt were seen arm in arm strolling through NoHo in New York on Monday
She's really getting into character! Dakota wore an all black outfit for her stroll with her beau. The actress is getting ready to reprise her role as Anastasia Steele for 50 Shades Darker
The couple decided to compliment each other as they both wore black for the outing.
Dakota looked casual in her black jeans, matching top and black floor length coat. She finished off her look with some white trainers.
She wore minimal make-up and a pair of big shades as she let her wavy brown hair fall naturally on her shoulders.
Matchymatchy: The couple decided to compliment each other as they both wore black for the romantic outing
Her rocker boyfriend wore an edgy leather bomber with a pair of black trousers and black shoes as he was seen smiling during their stroll.
The couple have been inseparable since they got back together. On Saturday the loved up couple were spotted holding hands and cuddling.
The two were broken up for several months earlier this year.
It's been a rocky road for the young couple who dated for a few months before splitting last summer.
Not smooth sailing: It's been a rocky road for the young couple who dated for a few months before splitting last summer
Dakota confirmed she and Matthew had gone their separate ways during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show last September.
When the talk show host asked Dakota: 'Are you in a relationship?' she replied 'no' with a nervous laugh.
But they were seen together in New York in October and again in late January this year when the couple left Dakota's New York apartment separately, making it seem that they were on again.
Casual chic: Dakota looked casual in her black jeans, matching top and black floor length coat. She finished off her look with some white trainers
Dakota squashed that rumour in February when she told Marie Claire that she currently only had the capacity for platonic relationships.
'I don't have a boyfriend. Why? You got one for me?' she replied when asked by the magazine if she was taken. 'Right now I find myself having the capacity to love my family and friends, and that's it.'
Dakota is currently filming the 50 Shades Of Grey sequels in Vancouver, B.C.
Fifty Shades Darker is due to be released on February 10, 2017, which will be followed by the last installment in the franchise, 50 Shades Freed, which will hit theatres February 19, 2018.
50 shades of balloons! It seems Dakota and Jamie Dornan are having fun filming the sequels to 50 Shades OF Grey as Dakota posted a birthday picture for the actor: 'Happy early birthday @jamiedornan'
Kendall Jenner served as muse, yet again, for Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld in a blurry, artsy spread in V Magazine's summer issue.
Stylist Amanda Harlech showcased the 20-year-old reality starlet's statuesque 5ft10 figure in a variety of spring couture from designers like Dior and, what else, Chanel.
The Keeping Up with the Kardashians stunner sported wet and wild locks by Sam McKnight and elaborate eye make-up by Tom Pecheux.
Scroll down for video
Ready for her close-up: Kendall Jenner served as muse, yet again, for Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld in a blurry, artsy spread in V Magazine's summer issue
Wearable art: Stylist Amanda Harlech showcased the 20-year-old reality starlet's statuesque 5ft10 figure in a variety of spring couture from designers like Dior and, what else, Chanel
Alexander McQueen FW16 kimono: The Keeping Up with the Kardashians stunner sported wet and wild locks by Sam McKnight and elaborate eye make-up by Tom Pecheux
Kendall tapped into her inner-Geisha during the romantically stark shoot, in which she swanned around in a gold-embroidered Valentino silk kimono.
Inspired by 'classical Chinese watercolors,' the dreamy pictorial also included Jenner in a Swarovski crystal-laden lavender Giorgio Armani Prive top and wavy plisse organza skirt.
The Society Management model is frequently featured by the German 82-year-old, who first cast her in his runway show back in 2014.
Catch more of marketable Kendall - who boasts 85.7M social media followers - in Issue 101, which hits newsstands this Thursday.
See Kendall Jenner updates as she goes high fashion in blurry V Mag spread
Yellowface? Kendall tapped into her inner-Geisha during the romantically stark shoot, in which she swanned around in a gold-embroidered Valentino silk kimono
Inspired by 'classical Chinese watercolors': The dreamy pictorial also included Jenner in a Swarovski crystal-laden lavender Giorgio Armani Prive top and wavy plisse organza skirt
Reunited: The Society Management model is frequently featured by the German 82-year-old, who first cast her in his runway show back in 2014
Charlize Theron on the cover: Catch more of marketable Kendall - who boasts 85.7M social media followers - in Issue 101, which hits newsstands this Thursday
Jenner - who's attending Monday night's Met Gala - was last seen dining with her momager Kris and her toyboy Corey Gamble at Nobu in Manhattan on Sunday.
The nepotistically-privileged millennial - who relies on stylist Monica Rose - bared her belly in a Re/Done Hanes tee, Citizens of Humanity jeans, and a striped Erika Cavallini maxi-jacket.
The Hillary Clinton supporter and her Calabasas socialite family continue their adventures on the 12th season of KUWTK, which airs Sundays on E!
What will she wear to the Met? Jenner - who's attending Monday night's Met Gala - was last seen dining with her momager Kris and her toyboy Corey Gamble at Nobu in Manhattan on Sunday
Big Apple babe: The nepotistically-privileged millennial - who relies on stylist Monica Rose - bared her belly in a Re/Done Hanes tee, Citizens of Humanity jeans, and a striped Erika Cavallini maxi-jacket
She spectacularly ended her friendship with Stephanie Pratt over her lies.
But Lucy Watson was slightly more forgiving of her boyfriend James Dunmore - just - when she confronted him over some lies on Monday night's Made In Chelsea.
Following a brief conversation with Sam Thompson, who spectacularly dumped James in it, the 25-year-old reality beauty wasn't prepared to forgive her boyfriend's little white lie - accusing him of 'ruining' her birthday.
Scroll down for video
'I didnt think youd ever lie to my face': Lucy Watson struggled to come to terms with the fact her boyfriend James Dunmore had told her a lie at the start of their relationship in Monday night's Made In Chelsea
Despite admitting to Sam over a friendly drink that he thought telling a 'white lie' was part and parcel of dating, the chiseled Chelsea boy was left reeling when Lucy confronted him over his own fib.
Arriving at her birthday party with a surprise present for his girlfriend, James was forced to admit that he had lied to the fiery brunette on at least one occasion.
The trouble all started when Sam tried to patch things up after they fell out over his treatment of her younger sister Tiff.
Catching him snooping through the present pile, Sam managed to turn a conversation about Tiff into one about James, as he attempted to explain his theory on white lies in relationships.
See Made In Chelsea updates as Lucy Watson confronts boyfriend James Dunmore
Bad move? Following a chat with Sam Thompson, who spectacularly dumped James in it, the 25-year-old reality beauty wasn't prepared to forgive her boyfriend's little white lie - accusing him of 'ruining' her birthday
'People in relationships do tell white lies. James does it to you,' he explained to a perplexed Lucy. 'But maybe James shouldnt lie to you?'
Twigging that something wasn't quite right, a rattled Lucy told Sam exactly what she though, saying: 'I just want to say do you think its really weird that you brought James into this?'
To which Sam replied: 'I just think it's better to live in the real world.'
But with a sneaking suspicion that Sam wasn't telling the whole story, Lucy rounded on her boyfriend as he came to surprise her with a suitably large present.
Jumping straight in at the deep-end, the MIC stalwart started the interogation, saying: 'It was so weird I was talking to Sam and he said you lie to me all the time... He was like, "James lies to you".'
Just between the guys? Despite admitting to Sam that he thought telling a 'white lie' was part and parcel of dating, the chiseled Chelsea boy was left reeling when Lucy confronted him over his own fib
Trying to play it cool, James looked suitably surprised by the sudden and unexpected accusation, he feigned ignorance, mumbling: 'Whats he on about?'
But with his resolve withering under Lucy's laser-beam stare, he admitted there may have been one occasion where he concealed some of the truth from his girlfriend.
James admitted wincing as the words came out.
However, he added that 'it was quite early in our relationship' and he hadn't wanted to anger Lucy by revealing that he'd been with Sam and two 'random' girls in Lucy's car without her.
'People in relationships do tell white lies. James does it to you': The trouble all started when Sam tried to patch things up with Lucy after they fell out over his treatment of her younger sister Tiff
An inquisition: Jumping straight in at the deep-end, the MIC stalwart started the interogation, saying: 'It was so weird I was talking to Sam and he said you lie to me all the time... He was like, "James lies to you"'
Despite explaining that he would never usually lie to her, Lucy was less than impressed with the news that she'd been lied to by her boyfriend of one year.
'Why would you put two random girls in my car? Why not just tell me that?' Asked an incensed Lucy, before she stated the obvious,quipping: 'It just looks shady.'
And while James tried to defend his actions, saying he only had best intentions at hear, Lucy could only think of the negatives, snapping: 'I don't want skank cells all over my car.'
Though James insisted that the girls, Sam and himself were all fully clothed, the damage was done.
'Its actually ruining my birthday,' Lucy insisted.
And while James apologised and implored her to trust him, Lucy was clearly hurt by her boyfriends admission, saying:'I didnt think youd ever lie to my face.'
Shes been in the spotlight since she was 13 years old.
And now former Neighbours stars Caitlin Stasey has celebrated turning 26.
On Monday, the striking actress took to her social media sites to share a series of snaps from what appeared to be a surprise birthday party thrown by her loved ones.
Scroll down for video
Surprise! Former Neighbours star Caitlin Stasey shared a series of snaps from what appeared to be a surprise 26th birthday party thrown by her loved ones on Monday
The first snap, which was simply captioned with the word surprise, shows the starlet beam with delight as she was handed a large bouquet of flowers.
She later followed the post with another picture of herself blowing some candles on a birthday cake.
Earlier on in the week, Caitlin shared a childhood throwback photograph of herself from an old school year book - taken over a decade ago.
Sweet treat: The actress later followed the post with another picture of herself blowing some candles off a birthday cake
Fly since '02 AND they spelled my name wrong, she wrote alongside the nostalgic image.
The former soap star - who is in a relationship with fellow actor Lucas Neff - is the picture of sweetness in the archive school portrait which sees her smile beautifully.
Although there's no denying Caitlin's blossomed into a beautiful young woman since then, it seems her cherubic good looks has remained.
Fly since '02': Earlier on in the week, Caitlin shared a childhood throwback photograph of herself from an old school year book taken over a decade ago
Meanwhile, at the start of the year, the Australian beauty strongly hinted that she had tied the knot with Raising Hope actor Lucas, 30.
In January, she posted several images which show the Chicago native carrying her over the threshold and the pair punching the pair with glee.
Their close pal, actor Echo Kellum, took to Twitter to congratulate them, writing: 'Congrats to Lucas Neff and Caitlin Stasey on their marriage! They are the cutest!!! Proud to be y'all friend!'
Caitlin and Lucus have yet to address their marriage.
He had a reputation as the bad boy of AFL.
And Brendan Fevola has confessed that he once spent a night in a Brisbane jail cell - for jaywalking on New Year's Eve in 2010.
The I'm A Celebrity winner, 35, admitted to Fifi and Dave on Fox 101.9 on Tuesday that he had drunk 'a few beers' before he was locked up for four hours.
Scroll down for audio
'They got me': Brendan Fevola (left) has confessed that he once spent a night in a Brisbane jail cell - for jaywalking on New Year's Eve in 2010
When asked by Fifi Box whether he had ever done a stint in jail, he said: 'Yeah once, it's not fun.
'On New Year's Eve 2010 I was walking across the road at 3am and they got me for jaywalking in Brisbane and locked me up.
'They got me. It's the only time I've been locked up and it's cold, it's not nice.'
Reunited! In February, the 35-year-old confirmed that he and his wife Alex (pictured together) were giving marriage another shot
Oh dear: The AFL star, who has battled a gambling addiction in the past, has run into controversy throughout his career
Presenter Dave Thornton then joked that Brendan was probably ok because he was a 'big unit'.
But the former Carlton player said he was 'picked on' and didn't want to use the steel toilet in his cell.
'I was in a cell by myself,' he told the radio show. 'But I did get picked on. It wasn't fun and I was only in there for 4 hours or something.
'They give you one blanket and there's a steel toilet there. I was bursting to go but I didn't want to use it. Think about who you has sat there. I didn't want to go in there. I'd had a few beers.'
The AFL star, who has battled a gambling addiction in the past, has run into controversy throughout his career.
He made headlines for incidents including urinating outside a nightclub in 2008 that made him be stood down from leadership at his club.
Drama: He made headlines for incidents including urinating outside a nightclub in 2008 that made him be stood down from leadership at his club
Among other controversies, he was banned from appearing on the Grand Final Footy Show after behaving inappropriately at the 2009 Brownlow Medal ceremony.
He then went to the Brisbane Lions not long after.
In February, he confirmed that he and his wife Alex were giving marriage another shot.
The pair were married for almost a decade when they announced their split in 2014, having tied the knot in October 2005.
The couple share three children, including Alex's older daughter Mia from a previous relationship, and their kids Leni and Lulu.
She and Brendan had also previously split in 2005, after Brendan's controversial affair with Australian model Lara Bingle, who is now married to actor Sam Worthington.
Alex has previously confirmed the betrayal ruined their marriage but, at the time, Lara denied the allegations.
In 2010, a nude image of Lara in the shower resurfaced from her alleged affair with Brendan.
They are said to be the leading men topping the list of potential new James Bonds.
And Idris Elba and Tom Hiddleston certainly looked every inch the suave superspy as they attended the Met Gala in New York on Monday.
The handsome pair were among the dapper gents who walked the red carpet in white tie at the biggest night in fashion.
Scroll down fro video
Dapper lads: Bond contenders Idris Elba competed in the suave stakes alongside Tom Hiddleston as they attended the Met Gala on Monday evening
Arriving at the city's world-famous Metropolitan Museum of Art, 43-year-old Luther star Idris opted for a classic and ageless take on evening dress - wearing a fitted tails coat and white tie.
No stranger to slick tailoring, the Pacific Rim star ensured that he looked the definition of dapper as he arrived at the star-studded event.
The London-born actor, DJ and writer has been a regular staple in the 'best dressed' lists of the likes of GQ and Esquire for many a year.
And clearly aiming to keep his superior fashion credentials up to scratch, Idris chose to attend the soiree in classic evening dress.
A classic look: Arriving at the city's world-famous Metropolitan Museum of Art, the 43-year-old Luther star opted for a classic and ageless take on evening dress - wearing a fitted tails coat and white tie
Simple and slick: Teaming a tails coat with fitted suit trousers, the actor stuck to the traditional rules of 'full evening dress', with the Beast Of No Nation star wearing a white tie, waistcoat and shirt
Teaming a tails coat with fitted suit trousers, the actor stuck to the traditional rules of 'full evening dress', with the Beast Of No Nation star wearing a white tie, waistcoat and shirt.
And not one to let himself down at the final furlong, the Award-winning actor put his ebst foot forward by rounding his wardrobe off with gleaming pair of black patent Oxfords.
Keeping to the age-old addage that 'less is more', he kept his look uncluttered; only choosing to wear a watch and a white boutonniere.
Stepping thing up: Keeping to the age-old addage that 'less is more', he kept his look uncluttered; only choosing to wear a watch and a white boutonniere
Idris sported his trademark goatee for the event, but he made sure that his facial hair was perfectly groomed, while he sported a freshly clipped disconnected do to match.
Despite the theme of this year's event being 'Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology', the star had decided to stick to a more traditional look.
He certainly faced some stiff competition from rival dashing Brit, Tom.
The handsome actor - also a favourite alongside Idris to take over from Daniel Craig as the next Bond - also arrived in traditional dinner suit with tails.
Dapper: Idris faced some stiff competition from another dashing Brit - Tom Hiddleston
Shaken not stirred: The handsome actor - also a favourite alongside Idris to take over from Daniel Craig as the next Bond - also arrived in traditional dinner suit with tails
Night shift: Tom was joined by his glamorous The Night Manager co-star Elizabeth Debicki, who glowed in a green dress
Nice to see you: The pair looked pally on the red carpet as they gazed at each other in front of the snappers, before Tom pulled off some solo poses
Tom was joined by his glamorous The Night Manager co-star Elizabeth Debicki, who glowed in a green dress.
The pair looked pally on the red carpet as they gazed at each other in front of the snappers, before Tom pulled off some solo poses.
However many of the glamorous ladies ,who arrived alongside Idris on the red carpet, embraced the space-age theme.
Poppy Delevingne led the fashion pack, with the 29-year-old model and social slipping into a plunging silver tiered gown.
Taking the plunge! Poppy Delevingne led the fashion pack, with the 29-year-old model and social slipping into a plunging silver tiered gown
Space oddity? Taylor Swift also embraced the theme of this year's event being 'Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology'
With five-year delay, CIA 'live-tweets' bin Laden raid
The CIA has marked the anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden by live-tweeting -- with a five-year delay -- the raid by US special forces on the Al-Qaeda founder's compound in Pakistan.
Using the hashtag #UBLRaid, the CIA blasted out updates of the May 2011 strike as if it was unfolding in real time -- in a highly unusual move for the secretive spy agency.
"To mark the 5th anniversary of the Usama Bin Ladin operation in Abbottabad we will tweet the raid as if it were happening today. #UBLRAID," @CIA said in announcing its social media blitz.
The CIA has marked the anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden by live-tweeting -- with a five-year delay -- the raid by US special forces on the Al-Qaeda founder's compound in Pakistan Nicholas Kamm (AFP/File)
Tweets included the now famous picture of President Barack Obama and other high-ranking US officials watching matters unfold from the White House's Situation Room.
"1:51 pm EDT - Helicopters depart from Afghanistan for compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan #UBLRaid," read one tweet.
"3:30 pm EDT - 2 helicopters descend on compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. 1 crashes, but assault continues without delay or injury #UBLRaid," read another.
That was followed just minutes later by: "3:39 pm EDT - Usama Bin Ladin found on third floor and killed #UBLRaid."
The CIA's Twitter move got quite a bit of attention, with not everyone enthused.
"@CIA Are we tweeting Hiroshima on August 6th too? Or is THAT in bad taste?" tweeted one user, Kris Knight.
Another who identies as Amber V tweeted: "Don't you have better things to do, like catch living and breathing bad guys, or secretly invade our privacy, or something? @CIA#UBLRaid"
But others reacted positively.
"Watching the @CIA relive on Twitter the #UBLRaid today reminds me of how proud I am of the men and women who do what they do. Thank you," tweeted Toby Knapp.
- CIA focus on al-Baghdadi -
With 1.33 million Twitter followers, the Central Intelligence Agency has sent 1,662 tweets since it joined the social media service in February 2014.
"We are the Nation's first line of defense. We accomplish what others cannot accomplish and go where others cannot go," reads the Twitter bio.
Previous @CIA tweets in recent days have featured a video about the Chernobyl nuclear accident in Ukraine and a counterfeit Nazi stamp.
Amid the tweetstorm, CIA chief John Brennan said Sunday that taking out the head of the Islamic State group would have a "great impact."
He also warned that Al-Qaeda remained a threat, and that IS was not just an organization but a phenomenon.
"We have destroyed a large part of Al-Qaeda. It's not completely eliminated. So we have to stay focused on what it can do," Brennan told NBC's "Meet the Press" talk show.
"Now, with the new phenomenon of (IS), this is going to challenge us for years to come," he added.
Asked if removing IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi from action was as important as the Bin Laden get, Brennan, who does not often do interviews, was direct.
"If we got Baghdadi, I think it would have a great impact on the organization. And it will be felt by them," he said.
Timeline of the 2011 bin Laden raid Adrian LEUNG, John SAEKI (AFP)
A crashed military helicopter is seen near the hideout of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden after a ground operation by US Special Forces in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011
An undated video seized by US special forces in their 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden's house in Abbottabad, Pakistan, reportedly shows the Al-Qaeda leader watching television
South Korea warns of citizens' potential abduction by North
South Korea warned on Monday there is a risk of its citizens being abducted by Pyongyang in retaliation for the defection of a dozen North Korean staff at a restaurant in China.
Twelve women working at the restaurant in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo defected to the South with their manager last month.
Seoul said they came voluntarily while the North insists they were tricked into defecting by South Korean spies who effectively "kidnapped" them.
Nearly 30,000 North Koreans have, over the decades, fled poverty and repression at home to settle in the capitalist South Choi Jae-ku (AFP/File)
The South's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korea affairs, said overseas missions had been advised to heighten their vigilance.
"We are closely watching out for multiple possibilities, including abduction or terrorism ... by the North," said ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-Hee.
"We are trying to ensure the safety of our nationals," he told reporters.
Seoul's Hankook Ilbo daily reported Monday that Pyongyang was plotting to abduct South Koreans to trade for the 13 defectors.
"They set the target of 120 people including expats, soldiers and officials," the newspaper said, citing an official source familiar with North Korean affairs.
Nearly 30,000 North Koreans have, over the decades, fled poverty and repression at home to settle in the capitalist South.
But group defections are rare, especially by overseas restaurant staff who are generally hand-picked from families that are "loyal" to the regime.
Pyongyang has proposed sending the women's parents to Seoul to meet their daughters and has released a video of them tearfully demanding their return.
North Korea has a track record when it comes to abductions.
In the most high-profile case, late leader Kim Jong-Il had a famed South Korean film director and his actress wife kidnapped in Hong Kong in 1978, in order to make films in the North.
The couple escaped in 1986.
In 2002, North Korea admitted it had kidnapped 13 Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s to train its spies in Japanese language and customs.
'Grown in Washington': the marijuana farms near US power hub
Security cameras and barbed wire suggested this was the right place -- the old warehouse on a dead-end street not far from the White House that hosts one of the handful of legal marijuana farms in the US capital.
"We're going to do the visit with a panic button... in case of a break-in," Matt Lawson-Baker, the co-owner of Alternative Solutions, told AFP.
Alternative Solutions is one of seven facilities in Washington authorized to grow medical marijuana for nearly 3,700 local patients.
Alternative Solutions is one of seven facilities in Washington authorized to grow medical marijuana for nearly 3,700 local patients Brendan Smialowski (AFP)
Countries worldwide are examining their marijuana laws as they measure effectiveness against enforcement costs. In the United States, medical marijuana has been legalized in 24 states and the capital Washington, while recreational marijuana is legal in four states and the District of Columbia.
"We first got into business in 2012, we got approved for a license back then and we sat on it for a while. We started growing a year ago," said Lawson-Baker, who is originally from Australia.
- Millions -
"We thought we would make millions fast," Lawson-Baker said.
But with the Washington medicinal marijuana market still relatively small, and stiff competition already out there, he soon realized he was in it for the long haul.
Until demand takes off -- which it fully expects it will -- Alternative Solutions is growing only half of the 1,000 plants allowed by its license.
The Australian and his American father-in-law/business partner Bob Simmons -- both of whom previously worked in construction -- are also still learning the intricacies of cannabis cultivation.
Depending on the variety, the end product can fetch between $3,000 and $4,500 a pound (about $6,615 to $9,920 per kilogram).
In the three harvests since November 2015, the company has generated $700,000 in revenue, and the owners are hoping to break even in three or four years.
The fourth harvest is currently underway.
A magnifying glass reveals a forest of tiny white pistils covering the leaves and buds of the marijuana plants. The aim is to have plants that look like they're covered with fine sugar -- or when viewed close-up, tiny crystals of ice.
"The more, the better," Simmons said. "You want them dumped in sugar."
During harvest, each marijuana plant is cut at the base and hung upside-down to dry for about 10 days before the buds are cut off and trimmed.
The trimmings are processed into powder ($40 per gram) or resin ($90 per gram). Those products and the buds themselves are then sold in Washington's five official marijuana dispensaries.
- Opportunity -
Those in the cannabis business hope Washington will one day fully legalize recreational marijuana.
Since February 2015, anyone over 21 in Washington can consume marijuana on private property, possess up to two ounces (56 grams) and grow as many as six plants.
However, the legal purchase and sale of marijuana for recreational use are not permitted, leading to an explosion in street sales.
"The police doesn't know how to handle things so basically they turn a blind eye to it," Lawson-Baker said.
With more and more US states allowing medical and recreational marijuana use, it seems he was smart to get in early: the country's marijuana market is estimated to reach $22 billion in 2020, up from $4.6 billion in 2014.
- Heaven -
In its immaculate 3,600 square foot (335 square meter) growing area with a surprising lack of any distinctive smell, Alternative Solutions is pampering 12 varieties.
"Blue Cheese" is pungent and stings the nose, while "AK47" -- unexpectedly -- is softer. "Green Love Potion" supposedly has aphrodisiac qualities while "Goji OG" remains the best-seller.
The temperature and humidity are slightly higher in areas with flowering plants, compared to the rooms for incubation and the mother plants, which provide cuttings and never bloom.
"It's a heaven for marijuana. We've created the best environment in which they could grow in," Simmons said.
Their secret: a high-performance watering system that includes filtration, oxygenation and the addition of plant-based nutrients. Filming or photographing the system was strictly off-limits.
Much of the growing operation, including temperature and watering, can be controlled remotely over the Internet.
The 84 flowering plants receive about 200 gallons (750 liters) of water per day, and are grown without chemicals or pesticides.
From the cutting to the finished product, everything is labelled and can be traced by barcode. The warehouse is inspected monthly by health authorities and police.
Like their competitors, Lawson-Baker and Simmons are anxious to find out who will be the next occupant of the White House, just three miles (five kilometers) from their marijuana farm. The next president's views on marijuana will play a major role in shaping future policies on the substance.
The pair remain optimistic: they've already obtained a second license to grow in Washington, are waiting for another in the neighboring state of Maryland and have plans to branch out on the East Coast. And they're planning to roll out edible medicinal marijuana products this summer.
In the three harvests since November 2015, Alternative Solutions has generated $700,000 in revenue, and the owners are hoping to break even in three or four years Brendan Smialowski (AFP)
Depending on the variety, the end product can fetch between $3,000 and $4,500 a pound (about $6,615 to $9,920 per kilogram) Brendan Smialowski (AFP)
The trimmings and buds of marijuana plants are seen during a harvest at Alternative Solutions Brendan Smialowski (AFP)
French PM vows to supervise Australian sub deal himself
A mega deal to build Australian submarines was so important, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Monday, that he pledged to personally supervise the project as Paris and Canberra bolster defence ties.
French contractor DCNS last week beat off competition from Japan and Germany to seal the 12-submarine Aus$50 billion ($39 billion) contract, prompting Valls to make a surprise visit to Canberra.
"I will supervise, myself, the implementation of our commitments with the minister of defence who will be coming shortly to Australia," Valls told a press conference with Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull.
A computer-generated image of the 4,500 tonne Barracuda shortfin submarine that French firm DCNS is building for the Australian Navy
"It is an industrial and economic partnership. It is also a partnership that binds us for a very long time on other issues, including security and defence," he added.
Valls said it was a "win-win" deal, adding that Paris would fulfill all its commitments including job creation in Australia and the transfer of technology.
DCNS plans to build a 4,500-tonne conventionally-powered version of its 4,700 tonne Barracuda, which the company has described as "the most technically complex artefact in Australia".
The DCNS website says the new vessel would be "the recipient of France's most sensitive and protected submarine technology and will be the most lethal conventional submarine ever contemplated".
A Japanese government-backed consortium led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and German group ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, were also in the running. But Canberra said DCNS was considered "best to meet all of our unique capability requirements".
The tender process was politically sensitive domestically, with national elections expected in July.
Canberra insisted that all the subs be built in Australia amid fears any off-the-shelf purchase could kill off the domestic shipbuilding industry.
"We are an island nation and we need to ensure that we have the best defences. Now, that is the primary objective," said Turnbull.
"We partner with France to ensure that we have the best technology and we work together to develop the supply chain here in Australia right from the shipyard to every person, every firm that is contributing to this effort.
"This is a great national enterprise and it will drive our economic plan for jobs and growth in the 21st century."
Five years on, bin Laden doctor languishes in Pakistan jail
Five years after his fake vaccination programme helped the CIA track and kill Osama bin Laden, Pakistani doctor Shakeel Afridi languishes in jail, abandoned by the US, say supporters, in its bid to smooth troubled relations with Islamabad.
Afridi, believed to be in his mid-50s, has no access to a lawyer, and his appeal against a 23-year prison sentence has stalled.
"I have no hope of meeting him, no expectation for justice," his elder brother Jamil told AFP.
A newspaper bears the photograph of Pakistani surgeon Shakeel Afridi, recruited by the CIA to help find Osama bin Laden, at a newsstand in Karachi on May 24, 2012 Asif Hassan (AFP/File)
The former senior surgeon lives in solitary confinement in a small room, according to his lawyer, able to see his immediate family no more than six times a year.
Afridi's role in one of the most famous assassinations of recent decades is murky.
Details of how he was sought out by the Central Intelligence Agency are unclear -- Pakistani reports suggest officials at Save the Children acted as go-betweens, though the charity denies involvement.
What is known is that Afridi's job was to run a fake Hepatitis C vaccination program with the aim of obtaining genetic samples from Abbottabad, a garrison city and home to the Pakistan Military Academy, the country's answer to Westpoint.
It was there that Al-Qaeda chief bin Laden and his family had set up home in the mid-2000s, under the noses -- and some say protection -- of senior Pakistani military officers.
-- Deadly raid --
In the darkness of May 2, 2011, two helicopters full of elite Navy Seals touched down inside the compound.
In a dramatic raid just one kilometre (half a mile) from the military academy, they fought their way in and surprised the terror mastermind.
They shot him in the head and fled with his body, abandoning a damaged Black Hawk helicopter.
The killing was a huge success for US President Barack Obama, whose country was profoundly scarred by the attacks on New York and Washington of September 2001.
It decapitated Al Qaeda, badly hampering the organisation's ability to carry out further atrocities.
But it drove a wedge between Islamabad and Washington, with lingering suspicions that the Pakistanis had for years been covering up the whereabouts of one the world's most wanted men.
Weeks after the raid, Afridi was arrested and thrown in jail, accused of having ties to militants, a charge he has always denied.
Commentators believe Pakistan opted to punish Afridi in this way, rather than try him for treason -- aiding a foreign power -- because that would have entailed a public trial that would thrown a spotlight on Islamabad's role in harbouring bin Laden.
A furious US senate committee voted to cut aid to Islamabad by $33 million -- $1 million for each year of his original sentence.
The sentence was later cut by 10 years.
But since then, US pressure for Afridi's release has tapered off, and analysts say Washington has dropped the issue, preferring to concentrate on what its sees as more pressing matters -- such as negotiating with Islamist extremists in Afghanistan.
"The Taliban talks have taken priority over everything. The Americans don't want to muddy the water by raising other issues that are contentious," says Ahmed Rashid, a Pakistani author and security expert.
-- On the backburner --
Qamar Nadeem, Afridi's lawyer who has been denied access to him for the past two years, believes his client's best hope for early release is US pressure, "But so far they have not shown their support," he says.
He is allowed to see his wife and children every two months or so, according to Nadeem. But an appeal against his sentence that began in 2014 is bogged down in adjournments and an uncooperative government.
Though elder brother Jamil and his siblings won a Peshawar High Court decision granting them visiting rights, that verdict has not been implemented, and he has been told by his lawyer that pursuing the matter could result in harm to the doctor.
"They are not admitting the High Court decision. What can I say? I am pessimistic," he said.
Author Rashid says justice for Afridi has gone by the wayside for the US, which would rather Pakistan use its influence with the Afghan Taliban to encourage them to restart peace talks with Kabul.
"The Americans have ceased to criticise Pakistan on many fronts," he said.
But Michael Kugelman, an analyst at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington said all hope is not lost for Afridi.
He said, rather than having abandoned him, the Americans may have decided that shouting about it is not going to work.
"In Washington the issue has likely moved off the front burner because it's clear that Pakistan isn't willing to play ball and negotiate an arrangement that could set him free," he said.
"(But) the Afridi issue has never really gone away, and my sense is that US officials quietly press Pakistan about it from time to time."
Supporters of hard line pro-Taliban party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) pray for the slain Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden during a rally in Quetta Banaras Khan (AFP/File)
Jamil Afridi, the elder brother of jailed Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi who was recruited by the CIA to help find Osama bin Laden SS MIRZA (AFP)
Where they are now? Key players in the bin Laden raid
Five years ago, United States special forces shot and killed Osama bin Laden, ending a manhunt that began in earnest after his Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked planes and flew them into buildings in New York and Washington in September 2001.
Here are short profiles of some of the key players in the raid.
Barack Obama
A T-shirt reading "Osama Got Obama'd" is displayed at a souvenir stand near the White House in Washington in May 2011 Nicholas Kamm (AFP/File)
The unofficial slogan of President Barack Obama's victorious 2012 re-election campaign was stark in its simplicity: "Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive."
Having originally come to office in the aftermath of global financial meltdown, Obama had put America back on track, extricated its forces from the "dumb war" in Iraq and had seemingly won the smarter war against Al-Qaeda by ordering the mission to kill bin Laden.
Now -- five years after that victory -- Obama's second and final term is drawing to a close and the threat once posed by bin Laden's Al-Qaeda has been eclipsed by the rise of the Islamic State and renewed warfare in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya.
US Navy SEALS
In November 2014, a retired SEAL named Robert O'Neill went public with his account of the infamous raid, revealing himself to be the triggerman who had killed bin Laden, shooting him twice in the head and a third time once he had fallen to the floor.
The revelation provoked a backlash from fellow SEALs, who call themselves the "quiet professionals" and pride themselves on performing risky missions in humble anonymity.
O'Neill said he had wanted to share his story to help give closure to the family of victims of the September 11 attacks.
Since his revelation, O'Neill has embarked on a new career as a public speaker and security expert, making appearances on Fox News as a military analyst. He has also started a charity to raise money and awareness for special operations troops transitioning into civilian life.
Ayman Al-Zawahiri
Bin Laden's long-time deputy Ayman Al-Zawahiri took charge of Al-Qaeda following his boss's death.
But the Egyptian doctor's tenure has coincided with a steady decline in the group's prominence as the rival Islamic State group has conquered vast swathes of territory and Syria and Iraq, and carried out high-profile attacks in the West.
Analysts believe he is hiding in the porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, though, like his predecessor, the extent of his operational control over the network is unclear.
Pakistani author and analyst Ahmed Rashid says despite efforts to rebrand itself, and its putative ties with the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, the group's strength has dwindled in South Asia.
The brutality of the Islamic State, with its harsh sectarian line that declares all Shiites apostates, and its savage oppression of the lands it controls, have made Al-Qaeda appear moderate by comparison.
Bin Laden's wives
Bin Laden married five times, but by the time he fled to Pakistan around the spring 2002, he was accompanied by just three wives, including his youngest -- and reportedly his favourite -- Amal.
The Yemeni national was with her husband on the night of the US helicopter raid, according to a leaked Pakistani judicial commission report, which said they were awakened by what "sounded like a storm" after midnight.
Realising that a raid was under way, the family prepared to take their final stand. When Amal saw a SEAL pointing his weapon at the terror chief, she rushed at him as the man shouted "No! No!" and shot her in the knee.
All three widows were handed over to Pakistani authorities before being deported to Saudi Arabia a year later. Nothing has been heard from them since, though it is believed Amal was sent on to Yemen with her five young children.
Sohaib Athar
Pakistani IT professional Sohaib Athar became an overnight celebrity when he unwittingly live-tweeted the raid that killed bin Laden.
The 34-year-old was working on his computer in the early hours of May 2, when he heard the roar of rotor blades.
"Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event)," he wrote -- the first of many tweets that inadvertently broke the story to the world.
Athar's followers soared in the days that followed, peaking at over 100,000, and he was inundated with interview requests -- both from journalists, and Pakistani intelligence services, who memorably asked him "What is Twitter?".
Last month he moved his family once more, this time to Islamabad.
"Life has moved on," he says. "I never wanted to make it part of my personality or life story."
Still, he adds, he has kept some memorabilia, including parts of a damaged Black Hawk helicopter abandoned by US forces. "I've got a cable (and other things). They're in my store. They're lying there somewhere in a carton," he said.
Iran to grant citizenship to families of foreign 'martyrs'
Iran has passed a law allowing the government to grant citizenship to the families of foreigners killed while fighting for the Islamic republic, the official IRNA news agency reported Monday.
"Members of the parliament authorised the government to grant Iranian citizenship to the wife, children and parents of foreign martyrs who died on a mission... during the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988) and afterwards," it said.
Citizenship must be awarded "within a maximum period of one year after the request", IRNA added.
A woman walks past murals of Iranian soldiers marching during the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88), on Palestine square in Tehran Behrouz Mehri (AFP/File)
Iran's outgoing conservative-dominated parliament will serve until late May.
No figures are available on the number of foreign fighters killed during the Iran-Iraq war, but Afghans, and even a group of Iraqis, fought alongside Iranian forces against the regime of Saddam Hussein.
The law could apply to "volunteers" from Afghanistan and Pakistan who are fighting in Syria and Iraq against jihadists including the Islamic State group and Al-Nusra Front.
Shiite Iran is a staunch supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and provides financial and military support to his regime.
Tehran says its Fatemiyoun Brigade, comprised of Afghan recruits, are volunteers defending sacred Shiite sites in Syria and Iraq against Sunni extremists like those of IS.
The Islamic republic denies having any boots on the ground and insists its commanders and generals act as "military advisers" in Syria and Iraq.
Less than three months after launching an exploratory committee for a potential gubernatorial campaign in 2018, U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson said Monday he won't run governor.
Gibson, R-Kinderhook, said he'll finish his third term in the House of Representatives he already announced he won't seek re-election this year and will begin working as a visiting lecturer on leadership at Williams College in February 2017.
He also wants to spend more time with his wife, Mary Jo, and their three children.
"Therefore, I will not be running for governor in 2018," Gibson said in a statement. "At the conclusion of my term in the U.S. House of Representatives, I will be leaving politics and starting this new direction with my family. In the near-term, I will be closing my exploratory committee. For our donors to that committee, we'll be refunding contributions we've received."
Gibson traveled across the state in preparation for a gubernatorial campaign. He said Monday he visited 48 of New York's 62 counties.
Last year, he attended the Onondaga County Republican Committee's annual clambake fundraiser.
"I appreciate greatly the warm welcomes and support I have received, and the time so many have dedicated to our mission to change the state," he said. "For that I can only say thank you."
Ed Cox, chairman of the state Republican Committee, said Gibson "is the true definition of what it means to be a public servant."
"Chris leaves New York and the nation better for his service, and we are grateful for the time he dedicated to the people of our great state," Cox said. "We wish Chris, Mary Jo and their family well."
Before entering politics, Gibson served in the U.S. Army for 29 years. He earned numerous awards during his career and was deployed to Iraq and Kosovo. He also had a stint as a professor at West Point.
Gibson retired from the Army and ran for Congress in 2010. He defeated U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy by 10 points in the 20th Congressional District race.
In 2012, Gibson ran for re-election in the redrawn 19th Congressional District. He won that race, and won re-election again in 2014.
At the beginning of his third term, Gibson announced he wouldn't run for re-election in 2016.
By bowing out of the 2018 gubernatorial race, Gibson leaves Republicans with a smaller pool of candidates. Potential challengers include Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who challenged Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2014, and Carl Paladino, a Buffalo businessman who ran for governor in 2010.
Astorino lauded Gibson and said he considers the congressman a friend.
"While he is leaving the political arena, I hope that he will continue to be a voice for New Yorkers who are suffering in a stagnant economy and a state government under a massive cloud of corruption," Astorino said.
Top Sudan court lifts ban on newspaper: editor
Sudan's highest court has allowed a leading newspaper to resume publishing, nearly five months after the authorities banned it from printing, the newspaper's editor said on Monday.
Sudan's powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) had suspended the independent Al-Tayar newspaper in December after it published a series of editorials criticising the government over subsidy cuts on fuel and electricity.
The newspaper challenged the NISS in the country's Constitutional Court, which ordered that the ban on the daily be lifted.
In 2014 the offices of Sudanese daily newspaper Al-Tayar were raided and its editor Osman Mirghani was badly beaten Ebrahim Hamid (AFP/File)
"We will resume publishing in the coming days as we have the court's order," Al-Tayar's editor-in-chief Osman Merghani told AFP.
The newspaper's lawyer Nabil Adeeb confirmed the order.
Court officials were not immediately available to comment on the decision.
Al-Tayar was banned along with another newspaper, Al-Jarida, in May 2015 over reports that it had published articles about child abuse.
The publications were later allowed to resume printing, but Al-Tayar was banned again in December.
Security agents of NISS frequently seize the entire print runs of newspapers over articles they deem inappropriate.
Cambodia charges six as MP 'sex scandal' deepens
A Cambodian court on Monday charged six people -- including a local United Nations employee -- over an alleged attempt to bribe a woman so she would deny an affair with a top opposition party member.
It is the latest twist in a sex scandal that has gripped the country since phone recordings of conversations allegedly between lawmaker Kem Sokha and a 25-year-old hairdresser were leaked two months ago.
Rights groups say the legal proceedings are the latest attempt by Prime Minister Hun Sen to undercut a resurgent opposition trying to end his 31-year grip on power.
Earlier in 2016 phone recordings were released of conversations allegedly between Kem Sokha (pictured), deputy leader of Cambodia's opposition party, and a hairdresser Tang Chhin Sothy (AFP/File)
The woman initially denied the affair with the MP, who is the deputy leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party.
But she later told a court it had taken place and accused a prominent advocacy group, the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), of instructing her to deny the relationship.
On Thursday the country's anti-corruption unit arrested four members of the rights group along with a former group employee. They remain in custody.
"We have decided to charge them with bribing a witness," Ly Sophanna, spokesman for the prosecutor's office at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, told AFP.
A UN rights office staff member, Sally Soen, was also charged with being an accomplice to an attempted bribe, he added, although he has not been arrested.
Prosecutors have yet to reveal details of the alleged bribe.
Under the criminal code the group face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Khem Sokha has not publicly commented on the accusations against him.
A local administrator was jailed last week pending trial for allegedly bribing the hairdresser's family to pressure her into denying the affair.
In addition prominent political analyst Ou Virak will appear in court next week after being sued by Hun Sen's ruling party for defamation. He had suggested the sex scandal was aimed at damaging the opposition.
Hun Sen's main rival, opposition leader Sam Rainsy, has been forced to live in self-exile abroad to avoid arrest warrants which he says are politically motivated.
Hundreds protest over sacking of Hong Kong editor
Hundreds of protesters gathered Monday outside the headquarters of a Hong Kong newspaper where a respected editor was recently sacked after publishing a front-page story linked to the Panama Papers leak.
Around 300 reporters, activists and members of the public rallied over the firing of Keung Kwok-yuen, saying it was further evidence of deteriorating press freedoms in the semi-autonomous city as Beijing tightens its grip.
Keung was sacked overnight last month from investigative newspaper Ming Pao, whose former chief editor was stabbed by masked attackers in the street two years ago.
Protesters outside Ming Pao offices on May 2, 2016 demonstrating against the firing of editor Keung Kwok-yuen, which they say is further evidence of deteriorating press freedoms in Hong Kong as Beijing tightens its grip Isaac Lawrence (AFP)
His sacking coincided with the paper publishing a front-page story linking top Hong Kong businessmen and politicians to new revelations from the Panama Papers.
The trove of documents, released in April by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, has exposed how Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca helped China's rich and powerful funnel their wealth into tax havens.
"The public is very concerned over press freedoms in Hong Kong. We have been doing a good job... covering a lot of news including sensitive political issues such as human rights in China," said Phyllis Tsang, head of the newspaper's staff association.
"We demand a clear explanation (from the management) on the real reasons for the firing of Mr. Keung. Was there any relation to this kind of reporting?"
Protesters sat on the ground outside Ming Pao's offices Monday afternoon.
One banner read: "They can't fire us all."
Some also held up pieces of ginger -- which sounds "Keung", the editor's surname, in Cantonese.
"Hong Kong is a unique place in China where there is freedom of the press... Such freedoms could deteriorate if the bosses bow to pressure," said reader Stanley Ng, 55, an urban planner, who had joined the protest.
Lawmaker Emily Lau of the Democratic Party warned Beijing was "exerting a lot of pressure on media and many news organisations are willing to comply".
"Hong Kong people have to stick together to defend editorial independence," she said.
Reporters have said the decision to sack Keung was taken by Malaysian chief editor Chong Tien Siong, who is seen as pro-Beijing.
Chong was brought in two years ago to replace veteran investigative journalist Kevin Lau as chief editor, triggering protests by newspaper staff.
Soon after, Lau was stabbed in broad daylight leaving him severely wounded, sparking major concerns over reporting freedoms.
Russia's Lavrov to meet UN Syria envoy in Moscow Tuesday: govt
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is to host UN envoy Staffan de Mistura for talks on Syria in Moscow on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said.
"Talks between Mistura and Sergei Lavrov followed by a press conference will take place" in Moscow, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told AFP on Monday.
The talks will be held amid accusations by the United States and other supporters of the Syrian opposition that Russia has violated international agreements to back peace in the war-torn country.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is to host UN envoy Staffan de Mistura for talks on Syria in Moscow Yuri Kadobnov (AFP/File)
Washington and Moscow are the joint sponsors of the Syrian peace process, and de Mistura had made it clear that he sees little hope of progress without their agreement.
But the United States charges that Russia, while agreeing to support a ceasefire, has done little to rein in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces around Aleppo.
The head of Moscow's coordination centre in Syria, Lieutenant General Sergei Kuralenko, said on Sunday that talks to include Aleppo province in a so-called "regime of silence" -- or freeze in fighting -- had begun.
Kuralenko told reporters on Monday that those talks were still continuing.
Russia says it will not ask the Syrian regime to halt air raids on Aleppo as it believes they are helping to combat jihadist groups there.
Disgraced swim star Park begs to compete in Rio
Disgraced South Korean swim star Park Tae-Hwan literally got down on his hands and knees Monday and begged the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) to let him compete in the Rio Games.
The multiple Olympic medallist completed an 18-month drug ban last month after testing positive for a banned anabolic steroid in out-of-competition controls before the 2014 Asian Games.
But the 26-year-old remains barred from competing in Rio by a KOC rule banned athletes from representing the country for three years after the expiration of any doping ban.
South Korean swimmer Park Tae-Hwan at a press conference in Incheon on May 2, 2016, begged the Korean Olympic Committee to allow him to compete in the Rio Games Yonhap (YONHAP/AFP)
"I will be grateful if I could be given another chance to serve my country and put on a good performance for the South Korean people," Park told reporters at a press event in Incheon west of Seoul.
He then got down on his knees and bowed his head to the floor, in a traditional Korean gesture of extreme remorse.
Park was once the poster-boy of South Korean swimming -- courted by advertisers and idolised by fans.
He won 400m freestyle gold and 200m freestyle silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and two silver medals at the 2012 London Olympics, as well as 400m world titles in 2007 and 2011.
On his competitive return to the pool last month, he easily won the 100m, 200m, 400m and 1,500m freestyle events at the 88th Dong-A meet -- which doubles as a national trial.
His performance reignited debate around the fairness of the KOC regulation, which remains the only barrier to Park competing in Rio.
His positive doping test was only revealed in January last year, and was initially blamed by Park's management team on the incompetence of a doctor at the hospital where the swimmer was receiving treatment.
Militants threatened to slit our throats: Indonesian hostage
An Indonesian sailor told Monday how Philippine Islamic militants threatened to slit his throat during a terrifying kidnap ordeal, a day after he and nine other crew members were released.
The sailors were freed Sunday in the strife-torn southern Philippines after more than a month in the hands of Abu Sayyaf militants, and flew back to Jakarta.
The Indonesians were among about 20 foreigners abducted in a recent Abu Sayyaf kidnapping spree, and their release came just days after the militants beheaded a Canadian hostage.
Indonesian sailors arrive for a welcoming ceremony in Jakarta on May 2, 2016, after their release from kidnap by Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants Adek Berry (AFP)
The sailors, who were taken hostage in late March from a tugboat transporting a coal barge, were reunited with their families Monday after doctors confirmed they were in good health.
Crew member Julian Philip described how they were taken hostage by eight militants disguised in Philippine police uniforms, who boarded the tug from speedboats and tied up the sailors.
The barge was then abandoned, and the Indonesians were taken to an island and divided into two groups. They were moved every few days to avoid the military, which has launched an assault against Abu Sayyaf.
"We were all stressed out because they frequently threatened to slit our throats," he told reporters after the 10 were reunited with their families at the foreign ministry.
However, Philip added the militants did not harm them and he thought that in reality "they did not want any of us to die as they would not get any money".
- Questions over ransom -
He said he did not know whether a ransom was paid for their release.
"We were just put in a car and sent on our way and told to look for the governor's house," he said.
The sailors turned up at the house of a local governor on Jolo, a mountainous and jungle-clad island in the far south of the Philippines that is an Abu Sayyaf stronghold.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Monday the release had been a "long process as the situation on the ground was very volatile, with a high degree of complexity".
But she dodged questions about whether a ransom had been paid. The Abu Sayyaf does not normally free hostages unless ransom demands are met.
The militants had demanded $21 million for the release of Canadian John Ridsdel, whose severed head was found on a street in Jolo.
There were emotional scenes at the ministry as the sailors were reunited with their families, with Youla Lasut, one of the men's wives, giving tearful thanks.
"On behalf of my family I would like to thank the foreign minister and the company for their help in releasing my husbands and his friends," she said.
Authorities say the Abu Sayyaf is still holding at least 11 foreign hostages -- four sailors from Indonesia and four others from Malaysia, a Canadian tourist, a Norwegian resort owner and a Dutch birdwatcher.
Abu Sayyaf is a radical offshoot of a Muslim separatist insurgency in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines. Its leaders have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, but analysts say they are more focused on kidnappings for ransom than setting up a caliphate.
The Abu Sayyaf group Gal ROMA, Adrian LEUNG (AFP)
Baghdad car bomb against Shiite pilgrims kills 14
A car bomb targeting Shiite pilgrims killed at least 14 people in southern Baghdad on Monday, security and medical sources said.
An Iraqi security command said a suicide bomber detonated the explosives-rigged vehicle, while other officials said it was a car bomb.
At least 14 people were killed and at least 41 others wounded, security and medical officials said.
Iraqi security forces stand guard in Baghdad's heavily fortified "Green Zone" on May 1, 2016 Ahmad Al-Rubaye (AFP/File)
They said several women and children were among the victims.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion, but such attacks are usually carried out by the Islamic State jihadist group.
IS perpetrated a similar attack against pilgrims on the outskirts of Baghdad on Saturday, killing at least 23 people.
Many of the main thoroughfares in the city are closed in the days leading up to the annual commemoration of Imam Musa Kadhim's death, an important date in the Shiite Muslim calendar.
Kadhim, the seventh of 12 imams revered in Shiite Islam, died in 799 AD. The pilgrimage to his shrine in northern Baghdad has in recent years turned into a huge event that brings the capital to a standstill for days.
India should allow accused Italian marine home: Hague court
An international tribunal has ruled that an Italian marine accused of killing two fishermen in India should be allowed to return home pending trial, Italy's foreign ministry said Monday.
Salvatore Girone and fellow marine Massimiliano Latorre are accused of shooting the fishermen while protecting an Italian oil tanker as part of an anti-piracy mission off India's southern Kerala coast in 2012.
While Latorre was allowed to travel back to Italy in 2014 for treatment after suffering a stroke, Girone has been barred from leaving India pending the resolution of a dispute between New Delhi and Rome over which country has jurisdiction in the case.
Italian marines Massimiliano Latorre (R) and Salvatore Girone arrive at Ciampino airport near Rome, on December 22, 2012 Vincenzo Pinto (AFP/File)
He is currently living in Italy's embassy in New Delhi.
Italy initiated international arbitration proceedings in the case last year, referring the row to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague and asking it to rule on where the men should be tried.
In an interim ruling cited by Italy's foreign ministry to be officially announced on Tuesday, the PCA -- which helps resolve disputes among states -- found Girone should be allowed to return home until the arbitration process is complete.
"The decisions regarding his return will be arranged by Italy and India," the foreign ministry said in a note, adding it expected "a constructive attitude from India".
The detention of the marines, the murder charges and the long wait for the case to be resolved are sore subjects in Italy, with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi regularly flayed by opposition leaders for failing to get both men home.
"Happy for Salvatore Girone's return, I confirm our friendship with and desire to collaborate with India," Renzi wrote on Twitter.
Italy insists the oil tanker, the MV Enrica Lexie, was in international waters at the time of the incident.
India argues the case is not a maritime dispute but "a double murder at sea", in which one fisherman was shot in the head and the other in the stomach.
Italy's foreign ministry said the tribunal's decision was "good news for the two marines, for their families and... the government", which would immediately begin consultations with India so Girone could be returned "shortly".
Gay channel first to broadcast Eurovision in US
US television channel Logo, geared toward the LGBT community, will broadcast the May 14 Eurovision Song Contest final live in the United States, organisers announced on Monday.
The European Broadcasting Union said it had signed a deal with the channel, part of the Viacom group, making it the first US broadcaster of the event, to be held this year in Stockholm.
"The Eurovision Song Contest is now a truly global phenomenon and we are extremely happy that US viewers now get to join those all over Europe, Australia and Asia," the contest's executive supervisor Jon Ola Sand said in a statement.
Eurovision has for decades been a hugely popular event in gay culture circles Anders Wiklund (TT News Agency/AFP)
Last year, 197 million people watched Sweden's Mans Zelmerlow take home the grand final.
Logo, aimed at the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, is available in "nearly 50 million homes", according to the EBU.
Iraq in political limbo after Green Zone storming
Iraq's political reform process was in limbo Monday after protesters demanding a change of government reacted to weeks of stalling by storming parliament.
Security concerns were also high due to the presence in Baghdad of thousands of Shiite pilgrims, who were targeted for the second time in three days with a suicide bombing that killed at least 14 people.
Demonstrators pulled out of the Green Zone, where parliament is located, on Sunday evening, a day after breaching the walls of the fortified government district.
The Crossed Swords monument in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone on May 1, 2016, the day after protesters broke into the area Ahmad Al-Rubaye (AFP/File)
But the protesters, most of whom are followers of outspoken cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, also warned they would be back on the streets of Baghdad on Friday if their demands were not met.
Sadr supports Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's efforts to form a new cabinet of technocrats to replace the current government of party-affiliated ministers, accused of graft and sectarianism.
There was no clear plan of action emerging Monday from any of the main players and Sadr himself flew to neighbouring Iran, the main foreign broker among Shiite political blocs in Iraq.
"The leader of the Sadrist movement left at 11:00 am from Najaf airport to the Imam Khomeini airport" southwest of Tehran, a Najaf airport official told AFP.
"Sadr took two other clerics with him," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. A political source in Baghdad confirmed the information.
Iraq's lawmakers looked unlikely to hold another session this week however, with the main parliament building requiring a massive cleanup following Saturday's events.
Thousands of mostly Sadrist protesters pulled down blast walls around the Green Zone and stormed the chamber after MPs again failed to agree on reforms.
Some MPs were roughed up on Saturday and their vehicles vandalised, and lawmakers appeared wary of exposing themselves to another attack.
"It was decided to hold a parliamentary session next week in another place because the (parliament) hall was damaged," MP Abbas al-Bayati told AFP.
There was no official statement from the speaker on the issue however.
- IS claims fresh bombing -
Abadi called for those who committed violent acts on Saturday to be arrested, but his grip on Iraq's top job looked more tenuous than ever.
A senior official in the Dawa party, of which Abadi is a member, said there was discussion within the party of the premier's resignation.
"We are in a debate inside the party for the first time (on) the demand for Abadi to resign," the official said.
Since coming to power in September 2014, Abadi has faced tough opposition from his predecessor and fellow party member Nuri al-Maliki.
Abadi nonetheless enjoys the support of Western powers, who have warned that continued political deadlock risks hampering Iraq's fight against the Islamic State group, which seized control of large parts of the country in mid-2014.
Backed by a US-led coalition, Iraqi security forces have made significant gains in retaking territory from IS in recent months, but still face huge challenges in rooting out jihadist fighters from the western province of Anbar and the country's second city of Mosul.
As the "caliphate" the jihadists proclaimed nearly two years ago continues to shrink, they have increasingly reverted to targeting civilians in bombings in Iraq's cities.
IS claimed responsibility for Monday's bombing that left at least 14 dead, saying one of its suicide bombers had detonated a car bomb against Shiite pilgrims in southern Baghdad.
They were walking to the northern Baghdad shrine of Imam Musa Kadhim, whose 799 AD death is an important date in the Shiite Muslim calendar and is commemorated annually.
Another 23 people were killed in a similar attack on the outskirts of the Iraqi capital on Saturday.
The religious commemoration is due to culminate on Tuesday with tens of thousands of faithful converging on the shrine in Baghdad's Kadhimiya neighbourhood.
Gunmen kidnap Turks at stadium site afp (AFP)
Iraqi protesters climb over a concrete wall surrounding the parliament after breaking into Baghdad's heavily fortified "Green Zone" on April 30, 2016 Haidar Mohammed Ali (AFP)
A car bomb in southern Baghdad on May 2, 2106 targeting Shiite pilgrims killed at least 14 people Haidar Mohammed Ali (AFP)
The managing editor of the Watertown Daily Times says his newspaper stands behind the story they wrote on alleged inmate abuse at Ogdensburg Correctional Facility an article which led New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association President Michael Powers to call for a boycott of the publication Friday.
In an email, Watertown Daily Times Managing Editor Perry White wrote that the story "parallels findings of other journalists who have managed to get inside the state's tightly closed prison walls."
He added that NYSCOPBA was asked to comment on the story, and the union did participate. Powers told the newspaper that the allegations were unfounded the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision's Office of Special Investigations looked into the claims and a union spokesman said they stand behind the officers.
The story was published on Thursday. On Friday, Powers released a statement slamming the Watertown Daily Times and calling on NYSCOPBA members to boycott the newspaper and its sister publications.
"We did, after all, make numerous efforts to get statements from NYSCOPBA, its members and officials of the prison," White wrote. "NYSCOPBA's response was one sentence, as was the state's. No prison official was allowed (or will be allowed) to speak to the press. Under this cloak of secrecy, I'm uncertain how either NYSCOPBA or the state can claim the Times story was one-sided."
White also addressed the boycott, which he said is "emblematic of the bullying nature of NYSCOPBA, which seems to think that any newspaper that writes anything not entirely sympathetic to the union is twisting the truth."
"The Watertown Daily Times has been a fiercely independent newspaper for more than a century and a half, and neither NYSCOPBA nor any other group or organization has any influence over what stories we cover now, or ever," he said.
Here is White's full response to NYSCOPBA's boycott:
We stand behind the story we did on Ogdensburg Correctional Facility and the sometimes brutal treatment meted out to inmates there. The story parallels findings of other journalists who have managed to get inside the state's tightly closed prison walls, most notably a story earlier this month in the New York Times about the very topic we covered, and the union's iron-fisted control of the prison system.
We did, after all, make numerous efforts to get statements from NYSCOPBA, its members and officials of the prison. NYSCOPBA's response was one sentence, as was the state's. No prison official was allowed (or will be allowed) to speak to the press. Under this cloak of secrecy, I'm uncertain how either NYSCOPBA or the state can claim the Times story was one-sided.
As for the boycott, this is emblematic of the bullying nature of NYSCOPBA, which seems to think that any newspaper that writes anything not entirely sympathetic to the union is twisting the truth. The Watertown Daily Times has been a fiercely independent newspaper for more than a century and a half, and neither NYSCOPBA nor any other group or organization has any influence over what stories we cover now, or ever.
Hope that helps.
Perry White
Managing Editor
Watertown Daily Times
Liquor tycoon Mallya resigns from Indian parliament
Beleaguered Indian liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya on Monday resigned as a lawmaker, even as a committee was preparing to expel him from parliament over an unpaid billion dollar bank loan.
The 60-year-old, a part-owner of the Force India Formula 1 team who used to run a liquor empire and Kingfisher Airlines, left India on March 2 despite calls for his arrest and is believed to be in Britain.
"He has resigned from Rajya Sabha (upper house) of the Indian parliament," Mallya's spokesman told AFP.
Vijay Mallya, a part-owner of the Force India Formula One team who used to run a liquor empire, left India on March 2 owing more than $1 billion Prakash Singh (AFP/File)
Last week the ethics committee from parliament's upper house asked the embattled businessman to explain his conduct, after it unanimously decided to expel him over huge bank debts.
He reportedly travelled to Britain on a diplomatic passport while a group of public banks chased him for $1.43 billion in unpaid loans.
A two-time independent MP, Mallya has an arrest warrant against him over money laundering charges.
Once dubbed the "King of Good Times" for his lavish lifestyle, he represented his home state of Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha in 2002 and became a politician again in 2010, a term expiring in June 2016.
An active Twitter user, his profile continues to introduce him as a member of parliament.
Last month the Indian government revoked Mallya's passport, after he repeatedly failed to appear before investigators looking into financial irregularities at Kingfisher Airlines, which shut down in 2012 after several loss-making years.
India has requested British authorities to deport him to face investigations in his home country.
His massive debt has become a symbol of Indian banks' vast volume of bad loans -- meaning in default or close to it -- seen as a threat to financial stability in Asia's third-largest economy.
Turkish soldier killed in PKK bombing in southeast: army
One Turkish soldier was killed and 20 others were wounded when a car bomb blamed on Kurdish militants exploded in the Kurdish-majority southeast, the army said on Monday.
In a statement, the army said a total of 23 people were wounded in the blast which took place late on Sunday, 20 of them soldiers and three of them civilian family members.
The car bomb detonated near a military command complex in the Dicle district of the Kurdish majority province of Diyarbakir, a security source told AFP, blaming the attack on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Police officers look at a piece of debris outside the police headquarters in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep on May 1, 2016 after a bomb exploded, killing one police officer - (ILHAS News Agency/AFP/File)
The command post and an adjacent housing area for families was seriously damaged in the attack, the Dogan news agency reported.
Police stopped a suspicious car after the attack but the suspects inside opened fire, injuring a judge and three police officers before they fled, the agency said.
Turkey has been waging a major military offensive against the PKK, listed as a terror group by Ankara and much of the international community, after a two-year fragile ceasefire collapsed last summer.
Since then, hundreds of members of the Turkish security forces have been killed.
The renewed conflict has also struck at the heart of the country, with two attacks that killed dozens of people in the capital Ankara claimed by a PKK splinter group, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK).
The same group on Sunday claimed last week's suicide bombing in Bursa, Turkey's former Ottoman capital, which only killed the female bomber.
Over 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK took up arms in 1984 demanding a homeland for Turkey's biggest minority. Since then, the group has pared back its demands to focus on cultural rights and a measure of autonomy.
Holocaust survivors finally get coming-of-age blessing
Fifty holocaust survivors who were prevented from getting a traditional Jewish coming-of-age ceremony finally received it during an emotional event at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Monday.
The septuagenarians and octogenarians were given Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies, which are normally staged for male and female Jews at age 12 or 13, in an event held ahead of Israel's Holocaust Memorial Day.
The 13 men and 37 women had mostly missed their ceremonies due to the war and its after effects, so Israel's government organised a joint one at Jerusalem's Western Wall -- Judaism's holiest site for prayer.
Dozens of Jewish holocaust survivors wear the Tefilin or the Phylacteries and the Tallit prayer shawl as they read from the Torah scrolls during their Bar-Mitzvah Jewish ceremony, normally done at the age of 13-years-old, on May 2, 2016 Menahem Kahana (AFP)
The men and women filed into the two separate parts of the gender-divided site.
In the male area, the men read from the Torah while wearing small leather boxes called tefillin, containing religious verses, on their heads.
A number of the survivors cried during a funeral prayer sung by European Jews to commemorate the Holocaust.
Gal Moshe, an 80-year-old who came to Israel from Poland after World War II, said it was an emotional day.
"The memorial prayer moved me particularly as I thought of my family, and especially of my mother. I literally cried."
Moshe, who said he was unable to discuss the Holocaust, was never given a Bar Mitzvah in Poland.
After the war and emigrating, "the economic situation was so difficult for us that we didn't even think about doing the Bar Mitzvah."
"When I found out I could do a Bar Mitzvah now I wanted it a lot and I also asked my two grandsons to come with me. I was at their Bar Mitzvah and now they are at mine."
- Delayed by poverty -
For Jews, a Bar or Bat Mitzvah -- literally the son or daughter of commandment -- is when children become adults and are given new duties and responsibilities.
Dr Robert Rozett, director of the libraries at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Centre, said huge numbers of Jews suppressed their faith during the war -- meaning many thousands missed out on the ceremonies.
"For many, many people (Bar Mitzvahs) were not something they could have, either because they were in a place where there was no religious observance, because it wasn't allowed or maybe they were in a camp."
He said there were a number of reasons why those who missed the ceremony at the age of 13 were unable to do it once their lives stabilised, including poverty.
Others, like Yitzhak Rezink, found themselves in the Soviet Union where religion was frowned upon.
He survived the war in the Kovno ghetto in Lithuania but was "left alone after my parents were murdered".
After the war, the Soviet forces took control and religion was suppressed.
"The Russians took over at the end of the war and we couldn't leave until 1970," he said.
A 2015 study found that some 45,000 of Israel's estimated remaining 190,000 Holocaust survivors are now living in poverty, while estimates of those in America and other countries are also high.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is held on January 27 but Israel commemorates it separately on Thursday.
About six million Jews died at the hands of Nazi Germany and its allies during World War II.
Dozens of Jewish holocaust survivors dance after performing their Bar-Mitzvah Jewish ceremony, normally done at the age of 13-years-old, on May 2, 2016, at the Western Wall in the Jerusalem's Old City Menahem Kahana (AFP)
Deadly drone, artillery strikes launched against IS from Turkey: report
Turkish artillery have launched deadly strikes on Islamic State (IS) positions in Syria, while drones that took off from an air base in southern Turkey also pounded the jihadists, state media said Tuesday.
The strikes were in response to repeated rocket fire by IS jihadists inside Syria on the Turkish border region of Kilis that has killed 18 people inside Turkey since the start of the year.
The state-run Anatolia news agency reported that a total of 63 IS members were killed in the drone and artillery strikes but it was not immediately possible to verify the figures.
Syrians stand outside a damaged charity clinic for women and children following reported air strikes in the city of Azaz, on Syria's northern border with Turkey, on February 15, 2016 Mujahed Abdul Joud (AFP/File)
Turkish artillery howitzers struck IS positions, killing 34 IS extremists, the report said.
Four drones took off from Turkey's Incirlik air base, used by the US-led international coalition for air raids on the IS group, killing 29 extremists, Anatolia said.
The report did not specify which country the drones belonged to, saying they were part of the international coalition against IS. The drones struck some IS vehicles as well as five arms storage pits, it added.
Turkey's NATO allies have sometimes lamented that Ankara could do more in the fight against IS but Turkey appears to have stepped up efforts in the last weeks after a string of attacks on its soil.
A car bomb on Sunday struck the Turkish city of Gaziantep, a major refugee hub near the Syrian border, killing at least two policemen and wounding 22 people.
Turkish media reported that investigators suspect IS, which still controls territory in Syria on the other side of the border, of carrying out the attack.
Trump looks to smother Cruz as Indiana votes Tuesday
Republicans Donald Trump and Ted Cruz made last-minute appeals to Indiana voters Monday, as the billionaire looks to crush his rival for the White House nomination and pivot towards presumptive Democratic standard-bearer Hillary Clinton.
The "stop Trump" movement faces a moment of truth in the Midwestern state on Tuesday, as Cruz's campaign struggles to win over voters ahead of its potentially decisive primary.
"If we win Indiana, it's over," Trump told a rally in The Hoosier State, where a new NBC poll showed him 15 percentage points ahead.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses the crowd during a campaign rally at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum on April 27, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana John Sommers II (Getty/AFP/File)
Cruz was counting on Indiana acting as a Trump firewall, blocking him from receiving the 1,237 delegates necessary to secure the nomination at the Republican convention in Cleveland in July.
Mathematically eliminated from winning outright, Cruz has openly stated his goal is to snatch victory on a second ballot, when most delegates become free to vote for whomever they choose -- but which will only be held if Trump falls short of a majority.
Trump has so far amassed 1,002 delegates, according to CNN's tally. He needs just under half of the 502 in play in the remaining 10 contests to lock in the nomination. The map currently favors the billionaire, who is polling well ahead in the largest states yet to vote, California and New Jersey.
With momentum favoring Trump -- he has won the last six contests -- Cruz put on a brave face, telling reporters "the stakes are enormously high" and that he would stay in the race regardless of the Indiana outcome.
"I am in for the distance," Cruz said. "As long as we have a viable path to victory, I am competing to the end."
The underdog endured an awkward encounter in Marion, Indiana when he engaged Trump supporters who called on him to drop out.
"You are the problem," said a man holding a Trump sign, just inches from Cruz. "Indiana don't want you."
"Are you Canadian?" one of them challenged, referring to his birth in Calgary -- a frequent line of attack for Trump.
Should the conservative senator fall short in Indiana, even his supporters see an extremely steep road ahead.
Indiana's primary awards 30 delegates to the state's winner. The remaining 27 are awarded three each to the winner of the state's nine congressional districts.
If Trump sweeps the state "it could be over," former Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler acknowledged on MSNBC.
But if Cruz pulls off an upset, he would be strongly positioned in California, Tyler noted, citing Cruz's formidable ground game and superior organization in The Golden State, which votes June 7 on the final day of the Republican race.
- 'Let's focus on Hillary' -
Clinton, with her commanding lead over Bernie Sanders, needs only 21 percent of remaining Democratic delegates to win her party's nomination.
But Sanders, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist senator representing Vermont, wasn't throwing in the towel.
At a Washington news conference Sanders insisted the Democratic race would come down to a "contested" convention, and appealed to hundreds of so-called superdelegates in a bid to grab the nomination.
These number around 700 and, in contrast to pledged delegates, they can vote for any candidate at the party convention in Philadelphia in July.
Either candidate needs 2,383 delegates for victory. Currently Clinton has 2,176 including 510 superdelegates, while Sanders has 1,400 including 41 superdelegates, according to CNN's tally.
Even with a Sanders nomination a near impossibility, he insisted Monday that his focus on reducing economic inequality and the influence of "special interests and the billionaire class" in politics was resonating with voters.
Meanwhile Trump was already looking beyond Tuesday's contest to a general election matchup with Clinton.
"And then we can focus on crooked Hillary," he said. "Please, let's focus on Hillary."
The two have clashed repeatedly on gender issues, with Trump accusing Clinton of playing "the woman card" and saying that if she were a man she'd have no chance of winning.
Trump's brutal campaign trail insults have appalled many in the Republican Party.
But with Cruz disliked by many of his colleagues in Congress, and his campaign failing to rebound, there were increasing signs that the establishment has accepted backing Trump.
Former US senator Alfonse D'Amato of New York said that more and more of his fellow Republicans were "recognizing the inevitability" of Trump.
"The facts show Trump is on the way to victory," he told Fox News.
Supporters of Donald Trump, Carolyn Gibbs (L) and Cheryl McDonald (R) pose for photos in Burlingame, California, April 29, 2016 Gabrielle Lurie (AFP/File)
The "stop Trump" movement faces a moment of truth in the Midwestern state, as Ted Cruz's campaign struggles to win over voters ahead of its potentially decisive primary Joe Raedle (Getty/AFP)
Jill Huennekens waits for the arrival of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at her campaign stop on May 1, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana Joe Raedle (Getty/AFP)
Sudan says has 'sovereign rights' in dispute with Egypt
Sudan insisted on Monday it had "sovereign rights" over two border territories whose ownership has been the subject of a long-standing dispute between Cairo and Khartoum.
Sudan has regularly protested at Egypt's administration of Halayeb and Shalatin near the Red Sea, saying they are part of its sovereign territory since shortly after independence in 1956.
Since April, Khartoum has stepped up its claim to the territories after Egypt transferred two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia in a move that triggered street protests in Cairo.
"We will not let go of our sovereign rights on the Halayeb triangle," Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour told parliament, in reference to a dispute over border territories between Cairo and Khartoum, on May 2, 2016 Khaled Desouki (AFP/File)
"We will not let go of our sovereign rights on the Halayeb triangle," Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour told parliament on Monday.
"We have adopted legal and political measures to assert our rights in the Halayeb triangle."
Ghandour said Khartoum was also trying to get a copy of the agreement between Cairo and Riyadh on the transfer of the two islands in the Straits of Tiran.
"We need to gauge the impact of this agreement on our maritime borders," he told lawmakers.
Cairo's transfer of the two islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia became a key factor behind street protests in the Egyptian capital last month.
Iraqi forces retake road to isolated Anbar city
Iraqi forces advancing from two opposite directions in Anbar have joined up, reducing the isolation of the city of Haditha, military sources said on Monday.
A statement from Iraq's joint operations command coordinating the fight against the Islamic State group said forces retook several villages from the jihadists along the Euphrates River.
The Iraqi army's 7th division had been moving down the river from Al-Baghdadi and eventually joined up with forces from the counter-terrorism service moving up from the town of Heet.
Iraqi soldiers gather at the front line in al-Anbar desert, 50 kms north east of Haditha, where the country's forces are fighting the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, on March 9, 2016 Ahmad al-Rubaye (AFP/File)
"The road is therefore open between Heet and Haditha, via Al-Baghdadi, after an 18-month siege by the terrorists of Daesh," the statement said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.
"The siege of Haditha and Al-Baghdadi was broken after liberating the strategic highway between Baghdadi and Heet," Major General Ali Ibrahim Daboun, the army commander responsible for the area, told AFP.
However, a commander of Haditha's tribal fighters said the area of Al-Dulab, which lies in a loop of the Euphrates just east of Al-Baghdadi, was still in IS hands.
"The people are hopeful but for now nobody will take the risk of travelling on this road so long as Al-Dulab has not been retaken," Sheikh Abdullah al-Jughaifi told AFP by phone from Haditha.
Haditha, 210 kilometres (130 miles) northwest of the capital Baghdad, is the third city in the vast province of Anbar and lies near the country's second largest dam.
It has come under repeated attack since the jihadists launched their massive offensive in Iraq in June 2014, but the dominant tribes there were opposed to IS and able to hold them off.
For months, the city's main lifeline was the nearby military base of Al-Asad, which was only accessible by air.
"The engineering corps of the army continues to remove explosive devices to reopen the road for goods, oil products and food," Daboun said.
Iraqi forces, with backing from the US-led coalition that carries out daily air strikes against IS, has retaken significant ground from the jihadists in recent months.
IS still controls Fallujah city only 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad, but it is almost completely besieged by pro-government forces.
Israel says Erez crossing into Gaza to reopen
Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon on Monday announced the reopening of one of the main crossing points into the Palestinian Gaza Strip, which has been closed for at least eight years.
However he did not give a date for the reopening of the Erez crossing in the north of the territory, saying only that this "will not happen tomorrow or the day after".
"It is in our interests that a significant amount of truckloads of food continues to go to Gaza," a spokesman for Yaalon said in a statement.
Israelis and relatives of Avraham Mengistu, a 28-year old Israeli of Ethiopian descent who went missing after crossing into the Gaza Strip, hold posters as they rally on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing to the Gaza Strip on September 3, 2015 Menahem Kahana (AFP/File)
"It is our interest that Gazans live in dignity. Both from a humanitarian point of view and because this is a way to protect the peace, in addition to existing security deterrents."
Yaalon also spoke of the necessity to ease congestion at the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south, currently the only conduit for goods between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
He said that "at least half of what currently goes via Kerem Shalom" will be redirected to Erez.
Israel imposed a tight air, sea and land blockade on Gaza in 2006, designed to prevent the Islamist Hamas movement that controls the territory from rearming.
Bordered to the north and east by Israel and with the Mediterranean Sea to its west, the enclave is also subjected to an Egyptian blockade to the south.
Israel controls all but one of the crossing points with Gaza -- the Rafah crossing into Egypt,
New mass brawl erupts in Turkey parliament: TV
Ruling party and opposition Turkish lawmakers on Monday exchanged punches and hurled water bottles at each other as a new mass brawl erupted in parliament over changes to the constitution, television broadcasts showed.
Parliament's constitutional committee was meeting to discuss a government-backed proposal to strip MPs of their immunity, after last week's session also broke up in violence.
Television footage showed lawmakers from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democracy Party (HDP) fighting in the crammed committee room after a heated verbal confrontation.
Turkish Prime Minister and the leader of the Justice and Development (AKP) Ahmet Davutoglu attends AKP's provincial chairmen meeting in Ankara on April 27, 2016 Adem Altan (AFP/File)
The head of the HDP's faction in parliament, Idris Baluken, dislocated his shoulder in the fighting, reports said.
Several MPs were seen jumping onto tables and then dive-bombing the crowd of opposing lawmakers on the other side.
Others vaulted onto tables to get a better crack at kicking their opponents from above while some MPs sought to calm the tensions.
Water bottles and other objects were hurled across the room in some of the worst fighting ever seen in the Turkish parliament, in a new sign of the severe political tensions in the country.
The constitutional committee was due to discuss the AKP-backed plan to strip lawmakers of their parliamentary immunity.
It comes as the government has stepped up efforts to have pro-Kurdish lawmakers prosecuted over their alleged links with militants amid mounting tension in the Kurdish-majority southeast.
Government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus deplored the scenes of fighting in the national legislature.
UN signs up Cate Blanchett to boost support for refugees
The UN said Monday it had enlisted Oscar winning Australian actress Cate Blanchett to help raise awareness about the plight of refugees, amid a massive global displacement crisis.
The United Nations refugee agency said it had appointed Blanchett as its newest Goodwill Ambassador, a role long famously held by US film star Angelina Jolie.
"I am deeply proud to take on this role," Blanchett said in a statement, stressing that "there has never been a more crucial time to stand with refugees and show solidarity."
Australian actress Cate Blanchett, pictured on February 14, 2016, is appointed by the United Nations refugee agency as its newest Goodwill Ambassador Justin Tallis (AFP/File)
"We are living through an unprecedented crisis, and there must be shared responsibility worldwide," she added.
Last year, a record 60 million people worldwide were displaced from their homes, and more than one third of them were living as refugees, according to the UNHCR.
But solidarity has recently appeared to be in short supply in Europe for instance, which is facing surging xenophobia as it reels from its worst migration crisis since World War II.
"It feels like we're at a fork in the road, do we go down the compassionate path or do we go down the path of intolerance?" Blanchett said.
"As a mother, I want my children to go down the compassionate path," she added.
Ahead of the announcement, Blanchett had gone to Jordan to see for herself the massive operation there to help people displaced by Syria's brutal five-year conflict and to meet refugee families first hand and hear their stories, UNHCR said.
Before that, she had been working closely with the agency for over a year to raise awareness around the forcibly displaced, including a trip to Lebanon last year to meet stateless people.
UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi hailed Blanchett's appointment saying it would help "create better public understanding and support for refugees."
AUBURN Auburn's annual Seward Day ceremony in Auburn celebrated the legacies of both historic statesman William Seward and revered Boy Scout Harold Short.
Short, the first Boy Scout of Cayuga County and one of the agency's most tenured members until his death in 1995, originated Seward Day in 1948 as a way for the community to honor a local son, said Jeff Laduca, a regional Boy Scout supervisor.
Those intentions brought together several countywide Cub and Boy Scouts on Sunday for the 69th annual observance. The troops, packs and many from the community first congregated at the Seward House Museum for the scouts to organize into a marching order.
Then, at the tolls of the Old Wheeler bell at Auburn Memorial City Hall, the scouts marched down the South Street sidewalk to Seward Park with supporters in tow.
Among those to attend Sunday's ceremony included state Assemblyman Gary Finch, Cayuga County Sheriff David Gould and Auburn City Councilor Debby McCormick.
Finch recalled stories about Seward, who was secretary of state under presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, as well as a state senator and governor of New York.
"A man of small stature, but a giant," Finch said.
Gould who was an Eagle Scout himself told the young men to have pride in their scouting as well as their community.
"If you grow and you move away, you go to college whatever you choose to do, please always come back to Cayuga County because this is our home and we have to have pride in it," Gould said. "I appreciate everything you guys are doing for this community."
Mitch Maniccia, facilities manager for the Seward Museum, told the scouts that they are "the future leaders of our community, our state and our nation" and to look to Seward as a model of leadership.
Recalling Seward's past convictions such as abolition and the Alaska purchase, Maniccia said that the scouts should have the courage and strength to stand up and fight for their beliefs, while welcoming others to join their cause.
"That's what William Seward did throughout his career and his life not only for this community, or for his state, or even his country, but for all of mankind," he said. "As Boy Scouts, you are the next generation that can do that for all of us."
Senegal signs accord giving US forces permament access to the country
Senegal and the United States on Monday signed a defence accord allowing "the permanent presence" of American soldiers in the west African country, especially to help fight against the terrorist threat.
A key point of the accord will give US troops access to areas in Senegal, such as airports and military installations, in order to respond to security or health needs, according to officials, who did not talk about US bases in the country.
The accord allows for "the permanent presence of American soldiers in Senegal" and aims to "face up to the common difficulties in security" in the region, said Senegalese Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye at the signing alongside the US ambassador to Dakar, James Zumwalt.
Soldiers parade during the closing ceremony of the three-week joint military exercise between African, US and European troops, on February 29, 2016 in Saint Louis Seyllou (AFP/File)
After Ebola, which caused more than 11,000 deaths since late 2013 in West Africa, the US diplomat noted that the next crisis could be another epidemic, or a natural disaster calling for a humanitarian response "or a terrorist threat".
The accord sets out the rules for cooperation between the US and Senegalese forces and the conditions for access and for using installations while US soldiers are in Senegal, Zumwalt added.
It also allows for training to enable US and Senegalese forces "to be better prepared to respond together to the risks which threaten our common interests," he said.
Senegal has up to now been spared the deadly jihadist attacks that have hit neighbouring countries, killing 30 people in Burkina Faso's capital in January and causing 19 deaths at an Ivory Coast beach resort in March.
Obama still undecided about Hiroshima visit
The White House on Monday said it is still weighing a possible first presidential visit to Hiroshima, one of two Japanese cities bombed by a US nuclear weapon.
"We're obviously hard at work planning that trip," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said of a potential visit that could prove controversial.
"The president has been to Japan three or four times as president, and each time the president has traveled there, this question has come up and we've considered it each time."
The Atomic Bomb Dome at the Peace Memoral Park in Hiroshima Kazuhiro Nogi (AFP/File)
Obama will visit central Japan in late May for a Group of Seven summit.
Last month, Secretary of State John Kerry became the highest ranking US political figure to visit Hiroshima.
He said he was "deeply moved" by the experience and a "gut-wrenching display that tugs at all your sensibilities as a human being."
"Everyone should visit Hiroshima, and everyone means everyone," he added, fueling speculation that Obama would go.
Japan has long urged world leaders to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki to see the horrors of the atomic bombings and join efforts to eradicate nuclear arms.
But a presidential visit could rile Obama's opponents and some in the military whose predecessors carried out presidential orders to drop the bombs.
The visit would come at a particularly sensitive time. This December marks the 75th anniversary of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, in Obama's home state of Hawaii.
On August 6, 1945, the US dropped the world's first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing around 140,000 people, including those who survived the explosion itself but died soon after from severe radiation exposure.
Three days later, the US military dropped a plutonium bomb on the port city of Nagasaki, killing some 74,000 people.
The bombings are controversial in the United States, where opinion remains divided over whether their use in the closing days of World War II was justified.
Circus elephants' retirement home promises pampered life
When Mysore performed in the Ringling Brothers' traveling circus, she waltzed, she hooked her trunk onto another elephant's tail, and she stood on her hind legs in a line for a trick known as the long mount.
Now at the age of about 70 -- and one of the oldest Asian elephants in the world -- Mysore is retired at the circus's refuge in central Florida, where she gets weekly pedicures, daily baths, naps on a giant dirt pile, eats ground-up hay and more than six loaves of wheat bread a day.
"Boy, she loves the bread," says Janice Aria, the director of animal stewardship at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation, where Mysore arrived in 2006.
An elderly elephant named Mysore gets a pedicure at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation in Polk City, Florida on March 8, 2016 Kerry Sheridan (AFP)
This week, the remaining 11 elephants that traveled in the Ringling Brothers circus will join Mysore and 27 other pachyderms in retirement, ending a 145-year tradition of elephants performing in the circus.
"It is sad. You feel it is the end of an era," says long-time trainer Trudy Williams.
The circus has faced torrents of criticism from animal rights groups, including widely circulated videos from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that show a male handler hitting elephants with a pointed-stick, known as an ankus, before a performance.
Ringling Brothers was also embroiled in a 14-year lawsuit in which animal rights groups alleged the circus was mistreating its herd.
The case was eventually thrown out after a lead witness was found to have been paid for his testimony by animal rights groups.
By 2014, the plaintiffs, including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Humane Society, had been ordered to pay the circus $25 million to reimburse its legal fees.
- 'Outlawed' tool -
What finally ended the shows for traveling elephants were the actions of a handful of local municipalities in California, Massachusetts and Virginia that banned circus trainers from using the ankus, a stick about two feet long (0.6 meters) with metal hooks on the end.
Handlers employed by Ringling Brothers maintain that the tool is not used to harm to elephants -- which typically weigh 8,000 pounds (3,600 kilograms) -- but merely to signal them and give them tactile directions.
"You just don't stand around one of these animals without one of these tools," says Aria.
The logistics of being able to perform with elephants in some cities but not others became too much, Aria says, and the circus announced it would end elephant participation in its shows in 2016, two years earlier than planned.
- Retirement life -
The Ringling Brothers herd is the largest in the western hemisphere for Asian elephants, listed as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which says 40,000-50,000 exist in the world in highly fragmented populations.
The Polk City conservation facility rests on 200 acres (80 hectares) of land in central Florida where orange groves are a common crop.
It opened in 1995 as a place to keep the herd, to breed and raise young ones -- 26 babies were born here -- and to shelter those who simply "never took a shine to circus life," says Aria.
Female elephants are usually paired up and kept in fields that are fenced in with thin electrical wire.
Because of her age, Mysore stays in her own pen.
The males, which like to fight and spar with others, are kept alone behind sturdier bars. Their sperm is collected for breeding purposes, and sometimes a female is put into their enclosure for breeding, or they are sent out to other facilities to mate.
Here, the elephants are fed 2.5 tons of hay daily, and up to 800 pounds of fruit, veggies and greens. They are led into a barn in the afternoon, and chained for the night.
Aria says the elephants are so used to these tethers that they won't relax or eat without them.
But the facility has its critics, and many in the community of people who deal with elephants -- from zoos to sanctuaries to researchers of elephants in the wild -- are divided about what it means to treat elephants well.
"Their environment needs to stimulate them. That particular piece of property is not an environment that would stimulate an elephant," says Carol Buckley, who was part of a team that inspected the Polk City facility several years ago for the lawsuit.
"It is like a stockyard. It is flat, square, boring," says Buckley, who advocates for female-only elephant sanctuaries in which the animals are not dominated by humans and contact with people is kept to a minimum.
But Ringling Brothers trainer Erik Montgomery says people need to know how to live with elephants.
"The truth of the matter is elephants - especially Asian elephants -- are not going to be around in the future without people's help, without being in responsible, man-managed facilities," he says.
"As long as we can enrich their lives and have a relationship with them -- and enrich our own lives in the process -- I think that is the way to go."
Mysore -- who was born in India and named after a city there before being shipped to the United States in 1947 -- is a prime example of an elephant living a long and healthy life in the care of humans, Montgomery says.
"Without that human intervention, she wouldn't be here today," he adds.
A train car that used to transport elephants from city to city for the circus is parked March 8, 2016 at the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation in Polk City, Florida Kerry Sheridan (AFP)
A man with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) stands next to mechanical elephant "Ellie" as he hands out leaflets outside the Ringling Bros. Circus on April 2, 2016 in Washington, DC Mike Theiler (AFP/File)
A pair of female elephants stand together on March 8, 2016 in their enclosure at the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation in Polk City, Florida, where circus elephants retire Kerry Sheridan (AFP)
NZ's Helen Clark starts UN campaign tour in Paris
New Zealand's former prime minister Helen Clark was in Paris on Monday at the start of a tour of key world capitals in her campaign to head the United Nations.
Although Clark would become the first woman to hold the top job at the world body, she told AFP she had "never asked for supporters because I'm a woman."
But the former three-term prime minister added: "Of course I am a woman, and I bring that perspective to a job."
Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and administrator of the United Nations Development Program, speaks with reporters after being interviewed as a candidates for the position of UN Secretary-General April 14, 2016 at the United Nations Don Emmert (AFP/File)
"It holds generally true that women carry a broad range of family responsibilities" and give priority to health and education, said Clark, 66.
As such, women are a vector for peace and stability, she said, stressing: "Peace really matters to women."
Clark has headed the largest UN agency, the UN Development Programme, which implements the body's worldwide economic development operations, since 2009.
Clark plans to push her bid in each of the capitals of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- France, Britain, the United States, Russia and China -- the main gatekeepers in the process.
She and three other women are among the nine candidates so far in the running to succeed Ban Ki-moon of South Korea.
Bulgaria's Irina Bokova, head of the UN cultural agency UNESCO, is considered a strong contender and would be the first UN chief from eastern Europe, the only region that has yet to be represented in the top job.
Given an unwritten rule of regional rotation to fill the post, Clark may be at a disadvantage being from the same Asia-Pacific region as Ban.
But she said "this time the member states are looking more at the scale of what is needed" in a secretary-general, adding that she offered "pragmatic and effective" leadership.
The UN Security Council is expected to begin a round of straw polls in July to nominate a candidate.
UN Security Council to make Somalia visit ahead of vote
The UN Security Council will travel to Somalia this month to show support for elections scheduled in August, Egypt's UN Ambassador and this month's council president, Amr Aboulatta, said Monday.
The 15 envoys will also travel to Nairobi during the May 17-21 trip and hold meetings in Cairo with the Arab League, Aboulatta said, presenting the program of work for the month.
"The council will be going to Somalia to push for the elections," he said. "The election is supposed to be held in the month of August and we will try to give the support of the council."
A Somali soldier stands guard on December 2, 2013 outside the parliament session in Mogasishu Mohamed Abdiwahab (AFP/File)
The vote will be Somalia's second since 1991, when warlords ousted president Mohamed Siad Barre, plunging the country into years of war and chaos. The last elections took place in 2012.
Last month, the Security Council heard a report on the situation in Somalia during a special meeting in New York attended by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Voting for the upcoming general elections will take place through electoral colleges, but the council has said it should be a stepping stone to one-person, one-vote elections in 2020.
ANZ Bank profit slumps, repositions for future
ANZ Bank Tuesday posted an interim net profit slump of 22 percent on the back of impairment and restructuring charges that the lender said would reposition it for the future.
The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group's result for the six months to March 31 came in at Aus$2.73 billion (2.0 billion US), while cash profit, which strips out one-off and other items, was Aus$2.78 billion.
The unexpected drop was largely down to Aus$717 million in one-off net charges, including an accounting change to its software capitalisation policy, a writedown related to the value of its investment in Malaysias AmBank, and restructuring.
ANZ Bank posts an interim net profit slump of 22 percent on May 2, 2016, on the back of impairment and restructuring charges that the lender said would reposition it for the future Greg Wood (AFP/File)
In a surprise move, ANZ slashed its interim dividend seven percent to 80 cents.
With banks juggling new rules that demand they hold more reserves as a buffer against mortgages, and fears over rising bad loans, chief executive Shayne Elliott said the one-off charges meant "stronger profit before provisions growth in the future".
"This result reflects a challenging period for banking and we have taken the opportunity to move decisively and adapt to the changing environment by building a simpler, better capitalised and more balanced bank," he said.
"We have strong underlying drivers in our Australia and New Zealand consumer and small business franchise and we have seen good early progress in transforming Institutional Banking.
"This has been supported by prudent capital management and tight control of costs with total expenses, excluding the impact of specified items, being lower for the first time in seven halves."
Elliott added that banking was experiencing rapid shifts in technology and regulation against a backdrop of low economic growth, volatile financial markets and rising credit costs.
"Our priority is to take bold action to ensure ANZ is fit and ready for this future," he said.
"This means for the immediate future we are in a period of consolidation, simplification and transition."
The soft numbers follow Westpac posting a three percent rise in interim net profit to Aus$3.70 billion on Monday, disappointing investors who savaged the share price.
National Australia Bank reports its half-yearly results on Thursday.
US woman sues Starbucks for $5 mn over ice in cold drinks
A Chicago woman is suing Starbucks for more than $5 million, claiming the coffee giant is underfilling its popular hand-blended iced coffee, tea and other drinks, making customers overpay for beverages.
In a lawsuit seeking a jury trial and class action status, alleging false advertising and consumer fraud, Stacy Pincus accuses the world's biggest coffee retailer of serving its customers "much less than advertised -- often nearly half as many fluid ounces."
"As a result of this practice, Starbucks's cold drinks contain significantly less product than advertised, by design and corporate practice and procedure," the suit filed last week says.
Starbucks has rejected claims they are ripping off customers with their cold drinks by topping off many of the beverages large amounts of ice in an effort to fill up the cups to the required levels
Starbucks baristas typically fill cold-drink plastic cups to the top black line printed on the cups and the rest with ice.
Pincus says that since April 2006, she and millions of other Starbucks customers have been defrauded because Venti cup customers get only 14 ounces (0.4 liters) of beverage -- the amount of liquid obtained when filling cups to the top line -- even though menus state a 24-ounce total.
"Starbucks includes these three black lines on its cold drink cups to ensure that its employees fill these cups with less fluid ounces than are advertised on Starbucks's menu for a given cold drink," the lawsuit says.
"In fact, Starbucks instructs its employees to provide its customers with fewer fluid ounces than advertised."
Pincus is also challenging Starbucks's pricing, saying it charges more for cold drinks than hot ones.
An average Grande Iced Coffee, advertised as a 16-ounce drink, costs $2.65, while a hot Grande Freshly Brewed Coffee costs $2.10.
"Essentially, Starbucks is not only underfilling its cold drinks compared to how they are advertised, but it is charging a premium price for them as well," the filing reads.
"Starbucks's cold drinks are underfilled to make more money and higher profits, to the detriment of consumers who are misled by Starbucks's intentionally misleading advertising practices."
Starbucks dismissed the lawsuit as "frivolous and without merit."
"Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any 'iced' beverage," the coffee giant said in a statement.
"If a customer is not satisfied with their beverage preparation, we will gladly remake it."
Starbucks, which boasts more than 23,000 stores worldwide, reported $19.2 billion in net revenue during fiscal 2015, a 16.5 percent increase from the previous year.
Outrage over college's plans to sell political memorabilia
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) One of America's largest troves of political and campaign memorabilia is headed for the auction block, spurring protests from some who do not want to see it divided up and sold to private collectors.
The University of Hartford plans to hire an auction house and sell off more than 70,000 items, many of them donated by the late J. Doyle DeWitt, a former chairman of the Connecticut-based Travelers Cos. who spent decades amassing letters from presidents, campaign posters, buttons and advertisements dating to the 18th century.
The artifacts include a pin worn by George Washington at his inauguration and torchlights used by a political group, The Wide Awakes, which marched at night in northern states during the 1860 campaign in support of Abraham Lincoln.
In this Friday, April 29, 2016 photo, attorney Bruce Rubenstein, a collector of left-wing political memorabilia, stands in front of a 1920s drawing by political cartoonist Art Young on April 29, 2016 inside his office in Hartford, Conn. Rubenstein is threatening to sue the University of Hartford which plans to sell a political memorabilia collection to which Rubenstein donated hundreds of items. (AP Photo/Pat Eaton-Robb)
The university, which once served as home to the federally funded Museum of American Political Life, said it offered the collection for sale to other schools, the state, the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress. But no one has agreed to buy the entire collection.
"The university began the process of selling this memorabilia after determining that maintaining and exhibiting the collection as an academic resource on campus no longer matches the university's best interests and needs, and that maintaining the collection is not the best use of university resources," the school said in a statement.
One donor has threatened to sue to stop the auction.
Bruce Rubenstein, a Hartford attorney and collector of left-wing memorabilia, said he donated hundreds of artifacts in the early 1990s that became part of the collection, but only after getting assurances from the university they would never be sold. The items included early Communist Party material and pamphlets from the infamous 1886 Haymarket demonstration in Chicago that ended in a bombing.
"I intended the materials be put on public view, so people could come in and get an education experience from it," he said. "I didn't want it to be locked up for 10 years and then sold to plug some operational hole in the school's budget."
Hubert Santos, another attorney and collector, also has written to the U.S. attorney's office in Connecticut, asking it to investigate. He believes the federal government prohibited the sale of the collection as a condition of funding the museum.
"This is a national treasure," Santos said.
Lowell P. Weicker Jr., the former governor and U.S senator from Connecticut, helped secure that funding. He could not recall Monday what restrictions, if any, there were on the sale of the memorabilia. But, he said he is unhappy the school is considering an auction.
"It shouldn't be sold off obvious," he said. "You don't give these things so they can be sold or go into storage."
The school closed the museum in the summer of 2004 after determining it needed the space to expand its architecture program. An evaluation of school resources in 2012 included a recommendation to divest and sell the collection.
University officials said the collection, most of which was never put on display, was donated without restrictions and it has determined there is no legal impediment to the sale. The university said it has narrowed down the choice of auction houses to two.
The school said it has not yet determined the value of the collection or what it will do with the revenue generated from the sale. But Santos and Rubenstein said they were told the school was seeking $4.5 million.
"That's a fire sale," said Rubenstein, who said the items he donated were worth over $1 million at the time.
French leader says all new subs will be built in Australia
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) A new fleet of French-designed Australian submarines will be built in Australia on time and within budget, the French prime minister said on Monday.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls met his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull on Monday, a week after Australia announced that DCNS, a French state majority-owned company, had been chosen to design 12 diesel-electric submarines.
Australia expects the new fleet will cost at least 56 billion Australian dollars ($43 billion), although contracts have yet to be signed to create a DCNS-Australia partnership to build the world's largest conventionally powered submarines.
Valls dismissed speculation that at least the first 97-meter (318-foot) long Shortfin Barracuda subs would be built in a DCNS shipyard in France before construction shifted to the Australian manufacturing hub of Adelaide.
"The choice of the Australian government was to have the 12 submarines built in Australia and this was the basis of our agreement," Valls told reporters at Parliament House through a translator.
"This contract represents also a lot of work for the DCNS staff both in France and across the world," he said.
Turnbull, who faces an election on July 2, agreed that the "entire submarine fleet" would be built in Adelaide by Australian workers with Australian steel.
"The success of the project will draw upon the expertise and technology and resources of our two great countries," Turnbull said.
Both prime ministers agreed that the project boosted the strategic relationship between their countries to a new level and would bind them in a partnership for more than 50 years through submarine construction and maintenance.
Valls said he was personally overseeing the implementation of DCNS's commitments made in its bid against rival submarine manufacturers from Germany and Japan.
"We will meet our commitments be it on the timeline, on the financial commitments or on the performances of the submarines," Valls said.
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Australia chairman John White said last week that while he was disappointed that the German bid had not been selected, his company stood ready to support the French project through its personnel's experience in building submarines in Australia.
Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said he would seek an explanation from Australia to find out why the Japanese submarine wasn't selected.
Tiny Nebraska town says no to 1,100 jobs, citing way of life
NICKERSON, Neb. (AP) Half-ton pickup trucks crowd the curb outside the One Horse Saloon, a neon Coors Light sign in the window and rib-eye steaks on the menu, but otherwise Nickerson, Nebraska, is nearly silent on a spring evening, with only rumbling freight trains interrupting bird songs.
Regional economic development officials thought it was the perfect spot for a chicken processing plant that would liven up the 400-person town with 1,100 jobs, more than it had ever seen. When plans leaked out, though, there was no celebration, only furious opposition that culminated in residents packing the fire hall to complain the roads couldn't handle the truck traffic, the stench from the plant would be unbearable and immigrants and out-of-towners would flood the area, overwhelming schools and changing the town's character.
"Everyone was against it," said Jackie Ladd, who has lived there for more than 30 years. "How many jobs would it mean for people here? Not many."
Cedar Street in the center of the village of Nickerson, Neb., is seen at night, Tuesday, April 19, 2016. When regional officials announced plans to open a $300 million chicken processing plant employing 1,100 workers, residents packed the firehall and the village board unanimously voted against the plant, and a week later the company gave up, saying theyd take their plant and jobs elsewhere. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
The village board unanimously voted against the proposed $300 million plant, and two weeks later, the company said they'd take their plant and money elsewhere.
Deep-rooted, rural agricultural communities around the U.S. are seeking economic investments to keep from shedding residents, but those very places face trade-offs that increasing numbers of those who oppose meat processing plants say threaten to burden their way of life and bring in outsiders.
"Maybe it's just an issue of the times in which we live in which so many people want certain things but they don't want the inconveniences that go with them," said Chris Young, executive director of the American Association of Meat Processors.
Nickerson fought against Georgia-based Lincoln Premium Poultry, which wanted to process 1.6 million chickens a week for warehouse chain Costco. It was a similar story in Turlock, California, which turned down a hog-processing plant last fall, and Port Arthur, Texas, where residents last week stopped a meat processing plant. There also were complaints this month about a huge hog processing plant planned in Mason City, Iowa, but the project has moved ahead.
The Nickerson plant would have helped area farmers, who mostly grow corn and soybeans, start up poultry operations and buy locally grown grain for feed, said Willow Holliback, who lives 40 miles away and heads an agriculture group that backed the proposal.
"When farmers are doing well, the towns are doing well," she said.
The question of who would work the tough jobs was at the forefront of the debate, though many were adamant they aren't anti-immigrant. Opposition leader Randy Ruppert even announced: "This is not about race. This is not about religion."
But at a time when immigration issues, including calls to deport millions in the country illegally, have been a focus of attention in the U.S. presidential campaign, questions about both race and religion were raised at the raucous April 4 meeting where the local board rejected the plant. One speaker said he'd toured a chicken processing plant elsewhere and felt nervous because most of the workers were minorities.
More overtly, John Wiegert, from nearby Fremont where two meat processors employ many immigrants, questioned whether Nickerson's plant would attract legal immigrants from Somalia more than 1,000 of whom have moved to other Nebraska cities for similar jobs, along with people from Mexico, Central America and Southeast Asia.
"Being a Christian, I don't want Somalis in here," Wiegert, who has led efforts to deny rental housing to immigrants in the country illegally, told the crowd. "They're of Muslim descent. I'm worried about the type of people this is going to attract."
Others pointed out that, given Nebraska's unemployment rate is among the nation's lowest near 3 percent, few local residents would accept the entry-level jobs. While the projected wage of $13 to $17 an hour was above the region's current median wage for production workers, opponents argued meat processors generally have high turnover.
"We aren't against jobs," farmer John Schauer said. "We want clean, stable jobs."
The land is flat and rich around Nickerson, which is a half-mile off a narrow state highway about 30 miles from Omaha. The town's tidy but often faded single-story homes sit on large, grassy lots. There's a small cluster of commercial buildings, most of them long shuttered, and a grain elevator.
Its school was demolished more than a decade ago, leaving only the old playground, but residents take pride in the regional school district. Superintendent Jeremy Klein told the village board he worried new students would overwhelm local schools and that tax breaks would limit any extra money to hire more teachers.
"It's impossible to know what the size of that impact will be," Klein said days later.
People seem to be more willing than in earlier eras to fight developments they think could harm the environment or change an area's character, University of Nebraska-Lincoln economics professor Eric Thompson said, even if the development offers an economic boost.
Mason City official Brent Trout said he heard all the arguments against the $240 million plant planned some 200 miles northeast of Nickerson: What's the environmental impact of an operation that will process up to 22,000 hogs daily? How will 2,000 new jobs affect the isolated city of 27,500?
It's already hard to attract employers to Mason City, which has lost about 10 percent of its population over the last 30 years, he said. But, like Nickerson, Mason City's best selling point is its focus on agriculture: "This is what Iowa is. This is what Iowa does," Trout said. "We raise pigs and we process pigs."
Although Nickerson residents have succeeded in pushing away the industrial-scale operation, opponents said they're getting better organized to help the town that's targeted next.
"I've lived in exotic places, but I've never wanted to live anywhere but here," said Chuck Folsom, an 88-year-old former Marine and farmer. "We've got to protect the land. We're not making any more of it."
___
Follow Scott McFetridge at: https://twitter.com/smcfetridge .
Taylor Ladd does a back flip on the trampoline with the fire hall seen in the background, in Nickerson, Neb., Tuesday, April 19, 2016. When regional officials announced plans to open a $300 million chicken processing plant employing 1,100 workers, residents packed the firehall and the village board unanimously voted against the plant, and a week later the company gave up, saying theyd take their plant and jobs elsewhere. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
A building stands on Cedar Street in Nickerson, Neb., Tuesday, April 19, 2016. When regional officials announced plans to open a $300 million chicken processing plant employing 1,100 workers, residents packed the firehall and the village board unanimously voted against the plant, and a week later the company gave up, saying theyd take their plant and jobs elsewhere. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Randy Ruppert addresses residents during a meeting at the Nickerson, Neb., fire hall, Tuesday, April 19, 2016. When regional officials announced plans to open a $300 million chicken processing plant employing 1,100 workers, residents packed the firehall and the village board unanimously voted against the plant, and a week later the company gave up, saying theyd take their plant and jobs elsewhere. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Jackie Ladd and her husband Mike Ladd react in Nickerson, Neb., Tuesday, April 19, 2016, when told that a chicken processing plant decided not to built in their village. When regional officials announced plans to open a $300 million chicken processing plant employing 1,100 workers, residents packed the firehall and the village board unanimously voted against the plant, and a week later the company gave up, saying theyd take their plant and jobs elsewhere. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Residents of Nickerson, Neb., turn in their seats towards Randy Ruppert, left, during a meeting at the Nickerson, Neb., fire hall, Tuesday, April 19, 2016. When regional officials announced plans to open a $300 million chicken processing plant employing 1,100 workers, residents packed the firehall and the village board unanimously voted against the plant, and a week later the company gave up, saying theyd take their plant and jobs elsewhere. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Randy Ruppert addresses residents during a meeting at the Nickerson, Neb., fire hall, Tuesday, April 19, 2016. When regional officials announced plans to open a $300 million chicken processing plant employing 1,100 workers, residents packed the firehall and the village board unanimously voted against the plant, and a week later the company gave up, saying theyd take their plant and jobs elsewhere. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Randy Ruppert goes over a document with Kathy Drawbridge following a meeting at the Nickerson, Neb., fire hall, Tuesday, April 19, 2016. When regional officials announced plans to open a $300 million chicken processing plant employing 1,100 workers, residents packed the firehall and the village board unanimously voted against the plant, and a week later the company gave up, saying theyd take their plant and jobs elsewhere. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Randy Ruppert speaks on camera following a meeting at the Nickerson, Neb., fire hall, Tuesday, April 19, 2016. When regional officials announced plans to open a $300 million chicken processing plant employing 1,100 workers, residents packed the firehall and the village board unanimously voted against the plant, and a week later the company gave up, saying theyd take their plant and jobs elsewhere. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Residents of Nickerson, Neb., congregate outside the village's fire hall, Tuesday, April 19, 2016, following a meeting. When regional officials announced plans to open a $300 million chicken processing plant employing 1,100 workers, residents packed the firehall and the village board unanimously voted against the plant, and a week later the company gave up, saying theyd take their plant and jobs elsewhere. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Kathy Drawbridge chats with other residents following a meeting at the Nickerson, Neb., fire hall, Tuesday, April 19, 2016. When regional officials announced plans to open a $300 million chicken processing plant employing 1,100 workers, residents packed the firehall and the village board unanimously voted against the plant, and a week later the company gave up, saying theyd take their plant and jobs elsewhere. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Residents of Nickerson, Neb., congregate outside the village's fire hall, Tuesday, April 19, 2016, following a meeting. When regional officials announced plans to open a $300 million chicken processing plant employing 1,100 workers, residents packed the firehall and the village board unanimously voted against the plant, and a week later the company gave up, saying theyd take their plant and jobs elsewhere. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Nickerson, Neb., resident Chuck Folsom poses for a photo following a meeting at the Nickerson, Neb., fire hall, Tuesday, April 19, 2016. When regional officials announced plans to open a $300 million chicken processing plant employing 1,100 workers, residents packed the firehall and the village board unanimously voted against the plant, and a week later the company gave up, saying theyd take their plant and jobs elsewhere. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
The deadline to collect bids for the former Seneca Army Depot land has been closed for over two months, but the Seneca County Industrial Development Agency has refused to release the names of the 16 bidders, nor has it released a date of when it will.
The bidding deadline closed on Feb. 29 for the approximately 7,000 acres of land, which is the home to a herd of white deer. Some of the bids were for the entire swath of land, and others were for parcels, according to the IDA.
Officials from the IDA and from the Seneca County Board of Directors have been meeting to discuss the bids over the last several weeks.
The Citizen filed a Freedom of Information request on March 2 with the IDA to find out the names of the 16 bidders. That request was denied.
The Citizen filed an appeal on April 14, and that request was denied as well.
In its first denial letter dated April 7, the IDA cited the New York State Public Officers Law, "which permits an agency to deny access to records which 'if disclosed would impair present or imminent contract awards.'"
The IDA went on to say, "any amount of public disclosure of the details of the bids could undermine the integrity of this process. For example, simply releasing the names of the bidders would give interested parties (particularly the other bidders) the ability to discern the relative viability of the bids, and, as such, undermine the Agency's negotiation position."
The Citizen appealed, citing an opinion provided by Robert Freeman, the executive director of the New York State Committee on Open Government. Freeman said he did not believe releasing the names of the bidders would impact negotiations, and it's the burden of the IDA to prove how it could.
Freeman wrote that by releasing the names of the bidders, it may in fact "encourage creativity on the part of the submitters so that they can offer the best possible solutions in terms of the agency's needs or goals."
Robert Aronson, executive director of the IDA, wrote a letter to The Citizen denying its appeal.
"Given the nature of the Depot property, and the nature of the parties that submitted bids, it remains the Agency's position that any publicity at this sensitive point, even of the names of the bidders, could undermine the integrity of this ongoing process," Aronson wrote. "You indicate that Robert Freeman has offered to you his opinion that 'disclosing the identities of those who submitted proposals would not have an impact on the negotiation process.' With all respect to Mr. Freeman, the Agency, which has been involved in myriad negotiations aimed at effecting a transfer and productive re-use of the Depot property for nearly twenty years, would disagree with his opinion."
In an interview Monday, Freeman said the IDA's first and second denial fail to address exactly how releasing the names would hinder the negotiation process.
"The world knows that there's to be a sale of the former Seneca Army Depot land," Freeman said. "That being so, the statement that the denial, from my perspective, is based upon speculation. In my view, it is insufficient, particularly in consideration of the reality that the public is well aware of the IDA's intent to demonstrate that the disclosure of the bidders, without additional details regarding the bids, would impair the process."
Seneca White Deer Inc., a nonprofit conservation group whose mission is to save the white deer, partnered with the town of Varick to submit a bid for a 3,000-acre parcel. Robert Hayssen, Varick's town supervisor, said they'd like about 1,000 acres to go toward conserving the white deer and 2,000 acres would be developed however the town would like.
Aronson wrote that the IDA intends to release all the bid submission documents "at the appropriate time."
Wildfires sweep through mountain forests in north India
LUCKNOW, India (AP) Massive wildfires that have killed at least seven people in recent weeks were burning through pine forests in the mountains of northern India on Monday, including parts of two tiger reserves.
With dense black smoke billowing in the skies for kilometers (miles), authorities were urging villagers to be on alert and tourists to avoid traveling to the Himalayan foothills, popular during the summer for their cooler temperatures.
Dozens of fires were spreading unpredictably in the states of Uttarakhand and neighboring Himachal Pradesh, officials said.
A major fire in the forests at Ahirikot in Srinagar, Uttarakhand state, India, Monday, May 2, 2016. Massive wildfires that have killed at least seven people in recent weeks were burning through pine forests in the mountains of northern India on Monday, including parts of two tiger reserves.(Press Trust of India via AP) INDIA OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO ARCHIVE
"We are struggling to bring the situation under control," forest officer Bhanu Prasad Gupta said in the state of Uttarakhand.
After state firefighters were unable for months to put out the fires, the Indian government sent air force helicopters over the weekend to drop water on blazes covering nearly 23 square kilometers (8 square miles) of pine forests.
After areas were soaked from above, groups of villagers fanned out into the steaming jungle forests and used green-leafed branches to beat out the embers still glowing on the ground.
But the thick smoke and remote, mountainous terrain were making the job difficult for some 9,000 firefighters, army soldiers and forest guards deployed to battle the flames, Gupta said. Nearby villages were asked to stay on alert, but none has yet been asked to evacuate. Authorities set up 84 monitoring centers to receive reports of new fire outbreaks.
Hundreds of tourists have abandoned plans to visit the popular hill towns of Ranikhet, Almora and Pauri after smoke reduced visibility on steep mountainous roads. During the scorching summer, hill resorts in Uttarakhand are a favorite weekend getaway for people in New Delhi, 400 kilometers (250 miles) to the south.
While forest fires are not uncommon in the dense forests of the Himalayan foothills, there were more fires than usual this year and they were unusually intense, according to forest department official Ujjawal Kishan.
The fires began early in February, after a particularly dry winter and two years of poor monsoon rains, and raged out of control last week as summer temperatures soared.
In total, 13 districts of Uttarakhand have been affected, along with six districts in Himachal Pradesh.
The fires were worsening the already-high air pollution over northern India, while also destroying forest ecosystems and affecting nesting birds and other animals.
"This is the breeding season of many avian species," wildlife official Ramesh Unnwal said. "The fire has destroyed their eggs."
About 5 square kilometers (2 square miles) of protected forest land had been destroyed in the Corbett National Park and Rajaji National Park tiger reserves, but officials reported no evidence so far of any tiger deaths. The burned area is a small fraction of the parks' combined area of 1,340 square kilometers (520 square miles).
Officials said they are not sure what sparked the fires. Scientists say climate change brings warmer temperatures that dry up forests and exacerbate drought. The aftermath of the El Nino climate pattern has worsened drought conditions and could still weaken this year's monsoon, expected to begin in June.
In the first four months of this year, there have been more forest fires across India than in all of 2015 or 2014, according to Indian Environment Minister Prakash Javdekar. The government counted 20,667 wildfires up to April 21 this year in the Himalayan foothills and in central and eastern India, he told lawmakers. By comparison, there were 15,937 forest fires recorded in 2015, 19,054 in 2014, and 18,451 in 2013.
Meanwhile, authorities detained four men for questioning on suspicion they started some fires to clear land for real estate development.
Javdekar said, however, that even burned forest land would be left to regenerate and not be diverted to any other purpose.
"Not a single inch of forest land will be allowed to be encroached or diverted by anybody," Javdekar said.
Since Prince was divorced and childless, his estate will likely be split evenly among his siblings - but the process could take years
Five of Prince's six surviving siblings appeared in court Monday for the first hearing to start sorting out an estate certain to be worth millions, a task complicated because the star musician isn't known to have left a will.
In a hearing that lasted a little over 12 minutes, Carver County District Judge Kevin Eide formalized his appointment last week of Bremer Trust to handle matters involving the estate of Prince, who died suddenly last month at age 57.
Prince's sister, Tyka Nelson, requested the appointment so that the company can manage Prince's estate until an executor is named. Eide asked the packed courtroom whether anyone knew of a will, and the courtroom was silent. Lawyers for Bremer Trust said they hadn't found one but would keep looking.
Scroll down for video
Five of Prince's six surviving siblings appeared in court on Monday for the first hearing about splitting up the music legend's estate. Pictued center is Tyka Nelson, Prince's only full sibling
Prince's other half-siblings Norrine Nelson (center, in black), Sharon Nelson, Alfred Jackson, and Omarr Baker also appeared in court for the hearing on Monday
During the hearing, the judge asked whether there was a will and lawyers from Bremer Trust said they had not found one yet. Above Prince's half-brothers Alfred Jackson, left, and Omarr Baker, right, on Monday
The hearing didn't address how long the estate may take to settle or how much it is worth. Above, Prince's half-sister Sharon Nelson outside of court on Monday
'The court is not finding that there is no will, but that no will has yet been found,' the judge said.
The hearing didn't address how long the estate may take to settle or how much it is worth. His property holdings alone in Minnesota, including his Paisely Park studios in the Minneapolis suburb of Chanhassen, were worth about $27million, but music industry experts say his earnings after death are likely to be far more - in excess of $500million.
Prince (pictured above in February 2015) unexpectedly died on April 21 at the age of 57
He owned royalties for 30 albums, had regained ownership of his master recordings and is said to have been sitting on a cache of unrecorded material including an album with jazz great Miles Davis.
Prince was divorced and childless, so under Minnesota law his estate is likely to be split evenly among his surviving six siblings.
Tyka Nelson is Prince's only full sibling. Four half-siblings - Alfred Jackson, Norrine Nelson, Sharon Nelson and Omarr Baker - were present in court on Monday. A fifth, John Nelson, didn't attend.
Norrine Nelson and Sharon Nelson exchanged a hug in the courtroom, and family members chatted quietly. Tyka Nelson sat at a table between her two lawyers, while the four others sat side-by-side in the well, just behind their lawyers. None of the siblings commented afterward.
Frank Wheaton, an attorney for Alfred Jackson, said afterward that the siblings were cooperating in settling the estate.
'Everyone is in full accord,' he said.
Even if all the heirs really are in agreement, it's going to take a long time to settle the estate, Judith Younger, a University of Minnesota law professor who isn't involved in the case, told The Associated Press. Other claimants are likely to come forward, any disagreements with tax authorities over the value of the estate could result in litigation, and Minnesota courts haven't settled yet whether the rights to someone's likeness, such as Prince's, can be inherited.
'It a real mess that he left behind,' she said.
It's also possible that a will could turn up and that it could lead to fights over its validity, Younger said.
'I find it so hard to believe,' Younger said, noting how careful Prince was to keep control of his music and other business affairs. 'How can there not be a will?'
Susan Link, a Minneapolis estate attorney who also isn't involved in the case, said she doesn't think any of the lawyers involved will 'fan the fire' of any discord among the siblings and that their decision last week to sit the siblings down together was a good move. If the siblings can't agree, the personal representative will be going to court a lot, she said.
The hearing didn't address how long the estate may take to settle or how much it is worth. His property holdings alone in Minnesota, including his Paisely Park studios (pictured), were worth about $27million
Prince's half-sisters Sharon Nelson and Norrine Nelson arrive at Paisley Park recording studio after attending a hearing on the estate of Prince Rogers Nelson on May 2, 2016 in Chanhassen, Minnesot
Prince's half-sisters Sharon Nelson and Norrine Nelson stand outside of Paisley Park on Monday, following the court hearing
Attorney Frank Wheaton is escorted through the media as he exits the Carver County court house after the first hearing Prince's estate on May 2, 2016 in Chaska, Minnesota
Carver county Sheriffs deputies escort Prince's family and attorneys through the media as they exit the Carver County court house after the first hearing the musician's estate on May 2, 2016 in Chaska, Minnesota
A law enforcement official told the AP that investigators are looking into whether Prince, who was found dead at his home on April 21, died from an overdose and whether a doctor was prescribing him drugs in the weeks beforehand. The official has been briefed on the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Eide did not set a date for future proceedings. But he noted the intense interest in the case, as reflected by the throng of media and lawyers inside and outside what would normally be a quiet suburban courtroom.
North Carolina pair survive 5 days in New Zealand wilderness
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) An American exchange student and her mother were rescued over the weekend in the New Zealand wilderness, where they were lost for five days after setting off on a day hike. A helicopter pilot spotted the large "help" signs they had made from fern fronds.
After thinking she would die, 22-year-old Rachel Lloyd is now recovering in Wellington Hospital with her mother, Carolyn Lloyd, by her side. The pair recounted their ordeal to The Associated Press.
___
The word HELP spelled out with fern fronds is seen by Amalgamated Helicopters chief pilot Jason Diedrichs as he hovers over head in Tararua Forest Park near Wellington on New Zealands North Island, Saturday, April 30, 2016. Carolyn Lloyd and her daughter Rachel Lloyd from North Carolina in the U.S. made the help sign after they got lost for five days while on a day hike in the New Zealand wilderness.(Photo/Jason Diedrichs/Amalgamated Helicopters Via AP)
DAY ONE:
Carolyn Lloyd, 47, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was visiting her daughter for about a week, and Rachel was eager to show her some highlights of New Zealand. They had planned to hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a popular route that was the backdrop for some of the scenes in "The Lord of the Rings" movies. But the winds that day were too strong, so they changed their plans to do a day hike in the expansive Tararua Forest Park. It was close to where Rachel was completing a semester abroad at Massey University in Palmerston North, after finishing most of a double degree at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.
They left April 26, with Rachel's college backpack filled with some water, trail mix and other snacks. They followed orange markers up a trail for about three hours to a summit, where they enjoyed sunny weather and spectacular views. But as they set off to complete the circular trail, they couldn't locate any more orange markers and started following some blue markers down a hill. They figured it was a continuation of the trail but later learned it was probably a track for pest monitoring.
"It got very steep, very jungly," said Rachel. "The markers completely stopped after about 20 minutes but it was so steep it was physically impossible to climb back up."
Rachel said they continued descending until they got stuck on a tiny ledge atop a 182-meter (600-foot) waterfall. As it got dark, they straddled a tree and lay atop one another to keep warm, keeping each other awake so they wouldn't fall over the edge.
___
DAY TWO:
Carolyn opened a package of cheese, only to have it tumble over the waterfall.
The pair forged ahead by scaling down the cliff next to the waterfall.
"There would be one tiny little rock, or one tiny shrub, and we'd swing to the next thing," Rachel Lloyd said.
Once down, they followed a stream, figuring it would lead eventually to civilization. But they were forced to keep switching sides and Rachel fell head first into the icy water, hitting her head on a rock.
"That's when I started going downhill," she said. "I could never get dry and couldn't get warm the rest of the trip."
Carolyn piggybacked her daughter at times as they continued their journey. They made camp that night in a grassy clearing. They gathered ferns and lay atop each other as they tried to keep warm in temperatures which fell close to freezing.
"At this point it was very scary," said Rachel. "I was trying to stay positive, and constantly praying, asking God to be with us."
___
DAY THREE:
Their cellphones died. They had been able to get reception at the summit but hadn't been able to get service since they'd gotten lost. They had tried to conserve the batteries by switching off data and apps while periodically checking in to see if they could get reception.
Now they had no way to contact anybody, and nobody yet knew they were missing. Unknown to them, Carolyn's husband, Barry, had been sending messages, urging them to get in touch, but hadn't yet raised the alarm. And some hikers in the area stay overnight in huts, so the fact their car remained at the trailhead may not have seemed unusual.
The pair kept following the stream but it became deep and unpassable. They turned back and found a flat area with some sun and decided to stay put.
Rachel said her health was failing and she was losing her vision and hearing. They were rationing what little food they had left, eating as little as three peanuts at a time. They were able to drink fresh water from the streams.
___
DAY FOUR:
Carolyn came up with the idea of making the "help" signs. She made one in a creek bed and another in a clearing, using dead fern fronds, sticks and stones to make letters about 2 meters (6 feet) high.
"I was like a zombie, very dizzy, disorientated and cold, in my wet clothes," said Rachel. She said her mother was incredibly supportive.
Rachel said she thought she was going to die, and began relaying her last wishes to her mom, telling her who should get various souvenirs she'd collected in New Zealand.
"I was terrified as a mother," said Carolyn. "I was doing everything I could to keep her alive."
By this time, authorities knew something was wrong. Carolyn had failed to check out of her hotel and return her rental car. Police had been in touch with family members back in the U.S., who were frantic. Authorities sent search teams into the forest.
___
DAY FIVE:
Jason Diedrichs, chief pilot for Amalgamated Helicopters, said police asked him Saturday morning to try to find the missing women. He didn't know all the details, he said, but knew that after four nights missing, it could well be a mission to haul out bodies.
However, after 30 minutes of searching, at about noon, he spotted a "help" sign in a riverbed. As he circled overhead, he spotted the second "help" sign in a small clearing and saw the two women waving.
"To be honest, we were pretty relieved," Diedrichs said.
He said Carolyn seemed OK but Rachel was clearly weak and exhausted, and he needed to lift her into the helicopter. She was later admitted to Wellington Hospital suffering hypothermia and undernourishment. She said Monday she expected to stay there a couple more days, with her mother by her side.
Rachel said despite everything, she intends to finish her studies in New Zealand. And she wants to thank everyone who helped, including police, university officials and U.S. Embassy staff.
"I'm feeling so, so much better," she said Monday. "I've gotten a lot of food into me, I'm eating all the time, and just hearing my father's voice, and my brother's voice. On both sides of the equator, everyone's support and love has been so overwhelming."
Carolyn Lloyd, left, of Charlotte, N.C., and her daughter Rachel smile at Wellington Hospital in Wellington, New Zealand, Monday, May 2, 2016. The American pair were rescued over the weekend in the New Zealand wilderness, where they were lost for five days after setting off on a day hike. A helicopter pilot spotted the large help signs they had made from fern fronds. (AP Photo/Nick Perry)
Closings begin in 'Grim Sleeper' serial killer trial
LOS ANGELES (AP) The "Grim Sleeper" trial was nearly over Monday after months of testimony about a serial killer targeting black women during the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic on the south side of Los Angeles.
Lonnie Franklin Jr., 63, faces the death penalty if convicted of killing nine women and a 15-year-old girl between 1985 and 2007. All were shot or strangled, and their bodies were dumped in alleys and trash bins.
Perhaps the most riveting witness against Franklin is the only woman known to have survived the serial killings. She described being shot in the chest and sexually assaulted in 1988. Then, she noticed her attacker taking a Polaroid picture of her before pushing her out of his car.
FILE- In this Feb. 16, 2016, file photo, Lonnie Franklin Jr., left, appears in Los Angeles Superior Court for opening statements in his trial in Los Angeles. The Grim Sleeper serial killer trial is coming to a close in Los Angeles after months of testimony. Closing arguments were scheduled to begin Monday, May 2, 2016, in the trial of Franklin. Hes charged with killing nine women and a 15-year-old girl between 1985 and 2007. They were shot or strangled and their bodies dumped in alleys and trash bins in South Los Angeles and nearby areas. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool, File)
When Franklin was finally arrested 22 years later, the same photograph showing the wounded woman slouched over in a car was one of many pictures found in his possession, prosecutors said.
Franklin was connected to all ten victims named in this trial through either ballistics or DNA evidence, prosecutors said.
Many of the victims were prostitutes; others used cocaine. Franklin targeted women who were "willing to sell their bodies and their souls in order to gratify their dependency on this powerful drug," prosecutor Beth Silverman told jurors.
Before his arrest, a police officer posed as a pizza parlor busboy to collect DNA samples from dishes and utensils Franklin used at a birthday party.
Franklin's defense questioned the DNA evidence. Attorney Seymour Amster told jurors that many victims had DNA from more than one man on their bodies, and that more than 20 DNA tests excluded his client.
Both Silverman and Amster acknowledged disliking each other, and at times held heated arguments in the courtroom out of the jury's hearing.
At one point, Amster even yelled at Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy after she ruled that he would have to refile a subpoena.
"I am now going to rest. We have no defense," Amster declared, prompting gasps in the courtroom. "I cannot represent this man any further." However, he continued on with the case.
Authorities dubbed him the "Grim Sleeper" because the killings attributed to him stopped from 1988 to 2002. Dozens of police officers had failed to solve the case in the 1980s, and the renewed killings prompted the creation of a special task force. Franklin was finally arrested in 2010.
Killing of 5 Egyptians deepens mystery over Italian's death
CAIRO (AP) It was a brutal killing that became an international incident: An Italian graduate student disappeared from the streets of the Egyptian capital in January, his body discovered days later dumped by a roadside, tortured to death.
The death of Guilio Regeni quickly poisoned ties between Egypt and Italy, where suspicions were high that Egyptian police who have long been accused of using torture and secret detentions snatched the 28-year-old and killed him. Egyptian officials as high up as the president, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, in a national address have denied any police role, but in the months since the slayings, the Italian government has hiked the pressure for answers.
Then in March came a surprise twist. Egyptian police announced they had killed a gang of five Egyptian men they said specialized in kidnapping and robbing foreigners and, while searching the gang leader's sister's home, came upon Regeni's passport. Government media proclaimed that Regeni's killers had been found.
This undated handout image provided by a family member shows 62-year-old Tareq Saad, left, and his son-in-law Salah Ali, two of the five slain men shot by Egyptian police last month in relation to the death of Italian Ph.D. student Guilio Regeni. The Egyptian police announced it had killed them along with three others specialized in kidnapping and robbing foreigners and while searching the gang leader's home, came upon Guilio Regeni's bag. (Courtesy of Rasha Tareq Saad via AP)
The claim was immediately dismissed by Italian officials as not credible, with some Italian media calling it an outright cover-up. Even the editor-in-chief of Egypt's top government newspaper, Al-Ahram, wrote that Egyptian authorities had to get serious about uncovering the truth and that such "naive stories" about Regeni's death were only hurting the country.
Now accounts from witnesses and family members interviewed by The Associated Press raise further questions about the official version of the March 24 shooting in a wealthy suburban enclave outside Cairo. The Interior Ministry said security forces hunting for the gang stopped their minibus and the men opened fire on them, prompting a gunbattle in which all five were killed.
But witnesses say the men were unarmed and tried to flee as police fired on them, and that afterward police confiscated footage from security cameras near the scene. The men's relatives say they were house painters merely heading to a job in the suburb, Tagammu al-Khamis, when they were killed.
"I am accusing the Interior Ministry of trying to cover-up their wrong deeds by killing my family," said Rasha Tareq Saad, whose husband, brother and father were among those killed. "I want my family's rights."
The AP spoke to six witnesses in Tagammu al-Khamis as well as six relatives and lawyers of the slain men. No video footage from the shooting has emerged, so their accounts could not be independently verified. A number of other family members have been arrested, and their lawyers say they have not been allowed to see investigators' reports on the shooting.
Asked about their accounts, Interior Ministry spokesman Abu Bakr Abdel-Karim said he was not authorized to comment and referred questions to the prosecutor-general investigating the case. Repeated calls to the prosecutor-general's office went unanswered. A series of visits to the forensic agency, security headquarters in Cairo and the Tagammu al-Khamis police station were also unfruitful: Officers and prosecutors refused to speak to the AP.
The shooting adds a new layer to the mystery surrounding Regeni's slaying. The Italian Ph.D. student vanished after leaving his apartment on Jan. 25, the anniversary of the 2011 uprising that ousted autocrat Hosni Mubarak. It was a tense day: Police were out in force to prevent demonstrations commemorating the day, and in the preceding days dozens of activists had been arrested.
Regeni had been researching the labor movement, a sensitive subject in Egypt since labor activists are frequently protest organizers, and security agents are known to monitor activities by foreign researchers. The Interior Ministry has denied that police detained Regeni, and authorities have offered various possible scenarios for his death, including a personal dispute or a robbery. The day Regeni's body was found a top police official said he died in a car accident, until investigators reported the extensive signs of torture, including cigarette burns, broken bones and bruises from beatings.
The announcement about the gang is the closest that authorities have come to an explanation for Regeni's slaying. However, since the Italian reaction including Rome withdrawing its ambassador from Cairo Egyptian officials have avoided claiming the culprits have been found. In a speech this month, el-Sissi angrily rejected accusations that police were behind the Italian's death but he made no mention of any gang involvement. Abdel-Karim, the Interior Ministry spokesman, has said the gang was "a new variable" but that Regeni's death was still under investigation.
There has been no explanation of how the men allegedly obtained Regeni's passport if they were not his killers.
Two witnesses told the AP the five men were not armed. They said seven police vehicles surrounded the minibus they were riding in and opened fire on it around 6 a.m. As police sprayed the vehicle with bullets, several men jumped out and ran, only to be gunned down "in cold blood," one of the witnesses said.
Afterward, police confiscated footage from security cameras at nearby houses, said the two witnesses as well as four others who saw the aftermath of the shooting. The bodies were left in the street for around 10 hours, the witnesses said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
The slain men included three members of a single family 62-year-old Tareq Saad, his son Saad and his son-in-law Salah Ali along with a family friend, Mustafa Bakr and the minibus driver, 26-year-old Ibrahim Farouk.
Announcing their deaths, the Interior Ministry said the five had criminal records and claimed their gang had been posing as policemen to abduct and rob foreigners. It listed a string of nine robberies in the past months they were allegedly involved in though none of the cases were listed as involving kidnappings.
Their relatives acknowledge all except the younger Saad had past offenses but nothing involving theft. Tareq Saad and Ali were jailed for two years in the mid-2000s for impersonating police officers, after they were arrested at a checkpoint for carrying a police ID card, said Tareq Saad's son, Sameh. Later, he said, the two were jailed for drug possession.
Bakr served 15 years in prison for drug offenses, according to his ex-wife's uncle, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Rasha Saad, Ali's wife and Tareq Saad's daughter, said police were well acquainted with the family and often raided their homes in the lower-class Cairo district of Shubra al-Kheima after the men's release from prison.
She said her husband was a house painter and got a call from a client to paint a villa in Tagammu al-Khamis, and she showed the AP photos of past jobs he'd done. She said she suspected her husband was secretly having an affair so she asked her father and brother to go with him, along with Bakr, a friend of her father.
Sameh Saad, who went to the morgue with his sister to identify the bodies, said he was shocked by the injuries. All five were riddled with bullet wounds and "the heads were blown up so much you could see the bones of the skull," he said.
Later that day, police searched the house of one of Tareq Saad's sisters and said they found Regeni's passport, his university ID and other items in a bag decorated with the Italian flag. They arrested Tareq Saad's wife, one of his brothers and the sisters, along with her husband and son, on suspicion of hiding stolen goods. Days later, police arrested Bakr's ex-wife and her two sons, witnesses said.
Police photos of the bag's contents showed a man's black wallet, a woman's pocketbook with the word "love" on it, a watch and several pairs of sunglasses. Rasha Saad said the pocketbook belonged to her mother and the watch to her brother, Sameh. The wallet was her husband's and he carried it at all times, she said, causing her to suspect it was planted along with the other possessions. "They took the wallet from his jeans and put it in the bag," she said.
The siblings said their father, brother and Ali were in the Nile Delta region of Sharqiya on Jan. 25, the day that Regeni disappeared in Cairo.
Choking back tears, Ali's mother, Umm al-Hassan, said, the police killed her son "and now they are the ones investigating the case. Everything is in their hands. They control everything."
It appeared the driver, 26-year-old Farouk, had little connection to the other men. While the authorities quickly announced the identities of the four men, they initially listed the fifth as "unknown," until days later when they identified him as a gang member as well.
A lawyer for Farouk's family, Abdel-Wahab Youssef, told the AP that he had been refused access to forensic reports or investigation documents in the case.
"The secrecy of the investigation raises suspicions. They tell me these are instructions from the top prosecutor," he said.
Things to know: the benefits of students taking a gap year
WASHINGTON (AP) President Barack Obama's daughter Malia is taking a year off after graduating from high school before attending Harvard University as part of an expanding program for students known as a "gap year."
Many colleges are encouraging the delayed entry to give students time to recharge after the stress of high school and build upon life or work experiences with a structured program of volunteer work, part-time employment or travel and internships in foreign countries.
Gap years have been getting increased attention in the U.S., although the percentage of students who actually end up deferring their admission for a year or two remains small, typically by students from higher-income families. Some colleges have been seeking to make gap years more accessible to lower-income families by offering financial aid packages that allow students to explore different communities rather than jump right into college.
FILE- In this April 8, 2016, file photo, President Barack Obama and his daughter Malia walk from Marine One toward Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport. Malia is taking a year off after graduating from high school before attending Harvard University as part of an expanding program for students known as a "gap year." (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)
Some things to know about a gap year:
___
HOW IT WORKS
Not all universities allow it, and policies and programs vary. Upon receiving their admissions letter, students may request delaying their entry for a year or in less frequent cases, two years outlining what he or she plans to do during their time off. In Harvard admissions letters, students are actively encouraged to consider taking a gap year. Once approved, during that year a student may need to provide updates or otherwise check-in periodically to the university as a way to affirm their activities and continued interest in the university.
___
INTEREST IN U.S. IS GROWING
Gap years have long been popular in Europe, and more recently have begun to gain traction in the U.S. There are no official statistics kept on participation, but the Portland, Oregon-based American Gap Association found in surveys it conducted that about 30,000 to 40,000 students each year take advantage of the program. It said in 2015, participation increased about 22 percent from the previous year. The group reports that anecdotally, interest has been growing via participation in gap year fairs that promote the programs. Still, the percentage of students who defer admissions for a year or more remains very small generally 1 percent or less of an admitted class.
__
WHAT STUDENTS TYPICALLY DO
Many students opt to spend some time abroad studying, learning foreign languages or volunteering with nonprofit groups, according to a 2015 report by the American Gap Association, which cited students' desire to experience personal growth, see the world and take a break from the traditional academic track.
Popular destinations for students according to the group were parts of Central and South America, Israel, India and Australia. But many students also reported doing volunteer or political campaign work, taking classes, traveling or doing outdoor adventures in different regions of the U.S.
___
ADVANTAGES OF A GAP YEAR
Students who took a gap year typically say they entered college feeling more recharged and focused, while universities say those students often arrive on campus as better leaders more civically engaged and motivated.
Anecdotally, "students come away much more mature and take their studies more seriously, and they are more assured of what they want to do major wise," said Jeffrey Selingo, author of the book, "There Is Life After College."
More important, Selingo said, they know what they don't want to do.
___
LIMITATIONS
In part due to cost, students who take a gap year typically come from higher-income households, according to the American Gap Association. But Ethan Knight, executive director of the group, notes that some schools including Tufts University, Florida State University and the University of North Carolina have begun to offer some forms of financial aid to give cash-strapped students exposure to a broader range of experiences before college as well.
Knight also advises that a gap year isn't right for everyone.
He says a student might not be a good fit if he or she doesn't have a clear plan of learning or enrichment activities during the time off, or doesn't feel that they are academically burnt out and are looking forward to classes. "If a student really lights up at the prospect of going to college, then he or she is ready," Knight said.
___
Gender politics playing a big role for Trump, Clinton
WASHINGTON (AP) She has no stamina. She shouts. She's got nothing going for her but being a woman.
Donald Trump, after toying with gender politics off and on during the campaign, is all in on a mission to undercut Hillary Clinton's credentials by syncing up his say-anything campaign strategy with his alpha-male persona.
The same Republican presidential candidate who mocked "little" Marco Rubio, dismissed "low-energy" Jeb Bush and promises to "cherish" and "protect" women as president is dismissing the former senator, secretary of state and first lady as little more than a token female who's playing the "woman's card."
FILE - In this April 26, 2016 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks. After toying with gender politics off and on during the campaign, Donald Trump is all in on a mission to undercut Hillary Clintons credentials by syncing up his say-anything campaign strategy with his alpha-male persona. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
"Frankly, all I'm doing is stating the obvious," Trump insisted, when pressed about whether his latest Clinton take-downs were sexist. "Without the woman's card, Hillary would not even be a viable person to run for city council."
That message may resonate with one subset of the electorate and touch off outrage with another. But for many other voters, Trump's line of attack is simply baffling when America is trying to deal with far more complex matters of gender, such as gay marriage and transgender rights.
"It's a very simplistic notion of gender," said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. She said Trump is "putting out there a notion of masculinity" that fits with popular images of the presidency. "He is playing the gender card but not connecting it to policy, instead connecting it to his own macho image and his bravado."
Trump's messages about women represent a tangle of views, said Stanley Renshon, a political psychologist at the City University of New York.
There's the Trump who has no qualms about advancing women within his business enterprises, the Trump who disparages women just because "I can say whatever comes to mind," and the retrograde Trump who never outgrew an adolescent fixation with desirable and beautiful women, Renshon said.
"I don't think he knows how to talk about them in a modern sensibility way," said Renshon, adding that the billionaire businessman is not used to having his utterances corrected by anyone.
Trump rival Ted Cruz says the GOP front-runner's attacks on Clinton are unsurprising.
"Donald Trump has a real problem with strong women," Cruz said. "It's one of the reasons he can't win a general election."
Trump's issues with women in the campaign extend well beyond Clinton.
He has mocked the face of onetime GOP rival Carly Fiorina, who's now Cruz's running mate. He's retweeted an unflattering image of Heidi Cruz, the Texas senator's wife, juxtaposed with a glamorous photo of his wife, Melania. He engaged in a long-running dispute with Megyn Kelly of Fox News in which he dismissed her as a "lightweight" and "bimbo," and described her at one point as having "blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever."
He was just as unfiltered in his thoughts about women and their appearances before entering politics. In 1996, Trump reportedly described a Miss Universe who had gained weight as "an eating machine." He described Rosie O'Donnell as "my nice fat little Rosie" in a 2006 spat. In 2012, he tweeted that Huffington Post editor Arianna Huffington was "unattractive both inside and out."
None of this has seemed to bother Trump's loyal followers in the GOP primaries. But it could be a different matter in the general election, when Republican candidates typically suffer from a gender gap. In every presidential election since 1980, a greater proportion of women than men preferred the Democratic candidate.
"The challenge for Republican candidates has been trying to make some inroads into that women's vote," Walsh said. "And it's hard to imagine that Donald Trump, as of right now, is well positioned to be the Republican candidate to make those inroads, given the things that he's said."
A woman's candidacy can cut both ways with voters.
In an Associated Press-GfK poll in February, 14 percent said a female candidate would be at least somewhat less likely to get their vote. Likewise, 19 percent said a woman would be at least somewhat more likely to get their vote.
In the primaries, Trump has drawn a disproportionate amount of his support from men, with an average of 44 percent of men and 36 percent of women supporting him in states where exit polls were conducted.
Further, in a recent AP-GfK poll, women (66 percent) were slightly more likely than men (60 percent) to say they definitely would not vote for Trump in a general election.
Karlyn Bowman, a public opinion analyst at the American Enterprise Institute, cautioned that both Trump and Clinton "have a problem with gender in this election."
"Trump's is more serious," she added, pointing to his high unfavorable ratings with women, who make up a larger share of the electorate than do men.
Clinton, she said, shows significant weakness with white men, particularly white working-class males.
The question in November, Bowman said, will be whether party loyalty will trump gender politics.
"Party is really powerful in the end," she said.
Clinton is betting on gender.
After playing down women's issues in her 2008 campaign against Barack Obama, this time Clinton is embracing the historic nature of her candidacy and playing up her roles as grandmother and longtime advocate for women. She happily addressed Trump's accusations that she was making much of her candidacy as a woman.
"If fighting for women's health care, and paid family leave, and equal pay is playing the woman card," she said, "then deal me in."
As for Trump's intemperate remarks, Clinton told CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper" that she "could really care less."
"I have a lot of experience dealing with men who sometimes get off the reservation in the way they behave and how they speak," she said. "I'm not going to deal with their temper tantrums or their bullying or their efforts to try to provoke me."
___
Associated Press writer Scott Bauer in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and AP News Survey Specialist Emily Swanson contributed to this report.
___
Follow Nancy Benac on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nbenac
Raging fire destroys historic New York City church
NEW YORK (AP) A historic church in New York City was destroyed in a raging fire just hours after its Orthodox worshippers celebrated Easter.
The fire that started at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava in Manhattan sent plumes of smoke billowing into the city's skyline.
The fire was largely extinguished three hours later, but firefighters had to beat back small pockets of flames. Authorities didn't disclose the cause of the fire, which gutted the building and destroyed the church's roof.
Firefighters battle flames at the historic Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava, Sunday, May 1, 2016, in New York. The church that was constructed in the early 1850s and was designated a New York City landmark in 1968. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Fire officials said the church's caretaker ran inside the Gothic Revival style building to try to put out the blaze but suffered minor smoke inhalation and had to be rescued.
The fire broke out on the same day Orthodox Christians around the world celebrated Easter. The church website listed services on Sunday morning and an Easter luncheon at 1 p.m.
"I was just inside that building three hours ago," a heartbroken Dex Pipovic, told PIX11 News. He said he had been going to the church for seven years.
Alex Velic, 31, the caretaker's stepson, told the Daily News he lives next door. He said he smelled smoke and came outside and saw the church on fire.
"Once the fire caught the wood there was flames coming out of the top of the church. That's when people were going crazy," Velic said. "I'm in shock. I don't know what to say. It's sad."
Father Djokan Majstorovic, the church's priest, struggled to get to the fire scene blocked off by firefighters. "I feel like I'm in a nightmare right now," he said.
City Council Member Corey Johnson called for a full investigation into the cause of the fire.
"This is a huge loss for the community," he said. "In addition to being a place of worship, this historic building was a New York City landmark, treasured by the people" living in the neighborhood.
The church was designed by architect Richard M. Upjohn and was built in the early 1850s. One of its earlier congregants was novelist Edith Wharton, who wrote "The Age of Innocence." She was married in the church in 1885.
The Serbian Orthodox Church purchased the building from the Episcopal Diocese in New York in 1943. The building was designated a city landmark in 1968.
Firefighters battle flames at an historic Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava in New York, Sunday, May 1, 2016. The church was constructed in the early 1850s and was designated a New York City landmark in 1968. (Anindya Ghose via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
Firefighters battle flames at an historic Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava in New York, Sunday, May 1, 2016. The church was constructed in the early 1850s and was designated a New York City landmark in 1968. (Anindya Ghose via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
Firefighters battle a fire in the historic Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava, Sunday, May 1, 2016, in New York. The church that was constructed in the early 1850s and was designated a New York City landmark in 1968. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Firefighters battle a three-alarm fire in the historic Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava, Sunday, May 1, 2016, in New York. Authorities said no injuries were reported at the fire scene. The church was constructed in the early 1850s and was designated a New York City landmark in 1968. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Firefighters battle a three-alarm fire in the historic Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava, Sunday, May 1, 2016, in New York. Authorities said no injuries were reported at the scene. The church was constructed in the early 1850s and was designated a New York City landmark in 1968. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Firefighters battle a three-alarm fire in the historic Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava, Sunday, May 1, 2016, in New York. Authorities said no injuries were reported at the fire scene. The church was constructed in the early 1850s and was designated a New York City landmark in 1968. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Firefighters battle a three-alarm fire in the historic Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava, Sunday, May 1, 2016, in New York. Authorities said no injuries were reported at the fire scene. The church was constructed in the early 1850s and was designated a New York City landmark in 1968.(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Firefighters battle a three-alarm fire in the historic Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava in Sunday, May 1, 2016, in New York. Authorities said no injuries were reported at the fire scene. The church was constructed in the early 1850's and was designated a New York City landmark in 1968.(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Firefighters battle a three-alarm fire in the historic Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava, Sunday, May 1, 2016, in New York. Authorities said no injuries were reported at the fire scene. The church was constructed in the early 1850's and was designated a New York City landmark in 1968. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Firefighters battle a fire at the historic Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava, Sunday, May 1, 2016, in New York. The church that was constructed in the early 1850s and was designated a New York City landmark in 1968. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Firefighters battle a fire at the historic Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava, Sunday, May 1, 2016, in New York. The church that was constructed in the early 1850s and was designated a New York City landmark in 1968. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Firefighters battle a fire at the historic Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava, Sunday, May 1, 2016, in New York. The church that was constructed in the early 1850s and was designated a New York City landmark in 1968. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
SKorea worries about its citizens abroad after North threat
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Seoul has instructed its foreign embassies to take extra precautions against possible North Korean attempts to kidnap or attack South Koreans abroad, officials said Monday.
The instruction was issued in response to North Korea's threat to retaliate for last month's group defection by 13 North Koreans, who Pyongyang says were kidnapped by South Korean spies while working at a North Korea-owned restaurant in China.
South Korea's Unification Ministry spokesman Jeong Joon Hee reiterated Monday the 13 North Koreans decided on their own to resettle in the South. He said South Korea keeps close tabs on possible North Korean responses like an attempt to abduct or attack South Korean citizens in foreign countries.
The Foreign Ministry said it has instructed its overseas diplomatic facilities to be extra careful about the safety of its personnel and South Koreans staying abroad. It didn't elaborate.
Defections are a contentious issue for the rival Koreas. More 29,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, according to South Korean records. South Koreans defecting to the impoverished, authoritarian North is rare.
Childhood obesity, new research in Australia as US rate soars
A centre dedicated to researching and fighting childhood obesity in children aged 0-5 years has opened at the University of Sydney.
The Centre for Research Excellence in the Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood was established with AUD $2.4 million in funding from the Australian federal government.
Professor Louise Baur A.M., Department of The Childrens Hospital at Westmeads Clinical School in Sydney has been appointed leader of the centre and says she will be guiding a team of global investigators in bridging the current gaps in research.
At only five years old, 1 in 5 Australian children are overweight or obese, which is quite a startling figure. This may have implications for the rest of their life because early childhood is a period when physical inactivity and poor eating habits become established, Professor Baur said.
Previous studies have shown us that larger body size and rapid growth in the first two years predict the development of obesity, both in later childhood and in adulthood but that if we intervene in the early years of life, when biology is most responsive to change, we are more likely to have sustained effects on health, she said.
Our project aim is to target children in these early years before unhealthy habits are set in place and develop new methods of intervention that will lead to physical change (BMI), behavioural change and in time, policy change, Professor Baur said.
Childhood obesity remains on the rise in the US
Meanwhile, in the US, a new study has found childhood obesity rates are still on the rise despite heavy investment in healthy lifestyle campaigns.
Published online on the 26 April 20216 by the Obesity journal, scientists from the Duke Clinical Research Institute in North Carolina discovered between 2013 14, 33.4 per cent of children aged between 2 and 19 were overweight. Among those, 17.4 per cent were considered obese.
Researchers said these figures were similar to statistics reported in 20011 2012 and showed that childhood obesity in the US has been increasing from 1999 2014.
Lead author of the study, Dr Ashley Skinner from DCRI said the most disheartening finding was an increase in serve obesity with 2.4 per cent of US children fitting into this category.
An estimated 4.5 million children and adolescents have severe obesity and they will require new and intensive efforts to steer them toward a healthier course, Skinner said.
Studies have repeatedly shown that obesity in childhood is associated with worse health and shortened lifespans as adults, she said.
Skinner said the study had its limitations, relying solely on two-year data. She however believes the data used was a broader source than those use in studies showing obesity rates are declining in certain US population groups.
We dont want the findings to cause people to become frustrated and disheartened, Skinner said. This is really a population health problem that will require changes across the board food policy, access to health care, school curriculums that include physical education, community and local resources in parks and sidewalks. A lot of things put together can work, she said.
PICTURED: Editor selections from the past week in Asia
Colorful lanterns in Seoul for Buddha's birthday, an anti-Rohingya protest in Myanmar and sumo wrestlers holding babies were among editors' picks of images from around Asia last week.
Mar Roxas, one of five presidential candidates in the Philippines, greeted supporters with a week to go in the country's May 9 elections.
In Myanmar, a maroon robe-clad Buddhist monk wore a sticker saying "No Rohingya" during a protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Yangon. Myanmar nationalists believe the long-persecuted Muslim minority who live in the western part of the country are illegal immigrants and refer to them as "Bengalis."
FILE - In this Wednesday, April 27, 2016, file photo, a worker adjusts lanterns for the upcoming celebration of Buddha's birthday on May 14 at the Bongeun temple in Seoul, South Korea. Similar lanterns will be displayed in all Buddhist temples around South Korea for the public viewing. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)
Most parents try to keep their babies from crying. But in the ancient Japanese ritual of "nakizumo," sumo wrestlers holding babies make noises and faces to try to get the infants to cry. The baby who wails first or longest and loudest is deemed the winner. The tradition is based on the idea that crying babies will ward off demons and grow healthily.
In disputed Kashmir, a masked protester jumped in the air during a confrontation with Indian police while another man rode a horse past walls of snow on a mountain pass that was opened to traffic for the first time in about six months.
Much of India is reeling under a weeks-long heat wave and drought conditions. One girl carried drinking water on her head from an almost dried up well. The severe conditions have destroyed crops, killed livestock and left at least 330 million Indians without enough water for their daily needs.
___
This gallery was curated by Associated Press photo editor Karly Domb Sadoff in Bangkok.
FILE - In this Thursday, April 28, 2016, file photo, Mar Roxas, former Interior and Local government secretary and now a presidential candidate reaches out to greet supporters during a campaign sortie in suburban Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines. Five candidates are running for Philippine president in the coming elections on May 9. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)
FILE - In this Thursday, April 28, 2016, file photo, a nationalist Buddhist monk wears a sticker with the words " No Rohingya" during a protest outside the US embassy in Yangon, Myanmar against the US embassy's April 20, 2016 statement. Myanmar nationalists believe the long-persecuted and stateless Muslim minority in western Rakhine state who self identify themselves as "Rohingya" are illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh and refer to them as "Bengalis." About 400 protesters, including Buddhist monks marched in front of the embassy and held a protest rally.(AP Photo/ Gemunu Amarasinghe, File)
FILE - In this Friday, April 29, 2016 file photo, a man on a bicycle puts on a plastic rain poncho in front of a propaganda billboard in Beijing. The characters in the back read "prosperity, democracy, civility, and harmony," four of the "socialist core values" promoted by China's Communist Party. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
FILE - In this Friday, April 29, 2016, file photo, a referee puts on an ogre mask to face a baby, who is held by a college sumo wrestler, cry to win in the Naki Sumo, or crying baby contest at Sensoji Buddhist temple in Tokyo. The babies participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for healthy growth. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
FILE - In this Friday, April 29, 2016, file photo, aircrafts of the British aerobatics team Global Stars perform their flying skills during the inauguration of three-day air show in Ahmadabad, India. The three-day air show was the part of the Gujarat state Foundation Day celebrations. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
FILE - In this , Friday, April 29, 2016, file photo, a Kashmiri masked Muslim protester jumps in the air to avoid stones thrown at him by Indian police during a protest in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. Government forces fired tear gas and pellet guns to stop rock-throwing Kashmiri youths after Friday prayers. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File)
FILE - In this Saturday, April 30, 2016, file photo, a Kashmiri man on a horse rides past walls of snow on the Zojila Pass, about 110 kilometers (68 miles) north of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. The Srinagar-Leh national highway connecting Ladakh to the Kashmir Valley was re-opened to traffic Saturday after remaining closed for nearly six months. The highway passes through the high altitude Zojila Pass of the Himalayan range.(AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File)
FILE- In this Friday, April 29, 2016, file photo, an Indian girl carries drinking water in a plastic container on her head as she walk back to her village after collecting it from an almost dried up well in Samba district, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Jammu, India. Much of India is reeling under a weeks long heat wave and severe drought conditions that have decimated crops, killed livestock and left at least 330 million Indians without enough water for their daily needs. (AP Photo/Channi Anand, File)
Japan announces $7 billion plan to develop Mekong region
BANGKOK (AP) Japan's foreign minister announced a $7 billion initiative Monday to promote development in Southeast Asia's Mekong region, which encompasses parts of Vietnam, Laos and Thailand through which the river flows.
In a speech at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Fumio Kishida affirmed the importance of Southeast Asia's economic prosperity to Japan. He pledged 750 billion yen ($7 billion) in funding over the next three years to support development and growth in the region.
The initiative will help promote "connectivity" within Southeast Asian countries and Japan through funding in infrastructure and development of human resources. Thailand has become a key manufacturing and export hub for Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda.
"Invigorating the flow of goods and people by connecting the region through roads, bridges and railways is indispensable for promoting economic development," he said, adding that Japan's cooperation will go beyond just building infrastructure.
Over the next three years, "we will make use of funds amounting to 750 billion yen toward cooperation with the Mekong region," Kishida said. Specific details have not been announced but he said Japan would like to work together with the Mekong countries to create a framework to support the various efforts, including regional issues and theme-oriented support, in a detailed manner.
"I am expecting the day when, as a result of these efforts, I can depart from Bangkok eastward in the morning and arrive in Ho Chi Minh City at night and enjoy pho for dinner," he said.
Kishida also renewed his call for the establishment of a code of conduct in the South China Sea, where China, Vietnam, the Philippines and others have competing territorial claims, and that prosperity can only achieved if there is peace and stability in the region.
"In this region, there are issues of terrorism, extremism, and ensuring maritime safety and security," he said. "There are multitudes of issues now facing our ASEAN partners. We need to face these issues together, and maintain stability in this region. What is necessary is respect for diversity, and what is fundamental for that is the rule of law."
Referring to Thailand's current political situation and its military government, Kishida said he hoped that the people of Thailand will overcome the current difficult challenges and "play more active role in the region and international community."
Iran leader urges for nuclear weapons-free Korean Peninsula
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Monday appealed for a Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons during a visit to Tehran by his South Korean counterpart, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Rouhani met with South Korean President Park Geun-hye and said Iran seeks a world free of weapons of mass destruction, "especially nuclear" weapons.
"Our demand is a world free of weapons of mass destruction, especially freeing the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East from destructive weapons," he said.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, center left, and his South Korean counterpart Park Geun-hye, center right, leave Saadabad Palace after their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 2, 2016. Rouhani met with visiting South Korean President Park Geun-hye and said Iran seeks a world free of weapons of mass destruction, "especially nuclear" weapons. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Park said she has asked for Iran's help in implementing U.N. Security Council resolutions calling for the nuclear disarmament of the Korean Peninsula.
The remarks were aimed at North Korea, which has been hit with tough U.N. sanctions over its nuclear weapons program. North Korea has conducted four nuclear bomb tests and tested a long-range rocket earlier this year.
Park arrived in Tehran on Sunday for the first visit by a South Korean president to Iran since 1962.
Rouhani said both sides agreed to increase their bilateral trade from the current $6 billion per year to $18 billion in the coming years. They also signed a number of agreements in the fields of oil and gas, railroads, tourism, and technology, and agreed to re-establish direct flights between Tehran and Seoul.
Iran has been seeking to reintegrate into the global economic system since nuclear-related sanctions were lifted in January under a landmark deal with world powers.
Energy-hungry South Korea, the world's fifth largest importer of crude oil, used to be one of the biggest buyers of Iranian oil before the sanctions were imposed.
Iran said it has raised its oil and gas condensate exports to South Korea to 400,000 barrels per day, a fourfold increase since the nuclear deal was implemented.
South Korea and Iran established diplomatic ties in 1962 but their heads of states have never held bi-lateral talks.
Also Monday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, told Park that the Seoul-ally United States should not influence the extent of Iran-South Korean ties.
"Relations between Iran and South Korea should not be dependent on sanctions or influenced by the United States or any grudges U.S. may hold" against Iran, Khamenei's website cited the top cleric as saying.
"We believe there is a possibility for more understanding, agreement and cooperation with Asian countries, including South Korea," Khamenei also said.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye, left, speaks to the media during a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani after their meeting at the Saadabad Palace in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 2, 2016. Rouhani met with visiting South Korean President Park Geun-hye and said Iran seeks a world free of weapons of mass destruction, "especially nuclear" weapons. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, center left, and his South Korean counterpart Park Geun-hye, center right, leave Saadabad Palace after their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 2, 2016. Rouhani met with visiting South Korean President Park Geun-hye and said Iran seeks a world free of weapons of mass destruction, "especially nuclear" weapons. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
In this picture released by official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, meets with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, center, as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accompanies her in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 2, 2016. A portrait of the late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini hangs on the wall. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
In this picture released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, meets with South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 2, 2016. A portrait of the late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini hangs on the wall. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, left, and South Korean President Park Geun-hye, right, leave Saadabad Palace after their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 2, 2016. Rouhani met with visiting South Korean President Park Geun-hye and said Iran seeks a world free of weapons of mass destruction, "especially nuclear" weapons. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Reckitt Benckiser Korea apologizes for deadly sterilizers
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) British consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser apologized Monday for selling deadly disinfectants that killed or injured hundreds of people, five years after the government ordered the company to remove the products from shelves for health risks.
Ataur Safdar, head of the company's Korean division, said the company accepted responsibility and wanted to make amends. He spoke at a news conference, where he was interrupted by angry and tearful victims and family members who cursed and hit him.
A teenager with a big, green oxygen tank, and four other people who were apparently victims or their families, walked to the stage to confront Safdar.
A relative of a victim in the British disinfectant case complains to Ata Safdar, head of British firm Reckitt Benckiser Korea, right, during a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, May 2, 2016. British consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser has apologized and accepted responsibility for selling deadly disinfectants that killed or injured about 180 people. (Yun Dong-jin/Yonhap via AP) KOREA OUT
"Can you save the child? What are you going to do?" said a woman, in a scene broadcast live on television. "Why did it take so long?" a man said.
Safdar said the company will come up with a plan to compensate victims. It will also provide 10 billion won ($8.8 million) to a humanitarian fund for them, including 5 billion won it pledged two years earlier. He called the day "an important milestone in achieving progress for victims."
But the victims and families rejected the apology, appealing to the South Korean public to punish Reckitt Benckiser with a boycott. In a press conference outside the prosecutors' office, victims and campaigners lined up the products made by Reckitt Benckiser and asked the public not to buy them.
The apology came as South Korean prosecutors were investigating Reckitt Benckiser and about a dozen other companies for selling or manufacturing unsafe disinfectants. Earlier the company had refused to take responsibility.
In a separate statement after the press conference, civic groups representing the victims said they planned to file a complaint against Rakesh Kapoor, the British company's chief executive officer, and the company's seven other board members for failing to conduct safety tests before the disinfectant's launch in 2001 and until sales were discontinued in 2011.
The victims have already filed a complaint against 10 disinfectant manufacturers and 19 companies that sold the products.
The health risks from the disinfectants came to attention in 2011 with mysterious lung ailments that killed pregnant women. Later that year, authorities said the chemicals PHMG and PGH in the disinfectants that many South Korean households used to cleanse humidifiers were to blame.
Many South Korean households, especially those with kids, use a humidifier during the dry winter season. Many victims were children and pregnant women who had the most exposure to the chemicals emitted by their home humidifiers.
South Korea's government said it would compensate 221 confirmed victims, 95 of whom died. Another 309 people were denied government compensation on the grounds they had not proven their sicknesses were linked to the chemicals.
Civic groups said the government tally understates the number of victims. They estimate that the disinfectants killed 239 and injured 1,289. Officials are investigating and expect more applications for compensation.
Reckitt Benckiser sold millions of bottles of liquid disinfectant, called Oxy Ssak Ssak, containing the harmful chemicals for about a decade and was blamed for 100 deaths.
A report posted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health says the chemical PHMG can pose "a critical health hazard when inhaled in the form of droplets." The NIH has also recorded acute toxic effects for both PHMG and PGH.
An Australian court recently ordered Reckitt Benckiser to pay 1.7 million Australian dollars ($1.3 million) in penalties after ruling that the company misled consumers about the effectiveness of a popular painkiller.
The Federal Court ruled the company deceived Australians by selling Nurofen painkillers marketed as relief for specific ailments, such as back pain and period pain, when all of the products contained an identical amount of the same active ingredient, ibuprofen lysine.
___
Lee can be reached on Twitter: www.twitter.com/YKLeeAP
Her previous works can be found on: http://bigstory.ap.org/content/youkyung-lee
Ata Safdar, head of British firm Reckitt Benckiser Korea, bows during a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, May 2, 2016. British consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser has apologized and accepted responsibility for selling deadly disinfectants that killed or injured about 180 people. (Yun Dong-jin/Yonhap via AP) KOREA OUT
A relative of a victim in the British disinfectant case complains to Ata Safdar, head of British firm Reckitt Benckiser Korea, right, during a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, May 2, 2016. British consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser has apologized and accepted responsibility for selling deadly disinfectants that killed or injured about 180 people. (Yun Dong-jin/Yonhap via AP) KOREA OUT
A relative of a victim complains to Ata Safdar, head of British firm Reckitt Benckiser Korea, right, during a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, May 2, 2016. British consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser apologized Monday for selling deadly disinfectants that killed or injured hundreds of people, five years after the government ordered the company to remove the products from shelves for health risks. (Yun Dong-jin/Yonhap via AP) KOREA OUT
Afghan police officer kills wife in public, then himself
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) An Afghan official says that a police officer shot his wife in public before shooting himself in the country's eastern Paktika province.
Nesar Ahmad AbdulRahimzai, deputy provincial police chief in Paktika, said on Monday that the man accused his wife of having affairs. He then shot her in front of a crowded public market before shooting himself.
The police officer was pronounced dead on the scene, but his wife died later in a local hospital.
Yemeni government suspends participation in peace talks
KUWAIT CITY (AP) The United Nations envoy for Yemen says the country's government delegation has suspended its participation in peace talks aimed at ending fighting in the impoverished Arab country.
U.N. envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a statement that the Yemeni government stopped participating in plenary sessions held in Kuwait on Sunday because of developments in the governorate of Amran, which reportedly came under rebel attack.
The statement says he has received assurances from the warring parties that they are committed to resolving difference without participating in joint sessions, and that the U.N. hopes to resume the talks.
UK Labour Party suspends councilors in anti-Semitism dispute
LONDON (AP) The anti-Semitism dispute bedeviling Britain's Labour Party ahead of an election Thursday has continued with the suspension of three city councilors.
The party said Monday that Nottingham City councilor Ilyas Aziz has been suspended pending an investigation. Salim Mulla, a Blackburn with Darwen city councilor, was suspended hours later.
Burnley councilor Shah Hussain was then suspended for telling an Israeli soccer player on Twitter that Israel was treating Palestinians the way Hitler treated the Jews. He told Britain's Press Association he would fight the suspension, suggesting that Jews who found his comment offensive should consider "what the rest of the world thinks" about Israel's treatment of Palestinians.
Britain's Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn sits aboard a London bus as he waits to address the crowd at a May Day rally in central London, Sunday May 1, 2016. Corbyn has condemned anti-Semitism, and has set up an independent review of anti-Semitism and other alleged racism within the party, following issues prompted by party members over the last few days. (Anthony Devlin / PA via AP) UNITED KINGDOM OUT - NO SALES - NO ARCHIVES
The moves follow the suspension last week of two other Labour figures, including former London Mayor Ken Livingstone, who was on the Labour party's executive council.
Aziz had suggested on Facebook that it might have been wiser to create Israel in the U.S., and that Israel could be relocated "even now." Mulla was reported to have posted derogatory comments about Zionist Jews.
Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has launched an independent review of anti-Semitism and racism within its ranks.
The party's London mayoral candidate, Sadiq Khan, says the controversy may damage his hopes in Thursday's election.
___
Hungary aiming to drive Uber ride-hailing app out of country
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) The Hungarian government wants to drive out ride-hailing app Uber from the country while proposing new legislation to crack down on unlicensed passenger transport, officials said Monday.
Taxi drivers have held several demonstrations against Uber and unlicensed drivers, slowing traffic in Budapest and petitioning authorities to ban the U.S. company, whose European headquarters are in Amsterdam.
Uber was "consciously and cynically breaking every Hungarian law," said Janos Fonagy, state secretary at the Ministry of National Development. "The aim is to make impossible in Hungary the activities of this company which ignores the rules, and totally oust them from Hungary."
FILE - In this April 26, 2016 file phot taxi drivers line up their vehicles at Heroes' Square during their demonstration against the use of Uber rideshare application in downtown Budapest, Hungary. The Hungarian government wants to drive out ride-hailing app Uber from the country while proposing new legislation to crack down on unlicensed passenger transport, officials said Monday, May 2, 2016. (Zoltan Mathe/MTI via AP, file)
The government has proposed new legislation increasing penalties for unlicensed drivers who could lose their license for up to six months and their cars for up to three years and banning apps like Uber for up to a year.
Fonagy said after a meeting with representatives of 16 taxi companies and transportation groups that parliament was expected to approve proposals later this month. He also urged taxi drivers to meet users' demands, for example, by increasing the use of apps.
Earlier, Uber said the planned rules, which could affect 1,200 drivers and 150,000 users, could be unconstitutional and violate EU law.
"This unprecedented proposal destroys much-needed jobs ... and will cut the country off from exciting digital developments being embraced across Europe and the world," Zoltan Fekete, Uber's general manager in Hungary, said in a statement.
For their part, taxi drivers said they planned to go ahead with a protest scheduled for Tuesday afternoon which would block traffic on roads in downtown Budapest, including the Chain and Liberty bridges, which span the Danube River.
"There is nothing new in the government proposals. We've heard these promises before," protest organizer Geza Gottlieb said. "The only thing authorities would really need to do is enforce existing regulations."
Uber Technologies, Inc. is based in San Francisco.
Iran criticizes US presence in the Persian Gulf
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Iran's Supreme Leader criticized the U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf region on Monday, saying American forces should go back to the Bay of Pigs, state media reported.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a group of teachers Monday that American military drills in the region were proof of U.S. arrogance.
"They sit together, scheme and say that Iran must not hold war games in the Persian Gulf. What a foolish remark! They come here from the other side of the globe and stage war games. What are you doing here? Go back to the Bay of Pigs. Go and hold exercises there. What are you doing in the Persian Gulf? The Persian Gulf is our home," said Khamenei. State TV broadcast part of his speech.
His remarks were an apparent reference to the 1961 failed invasion of Cuba by 1,500 CIA-trained exiles. Muslims also view pigs as unclean animals as the Quran prohibits followers of Islam from eating pork.
Khamenei also urged education officials to add other languages to their foreign language programs, saying limiting the curricula to English was a mistake.
"The language of science is not English alone. Insisting on promotion of English alone is unhealthy," said Khamenei. "Other languages like Spanish, French, German and Eastern languages are the languages of science, too."
Khamenei also reiterated his criticism about the conspicuous spending habits of Iran's increasingly prominent wealthy upper class, saying the government needed to regulate consumption patterns. Critics have drawn attention to the wave of new luxury cars present in Tehran and other major cities.
"I have many times warned but the consumption patterns have not been amended. The nouveau-riche kids with those cars in the streets are there for this reason, he said.
Nutrient supplements can give antidepressants a boost: Uni of Melbourne and Harvard study
A international evidence review conducted jointly by researchers from the University of Melbourne and Harvard University has found certain nutritional supplements can increase the effectiveness of antidepressants.
Omega 3 fish oils, S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), methylfolate (bioactive form of folate) and Vitamin D, were all amongst the supplements found to boost the effects of antidepressants.
The researchers examined 40 clinical trials worldwide, alongside a systematic review of the evidence for using nutrient supplements (known as nutraceuticals) to treat clinical depression in conjunction with antidepressants such as SSRIs, SNRIs and tricyclics.
Head of the ARCADIA Mental Health Research Group at the University of Melbourne, Dr Jerome Sarris, led the meta-analysis, published online late last week in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
The strongest finding from our review was that Omega 3 fish oil in combination with antidepressants had a statistically significant effect over a placebo, Dr Sarris said.
Many studies have shown Omega 3s are very good for general brain health and improving mood, but this is the first analysis of studies that looks at using them in combination with antidepressant medication, he said.
The difference for patients taking both antidepressants and Omega 3, compared to a placebo, was highly significant. This is an exciting finding because here we have a safe, evidence-based approach that could be considered a mainstream treatment, Dr Sarris stated.
Good evidence for Vitamin D, not so much for folic acid
The University of Melbourne research team also found good evidence for methylfolate, Vitamin D, and SAMe as a mood enhancing therapy when taken with antidepressants. The team reported mixed results for zinc, vitamin C and tryptophan (an amino acid). Folic acid did not work particularly well, nor did inositol.
A large proportion of people who have depression do not reach remission after one or two courses of antidepressant medication, Dr Sarris said.
Millions of people in Australia and hundreds of millions worldwide currently take antidepressants. Theres real potential here to improve the mental health of people who have an inadequate response to them, he said.
Dr Sarris stated medical professionals may be hesitant to prescribe nutraceuticals alongside pharmaceuticals due to a lack of scientific evidence around effectiveness.
Medical practitioners are aware of the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids, but are probably unaware that one can combine them with antidepressant medication for a potentially better outcome, he said.
The researchers found no major safety concerns in combining the two therapies, but said people on antidepressants should always consult their health professional before taking supplements.
Were not telling people to rush out and buy buckets of supplements. Always speak to your medical professional before changing or initiating a treatment, Dr Sarris said.
Hundreds gather in Hong Kong to protest editor's dismissal
HONG KONG (AP) Around 400 people gathered in Hong Kong on Monday to protest a veteran newspaper editor's dismissal that triggered concerns about press freedom in the semiautonomous Chinese territory.
The dismissal last month of the Ming Pao newspaper's No. 2 editor, Keung Kwok-yuen, came after the newspaper published a report on the "Panama Papers" document leak revealing offshore business dealings of the rich and powerful. The newspaper said Keung was dismissed to save operating costs.
The South China Morning Post said journalists, activists and politicians attended the rally outside the Ming Pao Industrial Center. Protesters carried signs saying "protect journalists, protect Ming Pao, protect press freedom."
Protesters try to pierce balloons during a rally outside the Ming Pao's office building in Hong Kong Monday, May 2, 2016. Around 400 people gathered Monday in Hong Kong to protest the dismissal of a veteran editor of the Ming Pao that has triggered concerns about waning press freedoms in the semiautonomous Chinese territory. The Chinese words on placard is read " To Guard Journalists, To Guard Ming Pao, To Guard Press Freedom". (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
The chairwoman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, Shan Yee-lan, read a joint letter from eight journalist groups calling for Keung to be reinstated, the newspaper said. "The recent sudden dismissal of (Keung) is a matter of great concern to the news industry and to society as a whole," she was quoted as saying.
Before Keung's dismissal, Ming Pao carried a front-page report on Hong Kong politicians and businesspeople named in documents leaked from a Panama law firm and published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
There has been growing anxiety in recent years among many Hong Kong journalists and politicians about the influence of Beijing on the territory, which retained its own civil liberties when handed over from Britain in 1997.
Media groups with close business and personal ties to Beijing have been accused of soft-pedaling their coverage of issues that are potentially embarrassing to China and its allies in Hong Kong.
Protesters gather outside the Ming Pao's office building during a rally in Hong Kong Monday, May 2, 2016. Around 400 people gathered Monday in Hong Kong to protest the dismissal of a veteran editor of the Ming Pao that has triggered concerns about waning press freedoms in the semiautonomous Chinese territory. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
A placard featuring with a China national flag and Chinese words "Ming Pao Can't Protect Press Freedom" is left with balloons as protesters gather outside the Ming Pao's office building during a rally in Hong Kong Monday, May 2, 2016. Around 400 people gathered Monday in Hong Kong to protest the dismissal of a veteran editor of the Ming Pao that has triggered concerns about waning press freedoms in the semiautonomous Chinese territory. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
A protester speaks during a rally outside the Ming Pao's office building in Hong Kong Monday, May 2, 2016. Around 400 people gathered Monday in Hong Kong to protest the dismissal of a veteran editor of the Ming Pao that has triggered concerns about waning press freedoms in the semiautonomous Chinese territory. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
Germany wants to extend border controls for another 6 months
BERLIN (AP) Germany and some other EU countries are planning to ask the European Commission for an extension of border controls within the Schengen passport-free travel zone for another six months because they fear a new wave of migrants.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maizere's spokesman says a letter is being sent Monday asking for an extension of the controls on the German-Austrian border, which were implemented last year when thousands of migrants crossed into Germany daily.
De Maizere has expressed concern before that an increasing number of migrants will try to reach Europe this summer by crossing the Mediterranean Sea from lawless Libya to Italy, then travel north to Austria and Germany.
Women and children stroll at a makeshift camp for migrants and refugees at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Monday, May 2, 2016. Many thousands of migrants remain at the Greek border with Macedonia, hoping that the border crossing will reopen, allowing them to move north into central Europe. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Germany registered nearly 1.1 million new arrivals last year and is keen to bring the numbers down in 2016.
Germany's defense minister, meanwhile, said it was up to Italy to protect its borders but other European countries must be ready to help if needed.
Ursula von der Leyen's comments Monday touched on the potential problems Italy could have with increased arrival of migrants looking for an alternative route into the EU now that the West Balkans route is closed and Turkey has committed to taking back those arriving illegally to Greece.
She said a solution must be found "together with Italy." Austria plans to impose border controls at its main border crossing with Italy to prevent potential attempts by migrants to enter, and with Austria bordering Germany, von der Leyen's comments indicate her country's concern that it also may have to deal with new waves of migrants seeking entry.
A man lays inside a tent set on the tracks of a train station which was turned into a makeshift camp for migrants and refugees at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Monday, May 2, 2016. Many thousands of migrants remain at the Greek border with Macedonia, hoping that the border crossing will reopen, allowing them to move north into central Europe. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
A woman walks past tent and shelters set at a makeshift camp crowded by migrants and refugees at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Many thousands of migrants remain at the Greek border with Macedonia, hoping that the border crossing will reopen, allowing them to move north into central Europe. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
A child steps out a shelter at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Monday, May 2, 2016. Many thousands of migrants remain at the Greek border with Macedonia, hoping that the border crossing will reopen, allowing them to move north into central Europe. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Tents are set in front of a train station turned into a makeshift camp crowded by migrants and refugees at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Monday, May 2, 2016. Many thousands of migrants remain at the Greek border with Macedonia, hoping that the border crossing will reopen, allowing them to move north into central Europe. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
The writing in Greek letters of the Idomeni train station towers over a man and a child looking outside a window at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Monday, May 2, 2016. Many thousands of migrants remain at the Greek border with Macedonia, hoping that the border crossing will reopen, allowing them to move north into central Europe. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Children learn how to describe the parts of the human body in English during a class inside a school tent set at a makeshift camp crowded by migrants and refugees at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Monday, May 2, 2016. Many thousands of migrants remain at the Greek border with Macedonia, hoping that the border crossing will reopen, allowing them to move north into central Europe. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Children learn how to describe the parts of the human body in English during a class inside a school tent set at a makeshift camp crowded by migrants and refugees at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Monday, May 2, 2016. Many thousands of migrants remain at the Greek border with Macedonia, hoping that the border crossing will reopen, allowing them to move north into central Europe. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Children learn how to describe the parts of the human body in English during a class inside a school tent set at a makeshift camp crowded by migrants and refugees at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Monday, May 2, 2016. Many thousands of migrants remain at the Greek border with Macedonia, hoping that the border crossing will reopen, allowing them to move north into central Europe. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Italy: Hague tribunal OKs marine's return from India for now
ROME (AP) An international tribunal in The Hague has decided that an Italian marine being held in India in the shooting deaths of two Indian fishermen mistaken for pirates can return home for the duration of arbitration, the Italian foreign ministry said Monday.
The tribunal's decision, approving an Italian request, was expected to be officially announced in The Hague on Tuesday.
India has accused two marines, Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre, of the shootings in 2012 while they were assigned to anti-piracy duties aboard an Italian commercial ship, the Enrica Lexie.
FILE In this Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012 file photo, Italian marines Salvatore Girone, left, and Massimiliano Latorre, arrive at the Ciampino Rome airport from Kochi, India. Italy's Foreign Ministry says Monday, May 2, 2016 an international tribunal in The Hague has decided that Salvatore Girone, an Italian marine being held in India in the shooting deaths of two Indian fishermen mistaken for pirates can return home for the duration of arbitration. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)
Latorre has been in Italy since 2014 for medical treatment following a stroke suffered while detained in India. The Italian government had insisted that Girone also be allowed to return to Italy, for the length of the arbitration process, which could take years.
Italy contends the incident occurred in international waters. It disputes India's claim to jurisdiction, insisting the case should be handled by the Italians. The Hague tribunal has been asked to rule on the jurisdiction dispute.
India has been bullish in insisting its sovereignty in the case be recognized. Its government didn't immediately issue any official comment on Monday's development, or indicate when Girone might return.
"The conditions of (Girone's) return will be agreed upon by Italy and India," Italy's foreign ministry said in a statement.
In the evening, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni expressed satisfaction.
Girone "won't be back tomorrow, it will take some weeks" for him to set foot in Italy, Gentiloni said in an appearance on state TV. "But an important decision was taken."
"Today's decision makes me think we did well to choose an international judge," Gentiloni added. He said that when the arbitration ruling finally comes, "I'm convinced we will be proven to have been in the right."
Earlier, the Italian foreign ministry said in its statement: "The government is counting on a constructive attitude by India."
Earlier in the dispute, the two marines were allowed to return home to see their families on holiday, but then were sent back to India under the terms of that arrangement.
FILE - In this Friday, May 25, 2012 file photo Italian marine Salvatore Girone, looks out of the window of a vehicle as he is shifted with fellow Marine, Massimiliano Latorre, right, to a different prison in Kochi, India. Italy's Foreign Ministry says Monday, May 2, 2016 an international tribunal in The Hague has decided that Salvatore Girone, an Italian marine being held in India in the shooting deaths of two Indian fishermen mistaken for pirates can return home for the duration of arbitration. (AP Photo, File)
No mayday call before fatal helicopter crash in Norway
HELSINKI (AP) The oil-rig helicopter that crashed in western Norway, killing 13 people, gave no mayday call or indicated it was in trouble, Norwegian investigators said Monday.
Norway's Accident Investigation Board said the process of retrieving data from the flight and cockpit recorders had been completed and the quality of the data was good. It was being sent back to Norway from Britain, where investigators had extracted the information.
Kare Halvorsen of the Norwegian agency said the information so far does not indicate a problem on board, but acknowledged that investigators were aware of "videos on the Internet" that seemed to show a helicopter rotor that was propelled through the air immediately before the crash on a tiny island near the city of Bergen.
Police and rescue workers investigate at the scene following the Friday April 29 helicopter crash on the coast of Norway near Bergen, Sunday May 1, 2016. Emergency crews salvaged the wrecked fuselage of the Airbus helicopter from the sea Saturday, along with the flight recorders, and retrieved the rotor blades following the crash which killed the 13 people on board. (Torstein Boe / NTB Scanpix via AP) NORWAY OUT
Halvorsen, who heads the board's aviation department, said it was too early to say what caused the accident.
"We don't want to speculate about anything yet," he said. "We are in the process of gathering the information."
The victims 11 Norwegians, one Briton and one Italian were aboard the Airbus EC-225 helicopter that was flying from an offshore rig in the North Sea to Bergen when it crashed Friday on the island of Turoey.
The National Criminal Investigation Service in Oslo said Monday it had identified all the victims. Police in western Norway released the names of seven victims but said the families of the remaining six did not want to their names released. Their ages ranged between 32 and 60, and they worked for several oil and gas companies.
After the accident, Norway's aviation agency banned such Airbus helicopters from flying in Norway or near Norwegian offshore facilities and Britain's Civil Aviation Authority grounded all commercial passenger flights using the Airbus EC-225LP helicopter except for search-and-rescue operations.
Helicopter rotor blades are loaded onto a truck following the Friday April 29 helicopter crash on the coast of Norway near Bergen, Sunday May 1, 2016. Emergency crews salvaged the wrecked fuselage of the Airbus helicopter from the sea Saturday along with the flight recorders, and retrieved the rotor blades following the crash which killed the 13 people on board. (Torstein Boe / NTB scanpix via AP) NORWAY OUT
An image released by Accident Investigation Board Norway, Sunday May 1, 2016, showing the twisted wreckage of the salvaged helicopter which crashed Friday April 29, west of Bergen, Norway, as it is lifted aboard a rescue vessel. The helicopter was salvaged along with the flight recorder on Saturday April 30, as investigators continue to examine the incident, which left 13 people dead. (AIBN / NTB scanpix via AP) NORWAY OUT
Norway's Prime minister Erna Solberg and Statoil's CEO Eldar Saetre talk to the press after a meeting with the families of the people who died in the helicopter crashed Friday, on the island Turoy, just outside of Bergen, in Norway, Saturday, April 30, 2016. Emergency crews pulled the wrecked fuselage of an Airbus EC-225 helicopter out of the sea Saturday off western Norway after a crash that killed all 13 people on board. The helicopter was carrying workers from an offshore rig in the North Sea the Statoil-operated Gullfaks B oil field before it went down Friday on Turoey, a tiny island outside Bergen, Norway's second-largest city. Eleven Norwegians, one Briton and one Italian were aboard. (Terje Bendiksby/NTB scanpix via AP) NORWAY OUT
Police and rescue workers patrol the area where a helicopter crashed Friday, on the island Turoy, just outside of Bergen, in Norway, Saturday, April 30, 2016. Emergency crews pulled the wrecked fuselage of an Airbus EC-225 helicopter out of the sea Saturday off western Norway after a crash that killed all 13 people on board. The helicopter was carrying workers from an offshore rig in the North Sea the Statoil-operated Gullfaks B oil field before it went down Friday on Turoey, a tiny island outside Bergen, Norway's second-largest city. Eleven Norwegians, one Briton and one Italian were aboard. (Vidar Ruud /NTB scanpix via AP) NORWAY OUT
An image released by Accident Investigation Board Norway, Sunday May 1, 2016, showing the memory unit retrieved from the Flight Data and Cockpit Voice Recorder of the salvaged helicopter which crashed Friday April 29, west of Bergen, Norway. The helicopter was salvaged along with the flight recorder on Saturday April 30, as investigators continue to examine the incident, which left 13 people dead. (AIBN / NTB scanpix via AP) NORWAY OUT
A rescue vessel lifts up parts of the helicopter which crashed Friday, on the island Turoy, just outside of Bergen, in Norway, Saturday, April 30, 2016. Emergency crews pulled the wrecked fuselage of an Airbus EC-225 helicopter out of the sea Saturday off western Norway after a crash that killed all 13 people on board. The helicopter was carrying workers from an offshore rig in the North Sea the Statoil-operated Gullfaks B oil field before it went down Friday on Turoey, a tiny island outside Bergen, Norway's second-largest city. Eleven Norwegians, one Briton and one Italian were aboard. (Vidar Ruud /NTB scanpix via AP) NORWAY OUT
A police officer talks to members of the media, during an inspection of the area where a helicopter crashed Friday, on the island Turoy, just outside of Bergen, in Norway, Saturday, April 30, 2016. Emergency crews pulled the wrecked fuselage of an Airbus EC-225 helicopter out of the sea Saturday off western Norway after a crash that killed all 13 people on board. The helicopter was carrying workers from an offshore rig in the North Sea the Statoil-operated Gullfaks B oil field before it went down Friday on Turoey, a tiny island outside Bergen, Norway's second-largest city. Eleven Norwegians, one Briton and one Italian were aboard. (Vidar Ruud /NTB scanpix via AP) NORWAY OUT
A recovery vessel lifts up parts of a crashed helicopter from off the island of Turoey, near Bergen, Norway, as emergency workers on the shoreline attend the scene Friday, April 29, 2016. The helicopter carrying around 13 people from an offshore oil field crashed Friday near the western Norwegian city of Bergen, police said. All aboard the helicopter were killed. (Torstein Boe/NTB scanpix via AP) NORWAY OUT
A recovery vessel lifts up parts of a crashed helicopter from off the island of Turoey, near Bergen, Norway, as emergency workers on the shoreline attend the scene Friday, April 29, 2016. The helicopter carrying around 13 people from an offshore oil field crashed Friday near the western Norwegian city of Bergen, police said. All aboard the helicopter were killed. (Vidar Ruud/NTB scanpix via AP) NORWAY OUT
A search and rescue vessel patrols off the coast of the island of Turoey, near Bergen, Norway, as emergency workers attend the scene after a helicopter crashed believed to be have 13 people aboard, Friday April 29, 2016. A helicopter carrying around 13 people from an offshore oil field crashed Friday near the western Norwegian city of Bergen, police said. Many are feared dead. (Rune Nielsen / NTB scanpix via AP) NORWAY OUT
The Latest: Police surround Syrian prison following rioting
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) The Latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local):
5:20 p.m.
Syrian activist groups say authorities have surrounded a prison in the central city of Hama in response to a riot inside the facility that saw prisoners take several guards hostage.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, standing next to the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, right, speaks to the media during a press briefing after their meeting on Syria in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, May 2, 2016. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says security forces fired tear gas into Hama's main prison on Monday.
The Syrian prisoners' rights group Detainees' Voice says inmates went on strike after authorities tried to transfer five political prisoners on death row to the notorious Sidnaya prison in Damascus.
A Syrian state broadcaster, Al-Ikhbariya TV, is denying reports that inmates have taken control of the prison.
___
3:10 p.m.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says that intense work is underway to try and restore the cessation of hostilities in Syria, particularly in the northern city of Aleppo.
Speaking in Geneva Monday after meeting with the U.N. envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, Kerry said both the Syrian government and the opposition have "contributed to this chaos." But he blasted the Syrian government for unleashing its "killing machine" on the
people of Syria.
He says the U.S. and Russia have agreed that there will be additional personnel stationed in Geneva around the clock to make sure there is more accountability and a better ability to enforce the cessation of hostilities on a day-to-day basis.
Kerry also spoke of "several proposals" on the table but added, "We are not there yet."
___
3 p.m.
A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross says a humanitarian convoy has delivered aid to 12,000 families trapped in a government-besieged area north of the central Syrian city of Homs.
Pawel Krzysiek said Monday that a convoy of 13 ICRC trucks and 3 trucks from the Syrian Arab Crescent are delivering food, hygiene items, diapers, and school books to the besieged town of Talbiseh.
The town's population has doubled to 60,000 with the influx of displaced residents form other areas, according to the ICRC.
Pawell says the joint ICRC and SARC team will assess medical, water, and sewage infrastructure in Talbiseh and neighboring villages.
___
1:30 p.m.
Syria's state news agency says the military has extended its cease-fire around Damascus and opposition strongholds in the eastern suburbs for another 48 hours.
The Monday report said that President Bashar Assad's army would extend the cessation of hostilities that was declared Friday around the capital and the coastal Latakia region, following two weeks of escalating violence around the country.
The truce excludes Aleppo, Syria's largest city and a major battleground between rebels and pro-government forces.
Russia's Tass news agency quoted Russian Lt. Gen. Sergei Kuralenko, head of the Russian coordination center in Syria, as saying that talks are continuing about a cease-fire for Aleppo. He says the Damascus area cease-fire was brokered by the Russia and the U.S., "in agreement with the Syrian leadership and the moderate opposition."
The Latest: Solar plane lands in suburban Phoenix
GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) The Latest on the flight of a solar-powered airplane from California to Arizona in an attempt to circumnavigate the globe (all times local):
9:00 p.m.
A solar-powered plane has landed in suburban Phoenix after a flight from California on the latest leg of its round-the-world journey.
FILE - In this April 23, 2016 file photo, Solar Impulse 2 flies over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco at the end of its journey from Hawaii, part of its attempt to circumnavigate the globe. The next leg of the solar-powered around-the-world flight is scheduled to start from Mountain View, Calif., Monday, May 2, 2016, at 5 a.m. PDT, bound for Phoenix.(AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)
Solar Impulse 2 arrived in the suburb of Goodyear, which is just to the southwest of Phoenix, shortly before 9 p.m. PDT Monday.
The aircraft took off from Mountain View in northern California shortly after 5 a.m. Monday on the 16-hour flight to Phoenix.
Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg flew the plane, which began its globe-circling journey last year. Solar Impulse 2 flew from Hawaii to the Silicon Valley last week.
The wings of the plane are equipped with 17,000 solar cells that power propellers and charge batteries.
After Phoenix, the plane will make two more stops in the United States before crossing the Atlantic.
___
1:30 p.m.
A solar-powered plane is crossing the Mojave Desert on its way from California to Arizona on the latest leg of its round-the-world journey.
Solar Impulse 2 took off from Mountain View (in northern California) shortly after 5 a.m. Monday for an expected 16-hour flight to Phoenix. By midday it was crossing desert northwest of Los Angeles at an altitude of around 23,000 feet.
Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg is flying the plane, which began its globe-circling journey last year. Solar Impulse 2 flew from Hawaii to the Silicon Valley last week.
The wings of the plane are equipped with 17,000 solar cells that power propellers and charge batteries.
After Phoenix, the plane will make two more stops in the United States before crossing the Atlantic.
___
3 a.m.
A solar-powered airplane is preparing to leave California for Arizona to continue its journey around the world.
The Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 will take off from Mountain View before dawn Monday for what should be a 16-hour flight to Phoenix.
Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg will be at the helm of the plane that began circumnavigation the globe last year using only energy from the sun.
Borschberg's co-pilot, Bertrand Piccard, also of Switzerland, made the three-day trip from Hawaii to the heart of Silicon Valley, where he landed last week.
The crew was forced to stay in Oahu for nine months after the plane's battery system sustained heat damage on its trip from Japan.
The aircraft began its voyage in March 2015 from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates and made stops in Oman, Myanmar, China and Japan.
FILE - In this April 23, 2016 file photo, Solar Impulse 2 lands at Moffett Field in Mountain View, Calif., completing the leg of its journey from Hawaii in its attempt to circumnavigate the globe. The next leg of the solar-powered around-the-world flight is scheduled to start from Moffett Field Monday, May 2, 2016, at 5 a.m. PDT, bound for Phoenix.(AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)
Alabama governor, senator urge TVA to sell unfinished nuke
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and Sen. Richard Shelby are among those urging the Tennessee Valley Authority to sell its unfinished Bellefonte Nuclear Plant, where more than four decades of work hasn't produced a watt of electricity.
Comments released publicly by the federal utility show that the Republican Bentley and Alabama Republican Shelby, along with local officials, one environmental group and others want the Tennessee Valley Authority to get rid of the twin-reactor facility in northeast Alabama near Hollywood. At least one potential buyer has been identified, documents show.
But five environmental groups are urging the federal utility to keep the plant and use it for renewable energy, and numerous individuals also submitted comments opposing a sale.
The final decision on whether to sell is up to the TVA board.
TVA has said it is considering whether to sell Bellefonte, where more than $4 billion has been spent since construction began in 1974. Work was put on hold in 1988 and employees now simply maintain the plant, located on the Tennessee River about 50 miles east of Huntsville.
A summation of Bentley's position says the governor wants TVA to sell Bellefonte to a private party that will complete the plant, similar to Shelby's stance. Shelby also would like to see the plant sold for use as a large industrial or technology complex, according to the TVA report.
Documents also show a Western energy company is interested in purchasing the plant. An executive with the firm, Phoenix Energy of Nevada, said the company has developed a new, non-nuclear technology that uses electromagnetic induction energy fields to heat water indirectly and produce steam that would turn turbines and generate electricity at Bellefonte.
"We are a completely clean, regenerative source of non-intermittent reliable and dependable, low-cost electric power," Michael Dooley, managing partner and principle engineer for Phoenix Energy, said in an email to The Associated Press.
Bellefonte is located on a 1,600-acre site and includes two partially finished nuclear reactors plus office buildings, warehouses, parking areas, railroad spurs and a helicopter pad.
Solar plane on global trip arrives in Arizona
GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) A solar-powered airplane landed in suburban Phoenix Monday night after a daylong flight from California the latest leg in its around the world journey using only energy from the sun.
The Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 arrived in the suburb of Goodyear, just to the southwest of Phoenix, shortly before 9 p.m. PDT.
Pilot Andre Borschberg called the 16-hour trip "a beautiful flight," after stepping from the cockpit.
Pilot Andre Borschberg sits in the cockpit of the Solar Impulse 2, as his son, Teo Borschberg, prepares the solar powered plane at Moffett Field in Mountain View, Calif., before dawn Monday, May 2, 2016. The plane took off from California for Arizona to resume its journey around the world using only energy from the sun. The Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 left Mountain View south of San Francisco shortly after 5 a.m. Monday for an expected 16-hour trip to Phoenix. (Karl Mondon/The Mercury News-Bay Area News Group via AP)
"It was a special flight; not a long flight," he added.
The aircraft took off from Mountain View in northern California shortly after 5 a.m.
It began its globe-circling journey last year, and flew from Hawaii to the Silicon Valley last week.
After Phoenix, the plane will make two more stops in the United States before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or northern Africa, according to the website documenting the journey.
For several minutes after arriving, Borschberg remained aboard as powerful winds buffeted the aircraft, forcing the ground crew to hold down it down with straps.
"Sometimes it is more difficult to handle the airplane on the ground than in flight," he told reporters later.
Video from cameras aboard the aircraft as well as on the ground at the Goodyear airport showed the Solar Impulse as it flew through the night sky enroute to its safe touch down southwest of Phoenix.
Hours earlier, shortly after takeoff, Borschberg used his phone to snap photos of the sun coming up along the horizon. Then he prepared for media interviews and made breakfast plans.
"I'm heating up water for coffee," Borschberg told his ground crew. "A nice Nescafe."
His co-pilot, Bertrand Piccard, also of Switzerland, made the three-day trip from Hawaii to the heart of Silicon Valley, where he landed last week.
The Solar Impulse 2's wings, which stretch wider than those of a Boeing 747, are equipped with 17,000 solar cells that power propellers and charge batteries. The plane runs on stored energy at night.
The two legs to cross the Pacific were the riskiest part of the plane's travels because of the lack of emergency landing sites.
"We have demonstrated it is feasible to fly many days, many nights, that the technology works" said Borschberg, 63, who piloted the plane during a five-day trip from Japan to Hawaii and who kept himself alert by doing yoga poses and meditation.
The crew was forced to stay in Oahu for nine months after the plane's battery system sustained heat damage on its trip from Japan.
The single-seat aircraft began its voyage in March 2015 from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates and made stops in Oman, Myanmar, China and Japan.
The layovers will give the pilots a chance to swap places and engage with local communities along the way so they can explain the project, which is estimated to cost more than $100 million and began in 2002 to highlight the importance of renewable energy and the spirit of innovation.
___
AP writer Bob Seavey contributed to this report from Phoenix
Andre Borschberg, left, and Bertrand Piccard, right, embrace Monday, May 2, 2016, before Borschberg pilots the next flight of the Solar Impulse 2, the solar-powered plane, at Moffett Field in Mountain View, Calif. The plane took off from California for Arizona to resume its journey around the world using only energy from the sun. The Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 left Mountain View south of San Francisco shortly after 5 a.m. Monday for an expected 16-hour trip to Phoenix. Piccard had flown the plane from Hawaii nine days ago. (Karl Mondon/The Mercury News-Bay Area News Group via AP)
Pilot Andre Borschberg sits in the cockpit of the Solar Impulse 2, as his son, Teo Borschberg, prepares the solar powered plane at Moffett Field in Mountain View, Calif., before dawn Monday, May 2, 2016. The plane took off from California for Arizona to resume its journey around the world using only energy from the sun. The Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 left Mountain View south of San Francisco shortly after 5 a.m. Monday for an expected 16-hour trip to Phoenix. (Karl Mondon/The Mercury News-Bay Area News Group via AP
FILE - In this April 23, 2016 file photo, Solar Impulse 2 flies over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco at the end of its journey from Hawaii, part of its attempt to circumnavigate the globe. The next leg of the solar-powered around-the-world flight is scheduled to start from Mountain View, Calif., Monday, May 2, 2016, at 5 a.m. PDT, bound for Phoenix.(AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)
FILE - In this April 23, 2016 file photo, Solar Impulse 2 flies over San Francisco at the end of its journey from Hawaii, part of its attempt to circumnavigate the globe. The next leg of the solar-powered around-the-world flight is scheduled to start from Mountain View, Calif., Monday, May 2, 2016, at 5 a.m. PDT, bound for Phoenix.(AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)
New book about Ariz. wildfire that killed 19 firefighters
"The Fire Line: The Story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots and One of the Deadliest Days in American Firefighting" (Flatiron Books), by Fernanda Santos
It began as a routine assignment for the 20 men of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. Wielding picks, axes, shovels and chain saws, they set out to build a barrier to protect homes and people from an Arizona wildfire sparked by lightning.
Within hours, their mission ended in tragedy. Fifty mph winds set off by a powerful thunderstorm had changed direction, fanning a raging fire that raced down Yarnell Hill, cutting off the crew's escape route and trapping the men in a canyon. Nineteen of them perished, the bodies found in portable fire shelters that were no match for the 2,000-degree heat. The death toll of professional wildland firefighters was the largest in more than a century. The only survivor was the assigned lookout who barely escaped the flames.
This book cover image released by Flatiron Books shows, "The Fire Line: The Story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots and One of the Deadliest Days in American Firefighting," by Fernanda Santos. (Flatiron Books via AP)
In this riveting and poignant narrative, Fernanda Santos introduces the reader to a brave band of men, most of them in their 20s, who battle destructive wildfires that pose a mounting threat as developers in the West build vacation and retirement homes in areas where urban boundaries intersect with fire-prone woods and brush. Based in Prescott, Arizona, Granite Mountain was one of 107 elite Hotshot crews in the U.S. at the time of the 2013 fire and the only one run by a municipality.
Its members are deployed around the country, riding in 10-seat, diesel-powered "buggies" that transport them to the fires. Once there, their task is to fell trees, hack away brush and cut roots to build a fire line that can block the flames. It's a task that demands strength, endurance and teamwork. The pay is meager rookies received $12.09 an hour and crew members relied on long hours of overtime during fire season to make ends meet.
Santos, the Phoenix bureau chief for The New York Times, covered the Yarnell Hill story and was taken with the stories of victims she admired but never met. She bonded with family members to learn about the lives of these fallen firefighters, some of them "second chancers" who saw the physical challenge and discipline of the job as a path toward overcoming earlier stumbles that ranged from alcoholism or drug addiction to minor crimes.
The author also walked the walk, taking two courses at a wildfire management academy in Prescott that many of the Granite Mountain crew had attended. She donned flame-resistant clothing, wielded the tools of the Hotshots' trade, cut fire line in the wild and even practiced deploying an emergency shelter that she carried along with a loaded backpack.
The product of her efforts is a gripping account of one of the nation's most deadly wildfires and an inspiring look at the men who put their lives on the line and the loved ones they left behind.
Federer withdraws from Madrid Masters because of back injury
MADRID (AP) Roger Federer's injury woes continue.
In the latest setback to an already complicated season, Federer was forced to withdraw from the Madrid Masters on Monday because of a back injury.
The third-ranked Federer said that he was hurt in practice during the weekend and didn't want to take any chances aggravating the injury.
FILE- In this April 15, 2016 file photo, Swiss Roger Federer gestures during his quarter final match of the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters tournament against France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, in Monaco. Roger Federer withdrew from the Madrid Masters on Monday because of a back injury. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau, File)
"I rather play it safe and rest up now," Federer said. "I'm very disappointed to say the least."
Federer was coming of a knee injury after the Australian Open which sidelined the Swiss player for about two months. He also withdrew from the Miami Open in March because of a stomach virus.
"It's been a tough year," Federer said. "I hope it gets better from here."
The 35-year-old Federer, a three-time winner in Madrid, had been a late addition to the field this week. The tournament was not originally on his schedule, but the former No. 1 decided to include it as part of his preparations for the French Open in three weeks.
Federer appeared fine in practice on Saturday, but cancelled his media appearance on Sunday and had not been back to the courts in the last couple of days, raising doubts about his participation.
He said he felt some pain while practicing on Saturday and it hadn't improved significantly since then, so he would not be fit to debut on Wednesday as scheduled.
"Sorry to the tournament for coming and leaving without playing," Federer said. "I arrived and I was OK, and then I practiced on Saturday and hurt my back a little bit in practice and then stopped early. I just didn't feel like I could practice."
Federer downplayed the seriousness of the injury, saying that it has happened to him before and he knows how to treat it.
"This is normal back things I've had in the past, which I guess is good, because I know how to handle it, I know how long it can take," Federer said. "It's the back stuff I kind of know. I'm OK with it, at least I know what it is."
His season has been marred by health problems. In February, the 17-time Grand Slam winner underwent arthroscopic surgery for torn cartilage on his left knee. When he was set to return to action at the Miami Open in late March, he had to withdraw because of a stomach virus.
Federer is still expected to play at the Rome Masters before heading to France for Roland Garros.
The Madrid Masters would have been Federer's fourth tournament of the season, and the first since he lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters last month.
Federer lost to Nick Kyrgios in three sets in last year's second round in Madrid, a tournament he won in 2006, 2009 and 2012.
All other top-10 ranked players are playing in the men's tournament in Madrid this week.
Last week, Serena Williams, who was set to be the No. 1 seed in the women's draw, withdrew because of an illness. The tournament said that she had a fever and was feeling "less than 100 percent."
Indonesian police fatally shoot French citizen in Bali
BALI, Indonesia (AP) Indonesian police said they fatally shot a French citizen after he stabbed a policeman to death Monday while resisting arrest on the resort island of Bali.
Bali police chief Maj. Gen. Sugeng Priyanto said Amokrane Sabet, reportedly a former mixed martial arts fighter, was shot during a skirmish in front of his rented villa in Badung.
Priyanto said police had received complaints from residents who described the 49-year-old Sabet as a violent troublemaker. Sabet, who is believed to have been in Bali for two years, reportedly often carried a knife, harassed people, and ate at restaurants without paying.
Priyanto said Sabet, whose tourist visa expired last September, brandished a knife when police and immigration officers came to arrest him. Sabet chased the officers and repeatedly stabbed a policeman who fell to the ground, he said.
Priyanto said police shot Sabet after he ignored three warning shots.
Bali police spokesman Hery Wiyanto said Sabet had been summoned twice by police for questioning but tore up the summons and failed to appear.
He said Sabet died at the scene, while the policeman, a chief sergeant from the North Kuta police station, died later at a hospital.
PICTURED: Highlights of the 2016 race for the White House
The candidates in the race for the White House are making the case to voters across the country in a fight to win the Republican and Democratic nominations. Here's a look, as seen in images made by Associated Press photographers on the campaign trail.
___
See the latest AP photo galleries: http://apne.ws/TXeCBN
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures while speaking during a campaign rally at the Indiana Theater Sunday, May 1, 2016, in Terre Haute, Ind. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
The Archive: Top photo highlights from previous weeks: http://apne.ws/13QUFKJ
___
Follow AP photographers on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP/lists/ap-photographers
Follow AP Images on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Images
Visit AP Images online: http://www.apimages.com
Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during a campaign rally in Lafayette, Ind., Sunday, May 1, 2016. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, works the crowd after a campaign event Sunday, May 1, 2016, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes photographs with audience members during a campaign stop in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. walks off-stage after speaking at a news conference in Washington, Sunday, May 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, May 1, 2016, in Fort Wayne, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton reacts to the audience during a campaign stop in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, greets attendees after a campaign rally in Lafayette, Ind., Sunday, May 1, 2016. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, May 1, 2016, in Fort Wayne, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Review: Laura Lippman's 'Wilde Lake' is character-rich story
"Wilde Lake" (William Morrow), by Laura Lippman
Every family has its secrets a relative no one talks about; an incident best not discussed; a conversation that conjures painful memories. Family secrets as well as the fragility of memory have been an ongoing theme of Laura Lippman that she explores with precision and insight in the superb stand-alone "Wilde Lake."
In "Wilde Lake," Lippman melds a character-rich story with a deftly plotted tale that incorporates a family's history, secrets, myths and ambitions. "Wilde Lake" also looks at the line between truth and lies, and how sometimes falsehoods are easier to digest.
This book cover image released by William Morrow shows "Wilde Lake," by Laura Lippman. (William Morrow via AP)
The newly elected state's attorney of Howard County, Maryland, Luisa "Lu" Brant, inherited her love of the law and justice from her father, Andrew Jackson Brant.
A fair but formidable prosecutor during his time, Andrew earned the respect of the people during his own tenure as the state's attorney, and Lu holds him in the same esteem as Scout did Atticus Finch. Now widowed, Lu and her 8-year-old twins live with Andrew in her childhood home in Wilde Lake. The family, which includes Lu's brother, AJ, who is eight years her senior, moved to Wilde Lake when the planned community was built. A new community for a new family, though the area also was rife with tragedy as Andrew's wife, Adele, died a week after Lu was born.
"Wilde Lake" smoothly alternates from the present and the past, including memories so vivid the incidents could have happened yesterday, including an act of violence that occurred during a high school graduation party attended by AJ.
Settling into her new job, Lu is anxious to prove herself and decides that she will handle the murder case of Mary McNally, a waitress who was strangled in her apartment by a homeless man. Forensic evidence and an eye witness should make it an easy case, but Lu's former boss, and newly ousted state attorney, Frederick C. Hollister III, decides this will be his first case in private practice.
Lippman is an expert at lending a clear-eyed view of the bonds that link people and the truths we tell ourselves to survive the emotional morass of life. She continues this high standard in "Wilde Lake," which proves that the most intricate of mysteries are how we deal with each other. Each of us is a product of our childhood it's what we do with it that makes the difference.
___
Online:
Guyana police arrest 5 suspects in casino robbery, shootout
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) Police in Guyana have arrested five men suspected of raiding a hotel casino and engaging in a shootout that wounded a police officer and four others.
Guyana police say Monday that one of the suspects is a casino security guard who was on duty shortly before five gunmen stormed the casino of the Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel.
One of the suspects was arrested last week after he was found hiding in a maintenance room at the hotel in Guyana's capital. The robbery and shootout occurred on Friday.
Judge temporarily blocks removal of Confederate monument
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) A judge on Monday temporarily barred the city of Louisville from removing a 70-foot-tall Confederate monument near the University of Louisville campus.
Jefferson County Circuit Judge Judith McDonald-Burkman signed a restraining order forbidding the city from moving the 121-year-old obelisk honoring Kentuckians who died fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War.
Mayor Greg Fischer and University President James Ramsey had announced Friday that they would remove the monument, marking the latest government effort to reconsider displaying Confederate symbols following the massacre of nine black churchgoers in South Carolina last summer.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer speaks in front of the Confederate monument near the University of Louisville with university President James Ramsey, left, in Louisville, Ky., Friday, April 29, 2016. The Confederate monument capped with a statue of Jefferson Davis will be removed from a spot near the University of Louisville campus where it has stood since 1895. (AP Photo/Dylan Lovan)
The city said the stone and bronze structure, for years a source of tension, would be disassembled and moved to storage until a decision is made on where it should be properly displayed.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans and Everett Corley, a Republican running for Congress, filed for the restraining order on Monday. They contend that the mayor lacks the authority to remove the monument and did not follow proper protocol.
County Attorney Mike O'Connell said he would aggressively defend the merged city-county government's legal ability to remove the sculpture from its prominent location between Second and Third streets, next to campus and the university's celebrated Speed Art museum, which just completed a $60 million renovation.
The judge scheduled a hearing Thursday morning, though O'Connell's office asked for more time to prepare its legal arguments. The judge will hear that motion Tuesday morning.
Corley, a real estate agent running against two other Republicans to take on Rep. John Yarmuth in the fall, called the statue's proposed removal "the 2016 version of book burning." He said removing the monument which features statues of three Confederate soldiers and the inscription "To Our Confederate Dead" would be an insult to soldiers who fought and died.
Kentucky, sandwiched between three free states and three slave states, never seceded from the Union and attempted to remain neutral throughout the Civil War. But its people were deeply divided. Some fought for the Union, others for the Confederacy, and the mixed allegiances tore apart families and communities across the state.
Kentucky is the birthplace of both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, the only president of the Confederacy. Both are honored in the state's Capitol rotunda with large statues. Following the Charleston church shootings, leaders from both political parties called for the removal of the Davis statue. But a state commission voted 7-2 to leave it be.
Corley charged that while the city says it plans to move the Louisville monument, it really intends to destroy it and throw it away. O'Connell called that allegation "ridiculous."
The Latest: Trump says Indiana win means 'it's over'
WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on the 2016 presidential race on the eve of Indiana's primary (all times EDT):
8:30 p.m.
Donald Trump is telling supporters at his final rally ahead of Indiana's primary that if he wins the contest Tuesday, the Republican nomination in his.
Former Notre Dame basketball coach Digger Phelps, left, shakes hands with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump after introducing Trump at a campaign stop Monday, May 2, 2016, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
"If we win in Indiana, it's over with, folks," Trump is telling thousands of cheering supporters at a rally in South Bend.
Trump has been making the case over the last few days that a win in the state should signal an end to rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich. Both men are trying to stop Trump from winning a majority of delegates, which would force a contested convention.
But Trump says he's eager to move forward to a one-on-one match with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
"That's going to be fun," he says.
__
8 p.m.
Donald Trump is kicking off his final rally ahead of Indiana's primary with more endorsements from local sports greats.
Trump was introduced in South Bend on Monday evening by former Purdue basketball coach Gene Keady and former Notre Dame basketball coach Digger Phelps.
He also announced the backing Monday of former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz.
"We've had so many great endorsements," says Trump, who has also been endorsed by former Indiana Hoosiers basketball coach Bob Knight.
Phelps says Trump "is the man who will make America great again."
Trump is hoping a decisive win Tuesday in Indiana will establish him as the GOP's inevitable presidential candidate.
__
6:37 p.m.
About a dozen protesters are shouting at Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as he campaigns outside of a grocery store on the eve of the Indiana primary.
Backers of GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, Democrat Bernie Sanders and those holding anti-Cruz signs joined together to heckle the Texas senator Monday as he shook hands with supporters on the sidewalk outside the grocery store in Bloomington, Indiana.
Cruz had been confronted by Trump protesters at an earlier stop as well.
His opponents in Bloomington held signs saying, "Indiana doesn't want you!" and chanted "Go home to Canada!"
Several hundred Cruz backers far outnumbered the hecklers. They yelled "Ted! Ted!" as he sampled barbecue, shook hands and posed for selfies.
___
Hundreds of protesters are confronting Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Williamson, W. Va.
Waiting in the pouring rain outside a health center, they are waving Donald Trump signs and chanting "Kill-ary."
The crowd was visited by former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, who was recently sentenced for a mine safety conspiracy at Upper Big Branch Mine, where 29 miners died in a 2010 explosion.
Clinton is touring a health center in the midst of a two-day swing through coal country. Comments she made on CNN that Clinton would "put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business" angered many leaders in the region.
___
4:44 p.m.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says his rivals' deal to try to stop his march toward the GOP nomination is a big reason they appear to be fading on the eve of the Indiana primary.
He's telling supporters at a performing arts center in Carmel, Indiana, that "After they made the alliance their numbers tanked." He added: "That's what happens when politicians make deals."
Trump was mocking the fraying alliance between Republican rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich. The two remaining Trump rivals in the GOP contest agreed on which states they would focus in an effort to hobble Trump's progress toward the 1,237 GOP delegates required to clinch the nomination. Yet Trump has dominated recent contests.
Trump also made fun of Cruz for not helping his running mate, Carly Fiorina, when she fell from the stage Sunday.
"Even I would have helped her," Trump said. "That was a weird deal."
___
3:22 p.m.
Ted Cruz is sparring with Donald Trump supporters on the eve of the Indiana primary.
Protesters carrying Trump signs confronted the Texas senator as he campaigned in Marion, Indiana on Monday.
One man yelled, "Lyin' Ted!" while standing just a few feet from the Republican presidential candidate. The insult is Trump's pet name for his chief rival.
Cruz responded with a question.
He asked the protester, "What do you like about him? ... Name one thing."
The Trump supporter had a simple response: "Everything."
The exchange came during one of Cruz's five scheduled stops on Monday. He was campaigning alongside Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
___
2:40 p.m.
Ted Cruz's campaign says his choice for running mate, Carly Fiorina, is uninjured after falling on the campaign stage.
Cruz spokeswoman Catherine Frazier says Fiorina missed a step Sunday but was uninjured and continues to campaign on behalf of the senator in Indiana.
Footage of the incident shows Fiorina dropping quickly, with Cruz apparently unaware as he enters and waves to the crowd. Fiorina re-appears a couple seconds later and is seen hugging Cruz's wife Heidi.
The stumble comes as Cruz is trying to shake off the perception that his campaign is in trouble heading into the Indiana primary on Tuesday. Cruz has vowed to keep up his campaign as long as he has a viable route to winning the GOP nomination.
___
2:00 p.m.
Donald Trump says he is ready to get on with the general election against Hillary Clinton.
Neither candidate has won their parties' nominations. But Trump is telling reporters at a lunch stop in Indianapolis that he's ready for the pivot, saying he'd "like to get on to Hillary."
Trump, the only Republican with a chance of locking down the delegates needed to win the nomination without a contested convention, says he has "a great relationship" with the people of Indiana and expects to do well in Tuesday's primary.
Of the general election, he adds, "It's sort of already started."
___
1:35 p.m.
A spat is brewing between Donald Trump supporters and party officials in New Hampshire over which delegates should hold posts on the powerful convention committees.
Trump won 11 of the state's 23 delegates. New Hampshire rules allow campaigns to hand-select their delegates, in effect ensuring greater loyalty should the nominating process go beyond the first ballot.
But in a perceived move to deny Trump power, the state party is proposing a committee slate that doesn't include any Trump supporters. Each state gets to place two delegates on committees, including the rules committee, which will set the guidelines for selecting a nominee.
Trump's campaign, in response, is launching an effort to control all eight committee seats.
Delegates were originally asked to vote by email on the party's proposed slate. But in the face of backlash including from non-Trump supporters who see the kerfuffle as an unnecessary headache the delegates will now vote in person at a Friday meeting.
"In the interest of party unity, I am willing to reschedule the vote at an in person meeting," Horn wrote in the email. She hasn't responded to multiple requests for comment.
___
1:33 p.m.
Donald Trump is making an unscheduled stop for lunch in Indianapolis. His motorcade pulled up at Shapiro's Delicatessen just after 1:15 p.m., and the candidate received applause when he walked inside.
Trump, the Republican front-runner, told one patron that he "felt good" about Indiana's primary Tuesday. Another diner asked him a question about taxes and Trump said he "would look into it once I get into office."
Trump then ordered a Reuben sandwich and a Diet Coke.
___
12:30 p.m.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says Indiana's primary on Tuesday will be important to his goal of amassing as many delegates as possible to catch up with rival Hillary Clinton.
And he's acknowledging that's a big challenge. In Evansville, Indiana, Sanders is telling supporters that with 10 states left, his campaign needs to earn more than 50 percent of the remaining delegates up for grabs. The Vermont senator says he will "fight as hard as we can for every vote."
Sanders says he has won 45 percent of the pledged delegates awarded so far but only about 7 percent of the superdelegates the party leaders who can vote for either Democratic candidate but are overwhelmingly committed to Clinton. Sanders says his campaign has been winning among voters 45 years of age and younger, showing that his ideas are "the ideas for the future of this country."
___
10:45 a.m.
Ted Cruz is calling the Indiana primary "neck and neck" and says he'll stay in the Republican presidential race for as long as he has a "viable path to victory."
He spoke to reporters after greeting hundreds of people in northern Indiana at a popular breakfast stop a day before the state's crucial primary.
Cruz is framing a potential fall election match-up between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as the choice between two "big government, New York liberals."
And he has been trying to rally the politically diverse, working-class swath of voters in northern Indiana, where the industrial economy remains viable but union jobs have declined in recent decades.
___
10 a.m.
Ted Cruz is blitzing through Indiana in a make-or-break moment for his slumping Republican presidential campaign.
A victory for Donald Trump in Indiana on Tuesday would be a dispiriting blow for Cruz and other forces trying to stop the front-runner, leaving them with few opportunities to block his path.
Trump is the only candidate in the race who can reach the 1,237 delegates needed for the GOP nomination through regular voting, though Cruz is trying to push the race toward a contested convention.
Cruz is holding five events across Indiana on Monday. Trump is holding a pair of rallies in the state. He's already confidently looking past Cruz and engaging the likely Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton.
___
9:20 a.m.
Hillary Clinton's campaign says she raised about $26 million in April for her primary race against Bernie Sanders, as her rival's fundraising juggernaut slowed.
Sanders' take for April was a little under Clinton's, marking a steep decline from the $46 million he raised in March. He did not report how much money he has on hand, raising questions about whether he can sustain his long-robust online fundraising as his path to the nomination narrows.
Clinton's campaign says she has $30 million in the bank heading into May. She had about $29 million at the start of last month.
___
Former Purdue basketball coach Gene Keady talks about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign stop Monday, May 2, 2016, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, autographs Randall Perry's boot, during a visits to the Bravo Cafe during a campaign stop, Monday, May 2, 2016, in Osceola, Ind. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Carly Fiorina, Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz' pick for vice president, waves after being introduced during a campaign rally in Lafayette, Ind., Sunday, May 1, 2016. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, speaks during a campaign event Sunday, May 1, 2016, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, talks with Elizabeth Craig's children during a visits to the Bravo Cafe during a campaign stop, Monday, May 2, 2016, in Osceola, Ind. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the NAACP's 61st annual Fight for Freedom Fund dinner in Detroit, Sunday, May 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
The Latest: Judge agrees to move hot SUV death trial
MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) The Latest on the trial of a Georgia man accused of intentionally leaving his toddler in a hot SUV to die (all times local):
3:10 p.m.
The judge in the trial of a Georgia man accused of intentionally leaving his toddler son in a hot SUV to die has granted a defense request to move the trial.
Attorneys for Justin Ross Harris had asked the judge to move the trial, arguing Monday that pretrial publicity has tainted the jury pool. Harris faces charges, including murder, and has been in jail since the day 22-month-old Cooper died in June 2014.
Prosecutor Chuck Boring argued that the fact that the defense has agreed that 36 of the jurors questioned are qualified to be in the jury pool shows that an impartial jury can be found in the metro Atlanta county where the child died.
Harris is from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
___
2:15 p.m.
The judge overseeing the trial of a Georgia man accused of intentionally leaving his toddler son in a hot SUV to die has told the prosecution and defense to try to reach an agreement on a handful of disputed potential jurors.
Attorneys for Justin Ross Harris had asked the judge to move the trial, arguing Monday that pretrial publicity has tainted the jury pool. Harris faces charges, including murder, and has been in jail since the day 22-month-old Cooper died in June 2014.
Prosecutors noted that they'd already agreed on about three dozen potential jurors qualified for the jury pool, saying that shows an impartial jury can be found in the metro Atlanta county where the child died.
Before taking a recess, the judge also asked both sides to consider the logistics if the trial is moved.
___
11:45 a.m.
The judge in the trial of a Georgia man accused of intentionally leaving his son in a hot SUV to die is considering arguments from attorneys on both sides about whether the trial should be moved.
Attorneys for Justin Ross Harris asked the judge to move the trial, arguing Monday that pretrial publicity has tainted the jury pool. Harris faces charges, including murder, and has been in jail since the day 22-month-old Cooper died in June 2014.
Prosecutor Chuck Boring argued that the fact that the defense has agreed that 36 of the jurors questioned are qualified to be in the jury pool shows that an impartial jury can be found in the metro Atlanta county where the child died.
Cobb County Superior Court Judge Mary Staley said she hopes to announce a decision after a lunch break.
Harris is from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
11:05 a.m.
A prosecutor in the case of a Georgia man accused of intentionally leaving his toddler son in a hot SUV to die argues that three weeks of jury selection have shown an impartial jury can be found.
Defense attorneys for Justin Ross Harris have asked the judge to move the trial, arguing that pretrial publicity has tainted the jury pool. Harris faces charges, including murder, and has been in jail since the day 22-month-old Cooper died in June 2014.
Prosecutor Chuck Boring argued that the fact that the defense has agreed that 36 of the jurors questioned are qualified to be in the jury pool shows that an impartial jury can be found in the metro Atlanta county where the child died.
Harris is from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
___
10 a.m.
A defense attorney for a Georgia man accused of intentionally leaving his toddler son in a hot SUV to die argues that extensive pretrial publicity has tainted the potential jury pool to the point that his client can't receive a fair trial.
Justin Ross Harris faces charges, including murder, and has been in jail since the day 22-month-old Cooper died in June 2014.
Defense attorney Bryan Lumpkin argued Monday that even though many potential jurors said they would like to be fair and impartial, they also said they were leaning toward thinking Harris is guilty.
The arguments came during a hearing on a defense motion to move the trial away from the metro Atlanta county where the child died.
___
6:35 a.m
A judge is expected to consider whether to move the trial of a Georgia man accused of intentionally leaving his toddler son in a hot SUV to die.
Justin Ross Harris faces charges, including murder, and has been in jail since the day 22-month-old Cooper died in June 2014.
Harris' attorneys filed a motion for a change of venue Friday afternoon, about three weeks into jury selection. They want the trial moved from Cobb County.
The attorneys said they don't believe an impartial jury can be found in the county just northwest of Atlanta. They said the questioning of potential jurors has shown that pretrial publicity has led many to believe Harris is guilty.
Cobb County Superior Court Judge Mary Staley said she'll hear arguments on the motion Monday morning.
Guide highlights Native American link to historic Route 66
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) A new story is unfolding along historic Route 66 thanks to a yearlong project coordinated by a tourism group with help from the National Park Service and American Indian tribes along America's Mother Road.
The result is a guidebook and website detailing the histories of more than two dozen tribal communities along the 2,400-mile byway and their relationship to the road that helped change the West.
Stretching from Chicago to California, more than half the route cuts through Indian Country.
This June 7, 2014 image shows the Tepee Curios neon sign along historic Route 66 as a storm approaches in Tucumcari, N.M. The shop was originally a gas station that carried souvenirs and groceries. The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association has released a guidebook that details tribes and notable sites along the route. (AP photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)
Those behind the project say their work is aimed at filling the gap between reality and the stereotypes once used to lure travelers along the route, from the billboards that featured Indian figures wearing war bonnets to staged photo ops and metal teepees.
Tribes now have a venue to tell their own stories, said Lisa Snell, who was tapped by the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association to spend a year traveling the route, doing research and conducting interviews.
It was an eye-opener even for Snell, a Cherokee and publisher of the Native American Times.
"It was so much different from what I had been exposed to during childhood, growing up watching the Lone Ranger and what you saw in the advertisements. What I experienced was completely different from the images and the things I read," she said.
The guidebook is being unveiled this week by the tourism association. It includes stories of how communities were affected by the commerce that came along with traffic on Route 66.
The book and website also cover the role played by the federal government's Indian relocation program of the 1950s and how the romance of the roadway was partly spurred by the marketing of the Hollywood version of the Indian.
Snell's research and interviews indicated what happened along America's Mother Road was more about money than the sharing of a culture.
"Because of the socio-economic conditions, what do you do? You take the job, you put on your buckskins, you put on your war bonnet and you have your picture taken. You do the job," she said. "That's been perpetrated through today. It's still that image we have. It's lingering."
Sammye Meadows, who works with the tourism association, said interest in tourism has grown among tribes now that some have fostered successful programs for tapping their own cultural resources.
Foreign visitors alone account for an estimated $7 billion in annual spending in Indian Country and visitation by overseas travelers has grown by nearly 1 million over the last several years, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
"It's an evolving thing and I think a lot more stories will come forward," Meadows said. "People will have stories they would like to contribute to the overall sort of correcting of the tribal image."
Aside from history that stretches back to the Pueblo Revolt in the centuries before New Mexico was a state and the creation of reservations, the new guidebook includes details about key sites along Route 66 both old and new as well as etiquette for attending powwows and tips for buying arts and crafts.
___
Online: http://www.americanindiansandroute66.com
___
Follow Susan Montoya Bryan on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/susanmbryanNM
This November 2014 photo provided by the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association shows the view from the road to Sky City at Acoma Pueblo, N.M. The pueblo is one of more than two dozen tribal communities along historic Route 66. (Lisa Snell/American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association via AP)
This undated photo provided by the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association shows the Route 66 sign near the historic Summit Inn at the end of Cajon Pass in California. The association is releasing a guidebook that details more than two dozen tribal communities along America's Mother Road. (Lisa Snell/American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association via AP)
Q&A: When is a Boot on the Ground not a Boot on the Ground?
WASHINGTON (AP) No one disputes that U.S. military forces are fighting in combat in Iraq and Syria -- except maybe President Barack Obama and some members of his administration.
The semantic arguments over whether there are American "boots on the ground" muddy the view of a situation in which several thousand armed U.S. military personnel are in Iraq and Syria. Obama has said more than a dozen times that there would be no combat troops in Iraq and Syria as the number of service members in those countries grows; last week, Defense Secretary Ash Carter acknowledged the military personnel there were in combat and "we should say that clearly."
So, when is a military boot on the ground? And what does it all mean?
FILE - In this March 21, 2015 file photo, Iraqi security forces participate in a drill as U.S. forces train them in Taji, north of Baghdad, Iraq. No one disputes that U.S. military forces are fighting in combat in Iraq and Syria -- except maybe President Barack Obama and some members of his administration. The semantic arguments over whether there are American boots on the ground muddy the view of a situation in which several thousand armed U.S. military personnel are in Iraq and Syria. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim, File)
___
ARE U.S. MILITARY TROOPS IN IRAQ?
Yes. More than 5,500 U.S. service members. The Pentagon, however, counts them in different ways. Obama recently authorized an increase in the number of troops that can deploy to Iraq to advise and assist Iraqi forces in fighting the Islamic State. The cap was increased last week from 3,870 to 4,087.
But a number of troops aren't counted against the cap because of the military's personnel accounting system. For example, troops assigned to the U.S. Embassy for security or those sent to Iraq for temporary, short-term assignments are there in addition to the 4,087.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter, in Stuttgart, Germany for a change-of-command ceremony Tuesday, revealed that a serviceman had been killed in combat near Irbil in Iraq. A U.S. military official, speaking on grounds of anonymity, said the American was killed while performing his duty as an adviser to Kurdish Peshmerga troops. He was killed by "direct fire" after Islamic State forces penetrated the Peshmerga's forward line. The official said the American was three to two to three miles behind the front line.
___
ARE U.S. MILITARY TROOPS IN SYRIA?
Yes. Last week the Pentagon announced an increase in the number of U.S. forces working in Syria from 50 to 300. Those troops are working with local Syrian forces and are mainly Army special forces, but the latest increase will also include medical and logistics units.
___
SO, THAT WOULD MEAN THERE ARE U.S. "BOOTS ON THE GROUND" IN IRAQ AND SYRIA, WOULDN'T IT?
Yes it would. In Iraq there are advisers, trainers, special operations forces and others stationed at Iraqi bases, working with the Iraqi forces. Last week, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that some advisers would begin working with Iraqis at the brigade and battalion level. They had been working with Iraqis at the division headquarters level. The change would embed those teams of advisers with smaller units, who would likely be closer to the fight.
In Syria, the U.S. has about 50 special operations forces going into Syria from a base in a neighboring country to meet with local Syrian opposition forces. They aren't based in Syria, so they travel in and out, sometimes staying in the country for several days at a time. According to officials, the additional 250 forces will do the same thing. They will not be based in Syria, but will instead work out of neighboring countries, such as Iraq or Turkey. And they are not there to fight alongside the Syrians, they are there to provide advice and other assistance.
___
WHAT ABOUT AIRSTRIKES? AREN'T PILOTS FLYING COMBAT MISSIONS?
Yes they are. Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made it clear during a Senate hearing last week that U.S. fighter jets conducting airstrikes in Iraq and Syria are conducting combat missions.
___
WHY DOES THE ADMINISTRATION SAY THERE ARE NO U.S. BOOTS ON THE GROUND?
Obama administration officials have consistently told the American public since 2013 that there will be no combat "boots on the ground" in Iraq and Syria. Their argument is based on the idea that there are no conventional U.S. ground forces in large units fighting the Islamic State militants in direct combat. Saying there are "no U.S. boots on the ground" while inaccurate is meant to convey the administration's view that U.S. troops are not on the front lines waging the war. Instead, U.S. troops are advising and assisting the Iraqi and Syrian forces, providing training, intelligence, and logistical support from behind the battlefront.
The parsing of words is meant to differentiate the latest Islamic State conflicts from earlier wars in Iraq and Afghanistan when thousands of U.S. troops were battling the enemy in small units and in close combat.
Carter told the Senate Armed Services Committee last week that U.S. troops are not going to war to substitute for the local forces, but are trying "to get them powerful enough that they can expel ISIL with our support. And when we provide that support, we put people in harm's way. We ask them to conduct combat actions."
___
AREN'T SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES IN DIRECT COMBAT IN IRAQ OR SYRIA?
A: Probably. But the Pentagon doesn't talk about the often highly classified operations that U.S. commandos -- including Army Delta Force or Navy SEALs -- are doing no matter where they are. And Army special forces or Green Berets are in many war-torn countries providing training and assistance, because that's one of their key jobs.
In some cases, U.S. officials have acknowledged special operations missions to capture or kill high-value targets or to try and rescue hostages.
Colorado clinic reopens 5 months after deadly shooting
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) A Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic has reopened five months after an attack by a gunman left three people dead and nine more injured.
The Colorado Springs Gazette newspaper reports (http://bit.ly/1rdtVq0) that workers at the clinic have repaired damage from the Nov. 27 shootings and celebrated a full reopening Sunday. The emotional event was attended by employees, state officials and peaceful protesters.
Robert Lewis Dear Jr. has admitted to opening fire at the clinic and psychologists have testified that Dear has a delusional disorder. A judge has not yet made a decision about whether he is competent to stand trial.
Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountain was officially reopened on Sunday, May 1, 2016 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Three people were gunned down at the health center on Friday, November 27, 2015, the day after Thanksgiving. (Jerilee Bennett/The Gazette via AP)
Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains President and CEO Vicki Cowart says security has been upgraded but wouldn't go into detail about the changes.
___
Information from: The Gazette, http://www.gazette.com
Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountain was officially reopened on Sunday, May 1, 2016 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Three people were gunned down at the health center on Friday, November 27, 2015, the day after Thanksgiving. Former staff member, Lynn Young, right, gets a hug after the ceremony. (Jerilee Bennett/The Gazette via AP)
Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountain was officially reopened on Sunday, May 1, 2016 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Three people were gunned down at the health center on Friday, November 27, 2015, the day after Thanksgiving. The people attending had mixed emotions, sometimes tearful when talking about those who died and sometimes joyous about the reopening of the clinic. (Jerilee Bennett/The Gazette via AP)
Flagstaff businesses have a new way to do an old business.
Businesses have been bartering services with each other for hundreds of years, but Value Card Alliance is offering a new twist on the old system.
The Arizona company recently moved into the Flagstaff area, said Tim Stipo, the northern Arizona regional manager for VCA.
In a typical barter system, a business trades services with another business to get something they need. But sometimes a business may need a services or product that isnt offered by the company that wants to trade with them. For example, a dentist may need advertising, but no one at the advertising company needs dental work.
VCA allows businesses to put out services or products for trade to earn credits, Stipo said. Those credits can be turned in for goods or services from other members of VCA.
So the dentist could put out his services on the VCA network and attract businesses that have employees that need dental work. Each business that takes advantage of the dentists offer generates trade credits for the dentist, he said. The dentist can use those credits to purchase services from an advertising company.
We act as a sort of middleman and an online bank, Stipo said.
VCA stores the trade credit balance of each business and completes the transaction between businesses like a bank, but without cash. The credits can be exchanged for any type of service available on the network.
Stipo said the system actually helps businesses save money and generate business at the same time. VCAs network can connect businesses that may never have heard of each other. It also saves businesses money because if they use their trade credits, they may not have to pay $5,000 to install a new air conditioning unit.
VCA is free to join and is only available to businesses that have a service or product they can trade, he said. It charges a monthly $8 administration fee for its software and takes a 10 percent commission on each trade. That commission and fee cannot be paid with trade credits.
One of the founders of VCA has been using this type of business barter system since his parents opened a barter system in Tucson in the 1960s, Stipo said. VCA started in Tucson in 2004 and has expanded to Phoenix and now Flagstaff. The company is hoping to branch out in the near future to all of northern Arizona.
It already has about 70 companies in Flagstaff signed on to its barter network and more than 3,000 other businesses in its network across all of Arizona. Some of the Flagstaff businesses that have already signed on to the service include Arizona Snowbowl, Starlight Lanes, Bearizona, Mother Road Brewery and Chiba Hut.
We sign on about 50 to 60 new businesses each week, Stipo said.
While VCA only has offices in Arizona, it has partnerships with other similar trade and barter networks across the U.S., he said. Credits can also be traded for personal services, such as dental work, vacation items like hotel stays, or tickets to events with anyone that offers those services.
VCA does have an office in Flagstaff, but the remodeling for the office isnt complete yet, he said. Interested businesses can contact Stipo by email or phone.
Turkey: Islamic State behind attack that killed 2 policemen
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Turkey's interior minister says a car bombing that killed two police officers and wounded 22 other people in the southern city of Gaziantep, near Syria, was carried out by militants linked to the Islamic State group.
Minister Efkan Ala told reporters on Monday that up to 50 people were detained for questioning in Gaziantep over Sunday's attack.
The minister also confirmed the identity of the suicide bomber who blew herself up and wounded 13 people in the city of Bursa last week as 23-year-old Eser Cali. He described Cali as a member of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party, or PKK.
Security officers and firefighters work moments after an explosion outside the Police headquarters in Gaziantep, Turkey, Sunday, May 1, 2016. A car bomb struck the entrance of a Turkish police station Sunday in the southern city of Gaziantep, killing a policeman and injuring over 20 other people, an official said. (Depo Photos via AP) TURKEY OUT
The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, an off-shoot of the PKK, claimed the Bursa attack in a statement Sunday and said Cali blew herself up before reaching her intended target.
Czech Republic OKs 'Czechia' as one-word version of its name
PRAGUE (AP) The Czech government has approved a plan to use "Czechia" as one-word version of the country's name alongside the official Czech Republic.
Unlike most European countries, the Czech Republic has lacked a one-word version of its name in foreign languages. Now, the country can use the name "Czechia" (pronounced CHEHK'-ee-uh) in English, "Tschechien" in German or "Tchequie" in French, translations of the Czech word "Cesko."
The Foreign Ministry said a one-word name is more practical and flexible at times.
Before the government's green light Monday, Czech leaders, including President Milos Zeman, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and the speakers of both chambers of Parliament endorsed the new name last month.
Police: Man broke into store so he could see jailed brother
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) Police in New Jersey's capital city say a man told them he broke into a business because he wanted to see his brother in jail.
The robbery in Trenton was discovered around 4:20 a.m. Saturday. Authorities say the business' glass front door had been smashed.
Officers say they found 24-year-old Jose Ixcolin about a block away, holding a computer monitor taken in the burglary.
Police say Ixcolin told officers he wanted to get arrested so he could see his brother. It wasn't immediately clear why his brother was in jail or if Ixcolin had been able to speak with him following his arrest.
A brokered convention, 3 candidates, 2 factions: GOP in 1880
CLEVELAND (AP) It was a brokered convention with three candidates and two factions. Republican Party leaders hoped for unity, but once the delegates began voting, consensus proved elusive.
Welcome to the presidential nominating convention of 1880. After round upon round of votes, the delegates finally nominated a dark horse from Ohio on the 36th ballot. The candidate nobody saw coming was James A. Garfield, a congressman and Civil War veteran. He went on to win the presidential election.
Garfield was shot by an assassin four months after taking office, and without a legacy, his story has faded. But history geeks and maybe even some of the Republicans heading to the convention in Cleveland this summer may find Garfield's story and the jockeying that led to his nomination of interest.
This April 22, 2016 photo shows a replica of a log cabin where President James Garfield was born in Moreland Hills, Ohio. He was the last president born in a log cabin. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz)
"This is a guy who became a presidential candidate unexpectedly," said Todd Arrington, site manager at James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor, Ohio. "With the Republicans coming to Cleveland, we hope they'll come 25 minutes down the road to Mentor to learn about him."
The Republican Party was founded in the 19th century to stop the expansion of slavery, and Garfield, who served in the Union Army, went to Congress to advocate for the rights of African-Americans. Arrington says he views Garfield's commitment to civil rights as "the last stand of the roots of the Republican Party" from that era.
For conventioneers, political history geeks and others, there's an added bonus: Garfield is the only U.S. president whose birthplace, home and final resting place can be visited in one day. Here's a look at those sites.
___
JAMES GARFIELD BIRTHPLACE
Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin. His father died when he was an infant, and his mother raised him and three siblings on a frontier farm in dire poverty. "They were so poor, they didn't even have candles," said Sandra Vodanoff, who volunteers at a replica of the cabin about a half-hour's drive from Cleveland. The cabin site at 4350 S.O.M. Center Road in Moreland Hills, Ohio, also includes a historical marker and a statue of Garfield that depicts him as a shoeless boy carrying a hoe and a book. Open Saturdays, June through September, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., or by appointment, at 440-248-1188.
___
JAMES A. GARFIELD NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
Garfield, his wife and five children lived in a farmhouse on nearly 160 acres in Mentor, Ohio. The property was nicknamed Lawnfield by reporters covering the 1880 campaign, and today it's a National Park Service site. The interior has been restored to Victorian splendor, including the wild wallpaper patterns and heavy, dark furniture popular in that era. Looking out from the front porch, you can almost imagine Garfield standing there greeting the thousands of people who turned out to meet him during his campaign. The house includes the first-ever presidential library, created by Garfield's widow as a private memorial. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily May 1-Oct. 31; Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 1-Apr. 30. House tours, $7. Museum, grounds and film free, https://www.nps.gov/jaga/ .
___
JAMES A. GARFIELD MEMORIAL
This elaborate castle-like monument with turrets and arches is located on a hill in Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland. Inside, a towering white marble statue of Garfield is spotlit amid mosaics, stained glass windows and granite columns. Downstairs, Garfield's casket the only presidential casket on full display is covered with an American flag next to his wife's casket. From an outdoor balcony on a clear day, you can see 40 miles of the Lake Erie shore and the Cleveland skyline. Open April 1-Nov. 19, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., free, http://www.lakeviewcemetery.com/garfield.php .
This April 22, 2016 photo shows the James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor, Ohio. President Garfield lived here with his wife and five children. Garfield was nominated in 1880 at a brokered convention. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz)
This April 22, 2016 photo shows a sculpture depicting President James Garfield at his birthplace in Moreland Hills, Ohio. The statue shows Garfield as a shoeless boy with a book and a hoe. He was the last president born in a log cabin. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz)
This April 23, 2016 photo shows the exterior of the James A. Garfield Memorial at Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland. Garfield was assassinated in 1881. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz)
This April 23, 2016 photo shows a detail from the elaborate memorial to President James A. Garfield at Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland. Garfield was assassinated in 1881. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz)
'The King and I' welcome 2 new leads _ on the same night
NEW YORK (AP) Marin Mazzie found herself last Friday wearing a lilac ball gown hoop skirt and a determined expression.
She was waiting to go onstage for the top of Act 2 of the lavish Broadway production of "The King and I" at Lincoln Center. This was her first and only rehearsal of the show in full costume with all the other actors and the orchestra before she does it for real Tuesday night in front of an audience.
"Ready to give it a try?" asked Lisa Chernoff, the assistant stage manager.
In this image released by Philip Rinaldi Publicity, Daniel Dae Kim, left, and Marin Mazzie appear during a performance of, "The King and I," in New York. (Paul Kolnik/Philip Rinaldi Publicity via AP)
"Let's do it," replied Mazzie, before striding out to play the leading part of school teacher Anna Leonowens.
Leaping aboard a finely-tuned musical like "The King and I" isn't for the faint of heart, but on this day Mazzie, thankfully, had company: Her King of Siam was Daniel Dae Kim and it was his first full show, too.
Replacing leads in long-running Broadway shows isn't unusual, but getting two leads ready for their first time in a show on at the same night is rare. Talk about whistling a happy tune.
To add to the stress, Mazzie is replacing Kelli O'Hara, who won a Tony Award in the role, while Kim, who stars on the TV series "Hawaii Five-0," is making his Broadway debut.
"I can see where there's work to be done. At the same time, I'm not too hard on myself because there are a lot of new elements that we've never rehearsed with before," said Kim, who played the same monarch in London in 2009.
For Mazzie, her stage debut in "King and I" comes virtually a year after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The veteran of such Broadway shows as "Ragtime" and "Passion," last April was ill and singing the lyric "Life is what you do while you're waiting to die" in the musical "Zorba." Now she's signing "Shall We Dance."
"It's very emotional for me," she said. "I'm so anxious and excited and thrilled to be able to bring, in essence, a new me back to the stage with what's gone on in my life."
Signs of nerves were hardly evident during the rehearsal in front of a handful of people at the massive Vivian Beaumont Theatre. The mood was light and cast members crept into the massive hall to cheer and clap the newcomers when not needed onstage.
The rehearsal had a slightly surreal quality since only the show's new additions Kim, Mazzie and two of the 11 Thai children were in full costume. All the rest wore sweats, T-shirts, hoodies and Converse.
Director Bartlett Sher stopped the action only twice, once to ask Kim to project more on the tricky song "A Puzzlement" and another time to ask that everyone pick up the pace in a pivotal scene in Act 2.
The musical's story centers on an Englishwoman who travels to Siam in the 1860s to teach the children of the king. The 51-cast-member revival won the Tony Award in 2015 starring O'Hara and Ken Watanabe. Its score by Rodgers and Hammerstein includes "I Whistle a Happy Tune," ''Getting to Know You" and "Shall We Dance."
Ruthie Ann Miles, who won a Tony playing Lady Thiang, complemented Kim for having great instincts. "He's really digging into the legacy of the king," she said. "That's what keeps it fresh."
As for Mazzie, Miles is just happy to work alongside her: "It's really fun to watch someone who I've admire for so long step into a role a moving train and go with it. It's inspiring. It's not easy what they're doing."
To get ready, Mazzie and Kim spent hours rehearsing together in a basement room with Sher and the stage manager, who would play five or six different roles.
"Having someone like Marin come in with me is a real blessing because we're finding this show together," said Kim. "The fact that both of us are working together and finding our King and our Anna makes it a really, really fantastic situation."
Kim, who graduated from New York University with a master's degree in acting and cut his teeth in off-Broadway shows, said he often would come to Lincoln Center.
"I've seen so many shows here," he said. "I would wish that someday maybe I would be on that stage. Someday is now."
___
Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
___
Online: http://www.lct.org
Chinese policemen are starting to patrol with Italian officers in Rome and Milan as part of a two-week experiment.
Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said Monday that the aim is to make Chinese tourists feel safe. He also noted that it's the first time that China have sent police to Europe for such a project.
Starting on Tuesday, two Chinese uniformed policemen are patrolling with Italian counterparts in Rome, while two others are based in Milan. For the second week, the Chinese will switch cities.
Chinese police Shu Jian and Sa Yiming, together with two Italian police, check the documents of a Chinese tourist group outside the Colosseum in Rome
Chinese policemen are in Italy to start patrols with Italian officers in Rome and Milan as part of a two-week experiment
Interior Minister Angelino Alfano noted that it is the first time that China have sent police to Europe for such a project
The Chinese, who speak Italian, received training from Italian officials in Beijing.
The four officers will wear the same uniforms as the Italian police force to make it easier for tourists to identify them.
The idea of the project is to provide assistance to a rising number of tourists visiting major sightseeing spots. More than three million Chinese tourists visit Italy annually.
With two officers based in Milan and two in Rome, the policemen will switch cities in the second week of the project
Interior Minister Angelino Alfano says the aim is to make Chinese tourists feel safe
The four officers will wear the same uniforms as the Italian police force to make it easier for tourists' to identify them
Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said: 'This service was planned with Chinese tourists in mind, and if it works well we may consider other forms of collaboration, given the presence of the Chinese community in our country.'
The officers will share information with Italian police and help Chinese tourists if they need to contact local authorities and diplomats from Monday until May 13, the ministry said.
Liao, the head of the Chinese International Cooperation Bureau, said the officers' assignment was a 'historic moment', recalling that the route between China and Italy had been mapped out 700 years ago by Venetian merchant traveller Marco Polo.
The officers will share information with Italian police and help Chinese tourists if they need to contact local authorities and diplomats
Liao, the head of the Chinese International Cooperation Bureau, said the officers' assignment was a 'historic moment'
French far right party punishes Jean-Marie Le Pen's allies
PARIS (AP) Marine Le Pen's far right National Front has punished two leading party figures for attending a Paris rally led by her father.
The party announced Monday that Bruno Gollnisch and Marie-Christine Arnautu were removed from the anti-immigration party's decision-making political bureau because of their "unacceptable" participation in an event led by people "violently hostile" to the National Front.
Marine Le Pen expelled her father, party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, from the National Front last year for comments diminishing Nazi gas chambers.
France's far-right National Front party leader Marine Le Pen addresses her supporters as part of a May Day party lunch in Paris, France, Sunday, May 1st, 2016. On background is a portrait of Joan of Arc the party's patron saint . Jean-Marie Le Pen, a founder and the decades-long leader of France's far-right National Front, declared Sunday that his daughter, Marine Le Pen, the party president who has expelled him, will lose next year's presidential race if she fails to unify the party. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)
AP EXPLAINS: What is bitcoin? A look at the digital currency
NEW YORK (AP) Bitcoin is a type of digital currency that allows people to buy goods and services and exchange money without involving banks, credit card issuers or other third parties. Its origins have long been a mystery though an Australian man long rumored to have ties to bitcoin has come forward claiming to be its creator.
Who is this man, and how does this system work?
Here's a brief look at bitcoin:
File - This is a Oct. 16, 2015 file photo of a Bitcoin ATM. An Australian man long thought to be associated with the digital currency Bitcoin has publicly identified himself as its creator. BBC News said Monday, May 2, 2016 that Craig Wright told the media outlet he is the man previously known by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. The computer scientist, inventor and academic says he launched the currency in 2009 with the help of others. (Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP, File) UNITED KINGDOM OUT
___
HOW BITCOINS WORK
Bitcoin is a digital currency that is not tied to a bank or government and allows users to spend money anonymously. The coins are created by users who "mine" them by lending computing power to verifying other users' transactions. They receive bitcoins in exchange.
The coins also can be bought and sold on exchanges with U.S. dollars and other currencies. Their value has fluctuated over time. At its height in late 2013, a single bitcoin was valued above $1,100. On Monday, it was worth about $445.
Because the currency isn't formally regulated, its legality is a bit fuzzy. The currency has also drawn the ire of many in law enforcement and cybersecurity because it's difficult to trace, making it a currency of choice for hackers behind ransomware attacks. But in September, New York state regulators approved their first license for a company dealing in bitcoin.
___
WHY BITCOINS ARE POPULAR
Bitcoins are basically lines of computer code that are digitally signed each time they travel from one owner to the next. Transactions can be made anonymously, making the currency popular with libertarians as well as tech enthusiasts, speculators and criminals.
___
SHOULD I TRADE IN ALL MY CASH FOR BITCOINS?
That would be a questionable decision. Many businesses such as blogging platform WordPress and retailer Overstock have jumped on the bitcoin bandwagon amid a flurry of media coverage. Leading bitcoin payment processor BitPay works with more than 60,000 businesses and organizations, while the total number of bitcoin transactions has climbed to over 200,000 per day, more than double from a year ago, according to bitcoin wallet site blockchain.info.
Still, its popularity is low compared with cash and cards, and many individuals and businesses won't accept bitcoins for payments.
___
HOW BITCOINS ARE KEPT SECURE
The bitcoin network works by harnessing individuals' greed for the collective good. A network of tech-savvy users called miners keep the system honest by pouring their computing power into a blockchain, a global running tally of every bitcoin transaction. The blockchain prevents rogues from spending the same bitcoin twice, and the miners are rewarded for their efforts by being gifted with the occasional bitcoin. As long as miners keep the blockchain secure, counterfeiting shouldn't be an issue.
___
HOW BITCOIN IS VULNERABLE
Much of the mischief surrounding bitcoin occurs at the places where people store their digital cash or exchange it for traditional currencies, like dollars or euros. If an exchange has sloppy security, or if a person's electronic wallet is compromised, then the money can easily be stolen. The biggest scandal involved Japan-based bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox, which went offline in February 2014. Its CEO, Mark Karpeles, said tens of thousands of bitcoins worth several hundred million dollars were unaccounted for. He was arrested on suspicion of inflating his cash account in August.
___
HOW BITCOIN CAME TO BE
It's a mystery. Bitcoin was launched in 2009 by a person or group of people operating under the name Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin was then adopted by a small clutch of enthusiasts. Nakamoto dropped off the map as bitcoin began to attract widespread attention. But proponents say that doesn't matter: The currency obeys its own internal logic.
___
WHO IS THE REAL NAKAMOTO?
There's been plenty of speculation on Nakamoto's identity over the years. In December, the technology magazine Wired and the website Gizmodo both concluded that Australian computer scientist, inventor and academic Craig Wright was probably the man behind the pseudonym. The reports offered detailed circumstantial, but no hard proof, and hedged their conclusions accordingly.
On Monday, Wright told BBC News, the Economist and GQ that he is Nakamoto. (He also put out a press release .) Wright said he launched the currency in 2009 with the help of others. Wright told the BBC that he decided to make his identity known to stop the spread of "misinformation" about bitcoin.
If Wright is the founder, he is likely a very wealthy person. The person going by the pseudonym Nakamoto is believed to have amassed about 1 million bitcoins, which would be worth about $450 million if converted to cash.
___
Follow Bree Fowler at https://twitter.com/APBreeFowler. Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/author/bree-fowler.
FILE - In this April 7, 2014 file photo, a man arrives for the Inside Bitcoins conference and trade show in New York. An Australian man long thought to be associated with the digital currency Bitcoin has publicly identified himself as its creator. BBC News said Monday, May 2, 2016 that Craig Wright told the media outlet he is the man previously known by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. The computer scientist, inventor and academic says he launched the currency in 2009 with the help of others. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
This framegrab made available by the BBC on Monday May 2, 2016 shows creator of the Bitcoin, Craig Wright speaking in London. Australian Craig Wright, long rumored to be associated with the digital currency Bitcoin, has publicly identified himself as its creator, a claim that would end one of the biggest mysteries in the tech world. BBC News said Monday that Craig Wright told the media outlet he is the man previously known by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. (BBC News via AP)
No new info released on threats vs. relatives in 8 slayings
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Authorities investigating the slayings of eight family members in southern Ohio have no new information to indicate whether there's an ongoing threat to the victims' relatives, the state's attorney general said Monday.
The eight Rhoden family members were found shot in the head on April 22 at four homes near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. Authorities say the deaths were a "sophisticated operation," but they haven't released any specifics on suspects or a motive.
In the days after the slayings, Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader said that it was clear the family was targeted and that he had told the victims' relatives to arm themselves.
Ohio State Attorney General Mike DeWine, left, speaks to the media alongside Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader during a news conference, Wednesday, April 27, 2016, in Waverly, Ohio. A coroner's report released Tuesday showed new details of vicious violence in the shooting deaths of eight members of a rural southern Ohio family, finding most victims were shot three to nine times each and some of them were bruised. Meanwhile, the hunt for whoever is responsible continued to expand, with more than 200 law enforcement officials involved. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
On Monday, Attorney General Mike DeWine said authorities didn't know whether there was a threat to the family and he would not speculate about whether a threat remains.
"We have no new information that would indicate that there is a threat to any of the members of the family," DeWine told The Associated Press in an interview before speaking at an opiate-related conference in Columbus. "We don't have any information on that. And we did not when we initially said it other than the fact we had eight people killed."
Services have been held for two victims. Funerals for the other six are set for Tuesday. DeWine said "ample security" will be present at the services.
DeWine's office said agents worked through the weekend on the investigation.
So far, more than 100 pieces of evidence are at the state crime lab. Investigators have received 450 tips and conducted 128 interviews and contacts. DeWine said some of those interviews could be repeats.
The victims are 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden Sr.; his ex-wife, 37-year-old Dana Rhoden; their three children, 16-year-old Christopher Rhoden Jr., 19-year-old Hanna Rhoden and 20-year-old Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden; Christopher Rhoden Sr.'s brother, 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden; their cousin, 38-year-old Gary Rhoden, and 20-year-old Hannah Gilley, whose 6-month-old son with Frankie was unharmed.
Two other children, Hanna Rhoden's 4-day-old daughter and Frankie Rhoden's 3-year-old son, also were unharmed.
Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader speaks to the media alongside Ohio State Attorney General Mike DeWine during a news conference, Wednesday, April 27, 2016, in Waverly, Ohio. A coroner's report released Tuesday showed new details of vicious violence in the shooting deaths of eight members of a rural southern Ohio family, finding most victims were shot three to nine times each and some of them were bruised. Meanwhile, the hunt for whoever is responsible continued to expand, with more than 200 law enforcement officials involved. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Amber Cassell, 16, right, gets a hug from Margaret Williams, left, as they hold a candle into the air during the Pike County Vigil at the Pike County Fairgrounds in Piketon, Ohio on Friday, April 29, 2016. (Kyle Robertson/The Columbus Dispatch via AP)
Jacob Hoagland, right, places candles into the ground to form a G during the Pike County Vigil at the Pike County Fairgrounds in Piketon, Ohio on Friday, April 29, 2016. The G stands for Gilley and there was also a R in candles for Rhoden. (Kyle Robertson/The Columbus Dispatch via AP)
The popular messaging service WhatsApp went down in Brazil on Monday as a state judge ordered it blocked nationwide for 72 hours amid a legal tussle over users' information.
The decision by a judge in the northeastern state of Sergipe applies to the five main wireless operators all over the country, affecting 100million WhatsApp users.
The reason for the order is not known due to legal secrecy, however it is believed to be connected to the company's reluctance to hand over information relating to an investigation into organised crime.
No notifications: A group of teenagers are seen trying to check their WhatsApp messages in Sao Paulo, Brazil, during a court-ordered three-day block of the popular messaging service
The outage marked the latest chapter in a dispute between Brazilian law enforcement and Facebook, which bought WhatsApp in 2014.
In March, Facebook's most senior representative in Latin America was detained in Sao Paulo and held overnight.
Officials accused the company of repeatedly failing to turn over information on WhatsApp users for an investigation into drug trafficking and organized crime.
At the time, a spokeswoman for federal police in Sergipe, Monica Horta, said investigators had requested content from a WhatsApp messaging group as well as other data, including geolocation.
The decision by a judge in the northeastern state of Sergipe applies to the five main wireless operators all over the country, affecting 100million WhatsApp users
The block is believe to have been caused by WhatsApp's reluctance to provide user information to help a court case involving organised crime and drugs trafficking in Brazil
Investigators first contacted WhatsApp several months earlier but hadn't received a response, Horta said.
In a statement widely cited in Brazilian media, WhatsApp said the company was disappointed by the judge's decision, saying it 'punished more than 100 million Brazilians who depend on our service.'
The statement also said it does not have the information that authorities are demanding in the case. WhatsApp has been rolling out a so-called end-to-end encryption system under which only the sender and recipient can access the content of messages.
Brazilian authorities also clashed with Facebook in December, when a judicial order forced telecoms to block WhatsApp for about 12 hours over its alleged refusal to cooperate with a police inquiry.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the time said he was 'stunned' by the 'extreme decision.'
4 arrested in slaying of Honduran environmental activist
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Honduran authorities arrested four people Monday in the killing of environmental activist Berta Caceres, including an active duty army officer and at least one man who worked for a hydroelectric project she opposed.
A spokesman for the public prosecutor's office, Yuri Mora, said the three did work for or were direct employees of Desarrollos Energeticos SA, also known as DESA, which was developing the project that Caceres' organization successfully stopped.
The Hidroelectrica Agua Zarca Company, which is managed by DESA, said in a statement that only one of the men was employed by the firm, and denied it had anything to do with Caceres' killing.
Police arrest a suspect in the murder of indigneous leader and environmentalist Berta Caceres in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Monday, May 2, 2016. Honduran authorities have arrested four people in connection with Caceres' murder, including three who worked for a hydroelectric project she opposed. Caceres was shot dead by two unidentified men on March 3. (AP Photo/Fernando Antonio)
The Goldman Environmental Prize-winning activist was shot dead March 3 by gunmen who invaded her home. Caceres had reported death threats from security personnel for the company, which is known as DESA.
Caceres' children and the group she founded, the Council of Indigenous and Popular Organizations of Honduras, said in a statement that they wanted an international group of experts from the Inter American Human Rights Commission to participate in the investigation, because "we do not know if these arrests reach all the levels of the masterminds" behind the killing.
Mora identified those arrested as Douglas Geovanny Bustillo, Mariano Diaz Chavez, Sergio Rodriguez Orellana and Edilson Duarte Meza.
Hidroelectrica Agua Zarca said only Sergio Rodriguez worked for the company, as the manager for social and environmental issues. "We trust that all of our employees' actions are always within the bounds of law," the company said.
The firm said that "under no circumstances is Hidroelectrica Agua Zarca responsible, nor did it have any material or intellectual links to the killing."
In a December 2013 video interview, Caceres told the Swedish journalist Dick Emanuelsson that she had text messages in her phone from Bustillo, who she identified as the hydroelectric project's security chief, threatening her with sexual assault.
Lenin Gonzalez, a spokesman for the armed forces, said at a news conference that Diaz Chavez is an active infantry major and Duarte Meza is a retired infantry captain.
The U.S. Embassy in Honduras said in a statement that it welcomed the arrests.
Caceres led the defense of the Gualcarque River in western Honduras, which is considered sacred by the Lenca people, who successfully fought to halt the proposed Agua Zarca dam.
US citizen says North Korea detainment granted understanding
SEATTLE (AP) Kenneth Bae knew he was in trouble when he opened his briefcase for a North Korean customs official and saw a computer hard drive he meant to leave in China.
He had no idea how much trouble: He would go on to spend the next two years in detention, including in a labor camp where he was ordered to plant soybeans in sweltering heat and dig sewage lines in frozen ground.
As difficult as it was, the U.S. citizen says, it also gave him a greater understanding of the isolated nation.
Kenneth Bae, a U.S. citizen who was detained in North Korea for two years, talks during an interview, Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. Bae tells his story in a new book, "Not Forgotten: The True Story of My Imprisonment in North Korea." He says his detention began when he accidentally brought an external hard drive into the isolated nation. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
"Even though I was in and out of North Korea 17 times prior to that, I only stayed a short period," he said in an interview ahead of the Tuesday release of his memoir. "By staying as a prisoner for two years, I learned their culture, their way of thinking, how the ordinary people live in their day-to-day lives."
"Not Forgotten: The True Story of My Imprisonment in North Korea" is appearing as North Korea holds two other Americans in custody. One, Kim Dong Chul, was sentenced last Friday to 10 years of hard labor on charges of espionage and subversion.
North Korea regularly accuses Washington and Seoul of sending spies to overthrow its government. Outsiders say North Korea seeks to use its U.S. detainees to wring concessions from Washington.
Bae, 47, of Dallas, was born in Seoul and came to the United States with his family in 1985. After attending the University of Oregon and a seminary in St. Louis, he moved to China in 2006, where he began missionary work. In 2010, he began leading small tour groups into North Korea.
The hard drive that landed him in custody contained files about his missionary work as well as a documentary video showing emaciated North Korean children scrounging in the dirt for food materials the North Korean officials considered subversive.
Agents brought him to a hotel in northeastern North Korea. There, he writes, he was held in seclusion for the next month as officials grilled him about his family, who had sent him to the country, who had given him the files and why he was in North Korea.
He was given little to eat generally a few bites of rice and some wilted vegetables, he says and was forced to watch government propaganda every evening, but was not beaten, he says.
He eventually confessed one of the documents was a plan for what he described as "Operation Jericho," an effort to bring tourists into North Korea to pray and spread the love of God. They would not have openly evangelized, but he had hoped that the "walls" isolating North Koreans from the rest of the world would come crumbling down, as the walls of Jericho fell in the Bible story.
North Korean officials did not understand the plan's metaphorical nature, and he struggled to explain that he wasn't trying to actually overthrow the government, he writes. The government sentenced him to 15 years in prison, but his weak health including a bad back, diabetes and gallstones made it difficult for him to perform hard labor. He spent some of his time resting in a hospital room.
Bae said the worst parts of his detention were knowing his family was worrying constantly about him and not knowing what the White House might be doing to try to free him. Eventually, former basketball star Dennis Rodman became involved, first asking North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Twitter to "do me a solid" and release Bae. Rodman then traveled with other basketball players to North Korea and in what he later described as a rant fueled by alcohol and stress suggested in an on-camera interview that Bae's detention might be justified.
The backlash against Rodman's comments helped raise awareness of Bae's case in the U.S. and increased pressure for his release, Bae writes.
"Thanks to Dennis Rodman's drunken outburst and my sister's defense of me, my case had now catapulted to a new level of national consciousness and outrage," he writes.
In 2014, following negotiations handled with the help of the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang, U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Klapper traveled to retrieve him, along with another detained American, Matthew Miller.
He relied heavily on his faith, reading Bible verses and praying until he came to realize that he could serve as a missionary even while in custody, Bae writes. He came to know several of his captors and sought openings where he could talk to them about their lives, the U.S. and Christianity.
They were astonished to hear of how common it is for Westerners to own cars or their own homes, he writes, and he was amazed at aspects of North Korean life such as when his captors drove him across the country to Pyongyang in a snowstorm. Over a stretch of nearly 200 miles, thousands of people lined the gravel road that passed for a highway all of them shoveling to keep the road clear.
Bae says he still loves the North Korean people and hopes that someday he'll return "not as a threat, but as a blessing." In the meantime, he hopes to open an organization that will work with North Korean refugees in South Korea, helping them adjust to life outside.
His book's title, he says, came not only from the fact he wasn't forgotten while he was in custody, but also "because they should not be a forgotten people anymore."
___
Follow Johnson at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle
Kenneth Bae, a U.S. citizen who was detained in North Korea for two years, talks during an interview, Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. Bae tells his story in a new book, "Not Forgotten: The True Story of My Imprisonment in North Korea." He says his detention began when he accidentally brought an external hard drive into the isolated nation. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Kenneth Bae, a U.S. citizen who was detained in North Korea for two years, talks during an interview, Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. Bae tells his story in a new book, "Not Forgotten: The True Story of My Imprisonment in North Korea." He says his detention began when he accidentally brought an external hard drive into the isolated nation. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Azarenka beats Cornet to advance to 3rd round in Madrid
MADRID (AP) Fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka continued her fine form, beating Alize Cornet 6-3, 6-2 to win her 16th straight match and advance to the third round of the Madrid Masters on Monday.
Azarenka, seeking her third consecutive title, broke Cornet's serve five times to maintain her winning streak. The fifth-ranked Belarusian saved seven of the eight break points she conceded to her French opponent at the clay-court tournament.
In the men's draw, Frenchmen Richard Gasquet, Gilles Simon and Lucas Pouille advanced to the second round, along with local favorite Feliciano Lopez and 11th-seeded Canadian Milos Raonic.
Azarenka has not lost since the second round at Acapulco in February. The two-time Australian Open champion won tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami heading into Madrid.
"I feel that this year is going to be all about making progress and trying to improve, making errors but still improving," Azarenka said. "It's just day by day progress, trying to get the game together."
The 48th-ranked Cornet has failed to advance past the second round in her last five tournaments since winning the title in Hobart in January.
Azarenka next faces 130th-ranked American Louisa Chirico, a 19-year-old qualifier who upset 14th-seeded Ana Ivanovic 5-7, 6-1, 6-3.
Defending champion Petra Kvitova reached the third round with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Russian qualifier Elena Vesnina, the finalist at Charleston in April. Kvitova will next face Australian Daria Gavrilova, who upset 12th-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-2, 7-6 (4).
Two other Americans advanced to the third round: Christina McHale topped 13th-seeded Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (3), 6-4 and Madison Keys eliminated Barbora Strycova 6-3, 6-3. Sixteenth-seeded Sloane Stephens fell to qualifier Patricia Maria Tig of Romania 6-2, 6-3.
Gasquet, the No. 10 seed in the men's draw, beat qualifier Roberto Carballes Baena 6-1, 7-6 (5), while 11th-seeded Raonic defeated Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci 7-6 (4), 6-1, and 16th-seeded Simon got past Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in nearly 2 1/2 hours. Lopez edged Leonardo Mayer of Argentina 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4 behind 14 aces, while French qualifier Pouille saved four match points to defeat 12th-seeded David Goffin of Belgium 7-6 (4), 2-6, 7-6 (7) in a thriller.
The 34-year-old Lopez, a Madrid resident, has participated in every singles draw in the tournament's 15-year history.
"I'm a very fortunate player. I didn't think to be able to play so many years and have such a long career. I feel very proud and fortunate to be able to still be competitive with my age," Lopez said. "It's been 15 great years with a lot of the matches and things to remember."
Earlier Monday, third-seeded Roger Federer announced he was withdrawing from the tournament because of a back injury. Rafael Nadal debuts on Tuesday.
___
Q&A: Sanders' long-shot bid to clinch Democratic nomination
WASHINGTON (AP) Trailing significantly in the Democratic primaries, Bernie Sanders wants superdelegates to flip his way and is aiming for a contested national convention in July against front-runner Hillary Clinton. For his plan to work, he'll need plenty of big-time breaks.
Sanders says he will campaign until the final primary in the District of Columbia in mid-June and aim to amass as many delegates as possible to influence the platform at the party's convention in Philadelphia.
The Vermont senator faces a daunting deficit against Clinton among pledged delegates from primaries and caucuses as well as among superdelegates, the Democratic elected and party leaders who can support the candidate of their choice and account for 30 percent of the 2,383 delegates needed to win.
Bernie Sanders was at IPFW's Gates Center Monday, May 2, 2016, for a rally in Fort Wayne, Ind. (Michelle Davies/The Journal-Gazette via AP)
Some questions and answers about Sanders' longshot odds for the Democratic nomination:
___
WHAT'S THE MATH?
Clinton leads Sanders among pledged delegates from primaries and caucuses, 1,645 to 1,318, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. Among superdelegates, Clinton leads 520 to 39.
That means overall, Clinton holds a lead of 2,165 to 1,357, putting the former secretary of state 91 percent of the way to clinching the nomination.
Clinton also has an edge of roughly 3 million raw votes. Clinton has received more than 12.2 million votes in primaries and caucuses to date, compared with 9.1 million for Sanders. Those numbers do not include Iowa, Nevada, Maine, Alaska, Washington and Wyoming caucus states where the AP tabulated delegate equivalents, not raw votes. Sanders won four of those six states.
___
HOW CLOSE IS CLINTON TO CLINCHING?
Clinton is still a few weeks away.
She remains 218 delegates short. The election contests in May offer a total of 235 delegates, including states such as Oregon, where Sanders believes he can do well. Democrats award delegates in proportion to the share of the vote, so even the loser gets some. That means Clinton won't be able to win all 235 from May.
More likely, she'll split the delegates more evenly with Sanders, putting her on track to reach 2,383 in early June.
That date could move up sooner if Clinton does better than expected in the May contests and picks up many more superdelegate endorsements.
__
WHAT ARE SANDERS' ODDS?
When including superdelegates, Sanders would need to win more than 82 percent of the remaining delegates and uncommitted superdelegates. That's all but impossible Clinton would basically have to lose every remaining state with 20 percent or less of the vote. So far, Sanders has been able to achieve that only in three smaller, less diverse states: Alaska, Utah and his home state of Vermont.
Sanders would need to win a solid victory in Indiana on Tuesday, then put together a winning streak in West Virginia on May 10, Kentucky and Oregon on May 17 and Puerto Rico on June 5. On June 7, Sanders needs a big delegate haul in California, the nation's largest state, and in contests held that day in Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota and South Dakota. The final primary is in the District of Columbia on June 14.
__
WHY DOES SANDERS SAY HE CAN WIN?
He's mostly focusing on the pledged delegates won just from primaries and caucuses. He trails significantly with those delegates, but not by as much as when including superdelegates.
To overtake her in those delegates, Sanders would need to win 65 percent of those remaining. That would require sweeping victories by Sanders in coming states large and small, including California, where Clinton holds a lead in polling.
If Sanders overtakes Clinton in the pledged count, he would still need to win support from at least half of the 714 superdelegates who get a vote at the national convention to reach 2,383. Currently, he has endorsements from 39, or about 5 percent.
__
WILL SUPERDELEGATES FLIP THEIR SUPPORT?
Barring a major Clinton loss in Indiana, it's mathematically impossible for Sanders to clinch the nomination outright without earning the support of these party officials. So Sanders is banking on hundreds of superdelegates to change their public support from Clinton to him.
In 2008, when Clinton waged a lengthy primary battle against then Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the future president was able to persuade dozens of superdelegates to come to his side. But there was a big difference: Obama had the lead among delegates from primaries and caucuses for much of the 2008 race.
Sanders says superdelegates should honor the will of the voters in their states. He's going after superdelegates who are supporting Clinton in states he's won for instance, in Minnesota, Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken and Gov. Mark Dayton; and in Washington state, Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell to switch their support.
But by that logic, some of Sanders' faithful, including Reps. Raul Grijalva of Arizona and Alan Grayson of Florida, might need to back Clinton because she won their congressional districts.
__
IF SUPERDELEGATES IN STATES HE WON SUPPORTED HIM, WOULD SANDERS LEAD?
No. It's not clear if Sanders means that he should get proportional support for instance, 60 percent of the superdelegates in a state if he wins 60 percent of the vote or if he is entitled to all the state's superdelegates even if he wins a small majority of the state's popular vote.
By either calculation, Sanders would still trail Clinton in the total delegate count.
It would, however, garner Sanders additional delegates, which could help him influence Clinton's platform at the convention in July.
__
On Twitter follow Ken Thomas at https://twitter.com/KThomasDC and Hope Yen at https://twitter.com/hopeyen1
Study: 7 of 10 most profitable US hospitals are nonprofits
CHICAGO (AP) Seven of the 10 most profitable U.S. hospitals are nonprofits, according to new research, including one in Urbana, Illinois, where hospital tax exemptions are headed for a contentious court battle that soon could determine whether medical facilities are paying their fair share of taxes.
The "Top 10" list accompanies a study published Monday in the journal Health Affairs. The analysis is based on federal data from 2013 on nearly 3,000 hospitals. The authors measured profits using net income from patient care services, disregarding other income such as investments, donations and tuition. Researchers say the measure reflects how hospitals fare from their core work, without income from other activities.
The research comes as cities in New Jersey, Michigan and Wisconsin also wage battles over hospital tax breaks. Officials are scraping for revenue and pressuring hospitals to either pay up or justify their tax-exempt status.
Carle Foundation Hospital is seen Monday, May 2, 2016, in Urbana, Ill. In a study published Monday in the journal Health Affairs, researchers analyzed why some hospitals make big profits and found a surprise: Seven of the 10 most profitable hospitals are nonprofits, including Carle in Urbana, where hospital tax exemptions are headed for a contentious court battle. The research on hospital profits comes as city officials in several states are pressuring hospitals to justify their tax-exempt status. (Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette via AP)
So, who's making money, and how? According to the study, delivering patient care was a money-loser for 55 percent of hospitals in the year studied. About a third made some money up to $1,000 per patient. And a small group about 12 percent of the total made profits of more than $1,000 per discharged patient from payments by insurers, government and patients themselves.
The highly profitable hospitals were mostly for-profit corporations, such as Medical City Dallas Hospital in Texas and Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, Colorado.
But money-making hospitals also include nonprofits such as the Carle Foundation Hospital in Illinois, where a state appeals court in January ruled a state law allowing hospitals to avoid taxes is unconstitutional. The Illinois Supreme Court is expected to review the decision, on appeal by Carle Foundation Hospital.
Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing said her city lost 11 percent of its assessed tax value when Carle stopped paying $6.5 million a year in property taxes the majority of which went to Urbana and its school district.
"We need to question this whole idea of what not-for-profit means," Prussing said. "This is a highly profitable business that manages to not pay taxes."
Carle Foundation Hospital spokeswoman Jennifer Hendricks-Kaufmann said the research "considers only one year and omits important details" like system-wide expenses and one-time government payments. The hospital provided $25.8 million in charity care in 2013, she said.
"A positive bottom line does not mean a hospital does not deserve tax-exempt status," said Danny Chun of the Illinois Hospital Association. Nonprofits reinvest net income into "the latest technology, newer equipment, modern facilities, highly-trained staff and other programs that ensure access to quality health care services and benefit the health of their community."
Taxation would force hospitals operating on thin margins to reduce services, lay off staff and delay the purchase of equipment or facility upgrades, Chun said.
Hospital care is nearly a third of all U.S. health care spending the largest share of all categories and increased by 4 percent from 2013 to 2014 to reach $972 billion. That's why it's important to understand which hospitals make money and how public policy affects them, said study co-author Ge Bai of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.
In the study, hospitals affiliated with larger health care systems and those with less competition in their markets fared better on profitability. Consumers "should be skeptical of hospital consolidation," Bai said. "It may mean hospitals can be more efficient and have higher quality. But it almost always means they're going to negotiate higher prices with private insurers."
The new study, along with other recent research showing hospital price variation around the country, may put more public pressure on hospitals to help lower the growth of health care spending, said Craig Garthwaite of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.
"Hospitals have gotten a bit of a free pass when we talk about health care spending," Garthwaite said.
Hospitals are treating fewer uninsured patients because of the expansion of coverage under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul "but the value of their tax benefit has not changed," Garthwaite said. "I'd like a more careful accounting of how hospitals are going to reallocate their community-benefit spending."
___
Follow AP Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson at https://twitter.com/CarlaKJohnson
Cheering Cubans greet first cruise ship from US in decades
HAVANA (AP) Greeted with rum drinks and salsa dancers, the first passengers to cruise from the U.S. to Cuba in nearly 40 years streamed Monday into a crowd cheering the rebirth of commercial travel on waters that served as a stage for a half-century of Cold War hostility.
Many watching the festive arrival praised a Cuban government decision to drop a longstanding ban on Cuban-born people returning to their homeland by sea, a step that allowed 16 Cuban-Americans to make the journey from Miami.
"This is history," said Mercedes Lopez, a 54-year-old nurse who waited for hours to see Carnival Cruise Line's 704-passenger Adonia pull up to Havana's two-berth cruise terminal. "We Cubans must unite, all of us. This is a step forward, a little step toward normalization, peace, family unification."
Carnival's Adonia cruise ship arrives from Miami in Havana, Cuba, Monday, May 2, 2016. The Adonia's arrival is the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most U.S.-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
The passengers of the Adonia were welcomed by live music and dancing inside Havana's single state-run cruise terminal. Outside, police carved a single lane into the crowd of hundreds of Cubans waiting in Old Havana's Plaza San Francisco for passengers taking walking tours of the restored colonial center. The group included dozens of plainclothes security agents and hawkers promoting restaurants and souvenir shops, as well as many trying to witness history.
Cruise ships stopped crossing the Florida Straits from the U.S. after a brief window in the late 1970s when President Jimmy Carter allowed virtually all U.S. travel to Cuba. U.S. cruises to Cuba once again become possible after Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro declared detente on Dec. 17, 2014.
Both sides hope it is the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most U.S.-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.
"I feel hopeful for the people of Cuba and for Cuba, hopeful that Cuba can realize its full potential," said North Miami Beach City Manager Ana Garcia, who left the island nation in 1968 when she was 6.
Setting sail from Miami shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday, the Adonia took nearly 17 hours to cross the Florida Straits, steaming through a waterway blockaded by the U.S. during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Tens of thousands of Cubans have fled to Florida on homemade rafts in recent decades, with untold thousands dying in the process.
The number of Cubans trying to cross the straits is at its highest point in eight years, and cruises and merchant ships regularly rescue rafters from the straits.
U.S. cruises are expected to bring Cuba tens of millions of dollars in badly needed foreign hard currency if traffic increases as expected. More than a dozen lines have announced plans to run U.S.-Cuba cruises, and if all actually begin operations, Cuba could earn more than $80 million a year, the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council said in a report Monday.
The Adonia will take eight days to circumnavigate Cuba and return to Miami. Part of the Fathom brand, the Adonia is one of Carnival's smaller ships, roughly half the size of some larger European vessels that already dock in Havana.
Environmental scientists fear that if they're joined by dozens more ships, there will be serious damage to an island that boasts the Caribbean's healthiest marine life in large part due to decades without large-scale development.
"An influx of supersized ships in coastal waters of Cuba presents real risks to fragile coral reef ecosystems," said Dan Whittle, head of the Environmental Defense Fund's Cuba program. "Discharge of sewage into near pristine waters may degrade water quality and harm coral reefs and marine life."
Before the 1959 Cuban revolution, cruise ships regularly traveled from the U.S. to Cuba, with elegant Caribbean excursions departing from New York and $42 overnight weekend jaunts leaving twice a week from Miami, said California-based cruise ship historian Michael L. Grace.
New York cruises featured dressy dinners, movies, dancing and betting on "horse races" in which stewards dragged wooden horses around a ballroom track according to rolls of dice that determined how many feet each could move per turn.
Cruises dwindled in the years leading up to the revolution and ended entirely after Castro overthrew the U.S.-backed government.
After Carter dropped limits on Cuba travel, 400 passengers, including musical legend Dizzy Gillespie sailed from New Orleans to Cuba on a 1977 "Jazz Cruise" aboard the MS Daphne. Like the Adonia, it sailed despite dockside demonstrations by Cuban exiles, and continued protests and bomb threats forced Carras Cruises to cancel additional sailings, Grace said.
The following year, however, Daphne made a several cruises from New Orleans to Cuba and other destinations in the Caribbean.
Cuba cut back on all cruise tourism in 2005 after Fidel Castro blasted cruise ships during a 4-hour speech on state television.
"Floating hotels come, floating restaurants, floating theaters, floating diversions visit countries to leave their trash, their empty cans and papers for a few miserable cents," Castro said.
Today, the Cuban government sees cruises as an easy source of revenue that can bring thousands more American travelers without placing additional demand on the country's maxed-out food supplies and overbooked hotels.
The number of Americans coming by boat has climbed since 2014, including passengers on cruise ships registered in third countries and sailing from other Caribbean ports. Traffic remains low, however, for a major tourist attraction only 90 miles (145 kilometers) from Florida.
Cruise traffic is key to the government's reengineering of the industrial Port of Havana as a tourist attraction. After decades of treating the more than 500-year-old harbor as a receptacle for industrial waste, the government is moving container traffic to the Port of Mariel west of the city, tearing out abandoned buildings and slowly renovating decrepit warehouses as breweries and museums connected by waterfront promenades.
___
Michael Weissenstein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mweissenstein
Daniel Miranda waves a U.S. flag as he watches the arrival of Carnival's Adonia cruise ship from Miami, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, May 2, 2016. The Adonia's arrival is the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most U.S.-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. (AP Photo/Fernando Medina)
Yaney Cajigal, left, and Dalwin Valdes hold up U.S. and Cuban flags as they watch the arrival of Carnival's Adonia cruise ship from Miami, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, May 2, 2016. The Adonia's arrival is the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most U.S.-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. AP Photo/Fernando Medina)
People watch Carnival's Adonia cruise ship arrive from Miami, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, May 2, 2016. The Adonia's arrival is the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most U.S.-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
People waving Cuban flags greet passengers on Carnival's Adonia cruise ship as they arrive from Miami in Havana, Cuba, Monday, May 2, 2016. The Adonia's arrival is the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most U.S.-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Cuban soldiers watch the Carnival Adonia cruise ship arrive from Miami, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, May 2, 2016. The Adonia's arrival is the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most U.S.-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
A woman from Cuba waves Adonia leaves port in Miami, Sunday, May 1, 2016, en route to Cuba. After a half-century of waiting, passengers finally set sail on Sunday from Miami on an historic cruise to Cuba. Carnival's Cuba cruises, operating under its Fathom band, will visit the ports of Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. (Patrick Farrell/The Miami Herald via AP) MAGS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT
People watch the Carnival Adonia cruise ship arrive from Miami, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, May 2, 2016. The Adonia's arrival is the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most U.S.-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Education secretary calls for repeal of 2 transgender laws
BOSTON (AP) Laws in North Carolina and Mississippi that restrict the rights of transgender Americans are hateful and should be repealed, Education Secretary John B. King Jr. said Monday.
Asked about the laws at the Education Writers Association national conference in Boston, King called them hateful and said gender identity should be protected.
He said the laws send a problematic message to students and he is calling on state legislatures to repeal them.
"My hope is legislators will realize they've made a terrible mistake," he said.
The North Carolina law requires transgender people to use bathrooms in state government buildings and public schools and universities that correspond to the gender on their birth certificates. It also established statewide anti-discrimination protections that exclude LGBT people, and it bans communities from passing anti-discrimination ordinances that go further.
Last month, President Barack Obama called for the law to be overturned.
Transgender advocates and the Obama administration have argued federal anti-discrimination law requires that transgender students be able to use the restroom and locker room that correspond with their gender identity.
A federal appeals court ruled last month in a Virginia case that a high school discriminated against a transgender teen by forbidding him from using the boys' restroom. The U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to a lower court for trial rather than issuing a definitive decision.
In a court filing in that case, the U.S. Education Department and the Justice Department argued that preventing students from using restrooms that correspond with their gender identity violates Title IX of federal law.
"Treating a student differently from other students because his birth-assigned sex diverges from his gender identity constitutes differential treatment on the basis of sex under Title IX," the departments said in a friend-of-the-court brief.
The Mississippi law allows religious groups and some private businesses to deny services to same-sex couples and transgender people. It takes effect July 1. Any employer or school could refuse to allow transgender people to use the bathroom of their choice.
Bathrooms have been a focal point as schools around the country grapple with how to balance the rights of transgender students with privacy issues.
Students at Santee Education Complex worked to establish the first multi-stall, gender-neutral restroom at the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest. Adults protested the move.
In Ocala, Florida, the Marion County School Board voted to limit restrooms to students based on their birth sex.
___
Detroit teachers to consider next move after mass sick-out
DETROIT (AP) Teachers in Detroit are considering their next move after they effectively shut down the financially strapped school district on Monday, giving nearly 45,000 schoolchildren an unscheduled day off. The educators stopped short of calling it a strike, instead saying they called a massive sick-out in response to an announcement that the district wouldn't be able to pay teachers who deferred part of their salaries to get checks during the summer months.
Here are some questions and answers about what teachers call a lockout vs. what would be an illegal strike.
HOW DID THE DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS' FINANCES GET SO BAD?
Detroit teachers march outside the district headquarters, Monday, May 2, 2016, in Detroit. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed Monday and more than 45,000 students missed classes after about half the district's teachers called out sick to protest the possibility that some of them will not get paid over the summer if the struggling district runs out of cash. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Republican Gov. Rick Snyder has said the district's debt will reach about $515 million by this summer. Much of the blame for the money troubles can be traced to plummeting student enrollment. The Detroit Public Schools had 150,415 students in 2003-2004. Now, about 46,000 students attend the district's 97 schools. Detroit receives about $7,400 for each student. Many Detroit parents seeking out better educational opportunities for their children have turned to charter schools and close-by suburban districts.
WHY DID THE DETROIT TEACHERS' UNION CALL FOR A SICK-OUT MONDAY?
The Detroit Federation of Teachers has not supported sick-outs held earlier this year by some of its members, but union leadership is growing more frustrated with the district's poor finances. Monday's sick-out closed 94 of the district's 97 schools, eclipsing a January sick-out in which classes were canceled at 88 schools. The union was told over the weekend by state-appointed transition manager Steven Rhodes that there would be no money after June 30 to pay teachers who have chosen to have their paychecks spread out over the entire year. Union president Ivy Bailey said Sunday that an inability by Rhodes to guarantee those teachers would receive paychecks during the summer for work they would have already performed was the breaking point.
WHAT ACTIONS DO TEACHERS PLAN TO TAKE NEXT?
The union says a meeting is scheduled Tuesday with the members to discuss their options. Bailey has said that by refusing to guarantee teachers will be paid for their work, the district is effectively locking them out of their classrooms. Former Detroit Federation of Teachers president Steve Conn says there is a "possibility that many schools will remain closed Tuesday." Conn has said Monday's sick-out will lead to a full-blown teachers strike and that "a strike is the only way the teachers can win." But under Michigan law, it's illegal for teachers to strike.
HAVE DETROIT TEACHERS EVER GONE ON STRIKE, AND WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?
In 2006, Detroit teachers went on strike for 16 days after rejecting a contract offer that would have cut their pay by 5.5 percent over two years. Teachers agreed to return to work and consider a deal with eventual raises. During the strike, a judge ordered the teachers to return to work after Detroit Public Schools requested an injunction, but teachers mostly stayed off the job. The district argued that the strike was illegal. A contempt charge against the teachers' union was later dismissed. Teachers received a 2 percent pay raise after a nine-day strike in 1999.
WHAT ARE LAWMAKERS DOING?
The state approved $47.8 million in emergency money in March to keep the school district operating, but that amount only pays the bills through June 30. The Republican-controlled Senate approved a restructuring plan in March. The $720 million plan that would pay off the district's enormous debt. It is pending in the House, where majority Republicans want to tie aid to restrictions on teacher work stoppages and some collective bargaining rights.
WHAT HAPPENS IF IT'S NOT APPROVED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE?
Lawmakers could consider passing another emergency stopgap measure, like the earlier emergency measure that is keeping the district operating through June 30.
__
Associated Press writer David Eggert in Lansing contributed to this report.
Detroit teachers march outside the district headquarters, Monday, May 2, 2016, in Detroit. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed Monday and more than 45,000 students missed classes after about half the district's teachers called out sick to protest the possibility that some of them will not get paid over the summer if the struggling district runs out of cash. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit teachers march outside the district headquarters, Monday, May 2, 2016, in Detroit. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed Monday and more than 45,000 students missed classes after about half the district's teachers called out sick to protest the possibility that some of them will not get paid over the summer if the struggling district runs out of cash. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit Public Schools state-appointed transition manager Steven Rhodes attends a news conference at the district headquarters, Monday, May 2, 2016, in Detroit. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed Monday and more than 45,000 students missed classes after about half the district's teachers called out sick to protest the possibility that some of them will not get paid over the summer if the struggling district runs out of cash. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit teachers march outside the district headquarters, Monday, May 2, 2016, in Detroit. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed Monday and more than 45,000 students missed classes after about half the district's teachers called out sick to protest the possibility that some of them will not get paid over the summer if the struggling district runs out of cash. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Hundreds of teachers march during a rally in Detroit's New Center on Monday, May 2, 2016. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed Monday and more than 45,000 students missed classes after about half the district's teachers called out sick to protest the possibility that some of them will not get paid over the summer if the struggling district runs out of cash. (Tanya Moutzalias/The Ann Arbor News-MLive Detroit via AP) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; LOCAL INTERNET OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT
Alise Anaya, 8, a Detroit Public School student at Academy of the Americas, holds up a sign reading, "Pay my teachers and my mom!" Alise's mother, also Alise, a Detroit Public School teacher at Clippert Academy, followers behind her as they march in a rally in Detroit, Monday, May 2, 2016. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed Monday and more than 45,000 students missed classes after about half the district's teachers called out sick to protest the possibility that some of them will not get paid over the summer if the struggling district runs out of cash. (Tanya Moutzalias/The Ann Arbor News-MLive Detroit via AP) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; LOCAL INTERNET OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT
Detroit Public School teachers line Grand Blvd. as cars drive by honking during a rally in Detroit, Monday, May 2, 2016. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed Monday and more than 45,000 students missed classes after about half the district's teachers called out sick to protest the possibility that some of them will not get paid over the summer if the struggling district runs out of cash. (Tanya Moutzalias/The Ann Arbor News-MLive Detroit via AP) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; LOCAL INTERNET OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT
Orrostieta could face 20 to 40 years in prison for the
On Monday jurors said they thought the killing was unintentional, meriting the third-degree murder, rather than a first-degree
Gregorio Orrostieta, 20, (pictured) has been convicted of the third-degree murder of his college girlfriend 18-year-old Karlie Hall
A man who told authorities he got into a fight with his college freshman girlfriend over spilled noodles was convicted Monday of beating and strangling her last year in Pennsylvania.
Jurors deliberated for a little over an hour before convicting Gregorio Orrostieta of third-degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Karlie Hall at her Millersville University dorm in February 2015.
Orrostieta, 20, told police they had been drinking and got into the fight and she fell and hit her head, authorities said.
The defense argued that an earlier injury figured into her death.
Orrostieta was found trying to administer CPR to his girlfriend after calling 911, but authorities said he was faking that and she had been dead for hours.
Prosecutors described him as jealous and said he cursed at and shoved her earlier in the evening at a party.
Brett Hambright of the Lancaster County district attorney's office said officials were 'surprised' by the third-degree conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years.
'We thought we had a first-degree case here. That's what we presented,' he told LNP newspapers.
Defense attorney Peter Bowers said he was pleased that jurors 'found it was not an intentional killing'.
Hall (left) was beaten and strangled by Orrostieta (right) in her dorm after a fight over spilled noodles. Officers walked in on Orrostieta performing CPR on Hall but said it was faked
Jurors believed that the murder was not premeditated, which would have merited a first-degree conviction
'There are no winners in this case,' Bowers said outside the courtroom.
'There never were.'
In closing arguments earlier Monday, Assistant District Attorney Susan Ellison said Hall's autopsy concluded that deadly force was used on her head, neck and chest, each of which could have been sufficient to kill her.
'That's not reckless, that's not negligent,' Ellison said. 'That's intent.'
Bowers cited disagreement between prosecution and defense pathologists on the manner of death and the position Hall was in when it occurred.
Convicted sex offender pleads guilty in ID theft case
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A decades-long ordeal ruined a Texas man, but his life might start to get better now that the convicted sex offender in Kansas who stole his identity has pleaded guilty to misusing a Social Security number.
After years of fighting, Marcus Calvillo almost gave up on trying to clear his name. Then he read an Associated Press story about a case in 2013 in which a Houston teacher's entire identity was stolen. Calvillo contacted the federal prosecutor in Wichita who was involved in that case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson, hoping the official might help him as well.
"I don't know of a case where the theft of an identity had a more devastating impact than this one," Anderson said of Calvillo's plight.
FILE - This photo provided by the Kansas Department of Corrections shows convicted child sex offender Fernando Neave-Ceniceros, who has been indicted by federal prosecutors and accused of stealing the identity of Marcus Calvillo. A decades-long nightmare that ruined Calvillo's life may ease a bit on Monday, May 2, 2016, when Neave-Ceniceros is expected to plead guilty to federal charges in Wichita, Kan. (Kansas Department of Corrections via AP, File)
The guilty plea Monday from Fernando Neave-Ceniceros, a 41-year-old convicted child sex offender and Mexican national, will help untangle the impostor's long criminal history and begin to repair the havoc left behind for Calvillo, the man whose identity he assumed.
"Now we have a court on-the-record admission of who he really is," Anderson said after the hearing.
Neave-Ceniceros admitted in his plea deal in U.S. District Court in Wichita to unlawfully using Calvillo's Social Security number to hide his own identity and lack of legal status in the United States. He will be sentenced July 25. His attorney, David Freund, declined to comment.
The defendant's criminal record including convictions for indecent liberties with a child, bribery, drug offenses and other charges became wrongly linked to Calvillo when the impostor was first fingerprinted as a teenager using the false identity.
Calvillo, now 46 and living in Grand Prairie, Texas, went public with his ordeal in October, telling the AP at the time that his "whole life has been put on hold because of this person, and it has gotten worse and worse and worse."
He recalled his confusion when he got fired from his job as a cable installer, being told only, "You know what you did."
He was in his early 20s when he learned his identity had been hijacked. His marriage fell apart. He couldn't find or keep a job, and fell behind on bills and child support.
Calvillo, who prosecutors say has no criminal record, began rebuilding his life after the government found him an alternative Social Security number. Now self-employed, he has a home services business that power washes houses.
Once Neave-Ceniceros is sentenced, Anderson said he can begin clearing Calvillo's name in each county where the impostor's seven felony convictions for past crimes took place.
Under the plea agreement, Neave-Ceniceros would get a year and a day to be served concurrently with a state prison sentence he is already serving. He then will likely be deported.
FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2015 file photo, Marcus Calvillo's image is reflected in a coffee table at his parents home as he poses for a photo in Grand Prairie, Texas. Calvillo had given up hope of ever clearing his name after his identity was stolen by a convicted sex offender, Fernando Neave-Ceniceros. The decades-long nightmare that ruined Calvillo's life may ease a bit on Monday, May 2, 2016, when Neave-Ceniceros who assumed his identity is expected to plead guilty to federal charges in Wichita, Kan. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez File)
Authorities: Slaying suspect later shot at family's car
DEFOREST, Wis. (AP) Deputies shot and wounded a suspect in the weekend killing of a man in a suburban Milwaukee apartment and the wounding of a woman hours later while she was traveling home to Illinois with her family on a busy highway, authorities said Monday.
It all began around 7 a.m. Sunday, when police in West Allis received a report of a man forcing his way into a pair of apartments. Responding officers found 42-year-old Gabriel Sanchez fatally shot, authorities said. The 20-year old suspect also had made threats to a member of Epikos Church, which canceled Sunday evening services in Milwaukee.
The suspect and his two brothers later drove in a Chevrolet Blazer to Wisconsin Dells, a city known for its theme parks. They were traveling south on Interstate 90/94 toward Madison on Sunday afternoon when a family of four a 43-year-old man, his 44-year-old wife and their children passed them on their way back to Illinois after a weekend in the resort city.
CORRECTS THAT POLICE WOUNDED THE SUSPECT NOT KILLED HIM - Columbia County Sheriff Dennis Richards speaks during a press conference at the Wisconsin State Patrol's DeForest Post in DeForest, Wis., Monday, May 2, 2016. On Sunday, a suspect in a suburban Milwaukee homicide was shot and wounded by police along Interstate 39/90/94 near DeForest. (Michael P. King/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)
The 20-year-old man was driving the Blazer and opened fire on the family's BMW sedan, Dane County Sheriff's spokeswoman Elise Schaffer said. He shot the car twice, hitting the mother in the neck, authorities said. Another round struck a Nissan sedan, but the Florida woman driving that car wasn't hurt.
Other motorists called 911. Officers from multiple agencies chased the Blazer into Dane County, where deputies stopped the SUV with a spike strip.
The 20-year-old man then emerged from the vehicle holding a revolver. He ignored orders to drop the weapon and two Columbia County deputies shot him, authorities said.
Both the Illinois woman and the suspect were taken to the University of Wisconsin Hospital. The suspect's brothers, ages 30 and 34, were taken to the Dane County Jail.
At a news conference Monday, Dane County Sheriff David Mahoney described the woman's condition as "very critical." He declined to provide any additional information about the family, saying they had asked for privacy. Schaffer didn't immediately respond to a message later Monday afternoon inquiring about the suspect's condition. UW Hospital media officials also didn't immediately return an email.
The suspect hasn't been formally charged and authorities have not released his name.
Mahoney couldn't explain why the man decided to attack the family, saying only that it appeared to be random and the investigation continues.
The state Department of Justice is investigating the deputies' decision to shoot the suspect. They have been placed on administrative leave, Columbia County Sheriff Dennis Richards said during the news conference. One of the deputies has been with the department for nine and a half years, Richards said. The other has worked as a deputy for four and a half years.
West Allis Deputy Police Chief Robert Fletcher didn't immediately respond to a voicemail seeking more information about the Sanchez slaying.
___
Associated Press writer Gretchen Ehlke in Milwaukee contributed to this report.
CORRECTS THAT POLICE WOUNDED THE SUSPECT NOT KILLED HIM - Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney speaks during a press conference at the Wisconsin State Patrol's DeForest Post in DeForest, Wis., Monday, May 2, 2016. On Sunday, a suspect in a suburban Milwaukee homicide was wounded by police along Interstate 39/90/94 near DeForest. (Michael P. King/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)
CORRECTS THAT POLICE WOUNDED THE SUSPECT NOT KILLED HIM - Sauk County Sheriff Chip Meister speaks during a press conference at the Wisconsin State Patrol's DeForest Post in DeForest, Wis., Monday, May 2, 2016. On Sunday, a suspect in a suburban Milwaukee homicide was shot and wounded by police along Interstate 39/90/94 near DeForest. (Michael P. King/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)
Transgender pride flag raised at Boston City Hall
BOSTON (AP) Mayor Marty Walsh says a transgender pride flag raised Monday over Boston City Hall plaza will continue to fly until everyone is equal under the law in Massachusetts.
The Democratic mayor and other elected officials joined activists in raising the flag of blue, pink, and white horizontal stripes as state lawmakers continue to weigh a bill that would extend protections to transgender individuals in public places.
Republican Gov. Charlie Baker hasn't said whether he would sign the measure, which would expand a 2011 state law banning discrimination against transgender people in the workplace and housing by also prohibiting discrimination in restaurants, malls and other public accommodations, including restrooms or locker rooms.
A flag representing the transgender community, right, flies next to the Massachusetts state flag, left, and an American flag, behind, in front of Boston City Hall, Monday, May 2, 2016, in Boston. Democratic Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a supporter of transgender rights, said Monday the flag will continue to fly until everyone is equal under the law in Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
The bill would allow transgender people to use public accommodations corresponding to their gender identity.
"We raise the trans pride flag for those who cannot be here today, for those who have been taken from us due to anti-trans violence," said Mason Dunn, executive director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition.
Dunn said the ceremony marked the first time a trans pride flag has been raised in Massachusetts. Supporters said they know of only three other cities in the country to fly the flag Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Jose, California.
Boston has had a public accommodations law for transgender individuals since 2002, Walsh said, and he wants those same protections put in place statewide.
"We've proven there's nothing to fear from being inclusive," the mayor said. "Quite the opposite. We are safer, we are stronger when everyone enjoys the same protections."
Massachusetts House leaders last week unveiled a revised version of the bill, adding language that could facilitate legal action against anyone who makes an "improper" claim of gender identity. The redrafted bill would allow the attorney general to provide "guidance or regulations" to law enforcement about legal action against "any person who asserts gender identity for an improper purpose."
Opponents have cited fears that a male sexual predator could falsely claim to identify as a female to gain access to a women's bathroom or locker room. And the Massachusetts Family Institute has dismissed the House redraft saying it offers no protections to women and children who don't want to be eyed by or exposed to naked men in locker rooms.
Supporters argue such fears are unfounded.
Baker told reporters Monday that he "appreciated some of the clarity that was provided by the House version."
"This is an important issue and as we've said before we'll look forward to reviewing whatever makes it through the process," he added.
Democratic Senate President Stan Rosenberg said the Senate will debate the House bill May 12.
"We welcome the diversity of the human race here in Massachusetts," Rosenberg said at the flag-raising ceremony.
___
Associated Press reporter Bob Salsberg contributed to this report.
Lori Gillen, of Westwood, Mass., left, helps display a banner with the names of businesses that she said support the transgender community during a ceremony held to commemorate the raising of a flag representing the transgender community at Boston City Hall in Boston, Monday, May 2, 2016. State lawmakers are weighing a bill that would extend protections to transgender individuals in public places. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Mason Dunn, executive director of Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, addresses an audience during an event held to commemorate the raising of a flag representing the transgender community at Boston City Hall in Boston, Monday, May 2, 2016. State lawmakers are weighing a bill that would extend protections to transgender individuals in public places. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Prosecutor: Evidence speaks for 10 'Grim Sleeper' victims
LOS ANGELES (AP) The victims were all young black women, some were prostitutes and most had been using cocaine before their bodies were discovered in alleys in a rough part of Los Angeles, hidden in trash bins or covered by mattresses or debris.
For decades, the serial killer dubbed the "Grim Sleeper" eluded police, dumping at least 10 bodies and leaving one woman for dead after shooting her in the chest.
After months of testimony, a prosecutor Monday said that the evidence overwhelmingly points to Lonnie Franklin Jr. and speaks for the vulnerable victims he silenced as he spent years hiding in plain sight.
FILE - In this Dec. 16, 2010, file photo, photographs found in the possession of Lonnie David Franklin Jr. are shown during a news conference in Los Angeles. The trial of alleged "Grim Sleeper" is headed to a close Monday, May 2, 2016, after months of testimony about the serial killer who stalked women during the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
"How do we figure out what happened here? How do we know who committed these crimes?" Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman asked as she closed her case in Los Angeles Superior Court.
"Ten of the victims can't tell you themselves. The defendant took their voices when he brutally murdered them. ... The evidence in this case is the voice of the victims."
Franklin, 63, a former garbage collector who also worked as a mechanic for the Los Angeles Police Department, could face the death penalty if convicted of the slayings of a 15-year-old girl and nine young women. He has pleaded not guilty to murder, as well as to attempted murder in the case of the woman who survived.
Defense attorney Seymour Amster said victims had DNA from more than one man on their bodies, and that more than 20 DNA tests excluded his client. Franklin is one of three men to face charges in slayings originally attributed to a single killer called the "Southside Slayer" during the crack cocaine epidemic, when crime spiked.
The killings Franklin is charged with were later dubbed the work of the "Grim Sleeper" because while the first victim was found in 1985 and the last in 2007, there was a 14-year gap when no bodies turned up, although prosecutors believe his violence never ceased.
The most riveting witness was the sole known survivor.
Enietra Washington described being shot in the chest and sexually assaulted in 1988. She noticed her attacker taking a Polaroid picture of her as she slipped into unconsciousness.
When Franklin was finally arrested 22 years later, the same photograph showing the wounded woman slouched over in a car was one of many pictures found in his house. When his arrest was announced six years ago, authorities displayed dozens of photos of black women and appealed for the public's help in identifying them. This trial has been focused on 11 victims, but police suspect there were more.
Silverman said Franklin was connected to all 11 victims through ballistics or DNA evidence. She also pointed out the similarities: Most were shot in the left side of the chest with a .25 caliber pistol, or strangled.
Their bodies were all found in alleys, where they were dumped in bushes or dumpsters or hidden under mattresses. Franklin targeted women who were "willing to sell their bodies and their souls in order to gratify their dependency on this powerful drug," Silverman said earlier.
Family members wept, and some doubled over to avoid looking as photos of partly naked and decomposing bodies were shown to the jury on a big screen.
Franklin, wearing black-framed glasses and a blue dress shirt, stared straight ahead in court, showing no emotion during all-day arguments that continue Tuesday.
The body of Janecia Peters, the final victim, was found in a fetal position in a trash bin, her red nails visible through a hole in a garbage bag that was discovered by someone rifling through the trash. Franklin's DNA was found on a zip tie securing the bag.
Twenty years earlier and only a block away, another victim, Bernita Sparks, was found.
"Is that merely another coincidence?" said Silverman, who described the agonizing way Peters had been strangled for two to three minutes after suffering a paralyzing shot in the back.
Franklin was finally arrested in 2010 after a police officer posed as a pizza parlor bus boy to collect DNA samples from dishes and utensils he used at a birthday party.
Amster said in his closing that prosecutors had built a circumstantial case using inferior science and patterns that were nothing more than illusions. He said Franklin was obsessed with sex and could have spread his DNA to the breasts of murder victims because he often gave women bras and other garments.
"His DNA is probably on more women out there than we'll ever know," Amster said, noting it wasn't a morality case.
Amster compared government work in the case to a rancher who calls himself a marksman after drawing bullseyes around bullet holes in his barn.
FILE- In this Feb. 16, 2016, file photo, Lonnie Franklin Jr., left, appears in Los Angeles Superior Court for opening statements in his trial in Los Angeles. The Grim Sleeper serial killer trial is coming to a close in Los Angeles after months of testimony. Closing arguments were scheduled to begin Monday, May 2, 2016, in the trial of Franklin. Hes charged with killing nine women and a 15-year-old girl between 1985 and 2007. They were shot or strangled and their bodies dumped in alleys and trash bins in South Los Angeles and nearby areas. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool, File)
FILE - In this July 9, 2010, file photo, a billboard showing that the suspect known as the "Grim Sleeper" had been arrested stands near a freeway in Compton, Calif. The trial of alleged "Grim Sleeper" is headed to a close Monday, May 2, 2016, after months of testimony about the serial killer who stalked women during the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)
Lonnie Franklin Jr. appears in Los Angeles Superior Court during closing arguments of his trail Monday, May 2, 2016, in Los Angeles. The Grim Sleeper serial killer trial is coming to a close in Los Angeles after months of testimony. Franklin is charged with killing nine women and a 15-year-old girl between 1985 and 2007. They were shot or strangled and their bodies dumped in alleys and trash bins in South Los Angeles and nearby areas. (Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool)
The Marine Corps is investigating whether it mistakenly identified one of the soldiers shown raising the US flag at Iwo Jima in one of the iconic images of World War II.
The Marines announced its inquiry Saturday, more than a year after Eric Krelle, of Omaha, Nebraska, and Stephen Foley, of Wexford, Ireland, began raising doubts about the identity of one of the men.
Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal shot the photo on February 23, 1945, on Mount Suribachi, amid an intense battle with the Japanese.
Rosenthal didn't get the names of the men but the photo was immediately celebrated in the US and President Franklin Roosevelt told the military to identify the men.
Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal shot the photo (pictured) on February 23, 1945, on Mount Suribachi, amid an intense battle with the Japanese
After some confusion, the Marines identified the men as John Bradley, Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, Harlon Block, Michael Strank and Franklin Sousley. All were Marines except Bradley, who was a Navy corpsman.
The identification of the six servicemen has been accepted for decades but Krelle and Foley say the man identified as Bradley was actually Harold Henry Schultz, a private first class from Detroit who died in 1995.
Foley, an employee at a building supply company, noticed possible discrepancies in the picture in the summer of 2013 while recovering from a hernia surgery, the Omaha World-Herald reported in November 2014.
He enlisted the help of Krelle, who has a website dedicated to the Marines' 5th Division.
They say the man identified as Bradley wore uncuffed pants in the famous photo but other pictures shot that day shows in him tightly cuffed pants.
According to Krelle and Foley, the bill of a cap is visible beneath the helmet in the flag-raising picture but not in other images of Bradley made that day.
Lastly, the man identified as Bradley is wearing a cartridge belt with ammunition pouches, and a pair of wire cutters hangs off the belt. But as a Navy corpsman, Bradley would typically be armed with a sidearm, not an M-1 rifle, and he'd have no need for wire cutters.
Other photos that day show him wearing what appears to be a pistol belt with no ammo pouches.
'People can hold onto what they have always known in the past. But to me, the photos are the truth,' Krelle told the Omaha World-Herald in 2014.
The Marine Corps issued a statement on Monday saying it was examining information related to the photograph.
'Rosenthal's photo captured a single moment in the 36-day battle during which more than 6,500 US servicemen made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation and it is representative of the more than 70,000 US Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Coast Guardsmen that took part in the battle,' the statement said.
'We are humbled by the service and sacrifice of all who fought on Iwo Jima.'
The Marine Corps didn't give a timeline for its investigation.
Eric Krelle (left), of Omaha, Nebraska, and Stephen Foley (right), of Wexford, Ireland say the man identified as John Bradley was actually Harold Henry Schultz, a private first class from Detroit who died in 1995
Krelle declined to comment on the Marine's investigation, telling the Omaha World-Herald he had signed a confidentiality agreement with a third party.
Iwo Jima, a tiny island 660 miles south of Tokyo, was the site of an intense battle that began on February 19, 1945, between about 70,000 Marines and 18,000 Japanese soldiers.
Capturing Iwo Jima was deemed essential to the U.S. war effort because Japanese fighter planes were taking off from the island and intercepting American bomber planes.
Hal Buell, a retired AP executive news photo editor, had long discussions with Rosenthal about the flag-raising picture and in 2006 wrote a book about the famous image.
It's hard to understand the photo's power in 1945 to Americans, who were weary of the war and horrified by the incredible number of deaths by servicemen, especially in locations of Asia most had never heard of, Buell said.
'People were just tired of the war, and all of a sudden out of nowhere came this picture that encapsulated everything,' he added. 'It showed that victory was ultimately possible.'
Buell said after Rosenthal shot the photo, the flag-raisers quickly moved onto other tasks, and it was impossible for him to get their names.
That task was left to the Marines after the picture prompted an overwhelming response and the government decided to use the image in an upcoming sale of war bonds to finance the continued fighting.
Rosenthal died in 2006. Block, Strank and Sousley were killed in fighting at Iwo Jima before the photo was distributed in the US.
Bradley's son, James Bradley, wrote a best-selling book about the flag raisers, 'Flags of Our Fathers,' which was later made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood.
Before writing his book, he interviewed the surviving Marines and Rosenthal.
He said he was shocked to hear the Marines were investigating the identity of the men.
Judge investigating drug traffickers arrested in Argentina
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) An Argentine judge who had investigated thousands of drug trafficking cases has been arrested on accusations he helped drug dealers in exchange for money.
The official judicial news agency says federal judge Raul Reynoso was detained Monday in the northeastern city of Salta. Reynoso denies any wrongdoing.
He had been under investigation by a local judge since late 2015, but had not been detained because he enjoyed immunity as a judge. He recently stepped down from his post.
Reynoso was a judge for more than a decade in Salta province in an area bordering Bolivia that is known as a hotbed of drug trafficking.
Doctor files complaint, says support for abortion silenced
WASHINGTON (AP) A physician who performs abortions at a Washington hospital filed a federal civil rights complaint Monday alleging that she's been unfairly barred from speaking publicly about her view that abortion is an essential procedure for women's health.
The complaint was filed with the civil rights division of the Health and Human Services Department. It says Dr. Diane Horvath-Cosper, an obstetrician and gynecologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, was barred from talking to the media about her views on abortion rights under the guise of increased security after the November 2015 shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado.
Horvath-Cosper has emerged in recent years as an advocate for abortion rights. She wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post in October 2015 about the threats and potential violence faced by abortion providers.
The complaint was filed under a 1973 federal law that shields doctors and other health care workers from discrimination because of their views on abortion. It's typically cited by medical providers who refuse to perform or assist in abortions because of their religious beliefs or moral convictions. Gretchen Borchelt, a vice president with the National Women's Law Center and one of Horvath-Cosper's attorneys, said she was unaware of a previous complaint that cited the law on behalf of a doctor who feels a moral obligation to advocate for abortion rights.
"She has a deep moral conviction that as a doctor she has a moral duty and obligation to speak about this as a medical procedure and to take every action she can to destigmatize this," said Debra Katz, Horvath-Cosper's private attorney. "By doctors speaking out, it does in fact do that."
According to the complaint, on Dec. 4, 2015, Horvath-Cosper was ordered by Dr. Gregory Argyros, the hospital's chief medical officer, to stop speaking publicly about abortion because he "did not want to put a K-Mart blue light special on the fact that we provide abortions at MedStar."
Donna Arbogast, MedStar vice president of public affairs and marketing, said in a statement that the hospital "is committed to providing family planning services for our community, and we do so in a respectful, private and safe environment. We look forward to cooperating fully with the Office of Civil Rights."
According to the complaint, Argyros later clarified to Horvath-Cosper that she could speak publicly if she sought the approval of the hospital's public affairs office. However, the hospital has since denied all such requests, the complaint says.
Horvath-Cosper started working at MedStar, which receives federal funding, in 2014 under a fellowship meant to train family-planning physicians and reverse a nationwide drop in the number of abortion providers. Advocating for the procedure is part of the fellowship "because of the continued attempts to stigmatize and discourage abortion, and the ongoing need to counterbalance the anti-abortion rhetoric that threatens women's access to abortion," the complaint says.
According to the complaint, the hospital did little to increase security in the wake of the Colorado shootings, instead turning its attention toward silencing Horvath-Cosper.
Government criticised following 'suicide' of war translator facing deportation
The Government has been accused of "shameful" treatment of Afghan war translators over the case of an interpreter who reportedly killed himself while facing deportation from Britain.
Nangyalai Dawoodzai is understood to have worked for the British Army in Afghanistan for three years before fleeing the country after receiving death threats from the Taliban.
The 29-year-old, who paid people smugglers to reach the UK, was told his request for asylum in Britain had been rejected when it was found he had been fingerprinted in Italy on arrival in Europe, according to the Daily Mail.
Nangyalai Dawoodzai is understood to have worked for the British Army in Afghanistan for three years before he fled, fearing for his life
Faced with being sent back to Italy to claim political asylum there he killed himself, a fellow translator told the newspaper.
Liberal Democrat peer Lord Ashdown, who has championed the cause of Afghan war interpreters for years, said their treatment was scandalous.
"This is the most tragic example of a shameful Government policy," he told the Daily Mail.
In March, David Cameron told the House of Commons a set of conditions for Afghan interpreters to be given sanctuary in Britain had been agreed while in coalition with the Lib Dems.
The Prime Minister said there was also a scheme in place for Afghans who want to help rebuild their war ravaged country.
According to the Daily Mail, at least three other interpreters who served UK forces in war zones currently face deportation because they were fingerprinted in mainland Europe before arriving in the UK.
Lord Ashdown said: "These people will have been at the frontline day in, day out, with no break for years. Given the way they have been treated, who in the future will ever offer to be an interpreter to help British soldiers do their job when we treat those who have served our troops so scandalously?"
Chairman of the Commons defence select committee, Dr Julian Lewis said he hoped the case would press UK authorities to take a "more generous and enlightened attitude" towards former interpreters, should Mr Dawoodzai's case be verified.
He said: "Many people will share my bafflement and concern that we seem unable to get rid of people who mean us harm and unwilling to take people who have served us loyally."
A former interpreter named only as Rafi, who helps coordinate work to support former colleagues, told the newspaper Mr Dawoodzai seemed "extremely depressed" when they spoke a month ago, adding that Afghans in Mr Dawoodzai's position feel betrayed when they are not granted asylum in the country they helped in battle.
Mr Dawoodzai reportedly told a fellow former interpreter he worked with British soldiers based at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province.
He had been staying at a hostel in Birmingham when his application was rejected when the Italian records were found. He was reportedly arrested and held in a detention centre for 18 days. On release he returned to the hostel while his paperwork was processed.
The interpreter told the newspaper: "He was depressed and very down. He said his life was at risk and no one cared ... he believed that Britain would help him because he had helped them. Now he has killed himself - it is so desperate."
West Midlands Police told the Daily Mail a man's body was found at an address in West Bromwich last Wednesday night. The death is not being treated as suspicious.
Jeremy Corbyn plays down Labour anti-Semitism row ahead of elections
Jeremy Corbyn has insisted there is not a "huge problem" with anti-Semitism in Labour and vowed to stay on as leader even if the party received a mauling at the ballot box on Thursday.
He acknowledged he could face a challenge but said he was "not having sleepless nights" about it and told critics they should "respect the mandate" he has after his landslide win in the leadership contest.
Mr Corbyn declared he would be "carrying on" no matter what the result of the election results in England, Scotland and Wales.
Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn has condemned anti-Semitism
The contests will provide the first national test of Mr Corbyn's leadership as Labour critics insist the party must make gains, with former shadow cabinet minister Michael Dugher suggesting a benchmark of another 400 seats.
But with experts forecasting though the party could lose hundreds of seats in England - and apparently on course for another difficult night in Scotland and a tough fight in Wales where devolved governments are up for election - Mr Corbyn insisted in a Daily Mirror interview: "There are no goals, no targets - the best result we can get."
His strongest hope of a headline-grabbing victory lies with Sadiq Khan wresting back the London mayoralty after eight years of Tory Boris Johnson at City Hall.
But while the Labour candidate remains the bookies' favourite, the Tooting MP is engaged in a concerted effort to prevent his campaign being derailed by the anti-Semitism row and to distance himself from both Mr Corbyn and ex-mayor Ken Livingstone.
Mr Corbyn played down the impact of the controversy on Mr Khan, saying he did not think the row over allegations of anti-Semitism had "damaged his chances at all".
Three Labour councillors were suspended on Monday over comments about Israel, repeating the action taken against MP Naz Shah and Mr Livingstone, but Mr Corbyn said: "No, there is not a huge problem.
"What there is is a very small number of people that have said things that they should not have done.
"We have therefore said they will be suspended and investigated."
Despite Mr Corbyn's claim that only a "small number" of people were involved in alleged anti-Semitism, the Daily Telegraph suggested that as many as 50 people had been suspended by Labour's compliance unit in the past two month.
A Labour Party source said: "This is a wild overestimate. The Labour Party takes anti-Semitism very seriously and that's why Jeremy has set out a robust plan to tackle the issue."
The source indicated that the "majority" of suspensions for anti-Semitism were already in the public domain.
Mr Corbyn has set up an independent investigation into anti-Semitism and other forms of racism within Labour led by former Liberty chief Shami Chakrabarti.
The row has deepened splits between Mr Corbyn and many of his MPs, but the leader vowed to face down any challenge to his position.
"If there is one, there is one - but I'm not having sleepless nights about this," Mr Corbyn said.
"I was elected with a very big mandate to do the job, and I am doing the job.
"I was elected on a mandate from a very large majority of members and supporters of the party. I intend to carry out that mandate."
In a message aimed at his critics in the Commons he said: "The Parliamentary Labour Party are a very important part of the Labour movement - but it's not the only part."
Mr Corbyn's denial that there is a "huge problem" came after shadow cabinet minister Lucy Powell said: "There clearly is an issue with anti-Semitism in the Labour Party otherwise we wouldn't have spent the best part of the last six or seven days talking about it.
"I think it is a very small element within the Labour Party and probably a small element in wider society as well. And that's why we are taking swift action to root it out."
Asked about Mr Livingstone's future within the party, she told Channel 4 News: "That will be a matter for the National Executive Committee who will look at that and they will come to their own view."
But she added: "I think it's very, very difficult to see a circumstance where his suspension would be lifted and he would be readmitted."
Shadow education secretary Lucy Powell said there 'clearly is an issue with anti-Semitism' within Labour
17-year-old girl dies after taking 'MasterCard' ecstasy pill
A 17-year-old girl has died after taking a "MasterCard" ecstasy pill, prompting police to urge anyone else who may have taken the drug to seek urgent medical attention.
The teenager's death is being investigated after officers were called at around 5am on Monday to the Victoria Warehouse on Trafford Wharf Road in Trafford, Greater Manchester.
She was found suffering an adverse reaction after allegedly taking one "MasterCard" ecstasy pill during a night out, and later died in hospital.
A form of ecstasy known as MasterCard because the pills are shaped like the logo (Greater Manchester Police/PA)
Police are investigating and are asking anyone with information about where the drug may have come from to get in touch.
Detective Inspector Helen Bell, from Greater Manchester Police's Trafford Division, said: "This is a tragic situation.
"The death of a young person is always devastating, but in these circumstances it is all the more heart-breaking. My thoughts are with her family and friends at this time.
"Sadly we know it is very unlikely that the girl was the only person to have taken this drug last night.
"We are appealing to anyone who may have taken this form of ecstasy, known as 'MasterCard', to get checked out urgently.
"Even if you took it some hours ago, this pill will still be in your system and could be seriously harming your health."
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 7662 or 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
In a statement, Victoria Warehouse confirmed the incident took place at the venue and said it was working with investigators.
Barry Hearn wants to take Anthony Joshua to China to give him global platform
Anthony Joshua could defend his IBF world heavyweight title in the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing under ambitious plans being made by promoter Barry Hearn.
Hearn has confirmed he is in talks with Chinese officials over staging a bout involving the 26-year-old, who ripped his portion of the crown from American Charles Martin last month.
Hearn, head of the Matchroom organisation with whom Joshua signed after winning gold at the 2012 Olympics, said taking Joshua to China is part of his plan to turn him into a global superstar.
Anthony Joshua could defend his IBF heavyweight title at the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing
Hearn told Press Association Sport: "When you plan someone's career like Joshua you tend to plan in advance and I think we're two years away from saying we can sell out the Bird's Nest in China.
"I think Joshua's going to be a global figure, and therefore I've got to give him a global platform. I was in Shanghai last week and we were talking. As soon as you show people pictures of Joshua knocking someone out, they get excited."
Joshua will make the first defence of his title against another American, Dominic Breazeale, in London next month, which is likely to raise anticipation for a prospective unification bout with Tyson Fury.
But Hearn said he hoped a prospective bout in China could involve 2008 Olympic silver medallist Zhang Zhilei, who has built an unbeaten professional record of eight fights since basing himself in Las Vegas.
U.S. oil drillers cut rigs for 6th week to Nov 2009 lows -Baker Hughes
April 29 (Reuters) - U.S. energy firms cut oil rigs for a sixth week in a row to the lowest level since November 2009, oil services company Baker Hughes Inc said Friday, as drillers remained cautious in returning to the well pad despite crude futures climbing to their highest levels this year. Drillers cut 11 oil rigs in the week to April 29, bringing the total rig count down to 332, Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report. The number of U.S. oil rigs currently operating compares with the 679 rigs operating in the same week a year ago. Energy firms have slashed spending by sharply reducing oil and gas drilling since the collapse in crude markets began in mid-2014. U.S. crude futures fell from over $107 a barrel in June 2014 to a near 13-year low around $26 in February. U.S. crude futures, however, have spiked nearly 80 percent in the past two months and hit 2016 highs of just under $46 on Friday as market sentiment turned more upbeat despite the persistent oversupply. U.S. crude futures were above $47 a barrel for the balance of 2016 and about $49 for calendar 2017. Baker Hughes said at its quarterly earnings release on Wednesday that it expected the U.S. rig count to start stabilizing in the second half of the year, although it did not expect any meaningful hike in oil drilling activity. Whiting Petroleum Corp's Chief Executive Jim Volkers said the firm would like oil prices to stay at or above $50 for at least 90 days before deciding to reduce drilled-but-uncompleted well count in Colorado. The world's No. 1 oilfield services provider Schlumberger NV also said it will remain cautious in adding capacity even after energy firms show signs of recovery since it believes the industry will continue cutting costs through the coming quarter. The rig count is one of several indicators of future oil and gas production. Other indicators include drillers ability to get more out of each well and the completion of drilled but uncompleted wells. (Reporting by Barani Krishnan; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
Afghan forces battle to push Taliban from southern highway
By Sayed Sarwar Amani
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, May 1 (Reuters) - Afghan security forces have been battling to push back Taliban fighters seeking to cut off the capital of the southern province of Uruzgan, officials said on Sunday as army units worked to clear roadside bombs from the main highway into the town.
The insurgents have in the past month stepped up their offensive aimed at taking control of Uruzgan, which straddles one of Afghanistan's main opium and gun-smuggling routes. NATO commanders view the rural province as a key battleground as, if it fell, the Taliban could use it as a springboard to launch attacks on Helmand and Kandahar further to the south.
The Taliban is seeking to isolate the provincial capital Tarin Kowt from outlying districts and over the past week has been fighting Afghan forces for control of the road between the town and Shawali Kot in Kandahar province.
The battle has added to the pressure on stretched security forces engaged in heavy fighting from Helmand in the south to Kunduz in the far north.
A spokesman for the Afghan army's 205th Corps said troops had reopened the route but the situation was still unstable and the road was threatened by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by the insurgents.
"We launched a counter-attack that inflicted heavy casualties to the Taliban and reopened to the highway but it is heavily mined and our engineers are working to clear IEDs off the road," army spokesman Mohammad Mohsen Sultani said.
Underlining the extent of the threat, General Abdul Raziq, the Kandahar police chief who gained a fearsome reputation fighting the insurgents in his home province, has joined the battle, according to Zia Durani, a spokesman for the head of Uruzgan's provincial police.
Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, spokesman for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Kabul, said the situation in the province was "serious" although there did not appear to be any immediate prospect of Taliban victory.
"We're watching it closely and there is concern about Uruzgan," he said. "We don't think either the province of Uruzgan or the provincial capital Tarin Kowt is about to fall but we're watching it closely," he said.
'TALIBAN ARE EVERYWHERE'
Uruzgan neighbours the Taliban heartlands of Helmand and Kandahar and is among the least-developed areas of Afghanistan, with only 8 percent of the population having access to electricity. Its mix of flat and mountainous terrain has been fertile ground for insurgents who fought Australian, Dutch and U.S. troops for years.
So far no additional foreign troops have been sent to bolster the defence, as they were in Helmand earlier this year, and coalition aircraft have not carried out air strikes in support of Afghan troops fighting the Taliban, Cleveland said.
But the fighting in Uruzgan underlines how difficult ensuring security in remote areas has been for the Western-backed government in Kabul, which is estimated to control only about two-thirds of the country.
"The Taliban have not been defeated. They are everywhere," said provincial council chief Abdul Karim Khademzai. "Apart from one district, all roads from the district centres to the provincial capital have been cut off and the government only control the provincial capital," he said.
The districts of Deh Rawod, to the west of Tarin Kowt and Khas Oruzgan, to the east, have long been targeted by the insurgents, who say they have control of large parts of the province and now threaten Tarin Kowt.
"If the provincial centre is captured and liberated, it will inevitably be a huge blow for the enemy as they will lose their only toehold in the province," Mullah Aminullah Yousuf, identified on the Taliban's website as the insurgent official in charge of Uruzgan province, said in an interview on the site.
With the annual opium harvest now in full swing, Taliban tax collectors have been raising funds from local farmers, who depend heavily on the crop but as fighting has intensified, life has become increasingly difficult, said Amanullah Hotaki, a local tribal elder.
Air France-KLM appoints Jean-Marc Janaillac as CEO
PARIS, May 1 (Reuters) - Air France-KLM's board appointed Jean-Marc Janaillac as the Franco-Dutch airline's new chief executive on Sunday, following the resignation earlier of Alexandre de Juniac.
Sixty-three year old Janaillac is currently CEO of multi-modal transport company Transdev.
"The Board has decided that Mr. Janaillac will be co-opted as a group director when Mr. de Juniac leaves office on July 31st at the latest. He will then be appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air France KLM," the company said in a statement.
The nomination had been expected for Tuesday but the board met two days earlier than planned after news of the appointment leaked to news media.
Janaillac sat on Air France's board in the late 1980s and first occupied a senior executive position in the airline industry when he was associate director general at now defunct airline AOM in the late 1990s.
He is a graduate of France's elite administration school, ENA, and of the HEC business school.
Frederic Gagey will stay on as the chief executive of Air France-KLM's French network, Air France, a company spokeswoman said.
De Juniac announced his surprise departure to lead the International Air Transport Association last month, saying he had achieved his goals of ending losses and reducing debt, despite having three years left of his mandate.
De Juniac was credited with restructuring Air France-KLM without, for the most part, triggering major conflict with the company's powerful unions. But in 2014 plans to open bases for subsidiary airline Transavia outside France sparked a 15-day pilot strike.
Australia coal mines brace for floods as La Nina looms
By James Regan
SYDNEY, April 29 (Reuters) - Five years ago floods linked to a La Nina weather pattern nearly brought Australia's coal industry to a standstill. With another of the sea-cooling events now forming and the risk of heavy rains returning, mining companies say they are ready.
They have bought pumps, fortified levees and brushed up on procedures to deal with the deluge of water that a La Nina can bring, the companies say.
The stakes could be high. Over several months in late 2010 and early 2011, during the last La Nina event, around 85 percent of Australia's coal mines across a region bigger than Texas either had to restrict output or close as record rains fell.
Australia is the world's biggest exporter of metallurgical coal and second-biggest exporter of thermal coal.
While coal prices briefly raced to near peak levels as buyers vied for cargoes, clean-up bills far outweighed the short-lived financial gains. That could prove even more disastrous than in 2011, with MineLife Services in Sydney saying coal prices have now retreated to the point where at least a third of the industry is operating at a loss.
Idemitsu Australia Resources began expanding flood levees as early as 2008 after flooding in one of its mines.
"We learned a lot of lessons ... which have gone into improving our procedures and planning to protect operations and maintain a safe working environment," said Idemitsu Australia's chief operating officer Steve Kovac.
And most mining companies should now be better prepared, said Andrew Musgrave, group manager of sales for Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment, which helps companies mitigate flood risk.
"There is an excess of de-watering equipment on all sites at the moment," Musgrave said.
Cooling La Nina weather patterns have followed 11 of the last 15 El Nino warming patterns, records show. Australia is just now emerging from an El Nino - which can cause drought in Australia - to the much wetter La Nina.
Australia's weather bureau warned this week a threshold for a new La Nina will likely be breached by September.
A replay of 2011 - one of the worst years for floods on record - is not guaranteed, but ominous similarities are emerging, said Andrew Watkins, the bureau's head of climate prediction services.
"Like the last time, we are seeing a rapid cooling off in the Pacific Ocean, a strong signal La Nina's on the way," Watkins said.
Rail transport company Aurizon, which expects to haul more than 200 million tonnes of coal this year, said it is ready to respond to flood conditions at its Central Queensland Coal Network that connects many of the country's collieries.
"Significant infrastructure work has been undertaken since 2011," an Aurizon spokesman said, and contingency plans have been put in place with mines and ports.
For its part, mining and commodity trading giant Glencore said it was prepared to divert water from its mines to safe storage sites if required.
"This limits the risk of uncontrolled discharge," a spokesman said.
South Korea revives GPS backup project after blaming North for jamming
By Jack Kim and Jonathan Saul
SEOUL/LONDON, May 2 (Reuters) - South Korea has revived a project to build a backup ship navigation system that would be difficult to hack after a recent wave of GPS signal jamming attacks it blamed on North Korea disrupted fishing vessel operations, officials say.
Global Positioning System (GPS) and other electronic navigation aids are vulnerable to signal loss from solar weather effects, radio and satellite interference and deliberate jamming.
South Korea, which says it has faced repeated attempts by the rival North to interfere with satellite signals, will award a 15 billion won ($13 million) contract this month to secure technology required to build an alternative land-based radio system called eLoran, which it hopes will provide reliable alternative position and timing signals for navigation.
"The need for us is especially high, because of the deliberate signal interference by North Korea," a South Korean government official involved in the initiative told Reuters, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
The latest jamming campaign from the North began on March 31, lasting nearly a week and affecting signal reception of more than 1,000 aircraft and 700 ships, originating from five locations along the border, South Korean officials said.
Aircraft traffic was not affected because the GPS system is normally used as a backup, not a primary navigation tool, one of the officials involved in telecommunications policy said.
The jamming prompted warnings by South Korea's military to North Korea to stop what it called "provocation" and a protest at the United Nations. North Korea has denied involvement.
South Korea has been on high alert against possible cyber attacks from the North following the North's nuclear and missile tests and threats of war in response to new sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council and the South.
The reclusive North and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war since their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, rather than a treaty. The North routinely threatens to destroy South Korea and its major ally, the United States.
"THE REALLY SCARY PART"
No major disasters anywhere have been blamed on loss of GPS, although the risks are growing as sea lanes become more crowded.
Part of the problem is that it's not easy to detect a GPS outage caused by jamming.
"When GPS/GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) fail, transportation is impacted immediately. It slows down, becomes more dangerous, and every mode can carry less capacity," said Dana Goward, president of the non-profit Resilient Navigation & Timing Foundation.
"As short-term backup clocks start to desynchronize with each other ... cell phone towers start to fail, IT networks slow down or fail, financial systems are impacted, management of the electrical grid becomes problematic. That is the really scary part," said Goward.
GPS vulnerability poses security and commercial risks, especially for ships whose crews are not familiar with traditional navigation techniques or using paper charts.
The General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland, which tried to pioneer an eLoran system in Europe, conducted simulated communications attacks on ships at sea and said the results "demonstrated the devastating effects of jamming on the ships' electronic bridge systems".
Many vessels, such as fishing boats, lack backup electronic navigation systems.
The United States, Russia and India are all looking into deploying versions of eLoran, which sends a much stronger signal and is harder to jam, as backup.
Installing an eLoran receiver and antenna on a ship would cost thousands of dollars, although cheaper options could include incorporating eLoran systems into satnav devices, according to technical specialists.
DISRUPTIONS AT SEA
Last month, hundreds of South Korean fishing boats returned to port after GPS jamming that also created problems in locating nets at sea, South Korean officials said.
The U.S. Coast Guard said in January that "multiple outbound vessels from a non-U.S. port suddenly lost GPS signal reception", although the vessels were able to navigate using compasses and other aids.
In 2013, the U.S. Navy reported almost certain, intentional jamming of the GPS system of one of its vessels sailing near Iranian territorial waters.
South Korea's eLoran initiative dates to 2011, after a series of incidents also blamed on the North, but was stalled in part by a cancellation of contracts due to a conflict over payment schedules with a U.S. supplier.
Its new plan envisions setting up coastal transmitters by the end of 2019, said Seo Ji-won, a professor at Yonsei University in Seoul, who is on a government advisory panel.
A British-led initiative to create an eLoran system was suspended after failing to keep other European countries interested. A private group called Taviga is in talks with European governments to resume support for eLoran, the company said.
"The situation for this country is different, because there have been real cases of deliberate interference," the South Korean government official said. "We need this."
China airs two more confessions by Taiwan fraud suspects
BEIJING, May 2 (Reuters) - Confessions by two more Taiwanese telecoms fraud suspects, from among dozens deported from Kenya to China last month, were aired by Chinese state television on Monday, appearing to back China's contention that such crimes are lightly dealt with in Taiwan.
The case, and subsequent deportations of Taiwanese from Malaysia for similar suspected crimes, has infuriated Taiwan and soured ties that were already strained by the election in January of a pro-independence party in Taipei.
Taiwan has said China effectively kidnapped its nationals. China says they are criminals wanted for serious crimes in China and that it has every right to try them, accusing Taiwan of turning a blind eye to crime and politicising the issue.
The videos are the latest in a recent string of on-camera confessions in China that have prompted international criticism that the admissions could have been made under duress.
Chinese state television showed two men it said were from Taiwan and had been deported from Kenya.
The men, whose faces were blurred out, were identified by their family names of Lin and Hsu and spoke with Taiwanese accents. It was not possible to verify their origins independently.
The report said Lin, 46, set up a Kenyan fraud cell which called people in China to extort money by pretending to be law enforcement officers.
Lin had been jailed in Taiwan in 2011 for telecoms fraud, state television said, but was only given a six-month sentence and resumed his crimes upon release.
"Of course I want to go back to Taiwan. Because it's closer to home and because the sentence will probably be quite light," Lin said.
Hsu, 37, amassed 200,000 yuan ($30,894) from his crimes in Kenya and had also been jailed previously for seven months in Taiwan, the report said.
"If I had known earlier that I would be tried in the mainland I wouldn't have done it. In the mainland I could get a life sentence," Hsu said.
Calls to the Ministry of Public Security seeking comment went unanswered. State television said the interviews were conducted on Sunday at a Beijing detention facility.
The Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan's top China policymaker, called on Beijing to pursue the criminal cases under "the universal value of due process".
"Before the suspects are judged to have committed a crime, the principle of presumption of innocence should apply," the council said in a statement to Reuters in response to a question about China's use of media for confessions.
Islamic State targets struck in Syria, 34 militants killed - Turkish military
ANKARA, May 2 (Reuters) - Shelling by Turkish artillery and drones which took off from the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey struck Islamic State targets in Syria on Sunday, killing 34 militants, the Turkish military said on Monday.
Intesa says signed deal to sell payments units for 1.035 bln euros
MILAN, May 2 (Reuters) - Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo said on Monday it has signed a deal to sell its payments units Setefi and Intesa Sanpaolo Card to private equity firms Advent, Bain Capital and Clessidra in a deal worth 1.035 billion euros ($1.2 billion).
Under the final deal, which confirms what sources told Reuters on Thursday, the bank will pocket a net capital gain of 895 million euros.
Kuwait freedoms make austerity drive tricky for government
By Sylvia Westall and Ahmed Hagagy
KUWAIT, May 2 (Reuters) - A three-day strike by oil workers in Kuwait last month over pay reforms shows the government faces considerable opposition as it prepares to push through painful and controversial cuts to longstanding welfare benefits.
Oil-exporting states around the Gulf are reducing subsidies for fuel, public utilities and food, and freezing or slowing the growth of public sector wages, as they try to curb big budget deficits caused by low oil prices.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain have all taken such steps in the past six months. But Kuwait has been slower to act; reforms were still being discussed in parliament last week and no timetable has been set.
In mid-March, Finance Minister Anas al-Saleh said the cabinet had approved in principle a "repricing" of some commodities and public services, but he gave no details and did not mention a date for the changes.
One reason for the delay is that Kuwait has more of a history of industrial action than the rest of the Gulf, where unions are banned or tightly controlled. In recent years, brief work stoppages over pay and conditions have also hit Kuwait's national airline and the customs administration.
More broadly, Kuwait's political environment is freer - in contrast to the other wealthy Gulf states, members of its rambunctious parliament routinely criticise government policy, and citizens are not shy about complaining on social media.
In 2012, thousands of Kuwaitis demonstrated repeatedly against a new electoral law which they said disadvantaged the opposition. Such protests are almost unheard of in the other Gulf states.
The result is that Kuwait's government is having a harder time imposing austerity policies than its counterparts, and the extent of those policies is still uncertain.
"The oil strike was a showdown between a welfare government and a civil society fearful that the government will solve its problem, resulting from a lack of planning, at its expense," said Shafeeq Ghabra, political science professor at Kuwait University.
"This strike shows that the government needs to have a major dialogue with civil society regarding economic as well political reform."
Billions of dollars are at stake; finance ministry undersecretary Khalifa Hamada told the al-Qabas newspaper at the end of last year that "rationalising" subsidies would save the government 2.6 billion dinars ($8.7 billion) over three years.
Savings would be greater if the bloated public payroll could be reformed. The finance ministry projected in January that the government would run a budget deficit of 12.2 billion dinars in the fiscal year starting on April 1, 2016, after state contributions to the sovereign wealth fund.
STRIKE
Between 7,000 and 13,000 of around 18,000 Kuwaiti nationals in the oil sector took part in the strike in late April, union members estimated. Union membership is not compulsory and foreign workers are not permitted to strike.
Workers were protesting a proposed overhaul of the public sector payroll system that would set uniform standards for salaries, bonuses and benefits. The Oil and Petrochemical Industries Workers Confederation fears the government will use the reform to freeze salaries of higher-paid employees.
Ultimately, the union called off the strike "in honour of his highness the Emir", and the government insisted it made no concessions - an apparent victory for authorities. But the union has been talking to the government since the strike ended, so concessions could still be made.
Kuwait's oil output fell as low as 1.1 million barrels per day during the strike from the usual output of around 3 million bpd, tarnishing the country's image as a reliable exporter.
"The workers have achieved their main objective of getting their message across," said Faisal Abu Sulaib, another political science professor at Kuwait University.
Saif al-Qahtani, chairman of the oil workers' union, said he could not speak for other unions but that some of them also opposed wage system reform.
Some other union members and analysts said a string of strikes in Kuwait remained unlikely. An official at the headquarters of the Kuwait Trade Union Federation, which represents 15 unions in the energy and government sectors, said it had not been informed of any other planned walkouts.
Nevertheless, in the wake of the oil strike, the government may move even more gradually and cautiously with reforms. While most of the current parliament has been relatively supportive of the idea of reform, legislative elections are due next year, and the government will not want the issue of austerity to cause the election of a more antagonistic parliament.
"Negotiations may take time, but my expectation is that the government will ultimately move towards a compromise on some of the union's demands to prevent further economically damaging escalations," said Coline Schep, a Middle East and North Africa associate at consultancy Eurasia Group.
Poland - Factors to Watch May 2
Following are news stories, press reports and events to watch that may affect Poland's financial markets on Monday. ALL TIMES GMT (Poland: GMT + 2 hours):
PMI
Markit is scheduled to publish its April manufacturing PMI index for Poland at 0700 GMT.
PENSION AGE
Parliament will likely pass new laws regarding the pension age by the end of 2016, Prime Minister Beata Szydlo told wSieci weekly.
The ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has promised to reverse a hike in the pension age passed in 2012.
JSW
State-controlled coal miner JSW will receive about 300-400 million zlotys ($79-105 mln) in state funding to restructure its coal mines, Rzeczpospolita daily reported.
****Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.****
Koeman urges Mane to focus on consistency after hat-trick
May 2 (Reuters) - Southampton manager Ronald Koeman has urged Sadio Mane to show greater consistency after the striker scored a hat-trick to guide his team to a 4-2 victory against Manchester City on Sunday.
The Senegal-born striker has endured a mixed season for Southampton, scoring 10 league goals so far, but failing to find the back of the net in 19 league appearances between November and March.
The 24-year-old is, however, finishing the campaign strongly with his hat-trick against City taking his tally to seven goals in his last six league appearances.
Koeman said the inconsistency was down to his youth.
"Sadio is a little bit unpredictable sometimes," the manager told British media. "He's still a young player, and young players they need sometimes to be more consistent.
"Sadio was focused and clinical (on Sunday). That was one of my criticisms of all of the strikers but we are very productive at home with more chances to score more."
Slovak Republic - Factors To Watch on May 2
BRATISLAVA, May 2 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial markets on Monday. ALL TIMES GMT (Slovak Republic: GMT + 2 hours) =========================ECONOMIC DATA======================== Real-time economic data releases.................. Summary of economic data and forecasts......... Recently released economic data................ Previous stories on Slovak data.......... **For a schedule of corporate and economic events: http://emea1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/Apps/CountryWeb/#/1C/events-overview =========================EVENTS=============================== BRATISLAVA: Slovakia's budgetary watchdog will release a report on the country's public finances. Related stories: =========================NEWS=============================== PRIME MINISTER'S HEALTH: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was released from hospital on Sunday after having heart surgery on April 22, he said on his official Facebook page. Story: Related stories: GOVERNMENT DEBT: Slovakia will offer a new zero coupon bond maturing in 2023 in a May domestic auction, the state debt agency Ardal said on Friday. Story: Related stories: BALANCED BUDGET: Slovakia's new government is aiming for a balanced budget by 2019 while also funding needed investments, taking advantage of accelerating economic growth, Finance Minister Peter Kazimir said on Friday. Story: Related stories: For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX Main currency report TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets News editor of the day: Jan Lopatka on +420 224 190 474 E-mail: prague.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (Reporting by Prague Newsroom)
Japan to support Mekong countries with $7 bln over three years
BANGKOK, May 2 (Reuters) - Japan wants to work with countries in the lower Mekong river basin and will help them improve infrastructure and bolster development with 750 billion yen ($7 billion) in aid over three years, its foreign minister said on Monday.
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida made the pledge to help the Southeast Asian economies in Thailand's capital, Bangkok, where on Sunday he began a week-long visit to the region in which Japan competes with China for influence.
"Japan would like to work with the countries of the Mekong region to create a framework to support efforts by the Mekong countries in a detailed manner, on a region-by-region basis or on a theme-by-theme basis," Kishida said in a speech.
Japan announced the three-year plan last year.
China has offered billions of dollars in infrastructure loans and government aid programmes to Southeast Asian countries.
Kishida did not mention China in his speech. He is also due to visit Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.
On Monday, he met Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has led a military government since the army took power in a May 2014 coup. Thailand has drawn closer to China since the coup which many western countries criticised.
Kishida and Prayuth discussed Thailand's political process, regional terrorism threats and economic challenges, a Japanese official said.
Kishida visited Beijing on the weekend where both China and Japan expressed willingness to improve relations strained over conflicting territorial claims in the East China Sea.
In his speech in Bangkok, Kishida addressed maritime security and renewed a call for countries to respect the rule of law.
He also backed a Southeast Asian bid to draft a code of conduct for the South China Sea, where China's claim to virtually the entire sea clashes with claims to parts of it by Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines.
"We must establish a regional order whereby the principle of the rule of law is truly upheld and practiced," he said. "I would like to renew my call for the early conclusion of an effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea."
Japanese Prime Minister Shinto Abe is pursuing a more robust foreign policy but Masato Otaka, deputy press secretary at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters Kishida's visit was not aimed at counteracting China's influence.
Syrian army says "regime of calm" extended around Damascus for another 48 hours - state TV
AMMAN, May 2 (Reuters) - The Syrian army on Monday confirmed an earlier Russian announcement that a "regime of calm" around Damascus had been extended for another 48 hours, state television reported.
The military on Sunday had extended a 24-hour lull in fighting in the capital which was announced on Friday that affects the capital and the Eastern Ghouta region on its outskirts.
Rocket Internet removes Kinnevik from supervisory board
BERLIN, May 2 (Reuters) - Rocket Internet said on Monday two supervisory board members from long-standing investor Kinnevik are stepping down after the Swedish fund hit shares in the German ecommerce firm by cutting its valuation for joint holdings.
Rocket said in a statement that Kinnevik Chief Executive Lorenzo Grabau and Erik Mitteregger would resign from the supervisory board effective June.
Grabau was replaced as chairman of the Rocket supervisory board in December by former ProSieben digital media manager Marcus Englert, a move Rocket denied at the time was due to a dispute over diverging valuations of their joint investment.
Rocket did not give a reason for the departures, but said the two would be replaced by board members independent of its shareholders - former Deutsche Bank finance chief Stefan Krause and Orange deputy chief executive Pierre Louette.
The two are to be elected to the board at Rocket's annual shareholders' meeting on June 9, the group said.
Founded in Berlin by brothers Oliver, Alexander and Marc Samwer in 2007, Rocket has set up dozens of ecommerce sites, aiming to replicate the success of Amazon and Alibaba in Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America and Russia.
But Europe's top Internet investor has faced increasing concerns from investors about the scale of losses at its start-ups ranging from online fashion to food delivery, as well as delays to planned listings due to volatile markets.
Kinnevik was one of the first investors in Rocket and still has a 13 percent holding - as well as stakes in several of its major start-ups - making it the firm's second-biggest shareholder after the Samwer brothers with a 38 percent stake.
But Rocket's share price took a tumble last week after a new fund raising with Kinnevik for its Global Fashion Group (GFG) slashed its valuation by two thirds.
Kinnevik also cut its valuation for Rocket's furniture site Home24 and its figures for Westwing and Linio were also well below those given by Rocket as of March 31.
Sources close to the company have told Reuters that Chief Executive Oliver Samwer and Kinnevik disagreed last year over the valuation for ingredients delivery start-up HelloFresh, which had its listing pulled at the last minute in November.
Australian says he created bitcoin, but some sceptical
By Byron Kaye and Jemima Kelly
SYDNEY/LONDON, May 2 (Reuters) - Australian tech entrepreneur Craig Wright identified himself as the creator of controversial digital currency bitcoin on Monday but experts were divided over whether he really was the elusive person who has gone by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto until now.
Uncovering Nakamoto's real identity would solve a riddle dating back to the publication of the open source software behind the cryptocurrency in 2008, before its launch a year later.
Bitcoin has since become the world's most commonly used virtual currency, attracting the interest of banks, speculators, criminals and regulators.
Worth a total of $7 billion at current levels, it fell more than 3 percent on Monday -- a normal intraday move for the volatile currency -- after the news, to below $440 from around $455, before recovering slightly.
Some online commentators suggested bitcoin's creator could help resolve a bitter row among the currency's software developers that threatens its future.
But Wright made no reference to the row in a BBC interview identifying himself as Nakamoto, and as the protocol bitcoin runs on is open-source and cannot be controlled by any one person, it is unclear whether he would be able to influence the way it develops.
"I was the main part of it, other people helped me," Wright, who is now living in London, told the BBC. "Some people will believe, Some people won't, and to tell you the truth, I don't really care," he said.
Many bitcoiners said Wright had not done enough to definitively prove that he was Nakamoto, who maintained his anonymity throughout his involvement with bitcoin, which he stepped away from in 2011.
But Gavin Andresen, who Nakamoto chose to succeed him, published a blog post in which he described meeting Wright last month and said he is "convinced beyond a reasonable doubt" that the Australian is Nakamoto.
Jon Matonis, a founding director of the Bitcoin Foundation now works as a bitcoin consultant, wrote a blog post on Monday which, like Andresen's, supported Wright's claims.
"According to me, the proof is conclusive and I have no doubt that Craig Steven Wright is the person behind the Bitcoin technology, Nakamoto consensus, and the Satoshi Nakamoto name," Matonis wrote. He and Andresen also confirmed they had been responsible for their respective blog posts to Reuters directly.
LEGACY
Nakamoto's biggest likely legacy lies well beyond his control. The blockchain technology that underpins the currency could transform the way banks settle transactions, the way that property rights and other vital data are recorded, and provide a way for central banks to issue their own digital currencies.
The BBC reported on Monday that Wright gave some technical proof demonstrating that he had access to blocks of bitcoins known to have been created by bitcoin's creator.
Researchers believe Nakamoto may be holding up to one million of the more than 15 million bitcoins currently in circulation, which would make the creator worth around $440 million.
In a blog post also dated Monday, Wright posted an example of a signature used by Nakamoto and an explanation of how bitcoin transactions are verified and thanked all those who had supported the project from its inception.
"This incredible community's passion and intellect and perseverance have taken my small contribution and nurtured it, enhanced it, breathed life into it," he wrote.
However he did not state directly that he was Nakamoto. "Satoshi is dead," he said. "But this is only the beginning."
Bitcoin expert Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group Coin Center, said a new message cryptographically signed using the private key associated with the so-called Genesis block, the first ever "mined" would have been more convincing.
The currency's "miners" are incentivised to process transactions every 10 minutes by a possible reward of bitcoins (25 currently), which is how new bitcoins are created.
Wright also spoke with The Economist, but declined requests from the magazine to provide further proof that he was Nakamoto. His representatives told Reuters he would not be taking part in more media interviews for the time being.
"Our conclusion is that Mr Wright could well be Mr Nakamoto, but that important questions remain," The Economist said. "Indeed, it may never be possible to establish beyond reasonable doubt who really created bitcoin."
Hopes that bitcoin would become broadly used helped buoy its price to more than $1,000 in December 2013, when its market capitalisation was $13 billion compared with today's $7 billion.
Wright told The Economist he would exchange bitcoin he owns slowly to avoid pushing down its price.
HOME RAIDED
In December, police raided Wright's Sydney home and office after Wired magazine named him as the probable creator of bitcoin and holder of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the cryptocurrency. At the time he made no comment.
The treatment of bitcoins for tax purposes in Australia has been the subject of considerable debate. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) ruled in December 2014 that cryptocurrency should be considered an asset, rather than a currency, for capital gains tax purposes.
On Monday, the ATO said it had no comment while police were not immediately available for comment.
If Wright is Nakamoto he "is now the leader of a movement", said Roberto Capodieci, a Singapore-based entrepreneur working on the blockchain, the technology underlying the currency.
That movement ranges from libertarian enthusiasts to central banks experimenting with digital currencies, all of which pay homage in some way to Nakamoto's writings.
Kerry aims to extend truce to Syria's Aleppo as ceasefire unravels
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Lesley Wroughton
AMMAN/GENEVA, May 2 (Reuters) - Washington and Moscow said on Monday they were working hard to extend a truce in Syria to Aleppo, the divided northern city where a sharp escalation of violence in recent weeks has left a ceasefire in tatters and torpedoed peace talks.
U.S. Secretary of State Joahn Kerry was in Geneva for meetings with other dignitaries to try to revive the two-month-old U.S. and Russia-sponsored cessation of hostilities, which quieted guns for the first time during the five-year Syrian war but which has unravelled in recent days.
Syria announced temporary local truces in two areas last week. But those agreements have not been extended to Aleppo, where government air strikes and rebel shelling have killed hundreds of civilians in the past week, including more than 50 people in a hospital rebels say was deliberately targeted by the army.
The Aleppo fighting threatens to wreck the first peace talks involving the warring parties, which are due to resume at an unspecified date after breaking up in April when the opposition delegation walked out citing government ceasefire violations.
"We're getting closer to a place of understanding, but we have some work to do, and that's why we're here," Kerry said at the start of a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.
Kerry said he hoped for more clarity in the next day or so on restoring the nationwide ceasefire. The United States and Russia had agreed to keep extra staff in Geneva to work on it.
"Both sides, the opposition and the regime, have contributed to this chaos, and we are working over the next hours intensely in order to try to restore the cessation of hostilities," Kerry said.
He later spoke by telephone to Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The Russian Foreign Ministry said they both called on all sides to observe the ceasefire. A Russian military official, General Sergei Kuralenko, said talks were under way on extending the local truces to Aleppo.
ALEPPO KEY TO PEACE
The United States and Russia have taken the leading roles in diplomacy since Moscow joined the war last year with an air campaign that tipped the balance of power in favour of President Bashar al-Assad, its ally.
Washington is among Western and regional powers that say Assad must leave office. The White House said on Monday Assad's government needed to live up to its ceasefire commitments.
The civil war in Syria has killed hundred of thousands of people, driven millions from their homes, created the world's worst refugee crisis and provided a base for Islamic State militants who have launched attacks elsewhere.
All diplomatic efforts to resolve it have foundered over the fate of Assad, who refuses to accept opposition demands that he leave power.
The local truces, known as a "regime of calm", were launched in the Eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus and the countryside of northern Latakia province from Saturday morning in a bid to revive the overall ceasefire. The Latakia truce was for three days and the Ghouta truce, initially for 24 hours, was also extended by another 48.
Both cover areas where there has been heavy fighting. But without a similar truce in Aleppo, divided for years between government and rebel zones, there appears to be little hope of restoring the overall ceasefire so talks can resume.
De Mistura, due to travel to Moscow for talks with Lavrov, said in a statement there could be no progress in political talks without the ceasefire and other steps to bring "tangible benefits on the ground for the Syrian people".
Aleppo remains the biggest prize for Assad's forces hoping to take full control of the city, Syria's largest before the war. The nearby countryside includes the last strip of the Syria-Turkish border in the hands of Arab Sunni rebels.
CIVILIANS KILLED
The opposition accuses the government of deliberately targeting civilians in rebel held parts of Aleppo to drive them out. For its part, the government says rebels have been heavily shelling government-held areas, proving they are receiving sophisticated weapons from foreign sponsors.
A British-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, has reported scores of civilians killed on both sides in recent days, although more in rebel-held territory.
Syrian state television said on Monday that a missile had hit the surroundings of Aleppo University Medical Hospital, and several civilians were injured by rebel mortar attacks on the residential area of Jamiyat Hay al Zahra in western Aleppo.
The rebel-held local council of Aleppo city announced a state of emergency in areas it runs due to the intense bombardment. About 350,000-400,000 people are believed to remain in rebel-held parts of what was once a city of 2 million.
Mohammad Muaz Abu Saleh, a senior councillor in the rebel Aleppo governate council, said residents were nonetheless not abandoning opposition-held areas.
"Those who wanted to leave Aleppo have fled," he said. Those who have stayed behind "have decided to stay under all circumstances of shelling and siege. Aleppo will remain populated with its people not leaving."
Amar al-Absi, a resident of a rebel-held area, said: "There was heavy shelling throughout the night. In my neighbourhood, Salah al-Deen, a missile hit a building that was empty and it was levelled but there were no casualties."
In Hama, a western city, government troops surrounded a prison and fired teargas to put down a revolt by inmates, who seized several guards in protest against their planned transfer to a military prison, the Observatory reported.
In countryside north of Aleppo, other rebel groups have battled Islamic State fighters who are not party to any ceasefire. Amaq, a news agency affiliated to Islamic State, said the militants had gained control of three villages near the border with Turkey, cutting supply routes of other rebels, despite Turkish shelling.
The Observatory said the militants had staged a counterattack to regain ground lost from other rebels in to-and-fro fighting that has seen no major gains for any side.
Two rockets hit the Turkish town of Kilis near Islamic State positions in Syria on Monday, killing one person and wounding others, a security source told Reuters. The source said the Turkish military returned fire hitting IS targets. Ankara said it had killed 34 militants on Sunday.
Turkey, a NATO ally and backer of anti-Assad rebels, is part of a U.S.-led coalition launching air strikes against Islamic State but is also strongly opposed to the main Kurdish militia in Syria, Washington's closest ally on the ground.
Another major supporter of the rebels is Saudi Arabia, whose Foreign Minister Jubeir blamed the latest escalation on the government and called for Assad to step down.
Low oil prices offer chance to spur G7 energy transition -Canada
By Osamu Tsukimori
KITAKYUSHU, Japan, May 2 (Reuters) - Energy ministers of the leading Western economies are discussing ways to create opportunities from the oil slump that include a push for more electric vehicles, Canadian Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr told Reuters on Monday.
Members of the G7 include major auto-producing countries such as Japan and Germany, which benefit from cheaper oil but have been hit by fuel consumption and emissions scandals.
In a push to regain the initiative, Germany last week announced the launch of a 4,000-euro-per-electric-vehicle subsidy.
For G7 member Canada, a major oil and natural gas producer, an oil price fall of some 70 percent since mid-2014 means economic pain, but the Canadian energy minister said that the slump also opened up an opportunity.
"Prices are low. Investment is down but we see this also as an opportunity to prepare for a transition phase in the energy economy, and we were discussing that over these last two days at the G7 ministerial meeting," he said on the sidelines of the G7 energy ministers' meeting in Kitakyushu, southwestern Japan.
"In the case of Canada, we have tabled a budget in the House of Commons that will invest significantly in this transition through electric vehicles, green technologies, green infrastructure."
Canada still plans to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) despite low energy prices, a current abundance and the delay and cancellation of some projects.
"Our policy objective is that Canada should be an exporter of LNG both on the east coast and the west, and the geography is favourable to a Canadian-Japanese relationship," he said. "We also have some hope that there will be an LNG industry that develops on the east coast of Canada for export to Europe."
Canada has said it wants to sell oil to Asian economies but has faced difficulty getting crude pipelines built to the Pacific coast. Carr said that the government is trying to turn that around.
"The regulatory process and the way in which the previous government went about trying to get approvals for pipelines didn't work," he said.
PRESS DIGEST- Canada - May 2
May 2 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories from selected Canadian newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL
** The Ontario government has moved to reassure the auto sector that it considers the industry crucial to the province's economy amid a controversy stirred up by a draft action plan on climate change and comments critical of auto companies and executives by Environment Minister Glen Murray. (http://bit.ly/1W1E2ex)
** Marijuana advocates are calling on the City of Vancouver to de-escalate what some see as a new phase of the war on drugs, as bylaw officers visited dispensaries on the weekend to start handing out C$250 ($200) tickets to more than 100 unlicensed businesses. (http://bit.ly/1W1E4D2)
** The federal public-service union representing Canada's 17,000 immigration and employment workers is under trusteeship following allegations of serious financial troubles in some of its regional offices and infighting among its executive members. (http://bit.ly/1W1Ef1j)
NATIONAL POST
** A group of Alberta conservatives are calling for the formation of a new party, rather than unification under either the Wildrose or Progressive Conservative parties, to patch up the fractured political right in the province. (http://bit.ly/1W1GBgy)
Nepal, northern India battle worst forest fires in years
By Malini Menon and Gopal Sharma
NEW DELHI/KATHMANDU, May 2 (Reuters) - Nepal and parts of northern India are battling their worst forest fires in years that have devastated thousands of hectares of woodland, killed at least 18 people and sent a pall of smoke across the southern Himalayas that can been seen from space.
In Nepal, 11 people have died while trying to fight fires that have razed 280,000 hectares (692,000 acres) of forest across the country, the worst in six years.
"This year we have experienced a longer spell of dry weather and the temperatures have risen significantly, contributing to the disaster," Forest Ministry official Krishna Prasad Acharya told Reuters.
The worst forest fires in four years in India's northern Uttarakhand state have killed at least seven people and disrupted the lives of thousands, an emergency official said on Monday.
The Uttarakhand fires have intensified in the past week, torching more than 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres) of forest.
Indian Air Force helicopters have been scooping and dumping water from reservoirs in an attempt to douse the flames, but operations were hampered by poor visibility.
A dozen locations, including in Almora, Pauri Garhwal and Chamoli districts, were badly hit, said Anil Shekhawat, a spokesman at the National Disaster Response Force.
"This can be compared with the worst fire of 2012," Indian Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar said in New Delhi. Four people had been arrested on suspicion of starting forest fires, he added.
The number of reported forest fires has jumped to 1,689 so far this year in Uttarakhand, compared to 207 for the whole of 2015, according to data from the Forest Survey of India.
Forests cover about a quarter of India's total area.
"The fire is under control and has shown a downward trend in the past two days," said S. Ramaswamy, additional chief secretary of Uttarakhand.
Saudi Arabia looks to UK, France and China for help building homes
DUBAI, May 2 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's government has authorised the housing ministry to seek the assistance of Britain, France and China in building hundreds of thousands of homes to ease a shortage of affordable housing in the kingdom.
The housing minister and his deputy were given the power to sign memorandums of understanding with those countries, the official Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
It gave no details of what the agreements might contain, but in March the ministry signed memorandums with South Korea and a Saudi-South Korean consortium to develop 100,000 housing units in northern Riyadh over 10 years. The consortium includes Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co and Hanwha Engineering and Construction Corp.
South Korea warns of risk North may abduct citizens abroad
SEOUL, May 2 (Reuters) - South Korea said on Monday it was on guard for the possibility North Korea may try to snatch its citizens abroad or conduct "terrorist acts" after the North accused it of abducting North Korean workers from a restaurant in China.
"All measures of precaution" were in place for the safety of South Koreans abroad including an order to beef up security at diplomatic missions, said the South's Unification Ministry, which handles issues related to the North.
"We are on alert for the possibility that the North may try to abduct our citizens or conduct terrorist acts abroad," ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee told a briefing.
The two Korea's have been fierce rivals since the 1950-53 Korean War and tension on the peninsula has been high since January when North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test. It followed that with a string of missile tests in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
South Korea said in April 13 North Korean workers at a restaurant run by the North in China had defected. North Korea accused the South of a "hideous abduction".
North Korea proposed sending family members of the 13 to South Korea for face-to-face meetings but the South rejected the suggestion.
Greenpeace publishes confidential U.S-EU trade deal documents
By Caroline Copley
BERLIN, May 2 (Reuters) - A sweeping free trade deal being negotiated between the European Union and the United States would lower food safety and environmental standards, Greenpeace said on Monday, citing confidential documents from the talks.
But the European Commission said the documents reflected negotiating positions, not any final outcome, and the EU's chief negotiator dismissed some of Greenpeace's points as "flatly wrong".
Greenpeace opposes the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), arguing with other critics that it would hand too much power to big business at the expense of consumers and national governments.
Supporters say the TTIP would deliver more than $100 billion of economic gains on both sides of the Atlantic.
Greenpeace Netherlands published 248 pages of "consolidated texts" for 13 chapters, or about half, of the deal on the website TTIP-leaks.org on Monday. They date from early April, before a round of meetings in New York last week.
"We've done this to ignite a debate," Greenpeace trade expert Juergen Knirsch told a news conference in Berlin, adding that the documents showed the negotiations should be halted.
"The best thing the EU Commission can do is to say 'Sorry, we've made a mistake'."
The documents show how entrenched differences have become on both sides of the Atlantic, Greenpeace said, though Washington and Brussels said last week they could still reach a deal before U.S. President Barack Obama leaves office in January 2017.
Knirsch said the texts showed the United States wanted to replace Europe's "precautionary principle" - which prevents potentially harmful products from coming to market when their effect is unknown or disputed - with a less stringent approach.
"ALARMIST HEADLINES"
In Europe, there is widespread opposition to allowing more imports of U.S. agricultural products due to concerns about genetically modified foods.
European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom played down the significance of the texts.
"It shouldn't come as a surprise that there are areas where the EU and the U.S. have different views," she wrote in a blog.
"That does not mean the parties will meet halfway. In areas where we are too far apart in a negotiation, we simply will not agree. In that sense, many of today's alarmist headlines are a storm in a teacup," she said.
In Brussels, EU chief negotiator Ignacio Garcia Bercero dismissed Greenpeace's comments on the precautionary principle, adding: "We have made crystal clear that we would not agree on anything that implies changes of our regulatory regime on GMOs (genetically modified organisms)."
The negotiators aim to have "consolidated texts" by July, when a 14th round of talks is due to be held. They would then seek to settle the thornier issues in the second half of 2016.
A survey published last month by the Bertelsmann Foundation showed waning support for a TTIP deal in both Germany and the United States after three years of negotiations.
Hague court says India must release Italian sailor -Italy
By Crispian Balmer
ROME, May 2 (Reuters) - A U.N. court has ruled that India must allow an Italian marine detained in Delhi for more than four years to go home, Italy's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
India acknowledged the ruling but said Salvatore Girone would remain under the authority of its Supreme Court which might impose various conditions on his release.
Girone is one of two Italian marines were arrested in India in 2012 on suspicion of killing two fishermen while on an anti-piracy mission on an Italian oil tanker. One returned to Italy with health problems, but India has refused to let Girone go.
He is living in the Italian embassy in Delhi.
"This really is a significant step forward which we have worked on with great dedication," Prime Minister Matteo Renzi told reporters. "I'll take advantage of this moment to send a message of friendship to the great people of India."
The case has soured relations between India and Italy, and also overshadowed Delhi's efforts to improve its ties with the European Union as other EU countries backed Rome in the row.
Looking to overcome the legal impasse, the two countries agreed last year to move their dispute to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and abide by its decision.
The Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that in an initial ruling, the court had decided that Girone should be allowed home while it continued its deliberations, which might take many months. The court itself declined to comment.
Responding hours later, India said Girone should be free to return home for the duration of the U.N. investigation, but stressed that he would remain on bail and would have to return to India if the Hague court ruled that India could try the case.
The Ministry of External Affairs said the Supreme Court might demand that he surrender his passport to the Italian authorities and not leave Italy without Indian permission.
The U.N. court will continue to review the merits of the case and no date has been set for a definitive ruling.
"The government underlines that today's court decision ... will not influence the progress of the arbitration procedures, which should decide if Italy or India has jurisdiction in the case," Italy's Foreign Ministry said.
Italy has argued that the case should not be heard in India because it said the incident had occurred in international waters. India said it remained confident that the issue of jurisdiction would be decided in its favour.
India amends mining law in boost to cement mergers and banks
By Sankalp Phartiyal and Devidutta Tripathy
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI, May 2 (Reuters) - The upper house of India's parliament on Monday approved an amendment to the mining law, allowing the transfer of mines from sellers to buyers in a victory for the State Bank of India (SBI) that had lobbied for the change.
Under pressure to cut corporate bad debts of more than $120 billion, lenders including SBI have been trying to forge tie-ups between distressed cement, steel and power companies and those that are in better shape.
The amendment to the Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation Act, requested by SBI some three months ago, has now cleared both houses of parliament and should soon become law.
Mines Secretary Balvinder Kumar told Reuters the changes were mainly aimed at helping companies sell limestone mining licences along with their cement plants. It could also facilitate a merger of the Indian assets of France's Lafarge and Switzerland's Holcim after a global merger between the two companies last year created Lafargeholcim.
SBI chair Arundhati Bhattacharya welcomed the move.
"This will enable banks to sell assets to relieve stress in group accounts," she told Reuters. "Without (the) amendment selling was becoming untenable as assets were losing value in the absence of mines."
The deal will help UltraTech Cement Ltd's efforts to complete a deal to buy heavily indebted Jaiprakash Associates Ltd's cement plants for 159 billion rupees ($2.39 billion) along with its limestone mines.
UltraTech's finance head Atul Daga told Reuters before the parliament vote that the amendment would clear the way for the deal without leaving "any ambiguity on the value of the mines".
He predicted more deals in the sector but did not elaborate.
Dalmia Bharat Ltd, which had also bid for the Jaiprakash cement plants, said the changes would help it look for deals in the longer run given its ambition to grow from being the No.3 player in the country.
EU guarantee deal paves way for potential HSH Nordbank sale
BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT, May 2 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Monday approved a guarantee by two German states for HSH Nordbank that will ultimately facilitate a sale of the state-owned bank which had to be rescued during the financial crisis.
The Commission found that a 3 billion euro ($3.44 billion) increase in a guarantee ceiling provided by the regional states of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein was in line with EU state aid rules.
In 2013, the Commission had temporarily approved the increase in the guarantee to 10 billion euros from 7 billion euros but began an investigation to assess whether the public-sector bank could restore its viability.
The Commision said its finding was based on new commitments by Germany to split the bank into two parts and to sell the operational business without state aid.
"The split and sale solution, as I already outlined in agreement with the German authorities in October, created an opportunity to sell an important part of the bank," EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.
"It paves the way for a privatised, viable business to emerge from the sale process," she continued.
HSH Nordbank, majority-owned by Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, turned to its owners after risky assets turned sour in 2008 and the shipping lender got hit by the slump in global trade in the wake of the financial crisis.
The bank said on Monday the Commission's approval would allow it to transfer non-performing loans worth 8.2 billion euros to a wind-down vehicle run by its owners.
HSH will contribute 260 million euros to setting up this external 'bad bank'.
The Commission has set HSH's owners a February 2018 deadline to privatise the bank, which can be extended by six months provided the EU agrees.
If Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein fail to find a private investor, then Germany's public-sector banks may seek a solution for HSH, sources familiar with the matter said.
DSGV, the umbrella organisation of Germany's seven landesbanks and roughly 400 savings banks, said on Monday that it would continue to cooperate with HSH Nordbank.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal in shareholder suit against BP
By Lawrence Hurley
WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined a request from shareholders seeking to revive their class action lawsuit against BP claiming the British oil company misrepresented its safety procedures prior to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
The court left in place a September 2015 ruling by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that refused to certify the lawsuit filed by investors who bought shares in the 2-1/2 years before the spill. BP's share price plummeted after the disaster, which has cost the company more than $55 billion.
BP said in court papers the lawsuit should not be allowed to proceed because the plaintiffs were improperly seeking damages for the entire decline in stock price as a result of the spill.
The appeals court said some of the investors might have bought the stock even knowing the risk, and these investors may still sue BP individually.
In the same ruling, the appeals court allowed claims by investors who bought shares after the spill to move forward. Those claims were not at issue in the appeal.
"BP has long argued that all the plaintiffs' securities claims are meritless and will continue to defend vigorously against them," BP spokesman Geoff Morrell said.
Lawyers for the investors did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
The April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion and Macondo oil well rupture killed 11 workers and caused the largest offshore environmental disaster in U.S. history, polluting large parts of the Gulf, killing marine wildlife and harming businesses. It took 87 days to plug the leak on the ocean floor.
In total, BP has incurred about $55 billion in losses as a result of the spill, including $18.7 billion to settle federal, state and local claims.
Hillary Clinton kicks off a two-day tour through struggling Appalachia Monday, and her first task will be trying to clean up her own comment about putting coal companies 'out of business.'
Clinton has pledged to plow more than $30 billion to help the region, but she's been trying to dig out of a mess she made with her coal country comment in March.
After Clinton said during a CNN town hall in Ohio that, "We're going to put a lot of coal companies and coal miners out of business,' she immediately wrote West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democratic supporter, to try to walk back the comment.
'You know my history and the depth of my commitment to our coalfield workers,' Clinton wrote. She said she wanted to point out that 'coal will be part of the energy mix for years to come' and that 'we need to do more to support the workers and families' facing challenges caused by the long-term decline in coal industry jobs.
Clinton won West Virginia in 2008 when she was positioning herself as a commonsense alternative to Barack Obama
Chipotle run: Clinton and aide Huma Abedin grabbed road food in Ohio during last year's 'Scooby Van' trip
Clinton's campaign announced the 'Breaking Down Barriers' tour Sunday.
The campaign itself brought up the 'Scooby Van' which references a ham-handed effort by Clinton to kick off her primary campaign with a road trip filled with undisclosed stops along the way.
'The trip will underscore Clintons focus on the aspirations and needs of families, especially in often overlooked or underserved communities across the country, and what they are looking for in their next president,' according to her campaign.
The trip comes a day after primary opponent Vermont Sen. Sanders has vowed to keep up his campaign against her despite having to win an ever higher percentage of remaining delegates to prevail.
Sanders' message which blasts trade agreements and hammers the government for not doing enough to break up big banks who contributed to the financial crisis has elements that seem tailor-made for the region.
Bill Clinton got heckled on Sunday during an appearance in Logan, West Virginia, where he told supporters 'I care about what you're going through.'
Mayor Serafino Nolletti and written Manchin in opposition to Clinton's pending visit.
Bill and Hillary Clinton are simply not welcome in our town, Nolletti, WOWK reported.
Hold on: Bernie is still hauling in campaign cash for a long fight, though his monthly totals have dropped
Donald Trump's anti-trade message also could carry weight in the struggling region
Clinton's March statement was seized upon by coal industry groupsand Republican lawmakers such as U.S. Senators Rand Paul andMitch McConnell, both from Kentucky, as evidence she planned tocontinue carrying out President Barack Obama's regulatory "war"on coal.
Clinton's decision to embark on an Appalachian tour is in parttimed ahead of Democratic nominating contests in West Virginiaon May 10 and in Kentucky on May 17 as she seeks to secure thenomination before the party's July convention.
So Sorry! Clinton cleaned up coal mess with letter to Sen. Joe Manchin
Clinton won Ohio's contest in mid-March, besting rivalBernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont.
However, her aides say her decision to focus on the regionalso reflects her commitment to show voters she will work forthem if elected, even if they do not support her now.
Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, campaignedon Sunday in West Virginia, encountering protests from Trumpsupporters and being asked about Clinton's town hall remark andsubsequent apology.
Manchinaccompanied the former president, who is also expected tocampaign in Kentucky on Tuesday.
West Virginia last voted for a Democratic presidentialcandidate in 1996, when Bill Clinton was running for his secondfour-year term. He is the only Democrat who has won Kentuckysince 1980.
John F. Kennedy credits West Virginia with helping propel him to the nomination, after the state's majority protestant voters gave a big win as he was trying to overcome concerns about his Catholic faith.
The trip will feature plenty of retail stops where voters get to interact with the real Hillary
During her first presidential run, Clinton defeated Obama inthe 2008 primaries in those states but lost the nomination tohim.
Her tour is an early move to siphon support from Donald Trump, thefront-runner for the Republican nomination, who has called forcontinued coal production and dismissed environmental concernsas a policy priority.
Clinton's first stop, at a restaurant in Ashland, Kentucky,will be a discussion with the leader of a local steel workersunion and several of some 600 workers who were laid off when AKSteel Holding Corp announced in October that it would idle oneof its furnaces amid a supply glut and lower steel prices.
Clinton last month criticized China's announcement that itwas encouraging increased steel output amid a global surplusthat is driving down prices and said, if elected, she wouldcrack down on Chinese trade practices.
She will continue to Williamson, West Virginia, aonce-thriving town near the state's border with Kentucky inMingo County, the heart of the coal-producing region. Its mainstreets had been dotted with empty store fronts as coal miningemployment has been cut in half over the past four years. Thetown is now trying to reshape its economy.
Clinton will meet retired mine workers there and also tourthe Williamson Health and Wellness Center, which serves as thenerve center for a local program that aims to drive economicrevitalization through a health-focused, local-foods movementusing land once designated for mining to drive large-scaleagricultural development.
Aides say Clinton's interest in the region's economictroubles was piqued after she left the U.S. State Department in2013. She circulated data to aides then about studies related todecreased life expectancies for less-educated white adults inAppalachia, where the decline in coal-related employment hasbeen accompanied by a growth in opioid addiction, diabetes andother health issues.
MIDEAST STOCKS-Gulf markets fall; Emaar Properties drops after earnings
By Andrew Torchia
DUBAI, May 2 (Reuters) - Stock markets in the Gulf fell on Monday after oil prices pulled back and Dubai blue chip Emaar Properties dropped following the release of its first-quarter earnings.
Saudi Arabia's index slipped 0.6 percent as petrochemical shares in particular were weak, with Saudi Basic Industries losing 1.2 percent.
Saudi Arabian Mining Co retreated 3 percent after jumping by its 10 percent daily limit on Sunday on news that the miner had reshuffled its board and appointed the chairman of state oil giant Saudi Aramco, Khalid al-Falih, as its own chairman as part of a government drive to develop the mining sector.
In Dubai, the index fell 1.8 percent. Emaar rose at the opening but closed 2.1 percent lower; it reported a 17 percent rise in first-quarter net profit to 1.21 billion dirhams ($330 million). SICO Bahrain had forecast 1.22 billion dirhams.
Dubai Investments, another stock commonly seen as a play on the Dubai economy, sank 5.1 percent. Dubai Financial Market slid 4 percent after reporting a 27 percent rise in first-quarter net profit on the back of an increase in trading activity.
But GFH Financial rose 0.9 percent after saying it had signed a preliminary letter of intent with Abu Dhabi's Eshraq Properties, under which GFH might sell real estate assets to Eshraq in exchange for Eshraq shares. Eshraq dropped 1.2 percent and was Abu Dhabi's most heavily traded stock.
Abu Dhabi's index lost 0.8 percent as some banks continued falling after last week's disappointing earnings in the sector.
Abu Dhabi National Energy Co (TAQA) outperformed, rising early on and closing flat in unusually heavy trade, after sources told Reuters that TAQA was considering whether to sell its overseas oil and gas assets to another Abu Dhabi state-owned entity as it focuses on its core business of power generation and water production. TAQA declined to comment.
Qatar's index fell 0.9 percent as real estate firm Ezdan Holding lost 2.7 percent after reporting a 12 percent increase in first-quarter profit to 585 million riyals ($161 million), with growth restrained by a sharp rise in expenses and financial costs.
But Dlalala Brokerage surged its 10 percent daily limit in unusually heavy trade.
Egypt's market was closed for a public holiday.
MONDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
SAUDI ARABIA
* The index slipped 0.6 percent to 6,716 points.
DUBAI
* The index fell 1.8 percent to 3,385 points.
ABU DHABI
* The index dropped 0.8 percent to 4,470 points.
QATAR
* The index fell 0.9 percent to 10,092 points.
KUWAIT
* The index dropped 0.6 percent to 5,372 points.
OMAN
* The index edged up 0.1 percent to 5,952 points.
BAHRAIN
* The index rose 0.2 percent to 1,113 points.
Airbus Helicopters lifts ban on some Super Puma flights
By Stine Jacobsen and Tim Hepher
OSLO/PARIS, May 2 (Reuters) - Airbus Helicopters is no longer recommending a blanket ban on commercial flights of its H225 Super Puma helicopter, saying initial evidence suggested there was no link between Friday's crash in Norway and two North Sea accidents in 2012.
Airbus, which had initially urged a halt to all public flights, said on Monday commercial operations could resume outside UK and Norway where regulators have imposed bans.
Safety experts cautioned it was too early to say what caused the helicopter's rotor blades to detach, sending the aircraft plunging onto a rocky coastline off Bergen.
In 2012, Super Pumas were grounded after two ditchings in the UK North Sea later blamed on gearbox cracks.
A workhorse for the oil industry, the Super Puma has been in operation since the 1970s. There are 800 in operation worldwide.
Some operators including CHC Helicopter, the owner of the crashed helicopter, said they were keeping Super Pumas grounded. Search-and-rescue operations were not affected.
CHC said there had been no emergency calls from pilots before the crash and confirmed reports that the same helicopter had returned to base twice last week due to a warning light.
After two parts were changed on successive days, the warning disappeared and the aircraft did six commercial flights on the eve of the crash without incident, CHC said, adding neither part was connected to the gearbox or rotor.
Norway said cockpit voice and data recordings had been successfully downloaded and sent for analysis.
Amateur video showed all five rotor blades, still apparently connected to their rotor head, spinning towards the ground after parting from the helicopter. Such accidents are extremely rare.
The last such disaster involved an earlier version of Super Puma off Aberdeen in 2009, in which 16 people died.
Oil companies and helicopter firms moved to rejig operations using Sikorsky helicopters. But disruption has been tempered by a recent drop in activity driven by low oil prices.
According to Norways's oil safety regulator, offshore helicopter traffic fell 11.9 percent between 2014 and 2015.
"We must always do everything we can so that people can feel safe going to work," Statoil Chief Executive Eldar Saetre said after visiting Gullfaks B oil platform, where the 11 workers who died had boarded the helicopter.
The version of Super Puma which crashed, the H225, has been in use since 2004. There are 179 in service, including 40 in the North Sea.
Airbus, Safran finalise space launcher deal
PARIS, May 2 (Reuters) - Airbus Group and fellow France-based company Safran said on Monday they had signed an agreement for the second phase of a merger of their space launcher activities.
The two are combining these activities in response to competition from private U.S. launch provider Space X and in order to prepare for the next version of Europe's Ariane rocket.
Under the deal, engine maker Safran will, as expected, pay 800 million euros ($920 million) to Airbus Group to ensure an equal 50/50 ownership split in the new venture, sources close to the talks said.
The long-awaited agreement will close in the second quarter, the aerospace groups said in a joint statement.
The second phase calls for the integration of industrial assets and military launchers, turning their existing Airbus Safran Launchers venture into a "fully fledged operational company", the two partners said.
The deal had been held up for months as the two companies and the French government debated how the lump sum arriving in Airbus coffers should be treated for tax purposes.
"An agreement has been reached between Airbus Group and Safran on the fiscal details of the operation, which conforms to French legislation," one of the sources said.
Still no will found for Prince as Minnesota court opens probate process
By David Bailey
MINNEAPOLIS, May 2 (Reuters) - Lawyers charged with untangling the multimillion-dollar estate of music superstar Prince said on Monday they still have not located a will that could avert a years-long dispute over his fortune but have not stopped looking.
Six siblings or half-siblings of Prince, who was found dead at age 57 at his home in suburban Minneapolis on April 21, were listed as heirs in court documents filed in Carver County District Court in Chaska, Minnesota, where a brief hearing was held before Judge Kevin Eide.
The exact value of Prince's estate has not yet been disclosed but his music catalog alone has been estimated at more than $500 million.
Bremer Trust, National Association, a bank where Prince conducted business for years, could play a key role as a special administrator to safeguard his fortune. The bank was appointed at the request of Prince's sister, Tyka Nelson, and Eide reconfirmed that appointment during the hearing.
Natasha Robertson, an attorney for Bremer Trust, said the search for a will continues. Eide said the court would not find at this time that there is no will - only that one has not been found.
Creditors and inheritors can file claims against the estate.
Prince, whose full name was Prince Rogers Nelson, was married and divorced twice. He had no living children. Under Minnesota law, his assets are likely to be split evenly among the siblings, tax attorney Steve Hopkins said.
Hopkins said the bigger the estate, the greater the likelihood there will be a dispute by claimants that could take years to settle.
Prince's affairs seems destined for tax court, much like superstar Michael Jackson's estate, which is in a high priced skirmish with the Internal Revenue Service over the value of Jackson's name and image, Forbes reported.
Prince, whose hits included "Purple Rain" and "When Doves Cry," owned royalties from his more than 30 albums and had regained ownership of his master recordings. He was said to have a cache of unheard recordings, including an album cut with late jazz trumpet great Miles Davis.
It could be weeks before results are released from an autopsy on Prince, whose body was found in an elevator at his home-studio complex called Paisley Park in a Minneapolis suburb. The cause of death remains undetermined.
Denmark extends controls on German border, EU set to authorise more
COPENHAGEN/BRUSSELS, May 2 (Reuters) - Denmark extended temporary controls at its border with Germany on Monday, imposed to help control an influx of migrants, as the European Commission confirmed it would shortly authorise more such extensions within the passport-free Schengen zone.
Seven members of the Schengen zone, including Germany and Denmark, have introduced temporary border controls after more than one million migrants entered the European Union last year, mostly via Greece.
The European Commission, struggling to prevent the collapse of the Schengen accord, is expected this month to allow EU member states to retain the emergency border checks, which are due to expire in May, for a while longer.
Denmark, which first introduced border checks on Jan. 4 in response to similar steps by its northern neighbour Sweden, said it had prolonged them by a further 30 days to June 2, citing concerns about illegal immigration.
In Brussels, Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said: "By May 12 at the latest (the Commission) should have a decision ready which would allow (us) to prolong internal border controls under the Schengen Borders Code."
"We have a decision on this ready for next Wednesday," she told a daily news briefing.
Countries that first resorted to internal border checks blamed Greece - Europe's main point of entry for the refugees and migrants fleeing wars and poverty in the Middle East and Africa - for not controlling its part of Schengen's external border well enough.
The Commission launched a procedure against Greece on that basis, which allows it to approve a further extension of the temporary border checks other countries have introduced.
Brussels can authorise border checks inside Schengen to be in place for a maximum of two years in total. A European Commission source told Reuters it was leaning towards allowing their extension until November.
The move will be welcomed by Germany, which had asked Brussels for the extension.
Investors may have profited from leaked U.S. data: ECB research paper
FRANKFURT, May 2 (Reuters) - Investors earned millions of dollars in profits from correctly betting on market moves ahead of sensitive U.S. economic data, suggesting leaks of key indicators, a European Central Bank research paper said on Monday.
Studying moves in the case of 21 market-moving indicators between 2008 and 2014, 11 showed some pre-announcement price drift consistent with the announcement surprise, with seven of them indicating substantial moves, the authors said in the paper, which does not necessarily represent the ECB's opinion.
"Based on a back-of-the-envelope calculation, we estimate that since 2008 in the S&P E-mini futures market alone the profits associated with trading prior to the official announcement release time have amounted to about $20 million per year," the authors said.
"Prices start to move about 30 minutes before the official release time, and this pre-announcement price move accounts on average for about a half of the total price adjustment."
Data that showed "strong" evidence of pre-announcement price moves included the CB consumer confidence index, existing home sales, preliminary GDP, industrial production, the ISM Non-manufacturing index, the ISM Manufacturing index and pending home sales, the paper said.
"While the overall evidence points to leakage and proprietary data collection as the most likely sources of pre-announcement drift, reprocessing of public information may also contribute to some extent," the paper said, arguing that leakage cannot be conclusively established.
Clinton courts coal-country unions with eye toward fighting Trump
By Emily Stephenson and Amanda Becker
WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - Democrat Hillary Clinton, turning her attention to the November U.S. election and an increasingly likely match-up against Republican Donald Trump, sought on Monday to shore up union support by visiting coal and steel workers in the economically struggling Appalachian region.
While the Republican presidential candidates focus on Tuesday's primary contest in Indiana, Clinton will meet the head of a local steel workers' union and retired mine workers in Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio.
Trump's pro-coal, anti-trade message has resonated with voters frustrated over job losses. Clinton has pledged more than $30 billion to help regions that depend on coal, but her promise was overshadowed when she said in March that the country would "put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business."
Parts of Appalachia, a region that spans multiple states across the eastern United States, have struggled with poverty and losses of jobs. West Virginia's unemployment rate of 6.5 percent in March was well above the national rate of 5 percent, according to Labor Department data. Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.1 percent, while the figure in Kentucky was 5.6 percent.
Clinton has a large lead over U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination, and she is making early moves like this week's trip to try to siphon support from Trump, who says his outsider campaign will succeed with struggling voters.
It will be an uphill struggle for Clinton in Appalachia.
Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, campaigned on Sunday in West Virginia, encountering protests from Trump supporters.
West Virginia last voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in 1996, when Bill Clinton was running for his second four-year term. He is the only Democrat who has won Kentucky since 1980.
TRUMP IN INDIANA
Trump will take a leap toward winning the Republican nomination if he comes out ahead in Tuesday's Indiana primary. His success in the race for the White House may well ride on the support of Republican evangelicals.
On Monday, the New York billionaire criticized a trade deal signed by Bill Clinton, and threatened tariffs on goods from companies that move out of the United States in search of cheaper labor.
"People look for a job and they have to quit after four, five months," Trump said on CNN. "I think that a lot of these people are going to join my campaign. I think a lot of the Bernie Sanders young people are going to join my campaign."
Republicans plan to tie Clinton to what they say is an anemic economy under President Barack Obama. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Monday cited data released last week that showed economic growth slipped in the first quarter to its slowest pace in two years.
"Struggling Americans will never get ahead under Hillary Clinton. They are going to keep getting taken to the cleaners," Priebus said in an opinion piece for RealClearPolitics.
Clinton's first stop, at a restaurant in Ashland, Kentucky, will be a discussion with the leader of a local steel workers union and several of some 600 workers who were laid off when AK Steel Holding Corp announced in October that it would idle one of its furnaces amid a supply glut and lower steel prices.
She will continue to Williamson, West Virginia, a once-thriving town in the heart of the coal-producing region. Its main streets had been dotted with empty store fronts as coal mining employment has been cut in half over the past four years. The town is now trying to reshape its economy.
Norway to send 60 troops to train Syrian fighters
OSLO, May 2 (Reuters) - Norway will send some 60 troops, including special forces soldiers, to train, advise and give operational support to Syrian fighters battling Islamic State militants, the country's prime minister said on Monday.
The troops will be based in Jordan. The Norwegian Parliament will need to be consulted if the troops are to operate within Syria, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said.
Norway had previously sent 120 soldiers to Iraq to help to train Iraqi and Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State in northern Iraq. Those troops are still in Iraq.
Norway's decision comes a week after the United States announced its biggest expansion of U.S. ground troops in Syria since its civil war began.
White House: Assad regime must uphold Syria ceasefire commitments
WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government needs to live up to its commitments to a cessation of hostilities, the White House said on Monday, adding that "safe zones" are not a practical alternative now.
One person killed by rocket fire in Turkey's Kilis -source
ANKARA, May 2 (Reuters) - One person was killed and some were wounded when two rockets fired from Islamic State-controlled Syria landed near a school and in a street in the Turkish border town of Kilis on Monday, a security source said.
The Turkish military returned fire into Syria, hitting Islamic State targets, the source said.
The southeastern town of Kilis, just across the border from a region of northern Syria controlled by the militant group, has been hit frequently by rocket fire in recent weeks.
It was not immediately clear how many people were wounded and whether any of them were children.
Over the weekend, Kilis was hit by at least five rockets, although no one was killed.
On Sunday, Turkish artillery and drones that took off from southern Turkey simultaneously struck Islamic State targets in Syria, killing 34 militants.
Turkey has repeatedly fired back at Islamic State positions under its rules of engagement but has said it needs greater support from Western allies, citing the difficulty of hitting moving targets with howitzers.
Ecuador names Icaza as new oil minister
QUITO, May 2 (Reuters) - Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa has named chemical engineer Jose Icaza as the Andean nation's new oil minister, according to a decree published on Monday.
Icaza since November had worked as the manager of state-run oil company Petroamazonas, which oversees the majority of the country's oil production.
He was named to the post following the resignation of former minister Carlos Pareja. The decree did not offer details as to why Pareja left the post.
Turkey says prevented 85 security "incidents" since January
ANKARA, May 2 (Reuters) - Turkey has prevented 85 "major incidents" since January, many involving live bombs, the government's spokesman said on Monday, a day after the sixth suicide bombing in a Turkish city this year.
"We are making great efforts in the struggle against terror," Numan Kurtulmus told reporters at a briefing in the capital, Ankara.
"We have prevented 85 major incidents since January. Forty-nine of those included live bombs."
Turkey has been hit by a series of suicide bombings this year, including two in its largest city Istanbul blamed on Islamic State, and two in the capital Ankara which were claimed by a Kurdish militant group. It has also faced attacks from far leftist groups, mostly on police and security forces.
On Sunday, two police officers were killed and 22 people wounded by a suicide car bomb in the southeastern city of Gaziantep.
U.S. says Iraq's PM in "strong position" amid political unrest
STUTTGART, Germany, May 2 (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi is in a strong position despite political unrest in Iraq, thanks in part to his battlefield successes and his commitment to a multi-sectarian state, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Monday.
US and Senegal sign defence cooperation deal
DAKAR, May 2 (Reuters) - The United States and Senegal signed a cooperation agreement on Monday to ease the deployment of American troops to the West African nation to counter humanitarian crises, natural disasters or terrorist attacks.
"Terrorism knows no border and it's very important for everyone to cooperate," James Zumwalt, U.S. ambassador to Senegal, said during a joint news conference in Dakar with Senegal's Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye.
"We believe that this agreement will help the U.S. military and the Senegalese military reinforce our cooperation together to deal with threats to our common interests."
Around 40 U.S. Department of Defense personnel are currently stationed in Senegal, according to the U.S. Africa Command. The U.S. embassy in Dakar said that number would not increase under the deal.
"This agreement is about access, is about coming when there is an urgent desire and when both sides agree," Zumwalt said.
It sets out the rights and responsibilities of future U.S. access to Senegalese facilities for joint training and possible troop deployments.
Foreign Minister Ndiaye said the pact was the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa and would bolster Senegal's ability to respond to growing challenges.
"Crises are not always predictable, that's why this agreement is a long-term agreement," he said.
Senegal faces a growing threat from jihadist groups following a string of deadly attacks on neighbouring countries claimed by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
The group has made clear Senegal is in its sights due to its close ties to France, which has some 3,500 soldiers fighting with regional armies against Islamist militants in West Africa.
Leader of Canada's separatist Parti Quebecois steps down
By Allison Lampert
MONTREAL, May 2 (Reuters) - The leader of the separatist party in Canada's French-speaking province of Quebec stepped down on Monday less than a year after being elected, saying he needed to choose family over work.
The abrupt resignation of Parti Quebecois leader Pierre Karl Peladeau, 54, a former chief executive of Quebec's largest media company, Quebecor Inc, led to speculation he may return to the business world.
He became the party's leader in May 2015 promising to take Quebec out of Canada and make it a country but he struggled to make gains against the ruling provincial Liberals.
"I had to make a choice between my family and our political project," Peladeau said during a surprise news conference. "I chose my family."
Speculation about Peladeau's political future had increased after his marriage last year to talk-show host and producer Julie Snyder foundered. The two announced a separation in January. At the time, Peladeau said he would stay on as leader.
During its previous times in government, the Parti Quebecois unsuccessfully held two referendums on the province seceding from Canada, but recent polls showed the cause had faded as a priority with voters.
The task of rebuilding after the party's worst defeat in 40 years in the April 2014 election proved an uphill battle against the Quebec Liberals, a federalist party, as separatist forces split between the PQ and rival Quebec Solidaire.
The abrupt departure of Peladeau, known as PKP, had little initial market impact, with the next provincial election likely years away.
The PQ has traditionally trod a careful line between keeping the dream of independence alive and scaring off voters who want to stay in Canada or have simply had enough of the debate over secession.
"The sovereigntist movement is in a period of turmoil but that preceded Peladeau and I think it will be there after him," said Christian Bourque, a pollster for Quebec-based Leger Marketing.
Peladeau's resignation surprised Quebec's political class.
Former Quebec Premier Pauline Marois, who recruited Peladeau to the party, told Radio Canada: "I am profoundly saddened because I believe this is a very talented man of great value who brought a lot to the Parti Quebecois."
Floods wipe out 15 pct of Argentine soy crop-climate agency
By Hugh Bronstein
BUENOS AIRES, May 2 (Reuters) - Argentina lost an estimated 9 million tonnes of soy in the April storms that swamped the Pampas farm belt, an analyst with the state weather agency said on Monday, forecasting a 15 to 16 percent drop in production from the world's No. 3 exporter.
The sun has come out but too late to help the hardest hit areas. Big importers like China are already looking to the U.S. Midwest to make up for a likely drop in Argentine supply.
The first three weeks of April saw record downpours in Argentine soy provinces Entre Rios, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires and Cordoba, bringing harvesting to a halt. A cold front has since pushed the rain off the Pampas, allowing soils to dry out enough to support the 30-tonne combines used to bring in the crop.
"We estimate total production losses at 9 million tonnes so far. That's a preliminary estimate," said Stella Carballo, chief analyst with the government's Climate and Water Institute.
"The floods are receding and harvesting has resumed, but the effects are lingering," she said. "We had 19 straight days of rain combined with warm weather right at the end of the growing cycle; ideal conditions for crop diseases that reduce yields."
The Buenos Aires Grains Exchange last month chopped its harvest forecast to 56 million tonnes from 60 million. The farm ministry forecasts a 57.6 million tonne crop, warning that estimates will likely fall once the extent of damage becomes clear. Growers are meanwhile selling damaged beans at a discount.
In Santa Fe alone, soy yields were pounded 18 percent lower by the early April rains, said Sofia Corina, an agronomist with the Rosario grains exchange. The province had originally been expected to produce 4 tonnes per hectare.
Last month the exchange estimated a nationwide crop of 59 million tonnes. The projection "is certain to be lowered" when it issues its next crop report on May 11, Corina said.
After soybeans are harvested, Argentine farmers will concentrate on bringing in their 2015/16 corn, which has been less affected by the rains.
Advertisement
The ancient Roman city of Pompeii, an island jail built by the Bourbons and the home of Botticelli's Venus are among dozens of cultural sites due to share in a 1billion (790million) cash injection, Italy's culture ministry said on Monday.
Caring for centuries worth of art and architecture has caused headaches for successive Italian governments as economic stagnation squeezed funding for the arts and restoration projects were dogged by bureaucracy and bad management.
Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said the 33 projects constituted 'the biggest operation on our cultural heritage in the history of the republic', referring to the period since a 1946 referendum sent Italy's royal family into exile.
Scroll down for video
In total 33 sites will share in the billion euro government funds, including the ancient city of Pompeii which is to receive 40million (31million)
Other projects include completing restoration at the Palace of Caserta, near Naples. The large Bourbon palace, which was originally constructed to rival Versailles, has also been allocated 40million (31million)
One of the biggest windfalls is due to go to an 18th century prison on the tiny Tyrrhenian Sea island of Santo Stefano, which was closed in the 1960s and has been slowly decaying ever since.
The ministry said in a statement the prison, whose cells were built in a horseshoe shape around a watchtower to make prisoners feel they were always being watched, would receive 70million (55million) for restoration and development.
In the past, political opponents were banished to the island under the Fascist regime, including Sandro Pertini, who later became president of Italy.
Pompeii, where work to secure a city preserved under volcanic ash for more than 1600 years was long delayed by corruption and mismanagement, will get 40million (31million).
One of the biggest windfalls is due to go to an 18th century prison on the tiny Tyrrhenian Sea island of Santo Stefano, which was closed in the 1960s and has been slowly decaying ever since
The ministry said in a statement the prison, whose cells were built in a horseshoe shape around a watchtower to make prisoners feel they were always being watched, would receive 70million (55million) for restoration and development
A further 40million (31million) will go to works on the Uffizi museums in Florence, home to masterpieces by Sandro Botticelli and Caravaggio. The historic centre of L'Aquila, destroyed by an earthquake in 2009, will get 30million (23million).
The 29 other projects include extending the Pinacoteca di Brera gallery in Milan, finishing an auditorium in Florence and completing restoration at the Palace of Caserta, near Naples.
Turkish parliament debate on lawmakers' immunity ends in a brawl
By Gulsen Solaker and Yesim Dikmen
ANKARA, May 2 (Reuters) - Members of Turkey's ruling AK Party and the pro-Kurdish opposition traded kicks and punches and threw water at each other in parliament on Monday, halting talks about lifting parliamentarians' immunity from prosecution.
A previous meeting on the bill was postponed on Thursday when a scuffle broke out. The law, championed by the ruling AKP, would strip members of parliament of their legal immunity.
The Kurdish-rooted Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) says the bill is targeting them and is aimed at suppressing dissent.
President Tayyip Erdogan, who founded the AKP, has called for members of HDP to face prosecution, accusing them of being an extension of the outlawed militant group, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
Scores of deputies crammed into a committee room to debate the bill, according to a Reuters reporter in parliament. Tempers flared and some deputies started shoving each other. As punches and kicks flew, a few suited parliamentarians launched themselves into the melee from a table.
Others threw water at each other and at least one person could be heard taunting opponents by shouting, "Come on, come on."
Several lawmakers were hurt during the scuffle, broadcaster CNN Turk said.
The brawl last week delayed efforts to pass legislation related to Turkey's deal with the European Union to take migrants in exchange for visa-free travel to the EU and accelerated accession talks.
That legislation was also left unfinished on Monday evening, as some ruling party lawmakers left the general assembly to join their colleagues in the brawling.
Kosovo airport closes after Turkish Airlines jet skids off runway
PRISTINA, May 2 (Reuters) - A Turkish Airlines jet carrying 143 passengers and eight crew from Istanbul skidded off the runway on Monday when landing at Kosovo's sole airport, officials said.
"Turkish Airlines flight TK1018 from Istanbul has had a minor incident and fortunately no one was injured," airport spokeswoman Valentina Gara said.
"The airport will remain closed for few hours until some initial technical investigations are finished."
A flight from Brussels was diverted to Tirana, Albania.
Local media showed images of the Turkish Airlines jet standing in a grassy area next to the runway.
"Thanks God we (were) saved from a tragedy," one passenger wrote in a facebook posting with photos of the aircraft.
Nigeria's vice president says $15 bln stolen in arms procurement fraud
ABUJA, May 2 (Reuters) - Around $15 billion - equal to about half the country's foreign currency reserves - was stolen from Nigeria's public purse under the previous government through fraudulent arms procurement deals, the vice president said on Monday.
Africa's top oil exporter is going through its worst economic crisis in decades due to the drop in global crude prices and ministers say these problems have been exacerbated by the impact of fraud under previous administrations.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who last year won election fought on his vow to crackdown on corruption, has said the theft of "mind boggling" sums of oil money meant state coffers were virtually empty in Africa's biggest economy when he took office last May.
Corruption charges have been levelled against former military chiefs and companies accused of involvement in an alleged arms procurement fraud during the tenure of Buhari's predecessor Goodluck Jonathan. They have pleaded not guilty. .
The total sum lost to corruption related to the provision of security equipment to the military and amounted to around 15 billion US dollars, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said.
Endemic corruption over decades has enriched a small elite but left many Nigerians mired in poverty despite the country's oil wealth. Osinbajo's claims are the latest in a string of allegations by members of Buhari's administration.
In January, the information minister said 55 people who were government ministers, state governors, public officials, bankers and businessmen stole 1.34 trillion naira ($6.8 billion) over a seven-year period.
The fall in crude prices has eroded Nigeria's foreign reserves, since oil sales make up around 70 percent of national income, with the central bank adopting fixed exchange rate to protect further depletion of its reserves which stood at $27 billion in April.
Osinbajo, who was speaking at a university in the southwestern city of Ibadan, said the $15 billion figure which he alleged had been stolen "is more than half of the current foreign reserves of the country".
"It is important to send a message that no public officer can steal the resources of this country and expect to escape," he said.
Buhari's presidency ended a period from the end of military rule in 1999 until 2015 when the People's Democratic Party (PDP) was in power. The PDP, now in opposition, has accused the president of mounting a witch-hunt against its members.
U.S. tells Pakistan it will have to fund F-16s itself
WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - The United States has told Pakistan it will have to finance the purchase of U.S. F-16 fighter jets itself after members of the U.S. Congress objected to the use of government funds to pay for them.
The U.S. government said in February it had approved the sale to Pakistan of up to eight F-16 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp LMT.N, as well as radar and other equipment in a deal valued at $699 million.
However, Republican Senator Bob Corker said he would use his power as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to bar the use of any U.S. funds for the deal to send a message to Pakistan that it needed to do more in the war against militants.
Corker's stance reflected deep unhappiness among both Democrats and Republicans in Congress about what they see as Islamabad's policy of supporting militant groups that target Afghans and Americans, and Pakistan's failure to support the reconciliation process for Afghanistan.
U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said congressional opposition meant funds from the U.S. government's Foreign Military Financing allocation could not be used to purchase the aircraft.
"Given congressional objections, we have told the Pakistanis that they should put forward national funds for that purpose," he told a regular news briefing.
Kirby said the State Department opposed putting conditions on the use of such funds and believed that effective engagement with Pakistan, including by supporting its counter-terrorism effort, was "critical" to promoting democracy and economic stability in the country.
Earlier, in Islamabad, Syed Tariq Fatemi, special assistant on foreign affairs to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, did not refer directly to the F-16 issue, but complained that there was a "lack of sufficient appreciation for Pakistan's whole-hearted efforts it was undertaking jointly with the U.S. administration, in countering the threat posed by terrorism."
Fatemi made the remarks in a meeting with visiting professional staffers from the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.
Chinese police to patrol in Italy in two-week experiment
ROME, May 2 (Reuters) - Chinese police are joining Italian officers on the streets of Rome and Milan in an experiment aimed at helping tourists from China feel safe, Italy's interior ministry said on Monday.
The experiment is the first of its kind in Europe, China's ambassador to Italy, Li Ruiyu, said at a meeting to announce the project, according to a statement from the ministry.
The four Chinese officers, who were trained by Italians in Beijing, will wear the same uniforms they wear at home so their compatriots can recognise them easily.
More than 3 million Chinese tourists come to Italy every year, according to Liao Jinrong, the director general of the Chinese International Cooperation Bureau.
"This service was planned with Chinese tourists in mind, and if it works well we may consider other forms of collaboration, given the presence of the Chinese community in our country," said Interior Minister Angelino Alfano.
The officers will share information with Italian police and help Chinese tourists if they need to contact local authorities and diplomats from Monday until May 13, the ministry said.
AIG profit misses again as weak hedge fund returns weigh (May 2)
By Sudarshan Varadhan
May 2 (Reuters) - American International Group Inc, under fire from investors to improve its performance, reported a lower-than-expected profit for the third straight quarter as poor returns from hedge funds hurt its investment income.
Shares of the biggest U.S. commercial insurer by premiums fell 3.3 percent in extended trading on Monday.
AIG has been scaling back investments in hedge funds, which have borne the brunt of excessive market volatility in the past year.
Big-name hedge funds favored by pension funds and the ultra-wealthy for their track record of stellar returns took a battering in the first quarter of 2016, with some posting their worst ever start to a year on record.
AIG's weak results come at a time when the company is facing the possibility of having to set aside more capital as regulators worry about financial firms deemed "too big to fail".
The insurer's near collapse in 2008 and its $182 billion bailout by the U.S. government led to its inclusion in the Federal Reserve's list of "systemically important financial institutions" (SIFIs).
Chief Executive Peter Hancock said in March that a judge's ruling that MetLife Inc was not "too big to fail" opened up an opportunity for AIG to seek an exemption from the designation.
Investors will look for an update on AIG's position when the company holds its post-earnings call on Tuesday.
AIG has been under pressure from activist investor Carl Icahn to split into three independent companies.
In February, the insurer agreed to add one member nominated by Icahn to its board. Samuel Merksamer, a managing director at Icahn Capital LP, and billionaire investor John Paulson are expected to join AIG's board next week.
The operating profit attributable to AIG fell 54 percent to $773 million in the first quarter, partly due to restructuring costs of $122 million.
On a per-share basis, AIG earned 65 cents, far short of the average analyst estimate of $1.00, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Pre-tax income in AIG's commercial property and casualty insurance business, its biggest, fell 38.5 percent to $720 million. The unit's net investment income fell about 44 percent to $577 million.
Shares of AIG, which traces its roots to a two-room office in Shanghai in 1919, were trading at $54.75 after the bell.
In a sharp and shocking U-turn, the Centre has acknowledged the Jammu and Kashmir Hurriyat leaders' talks with Pakistan. The new stand is a path-breaker in India-Pakistan relations. Besides, it is as shocking as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unscheduled visit to Lahore to attend the wedding ceremony of his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif's granddaughter and wish him on his birthday on December 25 last year.
The latest stand
On April 28, minister of state for external affairs VK Singh said in Rajya Sabha, "(The) government is aware of reports regarding presence of leaders of the Hurriyat and other Kashmiri separatist leaders at the Pakistan High Commission on Pakistans national day. Since the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the Union of India and these so called Kashmiri leaders are Indian citizens, there is no bar on their meetings with representatives of any country in India."
The minister was replying in writing to Rajya Sabha MP Paul Manoj Pandian's questions. While recognising the talks between the separatists and Pakistani authorities, he, however, rejected any third-party interference in the India-Pakistan dialogue.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is greeted by his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif after Modi took the oath on May 26, 2014. Photo: Reuters
Continuity with change
"However, India has consistently maintained that there is no role for a third party in the bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan as per the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration. Indias displeasure at Pakistans attempts to interfere in Indias internal affairs has been repeatedly conveyed to Pakistan," Singh said.
BJP's hawkish position as an opposition party
When in Opposition, the BJP would accuse then prime minister Manmohan Singh of being weak when dealing with Pakistan. As Gujarat chief minister and BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi had promised tough response to Pakistan for the terror activities on Indian soil. Today, the prime minister meets Nawaz Sharif but the country doubts whether the prime minister has the courage to discuss the issue of terrorism unleashed on us by Pakistan, Modi had said in the national capital before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
In her famous threat to Pakistan, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who was the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha then, had talked about getting 10 heads from the neighbouring country if it did not return the head of martyred soldier Hemraj. "If his (Hemraj's) head could not be brought back (from Pakistan), we should get at least 10 heads from their side," Swaraj had said, asking the then Congress-led UPA government to take tough action against that country.
"The question is: will we sit without any reaction and engage in a dialogue? This should not happen. At least the government should react in some way. That is why we have said that government should take some tough measures," she had said.
Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh and Hemraj were killed on January 8, 2013 by the Pakistan Army regulars after infiltrating into Indian territory in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
NDA stance since May 2014
India's stance on Hurriyat leaders and separatists holds a larger significance. Had this decision of allowing talks between Hurriyat and Pakistan been allowed two years back, it would have saved two India-Pakistan from getting cancelled. India cancelled its official talks with Pakistan in August 2014 over the question of the Hurriyat leader Shabir Shah meeting Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit in the national capital.
At that point in time, the external affairs ministry had said, This is a red line we have drawn... We have told Pakistan, you either talk to us, or to them [Kashmiri separatists].
The India-Pakistan talks suffered casualty for the second time a year later in August 2015. On this occasion, it was Pakistan's turn to cancel its talks with India. The national security adviser (NSA)-level talks between the two countries suffered a miscarriage as Pakistan rejected the Indian government's insistence that its NSA Sartaj Aziz would not be allowed to meet with Hurriyat Conference leaders during his visit to New Delhi.
The change
That hawkish approach of the opposition days has given way to dovish approach when in power. India seems to have realised the futility of taking strong exception to Pakistan-Hurriyat talks after cancellation of two official talks between New Delhi and Islamabad. It is certainly a climbdown for India from its earlier stated position.
Narendra Modi will complete two years as prime minister of India this month. Since he assumed the power in New Delhi, minorities have been forced to live in a hostile environment, history books are being rewritten and mythology is being projected as scientific achievements.
RSS activists are being appointed to influential positions to further Hindutva into Indias institutional fabric. Hindu religious clerics have become prominent faces of the public discourse.
What Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq did to Islamise Pakistan in the 1970s, Narendra Modi is repeating that formula in India to turn India into a fief for Hindutva forces.
What Zia-ul-Haq did to Islamise Pakistan in the 1970s, Modi is repeating that formula in India.
Prominent artists, historians and scientists have been raising their voices against an intensifying climate of religious intolerance in the country. Student protest movements are spreading from one academic institution to another against the upper-caste favoured mindset of Hindutva forces.
Security forces are being sent to academic campuses and Hindutva thugs have been given a free run to attack protesting students. Right-wing commentators are shamelessly screaming to stop spending taxpayers money on students of these "anti-national" academic institutions.
On domestic front, by subverting the secular features of the country, Modi has been very successful in his project of making India a Hindu Pakistan. This Pakistanisation of India is not only limited to domestic politics, it has also captured countrys foreign policy.
The pre-election promise of economic miracle by the Modi sarkar has turned into a mirage. Besides a few Hindutva regulars, many converters have converted again and have started to censure Modis governance agenda at home.
Much is being written these days in critically assessing Modis domestic policies, while an overall notion still prevails that he has been successful at the foreign policy front. His frequent foreign trips mainly to Indian diaspora-rich countries are being stage-managed to perfection to showcase his popularity abroad.
Modi was virtually banned to travel to the West for nearly a decade and his foreign policy utterances before the election were primarily confined to chest-thumping rabble-rousing sermons vis-a-vis Pakistan.
In this environment of expectation vacuum, he started well. He invited leaders from neighbouring countries, including Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan to his swearing-in ceremony.
In a few days, Modi tried to project himself from a chest-thumping iron-man to a hugging and hand-holding endearing figure. Some of his admirers even coined the term "Modi Doctrine". But, there is always limit to this packaging, particularly if the product is of questionable quality.
With decreasing economic growth in other BRICS countries including China, India has been lucky to be the "one-eyed king in the land of the blind".
The potential for doing business in a still-growing India and electoral strength of the Hindu diaspora has made Western leaders to superficially pander to Modis vanity. This has deluded Modi into fancying himself as a statesman.
However, Modi is flying around the world as a salesman, selling Indias potential to be the factory for the world under his pet program, "Make in India".
For this to be successful and India to be the next China of the world, internal peace and stability is extremely crucial. But, Modis domestic agenda of turning India to a Hindu Pakistan is in serious conflict with his international agenda of turning India into a "worlds factory", China.
The Hindutva project has made India far more divided and volatile now than what it was two years back. And for this growing internal instability, no one else can be blamed except Modi and RSS.
Not only Modi has ignored the Chinese "mantra" of securing internal peace and stability, he has also taken a different route on foreign policy than the strategy Deng Xiapong adopted while undertaking the path for his country towards economic glory.
The fundamentals of Chinese foreign policy under Deng were to create a favourable external environment for its economic opening up while keeping a safe distance from any international power struggle.
Chinas economy thrived while keeping a low profile and waiting for its time to arrive to take the centre stage in global politics.
Of course, Modi, by nature, can never maintain a low profile or wait for his turn. However, international diplomacy is of course much more complicated than winning the power struggle against Advani within the Sangh Parivar.
Modi not only has waged a series of assaults on secularism at home; on the external front, he has also deviated considerably from the post-independence foreign policy paradigm of India, which was not to entangle itself with any kind of alliances or commitments that would lead to fight a war for others.
Modi government in April 2016 has signed an agreement with the US to open up its military bases to the Americans. This will allow American fighter planes and warships to use Indian facilities, bringing them closer to Chinas southern border.
By doing this, India has virtually entered into a formal military alliance with the Americans against China.
Americans have been putting pressure on India for this deal since George W Bush administration signed the Civil Nuclear Agreement with India in 2005 but the so-called weak and indecisive Manmohan Singh had even refused to give in to preserve Indias strategic autonomy.
But, Modis 56-inch chest decided to cave into the American pressure. Even his government is on the verge of agreeing to aid US Navy to track Chinese submarines in Indian Ocean.
India is now on its way to be the same as Pakistan, which was used by Americans to encircle Soviets. Zia-ul-Haq did not only Islamise Pakistan, he also handed over his countrys military bases to American forces to be used against Soviet army in Afghanistan.
A correction was made to this story on May 2, 2016
An unidentified man is in stable condition after he was struck by a vehicle in the 700 block of McIntire Road on Sunday.
Charlottesville police responded to a report of a pedestrian hit by a vehicle early Sunday morning. They found one white male, age 55 to 60, injured at the scene, according to a news release from the city police. The man was transported to the University of Virginia Medical Center.
The driver remained at the scene to answer questions. Lt. Steve Upman said there was no indication of drug or alcohol use by either the driver or the pedestrian.
Upman said the incident is still under investigation. Police did not release the name of the driver Sunday.
The victim told Charlottesville police he was assaulted by several black males, who took several items off his person during the incident, according to a news release from the department. The victim did not provide any other descriptors, police said.
Virginia Republican leaders have hired a prominent conservative lawyer to lead an expected court challenge to Gov. Terry McAuliffe's recent order restoring voting rights for 206,000 felons.
General Assembly Republicans announced Monday that they have retained Charles J. Cooper, a former assistant attorney general under President Ronald Reagan who was once named "Republican lawyer of the year." A founding member and chairman of Cooper & Kirk PLLC in Washington, Cooper defended California's ban on same-sex marriage before the United States Supreme Court in 2013.
It is the obligation of the legislative and judicial branches to serve as a check on overreaches of executive power," House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, said in a prepared statement. "To that end, we are prepared to uphold the Constitution of Virginia and the rule of law by challenging Governor McAuliffes order in court."
"We have retained Mr. Cooper to examine the legal options to remedy this Washington-style overreach by the executive branch," said Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr., R-James City. "Mr. Cooper is an extremely qualified attorney and we have every confidence he will proceed prudently, judiciously, and expeditiously.
Taxpayer funds will not be used to fund a lawsuit, Republicans said.
McAuliffe has said he has the legal authority to restore voting and civil rights for all felons who had completed their sentences, probation and parole by April 22. Past governors have restored rights on an case-by-case basis for ex-offenders who applied to regain their rights.
Republicans have argued McAuliffe overstepped by issuing a blanket order that applies to violent and nonviolent felons regardless of whether they submitted an application. Past governors have concluded they did not have the power to restore rights en masse. Coming in a presidential election year, Republicans have accused McAuliffe of playing politics by adding thousands of likely Democratic voters to the rolls as a boost to longtime McAuliffe friend Hillary Clinton.
McAuliffe's order has received national acclaim in progressive circles. Supporters have applauded the order as a bold move that does away with a restriction that disproportionately impacts African-Americans and brings Virginia more in line with policies of other states.
NC GOP Chair Hassan Harnett speaks to Beaufort County Republicans: Above. photo by Stan Deatherage Click image to expand.
Here's the late Fred Sanford's first reaction to being introduced to Robin Hayes.On Saturday, the NCGOPe tossed out the party's first black chairman and replaced him with a, um, "intellectually-challenged" white man who documentary evidence clearly demonstrates was clearly outperformed by said ousted black man. Complain about someone not performing, and then replace him with someone who did even worse?Yep, ol' Robin is back. He of the strong-arm, threatening tactics in Tampa. He of the Ripon Society. He of meddling in Republican primaries. He of the Mark Harris stalking horse campaign in the 2014 US Senate primary. His prior experience as a congressman and party chairman clearly demonstrates his contempt for conservatism and The Tea Party. So, it made perfect sense to make his appointment to interim chairman of the NCGOP the cherry on top of the F-U move perpetrated against teaconservatives on Saturday in Raleigh.So, the NCGOP has moved from an executive director and governing committees antagonistic to conservatives and a chairman with Tea Party support, to full control of the party by petty RINOs with nothing but contempt for conservative voters they so desperately need to come out for the GOP ticket in November.This move Saturday is one big middle-finger aimed at the activists who do the work: putting up signs, canvassing door to door, manning phone banks, and working polling places on election day. How smart is it to smack that hornet's nest - piss off sooooo many of the people whose help you are going to desperately need in about six months?Hayes's previous tenure as chairman was marked with contempt for and spats with Tea Partiers. How is this guy the smart choice for unifying the party heading into November?Donald Trump won the state's primary. But Hayes has been an outspoken advocate for Marco Rubio. But, hey, so is the NCGOPe's SUGAR DADDY Art Pope. Hayes's appointment sure would seem to indicate the potential for mischief within North Carolina's delegation to the Republican National Convention.Robin Hayes is what Stalin and Lenin referred to as "a useful idiot." He does what he is told. In 2012, Pat McCrory told him to go away because Claude Pope was NOW going to be party chairman . Now that we're in a presidential year, with NCGOPe types like McCrory and Burr in tight races and the RNC mulling mischief at the national convention, it's quite handy to have a state chairman in place who will follow the orders of Thom Tillis, Pat McCrory, Art Pope, and Paul Shumaker.I don't like playing the race card. But it's going to be interesting to see how these, um, "geniuses" who tossed Harnett combat those accusations from Bill Barber and the Democrats. The only two leaders run off by the NCGOPe - Hasan Harnett and Tim Johnson - have been black. And both were replaced with white candidates who underperformed when compared to their black predecessors. DallasWho needs Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels? With Dallas Woodhouse and Robin Hayes, the NCGOP has their very own "Dumb & Dumber."
It has been far too many years since the Woke theology interlaced its canons within the fabric of the Indoctrination Realm, so it is nigh time to ask: Does this Representative Republic continue, as a functioning society of a self-governed people, by contending with the unusual, self absorbed dictates of the Woke, and their vast array of Victimhood scenarios?
Yes, the Religion of Woke must continue; there are so many groups of underprivileged, underserved, a direct result of unrelenting Inequity; they deserve everything.
No; the Woke fools must be toppled from their self-anointed pedestal; a functioning society of a good Constitutional people cannot withstand this level of "existential" favoritism as it exists now.
he described her husbands affair with their Auckland host as a "twisted form of internet dating". (Photo: AFP)
A woman recently revealed how she lost her husband to an Airbnb host. The American woman who wishes to remain anonymous said that 30 years of their marriage came to an end after the couple booked an accommodation choosing an Airbnb host for the space and facilities it offered over a hotel in Auckland, New Zealand, last autumn.
However she never realised the consequences that this trip might lead to. She described her husbands affair with their Auckland host as a "twisted form of internet dating".
Our host was a single middle-aged woman who was unusually solicitous and intrusive during our stay, calling periodically to ask if everything was all right and even asking to come by to make sure that the cleaning ladies were doing a good job," the woman told the Herald on Sunday.
The husband arrived at hosts place a few days earlier and informed his wife on her arrival that the host has shared very personal details about her life and past relationships with him.
The husband thought that their host was a sad and needy woman.
I returned home to the US a week before my husband did, and that's when our host and my husband got to know each other better," she told the New Zealand Herald.
And now the woman and her husband are getting divorced. This whole incident came as a big shock to the woman. The man is now in a relationship with the host.
I thought our marriage was imperfect but solid. My husband and I are now in the midst of a divorce, and he and our Airbnb host are still in a relationship, said the woman.
The woman believes that her story is uncommon, however hopes to warn all those who use Airbnb. She also said that she doubts that she will ever be using their service again due to the bad memories.
Chennai: Four fishermen from Tamil Nadu, who were detained by Iranian authorities since February 6 after they reportedly crossed the border in international waters while fishing for a firm in Dubai, returned to Chennai on Sunday.
The 4 fishermen from Kadiapattinam coastal village in Kanyakumari district M Hilarian (51), C David (40), K Prabhu (330 and M Anthony Raj (44) had ventured into the deep sea for fishing when intercepted by Iranian security agency.
They also faced gunfire when they were confronted mid sea. In the firing, Anthony Raj suffered bullet injuries on his chest and right shoulder. The Iranians took him to the hospital while others were taken to jail.
As their return to India was getting delayed, an NGO, International Fishermen Development Trust, had been trying through diplomatic channels to know their whereabouts, which is when they came to know that they were detained by the Iranian forces for entering into their waters and kept in Bander Abbas jail.
They were later shifted to Orrduza jail. As advised by Indian embassy officials, arrangements were made to collect the passports of these fishermen from their sponsor and handed over to them and they left Iran on Saturday night and landed in Chennai early on Sunday morning.
Though they reached Chennai with Iranian currency worth `2,500 each given to them by Indian mission from Iran, they found that there were no takers for those currency notes at money exchange centres at the airport. The NGO coordinated with the rehabilitation department to arrange bus tickets for the four to go back to their native place.
Hyderabad: Telangana State irrigation minister T. Harish Rao has been keeping his department engineers and staff on their toes with his night halts at irrigation projects.
With not much pro-gress in restoration of tanks and lakes under Mission Kakatiya and work on irrigation projects pending, the minister has started visiting irrigation projects and lakes in districts and having night halts to speed up work.
With minister himself present at night at irrigation project sites, the engineers and staff are a harried lot and trying their best to speed up the work.
Mr Rao, who visited Mahbubnagar on Fri-day to review the prog-ress of Kalwakurthy lift irrigation project stage-2, conducted a review me-eting throughout the day and surprised ever-yone with his night halt at the irrigation project.
The unexpected development created a huge impact as entire district administration turned up at the irrigation project site and several pen-ding issues like land ac-quisition, compensati-on etc, were cleared on the spot enabling faster works. With this, the minister has decided to have night halts at all pending irrigation projects.
Though the government has been giving utmost importance to irrigation projects by sanctioning Rs 25,000 crore every year, there is no progress in irrigation projects due to negligence of officials, he said.
Since the night halt at Kalwakurthy gave good results, I have decided to visit projects in other districts too and monitor works day and night. My next night halt will be at Nettempad to monitor the works of Palamur lift irrigation project, Rao said. The minister has been taking officials to task for delay in works and warning them of suspension.
Harish warns Naidu, Jagan on Telangana interests
Irrigation minister T. Harish Rao on Sunday threatened AP Chief Minister N. Chandra-babu Naidu and YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy with severe consequences if they try to obstruct the irr-igation projects taken up by the Telangana state government.
Mr Rao said both Mr Naidu and Mr Reddy should realise that th-ey hold assets in Hy-derabad. If they try to harm the interests of Telangana state, they would be chased away from Hyderabad, he said
Like we waged a ba-ttle to achieve Telangana, we are ready to wage another battle to construct irrigation projects and ensure that the state gets its justifiable share of water in Godavari and Krishna rivers. When the TD and YSRC are trying to obstruct our projects, why are their leaders in Telangana silent, Mr Harish Rao said.
YSRC Khammam MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and TS TD working president A. Revanth Reddy owe an explanation to the people,Mr Harish Rao told mediapersons in his home constituency Siddipet.
Mr Rao alleged that Mr Naidu and Mr Reddy had hatched a conspiracy to obstruct TS projects but the TRS government would th-wart their attempts and ensure that the target of irrigating one crore acres in the state will be met, come what may.
The Seemandhra leaders continue to harm the interests of Telangana state even after bifurcation. This will not be tolerated, Mr Rao said. He said Mr Naidu was shameless in trying to obstruct the Palamuru-Ranga Re-ddy project by repeatedly writing letters to the Centre and appro-aching the Supreme Court.
He came down heavily on Mr Reddy for an-nouncing hunger stri-ke demanding stoppage of Palamuru pro-ject. His father Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy loo-ted Telangana water in undivided AP and his son is trying to continue his fathers legacy, Mr Rao said.
Chennai: This neither seems like a French spring nor any Rousseau in the making. But when senior CPI (M) leader Nilotpal Basu elegantly summed up in a television programme recently that the Left parties, in taking the initiative to form the Peoples Welfare Alliance (PWA) ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, are experimenting with a new combination of classes and marginalised sections of the people, he was referring to breaking away from the dominant regional parties that have shaped the states political milieu.
Put an ear to the ground and things can hardly be more crystal clear, as the events of the last two months of hectic political activity in the run-up to the May 16 elections have been unfolding.
The grassroots dynamics has rather been one of reconfiguring leadership roles of the visible campaigners, both inside and outside the PWA, to the point of old caste identities re-emerging in new bottle.
A good case in point is the MDMK leader Mr Vaiko who began with a bang as coordinator of the PWA. Straining every nerve and even risking a war of words with the DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, which at one stage touched a new low, and striking new equations with the two main Left parties CPI and CPI (M) and the Dalit leader, VCKs Thol. Thirumavalavan, Vaikos Herculean efforts eventually saw Mr Vijayakanth, the actor-turned-politician and founder of DMDK, being the prize catch of PWA. It was a process in which the actors wife and star campaigner, Premalatha Vijayakanth had also played a crucial role.
The PWA got bigger with the G.K. Vasan-led Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) joining their front. And as nominations opened, Mr Vaiko declared he will contest for the Assembly from Kovilpatti, a safe seat in many ways, held by the CPI several times earlier and forming part of a political terrain where the OBC Naickers have a say in the way the votes will swing in any election. Vaiko had even readied a mission plan 2016-21 for Kovilpattis development.
Nonetheless, apparently sensing a nasty faceoff with the other dominant OBC group in the South the Thevars in the backdrop of Vaiko supporting inter-caste marriages and his strong condemnation of a recent instance of honour killing in Udumalpet where a Dalit youth Sankar was done to death for marrying an upper caste girl, the MDMK leader suddenly withdrew from the poll fray, citing an alleged game-plan by the DMK to foment Vaiko-centirc caste clashes.
Knowingly or unknowingly, a raw nerve had been touched, though Vaiko had contested several elections from that region in the past. He even emphatically went on record that he was above all castes and how he deeply respected the late leader of the Forward Bloc, Pasumponn Muthuramalinga Thevar. But its electoral implications for the PWA turned out to be even weightier.
From being a big bang leader of PWA, Vaiko backing out of the Kovilpatti race donning a self-effacing cap, made the front suddenly look like Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark.
This dramatic development is seen in political circles as Vijayakanths, Vasans and the Left parties leveraging power with the voters taking a hit. And first ground reactions also bear this out.
No free rides for Captain in Ulundurpet part of the OBC Vanniyars belt in North Tamil Nadu from where Vijayakanth is contesting this time, says S.K. Chandrasekharan, AIADMKs Villupuram district treasurer.
People will not be deceived this time as Vijayakanth hardly did anything either for Virudhachalam or Rishivandhiyam, from where he had contested successfully in 2006 and 2011 Assembly elections respectively, he says.
As the actor instinctively rewired his leadership role, hopping from one constituency to another, Chandrasekharan is almost certain that voters will not be taken in this time.
But a new small gainer from the rewiring this time could be Thirumavalavan, whose VCK cadres are striking a better rapport with the actors fans in parts of the Vanniyar belt, like in Panruti, Cuddalore, Kattumannarkovil, and Kurunjipadi than the VCK-PMK combination in the 2011 Assembly election, said a cross-section of voters from those places to whom DC spoke to.
While this puts pressure on the way the PMKs youth wing leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss has redefined his leadership profile in this election, bulk of the Vanniyar belt looks to be heading for basically a triangular contest between the AIADMK, DMK and the PMK.
The DMK has not been insulated from these leadership swirls either, an unusual feature of the 2016 Assembly elections, wherein campaigns seem to be making the leaders, rather than one strong leader calling the shots and giving a direction to the poll campaign.
The image makeover of the DMKs youth wing leader and party treasurer, MK Stalin, since his Namakku Naame tour since September last year, has clearly projected him as the future hope of the DMK.
Still, Stalin has to swim against the current as the veteran DMK patriarch,
93-year-old Muthuvel Karunanidhi, has dispelled the double SIM syndrome in the DMKs leadership by unambiguously asserting that he will be the Chief Minister again if the DMK is voted to power.
And from scripting historical and reformist stories that assiduously mixed socialist ideals with the rationalist approach of the Dravidian movement in his early days, to now penning the screenplay for a television serial on the revolutionary Vaishnavite saint Sri Ramanuja, it is a sea change over the decades that has marked Karunanidhis leadership evolution itself.
Dehradun: Deposed Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Saturday asked Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul to take cognisance of a sting operation video against him, claiming it carries enough evidence to prove there was a "criminal conspiracy" by BJP and Congress "backstabbers" to topple an elected government.
Rawat said he has been ready for any probe from day one as he knows he is innocent but the "so-called sting CD should be investigated in entirety and not in bits and pieces."
The CBI has initiated its preliminary investigations into the sting operation in which Rawat was purportedly seen talking to middlemen in a bid to strike a deal with rebel Congress MLAs.
The agency questioned the journalist allegedly involved in the sting operation at its headquarters in New Delhi on Friday as part of its preliminary enquiry.
Alleging that the reputation of the journalist who made the CD has always been under suspicion, Rawat said a close analysis of the content of the CD in totality puts it beyond doubt that there was a "criminal conspiracy jointly hatched by BJP and Congress backstabbers" to topple an elected government in Uttarakhand.
Reading out transcripts of the CD as it appeared on social media at a press conference here, Rawat said names of Vijay Bahuguna, Saket Bahuguna and Kailash Vijayvargiya had been mentioned in the CD as people involved in the plot to throw him out of power.
Questioning the antecedents of the journalist who had made the CD, Rawat alleged dozens of cases had been lodged against him during the tenure of a former BJP chief minister on the basis of which a red corner notice had also been issued against him.
"Why doesn't the BJP show the courage of instituting a probe against the man who made the CD. His reputation has always been under a cloud of suspicion," he said.
Claiming that he was innocent, he said the CD was made to "malign him - a fact corroborated by its timing exactly six months before the state was to go to polls."
However, he said he was ready for any probe and will cooperate with any impartial inquiry into the sting CD.
Xiaomi is all set to launch the new Mi Max (possibly with the debutant Rifle chipset), the Mi Band 2, the Smart watch and the next version of the operating system MIUI 8 on May 10.
It does not come in as a surprise that Xiaomi is planning to introduce its own chipset. The tech giant from China is receiving a fair amount of funding and making sufficient profits to rub shoulders with top brands such as Apple and Samsung. Xiaomi has been known as the budget smartphone manufacturer that makes many low-cost smartphone seekers happy with premium hardware. Now, Xiaomi could shake up the mobile industry with their own chipset to alter the smartphone pricing around the world.
Xiaomi is all set to announce its own chipset for smartphones, tablets and smartwatches. The chipset is presently dubbed as Rifle and is based on the British maker ARMs architecture. The new processor is said to be launched in May and the first Rifle-based handset could be the Mi Max.
The company is developing its own mobile APU (Application processor unit) in a possibility to make its products cheaper and have their own eco-system in place. According to the Korean Times, the Xiaomi APUs will be manufactured with licensing from ARM, a British-based intellectual property firm. Developing their own APUs could give Xiaomi the upper hand in altering the pricing for the products they use it in. This could mean a possible threat for chipset giants such as Qualcomm, MediaTek, Intel and Samsung, who are one of the top chipset giants at present.
The new chipset, if successful, will make its way into many devices and gadgets that Xiaomi plans to release henceforth. The chipset could benefit Xiaomi hugely by being implemented into their smart devices, such as the smartphones, tablets, the upcoming smartwatch, the televisions and other smart appliances.
Xiaomi is all set to launch the new Mi Max (possibly with the debutante Rifle chipset), the Mi Band 2, the Smart watch and the next version of the operating system MIUI 8 on May 10. The event will be held at the National conventional Centre in Beijing, China.
Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Bogota: Colombian police on Sunday announced the capture of an alleged dangerous drug lord described as Peru's most-wanted criminal.
Gerson Galvez, or alias "Caracol," was arrested Saturday at a Medellin shopping center and expelled to Peru less than 24 hours later because he lacked migration papers, authorities said.
Peruvian officials said Galvez was first spotted in March in Ecuador and his movements had been tracked since then in Panama and Colombia. The final phase of the joint investigation took place Friday when the head of Colombia's police, Gen. Jorge Nieto, returned from a law enforcement conference in Peru in which he obtained new leads about the 34-year-old's whereabouts.
Alleged Peruvian drug trafficker Gerson Galvez shouts at the press as he is escorted by police officers into a Peruvian Air Force plane. (Photo: AP)
Dubbed by Peruvian media as the new "El Chapo," in reference to Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, Galvez is wanted in connection with 101 slayings in Peru, where he is also alleged to have managed large shipments of cocaine from the nation*s main seaport in Callao.
Galvez is considered highly violent, the reason why the head of Peru's police, Gen. Vicente Romero, came personally to Bogota to oversee his deportation. Peruvian authorities had been offering a $150,000 reward for information leading to his arrest - the largest bounty offered against any Peruvian criminal.
Among his many alleged crimes is the 2015 attempted murder of a rival who was attacked while driving by a curtain of gunfire and two grenades. He is also believed to have threatened prosecutors and used his Barrio Kings gang to extort businesses in Callao.
"I have the right to be presumed innocent," Galvez shouted to journalists as he was handed over to Peruvian authorities in handcuffs and wearing a bulletproof vest.
It was not clear what he was doing in Medellin, but authorities said he might have been trying to meet with partners in the Office of Envigado crime syndicate or to arrange a furtive visit with his Venezuelan girlfriend. Colombian police said he owned a luxury apartment in the city*s upscale El Poblado neighborhood.
The US government says Peru is the world's largest producer of cocaine.
Trump, the GOP front-runner, has pledged to deport the estimated 11 million people living in the US illegally. (Photo: AP)
Miami: On a recent Saturday morning in South Florida, 50-year-old Edgar Ospina stood in a long line of immigrants to take the first step to become an American.
Ospina has spent almost half his life in the U.S. after emigrating from his native Colombia, becoming eligible for citizenship in 1990. But with Donald Trump becoming a more likely presidential nominee by the day, Ospina decided to wait no more, rushing the paperwork required to become a citizen.
"Trump is dividing us as a country," said Ospina, owner of a small flooring and kitchen remodeling company. "He's so negative about immigrants. We've got to speak up."
Nationwide, immigrants like Ospina are among tens of thousands applying for naturalization in a year when immigration has taken center stage in the presidential campaign, especially in the race for the Republican nomination.
Trump, the GOP front-runner, has pledged to deport the estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally. He's also vowed to bar Muslims from entering the country and threatened to cut off remittances that Mexican immigrants in the U.S. send back home. And he's called for building a border wall - among other proposals to deal with unlawful immigration, saying the federal government has failed to protect the border from people and drugs illegally entering the country.
That rhetoric, immigrant advocates and lawmakers say, is driving many foreign-born residents to seek citizenship.
"There is fear of a Trump presidency," said Maria Ponce of iAmerica Action, a Washington-based immigrant rights group that is teaming up with other organizations to help those seeking citizenship - part of a national campaign called "Stand Up To Hate." They've sponsored naturalization workshops from Washington state to Nebraska and Massachusetts.
Nationwide, naturalization applications are up 14 percent in the last six months of 2015 compared with the same period in 2014, according to the government.
And the pool of future U.S. citizens is large. Nearly 9 million legal permanent residents, or green-card holders, are eligible to become Americans. Of those, about 4 million are Hispanic.
Rep. Luis Gutirrez, D-Ill., was featured in a public service announcement encouraging immigrants to become citizens so they can vote in November. He mocked Trump's slogan, suggesting it was really: "Make America Hate Again."
"We've seen it in the past and we are seeing it again many times over this year," he said. "When immigrant communities feel they are under attack they react with a large number of eligible immigrants becoming citizens and a large number of eligible citizens becoming voters."
Erica Bernal of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials said the tenor of the presidential campaign is galvanizing Latino immigrants. She said today's movement is reminiscent of the 1990s when Latinos in California rose up against Proposition 187, which sought to deny government services to those in the state illegally. The courts overturned it.
Her group and several local ones in Los Angeles recently launched a regional campaign to encourage Latino immigrants to become citizens. About 775,000 legal immigrants in the L.A. area are eligible for citizenship.
To qualify, immigrants must have been in the country five years, complete a 21-page application, get fingerprinted, pass a civics and English exam and pay almost $700 in fees.
Ivan Parro, citizenship coordinator with the Florida Immigrant Coalition said immigrants laugh when he asks why they want to become Americans.
"'You know why,' they say, 'I want to vote against racism and hate,' " said Parro.
He says immigrants this year are "desperate to be part of the political process."
Maria Cristina Giraldo, originally from Colombia and already a U.S. citizen, said she is so fearful of Trump becoming president that she brought five relatives to a naturalization workshop in South Florida.
"Trump is anti-immigrant," said Giraldo, who works cleaning houses. "I don't know if it's because he's such a brute in his speeches or that he isn't careful in what he's saying, but he's very nasty toward Hispanics."
Her sister, Gladys Ceballos of Hollywood, Florida, agreed. She's trying for the second time to become a citizen after failing to pass the English exam. She says she's not fearful of Trump, but she doesn't trust him.
John Haughton, 66, a Jamaican immigrant, said: "Trump is a man who would say one thing today and may modify his views tomorrow."
"I want my voice heard," said Haughton, a legal permanent resident since 2008.
Seung Baik, 43, who was born in South Korea and brought to the U.S. as a teenager, said he too believes Trump is too divisive.
"It took me a little longer to become a citizen because I didn't want to apply and treat this as a membership to something, like joining a club," said Baik, a church pastor. "The world and this nation are changing, and my vote matters."
Baik said he won't be registering as a Democrat or Republican but remains independent. He's undecided about whom he will vote for in his first presidential election as a U.S. citizen, but "it won't be Donald Trump."
Indonesian sailors, who were taken hostage by Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants in the Philippines, get off a plane upon their arrival at Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase in Jakarta. (Photo: AFP)
Jakarta: An Indonesian sailor told on Monday how Philippine Islamic militants threatened to slit his throat during a terrifying kidnap ordeal, a day after he and nine other crew members were released.
The sailors were freed Sunday in the strife-torn southern Philippines after more than a month in the hands of Abu Sayyaf militants, and flew back to Jakarta.
The Indonesians were among about 20 foreigners abducted in a recent Abu Sayyaf kidnapping spree, and their release came just days after the militants beheaded a Canadian hostage.
The sailors, who were taken hostage in late March from a tugboat transporting a coal barge, were reunited with their families Monday after doctors confirmed they were in good health.
Crew member Julian Philip described how they were taken hostage by eight militants disguised in Philippine police uniforms, who boarded the tug from speedboats and tied up the sailors.
The barge was then abandoned, and the Indonesians were taken to an island and divided into two groups. They were moved every few days to avoid the military, which has launched an assault against Abu Sayyaf.
"We were all stressed out because they frequently threatened to slit our throats," he told reporters after the 10 were reunited with their families at the foreign ministry.
However, Philip added the militants did not harm them and he thought that in reality "they did not want any of us to die as they would not get any money".
Questions over ransom
He said he did not know whether a ransom was paid for their release.
"We were just put in a car and sent on our way and told to look for the governor's house," he said.
The sailors turned up at the house of a local governor on Jolo, a mountainous and jungle-clad island in the far south of the Philippines that is an Abu Sayyaf stronghold.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Monday the release had been a "long process as the situation on the ground was very volatile, with a high degree of complexity".
But she dodged questions about whether a ransom had been paid. The Abu Sayyaf does not normally free hostages unless ransom demands are met.
The militants had demanded $21 million for the release of Canadian John Ridsdel, whose severed head was found on a street in Jolo.
There were emotional scenes at the ministry as the sailors were reunited with their families, with Youla Lasut, one of the men's wives, giving tearful thanks.
"On behalf of my family I would like to thank the foreign minister and the company for their help in releasing my husbands and his friends," she said.
Authorities say the Abu Sayyaf is still holding at least 11 foreign hostages -- four sailors from Indonesia and four others from Malaysia, a Canadian tourist, a Norwegian resort owner and a Dutch birdwatcher.
Abu Sayyaf is a radical offshoot of a Muslim separatist insurgency in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines. Its leaders have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, but analysts say they are more focused on kidnappings for ransom than setting up a caliphate.
Unverified online photographs showed a large plume of smoke rising above buildings in the area where the blast took place. (Photo: videograb)
Two suicide car bombs claimed by Islamic State killed at least 32 people and wounded 75 others in the centre of the southern Iraqi city of Samawa on Sunday, police and medics said.
The first blast was near a local government building and the second one about 60 metres (65 yards) away at a bus station, police sources said. The death toll was expected to keep rising.
Unverified online photographs showed a large plume of smoke rising above the buildings as well as burnt out cars and bodies on the ground at the site of one of the blasts, including several children. Police and firefighters carried victims on stretchers and in their arms.
Islamic State said it had attacked a gathering of special forces in Samawa, 230 km (140 miles) south of the capital, with one car bomb and then blew up the second when security forces responded to the site.
Islamic State holds positions mostly in Sunni areas of the country's north and west, far from the mainly Shi'ite southern provinces where Samawa is located. Such attacks are relatively rare.
The rise of the ultra-hardline Sunni insurgents has exacerbated Iraq's sectarian conflict, mostly between Shi'ites and Sunnis, which emerged after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
The quota-based governing system put in place by the United States at the time is being challenged by hundreds of protesters who camped out overnight in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone after storming the parliament building.
Dixit was arrested on April 22 on the charge of amassing property through illegal means in the capacity of chairman of Sajha Yatayat, a public transport corporation.
Kathmandu: Nepal's Supreme Court on Monday ordered the release of veteran journalist Kanak Mani Dixit, who was arrested by an anti-graft body for allegedly misappropriating a huge amount of money by misusing his public post.
The apex court nullified the Special Court's decision to send 60-year-old Dixit to a 10-day judicial custody. Dixit, who is also the Chairman of Sajha Yatayat - the public transportation bus system in Nepal which serves Kathmandu Valley, was produced before the Supreme Court today.
Responding to a habeas corpus writ filed by his wife Shanta Dixit, the court had earlier directed the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to produce him before it.
Shanta had registered the petition at the apex court claiming that Dixit's arrest was illegal. She had named the CIAA and the Special Court as defendants.
Dixit was arrested on April 22 on the charge of amassing property through illegal means in the capacity of chairman of Sajha Yatayat, a public transport corporation.
He was admitted next day to the ICU of a hospital after he complained of high blood pressure.
The Special Court had remanded him to a 10-day judicial custody effective from Friday. Dixit, the publisher of Himal and Nepali Times magazines, is considered well-disposed towards India and also writes for leading India media outlets.
He is accused of selling the organisational property as own inheritance and investing the income in other corporations. He has also been alleged to have procured a house and land in his name in the US. The total amount of alleged embezzlement was not known.
One of the persistent tragedies of Android, Googles globe-conquering mobile operating system, is that it continues to be better in theory than in reality.
The search company has spent more than a decade perfecting its software, and in the abstract, Android is now just as pristinely well-conceived as Apples iOS. But almost nobody buys Googles idealised version of Android; instead, most people buy a version that has been chewed up and predigested through the phone-maker-carrier supply chain, an intestinal pathway that never fails to transform good software into heaps of steaming code. For Android phones, this usually means loads of terrible, unnecessary apps installed by carriers and by the phone manufacturer itself.
Thats why I was puzzled recently when the European Union opened a strange new front in its antitrust inquiry against Google. Contrary to what you might have concluded from looking at your phone, the regulators argue that Androids problem isnt too many preloaded apps its too few, and its all Googles fault.
Based on our investigation thus far, we believe that Googles behaviour denies consumers a wider choice of mobile apps and services and stands in the way of innovation by other players, in breach of EU antitrust rules, Margrethe Vestager, the European commissioner for competition, said in a statement.
The charges make sense in the abstract. Google makes the worlds most popular mobile operating system, and some of its licenses do compel phone makers to include several Google apps, even if they just want to include the Google Play app store. On paper, that may constitute unfair bundling, one of the sins that did in Microsoft at its apex in the late 1990s.
Yet the European charges miss the messy reality of life on Android, which is clear to anyone who studies the mobile software business: Android phones come teeming with non-Google apps, often to the point of frustration for users. The search company appears powerless to keep many of them off peoples devices, even when doing so might help its business.
Theres no better evidence for this than the meteoric rise of Facebook, Googles archrival, which announced another blowout earnings report Wednesday with much of its revenue coming from ads on Android phones. Facebooks numbers show the primary weakness in the European Unions case: If Googles grand plan really is to keep rivals off Android phones, it sure is doing a poor job of it.
Representatives for the European Commission and for Google declined to comment for this column, citing the current regulatory process. In a statement responding to the EUs statement of objections, Kent Walker, Googles general counsel, said the company would aim to show regulators that Android has been good for competition and for consumers.
Harry First, a law professor at New York University who studies antitrust issues, says the key difficulty for regulators in this case is that the tech world has changed radically since the Microsoft antitrust case. Back then, Microsoft managed to outflank rivals like Netscape by bundling its Internet Explorer browser with its Windows operating system, and by using licenses and payments to prevent computer makers from installing competing browsers.
In the Microsoft era people were unfamiliar with downloading, and nothing was as effective as getting the browser installed by the OEMs, he said, referring to the original equipment makers, or computer manufacturers.
But now, Id be surprised if people arent fully at ease with downloading things from app stores, and people are familiar with having more than one app on their phone that does the same thing, he said.
Consider, for instance, the market for messaging apps. Google runs a messaging service called Hangouts that comes bundled with many Android phones. If you scoured the globe Im sure youd find people who regularly use and love Hangouts, just like you could find people who regularly listen to Nickelback.
But Hangouts is clearly no messaging juggernaut. In much of the world, that title belongs to two apps owned by Facebook Messenger, which has 800 million active users a month, and WhatsApp, which has more than 1 billion. (Google has never disclosed Hangouts user base; analysts I spoke to estimated that its share of the messaging market was in the single digits.)
Then theres the popularity of the main Facebook app. As its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, has acknowledged, the company was late to realise the importance of mobile phones; for years, its smartphone app was a slow, kludgy mess, and until just a few years ago it had no mobile revenue to speak of. Google, meanwhile, bundled its own social network, Google Plus, with Android phones.
So if you were looking at the market a few years ago through the eyes of an EU antitrust regulator, you might have anticipated some trouble for Facebook on Android phones, and you might even have ventured that Google Plus would become a hit. After all, here was a small, late-moving upstart pitted against a bundle-friendly giant that owned the operating system.
Of course, thats not how things turned out. Google Plus is now all but dead. And Facebook did not just survive the shift to mobile phones, it became the unstoppable force in the industry.
Facebook now derives the vast majority of its revenue from mobile ads. Its sales are growing at a breathtaking clip. People now spend more time on the Facebook app than doing anything else on our phones. Facebooks embedded web browser which opens if you click a web link from within the Facebook app is now used to access nearly as many web pages as the included web browsers on Android and iOS, according to a report by research firm ScientiaMobile.
How did Facebook get so popular on phones? On the whole, it happened the old-fashioned way: People loved Facebook, they had no trouble finding it in mobile app stores, and they began to download and use it. In other words, unlike in the desktop era ruled by Microsoft, Googles platform dominance on mobile phones does not appear to have posed any hindrance to a competitors rise.
The EUs objections go beyond the supposed restrictions that Google places on Androids app ecosystem. Another key charge involves Googles dominance in web search. Regulators say Google ensures that it remains Androids dominant search engine both by requiring phone makers to install the Chrome browser on their phones and, in some instances, by paying manufacturers to position the Google Search app on the phones home screen.
First, the law professor, said the search issue isnt as clear-cut as the question of whether Google has restricted rival apps. But he noted that the general flexibility of Android the fact that, in general, Google makes it pretty easy for device makers and users to tinker with the software cuts in Googles favour.
I have this new Samsung Galaxy S5 that I havent used before, so I thought lets see what happens if I try to install DuckDuckGo, he said, referring to the privacy-focused search engine. So I downloaded it, that was easy to do. And the first time that I searched for something I got a prompt that said, Which one do you want to use and do you want to use it just once or always?'
First said the interaction was noteworthy: Android easily let him download a rival to Googles offering, and it even asked him if he wanted to set the rival as a default.
Its hard to see how the commission could do better than that, he said.
Four people have been arrested on Monday, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said when asked whether the Uttarakhand forest fire was man-made.
The minister assured strict action against the people involved after the investigation, according to reports.
The latest satellite imageries of Uttarakhand have reported that the forest fire has gone out in over 70 per cent of the affected areas, even as the NDRF has deployed over 130 personnel to tackle the massive blaze.
"We have been informed that fresh images from satellite has shown that the effective area under fire in Uttarakhand has come down to 110-115 locations from the earlier about 427.
"It is expected that these figures will be brought down to 50-60 in the next few days by the combined forces fighting to douse the jungle fire," NDRF Director General O P Singh told PTI.
He said the images from the sky were taken on April 29-30 and this has now given hope to all the agencies combating the fire that it will be contained soon.
The Director General said the NDRF men are also working to save animals who could have been trapped in the blazing fire.
A squad of over 135 personnel of this special force are deployed in Uttarakhand as part of multiple firefighting teams to combat the raging fire in the jungles of Uttarakhand that have destroyed about 2,269 hectares of jungles in several districts and claimed at least seven lives till now.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have spread out in 13 affected areas of three districts of Pauri Garhwal, Almora and Chamoli with fire fighting equipment to tackle the massive blaze.
"Our teams are working in 13 sectors in coordination with the officials and personnel of the state fire and forest department. The teams have been instructed to adopt the conventional method of cutting the fire line and containing the fire.
"We are using fire beaters and green bushes to cut the fire from spreading. About 135 personnel as part of multiple teams are working in Uttarakhand at present," Singh said.
He said in Chamoli the NDRF is working in Pakhi and Gopeshwar areas, while in Almora the teams are working in areas like Binsar, Someshwar, Bikisen, Siplakhet and Dhauladevi.
Each team is covering an area of 8-10 sq km, he said, adding, additional NDRF teams have been kept on standby at its camp in Ghaziabad.
The force also saved a house from getting engulfed in the fire in the hilly jungle area of Mehlchori in Pauri district in which a family of four members lived.
Singh said he is in constant touch with his team leaders working in the state.
Equities started the week on a dull note with the market benchmark Sensex tumbling to a three-week low today as a plunge in Tokyo and disappointing domestic corporate earnings along with a fall in manufacturing sector activity rattled investors.
In contrast, broader markets were in a better shape with the mid-cap and small-cap indices closing higher by 1.10 per cent and 0.39 per cent, respectively.
Falling for a second straight session, ICICI Bank emerged as the top Sensex loser, skidding 4.08 per cent to close at Rs 226.95 as the company posted its worst numbers in over a decade with net profit plunging 87 per cent in March quarter.
Investor sentiment was badly hit following heavy losses in Japanese shares, dragging the Nikkei down by 3.11 per cent, as exporters took a major hit from surging yen after BOJ took investors by surprise by deciding against fresh stimulus.
Markets in China, Hong Kong, Malaysian, Singapore and Thailand remained closed for public holidays.
Housing finance major HDFC Ltd, however, perked up by 0.36 per cent on 30.76 per cent surge in consolidated net profit to Rs 3,460.46 crore for the March quarter.
"Value buying efforts were capped by India's PMI figures released during the day, which showed manufacturing activity slowed sharply in April," Anand James Chief Market Strategist Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services.
A monthly survey showed that manufacturing output grew at its slowest pace in four months in April as new orders stagnated and input costs rose sharply.
The 30-share index stayed in the negative zone throughout the day and settled 169.65 points or 0.66 per cent lower at 25,436.97 after touching a low of 25,341.14. This is the weakest closing since April 12.
The broader Nifty also succumbed to selling and slipped below the 7,800-mark in early trade to hit a low of 7,777.30 before recovering partially to close 43.90 points or 0.56 per cent down at 7,805.90.
On the other side of the spectrum, the country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki ended 0.91 per cent up at Rs 3,829.55 after it posted a 13.3 per cent growth in sales in April.
Shares of IndiGo's parent InterGlobe Aviation plunged 4.51 per cent to close at Rs 1,023.80 after its net profit remained flat at Rs 579.31 crore in the three months ended March.
In Europe, most indices rose as a sharp decline in the previous session prompted investors to look for bargains. Key indices in France and Germany rose between 0.49 per cent and 1.06 per cent. Back home, out of the 30-share Sensex, 18 scrips ended lower.
Major losers were, ICICI Bank (4.08 pc), Dr Reddy's (2.66 pc), Adani Ports (1.93 pc), Bharti Airtel (1.64 pc), HDFC Bank (1.37 pc), SBI (1.35 pc), ITC (1.20 pc), Tata Steel (1.07 pc), Wipro (0.98 pc) and Infosys (0.84 pc).
However, BHEL rose by 1.91 per cent followed by GAIL (1.89 pc) Hero MotoCorp (0.99 pc) and Maruti (0.91 pc).
Among BSE sectoral and industry indices, banking fell by 1.34 per cent, teck 0.65 per cent, IT 0.65 per cent, realty 0.59 percent, finance 0.49 per cent and industrials 0.16 per cent.
While, consumer durables rose 1.07 per cent, metal 1.02 per cent and energy 0.26 per cent. The market breadth was negative as 1,327 shares ended lower, 1,283 closed higher while, 118 ruled steady. The total turnover fell to Rs 2,425.66 crore from Rs 2,817.96 crore on Friday.
Citing news reports revealing Prime Minister Narendra Modis post-graduate academic record in the Gujarat University, the Delhi BJP on Sunday slammed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for attempts to raise doubts over Modis degrees.
Kejriwal last week angered the saffron brigade by pointing to a news reports clipping which said that Modi did not hold any academic degree.
Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay slammed Kejriwal saying that the RTI query on Modi has exposed that Kejriwals politics is only to mislead the people.
The BJP has now dared Kejriwal to act against two of his party MLAs whose academic documents were alleged to be forged.
Pointing to the Modi controversy, Upadhyay said, in order to cover up his shortcomings Kejriwal does not hesitate in questioning the dignity of any constitutional authority or any constitutional position.
Upadhyay said Kejriwal should apologise for creating meaningless controversy on the degrees of the Prime Minister.
The people of the country are quite satisfied with the educational qualification of our Prime Minister but they want to know from Kejriwal what action he has taken against his former minister Jitender Singh Tomar, facing allegations of forging degrees, and MLA Surrender Singh who was also involved in an alleged controversy over his degree.
Last week, Kerjriwal wrote to the Chief Information Commission giving a go-ahead to the idea of making public his academic details but wondered why the transparency commission had imposed a bar on revealing similar details of Modi.
Earlier in his letter addressed to Information Commissioner Madabhushanam Sridhar Acharyulu, Kejriwal frowned over the double standards of the transparency commission over making public his and Modis academic details.
Attaching a clipping of a news report, the AAP leader said there are allegations that Modi did not hold any academic degree.
In such a situation, the people want to know the truth. Still, you are hesitant in making public information related to him public, wrote Kejriwal in Hindi.
He expressed surprise that the Information Commission was keen to share his details but not so interested in the case of Modi. Such a stand would raise doubts among people over the Commissions impartiality. While approving release of information related to me, also show the courage to make public the academic details of Modi, wrote Kejriwal.
The BJP on Sunday also slammed Kejriwal for raising the controversial issue of public debate over Delhis full statehood to divert attention from his own failures.
The leader of opposition in Assembly Vijender Gupta said the statehood debate has been reignited by Kejriwal government for hiding failure of second phase of odd-even scheme and its continuing tussle with the Centre. If Delhi government was serious about statehood of Delhi, it would approach Centre with a formal proposal because the chief minister knows very well that it will require a change in the Constitution, he said.
Amid continuous threat to green belt from increasing commercial activities, the National Green Tribunal has directed South Delhi Municipal Corporation to finalise an action plan on preservation of trees in the stretch located along Mehrauli-Badarpur Highway in Saket area.
The DC of South Zone (SDMC) is directed to convene a meeting to prepare an action plan in consultation with the Residents Welfare Association concerned as well as the applicants and finalise action plan for maintenance of existing trees and planting of fresh trees and submit a report before the Tribunal within four weeks, a bench headed by Justice M S Nambiar said.
The green panel also directed the petitioners in the case to furnish the list of the details of Residents Welfare Association in the area to SDMC within three days to enable them to convene the meeting.
The directions came while hearing a plea of Tripta Sood and Vivek Pande who had sought directions to maintain status quo to protect the green belt, which is about 1.5-km-long and 13-m-wide, along the Mehrauli-Badarpur Highway in Saket from any change in land use and stoppage of tree felling and encroachment.
The matter is listed for next hearing on May 30. The tribunal had last year prohibited tree felling in the stretch after the two Saket residents moved NGT against increasing encroachment in the area.
The ruling AIADMK today "strongly protested" the manner in which transfers of many IAS and IPS officials were effected by the Election Commission in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, describing it as "an apparent knee jerk response to motivated petitions and representations" from DMK and Congress.
An AIADMK team led by M Thambidurai MP, also Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, today submitted a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi in Thiruvananthapuram, seeking ECI to revoke "the transfer orders, given that such a short period is left before the date of polling."
"We strongly protest the manner in which such large-scale transfers have been ordered by the Election Commission of India in an apparent knee jerk response to motivated petitions and representations from vested interests."
"We strongly urge the Election Commission of India to revoke the transfer orders, given that such a short period is left before the date of polling," it said.
Referring to the transfers and appointments of senior officials, including a DGP (Elections), it said that though there were no complaints on arrangements for conduct of polls in the state, the DGP who was in overall charge of the Police force, had been "divested" of all responsibilities relating to conduct of elections.
Such large-scale transfers ordered by EC in the run up to the polls were "unprecedented in Tamil Nadu," it said.
"It is shocking to note that such a large number of officers have been transferred, based only on the motivated petitions and representations received from DMK and Congress and without due enquiry into the basis of these allegations or a background check of the officers concerned," the party said.
The petition said it was "deplorable" that such transfers had been effected by the EC based on "motivated and false petitions submitted by persons who had occupied high positions as Cabinet Ministers in the previous UPA Government headed by the Congress, of which DMK was also a part."
"We wish to categorically point out that such large scale transfers in a state like Tamil Nadu, which is known for its strong and good governance, is counter productive to the peaceful and efficient conduct of polls," it said.
With barely two weeks left for polling, the newly posted officers would "hardly" have the time to effectively deal with poll-related activities and arrangements, especially on the law and order front, which, the party said, required detailed local knowledge and a grasp of recent developments in the area.
"Hence, the large-scale transfers ordered by the Election Commission solely based on the malicious petitions of opposition parties is administratively ill advised, disruptive of the smooth conduct of the election process, besides having an adverse impact on the morale of the official machinery," it said.
The state government was adhering to all EC guidelines on posting of officers to ensure free and fair polls, the party insisted, even as it objected to the "unprecedented" transfer of "non-poll" related official, MD of Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation (TACTV), J Kumaragurubaran.
"The sole purpose of the DMK and Congress seems to be to malign the AIADMK and give an impression that the officialdom is with the ruling party, while this is not so. Except throwing the names of officers, they have not cited a single instance where the officers have acted in a partisan manner," it said.
AIADMK recalled that DMK leaders had in the past too levelled allegations against EC and are doing so now also.
"The DMK-Congress combine has always adopted such pressure tactics. If officers are transferred on frivolous grounds merely to appease the DMK Congress combine, it is tantamount to yielding to their pressure tactics and gives a false impression amongst the voters regarding the AIADMK party and the Government headed by it," the petition said.
This was "blatantly unfair" and did not allow for "a free and fair play in the polls," the ruling party contended.
Many IAS and IPS officers in Tamil Nadu have been transferred on the EC's directives.
A French journalist infiltrated a cell of would-be jihadists, filming them with a hidden camera as they plotted an attack in the name of the Islamic State group, before they were arrested, he said.
The journalist, a Muslim using the pseudonym Said Ramzi, carried out the investigation for a documentary entitled "Allah's Soldiers" which gives an insight into the minds of young jihadists, and will be shown in France tonight.
Ramzi describes himself as a Muslim "of the same generation as the killers" who carried out the November 13 terror attacks which left 130 people dead in Paris.
"My goal was to understand what was going on inside their heads," he told AFP."One of the main lessons was that I never saw any Islam in this affair. No will to improve the world. Only lost, frustrated, suicidal, easily manipulated youths.
"They had the misfortune of being born in the era that the Islamic State exists. It is very sad. They are youngsters who are looking for something and that is what they found."
To make contact with the group, Ramzi said the first steps were easy, following and interacting with those preaching jihad on Facebook.
Then, he had to meet the person presented as the "emir" of the group of about a dozen youths, some of them born into Muslim families, and the others converts.This took place in Chateauroux, a town in the centre-west of France, at an outdoor activities centre that was deserted in winter.
The "emir" was a young French-Turkish citizen named Oussama, and on their first meeting he tries to convince the journalist he knows as Abu Hamza, that paradise awaits him if he carries out a suicide mission.
"Towards paradise, that is the path," Oussama says, a chilling smile on his face. "Come, brother, let's go to paradise, our women are waiting for us there, with angels as servants.
"You will have a palace, a winged horse of gold and rubies." During another meeting in front of a mosque in the Paris suburb of Stains, a member of the group points to an airplane approaching the nearby Bourget airport.
"With a little rocket-launcher, you can easily get one of them... you do something like that in the name of Dawla (Islamic State), and France will be traumatised for a century."
Some of the gang, like Oussama, try and reach the Islamic State group in Syria. He was arrested by Turkish police and handed back to France where he spent five months in jail before being released.
While he had to show his face at the local police station once a day under his release conditions, he stayed in touch with the group via encrypted messaging application Telegram to organise meetings at which plans to launch an attack took form.
In January 2015 two brothers attacked the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 people.
Holding of common entrance examination for medical courses from this year continues to draw objections from lawmakers with members in the Lok Sabha today raising the issue again and the government admitting that there are some "practical problems".
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu noted that the decision was taken by the Supreme Court and not the government. He said he will convey the concerns of members to the Health Minister who in turn will consult law officers.
K C Venugopal (Congress) called the decision "hasty and not practical" and said it has triggered much "confusion and apprehension" among parents.
He did not oppose the common entrance examination but said it should have been implemented from next year onward, noting that some states had already taken their exams.
The two-phases test, first on May 1 and second on July 24, is also "discriminatory" as questions asked in the first phase will not be asked in the next.
"It will create havoc," he said, asking the government to take necessary step to maintain status quo.
His party colleague Rajiv Satav also spoke on similar lines, saying the decision will affect 80 per cent of Maharashtra students. He asked the government to file a Special Leave Petition in the apex court.
Naidu objected to Venugopal blaming the government for the decision, saying the order had come from the Supreme Court. The government has asked the court to hear states as well, he said, adding he is not here to explain the order. "There are some practical problems, some heart-burning also," he said.
The issue was raised last week also when members of various parties had opposed holding of the first phase of common entrance test for MBBS and BDS on May 1 saying it gives little time to students. Some of them also demanded that states be given time till 2018 to adapt.
A UN arbitration tribunal has ruled in favour of an Italian marine, held in India on murder charges, by allowing him to return home pending the arbitration proceedings at the Hague.
Two Italian marines -- Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone -- are facing charges of murdering two fishermen in 2012 off the Kerala coast. Latorre is back in Italy after a stroke in 2014 while Girone is staying in Italian embassy in New Delhi. The two countries have agreed to arbitration by the UN Court.
Reports from Rome said the UN tribunal court has ruled that pending arbitration proceedings, Girone may be permitted to return home.
In a statement, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in New Delhi that the Arbitral Tribunal unanimously prescribed that India and Italy would approach the Supreme Court of India for relaxation of bail conditions of Girone.
He said the tribunal left it to the Supreme Court to fix the precise conditions of Girone's bail and noted that while the marine may return to Italy during the present arbitration, he would remain under the authority of India's apex court.
The tribunal's order is expected to be made public tomorrow. Sources in New Delhi denied reports that marine has been ordered to be freed, saying Italy was "misrepresenting" the order which actually affirms the Indian Supreme Court's authority over the matter.
"While remaining under the authority of the Supreme Court of India, he may return to Italy for the duration of the present arbitration. The Tribunal confirmed Italy's obligation to return him to India in case it was found that India had jurisdiction over him in respect of the incident.
"The Tribunal left it to the Supreme Court of India to fix the precise conditions of Sergeant Girone's bail. This could include him reporting to an authority in Italy designated by our Supreme Court, surrendering his passport to Italian authorities and not leaving Italy without the permission of our Supreme Court," Swarup said.
He said Italy will have to apprise the Supreme Court of his situation every three months.
"Let me also emphasise that the Tribunal placed on record undertakings given by Italy in regard to Girone's return to India. It noted that these undertakings constitute an obligation binding upon Italy under international law.
"It has also confirmed that Italy is under an obligation to return Sergeant Girone to India if the Tribunal finds that India has jurisdiction over him," the MEA spokesperson said.
Girone is one of the two Italian marines - on board ship 'Enrica Lexie' - accused by India of killing two of its fishermen. He has not been able to leave India, aside from a few brief permits, since the incident.
Swarup said the tribunal considered that provisional measures should not alter the situation where the Supreme Court of India exercises jurisdiction over Girone.
"Government is studying the order which was received today. It would, in due course, approach the Supreme Court for its directions on this matter.
"We believe that Government's consistent positions and key arguments in this particular case have been recognised by the Tribunal. The authority of the Supreme Court has been upheld. We remain confident that the issue of jurisdiction will be determined in our favour," the MEA spokesperson said.
Italy in March had asked the PCA judges to order India to release its detained marine Girone, saying otherwise he risks four more years in India without any charges being made which would amount to "grave violation of his human rights".
The PCA is hearing oral arguments by the two sides.
"Foreign Ministry informs that the arbitral tribunal set up in The Hague has anticipated today its decision that Girone Rifleman (be allowed to go) back in Italy until the end of the arbitration proceedings, initiated by the Government on June 26, 2015. The return of the conditions will be agreed between Italy and India," the Italian ministry said.
Last year, Italy had sought international arbitration in the case under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Arbitral Tribunal was requested by Italy to prescribe provisional measures for the duration of the arbitration which is expected to conclude in 2018.
The arbitration "could last at least three or four years" which means that Girone risks "being held in (New) Delhi, without any charges being made, for a total of seven-eight years", Italy's representative had told the court.
Meanwhile, Italian new agency ANSA quoted Italian Premier Matteo Renzi as saying that he was sending a message of "friendship and cooperation to the great people of India and to the Indian prime minister (Narendra Modi)" after the news that marine Salvatore Girone is to return to Italy. "We are always ready to cooperate," Renzi added in Florence, as per ANSA.
Outspoken Chinese tycoon Ren Zhiqiang has been slapped with one-year imprisonment for criticising President Xi Jinping's comments that the country's official media should show absolute loyalty to ruling Communist Party.
The Communist Party committee in Beijing's Xicheng district said in a notice today that Ren, who has been called "Chinas Donald Trumph", had been placed on probation for a year for seriously violating the party's political discipline, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
Ren, 65, was the former head of real estate firm Hua Yuan Property. In Chinese legal terminology probation meant short term incarceration.
Ren, also known as 'Cannon Ren' for his outspoken comments, had on several occasions made improper remarks through online platforms such as popular Chinese microblogging site Weibo, the notice said.
It, however, did not specify which of Ren's remarks were improper, the Post reported. The notice said Ren had repeatedly posted such comments online that violated the party's "four basic principles" as well as its policy and direction.
Ren who had 37 million followers in his Chinese social media account Weibo, which is akin to Twitter in China, said in his microblog account in February that the news outfits were funded by taxpayers' money, and so should serve the public, rather than the leadership.
His comments were directed at the remarks by Xi during his visit to official media outlets in February that all news media run by the party must speak for the partys will and protect its authority and unity.
In his comment on the social media, Ren said, "when does the people's government turn into the party's government? (Are the media) funded by party membership dues? Don't waste taxpayers' money on things that do not provide them with services."
Ren's Weibo account was subsequently shut down by China internet watchdog. An editorial on a news website affiliated with the Beijing municipal party committee accused him of spreading "anti-Communist Party" thoughts.
Ren's violation of party discipline could amount to challenging the one-party rule as the "four basic principle" stipulates that party members must adhere to the countrys socialist path, dictatorship of the proletariat, the partys leadership and the political thoughts of Marxism and Maoism, the Post said.
The penalty is the second most severe that can be dealt out to a party member for such an offence.
Ren's punishment came despite Xi's remarks on April 29 calling for greater tolerance of "well-intentioned" criticisms on the online by the intellectuals.
Donald Trump led by 15 points in latest polls for the Indiana primary, where rival Ted Cruz has mounted a last-ditch effort to stop the outspoken frontrunner from sewing up the Republican nomination, while the Democratic aspirants Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were nearly tied.
A win in the primary, scheduled for tomorrow, will bring as many as 57 delegates for Trump and put him in a commanding position, making it difficult for Cruz to pose any serious challenge to the real-estate tycoon before the July Republican convention.
The latest NBC-Wall Street Journal poll said that Trump has the support of 49 per cent likely voters and Cruz 34 per cent, followed by Ohio Governor John Kasich at 13 per cent.
Trump and Cruz are blitzing the crucial state. Trump has held a number of rallies there and has also blasted Cruz in TV ads as supporting "bad trade deals [that] have hurt Indiana."
The poll indicated a majority of Republican voters opposed a pact between Cruz and Kasich by 58 per cent to 34 per cent.
Republican voters said they disagreed with the decision by Cruz and Kasich to compete in different states in an attempt to deny Trump the first-ballot victory. As part of the deal, Kasich is not campaigning in Indiana.
"Indiana is an important state," Cruz said yesterday on NBC's 'Meet the Press.'
Trump, who has declared himself the "presumptive nominee", said the contest would end if he won the state. "I think it's over now, but it's over," Trump told Fox News.
"Cruz cannot win, he's got no highway, he's got nothing, he's way behind. I'm leading him by millions and millions of votes and I'm leading him by 400 or 500 delegates."
But Cruz, who is already eliminated from reaching 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination outright, said he would prevent Trump from a first-ballot victory. He desperately needs a victory in Indiana to attempt to clinch the nomination at the convention in Cleveland this summer.
"We are headed to a contested convention, and we're gonna win, and I'm not willing to concede this country," he said on NBC.
Among the Democrats, Clinton, with 50 per cent supporters, leads Sanders by 4 per cent. Sanders said yesterday his path to nomination is difficult, but not impossible.
Sanders has told his supporters he is not going anywhere and that he too is counting on a contested convention.
"Let me be very clear. It is virtually impossible for Secretary Clinton to reach the majority of convention delegates by June 14 with pledged delegates alone. In other words, the convention will be a contested contest," he said.
But Clinton already seems to be wooing Sanders supporters by releasing an ad that encourages Democrats to come together.
"America is stronger when we are all supporting one another," she has said in a campaign ad.
Karnataka State Mental Health Taskforce Chairman Dr Ashok Pai, on Sunday, said that superstition was a major hurdle for medical practitioners as the people were yet to develop a complete mindset to follow the advices of doctors.
Speaking at a symposium on a book authored by S P Yoganna Samagra Aarogyadarshana, organised by Institute of Development Studies, University of Mysore (UoM) and Kannada Sahitya Parishat, district unit at Rani Bahadur auditorium, here, Pai said, Anything that is developed unscientifically can not be accepted and the patients must follow guidance of doctors to stay healthy.
Pai suggested medical professionals to concentrate on literature and to publish articles as the doctors are the only professionals who can succinctly tell people about recent innovations in the realm.
After inaugurating the event, writer S R Vijayshankar said, Many doctors lacked communication and writing skills. If the medicos cultivate these habits, then they could contribute enormously to the world of literature.
Speaking on the occasion, film director Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar said that Bhutan was the only carbon-free nation in the world, achieved by practicing simple lifestyle.
Today, our (Indians) mantra should be simplicity for better and healthy nation, he said.
Writers Malali Vasanth Kumar, C P Krishna Kumar, K Venkatagirigowda and KSP district unit president Y D Rajanna were present on the occasion.
The Grauers gorilla, the worlds largest primate, has been a source of continual worry for conservationists for more than two decades. Long-standing conflict in the deep jungles of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo left experts with no choice but to guess at how that gorilla subspecies may be faring. Now, with tensions abating somewhat, researchers finally have an updated gorilla head count one that confirms their fears.
According to findings compiled by an international team of conservationists, Grauers gorilla populations have plummeted 77% over the last 20 years, with fewer than 3,800 of the animals remaining. We suspected that the Grauers gorilla had declined because of all the insecurity in the region, but no one had an idea of how much theyd declined by, said Andrew Plumptre, director of the Wildlife Conservation Societys (WCS) Albertine Rift Programme in Central and Eastern Africa. It turns out that the rate of collapse pushes this subspecies to the verge of extinction.
The conflicts impact
Grauers gorillas named after Rudolf Grauer, an Austrian explorer and zoologist who first recognised the apes as a separate subspecies resemble their close relative, the mountain gorilla, save for their longer limbs and shorter hair. Although Grauers and mountain gorilla populations were once connected, years of isolation have left them genetically distinct enough to warrant separate designations as eastern gorilla subspecies. In 1994, the Wildlife Conservation Society conducted surveys in and around Kahuzi-Biega National Park, in what was then eastern Zaire.
Researchers estimated that 17,000 Grauers gorillas remained. But the Rwandan genocide that year led to the gorillas precipitous decline.
An estimated 8,00,000 Rwandans were killed over a 3-month period, while hundreds of thousands more fled to neighbouring Zaire. Some of those refugees formed militias such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, and the forest served as their stronghold and hide-out. Instability soon spread, leading to the overthrow of President Mobutu Sese Seko and civil war in the newly formed Democratic Republic of Congo. From 1996 to 2003, that conflict cost the lives of an estimated 5 million people, and also brought the formation of more armed groups, 69 of which continue to operate in the eastern part of the country. Bushmeat feeds many of them, and gorillas, which can weigh up to 400 pounds, prove easy and worthwhile targets. To finance their efforts, many armed groups have also set up artisanal mining sites, nearly all illegal.
Risky environments
The International Peace Information Service, an independent research institute based in Belgium, has documented more than 1,000 of these mines, and the Wildlife Conservation Society has counted at least 240 more within protected areas and proposed protected areas. The mines attract untold numbers of outside workers, who also need to eat. Although the fighting has ebbed somewhat over the last 5 years, the region today is by no means secure for people or for animals.
Eastern Congo is just tragic on every level imaginable, said Liz Williamson, a primatologist at the University of Stirling in Scotland. People there have been living through hell for 20 years. Those trying to protect the regions flora and fauna are equally at risk. The Wildlife Conservation Society estimates that 170 to 200 park rangers have been killed in eastern Congo since 1996. The government has been trying to go into some areas to disarm all these groups, but its not an easy job, Andrew said. In that large of a chunk of forest, finding people is difficult.
Despite the danger, over the last few years, field teams of local residents, park staff members and scientists have managed to undertake the most comprehensive survey of Grauers gorillas ever, covering 7,450 miles of their range. Statistical analyses allowed Andrew and his colleagues to estimate a total remaining population of fewer than 3,800.
All told, the researchers calculated a 77% decline in Grauers gorilla populations since 1994, although some sites were hit harder than others. In and around Kahuzi-Biega National Park, for example, there has been an 87% decline. Additionally, nearly 80% of the total losses took place over just one generation a rate 3 times higher than what is normally needed to officially declare an animal on the brink of extinction. Should this trend continue, most Grauers gorillas will be gone within the next 5 to 10 years, Andrew said.
New protected areas
Grauers gorillas are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but Andrew and his colleagues believe that their situation warrants immediate updating to critically endangered status. Liz submitted evidence this month supporting that change, and she expects approval by June. While killing gorillas is already illegal in the country, declaring the subspecies as critically endangered would probably bring more funding and support for saving it.
Protecting the entirety of the gorillass 7,700-square-mile territory would no doubt prove impossible, but Andrew and his colleagues are talking with the government and community leaders about establishing 2 new protected areas that would encompass 60% of the remaining gorillas habitat. I think people felt like this was a lost cause and not much could be done, Liz said. But now WCS is really pushing to get boots on the ground and create these new national parks, which would really make a difference.
Home Minister G Parameshwara has hinted at tough measures for strengthening policing in the city.
Bengaluru will see an important change in another 10 days regarding safety and security. I will soon share details about the development, he told reporters after a review meeting with senior police officers here on Monday. The minister said that murders, dacoities and chain-snatchings had come down in the city in the last few days. The police have arrested members of Bawaria and Irani gangs which were notorious for chain-snatchings. Around Rs 40 crore would be spent for purchasing more CCTV cameras.
Parameshwara said that he had directed the police to closely monitor the activities of 8,900 rowdies in the city. The police had also been told to speed up investigation and crack cases. It has been decided to prevent sale of drugs near schools and colleges. Action will also be taken against unauthorised spas, he said.
The minister said that 247 persons had been detained in connection with the violence during the recent stir by garment workers. Of the 656 foreigners staying illegally in the city, steps had been taken to deport 350, he added.
The state government would soon submit a report to the Centre on the acts of indiscipline of IPS officer Abhishekh Goyal during mid-career training, Parameshwara said.
The Home minister inaugurated the upgraded Dial 100 project before the review meeting. The upgraded system has 16 call takers and 4 dispatchers. It enables citizens to call 100 through different media - landlines, mobiles, messages, social media and e-mails.
A mild outbreak of gastroenteritis is being reported in localities where Karaga and Ramanavami festivals were celebrated last month.
The Epidemic Diseases Hospital (Isolation Hospital) has been seeing around 20 cases of gastroenteritis every day since the last week. While Ramanavami was celebrated two weeks ago, public distribution of butter milk and lemonade is still going on in some parts of the city. The beverages are also distributed during Karaga.
People tend to consume uncooked salad that are served in an unhygienic way. Sometimes, the water added to the juice and butter milk is contaminated. This leads to gastroenteritis, Dr Ansar Ahmed, medical superintendent, Isolation Hospital, told Deccan Herald.
Those complaining of diarrhoea and vomiting are being treated as outpatients while those with severe conditions are being hospitalised.
Since last week, we have been seeing close to 20 cases every day. Around seven patients need hospitalisation, he said. The number of gastroenteritis patients is, however, lesser than last year. The hospital saw around 150 cases in April last year.
Dr Veerana Gowda, head, Department of Internal Medicine, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, said that most of the patients were recovering in a day or two. There have been no cholera cases this time. We are expecting a spurt in gastroenteritis cases after summer rainfall, he said. With increased dust, upper respiratory infections are also going up, he added.
Syncopal attack
As the temperature rises, there are cases of travellers fainting This usually happens because of high temperature and dehydration, Dr Ahmed said.
Sebi has cancelled the registration of Deutsche Mutual Fund. The cancellation is due to the transfer of schemes of Deutsche Mutual Fund to DHFL Pramerica Mutual Fund.
Pursuant to the transfer of schemes of Deutsche Mutual Fund to DHFL Pramerica Mutual Fund and at the request of Deutsche Mutual Fund, Sebi, vide its letter dated May 2, 2016, has cancelled the certificate of registration of Deutsche Mutual Fund and has withdrawn the approval granted to Deutsche Asset Management, to act as the asset management company to the mutual fund, Sebi said.
Consequently, the Deutsche Mutual Fund, Deutsche Trustee Services and Deutsche Asset Management cannot carry out any activity as a mutual fund, trustee company and asset management company respectively, Sebi added.
Meanwhile, refusing to budge on its directive for mandatory disclosure of top-management salary by MFs, Sebi on Monday told them it is a non-negotiable requirement and investors must be provided date without any extra filters.
Work on upgrading the Hebbal flyover finally began after a year's delay. While the project is expected to ease commuting around north Bengaluru, it will pose temporary hiccups to commuters travelling towards KR Puram and Tumakuru Road because of diversions.
Bangalore Development Minister K J George on Monday laid the foundation to make Hebbal junction signal free. Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) will construct a uni-directional underpass for traffic from Tumakuru Road going towards KR Puram. BDA will dismantle the existing loop of the Hebbal flyover to KR Puram side and will connect this traffic to the loop connecting Tumakuru Road to the city and will construct a three-lane flyover parallel to Hebbal flyover from Nagawara side towards Esteem Mall. The total project cost is Rs 87 crore.
BDA engineers said traffic flow from the airport to the city will not be affected; traffic below the flyover will be diverted. Officials said no roads will be closed and work will go on in phases. But traffic movement will slow down because no pre-cast technology will be used.
Hebbal flyover was inaugurated in 2008 when the passenger car units was 5,000-6,000. When the airport opened by 2011-12, PCU was around 15,000 and by 2015-16, it touched 30,000.
George said nobody had expected the city and traffic to grow so fast and hence a change in the existing infrastructure was needed. Nobody had thought the temperature will touch 39 degree Celsius also. There is thus a need to restrict growth as far as possible. Planned real estate growth is not a problem, illegal constructions need to be curtailed, George said.
Agriculture Minister Krishna Byregowda urged George and BDA to complete the work within the stipulated time (two years). For the safety of pedestrians and commuters, he sought the construction of a pedestrian underpass. This long-pending demand was ignored yet again, he said.
MLC Y A Narayanswamy also sought a railway underpass to ease commuting.
A day before the BJPs protest rally against the property tax hike, the ruling Congress in the BBMP tried to turn the tables on its rival party, saying the guidance value-based classification of taxation zones was proposed when the BJPs D Venkatesh Murthy was the mayor in 2013.
Flaying the BJP for misleading the taxpayers, Mayor B N Manjunatha Reddy said the BJP had proposed a hike of 15% to 30% and later published the same in the gazette notification.
The BJP has no moral right to hold any protest. Everybody knows that the zonal classification based on the guidance value was proposed by the then mayor Venkatesh Murthy on Jan 11, 2013. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had criticised the Palike administration for not revising the tax every three years as mandated by the Karnataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) Act, he said.
The mayor said the situation was so grave that it warranted the deployment of marshals in the BBMP council. We were opposed to the deployment of marshals as we never wanted to send a message of lack of civility among the corporators but the way the BJP members in the Council behaved, it has become necessary to seek marshals for the BBMP.
The mayor said the BJP displayed utter disregard for him inside the Palike council on April 29 when some of its members pulled his gown and held his legs. He showed the pictures of the BJP corporators pulling his gown.
Former mayors of Bengaluru, K H N Simha, J Huchappa, M Ramachandrappa and P R Ramesh, who were present at the press conference, submitted a memorandum to the mayor, demanding stern action against four BJP corporators, including their leader Padmanabha Reddy. Tight security to foil BJP stir
A thick security blanket will be thrown around the BBMP head office in the wake of a large protest planned by the BJP against the exorbitant hike in property tax and revision of taxation zones. In this regard, senior police officers held a meeting on Monday evening with the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force chief T Suneel Kumar and other staff.
No upgrade yet for tax software
The BBMP is yet to upgrade its property tax collection software to limit the tax hike to 20% for residential buildings and 25% for commercial establishments, though Palike Commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad had stated that it would be operational by Monday.
M Shivaraju, chairperson of the taxation and finance committee, said the upgrade of the software was almost done but it would be ready for public use Thursday onwards. He said that in the last 24 hours, Rs 6.7 crore was collected as property tax though the software had not been upgraded. As of May 1, tax collection reached Rs 306 crore from 3.34 lakh property owners, he said.
The Hyderabad-Karnataka Region Development Board (HKRDB) has directed the departments of Energy,Transport and Higher Education to call for applications to fill vacant posts in the region, within the next 15 days.
HKRDB chairman and minister, Sharanprakash Patil, who held a meeting with the representatives from three departments, told reporters that as many as 30,000 posts were vacant in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. The Cabinet has already decided to fill up the posts within six to eight months. Patil said that appointments had been made to around 9,000 vacancies so far and the process was on for another 12,000 posts.
Karnataka has given two days time to eight deemed-to-be medical universities in the state to surrender 25% of their total seats to the government.
Minister of State for Medical Education, Sharanprakash Patil, on Monday held a meeting with the representatives of the varsities who were asked to pledge 25% seats to the government as per the norms.
Speaking to reporters, he said the varsities, which ran 9 colleges, were supposed to surrender a total of 407 seats to the government. However, the colleges had surrendered only 127 seats of the total 1,630 seats available for the 2015-16 academic year.
He said he was confident that the varsities would fall in line within the next two days Tuesday and Wednesday.
However, when asked why the government was finding it difficult to convince the varsities, many of which were run by politicians, especially Congress leaders, Patil said, No matter who owns these colleges, I have ensured that they are all brought under the ambit of the law. But they (varsities) challenged the government decision before the court and succeeded in getting a stay. We will fight it out in the court if they fail to obey.
Though a government order was issued in 2010 stipulating these varsities to surrender 25% of their total seats, none of them had done so. When the department began pursuing the matter seriously in 2014, the varsities moved the court contending that they came under the University Grants Commission and the state government cannot call the shots.
They had even argued that the government had not taken an undertaking about seat-sharing, when the colleges were set up. Both the Supreme Court and the High Court have ruled in favour of the varsities stating that the colleges have to surrender 25% of the enhanced seats every year.
Last year, the government brought an amendment to the Karnataka Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Determination of Fee) Act, 2006, introducing a clause mandating that 25% of the overall seats have to be surrendered. Else, the varsities are not entitled to conduct exams.
Undeterred, the varsities yet again moved the court and succeeded in obtaining a stay order.
Karnataka will be the first state in the country to provide panic buttons on its state transport buses for use by women in case of emergency.
The facility, which will be available on Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses plying in and around Bengaluru, is among many measures for womens safety that the corporation will take. The other features include closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) and GPS units, which will be installed on more than 2,000 buses to give passengers a sense on security while travelling on state-owned buses.
These initiatives will soon be a reality once the Centre releases funds to KSRTC under the Nirbhaya fund. KSRTC has sought Rs 61.32 crore for enhancing safety and security of women and girl children in buses, bus stands and also in KSRTCs workplaces.
KSRTC had sent a detailed, 21-page proposal to the Centre in the first week of April. The proposal includes demand for funds to provide facilities like exclusive lounges for women at bus stations.
KSRTC managing director Rajender Kumar Kataria said the panic button will alert the central control room in the satellite bus stand, which helps the control room staff alert the nearest police station for action.
The proposal copy said that around 13 lakh women work in and around the city and many of them travel within the radius of 60 kilometres everyday to garment units, malls, small scale industries, IT companies and even in the government sector. A KSRTC official said each bus will be fitted with three CCTV cameras which will help curb crime against women.
Women hail move
Panic buttons are a help for women, particularity when conductors or drivers try to abuse passengers when there are very few passengers in the bus. But its efficiency will be known once it is implemented, Nirmala, private company employee said.
Every week I travel to my native place Ramanagaram. The technology will give a secure feeling not only to me but also to my parents, Kruthika, a student said.
Known as the abode of peace and the seat of the famous Gaden Namgyal Lhatse, the largest Buddhist monestary in the country, the sleepy town of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh turned volatile on Monday when at least two protesters were killed in police firing.
The police took the drastic action to control a mob which was protesting against the arrest of a noted anti-mega dam activist and Buddhist monk Lama Lobsang Gyatso.
According to official sources, indefinite curfew has been clamped in Tawang and the army has been called in to conduct flag march.
Locals alleged that there is another dead body which the police have not disclosed.
There are unconfirmed reports that four people including a Buddhist Lama have been killed, sources from Tawang added.
Gyatso has been heading Save Mon Region Federation (SMRF), a group opposed to hydropower projects in Tawang region.
He was arrested on Thursday afternoon based on a complaint that he had defamed the Abbot of the Tawang Monastery, Guru Tulku Rinpoche, the spiritual head of the monastery by questioning his nationality through an audio clip.
Rinpoche had earlier advised the Buddhist lamas to stay away from anti-mega dam protests that have been on in the region since half a decade.
Tension stated building up recently after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) suspended the Environmental Clearance (EC) granted to 780 MW Nyamjang Chhu Hydroelectric Project, by Bhilwara Group in Zemithang on eco-sensitive stretch of Tawang River basin.
On Monday, thousands of Gyatsos supporters came to Tawang and demanded his release.
As a police convoy taking Gyatso was passing by, his supporters broke the police barricade, police sources added.
The police opened fire in which at least two person died, seven other received bullet injuries.
Gyasto was released on bail on Monday evening.
On April 1, supporters of local MLA Tsering Tashi took out a rally against Gyasto for his remark against Rinpoche.
A Zila Parishad member had even sent him a death threat.
Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalipho Pul directed for Peace Committees to be constituted immediately at various levels.
The CBI on Monday claimed that former Air Force chief S P Tyagi visited Italy after his retirement.
The agency is probing whether it is connected to the VVIP chopper deal. Agency sources said Tyagi, who appeared before the agency in AgustaWestland bribery scandal, facing allegations of taking bribes, visited Florence, Milan and Venice probably in 2008 or 2009 and investigations are on to ascertain who funded the trip, who accompanied him and who all he met.
Tyagi has been asked to appear again on Tuesday. Lawyer and middleman in the deal Gautam Khaitan has also been summoned besides Tyagi's cousins during the week. The CBI will look into Tyagis bank accounts and assets.
We are figuring out the purpose of SP Tyagi's visit to Italy after retirement," a senior CBI official said.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also summoned Tyagi on May 4 in connection with the money-laundering case emerging out of the FIR filed by CBI.
The summons to Tyagi came following the sentencing of two former top officials of Italy-based Finmeccanica, the mother company of UK-based AgustaWestland, on corruption charges. The judgment said that Tyagi along with others had taken bribes. CBI questioned Tyagi earlier in 2013.
Tyagi and 12 others, including his cousins Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep, were named in an FIR by CBI in 2013 on charges of cheating, corruption and criminal conspiracy.
It was claimed that Rs 360 crore was paid as bribe through a maze of companies, including Chandigarh-based Aeromatrix.
Investigators are ascertaining whether he met AgustaWestland officials around half-a-dozen times before he retired in 2007.
The first meeting was in 2004 when Tyagi was Air Force vice chief.
There were two in 2005, including one at Bengaluru airshow where the company had set up a stall.
Congress poll strategist Prashant Kishor is keen to project Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Vadra as the next Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, but the party hopes to see Rahul as party president this year.
Last month, Kishor had made a presentation to the Gandhi family and suggested that either Rahul or Priyanka be projected as the chief ministerial candidate, a proposal that was not readily accepted.
How do I know? You people keep running these stories, so you might me knowing, Rahul Gandhi was quoted as saying by ANI.
The Congress was dismissive of Kishors suggestions and made it clear that they expected Rahul to take over as party president some time this year.
I have no idea of what Prashant Kishor has said. Rahul Gandhi is an MP from Amethi. Rahul is the vice-president of the Congress and we expect Rahul to become president in 2016, Congress spokesman Jairam Ramesh said at the party briefing.
Asked about Priyankas projection as the chief ministerial face, Ramesh merely said: I have no knowledge about it.
Rahul cannot be the chief minister of 29 states, he shot back in reply to a question.
The Congress is expected to revamp its team in Uttar Pradesh and replace state unit chief Nirmal Khatri with a leader from the upper caste. The names of Sheila Dikshit and Amethi royal Sanjay Singh are doing the rounds. The revamp is expected to be announced after May 19, the day results of the elections to Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are to be announced.
A section of Congress leaders, particularly the veterans, have not taken kindly to the importance given to Kishor, who also holds an official position as an Adviser to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Earlier, Kishor had scripted the successful Lok Sabha campaign of Narendra Modi in 2014 and later helmed the election strategy for Kumar during last years Bihar elections.
These may be some stray thoughts of Kishor, a Congress leader replied wryly when asked about Rahul as chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh.
Cong posters portray Rahul as Singham
The ongoing poster war among political parties in Uttar Pradesh, where Assembly elections will be held early next year, intensified further with the Congress coming out with posters portraying Rahul Gandhi as Singham (the supercop character played by Ajay Devgn in the movie Singham), DHNS reports from Lucknow. Rahuls Singham posters, which appeared in Gorakhpur town, about 275 km from here, on Monday, showed him holding a stick in his hand and gesturing toward his rivals, including UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, state BJP president Keshav Prasad Maurya, BSP supremo Mayawati and AIMIM chief Asauddin Owaisi.
Forest fires raging through large parts of Uttarakhand began showing signs of abating as two IAF choppers and over 10,000 personnel continued firefighting operations for the second day on Monday.
The number of active fires dropped sharply to 40 in the hill state and the Centre claimed the situation was under control. Three persons were arrested from Pithoragarh and Nainital for burning dry leaves of Cheed and stoking the fires.
There are only 40 active fires in the state today in comparison to yesterdays 73 which is an encouraging sign. It shows the situation is gradually getting under control. Today there were 271 incidents of forest fires in the state out of which 232 have been extinguished, Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) S Ramaswamy said. Two IAF helicopters made 9 sorties from Nainital and Pauri and poured water out of Bamdi buckets over the flaming forests as 10,000 personnel fought numerous infernos on the ground.
Governor K K Paul spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister of Forest and Environment Prakash Javadekar and briefed them about the situation prevailing in the state where forests in 3,185.45 hectares have been blighted since February 2.
According to Raj Bhawan sources, the Prime Minister asked the Governor to keep the Centre posted about the steps being taken to put out forest fires and assured him of all help from the Centre to overcome the situation. President Pranab Mukherjee also shared his concern with the Governor and expressed his condolences to families which had lost their kin in forest fire incidents. Around 5-6 people were reportedly killed in such incidents over the past few days.
A four-member Central team of experts, including Special Director Centre for Fire Explosives K C Wadha and director of Delhi Fire Services G C Misra have reached Uttarakhand to assess the situation and suggest possible remedies.
In House
The government on Monday told the Lok Sabha that the forest fire in Uttarakhand was now under control.
After MPs expressed concern over the devastating forest fire in Uttarakhand, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the situation was brought under control.
The situation is now totally under control after three NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) teams were pressed into service along with the (Indian) Air Force with MI-17 helicopters, he told the House, adding that some expert teams were also sent to the area. Saugata Ray of the Trinamool Congress raised the issue in the Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour. The central government has deployed the NDRF, the Army and also the Air Force for helicopters to douse the fire. But in many places, the smoke is so dense that the helicopters cannot fly, Ray said.
Forest fires near school cause panic
Panic gripped Lawrence school, Sanawar near Kasauli, on Monday as fires raging in adjoining forests advanced towards the school and students ran helter skelter with columns of smoke descending on the school complex, PTI reports from Kasauli (HP). The fires were brought under control and no damage was caused to the 169-year-old residential school and the situation was normal, said R Chauhan, a senior teacher of the school. There was no cause for panic and all the students and the school complex is safe, he added.
With Cooch Behar in North Bengal going to polls, the Trinamool Congress has geared up for a tough battle ahead on May 5, the final phase of polling in Bengal.
Even as all the parties are putting in efforts, the Trinamool seems particularly focussed on wining maximum seats from the district, given this could be the last few seats the ruling party can pick up from the region.
While the Trinamool and the Opposition parties have all channelised their energy and resources on the district, all the parties have lined up their star campaigners to woo voters, with campaigning coming to end on Tuesday. Trinamool sources admit that the ruling party has the most at stake since Cooch Behar is the only North Bengal district where they can hope to pick up the most number of seats, unlike in the other six districts in the region. With her eyes on the goal, Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee addressed as many as six public meetings and rallies across Cooch Behar in last two days.
Gautam Deb, outgoing North Bengal development minister and Trinamools leader from the region, said Mamata will leave North Bengal for Kolkata only after the elections are over. Besides rallies at far-flung parts of the district, Mamata will be addressing public meetings at the two seats surrounding Cooch Behar town as well as at Dinhata. In Dinhata, the party hopes to fare well since it fielded sitting Forward Bloc MLA Udayan Guha, who defected to the Trinamool in 2015. The Trinamool has also roped in senior leader Mukul Roy and actor Dev to address rallies. Interestingly, while CPM state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra has already addressed a number of rallies in the district, the BJP brought in big guns like Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh to campaign in the area.
2 CID officers killed while defusing bombs
Two CID personnel were killed while defusing bombs in a village near Bangladesh border in the district on Monday, even as four persons were killed and four others were injured while making the bombs ahead of the last phase of polling on May 5 in the state, PTI reports from Malda.
Vishuddhananda Mishra and Subrata Chowdhury died while they were being rushed to Kolkata for further treatment after being seriously injured when two crude bombs went off as the CID bomb squad officials were trying to defuse them, senior police officers said.
Amid Kottayams searing summer heat, two stalwarts of Kerala politics in the central district are fighting the political firestorm that threatens to tarnish their credibility.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Kerala Congress Mani remain icons in their respective Assembly constituencies of Puthupally and Pala, but the corruption scandals that engulfed the UDF regime have put them in rather unfamiliar territories.
Chandy (72) won Puthupally for ten times since 1970, while Mani (83) has been representing Pala since 1965.
The CPM has fielded the 25-year-old Students Federation of India state president Jaick C Thomas against Chandy. More than caring for immediate success, the Left now offers a flavour of change and an alternative, something Chandy himself represented back in 1970 when, as a 26-year-old, he defeated CPI(M)s E M George to win Puthupally.
Chandy starts as favourite, admits Kottayam-based businessman Reji George. He has a huge support base in Puthupally built largely on familiarity factor. The point, however, is whether or not his rivals are able to draw votes in Puthupally discussing the state and THE solar scam IN WHICH Chandy himself is under the scanner or scandals that linked other ministers.
C Mathew, a Congress supporter in Ettumanoor, based his verdict on Chandys personal connection with Puthupally and his overall credentials as a leader.
Is there a leader of Chandys stature who did not face allegations? Mathew said, admitting that even Chandys popularity in the constituency is unlikely to afford him the kind of winning margin he enjoyed in 2011. The Chief Minister won by 30,000 votes in the previous polls.
K M Mani would also look at his winning margin of 5,259 over his NCP rival Mani Kappen with increasing trepidation. In 2016, he faces Kappen again, amid sliding votes and the possible impact of the bar bribery scam, over which he was forced to resign as a minister.
If victory margins in the past two elections are any indication, Mani is likely to put up a strong resistance. His performance would also hinge on his ability to reduce the impact of the bar scam.
Kerala Congress, a 50-year-old political force in the Christian, settler-farmer belts of Kottayam and Idukki districts, is facing its worst crisis in the wake of the bar scam, subsequent resignation of party chairman Mani as Finance Minister and another break-up in its ranks.
Kerala Congress, the third largest constituent in Keralas Congress-led ruling coalition, has often lived up to its reputation of being a party which breaks as it grows and grows as it breaks.
Dissent and subsequent break-ups which have defined the partys evolution over its history of 50 years is, perhaps, most evident in Poonjar in Kottayam district.
The constituency with 1,81,504 voters is set for a close four-way contest in the May 16 Assembly election.
Rebels
Interestingly, three of these four candidates have had ties with the Kerala Congress; one of them is contesting as the partys official candidate while the others are rebels who have drifted apart from the parent party.
The Mani faction of the Kerala Congress, the official party, has fielded Georgekutty Augusthy as candidate of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF). P C Joseph, one of the Kerala Congress rebels, who recently broke away to form Kerala Congress (Democratic) and join the CPM-led coalition, is the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate in Poonjar. Out of favour with both the political fronts, former Kerala Congress leader P C George is fighting it out under the banner of Kerala Congress (Secular). The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has fielded M R Ullas of the newly-formed political party Bharat Dharma Jana Sena as its candidate.
George, who won as a Kerala Congress candidate in 2011, had constantly criticised the Congress leadership and had started taking pot-shots at KC(M) chief K M Mani himself before he was ousted from the party.
George started discussions with the CPM leadership and even announced that he would be the LDF candidate.
The CPM, however, decided to welcome the breakaway KC (Democratic) into the Left fold and allotted the seat to P C Joseph.
George, a prominent leader and six-time MLA, has taken the snub personally and is on a campaign to make a statement on what he has claimed as his clout in the region.
An international arbitration tribunal has asked New Delhi and Rome to approach Indias Supreme Court to allow an Italian Navy sergeant who is accused of killing two fishermen off Kerala coast in 2012 to go home.
The tribunal, however, made it clear that marine Salvatore Girone would remain under Indias authority alone even if he was allowed to stay in Italy. The Supreme Court of India would continue to have jurisdiction over him till the dispute over the case was finally settled by the tribunal, it said.
Rome on Monday claimed that the tribunal had asked India to allow Girone to return to Italy. Sources in New Delhi, however, said that Rome was misinterpreting the order of the tribunal, which asked the Government of India to approach the Supreme Court to relax Girones bail conditions to allow him to return to Italy.
The order of The Hague based tribunal will be officially made public on Tuesday.
Sources in New Delhi, however, said that the possible return of Girone to Italy remained strictly conditional on Italian government guaranteeing his availability before a court of India, if required. Girone is on bail and is staying at the Embassy of Italy in New Delhi.
Traffic crawled on Monday with a section of taxi operators protesting against the Supreme Court decision to impose a ban on diesel-fuelled cabs, numbering about 60,000, and blocking city roads.
Traffic was held up at various spots, including National Highway 8 and Ring Road. Office and school goers were the worst hit. Taxi operators demanded that the Aam Aadmi Party government should give them subsidy for switching to the cleaner compressed natural gas (CNG).
The BJP said the Delhi government had intentionally avoided persuading the Supreme Court to allow more time for diesel cabs to switch to CNG.
On Saturday, the Supreme Court had refused to give more time to cab operators to make the switch and banned diesel taxis in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) from May 1.
Protesters blocked traffic at Delhi-Gurgaon and Delhi-Noida borders and southwest Delhi's Rajokri area. Cars crawled bumper to bumper between Dhaula Kuan and Gurgaon on Monday morning.
The traffic situation on Ring Road worsened at around 11.30 am when the protesters blocked the road at Maharani Bagh, close to Ashram Chowk. There was a massive jam at DND expressway, as protesters blocked traffic at Maharani Bagh, Pankaj Kamboj, a Mayur Vihar resident, said.
Ankit Joshi, a Jamia Millia Islamia student, who was caught in a traffic jam early in the morning, said, I took 40 more minutes to reach the university. The protest also affected cab services, and taxi-hailing apps like Uber and Ola showed fewer cabs available for hire. But an Ola tweet said it has "no peak pricing on the Ola platform in Delhi-NCR.
Delhi Airport issued an advisory, asking flyers to use the Metro to avoid congestion on roads. Traffic Police also advised commuters to avoid DND flyway and clogged stretches between Modi Mill and Mathura Road, and Bhairon Road and Sarai Kale Khan.
Many cabs were impounded on Sunday, following which the cabbies alleged harassment by enforcement agencies. We are planning to meet the Delhi Police Commissioner in the evening. We will ask him to be considerate and free vehicles impounded yesterday. BJP leader Vijender Gupta is also joining us, Harpreet Singh, a Delhi transporter said.
[cf. Judge denies motions by fossil fuel industry and federal government in landmark climate change case The most important lawsuit on the planet right now] By Sydney Brownstone
29 April 2016 (The Stranger) A King County Superior Court judge has reversed a ruling that gave the Washington State Department of Ecology the opportunity to decide when to cut statewide greenhouse gas emissions. Because of a lawsuit filed by eight Washington State kids, Judge Hollis Hill has ruled that the threat of climate change is so urgent that the state must be placed on a court-ordered deadline to hold polluters accountable now. The decision was the first of its kind. Earlier this year, Judge Hill found that the state had a constitutional responsibility to protect its citizensincluding the children who filed the lawsuitbut that dictating an additional greenhouse gas rule-making process wouldnt be necessary. After all, in July of last year Governor Jay Inslee had directed Ecology to come up with a rule to cut greenhouse gas emissions. That changed when Ecology withdrew the draft rule in February of 2016 in order to take more time to confer with stakeholders. When that happened, the kids lawyer, Andrea Rodgers, asked the judge to change the earlier ruling in favor of the state based on two criteria: one, that the state had misrepresented the facts, and two, that extraordinary circumstances deemed it necessary. Judge Hill didnt think that Ecology committed fraud or misrepresentation by committing to a rulemaking process and then withdrawing a draft rule later. But she did agree with the kids lawyer that climate change constituted extraordinary circumstances. Ecology doesnt dispute that current science establishes that rapidly increasing global warming causes an unprecedented risk to the earth, to the land, sea, and atmosphere, and all living plants and creatures, Judge Hill said. Then the judge used Ecologys own words to demonstrate the extraordinary circumstances, reading back a quote from 2014 warning of serious economic and environmental disruptions. Judge Hill continued:
The reason Im doing this is because this is an urgent situation. () These children cant wait, the polar bears cant wait, the people of Bangladesh cant wait. I dont have jurisdiction over their needs in this matter, but I do have jurisdiction in this court, and for that reason Im taking this action.
Now the state must come up with a rule to cut greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2016. In addition, it must make recommendations to the legislature next year to update the states greenhouse gas reduction goals based on the most current science. [more]
ZTE Corporation saw operating revenue grow 4.09 per cent year-on-year to RMB21.859 billion (US$3.375 billion) in the first quarter of 2016.
Net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company amounted to RMB950 million (US$146.7 million), representing a 15.97 per cent increase from the same period last year; while basic earnings per share amounted to RMB0.23 (US$0.035), the company reports in its Q1 financial results.
The company highlighted its research and development (R&D) activities in Q1, which saw it invest a record 13.96 per cent of revenue into R&D; which it said is in line with ZTEs strategy to innovate mobile ICT.
In the carrier network market, ZTE said it continued growth in traditional businesses including long-term evolution (LTE) and fiber optic networks, while also focusing on developing cutting-edge technologies and sectors such as Pre5G/5G, Big Video, software-defined networking/network function virtualization (SDN&NFV) and Internet of Things (IoT). The company said it made headway in the SDN/NFV and next generation IoT spaces through strategic collaborations with the mainlands three biggest operators.
ZTE also won contracts and commenced deployment of smart city 2.0 solutions in Shenyang and Huaian; continued to work on smart rail transport projects in Denmark, Greece and India; and said it is becoming more competitive in the smart energy sector with private power line LTE wireless networks in China and Africa.
In the consumer space, the company said network video communication products and TV set-top boxes are winning an increasing percentage of the global market. Focus also continues to sharpen on the high-end smartphones market, ZTE said.
Emerging markets offer Amazon Prime an untapped $70 billion revenue opportunity for OTT services according to a new report.
As Amazon has unveiled its latest revenue figures, a new report has revealed that engaging consumers in high growth markets could offer a $70 billion revenue opportunity to digital service providers. With the recent announcement that Amazon Prime Video is to be offered as a standalone service for the first time, and entry into the Indian market is on the horizon, attention is naturally turning to further expansion plans.
Developing markets offer an obvious route for growth for Amazon. However, as the findings suggest, in order to capitalise on this opportunity fully, the digital content provider must understand and address the intricacies of each market and adjust their business and delivery strategies, accordingly.
Moreover, MNOs must decide whether they are going to embrace Amazon if or when the Silicon Valley giant makes its moves, or whether they will try to resist the inevitable pressure it will put onto already over-stretched mobile broadband networks and the threat it poses to existing services.
The 2016 Developing Markets Mobile Commerce report reveals that despite Amazon Prime not yet being available in the markets questioned, if cost wasnt an issue, almost one in five consumers would like to access the service, more than other digital content, via their mobile device. 87% of consumers make daily use of mobile devices for accessing digital services and 73% of respondents reported that they are willing to pay for high-value digital services via mobile devices.
These are encouraging signs for the digital content provider, but success in high growth markets will only be achieved if it develops an offering that is relevant to each particular market, ensuring content is affordable, accessible and localised.
Affordability
The report reveals that the top factors that influence the decision of consumers in emerging markets to purchase a digital mobile service are pricing adjusted to local currency (88%) and low data charges (87%). The cost of streaming content on mobile devices is a challenge that Amazon, like Netflix, would need to understand and overcome if it expands to these markets. For some consumers, the cost could be more than double the service subscription cost for streaming a single episode alone.
Income and purchasing power of consumers also varies significantly, so digital content service providers need to adopt differential pricing strategies that reflect these discrepancies. They must also account for the cost of streaming video in markets where WiFi access is not prevalent. A typical 1GB data package costs around $15 a month in Brazil. For subscribers to Netflix, a single House of Cards episode streamed at standard definition can cost consumers $9.90 on top of their subscription to the service.
Accessibility
The stats reveal that 61% of consumers in the markets questioned feel unsatisfied with their current mobile connection, with 25% stating it is unreliable and 36% stating it is slow. As a result, over a third of consumers (40%) want brands to provide lite versions of their digital services. The report goes on to show that digital services are being consumed through multiple routes when accessing content on their mobile devices (43% web browsers, 40% apps), highlighting how digital service providers cannot rely on apps alone to reach their target audience and should adjust to meet the specific needs of the consumers.
Localising content
The findings highlight that localisation of content is key for consumers in emerging markets; with over three quarters (76%) of those questioned wanting the digital services they consume to have a substantial local feel. In Brazil, video services are used by 62% of consumers, with 92% of respondents requiring at least a balanced mix between local and international content in their preferred streaming services. For Amazon, and other digital brands, it will be critical to understand what the local content needs are for each market and build a content portfolio that meets the consumers preferences in each country.
Commissioned by Upstream, a mobile commerce accelerator in high growth markets, the 2016 Developing Markets Mobile Commerce was conducted by YouGov and polled the views of a representative sample of 5,215 adults in Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria and South Africa.
Commenting exclusively to Developing Telecoms on the findings, Marco Veremis, CEO of Upstream said: "Amazons decision to offer Prime Video as a stand-alone service shows that digital content is of increasing importance to the e-commerce powerhouse. The announcement indicates that Amazon is sizing up to Netflix, and while Prime Video is only available in five western markets at the moment, if it wants to achieve further significant revenue growth, it should turn its attention to the next 3 billion consumers in emerging markets."
"Developing markets offer digital brands like Amazon a potential $70 billion market opportunity. Netflix has had a head start in terms of popularity and availability, but the increasing appetite for highvalue digital services, combined with the vast financial opportunity means there are will be no shortage of competitors eager to engage consumers."
"In order to capitalise on this digital opportunity, tech giants like Amazon will require an adapted approach. A clear understanding of what consumers in developing markets want, their needs and the associated challenges, will enable digital brands to create an offering that is relevant to consumers in developing markets. Success comes down to three factors; delivering local content, making sure the total cost of ownership is affordable to the consumer and that digital services are technologically accessible."
Global internet of things (IoT) connectivity provider Sigfox announced it has begun deploying a dedicated IoT network throughout Brazil.
The deployment of the IoT network in Brazil marks Sigfoxs first launch in Latin America. Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo will be the first two cities to get coverage, with the company promising more countries will follow soon as it looks to boost IoT networks throughout the region.
Sigfox pointed to GSMA Intelligence research placing Brazil as the worlds fourth-largest machine-to-machine (M2M) and IoT market as a key reason for the companys choice to deploy in Brazil.
The network will be delivered in partnership with startup network development company WND. Launched in 2015 by entrepreneur Chris Bataillard, the company claims to have extensive experience starting and running cellular networks.
Sigfoxs rapid expansion in the U.S., Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East demonstrates the universal appeal of its IoT network and ecosystem, which enable Sigfox Network Operators to very quickly provide their customers with low-cost, energy-efficient connectivity for an extensive range of applications, said Bataillard. Brazil and Latin America are huge markets for Sigfoxs IoT solution, and we are very excited to quickly offer its services throughout the region.
In partnership with Portuguese IoT device maker Thought Creator, WND has also developed a low-cost geolocation device specifically for the Latin American asset-tracking market, with a battery life of more than a year. Bataillard says the company has identified a strong demand from the insurance industry in order to reduce insurance-and-theft costs.
Both small and inexpensive, this location device, which offers an optimal combination of WiFi and Sigfox capabilities, has many indoor and outdoor applications for businesses and consumers. These include construction and telecom equipment, packages, vehicles and bicycles and pet-tracking, Bataillard commented.
The companies expect to have city-wide coverage of Rio de Janeiro by July, and of Sao Paulo by September. The top 10 urban areas will be covered by 2017.
IoT is becoming a priority trend in Brazil of late. Todays announcement comes only days after the Brazilian Government signed an agreement with Ericsson to create a Networked Society Lab, to drive IoT innovation in the country.
TechExpo is a national science competition which is held at IIT Guwahati during its Annual Techno Management Fest, Techniche. TechExpo is an exciting competition which helps students to explore their vision and curiosity through science. It has been initiated with the cardinal aim of bringing to light the technological advancements made by the youth of this country and provide an opportunity to showcase their innovations on a larger platform. The winners will be awarded with a total cash prize of INR 3,00,000. .
The competition will be conducted in two phases, where Phase I will include abstract submission along with a short video giving a brief introduction of the project. The deadline of Phase I is 20th May 2016. The entries of Phase I will be rigorously evaluated by the judging panel which includes IIT Technical Board Chairman, Professors and the Top 100 contestants will be qualified for Phase II which will be held at IIT Guwahati, during its Annual Techno Management Festival, Techniche. The top seven projects will be selected as the final winners.
TechExpo will provide a platform for the participants to showcase the projects undertaken by them in front of a mass multitude of people which includes but isnt restricted to Professors from various fields, notable personage including Nobel Laureates, leading business tycoons, venture capitalists, professors from IITs and Students from across the nation. The teams would also get a chance to witness one of the most amazing and enthralling college festivals in India, Techniche 2016 at IIT Guwahati. The summit comprises of various lectures, competitions, exhibitions and nites, and is conducted from September 1st to 4th.
Such events are a rarity in the present day scenario and a technology student is highly encouraged to participate and learn to streamline his abilities with the modern day gadgets. The registration for the event is totally free and can be done by logging onto www.techniche.org/techexpo.
For any further queries, please contact the organizers of TechExpo at (+91)-7576918640 or (+91)-9531126269
Australian computer scientist, Craig Steven Wright, has claimed that hes Satoshi Nakamoto, the fabled creator of Bitcoin, sparking skepticism against the claims. But does it matter whether Wright is indeed Satoshi Nakamoto? Mahin Gupta, Co-Founder, Zebpay, Indias first Bitcoin exchange, doesnt think so. The only thing that matters is whether he has the 1 million Bitcoins that Satoshi Nakamoto is supposed to have, he said. Nakamoto has been known to have amassed a million Bitcoins over the years.
Gupta says that to him, and others dealing in Bitcoins, these million Bitcoins matter, because the person owning them has a big hold over the Bitcoin economy. Personally, I dont believe Craig Wright is Satoshi Nakamoto, the proof isnt enough, said Gupta. According to him, the only way to prove Wrights identity as Nakamoto, would be through his private key. He said that if Wright sends a message from Nakamotos account, others can use his public key to verify the account, as belonging to Nakamoto.
Craig Wright's presented evidence to The Economist, BBC and GQ, claiming to be the man behind Bitcoins.
Even then, it just proves that he has control over Nakamotos account, and not that he indeed is Satoshi Nakamoto, said Gupta. But control over the fabled Satoshi Nakamotos account is all that matters, according to him.
Gupta isnt the only skeptic either. This Reddit thread claims that Wrights signature, in his blog post, is worthless. That's sort of the impression he seems to be giving, now that I re-read it. But, again, why not just publicly prove it instead of only demonstrating it to a select few people? wrote user c_o_r_b_a. The want of public cryptographic evidence has been cited by many users on Reddit. Mahin Gupta, from Zebpay, said the same.
There is one important person, however, who believes in Craig Wrights story. Gavin Andreson, chief scientist at the Bitcoin Foundation, said he believed Wright. In a blog post, Andreson wrote, I was flown to London to meet Dr. Wright a couple of weeks ago, after an initial email conversation convinced me that there was a very good chance he was the same person Id communicated with in 2010 and early 2011. After spending time with him I am convinced beyond a reasonable doubt: Craig Wright is Satoshi.
Andresons backing is important, since hes one of the few people, known to have collaborated with Satoshi Nakamoto, in the initial days of Bitcoins. Nakamoto had since stopped his participation in Bitcoin. The Economist wrote, that Nakamotos successors have written far more code than he ever did. The Economist was one of three media channels who interviewed Wright before his announcement, the other two being BBC and GQ. It is also worth noting that earlier investigations by Wired, New Yorker and Newsweek, had also found Wright to be one of the contenders for being Satoshi Nakamoto.
Having said that, there are few who have the number of Bitcoins that Satoshi Nakamoto does. So, as Gupta said, it may not matter who Satoshi Nakamoto is, but who has control over his Bitcoin account. If Wright has the private key to that account, he is sitting on a million Bitcoins, which makes him very important in the volatile Bitcoin market.
In addition to announcing the price cut, the Coolpad also announced a new Black variant of the Coolpad Note 3
Coolpad has announced that the Coolpad Note 3( 5799 at amazon) will now be priced at Rs. 8,499. In addition, the company announced a new Black variant of the smartphone. The Coolpad Note 3 was initially priced at Rs. 8,999 and is exclusively available on Amazon India. The company says that this move is due to it being continuously voted as the number one smartphone in the sub 10K category.
Read the complete press release below
Coolpad, a global leader in smartphone manufacturing and integrated wireless data solutions celebrates the success of Note 3 being continuously voted No1 in the sub 10K category. The company celebrated this milestone by giving a surprise to its customers by offering Coolpad Note 3- Black variant at a special price of Rs 8499, which was initially priced at Rs 8,999 rupees. The phone is exclusively available on Amazon India and the offer is available till stock lasts. Additionally Coolpad also won the Best mobile and accessory brand in Brands with Outstanding E-Retail Performance category at the India Retail & E-retail Congress held recently.
The company unveiled the Black variant of Note 3 during its first ever FAN meet held in New Delhi. It was launched exclusively for Indian market in the presence of Coolpads leadership team.
Syed Tajuddin, CEO, Coolpad India said, The recent turn of events have been remarkable for Coolpad, winning at the Indian Retail and e-Retail Congress is yet another milestone in Coolpads India journey, For over 6 months Coolpad has beaten stiff competition hands down to be repeatedly voted as the No.1 smartphone in the sub 10k category, We are committed in our endeavor to bring exclusive products to the Indian market and you can expect some innovative products from Coolpad soon, we will continue rolling out initiatives for Coolpad enthusiasts across the country by expanding our after sales service network and establishing some offline touch points for robust after sales support, The next few months Coolpad will be making an aggressive leap in both the range of exclusive products for the Indian Market and a strong customer support network, The recent price roll back is a gift to our loyal customers and their peers that want to experience the Coolpad Note 3 device.
The phone was a ground breaking device in the market due to its highly responsive fingerprint sensor which is the key highlight of the device at the price it is being offered.
Coolpad Note 3 is equipped with 5.5 inch HD screen, bundled exclusively for the Indian market. The device is upgraded with 3GB of RAM along with 16GB of in built storage which supports 4G LTE, 3G and GSM network frequencies along with a dual-SIM slot. It features a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash and auto focus alongside a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Both the front and rear-facing cameras feature CMOS image sensor for better image quality and powered by a 3,000mAh battery.
Buy Coolpad Note 3 at Rs.8499 on amazon
The partnership between Micromax and Cyanogen is no longer exclusive, said Lenovos Head of Product Marketing, Anuj Sharma. Lenovos Zuk Z1 smartphone is expected to be launched in India sometime next week, and the phone runs on CyanogenMod 12. This would earlier have not been possible, since Micromax had a exclusive deal with Cyanogen Inc in India. In fact, the Indian OEMs deal had been problematic for OnePlus, which was forced to cut ties with OnePlus, and announce its own OxygenOS.
That said, Micromaxs deal with Cyanogen hasnt been very fruitful either. While the companys Yu brand did gain consumer interest, the companys market shares have continued to fizzle out. This pushed Micromax to go for a complete brand revamp last month, announcing over 15 new products, none of which were under the Yu brand. When we reviewed the Yu Yutopia, the companys flagship device, it turned out to be a lacklustre attempt at making a mid-range flagship as well.
That said, we recently had some hands on time with Lenovos upcoming Zuk Z1 smartphone. The devices India launch has been delayed by almost a year, thanks to the exclusive deal mentioned above. As a result, the Zuk Z1 comes with an outdated Snapdragon 801 SoC. However, from our first impressions the phone seems to be quite responsive still. Sharma explained that the Cyanogen 12 OS on the device is optimised for the Snapdragon 801, which still makes it competitive as a mid-ranged device.
Further, the Zuk Z1 has a 13MP rear camera, 8MP front camera and 3GB of RAM, along with a 5.5 inch 1080p display. According to Lenovo, the display covers 100% of the NTSC colour gamut, and has the same panel that we saw on the Lenovo Vibe X3. Again, from what we saw, while the display does look crisp, it seems to be a tad dim, compared to the Vibe X3. Lenovo however, says both displays can reach up to 450 nits and have a contrast ratio of 1500:1.
Interestingly, the Zuk Z1 has a 4100 mAh battery, which can be cut-off when needed. So, if youre charging the phone overnight, it will reach 100% and then continue running on AC power, through the charger. This allow battery micro-cycles to be saved. According to Sharma, phones today charge to 100% and cut-off the charger, which allows the battery to run the device even when connected to a power outlet. As a result, the phone starts charging again whenever the battery drops to around 90-95%, resulting in micro-cycles. These can in turn reduce the overall life of the battery.
From our first impressions, the Lenovo Zuk Z1 does seem like a pretty good smartphone, aimed at enthusiasts. In fact, Lenovo is also allowing users to unlock the bootloader, without losing the phones warranty. Sharma clarified that if you brick the device while making tweaks to the software, Lenovos service centers will return it to the original CM 12 version.
The Lenovo Zuk Z1 should be launched in India, around May 9, but the final launch date isnt available yet. We expect the phone to be priced in the 14-18K price segment.
Unleaded 88 fuel is often cheaper, but should drivers use it?
Unleaded 88 fuel gives lower gas mileage than regular unleaded but with fewer carbon emissions. So, should you put it in your vehicle? That depends.
School says $17,570 table was a mistake
DURHAM, N.H. (AP) The University of New Hampshire now acknowledges that spending $17,000 on a custom-made chef's table with LED lights for the campus dining hall was a mistake.
Initially, university officials thought the light-up table would allow the dining staff to interact with students and demonstrate healthy cooking techniques.
But word soon got out about the $17,570 price tag on the 16-seat table, which was installed several weeks ago. The school newspaper wrote about it, and other media outlets picked up on it.
The table costs nearly as much as in-state students pay annually for tuition and fees.
On Friday, UNH spokeswoman Erika Mantz told The Associated Press that having a chef's table was a good idea, but much less money should have been spent.
The university plans to keep the table.
Facebook to ignore unofficial takedown pleas
Facebook, the world's largest social network, has made it tougher for offensive content to be taken down and will do so only if it gets a legal or government notice, in keeping with a recent Supreme Court ruling.
"We have changed our process. So now, before we restrict content in India for illegality, we require that the government submit legal process to us and we scrutinise that with our legal teams," Facebook's global policy head Monika Bickert told The Economic Times by phone. "We would not restrict the content if somebody in the community, somebody outside the government, flagged that content."
India had 14,971 content restriction requests in the July-December period, second only to France, and down from 15,155 requests in the first half of 2015, according to a Facebook report released on Thursday.
The take-down calls were made by legal and government agencies as well as NGOs and Facebook members. The numbers in the next report will reflect Facebook's decision to act only on legal or government requests.
India also made the second highest requests for user data at 5,561, after the US, which made 19,235 such demands. Facebook gives users the option to flag or report objectionable content including posts, photos, messages, comments, profiles, events and pages. Content is blocked or taken down if it violates Facebook's community standards.
Bickert clarified that the new rules do not mean that people can no longer report offensive content.
"When people in India report content we will continue to look to see if it violates our community standards and if it does, we will remove it. It's only in these unusual circumstances where it doesn't violate our community standards but does violate the Indian law that we would require the government orders," she said.
The Supreme Court last year read down Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, to say that a non-government request for taking down online content should be accompanied by a court order.
At the behest of law student Shreya Singhal, the court had also scrapped controversial Section 66A of the act, which gave the authorities wide powers to penalise free speech on online forums that were considered offensive. The case for compliance with local laws is strong for Facebook, which counts India as its second largest market with 142 million monthly active users. In the past three years, India has almost always been the top requester for content restrictions worldwide, according to Facebook.
"For true transparency, the company will also need to start reporting the content removed suo moto under community standards," said Chinmayi Arun, executive director of the Centre for Communication Governance at theNational Law University in New Delhi.
Bickert said Facebook works with governments across the world to make the reports better, but did not specify if the next report would have greater granularity about the kind of requests it receives or fulfils. People working with law enforcement agencies say Internet companies are usually stringent about restricting content.
"It is a misconception that the police can just get access to data through backdoors," said Rakshit Tandon, advisor to the cybercrime units with the Agra and Gurgaon Police, adding that there has to be a valid reason to remove or block content.
"It is only taken down after a court or legal order says an online action violates a law," Tandon said.
In the latest report, Facebook said France saw a total of 37,695 content restrictions, with 32,100 of these being "instances of a single image related to the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris" that allegedly violated French laws related to the protection of human dignity.
Spectrum auction likely in July; base price 'too high'
The Telecom Commission (TC) has cleared the way for the largest ever spectrum auctions likely in July, including a debut for 4G airwaves in the 700 Mhz band at a base price of Rs11,485 crore a unit as suggested by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
The rates have been criticized by the industry and analysts as too expensive, which could derail the sale.
"All spectrum will be auctioned, at the same prices recommended by Trai, even in the 700 MHz band," a senior official said on Saturday, asking not to be named, adding that the operators who will bid for 700 MHz have the capacity to pay, according to an Economic Times report.
The official added that harmonisation of spectrum will be done before the auctions begin which will add another 200 Mhz to the 2,142 Mhz that has been already cleared for sale, making it highest ever quantum of airwaves put on auction.
The TC, the highest decision making body in the Department of Telecommunications, (DoT), however deferred a crucial decision on levying a uniform spectrum usage charge (SUC) across all bands for auctioned or non-auctioned bandwidth, sending a report by its technical panel for legal opinion by the Attorney General of India.
Another person familiar with the matter said that DoT backs a flat SUC levy at 4.5 per cent, which it feels is revenue-neutral, compared with the current structure involving multiple rates depending whether the spectrum is auctioned or not, mainly on grounds that segregation of revenue based on multiple spectrum bands for delivering 4G-LTE services would be a huge challenge.
Technologies like carrier aggregation allow simultaneous usage of multiple rates depending whether the spectrum is auctioned or not, mainly on grounds that segregation of revenue based on multiple spectrum bands for delivering 4G-LTE services would be a huge challenge. Technologies like carrier aggregation allow simultaneous usage of multiple spectrum bands.
The flat SUC levy though has been opposed by Reliance Jio Infocomm which says such segregation can easily be done. Besides, any such change for already allocated/auctioned spectrum would result in windfall gains to existing operators and cause huge losses to the national exchequer, Jio claims.
"The final decision on SUC will be taken before the July auctions," the person added.
No easy payments
In other important decisions, the TC rejected the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (Trai) recommendations on an easier payment structure aimed at reducing the financial burden of carriers.
In fact, it made it tougher for winners of airwaves in bands above 1 Ghz - 1800 Mhz, 2100 Mhz, 2300 Mhz and 2500 Mhz - mandating an upfront payment of 50 per cent of the winning bids, compared with 33 per cent earlier, with the balance to paid over 10 equal annual instalments after a moratorium of two years after the initial payment.
Telenor for one has asked the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to retain the option of deferred payment suggested by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), saying it would help reduce the burden on the industry. But apparently this is not to be. (See: Telenor urges DoT to go for deferred spectrum payment)
Payment terms for winners of sub 1 Ghz bands - 700 Mhz, 800 Mhz and 900 Mhz bands - remained the same at 25 per cent upfront with the rest to paid in similar terms as other bands, the person said.
The TC's decisions will need to be cleared by the cabinet.
At base prices, the auction of 4G bands of 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2300 MHz and 2500 MHz bands, and 3G airwaves in the 2100 MHz band can generate almost Rs544,000 crore for the government, or about five times the amount raised at the previous sale in 2015, if all spectrum on offer is sold. Just the 700 Mhz band can contribute over Rs400,000 crore at starting price.
The government needs funds to bridge its fiscal deficit after volatile market conditions curbed plans to sell stakes in state-owned companies. It has budgeted over Rs160,000 crore from the auction, of which it has factored in roughly Rs50,000 crore as upfront payment this year, which started on 1 April. But experts say the government will fall far short of its estimates as the auctions are likely to evoke a lukewarm response at current prices, and given that there are ample airwaves in the market and no business continuity challenges.
"Clearly, the reserve price for 700 MHz band is too steep. The quantum of spectrum of 700 MHz and pricing are not the principle issues, it was rather keeping auction of this band in abeyance for 2 years or so," said Rajan Mathews, director general, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). "If we're going ahead, then the immediate price points become a matter of serious concern."
At this price, it won't be a "blockbuster auction" because there won't be a high degree of participation, he said. COAI represents India's biggest telcos such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular besides newcomer Reliance Jio Infocomm.
"There may be a one-off that someone may buy 700 Mhz in a few circles which they believe are not that expensive, but pan-India buying of 5 Mhz block does not seem realistic," Rajan added.
Raising the upfront payment to 50 per cent for above 1 GHz bands does not make too much sense either, experts said.
"It is these bands where spectrum is in higher demand. It's a way for the government to get more revenue without considering the financial condition of the industry," Rajan said.
Geneva County Sheriffs investigators charged a Samson woman on Monday as serving as the get-away driver in the March home invasion robbery of a 74-year-old couple.
Geneva County Sheriff Tony Helms said investigators arrested Hyundaia C. Kyles and charged her with felony second-degree burglary and felony second-degree robbery.
Kyles was booked into the Geneva County Jail and will be held without bail until her first appearance of court, which is set for Tuesday morning.
Helms said investigators already arrested two of Kyles friends over the weekend on multiple felony charges involving in the home invasion robbery.
She dropped them off and picked them up, Helms said.
Helms said both 20-year-old Sebastian Lemach Tolbert Jr. and 20-year-old Gavin Petty are being held at the Geneva County Jail on bail totaling $1 million. Sheriffs deputies charged Tolbert and Petty with felony attempted murder, felony first-degree burglary and felony first-degree robbery.
Helms said both Tolbert and Petty were charged with the home invasion robbery and assault of a 74-year-old Samson couple at their home on Steven Ferry Road, just off Alabama Highway 87. The robbery and assault happened between 7:30 and 8:20 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16.
Helms said the investigation into the home invasion remains ongoing with the possibility of more charges being filed.
After this happened, the next morning their names were given to us as suspects. Weve had them as persons of interest as soon as it happened, Helms said.
Helms had released a sketch of one of the suspects based on a description given to police by the victims, which he said matched Petty.
There were circumstances in an investigation in Dothan that gave us the missing piece of the puzzle, Helms said.
Dothan Police Investigator Bryan Tate said he arrested 18-year-old Laquantay Tolbert, the younger brother of Sebastian Tolbert, on Friday and charged them both with the rape, sodomy and robbery of a woman at her Dothan home last week.
Tate said he charged both Laquantay Tolbert and Sebastian Tolbert with felony first-degree rape, felony first-degree sodomy and felony first-degree robbery. He said police arrested Laquantay Tolbert on Friday. Sebastian Tolbert has not been arrested yet because hes in custody in the Geneva County Jail.
Tate said he charged the two Tolbert brothers with the rape, sodomy and robbery of a woman at her home during the early morning hours of Tuesday, April 26.
Sebastian (Tolbert) and the victim had been texting and emailing through the cell phone and she invited him to her home, Tate said.
Tate said his investigation showed Laquantay Tolbert then forced his way into the victims home where he and his brother both raped, sodomized and robbed the victim in her own home.
Tate said the victim had some cash and other property stolen during the sexual assault and robbery. He said Laquantay Tolbert was booked into the Houston County Jail on bail totaling $750,000.
Tate said through the police investigation they learned of the connection to the home invasion assault and robbery in Samson.
dpa ElectionsData
With dpa ElectionsData you get access to a unique collection of data. Via a programming interface (Rest-API), your developers can access detailed information, candidate profiles and live results for all national elections in the European Union and important international elections, like the US Midterm elections etc.
The data pool also includes all heads of state and government as well as about 20,000 elected members of parliament throughout the EU. In addition to their data (name, party, constituency or list position), we collect social media profiles and official websites of individuals and parties.
Audi is set to start fixing its dodgy diesel-powered cars within weeks with confirmation of an official recall expected soon.
The German brand is caught up in the same emission-cheating software scandal that has rocked its parent company, Volkswagen, with more than 16,000 Audi vehicles featuring the manipulative engine codes.
Like Volkswagen, which commenced an official rectification process in Australia last month with its Amarok dual-cab ute, Audi will issue a staggered series recall notices for individual models over the course of the year.
Audi Australia's managing director, Andrew Doyle, told Drive this week the first notice is "in the final stages of approval with the authorities" and he expects the company will begin official communication with customers soon.
"The first model we have is the A4; it's relatively small volume - between 30 and 40 cars - to start with, but we're moving forward and we believe we have a solution. We're moving through the correct channels and the process should commence very soon," he said.
Doyle confirmed that, like the Volkswagen campaign, the software upgrade will take approximately 30 minutes to install and will be completed at no charge to customers.
He also said that Audi will offer owners a replacement vehicle if required, despite the relatively quick fix.
Other Audi models that feature the EA189 2.0-litre diesel engine include the related A5 coupe, popular Q5 SUV and TT sportscar. These vehicles will be added to the recall roster over the next few months while other models powered by the smaller 1.6-litre motor will be subject to a separate rectification process that may not be confirmed until later this year.
Read all the latest Audi news and reviews here
Ford plans to introduce a long-range electric vehicle to compete with battery-powered models coming from Tesla and General Motors that would go 200 miles (322 kilometres) or more on a charge.
"We want to make sure that we're either among the leaders or in a leadership position," chief executive officer Mark Fields told analysts and reporters on a conference call on Thursday.
"When you look at some of the competitors and what they've announced, clearly, that's something we're developing for."
He didn't say when Ford would start producing the vehicle.
Ford joins a growing field of automakers seeking to overcome consumer fears that electric cars will run out of juice and strand them. GM plans a debut this fall for the Chevrolet Bolt, a hatchback it says will have a range of at least 200 miles (322 kilometres). Reports indicate Nissan's next-generation Leaf car will match that distance. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has said the $US35,000 ($46,000) Model 3 slated for late 2017 will go 215 miles (346km) or more between plug-ins.
News of Ford's electric-vehicle plans helped drive up its shares on a day when the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker posted record first-quarter net income of $US2.5 billion ($3.27b), surpassing analysts' expectations. The stock rose 3.5 percent to $US14.14 at 12:22 pm New York time.
Tracking Tesla
Ford, which recently paid almost $US212,000 ($277,000) to buy one of the first Tesla Model X electric sport utility vehicles, is clearly paying attention to the Palo Alto, California-based maker of electric vehicles. Tesla was deluged with $1,000 reservations for the Model 3 after Musk revealed it March 31 at the company's design studio in Hawthorne, California.
"I'm glad Mark Fields is saying Ford will be a leader and match whatever EV range is out there," said David Whiston, an analyst at Morningstar in Chicago, who rates Ford the equivalent of a buy. "You can't just ignore Tesla getting 400,000 reservations on a vehicle in a little more than a week's time."
Research shows that more consumers will be willing to buy an electric vehicle as driving range grows to 200 miles and the price falls below $US30,000. Automakers are under pressure to improve the fuel economy of their entire lineups to meet US regulations that mandate a company's fleet must average 54.5 miles per gallon (4.3L/100km) by 2025.
Focus Upgrade
Ford will soon begin offering its Focus Electric model in the US with a driving range of 100 miles (160km). That's an upgrade from the 2016 model's 76-mile (122km) limit. Current Focus Electric owners drive about 9,500 miles annually, or about 30 miles a day, according to the automaker. Ford expects that a longer range and faster charging outlets will generate more EV buyers.
Ford has said it is investing $US4.5 billion ($5.89b) in electrified vehicles and will add 13 electric cars and hybrids to its lineup by 2020. Those models will represent 40 per cent of Ford's US showroom, up from 13 per cent now. Fields has said plug-in hybrids will be the fastest-growing type of electric vehicle.
But with fuel prices low, the automaker has had a hard time attracting buyers to its hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, including the C-Max, Fusion and Lincoln MKZ hybrids. US sales of those models have fallen 6 per cent this year, to 13,688 vehicles, according to researcher Autodata.
Consumers are showing a greater preference for SUVs and pickups. US sales of Ford's SUVs rose 16 per cent in the first quarter.
- Keith Naughton
For the second time in about a decade, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. faces a scandal that poses an existential threat.
The Japanese automaker has improperly tested the fuel economy of its cars for the past quarter century, widening the scope of misconduct that executives initially said dated back to 2002. The Mitsubishi Motors board formed a panel of three ex-prosecutors to investigate for about three months. Until then, customers, investors and minicar partner Nissan Motor Co. may be left waiting for information about the number of affected models and details of compensation.
"I'm taking this as a case that could affect our company's existence," President Tetsuro Aikawa told reporters during a press conference Tuesday. "My mission is to solve the issue."
Mitsubishi Motors shares plunged for a fifth day, slashing the company's market value by half during that span to about 427 billion yen ($3.8 billion). The deepening crisis is the worst since the automaker covered up defective axles that led wheels to detach in fatal accidents, prompting multiple bailouts from Mitsubishi group companies.
"Right now, understanding which cars and how many of them are at stake is the most important thing," Koji Endo, a Tokyo-based analyst with Advanced Research Japan, said by phone. After two press conferences in the span of a week, investors are "still waiting for a proper report."
Mitsubishi Motors hasn't decided how it'll compensate customers, Aikawa said. The company is in discussions about reimbursing Nissan, which was supplied about three-quarters of the 625,000 minicars that were improperly tested and relied on manipulated data. Nissan has since voluntarily stopped sales of the Japan-only models, called Dayz and Dayz Roox.
Depending on how many more vehicles were improperly tested, the company "will get into a situation where its survival is difficult," Endo said.
Wrongdoing by the Japanese automaker and Volkswagen AG has prompted a reckoning of the ways carmakers test for and label the fuel economy and exhaust emissions of their vehicles. Government investigators last week raided French manufacturer PSA Group as part of broader checks into vehicle emissions, while Daimler AG initiated an internal probe into its certification process at the behest of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Japan's transport ministry asked Mitsubishi Motors to re-submit findings from its investigation of improper testing methods by May 11. An initial report that the company provided the regulator ahead of a Wednesday deadline was insufficient, a ministry official said Tuesday.
In addition to potential payouts to customers and Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors may have to pay back government tax rebates that its minicars shouldn't have been eligible for, Ryugo Nakao, an executive vice president, has said.
Nissan first uncovered fuel economy discrepancies when working on development for the next generation of the minicars. Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn said Monday that Nissan will decide on the future of the partnership after further verification.
Mitsubishi Motors had set stretch fuel economy goals for its engineers to achieve. Aikawa, 62, and other executives attended meetings where the company raised targets for the Nissan Dayz, Dayz Roox and Mitsubishi eK Wagon and eK Space minicars, Nakao said Tuesday.
"We aren't able to deal with customers," Aikawa told reporters Tuesday, adding that he wasn't aware of the improper testing. "We're just telling them that we'll offer something."
- Bloomberg
Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain.
Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred.
For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here.
Today is the international day to celebrate workers a day created in 127 years ago in the Netherlands to rally workers in support of 8-hour work days.
Traditionally workers across the globe take to the streets in the call for better wages and job conditions. While May day celebrations, or Labour Day, are a little more subdued in Australia compared to overseas, its a day to take stock of what you do to show your staff you truly appreciate them.
So without further adieu, here is the Dynamic Business top tips for showing your staff you care.
An open door, without exception
Theres nothing worse than feeling as though you cannot approach the boss. Regardless of how cool and with it you may think you are, if your staff dont drop into your office or by your desk on a regular basis then youre doing something wrong. Try reminding staff they can talk to you whenever they need to, and drop by their desks to get the dialogue flowing.
Quality over quantity
As important as an open door policy is, its not a free pass to forgo quality meetings and specific feedback. Try taking individual staff members for a coffee meeting to more thoroughly discuss ideas and whatever project that person may be working on at the time.
Dont generalise praise
Its obviously essential to praise a job well done, but its much more meaningful if you articulate why it was well done. You might say something like, Nobody else could have got that client at that price etc. Being specific shows you notice the detail, and how hard they worked to get a particular result. Even better is if you can praise publicly kill two birds with the one stone and boost the whole teams morale.
Transparency matters
When it comes to leadership and financial decisions that impact the business or company, dont hide behind smoke and mirrors. You hired your staff because theyre capable and intelligent. Trust them to understand why certain decisions are made, encourage questions, and seek their input. It reinforces a sense of were in this together, and undoubtedly fosters loyalty.
Foster opportunity
In the modern age, employees are with you for a good time, not a long time. Gone are the days of 25 year milestones with the same company. Recognise that, and use it to your advantage. Staff churn is expensive, and theyre more likely to stay for longer if they know they will grow and learn if they stay. It also demonstrates that you care about their future.
This is my first time to try fencing. Ive always wanted to do it because of Richard Gomez, Zorro and the Three Musketeers! Haha! Anyway ,Fencing is known as a very elite sports in the Philippines because of the expensive equipment, but now you can try it out without having to buy a thing! Just []
Sussex News
Story Saved
You can find this story in My Bookmarks.
Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.
Check out East Niagara Post videos on YouTube, Vine and Periscope.
ALBANY -- As much as $3 million is available to help New Yorkers who have medical conditions that can be aggravated by extreme heat to buy and install air conditioning. Eligible households can apply for cooling assistance through the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance's Home Energy Assistance Program beginning today."The heat and humidity during the height of the summer can be uncomfortable for some, but potentially life-threatening to others with medical conditions exacerbated by high temperatures," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. "This program will ensure that some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers can remain safe and cool in their homes when the summer weather is at its worst."Cooling assistance through the Home Energy Assistance Program is only available to those households which meet the program's income guidelines and include a member who suffers from a documented medical condition exacerbated by extreme heat.Last summer, more than 4,100 households -- including 1,782 in Western New York -- received cooling assistance.New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Samuel D. Roberts said, "It's important that anyone who may be eligible applies soon, so their air conditioning unit can be safely installed before the hot weather arrives. There's no reason for someone whose medical condition can be worsened by the heat to suffer through the summer when this help is available."Applicants must provide medical documentation in writing, signed by a physician, physician's assistant or a nurse practitioner. The document must clearly indicate the need for an air conditioner and must be dated within the previous 12 months.Cooling assistance will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Local departments of social services will accept applications through August 31, or until funding runs out, whichever comes first.Information on where to apply in each county can be found at http://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/HEAP-contacts.pdf
The euro idea and reality
Speech by Sabine Lautenschlager, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB and Vice-Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Single Supervisory Mechanism,at the Europa Forum Luzern,Luzern, 2 May 2016
President of the Confederation Schneider-Amman,
President of the Government Wyss,
Mayor Studer,
Excellencies and parliamentary representatives,
Ladies and gentlemen,
800 years ago, here in the Swiss Alps, a structure was built that was vital in bringing people together in Europe: the Devil's Bridge over the river Reuss. It was because of this bridge that the Gotthard pass become one of Europe's main routes, the people's road. Lucerne is located on this road and is thus an early witness of European integration.
Today, in the 21st century, Europe is interconnected by much more than a pass. Europe has become a political and economic community. A tangible symbol of this community is our single currency, the euro.
The euro do the idea and the reality clash?
The idea of the euro was, and is, to support Europes internal market, and thus provide for economic growth and prosperity. But the name of the currency says it all: the euro should be more. The euro aims to be a single currency for a united Europe. It should deepen Europes cultural and political unity, dismantle borders and strengthen our feeling of togetherness.
So much for the idea. Some people perhaps even some of you may be sensing a different reality: financial crisis, economic crisis, unemployment these are the keywords currently dominating the discussions on monetary union.
How much does the reality have to do with the actual idea of the euro? Is the euro still a symbol of what holds Europe together? Or has it become a symbol of what divides Europe? The growing appeal of anti-euro and anti-Europe parties is a sign that we need to make the incalculable benefits of a single currency easier to understand for the people of the euro area.
And we should encourage people to look at the full reality and not just one facet. The euro is a fundamental part of the single market. More than 300 million people in 19 countries make payments using the euro. Its the worlds second most important currency. Over 20% of global currency reserves are held in euro. And despite all the euroscepticism, recent surveys[1] show that 70% of people in the euro area want the single currency.
Obviously, in my view too, a united Europe with a single currency is the right idea; as Theo Waigel, former German Minister of Finance, once said, the euro is ingenious. And, for me, its about more than the economic advantages brought by a united Europe and a single currency.
Its also about a political reality. Not all the countries of Europe can live in splendid isolation Europes voice in world affairs would fall silent. More than 60 years ago, Jean Monnet, one of the founding fathers of the European Union, said: Our countries have become too small for todays world, at the level of modern techniques, at the measure of America and Russia today, China and India tomorrow.
The idea is therefore ingenious and the will of the people is clear. Together, this represents an appeal to policymakers to straighten out what is crooked, to reinforce the foundations of monetary union and once again reconcile the reality of the euro with the idea of the euro.
The consequences of the recent financial and economic crisis show what is needed to achieve this from an economic perspective. What we certainly need is a European crisis tool a mechanism that works quickly, effectively and efficiently in an acute crisis. A first step was taken with the creation of the European Stability Mechanism.
But whats necessary above all are structural reforms at national level, including reforms of social security schemes, labour and goods markets and insolvency laws. Reforms which ensure that the community of 19 countries grow together economically and move closer to the highest international standards. Such a convergence is important, not only to keep monetary union stable in the medium and long term, but also to safeguard economic growth and prosperity.
Yet even after successful structural reforms, in a monetary union with 19 Member States there can always be economic shocks which affect some countries more than others. Flexible labour markets and a responsible fiscal policy help to cushion such shocks not only in a monetary union. In such a union however they play an even greater role, because the countries concerned can no longer react by way of the exchange rate or national monetary policy.
But if the shock is excessive or the economic structures too rigid and the national budget under pressure, the Member State in question may be quickly overwhelmed. This is exactly what we have seen during the recent crisis. The costs of the crisis were borne in large part by the citizens in the crisis countries, but also shifted in part to the European level through mutual guarantees. Basically, the countries concerned resorted to a sort of implicit insurance that was not originally foreseen.
This experience gives rise to two key questions:
First, how can Member States better absorb external shocks even without an independent exchange rate and without a national monetary policy?
Second, how can risks be shared at European level without a transfer of risk occurring which distorts the incentives for the individual Member States?
A monetary union needs strong members...
As for the first question, the euro area countries need economic structures which meet the requirements of a single currency. The crisis has made this abundantly clear. Many countries are now on the right track. Ireland, Spain and Portugal, for example, have implemented a series of reforms; they have become more competitive and their economies are recovering.
And yet, in some euro area countries, unemployment remains very high, especially among young people. In addition, many countries still have large public deficits and high levels of debt. So further reforms are necessary here. The same applies to goods markets and the general business environment.
In many Member States bureaucratic hurdles have to be overcome in order to start a business, and not only in the crisis countries. Removing such administrative barriers is much less expensive than national recovery plans, and can contribute significantly to sustained growth and increasing prosperity.[2]
It is all the more worrying that the OECD in its recent Economic Policy Reforms report notes that particularly in the euro area countries the pace of reform is slowing. It would be disastrous if necessary reforms cannot be implemented or, if implemented, reforms were even to be withdrawn. That would slow down, or even totally impede, the necessary economic upswing. Central banks would then come under pressure to counteract this by pursuing an exceptionally loose monetary policy.
A stable monetary union rests on the shoulders of individual Member States. Sound economic and responsible fiscal policies at national level are an essential basis for a stable monetary union.
Against this background, the founders of the monetary union put in place a rulebook that seeks to ensure sound fiscal policy: the Stability and Growth Pact. We all know that these rules were not particularly effective. They have therefore been strengthened since the crisis and complemented by a better control of macroeconomic imbalances. But even the best rules only work if they are respected. And even the best rules may not prevent a country from experiencing economic shocks.
... but union also means community
For cases where these shocks are too big to be absorbed at national level, a monetary union needs mechanisms to spread the ensuing costs over more than one pair of shoulders.
And this brings me to the second question: how can risks be shared at European level without a transfer of risk occurring which distorts the incentives for the individual Member States?
I mentioned this earlier: during the crisis, risks were shared especially by way of mutual guarantees and thus via national budgets. However, such a sharing of fiscal risks can reduce the incentives to pursue sound fiscal policies.
In order to counter this disincentive, both the risks and the monitoring would therefore have to be shared at European level. So the Presidents of the European institutions[3] including the ECB are calling for stronger fiscal integration leading to a fiscal union.
For the moment, I see little political will to create a European fiscal union. Fiscal risk-sharing, for the time being, therefore remains a problematic issue.
As long as the basic willingness to share fiscal sovereignty is lacking, we could and should then agree that sovereignty will be relinquished if a Member State does not comply with the jointly agreed objectives, such as the deficit and debt limits.
At the same time, its necessary to strengthen national ownership and private risk-sharing. From an economic perspective, it would seem obvious: if a state gets into financial difficulty, why shouldn't the state's creditors bear the losses? In reality however, this is not so easy to implement. Bear in mind how long it took to arrange that for the resolution of banks their creditors will also be liable in the future.
Where does the problem lie? It lies in the possible contagion effects and in concerns about financial stability. The creditors of countries are in many cases the domestic banks. A state bankruptcy with a bail-in could therefore trigger a financial crisis.
This problem is intensified by the fact that the regulation creates incentives for banks to hold government bonds. A bank neither has to put aside capital for government bonds nor is bound by an upper limit on how much it can be indebted vis-a-vis an individual sovereign debtor. On the one hand, government bonds are treated as if they were risk-free. On the other hand, banks may easily hold very many government bonds of a single issuer and this is usually the home country.
First, banks in this way increase their exposure to the financial problems of states. Because government bonds are not as risk-free as the regulation assumes. The crisis has shown this.
Second, it becomes easier for an individual state to run a loose fiscal policy. Its becoming more likely that systemic problems are emerging or intensifying: a state infects the national banking system, or vice versa, and the problems spread across borders. Such systemic risks can then only be kept in check by way of a fiscal risk-sharing.
In order to promote ownership and private risk-sharing, we must revise the preferential regulatory treatment of sovereign debt. One option is to introduce a risk weighting for government bonds which rises along with the concentration risk. The more government bonds held by a bank, the more capital the bank would have to hold against each of these bonds. In this way, the capital requirement and upper limit would be combined in a single rule. This would be an important step towards breaking the vicious circle between banks and sovereigns; and it would be a further step towards reinforcing the foundations of monetary union.
Private risk-sharing does not have to be exclusively via the credit markets and not solely in relation to the public sector. Investors can also help to share risks via the equity markets.
Take a German company as an example. If the German economy is hit by a shock, this company will probably be affected too. If its owners, the shareholders, are spread across many countries, the companys losses will be spread likewise.
The more cross-border financing companies have, the less the national economy is affected by any shock and the faster it can recover.
In the United States, for instance, this kind of risk-sharing works: studies show that integrated capital markets in the United States absorb 40% of the cyclical variations between the states.[4]
This speaks in favour of the European capital markets union project. And also for, as part of this project, a greater harmonisation of equity markets in particular. I admit that this is an ambitious goal as insolvency law and company law, for example, would need to be further harmonised. This step would remove a few barriers to a single European capital market.
Closing remarks
Ladies and gentlemen,
At the beginning of my speech I mentioned the Eurobarometer survey which indicated that 70% of people in the euro area want the euro as the single currency. The problem is not the idea of the euro. It is much more about repeatedly reviving citizens awareness of the benefits of a united Europe and a single currency. And about creating a solid and sustainable economic basis.
I have shared with you some proposals on how monetary union could be designed so that it responds to people's wishes and durably fulfils its objectives. Are these proposals new? No, these and other proposals for the further development of monetary union have been around for quite some time. This shows that we have no problem understanding, but we do have a problem implementing.
It's up to politicians to create a framework that is appropriate for the idea of a single currency at national as well as at European level. The longer politicians stand still, the more people will lose faith in Europe. One sign of this is that political parties which want to move backwards have recently been gaining support.
At the same time, the European Central Bank is being pushed into a role for which it was not created. Monetary policy can neither solve structural problems at national level nor institutional problems at European level. On the contrary, the more that is expected from monetary policy, the more likely it is to be overburdened.
The ECB alone cannot create growth and prosperity for all. For that, structural reforms are necessary at national and European level. At the same time, structural problems are making monetary policy less effective in the euro area.
In this context, it seems very odd to me that politicians are now criticising the European Central Bank. This endangers our independence and undermines trust.
I would like to see a political class that has the courage to lead public opinion. Politicians who have the confidence to explain to voters that a fully fledged European monetary union is not without an alternative, but that it is worthwhile even if it's proving difficult to get there. But once the idea and the reality of the euro are back in harmony, then Eurosceptic voices will not find many listeners. I am convinced of this.
Constitutional conservatives, yes, even at the state level, believe that their main, driving purpose is to protect the constitution, both at the federal level and the state level. Agree or disagree, it is what they claim to want, fight for, and live for. That is, except when they disagree with said constitutions.
Case in point on the state level is a little-known reality in our constitution that basically says that, as a citizen, if the legislature fails to respond to the will of the people, the people have a right to petition the public to create laws the legislature refuses to, for whatever reason they choose.
Fair enough, right?
Well, yes and no. But allow me to try to simplify this and explain.
There is a fair-minded reform group, headed by Lansing attorney Jeff Hank, that is making every effort, through the constitutional process, to petition the people of Michigan to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Their efforts are endorsed by national and local organizations like NORML and Michigan LEAP. There is no surprise there. But this is where it gets very interesting. As Hanks points out, the refusal, until very recently, to honor the constitution, has nothing to do with marijuana and everything to do with the hypocrisy of the state legislature and their constitutional conservative costumes.
As those who follow petition drives in Michigan know, you have a set period of time to collect signatures, assumed to be 180 days. I say assumed because it seems that the state constitution says you actually have four years. The 180-day window was never intended to be the collection period at all but the length of time established before such things like computers the state actually had to go to every election official in the state to verify the voter rolls. That is NO LONGER an issue so the 180-day window which was never intended to be the dead-set collection period for petitions is a moot point. Unless, of course, you are a Republican in Michigan and believe the constitution is only useful when it advances your agenda.
MILegalize.com is a case in point, among many other cases in point, to be honest.
No matter how you may feel about the legalization of marijuana, you should have very definitive feelings about the way in which the GOP-controlled legislature is acting, especially among the so-called constitutional conservatives and how they interpret or ignore the constitution.
A recent court ruling recently overturned a state GOP law, signed by Governor Rick Snyder, that took away the ability of school systems to educate their residents about millage renewals, sinking fund requests, and tax increases for their schools 60 days before an election. Not only were school districts outraged, so were most in the communities they serve. The court ruled the law was unconstitutional and overturned the law, which the state agreed this week to honor.
Now we have Senate Bill 776 that, if it passes the House and is signed by the Governor which I am sure it will be will create that 180-window the constitution forbids. This is all in response to Jeff Hanks finding within the constitution, not a loophole, but a reality that for decades the state has improperly and unconstitutionally limited the collection of signatures to the aforementioned 180-day window. Imagine the petitions that have been signed and came up just short that would have benefited from the revelation of this constitutional guarantee, which was not discovered until a few weeks ago.
Although the mainstream media has covered this story to a small degree, this is NOT, I repeat NOT about MILegalize.com but about the constitution and how we perceive it.
Even former Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley had the foresight to rule in favor of the constitution decades ago. But his ruling has been ignored for many years now and the GOP response to this discovery was to close the window.
The problem? You cant change the constitution without a vote of the people and while the Chair of the House Elections Committee, Rep. Lisa Lyons (R) will allow two efforts currently under way, MILegalize.com and the anti-fracking measure the extra time to collect signatures, she is also endorsing the bill that will close the real window of four years to the 180-day window that is currently unconstitutional.
This is not an easy issue to work through and if I were to get into the details in full I would lose you. But I can safely say this explanation is the real broad strokes of what is a major diss of our state constitution. Clearly, even after a recent court ruling that sends a message to the legislature that passing unconstitutional laws is NOT legal and is ripe for legal challenge. But they seemingly do not care for the constitution or the law. Hardly a surprise.
As for the pro-legalization efforts of MILegalize.com, they are very close to their goal of collecting enough signatures to place this measure on the November ballot and have until June 1 to complete their mission. However, they do need help and are offering to pay people to help collect signatures. Just go to their website and click on the Volunteer Packages link for instructions on how you can help. Remember, close is not close enough and if you believe that allowing legal use of recreational marijuana and ending the 20,000 unnecessary arrests of people each year for marijuana-related crimes, your time and energies are needed now.
The lack of blog posts over the past couple of weeks is due to the fact that I was in Canada for a week-long business trip two weeks ago that involved me working 8-10 hour shifts, grabbing a quick bite to eat on the fly, and then catching a few hours of sleep before heading back to the plant. I got home Friday night at around 9 p.m. and was back at the airport the next morning to fly to Ireland for a wedding/vacation.
Interestingly and unexpectedly, the day we arrived in Dublin was the 100-year anniversary of the Easter Rising that essentially created the nation of Ireland was we know it today. That several-day uprising was crushed by the British but marked the beginning of the end of British rule of Ireland. Anne and I watched parades, speeches, and got to experience the enormous Irish pride in their independence and the heroes who led that effort 100 years ago.
At any rate, it was a lovely and necessary break that involved getting LOLGOP married and considerable Irish whiskey & pints of Guinness.
What happened in Michigan while I was gone is jaw-dropping.
First, Gov. Snyder agreed to conduct a public relations ploy by drinking filtered Flint water at home and at work every day for 30 days. Then, a few days into his gesture, he left for a week-long European trip, promising to return to drinking the citys water upon his return. The tragic issues facing Flint arent just news in the U.S., by the way. In both Canada and Ireland, anytime I told people Im from Michigan the issue of the Flint water crisis came up immediately.
Then Attorney General Bill Schuette astonished many of us by filing indictments against three people related to the Snyder administrations poisoning of Flints water with lead. However, none of the top people involved in the calamity were held responsible. Instead, Schuette chose two employees in the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and a worker in the Flint water department:
The charges against the three defendants Michael Prysby, a district engineer with the State Department of Environmental Quality; Stephen Busch, a district supervisor in the same department; and Michael Glasgow, the citys utilities manager included tampering with evidence contained in reports on lead levels in city water, and the two state officials were also charged with conspiracy to tamper with evidence. [] Among other things, the workers were accused of distorting the results by directing residents to run their water before it was tested and failing to collect samples from some houses they were required to test. That had the effect of making the levels of lead in the water supply appear far less dangerous than they were, and falsely reassured officials who could have intervened months earlier, as well as residents, that the water was safe. [] The three men face a total of 13 charges, a mix of felonies and misdemeanors. The state workers have been suspended without pay, Mr. Snyder said late Wednesday. Mr. Glasgow has been placed on administrative leave, [Flint Mayor Karen] Weaver said.
Aside from ignoring the Emergency Managers in charge when decisions were made that lead to Flints drinking water being poisoned, the choice to lay blame at the feet of Glasgow is particularly astonishing. He was an early whistle-blower in the Flint water crisis and was instructed by DEQ regulators to make changes to water testing reports. He also tried to put the breaks on the switch to the Flint River for the citys drinking water supply but was shut down. Now hes being thrown under the bus while, so far, at least, Flints Emergency Managers and other higher-ups in the DEQ are not being held accountable. Schuette has pledged that there is more to come so perhaps that will change.
While were on the topic of Flints Emergency Managers, when Darnell Earley testified before a Congressional committee last month, he had a high-priced attorney sitting at his side. That racked up over $70,000 in fees and now Earley has sent a bill to the city of Flint to pay for his lawyer:
Earley, whose office was searched by state investigators on Feb. 29, and who told the City of Flint on March 11 that he is under criminal investigation in connection with the lead contamination of Flints drinking water, wants the city to pay legal fees that already have topped $75,000 and continue to grow, records obtained under Michigans Freedom of Information Act show. Flint City Councilwoman Jacqueline Poplar reacted with outrage Friday when she learned of the Earley invoices from a Free Press reporter. If he did send a bill shame on him, Poplar said. The City of Flint shouldnt be giving him a dime for legal fees or anything else. I would like him to refund every penny the City of Flint paid him to take us down this road.
Earley is likely to have significant legal standing to do this, by the way. Public Act 436 specifically says so:
If, after the date that the service of an emergency manager is concluded, the emergency manager or any employee, agent, appointee, or contractor of the emergency manager is subject to a claim, demand, or lawsuit arising from an action taken during the service of that emergency manager, and not covered by a procured workers compensation, general liability, professional liability, or motor vehicle insurance, litigation expenses of the emergency manager or any employee, agent, appointee, or contractor of the emergency manager, including attorney fees for civil and criminal proceedings and preparation for reasonably anticipated proceedings, and payments made in settlement of civil proceedings both filed and anticipated, shall be paid out of the funds of the local government that is or was subject to the receivership administered by that emergency manager , provided that the litigation expenses are approved by the state treasurer and that the state treasurer determines that the conduct resulting in actual or threatened legal proceedings that is the basis for the payment is based upon both of the following: (a) The scope of authority of the person or entity seeking the payment. (b) The conduct occurred on behalf of a local government while it was in receivership under this act.
As my daily counter over there in the right sidebar shows, as of today it has now been 214 days since Gov. Snyder admitted that Flints water had been poisoned with lead. Since that day, not one lead water service line has been replaced through the efforts of the Snyder administration. Not only that, we now know that the funds allocated by Republicans in their budget for the coming year are short by half of the necessary amount needed to fix the problem:
The state could be $28 million short of where it needs to be to replace all of the affected lines responsible for the lead-tainted drinking water crisis in Flint, a top adviser to Gov. Rick Snyder said Friday. In a private meeting Thursday in Lansing with House Speaker Kevin Cotter, R-Mt. Pleasant, and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, Richard Baird, a senior aide to Snyder who is leading the states response team to the Flint crisis, said the administrations original $27-million budget for pipe replacement has grown to $55 million. The elevated estimate came as a result of a new inventory of the citys lead service lines, which are blamed for leaching lead into the water supply, Baird said Originally, the Snyder administration asked the state Legislature for $25 million in water line replacement as part of a nearly $200-million aid package for Flint, a city of nearly 100,000. The city already has $2 million from the state to replace about 500 lines, according to Baird. But the governors top adviser on Flint said in an interview that the figure is likely not enough given new information about the scope and cost to remove lead lines as well as galvanized lines, which are also suspected of leaching lead.
Keep in mind that this is all a direct result of the corrosive, untreated Flint River water that damaged the water lines throughout the entire system. Whats not figured into any of these estimates is how much damage occurred to appliance and other water fixtures in peoples homes. Dishwashers and clothes washers throughout the city are likely to have been severely damaged and nobody is talking about compensating Flint city residents for this. And they SHOULD be.
And, finally with respect to the Flint debacle, we learn today that Republicans in the state legislature are slow-walking increased medical care funding to residents of Flint. In March, federal regulators okayed expanding Medicaid coverage to a wider pool of recipients in Flint. Two months later, Republicans have yet to act on it:
Two months ago this week, the federal government approved Gov. Rick Snyders request to extend Medicaid health insurance to another 14,000 Flint children and 1,000 pregnant women who may have been exposed to toxic lead through the citys tainted drinking water. But the health care coverage has yet to be activated because it requires approval of the state Legislature, where the wounds of a divisive 2013 Medicaid expansion battle still linger. Snyders request to give health insurance to thousands of additional Flint residents got wrapped into a $144 million supplemental funding bill for the city. That bill was put on a slower track with the overall $55 billion state budget, which lawmakers plan to pass by June. The speed is frustrating. Were losing that sense of urgency at the state and federal level, said Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the Hurley Medical Center pediatrician who last year discovered high levels of lead in the blood of Flint children.
In other words, this is largely a Republican-caused crisis thats now being made worse by Republicans who are still playing games related to Medicaid expansion in Michigan, largely because of their simmering hatred of President Obama and his signature accomplishment, the Affordable Care Act. The word disgusting is inadequate.
Lets turn now to Detroit Public Schools, another debacle caused by Republican policies and overseen by the Snyder administration. While I was gone, DPS Emergency Manager Steven Rhodes announced that the school district will not have enough money to pay its teachers at the end of June when emergency funds from the state run out. The impact of this falls most painfully on the two-thirds of teachers who agreed to have their paychecks decreased during the school year in order to receive checks throughout the summer when school is not in session. So, not only have they been receiving reduced payments, the money they earned is no longer available. This has prompted a call by the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) for a district-wide sick-out that closed 94 Detroit schools today:
A mass of teacher sickouts has shut down 94 schools in Detroit Public Schools today, as teachers protest the news Saturday that the district wont be able to pay them past June 30. The district enrolls about 46,000 students in 97 schools. The Detroit Federation of Teachers on Sunday called for the mass sick-out of the districts 2,600 teachers. DPS emergency manager Judge Steven Rhodes told the union Saturday that unless the state Legislature approves sending more money to the district, there is not enough in the coffers to pay teachers their already-earned salaries after June 30. Summer school and extended special education services would also be canceled. Teachers said they had been told that the $48.7 million allocated by the Legislature last month to fund the district through June 30 would cover summer pay for the approximately two-thirds of district teachers who signed up for the plan, which allows for paychecks year-round instead of just during the school year.
Keep this one thing firmly in your mind when you hear Republicans and anti-public schools reformers blame this on the schools and teachers themselves: the Detroit Public School system has been under the control of the state government for 14 of the past 17 years. In other words, this isnt a problem caused by an inept or corrupt school board or by greedy, over-paid teachers. This is a problem caused by inadequate funding of and investment in the school system by the state government for nearly two decades. And this is despite having privatized much of the operations and conducted failed experiments like the Education Achievement Authority.
What school reformers want us all to believe is that for-profit charter schools can do it all better and make a profit at the same time. So far, there has been no evidence of this in Detroit or elsewhere.
In the meantime, Republicans are trying once again to put money in the state education budget for private schools in violation of the state constitution.
Sometimes it just doesnt pay to take a vacation
Apples top legal official on Tuesday appeared before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee and reiterated the companys willingness to help law enforcement on active cases and cooperate on long-term solutions, despite its contentious legal battle with the FBI over the encrypted iPhone used in the San Bernardino terrorist attack.
Apple works daily on an operational level with law enforcement on a number of cases, General Counsel Bruce Sewell told legislators. Among past collaborations were one that involved child abduction and a case in which lives were saved.
The company is willing to work with law enforcement when they cannot crack the code on encrypted data, he said in response to questioning.
Despite its cooperative stance, Apple would not be able to establish some sort of lockbox to provide law enforcement with a key to access encrypted data without risking the security of its data platform, Sewell said.
We havent figured out a way that we can create an access point and then create a set of locks to protect access through that access point, he said in response to questioning. The problem is the key to that lock will ultimately be available somewhere.
Sewell was one of several encryption and cybersecurity experts who testified at the hearing. His testimony followed remarks by a top FBI official and two local law enforcement experts.
His concerns about the vulnerabilities of a backdoor were echoed by Matthew Blaze, an associate professor of computer and information science at the University of Pennsylvania, who testified that he discovered the same kind of vulnerabilities in the backdoor Clipper Chip encryption device, which the National Security Agency introduced in the 1990s.
Sewell pushed back hard against suggestions in the local law enforcement officials testimony that Apple had provided source code to the Chinese government and that Apple had a created a key to access encrypted data 19 months ago but threw it away.
He also balked at suggestions that Apple had decided to provide passcode encryption with its next generation of iCloud, saying nothing has been announced.
Prefer to Stay In-House
In earlier testimony, Amy Hess, executive assistant director for science and technology at the FBI, conceded that the bureau should not rely on gray hats to help it access encrypted data going forward.
However, the FBI is not equipped to handle encrypted data investigations on its own, she added.
These types of solutions that we do employ and we can employ require a lot of highly skilled, specialized resources that we may not have readily available to us, Hess said in response to questioning.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has expressed the hope that when the FBI calls on outside parties for help, it will then share with Apple or other technology firms any information gained about vulnerabilities exploited to access data, said Parker Higgins, a spokesperson for the organization.
However, that issue was not addressed at the hearing, he told the E-Commerce Times.
Police Stymied
The growing use of encryption in messaging apps and mobile phones has led to real consequences for police investigations on the local level.
During a six-month period ending in March of this year, the New York Police Department was locked out of 67 Apple devices connected with 23 felonies, 10 homicides, two rapes and one case in which two officers were shot in the line of duty, said NYPD Chief of Intelligence Thomas Galati in testimony before the committee.
In every case we have the file cabinet, as it were, and the legal authority to open it, but we lack the technical ability to do so because encryption protects the contents of those 67 Apple devices, he testified.
The Indiana State Police examined 1,000 mobile phones related to crimes, testified Captain Charles Cohen, commander, intelligence and investigative technologies.
An estimated 40 percent of the phones involved in Internet crimes against children contain encryption that prevents forensic examination.
Apple and other tech companies should censor the apps that are allowed in their libraries, rejecting those that contain encryption capabilities that might thwart future investigations, according to several officials. That suggestion raised the ire of a number of privacy and technology advocates.
The suggestion that app stores could be used to censor encryption apps is beyond the pale, said Ross Schulman, Co-Director of New Americas Cybersecurity Initiative.
The only way to truly keep encryption apps out of the United States would be to recreate the Great Firewall of China, he told the E-Commerce Times. The suggestion would be wholly destructive to commerce within the United States and anathema to the First Amendment.
Google has rehired former executive Rick Osterloh to lead its hardware businesses, which it plans to consolidate under a single division, according to news reports published last week.
Osterloh, who recently stepped down as president of Motorola, reportedly will head up Googles Nexus business, which will include a suite of products dubbed the living room.
It looks like Google is trying to develop a coherent hardware product strategy and fix the hodgepodge collection of hardware products scattered all over Google, said Kevin Krewell, principal analyst at Tirias Research.
With a centralized group, Google can share development expertise and costs. It should lead to better products and products that work together, he told the E-Commerce Times.
Unified Devices
Google reportedly had planned to reshuffle its hardware businesses following the departure of Regina Dugan, advanced technology and project chief, who left to join Facebook. It was developing technologies such as artificial intelligence and upgrading its existing product line, including Chromebooks, to better compete against a number of startups.
In addition to Nexus, the new division reportedly will include Googles OnHub home router, Chromecast, ATAP and Google Glass, the wearable headgear that is being redeveloped under Project Aura.
Nest CEO Tony Fadell will remain as an adviser to the Glass team. Hiroshi Lockheimer will continue to work on Nexus, but he will move over to work on software and platform development.
Most people figured that Osterloh wouldnt be unemployed for long after leaving Motorola, said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.
Along with being highly experienced and skilled, hes well-liked and respected across the industry, he told the E-Commerce Times.
Motorola Moves
Google agreed tosell its Motorola Mobility smartphone business to Lenovo in 2014 for US$2.91 billion, a move designed to increase Lenovos presence in the U.S. and Latin American smartphone business. The deal made Lenovo the worlds third largest maker of smartphones at the time.
In one of his first major moves after the sale closed, Osterloh last year led the re-entry of Motorola into the Chinese market with the Moto G and Moto X, two years after the company withdrew from that market. The Chinese market had been a difficult environment to compete in, as rivals such as Xiaomi and Huawei were growing at a rapid pace and pushed Motorola on price.
The China re-entry was one of his proudest moments at the company, he said last year.
International device makers that cant make themselves relevant to Chinese consumers are dead, Osterloh said. Meanwhile, savvy homegrown companies are taking advantage of this landscape to use China as a launchpad for their own global ambitions.
The American market was still important but mature and in some ways stodgy, he said, adding that the most interesting opportunities in mobile was on the frontiers of the business.
Wait and See
During the fiscal third quarter, which ended in December, Lenovo reported that global smartphone volume was down 18.1 percent year over year, with 20.2 million units sold.
Little-known Chinese mobile phone companiesOPPO andVivo pushed Lenovo and Xiaomi out of the worlds top five smartphone market share rankings, IDC reported last week.
Motorola earlier this year announced plans to restructure its businesses by focusing on two product subbrands, Moto and Vibe.
Lenovo last month announced plans to restructure its global business, which included naming Xudong Chen and Aymar de Lencquesaing, the former head of Lenovo North America, as co-presidents of its Mobile Business Group.
Osterloh is well regarded, but Googles hardware business has gone nowhere and the question, is can anyone make it work? said analyst Jeff Kagan.
Its not like at Motorola he has transformed the business into a hot growing handset opportunity under Lenovo, he told the E-Commerce Times.
So while there is great opportunity with Google, I would rather withhold judgment and see if he can get the hardware business off the ground, Kagan added.
If he fails, I wouldnt blame him. Google has not been successful with Nexus or other hardware to date, Kagan said. So I just consider this another shot for Google.
The Obama administration has authorized a new online campaign in its slow, grinding war against ISIS, The New York Times reported earlier this week. The Pentagons Cyber Command will target ISIS in a way that essentially will get inside the heads of terrorist commanders to disrupt their military operations.
The goal appears to be to sow mistrust and confusion among ISIS leaders by interfering with their ability to pay their soldiers, execute operational orders, recruit new fighters, and communicate with one other.
The plan amounts to dropping cyberbombs on the enemy, Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert O. Work told the Times, which is something the U.S. never before has done in such a large-scale battlefield environment.
Shift in Strategy
The Cyber Commands primary focus has been on Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, Admiral Michael S. Rogers, commander of the unit, said in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month.
Also known as the Islamic State in the Levant, or ISIL, ISIS has limited organic cyberwarfare capabilities, he told lawmakers, and it has used the Web primarily for recruiting, propaganda, radicalization and fundraising.
The Pentagon intends to use cyberwarfare as one tool in the toolbox, suggested Isaac Porche III, associate director of the Forces and Logistics Program at the Rand Arroyo Center.
Although he has no inside information on the Pentagon strategy, it appears that the aim is to break the will of the enemy, he told TechNewsWorld.
That type of effort is not used as a substitute for traditional counterterrorism or battleground campaigns, but in conjunction with them, Porche pointed out.
Cyber is just one domain that we fight in, and all the domains have to be addressed, he emphasized. No one domain is necessarily the place to take on an adversary. They understand its a test of wills.
As a nation, the U.S. has to be prepared to respond to retaliatory attacks, Porche said.
One of the reasons there have been so few major attacks on the U.S. is that enemies know retaliation could come in a multitude of ways.
The response from the U.S. would not necessarily be in cyber, Porche noted.
Domestic Concerns
In many ways, the U.S. is living in a pre-cyber-disaster world, observed GreatHorn CEO Kevin OBrien. That is, it has not suffered a crippling large-scale cyberattack from a foreign entity.
We have not yet seen a cyberattack take down the power grid, disrupt critical infrastructure, or so far as we know gain access to military secrets, OBrien told TechNewsWorld. However, it is likely a matter of time before we see one of these events take place. There are routes through our cyberdefenses that are largely unsecured.
For example, ISIS last year gained access to the Twitter accounts of U.S. Central Command, OBrien noted.
While this was essentially Web vandalism, one can imagine a scenario where instead of posting propaganda pictures, they used their access to begin a more sophisticated, longer-term, and insidious social engineering attack against targets both public and private, he suggested.
Federal prosecutors just last month charged seven Iranians working for two companies sponsored by the Iranian government, ITSECTeam and Mersad, with a series of crimes against U.S. financial institutions that resulted in losses of tens of millions of dollars.
The suspects between 2011 and 2013 allegedly used botnets and other malicious computer code to carry out distributed Denial of Service attacks on nearly 50 financial institutions, preventing victims from gaining online access to their bank accounts.
One of the suspects, Hamid Firoozi, allegedly gained access to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems of the Bowman Dam in Rye, N.Y., in 2013.
Separately, federal prosecutors last month charged three members of the Syrian Electronic Army, a pro-Assad hacker collective, with spearphishing attacks against U.S. media organizations, a U.S. Marine Corp recruitment site, and the Executive Office of the President.
The Defense Department did not respond to our request to comment for this story.
Blog Archive June 2021 (1) May 2021 (77) April 2021 (77) March 2021 (82) February 2021 (68) January 2021 (64) December 2020 (67) November 2020 (66) October 2020 (66) September 2020 (67) August 2020 (74) July 2020 (83) June 2020 (92) May 2020 (86) April 2020 (104) March 2020 (105) February 2020 (74) January 2020 (75) December 2019 (75) November 2019 (70) October 2019 (89) September 2019 (69) August 2019 (81) July 2019 (77) June 2019 (73) May 2019 (110) April 2019 (110) March 2019 (102) February 2019 (85) January 2019 (123) December 2018 (116) November 2018 (112) October 2018 (121) September 2018 (107) August 2018 (150) July 2018 (163) June 2018 (190) May 2018 (145) April 2018 (112) March 2018 (124) February 2018 (113) January 2018 (164) December 2017 (150) November 2017 (144) October 2017 (169) September 2017 (171) August 2017 (135) July 2017 (131) June 2017 (147) May 2017 (160) April 2017 (138) March 2017 (156) February 2017 (143) January 2017 (203) December 2016 (208) November 2016 (185) October 2016 (173) September 2016 (194) August 2016 (232) July 2016 (225) June 2016 (238) May 2016 (231) April 2016 (215) March 2016 (246) February 2016 (226) January 2016 (252) December 2015 (230) November 2015 (250) October 2015 (234) September 2015 (222) August 2015 (253) July 2015 (275) June 2015 (279) May 2015 (223) April 2015 (226) March 2015 (243) February 2015 (258) January 2015 (281) December 2014 (292) November 2014 (296) October 2014 (413) September 2014 (472) August 2014 (506) July 2014 (483) June 2014 (488) May 2014 (512) April 2014 (497) March 2014 (531) February 2014 (482) January 2014 (535) December 2013 (482) November 2013 (441) October 2013 (416) September 2013 (491) August 2013 (521) July 2013 (491) June 2013 (470) May 2013 (457) April 2013 (426) March 2013 (420) February 2013 (414) January 2013 (489) December 2012 (433) November 2012 (504) October 2012 (469) September 2012 (430) August 2012 (427) July 2012 (360) June 2012 (336) May 2012 (362) April 2012 (322) March 2012 (263) February 2012 (224) January 2012 (291) December 2011 (295) November 2011 (325) October 2011 (330) September 2011 (319) August 2011 (333) July 2011 (318) June 2011 (387) May 2011 (373) April 2011 (389) March 2011 (375) February 2011 (335) January 2011 (400) December 2010 (445) November 2010 (395) October 2010 (312) September 2010 (262) August 2010 (277) July 2010 (323) June 2010 (386) May 2010 (360) April 2010 (333) March 2010 (351) February 2010 (336) January 2010 (384) December 2009 (353) November 2009 (300) October 2009 (308) September 2009 (350) August 2009 (298) July 2009 (255) June 2009 (203) May 2009 (193) April 2009 (186) March 2009 (197) February 2009 (173) January 2009 (148) December 2008 (181) November 2008 (197) October 2008 (236) September 2008 (304) August 2008 (314) July 2008 (273) June 2008 (27) May 2008 (1) April 2008 (6) October 2007 (1) May 2007 (1) April 2007 (6) March 2007 (2) February 2007 (1) October 2006 (1) September 2006 (1) August 2006 (4) July 2006 (4) June 2006 (1) July 2005 (1) May 2005 (2) March 2005 (1) June 2004 (2) May 2004 (1) April 2004 (4) March 2004 (2) February 2004 (2) July 2003 (2) June 2003 (5)
GREENSBORO In a surprise move, two top executives at Unifi that are widely credited within the textile industry for the growth of the Repreve recycled polyester brand, have suddenly departed the US yarn producer. In a filing to the US Securities and Exchange commission, Unifi has announced the departure of CEO Bill Jasper and COO Roger Berrier who both joined the board in September 2007 and championed the Repreve recycled polyester brand which helped the company turn around it fortunes after financial problems stemming from 2000.
Jasper and Berrier left the company effective Wednesday 27th April and a regulatory statement was filed with the SEC on Thursday 29th.
Daniel and Philip Berrigan on the cover of Time Magazine on Jan. 25, 1971.
Tributes have flowed for Daniel J. Berrigan, a Jesuit priest whose defiance of the Vietnam War landed him in prison drawing both the praise and barbs of many Americans and who died April 30 at the age of 94 in the Bronx, New York.
The poet priest and activist died at Murray-Weigel Hall, the Jesuit infirmary at Fordham University.
His father Thomas was an Irish Catholic trade unionist and his mother Frieda was of German descent.
"The United States was tearing itself apart over civil rights and the war in Southeast Asia when Father Berrigan emerged in the 1960s as an intellectual star of the Roman Catholic "new left," articulating a view that racism and poverty, militarism and capitalist greed were interconnected pieces of the same big problem: an unjust society," Daniel Lewis, wrote in his New York Times obituary.
Berrigan and his younger brother, Philip Berrigan, emerged as leaders of the radical anti-war movement in the 1960s, reported The Associated Press.
Berrigan's was basically a religious position derived from a rigorous reading of the Scriptures "that some called pure and others radical" writes Lewis.
"But it would have explosive political consequences as Father Berrigan; his brother Philip, a Josephite priest; and their allies took their case to the streets with rising disregard for the law or their personal fortunes."
MAIRHEAD MAGUIRE
Northern Ireland peace activist, Mairead Maguire, a Nobel Peace Laureate and founder of Peace People wrote in America: The National Catholic Review that "Father Dan was a man of great courage, whose life touched millions, not only through his writings but especially by his actions.
"His message was delivered with great clarity and based on his passionate belief in the power of the Gospel of Nonviolence and Jesus's message of no killing and love of enemies."
Maguire said that as a young man, Berrigan knew the cost of war, when his four brothers left home to join the Second World War.
"They returned having witnessed much horror and suffering and it was out of this experience came the Berrigan Brothers conviction of what Father Dan called 'the sin of war' and their lifetime commitment to the abolition of war, nuclear weapons and all forms of violence."
In May 1968, the Berrigan brothers went into a draft board in Catonsville, Maryland, in May 1968 with seven other activists, removing records of young men about to be sent to Vietnam, taking them outside, placing them in garbage cans and burning them.
They were dubbed the Catonsville Nine, convicted on federal charges that accused them of destroying U.S. property and interfering with the Selective Service Act of 1967, The Associated Press reported in The Guardian .
They received prison sentences ranging from two to three and a half years.
The brothers made the Jan. 25, 1971 cover of Time magazine under the headline, "Rebel Priests: The Curious Case of the Berrigans."
In 2009 Berrigan was asked by America magazine if he had any regrets about his actions and he replied: "I could have done sooner the things I did, like Catonsville."
Father Berrigan was released from the Danbury penitentiary in 1972; the Jesuits, alarmed at his failing health, managed to get him out early. He then resumed his travels.
RELEASE FROM JAIL
Lewis writes in the Times that after his release from Danbury penitentiary in 1972 Father Berrigan accused Israel of "militarism" and the "domestic repressions" of Palestinians and his remarks angered many American Jews.
"Let us call this by its right name," wrote Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, himself a contentious figure among religious scholars: "old-fashioned theological anti-Semitism."
However Philip Weiss wrote in Mondoweiss, "Sadly the Times did not quote from the speech in any fair measure."
He adds, "It's a pity that the New York Times doesn't explain that Berrigan's critique of Israel was equally harsh to his criticism of the United States at the time; and more important, that it was prophetic."
However Lewis writes in the Times that Berrigan was also not universally admired by Catholics.
"Many faulted him for not singling out repressive Communist states in his diatribes against the world order, and later for not lending his voice to the outcry over sexual abuse by priests."
Father Daniel's brother Philip, died in 2002, aged 79.
Berrigan continued his life of activism and was arrested a number of times in the 1980s and remained opposed to wars such as American intervention in Central America, the Gulf War in 1991, the Kosovo War, the U.S. foray into Afghanistan, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Considered to be the Ten Best UFO Photos Ever Taken I am sure that we could add more pictures to this list but these are considered ten o...
I completed my schooling from Anand Niketan Shilaj in Ahmedabad. Since class IX, I was sure I wanted to study anthropology. Anthropology is fundamentally concerned with human relations and the plurality within cultures, societies and communities. My parents thought I would change plans and my father wanted me to pursue medicine, but I was firm. As anthropology is not a very well-known discipline in India, I was sure that I would have to pursue my higher education in a foreign country.
Canada has good resources for higher education. I applied to five universities and was offered admission to each one of them. However, I decided to select York as the anthropology department at the university is known for its focus on the socio-cultural aspects of the discipline. Students get to study both the social and cultural schools of thought that have contributed to the discipline.
During my first year at York, I learnt that I can obtain a double major that would allow me to graduate with two subjects without any additional time or cost. I, thus, decided to opt for political science as my second major as I felt it would provide me the skills that would complement anthropology well. The course material at York is interesting and the professors are genuinely enthusiastic about the discipline. I have the most intellectually stimulating conversations with my professors and classmates.
When I tell people I am majoring in anthropology, I get sceptical responses. Many wonder about the career prospects the degree offers. Few know that a course in anthropology inculcates such skills among students that are important to succeed in several careers related to language, culture, writing and analysis. For me, anthropology helps me make sense of the world and what is going around. Political science, on the other hand, teaches me about power, holding it accountable and understanding how it can change the world for the better. I thus get to study two highly stimulating subjects.
Anthropology and political science use different methods of teaching. The former is committed to on-field experience as a method of learning. We learn by throwing ourselves among people and participating and observing them at the same time. It is fun! We have three-hour lectures followed by field trips to the place where we conduct research.
The latter is more about the macro-level processes of governance, particularly in a democracy. The department at York is different from other universities, because it constantly pushes us to think and redefine the political. Political science courses are of two hours duration each with a one-hour tutorial where we engage in in-depth discussions about the materials we are taught in class.
My education and training make me an ideal candidate for different careers. I already have a job at my university where I work as a peer mentor for other students. I also mentor students from Central Asia, under the Aga Khan Development Network. I am active in many organisations on campus such as the Model United Nations, UNICEF, etc. On completion of my course, I may return to India and become a professor or go on to pursue an MBA and work in the field of business or organisational anthropology.
-As told to Ruchi Chopda
How would you define skill?
Skill is the acquired ability that increases the efficiency and performance of an individual while performing a defined task. Professionals from across fields require a broad range of skills in order to contribute to a modern economy. Professionals must skill, up-skill and re-skill themselves according to the needs of their job.
What is your focus to train the existing workforce or create a new trained workforce?
Our approach for skill development in the country currently is multi-fold. It is imperative to skill fresh talent and upgrade and re-skill the existing workforce to the level of standards identified by industries. The National Skill Mission clearly defines our mandate to provide skill development to 40.2 crore people by the end of 2022.
The ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship (MSDE) has also identified that there are large numbers of people who are skilled in a particular area but do not have a formal recognition. To address this issue, we have launched the Recognition of Prior Learning Programme, which aims to access and certify people for their existing skills.
Are there enough jobs in the country to accommodate the new skilled workforce?
Certainly. We need a job ready workforce for national missions like the Make in India, Digital India, Smart Cities, etc. We also need a workforce that is acquainted with model technology so we are not dependent on resources from international markets. We need to upgrade the skills of our workforce to match the needs of the technical expertise that we need.
We have mapped our standards with the standards of the United Kingdom and Australia. We will soon be signing a MoU with the United Arab Emirates on mutual recognition of the skill standards in the respective countries.
What kind of jobs does the Skill India campaign focus on?
Our focus is spread as per the geographical requirements across the country. This ensures that professionals get jobs that interest them and there is less need for migration. Similarly, we have studied the markets and the requirements of industries. Accordingly, our Sector Skill Councils identify sectoral needs. We have developed 1,661 qualification packs from which the youth can identify courses and get skilled.
Skill India initiatives focus on the priority sectors of the Make in India campaign which includes strategic manufacturing, automotive, constructions, infrastructure, food processing, textiles, tourism, wellness, etc.
We are also supporting the Digital India and Smart Cities campaigns by training the required workforce. By 2020, the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), will become compulsory for a government job and will integrate vocational education, skill training, general education, technical education and the job market.
Which industry do you foresee a growth in?
According to a CII-KPMG report, India is the fastest growing services economy. The country has contributed 61% to the GDP. The IT-BPM industry, one of the largest employers in India with 3.7 million people, is also poised for a major growth and will touch $143 billion during the ongoing fiscal year. The other sectors that will enjoy growth are healthcare and tourism. Technology, innovation and creativity are rapidly redefining the global economy with digitisation collapsing distances and transcending borders.
We are also focusing on the manufacturing sector, an industry that presently contributes 10-12% to Indias GDP. If India envisions a double digit growth in the future, we ought to enhance the contribution of the manufacturing sector.
A number of qualified Indians settle overseas under the highly skilled migrants programme (HSMP) in the UK, New Zealand, Australia, etc. Does India lose its skilled workforce to other countries? What do you think can be done to stop this outflow of talent?
The Prime Minister has aimed to make India the skill capital of the world. He envisions India as the hub of skilled workforce towards which countries could turn to for their skills requirement. Moreover, employment in India would be limited. The demand for skilled youth in India will not surpass the supply, at least in the coming few years. We will soon be signing a MoU with the ministry of external affairs to train people for employment overseas, adhering to globally identified skill standards.
The HRD ministry recently agreed to make the two-year diploma courses at ITIs equivalent to a class XII certificate. When will this be implemented?
We are working with the MHRD to provide for a pathway for horizontal migration from skill development to general education. Some countries have provided for convergence among different education systems. One can reach the university level from post-secondary through junior colleges/centralised institutes, polytechnics or institutes of technical education (ITEs). We are working on a similar recognition to our courses in the ITIs. We had a meeting with AICTE in this regard as well, and are hopeful for some encouraging developments in the near future.
How do you plan to utilise the 2016 budget allotted for skill development?
As announced, we will create 1,500 multi-skill training institutes (MSTIs) which will be the new generation industrial training institutes (ITIs) set up in public-private partnership (PPP) mode. These will be set up in those blocks and districts of the country that are yet to focus on skill development.
To achieve our target of skilling one crore youth over the next three years under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), we are setting up model skill centres across more than 500 districts in the country.
The formation of the National Board for Skill Development Certification (NBSDC) is another big step in further strengthening the skill ecosystem. It will see representation from both, government and industry, which will collectively enable a joint framework for quality skill assessment.
Assessment processes in the country so far have been highly fragmented and varied. The NBSC will act as a one stop shop for examinations, assessments and awarding national-level certificates in compliance with National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) for skill development courses in the country. Thus, it is envisaged that the board will be an autonomous organisation with the mandate of ensuring that the skills assessment ecosystem in the country is maintained at a designated standard.
We will work to deliver entrepreneurship, education and training in 2,200 colleges, 300 schools, 500 government ITIs and 50 vocational training centres. Aspiring entrepreneurs will be connected to mentors and credit markets.
You recently stated that over 18 lakh people have been under PMKVY scheme over the last eight months. By when do you aim to reach your target of enrolling 24 lakh people? On reaching this target, how does the government plan to utilise this skilled manpower?
Under the scheme, the target of training 24 lakh people was divided into fresh training (14 lakh) and recognition of prior learning (RPL) (10 lakh). We have already crossed the mark of 14 lakh freshly trained people out of which nine lakh have also been assessed and certified.
However, we faced some initial challenges in training under the RPL since the programme focuses on the recognition of skills people already possess. This skilled workforce is distributed across formal and informal sectors with a majority in the latter.
We have reviewed the framework and have proposed a different approach to processes in both, the formal and informal sectors. Moreover, the financial viability of the process has been duly considered and accordingly, amendments to the guidelines have been made.
A skilled individual has three options employment, enhancement or entrepreneurship. S/he can opt for employment; however, as I said, the options are limited. The second option for an individual is to enhance their skills through high level courses in that sector. Lastly, skilled professionals can become entrepreneurs and contribute to the growth of the country.
Lauding the entrepreneurial mindset of Indian students, Alice Gast , president of Imperial College London , says she is keen to attract more talent from the country. During her recent visit to Delhi, Gast reiterated the views from her article in The Times in UK, saying: When Indian students come to our universities, something special happens --- academic, creative and entrepreneurial excellence synthesise.
Gast was in India to reconnect with alumni and their families. She also held talks with partner institutions on collaborative research. The college partnered with IIT Delhi during its founding years and continues to be an important collaborator. She was accompanied by John Chambers, professor of cardiovascular epidemiology at the college, who is leading a study on ethnic south Asians in London and their susceptibility to diabetes due to genetics and other factors.
Its wonderful to have had such a diverse gathering at the receptions, and to have the opportunity to not only meet alumni, but also to welcome our incoming students. We have a strong and enduring relationship with India, and we are grateful to our alumni associations for all of the work they do. In Delhi, Gast made a special mention of Jag Mohan Puri (Mechanical Engineering 1958), who founded the Imperial College Alumni Association of India in 1991 at the British Council in Kolkata.
Gast expressed concerns that following the UK student visa changes, Indian students may feel that the UK is less open to Indian entrepreneurship and new ideas than the US. They worry that they will not receive the welcome that generations of brilliant Indians have enjoyed at UK universities, she said, adding that British universities have to make more of an effort to welcome Indias brightest.
Imperial alum Vibin Joseph, who launched his venture on completing his studies, says it was the colleges track record of consistently producing several successful spin-off companies that sealed his decision. I am an engineer and biologist by training. The class I undertook at the business school, Master of Science in Management, had a global mix of nationalities and industry backgrounds. Besides, faculty who have been entrepreneurs themselves delivered the lessons focussing on simulating real-world scenarios through team-based industry projects, says Joseph.
His company Biozeen enables pharmaceutical companies manufacture vaccines and biologicals by providing bioprocess hardware and automation solutions. My studies at Imperial have been instrumental in shaping my mind-set and pushing me to dream higher, he adds.
Indian-origin British student Kushan S, who is pursuing an MBBS/BSc degree and is in the second year, says the course is taught in a mixture of styles such as lectures, small group tutorials, using iPads in class, recording lectures to allow students to learn on their own. Also, there are hospital visits to provide a clinical setting to learn from. The six-year course is designed for those who do not yet have a first degree in a biological science subject and leads to the award of both a BSc and an MBBS qualification.
Measuring Excellence
Commenting on the meaning of excellence in higher education, Alice Gast says metrics alone are inadequate to capture excellence. The debate about peer review versus metrics should be turned toward a balanced combination of peer review and metrics.
She has outlined plans for Imperial College London for a new approach for individual evaluation that combines metrics with peer review and which is based on a profile rather than aimed at specific metrics. It will be implemented in the next academic year. Measures will include improved feedback for students, and increased mental health support.
To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020.
This May will see the coming together of the German-African business association, Afrika-Verein, and the European Investment Bank (EIB) at the 3rd Africa Finance, meeting.
The focus this year will be on the development of projects and the accompanying funding opportunities in Africa. Tenders and the procurement process of international financing institutions like the EIB, KfW , the African Development Bank and the World Bank will also be discussed.
A series of interactive presentations, discussions and workshops will held in order to give entrepreneurs the opportunity to exchange views and gain detailed information. Experts from the EIB will be both facilitating and presenting at an array of these sharing valuable knowledge and answering such questions as how to develop a successful project in Africa.
For information on how to register for the event, please visit the website here.
February 24, 2022, the day of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, will go down as a tragic date not only for the Ukrainian people, but also for the whole civilised world.
She's been in the business for quite some time now, yet it looks like Bella Thorne has her sights set up real high when it comes to her Hollywood career. Even though she's stared in a number of films and television shows such as Shake It Up and Big Love, the 18-year-old Florida native says that she is hoping to one day direct, too.
The actress, who can currently be heard voicing the tough-talking Cora in the new animated film Ratchet and Clank (based on the long-running video game series of the same name), says that unlike other actresses, she's never in her trailer whenever she's filming new projects. Instead, she's also behind her director, taking notes.
"My goal was to have my first self-directed short film premiere at South By Southwest next year and hopefully some other festivals," Thorne told Enstars. "I love the creative process. One of the unfortunate things about this film was this character was already created when I came in and stepped foot inside her. So that was fun and you know, interesting."
She added, "But I would love to do some more live action animation, where actually get to go behind the scenes and really go and literally create this character, because anything behind the scenes, to me, is just so cool."
A photo posted by BELLA (@bellathorne) on Apr 9, 2016 at 3:21pm PDT
Considering the fact that the flame-haired beauty is juggling a few projects at a time (which also includes her upcoming backpack and shoe line), Thorne says that she that she likes to stay organized the same way we all do: with her phone. What's more, she also puts her list of things she wants to accomplish (along with directing) on her phone, too.
Thorne explained, "You know, I have a goals list that I just started on my phone, which is pretty cool. And I'm just trying to do everything. I make personal time for myself when I'm on sets, which is good. So like, I'll be on set, but then I'll have a buddy come by and spend time with me while I'm on set. So that's kind of how I balance my personal relationships a bit more. But yeah I just want to do everything, but more directing and writing, specifically."
Ratchet and Clank is out in theaters now.
From the stalls of Montezuma: A new front in culture war By Michael R. Shannon
North Carolina has a reputation for going the furthest in the pursuit of a lost cause. The Gettysburg battlefield features a monument carefully placed at the "high watermark of the Confederacy" where the 26th North Carolina came to within ten paces of the Union position in The Angle before being driven back. That Civil War conflict took place on 11,500 acres of Pennsylvania farmland. North Carolina's latest battle is being fought stalltostall in public bathrooms around the state. Hostilities commenced when the governor signed a bill requiring people using public restrooms to patronize the facility that corresponds to the plumbing noted on their birth certificate. From the reaction of the Gaystapo one would have thought the new law required a public declaration followed by a TSAstyle body cavity inspection. Realistically passage of the law would not affect the bathroom destination of most of the population. Crossdressers and transvestites are no doubt already sneaking into women's bathrooms. What the law meant is the state would not give its official blessing to switchsitting and if a switchsitter was caught in the act, so to speak, there would be consequences. The law allowed business and individuals to set their own bathroom regulations, up to and including playing fruit basket turnover. For a few days it was the usual Christians versus the licentious affair until PayPal entered the fray. The Internet payment company made a big production out of cancelling a 400employee planned facility in Charlotte. CEO Dan Schulman began his moral preening by declaring, "Becoming an employer in North Korea, (whoops, typo, should be Carolina) where members of our teams will not have equal rights under the law, is simply untenable. The new law perpetuates discrimination and it violates the values and principles that are at the core of PayPal's mission and culture." He added his decision, "reflects PayPal's deepest values and our strong belief that every person has the right to be treated equally, and with dignity and respect." This is the same domestic cheap PCPR pointscoring that had Apple fighting the FBI over a phone used by a terrorist. Normally I would insert an analogy here to point out Schulman's cheap moralizing, but it's so difficult to find any real convictions in an executive like this other than a commitment to making money and a vague, extremely flexible secularism that constructing relevant analogies is extremely difficult. For example, PayPal has no trouble doing business in Saudi Arabia where the penalty for homosexual behavior, to say nothing of switchsitting, is significantly more stringent than in that hotbed of hate North Carolina. But I'm going to try. Let's say Schulman gets a call from the front desk that informs him there's a nice man named Nevada Starshine who has decided his persona is a mistake and he really identifies as Dan Schulman. And oh, yes, he wants to use the toilet in the real Schulman's office. That puts the bathroom on the other foot. Based on Schulman's statement he can't say it's a case of mistaken identity, because that fails to treat Starshine's delusion with "dignity and respect." Sure the lobby Schulman is mentally ill, but so is someone who says the DNA factory made a mistake and they are a man trapped in a woman's body. Schulman is one of those cultural Marxists who have no problem imposing burdens on lawabiding citizens at the expense of their rights (see: Common Sense gun laws). It's fine to demand North Carolina allow men to use the ladies, but hotswapping his own seat is a toilet too far. And where does Schulman draw the line? National Review found a Norwegian woman who claims she's a cat trapped in a woman's body. Will the state be forced to supply litter boxes for tabbies like her? Or should the Arizona woman interviewed by the Telegraph who says she's really a dragon be allowed to demand a horde of gold to sit upon? These unfortunate "trans" types are mentally disturbed people who need treatment instead of the indulgence preferred by Schulman and other business "leaders." The latest is the porn site XHamster that according to The Huffington Post has banned North Carolina porn aficionados. Using somewhat fuzzy logic the site says, "Judging by the stats of what you North Carolinians watch, we feel this punishment is a severe one. Back in March, we had 400,000 hits for Transsexual' [and] Gay' 319,907 times." So it appears XHamster is punishing what people claim are the "victims" of the law. That sounds like cutting off your nose to spite your face, which is a surgery where even the "trans" community draws the line. Michael R. Shannon is a public relations and advertising consultant with corporate, government and political experience around the globe. He is a dynamic and entertaining keynote speaker. He can be reached at mandate.mmpr (at) gmail.com. He is also the author of Conservative Christian's Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!). Home
Thirty years since George Parkin Grant's Technology and Justice (1986) By Mark Wegierski
2016 is the 30th anniversary of George Grant's Technology and Justice, his last major published work. It was a follow-up to his earlier books, Technology and Empire: Perspectives on North America (1969), and English-Speaking Justice (1974/1985). Grant is best known for his work, Lament for a Nation: The Defeat of Canadian Nationalism (1965), written after the defeat of the staunch Tory Prime Minister, John Diefenbaker, by Liberal Lester B. Pearson, in the crucial 1963 federal election. Grant's first major published work was Philosophy in the Mass Age (1959). One could sharply ask today -- is there still really a place for Grantian-type traditionalism in current-day Canada? First of all, it should be remembered that Grant's profound and subtle definition of conservatism is very remote from what is its more common definition today, as mostly a tax- and budget-cutting ideology. Indeed, the shallowness of what passes for conservatism in Canada today, is quite apparent. It is generally accepted that almost everyone is socially liberal, and economically conservative. Social conservatism is typically seen as a dour, obdurate outlook. Nevertheless, economic conservatism can be seen as little more than a defense of consumerist capitalism which Grant had severely criticized. The notion of conservatism as a decent, humane outlook has been lost today. Indeed, most people in Canada today cannot wrap their minds around the notion of the genuine idealism of traditionalist dissent in current-day society. Despite his greatly impassioned writing, Grant did not seem to offer much hope for someone wishing to be active in the social, political, and cultural arena of current-day Canadian society. Perhaps a quietistic self-cultivation is the only path available today. However, is this not problematic, for a philosophy that has emphasized public engagement and civic-mindedness? The four main possibilities available today are probably: activism in the current federal Conservative Party; activism in the Canadian pro-life movement; moving out to the countryside; or becoming an independent political writer/blogger. Activism in the current federal Conservative Party (or perhaps other major political parties, such as the Ontario Progressive Conservatives) gives one a sense of immediacy and connection to so-called "real" political matters. However, one will be in a major party with multifarious factions, many of which may be indifferent or hostile to one's views. While one may feel that one is doing "useful" work, it may just be a drop in the ocean. Also, if one is able to hold increasingly prominent posts in a given party, the unfriendly public scrutiny one's views undergo is increased, which often results in an ever-increasing downplaying and "trimming" of one's own ideals and principles. Also, the federal Conservatives have been decisively trounced in the October 2015 federal election. The accusation has been that the Conservatives lost because of their obdurate, reactionary policies. The notion that the Conservative Party had actually followed a very moderate course during their majority government, is not widely accepted. Canada will now presumably see another roaring tide of unabated change under Justin Trudeau, mirroring, to some extent, what happened during the sixteen years of Pierre Elliott Trudeau (1968-1984, except for nine months in 1979-1980). Activism in the Canadian pro-life and pro-family movement offers a considerable engagement with "real" political matters combined with an intense idealism. One can read in such publications as The Interim and the Hamilton-based Convivium and Comment, how the pro-life and pro-family people are often the dynamic edge of resistance to the current late modern near-dystopia, and, indeed, how often they do suffer for their beliefs. However, what appears to be the demand for a life of continual "martyrdom" may not be emotionally sustainable for some people. Ironically, pro-life and pro-family activists are seen as veritable "devil-babies" by current-day society. For example, pro-life student clubs have been banned at several Canadian universities. Becoming involved in a minor political party or some kind of ginger group is somewhat akin to being a pro-life activist, although usually with less social impact likely, but also less "martyrdom" required. Moving out to the countryside represents a sort of "secession". The idea is that life in more rural areas is "healthier" than in the big cities. Perhaps not everyone might find rural life congenial. It requires a considerable amount of quite arduous physical labour with which a person used to living in urban or suburban areas is unacquainted. If one is already living there (or will end up there), one also has to think about having an impact beyond one's immediate physical vicinity. The idea of becoming an independent political writer/blogger may be attractive if one feels one can carry one's weight intellectually and do so with considerable grace and dignity. Having a cultural-political Internet presence today is not necessarily tied to living in a major cultural or political centre although it might help in putting together one's writing output. If one is truly independent, one need not always hew to party and religious lines even as one is generally in opposition to late modern society. Nevertheless, one might become prone to live increasingly as a "lone wolf" with fewer and fewer personal social interactions "a voice crying in the wilderness". It could be argued that Grant's thought does indeed have much to say to all persons living in current-day Canada and America, and in so-called "late modernity" not just to those who are actively in opposition to it. For example, one can easily elicit from Grant's philosophy a critique of the economism and the "infinite growth" mindset that are probably among the main contributing factors to the post-2008 economic crisis. There could also be a role for Grant's anti-Americanism (or what might less pointedly be called "non-Americanism") in a truly meaningful Canadian conservatism. It is little understood today that before the 1960s, Canada was actually a more conservative society than America (in the better sense of conservatism). Today, one finds that much of what is negative about current-day Canada if one were to carefully look at its real origins -- actually emanates from the U.S. There are, for example, the trends to "judicial activism" and litigiousness, tendencies of increasing violence and anomie, and the excesses of the North American (U.S. and Canadian) pop-culture. It looks like the best that traditionalists can hope for in Canada today is to maintain some kind of sharp niches of critique in what is likely to become an increasingly hostile society. It may perhaps be suggested that things will have to get even worse, before there can be some hope of things getting better, over the longer term. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home
NEWS ALERT: 'Islamists Nuke U.S. Urban Centers'
By Mark Alexander
If Barack Obama's failed foreign policies are extended four more years, the headline above will be closer to reality. But before we contemplate the prospect of Islamists detonating a nuclear weapon in a major U.S. city, let's start with a little background.
Islamists have been harassing the United States for a very long time, starting with Thomas Jefferson's Barbary pirate problem in 1801. The Barbary States Algiers, Morocco, Tripoli and Tunis were seizing U.S. merchant vessels and taking hostages for ransom. When Jefferson refused to pay, the Barbary States declared war. Jefferson requested that Congress declare war in return, and while it never officially did so, Congress did authorize the use of force to end the attacks on U.S. merchant ships and American citizens.
In fact, I write this column on the anniversary of the battle that turned the tide in the Barbary War. On April 27, 1805, a small contingent of U.S. Marines directing a large contingent of mercenaries overtook a much larger force of Islamic adversaries in Derna, Libya. Victory in Derna was the first time U.S. forces raised a flag after combat on foreign soil, and the success there is memorialized in the second line of the Marine Hymn "To the shores of Tripoli."
Two months after the battle at Derna, the Tripolitan Islamic leader, Yusuf Karamanli, signed a treaty ending hostilities. Notably, Jefferson's successor, James Madison, would have to send forces back in 1815 to prosecute the second Barbary War. So it began, and so it continues.
This week, in yet another failed policy reversal to contain the current Middle East Meltdown, Obama announced that he's sending additional U.S. troops to Syria. He's doing so after determining conclusively that power doesn't tolerate a vacuum in this case, the one he created when ordering a retreat from Iraq to fulfill his ill-advised 2012 re-election promise.
Recall that in 2011 there were about 150 U.S. military personnel remaining in Iraq, but more than 5,000 have now returned in an effort to contain the aforementioned Islamic State, the most dangerous terrorist group in history, an organization now posing a formidable threat to Western civilization.
What gave rise to the Islamic State? Let's review.
As I outlined in "Obama's Iraqi Makeover":
In 2008, Obama campaigned on "ending the war in Iraq." In 2009, he upended our long-term military objectives to establish a forward military operating capability in Iraq in order to maintain stability in a region where we have very critical national interests, and he set a new course for retreat and withdrawal from the region. In 2011, having rejected the Bush strategy of establishing a status of forces agreement (SOFA) to secure our hard-won gains in Iraq and the region, Obama declared, "Everything Americans have done in Iraq, all the fighting, all the dying, the bleeding, the building and the training and the partnering, all of it has led to this moment of success. ... We're leaving behind a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq." In 2012, amid the cascading failure of his domestic economic and social policies, Obama centered his re-election campaign on his faux foreign policy successes crafted around the mantras, "Four years ago, I promised to end the war in Iraq. I did," and, "al-Qa'ida is on the run."
How did that chapter of "hope and change" work out? Not so good for all the families who lost loved ones in that theater, or those who came back severely wounded. Their priceless sacrifice was squandered for a Democrat campaign bumper sticker.
And of course, just weeks before his re-election, Obama dodged the Benghazi bullet with a well-organized cover-up crafted by his wannabe successor, Hillary Clinton. Blaming that deadly fiasco on a "protest over an Internet video" protected the centerpiece of Obama's campaign.
Predictably, Obama's retreat left fertile ground for the resurgence of a far more dangerous incarnation of Islamic terrorism in Syria under the name ISIL. ISIL has displaced al-Qa'ida as the dominant asymmetric threat to our national security.
Since his re-election, Obama has attempted to unhitch his colossal and unprecedented foreign policy malfeasance in the Middle East from his 2012 election propaganda. He has insisted that ISIL was a "JV Team" and that "we've contained them" but apparently not.
At the same time the Islamic State was rising, Obama and John Kerry were cutting a catastrophic "nuke deal" with Iran, releasing $150 billion in frozen assets and paving the way for development of its nuclear weapons capacity and terrorism sponsorship. The combination of these events virtually assures that the future consequences of Obama's Middle East legacy will be even more disastrous than the humanitarian refugee crisis he created.
While the Islamist attacks against the U.S. have grown much more deadly in recent decades, culminating with the slaughter of 2,922 civilians and 55 military personnel on 9/11, the nuclear threat is far more grim.
For decades before 9/11, U.S. national security planners were focused on non-proliferation strategies to keep states that support asymmetric terrorist organizations most notably Iran from achieving the capability to develop nuclear weapons. I know this because I had a role in attack simulations and preparations through four presidential administrations Reagan, Bush (41), Clinton and Bush (43). Preventing the detonation of a fissile weapon in one or more U.S. urban centers was and remains the most ominous challenge now more than ever.
The September 11 attack was low-tech, having been executed by a small cell of 19 hijackers with box cutters. But the loss of life, the economic consequences, and the cost in additional blood and treasure prosecuting those terrorists in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, pales in comparison to the cost of a nuclear attack in Manhattan or Boston or Charleston or Los Angeles or Seattle.
OEF and OIF successfully diminished the threat of Osama bin Laden's "American Hiroshima" objective until Obama took office in 2009. Today, although the greatest probability of domestic Islamist attack remains low-tech conventional, the potential of an Islamic terrorist group gaining access to a nuclear weapon and detonating it in the U.S. is increasing.
That notwithstanding, most Americans remain blissfully unaware of this threat, primarily because the 24-hour news cycle and its dutiful talkingheads rarely distinguish between what is critical news and what is not. In order to keep their audiences mesmerized, Fox, CNN and other new recyclers continuously slap "ALERT" shock banners on a lot of "news" that simply isn't. They do so to ensure their market share and their ad revenue, and the net effect is that important events are lost deep in the weeds.
And so it goes with Obama's announcement about additional boots on the ground in Syria.
In a fitting example of this administration's feckless and aimless ineptitude, there was a surreal "boots on the ground" reality check for Obama's reality-challenged State Department spokesman John Kirby a political hack whose last disinformation gig was in his admiral's uniform at DoD. When asked by Associated Press reporter Matt Lee about Obama's repeated assertion that he would not put more boots on the ground in Syria, Kirby categorically denied that Obama ever took that position.
Lee asked, "For months and months and months, the mantra from the president and everyone else in the administration has been 'no boots on the ground,' and now" Before he could finish, Kirby cut him off, insisting, "No, that is not true. ... It's just not true, Matt. ... That's just not true. ... I just flatly, absolutely, disagree with you." Kirby then claimed Obama was not "saying one thing and then doing the other completely." The complete exchange is painful to watch.
However, while the "boots on the ground" debate is spun and re-spun until the next news "ALERT" emerges, the most significant terrorist threat nuclear attack the real strategic justification for the OEF and OIF military operations, goes unnoticed.
Too many Americans are unable to see the proverbial forest for the trees, what is important versus all the mindless media claptrap. However, the prospect of a Clinton presidency, and the extension of Obama's deadly foreign policy malfeasance, looms large and the consequences will be catastrophic.
Recall for a moment your reaction to breaking news the morning of September 11, 2001. Now, try this out for a shock news alert banner: "Islamists Nuke U.S. Urban Centers." This one is in our future.
Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post.
The New World Order's Armageddon By Michael Moriarty
Fox News Network won't even come close to mentioning the over-25-year-old Republican conspiracy to create The New World Order. A few lawyers, first for the Republican Party and then for Fox News, have concluded that this video and a few others, are so flagrantly treasonous that, if it were possible, all mentions of a New World Order run by the United Nations, particularly by Presidents in office, should be obliterated. Too late now. George H. W. Bush undeniably claims that this "New World Order" is conceived of will most certainly exist under and now, most certainly, is on record as a world governing body to be run by The United Nations. For a President of the United States to singlehandedly and unmistakably promise to hand all of American sovereignty over to an entirely foreign body of diplomats and their "Secretary General"? For a President to enforce Executive Actions that must and will surrender America to a New World Order without one shred of support from either the judicial or legislative branches within the United States government? I personally find that President George H. W. Bush's declaration and New Word Order prophecy, no matter where he has made it, either here, before Congress, or, as I've shown in an earlier clip from the Oval Office I brand this increasingly hidden conspiracy to be utterly and completely treasonous! Last week I pondered the prospect of Escape From The New World Order. Now I realize, without any doubt this time, that the one possible source of reliable news on television, Fox News, continues to edit out any mention of this increasingly encroaching New World Order and its inevitable invasion of all American constitutional rights. As if such a notion to end America, as we know it, no longer existed?! Then what can possibly explain the brazenly unconstitutional behavior of President Barack Hussein Obama and his own efforts to hand the United States over to the sovereignty of the United Nations?! His own Presidential promise: "The fundamental transformation of the United States of America". Obama has, within his two terms, instituted major portions of that plan without one ounce of major resistance from either House of Congress. Meanwhile, George H. W. Bush has even echoed his still treasonous notion of a new world order, but without capital letters, on, of all days, September 11th, 1990, before a Joint Session of Congress. As for the United Nations, here are its plans for a New World Order. There are darker versions of it here and here. Four separate Presidents H. W. Bush, William Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Hussein Obama all four have, in their own distinctive ways, pushed The New World Order Agenda down the throats of America. With that objective in mind, all have behaved treasonously!!!! Why have I called and still persist in calling for the impeachment of President Barack Hussein Obama? Obama passed the point of no return
with his Sanctuary Cities
and his dictatorial legalization
of illegal aliens. Obama's increasingly long list of other, undeniably unconstitutional crimes in office can now be included among the conglomerate "crimes and misdemeanors" committed not only by President Obama but by both houses of Congress as well. What "statute of limitations" exist upon these despotically shameless abuses of power I have no idea. If, however, Obama's Presidency ends, either by its term limits or necessarily by force, the next President faces the cries for justice from a growing number of Americans, many of which are and still won't be appeased until the treasonous perpetrators of The New World Order are jailed. I left my home city, New York, and my homeland, the United States of America, when the entire East Coast and much of Hollywood laughed at my grave concerns over the behavior of the Clinton Administration and its Attorney General, Janet Reno. I moved to Canada and have been here as a resident and eventually a citizen for over 20 years. The appearance of Donald Trump on the political scene and his singularly brave commitment to making "America great again" has me wondering if, when he's elected, America will return to protecting the basic rights insured by the American Constitution. The Second Amendment, for one, and an American's right to bear arms! The snakes that have slithered into the American government for over the last 25 years?! Empowered with a treasonous declaration by President George H. W. Bush who claims that a "New World Order" will replace the nationalism and individual sovereignty of all nations?! Four Presidencies of the United States under the leadership of H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Hussein Obama plus the growing surrender of Congress to the dictates of these men these last many decades of America have led to the criminally unconstitutional and infuriating shamelessness of the Obama Nation! Plus, the silent acquiescence of both the Senate and the House of Representatives to such treason!! These disastrous excuses for American leadership claim that the last three decades have just been "business as usual". Along comes Donald Trump! Trump virtually HORRIFIES THE ESTABLISHMENT! THE BOTTOMLESSLY CORRUPTED
NEW WORLD ORDER
ESTABLISHMENT!! Having so suffered under that "Establishment" that I moved to Canada, perhaps a Trump house-cleaning of Washington, D. C. would so lift my hopes for a renewal of traditional American values that it could persuade me to at least visit my old hometown of New York City. I am still an American citizen and tax-payer as well as a Canadian. Until Canada's Conservative Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, was suddenly ousted by the white mirror image of the Obama New World Order, the Justin Trudeau Campaign For Irreparable, National Canadian Debt and that New World Order's growing surrender to a Worldwide Communist Islam?! Until that happened, Canada, under Prime Minister Harper, had become more American, much more familiar to me than the frightening America of The Obama Nation. I hadn't felt, under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, so at home since America's days under Ronald Reagan. Now all of North America is being transformed into a mere province of the United Nations' greedily demanding vision for a New World Order. Some authorities on the Biblical Armageddon claim that America is that "other beast" of the Holy Bible's Revelations 13:11. The Catholic Church and today's America apparently are those "two beasts of Revelations". Never have the Catholic Church and America been so closely allied over something as huge and threatening as The New World Order than now under Pope Francis and President Barack Hussein Obama. Both Pope Francis and President Obama work toward the creation of The New World Order. Obama's open flirtations with a possible declaration of Martial Law? Such a diabolical declaration and its inevitable tyranny over America? Such Martial Law would insure a Second American Civil War and, to my mind, the fulfillment of the Bible's prophecy: Armageddon. Whether you believe in Biblical Prophecy or not, America has never, since her First Civil War, been so divided against herself as now. As President Lincoln prophesied: "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Ironically, the same principle that drove Americans into The First Civil War will, of necessity, drive its citizens into The Second Civil War: Freedom From Tyranny. "You shall know the tree by its fruit." The fruit hanging off of Barack Hussein Obama's "tree"? Exactly what he promised the world: "The Fundamental Transformation of The United States of America!" That has inevitably proven to mean: The Fundamental Destruction
of
The United States of America
and her
Individual Freedom! The God of the Judeo-Christian Civilization promises in His Bible that such a thing won't happen. Why? Not even The Devil wants the end of Free Will! It would mean an end for the very Devil himself and the end of life as we have known it As it has existed
for thousands
and thousands
and thousands of years! Out of the roughly
4 BILLION years
since the Earth
first appeared
in the Universe! Michael Moriarty is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor who starred in the landmark television series Law and Order from 1990 to 1994. His recent film and TV credits include The Yellow Wallpaper, 12 Hours to Live, Santa Baby and Deadly Skies. Contact Michael at rainbowfamily2008@yahoo.com. He can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/@MGMoriarty. Home
PayPal only cares about LGBT media attention By Ryan Maass
Internet payment provider PayPal was one of the first major entities to formally withdraw from North Carolina in protest of the state's controversial "bathroom law" - a new ordinance requiring transgender residents may only use the public restroom corresponding with the gender on their birth certificate. Like Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam's announcements after the fact, PayPal was openly embraced by the liberal media for its allegedly brazen progressivism. Hundreds of companies in the state voiced opposition to the law, but PayPal spoke with its money by canceling its $3.6 million investment plan in Charlotte. "Our decision is a clear and unambiguous one," the company said in a statement. "As a company that is committed to the principle that everyone deserves to live without fear of discrimination simply for being who they are, becoming an employer in North Carolina, where members of our teams will not have equal rights under the law, is simply untenable." Of course, PayPal's image as a stalwart defender of civil liberties for the LGBT community lasts only as long as one is willing to ignore its other investments - which includes a global operations center in Malaysia, where gays, transgenders, and virtually all other members of the LGBT community are whipped and jailed. Targeting Hypocrisy The American Family Association was quick to point out PayPal's astonishing hypocrisy, announcing they were planning to boycott the service in a press release on Wednesday. In the announcement, AFA doubled down on its support for North Carolina's new law, while also condemning PayPal for punishing the state while rewarding a country with its patronage where rights for LGBT members are far worse. "What most people don't know is, PayPal built a global operations center in Malaysia where homosexuals are publicly whipped and jailed," the statement read. "Ironically, PayPal is boycotting North Carolina for enacting a common sense and simple law requiring people to use a restroom consistent with their biological gender." It added: "As corporations continue to bully states across America, we will continue to expose their hypocrisy and combat their secular agenda." AFA also released a full-page ad, which reads like an open letter to PayPal: "How can you build your global operations center in Malaysia where LGBT individuals are whipped and jailed...but you boycott North Carolina for enacting a law requiring people to use a restroom consistent with their biological gender?" It continues: "Shouldn't you be boycotting Malaysia rather than the people of North Carolina?" Battling Agendas Obviously, the AFA has an agenda just like PayPal does, demonstrated by its obvious endorsement for North Carolina's bathroom law. By all reasonable accounts, the ordinance is rather absurd - and seems almost impossible to enforce without criminally invading individual privacy. But AFA has a point - any hardships imposed on the LGBT community by the state of North Carolina pale in comparison to what they would face in Malaysia simply for being who they are. The fact of the matter is PayPal hopped on a bandwagon to score PR points with those who are oblivious to the plight of oppressed peoples in other parts of the world. PayPal has every right to do business where it pleases, but its customers should not be fooled by its charade in Charlotte. A "loud and proud libertarian headbanger", Ryan Maass strives to put a fresh face on capitalism and individual liberties.Read more at EpicTimes.com where this originally appeared. Home
First, do no harm: A few simple rules for the FDA By Richard E. Ralston
Top management recently changed at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with a new commissioner, Robert M. Califf, in the top spot. Therefore, this is a good time to review the basic principles upon which the FDA should base its decisions. The first principle is not that the FDA is in charge of American medicine but rather that patients and their physicians are in charge of their care. From that follows "First, do no harm." You and your physician should not have to ask the FDA for permission to use a medication. If you have a terminal illness, you should especially not have to ask the FDA for permission to live. Unfortunately current law says that you do. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that you must comply with that law. Therefore, we must change current law. The first reform at the FDA must be compassionate, early access for the terminally ill to new drugs and treatments that have cleared Phase 1 safety approval. With a large bureaucracy like the FDA, we have to be clear about the meaning of "access." It does not mean a right to submit hundreds of pages with applications and wait for months to get approval. It means prompt access. "Prompt" means before you die. Organizations like Patients for Stem Cells and the Abigail Alliance have made a courageous effort to obtain access for patients to medical advances. The Abigail Alliance has cast light on the thousands of patients who have died while waiting for the FDA to clear use of many drugs that were eventually approved. Once safety has been addressed, the study of "comparative effectiveness" should not delay compassionate use of a new drug or procedure. A vain search for omniscience should certainly not delay the availability of a drug to the terminally ill. Yet "comparative effectiveness" review has blocked approval of drugs proven to help some patients because they do not help all patients in the same way. No drug is safe in any combination with any other drug or combination of drugs in any dosage anywhere, for every age, race or gender. The goal of the FDA should be saving lives, not publishing exhaustive research papers. Caution and careful judgment are required, but demanding absolute certainty can kill people. The FDA must neither forbid nor subsidize new drugs because they are too expensive but allow use by individuals or firms that can afford them. Anyone should be free to use their life savings to save their own life. Their experience will provide important information that will benefit everyone. It is vital to maintain an environment in which firms can make significant investments in research on new medications and treatments with the prospect of a return on that investment. The FDA must give no credence to those who would prefer that patients suffer and die rather than allow anyone to make money helping them. Envy can also kill. One certain principle that the FDA must apply: If patients have the right (as they should) to use willing physicians to help them die at the end of their lives, they must also have the right to investigational drugs that may save their lives. These and other life-saving principles must be at the foundation of the FDA and the clinical details that determine drug safety and effectiveness. In a constitutional republic based on an inalienable, individual right to life-- among other rights--patients must have the unmitigated right to drugs that may keep them alive. Richard E. Ralston is executive director of Americans for Free Choice in Medicine, Newport Beach, California. Copyright 2016 Americans for Free Choice in Medicine. All rights reserved. Home
Keeping tabs on Tweets may be an effective tool to help prepare for -- and prevent -- increases in asthma emergencies
BALTIMORE, MD - New research at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2016 Meeting suggests that to predict -- and possibly prevent -- severe asthma attacks in a community, physicians can look for clues in social media.
For the study, "The Twitter Asthma Pulse: Using Real-Time Twitter Data to Prospectively Predict Asthma Emergency Department Visits or Hospital Admissions in a Population," researchers collected tweets posted between October 2013 and June 2014 and narrowed them down to the 3,810 that mentioned asthma attacks and that originated in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. During the same time period, incidences of asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations across the region area were recorded.
When the number of asthma-related tweets increased in a given week, the researchers found, the number of asthma emergency department visits or hospitalizations increased proportionally during the following week.
"If the number of asthma-related tweets increased by 20 in a given week, for example, we would expect asthma-related emergency department visits or hospitalizations to increase by 12 in the following week," said lead researcher Yolande Mfondoum Pengetnze, MD, medical director at Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation (PCCI), a non-profit research and development corporation in Dallas. "This is an important finding that can change the way health departments and other healthcare stakeholders monitor asthma activity in a community."
Currently, Dr. Pengetnze said, asthma activity in a community is usually measured after emergency department visits or hospitalizations already have occurred.
"By using real-time Twitter activity," she said, "health departments could actually anticipate asthma ED visits or hospitalizations in the following days and possibly intervene before some of them occur. For instance, a notification might be sent by the health department when there is an increase in asthma-related tweets in the community, giving people with asthma a heads-up to take necessary precautions, like avoiding exposure to asthma triggers or being more assiduous in taking their asthma medications." In turn, she said, this could help prevent some asthma flare-ups, improve people's health and decrease the number of asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
"We live in the era of Big Data," said study co-author Sudha Ram, PhD, referring to increasingly immense sets of information that lends itself well to analysis revealing patterns of human behavior. "Our research is innovative and unique because it harnesses the power of Big Data from social media and other sources to address the problem of anticipating emergency department visits for a chronic condition, in this case asthma, in close to real-time conditions. We believe this work paves the way to address signal extraction and prediction for other chronic conditions and goes beyond current work that mostly looks at infectious conditions."
###
An abstract of the study, "The Twitter Asthma Pulse: Using Real-Time Twitter Data to Prospectively Predict Asthma Emergency Department Visits or Hospital Admissions in a Population," will be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2016 Meeting on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 12:15 p.m. in rooms 321-323 at the Baltimore Convention Center. To view the abstract, visit http://www.abstracts2view.com/pas/view.php?nu=PAS16L1_4600.8.
Please note: only the abstract is being presented at the meeting. In some cases, the researcher may have more data available to share with media, or may be preparing a longer article for submission to a journal. Contact the researcher for more information.
The work at PCCI was supported in parts by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, the National Institutes of Health and the W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation at Communities Foundation of Texas.
The Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting brings together thousands of individuals united by a common mission: to improve child health and wellbeing worldwide. This international gathering includes pediatric researchers, leaders in academic pediatrics, experts in child health, and practitioners. The PAS Meeting is produced through a partnership of four organizations leading the advancement of pediatric research and child advocacy: Academic Pediatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Pediatric Society, and Society for Pediatric Research. For more information, visit the PAS Meeting online at http://www.pas-meeting.org, follow us on Twitter @PASMeeting and #PASMeeting, or like us on Facebook.
Monday, April 4, 2016, Chicago: Cleveland Clinic researchers, as part of the Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network (CTSN), have found that two common approaches to post-operative atrial fibrillation - rhythm control and rate control - are equally safe and effective.
Post-operative atrial fibrillation is the most common complication after cardiac surgery, occurring in 20 percent to 50 percent of patients and leading to major adverse effects such as increased morbidity, long-term mortality, reoccurring hospitalizations and increased cost.
Post-operative AF is managed by using one of two methods:
Rate control, which slows the heart rate with medications, such as digoxin, calcium-channel blockers, and beta blockers, or;
Rhythm control, which restores the heart's normal sinus rhythm through antiarrhythmic drugs or through direct current cardioversion that uses an electrical shock to convert the heart rhythm back to normal.
The multicenter, randomized trial found that each strategy was associated with equal numbers of hospital days, similar rates of complications and low rates of persistent AF after 60 days. The study showed that the physician should tailor the treatment strategy to an individual patient's clinical situation.
"This is the first large, randomized controlled clinical trial examining treatment strategies for this common complication," said Marc Gillinov, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon in Cleveland Clinic's Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute. "Based upon these results, it may be reasonable to begin with a strategy of rate control, which limits the risk of toxicity from rhythm control agents."
The findings are being presented by Dr. Gillinov, at the American College of Cardiology 65th Annual Scientific Sessions in Chicago and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
The study consented 2,109 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery to treat coronary artery disease (40 percent), heart valve disease (40 percent) or a combination of both (20 percent). Of those patients, 33 percent developed new onset post-operative atrial fibrillation, out of whom 523 were randomized to a treatment strategy of either rate or rhythm control. Post-operative atrial fibrillation developed in 28 percent of patients who underwent an isolated CABG, 33.7 percent of isolated valve surgery patients, and 47.2 percent of patients who underwent combined CABG and valve surgery.
The primary outcome - the numbers of days in the hospital from the date patients were randomized until 60 days later - did not differ between the patient groups assigned to rate control or rhythm control. There were no differences in overall serious adverse events between the two groups. The average time to onset of post-operative atrial fibrillation was 2.4 days (0-7 days) from surgery.
In the study, rhythm control medications resolved AF faster but came with stronger side effects and more patients had to switch treatment due to intolerance. Rate control led to a slightly higher prevalence of AF during follow up. At 60 days, more rhythm control patients were free of AF, but neither treatment was deemed superior.
"These trial results will serve as valuable guidance to help manage patients after heart surgery," said Michael J. Mack, M.D., chair, Cardiovascular Service Line, Baylor Scott & White Health; cardiovascular researcher, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute; and contributing author to the study.
"Postoperative atrial fibrillation is a common complication of cardiac surgery and adversely affects patient recovery. In patients with postoperative atrial fibrillation, one strategy does not appear to have a net clinical advantage over the other, but there are clinical differences between these strategies. The results of this trial fill an important knowledge gap and should better inform therapeutic decisions for this common complication," said Annetine C. Gelijns, Ph.D., the Edmond A. Guggenheim Professor of Health Policy and Chair of the Department of Health Evidence and Policy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and the principal investigator for the Data Coordinating Center based at Mount Sinai.
This CTSN trial was conducted at a total of 21 centers in the U.S. and Canada. Core sites include Baylor Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Duke University, Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Quebec, Hopital Laval, Montefiore-Einstein Heart Center, Montreal Heart Institute, Suburban Hospital, University of Virginia, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California and 11 additional Consortium sites participated as well. The CTSN Data Coordinating Center is located at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and directs each of the CTSN clinical trial designs and methodologies, regulatory and trial conduct and study data analysis and reporting.
###
This study was supported by a cooperative agreement (U01 HL088942) funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
About Baylor Scott & White Health
Formed from the 2013 merger between Baylor Health Care System and Scott & White Healthcare, the system referred to as Baylor Scott & White Health is the largest not-for-profit health care system in the state of Texas. With total assets of $9 billion** and serving a population larger than the state of Georgia, Baylor Scott & White Health has the vision and resources to provide its patients continued quality care while creating a model system for a dramatically changing health care environment. The system now includes 48 hospitals, more than 900 access points, 6,000 active physicians, and 40,000 employees, plus the Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute and Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance -- a network of clinical providers and facilities focused on improving quality, managing the health of patient populations, and reducing the overall cost of care. For more information visit: BaylorScottandWhite.com
**Based on unaudited 2015 fiscal year statements
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. More than 3,000 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. The Cleveland Clinic health system includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, eight community hospitals, more than 90 northern Ohio outpatient locations, including 18 full-service family health centers, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2014, there were 5.9 million outpatient visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 152,500 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and 147 countries. Visit us at http://www.clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.
Editor's Note: Cleveland Clinic News Service is available to provide broadcast-quality interviews and B-roll upon request.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
The Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services--from community-based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care.
The System includes approximately 6,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 12 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals in Geriatrics, Cardiology/Heart Surgery, and Gastroenterology, and is in the top 25 in five other specialties in the 2015-2016 "Best Hospitals" issue of U.S. News & World Report. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital also is ranked in seven out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 11th nationally for Ophthalmology, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel is ranked regionally.
For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Contact:
Andrea Pacetti, 216.316.3040, pacetta@ccf.org
Tora Vinci, 216.339.4277, vinciv@ccf.org
WOODS HOLE, Mass.-- The front line of the human immune system is made up of T-cells: white blood cells that circulate in the body and scan for foreign invaders and infections. If a T-cell surface receptor detects a threat during its surveillance, it relays a signal to the interior of the cell and activates it to attack.
Once this crucial "call of duty" is heard in the cell, how the signal is relayed through a series of proteins to activate the cell's immune response is clarified in a new paper in Science by a team working at the Whitman Center of the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole.
By successfully re-creating a T-cell receptor signaling pathway independent of the cell itself, the scientists gained novel insights into how protein signaling works in a complex cellular process.
"We focused on one T-cell receptor signaling pathway involving 12 different proteins, but what we discovered is probably reflective of the way other signaling pathways happen in the cell, as well," said co-author Ron Vale, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator at the University of California, San Francisco and a Whitman Center scientist. The study, supported by HHMI, was performed by scientists from several institutions who convene at the MBL to work collaboratively.
Their study revealed "a very important self-organization of the protein molecules in the signaling pathway, where they end up clustering to form dense structures in which the proteins are talking to one another," Vale said. The protein molecules separate into structures by a process similar to phase separation of oil and water, he said. "That spatial organization seems to be very important for the efficiency of the signaling pathway."
"It's very important that we could conduct this research at MBL," Vale said. "This reconstitution was a very complicated undertaking that was beyond what any single lab could do. At MBL, we could bring all these labs together with different expertise to make it work."
###
Citation:
Su, Xiaolei, Jonathon A. Ditlev, Enfu Hui, Wenmin Xing, Sudeep Banjade, Julia Okrut, David S. King, Jack Taunton, Michael K. Rosen, Ronald D. Vale. Phase separation of signaling molecules promotes T cell receptor signal transduction. Science, published online April 07, 2016, doi: 10.1126/science.aad9964
The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is dedicated to scientific discovery -- exploring fundamental biology, understanding marine biodiversity and the environment, and informing the human condition through research and education. Founded in Woods Hole, Massachusetts in 1888, the MBL is a private, nonprofit institution and an affiliate of the University of Chicago.
Researchers have characterized the prevalence and risk factors of fatty liver disease in patients who undergo liver transplantation. The findings, which are published in Liver Transplantation, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, could have important implications for safeguarding transplant recipients' health.
Steatosis -- when the liver becomes infiltrated with fat--occurs frequently after liver transplantation, but little is known about its actual prevalence in transplant recipients, which risk factors are involved, or what effects the condition has on patients' survival. To investigate, Irena Hejlova, MD, of the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague, and her colleagues retrospectively examined liver biopsies and patient survival data on 548 liver transplant recipients.
Steatosis was found in 309 patients (56.4 percent), including 93 patients (17.0 percent) with significant steatosis. The prevalence increased from 30.3 percent at 1 year to 47.6 percent at 10 years after liver transplantation. When the investigators looked at patients' pre-transplant characteristics, they found that high body mass index and cirrhosis caused by alcohol consumption were linked with an increased risk of developing steatosis. Regarding patients' post-transplant characteristics, high body mass index, elevated blood triglycerides, alcohol consumption, and type 2 diabetes were linked with steatosis. Post-transplant steatosis was not associated with worse patient survival within several years, but the long-term survival of patients with significant steatosis tended to be worse.
"Our study is the first to describe the occurrence, evolution, and significance of fatty liver in a large unselected population of European liver transplant recipients," said Dr. Hejlova. "Occurrence of fatty liver could indicate those patients whose long-term survival might be impaired. Therefore obesity should be avoided and patients should be encouraged to increase their physical activity. Screening and treatment of diabetes and hyperlipidemia should also be performed, and naturally, liver transplant recipients should abstain from alcohol consumption."
###
Full citation: "Prevalence and Risk Factors of Steatosis after Liver Transplantation and Patient Outcomes." Irena Hejlova, Eva Honsova, Eva Sticova, Vera Lanska, Tomas Hucl, Julius Spicak, Milan Jirsa, and Pavel Trunecka. Liver Transplantation; (DOI: 10.1002/lt.24393).
URL: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/lt.24393
Author Contact:
Veronika Velcova
Press office
veronika.velcova@ikem.cz
00420-23605-251100420-702-013-041
Martin Kutil
PR and marketing
martin.kutil@ikem.cz
00420-23605-2511, 00420-731-190-833.
About the Journal
Liver Transplantation is published by Wiley on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society. Since the first application of liver transplantation in a clinical situation was reported more than twenty years ago, there has been a great deal of growth in this field and more is anticipated. As an official publication of the AASLD and the ILTS, Liver Transplantation delivers current, peer-reviewed articles on surgical techniques, clinical investigations and drug research -- the information necessary to keep abreast of this evolving specialty. For more information, please visit http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/lt.
About Wiley
Wiley is a global provider of knowledge and knowledge-enabled services that improve outcomes in areas of research, professional practice and education. Through the Research segment, the Company provides digital and print scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, reference works, books, database services, and advertising. The Professional Development segment provides digital and print books, online assessment and training services, and test prep and certification. In Education, Wiley provides education solutions including online program management services for higher education institutions and course management tools for instructors and students, as well as print and digital content. The Company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com.
1. ACP recommends cognitive behavioral therapy over drugs for treating chronic insomnia
Soundbites: HD video soundbites of ACP's president discussing management of chronic insomnia disorder in adults are available to download at http://www.dssimon.com/MM/ACP-insomnia-guideline/.
Free content:
Recommendation: http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M15-2175
Evidence Review: http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M15-1781
Evidence Review: http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M15-1782
Editorial: http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M16-0359
Paper URLs go live when the embargo lifts
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) should be the first-line treatment for adults with chronic insomnia, according to the American College of Physicians (ACP). The new evidence-based clinical practice guideline is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
CBT-I consists of a combination of treatments that include cognitive therapy around sleep, behavioral interventions such as sleep restriction and stimulus control, and education such as sleep hygiene (habits for a good night's sleep). A review of published evidence found that CBT-I is an effective treatment and can be initiated in a primary care setting. While the reviewers found insufficient evidence to directly compare CBT-I and drug treatment, CBT-I is likely to have fewer harms than sleep medications, which are associated with significant side effects.
If CBT-I alone is unsuccessful, ACP recommends that doctors use a shared-decision making approach with their patients to decide whether drug therapy should be added to treatment. This should include discussing the benefits, harms, and costs of medications.
Note: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Cara Graeff. To interview someone from ACP, please contact Steve Majewski at smajewski@acponline.org or 215-351-2514.
2. ICDs associated with high risk for long-term complications
Implantation at a younger age, female sex, and black race associated with the greatest long-term risks
Abstract: http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M15-2732
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation is associated with a high risk of long-term complications and reoperation, especially for younger patients, females, and blacks. The observational cohort study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
ICDs are highly efficacious in preventing sudden cardiac death and reducing mortality in select populations, yet early complications are common. Less is known about the long-term risks of ICDs and how patient and device characteristics at implantation affect outcomes.
Using data from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry ICD registry and Medicare claims, researchers assessed the long-term nonfatal risks for ICD-related complications among patients with first-time implantations. Based on data from more than 114,000 patients at 1,437 centers, ICDs were associated with a high risk for complications and reoperations in the years after implantation. Increasing complexity of the implanted device (particularly CRT-D devices), younger age at implantation, female sex, and black race were associated with the greatest long-term hazards for complications. The researchers suggest that these findings be considered during the decision-making process before implantation.
Note: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Cara Graeff. To interview an author, please contact Karen Peart at karen.peart@yale.edu or 203-432-1326.
3. Scientific community seeks answers about explosive Zika outbreak
Abstract: http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M16-0617
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
The explosive nature of recent Zika virus epidemics and links to Guillain-Barre syndrome and microcephaly, have scientists concerned, according to an article published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Poor understanding of the transmission and pathogenesis of Zika virus presents an enormous challenge in responding to the rapidly emerging threat to human health.
Zika was identified in 1947 and for decades caused only sporadic cases of mild human disease. However, the recent Zika epidemic that began in Brazil in 2015 has spread rapidly to more than 30 countries in the Americans and the Caribbean and shows no signs of slowing. Answers are needed to inform vaccine development and also to properly advise those living in or traveling to Zika-endemic areas.
While the contribution of Zika infection to the total increase in microcephaly cases being observed relative to other unidentified causes remains unknown, blood evidence suggests that Zika infection at any stage of pregnancy could increase risk for microcephaly, intrauterine growth restriction, and fetal death. As such, pregnant women in unaffected areas are currently advised to postpone travel to Zika-endemic regions, if possible.
Pregnant women are also advised to avoid sex with males who have traveled to Zika-endemic regions. Zika virus is detectable in semen for at least two months following infection and multiple cases of suspected sexual transmission of Zika are currently under investigation in the United States. The relative importance of sexual transmission with regard to the overall burden of Zika transmission and risk for microcephaly is unknown.
At present, there is no specific antiviral and no vaccine for Zika, though vaccines are in development. Providers should maintain a high level of suspicion for Zika infection in any patient presenting with rash and either a personal history of recent travel to an area with active Zika transmission or a history of travel in a sexual partner.
Note: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Cara Graeff. For an interview with the lead author, Dr. Kathryn Anderson, please contact Caroline Marin at crmarin@umn.edu or 612-624-5680.
4. Internists Recommend Ways to Better Align Graduate Medical Education Financing with Workforce Needs
Abstract: http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M15-2917
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
The Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) and the American College of Physicians (ACP) call for changes that better align funding for Graduate Medical Education (GME) with the nation's health care workforce needs. The paper, Financing U.S. Graduate Medical Education, is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
GME is the process by which graduated medical students progress to become competent practitioners in a particular field of medicine. GME programs, referred to as residencies and fellowships, allow trainees to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for independent practice. GME plays a major role in addressing the nation's workforce needs, as GME is the ultimate determinant of the output of physicians.
Under the current system, GME is funded through a combination of sources. The federal government, which is the largest source of GME financing, provides GME funding to teaching hospitals through Medicare. States fund GME through Medicaid, but the level of funding varies greatly by state. Private payers pay higher rates to teaching hospitals compared with other hospitals to fund GME, though they do not explicitly contribute to GME. And finally, GME receives funding from private sources, such as hospitals, universities, and gifts or grants from industry, though the amount can vary significantly.
According to authors from the AAIM and ACP, the current system of GME financing does not consider physician workforce needs on the local, regional, or national level. They recommend changes to better align GME with the nation's health care workforce needs. These recommendations include using Medicare GME funds to meet policy goals to ensure an adequate supply, specialty mix, and site of training; spreading the costs of financing GME across the health care system; evaluating the true cost of training a resident and establishing a single per resident amount; increasing transparency and innovation; and ensuring that primary care residents receive training in well-functioning ambulatory settings that are financially supported for their training roles.
Note: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Cara Graeff. To interview someone from ACP, please contact Jacquelyn Blaser at jblaser@acponline.org or 202-261-4572.
Also new in this issue:
Living on Benefits: How cancer screening is portrayed in the UK national press
Jack W. Bedeman, BM, BSc, MSc; Susanne F. Meisel, PhD; and Nora Pashayan, MD, PhD
Annals Graphic Medicine
Free content: http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/G15-0019
###
SEATTLE, WA, May 2, 2016 -- BrightFocus Foundation today recognized five scientists in the fields of macular degeneration and glaucoma research, awarding them grants named in honor of leaders in vision research and advocacy.
The five recognized today are among a group of 32 scientists who will collectively receive nearly $5 million in vision research grants this year from BrightFocus, a record level of financial support. The awards were presented at a Seattle breakfast event coinciding with the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
"We are proud to honor and support these brilliant scientists as they strive to better understand and ultimately end macular degeneration and glaucoma. Their innovative work honors the legacies of the advocates and scientists in whose name these awards are given," said BrightFocus President and CEO Stacy Haller.
The five scientists honored today with named awards, all women, come from research institutions in four states in the US--California, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Ohio--and from Australia. The awards are as follows:
Macular Degeneration Research
Vera Bonilha, PhD, of The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, received The Elizabeth Anderson Award for Macular Degeneration Research, to better understand late-stage dry, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by comparing images of eyes donated by persons with AMD, with a detailed analysis of the changes in inflammation and cell structure along the leading edge of retinal lesions.
Maria Valeria Canto-Soler, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University, received The Helen Juanita Reed Award for Macular Degeneration Research, to develop a novel 3D human mini-retina model ("retina in a dish") for the early stages of macular degeneration, to help investigate the initial triggers leading to this disease.
Robyn Guymer, MBBS, PhD, of the Centre for Eye Research Australia, The University of Melbourne, received The Carolyn K. McGillvray Award for Macular Degeneration Research, to study the underlying mechanisms by which debris accumulates in the retina in AMD, a process that may lead to novel treatments for early AMD.
Glaucoma Research
Meredith Gregory-Ksander, PhD, of the Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, received The Thomas R. Lee Award for Glaucoma Research, to test whether inhibiting an important new regulator of inflammation in the eye's optic nerve head will stop the development of glaucoma and vision loss.
Yvonne Ou, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, received The Dr. Douglas H. Johnson Award for Glaucoma Research, to better understand the steps between optic nerve cell injury, loss of nerve cell connections, and cell death in glaucoma -- an understanding that could ultimately lead to treatments before irreversible cell death occurs.
The names and projects of this year's other individual grant recipients will be announced at a later date, pending completion of final agreements with researchers and supporting institutions.
###
The nonprofit BrightFocus Foundation drives innovative research worldwide and promotes public awareness of Alzheimer's, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. For more information, call 1-800-437-2423 or visit http://www.BrightFocus.org.
A team of astronomers led by Michael Gillon, of the Institut d'Astrophysique et Geophysique at the University of Liege in Belgium, have used the Belgian TRAPPIST telescope [1] to observe the star 2MASS J23062928-0502285, now also known as TRAPPIST-1. They found that this dim and cool star faded slightly at regular intervals, indicating that several objects were passing between the star and the Earth [2]. Detailed analysis showed that three planets with similar sizes to the Earth were present.
TRAPPIST-1 is an ultracool dwarf star -- it is much cooler and redder than the Sun and barely larger than Jupiter. Such stars are both very common in the Milky Way and very long-lived, but this is the first time that planets have been found around one of them. Despite being so close to the Earth, this star is too dim and too red to be seen with the naked eye or even visually with a large amateur telescope. It lies in the constellation of Aquarius (The Water Carrier).
Emmanuel Jehin, a co-author of the new study, is excited: "This really is a paradigm shift with regards to the planet population and the path towards finding life in the Universe. So far, the existence of such 'red worlds' orbiting ultra-cool dwarf stars was purely theoretical, butnow we have not just one lonely planet around such a faint red star but a complete system of three planets!"
Michael Gillon, lead author of the paper presenting the discovery, explains the significance of the new findings: "Why are we trying to detect Earth-like planets around the smallest and coolest stars in the solar neighbourhood? The reason is simple: systems around these tiny stars are the only places where we can detect life on an Earth-sized exoplanet with our current technology. So if we want to find life elsewhere in the Universe, this is where we should start to look."
Astronomers will search for signs of life by studying the effect that the atmosphere of a transiting planet has on the light reaching Earth. For Earth-sized planets orbiting most stars this tiny effect is swamped by the brilliance of the starlight. Only for the case of faint red ultra-cool dwarf stars -- like TRAPPIST-1 -- is this effect big enough to be detected.
Follow-up observations with larger telescopes, including the HAWK-I instrument on ESO's 8-metre Very Large Telescope in Chile, have shown that the planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1 have sizes very similar to that of Earth. Two of the planets have orbital periods of about 1.5 days and 2.4 days respectively, and the third planet has a less well determined period in the range 4.5 to 73 days.
"With such short orbital periods, the planets are between 20 and 100 times closer to their star than the Earth to the Sun. The structure of this planetary system is much more similar in scale to the system of Jupiter's moons than to that of the Solar System," explains Michael Gillon.
Although they orbit very close to their host dwarf star, the inner two planets only receive four times and twice, respectively, the amount of radiation received by the Earth, because their star is much fainter than the Sun. That puts them closer to the star than the habitable zone for this system, although it is still possible that they possess habitable regions on their surfaces. The third, outer, planet's orbit is not yet well known, but it probably receives less radiation than the Earth does, but maybe still enough to lie within the habitable zone.
"Thanks to several giant telescopes currently under construction, including ESO's E-ELT and the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope due to launch for 2018, we will soon be able to study the atmospheric composition of these planets and to explore them first for water, then for traces of biological activity. That's a giant step in the search for life in the Universe," concludes Julien de Wit, a co-author from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA.
This work opens up a new direction for exoplanet hunting, as around 15% of the stars near to the Sun are ultra-cool dwarf stars, and it also serves to highlight that the search for exoplanets has now entered the realm of potentially habitable cousins of the Earth. The TRAPPIST survey is a prototype for a more ambitious project called SPECULOOS that will be installed at ESO's Paranal Observatory [3].
###
Notes
[1] TRAPPIST (the TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope) is a Belgian robotic 0.6-metre telescope operated from the University of Liege and based at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile. It spends much of its time monitoring the light from around 60 of the nearest ultracool dwarf stars and brown dwarfs ("stars" which are not quite massive enough to initiate sustained nuclear fusion in their cores), looking for evidence of planetary transits.The target in this case, TRAPPIST-1, is an ultracool dwarf, with about 0.05% of the Sun's luminosity and a mass of about 8% that of the Sun.
[2] This is one of the main methods that astronomers use to identify the presence of a planet around a star. They look at the light coming from the star, to see if some of the light is blocked as the planet passes in front of its host star on the line of sight to Earth -- transits the star, as astronomers say. As the planet orbits around its star, we expect to see regular small dips in the light coming from the star as the planet moves in front of it.
[3] SPECULOOS is mostly funded by the European Research Council and led also by the University of Liege. Four 1-metre robotic telescopes will be installed at the Paranal Observatory to search for habitable planets around 500 ultra-cool stars over the next five years.
More information
This research was presented in a paper entitled "Temperate Earth-sized planets transiting a nearby ultracool dwarf star", by M. Gillon et al., to appear in the journal Nature.
The team is composed of: M. Gillon (Institut d'Astrophysique et Geophysique, Universite de Liege, Belgium), E. Jehin (Institut d'Astrophysique et Geophysique, Universite de Liege,Belgium), S. M. Lederer (NASA Johnson Space Center, USA), L. Delrez (Institut d'Astrophysique et Geophysique, Universite de Liege,Belgium), J. de Wit (Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA), A. Burdanov (Institut d'Astrophysique et Geophysique, Universite de Liege, Belgium), V. Van Grootel (Institut d'Astrophysique et Geophysique, Universite de Liege,Belgium), A. J. Burgasser (Center for Astrophysics and Space Science, University of California, San Diego, USA and Infrared Telescope Facility, operated by the University of Hawaii), C. Opitom (Institut d'Astrophysique et Geophysique, Universite de Liege, Belgium), A. H. M. J. Triaud (Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, UK), B-O. Demory (Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, UK), D.K. Sahu (Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, India), D. B. Gagliuffi (Center for Astrophysics and Space Science, University of California, San Diego, USA and Infrared Telescope Facility, operated by the University of Hawaii), P. Magain (Institut d'Astrophysique et Geophysique, Universite de Liege,Belgium) and D. Queloz (Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, UK).
ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It is supported by 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world's most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory and two survey telescopes. VISTA works in the infrared and is the world's largest survey telescope and the VLT Survey Telescope is the largest telescope designed to exclusively survey the skies in visible light. ESO is a major partner in ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre European Extremely Large Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".
Links
* Research paper - http://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso1615/eso1615a.pdf
* TRAPPIST is the acronym of "TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope", more information here - http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/trappist/ and at the TRAPPIST website - http://www.orca.ulg.ac.be/TRAPPIST/Trappist_main/Home.html
* SPECULOOS is the acronym of "Search for habitable Planets EClipsing ULtra-cOOl Stars". For more information, see here - http://www.orca.ulg.ac.be/SPECULOOS/Speculoos_main/Home.html
Contacts
Michael Gillon
University of LiegeBelgium
Tel: +32 43 669 743
Cell: +32 473 346 402
Email: michael.gillon@ulg.ac.be
Julien de Wit
MIT
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Email: jdewit@mit.edu
Richard Hook
ESO Public Information Officer
Garching bei Munchen, Germany
Tel: +49 89 3200 6655
Cell: +49 151 1537 3591
Email: rhook@eso.org
Turin, Italy: A large study of testicular cancer patients has shown that radiation therapy is a better treatment than chemotherapy for patients with stage IIa disease (where one or more regional lymph nodes contain cancer cells but they are less than 2cms in diameter).
These findings, presented at the ESTRO 35 conference today (Monday) and published simultaneously in Clinical Oncology [1], are important because, until now, there has been little evidence about which treatment for testicular seminoma is more effective, and there has been a tendency to move away from radiation therapy towards chemotherapy for treating stage IIa-b patients. Guidelines from the US National Cancer Comprehensive Network recommend radiotherapy for stage IIa, while those from the European Association of Urology allow for either radiation therapy or chemotherapy; both sets of guidelines are equivocal for stage IIb.
The study of 2,437 patients presented today is the largest group of patients with stage II testicular seminoma evaluated so far, and researchers found that 99% of patients with IIa disease were alive after five years if they had been treated with radiation therapy, versus 93% of patients treated with chemotherapy. For patients with IIb disease, the five-year overall survival was 95% for those treated with radiation therapy and 92% for those treated with chemotherapy.
Dr Scott Glaser, resident physician at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, USA, told the conference: "For patients with IIa testicular seminoma, this improvement in outcome with radiation over chemotherapy persisted after adjustments for all available factors that could introduce a bias. For patients with stage IIb disease, similar rates of overall survival were seen regardless of treatment with multi-agent chemotherapy or radiation therapy. This suggests that an individualised approach is necessary for such patients."
He continued: "Testicular seminoma is a rare disease, there is a lack of randomised data to guide treatment and many prior studies have been limited by small sample sizes. It has, therefore, been difficult to tease out small differences in efficacy of radiation therapy versus chemotherapy. The trend away from radiation therapy may be due to a misperception that it is more toxic than three or four cycles of multi-agent chemotherapy. Across this large, national dataset, radiation therapy was associated with a better outcome for stage IIa patients and equivalent outcomes for stage IIb patients. However, potential explanations for these improved outcomes are less clear."
The study, led by Dr Sushil Beriwal, an associate professor of radiation oncology at the University of Pittsburgh, analysed data from 2,437 patients with stage II testicular seminoma diagnosed between 1998-2012 and treated with radiation therapy or multi-agent chemotherapy after removal of the cancerous testicle. Of the total number, 960 patients had IIa disease, of whom 78% received radiation therapy and 22% received chemotherapy; 812 had IIb disease, with 54% and 46% receiving radiation therapy and chemotherapy respectively; and 665 had IIc disease, with 4% and 96% receiving radiation therapy and chemotherapy respectively.
"For stage IIc patients, there is clear consensus that multi-agent chemotherapy is the preferred treatment as the risk of distant progression is high, whereas for stage IIa-b there is no such consensus as to the optimal treatment and practice patterns vary significantly. In our series, 96% of stage IIc patients received multi-agent chemotherapy, which also severely limits meaningful comparison to other treatments," explained Dr Glaser.
He said the results support the recommendation that radiation therapy should be the preferred option for treating patients with stage IIa. "We view stage IIb disease as a spectrum where smaller volume disease patients (i.e. those with a 2-3 cm tumour in a single lymph node) may act more like IIa disease and attain the greatest benefit from radiation therapy, whereas patients with a larger volume of disease (i.e. 4-5 cm tumour or that has spread to multiple lymph nodes) may act more like IIc disease and attain the greatest benefit from chemotherapy."
Dr Glaser concluded: "Our results demonstrate the need for a collaborative group effort to open a randomised trial for stage IIa-b testicular seminoma patients examining the role of radiation therapy and chemotherapy."
Limitations of the study include its retrospective nature as it used a national data registry (the US National Cancer Data Base), a relatively short follow-up period (an average of 65 months) as certain toxic effects of treatment may only become apparent after longer follow-up, and the fact that the researchers were unable to describe how well the disease was controlled and deaths that were specifically from the cancer.
Testicular cancer is divided into two main types: seminoma and non-seminoma. Both develop from the germ cells in the testes. Testicular seminoma is one of the most treatable and curable cancers with a survival rate of over 95% if it is discovered in the early stages.
President of ESTRO, Professor Philip Poortmans, who was not involved in the research, commented: "In cases where there is an absence of prospective randomised trials, such as in rare tumours like stage II testicular seminoma, the analysis of 'real-life' data can help us to verify whether assumptions that are used to guide our treatment recommendations are valid or not. The movement away from radiation therapy in favour of chemotherapy, induced by the fear of a higher rate of late toxicity, is now suggested to be probably not the right one for patients with stage IIa testicular seminoma, with an overall survival benefit in favour of radiation therapy up to at least ten years after treatment. Ideally, these results should be confirmed in a prospective trial with a very long-term follow-up, including a thorough analysis of side effects. However, this might be difficult to achieve."
###
[1] "Stage II testicular seminoma: patterns of care and survival by treatment strategy". By S.M. Glaser, J.A. Vargo, G.K. Balasubramani, S. Beriwal. Clinical Oncology (2016) in press, doi 10.1016/j.clon.2016.02.008. Clinical Oncology is at: http://www.clinicaloncologyonline.net
OAKLAND, Calif., May 2, 2016 -- A widely recommended risk calculator for predicting a person's chance of experiencing a cardiovascular disease event -- such as heart attack, ischemic stroke or dying from coronary artery disease -- has been found to substantially overestimate the actual five-year risk in adults overall and across all sociodemographic subgroups. The study by Kaiser Permanente was published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, also known as atherosclerosis, is a silent disease that starts early in life and can have serious consequences, including heart attack, stroke or even death if untreated. It progresses through a build-up of cholesterol plaque and other substances in the walls of arteries, causing obstruction of blood flow. Evidence-based use of statins to reduce cholesterol has been a cornerstone for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events in those patients who are at high enough risk to benefit.
Publication of the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association Pooled Cohort risk equation for estimating the likelihood of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events in 2013 was considered an important step forward. However, the equation was developed from several groups of enrolled volunteers primarily conducted in the 1990s with limited ethnic diversity and age range, so its accuracy may vary in current community-based populations.
"Our study provides critical evidence to support recalibration of the risk equation in 'real world' populations, especially given the individual and public health implications of the widespread application of this risk calculator," said senior author Alan S. Go, MD, chief of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Conditions Research at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research.
The actual incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events over five years was substantially lower than the predicted risk in each category of the ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort equation:
For predicted risk less than 2.5 percent, actual incidence was 0.2 percent
For predicted risk between 2.5 and 3.74 percent, actual incidence was 0.65 percent
For predicted risk between 3.75 and 4.99 percent, actual incidence was 0.9 percent
For predicted risk equal to or greater than 5 percent, actual incidence was 1.85 percent
"From a relative standpoint, the overestimation is approximately five- to six-fold," explained Dr. Go. "Translating this, it would mean that we would be over-treating a good many people based on the risk calculator."
The study followed a population of 307,591 men and women aged 40 to 75 years old, including non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, Asian, Pacific Islanders and Hispanics, from 2008 through 2013 and had complete five-year follow-up. The study population did not include patients with diabetes, prior atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or prior use of lipid-lowering therapy such as statins.
To determine whether the risk equation might be improved by being recalibrated in "real world" clinical care, Kaiser Permanente researchers examined a large, multi-ethnic, community-based population of the health plan's members in Northern California whose cholesterol levels and other clinical measures could theoretically trigger a discussion about whether to consider starting cholesterol-lowering therapy based on estimated risk using the ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort tool.
Among both men and women, there was consistent overestimation of observed five-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease incidence in each predicted risk category, with similarly poor calibration in both genders. Researchers also found consistent overestimation of actual atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk in each of the major ethnic subgroups. Results were also similar across measures of socioeconomic status.
On the other hand, researchers found that observed atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk was substantially closer to that predicted by the ACC/AHA tool among adults with diabetes who were not treated with statin therapy for primary prevention.
"Statin therapy is a mainstay treatment for millions of Americans," said lead author Jamal S. Rana, MD, PhD, cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center and adjunct investigator with the Division of Research. "Our study highlights the importance of ongoing research and dialogue in this area to provide more rigorous evidence to guide treatment for the patients most likely to benefit from this approach."
###
Other authors of the study include Grace H. Tabada, MPH, Matthew D. Solomon MD, PhD, Joan C. Lo, MD, Marc G. Jaffe, MD, and Sue Hee Sung, MPH, of Kaiser Permanente Northern California; and Christie M. Ballantyne, MD, of the Baylor College of Medicine.
This study was funded by grants from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefit Fund and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
About the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research
The Kaiser Permanente Division of Research conducts, publishes, and disseminates epidemiologic and health services research to improve the health and medical care of Kaiser Permanente members and society at large. It seeks to understand the determinants of illness and well-being, and to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care. Currently, DOR's 500-plus staff is working on more than 400 epidemiological and health services research projects. For more information, visit http://www.dor.kaiser.org or follow us @KPDOR.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 10 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share.
New Rochelle, NY, May 2, 2016--Significant improvement in health-related quality of life was reported by patients 12-14 years after undergoing an uncommon form of bariatric surgery at one U.S. medical center. Follow-up of the 27 patients who underwent biliary pancreatic diversion surgery with duodenal switch (BPD-DS) by the same surgeon is described in an article in Bariatric Surgical Practice and Patient Care, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free for download until June 2, 2016.
Birgit Khandalavala, MD, Jenenne Geske, PhD, Maya Nirmalaj, and Ranjan Sudan, MD, University of Nebraska, Omaha, used the SF-36 assessment tool to evaluate health-related quality of life (HrQoL) in this group of patients. It provides measures of both physical and mental functioning.
In the article "Biliopancreatic Diversion Revisited: Health Related Quality of Life Outcomes of Biliary Pancreatic with Duodenal Switch," the authors compared the HrQoL scores from the long-term bariatric surgery patients to those obtained pre-surgery from a similar population of patients and to scores from the general population.
"This is one of the unique studies that describe long-term effectiveness for an operation that is less often performed now," says Editor-in-Chief Edward Lin, DO, MBA, Surgical Director, Emory Bariatrics and Director, Gastroesophageal Treatment Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA. "To know how we are doing with an intervention, it is not enough to say that the patient did well in the first 30-days. The follow-up reported here is one example of patient care excellence."
###
About the Journal
Bariatric Surgical Practice and Patient Care is the essential peer-reviewed journal delivering clinical best practices and quality updates for achieving optimal bariatric surgical outcomes. Led by Editor-in-Chief Edward Lin, DO, MBA, Surgical Director, Emory Bariatrics and Director, Gastroesophageal Treatment Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, coverage includes quality outcomes measurement and reporting; process innovations and care delivery; short- and long-term surgical complications; pre-op, peri-op, and post-op standards of practice; and more. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Bariatric Surgical Practice and Patient Care website.
About the Company
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques and Videoscopy, Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, and Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.
Among this year's finalists for the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal is Dennis Reuter, a planetary scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Named for the Partnership for Public Service's late founder, the award recognizes federal employees who "break down barriers, overcoming huge challenges and getting results."
"It's very gratifying that the team is being selected for this," Reuter said. "The LEISA instrument has provided some really groundbreaking data and it's very exciting that it's being recognized at this level."
Reuter and the team were selected as finalists by a committee that included government officials, educators and industry leaders for their contributions to the New Horizons mission to Pluto, which flew by the dwarf planet in July 2015. Together with his colleagues, Reuter developed New Horizons' LEISA infrared imaging spectrometer, which provided observations to map Pluto's surface and to determine its composition. LEISA is part of the Ralph instrument, which serves as the eyes of New Horizons. Ralph also contains the Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera.
LEISA measures wavelengths of infrared light to identify different elements and compounds on the dwarf planet's surface. These wavelengths form a kind of elemental fingerprint from which scientists can identify compounds like water, methane and carbon monoxide - all of which were found on Pluto's surface.
LEISA's observations changed scientists' understanding of the outer solar system, said Lucy-Ann McFadden, a Goddard scientist. They showed that Pluto has an active surface consisting of a variety of terrains, including ice. They have also provided unique information about the other bodies in the Pluto system.
"Nobody expected to see what we're seeing," Reuter said.
These observations greatly expand on previous knowledge about the dwarf planet.
"We basically had these blurry pictures of Pluto," said Paul Mahaffy, director of Goddard's Solar System Exploration Division. "It is so far away, and we had no information on the details of the geology. The data is telling us what Pluto is like. It is opening our eyes to a place in the solar system that took decades to reach."
Reuter and his colleagues built the instrument to confirm their belief that there was more to Pluto than meets the eye.
"To think there would be more than just a dirty ice ball was an incredible thought," Goddard Center Director Chris Scolese said. "Dennis wasn't the only one to think that, but he came up with the concept for the instrument that could measure properties they thought were there. And he convinced others it could be done."
Developing the instrument was a challenge - the team had to work with numerous requirements. It had to be lightweight, use little power and operate at temperatures as low as minus 455 Fahrenheit.
The instrument also had to be sensitive enough to pick up light from the sun, which was 1,000 times fainter at Pluto than on Earth, and needed high resolution to pick out different wavelengths and different compounds on Pluto. But perhaps the biggest innovation was that LEISA contained no moving parts, which could have worn out over the long journey and rendered it inoperable.
LEISA's design and construction took Reuter and his team nearly two decades, even with the help of industry partners and the support of Alan Stern, the New Horizons principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas. Then, they waited another nine years to see the data it would send back from its destination.
But at least they didn't need to wait nine years to confirm it would work. Reuter said LEISA opened its eyes for the first time during a flyby of Jupiter, about 14 months after launch.
Eight years later, they saw the first images from Pluto. "We could see spectra, we could see features, we could see molecules," Reuter said. The correlation between surface features and composition has given scientists insight into the processes on the dwarf planet. "It defines delayed gratification."
Reuter said that the great results seen from LEISA and New Horizons are a testament to how well the team worked together, including the Goddard group and a wider team consisting of research centers, such as the mission manager, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, universities, other NASA centers, industry partners, and more.
About two-thirds of New Horizons' data has been communicated to the ground, as of late April 2016. Now scientists are waiting to find out if New Horizons' mission will continue as it flies further into the Kuiper Belt.
Also among this year's honorees is Jenn Gustetic, who is on detail from NASA to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she has served as assistant director for open innovation since September 2014. Gustetic has helped NASA leverage crowdsourcing, prize contests and challenges to benefit from innovation outside the agency.
###
For more information about New Horizons, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/newhorizons
Researchers at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) have taken part in a study of the effect of one molecule, 3-nitrooxypropanol, in inhibiting methane production in ruminants. The work has been published in the magazine, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Ruminants are animals which digest their food through fermentation carried out by microorganisms living in the rumen. This process produces organic acids: acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid, all of which are absorbed and metabolized by the organism as a source of energy. But, in addition, it also produces methane, which escapes into the atmosphere in the form of gas.
How 3-nitrooxypropanol works
By 2014, scientists had demonstrated the effectiveness of this molecule in sheep, but were unaware of how it actually worked. Now, in vivo research, using incubated anaerobic microorganisms from ruminants' digestive systems have revealed how the compound 3-nitrooxypropanol only had an effect on methane producing microorganisms (arqueas methanogens) and not on those which contribute to digestion (bacterias). As David Yanez, a CSIC researcher at the Zaidin Experimental Research Centre in Granada (southern Spain) explains, "Up until now, no-one had described the mode of action of a compound which can repeatedly reduce (by 30%) methane production in animals without any risks, either to the animal's health, or to their productivity".
The results of this work open up the possibility of reducing methane emissions and of contributing to a reduction in global temperatures which is caused by greenhouse gases. In addition, "We will see an increase in the efficiency of ruminant production systems as better use is made of the energy taken in in animal feed, given that methane production accounts for a loss of up to 12% of the energy an animal ingests" notes Yanez.
Both the University of Auburn in the USA and the Max Planck Institute in Germany collaborated on this project as did the Swiss company, DSM Nutritional Products, which developed and owns the patent to 3-nitrooxypropanol.
###
(PHILADELPHIA) - Millions of Americans currently use medication for their indigestion and reflux, so it may come as no surprise that parents and doctors also prescribe medicine for newborns with reflux. However, according to a new study, newborns are likely being over treated the majority of the time with interventions - including surgery - that have risks for the infant.
Gastric reflux is common in infants because the band of muscle, or sphincter, that squeezes the top opening of the stomach shut, does not yet close at full strength, especially in premature babies. As a result, babies often have reflux and spit up after feeding. When reflux happens within several minutes of other more dangerous symptoms such as drop in heart rate, apnea, coughing or gagging, arching of the back, incessant crying, and wheezing, physicians may suspect gastric reflux disease, or GERD.
"Since the baby can't tell us what they are feeling, we use this association between the reflux event and these other symptoms and signs of discomfort to help diagnose reflux disease," says senior author on the study, Zubair H Aghai, M.D., Professor, director of neonatology research at Thomas Jefferson University, and attending neonatologist with Nemours duPont Pediatrics at Jefferson Hospital. "However, our study demonstrates that these symptoms may not be associated with reflux and should not necessarily indicate treatment."
Instead of relying on clinical symptoms, some of which can be either underreported or over reported by nurses or family members, the researchers used a more definitive approach. The researchers compiled the data of 58 infants. Based on their symptoms all of these patients were suspected to have GERD by their doctors. However, the researchers showed that when a gold standard test for gastric disease called the multichannel intraluminal impedance study (or the MII-pH) was performed, only 6 patients, or 10 percent, actually had GERD. The results were recently published in Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.
Treatment for GERD in infants includes two types of drugs. The first are drugs such as ranitidine (Zantac), famotidine (Pepcid), and lansoprazole (Prevacid), which reduce acid in the stomach. However, research suggests acid is not a major factor in infant reflux and use of antacid in infants can lead to increased risk for infection. The second type is called metoclopramide or reglan, which has a black box warning for the risk of causing permanent damage to child's brain leading to movement disorders. A third option is surgery to tighten the sphincter at the top of the stomach. All of these interventions come with risks for the infant, and are often prescribed on the basis of symptom association alone.
"The study suggests that doctors who suspect infants of having GERD should use the MII-pH to confirm the diagnosis before treating with medications or surgery," says Dr. Aghai. Unfortunately, says Dr. Aghai, the reason the test isn't done more often is that it can require advanced training and expertise that isn't available at all institutions.
Other than providing medication when it's not needed, misdiagnosing GERD in infants also masks the real cause of the problem. "When the MII-pH comes back negative, we have to do a better job of investigating the root causes of the symptoms we're seeing," says Dr. Aghai.
###
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
Article reference: A. Funderburk, et al., "Temporal Association Between Reflux-like Behaviors and Gastroesophageal Reflux in Preterm and Term Infants," J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr., DOI: 10.1097/MPG.0000000000000968, 2016.
For more information, contact Edyta Zielinska, 215-955-5291, edyta.zielinska@jefferson.edu.
About Jefferson
Our newly formed organization, Jefferson, encompasses Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health, representing our academic and clinical entities. Together, the people of Jefferson, 19,000 strong, provide the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients, educate the health professionals of tomorrow, and discover new treatments and therapies that will define the future of health care.
Jefferson Health comprises five hospitals, 17 outpatient and urgent care locations, as well as physician practices and everywhere we deliver care throughout the city and suburbs across Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks Counties in Pa., and Camden County in New Jersey. Together, these facilities serve nearly 73,000 inpatients, 239,000 emergency patients and 1.7 million outpatient visits annually. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is the largest freestanding academic medical center in Philadelphia. Abington Hospital is the largest community teaching hospital in Montgomery or Bucks counties. Other hospitals include Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience in Center City Philadelphia; Methodist Hospital in South Philadelphia; and Abington-Lansdale Hospital in Hatfield Township.
Thomas Jefferson University enrolls more than 3,800 future physicians, scientists, nurses and healthcare professionals in the Sidney Kimmel Medical College (SKMC), Jefferson Colleges of Biomedical Sciences, Health Professions, Nursing, Pharmacy, Population Health and is home of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center.
For more information and a complete listing of Jefferson services and locations, visit http://www.jefferson.edu.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Research has shown the significance of social relationships in influencing adult human behavior and health; however, little is known about how children's perception of their social networks correlates with stress and how it may influence development. Now, a University of Missouri research team has determined that children and adolescents physically react to their social networks and the stress those networks may cause. Scientists believe that the quality and size of the social relationships nurtured in childhood may have important physiological consequences for physical and mental health for youth.
Cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase are secreted in response to outside pressure or tension. A part of the autonomic nervous system, release of cortisol in the system is quick, unconscious and can be measured in saliva; therefore, measuring cortisol is a good indicator of stress in the body, said Mark V. Flinn, professor of biomedical anthropology and chair of the Department of Anthropology in the MU College of Arts and Science.
"The typical physiological response to stress is the release of hormones like cortisol into the system," Flinn said. "In this study, we wanted to explore the association between children's personal social networks, as well as perceived social network size and density with biomarkers like cortisol and alpha-amylase that can indicate levels of stress in youth. Our goal was to determine if children experience stress because they perceive their networks to be inferior compared to their peers. Determining if social relationships cause stress in children is important because stress can influence human behavior and health later in life."
Flinn and his team, including Davide Ponzi, a post-doctoral fellow who is now with the University of Utah, have been conducting a one-of-a-kind project on an island in the Caribbean. For the study, the team has been using data collected over more than two decades from a small village on the east coast of Dominica. For years, Flinn has integrated himself within the culture, documenting socioeconomic, demographic, and health data as well as relationship data within a small community of about 500 residents.
"Over the years, we've collected data on grandparents, parents and their children; I've observed real kids in their communities, not in a controlled laboratory setting, so the data is unique and highly useful," Flinn said. "Using this wealth of knowledge, we were interested in learning how the kids physically responded to the social networks they cultivate."
For this focused study, Ponzi and Flinn chose a sample of 40 children ranging in ages from 5 to 12 and who represented about 80 percent of the total children in the village. Each child was asked a series of questions about their friends to measure their perceived density and closeness of their social networks. Three samples of saliva were collected before, during and after the interview and cortisol and alpha-amylase levels were measured.
"We found that, using the data we collected from the one-on-one interviews, children who were stressed about the size and density of their perceived social networks had elevated anticipatory cortisol levels, and responded by secreting more alpha-amylase," Flinn said. "Our study was in line with past research on stress, loneliness and social support in adults, but we strengthened past research by applying it to children. Future research should consider a multi-system approach like this one to study cognitive and biological mechanisms underlying children's perception."
###
The study, "Cortisol, salivary alpha-amylase and children's perceptions of their social networks," was recently published in Social Neuroscience, with funding from the National Science Foundation (Grant 0640442). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agency. David Geary, Curators Professor of Psychological Sciences at MU also contributed to the study.
ANN ARBOR -- Cybersecurity researchers at the University of Michigan were able to hack into the leading "smart home" automation system and essentially get the PIN code to a home's front door.
Their "lock-pick malware app" was one of four attacks that the cybersecurity researchers leveled at an experimental set-up of Samsung's SmartThings, a top-selling Internet of Things platform for consumers. The work is believed to be the first platform-wide study of a real-world connected home system. The researchers didn't like what they saw.
"At least today, with the one public IoT software platform we looked at, which has been around for several years, there are significant design vulnerabilities from a security perspective," said Atul Prakash, U-M professor of computer science and engineering. "I would say it's okay to use as a hobby right now, but I wouldn't use it where security is paramount."
Earlence Fernandes, a doctoral student in computer science and engineering who led the study, said that "letting it control your window shades is probably fine."
"One way to think about it is if you'd hand over control of the connected devices in your home to someone you don't trust and then imagine the worst they could do with that and consider whether you're okay with someone having that level of control," he said.
Regardless of how safe individual devices are or claim to be, new vulnerabilities form when hardware like electronic locks, thermostats, ovens, sprinklers, lights and motion sensors are networked and set up to be controlled remotely. That's the convenience these systems offer. And consumers are interested in that.
As a testament to SmartThings' growing use, its Android companion app that lets you manage your connected home devices remotely has been downloaded more than 100,000 times. SmartThings' app store, where third-party developers can contribute SmartApps that run in the platform's cloud and let users customize functions, holds more than 500 apps.
The researchers performed a security analysis of the SmartThings' programming framework and to show the impact of the flaws they found, they conducted four successful proof-of-concept attacks.
They demonstrated a SmartApp that eavesdropped on someone setting a new PIN code for a door lock, and then sent that PIN in a text message to a potential hacker. The SmartApp, which they called a "lock-pick malware app" was disguised as a battery level monitor and only expressed the need for that capability in its code.
As an example, they showed that an existing, highly rated SmartApp could be remotely exploited to virtually make a spare door key by programming an additional PIN into the electronic lock. The exploited SmartApp was not originally designed to program PIN codes into locks.
They showed that one SmartApp could turn off "vacation mode" in a separate app that lets you program the timing of lights, blinds, etc., while you're away to help secure the home.
They demonstrated that a fire alarm could be made to go off by any SmartApp injecting false messages.
How is all this possible? The security loopholes the researchers uncovered fall into a few categories. One common problem is that the platform grants its SmartApps too much access to devices and to the messages those devices generate. The researchers call this "over-privilege."
"The access SmartThings grants by default is at a full device level, rather than any narrower," Prakash said. "As an analogy, say you give someone permission to change the lightbulb in your office, but the person also ends up getting access to your entire office, including the contents of your filing cabinets."
More than 40 percent of the nearly 500 apps they examined were granted capabilities the developers did not specify in their code. That's how the researchers could eavesdrop on setting of lock PIN codes.
The researchers also found that it is possible for app developers to deploy an authentication method called OAuth incorrectly. This flaw, in combination with SmartApps being over-privileged, allowed the hackers to program their own PIN code into the lock--to make their own secret spare key.
Finally, the "event subsystem" on the platform is insecure. This is the stream of messages devices generate as they're programmed and carry out those instructions. The researchers were able to inject erroneous events to trick devices. That's how they managed the fire alarm and flipped the switch on vacation mode.
These results have implications for all smart home systems, and even the broader Internet of Things.
"The bottom line is that it's not easy to secure these systems" Prakash said. "There are multiple layers in the software stack and we found vulnerabilities across them, making fixes difficult."
The researchers told SmartThings about these issues in December 2015 and the company is working on fixes. The researchers rechecked a few weeks ago if a lock's PIN code could still be snooped and reprogrammed by a potential hacker, and it still could. In a statement, SmartThings officials say they're continuing to explore "long-term, automated, defensive capabilities to address these vulnerabilities." They're also analyzing old and new apps in an effort to ensure that appropriate authentication is put in place, among other steps.
Jaeyeon Jung, with Microsoft Research, also contributed to this work. The researchers will present a paper on the findings, titled "Security Analysis of Emerging Smart Home Applications," May 24 at the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy in San Jose.
###
IoT Security
Atul Prakash
Earlence Fernandes
As world leaders convene in Washington, DC this week for the Climate Action 2016 summit, a new report by Maryland public health leaders, the Maryland Climate and Health Profile report, details the impacts of climate change on the health of Marylanders now and in the future.
Developed by the University of Maryland School of Public Health's Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the report examines the relationship between exposure to extreme weather events and risk of selected health outcomes including food and waterborne illnesses (caused by Salmonella and Campylobacter), hospitalization for heart attacks and asthma, and motor vehicle accidents. Using historical climate data along with health data, researchers were able to describe relationships between exposure to extreme events and risk of these selected diseases. These data, along with the climate projections, were used to calculate health burdens among Marylanders in future decades.
In addition, the report recommends actions that individuals, families and communities can take to minimize the negative health burdens. It describes how the negative health burdens are not equally distributed across race/ethnicity or geographical areas of Maryland. The report concludes that local and state level strategies to build healthy and resilient communities must take into account these differential burdens.
Key findings of the Maryland Climate and Health Profile report include:
-Extreme weather is on the rise: Summertime extreme heat events more than doubled in Maryland during the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s compared to the 1960s and 1970s. -Extreme weather increases risk of foodborne illnesses: Both extreme heat and extreme precipitation events significantly increase the risk of Salmonella infections in Maryland. The increases in risk associated with extreme weather events is considerably higher among coastal communities compared to more inland communities. -Extreme heat raises heart attack risk: Exposure to summertime extreme heat events increases the risk of hospitalization for heart attack in Maryland. Non-Hispanic blacks have a much higher risk compared to non-Hispanic whites. -Extreme heat and precipitation raise severe asthma attack risk: Exposure to summertime extreme heat and precipitation events increase the risk of hospitalization for asthma in Maryland. -Extreme precipitation raises accident risk: Exposure to extreme precipitation events increases the risk of motor vehicle accidents, particularly during the fall and summer months.
According to the report, the increases in frequency of extreme weather events during summer months in the future (2040) are projected to result in higher rates of asthma and heart attack hospitalization as well as Salmonella infections. The magnitude of these increases will likely vary considerably across the 24 counties in Maryland.
###
Download the Maryland Climate and Health Profile Report: http://phpa.dhmh.maryland.gov/OEHFP/EH/Shared%20Documents/Reports/MD_climate_and_health_FullReport_04182016%20Final.pdf
Highlights from the Maryland Climate and Health Profile Report: https://sph.umd.edu/sites/default/files/images/Dean's%20Office/MD_climate_and_health_highlights.pdf
Climate Change and Public Health Resources on the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene website: http://phpa.dhmh.maryland.gov/OEHFP/EH/Pages/about_climate.aspx
The Maryland Climate and Health Profile report is based on and developed in conjunction with the DHMH Maryland Public Health Strategy for Climate Change project, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of its Climate-Ready States and Cities Initiative. Research studies led by Dr. Amir Sapkota in the UMD School of Public Health informed many of the report's key findings. This Climate and Health Profile report summarizes a collaborative effort between the DHMH, local health departments, and the University of Maryland School of Public Health's Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health. The report utilized the CDC's Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) framework to identify vulnerable populations and use this data to inform interventions and increase resilience.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - People living with mental illness are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. It is estimated that 1 million people with mental illnesses are arrested and booked in the U.S. each year. As such, interventions to help this population, such as mental health courts, are becoming popular in communities across the country. New research from the University of Missouri finds that for mental health courts to be successful, every professional engaged in the process should be aware of the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and participant engagement within the system and connect participants with comprehensive treatment and services as early as possible.
Mental health courts seek to address underlying problems that contribute to criminal behavior by linking criminal offenders who have mental illnesses to needed services and treatment. Mental health courts provide a voluntary option for criminal offenders that incorporates mental health assessments, treatment plans and ongoing monitoring to address the health needs of offenders in an effort to keep them out of jail, while also ensuring public safety.
"We know that mental health courts are able to provide tools to decrease criminal recidivism, however, little is really known about the factors that facilitate or impede participant success in such programs," said Kelli Canada, assistant professor in the School of Social Work. "With mental illness, people tend to think of the primary disorder at the exclusion of other symptoms that have yet to reach a diagnosable level. Those additional psychiatric symptoms can have a significant impact on a participant's success within mental health courts. For example, a participant with schizophrenia may have mild depressive symptoms that are not accounted for in the treatment plan. The depressive symptoms, not the psychosis, could cause them to sleep through a meeting with a probation officer."
Canada analyzed the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and mental health court engagement by looking at treatment adherence, substance use, days spent in jail, probation violations and retention during a six month follow up period. She found that symptoms of depression, anxiety and guilt were more severe for those participants incarcerated during their follow up period. The results speak to the importance of providing quality mental health and substance use treatment that addresses all of the participant's health needs.
"We found that for mental health courts to be the most successful, they must find a way to account for mental illness variation and incorporate this variation into treatment planning and decision making regarding the use of sanctions in order to support program engagement," Canada said. "We know that for people dealing with substance abuse, slip-ups can occur. The same holds true for mental illness recovery. Recovery set-backs and psychiatric symptom exacerbation can impact a participant's engagement within the program; if that is not accounted for, it could and often does impact success."
###
Canada's study, "Psychiatric Symptoms and Mental Health Court Engagement," recently was published in Psychology, Crime and Law. Greg Markway with the Missouri Department of Mental Health and David Albright with the University of Alabama were co-authors of the study. The School of Social Work is part of the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences.
MIAMI -- In a new study, University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science researchers found that the limestone that forms the foundation of coral reefs along the Florida Reef Tract is dissolving during the fall and winter months on many reefs in the Florida Keys. The research showed that the upper Florida Keys were the most impacted by the annual loss of reef.
Each year the oceans absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and become more acidic, a process called ocean acidification. Projections, based largely on laboratory studies, led scientists to predict that ocean pH would not fall low enough to cause reefs to start dissolving until 2050-2060.
For two years, the researchers collected water samples along the 200-kilometer (124-mile) stretch of the Florida Reef Tract north of Biscayne National Park to the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. The data provide a snapshot on the health of the reefs, and establish a baseline from which future changes can be judged.
The results showed that reef dissolution is a significant problem on reefs in the upper Keys with the loss of limestone exceeding the amount the corals are able to produce on an annual basis. As a result these reefs are expected to begin wasting away leaving less habitat for commercial and recreationally important fish species. Florida Keys' reefs have an estimated asset value of $7.6 billion.
In the natural scheme of things in the spring and summer months, environmental conditions in the ocean, such as water temperature, light and seagrass growth, are favorable for the growth of coral limestone. While, during the fall and winter, low light and temperature conditions along with the annual decomposition of seagrass, result in a slowing, or small-scale loss of reef growth. However, as atmospheric CO2 is absorbed by seawater, ocean pH declines. The result is that the natural summer growth cycle of coral is no longer large enough to offset the effects of dissolution from ocean acidification.
"We don't have as much time as we previously thought," said Chris Langdon, UM Rosenstiel School professor of marine biology and ecology, and a senior author of the study. "The reefs are beginning to dissolve away." "This is one more reason why we need to get serious about reducing carbon dioxide emission sooner rather than later," said Langdon.
The data for the study were collected in 2009-2010. The researchers suggest that a more recent analysis should be conducted to see how the reefs are faring today. "The worst bleaching years on record in the Florida Keys were 2014-2015, so there's a chance the reefs could be worse now," said Langdon.
###
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/yNfZ_MfdtXA
The study, titled "Dynamics of carbonate chemistry, production and calcification of the Florida Reef Tract (2009-2010): evidence for seasonal dissolution," was published in the May 2, 2016 issue of the journal Global Biogeochemical Cycles. The co-authors include Langdon, UM Rosenstiel School alumnae Nancy Muehllehner and Alyson Venti, and David Kadko, now at Florida International University. National Science Foundation funded the study.
About the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School
The University of Miami is one of the largest private research institutions in the southeastern United States. The University's mission is to provide quality education, attract and retain outstanding students, support the faculty and their research, and build an endowment for University initiatives. Founded in the 1940's, the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science has grown into one of the world's premier marine and atmospheric research institutions. Offering dynamic interdisciplinary academics, the Rosenstiel School is dedicated to helping communities to better understand the planet, participating in the establishment of environmental policies, and aiding in the improvement of society and quality of life. For more information, visit: http://www.rsmas.miami.edu.
Tampa, Fla. (May 2, 2016) - At the 23rd Annual Conference of the American Society of Neural Therapy and Repair (ASNTR), held April 28-30, 2016 in Clearwater Beach, Florida, ASNTR awarded The 2016 Bernard Sanberg Memorial Award for Brain Repair to Marina E. Emborg, MD, PhD, an associate professor of medical physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. ASNTR also presented The Molly and Bernard Sanberg Memorial Award to Eng H. Lo, PhD, professor of neurology and radiology at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital.
The 2016 Bernard Sanberg Memorial Award for Brain Repair
The 2016 award was presented to Dr. Emborg in recognition of her significant research contributions to research in neurodegenerative disorders, particularly in Parkinson's disease, in developing safe neuroprotective strategies to prevent, slow down or stop brain cell death using stem cells as model systems and cell-based strategies.
Dr. Emborg, who is the director of the Preclinical Parkinson's Research Program at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, uses advanced neuroimaging techniques to investigate non-invasive techniques in preclinical research such as real-time intra-cerebral targeting and infusion monitoring for gene therapy procedures. Her preclinical work includes creating animal models and experimental paradigms that better reflect clinical conditions and applying advance imaging techniques to for data collection and creating new clinical applications.
She received both her MD (1988) and her PhD (1993) in neurobiology from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has been at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2004.
"Dr. Emborg has made outstanding contributions using non-human primate models that have advanced cell and drug therapy approaches forward for Parkinson's disease," said Dr. Clive Svendsen, professor of medicine and biomedicine and director the Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute.
The award is named for Bernard Sanberg, father of Dr. Paul Sanberg (University of South Florida), a co-founder of the ASNTR. After Bernard Sanberg died of a stroke in 1999, the award bearing his name was established and is presented by the ASNTR annually to an individual who has made outstanding research contributions in the field of neural therapy and repair. The award, first presented in 2000, is presented every year at ASNTR's Annual Meeting.
Recent past winners of the Bernard Sanberg Memorial Award for Brain Repair include: John D. Elsworth, PhD, Yale School of Medicine, Douglas Kondziolka, MD, NYU Langone Medical Center; Mike Modo, PhD, University of Pittsburgh; Timothy Collier, PhD, Michigan State University; Donald Eugene Redmond, MD, Yale University; Shinn-Zong Lin, MD, PhD, China Medical University; Howard J. Federoff, MD, PhD, Georgetown University.
The Molly and Bernard Sanberg Memorial Award
The Molly and Bernard Sanberg Memorial Award is presented periodically by the ASNTR to an outstanding scientist who has made a significant contribution to the field of brain repair. In recognition of his significant contributions to the field of brain repair, the Molly and Bernard Sanberg Memorial Award was presented to Dr. Lo for his work using in vitro and in vivo models to investigate the molecular mechanisms of cell death following stroke. In his lab, Dr. Lo employs imaging, pharmacology and molecular cell biology to investigate neurovascular dysfunction in brain injury and neurodegeneration.
Dr. Lo received his BS in electrical engineering from Yale University and his PhD in biophysics from the University of California, Berkeley. He moved to Massachusetts General Hospital in 1991, and is currently the Head of the Neuroprotection Research Lab, and Professor of Neuroscience in Harvard Medical School.
"The neurovascular unit is key to brain function and is principally altered in stroke and offers a novel treatment for stroke, this line of research is championed by Eng Lo," said Dr. Cesar Borlongan, Director, Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair at the University of South Florida.
Past recipients of The Molly and Bernard Sanberg Memorial Award include: Cesar V. Borlongan, PhD, University of South Florida; Sean Savitz, MD, University of Texas Medical School at Houston; Steven Dunnett, PhD, Cardiff University; Barry Hoffer, PhD, NIDA/NIH; and Patrik Brundin, MD, PhD, Lund University - Wallenburg Neuroscience Center.
###
ASNTR's 24th Annual Conference April 27-29, 2017 in Clearwater Beach, Florida. For more information, email Donna Morrison dmorriso@health.usf.edu or visit the ASNTR website http://www.ASNTR.org
ASNTR is a society for basic and clinical neuroscientists using a variety of technologies to better understand how the nervous system functions and establish new procedures for its repair in response to trauma or neurodegenerative disease. Member scientists employ stem/neural cell transplantation, gene therapy, trophic factor and neuroprotective compound administration and other approaches.
Researchers mapped a reef system in the most unlikely area of the Brazilian coast; River plume affects sunlight, pH, temperature and salinity; chemosynthesizing microorganisms support the ecosystem -- oil and gas companies operate close to the reefs
The changes that the Amazon River promotes in the tropical North Atlantic ocean water make an unfavorable environment for reef development. Every second, 175 million liters of water mixed with sediments are brought to the ocean. The result is low sunlight penetration, variability in nutrient concentration, salinity and pH, extensive moody bottoms and significant changes in temperature and oxygenation levels towards the bottom - conditions not associated with reefs. The plume generated by the Amazon River has 1.3 million km2 and flows mostly to the North, reaching areas as far as the Caribbean Sea.
Against all the odds, 39 scientists from nine Brazilian and one North-American universities mobilized two expeditions to the mouth of the river in other to map the bottom of the ocean in the outer shelf. Two previous studies - from the 1970s and 1980s - reported the findings of single samples of carbonatic structures. None suggested the existence of a reef system underneath the river plume. Surprisingly, the researchers found reefs in a complex as extensive as 1,000 km, in depths from 10 to 120 meters, with rhodolith beds, live calcareous algae, sponges, corals and hydrocorals colonies formed from 13,000 years ago till the present. The system is an habitat for 73 species of fishes and six species of lobsters.
The article in which the novelty is described was published in Science Advances, on April 22. (An extensive reef system at the Amazon River mouth). It includes results from geophysical and physical-chemical surveys, radiocarbon dating and petrographic characterization of reef samples, biogeochemical tracers and microbial metagenomics.
OIL DRILLING
The Amazon reefs are already considered at risk despite being a recent discovery. In 2013, auctions defined the oil companies responsible for 80 exploratory blocks at the same area of the study - 20 are in current production. Whether the companies knew about the reefs, they didn't publish the information broadly, according to the senior author Fabiano L. Thompson, from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). He classifies this large-scale industrial activity as a major environmental challenge that can threaten the existence of the reef system. Researchers ask for a more complete social-ecological assessment of the system before "impacts become extensive and conflicts among the stakeholders escalate".
LOCATION
The reefs are located as a continuity of Manuel Luiz reefs, in the Maranhao state (Northeast Region of Brazil), forming an unique carbonate system that pass in front of Para and Amapa states (North of Brazil), and reach French Guiana. It fills a major gap thought to exist in Western Atlantic reefs, occupying 10,000 km2. Some structures have lengths of up to 300 meters and heights of up to 30 meters.
"It is a paradigm shift in Geology, Ecology and Biology. In Paleogeology, we have to review ancient areas where we assumed there could not be a river mouth because of fossil reefs. These two elements cannot be considered excluding anymore", Michel Mahiques, geologist and professor at the Oceanographic Institute at University of Sao Paulo (IO-USP) says. He lead the team responsible for mapping the bottom topography.
The maps were processed from data generated from two side scan sonars. The sonars emit acoustic signals to the left and to the right side towards the bottom. The intensity of the echo and the time it takes to reach the sonar indicate the distance to the bottom, its topography and whether it comes back from hitting a smooth or a hard structure. Eduardo Siegle and Rodolfo J. S. Dias, professor and master student from IO-USP, also participated on mapping and characterization of the bottom.
NORTHERN, CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SECTORS
Three sectors were differentiated by the height of the plume layer (higher in the Northern sector); the characteristics of rhodolith beds and carbonate structure (larger rhodolith beds in the Northern sector, rhodoliths more populated by live algae in the Southern sector, carbonate mineralization by rhodoliths in the Central sector, carbonate mineralization by rhodoliths and corals in the Southern sector); the variety of coral species (more species in the Southern sector); the date of the sampled formations (from 13,000 years in the Northern sector to 4,500 years in the Central sector and 150 years in the Southern sector); the reefs' topography (ridge-like structures in the Southern sector); and the presence of mud (abundant in the Northern sector, almost absent on the benthic casts of the Central and Southern sectors), among other characteristics.
DIFFERENTIAL: CHEMOSYNTHESIS
The Amazon reefs defy the traditional knowledge about the ecological balance of a reef environment. Reefs are usually found in warm see water with constant salinity, high light penetration level and generation of oxygen and biomass by photosynthesizers. The system at the Amazon river mouth lives under a plume layer thanks to chemosynthesizing microorganisms capable of transforming nitrates and other minerals into compounds that can be used as food by the benthic organisms.
The chemosynthesizers support a relatively complex ecosystem in low light levels and anoxic or suboxic conditions in the Northern and Central sectors. Some sponges can also tolerate these conditions for several days and have broader tolerance to acidification and temperature anomalies than corals and coralline algae. Authors indicate that molecular and genetic analysis will likely identify new microorganisms or sponges species in this reef system.
CLIMATE CHANGES
Coral reefs are in rapid decline and register biodiversity losses due to pollution, overfishing, temperature anomalies and ocean acidification. The Amazon system, though, has survived for thousand years now under severe conditions that can be compared to climate change predicted scenarios. It may give important insights on coral reefs' trajectories in the next decades. The sponge dominance in the Central sector of the Amazon reefs, for example, points towards a phase-shift from coral domination to sponge domination in coral reefs.
###
Contact:
USP Scientific Outreach Unity - University of Sao Paulo
Ana Paula Chinelli and Fabiana Mariz
(+55 11) 3091-3242 / 3282
divulgacaocientifica@usp.br
divulgaca ocientificausp@gmail.com
The Oceanographic Institute at University of Sao Paulo (IO-USP) is focused on providing scientific information to broaden comprehension about the complex marine ecosystem from the extensive Brazilian coast. Other aims are understanding water, heat and material circulation patterns in the Atlantic Ocean; monitoring coastal ecosystems and planning sustainable usage of all natural resources.
The largest-ever study to sequence the whole genomes of breast cancers has uncovered five new genes associated with the disease and 13 new mutational signatures that influence tumour development. The results of two papers published in Nature and Nature Communications also reveal what genetic variations exist in breast cancers and where they occur in the genome.
Dr Serena Nik-Zainal of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute led analysis of 560 breast cancer genomes; 556 from women and four from men. This international collaboration included breast cancer patients from around the world, including the USA, Europe and Asia.
The results reveal more about the causes of breast tumours and provide evidence that breast cancer genomes are highly individual.
Each person's cancer genome is a complete historical account of the genetic changes that they have acquired throughout life. As a person develops from a fertilised egg into adulthood, the DNA in their cells gather genetic changes along the way. This is because human DNA is constantly being damaged by things in the environment or simply from wear and tear in the cell. These mutations form patterns, or mutational signatures, that we can detect and they give us clues about the causes of cancer.
Dr Nik-Zainal's team hunted for mutations that encourage cancers to grow and looked for mutational signatures in each patient's tumour. They found that women who carry the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, and so have increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, had whole cancer genome profiles that were highly distinctive from each other and were also very different to other breast cancers. This discovery could be used to classify patients more accurately for treatment.
Dr Nik-Zainal said: "In the future, we'd like to be able to profile individual cancer genomes so that we can identify the treatment most likely to be successful for a woman or man diagnosed with breast cancer. It is a step closer to personalised healthcare for cancer."
Exactly where mutations occur in breast cancer genomes is important too.
Collaborator Dr Ewan Birney, from the European Bioinformatics Institute, used computational techniques to analyse the sequence of genetic information held in each of the sample genomes. He said: "We know genetic changes and their position in the cancer genome influence how a person responds to a cancer therapy. For years we have been trying to figure out if parts of DNA that don't code for anything specific have a role in driving cancer development. This study both gave us the first large scale view of the rest of the genome, uncovering some new reasons why breast cancer arises, and gave us an unexpected way to characterize the types of mutations that happen in certain breast cancers."
Professor Sir Mike Stratton, Director of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said: "All cancers are due to mutations that occur in all of us in the DNA of our cells during the course of our lifetimes. Finding these mutations is crucial to understanding the causes of cancer and to developing improved therapies. This huge study, examining in great detail the many thousands of mutations present in each of the genomes of 560 cases brings us much closer to a complete description of the changes in DNA in breast cancer and thus to a comprehensive understanding of the causes of the disease and the opportunities for new treatments."
###
Publications
Nik-Zainal S et al. Landscape of somatic mutations in 560 breast cancer whole genome sequencesis published in Nature 2016 published on 2 May doi: 10.1038/nature17676
Morganella S et al. The topography of mutational processes in breast cancer genomes is published in Nature Communications 2016 on 2 May doi: 10.1038/10.1038/NCOMMS11383
Funding
The work for both papers has been funded through the ICGC Breast Cancer Working group by the Breast Cancer Somatic Genetics Study (BASIS), a European research project funded by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2010-2014) under the grant agreement number 242006; the Triple Negative project funded by the Wellcome Trust (grant reference 077012/Z/05/Z) and the HER2+ project funded by Institut National du Cancer (INCa) in France (Grants N 226-2009, 02-2011, 41-2012, 144-2008, 06-2012). The ICGC Asian Breast Cancer Project was funded through a grant of the Korean Health Technology R&D Project, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (A111218-SC01).
Websites
EMBL-EBI
The European Bioinformatics Institute is part of EMBL, and is a global leader in the storage, analysis and dissemination of large biological datasets. EMBL-EBI helps scientists realize the potential of 'big data' by enhancing their ability to exploit complex information to make discoveries that benefit mankind. It is a non-profit, intergovernmental organization funded by EMBL's 21 member states and two associate member states. Its 570 staff hail from 57 countries, and work with a regular stream of visiting scientists throughout the year. EMBL-EBI is located on the Wellcome Genome Campus in Hinxton, Cambridge in the United Kingdom. http://www.ebi.ac.uk
The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is one of the world's leading genome centres. Through its ability to conduct research at scale, it is able to engage in bold and long-term exploratory projects that are designed to influence and empower medical science globally. Institute research findings, generated through its own research programmes and through its leading role in international consortia, are being used to develop new diagnostics and treatments for human disease. http://www.sanger.ac.uk
The Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to improving health. We support bright minds in science, the humanities and the social sciences, as well as education, public engagement and the application of research to medicine. Our investment portfolio gives us the independence to support such transformative work as the sequencing and understanding of the human genome, research that established front-line drugs for malaria, and Wellcome Collection, our free venue for the incurably curious that explores medicine, life and art. http://www.wellcome.ac.uk
I wrote here the other day about UK developmental psychologist Nathalia Gjersoe who supports reeducating kids as young as five years old to reject promiscuous teleology that is, the intuition that life reflects purpose and design (Evolution in Kindergarten). She drew on the research of Deborah Kelemen at Boston University who published a promising, child-friendly intervention: illustrated storybooks about natural selection.
Now your taxpayer dollars will be going toward research on preconditioning young minds to accept evolution.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) just awarded Boston University a grant of just under $1.5 million for their project, Evolving Minds in Early Elementary School: Foundations for a Learning Sequence on Natural Selection Using Stories.Yes, the principal investigator is Deborah Kelemen. This research focuses on students in grades K-2. The NSF abstract for the study notes:
Research shows that world-wide, despite its importance to the life sciences, natural selection remains one of the most widely misunderstood processes in biology. Specifically, studies reveal that scientific misconceptions about natural selection not only persist among high school students and undergraduates who are usual targets of instruction on evolution by natural selection, but, disturbingly, also among many of the teachers trained to teach them. Research further reveals that the origin of many of these misconceptions can be traced to intuitive cognitive biases found at the elementary school level. This project will address this problem by building and testing a learning sequence on natural selection at the early elementary grades before intuitive theoretical misconceptions are likely to have become entrenched. This effort will expand existing infrastructure for research and education currently supported through a university, to school partnership involving elementary educators, curriculum developers, professional development providers, interdisciplinary academic researchers and cognitive development expert consultants. The two central aims will be to: (1) develop the core architecture and explore the feasibility of an expanded elementary school learning sequence on natural selection; (2) examine the educative professional development benefits to elementary school teachers of the developed story-based intervention materials.Materials and products (storybooks, animations and assessment tools) will directly benefit schools, teachers, children and parents in the State of Massachusetts and nationally.
Wow. One-sided promotion of neo-Darwinism, to disrupt natural human biases in K-2 students, with effects at least in one state if not across the country.
Whats wrong with that? First, this research project ignores ongoing scientific debate about the creative limits of natural selection acting on random mutations. The controversy is not limited to advocates of intelligent design. Very mainstream scientists associated with The Third Way of Evolution reject ID, but question the ability of natural selection and random mutations to generate diverse biological species. The late biologist and member of the National Academy of Sciences Lynn Margulis stated, New mutations dont create new species; they create offspring that are impaired. Over 950 PhD scientists have signed the Scientific Dissent from Darwinism list, affirming that they are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutations and natural selection to account for the complexity of life.
For a summary of weaknesses along with links to scientific articles challenging the major mechanisms of neo-Darwinism, read Casey Luskins article, The Top Ten Scientific Problems with Biological and Chemical Evolution.
Second, the idea of interfering with childrens thinking processes to inculcate a pre-determined opinion is disturbing. Kelemen would like to disrupt childrens understanding of teleology and essentialism before they have coalesced into a coherent theoretical framework that gets in the way of contradictory scientific explanations.
Her previous research used a storybook, aimed at kids between ages 5-8, to describe a fictional animal and its evolution. The story has to do with the survival of those of the species with thin trunks that, as a result, can gain access to an underground food source. While Kelemens book about the made-up Pilosas touched just on microevolution, this research goes further. The NSF notes, Six interventions will be conductedto explore the viability of mechanistically teaching K-2 children about within- and between-species adaptation by natural selection. Indoctrinating young children with macroevolution? This seems like a group with an agenda to push.
No matter which side of the debate youre on, its important to have an accurate understanding of the scientific evidence. There may indeed be teachers who do not fully understand that evidence. However, if you dont completely buy into evolution, that doesnt mean you are the victim of false representations of the theory. Many thoughtful adults are skeptical precisely because theyve looked into the subject so carefully.
To train a new generation of thinkers, evolution must be taught objectively, presenting both its scientific strengths and weaknesses. This approach helps students to practice scientific inquiry to think critically and examine the evidence. Yes, that carries the risk that a student might emerge from her studies as an evolution skeptic. Thats the way it goes when you think for yourself.
As the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences document Science for All Americans notes:
In science classrooms, it should be the normal practice for teachers to raise such questions as: How do we know? What is the evidence? What is the argument that interprets the evidence? Are there alternative explanations or other ways of solving the problem that could be better? The aim should be to get students into the habit of posing such questions and framing answers. Avoid Dogmatism Students should experience science as a process for extending understanding, not as unalterable truth. This means that teachers take care not to convey the impression that they themselves or the textbooks are absolute authorities whose conclusions are always correct. By dealing with the credibility of scientific claims, the overturn of accepted scientific beliefs, and what to make out of disagreement among scientists, science teachers can help students to balance the necessity for accepting a great deal of science on faith against the importance of keeping an open mind.
The AAAS generally does not extend its emphasis on scientific inquiry to neo-Darwinism. They should reconsider. Dogmatic teaching of evolution and brainwashing young children doesnt foster scientific literacy. Americas future scientists must be able to examine data and come to informed conclusions.
To propel our technology and engineering industries and to fuel medical advancement, we need innovators. That means being willing to question the status quo. When it comes to evolution, promoting inquiry-based methods not funding research into preconditioning K-2 students to reach a favored conclusion is a good place to start.
Interested in educating yourself and your children more on the scientific debate over evolution? Resources that may be helpful include Investigating Evolution DVD and Icons of Evolution study guide, and A Parents Guide to Intelligent Design.
Image: 2016 GraphicStock.com.
Hello,
I am a New Zealand citizen and have been married to my South African husband for almost 7 years. We also have two children together, aged 4 and 6 years and live in New Zealand.
We are considering our options of going to live in South Africa. I am hoping someone can please advise what the best visa/permit is for me to apply for? It all seems very confusing with different Spouse Visas and Permanent Residency Permits etc.
From what I can read on the official website is that I would not qualify for Permanent Residency because I do not have a the 'in need' skills or qualifications. Is this correct, or are there different requirements for a Spouse of a SA Citizen?
I really just want to go down the easiest road with this - I have read all kinds of things about not being able to work in SA until I have applied for a Work Endorsement? I'm sure that will make it more difficult in finding a job given that an employer would not be too keen to have to go through that long drawn out process.
I'm hoping that since we have been married for over 5yrs that I can just go straight to applying for Permanent Residency without having any work restrictions.
Any advise would be greatly appreciated!
A new visa has been announced to attract entrepreneurs to New Zealand to establish their ventures and create new jobs.The Global Impact Visa (GIV) will be available as a four year pilot programme delivered by Immigration New Zealand and in partnership with the private sector.It will be limited to just 400 visas over the four years and aims to attract individual investors and entrepreneurs who want to live and work in New Zealand while launching their business."Last year the Government committed to considering a new Global Impact Visa to cater for high impact entrepreneurs, investors and start up teams to launch global ventures from New Zealand," said Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse."Now we are delivering on that commitment and aim to attract younger, highly talented, successful and well-connected entrepreneurs who are at the start of their entrepreneurial career and able to establish their ventures in New Zealand," he explained."GIVs will help meet the Government's Business Growth Agenda's innovation and investment objectives by lifting innovation in New Zealand. It will also help expand the pool of smart capital by attracting individual investors and entrepreneurs to live here in New Zealand," he added.He also pointed out that the successful implementation of GIVs will create new jobs through the establishment of new ventures, attraction of smart capital and access to global networks.The private sector partner for the visa programme will be selected through an open procurement process and will manage the attraction, selection and integration of the migrant entrepreneurs in New Zealand. The procurement process for selecting the private partner is due to begin next month.But some in the industry believe that the visa is not be enough to attract high calibre entrepreneurs from around the world. "There isn't really a technology plan that's unique to New Zealand that exploits a new digitally connected world," said Rod Drury, chief executive officer of Xero, a financial technology firm based in Wellington that is expanding in the US market."Because we're such a small market and we're the furthest country away from any other trading partner, then it's so much more important for us," he added.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
San Antonio-based nonprofit business lender LiftFund reported Monday it lent more than $104.4 million in Texas between 2010 and 2015, $23.3 million of that in San Antonio, helping create jobs and boost economic activity.
LiftFund, once known as Accion Texas, is a microlender that also offers small-business loans of up to $1 million.
The loan amounts during the six-year period resulted in 10,758 jobs in Texas, 2,147 of them in San Antonio, according to a report released Monday that was complied by Steven Nivin, chief economist at SABER Research.
San Antonio was No. 1 in Texas for LiftFund lending, the organization having its roots in the city. Houston led the state in jobs created by LiftFund loans, 2,416.
The difference stems from the different types of businesses being created or expanding in the cities, Nivin said in the report.
The average annual wage of the Texas jobs was $45,109.
The wages varied across the metropolitan areas with only the jobs created through LiftFund activities having higher wages relative to all jobs in the metropolitan areas in Laredo and McAllen, while being slightly lower in the other metropolitan areas, Nivin wrote in the report.
The lender started in San Antonio in 1994 and now operates in 13 states. The report issued Monday concentrated on economic effects in Texas and Louisiana. The lender expects to issue $28 million in loans in 2016 across its 13-state market.
Local and state governments benefited from LiftFund lending. The five-year estimate in Nivins report is that tax revenue from companies receiving loans, and their employees, totaled $66.6 million, about $10.1 million of that in the San Antonio area.
The top five industries, in terms of job creation, receiving LiftFund loans during the six-year period were full-service restaurants, janitorial services, home health care firms, local trucking and child day care operations.
Other job categories were chemical wholesalers, temporary help services, long-distance trucking, mobile food services and caterers.
Across Texas, LiftFund had a total economic impact of $1.4 billion. The amount includes spending by LiftFund borrowers for supplies and services and also the spending by the companies employees.
Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.
That is equal to a total economic impact of $13.21 for each dollar lent by LiftFund, up from 61 cents per dollar in 2001, the last time the organization conducted an economic effect report, LiftFund CEO and President Janie Barrera said.
The difference comes from the larger loan sizes LiftFund can now make, Barrera said.
The total economic impact in San Antonio during the six-year period was $248 million, the third most in Texas behind Houston at $376 million and Dallas at $271 million.
The economic multiplier software used for the report was IMPLAN, Impact Analysis for Planning.
LiftFund specializes in loans for companies that normally do not qualify for loans from for-profit lenders such as commercial banks. Commercial banks are among the donors of funds to LiftFund for its loan pool.
dhendricks@express-news.net
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
LOS ANGELES The Takata Corp. air bag recall has become so massive that vehicle owners might wait months for repairs, which leaves many struggling to figure out how to get around in the meantime.
Dealerships are paying for rental cars, but some need to be pushed into offering them, customers complain. And drivers under age 25 or with weak insurance coverage or credit say they are encountering snags when they get to the rental counter.
The Takata air bag problem is one that owners cant ignore. Takata air bag inflaters in 28.8 million cars can propel metal shrapnel into drivers and passengers. Ten people in the United States have died from such explosions, and more than 100 have been injured.
The largest automotive recall in U.S. history may expand even more by 85 million cars, trucks and SUVs if Takata cant prove that the inflaters in those cars are safe, regulators said last month.
Vehicles produced for model years 2000 through 2015 by 16 automotive brands are among those affected by the initial recalls and the potential expansion.
Amanda Biers-Melcher contacted her Honda dealership after receiving a notice in March that her 2012 Fit was part of the Takata recall. Biers-Melcher said she briefly thought about borrowing her mothers seldom used Saab until she found that it, too, had faulty Takata air bags.
Biers-Melcher said she was stunned when a dealership employee told her she could keep driving her car.
The letter I got said I could be killed driving it, so that wasnt happening, she said.
Biers-Melcher said she called up some of her old New York feistiness and eventually got a referral to a rental car agency, but the process left her upset.
The first letter about this problem arrived the Friday before Easter, she said. Why did it take so long to tell us? They should be proactively reaching out to customers and making this as easy as possible.
Steve Elster said his 16-year-old son, Eli, was denied a rental car even though the familys 2012 Honda Fit, which the son drives, was on the recall list. Rental car companies often wont rent to drivers under age 25 or do so with special surcharges.
Elster said he tried out several proposals, including a loaner for his son from the dealerships inventory, but got nowhere.
Its very frustrating, Elster said, we bought a car. We are entitled to a car without a defective air bag, and its incumbent upon Honda to fix the problem and make sure that my son has a safe car to drive.
American Honda spokesman Chris Martin said the companys dealers are authorized to provide loaners cars to teen drivers, but only to the registered owners of the recalled vehicles. Elsters son wasnt the registered owner of the problem Fit.
After much negotiating, the Elsters were able to rent an SUV that only the parents are allowed to drive, and Eli will borrow his mothers beloved, non-recalled RAV4.
Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.
Still other drivers have complained that theyre required by rental car companies to put down a security deposit, which comes directly out of their bank accounts if they use debit cards; people with low credit limits might run into difficulties with a chunk of that amount tied up by the rental car company.
Many owners also are griping about being pressured to pay for insurance if their own policies dont cover damage to rental cars.
Consumer advocates have watched the still-developing Takata recall with growing and widespread dissatisfaction.
Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, said the recall is a disgrace for the automakers and for the U.S. government.
Also, the severity of a parts shortage depends on a drivers car and location.
Moreover, regulators have set up a complicated pecking order on who gets their air bags replaced first.
The four priority groups are based on the vehicles age, bag failure rate and the amount of time it has spent in areas of high absolute humidity. High humidity makes the air bags more likely to fail in a potentially deadly way.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
When bacon was abundant, it was everywhere: in your jam, on seemingly every burger, even flavoring bourbon. So if history is any guide, this years food trend is extra cheese.
The reason is the U.S. is sitting on more butter and cheese than it knows what to do with, and the Europeans are to blame.
Exports from the European Union have climbed so far this year and last, even after the blocs once-largest customer, Russia, banned trade in retaliation for sanctions over its incursion in Ukraine.
A glut of milk, plunging prices and a weakening euro mean the EU has been able to grab customers in Asia and the Middle East, while U.S. sales have fallen.
European dairy products are so cheap right now that the United States itself has become the new No. 1 customer for some products imports of EU butter doubled last year and rose 17 percent for cheese, according to the European Commission. All that excess supply is building up in U.S. refrigerators, especially as American dairy production heads to a record this year.
Statistics from the U.S. Agriculture Department show cheese inventories at the end of March were the highest for the date since 1984, the year Princes Purple Rain was released. More than half the supply is American cheese, while Swiss accounts for about 2 percent, and the rest the government classifies as other.
Its been difficult for them to export, given the strong dollar, and theyre sucking in imports, said Kevin Bellamy, a global dairy market strategist at Rabobank International in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Where the U.S. has lost out on business, Europe has gained.
This year, the EU has boosted butter exports by 27 percent while cheese shipments rose 13 percent, the European Commission reports.
Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.
Though sales increased, things still are pretty dire for European dairy farmers, whove warned for months that rock-bottom prices risk putting them out of business. Average raw milk prices in the EU have slumped to the lowest levels since 2010.
U.S. prices also have started falling, with cheddar on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange trading last week at a five-year low.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
LONG BEACH, Miss. At first glance, Joe Flemings neat home in Long Beach seems like pretty much any other ranch-style house.
But take a look in that cabinet in the dining room. And that one and that one in the living room. And that one in the den.
Theyre full of miniature liquor bottles, the kind you find in displays at the counter of package stores, on flights or sometimes in hotel mini-bars.
Hmm. Whats in this one?
Exotica such as Admiral Nelson Spiced Rum, Agwa De Bolivia Coca Herbal Liqueur, Caribbean Rum Runner, 1921 Tequila, Bird Dog Peach Whiskey. It goes on and on, and thats just one display cabinet.
This is my only dedicated cabinet, and its all Scotch whisky, Fleming said, indicating a nearby china cabinet bereft of china.
Instead, scores of true Scotch whisky bottles fill the shelves.
Lots of little liquor bottles
Altogether, Fleming now has in excess of 5,600 little (50-milliliter) liquor bottles in his home. And theres not a duplicate in the bunch. Well, not anymore.
He recently had a potluck party where friends were invited over to polish off some 300 unintentional duplicates. Its understandable. After all, if you have more than 5,000 bottles at home and a slight obsession with collecting, youre bound to forget you already have one or two or 300.
His guests, many of whom had not seen the collection, were astounded and fascinated and more than happy to help him pare down the extras.
Just how dedicated to his collection is Fleming?
As they fill up, I get another cabinet, he said. Ive been accused not collecting liquor bottles as much as collecting cabinets.
Its not just cabinets.
Take a look at this, Fleming said, leading to the closet in the foyer.
He opened the door to reveal row after row of shelves in the closet.
Behind the expected coats and other such closet residents, the shelves hold you guessed it more bottles.
They (the shelves) go down to the floor.
Catalog system
A bedroom holds more displays as well as his carefully maintained cataloging system.
Each bottle has its own printed index card, which bears a color photo of the bottle as well as its price, date of acquisition, manufacturer and, perhaps most important, where its located.
He has a numeric system which tells him the cabinet the bottle is in, as well as the shelf and location on the shelf. The system also is on his computer, giving faster access.
Where it all started
It all began decades ago.
Ive been collecting since August 1971, Fleming said.
He was on a business-related trip in Europe, and at the end of his trip, he was in London. As he was walking down the street, he was wondering what souvenir he wanted to take back.
I had three criteria, he said. It had to not cost a lot of money, it could not weigh a lot, and it couldnt take up a lot of space.
Just then, he walked by a store with a display of miniature liquor bottles. It was his aha moment.
On the next trip, he did the same, then the next and the next. It all started with that one bottle. Fleming consulted his catalog and pulled out the bottle, a miniature of Drioli, a marachino liqueur.
Lots of vodka
Vodka, he said, is probably the most common mini bottle variety.
Its in vogue right now, he said. Seven or eight years ago, they began to flavor vodka. Now, theres in excess of 200 flavors of vodka. But rum is definitely making a push now. Theyre starting to flavor that, too.
Among the more unusual beverages in his collection, Fleming said, is a bottle of bison grass vodka, which, yes, is flavored with bison grass. In Poland, its known as Zubrowka.
Washington whiskey
Fleming is especially proud of a miniature bottle and shot glass presentation set that has its roots in the nations first president.
This, he said, opening a small square box, is George Washington Vatted American Whiskey.
He first learned of the brew when he was traveling through Virginia and saw a catalog listing it on a stores counter.
It was the right size bottle; the problem was, the store didnt carry it. Nor did store after store he contacted.
Finally, he was told he could order it. Well, yes, but it couldnt be shipped to him. He would have to go pick it up in person from the source, which was the gift shop at Mt. Vernon, Washingtons historic home which he did.
Is there one that Fleming is still trying to find, that elusive bottle that will complete his collection?
I dont know. Ill know it when I see it, he said with a smile.
HUNTSVILLE Jack Harry Smith spent most of his 78 years behind bars, much of it on death row, so it only seemed right that when the time came, he would spend eternity close to the world he knew best.
Smith, his body unclaimed by family or friend after he died earlier this month, was buried last week in the Texas Department of Criminal Justices Joe Byrd Cemetery, joining more than 2,000 former prisoners who drew their last breaths in custody, some of them as far back as the late 1800s.
Prison chaplain David Collier said a few words before Smith and three others were placed in recently dug holes near the bottom of a gentle slope on Peckerwood Hill. Seven prison trustys were the sole mourners.
Until he passed on April 8, Smith was the oldest inmate alive on Texas death row
Collier had the advantage of having known Smith when he served as chaplain of the Polunsky Unit where he was housed. But in truth, he didnt know all that much about the man he was burying.
He was a Christian and of the Pentecostal faith, Collier said. Jack always was talkative, unless he was having a bad day. We all have bad days. But he often wanted something to read and Id take it over to him.
A stepsister had met with Collier briefly last Thursday morning at a nearby church, standard practice for inmates who are to be buried at state expense. However, she chose not to come to the cemetery. By custom in such cases, all the inmates to be buried are set side by side and given a brief collective prayer and send-off.
What I say is really for the benefit of the living who are there, Collier said, referring to the group of trustys, most of whom will be released in the near future. I remind them that they dont want to be buried here someday.
He touched each casket, recited each of the deceaseds names and age and cause of death, then spoke to the men who had prepared the graves about the story of David and Bathsheba, reminding them that God does not forsake even those who have greatly sinned.
If nothing else gives you heart, that should, Collier said. There is nothing you can do that God will forsake you. He will never walk away only you can.
He turned away toward the top of the hill where a handful of relatives stood. If mourners show up, Collier always does right by them with a broader acknowledgment of the departed, and a longer prayer.
In the great majority of deaths of those in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice there were 432 in all units in 2015 relatives take the remains for private burial. But 100 or so a year are left with the agency to dispose of. Most end up buried at Joe Byrd, as has been the case for more than a century.
Smith entered death row in 1978 following his conviction for the killing of Roy Deputter during the robbery of a Pasadena convenience store. Before that, he had served 17 years of a life sentence received because of a robbery and assault.
He was paroled in 1977 but soon resumed his criminal ways. He was out of prison for only one year before the murder that earned him a death sentence.
But in an ironic twist, health problems complicated Smiths early years on death row, and he never got a date with the executioner. It was thought, instead, that he would die of natural causes.
A heart operation worked and he lingered on through years of appeals, though others connected to the case were not so lucky. Two of his lawyers and the judge overseeing the case died, putting Smith in limbo. His case essentially fell through the cracks as he grew older.
In 2001 and already into his 60s, Smith expressed anger that nothing was happening in his appeal.
I feel that the system is waiting for me to pass away of old age, Smith said in an interview with the Associated Press. Im angry at the justice system, at the courts for wasting taxpayers money, for giving me this hospitality.
It may have been a false anger. Collier suggested that Smith was pretty much resigned to his fate, knowing he would never go to the execution chamber. Although the Harris County District Attorneys office maintained that Smiths case was still active officially in truth both sides mostly were going through the motions.
Smiths last lawyer, David Dow, said in 2014 there was no way the DAs office would push for an execution date, knowing that even if it were successful, the sight of an octogenarian prisoner being wheeled into the death chamber would make for bad PR. And one of Smiths former prosecutors agreed. An accomplice had been given a life sentence. By sheer fortune, Smith had ended up with one, too.
Nobody seemed to mind all that much that he had cheated the hangman. Relatives of the victim were not clamoring for action. And Smith was far from the worst of death rows murderers. He would just keep getting older until the day arrived when he wouldnt.
His grave will be marked with a small, simple headstone bearing his name, prison ID number, and his date of death. Whether anyone ever will show up on Peckerwood Hill with flowers cant be known, but its not likely. Most of the gravers here are bereft of any such loving remembrances.
Decades of erosion have stripped some of the headstones of all markings, and they no longer even carry the name of those whose remains lie below. More than most cemeteries, Joe Byrd is a place of the forgotten, and in many cases, the unmourned.
Jack Harry Smith, number 615, now rests among them.
mike.tolson@chron.com
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
At least three generations of Boy Scouts turned out Sunday afternoon to celebrate the 100th birthday of Troop 10, the oldest continuously running troop west of the Mississippi.
Scouts, former and current, observed the milestone during a celebration at VFW Post 76 downtown, which, chartered in 1917, is just a year shy of its own centennial.
Robert Elizondo Mr. E as many of his Scouts called him has been the scoutmaster of Troop 10 for more than 30 years, and does Scouting three nights a week. They joke around saying, Mr. Es the founder, he joined in 1911. I must be old! he said. Many in the room had stories of their time in his troop.
You get to learn things you dont learn growing up in the city. Wed go camping and itd be the boys who cooked the dinner; we made fajitas, rice, beans, Mr. Es peach cobbler, said Michael Uresti. There were three generations of Urestis in attendance: state Sen. Carlos Uresti, his son and two grandsons.
This Boy Scout troop is a year older than the oldest post in Texas! That says a lot about the values of the Scouts and their role here in the community, the elder Uresti said.
Only around 6 percent of Boy Scouts in the country make it to Eagle Scout, and of those, 1 percent are Hispanic. I really feel like its an accomplishment, said George Matthew Cantu, the troops most recent Eagle Scout.
Im very proud that hes still going, said his father, Jorge Cantu. Now he wants to give back.
At the other end of the table from Jorge and George Cantu, former Scouts now in their 60s, 70s and 80s reminisced about camping trips and boyhood mischief.
Some of the things we used to do to Mr. Carter he was all smile, no rattle, Clifford Newman remembered with a grin.
You thought you were getting away with things but you realize looking back, it was out of love. They were letting us be boys, Joe Lewis agreed. You never forget that. It helped teach me to be forgiving and understanding in my own life.
While many in the room had roots in Bexar County stretching back generations, Jericho Talusan, who represented the Alamo Area Council of the Boy Scouts, had a very different type of story. He started Scouting more than 8,000 miles from San Antonio, as a Cub Scout in the Philippines, and kept at it when he moved to Tennessee at age 10.
In some ways, it was how I learned to be American, he said.
Talusan was not the only one who found that Scouting played a formative role in the person hed become.
James Carter, a former scoutmaster honored as the oldest Scout in attendance, credited Scouting with setting him on the path to his career as a geoscientist.
The Boy Scouts have been around 100 years, and myself, I go back about 70 years, Carter said. He wants to build an exhibit at Harlandale United Methodist Church, home of the troop, to tell the story of Scoutings impact on boys lives. He hopes an exhibit can help keep alive all that Scouts learn.
All that life experience, how it helps mold who you are when youre gone, what good does that knowledge do if you cant pass it on? he said.
Carter and his wife were unable to have children, but his Scouts became family.
In a certain sense, my Scouts were my children, and I helped them in any way I can, he said.
For many, the bonds last all the way to the end.
My dad died of cancer some years back. He was a scoutmaster. And you know what? All six of his pallbearers were Boy Scouts, said Buddy Ginn.
fioannou@express-news.net
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
Waiting for a bus on West Avenue last week, Wally Mata had no idea that a pair of hotly contested initiatives in Saturdays election might affect his daily commutes with VIA Metropolitan Transit within weeks.
Voters in Castle Hills will decide whether the city will keep funding VIA with a half-cent-per-dollar sales tax and whether to create a metropolitan development district that would instead use the tax for, as the ballot puts it, financing development projects beneficial to the district.
If voters keep VIA, the second measure is moot and the district wont be created, even if voters approve it, the ballot says.
I hadnt heard about it, said Mata, 44 and a Castle Hills resident. But he said he doesnt follow politics or vote and that if VIA service ends, hell take a taxi.
Other riders saw cause for concern about bus schedules being altered if the city redirects the nearly $500,000 in sales tax VIA now gets to instead address extensive drainage and street needs.
Theyre going to what? asked Claren Dennis, 29. That dont sound too good.
Jarrett Williams, like Dennis, catches a bus daily in Castle Hills but lives in San Antonio.
I hope they dont stop the bus service because I need it every day to get to work, said Williams, 37.
VIA calls this small city of about 4,900 residents a valued partner in its regional transportation network that covers more than 1,200 square miles and includes 12 other cities.
If Castle Hills withholds the money, VIA officials say, state law dictates that bus service there must end the day after the election results are canvassed, which is tentatively set for May 16.
Most stops along Lockhill Selma Road, Northwest Military Drive, Jackson-Keller Road and Blanco Road would be closed, they said. Some routes would be changed, and some buses would pass through Castle Hills as normal but without stopping.
Proponents of cutting VIA funding dismiss as exaggerated the agencys prediction of service cutbacks, noting that most local thoroughfares served by buses technically belong to San Antonio, so the agency has an obligation to serve them.
Should Castle Hills voters elect to opt out of VIA service, we will utilize our numerous existing communications channels to ensure riders are alerted to route and service changes, VIA said Friday.
Rick Tamez, manager of the H-E-B at 6000 West Ave. in Castle Hills, said eliminating the VIA stop there would cause problems for many of his customers.
Bus service is very important to our shoppers, he said, pointing to a shopping cart corral installed adjacent to the bus stop bordering the store parking lot.
VIA picked up an average of 900 riders daily in Castle Hills in 2015 and dropped off 847 at the 79 stops in the city, agency officials said, while VIATrans, a specialty service, made more than 2,100 pickups and drop-offs there last year.
Those figures are viewed with skepticism by John Hernden, who is campaigning to end VIA services and create the development district.
There is very low ridership in Castle Hills, and we could use the money for the betterment of our roads and flood control, said Hernden, who contends that VIA is fudging figures to sway the vote in its favor.
VIA brass say they respect the right of local residents to vote whether to opt out, as 11 other area cities have done over the years.
We enjoy a strong working relationship with the city of Castle Hills and believe we are providing important services to residents and visitors at a good value, VIA President and CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt said.
The agency reported that it cost nearly $1 million more to serve Castle Hills last year than the $642,451 it received in fares and sales taxes here.
VIA has advised the city that, regardless of the election outcome, the city is expected to pay its share of VIA debt incurred since they partnered in 1976. That amounts to an estimated $810,000 to help retire $55 million in debt, for which the local sales taxes apparently will continue to flow.
Hernden questions why VIA would want to continue losing money in Castle Hills and contends that residents shouldnt share the agencys debt burden since they didnt get a vote on incurring it.
Nothing they say adds up, said Hernden, who printed and distributed more than 100 campaign signs that say Keep Our Money Vote No VIA
City leaders are united about the need to tackle major drainage and street projects that reportedly exceed $30 million, but they are split on whether redirecting funds from VIA is the best option. They explored that route after local voters twice in the past decade defeated bond proposals, most recently a $13 million plan in 2013.
Using sales taxes is seen as more palatable to some than raising the property tax rate to pay bond debt. The entire City Council supported putting the issues before voters.
Mayor Tim Howell says eliminating VIA service would turn Castle Hills into a transportation island.
The VIA system brings workers to town to support our businesses. Its part of the fabric of our economic stability, he said.
He said the proposed municipal development district would be restricted on how it can spend the $500,000 in annual sales taxes that would be freed up which he called too little to make a dent in local infrastructure needs anyway.
It can only be used for things that enhance or promote business development, he said. It cant be directly used for (routine) maintenance or repairs.
The referendum has figured prominently in some candidates campaigns for two council seats that also are at stake Saturday.
No one dislikes VIA, but the money now going to it could be put to better use by the city, said one, incumbent Douglas Gregory.
He expects bus service to continue on nearby roads owned by San Antonio or the state even if city funding is cut, saying West Avenue is the only Castle Hills-owned road now served by VIA.
His opponent, former Mayor Bruce Smiley-Kaliff, backs keeping VIA and calls the fix-the-streets plan a totally manufactured political argument.
Doing away with public transportation in our city is a fatal error in public policy, he said.
The race to succeed Alderman Lesley Wenger pits Margo Pena against J.R. Trevino.
Pena said no one has raised the VIA vote with her on the campaign trail and that she has yet to decide how she feels about it.
Trevino said people are asking about it and that he favors keeping VIA. We have an obligation to people who rely on VIA, including VIATrans, to provide them with transportation services, he said.
Wenger says political passions are unduly inflamed over the two proposals.
Every other city that has gotten out (of VIA) has done it for the same reason, to reallocate the sales tax to something they had no other way of paying for, she said. No fuss was made about that. Now, all of a sudden because its Castle Hills, everybody has gone hysterical.
zeke@express-news.net
Feature Your Listing!
Get better results! Make your listing stand out from the crowd!
Improve your position and response with our premium listing.
The new Chairman of EU co-operative Copa & Cogeca's Food Chain Working Party has made tackling unfair trading practices in the food chain top priority.
Chairman Joe Healy said: "Farmers incomes across Europe are being constantly squeezed to unsustainable levels.
"There is a big imbalance of power between the different actors in the food chain.
"This, combined with perpetual unfair trading practices puts farmers the weakest link in this chain in an extremely difficult situation where, quite often, farm-gate prices do not even cover farmers production costs.
"A top priority for me is to bring balance in the food chain and ensure fair margins for producers.
"The recent Commission report on unfair trading practices from January failed to recommend action at EU level for problems found in all Member States.
"We need to have legislation at EU level that combined with voluntary codes of practice can redress the balance and ensure fairness and transparency in the functioning of the food supply chain.
"The recent vote in European Parliaments IMCO Committee calls for legislation at EU level to be introduced to curb these unfair trading practices.
"It is vital to have a change in business ethics. It is not acceptable that people can gain financially from unethical and unfair action.
"I will fight for what I believe is fair for farmers and right for society.
"I will continue the work of my predecessor Eddie Downey and will work with the working party to convince the European Institutions and other stakeholders of the importance of having a fair, transparent and functioning food supply chain for the benefit of the consumers and farmers alike.
"It is crucial to work on this so that we can see some real returns for farmers on the ground."
Mr Healy is a dairy and cattle farmer from Athenry, Co. Galway and new President of the Irish Farmers Association IFA.
He will be supported by Gabriel Trenzado from the Spanish Cooperative Association and Ruth Mason from the National Farmers Union of England and Wales who were elected last week as the Vice Chairpersons of the Working Party.
Mr Gabriel Trenzado is the Director for EU affairs with the Spanish Agri-Food cooperatives and has been directly involved with the activities that led to the introduction of legislation on the food chain into Spanish law as well as the Code of Good Practices agreed with all the food chain stakeholders.
Ms Ruth Mason is NFUs Chief Food Chain advisor with much experience both in the agricultural and retail sectors.
By Julie Thelen
Agricultural production methods around the world are very diverse and comprise many different technologies, but what we sometimes fail to recall is how innovative and exciting agricultural practices are across the United States. Whether a 4-H project or the largest ranch in the United States, there are similarities and differences in production practices. Michigan State University Extension offers a glimpse into agriculture throughout the United States in this news article series. Lets take a look at the Silver State, Nevada.
With Las Vegas being the home to more than 70 percent of the states residents, it should be no surprise that Nevada is the nations most urban state. What may be surprising is that despite being the driest state in the nation, receiving an average annual rainfall of 7 inches, agriculture is one of Nevadas most important industries. In fact, according to 2010 data, the economic impact of the agricultural cluster was estimated to be $5.3 billion. Nevada continues to meet local and state needs with growing emphasis in local food production and niche-agriculture marketing. This article will focus more closely at the traditional impact including beef production, alfalfa production, water use and 4-H.
Beef production
Although tourism leads the economic impact on Nevada, making the largest contribution within the agricultural sector is beef production. The 420,322 cattle and calves produced in Nevada rank the state 37th in production, with cow-calf operations being the most common. These cattle contribute to 62.5 percent of farm receipts totaling $732,883,000 according to the Nevada Department of Agriculture in 2011. Nevada tends to have less farms or ranches than we may see in the Midwest, however, those farms are larger in size as Nevada ranks third in the nation in ranch size, averaging 3,500 acres.
If visiting Nevada, you would find some of the largest cattle ranches located in the northern half of the state. Also differing vastly from the Midwest, cattle and most other livestock are raised in range systems. The majority of the land in Nevada is owned by the federal government, thus grazing rights continue to be a challenge for livestock producers.
Alfalfa production
With the use of irrigation, the process of applying water directly to the crops, alfalfa is Nevadas leading cash crop. Alfalfa is a protein rich legume that is grown mostly through flood irrigation in Nevada and serves as a major feed source for cattle. Alfalfa is the most common hay crop with about 40 percent of U.S. production occurring in 11 western states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. In Nevada specifically, alfalfa seeds and hay make a measureable impact on the economy. Alfalfa is often sold as hay, cubes or compressed bales depending on its intended use domestically or internationally.
Water use
Like Michigan, Nevada farmers are charged with the responsibility to be good stewards of the land and manage our natural resources, particularly water. All water above and below ground within the Nevada state lines is owned by the public. Additionally, water laws exist as a way to allow Nevada to have flexibility to grow while also protecting the supply for those who have used the water previously, specifically a positive for those involved in agricultural pursuits. Although residents tend to be very careful about their water use, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension realized the need to increase the education available for residents and offers information for various audiences on efficient use of water through their Living with Drought program efforts.
To address the water concerns, farms and Extension continue to think outside the box. Nevada has and continues to conduct research on low-water-use crops such as teff and hops. Additionally, improving irrigation efficiency continues to be studied and implemented.
Nevada 4-H
The University of Nevada, Reno is the home to University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and 4-H. Nevada 4-H engages over 49,000 youth ages 5-19 in 4-H programs across the state. Programs are overarching and look at the big picture of life and skill development versus a single fair or 4-H project. Specifically, Nevada bases their programs upon three mission mandates: science, engineering and technology; healthy living; and citizenship.
According to the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, the priority 4-H programming areas are 4-H Afterschool; Ambassadors; Collegiate 4-H; Cloverbuds; Healthful Living; Military; Shooting Sports; and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Like Nevada, Michigan 4-H looks at the larger picture, offering programs to fit the needs of youth in our communities. Michigan 4-H currently engages over 181,000 youth in programs throughout the state.
This is only a small snapshot of Nevada agriculture. For more information about Nevada agriculture, visit the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension or plan a trip to the Silver State to witness it firsthand.
Is Wawa coming to Fayetteville? Heres what we know.
Wawa, a Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain that residents have long clamored for, could be coming to the area.
Key Energy Services Inc. said Thursday the Justice Department informed the company that it has closed its FCPA investigation and wont bring an enforcement action.
Houston-based Key Energy said in 2014 it was investigating allegations of possible bribery involving its Mexico operations.
The company also said Thursday it is negotiating with the SEC enforcement division to settle the agencys investigation.
Key has reached an agreement in principle with the staff on the terms of a proposed offer of settlement, which must be presented to the Commission for approval, Key Energy said.
In connection with the offer of settlement, the company said, Key has accrued a liability in the amount of $5 million.
Key Energy provides onshore energy production services.
It self disclosed the bribery allegations and its investigation to the SEC and the Justice Department in May 2014.
It also said then the SEC was investigating potential FCPA violations involving its Russia business.
The company employs about 8,000 people worldwide. It has customers in the United States, Mexico, Colombia, the Middle East, and Russia.
Key Energy Services Inc. trades on the NYSE under the ticker symbol KEG.
* * *
The FCPA disclosure in Key Energys Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 28, 2016 said:
As previously disclosed, Key Energy Services, Inc. (Key or the Company) has been cooperating with investigations by the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission into possible violations by Key of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
Key has been informed by the Department of Justice that the Department has closed its investigation and that it has decided to decline prosecution of the Company.
In addition, Key has been engaged in negotiations with the staff of the Division of Enforcement of the SEC in an effort to reach a resolution of the staffs investigation related to these same matters. Key has reached an agreement in principle with the staff on the terms of a proposed offer of settlement, which must be presented to the Commission for approval. While there is no assurance that the offer of settlement will be accepted by the Commission, Key is optimistic that the proposed resolution will become final in the second quarter of 2016. In connection with the offer of settlement, Key has accrued a liability in the amount of $5 million.
____
Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. He can be contacted here.
U.S. Navy Captain Michael Vannak Khem MisiewiczA U.S. Navy Captain was sentenced Friday to 78 months in prison for taking cash, travel expenses, concert and theater tickets, and the services of prostitutes from a Singapore-based defense contractor.
In exchange for the bribes, Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, 49, gave the contractor Glenn Defense Marine Asia classified U.S. Navy information, including ship schedules with information about the Navys ballistic missile defense operations in the Pacific.
Misiewicz, 49, of San Diego, had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of bribery.
Federal Judge Janis Sammartino of the Southern District of California also fined Misiewicz $100,000 and ordered him to forfeit $95,000 in bribes.
While Misiewicz served as deputy director of operations for the Navys 7th Fleet, he gave the classified information to Leonard Glenn Francis, the CEO and owner of Glenn Defense Marine Asia or GDMA.
GDMA provided food, fuel, and cleaning services to U.S. Navy ships and submarines at ports throughout the Pacific.
Francis a Malaysian citizen known as Fat Leonard gave Misiewicz cash, paid for luxury travel at least eight times, gave his wife a designer handbag, and supplied Misiewicz with prostitutes.
The gifts included tickets to a Lady Gaga concert in Thailand and a theater performance of The Lion King in Japan.
The Washington Post described the relationship between Misiewicz and Fat Leonard this way:
They called each other Big Bro and Little Bro, which summed things up in more ways than one. Francis, the elder by a few years, is a giant of a man, standing over 6 feet tall and weighing 350 pounds. Misiewicz looks about half his size.
Both were married, middle-aged men with young children at home. But they loved to go clubbing together at port cities throughout Asia, staying out until dawn as they conspired how to avoid detection for their carousing and their crimes.
Misiewicz is one of ten individuals charged in the case. Nine of them have now pleaded guilty.
They include U.S. Navy Capt. Daniel Dusek, Lieutenant Commander Todd Malaki, NCIS Special Agent John Beliveau, Commander Jose Luis Sanchez, and U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Dan Layug.
Former Department of Defense civilian employee Paul Simpkins awaits trial.
In January this year, Layug was sentenced to 27 months in prison and Malaki was sentenced to 40 months in prison.
In March, Alex Wisidagama, a Singaporean who worked for GDMA, was sentenced to 63 months and ordered to pay $34.8 million in restitution to the Navy.
Also in March, Capt. Dusek was sentenced to 46 months in prison.
The others await sentencing.
Three rear admirals including the commander of naval forces in Japan announced their retirements in early 2015 after the Secretary of the Navy censured them for the bribery scandal.
_____
Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. He can be contacted here.
Image courtesy of KBROil and gas services firm KBR said in its quarterly report Friday that the DOJ has contacted the company in connection with an investigation of Unaoil.
The Huffington Post/Fairfax Media reported a month ago that Monaco-based Unaoil acted as an intermediary to pay bribes for big international companies, mainly from the oil and gas sector.
The report cited information in files allegedly leaked from Unaoil.
Police in Monaco raided Unaoils offices after the report appeared.
Unaoil has denied the bribery allegations.
Citing leaked documents, the Huffington Post said KBR hired Unaoil to help it win oil and gas contracts in Kazakhstan.
In 2009, KBR and its former parent Halliburton paid $579 million to the DOJ and SEC to resolve FCPA offenses in Nigeria. The settlement still ranks as the third biggest FCPA enforcement action ever.
Houston-based KBR admitted paying Nigerian officials at least $182 million in bribes for contracts awarded between 1995 and 2004 to build liquefied natural gas facilities on Bonny Island, Nigeria.
The contracts won by a KBR-led international joint venture were worth more than $6 billion.
KBRs former CEO, Albert Jack Stanley, pleaded guilty in September 2008 to conspiring to violate the FCPA. He was sentenced to thirty months in prison.
The HuffPo reported in late March that while the DOJ investigated the Nigeria bribes, a KBR employee emailed Unaoil to warn [that] the American company was tightening anti-corruption controls in response to the federal probe.
Despite this, KBR continued to pay Unaoil for work in Kazakhstan for years afterward, the story said.
KBR has denied wrongdoing, the HuffPo said.
* * *
The disclosure in KBR Inc.s Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on April 29, 2016 said:
Recently, there have been news reports related to Unaoil, a Monaco based company, and activities Unaoil may have engaged in related to international projects involving several global companies, including KBR. It has also been reported that the U.S. DOJ is conducting an investigation of Unaoil related to the information reported in these news articles. The DOJ has contacted the Company in connection with that investigation and the Company is cooperating with its requests for information.
_____
Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. He can be contacted here.
The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman
This collection takes its name from an essay about the authors experience at the 2010 Academy Awards ceremony. Comprising 60 pieces of non-fiction, penned in his distinctive style, Gaiman explores a wide range of subjects from dreams, myths and fairytales to comics, bookshops and libraries, to music, travel, ghosts and much more. It's a collection of my nonfiction. It's not every speech, introduction or article I've written, but it's all the speeches that seemed important, all the articles I was still proud of, all the introductions that seemed to be about something bigger than just telling people about the book or author they were going to read, wrote Gaiman on his blog. We can barely wait till the end of the month.
Release date: May 31, 2016
Global e-commerce major Amazon plans to boost investment in its Indian arm which is seen as closing in on market leader Flipkart.Amazon's chief financial officer Brian Olsavsky, speaking at an investor call after the company's first quarter results last week, said the company is making large investments in India."We're very excited about what we see and we will continue to invest heavily in India," he said.Amazon has already invested more than Rs 15,000 crore in its e-commerce operations in India so far.India is Amazon's second biggest investment market, after the US, and the company expects India to overtake Japan, Germany and the UK to become its largest overseas market in the next few years.
Olsavsky who had recently visited India, spent a week with Amazon teams in Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
"I had a chance to see firsthand the level of invention going on with both customers and sellers...it's a very exciting time in India and again, the invention is off the charts. We are inventing things in India that do not exist in other parts of the world. And the team there is one of our best," he said.
Olsavsky said that for the second year in a row, customers selected Amazon India as the company's "most trusted" online shopping brand. He noted that in the last quarter, Amazon India rolled out the Tatkal programme, a studio-on-wheels that goes to sellers to help them sign up. (SH)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk India
Online retail delivery volumes were up 12.7 per cent year-on-year in March (12 per cent on February) in the UK, according to the IMRG MetaPack UK Delivery Index.IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group),the voice of e-retail in the UK said in a press release that the first quarter (Q1) of the year was completed in line with its growth forecast of 12 per cent..
Online retail delivery volumes were up 12.7 per cent year-on-year in March (12 per cent on February) in the UK, according to the IMRG MetaPack UK Delivery Index. IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group),the voice of e-retail in the UK said in a press release that the first quarter (Q1) of the year was completed in line with its growth forecast of#
After the online retail sales slowdown in Q1 last year, 2016 has got off to a more steady start with a number of key measures performing as expected including the proportion of orders going cross-border matching 2015 so far this year and the percentage of 'on-time' delivery remaining consistent with both March 2014 and 2015 at 94 per cent.The two areas witnessing a shift in trend this year are average parcel order values which were up almost 21 per cent on the same month last year and the proportion of orders despatched using 'specified day/next day' delivery services in March. At just below 35 per cent of all volume, these services have not accounted for a share this high at this time of year since March 2012, the release said.Andrew Starkey, Head of E-Logistics, IMRG, said, It's been a fairly unremarkable start to the year in terms of order patterns so far, which is perhaps no bad thing after the unpredictable performance in Q1 last year when there was an unexpected slowdown in online sales. Last year it's possible that the general election had an impact on shopper confidence and there are some potentially disruptive influences to come in 2016 in terms of the EU referendum and US election, as well as big sporting events such as the Olympics and European tournament, the early impact of which we will be monitoring closely.Kees de Vos, Chief Product Officer at MetaPack said, The growth in average parcel order values and orders being delivered via specific or next day delivery, only highlights the growing trend for consumers to use a variety of delivery options that suit their lifestyles. The adoption of sophisticated personalisation engines that really took off in 2015 is reaping dividends for retailers whose customers can choose exactly when and how their deliveries are made.The MetaPack Group provides e-commerce and multi-channel delivery technology to leading retailers. (SH)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk India
Clothing exports could create more and better jobs in Bangladesh if the country makes improvements in productivity, product quality and reliability, and by enforcing better safety conditions and other compliance policies, according to a World Bank report said.The report titled Stitches to Riches: Apparel Employment, Trade and Economic Development says Bangladesh has the largest apparel export industry in South Asia and, at 6.4 per cent, the largest market share of global apparel exports among South Asian countries.
Clothing exports could create more and better jobs in Bangladesh if the country makes improvements in productivity, product quality and reliability, and by enforcing better safety conditions and other compliance policies, according to a World Bank report said. The report titled Stitches to Riches: Apparel Employment, Trade and Economic Development #
Bangladesh has steadily increased its share of global apparel trade above the world average and greater than China but lower than that of the Southeast Asian countries.The report highlights that Bangladesh needs to improve performance on non-cost factors important to global buyers. Successfully implementing reforms will help Bangladesh increase exports and capture more jobs from China's gradual exit from the clothing market and compete with Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia. For the US market, a 10 per cent increase in Chinese apparel prices would increase apparel employment in Bangladesh by 4.22 per cent.The apparels sector in Bangladesh tells a remarkable story of women's empowerment by significantly increasing female participation in the labor force, said Qimiao Fan, the World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. The apparel industry is extremely important to Bangladesh's economy, accounting for 83 per cent of total exports. The potential decrease in Chinese exports presents a huge opportunity for Bangladesh, if it can meet global buyers' requirements for cost, quality, lead time, reliability and compliance with safety standards and other policies.In Bangladesh, the industry is dominated by local firms, but foreign direct investment played a central role in launching the industry, providing linkages to foreign buyers, technology, and knowledge transfer. Its apparel firms produce large quantities of clothing at low costs, largely due to its low wage rates. Firms mostly specialize in low-value and mid-market price segment apparels trousers, knit and woven shirts, sweaters/sweatshirts and have not penetrated the high-end clothing markets so far.Competition is increasing in the global apparels market with buyers moving towards greater consolidation in sourcing decisions and the impending approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, said Gladys Lopez-Acevedo, report co-author and a Lead Economist for the World Bank. Bangladesh should capitalize on its position as regional leader and implement policies to improve the quality of its product. Bangladesh should focus on sustaining the creation and expansion of good jobs, bringing more women into the work force and diversifying its products and end markets to increase skills and value.
London-based Koovs has raised 21.9 million pounds (about Rs 212.4 crore) to expand operations in the coming e-commerce market in India.Koovs, the parent company of Indian lifestyle e-commerce venture of the same name, is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
London-based Koovs has raised 21.9 million pounds (about Rs 212.4 crore) to expand operations in the coming e-commerce market in India. Koovs, the parent company of Indian lifestyle e-commerce venture of the same name, is listed on the London Stock Exchange. The company which focuses on the western wear category in India, has seen registered#
The company which focuses on the western wear category in India, has seen registered userbase growing to one million. This is an increase of 226 per cent over the last year.The latest fund raising involves an issue of 87.6 million new ordinary shares at a price of 25 pence per ordinary share.This capital raising includes investments from both existing shareholders and new institutional investors, including Ruffer LLP."India's online fashion market is expected to increase five-fold by 2020 to 1.5 billion pounds (about Rs 14,559 crore) and we have a clear strategy to accelerate Koovs' growth in this market," Koovs CEO Mary Turner said in a statement.The capital raising demonstrates the confidence of both new and existing investors in the company's strategy and provides further investment to scale the business, she added.Koovs aims to become India's number one western fashion destination by 2020 and today's announcement marks a next significant step towards that goal, she added.Besides, Koovs has authority to raise up to an additional 8.1 million pounds (about Rs 78.5 crore) prior to June 30, 2016."In addition, some funds will be used to acquire the remaining 38.6 per cent stake in Koovs Marketing Consulting (Koovs India), as a result of which Koovs will own 100 per cent of its subsidiary," the statement said.The shares, being bought from Infotel E-Commerce (a company controlled by Anant Nahata) will be purchased for a total cash consideration of 9 million pounds.According to the Koovs annual financial statements, its Indian arm suffered a pre-taxation loss of Rs 63.25 crore (6.4 million pounds) for the year ended March 31, 2015.Turner had recently said the company expects to see a three-fold growth in business this year. (SH)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk India
For years, Amravati in Mahasrashtra has been infamous for farmers' suicides. Now, in a bid to change Amravati's depressing profile, the Maharashtra government plans to develop it as a textiles city to promote this industry in cotton-growing areas of Vidarbha region."The state government is promoting textile industries in suicide-prone region of Vidarbha to give a value addition and alternate market linkage to the cotton growers of the region on the lines of sugarcane belt of Western Maharashtra to prevent farmers' suicide in the cotton-growing region of western part of Vidarbha," Fadnavis said after laying the foundation stone for a Raymond's manufacturing facility near Amravati.
For years, Amravati in Mahasrashtra has been infamous for farmers' suicides. Now, in a bid to change Amravati's depressing profile, the Maharashtra government plans to develop it as a textiles city to promote this industry in cotton-growing areas of Vidarbha region. "The state government is promoting textile industries in suicide-prone region#
Cotton cultivators, often with small land holdings can thrive only if they have an assured market. The government wants to adopt the western Maharashtra model where sugar mills and sugar cane cultivators are inter-linked and inter-dependent.The Chief Minister said the Nandgaon industrial estate would be developed as textile park and Amravati would soon be recognised as a textiles city.The Maharashtra government had signed an MoU with Raymond Group of Companies for a textile park and manufacturing hub worth Rs 1,400 crore, during the Make In India Week in February.Raymond Ltd Chairman and Managing Director Gautam Singhania said his company will invest Rs 1,400 crore and the unit will provide job opportunities to about 8,000 persons.Raymond is targeting production by March 31, 2017. The textile major has a unit in Yavatmal and cotton growers will benefit from the second unit in Amravati, Fadnavis said. (SH)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk India
Spinexpo, an international trade exhibition for fibres, yarns, knitwear, and knitted fabrics, expands in Europe with the launch of Spinexpo Paris, to be held from July 6-7.
Spinexpo Paris will bring products from international specialists closer to European buyers.
The two-day event will present collections from the leading spinning mills and knitwear manufacturers addressing the active, knitwear, weaving, embroidery and lace sectors as well as any other outlet using yarns.
Spinexpo, an international trade exhibition for fibres, yarns, knitwear, and knitted fabrics, expands in Europe with the launch of Spinexpo Paris, to be held from July 6-7. Spinexpo Paris will bring products from international specialists closer to European buyers.The two-day event will present collections from the leading spinning mills and knitwear manufac#
Targeting 75 exhibitors for its first session with product offerings from selected international top-level companies in the spinning and knitwear sectors, Spinexpo Paris will unveil Autumn/Winter 2017-18 collections of the participants.
The 8th edition of Spinexpo New York will be held on July 19-21, and the 28th edition of Spinexpo Shanghai will be held from August 30 to September 1. (HO)
Spinexpo
Hello peeps! The Indian Premier League 2016, has been entertaining the whole country every single day since three weeks, and all the teams are vigorously fighting with each other to win the title. Bollywood celebrities, own a few IPL teams, and some owners have also hired actresses as brand ambassadors of their teams.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore, had hired Katrina Kaif as the brand ambassador from 2007 to 2010, and Katrina was seen supporting RCB at various venues. Check out pictures of Katrina Kaif & Siddharth Mallya here!
Katrina Kaif, was an eye candy of the spectactors, and people just loved it whenever the cameras focused on Katrina Kaif sitting on the stands sporting a Royal Challengers Bangalore jersey. The actress, cheered every boundary and was all tensed whenever the match was close and thrilling.
30 Rare & Unseen Pictures Of Bipasha Basu From Her Teenage Days!
The Fitoor actress, had also quoted a confident line about RCB saying "It's not over until its over". Which means the Royal Challengers Bangalore, will fight tooth and nail until the last ball to win every match.
Siddharth Mallya and Katrina Kaif, shared a special bond of friendship, and showed utmost respect whenever the two were together. Both Siddharth Mallya and Katrina Kaif, jumped with joy whenever the ball went to the boundary and cheered for their favourite team RCB.
Funny Wedding Pictures of Bipasha Basu & Karan Singh Grover Clicked When They Were Not Ready!
Katrina Kaif, apart from being present at the stadiums, also took to the field to give out trophies for the 'post match presentations' and congratulated the players for performing well.
However, in 2011, Katrina Kaif stepped down from being the brand ambassador of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team citing work committments.
Unseen Pictures Of Bipasha Basu & Akshay Kumar!
It has been almost a month since the actress Pratyusha Banerjee committed suicide and the truth is yet to come out. Her boyfriend, Rahul Raj Singh is booked for abetment of suicide, but is out on (anticipatory) bail.
It has to be recalled that Neeraj Gupta, who claimed to be Rahul's ex-lawyer, backed out of the case, on 'humanitarian ground'! The lawyer had also revealed some of the shocking facts,with evidences against Rahul in a press conference. But, Rahul's father revealed that Neeraj was never appointed to fight the case. Now, Rahul has decided to file a case against Neeraj.
Rahul was quoted by a leading daily as saying, "I want people to know the truth. We will be filing a case against Neeraj in the Bar Council. First, he told everyone that he was my lawyer, which he never was, and then he went against me."
He further added, "Out of nowhere, he started talking to the media on my behalf. My lawyer is Aabad Paunda. Lawyers are not supposed to talk to the media. I will file a case against Neeraj on Monday. Then I will file a case against everyone who spoke against me when I was in the hospital."
The latest on this case is the recording of Pratyusha's last telephonic conversation with her boyfriend, Rahul, which was heard by the judge of Bombay High Court. Rahul was given an anticipatory bail, as he was yet to be charged with murder.
Stay locked to this space for the latest updates...
The start of 2016 has seen no let up in Chinese President Xi Jinpings three-year-old crackdown on graft, with the countrys financial sector put sharply in the spotlight since last summers market meltdowns.
Xis pledge was to target big tigers leaders and decision-makers in the Communist Party and the private sector - as well as small flies who cause irritation at grass-roots level.
A number of high-ranking regulators and executives at big securities houses had come under scrutiny since the market turmoil last summer that sent the benchmark Shanghai index plunging 43%.
Some were being investigated for alleged malicious short-selling, insider trading or leaking inside information as the huge falls triggered an intensified clampdown on financial irregularities in an effort to smoke out malpractice and purify the market.
In October, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection the countrys top anti-graft watchdog, led by Wang Qishan, Chinas anti-corruption tsar and Xis lieutenant also kicked off a broad review of the countrys financial industry.
It sent inspection teams to various financial entities, including the Peoples Bank of China, the big four state-owned banks, as well as the banking, securities and insurance regulators to weed out potential financial wrongdoing and corruption.
The statistics show the extent of Xis graft crackdown: more than 54,000 officials were investigated by prosecutors for corruption, dereliction of duty and other duty-related crimes, and 336,000 were punished for violating discipline in 2015, according to Wangs work report.
Imagine a campaign in the US that took down the White House chief of staff, state governors, city mayors, heads of federal regulatory agencies, the chief executives of Fortune 100 companies, and possibly Warren Buffet and you have some idea of the scale of Xis crackdown.
Below is a list of top Chinese financial regulators, bankers, brokerage and corporate executives who have been detained, mysteriously disappeared, or died under a cloud since last year:
Xu Xiang The former Zexi Investment general manager, dubbed Chinas Carl Icahn, was formally arrested for insider trading and manipulating stocks prices, official news agency Xinhua reported on April 29, citing law enforcement agencies in Qingdao. He was dramatically detained by police on Hangzhou Bay Bridge in November 2015. His was the first case against a private securities manager since Beijing stepped up scrutiny of financial institutions last year. Cheng Boming and other Citic Securities executives Cheng, president of Chinas largest brokerage by assets, was taken away by police for alleged insider trading and leaking inside information in September 2015, making him the highest-ranking brokerage official investigated since Beijing intensified a clampdown on market malpractice. He and two other Citic Securities executives, Liu Jun and Xu Jun, were formally arrested on criminal charges, Xinhua reported on April 29. Yang Zezhu The former head of mid-sized brokerage Changjiang Securities plunged to his death in January while under investigation for suspected disciplinary violations Zhang Yun The most senior banker caught up in the campaign, Zhang left his role as head of the Agricultural Bank of China in December after his detention as part of a probe in November. Guo Guangchang The billionaire head of Fosun International sparked speculation when he went missing in December. After his release, Chinas biggest privately owned conglomerate later clarified Guo was helping judicial authorities with an unspecified investigation. Yim Fung The chairman and CEO of Guotai Junan Securities Hong Kong unit disappeared for several weeks in November. Yim returned to work in late December after assisting investigations by Chinese authorities, the company said in a filing to the Hong Kong exchange. Yao Gang One of four vice-chairmen at the securities regulator, Yao was placed under investigation by Chinas anti-graft watchdog for suspected serious breaches of discipline, its terminology for suspected corruption, in mid November. Yao is the most senior securities official snared. Zhang Yujun and Liu Shufan Zhang, former CSRC assistant chairman overseeing brokers and fundhouses, was investigates for serious violations of discipline in September. Liu, a former CSRC division head and reportedly Yaos ex-secretary, made a televised confession to bribery and insider trading the same month. Chen Hongqiao The head of Guosen Securities, a large Chinese brokerage, was found hanged on the balcony of his Shenzhen home in October after he was reportedly tied into an investigation into Zhang Yujun, former CSRC assistant chairman, and banned from leaving the country. Chen had been Zhangs deputy when the latter ran the Shenzhen bourse. Mao Xiaofeng The president of China Minsheng Bank was detained in January 2015 to assist in a corruption investigation into Ling Jihua, the top aide to former Chinese president Hu Jintao, according to a Caixin report. Minsheng announced in a stock exchange filing Mao, 43, stepped down for personal reasons. Lei Jie Founder Securities reported on January 22, 2015, that it had been unable to contact Lei, who chaired both Founder and its securities joint venture with Credit Suisse, for three days. He had asked for a weeks sick leave on January 12. Bloomberg reported Lei was released from police custody in November after helping with an unspecified probe.
The worlds biggest commodity companies are still hurting. And Chinas miners are watching them hungrily, looking to pick up major assets.
China Molybdenum Co, also known as CMOC, has been one of the first to pounce. On Thursday it announced that it had acquired Anglo American's Brazil-based niobium and phosphates mining businesses for $1.5 billion.
For Hong Kong and Shanghai-listed CMOC it is an opportunistic purchase. Anglo American has embarked on a clear-out of non-essential assets as it seeks to raise $5 billion to $10 billion to cut its net debt from $12.9 billion at the end of 2015. Moodys cut its credit rating to junk status in February, citing Anglo American's gross-debt-to-Ebitda ratio at the end of 2015 of around 4.2 times.
It's not the only humbled commodity player looking to sell. And CMOC is unlikely to be the only eager acquirer from China.
Switzerland-based Glencore, which mines 90 commodities, reported an Ebitda of $8.69 billion at the end of December, 32% down on the previous year. Worse still, the company was carrying $25.89 billion in debt. It announced a $10 billion debt-reduction plan in September.
Freeport McMoRan is in a similar position; the US mining company also had its rating cut to junk by Moody's in late January, with the ratings firm predicting a debt-to-equity ratio of as much as six times by the end of 2016.
Around the same time Freeport McMoRan, the world's largest copper miner, said it would seek to cut $5 billion to $10 billion in debt through asset sales.
Mining companies have been feeling pain for a long time and when the prices came off everybody was trying to hold onto what they had and survive, said a banker familiar with the Anglo American sale. But prices havent improved, so these mining companies are having to fundamentally restructure themselves and sell larger assets that Chinese investors are interested in.
The markets viewed Anglo Americans Brazilian mines sale as a positive for the company, lifting its London-listed shares by 4.6% on the day of the announcement.
Double the output
The balance sheet pressure being experienced by the world's leading diversified miners offers an excellent opportunity for their aspiring Chinese counterparts to grab some large assets.
With respect to prices, the market view is that we are at the bottom or about to reach [the] bottom of the commodity market, the banker told FinanceAsia. And it's a good opportunity for China when this steep fall in prices has led major commodity companies to sell assets.
He added that Chinese companies were particularly interested in buying large copper assets, if they become available.
Anglo American's Brazilian mines sale certainly offered CMOC a unique opportunity. The niobium mine is the second-largest out of three major producers of the metal in the world.
Niobium, like molybdenum, is a metal used in the steel-making process to help harden the metal. Phosphates, meanwhile, are used in the production of fertilisers.
CMOC ended up buying the mines after winning a competitive auction process in which it was the only Chinese bidder. According to the banker, the company originally approached Anglo American in September, setting of an auction process around November. CMOC was then short-listed in February, made a final bid on April 20, and was issued a sales and purchase agreement on April 27.
"That's different to what you see with many Chinese [state-owned enterprises]. This company is commercially savvy, the banker said, referring to the speed with which CMOC had acted.
He partly put that down to the fact that while CMOC's largest shareholder is state-owned Luoyang Mining Group, with a 31.56% stake, the company is effectively run by Cathay Fortune, a private equity hedge fund with a 29.79% holding in the company. As a result, it takes a more commercial eye to business opportunities than most SOE-linked companies.
The estimated valuation of the mines, at approximately 10 times 2015 Ebitda, doesnt look cheap mining and fertiliser assets tend to sell in the high single digits.
But it looks more reasonable once a recent overhaul of the mine is taken into account, the banker said. This is expected to double its annual output of niobium to 9,000 tonnes. A potential doubling of the companys Ebitda would make the ratio paid much more appealing.
China Molybdenum has been eager to expand and diversify itself through acquisitions. In 2013 it bought Rio Tinto's majority stake in the Northparkes copper mine for $820 million, during an earlier attempt by the Anglo-Australian company to cut costs by offloading assets.
Buying a phosphate mining business during this latest purchase helps to expand CMOC's product array.
Steel and copper are more industrial commodities but the [Chinese] economy has moved more to a consumption phase of development than a construction or infrastructure phase, the banker said. Phosphate is linked to consumer demand; it helps to grow crops like soya beans and can be used to help feed cows.
Calculated risks
While Chinese mining companies have the desire and financial heft to snap up big assets from struggling global players, questions linger about the sagacity of the strategy.
China's demand for commodities in the 2000s was behind much of the surge in prices, while its slowing growth is in large part to blame for the slump of the past few years. Given these poor conditions, it's risky to buy more assets in this market, no matter how cheaply valued.
However, observers argue that such acquisitions fit in with China's overall strategy. The country is seeking greater global influence and its largest companies have been able to rely on large amounts of cheap loans from state banks as they head offshore to buy assets. They are also typically under less shareholder pressure to deliver quick returns, and instead often look to 10 years or more for an asset to deliver value.
That heady cocktail gives Chinese companies a big financial advantage over international rivals when it comes to buying assets. But as FinanceAsia has argued previously, it also exacerbates the high levels of debt risk in China's banking sector and could spread the dangers of any debt crisis to foreign companies that have been acquired by Chinese peers.
China's mining companies in particular are gambling that their cheap credit lines will remain secure, potentially for years, while they await a market turnaround. It could prove to be an astute gamble. But there are sizeable risks too.
Barclays and Deutsche Bank were the financial advisers for China Molybdenum, while Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley advised Anglo American on the disposal of the mines.
This article has been changed to reflect the fact Barclays was one of the buyside financial advisers.
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
Vietnam - The Next Global Apparel Destination
Denimsandjeans.com, the creator of denims show in Bangladesh, is now bringing the first-ever denim show in Vietnam with more than 30 exhibitors from Vietnam and different regions of the world including some major global denim mills to bring more focus and attention to this important sector. The denim supply chain show will hit the floor on 16th June, 2016 at Gem Center, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160429/802397)
Globally recognised denim experts and many reputed denim veterans as well as international denim buyers are expected to visit the trade show and will also share their knowledge during series of seminars and panel discussions. The objective of the show is to bring international mills, local vendors, top brands, retailers and supply chain partners together at the same platform. Denim is an important part of apparel exports from China and Bangladesh. Vietnam also is increasing its strengths in denim and is expected to become important player in this sector.
Recession has shaken the entire global apparel industry for the last few years but Vietnam has witnessed a constant growth even in this distressing phase. Growing approximately at 19 per cent compared to 2013, Vietnam's textile and garment exports have crossed US$ 24 billion in 2014, says the largest textile group in Vietnam - Vinatex.
Vietnam offers huge potential economic opportunities from future free trade agreements. The Vietnamese textile industry, with more than 3,800 companies, is the country's leading export sector. The country ranks fifth worldwide in textile and apparel exports and has a labor force in that sector of more than 2 million people, of whom 1.3 million are working directly in the industry. According to the recent imports figures, US apparel imports from Vietnam grew by 38.1% in February, 2016.
Many textile and garment companies in the region have already begun to move production to Vietnam. Major U.S. retailers such as Sara Lee, JC Penney, Express, the Gap, Macy's, Nordstrom's, Mast Industries and American Eagle source a sizeable portion of their imports from Vietnam. Most of these companies source the imports through their Asian head offices in Hong Kong.
The entry to the Denimsandjeans.com Vietnam show is by 'Invitation only' and only for denim professionals. To get the official invitation, visitors need to register on http://www.vmshow.denimsandjeans.com/invite.php
For more information, visit http://www.vmshow.denimsandjeans.com/
Media Contact
Mr. Sandeep Agarwal
mktg@balajiinternational.com
+91-11-42828050
PHOENIX (dpa-AFX) - Apollo Education Group Inc. (APOL) said that it has received a revised offer from a consortium of investors including The Vistria Group, LLC, funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management, LLC and the Najafi Companies.
As per the revised terms, which represent a best and final offer, the consortium has increased the price at which it would acquire the company to $10.00 per share in cash for both Class A and Class B shares.
The final offer price represents a 52 percent premium over the closing price on Jan. 8, 2016, immediately prior to the announcement that the Board of Directors was pursuing strategic alternatives, and a 29 percent premium over Apollo Education Group's 30-day volume weighted average stock price for the period ended Apr. 29, 2016.
Apollo Education noted that its board evaluated the revised offer and reiterates its recommendation that shareholders vote FOR the adoption of the merger agreement.
'We are delighted that the increased purchase price will provide our shareholders with $10.00 per share in cash at closing. The Board believes that the increased offer clearly makes this transaction an excellent outcome for shareholders, particularly given the headwinds facing the company,' said Greg Cappelli, Chief Executive Officer of Apollo Education Group.
At the April 28 Special Meeting of Shareholders, nearly 58 percent of the Class A votes cast were FOR the proposed transaction, with approximately 80 percent of the outstanding shares voted to date. However, the votes to date in favor of the transaction do not yet constitute a majority of the outstanding shares.
As previously announced, the Special Meeting of Shareholders to vote on the revised proposal is scheduled for May 6, 2016.
In February 2016, Apollo Education Group announced a definitive agreement to be acquired by a consortium of investors including The Vistria Group, LLC, funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management, LLC (APO), and Najafi Companies for $9.50 per share in cash. Upon completion of the deal, Apollo Education Group will be privately held.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
North Media Aviser has sold a number of editions of Sndagsavisen and its equity interest in A/S Vestsjllandske Distriktsblade for a total selling price of DKK 41.75 million to Sjllandske Medier. The proceeds, the prospective editorial and sales related collaboration and a focused digital investment will strengthen the remaining newspaper activities which with a total weekly circulation of more than 1.25 million newspapers still is Denmark's absolutely largest advertising medium and thus a strong base for national chains and other advertisers. 2 May 2016Company announcement no 04-16Today, North Media A/S ("North Media") has signed an agreement with Sjllandske Medier A/S ("Sjllandske Medier") for the latter's acquisition of Sndagsavisen's editions covering Nstved, Vordingborg, Falster, Ringsted, Holbk as well as Taastrup, Kge Bugt and Vestegnen. These six editions of Sndagsavisen represent a weekly circulation of just below 300,000 households out of Sndagsavisen's total circulation of 1.22 million households.In addition, an agreement has been signed today for Sjllandske Medier A/S' acquisition of North Media's 50% stake in A/S Vestsjllandske Distriktsblade ("Vestsjllandske Distriktsblade"), which publishes Uge-Nyt, Sklskr Avis and Korsr Posten in addition to Sndagsavisen in Slagelse. With this acquisition Sjllandske Medier achieves 100% ownership of Vestsjllandske Distriktsblade.Sndagsavisen maintains its position as Denmark's largest advertising medium"As a result of the divestment and the intensified collaboration with Sjllandske Medier, Sndagsavisen as a brand will now be able to offer the major advertisers an even more powerful product as many parts of Zealand Sndagsavisen's readership will have Sndagsavisen's consumer and family-oriented material supplemented with the very strong local coverage that Sjllandske Medier's weeklies are known for," says Arne Ullum, CEO of North Media Aviser. "Being able at the same time to strengthen the capital base of our other newspapers is only positive," Arne Ullum proceeds and states that Sndagsavisen is in the process of entering into agreements with local partners to deliver local material to the editions of Sndagsavisen still published by North Media Aviser.North Media Aviser A/S ("North Media Aviser") will continue to issue the Sndagsavisen editions in Roskilde, North Zealand, including Herlev and Frederikssund, in Copenhagen, Amager, Funen and the Triangle Region in Jutland. Also, the publication of eight local newspapers in Copenhagen and Frederiksberg, Helsingr Dagblad and Lokalavisen Nordsjlland will continue. These represent a total circulation of 1.25 million copies a week. This will maintain Sndagsavisen's position as Denmark's by far largest advertising medium and the only one where the largest advertisers may reach more than one million households.As part of the acquisition of the mentioned editions of Sndagsavisen, North Media Aviser and Sjllandske Medier sign a collaboration agreement on editorial content and key account sales and sales of job advertisements to the acquired Sndagsavisen editions. Sjllandske Medier will also take over a small group of staff primarily occupied with regional sales.Consolidation strengthens focus and financial resources"The printed newspapers market is changing, which is why it is natural to consolidate the market. A few years ago, we acquired eight local newspapers in Copenhagen because we could realise some economies of scale and synergies. In turn, we now sell some editions of Sndagsavisen to a long-time business partner, Sjllandske Medier, who may equally realise economies of scale and synergies because Sjllandske Medier is already publishing newspapers in the areas included in the agreement. As a newspaper publisher, offhand you would prefer to up your circulation, but if the Danish newspaper market is to be consolidated, this also calls for being ready to sell newspapers. It is obvious in this context that the six editions of Sndagsavisen and the newspapers published by Vestsjllandske Distriktsblade are now in the hands of an owner who, because of their strong position in a geographical area, has the best qualifications for strengthening and developing the newspapers for the benefit of readers and advertisers," Arne Ullum closes.The equity interest in Vestsjllandske Distriktsblade is acquired effective from 1 May 2016, and acquisition of the editions of Sndagsavisen will take place regularly from 15 May 2016 to 15 June 2016.The Sndagsavisen editions sold represented annual revenue of about DKK 27.9 million in 2015. In 2015, the Group's share of profit from the associate Vestsjllandske Distriktsblade was DKK 1.2 million.The selling price of the newspaper activities sold and the equity interest in Veststjllandske Distriktsblade totals DKK 41.75 million. The editions of Sndagsavisen are sold as activities, and the equity interest in Vestsjllandske Distriktsblade is sold on a debt-free basis. The selling prices are settled in cash.Adjustment of expectations for 2016North Media expects a total net profit from the sale of approx DKK 40 million, which will be presented partly as profit from associates, partly as special item.North Media's provisional results for Q 1 2016 shows, that the Group in the period had a revenue in the range of DKK 215 million and a loss (EBIT) before special items in the range of a negative DKK 10 million.As a result of the divestment of the above mentioned editions and the development in Q 1 the 2016 revenue expectations for North Media Aviser are revised to now range from DKK 185 million to DKK 195 million compared to previously between DKK 200 million and DKK 210 million. North Media Aviser EBIT before special items for 2016 is now expected to range between a negative DKK 35 million and a negative DKK 30 million compared to previously between a negative DKK 30 million and a negative DKK 25 million.The Group's revenue expectations now range between DKK 865 million and DKK 915 million, and Group EBIT before special items is expected to range between a negative DKK 55 million and a negative DKK 25 million.The Group's Interim Management Statement for Q 1 will be published on 4 May 2016.The strategy of North Media Aviser remains unchangedThe continued publication of newspapers means that the synergy effects with FK Distribution remain unchanged. It is also estimated that current market developments will open up new opportunities for North Media Aviser activities. This is why the strategy of North Media Aviser remains unchanged, and focus is on boosting sales to large national chains which have had difficulties in reaching a sufficiently wide community due to the development in the increasing number of No Ads, Please households. Also, the efforts of increasing sales at new digital platforms, including sondagsavisen.dk and testuniverset.dk, will continue.For further information about the Group's newspaper operations, please refer to North Media's Annual Report 2015, including the business description on pages 26-29.For further details, please contact Group Executive Director & CFO Kare Wigh at +45 25 65 21 45 or CEO of North Media Aviser Arne Ullum at +45 21 63 22 27.Yours faithfullyNorth Media A/SKare WighGroup Executive Director & CFOThis Company announcement no 04-16 has been prepared in Danish and English. The Danish text shall be the governing text for all purposes and in case of any discrepancy the Danish wording shall be applicable.
Be'ah, Oman Environmental Services Holding Company, awards contract to Veolia and Omani partner Al Ramooz National
Regulatory News:
Oman Environmental Services Holding Company, be'ah, has just awarded Veolia (Paris:VIE), through its subsidiary Veolia Middle East, and its Omani partner Al Ramooz National LLC, a contract for waste management in the Sultanate of Oman.
The seven year contract will focus on establishing the required services across the Governorates of Al-Dhahirah and Al Buraimi, restructure the municipal waste collection services and improve public awareness of waste management.
The contract will include collection, transportation, and landfilling for the North West region of Oman for municipal waste and will benefit more than 250,000 inhabitants. Veolia will act as the technical leader of the contract and will operate two landfills, whereas Al Ramooz will be in charge of the waste collection and the development of a Material Recovery Facility (MRF).
This waste management contract in the Sultanate of Oman is a milestone for Veolia, its first ever contract for this activity in Oman. This contract shows how seeking complementary local expertise can be a driver of growth. In line with the development ambition of Veolia in the region, partnership with local players is pivotal for creating value in the territories and for the communities.
Xavier Joseph, CEO Veolia Middle East said, "Together with our Omani partner Al Ramooz National, Veolia looks forward to supporting Oman and its people with the best-in-class expertise in waste management. Our key focus for this contract will be to contribute to the implementation of the best standards for the waste management operations in the Sultanate, as well as support the Omani economy through in-country value."
Tariq Ali Al-Amri, Chief Executive Officer of be'ah, Oman Environmental Services Holding Company, said: "We are pleased to award the contract in line with our strategy and sector takeover plan, and with our aim to provide high level services in association with an experienced international company like Veolia, which has operations around the globe." He continued: "At be'ah, our main goals are to structure the waste sector in a sustainable manner as well as to eliminate the environmental damage incurred during traditional waste dumping processes and to support the economy."
Veolia has been present in Oman since 2006. The Group employs 150 people and is involved in a number of projects in the Sultanate: it recently announced the extension of the Sur desalination plant, located 160 km southwest of Muscat, is now 85% complete. Once finished, the plant will supply drinking water to almost 600,000 residents.
About be'ah- Oman Environmental Services Holding Company S.A.O.C "be'ah" was established in 2007. In 2009, Royal Decree No. 46/2009, granted be'ah the mandate and the legal status as the entity responsible for solid waste management in the Sultanate of Oman. be'ah strives towards a vision to conserve the environment of a beautiful Oman for future generations. be'ah's main objectives are to control environmental damage incurred during traditional waste dumping processes; structure the waste sector and its related services in a sustainable manner; develop the industry; and support the economy. Within this umbrella, be'ah works on moving towards sustainable waste management practices as per the international standards by establishing the required infrastructure, restructure the municipal waste collection services and improve public awareness of waste management.
About Veolia
Veolia groupis the global leader in optimized resource management. With over 174 000 employees worldwide, the Group designs and provides water, waste and energy management solutions that contribute to the sustainable development of communities and industries. Through its three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources, and to replenish them.
In 2015, the Veolia group supplied 100 million people with drinking water and 63 million people with wastewater service, produced 63 million megawatt hours of energy and converted 42.9 million metric tons of waste into new materials and energy. Veolia Environnement (listed on Paris Euronext: VIE) recorded consolidated revenue of 25 billion ($30.3 billion) in 2015. www.veolia.com
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160502005477/en/
Contacts:
Veolia Africa Middle East Media Relations
Helene Toury, Tel.: +33 6 14 86 36 08
helene.toury@veolia.com
or
Veolia Group Media Relations
Laurent Obadia Sandrine Guendoul
Stephane Galfre Marie Bouvet
Tel.: +33 (0)1 71 75 12 52
sandrine.guendoul@veolia.com
or
Analysts & Investor Relations
Ronald Wasylec Ariane de Lamaze
Tel. + 33 1 71 75 12 23 06 00
Terri Anne Powers (USA)
Tel.: 1 312 552 2890
WASHINGTON, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --In an unprecedented global call to action,more than 50countries have agreed to co-sponsor one or more of the proposals to nominate all species of thresher shark, the silky shark, and all species of mobula ray for protection under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160429/361956
April 27th marked the deadline for countries to add their names in support of Appendix II listing proposals submitted earlier this year. Those listings would require that all continuing trade in these species be sustainable. Co-sponsors include a wide range of countries in Africa, the host region for this year's CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP17) meeting, along with the European Union and its 28 member nations, and many other countries from all around the world.
"It's clear that CITES member governments have again put a priority onprotecting shark and ray species that continue to be threatened with extinction because ofwidespread, unsustainable international trade in fins and gills," said Luke Warwick, director of The Pew Charitable Trusts' global shark conservation campaign. "The global support we are witnessing far surpasses that seen for previous Appendix II listings proposals and confirms the key role that CITES now plays in protecting the world's sharks and rays."
CITESis recognized globally as one of the most effective and best-enforced international conservation agreements. It provides protection to more than 30,000 species around the world and has been instrumental in preventing the extinction of many plants and animals. Votes on the proposed listings for thresher and silky sharks and mobula rays will take place at the CITES meeting in Johannesburg in September.
In recent decades, silky and thresher shark populations have declined more than 70 percent, while mobula rays have suffered similar reductions. That qualifies each for listing on CITES Appendix II. The declines have been driven largely by the international demand for fins and gills.
Before the last CITES conference four years ago, the international trade of sharks and shark products was essentially unregulated. That meeting produced landmark Appendix II listings for five species of sharks and all manta rays, meaning that for the first time, countries had to prove that any catch of these species was sustainable before engaging in trade. The 2013 listings have helped protect and better manage these species globally; however, that translates into regulation of only about 10 percent of the global shark fin trade. Many types of sharks and rays are listed as threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, though they do not have adequate protection from unsustainable catch and trade.
Recognizing the value and importance of healthy shark and ray populations to their marine ecosystems and national economies, the governments of Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Fiji are seeking to build on the momentum created by the 2013 listings. In January, Sri Lanka submitted a proposal to protect three species of thresher sharks, the Maldives submitted one for silky sharks, and Fiji submitted one for all species of mobula ray. The proposals have received strong support from governments around the world.
"With more than 100 million sharks killed every year around the world, and 25 percent of all shark and ray species now assessed by the IUCN as threatened with extinction, we as a global community need to act urgently to help the most vulnerable populations," said Abdulla Naseer, Ph.D., senior policy executive for the Maldives' Ministry of Environment and Energy.
The implementation of the 2013 shark and ray listings has been widely hailed as a success. Dozens of governments all over the world have put domestic measures in place, and many have hosted training workshops for fisheries, customs, and environment officials on how best to create full protections or sustainable export limits, as well as the customs checks needed to prevent illegal trade.
"Numerous capacity development workshops have taken place to provide governments with the necessary information and tools to regulate the global shark fin and mobulid gill plate trade," said Sumith Pilapitiya, Ph.D., director general of Sri Lanka's Department of Wildlife Conservation. "To prepare for the new CITES listings, which will be adopted at CoP17, updated identification and training tools have been made available for countries to use once again."
Eleni Tokaduadua, principal environment officer for Fiji's Environment Ministry, said leaders around the world recognize the need for action. "Key governments from each continent, whether they have established shark sanctuaries or still record large shark and ray landings, have noted population declines,' Tokaduadua said. "They have chosen to add their support to these proposals to grant global protections and ensure only sustainable trade continues for these species that have been targeted by largely unmanaged fisheries."
Said Warwick, "The rest of the world now has the opportunity to give these species the protections they need and list them on Appendix II of CITES, an act that could make the difference between extinction and recovery."
The full list of countries cosponsoring one or more proposal:Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Comoros, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Netherlands, Palau, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Romania, Samoa, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, The Bahamas, UAE, UK, Ukraine, USA.
The Pew Charitable Trusts is driven by the power of knowledge to solve today's most challenging problems. Learn more atwww.pewtrusts.org.
Contact: Barb Cvrkel, 202-540-6535,bcvrkel@pewtrusts.org
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - At 3:15 am ET Monday, the Federal Statistical Office releases Swiss retail sales for March. Sales had fallen 0.2 percent year-on-year in February. Ahead of the data, the franc declined against its major rivals. The franc was worth 1.0995 against the euro, 1.4044 against the pound, 111.00 against the yen and 0.9596 against the greenback as of 3:10 am ET. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Core One Labs News: Kommt jetzt tatsachlich die Ubernahme?
Anzeige
FOLSOM, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/02/16 -- AgreeYa Solutions -- a global provider of software, solutions and services -- will be attending the NARCA 2016 Spring Conference May 4-7, at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Chicago, Ill. During the nation's leading credit conference comprised of creditors' rights attorneys, creditors and industry professionals, AgreeYa experts will be available to discuss in detail about the most comprehensive collections and case management software available in the marketplace, AgreeYa's Cogent, designed from the ground up and tailored specifically for the unique demands of Creditors' Rights law firms, accounts receivable and collection agencies.
"As an organization, we are always on the lookout for opportunities to connect with customers, industry thought leaders and friends in the accounts receivable management and collection industry," says Ajay Kaul, managing partner of AgreeYa Solutions. "We look forward to engaging with attendees and sharing our Cogent success stories in hopes to solve the business challenges facing the industry including regulatory, governance and cost containment. Cogent brings extraordinary capabilities for organizations looking to control, manage, govern and automate their collection and case management -- end-to-end."
A highly scalable collection and case management software, Cogent is designed with creditors' rights and compliance in mind. Cogent consistently simplifies the management of intricate collection and legal processes, accelerate cash flow and reduce collection cost with advanced workflows and through automated collection and case management processes.
Attendees will have the opportunity to experience a hands-on review of Cogent, and learn how this "intelligent" collection and case management software can provide greater efficiency, analytical capability and operational synergies for firms that concentrate in the area of accounts receivable collection and creditors rights. In addition, the company will be raffling an iPad pro to attendees who register for a 15-minute meeting with AgreeYa at the conference.
The National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys, also known as NARCA, currently works with over 3,000 lawyers specializing in creditor's rights at 594 law firms and other creditor's rights organizations in 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico.
About AgreeYa Solutions: AgreeYa is a global provider of software, solutions, and services focused on deploying business-driven, technology-enabled solutions that create next-generation competitive advantages for customers. Headquartered in Folsom, Calif., AgreeYa employs more than 1,400 professionals across its 15 offices in eight countries. Over the last 16 years, AgreeYa has worked with 200+ organizations ranging from public sector, Fortune 100 firms to small and large businesses across industries. AgreeYa's software portfolio includes SocialXtend (intranet and enterprise social collaboration), VDIXtend (desktop-on-cloud), Onvelop (unified enterprise collaboration and communication suite for mobile), Edvelop (single window collaboration and communication solution on mobile for 21st century learning), Cogent (comprehensive end-to-end case management solution for collections agencies and law firms), QuickApps (award winning suite of SharePoint web parts and pre-built templates) and BeatBlip (test automation solution). As part of its solutions and services offerings, AgreeYa provides portal, content management, and collaboration on SharePoint, cloud and infrastructure, enterprise mobility, business intelligence and big data analytics, product engineering, application development and management, independent software testing, and staffing (IT and risk/compliance) solutions. For more information, visit www.agreeya.com.
Leslie Licano
(949) 733-8679 ext. 101
leslie@beyondfifteen.com
PANAMA (dpa-AFX) - In yet another historic milestone in the improving bilateral relations between the United States and Cuba, a cruise ship set sail from Miami to Havana, marking the first time in over 50 years that Cuban-born individuals are able to sail to their motherland. Carnival Corporation had announced its new Fathom brand was accepting bookings to Cuba from all travelers, including Cuba-born passengers, for the company's week-long voyages to Cuba. Fathom's 704-passenger Adonia luxury cruise ship left Miami port at about 4:24 pm Eastern Time (ET) Sunday. During the 7-day voyage, Fathom will visit three ports of call for which Carnival Corporation has obtained berthing approval - Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. Travelers aboard the Adonia can choose to partake in onboard experiences, including Cuban- and Caribbean-inspired food and films, music and dancing, along with conversational Spanish lessons. Seven-day itineraries on Carnival Corporation's Fathom brand depart from Port Miami on Sundays at 4:30 p.m. ET. The ship will arrive at its first destination, Havana, the following morning at 11 a.m. ET. The Adonia returns to its homeport, PortMiami, at 7:30 a.m. ET on Sunday. Prices for seven-day itineraries to Cuba start at $1,800 per person, excluding Cuban visas, taxes, fees and port expenses. Prices will vary by season. Tara Russell, president of Fathom and global impact lead for Carnival Corporation, said the company has already seen tremendous interest in the incredible Cuba journey. The cruise comes after Cuba loosened its policy banning Cuban-born people from arriving to the country by sea. The Cuban government implemented prohibitions when Cuban exiles were launching attacks by sea after the first Cuban revolution. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Speculation about the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonym of the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, may have been finally put to an end. According to a blog post, Australian entrepreneur Craig Steven Wright claimed he is Nakamoto.
Reports said that in a meeting with BBC, the Economist and GQ Magazine, Mr Wright provided technical proof of hic claim confirmed by The Bitcoin community and core development team members.
Wright published his evidences in a post on his blog here.
According to Wikipedia, Craig Steven Wright was born in Brisbane, Australia, in October 1970. He graduated high school in 1987 from Padua College in Brisbane, was an adjunct lecturer in computer science and researcher at Charles Sturt University, completed 18 SANS Institute courses and received GIAC certification in Compliance and Audits.
Wrights PhD is in theology. He also authored or co-authored several books, including The IT Regulatory and Standards Compliance Handbook: How to Survive Information Systems Audit and Assessments.
FinSMEs
02/05/2016
I find it difficult to describe Satyajit Ray. He resists assessment with an all-encompassing grip on Bengali consciousness, even on his 95th birth anniversary. How do you traverse fields of the subconscious?
My friend and Alipurduar College professor Somesh Roy calls him a "A creative genius whose talent found a way to manifest itself regardless of the medium. A Renaissance Man".
Evidently. Ray revolutionsed Indian cinema and is rightly celebrated for it. But his brilliance as a filmmaker often eclipses the fact that like paras pathar (philosopher's stone), he turned into gold every facet of life that he even casually touched.
While working for 13 years with British advertising agency D.J. Keymer, Ray transformed contemporary commercial art as an illustrator and graphic designer, introducing new calligraphic elements weaned from different parts of the country which he had travelled as an art student.
He was also a book jacket designer and did numerous covers for poetries, short stories, biographies, religious texts. In all of these he introduced his own calligraphic style and oriental elements, duly elevating the art form. Covers for Sondesh, the monthly children's magazine which was founded by his grandfather Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury of which he later became the editor, are true collectibles.
Satyajit's creative rays touched typography, an area he was extremely interested in, mostly because he was dissatisfied with the prevalent metallic typefaces. He created four Roman fonts (Ray Bizarre, Ray Roman, Holiday Script and Daphnis) and as the first and most innovative creator of Bengali typefaces, designed innumerable new fonts.
He created posters for his own films and there too, his creative genius elevated the mundane medium. He brought his calligraphic skills, broad brush strokes and motifs into play and the publicity materials became works of phenomenal art.
In his films, he was the scriptwriter, composer, costume designer and director. And with the pen in his hand, he was a writer, editor and litterateur nonpareil. And all this was done at consummate ease, almost with the freedom that one reserves for doodling in middle of a boring lecture.
None of all this, however, can even remotely capture the connect every Bengali has with Ray. It is an intensely personal relationship which undergoes several revisions as she/he grows up and with each revision the umbilical cord becomes tighter.
Most of us first habitually meet Ray through his writings which were mostly aimed at kids and young adults when Ray was trying to revive Sondesh. I gorged on Feluda, the eponymous private detective, stories of Professor Shonku, the innovator and scientist, his translation of Aurthur Conan Doyle's works and short stories and all the while, remained blissfully unaware of his genius.
If Feluda, the detective whom Ray apparently fashioned keeping Soumitra Chatterjee in mind, kept me captivated, Professor Shonku whose diary was found while the man remained untraced under mysterious circumstances liberated my mind through its fantastic storylines and plots that pushed the borders of science fiction. In between, Brazil er Kalo Bagh (a translation of Arthur Conan Doyle's work) thrilled me to bits, Bonkubabu'r Bondhu took me to a different world, Khagam's suspense gave me goosebumps while Tarini Khuro spooked me nice and proper.
And movies for kids. The thing about Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne or Hirak Rajar Deshe is, while it provoked laughter and fun, growing up meant discovering a whole lot of subtext and it is only then that I, like many others, began to appreciate the vastness of his talent.
Stepping into adulthood initiated the next level. By this time, Ray's writings still held sway, but attention was also drawn to his body of work in celluloid. Among the cult classics including Apu Trilogy, however, the Calcutta Trilogy remains a personal favourite.
Without going into pedantic discussions about Ray as a filmmaker, suffice to say that Pratidwandi (The Adversary, 1970), Seemabaddha (Company Limited, 1971) and Jana Aranya (The Middleman, 1976) changed the way I looked at life. Can't be said about most filmmakers.
Like my friend Somesh, I am not particularly fond of his last few works. Along with Feluda films, Apu Triplogy and treble on Calcutta, Kanchanjangha (1962), Nayak (The Hero, 1966) and Mahanagar (The Big City, 1963) have merited many revisiting. And of course Paras Pathar (The Philosopher's Stone, 1958) where Ray showed how Bengali film industry failed to harness the genius of actor Tulsi Chakrabarti.
Ray married occidental with the oriental and transcended the borders of watertight definitions that we use to define men whose genius we cannot comprehend. It is through the prism of his works that we must define him and yet, every time we attempt to do that, we are destined to fall short by many a mile.
It is bloody hard to describe Ray's sway over me, over us Bengalis.
The spectre of rotting grains has hit media headlines once again. What most have not stated overtly is that this may not be just another case of mismanagement. This could be nothing short of fraud. It could be an attempt on the part of grain procurement officers to destroy evidence that could implicate them in a financial scam.
But to set the context right, one needs to go back to September 2010, when the Supreme Court was forced to intervene. It asked the then government to give the grain away for free to people instead of leaving it to be devoured by pests or allowing it to rot in the open.
When Sharad Pawar, the then agriculture minister, tried to dismiss the Supreme Courts remarks as merely a suggestion, the apex court promptly retorted that it was an order, not just a suggestion.
Then consider the remarks made by most agronomists including Ashok Gulati that the government was trying to procure more grain that was warranted. Gulati had been literally crying himself hoarse denouncing the governments procurement policy.
In one of this articles he has clearly stated: As on 1 July 2013, the government had 74 million tonnes (mt) of stocks of wheat and rice, and a year before on 1 July 2012, 80 mt, against a buffer stock norm of only 31.9 mt.
India already has covered storage of 57.7 million tonnes if one takes the capacities of all the three parties collectively the state warehousing corporations(SWCs), the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) and the Food Corporation of India (FCI)
And you now have media reports talking of two problems that seem to have afflicted the Food Corporation of India (FCI)
Crime #1: The FCI has allowed 46,658 tonnes of foodgrain to rot in its 1,889 warehouses across the country in three years.
Crime #2: The FCI has allowed another 143.74 tonnes to go missing.
Together, as some media reports stated, this could have fed nearly 8 lakh people from priority families under the National Food Security Act for an entire year.
The FCI chairman and managing director Yogendra Tripati, is on record stating, "If you look at it, a majority of foodgrains wasted in 2015-16 was due to natural calamities like cyclone. A major storage issue was seen in the 1990s and there was a problem in 2013, but we've more or less overcome the issues and are also going to augment our storage capacity in coming years."
The sad truth is that India already has enough storage. Yes, these storage areas could be upgraded from capped to covered (see chart). But as Gulati has pointed out, the present storage capacity is adequate.
So why do we procure more than what is needed?
There are two reasons for this.
First, Indian politics is invariably driven by the demands of farmers in the North much more than those of the South. As a result, the rest of India pays for the avaricious demands of the North.
Second, because the entire procurement policy of the government is aimed only at rice, wheat and sugarcane. These crops are protected, nurtured and exploited by some of the most powerful political groups in the country. They are allowed to waste water, electricity, fertilizer and even FCIs money. Much of this is done in collusion with Indias policymakers.
Consider for instance, how Haryana is known to change the Fair Acceptable Quality (FAQ) norms for wheat, each time the crop is of inferior quality. By changing the norms, the state procurement authorities pay the farmers grade A prices for grade B wheat. When the wheat goes to the millers for being ground into wheat flour, the millers (who are also elected leaders with various political bodies in the state) raise a hue and cry over the prices at which they must purchase the wheat, and are then given a subsidy. All this is eventually financed by the taxpayer.
Take a third instance. True, FCIs officials have gone on record to explain how they have been trying to reduce buffer stocks year after year. Instead, all they have to do is to take the entire buffer stock and sell it in the commodity markets. True, there will be a discount in the pricing when larege quantities of grain is offloaded. But remember, getting one-fourth of the price is better than getting no price at all when it is devoured by rodents or let to rot.
Solutions exist, but the FCI does not want to accept them. Selling them through auctions would invite the attention of assayers, who would then have to certify the quality of grain being sold. Once the quality of grain is certified, FCI officials would have a difficult time explaining why Grade A prices were paid for grain that was Grade C. It is better to destroy the evidence, than have auditors baying for their blood.
The problem has already surfaced with the RBI demanding explanations for the missing grain. It has refused to let banks pay to the farmers the Cash Credit Limits (CCL) worth around Rs.20,000 crore. This is the amount that the Prakash Singh Badal government has sought for wheat procurement. Modis government is a political ally of Badals party. . Hence the need to bail him out is crucially important. But the stench of a scam is what keeps people wrinkling up their noses.
And do remember that the FCI procures only around 20% of the total grain. The rest is left to state procurement agencies, which then resell the grain to the FCI.
In the midst of all this hue and cry, someone has already floated a rumour the RBI has yet to confirm this that the government is willing to invoke sovereign guarantee for the CCL money, thus saving banks for notching up more bad debts than before. A sovereign guarantee for a scam? Thats a good one!
The irony is that Noth Indian farmers have already sought compensation for damaged crop on account of unseasonal rains. Now they want money for missing grain. And soon they will ask for Grade A payments for Grade C grain.
It is a triple whammy.
All eyes are on the Modi government to see how he handles this one.
The Government data on the income tax payments, released last week, throws light on one of the key problems India facespainfully low number of income taxpayers as a percentage of total population. In other words, it shows a picture where tax evasion by individuals is so huge that it can create major impediments to a country, which strives to offer a social security net to its citizens, build quality public infrastructure and eradicate poverty.
The government has made public the income tax data for last 16 years. If one looks at the 2014-15 figure, just about 4.87 crore people filed tax returns, making it less than 4 per cent of the population (considering population at 125 crore). In the years before that, the number of those who paid taxes is even less. In 2012-13, the figure was close to only about 1 percent of the population. To be sure, the number of those who filed returns does not necessarily indicate the the number of actual taxpayers, since many of them would be below the threshold.
What these figures effectively telling us is that the domestic tax evasion is an even bigger concern for India than chasing the black money stashed abroad. It doesnt make sense for any government to chase a magic treasure hidden somewhere in foreign lands when there is massive scale of income tax evasion happening right under its nose. To put this in another way, the data is the testimony of Indias failure to broaden the tax net even though two decades have passed after the economic liberalization.
There is a clear evidence here that a significant number of people who are liable to pay taxes arent doing so. For instance, going by the government data, only about 11 lakhs people have admitted to have annual salary income of above Rs10 lakhsclearly an absurd number. This spells out the big task Modi-government at this juncturetake steps to broaden the tax net rather than merely increasing the tax rates.
Because, every time the government hikes the income tax rates but doesnt bother to broaden the tax base, the burden falls on the chosen few, which is clearly unfair policy for any government to follow. Tax base can be broadened only by a slew of steps including bringing awareness and monitoring compliance at state-level. According to the published data, just two states, Maharashtra and Delhi, contributes more than half of Indias income tax payments.
The very low levels of tax compliance should worry the government since there is no akshayapatra for it to source funds for its development work except the tax paid by its citizens and revenues mobilized from state-resources. While the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) will largely take care of the task of broadening the tax base on the sales of goods and services, increasing compliance on the income tax front, is a challenge.
The government has been taking measures to address this issue by proposing to deduct tax at source, using analytics to identify taxpayers and making PAN number mandatory, said Alok Agarwal, senior director, tax practice at Deloitte. The government has realized that income tax cannot be solely relied upon. The increase shown in the sales tax revenue is a proof of this, Agarwal said.
To put it in simple words, India still has several citizens who go out and buy expensive cars and jewellery but are not willing to pay the taxes to government on the income they earn. They, who would still seek more government-sponsored free-services and subsidies, do not spare time to think of how will the government actually raise resources to do all these.
The bottomline is this: we are all more than aware about what is due to us as the privileged citizens of this country, but conveniently forget what we owe to the state. The sad fact is that all of use are too used to the freebies. It would be ideal if the awareness come from the citizens rather than imposed by the state--particularly in a scenario, when the state exchequer is in deficit mode.
(Data Support from Kishor Kadam)
Bengaluru: In a shocking incident caught on CCTV camera, a Manipuri woman was abducted while she was standing outside her PG residence, by an unidentified person, who allegedly tried to molest her, with no passerby coming to her rescue.
In the video, the woman is seen speaking on her mobile phone, when an unidentified man grabs her from behind and carries her off. He then took her to an under-construction building in an adjacent road, where he allegedly tried to molest her.
Several people were seen walking on the street, but none tried to help her. The incident happened on the night of 23 April at Kathriguppe, a residential locality in south Bengaluru, but came to light only today.
Recounting her ordeal, the woman said "I started shouting, he tried to close my mouth, then I bit him to rescue myself. Reacting to it he hit me, then I fell unconscious due to fear."
He then fled from the scene leaving her lying unconscious. "I was unconscious for about five minutes, by then he was not there. My bag and phone was still there," she said.
She said the police came and enquired with her about the incident after the CCTV footage emerged.
Manjula Manasa, Chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for Women, assured all assistance to the victim. "Senior police officials should and will have to take action," she said. The woman said she felt the man's intentions were to sexually assault her, as he did not try to steal any of her belongings.
"I feel this because I had a bag, purse and mobile with me and he did not target it. I think his intention was to sexually assault me," she said.
Asked about police response, she said police asked her to file a case, but the owners of her paying guest suggested against it, saying it may cause problems for her. "I think they did that fearing bad name for their PG," she said.
Nobody came forward to help me, I was screaming for help: Victim, Bengaluru kidnapping case pic.twitter.com/ZwRZqOJC6f ANI (@ANI_news) May 2, 2016
Police said they have obtained the CCTV footage, and would nab the culprit soon.
DCP (South) Lokesh Kumar said he only got to know about the incident after it was reported in a TV channel, adding that investigation was now underway.
Police response to the case was also being inquired into and action would taken if there were any lapses, he said. "The PG owner has now filed a complaint. In his complaint he has said that the woman had stated that she will decide on filing the complaint after discussing with her dear ones," Kumar said.
The woman had left her PG room the next day and the owner was under the impression she would have filed the complaint. He came forward to file one after getting know that none had been made so far, the DCP said.
New Delhi: The ban on plying of 27,000 diesel-run taxis in Delhi came into force on Sunday, with the authorities launching a crackdown against violators, impounding errant vehicles.
The impact of shortage of taxis will be felt on Monday, the first working day after the Supreme Court on Saturday refused to extend the deadline for converting diesel-run taxis into CNG-mode.
As Traffic Police and Delhi Government's transport department launched a crackdown against the violators, commuters found it difficult to book taxis through app-based aggregators Ola and Uber.
Amid the shortage of taxis, Uber brought back controversial surge pricing, a day after the odd-even car rationing scheme came to an end.
The Delhi government had proscribed surge pricing during the 'odd-even period' and later announced that the ban will continue even after the 15-day period of the road-rationing scheme has ended.
"We have today launched an intensive crackdown against diesel-run taxis plying in Delhi-NCR following the Supreme Court's order. The crackdown was launched in the morning which continued late in the night," said a senior government official.
The official said that the transport department has impounded hundreds of diesel-run taxis in the Delhi-NCR.
"Instructions have been issued to authorities concerned, including transport department, to impound diesel-run taxis plying in Delhi-NCR," another senior government official said.
According to Delhi transport department, about 60,000 taxis are registered in the national capital of which 27,000 run on diesel. Around 2,000 diesel-run taxis had converted into CNG mode in the last two months.
The SC order is not applicable to cabs having All-India Permits but most of the diesel taxis ply on local routes. The ban will essentially bring down the availability of cabs in the capital.
"As per rule, taxis having All-India permit are required to cover a minimum distance of 200 km. Taxis having All India permits cannot ply from one point to other point inside Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad," official further said.
As Uber brought back surge pricing in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal warned the operators of "strong action".
Uber had introduced the provision during odd-even scheme, which was objected to by commuters and Kejriwal had asserted that such demand-linked hikes would be banned permanently.
A day after the second phase of odd-even scheme ended, commuters across the city, who availed the services of the app-based aggregator, found surge pricing, where fares are raised when demand exceeds supply, was back.
When contacted, an Uber spokesperson confirmed the development, saying that suspension of surge pricing was only a "temporary" measure.
Uber's move came on a day the ban on diesel-run cabs came into effect in Delhi, further inconveniencing the commuters.
"Some taxis have started charging surge. Surge not allowed under law. They r warned that strong action will be taken against them," Kejriwal tweeted.
A senior Delhi government official said action will be taken against these companies based on complaints. "We will impound their cabs," the official said.
A representative of Ola, another app-based service, refused to confirm if it would also follow suit and adopt the surge pricing model. Its app displayed a message saying peak time charges may be applicable during high demand hours and will be conveyed during the booking which "enables us to make more cabs available to you".
Ola displayed the disclaimer during the odd-even period as well although it did not invoke peak-pricing till Saturday.
Dehradun: Alleging that the sting operation and the CBI probe into it were part of a "criminal conspiracy" by BJP to topple an elected government, Harish Rawat dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah to put him in jail if he is found in the wrong.
"If any evidence is found against me, like me offering money or post to anybody, hang me at the Clock Tower," Rawat, who had so far been insisting that the sting was "fake", said while addressing party workers at a programme held by Uttarakhand Congress to mark the Labour Day here.
"Why should anyone spend Rs 15 crore for me. The man (journalist) was saying something meaningless to while away my time and I said something to while away his. How does it matter? We keep saying things like this on a daily basis. Does that mean they should be used against us," Rawat said, adding, his fight to "save democracy" will go on, "come what may".
"Is meeting a journalist a crime? If one of the MLAs who had not been technically disqualified by that time talked to me...how does it matter? Do we block any channels in politics," Rawat told reporters on the sidelines of the programme.
Claiming innocence, Rawat said, if anything in the CD showed he made an offer in cash or kind in exchange for the support of disgruntled MLAs, he was ready to be hanged in public.
"I have kept my doors open. I present myself to be sent to jail (in the sting CD case) if that is what Modi baba (PM Narendra Modi) and Amit Shah are up to," he said.
The sting CD made by the editor-in-chief of a private news channel and circulated by the nine Congress rebels who created a political crisis in the state by siding with opposition BJP in the state Assembly, purportedly shows Rawat negotiating a money deal with the journalist to buy the support of MLAs who had revolted against him.
Training his guns at the Modi-Shah duo, Rawat alleged, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah could "not tolerate" a non-BJP government performing and therefore "toppled" it by hatching a "criminal conspiracy". They have been "conspiring" to "systematically bring down" governments in states where BJP is not in power, he said.
Ever since Modi government came to power, it has been "neglecting" Uttarakhand and when it failed to bring down the state dispensation by "money or muscle power," it "resorted to President's rule" to dislodge it, he alleged. Asserting that he was prepared to "bear even a heavier atrocity" if found in the wrong in the sting case, he said, he would not hesitate to face any challenge in his struggle for the development of the people of the state.
Earlier, addressing party workers at the programme, Rawat said the commitment with which the Congress had worked for the poor and the working class was "exemplary".
Citing an instance, he said, it was the Congress which had introduced a novel and revolutionary scheme like MNREGA. Rawat also highlighted steps taken by his own government in the state to provide social security to the poor and the working class. People of Uttarakhand will teach them (BJP) a fitting lesson for creating political uncertainty in the state and derailing its development, he claimed
Jamshedpur: The Jharkhand government plans to develop the mineral-rich state as a power hub by 2019, Chief Minister Raghubar Das said, while launching an electricity reforms programme, RAPDRP.
A joint venture by the Jharkhand Electricity Board and NTPC, it will produce 4000 MW here and the entire state will have electricity by 2019, Das said after launching the Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme here on Sunday.
Directing officials to develop the state electricity board as a professional body, the chief minister said that it was the responsibility of the junior and executive engineers to collect bills equivalent to the cost of power generation and distribution from a transformer.
Das said recruitment process of 600 linemen would begin by 15 June, which would help solve problems of the people to some extent.
Distribution of electricity under Dindayal Upadhyay scheme was going on as per the set timeframe, he added.
It has been a long wait for Valerian Santos.
On 20 October, 2011, Keenan Santos, Valerian Santos' son, and Reuben Fernandez were hanging out with their friends in a restaurant in Amboli. When they stepped out of the restaurant, a group of drunk men started harassing the girls in their group. Keenan and Reuben jumped to their defence.
Keenan's girlfriend Priyanka Fernandez, who was a witness to the horror that followed, had later told NDTV that the goons came back armed and repeatedly stabbed Reuben and Keenan. Many eyewitnesses were around, but no one came to their rescue. Priyanka kept calling the cops as Keenan and Reuben battled for their lives, but no one answered her calls.
While Keenan died on the same day, Reuben succumbed to his injuries 10 days later.
Five years on, Valerian Santos is still waiting for justice. The verdict on the case was initially expected on Monday, but later postponed to 5 May. He has been posting updates on the case on a Facebook public group called Keenan Santos. On Sunday, he posted, "Humbly with folded hands I ask you all to keep on praying for the verdict so as to get justice for our bravehearts Keenan and Reuben."
The accused Jitesha Rana, Sunil Bodh, Satish Dulhaj and Dipak Tival, were arrested the next day and have been in jail since then. Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told The Times Of India, there are 28 witnesses in the case and there is direct evidence showing that the accused were molesting the girls. "It was premeditated murder," said Nikam.
The grieving father had expressed his disappointment with the court proceedings as hearings were postponed on numerous occasions. He had told DNA that there were instances when none of the defence lawyers were present in court and at times, the accused were not brought to court. Valerian Santos has even received threats from the relatives of the accused. Despite the public outrage, social media activism and assurances from the then Maharashtra government, the charges were filed only a year after the incident and was shifted to a fast-track court. It was later shifted to a woman's court as of the complainants had pointed out that many of the witnesses in the case were women.
Valerian Santos told The Times Of India that like his son, he will fight against sexual harassment. He hopes that the judgement will be a lesson to all those who think they will get away with molesting women on the street.
On Monday, Valerian said that all he wants is a judgement, not capital punishment, but nothing less than life imprisonment.
All that I want is a good judgment, nothing less than life imprisonment until death: Keenans father Valerian Santos pic.twitter.com/SJxnH3bAMB ANI (@ANI_news) May 2, 2016
I would not ask for capital punishment because I know it's not rarest of rare case (Keenan-Reuben murder), I understand law: Valerian Santos ANI (@ANI_news) May 2, 2016
Aditya Paul and Ankita Verma, who work with the Zero Tolerance Group that was formed after the brutal murders, feel that much has changed since 2011. They told The Indian Express, although there is no stigma attached to sexual harassment in the city, the real victory will be when justice is served.
In its ambition to earn brownie points with the people of Delhi, it seems that the Kejriwal government inadvertently made false claims about the recent rollback of the hiked fees in the capital.
Advertorials paid for by the government in leading Delhi newspapers on Sunday claimed that, For the first time, private schools roll back fee; four schools roll back fees in 15 days.
However, this is not the first time that private schools in Delhi have been ordered to roll back fees.
Earlier, the Justice Anil Dev Singh Committee, constituted in August 2011 by the Delhi High Court to "examine the records and accounts etc of all unaided private recognised schools of Delhi to justify the fee hike by each school while implementing the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission, had submitted nine reports by 2015, recommending a refund of fee unjustly hiked in several private schools.
The claim made in newspapers about the rollback of the hiked fees is not correct. Its not the first time that any action has been taken against the schools for hiking fees. Earlier, Justice Anil Dev Singh committee had asked several schools to refund the excess fees it found unjustified," said Ashok K Pandey, chairperson, National Progressive Schools Conference (NPSC).
"The panel also went through the records, balance sheets of many schools, and after finding irregularities, refund of hiked fees was recommended, Pandey said.
Following up on the recommendations, the Delhi High Court had in August 2014 pulled up the Delhi government for non-compliance of the Committees order.
The NPSC, a 43-year old association of senior secondary schools across the country, has also objected to the claim made in the Delhi governments advertisement that private schools cannot hike fees without the permission of the state government.
Referring to Clause 17 of the Delhi School Education Act & Rule, 1973, Pandey said, Private schools are empowered to raise fees and the decision is taken by a duly recognized 17-member managing committee including two government representatives and two parents representatives. The school has to inform the Directorate of Education about the hike before the academic session begins. Theres no mention of Approval/Permission per se in the Act.
However, things changed in January this year, when Delhi HC said that the schools built on land allotted by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) cannot hike the fee without taking prior permission from the Delhi government.
The judgment came folowing a PIL filed by an NGO Justice For All based on DDAs land allotment letter to schools.
The Action Committee of Unaided Private Schools has moved Court and the matter is sub-judice. Moreover, the way Delhi government has given advertisements related to fee roll back in newspapers under the garb of non-partisan reportage that looks like an actual news item is wrong," a private school principal told Firstpost.
"A common man fails to distinguish between an advertisement and news. In an attempt to blow its own trumpet, the Delhi government is sending incorrect message amongst public, the principal said.
The private unaided schools feel that the autonomy guaranteed to them by the Supreme Court and the Constitution is being infringed upon.
Autonomy guaranteed to the schools is sacrosanct. Private unaided schools under the Constitution have been given certain autonomy. A HC judgment mentions that autonomy of private schools guaranteed under the Constitution is the schools fundamental right, added Pandey.
However, the action taken by the Delhi government asking a few schools in Delhi to roll back the excess fees has brought cheers to a large number of parents, and is being considered as a 'bold step'.
Its a bold and benevolent step taken by the Kejriwal government by asking Kalka Public School (KPS) and a few others to roll back the hiked fee. The hike in fee was very high in the case of KPS and the prompt action by government compelled the school authorities to roll back the hike. But, this process should continue as the private schools arbitrarily hike fees every year, said Tejinder Singh, a parent.
Ahmedabad: Amid a row surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational qualifications, Congress on Monday alleged "discrepancies" in his date of birth.
It also questioned the timing of Gujarat University sharing details of Modi's MA degree which it had earlier refused to disclose citing secrecy.
"In students' register of M N College Visnagar (where Modi took admission in pre-science, equivalent to class XII) Sri Narendra Modi's date of birth is mentioned as 29 August, 1949. In his election affidavit, he did not reveal his date of birth, but mentioned his age. His official birth date, as available in the public domain, is September 17, 1950," senior
Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil told reporters.
He showed a copy of the purported school register which mentioned the PM's name as Narendrakumar Damodardas Modi, along with his date of birth.
"We want to know what is the reason behind different dates of birth, what is the date of birth on his (Modi's) passport, on the PAN card and on other documents? And what is the reason behind different dates of birth?" Gohil said.
"Modi, in his affidavit filed before the returning officer in 2014 (Lok Sabha polls), had stated that he pursued his BA from Delhi University and MA from Gujarat University. In the same affidavit, he, for the first time, revealed his marital status as married to Jasodaben," he said.
Taking a swipe at Modi over his "56-inch chest" remarks, the senior Congress leader said, "The country does not have much interest in knowing PM's 56-inch chest, but public has
interest in knowing his date of birth...where he got his BA degree from, when, and at least names of 10 students who studied with him".
Gujarat University today shared details of Modi's MA degree, saying he scored 62.3 per cent as an external student of the varsity after Central Information Commission directed it to provide the same to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who had recently criticised the functioning of the transparency panel.
Questioning the timing of the disclosure by the varsity, Gohil said, "Till today, at least 70 RTIs were filed in GU seeking the same information, but the reply was always 'information is secret, can't be revealed'. After CIC asked GU to give reply, overnight it turned vibrant, progressive, and instead of calling it secret, it decided to give information along with marks."
"How come GU does not have details of his (Modi's) BA degree? Because while getting admission in MA, he should have given his BA details. If you migrated from DU to GU, your migration certificate should also be there with the GU," he said.
New Delhi: The government and the opposition parties on Monday, blamed each other for disrupting the functioning of the ongoing Parliament session by politicising and raking up the issue of the AgustaWestland chopper scam.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said that the government wants to bring out the facts related to the issue so that people will get to know the truth.
This issue should not be politicised. Facts must be brought to the fore and people must get to know the truth. Government is ready, we need not hide anything nor are we hiding any facts. We are talking about it openly, Naidu said, talking to reporters outside Parliament House.
Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, who is member of the Rajya Sabha, said that the government must discuss the issue on the floor of the house so that everyone gets to know the details of it.
Our party believes that the BJP, Congress and TMC are obstructing the functioning of the house on this chopper scam. The government must take the issue seriously and it must be discussed on the floor of the house. The government should see that the house functions properly, Mayawati said talking to reporters here.
On the other side, the Congress has accused the BJP of using the issue to defame it so that the BJP may take an advantage of it in the ongoing assembly polls in four states.
Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge said it was his party which had ordered a CBI inquiry into the issue to bring out the truth.
Had we been scared, we would not have issued a CBI inquiry. Because we had involved the CBI in the investigation, this shows our government was serious to bring out the facts, Kharge said talking to reporters outside parliament.
But what this government is doing is politically motivated. They do not want to catch the real culprits. They just want to use this issue to defame the Congress and take an advantage in the ongoing state polls, he added.
Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader K.C. Tyagi said his party wants the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete the investigation so that judicial proceedings do not get hampered.
We want the investigation to complete. Both CBI and ED (Enforcement Directorate) are involved in the investigation of this issue. But BJP is populating and propagating the results before the investigation gets completed. They have made it a political issue which may also obstruct the judicial proceedings, he said.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has already said he will speak on the AgustaWestland chopper deal in parliament on Wednesday, and give a detailed chronology of the events.
He has said that the Congress needs to answer on its inaction on the CBI probe in the deal that involved bribes given in India.
The issue has become major political affair in the country after a court in Milan, Italy, jailed AgustaWestland's former head Bruno Spagnolini on the charges of false accounting and corruption in the sale of the firm's 12 VVIP choppers to India.
Some documents submitted to the court contain the names of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her political adviser Ahmad Patel and former Indian Air Force chief S.P. Tyagi.
New Delhi: Opposition on Monday attacked the government in Rajya Sabha, alleging "selective leaks" of
sensitive documents related to the controversial AgustaWestland helicopter deal and sought a probe into the matter.
It alleged that the government was "misleading" through "selective leaks" and expressed concern over the credibility of the sensitive agencies Defence Ministry, Air force Headquarter, CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED).
"The government must answer: A subject which has been bullentined for discussion on (May) 4th, individuals, various TV channels, journalists have been given sensitive documents of the CBI, ED and Defence Ministry...Who gave the documents? There should be an inquiry," Deputy Leader of Congress Anand Sharma said in the Upper House.
"The government is selectively leaking," Sharma said, adding, "If the government is not. Then who else is leaking? We demand the governmnent to do an inquiry."
This is happening despite there being an Official Secrets Act, the Congress leader said.
Alleging that this is "dirty tricks" of the departments which are "coordinated centrallly" in this government, Sharma charged that the government misused the office as he questioned the credibility of the agencies.
"It is a question of how they are misleading through selective leaks of sensitive information. Which government, if it is not complacent at the highest level, will have this scenario where every docuement is given," he said.
Supporting a notice for breach of privilege motion given by Congress MP Shantaram Naik, Sharma said, "Ministers in this government are making statements on the PIB website and not coming to the House but the selective leaks."
"When the House was in session, what prevented the Defence Minister to come in the House and give the statement here? Sir, what is happening?" he asked.
Before initiating debate on a bill to amend the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, Naik raised a point of order on ministers making statement in the PIB on AgustaWestland deal when Parliament is in session.
"I have given a breach of privilege notice. I pray that the notice be admitted and refer to the Privileges Committee (of Parliament) and action be taken as per the report," he said.
Naik said he was shocked to see Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley issuing a statement on the second day on the PIB on the same topic.
"I ask if Parrikar is the Defence Minister or Jaitley? That clarification also be made," he asked.
Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien asked, "What is the harm in minister giving a statement? I am not able to understand. If it is a policy matter, then the government should restrain."
He added that "If the subject is slated for discussion in the House, the government should come to the House and reply."
While Naik insisted that the Chair should give a ruling if ministers can give a statement during Parliament session, Sharma said, "This is as close as that. How do you differentiate between the two?"
Sharma said there are past precedents that when the House is in session, the government cannot make statement on any important matter.
Kurien said the topic has been slated for discussion on Wednesday and he can raise all concerns on that day.
New Delhi: A Delhi court has dismissed a corruption complaint against an AAP MLA, saying though it had prima facie found that he had breached the cap for poll expenses during 2013 Assembly election, he cannot be charged under Prevention of Corruption Act as he was not a public servant at that time.
"I have gone through the complaint and the documents thoroughly from which, it prima facie appears that respondent 1 (Tripathi) incurred more election expense than prescribed limit. However, in my prima facie opinion the same was incurred when he was only a contesting candidate for the post of MLA and not a public servant," Special Judge Hemani Malhotra said.
The court's order came on a complaint filed against Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, MLA from Model Town in Delhi, for allegedly spending over the prescribed limit of Rs 14 lakh in the 2013 election campaign.
The judge further said, "The act/conduct of Tripathi by submitting accounts after he became an MLA to explain the expenditure incurred by him before he was elected as MLA is not an offence committed under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act as when the election expenses were incurred, he was not a public servant."
The court also said that the remedy/action against a candidate's misconduct lies under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 which may result in disqualification of an elected candidate.
The court also referred to a Supreme Court verdict in which it had said under the Election Rules if an account is found to be incorrect or untrue by Election Commission after enquiry, the Election Commission may disqualify the said person.
The complaint filed by activist and lawyer Vivek Garg had also sought FIR against some officials of Election Commission (ECI), Delhi Chief Electoral Office (CEO) here and some officials of Delhi government, for allegedly colluding with Tripathi to manipulate the account of expenditure incurred by him.
The court, while dismissing the plea, also noted that a sanction to prosecute the officials of ECI, CEO and Delhi government was missing and referred to a Supreme Court judgement saying the court cannot take notice of private complaint against a public servant without a sanction order.
"Court cannot lose sight of the fact that the complainant has also impleaded responsible officials of the Election Commission of India and of government of Delhi who are public servants, as proposed accused under PC Act," it said
Referring to an apex court judgement, the judge said, "It has been categorically held that Special Judge could not have taken notice of the private complaint against the public servant unless the same was accompanied by a sanction order."
The judge, however, agreed with the contention of the complainant that no sanction was needed to prosecute an MLA.
The complaint had alleged that the maximum expenditure limit for Delhi Assembly Election 2013 was Rs 14 lakh whereas the MLA understated the statement of expenditure by Rs 8.93 lakh.
"The alleged offence was committed to win the election by manipulating the records of election expenditure," it claimed adding that the public servants allegedly saved Tripathi by conniving with him and stating that the expense incurred by him in the campaign was within prescribed limit.
Garg claimed that he had approached Special Commissioner, Crime Branch for registration of FIR against Tripathi, but to no avail.
He also filed complaints against the respondents before various other forums, but no action was taken, his complaint had said.
The complaint had sought registration of FIR against Tripathi and some unnamed ECI, CEO and Delhi govt officials for offences under sections 477A (falsification of accounts), 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 171H (illegal payment in connection with election), 171I (failure to keep election account) and 120B(criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and various provisions of Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988.
Bengaluru: Congress Chief Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Sunday said before the Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar places detailed chronology about the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal in Parliament on 4 May, the Minister should first answer why the Narendra Modi government and he "undo the blacklisting" of the company.
"Does Modiji and Parrikarji not realise they are in power? Is CBI not with Central government? Is Enforce Directorate not with Central government? Why has the Modi government undone the blacklisting of AugustaWestland? Why Manohar Parrikarkji is not answering," he told reporters in Bengaluru.
Parrikar also should answer why within 40 days of banning the company, he passed an order re-permitting the company to participate through a sub-contractor.
"The Defence Ministry banned the company (AugustaWestland) on 3rd July, 2014. Within 40 days, on 22nd August 2014, the Defence Minister passed an order permitting it to participate again through a vendor or a sub-contractor. Will Parrikarji answer why he did that?," Surjewala said.
In Panaji, Parrikar on Sunday said all facts along with the detailed chronology about the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal before Parliament on 4 May.
Parrikar, in countering the allegations levelled by Congress, questioned why the company was not blacklisted by then UPA government and why no action was taken against it till 2014?
Surjewala alleged that the Foreign Investment Promotion Board once again gave permission even after the company was banned, which was informed through a press release issued by the Defence Ministry on October 2015.
"All these questions should be answered by Prime Minister. Manohar Parrikarji cannot brush this aside. Generally the Prime Minister speaks on every issue. Why is he now maintaining a staid silence," he said.
"Mudslinging and muck-raking has been the character of the Modi government. Mudslinging and muck-raking is not a substitute for truth because the truth will always stand. Please show an iota of evidence. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley completely denies on the floor of the Parliament. He says we have not been able to identify anyone," he argued.
"Outside the Parliament, however, the BJP and their spokespersons indulge in mud-slinging, muck-raking, false allegations and unfounded facts. You can't have a media trial. That's why we said let lasting truth prevail, not leaking lies" he said.
Surjewala said levelling allegations against Congress leadership is reprehensible and condemnable, and mudslinging and muck-raising has become BJP's character.
Ahmedabad: Amid a row surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational qualifications, Congress on Sunday alleged "discrepancies" in his date of birth.
It also questioned the timing of Gujarat University sharing details of Modi's MA degree which it had earlier refused to disclose citing secrecy.
"In students' register of MN College Visnagar (where Modi took admission in pre-science, equivalent to class XII) Sri Narendra Modi's date of birth is mentioned as August 29, 1949. In his election affidavit, he did not reveal his date of birth, but mentioned his age. His official birth date, as available in the public domain, is September 17, 1950," senior Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil told reporters.
He showed a copy of the purported school register which mentioned the PM's name as Narendrakumar Damodardas Modi, along with his date of birth.
"We want to know what is the reason behind different dates of birth, what is the date of birth on his (Modi's) passport, on the PAN card and on other documents? And what is the reason behind different dates of birth?" Gohil said.
"Modi, in his affidavit filed before the returning officer in 2014 (Lok Sabha polls), had stated that he pursued his BA from Delhi University and MA from Gujarat University. In the same affidavit, he, for the first time, revealed his marital status as married to Jasodaben," he said.
Taking a swipe at Modi over his "56-inch chest" remarks, the senior Congress leader said, "The country does not have much interest in knowing PM's 56-inch chest, but public has interest in knowing his date of birth...where he got his BA degree from, when, and at least names of 10 students who studied with him."
Gujarat University on Sunday shared details of Modi's MA degree, saying he scored 62.3 percent as an external student of the varsity after Central Information Commission directed it to provide the same to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who had recently criticised the functioning of the transparency panel.
Questioning the timing of the disclosure by the varsity, Gohil said, "Till today, at least 70 RTIs were filed in GU seeking the same information, but the reply was always 'information is secret, can't be revealed'. After CIC asked GU to give reply, overnight it turned vibrant, progressive, and instead of calling it secret, it decided to give information along with marks."
"How come GU does not have details of his (Modi's) BA degree? Because while getting admission in MA, he should have given his BA details. If you migrated from DU to GU, your migration certificate should also be there with the GU," he said.
Arent we more confused about Mr. Modis academic performances after all these announcements and pieces of scrappy paper which have been flung around? I saw that photo of a scribbled name in a register and I guess in the pre-computer age the records looked like that.
Scruffy is the word that comes to mind. His academic ranking has absolutely no significance because the ledger doesnt show any mark-sheet.
While no one doubts Gujarat University Vice-Chancellor M N Patel and his painstaking statements of the exact marks Mr. Modi got in his first class Masters degree, why not share the documents that prove it instead of just saying it sans proof? There is no marksheet, and while Delhi University is still acting coy over the bachelors degree, so far no paper has emerged to indicate or confirm that certificate one gets (whats it calledthat fancy thingee with a seal and that calligraphy on the borders and that odd English?)
All the hush hush dealings about is only creating more murkiness and giving folks like Mr. Kejriwal an opportunity to grandstand over an issue that is almost passe.
But old Kejriwal and his agenda aside, why is it ballooning into such a major controversy? The Prime Minister must have put forward his educational qualifications when he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He must have done the same when he stood for Prime Minister. Surely, if common folks have to get their certificates verified and stamped and confirmed and reconfirmed for jobs, visas, applications to jobs abroad and passports and stuff, the need to keep it a state secret seems excessive, even if Mr. Modi is not obligated to respond to every demand.
But the Prime Minister of India has to be judged by a different measure. Didnt he attach the educational material when he wanted to go to the States and his visa was rejected?
The Times of India, Ahmedabad is being widely quoted as having solved the mystery. Until we see the marksheet, my dear Watson, the mystery stays just that.
What could be easier than simply showing it instead of setting the nation this mathematical puzzle of 237/400 and 262/400 with an aggregate of 499/800 and end this matter.
The quixotic Chief Minister than can turn his attention to his glass house where his former service the Indian Revenue Service has dressed him down for saying he was an IT commissioner. Liar,liar pants on fire.
Of course, one is compelled to write like this, seeing as how leaders insist on clowning. Read the letter from the revenue reps as quoted extensively by the media.
"Contrary to your claims, you have never worked as Commissioner and your batch has still not been promoted to (the rank of) Commissioners of Income Tax."
Kejriwals comment: "As Commissioner, I could have made crores and traveled in a car fitted with a beacon light. But I left the service and decided to serve the nation".
Reaction: "The statements being attributed to you cast aspersions on the whole of the department.
"The association wishes to remind you that no department or organisation is corrupt or honest, it is the individuals who may be so.".
"In these circumstances, we request you to desist from making such statements in public and in the print and electronic media, otherwise we will be constrained to take steps to protect our image."
Hey, Arvind, you just cheated all your colleagues, man, what were you thinking?
New Delhi: The government is working to bring faster trains with more facilities while trying to meet the diverse expectations of the society, Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Monday as he announced several initiatives like a 'National Plan for Railways' for infrastructure development.
Prabhu told the Rajya Sabha that Railways faces a "paradox" like situation where it is expected to provide services like concessional travel and meet social objectives like a government enterprise but at the same time expected to perform like a commercial company.
The railways, he said, is trying to meet these diverse expectations as he mentioned seven missions including the 'Mission to have zero accidents', 'Mission on Speed' and 'Mission on accounting reform' etc.
He was replying to a debate on the Railways Appropriation Bill which was later approved by the Upper House. The Lok Sabha has already passed it.
Talking about efforts to bring faster trains, the Minister said a Spanish company has been involved in a project to reduce by 5 hours the time taken on the Delhi-Mumbai route. The Spanish company Talgo would bring its trains on an experimental basis for the project, he said.
The Railway minister also mentioned that to meet the demands of various sections, different types of faster trains like Antoday, Humsafar, Tejas, Mahamana, Gatimaan etc are being brought in.
Earlier some opposition members had raised questions about the 'Bullet train' project. Ranee Narah of Congress said that since Prime Minister Narendra Modi is from Gujarat and Rail Minister from Mumbai, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route had been chosen for the project.
Prabhu said efforts are being made to provide free water which has undergone quality checks and also provide better e-catering facilities.
He announced initiatives like setting up a dedicated body for research and development in railways and creating a 'National Plan for Railways' regarding infrastructure development.
He added that despite having to meet Pay Commission liability and Bonus Act liability, the Railways still has
managed a modest operating ratio.
Prabhu also emphasised that the Infrastructure investment in Railways has gone up considerably and it has touched 1 lakh 31 thousand crore in 2016-17. He said attempt should be made to increase Capital Expenditure to boost our economy.
Prabhu also said that in the coming years entire rail network in North East will be shifted to broad gauge. Some opposition members had claimed that Railways was ignoring the North East.
Referring to the plan to create a R&D body for Railways, Prabhu said NITI Aayog member V K Saraswat would present a report in this regard soon.
The Railway minister also said the amount allocated for doubling work had grown from Rs 3,881 crore to Rs 25,191 crore in two years.
He also claimed that the allocation towards development of railways in various states has been increased.
It has also been decided to create in-cabin toilets for locopilots in trains, he said.
The Railway minister also said that a substantial number of backlog of vacancies of SCs and STs had also been filled up.
Prabhu also talked about the plan to transform 400 railway stations into PPP mode and said the first such contract had been given for the Habibganj station in Bhopal.
He also said that the ministry is working with states to reduce delays because of stoppages.
Earlier, participating in the debate, several members like Vishambhar Prasad Nishad of SP and Ripin Bora (Cong) raised questions about the conditions of railway stations.
Congress members from North east Ranee Narah and Bora had also sought more attention towards the North East.
Narah questioned if there will be no development of the rail network in North East just because there has been no railway minister from the region.
She claimed her party leaders, including former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, had paid a lot of attention to development of railways in the Northeast.
During the debate, Lal Singh Vadodia (BJP) said reservation for railway seats should be provided to former Parliamentarians as well. Several MPs were seen supporting this demand.
'Tis the season for poll promises.
It's that time of the year again, when politicians are busy making promises for the people before the elections, some of which are productive, some counter-productive and some downright outlandish.
From promising freebies like mobile phones to promising the return of the controversial bull-taming sport Jallikattu, political parties in Tamil Nadu have left no stone unturned in their attempt to please the voters.
Here are the significant and not-so-significant-but-absurd poll promises made by the major political parties for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election 2016:
BJP's promise of return of Jallikattu
What is the one thing you will not expect from a party that is so obsessed with protection of cows that a large number of its party leaders want a nationwide ban on cow slaughter and beef is banned in many of the states ruled by that party?
BJP defined irony when it promised the return of the bull-taming sport Jallikattu from next year.
According to PETA, terrified bulls during Jallikattu are often deliberately disoriented by being given substances like alcohol, having their tails twisted and bitten, being stabbed and jabbed by sickles, spears, knives or sticks and being punched, jumped on and dragged to the ground.
It seems BJP has adopted this perspective when it comes to Jallikattu:
Prohibition
One of the biggest issues of Tamil Nadu elections 2016 is prohibition of the sale of alcohol. Most of the major parties have promised complete prohibition in the state.
In fact, DMK has promised prohibition in one go if it comes to power in the state. "What is that gradual prohibition? We dont accept that. We are for total prohibition," The Hindu quoted DMK chief M Karunanidhi as saying.
AIADMK also announced prohibition in the state, though in a phased manner, PTI had reported.
As expected, DMK ally Congress also said that it would implement prohibition.
To realise how important the issue of prohibition actually is in Tamil Nadu, remember the fact that the following video (which uses images of Charlie Chaplin quite frequently) is an entire song making fun of Jayalalithaa on the issue of prohibition which had gone viral recently:
The curious case of Captain Vijayakanth
DMDK chief Vijayaraj Naidu aka Captain Vijayakanth's promises are so entertaining that we decided to devote an entire section to them.
Vijayakanth has promised a week's celebration for the Pongal festival with public holiday for all schools and government sets-up.
He also showed his promising command over economics when he claimed that prices of petroleum products among other things will be brought down, with petrol's fixed at Rs 45 and that of diesel Rs 35.
And why bring technology and experts to India to assist farmers? The Captain has also claimed that at least 5,000 farmers will be sent abroad every year to learn latest techniques in farming.
The income of a family of each of the 12,620 villages will be increased to Rs 25,000 per month. How? Well, the Captain aims to build a total of 1,120 theaters and 1,12,000 shops across the state to achieve that number.
In short, the great Captain's mind-blowing leadership skills can be described in this way:
Freebies, waivers
Elections in India won't be half as entertaining if the politicians did not promise a few good ol' freebies!
The DMK manifesto has promised waiver of education loans, tablets and laptops with 3G/4G connections and 10 GB per month download option for 16 lakh students, according to The Hindu. It also promised smart phones for poor families. Because, of course, that is what poor families need the most.
The party has also promised a 20 kg free rice per month scheme in the state.
This is not the first time, though, that the DMK is making promises of such outlandish freebies. According to The Indian Express, DMK had in 2006 made promises to provide free colour television sets to the people.
Among the PWF manifesto's highlights is the promise of two acres of land to beneficiaries, including landless farmers and poor people.
Waiver of loans taken by farmers from cooperative and nationalised banks was among the highlights of the Congress manifesto. The same promise was also made by the BJP.
The BJP has also promised freebies of eight gram gold to eligible women in Below Poverty Line category for marriage.
Jayalalithaa's promise of separate homeland for Tamils in Sri Lanka
Taking her attempt to please Tamils abroad a bit too far, CM Jayalalithaa has promised her party would take "continuous steps" to attain a separate homeland for Tamils in Sri Lanka and demand that the Centre grant dual citizenship for refugees from the island nation living in the state.
"So as to enable Sri lankan Tamils live with full freedom and self-respect and to attain a separate Eelam, continuous steps will be taken," PTI had quoted her as saying.
"We will urge the central government to confer dual citizenship on Sri Lankan Tamils living here so that they can easily get job opportunities," she had said.
Noting that Sri Lankan Tamils have for long been living in and outside camps in Tamil Nadu, she had said her regime was giving them all facilities.
PWF has also promised that Sri Lankan Tamils living in Tamil Nadu would not be repatriated without their consent.
With inputs from PTI
Patna: On Monday, a youth allegedly tried to fling his chappal towards Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at a public interaction programme in Patna but was arrested by the police.
The incident occurred when the youth, who incidentally goes by the name of Nitish Kumar, came to meet the CM and hand over his request at 'Janata ke Darbar mein Mukhya Mantri' programme.
As the accused, a resident of Arwal district bent down to take off his chappal, he was immediately caught by a posse of security men.
Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj told reporters the youth has been arrested and taken to Sachivalaya police station for detailed questioning, the SSP said.
At 'Janata ke Darbar mein Mukhya Mantri' programme at the Chief Minister's residence people present their grievances and the CM directs officials to initiate action.
It emerged that the youth had created ugly scenes earlier too at the 'Janata Darbar' programme of senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi recently.
The grievance of the youth was not very clear but officials said he was apparently angry over the state government's recent advisory against use of fire for cooking and hawan etc between 9 am to 6 pm to curb increasing incidents of fire.
Cairo: Egypt's journalists' syndicate called for the dismissal of the interior minister and an immediate sit-in at its headquarters in downtown Cairo to protest the police detention of two journalists on its premises.
After an emergency meeting in the early hours of May 2, the group called for the "open-ended" sit-in to run through a general assembly meeting and World Press Freedom day on May 3.
On the morning of May 2, dozens gathered at the steps of the building, chanting "journalists are not terrorists." They plan for a larger demonstration this afternoon.
The syndicate described the police's entry into the building as a "raid by security forces whose blatant barbarism and aggression on the dignity of the press and journalists and their syndicate has surprised the journalistic community and the Egyptian people."
Some syndicate members have said the raid was heavy-handed, involving dozens of officers and resulted in a security guard being injured.
Police denied they entered the building by force and said only eight officers were involved, who they said were acting on an arrest warrant for the two journalists accused of organizing protests to destabilize the country.
Unauthorised demonstrations in Egypt are banned, and demonstrators subject to arrest.
"The Ministry of Interior affirms that it did not raid the syndicate or use any kind of force in arresting the two, who turned themselves in as soon as they were told of the arrest warrant," the ministry said in a statement.
The two journalists, Amr Badr and Mahmoud el-Sakka, are government critics who work for a website known as January Gate, also critical of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's government.
It was unclear what size any sit-in at the syndicate could achieve. Police, backed by army troops had initially barricaded the entire area and prevented people from approaching the building, but they eventually lifted the blockade. Still hundreds of uniformed and undercover police were deployed across central Cairo in order to prevent any protests.
On May 1, police prevented hundreds of workers from holding a meeting at the building to commemorate International Workers' Day, prompting independent trade union leaders to urge the government to allow them freedom of assembly.
Seoul: South Korea warned on Monday there is a risk of its citizens being abducted by Pyongyang in retaliation for the defection of a dozen North Korean staff at a restaurant in China.
Twelve women working at the restaurant in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo defected to the South with their manager last month.
Seoul said they came voluntarily while the North insists they were tricked into defecting by South Korean spies who effectively "kidnapped" them.
The South's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korea affairs, said overseas missions had been advised to heighten their vigilance.
"We are closely watching out for multiple possibilities, including abduction or terrorism ... by the North," said ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-Hee.
"We are trying to ensure the safety of our nationals," he told reporters.
Seoul's Hankook Ilbo daily reported Monday that Pyongyang was plotting to abduct South Koreans to trade for the 13 defectors.
"They set the target of 120 people including expats, soldiers and officials," the newspaper said, citing an official source familiar with North Korean affairs.
Nearly 30,000 North Koreans have, over the decades, fled poverty and repression at home to settle in the capitalist South.
But group defections are rare, especially by overseas restaurant staff who are generally hand-picked from families that are "loyal" to the regime.
Pyongyang has proposed sending the women's parents to Seoul to meet their daughters and has released a video of them tearfully demanding their return.
North Korea has a track record when it comes to abductions.
In the most high-profile case, late leader Kim Jong-Il had a famed South Korean film director and his actress wife kidnapped in Hong Kong in 1978, in order to make films in the North.
The couple escaped in 1986.
In 2002, North Korea admitted it had kidnapped 13 Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s to train its spies in Japanese language and customs.
The wait is finally over for patient investors of General Electric (GE 4.07%): The company has now officially applied to the U.S. Government to remove GE Capital's status as a Systemically Important Financial Institution. At last, at long last, we can look forward to ... more waiting.
The wheels of government turn slowly.. And this de-designation, if granted, would represent the first time the FSOC has voluntarily granted such a request (although MetLife recently went to court to demand de-designation, and won). Here's what investors can expect as the process lurches forward.
The story so far: A long wait
The Financial Stability Oversight Council, the Treasury Department agency tasked with overseeing SIFI designations, gave GE Capital its SIFI status in 2013. Since then, GE has made a lot of changes to GE Capital, including selling billions of dollars of lending and leasing businesses and spinning off its private-label credit card company as Synchrony Financial (SYF 2.69%). The company plans to retain only those businesses directly related to its industrial operations -- for example, its aviation services financing arm.
GE has some excellent arguments as to why the new, leaner GE Capital should no longer be viewed as a SIFI. They're summed up quite well in this chart:
GE Capital's current liabilities (the dark blue bars) are much lower than they were in 2012 (the light blue bars), the year before the company was designated a SIFI. Further, of the company's non-cash, non-insurance-related assets, less than one-third are located in the United States.
But the Financial Stability Oversight Council isn't just going to de-designate GE Capital in the blink of an eye. Instead, it explains: "For each company that has been designated, the FSOC is required by statute to reevaluate the designation annually, and the FSOC's reevaluation process considers whether any material changes at the company justify a rescission of the designation."
GE Capital may believe it has made the requisite "material changes." But at its annual reevaluations, the FSOC has thus far declined to remove the designation.
And then we wait some more
Luckily for GE, there's another way it can proceed: "As explained in its final rule and interpretive guidance, the FSOC may also consider a request from a company for a reevaluation before the next required annual reevaluation in the case of an extraordinary change that materially decreases the threat the nonbank financial company could pose to U.S. financial stability."
And that's exactly what it's doing -- playing up the "complete transformation" of the company and claiming that it "does not pose any conceivable threat to U.S. financial stability."
However, the one thing that's missing from the FSOC guidelines is an estimated response time. According to the FSOC: "As part of each reevaluation, the company is provided an opportunity to meet with FSOC staff to discuss the scope and process for the review and to present information regarding any change that may be relevant to the threat the company could pose to financial stability, including a company restructuring, regulatory developments, market changes, or other factors."
GE is clearly prepared to discuss these topics and has plenty of information to present. But as of yet, no meeting or hearing has been publicly scheduled. About all we can assume is that it will take place sometime this year.
GE needs to shed its SIFI designation before Jan. 1, 2018, because that's when more stringent regulations will go into effect for the company, including stress tests and capital planning requirements. The good news is, even if the FSOC drags its feet, it will almost certainly issue a ruling by then. And many analysts believe that GE makes a very strong case. And, of course, if it's denied, it can still follow MetLife's example and head to court.
The payoff
So it's not particularly glamorous, but there is light at the end of the tunnel for patient (very patient) GE investors. And let's be honest, investors should be patient investors and look at a three- to five-year time horizon, at least, when evaluating stocks.
The era of the giant GE Capital, and its outsize effects on the company, has come to a close. Investors will receive a nice boost thanks to the $35 billion in share repurchases that the SIFI de-designation will make possible. GE will be able to get back to the business of manufacturing industrial products that change the world and make all our lives better. The sun will shine and all will be right with the world.
Except if it isn't. It would be almost inconceivable for the government to deny GE's request for rescission of its SIFI status, considering how much of the company's former assets are now elsewhere. I haven't seen anyone, anywhere, try to make the argument that GE somehow still deserves its SIFI status. But there's still the possibility, however remote, that the government could maintain GE's designation as a SIFI, and that even if GE went to court, it could lose. Which would definitely affect the stock price, as well as GE's plans to reward shareholders.
But that's a pretty far-fetched scenario. You should feel confident that GE's days as a SIFI are numbered. What the exact number is, though, is anyone's guess.
If you own a certain breed of dog, you may have a harder time getting homeowners insurance. Insurers balk at breeds and mixes that they believe are more likely to bite and cause injuries than other dogs.
Save on Your Home Insurance -- Compare Quotes From Reputable Insurers!
Einhorn Insurance, a San Diego agency specializing in dog liability insurance, has compiled a list of the 10 breeds most often deemed dangerous by insurance companies. Einhorn stresses that it doesn't agree with these opinions and helps responsible dog owners find carriers that don't discriminate.
See which dogs insurers consider the riskiest.
copyright Lenkadan/Shutterstock.com
1. Pit bulls and Staffordshire terriers
Pit bull attacks frequently make the news. A report in early 2014 said a 10-year-old boy in Newark, N.J., was hospitalized in critical condition after his father's two pit bulls repeatedly bit him.
The term "pit bull" encompasses both the American pit bull terrier and the American Staffordshire terrier. The breeds have a reputation for being unpredictable and dangerous; advocates from The Humane Society of the United States and other groups say the dogs are unfairly demonized.
copyright Purino/Shutterstock.com
2. Doberman pinschers
Doberman attacks spiked in the 1970s, when the breed's popularity grew. But in 2008, an 8-month-old baby was killed by his family's pet Doberman in Brooklyn, N.Y. Neighbors said that while the child was lying on a blanket, the dog pounced and clamped his jaws around the boy's tiny head. The baby's grandmother couldn't pry the dog off the child.
The American Kennel Club, or AKC, says Dobermans can be affectionate, obedient and loyal.
copyright Tomas Picka/Shutterstock.com
3. Rottweilers
The AKC says rottweilers make good police dogs, herders or service or therapy dogs and are very protective of their territory. But North East Rottweiler Rescue and Referral in Portsmouth, R.I., notes that the dogs need obedience training, socialization and daily exercise and should always be kept under control.
Two roaming rottweilers ambushed an Atlanta high school student on school grounds in the fall 2013. The girl's facial injuries required reconstructive surgery.
copyright Bokstaz/Shutterstock.com
4. Chow chows
In 2012, a chow chow was euthanized after attacking an 8-year-old boy on a bicycle in York, S.C. The boy, who reportedly played with the neighbor dog regularly, needed stitches and staples for the facial injuries he suffered.
This breed, known for its scowling expression, black tongue and thick coat, likes to hunt, herd, protect and pull. AnimalPlanet.com says the breed's need to protect its human family and other pets can make the chow chow aggressive toward outside dogs.
copyright NikDubrovin/Shutterstock.com
5. Great Danes
Many people associate Great Danes with the lovable Marmaduke from the comic pages and the 2010 movie. Yet an incident in Fletcher, N.C., shows that the breed can have a not-so-cuddly side. Police said two Great Danes critically mauled a woman when she entered the dogs' kennel.
Because a Great Dane can weigh upward of 100 pounds, veterinary website Vetstreet.com recommends early training against jumping or acting aggressively.
copyright kazenouta/Shutterstock.com
6. Perro de Presa Canario
The Presa Canario has become somewhat notorious because of a 2001 case in San Francisco. A woman who kept two of the massive dogs is serving 15 years to life in prison because of their actions. The dogs fatally mauled a neighbor, who suffered more than 75 bite wounds when she was attacked in an apartment building hallway.
In places with breed bans, the Perro de Presa Canario often makes the list.
copyright f8grapher/Shutterstock.com
7. Akitas
Popular show dogs, Akitas have strong guarding instincts and temperaments that range from calm to aggressive, so the AKC says they should always be supervised around small children and other animals.
In 2013, an Akita on a leash in a Murrieta, Calif., home improvement store reportedly lashed out at a 3-year-old boy who was petting him, biting the child on the jaw, neck and forehead, and below the right eye. His wounds required 50 stitches.
copyright L.F/Shutterstock.com
8. Alaskan malamutes
Originally bred as sled dogs for work in the Arctic, Alaskan malamutes have become popular as family pets. Known for strength, endurance, intelligence and ability to learn quickly, the breed also can be strong-willed. The Alaskan Malamute Club of Canada says the dogs want to fight and may require constant behavior training.
Police in Britain seized a pet malamute in early 2014 after the dog was suspected of killing a 6-day-old infant.
copyright Jarry/Shutterstock.com
9. German shepherds
The AKC says the German shepherd is the world's leading police, guard and military dog. The breed also is "highly represented in biting incidents," according to a range of studies cited by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
An 8-year-old girl from New Athens, Ill., was mauled in 2013 by two German shepherds owned by the town's former police chief. The girl was bitten on her left leg, chest and back.
copyright Sbolotova/Shutterstock.com
10. Siberian huskies
Not all dog-bite incidents involve humans. In 2012, a Siberian husky was accused of killing a Chihuahua at a dog park in South Euclid, Ohio. Other park patrons said the woman with the husky had no control over him. The dog was declared vicious under a city ordinance, requiring the owner to buy insurance, muzzle the dog in public, post a warning sign on her property and have the dog microchipped.
copyright vvvita/Shutterstock.com
Also: Wolf hybrids (wolf dogs)
Perhaps the most controversial entry on the Einhorn Insurance list, wolf hybrids -- or wolf dogs -- are technically not a breed but are the animals that result from mating a wolf with a dog.
While staunch supporters say wolf dogs make good pets, critics argue that the animals are dangerous and unpredictable.
In 2002 in Ballard County, Ky., a wolf hybrid killed a 5-year-old boy. The owner pleaded guilty to reckless homicide.
Copyright 2016, Bankrate Inc.
Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A) executive Charlie Munger still isnt pleased with Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:VRX), despite billionaire investor Bill Ackmans urging to change his mind on the company.
At the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Munger, who called the drug company a sewer, said he is sticking to his comments.
Theres been a complaint about my saying that Valeant is a sewer, but I thought the complaint would come from the sewers, Munger told the FOX Business Networks Liz Claman. It never occurred to me that anybody would be defending Valeant.
Munger then took it a step further saying he believes sewer is too light of a word for Valeants behavior.
The main thing that Valeant did that was unbelievably clever was to pay the consumers part of the deductible for the drugs they were selling, he said. That is totally illegalcriminal under the Medicare laws. But, that doesnt apply under the state laws. And they saw that loophole and so they did it with all the drugs that werent covered by Medicare they paid the consumer share of the deductible and they tried to pretend that it was a charitable contribution, when really it was the functional equivalent of bribing the other fellows purchasing agent.
More on this... Buffett, Gates talk tech at Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting
Despite the criticism of the company, Munger had kinder words for Valeant investor Bill Ackman.
He certainly made a brilliant investment in General Growth Properties and hes totally right about Herbalife. Hes very articulate and intelligent and hes a fellow Harvard man, so hes not all bad, he said.
Ackman has publically accused Herbalife of being a pyramid scheme in a battle that has been widely chronicled on Wall Street.
Theres no doubt that millennials are one of the most entrepreneurial generations. A millennial (Mark Zuckerberg) invented the worlds most popular social networking site Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), while another millennial Matt Salzberg founded one of the most popular food delivery companies, Blue Apron. Despite criticisms of the generation, millennials have an entrepreneurial spirit that runs deep.
Whether its in financial services, ecommerce or social media, millennials are starting businesses faster than any other generation.
BNP Paribas has redefined the group, affectionately naming them millenipreneurs, in their 2016 global entrepreneur report, saying that millennial entrepreneurs as a category differ greatly from generation X or baby boomer entrepreneurs.
Millennial entrepreneurs are starting earlier according to BNP which found that millennial entrepreneurs on average are 27 years old, as opposed to 35 years for baby boomers.
And compared to their predecessors, they start more businesses, an average of seven, compared to three for boomers.
One benefit that millennial entrepreneurs have is that most likely their parents have been entrepreneurs. BNP found that almost half of baby boomers were first generation entrepreneurs, as opposed to only 22% of millennials.
But millennials could be seen as more ambitious, as the survey found that their target gross profit margin is 32.6%, compared to 27.5% for boomers. And within that group, female millennipreneurs have higher profit expectations than their male counterparts, according to BNP.
Spanning across a number of industries including food and beverage, hospitality, financial services and media, millennial entrepreneurs have started businesses in all sectors. Some have launched companies while theyre still in college, while others have worked at established firms, obtained MBAs and then ventured into entrepreneurship.
FOXBusiness.com talks to these millennial entrepreneurs to find out what makes them different from their predecessors and what inspires them. Theyll talk about theyve learned from mistakes and share advice for fellow entrepreneurs.
Follow along on FOXBusiness.com with Power Millennials as we highlight the most impressive millennial entrepreneurs.
1-800-Flowers CEO Jim McCann says that despite the companys efforts to utilize domestic flower growers, the growers in certain states are considering growing marijuana as a potentially more profitable option.
We have been pushing for domestic production of flowers hard for the last 10 years and having real good success, McCann told the FOX Business Networks Maria Bartiromo.
But McCann noted that many flower growers are now tempted by the huge potential revenue boost from growing cannabis instead.
There are a few states now, I havent seen it impact us yet, but we are concerned because some growers with enormous greenhouse facilities in California or Colorado or perhaps in Oregon are saying, Is this the best crop I can grow, these flowers for all these florists around the country? Maybe I can switch to cannabis and get 10 times on the revenue line. Thats a big concern of ours.
Even though it has not had an effect on the company yet, McCann says many growers are close to a decision on the potential shift in their business.
We havent seen it manifest itself yet, but a lot of people are on the precipice of making a decision, McCann said.
Adding to the concern for the 1-800-Flowers CEO, McCann says the states where it is legal to grow cannabis are also the best for flower production.
The only places that we know of are legal states, so thats where were seeing it but they also happen to be our best flower producing states.
On growers potential switch from flowers to cannabis hurting his companys supply, McCann said, Thats a concern we have, so were working with them all the time to make sure we do the right analysis. Were more for rose production than we are for cannabis production.
Cybersecurity stocks have fallen out of favor over the past year, despite the ongoing escalation of data breaches worldwide. The PureFunds ISE Cyber Security ETF, which owns a basket of top cybersecurity stocks, has lost over 20% of its value over the past 12 months, presumably due to concerns regarding the sector's profitability, valuation, and competition from tech giants like Cisco.
Image source: Pixabay.
However, I recently started a position in Israeli cybersecurity firm CyberArk , which has declined nearly 40% over the past 12 months. Here are my top four reasons for doing so.
1. "Best in breed" protectionCyberArk specializes in the protection of privileged accounts, which are often accessed by hackers to gain access to restricted networks. If an account is compromised, CyberArk's software isolates the threat to prevent it from spreading across networks.
Verizon's annual Data Breach Investigations Report revealed that nearly 8% of data breachesin 2015 were caused by the misuse of privileged accounts -- which CyberArk specializes in containing. CyberArk's clients currently include 40% of the Fortune 100 companies and 17 of the 20 biggest banks in the world. The company's privileged account security platform is also the only one approved by the U.S. Department of Defense. The strength of CyberArk's customer base boosted its revenue 42% annually to $51.5 million last quarter.
Last year, the number of personal records exposed in data breaches worldwide nearly doubled to 169 million, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. 40% of those breaches occurred in businesses, 36% in healthcare facilities, 9% in banks, 8% in the government, and 7% in education. CyberArk has a strong presence across all those markets, and demand will likely rise as attacks become more sophisticated.
2. Forming a "Justice League"A common bearish argument against CyberArk is that larger rivals like firewall provider Palo Alto Networksand Cisco will strengthen their privileged account abilities and undercut CyberArk with cheaper bundles.
That's why CyberArk recently launched theC3 Alliance, a group of companies which have agreed to integrate privileged account security into their own products. Early members of the alliance, which Infosecurity Magazine calls the "Justice League for privileged account protection", include major tech players like Intel, threat prevention leader FireEye, and antivirus software maker Symantec. This move, along with its massive enterprise footprint and DoD certification, significantly widens its moat against bigger rivals.
3. Solid fundamentalsMany of CyberArk's cybersecurity peers, including Palo Alto and FireEye, are unprofitable on a GAAP basis. Yet CyberArk is profitable by both non-GAAP and GAAP measures, thanks to its more disciplined spending strategies. Last quarter, CyberArk's GAAP net income rose 48% annually to $9.9 million, while non-GAAP net income jumped 92% to $13.8 million.
Looking ahead, analysts expect CyberArk to post 25% annual earnings growth over the next five years. That makes its forward P/E of 37 look a bit high, but it's much lower than Palo Alto's forward P/E of 58. CyberArk's trailing 12-month EV/FCF ratio of 20 is also much lower than Palo Alto's ratio of 29, indicating that it's cheaper relative to its free cash flow growth.
4. Buyout potentialCyberArk dominates a niche cybersecurity market, is profitable, has a decent valuation and no debt -- making it an ideal takeover target for bigger tech companies looking to add privileged account protection to their security portfolios. CyberArk's enterprise value of $970 million also makes it a fairly affordable purchase.
Firewall provider CheckPoint Software held talks to buy CyberArk in January, according to TheMarker, but there haven't been any new developments since then. Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Shaul Eyal noted that the smaller size of CheckPoint's recent cybersecurity acquisitions, which were under $200 million, indicated that there was a "low probability" that it would buy CyberArk. Nonetheless, CheckPoint can still afford to pay -- it finished last quarter with $3.7 billion in cash, marketable securities, and short-term deposits.
Time to nibble on this volatile stockI plan to average into CyberArk over the next year by buying the stock two or three more times, since it's been prone to wild price swings. CyberArk will report its first quarter earnings on May 5, and a big swing either way could represent another buying opportunity -- provided that the business remains in solid shape.
The article 4 Reasons I Bought CyberArk Software Ltd. originally appeared on Fool.com.
Leo Sun owns shares of CyberArk Software and Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Check Point Software Technologies, FireEye, and Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool recommends Cisco Systems, CyberArk Software, Intel, and Palo Alto Networks. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Delta Air Lines has been interested in Bombardier's revolutionary CSeries jet for at least six years. But the airline giant never pulled the trigger, due in large part to Bombardier's high asking price.
However, after several years filled with development delays, cost overruns, and not many orders, Bombardier has become a lot more aggressive on pricing. That allowed it to finally reel in a big order from Delta last week.
A great airplane with an uncertain marketIn a two-class configuration, Bombardier's CSeries models -- the CS100 and CS300 -- hold 108 and 130 seats, respectively. This puts the CSeries at the low end of the mainline market.
The CSeries jets compete at the lower end of the market for mainline planes. Image source: Bombardier.
The CSeries thus competes with the smallest jets made by aerospace giants Boeing and Airbus (the 737-700 and A319) as well as their upcoming replacements (the 737 MAX 7 and A319neo). It also goes head to head with Embraer's largest models (the E190 and E195), and their upcoming replacements (the E190-E2 and E195-E2).
However, only the CSeries is a brand-new plane designed from the ground up in the past decade. It also benefits from being optimized for the 110- to 130-seat market, unlike the competing Boeing and Airbus models. Bombardier claims that this will give the CSeries jets huge operating cost advantages over their rivals.
Unfortunately, the market has moved away from Bombardier since it began designing the CSeries. Airlines are opting for larger planes to reduce unit costs. Boeing and Airbus both have thousands of single-aisle jet orders in their firm backlogs, but the 737 MAX 7 and A319neo have just a few dozen orders each.
This sales weakness has extended to the CSeries. At the end of March, Bombardier had just 243 firm orders on the books: 53 for the smaller CS100 and 190 for the larger CS300. That includes 40 orders from bankrupt regional airline Republic Airways that will be canceled, as well as a number of other shaky orders.
Delta to the rescue -- sort ofEarlier this year, Air Canada committed to buy 45 CS300 jets, which will offset the lost Republic Airways orders. However, this still left Bombardier in a precarious position. With a small backlog, there was a risk that it would run out of orders just as production was starting to turn profitable. Furthermore, the lack of a marquee order made some potential customers nervous about buying CSeries jets.
That's why landing a big order from Delta was such a priority for Bombardier. Delta has placed a firm order for 75 CS100 jets, with another 50 options. It also has conversion rights to upgrade to the CS300.
Delta will receive its first CS100 jets in 2018. Image source: Delta Air Lines.
Bombardier now has its flagship order. However, Delta drove a hard bargain. It appears to be getting a 65%-70% discount off the list price, whereas 50% discounts are more typical.
As a result, Bombardier will book a $500 million "onerous contract" charge next quarter. (The charge also covers the Air Canada order and a smaller order from Air Baltic.) This indicates that it sold these jets below cost.
Can Bombardier succeed?Selling the CSeries at a loss to early customers was a necessary risk for Bombardier. Part of the reason why the CSeries doesn't have many orders is that the previous management team was averse to giving big discounts. Airbus and Boeing were more than happy to cut their prices to offset the CSeries' performance advantages in order to retain their customers.
The idea of offering big discounts to customers like Delta is that production costs decline over time. If Delta's commitment helps get other airlines off the fence, it will allow Bombardier to extend the CSeries production run with higher-margin sales.
However, Boeing and Airbus are eager to keep Bombardier out of their market. They remain willing to offer huge discounts when necessary to keep customers from buying the CSeries. This means that margins may be lower across the board than what Bombardier was hoping for.
Boeing and Airbus have offered big discounts to steal sales from Bombardier. Image source: Boeing.
This makes it especially critical for Bombardier to meet its cost reduction goals. Boeing has been able to withstand huge production cost overruns on the Dreamliner program due to its other highly profitable aircraft programs. By contrast, Bombardier needs the CSeries to stand on its own two feet by 2020, even in the current competitive pricing environment.
What it means for DeltaFor Delta, the CS100 will fulfill two missions. First, it will allow Delta to retire more of the cramped, fuel-guzzling 50-seat jets in its regional fleet. The CS100 will be much cheaper to operate on a per-seat basis and much more pleasant for customers.
Second, it will help Delta replace its fleet of aging MD-88s. While the CS100 is much smaller than the 149-seat MD-88, Delta has also ordered a lot of Boeing 737-900ERs and Airbus A321s -- which have 180 and 192 seats, respectively -- in the past few years. The idea seems to be to replace the MD-88s with a combination of larger and smaller aircraft.
The CS100's unbeatable cost performance will enable Delta to better match supply to demand on domestic routes without driving up unit costs. In the long run, that should lead to higher profit margins.
The article Delta Finally Orders Bombardier's Game-Changing CSeries Jet originally appeared on Fool.com.
Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of Embraer-Empresa Brasileira and The Boeing Company and is long July 2016 $25 calls on Embraer-Empresa Brasileira and long Jan. 2017 $40 calls on Delta Air Lines. The Motley Fool recommends Embraer-Empresa Brasileira. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image Source: Howard Hughes Corp.
Howard Hughes got a big boost this quarter from an asset sale, which catapulted its first-quarter earnings. However, that sale was only part of the story this quarter, with the real estate developer also benefiting from strong condo pre-sales, land sales within its master planned communities, and income from its recently completed commercial properties.
Howard Hughes results: The raw numbers
Q1 2016 Actuals Q1 2015 Actuals Growth (YOY) Adjusted Net Income $128.9 million $16.8 million 667.3% Net Operating Income from Operating Assets $31.5 million $27.1 million 16.2% Adjusted EPS $3.04 $0.43 607%
Data source: Howard Hughes Corp.
What happened with Howard Hughes Corp this quarter?An asset sale provided a big boost to Howard Hughes this quarter:
Adjusted net income skyrocketed as a result of the sale of the company's 80 South Street Assemblage. The company, which created the Assemblage from a series of transactions over the past two years, sold the property for $390 million in the first quarter. That resulted in a pre-tax gain of $140.5 million and net cash proceeds of $378.3 million.
The company also enjoyed strong double digit growth in net operating income from its income-producing operating assets. This growth was driven by the the ongoing stabilization of its retail and office developments that were opened last year.
Even the company's Master Planned Community sales were strong, jumping 32.1% to $59.2 million. That's after the company completed a $40 million residential sale to a home builder at its Summerlin community as well as closing two commercial sales at its Woodlands community to medical-related entities.
Howard Hughes also saw an increase in condominium rights and unit sales in Hawaii during the quarter compared to the year-ago period. Further, it was able to recognize more revenue from its Anaha project under the percentage of completion method of accounting.
What management had to sayCEO David Weinreb,commenting on the company's results, said:
Howard Hughes benefited from four drivers during the quarter: The Assemblage sale, condo sales in Hawaii, stronger Master Planned Community land sales, and the stabilization of its income producing properties. Of the quartet, the stabilization of the income producing properties is noteworthy because these are properties that were either built or bought to generate consistent income for the company to help it mute some of the impact of the rest of its real estate developments, which provide lumpier results because they rely on asset sales to drive income. The reason that segment is important is because while Howard Hughes might have enjoyed strong asset sales in the first quarter, they can't always be counted on.
Looking forwardThat being said, the company does still have a lot running room in Hawaii. While its Waiea and Anaha towers are selling out fast, with 85.8% and 81%, respectively, of total residential square feet under contract, the company has two more towers in the pipeline to drive future sales. It's Ae'o tower began construction during the first quarter and now has 40.4% of its residential square footage under contract. In addition to that the Hawaii Real Estate Commission approved the marketing for sales at its Ke Kilohana tower in March and 90% of the units are under pre-sale contracts already. Given that the company uses a percentage of completion accounting method, it will be recognizing the income from these sales for quite some time, which will provide a nice base for earnings growth in the future.
The article Howard Hughes Corp. Cashes in on an Asset Sale originally appeared on Fool.com.
Matt DiLallo has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Howard Hughes. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Ferrari Chairman Sergio Marchionne will also become the luxury carmaker's chief executive after Amedeo Felisa's decision to retire, the company said in a statement on Monday.
Felisa's departure was expected for months after sources told Reuters last August that the executive born in 1946 was getting ready to retire. Felisa, who previously headed product development at Alfa Romeo, joined Ferrari in 1990 and became its CEO in 2008.
Marchionne will assume the CEO responsibilities at the Italian luxury group while retaining his current role as chairman. Felisa will continue to serve on the board of directors as technical advisor to the company.
(Reporting by Agnieszka Flak; editing by Francesca Landini)
Now that's a big truck! Image source: Teck Resources.
Teck Resources Ltd. posted adjusted earnings of $0.03 a share in the first quarter, down from last year's $0.11. However, it was much better than the $0.04 loss analysts had been calling for. Revenues of nearly $1.7 billion, meanwhile, were just a touch under the $1.73 billion analyst forecast. So it was hardly a good quarter, yet not as bad as it could have been.
But those are just the headline stats. There were some interesting things going on underneath those numbers that you'll want to know about.
A tough marketThere's no question that the first quarter was a continuation of the difficult commodity market environment that's been punishing Teck and its mining peers. Freeport McMoRan (NYSE: FCX), for example, just posted an adjusted loss of $0.16 a share. The big problem for both companies remains low commodity prices. Teck's main products -- steelmaking coal, copper, and zinc -- saw prices fall 29%, 20%, and 19%, respectively, year over year. Freeport, which is focused on copper, gold, and oil, saw copper prices decline 20% and oil prices drop 45%, more than offsetting a roughly 3.5% increase in the price of gold. So it's easy to see why Teck's revenues and earnings both fell and to see that this isn't unusual int he mining space.
What's a little more impressive, however, is that Teck managed to trim expenses enough to turn a slight profit -- a feat that analysts weren't expecting it to pull off, and a better outcome than some competitors were able to manage. Putting some numbers on that, Teck managed to trim its coal costs by nearly 18% year over year. In fact, all but one of the company's mining operations was cash flow-positive in the quarter. So there really is some good news hidden in the mix.
A brighter futureThere are also some hints of silver appearing on the clouds that have dotted the horizon since the commodity downturn started in 2011. Case in point -- the pricing of coal is up nearly 4% sequentially from the first quarter as the second quarter gets under way. So the second quarter could be even better than the first.
Is that a rainbow forming on the horizon? Image source: Teck Resources.
Teck is also benefiting from low oil prices and a strong U.S. dollar. On the oil front, the miner is seeing low costs for all the diesel fuel it burns. That helps to keep operating expenses low, a welcome blessing. And since much of the company's expenses are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar (the big one is the Canadian dollar) and what it sells is priced in U.S. dollars, Teck benefits from the opposite of what's hurting so many U.S. companies with big foreign businesses. Basically, it's turning U.S. dollars into more of its home currency while U.S. companies often have to turn foreign currencies into fewer U.S. dollars.
Then there's the company's investment in an oil sands project that's around 55% complete. This is a big-ticket item, with roughly a billion dollars more spending to go for Teck before it's done. The project is progressing on plan, which is good. But the better news is that Teck has $1.3 billion in cash and around $3 billion available on a credit facility. In other words, it has the money to keep building.
Longer term, this project will add a new, and long-lived, commodity to the company's portfolio. Although the low price of oil today has led many to suggest an oil sands investment is a mistake, if oil prices head higher again this "mistake" could quickly start to look like a brilliant move.
Mixed bagIt would be hard to call the first quarter good. But it would be equally hard to say it was all bad. So let's cut the middle and say it was "mixed." The really exciting takeaway from the three-month span, however, is that there are a number of bright spots appearing on the horizon. It's way too soon to sound the all-clear, but if you're a contrarian looking for a mining turnaround story, Teck's tale is starting to sound more and more compelling.
The article Teck Resources Ltd.'s Q1 Hints at a Brighter Future originally appeared on Fool.com.
Reuben Brewer has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold,. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
When electric-car maker Tesla Motors unveiled the production version of Model X last September, there were a number of unexpected features, including the largest front windshield in production and self-presenting doors. But arguably the most surprising new feature was the SUV's "bioweapon defense mode."
Tesla CEO shows air filters in Model X. Image source: Tesla Motors.
"The net effect of the air filtration system is that you have air cleanliness levels which are comparable to a hospital operating room in the car," Tesla CEO Elon Musk said when he unveiled the feature.
But some have questioned whether the feature was the real deal, or just a marketing gimmick.
Model X in a biohazard bubbleIn a new blog post, Tesla is asserting that it wasn't kidding about the air filtration system's capabilities.
First, the company emphasized that air pollution really is a serious problem and deserves attention.
While the automaker had already put the system to the test in real-world environments including busy freeways, landfills, smelly marshes, cow pastures, and major cities in China, Tesla wanted to "take things a step further."
Model X in biohazard bubble. Image source: Tesla Motors.
The test, which apparently involved humans, was a success.
Chart source: Tesla Motors.
And Tesla isn't done with its air system. According to the company, subsequent filters, which current owners will be able to install as replacements in the future, will make it even better. The company is continuing to work to "improve the micro-geometry and chemical passivation defenses in the primary and secondary filters." Indeed, Tesla said in the blog post that it's open to suggestions on ways to improve the system.
Although bioweapon defense mode debuted in the Model X, the company recently added the feature to Model S as part of a slight redesign, which included a total makeover to the vehicle's nose cone.
As Tesla matures as an auto company, it's increasingly clear that one of its goals is to be a standard-setter when it comes to safety. The Model S received a 5-star rating in every category from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the company has said it expects the Model X and Model 3 will receive the same ratings when they are tested. Further, Tesla's autopilot safety features, including side collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, and more, come standard on all of its vehicles.
The article Tesla Motors Inc.: Bioweapon Defense Mode is Real originally appeared on Fool.com.
Daniel Sparks owns shares of Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Tesla Motors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image source: Pixabay.
Despite the excitement of earnings season, at times it may feel overwhelming -- as if you're drowning in a flood of facts and figures. Let's take a moment to slow down and wade through what American Water Works will probably discuss when it reports earnings after the market closes on May 4.Growing togetherAmerican Water Works is the largest publicly traded water utility, and it will probably remain so for the foreseeable future. One of the company's competitive advantages is its superior abilityto grow through acquisition. For example, in 2015 the company added 42,000 customers through acquisition -- 78.6% of its growth. As of the Q4 2015 earnings report, the company has a total of 14 pending acquisitions. Should all of these transactions be realized, it will add approximately 9,000 -- water and wastewater -- customers to its books. This doesn't include the recent acquisition of the Scranton Sewer Authority. Valued at $195 million, the acquisition will yield about 31,000 customers and is expected to close by Sept. 30.Because the company seeks acquisitions that are in proximity to its established operations, the greater its geographic footprint expands, the more opportunity it has to expand further. And its opportunity already is extensive. Currently, the company serves more than 15 million people in 47 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Ontario. The company's closest competitor, Aqua America , serves only 3 million people in seven states.Of the five states where American Water Works has pending acquisitions, two of them -- Illinois and New Jersey -- are locations where Aqua America also has a presence. Should American Water Works complete the acquisitions, it would expand its market share in states where it directly competes with Aqua America and compromise its main competitor's ability to likewise grow through acquisition.Are the tides still rising?Guiding for earnings growth between 7% and 10%, management has been clear about its EPS forecast from 2016 to 2020. Achieving this target seems plausible. Building on comparable success, it reported diluted EPS of $2.64 -- a 10.5% increase over the $2.39 it reported in FY 2014.
Image source: American Water Works corporate website.
During the previous earnings report, management confirmed its EPS guidance -- $2.75 to $2.85 -- for FY 2016. Look for management to confirm it again, since it recently raised its quarterly dividend -- a sign that its earnings growth is on track.Growing approximately 10% from $0.34 to $0.375 per share, the quarterly dividend, according to management, is closely linked to earnings growth, so the confirmation of guidance seems likely. Management is conservative with its dividend; it has stated its desire to keep its payout ratio between 50% and 60%. Currently, the payout ratio -- the proportion of earnings paid in dividends to shareholders -- is a little over 50%. Aqua America, by comparison, equals about 60%.Improving operationsFinally, expect to see an improvement in the company's operations and maintenance (O&M) efficiency ratio. A non-GAAP measure, which approximates the operating margin, the ratio has steadily improved from 44.2% for FY 2010 to 35.9% for FY 2015. Management's long-term goal is to achieve an O&M efficiency ratio of 34% by 2020.In addition to acquisitions, streamlining its operations is a crucial strategy in the company's long-term growth strategy. Though the water business is as old as civilization itself, American Water Works is keeping it current byemphasizingautomatic meter reading and a transition to an advanced metering infrastructure. The company is partnering with General Electric, who is leveraging its expertise in the Industrial Internet of Things, American Water Works will help to pioneer innovative strategies for improving operations in the water industry. According to GE's press release, the collaboration will help to "develop the next generation of software and data analytics solutions to help the industry reduce the environmental impacts and operating costs associated with water production, treatment, transportation, and delivery."The takeawayInvesting in American Water Works may not be akin to a whitewater rafting trip, but at the end of the day, it shouldn't matter where the earnings flow from. Based on management's ability to consistently meet its guidance and the recent dividend raise, I suspect that the earnings report will be more smooth sailing for this industry leader.
The article What to Expect When American Water Works Reports Earnings originally appeared on Fool.com.
Scott Levine has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of General Electric Company. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image source: iStock/Thinkstock.
Even though Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is one of the nation's most successful bank investors, the 85-year-old chairman said at this year's annual meeting that he wouldn't invest in 90% of the world's biggest banks.
"If you take the 50 largest banks in the world, we wouldn't even think about probably 45 of them," Buffett said while talking about the dangers that lurk in large derivative portfolios. "There can be enormous gaps in things that you thought were fully protected by collateral, or netting arrangements and that sort of thing. So I regard very large derivative positions as dangerous."
This may seem odd given that roughly a third of Berkshire Hathaway's $140 billion equity portfolio consists of bank stocks, such as Wells Fargo , U.S. Bancorp, and M&T Bank, among others. And this doesn't include Berkshire's $5 billion position in Bank of America's preferred stock, which gives Berkshire the option to purchase 700 million shares of Bank of America common stock for $7.14 a share by 2021.
Importantly, however, most of the banks Berkshire has invested in are only minor players in the derivatives market. You can get a sense for this by comparing the notional amount of derivatives Wells Fargo has on its books relative to JPMorgan Chase , Bank of America, and Citigroup .
Data source: JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup.
JPMorgan Chase leads the way with $50.7 trillion in derivatives, followed by Citigroup and Bank of America with $48 trillion and $42.2 trillion, respectively. Wells Fargo brings up the rear with only $5.7 trillion in notional exposure to derivatives.
These figures include derivatives that are offset by other derivatives, reducing the net exposure to a more manageable level. However, to Buffett's point, it's reasonable to assume that even the most sophisticated banks don't have a complete grasp on their derivatives portfolios, both because derivatives can be complicated, and because it's impossible to predict what will happen to the assets or events they're tied to.
We saw this at AIG during the 2008-09 financial crisis. The operating unit that amassed AIG's near-fatal derivatives exposure was one of the most sophisticated groups on Wall Street. The same was true at Long-Term Capital Management in 1998, a hedge fund that imploded after its highly leveraged bet on derivatives tied to foreign exchange rates went awry as a result of the Russian Ruble crisis.
We saw this even more recently at JPMorgan Chase. The nation's biggest bank by assets lost more than $6 billion three years ago after a trader's derivatives-based bet tied to the health of large American corporations went against the bank. The trader responsible for the loss was known among hedge funds as the "London whale."
Berkshire Hathaway's position in Bank of America is the exception to Buffett's aversion to banks with huge derivatives exposure. However, the structure of Berkshire's stake in Bank of America is unique, given that it doesn't own the bank's common stock outright. It instead owns preferred shares and was given the warrants to purchase common stock for free, essentially as consideration for Berkshire Hathaway's endorsement at what was then the peak of Bank of America's post-crisis travails.
This aside, the point is that Buffett thinks banks with big derivatives portfolios are too risky for his money. Given the source, this is probably worth considering for anyone who invests in big bank stocks.
The article Why Warren Buffett Wouldn't Invest in 90% of Big Banks originally appeared on Fool.com.
John Maxfield owns shares of Bank of America, U.S. Bancorp, and Wells Fargo. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Berkshire Hathaway and Wells Fargo. The Motley Fool has the following options: short May 2016 $52 puts on Wells Fargo. The Motley Fool recommends Bank of America. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The parents of a three-month-old boy in China are seeking help for their son, who was born with 31 fingers and toes.
Hong Hong, who lives in Chinas Hunan Province, was born with polydactylism a congenital condition in which the individual has extra fingers and toes and has two palms, but no thumbs on either hand, Central European News (CEN) reported.
The boys mother also has the abnormality and was born with one extra finger and toe on each of her hands and feet. The couple was worried that their child would inherit the condition, but doctors found no birth defects during prenatal scans.
When the boy was born, he had seven fingers on his right hand and eight on his left, along with eight toes on each of his feet.
Zou Chenglin, Hong Hongs father, said the family has visited multiple hospitals and learned that their son can be operated on between six months and one year of age, which could cure the abnormality.
However, the family are migrant workers and are unable to raise the $15,548 to $77,740 needed to cover the procedure, CEN reported. Theyre now reaching out to local charities and hoping the public will help give their son a more normal childhood. One difficulty is that the boys condition is not life-threatening and therefore not perceived as a priority, compared to the condtion of those suffering from more severe diseases, CEN reported.
next Image 1 of 3
prev next Image 2 of 3
prev Image 3 of 3
Two weeks before Christmas 2013, Paulette Leaphart said a message from God woke her up in the middle of the night. That incident led to her eventual breast cancer diagnosis and on April 30, Leaphart set off on a 1,000-mile walk to raise awareness for and engagement about the disease. For her walk from Biloxi, Miss., to Washington D.C., shes decided to walk topless. She wants spectators and those she meets to see her double mastectomy scars as she shares her story about life as a single mother who went from financially comfortable to struggling to care for her four biological and four adopted children.
Its a gigantic adventure, Leaphart, of New Orleans, told FoxNews.com.
Recently, Leaphart appeared in Beyonces much-hyped visual album, Lemonade. In the section titled Hope, shes bare-chested; she also appears in Freedom. When she met the superstar, she asked if shed join her for a block of her walk, but Beyonce proposed a mile instead, Business Insider reported.
Leaphart is aiming to reach the capitol by her 50th birthday on June 27. Shell be accompanied by filmmaker Emily MacKenzie, 30, and her four youngest daughters, who range in age from 8 to 15. MacKenzie and producer Sasha Solodukhina are making a documentary, Scar Story, which they hope to have completed in time for Octobers Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
When shes completed her journey, Leaphart plans to start a foundation supporting single mothers who face illness and has started a GoFundMe page. She hopes to open homes through the foundation to house women without the financial and emotional support to take care of them and their children through treatment.
Had I been able to have that one place I could go with my kids for six months and focus on my healing, oh my gosh, she said. Thats my dream, my focus, my goal. Thats what God placed on my heart.
We want to hold stuff in
Leapharts journey with breast cancer began on that December 2013 night, when she jumped out of bed after hearing what she believes was Gods voice.
He whispered in my sleep that I had cancer, she said. I have a very close relationship with God. Were tight.
Leaphart then went to a surgeon who didnt find anything abnormal, but asked when shed last had a mammogram, given her familys history her mother, grandmother, and first cousin all had breast cancer. Leaphart had never undergone the procedure.
He looked at me like I was crazy, she said of the doctor, who wrote her a prescription. I had the money, but I have eight kids, my world centered around my children. Id spend [the money] for them to go to the doctor at the drop of a hat, but would never do it for myself. Thats just how a single mom thinks.
In June 2013, Leaphart was with her first cousin, Monique, when she died from breast cancer. The 32-year-old single mother kept her diagnosis to herself until right before she died and by then the tumor was painfully large and had spread to her bones and brain. Breast cancer wasnt something her family talked about.
I was so angry at the fact that we, especially as black women, we want to hold stuff in and dont want people to know our business and we feel ashamed, like we did something wrong, Leaphart said. Weve got to stop that.
Though Leapharts mammogram came out normal, she didnt believe the results and got a prescription for an ultrasound. Thats when they found a stage 3 estrogen-positive ductal carcinoma in her right breast. Her doctor recommended removing both breasts, even though the tumor was small, because of her family history.
I already knew I was going to live God didnt wake me up to let me die, she said.
When Leaphart went to a reconstructive doctor to look at options, he informed her that she wasnt a good candidate because she had Factor V Leiden, an inherited disorder that can increase the risk of abnormal blood clots, and was already on blood thinners. The drugs put her at risk to bleed behind breast implants, which would require more surgery. She was offered the option of prostheses to wear under her clothes.
Leaphart had a double mastectomy on February 12, 2014. Her surgeon also took out eight lymph nodes, two of which were positive for cancer.
I accepted the fact that I was going to be breast-less for the rest of my life after God came to me, Leaphart said.
The spirit of God was all over the beach that day
Though Leaphart didnt have health insurance, she had a enough income from running her own daycare center, her ex-husbands military retirement and child support for three of her daughters.
I could take care of us comfortably and had a good amount saved up, thank God I did. I took all of that to pay for my surgery, my appointments with all the specialists, medication, Leaphart said.
The family moved from Florida to Texas, shuttling between family members homes until Leaphart married an old flame and moved to Seattle. At that point, she recalled, she felt like a burden to her family and moving seemed like a solution. She sporadically received chemotherapy when she could afford it. When the marriage failed, Leaphart picked up her daughters at their fathers home in Virginia and moved to Atlanta. Before the school year started, they took a trip to Biloxi for a beach weekend.
Though Leaphart had accepted that she would be breast-less, she said the Holy Spirit came to her while she was at the beach and told her take off her shirt and take pictures. She was puzzled, but promised herself she wouldnt disobey after what she went through with her recent marriage. She gave her daughter Destiny, now 13, her phone, kept her head up, and posed.
It was such a powerful moment, she said. I saw people around with tears in their eyes.
When she finished, a few women came up and told her it was the most beautiful thing theyd ever seen, when they realized she didnt have any breasts.
That let me know the spirit of God was all over the beach that day, she said. I knew in that moment my chest was touching people.
Her daughters put the photo on Facebook in September 2014 and within minutes, she had thousands of likes. Viewers posted their thanks and emailed their stories. To date, the post has gained over 1.3K views and 196 comments.
Thats when Leaphart knew what God wanted her to do, she said to walk 1,000 miles baring her scars. The walk from her hometown of Buloxi to D.C. is almost exactly that distance.
These are my war scars
A scan three months ago revealed that Leaphart is clear of cancer. Her port was taken out in March and all of her specialists gave their approval for the walk. She moved to New Orleans in January 2015 and has been training for the walk for one year -- even when she was weak and sick -- and is down to only two medications. She walks 20 miles per day and works out three hours every other day.
Im physically fit, healthy; they took me off all my heart and blood pressure medications, Leaphart said. God just healed me.
Leaphart is aiming to walk 30 miles per day, which would get her to D.C. in three months. Shell be traveling with her youngest daughters Thaltiel, 15, Alexis, 14, Destiny, 13, and Madeline, 8 when theyre out of school and the film crew and theyll stay in two RVs.
Once she arrives in D.C., Leaphart plans to climb the steps of the United States Capitol and advocate for government support of middle-class individuals facing life-threatening diseases.
As a new breast cancer advocate, pink ribbon campaigns and save the ta-tas messaging dont connect with her, Leaphart said.
I think my scars are pretty but aint nothing pretty about breast cancer, she said. Im walking to have people refocus on the reality of what cancer is and what it does.
In addition to reminding women that they need to take care of themselves, Leaphart hopes her campaign shows women that they can still be beautiful without breasts; that forgoing treatment to save their breasts isnt always the best solution.
Im breast-less, but baby Im still sexy, I still turn heads, she said. I have these scars across my chest, but that tells everybody that Im one tough cookie. If I can kick cancer in the a--, cant nothing else mess with me. These are my war scars. Its my story.
For people with recurring depression, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy may be more helpful than other treatments, according to a new analysis.
Cognitive therapy focuses on substituting constructive patterns of thinking for maladaptive thought processes. Mindfulness meditation focuses on being aware of incoming thoughts and feelings and accepting them without reacting to them.
Combining mindfulness techniques with cognitive therapy should be an option for patients, according to study leader Willem Kuyken of the University of Oxford in the UK.
"It is about choice for patients and adding another choice for people at high risk of depressive relapse to stay well in the long-term," Kuyken told Reuters Health in an email.
"When mindfulness is combined with cognitive therapy, one of the things we see is people being trained to regard their thoughts as just thoughts and not to get ensnared by them," said Richard Davidson, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study.
The research team analyzed data on 1,258 participants from nine randomized controlled trials that compared mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) to other treatments for recurring depression among people who were fully or partially in remission.
Overall, people receiving MBCT were about 31 percent less likely to have depression again after 60 weeks, compared to people who received other treatments, including self help.
After excluding self help, the researchers found that people who received MBCT were still 21 percent less likely to have depression again after 60 weeks, compared to people on other treatments.
MBCT worked equally well regardless of age, sex, education, relationship status, age at onset of depression and previous episodes.
However, in people with more severe depressive symptoms, MBCT worked especially well, compared to other treatments.
"Depression is a recurrent illness," said Davidson, of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "Relapse is a very significant problem with depression, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy may be particularly valuable in reducing the risk of relapse."
The researchers write in JAMA Psychiatry April 27 that MBCT teaches skills that help people with recurrent depression to stay well.
Davidson said there is no one-size-fits-all approach to depression. MBCT may be a good choice for some people, but not all.
"We need to better understand it and that's one of the important tasks of future research," he told Reuters Health.
JAMA Psychiatry 2016.
A new review confirms that smoking has bad effects on a man's semen.
Using the most up-to-date definition of abnormal sperm from the World Health Organization, the researchers found that smokers have lower sperm counts, poorer sperm movement, and more irregularly shaped sperm than nonsmokers.
Ashok Agarwal of the American Center for Reproductive Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic and colleagues reviewed 20 studies including almost 6,000 participants. Men exposed to cigarette smoke had notably fewer sperm per ejaculate, fewer mobile sperm and more irregularly shaped sperm, the researchers reported in European Urology.
The extent to which male fertility is affected by smoking isn't clear yet, Agarwal told Reuters Health by email.
"However, accumulating data indicate that the ability of the sperm to fertilize and subsequently enable the development of a normal fetus is dependent on many other co-factors in addition to the basic semen parameters," like DNA breakage and genetic changes in the sperm, which cannot be diagnosed in a simple semen analysis, he said.
None of the studies in this review evaluated what happened to semen quality when a man quit smoking, he said.
"We can say clearly that smoking alters male fertility," he said. "Hence smoking cessation must be strongly advised to couples seeking fertility."
Laypeople think of smoking as causing lung cancer, emphysema and heart disease, but likely do not link it to fertility, said Ajay K. Nangia of the urology department at the University of Kansas Hospital and Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas, who was not part of the new review.
Chemicals in tar and nicotine enter the blood and travel down into semen and can affect sperm, Nangia told Reuters Health by phone.
Smoking can also cause erectile dysfunction in young men, he said.
"Even the risk of heart attack is less important than erectile dysfunction for some men," Nangia said.
Semen characteristics may improve after quitting smoking, but neither heart disease nor erectile dysfunction will go away, he said.
"If you don't have good erections, that's a component of fertility," he said.
"As caregivers, we always say that smoking is harmful in general and it negatively impacts fertility in particular," Agarwal said. "Smoking adversely impacts all bodily systems and it is well known serious hazard to health."
Most people don't need to fast overnight before getting their blood drawn for a cholesterol test, according to a group of experts.
Cholesterol test results obtained one to six hours after a meal were not significantly different from results obtained after a fast, researchers found.
"It could be implemented tomorrow with no problems at all," said lead author Dr. Borge Nordestgaard, of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. "Today, the key players for keeping the fasting procedure are the laboratories drawing the blood. They simply could change the procedure tomorrow, and then nobody would fast anymore. That is what we did in Denmark - and patients, clinicians and laboratories were all happy with the change."
Nordestgaard told Reuters Health in an email that doctors essentially just always had patients fast before a cholesterol test. "So people got used to it without questioning the fasting procedure," he said.
Typically, blood is drawn for a cholesterol test - known as a lipid panel - after a person has fasted for at least eight hours, the researchers write in the European Heart Journal.
In 2009, Denmark began using non-fasting cholesterol tests. One advantage, the researchers say, is that forgoing fasting simplifies the process for patients, doctors and laboratories. Also, patients are more likely to get the test.
For the new analysis, the international team of researchers met twice in person to look at data from a number of large studies, such as the Nurses' Health Study, the Copenhagen General Population Study and the Heart Protection Study.
The researchers found that not fasting, compared to fasting, didn't significantly change the levels of substances typically measured during a cholesterol test, including triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL (or bad) cholesterol and HDL (or good) cholesterol.
"To improve patient compliance with lipid testing, we therefore recommend the routine use of non-fasting lipid profiles," the researchers write.
"These recommendations represent a joint consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society and European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine involving 21 World medical experts from Europe, Australia and the US," said Nordestgaard.
The research team cautions that fasting cholesterol tests may be needed if a person has high triglycerides (or blood fats), is recovering from pancreatitis or is starting certain medications that can cause high triglycerides.
Nordestgaard said people should "stop fasting before a lipid profile test, or even better push their local laboratory to stop the requirement for fasting before cholesterol and triglyceride testing."
Some specialists may resist, but "that also happened in Denmark, although very few were against the change," Nordestgaard said.
next Image 1 of 3
prev next Image 2 of 3
prev Image 3 of 3
Rateb Samour sees 250 patients a day whose complaints range from hair loss to cerebral palsy and cancer. But he is not a doctor and has never worked in a hospital.
Samour inherited the skill of bee-sting therapy from his father, who used to raise bees. Then in 2003, the agricultural engineer started to dedicate all his time to studying and developing the alternative medicine treatment of apitherapy, which uses all bee-related products, including honey, propolis - or bee glue used to build hives - and venom.
"I am treating serious and chronic diseases which have no cure in regular medicine, I have achieved excellent results," said Samour, an Egyptian-educated specialist in entomology and bees in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian enclave.
"We speak about chondritis in the neck and spine, migraine, loss of hair, alopecia areata, skin diseases, cerebral palsy, autism and cancer," he said inside an apartment packed with patients on the edge of a beach refugee camp in Gaza City.
The 58-year-old Palestinian said he makes bees sting patients at certain points in their bodies that he has carefully studied. A bee dies after being made to sting.
"I have been subjected to doubts, but bee-sting therapy has proven itself as an excellent alternative medicine," he told Reuters. "Some doctors, who value the apitherapy for certain illnesses, are among my patients."
The Islamist-ruled Gaza is under blockade by neighboring Egypt and Israel, which restricts the movement of goods and people in and out of the territory. So Gaza lacks sophisticated medical equipment and has patchy access to medicines.
Seriously ill patients must travel to Israel, Egypt or beyond for specialist medical treatment.
Inside Samour's home, men and women wait their turn in separate rooms.
Alya Al-Ghafari, 10, has been suffering from facial palsy for over two years. Mainstream medicine was both expensive and less efficient than apitherapy, according to her father.
"Treatment by bee stings has been more effective than treatment by regular medicine but you need to be patient," said Saeed Al-Ghafari, a government employee. His daughter has been receiving treatment from Samour for nearly nine months.
"At the beginning my daughter felt pain but as time passed Alya felt she became better," said Ghafari. "Her face has become better and now she is the one who reminds us of the therapy sessions."
Muneera Al-Baba said her son Anas, who suffers from cerebral palsy, has made much more progress in a year and a half than he ever did using mainstream medicine, which also cost twice as much.
"Communication between me and him was disconnected," the 44-year-old mother told Reuters. "He lived in a world of his own, now he responds to me."
Every Monday, Fox News contributor Karl Rove wraps up the last week in politics and offers an inside look at the week ahead.
Bending the trend line
Donald Trump won Tuesdays Acela primary with 110 delegates, seven more than Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight.com forecast were necessary to put him on a path to a 1,237 first-ballot victory and 16 more than the path to 1,155-1,159 on the first ballot.
Bending it back
How important is Indiana on Tuesday? So critical that even Ted Cruz admitted in a fundraising email on Friday that if Trump wins, the nomination battle will be over.
Not only must Cruz win Indiana, but he must win it big enough to bend the arc of the race back to a contested convention. The size of Trumps Acela haul suggests Cruz has to win Indianas 27 winner-take-all delegates and 15 to 18 more delegates by carrying five or six of Indianas nine congressional districts, leaving Trump with nine to 12 Indiana delegates.
Self-funding or payback?
Donald Trump boasts hes self-funding his campaign, but if thats true, why do his Federal Election Commission reports show he has personally loaned his campaign $35,926,174 and donated only $317,471? Is he expecting Republicans to repay him if he wins the GOP nomination?
And while he has $9,234,831 in un-itemized contributions (many likely for purchases of campaign swag), he also has $3,010,066 in itemized donations (many of them in round amounts and therefore unlikely to be hat purchases). If hes serious about self-funding, maybe he could return the contributions and ask the donors to give the money to the GOP?
And for the Democrats
When Trump attacked Hillary Clinton, saying if she were a man, I dont think shed get 5 percent of the vote, she responded with Mr. Trump accused me of playing the woman card. Well, if fighting for womens health care and paid family leave and equal pay is playing the woman card, then deal me in. That seemed to me like an answer for the Democratic primary, not the general election.
First, her too-cute new phrase, Deal me in, invokes the image of a blackjack dealer, with green eyeshade and cigarette dangling from one corner of her sneer. Second, why play into Trumps argument? She should have broadened the argument to all his insults with a slap back Thats the kind of demeaning insults weve gotten far too many of from Mr. Trump and moved on.
In 2008, then-Sen. Barack Obama never explicitly emphasized he would be the first African-American president. Why didnt Hillary follow his model?
The Democratic Partys House of Lords has spoken
The New York Times reports that as of Sunday, 520 of the Democratic superdelegates are for Clinton, and 39 are for Sanders. Thats 93 percent to 7 percent. Sounds vaguely reminiscent of an Eastern European election result in the 1980s.
WDBW?
Clinton will win the nomination, but an interesting question is: What Does Bernie Want? He cant claim to have started a political revolution and then let it die. So what does he extract as a price for party unity? Maybe he demands the end of superdelegates or platform planks binding the party to some of his Democratic-Socialist world view. Or does he and his movement go away? Inquiring minds want to know.
There is something a bit unsettling about watching violent, foul-mouthed protesters waving the Mexican flag on American soil.
Over the weekend, Hispanic children lined the streets in Fort Wayne, Indiana hurling filthy insults at Donald Trump supporters.
Click here to join Todds American Dispatch: a must-read for Conservatives!
F*** you, the youngsters shouted as they flipped off passerby. F*** you.
Video captured images of the angry protesters wearing sombreros and holding signs that read, Brown Pride.
What kind of a parent would allow their child to behave that way in public?
A similar protest turned violent last week in Southern California as a horde of illegals and their supporters violently attacked Trump supporters, police and even a horse.
Yes, a horse.
Cole Bartiromo, identified by local media as a Trump supporter, needed a half-dozen stiches after the mob bashed open his head.
Suddenly, out of nowhere I felt this thud in the front of my head, Bartiromo told CBLA.com. I started panicking getting scared, thinking, When are they going to stop? Are they going to kill me? I mean, these arent rational people.
The California mob spilled into the streets blocking roadways and smashing police cars. They intended to shut down a Trump rally. They intended to silence Mr. Trump and his supporters.
They were angry about the wall he plans to build to secure our border from the invading **horde** of illegals. They were angry about Mr. Trump speaking the truth about how illegals are killing Americans on American soil.
One of the most disturbing images in recent days came from California a small child holding a sign. It read, Make America Mexico Again.
There was a time in this nations history when having 13 million people breach your border would have been considered an invasion. We used to fight wars over such a hostile act.
But these days instead of repelling the invaders, the Obama administration gave them food stamps, free health care, and a voter registration card.
Weve been invaded and our government has provided aid and comfort to the enemy.
In both Indiana and California the protesters tried to bully and intimidate law-abiding Americans into silent submission. They tried but they failed.
You see, the illegals need to understand something We the People will no longer be silent. We will not allow our sovereignty to be violated anymore.
The American taxpayers have reached a boiling point. We are tired of illegals taking American jobs. We are tired of illegals living off our tax dollars. We are tired of illegals causing mayhem in our streets.
And more than anything, we are tired of lawmakers who refuse to defend American sovereignty.
The truth is we dont know who or what has been coming across our southern border. We dont know what dangers lurk in our neighborhoods.
And we want a president who will put American lives first. We want a president who will do whatever it takes to keep our families safe. We want a president who will defend our sovereignty.
And if I see one more foul-mouthed protester waving a Mexican flag on American soil Ill personally donate a pile of bricks to help build Mr. Trumps wall.
Editors note: The following oped is adapted from America: Turning a Nation to God by Dr. Tony Evans. Evans is honorary chairman of the National Day of Prayer on May 5 and chief organizer of The Gathering, a national solemn assembly of Christian leaders in the Dallas area Sept. 21.
Every four years, the eyes of America become riveted on the national election returns. But Gods first concern during any political season is not the same as our first concern it is not about what is happening, or going to happen, in the White House. Gods first concern is what is happening, or not happening, in His house.
On Thursday, May 5, the National Day of Prayer, my prayer will be that the Church live up to its responsibilities.
Our nations ills are not merely the result of corrupt politicians, greedy businessmen and religious extremists. Our problems can be traced directly to ineffective Christians. The Church has failed to be a positive influence for good in our nation and our world.
When I discuss this topic, one of the first questions I hear is, What about the separation of church and state? Although this term does not appear in our Constitution, many people believe that it does.
Thomas Jefferson actually used the phrase "separation of church and state" in his letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802, but he was referring to the government infringing on the rights and freedoms of the religious, and not the other way around.
America was never officially a Christian nation since neither Jesus Christ nor the Bible are mentioned in the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence. But theres no denying the influence Christianity has had on our country.
In fact, it was because of a need for freedom of religion, by Protestants fleeing Europe, that many early colonists settled America. It was also because of the promotion of freedom and equality for all, in large part through the Church, that African-Americans achieved civil rights. In both cases, the Church went against the grain of what was commonly accepted.
The Church should be the conscience of the culture, and it has never been needed more than it is today, with our land facing a myriad of problems ranging from family breakdowns to the immigration crisis to the abiding racial divide. Tragically, as the fabric of our country unravels, we fail to see the spiritual problems that are at the root of our national malaise.
God is trying to get our attention. Many people want God bless America, but they dont want One Nation under God. The problem is you cant have one without the other.
Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton is appealing to African-American voters to prevent the progress achieved under Barack Obama's presidency from being "torn away" if her Republican counterpart is elected to the White House.
Speaking to thousands at an NAACP dinner in Detroit on Sunday, Clinton pointed to Donald Trump's "insidious" role in the birther movement that questioned Obama's citizenship and his refusal to immediately denounce white supremacist David Duke.
Clinton says "we cannot let Barack Obama's legacy fall into Donald Trump's hands."
The former secretary of state, senator and first lady says "let's not endanger the promise, the potential, the dream of our country by giving in to these voices of hatred."
Clinton says bringing the country together is more urgent than ever with Obama's presidency ending.
Energy Independent Vermont claims businesses are joining the call for a carbon tax, but some business owners say they are being misrepresented by the environmentalist coalition.
On Earth Day, business leaders from across Vermont met at the Statehouse to show their support for a carbon tax. Leaders discussed threats businesses face from changes in climate, and the organizer unveiled a list of more than 500 Vermont companies that want a tax on gas, heating oil, propane and other fossil fuels to fight global warming. A partial list of carbon tax supporters appears on Energy Independent Vermonts website.
However, when Watchdog.org independently reached out to companies on the list, some business owners were surprised to learn that they were part of the groups campaign.
I said I didnt support carbon taxes, James Bissonette, owner the Dutch Mill Restaurant in Shelburne, told Vermont Watchdog. It would kill our business if we did that, not the way we run things. Wed have to raise soda prices and everything.
Click for more from Watchdog.org.
Californias Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Democratic lawmakers appear to be on a collision course over a new round of gun control measures.
Newsom, claiming lawmakers are dragging their feet, is collecting thousands of signatures in pursuit of a gun initiative ballot measure in November. But lawmakers say theyre planning to address these issues via legislation, and the initiative could hurt what theyre doing.
Critics also say the proposed California ballot initiative contains a wide variety of restrictive, costly and unreasonable gun and ammunition control measures.
The proposed Safety for All As of 2016 initiative has 600,000 signatures from California residents, nearly double the number required to be included on the November ballot, Newsom told the Los Angeles Times. He added that what the initiative proposals have in common is that over the past number of years they have suffered the fate of either being watered down or rejected by the Legislature.
The signatures still must be validated.
But leading lawmakers, including Democratic Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Leon, say they are working to address these issues legislatively. In addition, the mandate is extremely difficult to change and will be the subject of a hearing at the Capitol in Sacramento Tuesday.
California's legislative leaders are busy considering crime bills, while Newsom is circumventing them, said Michele Hanisee, president of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys, in a written statement and interview with FoxNews.com. The only way we're going to make progress against violence is through a cooperative effort of law enforcement, legislators, the private sector, and individual citizens who can take some responsibility for their own safety. Self-serving political schemes like Newsom's initiative will only set us back.
The initiative carries multiple proposals that were either killed by the Legislature as not workable or vetoed by the governor, Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, told the LA Times.
Newsom has collected failed policy issues from the Legislature and put them up as an initiative. Its going to be a massive effort to defeat him, Paredes said.
Local law enforcement, including Hanisee and the California Sheriffs Association, claim law-abiding gun owners and law enforcement will suffer if the initiative passes, while criminals will be empowered.
California's law enforcement officers and prosecutors responsible for fighting criminals and terrorists need more tools to fight crime. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom's new ballot initiative gives us less, Hanisee said, adding the proposal is a rehashed patchwork of impractical, tried and failed ideas that will not help law enforcement to combat crime or terrorists.
Last year, crime in Los Angeles rose by more than 12 percent, and while law-abiding citizens are limited in protecting their families, the lieutenant governor travels with armed bodyguards, Hanisee noted.
California already has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation, but Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, told FoxNews.com that California lawmakers appear to be in a contest to determine who can be the most anti-gun rights.
California Democrats will not be happy until there is total firearm prohibition," Gottlieb said.
The ballot initiative, according to its website, would make five major changes in Californias gun laws if approved by voters. These include prohibiting possession of large-capacity military style magazines. But Hanisee said the only way to enforce this law is by pulling police from the streets and putting them into the homes of people who pose no threat.
The initiative would also require ammunition sales to be treated like gun sales, requiring the seller to conduct background checks for all ammunition purchases.
The centerpiece of Newsom's proposal would require a license to sell, and a background check just to buy, a box of ammunition, Hanisee said. This would require the creation of another complicated, expensive and inevitably flawed database, which California officials will be unable to effectively maintain. New York already tried this approach, abandoning it after wasting millions of public dollars.
Dr. John R. Lott, Jr., an economist and world recognized expert on guns and crime who founded and heads the Crime Prevention Research Center, a research and education organization dedicated to conducting academic quality research on the relationship between laws regulating the ownership or use of guns, crime, and public safety, called the initiative racist.
The question is who are you stopping from owning a firearm or getting hold of ammunition in this case it is law-abiding, poor blacks and Hispanics who wont be able to afford the cost of ammunition, which will rise with the cost associated with required background checks for ammunition purchases.
Another provision would require law enforcement to collect firearms from those who were convicted of felonies or violent misdemeanors, and to share data with the federal systems related to anyone prohibited from owning a firearm. And yet another provision requires lawful gun owners to report their lost or stolen guns.
Evan Westrup, spokesman for Gov. Jerry Brown, maintained the governor has not taken a position on this initiative and generally doesnt comment on pending ballot measures.
But in 2013 the governor vetoed a proposed reporting of stolen or lost firearms, saying he was not convinced that criminalizing the failure to report a lost or stolen firearm would improve identification of gun traffickers or help law enforcement disarm people prohibited from possessing guns.
Brown added, I continue to believe that responsible people report the loss or theft of a firearm and irresponsible people do not."
Lott said many of the claims by Newsom and the Safety for All ballot initiative website are inaccurate, something that also drew the attention of Politifact, the independent fact-checking organization that won a Pulitzer Prize for calling out politicians' false claims.
Politifact called Newsom's rhetoric "mostly false and said he used pseudo data that is out of context and is done in a way which is calculated to cause confusion, Hanisee said.
Many campaign organizers claim Newsom is heading up the effort because of political ambition.
"Newsom has resurrected failed policy initiatives in a too-obvious resume-builder for his governor's campaign, said Willes Lee, president of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies.
But Newsom maintains on the initiatives website that changes are needed to keep Californians safe.
"With 150 school shootings since Newtown and many more mass shootings devastating communities across our state and nation, it is time to say enough is enough," Newsom wrote. "The Safety for All initiative will save lives by making it much harder for dangerous people to get guns and ammunition in California."
CIA Director John Brennan said Sunday that 28 classified pages of a bipartisan commission's report on the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks contains "uncorroborated, unvetted information" that some could seize upon to claim Saudi Arabian involvement in the attacks.
Brennan, speaking on NBC's "Meet The Press," said such claims would be "very, very inaccurate."
The Obama administration may soon release at least part of the secret chapter, which some believe shows a Saudi connection to the Al Qaeda attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa.
A groundswell to declassify the documents began last month, when former Florida Sen. Bob Graham told CBS' "60 Minutes" he believed the 19 hijackers "substantially" received support from officials in Saudi Arabia's government and prominent members of society.
"There are a lot of rocks out there that have been purposefully tamped down, that if were they turned over, would give us a more expansive view of the Saudi role," Graham said at the time.
The 28 pages were withheld from the 838-page report on the orders of then-President George W. Bush, who said the release could divulge intelligence sources and methods. In mid-April, the White House told Graham that it would decide whether to declassify the material within 60 days.
Brennan said Sunday that the pages were classified because "of concerns about sensitive methods, investigative actions, and the investigation of 9/11 was still under way in 2002."
Brennan added that he believed the pages contain "a combination of things that are accurate and inaccurate." He said the 9/11 Commission followed up on the preliminary information in the 28 pages and made "a very clear judgment" there was no evidence indicating "the Saudi government as an institution or Saudi officials individually" financially backed Al Qaeda."
Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were citizens of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government says it has been "wrongfully and morbidly accused of complicity" in the attacks, is fighting extremists and working to clamp down on their funding channels. Still, the Saudis have long said that they would welcome declassification of the 28 pages because it would "allow us to respond to any allegations in a clear and credible manner."
Brennan's comments came as lawmakers are considering a bill that would permit terrorism victims to sue foreign states that helped fund or otherwise support attacks in the U.S. The legislation is opposed by the Obama administration and the Saudi government has threatened to sell off hundreds of billions of dollars in American assets if it passes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Usama bin Laden was just found in a third-floor room and killed over the weekend at least, thats what you might think if you were following the CIA on Twitter.
The CIA raised eyebrows for its decision to live tweet on Sunday the daring SEAL Team 6 raid on bin Ladens Pakistani compound a mission that occurred five years ago.
The agency, which has engendered at-best mixed reactions to some of its previous social media ploys, tweeted its intentions twice, including at 1:22 p.m. ET on Sunday.
To mark the 5th anniversary of the Usama Bin Ladin operation in Abbottabad we will tweet the raid as if it were happening today.#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
But subsequent tweets were only marked with the hashtag #UBLRaid and no marker to indicate the historical nature of the blow-by-blow account.
One tweet at 1:51 p.m. said: Helicopters depart from Afghanistan for compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan #UBLRaid. Sundays Twitter campaign comprised 13 tweets over the course of about six hours. The tweet announcing the terrorist leader's (belated) death received the most retweets of the group.
3:39 pm EDT - Usama Bin Ladin found on third floor and killed#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
Some Twitter users expressed admiration for the agencys work in finding and killing the worlds most wanted man on May 1, 2011.
Others were confused, and questioned whether this was a sound use of social media.
@CIA You've lost the plot mate Luke O'Neil (@lukeoneil47) May 1, 2016
@CIA @mattdpearce Really?!?!? Does the @CIA not have anything better to do today? Steven St Jean (@stevestjean) May 1, 2016
BuzzFeed fired off a mock tweet at the CIA's expense.
And other users took the opportunity to question the entire chain of events and posit conspiracy theories.
The takedown of bin Laden stands as one of the great intelligence successes of all time, CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani told ABC News. History has been a key element of CIAs social media efforts. On the fifth anniversary, it is appropriate to remember the day and honor all those who had a hand in this achievement.
Trapani said the agency has similarly used social media to mark other anniversaries.
The CIA previously has been questioned for some of its flippant posts.
We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our first tweet, the inaugural CIA account tweet in June 2014 said.
Another in July 2014 read, No, we dont know where Tupac is. #Twitterversary, referencing popular conspiracy myths that dead rapper Tupac Shakur is living in secret somewhere.
Sens. Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz significantly trail the front-runners in their respective Democratic and Republican presidential primaries, but both said Sunday they will stay in their races until the end, even amid bad news about the Indiana primary on Tuesday.
We intend to fight for every vote and every delegate remaining, Sanders said at a press conference in Washington, D.C., before heading to campaign events in Indiana.
The Vermont senator said Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton winning enough pledged delegates in the remaining state contests to secure the nomination before the July convention would be virtually impossible. So his only path to the nomination will be to flip superdelegates, the party insiders who can back either candidate and are overwhelmingly behind Clinton.
In other words, the convention will be a contested contest, Sanders said.
Clinton is still 91 percent of the way to the nomination, according to the Associated Press. She is 218 delegates away from winning the 2,383 need to clinch the nomination.
Sanders remarks came at about the same time an NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll showed him trailing Clinton in Indiana 46-to-50 percent, roughly the same margin as in other recent polls.
The poll also shows Cruz trailing GOP front-runner Donald Trump in Indiana 49-to-34 percent, despite Cruz essentially putting all of his efforts into winning the state and stopping Trumps six-state roll. (The poll also showed Ohio Gov. John Kasich, the third GOP primary candidate, with 13 percent.)
Cruz said Sunday he hoped to do well in Indiana. However, he said on ABCs This Week that We are going the distance. We are competing the entire distance.
The Texas senator spent little time campaigning in the six Northeast states that Trump handily won and instead spent much of his time in Indiana.
He also cut a deal with Kasich that would allow him to compete head-to-head with Trump in Indiana. And last week he named former primary rival Carly Fiorina as his running mate and announced the endorsement of Indiana GOP Gov. Mike Pence.
I have faith in Hoosiers -- in the common sense good judgment of the men and women of this great state, Cruz said Sunday at a rally in Lafayette, Ind. And if we unite, were going win this nomination.
Cruz has gone back and forth on whether Indiana will be a make-or-break contest for him, even telling California Republicans on Saturday that their June 7 primary will decide the GOP race.
Trump leads in the delegate count with 996, followed by Cruz with 565 and Kasich with 153, with 1,237 needed to secure the nomination before the July convention.
Clinton has 2,165, compared to 1,357 for Sanders.
Republicans will compete for 57 pledged delegates in Indiana, and Democrats will compete for 81.
Trump, Clinton and Sanders also had events Sunday in Indiana, with Clinton also scheduled to deliver a speech to the NAACP in Detroit.
At a rally in Fort Wayne, Trump focused his attack on Cruz, saying he has no road to victory and is the first person in the history of the United States who picked a running mate when he has no chance to win.
Earlier in the day, he repeated his argument that Clinton has so far had a successful campaign largely because she is a female candidate.
The only card she has is the woman card, Trump told Fox News Sunday. Even women dont like her. If she were not a woman, she would not even be in this race.
Former President Bill Clinton drew boos and shouts from the crowd as he made a campaign stop in Logan, W.V., on his wife's behalf, ahead of the state's May 10 presidential primary.
And Supporters of Sanders and Trump gathered outside the school as Clinton spoke Sunday. According to WVNS-TV, a letter written on behalf of Logan officials told Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin's staff in an email that the Clintons "are simply not welcome in our town."
Hillary Clinton, who planned to campaign in Williamson on Monday, has been criticized for comments that her policies would put coal miners and companies out of business. Clinton said later she was mistaken and that she's committed to coalfield communities.
Sanders has brought in about $26 million in April in his primary challenge to Clinton, a steep decline from the $46 million he raised in March, raising questions about whether he can sustain his powerful online money machine as his path to the nomination has substantially narrowed against Clinton.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hillary Clinton, even if she can secure the Democratic nomination in the coming weeks, will have to do more than just make peace with Bernie Sanders supporters. Shell need to persuade his true believers they share the same goals -- and to go out and vote for her.
Exit polls consistently show swaths of the Sanders base, at least right now, are uneasy about the idea of supporting Clinton in November.
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News Hannity, went so far Monday as to claim Sanders young supporters are going to come over to my side because they want jobs. Trump cited common ground with Sanders on trade.
Whether anti-Clinton supporters of the democratic socialist senator really would gravitate toward the billionaire businessman -- or simply stay home -- is an open question. But anticipating some bad blood, Clinton has taken the first steps toward reconciliation with Sanders supporters in recent weeks.
Whether you support Senator Sanders or you support me, theres much more that unites us than divides us, Clinton said last week after winning four out of five state primaries.
The front-running Clinton devoted nearly half her victory speech to highlighting such shared goals as increasing wages, expanding Social Security and defending the rights of women and minorities.
So in this election, we will work together and work hard to prevail against candidates on the other side who would threaten those rights, said Clinton, who will try to add to her wins Tuesday in Indiana, one of 11 remaining state contests.
The extent to which Clinton can break through with Sanders devoted supporters, though, may depend on Sanders.
He needs to set the tone. If he backs her like Clinton backed Obama in their 2008 race, then it will be more than enough to tip the scales, said Democratic strategist Douglas Smith, a partner at Kent Strategies.
He said the two candidates indeed have shared goals for the country, despite taking different paths to reach them.
But there are hold-outs among Sanders' supporters. Fox News exit polls in the April 26 primaries showed the depth of the divide.
In Connecticut, 17 percent of Democrats said they would not back Clinton if shes the nominee. Among Sanders supporters, the number shot up to 90 percent.
In Maryland, 13 percent of Democrats said they would not back Clinton in November, while 79 percent of Sanders' supporters made the same vow.
The Clinton campaign did not respond to questions Monday about whether Clinton has indeed started to woo Sanders voters as she prepares for a possible general election race.
Shes getting closer to the nomination, having collected 2,165 of the 2,383 delegates -- or roughly 90 percent -- needed to secure the nomination before the partys July convention.
However, the exit polls and other signs suggest Clinton -- a former secretary of state, senator and first lady -- will have to convince anti-establishment Sanders supporters, including many young voters, that she is trustworthy and neither a Washington insider nor a Wall Street supporter.
Jessica Levinson, a law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said Monday the best way for Clinton to try to woo Sanders supporters would be to contrast her views with those of the Republican candidates, beyond trying to explain shared concerns and goals.
On policy issues, the divide between Sanders and Clinton is almost infinitesimal, compared to the wide gulf between Clinton and Donald Trump or Ted Cruz, said Levinson, whose focuses include election law. Clinton has and must continue to make the case that she is the only viable candidate in the race who has and will address those concerns.
Clinton has tried. During a debate in February hosted by MSNBC, she told Sanders that she was thrilled at the numbers of people, and particularly young people, who are coming to support your campaign and that she hoped to earn their support.
They may not support me now, but I support them and we'll work together, she said.
However, those supporters bristled last month when Clinton was overheard saying she was sick of the Sanders camp lying about her record on fossil fuel, then said she felt sorry sometimes for young people who believe this and suggested they dont do their own research.
Caleb Weaver, a College Students for Bernie member at Georgetown University, said Monday that the Sanders supporters with whom he works suspect Clinton is truly opposed to the policies they support.
We have seen Bill Clinton mocking us with the claim that we want to shoot every third person on Wall Street. And we have seen Hillary herself insisting that a $15 minimum wage is too high, he said. If this perception goes unchallenged, (Clinton) will struggle to pick up Sanders supporters who genuinely believe in these proposals.
Weaver said Clinton and her surrogates also need to immediate abandon the line of attack that support for Sanders is a manifestation of white privilege or male privilege.
In my experience, nothing turns people off from Secretary Clinton faster than the feeling that they are being accused of racism and/or sexism merely for supporting Bernie. It's deeply insulting and not at all an effective way to reach out to people already hesitant to support Secretary Clinton, he said.
Ted Cruz, having abandoned his alliance with John Kasich, having whacked John Boehner for calling him Lucifer, has played his veep card. For the moment, at least, Carly Fiorina doesnt seem to be doing much good for a candidate who may never be in the position to name a running mate.
But Hillary Clinton undoubtedly willand she is playing the veepstakes game with great gusto. The press, for its part, is happy to play along, having an insatiable appetite for this sort of guesswork.
It began with an authorized leak to the New York Times. The paper reported that Hillary Clintons advisers and allies have begun extensive discussions about who should be her running mate, seeking to compile a list of 15 to 20 potential picks for her team to start vetting by late spring.
Now that may be true, but usually these things are conducted quietly, at least at this early stage. But the Clinton camp wants this out there. The obvious implication is that if shes vetting running mates, shes looking past the Bernie battle, which positions her as the de facto nominee.
And Hillary and Bill were looking at specific names: Virginia senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner. Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown. Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. Labor Secretary Tom Perez.
When campaigns do this sort of thing, they are trying to flatter certain politicians who have little chance of actually being picked. But they are also playing to constituency groups: Hispanics in the case of Perez, a little-known Cabinet secretary, and blacks in the case of Patrick.
The campaign let it be known that Mrs. Clinton is also open to a woman, and top honcho John Podesta told the Boston Globe tthere is no question that there will be women on that list.
This, of course, unleashed a wave of media chatter about Elizabeth Warren, as the campaign knew it would. And that was intended not only to tap into Warrens popularity with the liberal base but as a lure for Sanders supporters who oppose Clinton or at best feel lukewarm about her.
Columnists were quick to pounce. Why Elizabeth Warren Would Have More Clout As Hillary Clintons VP, said the Huffington Post.
The Washington Posts Gene Robinson wrote that as Clintons running mate, Warren could erase [her] potential weakness with the Democratic base. She has spent her Senate career becoming known as the scourge of Wall Street. No political figure is more closely identified with efforts to curb the excesses of the financial system.
The move strikes me as unlikelyWarren is a freshman senator with no foreign policy experience who has not endorsed Clintonbut whether its real is beside the point. Hillary can use the press to reap the benefits of appearing to seriously consider Warren, whether she is or not.
Still, why stop there? Other pundits threw HUD Secretary Julian Castro and Sen. Amy Klobuchar into the mix. Politico weighed in with The Case for Vice President Al Franken.
Not to be outdone, Fiscal Times floats 18 possible names, including Martin OMalley (who so electrified voters during his time in the race).
All fun and games, but when it comes to these Clinton leaks, its a quadrennial ritual with a serious purpose: to buttress her candidacy months before she actually makes the pick.
Footnote: Donald Trump is involved in a sort of reverse veepstakes, with the New York Times reporting that some prominent Republicans are refusing even to be considered as his running mate. But I bet he has no trouble finding a suitable candidate.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter gave his support to Iraq's embattled prime minister Haider al-Abadi, telling reporters the Iraqi leader "seems to be in a very strong position" despite anti-government protests that saw protesters storm Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone over the weekend.
"Prime Minister Abadi stands for and has been a partner in all of the things that are important to Iraq's future," Carter said Monday. "He's had considerable success on the battlefield, obviously Ramadi, Hit, and so forth."
U.S. airstrikes helped Iraqi troops clear Islamic State fighters out of wartorn Ramadi in early-January.
But on Saturday, hundreds of supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr tore down walls and poured into the zone that is home to the seat of the Iraqi government and most foreign embassies. Loudspeaker announcements on Sunday evening urged protesters to leave peacefully. When the call came, hundreds calmly packed up and left, carrying flags and overnight bags away with them.
Carter spoke on his way to a series of counter-ISIS meetings with European counterparts in Germany. He also said NATO was considering a move to add more troops in Eastern Europe, on top of the armored brigade the Pentagon announced it was sending in late March. "There are discussions going on within NATO about how others can do the same thing," he added.
The Green Zone, surrounded by thick blast walls topped with razor wire, is off-limits to most Iraqis because of security procedures that require multiple checks and specific documentation to enter. It has long been the focus of al-Sadr's criticism that the government is detached from the people.
Supporters of al-Sadr have been holding demonstrations and sit-ins for months to demand an overhaul of the political system put in place by the U.S. after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Last summer, demonstrations demanding better government services mobilized millions across Iraq and pressured al-Abadi to submit his first package of reform proposals. However, months of stalled progress followed, and in recent months al-Sadr's well organized supporters took over the protest movement.
Despite the subdued end to the latest protest, Iraqi officials fear the precedent set by the Green Zone breach will continue to undermine the country's security.
While ISIS has suffered a number of territorial defeats in the past year, the group still controls significant pockets of territory in Iraq's north and west, including the country's second largest city of Mosul, estimated to still be home to more than 1 million civilians.
Al-Sadr's office in Baghdad denied that the demonstration was jeopardizing the fight against ISIS, but conceded that the decision to disband Sunday was made partly for security reasons.
Organizers decided to end the protest now because of an annual Shiite pilgrimage to the shrine of an eighth century imam in Baghdad that is expected to attract thousands from across the country, said Sadiq al-Hashemi, a representative of al-Sadr's office in Baghdad who was present at the protests.
The protests will resume after the pilgrimage ends this week, al-Hashemi said, adding that the al-Sadr movement would also give Iraqi lawmakers one more chance to vote in new reforms.
"We have achieved something here. We got our message out from the Iraqi street," Al-Hashemi said.
But lawmakers and Iraqi security officials say Sadr's show of force is undermining the country's leadership at a critical time and sets a dangerous precedent.
"They could just do it again," said lawmaker Hanan al-Fatlawi, referring to the Green Zone breach. "This is not a real solution. They showed no respect for the rule of law."
Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump ratcheted up his rhetoric against Chinese trade policy Sunday night, saying "we can't continue to allow China to rape our country."
Trump has long accused China of manipulating its currency to boost the country's exports. However, his remarks in Fort Wayne, Ind., Sunday mark a graphic escalation in his language. While he's compared the policy to sexual assault before, this is the first time he's done so as a presidential candidate.
The real estate mogul also called the U.S. the "the piggy bank that's being robbed" as a result of its trade deficit with China, which reached an all-time high of $365.7 billion at the end of last year. The trade deficit measures the value of American goods exported to China, as well as the value of goods imported from China.
Trump's comments are certain to stir controversy following his claim that Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's success is dependent on her gender.
The only card she has is the woman card, Trump told Fox News Sunday. Even women dont like her. If she were not a woman, she would not even be in this race.
While both Clinton and Trumps favorability ratings among women are low, Trumps are worse, especially among female general election voters.
However, Trump argued Sunday that his numbers will improve if and when he faces Clinton in the general election.
Once I start on Hillary, the numbers will change, he said. Watch what happens with Hillary. Watch what happens with her numbers.
Trump was speaking two days ahead of the Republican primary in Indiana, where the latest polls show him holding a double-digit lead over Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. At a rally in La Porte Sunday night, Cruz urged Indiana voters to help him deny Trump the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination prior to the Republican convention.
"I believe in the men and women gathered here and the goodness of the American people that we will not give into evil," Cruz said at one point. "All across this country, millions of Americans right now are praying for you. Youre being lifted up in prayer right now."
Any solemnity the occasion had was interrupted by a young boy who heckled Cruz repeatedly, including with the phrase, "You suck!"
"One of the things that hopefully someone has told you is that children should actually speak with respect, Cruz said as police escorted the boy out. "Imagine what a different world it would be if someone had told Donald Trump that years ago."
Fox News' Dan Gallo contributed to this report.
Virginia Republicans are vowing a legal challenge to Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe's move allowing an estimated 200,000 freed felons to vote in November.
State GOP lawmakers said they have hired an attorney and intend to file a lawsuit against the governors April 22 executive order that will allow the felons -- including rapists and murders -- to vote, run for elected office and sit on a jury.
They argue McAuliffe overstepped his constitutional authority in a politically-motived move to help long-time friend and Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton win the swing state, if she reaches the general election.
"Gov. McAuliffe's flagrant disregard for the Constitution of Virginia ... must not go unchecked," Senate Republican Leader Thomas Norment said in a statement.
GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump is also questioning McAuliffes move.
"You allow 200,000 serious criminals to vote, he said recently. They're going to vote Democrat, and that throws off the balance totally.
McAuliffe, a former Democratic National Committee chairman, said he made the decision after consulting with state Attorney General Mark Herring and other constitutional experts.
However, Norment said previous attorneys general have concluded the governor lacks the power to issue blanket restorations.
McAuliffe, whose move circumvented the GOP-led state legislature, said in announcing the change that too often politicians have used their authority to restrict people's ability to participate in our democracy. Today we are reversing that disturbing trend."
The Virginia Republican Party said in the hours after McAuliffes announcement that such efforts are long overdue but that the governor went too far by including violent offenders and suggested the move was politically motivated.
Few if any disagree that those who have paid their debts to society should be allowed full participation in that society. But there are limits, party Chairman John Whitbeck said. Gov. McAuliffe could easily have excluded those who have committed heinous acts of violence His decision doesnt speak of mercy. Rather, it speaks of political opportunism."
The Washington-based Sentencing Project estimates that nearly 6 million Americans are barred from voting because of laws disenfranchising former felons. Maine and Vermont are the only states that don't restrict the voting rights of convicted felons.
Roughly 20 states have over the past two decades purportedly attempted to ease voting restrictions on freed felons.
The governor's spokesman didn't immediately return a message Monday seeking comment.
The governor's order enables every Virginia felon to vote, run for public office, serve on a jury and become a notary public if they have completed their sentence and finished any supervised release, parole or probation requirements as of April 22.
Republicans have hired Attorney Charles J. Cooper and said they will begin examining their legal options. They didn't say when they would file the lawsuit.
Cooper worked as an assistant attorney general under President Ronald Reagan and has argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
They said they will not be using taxpayer dollars to pay for the lawsuit.
Fox News Doug McKelway and The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Marine archaeologists say they have likely found HMS Endeavour, which Capt. Cook sailed on when he discovered Australia, at the bottom of Newport Harbor.
The Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP) says that Endeavour, which was renamed Lord Sandwich, is one of 13 ships scuttled in Newport Harbor in 1778. Lord Sandwich had been used to transport troops during the American Revolution and was scuttled in the days leading up to the Battle of Rhode Island.
The vessel was a bark, or three-masted sailing ship.
Related: Home long thought to be Monroe's turns out to be guest house
RIMAP used a grant from the Australian National Maritime Museum to locate documents in London that identify the groups of ships in the 13-vessel fleet, and where each group was scuttled. One group of 5 ships included the Lord Sandwich transport, formerly Capt. James Cook's Endeavour Bark, said RIMAP, on its website.
RIMAP says that it knows the general area of Newport Harbor where the five ships were scuttled and has already mapped four of the sites there. A recent analysis of remote sensing data suggests that the 5th site may still exist, too, the group explained. That means the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project now has an 80 to 100% chance that the Lord Sandwich is still in Newport Harbor.
A RIMAP spokesman told FoxNews.com that the group will provide more details of its plans to confirm the fifth shipwreck at a meeting on May 4. RIMAP will also outline what needs to be done to confirm which ships are in which locations.
Related: Titanic treasures sold at UK auction
The next phase of the archaeological investigation will require a more intense study of each vessel's structure and its related artifacts, explains RIMAP, on its website. However, before that next phase may begin, there must be a proper facility in place to conserve, manage, display, and store the waterlogged material removed from the archaeological sites.
May 4 marks Rhode Islands 240th birthday. For RIMAP to be closing in one of the most important shipwrecks in world history, for that ship to be found in Newport, and for it to have an international reputation, should be an intriguing birthday gift for all of Rhode Island, explains RIMAP, on its website.
Related: The Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay in pictures
Marine archaeologists have made a number of fascinating finds in recent years. Last year, for example, treasure said to belong to the infamous pirate Captain Kidd was found by divers in the waters of the Indian Ocean off Madagascar.
Earlier this year the 500-year old wreck of a Portuguese ship piloted by an uncle of explorer Vasco da Gama was found off the coast of Oman.
Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Mona Lisa is two-faced. At least that's what a self-proclaimed Italian art detective says. Silvani Vinceti says his research shows that Leonardo da Vinci used two modelsone female and one maleto create the famous 16th-century portrait that hangs at the Louvre, the Guardian reports.
"I believe that this goes with a long-time fascination of Leonardos, that is, the subject of androgyny," he says, adding that, for da Vinci, the "perfect person was a combination of a man and a woman." Vinceti says he examined the painting"arguably the world's most famous," per the Telegraphusing infrared technology.
In the first layer, he says, the Mona Lisa's face looks "melancholic and sad," with no trace of a smile. So who were the models? The female, many historians agree, was Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Florentine silk merchant.
More from Newser
Historian: $500M Treasure Hides in Old Nazi Bunker
Ancient Proof of Mother's Love Unearthed in Taiwan
The male, according to Vinceti, is likely da Vinci's longtime assistant Gian Giacomo Caprotti (aka Salai, or Little Devil), who was da Vinci's "supposed main male squeeze," per the New York Post.
His conclusion is based on comparisons of the Mona Lisa's face with other paintings for which Caprotti served as the model, including St. John the Baptist.
Caprotti is discernible, "particularly in Mona Lisas nose, her forehead, and her smile," Vinceti tells the Telegraph. Not everyone is convinced. "The infra-red images do nothing to support the idea," says art historian Martin Kemp, adding that Vinceti's theory is "a mish-mash of known things, semi-known things, and complete fantasy." The Mona Lisa has long been the subject of various theories, including, per the Telegraph, that a lost original depicted her naked.
(Two historians think they have IDed da Vinci's living relatives.)
This article originally appeared on Newser: Da Vinci May Have Used Male Model for Mona Lisa
Solar Impulse 2 has taken off from California on the tenth leg of its record-breaking solar-powered journey around the world.
The plane took off from Moffett Airfield at 8:03 a.m. ET Monday, starting its trek across the U.S. Piloted by Andre Borschberg, Solar Impulse 2 is expected to arrive at Phoenix Goodyear Airport around 12:00 a.m. ET Tuesday after a 16-hour, 720-mile flight.
After Phoenix, the aircraft will make two stops in the Midwest before flying to New York. The Solar Impulse team wants to reach New York as soon as possible, according to a statement released on Monday. However, the planes Midwestern stops have not yet been confirmed. The team is examining a wide range of potential destinations in the mainland to leave a maximum flexibility for route planning, explained Solar Impulse, in its statement.
Related: Solar-powered plane lands in California, completing risky trip across Pacific
From New York, the plane will fly across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. The final leg of the odyssey is from Europe to Abu Dhabi, where Solar Impulse 2 began its circumnavigation last year.
The plane is the brainchild of explorer and Solar Impulse Chairman Piccard, who is taking it in turns with his fellow Swiss pilot Borschberg to fly the aircraft on its journey across the globe. Piccard piloted the plane on the last leg of its journey a risky, three-day flight across the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii.
#Si2 is back in the air over the continental United States, follow every step on https://t.co/JIj9tHK6hl pic.twitter.com/VCvfV3AuQT SOLAR IMPULSE (@solarimpulse) May 2, 2016
Solar Impulse 2, a larger version of a single-seat prototype that first flew six years ago, is made of carbon fiber and has 17,248 solar cells built into the wing that supply the plane with renewable energy, via four motors. The solar cells recharge four lithium polymer batteries, which provide power for night flying.
Related: From high above the Pacific, Solar Impulse 2 pilot spreads Earth Day message
The aircraft typically flies between 30 mph and 40 mph, although this can increase and decrease significantly depending on wind speed.
Borschberg piloted Solar Impulse 2 on the eighth leg of its journey, landing in Hawaii on July 3 2015 after an incredible 4,480-mile, five -day flight from Japan. The 118-hour journey shattered the record for longest solar-powered flight in terms of distance and duration, easily surpassing the 1,491-mile, 44-hour record Borschberg set when flying from China to Japan on the prior leg of the trip. Borschberg also broke the record for longest non-stop solo flight without refueling, which previously stood at 76 hours and 45 minutes.
Related: Solar Impulse 2s epic journey in pictures
The aircraft then had a nine-month layover in Hawaii while the Solar Impulse team fixed damage that occurred during the flight from Japan.
A huge inflatable mobile hangar that can be quickly assembled and disassembled is being used to shelter Solar Impulse 2 on its journey around the world.
During the last leg of the trip Piccard told FoxNews.com that the planes journey is a massive logistical undertaking. Its tremendous work, he said. When you see the plane flying silently with no pollution, you think its magic, but there are 150 people on the team.
The incredible solar-powered trek began in March 2015 when the plane flew from Abu Dhabi to Oman. Solar Impulse 2 then flew to India, Myanmar and Nanjing, China, en route to an unscheduled stop in Nagoya, Japan. The plane originally left Nanjing for Hawaii, but diverted to Japan because of unfavorable weather.
Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Delta Air Lines will soon become the first U.S. airline to use the baggage tracking technology called Radio Frequency Identification on all baggage - 120 million bags a year - the airline announced Friday, according to Mashable.
Delta anticipates the airline will be using the technology, also known as RFID, by the end of 2016, the airline told Mashable.
After years of scanning barcodes to track baggage, the airline told Mashable that the transition is "historic."
With this new technology, scanners use radio waves to capture highly accurate and consistent data stored on an RFID chip embedded in the luggage tag, driving superior tracking and increased transparency, Delta said.
More from TravelPulse
Tour Insights: Cuba Fever in the USA
No, A Cruise Line Didn't Just Leave Kids Onboard Without Their Family
Dispatch: In Search of the Big 15 in the Galapagos
4 Over-the-Top Hotel Welcome Amenities for Kids
Celebrate the Life of Prince in his Minneapolis Hometown
The technology will be a $50 million investment, Mashable reported.
"We aim to reliably deliver every bag on every flight," Delta's senior vice president of airport customer service and cargo operations Bill Lentsch said in a statement obtained by Mashable. "This innovative application of technology gives us greater data and more precise information throughout the bag's journey."
Its been just over a month since SeaWorld announced that it had stopped its controversial orca breeding program.
Now the struggling theme park is fulfilling its promise to promote messages of aquatic conservation by partnering with marine biologist and wildlife artist Guy Harvey to educate visitors on shark preservation efforts around the world.
Sea Worlds new Mako coaster, named for the oceans fastest shark, will serve as one of the focal points on shark education in the park. While guests wait in line, digital, interactive displays will showcase facts about sharks in the wild and guests can learn about whats currently being done to save them in a video hosted by Harvey.
SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby says that the new partnership will stress the message of conservation the brand is actively focused on promoting.
"We're committed as an organization to use our platform of 20,000 employees and also 20 million guests that come to our park to better educate people about the plight of animals in the wild," Manby told the Sun Sentinel. "Unfortunately, the statistics are not good for sharks in the wild."
When it launches, Mako will be Orlando's tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster. The attraction will live in the parks redesigned Shark Wreck Reef area, which includes a Shark Encounter, Sharks Underwater Grill, shops and educational experiences dedicated to several shark species.
According to Sea World, about a third of all sharks are on the endangered species list and about 100 million sharks are killed every year, 73 million of them to fund and supply a global shark-finning trade.
Members of SeaWorlds animal care team recently joined a Guy Harvey Research Institute shark tagging expedition off the coast of Mexico, tagging six Mako sharks over the course of four days. SeaWorld visitors will be able to follow those sharks at one of the parks interactive exhibits. The animals are also being monitored by students and researchers at Guy Harveys Institute at Nova Southeastern University.
As part of the partnership, Harvey will make appearances at the theme park in Orlando. He will also paint a signature Mako mural for the attraction's launch.
Visitors who want to own some special shark merch will have the opportunity to purchase paintings and apparel by Harvey, which will be available only at the Orlando park. SeaWorld says it will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Harvey's items directly to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, which funds scientific research and educational programs that encourage global ocean conservation.
The two men who staged the biggest art heist in history 25 years ago by posing as cops answering a disturbance call and making off with Old World masterpieces worth $500 million have taken their secrets about how they did it to the grave.
Two years ago investigators said they knew who pulled off the 1990 robbery at Bostons Isabella Steward Gardner Museum without naming the individuals or providing elaboration.
Now the FBI has settled the lingering mystery of why no one was ever charged: The suspects are dead.
The focus of the investigation for many years was: Who did this heist? And we have through the great investigative work identified who did this heist, and both those individuals are deceased," Boston FBI head Peter Kowenhoven told The Associated Press Friday in an interview. "So now the focus of the investigation is the recovery of the art."
He still wasnt willing to identify the suspects.
On Thursday federal agents probing the notorious heist released surveillance video Thursday that apparently shows a "dry run," with a security guard improperly letting a grainy figure in through the same door the crooks used a day later to pull off the $500-million theft of masterpieces by such luminaries as Manet, Degas and Vermeer.
The low-resolution surveillance video from March 17, 1990, exactly 24 hours before the heist, could provide the biggest clue yet to who was behind the caper that shook the art world. The newly released video shows a car that matches the description of one previously linked to the robbery pulling up at 12:49 a.m. to the museum's rear entrance, where an unidentified man gets out and is allowed in through the door.
A day later, at almost the exact same time, two men posing as Boston police officers entered through the same door executed the heist with Oceans 11 precision. The same cameras were trained on the scene the next day when the robbery went down, but the thieves grabbed the film as they made their getaway. The thieves told a security guard they were there to investigate a disturbance, and were allowed to enter, according to the FBI. When the guard let them in, the men subdued him and another security officer, handcuffed them and put them in remote areas of the basement. No weapons were used.
Rick Abath, the security guard who allowed them to enter, recalled his interaction with the robbers in a March interview with NPR.
"That night two cops rang the doorbell. They had hats, badges, they looked like cops, and I let them in. They said, 'Are you here alone?' And I said, 'I have a partner that's out on a round.' They said, 'Call him down.' And they said, 'Gentlemen this is a robbery.' "
He was handcuffed to an electrical box for seven hours and sang Bob Dylans I Shall Be Released to stay calm.
Stephen Kurkjian, author of "Master Thieves: The Boston Gangsters Who Pulled off the World's Greatest Art Heist," called the video release the most significant development to occur in the case in the past 25 years.
"I think it is remarkable, and raises a whole lot more questions," he told FoxNews.com. "About Richard Abath, [and] why it took so long for this footage to be released."
A source close to the investigation identified the second individual seen in the newly released video as Abath, The Boston Globe reported. Abath has long denied any role in the heist.
The FBI has chased thousands of leads around the world in the investigation into the theft of works worth an estimated $500 million, including Rembrandt's "Storm on the Sea of Galilee." The 13 pieces of art also included paintings by Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas and Johannes Vermeer. The paintings have never been found and nobody has been charged in the robbery.
"Today we are releasing video images from the night before the theft-images which have not previously been seen by the public-with the hope of identifying an unauthorized visitor to the museum, Carmen Ortiz, a U.S. prosecutor. "With the public's help, we may be able to develop new information that could lead to the recovery of these invaluable works of art."
A $5 million reward has been offered by the museum for information that leads to the recovery of the stolen items in good condition.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
next Image 1 of 3
prev next Image 2 of 3
prev Image 3 of 3
It was a day of sadness for Orthodox worshippers who celebrated Easter at a historic church in Manhattan on Sunday, just hours before it was destroyed in a raging fire that sent plumes of smoke billowing into the skyline.
Authorities reported one minor injury in the blaze that started just before 7 p.m. at the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava in Manhattan.
Three hours later the main body of the fire was knocked down, but firefighters still were putting out small pockets of flames, officials said. Authorities did not say what caused the fire.
Fire officials said the church's caretaker ran inside the church to try to put out the blaze but suffered minor smoke inhalation and had to be rescued.
"I feel like I'm in a nightmare right now," said church priest, Father Djokan Majstorovic as he tried to get to the fire scene that was blocked off by firefighters.
Alex Velic, 31, the caretaker's stepson, told the Daily News he lives next door. He said he smelled smoke and came outside and saw the church on fire.
"Once the fire caught the wood there was flames coming out of the top of the church. That's when people were going crazy," Velic said. "I'm in shock. I don't know what to say. It's sad."
The fire completely destroyed the roof of the Gothic Revival style building. It broke out on the same day Orthodox Christians around the world celebrated Easter. The church website listed services that morning and an Easter luncheon at 1 p.m.
Dex Pipovic, who said he had been going to the church for seven years, told PIX11 News the fire had left him heartbroken. "I was just inside that building three hours ago," he said.
The church was designed by architect Richard M. Upjohn and was built in the early 1850s. One of its earlier congregants was novelist Edith Wharton, who wrote "The Age of Innocence." She was married in the church in 1885.
The Serbian Orthodox Church purchased the building from the Episcopal Diocese in New York in 1943. The building was designated a city landmark in 1968.
Todays kidpreneurs venture far beyond the lemonade stand. They manage staffs, meet celebrities and are moguls in the making.
Such hustle can be a sign of good things to come. After all, Warren Buffett sold chewing gum door-to-door at the tender age of six while Richard Branson founded a magazine at just 16.
Think about that the next time your little one bugs you to help her springboard her own business. Weve compiled a list with 10 reasons to take her seriously.
1. The Bee-Stung Beverage Queen
Me & The Bees Lemonade
Mikaila Ulmer
Age: 11
Founder: Me & the Bees Lemonade
Twitter: @MikailasBees
For Mikaila Ulmer, it all started with a bee sting. Make that two. Encouraged by her parents and teachers, the Austin, Texas, native signed up for two entrepreneurship contests when she was just four and a half years old. At that same time, I got stung by two bees in one week, she tells Entrepreneur. What are the chances?!
To help ease Mikailas resulting fear of bees, her great-granny Helen sent her a 1940s cookbook that contained her favorite recipe for flaxseed lemonade. Then I did some research on bees and found out how important they are to our ecosystem and that theyre dying, so I created a product that would help save them.
Related: Every Scalable Business Has These 10 Things In Common: Lessons From the Circular Summit
That product is Me & the Bees Lemonade, a flaxseed- and mint-infused beverage that is sweetened mainly with honey from local honeybees. For each bottle sold, Mikaila, who prefers the title queen bee over CEO, donates a percentage of the profits to organizations working to ease the plight of the bees, including her home states beekeepers association.
Mikaila originally sold her lemonade at a local pizzeria when she first started in 2009. She later showcased her naturally sweet wares at local Whole Foods store, where she held workshops on saving bees. Eventually, she was asked to sell her lemonade at the high-end grocery store. Now, thanks in part to Mikailas charming but nerve-citing appearance on Shark Tank, she says, Whole Foods carries Me & the Bees Lemonade throughout its southeast region.
Mikailas favorite part of being a kidpreneur:
Being able to meet awesome people is the most fun part. I love being able to go to different events and presentations to share my story, and to teach people about bees and how we can help them.
Mikailas advice for aspiring entrepreneurs:
Be a social entrepreneur. Do something to help solve problems in the world. Dont go into business to make a lot of money. Create a business that you see the that world is missing, solve a problem with it and do something you have a passion for. Because the more passionate you are about what you do, the more fun you have while doing it!
2. The Dropout Democratizing Education
Keely Brennan
Erik Finman
Age: 17
Founder: Botangle
Twitter: @erikfinman
As a child, Erik Finman bounced from school to school and was often bullied, both emotionally and physically. A particularly mean teacher reportedly joined in, advising the Idaho native to drop out and work at McDonalds because [hed] never amount to anything.
Erik eventually did drop out of school, but not his education. He built his own learning environment from home, using a computer and an Internet connection, and called it Botangle (a combination of robotics and angle). I created this side project to kind of save myself, he said before a crowd at a WIRED event for young innovators last year. Its mission is to replace the public education system because of my really terrible experiences in it.
Related: How a Teenage Entrepreneur Built a Startup on Bitcoin Riches
When the robotics prodigy was 15, he took his side project to the next level, launching it at as fee-based online video tutoring service. He bootstrapped the startup on his own, using $100,000 hed cashed-out from a very lucky early Bitcoin investment. Today, he oversees a team of programmers, not only for Botangle, but for several other promising projects.
Keep your eyes open for Eriks next exciting venture, a virtual reality-based personal computer. Its a way for people to learn through the web, your phone, in virtual reality and in person, he tells Entrepreneur.
Eriks favorite part of being a kidpreneur:
The most fun thing is to not have to go to school. I get the freedom to travel, hang out with the most important people in every industry and work on what I love.
Eriks advice for aspiring kidpreneurs:
Be selfish. I think [the word] 'selfish' is just a tainted word for self-leadership. Lead yourself through life, do what you love, build what you want to build, go where you want to go.
3. The Driven-to-Drive Designer
Origami Owl
Bella Weems
Age: 19
Founder: Origami Owl
Twitter: @OrigamiOwl
When Bella Weems was 14, she turned her passion for handcrafting locket necklaces and bracelets into a moneymaker. She started the business as a way to save up for a car after her parents said they wouldnt buy her one and told her to earn it. She sure did, and then some. By the time she turned 16, the driven teens Chandler, Ariz.-based custom jewelry startup had exploded into a multi-million-dollar direct-sales machine.
Origami Owls flagship product, the Living Locket, allows customers to build their own jewelry by mixing and matching the chains, charms and lockets themselves, some of which come adorned with Swarovski crystals. The lockets are transparent and showcase tiny metal charms that represent the wearers personality and hobbies. The company also sells earrings, bracelets and other accessories.
Related: How This Teenager Turned Her Childhood Hobby Into a Global Business
Alongside her mom, company president Chrissy Weems, the teen millionaire leads a team of hundreds of employees and thousands of independent jewelry designers the world over.
Shes incredibly busy these days, but not too busy to give back. Through her inspiring Owlettes initiative, Bella personally mentors aspiring entrepreneurs ages 12 through 17. She shares with them the practical business and leadership skills she picked up on her fast track to success.
Bellas favorite part of being a kidpreneur:
The best part about being a kidpreneur is being able to encourage kids of all ages to not be afraid to reach for their dreams and never let anyone tell them theyre not good enough or their idea isnt good enough.
Bellas advice for aspiring kidpreneurs:
Take a leap of faith, surround yourself with people who believe in you, follow your heart and always remember you are never too young to achieve a big dream. Also, a positive attitude is a must. Remember things dont always go as planned, and thats okay, but, no matter what, keep on smiling and enjoy the journey.
4. The Branson-Inspired Merchant and Mentor
Ollie Forsyth
Ollie Forsyth
Age: 18
Founder: Ollies Shop and The Budding Entrepreneur Magazine
Twitter: @ollieforsyth
Richard Branson inspired Ollie Forsyth to take the entrepreneurial leap at the age of 13. Thats three years younger than the billionaire Virgin Group founder was when he braved his first venture.
Much like Branson, Ollie struggled in school. He was often bullied and cast off as lazy. The Northamptonshire, U.K. native later learned that he is dyslexic, also like Branson.
One day, while watching YouTube, he had a breakthrough. There was Branson in an inspirational clip, discussing how he turned his dyslexia, something often misinterpreted as a weakness, into his biggest strength.
Related: How a Bullied, Dyslexic 16-Year-Old Entrepreneur Fought Back and Found His Way
Right then I was determined to become like him, Ollie tells Entrepreneur. His first step: embracing his learning difference. His second: proving the people who said hed never amount to anything wrong with the launch of Ollies Shop. The online gift boutique sells trendy fashion accessories, including bracelets, cufflinks and belts. Ollie handcrafts some of his wares himself at home. Others are sourced from China.
Ollie is motivated to become a millionaire before age 20, and ecommerce isnt the only enterprise he has his hands in. He also has his own subscription-based online magazine, fittingly called The Budding Entrepreneur, and hes spearheading a networking group for fellow British entrepreneurs.
Succeeding in spite of the naysayers feels incredibly good, Ollie says. But nothing quite compares to the thrill he felt when he finally met his hero, Sir Richard Branson.
I met him at a Virgin Unite conference last year, he says. I was not going to leave the building until I met him. Hes the nicest person Ive ever met. He even has the pic to prove that he did.
Ollies favorite part of being a kidpreneur:
You get to meet some fascinating people, but, most importantly, you get some incredible opportunities from those connections made.
Ollies advice for aspiring kidpreneurs:
You have to do what you love and, if you have a business idea in mind, just try it and see what happens. I see too many people with great ideas, but they do not pursue them as they are afraid to. Just get on and do it!
5. The Dentists Best Friend
Zollipops
Alina Morse
Age: 10
Founder: Zollipops
Twitter: @Zollipops
Alina Morse is one lucky girl. She has visited the White House not once but twice, and never as a tourist. Each time, she was an official guest, personally invited by none other than First Lady Michelle Obama
The enterprising Wolverine Lake, Mich., native presented the one and only candy at this years White House Easter Egg Roll -- a special treat she invented when she was just seven, with help from her dad, Tom (the co-creator of 5-Hour Energy).
Related: 4 Tips for Successfully Launching a New Product From the Co-Founder of 5-Hour Energy
Her sweets are fruit-flavored lollipops that her little sister, Lola, named Zollipops. Theres something unusual about them: Theyre sweetened with a blend of xylitol, maltitol syrup, beetroot juice and stevia -- not with sugar.
I love candy, Alina tells Entrepreneur, but I always knew it was bad for my teeth so that's why I created Zollipops. So I asked, Why cant we make a lollipop thats delicious and good for your teeth?
She did just that in 2014, when she started up her company using $7,500 of savings from her grandparents. Soon, she took to the road to promote her candy creation, available in-store at Whole Foods and SuperValu and online on Amazon. Shes even pitched Shark Tank celeb investor Daymond John on Good Morning America and appeared on NBC News.
Related: 9-Year-Old Entrepreneur Launches Teeth-Friendly Lollipop Company
On a roll ever since, the fifth-grader introduced her second product, Zolli Drops sugar-free peppermints, earlier this year. On top of providing a teeth-friendly alternative to sugary suckers, Alina donates more than 10 percent of her profits to organizations dedicated to reducing the impact of childhood tooth decay. Now thats something sweet to smile about.
Alinas favorite part of being a kidpreneur:
The most fun thing about being a kidpreneur and working on Zollipops is that I get to travel, meet lots of people and see lots of places. All around the world, we share Zollipops with many people and brighten their smiles!
Alinas advice for aspiring kidpreneurs:
Always keep asking questions. You can do anything if you work hard, try and believe in yourself and never give up!
6. The Sartorial Scholar
David Heisler
Isabella Rose Taylor
Age: 15
Founder: Isabella Rose Taylor
Twitter: @isabellartaylor
By the age of 12, Isabella Rose Taylor had already sewn up an impressive accomplishment. It was one that even some of the most seasoned fashion designers would covet -- selling her own collection at Nordstrom.
The Austin, Texas, natives pieces range from crop tops to graphic tees, mostly in black, white and grey. Those that feature patterns are inspired by her love of art. Many depict sketches of hands or splashes of paint, all in an abstract style. Soon after Isabella Rose became the youngest designer ever to market a clothing line at the Seattle-based upscale retailer, the artistic young fashionista checked off another incredible accomplishment: showing off her hippie-chic designs at New York Fashion Week.
Related: This 13-Year-Old Entrepreneur Just Debuted Her Clothing Line at New York Fashion Week
Homeschooled and encouraged by her parents, Isabella Rose was bitten by the fashion bug when she was only eight. From a young age, my parents always encouraged me to follow my dreams, Isabella Rose tells Entrepreneur. They told me I didnt have to wait until I was older to be my own boss and do what I love.
It wasnt long before she stitched her entrepreneurial dreams into reality. As an early college student, accomplished painter and poet, Mensa member and Davidson Young Scholar, were not at all surprised by the prodigys speedy ascent.
Isabella Roses favorite part of being a kidpreneur:
Like most entrepreneurs, I get to build a company around something I am passionate about, and then I get to watch it grow. I have also enjoyed meeting people from all walks of life. As an entrepreneur, networking is very important, and Ive met people whove inspired me and I think I may have inspired others."
Isabella Roses advice for aspiring kidpreneurs:
"Starting a business is a lot of hard work. Dont start a business unless you love what you do. Do a lot of research and planning to make sure there is a market for your product."
7. The Motivational Speaker Who Wears His Positivity
JYoungin Education
Jeremiah Jones
Age: 15
Founder: JYoungin Education
Twitter: @Jyoungin4kids
When he was 8 years old, Jeremiah JYoungin Jones had a vision to start his own fashion brand, JYoungin Education. I saw my dad printing up promotional T-shirts and giving them away to get his own business going and I thought, Why not me? he tells Entrepreneur. Why not let me inspire my own peers and kids of all ages to be great?
The teen motivational speaker, currently the youth commissioner of his home city of Long Beach, Calif., launched his clothing line in 2009. But it almost never happened. He said in his TEDx Talk that his dad didnt want to help him make his business idea a reality. For two years, he tried to sell him on the concept. He didnt believe in me as much as I believed in myself, he said in his talk. Just because were so young, and I know we dont run things around here, but, hey, we still have big dreams as well as you guys do.
Related: This 5-Year-Old Photographer With 160,000 Instagram Followers Just Kickstarted His Own Book
His father eventually came around to supporting his entrepreneurial dream, even making the ultimate sacrifice and moving his family out of their house and into an apartment. The brand has taken off ever since. First came the online store, then the brick-and-mortar location, and the sales have kept them both going and growing.
Today, Jeremiah also runs his own nonprofit organization to encourage area kids to excel in academics, sports, business and character development. This way I can gain larger partnerships and donations to help me expand the overall goal of going global with the plan of motivating others everywhere.
Jeremiahs favorite part of being a kidpreneur:
I like inspiring my own peers and seeing them actually take what I say and put it into action. I also get the chance to be boss, and my parents work for me.
Jeremiahs advice for aspiring kidpreneurs:
Never let anyone discourage you or try to talk down on you and never give up. Follow your passion and you'll love what you do!
8. The Varsity Athlete Who Needed Tougher Equipment
Rachel Zeitz
Rachel Zietz
Age: 15
Founder: Gladiator Lacrosse
Twitter: @GladiatorLaX
If you cant find the product you need, invent it. Thats what Rachel Zietz did. The result: Gladiator Lacrosse, the ambitious Boca Raton, Fla., teens premium line of durable lacrosse equipment.
Its never too young to start, she tells Entrepreneur. I started when I was 13, and it was successful. Most people are afraid, but if youre passionate about it, youre never too young.
The varsity athlete and high school sophomore honors student launched her sporty startup in 2013, largely out of frustration. Despite searching in stores and online, she was unable to get her hands on lacrosse gear that was sturdy enough to withstand rigorous practice on repeat.
Related: How This 14-Year-Old Is Making Adults Question Their Life Choices by Being Ridiculously Awesome
For me, if there's a problem, there's also an opportunity," she told the Sun Sentinel.
Rachels parents and younger brother are also entrepreneurs, so she scored in business right out of the gate. In her first year, she racked up $200,000 in revenue. A year later, she was on track to bank $1 million in earnings.
Look out for the talented Young Entrepreneurs Academy graduate when she faces the Sharks on ABCs Shark Tank, May 13 at 9 p.m. ET. You bet well be watching -- and pulling for her.
Rachels favorite part of being a kidpreneur:
I believe the best part is that I am able to pursue something that I love [business] and can inspire others that you are never too young to accomplish your dream. Also, it is amazing to run the day-to-day operations of the company and it is great to see the looks on peoples faces when they realize who is running the company!
Rachels advice for aspiring kidpreneurs:
My advice to any aspiring young entrepreneurs is to make sure whatever you do, you are passionate about it. Passion is the key to success and it is what drives you to work through obstacles and challenges in your way.
9. The Beachgoer Bent on Making Sandals
FishFlops
Madison Robinson
Age: 18
Founder: FishFlops
Twitter: @FishFlops
Sometimes all it takes is one moment in time to change your fortune forever. For Madison Robinson, it was one trade show.
The first time the young Houston-based inventor exhibited her sea-creature-themed flip-flops at a retail trade show, sales went gangbusters -- 37 different stores placed orders for the funky footwear.
Madison, who's always enjoyed kicking back at the beach, came up with the idea for the light-up sandals when she was eight years old after a trip to the shore. Inspired by fond memories of Galveston Island, her seaside birthplace, she drew the original designs for the sandals. Then her father, Dan, helped make them into a reality. Not exactly right away, though.
Related: 8 Entrepreneurial Skills You Should Teach Your Kids
After three years of me bugging him, asking him, Daddy, make my FishFlops! he finally decided to help me make some prototypes, Madison told Steve Harvey when she guest-starred on the entertainers talk show.
To date, millions of pairs of FishFlops have sold, first at Nordstrom and now on several ecommerce sites, such as Amazon and Madisons own online store. The colorful line now includes sturdy rain boots, plush slippers and canvas boat shoes.
Additionally, her footwear is available at several U.S. Association of Zoos and Aquariums zoos in support of the organizations Saving Animals From Extinction initiative.
Madison says she believes in sharing the blessings of her success with others less fortunate. To walk the walk, shes donated more than 20,000 pairs of FishFlops to several charities, including Shoes for Orphan Souls and Texas Childrens Hospital.
Madisons favorite part of being a kidpreneur:
"I enjoy encouraging and inspiring others to think about creating their own business. TV interviews are fun and exciting, but having my hair and makeup professionally done before the interview is the best.
Madisons advice for aspiring kidpreneurs:
You have to take the first step on your own, be patient, persistent and never give up. Write down their idea, share the information with family and friends and get their opinions. Make sure you balance your time and enjoy life while working.
10. The Teen Adding Texture to Texting
Lisa Henderson
Mercer Henderson
Age: 13
Founder: Audiots
Twitter: @audiotsemojis
Like most teens, Mercer Henderson uses a flurry of emojis when texting with friends -- but she uses them a tad differently than most people. She adds sounds, turning the expressive visual icons into what she calls soundmojis.
One day, the tech-savvy San Francisco teen was making her own soundmojis when the entrepreneurial lightbulb went off. It was something I had fun doing already, Mercer tells Entrepreneur. So why not put the two together? And the seed for her Audiots iOS app was planted.
Related: These High-School Students Found a Way to Make Any Headphones Wireless
The app, put forth by Mercers new company, 4 Girls Tech LLC, features 50-plus noisy emojis. Among them is a kissy-face emoji that makes smooching sounds, a broken heart emoji that audibly shatters and a poop emoji that, uh...well just stop there, k?
To take Audiots from concept to downloadable reality, Mercer got a decent leg-up from her mother, Lisa, a product marketing exec at Salesforce. Her uncle, a LucasArts sound engineer, also pitched in on sound-mixing. Not a bad startup support team, right?
Up next for the budding young tech-preneur is adding more soundmojis to the app, as well as the ability for Audiots users to record their own talkative emojis. In the meantime, shes hoping to partner with big-name brands like Adidas and pop stars like Taylor Swift. Shes also working on integrating the app with email and Facebook. All of this, of course, after her homework is done.
Mercers favorite part of being a kidpreneur:
The most fun part for me is the emails I get from people telling me they like the app! One girl told me it is the only app she has ever downloaded! I try to email everyone back after I do my homework and stuff. Also, being on TV was fun.
Mercers advice for aspiring kidpreneurs:
My advice is if there is something you like to do, think about if other people like it too. Then try to create a more fun or simple way to do it.
Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed Monday after the teachers union urged members to call out sick following a weekend announcement that the district wouldn't be able to pay its teachers starting this summer.
District spokeswoman Michelle Zdrodowski said in an email Monday morning that 94 of the district's 97 schools would be closed for the day. About 46,000 students are enrolled in the district's schools.
The move by the Detroit Federation of Teachers was announced Sunday, a day after Detroit Public Schools' transition manager said the district would have no money to continue paying teachers this summer without further funding from the state.
"There's a basic agreement in America: When you put in a day's work, you'll receive a day's pay," Detroit Federation of Teachers Interim President Ivy Bailey said in a statement. "DPS is breaking that deal. Teachers want to be in the classroom giving children a chance to learn and reach their potential.
"Unfortunately, by refusing to guarantee that we will be paid for our work, DPS is effectively locking our members out of the classrooms."
In March, Gov. Rick Snyder signed into law emergency funding that is keeping the district operating through the end of the school year as the state Legislature considers a $720 million restructuring plan that would pay off the district's enormous debt.
Former bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes, who was appointed this year to oversee the district, also said Saturday that DPS would be unable to fund summer school or special education programs after June 30.
On Sunday night, he said in a statement that the union's "choice for a drastic call to action was not necessary" and said that a sickout is "counterproductive and detrimental" to the efforts of those trying to help the school district.
"I understand the frustration and anger that our teachers feel," Rhodes said. "I am, however, confident that the Legislature will support the request that will guarantee that teachers will receive the pay that is owed to them."
Teacher strikes are illegal under Michigan law. Sick-outs earlier this year caused tens of thousands of students to miss class.
A young paramedic in South Dakota was surprised enough to see a police car pulling her over -- but even more surprised when the officer got down on one knee.
Rapid City Police posted the dashcam video to Facebook, under the title, "In pursuit of the perfect proposal."
At first, 22-year-old Sarah Stewart didn't seem to know what was going on. Senior Officer Dan Anderson walked up to her minivan and asked her to step outside.
But as she walked toward the patrol car, her eyes lit up. Her then-boyfriend, 23-year-old Officer Nick Allender, approached her and took the ring box from Anderson.
She said yes. They shared a hug.
Allender told ABC News he wanted the moment to be "unique, and something that I could do that was different than anyone else."
His fiancee, who works for the Rapid City Fire Dept., said she was in "total shock."
When Nathanial White was asked whether his French teacher actually spoke French, he replied, yes but with a caveat.
Bonjour, but everybody knows that, White told KHOU.
Albert Moyer, a French teacher at Houston Independent School Districts Energy Institute High School, is under fire for not actually speaking the language he teaches. Moyer told KHOU his experience includes just a year of high school French.
Moyer was hired after the schools longtime French instructor, Jean Cius, was removed in December following a dispute. Cius said he now just monitors the halls at another Houston school.
I feel so bad for the taxpayers because theyre paying me for not doing anything at all, Cius said.
White said if students now have a question about their French studies they have to search the answer on Google.
It can often become a difficult task to find certified foreign language teachers, in the middle of the academic school year, to fill the needs of the district, HISD said in a statement to KHOU. Effective French teachers are especially hard to come by. However, the district continues its efforts to hire talented foreign language teachers to instruct HISD students.
A video sting from students at a Chicago-area high school appeared to show a staff member stealing from a students locker but when students tried to identify the culprit last week, at least one was punished.
Police were looking into the video, which apparently was recorded with a cell phone from inside a locker at Evanstown Township High School, The Chicago Tribune reported. A statement from the school said appropriate actions would be taken as more details become available.
But so far, the only actions taken have come against one of the sleuthing students.
Noah McKay, 17-year-old junior, said he and friends organized a protest to try to get the staff member fired. Police did not identify the worker.
Me and my friend were pretty upset and we stayed on the phone until 3 a.m. last night trying to figure out what to do, so we made a flier a picture of the guy in the video taking stuff, McKay told the Tribune.
The reward for catching the crook? A one-day in-school suspension, according to 17-year-old junior Malachi Clark. He said the school also threatened to cancel senior activities, such as prom, for other students involved.
They said they were suspending me for distribution of harassing materials something along those lines because of the flier I created and distributed with my friends, Clark said. I also got in trouble for cyber bullying because of a lack of an indictment (against the staff member allegedly involved).
Evanston Police Cmdr. Joe Dugan said the video appears authentic, and police know the identity of the person allegedly shown taking money. But Dugan said the person who took the video needs to come forward for charges to be pressed.
Were talking about a criminal investigation, Dugan said.
Clark said somebody previously had stolen cash from his locker as well, and the issue has long plagued the school.
I know probably around 10 or 15 people who have had money or other items taken from their lockers that were lockedits been freshman year to junior year, its been a wide array of occurrences thats been going on for awhile, Clark said.
McKay said the schools response has been underwhelming.
People have been complaining and reporting their stuff stolen and really the security officers will say, Did you lock your locker or this and that, or just tell us theyll do anything they can to get out stuff back, but that hasnt happened, McKay said.
The Marine Corps says it has begun investigating whether it mistakenly identified one of the men shown raising the U.S. flag at Iwo Jima in one of the iconic images of World War II after two amateur history buffs began raising questions about the picture.
The Marines announced its inquiry more than a year after Eric Krelle, of Omaha, Nebraska, and Stephen Foley, of Wexford, Ireland, began raising doubts about the identity of one man. In November 2014, the Omaha World-Herald published an extensive story about their claims and Saturday was the first to report the Marines were looking into the matter.
Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal shot the photo on Feb. 23, 1945, on Mount Suribachi, amid an intense battle with the Japanese. Rosenthal didn't get the names of the men, but the photo immediately was celebrated in the U.S. and President Franklin Roosevelt told the military to identify the men.
After some confusion, the Marines identified the men as John Bradley, Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, Harlon Block, Michael Strank and Franklin Sousley. All were Marines except Bradley, who was a Navy corpsman.
Block, Strank and Sousley were killed in fighting at Iwo Jima before the photo was distributed in the U.S.
On Monday, the Marines issued a statement saying, "The Marine Corps is examining information provided by a private organization related (to) Joe Rosenthal's Associated Press photograph of the second flag raising on Iwo Jima.
"Rosenthal's photo captured a single moment in the 36-day battle during which more than 6,500 US servicemen made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation and it is representative of the more than 70,000 US Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Coast Guardsmen that took part in the battle. We are humbled by the service and sacrifice of all who fought on Iwo Jima."
Iwo Jima, a tiny island 660 miles south of Tokyo, was the site of an intense 36-day battle that began Feb. 19, 1945, between about 70,000 Marines and 18,000 Japanese soldiers. Capturing Iwo Jima was deemed essential to the U.S. war effort because Japanese fighter planes were taking off from the island and intercepting American bomber planes.
Hal Buell, a retired AP executive news photo editor, had long discussions with Rosenthal about the flag-raising picture and in 2006 wrote a book about the famous image. It's hard to understand the photo's power in 1945 to Americans, who were weary of the war and horrified by the incredible number of deaths by servicemen, especially in locations of Asia most had never heard of, Buell said.
"People were just tired of the war, and all of a sudden out of nowhere came this picture that encapsulated everything," Buell said. "It showed that victory was ultimately possible."
Buell said after Rosenthal shot the photo, the flag-raisers quickly moved onto other tasks, and it was impossible for him to get their names. That task was left to the Marines after the picture prompted an overwhelming response and the government decided to use the image in an upcoming sale of war bonds to finance the continued fighting.
Rosenthal died in 2006.
The identification of the six servicemen has been accepted for decades, but the World-Herald reported that while recovering from an operation Foley had lots of time on his hands and began noticing possible discrepancies in the picture. He enlisted the help of Krelle, who maintains a website dedicated to the Marines' 5th Division.
After examining the famous photo along with other pictures taken that day of the men, they concluded that the man identified as Sousley was actually Harold Henry Schultz, a private first class from Detroit. Schultz died in 1995. They also contend that the figure initially identified as Bradley was Sousley, which if true means Bradley wasn't in the photo.
Krelle declined to comment on the Marine's investigation, telling the World-Herald he had signed a confidentiality agreement with a third party. A message left by the AP at a phone number listed to Krelle wasn't immediately returned.
In 2014, Krelle had told the newspaper, "People can hold onto what they have always known in the past. But to me, the photos are the truth."
Discrepancies identified by Krelle and Foley included:
-- Bradley wore uncuffed pants in the famous photo but other pictures shot that day shows in him tightly cuffed pants.
-- The bill of a cap is visible beneath the helmet in the flag-raising picture but not in other images of Bradley made that day.
-- The man identified as Bradley is wearing a cartridge belt with ammunition pouches, and a pair of wire cutters hangs off the belt. But as a Navy corpsman, Bradley would typically be armed with a sidearm, not an M-1 rifle, and he'd have no need for wire cutters. Other photos that day show him wearing what appears to be a pistol belt with no ammo pouches.
Bradley's son, James Bradley, wrote a best-selling book about the flag raisers, "Flags of Our Fathers," which was later made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood.
Bradley told the AP he was shocked to hear the Marines were investigating the identity of the men.
"This is unbelievable," said Bradley, who interviewed the surviving Marines and Rosenthal before writing his book.
"I'm interested in facts and truths, so that's fine, but I don't know what's happening," he added.
The Marines didn't give a timeline for its investigation.
A man's planned explosive attack on a South Florida Jewish center was thwarted by the FBI through an undercover operation involving a dummy bomb, authorities said Monday.
James Medina is accused of trying to blow up the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center during Passover services. Officials portrayed Medina as being anti-Semitic.
"MEDINA explained that if he would conduct an attack he would want to do it at a synagogue because Jewish people are the ones causing the world's war and conflicts," the complaint against Medina said.
A 17-page FBI affidavit unsealed Monday includes numerous comments allegedly made by Medina about his plan, which initially envisioned use of AK-47-style weapons to shoot up the Jewish center. Several of these conversations were recorded by an informant identified only as a "confidential human source" in the document.
According to the FBI, Medina wanted to create a leaflet to be left at the scene in which he would claim the attack was traced to the Islamic State terror group. There's no evidence the group was actually linked to Medina, but he told the informant that leaflet would "make it look like it's ISIS here in America. Just like that."
The plot, Medina said in one conversation, would be to "strike back at the Jews, by going to a synagogue and just spraying everybody ... It's a war man and it's, like, it's time to strike back here in America." Later, Medina called the plan "my call of duty."
"When I'm doing this, I feel that I'm doing it for a good cause for Allah," he is quoted as saying.
Another undercover FBI employee several times asked Medina whether he really wanted to go through with the plot, which might include killing women and children.
"I'm up for it. I really am. This is no joke. This is serious, dog," Medina said on an FBI recording.
He allegedly discussed planting a bomb as close to the door of the synagogue as possible or leave it in a bathroom.
"I mean though, whatever, whatever it is, it's just gonna go off," Medina reportedly said. "I wanna see damage happen to their ass."
Medina allegedly said he wanted to go through with the plot because he has "a lot of love for Allah."
Medina reportedly believed the Jewish holiday he would be disrupting was Yom Kippur and said he wanted to "let them realize that their Yom Kippur's going down."
Medina is being held at the Federal Detention Center in Miami and is slated to appear in court Monday afternoon to be charged with a weapons of mass destruction offense.
The leadership of our congregation has been briefed by law enforcement and Jewish community security officials about this situation, the synagogue said in a statement on its Facebook page attributed to Rabbi Jonathan Berkun and Executive Director Elliot Karp. They assured us that the synagogue and school were never at risk at any time during the investigation and arrest, and that there are no credible threats directed against us at the present time.
Aventura is a 30-minute drive north of Miami.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Minnesota National Guard is experiencing a suicide crisis, and communities and experts are scrambling to figure out why.
For family members left behind, there is soul-crushing sorrow and, as in all suicides, the haunting question: Could I have done more?
The Minnesota guard is the 10th largest state guard by size, but second to only one other states guard Pennsylvania in the number of suicides. Minnesota has experienced 27 National Guard suicides in the last five years. Twenty-seven members of the larger community are all dead by their own hand, after their willingness to serve and defend this nation. What is going on?
It is possible that changes in recordkeeping have driven the numbers higher, Minnesota Guard leaders told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Also, there can be a contagion effect, where suicide is somehow regarded as more acceptable the more it happens.
With each suicide, you have an increased risk pool of suicide, Melissa Heinen, suicide prevention coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Health, told the Star Tribune. The more suicides you have, the more that becomes a more normalized option.
"We have a really good National Guard they are deployed more often than what our state's obligation is. I'm not sure why that is," Paul Riedner, executive director of Minnesota's Veteran Resilience Project, told LifeZette. "That has something to do with it."
Suicides among the National Guard is a complex issue with no easy answers. Enlisted men and women often come home very changed people. They may suffer from PTSD, from a myriad of physical challenges, and from "moral injury" having to make decisions on the battlefield that test their moral code. In the National Guard, military service is limited to several days a month, and the rest of the month service members may find themselves isolated from their communities and their families by their own unique combat experiences, their own issues and a lack of community outreach.
"Being in the military used to be so valued back in the two world wars. Servicemen were really heroes," said one veteran in his early 80s from Reading, Massachusetts. "Now, people are too busy to think about veterans other than in passing, or when they actually see one. Even the numbers at Veteran's Day parades around the country have dwindled. Can you imagine not having an hour to attend a parade?"
Why the North Star State is dealing with such a high rate of suicide among National Guard members is a multi-layered and pressing question, but the nexus seems to be a community's relationship, or lack thereof, with its veterans and service members.
"The situation where the National Guard is isolated from the community is a dangerous one, and that is the situation in Minnesota and other areas, too," said Riedner. "Any time you isolate one unit or element from the larger system that isn't good."
Major Ron Jarvi, program manager of the Minnesota National Guard Resilience, Risk Reduction, and Suicide Prevention Office, corroborated this. "We see our soldiers two days out of the month, but the community, the churches, their employers they get to see them the other 28 days out of the month," he told the Star Tribune.
Fewer than half the Minnesota National Guard members who committed suicide were ever deployed or ever saw combat.
"It is surprising, and presents a better picture of how complex the situation is," said Riedner of that statistic.
The military's presence may also not be felt among Minnesota communities.
"The veteran population in Minnesota is not like where I served in Virginia. There, all you see are Navy, Army, Marine, and Air Force uniforms, all day, every day. There is no ignoring or pretending that we're not at war," said Riedner. "In Minnesota and a lot of other places, however, when you have a National Guard that only trains those two days a month, and then they're back in the civilian population again, there's a disconnect."
He continued, "It's hard when there is no visual evidence of war. It was disturbing to me that I could come back home from the desert, and it was like nothing ever happened. It's the idea that nobody cares, which is a false belief, but I felt it. It's not that soldiers worry if anyone cares we don't serve to get recognition but that means we're doing our best to deal with it on our own."
The way we categorize vets and their challenges needs to change, said Reidner. We need to broaden our concerns from just the mental health of the nation's veterans to their spiritual health and social health, and examine how they are fitting in to our communities. This "whole person" consideration is so vital, he said, that he rarely thinks of veterans issues as mental health-related.
Shame and guilt also play a role in a veteran's thinking. These hidden emotions are difficult for the community at large to recognize and understand.
Riedner offered the scenario of an enlisted person's experience of a convoy hit by a roadside bomb. The service member wonders if he could have done more to save lives. Or perhaps the service member made a serious but honest mistake, with devastating consequences.
"Shame tells us we are not worthy of love and connection to others. It's very damaging when we already feel different and isolated," said Riedner. "You come back to a population that doesn't understand what you've been through and all you've learned. It's a hard divide to bridge."
He stressed his appreciation of the community at large. "I don't want to be hard on the community. [People] do care, but they don't know how to show it. How do you approach a veteran? Most people don't have experience with this. But Minnesota is full of caring people."
Communities can change the way they look at veterans and active military and act on that change.
"Most people assume, 'We have a [Veterans Affairs] system to take care of those who go to war. It's their responsibility,'" said Reidner. "But the VA can't do everything, and it has its own issues."
The Veteran Resilience Project is dedicated to helping Minnesota veterans connect with their communities, share with each other the tools that help with healing, and gain access to therapies like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). That therapy has been effective in the treatment of PTSD but is not actively promoted by the VA.
For those of us who are not veterans or active military, we need to accept our shared responsibility of taking care of those who take care of us at great personal cost.
"We have neighbors, cousins, dads, moms, that we've sent to war, and war is a collective decision. We sent them, so we need to be there when they return," said Riedner. "There needs to be community accountability."
A joyful celebration quickly turned into panic when a wedding guest shot a groom in the head, apparently by mistake, in an incident caught on video.
Warning: Video may be considered disturbing.
#WATCH: Groom injured in celebratory firing during a wedding ceremony in Haryana's Hisar (28.4.16).https://t.co/iOOBggZsaO ANI (@ANI_news) April 30, 2016
Fortunately, the groom survived, but was seriously hurt. Officials called off Thursday's wedding ceremony in northern India before it could finish, ANI reports.
The video showed the groom falling to the ground in a cloud of smoke after the shot rang out.
Celebratory gunfire at weddings is banned in India, according to the Hindustan Times.
The dramatic scene unfolded in the city of Hisar, 100 miles northwest of New Delhi. Police said they would launch an investigation based on the information they received from the groom's father.
Six Venezuelan army officers were arrested Sunday after allegedly stealing goats from a nearby farm because they were hungry, the PanAm Post reports.
The soldiers were arrested in the central region of Lara after investigators spotted an unmarked van carrying dead animals. The army officers told local law enforcement they had no choice but to steal, kill and eat the animals because their army base, Fort Manaure, had almost run out of food.
The owner of the stolen goats told police he saw the theft when it happened. Local farmers claim this was not the first time somebody stole their animals.
Instead of protecting us, they come to kill our animals, farmer Jaime de Dios Verde Lameda told police, according to local media. I began to yell, Whats going on? And they said nothing.
Lameda said he did not fight back against the soldiers because he was afraid they might shoot him.
The food shortage has crippled industries across Venezuela. Last weekend, there were reports of mass lootings of pharmacies, shopping malls, supermarkets and food trucks, PanAm reports.
As a result, Venezuelas Chamber of Commerce has declared most businesses now only have enough inventory to last the next 15 days.
next Image 1 of 3
prev next Image 2 of 3
prev Image 3 of 3
Japan's foreign minister has announced a multi-billion dollar initiative to promote development in the Mekong region, which encompasses parts of Vietnam, Laos and Thailand through which the river flows.
In a speech at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok on Monday, Fumio Kishida affirmed the importance of Southeast Asia's economic prosperity to Japan. He pledged 750 billion yen ($7 billion) in funding during the next three years to support development and growth in the region.
Kishida also renewed his call for the establishment of a code of conduct in the South China Sea and that prosperity can only achieved if there is peace and stability in the region.
The visit to Thailand is part of his regional tour that includes stops in China, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.
Kim Jong Un is now playing the role of wedding spoiler.
The North Korean dictator banned all weddings and funerals for the coming week as the reclusive country gears up to anoint him as their official leader at the first Workers' Party of Korea Congress in 36 years, Britains Sunday Times reports.
Thousands of delegates and security forces from across North Korea are expected to travel to Pyongyang to pay their respects to Kim during the Congress, which starts on May 6 and is expected to last several days.
Weddings and funerals have been canceled for security reasons, the newspaper reported, without elaborating.
"Strengthening security can be seen as a measure to prevent mishaps over the party congress," said Cheong Joon-hee, a spokesman at South Korea's Unification Ministry, according to The Mirror.
North Korean authorities also have ordered citizens to spruce up the capital before the celebrations, the Daily NK reports.
next Image 1 of 2
prev Image 2 of 2
The Latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local):
2 p.m.
A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross says a humanitarian convoy has delivered aid to 12,000 families trapped in a government-besieged area north of the central Syrian city of Homs.
Pawel Krzysiek said Monday that a convoy of 13 ICRC trucks and 3 trucks from the Syrian Arab Crescent are delivering food, hygiene items, diapers, and school books to the besieged town of Talbiseh.
The town's population has doubled to 60,000 with the influx of displaced residents form other areas, according to the ICRC.
Pawell says the joint ICRC and SARC team will assess medical, water, and sewage infrastructure in Talbiseh and neighboring villages.
___
1:30 p.m.
Syria's state news agency says the military has extended its cease-fire around Damascus and opposition strongholds in the eastern suburbs for another 48 hours.
The Monday report said that President Bashar Assad's army would extend the cessation of hostilities that was declared Friday around the capital and the coastal Latakia region, following two weeks of escalating violence around the country.
The truce excludes Aleppo, Syria's largest city and a major battleground between rebels and pro-government forces.
Russia's Tass news agency quoted Russian Lt. Gen. Sergei Kuralenko, head of the Russian coordination center in Syria, as saying that talks are continuing about a cease-fire for Aleppo. He says the Damascus area cease-fire was brokered by the Russia and the U.S., "in agreement with the Syrian leadership and the moderate opposition."
A drone strike in Syria killed a married American couple who'd pledged allegiance to the Islamic State terror group and worked to recruit new jihadis overseas and online, ISIS-linked social media accounts revealed on Saturday.
The husband and wife were identified as Abu Issa Al-Amriki and Umm Issa Al-Amrikiah. They did not reveal their birth names. The terror group frequently uses the name "Al-Amriki" to refer to Americans.
The drone strike took place in late-April, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor.
Analysts say the wife was especially eager to make the terror group seem appealing to women. One post appeared to show her holding a suicide belt, claiming she hoped she could use it herself to kill "infidels."
Another post reportedly read, "My account is for sisters only, so unless you menstruate do not message me." Islamic law puts strict limits on socializing between men and women who aren't related.
More than 150 Americans have traveled, or have tried to travel, to Syria to join terror cells, National Counterterrorism Center director Nicholas Rasmussen said last year.
The husband and wife "were hit in their house by the airstrikes and they both attained shahadah [martyrdom]," one pro-ISIS account read.
It's unclear who carried out the drone strike. A U.S. strike in Syria killed the British terror operative known as Jihadi John in November.
Islamic State and the Assad regime in Syria have been colluding with each other in deals on the battleground, Sky News can reveal.
Our exclusive investigation into leaked secret IS files suggests one piece of co-operation was over the ancient city of Palmyra.
The files also show that the militant group has been training foreign fighters to attack Western targets for much longer than security services had suspected.
The revelations underscore fears in the United States that a network of sleeper cells is spread across Europe, avoiding detection, and is planning further Paris- and Brussels-style assaults.
IS defectors, meanwhile, have told Sky News that Palmyra was handed back to government forces by Islamic State as part of a series of cooperation agreements going back years.
New letters obtained by Sky News, in addition to the massive haul of 22,000 files handed over last month, appear to confirm this.
They show:
:: An agreement with the Syrian regime to withdraw IS weapons from Palmyra.
:: A deal between IS and Syria to trade oil for fertiliser and;
:: Arrangements to evacuate some areas by Islamic State forces BEFORE the Syrian army attacked.
All appear to be pre-agreed deals and suggest direct evidence of collusion between the Syrian regime and Islamic State chiefs.
For the past 18 months Sky News has maintained contacts with a Free Syrian Army group originally from Islamic State's headquarters in Raqqa, but now living across the border in Turkey.
The group operates a network to smuggle defectors away from IS.
Some of the defectors openly admit their prior allegiance to the terror group and acknowledge that they only left because of internal disagreements with some of the IS leadership.
In reality they remain wedded to the basic tenets of Islamic State: strict Sharia law, a caliphate and on-going war against anyone deemed to be an enemy.
The authenticity of the latest documents is impossible to verify, but all previous leaks of material funnelled through this group have proved to be genuine.
The new documents are copies of handwritten orders sent from Islamic State's headquarters.
One document requests safe passage for a driver through IS checkpoints "until he reaches the border with the Syrian regime to exchange oil for fertiliser".
The defectors claim that this is a trade agreement between the two sides that has been going on for years.
Another letter contains instructions for a commander to "transfer all equipment and weapons to the agreed evacuation point. We have received intelligence that al Qasr and its surroundings will be bombed on 24th November, 2013".
The defectors claim this was a withdrawal agreed between Syria and Islamic State.
The most interesting document was written shortly before the Syrian army recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra, after months of occupation by IS.
"Withdraw all heavy artillery and anti-aircraft machine guns from in and around Palmyra to Raqqa province," the document says.
I asked one of the defectors if Islamic State was coordinating movement of its fighters and leaving areas they previously controlled, in direct coordination with the Syrian army and even the Russian airforce.
His answer was simple. "Of course," he said.
Click for more from Sky News.
An Islamic State fanboy who idolized Jihadi John and gushed on Twitter about how his machete was looking sick was thrown in jail for five years for encouraging others to engage in terrorism.
Mohammed Moshin Ameen jailed for 5 years for sending approximately 8,000 tweets supporting #Daesh #IS #London pic.twitter.com/Pr9TqqUITS Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaGeoNews) April 28, 2016
Between March and October of last year, Mohammed Moshin Ameen, a 23-year-old security guard from the London suburb of Dagenham, posted some 8,000 tweets on 42 different accounts, Metro reported Friday.
In one post, he referred to the September 11 attackers as the magnificent 19, a court heard. He also posted a picture of Jihadi John, ISIS infamous masked executioner who reportedly was killed in a drone strike.
Another post showed Ameen holding a weapon with the caption underneath reading Machete looks sick, Metro reports.
Ameen pleaded guilty in March on five counts of encouraging acts of terrorism on social media, inviting support for the Islamic State and disseminating a terrorist publication.
His lawyer said Ameen has below average intelligence and was exposed to radicalization. Counter-terror officials said they stopped him from traveling to Syria after they found a one-way ticket to Turkey at his home in 2013.
Click for more from Metro.
Israel, Egypt, and Hamas agree on at least one thing: their mission to prevent the Islamic State terrorist group from expanding its grasp.
They chose to form an unlikely alliance against a ruthless ISIS affiliate that wreaked havoc on Egypts Sinai Peninsula and claimed responsibility for downing a Russian plane in the region last year, The Washington Post reported Saturday.
Hamas two weeks ago sent several hundred fighters to Gazas border as part of a deal with Egypt to keep the extremists from entering the coastal territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised his countrys decision to erect a new barrier between Israel and Egypt, warning that we would have been overflowed by thousands of ISIS fighters from Sinai, The Washington Post reports.
The ISIS affiliate known as Wilayat Sinai frequently has attacked Egyptian soldiers and military posts.
Egypt said it had the Sinai Peninsula under its control, claiming in statements that it captured or killed several terrorists. But the statements have been difficult to verify since journalists are barred from the region.
Egypts western allies are growing increasingly concerned about its ability to contain the ISIS outbreak, fearing it could threaten a multinational peacekeeping effort between Egypt and Israel along the Sinai border, The Washington Post adds.
Click for more from The Washington Post.
Important Cookie Information
We collect information from our users this is for administration and contact purposes in connection with contributions you may wish to make to the site or your use of certain site features such as newsletter subscriptions and property enquiries.
Dwyer Group Acquires Locatec in Germany, Expands European Presence
May 02, 2016 // Franchising.com // WACO, Texas The Dwyer Group, Inc., one of the worlds largest franchising companies of trade service brands, has acquired Germany-based Locatec, growing Dwyer Groups global presence. This latest acquisition supports the companys 2016 international initiative to expand presence in European countries where Dwyer Group service brands currently operate.
Right now is a very exciting time for international growth at Dwyer Group. We are thrilled to add Locatec to the extensive list of trusted Dwyer Group service brands, said Mike Bidwell, president and CEO of Dwyer Group.
Locatec is a leak detection business in Germany and Austria, which will pair well with Dwyer Groups Rainbow International operation already making strides in the German market. Locatec currently has 60 franchise locations operating with 120 service vehicles, providing complete coverage of both markets.
While we are always on the lookout for companies whose core business compliments those of our family of brands, we do not take acquisitions lightly, said Bidwell. Locatec aligns with our business model and values, and is ripe for growth. They have a proven track record of success and the potential to really grow as part of the Dwyer Group family of brands.
Under the direction of Hartwig Finger, president of European operations at Dwyer Group, the company plans to operate Locatec in a way that will permit German franchisees to accelerate their growth, improve market penetration, and allow Locatec to expand into other countries.
For more information about Dwyer Groups service brands visit www.dwyergroup.com.
About Dwyer Group
Dwyer Group, based in Waco, Texas, is a holding company of 12 franchise businesses, each selling and supporting a different franchise under the following service marks: Aire Serv, Glass Doctor, The Grounds Guys, Five Star Painting, Molly Maid, Mr. Appliance, Mr. Electric, Mr. Handyman, Mr. Rooter (Drain Doctor in the UK), ProTect Painters, Rainbow International, and Locatec. Collectively, these independent franchise concepts offer customers worldwide a broad base of residential and commercial services. In addition, Dwyer Group operates glass shops in New England under the Portland Glass brand name. Dwyer Group is a portfolio company of The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm. The firms international portfolio includes more than 75 companies. More information on Dwyer Group, or its franchise concepts, is available at www.dwyergroup.com.
Dwyer Group is also on Twitter at @DwyerGroup.
SOURCE Dwyer Group
Contact:
Monica Feid
BizCom Associates
(972) 490-8053
MonicaFeid@BizComPr.com
###
Comments:
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Disqus
RICHMONDVirginia has become home to thousands of children fleeing violence in Central America in recent years, but the level of support services they receive when they step into a classroom varies widely depending on where they live.
Since the fall of 2013, the federal government has placed nearly 7,300 unaccompanied minors with adult sponsors in communities across Virginia, where they are expected to attend school while they await an immigration court hearing. Only Texas, California, Florida, New York and Maryland have accepted more migrant youth than Virginia.
Many of the children arriving from war-torn countries have suffered emotional trauma and face unique educational challenges. But while some Virginia schools have made connecting immigrant children with social services a priority, more needs to be done to aid these vulnerable students, advocates say.
Understandably, schools feel this is a huge challenge but I think these kids are incredibly resilient and resourceful and smart and it can be a great opportunity if a school does it right, said Becky Wolozin, an attorney who assists immigrant children with educational challenges. She is an Equal Justice Works Fellow at Legal Aid Justice Center.
The federal government has placed more nearly 104,000 unaccompanied minors in communities nationwide since 2013, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Most of the children that have been placed in Virginia are living in the states northern communities of Washington.
In Alexandria, where 440 unaccompanied youth have been placed, school officials have created a special program that integrates students English language studies into their normal coursework.
At the International Academy at T.C. Williams High School, which has more than 500 students, psychologists and social workers also work with the children and their families to ensure both the emotional and educational needs of the student are being met, school officials say.
The model is just very supportive of immigrant students, in particular during this time we had that surge that everyone experienced of unaccompanied minors, said Bethany Nickerson, executive director of the Office of English Language Learner Services for the district. Its unclear how many of the unaccompanied minors are attending public school in Alexandria because school officials said they dont distinguish between them and other children.
Harrisonburg City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Scott Kizner said he has made a big push to improve the services for children whove experienced trauma by hiring more mental health counselors, psychologists and social workers. But he said he believes the federal government should be assisting schools with the added cost of serving these students.
I love having these kids, Kizner said. And Ill never criticize these kids for being here.
The teacher crisis is real, and were not going to work our way out of it simply by making it easier to hire teachers.
FIS FedFis Digital Prospector Helps FinTech Firms Save Financial Institutions
A group of banking experts in Austin, Texas, is helping FinTech firms by speeding up and simplifying digital adoption with an easy-to-use tool.
--
FIS FedFis has announced the launch of FedFis Digital Prospector, a new tool that will help FinTech companies connect with financial institutions going digital. With the new products, FinTech firms will have access to blended financial institution data and analysis that facilitate FinTech and banking FinTegration. FinTech can save financial institutions by bridging the gap between in-demand, convenient, cost-effective digital frameworks and the know-how needed to successfully implement them, and FedFis Digital Prospector delivers the ultimate conduit to do so.
There is a digital revolution changing customer behaviors, and banks are trying hard to adapt. Oftentimes, FinTech companies are more knowledgeable about the digital framework but lack an understanding of the existing institution's ecosystem and how to illustrate their products financial impact. Knowing the core, online, and mobile is the starting point to qualifying a prospect.
Using score calculations of FI acquisition risk/reward, contract profitability, and overall bank health, FedFis Digital Prospector determines anoverall prospect FI rating. Combining financial institution data and FinTech data, it delivers a robust built-in ROI model. Packed with key financial data and ecosystem data like core processor, internet banking vendor, and mobile, FIS FedFis is delivering a one-stop hub for critical data and more.
According to Dave Mayo, CEO at FIS FedFis, "FinTech will stop the destruction of banks, not cause it, if they understand Bank financial culture. Digital Prospector creates the first FinTech ecosystem by blending digital products and bank financial data that actually helps both sides with FinTegration."
About FIS FedFis - FIS FedFis is a partner to the banking industry and serves the largest financial services firms around the world with comprehensive financial data analysis products, news, and the company's latest product, FedFis Digital Prospector - a blend of FiinTech and banking data to facilitate Fintegration. Additional details can be found at http://fedfis.com.
For more information about us, please visit http://www.fedfis.com
Contact Info:
Name: Dave Mayo
Organization: FIS FedFis
Address: PO Box 1235 Austin, TX
Phone: 800 726 6140
Release ID: 112610
For more information visit r
Recent Press Releases By The Same User
Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Feather Brow Couture Launch New Website
Feather Brow Couture have just gone live with their new website showcasing the comprehensive range of microblade eyebrow tattooing, lash lift, tint and extension services available at their Sydney clinic.
--
The new website reflects their commitment to stay at the leading edge of technology as well as to keep in touch with their clients via regular newsletters and special promotional offerings.
Ursula Cervellone, Founder and Principal of Feather Brow Couture said, "Existing clients were surveyed to arrive at a website solution that suited the array of individual client needs. She went on to say; "We found that the clients had broad requirements from education on microblading and eyebrow cares through to the desire to book appointments with ease online. We needed to take all of this feedback into consideration in our new website design solution"
Feather Brow Couture is one of Sydney's recognized experts in Microblading, 'micro-pigmentation' also known as '3D eyebrow feathering.' This is an ancient technique that uses a fine blade known as a 'micro blade' rather than a tattoo gun.
The micro blade is a row of micro-needles that is delicately etched into the epidermis layer of the skin using natural pigments. This technique creates fine, crisp, natural hair strokes within the skin. Every brow is individually designed by hand, to mimic the existing brow-hairs creatively tailored to suit the clients' face.
Ursula Cervellone said, "The new website needed to be a reflection of the delicate and beautiful micro blading work we do. I am extremely pleased with the web designers ability to have captured this in the look and feel of the website. We are very encouraged by the feedback already received from customers visiting the website since its launch."
Visit the website to learn more about the company here: http://featherbrowcouture.com.au
About Feather Brow Couture
Feather Brow Couture is Sydney NSW Australia based and recognized experts in Microblading, 'micro-pigmentation' also known as '3D eyebrow feathering.' Other eye beauty services include eye lash lift, tint and extensions.
For more information about us, please visit http://featherbrowcouture.com.au/
Contact Info:
Name: Ursula Cervellone
Organization: Feather Brow Couture
Address: Shop 2, 1623 Botany Rd, Botany, Sydney NSW Australia 2019
Phone: +61 0452 554 660
Release ID: 113121
For more information visit r
Recent Press Releases By The Same User
Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Thermalabs Back Applicator Goes Global
Thermalabs back applicator mitt for lotions, the Deluxe, goes global.
--
Back Applicator Deluxe is one of the latest launches by cosmetics firm Thermalabs. The product, which was launched less than two months ago, is now available to customers outside the United States. Thermalabs traditionally sells its products through Amazon.com, the leading e-commerce marketplace in the United States. The company also takes steps to make sure that it's best performing products also listed on both online and local marketplaces where they can be easily accessed by customers from Europe, Canada, and other parts of the world. Thermalabs Back Applicator Deluxe, which has performed quite well in the US, is now available to customers in the UK, France, and Germany. Efforts are also underway to list the product in Canada, and many other countries. Thermalabs appears keen to leverage a truly global audience for its offering.
Thermalabs is an increasingly solid player in the cosmetics industry. The company was launched in 2013 during an event held in New York. Registered as a company in the United States, Thermalabs operates a number of production facilities in other parts of the world, including its main center in Israel's Galilee region. Thermalabs story started long before its launch in 2013. Over the last one decade, scientists have been voicing concern about the harmful effects of relying on sunlight in order to attain a beautiful tan. Prolonged exposure of the skin to the sun is one of the known causes of skin cancer, which affects millions of people every year in the US alone. Thermalabs team of young founders, determined to contribute to a skin cancer-free world, saw the need to provide alternative tanning products that would get excellent results within the confines of healthy. That dream was realized in 2013, when the company finally hit the ground and introduced it's much hyped about Original Self Tanner, Glow2Go, Ultimitt and other popular products that were meant for the self-tanning market.
Since its inception, Thermalabs has furnished the market with at least two dozen creative innovations. In recent times, Back Applicator Deluxe was created as a product that made it super-easy for consumers to apply lotion on their back and other hard-to-reach areas. Also known as the folding lotion applicator set, this product comes in a great color and accessory design. It works easily so that users don't have to rely on their partners, friends or other people to have lotion applied on their back. The Applicator Deluxe is shipped with four replaceable sponges that absorb little amounts of the lotion, as well as a free, velvet carry pouch.
Denise L., a customer who bought Thermalabs Applicator Deluxe, reviewed, "I love this product! It could not have arrived at a better time, just in time for summer. I am extremely fair and self-tanning is a must for me as I have also had skin cancer and normal sun exposure is not an option for me. In the past, I have always had to have another person assist me in applying both sunscreen and self-tanner to my back. This amazing product allows me to do both without assistance! It comes with 4 sponges so I can designate certain sponges for different needs. The sponges are very porous so you don't lose a lot of the product to 'sponge absorption'! When using the applicator make sure and "snap" it into the lock position before using. I also discovered that the applicator is great for applying the product to legs and arms as well! Finally, the applicator comes with a great travel bag which makes it very convenient for travel! So now I can take it on vacation and not worry about having someone with me to help me apply sunscreen or self-tanner! I love this product and would highly recommend it to anyone who is an avid user of moisturizer, sunscreen, or self-tanner!"
For more information about us, please visit http://www.thermalabs.com
Contact Info:
Name: Joyce
Organization: Thermalabs
Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-gBGXC2aPg
Source: http://marketersmedia.com/thermalabs-back-applicator-goes-global/113072
Release ID: 113072
For more information visit r
Recent Press Releases By The Same User
Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Majority Companies Propelled in Acetylsalicylic Acid Industry to Go Without Patent Protections: Radiant Insights
New Market Research Reports Title "Global and Chinese Acetylsalicylic acid Industry, 2015 Market Research Report" Has Been Added to Radiant Insights, Inc Report database
--
Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) Market is also referred to as aspirin market. It is a medicine and helps in managing fevers, minor to medium aches, and inflammation. ASA is used for long-term treatments, in smaller amounts, to avoid blood clots, strokes, & cardiac arrests. Low aspirin amounts can be administered to people immediately following their cardiac arrests. This lowers 'heart tissue' deaths and prevents another heart attack.
Wide prevalence of fever, pain, inflammation, cardiac arrests, blood clots, strokes, etc favor the global and Chinese acetylsalicylic acid market. Millions around the globe suffer from these health issues. Thus, burgeoning worldwide populace promotes aspirin use and augurs well for the market. ASA is effective for preventing various cancers. Its adoption in 'colorectal cancer' prevention also drives the market.
Read Complete Research Report @ http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-and-chinese-acetylsalicylic-acid-industry-2015-market-research-report
Common side-effects from 'aspirin consumption' comprise stomach bleeding, gastric ulcers, and ear-ringing. However, these generally occur in case of greater doses. While daily ASA should prevent clot-strokes, it could also augment the chances of hemorrhagic strokes. In teenagers & young kids, the medicine is not advised for viral or flu indications. Aspirin also helps in combating common cold and 'arthritis' swelling.
The aforementioned ASA advantages bode well for the market and assist the latter in making profits. On the other hand, side-effects of the medicine may hinder market progress in the near future. Salicylic acid is a key constituent of aspirin. Apart from the diseases mentioned, ASA aids in treating pericarditis, rheumatic fever, and Kawasaki disease.
Bristol Myers Company, Sterling Drug Company, and American Home Products Corporation were three diversified & huge companies of the market in the past. Robust escalation in their earnings affected their end products. All ASA is acetylsalicylic acid, a composite first made in 1853, to mimic 'willow bark' healing properties.
To request a free sample of this report, visit here: http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-and-chinese-acetylsalicylic-acid-industry-2015-market-research-report#tabs-4
The same propelled majority of the companies in the global and Chinese acetylsalicylic acid market to go without patent protections (in benefitting from the anticipated sales hike). Several aspirin products mixed with other substances are unsuitable for preventing cardiac arrests. This is another significant factor, restraining market flow. Presence of substitutes (having lesser side-effects) could also decrease market incomes.
The medicine is available in the forms of capsules, tablets, syrups, ointment, gels, creams, injections, or liquids.
About Radiant Insight
Radiant Insights is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. It assist and facilitate organizations and individuals procure market research reports, helping them in the decision making process. The Organization has a comprehensive collection of reports, covering over 40 key industries and a host of micro markets.
For more information about us, please visit http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-and-chinese-acetylsalicylic-acid-industry-2015-market-research-report
Contact Info:
Name: Michelle Thoras
Email: sales@radiantinsights.com
Organization: Radiant Insights, Inc
Address: 28 2nd Street, Suite 3036
Phone: 4153490054
Source: http://marketersmedia.com/majority-companies-propelled-in-acetylsalicylic-acid-industry-to-go-without-patent-protections-radiant-insights/113179
Release ID: 113179
For more information visit r
Recent Press Releases By The Same User
Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Wright Concrete and Asphalt Construction expanding services to Chattanooga TN
Wright Concrete and Asphalt Construction company expanding services to include Chattanooga TN. New office opens April 25th 2016 managed by Brandon Wright. Leveraging 24 years experience of the existing three offices of Memphis TN, Nashville TN and Birmingham AL
--
Wright Concrete Construction
Company announcing opening a new office location in Chattanooga Tn. Leveraging their success for over 24 years serving the three cities of Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee and Birmingham Alabama they are expanding their operations to include Chattanooga Tn. Heading up the new office and project management will be Brandon Wright. In course of the past years, the company has earned a reputation for excellence in the safe and timely deliverable of superior quality concrete and asphalt projects always keeping within their commitments.
Wright Concrete and Asphalt Co. expanding services to Chattanooga TN
The new Wright Concrete and Asphalt Chattanooga office will align it's service offerings much in the same manner as the current offices offer, keeping consistent and in step with engineering design and project implementation experience of a senior staff of construction engineers and project management expertise of the staff located in Memphis TN.
The company will continue to take pride in maintaining all safety standards and safe guards across its projects. Licensed in states throughout the Mid-South, Wright Construction has had an impeccable track record of superior performance across all its projects and the same standards of excellence will be held by the Chattanooga office deliverables.
It's an exciting time for Wright Concrete and Asphalt Company to demonstrate it's continued success by expanding services to more cities and counties across the Mid South. "When your good at what you do and deliver your product with integrity and quality like Wright Concrete Construction does, there will always be a demand for your services" states Mark Jenkins, a partner in one of the leading real estate development firms in the Mid South.
As concrete and asphalt contractors,Wright Construction has developed a strong industry knowledge base and technical expertise. Thus specializing in demolition, slab repair, structural concrete, pavement and joint repair, epoxy repair, dock pit installation, concrete foundations, drainage design and repair trench drains, ADA accessibility and pipe bollards.
Another important fact is they also specialize in ADA compliance building and conversion. Wright Construction has worked in the areas of Barrier Removal, creating Accessible Paths, Curb Ramps, Signage, Hand Rails and Curb Cuts in Sidewalks & Entrances always working diligently to remain within the budget allocated while delivering high quality standards. Companies choosing to work with Wright Construction, thanks to their 24 years of industry knowledge, assists them in assuring their projects fall within the Government codes in ADA, which are continually being updated.
With the main focus being concrete and concrete restoration and asphalt paving, the new Chattanooga office management will continue the tradition of evaluating client needs, assisting in design, and completing projects while minimizing impact on the client's ongoing daily work activities. They will also continue the accountability, customer service quality and competitive project pricing. Wright Construction continuous to be an environmentally- conscious organization and has been involved with multiple LEED recognized projects which is an exciting element of services to bring to the Chattanooga market .
As the operations manager of the new Chattanooga office, Brandon Wright is committed to work with each client in every aspect of their projects, be it in ADA compliance, Asphalt and Paving, Facility Management and Repair, Site Concrete, Slabs, Foundations and Structures. He will leverage his company's success record in applying the latest technology and their two decades plus years of expertise in serving clients with excellence thus creating another referral base of satisfied customers in Chattanooga TN and surrounding cities of East Ridge, Red Bank, East Brainerd, Middle Valley, Soddy Daisy, Cleveland TN, Dalton GA and Calhoun GA.
As of April 25th, 2016 the new office of Wright Concrete and Asphalt Construction Company of Chattanooga is officially open for business. Please contact Brandon Wright at 423 402 6242 or visit: http://www.wrightconstructioninc.com/wcc-chattanoo... for more information.
For more information about us, please visit http://www.wrightconstructioninc.com
Contact Info:
Name: Brandon Wright
Email: Bwright@wcc-chatt.com
Organization: Wright Concrete and Asphalt Construction
Address: 1611 Auburndale Dr Chattanooga TN 37415
Phone: 423 402 6242
Release ID: 113008
For more information visit r
Recent Press Releases By The Same User
Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)
Free Freightnet Membership
List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours.
Training on the safe use of tractors Farm Safety Foundation
Young farmers continue to take unnecessary risks on farm despite knowing their actions are unsafe, new research shows.
Many young farmers believe their attitudes towards farm safety have changed thanks to industry initiatives such as Farm Safety Week (4 8 July) and the Farm Safety Foundations Yellow Wellies campaign.
But although 96% agreed they were increasingly well informed about how to stay safe on farms, many said they continued to take risks.
For the research, carried out by the Farm Safety Foundation, 250 young farmers aged 18 to 40, based in the UK, were surveyed about their attitudes to farm safety.
When asked specifically about certain ways of working on farm, the responses to the survey suggest an increase in unsafe behaviour.
See also: 10 shortcuts that could kill you at harvest
Of those polled, 44% agreed slightly and 13% agreed strongly that they were prepared to take risks when doing jobs around the farm.
Nearly one-third (29%) agreed slightly and 8% agreed strongly that they cut corners even if they know it makes jobs unsafe.
And 34% agreed slightly and 20% agreed strongly that they sometimes tackle repair jobs themselves to save money, even if outside their skill-set.
In addition, 16% agreed slightly and 4% agreed strongly that they follow unsafe orders from someone even if I know its not safe.
The majority of farmers admitted they climbed on to roofs, even if they were unsafe; climbed ladders that were not properly secured or damaged; and worked when they were tired.
However, the survey found that positive behaviour towards farm safety was widespread, but far from universal.
For example, 79% wear safety gear when necessary, 74% usually use restraining/handling facilities for animals, and 77% check for potential hazards.
But 13% said they worked unsafely with slurry and 11% admitted they did not check tractors or machinery before use.
The survey also found that near misses and minor accidents remain common on farms, especially concerning slips and trips, livestock handling, transport and farm machinery.
More noise needed to tackle poor attitudes
Stephanie Berkeley, the farm safety campaign specialist at the Farm Safety Foundation, said: Currently, risky behaviours remain something that young farmers admit to do.
This needs to change. The greater noise being created must be used to address attitudes, encouraging a dialogue about why risky behaviour will eventually lead to an accident.
Ms Berkeley added that a lot more could be done to help young farmers work safely at all times.
As the next generation of farmers, young people with a solid knowledge of safe working practices will have a greater capability to make informed and safe decisions, which can only be good for the future of the industry.
About half of the under 30s surveyed were members of young farmers clubs, which remains a key channel to reach this age group.
James Eckley, chief officer of the National Federation of Young Farmers Club (NFYFC), said the organisation was fully committed to promoting farm safety among members.
He added: We are keenly aware that more work needs to be done to change the behaviour of young people working on farms.
Future plans include working closely with the Yellow Wellies campaign, the Farm Safety Partnership and the HSE to address this.
MARRIED FOR 75 YEARS! James & Bernice Coggins celebrated their 75th Anniversary with a Sunday dinner at New Heights Baptist Church on October 16. The couple was married on Oct. 12, 1947. They have...
Haunted house Buffalo VFD Haunted House Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department, home of the casket drop, will host its annual Haunted House from Oct. 24-31. This is the VFDs 25th straight year of...
Breast Cancer Awareness Month Program planned at Shady Grove
Shady Grove Baptist Church will observe October Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Sunday, October 30 during the 11 a.m. worship service. Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Talley will speak on the...
Marines to celebrate The United States Marine Corps will turn 247 years old on November 10 and a group of area Marines have planned a celebration to honor their long and storied history....
Samsung Galaxy Note 6 Release Date, Features, News & Update: New Phablet Will Have Two Models?
This early, talks about a Samsung Galaxy Note 6 impending release has already started to circulate online. With numerous tech junkies waiting to get their hands on the South Korean brand's newest phablet, what can users exactly expect from the latest gadget?
According to reports, the new Note will have be IP68 certified. This means, the Note 5's successor will actually be dustproof and waterproof. Apart from this exciting new feature, reports are also claiming that the new phablet will put a premium on security by adding an iris scan cam.
As of writing, release date speculations have been rife online, claiming that a July/August 2016 launch could be in place. As Forbes noted, Samsung could be preparing to launch two new models for the Note 6 as well- a flat screened Note 6 and a curved edge variant. These offerings have already been made available to the public when the Galaxy S7 was launched recently.
With the success the two S7 variants has brought to the South Korean tech giant, experts are claiming that it is highly possible for them to repeat its success by releasing a Samsung Galaxy Note 6 and Note 6 Edge. Apart from its design, users are also looking forward to the new phablet's improved battery life.
As Forbes' Gordon Kelly mentioned, "The Note range has always been known for its excellent battery life, but that took a double hit last year when Samsung reduced the capacity of the Note 5 battery as well as making it non-removable."
"The latter is unlikely to return, but its capacity is said to jump from 3,000mAh to a whopping 4,000mAh," he added. "That should be enough to make it one of the longest lasting phones around."
Meanwhile, the newest device will also have updates on its camera with a 12MP DualPixel sensor on the rear and an aperture of f/1.7 with a rumored Timeless Photo/Vivid Photo technology, News Everyday reported. The front cam will reportedly get a boost as it will have a better aperture of f/1.7, but will maintain the same resolution of 5MP.
There was one on First Street and Jackson Avenue. And another over on Madison Avenue. And another in front of the Fred Meyer on Kings Boulevard.
In fact, there were lemonade stands popping up all across Corvallis Sunday as part of Lemonade Day, an event held locally for the first time that is intended to teach children how to be entrepreneurs. The Corvallis Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the local event, said kids had planned lemonade stands at more than a dozen locations as part of the event.
Heather Bodenhamer, who organized Lemonade Day for the chamber, said the event, which is done throughout the country, is a way to promote business education, one of the chambers missions.
We believe that by creating a platform for youth to learn entrepreneurial skills that they dont necessarily get in the classroom, it will inspire them to be our communitys business leaders of the future, she said.
Ava Kalmar, a 10-year-old Adams Elementary School student, said she started planning her stand six weeks before opening it, developing a business plan for her stand using guidelines from the organizers.
You can learn how to be an entrepreneur and start your own business, she said.
Ava said she thought it was good for kids to learn these skills.
When you are a kid you get to learn good habits for when youre a grown up, she said.
She added that she learned to be a good salesperson offering lemonade to passers by. Her advice to other kids was to be really nice to customers.
Avas dad Mark Kalmar said he heard about the idea from a friend in the Corvallis Rotary and told Ava about it. Ava decided to donate all the proceeds from her stand to the Chintimini Wildlife Center. Ava and her dad made the lemonade from scratch and made signs for their stand at Fred Meyer.
Emma Burgess, a 5-year-old from Corvallis, opened a stand on Madison Avenue near Fourth Street. Her business model was to donate 10 percent of proceeds to Community Outreach Inc., and keep the rest to save up to go to an amusement park.
I wanted to make money for those things, she said.
Emma also used reusable cups at her stand to reduce waste.
Kendal Norcoss, a Wilson Elementary fourth-grader, opened a stand at First Street and Jackson where she sold regular lemonade, blueberry lemonade, and strawberry lemonade cookies. She and her dad also custom built a stand.
It takes a lot of work to start a business, said Kendal, who hadnt yet picked what to do with the money she made, but she was considering donating some of it to SafeHaven Humane Society.
She also thought it was good for kids to get some experience starting a business.
When they get older, if they want to start their own business they actually know how to do it, she said.
Corvallis man
on dean's list
Northwest Nazarene University has announced that 667 students were named to its fall semester deans list.
Nathan Maupin of Corvallis made the list.
To be eligible for the academic honor, a student must earn a 3.5 grade-point average while taking at least 12 graded credit hours of classes at the undergraduate level or six graded credit hours at the graduate level.
PHS students
place in contest
Approximately 220 students from 21 Oregon high schools, from as far away as Baker City, competed in the annual High School Industrial Skills Contest held March 3 at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany.
Students competed in contests for computer-aided drafting and design, machine tool milling and turning, and several types of welding technology. Winners were announced at an awards ceremony following the competition.
Jacob Morris of Philomath High School placed second in gas tungsten arc welding. Justin Thompson, also of PHS, placed third in oxyacetylene welding.
Award recipients
announced
The annual Corvallis Area Alumna Panhellenic Recognition and Award Brunch took place Feb. 28 at the Clubhouse at Adair.
Oregon State University President Ed Ray gave opening remarks. Alpha Omicron Pi International President Gayle Fitzpatrick, named one of the top 100 graduates of OSU, gave a motivating talk, Managing Your Personal Brand. The program featured highlights from three sororities national philanthropic endeavors.
The Dr. Jo Anne Trow Scholarship was awarded to Karli Gabica, a collegiate member of Alpha Gamma Delta, for her academic achievement, service and campus and fraternity leadership. The Resident Advisor Award went to Jenny Van Nice, house director of Kappa Alpha Theta. Sandra Jameson of Alpha Gamma Delta received the Alumna of the Year Award.
Scholastic achievement for highest sorority chapter average for winter/spring/fall 2015 went to Kappa Alpha Theta (3.31 grade-point average). Recognition of sororities with GPAs above OSU all-womens average were one term, Sigma Kappa; two terms, Alpha Gamma Delta; and three terms, Alpha Chi Omega, Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta and Kappa Kappa Gamma.
More than 25 roses were distributed to women who have been involved in a sorority for 50 years or more.
Counterfeit money : Cases have more than doubled
Bonn Bonn police have registered a big hike in cases of counterfeit money. The Darknet makes tracking it very difficult.
Teilen
Teilen Weiterleiten
Weiterleiten Tweeten
Tweeten Weiterleiten
Weiterleiten Drucken
Money in your pocket? Are you sure its real? Bonn police report that the number of cases involving counterfeit 20 and 50 euro bills has gone way up. It has doubled from 243 cases to 597 cases this past year and there are no signs of a reverse trend.
In 2015, there were 152 cases of counterfeit 20 euro notes compared to only 60 in 2014. The number of counterfeit 50 euro notes actually tripled from 61 cases in 2014 to 198 cases in 2015. Rainer Krist of the counterfeit crime unit explained that the reason there are more counterfeit notes of the 20 and 50 euro denomination is because the bigger bills such as the 500 euro notes are only accepted with greater caution. Businesses generally check the larger denominations before taking them in. Still, he says it is difficult to explain the steep rise in counterfeit money. It could be that some criminals are trying to get rid of their old 20 euro notes since a new note has been introduced.
Another reason might be the boom of the so-called Darknet, where more and more counterfeit bills are bought and sold. The Darknet doesnt show up under normal search engines; and it runs with mostly anonymous networks. All the information is encrypted and criminals can do their work without anyone knowing what theyre up to - whether it be the sale of drugs, weapons or counterfeit money. This is exactly what makes it so difficult for law enforcement authorities to track.
Welcome May : May festivals fill town squares
Foto: Alfred Schmelzeisen
Bad Godesberg/Wachtberg A warm feeling came over many small towns and communities as locals gathered to welcome in the month of May.
Teilen
Teilen Weiterleiten
Weiterleiten Tweeten
Tweeten Weiterleiten
Weiterleiten Drucken
May trees were erected and plenty of Maibowle consumed on the weekend. Maibowle is a special kind of punch for May celebrations, normally containing white wine and the fragrant herb woodruff. Local communities organized small festivals to welcome in the month of May with trees, music, drink and good cheer.
The first May tree was already standing Saturday afternoon in Oberbachem. Frank Adam, from the Fire Department in Pech, reported that they had landed a 17-meter birch tree from Kottenforst, a forested area near Bonn. Children from Pech decorated the May tree with colorful ribbons and the elementary school provided music from the choir. Farmers used finesse to put the tree up in exactly the right place using their heavy machinery.
A small festival in Berkum took place with local musicians providing music at the Fire Station. An especially beautiful May tree was put up there, and workers at the Fire Department provided food and drink for the evening, making for an enjoyable village festival. Not far away in Gimmersdorf, a hen named Ella stood in the village square admiring the May tree. She wasnt alone. The group Gimmersdorf Aktiv provided around 40 helpers, big and small to put up the tree and make it look lovely with decorations.
High winds blew off some of the tree decorations from the May tree in Lieem, but the President of the Festival Committee climbed a high ladder to personally put everything, including the tree back into place. A mens choir sang in Villip while the new May royal couple was celebrated. Putting up the tree in Friesdorf was a rather professional affair, running very smoothly and followed with food and beverages.
Mehlem and Plittersdorf also celebrated May with singing at the Schaumburger Hof, a church choir from St. Evergislus and trumpeters from the Protestant churches. An audience of around 100 people listened to long-time mens choir member Werner Spotte and Gereon Lindler. On the market square in Mehlem, it was a motorbike club that erected the May tree. It seems every town across Bonn had their own special way of welcoming in the month of May.
'Feels Like Home Season 2' offers something real and tangible to think about; takes home a pertinent point - if your intentions are good, there is nothing in life that isn't achievable.
Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq
From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release
SOUTHWEST ASIA, May 1, 2016 U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
Strikes in Syria
Attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted two strikes in Syria:
-- Near Mar'a, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.
Strikes in Iraq
Rocket artillery, bomber and fighter aircraft conducted 26 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government:
-- Near Al Baghdadi, two strikes destroyed an ISIL mortar system and five ISIL bed down locations.
-- Near Al Qaim, a strike struck an ISIL vehicle bomb facility.
-- Near Albu Hayat, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.
-- Near Bayji, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.
-- Near Fallujah, three strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL supply cache, and an ISIL frontend loader.
-- Near Hit, four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL heavy machine guns, an ISIL anti-air artillery system, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL unmanned aircraft site, an ISIL bunker, an ISIL tunnel entrance, and an ISIL vehicle bomb storage facility and denied ISIL access to terrain.
-- Near Kirkuk, two strikes struck two separate large ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, four ISIL assembly areas, five ISIL vehicles, two ISIL vehicle bombs, two ISIL mortar positions, an ISIL mortar system, an ISIL bunker, and an ISIL supply cache.
-- Near Kisik, a strike suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.
-- Near Mosul, six strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL heavy machine guns, two ISIL mortar systems, two ISIL vehicles, and an ISIL weapons cache.
-- Near Ramadi, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
-- Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, five ISIL heavy machine guns, four ISIL mortar systems, and an ISIL assembly area.
-- Near Tal Afar, a strike immobilized two ISIL excavators.
Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.
Part of Operation Inherent Resolve
The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.
Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Taiwan patrol boats sail for disputed waters
ROC Central News Agency
2016/05/01 14:24:14
Kaohsiung, May 1 (CNA) Two patrol boats deployed by the government embarked Sunday from Kaohsiung for international waters near a Japan- controlled atoll in the Western Pacific to protect Taiwan fishing boats operating in the area.
In response to a directive issued by President Ma Ying-jeou (), a nearly 2,000-ton Coast Guard Administration (CGA) vessel and a ship belonging to the Fishery Agency under the Council of Agriculture (COA) departed from the southern port city for waters near Okinotori atoll to protect Taiwan fishing ships operating there.
The move came after a Taiwan fishing boat, the "Tung Sheng Chi No. 16," was seized April 25 by the Japanese coast guard while operating in waters some 150 nautical miles from Okinotori.
The boat and its crew were released April 26 only after the owner of the boat paid 6 million Japanese yen (US$54,442) as a deposit demanded by the Japanese.
Japan claims a 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone around the tiny atoll, but Taiwan argues that Okinotori is a reef rather than an island -- as Japan defines it -- and therefore is not entitled to anything more than a 500-meter "security zone" around it.
Taiwan lodged a strong protest with Japan, and Ma instructed relevant government agencies to step up protection for local fishermen operating in waters near the atoll.
Okinotori is about 860 nautical miles east of Eluanbi, the southernmost point of Taiwan.
The CGA announced Sunday at a pre-depature press conference that it will adopt the principles of no evasion, no confrontation and no provocation in its protection of Taiwan fishing boats operating in the area.
However, CGA Deputy Director-General Yao Chou-tien () said that Taiwan will take responsive measures should Japan use water cannons or take unfriendly action against Taiwanese fishing vessels, and he expressed hope that fishing rights protection can be enforced peacefully and rationally.
The CGA vessel is equipped with automatic cannon and machine guns.
According to Yao, the move is in conformity with the principle of freedom of fishing on the high seas stipulated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and is part of the CGA's routine patrol missions.
The two patrol boats with an LED display board showing a scrolling text message "We are exercising the freedom of fishing. Do not disturb," in Chinese, English and Japanese, will take 3-5 days to make the 863-nautical-mile journey to the atoll.
Yao said the fishery protection program, devised to guarantee the safety of Taiwanese fishing boats in a peaceful and rational manner, will last for one month.
There are 100-200 fishing boats from Su'ao in Yilan, Donggang and Xiaoliuqiu in Pingtung operating in the area, according to Lin Ding-rong (), director of the Fisheries Agency's Deep Sea Fisheries Division.
(By Liu Chien-pang, Wang Shwu-fen, Elaine Hou, Flor Wang and
Evelyn Kao)
ENDITEM/J
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
15 Somali soldiers killed in Shabab attack: Military sources
Iran Press TV
Sun May 1, 2016 1:48PM
At least 15 Somali soldiers have lost their lives in a car bomb attack by the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militants northeast of Somalia's capital, military sources say.
According to the sources, the incident occurred on Sunday morning in the town of Runirgood, about 180 kilometers to the northeast of the country's capital, Mogadishu.
Major Abdullahi Omar, a Somali army officer, said the group used an explosive-laden car to smash into a military base. Fierce fighting followed when gunmen stormed the base, he said, adding that at least 15 soldiers died.
"The soldiers (at the base) were few and there were no AMISOM or other military nearby for reinforcement. We killed more than 10 militants in fighting on Saturday and Sunday," Omar said, referring to the African Union Mission to Somalia.
The residents of Runirgood said they had seen dead bodies of both al-Shabaab militants and Somali government soldiers in the town.
A spokesman with the Takfiri group, however, claimed they had killed 32 Somali soldiers and captured three vehicles in the area. He also claimed that the militant group managed to recapture the town of Runirgood just one day after it had been retaken by government forces.
Somalia has been the scene of militancy by al-Shabab since 2006. The Takfiri terrorist group has been pushed out of Mogadishu and other major cities by government forces and AMISOM, which is largely made up of troops from Ethiopia, Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Sierra Leone and Kenya.
Al-Shabab pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2012.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Yemeni Gov't Refuses to Continue Direct Negotiations With Houthis in Kuwait
Sputnik News
21:18 01.05.2016
The direct talks between official Yemeni government and Houthi rebels were postponed due to the governmental delegation's decision to suspend its participation in the direct dialogue, according to a source close to the ongoing negotiations.
KUWAIT CITY (Sputnik) Intra-Yemeni talks in Kuwait on the country's reconciliation returned to the format of proximity talks after Sanaa refused to continue holding talks with Houthi rebels amid their attack on a governmental military base, a source close to the ongoing negotiations told Sputnik on Sunday.
On Saturday, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed held a trilateral meeting with parties to the Yemeni conflict in the framework of the new round of UN-backed peace talks, which began on April 21 in Kuwait.
"The special envoy is now holding separate meetings with Houthi delegations and supporters of the General People's Congress party [loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh]. The direct talks were scheduled for the evening, but they was postponed indefinitely due to the governmental delegation's decision to suspend its participation in the direct dialogue," the source said.
He added that Sanaa had exited the direct negotiations in protest against the attack of Yemen's main opposition force on the governmental military facility in the Yemeni province of Amran earlier in the day.
Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government headed by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and Houthi rebels, which have been supported by army units loyal to the former Yemeni president.
Sputnik
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
No More BFFs: Germany Reconsiders Automatic Support for Israel
Sputnik News
19:05 01.05.2016(updated 19:49 01.05.2016)
Germany may have consistently been one of Israel's strongest allies in the EU, but that could be about to change as the European nation's unequivocal support for Israel becomes equivocal.
According to a story in the German weekly Der Spiegel, a number of members inside the German Chancellery and the Foreign Ministry want to rethink Berlin's relationship with Israel as a result of its settlement policy and and the belief that Netanyahu is perpetually disinclined to act on the Palestinian issue.
The article headlined "Skepticism of German-Israeli Friendship Growing in Berlin," is only the latest in a number of reports emerging in recent years that have detailed tension between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Netanyahu.
Some have suggested that Israel has been taking advantage of "automatic" support from Germany and that no longer sits well.
"The perception has been growing in the German government that Netanyahu is instrumentalizing our friendship," the magazine quoted Rolf Mutzenich, deputy floor leader for the Social Democrats (SPD) in parliament, as saying.
Some even questioned Israel's overall policy regarding Palestine and regional and domestic affairs.
"Israel's current policies are not contributing to the country remaining Jewish and democratic," argued Norbert Rottgen, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag and a member of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union,
The German magazine argued that the debate was fueled during Netanyahu's Berlin visit. Senior cabinet advisers were infuriated when the Israel publication Hayom published a story on the meeting with the headline: "Merkel: This Isn't the Time for Two States."
The article argued Netanyahu had "twisted her words," making it appear that she backed his policies.
"In fact, though, Merkel had repeatedly made it clear to Netanyahu that she believes the effects of Israeli settlement construction in the occupied territories are disastrous," they explained. "The settlement policy, she believes, makes it unlikely that a viable Palestinian state can be established in accordance with plans aimed at a two-state solution."
However, the article noted that, while the future relationship may be murky, plenty officials believe Germany's support will remain unwavering.
"The relations between Israel and Germany are, and will continue to be, close and good," an unnamed senior official was quoted as saying. "It seems these statements are an internal German attempt to attack Merkel for her close relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu."
Sputnik
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Karabakh Conflict Escalates as Regional Soldier Shot by Azeri Forces
Sputnik News
11:37 01.05.2016(updated 11:52 01.05.2016)
Karabakh Defense Ministry stated that one of its army servicemen was killed in shelling by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on Sunday.
YEREVAN (Sputnik) Defense Ministry of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic said on Sunday that one of its army servicemen was killed in shelling from the Azerbaijani side.
"The Karabakh Defense Army's servicemandied as a result of the enemy's violations of the ceasefire in the east (Martuni region)," the ministry's press service said.
The latest wave of violence in Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, mostly inhabited by Armenians, intensified on April 2, leading to multiple casualties before Armenia and Azerbaijan reached a shaky ceasefire deal three days later, which has been followed by near-daily reports of truce violations.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988, when the autonomous region sought to secede from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. The region proclaimed independence when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. The move triggered a war that lasted until a Russia-brokered ceasefire was signed in 1994.
Azerbaijan insists on maintaining its territorial integrity, while Armenia is defending the interests of the self-proclaimed NKR, which has not been part of the peace talks conducted since 1992.
Sputnik
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
22 Somali Soldiers Killed in Al-Shabab Attack
by Abdulaziz Osman May 01, 2016
Militant group al-Shabab attacked and recaptured a town in Somalia's Middle Shabelle region early Sunday morning, killing 22 Somali soldiers, an official told VOA on condition of anonymity.
The militants claimed that they had killed more than 32 soldiers including a senior military officer in the town of Runirgood, a day after the town had fallen to government forces.
The commander of Somalia's 12th sector, Mohamed Mohamud Sanay told VOA his soldiers were ambushed and eight of them were killed, while his forces killed 12 al-Shabab militants. The commander said a senior officer was wounded and is now missing.
A Somali official who asked not to be named told VOA the death toll among soldiers was 22 and 10 others were missing and feared to be captured by the militants.
Suicide car bomb
Witnesses say the militants used a suicide car bomb in the assault and seized at least three military vehicles.
The Somali commander Mohamed Mohamud Sanay said his forces managed to caputre Runirgood Saturday without the help from AMISOM, the African Union troops in Somalia.
He said the plan was "his forces take the town and AMISOM forces come with reinforcement", but that reinforcement did not come.
"AMISOM and the top Somali military commanders bear the responsibility for today's failure, because there is lack of cooperation between the two forces," he said.
In 2011, AMISOM and Somali national Army forced al-Shabab out of areas south of Mogadishu, but the militants still control some rural areas and carry out deadly attacks in the capital and other areas in central and southern Somalia.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Counter-ISIL Strikes Hit Terrorists in Syria, Iraq
From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release
SOUTHWEST ASIA, May 2, 2016 U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
Strikes in Syria
Attack, ground-attack and fighter aircraft conducted seven strikes in Syria:
-- Near Hawl, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
-- Near Shadaddi, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL staging areas and two ISIL vehicles.
-- Near Raqqah, a strike destroyed an ISIL crane.
-- Near Mara, three strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed six ISIL fighting positions.
Strikes in Iraq
Attack, ground-attack and fighter aircraft conducted 18 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government:
-- Near Baghdadi, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.
-- Near Fallujah, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units, destroying two ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL weapons cache, five ISIL tunnel entrances and four ISIL bunkers, and denying ISIL access to terrain.
-- Near Habbaniyah, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL bunker, 12 ISIL boats an ISIL fuel truck and denied ISIL access to terrain.
-- Near Hit, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL mortar system.
-- Near Kirkuk, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units, destroying three ISIL vehicles, two ISIL tunnel systems, three ISIL assembly areas and an ISIL command-and-control node and deniying ISIL access to terrain.
-- Near Kisik, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL tunnel system and two ISIL mortar systems.
-- Near Mosul, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL financial center, destroying an ISIL mortar system and suppressing an ISIL mortar position.
-- Near Qayyarah, a strike destroyed an ISIL mortar system.
-- Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike destroyed two ISIL machine guns and two ISIL mortar systems.
Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.
Part of Operation Inherent Resolve
The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.
Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Sudan asserts 'sovereign rights' over two border areas near the Red Sea
Iran Press TV
Mon May 2, 2016 5:7PM
A senior Sudanese official has reiterated Khartoum's "sovereign rights" over two border areas near the Red Sea which have been the subject of a long-standing dispute with Egypt.
Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour told parliament on Monday that Sudan would take legal measures to assert its rights over the ownership of the contested Halayeb and Shalatin border territories.
"We will not let go of our sovereign rights on the Halayeb triangle," the minister told the lawmakers, adding, "We have adopted legal and political measures to assert our rights in the Halayeb triangle."
Sudan and Egypt have long disputed the ownership of the two border areas. Khartoum has always protested Cairo's administration of the border areas, considering them part of its sovereign territory since shortly after Sudan's independence in 1956.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Ghandour said the Sudanese government was also attempting to get a copy of a recent agreement between Cairo and Riyadh on Egypt's transfer of two islands in the Straits of Tiran to Saudi Arabia. "We need to gauge the impact of this agreement on our maritime borders."
This comes after Egypt announced last month that it was transferring the sovereignty of the strategic Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia.
Egypt is reportedly receiving USD 20 billion in aid from Riyadh in return for the islands.
Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi has come under increasing fire over his controversial decision to transfer the two strategic Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.
In recent weeks, thousands of Egyptians have protested in the capital and other cities against the decision.
On April 15, more than 1,000 angry protesters rallied in Cairo demanding "the fall of the regime."
A large number of people in Egypt have also taken to social media websites over the past few days to show their anger at the government decision.
Tiran Island is located in the entrance of the Straits of Tiran, which separates the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aqaba. Sanafir Island is located to the east of Tiran Island. The two islands control entry to the Gulf of Aqaba and Jordan.
Israel took over the two Islands in 1967 during the Six Day War. The ownership of the two islands was handed back to Egypt when Tel Aviv and Cairo signed the so-called Camp David peace accords.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
US forces arrive in southern Yemen: Report
Iran Press TV
Mon May 2, 2016 9:53AM
A report says US Special Forces have arrived in Yemen to fight alongside Emirati forces in alleged operations against al-Qaeda militants in the country's south.
Yemen's al-Masirah television channel on Sunday quoted Tom Bawman, the National Public Radio's Pentagon reporter, as saying that the troops had arrived in Yemen on April 25.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE last year provided financial and military support to militants to confront Houthis and the Yemeni army units that had taken over the security of the country after president Abd Rabbuh Manur Hadi resigned.
US deployment of troops comes a year after the withdrawal of its forces from Yemen.
On March 21, 2015, the US evacuated its remaining forces out of al-Anad airbase in southern Yemen "due to the deteriorating security situation" a day after al-Qaeda captured the nearby city of al-Houta.
Al-Qaeda has become stronger in Yemen taking advantage of the chaos created by the Saudi military campaign against Houthis more than a year ago.
Lately, Riyadh and its allies have announced an offensive against al-Qaeda in a decision seen by analysts as an attempt to ward off international criticism of the Saudi intervention in Yemen.
Last month, forces loyal to Hadi and Emirati troops reportedly overran Mukalla after al-Qaeda militants left the seaport in southeast Yemen.
Back then, the official Saudi news agency SPA claimed that more than 800 al-Qaeda members had been killed in the operation.
But residents said al-Qaeda withdrew quietly westward to neighboring Shabwa province after negotiations with local clerics and tribesmen.
They also said there was no fighting after Saudi-backed units mobilized their forces at Mukalla's suburbs.
Yemen has been under military attacks by Saudi Arabia since late March last year.
At least 9,400 people, including 4,000 women and children, have been killed, and over 16,000 others injured since the onset of the aggression on Yemen aimed at shoring up the former regime of Hadi.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
US, India discussing ways to curb Chinese submarines
Iran Press TV
Mon May 2, 2016 8:58AM
The United States and India are exploring ways to help each other track Chinese submarines, a move that could further tighten their military alliance against the Chinese navy's growing influence in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.
Last month, New Delhi agreed to allow Washington to use its military bases in exchange for weapons technology to help India narrow the gap with China.
The two sides indicated that their navies will hold talks on anti-submarine warfare (ASW), an area of sensitive military technology and joint tactics that only allies share.
"These types of basic engagements will be the building blocks for an enduring Navy-to-Navy relationship that we hope will grow over time into a shared ASW capability," an unnamed US official familiar with India-US military cooperation was quoted as saying by Reuters on Monday.
Indian navy officials have reported sighting Chinese submarines four times every three months on an average basis, with most of the sightings being registered near India's Andamans and Nicobar islands in the vicinity of the Malacca Straits.
More than 80 percent of China's fuel supplies pass through this entry to the South China Sea.
As part of their new naval cooperation against Chinese subs, America and India are flying the new version of the US P-8 spy aircraft, which is the Pentagon's most effective submarine hunting weapon.
The P-8 or Poseidon is capable of using torpedoes, depth charges, SLAM-ER missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and other weapons.
Indian navy officials have reported sighting Chinese submarines four times every three months on an average basis, with most of the sightings being registered near India's Andamans and Nicobar islands in the vicinity of the Malacca Straits.
More than 80 percent of China's fuel supplies pass through this entry to the South China Sea.
As part of their new naval cooperation against Chinese subs, America and India are flying the new version of the US P-8 spy aircraft, which is the Pentagon's most effective submarine hunting weapon.
The P-8 or Poseidon is capable of using torpedoes, depth charges, SLAM-ER missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and other weapons.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Central Asian Land And China
May 02, 2016
by Bruce Pannier
One topic guaranteed to inflame passions in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan is land and China. China has taken land from Central Asia and farmers from China are already working rented fields in Central Asia and that has not sat well with locals.
It's playing a role in the recent widespread protests in Kazakhstan. Personally I'm inclined to agree with those who see Kazakhstan as a simmering pot at the moment. There are many issues right now that are causing discontent in Kazakhstan. The issue of privatization of land and suggestion Chinese might acquire, even temporarily, some of that land just turned up the heat a bit under the simmering pot.
Which makes it the more surprising that Kazakhstan's government, faced with its worst economic crisis in some 20 years, would choose at this time to bring up land privatization and not make crystal clear from word one that foreigners, including Chinese, could not own any of Kazakhstan's land.
Officials are paying for that and now are working overtime to explain the privatization plan and soothe the tensions that erupted when rumors spread that Chinese workers would be coming for Kazakhstan's farmland.
Such concerns on the part of people in Kazakhstan, and in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan also, are not without foundation.
And to see why, we need to go back some 20 years to an agreement aimed at easing tensions.
In late April 1996, the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan met in Shanghai to sign an agreement to pull back military forces from the former Sino-Soviet, now Sino-CIS border. It was a confidence-building gesture. The deal was cemented with a decision to form the Shanghai Five, which five years later and with the addition of Uzbekistan, became the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Many Central Asian analysts have noted the SCO became China's vehicle for entering Central Asia economically and now China is at least a, if not the, leading trade partner of all five Central Asian states.
The Shanghai Five agreement also opened the door for China to make claims on land along its borders with Central Asia. The 1996 deal essentially scrapped the line that was the Sino-Soviet border and necessitated new demarcations. Then-Chinese President Jiang Zemin visited Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in July 1996 to discuss the delimitation. Jiang skipped Tajikistan, which was three years into its civil war at the time.
By early 1999, Kazakhstan was prepared to cede nearly half of the 34,000 square kilometers of what China claimed was disputed territory.
It was a very unpopular decision in Kazakhstan. There were legitimate opposition deputies in parliament back then, and there were also social movements and an independent media that, compared to today, had far more room to maneuver. These groups criticized the move.
State media repeatedly focused on the fact Kazakhstan had received "56.9 percent" of the disputed territory but critics pointed out that the remaining 43.1 percent had been Kazakhstan's land until the new deal with China.
The Mazhilis, the lower house of parliament, passed the border treaty with China on February 3, 1999; the Senate passed it on March 10 and President Nursultan Nazarbaev signed it on March 24.
The Sino-Kyrgyz border agreement was more complicated. The deal for Kyrgyzstan to hand over 1,250 square kilometers of its land to China was signed in 1999.
There was ample, vocal opposition at the time, including calls to impeach then-President Askar Akaev, and it lasted for several years.
The demarcation process started in June 2001. Within days the parliament's Legislative Assembly, the lower house (Kyrgyzstan had a bicameral parliament then), voted to stop demarcation and then prepared a draft law denouncing the agreement.
It was not until late May 2002 that President Akaev finally had an agreement to sign and he left the next month to China to formalize it with Chinese officials. Even as late as February 2003 some Kyrgyz parliament deputies were demanding the agreement be rescinded.
Tajik Disputes
Tajikistan and China also signed a border-demarcation agreement in 1999, but it was not until 2002 that Tajikistan acknowledged it was prepared to cede some 1,122 square kilometers of disputed territory to China. As was the case in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, there were many opponents to the agreement in Tajikistan, including people in Tajikistan's eastern Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. The land to be given to China was in Gorno-Badakhshan and the region's autonomous status technically demanded local approval of the deal.
Tajikistan's parliament did not finally approve the deal until January 2011 amid renewed criticism, particularly from the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), which still had two seats in parliament at the time. IRPT Deputy Chairman Saidimir Husayni said at the time that "there should have been a referendum on the issue, as this area has never belonged to China. Tajikistan is recognized as an independent country by the UN." As for China's claim, Husayni dismissed it. "Such claims exist all over the world and they cannot be regarded as proof."
Local authorities in Gorno-Badakhshan were not consulted.
The issue resurfaced in April 2013, when the leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan, Rahmatullo Zoirov, gave an interview to Iran's Radio Khorasan and said the Tajik government had given up more land than it admitted.
The Tajik government rejected Zoirov's statements, but then canceled the accreditation of three Radio Khorasan correspondents.
Less than one week after Tajikistan's parliament approved the controversial demarcation agreement with China, the Tajik government had other news. Some 2,000 hectares of land in the Khatlon region, vacated by migrant laborers who headed to Russia, was to be leased to Chinese farmers.
'Renting' No Better
And that brings us back to Kazakhstan and the possibility of Chinese farmers tilling Kazakhstan's soil. At the end of 2009, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev said China had requested renting up to 1 million hectares of land. That idea sparked protests and Kazakh officials spent the next many months denying Kazakhstan planned to "give" land to China.
So Kazakh officials should have known what would happen when land privatization was brought up in 2016. Qualifying the proposal by saying foreigners could only rent the land for up to 25 years is unlikely to assuage the population's fears that China intends to devour Kazakh lands.
Why would that work when China has already acquired 16,000 square kilometers of what was once Central Asian land in just the last 15 years?
RFE/RL's Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Tajik services contributed to this report
Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/central-asian-land-and-china/27711366.html
Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Violence Increases as Burundi Talks Delayed
by Mohammed Yusuf May 02, 2016
There was hope the appointment of a new regional mediator for Burundi, former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa, would jumpstart the peace process; but, talks that were scheduled to start Monday in Arusha have been delayed until later this month. Meantime, arrests, grenade attacks and assassinations continue, and dialogue grows more complicated by the day.
Political mediation for Burundi, scheduled to start Monday, has been postponed. Officials cited the need to consult more with the government and its opponents.
A previous mediation effort led by Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni failed to make progress.
In March, the East African Community (EAC) bloc appointed former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa to lead the talks and help find a solution to the country's yearlong political crisis.
According to officials familiar with the talks, the government is reluctant to meet with opposition groups who they say are behind attacks on government and security officials.
Government spokesman Willy Nyamitwe said the talks should expand to include opposition groups in exile.
"Political talks are going on in the country because we have a commission that is dealing with inter-Burundian dialogue, but we are willing to continue this dialogue from inside to outside, so we have to go outside and meet other Burundians who cannot make their trip to Burundi," he said.
The opposition group CNARED, whose members are mostly in exile, have accused the government of blocking them from taking part in the political dialogue.
Amnesty International deputy regional director Sarah Jackson said the delays affect the country's stability.
"We have seen talks delayed time and time again. As it is delayed, it is ordinary Burundians who are suffering, suffering from the economic situation, from increasing polarization and from these high profile assassinations," she said.
Jackson said violence and human rights abuses are on the rise.
"The last year has been marked by killings, torture, arbitrary arrests and what we have seen in the last couple of weeks is an increase in targeted assassinations or attacks on high-level people from all sides."
Last week, gunmen killed a top brigadier general along with his wife and bodyguard, an act condemned by President Pierre Nkurunziza.
The head of the CORENABU political movement, Dieudonne Birahinduka, says Burundi needs a change in leadership.
"We do not believe that these are the best people to lead the country. They do not have clean hands. Some of them have got blood in their hands. We believe the country should be in the hands of a new generation of politicians with the help of the International community," said Birahinduka.
The crisis began last year when President Nkurunziza announced he would seek a third term, a move his critics said was unconstitutional. Nkurunziza won re-election in July, but only after a coup attempt and violent protests.
The United Nations says more than 400 people have been killed and more than 250,000 have fled the country since the crisis began.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Brutal Bangladesh Killings Raise Worries About Secular Traditions
by Anjana Pasricha May 02, 2016
A series of brutal killings of liberals, academics, bloggers, foreigners and religious minorities in Bangladesh has spread deep fear in the country and raised worrying questions about whether the secular traditions of a moderate Muslim country are under threat from extremist Islamic groups.
April was the deadliest month in the South Asian country: five grisly murders have targeted a Hindu man accused of insulting Prophet Mohammad, two gay rights activists, a university professor and a law student who criticized religious extremism on his Facebook page. The killings, often by machete-wielding assailants, began with the hacking of a blogger in 2013.
Affiliates of Islamic State and al-Qaida have claimed responsibility for almost all the attacks, but the government says these groups have no presence in the country and points the finger at homegrown militant groups.
Killings unresolved
But with most of the killings unsolved, there are no clear pointers to those behind the increasingly bold attacks. Although some low-level militant operatives have been arrested, police have made no headway in identifying those planning the attacks. Families of victims complain of slow and ineffective police investigations.
"We are in uncertain terrain and we are in a confused state of mind, whom to believe. The government is not giving any credible answer," said Ataur Rahman, the head of Bangladesh's Political Science Association.
'Radicalization'
Although most security analysts are skeptical about global jihadi groups making inroads in the Muslim country of 160 million people, they warn that Bangladesh has become a fertile ground for extremist Islamist groups to flourish as its political climate becomes deeply polarized.
"We see a big attempt in Bangladesh of radicalization. Those Islamist groups try to convince the remote area people in the name of religion, and try to motivate them to pursue the religious lifestyle," said retired army Major General Abdur Rashid, the Executive Director of the Institute of Conflict, Law and Development Studies in Dhaka. He said the attacks by local militant groups are aimed at creating panic.
Crackdown on opposition
Several analysts link the series of killings to a controversial war crimes tribunal that during the last three years has convicted top leaders of the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami party for alleged atrocities in the country's 1971 war of independence. Four senior opposition politicians, including three of the Jamaat-e-Islami have been executed, triggering huge anger in its cadres.
Rashid said among the local groups under scrutiny for the killings is the student group of the Jammat-e-Islami party, the Islami Chhatra Shibir.
"This application of violence was not new to their political philosophy. How much ideological motivation they have, I have my doubt," he said, pointing out that most of the targets have not been high profile, but ordinary people with little protection and easy to pick out.
The Jamaat-e-Islami is not the only one marginalized. The country's main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has also been sidelined since 2014 when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held on to power following an opposition boycott of the elections. Many opposition leaders were later arrested.
Ataur Rahman urged the government to give political space to the opposition.
Otherwise he said, "we see very ominous signs now that this militants will occupy the space, fill up the vacuum. There is strong authoritarian rule under democratic facade, and the liberal politics Bangladesh enjoyed for three decades, that is now non-functional."
'Undermining culture of tolerance'
Besides crushing the opposition, critics accuse the government of undermining the country's culture of tolerance by not coming out strongly in defense of the liberal and moderate values of those targeted by the Islamic extremists.
While Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has condemned the killings, she has also said that people should watch what they write and speak, and that they have no right to speak out against religious beliefs. Other officials have blamed blogger victims for writing about religion.
Srinath Raghavan at New Delhi's Center for Policy Research, who has written a book on Bangladesh, pointed out that such a line was definitely not in sync with the country's secular constitution.
"That strikes me as a peculiarly wrong thing to say in this context because it more or less licenses the kind of behavior that we see playing out right now. All of it seems to me to be both muddying the waters and diluting the principles which are at stake," he said.
In a country with a healthy tradition of tolerating religious minorities and allowing space for liberal values, some of the killings have led to street protests, but the climate of fear has prompted a few civil society activists to say they will be cautious in the days ahead.
Security analysts admit there are growing worries that Bangladesh could emerge as a new battleground for radical international Islamist groups as extremism rises in the country. They point out that Islamic State wrote an article titled "Revival of jihad in Bengal" in its online publication last year and in 2014, al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri gave a call to bring Bangladesh into the Islamist fold.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
CIA Chief: 'No Evidence' of Saudi Backing of 9/11 Attacks
by Ken Schwartz May 01, 2016
U.S. intelligence chief John Brennan says there is "no evidence" indicating that Saudi Arabia gave backing to al-Qaida for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.
Speculation that the Saudis were involved has some in Congress demanding that 28 pages of a congressional probe into 9/11 be released. Those 28 pages focus on Saudi Arabia and its alleged involvement.
Brennan, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, told NBC television's Meet the Press Sunday that the information on those pages "was not corroborated, not vetted, and not deemed to be accurate."
He said the congressional panels "came out with a very clear judgment that there was no evidence indicating that the Saudi government as an institution, or Saudi officials individually, had provided financial support to al-Qaida."
Brennan said those 28 pages were withheld from the public because of the sensitive sources used in the investigation.
He spoke a day before the fifth anniversary of a U.S. special forces operation in Pakistan that hunted down and killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
In an interview taped for broadcast Monday, President Barack Obama told CNN television that he ordered the raid when he did because "if we did not take action, [bin Laden] might slip away and it might take years before he resurfaces."
Bin Laden was the world's most wanted criminal and the leader of al-Qaida, whose terrorist followers flew planes into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon near Washington, killing 3,000 people.
A third hijacked jet also was likely headed for Washington before passengers overwhelmed the terrorists and crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania.
Just seconds before bin Laden was shot dead by U.S special forces, Obama said "hopefully, at that moment, [bin Laden] understood that the American people hadn't forgotten the some 3,000 people who he killed."
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Islamic State Claims Killing of Hindu in Bangladesh
by Maaz Hussain May 01, 2016
A Bangladeshi newspaper reports three people have been detained in connection with the hacking death of a 50-year-old Hindu tailor.
The Daily Star said Sunday one of the detainees had sued Nikhil Chandra Joardar in 2012 for his "derogatory comments" about the Prophet Muhammad.
The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the tailor in central Bangladesh, the U.S.-based monitoring organization SITE Intelligence Group said.
At least two machete-wielding assailants appeared in front of Joardar's tailoring shop in Tangail district's Dubail village and attacked him around noon Saturday, authorities said. The men fled on a motorbike.
According to SITE, IS claimed to have killed Joardar because he had "blasphemed" The Prophet Muhammad.
In 2012, Joardar was beaten up by local Muslims who alleged he had abused the prophet in a comment.
"Following complaint from Muslims, Joardar was arrested and spent about a month in jail. The attack on him with machetes resembles the previous killings of the [secular] bloggers and activists," Aslam Khan, a local police official, told VOA by phone.
"We are going to investigate if his killing had any connection with the incidents of 2012."
Police have not confirmed if any militant group was involved in this killing, Khan added.
Joardar's killing Saturday marks Bangladesh's fifth fatal hacking case in April in which Islamist extremists are suspected to have been involved.
After a law student known for his secular views was hacked to death in early April, a university teacher was killed in a machete attack. On Monday, two LGBT rights activists, one of whom was a U.S. embassy employee, were murdered in Dhaka by a machete-wielding gang.
IS claim refuted
IS has claimed responsibility following several killings of secular bloggers and activists. Authorities in Bangladesh, however, have maintained that the Sunni terrorist group has no foothold in the country and local home-grown militants engineered all of the killings.
Saturday, Bangladesh's home minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, said the IS's claim it killed Joardar was baseless.
"Home-grown militants are the killers here. The claim that Islamic State is behind such killings is a part of conspiracy," Kamal said.
Earlier in the week, referring to the series of killings, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that they were being engineered by the opposition alliance led by Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its ally, Jamaat-e-Islami.
Top leaders of BNP, however, have dismissed the charge by Sheikh Hasina.
"For political reasons, the (Hasina-led) government is shielding the criminals behind these killings and slapping the blame on the opposition alliance. BNP has no connection with terrorism and such killings," Nazrul Islam Khan, a national standing committee member of BNP, told VOA.
Former university professor Ajoy Roy, father of Bangladeshi-American secular blogger Avijit Roy who was hacked to death by Islamist militants in Dhaka last year, alleged that the government is not aggressively investigating the cases of the past killings.
Fern Robinson contributed to this report.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
China Calls to Consider North Korean Proposal on Nuclear Program
Sputnik News
01:12 01.05.2016(updated 02:14 01.05.2016)
The Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Liu Jieyi has called for consideration of the North Korean proposal to stop its nuclear testing program in exchange of cessation of joint military exercises by the US and South Korea.
According to Liu Jieyi, "anything, anything, any proposal, no matter where the proposal comes from, so long it is conducive to a negotiated solution that will contribute to denuclearization and to peace and stability on the Korean peninsula should be studied very carefully."
According to Jieyi, sanctions and military exercises won't reduce tensions with North Korea. It would take a wider, "multidimensional" approach, if the parties are to resolve the issue.
Earlier, Pyongyang proposed stopping its nuclear test if the US and South Korea cancel their joint military exercises. The proposal has been denied by President Obama, who said that Pyongyang would "have to do better than that".
The exercise, called Foal Eagle and dating from 1997, has been resumed this year, after a two-year hiatus. North Korea conducted a successful hydrogen bomb test this January, and launched a ballistic missile capable of delivering nuclear warheads from a submarine this month.
The People's Republic of China has also repeatedly criticized the West for their presence in the South China Sea. While the US and allied countries seek to maintain what they call a "freedom of navigation and overflight" in the sea, China sees it as a military threat to their national security. This conflict has lead to a subsequent militarization of the region from both sides.
Sputnik
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
India's First Conventional Submarine to Join Navy After Successful Test
Sputnik News
15:46 01.05.2016
India's first conventional submarine, Kalvari, will be commissioned into the Indian Navy after a successful test, according to Indian Navy spokesman.
NEW DELHI (Sputnik) India's first conventional submarine, Kalvari, will join the country's naval fleet after its trial was termed as "successful" by the defense ministry, Indian Navy spokesman told Sputnik.
Kalvari went on a sea trial earlier on Sunday at the Mumbai harbor.
"The trial was successful. It [Kalvari] will soon be commissioned into the Indian Navy," D K Sharma said.
Kalvari is a part of Project 75, under which six submarines are to be inducted into the Indian Navy by 2020. The submarine was scheduled to have joined the Indian Navy by 2012, but the date has been moved to September this year.
Sputnik
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Iraqi protesters temporarily end demo, leave Green Zone
Iran Press TV
Sun May 1, 2016 5:34PM
Iraqi protesters have temporarily ended their demonstrations in the government complex of Green Zone and began leaving the area.
Hundreds of protesters disbanded their move on Sunday, withdrawing from a restricted area which houses the country's key government institutions, peacefully. They, however, vowed to return by the end of the week to go ahead with their demands for political reforms.
"The protest organizing committee announces the withdrawal of the demonstrators from the Green Zone," the protesters said in a statement distributed by the office of prominent cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
This came a day after protesters broke into the heavily-fortified area and stormed the parliament. The move came after lawmakers failed to reach a quorum to discuss a cabinet reshuffle proposed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.
Many of the protesters were supporters of al-Sadr. The protesters left the parliament late Saturday, but they were camping outside the parliament when organizers asked them to leave.
The protesters issued a number of demands, including the resignation of the president, the prime minister and the parliament speaker and a parliamentary vote on a technocrat government.
A spokeswoman for the protesters said they would resort to "all legitimate means" including civil disobedience if their demands are not met.
This came after Abadi held an emergency meeting with Iraq's president and parliament speaker and a number of political leaders. They said they will hold more meetings in coming days to "ensure radical reforms of the political process."
On Saturday, Abadi toured the parliament building and walked past damaged furniture. He ordered authorities to arrest protesters who attacked lawmakers and security forces and damaged state properties. But no arrest has so far been made.
Iraq has been the scene of a political turmoil in the past weeks over Abadi's efforts to form a new cabinet.
On April 26, the parliament finally endorsed six new ministers proposed by Abadi despite attempts to block the chamber meeting by about 100 deputies who are reportedly close to former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and have opposed Abadi and parliament speaker Salim al-Jabouri.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
38 killed, 86 injured in twin car bombs in Iraq
Iran Press TV
Sun May 1, 2016 11:29AM
At least 38 people are killed and 86 others injured in two car bombs in the southern Iraqi city of Samawa, security and medical officials say.
A police official said the first explosion took place around midday Sunday near government offices in the center of Samawa, while the second blast occurred minutes later at a bus station in an open-air area.
"The hospitals have received 33 dead," AFP quoted a senior official in the Muthanna health department, which covers Samawa, as saying.
Samawa, a Shia-dominated city, is located some 370km south of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
The official also noted that the death toll from both blasts is expected to rise. A medical official also confirmed the number of casualties.
Online photographs showed huge plumes of smoke rising above buildings and a number of burnt out cars and bodies lying on the ground at the site of the first attack.
The Takfiri group Daesh claimed responsibility for both attacks.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Double Car Bombings Strike Southern Iraq
May 01, 2016
by RFE/RL
Double car bombings claimed by the extremist Islamic State (IS) group have killed at least 33 people and injured more than 70 others in southern Iraq, security and medical officials said on May 1.
The first explosion happened around midday near a bus station in the center of the southern Iraqi city of Samawa. The second bomb exploded about five minutes later, 400 meters from the spot of the first explosion.
Unverified photographs posted online showed a large plume of smoke above the buildings as well as burnt-out cars and bodies lying on the ground site of one of the blasts, including those of several children.
Police and rescue workers carried victims on stretchers and in their arms.
IS militants said in a statement published on social media that two suicide attackers detonated car bombs targeting members of the security forces in Samawa, 230 kilometers south of Iraq's capital, Baghdad.
Samawa is the capital of Muthanna province set deep in Iraq's Shi'ite heartland. IS militants mostly controls parts of the Sunni areas in the north and west. Attacks in the mainly Shi'ite southern provinces are relatively rare.
AFP cited a health department official and a security officer in the Muthanna province as saying that hospitals had received 33 dead.
The death toll from the attacks was expected to rise.
A car bomb just outside of Baghdad killed at least 23 people on April 30.
The United Nations issued a monthly report on May 1 saying that at least 741 Iraqis were killed in April due to ongoing violence, a sharp decline from the previous month.
The report put the number of civilians killed last month at 410, while the rest were members of the country's security forces. A total of 1,374 Iraqis were wounded in April, the report added.
The previous month' s report said that 1,119 people were killed and 1,561 wounded in March.
Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/double-car-bombing/27709689.html
Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Baghdad Teetering on Edge as Iraq Plunges Into Political Chaos
by Sharon Behn May 01, 2016
Baghdad teetered on the edge of political chaos Sunday. The city is in a state of emergency, protesters have occupied parts of the once-secure International Zone (IZ), lawmakers have run away and the military is on high alert.
Early Sunday protesters led by Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr gathered in front of the country's now-empty Parliament before moving into what is known as the Zone's "Celebration Square."
By Sunday evening, the protesters temporarily ended their demonstration and started to withdraw from the area.
A statement from Sadr's office said the move was made out of respect for a major Shi'ite pilgrimage
Lawmakers fled Saturday after protestors stormed into the parliament.
About 60 lawmakers, mostly from the minority Kurdish and Sunni parties, flew out of the capital for Irbil and Suleymania, in the northern autonomous Kurdish region.
"It was dangerous for all of us," one parliament official told VOA, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation. Some lawmakers were beaten, he said.
The official said thousands of protesters were still in the so-called International Zone Sunday, parked outside the major government buildings.
Normally only those with special badges are allowed into the secured area, which is also home to many foreign embassies and the United Nations.
"It is dangerous," the parliament official said. "At any time, the protesters could attack any embassy, any institution they want, or abuse anybody passing by.
"It seems al-Sadr wants to keep them inside the IZ so he can force the government to do what he wants," the official said.
Political unrest
The parliament takeover was the culmination of weeks of political wrangling and increasing instability, and came just days after U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited Baghdad.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the visit was a good indication of U.S. continued support for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's efforts to unify Iraq and confront the Islamic State (IS) group.
But the visit was not enough to stave off the deepening political crisis.
Sadr has been demanding a new government of technocrats.
Abadi, who had also promised reform, had been unable to deliver any real change as political parties, unwilling to let go of their political power, blocked the majority of his list of candidates.
The prime minister on Sunday walked through the ransacked parliament building, and called on Interior Minister Mohammed Salem al-Ghabban to bring the attackers "to justice."
Deadly violence also continued in Iraq Sunday, with Islamic State claiming responsibility for bombings that killed more than 30 people in the southern city of Samawah
Unrest growing
But even as political blocs have fought to maintain their positions and all the trappings of power, the anger in the Iraqi street has been growing for the past year over the lack of basic services, security, and the vast government corruption and political patronage.
Sadr, a firebrand cleric sometimes described as a Shi'ite nationalist, has managed to capitalize on that anger and frustration.
"Al-Sadr has the power of the people. One speech and he can deliver thousands of people to do what he wants. It is the power of the populace," the parliament official said. "Al-Sadr is capable of running and leading the anger within each Iraqi person."
One high-ranking Iraqi military official, also speaking to VOA on condition of anonymity, said that Sadr had many young Iraqis, including Sunnis and Christians, on his side.
The Institute for the Study of War describes Sadr's power grab as a de facto political coup.
But the military official said Prime Minister Abadi was still in control of the Iraqi military and running the country.
Rival Shi'ite powers
Yet, the military official warned that powerful rival Shi'ite powers in Baghdad were not comfortable with Sadr's attempted power grab. He said members of the notorious Badr Brigade militia, which is strongly allied with Iran, were beginning to converge on the capital's center.
The possibility for intra-Shi'ite violence in Baghdad is high, and Baghdad residents said they are unsure of what will happen next.
There is also concern that IS could take advantage of the turmoil to ramp up its attacks. Iraqi security forces closed off all entrances to the city Saturday.
Resident Mahdi Makhmour, who lives outside the IZ, said the city streets were empty Sunday morning and many roads were still blocked, partly because of the start of a three-day Shi'ite religious celebration in the capital.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Moqtada al-Sadr Resumes High-Profile Role in Iraqi Political Cauldron
by Lou Lorscheider May 01, 2016
Iraqi firebrand Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose followers stormed Baghdad's heavily fortified International Zone Saturday to shut down parliament, has in recent months mounted an increasingly visible campaign to pressure the government to move forward with promised reforms.
In March, Sadr first called on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to act on promises to address government corruption and cronyism by replacing current ministers with technocrats - experienced leaders without political affiliation.
So far, Abadi has been unable to gain sufficient legislative support for his reform measures, prompting Sadr's followers to stage weekly rallies to pressure the Abadi government into action.
On Saturday, protesters vented their rage, climbing over blast walls to rampage through the parliament building's main chamber.
Sadr, the 42-year-old charismatic scion of one of Iraq's most prominent Shi'ite families, was himself a victim of sectarian violence, as Saddam Hussein sought in the 1990s to fortify his Ba'ath Party's hold on Iraqi daily life. Sadr's revered father, Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, and two of his three brothers were assassinated in 1999. Saddam denied responsibility.
The younger Sadr first gained international visibility as an outspoken critic of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam. His so-called Army of the Mahdi was subsequently linked to repeated sectarian violence in the capital, which only began to wane as U.S. officials announced plans to withdraw U.S. combat forces from the country in 2011.
Washington Post reporter Liz Sly, who witnessed Saturday's confrontations, described Sadr's outward goals as part of a push to stop graft and bring good government to the divided country, widely seen as rife with political corruption.
But she also noted, in comments to U.S. public television, that Sadr, who has maintained a low profile in recent years, is competing for power among other militias as general elections loom in 2018. She said "most people are putting [Saturday's events] into the context of a bit of early election campaigning."
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Tense Calm in Baghdad After Anti-government Protests
by Sharon Behn May 02, 2016
There was a tense calm Monday in Baghdad. Protesters who stormed into the International Zone on Saturday largely toned down their demonstration and drifted out to celebrate a Shi'ite religious festival commemorating 8th century Imam Moussa al-Khadhim.
Protest leader Moqtada al-Sadr vowed he would return to the area, home of the nation's parliament and various foreign embassies and international organizations, this Friday to pressure the government to change or call snap elections.
Most of the country's lawmakers fled the area over the weekend when Sadr's followers charged into parliament, demanding a new government.
It is not clear if and when they intend to return. Lawmaker Serwan Sereni told VOA that an emergency meeting between Iraqi President Fuad Masum, Prime Minister Haider al Abadi and militia leaders failed to reach agreement on a way forward.
The leader of the Sadr bloc in parliament Dhiaa al-Assadi confirmed to VOA that political meetings held Monday between the president and the prime minister and different political parties about a solution to the current problem had not produced any solutions. But he brushed off any suggestion that the political crisis was affecting the fight against Islamic state.
"There are so many brigades and divisions fighting against Islamic State, including Sadr brigades, still in their positions, and other militias under control of other parties also fighting," Assadi said. "We can differentiate between the political process in Baghdad and the fight against Daesh (Islamic State)."
Cronies versus technocrats
Sadr, a powerful Shi'ite nationalist cleric who made his name by fighting U.S. forces in Iraq, has a strong following in the country, capitalizing on deep public frustration with government corruption, political patronage and inefficiency.
The protest was the first to seriously breach the International Zone security cordon, yet was bloodless, which "suggests that the security forces in the targeted area were sympathetic, or were ordered to stand down; likely both are true," notes the Soufan Group, which provides security and risk management analyses.
Even if there was no serious violence, Sereni, a member of the Kurdish Democratic Party in Iraq's parliament, said considerable damage had been done to the political process.
"We are totally against what happened in Baghdad. We will not allow anyone to humiliate our members, or decide on our behalf. We have our rights in Baghdad," he told VOA. "Sadr's party only has 34 seats (in parliament) and they want to dictate... the new Cabinet."
Sadr has demanded that a government of technocrats replace the current leadership, but, entrenched political parties rejected Prime Minister Abadi's attempts to replace their ministers.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Nazarbaev Warns Of Ukraine-Style Turmoil As Kazakh Land Protests Spread
May 01, 2016
by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has evoked the Ukraine conflict as protests continued over the Central Asian government's decision to privatize large tracts of state-owned agricultural land.
Nazarbaev on May 1 warned of the dangers of national disunity, citing political, social, and economic turbulence in Ukraine, where a pro-Western government has fought Russia-backed separatists in the east of the country following Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea territory in 2014.
"Ukraine, the second-biggest ex-Soviet state, today has an economy which is half the size of Kazakhstan's," he said in a speech on the occasion of the country's National Unity Day holiday.
"Because there is no unity, no sense of purpose, no tasks are being solved, [people] are busy with other things: fighting, killing, brawling," added Nazarbaev, who has ruled Kazakhstan since the fall of the Soviet Union.
Meanwhile, protesters in the cities of Kyzylorda and Zhanaozen on May 1 staged demonstrations against government plans to auction off public land to private owners beginning on July 1.
Witnesses said several protesters in Kyzylorda were detained by police, though several of the protesters were invited to air their grievances to local officials at a theater in the city.
The activists told Serik Kozhaniyazov, deputy head of the Kyzylorda region, that citizens deserved a say in how state-owned land is managed. Kozhaniyazov replied that the planned privatization is legally sound and necessary because those managing the lands are not caring for them properly.
In Zhanaozen, a witness told RFE/RL's Kazakh Service that dozens of protesters rallied in the southwestern city's central square on May 1, chanting: "No land sales."
The woman, who identified herself only as Tilektes, said the city's mayor, prosecutor, and police officers arrived on the scene and warned the demonstrators that their rally was unauthorized.
Zhanaozen was the site of deadly protests in December 2011, when police shot dead at least 16 people and injured more than 100 others during a crackdown on demonstrators after a more than one-month long strike by oil workers.
Hundreds of Kazakhs in several cities since April 24 have rallied against the privatization plan amid rumors that foreigners would be allowed to purchase the land.
The government says foreigners will only be allowed to lease agricultural land, and authorities have warned that it is a crime to spread "false information about land privatization."
On April 26, Nazarbaev vowed to "punish provocateurs" who are disrupting social order by spreading disinformation about pending land sales.
He has defended the plan, insisting that foreigners will only be allowed to rent agricultural land under 10- to 25-year leases.
Nazarbaev has kept a tight lid on dissent during his reign over the country, which is the second-largest exporter of hydrocarbons in the former Soviet Union after Russia.
Slumping oil prices, however, have triggered a slide in the country's currency, sparking public protests over the past year both in Astana and the Central Asian nation's economic hub and largest city, Almaty.
With reporting by Reuters
Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/nazarbaev-warns- ukraine-style-turmoil/27709970.html
Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Work under way to agree regime of silence in Aleppo: Russia
Iran Press TV
Sun May 1, 2016 1:4PM
Russia says talks are under way for agreement on a freeze in fighting in the northwestern Aleppo Province where deadly militant attacks have escalated over the past few days.
Lieutenant General Sergei Kuralenko, head of Moscow's coordination center in Syria, said on Sunday that the "calm" around Damascus has also been extended for another 24 hours.
"Currently active negotiations are underway to establish a 'regime of silence' in Aleppo Province," Kuralenko said.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Armed Forces Command in a statement on Sunday announced "silence regime" extension in Damascus region for 24 hours.
Syria started enforcing a "silent period" in parts of Latakia and Damascus regions from 1:00 a.m. (2200 GMT) on April 30.
"The established 'silence regime' in Damascus and eastern suburbs has been extended for additional 24 hours," the statement said.
Syria's offensive in Aleppo is based on a UN Security Council resolution which accepts Syria's right to fighting terrorists.
Syria's official SANA news agency said on Saturday that at least 25 people were killed in militant rocket attacks on the two residential neighborhoods of Neel and Hamadaniyeh over the past 24 hours.
The Takfiri Daesh militants and al-Nusra Front are excluded from a "cessation of the hostilities" agreement reached in late February as an attempt for facilitating peace talks.
The truce, which is sponsored by the United States and Russia, is still officially in place in many parts of Syria despite surging violence in Aleppo, which has been a flashpoint over the past weeks.
Aleppo has been divided between the government forces and militants since 2012, a year after the conflict broke out in the Arab country. Dozens have been killed in renewed clashes over the past few days as warnings are high that a human tragedy may unfold in the city.
Since March 2011, the United States and its regional allies, in particular Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, have been conducting a proxy war against Syria.
According to a February report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond Syria's borders.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Russia Says Talks Under Way To Include Aleppo In Syria's 'Regime Of Calm'
May 01, 2016
by RFE/RL
Russia said on May 1 that talks are under way to include Syria's Aleppo province in a temporary cease-fire.
"At present, there is an active negotiation process taking place to establish a regime of calm also in Aleppo Province," said General Sergei Kuralenko, the head of Russia's cease-fire monitoring center in Syria.
His comments indicated a shift in Moscow's position a day after Russia said it would not urge Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces to halt aerial bombings on Aleppo, saying they were targeting jihadist groups not covered by the cease-fire that took effect in late February.
More than a week of fighting in Aleppo has killed several hundred civilians and darkened the prospects of a UN-backed peace process.
The Syrian army announced a "regime of calm" late on April 29 in the province of Latakia and the Damascus suburbs.
Aleppo, Syria's largest city, was excluded from the plan, and heavy fighting continued in the city.
The Syrian army confirmed a Russian announcement on May 1 that a "regime of calm" around Damascus has been extended for another 24 hours, but did not mention Aleppo, state television reported.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was to arrive in Geneva on May 1 to discuss Syria with his counterparts from Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and with Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was not expected to be in Geneva.
In separate April 30 calls to De Mistura and the lead Syrian opposition negotiator, Kerry voiced "deep concern" about Aleppo. He made clear that ending the violence in the war-ravaged city is a priority, State Department spokesman John Kirby said.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and Interfax
Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/article/27709752.html
Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Nusra Front Shelled Syrian Settlements, Tried to Seize Towns
Sputnik News
21:35 01.05.2016(updated 21:50 01.05.2016)
The Russian center for Syrian reconciliation at the Hmeymim airbase registered a total of five violations of the ceasefire regime in the Syrian city of Aleppo in the past 24 hours, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Nusra Front terrorist group shelled the Syrian settlement of Handrat and Aleppo's district of Sheikh Maqsood as well as tried to seize control of Ayn Daqnah and Mennah towns, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement Sunday.
"Militants of the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group [banned in Russia] were shelling the settlements of Handrat and Sheikh Maqsood district in the city of Aleppo. In addition, to establish control over the road connecting the cities of Aleppo and Azaz, the terrorists of Jabhat al-Nusra attempted to capture the settlements of Ayn Daqnah and Mennah but after suffering losses in the course of the battle, retreated to their original positions," the statement said.
The Russian center for Syrian reconciliation at the Hmeymim airbase registered a total of five violations of the ceasefire regime in the Syrian city of Aleppo in the past 24 hours, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
"The cessation of hostilities in Syria has been respected in most of the Syrian provinces. However, a total of five violations [of the ceasefire regime] by the groups considering themselves opposition, have been registered in the city of Aleppo," the bulletin said.
The ceasefire in Syria, worked out by Russia and the United States, took effect on February 27, but does not include groups that have been designated as terrorist by the United Nations, including the Islamic State and the Nusra Front.
Sputnik
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Kerry in Geneva in Bid to Bolster Syria Cease-fire
by Luis Ramirez May 01, 2016
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Geneva Sunday in an urgent bid to revive a U.S.-Russian brokered cease-fire that has all but fallen apart as Syrian government forces intensified their attacks, especially in Syria's largest city, Aleppo, over the last 10 days.
U.S. officials said Kerry's top priority is to end the violence in Aleppo and return the whole of Syria to a durable cessation of hostilities that will enable the peace process to resume. To achieve that, the top U.S. diplomat has called for Russia's help to persuade the Assad government to stop the attacks.
"These are critical hours. We look for Russia's cooperation, and we obviously look for the regime to listen to Russia and to respond," Kerry said as he went straight from the Geneva airport into a meeting with Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh.
"The hope is we can make some progress," Kerry said at the start of the meeting.
The Syrian military on Friday said it would impose a temporary "regime of calm" in the areas around Damascus and in northwestern Syria's Latakia province, but the order did not include Aleppo.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said attacks on Saturday continued to take a heavy toll on civilians in the city, where activists say nearly 250 people have been killed in the past 10 days.
On Sunday, the group said 859 civilians have been among the 3,116 people documented killed in the conflict during the month of April. It said 410 of those died in raids by Syrian and Russian warplanes and helicopter gunships.
Reports from Syria said fighting appeared to subside in much of the country Sunday.
Kerry is pushing for Syrian forces to stop their attacks on Aleppo altogether, in keeping with the terms of the cease-fire.
In telephone calls to U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and the leader of the Syrian Opposition High Negotiations Committee, Riyad Hijab, Kerry said the cease-fire must include Aleppo.
The Assad government has sought to justify its attacks on the city, saying they target rebels of the terrorist al-Nusra front who have been hitting government-controlled areas with rocket and artillery fire.
U.S. officials dismiss the Assad government's claims as false, saying the attacks have predominantly targeted innocent civilians and moderate groups, all in violation of the cease-fire.
Proximity talks to end the 5-year conflict ground to a halt last week, prompting de Mistura to call for the United States and Russia to intervene.
Russian officials have backed the Syrian military's claim that the attacks on Aleppo are an anti-terrorist operation.
Kerry said he is outraged by the air strikes, including one Wednesday at a hospital supported by the group Doctors Without Borders, where children and medical staff were among those killed.
"Russia has an urgent responsibility to press the regime in Syria to abide fully by the cessation of hostilities," Kerry tweeted last week. In a conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Kerry called for Moscow to help contain and reduce the violence.
State Department officials say they are working on "specific initiatives" to de-escalate the fighting and hope to make progress on them soon. Analysts say proposals could include establishing safe zones within Aleppo.
Kerry's efforts are complicated by the fact that Lavrov is not scheduled to be in Geneva to meet with him.
Russian General Sergei Kuralenko told Russian news agencies that talks are under way to halt the Syrian bombardment of rebel strongholds in Aleppo.
Kerry was due to meet with his Saudi counterpart and de Mistura on Monday before returning to Washington.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Syrian war 'in many ways out of control' now: Kerry
Iran Press TV
Mon May 2, 2016 3:5PM
US Secretary of State John Kerry has accused the Syrian Arab Army of deliberately targeting hospitals, adding the five-year-old war is now "in many ways out of control."
After meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in Geneva on Monday, Kerry said the conflict was "in many ways out of control and deeply disturbing to everybody in the world, I hope."
"The attack on this hospital is unconscionable," he said, adding that the government of President Bashar al-Assad deliberately attacked three clinics and a major hospital last week. "And it has to stop."
Washington on Thursday expressed outrage over an airstrike on a hospital in the Syrian city of Aleppo, leveling accusations against Damascus and Moscow, which were flatly dismissed by both as unfounded.
Russia and Syria rejected allegations that their warplanes had targeted the hospital in the northwestern Syrian city, with Moscow suggesting that the US-led coalition was instead responsible for the incident.
Earlier on Monday, the Syrian army said a "regime of calm" around the capital Damascus has been extended for another 48 hours.
Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Sergei Kuralenko, head of the Russian Center for reconciliation of the opposing sides in Syria, said on Monday that talks were underway on declaring a "regime of calm" in Syria's Aleppo province.
In recent months, the Syrian army, backed by the Russian air power, has been making major gains against Takfiri groups, recapturing several strategic areas from their grip, particularly in the strategic northern province of Aleppo.
Syria's ongoing offensive against foreign-backed militants in Aleppo is based on a UN Security Council resolution which accepts Syria's right to fighting terrorists.
A temporary truce agreement engineered by Russia and the United States, which came into force across Syria on February 27, has been holding despite reports of violations by the warring sides.
"What is happening in Aleppo is an outrage. It's a violation of all humanitarian laws. It's a crime," said the Saudi foreign minister after he met Kerry in Geneva on Monday.
"It's a violation of all the understandings that were reached," he added, accusing Damascus and Moscow of violating international peace agreements.
Since March 2011, the United States and its regional allies, in particular Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, have been conducting a proxy war against Syria.
UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which has furthermore displaced over half of Syria's pre-war population of about 23 million.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Kerry: Syrian Cease-Fire 'Understanding' Closer, But Work To Do
May 02, 2016
by RFE/RL
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on May 2 that talks with Russia and anti-Islamic State coalition partners were "getting closer to a place of understanding" to reestablish a cease-fire in Syria -- including the area around Aleppo.
But Kerry told reporters in Geneva ahead of talks with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir that there was still "some work to do."
Speaking after those talks with Jubeir, Kerry said Syria was still "in many ways out of control."
He said legitimate political talks on Syria cannot take place unless government forces and rebels both sign up to a cease-fire deal.
Jubeir condemned an escalation of fighting in and around Aleppo in the midst of a cease-fire as a "violation of all humanitarian laws."
He blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for air strikes that have killed hundreds there during the past week, saying Assad would have to either step down in a political deal or be forced from power.
Russia said at the weekend that it would not urge Assad's forces to halt air strikes on Aleppo.
Moscow claimed they were targeting Islamic militants not covered by an internationally brokered cease-fire.
Kerry arrived in Geneva for talks with Arab counterparts and Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria, and said Washington is looking to Moscow for cooperation.
"The hope is we can make some progress," Kerry said at the start of a meeting with Jordan's foreign minister, Nasser Judeh, shortly after his arrival. "These are critical hours. We look for Russia's cooperation, and we obviously look for the regime to listen to Russia and to respond."
Fighting in the city of Aleppo -- which is 360 kilometers north of the capital, Damascus -- on May 1 left six dead and more than 40 wounded.
Opposition forces in control of part of Aleppo shelled government-held positions while Syrian forces reportedly also carried out at least one dozen bombing raids.
More than a week of fighting in Aleppo has killed several hundred civilians and darkened the prospects of a UN-backed peace process.
Russia appeared to shift its position earlier on May 1.
"At present, there is an active negotiation process taking place to establish a regime of calm also in Aleppo province," said General Sergei Kuralenko, the head of Russia's cease-fire monitoring center in Syria.
While Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was not slated to arrive in Geneva for the talks, Kerry said that "we are talking directly to the Russians, even now."
The Kremlin announced on May 2 that Lavrov would meet de Mistura for talks on Syria in Moscow on May 3.
The Syrian Army announced a "regime of calm" late on April 29 in the province of Latakia and Damascus suburbs.
Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the war, was excluded from the plan, and heavy fighting continued in the city even after the truce was signed.
The Syrian Army confirmed a Russian announcement on May 1 that a "regime of calm" around Damascus has been extended for another 24 hours, but did not mention Aleppo, state television reported.
This pertains mainly to the Eastern Ghouta, suburbs of Damascus.
The U.S. State Department said Washington wanted Moscow to pressure Assad to end what it calls indiscriminate aerial attacks in Aleppo, which has long been divided between government- and opposition-held areas of control.
The Britain-based the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of monitors inside Syria, says both sides have bombarded residential areas for more than a week, killing more than 250 people including at least 40 children.
"I hope that in the course of the conversations I have here tonight, tomorrow, and the work that the teams are doing, [we can] zero in and pin down the modalities of reaffirming the cessation," Kerry said.
Judeh described called the situation around Aleppo "quite alarming" and said halting hostilities was crucial for the resumption of Syrian peace talks and humanitarian aid deliveries.
"We have to address the situation on the ground today asserting a nationwide cessation of hostilities that will lead to a better and more conducive environment for the political track," Judeh said.
The UN says more than 250,000 people have been killed in the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011. Millions of others have been displaced or have sought refuge outside of the country.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and Interfax
Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/kerry-critical-hours- halt-carnage-syria-aleppo/27710668.html
Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Kerry Looks to Stop Widening Violence in Syria
by Luis Ramirez May 02, 2016
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry wrapped up a hastily planned 20-hour visit to Geneva Monday, saying the United States and its partners are discussing "several proposals" to stop the spiraling violence in Syria.
The U.S. diplomat did not say what the proposals are. But his aim has been to restore a partial truce and stop the attacks by Russian-backed Syrian government forces that have killed hundreds in Aleppo over the past 11 days.
News agencies quoted U.S. officials who requested anonymity as saying the United States is considering mapping out "safe zones" marked by "hard lines" that would provide refuge for civilians and members of the moderate opposition.
No help from Russia
Getting Russia's support has been key but elusive for Kerry, who has called for Moscow's help in getting Assad's forces to stop their assault on rebel-held parts of Syria's largest city.
"There are several proposals that are now going back to key players to sign off," Kerry said after his meetings Monday with his Saudi counterpart, Adel Al-Jubeir, and the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura. "We are hopeful but we are not there yet," Kerry said, adding the U.S. and its partners "are going to work very hard in the next 24 hours, 48 hours to get there."
Kerry said an agreement on Aleppo could be announced in the coming days.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did not attend the talks, complicating Kerry's efforts in Geneva. Kerry said he would speak by telephone with Lavrov. De Mistura was due to go to Moscow on Tuesday.
For the United States, it is important to show it has not given up on resolving the five-year-old conflict, but there are questions on whether a low level of U.S. commitment has resulted in a Russian victory in the region as the Russian-backed Syrian government forces retake large swaths of land.
"We're in a kind of phase in the conflict where there are ongoing battles for advantage happening," David Butter, a Middle East analyst at Chatham House in London, told VOA. "Of course, the momentum is very much on the Assad regime."
Key battle
The battle for Aleppo is key at a time when the conflict has become a test of U.S. commitment in the region.
Kerry arranged the trip after it became clear the humanitarian situation in the city was deteriorating rapidly and as proximity talks between the Assad government and the moderate opposition failed.
Scenes of escalating violence and atrocities committed against civilians are an opportunity for the United States to demonstrate a leadership role in resolving the conflict, analysts say.
As Syrian forces prepared the latest assault on Aleppo two weeks ago, Russia had successfully portrayed the efforts as a counter-terrorist operation to strike at the al-Nusra Front, which the United States and Russia consider a terrorist group.
Analysts note that U.S. officials, intentionally or not, were interpreted as being unopposed to the Aleppo operation before it began. U.S. military officials were quoted as saying the al-Nusra front was a major dominant force in the city and "not part" of the cease-fire.
The perception changed when an airstrike hit Aleppo's al Quds hospital, a facility supported by the group Medecins Sans Frontieres, or Doctors Without Borders, killing several children and medical staff, including one of the city's remaining pediatricians.
The incident outraged Kerry and analysts say it was an opportunity for the U.S. to step up its efforts to change any perception that it was not taking an active enough role in resolving the Syrian conflict.
US needs to show commitment
Demonstrating the U.S. administration's commitment to fulfill promises remains a major task for Kerry.
"(President) Obama set the tone by talking quite a big game on Syria, but not having any strategic commitments. Because the U.S. hasn't really invested, it's got much to lose except as a non-actor," said analyst David Butter.
Jasmine Gani, an analyst at the Center for Syrian Studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, told VOA that perceptions of U.S. legitimacy in the region hang in the balance as a result of what she calls a "mismatched rhetoric and policy." She says Washington raised expectations by calling for Assad's exit early in the conflict and then failed to provide the support needed to carry out that aim.
With Russia now figuring strongly in the equation, Gani said the U.S. "has to be a lot more careful as to what it puts its commitment to. In the past, it was not such a problem, but the shift of dynamics in global power means there is greater scrutiny on the United States to fulfill its promises."
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Taiwanese suspects sent to China undermines Taiwan: premier-designate
ROC Central News Agency
2016/05/01 17:40:15
Taipei, May 1 (CNA) The two sides of the Taiwan Strait need more comprehensive communication on joint crime-fighting efforts, since the recent incidents of Taiwanese fraud suspects being sent to China by a third country undermine Taiwan's judicial power, Premier-designate Lin Chuan () said Sunday.
A mechanism of full communication and cooperation between Taiwan and China is needed to address challenges regarding telecom fraud schemes involving suspects and victims from both sides, Lin said.
The incoming Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration, which is set to take office May 20, will seek to talk to the Chinese authorities about the issue of Taiwanese fraud suspects caught in a third country being sent to China instead of Taiwan.
Lin made the remarks after Malaysia deported 32 Taiwanese nationals arrested for an alleged fraud scheme targeting mainly Chinese citizens, sending them to China rather than Taiwan a day earlier.
The deportations took place after Taiwan and China reached an agreement April 21 to jointly investigate alleged fraud rings busted both in Kenya and Malaysia, after the African country deported Taiwanese fraud suspects to China in early April.
The 32 Taiwanese sent to China Saturday were among a group of 52 who were arrested in the Southeast Asian country March 25. The 20 others were brought back to Taiwan April 15.
Lin said he is not sure whether the 32 Taiwanese suspects were sent to China because the 20 that returned to Taiwan were originally released after police questioning.
Even if that was the reason behind Saturday's deportation of Taiwanese to China, he said Taiwan is a country that follows rule of law and nothing much can be done to suspects without sufficient evidence.
On April 21, however, the Taichung District Court granted a request by prosecutors to detain 18 of the 20 suspects sent back from Malaysia, after the Malaysian authorities provided evidence against the suspects.
The premier-designate said he hopes both Taiwan and China can show good faith in addressing the issue in order to achieve developments in joint efforts to fight crime.
Chiu Tai-san (), who has been named as minister of justice in the incoming administration, said during a team-building camp for the DPP government Sunday that he supports the joint efforts across the Taiwan Strait to fight crime.
Taiwan and China signed the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement in April 2009 under the outgoing government under President Ma Ying-jeou ().
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council pointed out in an April 26 statement that both sides have worked together to crack down on fraud schemes based in Southeast Asia since the signing of the agreement.
(By Lu Hsin-hui and Kay Liu)
ENDITEM/J
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Taiwan welcomes Beijing's invitation over telecom fraud cases
ROC Central News Agency
2016/05/01 16:31:14
Taipei, May 1 (CNA) The Cabinet expressed welcome Sunday for China's invitation of a delegation to the mainland for talks concerning Taiwanese nationals detained there, after 32 Taiwanese fraud suspects were deported from Malaysia to China the previous day.
Cabinet spokesman Sun Lih-chyun () said that the Chinese side has formally invited Taiwan to send a delegation to the mainland for the talks on the Taiwanese deported from Malaysia, as well as 45 deported from Kenya in early April, for their alleged involvement in telecommunications fraud targeting people in China.
Taiwan regards the invitation, which meets a cross-Taiwan Strait agreement on the joint fight against crime and mutual legal assistance, in a positive light, Sun said.
The government expressed strong protest a day earlier after the Malaysian authorities deported the 32 Taiwanese fraud suspects to China. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the move has seriously damaged relations between Taiwan and Malaysia, and it has lodged a formal protest with the Malaysian government.
The incident came in the wake of the deportation of 45 Taiwanese fraud suspects from Kenya to China last month.
In response, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said Sunday that it will ask the district prosecutors' offices in Taichung and Taoyuan -- which are responsible for the cases -- to jointly outline an investigation plan and send officers to join the delegation, which will be jointly organized by the MOJ, the Mainland Affairs Council and the Criminal Investigation Bureau.
It has contacted the Chinese authorities on the date and itinerary of the proposed visit, the MOJ said, noting that the group is expected to depart in about a week.
The 32 Taiwanese deported from Malaysia to China Saturday are being held at two detention centers in Guangzhou Province, according to the MOJ.
They were among a group of 52 Taiwanese who were arrested in Malaysia March 25 for telecom fraud against people in China.
The 20 others were brought back to Taiwan April 15, 18 of whom have been placed in detention, while the other two have been barred from leaving the country pending their possible indictments and trials.
Asked by reporters about the deportations, Vice President Wu Den-yih () suggested Sunday that the relevant authorities handle the issue in two ways simultaneously -- imposing the necessary punishments on those convicted of fraud on the one hand, and upholding the human rights of Taiwanese nationals on the other.
Wu said that the judicial system should impose proper penalties for fraud, and should not free "the cross-border fraudsters who shame the Taiwanese people."
For the Taiwanese suspects detained in China, "we should urge the mainland to send them back (to Taiwan) for trial based on the cross-strait Joint Fight Against Crime and Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement," he said.
(By Paige Tsai, Kuan Ruei-ping and Elizabeth Hsu)
ENDITEM/J
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Separate PKK attacks leave 4 Turkish soldiers dead
Iran Press TV
Sun May 1, 2016 7:46AM
At least four Turkish soldiers have lost their lives and several others sustained injuries when members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) launched two separate attacks against government forces in the embattled southeastern provinces of Mardin and Gaziantep.
Security sources, requesting anonymity, said Kurdish PKK militants lobbed a barrage at army troopers as the latter were conducting a military operation in the city of Nusaybin, situated 792 kilometers (492 miles) east of the capital, Ankara, on Sunday. Three Turkish soldiers were killed in the attack and 14 others wounded.
Separately, two police officers was killed and 22 others, mostly police officers, were wounded when PKK forces detonated a car rigged with explosives in the southeastern city of Gaziantep, situated 685 kilometers (425 miles) southeast of the capital, Ankara.
Provincial governor, Ali Yerlikaya, said those injured in the blast at the entrance of the police station included at least 19 policemen.
The development came only a day after a Turkish army captain was shot dead by a PKK sniper during a counter-terrorism operation in Nusaybin.
A ceasefire between the PKK and the Turkish government collapsed in July 2015 and attacks on Turkish security forces have soared ever since.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier this month that 355 members of the Turkish security forces and over 5,000 Kurdish militants have been killed in operations against the outlawed group.
Ankara has been engaged in a large-scale campaign against the PKK in its southern border region in the past few months. The Turkish military has also been conducting offensives against the positions of the group in northern Iraq and Syria.
The operations began in the wake of a deadly July 2015 bombing in the southern Turkish town of Suruc. More than 30 people died in the attack, which the Turkish government blamed on the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
After the bombing, the PKK militants, who accuse the government in Ankara of supporting Daesh, engaged in a series of supposed reprisal attacks against Turkish police and security forces, in turn prompting the Turkish military operations.
Shelling from Syria injures two in Turkey
In another development on Sunday, two people sustained injuries when projectiles coming from territories controlled by the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group in neighboring Syria slammed into the border town of Kilis, which is located approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) north of the border with Syria
Turkey has been accused of supporting militant groups fighting to topple the Syrian government since March 2011. It also stands accused of being involved in illegal oil trade with Takfiri Daesh terrorists.
In late May 2015, Turkish-language Cumhuriyet newspaper posted on its website footage showing trucks belonging to Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) allegedly carrying weapons for Takfiri groups in neighboring Syria.
Ankara denied the allegations in return, saying the trucks had been carrying humanitarian aid to Syria.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Three killed in renewed Ukraine violence
Iran Press TV
Sun May 1, 2016 4:10PM
One Ukrainian soldier and two pro-Russia fighters have been killed in renewed fighting in eastern Ukraine over the weekend.
Both sides claimed on Sunday that despite a renewed truce, corresponding with Orthodox Easter and Labor Day, the opposite side had resumed fighting, violating the ceasefire.
Pro-Russia fighters said the Ukrainian military violated the ceasefire, killing two forces from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).
"As a result of shelling by Ukrainian hit squads, two servicemen of the DPR army were killed and another four suffered injuries during Easter night," senior commander Eduard Basurin told reporters.
Pro-Russia forces also accused the Ukrainian military of shooting at territory held by the pro-Russians 160 times.
The Ukrainian side, however, claimed that one soldier was killed near the town of Svitlodarsk in the Donetsk region while seven others were wounded near the village of Avdiivka and near the city of Mariupol in fire from the opposite side.
Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, a Ukrainian military spokesman, said that despite the new ceasefire, pro-Russia fighters had ramped up attacks near their stronghold of Donetsk, using grenades.
The latest casualties came as the Ukrainian government and the pro-Russia forces on Friday agreed on a new truce in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, which began at midnight on the same day.
The agreement is aimed at reinforcing a deal co-signed by France and Germany in February 2015 after an upsurge in violence in the industrial east of Ukraine. It also came ahead of the Orthodox Easter Sunday and covers holidays that include Labor Day on May 1 and the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany during World War II marked on May 9.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) had warned that the ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine had reached its highest level in months.
Around 9,300 people have died and more than 21,000 have been injured in two years since Ukraine's predominantly Russian-speaking east made efforts to gain greater autonomy against the country's pro-Western leadership.
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Crimean Blockade Organizer Vows Creation of 'Crimean Tatar Army'
Sputnik News
21:44 01.05.2016(updated 21:58 01.05.2016)
Reacting to the Crimean Supreme Court's decision to ban the Mejlis movement in Russia, 'Crimean blockade' organizer Lenur Islyamov said that now may be the time to create a 'Crimean Tatar army'.
Last week, the Crimean Supreme Court ruled that the Mejlis, which claims to represent Crimean Tatars, is an extremist organization, and banned its activities in Russia. Crimean Attorney General Natalia Poklonskaya, advocating the ban, underscored that the group "exists only to fuel hatred and hostility."
The ruling follows an earlier Justice Ministry move to suspend the group's activities after it was accused of having links to international terror groups including Hizbut-Tahrir and the Turkish neo-fascist 'Grey Wolves' organization.
Reacting to the ban, Lenur Islyamov, one of the troika of Ukraine-based Tatar politicians responsible for organizing the so-called food and electricity 'blockades' of Crimea late last year, told Radio Free Europe's 'Krym.Realii' internet portal that the present may be the perfect moment for ethnic Crimean Tatars to create their own army, Ukraine's Vesti online newspaper reports.
"Perhaps now, the Crimean Tatar people will finally understand the need to create their own army. We have the political strength, we have the deputies in the Verkhovna Rada [Ukraine's parliament], but we do not have our own army. Therefore, we must make it so that we have our own army, within Ukraine," the nationalist organizer said.
Islyamov is known for his braggadocios style, and his tendency to exaggerate. Late last year, he bragged that the Turkish defense ministry had promised to provide his group with assistance to form a 560-man 'volunteer battalion', to be comprised of Crimean Tatar nationalist volunteers. That plan, apparently, has come to naught.
In January, Islyamov announced that 'activists' were preparing a 'naval blockade' of the Crimean peninsula. That plan too seems to have fallen through, presumably because it was set to be organized in Russian territorial waters. Russian border services had previously indicated that they would not tolerate any attempts to sabotage the free movement of ships through the Kerch Strait, which connects Crimea to Russia's Krasnodar Region to the east.
In 2014, after Crimea's return to Russia, President Putin signed a decree aimed at ensuring the Crimean Tatar community's political and socio-economic rehabilitation, meant to right the wrongs committed against the group under Joseph Stalin, who deported the minority en masse to Central Asia during the Second World War. The Tatar language has been made an official state language on the peninsula, and the minority now has guarantees to government representation, as well as a number of preferences aimed at preserving and respecting their culture, including making Muslim holidays state holidays and providing subsidies for pilgrimages to Mecca.
Sputnik
NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address
Swedish English
One of Betsson subsidiaries has on April 28, for the brand Triobet, received a gaming license to operate in Latvia. Recently Betsson Group also received a license in Ireland. Betsson now owns operations with local licenses in Malta, Denmark, UK, Ireland, Italy, Estonia, Georgia and Latvia.
When outdated legal structures and old monopolies are dismantled great favorable conditions for long-term profitable growth are created. Our strategy is to increase the proportion of sustainable revenue by participating in local licensing procedures as well as increasing strong growth both organically and by acquiring companies in local regulated markets. The gaming tax in Latvia is 10 percent on gross gaming revenue which is a level that guarantees high channeling and a sustainable system, Ulrik Bengtsson President and CEO of Betsson AB, said.
For further information, please contact:
Malin Sparf Rydberg, Director of Communications, Betsson AB (publ), telephone: +46 (0)8 506 403 00, malin.sparfrydberg@betssonab.com
A 31-year-old Dry Fork man was killed in a single-vehicle wreck Sunday evening.
Virginia State Police Trooper B. S. Draper is investigating the fatal crash that occurred around 8 p.m. on Whitmell School Road in Pittsylvania County, according to a news release.
A 2004 Ford F-250 driven by Ronald William Curtis was traveling north on Whitmell School Road south of Beverly Road when it ran off the right side of the roadway, struck a utility pole and overturned, police said.
Curtis, who was wearing his seatbelt, died at the scene, and speed was a factor in the crash, according to the release.
The crash remains under investigation, according to the release.
To the editor:
After reading the recent news regarding Gov. Terry McAuliffe signing executive action restoring voting rights to convicted felons, I felt compelled to comment.
This incredibly stupid and preposterous decision by our liberal Democratic governor a longtime Clinton ally to reinstate the voting rights of more than 200,000 convicted felons could certainly have an effect on the upcoming presidential election.
One has to realize that this is his main objective in signing this executive action as hes always had close ties to the Queen of Lies Hillary Clinton, so this liberal, contemptible action comes just in time to gain favor of a huge core voting bloc of Democrats.
This move by McAuliffe is both absurd and outrageous, but albeit, sad to say, predictable. Its much too obvious to ignore, as I think hes planned on doing this all along and we all shouldve realized it. McAuliffe has time and time again proven that hes a very liberal and misguided leader of the commonwealth of Virginia. Another couple of critical facts that we cant ignore McAuliffe served as chairman of Hillary Clintons failed 2008 presidential campaign. He is a former chairman of the Democratic National Convention.
McAuliffe was quoted as saying this past week on Twitter; We will ensure everyone with freedom to live in our communities has the right to participate in the democratic process. Damn, give me a break. Hes got nothing better to do but comment on Twitter about this critical issue? These felons dont deserve this right. Ive always thought that a felon was always a felon and not ever to have any voting rights. Thats a right you give up when convicted of a felony, not to mention losing several other rights when a person is a convicted felon.
When is this liberal b------- going to stop? Our great country is headed down the toilet with the liberalism and political correctness we have to experience almost every day. Just a thought to ponder, did McAuliffe take the time to look at each one of the more than 200,000 felony cases in detail before this mindless decision was made or did he just pull out his magic pen and stroke his signature on the dotted line for them all?
McAuliffe has become just as blatant, carefree and deliberate as President Barack Obama with his executive actions and liberal, mindless decisions. Im certain McAuliffe and Queen Hillary had gotten together and set this ludicrous plan into action so that he could help her campaign for the White House in getting as many felon voters as possible on her side. Im certain shes undoubtedly promised him a key appointment to her cabinet should she be elected President.
God help us. Perish the thought!
DARYL RIGNEY
Danville
TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - May 02, 2016) - Verde Potash (TSX: NPK) ("Verde" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that on Thursday, April 28th, a public audience was held in the city of SAo Gotardo, Minas Gerais, to discuss its application for an environmental license to mine Verde's potassium silicate rock. The public audience is an important step of the process to obtain an environmental license in Brazil. The public audience was requested by the Syndicate of Mineral Industry of the State of Minas Gerais ("SINDIEXTRA") and by the National Forum of Civil Society in the Basin Committees ("FONASC"). The event was chaired by Mr Franco Cristiano Alvos, who is the head of the Regional Superintendencies of Environmental Regulation ("SUPRAM") of Triangulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaiba, and attended by several authorities and different stakeholders.
The public hearing on the environmental licensing gives stakeholders an opportunity to ask questions and express opinions about the project. It also serves as an opportunity for the Company and its environmental consultants to present the project and its social and environmental impact. SUPRAM, when deciding on the preliminary license, considers all concerns and comments expressed by stakeholders at the public audience.
The public audience was held between 7:00pm and 9:19pm BRT, and attended by approximately 100 people, including the mayor of SAo Gotardo, Mr Seiji Sekita, city councilors, representatives from SUPRAM, members of civil associations, religious communities, social organizations, the business community, public servants, union representatives and residents of SAo Gotardo and neighboring towns.
Former Minister of Agriculture and Verde's director, Mr Alysson Paolinelli, was responsible for Verde's opening remarks. Mr Paolinelli stressed the importance for Brazilian farmers to use agriculture products better suited for tropical agriculture. He regarded Verde's project to be innovative as it combines technology and sustainability, offering the agricultural market natural and chemical-free products. The former Minister expressed his enthusiasm for the agronomic test results the Company and its partners have been obtaining over the past few years. Mr Paolinelli's participation in the event was instrumental because, when Minister of Agriculture, he was responsible for the early development of agriculture for the Cerrado region (wherein SAo Gotardo is located) and, when state Secretary of Agriculture, he chose SAo Gotardo as the first area to receive a project converting barren Cerrado into highly productive agriculture farms.
"It is widely agreed that Mr Paolinelli is Brazil's most important agriculture leader because he was responsible for some of the greatest achievements in tropical agriculture that have allowed Brazil to become the world's farming powerhouse," commented President & CEO, Cristiano Veloso.
Mr Luiz Marcos, a former state Secretary of Mines and Energy and director of SINDIEXTRA, voiced support for the project by stressing that it combines two of Brazil's strengths, agriculture and mining. Mr Marcos regards the project to be very significant for the country, as it will enable Brazil to produce food more sustainably in order to feed the growing global population.
Mr Antonio Geraldo, a representative of an environmental NGO, commented on the need for mining companies to be responsible in their management of water resources and try to add value to its mined products locally. He praised the project's importance for agriculture, the high quality of the environmental assessment work undertaken by the Company, and the transparency and openness when dealing with Verde's team throughout the process.
Cristiano Veloso commented, "We were all very pleased with the high level of support received for the project and the constructive criticism received. The Company was asked to remain committed to mitigating environmental impacts and continue supporting local communities. We have successfully reached an important mark in a highly complex and time consuming process to obtaining an environmental license in Minas Gerais State; a State in Brazil where myself, all our board members and our employees are proud to come from."
In Brazil, environmental licensing is regulated by a federal law, but the law is interpreted and implemented autonomously by each state. The State of Minas Gerais, where the Company's project is located, the task is performed by SUPRAM, which has a team of highly qualified and motivated professionals but suffers from underfunding and excessive demand. The State has the largest number of applications for environmental licenses in the mining sector because the State has Brazil's longest mining history and hosts most of the country's mines. This has been compounded by the budgetary constraints, which led to a series of strikes by government employees that have increased the backlog of environmental applications awaiting analyses. Moreover, in the last six months since the environmental tragedy caused by the collapse of a huge tailings dam in the state of Minas Gerais, environmental permitting has become even more stringent and time consuming.
The environmental licensing process has three stages, the preliminary license ("LP,"), the installation license ("LI"), and the license to operate ("LO"). The application for an LP is accompanied by an environmental impact assessment report. The LP is often regarded as the most important of the stages as it outlines all the basic parameters of the project that have to be accepted by all the parties involved.
The Company's proposed mine pit occupies a relatively small amount of land, has very little overburden, and the operation will be without any waste by-product. Given its small footprint and minimal environmental impact, the project is classified by Brazilian environmental authorities as Class III, which allows the Company to apply for the LP and the LI simultaneously.
Next Steps
The Company believes the public hearing was another important advance towards receipt of an environmental license. Verde will continue to cooperate promptly with SUPRAM in order to help expedite its analysis and the approval.
In parallel, Verde continues the elaborate and laborious efforts of market development for its three agriculture products, TK47 , SGS and Alpha.
As soon as all permits are granted, the Company expects to start production relying solely on subcontractors, which will drastically minimize capex and expedite cashflow.
About Verde Potash
Verde Potash is an agri-tech company promoting sustainable and profitable agriculture through the development of its Cerrado Verde Project. Cerrado Verde, located in the heart of Brazil's largest agricultural market, is the source of a potassium-rich deposit from which the Company intends to produce solutions for crop nutrition, crop protection, soil improvement and increased sustainability. The Company's portfolio includes TK47 , Super Greensand and Alpha.
Cautionary Language and Forward Looking Statements
NEITHER THE TSX EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. THIS PRESS RELEASE CONTAINS CERTAIN "FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS", WHICH INCLUDE BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, STATEMENTS WITH RESPECT TO THE FUTURE FINANCIAL OR OPERATING PERFORMANCE OF THE COMPANY, ITS SUBSIDIARIES AND ITS PROJECTS, AND STATEMENTS REGARDING USE OF PROCEEDS. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS CAN GENERALLY BE IDENTIFIED BY THE USE OF WORDS SUCH AS "PLANS", "EXPECTS", OR "DOES NOT EXPECT" OR "IS EXPECTED", "ANTICIPATES" OR "DOES NOT ANTICIPATE", OR "BELIEVES", "INTENDS", "FORECASTS", "BUDGET", "SCHEDULED", "ESTIMATES" OR VARIATIONS OF SUCH WORDS OR PHRASES OR STATE THAT CERTAIN ACTIONS, EVENT, OR RESULTS "MAY", "COULD", "WOULD", "MIGHT", OR "WILL BE TAKEN", "OCCUR" OR "BE ACHIEVED". FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS INVOLVE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN RISKS, UNCERTAINTIES AND OTHER FACTORS WHICH MAY CAUSE THE ACTUAL RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE COMPANY TO BE MATERIALLY DIFFERENT FROM ANY FUTURE RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY SAID STATEMENTS. THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCES THAT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS WILL PROVE TO BE ACCURATE, AS ACTUAL RESULTS AND FUTURE EVENTS COULD DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE ANTICIPATED IN SAID STATEMENTS. ACCORDINGLY, READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE RELIANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. Readers are cautioned not to rely solely on the summary of such information contained in this release and are directed to the complete set of drill results posted on Verde's website (www.verdepotash.com) and filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and any future amendments to such. Readers are also directed to the cautionary notices and disclaimers contained herein.
Reno, Nevada (FSCwire) - Scandium International Mining Corp.. (TSX:SCY) (Scandium International or the Company) is pleased to announce that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has been filed with the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment, (the Department) in support of the planned development of the Nyngan Scandium Project.
The EIS was prepared by R.W. Corkery & Co. Pty. Limited, on behalf of EMC Metals Australia Pty Ltd (EMC Australia) to support an application for Development Consent for the Nyngan Scandium Project, located approximately 20km west-southwest of the town of Nyngan in Western NSW, Australia. The EIS is a complete document, including a Specialist Consultants Study Compendium, and was submitted to the Department on Friday, April 29, 2016. The EIS will receive a compulsory adequacy review by Department staff and other relevant government agencies as a condition to formal acceptance and public availability.
The EIS was submitted by EMC Australia, the Companys 80% owned Australian subsidiary. EMC Australia holds 100% of the Nyngan Scandium Project.
EIS HIGHLIGHTS:
The EIS finds residual environmental impacts represent negligible risk,
The proposed development design achieves sustainable environmental outcomes,
The EIS finds net-positive social and economic outcomes for the community,
Nine independent environmental consulting groups conducted analysis over five years, and contributed report findings to the EIS,
The Nyngan Project development is estimated to contribute A$12.4M to the local and regional economies, and A$39M to the State and Federal economies, annually.
The EIS is fully aligned with a Feasibility Study, recently announced by SCY.
CONCLUSION STATEMENT IN THE EIS:
In light of the conclusions included throughout this Environmental Impact Statement, it is assessed that the Proposal could be constructed and operated in a manner that would satisfy all relevant statutory goals and criteria, environmental objectives and reasonable community expectations.
George Putnam, CEO of Scandium International Mining Corp. commented:
Completion and filing of this EIS achieves another important milestone towards our goal of building and operating the worlds first primary scandium mine and large scale scandium processing facility. This step continues a process with governmental regulators that culminates in a license to build our business and produce scandium product for waiting markets. Filing this EIS, in concert with our recent feasibility study completion, also signals to those waiting markets that real progress related to adequate commercial supply of scandium is happening, specifically with regard to the Nyngan Project.
DISCUSSION
The EIS is the foundation document submitted by a developer intending to build a mine facility in Australia. The Nyngan Project is considered a State Significant Project, in that capital cost exceeds A$30million, which means State agencies are designated to manage the investigation and approval process for granting a Development Consent, from the Minister of Planning and Environment. The Ministers Department manages the review of the Proposal through a number of State and local governmental agencies.
The EIS is a self-contained set of documents used to seek a Development Consent. It is, however, supported in many ways by the Feasibility Study, recently completed and announced by SCY, for filing shortly on SEDAR.
Once the Development Consent is granted, there are a number of operating licenses and approvals that are required from various regulatory agencies to construct and operate a mining operation in NSW.
The key license approvals are:
An Environment Protection Licence,
A Mining Lease,
Water Supply Works and Use Approval and Water Access Licence,
A Section 138 Permit issued by the Bogan Shire Council, for construction of the intersection of the Site Access Road and Gilgai Road,
An approval from the NSW Dams Safety Committee for the design and construction of the Residue Storage Facility, and
A high voltage connection agreement with Essential Energy.
The EIS represents the cornerstone of all of these approvals and licenses, along with the multi-interagency review that precedes the approval authorization for a Development Consent. The timeframe for completion of these reviews and granting of licenses is not fixed, and is dependent on the results of the adequacy review of the EIS including the extent of the questions that may arise from the project review, and the available resources in government to address the review itself. General estimates of the development review and approval process time frame range from 6-9 months, with some proposals taking longer, particularly larger proposals, or proposals with more community and environmental impacts to consider.
The Company intends to follow and support the progress of governmental agency reviews in coming months, and will be conducting a second Town Hall meeting with residents of the Nyngan community in May. The EIS is expected to go on public exhibition sometime in late May or early June 2016. At that time an executive summary of the EIS will also be made available on SCYs website for download.
QUALIFIED PERSONS AND NI 43-101 TECHNICAL REPORT
Willem Duyvesteyn, MSc, AIME, CIM, a Director and CTO of the Company, is a qualified person for the purposes of NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical content of this press release on behalf of the Company.
ABOUT SCANDIUM INTERNATIONAL MINING CORP.
The Company is focused on developing the Nyngan Scandium Project into the worlds first scandium-only producing mine. The Company owns an 80% interest in both the Nyngan Scandium Project, and the adjacent Honeybugle Scandium Property, in New South Wales, Australia, and is manager of both projects. Our joint venture partner, Scandium Investments LLC, owns the remaining 20% in both projects, along with an option to convert those direct project interests into SCY common shares, based on market values, prior to construction.
The Company filed an amended NI 43-101 technical report in 2015 on a preliminary economic assessment of the Nyngan Scandium Project, based on extensive metallurgical test work on the resource. The Company has recently announced results of a feasibility study of the Nyngan Scandium Project, and expects to file a NI43-101 technical report on SEDAR within the next 30 days.
In addition to the two lateritic scandium properties in Australia, SCY owns a 100% interest in the Trdal Scandium/REE property in southern Norway, where we continue our exploration efforts, specifically for scandium and REE minerals.
For further information, please contact:
George Putnam, President and CEO.
Tel: 925-208-1775
Email: info@scandiummining.com
This press release contains forward-looking statements about the Company and its business. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and include, but are not limited to the timing and outcome of a review of the EIS, the ability to obtain required approvals, permits and licenses, and the Companys intentions to place the Nyngan Scandium Project into production. . The forward-looking statements in this press release are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by forward looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, without limitation risks related to uncertainty in the demand for Scandium and pricing assumptions; uncertainties related to raising sufficient financing to fund the project in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; the possibility that required approvals and permits may not be obtained on a timely manner or at all; risks related to projected project economics, recovery rates, and other factors identified in the Company's SEC filings and its filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities.
Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions and expectations of the Company's management at the time they are made, and other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions or expectations, or other circumstances, should change.
To view this press release as a PDF file, click onto the following link:public://news_release_pdf/ScandiumMay22016.pdfSource: Scandium International Mining Corp. (TSX:SCY) www.scandiummining.com
Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com
Copyright 2016 Filing Services Canada Inc.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - May 2, 2016) - Nevada Exploration Inc. ("NGE" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:NGE)(OTCQX:NVDEF) is pleased to announce that it has added 76 new claims covering 550 hectares (1,360 acres) to its land position in Nevada's prolific Kelly Creek Basin to secure the growing target defined by NGE`s updated 3D geologic model.
The Kelly Creek Basin is located along the Battle Mountain - Eureka Gold Trend, and is bounded by multi-million-ounce gold deposits to the north (Twin Creeks, Getchell, Turquoise Ridge, and Pinson) and south (Lone Tree, Marigold, Trenton Canyon, Converse, Buffalo Valley, Copper Basin, and Phoenix) - together representing more than 70 million ounces of gold along the periphery of the Basin. Despite its close proximity to world-class mineralization, the interior of the Kelly Creek Basin has seen limited systematic exploration activity to date because its bedrock is largely covered by syn- to post-mineral volcanic units and post-mineral alluvium.
Recognizing the potential to find significant gold mineralization within the Kelly Creek Basin, dozens of major and junior explorers have spent tens of millions of dollars to follow the prospective geology seen in and proximal to the exposed bedrock in the surrounding mountain ranges beneath the sands and gravels covering the Basin. Within the areas controlled by NGE, this activity has included: Santa Fe Pacific completing wide-spaced bedrock mapping drilling in the 1990s; BHP completing an extensive soil auger geochemistry program through the late 1990s; and Placer Dome completing a reconnaissance-scale reverse circulation program in the early 2000s. Other companies that either now hold or have held claims in the immediate area include Newmont, Barrick, AngloGold, Hemlo, Homestake, and Kennecott. The efforts of each company have added valuable information about the geology of the Basin; however, without a cost effective tool to conduct basin-scale exploration beneath the valley cover, the exploration programs to date in the Kelly Creek Basin have predominantly consisted of unsystematic and uncoordinated efforts focused on relatively small areas.
NGE has developed its groundwater chemistry exploration technology specifically to complete large-scale exploration for gold in Nevada`s covered basins. NGE is now using this technology to map the elevated concentrations of gold in groundwater along the major structural corridor beneath the Kelly Creek Basin that connects the multi-million-ounce gold deposits to the north and to the south.
Since establishing its initial holdings in the Kelly Creek Basin, NGE and its exploration partners have completed major work programs, building a comprehensive exploration dataset to understand the geology beneath the Basin. This exploration dataset now includes:
- 1,000 km2 (390 mi2) regional magnetic geophysical survey data; - 670 km2 (260 mi2) detailed air magnetic geophysical survey data; - 1,000 km2 (390 mi2) regional gravity geophysical survey data; - 100 km2 (40 mi2) detailed gravity geophysical survey data; - 33 line-km (21 line-mi) of CSAMT geophysical survey data; - 49 line-km (30 line-mi) 3D reflection seismic survey lines; and - Drilling database containing 31 drill holes from NGE and its exploration partners, plus 114 historic drill holes, representing more than 29,000 metres (95,000 feet) of drilling, including assay results for more than 5,000 drill intervals representing more than 10,000 metres (32,000 feet) of drill assay data.
With this unparalleled exploration dataset for the Kelly Creek Basin, NGE is applying the latest in 3D modelling software to build a comprehensive geologic model focused on the central portion of the Basin where NGE has demonstrated the presence of high levels of gold in the groundwater associated with the structural trend connecting the major gold mineralization to the north and south. NGE is now using this updated 3D geologic model to target additional acquisitions along this important trend. With the addition of NGE's new claims, NGE now controls more than 3,100 hectares (7,680 acres) within the Kelly Creek Basin.
About Nevada Exploration Inc.
NGE is an exploration company focused on gold in Nevada. NGE is led by an experienced management team that has been involved with the discovery of more than 30 million ounces of gold in Nevada.
NGE is aggressively applying the latest technology in covered deposit exploration to identify, acquire, and advance new exploration properties in Nevada's highly prospective yet underexplored covered basins. NGE has developed proprietary hydrogeochemistry (groundwater chemistry) exploration technology to explore for gold in Nevada's covered basins where traditional exploration techniques are challenged.
Using its industry-leading exploration technology, NGE has assembled a large portfolio of new gold projects, and has established itself as a major player in this world-class jurisdiction. NGE's business model is to leverage its properties and technology to create shareholder value through generative exploration and development.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Wade A. Hodges, CEO & Director, Nevada Exploration Inc., is the Qualified Person, as defined in National Instrument 43-101, and has prepared the technical and scientific information contained in this News Release.
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information:
This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, expectations, beliefs, plans, and objectives regarding projects, potential transactions, and ventures discussed in this release.
In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made numerous assumptions, regarding, among other things, the assumption the Company will continue as a going concern and will continue to be able to access the capital required to advance its projects and continue operations. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies.
In addition, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are the risks inherent in mineral exploration, the need to obtain additional financing, environmental permits, the availability of needed personnel and equipment for exploration and development, fluctuations in the price of minerals, and general economic conditions.
A more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company is disclosed in the Company's continuous disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 2, 2016) - Xtra-Gold Resources Corp. (TSX: XTG) (OTCQB: XTGRF) ("Xtra- Gold" or the "Company") announces that it intends to conduct a non-brokered private placement financing of up to $1,000,000 through the sale of up to 2,500,000 units at $0.40 per Unit, subject to regulatory approval. Each unit consists of one common share and one-half (1/2) of a common share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to acquire one common share for $0.65 for a period of 15 months from closing. All securities issued in conjunction with the offering will be subject to applicable hold periods.
Finders' fees may be paid in connection with this transaction. This transaction is subject to regulatory approval.
Proceeds of the financing will be used for continued exploration on the Company's properties and for general corporate and working capital purposes.
This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any U.S. state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption therefrom.
About Xtra-Gold Resources Corp.
Xtra-Gold is a gold exploration company with a significant land position in the Kibi greenstone belt ("Kibi Gold Belt") located in Ghana, West Africa. Our main assets comprise of 5 mining leases totaling 55,905 acres.
Forward-Looking Statements
The TSX does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements". These statements are based on information currently available to the Company and the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward- looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of the Company's mineral properties, and the Company's financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with the activities of the Company; and other matters discussed in this news release. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Contact Information
For further information please contact:
James Longshore
Chief Executive Officer
416-366-4227
E-mail: info@xtragold.com
Website: www.xtragold.com
NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA OR THROUGH U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES
Lightweight metals leader Alcoa (NYSE:AA) today announced it has reached an agreement with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) that will help improve the competitiveness of its Intalco smelter. As a result, the smelter will not curtail at the end of the second quarter as previously announced by the Company.
The amendment to the power contract is effective July 1, 2016 through Feb. 14, 2018 and provides for additional access to market power during this period.
This short-term amendment with BPA, combined with the state of Washingtons $3 million budget proviso for workforce training, are key factors in helping Intalco remain competitive. Alcoa thanks Governor Inslee; its federal delegation led by Senators Murray and Cantwell, and Representatives DelBene and Larsen; the state legislative delegation led by Senators Ranker and Ericksen; and BPA for their support.
Intalco Works, located in Washington State, has a capacity of 279,000 metric tons per year.
About Alcoa
A global leader in lightweight metals technology, engineering and manufacturing, Alcoa innovates multi-material solutions that advance our world. Our technologies enhance transportation, from automotive and commercial transport to air and space travel, and improve industrial and consumer electronics products. We enable smart buildings, sustainable food and beverage packaging, high performance defense vehicles across air, land and sea, deeper oil and gas drilling and more efficient power generation. We pioneered the aluminum industry over 125 years ago, and today, our approximately 58,000 people in 30 countries deliver value-add products made of titanium, nickel and aluminum, and produce best-in-class bauxite, alumina and primary aluminum products. For more information, visit www.alcoa.com, follow @Alcoa on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Alcoa and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Alcoa.
Forward Looking Statements
This release contains statements that relate to future events and expectations and as such constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include those containing such words as estimates, expects, goal, plans, should, target, will, would, or other words of similar meaning. All statements that reflect Alcoas expectations, assumptions or projections about the future, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the competitiveness of the Intalco smelter. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, and are not guarantees of future performance. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements include: (a) material adverse changes in aluminum industry conditions, including global supply and demand conditions and fluctuations in London Metal Exchange-based prices and premiums, as applicable, for primary aluminum, alumina, and other products, and fluctuations in indexed-based and spot prices for alumina; (b) Alcoas inability to successfully realize goals established in each of its business segments, at the levels or by the dates targeted for such goals (including moving its alumina and aluminum businesses down on the industry cost curves and increasing revenues and improving margins in its value-add businesses); (c) Alcoas inability to realize expected benefits, in each case as planned and by targeted completion dates, from acquisitions, divestitures, facility closures, curtailments, or expansions, or international joint ventures; (d) political, economic, and regulatory risks in the countries in which Alcoa operates, including unfavorable changes in laws and governmental policies, tax rates, civil unrest, or other events beyond Alcoas control; (e) the outcome of contingencies, including legal proceedings and environmental remediation; (f) deterioration in global economic and financial market conditions generally; and (g) the other risk factors summarized in Alcoas Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Alcoa disclaims any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether in response to new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160502005899/en/
./ContentItem/Format
Alcoa reaches power agreement to improvement competitiveness of Intalco #aluminum smelter
Contact
Alcoa
Investors
Matthew Garth, 212-836-2714
Matthew.Garth@alcoa.com
or
Media
Sofina Mirza-Reid, 212-836-2720
Sofina.Mirza-Reid@alcoa.com
Play Video Replay Video Play Video Don't Play The secret to a perfect latte Need a little help steaming your milk? Two-time Australian barista champion Craig Simon reveals the secret to making a perfect latte.
Craig Simon is a two-time Australian Barista Champion (2014 and 2012) and the head of research, development and innovation at Veneziano Coffee Roasters in Melbourne. Here are his tips for making a great latte at home.
The machine: You can spend anything from about $200 to $6000 on a domestic espresso machine. ''Work out how much money you are prepared to spend on an espresso machine and then learn how to make the most of it," says Simon. Factor a good grinder into your budget also.
When it comes to milk-based coffees, it's worth splashing out on a machine that has separate boilers for the coffee and for the steam; you'll be able to switch straight from making your espresso shot to texturing your milk and you're less likely to get a watery milk from the steam wand. Wet steam, a common problem with inferior machines, increases the volume of the milk without adding texture (creaminess) so you just get lots of hot milk.
Barista Craig Simon pours the perfect latte. Photo: Cal Wood
The beans: While the quality and freshness of your beans is important, Craig Simon says it's vital you grind the beans just prior to making your latte. "Once coffee is ground it oxidises and begins to lose flavour."
Espresso recipe: To make a great espresso shot you need to control the speed that it pours. You do this by accurately measuring the correct weight of coffee grinds; a good starting point is 20 grams. You then control the speed of the flow with the grind size. The aim is to extract 30mls of espresso in 30 seconds and this is controlled by adjusting the grind size. The finer you grind your beans, the slower the espresso shot will pour. The coarser you grind your beans, the faster the espresso shot will pour. The espresso shot is the flavour of the coffee. Taking the time to make the espresso shot taste good will make your espresso taste better.
The milk: Fresh full cream milk straight from the fridge is best. Craig Simon prefers commercial style brands (e.g: Pura) to boutique milks, which he finds overpower the coffee flavour. "I like a nice, creamy milk so the coffee is the hero." Full cream is best. It has more fat and is more elastic and will texture better when steamed. The fat proteins in full cream milk bind with the air to create that lovely latte texture. All milks can be textured, but the proteins in skinny, soy and nut milks tend to fall apart more easily and can result in your latte "splitting".
Craig Simon from Veneziano Coffee, Melbourne, is a two-time Australia barista champion. Photo: Cal Wood
Texturing (or steaming) the milk: Texturing is when air binds with the milk for a creamy texture. Firstly, make sure you're using an appropriate milk jug; a single or double-cup jug for home should suffice.
Now, begin texturing by placing the steam wand into the milk just below the surface. Turn on the steam wand. The milk should begin to spin (a bit like a whirlpool) and you should hear a fine, hissing sound. As the air is incorporated into the milk the volume will expand. Slowly keep lowering the milk just to keep the steam wand at the same level relative to the surface of the milk.
Continue spinning until the milk reaches 40 degrees (just more than body temperature warm). Then, lower the wand deeper into the jug to heat the milk a further 20 degrees. The milk is at about 60 degrees when the side of the jug feels almost too hot to touch. This is the right temperature for your latte.
Advertisement
Pouring: Craig Simon uses a 150ml latte cup because he likes a slightly stronger latte. But most baristas would use a 170-190ml cup or glass. Of this, 30mls should be espresso. In a latte, the top 1cm should be textured milk and the rest hot milk. (During competition Craig actually weighs his milk and uses 135-145 grams of milk per latte.)
A latte should be immediately consumable. It's too cold if it tastes overly dairy and fatty. If it's too hot it may taste bitter and you might get a tingling sensation on your tongue. Bitter coffees are more often the result of over-heated milk than of coffee running too slowly through the espresso machine.
Latte art? See video above, or this video from Sydney's Grounds of Alexandria.
The devil is in the details: How to make a great latte at home. Photo: Cal Wood
Lattes versus cappuccinos: Traditionally in Italy a cappuccino just referred to a small cup (ie: lattes were just bigger.) Now in Australia a cappuccino means a 240ml cup, lots of foam and chocolate sprinkles. The sprinkles were traditionally used to cover up the taste of a poorly-made coffee.
While you wait: Peter Lew and Nicole Galloway in their new restaurant, Fei Jai Next Door, in Potts Point. Photo: Janie Barrett
Fei Jai Next Door opens this week, and you'd be forgiven for thinking its cocktails and dumplings are designed exclusively for customers at its older sibling Fei Jai given it's, well, right next door.
"Its actually for the whole area. The idea of it is Potts Point has so many great restaurants but nowhere to go if you're waiting for a table," argues Fei Jai co-owner Peter Lew. Fei Jai Next Door has squeezed into the former Challis Street digs of The Sardine Room, dishing up dumplings, pork belly, tuna tartare spring rolls as well as cocktails.
Lew and his team have had a busy month, closing their Bayswater Road Mexican restaurant, Barrio Chino, last week and sliding a burger pop-up in its place. They've also done a deal to look after the food menu at Darlo Country Club on Victoria Street in Darlinghurst. And the culinary direction? "It's very LA country club," the restaurateur says.
Market Lane Coffee has opened a cafe at the Paris end of Collins Street. Photo: Simon Schluter
Market Lane Coffee's latest cafe has opened in Collins Street with eucalyptus-green walls, copper-trimmed bar, moody lighting, dark timber booth seating and a cake coup they're the first wholesale customer for North Melbourne bakery star Beatrix.
Market Lane co-owner Fleur Studd says she has been pursuing Beatrix's Natalie Paull for five years; Paull has come around just in time, supplying lamingtons, yo-yos, fruit crumbles and almond jaws shortbread sandwiches filled with soft caramel. The cafe also has pastries from Noisette.
Coffee is the Market Lane seasonal blend for Schulz Organic milk-based espressos, a daily single origin for black espresso and three or four dedicated singles for filter brews, which, with the usual Market Lane attention to the tactile, are served in hand-made mugs by Japanese ceramicist Yumiko Iihoshi.
Beatrix is supplying Market Lane Cafe with its lamingtons. Photo: Simon Schluter
The new venue, in Portland House at the Parliament end of Collins Street, is Market Lane's most sit-downable: as well as the leather-cushioned booths, wire-frame Trent Jansen Tidal chairs and tables are set, Paris-style, on the Paris end footpath (with soft woollen throws to cushion bony Melbourne bottoms).
Open Mon-Fri 7am-3pm.
8 Collins Street, Melbourne, marketlane.com.au
Just how important is the ice in an iced drink?
That question is now up for debate, as a woman has filed suit against Starbucks, claiming that the coffee chain is "underfilling" its cold beverages, duping customers and serving drinks that contain less coffee than advertised.
"Starbucks is misleading customers who expect to receive the advertised amount of fluid ounces," states the class-action lawsuit, which was filed last week in federal court. "For example, if a gallon of gas is advertised as costing three dollars, and a customer pays three dollars and pumps gas, that customer is expecting to receive a gallon of gas - not approximately half a gallon."
Starbucks has been under fire for the level of taxes it pays on income. Photo: Adrian Brown
The plaintiff who filed the suit, Stacy Pincus, alleges that those who purchase cold beverages at Starbucks receive far less coffee than advertised. The lawsuit, filed in US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, notes that the claims also apply to iced tea and other cold beverages prepared by Starbucks employees.
"We are aware of the plaintiff's claims, which we fully believe to be without merit," Starbucks spokeswoman Jaime Riley said in a statement on Monday. "Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any 'iced' beverage. If a customer is not satisfied with their beverage preparation, we will gladly remake it."
On its menus, Starbucks advertises "tall" drinks as 12 fluid ounces (350 mls) ; "grande" drinks as 16 fluid ounces (473 mls) ; "venti"-sized cold drinks as 24 fluid ounces (710 mls); and its "trenta" cold drinks as 30 fluid ounces (887 mls).
However, the lawsuit claims, Starbucks baristas pour a smaller amount of coffee into the beverage, then fill the rest with ice. That practice leaves the consumer with less coffee than they pay for, according to the suit.
For example, a Starbucks customer who orders a "venti" cold drink gets about 414 mls of the beverage, not 710 mls, the lawsuit claims.
"In essence, Starbucks is advertising the size of its cold drink cups on its menu, rather than the amount of fluid a customer will receive when they purchase a cold drink - and deceiving its customers in the process," the lawsuit states.
An email sent to Pincus's attorney was not immediately returned.
The lawsuit follows controversy involving the sandwich chain Subway, which was sued over "footlong" subs that allegedly didn't quite reach their advertised length. In the wake of those incidents, Subway told the website Eater in a statement that it had "redoubled our efforts to ensure consistency and correct length in every sandwich we serve."
"The amount of fluid ounces in a cold drink is a material fact that a reasonable consumer would consider important," the lawsuit against Starbucks states. "Had Plaintiff and the Class known that the cold drinks contained significantly less fluid ounces than represented by Starbucks, they would have not paid as much, if anything, for the cold drinks."
The Washington Post
SHARE
Grocery shoppers can help food banks
Grocery shoppers at Albertsons can make a difference by participating in the General Mills Outnumber Hunger campaign.
Specially marked products are labeled with promotion codes that can be entered into a website. For every code entered online by Jan. 31, 2017, General Mills will donate 45 cents to Feeding America enough to secure five meals through local food banks in San Angelo and other United Family store locations.
Feeding America is the leading domestic hunger-relief organization, reaching out to an estimated 50 million people in the United States.
In addition to Albertsons stores, United operates Market Street and Amigos in West Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth and New Mexico, and United Supermarkets in Brownwood and locations north into the panhandle.
The San Angelo store is at 3121 Sunset Dr.
Homeless coalition updates directory
The Concho Valley Homeless Planning Coalition has released its 2016 updated Concho Valley Directory of Social Services, listing organizations, programs and opportunities including employment, health and transportation.
The ready-for-print list is available at http://cvhpc.org/resources.
Part of the CVHPC mission is to plan and develop a system of activities and projects for the most effective and efficient use of resources to help eliminate homelessness in the Concho Valley. Meetings are held monthly at varying locations around town and are open to the public. For more information check out cvhpc.org or call President Floyd Crider at 325-374-7202.
Eat, drink and learn how to network
The Young Professionals of San Angelo is hosting a gastronomic networking event for skill-building over four courses.
"Mentor Table for 4" will be held May 12 in partnership with the Angelo State University Alumni Association at the LeGrand Alumni & Visitors Center, 1620 University Ave.
Cocktails will be served from 5 to 6 p.m. and dinner from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
The YPSA describes the networking method:
Sit down with strangers.
Eat a fantastic course.
Utilize your networking skills.
Repeat!
The event is for members only and is free of charge. To join the organization or to RSVP, email membership@ypsanangelo.org.
Seminar to cover basics of startups
Ready to turn that business idea into a reality?
The Angelo State University Small Business Development Center is hosting "Ready ... Set ... Go ... Essentials to Business Startup" at 6 p.m. Tuesday at no cost.
The seminar is designed to present a comprehensive look at the basics of starting a new business, for entrepreneurs and new business owners.
"We will help answer your basic business startup questions and share resources that will help you along the way," said training coordinator Dezaray Johnson.
"You will learn the basics of writing a business plan, how to estimate startup costs, contacts and resources you will need, and more."
Included is an "Essentials of Starting a New Business" workbook, a "Starting a Business in San Angelo" guide and a business plan summary.
Advance registration is requested by calling 325-942-2098 or at www.sbdc.angelo.edu.
The event will be held at the ASU-SBDC offices downtown at 69 N. Chadbourne St.
Energy industry targets hopefuls
AUSTIN The Texas Alliance of Energy Producers is launching a new educational program to increase the pool of talent in the oil and gas industry.
The "e-Internship" program provides college students the opportunity to complete an internship online without the need for significant travel or time away from their home campus which might be geographically remote from an oil patch.
"The oil and gas industry is losing workers at an alarming rate, with more than 80,000 jobs lost in Texas since the downturn began," said Bob Osborne, chairman of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers and vice president of Cobra Oil & Gas Corp.ation.
"We know from the past that many of these workers will never return to the oil field. With this new e-Internship program, the alliance is once again going above and beyond to assist our youngest members our student members as well as providing a service to the industry as a whole by preparing a future workforce of educated, qualified oil and gas employees, who will be ready and able to step in once the market improves."
The inaugural e-Internship has been awarded to Logan Lewis, a petroleum engineering undergraduate student at the University of Kansas and 2016 recipient of the Joseph King McMahon Petroleum Engineering Scholarship, a scholarship facilitated by the alliance. Lewis will complete his online internship with alliance Executive Vice President John Tintera.
The e-Internship program entails weekly professional, online meetings and routine assignments specifically tailored to students' field of study or interest. The program will also include regular evaluations and reviews, as with any traditional internship. It will eventually be incorporated into the alliance's student membership program, the only one of its kind among Texas oil and gas trade associations. The program has more than 70 collegiate student members at approximately 10 universities across the state.
The Texas Alliance of Energy Producers is the largest state independent oil and gas trade association in the nation, representing more than 3,000 member companies. For more information, visit www.texasalliance.org.
SHARE
Jack's building 2nd convenience store
Tuesday the San Angelo City Council will discuss zoning for a planned Chick-fil-A to be constructed at 1609 Knickerbocker Road, according to a building permit application submitted to the city in March.
The building, at Knickerbocker Road and South Jackson Street, previously housed a bank. The permit application indicates the bank building will be demolished, and a freestanding restaurant with drive-thru lanes and parking will be constructed in its place.
The project is valued at $850,000, according to the application.
When asked to comment on the planned location, Carrie Kurlander, vice president of Chick-fil-A Inc.'s public relations, said in an email to the Standard-Times, "We are always evaluating potential new locations in the hopes of serving existing and new customers great food with remarkable service. While we hope to serve the San Angelo community in the future, we do not currently have any locations to confirm."
The fast-food chicken eatery currently has three locations in San Angelo: on the Angelo State University campus, inside Sunset Mall and the intersection of Farm-to-Market Road 2288 and Sherwood Way. The FM 2288 location opened in late 2014 after its location across the street, near Walmart, closed.
At the time, the new Chick-fil-A was the only one in Texas to have three drive-thru lanes.
According to Chick-fil-A's website, they have restaurants in 42 states and Washington, D.C., with more than 300 locations in Texas.
The company's website states: "Chick-fil-A opens a limited number of restaurants each year. The Chick-fil-A Inc. Real Estate Department selects these locations based on corporate goals for expansion in specifically targeted markets and other relevant business factors."
Jack's building 2nd convenience store
Jack's Convenience Stores has plans to construct another retail store and car wash in San Angelo, at 4515 Knickerbocker Road.
According to a building permit application submitted in February to the city of San Angelo's Permits & Inspections Department, Jack's plans to demolish the existing building an Exxon station and build a convenience store with retail items and food, as well as a fuel station and car wash. The project's price tag is estimated at $2 million, according to information on the application.
Jack's first opened in San Angelo last year, at 2 N. Koenigheim St. It later opened a car wash and lube center on adjacent property, at 14 N. Koenigheim St.
According to the convenience store chain's website, Jack's brand is known for being one of quality. Its convenience stores carry GameGuard attire and Oma's Choice food including beef jerky and pies.
Jack's operates other locations in Midland, Fort Stockton and Abilene.
SHARE
By Staff Report
The American Hospital Association on Monday presented Dan Stultz, M.D., past president and CEO of the Texas Hospital Association, with its Honorary Life Membership Award in recognition of his contributions to hospitals and health care in America. The award recognizes individuals who have made important contributions to the health care field and who share the mission, values and goals of the AHA. Stultz received the award at a ceremony at the AHA Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Before his leadership role with THA, Stultz was CEO of Shannon Health System in San Angelo for 13 years. Stultz participated in AHA's policy-making process and served on AHA's Committee on Nominations; Committee on Clinical Leadership; Physician Leadership Forum Advisory Committee; Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence National Leadership Council; Advisory Committee on Physician-Hospital Relationship Strategy; and Expert Advisory Group on Clinical Integration. He was a member of the AHAPAC Steering Committee and the Allied Hospital Association Advisory Group on Health Reform Implementation.
"I am so pleased that the AHA has recognized Dan for his contributions to the health care industry not just in Texas but across the nation," said Ted Shaw, president and CEO of the Texas Hospital Association.
Stultz earned a bachelor's of science degree at the Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, and doctor of medicine at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. In addition, he completed the CompHealth Scholars Program for management in health care at the Kenan-Flagler Business School of University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
SHARE
By Ngan Ho of the San Angelo Standard-Times
Tuesday is the last day to vote early before the May 7 city elections.
Registered voters who wish to cast a paper ballot must vote early, as all voting on election day is done electronically.
Tom Green County has two polling places open for early voting the main election office on the first floor of the Edd B. Keyes Building, 113 W. Beauregard Ave., and Wall Brethren Church, 7921 Loop 570 South, for Wall residents.
Voting hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
"I've been pleasantly surprised that we've had a good turnout so far," said Vona Hudson, county elections administrator. "(It) has been a little bit higher than I anticipated, but I'm really happy about that."
Hudson said more than 600 people came to vote during the first two days of early voting, which began April 25.
Hudson said the second voting branch outside of San Angelo was opened at the request of Wall Independent School District, which is conducting elections for board trustees and a bond election, and only Wall residents are eligible to vote in those elections.
In San Angelo, elections are being held to decide the police chief race and three City Council positions.
San Angelo Police Chief Tim Vasquez is running for re-election, and faces challengers Mike Hernandez, Jeff Davis and Frank Carter. The police chief serves a four-year term.
For San Angelo City Council:
SMD 1: Bill Richardson faces Trinidad Aguirre Jr.
SMD 3: Daniel "Danny" Cardenas faces Harold "Harry" Thomas
SMD 5:, incumbent Councilwoman Elizabeth Miller Grindstaff faces challengers Lane Carter, R.A. Cantrell and Martin W. Guinn.
Council members are elected to three-year terms.
"This election we have the chief of police which seems to be drawing a lot more interest than maybe it has be in the past," Hudson said. "Since people are kind of interested in the chief of police I think that's why we're seeing a better turnout this year."
Hudson stressed that people must go to one of the 20 polling locations throughout town to vote on election day. The election office is not open for voting on election day.
"In the primary we had about 400 people that tried to come vote here," she said. "If you want to vote on election day you have to go to one of those 20 locations."
One of the voting centers, at St. Paul Presbyterian Church, has been relocated to MHMR Services at 1501 W. Beauregard Ave., Hudson said.
"Oftentimes you see the turnout based on what the issues are, what the interest is," she said. "I'm actually pleased that voters are coming out and I hope they continue to do so."
The deadline to register or update voter information for the May 24 Primary Runoff election was April 26. Ballot by mail applications for the May 7 election must be received in the election office by May 7.
Voting schedules, polling place locations as well as sample ballots may be found on the election website: www.votetomgreencounty.org.
For more information, contact the election office at 325-659-6541 or via email: elections@co.tom-green.tx.us.
SHARE
By Staff Report
The Grape Creek Volunteer Fire Department will hold a 24-hour food drive from 10 a.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday.
The drive will benefit the Grape Creek community food pantry and the Grape Creek Firefighters' trip to Texas A&M annual Fire School in College Station.
While a barbecue and bake sale will help pay for the firefighters' travel and lodging expenses in relation to the trip, firefighters will also accept nonperishable food items for the food pantry in the parking lot of Grape Creek ISD administration building, at 8207 U.S. Hwy 87 N. Monetary donations will also be accepted.
For more information, call 325-763-8721.
photos by Luke Franke/Naples (Fla.) Daily News Re-creating a moment from 1966: Dennis Puleo (from left), Tom Hanks, Bob DeVenezia (kneeling), and Bob Falk met on Cinnamon Beach pose in Palm Coast, Fla. The original photo was taken when the four Marines were stationed at Camp Pendleton, near San Diego.
SHARE Luke Franke/Naples (Fla.) Daily News The four former Marines load up to head to Cinnamon Beach in Palm Coast, Fla., as Bob Falk squeezes the surfboard, essential to the recreation of the photo, onto the elevator April 23, 2016. The group hadn't all been in he same place since being shipped off to fight in the Vietnam War, nearly 50 years ago. Luke Franke/Naples (Fla.) Daily News After re-creating the photo on Cinnamon Beach, Dennis Puleo, Puleo's wife, Joanne, Bob Falk, Bob DeVenezia and Tom Hanks (not pictured) all went out to lunch to tell old war stories and to catch up on each other's lives April 23, 2016, in Palm Coast, Fla. Puleo (from left), Hanks, Falk and DeVenezia view the photograph that was taken nearly 50 years earlier during their weapons training in Oceanside, Calif., to memorize and re-create the scene on Cinnamon Beach.
By Jacob Carpenter, Naples (Fla.) Daily News
PALM COAST, Fla. They wanted the picture to be just right, to look as close as possible to the one they'd taken together 50 years ago, back when their memories hadn't yet been clouded by the images of war.
So Saturday morning, on the sun-drenched Atlantic shore of Cinnamon Beach on Florida's northeast coast, four U.S. Marine veterans gathered around a yellow longboard turned upright, trying to re-create a moment from five decades earlier.
Bob Falk, 71, wearing a mirror-image blue-and-white striped shirt, leaned against the longboard's left side, resting his spare hand on his hip.
Dennis Puleo, 69, removed his shoes, revealing the feet scarred by shrapnel, and pulled off his shirt, flanking the longboard on the right, mugging a wide smile for the camera with his arms extended.
Tom Hanks (not that one), 69, stepped in front of the board and took in a long, deep breath, flexing his still-thick upper chest and sucking in his now-paunchy belly.
Finally, Bob DeVenezia, 70, crouched down in front of Hanks, resting his elbows on his knobby knees, feeling Hanks' hands placed on his back.
The picture couldn't be a perfect copy. They had gray hair and wrinkled skin and undefined stomachs now. But it didn't matter.
For the first time in five decades, they were together, trying to get it right.
DeVenezia sat at the kitchen table in his East Naples condominium last week, trying to explain why it'd been 50 years since he'd been in the same room as three of his closest Marine Corps friends. He became quiet for a second, searching for the right words.
"We just broke up," DeVenezia said. "Life is funny like that. I didn't keep in touch with any of them. There was something about the Vietnam War and the negativity we kept hearing."
In 1966, the four U.S. Marines were stationed together in Camp Pendleton, outside San Diego. The Vietnam War was ramping up, and together, they were part of a weapons platoon three machine gunners and one anti-tank man getting ready to ship off to East Asia.
Over the next two years, they'd train together and deploy together. Once in Vietnam, they'd separate, enduring many of the same horrendous conditions, if not the same action. And then, once their tours were over, each lasting no more than 13 months, they went their own ways.
They would all build successful careers DeVenezia in construction in New Jersey; Falk in retail management in Florida; Hanks in investment banking in Atlanta; Puleo in home security, some in the Northeast and some in Florida. They would all marry a couple of them twice and raise six children among them.
About five years ago, Falk stumbled across an online memorial that Hanks created for a fallen comrade they all knew. That started a chain of events that put the four back in touch.
For a while, the four would reunite in fits and starts, a few gathering at a time, but never all at once.
Then, when Hanks was flipping through an old photo album, he spotted a picture of the four together on a beach as young Marines. It had been nearly 50 years since the photograph was taken.
He got an idea.
Nobody can remember the precise date when the picture was taken. Sometime in May 1966. Probably early in the month.
What they can agree on is that the snapshot captured a memorable time for the young men ranging from age 19 to 21.
They were fresh out of eight will-busting weeks of basic training in Parris Island, now stationed in San Diego's Camp Pendleton, brothers in the weapons platoon of Bravo Company. How did they, of all the Marines in Pendleton, get together?
"Nobody knows," DeVenezia said. "We were all on the same boat, we were all on the same weapons platoon, we all knew we were going to be cannon fodder, bodies for Vietnam. And you just hook up."
Jacob Musich (center) in court Wednesday. Photo by Michelle Villarreal, www.caller.com
SHARE
By Michelle Villarreal, Www.Caller.Com
CORPUS CHRISTI ? The first of three teens accused of kidnapping and raping an 11-year-old girl pleaded guilty to aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault of a child Wednesday.
In July, Visiting Judge Jack Hunter ruled Jacob Musich, 19, would be tried separately from Colton Visor, 18, and Eric Dimick, 17, who will be tried together. A trial date has not been set for them.
A jury will decide Musich punishment, which could range is 5 to 99 years in prison.
The three teens were indicted on charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault in the Dec. 27 abduction of a girl in the 6900 block of Braesvalley Drive. The indictment accuses Musich of sexually assaulting her and Dimick and Visor of helping. Musich, Dimick and Visor were arrested about 4 a.m. Dec. 30.
Last month prosecutors filed a document detailing Musich's history that speak to his character. The offenses include that Musich admitted to thinking about children when he masturbated, according to court records.
They also say he hunted possums and stabbed them with knives, he has an October 2012 theft charge as well as a September 2011 possession of marijuana charge, and he went to a drug rehabilitation facility in October 2012 but relapsed and continued to use drugs, according to court records.
According to the Texas Penal Code, additional evidence may be offered during the sentencing phase of the trial, which includes prior criminal history, his general reputation, his character, an opinion regarding his character and the circumstances of the offense for which he is being tried.
Prosecutors could call to testify Corpus Christi Independent School District employees, Corpus Christi police, employees from Driscoll Children's Hospital and Texas Department of Public Safety crime lab and Musich's mother, according to court documents.
A gag order was imposed that prevents attorneys and involved parties from talking to the media or the public.
During an August hearing, Dimick's attorney, Kenneth Botary, read sections of Musich's police interview during a hearing last month that detailed the incident. Police asked Musich if anyone tried to stop the sexual assault.
Musich told police the teens each planned to have sex with the girl, but after Musich stopped the sexual assault, Visor and Dimick no longer wanted to.
The 11-year-old girl rode her bicycle alongside her 13-year-old brother and a dog when she was pulled into the passenger side of a Chevy Suburban and blindfolded. She told police a man poured a gel between her legs, and she described a sexual assault that caused pain, according to an arrest affidavit.
The girl was released about an hour later on a Padre Island beach and walked to the area of Sea Pines Drive and Park Road 22, where she flagged down a driver, police said.
Visor drove the van, Dimick grabbed the girl and Musich assaulted her, according to Musich's interview.
They each are being held in the Nueces County Jail on $1 million bail.
SHARE
Who were the meanest men and women in Texas? Who were among the top 10? Picking the top 10 of anything is almost impossible, but an attorney and an Oklahoma newspaperman have come up with the characters that can fill the role of the most terrible in Texas.
A Louisiana firm, Pelican Publishing Co. of Gretna, has come out with an excellent book titled Ten Deadly Texans, written by Laurence Yadon and Dan Anderson and edited by Robert Barr Smith. My review copy, containing 334 pages with photos and index in soft cover, has provided some great reading these hot summer nights.
It was a welcome escape from more than two weeks of the Michael Jackson saga and all the debate over health care reform. Yadon and Anderson have done a good job of retelling some of the stories of our states toughest bad men.
Long known for their colorful characters, including both good guys and bad guys, the authors have loaded their latest book with well-researched material that takes away the chaff between truth and legend, myth and folklore.
The books host of characters range from the Civil War days to the Great Depression, from cow ponies and six-shooters to speedy Ford V8s and tommy guns. Yadon, an attorney, mediator, arbitrator and speaker on legal matters and American history, and Anderson, an award-winning newspaper reporter-photographer, have done a remarkable job of finding new material on some of the folks riding the hoot owl trail.
I had read the pairs earlier books on Oklahoma outlaws and lawmen and Texas 200 most-bloodied shootists, so I was looking forward to this latest effort. The wait was worth it.
The men say in the books preface that their selection of the 10 Worst Texas Outlaws may be controversial to some. I do not see any reason for them to apologize because they examined the many gunfighters involved and the notoriety of their misdeeds.
The book covers a fairly lengthy time period, starting in 1835 with the reconstruction and notorious outlaw Cullen Montgomery Baker and proceeding through 1935 when the Barrow gang members Joe Palmer and Ray Hamilton were executed in Texas Old Sparky electric chair in Huntsville.
Many of the outlaws included in the narrative have been featured in other books and magazines, but several have been overlooked by storytellers, including Baker; train robber Joel Berry, an associate of Sam Bass; Mannen Clements Sr., a cousin of John Wesley Hardin; and Marshal Ratliff, better known as the Santa Claus robber. Ratliffs bloody trail from a Cisco bank in 1927 led to the Texas Bankers Association putting a bounty on bank robbers, paying $5,000 dead or alive preferably dead. Ratliff eventually would be lynched about two years later after a failed escape attempt.
For an entertaining read about Texans who chose a deadly path filled with spilled blood, high drama and pure excitement, this books for you.
Thought for the week: Your best friend is the one who is a friend without expecting anything.
Ill be seeing you Out Yonder.
Ross McSwain can be contacted at yonder11@suddenlink.net, or by checking his Web site www.rossmcswain.com.
The Obama administration released a new set of rules last week for managed care plans under Medicaid and the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The document, clocking in at 1,425 pages, mostly strengthens and modernizes existing rules. But there are some sweeping changes.Perhaps most notably, states now must set maximum time and distance standards to ensure that there are enough doctors in the right places. What the maximum time and distance will be is left up to the individual states to decide.This has the potential to be a game-changer for rural areas, which have more Medicaid patients but far fewer doctors than urban areas. While 21 percent of rural residents are on Medicaid -- compared with 16 percent in urban areas -- only 10 percent of doctors are located in rural areas.Health officials, though, wonder -- and worry about -- how these standards will be executed.How does a state like Nevada write such a standard when most people live in one area? said Maggie Elehwany, government affairs and policy vice president for the National Rural Health Association. The sparsely populated state has a high concentration of people in the southern part, which could make it difficult to create a standard to serve all residents. "We know what CMS [the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid] is trying to do, so were happy about it because there is such a workforce shortage. But it is really hard right now to see what states are going to do."What wouldnt be helpful, according to Elehwany, is for states to simply set high time and distance maximums -- like three hours and 100 miles. That wont ensure or improve access to care and will just be another regulation for states to follow, she said.Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, said the new regulations have been well-received from officials he's talked to, but "it's going to take a lot of energy and resources to come into compliance, and health officials need to start thinking: How do you roll this out in a way that makes sense? Whats the right way -- not easiest -- to measure access to care?As officials digest all 1,400 pages of the new rules, Elehwany hopes the federal government will back the new regulations with funding for programs.There are a great community-based services that could be launched or ramped up that could reduce health disparities," she said. "Rural areas have a tremendous need not only for care but for community health workers who understand the culture. Those are the people best positioned to encourage these populations to stay healthy."Many states have already made attempts to address the doctor shortage in rural areas. Alaska, for example , works with the state university to disperse mental health providers in the most far-flung areas; more than half the states encourage the use of telemedicine ; Missouri lets medical school graduates practice in rural areas without completing a residency; and roughly a dozen states have formed a pact that makes it easier for doctors to practice in multiple states.Despite all of these attempts, the drought of medical help remains for much of rural America.
The first officially reported death Friday in the United States from Zika-related complications, a 70-year-old man in Puerto Rico, intensified a partisan battle on Capitol Hill over $1.9 billion in emergency funds blocked for two months by Republicans.With Florida claiming the highest number of cases of the deadly virus, lawmakers from the Sunshine State pushed GOP leaders to take up the appropriations supplemental bill that President Barrack Obama sent to Congress two months ago."The death of an American citizen should serve as a wake-up call to all those in Congress who continue to block our efforts to stop the spread of this virus," Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson said. "While this may be the first Zika-related death in our country, it won't be the last if Congress does not start taking this virus seriously."Nelson last week filed legislation to provide the $1.9 billion in emergency funds for Zika research, most of which would go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Benjamin Haynes, a spokesman for the CDC, said Friday that the Puerto Rican man, from the metro area of the U.S. territory's capital of San Juan, died earlier this year."He had Zika, the Zika had cleared, but shortly after, he started bleeding internally," Haynes told McClatchy. "He went to hospital. That's when he died."The unidentified man's death was first documented in the CDC's weekly report on the mosquito-borne virus. The official cause of death was thrombocytopenia, a severe drop in the number of platelets that can lead to severe bleeding."I'm saddened to learn that we have already suffered our first death from the Zika virus, and my thoughts are with the victim's family," Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said. "As I've said for months, this is an unfolding public health crisis in Florida and Puerto Rico and, soon, other parts of the nation."Wasserman Schultz, who is chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, added: "We need House Republicans to stop dragging their feet on emergency supplemental funding for Zika and join President Obama and congressional Democrats by taking immediate action to arrest this burgeoning health crisis."While the Zika virus is spread primarily by two types of mosquitoes, Wasserman Schultz cited recent evidence that it can also be sexually transmitted.Wasserman Schultz earlier this week introduced legislation to provide the $1.9 billion. She was joined by Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y.Puerto Rico has 599 cases of Zika, according to CDC data, far more than any other state or territory. Florida has 93 cases and New York has 77, which combined represents 40 percent of all cases nationwide.The biggest health threat from Zika is to pregnant women and their newborn children.One of the most serious effects of the virus is microcephaly, which causes babies' heads to be much smaller than normal. Zika can also cause brain damage, seizures, developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, feeding problems, hearing loss and vision problems in infants.Female Democratic senators spoke out forcefully Thursday in a prolonged partisan fight over the emergency Zika funding on the Senate floor, among them Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California and Patty Murray of Washington state.Sen. Marco Rubio, the failed 2016 GOP White House candidate, broke with other GOP senators in a passionate plea for the emergency funds.On a recent trip back home, the Florida Republican said, he met with local and state public health officials and representatives of Florida's 1 million-strong Puerto Rican community, the nation's largest."I met with doctors who live in Miami-Dade County and also officials in Miami-Dade County," Rubio said. "They are freaked out about the Zika thing. I don't know any other term to use. If they are freaked out, then I am very concerned about it as well."Rubio warned that with a large number of Zika cases already documented in Brazil, tens of thousands of people potentially exposed to the virus will travel through Florida and other states to and from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro."It is the obligation of the federal government to keep our people safe, and this is an imminent and real threat to the public safety and security of our nation and our people," Rubio said. "So the money is going to be spent. The question is: Do we do it now, before this has become a crisis, or do we wait for it to become a crisis?"Senate Republicans, however, said that emergency funding was not needed. They said previously appropriated money to combat the Ebola virus, which first broke out in West Africa almost three years ago, could be shifted for Zika research and treatment.If additional Zika funds are needed, they said, the money could be provided through the normal appropriations process now underway in Congress.Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, noted that Ebola turned out to be less of a threat than originally predicted in suggesting that the current concern over Zika could be overblown."Our (Democratic) friends across the aisle have requested a $1.9 billion blank check, and they haven't told us what the plan is for the use of the funds," Cornyn said.Saying the emergency funds would be "deficit spending that adds to the debt," Cornyn said: "The (Nelson) legislation completely lacks any sort of accountability that would only come through a regular appropriations process where we consider this in a deliberate sort of way."CDC spokesman Haynes, however, said the supplemental money is needed now."There's a lot of work that needs to be done to help in this outbreak of the Zika virus with surveillance and trying to find a vaccine," he said. "The biggest threat is to pregnant women. All of our efforts are focused on trying to fight this outbreak and protect pregnant women."
Texas can continue enforcing its voter ID law while a lower court considers its constitutionality, the U.S. Supreme Court said Friday, a win for Republican state officials that nonetheless came with a time limit.The high court's brief order acknowledged the looming November general election and invited the law's opponents to renew efforts to block the voter ID law if the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals delayed its ruling beyond July 20.The 5th Circuit will hear oral arguments on the case May 24 in New Orleans.The state law, passed in 2011 with strong support from Republicans and opposition by Democrats, requires Texans to present an approved form of photo ID before casting a ballot. Acceptable documents include a Texas driver's license, Texas-issued license to carry a handgun, U.S. military ID and U.S. passport.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and other Republican officials praised the Supreme Court's order, saying the voter ID law is essential to combat fraud at the ballot box."Texas enacted a common-sense law to provide simple protections to the integrity of our elections and the democratic process in our state," Paxton said.Voters and elected Democratic officials challenged the law, saying it improperly limits the voting rights of minority, lower-income and older Texans who are less likely to have approved forms of photo identification. Opponents also say the law is unnecessary because voter fraud is exceedingly rare."The hostility that Gov. Abbott and other Texas leaders hold against Hispanics, African-Americans, the very young and very old in Texas is defined by their relentless drive to enforce a discriminatory voter ID law," said Matt Angle, director of the Lone Star Project, a liberal political advocacy group.The Texas secretary of state's office estimated in 2011 that about 605,500 registered Texas voters might lack a state-issued license or ID.Opponents won an early victory when a federal district judge ruled that the law was created with a racially discriminatory purpose.That ruling was partially upheld last year by a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court, which ruled that Texas' voter ID law violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits voting procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, skin color or ethnicity.But at the urging of Paxton, the entire 5th Circuit stepped in last March, blocking the panel's ruling so all 15 active judges can decide whether the law was constitutional.That ruling was generally considered to be favorable to supporters of the law because Republican presidents have appointed 10 of the court's 15 judges.
A top Los Angeles County sheriff's official has resigned amid mounting criticism over emails he sent mocking Muslims, blacks, Latinos, women and others from his work account during his previous job with the Burbank Police Department, the Sheriff's Department announced Sunday.After previously saying that he had no immediate plans to discipline his chief of staff, Sheriff Jim McDonnell said in a statement that he had accepted Tom Angel's resignation and intended to turn the controversy into a "learning opportunity" for his department employees."This incident is one that I find deeply troubling," McDonnell said. "Despite the Sheriff's Department's many recent efforts to fortify public trust and enhance internal and external accountability and transparency, this incident reminds us that we and other law enforcement agencies still have work to do."McDonnell said he would introduce random audits of employee email accounts and would meet with community groups to "share thoughts and ideas about improving our understanding of the varied cultures and orientations and deepening our appreciation of the many ethnicities and religions that are part of the vibrant fabric of the population we serve." The department would also examine its training and existing policies for "ensuring accountability and enhancing cultural and ethnic sensitivity," he said.Angel's resignation came after The Times published emails obtained under the state's open records act. The forwarded emails prompted numerous civil rights advocates to call on the sheriff to discipline his chief of staff. By Sunday, the consensus was that Angel should step down or be fired.Angel did not respond to messages seeking comment. He previously told The Times that he did not mean to embarrass or demean anyone. He said it was unfortunate that his work emails could be obtained by the public under the state's records laws.It is unclear what lasting effect, if any, the controversy will have on McDonnell's standing among local civil rights advocates.McDonnell was elected in November 2014 as an outsider promising to steer the agency past an era in which some deputies beat jail inmates and others were found to have singled out African Americans and Latinos in the Antelope Valley for harassment. He brought Angel, a veteran sheriff's official, back from Burbank as a key member of his reform administration.Angel's resignation was welcomed by many of the civil rights advocates who had called on McDonnell to act, though some said the sheriff should have done more sooner. McDonnell had previously said he was disappointed by the emails but didn't have plans to take action because Angel sent the messages while working for Burbank.Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said Angel's resignation was not a moment to rejoice but to "roll up our sleeves and help the sheriff develop a culture of partnership and accountability and transparency within his office."Haroon Manjlai, a spokesman for the greater L.A. chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the sheriff's decision to accept his chief of staff's resignation sent an important message going forward."Hopefully now, if incidents like these happen again, the precedent is to step down or be dismissed," Manjlai said. "It promotes zero tolerance when it comes to any kind of xenophobic or insensitive behavior to any community."Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, said the sheriff should have acted against Angel rather than wait for public criticism to build."You're not doing anything if your initial reaction is, 'That's horrible, that's terrible, but there's nothing I can do or nothing I intend to do,'" Hutchinson said. "This is your department. You are the man at the top, you set the direction, the tempo, the climate for the department. If you don't take action, what you're saying is the department doesn't care."Hutchinson, who last week called for an audit of all sheriff's employee emails, said he plans to monitor the email audits and push to make sure the results are made public.Esther Lim, director of the Jails Project at the ACLU of Southern California, called McDonnell's initial reaction "a little passive.""When you have someone high up in the administration sending off inappropriate emails, and the sheriff is slow to respond, that communicates to the line staff that it's a behavior that's OK, when it's not," Lim said.The uproar echoes recent controversies in other cities. In San Francisco and Ferguson, Mo., police officials who sent racially derogatory emails or text messages were placed on leave or fired.Angel's emails were sent in 2012 and 2013 when he was the No. 2 police official in Burbank. There, too, he had been brought in to reform an agency reeling from misconduct in its ranks, including allegations of brutality, racism and sexual harassment."I took my Biology exam last Friday," said one of the emails, which The Times obtained from the city of Burbank under the state's public records law. "I was asked to name two things commonly found in cells. Apparently 'Blacks' and 'Mexicans' were NOT the correct answers."Another email ridiculed concerns about the racial profiling of Muslims as terrorism suspects. A third included the subject line "How dumb is dumb?" and listed 20 reasons "Muslim Terrorists are so quick to commit suicide," including "Towels for hats," "Constant wailing from some idiot in a tower" and "You can't wash off the smell of donkey."Four of the emails contained strings of jokes that Angel received and then forwarded. A city spokesman said the other senders and recipients were redacted because they did not work for the city, and releasing their identities would be an invasion of privacy.A fifth email was a short dialogue between Angel and another Burbank police official in which Angel asked what he called a trivia question: "How many virgins do Muslims get in heaven?"Some who worked with Angel in Burbank defended him, calling him a respectful leader who comfortably interacted with different ethnic groups."I saw nothing but the highest levels of conduct," said Burbank City Councilman David Gordon.Angel's departure will be a big loss for the sheriff, who as an outsider relied on him as a right-hand man to help sort out the 18,000-member department's inner workings."Tom Angel's career within the Sheriff's Department was extraordinary," said Brian Moriguchi, president of the union that represents sheriff's supervisors. "He came back to help the sheriff rebuild from the previous administration's corruption and other problems, and he was well-intentioned and well-respected. But that doesn't excuse his conduct, either."
Last year, the city of St. Paul, Minn., won a$175,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to hire a so-called 8-80 Vitality Fellow, a first-of-its-kind position in local government. St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman got the idea for the fellowship from urbanist Gil Penalosa, a former parks commissioner in Bogota, Colombia, who argues that cities should be safe and welcoming to citizens of all backgrounds and ages (fromyears old).In 2014, Coleman invested $40 millionin a package of infrastructure projects that would further his goal of making St. Paul an 8-80 city. The money covers street improvements, the acquisition of land for parks, the renovation of a historic theater and the addition of bike lanes. With the Knight Foundation grant, Coleman's office hired Margaret Jones, the city's first 8-80 Vitality Fellow, to support the projects and ensure that the 8-80 principles inform the work of every city agency. Much of the job involves going out into the community, making presentations, hosting events and building relationships with residents who want to help make the city a more fun and equitable place to live and work.In April, Jones spoke withabout her 18-month fellowship. The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.The main thing I do is look across the departments and make connections between people in the community and in city departments. A big thing in the job description was silo-busting -- getting people to work across departments. Although, I have found that its not just getting people to work across departments butdepartments.Im bringing in speakers almost on a monthly basis, and weve been successful in getting a variety of people to listen to these talks. Weve had people in the audience from the city, from the county, from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, from nonprofits and from downtown business associations. Its getting people from within the city and across departments to start talking to one another.I dont know of any. I dont know that I would continue calling the position an 8-80 fellow. Its kind of a fun title because people are like, Whats that? But I dont think it's necessarily useful in terms of talking with other cities. We usually have to explain it, so I think one of the things I would recommend is crafting a new title.I was the executive director for a neighborhood nonprofit community council. Within that neighborhood, I had been working on issues with different people in the city, in different departments -- police, public works, parks -- and in local businesses. I had an understanding of the role that the community plays and the role the community thinks it should play. When I was in the community, I would hear this idea of The City, this entity thats sort of out there. So one of the things Ive been trying to do since Ive been here is put a face on the city, so its not just this idea of this huge government entity that can be perceived as an obstacle. More often than not, I think its just that people dont realize all of the workings of the city. I feel like I am a face in the city that people can identify and call. I think thats huge for any place.If not an 8-80 Vitality Fellow, then I still think there should be some position that is trying to do the kinds of things that Im doing. I definitely think theres been a value added, for sure.One of the things Ive been asked to do is write a report and make recommendations. So my first recommendation will be that they keep me on. [Laughs] But in all seriousness, I do think that there is a place for me. Because of the role that I have now and the role that I had before this job, I know a lot of people in the community. I get calls from the strangest places and from people all across different disciplines, and theyre calling to ask me to help them get something going. Theyre asking me to help make a connection.
(TNS) -- Popular peer-to-peer payment service Venmo is under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission in connection with possible unfair and deceptive practices.Its the latest sign of increased regulatory scrutiny of emerging financial technology firms, and at least the second time Venmo may have run afoul of regulators.Venmos parent, San Jose payments giant PayPal Holdings Inc., disclosed the investigation Thursday in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.The FTC, which enforces consumer protection and antitrust laws, in March demanded documents and other information from PayPal to determine whether we, through our Venmo service, have been or are engaged in deceptive or unfair practices in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act, the company reported.FTC spokesman Jay Mayfield confirmed the company is under investigation but declined to provide additional details.PayPal spokeswoman Amanda Miller said the company is cooperating with the commission.We are completely aligned with regulators in their efforts to ensure that consumers have positive experiences when using our services, Miller said in an emailed statement. We consult and collaborate with regulators and work hard to comply with laws and regulations in the markets where we do business, around the world.The Federal Trade Commission Act generally prohibits unfair and deceptive practices across a wide range of industries. Often, violations of the act amount to a lack of disclosure about fees or other practices.In the case of Venmo, theres little indication of what the commission could be looking for.The service, which allows users to send money to each other using a smartphone app, is free for users who link their Venmo accounts to bank accounts or most debit cards. Venmo charges a 3 percent fee to transfer money from credit cards and some debit cards.The investigation comes as California and federal regulators, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which oversees banks, have taken a more active interest in financial technology firms.Though much of regulators focus so far has been on online lenders, Venmo has attracted regulatory scrutiny before. In 2014, the company was reprimanded by the California Department of Business Oversight in connection with consumer privacy issues and fraud-prevention practices.Venmo is one of PayPals fastest-growing business lines, with the volume of money transferred through the service hitting $3.2 billion in the first three months of this year up more than 150 percent from the same period in 2015.But PayPal brings in relatively little revenue from Venmo, given that many users pay no fees. The company reported that the FTC investigation could lead to substantial costs in the form of legal fees, fines and other expenses.
7 Reasons You Should Care if the United Kingdom (UK) Leaves the European Union (EU)
World-class wind
All-day energy
Mixed winds
Lobbying money
(TNS) -- Towering turbines in Maine and New York -- and off the Atlantic Coast -- could ease a looming energy crunch in Massachusetts, and wind energy companies want the state to support their budding industry.Lawmakers are discussing plans to force utilities to enter long-term contracts with clean energy providers to replace the energy created by retiring nuclear and coal-fired power plants, while cutting carbon emissions and potentially lowering electricity prices.The outcome of those talks could affect the state's energy production and electricity costs for decades.Environmentalists want wind -- in addition to solar and hydropower -- to play a major part in the renewable energy mix."We want to see the offshore wind industry launched at scale in our state," said Josh Craft, program director for the Environmental League of Massachusetts, one of several groups pushing the state to expand its use of clean energy. "Harnessing this natural resource will help us meet energy needs while creating jobs and reducing carbon emissions."The demand for new sources of electricity is drawing some of the world's biggest wind companies to the region, and a range of projects are in various stages of development to feed power-hungry Southern New England.Denmark-based Dong Energy has leased 187,000 acres of federal waters off Martha's Vineyard where it wants to build a wind farm with capacity of up to 1,000 megawatts - enough to power 1 million homes. The project 15 miles off the coast is called Bay State Wind.Denmark gets nearly half of its electricity from wind power and boasts some of the lowest energy prices in Europe. Dong Energy has built 14 offshore wind farms in northern Europe, including the worlds largest in the Thames Estuary.Thomas Brostrm, Dong's general manager for North American operations, said strong winds off the Southern New England coast are similar to those of the areas of Europes North Sea, where the company developed several large-scale offshore wind farms.We see a lot of potential in the Massachusetts market," he said. "And there's is a big demand for renewable energy."The area off Martha's Vineyard was one of several leased by the U.S. Interior Department to developers for offshore wind farms.By the end of the year, Rhode Island-based Deepwater Wind plans to flip the switch on the country's first offshore wind farm in state-owned waters near Martha's Vineyard.Its 30-megawatt project, with an estimated price tag of $300 million, consists of five, 600-foot offshore wind turbines that will provide ample electricity to nearby Block Island and the Rhode Island mainland.Deepwater Wind has signed a 20-year contract with National Grid to sell the power, starting at 24 cents per kilowatt hour."The Northeast is perfect for this industry because we have world-class winds," said Jeff Grybowski, CEO of Deepwater Wind.Because wind is stronger on the ocean, developers can use larger turbines that spin more rapidly and efficiently, he said.Deepwater Wind has also leased 250 square miles from the feds for a much larger project about 20 miles into the Atlantic Ocean."That area has the capacity to install a few hundred turbines to supply energy to Massachusetts," Grybowski said.Nationally, wind generation rose 5.1 percent last year, driven by federal tax credits that saved developers millions of dollars. Congress has renewed the tax credits until the end of this year.Overall, the wind industry employs more than 70,000 people in 43 states, most in Texas and California, the two biggest wind power markets, according to the American Wind Energy Association.Like solar energy, the prices of wind energy have plummeted in recent years, which has stirred consumer interest.The average long-term contract price for wind power paid by utilities has dropped 60 percent since 2009, falling to about $25 per megawatt hour, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.Within Massachusetts, wind companies say large-scale onshore projects aren't feasible for many reasons - mostly because of the state's geography, low winds over land and safety concerns from installing turbines near homes.That hasn't stopped companies from figuring out how to harness wind power in places where turbines are more easily erected, and moving the energy across state lines.Wakefield-based Anbaric Transmission and National Grid, one of the regions largest utilities, are pursuing a pair of projects that would link onshore wind farms in Maine and Vermont, along with Canadian hydropower, to provide electricity in Southern New England.Ed Krapels, Anbarics CEO, said the mix will produce clean energy all day -- not just when the wind blows."The combination of wind and hydropower is really best way to reliably meet our clean energy goals and diversify our energy portfolio," said Krapels, a native of the Netherlands who lives in Andover. "The potential for these projects is huge."The company's Maine Green Line project would carry about 1,000-megawatts of hydro- and wind-generated electricity through an underwater cable, along the floor of the Gulf of Maine, to Greater Boston.Its Vermont Green Line would provide about 400-megawatts to the region from wind farms in upstate New York, and hydropower from Hydro-Quebec, through a line under Lake Champlain.Combined, the projects would provide enough electricity to power nearly 1 million homes, Krapels said.Cities and towns also see promise in onshore wind energy. Some -- including Gloucester, Newburyport, Lynn and Revere -- have put up turbines on former landfills or tracts of open space to offset their energy costs and generate revenue.Geoff Beckwith, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, said those wind projects are more suitable for coastal communities or those in high elevations. Most cities and towns that build a clean energy portfolio, he said, tap large-scale solar farms."Solar power has a much more broader application than wind in most communities," he said. "It really depends on the location."Massachusetts has a mixed record with wind energy. The Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound, which faced legal challenges and opposition from residents of Cape Cod and the islands, foundered last year when its backers couldn't meet financing deadlines.And the Legislature has previously failed to agree on wind energy policies.As part of a new energy bill, lawmakers are seeking a special carve-out for offshore wind that would require the state's publicly regulated utilities to enter into purchase agreements with companies such as Deepwater Wind and Dong Energy.Wind developers with rights to offshore tracts would compete against each other to fill the state's energy quotas.Wind companies say a regulatory framework is crucial for the industry."One of things we've always lacked is a long-term vision for how to build out the wind industry," Grybowski said. "Like most new industries, it needs a clear, consistent set of guidelines from the government as to how to proceed."Lending political clout to the effort is Rep. Patricia Haddad, D-Somerset, the House Speaker Pro-tem and a wind energy proponent.House Speaker Robert DeLeo has also expressed his support for wind energy, telling the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce in a speech last month that yet-to-be-filed energy legislation will include provisions supporting offshore wind development.Project developers will have to demonstrate cost benefits, feasibility and a guarantee that their power will be delivered during critical times, like the terrible winter we experienced last year, said DeLeo, who offered few specifics about the bill.Gov. Charlie Baker also wants to pursue a mix of renewable energy to offset the expected loss of 10,000 megawatts from coal- and oil-burning plants while cutting the state's carbon output. His plan, which hinges on lawmakers' approval, calls on the state's utilities to import at least 1,200 megawatts of hydropower per year, supplemented by wind and solar energy.Companies that could get a piece of the action are lobbying lawmakers.Offshore Wind Massachusetts, an advocacy group founded last year by several wind power companies, spent $197,500 last year lobbying Beacon Hill, according to filings with the secretary of state. Dong Energy spent $55,000 on lobbying last year, according to the filings.Still, the projects face myriad federal and state regulatory hurdles, as well as opposition from business groups and power generators who strongly oppose government carve-outs and subsidies for clean energy.Likewise, wind farm projects in New York and Maine face opposition from those unhappy that the intrusive developments are benefiting other states."We don't want to become a wind plantation for Southern New England," said Chris O'Neil, a member of the nonprofit group Friends of Maine's Mountains. "If they need more energy, they should be investing in their own infrastructure."
Frustration with TCEQ
Undermining state authority
City inspections allowed
(TNS) -- The Texas Supreme Court on Friday struck down Houston's air quality ordinances, ruling the city overstepped its authority to police polluters and handing industry advocates a major victory.In an 8-1 decision, the justices ruled that ordinances requiring businesses to pay registration fees and allowing criminal sanctions for emissions violations were inconsistent with state law.The Business Coalition for Clean Air Appeal Group, which includes giants such as Exxon Mobil and Dow Chemical Company, accused the city in a 2008 lawsuit of creating an "enforcement regime" that goes beyond its role permitted under state law.In 2014, about 2,800 businesses were registered with the city, which collected nearly $1.5 million through the program that year."What the city is trying to do is not consistent with what the Legislature has decided," said Evan Young, an attorney for the coalition. "This ruling sends the message that clear, evenhanded statewide regulation is something the Texas Supreme Court takes seriously."City Attorney Donna Edmundson issued a statement saying the court's decision "will not dampen the city's efforts" to assist the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality with the enforcement of environmental laws. The statement said the city will employ "other legal mechanisms" allowed under state law to monitor and take action against polluters. A spokeswoman said the city hadn't decided whether to appeal.Adrian Shelley, executive director of the advocacy group Air Alliance Houston, said the decision was "not the least bit surprising" but dismaying nonetheless."It's pretty in-keeping with both previous judicial decisions and the direction in which our state government is moving," he said.He cited the state Legislature's passage of a bill last session that caps the amount local governments can collect through environmental lawsuits, Gov. Greg Abbott's filing of a brief in support of the industry advocates in this case, and a prior legal case that made its way to the Texas Supreme Court."There will be more polluters who pollute with impunity," Shelley said. "There will be a little poorer public health in the city as a result."Houston battled smoggy skies for decades and has failed to comply with federal ozone standards. The 10-county area includes the largest petrochemical complex in the country, hundreds of chemical plants and a bustling port.Under the ordinances, the city collects registration fees from companies in order to investigate potential violations of air pollution laws.City officials have defended the ordinances since their passage in 2007, arguing they helped fill an enforcement gap created by understaffing at TCEQ, the state agency responsible for monitoring and punishing polluters.The city said legal mechanisms it could use against polluters include requesting that TCEQ investigate suspected polluters, seeking injunctive relief and penalties in civil court against suspected violators and notifying TCEQ of violations deemed to be criminal in nature.Former Mayor Bill White pushed for the ordinances after growing frustrated with TCEQ. He and City Council members voted to amend a 1992 ordinance and start requiring businesses to pay registration fees based on their size and emissions. The fees range from $130 for a dry cleaning plant with fewer than six employees to $3,200 for plants emitting more than 10 tons annually of airborne contaminants.The ordinances also authorized city health officers to seek civil, administrative and criminal sanctions for violations that can be prosecuted in municipal court, with fines of up to $2,000 per day for repeat violators.For years, industry groups have argued that the city ordinances interfere with TCEQ's enforcement authority.A Harris County district court judge sided with industry advocates and enjoined the city from enforcing the ordinance in March 2011. The city appealed, and in 2013, the First District Court of Appeals overturned the lower court's decision.Abbott filed a brief in August in support of the industry group, saying the city's ordinance interferes with TCEQ's enforcement powers and could harm mom-and-pop businesses like dry cleaners.The justices wrote in their opinion Friday that if the TCEQ chose not to take enforcement action against a company, it did not give the city the legal authority to step in."By authorizing criminal prosecution even when the TCEQ determines an administrative or civil remedy -- or even no penalty at all -- to be the appropriate remedy, the city effectively moots the TCEQ's discretion and the TCEQ's authority to select an enforcement mechanism," the opinion states. "This is impermissible."Similar ordinances are in place elsewhere in the state, including in San Antonio.Even without the city ordinances, state law allows city personnel to enter and inspect facilities, Young added. Cities also can contract with TCEQ to help with enforcement under its supervision.Local governments also can sue polluters in civil district courts, but only with approval of the local governing body and if TCEQ joins as a party.Young said the industry group "has never tried to undermine the importance of state environmental law.""What matters," he said, is that enforcement is "done in a safe, efficient, clear, evenhanded way."
(TNS) -- WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann is convinced that crushing terrorist groups like ISIS will not only involve defeating them on the battlefield, it will mean beating them in the propaganda war, too."We need to use every tool in our arsenal," the Ooltewah Republican said.One of the most potent tools in that arsenal, he believes, are the words of people have been involved in these organizations, impressionable men and women who have taken up their cause, observed the groups from the inside, fought alongside their fighters and then have become disillusioned by what they've seen.Fleischmann is pushing legislation that would require the Department of Homeland Security to use testimonials from former extremists and defectors to counter-message the propaganda that groups like ISIS offer up in their recruitment efforts.The legislation, which the House approved Tuesday night on a 322-79 vote, is in part a response to last summer's shootings at two military institutions in Chattanooga that killed five servicemen. The FBI has said the gunman, Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, was inspired by foreign terrorist organizations.No one will ever know for sure what causes people like Abdulazeez, who grew up in a middle-class neighborhood just a few miles from Chattanooga and led a mostly trouble-free life, to buy into the radical ideology that groups like ISIS are peddling, Fleischmann said.But, "if we can we can prevent one person from going down that horrific path toward ISIS by using a bill like mine and other measures that are available to us, we need to have an all-out war to combat ISIS and their horrible ideology," said Fleischmann, whose congressional district includes Chattanooga."ISIS is spewing a very dangerous message to some people who are sadly impressionable and have taken the bait," he said. "We want to make sure that bait is poison."ISIS runs a sophisticated social media and online network to spread its message and recruit young people to its cause. Besides producing slick videos, the group has also used hip hop music and video games as part of its recruitment tools.Fleischmann's bill would enable Homeland Security to fight back by using TV, radio, social media any means available to circulate the first-hand accounts of former jihadists who can provide insight into "the corruption, the violence, the absolute horrific nature of ISIS," Fleischmann said.The State Department already is doing some of that counter-messaging in foreign countries. Fleischmann's bill would permit that messaging domestically to reach young Americans who might be susceptible to the terrorists' propaganda.In the United States, the principal threat of terrorism comes from home-grown, ISIS-inspired actors like Abdulazeez, counterterrorism experts told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in mid-April.The FBI has said it has open counterterrorism investigations in all 50 states, and most of them are ISIS-related. More than 250 Americans also reportedly have traveled to Iraq and Syria or have at least tried to join ISIS fighters."Many of these individuals were pulled in by terrorist propaganda," Fleischmann said. "ISIS is luring Americans with empty and false promises that do not reflect the true reality on the ground in places like Syria and Iraq. The true reality centers on fear, suffering and the murder of innocent people throughout the region and around the world."While Fleischmann's bill passed the House with strong bipartisan support, some Democrats objected because it did not address domestic terrorists who kill Americans and are a threat to the homeland."Domestic terror groups, just like foreign terrorist organizations, recruit and spread propaganda through social media and online platforms," said Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee.Fleischmann said there's nothing in the bill that would prevent the targeting of domestic terrorists. But he said he didn't explicitly include such language in the legislation because it is "an anti-ISIS bill."The bill now heads to the Senate, where Fleischmann said he expects it to have support among Republicans and Democrats.
(TNS) -- Washington -- The Central Intelligence Agency's unusual decision to "live tweet" the 2011 raid in which Osama bin Laden was killed "as if it were happening today," was mocked and criticized on Twitter.The al-Qaeda leader was killed on May 2, 2011, by US Navy Seals in his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan.The CIA used a series of tweets on Sunday, using the hashtag #UBLRaid, saying: "To mark the 5th anniversary of the Usama Bin Ladin operation in Abbottabad we will tweet the raid as if it were happening today."The tweets included images of the compound that bin Laden was hiding in, as well as a now-famous photograph of the scene in the White House when the news came in.That picture, released at the time by the White House, shows US President Barack Obama sitting to the left of the Situation Room conference table staring at a monitor providing a live feed of the raid. Hillary Clinton, then secretary of state, is holding her hand over her mouth with an expression of shock on her face.After this photo, the CIA tweeted: "3:39 pm EDT - Usama Bin Ladin found on third floor and killed #UBLRaid".And later: "7:01 pm EDT - @POTUS receives confirmation of high probability of positive identification of Usama Bin Ladin #UBLRaid."Before the blow-by-blow account of the raid, the CIA posted on Twitter: "Success of mission was culmination of years of complex, thorough & highly advanced intel ops & analyses led by CIA w support of IC."The jokes, memes and criticism followed, with some on Twitter describing the CIA move as "grotesque," others posting that the agency "had lost the plot."The popular Daily Show tweeted: "If you live tweet the Bay of Pigs invasion, call us. Otherwise, stop it. #UBLRaid"One journalist noted: "Shouldn't the @cia call its anniversary tweeting of the Osama Bin Laden raid a "dead-tweet" instead of a "live-tweet"?"The CIA has 1.33 million followers on Twitter, and 1,662 tweets.
Oops! There was a problem! Sorry, but we can't find what you were looking for right now. The content may have been removed, or is temporarily unavailable.
GreatAndhra.com powered by India Brains Infotech, LLC, its owners, associates and employees are not responsible for any errors, omissions or representations on any of our pages or on any links on any of our pages.
We do not endorse in anyway any advertisers on our web pages, links to personal pages, official pages, or commercial pages.
We have no control of the content of external information. Please verify the veracity of all information on your own before undertaking any reliance.
The linked sites are not under our control and we are not responsible for the contents of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site, or any changes or updates to such sites. We are providing these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by us of the site.
We hereby expressly disclaim any implied warranties imputed by the laws of any jurisdiction. We consider ourselves and intend to be subject to the jurisdiction only of the courts of the state of California.
Greatandhra.com also contains material in the form of inputs/feedbacks submitted by users and Greatandhra.com accepts no responsibility for the content or accuracy of such content nor does it make any representations by virtue of the contents of Greatandhra.com in respect of the existence or availability of any goods and services advertised in the contributory sections. Greatandhra.com makes no warranty that the site contents are Virus -free or anything else, which has destructive properties and shall have no liability in respect thereof.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, GreatAndhra.com takes no responsibility for and will not be liable for the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond its control.
If you have any questions or concerns about a published article, please send us email at venkat@greatandhra.com . We will review your request and article will be removed immediatly.
It's Official: TDP Arm-Twisting Media!
Lending credence to the rumours that popular Telugu news channel NTV has stopped the most viewed news show Live with KSR in the morning hours under pressure from powers-that-be, senior journalist and anchor of the show Kommineni Srinivasa Rao finally spilled the beans as to why he had to discontinue the show.
In his blog post, Kommineni said he had remained silent all these days despite receiving several SMS and mails over his sudden disappearance from the live show on NTV only because he thought things would become normal after some time.
It was true that my show was stopped under political pressure. People in power did not like my straightforwardness and tried to arm-twist the channel management. I did not want to create any trouble for the management and hence, I opted out of the channel and went to Canada with the knowledge of the management. I thought things would become normal after some time, but it did not happen, he explained.
Kommineni said he always wondered whether the government would be scared of a journalist.
I was aware of such incidents in the past, but I did not expect it would happen in my case, because I never considered myself such a powerful journalist. I know how the NTV management had to suffer when the AP government blocked the channel in the state for a few months. I did not want to create further troubles to the channel and hence, I came out though the management did not want to lose me, he said.
In any case, the entire episode had given Kommineni a lot of credibility, though not all sections of people might not have liked his show. He may or may not get job elsewhere, but he enjoys the highest satisfaction of shaking the Chandrababu Naidu government!
KCR Gives Project Shock To Jagan
YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy's decision to launch a three-day deeksha in the third week of May in Kurnool in protest against the construction of Palamuru-Dindi projects by the Telangana government is going to prove a shocker to him.
The party, which has its nominal presence in Telangana with one MP and one MLA from Khammam Ponguleti Srinivasulu Reddy and Payam Venkateshwarlu, is going to be wound up on Tuesday, with both of them deciding to join the Telangana Rashtra Samithi. Ponguleti happens to be the president of the YSR Congress party in Telangasna.
Apparently, TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is agitated over the way Jagan decided to oppose the irrigation projects in Telangana to get political mileage in Andhra Pradesh.
Hitherto, KCR has been adopting a soft stand towards the YSR Congress party president, who was also reciprocating in the same manner. The party has cooperated with the TRS in all the earlier elections held in the last two years.
But, with Jagan taking anti-TRS government stand, KCR is upset. That is precisely why he used his Operation Akarsh weapon at the remaining YSRC leaders.
Though there have been reports that Ponguleti and Payam might defect to the TRS long ago, they did not do so because of the understanding between KCR and Jagan.
Now that Jagan is going all out against Telangana interests, the two party leaders have decided to take a plunge officially, thereby virtually winding up the party in Telangana.
Bosch has opened a new innovation center in Lund, Sweden. The engineers there are working on new software and hardware in areas such as vehicle connectivity, automotive security systems, and motorized two-wheelers. In addition, they are developing cross-domain solutions for connecting mobility with, for example, energy and building technology over the IoT.
By bringing together development activities for a number of different areas at a single location, Bosch hopes to facilitate mutual inspiration.
Sweden is on the global vanguard when it comes to fields of research including information and communications technology. This is exactly the kind of environment we want for our new engineering center. Were pinning our hopes on Lunds talented software and IT experts. Dr. Dirk Hoheisel, a member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH
Boschs new engineering center is located on one level of an office building in Lunds Ideon Science Park. The approximately 2,700 people employed in the science park include developers working for established companies and start-ups, as well as entrepreneurs. The University of Lund borders the park directly. Incubators and regular conferences foster and create synergies both among different areas of business and with the university. The focus is on the service sector, culture, and the creative industries, as well as start-ups and the internet of things.
In addition to being a university town (around a third of the more than 80,000 inhabitants are university students), Lund is also the birthplace of several major technological advancements for the connected world, including Bluetooth technology and biometric fingerprint scanners.
While battery electric vehicles have the obvious advantage of zero tail-pipe emissions, they are not equally advantaged when it comes to non-exhaust emissions. Accordingly, there have been a number of recent studies working to assess the impact of non-exhaust emissions from EVs and suggesting a regulatory or policy response (e.g., earlier post ).
Regulatory regimes seeking to reduce emissions from transport have largely focused on tailpipe emissionsi.e., the criteria pollutants and CO 2 that emerge with the exhaust from the tailpipe. However, there is more than 15 years of research showing that the contribution of non-exhaust primary particles to the total traffic generated primary particles is significant in urban areas. Non-exhaust PM factors include tire wear, brake wear, road surface wear and resuspension of road dust. Further, a 2013 review by Denier van der Gon et al., 2013 found that the ratio of non-exhaust to exhaust particles is strongly increasing in the last two decades, due to exhaust emission reductions.
Tires generate particles both through the wear of the rubber and through the wear of road surfaces. These processes may depend on tire type, size, and age, vehicle speed and weight, road surface properties, and meteorological conditions (temperature, road wetness, etc.). Tire wear contributes to PM 10 even though most of the wear results in larger particles.
Brake wear is due to large frictional heat generation by brake linings. Detailed laboratory tests have shown that 50% of the total wear is emitted as airborne material; the other half directly deposits on the (road) surface and the wheel of the car.
Wear of the road surface varies significantly based on the properties of the asphalt as well as tire type, vehicle type, and speed, as well as road surface conditions. Key properties of the pavement are the
Road wearpavement-derived PM 10 mainly consists of small mineral fragments and therefore is dominated by crustal elements like Si, Ca, K, Fe, and Al. The composition therefore differs depending on the rock material used.
There is a clear lack of data in the field of road transport wear and suspension emissions to conclusively assess its importance for air quality and the impact on human health. It is uncertain how the problem of non-exhaust relates to exhaust in a relative sense, in terms of both emissions and air quality and in terms of human health. Although generalized mass fractions are available for non-exhaust and exhaust road transport PM emissions, the regional, spatial, and temporal patterns of the former are least known, while the role of suspension versus primary wear emissions is even less characterized.
As the trend toward cleaner technologies with reduced exhaust emissions continues through the use of catalytic converters, diesel particulate filters (DPF), and improved fuels and engines, non-exhaust PM will soon surpass exhaust emissions and may well become dominant by 2020 both in terms of emissions and contributions to air quality. The majority of the experts participating in the workshop (55%) ranked the importance of wear and suspension emission compared to exhaust emissions in the future (2020 and beyond) as dominating in terms of PM mass.
Participants agreed that we need to improve our knowledge about emission, exposure, and health effect of wear particles since this fraction of PM cannot be neglected and its relative and absolute importance is still increasing. It is important to stress to regulators and policymakers that road transport emissions continue to be an issue for health and air quality, despite the encouraging rapid decrease of tailpipe exhaust emissions. van der Gon et al.
The pan-European team of van der Gonreported in their paper on a policy workshop convened in 2011 on the relevance of traffic-related wear emissions for air quality policy development, with the focus on non-exhaust PM emissions.The participants in the 2011 workshop concluded:
A 2014 study by Weinbruch et al. in Germany quantified the contribution of the three traffic-related components of exhaust, abrasion, and resuspension to curbside and urban background PM 10 and PM 1 levels based on the analysis of individual particles by scanning electron microscopy.
They collected 160 samples on 38 days between February and September 2009 at a curbside and an urban background station in the urban/industrial Ruhr area. They then classified 111,003 particles studied in detail based on size, morphology, chemical composition and stability 14 particle classes: traffic/exhaust; traffic/abrasion; traffic/resuspension; carbonaceous/organic; industry/metallurgy; industry/power plants; secondary particles; (aged) sea salt; silicates; Ca sulfates; carbonates; Fe oxides/hydroxides; biological particles; and other particles.
The traffic/exhaust component consisted predominantly of externally mixed soot particles and soot internally mixed with secondary particles. The traffic/abrasion component contained all particles with characteristic tracer elements (Fe, Cu, Ba, Sb, Zn) for brake and tire abrasion. The traffic/resuspension component was defined by the mixing state and comprises all internally mixed particles with a high proportion of silicates or Fe oxides/hydroxides which contain soot or abrasion particles as minor constituent.
In addition, silicates and Fe oxides/hydroxides internally mixed with chlorine and sulfur-containing particles were also assigned to the traffic/resuspension component.
The total contribution of traffic to PM 10 was found to be 27% at the urban background station and 48% at the curbside station;the corresponding values for PM 1 were 15% and 39%.
The relative share of the different traffic components for PM 10 at the curbside station was 27% exhaust, 15% abrasion, and 58% resuspension (38%, 8%, 54% for PM 1 ).
For the urban background, the following relative shares were obtained forPM 10 : 22% exhaust, 22% abrasion and 56% resuspension (40%, 27%, 33% for PM 1 ).
Compared to earlier studies, Weinbruch et al.observed a significantly lower portion of exhaust particles and a significantly higher portion of resuspension particles. The high abundance of resuspension particles underlines their significance for the observed adverse health effects of traffic emissions and for mitigation measures.
The role of EVs. As reported earlier here (earlier post) a recent literature review by a team from the University of Edinburgh (Timmers et al.) concluded that, when factoring in the additional weight and non-exhaust PM factors, total PM 10 emissions from electric vehicles (EVs) are equal to those of modern internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs); for PM 2.5 emissions, EVs deliver only a negligible reduction in emissions.
A new Rotterdam-specific study by a pan-European team (Tobollik et al.) used Health Impact Assessment (HIA) to quantify co-benefits of GHG mitigation policies in Rotterdam. The effects of two separate interventions (10% reduction of private vehicle kilometers and a share of 50% electric-powered private vehicle kilometers) on particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), elemental carbon (EC) and noise (engine noise and tire noise) were assessed using Years of Life Lost (YLL) and Years Lived with Disability (YLD).
The baseline was 2010 and the end of the assessment 2020. The team found that both interventions were associated with a decreased exposure to noise, with the effects of 50% electric-powered car being slightly higher. However, they found that the two interventions had marginal effects on air pollution, because already implemented traffic policies will reduce PM 2.5 and EC by around 40% and 60% respectively, from 2010 to 2020.
Another new approach to the problem comes from the team of Hooftman et al. in Belgium. They reported in an open-access paper in the journal energies on their analysis of non-exhaust emissions of passenger vehicles, both conventional (diesel and gasoline) or electric, on air quality levels in an urban environment in Belgium.
Hooftman et al. took a broader viewthey proposed a method to compare the air quality impact of different vehicle technologies on a larger scale than solely based on regulated emission, addressing the most important un-regulated pollutants as well as non-exhaust emissions.
Specifically, they proposed a method to assess the contribution of EVs to urban air quality in Belgium, compared to conventional vehicles of the same weight class; they modeled the effect on human toxicity (HT), photochemical ozone formation (POF) and particulate matter formation (PMF). In addition, they simulated disability adjusted life years (DALY) to assess the healthy years lost due to poor urban air quality. The scope of the study was thus not limited to the use-phase of a vehicle.
Unregulated non-exhaust emissions have significant and dominant impacts throughout the analyzed categories.
EVs were the best alternative to diesel and gasoline vehicles across all categories. EVs have no exhaust emissions and reduced non-exhaust pollutants as well as low electricity generation associated emissions. Hooftman et al. concluded that EVs tend to emit up to eight times less non-exhaust PM than diesel vehicles and at least two times less than gasoline powertrainsfindings at opposition with some of the earlier studies on the topic.
Non-exhaust emissions require active regulation. Either this is achieved by using alternative materials during production of both tires, brakes and pavements, or by introducing alternative technologies such as regenerative braking in ICEs to reduce braking wear. Tires should be subject to technological pushes in order to mitigate wear and tire composition.
Policy makers should enforce further stringent regulations in the transportation sector regarding emissions as well as promote the usage of alternative means of passenger transport. Such a change would highlight the benefits, both environmental, economic and social of these alternative means (such as human powered and electric two-wheelers).
Among their main conclusions were:
Resources
From what I've read about the proposed comedy called "Reagan," I am happy that actor Will Ferrell has backed away from the project.
Reagan family members had plenty of reason to worry about how President Ronald Reagan was going to be portrayed.
A comedy about a man slipping into Alzheimer's? I don't see any material for laughs in that.
And the setting the White House during Reagan's second term seems to be playing loose with the facts. It may be a popular theory that Reagan was "losing it" before he left office, but I'm not aware that's substantiated with actual evidence.
I am, however, a bit reluctant to agree with John Fund, writing in National Review, that this is just another of many efforts by the liberal establishment to denigrate Reagan's memory.
After all, didn't National Review just last fall publish a scathing article by George Will discrediting the veracity of Bill O'Reilly's book, "Killing Reagan," in which O'Reilly and his co-author make similar claims about Reagan?
O'Reilly is no liberal. He's just out to make a buck with a sensational story line.
As an important historical figure, Reagan is subject to all kinds of poking and prodding. Movies take liberties with the facts, unless I'm wrong about "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter." We shouldn't believe everything we see on the screen.
Or don't see.
The Guilford County Democratic Party convention passed 27 resolutions reaffirming its commitment to the rights and dignity of all persons. One failed. It called for ending the use of municipal water to impose fluoride dental treatment on everyone who drinks water, cooks with water, bathes, swims and patronizes restaurants. Maybe a quarter of the convention supported the resolution, but the majority opposed it.
Think about it. When was the last time voters decided that you should be taking aspirin or your child should have ADHD medication?
Fluoridation is not seen as a civil rights issue because weve heard all our lives that its safe and a legitimate substitute for professional dental care for poor people. Most dentists have never investigated the evidence for themselves. Those who do discover both claims are false.
But true or false, everyone can get fluoride treatment with toothpaste or mouthwash. The votes for ending fluoridation represent people who dont want fluoride or shouldnt have it. Those people pay their water bills yet are denied equal access because they cant use fluoridated water for many things. Municipal water is for everyone. Fluoride treatments are not. See momsagainstfluoridation.org and tell your City Council to end fluoridation.
Janet Nagel
Greensboro
HARTFORD-It was a $900 deal.
But it left an area man near death and his two oxycodone suppliers facing up to 20 years in federal prison.
Ryan Looney, 19 and Tahir Farid, 22, both of Hamden recently pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of oxycodone. They face up to 20 years in prison when they are sentenced in August by U.S. District Judge Robert A. Chatigny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney
Robert Spector is prosecuting the pair.
A U.S. Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation determined that Looney supplied Farid with a quantity of oxycodone.
On Jan. 3, 2016, Farid sold 30 40-miligram oxycodone pills to the 22-year-old male victim for $900, according to court documents. Two days later that man was found unconscious and unresponsive in a friends home in Weston.
He remains unresponsive, and according to medical personnel, is in a persistent vegetative state, according to Thomas Carson, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys office.
In addition to the DEA and their New Haven Tactical Division Squad which includes police from Greenwich, Shelton and Wilton, the U.S. Marshals Service along with Monroe and Weston Police participated in the probe.
The investigation is part of U.S. Attorney Deirdre Dalys ongoing crackdown on heroin, fentanyl and opiod dealer who sell drugs that result in serious injuries or death to their customers.
On some thin ice.
Maybe Starbuckss next drink should just be called the Goldilocks? One month after someone sued the coffee chain for allegedly underfilling lattes, another person in Illinois has filed a lawsuit claiming Starbucks overfills its cold drinks with so much ice that liquid only accounts for about half the promised drink size. Stacy Pincus charges that the word beverage is defined as a drinkable liquid, and since nobody thinks ice is a beverage by definition, she alleges Starbucks is purposefully loading drinks up with ice so it can charge customers more for less product. Shes also seeking class-action status all customers who bought iced drinks from the company in the last ten years.
A little-known secret is that the black horizontal lines on the sides of Starbuckss cold cups are actually fill lines for the barista. They hit midway up the cup, meaning the rest of what gets the beverage to the brim is ice. According to Pincuss lawsuit, the math works out to 14 actual ounces of drinkable liquid in a venti (versus the 24 ounces that are advertised) and 12 ounces in a grande (supposedly 16 ounces). The suit also points out that Starbucks charges more money for iced coffee than it does for hot coffee $2.65 versus $2.10 for a grande which it says means the chain is not only underfilling its Cold Drinks compared to how they are advertised, but it is charging a premium price for them as well. (Its worth noting that the price disparity between Starbuckss iced and hot coffee partly accounts for the fact that iced coffee comes lightly sweetened.)
A Starbucks spokesperson said the company was aware of the suit, and it believes it to be without merit, adding, Customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any iced beverage. The lawsuit is asking for at least $5 million in damages, and also says Starbucks should switch to way bigger cups that can hold the advertised amount of liquid, so if the plaintiffs prevail, get ready for a lot more of this.
[NBC, BuzzFeed]
Meh. Photo: Javed Tanveer/AFP/Getty Images
Some common ground you might have with the Taliban: McDonalds just opened up its first location in the Pakistani city of Quetta, reputedly home base for the Talibans ruling council, and a spokesperson for the militant group told NBC that the food is terrible. Heres the gem of a quote senior militant commander Ehsanullah Ehsan gave two reporters he managed to get ha printed back-to-back four times, possibly a first for a network news article:
Hahahaha, so you are asking me about McDonalds food, the TTP-JA fighter said. Yes, I know McDonalds and its food but we will never eat it. We dont even consider it as a food.
He added that because theyre fighters who live in rough, tough mountainous areas, they need energy and power to fight against the enemy. McDonalds does not provide the energy or the power necessary for such a struggle, so theyll just be sticking with their mutton and rice, thank you very much. The Taliban apparently couldnt care less that everything on the Quetta menu is halal, or that in addition to Big Macs and McNuggets, theres also some kind of shawarma wrap called the McArabia. Another senior Taliban member admitted he sees himself stopping by the restaurant in Quettas big Millennium Mall sometime to just hang out, but he has no plans of ordering anything. He recalled trying McDonalds food once when he was in the Pakistani city of Karachi and said the stuff was tasteless and too expensive.
[NBC]
A Samsung phone carrying model number SM-J210F has been spotted on GeekBench, revealing some of its key specs. As per the listing, the device - which is probably to be the next-gen Galaxy J2 - is powered by Spreadtrum SC8830 SoC with quad-core 1.5 GHz processor.
Other specs that were revealed include 1.5GB RAM and Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. If you recall, the Galaxy J2 (2016) was also spotted on India's import/export website Zauba a couple of months ago, revealing a price-tag broadly similar to its predecessor.
There's still no information on the availability front.
Via
Haiti - Politic : Prime Minister celebrates May 1st in Jacmel
Sunday, May 1st as part of Labor Day and agriculture, Premier Enex Jean-Charles, in the absence of the Head of State prevented for health reasons https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-17327-haiti-flash-privert-has-not-traveled-to-jacmel-because-of-his-health.html , saluted at Jacmel Convention Centre, the labor and creativity of Southeast farmers and artisans and declared "I congratulate the farmers for advancing agriculture. The celebration of May 1st should lead us to reflect on the work of the land. We are what we consume and produce."
In his remarks, addressed the crucial issue of the elections and the political crisis in the country, the Prime Minister reiterated that "the Government is committed to guarantee a safe environment conducive to the holding of elections. We are determined to extirpate our society of this continuing political crisis," adding about jobs in Haiti "My Government is working to create jobs, to improve living conditions. We will create jobs in the watershed protection and agricultural and urban infrastructure https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16948-haiti-environment-action-project-against-desertification.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16084-haiti-agriculture-$42m-from-the-idb-for-watershed-protection.html " before concluding "I present my compliments to the workers for the tenacity they showed in the performance of their duties. Happy Labor Day to all Haitians."
HL/ HaitiLibre
Haiti - Jamaica : Seizure of 300 kg of narcotic for Haiti
Sunday, the maritime police officers of Jamaica have seized 300 kilograms of marijuana that were found in plastic bags in the sea near Pelicano Cayo, at the eastern end of Jamaica (the goods had been spotted Saturday in the afternoon). In addition to the drugs, agents also found at sea 15 fuel cans.
According to the Jamaican authorities, 3 men were arrested including one Haitian suspected of involvement in this trafficking. Investigators from the Narcotics Division said the cargo should have been picked up by a boat as a destination Haiti, within the framework of exchange of weapons against drug between bands from both countries. This operation represents "another blow to drug trafficking against weapons between Jamaica and Haiti," declared the police of Jamaica.
Members of the Jamaican Coast Guard, took part in an operation to try to find the ship that should collect the drugs, but searches were unsuccessful.
Note that Jamaica is the largest producer of marijuana in the Caribbean.
SL/ HaitiLibre
Haiti - Quebec : 2nd economic Exploratory Mission Entrepren'Elle
It is under the theme "Towards a successful alliance... to the feminine !" that will take place the second edition of the Economic exploratory mission Entrepren'Elle (M3E) will be in Haiti from 4 to 11 May 2016 in search of sustainable economic alliances between young entrepreneurs of Montreal and their Haitian counterparts. The program includes practical workshops, a panel of exchanges, conferences, an evening of networking and of Haitian business visits.
Luckny Guerrier, Young-Delegate of the Diaspora of Youth Government of Haiti (GJH) residing in Montreal, instigator and Head of Mission for the second year, recalled that the mission aims to enable rapprochements between Quebec entrepreneurs and develop partnerships with Haitian businesses, advocating values based on integrity, openness and mutual growth.
Mission members:
Vanessa Moise : Executive Coordinator, Human Resources and Linguistics Bachelor ;
Sarah Jean Baptiste : Consultant in business startup health, wellness and beauty, "Arbonne International" ;
Sophonia Pierre : Consultant Business Analyst and System ;
Ismertha Lovely Racius : Founding President of "Beaute Nefertiti Coiffure" ;
Donna Siverne : Founding President of "Mademoiselle D" and specialist in management and thematic travel planning ;
Cindy Placide : Coordinator of the event logistics and touristic ;
Sylberte Desrosiers : Communications consultant and public relations and professional writer. Founding President of "Destinee Communication" et co-fondatrice de Sophysti-K , une agence evenementielle ;
Deborah Cherenfant : Founder of "Mots dElles", a webzine for promotion and mentoring of business women and "Colore Design", President of the Board of Directors of the Company "F, entrepreneurship" ;
Rachel Jean-Jacques : Consultant specialized lingerie, President of the company "C'est la classe"
specializing in the manufacture of lingerie ;
specializing in the manufacture of lingerie ; Yrina Janvier : Social Entrepreneur, Founder of "Zafe", a fashion accessories eCommerce and ethnic design handmade in Haiti.
See also :
https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14646-haiti-quebec-exploratory-economic-mission-of-businesswomen.html
https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-16685-icihaiti-diaspora-towards-a-prosperous-women-alliance.html
HL/ HaitiLibre
Haiti - News : Zapping politics...
Manifestation of Famni Lavalas
Fanmi Lavalas has announced "a demonstration Wednesday, May 4 in support to the Independent Commission for Evaluation and Verification Electoral... he people want the truth about the elections of August 9 and October 25, 2015..."
Jude Celestin does not fear the Commission
Jude Celestin, candidate for the presidency under the banner of LAPEH party, qualified for the second round affirmed having no fear about the verifications of the Commission, but warns the members of the Commission, against any prefabricated report. According to him, there is need for the findings of this structure are the result of a serious investigation, and it must it work faster to achieve the organization of elections.
May 1, words of Martelly
Sunday on the occasion of the Feast of Agriculture and Labour, former President Martelly declared "the accompaniment to peasants and farmers, as remote they may be on the national territory, constitutes a major challenge within the framework of a long-term approach to stimulate domestic production. Let's makes ours this pressing need !"
PM at the patronal feast of Jacmel
Sunday, Prime Minister Jean-Charles Enex accompanied by several members of the provisional government and parliamentarians attended the patronal Mass of Saint-Jacques and Saint-Philippe of Jacmel, which coincides with Labor Day and agriculture. However President a.i. Privert, could not get to Jacmel because of his health https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-17327-haiti-flash-privert-has-not-traveled-to-jacmel-because-of-his-health.html
A former of "Pitit Dessalin" Spokesman of the Presidency
The citizen Eddy Jackson Alexis was appointed Deputy Spokesman of the President a.i. Privert. Eddy Jackson Alexis was responsible for Communication of the Platform "Pitit Dessalin" before becoming a member since February 14, of the particular Office of the President a.i. Jocelerme Privert.
Fanmi Lavalas careful on the Commission
Shiller Louidor, Fanmi Lavalas Party spokesman indicated about the Commission of Verification "We will not accept all the recommendations of the Verification Commission," suggesting that Fanmi Lavalas, will refuses decisions not allowing its presidential candidate, Maryse Narcisse, to access to the second round...
HL/ HaitiLibre
Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news
Login Sign Up
New Ad-free Subscriber Login
Email
Password
Password Username Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password.
Stay logged in
Help
Harlow is a former New Town in Essex with a population of 86,000. Located in the upper Stort Valley, it was built in the decades after the Second World War to ease overcrowding and London and provide homes for people bombed out during the Blitz. It includes Britain's first pedestrian precinct and first modern residential tower block, The Lawn. Old Harlow, the historic part of the town, was mentioned in the Domesday Book. David and Victoria Beckham's former home, Rowneybury House, nicknamed 'Beckingham Palace', is nearby.
13:40, 24 OCT 2022
Carlos Mencia will perform a comedy show Saturday, June 4 at the Babcock Theatre in downtown Billings.
Reserved-seating tickets for the 8 p.m., all-ages event are $39.50 and the show is intended for mature audiences.
Mencia began his career doing stand-up on amateur night at the world-renowned comedy club, Laugh Factory. He later showcased at The Comedy Store and became a regular, performing nightly. After finding success on the Los Angeles comedy circuit, Mencia was named "International Comedy Grand Champion" from Buscando Estrellas the Latino version of the TV talent competition "Star Search." This led to guest appearances on In Living Color, The Arsenio Hall Show, Moesha, An Evening at the Improv," before starring in his own Comedy Central series, "Mind of Mencia," which ran for three seasons.
Mencia also starred opposite Ben Stiller and Michelle Monaghan in the Farrelly Brothers feature film, The Heartbreak Kid, as well as Our Family Wedding" alongside America Ferrara and Forrest Whitaker.
In 2007, Mencia embarked on a USO tour to the Persian Gulf to entertain the troops. For his 2008 trip, Mencia visited Kuwait alongside Jessica Simpson and The Pussycat Dolls; the appearance was filmed and aired on FX in April 2008. Mencias 2009 USO tour had stops in Turkey, Kirkuk, Iraq, Baghdad, Qatar, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Most recently, Mencia has gone back to his comedic roots by performing at a number of comedy venues, allowing him to share his newest material with a more intimate audience. His current tour, called the C 4 Urself Tour, has been making stops all around the country, performing to eager audiences.
Montana Audubon will hold its 17th annual Wings Across the Big Sky bird festival in Missoula June 3-5 at the Holiday Inn Downtown.
Keynote speaker Erik Greene will talk on Friday evening about his research into songbird communication and on Saturday hell discuss his work with ospreys and how it relates to the ecological health of the Clark Fork River watershed.
In addition, nearly 30 field trips will take participants to locations like Browns Lake, the Clearwater River and the Big Hole Valley in search of birds and providing an opportunity to learn about local natural history.
In addition to a silent auction and informational displays, other presenters will include raptor photographer Kate Davis to discuss the educational work of her organization, Raptors of the Rockies. Author and ornithologist Jeff Marks will give a talk on the distribution of Montanas birds over the past century and his new book, "Birds of Montana." A representative from American Prairie Reserve a 3.5-million-acre conservation project in northeastern Montana will discuss the progress of the grassland wildlife reserve.
For a full schedule and registration information, visit the Outreach section of Audubon's website at: www.mtaudubon.org or phone 406-443-3949.
A Billings attorney disbarred last year for mishandling a clients $300,000 settlement is now facing federal fraud charges from the case.
Appearing for arraignment in U.S. District Court on April 29, Randy Scott Laedeke pleaded not guilty to two charges of wire fraud.
An indictment accuses Laedeke of embezzling about $65,497 for personal expenses from a client who had received a $300,000 settlement over the death of her husband. The fraud ran for six years, from 2008 until Dec. 31, 2014, the indictment said.
Prosecutor Colin Rubich alleged that Laedeke was hired to represent the estate of W.N., who was killed in a car crash in 2005, and settled the case for $300,000. The heirs included the deceaseds wife and daughter.
Laedeke, under the terms of his contract, deducted $184,599 for his fee and legal expenses, leaving $115,401 to distribute among the heirs. He dispersed $49,903 to W.N.s wife, leaving $65,497 that should have been distributed among the other heirs, Rubich said.
Instead, Laedeke used the money for personal expenses, the prosecutor said.
Last year, the Montana Supreme Court disbarred Laedeke over his handling of the case, in which W.N. was identified as William Newberg.
Laedeke had been on an indefinite suspension since January 2015 for another complaint and had requested an additional suspension, not disbarment. The court said no.
The Supreme Court justices, in their ruling, agreed with the recommendations from the Commission on Practice, which said Laedekes actions reflect blatant disregard of his obligations as an attorney, and bring disrespect to the profession as well as harm the public.
Disbarment is not permanent in Montana. A lawyer can petition the Commission for reinstatement after five years of disbarment.
If convicted of wire fraud, Laedeke faces a maximum 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn Ostby continued Laedekes release pending trial.
In an unrelated matter in 2005, a federal jury found that Billings police officers did not violate Laedekes civil rights when they used force to arrest him while responding to a fight downtown at bar closing time. Laedeke had sued the police department seeking $547,832 in damages, claiming the officers arrested him without probable cause and used excessive force in this 1999 arrest on misdemeanor charges.
While the Fair Work Commission is currently considering a raft of changes to penalty rates, including slashing Sunday penalties, Labor is facing pressure from unions to enshrine penalty rates in legislation if it gets into government at the next election.
Labor says it will make a submission to the Fair Work Commissions case on penalty rates, arguing that Sunday rates be left unchanged, but has not said whether it will abide by the tribunal's decision, AFR reported.
Last Friday workplace relations spokesman Brendan O'Connor announced that a Labor government would make a further submission to the FWC in favour of retaining penalty rates.
OConner told AFR the two sides of politics had clear differences on this policy.
This stance is also Labors effort to mollify the union movement after Shorten stated earlier in April that if he won government he would abide by the decision of the Commission to cut some Sunday penalty rates across certain industries.
During an interview on Melbourne radio station 3AW about whether he would accept the FWCs decision on penalty rates, Shorten replied: "Yes ... I said I'd accept the independent tribunal and that makes a big difference between us and the Liberals."
This was not well received from union officials, as the AFR reports unions in Victoria say they would push for penalty rates to become legislation if Labor takes government at the next federal election.
While speaking to unions in Brisbane last Friday, O'Connor stated that Labor in government would make a further intervention in the case.
"In Opposition, Labor has already taken the unprecedented step of making a submission to the FWC arguing that penalty rates must not be cut, OConnor says.
"This is in sharp contrast with the Abbott-Turnbull Government which has made it clear penalty rates should be cut, through the Productivity Commission's report.
"Labor understands that penalty rates are not a luxury; they are what pays the bills and puts food on the table for the 4.5 million Australians that rely on them.
OConnor says the the Commonwealth Government last made a submission in favour of penalty rates during the two-year review of modern awards when Labor was in power.
"Labor also made changes to the Fair Work Act in 2013 to ensure that the Fair Work Commission took into account the need to provide additional remuneration for employees working outside normal hours, including weekends, he says.
Adult Services Expo at Boone Mall on Friday
THE 14TH ANNUAL ADULT SERVICES EXPO WILL BE HELD ON FRIDAY May 6th, 2016 FROM 9:00 AM TIL 2:00 PM AT THE BOONE MALL. This event is held under the auspices of the Adult Services Coalition of Watauga County and is free to the general public.
The purpose of this event is to help educate the community on available services; to identify and address needed unavailable services; as well as to develop a networking system for citizens and agencies in the community.
This Expo will feature public, private, non-profit and for-profit agencies that offer services in our community.
At noon Celebration of living Awards will be presented and these will include Caregiver of the Year, Centurion of the Year, Facility Resident of the Year, Individual with Disabilities of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
These awards are the highlight of this event and awards can be submitted by anyone in the community. Please call Jen Teague at 265-8090 to nominate someone before April 22nd.
Door prizes will be awarded every hour during the event.
For more information, please contact Project on Aging at 265-8090
Childrens Council Party with a Purpose: May 15 at Crestwood
Join us for music, champagne, appetizers and a silent live auction. Get in the door for just $30 per person. All proceeds will benefit the Childrens Council of Watauga County. The fun will take place from 2-5 p.m. on May 15 at the Inn at Crestwood, 1236 Shulls Mill Road in Boone.
Click here to get your tickets.
Kiddo Fishing Derby at Beech: June 4
On Saturday, June 4th the Town of Beech Mountain will host its Annual Kiddo Fishing Derby. Ages 12 and under are welcome to come and compete at Lake Coffey from 9:00AM 12:00PM . There will be special prizes for: Biggest Fish, Most Fish, Smallest Fish, and many more. No fishing license is required for this event, and the best part is its FREE! So grab your rod and tackle and come on down to Lake Coffey to catch some fish! Dont have a fishing rod? No need to worry, Beech Mountain Parks and Recreation has you coveredbut hurry, supplies are limited. Please leave pets home for this event.
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Amanda Smithson at 828-387-3003 or email at [email protected] townofbeechmountain.com
Position Announcement: AppHealthCare to Hire Innovative Approaches Coordinator
DATE: April 28, 2016
POSITION: Innovative Approaches Coordinator
100% Time
Contracted position through the NC Alliance of Public Health Agencies
LOCATION: AppHealthCare (Appalachian District Health Department), Boone, NC
HOURS: Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 4:45 pm. Some early morning or evening
work required on occasion.
SALARY: Starting salary based on qualifications.
DESCRIPTION: This position will be responsible for coordination, implementation, and
evaluation of the Innovative Approaches grant. This project will be
focused on improving outcomes through system-level changes that
support children with special healthcare needs and their families. Work
will include leadership of an interdisciplinary steering committee and
collaboration across community agencies at the local and state levels.
The work for this position covers Watauga, Ashe and Alleghany Counties
with an office based in Boone, NC. This position is funded through a
grant and will be available through May, 2019 with the potential for
extension in this or other public health projects.
Minimum Qualifications:
Graduation from a four-year college or university and three years
experience in a community, business, or government program, preferable
in the fields of education, social work, public health, or public relations:
or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
Masters degree in public health and two years of experience in a health
related program. Or, Masters degree in the human service field and four
years of experience in a health related program. Experience with
community system change or community development and experience in
management and supervision of multi-faceted health related programs is
strongly preferred.
Additional requirements:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BUSINESS OFFICE ALLEGHANY CO. HEALTH DEPT. ASHE CO. HEALTH DEPT. WATAUGA CO. HEALTH DEPT.
PO Box 309 157 Health Services Road PO Box 208 126 Poplar Grove Connector
Sparta, NC 28675 Sparta, NC 28675 Jefferson, NC 28640 Boone, NC 28607
336-372- 8813 336-372- 5641 336-246- 9449 828-264- 6635
336-372- 7793 Fax 336-372- 7793 Fax 336-246- 8163 Fax 828-264- 4997 Fax
Applicant must be able to demonstrate understanding of systems level
change as this position is not for direct service delivery to families.
Strong leadership and communication skills, attention to detail, and
personal demeanor that will support the collaborative nature of this
project are musts. Experience in system level change work in a health
related field is preferred.
Applicant must have a comfortable working knowledge of Microsoft
Office programs such as PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Publisher, and have
basic email skills. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are
essential for this position. This position will require the ability to work in
a community partnership and recognize that this work/and position will
be highly visible at the local, state, and national level.
Other Requirements: Due to the nature of this position, a dependable
vehicle and valid drivers license is required for regular travel within the
District and other state required meetings as assigned.
CLOSING DATE: Posting is open until position is filled.
TO APPLY: Submit an application on the North Carolina Alliance of Public Health
Agencies website (http://www.ncapha.org/) for the Innovative
Approaches Coordinator job listing. Upload a cover letter and resume in
one single file through the online application.
Contact Maria Julian, Health Promotion Program Manager at
AppHealthCare, with questions about the position:
[email protected]
This institution is an equal opportunity employer and provider.
Events This Week at Blowing Rock Art and History Museum
Summer Exhibition Celebration this Thursday, May 5th from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Three times a yearwinter, summer, and fallon Thursdayevenings from 5:30 7:00 p.m., the Museum hosts receptions to celebrate its latest changeover of exhibitions in the galleries. These events are free and open to the community. Refreshments and live music are provided. Admission is free for all attendees. Members receive a free beverage and a cash bar will be available to the public.
Featured Exhibitions:
The Art of Native Plants
Celebrating our plant diversity, the North Carolina Native Plant Society has sponsored and partnered with the Museum to showcase works by contemporary artists inspired by our native plants. Nearly 100 works of art created using a wide variety of media were submitted by 75 artists, and over 40 works are being featured in the juried exhibition, The Art of Native Plants.
Ralph Burns: A Persistence of Vision
The photographs in A Persistence of Vision illuminate Burnss concerns and interactions: an Elvis fan seemingly keeping vigil over a blanket-covered, bed-ridden Elvis icon in Memphis; a penitent in Mexico carrying the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, strapped awkwardly to his back; a man staring hard into the distance while being prayed over for healing at a Marion apparition site in Georgia; a woman in agonized ecstasy struggling with being baptized in the Jordan River in Israel.
Elliot Daingerfield: Selections from the Collection
Complimenting the Museums permanent display of Elliott Daingerfield paintings and drawings, Elliott Daingerfield: Collectedfeatures Daingerfield paintings from eight private collections across the east coast. The exhibition features many Daingerfields that have not yet exhibited outside their collectors homes. Several collections are accompanied by personal reflections and stories from the collectors themselves, inviting viewers to see into the collectors perspective of a Daingerfield.
A History of the Horse Show
Horse sporting events have been prominent throughout the history of Blowing Rock. Before the town became the Blowing Rock we know today, it was divided into two villagesthe Village of Blowing Rock and the Village of Green Parkand the villages considered themselves fierce rivals. Celebrating this, a horse race was organized. Today, the show brings thousands of visitors to the town of Blowing Rock and raises funds for a variety of nonprofit organizations in the region.
Joby Bell to Inaugurate 2016 Organ Recital Series and Evensong May 8
Noted local organist Dr. Joby Bell will perform the first in this years series of recitals showcasing the Lively-Fulcher organ at St. Mary of the Hills. The recital precedes the service of Evensong this Sunday, May 8th, in the nave of the church on Main Street in Blowing Rock. The recital begins at 3 pm and Evensong follows immediately at 3:30.
Dr. Bell is on the faculty at Appalachian State University where he teaches organ and church music and maintains a lively discussion of these topics on his blog www.jobybell.org. For this recital, he will perform Brahms spectacular Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24.
Service music for Evensong will be the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis by Gibbons (Short Service) and the Clucas Preces and Responses; the introit is Come thou Holy Spirit, come by Ralph Tilden, and the anthem will be Titcombs I will not leave you comfortless.
The choir of St. Marys sings Evensong one Sunday each month through October, and everyone is welcome. Youre also invited to talk to Dr. Bell, and to choir members, at a small reception in the Parish Hall after the service.
For more information on this service, please contact St. Mary of the Hills at 828.295.7323.
Weekly Events at Lost Province Brewing Co.
Short List
Tuesday, 05/03/16-Oyster Roast featuring Oysters from Bodie Island.
Wednesday, 05/04/16-Trivia at 7pm.
Thursday, 05/05/16- College Night featuring Live Music with Bailey Igoe and Kelly Hollar.
Friday, 05/06/16-Live Music: The Worthless Son-In-Laws at 7:30pm.
Saturday, 05/07/16-Live Music: The Paper Crowns at 7:30pm.
Tuesday, 05/10/16-Oyster Roast.
Wednesday, 05/11/16-Trivia with at 7pm.
Thursday, 05/12/2016-College Night featuring Live Music.
Monday May 2
Family Night-Buy any regularly priced pizza and receive one free kids meal.
Tuesday May 3
Oyster Roast. $12 gets you a bucket of one dozen oysters and house made saltine crackers. Featuring oysters from Bodie Island, NC.
Wednesday May 4
Off Beer and Wine Specials.
7pm-9pm Trivia Night: Beginning at 7pm, Lost Province will be hosting Trivia Night. Compete on your own or on a team! The competition gets started at 7pm so come a little early for a pizza and a pint and get your seat!
Thursday May 5
$3.00 Thursday-$3.00 pints on all Lost Province brewed beers (except high gravity).
College Night 7:00pm-Live Music with Bailey Igoe and Kelly Hollar. Bailey Igoe and Kelly Hollar are both performing a chill acoustic set of oirginals and covers. Bailey is from Winston-Salem, NC and Kelly is from Ocean Isle, NC. They actually met this year and play in a Boone band together called Cig Culture (like us on facebook!) It will be a combo of heartfelt and honest originals and chill jammy covers!
Friday May 6
Tapped at 5pm, we feature something fun and new every Friday. Get it while it lasts; there is only a limited amount!
7:30pm-Closing Live Music: The Worthless Son-In-Laws. Alt.indie-rock from the mountains of Western North Carolina. Pastoral daydream soundtracks and melody-laden rockers layered with stories of working life, eco-revenge, love, nostalgia, old television sets, letters, and plain-spoken pocketknives.
Saturday May 7
7:30pm-Closing Live Music: The Paper Crowns. The Paper Crowns make two-piece acoustic music sound huge! They are stomping on drums while they are plucking strings and singing harmonies often all at the same time! Theres nobody doing it like The Paper Crowns are doing it. Its hard to find a truly unique bandon top of that its hard to find a band that delivers the emotional spectrum from sweet and heartbreaking earnest ballads to barn burning gypsy raving conga frenzied sweaty dance tunes. The Paper Crowns will bring you all that and then some! The Paper Crowns are solid players on their instruments.see this amazing band live! They pride their sets on improvisation mixed with fine compositions and great lyrics. Most of all, The Paper Crowns want you to feel good and feel recharged when you listen to their music.its full of heart and soul and all of the good old spirit thats still roaming the land.
Sunday May 8
Lost Province Sunday: Residents of The Lost Province (Watauga, Ashe, Avery and Alleghany) receive 10% off food with verification of residency.
Share this: Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Reddit
Pocket
A Billings man pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he raped three children.
Levi Logan Heydon, 25, was in District Court on Monday morning charged with four felony sex crimes including two counts of sexual intercourse without consent and two charges of sexual assault. Heydon pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Court documents state that Heydon sexually abused three children, all currently younger than 11.
Heydon pleaded not guilty to having sex with two girls and a boy and forcing children to perform sex acts on each other.
Officials began investigating Heydon after a child reported the abuse to a counselor in Nebraska. The child said the incident occurred about six years ago.
Further investigation revealed two more potential victims.
Yellowstone County District Court Judge Russell Fagg continued Heydon's bond at $50,000.
During the 2016-17 fiscal year, the city of Billings plans to spend about $329.6 million while taking in a projected $311.8 million.
Budget officials, including City Administrator Tina Volek and Finance Director Pat Weber, said the proposed budget is based on all 109 mills being levied. If the city council approves that recommendation, it can delay seeking a public safety mill levy election until spring 2020.
The city council will hold its first budget session beginning at 5:30 p.m. Monday in council chambers at City Hall, 220 N. 29th St. A budget overview will be followed by more in-depth presentations on proposed police and library budgets.
The reason for the nearly $18 million projected deficit during the 2017 fiscal year is more than $76 million in planned capital improvement projects $65 million for a mandated new water treatment plant, $3.8 million for work on Grand Avenue from Shiloh to 56th Street West, about $5.5 million for a new 911 Center and a $2 million upgrade at Billings Logan International Airport.
The budget includes proposed fee increases for a number of city services, including water and wastewater, arterial and street maintenance fees, storm sewer, solid waste and parking.
Under the plan, 5.5 employees will be added five police officers and a half-time administrative position in code enforcement.
At about $22.1 million, the proposed police budget is about $773,000, or 3.6 percent, higher than the current year budget. Eighty percent of the planned spending will go into personal services.
Police Chief Rich St. John said his department faces at least four significant challenges headed into the next fiscal year: sustainable funding, increased demand for service, recruitment and retention, and succession.
Presenting the final budget of his career, Library Director Bill Cochran detailed a number of highlights during the 2014-15 fiscal year, the most recent year figures are available: program attendance was up 26 percent, circulation up 4 percent, visits up 9 percent and technology usage up 11 percent.
Among Montanas seven largest libraries, Billings had the lowest number of full-time employees per 1,000 residents. Four libraries Bozeman, Missoula, Butte and Helena had about twice the ratio the Billings Public Library maintained.
If one adds up the value of all the books, audiobooks, movies and other services including computer use, at $12 per hour the library provides more than $11 million worth of services annually, according to Cochran.
The projected operating budget at the library is expected to balance, with planned revenue and spending at about $3.5 million. Personal services makes up 64 percent of the budget.
Mondays budget session will be preceded, at 4:30 p.m., by a closed session for the city council to discuss litigation strategy with city staff.
On May 10, the city council will hear budget presentations on airport and transit, human resources and finance, municipal court and the city attorneys office.
Scheduled presentations on May 16 include the Downtown Business Improvement District, planning and community services, fire and administration.
On May 24, council members will hear presentations on the Tourism Business Improvement District; Parks, Recreation and Public Lands; and Public Works.
On June 13, the city council is scheduled to set its four budget resolutions for the general and public safety funds, internal service funds, enterprise funds and all other funds. As part of that process, the city council will also set the mill levy requirement for the budget it approves.
'Forgotten' no more: HonorAir expands to Korean War veterans
Jeff Miller describes Blue Ridge Honor Flight's new initiatve to honor Korean War veterans.
HonorAir, the Hendersonville-based organization that has flown 170,000 World War II veterans to see the National World War II Memorial, is embarking on new chapter to honor Korean War veterans.
Returning to the airport where it all started 10 years ago, HonorAir founder Jeff Miller called on supporters to make sure that those who fought the forgotten war are not themselves forgotten by a nation that has always invested more emotion in the two wars that bookend it.
I dont know if anyones tried to find information on the Korea War, via documentary or whatever, Miller told media members, HonorAir organizers and others gathered for the announcement at the Asheville Regional Airport on Monday. Lots on World War II, lots on Vietnam but very little on the Korean War. It is appropriately named the forgotten war.
For that reason, HonorAir wants to increase efforts to educate people on the sacrifices that this wonderful generation lived through to fight for freedom in a very cold part of the war and also protected us.
Honor is building on the success of its World War II effort, which spread coast to coast after Miller chartered two US Airways jets full of the aging warriors in September 2016. We flew over 2,000 from this airport. Thats remarkable within itself, he said. Active in advocating for veterans, HonorAir also has worked on ending veterans homelessness, job training, winter coats and other services. Its in 42 states and 132 hubs. Its flown more than 170,000 veterans to see the World War II Memorial.
Under the revised brand of Blue Ridge Honor Flight, the organization will push off on Sept. 24 and again on Oct. 29 from AVL with planeloads of Korean War veterans.
Hilliard Staton, a Korean War veteran, speaks.Forgotten War, said Hilliard Staton, a Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War. Well, there are those who have not forgotten. There are those who were there. They were the Koreans, and I can assure you the Koreans have not forgotten that particular war. They are the most grateful nation you can imagine.
It is an honor to participate with this group, he added. I hope that all Korean veterans still alive are able to make this trip, to visit this hallowed ground, to reflect and to remember and honor those of who did not come back.
Staton was among Korean War veterans who returned to Seoul in 2015 for a ceremony honoring U.S. soldiers.
The general tells us, Youve been in a lot of wars in a lot of different countries but were the only country that still says thanks. They do, he said. Theyre very appreciative.
Wearing a pin that said Freedom Is Not Free, retired Brig. Gen. Frank Blazey praised the new effort. A freshly minted graduate of West Point, Blazey deployed in 1950 as a 1st lieutenant and came home as a major.
I look back on Korea as an accomplishment, Blazey said. We spent over two years there, one in combat, in all of 1950, a very difficult time. Im sorry to say it but I still dont like the Chinese. They gave me a pretty tough battle but we won that one, too.
Brig. Gen. Frank Blazey (ret.) speaks to the media.We went back again about six years later on the line that exists today. We still have 21,000 U.S. Army troops on the demarcation line that was established by Eisenhower in 1953. Theyre there as a warning to the North that if you start something we dont have to talk to the White House. We have authority to shoot back.
Miller also emphasized that two other veteran cohorts would still be welcomed on the flights any WWII veteran the organization has missed and terminally ill veterans.
If theres anyone we missed and I dont know how we did but it happens we want you to know that well take you with us on these first trips, he said. We know there are veterans from Vietnam War, even Desert Storm, that have very serious life-limiting illnesses that most likely will prevent them from seeing the memorial by themselves. Were going to open our flights up and accept applications from any veteran with a serious life-limiting illness. HonorAir has already offered the flights called TLC, for Their Last Chance to terminally ill veterans. Its solid opportunity to do something for somebody that faces a really difficult phase, he said.
Bob Haggard, a Hendersonville attorney who was active in the effort by Western North Carolina Rotary clubs to sponsor WWII veterans, was on hand to say that the civic club would again sponsor flights. The Oct. 29 flight is expected to be filled primarily with Korea veterans from Buncombe County.
Ten years ago, when we started this little idea and all of us were all circling the wagons, we knew if we got it right the effort would grow, Miller said. Its amazing to me. This war is truly the forgotten war and our goal is to make sure they are not the forgotten veterans.
More than 30,000 voters have cast ballots so far in school elections that close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
About 27,300 people have cast ballots on a School District 2 elementary levy for about $1.28 million about $8.50 per year on a $100,000 home. About 32,500 people voted on an SD2 high school levy for about $855,000 about $4.25 per year on a $100,000 home. The difference between high school and elementary figures accounts for independent elementary districts whose students attend SD2 high schools. Several of those districts are offering their own elementary levies.
About 57,200 ballots were issued.
Ballots need to be in possession of election officials by 8 p.m. Tuesday; mailing them on Tuesday wont get them in on time. Ballots can be dropped off directly at the elections office, 217 N. 27th St., Room 101, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. They can be dropped in a slot near the north doors of the courthouse before those hours.
This is also the first year for late voter registration for school elections. With valid identification, people can register and vote at the elections office Tuesday.
Senior figures in the National Maternity Hospital are exploring a range of possible sites for its relocation as the row over a move to the campus of St Vincent's Hospital deepened.
The executives in the hospital, which is currently located in an outdated building in Holles Street, are now spreading the net to examine other sites where it can construct a modern premises.
However, it is understood that the Department of Health remains of the view that building a new maternity hospital on the grounds of St Vincent's is still the best option.
It is ultimately a matter for the department to decide where the 150m of exchequer funding set aside in the capital plan will be used to construct the new hospital.
A decision on whether to abandon the plan to move to St Vincent's and review other locations will be one of the first items on the agenda of the next Minister for Health.
St Vincent's Healthcare Group is adamant it must have control of the corporate governance of the new maternity facility, but this is being resisted by the maternity hospital board.
The St Vincent's board is embroiled in the row over corporate governance at a time when its public hospital emergency department is facing dangerous levels of overcrowding and has recently had to close its doors to new patients with skin cancer.
Impasse
Health Minister Leo Varadkar reiterated yesterday that his preference is for the maternity hospital to retain its independence as part of a co-location structure.
"Clinical care at Vincent's has clearly benefited from having its own independent board, and there is every reason that the same independence should be retained at the maternity hospital," he said.
Dr Peter Boylan, chair of the Institute of Obstetricians, warned yesterday that any more delays will leave pregnant women at a disadvantage as they give birth in out-of-date and cramped conditions.
"The outcomes are good, but they could be an awful lot better," Dr Boylan said.
"There is a need for a modern maternity hospital to be co-located with an acute hospital, where seriously ill women have access to intensive care and interventional radiology which provides the least invasive way of diagnosing and treating disease."
He added integration with an acute hospital would not work, insisting separate governance and budgets are needed.
"Even if the maternity hospital was to be represented on an all-embracing board, it would be down the priority list," he added.
"The three maternity hospitals in Dublin are overcrowded and they need to be relocated. It is time to get on with it."
A spokesman for the national maternity hospital said: "We are committed to seeking a resolution of the current impasse and developing a world-class hospital for women and infants at the St Vincent's site.
"We don't want to speculate on other options at this stage."
Five men suspected of being involved in the Regency Hotel murder are still being sought by the Kinahan cartel - despite the individuals being either in prison, out of the country or in hiding.
The criminals, who are all associated with the Hutch mob, are suspected of being directly involved in the gun attack which left gangland figure David Byrne (33) fatally wounded.
The hit squad included three men dressed in uniforms similar to those worn by the elite Emergency Response Unit (ERU), as well as a shooter disguised as a woman and a heavy-set gunman wearing a flat cap.
Serious
One young criminal suspected of being one of those carrying an AK-47 is currently on remand facing serious charges.
Meanwhile, the man suspected of being 'Flat Cap' has been hiding out in Northern Ireland, having fled to his hometown in Co Tyrone in the immediate aftermath of the Regency Hotel hit.
His home address was recently raided and he is a close associate of Michael Barr (35), a dissident republican who was gunned down in Summerhill last Monday night as part of the deadly feud.
Another Regency Hotel suspect has fled the jurisdiction following an attempt on his life. Senior gardai recently revealed how "preventative measures" had been taken in recent weeks as part of an attempted hit.
Assistant Commissioner John O'Mahony, in charge of Crime and Security for An Garda Siochana, added that the intended target "will probably never know" about the foiled hit.
The two other men, one suspected of being the man in drag and the other a fake ERU officer, are still believed to be in the greater Dublin area - but have been keeping a relatively low profile.
The suspected cross-dressing hitman was a close associate of feud murder victim Gary Hutch, and has been warned that he is under active threat from the Kinahan cartel due to his suspected involvement in the murder.
Armed gardai previously raided the home address of the other hitman dressed as an ERU officer. However, the man aged in his 20s was not arrested during the raid. The criminal issued a stark warning to detectives searching his home, saying that the feud wouldn't end until Daniel Kinahan was killed.
Botched
The Herald previously revealed how he was targeted in a botched gangland hit after being set up by an associate. However, the feared criminal fled the scene after becoming aware of the planned hit.
Sources previously revealed how one of the AK-47 shooters still in the jurisdiction has been carrying out "inquiries" in an attempt to track down the chief suspect in a feud murder.
Gangland killer Gary Campion has come out of a coma after being found unresponsive last week in his cell in Mountjoy Prison.
Campion (32), who was caught with 73 bags of heroin in Limerick Prison nine years ago, woke up at the Mater Hospital on Saturday morning "better than when he went in", a prison source said.
Sentences
Campion, from Moyross, is serving two life sentences, for the 2002 murder of innocent nightclub security doorman Brian Fitzgerald and the 2006 gangland murder of 'Fat Frankie' Ryan.
He was rushed by ambulance to the Mater Hospital from Mountjoy last Thursday morning.
A garda probe and a separate prison investigation will be launched into the circumstances that led to Campion nearly dying.
An Irish Prison Service source said Campion was under special observation when he collapsed in the cell.
"We believe he received a package earlier in the week on a visit. It was either hidden about his person or he ingested it," the source said.
"We believe a bag of drugs may have burst inside him."
The source said Campion, who has more than 40 previous convictions, was being held in a "close supervision cell" when he lost consciousness.
The killer, who was the first person in Ireland to be convicted of two gangland murders, arrived at hospital in a critical condition and placed in an induced coma.
Sources at Mountjoy said they were shocked when Campion woke up "apparently feeling refreshed".
"He was on his last legs. It looked so bad for him that his family were immediately notified that they may be facing his imminent departure," the source said.
Feuding
Until he was jailed for murder, the father-of-two was a hitman for hire for feuding criminal gangs in Limerick.
He was found guilty of murdering nightclub doorman Brian Fitzgerald on November 15, 2007, and received another life sentence on May 28, 2009, for the murder of Ryan.
In 2009 he was given a four-year sentence at Limerick Circuit Court after he was convicted of having 73 ready-for-sale bags of heroin in his cell in Limerick Prison.
Montana agriculture has benefited greatly from having strong relationships with our overseas trading partners. Ease of trade is vital to farmers in this great state, and exports are essential to a strong agricultural economy. Wheat is the most export-dependent grain commodity in the United States, and the No. 1 agricultural export from Montana.
With Southeast Asia being a key area of growth, Montana is especially poised to benefit from the Trans Pacific Partnership. The USDA projects wheat imports by key Southeast Asian markets to increase by nearly 50 percent by 2025. Australia currently has free trade agreements with virtually the entire region. Without TPP, Australia will be the sole preferential supplier in those growing markets.
A level playing field is an absolute necessity; even a 5 percent tariff at current prices puts U.S. supplies at $12-$15 per ton higher compared to Australia, Canada, and the Black Sea.
TPP allows Japan, an important Montana trading partner, to create new tariff-rate quotas for wheat and wheat products, and eliminate existing tariffs for processed products such as cookies and crackers. Additionally, Malaysia and Vietnam will eliminate tariffs on wheat and wheat products.
TPP makes significant progress in non-tariff provisions as well, including biotechnology, sanitary-phytosanitary requirements, and environmental and worker protections. TPP is fundamentally different from past bilateral trade agreements, in that it is a platform that should expand in future years. The expansion of TPP would benefit wheat and other ag commodities significantly, especially as populations and economies continue to grow in the Pacific Rim.
A good example of what happens to agriculture when the United States falls behind on trade agreements is Colombia. While a U.S. agreement with them was stalled, Canada passed their own trade pact and it completely decimated U.S. market share, with long-term average U.S. wheat exports falling from over 55 percent down to 27 percent. It is vital to Montana grain producers to both maintain and expand market access, and free trade agreements provide that framework.
TPP will boost demand for U.S. farm products among nearly 500 million consumers in 11 countries across the Asia-Pacific region; end harmful tariffs which decrease U.S. competitiveness; and establish high-standard trade rules, which will allow the U.S. to become a leader in market-driven and science-based avenues of trade, directly improving the U.S. food and agriculture industry.
With over 12,000 Montana jobs supported by agricultural exports, and $1.6 billion in agricultural export value to the state, TPP will benefit not only wheat farmers, but every person throughout the extensive supply chain. From the implement dealer to the country elevator manager to the longshoreman loading vessels at the port, this 21st century trade agreement guarantees huge benefits to Montana agriculture.
A woman accused in the 2014 death of another person denied manslaughter charges in federal court in Billings.
Tawnya Bearcomesout, 39 of Lame Deer, pleaded not guilty on April 28 to charges of voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter in the Nov. 22, 2014, death in Lame Deer of a person identified in court records as B.B.
An indictment alleges in the voluntary manslaughter count that Bearcomesout killed B.B. while in a sudden quarrel or heat of passion and with extreme disregard for human life. The involuntary manslaughter charge alleges she killed B.B. with a reckless disregard for human life.
If convicted, Bearcomesout faces a maximum 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the voluntary manslaughter charge.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn Ostby ordered Bearcomesout to remain in custody. The case will be heard by U.S. District Judge Susan Watters.
DILLON A planned expansion of a horsemanship center in Dillon will include a $2 million arena that will benefit the community as well as the University of Montana-Western.
The Montana Center for Horsemanship, 2 miles south of Dillon, partners with UMW, most notably for the school's Natural Horsemanship program.
Cost of the improvements comes entirely from donations, said William Kriegel, a native of France and now an American citizen. Kriegel founded the nonprofit center. He is also the face behind La Cense Montana, an 88,000-acre cattle ranch and natural-horsemanship education center.
The Montana Center for Horsemanship boasts an indoor and outdoor arena, three round pens, 84 stalls, and a maintenance barn. But after a two-phase expansion project, the center will add, among other updates, 44 additional pens and a 67,500-square-foot indoor arena, which alone will cost $2 million.
Kriegel said the center's donors are people with a passion for education and natural horsemanship a form of training based on understanding equine behavior.
And it appears university students are passionate about natural horsemanship, too.
Rainier Butler, the college's public-relations representative, said UMW is the only university in the U.S. to offer a degree in natural horsemanship.
He added that students from across the country come to study in the program and its concentrations in management, psychology, science and instruction.
"It brings a great sense of diversity to the university," he said, adding that there is a waiting list to get into the program.
According to the Center for Horsemanship's website, the university had to turn away students in 2015 because there was not enough space to accommodate them and their animals.
For this reason, Kriegel maintained, the expansion is important for students, the university and the city of Dillon.
"It's a contribution to the town and the community," he said, reflecting on the center's ability to aid in economic development
Kriegel pointed out that the program boasts 120 students, who make up 10 percent of the student body.
Many of these students, he said, come from out of state and spend money to maintain their horses, which means out-of-state dollars are circulating within the community.
Butler also see the center as an asset.
"We wouldn't be able to offer this program without the center," said Butler, describing how students pay for boarding at the center as part of their tuition. "It allows student to keep their horses on site."
As for Kriegel, he says Montana will always be a special place for him because of the people and their values.
"I loved the West," said Kriegel describing what drew him to the area. "I find Montana to be a beautiful state."
Mystified Outer Banks tourists witnessed a bizarre act of nature Friday, Oct. 14, as fish began flinging themselves onto the beach at Ocracoke Island. Multiple videos shared on social media show the ocean appeared to boil with fish as they tumbled over each other in the surf. The so-called bluefish blitz concluded with thousands of dying fish piled on the sand, flopping up and down as ...
Halloween is coming! Here's when to trick or treat in your town
CASPER, Wyo. Natrona Countys exceedingly high rate of involuntary commitments for mental disorders has made it the prime candidate for a pilot program to test Wyomings new "gatekeeper" program.
Passed in the Wyoming Legislature's last session as a way to reduce costs and improve treatment, the gatekeeper program evaluates up front what level of care a person needs when he is suspected by authorities of having a psychological disorder.
Natrona County has the most involuntary hospitalization orders in the state. At a projected 120 commitments in 2016, its numbers are nearly double to Sweetwater County, the next highest on the charts. Over half of Wyomings 23 counties record fewer than 20 commitments a year, with many in the single digits.
The cause of the high numbers, however, was a question at a recent meeting of the Legislatures Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee in Casper, and finding answers was one of the reasons the Wyoming Department of Health chose Natrona County for a pilot program, which will start in July.
There was speculation that Caspers central location, and it being home to the Wyoming Behavioral Institute one of the few in-patient treatment centers in the state was bringing in people from other counties.
Department of Health Director Tom Forslund, however, said the numbers for Natrona County reflected only local residents. Even so, local officials questioned the data.
We wonder how like (neighboring) Converse County has zero, said Natrona County Commissioner Rob Hendry. They say that they take those out but I am wondering if there are some that slip through the cracks.
Last year, the Casper Police Department received 30,800 calls related to mental health issues, said Brandon Wardell, acting director of the Central Wyoming Counseling Center. Of those, 646 were logged as related to suicide, with 413 resulting in detention.
Wardell, speaking on behalf of many health care providers in the county, said a significant part of the problem is the lack of middle-ground treatment options.
All we have is the option of either going inpatient, or releasing individuals, Wardell said. So what does that do? That inherently drives up the inpatient admits we realize this is a systemic problem (in the state).
Efforts are underway, however, to identify other options, including ones the gatekeeper program could incorporate.
What were doing now is developing processes to make sure there is coordination of care amongst all providers from the very initial stage of engagement with (law enforcement), to the ER evaluations, to that 24-hour hold hearing, to also providing those services that would give options other than just inpatient treatments, Wardell told the committee.
Committee member Sen. Charlie Scott noted the problem in his home county, while voicing support for more flexible care options.
Clearly that thing is eating our lunch, Scott said of the local numbers. I think it is sending people to a very restrictive environment that probably dont need to go that far, and thats a serious problem. And, with the financial pressures were under, weve got to do something about it.
The issue is high on the Natrona County commissioners' priority list, as well. Under state law, counties are responsible to provide the first 72 hours of care.
In Natrona County, that cost actually lands on the Wyoming Medical Center, which leases the county-owned hospital for a dollar annually in exchange for providing indigent care for local residents, including involuntary commitments.
The center is anticipating indigent care expenses of $25.6 million this year. Involuntary commitments costs which is combined with prisoner care are projected at $2 million.
It is not only the counties, however, that bear the expense, as the state picks up the bill after the initial 72 hours at a cost of some $900 per day in hospitalization fees.
Costs are still growing at a significant rate, said the Department of Health's Stefan Johannson.
We are projecting at least $18 million of expenditures for the (two-year budget cycle), and Title 25 with a $4.4 million operating budget, were getting a shortfall of anywhere from $13-$15 million projected, he said.
Wyoming will likely have a "light to normal" fire season this year, according to the state's forester.
"We will have fire activity, it will dry out in July and August and we will see some fires, but we're not expecting to see a huge fire season," said Bill Crapser, Wyoming's state forester. "Im always nervous making that kind of prediction, but from predictive services and the weather forecasters, that is our best guess."
Wyoming's last severe fire season was 2012, when fires began by early May and ultimately burned about 600,000 acres across the state, costing almost $43 million. But even during a normal year, wildfires can be destructive. The Cole Creek Fire in 2015 near Casper consumed more than 10,000 acres and destroyed 14 homes.
The upcoming wildfire season across the U.S. is not expected to be as bad as last year, when a record 15,800 square miles burned, the nation's top wildland firefighting official said recently.
But parts of the nation should expect a rough season after a warm, dry winter or because of long-term drought, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said.
Southern California, other parts of the Southwest, and Alaska and Montana are all vulnerable, he said.
California is vulnerable because much of the state remains in a drought, despite an El Nino weather system that brought near-average snowfall to its northern mountains. Wildfires have already broken out in Alaska after a warm winter with below-average precipitation.
Slightly more than half the land scorched by wildfires last year was in Alaska, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, which coordinates firefighting nationwide. Washington and Oregon accounted for 18 percent.
The Forest Service, the nation's primary firefighting agency, spent a record $1.72 billion on firefighting last year.
The overall bill for wildfires, including prevention programs and the cost of putting crews, equipment and aircraft on fire lines, is consuming a growing share of the Forest Service budget. That has forced cuts in forestry research, campground and trail maintenance and other areas, Tidwell said.
The Obama administration has been pressing Congress to pay the cost of fighting the worst fires from natural disaster funds, rather than the Forest Service budget. Tidwell said the largest 1 or 2 percent of wildfires account for about 30 percent of the costs.
Congress has not agreed to the change, but it did approve an additional $520 million for fighting fires this season, Tidwell said.
He said climate change is making wildfires worse, heating up the air, drying out forests and extending the wildfire season by an average of 78 days since 1998. A growing number of homes at the forest's edge, which firefighters call the wildland-urban interface, also drives up costs by forcing managers to concentrate crews and equipment to protect communities, he said.
Tidwell said state and federal agencies need to thin those forests to a more natural state to prevent fires and make them easier to fight. Researchers say decades of over-aggressive firefighting have left forests dense with living and dead trees and more prone to deadly mega-fires.
But Tidwell defended Smokey Bear, his agency's memorable mascot, from allegations of making things worse by portraying fire as evil instead of part of the natural cycle that kept forests healthy. Smokey's original message, "Only you can prevent forest fires," has been updated to "Only you can prevent wildfires."
"Really, Smokey was just talking about those human-caused fires, which actually occur at the wrong time of the year, not where the natural fire occurs," Tidwell said. Those are the fires that the Forest Service still wants to stop, he said.
"Smokey Bear gets no blame for the situation we have today," he said.
Sheila Schafer, for decades the grand dame of Medora, will have some of her ashes spread at 2,855 feet, the highest point in nearby Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
As it turns out, the woman, whose great love for the park and Medora ended only with her death in March, would rest in view of a refinery proposed to be built three miles from the national park boundary.
Ed Schafer, former governor, currently chairman of the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation and son of Medoras developer, Harold Schafer, confirmed that Buck Hill is one place where his stepmother requested her ashes be spread.
How she would feel about a refinery being visible from there, I dont know and of course, she cant tell us, Schafer said.
He said he, personally, doesnt know how he feels about it either, but said he hopes that officials and regulators will be talking about such issues like the visual line of sight from the park to the refinery.
Is this the proper location? I would think that all those conversations are going to take place, Schafer said.
The parks view shed analysis shows that the proposed 55,000 barrel per day refinery by Meridian Energy will be visible both from Buck Hill, a popular 360-degree viewing hill, and from 630 acres of the park along the eastern rim.
The Davis Refinery will be on the agenda today when the Billings County Commission meets in Medora. At 10 a.m., the commission will take up a recommendation to approve zoning for the 715-acre site forwarded from the planning board on April 21. The project will also need a very restrictive Class 1 air quality permit from the State Health Department.
Park superintendent Wendy Ross said several people ask to have ashes spread in the park, and Buck Hill, along with Painted Canyon and Wind Canyon, are most often requested. Her own fathers ashes are on Buck Hill, she said.
Ross said shes hopeful the parks opposition to a refinery so near the entrance and visible from Buck Hill will be echoed by others today. She was pretty much the lone ranger at the zoning meeting, where most were in favor of jobs and development.
People are just starting to wrap their minds around the details of what the refinery would mean and where it would be located. So many people had no idea and are really surprised, she said.
Wally Owen, whose family is in banking in Medora, said the park would have more local supporters if park employees were more involved in the Medora community. He said he supports the refinery, but not without reservations.
The location is the question. Its not just the refinery, its the byproducts that come with it, the chemicals and the fertilizer. There were not three options, or even two options, but this is the only option. I support it, but not in that location, Owen said.
Doug Tescher, a Medora rancher and cabin outfitter, said he thinks his generation is more accepting of the park than were those when the park was developed in the 1930s and 1940s. But that acceptance only goes so far.
The fact that its government, I think thats a lot of it. It goes back to private property and too much control, with wetlands and sage grouse. Its not so much the park as government overall, Tescher said.
Ross said shes aware of the perception Tescher expresses.
There can be an emotional response that we are overreaching our jurisdiction, she said. Its those intangible resources the air quality, the water, the scenery that all contribute to the visitor experience, she said.
She said park visitation is up 35 percent from last year at this time, possibly in response to popular press, including being named the New York Times top five of 50 destinations for 2016.
Schafer said the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation his fathers legacy and creation does not take positions on such issues.
We trust the locals, the regulators will do with their jobs. Were not going to weigh in, but we do have a mission of protection and preserving the area in the best possible manner, he said.
Small fire extinguished on river bottoms near Heart River in Mandan
A small fire was extinguished Sunday afternoon on the river bottoms of the Heart River near the train trolley track in Mandan, said Mandan Rural Fire Chief Lynn Gustin.
Gustin said 15 firefighters responded at about 4:45 p.m. to the call about a fire between the trolley and the river. The fire is believed have been caused by a campfire that wasn't properly extinguished, he said.
No people or animals were injured, and no structures were damaged.
Because the property was inaccessible by fire trucks and ATVs, firefighters wore special vests containing water and walked to the fire. The blaze took about a half-hour to contain, Gustin said.
She did not have information about how much land burned, but described the damage as small. She said wind conditions were low at the time the fire was reported.
Man found dead after vehicle rollover north of Devils Lake
NEAR GARSKE -- A man was killed in a rollover crash north of Devils Lake on Sunday.
The man, whose name has not yet been released, rolled a Toyota 4Runner several times on Highway 20, about 17 miles north of Devils Lake.
According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, the 29-year-old man was driving to his home northeast of Garske on Highway 20. His vehicle left the roadway and entered the east ditch. The driver then overcorrected and slid across the roadway, where it entered the west ditch and rolled several times.
A media release said the man was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle during the crash. He was found dead at the scene. The vehicle, which had to be towed away, came to rest facing west.
The crash is still under investigation. It's not known when the crash happened, but the 911 call was received at 8:45 a.m. Sunday.
Starkweather rural fire and rescue and the Ramsey County Sheriffs Department assisted the highway patrol with the crash.
-- Forum News Service
Man who fled Fargo halfway house reaches plea agreement
FARGO (AP) A Minnesota man who walked away from a Fargo halfway house has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Chad Sumner is charged in federal court with escape. Authorities say he was serving the last few months of a three-year sentence for child endangerment when he fled from Centre Inc. on Jan 16. He had been scheduled to be released from custody March 2.
Court documents show Sumner cut the strap from his electronic monitoring device and threw it into a garbage bin at a Fargo gas station. He was arrested Feb. 8 in Red Lake, Minn.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The plea deal calls for the government to recommend a sentence at the low end of the guideline range.
Minot looks to hire an engineering firm for levee work
MINOT (AP) Minot officials want to hire an engineering firm to help bring the city's flood levees up to federal standards.
The city's Public Works and Safety Committee is recommending the city council enter an agreement with Houston Engineering for $352,500.
Public Works Director Dan Jonasson said Minot's levees are deficient in places under standards recently updated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Jonasson said the improvements include tree removal and erosion repairs.
Historic Old Armory in Williston celebrating its centennial
WILLISTON (AP) Williston's historic Old Armory is celebrating its centennial.
The armory's primary purpose back in 1916 was to be the home and training facility for Company E of the North Dakota National Guard, 1st North Dakota Infantry.
The armory was officially retired from military service in the late 1950s. Since then, it has served as the home for many organizations.
Old Armory board member Diane Hagen said it's important to preserve the history of some of the city's old buildings.
The area outside the Governors Office will fill with song and prayer at noon Thursday as voices from North Dakotas National Day of Prayer celebration permeate the open hall.
It is significant we are able to have this event at the Memorial Hall at the state Capitol, said Secretary of State Al Jaeger. We have the freedom to pray at a government building.
Jaeger will lead a prayer for government at the event and will be joined by others offering prayers for education, business, military, family, media and the church.
National Day of Prayer events are held in all 50 states the first Thursday of May. This years theme is Wake Up America.
A house divided against itself cannot stand, said the Rev. Larry Jahnke, an organizer of the event at the Capitol in Bismarck, in a nod to Abraham Lincoln. We want to pray God unifies America again.
In this presidential election year, no party alone can solve Americas problems, he said. And the name-calling from the candidates seeking the nations top office doesnt help.
We are looking for a president that is going to have character and integrity, values that are going to lead our country, Jahnke said. The system is broke. We need to call to God to intervene.
Jason Naas, a financial adviser with Edward Jones, will deliver the prayer for business. He said people often make the mistake of identifying themselves with where they work or what they do.
Im going to pray its not just a job and not just a career, but its a calling, he said.
A senior at Century High School will offer the prayer for family.
Kourtney Selensky was asked to participate in the National Day of Prayer after delivering a moving speech at a recent Fellowship of Christian Athletes breakfast. Her prayer will encourage families to support one another through times of struggle and triumph.
Whether its your Christian family, your school family, your work family or your personal family, those are the people you need to help along, she said. Whatever family youre a part of should be your focus.
The Rev. Scott Bauman of Charity Lutheran Church will carry on the theme of unity in his prayer for the church.
For so long churches have sought to, at times, work in competition with each other, he said. I think it is important that we come together in unity. We have one lord that we come together to worship, to cry out to. And hes the only one that can answer our prayer.
What you need to know about Powerball and the $610 million jackpot
The human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a virus consisting of more than 100 different types. The most visible symptoms of HPV are warts. HPV types 1, 2 and 4 are commonly associated with plantar and common warts. Non-genital warts occur in 10 percent of children between 12 and 16 years. HPV types 6 and 11 are most commonly associated with genital warts. HPV types 16 and 18 are commonly associated with cancer. It has been linked to different kinds of cancer, including cervical, penile, anal, vaginal, vulvar, laryngeal and oral cancers. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States.
Some forms of HPV are spread from skin-to-skin contact and result in common warts. Genital warts are primarily transmitted sexually, either from genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital or oral-anal contact. A person who becomes sexually active at a young age or has sex with many partners has a greater risk of acquiring HPV infection.
Having sex with someone who has had many partners in the past also can increase the risk of HPV. Statistically, a third of teenagers by the age of 16 are sexually active in the United States. It is important for women age 21 and older to obtain a pelvic exam with cervical cell testing to detect HPV.
Gardasil, an HPV vaccine, is administered as a series of three injections over a six-month period. For the vaccine to be most effective, the first dose should be given before the person becomes sexually active or is exposed to HPV. Gardasil is recommended by the CDC in males and females ages 13-26 who did not receive the vaccine when they were younger or did not complete the vaccination series.
Gardasil can be given between the ages of 9 and 26. The American Cancer Society recommends the HPV vaccination should be routinely offered to ages 11 to 12. The most common side effects from the vaccination include a local site reaction, including pain, redness and swelling, headache, fevers, nausea and dizziness.
The HPV vaccine offers effective protection against an HPV infection. Studies have shown that among those not yet exposed to the virus, the vaccine was 97-100 percent effective. For those already with HPV, the effectiveness dropped from 44 percent to 60 percent. This is why it is important to vaccinate prior to exposure to HPV.
A man walked away from the Missouri River Correctional Center early Monday morning.
Officials realized Leroy Hollman was gone at 3:30 a.m. and contacted highway patrol and locked down the facility, the release stated.
Hollman, who is serving time for drug possession, theft, and giving false information to law enforcement, was expected to get out of prison in June 2017, according to a news release from the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
MRCC is an unfenced, minimum-security facility for inmates at the end of their sentences, which is located in Bismarck.
Anyone with information about Hollman's location should contact their local law enforcement agency.
This domain has expired. If you owned this domain, contact your domain registration service provider for further assistance. If you need help identifying your provider, visit https://www.tucowsdomains.com/
A year after its Lok Sabha victory, a BJP leader asked a question in a private conversation: Is there any chance, however remote, of Mayawati and Mulayam coming together?
The BJP, he went on, would win in UP if the two did not unite. But it would become difficult for the party, if, say, the SP and BSP were to make common cause. His other observation was even more interesting: The more the Samajwadi Party feels it can make it again on its own, the better it would be for us.
The BJP need have no fears on the score of Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav coming together. As for the Samajwadi Party, on the defensive on the law and order front, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has of late tried to counter his partys rough-and-ready image by appropriating development as his core agenda going for expressways, stadia, a metro, hospitals, womens helpline, cycle tracks, power projects, a nutrition mission, etc. Today, people in UP tell you: Bhaiyya (Akhilesh Yadav) is good. But ...
READ: Nehru was Indias best prime minister: Mulayam Singh
Their but refers to an unhappiness with the party on the law and order front. What has also not helped is the way Mulayam has upbraided Akhilesh and his ministers publicly. It may have been netajis way of assuaging the chacha-tau brigades angst at the nephews new-found assertion, but it has done nothing for the party or the government in the run-up to the critical elections.
The Muslims in UP, who favoured the SP, Congress and the BSP, in that order of preference, are today increasingly unhappy with Mulayam. They blame him for not supporting them when the Jat-Muslim violence took place in Muzaffarnagar in 2013, suspecting a tacit understanding between the SP chief and the BJP, and they felt let down when Mulayam broke up the Janata parivar in the midst of the Bihar elections and urged the people to vote for anyone but Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad.
READ: BSP chief Mayawati appears as Goddess Kali in posters in UP
The two years of the BJP rule have fuelled Muslim fears to such an extent that they are increasingly voting more strategically to defeat whoever can take on the BJP.
Could Mayawati, who is on the upswing in UP, be the chief gainer of this sentiment? However, there are Muslims who fear that she could go with the saffron party in the event of a hung assembly, as she had done in the past. She has decided on tickets for around 100 Muslims, mostly in western UP. With a Dalit-Muslim combination, she could sweep in western UP, which accounts for 120 seats (going up to Bareilly).
Essentially, Mayawatis appeal lies in her perceived ability to set right the law and order situation. People have begun to say that if she comes to power, she will fix things. Curiously, they do not expect that she will curb corruption, or create jobs, or bring succour to farmers.
Then there is the sudden cooling off of Ajit Singhs RLD for a merger with the JD(U). The idea was a tie-up between the unified party and the Congress, and poll whizz kid Prashant Kishore had suggested that Priyanka Vadra be the face of this alliance in UP. But the RLD seems more inclined to go with the BJP today. Ajit Singh will undoubtedly get a ministerial berth in New Delhi; the RLD workers are also more enthusiastic about going with an ascendant force. The BJP will gain by consolidating its Jat support in western UP, dented by the recent Jat stir in Haryana, and by driving a wedge in the opposition ranks. The RLD, by itself, does not add up to much but by turning its face away from the Nitish-Congress initiative, it may ensure that the Congress remains a non-starter in UP.
READ: JDU, RLD and others set to join forces in view of 2017 assembly elections
The Congress story might have been different had it managed to tie up with the BSP. This would have helped the BSP by firming up the Muslim support behind such an alliance.
It is not for nothing that the BJP has seized every opportunity to bring the debate on nationalism centre stage because this is an issue that can polarise the situation in the Ganga belt, and the party gained richly from the polarisation in the 2014 elections, notching up 71 seats. It can be expected to keep the issue alive in one form or another and party president Amit Shah has exhorted party persons to keep the focus on nationalism.
The party may not go for communal clashes of the Muzaffarnagar variety this time because of a calculation that the floating voter after all, Modi moved from an 18% hardcore support to 31% because of these voters gets uncomfortable with repeated violence. The usual Pakistan bashing will also be less convincing, with the PM having made special overtures to Pakistan. Ayodhya seems to be a spent issue electorally, though the party is keeping the mandir up its sleeve. Unlike the issue of Rohith Vemula, which worried the BJP the Dalit vote for the BJP had doubled in 2014 JNU came in handy for the party, enabling it to flog nationalism, which has many takers.
READ: Grand alliance in mind, Nitish to hold rally in Varanasi on April 10
The UP polls are almost a year away. And yet parties are already positioning themselves for the mother of all battles. It will be a particularly high-stakes election for the BJP, expected either to give it the adrenaline it needs for 2019 or to hasten its decline. Remember, the party could not have got a majority on its own but for UP.
Neerja Chowdhury is a senior journalist and political commentator
The views expressed are personal
A lawmaker running for governor has questioned the response to a performance audit of the North Dakota Department of Trust Lands.
Rep. Marvin Nelson, D-Rolla, said results of the departments performance audit by its board, which was reviewed last month by an interim committee he sits on, were troubling. He also expressed concerns over some energy impact grants being given to ineligible groups and said an attorney generals opinion should have been requested to address any questions over eligibility.
Nelson pointed to examples in the audit that entities, including schools and fire departments, received funds through the Oil and Gas Impact Grant Fund and said he didnt know what to call it other than a misappropriation of funds. The Fargo Forum reported some of the projects flagged included new locks at a public school and baseball fields relocated to a different side of a highway because of safety concerns about children crossing the road.
It needs to be known just which and how many grants are affected, Nelson said. I think the first thing is what does the law say?
Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, who sits on the land board and is a Republican candidate for governor, in a statement called Nelsons claim of grants being ineligible premature.
Rep. Nelson has put the cart ahead of the horse in regards to the status of the grants in question. We will be working to clarify the state of existing grants including a possible independent legal opinion, Stenehjem said. The board will address any changes needed. The impact funds in question address critical infrastructure needs within our communities and are important to the health and safety of our citizens. We are committed to implementing the program in full compliance with the law and to the greatest benefit of the people of North Dakota.
Nelson said an outside group also should be hired to review the grants and those who were ineligible should return the money. Next session, he said the Legislature should tighten up language governing the fund.
State Land Commissioner Lance Gaebe was told last week by Gov. Jack Dalrymple, who chairs the five-member land board, to address the audit recommendations whether the department agrees with them or not.
Doug Burgum, another gubernatorial candidate, told the Fargo Forum Monday he sees Dalrymples directive to Gaebe to implement all 59 recommendations from the three audits as really good direction, but that the departments processes need a very tight look.
Gaebe said that process is underway: Our focus is on addressing the recommendations."
Gaebe said the advisory committees created to review and recommend grant awards to the land board have been as thorough as possible. He feels discretion was provided by the Legislature to make the call on what to recommend for approval.
It comes down to a judgement call, Gaebe said, adding the department will work to see how it can better improve its process for grant approval.
Nelson said the audits are meant to improve the function of state government, not to create a gotcha moment and put departments on the spot.
Its something we need to do more of, Nelson said, adding that increasing the budget of the auditors office in order to more frequently do performance audits of state agencies would ensure problems within agencies dont linger.
The performance audit also found multiple mineral tracts were assigned to the wrong trust; the issue was due to a clerical error from 1943.
When you go in and catch an error from 1943, what a catch, Nelson said.
Gaebe said issues of eligibility and process will be fixed. He said its also the responsibility of the Legislature to review the fund itself when it appropriates money.
They look at it every session as they should, Gaebe said.
The oil impact grant fund dates back to the 1980s and for years had a few million dollars per year in appropriations. For the 2011-13 biennium the program expanded dramatically due to increased oil activity, with $135 million appropriated between the regular legislative session and a special session that fall. In 2013-15 that number jumped to $240 million.
Lawmakers approved $140 million for the fund for the 2015-17 biennium; due to declining revenues only an estimated $28.6 million is available for the biennium.
Information on the fund can be found at www.land.nd.gov.
Kangana Ranaut will receive her third National Award from the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, on Tuesday. The ceremony will be held in Delhi. However, the actor travelled to the city on Monday evening to attend a party that was hosted by her friend. Her sister, Rangoli Chandel, also attended the bash.
Read: National Awards: Amitabh Bachchan, Kangana Ranaut, Baahubali win big
Kanganas close friend, Kalyani Chawla, threw a bash for the actor in the capital last night. She wanted to celebrate her win for her hit, Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015). She has wanted to host a party for Kangana for a long time but she couldnt do it because of the actors busy schedule, says a source. She has been busy shooting for Vishal Bhardwajs next.
Kangana Ranaut played double role in Tanu Weds Manu Returns. (YouTube grab)
Apparently, it was a close-knit affair. Kangana really enjoyed the party, says the insider, adding, After the ceremony today, Kangana will go on a vacation for a few days to unwind. Despite repeated attempts, Kangana couldnt be reached for a comment.
Read: My contemporaries planted stories against me: Kangana Ranaut
Watch Kangana Ranauts stellar performance in Tanu Weds Manu Returns
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A lot of delay and drama went into Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut recording her statement with the police on Saturday, alleged Hrithik Roshans legal team on Sunday. The two stars are locked in a public and legal tussle ever since Kangana termed Hrithik her silly ex in a January interview.
We welcome the move. It has taken so long for them to take this basic first step. Recording of statement is the first step in any investigative process. A lot of delay and drama has happened before this first step.
Its not for them to say if police is happy with them or not, let that come from the investigative agencies. Lets not try and confuse the matter further with various statements. Let the investigation speak for itself, said Hrithiks lawyers in a statement.
Kanganas lawyer Rizwan Siddique hit back with claims of slut shaming on Hrithiks part. He also said she is fully convinced that there is no impostor, who sent the emails as Hrithik claims. On Sunday, Hrithik had tweeted to his fans, advising them not to damn someones character, It is characterless to judge another. Whatever may be the case. Strangle d anger. channelize love.
Read: Hrithik slams Characterless Kangana Twitter trend
Siddique said, My client Kangana Ranaut shall never succumb to any pressure..... The world including people from the film industry need to learn that in todays changing time, no woman is scared of anything if she is fiercely determined, and has the truth by her side. Some common people who had intervened had a fixed agenda of only scaring my client and hiding the truth, which could not happen.
The lawyer accused the Bang Bang star of slut shaming Kangana to strengthen his case. To have an edge over my client he has tried everything within his means including slut-shaming, changing his public relations team, obtaining private cyber report which was paid for by him and also by changing his lawyer. However nothing is going to help as Hrithik Roshan cannot change the facts of the matter.
Read: Cops extremely happy with Kangana statement
My client knows and is fully convinced that there is no impostor as had there really been one, than Hrithik himself would have immediately acted on my clients sister complaint which he received on his correct email id on May 25, 2014, he said, adding His own acts of commissions and omissions after receipt of the said emails from my clients sister, coupled with his blatant lies from time to time, speak volumes of his conduct.
A lot of things will soon unfold in due course of time, he added.
Irrfan Khan stepped into his vanity van in Madh Island to check on us at regular intervals, but he told us that he would start the interview only when he had enough time to spare. The actor was busy shooting for an ad. When he finally did get started, his love for storytelling became evident. Over an hour-long chat, the actor discussed Hollywood and his initial years in Indian television.
You have been working in Hollywood for over a decade now. How would you describe your journey?
Ten years ago, if somebody told me that I would go on to work with Ang Lee (film-maker), or with all the directors Ive worked with, I wouldnt have believed the person. It just happened. Asifs (Kapadia, film-maker) film, The Warrior (2001), gave birth to me, as an actor. I was in an incubation period before that; I was working for TV, and it was not enjoyable. TV was more about trying to hone your craft. Then Asifs movie happened, and it changed my life. I never thought Ill have a parallel career in Hollywood.
Read: Irrfan Khans work ethic proves hes the most amazing of them all
You worked extensively on television initially. Do you miss that?
No, I was in pain when I was doing fiction television. When you are working on a TV series, you are not allowed to invest [in it]. They (the makers) expect that once they have given you the lines, you will just mouth them as they are, and go home. You are not allowed to think too much, or experiment with your looks. So, the actor becomes like a machine, producing similar emotions again and again. And thats why even though Chandrakanta (TV show) was so popular, I had to leave it because I was bored to death. I left it, and got some respite. But after 50 episodes, they wanted me back. So they brought me back with a different name. Having said that, working on television was a learning experience.
Read: Irrfan Khans work ethic proves hes the most amazing of them all
Dont you agree that there are some stories that cannot be told on celluloid and need TV as a platform?
Television has its own merits. Its a very powerful medium. In the US, if artistes want to work in a certain way, they can do that through TV, unlike Hollywood films, which are controlled by studios. Thats why we are not getting to see as much interesting content in cinema, as compared to TV. Our TV has to evolve. It has to bring in different audiences. Right now, its a numbers game. So, they are catering to the lowest common denominator. They are engaging only a particular class. Im specifically talking about fiction TV.
Watch Jungle Book trailer here:
Internationally, you are getting more substantial roles now. Has your image changed globally?
Thats what you do as an actor. You create an image for yourself, and you dont do it consciously. This image is created through your roles. People start perceiving you on the basis of the roles you do. Very few actors invest a lot of time and energy in creating an image and then in nurturing it.
Read: Irrfan Khan says Baloo from The Jungle Book is like him on steroids
You have done well in India and also internationally. Whats the secret?
I always look for a good story. Thats where my whole attention has always been. There was a time when I was doing Hollywood films and I was not getting enough offers in India. Back then, even though I was doing multimillion-dollar films in Hollywood, I was happy to sign a Hindi film that has a budget of even `2 crore to `3 crore, as long as it allowed me to tell my kind of story. I wasnt bothered about becoming an actor whose films are made on a `100 crore or `200 crore budget. I am glad that now things are finally falling in place.
You dubbed for the Hindi version of a recently released film thats based on Rudyard Kiplings book. How was the experience?
They offered me Shere Khan, but then I said let me watch the film first. After watching it, I decided to do Baloos voice. They had told me it would require time, so I said Id work it out. I didnt realise that the movie would become so huge, and the Hindi one would become bigger than the English version. What Hollywood does with these franchise films is that they make them to engage the kids, but they become movies for the whole family.
Read: Irrfan Khan says Baloo from The Jungle Book is like him on steroids
Purab Kohli has been rather busy of late. He recently finished shooting for his upcoming Bollywood film. He has also been working on an international web series in Italy. Currently, he is back in India to complete work on his new home in Goa. Next, he will start shooting for a new television series, which is being directed by Bollywood film-maker Nikhil Advani. But, before the shoot begins, he will travel to Italy with his fiancee, Lucy Payton, and daughter Inaya, for a vacation.
Read: Purab Kohli to tie the knot with fiancee Lucy?
A source says, When Purab was working in Italy, he was invited by a close friend there to join him and his family for a getaway at their villa, which is about two hours away from Rome. Purab will be leaving for Italy on May 6 for a 10-day holiday, and will spend some quality time with his family there.
Purab says, The shoot of my TV series will start soon, and it will be a long schedule. Also, I have been working continuously since October last year. So, I really want to make the most of this vacation.
Read: Purab Kohli has entire crew of American series Sense8 hooked to cricket
Veteran actor Manoj Kumar is travelling from Mumbai to Delhi to receive his Dadasaheb Phalke Award in person today. The septuagenarian who was in the hospital till some time back recently shared, My movements are restricted due to acute health issues. After a thorough medical checkup, my doctors advised me to travel to New Delhi by train. I will be present to receive the award but cannot move around too much.
The highest award for excellence and contributions to cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke Award has been bestowed on stalwarts since the early 70s. Yet, a study shows it has been given to a number of cine personalities at a time when they were too unwell.
Read: Its a pleasant surprise, says Manoj Kumar on Dadasaheb Phalke award
Raj Kapoor was wearing an oxygen mask and gasping for breath when he was awarded. Tapan Sinha was restricted to movements on a wheelchair. The same holds true for Pran and Shashi Kapoor.
Actor Raj Kapoor was wearing an oxygen mask when he was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Its astonishing as to why Shashi, Tapanda and Pransaab were awarded when they were so sick. Each of them deserved it duly. They could have been given this award when they were physically fit and able to move. Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and even Lata Mangeshkar were fit enough to be present and receive their awards, says Manoj Kumar.
The 77-year-old Shashi Kapoor could not travel to New Delhi because of ill health. (AFP)
Read: Shashi Kapoor receives Dadasaheb Phalke award at star-studded event
Another recipient, Mrinal Sen supports the argument. Due recognition should be given to deserving people when they are fit as a fiddle, he says, adding: I was present to receive my award and not sick.
Read: I could not believe it, says Manoj Kumar on winning Dadasaheb Phalke award
When a stalwart is recognised and awarded at the fag end of his or her career it appears more like a consolation prize. As Adoor Gopalkrishan rightly says, If a talented artist is awarded at his peak, it is more meaningful.
Three months after Vijay Mallya left India with Rs 9,000 crore in unpaid loans to banks and move to auction Kingfisher Airlines office complex and corporate brands failed to find any takers, lenders are gearing up to pursue recovery of their money to the last drop.
Though there may not be any immediate reduction in each of the reserve prices, banks are likely to look at potential entities that could make good the brand, or tweak the price to suit any interested buyer.
On Saturday, bankers found no bidders for the online auction of the Kingfisher brand, trademarks and logos, priced at Rs 366.7 crore, less than one-tenth of the brand valuation of about Rs 4,000 crore done in 2010.
The reserve price may have been a tad high going by the current status of Kingfisher (Airlines)... There could be some airline firm or any interested entity or businessman wishing to enter the aviation industry, who can make good, resurrect or turnaround the image of this famous brandAfter all, Kingfisher was a much-loved airline once, said a senior public sector banker on the condition of anonymity. The legal process is going on and we have waited long. We can wait more to extract the most till such time the legal process is on.
Last month, the auction of the airlines 17,000-sq-feet headquarter, Kingfisher House, situated in Mumbai, also failed to attract bidders.
Read: Auction for Kingfisher Airlines brands fails as no bidder turns up
Earlier, United Breweries, the maker of Kingfisher beer, had warned banks in an official statement that a buyer could use the logo only to set up another airline and for nothing else, and anybody buying it for any other purpose would be legally challenged as it held exclusive rights to the brand.
With banks holding debt and interest of Rs 9,000 crore, and Mallya still in the UK, lenders are unwilling to relax their stand. State Bank of India (SBI), United Bank of India, IDBI Bank and Punjab National Bank have already declared Mallya wilful defaulter.
We dont read much of what he (Mallya) says to others. We are treating the loan account like any other loan account for recoveryWe have provided enough towards the loan accountThe courts are hearing and we want that to continue till a decision is arrived at, another banker said.
The 17-lender consortium led by SBI scrapped Mallyas earlier offer of a settlement made to banks last month, after the matter reached the Supreme Court.
Bankers are being criticised for laxity with a widespread belief that proper due-diligence was not done when loans were given out.
According to reports, banks have so far recovered only around Rs 1,240 crore, and a similar amount has been encashed through the selling of pledged shares in group companies. But the money is held up in various court cases.
Apart from legal agencies, including the Supreme Court, CBI and Debt Recovery Tribunals investigating the case, the Enforcement Directorate has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Mallya in a money-laundering case. His diplomatic passport has also been revoked.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley recently said in Parliament that banks were seeking to recover every penny from Mallya.
Read: Mallya resigns from Rajya Sabha, a day before ethics committee meeting
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Airlines want a ban on the sale of liquor in the security hold area (SHA) at domestic terminals of airports as they say drunk passengers on board can be a safety threat and inconvenience co-passengers and the crew.
Sale of liquor is permitted both at shops and pubs inside the SHA at airports after passengers have checked-in and have undergone the security check.
The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), which represents IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and GoAir and raised the issue first, has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to intervene as this resulted in huge flight delays and inconvenienced other travelling passengers and airline staff.
Several domestic airports in India have outlets in the SHA (domestic sector) selling alcohol thus allowing passengers to consume prohibited alcoholic drinks after they have checked-in and have undergone security check at the domestic terminal, the FIA has said in a letter to the aviation regulator.
It pointed out to the Indian Aircraft Rules, 1937, which prohibits any intoxicated person from entering a aircraft.
In view of the safety concern and to avoid any inconvenience to the travelling passengers, FIA requests you to kindly review the policy allowing sale of alcoholic drinks in the SHA at the airports and prohibit the same, it said.
Airlines have pointed out that it was difficult to identify drunk passengers during the boarding process due to limited time available for scrutiny, which could lead to an unsafe situation in case the passenger becomes unruly on board.
We will be taking up the matter again with DGCA as no action has yet been taken, said an FIA official.
Aviation experts, however, have opposed the move.
Liquor is served on international flights to and from India. The new integrated terminals that we have at Delhi and Mumbai serve both domestic and international flights. Do we stop liquor sale there as well? Rajji Rai, former head of Travel Agents Association of India, asked.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Global Fashion Group (GFG), the parent company of online fashion portal Jabong, has secured a funding of 300 million euros (about Rs 2,282 crore) .
While the German tech startup investor Rocket Internet will underwrite around 100 million euros (about Rs 760.7 crore) of the financing, it will invest around 85 million euros (about Rs 646.7 crore), including the conversion of an existing investment at the terms of the financing.
The transaction values GFG at 1 billion euros post the transactions, Rocket Internet said in a statement. The financing will provide GFG with the necessary capital to continue to execute its strategy of building out its leading position in the online fashion sector in emerging markets, GFG Chief Executive Officer Romain Voog said.
During the first quarter of 2016, GFG reduced loss from operations meaningfully compared to the year-ago period, resulting in an improvement of the adjusted EBITDA margin by over 10 percentage points.
This is in line with GFGs plan to deliver an accelerated path to profitability across its regional businesses, while continuing to capture the significant market opportunity available, he said.
Founded in 2014, GFG combines six regional brands --Dafiti in Latin America, Lamoda in Russia and CIS, Namshi in the Middle East, The Iconic in Australia, Jabong in India and Zalora in South-East Asia. We continue to be very excited about the prospects of GFG, which has successfully built out leading market positions in key emerging markets. We are looking forward to continuing to work with the GFG team as well as Kinnevik and the other GFG shareholders to support GFG, Rocket Internet CEO Oliver Samwer said.
Rocket Internet also has investment in Food Panda in India. Jabong MD and CEO Sanjeev Mohanty said the funding will help the firm enhance business operations.
We have had success over the past few months, with Jabong recently recording its best month in terms of revenue... GFG sees good progress with Jabong in India and this trust will help us strengthen our operations in the country, he added.
Jabong narrowed down its gross loss to Rs 46.7 crore for 2015 on the back of lower level of discounts from Rs 159.5 crore in 2014.
In India, fashion is one of the largest and fiercely contested categories in e-commerce space. Launched in 2011, Jabong offers more than four lakh products. It was merged with GFG in 2014.
The first major bid for Tata Steels UK assets will be placed on the table this week after commodities firm Liberty House headed by Sanjeev Gupta confirmed it will submit a Letter of Intent for all the holdings, including the giant Port Talbot plant in Wales.
Over 60 international companies and consortiums are said to be examining the sale documents. A management buyout at Port Talbot with likely assistance from the UK and Wales governments is also being considered.
The bid led by Gupta will seek to convert existing blast furnaces considered unviable to electric arc furnaces to recycle steel from scrap rather than produce steel from iron ore and coal. Successful conversion of all furnaces is expected to prevent redundancies.
More clarity on bids by Gupta and others is expected on Tuesday after the bank holiday weekend.
We can confirm that Liberty will submit a letter of intent to Tata Steel on Tuesday and has put in place a strong internal transaction team and panel of leading external advisers to take the bid forward, a Liberty House spokesman said over the weekend.
Libertys bid reportedly includes participation by State Bank of India and Australian bank Macquarie. Former senior Tata Steel executives are said to be advising Gupta in putting together the bid.
Business secretary Sajid Javid said last week that potential buyers of Tata Steels UK assets were unwilling to take on the liabilities of the companys pension fund that has a deficit of 485 million.
However, the sale of UK assets is expected to be facilitated by the government taking a maximum of 25% stake in the new business.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Dying to watch the latest Rajnikanth starrer Kabali at a theatre near you in Delhi? You are not in a minority. Regional movies are increasingly performing well in terms of revenue, and are getting more viewership in their non-traditional markets.
According to analysts at KPMG, the domestic movie collections grew 8.5% in 2015 to reach Rs. 101 billion and this was mainly driven by non-bollywood movies, as the growth of bollywood was almost flat.
For instance, Baahubali, a Telugu movie that earned more than Rs 6 biilion worldwide, was shown in about 2,000 screens in northern India, and they contributed to 25 per cent to its overall domestic collections.
In the July to September 2015 period, about 29% revenue of PVR, one of the largest multiplex chains in India, was from regional.
We see the revenues from regional movies are growing at 15 to 20% in the last two years, said Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR Pictures and Chief of Strategy for PVR Ltd. He said that increase in number of screens, strong stories and good marketing are driving this.
PVR also saw a lesser-budget tamil movie like O Kadhal Kanmani performing well, when shown with English subtitles, in markets like Bombay, Delhi and Gujrat.
It is not just south Indian movies. KPMG says Marathi, Punjabi and Guajarati movies also do well.
Marathi movies grew by 45 - 50% in 2015, to reach around Rs 1.5 billion. The number of Marathi films releasing every year has risen to 70-80 from just 10-15 a decade ago.
According to A FICCI- KPMG report, Indian film industry is expected to grow 10.5 % to Rs 227 billion by 2020.
When Marina Fathallah walked to school with her sister, she said they never thought they would reach the building.
She said shootings usually started at that time, and bombs could also be heard more than once on any given day.
Fathallah is a 20-year-old Bismarck State College student. She grew up in Mosul, Iraq, a city now occupied by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
I didnt even go outside a lot, Fathallah said. It was dangerous, so I used to stay home.
When Fathallah was 15 years old, her dad decided the family needed to move. If he died, his daughters and wife would be left without a place to live in Iraq.
The family relocated to Turkey for a couple of months before resettlement in the United States.
Fathallahs aunt lived in Bismarck and was able to help her family adjust.
Fathallah said the day her family arrived, they were greeted at the airport by her aunt, who cooked her family supper that night. There was also a representative from Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota present.
Jessica Thomasson, the CEO of Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota, said the state has been a welcoming place for refugees to resettle and start their new lives.
Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota is the only federally recognized resettlement organization in the state. The organization has worked with refugees in North Dakota since 1946.
We help people who are displaced by conflict find a safe place to begin rebuilding their lives, Thomasson said. The families that we work with are so eager to begin building their lives again.
North Dakota receives about 400 refugees each year, according to Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota. The largest resettlement groups are Bhutanese and Iraqis, but there is also presence from Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia.
Thomasson said the purpose of refugee resettlement is not to resolve world conflict.
There are certainly larger geopolitical issues that go well beyond the world of refugee resettlement, which is a humanitarian effort, Thomasson said. There is a huge conversation that has to go on about how to resolve conflict in countries around the world.
Sen. John Hoeven said bringing refugees to the country will not solve any problems.
Specifically, Hoeven mentioned Syrian refugees, who have been fleeing Syria since the civil war began in 2011.
We need to set up safe zones and take actions in the region with our allies, Hoeven said. We cannot solve the problem for the Syrian refugees by just having them all come to the United States.
Hoeven stressed the need to work with other countries to defeat conflict on a military basis.
We have to think in terms of solving problems, not creating additional problems, Hoeven said.
To avoid the creation of potential terrorist activity, several background checks are conducted on every refugee prior to their admittance to the United States. In addition, there are checks run by the FBI, CIA, Security Advisory Opinions, Consular Lookout and Support System and the Inter Agency Check.
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp is on the Homeland Security Committee and said refugees are the most vetted people who come into the country.
One of the topics the committee discusses is radicalization of people who are transitioning to the United States. Heitkamp said problems occur when people feel isolated and devalued because of their religion or skin color.
We need to make sure that we are doing everything we can to integrate, communicate, continue to work with those populations, Heitkamp said. We dont make it safer by demonizing a whole religion.
Integrating successfully into the new communities is specifically what the refugee resettlement programs work is, Thomasson said.
We help people get connected with English language classes, with employment, with education, with health care, Thomasson said. We help make sure they have a place to live when they move to the community.
Fathallah said she learned basic English words in Iraq, but, when she came to the United States, she said she felt like she had never learned English before.
Everything was different, Fathallah said. It was hard because school looked different. They looked different.
Some of the differences Fathallah noted were things such as students not wearing uniforms and having colors such as purple and green in their hair.
Thomasson also said that, upon arrival into their new communities, refugees go through extensive orientation on what it means to live in an American community.
I didnt know what freedom really is, and I never experienced it in my life, Fathallah said. Sometimes, I feel like my life got harder than before, because I never had to worry about driving a car or working in a store.
Freedom for Fathallah is choosing s career and driving a car to school each day.
Fathallah said that she would like to go back to Iraq some time, but not until the danger is gone.
It was during a conversation with his partners Suhas Misra, Neeraj Biyani and James Nuttall over home-made aam panna a thirst-quencher made from raw mangoes that Neeraj Kakkar, the CEO of Gurgaon-based Hector Beverages, had an inspiration to make Paper Boat drinks. No wonder that Kakkar says more than half of Paper Boats drinks is from the heart.
Kakkar, a former Coca-Cola employee, founded Hector Beverages in 2010, along with two of his colleagues at the US-based company, Suhas Misra and Neeraj Biyani, and Wharton University batchmate, James Nuttall. The company had launched energy drink, Tzinga, but the sales were moderate.
And then the four of them decided to launch Paper Boat in 2013. The same year, Suhas Misra and James Nuttall quit the company.
Sold in sleek and squashy bottles Paper Boat drinks are available in a number of variants from aam paana and jal jeera (cumin water) to kokum (mangosteen juice) and neer more (Tamlands chaas). Theres also chilli guava, golgappe and panakam.
But Kakkar is not going to produce anymore of this south Indian jaggery and dry ginger-based temple drink, once summer come to pass this year.
Spoiler Alert! Next summer, Paper Boat will offer the panakam in three variants to consumers in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, each with its own unique flavour.
In some ways, it is also the DNA of Paper Boat to seek and nail recipes that can live up to its tagline: Drinks and Memories. The company has some 40-odd panelists, comprising chefs from star hotels to moms and grand-moms, who share and tick-off recipes that live up to traditional taste buds.
However, its a long-drawn process. Any given flavour takes up to 18 months from ideation to rolling out the final product and no less than `70 lakh to `1 crore in development cost.
Discovering original recipes in many cases comes from the companys employees informally called protectors of the recipe.
This inside-out approach to developing new flavours has worked well for Paper Boat, but also had its share of disasters. In 2014, the company tried its hand at sattu, a chickpea-based drink from Bihar. It was launched on IndiGo flights, but the taste did not go well, and customers started to demand their money back. For kanji, Kakkar and his team could not find sufficient volume of purple carrot needed to make it to make the drink, which had its origins in Haryana. A trip to Turkey helped in bringing the seeds for the purple carrot, and a deal with a farmer in Tamil Nadu to grow it for the company saved the day for Paper Boat.
Kakkar plans to release one new flavour of Paper Boat every month in 2016. It is April, and four new flavours are already in the market
And he has more reasons to smile. The company has already raised close to `250 crore in funds from a clutch of investors, including the likes of Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy. It is giving century-plus old food players, such as, Dabur, tough competition in the traditional drinks market. In fact, Dabur recently launched its Hajmola Yoodley brand in a packaging similar to Paper Boat.
Kakkar is eyeing a 160% growth in 2016-17 over the previous fiscal. And theres a tremendous oppurtunity, considering the $5.2-billion size of the Indian non-alcoholic beverages market.
In a letter to Hindustan Times last week, a reader complained about the uninspiring museum scene in Delhi.
He had travelled to Washington, Los Angeles, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Marseille and found museums mesmerising in each of these cities. One could spend the whole day... in full comfort. Thats what I miss in India. Other than some beautiful palaces, which are museums in themselves, there really is nothing else to see about our history, our great people and leaders... nothing else worth remembering except, may be, the National Museum on Janpath, he wrote in the letter.
He couldnt have made his point at a more appropriate time. Just three days later, Delhis National Museum of Natural History (NMHM) was lost to a late-night blaze.
Apart from charred manuscripts, burnt down specimens of endangered birds, reptiles and mammals and fossils dating back to as far as 160 million years, the museum left behind a story of how to kill our heritage.
After six years of curation, the museum opened in 1978. Most old-timers remember the building for its giant dinosaur figure in its front lawn. Visible from a distance, it was a city landmark. The museum was on the must-do list of most children during their summer vacation. But last Tuesday when the building caught fire, one was surprised to realise how little Delhi residents remembered of this city icon.
Not without reason. A parliamentary panel report in 2012 stated that it was short of mockery to call it a national museum. There were no audio-visual aids or school loan kits at the museum. The exhibits remained the same for decades and current environmental concerns such as global warming, deforestation, pollution control found no reflection is any of the displays.
The ministry of environment that ran the museum defended the lack of upgrade, saying the museum was soon to be shifted out of its rented premises to a sprawling building in Pragati Maidan. But now, with nearly 70% of the exhibits lost to the fire, one wonders what the new set up, however plush, will inherit.
Being the national capital, Delhi gets to claim the best of art, artefacts and natural history specimens. Its own rich history makes it a repository of precious material. The National Museum displays artefacts from 5,000 years of history, the Gallery of Modern Art has the best collection of paintings in India, the National Rail Museum displays 90 vintage locomotives and wagons and Shankars International Museum has a collection of 6,500 dolls from 85 countries. Purana Qila has a museum right on the excavation site.
The Delhi government website lists out 22 government-run museums in the city. Many of these museums routinely undergo renovations, but for a few exceptions, most visitors still find the places run down and uninspiring. Most city museums have fallen off the tourist map. Their exhibitions are rarely a talking point even among Delhites.
Across the world, many vibrant cities are proud of their museums. It is not merely about timely restoration of displays but about connecting with people. At the British Museum, the sleepovers give children the chance to spend a night exploring some galleries after dark, and take part in activities such as storytelling, music and dance workshops, re-enactments and craft activities.
The American Museum of Natural history offers the same experience for adults. The overnight adventure includes a champagne reception and up-close experience with the African mammals, the 65-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus Rex and chance to curl up under the 94-foot blue whale.
At Londons Victoria and Albert Museum, the worlds largest on art and design, a retrospective of the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen last year was the most visited exhibition ever. For the final two weekends, the museum opened through the night for the first time in its history to accommodate visitors, the Guardian reported.
These museums are becoming increasingly aware that they need the best of ideas to draw visitors. In India, the management of museums is still a sarkari domain. The 2012 parliamentary report had recommended that the government set up a panel of museologists, environmentalists and educationists to revisit the concept of curating. It may be too late for the NMHM. The others could use that thought.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Constitution of India was created by the honest for the innocent.
Those honest men and women (290 and nine, respectively) are now a fresco. They may fade, they will not change. Their honesty is forever. But what of us for whom that document was and is intended? We the people cannot and will not fade. We are perennial. But by god, have we changed !
Over the last 67 years we have moved from innocence to experience. And we have worked our experience into the Constitution. Not into its foundations or its facade, but in its interior design. Amendment by amendment, a full one hundred of them, we have aligned that document to our changing times, our realities.
Apart from constitutional amendments passed by Parliament, a great many judgments of our Supreme Court, passed by its constitution bench have given to the original text fresh meanings, new impetus.
Old innocence had not conceived the possibility of ruling parties losing their majorities by large-scale defections from one party to another or to new groupings . In fact and this seems incredible it had not conceived of parties at all. The phrase political party did not figure in the Constitution. But new experience showed new skills at work, including very specially, that of engineering defections and decoctions. So very wisely, very sagaciously, in 1985, anti-defection provisions were brought into the Constitution. And the word party entered the Constitution for the first time by the coy side door of a new Schedule Ten.
Likewise, the idealistic assumptions of the Constitutions founders had not imagined that its provisions for the promulgation of an emergency under Article 356 would be crassly manipulated as they were in 1975. But the trauma of that experience led to the clauses being drastically altered in 1977, to protect democracy from a supremacists whimsy.
Read | Presidents rule, too powerful for comfort
The innocence about political intentions is now history. The Constitution is wiser now if also sadder for its bitter wisdoms. There is however one feature in the Constitution that has not only not changed but has entrenched itself.
And that is about god.
God? In the Constitution of India?
Curiously, yes.
Unlike many constitutions of the world, ours did not mention god either. Not in its body. Our Constituent Assembly comprised, in the main, of believers. One might say that most of them were, in their hearts, pious. Yet, despite their beliefs, they did not think it necessary or right to bring the Almighty into the text. They kept god out of the formulations. We were, after all, to be a secular nation. The speeches of Gandhi outside of the Constituent Assembly and of Nehru and Ambedkar in the Assembly made it clear that the State was the State, religion was religion, and the two were not to mix.
But god is god.
He is omnipresent.
Almost in spite of the framers of the Constitution, god tiptoed ever so gently into the Constitution of India. But what a footprint he has made! So, how does he come into the Constitution? Right through the front door, right royally. And yet invisibly. He is in a Schedule, Schedule Three. What is in a Schedule is Scheduled. And so, like a Scheduled subject in the Union, State or Concurrent lists of subjects, like a Scheduled State or a Scheduled language, god, too, is Scheduled in our Constitution as a Scheduled Oath. Only a constitution amendment can deprive him of that position now.
The form of oath prescribed in the Third Schedule of the Constitution , gives our MPs, MLAs and a host of functionaries and judges of the Supreme Court and high courts entering their high office this option: They can either swear in the name of God, or solemnly affirm that they will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution and the law. Our president, vice-president and prime minister are also given the same option, in separate Articles of the Constitution. If they value god over their solemn word they can all come into office in gods name. And they are doing so now, in steadily increasing numbers.
So are we becoming more and more godly? Or just more and more superstitious?
Our Constitutions Preamble, needless to say, did not does not invoke god. The Preamble to the Constitution of Pakistan does: Whereas sovereignty over the entire Universe belongs to Almighty Allah alone, and the authority to be exercised by the people of Pakistan within the limits prescribed by Him. Pakistan is a theocratic state.
Our first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and our first law minister, Dr BR Ambedkar, did not swear in the name of god, they solemnly affirmed. That was their personal and right choice but why, as the Constituent Assemblys leading lights, did they let the Constitution give anyone that choice? Was it because that option was in keeping with standard international practice? Or did the format of a mere form creep in by oversight?
All the 16 Lok Sabhas seem to be happy to have the choice. The number of MPs and MLAs placing god above a solemn word has been rising steadily. More and more are now swearing in the name of god. In the current Lok Sabha, out of 513 MPs who were sworn in on 4 June 2014, as many as 474 swore in the name of god, and only 39 affirmed, Sonia Gandhi being one of those 39. The same goes with our Presidents.
Is god, then, stealing a march over the solemn word? Undoubtedly, yes. But what does that god represent? Faith or fear? Belief or superstition? Is the oath an appeal for Grace or for protection, security? For inspiration or indemnity?
An oath or affirmation is but a way of saying Believe me, Trust me.
That solemn word should be enough, more than enough. Trustworthiness can be put to the test by us, godliness only by God.
Gopalkrishna Gandhi is distinguished professor in history and politics, Ashoka University
The views expressed are personal
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Supreme Court banned plying of diesel taxis in New Delhi and NCR with effect from May 2.
Twitter users seethed in anger after the national capital was cut off from NCR for more than two hours on Monday morning because of traffic snarls caused by taxi drivers protesting against the ban.
The Delhi traffic police took to Twitter to caution commuters about the jam on the Delhi-Gurgaon border.
Obstruction in traffic in both carriageways from Dhaula Kuan towards Gurgaon due to demonstration by taxi drivers near Rajokari Border. Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) 2 May 2016
Thousands of commuters were forced to endure long tailbacks on the Delhi-NCR border, from as early as eight in the morning.
The red zone is all what Delhi-Gurgaon traffic is all about. Thanks SC n Diesel owners, I'm stuck past 2hrs. pic.twitter.com/9jyT2hs9fY Rainasaurus (@sid_raina) 2 May 2016
With no end in sight, people took to Twitter to vent out their frustration with pictures and videos.
#RidlrDEL Major traffic jam in NH8 towards Gurgaon. pic.twitter.com/sRux7GnrwO Dipto Sankar Basu (@DiptoS) 2 May 2016
State of NH8 at Delhi Gurgaon border after agitating drivers bring traffic to standstill. #dieselban pic.twitter.com/Rlxi0wNBX9 Rajat Gupta (@rajatg_iimcal) 2 May 2016
#mondaymotivation has gone into drain due to huge traffic jam at NH8 #Gurgaon coz of banning of diesel taxis. What a start to Monday! Vivek Sharma (@TheVivekSharma) 2 May 2016
Around Delhi-Gurgaon in 80 days. Stuck in traffic for the past 2 hours #Gurgaon Neha Gupta (@nehagupta2918) 2 May 2016
Vaibhav Aggarwal, a victim of the jam, missed his flight.
Damn my bro missed flight due to traffic on gurgaon route @ArvindKejriwal @bharat_builder Vaibhav Aggarwal (@Vaibhav_CFA) 2 May 2016
Major traffic obstructions were also reported from Akshardham, Mayur Vihar-2, Sarai Kale Khan, Ashram intersection, Subroto Park, Palam Airport Road and Rao Tula Ram Marg in New Delhi.
Senior traffic officials said that maximum deployment was made around borders, to stop the diesel-run taxis from entering the city. Our focus was to stop any diesel-run cab from entering the city. Over the day we will divert our deployment within the city, a senior traffic official said.
Stuck in the great-Monday-Gurgaon-jam. Megha (@Omeghaa_) 2 May 2016
Getting cabs and autos through aggregator services was also challenging on Monday morning. Services such as Ola and Uber hardly had any cabs or autos available during the morning peak hours. Some even issued advisories to others.
Avoid Stretch From Dhaula Kuan towards #Gurgaon due to demonstration by taxi drivers near Rajokri Border. #NH8 pic.twitter.com/77QFWV6kUN Sourav Taneja (@souravhtaneja) 2 May 2016
Bobins V Abraham was thankful it was his day-off from work.
Thank God, it is a Monday and I don't have to go to office. #GurgaonTraffic #DelhiCabProtest Bobins V. Abraham (@BeingJournalist) 2 May 2016
The Delhi government launched a helpline on Monday for citizens to report about taxi operators overcharging under surge pricing, a day after aggregator Uber brought back the practice in the National Capital Region.
Transport minister Gopal Rai tweeted that residents of the national capital can use the number 011-42400400 to register their complaints and said strict action will be taken against those following surge pricing.
Surge pricing is a business model in which companies charge higher rates than normal to encourage more drivers to offer rides when demand for taxis outstrips supply.
Ubers announcement on Sunday, the day a ban on diesel-run cabs came into effect in the NCR, prompted chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to warn the operator of a strong action.
Some taxis hv started charging surge. Surge not allowed under law. They r warned that strong action will be taken against them, Kejriwal tweeted on Sunday.
The chief minister had earlier described Ola and Ubers business model as daylight robbery.
A day after the second phase of the odd-even scheme aimed at curbing air pollution ended on April 30, commuters across the city who availed of the services of the app-based cab firm found that surge pricing was back.
When contacted, an Uber spokesperson confirmed the development, saying that suspension of surge pricing was only a temporary measure. The move came even as the ban on diesel-run cabs affected nearly 27,000 vehicles.
Uber had introduced the provision during the second phase of the odd-even road rationing system, and the move was objected to by commuters. Kejriwal had asserted that such demand-linked hikes would be banned permanently.
A senior Delhi government official said action will be taken against these companies based on complaints. We will impound their cabs, the official said.
While an immediate confirmation could not be obtained from Ola, another app-based service, its app displayed a message saying peak time charges may be applicable during high demand hours and will be conveyed during the booking which enables us to make more cabs available to you.
Ola displayed the disclaimer during the odd-even period as well, although it did not invoke peak-pricing till Saturday.
Uber and Ola hiked rates by at least three times during odd-even, and commuters complained they had to pay astronomical rates because of surge pricing.
They had to withdraw the move after the governments threat to cancel licences and impound cabs.
A 21-year-old man was stabbed to death outside his house in Madangir, near Sangam Vihar, South-East Delhi on Friday night.
Police said Deepak was stabbed 42 times by four youths with whom he had a tiff some months ago. Deepaks father, Kalu Ram, who works as a labourer in the area heard his son scream. When he went out of the house, he saw Deepak lying in pool of blood, a senior police officer said.
There were several stab wounds on his thighs, chest, stomach and a deep cut close to the heart. He saw a few persons fleeing the spot. He informed police control room and rushed him to the hospital. Deepak died on the spot, the officer said.
Preliminary investigation revealed Deepak had a quarrel with four of his friends following which he stopped visiting them. His father told police that he had stopped Deepak from going out with his friends because they were into drugs.
On Friday night, Deepak got a call from his friends who asked him to step out to settle the dispute. Initially Deepak did not take their call. But he answered the phone and they convinced him to come out.
It appears that Deepak had a financial dispute with his friends. He knew one of the youths, a juvenile, from when he worked at a parking lot in Gurgaon It appears the youth wanted Deepak to accompany him and take drugs with them but since he refused, their ego was hurt, said a senior police officer.
A murder charge was registered at the Sangam Vihar police station. The police have recorded statements of 25 people and accessed CCTV footage of the area to identify the youths.
Deepaks phone was also seized to identify the number of the youth he last spoke to.
Sources said that juvenile in the crime was identified. A team went to the residence of the juvenile but he is absconding. His mobile phone is also switched off. We sought help from the local intelligence to trace youth. Raids were conducted at several locations but police are yet to make any arrests. The deceased Deepak was a twelfth standard student from open school, a senior police officer said.
Termite infested and exhibits crumbling, a small and lesser known childrens science museum in a corporation school building in south Delhis RK Puram Sector 6 is on its way to becoming a relic itself.
The Childrens Resource Centre Museum was inaugurated in 1987 by then Union education minister. In February 2013, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) renamed it Nirbhaya Museum in honour of the December 16 braveheart. In shambles then too, the civic agency promised to earmark Rs 20 crore for its renovation.
Three years later, the museums condition reveals a tale of empty promises.
An old model of a Tyrannosaurus at the entrance leads one to the dingy and shabby six rooms. The rooms are divided into sections Body and Health, Transportation, History of Man, Ecology, Indias Energy Resources and Earth and Origin of Life. Nearly all displays look archaic and in need of a major overhaul. The empty reception is also in shambles.
The staff covers up the spots on the walls damaged by termites. The roof has lost patches at many places.
On February 6, 2013, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation announced it will name its science museum for children in RK Puram after my daughter. We were called to the civic centre and announcement about the renaming and developing the museum was made. However, nothing has happened, said Badrinath Singh, Nirbhayas father.
A childrens science museum in south Delhi is on its way to becoming a relic. (Saumya Khandelwal/HT Photo)
He said Delhis three mayors also promised a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each. We have not received a single penny from them, Singh said.
With the promised sum not coming in, the staff is preparing detailed project reports (DPRs) to woo government agencies and corporate for funds.
Ever since upgrade has been proposed, museum activities have increasedCorporates and government agencies will fund only if it (DPR) is there. We have also approached ONGC and Indian Oil. I have also done presentations on the revamp road map, said museums assistant curator Dhruv Prasad Soni.
Leader of the House in the SDMC, Subhash Arya, said releasing the funds was taking time. We will approach Union ministers for funding this project through corporate social responsibility, he said.
On the assured compensation not being given to the gangrape victims family, Arya said, I will look into the records of whether the compensation has been given or not. If not, we will go and give the money to the family, he said.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Traffic was thrown out-of-gear in areas around National Highway 8 on Monday morning as hundreds of cab drivers blocked both carriageways near the Rajokri toll booth in southwest Delhi on the key road protesting against the Supreme Courts decision to ban diesel taxis in the city.
Traffic jam at Delhi-Noida-Delhi (DND) toll plaza on May 2. (Sunil Ghosh/ Hindustan Times)
The congestion largely affected thousands of office-goers who travel between Delhi and Gurgaon, linked by NH-8, and the traffic helpline was bombarded with calls from distressed commuters.
Dhaulakuan, Kapashera and Mehrauli were some of the areas where traffic crawled for hours and a long tailback stretching over a kilometer was witnessed near the Rajokri flyover around 9am, a traffic official said.
A scene of traffic jam at a road near DND toll-plaza on May 02. (Sunil Ghosh/ Hindustan Times)
The taxi drivers on Monday morning blocked both the carraigeways on Rajokri flyover near the old Delhi toll booth on Gurgaon to Dhaula Kuan road, a traffic police official said.
The chaotic situation stretched beyond 11am and traffic personnel had to be pressed into service in the area, the official added.
Diesel taxi operators block traffic NH-8 at the Delhi - Gurgaon border on May 2. (Gurinder Osan/ Hindustan Times)
After extending the deadline twice, the apex court had on Saturday refused to give more time to cab operators to convert to CNG and put a ban on diesel cabs in the city from May 1.
According to Delhi transport department, about 60,000 taxis are registered in the national capital of which 27,000 run on diesel. Around 2,000 diesel-run taxis had converted into CNG mode in the last two months.
Vehicles were stuck for hours in a traffic Jam on National Highway-8, in New Delhi. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)
Taxi drivers blocked traffic on the NH8 at the Delhi-Gurgaon border. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)
The red zone is all what Delhi-Gurgaon traffic is all about. Thanks SC n Diesel owners, I'm stuck past 2hrs. pic.twitter.com/9jyT2hs9fY Rainasaurus (@sid_raina) 2 May 2016
Damn my bro missed flight due to traffic on gurgaon route @ArvindKejriwal @bharat_builder Vaibhav Aggarwal (@Vaibhav_CFA) 2 May 2016
State of NH8 at Delhi Gurgaon border after agitating drivers bring traffic to standstill. #dieselban pic.twitter.com/Rlxi0wNBX9 Rajat Gupta (@rajatg_iimcal) 2 May 2016
Vehicles were stuck in the traffic Jam at NH8 on the Gurgaon Delhi border. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)
#RidlrDEL Major traffic jam in NH8 towards Gurgaon. pic.twitter.com/sRux7GnrwO Dipto Sankar Basu (@DiptoS) 2 May 2016
Taxi drivers blocked the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway after the Supreme Court banned plying of Diesel cabs in the Delhi-NCR region from May 1. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)
The red zone is all what Delhi-Gurgaon traffic is all about. Thanks SC n Diesel owners, Im stuck past 2hrs.Damn my bro missed flight due to traffic on gurgaon route @ArvindKejriwal @bharat_builderState of NH8 at Delhi Gurgaon border after agitating drivers bring traffic to standstill. #dieselban#RidlrDEL Major traffic jam in NH8 towards Gurgaon.@TimesNow @timesofindia @htTweets Unprecedented traffic towards GGN right till GGN toll gate.@abpnewstv @aajtak
With inputs from Agencies
I have no work at the moment. There is no money coming in to fund my childrens education and pay rent, says Sushil Kumar, son of Rohtas, who was the darling of Delhi Universitys St Stephens College.
Rohtas used to sell samosas, nimbu paani and gulab jaamun in what was popularly known as the Dhaba. It has been almost three months since Rohtas passed away, owing to tuberculosis and pneumonia. Since then the eatery has remained closed.
The dhaba has always been popular among students and the alumni of the college. When Rohtas died, college alumni, including Ramachandra Guha and chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian, wanted to hold a prayer meeting. But they were stopped by the then college principal, Valson Thampu.
Thampu stirred up a controversy, calling Rohtas samosa wala. He reportedly implied that Rohtas also supplied drugs to students. In 2012, Thampu tried to close the dhaba, but students put up a strong resistance. Now, Sushil has to wait for an approval from new principal, John Varghese, who took over on March 2.
Read more: Stephens principal Thampu criticises alumni
They are yet to decide on whether or not to allow the dhaba to run. The dhaba has been an important part of the identity of the college. It has forged and sustained so many relationships. But look at the current state. Almost a century-long association with the college does not have to end this way, he said.
The familys association with the college started in 1922 when his grandfather, Sukhiya, started selling some food items. Rohtas followed his fathers footsteps and became an iconic figure for several students and teachers. In the last few years, Sushil helped him at the dhaba. The teacher and the student community of the college have already drafted petitions, requesting the administration to allow the reopening of the dhaba.
Rohtas and his family have been part of St. Stephens for many years. Generations of Stephanians have related to the dhaba and made a beeline for it. It is important to reopen it as quickly as possible. The students are missing it. There is absolutely no reason that his son should not continue in his place, said Nandita Narain, mathematics teacher at the college.
A college student, on condition of anonymity, said, I think they are not keen on bringing Sushil back to college. Varghese did not comment on the matter.
IIT students can look forward to some cool accommodation, as all new hostels will be centrally air-conditioned.
The human resource ministry, which recently ordered a fee hike at Indian Institutes of Technology, planned to modernise hostels including air-conditioned common areas and stateof-the-art kitchens, sources said.
At the countrys top engineering schools, which also enjoy a good standing worldwide, students have to live in hostels. Currently, around 80,000 students are enrolled in 18 IITs, a majority of them are in areas where summer in harsh. Five more colleges are in the pipeline. HRD minister Smriti Irani paid a surprise visit to two hostels at IIT Delhi on Friday. She inspected the kitchen, halls and talked to the students.
After interacting with the officials and students, the minister decided on an overhaul of the hostels, sources said. At the centre of various student agitations recently, the ministry has announced a string of measures for universities and engineering colleges.
IIT Delhi is first off the block. All rooms will get air-coolers. Water coolers will be installed on every floor and the kitchen and dining areas upgraded.
They were not allowed coolers in the room, which was problem during summer, some students had told Irani.
The minister wants IITs to invest money to improve hostels as students spend a lot of time there. Funds for this will be allocated and a proposal regarding this will be discussed soon, the official said.
Recently, I IT Kharagpur students had protested the fee revision, forcing the ministry to clarify that the hike was for new students only.
The annual fee for undergraduate courses has been raised from `90,000 to ` 2 lakh from the new academic session. Students belonging to the SC, ST and differently abled categories get a full tuition-fee waiver.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
It is not very often that a leader like Doug Burgum enters the political realm, and I couldn't be more excited to vote for him in June.
Burgum loves North Dakota and his record shows it. After getting his MBA from Stanford, located in the heart of the Silicon Valley, Burgum did the unthinkable he returned to North Dakota to launch a software company. North Dakota wasn't exactly a hub of technology startups at the time, but that did not matter to Burgum he believed that anything was possible in North Dakota.
Under his leadership, Great Plains Software grew into a massive economic engine for the state and became one of the Red River Valley's largest employers. Microsoft's presence continues to have an enormous impact on the Fargo community.
After leaving Microsoft, Burgum could have simply chosen to retire as a wealthy man, but he was not done giving back to the community. Burgum committed himself to revitalizing downtown Fargo, launched ventures aimed at supporting North Dakota entrepreneurs, and served as a mentor to countless individuals looking for guidance.
Now, Burgum is offering his services to the people of North Dakota. He has experience, leadership skills, integrity and new ideas that North Dakota needs in a governor at this critical point. We're lucky to have the chance to choose a leader like Doug Burgum on June 14.
Uttar Pradeshs Special Task Force has traced the roots of a conspiracy to leak, solve and sell the paper of All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) case to Bihar aspirants.
The kingpin, Nilesh Singh, had hatched the conspiracy to leak competitive exam paper in other states from different examinations centres of Varanasi, police said.
Read more: Amid tight security, more than 6.60 lakh aspirants sit for NEET
A total of eight people, including three from Bihar, were arrested on Sunday from outside RS Convent school (Ledhupur), located in Sarnath area of Varanasi.
According to the STF, those who were arrested were identified as Abhimanyu Kumar (44), a resident of Noorani Bagh Colony under Alamganj police station of Patna city, Sanjay Kumar Kushwaha, a resident of BMP road under Airport police station and Priyanka Thakur of Pusa in Samastipur, while five others hail from UP.
Read more: Phone jammers, fingerprint scanners to prevent AIPMT cheating racket
Police recovered three luxury vehicles, including one with Bihar registration license plate, 12 cell phones, electronic devices, a pistol, three live cartridges, Rs 2 lakh cash and a motorcycle from their possession.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
NEW DELHI: The prestigious Hindu College in the Capital will not admit students to its new girls hostel this year after protests engulfed the accommodation over high fees and rules such as a mandatory dress code.
The college administration ignored the students demand to revoke the discriminatory rules for those willing stay at the 200-seat hostel.
Instead, a circular issued by principal Anju Srivastava on Friday said: There will be no admission to the girls hostel. Students who have taken the prospectus may return the same and get their prospectus fee refunded.
The prospectus says students must dress according to the normal norm of society in the common areas of the colleges first hostel for girls.
It also mentions a night curfew, saying the students must be in by 8.30pm and mark her attendance in a register. They will not be allowed to watch TV in the common room beyond 10.30pm and cannot move around on the hostel premises after 11pm.
As a concession, the students will be allowed a night out till 10pm twice a month. But they cannot stay the whole night away more than once a month and for that they must submit a letter from their parents or guardians for the wardens approval.
Besides the rules that the students described as bizarre, sexist and discriminatory, what triggered the protests was the high annual hostel fee three times more than the boys pay. Hindu College boys pay Rs 47,000 as hostel fees while the girls were expected to shell out more than Rs 82,000.
Principal Srivastava had tried to justify the amount, saying the fees were high because the facility will be for girl students. The hostel was built along with the academic block at a cost of Rs 16.50 crore.
The clarification raised frayed tempers as more students joined the protest led by Pinjra Tod, a campaign to fight the discriminatory rules.
They warned on Sunday that their protest will continue despite the college deciding not to open the hostel this year. We will keep a close watch on the Hindu administration and continue our protests to ensure that the exorbitant womens hostel fee is revoked, and the regressive rules and regulations removed, said a protester who didnt wish to be named.
College teachers too have criticised the decision. Instead of having a dialogue with the students, the governing body decided to take such a step. It was built with so much money collected through donations they cannot lock it now, a teacher said.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) had taken suo moto cognizance of the rules and issued a notice to the college. It asked the college to explain how the rules were set.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
More than 11,000 medical aspirants took the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) at 22 examination centres in Kota on Sunday amid security and complying with the CBSE dress code.
The Supreme Court on April 28 gave the green signal to the CBSE to hold the NEET common entrance exams for undergraduate medical and dental courses in two phases. The second phase has been scheduled for July 24. NEET replaced the AIPMT (All-India Pre-Medical Test) held by the board.
In the absence of a common entrance test, students seeking admission to the MBBS or BDS course had to make multiple applications and take scores of tests conducted by states.
CBSEs Kota coordinator Pradeep Singh Gaur said the NEET-1 was held peacefully. Out of the total 11,759 aspirants, around 248 skipped the examinations; so 11,511 aspirants appeared for NEET today, said Gaur.
Candidates were frisked and made to pass through metal detectors at the centres. Mobile jammers were installed at the examination centers in Kota to avert any possibility of cheating, he said.
Aspirants in prescribed dress code were allowed to enter the centres. The candidates were required to wear light clothes with half sleeves with small buttons so that they wont be able to hide instruments or communication devices.
Students were allowed to wear sandals or slippers. They were asked to deposit accessories such as necklace and earrings outside examination rooms. Aspirants, allowed entry with admit cards and passport- and postcard-size photos, were given pens at the centres.
Manmeet Singh (17), an aspirant, told HT that torches were used to check ears of candidates for detection of hidden Bluetooth devices. The examination started at 10am and aspirants were allowed entry into centres between 7.30am and 9.30am.
I belong to Jhalawar and my mother was hospitalised, so I reached the examination centre around 2 minutes late. I was not allowed to take the examination, said Priyanka Singh (17).
Manmeet said she found the biology part easier than physics and chemistry. Mansi Nahar (17) said, Physics had more calculations, so I found it a little tougher than biology and chemistry.
The results for the two phases of NEET will be announced on August 17. The admission process, based on the single test, will be over by September 30.
Many students, who appeared for the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) Phase 1 in Jaipur on Sunday, said the physics section was difficult and described the biology section as a cakewalk.
The question paper was not lengthy therefore I was able to attempt all the questions. Biology was the easiest portion for me, Mukesh Kumar, an applicant, said.
Many students said that the numerical questions in the physics section were tedious in the question paper carrying a total 720 marks with 240 marks each for biology, physics and chemistry.
For me, physics was the most difficult as I struggled with the numericals but overall my paper was good, Sarvagya Sharma, another applicant, said.
The first phase of the common entrance test for medical and dental courses was held in 65 centres across Jaipur amid stringent security measures deployed by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to deter wrongdoings during the exam.
Read more: AIPMT 2016 easier than last year, claim tricity students
The education board prohibited entry of outsiders inside the school campus and frisked students using metal detectors and light torches. The measures come in the wake of a cheating scam during the All-India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) test last year.
Applicants were not allowed to carry bag, pen, pencil, eraser, pencil box, earrings, amulet, scarf, handkerchief, calculator or any electronic/Bluetooth devices inside the centre. Applicants were asked to bring only their admit cards and a passport photograph. Students were also asked to appear in half sleeves shirts and slippers.
Many parents waiting for their children to complete the paper, had no respite from the severe heat and complained about the lack of space for them to take shelter from the scorching sun.
Read more: Amid tight security, more than 6.60 lakh aspirants sit for NEET
There is so much shade and shelter inside the school campus but parents have been forced to wait outside the main gate for three hours under the scorching sun. CBSE officials should have done something about it, Bhanwar Meena, a parent waiting outside Maharani Gayatri Devi School, said.
The Supreme Court had refused to amend its day-old order last week and reiterated the common entrance test for all medical colleges would take place in two phases despite the Centres U-turn on holding the exam.
The apex court said the AIPMT, held on Sunday, would be the first phase of the NEET. The second phase of the nationwide common medical entrance test will be held on July 24.
Many students said their friends who had not opted for the AIPMT and were writing NEET Phase 2 were at an advantage as they would have more time to prepare.
The CBSE had clarified that students who had opted for the AIPMT would not be allowed to write NEET Phase 2 if they were absent for the Sundays test.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday commenced the crucial hearing in the pleas of state governments, private medical colleges and minority institutions like CMC Vellore and Ludhiana seeking nod to hold pre-scheduled separate entrance exams for MBBS and BDS courses which was opposed by Medical Council of India.
The apex court, which took note of the peaceful holding of the first phase of the a single common entrance test through NEET (National Eligibility Entrance Test on May 1, said there was no urgency in passing the order on the fresh pleas and would give the decision after hearing all the stake holders.
It asked the Centre and CBSE to give wide publicity about holding of the second phase of NEET on July 24 through press notes and internet so that those who were unable to take the May test can try their luck.
Before commencing the hearing, the top court asked the Centre and CBSE to provide it with the data about the number of candidates appearing in the first phase of the NEET from each state.
It also took note of the contention raised by various state governments about the language issue, i.e. use of vernacular languages by asking Gujarat Government to place before it the question papers of last two years.
Just before the hearing, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana cited special constitutional provisions to contend that only the state can have the say in holding examination for MBBS and BDS courses.
Jammu and Kashmir government cited constitutional provision of Article 370 read with Article 35 A and section 6 of the J&K constitution to contend that it is the state which is entitled to conduct the test and the students cannot be admitted to these courses from outside the state through NEET.
Further, on the educational aspect, only the state government has the legislative competence and Centre cannot interfere in it.
While a bench comprising Justices A R Dave, Shiva Kirti Singh and A K Goel, was formulating modalities of the hearing, senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the MCI, opposed the contention of vernacular language, saying that the MBBS and BDS course across the country is being taught in English.
Read more: Experts point out errors in NEET-1 paper, ask for bonus marks
The days hearing saw Karnataka Private Medical and Dental College Association, Christian Medical College, Vellore and Christian Medical College, Ludhiana along with Tamil Nadu Government seeking exemption from the NEET citing various reasons.
Senior advocate KK Venugopal said that the entrance exam in Karnataka is designed to cater to the rural masses and private agency like TCS has been engaged for smoothly conducting the exams at 154 centres across the country and the candidates have been charged Rs 1000 for it.
The submission evoked a reaction from the bench which said so many states are conducting separate tests and they must be demanding separate fees.
The parents and the students have to move from one place to another for taking up exams, the bench said. Senior advocate L Nageshwar Rao sought exemption for CMC Vellore from NEET saying that the minority character of the institution has to be kept in mind so that there should not any compromise with its autonomy and the same argument was taken by CMC Ludhiana with its counsel saying that it has unique system of entrance in which special paper is on Bible to identify the Christian minority.
Rao also argued for Tamil Nadu government contending that the NEET cannot be imposed as the state law for reserving 85% seats and the admission through the marks of class XII has been validated by the Madras High Court.
Rao also claimed that majority of students in Tamil Nadu do not take up the NEET and they prefer to appear in the exam conducted by the state.
The states, opposing NEET, alleged that there are marked differences in syllabus for the state entrance tests and the NEET.
Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Gujarat, said the state per se was not against the NEET but would be tragic for the students, preparing for the state tests, will have to take up NEET in such a short span of time.
The similar plea was raised by the counsel for states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and few others. The court would resume hearing in the matter on Thursday at 2 PM and asked the Centre, CBSE and the MCI to either file their responses to various pleas in the registry before the hearing or hand over the same in the court.
The apex court did not restrain any states or private medical colleges from conducting their tests and said that it would pass order after hearing all the parties.
Read more: Medical aspirants say two-phased NEET is unfair
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for the CBSE, said that the first phase of NEET was conducted without any glitch and around 6.5 lakh students took up the test.
On Monday, the bench headed by the CJI had said that the fresh pleas of states and private medical colleges for permission to hold their separate tests would be heard on Tuesday.
The apex court had on April 29, said that the entrance test for admission to MBBS and BDS courses for the academic year 2016-17 will be held as per the schedule through the two-phased common entrance test NEET on May 1 and July 24.
On April 28, the court had rejected opposition for holding NEET by states, including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Association of Karnataka Medical Colleges, besides minority institutions like CMC, Vellore.
The apex court order had implied that all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under NEET and those examinations which have already taken place or slated to be conducted separately stand scrapped.
It had also revived the governments December 21, 2010 notification for holding a single common entrance test through NEET with a clarification that any challenge on the issue would directly come before it and no high court can interfere.
The human resource development (HRD) ministry has directed all central universities to put up large boards on the campus informing students about anti-discrimination officers. The boards will carry contact details of the officers as well as the internal complaints committee so that students are aware where to lodge complaints when the new academic session starts this year.
The move assumes significance in the wake of students agitations, which a number of higher education institutions are witnessing with the latest being NIT-Srinagar. A decision regarding this was taken at a meeting of all the vice-chancellors chaired by HRD minister Smriti Irani in February this year.
One of the complaints that we usually get from students is lack of knowledge of a redressal mechanism in case of harassment. This move will help the students in a big way, said a senior HRD official.
Read more: Govt plans to make 20 educational institutions world-class
All the 40-odd central universities have been asked to send a compliance report to the ministry.
Besides, all universities have been asked to provide information to students about the prevention of sexual harassment committee.
A number of new students will join this academic year and many are not aware if such committees exist. That is why, we have decided to start this initiative from this year so that students have easy access to such grievance mechanism, said a senior HRD official.
Suicide by Rohith Vemula, a dalit PhD student of Hyderabad University, had sparked protests across the country that led to the HRD ministry and the University Grants Commission (UGC) deciding on holding sensitisation programmes for academic administrators and taking steps to ensure there is no discrimination on the campus.
During the vice-chancellors conference it was decided to put in place a transparent proactive mechanism for grievance redressal of the university community, including students, staff and faculty. It was also decided to appoint an anti-discrimination officer.
In March, the UGC had also asked all universities and colleges to have a special page on their website wherein students can register complaints of caste discrimination.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Even as private cab aggregators claimed that they remained unaffected by the recent Supreme Court order to ban diesel vehicles, commuters had difficulties finding cabs during peak morning and evening hours on Monday.
A number of people had to reschedule their trips to the national capital because of non-availability of taxis, especially plying to Delhi and other parts of NCR.
I cancelled my meeting in Delhi since I could not find any cabs in the morning. Public transport is inadequate and the metro trains are flooded during peak hours, said Anuradha Lamba, an HR head in a city-based firm.
Several airport-goers were left stranded as cab drivers refused to cross the Delhi border. People had to either wait for another taxi or use the hardly available, Haryana roadways buses.
There are no cabs available to go to the airport. I have a flight in three hours and have no idea how I will reach there. I will try a few more times to book a cab and if I dont find anything, I will take the metro, said Rakesh Patel of Gurgaon.
While Ola informed its commuters that cabs were not available, Uber surged its prices during peak hours. The hike was around 3 to 5 times more the normal rate.
Uber was charging me 3.5 times more to go to Green Park in the morning. The surge is back and is causing a lot of inconvenience to people from Delhi-NCR. I cant shell three times the money for a ride to work, said Pratiksha Singh.
Even employees of private firms had difficulties in reaching office after their office cabs did not pick them up.
My cab did not turn up to pick me up. By the time I reached office, I was late by over two hours. The company has a tie-up with a Gurgaon-based cab operator and he did not have enough CNG cars to provide us transport. I saw news reports on long traffic snarls on roads leading to Delhi and I feel happy that I chose to travel via the Delhi metro to commute to office. At least I was not stuck in traffic jams, said Vandana Singh, a commuter.
A number of firms have tie-ups with small as well as big cab operators to pick and drop employees, however, after the Supreme Court order to ban diesel cabs, available cabs have reduced to half or less than that.
An official from the transport department of a city-based firm said, We have tie-ups with local cab operators as they are less expensive. However, after the ruling by the apex court, the company received a message that the operator will not be able to ply cabs on Monday. The company had no option but to allow all employees to work from home.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
There is just no stopping Priyanka Chopra. After winning the Oscar red carpet earlier this year, the Bollywood star headed to the White House for a Correspondents Dinner hosted by the Obamas on Sunday and slayed it too.
What was the similarity between the two appearances of the Baywatch star? Both her dresses were made by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad who is known for use of nude shades and sexy designs.
Priyanka Chopra, in black and white: The star at White House Correspondents dinner and her look at the Oscars.
Read: Priyanka Chopra goes full glam at Obamas White House dinner
If Oscars saw her in a white gown with daring sheers, delicate detailing and a sexy sweetheart neckline, White House dinner had Priyanka donning a black gown which had interplay of sheer panels.
The 33-year-old actress looked sexy and glamorous in the deep-cut nude black ruffled and sheer-paneled gown with sparkling details. She showed off her decolletage in the low-cut gown that was spectacular and fit her shapely figure like a glove.
Lovely to meet the very funny and charming @barackobama and the beautiful @michelleobama . Thank you for a lovely evening. Cannot wait to start working on your girls education program #whitehousecorrespondentdinner A photo posted by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Apr 30, 2016 at 8:48pm PDT
While designers have termed both her looks win-win, tell us which of her looks did you like better in the comment section below
Wondering what Priyanka Chopra discussed with US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle at the White House Correspondents Dinner on Sunday? Well, the Bollywood star who is busy filming her Hollywood debut Baywatch has spilled the beans.
The 33-year-old actress, who found global recognition with her character Alex Parrish in the American TV series Quantico, shared a photograph of herself along with the two. Lovely to meet the very funny and charming Barack Obama and the beautiful Michelle Obama, Priyanka captioned the photograph.
Lovely to meet the very funny and charming @barackobama and the beautiful @michelleobama . Thank you for a lovely evening. Cannot wait to start working on your girls education program #whitehousecorrespondentdinner A photo posted by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Apr 30, 2016 at 8:48pm PDT
The US President looked dapper in a black suit and crisp white shirt which he teamed with a black bow tie, while Michelle looked lovely in an embellished beige gown. Thank you for a lovely evening. Cannot wait to start working on your girls education program, Priyanka added.
Read: Priyanka Chopra goes full glam at Obamas White House dinner
The education programme that Priyanka alluded to is Michelles initiative and is called Let Girls Learn. It aims to empower 62 million girls worldwide, who at present do not go to school, so that they can get their education. The US President is also a passionate supporter of the cause.
Launched in 2015, it funds community girls education projects like girls leadership camps and school bathrooms; educating girls in conflict zones; and address poverty, HIV, and other issues that keep girls out of school.
The 2016 White House Correspondents dinner, which was President Obamas last in office, was hosted by comedian Larry Wilmore. The annual fund-raising gathering of White House correspondents and their guests was also attended by the likes of Hollywood stars Kerry Washington, Emma Watson, Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett, Michelle Dockery and Kendall Jenner.
To justify the funny tag that Priyanka gave to Obama, heres a list of the funniest jokes from US comic-in-chief for the evening
On Republican frontrunner Trump
The Republican establishment is incredulous that hes their most likely nominee. They say Donald lacks the foreign policy experience to be president. But in fairness he has spent years meeting with leaders from around the world: Miss Sweden, Miss Argentina, Miss Azerbaijan.
On Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton, referring to her highly-paid speeches to Goldman Sachs
Here we are, my eighth and final address at this unique event, and I am excited. If this material works well, Im going to use it for Goldman Sachs.
On Aunt Hillary
He also called her Aunt Hillary, as at one point he virtually endorsed her candidature. Next year someone else will be here, guess who she will be? he said amidst laughter. Clinton is the only women contender in the race to the White House.
He ended his gig by dropping the mic and saying: Obama out.
Aam Aadmi Party founder member and former MP Ilyas Azmi on Monday quit the party citing lack of inner democracy in the organisation and convener Arvind Kejriwals autocratic style of functioning, almost a week after he was dropped from partys top decision-making bodies.
Azmi accused Kejriwal of indulging in caste and community-based politics and of ignoring Muslims and people from backward classes.
There is no inner democracy in the party. It has been reduced to one mans property, Azmi said.
Also, Muslims and people from backward classes are completely being ignored. There is hardly any Muslim representation in AAP. Kejriwal is appointing people of his own community to key posts in the government. He is openly giving preference to people of his own community in the party too, he claimed.
He said he was also against the removal of lawyer Prashant Bhushan and psephologist-turned-politician Yogendra Yadav from the party.
Asserting that AAP was founded on principles which were against caste and community politics, Azmi said, But now AAP itself is indulging in community politics even more than Mulayam Singh Yadav so I stopped participating in partys activities.
A former BSP MP, Azmi was one of the founder members of the party. In a rejig, Azmi was dropped from both the National Executive and Political Affairs Committee of the party.
He also alleged that rules were not followed during the rejig and decisions on appointments were made well in advance.
I had left Mayawatis BSP because she was running it like a one-person party but then here even Kejriwal is doing the same. So I have no other option but to leave it, he said.
Azmi also attacked the BJP-led central government likening it to the Nazi regime, and said, Today, a condition is being created in the country similar to what Hitler had created in Germany in 1934-35. Earlier, the governments were being run from 7, Race Course, they are now operated from Nagpur.
Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kejriwal, Azmi said, dictatorship cannot be replaced by another dictatorship.
Azmi, however, was full of praise for JD(U) leader and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.
I have reached a conclusion that at this point of time Nitish Kumar is the only person in the country who believes in democracy and human values, he said.
As young boys plunge into a murky dam to escape the blistering afternoon sun, guards armed with guns stand vigil at one of the few remaining water bodies in a state hit hard by Indias crippling drought.
Desperate farmers from a neighbouring state regularly attempt to steal water from the Barighat dam, forcing authorities in central Madhya Pradesh to protect it with armed guards to ensure supplies.
India is officially in the grip of its worst water crisis in years, with the government saying that about 330 million people or a quarter of the population are suffering from drought after the last two monsoons failed.
Armed men have been securing the Barighat dam for months against water thefts by desperate farmers from neighbouring states. (AFP Photo)
Water is more precious than gold in this area, Purshotam Sirohi, who was hired by the local municipality to protect the stop-dam, located in Tikamgarh district, told AFP.
We are protecting the dam round the clock.
But the security measures cannot stop the drought from ravaging the dam in the parched Bundelkhand region, with officials saying it holds just one month of reserves.
Four reservoirs in Madhya Pradesh have already dried up, leaving more than a million people with inadequate water and forcing authorities to truck in supplies.
A child swims in a water reservoir in Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh. (AFP Photo)
Almost a hundred thousand residents in Tikamgarh get piped water for just two hours every fourth day, while municipal authorities have ordered new bore wells to be dug to meet the demand.
But it may not be enough, with officials saying the groundwater level has receded more than 100 feet (30 metres) owing to less than half the average annual rainfall in the past few years.
The situation is really critical, but we are trying to provide water to everyone, Laxmi Giri Goswami, chairperson of Tikamgarh municipality, told AFP.
We pray to rain gods for mercy, she said.
In the nearby village of Dargai Khurd, only one of 17 wells has water.
A villager walks between the rocks as he crosses a water reservoir in Tikamgarh/ (AFP Photo)
With temperatures hovering around 45 degrees Celsius, its 850 residents fear they may soon be left thirsty.
If it dries up, we wont have a drop of water to drink, Santosh Kumar, a local villager told AFP.
Farmers hard-hit
Farmers across India rely on the monsoon -- a four-month rainy season which starts in June -- to cultivate their crops, as the country lacks a robust irrigation system.
Read | Drought triggers migration, distress sale of cattle in Telangana, Andhra
Two weak monsoons have resulted in severe water shortages and crop losses in as many as 10 states, prompting extreme measures including curfews near water sources and water trains sent to the worst-affected regions.
Tikamgarh is part of Bundelkhand region -- consisting of 13 districts -- which is reeling from years of below-par monsoon rains. (AFP Photo)
Many dejected farmers are now moving to cities and towns to work as daily wage labourers to overcome their financial losses and support their families.
At a scruffy, makeshift camp in north Mumbai, in one of the worst-affected states, dozens of migrants who have fled their drought-stricken villages queue to fill plastic containers with water.
Migrants from rural areas usually come to the city in January or February to get jobs on construction sites, but in March and April the number of arrivals kept increasing.
A woman pulls out a steel pot from a well in the village of Dargai Khurd in Mohanganj area on the outskirts of Tikamgarh district. (AFP Photo)
There are some 300-350 families here. Thats a total of more than 1,000 people, said Sudhir Rane, a volunteer running the camp in Mumbais Ghatkopar suburb.
There is a drought and there is no water back home so more families have come here this year, he told AFP.
Babies cling to mothers lined up to register with officials. They are allocated a small space in the dusty wasteland, where wooden posts combine with tarpaulin sheets to make rickety tented homes.
We had no choice but to come here. There was no water, no grain, no work. There was nothing to eat and drink. What could we do? 70-year-old Manubai Patole told AFP.
Read | 116 farmers committed suicide in 2016; 10 states reeling under drought
We starved for five days. At least here we are getting food.
Better to break stones
Weather forecasters in New Delhi this month predicted an above-average monsoon, offering a ray of hope for the countrys millions of farmers and their families.
But many, like Gassiram Meharwal from Bangaye village in Madhya Pradesh, are not optimistic as they struggle to cultivate their crops.
Meharwals two-acre farm has suffered three wheat crop failures in as many years, leading him to lose an estimated Rs 1 lakh.
Our fields are doomed, they have almost turned into concrete, he said.
Gassiram Meharwal, 32, stands in his field in the village of Bangaye on the outskirts of Tikamgarh district. (AFP Photo)
Thousands of acres of land in his village go uncultivated and fears are mounting for the cattle, which face a shortage of fodder.
Desperate for income, 32-year-old Meharwal, who supports eight members of his family including his children and younger brothers, left to work as a labourer in the city of Gwalior, four hours away.
There is no guarantee that it will rain this year. Predictions are fine but no one comes to your help when the crops fail, he said.
It is better to use your energy breaking stones.
Officials say the ground water level has receded more than 100 feet in past few years as the area has been receiving less than half of the average annual rains. (AFP Photo)
Read | Dead storage level: Only 3% water left in drought-hit Marathwada dams
The BJP is mounting offensive against the Congress on the AugustaWestland VVIP chopper bribery case.
BJPs Mumbai North East MP Kirit Somaiya has written a letter to the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the links between Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, his aide Kanishka Singh and chopper deal middleman Guido Haschke who has been named in the CBI FIR.
In a letter to chief of the two agencies, Somaiya said Haschke is/was the director in Emmar MGF, a company formed by Kanishka Singhs family. The company was embroiled in a controversy over alleged irregularities in preparation of the Commonwealth Games, Somaiya alleged.
I had brought to your notice that Mr Haschke is common in both the scams. He is connected with Mr Michel who is involved in helicopter scam, Somaiya wrote in the April 30 letter to the two agencies.
Singh rejected the allegations saying, Mr Somaiya has been making these false allegations with malafide intent since February 2013.
In a statement, he clarified that he has absolutely nothing to do with the matter and expressed the hope that parties, including AgustaWestland, Hashke and Emaar-MGF, if found guilty, be punished in the harshest possible way.
He urged Somaiya to provide material at the earliest to the government and its agencies to facilitate investigation and enable prosecution of the guilty.
A youth, who flung a slipper at Bihars chief minister Nitish Kumar at the Janata durbar here on Monday, was arrested by the police.
The youth, also called Nitish Kumar, hailing from Arwal district, 60 kms south-west of Patna, was angry that the chief minister had banned havans (offerings with fire to gods) between 9 am and 6 pm.
The Bihar government banned such oblations and ceremonies due to hundreds of fire outbreaks in the state due to severe heat, which has crossed the 44 degree centigrade mark in recent times.
How can he as a Hindu proclaim a ban on religious ceremonies? Kumar told the police soon after he was arrested.
Senior superintendent of police, Patna, Manu Maharaaj, said, We are investigating the background of the youth and whether he was a part of a larger conspiracy.
Kumar came with a memorandum to give the chief minister against the ban order but chose to throw the slipper, when the CM was going around talking to people over their grievances at the Janata key durbar mein mukhyamantri-a weekly public grievance redressal programme.
He has been arrested for obstructing government work and creating ruckus Maharaaj said. Police and administrative officials are also verifying his memorandum.
The chief minister, however, advised the police to let him go free saying he had forgiven him.
If sources are to be believed, Kumar had also created a scene at the Janata darbar of BJP leader and former deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, some time ago.
Kalvari (Tiger Shark), the first of the six French Scorpene class submarines being built at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders for the Indian navy, went to sea for the first time on Sunday.
The submarine sailed out at about 10 am under her own propulsion for her first sea trial, off the Mumbai coast.
During the sortie, a number of number of preliminary tests on the propulsion system, auxiliary equipment and systems, navigation aids, communication equipment and steering gear were performed, the official said, adding various standard operating procedures were also validated for this new class of submarines before she returned to harbour in the evening.
Over the next few months, the submarine will undergo a barrage of sea, surface, diving, weapons, noise trials, etc testing her to the extremes of its intended operating envelop.
Later, she will be commissioned into the Indian Navy, giving a major boost to the Make In India initiative of the government.
She is part of the ongoing project for constructing six Scorpene class submarines, in collaboration with DCNS of France, which will include transfer of technology to MDL.
In April 2015, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had directed that all-out efforts be made to complete the project on schedule after which teams from MDL, Indian Navy and DCNS worked round-the-clock on it.
The submarine was undocked on pontoon on April 6, 2015 in Parrikkars presence, underwent vacuum tests and battery loading at Naval Dockyard before returning to the MDL for completion of the basin trials and harbour acceptance trials phase.
The state-of-art features of Scorpene include suerpior stealth to launch a crippling attack on enemies with precision-guided weaponry, including torpedoes, tube-launched anti-ship missiles both underwater and on surface.
The Scorpene submarines are designed to operate in all areas including the tropics, and encompass all means and communications to ensure interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force.
They can undertake multifarious missions like anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance, etc.
The submarine class are built from special steel capable of withstanding high-yield stress with high tensile strength that allows them to bear high hydrostatic force and enable deep diving for enhanced stealth.
She was built according to modular construction principle, which divides it into a number of sections and building them in parallel.
The complexity of the task can be gauged from the fact that it involves laying around 60 km cables and 11 km pipes in extremely congested and limited spaces inside the submarine.
The Scorpene is equipped with weapons launching tubes (WLT), and its weapons can be easily reloaded at sea with special handling and loading equipment.
The array of weapons and complex sensors fitted on board the Scorpene are managed by a high technology combat management system.
India joined the elite submarine building nations on February 7, 1992 with the commissioning of the first indigenously-built sub, INS Shalki at the MDL. It is still in service.
The MDL has constructed different types of warships including Leander and Godavari class frigates, Khukri class corvettes, Delhi and Kolkata class destroyers, Shivalik class stealth frigates, 1241 RE Missiles boats, Shalki class subs, P-15B class destroyers, the first of which was launched in April 2015, and the P-17A class stealth frigates, a follow-up on the P-17 stealth frigates.
The Bombay high court, while ordering demolition of the multi-storeyed Adarsh Housing Society in Mumbai, has blamed its members for conspiring with politicians and bureaucrats to grab a plot which was not in existence in the development plan as a residential area.
It was carved out by eating into a road, it said.
Members of the Society happened to be close relatives of highly-placed bureaucrats and or related to politicians or ministers, said a division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Rajesh Ketkar in the 223 page-judgement which became available on Monday.
On April 29, the HC had sought criminal proceedings against politicians and bureaucrats for misuse of powers.
We are more than satisfied that the allotment was not made in a transparent manner and it clearly smacks of favouritism and/or nepotism, the judgement said.
It cannot be disputed that bureaucrats and ministers are the custodians of government property....People repose confidence in them that the government property is safe in the hands of bureaucrats and ministers.
Prima facie, they have dishonestly disposed of the property in violation of law, the bench observed.
...the bureaucrats and the ministers are guilty of various offences in acquiring the plot as also misuse and/or abuse of powers. We hereby direct the state government to consider initiating appropriate civil/criminal proceedings against the concerned bureaucrats, ministers and politicians, the judges further said.
The lower courts will, however, decide the cases as per the merit and evidence, uninfluenced by HCs observations, it added.
The judges also directed the state government and the Centre to consider departmental inquiry against the officials.
It also directed the Ministry of Defence to hold an in-depth inquiry to find out the lapses or reasons on the part of its officers for not filing a writ petition in the matter at the earliest.
The court asked the Defence Ministry to hold an inquiry to find out whether the General Officers Commanding (GOCs) between 1999 and July 13, 2010, namely, Maj General A R Kumar, Maj General V S Yadav, Maj General T K Kaul, Maj General Tejinder Singh and Maj General R K Hooda compromised the security of CMS (Colaba Military Station) in return for allotment of flats in Adarsh.
The bench drew on the report of Justice J A Patil Commission, appointed by the state government to probe the role of senior bureaucrats and politicians including former Chief Ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh and Ashok Chavan, in the judgement.
On whether clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) was required, the HC said that considering the object of Environment Protection Act and the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notifications of 12.11.1997, the clearance of MoEF or authorities at state level was needed.
On April 10, 2002, the state government reduced the width of Captain Prakash Pethe Marg from 60.97 metres to 18.40 metres. The area so deleted was included partly in residential among others (for Adarsh Society), the judgement said.
Without obtaining prior approval of Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), the state government could not have changed the reservation from road to residential.
The high court refused to accept the Societys contention that a letter sent by MoEF to the state Urban Development Department (UDD) on March 11, 2003, can be held as a clearance for construction from the union ministry.
The letter dated March 15, 2003, written by P V Deshmukh, then Deputy Secretary of state UDD, to Adarsh Society stating that MoEF had given clearance for construction was totally uncalled for and this letter was issued a few days before Deshmukh himself applied for membership in the society, the court noted.
The adjoining BEST plot and the land on which the Adarsh building was constructed were two separate plots, hence the Society cannot use the FSI from the BEST plot, the HC said.
Petitioners have not obtained environmental clearance either from MoEF or from state-level agency and we have held that the recommendations of MCZMA are mandatory and environmental clearance is also necessary, HC said.
We have come across cases where people by using money or muscle power as also political influence try to secure allotment of land. This case goes one step further, the court observed
The CBI was examining former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi on Monday in connection with alleged corruption in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal. Tyagi arrived at the CBI headquarters at 10am for questioning.
Naming former air chief SP Tyagi among 15 suspects, the CBI had in 2013 formally launched a probe into the VVIP helicopter deal.
The agency also named Tyagis three cousins, three alleged middlemen and four companies among others in the probe into allegations of kickbacks in securing the 12 luxury chopper deal with England-based AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of Italian defence giant Finmeccanica.
Some middlemen influenced the deal in favour of AgustaWestland and Finmeccanica paid commission worth several millions of euros to the middlemen, the CBI alleged.
Read: Chopper scam: 5 questions over IAF ex-chief Tyagis alleged involvement
Tyagi is the second former services chief to face a CBI probe. Former naval chief admiral Sushil Kumar was named in a case involving alleged kickbacks in the purchase of Barak missiles in early 2000. The probe is pending.
Middlemen and family connections AgustaWestland representatives stopped at nothing to reach Tyagi and swing the chopper deal in the companys favour, documents filed by Italian prosecutors in the case in 2013 had said.
The investigation report quoted key middleman asserting that he met Tyagi 6/7 times, which included meetings at the offices of the former air chiefs cousins and at the Bangalore airshow when Tyagi was still in office.
This contradicted Tyagis claim that he met a middleman just once -- and that too after he retired.
Tyagis cousins Julie, Dosca and Sandeep were identified by the Italian prosecutors as the key go-betweens who helped Finmeccanica win the contract to supply 12 helicopters to the Indian Air Force. AgustaWestland is a unit of defence group Finmeccanica.
The money was put in the hands of Julie in cash during frequent trips to India, a middleman identified by the prosecutors only as ADR was quoted as saying.
The relationship between the Tyagis and the go-betweens used by AgustaWestland started in 2001, when Carlo Gerosa one of the middlemen met Julie at a wedding in Lugano, Italy. It was in 2000-2001 that the IAF talked about the need for the VVIP choppers.
Between 2005 and 2007, the middlemen met Tyagi at least six times: twice at the offices of his cousins, and at least once at the Bangalore airshow which is held every two years. He was still in uniform and came to visit the Finmeccanica booth, ADR is quoted as saying.
Read: UPA never blacklisted Italian chopper firm: Jaitley on Agusta scam
I have met Carlo in my cousins place but when you say you have contact with him, then the answer is no. What connection could I have with him? I want to tell you that the whole process started after I retired... the entire process of evaluation, trials, contracts took place in 2010, Tyagi had said after the charges against him.
Asked if he had changed any specifications for the contract to favour Finmeccanica, Tyagi said the staff qualitative requirements for the VVIP choppers were frozen in 2003, much before I assumed the office of Chief of Air Staff, and the IAF did not change any requirements after that.
Asked about his relations with three alleged middlemen for the deal including one former IAF officer Captain Tyagi, the former Chief said he was his cousin but their relationship did not go beyond this.
Asked about the alleged involvement of three of his relatives, he said, The fact is they are related to me. But there are no business links (as alleged) with them....We were really not in touch when I was in service.
A day after Tyagi claimed that the purchase conditions of 12 VVIP helicopters were modified long before he became the air chief, the defence ministry said in a press statement that the changes in the Rs 3,600-crore tender were made when Tyagi was in the hot seat in 2005-06. Tyagi was air chief from December 31, 2004, to March 31, 2007.
A 22-year-old woman from North-East was kidnapped at a residential area in Bengaluru by an unidentified man who allegedly tried to molest her, as bystanders watched passively.
The incident was caught on a CCTV camera in which the woman is seen being physically lifted and carried away by the man from behind as she was speaking on her mobile phone in front of her paying guest (PG) accommodation.
The complainant alleged that the accused took her to a desolate underconstruction building in the adjacent alley and assaulted her.
Read | Man arrested in Bengaluru abduction case
Watch: Man abducts 22-year-old woman in Bengaluru
Several people were seen walking on the street but none helped her when the incident happened on the night of April 23 at Kathriguppe in south Bengaluru which came to light only on Monday.
I started shouting, he tried to close my mouth, then I bit him to rescue myself, reacting to it he hit me, then I fell unconsious due to fear, the complainant told reporters. The accused later abandoned her and fled.
I was unconscious for about five minutes, by then he was not there. My bag and phone was there.
Demanding the assailants arrest, the woman alleged that the mans intention was to sexually assault her.
Asked about the police response, the woman said police came and asked her to file a case, but her PG owners advised her against it, saying it may cause problem to her.
I think they did that fearing bad name for their PG, she added. Police said they have obtained the CCTV footage, and will nab the culprit soon.
DCP (South) Lokesh Kumar said he only got to know about the incident after the news appeared on TV channels. He said investigation about the incident was on and added that Police response to the case was also being enquired into.
If there are any lapses found, action will be taken. Kumar said.
The PG owner had filed a complaint in which he claimed the woman had stated that she will decide on filing the complaint after discussing the issue with her family.
The woman had left the PG next day and the owner thought that she would have filed the complaint.
City police commissioner NS Megharikh said suo motu complaints in such cases become difficult because the girl has to go hospital for medical examination; she has to go to a magistrate to record her statement. Sometimes women do not want to be exposed. However, today we have called the PG owner and obtained the complaint.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) began questioning former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi on Monday in connection with its probe into alleged corruption in the AgustaWestland (AW) choppers deal.
Tyagi was summoned for allegedly receiving bribes from the United Kingdom-based AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of Italian defence giant Finmeccanica, to help change technical requirements that enabled the firm to bag the Indian deal in 2010.
Read more: VVIP chopper deal: CBI questions former IAF chief SP Tyagi
The deal, which was cancelled two years ago, was for the supply of 12 VVIP AW-101 choppers for a price of Rs 3,727 crore.
AgustaWestland allegedly approached Tyagi through three of his cousins during his stint as air chief in 2005-2007. The four Tyagis, who were named in the First Information Report of the CBI and Enforcement Department in the case, deny the allegations.
Tyagi was questioned twice after the CBI had registered the case FIR in March 2013. Tyagi will be questioned again following revelations over his role by former air force deputy chief JS Gujral to the CBI last week.
Here are five issues that Tyagi needs to explain to CBI interrogators.
1) Media reports allege that a key mandatory operational requirement, a service ceiling of 6,000 metres, which is the optimum height at which a chopper can fly, was reduced to 4500 metres. This change was made after a March 2005 meeting by the then national security adviser during Tyagis stint as air chief. This helped AW as its chopper was disqualified in 2002 by the air force on grounds it could only fly at 4500 metres and its subsequent representations for a re-consideration of its case was rejected as well.
2) A meeting on March 7, 2005 on the service ceiling issue, which occurred at the air force headquarters and was attended by several stakeholders, agreed to reduce the required service ceiling from 6,000 metres to 4500 metres. The Air forces decision was in contrast to its earlier consistent stand opposing the service ceilings reduction. Later, a fresh comparative test was introduced as that was related to how the chopper might cope with a non-functioning engine. For AW, with its three engines, this test was a gift.
3) The Air forcein January 2004 sent a note to the then defence secretary saying a service ceiling of 6,000 metres was required, because VVIPs needed to travel to high-altitude places, such as the Siachen glacier. Again, in November 2004, the air force reiterated its stand on the issue in a meeting held by the then defence secretary. The stand was reversed in March 2005 under Tyagis watch.
4) Tyagi will have to explain to the CBI if there was any alleged link to his acceptance of the service ceilings reduction in March 2005 to payments of 3.26 lakh to his cousins as consultancy charges by a Tunisian firm, Gordian Services, Sarl. The payments were made between May 2004 AND to February 2005 by the Tunisian firm controlled by two case accused--AWs European middlemen Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. The payments, in fact, began barely a month after the air force had decided in April 2004 that the AW chopper was not suited for ferrying VVIPs including the President and the Prime Minister.
5) Tyagi will be asked if he met AWs three alleged European middlemen--Haschke, Gerosa and Christian Michel--up to seven times. Tyagi will be asked if he had allegedly received cash payments from these middlemen as part of the bribery transactions AW allegedly undertook in India to manipulate technical specifications that disqualified its chopper.
Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of doctoring his date of birth and educational qualifications and threatened to reveal the facts on Tuesday.
Party leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil would be addressing a press conference on Tuesday on the issue.
On Sunday, vice-chancellor of Gujarat University M N Patel said that Modi had completed his post-graduation in political science in 1983 and had scored 62.3% as an external student of the varsity.
Patel revealed the information days after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused the Central Information Commission (CIC) of covering up the Prime Ministers educational qualifications.
Congress had on Sunday alleged discrepancies in Modis date of birth.
In students register of MN College Visnagar (where Modi took admission in pre-science, equivalent to class XII) Narendra Modis date of birth is mentioned as August 29, 1949. In his election affidavit, he did not reveal his date of birth, but mentioned his age. His official birth date, as available in the public domain, is September 17, 1950, Gohil had said in Ahmedabad.
Gohil had also questioned the timing of Gujarat University sharing details of Modis Masters degree which it had earlier refused to disclose citing secrecy.
Hundreds of workers from Manika in Jharkhand on Sunday came up with a novel way of registering their protest against the meagre hike of Rs 5 granted by the Union government under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).
The workers on the occasion of Labour Day sent over a hundred envelopes with five-rupee notes enclosed in them to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that they could do without the governments generosity.
In view of the ongoing drought, the Centre had increased the wages of workers in Jharkhand from Rs 162 to Rs 167. However, this failed impress the beneficiaries, given that the minimum wage for labour and non-NREGA work in the state comes up to Rs 212.
A report in The Telegraph said the envelopes were accompanied by a sarcastic thank-you note to Modi, in which the workers said they felt lucky to be considered eligible for the raise at all. It sounds like NREGA workers in Odisha are very well-off because their wages were left untouched, it said.
Read: Step up efforts to help drought-hit: Activists, writers, actors to govt
The note went on to express concern for the Centres financial plight. Actually, we are very concerned. The government must be really short of money as it is unable to raise NREGA wages, and that too when one-third of the rural population is affected by drought, it said, expressing hope that the money returned would keep the Prime Ministers corporate friends and government employees happy.
The government has probably done us a big favour by increasing the wages. In some other states, I am told, the increase is not even that... But we cannot accept such a raise. So we are sending the money back to the Prime Minister... Maybe hell have some use for it, Kamlesh Oraon, a 65-year-old marginal farmer, was quoted by NDTV as saying.
The workers took out a protest rally under the banner of the Grameen Swaraj Mazdoor Sangh in Manika block, where slogans denouncing the meager hike were shouted. Members of other organisations, such as the Jharkhand Jan Sangram Morcha, Dalit Adhikar Suraksha Manch and the CPI(ML), were also present.
(With agency inputs)
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., toured Fort Yates Hospital on the Standing Rock Reservation Monday to "check in" on North Dakota Indian Health Services facilities.
Heitkamp's tour of Fort Yates Hospital follows a U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing in February which found service disruptions including emergency room closures, inadequate staffing, unsafe and unsterile conditions and regulatory violations at IHS hospitals in the Great Plains, particularly in South Dakota.
Great Plains Area IHS received citations from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding deficiencies at two hospitals in South Dakota, Rosebud and Pine Ridge, as well as a hospital in Winnebago, Neb.
Heitkamp also met with IHS Acting Director Mary Smith last month urging her to maintain quality health care at IHS facilities in North Dakota while the "agency invests attention and resources to fix severe shortcomings at health facilities in South Dakota," according to a press release.
"Touring Fort Yates Hospital today was an opportunity to check in on North Dakota IHS facilities and make sure the Standing Rock community is receiving the care it deserves," Heitkamp wrote in a press release. "As IHS works to fix unacceptable problems across the Great Plains, I'm fighting to guarantee that our North Dakota hospitals receive the attention and resources they need to deliver the quality care Native communities deserve."
The Great Plains Area facilities provide health services to 122,000 tribal members in North Dakota South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska.
Hundreds of forest fires blazing across north India for over a week spread to a prominent boarding school in Himachal Pradeshs Kasauli on Monday afternoon, triggering panicked evacuation of students.
Television visuals showed children being taken out of the premises of the Pinegrove School as fire trucks rushed to the campus.
News channel NDTV reported the blaze was put out in an hour but thick black smoke engulfing the entire town.
Fire also spread to Lawrence school in Kasauli, 5 km from Pinegrove school, as students evacuated in a hurry with columns of smoke descending on the complex.
The fire at Lawrence school was brought under control before it could cause damage, said R Chauhan, a teacher at Lawrence school.
The fire broke out in forests in Kasauli areas and forests surrounding the Sanawar School were also affected but the school complex was fully safe and fires have been extinguished, said Rakesh Kanwar, deputy commissioner, Solan.
Blazes were reported from 12 new places in the forests around Shimla with chief minister Virbhadra Singh saying a rise in temperature caused the fire in Shimla rural forest division that gutted 50 hectares.
It is nothing new. Fire break out in forest areas is due to rise in temperature, Singh told reporters in Rampur on Sunday.
Read | Natures act or foul play? 5 burning questions on Uttarakhand fires
Officials reported 378 incidents of fire in grasslands and forests, mainly in the low hills, which has destroyed flora and fauna in over 3,000 hectares.
The sudden rise in mercury and the prolonged dry spell are mainly the reasons for these forest fires. Most of the fire-related cases are from the Shivalik ranges in Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Solan and Sirmaur districts and a majority of them are ground fires, principal chief forest conservator S P Vasudeva told IANS.
Records of the forest department said a quarter of the total forest area in the state is fire-prone. A majority of the fires were reported from the pine forests since during summer, the trees shed pine needles that are highly inflammable due to the rich content of turpentine oil.
The pine forest is found up to an altitude of 5,500 feet.
Read | More forest fires in 4 months this year than in 2015: Javadekar
Billowing smoke from the hills of Shimla, Kasauli, Chail, Dharampur and Nahan towns have become common these days.
A huge track of forest in the Tara Devi hills (overlooking Shimla town) was ravaged in the past two days, local villager Ramesh Chand told IANS.
He said there was also an extensive damage to the wildlife and blamed the fires on local residents setting small tracts of land on fire to retrieve softer grass after the rain.
The fires hit rural life with villagers battling dense smoke as water supply systems broke down. Forests in Patiyud, Dashala, Anandpur villages, around 20 to 25 kilometre from Shimla town, have been burning for last two-three days.
I think 50-60 hectares of area is affected ... Several incidents of fire from different areas have been reported after a rise in temperature, Shimla divisional forest officer (DFO) Raman Sharma told ANI.
In Uttarakhand, officials said forest fires were doused in over 70% of the affected areas with over 130 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deployed to tackle the massive blaze.
Over 10,000 personnel of different departments are helping the NDRF to douse the fires in Uttarakhand forests. The Centre has also deployed three MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force along with state police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), forest staff, home guards and local volunteers to battle the forest fire.
Read | We are given away as fire offerings: Men fighting Uttarakhand inferno
(With Agency Inputs)
They are moths pushed to the flame.
The 6,000-strong forest department personnel deployed to beat back forest fires are going about their job without fire suits, medicines, extinguishers and water. And the casualty so far is: three dead and 14 burnt.
Forester (Gohri range)Ramesh Kothiyal said, The department is giving us away as fire offerings. He added: We dont have fire-fighting uniforms that could save us from blaze.
Over 2,900 hectares of forest have been gutted in a reported 1,323 fire incidents. Garhwal is the worst hit region with 1,200 hectares burnt, followed by 1,100 hectares in Kumaon.
The department has a corpus of Rs 8 lakh from the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and state government and has sought Rs 79 crore from the Centre to buy water tankers and fire fighting equipment as well as for two choppers for aerial monitoring.
However, no steps have been taken to provide fire suits and insurance to the personnel.
We havent provided fire-fighting uniform to the personnel. However, we are seeking funds to provide them salaries and other infrastructure, principal chief conservator of forest (planning and finance) Jai Raj said.
Field workers believe the number of injured persons is much higher as officials arent keen to report accidents suffered by staff.
Every day, at least one of our staff or a daily wager gets injured in the forest fire. But officers arent reporting it... I feel the human rights commission should charge the officials for their careless attitude towards the personnel, forest guards association general secretary RR Painuly told HT.
The department is so aggressive to save green cover that they have made no emergency preparations for us. We move around the forest without medicines and even drinking water, said MS Negi from Chamoli.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The drought-like situation in 11 states has led to concerns about food security in the country. In an interview with Hindustan Times, agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh, however, dismissed them, suggesting there was enough stock of grains and there would be no shortage. Excerpts:
How serious is the drought situation across India?
In spite of the bad monsoon in the last two years, the agricultural production is set to increase this year. Due to the governments proactive approach, policy coordination and swift response from states, a crisis in the offing has been dealt with successfully.
Will there be any shortfall of grains this year?
The IMD predicted a bad monsoon in 2015. We prepared an elaborate corrective scheme to mitigate the effects of a prospective drought. Around 600 districts were chosen and emergency schemes were launched to strengthen seed and water supply chain. As a result, according to second advance estimates, crop production in 2015-16 is expected to cross that in 2014-15. There is no shortage of grains. Any such prediction is totally misplaced.
Why hasnt the government been able to deal with the situation in Marathwada?
This problem was built over time. During UPA rule, Maharashtra got several dam projects. But most of them were built to cater to the sugar industry, not farmers. These dams, built with public money, served just 10% of the population. I hope someday there will be a discussion on who took those decisions and at whose behest.
How are states being assisted to deal with the situation?
Allocation under the State Disaster Response Fund has almost doubled to over Rs 61,000 crore for the next five years. Over Rs 2,500 crore for 10 drought-affected states have already been released from SDRF. The Centre released Rs 9,000 crore more than what states asked to cope with natural calamities in 2014-15.
Income tax officials have searched 18 premises used by a defence dealer who is on the radar of the government over the unusually high growth of his business in recent years.
The dealer, Sanjay Bhandari, who set up his flagship company Offset India Solutions (OIS) in 2008 with a paid-up capital of Rs 1 lakh, is now at the helm of a multi-crore group comprising at least seven firms that offer defence consultancy and liaison services. One of these companies, OIS-Advanced Technology, recently signed a joint venture agreement with French defence manufacturer Rafaut to supply components for 38 combat aircraft India is buying from Dassault Aviation.
No details were immediately available on the searches carried out by the directorate general of income tax investigation on Wednesday, but a Hindustan Times investigation has found that Bhandari received Rs 69.38 crore from 35 shell companies between 2009 and 2014.
When the NDA government took over in May 2014, it sought a report from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) about Bhandaris dealings. The bureau filed its report in July 2014, alleging OIS was engaged by Swiss firm Pilatus for a controversial Rs 4,000-crore basic trainer aircraft deal.
In January 2015, defence ministrys finance wing red-flagged the deal for its in-built flaws.
The South Korean government in 2012 had lodged an official protest with the defence ministry over the selection of Pilatus as the lowest bidder. Korea Aerospace Industries, Kai, was in the race for the same contract. Bhandari received 1 million Swiss francs in 2012 from an undisclosed source, according to filings with the registrar of companies (RoC).
HT investigation has found that Sanjay Bhandaris Offset India Solutions (OIS) received one million Swiss franc (CHF) from Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG- SPA. OIS Standard Chartered bank account no: 52105058250 received this amount in two tranches -- 2,50,000 CHF on 25 August 2010 and 7,50,000 CHF on 6 October 2010. This was two years before Indian Air Force placed an order for 75 Basic Trainer Aircrafts for Rs 4000 crore in 2012.Neither Pilatus nor Bhandari responded to email queries and telephone calls.
The website of OIS describes it as a liaison between the foreign entities, respective government ministries and the local industries for successful completion of projects.
Offset in defence industry parlance means an agreement between a defence contractor and the buyer government to procure goods or services from the buyer countryin this case India.
The defence procurement policy 2006 made it mandatory for foreign defence firms to tie up with an Indian partner for 35% of total contract value. HT randomly picked out 10 of the 35 companies from which Bhandaris group firms received payments and found that their office addresses listed with the registrar of companies (RoC) were fake.
The transactions started in August 2009 when one of Bhandaris companies SB Hospitality & Services Pvt Ltd received Rs 1.6 crore in 13 tranches from two entities: Mystic Fashion Pvt Ltd and Jasmine Software Solutions registered in Delhis Laxmi Nagar and Shakarpur, respectively. Both addresses were found to be fake, a review of RoC filings and field visits show.
Two months later, on November 11, the same firm received Rs 1.2 crore from three companies, two registered in Rohini and a third, Amarjeet Motors Pvt Ltd, not listed with the RoC. In five years, SB Hospitality received Rs 31.67 crore from 35 entities. HT found multiple transactions on the same day a known modus operandi of hawala operators who split amounts into small tranches to avoid detection by monitoring agencies.
Cash deposits were made into the accounts of fake companies and later transferred to companies of Bhandari, according to bank statements reviewed by HT. The investors in the seven group companies were the same.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
An Italian marine accused of killing two Indian fishermen in 2012 could return home as an international tribunal asked New Delhi and Rome to approach the Supreme Court of India to relax his bail conditions.
In an interim ruling that is to be officially announced on Tuesday, the UNs Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that Sergeant Salvatore Girone be allowed to return home until the dispute is resolved through arbitration.
Girone is out on bail but lives in the Italian embassy in New Delhi because of travel restrictions. Government sources initially denied the report on Monday, saying Italy was misrepresenting the order. Foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swaroop, however, confirmed the court order later.
The tribunal unanimously prescribed that India and Italy would approach the Supreme Court of India for relaxation of bail conditions of Sergeant Girone. While remaining under the authority of the Supreme Court of India, he may return to Italy for the duration of the present arbitration, he said. The tribunal also held that Italy must return him in case India gets jurisdiction over the marine, he said.
Girone and fellow marine Massimiliano Latorre are accused of shooting the fishermen off the Kerala coast while protecting an Italian oil tanker.
Latorre was allowed to go back to Italy in 2014 after he suffered a stroke, but Girone was barred from leaving India till a dispute between New Delhi and Rome over which country has jurisdiction in the case is resolved. Italy referred the row to the UN tribunal after repeated delays of the trial in India.
For his return to his homeland, the tribunal suggested conditions such as Girone surrendering his passport so that he doesnt travel abroad and reporting his presence to an Italian authority designated by the Indian top court.
The order is binding for both countries as there is no appeal process in the UN tribunal.
Technically, the Supreme Court has the power to keep the accused marine in India till the tribunal delivers its verdict in the jurisdiction case.
Even as airlines across the globe did well in reducing the number of checked-in bags lost in transit, data from the civil aviation ministry showed that the misplaced luggage continued to be one of the top three fliers complaints against domestic airlines in India.
Globally, 6.5 bags per thousand passengers got misplaced in 2015 according to an annual baggage report by Geneva-based technology service provider SITA. This was the lowest since 2003 when the company which provides technical assistance to select Indian carriers and airports introduced the yearly audit.
But data from the civil aviation ministry showed that 22.4% complaints recorded by domestic airlines in March accounted for grouses about misplaced baggage. At least one of the five complaints received by the ministry in January and February were also related to missing bags, the data added.
Safe baggage delivery is one of the basic functions of an airline. It is high time the airline sector in India wakes up to this reality , said a former senior official with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) requesting anonymity.
According to the SIT A report close to 80% bags misplaced last year were delivered to passengers late. The average delay time was close to two days, the report added. The recovery time of lost bags becomes all the more important when checked- i n bags contain essential fliers belongings, said industry experts.
For instance, Bandra resident Afia Modaks missing bag from a Goa-Mumbai SpiceJet flight in February contained her fiancees passport among other essentials such as her engagement ring. While the bag was finally traced back to Jammu airport close to a month after it went missing, her fiancee had to run pillar to post to get a get a new copy of his passport as an important business trip was soon lined up.
Globally misplaced baggage is expected to become a forgotten worry courtesy the International Air Transport Associations (IATA) resolution 753 which promises a better baggage delivery record by June 2018.
It means that passengers will be able track their bag, just like a parcel, which will reduce anxiety and allow them to take fast action if flights are disrupted and their bags are delayed, Francesco Violante, chief executive officer, SITA.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The bunch of officers on special duty (OSDs) and advisers deployed in the office of Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar are in for some pruning. Khattar has almost a dozen such political appointees, mostly from the RSS stable, as his aides and advisers.
Since most of them owe their entry into the chief ministers office to their RSS or connections in the BJP central leadership, there was a question on their loyalty quotient towards the chief minister. Also, there have been complaints from MLAs, who accused them of interfering in posting and transfers while a couple of the aides were learnt to be in close touch with real estate developers and corporate sector.
First blood
The latest casualty has been Vijay Sharma, an Indian Railways Accounts Service (IRAS) official who was brought on deputation to state as Khattars OSD in June 2015. Sharma got into the chief ministers office (CMO) after the RSS and party in-charge of Haryana Anil Jain pushed his case. However, he has now been sent packing back to the ministry of railways rather unceremoniously.
Indications of his ouster were palpable after the IRAS officer pushed for revision of his terms and conditions. The new set of terms and conditions issued by the chief secretary on March 19, 2016 stipulated that his period of deputation will be five years or earlier as decided by the state government. This was quite contrary to the initial terms and conditions issued in July 2015 which said that his term of deputation will be for five years from the date he assumed charge - June 6, 2015. Eyebrows were also raised when Sharma got himself sanctioned two official vehicles - one from the chief secretarys establishment and the second from the excise and taxation department. Only chief secretary and principal secretary to the chief minister are entitled to two official vehicles. Besides, Sharma also availed a sumptuary allowance of Rs 10,000 per month, a remuneration only meant for politicians.
Long list of aides
While Jawahar Yadav was officially the first one to be moved out of the chief ministers office (CMO), he was accommodated as chairman of Haryana Housing Board. Top BJP sources said Khattar is likely to move out some of the other OSDs and advisers out of Chandigarh. These include OSDs Capt Bhupinder and Bhupeshwar Dayal, who could be relocated to Hisar and Sonepat respectively. OSD (media) Raj Kumar Bhardwaj is also learnt to be on the chopping block.
Another unofficial aide of the chief minister, Arun Sangwan, who operates from the chief ministers residence, could be moved out to Haryana Bhawan in New Delhi. Sangwan is the brother of Haryana additional advocate general (AAG) Alok Sangwan. Alok incidentally also remained AAG during the Congress rule. Once they are relocated, their meddling in day to day affairs becomes negligible. Thats what the idea seems to be in moving them out, said a party source.
New entrants
While a staunch Khattar loyalist, Neeraj Daftuar has already made entry into the chief ministers office as principal OSD, the services of a Delhi Andaman Nicobar Island Police Service (DANIPS) officer, Rajneesh Garg has been sought by the Haryana government. Garg,who is presently posted in Delhi as deputy commissioner of police, economic offences wing, will be appointed as OSD in Haryana chief ministers office. Sources said that he will be entrusted with the task of overseeing the various police investigations into cases pertaining to the tenure of the Congress government.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Bollywood actor and 1993 serial bomb blasts convict Sanjay Dutts presence at the function at Dindoshi in suburban Mumbai evoked critical comments from sections in the opposition Congress, a party with which the 56-year-old actors family has close association.
This is a classic case of anti-nationalism, which is not new to the saffron party . It is nothing bizarre. Giving and taking protection from such elements has been in the DNA of the party. This had to happen one day, said Nizamuddin Raeen, spokesperson of the Mumbai Congress.
The event at Dindoshi was organised by BJPs youth wing leader Mohit Kamboj, where Dutt and others made an appeal to voters to elect Kamboj in the next assembly elections.
Ironically, many in the BJP were critical of repeated paroles and furloughs granted to Dutt while he was serving the sentence at Yerwada jail in Pune.
Dutt, who was granted remission and released in February, donned an orange Maharashtrian pagdi, spoke in filmi style and pledged to do everything for his friend Kamboj.
Shiv Sena leader and former mayor of Mumbai Sunil Prabhu, who defeated Kamboj in the 2014 assembly polls, said Had they (BJP leaders) loved Maharashtra truly, then they would not have even thought of inviting Dutt to the event.
The critics also recalled the long association of Sanjays father Sunil Dutt and sister Priya Dutt with the Congress, both of whom were elected to the Lok Sabha on party tickets.
Dutts parents Sunil Dutt, mother Nargis Dutt and sister Priya Dutt have been staunch Congress loyalists who stood by the party through all odds, but why and under what circumstances, Sanjay Dutt shifted his loyalty, only he knows, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said.
When contacted, Kamboj said, I have a long and friendly association with Dutt. I wanted to invite him and got permission from senior BJP leaders. And what is wrong, if I invited him to be part of the Maharashtra Day celebrations.
Seeking to play down the issue, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar said: Dutt had attended the Maharashtra Day celebrations at the invitation of Kamboj. It should not be seen politically.
Nursing political ambitions, Dutt had initially flirted with the Shiv Sena and then joined Samajwadi Party in 2009 as its state general secretary but quit the party after two years.
Uttarakhands forests began smouldering in February and turned into a full-fledged inferno as the temperature rose.
Though this is not the first time the state is battling forest fires, officials are concerned by the fact that 2,300 hectares of forested land across 13 districts have already been gutted until now reportedly killing three people and taking a heavy toll on wildlife. The fires usually start in March and end in July, with the advent of the monsoon season.
The disaster has also affected the regions overall environment, with local DELETE residents saying that the temperature is 3-4 degrees above normal. Many parts of the state have come under smog cover, causing respiratory problems among residents.
Hindustan Times sheds light on the most prominent questions being raised:
1) Where have the fire lines gone?
Fires usually occur when the vegetation in forested areas dries up. To control its spread, the British established fire lines by removing dry vegetation along the boundaries of forest compartments (distinctly demarcated units of land) and then burning it in a controlled manner. However, sources say the administration hasnt taken adequate steps to maintain these lines which do not allow the fire to spread from one compartment to another for nearly four decades. The Uttar Pradesh government (before the creation of Uttarakhand on November 9,2000) curtailed funding for creating the fire lines way back in the 70s, says retired IAS officer SS Pangti.
Read: Uttarakhand looks to rain gods for dousing raging forest fires
2) Are local residents setting forests on fire?
Setting forests on fire is a crime, but villagers do it to spur the growth of fresh vegetation. Nearly 45-50% of the forests in Uttarakhand are populated by pine trees. They shed pine needles, called perul in local parlance, which cover the ground and prevent new plants from growing. Villagers tend to set dry grass on fire to allow new growth. However, such fires occasionally get out of control and spread through the forest, says forest conservator (Garhwal division) G Sonar. Jagmohan Singh, a social activist from Pauri Garhwal, regularly asks villagers to refrain from setting dry vegetation on fire.
3) Can we blame it on natural causes?
Natural factors such as lightning strikes or friction caused by dry timber rubbing against each other can also lead to forest fires. But Ajoy Eric Lal, a Kumaon-based ecology expert, does not believe this is the reason for the raging inferno this year. The very scale of the destruction is enough to show that humans are responsible, he says.
Read: We are given away as fire offerings: Men fighting Uttarakhand inferno
4) How much has the weather contributed to the disaster?
Retired Army major VS Thapa, who has served in the states fire fighting unit, says hot weather and dry vegetation could turn out to be quite a potent combination as far as forest fires are concerned. According to him, tourists and trekkers add to this by littering forested areas with glass objects (such as bottles) that double as convex lens capable of igniting fires. Glass is capable of concentrating the suns rays onto dry vegetation, causing it to burn, says major Thapa. Besides this, the extended dry spell in the state has sucked the humidity out of the forest surface, making it highly inflammable.
4) How much has the weather contributed to the disaster?
Retired Army major VS Thapa, who served in the states fire fighting unit, says hot weather and dry vegetation are a potent combination for forest fires are concerned. According to him, tourists and trekkers dump glass objects such as bottles in forested areas. Glass is capable of concentrating the suns rays onto dry vegetation, causing it to burn, says Major Thapa. The extended dry spell in the state has sucked the humidity out of the forest surface, making it highly inflammable.
5) Is the timber mafia responsible?
This is the most prominent question being posed by environmentalists. Uttarakhands forests populated by commercially-viable trees such as the evergreen oak, conifer, sal and acacia have always been eyed by the timber mafia. But how does starting forest fires benefit them? In case of pine trees, only the first few metres of a tree usually get burnt and the timber above remains useful, says Ajoy. Members of the timber mafia later collect this wood on the pretense of cleaning the area.
Village children also light fires because rising temperature causes pine trees to produce more resin which they collect and sell in the market.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress has moved a motion to discuss the controversial AgustaWestland helicopter deal in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, signalling a widening rift in the opposition camp.
Till now, the AgustaWestland had been essentially a tussle between Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Trinamools bid to fish in the troubled waters may jeopardise the equations in the opposition camp, spoiling the larger non-National Democratic Alliance (NDA) unity, to start with.
The party could have chosen to raise the issue to give it back to the Congress which has joined hands with the Left in the ongoing assembly elections in West Bengal. Ground reports from the state suggest that the alliance has posed a tough challenge to Banerjee in many areas.
Trinamool gives notice in RS for suspension of all business today & immediately take up discussion on #AgustaWestland, an official tweet of Trinamool Congress said on Monday morning.
Read: TMC gives notice in Rajya Sabha over chopper deal
The controversy over the deal resurfaced earlier in April after the names of five Congress leaders, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, and UPA II functionaries figured in a judgement by an Italian court.
AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of Italian defence giant Finmeccanica, allegedly paid Rs 375 crore as bribe to secure a Rs 3,727-crore contract to supply 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force. The previous UPA government scrapped the deal over charges of kickbacks to Indian agents in 2014.
The move to raise the issue in the Upper House could hurt the opposition unity. The government is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha but it might aim to gain some political space in case of a widening difference between the opposition parties.
Last week, Congress demanded an apology from BJP chief Amit Shah for his politics of deceit and attempts to create a smokescreen to befool the people in the AgustaWestland deal.
For its part, the BJP fired a fresh salvo at the Congress chief, alleging that Gandhi had overridden then defence minister AK Antonys objection to the tainted manufacturer conducting field trials abroad for the helicopter.
Who in the UPA government or who in the Congress other than Sonia Gandhi and her adviser Ahmad Patel has the authority to override Antony? The only one who could tell him to keep quiet, who could silence him was Sonia Gandhi, party spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said.
The Congress remained unfazed and asked if the Narendra Modi governments defence procurement procedure doesnt provide that trial can be carried out abroad.
In Thiruvananthapuram, Antony dared the BJP-led government to take strong action against bribe givers and takers if there is any evidence.
As the BJP tried to drag Gandhi into the controversy, the main opposition party accused the NDA government of allowing Finmeccanica, the Italian parent company of AgustaWestland, to participate in 2015 Aero India show.
Congress asked why companies related to AgustaWestland were allowed to take part in Prime Minister Modis Make in India projects.
Read: UPA 2s AgustaWestland probe moved at a snails pace
WARREN, Minn. -- Ever since Jose Paz Pruneda Jr. was born, he's divided his school year between Mexico, North Dakota and Minnesota.
The son of Mexican migrant parents who travel for agricultural work, Pruneda works on school almost every month of the year, whether it's for a Manvel-based migrant program or school in Warren, Minn., and in Mexico. If he's not in class, he's working on the farm with his family, he said. Then he starts the cycle all over again.
His dedication to school despite frequent interruption throughout the year has paid off: He was recently named the 2016 National PASS Student of the Year.
PASS, which stands for Portable Assisted Study Sequence, is a national instructional program designed for children of migrant farm workers and used by North Dakota students.
Pruneda has always showed he wants to get ahead, and the award will give him $1,000 toward college. But as the third national winner from the Manvel program, his honor represents a bigger trend -- more migrant students are dedicated to academic achievement, educators said.
Mary Sorvig, a school principal and co-director of the migrant program, said more students realize they can graduate and are committed to it.
"They do it because they can," she said. "Because we can help them."
Sorvig said students really benefit from Manvel's migrant program, one of two in North Dakota, though the numbers have been dwindling. At one point, 200 students attended the program, but now about half that are registering and about 60 to 65 attend, she said.
Improvements to farm machinery and chemicals have resulted in fewer job opportunities for migrant families, she said. Further, within the last few years, state funding for the program has declined in accordance to need, requiring schools to help finance the program, she said.
Pruneda graduates in May. He plans to follow the path of his sister by attending University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, where he'll possibly major in mechanical engineering, he said.
He recently flew to San Diego to be recognized for the award. He was chosen from thousands of students nationwide based on an essay he wrote about how the program helped him.
Sorvig, who accompanied him, said the speech he gave before 1,500 attendees was about gratitude.
"He mentioned his parents, the school in Warren, he mentioned our school," she said. "It was all about being grateful for what he's received."
Standout student
Pruneda has credited the migrant program for its help, but he provides a lot of help as well.
Described as a shy, humble guy, Pruneda has learned how to switch from speaking Spanish to fluent English and translates for other students when they need it. He's consistently worked ahead to complete his academic requirements early, and he's also a paid paraprofessional at his school in Warren, about 29 miles west of Manvel, where he provides tutoring and helps with special education students.
Pruneda said his parents have long prioritized education for their children.
"My parents have always told me, if you have something to do at school first finish up your school, because your education is more important," he said. "For them, it's more important for me to finish up my education and then work."
His life is divided between work and school. At home in Los Ramones, located in west central Mexico, it's the same -- he goes to school and when he gets home, he helps his parents with whatever they need, he said.
Pruneda is an exceptional student, educators said. His work ethic stands out from the culture in which he was raised, one where students are now slowly starting to realize the importance of education, they said.
Frequently moving between locations, as well as the transition from speaking Spanish to English can be difficult for students. Education can also take a backseat to helping their family with work, educators said.
But students who attend the program appreciate it. The program helps them catch up with credits and gives them access to home-schooling if they need it, said Sandra Fetsch, a longtime program teacher.
"I want people to know what a great program this is for kids," she said. "They try to do whatever they can to get their credits and they're always so appreciative."
An Early Head Start and Head Start migrant program based in Crookston, Minn., provides comprehensive services for younger students and also serves pregnant women. Similar to the migrant program, the program has seen declining attendance, mostly in northwest Minnesota. Over the past decade, registration at its East Grand Forks, Minn., location, which serves several migrant families in the area, has decreased from 80 children to 20 this year, said director Laurie Coleman.
Sorvig said she hasn't given up hope and the program isn't losing money.
"Sometimes, you have to get a little creative with it to offer what we should, and it's worked," she said. "You have to be here to know how wonderful it is for students."
In a shocking incident, two children died of thirst while walking through a forest in Telanganas Adilabad district.
Bodies of 12-year-old Madhu and eight-year-old Ashok were found in a forest area near Muddaram village of Chennur mandal on Monday, police said.
The childrens mother, who had gone in search of water, was found unconscious in another place. She is said to be critical.
The woman and her children were on their way to another village, Muddaram, to attend a marriage on Sunday. They were walking through the forest when the children collapsed due to severe heat and thirst.
The mother ran around searching for water but she too collapsed in the heat.
Six people were killed and at least seven injured when crude bombs exploded in a house used for making bombs in Baishnabnagar in Malda district.
The incident took place around 2am on Monday at Jainpur village in Baishnabnagar, about 350km from Kolkata. Among those who died was Kalam Sheikh, a Trinamool member of the gram panchayat. The others were Israel Sheikh, Sukhu Sheikh and Shimu Sheikh, all local Trinamool workers. Kalam was a notorious criminal, also an expert in making bombs.
Two policemen, one sub-inspector and a constable, also succumbed to their injuries late on Monday night. They were among the three CID officials who were injured when some unexploded crude bombs went off while they were inspecting the site. The house was used for making bombs, police officers told HT. No one lived in it.
There were at least 15 men at the spot when the mishap occurred. We are yet to trace the rest, said an officer of the Baishnabnagar police station.
Primary investigation suggests the persons were making bombs. Police went to the village after the explosion. The owner of the house is missing after the incident, said Malda police super Syed W Reja.
Five of the injured were admitted to a local nursing home and one to state-run Malda Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) in a critical condition.
Sohel Rana, Kalams nephew, said, Congress-backed goons attacked my uncle and some other Trinamool activists after the elections. I think my uncle was making bombs with other Trinamool men to strike back. However. I have no idea how the bombs went off.
But later he said, I dont know whether my uncle was making bombs.
Documentary evidence in the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal reveals that the then defence minister, AK Antony, approved a ban on procurement from all companies, including the Finmeccanica group, only on the last day of polling of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Antonys last-minute action of May 12, 2014 came days before a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government took over in New Delhi and five months after the contract to purchase a dozen AW101 helicopters was terminated on January 1, 2014. The Central Bureau of Investigation had filed its First Information Report (FIR) in connection with the deal on March 12, 2013.
The order banning procurement was issued on July 3, 2014 by then defence minister Arun Jaitley. The preceding UPA government signed the 556.26-million-euro helicopter contract on February 8, 2010, with an advance component of 45%, or 250.32 million euro.
Between reports of an Italian probe into graft charges against Finmeccanica, the parent company of AgustaWestland, and the CBIs first report of March 2013, the company supplied three helicopters which lie mothballed with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to this day. This delay, also attributable to a secrecy clause and legal stonewalling in Italy, led to the recovery of only 199.7 million euros of the advance after the contract was cancelled.
One of the documents accessed by HT that bears then defence minister AK Antonys signature.
Top defence ministry sources told Hindustan Times that 50.7 million euros are still being held back by the company as part of proportionate payment for the three helicopters supplied. Apart from the advance money, only three guarantees worth 55 million euros held by three banks on behalf of the manufacturer have been recovered.
Read | Parrikar to place VVIP chopper deal facts in Parliament on May 4
The Congress has rejected the accusations. Congress leader and former Union minister Anand Sharma told mediapersons last week: Action was taken by the UPA government.
AK Antony, the then defence minister had made a statement in Parliament and AgustaWestland was blacklisted. A probe was ordered by the UPA government both by the ED and the CBI.
Sharma went on to say that instead of putting the probe on the fast track, the Modi government had removed AgustaWestland from the blacklisted category so that it could bid for some projects of Navy as part of the Prime Ministers Make in India programme.
What prompted the BJP government to reverse the decision of blacklisting? he asked, insisting that the UPA government had been proactive in the probe once it came to know that some corruption was involved. We took the matter to the Milan court, to the Naples prosecutor, he said. On Saturday, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: There is no magic wand. We were the ones who had started the process of blacklisting.
Read | Jaitley denies Antonys claim on AgustaWestlands blacklisting
Documents accessed by Hindustan Times show, however, that the UPA government was stirred into action only by the February 12, 2013 arrest of Finmeccanica CEO Giuseppe Orsi in Italy. Delays continued to plague the governments reaction. Even after the CBI filed its first FIR, it did not immediately forward the report to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) despite it being mandated by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) that a similar report be filed by the ED for investigations. In fact, the ED wrote to the CBI on June 18, 2013, asking for the bureaus FIR.
The ED got the report only on December 11, 2013; again there was no apparent action from the directorate till the Modi government assumed office. A case in the helicopter deal under the PMLA was registered by the ED only in July 2014.
Read | AgustaWestland chopper deal: ED summons air force ex-chief SP Tyagi
The ED got into action on September 22, 2014 with a raid on businessman and lawyer Gautam Khaitan, suspected to be the main actor in the laundering and routing of kickbacks in the deal. He was arrested a day later.
The provisional attachment of properties was started: property valued at Rs 14.70 crore of Gautam Khaitan and his company; Rs 6.21 crore of the co-accused Tyagi brothers, and Rs 1.11 crore of alleged middleman Christian Michel James in India was attached till March 19, 2015. Letters of request for conducting investigations have been sent to seven countries and three more are in process. An extradition request was sent to the UK for Christian Michel James, allegedly the main conduit for the kickbacks, on January 4, 2016.
Defence minister Manohar Parrikar pulled up the IAF this month for failing to provide to the ED property details of eight of 13 senior officers said to be involved in the decision-making process that selected AugustaWestland helicopters.
Read | BJP refutes Congresss charge of slowdown in AgustaWestland probe
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
President Pranab Mukherjee expressed concern on Monday over the forest fires in Uttarakhand that gutted vast Himalayan jungles as police arrested four villagers for allegedly starting blazes.
Mukherjees letter triggered swift action from governor KK Paul who first briefed the President, then Prime Minister Narendra Modi and finally environment minister Prakash Javadekar on the steps taken to douse around 100 fires across 13 districts blazing for over a week. The hill state is under Presidents Rule at present.
Uttarakhand additional chief secretary S Ramaswami said cases were registered against locals under the Indian Forest Act and the Indian Penal Code for burning forests as fire-fighting personnel struggled to control the blazes ravaging wildlife and vegetation in the hill state.
In the states Chamoli district, a 25-year-old police constable was killed while dousing a forest when a rock fell on him. Police were also asked to investigate the possibility of the timber mafia setting forests deliberately on fire. We are investigating all possible reasons, including the timber mafias involvement, a police officer said.
NDRF personnel try to douse the flames that have engulfed the forest land in Pauri Garhwal district. (Arun Sharma/HT Photo)
The blazes have razed over 2,900 hectares of lush Himalayan forestland in the past three months and killed at least four people, besides inflicting injuries on countless fire-fighting personnel. Vast tracts of the badly hit Garhwal region are engulfed in thick smoke.
Uttarakhand HC also questioned the state forest department on preparations for controlling the calamity. Under section 30 of the forest act, persons found guilty of burning forests can be sentenced 7 years imprisonment or penalty of over Rs 1 lakh. Villagers are culprits, cases have been lodged against them, BP Gupta, chief conservator of forest (CCF) and nodal officer, told HT.
Water being sprayed on a forest in Uttarakhand from a helicopter. (Arun Sharma/HT Photo)
More than 6,100 personnel and three IAF choppers have been deployed in Uttarakhand to extinguish hundreds of forest fires. But many local personnel have complained they were pressed into service without adequate gear, resulting in mounting injuries.
The department is giving us away as fire offering. We dont have fire fighting uniforms that could save us from blaze, said Ramesh Kothiyal, forester Gohri range.
Summer forest fires, sometimes deliberate, are not uncommon as local residents start blazes to have new vegetation after the rains.
But villagers may have started the fires early this year weeks before the mid-May predicted rainfall because of a forest fodder shortage triggered by drought conditions in 11 districts, including Pauri and Pithoragarh that are the worst-hit regions.
State disaster management department said the situation will be brought under control soon as firefighting is taking place on a war footing. Officials said an IAF MI17 helicopter carrying 5,000 litres of water made 25 sorties on Sunday and Monday to douse fires in Almora and Srinagar areas.
The fire also spread to J-K and Himachal Pradesh, where summer blazes in grasslands and forests caused 378 incidents, mainly in the low hills, and destroyed flora and fauna in over 3,000 hectares. As per the latest information, fire has been contained. Situation is under control now, minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju told reporters in Delhi.
(With inputs from agencies)
As Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh struggle to contain massive forest fires, incidents of wildfires were reported from Bathuni and Gambhir areas of Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district on Sunday.
While the fire has been raging in over 2000 hectares of forest area in Uttarakhand for several days now, it was reported from 12 new places in the forests around Shimla in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday. The raging fires have claimed at least seven lives in Uttarakhand till now.
According to latest satellite imageries, of the 427 forest fires in Uttarakhand, it has been doused in over 70% of the affected areas with over 130 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deployed to tackle the massive blaze.
Over 10,000 personnel of different departments are helping the NDRF to douse the fires in Uttarakhand forests. The Centre has also deployed three MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force along with state police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), forest staff, home guards and local volunteers to battle the forest fire.
People are seen outside their home as a forest fire rages in Buakhal in Pauri. (Arvind Moudgil / Hindustan Times)
Read: Uttarakhand: Fire doused in 70% of the affected areas, says NDRF
Union home minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the Uttarakhand forest fire situation on Sunday during his meeting with the states chief secretary and concerned officers in his ministry. Singh has instructed officials to closely monitor the situation and provide all assistance in controlling the fire.
The home minister has also spoken with Uttarakhand governor KK Paul on the phone and assured him of providing all necessary assistance to control the fire.
PMO,NDRF,IAF working in unison, I'm sure #UttarakhandForestFire will be extinguished in 3-4 days-Prakash Javadekar pic.twitter.com/eZeYwkGGf9 ANI (@ANI_news) May 2, 2016
Rising temperature behind Shimla forest fire
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh has said a rise in temperature is the reason behind the fire in Shimla rural forest division, which has left over 50 hectares of forest land destroyed.
It is nothing new. Fire break out in forest areas is due to rise in temperature, Singh told reporters in Rampur on Sunday.
The fires have not only damaged forest wealth but have also hit rural life. Villagers have been battling dense smoke with water supply being hit in some villages too. Forests in Patiyud, Dashala, Anandpur villages, around 20 to 25 kilometre from Shimla town, have been under the grip of forest fire over the last two-three days.
I think 50-60 hectares of area is affected ... Several incidents of fire from different areas have been reported after a rise in temperature, Shimla divisional forest officer (DFO) Raman Sharma told ANI.
Principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) SP Vasudeva said the forest department had taken all measures to save the forest wealth from the fire.
It happens every year but we have been containing the fire as soon as possible. So far over 330 cases have been reported across the state, damaging property worth Rs 25 lakh, Vasudeva told HT.
According to reports, around 22% covering 8,267 sq km of the total forest area in the state is fire prone. A majority of fire incidents are reported from the pine forests during summers every year when pine trees shed their dry needles, which are highly inflammable.
Severe drought in Marathwada over the past year has brought crop production across its eight districts down by nearly 70%, figures compiled by the Aurangabad divisional office show.
This is one of the biggest slumps faced by farmers in this central Maharashtra region in recent years, and their claims having no earnings over the past one year are ringing true.
As farmers deal with agricultural slump, the bigger challenge for the administration is tackling the shortage of water in the region until the monsoon begins, with the total water stock in Marathwadas dams now down to just 2% .
The administration will now only focus on supplying drinking water for all in the region, senior officials said. The live water storage - or the amount of water that can be used - in its three big dams is down to 116 million cubic metre (mcum), down from the 134.28 mcum last week. The remaining eight dams are on dead storage level .
Kharif crops such as pulses, followed by cereals and oil seeds have taken a hit. The production of urad, moong and tur dal per hectare has come down by 78% , 79% and 64%, compared to the average production of these pulses in the region in the last five years.
Soyabean is down by 68% and groundnut by 58%; cereals jowari and bajari have also come down by 72% and 66% respectively. The yield of the regions biggest cash crop - cotton - in a good year brings money to farmers, but this has come down to 2.74 quintals a hectare. The last five-year average of cotton production worked out to 7.15 quintals a hectare.
As Marathwada leads in the production of pulses in the state, this slump is expected to bring down overall supply in the market and jack up prices in the coming months. The overall decline in foodgrains so far, according to the third estimate sent by the state to the Centre includes 41% reduction in cereals and 19% for oilseeds.
The rabi crop output in Marathwada is likely to throw up similar losses of up to 70%, if not more.
The kharif crop compilation done recently, comparing the average of the last five years, shows an overall loss in the range of 65-70%. The farmers in the region have technically lost their last two kharif and rabi crops, said PD Lonare, superintending agriculture officer, Aurangabad division.
On water scarcity, divisional commissioner Umakant Dangat said, We will have to manage ourselves with the available water in dams, dead storage and ground water in requisitioned wells and borewells. Appropriate decisions [regarding further cuts] will be taken as per local conditions to ensure drinking water to all.
Last year, in this week, the region was battling drought, but the water storage level in all dams stood at 12% . Today, the water storage across Marathwadas big and small dams is 2%. Only three of its big dams Lower Dudhana, Vishnupuri and Yeldari have live water storage.
With evaporation losses up to 35% , it is likely that Vishnupuri that supplies water to Nanded city may also go dry. Currently, Vishnupuri has live water storage of 4%, with just 3 mcum water.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The BKC cyber cell on Friday registered a case of impersonation wherein an unknown person created a fake website of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). The police are yet to ascertain the motive.
According to the cyber cell sources, the BSE officials approached them through an assistant commissioner of police, following which the officials were asked to report to their BKC office to lodge a complaint.
An officer requesting anonymity said, After the BSE officials saw the fake website, they approached us through an ACP and then they reported to our office on Friday evening.
The police claimed there could be many reasons for creating a fake version of one of the popular websites in the industry, but so far, none of the traders has approached the cops complaining of hoodwink through the fake BSE website.
We cannot tell the motive till the time we arrest the accused but we suspect that this could be a case of some individual wishing to make quick money after getting maximum page visits by creating a fake version of the BSE. We are trying to find out the Internet Protocol (IP) address using which the accused committed the crime and have wrote to the service provider to give us the information regarding the same, said an officer.
After the complaint was lodged, the cops have blocked the fake website. The BSE gets one of the maximum page visits because of its popularity among online traders.
Online traders usually log onto the BSE website a number of times throughout the day. So, after creating a fake version of the BSE, the accused would have bought a premium space on Google. If anyone searches the BSE website, the fake one would get equal prominence on the Google search engine, said an officer.
Following which, the traders would surf the website according to their convenience without knowing the authenticity of the website, as the features and the contents of the fake one is that of the original website.
The culprit could have then claimed money from Google by selling space on its website, which by then had recorded thousands of page visits.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Cash-strapped and drought-hit, Maharashtra has now approached the Centre for money to complete its irrigation projects.
The state needs Rs89,900 crore more to complete 380 projects small, medium and big whose cost is today estimated at Rs1,56,216 crore.
It has sought 90% financial assistance for 219 projects that will cost Rs28,500 crore to complete. These fall in 179 drought-prone talukas that often see suicides by farmers. The state has also sought soft loans or grants from the Centre for 22 of its large irrigation projects, aimed to be completed by 2019, when the government completes its five-year term.
Union water resources minister Uma Bharti will chair a meeting to discuss the issue in Mumbai on Tuesday that will be attended by Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and state irrigation minister Girish Mahajan. This follows a letter Fadnavis wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharati two months ago.
Gadkari, who is the seniormost minister from Maharashtra in the Union Cabinet, said, Our thrust would be on maximum central funds to the irrigation projects as their completion means a lot for the drought hit state.
The state wants the maximum share under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP), under which the Central government has earmarked Rs80,000 crore to be released in the next four years for 89 large irrigation projects across the country; 26 of them are in Maharashtra.
In its 2016-17 budget, the state, which is facing a cash crunch, set apart Rs7850 crore for the irrigation projects, which officers in the water resources department say is less than 10% of what is needed. Besides, the government state gets very little choice to select the projects as a major chunk goes towards the matching grants for the projects undertaken under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana
Once all 380 projects are completed, some 43,05,451 hectares can be irrigated. Of the projects, 246 have got all clearances including land acquisition, rehabilitation and environment. The state has set a target of completing them in next four years -- 41 in 2016-17, 68 each in the two years after that and 69 in 2019-
An official in the water resources department said that generally, the Centre provides 60% of the funding for projects under the Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP) and that the state had identified 132 projects under the DPAP and another 87 in farmer suicides hit districts. The accumulated cost of these projects was Rs 28,500 crore, of which 10% could be borne by the state government, the official said.
The backlog of irrigation projects is a fallout of the scam unearthed four years ago involving irregularities running into thousands of crores. The 2012 Economic Survey of Maharashtra had stated that the states irrigation potential increased by only 0.1% even after spending Rs70,000 crore in a decade between 1999 and 2009. Twoo former water resources ministers Ajit Pawar and Sunil Tatkare are under the scanner in connection with the irrigation scam.
It would be good news if we get the funds demanded by the state, but the identification of the projects should be done judiciously. The projects that have been pointed at as unwarranted and full of irregularities by the Special Task Force that probed the irrigation scam should be excluded from the list, said Pradeep Purandare, retired associate professor, Water and Land Management Institute expert and a whistleblower in irrigation scam.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A day after AAP leader HS Phoolka claimed that Congress poll strategist Prashant Kishor contacted him to seek suggestions on the issue of justice to Sikhs, a messy social media war erupted over the issue.
Phoolka on Monday released on Facebook and Twitter SMS proof of the messages he received from the alleged mediator -- one Dr Bipin Jha -- who was trying to fix a meeting between him and Kishor.
Here is proof of Prashant Kishore approaching thru UK links & screenshots of SMS asking suggestions on #Carnage84.https://t.co/ZJYGREHAA4 H S Phoolka (@hsphoolka) May 2, 2016
Jha reacted on Facebook saying his message had been misread by Phoolka.
Kishor reacted through his organisation I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee) on Twitter saying Jha was an AAP supporter and the whole thing was a fixed match.
So one who apparently approached & who got approached are both from AAP.Sorry @hsphoolka but ppl are too smart to fall for this Fixed match! I-PAC (@IndianPAC) May 2, 2016
Also read II Prashant Kishor sought my inputs for 2017 manifesto: HS Phoolka
Phoolka, who also released the proof with a press statement issued on Monday evening, said he was contacted by UK-based Jha first through Inderpal Singh Shergill, the AAP worker who had organised Phoolkas events during his recent visit to the UK on March 13, requesting for a meeting with him and Kishor. Phoolka says he refused to meet Jha or Kishore. Then according to Phoolka, Jha contacted him directly on April 30 over the phone. Phoolka says he rebuked Jha saying he was not interested in meeting Kishor.
Following the conversation over the phone, Phoolka says he received an SMS from Jha that reads: Sir, it was only a request to meet Prashant Kishor and take your views and help him on Sikh justice issue to incorporate into their manifesto rather than anything else. Not about joining Congress, etc. I think my message was not conveyed in that way. My deep regards to you. Dr Bipin Jha. Phoolka says it was after this SMS that he decided to give his suggestions on the subject through the media.
Reacting to Phoolkas expose, Jha on his Facebook page has written that he was trying to get in touch with Phoolka to talk on the issues facing Sikhs. The proposal was given at a personal level and the idea was to further discuss these issues with Congress leaders, he explains. I contacted Phoolka again after his video came out in which he was very sad. I wanted to tell him that in case he is not able to contribute through the AAP he should meet Prashant Kishor and discuss his issues with him so that he (Kishor) could help him, he writes.
Uploading a selfie-video of Bipin Jha, Kishors company I-PAC tweeted: Please Google Dr Bipin Jha and Aam Aadmi Party to know the truth of HS Phoolkas claim of being approached by PK (Prashant Kishor). The video uploaded with the tweet shows Jha saying that he is proud to be in AAPs team. IPAC then followed this with another tweet that said: So one who apparently approached and who got approached are both from AAP. Sorry HS Phoolka but people are too smart to fall for this fixed match! Later, uploading Jhas Facebook reaction, IPAC demanded an unconditional apology from Phoolka for his allegations.
Also read II Im small fry, go to Chhotepur for ticket: Phoolka video highlights cracks in AAP
Where is AAP?
Despite the fact that Phoolka is a senior AAP leader and has been putting out these claims for two days now, no leader of the AAP has spoken in support of Phoolka. However, his tweets and Facebook messages have been retweeted by some party workers. When contacted, Phoolka said his partys support was not needed. I have been fighting the Congress alone for 32 years. I dont need anyones help to carry the battle forward, he said.
Who is Bipin Jha?
Bipin Jha is a UK-based medical practitioner. His Facebook page has several pictures of his with a host of political leaders. These include not just AAP but also leaders of the Swaraj party. In a selfie video dated April 23, he says he is not with any political party but is supporting anyone who is doing good work in politics.
Even though the UT municipal corporation is trying to make the city open-defecation free, 123 public toilets have been defunct for the past two years. Whats worse, power supply to 43 toilets has been snapped by the electricity department for non-payment of power bills for the past four months.
At some places, shopkeepers are going inside the toilets after lighting candles.
Surprisingly, the city bagged second position on the list of the cleanest cities in India. The rankings were based on a survey conducted by Quality Council of India, which is associated with the union urban development ministry.
Gulshan Kumar, executive engineer and nodal officer for public toilets, said, We floated tenders and two companies applied, but there are some technical hitches, which we will discuss with the MC commissioner on Monday, he said,
The toilets in Sectors 18, 19, 34, 35, 36 and 37 have leaking or dry faucets, poor or no water supply and overflowing pots. Some toilets that are functional have been occupied by rickshaw-pullers or labourers.
Baljinder Singh Bittu, chairman of Federation of Sectors Welfare Association (FOSWAC), said, It is a complete negligence on the part of the civic body as they are not taking the issue seriously. We feel ashamed when they talk of smart city. It is unfortunate that in the past two years the body has failed to maintain the toilets. We will write a letter to the MC commissioner to allow resident welfare associations to run the toilets, he said.
Nominated councillor Surinder Bahga said, The matter has been discussed on several occasions but the MC has adopted a lackadaisical attitude.
MC defensive over toilets
In May, 2014, the MC decided to hand over the public toilets to market welfare associations, but didnt follow up on the decision. Again in July last year, they decided to maintain the toilets on their own, but failed to provide the manpower.
In December last year, 40 banks came forward to run the public toilets under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), but they backed out as terms and conditions were not to their liking.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
BILLINGS, Mont. A 2-year-old child was rescued from the Yellowstone River on Friday morning, after the child and a 5-year-old sibling went missing from their home, said Capt. Bill Michaelis of the Yellowstone County Sheriffs Office.
The children were reported missing from a home in the 200 block of Buena Vista Avenue at 9:20 a.m. Their home sits about 30 yards away from the Heritage Trail and more than 300 yards from the river's edge. In addition to the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office, an ambulance responded and a K-9 unit was brought in to assist with the search.
The boys father had driven the childrens mother to work and when he returned, the children were gone.
At about 9:43 a.m. Yellowstone County Sheriffs Deputy Adam Lauwers, having followed a bike trail to the river, spotted the two children along the river bank.
At about that time, the 2-year-old fell in the river, Michaelis said.
Lauwers jumped in and rescued the child.
Im glad he risked himself jumping into the river, Michaelis said.
The water in the river is about 40 degrees, he said.
Were happy with how it turned out, Michaelis said.
Neither child was injured in the incident, though Michaelis said the temperature conditions, had things turned out differently, could have resulted in hypothermia or worse.
Sgt. Ryan Taylor with the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office said that Lauwers was wet up to his thighs after the rescue and that the child was mostly wet.
Taylor said it's unclear how long the children were left unattended but that the incident is still under investigation.
"He went in and saved the child's life," Taylor said of Lauwers. "Had he gone a different direction, it would have been a different outcome."
Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday said his party would support Sehajdhari Sikhs in seeking a legal recourse against the act enacted by Parliament debarring them from voting in the SGPC election.
He said this while addressing a public reception organised by Punjabi NRIs, Southern California, Los Angeles, on Sunday.
This is the handiwork of the Badals and they want unopposed continuation of their stranglehold over the SGPC, Amarinder told NRIs. As an individual and a Sikh, he would support any party willing to defeat the Badals, he told the Punjabi diaspora.
Punjab has been ruined during the 10-year misrule by the SAD-BJP and another five years of any misadventure would bring the state to its knees, making recovery impossible, he said.
He slammed AAP convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for his extravagant advertising media campaigns in Punjab.
Amarinder said he had never thought that a state that fed the entire country would come to the brink when its once-prosperous farmers would commit suicides. Reiterating his commitment to enact laws to put an end to the provision of auction of lands of debt-ridden farmers, he promised that if voted to power his government would find a solution to free farmers of their debts.
Amarinder said he was in favour of introduction of reservation on economic basis for upper castes within the general category and without disturbing the existing arrangement for those already getting it.
Read: HT Explainer: Whats behind excluding Sehajdharis from Sikh body polls?
Read: Sukhbir calls on PM, thanks him for CCL, Sehajdhari law
In a broad daylight dacoity in the heart of the city on Sunday, two men and a women, all in their 20s, looted a jewellery shop of Rs 14.08 crore in diamond and gold ornaments after locking up owners in a room at gunpoint.
The shop, Forever Diamonds, which also goes by the name of Shiva Jewellers, adjoins an outlet of fast-food chain Hot Millions-2 in Sector 17-C and has other top hotels in its lane.
Rajneesh Verma (40), the co-owner of the shop, said that the robbers, one of whom had ordered a Rs 3 lakh diamond ring on Saturday, entered the shop around noon.
Shocked members of owners families. (Karun Sharma/HT)
One of the miscreants insisted that the size of the ring be corrected as he needed it delivered right then. I sent a worker to Sector-35 to get the size corrected. Meanwhile they asked for a ring for the woman, Rajneesh has told the police.
He added that as his brother, Vinod Verma, went to the strong-room to get the rings, one of the men put a revolver to his (Rajneeshs) head, asking for all valuables to be packed in a bag, they were carrying, and handed over to them.
We were locked in a room adjacent to the strong-room. Finally, we broke open the door and informed the police around 12.45pm, Rajneesh said, adding that the miscreants passed on instructions in English, Punjabi and Hindi.
Prima facie, it seems like a well-planned robbery. The robbers arrived before the jewellery and ornaments were put up for display and were still in the strong room. This made it easy for them to carry more booty far more quickly, said a police source. The robbery was over in a few minutes.
CCTV cameras disabled
Police said the hard-disk of the close-circuit television cameras (CCTV) was missing from the shop. Officials were scanning footage from neighbouring shops to get some leads.
An official claimed that the trio was seen in a camera installed at the Ghazal Hotel, but the miscreants were yet to be identified.
As part of their investigation, station house officer Udaypal Singh was questioning employees of the shop. A call centre functioning from the shop premises at night has also been asked to furnish details of all its employees.
A case under Section 392 (robbery) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under Sections 25-54-59 of the Arms Act has been registered against unidentified miscreants at the Sector-17 police station.
Sketch being readied
The sketches of the accused are being readied. Rajneesh has told the police that one of the men was dressed like an NRI and had spiky hair. The other was sporting a small beard, and the girl dressed in a traditional Indian suit.
Contradictions emerge
The police, however, said contradictions had emerged in the case, as the crime scene, the time of the robbery, and the time the police were informed did not add up. Most of the jewellery items were insured. We are checking records to find out the total loss, said a police source.
Police officials said they were trying to reconstruct the crime scene to know the route used by the accused to escape from Sector 17.
Devotees visiting Punjabs Golden Temple will now have free Wi-Fi internet access within the temple complex and its peripheral area.
The service would not be available inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and the marbled area around the water pond, keeping religious ethics in view, Additional secretary of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Daljit Singh Bedi said in Amritsar on Sunday.
The facility would be available in all nearby routes around the periphery of Golden Temple, besides all the guest-houses run by SGPC for pilgrims in the temple complex.
He said wi-fi would also be functional in all the offices of SGPC and related offices of Golden Temple, besides Akal Takht.
Bedi said the free wi-fi facility will be provided by Videocon.
Gangster-cum-politician Jaswinder Singh Rocky, who was murdered at Parwanoo in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday morning, was cremated at his native village in Fazilka on Monday amid the presence of a large number of people and politicians.
The body of Rocky, 39, reached his village Chuggian Kesar Singh, 4 km from Fazilka, on Sunday. The funeral procession started from the main market of Fazilka amid raising of pro-Rocky slogans and reached the village cremation ground.
UP-based politician Dhananjay Singh, Congress leaders Hans Raj Josan and Mahinder Rinwa and some small-time Akali leaders attended the funeral. People grieved with Harminder Kaur, mother of the deceased, while Japmandeep Kaur, Rockys niece, lit the pyre. Rockys associates demanded stern action against the killers.
Read: Driver identifies Jaipal as killer; police launch manhunt
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and Abohar MLA Sunil Jakhar said, Its a matter of concern as to how the Akali government had given gunmen to Rocky. The way mobiles and internet are easily accessible to criminals in jail speaks volumes about the state governments sincerity in dealing with them.
I am engaged to Anjali, she lives near my home, will get married to her soon, says Salman, his eyes gleaming with pride. All fine, except that he is just 10.
The Class-5 boy is one of more than 30 children at the primary school of Rawat village, 10 kilometres from Ludhiana, who are either engaged or married, out of a strength of 93. Even the grandson of the village sarpanch was married off at 14.
The parents of these children are cobblers mostly or in straw-item making, scrap dealing, and farm labour. Child marriage is in their tradition, and children are thrown into it as soon as they turn five. In some cases, both husband and wife read in the same class. The village has more girls but many of them are school dropouts.
Blame it on custom, poverty, insecurity, illiteracy, or the haste to see the wards settled down soon after they are born, but the villagers are okay with it. The marriages are never registered; it is always a small, informal, family affair. Nothing illegal about it, says Geeta, who got her nephew Karan (10) of Class 5 married off recently. The girl is brought home only after she turns 18.
The poor villagers are Sirkiband caste people that migrated from Pakistan. We even marry off children as soon as they learn to take the first step. Its our tradition and we must keep it even if the law doesnt permit, says Geeta. Sunny, who runs a tyre-repair shop also was married at 10 and he brought home his wife when she turned 18. It reduced the burden on my parents, he said.
Villager Darshan Singh said: The average age to get engaged is 5 or 6. The tradition, however, is now on the decline. My three children are engaged but we will marry them after they complete higher education. Another villager said this reform had come after the local authorities had raided one or two baraats. Child marriages are now fewer and organised in hiding, he said. Even in the neighbouring Khwajke, many of the students in Class 7 were married.
Three days after a former sarpanch of Dhaipai village was let off by his kidnappers as his NRI brother paid Rs 30 lakh in ransom, the Ludhiana-rural police on Monday claimed to have cracked the case with the arrest of three men, including a cousin of the sarpanch who allegedly committed the crime after taking inspiration from a television series to be able to repay a debt. The police said they had also recovered nearly Rs 29 lakh of the ransom paid.
Ranjeet Singh had been kidnapped on April 28 and let off the next day. While the police were told of the kidnap, they were not told about the ransom payment until the victim was back home.
On Monday, addressing the media, Lok Nath Angra, inspector general of police (IGP), zone-2, Jalandhar, said Ranjeets cousin Mandeep Singh, 33, a resident of Pandori village near Mahal Kalan, was the mastermind. He was arrested along with namesake Mandeep Singh, 36, of Chhapa village in Barnala district, on Monday, while the third accused, Gurjant Singh, 23, also a resident of Pandori, had been arrested from Khamano on Sunday.
Gurjant is pursuing BSc besides preparing for the mandatory English test to migrate abroad, while the victims cousin Mandeep has studied up to Class 9. The other Mandeep is reported to be Class-12 qualified but claimed to be a doctor.
The trio arranged a Mahindra Scorpio SUV from a relative of Mandeep (the victims cousin), and also had a revolver. The other Mandeep gave injections and used chloroform to make Ranjeet unconscious. He was kept near a pump room near some farmland that his NRI brother Hardeep Singh had recently sold off, said the IGP. They called Hardeep from Ranjeets phone and asked for a ransom of Rs 1.5 crore. Eventually, the deal was struck at Rs 30 lakh, which Hardeeps local manager Baljeet Singh handed over; after which Ranjeet was released, he added.
The police have recovered Rs 10 lakh, the Scorpio vehicle (CH-55-E-0833) from victims cousin Mandeep; Rs 9.45 lakh and a motorcycle from Gurjant; and Rs 9.45 lakh from the other Mandeep. We are investigating further and will soon recover the revolver used too, said Angra.
Upinderjit Singh Ghuman, senior superintendent of police, Ludhiana-rural, said that the victims family did not inform the cops as they were trying to get him released first. We came to know that family had given the ransom from the victim after he was released, he added. Constable Harpreet Singh was rewarded with Rs 50,000 for his role in cracking the case.
Learnt it from TV series
During investigation, the three men stated that before committing the crime they had thoroughly studied kidnapping cases from various crime series on television. They carefully studied what tricks police use to catch the criminals and what faults kidnappers commit, said IGP Lok Nath Angra.
Two armed men on Sunday robbed a rice broker of Rs 22 lakh on the pretext that his son was in their custody and they would kill him. The incident happened when the victim was in his office at Kaleke road here.
The victim, Rajinder Bansal of Baghapurana, in his first information report (FIR) said that he was in his office when two people barged in and put a gun to his head and demanded cash.
Robbers threatened me that my son Money was in their custody and would kill him if I dont give them the cash, he stated.
Bansal said that he gave them the keys of the locker from where they looted the money and fled from the spot after locking him in the office. He stated that only after the incident he got to know his son was not in their custody and they had narrated a false story of kidnapping.
The police said that they were investigating the incident from various angles and soon the robbers would be arrested. We have one CCTV footage from nearby office but no clue has been found so far, he said.
Meanwhile, the case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Baghapurana police station.
Gangster Jaipal Singh has emerged as the prime suspect in the murder of his rival Jaswinder Singh Rocky, who was shot dead on Saturday at Parwanoo. Police said Rockys driver Parampal Singh alias Pala has identified Jaipal as the person who pulled the trigger, after he was shown picture of the suspect.
Who was Rocky? Gangster-politician drove in fast lane of infamy
From investigations, it appears that Jaipal was the one who pulled the trigger on Rocky, said a cop. Jaipal heads a gang of highway robbers and is facing about 40 cases of different nature, including murder, kidnapping and robbery. His gang mainly operates in Haryana, Jammu and Rajasthan.
Jaipal is said to have owned the responsibility of killing Rocky on a Facebook account and the police are verifying the authenticity of the account.
Rocky vs Sekhon: Old gang rivalry to fore again
Police investigations suggest that after committing the crime, Jaipal and his accomplice Tirath fled to Rajasthan. The Himachal Police is in touch with its counterparts in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to trace Jaipal, an associate of gangster Gurshahid Singh alias Shera Khubban, who was killed in a police encounter in September 2012.
Son of a Punjab Police inspector, Jaipal is also wanted for the murder of a policeman in Ajmer. Circumstantial evidence suggests that it was a well-planned crime, said a cop. There are leads that Jaipal had come to Kasuali a day in advance and waited for Rocky to arrive in Solan.
Gangster-politician Rocky killed: Rivals celebrate revenge on Facebook
It appears that the number plates of the white Mahindra Xylo SUV that the killers were travelling in were changed frequently to avoid identification, said a police official.
Solan superintendent of police Anjum Ara declined to share details, saying it could affect the investigation.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Cracking whip on tax evaders, Ludhiana police department have busted a multi-crore rupees bogus billing scam with the arrest of three persons, including owners of two Shimlapuri-based private companies and a techie.
Deputy commissioner of police Dhruman Nimbale said, The accused have been identified as Manoj, owner of Pinky Garments Shimlapuri; Manish, owner of Jai Shree Ram Knitwear, who prepared fake bills; and Prince, a techie who hacked passwords and Tax Identification Number (TIN) numbers of other firms for duping the excise department of crores of rupees.
The three hacked passwords of other firms with the help of a techie, forged bills and sought value-added tax (VAT) return of more than Rs 10 crore from the excise department. The accused were running two fake companies (unregistered), Nimbale said.
Police said they were also investigating whether any insider of the excise department was involved as such a scam could not be executed without any insiders involvement.
The accused have been booked under Section 66-C (Punishment for identity theft, fraudulently use password or any other unique identification feature of any other person or firm) of the Information Technology (IT) Act, and Sections 65 (tampering with computer source documents), 379 (theft), 419 (cheating by impersonation) and 420 (cheating inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
We are still in the process of investigation and have detained all three accused. Considering the volume of the scam, there are firm chances of bigger names from business circles in Ludhiana cropping up later, said a police official.
Division Number 8 station house officer (SHO) Gaurav Toora said, After getting a tip-off, policed started investigation in the case around 25 days ago. We got some clues on April 16 and pursued the matter seriously. First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged in the case and accused have been detained at Shimlapuri police station. It was a clear-cut case of VAT evasion where the accused had forged bills and sought VAT return to the tune of more than Rs 10 crore for the past many years. The investigation is still on and there are possibilities of involvement of chartered accountants in the case.
Deputy excise and taxation commissioner (DETC) LK Jain said, This particular case is not in my knowledge. But, there are a number of firms that
often indulge in bogus billing scams. We keep a check on such firms through our assistant excise and taxation commissioners of the respective areas. I will check with the area official concerned and take necessary action against the party involved.
The local civil hospital, which sees a heavy footfall of patients on a daily basis, is poorly equipped to prevent any fire emergency.
The fire-fighting system is in tatters at the hospital. Hosepipes are missing from the fire-fighting equipment at the entrance. The situation has been the same for a long time.
In some parts of the hospital, sand is missing from buckets installed to douse flames the traditional way. The existing fire extinguishers are not adequate in number, putting a question mark on whether they would be enough to avert any untoward situation.
Mangat Ram, a visitor to the hospital, said, Concrete steps should be taken to ensure safety of patients. Fire-safety is a basic facility that should have been ensured at the hospital.
Missing fire-fighting equipment at the civil hospital. (Sameer Sehgal/HT Photo)
As if neglecting safety of patients, their attendants and doctors is not enough, the hospital authorities are not even caring about their convenience. Elevators in the old building do not function properly, and people have to take the stairs or the ramp to reach wards and departments on upper floors.
Daljit Singh, who was accompanying a patient to the civil hospital, said: The hospital should pay special attention to providing basic facilities, such as functional elevators, to patients. Also, mock drills should be conducted for fire-safety.
Senior medical officer Rajindra Arora said: We have sent a request to the authorities concerned for upgrading the fire-safety equipment. Elevators in the new building are functioning, and we will repair the ones in the other building as well.
Danielle Ta'Sheena Finn, 25, of Porcupine, was crowned Miss Indian World 2016 on Saturday at the 33rd Annual Gathering of Nations held at Albuquerque, N.M. It is the most prominent Native American pow wow in the world, said organizers. She was the first enrolled member of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the five tribes from North Dakota to win the title.
"It's amazing. ... It doesn't feel real," said Finn. "The girls there were so smart and so great, I didn't think I'd win. It's exciting."
She said after winning two categories -- public speaking and best personal interview -- though, she "thought my name could be called."
She said there were 20,000 people attending the event at the University of New Mexico, but millions others were watching from all over the world via social media.
Finn received the honor out of 24 Native American women representing their different tribes and traditions. Her platform was suicide prevention, higher education and language preservation. She said she will promote those issues when she makes public appearances at multiple venues.
Through next April, Finn will travel as Miss Indian World to different native and indigenous communities around the world.
Finn particularly wants to relay her platform to schools and community events. "Suicide is the second leading cause of death for our people. I want them to know 'you are extremely important for yourself and your nation.'"
Her responsibilities are just starting to sink in. Organizers have let her know what her role is, telling Finn she is one of the "biggest voices of the Indian World."
Contestants competed based on their tribal knowledge, dancing ability, public speaking and personality assessment.
Finn found the competition an enriching experience. The young women would share their cultures between breaks at the event. One of the other women informed her they didn't sew on Sundays because it was bad luck.
Finn during the competitions shared a story and song of the penny dress. She made her own dress adorned with 500 pennies. Lakota women of the early 1900s wore such dresses to symbolize two worlds: Native and Non-Native. Finn also performed a women's northern traditional dance in a buckskin dress.
She is attending the Arizona State University College of Law. Finn was allowed by the university to defer her exams during the competition. She will take those exams this week and graduate with her law degree in the fall. "They are working around my schedule," Finn said, noting the event organizers place a high value on education.
"She will travel the world, educating others about tribal and cultural traditions, and bring together native and indigenous people," said Melonie Mathews, coordinator of the Miss Indian World Pageant.
Finn is a graduate of Century High School in Bismarck, and grew up both in Porcupine and the Bismarck area.
Finn is the daughter of Brenda One Hawk Finn and John E. Finn.
As Miss Indian World, she will represent all native and indigenous people as a cultural goodwill ambassador for one year.
"I want to inspire people to believe in themselves and go after the dreams they always wanted," she said.
Shiv Sena (Hindustan) on Sunday announced suspension of its district in-charge Deepak Kamboj, 35, who is in the dock for orchestrating an attack on himself on February 16. The organisation has formed a three-member committee to probe the matter in 15 days.
Addressing a press conference, the outfits national president Pawan Kumar Gupta said that if committee found Deepak guilty, he would be expelled from the party.
Attack orchestrated on self: Police withdraw security to Shiv Sena leader
Gupta, however, said they will meet chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and director general of police (DGP) Suresh Arora on May 5, seeking a high-level probe to bring out the truth. He said they will raise some points, which needed in-depth investigations.
Gupta also cast aspersions on the motive of some Sikh bodies, which were demanding registration of a case against Deepaks father Vinay Jalandhari, who is outfits national vice-president.
Gupta said Deepak and his father joined Shiv Sena (Hindustan) only after the February attack after quitting Shiv Sena (Uttar Bharat).
Deepaks father Vinay who was also present at the press conference refuted the allegations against his son, saying Deepak is not able to walk properly due to the bullet injury.
Earlier, the police had claimed that to gain publicity and maximum security cover, Deepak got himself injured by asking his two friends to fire at him.
Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday cautioned the NRI community against letting the Akali-BJP combine to return to power in Punjab where assembly polls are due early next year.
Let me caution you that any vote for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will mean supporting the Akalis, Amarinder, who is on the US tour these days, said in a statement. In 2012, people voted in anger against Akalis for Manpreet Badal and eventually ended up bringing Akalis back to power. Please do not repeat the past mistakes and get carried away by false propaganda, he appealed to the NRIs.
Amarinder said it was not the right time to making experiments and that too with those who dont have any experience. NRI delegations from the United States and Canada met Amarinder during his three-day stay in Los Angeles, claimed the release.
Want a peaceful vacation amid scenic environs, away from the irritants of mass tourism? We know how it feels to go to a place that has been visited by everyone you know (and dont know). So here we suggest you five alternative hot-spots for a holiday off the beaten track.
Bulgaria
Veliko Tarnovo in central Bulgaria. (Istock)
Like Croatia used to be years ago, Bulgaria is the latest up-and-coming destination in Eastern Europe. Tourists can still enjoy low prices with a bit of savvy planning. A flight to the capital, Sofia, shouldnt break the bank, especially since budget airlines now operate routes from some European cities. Plus, hotel prices are still competitive, which is no doubt why this destinations profile is on the up. With visitor numbers rising year on year, Bulgaria is a once-hidden gem thats well on its way to being discovered. The country offers postcard-perfect landscapes for holidaymakers thanks to Black Sea beaches and a patchwork of typical Balkan villages. Its great for mountain walks and hiking, and offers very pleasant summer temperatures of around 27C. Its sure to be a hit with travelers with a taste for countries like Croatia, Montenegro and Albania. Check out this discreet destination soon as it wont stay secret for much longer.
Iran
Nasir al-Mulk mosque in Chiraz, Iran. (Istock)
International relations with Iran have warmed since last years signing of a nuclear deal. Major airlines are reopening routes to Tehran and international hotel groups are returning to the country as tourists head back to Iran to discover its rich culture and history. While visitors can take in modern Iran in the capital, Tehran, Ispahan makes a great stop on any trip to the country, with stunning sights such as the Sheikh Lotfollah mosque and the Ali Qapu palace. Persepolis is a must for anyone with an interest in history, and budding photographers will love the dazzling colored mosaics of the Nasir al-Mulk mosque in Chiraz.
Abkhazia
Lake Ritsa in Abkhazia. (Istock)
The Black Sea is a seriously hot destination in the travel world right now. On its eastern shore, Abkhazia awaits tourists curious to discover this little-known region between the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea. Although technically in Georgia, Abkhazia considers itself an independent state. Its a popular summer destination with Russians, especially in the capital, Soukhoumi, where visitors can enjoy beaches and historical visits. Abkhazia will also please travelers with a taste for nature and the great outdoors thanks to its many mountains and caves, including Krubera Cave, the deepest known on Earth.
Cuba
Valle De Vinales in Cuba. (Istock)
Cuba is a destination on plenty of holidaymakers lips right now. The recent thaw in US relations and Barack Obamas visit back in March have given Cubas tourism industry a serious boost. For a long time, travelers were drawn to the islands image as a nostalgic 1950s time warp, but a huge influx of tourists could see the Republic lose its authenticity. Dont wait too long if you hope to catch a glimpse of the famous Cuban cars, take a peaceful dip in the crystal-clear waters of Maria La Gorda, or wander through Havanas picturesque old town without fighting the hordes. Catch a glimpse of the colorful colonial houses of Trinidad de Cuba before the tourists arrive en masse, and make the most of the many salsa and rumba dance classes and traditional casa particular homestays before theyre overrun.
Transylvania
Mountainous landscapes in Transylvania. (Istock)
Back in Eastern Europe, Transylvania has made its way onto Lonely Planets Best in Travel list of must-visit destinations for 2016. In fact, this region of Romania is the hottest destination of the year, according to the British guide. Situated in the center-west of Romania, Transylvania is a new alternative destination for nature-lovers thanks to its lush, green surroundings and natural border with the Carpathian mountain range. A popular cultural excursion takes visitors in search of Transylvanias legendary Count Dracula. Although its an area rich in castles, Transylvania is best known for Bran Castle, the mythical residence of Bram Stokers fictional vampire. Transylvanian architecture and landscapes give a distinctly Game of Thrones slant to the surroundings, scattered with baroque-style villages like Cluj-Napoca.
Follow @htlifeandstyle for more.
Republican front-runner Donald Trumps foreign policy will lead to another terrorist attack on the scale of the September 11, 2011 attacks, South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham said.
Asked on CBS Face the Nation on Sunday about former House speaker John Boehners comments in support of Trump, Graham said they were evidence of a Republican civil war, adding that it was important to defeat Trump because his foreign policy is dangerous.
Theres a civil war going on in the Republican Party, obviously. John and I are very close friends, but hes embracing Donald Trump, and I am not. Why? Because I believe Donald Trumps foreign policy is isolationism. It will lead to another 9/11.
Graham, a former presidential hopeful himself who endorsed Texas senator Ted Cruz in March, said Tuesdays primary in Indiana is a big test for the anti-Trump movement but that Cruz should stay in the race through the end of the primaries regardless.
Im advising Ted, go to the last vote, he said, adding Trumps gotten 40% of the popular vote. That doesnt give you 1,237 delegates. I think you could still stop, even if you lose in Indiana.
In a reference to Boehners description of Cruz as Lucifer in the flesh, Graham used the metaphor to say that Trumps brand of politics will get creamed at the ballot box in November.
Theres been a lot of talk about Lucifer. I think Lucifer may be the only person Trump could beat in a general election, Graham said, adding But when it comes women and Hispanics, Trump polls like Lucifer.
Trump tweeted saying he had watched Grahams interview, and was not impressed.
I watched Senator Graham @FaceTheNation. Why dont they say that I ran him out of the race like a little boy, and in the end he had no support?
The CIA marked the fifth anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden by live-tweeting the raid by US special forces on the Al Qaeda founders compound in Pakistan as if it were happening on Monday.
A series of 13 tweets with the hashtag #UBLRaid summed up the raid on the walled compound located a short distance from the Pakistan Military Academy in Abbottabad but provided very little new information, except for possibly the first confirmation of the exact time of bin Ladens death.
To mark the 5th anniversary of the Usama Bin Ladin operation in Abbottabad we will tweet the raid as if it were happening today. #UBLRaid, @CIA said while announcing the tweets.
1:25 pm EDT-@POTUS, DCIA Panetta, & JSOC commander Admiral McRaven approve execution of op in Abbottabad.#UBLRaid pic.twitter.com/YhvuJVrMVc CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
The tweets included the famous picture of President Barack Obama and other US officials watching matters unfold from the White Houses Situation Room.
3:30 pm EDT - @POTUS watches situation on ground in Abbottabad live in Situation Room#UBLRaid pic.twitter.com/59KPF7eUTr CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
3:39 pm EDT - Usama Bin Ladin found on third floor and killed #UBLRaid, said the tweet which gave the time of bin Ladens death. This tweet garnered the maximum retweets more than 3,000.
3:39 pm EDT - Usama Bin Ladin found on third floor and killed#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
With 1.33 million followers on Twitter, the Central Intelligence Agency has put out 1,662 tweets since it joined the platform in February 2014. The accounts bio states: We are the Nations first line of defense. We accomplish what others cannot accomplish and go where others cannot go.
Shortly before the tweets on the bin Laden raid, CIA chief John Brennan said taking out Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of the Islamic State, would have a great impact.
He also warned that Al Qaeda remained a threat, and that the IS was not just an organisation but a phenomenon.
We have destroyed a large part of Al Qaeda. Its not completely eliminated. So we have to stay focused on what it can do, Brennan told NBCs Meet the Press talk show.
Now, with the new phenomenon of (IS), this is going to challenge us for years to come.
Asked if removing al-Baghdadi from action was as important as the Bin Laden operation, Brennan, who does not often do interviews, was direct.
If we got Baghdadi, I think it would have a great impact on the organisation. And it will be felt by them, he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
Passengers set sail on Sunday from Miami on a historic cruise to Cuba, the first in decades to depart from a US seaport for the communist island nation.
Carnival Corps 704-passenger Adonia left port at 4:24pm, bound for Havana. Carnivals Cuba cruises, operating under its Fathom brand, will also visit the ports of Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba on the seven-day outing. Several Cuba-born passengers, among hundreds of others, were aboard, it said.
The cruise comes after Cuba loosened its policy banning Cuban-born people from arriving to the country by sea, a rule that threatened to stop the cruises from happening.
Restarting the cruises was an important element of a bid by President Barack Obamas administrations to increase tourism to Cuba after the December 17, 2014, decision to restore diplomatic relations and move toward normalisation.
The most recent such cruise, from another US port, was in 1978.
When it first announced the cruises, Carnival said it would bar Cuban-born passengers due to the governments policy. But the Cuban-American community in Miami complained and filed a discrimination lawsuit in response. After that, the company said it would only sail to Cuba if the policy changed, which Cuba did on April 22.
Carnival said the Adonia will cruise every other week from Miami to Cuba. Bookings will start at $1,800 per person and feature an array of cultural and educational activities, including Spanish lessons, Carnivals website says.
Seventy-three-year-old passenger Rick Schneider told The Sun-Sentinel that he had waited decades for the chance to make the journey. He bought a Cuban flag for the occasion, which he waved from the deck at protesters who opposed the cruises.
He said he once passed up taking a ferry trip to Cuba in 1957, adding the time is now.
The cruise is among the many changes in US-Cuban relations since a thaw between the former Cold War foes began in late 2014. The thaw also led to a historic, two-day trip to Cuba in March by Obama, who met with Cuban counterpart Raul Castro and others.
The Cuban government says the shift in policy removes prohibitions enacted when Cuban exiles were launching attacks by sea after the first Cuban revolution.
On Sunday, Arnold Donald, Carnivals president and CEO, said the company worked and prepared to make the cruises a reality despite the challenges.
Times of change often bring out emotions and clearly the histories here are very emotional for a number of people, Donald told reporters.
The Miami Herald reported that a boat carrying some activists protesting the trip to Cuba was nearby in Florida waters before the ships departure on Sunday. The report said the boat pulled away before the Adonia set sail with an expected Monday arrival in Havana.
Mary Olive Reinhart, a retired parks service ranger, told the paper that she and some friends from the Philadelphia area were drawn to the voyage by the adventure of it all.
The Fathom brand said on its website that the trip was authorised under current people-to-people travel guidelines of the US government and would include meetings with artists, musicians, business owners and families along with Cuban shore excursions to traditional sites.
Its exciting to go places where were forbidden. For me, I want to be at home in the world the whole world, she added.
The first US cruise ship in nearly 40 years crossed the Florida Straits from Miami and docked in Havana on Monday, restarting commercial travel on waters that served as a stage for a half-century of Cold War hostility.
Carnival Cruise Lines gleaming white 704-passenger Adonia became the first US cruise ship in Havana since President Jimmy Carter eliminated virtually all restrictions of US travel to Cuba in the late 1970s.
Travel limits were restored after Carter left office and US cruises to Cuba only become possible again after Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro declared detente on Dec 17, 2014.
People take photos as Adonia leaves port in Miami, Sunday, May 1, 2016, en route to Cuba. (AP)
The Adonias arrival is the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most US-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. The straits were blocked by the US during the Cuban Missile Crisis and tens of thousands of Cubans have fled across them to Florida on homemade rafts with untold thousands dying in the process.
The number of Cubans trying to cross the straits is at its highest point in eight years and cruises and merchant ships regularly rescue rafters from the straits.
The Adonia is one of Carnivals smaller ships roughly half the size of some larger European vessels that already dock in Havana but US cruises are expected to bring Cuba tens of millions of dollars in badly needed foreign hard currency if traffic increases as expected.
A member of the police directs a police dog as they sweep the restricted area near Carnival Corp.'s Adonia before it leaves port in Miami, Sunday, May 1, 2016, en route to Cuba. (AP)
More than a dozen lines have announced plans to run US-Cuba cruises and if all actually begin operations Cuba could earn more than $80 million a year, according to the US-Cuba Trade and Economic Council said in a report Monday.
Most of the money goes directly to the Cuban government, council head John Kavulich said. He estimated that the cruise companies pay the government $500,000 per cruise, while passengers spend about $100 person in each city they visit.
Carnival says the Adonia will cruise twice a month from Miami to Havana, where it will start a $1,800 per person seven-day circuit of Cuba with stops in the cities of Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba.
People waving Cuban flags greet passengers on Carnival's Adonia cruise ship as they arrive from Miami in Havana, Cuba, Monday, May 2, 2016. (AP)
The trips include on-board workshops on Cuban history and culture and tours of the cities that make them qualify as people-to-people educational travel, avoiding a ban on pure tourism that remains part of US law.
Optional activities for the Adonias passengers include a walking tour of Old Havanas colonial plazas and a $219 per person trip to the Tropicana cabaret in a classic car.
Before the 1959 Cuban revolution, cruise ships regularly travelled from the US to Cuba, with elegant Caribbean cruises departing from New York and $42 overnight weekend jaunts leaving twice a week from Miami, said Michael L. Grace, an amateur cruise ship historian.
Rick Schneider of Delray Beach waves a Cuban flag onboard the Adonia as the ship leaves port in Miami, Sunday, May 1, 2016, en route to Cuba. (AP)
New York cruises featured dressy dinners, movies, dancing and betting on horse races in which steward dragged wooden horses around a ballroom track according to rolls of dice that determined how many feet each could move per turn.
The United Fruit company operated once-a-week cruise service out of New Orleans, too, he said.
Cuba was a very big destination for Americans, just enormous, he said.
Cruises dwindled in the years leading up to the Cuban Revolution and ended entirely after Castro overthrew the US-backed government.
The protest boat "Democracia" sails pass Carnival Corp.'s Adonia before it leaves port in Miami, Sunday, May 1, 2016, en route to Cuba. (AP)
After Carter dropped limits on Cuba travel, 400 passengers, including musical legend Dizzy Gillespie sailed from New Orleans to Cuba on a 1977 Jazz Cruise aboard the MS Daphne. Like the Adonia, it sailed despite dockside protests by Cuban exiles, and continued protests and bomb threats forced Carras Cruises to cancel additional sailings, Grace said.
The following year, however, Daphne made a several cruises from New Orleans to Cuba and other destinations in the Caribbean.
Cuba cut back on all cruise tourism in 2005, ending a joint venture with Italian terminal management company Silares Terminales del Caribe and Fidel Castro blasted cruise ships during a 4 hour speech on state television.
Floating hotels come, floating restaurants, floating theaters, floating diversions visit countries to leave their trash, their empty cans and papers for a few miserable cents, Castro said.
A woman from Cuba waves Adonia leaves port in Miami, Sunday, May 1, 2016, en route to Cuba. After a half-century of waiting, passengers finally set sail on Sunday from Miami on an historic cruise to Cuba. (AP)
Today, the Cuban government sees cruises as an easy source of revenue that can bring thousands more American travelers without placing additional demand on the countrys maxed-out food supplies and overbooked hotels.
Before detente, Americans made surreptitious yacht trips to Cuba during Caribbean vacations and the number of Americans coming by boat has climbed since 2014, including passengers on cruise ships registered in third countries and sailing from other ports in the Caribbean. Traffic remains low, however, for a major tourist attraction only 90 miles (145 kilometers) from Florida.
Aiming to change that as part of a policy of diplomatic and economic normalization, Obama approved US cruises to Cuba in 2015. The Doral, Florida-based Carnival Cruise Line announced during Obamas historic trip to Cuba in March that it would begin cruises to Cuba starting May 1.
Unexpected trouble arose after Cuban-Americans in Miami began complaining that Cuban rules barred them from traveling to the country of their birth by ship. As Carnival considered delaying the first sailing, Cuba announced April 22 it was changing the rule to allow Cubans and Cuban-Americans to travel on cruise ships, merchant vessels and, sometime in the future, yachts and other private boats.
Cuban soldiers watch the Carnival Adonia cruise ship arrive from Miami, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, May 2, 2016. (AP)
Norwegian Cruise Line says it is in negotiations with Cuban authorities and hopes to begin cruises from the US to Cuba this year.
Cruise traffic is key to the Cuban governments reengineering of the industrial Port of Havana as a tourist attraction. After decades of treating the more than 500-year-old bay as a receptacle for industrial waste, the government is moving container traffic to the Port of Mariel west of the city, tearing out abandoned buildings and slowly renovating decrepit warehouses as breweries and museums connected by waterfront promenades.
Cruise dockings will be limited by the ports single cruise terminal, which can handle two ships at a time.
India has tightened visa controls for Afghan nationals because of concerns over Afghan passports being found in the possession of citizens of countries neighbouring Afghanistan, foreign minister Salahuddin Rabbani has said.
He made the remarks after the Meshrano Jirga, or upper house of parliament, summoned him on Sunday to explain visa restrictions imposed by India for Afghan nationals, according to reports in the Afghan media.
Rabbani did not name the countries whose citizens had obtained Afghan passports. However, Afghan media reports quoted senators as saying that the move was linked to Indian concerns about Pakistan.
The minister of foreign affairs was directly hinting at Pakistan, Asef Sediqi, a senator, was quoted as saying by Tolo News.
The senators said they believed India had taken the step to prevent the entry of militants.
Regional countries are concerned that suspected militants of Daesh, Taliban and other terrorist groups might enter into their countries from Afghanistan, said Gulalai Akbari, another senator.
Rabbani said India is concerned over the easy access to Afghan passports by nationals of neighbouring countries and has urged (the Afghan) government to resolve the issue.
Unfortunately, Afghan passports have been seen with citizens of other countries, which is a matter of concern for the Indian embassy in Kabul, he said.
Under the new rules, he said Afghans applying for Indian visas have to provide a bank statement and those going to India for medical treatment should present a report from a doctor stating that they cannot be treated in Afghanistan, Rabbani said.
This comes months after Afghan citizens faced similar restrictions in obtaining visas from the United Arab Emirates. The issue with UAE also emerged because of concerns that the citizens of other countries had misused Afghan passports, the media reports said.
Hundreds of Afghans travel to India every year to meet relatives staying in the country and for medical treatment.
British Indian Siddhartha Dhar is known as the new Jihadi John, but a Yazidi teenager who escaped from the Islamic State after being held as a sex slave insists he is Abu Dhar, one of the senior commanders of the terror group.
In a British Muslim TV documentary scheduled for Monday evening, Nihad Barakat says she was kidnapped and trafficked by Dhar, also known as Abu Rumaysah. Dhar, a Londoner, is said to have travelled to Syria with his wife and children in 2014.
Documentary presenter Joseph Hayat told The Independent he was very confident Barakat knew who she was talking about: From the information I have, Dhar is deemed a leader in Mosul now, and she was very insistent on that name.
We asked her later if these were foreigners or ordinary Iraqis and she said they were foreigners. When we showed her pictures of Siddhartha Dhar she recognised them but went very cold. She didnt want to go further and got very agitated.
According to Barakat, Dhar has taken a number of Yazidi sex slaves for himself, and played a key role in the capture and trafficking that led to her becoming pregnant with another IS fighters baby.
Read: Suspected New Jihadi John Dhar praises Hitler in Islamic State video
Barakat was 16 when she and 27 members of her family were kidnapped by IS fighters after the fall of Sinjar in Iraq two years ago. She said the first man she was forced to marry was Australian extremist Abdul Salam Mahmoud.
Describing her capture to Hayat, she said: The Isis leaders told us we had to convert to Islam or we will be killed. They separated us into three groups, men, married women and single women, then took the single women and girls to Mosul.
Sometimes they would come and take girls for their pleasure. They did everything to the girls.
She added, When I was captured near Kirkuk, they took me to another leader from Mosul. His name was Abu DharHe also took Yazidi girls for himself. Every day he would tell me that I had to marry another man.
The newspaper reported, It is difficult to verify that the Abu Dhar who kidnapped Barakat is the same man as the most-wanted British jihadi. As well as Dhars legal name and his kunya or nickname Abu Rumaysah, he has also gone by the name Saiful Islam since his conversion in his late teens.
Barakat, now 17, reportedly works to raise awareness of her peoples plight with British-based AMAR foundation that runs facilities at Khanke refugee camp in northern Iraq, where she lives with her mother, father and siblings. Two of her sisters and two brothers are still held captive by the IS, the report said.
The Indiana Republican primary on Tuesday is really a contest between Donald Trump and those campaigning to stop him, the Never Trump zealots. And Trump has the upper hand for now.
A defeat in this midwestern state, experts and analysts said, will break the back of the Never Trump movement, clearing the path for the frontrunner to secure the nomination.
In the Democratic race, which is not receiving half as much action, Hillary Clinton leads Bernie Sanders in polls by 50% to 43.2% and is expected to extend her lead in delegates..
But Sanders, whose campaign announced countrywide layoffs recently, is not giving up, and has predicted a contested convention, hoping to deny Clinton a clear majority.
Its the Republican race to the nomination, however, that has captivated media, experts and voters, with a growing sense of inevitability in the party resignation about Trump.
The real-estate mogul is leading Cruz, his main challenger for the nomination, by 15 points in Indiana, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll published on Sunday.
In the RealClearPolitics average of polls, Trumps lead is narrower but still outside the margin-of-error range, 41.6% to 33.8%. John Kasich is third with 17.2%.
Cruz and Kasich had joined hands to stop Trump in Indiana and the primaries in Oregon and New Mexico by getting out of the way of each, turning them into one-on-one contests.
The Republican front-runner is believed to be vulnerable in such situations, but thats a largely an untested proposition. In polls at least, Trump continues to lead in those states.
Can Cruz and Kasich transfer their voters, to gang up on Trump? Thats another untested variable. Meanwhile, Cruzs hold over the ground-game, to gather delegates, is wearing thin.
The New York Times reported on Monday that after a string of recent defeats, Cruzs support among delegates is softening, threatening his hopes of preventing Trumps nomination.
The Times attributed it to a larger shift taking place in the Republican party, brought on by Trumps wins and a desire to move on and unite behind someone for the general election.
The never in the Never Trump movement, the Times report concluded, is beginning to look more like a reluctantly. There is still some way to go for For Trump.
The Washington Post reported indications of trouble for the Cruz campaign, stemming mostly from enduring misgivings about Cruz as a candidate, some of it prompted by Trump.
The report quoted a Cruz campaign volunteer who makes phone calls for the candidate as saying that most voters are concerned with the nickname hes been given Lyin Ted.
It was a brutal killing that became an international incident: An Italian graduate student disappeared from the streets of the Egyptian capital in January, his body discovered days later dumped by a roadside, tortured to death.
The death of Guilio Regeni quickly poisoned ties between Egypt and Italy, where suspicions were high that the Egyptian police - who have long been accused of using torture and secret detentions - snatched the 28-year-old and killed him. Egyptian officials - as high up as the president, Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, in a national address - have denied any police role, but in the months since the slayings, the Italian government has hiked the pressure for answers.
Then in March came a surprise twist. Egyptian police announced they had killed a gang of five Egyptian men they said specialized in kidnapping and robbing foreigners and, while searching the gang leaders sisters home, came upon Regenis passport. Government media proclaimed that Regenis killers had been found.
The claim was immediately dismissed by Italian officials as not credible, with some Italian media calling it an outright cover-up. Even the editor-in-chief of Egypts top government newspaper, Al-Ahram, wrote that Egyptian authorities had to get serious about uncovering the truth and that such naive stories about Regenis death were only hurting the country.
Now accounts from witnesses and family members interviewed by The Associated Press raise further questions about the official version of the March 24 shooting in a wealthy suburban enclave outside Cairo. The Interior Ministry said security forces hunting for the gang stopped their minibus and the men opened fire on them, prompting a gunbattle in which all five were killed.
But witnesses say the men were unarmed and tried to flee as police fired on them, and that afterward police confiscated footage from security cameras near the scene. The mens relatives say they were house painters merely heading to a job in the suburb, Tagammu al-Khamis, when they were killed.
I am accusing the Interior Ministry of trying to cover-up their wrong deeds by killing my family, said Rasha Tareq Saad, whose husband, brother and father were among those killed. I want my familys rights.
The AP spoke to six witnesses in Tagammu al-Khamis as well as six relatives and lawyers of the slain men. No video footage from the shooting has emerged, so their accounts could not be independently verified. A number of other family members have been arrested, and their lawyers say they have not been allowed to see investigators reports on the shooting.
Asked about their accounts, Interior Ministry spokesman Abu Bakr Abdel-Karim said he was not authorized to comment and referred questions to the prosecutor-general investigating the case. Repeated calls to the prosecutor-generals office went unanswered. A series of visits to the forensic agency, security headquarters in Cairo and the Tagammu al-Khamis police station were also unfruitful: Officers and prosecutors refused to speak to the AP.
The shooting adds a new layer to the mystery surrounding Regenis slaying. The Italian Ph.D. student vanished after leaving his apartment on Jan. 25, the anniversary of the 2011 uprising that ousted autocrat Hosni Mubarak. It was a tense day: Police were out in force to prevent demonstrations commemorating the day, and in the preceding days dozens of activists had been arrested.
Regeni had been researching the labor movement, a sensitive subject in Egypt since labor activists are frequently protest organizers, and security agents are known to monitor activities by foreign researchers. The Interior Ministry has denied that police detained Regeni, and authorities have offered various possible scenarios for his death, including a personal dispute or a robbery. The day Regenis body was found a top police official said he died in a car accident, until investigators reported the extensive signs of torture, including cigarette burns, broken bones and bruises from beatings.
The announcement about the gang is the closest that authorities have come to an explanation for Regenis slaying. However, since the Italian reaction - including Rome withdrawing its ambassador from Cairo - Egyptian officials have avoided claiming the culprits have been found. In a speech this month, el-Sissi angrily rejected accusations that police were behind the Italians death but he made no mention of any gang involvement. Abdel-Karim, the Interior Ministry spokesman, has said the gang was a new variable but that Regenis death was still under investigation.
There has been no explanation of how the men allegedly obtained Regenis passport if they were not his killers.
Two witnesses told the AP the five men were not armed. They said seven police vehicles surrounded the minibus they were riding in and opened fire on it around 6 a.m. As police sprayed the vehicle with bullets, several men jumped out and ran, only to be gunned down in cold blood, one of the witnesses said.
Afterward, police confiscated footage from security cameras at nearby houses, said the two witnesses as well as four others who saw the aftermath of the shooting. The bodies were left in the street for around 10 hours, the witnesses said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
The slain men included three members of a single family - 62-year-old Tareq Saad, his son Saad and his son-in-law Salah Ali - along with a family friend, Mustafa Bakr and the minibus driver, 26-year-old Ibrahim Farouk.
Announcing their deaths, the Interior Ministry said the five had criminal records and claimed their gang had been posing as policemen to abduct and rob foreigners. It listed a string of nine robberies in the past months they were allegedly involved in - though none of the cases were listed as involving kidnappings.
Their relatives acknowledge all except the younger Saad had past offenses but nothing involving theft. Tareq Saad and Ali were jailed for two years in the mid-2000s for impersonating police officers, after they were arrested at a checkpoint for carrying a police ID card, said Tareq Saads son, Sameh. Later, he said, the two were jailed for drug possession.
Bakr served 15 years in prison for drug offenses, according to his ex-wifes uncle, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Rasha Saad, Alis wife and Tareq Saads daughter, said police were well acquainted with the family and often raided their homes in the lower-class Cairo district of Shubra al-Kheima after the mens release from prison.
She said her husband was a house painter and got a call from a client to paint a villa in Tagammu al-Khamis, and she showed the AP photos of past jobs hed done. She said she suspected her husband was secretly having an affair so she asked her father and brother to go with him, along with Bakr, a friend of her father.
Sameh Saad, who went to the morgue with his sister to identify the bodies, said he was shocked by the injuries. All five were riddled with bullet wounds and the heads were blown up so much you could see the bones of the skull, he said.
Later that day, police searched the house of one of Tareq Saads sisters and said they found Regenis passport, his university ID and other items in a bag decorated with the Italian flag. They arrested Tareq Saads wife, one of his brothers and the sisters, along with her husband and son, on suspicion of hiding stolen goods. Days later, police arrested Bakrs ex-wife and her two sons, witnesses said.
Police photos of the bags contents showed a mans black wallet, a womans pocketbook with the word love on it, a watch and several pairs of sunglasses. Rasha Saad said the pocketbook belonged to her mother and the watch to her brother, Sameh. The wallet was her husbands and he carried it at all times, she said, causing her to suspect it was planted along with the other possessions. They took the wallet from his jeans and put it in the bag, she said.
The siblings said their father, brother and Ali were in the Nile Delta region of Sharqiya on Jan. 25, the day that Regeni disappeared in Cairo.
Choking back tears, Alis mother, Umm al-Hassan, said, the police killed her son and now they are the ones investigating the case. Everything is in their hands. They control everything.
It appeared the driver, 26-year-old Farouk, had little connection to the other men. While the authorities quickly announced the identities of the four men, they initially listed the fifth as unknown, until days later when they identified him as a gang member as well.
A lawyer for Farouks family, Abdel-Wahab Youssef, told the AP that he had been refused access to forensic reports or investigation documents in the case.
The secrecy of the investigation raises suspicions. They tell me these are instructions from the top prosecutor, he said.
Pakistani police have booked six men under the countrys controversial blasphemy law for allegedly desecrating the turban of a Sikh man during a scuffle that broke out when he complained about inconvenience he faced during a bus journey.
The police in Chichawatni city of Punjab province acted against five employees of a transport company and the owner of a bus terminal Mahinder Paal Singh, 29, filed a complaint, according to a report in the Dawn newspaper on Monday.
Singh, a resident of Multan, said he was travelling from Faisalabad to Multan by a bus owned by Kohistan-Faisal Movers when it broke down. Though the driver started the bus again, its speed was very slow and it took five hours to travel the short distance between Dijkot and Chichawatni terminal.
At the terminal, Singh and some other passengers complained to the transport companys staff about the slow speed of the bus and demanded a different vehicle for the rest of the journey.
This resulted in a scuffle, during which five employees of the transport company and the terminal owner allegedly manhandled the passengers, including Singh.
Singh alleged that a bus terminal hawker threw his turban on the ground. He added the turban is considered sacred in the Sikh religious code and throwing it on the ground amounted to desecration.
He also told policemen after the incident that the attackers should be booked under the blasphemy law since it was a case of desecration.
Police official Khaizer Hayat was quoted as saying said the men who attacked Singh had been booked under sections 295, 148 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Five men had been arrested and police are conducting raids to arrest the terminal owner, Haji Riyasat.
Singh alleged some local politicians were backing the suspects and influencing the investigations. He appealed to Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif to ensure justice is done.
A Canadian national, who backed the Madhesi movement, was arrested on Monday by Nepal Police for allegedly posting provocative and anti-national comments on social media and visa violations.
Robert Penner was arrested from Lalitpur on a request from the department of immigration (DoI), Nepalease media reported.
DoI director-general Kedar Neupane said Penner was arrested to probe his posts on social media which are liable to incite social disharmony in the nation.
Penner had obtained working visa for a sprout technology company, which was already dissolved in 2012, but worked for Cloud Factory, a foreign outsourcing company, according to the DoI.
Penner is also accused of holding multiple visas and overstaying.
He obtained visa for working at an IT company but he was found engaged in making provocative statements that may jeopardise national integrity, said Neupane, adding, foreigners are not allowed to engage in such activities.
The report said immigration laws bar any foreign national from expressing public comments on internal politics of the host nation.
A source at the DoI told MyRepublica that they received complaints that Penner had been engaging in activities that could harm Nepals national integrity.
We had to arrest him due to his suspicious activities and for misusing his visa, said the source.
Penner has previously tweeted in favour of the Madhes movement. He had also written controversial tweets about the arrest of journalist Kanak Mani Dixit, MyRepublica reported.
Madhesis, mostly of Indian origin, have been demanding that Nepals Constitution be amended to include their concerns over inadequate political representation and redrawing of federal boundaries.
They had enforced months-long blockade of Nepals all trading points with India, creating huge shortage of essential commodities in the country.
One of Saudi Arabias most powerful firms, the Saudi Binladin Group, has laid off 77,000 foreign workers, a Saudi daily reported on Monday, citing an anonymous company official.
Saudi Binladin Group confirmed to AFP that some staff have been let go but gave no numbers.
The report in Al-Watan newspaper is the latest alleging tens of thousands of layoffs, unpaid salaries and unrest by employees of the firm which built some of the Gulf countrys landmarks.
Sources told AFP in March that delayed receipts from the government, whose oil revenues collapsed over the past two years, have left employees of the kingdoms construction giants struggling to survive while they await their salaries.
Saudi Binladin Group was also sanctioned by the government after a deadly crane accident in Mecca last September.
The size of our workforce is always appropriate to the nature and size of projects and the timeframe they are to be carried out by the group, Yaseen Alattas, a Saudi Binladin Group spokesman, told AFP.
He said workforce changes would be normal especially when some projects have ended or are about to end.
Most of the jobs eliminated are on specified term contracts for particular projects, Alattas said in an email.
We understand that the reduction of the workforce isnt easy on everyone. But the Group will continue to implement its obligations towards everyone including the employees it has let go of.
They have received their full dues under the law, said Alattas.
The unnamed company official cited by Al-Watan said as of Sunday, 77,000 Binladin Group workers had received exit visas. He added they were among 200,000 expatriates employed by the company, one of the largest builders in the world.
In addition, 12,000 of the 17,000 Saudis working for the firm as engineers, administrators and inspectors were expected to be let go, the source said.
Burning anger
On Friday, Al-Watan reported 50,000 of the groups staff were refusing to leave the country while their salaries remained unpaid after more than four months.
Another newspaper, Arab News, on Sunday cited Saudi Binladin Group employees as confirming massive layoffs. An Arab News report on Monday blamed unpaid workers for torching several Binladin Group buses in Mecca over the weekend.
Authorities confirmed seven buses were burned but did not give the cause.
Egyptians account for a large percentage of Binladin Group employees.
Some complained to Egypts labour ministry that their salaries had not been paid for three months, the Arab News reported in March.
A well-informed source told AFP in March that because of delays in payments from the government administration, several companies today have problems... paying both their employees and producers.
Minister of state Mohammad bin Abdulmalik Al-Sheikh told Bloomberg News in an interview published on April 4 that all or 95 to 98% of all arrears will be paid within two weeks.
Saudi Binladin Group was founded more than 80 years ago by the father of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, killed five years ago by US Navy Seals.
It developed landmarks including the domed Faisaliah Tower in central Riyadh and the Mecca Royal Clock Tower, one of the worlds tallest buildings.
After decades of thriving on lucrative government contracts, the company faced unprecedented scrutiny after one of its cranes working on a major expansion of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Islams holiest site, toppled in September.
At least 109 people including foreign pilgrims died, leading King Salman to suspend the firm from new public contracts. This has been a factor in the firms economic difficulties, a well-informed source has told AFP.
Five Seattle police officers were injured and at least nine people were arrested on Sunday night after unruly demonstrators hurled projectiles and Molotov cocktails and broke windows, authorities said.
Protesters gather every year on May 1 to focus attention on labour and immigration issues but demonstrators in cities across the United States also used the occasion to rally against police violence.
Mayor Ed Murray blamed the senseless violence in Seattle on a different crowd from those who had attended an earlier peaceful May Day immigration march.
It was deeply regrettable that in a city that goes to incredible lengths to respect First Amendment rights, there are some who disregard our values and engage in senseless acts of violence and property destruction, he said later, referring to free speech protected by the US Constitution.
In posts on social media website Twitter, the Seattle police department said one officer had suffered a cut to the head as protesters hurled Molotov cocktails, another was hit by a rock, and a third officer was bitten, apparently by a protester.
Injuries suffered by two more officers were not detailed.
Nobody has been seriously injured, police chief Kathleen OToole said after the unrest subsided, adding, Once assaults started and property damage started, we took action. Its that simple.
Police said they made arrests in several places and restrained one group in a parking lot, before allowing some groups to disperse but would maintain a presence in the area.
They charged three people with assault, one with destruction of property and five with obstruction of justice. Eight men ranging in age from about 20 to 32 were charged, along with a teen-aged girl.
Police used blast balls to disperse a crowd throwing rocks and bottles and breaking windows in a downtown neighbourhood, the Seattle Times newspaper reported, after they used pepper spray several times to break up throngs of demonstrators.
The unrest mirrored violence at a Seattle May Day march last year, when crowds threw bottles and wrenches at police, who responded with pepper spray and flash grenades.
Sixteen people were arrested and three officers hurt in that violence, which similarly erupted after a day of peaceful demonstrations.
Most Britons enjoyed the long sunny bank holiday weekend, but not politicians, who were out on the streets, in television and radio studios, or penning special articles ahead of Thursdays elections using even the July 2005 London bombings for influencing voters.
As Boris Johnson said Im off in his last column in The Daily Telegraph on Monday as the London mayor, some flayed Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith for using a photograph of July 2005 bombings in a tabloid article attacking his rival, Labours Sadiq Khan.
The article was titled: On Thursday, are we really going to hand the worlds greatest city to a Labour party that thinks terrorists is its friends? It prompted a rebuke from senior Conservative leader Sayeeda Warsi.
The holiday weekend also saw a heated televised debate between leaders in Scotland, which also goes to the polls on Thursday. There were clear hints that Scotland could seek another independence referendum if Britain votes to leave the European Union on June 23.
Campaigning moved seamlessly between the EU referendum and Thursdays local elections as Prime Minister David Cameron admitted in a magazine interview that Johnsons decision to join the Brexit camp had affected their long friendship going back to Eton and Oxford.
It was also frustrating that Justice secretary Michael Gove had also joined the Brexiters, Cameron told Glamour magazine. Im still friends with Boris, just perhaps not such good friendsI think they have made the wrong decision, but theyre politicians and they have to decide.
Still trailing Khan in opinion polls despite Labours anti-semitism row, Goldsmith was hard put to burnish his Indian credentials during an interview with RCN TV in which he claimed enthusiasm for Bollywood, but could not name a favourite film or actor.
Let me think No Im not going to give you one. I cant think of a favouriteI love almost everything about Bollywood. I love the atmosphere, the colour and I love the excitement. I want as much Bollywood as possible here in London as possible, he said.
Criticising Labour leader Ken Livingstones record as London mayor and painting a grim scenario if Labour wins on Thursday, Johnson wrote: It will turn into a war between City Hall and Whitehall of the kind that Ken Livingstone used to love in the 1980s and it will be a fiasco.
When I came to City Hall eight years ago, I turfed out a load of semi-Marxists who luxuriated in taxpayer-funded Chateauneuf-du-Pape while specialising in the kind of Lefty grievance politics that divide the city. Whatever Khan may now say, that gang will come back with a Labour victory.
If Labour wins on Thursday, I confidently prophesy that Livingstone will be back in City Hall within a week.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Fifteen migrants are missing after their boat sank on Friday, the second shipwreck that day in the Mediterranean, bringing the number of lives lost to almost 100, the UN said on Sunday.
A boat carrying around 120 people had sunk early on Friday, four hours after leaving Libya for Italy, UN refugee agency (UNHCR) spokesperson, Carlotta Sami, told AFP, adding that some 15 persons went missing.
Among the missing were four Nigerians, two people from the Ivory Coast, three from Guinea, two from Sudan and one from Mali, she said.
Survivors were being disembarked in Pozzallo, Sicily, she said, adding that eight people had been taken straight to hospital due to serious health conditions, and that two bodies had also been disembarked.
The news came a day after the International Organization for Migration said that only 26 people were rescued from an inflatable boat carrying around 110 migrants when it sank off Libya in a separate shipwreck on Friday.
Sami said Sunday that 27 people, including four women, were rescued from that boat sinking.
Survivors had provided harrowing accounts of the tragedy, both UNHCR and IOM said.
Due to the very bad conditions of the sea, some two hours after the departure the small boat started to take on water, just a few miles off shore, Sami said in an email.
Boat broke in two
IOM spokesperson in Italy, Flavio Di Giacomo, told AFP on Saturday that the vessel had been in a very bad state, was taking on water and many people fell into the water and drowned.
The boat in the end broke into two parts throwing all the passengers into the waves, Sami said.
Rough seas and waves topping two metres (seven feet) hampered attempts to find any other survivors.
Sami said the health conditions of several of the survivors were reportedly serious.
Survivors say they lost relatives and friends during the shipwreck, she said.
The first hint of the tragedy came early on Saturday when Italys coastguard said an Italian cargo ship had rescued 26 migrants from a flimsy boat sinking off the coast of Libya but voiced fears that dozens more could be missing.
The coastguard received a call from a satellite phone late on Friday that helped locate the stricken inflatable and called on the merchant ship to make a detour to the area about four miles (seven kilometres) off the Libyan coast near Sabratha.
The migrants rescued were transferred to two coastguard vessel and taken to the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Images released by the coastguard showed two women wrapped in shawls and blankets stepping off one of their vessels.
Giacomo said five unaccompanied minors aged between 16 and 17 were among those rescued.
More than 350,000 people fleeing conflict and poverty have reached Italy on boats from Libya since the start of 2014, as Europe struggles to manage its biggest migration crisis since World War II.
The Red Cross also voiced alarm at Fridays tragic boat sinkings, warning that more were likely to come.
As warmer weather and calmer seas approach, we can expect more people to attempt this crossing, said Simon Missiri, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies regional director for Europe.
We must work together to focus on providing safe routes for people fleeing their homes and seeking sanctuary, he said in a statement.
More than 1,260 people have already died or gone missing trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe this year, according to UNHCR numbers.
The frantic search for a boy who was reported missing last week in Washington state reached a tragic end Sunday evening when his body was recovered from the area around the Big Four Ice Caves in Verlot, northeast of Seattle.
The boy, 6, was reported missing around 6 p.m., according to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, prompting rescue teams on both the ground and in helicopter to launch a search for him.
After a few hours of searching, the boy was found dead just before 9 p.m. Details about his death are limited, but a preliminary statement issued by the sheriff's office suggests that it did not involve the ice caves.
The area in and around the Big Four Ice Caves can be dangerous, and this isn't the first time a death related to the caves has occurred. As evidence, the caves had been closed since July 6 and just reopened on Friday with new warning signs.
The caves were closed in July after 34-year-old Anna L. Santana, 34, of Moreno Valley, Calif., died in the popular tourist spot after rock and ice fell and killed her. She was reported missing following the incident and was located at the back of one cave by Snohomish County Sheriff's Office search-and-rescue personnel. Technical rescue personnel who examined the cave reported that the collapse of rock and ice occurred at the back of the cave where officials found her.
An autopsy conducted by a local medical examiner ruled that the cause of death was blunt force injuries to the head and torso and that it had been an accident. Five other people were injured during the incident, including Santana's brother who died of his injuries later in October.
The Big Four Caves have seen a few changes recently, and prior to the July incident, the U.S. Forest Service warned hikers against entering the Big Four Ice Caves after several sections of the cave collapsed due to unusually warm spring temperatures.
"The cave is in a condition that we would normally not see until at least September - large, inviting and collapsing," Lead Field Ranger Matthew Riggen said in May.
Three people have died in cave collapses over the past five years.
@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
If you want a chance to see a politician in a new light, then simply subscribe to their Twitter account. Unfortunately, fans of one Irish politician got a little more than what they bargained for he used the N-word in a tweet describing "Django Unchained."
The controversial statement came Sunday from Gerry Adams, president of Irish republican political party Sinn Fein, when he tweeted: "Watching Django Unchained -- A Ballymurphy N----r!"
The tweet provoked a storm of criticism and swiftly deleted. He then issued a follow-up statement, arguing that his use of the word was "ironic" and referencing a series of shootings in 1971 when British soldiers killed civilians in Belfast, stated that "(North Irish) Nationalists were treated like African Americans."
Any1 who saw Django would know my tweets&N-word were ironic.Nationalists in Nth were treated like African Americans. Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) May 2, 2016
Facing increasing pressure over the remark, Adams issued a formal statement where he defended his second tweet, saying the use of the word was "not intended to cause any offense whatsoever."
"Attempts to suggest that I am a racist are without credibility. I am opposed to racism and have been all my life," the statement read. "The fact is that nationalists in the north, including those from Ballymurphy, were treated in much the same way as African Americans until we stood up for ourselves."
However, the apology fell on deaf ears for the most part and left many underwhelmed. Some called Adams out for being racially insensitive while others noted that his comparison was historically inaccurate.
"For anyone to use such a term is unacceptable," said Stewart Dickson, chief whip of Northern Ireland's Alliance Party. "The attempted explanation from him is not only historically inaccurate but deeply offensive to many."
Steven Agnew, leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland, tweeted: "The comment was a disgrace but the explanation adds insult to injury. Just say 'sorry'."
Clare McConnell from Belfast tweeted, "No white man in a position of privilege gets to decide when he can use that word. Don't compare black oppression to Ireland. Just don't."
Comments like these encouraged Adams to issue another statement expressing an apology, but he stuck to his main point about the "parallels of people in struggle."
While there are parallels between people in struggle, the tweet was inappropriate" - Gerry Adams https://t.co/0kEyhj9FZd Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) May 2, 2016
As mentioned before, Twitter is a great way for people to see the other sides of politicians. While Adams has experienced some turmoil in the political sphere such as being accused of being a member of the banned Irish Republican Party, as well as him being held for questioning in connection with the 1972 IRA slaying of a mother of 10, his Twitter feed is quite the opposite and fans can usually find him making plenty of colorful comments.
The yokes on me! pic.twitter.com/nGJPHmnj8t Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) February 7, 2016
We r 3 little lambs who have lost our way Baa Baa Baa. Little black sheep who have gone astray Baa Baa Baa. pic.twitter.com/AvXEn2nikC Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) March 30, 2016
I never knew Pierce Brosnan was so good looking. Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) January 14, 2016
@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Starwood has announced the signing of Aloft Jakarta Simatupang. Owned by PT. Anugrah Karya Bangsa, the hotel marks the fourth Aloft hotel in Indonesia and the third Aloft in Jakarta. Set to open on 1 January 2020, the hotel will bring its passion for live music and innovation to Indonesia's bustling capital.
"We are thrilled to sign another Aloft hotel in Jakarta as we forge ahead with our vigorous expansion plans in Southeast Asia," said Charlie Dang, Regional Vice President, Southeast Asia, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Asia Pacific. "A booming area in terms of trade and tourism, Indonesia is a major draw for both leisure and business travelers. Not only are we are strengthening our partnership with PT. Anugrah Karya Bangsa, we are also leveraging their local expertise to bring Aloft's passion for live music, design, and tech-forward mindset to the next generation of travelers in Indonesia."
Designed with today's savvy global traveler in mind, Aloft Jakarta Simatupang will feature 180 loft-inspired guestrooms and suites with the brand's signature offerings, including the ultra-comfortable plush signature bed, an oversized showerhead, custom amenities by Bliss Spa, fast and free WiFi, and LCD TVs all to maximize work and play. The hotel will also offer three dining and social spaces for guests to munch, mix, and mingle, including an all-day dining restaurant, rooftop bar, and a grab & go bar.
Additionally, Aloft Jakarta Simatupang will boast over 700 square meters of state-of-the-art meeting spaces, including a ballroom, four smaller meeting rooms, and a pre-function area. For guests to recharge and unwind, the hotel will provide its signature Splash swimming pool and Re:charge gym.
"We are excited to work with Starwood once again," Francisco Oetama, Managing Director, PT Dua Cahaya Anugrah. "With our local experience and knowledge of property development and Starwood's management expertise, strong brand platform, and powerful guest loyalty rewards program, we look forward to a continued fruitful partnership, bringing to life the many offerings of the Aloft brand."
As the largest city in Indonesia, Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural, and political center with a population of over 10 million. Aloft Jakarta Simatupang will be ideally situated along Jl. T.B. Simatupang at its junction with Jl. Ampera Raya Road in South Jakarta, which currently houses many office buildings. The hotel is located approximately 45 minutes' drive from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
"Indonesia is one of Asia's most popular tourist destinations with tremendous growth opportunities for the hospitality sector and our brands," said Rajit Sukumaran, Senior Vice President, Acquisitions and Development, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Asia Pacific. "We continue to see high demand for hotels across all price points and are thrilled to add the Aloft Jakarta Simatupang to our strong portfolio in the region."
Aloft Jakarta Simatupang will mark the third Aloft brand pipeline hotel in Jakarta behind the 140-key Aloft Jakarta Kebon Jeruk (September 2017) and the 160-key Aloft Jakarta Wahid Hasyim (December 2017).
Additionally, Starwood is accelerating growth in Indonesia with the recent openings of Four Points by Sheraton Bali, Kuta; Four Points by Sheraton Bandung; Sheraton Grand Jakarta Gandaria City Hotel; and The Hermitage, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, which is Southeast Asia's first Tribute Portfolio hotel. The Westin Jakarta is also set to open in the third quarter of 2016. These properties join Starwood's dynamic portfolio that also encompasses the company's Le Meridien, The Luxury Collection, The St. Regis, and W Hotels brands.
0
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels &
Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 1,300 properties in some 100 countries and approximately 188,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences under the renowned brands: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Meridien, Sheraton,Tribute Portfolio, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft, and Element, along with an expanded partnership withDesign Hotels. The company also boasts one of the industrys leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG). Visit www.starwoodhotels.com for more information and stay connected @starwoodbuzz on Twitterand Instagram and facebook.com/Starwood.
It looks like you've reached a page that doesnt exist (anymore).
Please use the navigation or search above to find content on Hospitality Net.
Go back to home
The most one-sided exchange of diss tracks in 2015 wasnt Drake vs. Meek Mill. It was Mick Jenkins vs. Vic Spencer. In September, Spencer unexpectedly released a Jenkins diss called Dick Jerkins. Jenkins then quickly dispatched an overmatched Spencer with his rebuttal, HeadAss, waxing bars both exquisite and ferocious. Spencer still sort of won because of the publicity he got by getting lyrically assassinated. But still.
The son of a journalist mother, Jenkins, 25, attended college in Alabama before returning to Chicago in 2013 to begin his rap career. He spent a year sharpening his delivery and released The Water[s] in 2014 to universal acclaim. With his technically sound disquisitions on morality and what Emerson called the transparent eyeball, he stands a somewhat singular figure on the hip hop landscape. His anticipated debut album is due out later this year. He may be on the verge of accomplishing something great.
Click through the gallery to check out 10 of Jenkins best songs dating back to 2012.
Value Village
Value Village appeared on 2012s The Mickstape, Jenkins first mixtape ever. (He considers 2013s Trees & Truths his true debut project.) Even before his career officially started, he demonstrated a penchant for wordplay and branded himself as an independent thinker with the tracks sing-song refrain, Dont listen/ save money.
Peg Cuff and Pocket Tees
Jenkins Instagram account looks a lot like a J. Crew fall catalogue. It appears that hes always been pretty fashion-forward on Peg Cuff and Pocket Tees, his single off the Trees & Truths mixtape he made upon returning to Chicago in 2013, he explains his sartorial philosophy: Peg cuff with the denim so the socks show/ the nigga bout to flood em with the flow.
Martyrs
Released at the tail end of 2013, Martyrs is the song that first caught the ear of Cinematic Music Group don Jonny Shipes. The video is heavy with imagery related to the songs sample, Nina Simones Blood on the Leaves: a noose around Jenkins neck, Doc Martens swaying in the winter forest. Im just with my niggas hanging.
Jazz
In Jazz, Jenkins aligns himself with several celebrated jazz musicians in order to proclaim his own virtuosity. Thumping ones chest is a central component of hip hop, Jenkins methods of chest-thumping have always been a bit center of left.
Water=truth. Water=Jenkins metaphor for maintaining purity in a world contaminated by bullshit. But in the Jazz video, water becomes a commodity
Comfortable feat. NoName Gypsy
Jenkins and his team mixed and mastered most of The Water[s] to give it a submerged feel, Comfortable feels like it takes place on a riverside meadow on a sunny morning, with flutes and harps and birds chipping. The song features a verse fromNoName Gypsy, who, like Jenkins, is one of many artists to emerge from the Chicago youth poetry scene.
Dehydration feat. theMIND (prod. DJ Dahi)
Dehydration features one of several references to ginger ale on The Water[s], but mostly it is about water (truth/inner clarity/enlightenment). From what hed you have you think, Jenkins is guzzling multiple gallons a day (piss aint never been so clear) in contrast to the bulk of the population.
Jenkins accompanied Joey on his 2015 World Domination tour. Jerome is heavily indebted to the 90s, with a screaming organ boom bap beat, a Notorious B.I.G. hook, and a slick reference to Jerome, the overconfident ex-pimp in Martin.
Ps & Qs (prod. Kaytranada)
Ps & Qs is Jenkins answer to Alphabetical Slaughter. Its pure alliteration porn:
Im pressed and like pests, Im in every nook and cranny
Your pantry, with some patience your panties
I got patience, its prevalent in the previous plannings
I been on my Ps and Qs, fuck is this? A quiz?
Get Up Get Down (prod. Stefan Ponce & ThemPeople)
As David Drake wrote in Pitchfork, Jenkins, serious and dignified, wears his voice like a Sunday suit. On Get Up Get Down, he wears his voice more like a sweatsuit. Or maybe it just seems that way because of the music video?
Your Love
Your Love (prod. Kaytranada)
Jenkins wrote Your Love based on a recent relationship presumably, about the courtship phase. In the video, he busts out all the dance moves in his arsenal in the general direction of his would-be lover. She is unimpressed, and ultimately he has no choice but to shoot her with Cupids arrow, drive-by style.
Today, one of Torontos biggest schools, Ryerson University, held its 6-cents spring concert. Inspired by Drakes nickname for Toronto, the cost of entry was apparently only six cents for Ryerson students. The concert was hosted by Futures right-hand man, DJ Esco, and the event promised to include special guests. Those who were able to scrounge up enough couch pennies to cover the ticket price were indeed treated to a special performer, as Drake, hot off the release of VIEWS, made a surprise appearance after DJ Escos set.
Im just doing this shit to prove to the rest of the world that this is the greatest city in the world, Drake told the crowd of zealous students.
His appearance earlier this evening marks the second time this school year that Drake has made a surprise performance at a Ryerson event. During his show tonight, he performed tracks like Jumpman, Energy, and Summer Sixteen, as well as the VIEWS singles One Dance and Pop Style, the latter for the first time ever. Watch footage below.
Jumpman
Summer Sixteen
Energy
One Dance
Pop Style
After performing, Drake told the crowd, Im about to go win this game. Though its unclear how important of a role his courtside antics played in tonights Game 7, he was present for every moment of the Raptors series-clinching victory over the Pacers.
He also revealed to his Ryerson fans that he has new music coming soon, despite having just dropped VIEWS. Just because VIEWS came out, it doesnt mean theres not new music on the way, he said before running off to the nearby Air Canada Centre.
Drake
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
It missed the Spindletop gusher, but the Gulf Publishing Co. was around to document most of the other big moments in the oil industry over the past 100 years. The publishing firm, launched in 1916 as prospectors were finding oil along the newly built Houston Ship Channel, is becoming a Texas company again.
A management-led buyout has purchased the company for $18 million from London-based Euromoney Institutional Investor, which had owned the firm since 2001. The publisher will be headquartered in Houston.
John Royall, chief executive officer of Gulf Publishing, Russell Denson, a Houston investor who once worked for the company while a college student, and other employees joined with Main Street Capital Corp. to buy the company. Main Street, a Houston private equity firm, provided the financing and took an ownership stake.
Royall said the purchasing price of the publishing company, its four magazine brands and online data services would have been higher if the oil industry wasn't struggling with low prices.
"This is a good time to buy," Royall said in his corner office on Greenway Plaza as employees were gearing up for the upcoming Offshore Technology Conference.
A major hurdle to completing the deal, in the works for six months, was obtaining financing. Royall said that East Coast investment bankers were reluctant to finance the acquisition because they don't know the energy industry, other than the headlines of turmoil they've seen. But Main Street Capital, which is familiar with the ups and downs of the oil market, was much more comfortable with the investment, he said.
Royall showed off old bound copies of the journals that spanned the history of the oil industry, from some of the first big gushers in Texas to the growth of oil in Saudi Arabia to the latest in drilling technology.
One 1970 "World Oil" issue, for example, featured a spread on the then one-year-old Offshore Technology Confewrence. That conference featured technical sessions on marine geology and platform design, 500 vendor booths and a cocktail party at the downtown Rice Hotel for participants. The company owns four magazine-style publications.
In addition to World Oil, which has 44,000 subscribers, it also publishes Hydrocarbon Processing with 30,000 subscribers, Gas Processing with 17,000 and Petroleum Economist with 4,000.
The company also provides industry data online, which reaches two to five times more readers than the print publications.
The company also hosts industry conferences that focus on technical issues. Plans are in the works to do more, Royall said. He also plans to launch more subscriber-only online databases, expanding current offerings that include a compilation of ongoing petrochemical, refining and gas processing projects around the world.
The trade journal business is a good one, he said. Readers who subscribe to the journals are dedicated, want highly technical information about the industry and are willing to pay for it. And manufacturers and suppliers are willing to spend money on advertising to reach the small but important group of engineers, plant managers and other decision-makers who read the journals.
Tens of thousands of energy professionals from around the world head to NRG Park on Monday to kick off the 47th Offshore Technology Conference against the backdrop of the worst industry downturn in 30 years.
The annual celebration of offshore drilling, 1,000-pound blowout preventers and high-tech robots is expected to be tempered by a focus on cost-cutting and the demands of keeping businesses afloat as many firms face a second year of substantial losses. Cheap oil and a glut of drilling rigs on the market have combined to push offshore industry into one of the most crippling downturns since the 1980s.
Several of the most ambitious Arctic drilling ventures have been called off, and major oil companies such as ConocoPhillips have canceled or delayed offshore projects. Baker Hughes, the energy services contractor, estimates that drillers are now operating fewer than 25 rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, the center of U.S. offshore activity, compared with more than 50 in 2014, when prices began their slide.
Conference organizers say the gathering this year is perhaps more vital than ever as drillers seek new technologies and practices to increase efficiency, lower costs and become more competitive with land-based drillers tapping shale deposits.
"Since 1969, the world has come to OTC to make critical decisions, share ideas and develop business partnerships to meet global energy demands," conference chairman Joe Fowler said in a statement.
The Offshore Technology Conference occupies a unique position in the industry, reflecting its health and market conditions.
Attendance peaked in 2014 with 108,161 showing up at NRG Park. The crowds thinned last year to 94,880 as oil grew cheaper and is expected to slide further this year. Exhibit sales have already fallen off slightly, officials said.
Attendees can expect to see somewhat scaled-back displays and less swag as companies face more cost-cutting and layoffs.
Panels this year include instructional courses in subsea drilling, technical discussions about well completion technologies and showcases of the systems that hold rigs in place at sea while drilling. Exhibitors include a long list of the largest U.S. offshore drilling companies and the manufacturers that supply them, as well as delegations from abroad.
Even with prices rebounding and possible recovery in sight, the future of offshore drilling remains uncertain. Industry executives and most analysts agree that underwater reserves will need to be tapped over the next decade, but few predict that offshore drillers will have the license to drill as they did when oil topped $100 per barrel. In the future, analyst said, each well drilled into the seafloor will have to prove itself a better investment than the shale of Texas and North Dakota.
But as bad as conditions are, the OTC has seen worse than $45-per-barrel oil. In 1984, industry conditions were so depressed that the conference wasn't held.
The city of Houston's effort to off-load some convention and facilities employees from its pension plan has hit what should have become its end - the Texas Supreme Court. But the city continues to keep these employees off its books long after the court essentially ruled against the practice.
At issue is whether the city can avoid millions of dollars in pension obligations by shifting workers from the municipal payroll to that of an employee leasing company. The Houston Municipal Employees System says no, and has gone back to court to force the city to turn over payroll records from the employee leasing firm and make contributions on behalf of these workers.
"We won every step of the way," said Travis J. Sales, the lawyer representing the pension board. "I don't think they want to acknowledge it, and they don't want to pay for it."
The dispute centers on Houston First, the taxpayer-funded authority that the city created in 2011 to take over its convention and facility management operations, and comes as city's pension plans slide toward insolvency with nearly $5.6 billion in unfunded liabilities. The two major rating agencies, Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's, cited this burden when they lowered the city's credit rating earlier this year.
Soon after its creation, Houston First formed a separate employee leasing firm, Convention and Cultural Services Inc., to employ its workers and lease them back to the convention authority. The workers' jobs didn't change, just the name of the organization issuing their paychecks. But, according to the city, they were no longer eligible for municipal pensions.
The pension system, however, has argued that the move by Houston First - which is the sole client of Convention and Cultural Services - was an accounting maneuver designed solely to off-load pension obligations. The trial court of Harris County agreed. So did the Texas First Court of Appeals. A year ago, the Texas Supreme Court also sided with the pension system, finding that its trustees have the authority to determine that the "leased" employees belong in the city's pension plan,
Well-used practice
It's unclear how many employees could be affected, since the city nor Houston First Corp., Convention and Cultural Services refuse to disclose how many employees work for the convention and facilities authority. Initially about 75 employees were denied pension benefits, but Houston First Corp. has grown substantially during the past five years, said Sales, a partner at the Houston law firm Baker Botts. He estimates the city's financial engineering cost former and current employees of the convention authority millions of dollars in pension benefits.
Houston First declined comment, referring questions to the city. Janice Evans, spokeswoman for Mayor Sylvester Turner, said in a statement that the city believes the Houston First employees don't belong in the pension system and the pension board's claims are "unfounded and improper."
The city and Houston First have used a well-established approach to lowering labor costs. For decades, U.S. corporations have outsourced any number of jobs and operations, often turning to staffing agencies to provide their workers as ways to avoid payroll taxes and benefit costs. In the 1990s, for example, Texas companies used employee leasing firms as a way to lower workers compensation insurance premiums because the new leasing firms didn't have histories of on-the-job accidents that lead to higher rates.
Employees were typically fired and then immediately rehired by a leasing company, which became the employer of record. As in the Houston First offices, employees never changed jobs, desks or supervisors.
The dispute between the city and the pension board began shortly after the Houston First workers were moved to the employee leasing firm, taking a long and tortured path. A handful of eligible workers contended that since they no longer legally worked for the city, they could start collecting their municipal pensions. The pension system disagreed, arguing that they were, for all intents and purposes, still city employees.
The workers sued the pension board, and the city later joined the suit to establish that it was no longer obligated to provide pensions to Houston First employees. The courts, however, ruled in favor of the pension system and its power to determine who qualifies for the benefit.
Legal experts say the pension system is now experiencing the same frustrations that many other successful parties have. It's one thing to win a judgement, another to collect on it.
In this case, while the courts have sided with the pension board, they provided no specific remedies, such as ordering the city to provide payroll records and make appropriate pension contributions for the Houston First workers. The pension board went back to court to obtain such a ruling, suing the city in June 2015.
New legal argument
The city has sought to have the suit dismissed by claiming sovereign immunity, a legal doctrine that protects governments from lawsuits. When the trial court rejected that claim, the city appealed to the Texas Fourteenth Court of Appeals, where the case is pending.
Martin J. Siegel, an appellate lawyer in Houston, noted that city isn't challenging the Supreme Court directly, but trying a new legal argument to avoid paying up.
"That position sure seems to violate the spirit of the Supreme Court's decision, if not the letter, and I doubt the Court of Appeals will play along," said Siegel, who is not involved in the case. "The city looks like it's playing whack-a-mole."
Houston City Attorney Donna Edmundson did not return a call for comment.
Houston hasn't contributed enough to meet its pension obligations for about 15 years, said Josh McGee, vice president of Houston's Laura and John Arnold Foundation, which studies public policy issues, including health care, public education and public finance.
Houston would need to contribute 19 percent of the taxes and other revenues to shore up its pension program over the next 30 years, said McGee, co-author of last year's report, "Swamped: How Pension Debt Is Sinking the Bayou City." But the city is contributing only about 15 percent, putting the municipal government - and taxpayers - into a deeper hole.
If the city brings Houston First employees into the pension system, the financial impact would be relatively small because the overall deficit is so large, he said. But the bigger question is whether court rulings would derail future efforts by the city to lower pension obligations through similar accounting maneuvers.
Former Houston mayoral candidate Bill King, a longtime critic of Houston's chronic pension shortfalls, said he expects the city will try to move more employees off its payrolls to employee leasing firms as the pension system's financial problems mount.
"We can't afford these plans," said King. "It will bankrupt the city."
I spent nine days as a guest of Germany's foreign trade and inward investment agency to see how that nation has embraced Industry 4.0.
That worldwide initiative, conceived in Germany, aims to develop standards and protocols for integrating the Internet of Things with cyber-physical systems, data collection and analysis, machine learning, and the Internet of Services.
We visited manufacturers, research institutions, universities and startups in three states; enjoyed demonstrations of smart assembly lines, smart processes and smart devices; and ended up at the Hannover Messe - the largest industrial trade show on earth with more than 5 million square feet of exhibit space, 5,000 exhibitors, and nearly 200,000 visitors (including President Barack Obama) this year.
Our first stop was the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Kaiserslautern, the largest AI research center in the world, where we were introduced to some of the technologies that enable Industry 4.0, including radio-frequency identification tags, real-time data collection and analysis, and cyber-physical systems that can make decisions on their own based on that data.
In Munich, we were the first journalists invited to tour IBM's brand-new global headquarters for Watson Internet of Things. I challenged Watson to a game of "Jeopardy" but was politely informed that Watson doesn't do games anymore. Today, Watson is a cloud-based cognitive IoT service that can analyze and learn from data collected by all those IoT devices.
IBM's Green Horizons initiative is an example of IoT technologies gathering data from monitoring stations, weather satellites and traffic cameras in Beijing. This enables highly accurate pollution forecasts, down to the nearest kilometer, up to 72 hours in advance and allows accurate pollution trend forecasts up to 10 days in the future.
Perhaps that's why big businesses like Siemens, John Deere and Fingrid (Finland's main electrical-grid operator) are using Watson IoT to sift through and learn from the petabytes of data collected by smart devices in the field.
At the Hannover Messe, the U.S. was the Official Partner Country this year, represented by more than 350 U.S.-based exhibitors including small contingents from Houston, San Antonio and Victoria.
I learned a lot and saw how Germany has all its stakeholders on the same page regarding Industry 4.0. They're committed to helping their businesses adopt new techniques and processes, and the result should be higher-quality goods and services with more available options at lower prices.
It's a huge and daunting task. As far as I could see, the Germans are not just doing it, they're doing it quite well.
Halliburton and Baker Hughes abandoned their merger Sunday after the deal once valued at $35 billion failed to gain the blessing of antitrust officials, setting the stage for more layoffs at the Houston companies as they resume their competition amid the continuing oil slump.
The chief executives of both energy services firms called the failure to complete the merger "disappointing."
"The challenges in obtaining remaining regulatory approvals and general industry conditions that severely damaged deal economics led to the conclusion that termination is the best course of action," Halliburton CEO Dave Lesar said in a statement.
The planned merger was "an extremely complex, global transaction," Baker Hughes CEO Martin Craighead said in his statement. "Ultimately," he said "a solution could not be found to satisfy the antitrust concerns of regulators, both in the United States and abroad."
They resume their competition amid the continuing oil slump.
Under the terms of the merger agreement, Halliburton will pay Baker Hughes a $3.5 billion breakup fee even as it continues to struggle in the extended oil bust, recently reporting a steep decline in revenues and thousands of job cuts. But Halliburton, which borrowed $7.5 billion to help finance the acquisition, is flush with cash and should have no trouble covering the bill, analysts said.
Halliburton is the world's second-largest energy services firm and Baker Hughes is the third. When the companies agreed to merge in November 2014, executives hoped to create a firm with the size and scale to compete with Schlumberger, the world's biggest energy services company. But antitrust officials said the combined company would control too large a share of the market and have too much power over pricing, particularly in the development of North American shale fields. The Justice Department filed suit to block deal on April 6.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch hailed the breakup as the end of "duopoly" in energy services and "a victory for the U.S. economy and for all Americans," David Gelfand, deputy assistant attorney general in the antitrust division, said merger "would have raised prices, decreased output and lessened innovation in at least 23 oilfield products and services critical to the nation's energy supply."
The decision to give up on the merger was widely anticipated as it grew increasingly clear that the deal would not clear antitrust objections before a deadline Saturday. Both companies began preparing in recent weeks to resume operations as separate companies and competitors, analysts said. In the short term, the collapse of the deal is expected to lead to hundreds more layoffs as the companies shutter businesses and slash operations to reap savings they might have gained through the merger.
Halliburton, for example, held onto office support staff - lawyers, accountants and middle managers - and some assets in the field that it would have needed to manage a larger business. Baker Hughes also kept its businesses larger than it would otherwise would have been, estimating that it carried an extra $110 million in costs in the first quarter to comply with the terms of the deal.
More Information By the numbers $35 billion: The estimated value of the Halliburton-Baker Hughes merger agreement. $3.5 billion: The breakup fee Halliburton must pay Baker Hughes $7.5 billion: The amount Halliburton borrowed to help finance the acquisition. See More Collapse
Analysts expect the companies to soon make cuts in these areas.
Halliburton and Baker Hughes are two of Houston's - and the industry's - most storied companies. Their histories reach back to the early days of the Texas oil rush in the first decades of the 20th century, each firm introducing new products, services and innovations that helped make Texas and Houston the energy capital of the world. Halliburton's red coveralls and Baker Hughes' blue ones have been staples in the oil patch for decades.
At Halliburton, the company's core businesses were already widely considered to be among the strongest in the industry. The company has spent the past decade building the premier hydraulic fracturing fleet in the U.S., and analysts say it can pump water and sand into shale formations more efficiently than any other in the industry.
Baker Hughes doesn't have the same kind of marquee business to lean on, and remains in the unenviable position of being the third in the market. But analysts say the company could invest the breakup fee in fresh equipment to make its fracking business competitive by the time oil prices recover.
Baker Hughes might also become a target of a new buyer, analysts said. One major investor, the hedge fund ValueAct Capital Management, has proposed that Baker Hughes break itself up and sell off its various businesses, according to court documents in a lawsuit.
Halliburton last Friday delayed its earnings until Tuesday, but reported that its first-quarter revenue fell to $4.2 billion from $7.05 billion from the same period in 2015, and it cut 6,000 jobs in the first three months of the year. Baker Hughes reported its first-quarter revenue plunged more than 40 percent, to $2.7 billion from $4.6 billion in 2015, and its losses widened to $981 million. Both companies have tried to stop the bleeding by cutting costs and jobs as dramatically as revenues have fallen.
The information in this column is intended to provide a general understanding of the law, not as legal advice. Readers with legal problems, including those whose questions are addressed here, should consult attorneys for advice on their particular circumstances.
Q: I think my mother, under duress and having fraudulent representation, was hoodwinked out of her share of her parents' farm in Pennsylvania. Her siblings had her sign certain forms that ended up giving the property to my aunt. What can my mother do?
A: Your mother would need to hire an attorney in Pennsylvania.
Letters from that lawyer demanding a share of the property probably won't get your mother anywhere, and instead it will likely take a lawsuit if your mother really wants a share of that property.
Your mother needs to decide whether she wants to spend a lot of money on this lawsuit.
She also needs to decide whether she really wants to sue her siblings.
And keep in mind, years from now, after spending many thousands of dollars, your mother might lose.
Q: After my father died in 2014, I started paying the mortgage for my mother. She wants me to get the home when she dies. I have three siblings who have no interest in keeping the house. What is the best way to handle this?
A: Your mother can sign a Transfer on Death Deed naming you as the sole beneficiary of the home. She can name your siblings as the alternate beneficiaries in case you are not alive when she dies.
This form is available for free at texaslawhelp.org.
If your mother doesn't want to use that form, she could add a bequest of the home to her will so that it goes to you when she dies. She can give the rest of her property to your siblings (and to you, if she wants).
Q: Can a person living in another state (not Texas) be the named trustee in a Texas will? And, can he or she be the named executor also?
A: The answer to both questions is yes.
The only caveat is that an out-of-state executor is required to name someone in Texas to be the "resident service agent" so that there is someone in Texas to be contacted if the estate is sued.
Q: My husband and I own a residence and a rental home. We have some savings and debts. Do we need wills in case something happens to one of us? Do we need wills to leave our assets to our four adult children?
A: You and your husband might be able to avoid probate if you have two Transfer on Death Deeds and if all of your accounts are either survivorship or payable on death.
Regardless, though, it is often a good idea for spouses to have wills as a backup plan.
You can find out for certain what you need by meeting with an attorney.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
Global franchise Pita Pit is bringing its healthy fast-food concept to the Houston market after arriving in Texas 10 years ago.
Franchisee Nick Bhakta will open the brand's third area location in Deer Park in mid-May, after the recent openings by other operators at 11081 Westheimer near the Energy Corridor and 12020 FM 1960 West in Cypress. An opening is planned at 21147 Texas 249 in August, and another deal is in the works for Katy.
The 1,235-square-foot location at 8015 Spencer Highway will serve Mediterranean-American fusion fare. Customers go through a line and pay before taking their food to the table. Customers pick a protein such as chicken or falafel, then select from ingredients such as spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, black olives, onions, feta and tzatziki sauce to wrap in a pita or served as a salad.
The average price is $6.89 for a pita, and just over $10 including chips and a drink, according to Pita Pit.
Like many other franchisees, Bhakta heard of the concept from family members who had eaten there. He worked with the corporate office in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to select the location.
"We believe you don't need to sacrifice your health to get a quick, tasty meal," Bhakta said in an email.
The Deer Park store will be the 10th location in Texas, with others in the Dallas and San Antonio markets. The chain used to have locations in Austin.
Pita Pit is expected to grow to 14 stores in the Houston market over the next five years, said Bill Wilfong, vice president of franchise development for Pita Pit.
"People right now are looking for four things: ethnic cuisine, bold and spicy flavors, healthy and fast," Wilfong said. "When you look at those things, we kind of feel like that's our M.O."
Since the brand, which started in Canada, opened at Syracuse University in 1999, Pita Pit has grown to more than 250 locations in the U.S. and 620 globally.
The restaurants average just over $500,000 in sales annually, with top stores selling more than $1 million, Wilfong said.
The stores are similar in size to Subway, which has just over 500 locations in the Houston market.
In a 2015 survey, 84 percent of quick service restaurant operators say their customers pay more attention to the nutritional content of their food than they did two years ago, according to the National Restaurant Association. The study also found that 66 percent of customers eat a wider variety of ethnic cuisines than they did five years ago.
Pita Pit joins other chains expanding in the area, such as Austin-based Verts Mediterranean Grill and Torchy's Tacos. Verts has grown to 10 area locations, while Torchy's has seven plus another planned in the Baybrook area. A few of the national chains expanding here are Pollo Tropical, El Pollo Loco and PDQ.
Houston's retail occupancy is near an all-time high at 98 percent for top spaces and 94 percent overall, according to commercial real estate firm CBRE.
"Whoever wants to be here, it's a tough road ahead because there's just no space," said Brian Ashby, a retail broker with CBRE. "You can't just walk in here and do a deal."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 Katherine Feser Show More Show Less 2 of 2 handout Show More Show Less
Texas posted strong gains in home sales and prices and set a record for low market supply in the first three months of the year despite the negative effect of slumping oil prices in some areas.
Home sales shot up 7.8 percent statewide, to 65,265, in the first quarter compared with the same period a year earlier, the Texas Association of Realtors said in a quarterly report issued Monday.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
Residents who live and work along the newly opened segments of the Grand Parkway won't have to wait long for fire protection or ambulance service if there's an emergency.
Since March, the Tomball Fire Department, the Spring Volunteer Fire Department and Cypress Creek EMS have all opened new state-of-the-art stations that will provide a faster emergency response to areas of the Grand Parkway between U.S. 290 and Interstate 69.
"The staff is doing very well, and the station is performing better than I expected," said Tomball Fire Chief Randy Parr. "We are finding that with the Grand Parkway, we can move around and get to various parts of our district much fasterthan we could from station two or station one."
The Tomball Fire Department began officially operating out of Fire Station No. 5 on March 21.
The new station, located on Telge Road three miles south of FM 2920, was built by Harris County Emergency Service District 15 and is being leased to the city of Tomball.
The Tomball City Council voted in December to accept a 15-year service agreement with Harris County Emergency Services District 15 that the city has maintained since 2005.
As part of the contract, the emergency services district will put $260,000 toward three full-time driver operator positions to staff the new station, Parr said.
The station - which will serve the new and growing subdivisions of Willow Creek Ranch Estates, Hayden Lakes, Pine Country and Wildwood at Oakcrest - also will provide a quicker mutual aid response to the Rose Hill Volunteer Fire Department.
The first real test for the new station happened during the April 18 floods.
"They were horrifically busy during the flooding, and that station was actually used for a bunch of mutual aid calls with Cy-Fire Volunteer Fire Department, Cypress Creek Volunteer Fire Department and Klein Volunteer Fire Department," Parr said. "It was very slow going, and the water was highFrom my perspective, (the new station) is working out better than expected for having it open for about six weeks."
Meanwhile, the Spring Volunteer Fire Department and Cypress Creek recently hosted the grand opening of their joint emergency services station in Springwoods Village.
The 24,000 square-foot facility, which is separated by a fire wall, is occupied by Spring Fire Station No. 70; the ninth station in the Spring Volunteer Fire Department, and Cypress Creek EMS Station No. 513.
Since the Spring Volunteer Fire Department and Cypress Creek EMS are both members of two separate emergency service districts, each of the ESD's funded the construction of its respective stations.
Spring Fire Station No. 70 is a 19,569 square-feet and include five apparatus bays, living quarters, a training room, work rooms, a decontamination room, turn-out gear room and a physical wellness area, and was built at a cost of $6 million by Emergency Service District 7.
Shannon Stryk, district chief for Spring VFD, said the department moved quickly to ensure the new station was fully occupied and fully equipped.
"We added some full time (staff) to supplement the volunteers; we purchased a 100-foot tower, a brand new pumper and an all-terrain vehicle that's also housed there," Stryk said.
Brad England, executive director for Cypress Creek EMS, said the original plan called for a grand opening in October 2015, but heavy spring rains in 2015 caused delays and a reduction in the budget by Emergency Service District 11, which funded the $1.9 million EMS portion of the project, pushed the opening back several months.
"The crews have actually been operating out of there for about a month," England said. "We had the staff in place by last November because it takes several months to train them, and get everyone hiredThe manpower was there, the station just wasn't ready."
Cypress Creek EMS No. 513, located at 22310 Springwood Village Parkway, occupies 4,794 square-feet of the station and features two double-deep ambulance bays, living quarters, a work room and storage areas.
Cypress Creek EMS covers 177 square miles in north Houston, and provides EMS support to volunteer fire departments in Spring, Klein, Cypress Creek, Champions and is on call to assist other emergency entities when needed.
New stations
The Tomball Fire Department, the Spring Volunteer Fire Department and Cypress Creek EMS have all opened new stations that will provide a faster response time to areas along the Grand Parkway, and the surrounding area. The stations are located at:
Spring Fire Station No. 70
22306 Springwoods Village Parkway, Spring
Cypress Creek EMS 513
22310 Springwoods Village Parkway, Spring
Tomball FD Station No. 5
Telge Road, Tomball
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
With Cinco de Mayo on Thursday, the city of Houston is getting ready to celebrate.
Nationally, 10.8 percent of Americans claim Mexican ancestry, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But that's child's play compared to the rate in Houston.
Space City has the fifth-highest share of Mexican-Americans among the nation's 25 largest metro areas, some 27.7 percent of residents. San Antonio is No. 1, at 48.7 percent.
But even San Antonio is nothing compared to the 77011 ZIP Code in the Greater East End. Here, census figures show that 84.7 percent of residents claim Mexican descent.
What made this little neighborhood on the city's east side blossom into a diaspora? Well, it didn't happen overnight.
"This is a very old neighborhood," said Jessica Hulsey, who lives in the Greater East End. She was born in a border town but has called Houston home for decades. "It's been like this for as long as I can remember."
Houston as a whole, she said, has long been known as a great place for immigrants to put down roots.
"The majority of our immigrants, they come this way and in this direction because of the access to work," she said. But instead of spreading out evenly across the city, she added, many Mexicans and Mexican-Americans have sought out the East End because of affordability.
Citywide, monthly rent averages $862, according to the census. But in this specific area, rent is about 24 percent lower, a monthly average of $658.
"Once some people move here, more come because of the high concentration of Latinos," Hulsey said. "And I guess this is also very inviting, to be with your own, where you can communicate."
For those who aren't certain exactly what Cinco de Mayo celebrates, here's a quick history lesson. The day has turned into a cultural holiday in America, even more so than in Mexico. Here, it's often less about the history and more about the margaritas, much like St. Patrick's Day in the U.S. is about wearing green and throwing back pints of Guinness. Cinco de Mayo is often incorrectly referred to as Mexican Independence Day, but in actuality, it commemorates the anniversary of the Mexican Army's 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla, a symbolic victory during the Franco-Mexican War.
KILLEEN - Four U.S. soldiers sat at a folding table across from a man wearing an Afghan National Army uniform as he discussed his unit's work in a rugged area of eastern Afghanistan.
The Americans jotted notes in green field books as the Afghan commander, speaking in Dari and through an interpreter, explained his efforts to set up military checkpoints and supply routes for his troops. Hanging on the room's walls were the flag of Afghanistan and a framed photo of Ashraf Ghani, the country's president, and on a nearby table stood a coffee urn filled with tea.
All the elements - the conversation topics and interpreter, the decor, even the availability of tea instead of coffee - provided a preview of what awaits the soldiers in Afghanistan.
The men, who belong to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment stationed at Fort Hood, will join some 1,000 soldiers from the unit deploying in the next month to the country's mountainous eastern region for a nine-month tour.
The four's participation with a dozen other soldiers in the classroom exercise, held on a recent weekday on base, illuminated how the U.S. military has shifted its emphasis in Afghanistan from fighting to talking.
Maj. Chauncey Hodge was listening to the faux commander played by a native Afghan who once worked for U.S. forces as an interpreter and later emigrated to America. Hodge, 36, who previously deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 after a tour in Iraq three years earlier, described the change in purpose and philosophy for American troops.
"We're not going there this time to say, 'This is what you have to do,' " he said. "It's their plan, and you're more working to help them follow through."
The 3rd Cavalry will make up more than 10 percent of the 9,800 troops in Afghanistan supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel. The "train, advise and assist" mission, in military parlance, began last year after President Barack Obama halted major combat operations following the U.S.-led war against the Taliban.
The transition to an advisory role coincided with Obama's decision to reduce the number of troops on the ground. The figure will drop to 5,500 next year as the Afghan military, formed in 2002 and forced to grow up under fire, struggles to subdue the Taliban insurgency.
Afghan army and police forces have suffered heavy losses since assuming more control of the battle against the Islamist militia, with 16,000 members killed or wounded last year, an increase of 3,500 from 2014. The Taliban has exploited a lack of cohesion among Afghanistan's military branches across the country, including in the capital of Kabul two weeks ago.
A suicide attacker detonated a massive truck bomb outside a government intelligence office in the heart of the city's so-called "ring of steel," killing 64 people and wounding nearly 350, most of them civilians. The attack ranked as the deadliest in Kabul since 2011, when militants launched an assault on the U.S. Embassy.
The training at Fort Hood involved quieter scenarios that 3rd Cavalry officers can expect to encounter during their tour. They met in small groups with Afghan "commanders," who sought guidance on moving weapons and equipment between bases, evacuating wounded soldiers and improving radio transmissions.
The Americans asked questions to learn more details before suggesting solutions, taking care to articulate options rather than commands.
"It's not about having them copy the American model," said 1st Lt. Matthew Duarte, 24, who will lead a platoon to advise Afghan combat medics. "We've been in Afghanistan for quite a long time now, and the Afghan forces have come a long way. At this point, we're just trying to help them reach the goal of self-sufficiency."
The plot of old oil land in southwest Houston where the University of Texas is planting its flag began to take shape 15 years ago.
The more than 300 acres were nearly home to several projects, including a master-planned community, hotels, shops and office space. It wasn't until last summer that another option for the land emerged.
The big land sale to UT, which sparked excitement and concern in Houston, happened almost by chance - and nearly didn't happen at all. An architect and a real estate developer spent a decade and a half buying dozens of little connecting parcels, creating one of the largest undeveloped swaths in Houston. Last year they were set to sell some of the desirable land to commercial developers when leaders of the state's largest university system made an offer.
"I would have put the odds as very low that this transaction would have happened," said John Kirksey, founder and owner of the Houston-based Kirksey Architecture and a UT alumnus who owned much of the land. "It just seemed like such a big undertaking and a long shot. It's amazing that something so fractured, that the pieces could all come back together again and then for that unified whole to be put in the hands of an institution like the University of Texas. I think it's wonderful that it was able to happen."
The deal came together quietly last summer before UT Chancellor William McRaven announced in November that he wanted to expand UT's footprint in Houston by building something "bold" and "innovative." His vague announcement caught many by surprise, and the project continues to be a tough sell to some. A group of state lawmakers last week blasted McRaven for not telling them of his plans before pulling the trigger on the land deal that will cost more than $200 million. Opponents already fear UT will steal top faculty and siphon research funding as the University of Houston strives to become a top-tier university. UH boosters have called the land purchase an "invasion."
"I would strongly have recommended that y'all send the balloon up before you did it," state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican, told McRaven at a Senate higher education committee hearing Tuesday in Austin. "No one even saw the balloon on the horizon, so obviously somebody was doing a pretty good job of not talking about that issue."
Sen. Kel Seliger, an Amarillo Republican and chairman of the committee, said the move showed a "total lack of transparency."
The silence was necessary, those involved in the deal have said. McRaven told the committee that he should have come to them first - admitting it was a mistake he made because he was new to the job - but he argued prices would have skyrocketed on the land if the public knew UT was looking to buy it.
In an interview, Kirksey said he had contracts in the works to sell the land to two other buyers and was still working to buy smaller parcels to complete the 300-acre swath.
"As I told him, if word was on the street, then it would kill us," Kirksey said. "Our ability to buy all of these outtracts would probably evaporate."
UT has acquired 252 acres at a price of about $187 million so far and plans to make adjacent purchases into next year. The price tag for the full swath is $215 million. UT, meanwhile, has formed a task force of prominent Houstonians to decide what to do with the land. McRaven has said he wants it to be an "intellectual hub" with opportunities for collaboration with other Texas universities.
UT wants to "create a new model for public higher education" in Houston, said Paul Hobby, co-chair of the task force. But as UT faces pushback from lawmakers and University of Houston leaders, much is at stake, the former chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership said.
"Pettiness could defeat the grand vision," Hobby said. "If this is a problem for Houston, there are a lot of other cities that would love this problem - where university systems are fighting to bring new intellectual capacity. It's a good problem to have."
Just the place to expand
Joel Scott, a principal in TerraMark Ventures, a Houston-based real estate development firm, began buying parcels in the old Pierce Junction oil field in southwest Houston around 2001. Kirksey, his longtime friend and investor, joined him in 2002. Because it was an old oil field, the land was fractured and took years to piece back together."
They sold some of the land to developers of apartments in the area. They had plans to develop a mixed-use urban community in the area as far back as 2004, when Scott told the Chronicle that they were attracted to the area because of its proximity to the Texas Medical Center and Reliant Center.
The two worked with city officials to get infrastructure in place as well, and formed a municipal management district.
But 12 years later, much of the land is still vacant. When Les Allison, a UT alumnus and Houston developer, ran into Kirksey last summer and asked about the project, he was shocked to hear that Kirksey and Scott had pulled together hundreds of acres.
Allison, who serves on the UT Chancellor's Circle Executive Committee, knew McRaven had a lot of interest in Houston. Allison said he, the chancellor and others in Houston were in "very loose conversations" last year about being on the lookout for land here. McRaven wrote a blog post about a luncheon Allison hosted in Houston, noting that he was interested in "planting a larger UT flag in Houston."
Kirksey's land - close to the medical center, with a rail stop - could be just the place for UT to expand, Allison thought. McRaven agreed.
"With its proximity to the Texas Medical Center and downtown Houston, we believed it was the perfect location to begin to chart a vision for the future, in the same way that the TMC was created over time, to provide extraordinary opportunities for new and unprecedented collaborations, initiatives and innovation," McRaven said in a statement this week.
But when Allison went back to Kirksey later last summer, he learned Kirksey was close to closing two contracts to sell some of the land to a hotel developer and an office building developer. Allison told Kirksey he had a big potential buyer, but was short on details - he didn't say UT was interested.
"He said how hard will it be to get you to sit still on those contracts," Kirksey said. "That was a difficult decision to make, because the proverbial bird in hand."
But Kirksey held off, a decision that he said he felt much more comfortable with once it became clear who was looking to buy the property.
McRaven toured the land in August, meeting with Kirksey for the first time. In the fall, UT Regent Jeffrey Hildebrand, the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Houston's Hilcorp Energy Company, asked his friend Walt Mischer, Jr., a partner a Houston-based Mischer Investments, L.P., to take a look at the land, too.
Within weeks a deal was struck. The UT Board of Regents approved the land acquisition in November, days before McRaven announced the university's plans to buy the land.
'Great, magnificent city'
Tension began to build between McRaven, state lawmakers and University of Houston leaders almost immediately after the chancellor announced last fall UT would buy the land. The tension was on full display during the Senate higher education committee hearing last week when McRaven, sitting next to UH Chancellor Renu Khator before the panel, defended his plans against a volley of concerns raised by the senators. Seliger questioned whether UT was losing sight of its core mission of education. Sen. Kirk Watson, an Austin Democrat, wondered if UT's money might be better spent on its flagship campus in Austin.
"This is what I would hope you would expect a great university to do, which is to take bold initiatives and do things that are innovative," McRaven responded. "Sometimes you have to invest in that, even when things are tight."
Houston, he said, is the right place to expand.
"My responsibility as the chancellor of the University of Texas is to the state of Texas, first and foremost," he said. "When we look at the state of Texas, not taking an opportunity to look at Houston - that great, magnificent city that has such great sectors in medical and business and energy and transportation - I think that would be egregious."
McRaven convened the local task force to draft a plan of specifics for how to use the land. The chancellor has insisted that he has no secret ideas for how the land should be used and wants his panel to tell him how it could best serve the city and the state.
The 18-member panel includes representatives from Texas Southern University and Rice University. UT offered UH a spot on the task force, but UH officials declined in a January 28 email obtained by the Chronicle.
McRaven has stepped aside and is letting the group do the planning, said Carin Barth, the other co-chair of the task force. The group is looking globally for ideas, said Barth, president and co-founder of LB Capital and former Texas Tech regent. She said the land should be used for collaboration, as McRaven has stressed. And Barth said members of the group have made it clear they do not want to duplicate any effective education or research programs in Houston or across the state. The group has approached the planning by looking at what would benefit Houston and the state rather than any one university, she said.
"I don't see someone putting the TSU hat on. I don't see someone putting the Rice hat on. I see people bringing what they've learned from being engaged in the city of Houston," Barth said. "I got involved because I saw it as a way to elevate the intellectual capacity of the city, the state and beyond...I feel like the University of Texas coming to the city in a different capacity - it obviously wants to elevate everybody's game."
Kirksey, who said he is a big supporter of UH, also said he is confident the city will be better off with UT owning his land. Whatever UT puts together, he said, will be far better than what was on the table for the old oil land before last summer.
"What we probably would have developed out there is another pound of something Houston has 5,000 pounds of already - residential, commercial," Kirksey said. "If you put all that land into the hands of an institution like the University of Texas, which has the money and can take the long-term view it has the potential to be something far, far greater for the city of Houston."
HYDERABAD, India - It is a balmy spring morning in this hilly southern India capital of some 7 million. Once a cultural and gem trading center known as the City of Pearls, it is now better known as the home of the high-technology hub dubbed "Cyberabad."
Google, Microsoft and other tech giants have built gleaming campuses here. Some of India's largest outsourcing companies, which provide skilled Indian tech workers within the country and abroad, have set up shop here as well. All are tapping into India's growing population of young IT and engineering talent, whose members flock here by the thousands seeking work.
But thousands of workers here have a higher goal: To obtain a guest worker visa that will allow them to take their high-tech talents to America.
As the sun rises, hundreds circle an ancient temple on the outskirts of the city, praying to the Hindu deity Balaji for specialty-occupation visa, familiarly known as an H-1B. Those who receive them can spend three to six years working in the U.S. - a ticket, they believe, to a better, more financially secure future.
The odds are far from in their favor: Worker must be chosen from among thousands of hopefuls by a company in need of certain skills. An application in his behalf must be made, at a cost of thousands of dollars, and approved by U.S. officials. And, for the past several years, getting that far means having perhaps a 1-in-4 chance of success in a lottery among the huge number of applications.
Those who are successful face other concerns: Navigating a system in which their employer controls their visa, and thus their legal status, leaving some feeling like indentured servants with no power over working hours or conditions. Having wages sometimes shaved through fees assessed by sponsoring companies, who may contract them out for other work.
And increasingly, being pointed to by critics of the H-1B program, including GOP presidential candgidates Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, as a threat to U.S. workers.
Raja Ram Mohan, 31, a computer engineer, seems unconcerned with the growing H-1B debate, his thoughts only on the possibilities before him. This morning, he took 2 hours to circle the temple more than 100 times - an act of gratitude to the deity for his success in obtaining an H-1B. His wife, praying for a visa for herself, accompanied him.
"We've never been to America," Mohan said. "I hear the Texas weather is somewhat like here? Maybe we can go there."
Overwhelming demand
More Information About this project The international reporting for this story was made possible through a crowdfunding effort supported by Beacon, a journalism- funding startup in the East Bay. More than 200 San Francisco Chronicle readers helped raise a total of $15,000 to put toward our reporting, photography, video production and graphic design. The Chronicle will continue to report on issues raised by the H-1B visa system here in the United States. See More Collapse
Since 1990, the H-1B visa program has allowed U.S. companies to hire foreign workers with special skills, including physicians, engineers, accountants, even fashion models. Increasingly, the program has been dominated by U.S. technology companies seeking software analysts, engineers and other IT workers.
Applications for the visas increased by 90 percent from 2013 to 2016, when a record 236,000 requests were submitted within days of the April 1 opening of the application period.
Need for the visas is urgent in Houston, with its oil and biomedical sectors. Employers here requested nearly 13,000 H-1B visas in 2013, the most in the country after New York City, according to an analysis of federal data. Nearly 6,000 of those were approved that year, a Brookings analysis found.
Since 2004, the cap on these visas has been set at 85,000 annually - 65,000 for foreign workers with at least a bachelor's degree, another 20,000 reserved for those with advanced degrees from U.S. universities. Trade agreements reserve up to 6,800 of those visas for skilled Chilean and Singaporean workers.
Exempt from the cap are skilled workers employed in higher education, nonprofit research or government research. Also not counted in the cap are extensions of an H-1B for a second three-year term.
Indian companies, including Tata Consulting Services, Wipro and Infosys, submit tens of thousands of visa requests on behalf of U.S. clients each year. Critics say they are effectively gaming the computerized lottery to dole out visas - depriving smaller companies of the chance to fairly compete for H-1Bs and taking visas that could go to more highly skilled, higher-paid workers for low-level, lower-paid programmers.
According to Department of Labor data, the top four Indian outsourcing companies successfully filed about 66,000 Labor Condition Applications in 2015, which is the first step toward obtaining an H-1B visa.
While many Silicon Valley companies such as Apple and Intel tend to hire more highly skilled workers and pay six-figure salaries, the bulk of H-1B jobs go to lower-level IT workers who are often paid close to the minimum allowed by the visa program, about $60,000, says Ronil Hira, a Howard University public policy professor and researcher at the Economic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank focused on labor issues.
Hira, like others critical of the H-1B program, says most U.S. companies are not using the H-1B visa "as a way to alleviate a shortage of STEM-educated U.S. workers; they use it to primarily cut labor costs."
Others argue that the proliferation of outsourcing via H-1B, especially in the case of India, is leading to the export of skills acquired in the U.S., as guest workers' visas run out and they move back to jobs overseas.
U.S. companies also have been hit for allegedly replacing American workers with lower-paid foreigners. Disney was sued last year after some 250 IT jobs were eliminated and the work given to Indian tech workers on H-1Bs. The U.S. Justice Department investigated Southern California Edison in 2015 after the utility company laid off 500 IT workers while having some of them train H-1B workers, but said it found no violations of labor laws or discrimination against American workers.
Fraud, worker abuse
Fraud and alleged abuse of workers also have been issues in the H-1B program. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents initiated more than 200 fraud investigations into H-1B and related H and L visas, and made more than 110 criminal arrests from 2013 to 2015. Lawsuits and prosecutions also have occurred over guest workers reportedly being underpaid or forced to kick back some of their earnings to their sponsoring companies, which have control of their visas.
Daniel Showalter, a group supervisor with Homeland Security investigations in Southern California, said that the way the H-1B program has developed, with the huge staffing firms flooding the system with applications, has "taken it away from the intent of the visa itself." Showalter says the system as it is now opens the door to fraud schemes and worker abuse.
The most vocal critics of the H-1B program argue that the program deprives Americans of jobs and needs to be reformed. The most recent action: an increase in the cost of the visa application for major staffing companies like Tata and Infosys. A provision slipped into the 2015 omnibus federal spending bill doubled the fee to $4,000 for such companies.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Illinois Democrat Richard Durbin, a strong immigration supporter, have teamed on a bill that would forbid the replacement of a domestic worker by an H-1B visa holder and prioritize visa allocations to foreigners holding advanced degrees.
Major hit expected
While Infosys and Tata refused to comment on visa-related queries for this story, it is clear the Indian IT industry has been unnerved by these changes.
Nasscom, the primary trade association of India's IT and software services industry, estimated that the visa fee increase could cost the sector hundreds of millions of dollars annually. More than 80 percent of the industry's $120 billion in annual revenue is from IT service exports, including H-1B workers, said R. Chandrasekhar, Nasscom's president.
The U.S. actions are "discriminatory to India," he said. "At a time when both countries are targeting trade of $500 billion, and are striving to work together, it can hurt economic policy between the two countries," he said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns about the bill with President Barack Obama after it was passed late last year. Then in early March, India took its complaints to the World Trade Organization. If the U.S. and India can't negotiate a settlement of the complaint, India can ask the WTO to review the situation.
"It is a trade issue," Chandrasekhar said. "We see the restrictions sought to be imposed that will create barriers for Indian industry. It is quite worrisome."
Last fiscal year, more than two-thirds of H-1B visa holders came from India. Some 15 percent of those guest workers came from Hyderabad alone. So many visa applications have come from the city as the tech and outsourcing industries have expanded there that the U.S. opened a Hyderabad consulate in 2008, which has issued 130,000 H-1Bs since, said consul chief Jamie Fouss. "The volume is as much as New Delhi now," he said.
Still, thousands of other workers seeking the visa miss out. While the large outsourcing firms grab the majority of visas, it can often take workers for an Indian company or an India-based branch of a U.S. company up to five years of service before being considered as an H-1B candidate.
A 30-year-old Hyderabad management consultant is a typical example of would-be H-1B workers: he is a graduate of a top Indian business school who works for the Indian arm of a large U.S. consulting firm. He has lived and worked in the city for more than three years, but his apartment looks as if he just moved in: There's little furniture, and the living room is a jumble of moving boxes. Each year since he arrived, he has gone into the H-1B lottery. Each year he has missed out.
This year, the man, who asked to speak anonymously to avoid angering his company, is trying again. "I didn't buy even the sofa in this flat," he said. "I just came with a suitcase."
He quotes statistics to explain his bad luck. His first application went out in 2013, the year the number of applications started spiraling out of control. The year before, he says, everyone sponsored by his firm received an H-1B. "In 2013, there was 82 percent conversion," he said. "Last year, it was 24 to 30 percent." Of 65 new business school graduates to be hired by his company, he is the only one still in India.
Why is he so determined to get to the U.S.? "You learn much more when you're directly interacting with your client," he said. "If you don't get to do that, in the long run you will lose out to your peers, who will be much more informed. They will understand the U.S. market much better compared to me, who's sitting offshore and learning through reports or emails."
Going abroad also means more money: Salaries with U.S. companies are at least three to four times what can be earned in India. The man has an education loan he is still paying off. "All my friends who went to the U.S. paid it off in the first year," he says.
It will be at least another month before he learns whether his application made it through the lottery this year. Though he still hopes he'll get one, so much has changed since he first tried that he feels distanced from it, he said.
"I don't think much of the visa these days," he said. "I was very, very hopeful the first time, and very, very disappointed the second time. Since then, I have gotten married. My life has changed. Now I think differently."
His wife wants him to go to the Balaji temple to pray for help. "But I won't," he says. "Suppose this time I get the visa? Then you will unnecessarily attribute it to God. If I get it, the credit should be all mine."
Fear of missing out
Mohan, the young engineer who is awaiting his H-1B assignment, is thrilled about finally seeing the American tourist sites he has seen in movies. He and his wife want to visit the Hollywood sign and Disneyland, a destination on almost every guest worker's must-see list.
"I also want to see that - what is that thing where everyone dresses up and goes out? Oh yes, Halloween. I want to see Halloween," he said.
Bharath Kumar, a programmer from Hyderabad, also recently received his H-1B visa, after almost a year of waiting. He and his wife are ardent believers in the power of God, he said, and have made their pilgrimage to the temple.
Now, he said, he can finally compete with all the vacation photos friends who have made it to the U.S. already have posted online. "Why can't I have that life?" he said, expressing the anxiety common among millennials known as FOMO - fear of missing out.
"From childhood I have seen people go overseas. It is what I have thought about for a long time," he said, sitting in a small apartment in Hyderabad full of rented furniture and a small shrine in a corner. "It is like you haven't done much if you haven't been there."
San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Carolyn Lochhead and Joaquin Palomino contributed to this report.
Padmaparna Ghosh is a reporter based in India.
AUSTIN - The Daughters of the Republic of Texas, facing a growing budget crisis as it continues its expensive legal fight over the state's takeover of the Alamo, now is confronted with an uncertain future for the storied French Legation museum here.
The Legation, the only building still existing in Austin from when Texas was its own country, was purchased by the state in 1948, and has been operated as a museum by the Daughters group since 1956 under a custodial contract.
Houston resident Betty Edwards, the president-general of the Daughters, said her organization has been unable to raise enough funds to perform routine maintenance and make much-needed renovations to the one-story frame house just east of downtown.
Edwards said the house needs about $1.9 million in renovations and repairs, and the group has asked the state to pick up the tab.
"Without state money at this point in time, our concern is what's going to happen to the house, to the status of the house," Edwards said.
In recent weeks, group officials confirmed, the Legation's operational budget was cut from about $100,000 to just $22,000, a move that has left the museum without full-time staff.
According to an email in February apprising its members of the dilemma, Lucretia McReynolds, a district representative of the Daughters, conceded the lack of funding was critical. She blamed the funding shortfall, in part, on the Daughters' continuing legal fight with the state over ownership of the Alamo Library and documents collection in San Antonio.
A copy of the internal message was obtained by the Chronicle.
"The FLM is a very old, state historical property which makes it very expensive to maintain and preserve; add staff salaries to that and it becomes a huge financial endeavor," the message states. In reviewing the issue, "it became clear we may have to choose between OUR own properties and a state owned property; chose between our children and a foster child!
"Another solution, with our sincere apology, return the custodianship of the FLM to the State of Texas," the message continues. "If the State could provide the funding, DRT members would be glad to continue to provide oversight and management."
The house was built in 1841 as the official residence for Alphonse Dubois de Saligny, the French charge de affairs who was assigned to Austin after France recognized the Republic of Texas as a country.
The Legation was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, and it is listed as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, two designations that underscore the historical significance of the site.
Built on 21 acres purchased in 1840 from Anson Jones, a future president of the Republic, the house was built of loblolly pine wood hauled in from Bastrop in a design that is a mix of Greek Revival and Mississippi Valley French architecture.
According to the Handbook of Texas, Saligny likely never lived in the house. While he was living at a Congress Avenue inn as the house was being built, Saligny engaged in a nasty snit with the owner after his pigs destroyed Saligny's belongings in 1841, an event that became known as the Pig War.
Saligny left Austin for New Orleans, and the house was sold to Jean Marie Odin, the bishop of Galveston, and then Moseley Baker, a general in the Texas Revolutionary War, before Dr. Joseph Robertson bought it in 1848.
The state bought it from Robertson's heirs in the 1940s, and the property was placed in the custody of the Daughters, which restored the house to its 1840 appearance and made extensive improvements to the grounds. The Daughters operated the Alamo starting in 1905 under a similar custodial arrangement.
Not 'highest priority'
In early 2015, the state took control of the Alamo from the Daughters after lingering disputes over maintenance and capital improvements that had been delayed because of a lack of funds.
While the group has asked the Texas Facilities Commission for help in funding the Legation's renovations, executive director Harvey Hilderbrand said he is considering seeking funding from the Legislature next year, but noted the Legation "is not our highest priority."
"Staff members were very receptive and supportive of those requests and kind of share the concern," Hilderbrand said, adding that the request remains under "serious consideration."
Even if it is approved by the Legislature in early 2017, in a budget year when state funds are expected to be tight, additional funding for the Legation likely would not be available until September 2017, leaving open the question of who will pay for operations until then.
Hildebrand said the commission has no plans to operate the property.
State Rep. Ryan Guillen, a Rio Grande City Democrat who chairs the House Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee that oversees historic sites, said he is concerned about the Legation's future.
"The French Legation house holds immense historic value, not only for its status as one of the oldest in the state, but for its diplomatic significance in the story of the Republic of Texas," he said. "Maintaining the building and its legacy will be something to explore as we prepare for next session."
Kenneth Howell, history professor at Blinn College and executive director of Central Texas Historical Association, said the museum is one of the most important pieces of history remaining from the Republic of Texas.
"The French Legation is important to early Texas history, so it would be a museum very worthy of preserving," he said.
Since the Texas General Land Office took over operations of the Alamo in 2015, the Daughters sued the agency to retain custody of a historical library and collection. A hearing in that case is set for May 5.
Edwards said the Daughters have spent upwards of $275,000 in legal costs so far. That has forced the group to cut the operations budget at the Legation, said Jim Suydam, a spokesperson for the Daughters.
"(The Daughters) would have $200,000 more had they not had to fight with the state over the ownership of their library," he said.
General Land Office officials declined comment, saying the agency has no connection to the Legation.
Legation's income
Edwards said the $22,000 that remains to cover operational costs at the Legation - money that will be used to pay part-time employees with volunteers covering other roles - could be increased if the legal costs abate.
Edwards said the group also is working to move some of its Alamo library for display at Texas A&M University at San Antonio, at a cost between $35,000 and $50,000, plus another $235,000 for purchasing display materials.
The Daughters of the Republic of Texas oversees operations of six properties, including its headquarters. Edwards said the group's other properties are not having financial problems, but the Legation is not "economically stable." The Legation sees about 18,000 visitors per year, she said, but the museum has problems "earning enough money on its own."
Conrad Burns, a onetime cattle auctioneer who parlayed his down-home appeal into three terms as a Republican senator from Montana, reaping federal dollars for his state as well as criticism for his impolitic, at times offensive, off-the-cuff remarks, died April 28 at his home in Billings, Mont. He was 81.
The cause was complications from a stroke in 2009, said a daughter, Keely Godwin.
Burns served from 1989 to 2007 in the Senate, where he made "weighty speeches on foreign policy and the future of the Internet," it was observed in the Almanac of American Politics, even while cutting "the figure of a stereotypical Westerner, picking his teeth with a pocketknife, chewing tobacco, telling deadpan jokes."
He lost his seat in 2006 to a Democratic challenger, then-state Senate President Jon Tester, after revelations that Burns had received $150,000 in campaign contributions - among the highest amounts of any member of Congress - from disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associates.
The son of Missouri ranchers, Burns had established himself in Billings as a livestock auctioneer, then built a network of 29 radio and six television stations devoted to agricultural news. He was elected Yellowstone County commissioner in 1986 and two years later defeated an incumbent Democrat, John Melcher, for a seat in the Senate. Burns came to Washington promising never to "take a chew under the Capitol dome."
He did not come to the Senate "deeply steeped in politics and governance," Norman Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, said in an interview, adding that Burns had some "rough edges." But "I liked him because he was very unpretentious," Ornstein said. "He knew who he was."
Burns obtained a seat on the Commerce Committee, chairing the subcommittee on communications, and on the powerful Appropriations Committee, where he led the Interior subcommittee.
On the former, he supported deregulation and the cultivation of online commerce. On the latter, he helped direct federal funds to Montana. Especially as his seniority increased, he became known as an effective advocate for his constituents.
When drought hit farmers, Burns lobbied for federal relief similar to the funds given to victims of floods and hurricanes.
But Burns also drew the ire of many in his state and elsewhere over his stream of gaffes insulting groups including but not limited to African-Americans, Arabs and immigrants.
"I can self-destruct in one sentence," Burns once said. "Sometimes in one word."
In 1991, after the passage of a civil rights bill, Burns invited a mixed-race group of lobbyists to an auction. When the prospective guests inquired what goods were to be sold, he responded, "Slaves."
Burns later clarified that his phrasing referred to volunteers who agreed to do chores or other jobs for a charitable cause.
During his re-election campaign in 1994, he relayed to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle a meeting with a Montana rancher who asked him how he managed to live in Washington with "all those (expletive)," using a racial slur for African-Americans. By his account, Burns replied that it was a "hell of a challenge."
The senator later apologized, saying that the episode represented "views which I do not condone and do not share." He also remarked that "it's always a challenge when you bring different cultures and beliefs together."
On another occasion, he referred to Arabs as "ragheads."
During his final re-election campaign, Burns faced withering scrutiny over his ties to Abramoff, who pleaded guilty in January 2006 to fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe officials.
As chairman of the Interior subcommittee, Burns oversaw legislation involving Indian affairs. Abramoff, who admitted to defrauding Indian tribes he represented, told Vanity Fair magazine that his clients received "every appropriation we wanted" from Burns's subcommittee.
Burns said that he did not personally know Abramoff and that he had not realized the lobbyist's relationship with tribes that donated to his campaign.
In 2008, the Justice Department closed an investigation of Burns' involvement without bringing criminal charges.
Survivors include his wife of 48 years, the Phyllis, of Billings; two children, Keely Godwin of Durham, N.C., and Garrett Burns of Alexandria, Va.; a sister; and three grandchildren.
Even as Donald Trump trounced him from New Hampshire to Florida to Arizona, Sen. Ted Cruz could reassure himself with one crucial advantage: He was beating Trump in the obscure, internecine delegate fights that could end up deciding the Republican nomination for president.
"This is how elections are won in America," Cruz gloated after walking away with the most delegates in Wyoming.
But it turns out that delegates - like ordinary voters - are susceptible to shifts in public opinion. And as the gravitational pull of Trump's recent primary landslides draws more Republicans toward him, Cruz's support among the party's 2,472 convention delegates is softening, threatening his hopes of preventing Trump's nomination by overtaking him in a floor fight.
With each delegate Trump claims, he gets closer to the 1,237 he needs to clinch the nomination outright, and Cruz's chances of stopping him - even if he pulls out a victory in Tuesday's Indiana primary - shrink.
Before Trump's crushing victory in Pennsylvania last week, Cruz's campaign boasted that it had 69 people devoted to acquiring as many as possible of the state's 54 unbound delegates - who are free to vote as they please on the first ballot, making them potentially decisive players in a contested convention.
Cruz won only three.
In North Dakota, where the Cruz campaign declared victory after the state Republican convention on April 3 and declared that it had won "a vast majority" of the state's 28 unbound delegates, Cruz's support appears to be weakening. In interviews, delegates said he really had only about a dozen firm commitments to begin with, and some of them appear to be wavering as he falls farther behind Trump.
And in states across the South, which was supposed to be Cruz's bulwark, some delegates are now echoing a growing sentiment inside the Republican Party: a sense of resignation to the idea that Trump will be their standard-bearer.
"Honestly, we didn't think he could get this far. And he did," Jonathan Barnett, the Republican national committeeman for Arkansas, said of Trump.
Barnett, who supported former Gov. Mike Huckabee's failed campaign, said his focus had shifted to winning in November, even if that meant unhappily falling in behind Trump.
The changes of heart have little to do with any epiphany about Trump's electability or his campaign's recent efforts to cast him in a more serious light. Instead, delegates and party officials said, they are ready to move on and unite behind someone so that Republicans are not hopelessly divided heading into the general election.
And many delegates cite concerns about whether Cruz is really a better choice. "There's just as many people that would question whether they could get behind Cruz," Barnett said.
This gradual acquiescence points up a larger flaw with Cruz's strategy of being the last non-Trump candidate standing in a field that began at 17: It was never as much about him as about Republicans grasping for a more palatable alternative to Trump.
But the "never" in the "Never Trump" movement is beginning to look more like a "reluctantly."
"I'm not in the anybody-but-Trump campaign," said Jim Poolman, a delegate from North Dakota. "I'm in the anybody-but-Hillary campaign."
Poolman said he still planned to vote for Cruz on the first ballot, which he told the campaign he would do. But he said his decision was not set in stone.
"I'm trying to hold on to my commitment but still be pragmatic," he said. "There's a lot of stuff that could happen before Cleveland. And I know that makes me sound squishy, but I don't mean it that way."
Delegates like Poolman are emblematic of the Cruz campaign's larger problems holding on to votes at a contested convention.
Poolman initially favored Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who withdrew from the race in March. While Poolman was looking for another candidate, he said, local Cruz volunteers asked if they could add his name to the list of delegate candidates supporting Cruz at the state convention. He said Cruz's wife, Heidi, called him and gave him her cellphone number, saying he would always have "a direct line to the campaign." And he was elected a delegate.
But now, Poolman said, he worries about party disunity and what it could mean for Republicans in November. "My goal, personally," he said, "is to not let our convention become a circus."
The chairman of the North Dakota Republican Party, Kelly Armstrong, said Cruz's appeal remained strong there, but put his support among the state's 28 unbound delegates at "at least 10" - not quite the "vast majority" the Cruz campaign had claimed.
Armstrong, who has not taken sides, said delegates also had to consider how denying the nomination to Trump might look to his supporters, who have followed his lead in denouncing as corrupt any outcome other than a Trump victory.
"We can't have a bunch of people really, really upset about the process and then think we're going to be able to gain their support in November," Armstrong said.
The results in Pennsylvania were most troubling for Cruz. He had dominated the delegate fights in Colorado and Wyoming, contests that were influenced by the kinds of party activists Cruz tends to attract. Yet Trump appeared to win at least 40 of Pennsylvania's 54 unbound delegates.
"There's not going to be a second ballot," said Ash Khare, who was elected last Tuesday as an unbound Pennsylvania delegate.
Khare declined to support any candidate before the election, though Cruz, Trump and Gov. John Kasich of Ohio all came calling, he said. "I was promised a photo, a private meeting. Forget about it," Khare said, adding that he only ever intended to vote for the candidate who won in his district.
That would be Trump. Khare said he was not especially drawn to anything about Trump or his ideas. "Whether he will succeed or not, I don't know," he said. But he said he could not deny the will of so many voters. "There is a revolution going on here," he added.
Voters, too, may be starting to share Trump's reasoning that he would deserve the nomination even if he fell short of 1,237 delegates. A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that more than 6 in 10 Republicans believe the nominee should be the candidate with the most votes even if he does not have the support of the majority of delegates.
Still, Trump's campaign is moving to nail down the delegate commitments he would need to get a majority, asking unbound delegates to sign pledges to vote for him.
With the Indiana primary potentially a make-or-break moment for stopping Trump, Cruz can only hope the campaign once again takes an unexpected turn.
"Trump is very popular in our state," said Alec L. Poitevint II, a longtime Republican leader in Georgia and previously a Rubio supporter, but now uncommitted. He will be a bound delegate on the first ballot, but he has not yet been assigned to a presidential candidate.
And if he is required to vote for Trump, who won Georgia with 39 percent of the vote?
"Fine with me," he said.
AUSTIN -- The Obama administration has agreed to continue pumping billions of extra dollars into the Texas Medicaid program for 15 more months, a short-term extension that will give the state time to try to get a longer deal despite its refusal to expand eligibility.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services informed Texas on Sunday that it will grant the extension of the so-called 1115 Waiver, which the state requested April 7, as it became clear the two entities would not reach an agreement before the initially-approved funds were set to run out in September.
The extension will be welcome news to Texas hospitals and other health care providers, who have come to depend on the roughly $3.1 billion annually to offset the cost of treating patients without health insurance and to support innovative projects to supplement access.
State officials called it "a big win for Texas."
"We're pleased these innovative programs will have the opportunity to continue," Texas health executive commissioner Chris Traylor said in a news release. "These programs are improving health care for Texas' Medicaid clients and creating cost-savings for taxpayers."
The waiver first was approved in 2011 as part of a nationwide effort. In Texas, it was a five-year program with $29 billion in combined funding from the federal government and state and local sources that has paid providers for "uncompensated care" and supported 1,451 of projects.
The Obama administration has indicated that it may not reauthorize all of the funding for states that do not expand Medicaid under the president's signature health care law, however. The administration's reasoning is that it believes that expansion would significantly reduce the number of uninsured patients, thus lessening the need for uncompensated care dollars.
Texas officials have strongly opposed Medicaid expansion, saying it would be unwise to spend state money to expand what they call a broken system, even if it would unlock far more in federal funding.
Florida, which also has declined to expand Medicaid, recently received its own short-term extension of its version of the 1115 waiver, but it came at a much lower rate.
The extension given to Texas will allow the money to keep flowing at the same rate. However, if the state cannot reach a longer-term deal with the federal government, it will lose 25 percent of the funding at the end of 2017, and an additional 25 percentage points every year thereafter, according to a letter sent to the federal government.
Texas advocates said they viewed the 15-month extension as a sign that the federal government would not budge on its desire for states to expand Medicaid before continuing to receive the money.
Anne Dunkelberg, associate director of the Center for Public Policy Priorities, a liberal-leaning think tank based in Austin, urged state officials to use the time to find a compromise that would expand Medicaid, as some other Republican states have done.
"Our hospitals and their patients can both come out ahead -- even with the upcoming loss of federal funding for uncompensated care -- if the Legislature and Governor use these 15 months to craft a plan to insure more Texans so they can pay their hospital bills and stay healthy," Dunkelberg said.
Hospital officials focused on the news at hand.
"Failure to extend the 1115 waiver would have resulted in near catastrophic consequences for the state's most vulnerable populations," said Ted Shaw, president of the Texas Hospital Association, in a statement. "The waiver has been absolutely critical for increasing access to quality health care. And it has done so with an efficiency that has saved Texas and the federal government more than $8 billion over the five years of its implementation."
More deaths?
Regarding "The face of ACA" (Page A16, Friday), when the Supreme Court ruled on the legality of the Affordable Care Act in June 2012, it gave each state the right to choose whether to implement the portion of the law that expanded Medicaid coverage.
The Texas Legislature, along with several other GOP-led states, chose not to expand Medicaid and to deny government-paid health insurance to millions of Americans. Even though the Medicaid expansion would benefit American families, provide financial support to hospitals and reduce property taxes, the legislators made a conscious decision to reject the billions of dollars in federal monies simply because of their political beliefs.
When hard-working Americans like Mark die, we can only wonder whether they would have been helped if Texas had expanded Medicaid.
There is no doubt, however, that Mark's chances for living a longer life would have increased with health insurance. The legislators deprived Mark of that chance for a longer life simply because of their political ideology.
Our elected officials should not be working against the millions of Americans like Mark. They should be doing everything they can to remove barriers that prevent all of us from living healthy, productive lives.
The ACA was passed into law in 2010; how many Marks have died since then because they were denied health insurance by our legislators?
Bill Meyer, Kingwood
The economy
Regarding "Why has economic output slowed? (Page A1, Friday), even though it tries to portray itself as a predictable discipline, economics remains a social science, with all of the inherent uncertainties that come with the title.
Productivity is one of the defining characteristics of an economy, yet look at how difficult it is to measure. Depending whether one is an optimist or a pessimist, the outlook can vary widely, causing hand-wringing or celebration.
As far as I can see, most economic predictions are as reliable as horoscopes, without fun.
Bob Gayle, Houston
Election season
Regarding "Cruz picks stirs up GOP race" (Page A1, Thursday), as one who has been a resident of Houston for almost 35 years and has witnessed the seismic political shift here since 1981, I can say unequivocally that the spectre of a President Ted Cruz is terrifying. That the senator has come as far as he has is testimony to one of the strangest elections on record.
Tom Brownfield, Nassau Bay
Underpasses
Regarding "High-water rescues abound as area struggles to recover" (Page A1, April 20), the priority in a flood is reducing fatalities. At least eight people drowned, including one died in her car in a flooded underpass.
We need a warning system at flood-prone underpasses, with features resembling freeway traffic advisories and railroad crossing barriers. Two blocks before a motorist reaches a flooded underpass, there should be a sign that flashes the message: Underpass flooded, turn around. One block from the underpass, a second sign should flash the same message. Half a block from the underpass, a road barrier resembling a train crossing barrier should be activated.
Thomas C. Williams, Houston.
Housing Secretary Julian Castro, a surrogate for Hillary Clintons presidential campaign, took aim at Bernie Sanders record on immigration during the senators former elected capacity as an Independent member of the U.S. House from 1991 to 2007.
Sanders "voted with Republicans to protect the Minutemen, a hate group that used military tactics against our community," Castro, a former San Antonio mayor, said in a statement rolled out by the Clinton camp March 8, 2016, the day that Sen. Sanders of Vermont won an upset victory in the partys Michigan presidential primary.
Clinton leveled a similar claim about Sanders and the Minutemen at a Democratic debate in Miami the next day; PolitiFact found her statement Mostly True. Unlike Castro, she did not call the Minuteman Project a hate group.
Democrats tend to support comprehensive immigration reform including possible citizenship for residents living in the country without legal permission. Sanders, an Independent, caucused with Democrats in the House and later in the Senate. So its arguably not helpful at the polls for him to be seen as supporting the Minuteman Project, which came into the spotlight in 2005 when its founders organized a volunteer stakeout of parts of the Arizona-Mexico border for the month of April.
One of the co-founders of the Minuteman Project, Chris Simcox, parted ways with the project and established the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps in 2005. The remaining founder, Jim Gilchrist, was fired from the Minuteman Project in 2007, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The groups spawned a network of chapters over the years, driven by a combination of growth and internal conflict over finances and other issues. Some chapters were not close to the border and focused on anti-immigration advocacy, while others voluntarily patrolled the U.S.-side of the border with Mexico.
Those patrols and confrontation with undocumented immigrants prompted then-President George W. Bush to disparage them as "vigilantes" and a former Mexican president to call them "immigrant hunters," the Washington Post reported in 2005 .
But the Minuteman Project and Minuteman Civil Defense Corps websites in 2005 and 2006 explicitly described their cause as "peaceful" and urged members to follow the letter of the law while patrolling the border, or risk discrediting their cause.
In the claim, Castro, like Clinton, was referencing a vote on an amendment to a 2006 appropriations bill. The amendment was proposed by Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia in response to rumors that the U.S. Border Patrol had been telling the Mexican government where vigilante civilian border groups were stationed.
The 2006 CQ Almanac described it as follows : "Kingston, R-Ga., amendment that would bar the use of funds in the bill to provide a foreign government with information that relates to the operations or location of the Minutemen or other private volunteer border patrol groups along the U.S.-Mexican border, unless the information sharing is required by an international treaty."
On the House floor, Kingston explained , "What this amendment does is it clarifies Congress' position on a Border Patrol practice or a practice of the U.S. Government that tips off illegal immigrants as to where citizen patrols may be located. ... What my amendment does is simply says that the U.S. Government cannot tip off the Mexican officials as to where these folks are located."
At the time, Rep. Martin Olav Sabo, D-Minn., said he didnt oppose it because it essentially restated existing Customs and Border Patrol policy.
PolitiFact found that Clinton got Sanders vote right he did vote with the GOP for the amendment, House records show but downplayed what had been a bipartisan vote where 76 Democrats joined 216 Republicans in support.
But unlike Clinton, Castro described the Minuteman Project as "a hate group."
So, is the Minuteman Project a hate group and did Sanders vote really protect them?
Requests for clarification from Castro led to Josh Schwerin, a spokesman for the Clinton campaign, reaching out via email and directing us to the Southern Poverty Law Centers list of nativist extremist groups . The SPLC was established in 1971 and is listed as an outreach partner by the FBI, according to the agencys website.
The SPLC list doesnt designate the Minuteman Project a hate group, unlike some other groups on their list of nativist extremists, which are marked with an asterisk to denote that they are both nativist extremist and hate groups.
We wondered what moves a group into hate-group territory. By phone, Mark Potok, a center expert, told us "the nativist extremist groups are a step towards the center."
"Basically, those are the groups which go beyond merely disagreeing with immigration policy and confront, personally, suspected illegal immigrants, or people who would help or hire them," he said, adding: "We don't list a group just for saying they think immigration levels ought to be lower."
Potok continued, "the thing to understand about our hate group listing is it's not based on criminality or violence. Its based on the ideology expressed by the group, on its website or by its leaders. We ask, does it demonize an entire group? Those are the hardest line groups we cover."
The SPLCs website defines hate groups as those that "have beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics."
Potok said that in 2006, the year the vote Castro referenced took place, nativist extremist groups were on the rise after beginning to emerge around 2005. Activity peaked in 2010, he said, when the center tallied 319 groups. In 2015, the SPLC counted only 17 such groups.
"A lot of these [extremist nativist groups] were spinoffs of the Minutemen groups," Potok said, "but not all."
Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, said in a phone interview that Jim Gilchrist, one of the co-founders of the Minuteman Project, was receptive when Levin approached him to deal with neo-Nazi elements in the organization, and that differences of opinion on how to handle that issue contributed to the fissure creating the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.
"Certainly there were entities in the border movement that were clearly racist hate groups, and certainly there were people who were in the Minuteman Project at the time who were, but I can tell you that [Jim] Gilchrist wanted those people excluded, and after I informed him, he took measures to do," he said.
In our research, we found that coverage of the projects offshoots has been dominated by several high-profile criminal cases that happened in the years between 2006 and today. In 2009, a former member of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps murdered a Latino man and his 9-year-old daughter after breaking into their home, CNN reported . In 2013, Minuteman Project and Minuteman Civil Defense Corps co-founder Chris Simcox was arrested for child sexual molestation, according to Univision . These incidents have taken a toll on the reputation of the groups (for instance, in 2010, the NAACP referred to the Minuteman Project as "a nativist organization that has in the past been associated with the murder of migrant Mexican workers as part of its vigilante "border operations").
But it doesn't make sense to judge Sanders House vote on incidents that came after it occurred.
So what information on the project was available at the time of the vote?
A report from the Congressional Research Service, dated April 7, 2006, cited many potential problems that could arise with civilian border patrols, but also said that "apart from the widely reported incident involving Ranch Rescue [an extremist anti-immigration group that dressed in military gear and went looking for armed drug smugglers in 2002], there have been no credible reports of civilian border patrol organizations engaging in violence against migrants."
Some scholars of the Minuteman Project, like Leo Chavez, an anthropologist at UC Irvine who has written about the group, have suggested that press coverage and creating a spectacle were central to the groups purpose ("Although monitoring the U.S.- Mexico border was Gilchrists immediate objective, the larger goal was to use the "citizen patrols" on the border to draw attention to Gilchrists larger aim of influencing public opinion and federal immigration policy," he wrote).
Christopher J. Walker, an associate professor of law at Ohio States Moritz College of Law, echoed this view in an article in the Harvard Latino Law Review, writing , "More than anything else, the Minutemen seek media attention."
Todd Gutnick, communications director for the Anti-Defamation League, told us by email, "We have always referred to the Minutemen Project (of that period) as anti-immigrant extremists, who had racists/haters in their rank and file, but not specifically a hate group," when asked about the ADLs view of the Project circa 2006.
Sanders campaign policy director Warren Gunnels told us by email that Sanders "did not vote to protect the minuteman. This amendment simply stated what was already law at that time. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has never shared information with the Mexican government except when required by treaty."
Although Sabo said it didnt reflect a change in existing law, 106 out of 201 Democrats at the time still voted against it; 19 did not vote.
We reached out to Kingston for his perspective on the amendment.
"It wasnt an extremist group, they werent violent, they werent making threats, it wasnt anything like that at all," he said by phone. "It passed overwhelmingly. I may have spoken to Bernie about it at the time, I dont remember, but it wasnt an extremist position. To me, it was common sense."
"It was a minor vote. Ive gotten calls from a few other reporters that started a few months ago. I didnt even remember the thing itself until they started asking me about it," he said.
Our attempts to reach the Minuteman Project by phone and via its website proved unsuccessful.
Our ruling
Castro, a surrogate for the Clinton campaign, said: "Bernie Sanders voted with Republicans to protect the Minutemen, a hate group that used military tactics against our community."
Sanders, then an Independent in the House, voted with 75 Democrats to restrict the U.S. from alerting Mexico to Minutemen operations on the border. However, we didnt see any evidence that this since-weakened extremist group was designated a "hate group."
On balance, we rate this claim as Half True.
HALF TRUE The statement is partially accurate but leaves out important details or takes things out of context.
It has been a tough few months for Republicans who wanted a more moderate voice as their presidential nominee this year. They might have seen Ted Cruz and Donald Trump as too extreme, and that was fine when there were among 16 candidates in the race. Now, theyre looking at the prospect that Trump could be on the verge of sewing up the GOP nomination before the convention.
Think of those Republicans as former backers of Marco Rubio, the Florida senator who left the race last month after a poor showing in his home state. Toward the end of his run, still claiming that he could win Florida, Rubio was the sole candidate who really landed some punches on Trump in the televised debates. That didnt work so well for the Cuban-American senator. Rubio may have dropped out after Florida, but he continued his effort to convince his former supporters and maybe himself that Trump was not going to be the partys nominee.
My, how times have changed.
Last week, Rubio told the Washington Examiner that while he has well-defined differences with Trump, he would support the Republican nominee. Thats especially true now that its apparent that Hillary Clinton is going to be the Democratic nominee, he told the Examiner.
There was no hint that Rubio was on the anti-Trump train that is trying to keep chugging along, led by Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. After all, Rubio has said before that he will not endorse in the primary.
Then came an interview Rubio did with the Palm Beach Post on Friday, in which he seemed to be coming around to Trump as the nominee. Rubio said Trumps performance has improved significantly, according to the Post.
Its easier than ever for Rubio to toe the party line. He has only to continue saying that hell support whomever leaves the convention victorious, so that when he hits the trail in the summer and fall he wont be supporting a candidate he chose but one that the party chose.
Marco has significant political capital: his delegates, the delegates he won and those delegates who would show up at the convention and, when unbound from another candidate, would listen to what Rubio would say, one Rubio insider told Politico.
That matters, especially, for someone who wants a future in the GOP beyond 2016. Rubio still is incredibly young by political standards, and while he had a rough go at it this year, in his home state no less, voters short memories can only help him in four years. Everybody loves a comeback story, right? And the American voters, including the Reagan army of yore, certainly are not opposed to giving a candidate a second chance.
Consider Rubios future in the context of what has become a major nugget of conventional wisdom: Republicans are going to nominate either Cruz or Trump, both of whom many Republicans believe will lose to Clinton in a general election. So, the question becomes, who do you want to lose with so you maybe can win in 2020, when a President Hillary Clinton would be facing the daunting task of carrying Democrats to four consecutive terms. If Rubio supports the Republican nominee only to see them lose to Clinton, then he can be declared a good sport and be first in line for the next time we do this.
This week at the Capitol, two of my priority pieces of legislation have made significant advancements. My Senate bill relating to workers compensation insurance premiums for volunteer firefighters was third read and passed in the Senate, and my legislation regarding parole officer standards for violation reporting moved ahead in the House committee hearing process.
Senate Bill 613 would modify certain provisions of workers compensation agreements for volunteer firefighters across the state. This bill would allow departments to apply to the State Fire Marshal for funding grants to cover insurance premiums, giving our brave volunteer public safety servants the financial assistance and support they deserve. The men and women of Missouris many volunteer fire departments face grave physical danger every day as they protect our communities from life-threatening emergencies. Our state needs to be doing more to ensure these heroes are well supported should they ever come to harm during their duties.
I want to thank Representative Robert Ross, R-Yukon, for his help in furthering this legislation in the Missouri House, and senators Schaefer and Wasson for co-sponsoring SB 613 with me in the Senate. Your state legislators have an inherent responsibility to better the lives of the citizens they represent, and few members of the public require our gratitude and support more than volunteer firefighters. I am very pleased that I am able to help support the men and women of Missouris volunteer fire departments. I am confident that this legislation will be approved by the General Assembly and signed into law by the governor for the betterment of our selfless civil servants.
Senate Bill 681 is the second piece of legislation I would like to update you on this week. This bill would require a probation officer to notify the prosecutor if he or she has probable cause to believe a probationer has violated a condition of their probation. The purpose of this bill is simply to bring certain antiquated practices in the states probation system up to more modern standards. This issue was brought to my attention by Ozark County Sherriff Darrin Reed and Prosecuting Attorney Tom Kline, who both recognized a need for an efficiency update within the system.
By requiring officers to proactively notify prosecutors about violations, our probations and parole operations can run much more smoothly. In todays world where we have instant access to records and documents through digital technologies, some more traditional methods of judiciary practice are becoming outmoded. Targeted reforms like this bill work together to improve the efficiency of the system as a whole. Senate Bill 681 will continue to work through the committee hearing process before returning to the Senate for debate and final passage.
Mike Cunningham is a Republican member of the Missouri State Senate, representing District 33. Contact him at 573-751-1882 or www.senate.mo.gov/cunningham
The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children of South Central Missouri will host its second annual Texas County Justice IS Served! fundraiser event from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Friday (May 6) in the community building at the Houston Area Chamber of Commerce Fairgrounds.
The theme this year will be Buckles and Spurs! Dinner will be prepared by the Gentry Residential Treatment Center of Cabool, and served by local law enforcement officers. There will also be a silent auction, music provided by the STARS Foundation and an old west photo booth.
LEIGH ANN SIGMAN
In 2015, the Missouri 25th Judicial Circuit CASA served 167 children in foster care
We have children on the waiting list to receive a CASA volunteer, said CASA board treasurer Emma Brent. We need more volunteers.
Sponsorships are currently being solicited for the Justice IS Served! event (the main fundraiser for the not-for-profit organization). A wide range of ticket options are available, from individual to corporate level. Businesses or individuals may also sponsor a table.
CASA is a national organization of volunteers appointed by judges to speak for the safety and well-being of abused and neglected children. CASA of South Central Missouri was founded in 2005 and has since served more than 700 children.
In 2015, 167 children were served by 59 CASA of South Central Missouri volunteers in the 25th Judicial Circuit (which covers Texas, Phelps, Pulaski and Maries counties). Volunteers contributed over 1,296 hours in direct contact with the children and 4,219 hours of casework, and there is a projected increase for 2016.
I just want to make a difference in a childs life and I know that happens with CASA, said volunteer Bob McClain. I first heard about CASA eight years ago when I met a fellow patient in the hospital who told me how valuable CASA really is.
McClain has been a CASA volunteer for about 18 months.
The training was excellent, he said. When we moved back to Rolla, the first person I met at church was a CASA volunteer. I knew that was where I could contribute and it has been extremely rewarding.
For more information about Justice IS Served! sponsorships, reservations or donations, call CASA volunteer coordinator Leigh Ann Sigman at 573-426-5437 or email casavol@fidmail.com.
CASAs web address is www.casascmo.org.
The Houston R-1 School District will hold a public forum Tuesday to discuss the future of the Fine Arts Building.
The meeting is 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 3, inside the high school/middle school cafeteria. The public is encouraged to attend.
The district is considering options for the facility that was vacated in 2008. The school board approved seeking demolition bids at its January meeting. Since then, Houston citizen John Impey has appeared at three consecutive board meetings to campaign to restore the building.
Texas County school districts would see a potential loss of nearly $2.3 million if the Missouri Legislature changes the way it calculates aid, according to projections from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
The Missouri General Assembly is pondering cuts in the calculations to fully fund Missouris K-12 foundation formula by approximately $418 million.
The projections from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education show the amount districts would receive annually under full funding of the current formula compared to the amount they would receive under the lowered target called for by Senate Bill 586.
The cuts for Texas County school districts are projected to be: Cabool, $461,660; Houston, $566,352; Licking, $505,404; Plato, $324,806; Raymondville, $122,168; Summersville, $237,869; and Plato, $324,806.
These projections demonstrate in stark detail the negative impact this bill would have on school districts across the state, said Gov. Jay Nixon. From Belton and Branson to Poplar Bluff and Pleasant Hill, Senate Bill 586 would cut the target for fully funding the formula by millions of dollars increasing the burden on local taxpayers and opening the door to more special interest giveaways. Im troubled that members of the legislature would renege on their commitment to the foundation formula, while at the same time working to pass special interest tax breaks for everything from deer urine to yoga.
The governors budget for fiscal year 2017 included an increase of $150 million for local public schools, including $85 million for the K-12 foundation formula. This would have represented an increase of $400 million over the amount that was invested in the K-12 formula in 2009.
PDF: School district projections
Pete Souza/The White House via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The CIA "live tweeted" the Osama Bin Laden raid Sunday afternoon to mark the fifth anniversary of the May 1, 2011, operation that killed the al Qaeda leader.
The CIA twitter account said the step-by-step tweets would represent the raid at Bin Laden's Abbottabad, Pakistan, compound "as if it were happening today."
Here are some of the tweets posted Sunday as the CIA recounted the helicopter landing, the famous situation room photo and the positive ID:
3:30 pm EDT - 2 helicopters descend on compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. 1 crashes, but assault continues without delay or injury#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
3:30 pm EDT - @POTUS watches situation on ground in Abbottabad live in Situation Room#UBLRaid pic.twitter.com/59KPF7eUTr CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
3:39 pm EDT - Usama Bin Ladin found on third floor and killed#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
3:53 pm EDT - @POTUS receives tentative confirmation of positive identification of Usama Bin Ladin#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
4:10 pm EDT Backup helicopter picks up remaining team members & materials & leaves Abbottabad#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
By any measure, religious freedom abroad has been under serious and sustained assault since the release of our commissions last Annual Report in 2015, says the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). From the plight of new and longstanding prisoners of conscience, to the dramatic rise in the numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons, to the continued acts of bigotry against Jews and Muslims in Europe, and to the other abuses detailed in this report, there was no shortage of attendant suffering worldwide.
In the USIRFs 2016 report, which the State Department released earlier today, the commission notes that the incarceration of prisoners of conscience remains astonishingly widespread, occurring in country after country, and underscores the impact of the laws and policies that led to their imprisonment.
The report highlights numerous examples of state-sponsored persecution of Christians, such as that occurring in the East African country of Eritrea:
In Eritrea, where 1,200 to 3,000 people are imprisoned on religious grounds, there reportedly were new arrests this past year. Religious prisoners routinely are sent to the harshest prisons and receive the cruelest punishments. In 2006, the government deposed Eritrean Orthodox Patriarch Antonios, who protested government interference in his churchs affairs. Besides being stripped of his church position, he has been held incommunicado since 2007 and reportedly denied medical care. Eritreas dictatorship controls the internal affairs of the state-registered Orthodox Christian and Muslim communities and also bans public activities of non-registered groups. Religious freedom conditions are grave especially for Evangelical and Pentecostal Christians and Jehovahs Witnesses.
You can read more from the report here.
Sharrie Marleen Ray, 67, passed away Friday, April 29, 2016, at Mercy Hospital following a lengthy illness.
She was born May 25, 1948, in Ferdale, Mich., daughter of Alexander Sauleiko and Jessie Pardeo. She and Bill Ray were married June 29, 1990.
She was a member of Midvale Church and attended as long as her health permitted. She enjoyed the womens ministry on Sunday afternoons each month and was a faithful prayer warrior.
She was employed as an EMT and supervisor at the Houston Sheltered Workshop until her health no longer allowed her to work.
She enjoyed reading and working puzzles and visiting with friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents and an infant daughter, Becky.
Survivors include her husband, Bill Ray of Raymondville, and many friends.
Services were Tuesday, May 3, at Bradford Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. James Bradford officiating. Burial was in Midvale Cemetery.
Online condolences may be left at bradfordfuneralhome.net.
Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print.
Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.
If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.
As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content.
When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to.
After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS!
OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK
The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those.
Freedom House Declares Free Newspaper a Threat to Free Press in Israel | Main | Under Fire for Bias, Haaretz Editor Aluf Benn Lashes Out, Errs on Facts
May 01, 2016
Exposing Iranian Exploitation and Weakness
An article appearing inthe Washington Times, Iran touts Israel invasion to recruit teenage boys to fight in Syria, on the Iranian government's efforts to recruit fighters for the war in Syria, offers evidence of the lack of domestic enthusiasm for the regime's regional ambitions. The article describes how the regime has resorted to targeting teenagers in their recruitment effort and quotes a source identifying most of the current "Iranian" fighters in Syria as members of a disadvantaged migrant community, the Hazaras.
The Iranian regime displays the worst form of exploitation by recruiting displaced and impoverished refugees to fight and die on its behalf. Will the so-called human rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch rail against the regime for this abuse with anywhere near the same fervor that they pursue Israel for what they allege are acts of impunity toward Palestinians?
The report shows the limited appeal to the Iranian population for the regime's adventurism. The direct Iranian military commitment in Syria is still quite limited, no more than a few thousand fighters out of a population of nearly 80 million. And yet, the regime already finds it necessary to resort to enticing teenagers from impoverished ethnic minorities. This suggests that the regime can't even find enough Revolutionary Guards personnel to send into battle.
Posted by SS at May 1, 2016 09:46 AM
Guidelines for posting
This is a moderated blog. We will not post comments that include racism, bigotry, threats, or factually inaccurate material.
Post a comment
Getty Images Closeup young man hands holding credit card and using cell, smart phone for online shopping or reporting lost card, fraudulent transaction
A scammer swindled a Burnaby, B.C. woman out of $8,000 with a very strange request this week. She got a call from a man claiming to be with the Canada Revenue Agency, and he told her shed be put in jail if she didnt pay $8,000 in iTunes gift cards, Burnaby Now reported.
She bought 16 cards, each for $500, and gave the caller the activation codes over the phone.
The call came from a 613 Ottawa area code, RCMP said.
Its sad to say that people are taking advantage of other peoples goodwill, RCMP Staff Sgt. Maj. John Buis told Burnaby Now.
Advertisement
Earlier in April, a Calgary woman was duped out of $20,000 in a similar scam involving iTunes gift cards the CBC reported.
And in Saskatchewan, more than 200 people complained to Battlefords RCMP that they were receiving phone calls from fake CRA representatives.
In Ontario, York Regional Police warned residents about the same scam.
Cops never arrest people over unpaid taxes and missing immigration forms, the force said on Twitter Wednesday. If a caller threatens arrest or says a family member will be held in jail until money is paid, its definitely a scam, they said. They also warn that the CRA doesn't ask for payment in the form of gift cards or pre-paid credit cards.
The latest CRA phone scam has the caller ordering people to pay their back taxes in @iTunes gift cards. pic.twitter.com/QK25HC3WXs York Regional Police (@YRP) April 27, 2016
Advertisement
The CRA also warns Canadians that they should check with the agency if they receive suspicious requests for information or money.
CP
Amanda Lindhout lived 15 months of her life in captivity.
Canadians learned horrific details of the daily abuse the Alberta freelance journalist experienced after being kidnapped in Somalia in 2008. She published her award-winning memoir "A House in the Sky," five years after she was first taken hostage.
One person who was also subject to the horrors Lindhout endured was her mother, Lorinda Stewart. Living in Alberta, she was contacted by her daughter's captors shortly after the kidnapping. It was Stewart who tried for over a year to negotiate Lindhout's release.
Advertisement
The two women shared many phone calls throughout the nightmarish ordeal. A select number of calls are now being released to the public for the first time.
'Things have changed'
The "worst" call happened about a year after Lindhout was kidnapped, according to CBC News. On the phone, Lindhout begs her mother for the $1 million her captors demanded. Stewart is heard trying to calm her down, assuring she was doing all that she could.
That call was aired Monday during an interview with CBC Radio host Anna Maria Tremonti and Lindhout and Stewart. It touched on the issue of Canada's stance of not paying ransoms for nationals kidnapped abroad.
The topic re-entered the national conversation after Canadian John Ridsdel was killed by hostage-takers in the Philippines in late April.
Advertisement
After Ridsdel's death, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated the government's position that Canada "does not and will not" pay ransom to terrorists, either directly or indirectly.
Listen to Lindhout and Stewart's call below, via CBC.
WARNING: The content may be disturbing to some readers
Lindhout said the call took place after she was assaulted for three days.
"OK, things have changed here, mom. You need to pay the money now," she says, sobbing during the call. Her voice shatters as Stewart repeatedly says her name in an effort to get her to listen.
"You need to pay the million dollars now because they've started to torture me."
Lindhout's book revealed how her family, as well as that of Australian colleague Nigel Brennan who was also kidnapped, gave up on Canadian and Australian governments and co-ordinated the pair's release themselves.
"You need to pay the million dollars now because they've started to torture me."
About $600,000 went to the kidnappers as ransom. The two families split the bill evenly. While Brennan's family was more well off, public donations helped Lindhout's parents come up with their half.
Advertisement
Lindhout says both the Canadian and Australian governments made the kidnappers an offer of $250,000. It was categorized as "expense" money to maintain official government policies of not paying ransoms.
It was rejected.
Despite the trouble her mother went through to raise the money, Lindhout says that she agrees governments shouldn't start paying ransoms.
In a piece for the National Post published Sunday, Lindhout writes about how she is "not comfortable with the fact that those who abducted me profited from it," but argues that families should be allowed to fundraise privately to pay ransoms.
A former hostage negotiator told Global News Sunday if governments start a precedence of paying for ransoms, more people will be kidnapped.
Advertisement
Amanda Lindhout was held hostage in Somalia for 15 months and released in 2009. (Photo: The Canadian Press)
The government paying ransoms "would make the world an even-more dangerous place for Canadians working and travelling abroad, increasing the chance they could be targeted for kidnapping," Lindhout wrote.
She says she knows she and Ridsel could have shared the same fate.
"As we mourn the terrible outcome of Ridsdels hostage-taking, we need to work together families and government to reduce the risks for Canadians abroad and stamp out terror forever," she wrote.
"That is how we honour his memory."
With files from The Canadian Press
Also On HuffPost:
CP
The heads of Bell and MTS deny it, but consumer advocates fear the merger of the two companies will mean higher prices in Manitoba and an end to hopes of four major wireless carriers nationwide.
And at least one industry analyst says the deal poses enough of a threat to consumers to have a hard time getting government approval.
Advertisement
BCE Inc. on Monday announced a $3.9-billion buyout of Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS), that provinces fourth wireless carrier.
As The Huffington Post Canada has previously reported, Manitoba is one of a handful of provinces along with Quebec and Saskatchewan where wireless prices are considerably lower than in other parts of the country.
Those three provinces have a fourth major wireless carrier, on top of Bell, Rogers and Telus.
MTS has been critical to creating a more competitive wireless market in the province, wrote Michael Geist, the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law at the University of Ottawa.
The deal appears to kill the hope of four carriers in each market and will likely mean sharply increased prices for Manitoba consumers.
Advertisement
A similar sentiment was echoed on social media in the hours after the deal went public.
I, for one, am looking forward to a reduction in service and increase in price. #bellMTS Symptom Of Society (@SymptomOSociety) May 2, 2016
If the #CRTC approves this Bell buyout of MTS, they will prove that they don't represent the interests of consumers. #TalkBroadband Parallax Abstraction (@PXAbstraction) May 2, 2016
Big question for me on MTS sale is how many good paying jobs in MB are going to be lost as Bell consolidates services. #mbpoli Matt McLean (@MattMcLean1919) May 2, 2016
But the heads of BCE and MTS argue the deal will benefit consumers. MTS President and CEO Jay Forbes said he doesnt expect much to change in the wake of the deal.
"We've had a very competitive marketplace here in Manitoba, and I don't see that changing," he said, as quoted at CBC News.
Advertisement
In a side deal, Bell agreed to hand over one-third of MTSs customer base to Telus. The move is likely an effort to assuage regulators concerns that too much of Manitobas wireless market will be concentrated in Bells hands.
MTS has 51 per cent of Manitoba's wireless subscribers, while Bell has 6 per cent, its lowest share in any province.
The details of how and which customers will be ported to Telus have yet to be worked out, but Bell CEO George Cope says the agreement is good news for Manitoba consumers.
"You would expect, I think, the market to continue to be as competitive as it [has been], and if not maybe even more as a result."
Advertisement
Government approval not guaranteed
Investors were happy with the news of the buyout. Shares in MTS jumped more than 15 per cent by mid-day Monday, to $37.87 a share.
But analysts say this is hardly a done deal. The buyout has to be approved by Canadas telecom watchdog, the CRTC, as well as by the Competition Bureau and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED).
We do not believe regulatory approval will be automatic, Maher Yaghi, an analyst at Desjardins, said in a client note Monday.
The transaction will take a four-way wireless market in Manitoba and bring it down to three. We showed in a recent note that a four-way market where four strong wireless companies compete (Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan) currently presents consumers with wireless prices that are 20 to 40 per cent lower vs. provinces with only three strong competitors.
Hence, we suspect regulatory scrutiny could be as high as that on the Astral takeover, given we are now dealing with retail consumer-related services.
Advertisement
The previous Conservative government established a goal of four major wireless carriers in each region of Canada. Its unclear whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberal government will continue to pursue that strategy.
Some consumer advocates have criticized what they see as a cozy relationship between the Liberals and Bell. Even prior to the Bell-MTS announcement, some groups warned that this relationship could be harmful to consumers.
Also on HuffPost
Exposing Iranian Exploitation and Weakness | Main | Iran Recruiting Its Children for War in Syriato Prepare to Invade Israel
As reported last month, CAMERA's work exposing the distorted translations in Haaretz's English edition has become a topic of public concern in Israel. Haaretz editor Aluf Benn addressed the issue again in yet another media interview today, this time on Army Radio. CAMERA's translation of the relevant section of the broadcast (approximately 18 minutes into the show) follows:
Roey Idan: Haaretz has two entities. The paper here and the English version.
Benn: What is the difference?
Idan: The differences in the headlines are significant.
Benn: Really. Wait, wait. Did you check this? Or are you only quoting CAMERA's research which selectively cites headlines. It's not that they checked all the headlines.
-- Eral Segal interrupts: I enjoy --
Benn: When was the last time you read Haaretz in English to compare the headlines?
Idan: I always compare the headlines.
Benn: Ok, there is an organization which was established in order to find errors in Haaretz, which tries to persuade that Haaretz in English is a paper of extremist leftists who work against the state. They found, according to them, five errors in headlines in the course of a year. Part of them were factual and in many cases we are not ashamed to correct. When they claim that to write occupation is a mistake because there is no such thing, that is not correct.
Idan: Here, I am with you. I am not talking about that. . . .
. . . [Aluf signed off] . . . Segal: Too bad I didn't speak with him earlier. Hanan Amiur of Presspectiva writes to me that regarding Aluf Benn's statement that they found only five changes, Haaretz corrected 12 times because of our work in the last year alone. We found scores more disparities between the Hebrew and English. You are invited to follow on Twitter.
Idan: It's important to note we're not only talking about factual errors. We are talking also about tendentious headlines in English. In short, Haaretz in English is the fuel of BDS and antisemitism.
It is now illegal for Berlin homeowners to rent out entire properties to Airbnb users and other homesharing services.
The Independent reports that new legislation, called Zweckentfremdungsverbot, bans owners from renting out entire apartments to tourists without city permits.
Advertisement
Breaking the law, which was passed in 2014 but went into effect May 1, could get homeowners up to 100,000 (almost C$144,000) in fines.
The Airbnb legislation, passed in 2014, became law as of May. (Getty Images)
Those without city permits will be able to rent out only rooms. Listings on Airbnb for Berlin dropped by 40 per cent in April, according to The Independent.
Andreas Geisel, Berlins head of urban development, called the law is a "sensible instrument" in tackling the city's housing shortage, reports The Guardian. The law is aimed at maintaining a supply of available properties and keeping rental rates low.
Advertisement
"I am absolutely determined to return such misappropriated apartments to the people of Berlin and to newcomers," Geisel said.
City authorities are also hoping residents will notify officials of any owners who break the law. But that request isn't sitting well with some.
A 48-year-old woman who has rented her properties through the popular website told The Guardian in Germany, of all places, maybe we should reconsider this kind of thing."
'Simple rules' needed: Airbnb
A spokesperson for Airbnb told the Independent that "Berliners want clear and simple rules for home sharing" and that the company "will continue to encourage Berlin policy-makers to listen to their citizens."
This isn't the first time the online service has landed in hot water over rental rates. In New York, it was accused of "exacerbating the housing crisis," according to The Verge.
Advertisement
In Vancouver, to come up with regulations for services like Airbnb, city staff are collecting data for a study on short-term rentals and their effects, CBC News reports.
Last month, Toronto-based MaRS Solutions Lab released a report suggesting tougher regulatory measures be put in place to limit what kinds of homes can be rented in the sharing economy.
Also on HuffPost
Say hello to one of Australias biggest babies!
Baby Ziad Kadic was born at Perths Joondalup Health Campus on Saturday via caesarean section. Weighing an impressive 13.2 pounds and measuring 57 cm long, he is possibly the biggest baby born in Western Australia and likely the whole country, Perth Now reports. (However, this has not yet been confirmed.)
Young Perth mum Breanna Sykes gives birth to 5.9kg baby, one of the biggest in Australia: https://t.co/ZskXY9aQGBpic.twitter.com/kJYOjCZsrB PerthNow (@perthnow) May 2, 2016
First-time mom Breanna Sykes was surprised by her newborns size. Originally doctors estimated baby Ziad would be eight or nine pounds. However, when Sykes went into labour, she was in a lot of pain and doctors feared the baby was too big to deliver naturally.
Advertisement
They said he is just not going to fit. If I try and push the baby he could break my pelvis so I had to get a caesarian, unfortunately, Sykes told Australian Network News.
The hospital staff was just as stunned as Sykes when her baby boy was born. Everyone's talking about it, the big, giant baby, the new mom said.
According to KMOV, baby Ziad was born the size of a three-month-old. He now holds the record for biggest baby born at Perths Joondalup Health Campus in 15 years.
Advertisement
Although big in size, Ziad is perfectly healthy and doing well. The mom described her son to the Daily Mail saying, Hes just so chunky, beautiful, very chubby, cuddly and sleepy.
The baby boy and his mom will be sent home from the hospital on Tuesday.
According to Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average birthweight in Australia is 3.35 kilograms, or 7.3 pounds. In comparison, the average birthweight of babies born in Canada is between 5.5 to 9.9 pounds.
This isnt the first big baby weve heard of this year. In March, a Nova Scotia mom welcomed one of the biggest babies ever born in Cape Breton. The infant girl weighed a whopping 13.3 pounds.
ALSO ON HUFFPOST:
Finance Minister Bill Morneau evidently thinks Conservatives would do well to get past this "whole balanced budget thing."
Morneau made the remark in question period Monday, sparking an eruption of laughter and mock applause from the Tory benches.
Advertisement
Tory MP Lisa Raitt and Finance Minister Bill Morneau are shown in the House of Commons. (Photo: The Canadian Press)
For months now, Tories have pressed the Liberal government to admit it inherited a surplus. Interim Tory Leader Rona Ambrose urged Morneau to concede that "undeniable fact" Monday, days after the Finance Department released a report showing Ottawa ran a surplus of $7.5-billion over the first 11 months of the fiscal year.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer also projected last month that the federal government will run a small budgetary surplus in 2015-2016.
Advertisement
Morneau shot back that his department informed him the feds will be in a deficit position this year, but said Liberals were "focusing on things that really matter to Canadians" rather than balancing the budget at all costs.
But the minister's exchange with Conservative finance critic Lisa Raitt was perhaps more memorable.
Tory MP to Morneau: How are you sleeping these days?
Raitt, who is rumoured to be mulling a run for the Tory leadership, rose to accuse Morneau of dismissing his own department's report and "misleading Canadians" on the real fiscal situation.
The finance minister said Canadians made the right choice last October, hiring Liberals to "invest" in the economy.
"Clearly the members from the other side are still stuck in this whole balanced budget thing," he said, dismissively.
Raitt then charged that Liberals seek to stick Canadians with "billions and billions of dollars in debt."
Advertisement
"Clearly the members from the other side are still stuck in this whole balanced budget thing." Finance Minister Bill Morneau
Then she tried to use his own words against him.
"Interestingly enough, Mr. Speaker, the finance minister wrote a book. And in his book he said the following: Debt prevents you from doing things, such as sleeping well at night,'" she said. "So my question for the finance minister is this: how's he sleeping at night?"
Morneau said he's catching plenty of Z's, thanks.
"I'm sleeping well at night knowing that what we're doing is we're making my children and my grandchildren better off," he said, pointing to investments in infrastructure and an "innovative economy."
With a file from The Canadian Press
ALSO ON HUFFPOST:
A teen in India has died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while taking a selfie.
Ramandeep Singh, 15, died in a Ludhiana hospital Sunday after the Friday night incident, according to The Indian Express.
Singh was pointing the .32 bore revolver at his head while trying to take a selfie on his phone, according to Pathankot Deputy Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar, when the weapon went off.
Advertisement
The bullet was still lodged in the teen's head when he was taken to hospital, where he later died, according to NDTV.
The weapon belonged to Singh's father, who is a property dealer.
Recently-released statistics show India accounted for almost 40 per cent of selfie-related deaths in the past three years, according to CNN. The country accounted for 19 of the 49 deaths.
Police in Mumbai set up no-selfie zones in February after the spate of accidents, The Guardian reported. Areas without barriers near waterways are among those off-limits for selfies.
Advertisement
Also on HuffPost
One day, Canadians will gather around campfire holograms and tell the grand story of Justin Beaver Canada's comeback kid.
Advertisement
Justin Beaver was found thin and dehydrated in December. (Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary/Facebook)
The rodent's tale began in December, when it was found severely dehydrated and underweight in an Ottawa backyard, according to CBC News.
Justin was "not behaving normally the way a beaver should behave," Heather Badenoch, a volunteer with the Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary said at the time. The centre asked for a Good Samaritan to drive the beaver to the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, a treatment centre four hours away in Rosseau, Ont. The centre had the facilities the beaver needed for a full recovery.
Less than an hour after their public plea, the #BeaverTaxi hashtag gained traction and a driver, Mary Herbert, found.
Advertisement
Justin made it to the centre and made his recovery over almost five months there. He was given his cheeky new name at the sanctuary, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
And on Saturday, he made his triumphant return to nature.
Justin got a lift from Rosseau to Ottawa with Stuart Musson. The drive was a slow and quiet one, Musson told the Citizen.
I was 80 km/h and letting everyone pass me, he said.
Justin Beaver needed a drive last year for medical care. He's coming back to the wild TODAY at 4! #ottnewspic.twitter.com/l7indMkagl Rideau Wildlife (@rideauwildlife) April 30, 2016
The beaver eventually made it to the shore of the Rideau River, where he would begin his new life.
Hes healthy, hes happy, hes old enough to be on his own, Badenoch said.
He was thin and dehydrated when found in Osgoode backyard in December. He is healthy now #ottnewspic.twitter.com/e40Dr3emrx Chloe Fedio (@cfedio) April 30, 2016
We'll update this post when this story inevitably becomes a Heritage Minute.
Also on HuffPost
Adorable Beavers See Gallery
Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau broke some very big news for his family: they got a puppy!
Along with an adorable photo of two-year-old Hadrien playing with the new dog, Trudeau tweeted: "#tbt to the little one meeting our newest arrival a few months ago. Say hello to Kenzie."
#tbt to the little one meeting our newest arrival a few months ago. Say hello to Kenzie. pic.twitter.com/G0wuoP9JCe Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 28, 2016
Of course, the Canadian public was quick to react to this overload of cuteness. Many on Twitter wanted to know: what kind of dog is it?
Advertisement
The Prime Minister's press secretary has confirmed to Huffington Post Canada that the little fluff ball is an 11-week-old, female Portuguese water dog -- the same breed as President Barack Obama's dogs, Bo and Sunny. (Maybe that trip to the White House in March had an influence on the Trudeaus' choice.)
From my family to yours, Happy Easter, and we wish everyone celebrating a blessed and joyful day. pic.twitter.com/fNvcihSmYB President Obama (@POTUS) March 27, 2016
When Trudeau became Canada's Prime Minister in October of last year, his family of five didn't have any pets. There was some speculation around whether or not the family would get an animal, since pets can make politicians more "relatable" to the public.
However, the Trudeaus aren't in short supply of approachability. Selfie, anyone?
Advertisement
And just look at these kids.
Not all leaders have chosen dogs as pets, either. Remember Stephen Harper's chinchella, Charlie? And Bill Clinton's famous cat, Socks?
But now the prime minister and his family have joined the ranks of many world leaders with their new addition. And if past political pets are any indication, Kenzie is sure to get a lot of attention. Just take a look at this media scrum around Obama's dogs.
We're definitely looking forward to many more photos of Kenzie.
ALSO ON HUFFPOST:
As my first pregnancy progressed, so did the conversation surrounding whether my husband and I would have our son circumcised.
My husband being from the U.K. where foreskin is the norm was troubled by the idea of "snipping his son's manhood." Recent figures estimate that only about 3.8 per cent of male children are circumcised by age 15 in the U.K.
Advertisement
But we were living in New York City, building our lives in North America. And we were under the impression that the majority of baby boys in our culture were being circumcised. We didn't want our little guy to be in the minority. So we decided our son would have the procedure, too.
But we were still apprehensive. And like no decision before it, friends and family weighed in with their opinions. Comments such as, "You're not going to snip, are you? His penis will be ugly" and "How barbaric and awful to take a knife to a baby" trickled in.
It reminded me of when we surveyed friends and family about potential names for the baby. People held very strong opinions about each name and expressed their thoughts freely. But now we were talking about a surgery that, practically speaking, was strictly cosmetic. We aren't part of a religion that requires it, and it wasn't medically necessary.
Circumcision is only insured by OHIP when deemed medically necessary not when performed for "ritual, cultural, religious or cosmetic reasons." And the Canadian Pediatric Society does not recommend routine circumcision for every newborn boy. However, they have updated their position on the issue, noting that there are potential benefits for circumcision. For example, circumcised boys are less likely to get UTIs, develop (rare) penile cancer, or contract an STI (HIV, HSV and HPV in particular).
Advertisement
Nevertheless, there are still risks associated with the procedure.
Last year in Ontario, the circumcision debate was reignited after a newborn bled to death from a circumcision gone wrong. The parents of the boy reportedly didn't want the baby circumcised, but were advised to by their family physician. Although this was an incredibly rare occurrence, and blame cannot be placed wholly on this physician, his advice to circumcise was for "medical reasons." This was a healthy baby boy with no established medical condition.
In North America, circumcising is still viewed by many as the "normal" thing to do. This view led one father to take his son's mother to court, in order to circumcise their 4-year-old son. The mother refused to sign a consent form, even though she had initially signed off on the procedure in a parenting agreement years earlier. She was jailed for nine days and eventually consented to the procedure.
My husband and I were not so heated in our debate. He was willing to conform to what we thought were North America's cultural ways, and I was content with my son fitting in. That was until we stopped a midwife in the hallway of a hospital and asked her how many circumcisions she'd witnessed in the last year. "Nowadays, definitely less than half," she said firmly. My husband's eyebrows shot up. She continued, "It's just not medically necessary. Regardless of what the father has had done, parents are starting to lean towards not circumcising, it seems."
From that point on, our discussion about whether we were going to circumcise shifted to a question of why we ever would. My husband was now comforted knowing that our son (and now three sons) would not look different in the locker room, and I was happy to avoid what seemed like a harsh procedure for cosmetic reasons.
Advertisement
As a society, we get accustom to certain ideas and eventually they are deemed "normal." Circumcisions have been performed for more than 4000 years and for many it is completely conventional.
How a little piece of skin became such a topic of religious, medical and cosmetic debate is fascinating. Regardless of what people deem as unnecessary or attractive or compulsory, parents must remember that as long as we are informed, cultural perceptions should never drive our parenting decisions.
Also on HuffPost
One Starbucks customer has no chill about how much ice is being served in her cold drinks.
A federal class action lawsuit filed in Illinois last week claims that the company has been stiffing people on the beverage content of its iced drinks for a decade.
Advertisement
Plaintiff Stacy Pincus, who is acting on behalf of Starbucks customers, said the company misleads people when it says that its venti-sized cold drinks have 24 fluid ounces.
Baristas, she claimed, are only filling venti cups up to 14 ounces and topping them up with ice.
The filing came with pictures showing how much cups are actually filled up, according to Pincus, as well as how much ice is left over when they're finished.
The lawsuit is seeking damages of US$5 million. But Starbucks doesn't believe it has any merit.
"Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any 'iced' beverage," spokesperson Jaime Riley told The Associated Press.
Advertisement
"If a customer is not satisfied with their beverage preparation, we will gladly remake it."
Also on HuffPost
Keith Wood via Getty Images Worker turning valve on geothermal pipeline, silhouetted against dusk
Listening to official commentary about using oil to pave the way for alternative energy, it sometimes sounds as though pipeline proponents are the true environmentalists among us. Commentary in favour of the pipelines has followed suit with generous explanations of our current needs and the realities of energy consumption.
They ask: are opponents of the pipelines in denial about our current reliance on fossil fuels? Do the greens believe that our formidable energy usage can be easily offloaded to wind farms and hydro plants? And if these bleeding hearts do admit that we do need fossil fuels to power our country, are they comfortable importing Saudi oil forever?
Advertisement
I believe that such questions willfully miss the point. Our spirited national debate is not actually about our use of fossil fuels. On the contrary, we are debating whether we want to structure more of the Canadian economy around the production and sale of these fuels.
That we will continue to burn fossil fuels for the foreseeable future will come as no surprise to anyone. I don't believe that even the most radical environmentalist expects that any alternative is possible in the medium-term.
Does this, in itself, justify the pipelines? No.
We all know that jets use jet fuel, that container ships burn bunker fuel and that the use of both is on a steady rise. Most trucks use diesel and most cars use gas and this is a present reality we can't easily escape. Whether we are headed for new innovations in alternative energy or continue on as one of the worst polluting nations on Earth, we will burn fossil fuels to get there.
Does this, in itself, justify the pipelines? No.
Conveniently, the vast majority of our oil imports come from the United States (only about 8.5 per cent are from the Middle East). They arrive by tanker on our east coast.
Advertisement
Even more conveniently, essentially all of our oil exports are being bought by the United States, only on the West Coast. We are their biggest foreign supplier by a wide margin. Between our two countries, oil flows efficiently to both sides of the continent.
The pipelines are not about meeting our own energy needs, as extraordinary as they are, but about bringing more oil to the global marketplace. Trudeau is being upfront about this when he claims he will use the money to pay for clean energy. Only he will actually use the money to effectively pay down a $30-billion deficit and save the currency from further depreciation.
Given the overhead investment, how can the pipelines project be seen as anything but a determined shift away from a green economy?
Regardless of where the stimulus package is applied, however, it must be clear that the pipeline projects are not about energy for Canada but about money for Canada, and the national debate is about how and where we should be making our money.
Having said this, it seems unlikely that the pipelines will pave the way for a green economy -- or any economy, for that matter, that challenges the continued use of a new and very expensive pipeline infrastructure.
Advertisement
A country whose economic prosperity and even survival is fully leveraged on oil and gas will not be the one to ramp down production in favour of energy alternatives. Given the overhead investment, how can the pipelines project be seen as anything but a determined shift away from a green economy?
Once the infrastructure is in place, it will be used. And when the price of oil collapses again, we will again rally around big oil as our sacred cow. Production will have to be protected because too much will be at stake, and government subsidies to Canadian oil companies, currently at $1.7 billion, will grow and grow.
Pipeline approval will mean decades of working toward and executing a massive upshift in oil production and export. It will mean becoming an oil country for the rest of the world. And at home, our full dependence on the world's continued use of fossil fuels will inevitably shape our allegiances in the struggle for a greener planet.
Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook
MORE ON HUFFPOST:
mauro grigollo via Getty Images
I come from a long line of smokers on both sides of my family. When I grew up it wasn't uncommon for parents to smoke in the house, on long car rides and, of course, in restaurants. Cigarettes were omnipresent, and by the time I was 15 years old I was a smoker myself, happily inhaling smoke into a pair of lungs that had been exposed to second-hand smoke since childhood.
For 24 years I was a smoker. That's nearly a quarter century of inhaling smoke into lungs that are probably black by now. But I loved it. I'd start the day with a smoke and a coffee, and I'd have that last cigarette at the end of my day.
Advertisement
I just couldn't find the will power. And then, finally, I found something that helped me quit for good.
When my partner and I were expecting our first-born, I finally made the decision that I was ready to stop smoking. I had tried a few different strategies by this point but nothing did the trick. I was still a smoker when my son arrived, and remained one until he was a year old. I just couldn't find the will power.
And then, finally, I found something that helped me quit for good. No more need for cigarettes with my coffee, or that last smoke at the end of the day.
Vaporizers have been around for a few years now. The nicotine delivery system is a harm reduction strategy, found to be 95 per cent less harmful than actual cigarettes according to most scientific research. There are only four ingredients -- vegetable glycerin, artificial flavor, propylene glycol and nicotine. By comparison, cigarettes contain over 4,000 chemicals, 43 of which are cancer-causing compounds and another 400 are considered toxic.
Advertisement
Put simply, there really is no basis to compare the two products except to say that both are inhaled by the consumer. Oh, one other thing: governments across North America are passing legislation that equates the two as both being a public health hazard for its citizens.
In Ontario, the Kathleen Wynne government has passed Bill 45, a measure that places vaping on par with smoking, despite the obvious differences between the two. Thousands of people across the country have credited vaporizers for helping them kick the habit, yet legislation like this ignores the obvious benefits and fictionalizes the science in order to ban vaping in public wherever cigarettes are banned.
I'm not one to use the phrase "nanny state," but I can't think of a more appropriate phrase to describe a government who insists on ignoring science so it can ban a product that has successfully helped more people to stop drawing smoke into their lungs than any other cessation strategy in history. Groups like Vapor Advocates of Ontario are currently engaged in an ongoing battle, challenging the government to take cues from the British Royal College of Physicians who are encouraging smokers to use vaping as a way to successfully quit smoking.
Instead, as Kathleen Wynne promotes the semi-privatization of alcohol distribution, a substance known to kill tens of thousands of people a year, the Ontario government is stubbornly insisting that vaporizing is exactly the same thing as smoking, despite the building consensus among the scientific community that vaping could eventually be credited as saving thousands of lives annually.
One has to ask what the motives are for governments to behave this way. Some ministry lawyers have cited odd theories such as vaporizers being considered a gateway product that will eventually cause children to start smoking cigarettes.
Advertisement
Unfortunately for those peddling this theory, smoking among teens continues to plummet. Other government officials will cite studies that have long been refuted, an odd way of trying to provide citizens with legitimate reasons for banning something that is not in the public good to ban.
Last month a friend of mine attended a protest at Queen's Park, demanding the Wynne government abandon its stubborn legislation against vaping. While there she met countless ex-smokers, young and old, who universally heralded this new technology as "life-saving." Most of them cannot understand how a government can merely ignore the testimonials from ex-smokers.
Since that protest articles have come out exposing the link between tobacco lobbyists and government fundraisers, as well as Wall Street documents that connect rising tobacco stocks with legislation banning vaporizers in public, similar to the legislation passed by the Wynne government. And yet, the Ontario government remains unconvinced.
But politics aside, my partner couldn't be happier. I can feel the difference physically, too. I have been a non-smoker for nine months. I can breathe in deeply, I don't cough as much, my clothes and hands don't reek of cigarette smoke, and my son will never know what his daddy looks like with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Also, I have lessened the levels of nicotine and expect to be vaporizer-free within the next year. By that time my second child, a daughter, will be born.
Both of my children will be the first generation in our family to be born without a parent who smokes cigarettes. Honestly, what's more important than that at the end of the day?
Advertisement
Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook
MORE ON HUFFPOST:
ASSOCIATED PRESS Bangladeshi Muslims carry the body of Xulhaz Mannan who was stabbed to death by unidentified assailants for his funeral in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, April 26, 2016. The banned group Ansar-al Islam, the Bangladeshi branch of al-Qaida on the Indian subcontinent, has claimed responsibility for the killings of gay rights activist Mannan and his friend in the capital, Dhaka. (AP Photo)
A Bangladeshi LGBT rights activist, Xulhaz Mannan, and his friend were brutally hacked to death by an extremist group for "promoting homosexuality." The funeral picture showed local community members and Muslims offering his funeral prayers.
This clearly draws the line between those who see religion as a supremacist ideology and those for whom it is about being a better human being. However, it also indicates that it is indoctrination against blasphemy, apostasy and homosexuality that instigates young men to justify murder.
Advertisement
This necessitates that Muslim community leaders will have to intensify efforts to destroy the poison of medieval supremacist doctrines that are touted by zealots addressing their hollow identity crisis.
Such efforts are warranted, as death threats against LGBT Muslim activists have been issued even in places like Denmark. A harrowing article showed how the loved ones of LGBT Muslim activist Michael Sinan suggested that he stop participating in interviews and programs for his own safety.
Sinan mentioned that despite getting three death threats, not much was done by the local police or the LGBT organizations. This is extremely unfortunate, for apart from experiencing homophobia, LGBT Muslims also have to contend with anti-Muslim bigotry. Such prejudice is rampant, as evidenced from the many negative comments and messages such activists receive online.
Despite theological differences, there is no room in Islam to so poorly treat our LGBT Muslim brothers and sisters.
Sinan also mentioned receiving acceptance and inclusion in many Muslim communities; however, it is crucial that such support be made public to send out a strong message that Muslims have zero tolerance for bullying, abuse and discrimination against some of the most vulnerable members of their community.
Lives are at stake. This much is clear from the murders in Bangladesh. One death is far too many. The big organizations of Muslims can really send out a strong and powerful message that despite theological differences, there is no room in Islam to so poorly treat our LGBT Muslim brothers and sisters.
Indeed, it is time that false analogies of vulnerable LGBT Muslims with the people of Lot are put to an end. There is absolutely no equation between the lives of our children, our faith-based brothers and sisters, our own flesh and blood, with Lot's people, who displayed obscene conduct of inhospitality, coercion and exploitation.
Centuries have passed by with the perpetuation of such false constructs, but now that we are able to better understand human existence, that must end by revisiting the eternal core kernels of faith -- mercy, justice, compassion and love.
The life of Xulhaz Mannan cannot be returned, but his legacy can and should be kept alive. Similarly, against the backdrop of death threats and demeaning messages, we can all band together to stand by Michael Sinan and other marginalized LGBT Muslim activists in this hour.
Advertisement
The following Muslim leaders, along with their allies, have banded together to offer words of wisdom and comfort, to recognize the ultimate price paid by Xulhaz Mannan, and to tell Michael Sinan and other LGBT Muslim activists to continue to stand tall and assert their truth (haqq):
"The bravery shown by the work of Xulhaz, a man who had access to Western support and could have migrated but who decided to work in his home country, is the kind of dedication that leads to change. The violence against us is a way to instill fear and is meant to stop our progress. Our lives matter. Every single one of us is important. Yet, we must always move forward, continuing our movement with the understanding that such violence might occur."--Imam Daayiee Abdullah, Executive Director of the MECCA Institute
"We stand shoulder to shoulder with our queer Muslim family and mourn the loss of our brave leaders like Xulhaz Mannan, who is the real martyr, having risked his life for the good of humanity."--Shahla Khan Salter, Director, Universalist Muslims
"Discrimination against any members of a community threatens the security of all. Since all human beings are created b'tselem Elohim -- in the Divine image -- we each carry some of G-d's holiness within us. Michael, you have a lot of support in the broader community. Be strong."--Karen Gall, Jewish ally
"Michael, please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. Stay strong... some of us will never give up supporting you."--Suroor Ali, Muslim ally
"You are not alone, Michael. Sending Lots of love and support!"--Kelly Wentworth, Secretary, Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV), President, MPV Atlanta
"The heart of Islam is compassion and mercy. If we are not promoting a compassionate and merciful Islam, we are promoting a harsh and dictatorial Islam. Our Islam cannot be both."--Frank Parmir, Director, MPV Columbus
"By living your life with pride and courage as you do, and making sajda (prostration) to no one except Allah (swt), you offer a great example of how to be a Muslim."--Mark Brustman, writer and activist
"Michael and friends, in these difficult times I hope you'll find strength and courage to stay true to yourself. You are in our thoughts and prayers."--Dr. Adis Duderija, Asia Institute, University of Melbourne
"While the people who commit violence are to blame for their own actions those who support contempt bear a part of the responsibility. And that is the true lesson of the story of Sodom and Gomorrah."--John Allenson, Jewish ally
"We don't need LGBT martyrs; we need actual, alive role models to whom people can look up to and get inspiration, courage and determination to be who they are. And we can make that happen by standing up for those who are already on the picket lines fighting the right fight or just too afraid to speak out. This is our salvation, our sadaq e jariya (perpetual charity)."--Hadi Hussain, writer and activist
Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook
MORE ON HUFFPOST:
Kamil Krzaczynski / Reuters U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S., May 1, 2016. REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski
Donald Trump is not a man who is known to mince his words. When he says things, they are not just straight-forward. They are bombastic and most often outlandish.
This is not the case when it comes to his opinion on Canada.
After being asked by CBC's Meagan Fitzpatrick, the reality TV star turned-U.S. Republican presidential candidate recently answered "I love Canada..." and unlike his plans for Mexico, he said "I would not build a wall on the Canadian border."
Advertisement
Trump, a profound nationalist, is often described as an isolationist with regards to his foreign policies, namely his strong opposition to NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). This in particular would greatly affect Canada in terms of trade policy, jobs, unions, a large part of the Canadian economy, even the exchange rate if he were to actually win in the general election this November.
Let's face it, everything Canada stands for, especially under a Liberal government, is exactly what Mr. Trump speaks out against.
Trump has repeatedly stated he believes NAFTA to be a "disaster" and said he would renegotiate it if he does get elected. He has also said he would enact tariffs specifically against companies such as Ford. "Let's say Ford moves to Mexico. If they want to sell that car in the United States, they pay a tax." When Scott Pelley pointed out to Trump that "there's the North American Free Trade Agreement" in his interview on 60 Minutes last September, Trump promptly affirmed his stance when he said "...and there shouldn't be!.."
Donald Trump states he wouldn't deal with it but would either renegotiate it or he would break it. He clearly states that NAFTA is not fair and has been quoted saying every agreement has a default clause. The GOP presidential candidate believes the United States is being defrauded by many countries, further stating free trade is not fair trade and trade must be fair.
Advertisement
Let's face it, everything Canada stands for, especially under a Liberal government, is exactly what Mr. Trump speaks out against. The new Canadian government speaks loudly of diversity and admitting refugees in from countries like Syria. Trump never speaks well of immigrants and has even described them as rapists and drug dealers, not acknowledging they contribute to society.
The outspoken real estate mogul has repeatedly responded to questions regarding foreign policy and about the United States' place on the world stage in general with vague rhetoric that has had him repeat "...putting America first again" in almost every answer he gives. His answers have also included punishing other countries where he feels American interests have been compromised. While Mexico and China have been in his crosshairs, he has mentioned numerous other countries where he believes the United States has not gotten the fair end of the deal and that even includes countries like Canada, involved in free trade through NAFTA.
Let's be clear. Trump speaks from a chest-pumping pro-U.S. and isolationist point of view, much more radical than any past Republican Canadians have been used to hearing. He is imposing and that is exactly the opposite reputation of his neighbours to the north.
Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook
ALSO ON HUFFPOST:
Hemera Technologies via Getty Images Man jogging on beach
The legendary humourist Mark Twain once lamented that the only way to stay healthy is, "to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not."
His tongue in cheek remarks are something to keep in mind when the temptations of rich food, salty snacks and sugary drinks can prove difficult to resist.
Advertisement
But the fact is we don't have to give up all our guilty pleasures to be healthy. By focussing on wellness and becoming our own health advocates, we can enjoy all of what life has to offer, the idea being that disease prevention is easier than treatment.
A few years ago, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health conducted public hearings to look at tackling the growing burden of chronic disease in this country.
In its report, the Committee cited testimony from experts who said that "90% of type 2 diabetes, 80% of coronary heart disease, and one third of cancers could be prevented by healthy eating, regular exercise, and by not smoking."
Health experts know that we need to start thinking about chronic disease prevention early. The Committee found that "only 7% of Canadian children meet the daily physical activity guidelines and even fewer teenagers meet them."
Advertisement
It was also told that as many as "25 chronic diseases are directly linked to physical inactivity and that an inactive person will spend 38% more days in hospital, use 5.5% more family physician visits, 13% more specialist services, and 12% more nurse visits compared to an active person."
Chronic disease also takes its toll on our economy. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, chronic disease consumes "67% of all direct healthcare costs, and costs the Canadian economy $190 billion annually - $68 billion of which is attributed to treatment and the remainder to lost productivity."
That's why chronic disease prevention and the promotion of wellness in the workplace are becoming a concern for more and more employers.
Sanofi Canada's 2015 Healthcare Survey found that 45% of employees reported that they'd been diagnosed with a chronic disease such as diabetes, arthritis and depression. When high blood pressure and high cholesterol were included, the number rose to 56%. Among those 55 and older, a staggering 78% reported a chronic disease.
In the report, employers are urged to make the wellness of workers a strategic goal, "focusing on education and behaviour at all levels of the organization and aiming to improve the worker, the workplace and the employer."
Advertisement
The fact is that there are some very common sense things we can do to make wellness and health a personal priority.
Canadian Cancer Society President Pamela Fralick advises that by quitting smoking, being more active and eating the right foods, we can lower our cancer risk. Early detection and family history are also important factors to consider.
However, when illness strikes and medication is required, it's of vital importance to follow the treatment regime as prescribed by a healthcare professional. As the former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop once said: "Drugs don't work in people who don't take them."
Studies have shown the value of adherence in reducing hospitalization and improving outcomes for patients. A new generation of patient-friendly tools is now available to help patients take their medication safely and appropriately, including MyMedRec and many other mobile health apps.
There has never been a better time to become our own health care advocate. If so, with apologies to Mark Twain, we can have our cake and eat it too. In moderation, of course.
Advertisement
sigurcamp via Getty Images Israel and palestinian flags face to face, symbol for the relationship between the two countries.
In recent months, the Israel lobby and its allies in Canada's political establishment have waged a full-fledged assault on the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. This culminated in the anti-BDS motion that passed with enormous support in the House of Commons.
What is the purpose of this massive mobilization of resources against a non-violent civil society movement? Shimon Fogel, CEO of the Israel lobby group Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA)--a major proponent of this anti-BDS motion-- claims that BDS has been an "absolute failure" (22:42) at pressuring Israel economically.
Advertisement
Yet BDS has been cited as a primary cause for the nearly 50% drop in Foreign Direct Investment into Israel in 2015. And, more importantly, BDS challenges Israel's dominant narrative, which has been a fixture of Western societies for generations. Israel lobby groups see that this threatens the way Canadians view this issue.
In a recent HuffPost commentary, Fogel chose to lambaste Palestinians' right of return in an apparent effort to justify the government's censure of Canadians who support BDS. Fogel denied both that Palestinians are entitled to this right, and that Canada supports it officially.
Not only is the Palestinian right of return to their homes and properties enshrined in numerous bodies of international law, but Canada's official policy is that concerned parties must come to a solution that "should respect the rights of the refugees, in accordance with international law."
How can Fogel claim so boldly that Palestinians -- those who were born in current-day Israel or whose parents and grandparents were born there, and whose ancestors lived there for countless generations-- should be forbidden to ever return, while a Jewish person who may have no familial connection to the land should be granted automatic citizenship? Fogel claims "a 'return' of these refugees ... would demographically overwhelm Israel, destroy the Jewish state and turn it into another Arab-majority state."
Advertisement
It seems odd, and even racist, to describe the right of Arabs to return to their homes as intrinsically destructive. There is no doubt that respecting refugees' rights would lead to the return of some individuals to their ancestral homeland (not all refugees wish to return), and would ultimately transform Israel into a state that treats Jews and non-Jews as equals.
Israel is already an Arab-majority state; 52% of Israelis are Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews, most coming from Arab countries. One of the leading organizations promoting the rights of Arab Jews even calls itself "Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa." A further 20.2% of Israel's citizens are Palestinian.
Yet, rather than embracing the diversity of Jewish identities and cultures from around the world, the European-dominated Zionist movement has opted for a parochial form of ultra-nationalism which suppresses Arab identity as "backward" and "primitive."
It also regards the native Arab population (Palestinians) as invisible, while Jewish people from all corners of the earth -- including recent converts to the Jewish faith -- are regarded as "indigenous" to the land.
Seeing Arabs in this light has obvious repercussions for Israel's non-Jewish Arab population. Israel's Minister of Education proclaimed "I've killed lots of Arabs in my life. There's nothing wrong with that."
Advertisement
And Israel's Deputy Minister of Defense described Palestinians as being "like animals. They aren't human."
Such incitement against Palestinians from Israeli cabinet ministers has become commonplace.
This racism isn't restricted to Palestinians; African asylum seekers are widely loathed, as well. Haaretznotes "Israel is the least moral country in the world when it comes to awarding asylum to people who deserve it, according to the United Nations Refugee Convention."
The consequences have been severe: "Interviews with former Holot prison inmates reveal that many who departed Israel in [the] past two years have been subjected to torture, imprisonment and persecution after returning home."
Jewish people should understand better than anyone the importance of granting asylum to persecuted peoples. But in Israel's obsession with engineering and maintaining a Jewish demographic majority--in a land where Jews were a tiny minority until very recently in modern history--the country has shirked its responsibilities under international law with regard to refugees. Surely, this is not the Jewish way.
In demanding that Palestinians and the international community accept Israel as a "Jewish state," Israel and its lobby groups like CIJA are in fact conflating the behaviour of this state with all Jewish people. Many Jews, like myself, see this conflation of Jewish people with militant Zionism as actually endangering Jews, both inside and outside of Israel. This is compounded by the fact that those who challenge Israel's brutal mistreatment of non-Jews under its control are frequently labeled as "anti-Semites."
Advertisement
CIJA is clear: it holds that anti-Zionism--an ideology opposed to the dispossession of Palestinians, institutional discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel, and Israel's apartheid policies--is inherently anti-Semitic. In Fogel's own words, "[University] Administrations ... are finally waking up and recognizing that this anti-Zionism, however it's expressed--whether it's BDS, or Israel Apartheid Week, or some of the programs or activities that anti-Israel forces have on campus--actually does constitute anti-Semitism." (27:01)
CIJA's Director of Communications, Steve McDonald, agrees. In response to concerns about a growing hatred of Jews based merely on the fact that they're Jewish (real anti-Semitism), he said: "I think that the bigger challenge really is ... that anti-Zionism has become the new acceptable form of anti-Semitism in certain left wing and academic circles. So I don't see the classic white supremacist anti-Semitism as in any way rising in North America." (21:23)
Many self-identifying Zionists, including Bernie Farber, former CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress (which dissolved and was replaced by the far less democratic CIJA), reject the equation of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism. Farber said, in response to the allegation that the United Church's Unsettling Goods campaign is anti-Semitic, "I wouldn't wave the anti-Semitism flag [here], because I think when the Jewish community does that all the time, it confuses people and turns them off. It confuses true Jew-hatred from anti-Zionism...."
Accusing Palestinians of being anti-Semitic for strongly opposing the Zionist project--responsible for the dispossession of their homeland and the erasure of their civilization-- is at best naive, and at worst terribly racist. And many Jews--ranging from very religious to secular--have always opposed political Zionism. Does CIJA honestly believe that all these people are anti-Semites, or are motivated by a deep-seated hatred of Jews?
It's important to recognize that not all supporters of the tactic of BDS are anti-Zionists. Increasing numbers of Zionists are waking up to the fact that Israel's ongoing colonization of what little remains of Palestine must be challenged with external non-violent pressure.
Advertisement
The vilification of BDS activists by Israel and its lobby groups abroad (and the successful criminalization of BDS in certain jurisdictions) must no longer be tolerated, lest someone get hurt.
Israeli transportation Minister Yisrael Katz recently called for a "targeted civil eliminations" effort aimed at BDS leaders--singling out the movement's founder, Omar Barghouti.
Rather than confront the increasingly racist and violent tendencies of Jewish-Israeli society, Israel lobby groups--purporting to represent Canada's diverse Jewish communities-- prefer to bury their heads in the sand.
These lobby groups would serve Israel's long-term interests far better by demanding Israel treat all those living under its control with dignity, freedom and equality. Manipulating the term "anti-Semitism" in an effort to silence dissent, and propagating timeworn myths about a "Jewish and democratic state," are mere distractions from reality. They will only lead us further astray from a just and lasting peace.
If there are five stages of grief then we should all get started with the process now. After months of nervous laughter and disbelief it looks like Donald Trump will get the nomination. He'll be one step closer to the presidency. And with it, one step closer to making good on promises like building a Great Wall of Mexico. This is his big idea to stop people crossing the border into the United States. At 65ft high and counting it's now taller than the lie that he's a self-made billionaire. But for many on both sides of the Atlantic it's simply not long enough (no penis jokes from the presidential candidates please). There's probably a fair few that would want Trump to be more ambitious; a big ask for a man who thinks he had a chance to sleep with Princess Diana. After all, the US needs protecting from criminals and rapists. And Europe needs defending from tired, hungry and war-torn refugees. Though they're all the same thing if you read certain sections of the press.
For many Europeans on the other side of the political spectrum the US election has been a disturbing spectacle. We've all watched a little too smugly at Trump's ranting and raving. The idea of walling off the USA's southern border seems so preposterous. The problem is we've been so obsessed rolling our eyes at America (Europe's favourite past time) that we've failed to see our own reflection staring back at us. The fact is, Europe will soon have more physical barriers on our national borders than during the Cold War. From Sweden to Serbia we've been very busy with bricks, cement and barbed wire. All in the name of solving the refugee crisis. Yet we think America's the one with the problem. We're like a neighbour tutting at plans for a new fence as we peer over the bricks and mortar we've already put up the year before. Remember when Europe used to cheer when walls that divided us fell? No longer.
Advertisement
Ask people about the walls we're building now and those that actually have an inkling of what's going on will claim it's different. They'll say the iron curtain was a prison. That it kept people trapped, poor and persecuted under Soviet oppression. The walls we're building now are to keep people out, they'll argue. But think about it for just a moment; it all depends on being lucky enough to face the right side of the barrier. Walls can imprison people outside or in, it really doesn't matter either way. If you're trying to escape the Soviet Union or Syria, a wall is a wall, blocking your escape from whatever terror is upon you. Why are people so quick to say it's different now? Draw your own conclusions. Although a lot of people no doubt agree with Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban - Putin's very own 'Mini-Me' in the heart of Europe. He's quite clear on the issue. Europe needs to keep out Muslims, he said, to keep the continent Christian. Presumably that means most of my friends and I are about to be kicked over every wall between here and the Balkans and will be refused re-entry, for being agnostic, atheist and at best, apathetic? But then they do say that whenever God closes a door somewhere He opens a window. So perhaps we could sneak back in that way?
Forget morality for a moment though. Building barriers to keep people in or out solves very little. "Show me a 50-foot wall and I'll show you a 51-foot ladder" said former US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. Whether it's immigration, drugs or terrorism, walls rarely work. They're one of the bluntest tools in geopolitics; big, ugly monuments to failure. Like any tool, they have their place, but by and large walls are failed policies designed to address a failure of policy.
Advertisement
Take the current refugee crisis. You may think this problem starts and ends in Syria. But as human rights organisations like Waging Peace have been saying for years, we've happily let other crises slip under the radar. Mention Darfur and Sudan to almost anyone and they'll tell you the problems ended years ago. They don't see that the wars and persecution have continued. Or that they've spread to other parts of the country. Little wonder that numbers of Sudanese families on refugee lists have ranked high for years, making Sudan consistently one of the top-five sources of refugees worldwide according to the UNHCR. Despite this, the UK government and its European partners have recently decided to give money direct to the government, despite its responsibility for most of the violence people are fleeing. This won't work, because it doesn't address the problems which force people to come. For the same reason, walls won't stops them arriving on European shores.
In tackling diversity in STEM, it's men who need the confidence boost
This month sees the celebration of Girls in ICT Day on 28 April - the theme of which is "expanding horizons and changing attitudes".
There are a number of interventions which are key to tackling the underrepresentation of women in STEM that days such as this seek to highlight.
Advertisement
Of these, boosting girls' confidence is often mentioned . There is no question that building a career in STEM, which remains male dominated, is intimidating. We need to ensure that girls have the self-confidence to be able to make that leap.
Time to get controversial.
However, we also need to consider another group whose confidence is perhaps in even greater need of a boost - men. When it comes to the changes in attitude Girls in ICT Day seeks to encourage, re-assessing how much importance we place on men's confidence is an important place to start.
In particular, men in industry need to have the confidence to break free of the habitual biases which prevent the diverse workforce and enabling workplace that everyone in STEM deserves being created. Confidence is needed for men to feel comfortable with making a difference in their own sphere of influence without fear of offending others in the process, 'lowering the bar' or feeling isolated and under threat. This lesson has been learnt the hard way by men such as American technology entrepreneur Vivek Wadhwa, who was publicly hounded for speaking out against Silicon Valley's frat boy culture.
Why should men publicly advocate for more women in STEM?
Men's voices are needed to be part of the chorus which inspires the next generation of women in STEM; allowing young women to know that they are needed and welcomed by a diversity of people in the industry - not just women. Men remain in the majority in STEM workplaces, and are therefore able to set and influence the tone in their work environments. It is crucial that they set good examples of inclusive practice and not be bystanders to sexism - blatant or subtle. Crucially, men need to hear this from fellow men, as much as from female leaders.
Advertisement
When breaking down the influences which may nudge a girl towards exploring a STEM career, male voices and perspectives rank fairly high. Fathers, brothers, uncles, teachers and men across industry play a role in guiding the educational choices of young women. To have men absent from efforts to encourage more girls into STEM is to lose a vital tool in addressing this challenge.
If the conversation about the need to inspire more girls into STEM misses the voices of men, it risks missing the point and not having the desired impact on girls' career choices.
Making men's voices heard
Mindful of this, Stemettes seeks to connect the girls we work with to inspiring men in STEM as well as women. For example, there is always a male panellist at our panel events. We recognise that girls will relate to people for different reasons, and so want to expose them to as diverse a range of inspiring people in STEM as possible.
Similarly, this International Women's Day, we decided to take our own advice. Instead of profiling women doing amazing work in STEM, we instead chose to feature men who are passionate about tackling gender inequality in the industry.
In particular, we asked them why they wanted to inspire more girls in STEM, and why they would encourage other men to do the same.
Advertisement
Men on why they support the Stemettes - for International Women's Day 2016 See gallery
For senior software engineer Nigel Stirzaker, it was the promise of a brighter future for his daughter and her peers which motivated him: "I want my daughter and her generation to create a new future, not just for herself, but for everyone".
Huffington Post blogger, strategist and speaker Jay Shetty's response was similarly-forward-looking. "I'm passionate about inspiring young women into STEM because it promises not just a range of exciting opportunities for them, but also a better, more dynamic future for us all."
If the response these and other quotes received on social media is anything to go by, the message is clear. In the same way in which we tackle the gender stereotypes which discourage women from entering STEM, we need to address those which prevent men from meaningfully working towards a more diverse workforce.
Want to promote diversity in STEM? Here's what you can do today.
Tackling fear or increasing confidence can be done in many ways. Albert Bandura cured patients with snake phobias using guided mastery. Showing them pictures of a snake, then exposing them to snakes from a safe distance, were the beginning steps in allowing them to live a life free of snake fear.
Similarly, giving men the confidence to make their environments inclusive requires taking practical steps.
Advertisement
5 actions anyone (male or female) in the industry can take today to address the lack of women in STEM:
Actively seek out people different to you at events, and at work, and engage with them. They have great perspectives and you can always learn from them. This means not just approaching people like you during networking sessions. It means making sure you listen to the voices of all in the committees you're a part of. It means striking up conversations with unique people in the rooms you enter. Invite people different to you to the table in meetings, external engagements and to do business. They have great ideas, and you'll be ahead of the curve in discovering the next big idea. If your colleagues and partners run non-diverse events, meetings or rounds, challenge them. It's not only incredibly backward, it also makes poor business sense - a diversity of views means more successful outcomes. In meetings, when told that a woman is a leader or subject matter expert, don't look to her male colleagues for advice or interactions. Ask her questions directly, make direct eye contact and listen when she speaks. The same goes for anyone you might come across in your meetings. Sometimes the men in your network can benefit from knowing women you've met and vice versa. Don't just introduce the women in your network to women you meet. Never, ever let yourself become lazy and habitual in your decision making processes. As inclusion and equality become the norm, failing to adapt promises to send your career the way of the Kodak. Don't allow yourself to become outdated or irrelevant with poor decisions and a non-diverse network.
As long as men in STEM continue to unconsciously perpetuate poor workplace habits through lack of confidence we'll have a big problem on our hands. A diverse workforce is maintained by a combination of retention, attraction and hiring of diverse talent. Improving men's willingness and ability to challenge these norms, and redefine the status quo, will help to ensure that we have a comprehensive solution.
Boosting the confidence of women in tech, both existing and aspiring, is a critical intervention. But our efforts to do so will continue to be undermined until we boost men's too.
Advertisement
This column was co-authored by Jo Cruse, Stemettes' Communications Lead.
My generation is caught in a vicious circle. For the most part, we are disillusioned with a political system that constantly lets us down, but of course when that disillusionment unsurprisingly translates in to less engagement, it gives the system free license to neglect or even actively discriminate against us all the more. Too often the focus is on an 'apathetic' youth, with little care being taken to examine the systemic ways in which we are disenfranchised from a society that is increasingly run in the interests of a few.
Austerity under the Conservatives has been a textbook example of this. It is the young, the black and the poor that have suffered the most from the implemented cuts, demographics that just happen to be those least represented at the ballot box. Youth services have been cut to the tune of 259 million since 2010, translating to a loss of 2,000 youth workers and the closure of 350 youth centres and children's charities too have seen a disproportional reduction in their funding. Cuts have been made to EMA, disabled students' allowances, further education colleges and maintenance grants. Worst of all, mental health spending for young people has been slashed at a time when demand is skyrocketing.
It is where we are ignored as well as when we are directly attacked that highlights the politics of disenfranchisement too. Osborne's 'living wage' farce has been the focus of ire from many camps, but the most damaging criticism of it concerns those it does not apply to- the under 25's. Why, exactly, does George feel I, as a 23-year-old, am any less deserving of a better wage than someone 18 months older than me? Why, for that matter, have we seen it fit to pay 16-year olds less money for the same work for years?
Advertisement
If it's because the older person will have more experience or education, surely if that's actually relevant to the job that should be part of the person specification? In this situation age-differentials wouldn't be needed because you'd be weeding out anyone unsuitable for the job, no matter how old they are. If this isn't what we're doing then we're either allowing 16-year-olds to do the work (but paying them less) when they are not adequately skilled or qualified to do so and therefore comprising on quality and/or safety, or the extra experience and/or education isn't really relevant, in which case we're simply using it as a smokescreen to be able to hire unreasonably cheap labour. Age as a measure of competence is at best an indirect measure of experience and knowledge, themselves indirect measures of the ability to do a given job- hardly a morally or economically sound way to run a business. Even the official explanation of the government, that higher wages for young people leads to higher youth unemployment (used as an argument against higher wages in general, not to mention against allowing women into the workforce and introducing a minimum wage), stands on shaky theoretical (and empirical) ground.
Another argument Gov.uk troops out is that lower wages for younger people encourages them to stay in education which helps their earning power in later life- give them points for the sheer audacity it takes just to write that down. Thanks to tripled tuition fees and the slow erosion of public funding of universities not only have the government successfully transferred a gigantic amount of debt onto those unable to pay it, but they've introduced vicious market forces on a sector wholly unsuited to such a culture. We're paying more to be able go to university than any other generation at a time when academia is being radically undermined. Are we really meant to accept this benevolent paternalism, whose actual result is that you end up earning less both when you're 17 and 27, thanks to discriminatory wage differentials and an insane educational debt burden? The immorality of such a design is matched only by the idiocy.
Advertisement
Of course, the youngest workers are limited in what they can do about it, even if they wanted to, because we don't let them vote. Despite considerable campaigning, 16 and 17-year-olds are still denied suffrage- yet no one seems to be able to explain why we are denying a democratic right that is at the heart of our society to 1.5million citizens. Surely the assumption should be that everyone has a right to vote, unless an incredibly good reason can be suggested for why they shouldn't? Yet when the notion was dismissed for the EU referendum, all that was said was that we shouldn't depart from the 'tried and tested Westminster model'. I'm not sure what they've been testing exactly, but its clear something isn't working.
A three-year -ld shouldn't be able to vote because they simply don't have the cognitive abilities to understand simple economic concepts, and would struggle with any moral arguments much more nuanced than 'Mummy said so'. I've yet to see any evidence, however, of how a 16-year-old differs substantially from an 18-year-old, on any developmental index. 16 is the age when we allow individuals a range of choices- to join the army, to get married, to leave school... Why not the vote? If we don't have an airtight reason (and we don't) what right have we to deny them the vote? Tradition and complacency are shackles, not reasons.
Imagine if someone was paid less or refused the right to vote because of their religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation and nothing else. Why is age any more of an acceptable reason for discrimination and unfair treatment? We face a more insecure future than our parents because we're an easy target- Cameron and his cabinet have had to push through cuts to feed the needs of an ironically bankrupt ideology, so they have chosen to focus them where there will be the least political fallout for them, brewing up a lethal cocktail of disillusionment and neglect that society will reap further down the line. This is then compounded by discrimination in the jobs market and a jealously guarded suffrage system that excludes those it also betrays.
SeaWorld has at last announced it will be phasing out its captive killer whale shows. The brand was originally built off the back of Shamu - a captive orca - in the late 1960s.
Shamu wasn't bred in captivity - she was wild caught. Yanked out of the water, away from her family and the ocean and kept in a tank to perform for humans at SeaWorld San Diego.
She was the fourth killer whale ever captured, and the second female. She was captured in October 1965 and died in August 1971 after about six years in captivity.
Advertisement
Since then many, many more killer whales have lived and performed at SeaWorld parks and dozens have been bred at the parks - never knowing the freedom of the open ocean, and being forced to perform tricks for the delight of the paying crowds.
SeaWorld hasn't caught orcas from the wild for many years - all theirs are now captive bred, but that doesn't mean an end to the trade in wild killer whales. In 2014 two were captured in Nikolaya Gulf, in the southwestern Sea of Okhotsk, in the Russian Far East. Seven killer whales have been taken in the Sea of Okhotsk since late 2012. The overall total since 2002 currently stands at 15 orcas. (Source: http://uk.whales.org/blog/2014/08/two-orcas-taken-in-illegal-capture-in-russia)
It's believed that many of these Russian caught orcas have been sold to theme parks in China. (Source: http://www.orcahome.de/chimelong.pdf)
There are currently a total of 56 orcas held in captivity (23 wild-captured plus 33 captive-born) in at least 12 marine parks in eight different countries. (Source: http://us.whales.org/wdc-in-action/fate-of-captive-orcas)
Advertisement
Although this proves that globally we still have a long way to go, it is cheering to see that SeaWorld is recognising that this is an outdated, unethical practice and has announced it will end its 'Shamu Shows' and its orca breeding programmes.
This means that the last generation is now in SeaWorld's care: 29 killer whales from one to 51 years old. The company has announced all the remaining animals will be able to live out their years serving in "new, inspiring natural orca encounters, rather than theatrical shows, as part of its ongoing commitment to education, marine science research, and rescue of marine animals. These programs will focus on orca enrichment, exercise, and overall health. This change will start in its San Diego park next year, followed by San Antonio and then Orlando in 2019."
Exactly what new, inspiring natural orca encounters" means isn't clear yet.
SeaWorld's decision represents a move forward in our attitude towards the rights of animals. It wasn't that long ago, perhaps only a decade, that ending these shows would have been unthinkable. People loved them, they flocked to them, and they made companies like SeaWorld millions of dollars.
But now there is a definite shift. In 2015 there were only two zoos (Chester Zoo and ZSL London Zoo) in the top 25 of most visited attractions in the UK. (Source: http://www.alva.org.uk/details.cfm?p=423) The number of circuses with wild animals and the number of wild animals used by circuses have declined in recent years - but the government has yet to agree a total ban. This is despite a ban on wild animals in travelling circuses being a manifesto pledge of the current Conservative government.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look likely that the Conservatives will keep this manifesto promise. I recently wrote to David Cameron asking for a ban and this was the response:
Advertisement
Dear Ms Cooke,
Circus Animals
Thank you for your email of 5 March to the Prime minister about the use of wild animals in travelling circuses. This has been passed to Defra as the department responsible for this policy area and I have been asked to reply.
A ban on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses is a manifesto commitment and the Government is committed to introducing a bill when parliamentary time allows.
Currently, the ban stands to impact on a small number of travelling circuses that operate with wild animals in England. During the last circus touring season, which ended in November, two travelling circuses were licensed under Defra's interim Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012 to use 18 wild animals. All circuses licensed by Defra are subject to regular announced and unannounced welfare inspections.
The licensing scheme will stay in place to ensure that any wild animals used in travelling circuses continue to be kept to a high welfare standard until a ban comes into force.
Yours sincerely,
Gary Haynes
Defra - Customer Contact Unit
"Not all Zionists are Jews. Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler, for example, were both Zionists - the former because he greatly admired Jews and believed that they had as much right to their own state as any other people, the latter because he believed they were subversive parasites who should be thrown out of Germany."
Of course, what Ken Livingstone and Nick Griffin said is substantively worlds apart, even though both statements are absolutely, unacceptably inaccurate historically. Ken Livingstone was speaking while being a member of a political party that sees itself as democratic and anti-racist. Meanwhile Nick Griffin for over a decade led a party that was infested with vile neo-Nazism. Ken Livingstone qualified his statement, acknowleged and condemned the despicable, genocidal nature of Hitler's anti-Semitism. Nick Griffin did not do so in his "in-depth" report. But does the fact that there are certain linguistic similarities between the comments made by a prominent hard-left politician and those made by an unequivocally far-right one bode well for democractic values? Or does it perhaps suggest that under the deceptive guise of anti-Zionism, anti-Semitic, extreme-right narratives have been able gain a dangerous foothold among those gullible and naive people on the political left who would never knowingly use them if they were able to recognise them for what they are?
I was recently speaking with a health entrepreneur in Israel who compared the NHS to a gorilla - 'it's big, messy and I can't work out which part is which'. The choice of metaphor notwithstanding, her description is more accurate than perhaps some people realise.
Innovation is hard. The NHS is under pressure, be it efficiency demands, financial supply, or operational performance. Add to this the common challenges healthcare innovators are facing; from system fragmentation to stakeholder navigation, complex procurement to prolonged regulation; it's hardly surprising that some may be turned off.
This combination of barriers is what causes healthcare globally to lag behind other sectors when it comes to disruptive technology. The digital revolution has transformed the way people live and work in so many ways:
Advertisement
Hotels: AirBnB is a collaborative consumption platform for booking accommodation that now has more purchases than Hilton or Marriot hotels
Travel: Uber, an app many of us use, is now available in over 50 countries, with over 1 million rides per day; broadly the same number of daily users as the NHS
Banking: we use our mobile phones to make over 18 million banking transactions per week. Stripe, established in 2011, built the digital payment software that's used by Facebook, Twitter and ApplePay, amongst other platforms
Dating: Tinder, a date matching app, has over 1.6 billion swipes a day, and has made over 9 billion matches
Advertisement
Each of these didn't exist at the start of the decade, each is based on startup technology, and each is consumer-focused. When the value of just three of these solutions are combined, it equates to almost the entire annual NHS spend. There are key lessons we can learn from these startups:
1.Speed matters: five years is enough to disrupt an entire sector
2.Fail fast, fail often: many startup technologies fail but some are revolutionary; the statistics speak for themselves. Only when we support enough innovators will we see disruptive transformation
3.Consumer driven: startups rapidly iterate based upon user expectations, we need to enable and accelerate this in healthcare through complementary system changes
Are disruptive solutions present in health?
Yes, but they have not been widely adopted.
For example, agency staff cost the health service over 3 billion a year, with a hefty sum going to the healthy wallets of agency companies. The issue is that most of them are outmoded. When I practice as a doctor, I receive sporadic text messages and phone calls, asking me whether I'm available to do a hospital temp-shift three days before it's due. Hardly an efficient consumer experience. Startups are now automating and digitalising the process, using on-demand Uber-like apps to match nurses and doctors to available staffing shifts at a fraction of the overhead. However, only a fraction of our providers are using them.
The health service cannot afford to turn off innovators with these types of solutions anymore.
There are at least six reasons why startups find the NHS challenging:
1.Limited rewards for prevention: innovations providing a means of cost-avoidance, or those preventing the onset of long-term-conditions are not always captured or reimbursed by current commissioning, stifling traction. This can be due to fragmented pools of funding, or cycles unable to reimburse innovations delivering savings in more than a year's time. Mechanisms are required that permit such benefits to be appropriately rewarded.
Advertisement
2.Culture and perception: amidst growing operational pressures, change and innovation are seen as nice-to-have rather than must-have. This causes innovation to be peripheral to, rather than core to delivery of efficiency savings and the means by which these are achieved. If we are to build a sustainable NHS over the next five years, this perception must change.
3.Challenging deployment of of self-care: there are numerous apps and digital platforms that enable patients to manage their own health, accompanied by robust evidence and evaluations. However, capabilities are needed to support deployment of these platforms such as the prescribing, and reimbursing of apps, if they are to be used.
4.Siloed best practice: examples of best practice when it comes to collaborating with startups are rarely celebrated or shared across the NHS, resulting in pockets of innovation, rather than nationwide quality improvement. We need to identify and spread such examples - products that are highly cost-effective, and platforms that allow for efficient procurement and adoption.
5.Firm information & technology architecture: lack of interoperability between IT systems and complex information governance varying between providers can decelerate traction. We need a fully interoperable system coupled with slick IG that enables startups, users and consumers to benefit from new technology.
6.Lack of a financial case: startups can forget that while they may have a viable product, they also need robust evaluation and the development of a watertight financial case; a proposal that speaks clearly to NHS commissioners and providers. The evaluation required for this however can require significant investment. High-potential startups need to be better supported in building their case, for their businesses, for the NHS providers who'll use them, and ultimately for patients who'll benefit.
Advertisement
To try to address some of these challenges, we designed the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) last year. Like many ideas it was taken from another sector. Accelerators aim to support the growth and spread of technologies, in the past developing solutions such as AirBnB and Dropbox. Microsoft, IBM and MIT all have accelerators, and now we do too. Its ambition is to work with innovators to drive the spread of their innovations, identifying system barriers to be unblocked, addressing some of the abovementioned challenges head-on.
In July we launched our first cohort of 17 innovators in the programme. Their innovations ranged from apps and digital platforms, to devices and new models of care. Crucially, they had already been tried-and-tested, and had already shown to be cost-effective. A support package was designed and led by UCLPartners, the Health Foundation and the Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), including mentorship, funding, regional partnership, and national backing.
Although early, our 17 innovators have seen promising results:
In just over 6 months, over 3 million patients have benefitted from NIA innovations
40+ deals signed
Real rollout with over 60 NHS organisations now using our technologies
Funding raised equivalent to over 50-times NHS England's investment
Two fifths of innovators reporting a revenue increase up to or over 50% since starting the programme
For example, HealthUnlocked, a healthcare social network allowing patients, caregivers and health advocates to connect to others with similar conditions, has grown to more than 500 user-generated specialised communities, receiving over 4 million visits per month.
Nervecentre, a platform that digitalises patient monitoring and task management in hospitals was shown to halve the number of deaths and serious harm taking place in hospitals out-of-hours, also ranking 14th in Deloitte's fastest growing UK start-ups list. It's now being used in over 30 Trusts across England.
Advertisement
Joint Dementia Research, which aims to match researchers with members of the public willing to take part in studies, has recruited 15,330 people with over 4,000 now enrolled in clinical trials across 60 studies.
These swift results demonstrate that the NHS has the potential to be agile and adoptive, working with innovators to embrace disruption rather than stifle it. We must now think about how to expand beyond early adopters, and grow from a cohort of 17, to 1700 to 17,000. The real challenge will be cultural.
There's a story currently on the Independent's Indy100 site which has been tweeted and retweeted from their account countless times over the past week.
The article, entitled "Everything that's wrong with celebrity culture -- in one 10 second video of Kylie Jenner", features a video uploaded to Instagram by Rob Kardashian of his 18-year-old half-sister Kylie taking selfies.
The clip shows Rob repeatedly saying "Yo" as Kylie takes selfies, ignoring her older brother.
The article's intro is as follows: "This generation created the 'selfie'-- a trend of narcissism particularly favoured by people who appear on TV just because why not?
Advertisement
"It should come as no surprise then, that the Kardashian clan -- specifically Kylie Jenner -- has struck again to destroy what little faith there remained in the future of humanity."
Now, I love the Independent, but I have never eye-rolled this much since I saw an Old Street station shop advertisement telling me not to let my eggs age another day.
No, Kylie Jenner taking a selfie is not endangering the future of humanity. Neither is her big sister Kim taking a naked picture, or posing with a champagne glass balanced on her backside.
I reckon politicians banning 3,000 refugee children from the country, or taking away free healthcare, is more likely to endanger humanity, but that's just me.
Advertisement
The Kardashians and Jenners have become a dartboard for over-30s, "serious" people, those who are clearly better people and more intelligent than a family famous for reality TV and selfies.
Even President Barack Obama couldn't help but question "what exactly Kendall Jenner does" at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, before joking that his Twitter mentions were about to go through the roof.
And on Facebook, I've seen countless people sharing memes reading: "Give us Prince and Bowie back, God, take the Kardashians."
Never mind the fact that the family have managed to become insanely rich by capitalising on a then-burgeoning market, reality TV.
In any other arena, that would be considered good business but nope, airheads.
Kim Kardashian has become a one-woman brand, first capitalising on the betrayal of a man to make millions on a sex tape. She then patented an app which has made a ridiculous sum of money, started a fashion line with her sisters, and started a conversation on feminism, sexuality and slut-shaming by simply posing for a naked selfie censored with black bars.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, her younger sister Kylie, who is just 18 years old, has become one of the most famous people on the planet by using the teen market's interest in her selfies to get ahead.
She realised teens wanted her lips, so started her own Lip Kit range of lip liners and liquid lipsticks. Everytime Kylie restocks her range, available only online, it sells out in minutes.
Perhaps when she was ignoring her brother Rob in that Instagram video, she was thinking that this selfie where I'm wearing my own lip brand is going to get thousands of likes and further my career, as always.
And on the flipside, Kylie also uses her Instagram page to fight bullying, sharing the stories of others with the #IAmMoreThan hashtag.
Meanwhile, Kendall is a supermodel who has taken her role on Keeping Up With The Kardashians and has transferred it to the runways of Chanel and the billboards of Calvin Klein and Estee Lauder.
Advertisement
But whatever, they're all vapid and clearly not businesswomen, right?
Fair enough, there's other artists with talents in singing, acting, modelling, make-up that are having their lights dimmed by the beacon of brand Kardashian. But when did creating an empire become something easy, that is done by people with no talent, no smarts, no business acumen?
Selfies are their bread and butter. While a businessman may go to a meeting and discuss spreadsheets and profits, the Kardashians - amongst countless other celebrities - take a selfie, adding more promotion to the brand that keeps money flowing into their empire.
Don't try and kid yourself into thinking that this family is stupid when they've managed to take over pretty much every industry in a decade without even rousing suspicion.
If you rewind to the mid-Noughties, Kim was just a lackey to woman of the hour, Paris Hilton. Now, Kim is one of the world's most recognised people, while Paris has gone on to become a billionaire all on her own, without her Hilton trust fund which, by the way, was donated to charity.
Don't be silly enough to think that reality stars, in particular the Kardashians, are dumb and narcissistic and are ruining generations with their selfies.
Advertisement
The fact is that teens look up to them, and I can think of far worse people to look up to.
Yes, there are issues, as with everybody, but what is the issue with a teen model who is telling fans to vote, a la Kendall? Or Kim, who tells her 44million followers about the history of the Armenian genocide?
The new generation like selfies. They like social media. They Snapchat every element of their lives. That is what is happening, and that's not the fault of the Kardashians. Journalists might be annoyed that young people are using Snapchat and Instagram more than ever and leaving certain areas of the industry flagging. But the Kardashians are making an empire from it. Replace with men in suits who don't know what contouring is in any other industry, and you would be praising them as geniuses.
During our Easter holidays staying at Hacienda Dzibikak, we were a little spoilt for choice when it came to deciding on how to while away our time. Should we swim in a sacred cenote? Marvel at flamingos gathered at a nature reserve? Boogie on down to a white sand beach with our boogie board? Or simply swing back into a hammock and recharge in the luxurious tropical hacienda.
One morning we set off out to Indian Jones our way around the ancient Maya city of Uxmal. Just one hour from Merida, the complex of Uxmal offers a wondrous and easy day trip to those with kids, as well as those without. Considering we were visiting during the school holidays, the queue to the UNESCO World Heritage Site was short, and once we had our tickets punched we were away from other visitors and were away with our imagination.
Advertisement
Suddenly, we found ourselves standing in front of the 100-foot 'Pyramid of the Magician', spellbound. Dusted with enchanting legends, the miraculous pyramid is said to have been constructed by a magician-god, Itzamna, in one night. The entire city was built in alignment with the positions of the planets, and the stairwell of the pyramid is oriented to face the setting of the summer solstice sun. The mysticism of the 'Pyramid of the Magician' combined with its physical heft, its dominance, commands you to acknowledge its stature, its importance as the Uxmal ceremonial centre. It demands you to bear the weight of its history. Maya.
It was somewhat surprising that this incredible pyramid, the tallest structure of this Maya city, was the first ancient building of the complex to greet our eyes and souls, but Uxmal is so much more than this one magnificent pyramid. The 'Nunnery', the Spaniardised name for the fascinating area, was used as a school for training priests, shamans, mathematicians, astronomers and healers. Each building in the quadrangle presents ornate facades, each unique in its artwork. The 'Palace of the Governor' provided a respite from the glaring sun as we were drawn to study the bold carvings only to sit in the cool enclaves in the company of some like-minded iguanas.
As talk from the youngsters started to move off of Mayan friezes and on to the topic of freezing chocolate, we decided to move towards 'The Great Pyramid'. The children, worn out, sat by some rocks 'iguana-watching'. The adults, in turn, climbed to the top of 'The Great Pyramid' to inhale deeply, whether through exhaustion or through inspiration, and to revere the panoramic, tree-horizoned views. The Maya built pyramids to serve as temples and tombs, to honour gods and royalty. Today, these stunning structures continue to serve, they are our stepping stones, leading us steeply to ancient heavens, guiding us to honour an ancient people. Maya.
Advertisement
Directly across the road from the Uxmal archeological site is Choco-Story, a museum of chocolate. This was why the kids had been talking of freezing chocolate. After the pyramids, we promised, we'd enjoy a cooling chocolate drink. Where better to indulge in a dark drink, designed for the gods, than in a museum dedicated to telling the story of cacao bean, from pod to artesanal sweet treats? A museum within walking distance to a Mayan temple, possibly, devoted to the gods the drink was destined for? A museum in the land which introduced xocoatl, chocolate, to the world? We were definitely in the right place!
The chocolate frio was divinely delicious. It was rich, thick, dark and cool. It was perfect. Were we expecting anything less? We took our drinks down the cacao bean trail. The design of the museum/eco-park leads you down paths through tropical flora and fauna to reach a 'maya hut' filled with interesting and interactive displays. The kids loved it, as did the adults. The hut where chocolate was prepared using ancient recipes was a highlight, though the hot concoction itself was very bitter tasting. I choose to prepare mine with the achiote spice, just as the Maya would have after the use of human blood was banned by the Spanish colonialists. The kids choose to add cinnamon to theirs.
Something that really caught my attention and made me giggle was the Victorian hot chocolate cup collection, complete with porcelain moustache guards to keep those whiskers chocolate free. Hipster friends, there's an idea for you!
Advertisement
Peckish, we headed a few kilometres south to British-owned restaurant, 'The Pickled Onion', which was recommended to us by our British hacienda owner. The restaurant was warmly decorated and the food was delicious. It made the perfect restoration stop for tourists visiting not only Uxmal, but also the other Mayan sites closeby.
The Labour party has always championed itself on being a progressive force in British politics but with events that have surfaced in recent weeks and months, it seems the party has now become a platform for regressive thinking. This is biggest test that Jeremy Corbyn has faced so far and he must show real leadership to make sure that the party puts an end to this behaviour. However, by suggesting there is "no crisis", it doesn't yet look like he has fully grasped the problem.
If we look at the recent events, there is one key lesson to take. Swift suspension of any individual who seems to be preaching or giving credence to any form of anti-semitism. For example, how was Vicki Kirby allowed swiftly back into the party after claiming that Jews had "big noses"? She was quickly readmitted after a short suspension and then appointed vice-chair of the Labour's Woking branch, giving a proven anti-semite another platform for her horrendous views. Again, as soon Naz Shah's offensive and anti-semitic comments started to appear she should have been immediately suspended, instead it took over 30 hours for this to happen. No ifs or buts are needed, if any whiff of anti-semitism is linked to any individual in the party they should be immediately suspended pending investigation. The quicker the party suspends the individual, the quicker the platform for this vile thinking is shut down. But this thinking is not just limited to individuals, it's rooted in some grassroots of the party.
Advertisement
There is a growing swath of anti-semitic thoughts coming from the young in left-wing movements, just look at the problems at Oxford University Labour society. This has largely grown out of a confusion between rights for a Palestinian state and blaming people of the Jewish faith all over the world for some of the actions by the Israeli government. For example in the space of a month in July 2014, support for Palestinian causes grew by 10% throughout the British population according to YouGov. I am supporter of Palestinian self-determination and the need for an internationally recognised state but that does mean I need to be anti-semitic. I have criticisms of the Israeli government, but that doesn't mean I need every single person of the Jewish faith to defend these actions. One government does not represent the views of every person in a global religious group. This kind of thinking can not just be sorted out by suspensions, there needs to be education and a completely different way of thinking introduced.
This problem is across every level of the party not just high profile individuals and when a problem is that endemic, serious education is the only way to really counteract the issue. Of course, suspensions and expulsions are necessary but a way of thinking needs to be changed so that this problem does not continue on into the future. The recently announced 2 month independent investigation into the problem by Shami Chakrabarti is a good to step towards identifying the true scale of the problem and how best to tackle it.
This leads me to my next question, is Jeremy Corbyn the most appropriate person to lead this move away from anti-semitism? With his previously shared platforms of Hamas supporters, it does seem possible that Mr Corbyn himself is part of the problem. He did speak and attend a rally in 2009, where Azzam Tamimi stated that "Today we are all Hamas". Now, I voted for Corbyn in the leadership election and I would have not done so if I believed him to be anti-semitic. However, I do believe he needs to denounce some of the platforms he has once shared to help repair a broken Labour party. In the end of the day, the Jewish community does not deserve this abuse especially from a party that has benefited so greatly from people of the Jewish faith.
Advertisement
Therefore, the Labour party needs to act swiftly and effectively to make sure it is no longer a platform for the vile behaviour that is anti-semitism. If it does not do so, how can it justify its position as a progressive party in the future?
You might have seen on social media some positive bits, thank-you, about my new Lean Gains Bodybuilding Ebook, shortly coming out in bound book form.
The Lean Gains guide is all about helping men and women develop and tone their physique, ostensibly as part of a life improver but probably more with looking fantastic on the beach in a few months time
As has been said many times in both this column, as well as other similar ones - to order to achieve the right tone and physique you want, you have to lift.
Advertisement
Nothing commands respect in the gym like a heavy deadlift with impeccable form. But even more importantly, the deadlift is one of the most powerful full body muscle builders on the planet. If you've got a strong deadlift in your locker, chances are you're already a pretty big dude.
The best way to improve your deadlift probably won't surprise you. Do more deadlifts. Just like the best way to improve as a guitar player is to play more guitar, the best way to improve as a deadlifter is to do more deadlifts. Rocket science, it is not.
However, deadlifts take a long time to recover from and can be very taxing on the central nervous system, especially when you go heavy. So for most people, it's just not practical to be deadlifting 3 times each week.
Advertisement
As a result, it's important to fill your programme with the right complimentary exercises that will build strength in all the key muscle groups involved in a deadlift. This way, every time you're faced with a barbell on the floor in front of you, you can continue to make progress without getting beat up.
As a general rule, deadlift heavy every 7 - 10 days. Schedule these days into your programme, and aim to PR in every session. Whether that's an extra rep or extra weight on the bar, try and do more than you did last time.
Always schedule a day of rest after your deadlift day. Your CNS will need time to recover, even if your muscles aren't that sore.
Then, during the rest of the time between your next deadlift, flood your programme with these six exercises. They'll help you build the strength and power you need to go even heavier next time around.
#1 - Kettlebell Swings
Kettlebell swings are one of the best exercises for building explosive power in the hips, recruiting the glutes, hamstrings and abdominals. In a 2012 study by the American Journal of Strength and Conditioning research, just six weeks of kettlebell training resulted in an average 19.8% increase in explosive power in healthy men. Take advantage of it, as this explosive power will translate directly to greater lifting numbers on your deadlift.
Advertisement
istock
Kettlebell swings also involve the very same hip hinge as the top of a deadlift. Performing them regularly will help develop the same neuro-muscular pathways as used in a deadlift, which will help you increase the load when it really matters.
Kettlebell swings are best kept in higher rep ranges, anywhere between 15 and 25 reps per set. Flex your hips and squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement, before letting the kettlebell drop down between your legs. The movement should be fluid throughout, with no stopping at any point. You can also use kettlebell swings as a conditioning exercise, used on their own or as part of a circuit.
#2 - Farmers' walks
Also known as the 'walking deadlift', getting strong on a farmers' walk will almost certainly translate to bigger numbers on the conventional deadlift.
Farmers' walks are a great 'functional' exercise that recruit the legs, arms (especially forearms) and core. They're also a killer move for building formidable grip strength.
Advertisement
They couldn't be simpler, either. Simply grab something heavy, walk for a distance of 50 - 100 yards, then put it back down. Farmers walks are a great finisher exercise, or used as part of a high intensity circuit (they pair perfectly with kettlebell swings).
If possible, perform this exercise with a hex bar to recruit the traps and rhomboids more effectively. If this isn't possible, heavy dumbbells are the next best thing.
#3 - Barbell Hip Thrusts
Contrary to popular belief, this exercise isn't just for the ladies. If you want a heavy deadlift you're going to need a set of strong, powerful glutes. And one of the best exercises for developing this muscle group is the barbell hip thrust.
To perform the barbell hip thrust, lie with your head resting on a bench or swiss ball, and your legs out in front of you. Rest a barbell just above the pelvis, with a mat on your lap to support the weight.
Now, thrust your hips up into the air with your feet rooted firmly onto the ground, until your hips are parallel with your torso. Squeeze your glutes hard at the top of the movement. Lower the bar back down with control. This is one rep.
Advertisement
istock
Many people go too heavy on hip thrusts, and end up over-working their hips and not targeting their glutes efficiently. Keep the weight low until you have mastered the technique, and only then look to slowly increase the weight.
The glutes respond well to high volume, so work in the 10 - 15 rep range with this exercise. Drop sets are also very effective.
#4 - Deficit Deadlifts
Stand on a plate or rubber step, with the bar on the floor. Set yourself tight, then lift the bar with a conventional deadlift pattern, and visualise drilling your feet through the floor as you do so. This will help improve the base of your deadlift, teaching a strong and long leg drive and improving tension off the floor.
The beauty of deficit deadlifts is that they make conventional deadlifts feel like a walk in the park. Keep these in the 8 - 10 rep range so as not to burn out your CNS ahead of your heavy deadlift day. Squeeze the bar hard throughout to increase forearm tension and improve grip strength.
Advertisement
#5 - Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
The Romanian Deadlift, often referred to as the RDL, is great for building strength in the glutes and hamstrings by focusing on the concentric component of the movement, rather than the eccentric. It's also an awesome exercise for improving grip strength, which starts to come into its own as you increase the numbers on your conventional deadlift.
To perform an RDL, start with the bar on the floor and lift it exactly as you would a conventional deadlift. The difference here is that once the bar is off the ground, it shouldn't touch the floor until the end of your set.
Keeping your hamstrings straight but with a very slight bend in your knees, lower the bar to the ground slowly, keeping the bar grazing your shins as you do so. This part of the movement should be slow and controlled, taking at least 3 seconds to fully lower the bar. At the bottom of the movement, explode upwards, squeezing your glutes as you do so. You can then repeat the movement for 8 - 10 reps, going down slowly and coming up explosively.
Note that you won't be able to reach numbers anywhere near your conventional deadlift with this movement. Put your ego to one side, and focus on mastering the technique. The results will be worth it next time you're hitting the full deadlift.
Advertisement
#6 - Rack Pulls
Deficit deadlifts are great for improving the base of your deadlift, whilst rack pulls are key for teaching an aggressive lockout, strengthening the top part of the movement. They're also a great way to move some heavy weight without creating too much of a recovery demand.
One major mistake of the rack pull is setting the pin too high, which ends up working your ego far more than any of the major muscle groups that this exercise should be improving. The pin should be just below the knees, so that you can benefit from a good range of motion whilst still focusing on the lockout.
If like most people, the top of your deadlift is the weakest part, you can add resistance bands or chains to the rack pull to maximise the tension at the top of the movement. This strength will be invaluable when you're going for your next PR on a conventional deadlift.
So what are you waiting for? Add these six exercises to your programme, and get ready to take your deadlift to new heights.
Please send us your questions and any comments you would like to make, via our social media channels. Plus if you feel informed by what you have read, please share the information using #JHHF #JHFitness #jHTraining #JHLeanGains #JHBodyBuilding #rugbyfit
Advertisement
Twitter - @jameshaskellhf
Who would've thought it? Ken Livingstone has finally been suspended from the Labour Party for anti-Semitic comments. Not by Tony Blair, who always considered Livingstone a royal pain in the behind, nor by Ed Miliband, Labour's first Jewish leader, but instead by his close friend and political ally, Jeremy Corbyn.
The response from many of the left-wing Labour members has been predictable: "Antisemitism? In our party? Never!" You only have to scroll through the comments on Owen Jones' Facebook status explaining why Corbyn was a man who has said "a real anti-Semite doesn't just hate the Jews in Israel, they hate their Jewish neighbour in Golders Green or in Stoke Newington", and argued that it is over the top to consider anti-Semitism and racism the same thing.
Ken has a history of ill-considered comments and actions. He said that a reporter who was questioning him was reminiscent of a concentration camp guard, even after being told that the reporter was Jewish. He told two Iranian-Jewish businessmen to "go back to Iran and see if they can do better under the ayatollahs." He claimed, in a leaked letter to Ed Miliband, that Jews wouldn't vote for him because they were all rich.
Advertisement
But anti-Semitism isn't the only reason Ken has been reprimanded by the Labour higher-ups: several months ago he said that Kevan Jones, a Labour MP with depression, "might need some psychiatric help. He's obviously very depressed and disturbed." He's also been accused of homophobia, saying that gay Labour MPs had all come out publicly because "if you came out as lesbian or gay you immediately got a job", but that most gay Conservative MPs were still closeted, even though the Tories were "riddled" with homosexuals.
But the thing that has got Ken in the most trouble is his disconcerting comments about Hitler's views on Zionism. Now, it's worth pointing out that even if everything Ken had said (that Hitler was a supporter of Zionism in 1932) were accurate, it would have been in horrible taste, given that this was in defence of Labour MP Naz Shah's support of the idea that the Holocaust was legal and that the "Jews are rallying". Ken Livingstone has refused to apologise for his comments on the grounds that his assertions were correct, but he is actually completely wrong.
What Ken refers to, when he talks about Hitler's support of Zionism, is the NSDAP's original "solution to the Jewish question", which was the forced emigration of Jews out of Germany, rather than their "Final Solution", which was the murder of all Jews. The basis for this proposed solution was not Hitler's keenness on the idea of the Jewish people having their own state, as is implied by Ken's suggestions, but rather the desire for a mass exodus of Jews, firmly rooted in anti-Semitism. At first, the Nazis toyed with the idea of forcibly expelling all Jews to Madagascar. However, after this was concluded to be untenable, the Nazis made an agreement (The Haavara agreement) with the Zionist organisation to allow Jews to emigrate to Palestine more easily.
To imply that this agreement had its roots in Hitler's support of Zionism and Jewish self-determination rather than a deep-seated hatred of Jews contradicts what Hitler himself had already written in Mein Kampf: "while the Zionists try to make the rest of the world believe that the national consciousness of the Jew finds its satisfaction in the creation of a Palestinian state, the Jews again slyly dupe the dumb Goyim. It doesn't even enter their heads to build up a Jewish state in Palestine for the purpose of living there; all they want is a central organisation for their international world swindle." When he wrote this, according to Ken Livingstone, Hitler was a supporter of Zionism who had not yet "gone mad".
Advertisement
Despite all of this, the Corbynista "Twitterati" have decidedly declared themselves "Team Ken". Abuse is hurled at everyone from Owen Jones to Nick Cohen to Jonathan Freedland; anyone who says that Ken has gone too far, regardless of their political persuasion, is fair game. Although there is certainly a degree of truth behind it, the idea that you can be critical of the Israeli government and Zionism without being anti-Semitic is becoming something of a disclaimer in the vein of "I'm not racist but..." and "Islamophobia isn't racism because Islam isn't a race".
CIA via Twitter
This is bizarre.
America's premier spy agency, the CIA, has decided to mark five years since the killing of Osama Bin Laden by 'live tweeting' details of the special forces night mission.
The al-Qaeda leader was descended upon by U.S. Special Forces in 2011 in "one of the greatest intelligence operations of all time," according to CIA director John Brennan.
Advertisement
The raid was the culmination of years of intelligence gathering, a "masterpiece of planning and execution" and, on Monday, the spy agency decided to relive it "as if it were happening today".
To mark the 5th anniversary of the Usama Bin Ladin operation in Abbottabad we will tweet the raid as if it were happening today.#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
The 'live tweeting' began at 3am AEST and... well, you can read the rest:
1:25 pm EDT-@POTUS, DCIA Panetta, & JSOC commander Admiral McRaven approve execution of op in Abbottabad.#UBLRaidpic.twitter.com/YhvuJVrMVc CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
3:30 pm EDT - 2 helicopters descend on compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. 1 crashes, but assault continues without delay or injury#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
Advertisement
3:30 pm EDT - @POTUS watches situation on ground in Abbottabad live in Situation Room#UBLRaidpic.twitter.com/59KPF7eUTr CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
3:39 pm EDT - Usama Bin Ladin found on third floor and killed#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
Daring #UBLRaid was an IC team effort & in close collaboration with our military partners.https://t.co/rklCIRLlgFpic.twitter.com/xZObdGeqPR CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
On the fifth anniversary of the raid, the CIA's unusual move has largely been lambasted by some on social media as "grotesque" and in bad taste.
@CIA This is grotesque and embarrassing. You should fire your web team. Hank Single (@Hanksingle) May 1, 2016
Advertisement
Others thought differently.
"There is nothing grotesque about celebrating a victory over the kind of terrorism that still haunts the world," one person tweeted.
5th Anniversary of #UBLRaid. We continue to remember & commend the hard work & sacrifice of our .@us_navyseals .@CIApic.twitter.com/qcOCs0GHoF NYPDCounterterrorism (@NYPDCT) May 2, 2016
Henry Hyeongrae Kim via Getty Images Korean traditional dishes with seasoned raw crab at Korean traditional restaurant.
On Monday evening at The Star in Sydney the cream rose to the top of Aussie dining.
The winners of Australia's Top Restaurants awards hosted by The Australian Financial Review were revealed, with Attica in Melbourne taking out the top spot.
Ben Shewry has built Attica into a unique and personal experience that celebrates all that Australian dining excellence is about. With its passion for just-picked and wild plants, an intuitive use of native produce, and exceptionally warm, sincere service, it deserves every accolade and award it wins -- especially this one," said Co-Director of the Awards Terry Durack in a statement.
Advertisement
Huge congratulations to @atticamelbourne voted Top Restaurant in Australia 2016 #afrtoprestaurants A photo posted by Australia's Top Restaurants (@afrrestaurants) on May 2, 2016 at 3:51am PDT
Now in its second year, the AFR-hosted awards remain the only national restaurant awards program of its kind decided solely by peer voting. While the full list of 500 restaurants is compiled by an Australia-wide panel of Good Food Guide editors, reviewers and industry experts, the Top 100 is decided by the chefs and restaurateurs themselves.
The top 10 were almost all in NSW. Counting down, they were:
10. Franklin, Hobart
9. Automata, Sydney
8. Rockpool Est. 1989, Sydney
7. Bennelong, Sydney
6. Sixpenny, Sydney
5. Ester, Sydney
4. Quay, Sydney
3. Sepia, Sydney
2. Brae, Victoria
1. Attica, Melbourne
Sepia also took home the award for the best service, while Dan Hunter from Brae was named 2016 Chef of the Year.
Advertisement
Ron Davis, best known for helping to spearhead the Human Genome project, posts a selfie where he's wearing a cape and a pair of briefs over his regular clothing. Hands on hips in the manner of superheroes everywhere, Davis mugs for the camera, happy to be ridiculous - for a cause.
Davis is the Board Director at the Open Medicine Foundation, a nonprofit set up to raise funds for the research he does with a team (including three Nobel laureates) at the Stanford Genome Technology Center. The Open Medicine Foundation has raised 4 million dollars since 2012 to help combat modern illnesses with elusive etiologies and challengingly complex presentations, such as Lyme, fibromyalgia, myalgic encephalomyelitis. His interest in studying myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME/CFS is to save his son Whitney's life.
"ME/CFS symptoms include but are not limited to severe post-exertional fatigue, sleep dysfunction, cognitive impairments, and muscle/joint pain," explained Stacy Hodges, a 32-year-old who is an advocate and activist for awareness of her condition. "After countless doctors' appointments, many individuals with ME/CFS quickly deplete their life savings but remain unable to work. There is very little hope for a cure, due to the government's lack of commitment to the disease, which results in almost no funding dedicated to medical or scientific research."
Advertisement
In a public plea in December of 2015, Davis wrote, "My son Whitney woke me this morning to inform me that he is dying. He did not say he is dying - he cannot speak. He did not write he is dying - he cannot write. He used scrabble tiles to spell out his message."
Whitney Dafoe's story broke into the mainstream media after Ron Davis, his wife Janet Dafoe, and their daughter Ashley Davis held fundraisers to raise money to fund Ron's research after his grant applications to the National Institute of Health were denied. "This tells me I am running out of time," Ron went on to say. "I must find out soon what is causing the disease and how to cure it. I know I'm not the only one working on this disease, but there are too few researchers, too few medical specialists, too little research funds and too many patients."
An idea for a protest began to form, and Hodges started to articulate what that would look like. "Understandably, the idea of a protest was met with some initial resistance and hesitation because many patients are just way too sick to get out of bed, much less attend a protest," said Hodges in an email interview. "The co-founders of #MEAction supported the idea of activism and together we launched the first step of many: our protest in Washington, D.C."
Advertisement
As the group began planning, and posting about the protest on social media, the idea for a #MillionsMissing campaign started to form. "#MillionsMissing speaks to the invisible nature of our illness," said Hodges. "Millions of patients are missing from their careers, schools, social lives and families due to the debilitating symptoms of this disease." There are also millions missing in funds to research the disease, and millions of healthcare workers lacking proper medical training about ME/CFS.
On May 25th, several groups across the nation will stand (or sit in wheelchairs, lie on stretchers or the ground, depending on their severity of the disease) outside Departments of Human and Health Services to protest a lack of funding to research their disease. So far, there are protests taking place in Washington D.C., Seattle, San Francisco, Atlanta, Dallas, and London, England.
The combined efforts, fronted by Hodges, have been incredible. Many patients participate in several conference calls a week, sometimes using up their energy reserves to talk, plan, organize, and formulate the protest's demands.
Understanding that many patients with ME/CFS won't be able to attend the protests in person due to being house- or bed-bound, there are several virtual protest options listed on their website. People around the world can mail a pair of shoes to represent one of the millions who are missing from their once-active lives. On the day of the protest, supporters are also encouraged to place a pair of shoes on their front stoop or driveway with a sign explaining who they represent. "At the protest, we will be displaying many pairs of empty shoes sent in from sick and disabled patients around the world, many homebound and bedridden," added Hodges. "The haunting display of empty shoes will represent the #MillionsMissing who make up our ME/CFS community."
Hodges reached out to The Blue Ribbon Foundation, the nonprofit behind the documentary Forgotten Plague, which features the Davis-Dafoes, showing a rare glimpse into the room where Whitney has lived for over three years.
Advertisement
The Blue Ribbon Foundation offered a special Congressional DVD Pack through the Forgotten Plague website, and joined efforts to attend the protest in D.C.. "Real change is about engaging with the institutions in society that hold the power," said Ryan Prior, who wrote and co-directed the film. "We need policymakers to watch a film that conveys the human struggle, scandalous politics, and world-changing science of the ME/CFS story. By using the film and the protest to build an increasingly unified front on Capitol Hill we can tell our story in a way we've never done before to the audience we need most."
The focal point in each of these campaigns, protests, and fundraisers aligns with Ron Davis's sentiment: a search for 'what I can do to start a movement.'
It's a movement towards recognition, for people to see how many people are suffering at home in dark rooms, behind closed doors, imprisoned in a body that can no longer function enough to perform daily self-care tasks. "Many patients have no caregivers at all, and they are struggling to get food in their refrigerators or just get to the doctor," said Hodges. "Many patients are too sick to fight for themselves. Something has to be done, because the status quo is unacceptable. The patients can not live like this. I hope the public recognizes that this is a growing movement."
It's a movement with a groundswell of fundraising, advocacy, and groundbreaking medical research that has the potential to help ME/CFS patients find their feet.
The Measurement
According to its website, "The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas." Its mandate to test was included in the original No Child Left Behind legislation. NAEP tests are given to a representative sampling of about 30,000 private and public school students every two years in Grades 4, 8 and 12.
NAEP, which is administered by a federal agency that is part of the national Department of Education, periodically tests students in math, reading, science, the arts, civics, geography, U.S. history, and technical literacy. The NAEP started testing students in 1969-1970, but the design of the tests used today dates to 1992. Its current testing "partners" include the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), one of the groups behind the national Common Core Standards, Educational Testing Service, which markets and administers the GRE and Praxis exams, and Pearson, which has a contract with NAEP to "prepare and package the assessment and all auxiliary materials; to distribute assessment booklets and materials to the test administrators for each school; to process completed student and teacher assessment materials returned from the field; to develop training and scoring materials; and to score all assessments."
Advertisement
The Standard
The Common Core Standards were intended to define the reading and math skills that students should be able to do at each grade level. Development started in 2008. The 2016 high school graduating class was in fourth grade.
The Common Core Standards were officially launched in 2009. The 2016 high school graduating class was in fifth grade.
In June 2010 the final Common Core Standards were released to the public and state education agencies. The 2016 high school graduating class was in sixth grade.
By December 2013, 45 states and Washington DC, under pressure from the Obama administration's Race to the Top initiative, had adopted the Common Core Standards for ELA/literacy and math. The 2016 high school graduating class was in tenth grade.
Advertisement
By the 2014-15 academic year, every state was required to have in place Common Core aligned assessments to ensure that students were "college- and career-ready." The 2016 high school graduating class was in eleventh grade.
The Results
In Fall 2015 the NAEP tested a representative sample of high school seniors in the 2016 graduating class. After seven years of Common Core curriculum and assessment, the NAEP tests showed:
The average performance of high school seniors dropped in math and failed to improve in reading from 2013 to 2015. Performance was also down on both tests from 1992, the first year that similar tests were used.
There was a decline in the percentage of students in both public and private schools that are rated as prepared for college-level work in reading and math. In 2013, 39% of students were considered ready for college math and 38% were prepared for college-level reading. But in 2015, only 37% were prepared for college.
Worse, while scores improved for students in the highest percentile group in reading, they dropped in reading and math for students in the lower percentiles. The number of students scoring below "basic" in both subjects also increased from 2013. These were the students that Common Core and the high-stakes testing regime were supposedly designed to support the most.
Advertisement
Test scores for students in 4th and 8th grade who have been trapped in Common Core classrooms with Common Core curriculum for pretty much their entire school careers showed a similar decline in math.
Terry Mazany, the chairman of the governing board for the test, called these results "worrisome."
The Conclusion
These tests, as U.S. Secretary of Education John King concedes, are basically designed so that 70% of students will fail, with a much higher percentage among students with disabilities, English Language learners, and children who live in poverty. Fairfield University Professor and Network for Public Education Board member Yohuru Williams argues these tests, which are manifestly unfair to the neediest children, feeds into racial determinism in American society while closing doors of opportunity for Black and Latino children.
Despite claims that the new federal ESSA law reduces emphasis on high-stakes testing, companies are scrabbling to make money off of the Common Core tests. The latest big entries seeking to profit from the testing bonanza are the SAT and ACT testing companies. Thirteen states are either currently using, planning to use, or considering using these tests to satisfy ESSA mandates. Scott Marion, the executive director of the Center for Assessment, a nonprofit organization that helps states design and evaluate tests, accuses the SAT and ACT of a "land grab." He describes what is happening as a "little like the Gold Rush."
Common Core is little more than another combination miracle reading program (e.g. Hooked on Phonics, Success for All, Pearson's Reading Street) and "new math" fad that companies have been pushing in the American education market since the 1960s. None of these programs radically changes education in the United States because they do not address the fundamental problems that undermine student performance, poverty, parental unemployment or the need to work multiple jobs, substandard housing and ghettoization, school segregation, and a local funding system that channels greater dollars to schools in affluent communities. They are technical excuses not to address social and educational inequality.
Black woman in handcuffs
There seems to be an international push these days toward making the purchase of sex (but not its sale) illegal. In the 16 years since Sweden criminalized buyers of commercial sex, Norway, Denmark, Canada and most recently, northern Ireland have followed suit. And now England is considering similar legislation, according to VICE. What adherents to this approach don't understand is that such laws only make working conditions much more dangerous for sex workers and do very little to curb the demand for commercial sex.
As I illustrate in my book, Getting Screwed: Sex Workers and the Law, many sex workers are careful to screen clients before they meet with them, asking for detailed information about who they are and where they work. As Maddy, a high-end escort in Washington, D.C. whose clients are corporate executives and top government officials, told me, " I never see clients I haven't screened. I find out where they work, and I can verify that they actually are who they say they are."
Advertisement
As Maddy and other sex workers note, laws criminalizing buyers would make such screening much more difficult -- what buyer is going to readily divulge such culpable information -- and thus jeopardize their ability to work safely. And indeed, that appears to be what has happened in Sweden. Since 2000, studies show, sex workers there have a much more difficult time negotiating safe sex (i.e. sex with condoms) and assessing dangerous clients. They've also lost many low-risk clients, leaving them exposed to more violent clientele -- both on the streets and indoors.
The irony is that Sweden's approach has actually increased the overall number of sex workers in that country and did not reduce trafficking in the region at all, according to the Swedish government's own reports.
By contrast, countries that have decriminalized sex work and regulated it to some degree (such as the Netherlands and New Zealand) report no increase in the sex trafficking of minors and illegal immigrants. At the same time, sex workers in those countries are better able to protect themselves -- from physical harm and sexually transmitted diseases. Because they don't fear being arrested, they have more time to negotiate safe sex and they are more comfortable working with police to target traffickers and abusive clients.
In decriminalized environments, sex workers are also able to work with colleagues who know where they're going and who they're meeting with, an important safeguard -- without fear of being arrested. As I blogged about before, police in the United States often arrest sex workers who work together and charge them with trafficking each other, even when they are working together by choice.
Advertisement
As one British researcher told VICE, the current push in the United Kingdom to criminalize buyers is reminiscent of the solicitation laws passed there in the late 19th century, which resulted in the convictions of 7,415 sex workers but only 165 pimps. As Julia Laite,a lecturer in British history at Birkbeck, University of London, said:
What really bothers me is that these people present the idea of criminalizing buyers as a brand-new, feminist, revolutionary idea. Really, the idea is very old. It wasn't originally considered feminist; it was far more connected to the moral reform movement.
"The world's favorite season is the spring.All things seem possible in May."- Edwin Way Teale May is a time for Spring, Flowers, Memorial Day Cookouts, and most importantly... May is Mental Health Month May is time to share our triumphs, our struggles, our compassion, and our fight to end stigma together. How will you take care of YOU this month? (And every month?) May is a time for Spring, Flowers, Memorial Day Cookouts, and most importantly...
Celebrating Mental Health
Mental Health America is an amazing organization helping everyone celebrate Mental Health every month, and I couldn't be prouder to be performing and presenting Gutless and Grateful as part of their annual conference next month!
"For over 65 years, Mental Health America and our affiliates across the country have led the observance of May is Mental Health Month by reaching millions of people through the media, local events and screenings." How can you get involved? Use a hashtag! #mentalillnessfeelslike
"This year's theme for Mental Health Month is - Life with a Mental Illness - and will call on individuals to share what life with a mental illness feels like for them in words, pictures and video by tagging their social media posts with #mentalillnessfeelslike.
Posting with the hashtag will allow people to speak up about their own experiences, to share their point of view with individuals who may be struggling to explain what they are going through--and help others figure out if they too are showing signs of a mental illness. Sharing is the key to breaking down the discrimination and stigma surrounding mental illnesses, and to show others that they are not alone in their feelings and their symptoms."
How a Hashtag Brings Us Together: Using Social Media to Share and Support
Nothing feels as scary when each of us raises our voices. So use the hashtag #mentalillnessfeelslike for Mental Health Month. This way, we know we're not alone!
Mental Health America also has wonderful resources for mental health awareness this month. You can download their comprehensive toolkit here.
Advertisement
Gutless & Grateful at Mental Health America
I'm also sharing #mentalillnessfeelslike at Mental Health America's conference this year and I couldn't be prouder.
I discovered storytelling as a way to gain control over uncertain times, and ultimately to transform obstacles into opportunities. Sharing my story helped me fight stigma and find community - everything that Mental Health Month is about. That's why I couldn't be prouder to be presenting at the
on June 7th to 9th in Alexandria, D.C. Learn more about the conference
Want more ways to get involved with Mental Health this month?
See www.mentalhealthamerica.net/may for ideas.
Remember, take care of the light inside you, because no matter how dark life gets...
With an empowered approach to mental health, anyone can be surprised by the strength of the human spirit.
What Does Mental Illness Feel Like For Me?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be rough. My PTSD was an outgrowth of ten years of medical trauma as well as sexual abuse.It's something I still struggle with. It can feel like a struggle to speak about difficult times. It's hard to open up. But we NEED to. Why keep those memories locked up inside? When we keep things in, we become numb. Everything is easier when you know you're not alone. That's why I'm encouraging you to post #mentalillnessfeelslike on social media and share your story.
You're strong enough, no matter what.
Sometimes difficult times can take us on the most beautiful detour of our lives. I call my "post-traumatic growth" my beautiful detour. The blessings I've received just because these unfortunate events happened in my life are too large to quantify...or even start listing! The best part? That I'm still here to talk about it, and to share my story.
Sharing is healthy.
What are you sharing this month?
All artwork was created by Amy on her detour. Watch Amy's TEDx talk on April 16th, learn about her speaking, or catch her touring Gutless & Grateful, her one woman musical, to theatres, colleges, conferences and organizations nationwide. Learn about her mental health advocacy programs for students, and find out how to take part in the #LoveMyDetour movement, and see where she'll be next.
Advertisement
___________________
Dear Governor McCrory,
I'm writing to commend you and your Republican colleagues in the state legislature for your courage in passing HB2 into law. This was not an easy position for me to arrive at, since I'm transgender, and this law regulates among other things the public performance of my bodily functions. But after extensive inquiry and much soul searching, I came to appreciate the public spirit that prompted y'all (if I may), and am anxious for news of the startling scientific breakthrough underwriting the law to break, and vindicate you.
Allow me to share my personal journey with you.
I recently had the opportunity to pass through your beautiful state on my way to and from a wedding in South Carolina. My sister and I met in the Charlotte airport going, and parted ways there on our return trip. Because we had a long layover on the way down, we decided to have a couple of beers at one of the airport's bars. I knew about the recent passage of HB2, so imagine my dilemma when I found myself needing to pee before we boarded our connecting flight (alcohol, of course, being a diuretic).
Now I'm a firm believer in the rule of law, as I think most of my trans sisters and brothers are. Because we're members of a vulnerable minority, frequently singled out for discrimination and even violence by people motivated by bigotry, fear, and/or ignorance, we look to laws to protect us. And as a believer, I'm willing to sacrifice my individual druthers for the common weal when necessary.
Advertisement
These weighty considerations were in my mind as I hopped off my bar stool. The next thing I knew, I was sitting in a stall in the nearest women's room peeing.
Please believe me when I say that I didn't intend to break your new law. Seeing no police presence outside the door, I acted out of habit - since I've been using women's facilities for years - as well as pressing need. (As you're a human being who shares this bodily function, let alone an informed expert on the subject, I'm assuming no elaboration of that latter reason is needed).
This experience got me thinking about the difficulties that this new law must be confronting you with. I don't mean the strong and widespread pushback you're receiving - the immediate legal challenge, and the travel bans to and flight of businesses from your state. Heck, even Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace recently opined that laws like yours seem to be "a solution in search of a problem."
I mean instead the logistical challenges of enforcing the law.
Several such challenges occurred to me, how to pay for enforcement being prominent among them, but the stickiest of the sticking points, it seemed to me, was how to tell when a trans person enters the "wrong" restroom. It's not like all of us trans women - because it seems clear that you don't really care about trans men: an unfair double standard, I think, but let it pass - it's not, I'm afraid, like our appearance always screams dude-in-a-dress. My own experience is a case in point. No one as far as I could tell raised an eyebrow when I entered the restroom that first time - or either of the subsequent two times (long layover c/w powerful diuretic: nuff said).
Advertisement
Since the eye test is no guarantee - even if that eye is highly trained in trans spotting - I thought maybe you could have every woman who enters a public restroom expose her private parts to an attendant to demonstrate her incontrovertible womanhood. But here too, I'm afraid, obvious difficulties arose.
In the first place, as all America knows, the male sex organ can be surgically altered to resemble a female one.
Second, I worried that the lines to enter women's rooms during busy times, already long (as your research has doubtless revealed), would be greatly lengthened by the processing delay, let's call it, as each woman paused to pull down her pants or hike up her dress and submit to the attendant's inspection. Instituting any policy that further slows the movement of the bathroom queue, believe me, would not be popular with your female constituents.
Even if such searches were limited to women who look "suspicious," there was the likelihood that some cisgender women would be mistakenly stopped. And I worried at least a few of these gals would be unable or unwilling to accept that being asked to show a stranger their vaginas was for the greater good, and would view the procedure as perhaps a little too invasive of their privacy. Given your avowed desire to protect the privacy rights of women, this scenario would, I'm sure you'll agree, represent a most unfortunate irony.
I could go on. It would be interesting, for example, to consider creative measures like having a chip like those that dog owners use implanted in trans women, or requiring us to wear a distinguishing patch or armband - say, one the color of the trans flag - on the model of that modern state that more than any other raised citizen diversity management to a science, Nazi Germany. But I trust enough has been said already to enable us to agree that the logistical hurdles confronting your poor little law are formidable indeed.
Advertisement
Having progressed this far in my reflections, I hit a snag. It was clear to me from the Saint Vitus' Dance so many red-state Republican legislators are doing over these "bathroom bills" that there must be some pressing need for them. Where there's smoke (and not merely hot air), as the old saying goes. But since, as we both know, there's no credible evidence whatsoever that transgender women pose a threat to cisgender women and girls in bathrooms, I found myself, along with Chris Wallace, struggling to imagine what that need was. What clear and present menace would prompt conscientious public servants like you and your Republican colleagues to spend over $40,000 of taxpayer money on a special session, and to stand by your action after it has so adversely affected your state's economy and sullied its reputation, not to mention bringing so much opprobrium down on your own heads?
I pondered on this question for some time until late the other night, after a few drinks, I had an a-ha moment on the toilet. I admit that at first the idea seemed farfetched to me; but the more I considered it, the more it answered the questions I had, at least in the absence of any firmer rationale. I'm sure that if I'm missing the mark, you'll laugh at me when I share it with you. Since, however, my greatest wish is to verify that the sacrifice I and my trans sisters are being called on to make is more than a bigot's chimera, I'm willing to take that chance.
Here, then, is what I came up with:
Listening to my urine stream emerge from me and impact with the water in the toilet bowl, I realized that there must me some subtle difference between the sound of trans women's peeing and the peeing of cis women - a difference uncovered only recently by secret Republican-funded research. I reasoned that this difference was due to the fact, undocumented until now, that our urinary tract has a slightly wider diameter, which gives the sound of our peeing a marginally deeper, and thus more "manly," resonance. This anatomical difference presumably develops during puberty, when testosterone spurs many similar changes in the body.
Such a subtle difference in and of itself hardly warrants the sweeping response that these bills seek to enact, of course. So I postulated that this secret research must have also revealed significant health risks associated with exposure to what I'll call the "tranny whoosh." These risks, I'm guessing, affect cis women and girls after even one visit to a ladies' room being used by a trans woman, and include chronic anxiety and, with repeated exposure, an aversion to men. That the nation's breeding stock might become thus afflicted surely accounts for the rising interest in bathrooms among public-spirited Republican males.
Advertisement
I should confirm here that I'm not talking about the far more obvious sonic disparity between women peeing seated and men peeing standing. As you surely know, having interested yourself so extensively in our bodily functions, few if any of us pee standing up for the simple reason that we're not (as those less well versed than you erroneously assert) men.
A further difficulty arose at this point: why would you and other Republican lawmakers continue to hide behind hoary fictions and pseudo-religious hate-speech instead of simply revealing to a skeptical world these striking new findings?
But then the answer to that question is obvious, isn't it? The research must be reproduced in line with standard scientific practice before it can be unveiled. Given the cavalier stance many Republican legislators have taken on other, arguably weightier issues like climate change, I confess the thought that they would be so concerned to get the science of my pissing right warms my heart.
It also inspires me to follow your example and submit to the findings of rigorous scientific inquiry, even if those findings run contrary to my own prejudices. I look forward, then, to the appearance of this groundbreaking research, surely imminent, and to its vetting by the greater scientific community. And I profess myself willing to hold it the next time I find myself in the Charlotte airport, or to refrain from contributing to your state's economy if those beers will render me incapable of holding it, or to sacrifice my dignity, and risk my personal safety, and use a men's room, or even to pee my pants or dress while waiting at my gate, rather than expose the ears of even one of the cisgender women and girls living in or passing through your beautiful state to my traumatizing whoosh. (NB: If I choose the final option, no worries: I'll leave a note on the seat for the maintenance staff.)
After two years of taking little notice of Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists' actual demands, let alone implementing them, President Obama has now lambasted the movement for simply "yelling" about the issue.
The insulting insinuation is that BLM activists are mindless blowhards who lack specific near- and longer-term solutions to endemic police racism and violence.
Obama insisted that activists should be eager to meet with politicians, presumably to "dialogue" and convince them to change their ways. Are we really to believe such forced naivete from someone at the pinnacle of the cynical U.S. political system?
Advertisement
"One of the things I caution young people about though, that I don't think is effective, is you've highlighted an issue and brought it to people's attention ... and elected officials are ready to sit down with you, then you can't just keep yelling at them," the President said April 23rd in London. "And you can't refuse to meet because that would compromise the purity of your position."
Obama conveniently overlooked that most of the politicians some BLM activists have refused to meet with are almost all Democrats - the leaders of big cities. Exhibit A is his own former chief of staff, the Karl Rove fixer of the Democratic Party, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who infamously suppressed a dashcam video showing the police murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald so he could win a close-fought reelection campaign. Why should BLM activists allow themselves to be used as props in photo ops with such a despicable character?
For the President's political allies to begin addressing many of the immediate BLM demands doesn't require negotiations or penetrating studies - just following the government's own laws concerning murder, assault, perjury and conspiracy - when said offenses are committed by police. It would require them to behave towards police at least half as harshly as most employers do towards employees who commit such offenses. Should it really take years to fire violent sociopaths?
The problems highlighted by BLM activists are so glaring and long-standing, they should not have required protest to highlight them. It's instructive that politicians, including two-term President Obama, began speaking about racist police violence in fits and starts only after BLM protesters forced the issue onto the national dialogue.
Advertisement
"To tell mothers, fathers, family members and friends who have lost their loves ones to police violence that their screams and yells for justice need to be more pragmatic and quiet, is to deny the enormity of human devastation and pain that is the root of this movement," said Aislinn Pulley, a leader in Chicago's BLM movement who in February refused to participate in a White House photo op with the President.
"When every 28 hours a black person is extra-judicially killed by police or vigilantes, the absolute last thing we need is to be quiet. We need to be so loud that we make it impossible to ever accept as normal the extrajudicial killing and brutality of anyone."
Obama's own solutions announced shortly after unrest over the police killing of unarmed Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, were rightly denounced by BLM activists as wholly inadequate.
His proposal to rein in the growing militarization of local police forces with cast-off military hardware was shot full of loopholes. His federal funding of body cameras for police was a technocratic "fix" to a social problem - the racist devaluing of black lives. This devaluing, which spawned the phrase "Black Lives Matter," means that police are far more likely to use deadly force again black people in situations where no force or less than lethal force are warranted.
And as shown by the legal aftermath of the videos of the police killing of New York's Eric Garner, and a generation before him, the police beating of LA's Rodney King, stone cold video evidence of illegal police violence doesn't guarantee an appropriate response from a justice system shot through with racism and pro-police bias.
Advertisement
Here in Chicago, BLM activists have spent years trying to get even their most basic demands addressed - struggling to get cops fired even when civil juries have already found them guilty of wrongfully killed black people and awarded the surviving families millions of dollars in restitution. It is this official inaction, where month after month, killer cops collect taxpayer funded salaries and pensions, that infuriates BLM activists.
In this context, "Obama's comments reflect the detached bureaucracy of pomp and circumstance that masquerades itself as accomplishing something, but in reality is at best little more than political theater, at worst a designed distraction," said Pulley.
But the reality on the federal level is probably worse that just ineffectual dithering and PR stunts.
Thanks to years' worth of diligent work by activists and civil rights attorneys, we now know that the police spying, infiltration and mis-use of the law used against the Occupy Movement in localities around the nation was not a coincidence. It was in fact a nationally coordinated campaign by President Obama's Justice Department to illegally shut down the movement.
Likewise, there is already plenty of evidence [2] of local police working with the FBI to spy against BLM activists in many cities. It is not conspiracy-mongering to suspect that federal actions are being taken against BLM activists, just as they were again used the Occupy movement before it. This is, after all, an administration that has already proven itself prone to widespread invasive monitoring of legal 1st Amendment activities, as was the administration before it.
Advertisement
In taking these anti-civil rights actions against the black lives matter movement, President Obama is not being a black president or even necessarily a Democratic Party one. He is simply being a United States president, and as such, borrowing Dr. King's phrase, ringmaster of the U.S. government, "the biggest purveyor of violence in the world today."
Young BLM activists' typically embrace more controversial views than their elders in and out of the political establishment. They write and speak frequently about a world without police and prisons. They speak about resources currently wasted on police and prisons, instead being spent on supporting viable black futures with massive funding for jobs, affordable housing, education, and mental and physical health.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2015. I share my learning that jolted me back on the track to a new life. This is my third posting.
My Pink Notes for Inner Wisdom
I have many wise friends. Kenny has helped me make sense of all things 'alternative.' You only have one choice; love or fear', he keeps reminding me. It's that simple.
We are all much wiser than we realize. Our intuition and our bodies give us signals that we often ignore. I wanted to access my inner knowledge to help my healing process. But how should I do it? I turned to Kenny for advice and being practical as always, he told me to buy a notebook. I found a pink one that I liked.
Advertisement
-Center yourself and then ask.
Kenny was clear in his instruction.
-Ask what?
-What you want to know?
I wanted to know what I had learned during the two weeks since my diagnosis. I will never forget the answers:
I cannot do it all alone
Planning is over-rated!
I am surrounded by love
Energy-stealing people are dangerous to me
I have a wonderful life
I read what I had written and I knew it was my truth, but the truth was fragile. I read my new discoveries out loud to all my visitors during these weeks. By telling people about what I had written, I could integrate my internal and external truth. My 'Pink Notes' became a guide going forwards.
I laughed out load reading my insight on planning -- 'it is over-rated.' For years, I have with a full calendar and have dutifully rushed to the next appointment when my iPhone beeped to remind me. But having a good life has little to do with planning. This summer with breast cancer was the ultimate example of that.
Advertisement
We must be in the now to be happy. What is the point of all the beauty surrounding you if you cannot enjoy it? Being busy is no excuse. My boss who has a more demanding schedule than anyone I know, still has 'time' to publish a photo on Facebook of the beautiful Stockholm summer evening.
The cancer demanded that I lived in the 'now'. I had always imagined the 'now' as bliss, being content, calm and happy. But my 'now' was centered on resting.
Avoiding the Energy Thieves
I have always been perceptive to the energies of people around me. I was well aware that I needed to avoid contact with people who drained me. Yet, I was shocked to experience how strongly some people literally exhausted me. It was enough to have them in my thoughts. My normal defense mechanisms were completely out of function.
It is important to me to remember this learning. Regardless of health situation, energy-draining people will affect me if I do not put up my boundaries.
My Pink Notes had revealed very important truths that I carried inside. My life was indeed wonderful, despite the illness. On good days, I felt like I sailed in an ocean of love that kept pouring into my life, I enjoyed my beautiful apartment, my financial freedom, the most wonderful son in the world... I felt blessed.
Advertisement
But there are other moments. For those, there are tools.
Champagne as a Life Savor
There is something about this bobbly drink that brings along a bigger world. A promise of scandalous enjoyment and memories that can make you blush. You do not want to be without that during cancer.
At least, that was my decision. Being luckier than most, I have my own champagne crew: The Lanson Ladies.
Being new in Stockholm and in a new job, I was surprised and grateful for the attention and care from my new colleagues. Several times a week they came visiting, always with a bottle of champagne. These women run one of Sweden's largest companies. They have responsibilities that exceed what most people think of as 'too much'. In order to book a meeting with them, you need very good connections to their personal assistants.
Jannike, Helene and Henriette were a constant presence during my fight and struggle to understand what had happened to me. They made me feel included, valued and cheered me on.
I had to concentrate on getting well and I could not worry about work. I had an excellent co-worker who was acting for me, and I did not want to interfere with his decisions. I kept away from e-mails and did not attend meetings.
Advertisement
But I love my job and wanted to be in touch with the exciting things happening. It was wonderful to discuss job related opportunities and ideas over a glass of champagne with the Lanson Ladies. This created a sense belonging that was very valuable to me.
Arik Bjorn - Photo Credit: John A. Carlos II
This post was originally published on www.blackandwordy.com
Representative Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) is infamous for shouting "you lie" to President Obama during the president's 2009 State of the Union address. Wilson has held his post as South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District representative since 2001 and has never been opposed by a genuinely progressive Democrat -- that is, until now.
"I remember sitting in the booth, and looking at the ballot and seeing 'Joe Wilson unopposed'," said Arik Bjorn, Joe Wilson's progressive challenger. "Nobody has the right to waltz off to Washington on my watch."
But before Bjorn can directly challenge Joe Wilson in the general election November 8, he must first defeat Phil Black in the South Carolina 2nd Congressional District Primary June 14. Black, who is running as a Democrat and unsuccessfully ran for Congress as a Republican against Joe Wilson in 2008, 2010, and again in 2012, is what Bjorn calls a "fake Democrat."
Advertisement
Those familiar with South Carolina's politics will recognize the term "fake Democrat" as Republican who runs for office as a Democrat to avoid losing to a stronger Republican during a primary election. South Carolina voters do not have to declare any political party affiliation when they register to vote, which means that any voter of any political persuasion can vote in any party's primary.
Bjorn, a librarian and vocal Bernie Sanders supporter who was recently endorsed by the South Carolina American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), was inspired to run for Congress after he heard Bernie Sanders speak during a town hall held at the Medallion Center in Columbia, South Carolina. "Bernie said, 'there is nothing that together we can not accomplish;' and in that moment I told myself, 'I must take a stand.' I was inspired by Bernie Sanders to run," said Bjorn.
Bjorn's candidacy is a response to criticism from the left and from the right as to how progressives plan to legislate liberal principles at the state and local levels without creating a chasm (a la the Tea Party and Republicans) in the Democratic party between Bernie Sanders supporters and Hillary Clinton supporters. "If you only believe what's on your news feed, you'd think that everyone who votes for Bernie Sanders will never support Hillary, but, of course, that's not how you approach running for Congress," said Bjorn.
Bjorn learned that government can function across party lines during his tenure managing South Carolina's SmartState Program, a $2 billion economic development program that used state lottery revenue to invest in research centers and major research institutions. The program was established in 2002 by the South Carolina State Assembly with bipartisan support.
Advertisement
In 2012, under Bjorn's management, the SmartState Program turned into an economic boon for the state, and created over 8,000 jobs, many of which were high-paying, knowledge-economy positions. The program was also responsible for more than $1.4 billion in non-state investment in the South Carolina economy -- a seven-to-one return on the state's $180 million investment.
"The program demonstrated how industry and academia can work side-by-side, so a community can prosper," said Bjorn. "I'm not running for Congress as a 'Berniecrat'. I'm running for Congress as a resident of South Carolina's Second Congressional District. The challenge is for us to find a way, beyond being liberal and being conservative to create a just and prosperous society."
Bjorn, if elected, plans to reach across the political aisle to work with Republicans and centrist Democrats to get things done, but he does not mince words when it comes to his support for progressive values, or in his criticism of his potential Republican colleagues.
"There is blood on the hands of Governor Haley, and the other governors who won't expand Medicaid. Healthcare is a human right. End of story," said Bjorn.
In 2013, Joe Wilson cosponsored H.R.2682 -- "Defund Obamacare Act of 2013," and Wilson has been an opponent of the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, a popular Republican has not expanded Medicare even though the ACA, also known as "Obamacare," would have allowed her to do so.
Advertisement
By declining federal dollars to facilitate such an expansion, Gov. Haley, with the support of most if not all of her fellow South Carolina Republican elected officials declined to expand free healthcare to hundreds of thousands South Carolinians living below the poverty line.
Bjorn is unequivocal in his support for the LGTBQ community, as well as the Black Lives Matter movement, saying: "Black lives matter. Period. There is nothing else to say other than that."
The congressional hopeful strongly opposes state Senator Lee Bright's (R-S.C.) bill, S.1203, which mirrors North Carolina's anti-LGBTQ bill HB2, also known as the "Bathroom Bill."
"The legislation is barbaric, and I'd rather share a bathroom with a transgender person than share a bathroom with a barbaric legislator like Lee Bright," said Bjorn. "We need to end this culture of enemy-making. We need to stop alienating the LGBTQ community, and we need to stop threatening Muslims."
Bjorn plans to end what he describes as "the culture of enemy-making" through what he calls his "legislative formula." It's a quasi-algebraic formula that he believes will be key for making effective progress toward legislating progressive principles such as universal healthcare, and equal access to higher education and academic resources.
Advertisement
"I will always legislate from a place of what do we want, minus what we have, equals what we need to get there," said Bjorn. "I want to be a legislative explorer. I want to be a legislative uniter."
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, left, Chief of Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, right, arrive to attend funeral prayers for army officer Seckin Cil, who was killed in Sur, Diyarbakir Wednesday, in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016. Six soldiers were killed after PKK rebels detonated a bomb on the road linking the cities of Diyarbakir and Bingol in southeastern Turkey as their vehicle was passing by, according to Turkeyas state-run Anadolu Agency. The deaths come a day after a suicide bombing claimed the lives of at least 28 people and wounded dozens of others.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)
The rift between President Erdogan of Turkey and PM Davutoglu which wasn't a secret before has now become apparent.
What made the conflict between the two so clear was Erdogan's recent attempt to terminate Davutoglu's control over the executive board of the Justice and Development Party (AKP in Turkish).
Advertisement
Due to the very strict and disciplined party system in Turkey, presidents of political parties have almost entire control over the party structure.
Erdogan's recent coup attempt against PM Davutoglu has led to the end of Davutoglu's control over his party, which eventually may also end his premiership in the Turkish Government soon.
Many in the AKP believe that it was a response from the President Erdogan to Davutoglu for successfully arranging an appointment with President Obama during his upcoming official visit to the US early in May after a request to the White House.
After the recent developments in AKP, however, sources in Washington say that the meeting has been postponed to an unknown future.
Advertisement
PM Davutoglu actually was aware of the fact that President Erdogan's obsession to become the executive president of Turkey would eventually end his premiership in the government.
Even though, presidents are not allowed to intervene party politics in Turkey, Erdogan violated the Turkish constitution many times in the past, stating even that he doesn't recognize it.
Now, PM Davutoglu has two options ahead. First, he may avoid challenging Erdogan and leave the office soon. If he does so, Davutoglu would lose all his powers and allow Erdogan to ruin his reputation and political life. However, if he resists and decides to challenge Erdogan, he would have a chance to prove his leadership not only over the party but over Turkey as well.
Even though it would be very troubling and complicated for Davutoglu to resist Erdogan, he should try. Even if Davutoglu obeys Erdogan after the new development in the Party, he wouldn't be able to change Erdogan's attitude against him, due to the vindictive and malicious personality traits of Erdogan. The President would eventually terminate him whether he would obey or not.
From this point of view, Davutoglu has only one chance actually. Even though the Turkish Military is sidelined from Turkish politics, there are some indications that they are not sided with Erdogan. In the Turkish political system, the commander in chief of the Turkish Military is under the command of the PM. In that case, there are signs that Turkish Military would prefer to work with PM Davutoglu instead of Erdogan.
Advertisement
The head of Turkish Intelligence Service, Hakan Fidan as well, is under the command of PM Davutoglu. Last year, the resignation of Turkey's powerful spy chief Hakan Fidan to run for parliament on the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) without the approval of President Erdogan, indicated that his assumed loyalty to Erdogan is not absolute.
Thus, comparing with the power of the other dictators in the region, Erdogan's power is not fully consolidated yet but it's still on the formation.
Erdogan has a powerful media machine, which he uses as a propaganda machine and for political character assassinations. Davutoglu has, on the other hand, two newspapers, Yeni Yuzyil and Karar as well.
Now, many believe that recent developments in AKP imply the end Davutoglu's political life.
If Davutoglu could manage to use the powerful instruments in his hands, Turkish Military and Turkish Intelligence Service, MIT, he could have a chance to survive. Davutoglu should find ways to cut off Erdogan's illegal link to several courts he uses against his rivals.
Davutoglu is aware of the fact that, in a global spectrum, Erdogan has angered the U.S, European Union and Russian Federation at the same time indicating that things may not evolve as Erdogan expected, either. The arrest of the Iranian-born Turkish citizen Reza Zarrab last month in Florida by U.S. authorities on charges to conspire to conduct hundreds of millions of dollars in financial transactions through Turkish and Emirati companies that helped Iranian Government to evade U.S. sanctions may have some unexpected consequences for Erdogan as well.
Advertisement
During the gold for oil trade scheme between Iran and Turkey, some $14 billion were vaporized as bribes and commissions in Turkey.
Starting from 2009, Treasury Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, David Cohen, cautioned Turkish government and banking officials many times about the consequences of evading sanctions against Iran.
For example, in 2009, Cohen expressed concern about delays in Turkey's compliance with the UNSC 1267 and 1373 designation process and the low level of money laundering or terror finance prosecutions. As Cohen noted Turkey's progress on reforming its customer due diligence, but said Turkey must strengthen its efforts to fight terrorism finance.
David S. Cohen was sworn in as the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency on February 9, 2015. This assignment is definitely an important indication how President Obama takes money laundering and financial crimes seriously across the globe even if it would complicate bilateral relations with some ally countries.
Erdogan's second weakness, comparing with Davutoglu, is his alleged relations with ISIS that particularly Russian Federation brings to the agenda of UNSC.
Advertisement
In 1969, when a major oil spill took place off the coast of Santa Barbara, Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin was inspired to build public awareness about the impact we humans were having on the environment. This was an era of protests against the Vietnam War and music festivals like Woodstock, so Nelson put forth an idea to create a "national teach-in on the environment." The next year, April 22 was selected as the first Earth Day - scheduled to take place for students after their spring break, but before their final exams. Amazingly, over 20 million people responded from coast to coast, rallying in streets and parks to protest for a sustainable environment. Ever since then "Earth Day" has been observed annually.
Photos by Lana Wong/Education Commission
For many of us, our daily lives revolve around the scheduled setting of school, work, and home. For millions caught in conflict and emergencies, life is in constant change caused by the uncertainty of shell fire and forces beyond our control. For them and millions more who've been pushed into poverty, life is at a standstill, stuck in the deprivation of food insecurity and injustices of other forms.
Humanity Lost
These are the disparities of our world and the realities experienced by children and families in countries like Nepal, Nigeria, and Syria, places so distant, yet home - or once were - to people so dear to those of us who care about humanity beyond our borders and doorsteps.
A year after the earthquake, it's difficult to digest that nearly a million Nepalis are now in poverty and a million children are out of school, prone to and lured by senseless traffickers and profiteers willing to push their vulnerable human kin - women, girls, and boys - into prostitution and forced labor.
Advertisement
After two years and little apparent success to bring back our girls of Chibok, Nigeria, it's easy to come to the conclusion that our cries and call-to-actions go unheard. For Boko Haram - who've abandoned their humanness and become blind to the dignity of the young girls they hold captive and innocent lives they threaten - this is the case.
It's easy to loose hope after five years and a seemingly unending civil war which has reduced Syria's economy to ruble, resulted in an exodus of migrants out of the country, and led to the heart-breaking death of Aylan Kurdi and nameless others. ISIS, who's become numb to the teachings of peace is extorting peace from a world which strives for cooperation and compassion.
From Nepal to Nigeria to Syria and elsewhere, children and there families are fighting against terror and turmoil to attain basic needs and wants such as food, the opportunity to read and write, and the freedom to life.
For them and their efforts to survive and hopes to thrive, let's not revert to silence and indifference.
Advertisement
Convening to Make a Difference
In fact, countless people at all levels and sectors of society are hard at work to return Nepalese children into the safety of schools, bring our Chibok sisters back to their parents, and deliver critical relief to Syrian refugees. For most of us, prayer is all we can contribute to these efforts, and powerful prayer is. For a few, power joins prayer.
Empowered and inspired, a group of world leaders, including former prime ministers and presidents, nobel laureates and leaders in business, academics and artists, have joined to create a powerful case - an agenda for action - for investment in education aimed to ensure all young people have access to quality learning that will open countless opportunities for them, their family, community, and country.
Why is this important? Because, beyond Nepal, Nigeria, and Syria, there's more than 120 million children and adolescents who aren't in school, while 250 million that are in school are not meeting basic proficiency in literacy and math. The cost of inaction on these 250 million alone is estimated at $129 billion annually. Action, on the other hand, to ensure universal pre-primary, primary, and secondary education will cost $39 billion a year.
This group, the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity or the Education Commission, has an equally empowered and inspired youth panel comprised of young advocates, acclaimed activists, students, and social entrepreneurs, a group of which I am energized to be a part of.
As a panelist, I was given the opportunity to join the commissioners for their third meeting at the World Bank headquarters in Washington D.C. this past April 2016.
Advertisement
There, the Commission's research team and partners presented a working report addressing the latest knowledge and trends on education and learning - in context and connection to health, technology, and finance, the digital revolution and innovation economy, among other issue areas - affecting students, schools, and society.
Robust and candid discussions allowed us to probe into the "what" and "how": what evidence is needed to make a strong case for long-term investment, and how will we advance that case forward, from the grassroots to the high-level and vice-versa.
Inspired Leaders During breaks, I was able to speak with a few commissioners and ask who's inspired them to pursue their activism on behalf of children and education worldwide.
Yuriko Koike of Japan thanks her mother who told her: "Choose whatever you want in your life..."
Kristin Clemet of Norway spoke fondly of her teacher: "She was both my teacher and was like a mother..."
Teopista Mayanja of Uganda attributed her work today to her physical education teacher: "...learning through play and investing into sports, not only as an education aspect, but as a tool to mobilize for education..."
Advertisement
Toward Opportunity
Why are they, their colleagues, and my fellow youth panelists and I all so committed? Because education for us is personal and has and continues to drive and define the purpose of our lives. And because we know the impact education and learning opportunities have for people and the planet.
Education, in broader terms, supports our collective humanity: reduces child marriage and early births, leads to better health for mothers and children, increases job opportunities for women and men, enables economic growth, builds tolerance among persons, peoples, and nations, and creates a more inclusive, sustainable international development.
Given that education undergirds this very development, of which nations have agreed to more fully realize by 2030, our work comes with an sense of urgency.
This urgency is taken with high regard, because we're not only talking about investing in education, we are talking about investing in children and young people - especially the impoverished and marginalized - members of our human family who have so much potential to do good in this world.
When children are removed from their homes and placed in foster care, it's because a decision has been made that their parents are currently unable to take care of them or unable to keep them safe. But even though those children are relocated to a safer environment with a foster family, imagine the trauma such an event entails - and the questions a child may ask: Will I ever be able to go home again? When will I see my parents? How long will I stay where I am until it's time to pack up and move to a new foster family?
Child Success New York City, an innovative program launched by New York City and implemented by several foster care agencies, aims to improve those children's lives, by providing greater stability while they're in foster care and a greater likelihood that they'll be able to return to their natural families. To date, this program has shown very promising results and could prove to be a model for the future.
Here's how the system has worked traditionally: A 10-year-old child - let's call him Tom- would have been removed from his home when it was discovered that his mother, who was a drug addict, was leaving him alone with nothing to eat for long periods of time. Tom would be placed in a foster home, enrolled in school, taken care of by that foster family and looked in on from time to time by a caseworker. After a time, though, that family might find itself no longer able to keep Tom and he'd have to be reassigned to a new foster home, maybe in a different neighborhood, and have to adapt to a new home, a new family and a new school.
Advertisement
The City's Administration for Children's Services (ACS) wanted to see if they could do better and unveiled 'Child Success NYC' an evidence-based model for working with children in foster care, their foster parents and their biological parents, to improve outcomes for the children. To be considered evidence-based, a program must have a minimum of two high-quality, rigorous scientific evaluations, a positive impact sustained for a minimum of 12 months, and independent replication. Child Success NYC is modeled off a program that was originally developed by the Oregon Social Learning Center and represents the first time ACS has applied evidence-based practices to foster care in New York City.
As part of this program, we work intensively with children, parents and foster parents and track which methods are most effective. We work with birth parents to cultivate the parenting skills to become effective parents for their children. At the same time, a social worker is helping the child's birth parents address their own challenges and struggles (e.g., substance abuse and mental health, housing and employment). We also support foster parents; increasing the likelihood a child will enjoy greater stability and fewer transfers and reassignments to different foster homes over time, which takes a tremendous toll.
Under a program like Child Success NYC, Tom's mother would receive support from staff using evidence-based strategies to improve her parenting and be much more likely to be able to take care of him in the future. At the same time, the foster family taking care of Tom would receive more evidence-based parenting support, making it less likely that Tom would have to be moved to another home.
Thus far, the program has shown compelling results. A test group of 2,000 children who participated in Child Success NYC were 11% more likely to return home compared to their peers who received traditional services. That means there are many more children than usual who are back with their families, or in a permanent home who otherwise might be continuing in foster care.
Advertisement
Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a campaign event in the courtyard of Philadelphia's City Hall on the eve of the Pennsylvania primary, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., April 25, 2016. REUTERS/Charles Mostoller
It's been roughly three months since Hillary Clinton promised, during her Feb. 4 debate with Bernie Sanders on the eve of the New Hampshire primary, to "look into" releasing the transcripts of her paid speeches to Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street investment houses.
If you're a stickler for details and would like to know precisely how long Clinton has delayed on fulfilling her pledge or exactly how much cash she has raked in for her speaking gigs and from whom, you don't have to spend hours scouring the Internet. You can simply log onto two sites created by a 40-year-old Sanders supporter and web developer named Jed McChesney of Olathe, Kan.
Advertisement
The first site-- iwilllookintoit.com--is a computerized digital clock that ticks off the elapsed time in bold red print, listing the number of days, hours and seconds. The other offers a searchable chart, published at citizenuprising.com, of 91 paid, private talks given by the Democratic front-runner from April 2013 to March 2015.
All told, according to McChesney's meticulous research, Clinton pulled in a whopping $21.7 million in speaking fees for the two-year period. Of this amount, $3,260,000 came from 14 speeches delivered directly to financial-sector interests, including Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, and, above all, Goldman, which remitted a tidy $675,000 for no less than three chin-wags.
"I was watching the debate ... when she said she would look into [releasing the speeches]," McChesney told me in an interview I conducted with him last week via email, as his phone was down as a result of a north Kansas thunderstorm. "I just knew it was a complete blow-off answer.
"I find it to be completely disqualifying," he continued, regarding Clinton's presidential bid. "It says a lot about our system when such brazen bribery is wholly accepted. So about ... an hour or so after the debate, it just hit me to start a clock to hold her accountable."
Advertisement
In terms of web traffic, the venture was an immediate success. On Feb. 19, after the Sanders campaign got wind of McChesney's clock and tweeted out the URL to some 1.5 million followers, the website was featured on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show. Within 20 minutes, the site drew 160,000 visitors, causing it to crash and forcing McChesney to switch to a larger server. Since then, he estimates, the page views have numbered in the millions.
Holding Clinton accountable, however, has proven elusive. Like countless rank-and-file Bernie backers across the country, McChesney is irate and disappointed--but by no means surprised--that she continues to keep a lid on her talks. "This wouldn't be acceptable behavior in a banana republic," he wrote me, "and the fact that the media and Democrats turn a blind eye is astounding."
It may indeed be too late for accountability or, for that matter, to derail Clinton's march to the Democratic nomination. But it's never too late to tell the truth. The fact is that instead of producing the transcripts, Clinton and her surrogates have unleashed a cascade of excuses, obfuscations, false equivalents and evasions to justify her intransigence.
I lack McChesney's computer and math skills, but I know how to spot slipshod arguments when I see them. To date, the Clinton camp has failed to put forward a single convincing defense of its refusal to release the Wall Street speeches, much less of the wisdom of delivering the speeches in the first place. And as the minutes and seconds on McChesney's clock continue to tick away, the defenses have only grown more dubious.
Among the first excuses was one floated not by Clinton herself but by reporter Rachel Stockman, the daughter of Reagan-era budget director David Stockman. In a post published on the New York website LawNewz.com just one week after Clinton made her look-into-it pledge, Stockman quoted financial "industry insiders" who said that high-profile corporate speakers like Clinton are often barred from revealing the content of their speeches by nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements.
Advertisement
If accurate, the nondisclosure defense would mean "game over" for anyone seeking transparency from Clinton. Trouble is, Clinton has never voiced support for the defense, and for good reason: It isn't viable.
Even before Clinton uttered her look-into-it promise, word had leaked that her standard speaking appearance contracts, negotiated by the prestigious Harry Walker Agency, include provisions that prohibit all press coverage of her talks, as well as audio- or videotaping. However, other typical provisions, some of which were reproduced in a Feb. 7 BuzzFeed article, require that stenographic transcripts be made and that Clinton be accorded sole ownership and control of the transcripts. The decision to release the speeches apparently is hers and hers alone.
Much the same can be said of the presumptive Democratic nominee's initial claim, made in a televised February town hall moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper, that in 2013, when she began her speaking tour after resigning as secretary of state, she "didn't know" she would be running for president in 2016. Because she had no firm ambitions for high office, she told Cooper, she saw no conflicts in accepting whatever Goldman and the other firms offered to pay her.
While it's true that Clinton did not formally announce her candidacy until April 2015--after the long line of engagements chronicled by McChesney had ended--she had been publicly mulling a second presidential run as long as two years earlier.
As a Yale-educated lawyer, a skilled litigator and polished politician, surely she knew that her Wall Street confabs would at a minimum create the appearance of impropriety if she once again threw her hat in the ring. Any contention to the contrary is the stuff of "Saturday Night Live" comedy that can't pass the straight-face test.
Advertisement
Equally unpersuasive are Clinton's three other basic excuses: that she did nothing more than other former high-ranking government officials have done in signing lucrative speaking deals; that she should be held to the same standard as other presidential candidates and will release her speech transcripts only when they do; and that there is no "quid pro quo" proof she ever has been influenced by Wall Street money.
The first claim is eerily reminiscent of the smokescreen Clinton concocted in defense of her use of a private email server during her stint as secretary of state--namely, that her immediate predecessors, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, also conducted official business by means of private email.
Neither Powell nor Rice, however, went so far as to set up their own personal Internet systems in their homes, free from government oversight and beyond the reach of the Freedom of Information Act. Additionally, while Powell, Rice and other former officials may have cashed in on the motivational speaking gravy train, they're not running for president. Clinton is. Any claim of equivalence rings hollow.
False equivalence also undermines Clinton's plea that she be held to the same standard as other candidates. Sanders, her only remaining Democratic rival, has no Wall Street speeches to divulge. And Donald Trump, her narcissistic, racist and misogynist GOP counterpart, offers no standards she should seek to emulate under any circumstances.
As the editorial board of The New York Times--normally, a strong Clinton ally--admonished in an op-ed published Feb. 25: "Public interest in these speeches is legitimate, and it is the public -- not the candidate -- who decides how much disclosure is enough. By stonewalling on these transcripts Mrs. Clinton plays into the hands of those who say she's not trustworthy and makes her own rules."
Advertisement
But of all the excuses Clinton and her acolytes have concocted, none approaches her "quid pro quo" contention for sheer chutzpah and duplicity. The stunted idea that the only form of political corruption lies in outright quid-pro-quo bribery--campaign contributions in exchange for votes or executive actions--lies at the heart of the Supreme Court's infamous 2010 Citizens United decision, which gutted existing campaign finance law and paved the way for the corrosive emergence of super PACs.
In reality, of course, political corruption extends beyond the crass exchange of money for votes and favors. It embraces, as Harvard Law School professor and erstwhile presidential hopeful Lawrence Lessig has instructed, "an economy of influence that leads any sane soul to the fair belief that private influence has affected public policy."
Even if there is no smoking quid-pro-quo gun in Hillary's history, there is plenty to suggest Lessig's economy of influence. From her lackluster record in the Senate as an advocate of the poor and middle class to her intervention in 2009 as secretary of state to stave off criminal prosecution of the Swiss banking giant UBS, the fundraising shenanigans of her family foundation that has netted $2 billion in donations from American corporations and foreign governments, and the millions raised by her super PACs in the current election cycle, Clinton has fostered the widespread perception that she's become part of the oligarchy that is destroying American democracy.
Producing the transcripts of her Wall Street speeches could transform that perception into certainty. It's easy to understand, therefore, why Clinton is stalling on her look-into-it promise.
Still, the longer Clinton waits, the greater the risk she incurs of permanently alienating a critical mass of Sanders voters, including McChesney, whose backing she will sorely need as November approaches. As McChesney put it in our interview, "If she can't show her real constituents simply what she said ... she will never get my vote. Ever."
Advertisement
In North Carolina, the re-convening of the General Assembly for its short session on Monday was a conspicuous day in the fight over House Bill 2. It marked the culmination of a month of protest against the bill and featured Democratic-sponsored legislation to repeal the law (HB965), the presentation of signatures against the bill, and the coupling of anti-HB2 protests with North Carolina's Moral Mondays. The combination of these events, along with a pro-HB2 rally, attracted much-deserved national attention.
However, a month out, we can also now identify the weaknesses in the HB2 coverage. One of those weaknesses has been the lack of discussion about a series of important decisions made by the legislative bodies of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the flagship university of the UNC system. Just last week, the alleged transphobic actions of the UNC College Republicans quickly drew negative national press. Yet, at the same time, a couple of resolutions passed by UNC's legislative bodies failed even to reach our own news organs, despite there being reporters present. As a result, no one has tied these decisions together and considered their significance in the discussion of HB2 (though, see Pam Kelley's related and astute piece in The News & Observer).
Here's what you may have missed: apart from any action taken by the University's administration and the president of the University system, all of the legislative bodies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have responded to House Bill 2. Most of these bodies have condemned the bill and called for its repeal. All of them have re-affirmed the University's existing non-discrimination policies, which, beyond the categories included in House Bill 2, prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, sexual orientation and veteran status.
Advertisement
Thus, on March 29, Student Congress unanimously passed a resolution reaffirming the University's existing anti-discrimination policies and calling for the repeal of the bill. On April 6, the UNC Employee Forum discussed the effects of House Bill 2 and re-affirmed the University's non-discrimination policies. On April 12, the Graduate & Professional Student Federation Senate unanimously passed a resolution condemning the bill, reaffirming the protections provided by the current University policies, and calling for the General Assembly to institute protections for all categories included in those policies. And, on April 15, the Faculty Council unanimously passed a resolution affirming the University's non-discrimination policy and calling for the repeal of House Bill 2.
So what? Are these not just additional groups we can affix to the list of those protesting the bill? No. While every stance made against House Bill 2 marks a vital contribution in the movement against an unjust and discriminatory law, the calls by the representative bodies of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are qualitatively different from those of businesses and private institutions. These calls emanate from within the walls of the system, coming from the constituents of a body named in both the legislation and the pending litigation. These calls are from the community of Joaquin Carcano and other brave trans Tar Heels who have risen to lead the movement by telling their stories. And, our representative bodies, in their unanimity, have made it clear that the people who study, live and work at this University join with these fellow Tar Heels and fundamentally reject the General Assembly's legislation as contravening basic constitutional rights of a group of people who have historically been discriminated against and as impinging, not only on individuals' rights and self-identities, but on how our 40,000-member community has chosen to define itself -- as an open, welcome and diverse community.
Medardus, Suicide Squadrons of Space--Recomposed Giambattista Tiepolo, Olymp, 1764, 2014, Oil on canvas, 69 x 43 in. (175 x 110 cm). Courtesy Joerg Heitsch Gallery.
This year, expanding from Miami, CONTEXT New York will premiere on Pier 94 alongside its sister fair, Art New York, which looks like a visual double whammy of emerging, mid-career and established blue chip talent representing 1,200 artists at more than 150 distinguished galleries from fifty countries around the world. The Manhattan piers have a rich and dynamic history, including tracing back to the 1800s when immigrants landed en route to Ellis Island. Located on the West Side, the wharves had a glorious past as passenger ship terminals, home to the White Star and Cunard Lines among others, which inspired the name "Luxury Liner Row." With the invention of jet planes, the elongated parking spots for huge boats became obsolete, but with the silver lining of a more practical use as event and exhibition space. Now these mighty docks make an exceptional showcase for memorable events and exhibitions.
Advertisement
In this inaugural year for CONTEXT New York, presented by Art Miami, the preeminent producer of leading contemporary and modern art fairs, the quality of works on exhibit that I was able to preview in advance are part of a distinguished and memorable line-up with plenty of surprises included. Here is a 'top picks' list from my point of view as space permits, offered with images of the most engaging and interesting works:
Medardus' fascinating portrayal of the old and the new (pictured above), is an intriguing composition of rocketeers blasting through space and in and around heavenly clouds occupied by Baroque-looking semi-clad figures, some with wings attached. These are strange and somewhat ambivalent spaces and places where humanoids, animals and futuristic machines seem to fuse into timeless views. Joerg Heitsch Galerie (Munich, Germany): Heitsch Galerie
Doug Argue, New York City, 2016, Oil on canvas, 78 x 54 in. Courtesy Waterhouse & Dodd.
Doug Argue has developed a singular pictorial language that literally incorporates letter forms and mysterious word equations stretching inventively in all directions, like a professional contortionist who seems comfortable pushing boundaries. The foundation of this recent series of letterscapes is an endless, meandering puzzle-like spiral of thick colorful lines, reminiscent of early Brice Marden's sensibility with a twist of Christopher Wool. In the work illustrated here, which has the spirit of a subway map gone wild, Argue cleverly incorporates text that reflects a New York state of mind accented with the curvy names of boroughs, streets, spaces and places, and a little sex thrown in for good measure. Waterhouse & Dodd (New York and London): Waterhouse & Dodd
Fidia Falaschetti, Freaky Mouse (fuchsia), Resin, aluminum painted, 43 x 36 x 12 in. Courtesy Fabien Castanier Gallery.
Advertisement
Fidia Falaschetti is an Italian artist who started out as an illustrator and graphic designer, later incorporating his skills into replicating recognizable brands and objects, often with shiny surfaces that seem to reflect an exterior that Jeff Koons has explored extensively. In this series, the artist's world is a kind of surrealistic society made up of bizarre iconic characters that you might find parading around Times Square looking for a handout. In the cast sculpture Freaky Mouse, arms are substituted for legs, feet become hands, and a smile embellishes the pants with a message. I'm all ears. Fabien Castanier Gallery (Los Angeles and Bogota): Castanier Gallery
Lisa Wright, The Silent Room, Oil on canvas, 36 x 25 cm. Image Lisa Wright courtesy Coates & Scarry.
Lisa Wright experiments with provocative compositions utilizing a central figure that can express loneliness or despair, and shift to mystery and intrigue. In much of her work, figures are reduced down to monochromatic color schemes, which act as a dreamlike backdrop where some become transparent or seem to be levitating. In The Silent Room, Wright repeats her penchant for isolating a figure in space, here surrounded by a Matisse-like wallpaper that may be hiding a secret clue. Coates & Scarry (London): Coates and Scarry
Salustiano, I'll be there, 2016, Natural pigments and acrylic resin on canvas, 125 x 90 cm. Courtesy Galeria Lucia Mendoza.
Salustiano was born in Seville, Spain, where apparently he assimilated the great history of native figurative painters such as El Greco, Velazquez and Goya. The artist has a unique aptitude for isolating a single or double figure on a stark background, often in pure red tones or black. In this painting, titled I'll be there, a portrait of a contemplative little girl is set in front of a provocative black background. She seems to be submerged in a black liquid that helps center and cement this beautiful portrait. Galeria Lucia Mendoza (Madrid, Spain): Lucia Mendoza
Theodoros Stamos, Infinity Field, Lefkada Series, 1979-80, Acrylic on canvas, 67 x 76 in. Courtesy Hollis Taggart Galleries
Advertisement
Theodoros Stamos was one of the original and youngest Abstract Expressionist artists working in New York City in the 1940s and 50s. He grew up on the Lower East Side, where he became acquainted with the work of Arthur Dove and Georgia O'Keeffe, and by the time he was twenty-one, the legendary gallerist, Betty Parsons, gave him a solo exhibition as part of her remarkable stable of artists. In the late 1940s, Stamos became a member of the Irascible Eighteen, a group of abstract painters that included de Kooning, Gottlieb, Pollock and Motherwell, who protested The Met's policy towards excluding American painting. In this rare work titled Infinity Field (Lefkada Series), the raw talent and sense of superb minimalist composition is obvious. Hollis Taggart Galleries (New York): http://www.hollistaggart.com/
Juliane Hundertmark, Breakfast 3, 2016, Oil and mixed media on canvas, 55 x 62 in. (140 x 160 cm). Courtesy Knight Webb Gallery.
Juliane Hundertmark has invented a cast of hysterically funny characters that could serve as substitutes for some of the creatures in the movie "Men in Black." In the work Breakfast 3, the artist presents a bizarre and motley crew seated at a table cringing over each others' jokes. The participants may have inherited the DNA from artists like Dubuffet, who delighted in the strange world of outsiders in often freakish circumstances like this one, where even the poster on the wall has a nutty slant. These works are consistently recognizable from an idiosyncratic self-taught style that makes for serious fun. Knight Webb Gallery (London): Knight Webb Gallery
Vladimir Semenskiy, Vision, 2016, Oil on canvas, 65 x 120 cm. Courtesy 11.12 Gallery.
Vladimir Semenskiy's Vision happens to be my favorite painting in the fair. The biggest problem I encountered in selecting a great image as I did research on this article, was sifting through a treasure trove of superb and masterful artworks, all amazingly consistent with a virtually brilliant style of picture making that not only is a fresh breath of air, but for my money, solid investments that one could enjoy every day. What's the big deal? Answer: This is a remarkably talented and particularly skilled artist, a painter's painter who is obviously aware of art history and has the subtle harmonious touch influenced by other artists as varied as Richard Diebenkorn, Franz Kline, Eric Fischl, de Kooning, Tony Scherman, Francis Bacon, Thomas Eakins, Adolph Menzel, Mary Cassatt and Wayne Thiebaud. This is extremely high caliber work that gives credence to a critic's argument that if you look hard enough and long enough, there are great discoveries out there to relish. 11.12 Gallery (Moscow and Singapore): http://www.11-12gallery.com/
Advertisement
Last month I had a chance encounter with Florida Governor Rick Scott at a coffee shop. I was looking at my computer and glanced up to see him standing at the counter about to order coffee. I knew immediately that I needed to take this opportunity to talk with him about the impacts of HB1411, the anti-reproductive health care bill he had recently signed into law.
I have been to the Florida capital before and was denied meetings with the governor. This was a once in a lifetime chance to talk with a man who shuns public engagement and is commonly guarded by an entourage of staff. I took a breath and said "Governor Scott?"
Advertisement
Initially the conversation was calm, but it quickly became heated as he refused to answer the simple questions I posed, in fact he detoured the conversation from talking about reproductive health care access to his record on jobs. He ran away from our conversation, leaving so quickly he didn't even order his coffee! The subsequent video of me saying "shame on you" as he ran away, went viral. It has now been seen by millions of people.
Some have accused me of acting inappropriately. Perhaps my opponents expect myself and others hurt by unjust laws to just write letters, go to the polls, and politely ask for change. But what do we do when those things aren't enough?
Historically, what is proven to effect change the most is use of all the tools in the box - from diplomacy to disruption. And in this case, confrontation and disruption worked. It started a conversation, perhaps more importantly, a debate.
Advertisement
Our state is literally sinking as the oceans rise, the medically needy go without care and the working poor are refused an increase in the minimum wage. Black people are gunned down in the streets by the police while people in prisons, including youth, are brutally killed by guards. Does the man who sits at the helm of our sinking state deserve my best manners? Should I have chosen decorum over disgust?
Does the man who sits at the helm of our sinking state deserve my best manners?
Rather than bow down to etiquette, I chose to stand up to power. In confronting the Governor I took inspiration from the Black Lives Matter movement and DREAMers of the youth immigrant rights movement whose bold direct actions have ushered in a new era of political engagement. These activist leaders have called out police and politicians, using their voices and bodies to stop families from being torn apart. They stand at the forefront of social change by taking risks because lives and communities depend on it.
And what was Governor's Scott's response to my attempt to talk with him about abortion access and Medicaid expansion in public? He released an attack ad. A tactic normally reserved for those running for office was used against me, a private citizen. This attempt to discredit his critics and intimidate others from speaking out has backfired.
Instead of being a deterrent, his video has inspired people to speak out. His response proves that there is inspiration, power and effectiveness in taking direct action. It reminds us that politicians are terrified of an informed and emboldened public.
We must recognize the corrupting role of money in our political system. Corporate interests such as Walmart, U.S. Sugar, and the Florida Chamber of Commerce fund Governor Scott's PAC which put out the attack ad*.
Advertisement
This struggle is not about Governor Scott and me, it is about issues that affect millions of people.
In 2015 alone, Scott collected $4.5 million for his PAC. How do we respond when an elected official wields power recklessly? And most importantly, what would happen if many more people publicly spoke out against this corporate driven right wing push we are seeing across the country?
Governor Scott travels to California this week, and is using the trip to broadcast his opposition to the living wage recently approved in the Golden state. Scott says the Florida minimum wage of $8.05 is plenty and invites Californians to abandon their fair paying jobs and move here. Welcome to Florida, where half of our residents don't earn enough to pay for basic necessities.
This struggle is not about Governor Scott and me, it is about issues that affect millions of people. Maybe friends in the Golden state will be next to run into Scott at a coffee shop and have the chance to tell him we all deserve a living wage, or that we all deserve access to quality healthcare.
Our dignity demands that we continue to organize and act against the politicians who do not care if we live or die, so long as they stay rich and powerful. We are not voiceless, but we go mostly unheard. Perhaps, we must turn up the volume.
Wild tusked female elephant with family, Kenya, Africa, 2013. Credit: Carl Safina
Back in February when Swaziland sold 17 formerly free-living African elephants to three U.S. zoos (Dallas, Omaha and Wichita), I made a phone call to the president of one of the United States' better zoos--a zoo not involved in this deal--asking if he thought it was OK to still be catching wild elephants for zoos.
Considering elephants' family bonds and the ivory-slaughter and encroaching farming shrink-wrapping elephants' world, the obvious answer to my question would be--no. But the Swazi government claimed that those 17 elephants would either have been "culled"--killed because the amount of land was judged insufficient--or sold to zoos. But how could I judge the Swazi government's claim? And couldn't they have been donated to a country whose own elephants had been massacred? Those questions prompted my phone call.
My friend the zoo president said, "It's important that governments not see export of threatened and endangered species as simply an available money-making strategy." (He spoke on the record but this topic is so touchy that sharing his remark is better than sharing his identity.) He implied that if this is a one-time thing, they are probably telling the truth. If it gets to be a habit, the government is simply looking for an excuse to make money selling off its wildlife.
Advertisement
We have an answer. Swaziland is now trying to sell rhino horns. Swaziland's anti-poaching body wants to sell the country's stockpile (about 700-lbs) of horns from rhinos that died and horns confiscated from poachers. It estimates it could make $10 million. (Though made of the same stuff as your fingernails, rhino horn is sold as a cure to cancer and other ailments, at nearly $14,000 a pound.) The government claims the money could help protect rhinos from poachers.
White rhino family, Africa, 2015. Credit: Carl Safina
Sounds good but--. Any trade in rhino horn, elephant tusks (ivory), sturgeon eggs (caviar) or any insanely-priced animal parts creates temptation to corruption. A government that can make $14,000 a pound from something confiscated from poachers, has incentive to give poachers a slap on the wrist and send them right out again. If you're a wealthy wildlife criminal, you might bribe a guard with a key to the national stockpile. That's how elephant tusks from the national stockpiles of other countries find their way back into circulation. More than once, the exact same tusks that were found again in the hands of wildlife traffickers had previously been "safely" locked in government vaults.
As a child, I'd been thrilled by elephants at the Bronx Zoo. A city kid with no access to nature but strongly drawn to animals, we'd go to the zoo, the aquarium, the circus, and the natural history museum.
Decades later I've had the rare privilege of time in the presence of wild elephants, with the world's greatest elephant researchers and conservationists. I've seen how enchanting elephants are, how deep their emotional bonds to family members. I've written about it in my recent book, Beyond Words; What Animals Think and Feel.
Advertisement
So I couldn't bear the thought of capturing elephants who for many years--the Swazi captives range from 6 to 25 years old--had freely ranged their vast natal landscape with their family, other families, and friends. The basic unit of elephant society is the family. It's painful to even think about the disorientation and stress they would feel at finding themselves split up and cut off from one another among three different facilities.
Free-living elephants have two serious problems that are shrinking their ranges and numbers: they are being murdered for their tusks and they are being pushed out of their homes by expanding human settlements and farms.
Where there get to be "too many" elephants for the shrinking pieces of land they're increasingly confined to, they are often killed by farmers or wildlife managers. Is it better for them to be killed or taken from their families into a life of confinement? It's a horrible choice.
Just before I started working on Beyond Words, I spent several days at a zoo whose head elephant manager said that the elephant-keeping standards of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) are set "low enough for circuses." He was disgusted by that. Famed elephant researcher Joyce Poole calls the AZA standards "lousy."
Dr. Poole wrote to me, "I have visited a lot of zoos and have yet to see a zoo that I felt met elephants' social, physical and cognitive needs. Even the most modern 'habitats' are awful and elephants stand around looking bored and sad and engaged in stereotypic behavior such as constant rocking."
Advertisement
The AZA elephant standards for captivity facilities include the following: Indoor space must provide "adequate room to lie down." Indoor space must be only 400 square feet per elephant. (That's 20 by 20 feet.) Outdoor enclosures should have at least 1,800 square feet (30 by 60 feet) for the first elephant and another 900 square feet for each additional elephant. It is "recommended" that the space per elephant should be "even greater." And yet, "institutions can petition for a variance from the current minimum indoor or outdoor space standards... Accreditation inspectors will take a holistic approach to accreditation inspections, rather than focusing on specific size measurements." And though the basic unit of elephant society is the female-led family, AZA standards say only, "Zoos should make every effort to maintain elephants in social groupings." And that's just a recommendation too, not a requirement. In nature female elephants live with their mothers for their entire lives, and males stay until they are teen-agers. Yet the AZA standards say, "The minimum age offspring must remain with their mothers is three years."
So much for the AZA standards. They're--yes--lousy.
Dr. Poole says, "The recent permission granted by USFWS for the import of the Swazi elephants will drive forward the continued capture and export of wild elephants to China and elsewhere in Asia. Bottom line is that elephants should remain in the wild."
Wild elephants, Kenya, Africa, 2013. Credit: Carl Safina
Africa's elephant population has fallen by perhaps half in the last decade--a catastrophe for the most magnificent, most long-loving creature on land. African elephants have lost about 90 percent of their natural range and about 99 percent of their numbers since Europeans first set foot in Africa. For Asian elephants the situation is worse.
We should not be catching elephants or killing elephants. We should be protecting what is left of them and their world. Our task now must be to stabilize their horrors and their future. Governments should be cooperating in all ways possible to protect elephants.
Advertisement
There is a lot to do.
What elephants need from people now is kindness. Kindness in the form of fierce, determined protection. What we don't need, and what elephants cannot afford, are more ways to drain them from the world. With so many elephants now in captivity and with free-living elephants now facing such difficulties, maybe one way to think of it is this: elephants belong where they are born. And wherever they are born, our job must be to help them, as best we can.
Support organizations like WildlifeDirect, Save the Elephants, Amboseli Trust, Elephant Voices, WildAid, BigLife, and many others. That's something you can do.
# # #
Wild tusked mother elephant and calf, Kenya, Africa, 2013. Credit: Carl Safina
On April 30, Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta lit a fire in Nairobi National Park that would ultimately consume one hundred tons of elephant tusks. In an editorial, President Kenyatta wrote that his intent was to, "do my part to destroy any possibility that poachers and their accomplices might benefit from the slaughter of Kenya's elephants." His thinking is right on target.
One hundred tons; 7,000 elephants. Not just 7,000 murdered elephants, but the turmoil of their families and the suffering of orphans slowly starving. Few crimes are more egregious in their destructiveness and cruelty.
"Let me also be perfectly clear," Kenyatta continued, "We impose some of the toughest penalties anywhere on earth for wildlife and natural heritage crimes."
Advertisement
When I was in Kenya in 2013 working on my book Beyond Words; What Animals Think and Feel, poachers were constantly killing elephants even in national parks and reserves. I saw it up close and it was enormously disturbing. Penalties for elephant killing and other wildlife crime in Kenya have in fact increased dramatically in the last three years.
But even many people who support drastic penalties don't understand why burning can help. They think it's a waste. After all, the elephants are already dead. One objection to burning goes like this: destroying so much of the world supply will make prices go through the roof. If this thinking is correct, it only proves how porous and corrupt the practice of stockpiling ivory is, because stockpiled ivory is not supposed to be part of the world supply. Kenya's stockpile for example is from illegally killed elephants -- tusks confiscated from poachers -- and is supposed to be locked away.
Recent history shows that the only thing that works to suppress elephant killing is a total ban on ivory sale. In 1990 the world body that regulates trade in animal parts under the Convention on Traded in Endangered Species (CITES) enacted a total ban on ivory. Prices plummeted, killing plummeted, and elephant populations slowly began recovering. The current poaching epidemic started a few years ago when the ban was relaxed to allow very limited sale of government-stockpiled ivory confiscated from poachers. The problem is, any legal ivory is a channel for any and all illegal ivory. Allowing "limited" sale to China opened the floodgates and within months killing skyrocketed out of control and elephant populations plummeted across the continent as poachers killed an average of one elephant every 15 minutes, several hundred thousand elephants killed in the last eight years, causing massive declines in the elephant populations of several regions, and untold emotional suffering for elephants watching family members under attack, losing their mothers, and walking away with wounds that fester into often-fatal infections.
Advertisement
Young elephants orphaned by poaching at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Kenya, Africa, 2013. Credit: Carl Safina
Any legal ivory (or rhino) trade is also an invitation for official corruption. The temptations are two: Catch a poacher, take his ivory, sell it, give him a slap and send him back out so you can catch him again, so you can take his ivory, sell it. The other temptation is for traffickers to bribe individuals with the keys. As Paula Kahumbu of WildlifeDirect in Kenya observed, "If you're a dealer and you need a ton of ivory... bribing the guy who has the key, that's going to be the fastest way." Kahumbu's group has documented how the very same tusks that had been "safely" locked in the government stockpile have been seized again from traffickers.
And the fastest way to stop elephant killing? Destroy all the ivory, ban its sale. Its been done before and it worked. Simple as that.
# # #
On May 29, 2016, on Philadelphia's Main Line, I had the opportunity of attending a dazzling show of artist Ann La Borie's most recent work. La Borie is showing her lyrical mono-prints at the St. Asaph Gallery in Bala Cynwyd, Pa.
La Borie, a mother of two talented grown offspring has never given up on her identity of being an independent woman with talent as an artist which she was driven to express. After the cooking, cleaning,childcaring, it was time for La Borie's creativity. What a treat for us all! An inspiration. Her many years as an interior designer in an architectural office are reflected in her art. Using these experiences she creates exciting compositions by combining organic and geometric lines and the skillful use of pattern and color.
When La Borie lived in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton, she created books of photography of the plant life that surrounded her cottage. Here, inspired by nature, she began drawing on mylar. She used a straight edge or other drafting tool for geometric objects.The line was fluid and less predictable when she drew an organic shape such as a tree or vine. Using an exacta-knife she cut into the mylar to make a stencil when the drawing was complete. By placing the stencil over ink coated plexiglass only the ink was transferred onto paper. The emerging mono-print was the mirror image of what was on the plexiglass. And Voila! A distance was opened for possibilities of invention.
Advertisement
La Borie uses other mediums such as charcoal, colored pencils, ink, soft and oil pastel on the new print. For instance the image of a vine or a window may remain or it may become an abstracted part of a pattern or rhythm.
La Borie's work in clay, mixed media, collage, pastels, charcoal and conte crayon on mylar has been shown at: The Muse Gallery, The Plastic Club, The Main Line Art Center, The Schuylkill Center, Saint Joseph's University, The Clay Studio, Post Open Studio Tours and The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
Most recently La Borie embellishes her work by sewing or weaving in thread or yarn. Surprise is a welcome by product of this mixed media and can lead to unanticipated results. Just as La Borie's life may be an unanticipated result of a life well led. She is a role model for women who have married, had children and not given up on their own creative muse. Life goes on for women at all stages of life and Ann La Borie is living proof of this.
Brava to Georgia O'Keeffe, Picasso's mistress Francoise Gilot, and Ann La Borie.
Coworkers in meeting discussing architecture project details
I walked out into the middle of the street without looking both ways, forgot to pay parking tickets, lost debit and credit cards regularly and, when I became self-employed, convinced myself everything would just work out.
My "I'll just make it" mentality is characteristic of my generation: Millennials are more optimistic about our futures than any other generation ever has been. Among millennials who say they're not earning enough, 89% think they will in the future, according to Pew Research Center. Yet we're making less on average than our parents ever did.
Advertisement
If success isn't falling in your lap, don't give up hope (seriously: pessimism impairs job performance). But it may be time to prioritize an underrated personality trait:
Convinced by the benefits of conscientiousness, I set out to master it. One of my New Year's resolutions was "finishing, details, polish." In my research, however, I found that conscientiousness is far more than fastidiousness. In fact, acting "Type A" only has a weak correlation with conscientiousness. In the broadest sense, conscientious people have a knack for avoiding behaviors that will damage their long-term happiness and success.
Here are seven things they don't do:
1. Buy stuff on a whim.
Conscientious people anticipate what they need and the future consequences of what they buy. (It's called a budget.) Conscientiousness people are less likely to exceed their credit limit, miss a bill payment or cheat on their taxes. They're also less likely to make an unplanned purchase under time pressure or be convinced to buy something based on promotions or sales tactics.
Advertisement
Next time you're tempted toward an impulsive purchase, raise the stakes on yourself. Ask, "Do I want to earn more, have better relationships and live longer?" If "yes", take a week to think on it.
2. Take mental notes.
Conscientious people know they won't remember. So they plan, decide and draft on paper. They write down important dates. Highly successful people, like Richard Branson, carry a notebook in their pockets at all times. Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis told Forbes contributor Kevin Kruse, "Writing it down will make you act upon it. If you don't write it down, you will forget it. THAT is a million-dollar lesson they don't teach you in business school!" Likewise, Harvard Medical School suggests making daily plans and using reminder tools or apps to keep you on track.
Next time you think "Ooh, I want to remember that", don't trust yourself. Write it down-anywhere. Once, when Richard Branson didn't have his notepad with him, he wrote an idea down in his passport!
3. Slouch.
Conscientious people stand up straight. Their posture is a reflection of their attitude: they care about others' perceptions of them, want to do things the right way and have high self-esteem. Because conscientious people do good work, they report high self-efficacy which is, in turn, positively correlated with work performance.
How are you showing up in your day-to-day life? Literally. How do you show up to work? To dinner? To your workouts? Research consistently shows that how you act influences how you feel. Bad posture, for example, can make you stressed, sad and afraid. Is that how you want to approach your life?
Advertisement
4. Binge.
Conscientious people know that small things add up. Every pound and every minute matters. Not surprisingly, conscientious people have a lower risk of obesity and are more likely to lose weight than those with lower levels of conscientiousness. Less conscientious people watch more television, oversleep and are more likely to engage in risky health-related behaviors like smoking and heavy drinking.
Conscientiousness, on the other hand, is associated with good health for both you and your partner. Dr. Jennifer Lodi-Smith, a postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Vital Longevity, explained, "Being conscientious predicts good health because the conscientious individual is actually going to go out and do the things their doctor says they should be doing to stay healthy." Instead of binging on what you know is bad for you, take small, deliberate, scheduled actions to improve your wellbeing.
5. Break promises.
Conscientious people are dependable. They're much less likely than others to back out of, miss or forget appointments. They rarely show up late. Conscientious people know that succumbing to convenience kills long-term goals; that good things take time and hard work. Perhaps this is why conscientiousness is linked to honesty and integrity.
Not breaking promises requires fully understanding what you're able to commit to. Next time you're tempted to say "yes" to something ask yourself, "Am I certain I'll be able to keep this promise?" Framing even a small "yeah, sure" as a promise can help you internalize its weight, uphold your commitments and build trust in your relationships.
6. Quit.
Conscientious people have grit. They're more likely to continue solving a problem even after failing and work extra hard to make sure stuff is done right. Conscientious people may not execute better than anyone else, but they keep executing better than anyone else. "Highly conscientious employees do a series of things better than the rest of us," explains University of Illinois psychologist Brent Roberts. University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth found that a strong combination of passion and perseverance is, in fact, more important to children's scholarly success than IQ.
Advertisement
Duckworth believes there are four components of grit that all of us can cultivate: interest in the subject matter, a desire to understand; the capacity to deliver consistent practice, making something a daily habit; purpose, a conviction that what you do everyday is meaningful and beneficial to other people; and hope.
7. Ignore problems.
Conscientious people pick up after their dogs' poop. They display high levels of autonomy and perceived internal locus of control; in other words, they take responsibility for what goes wrong in work and life and fix it. Unsurprisingly, those with an internal locus of control report higher levels of life satisfaction and perform better at work.
Conscientious people pay attention so well that they often anticipate problems before they arise: "By being conscientious, people sidestep stress they'd otherwise create for themselves," Drake Baer writes for Inc. If you're like me, you've spent a lot of your life realizing, "[xyz] is kind of an issue. This is a small problem. I should probably deal with this." Problems don't solve themselves. Small things become bigger things. Save yourself the headaches by scheduling time in your calendar every week to deal with the little stuff.
After all my research on conscientious people, I can sum them up in five words: they know they're not invincible.
For millennials struggling to adapt to the real world, as I did, embodying this trait could be the key to a successful, happy adulthood. It doesn't have to be a radical transition. I started small; I now make my bed every morning, pick up after myself and collect home office expense receipts for my taxes. And it's not too late to change: Research shows that conscientiousness continues to develop even into old age.
Advertisement
If you're waiting for your cue, this was it.
Ready to develop the habits you need to succeed? Sign up for my weekly newsletter.
Most people know Goodwill as the community place to bring used clothing and wares to be sold in stores and online. What you may not know is that Goodwill can also help boost your career.
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that unemployment is the lowest since March 1973, but many are still looking for work or interested in upping their career game to avoid being underemployed.
Elise Gould, an economist for the Economic Policy Institute -- a think tank affiliated with the labor movement -- noted that, "Despite companies adding jobs, in the United States, there are still 14 job seekers for every 10 openings."
Advertisement
In every career field, competitive job candidates need skills and competencies that will empower them to land an opportunity and thrive in a new role. Closing the skills gap requires a commitment to retraining and educating the workforce on a multi-generational scope -- from students to Baby Boomers and beyond. Goodwill is a resource for credentialing and training in the community and has helped connect people to jobs since 1902.
As North America's leading nonprofit provider of job training, employment placement services and other community-based programs, Goodwill is helping people overcome challenges that prevent them from finding and keeping good jobs. As part of this ongoing effort, 164 Goodwill organizations around the United States and Canada will celebrate Goodwill Industries Week May 1 - 7 with career fairs and employment placement services.
"Goodwill has been assisting people to obtain and maintain work opportunities for 114 years," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "The sale of donated items from Goodwill stores helps fund job placement, skills training, and community strengthening services in communities across North America."
Today, many are balancing the demands of raising families, while finding a job or trying to upgrade their career situations. Designed to complement the Goodwill in-person career services to give individuals a competitive edge, the career navigation website, GoodProspects, helps individuals search for jobs, connect with mentors, and earn micro-credentials to become career ready.
Advertisement
GoodProspects' members can also communicate with each other through the site's industry-focused message boards where users can share career resources, and ask and answer questions. The website profiles 11 high-growth career industries to maximize success in a supply-and-demand-driven job market. Job seekers get information about careers that are paying well and have high job growth potential.
I had the great pleasure of interviewing Beth Perell, vice president of communications and information management at Goodwill Industries International, on my podcast, Your Working Life. She shared great insight about the resources provided by Goodwill. Check out that podcast here.
Last year, Goodwill placed 312,000 people in employment in the United States and Canada. In addition, more than 35 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their skills.
To learn more, visit goodwill.org.
Spread the word about the amazing resources provided by Goodwill and celebrate Goodwill Industries Week May 1-7. The sale of donated goods in stores and online helps to fund job placement and training services in your community. You can make a difference by donating, buying, or spreading the word about the extraordinary work of Goodwill to those who could benefit from a career jumpstart.
This weekend the new bad boy of German politics, Alternative for Germany (Alternative fur Deutschland, AfD), held its party congress in Stuttgart. In many ways it was the German equivalent of a Donald Trump rally in the United States: outside lines of excited supporters as well as (violent) "anti-fascist" protesters, and inside chaos and Islamophobia. The party congress was to be a test for Frauke Petry, who had taken over the party from one of the founders, Bernd Lucke, at the congress last year.
Petry had shifted the AfD to the right, slowly but steadily transforming it from a conservative anti-Euro party into something between a neoliberal populist party, like Nigel Farage's United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), and a nativist populist party, like Marine Le Pen's National Front (FN) in France or Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Netherlands. The Stuttgart congress was widely expected to solidify the party as the latter, i.e. a populist radical right party, putting nativism, authoritarianism, and populism at the core of the party ideology. In this aspect, it did not disappoint.
The party's first "Program of Principles" (Grundsatzprogramm) reads like a populist radical right classic, albeit with some remnants of the party's more conservative origins. Its motto is: "Courage for Germany. Free Citizens, Not Subjects." The preamble then states, "We are liberals and conservatives. We are free citizens (freie Burger) of our country. We are convinced democrats." This seems both a remnant of the bourgeois-conservative (burgerlich-konservativ) origins of the party and a message to the state that they are not "hostile to the constitutional" (Verfassungsfeindlich) - which could lead to a party ban in Germany, as the extreme right National Democratic Party of Germany (Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands, NPD) is currently (again) facing.
Advertisement
However, the mostly national-conservative preamble is followed by a clearly populist radical right program with a particular emphasis on Islamophobia. Nativism is at the core of the program, as the AfD has replaced the Euro with Islam as its new main enemy. Article 7.6.1 states: "Islam does not belong in Germany." Geert Wilders couldn't have said it clearer - even if the rest of that article is more moderate, seemingly targeting Islamism rather than Islam. The party also wants a ban on the burqa and niqab as well as a French-inspired ban on the veil (art. 7.6.5). The earlier "subtlety" on Islam is undermined a bit further in the program, however, where the program states: "As long as Islam has not gone through a real reformation, we demand the closing of Quran schools (Koranschulen) because of the uncontrollable danger of radical indoctrination that is hostile to the constitution" (art. 8.2.7). But while the congress produced a populist radical right party program, it did so with considerable trouble. Party elites and members remained divided between each other and themselves over the future direction of the party. For example, vice-chairman and party spokesman Alexander Gauland had to refer to the famous German conservative statesman Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898) to convince rebellious party members that Germany should stay in NATO ""Bismarck would have wanted it."). The party also failed to reach consensus on health care and climate policies - the latter a result of fierce resistance by "climate change sceptics."
Although the original conservative anti-Euro wing has been almost completely marginalized - Lucke has tried a restart with the so far unsuccessful Alliance for Progress and Renewal (Allianz fur Fortschritt und Aufbruch, ALFA) - the populist radical right majority is still challenged by a more conservative-neoliberal wing and a more extreme right wing. The former is mainly represented in the party leadership, by people like Gauland and Beate von Storch, the Member of European Parliament (MEP) who joined UKIP's Europe for Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) political group after the conservative Eurosceptic European Conservatives and Reformists (ERC) threatened to kick AfD MEPs out - the other remaining AfD MEP, Marcus Pretzell, joined the radical right Europe of Nations and Freedoms (ENL) of FN and PVV instead. The extreme right wing is particularly strong in the (new) membership, but has a voice in the leadership through people like Bjorn Hocke, who has, for example, made barely veiled racist remarks about African immigrants.
Advertisement
Consequently, AfD's Stuttgart Congress is quite similar to Die Republikaner's Siegburger Congress of 1985. That meeting solidified the radical right turn of The Republicans (REP), which like AfD had emerged from within the political mainstream (i.e. the Bavarian Christian Democrats, CSU), but left the struggle between the radical and extreme right camps undecided. While the Siegburger Manifest was the start for the REP's short-lived electoral boom, at the end of the 1980s, its inability to marginalize extreme right elements would inevitably lead to the party's downfall shortly after.
At this point in time, AfD is much more similar to the REP in the late 1980s than to the FN and PVV today. The FN is an almost 45-year-old political party, which has largely sorted its internal divisions, and can depend on a nationwide network of well-established branches with hundreds of professional politicians and thousands of experienced volunteers. In sharp contrast, the PVV is a one-man party, which can distance itself from anyone (except of Wilders himself) without any electoral damage. The AfD is a new, unorganized, strongly divided party in still the most hostile social and political climate in Europe. So far it has profited from the ambiguity of its character, i.e. at the borderline of the political mainstream, but the Stuttgart Congress has decided that issue.
American voters are awakening to the hard reality that U.S. presidents are not elected by "We the People..." or direct vote. The United States is a Democratic Republic as established by our Founding Fathers, land and slave owners, to ensure their plutocracy would remain in control via a constrained democracy.
The addition of the Electoral College to the U.S. Constitution ensured popular vote can be trumped at any time. The last time popular vote lost out was the Gore vs. Bush election in 2000, aided by a controversial Supreme Court ruling.
Advertisement
Though anti-democratic provisions in the U.S. Constitution restricting voting rights have been largely amended, we've yet to break free from the influence of plutocrats. A joint Princeton and Northwestern University study offers empirical data concluding that the United States is presently an oligarchy.
Was America's newly formed Republic the most enlightened politics of its day? Has our model of democracy served as a beacon of light and hope around the world over the course of two hundred years or so? Despite glaring short-comings, the United States' influence has been instrumental in making the world a better place.
In a repeat of history, our influence turned into abuse of power at some point, and oh, the painful backslide. If we wish to, "Restore this country to greatness," as one presidential candidate campaigns, let's be honest about when and how we left greatness.
After all the 20th century hard-fought modest gains in human rights, the end of last century saw them once again systematically eroded by special interest groups and their politicians. Necessary social safety nets and regulation continue to be under attack. Have we not learned anything?
Advertisement
Just as taking care of our veterans during and after service to our country must be included in the cost of war, so too must social responsibility be included as the human cost of doing business within an imperfect economic system.
Moral compasses tend to slip in direct proportion to skyrocketing profits. Global trade agreements further allow the U.S. to find itself complicit in human rights violations, taking advantage of lower wages and leaner standards in struggling nations.
Meanwhile, quality of life and the wages of the average American are falling behind other nations. Marketers continue to tout we are the greatest country on Earth despite the failure of American-style capitalism to trickle-down prosperity and equal opportunity. Sadly, citizens who distrust government and feel alienated from society are at higher risk of turning violent, acting out their frustration.
Six years ago, protesting corruption and injustice, Tunisian street vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, set himself on fire in front of Tunisian municipal headquarters. The uprising resulted in the toppling of iron-fisted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, igniting a revolution that spread around the Arab world known as the Arab Spring.
A country so distant, so small, yet parallels exist between our two nations that are remarkable enough to take notice. And as we imagine ourselves to be intelligent and sophisticated enough to keep from setting ourselves on fire to make a point, evidently we're willing to vote in a political candidate into office more than willing to do it for us.
Advertisement
Pew Research says 75% of Americans share the same concerns. Where Americans are divided is how much government should play a role in alleviating poverty, injustice, and corruption. Government is neither the problem, nor the solution, but does play a vital role in regulating fairness and equality when individual and corporate moral compasses lose their way.
The truth is the ripple effect of Bouazizi's actions continues to reverberate around the world, including the U.S. as rage boiling over. The disenfranchised and those who've always suspected their vote doesn't count for much are determined to have their say.
But, friends, can we do it from a warm heart instead of a cold one? As awakened leaders, it's imperative we are vigilantly mindful that our choices, directly and indirectly, serve all of humanity beyond personal interests and short-term victories. Let us not allow fear and anger to inform our decisions.
After Tunisia displaced their 23-year hardliner, it appears we may have two hardliners of our own to choose from this November. In the middle of our political spring, let us pause for a moment.
By working together peacefully to create political change, we demonstrate we are mature enough to handle direct democracy. As the world watches, the next six months will be very telling. Are you ready for it?
Most observers dumped all over Donald Trump's foreign policy speech last week, in part because whatever Trump says is taken as wrong by the many who fear his hate-strewn bombastic presidential primary campaign.
Lots of the criticism, from both Republicans and Democrats, focused on the supposed incoherence of Trump's ideas, as if coherence has been a hallmark of American foreign policy for the past 20 years.
Oddly enough, what Trump said seemed to me to be mostly conventional stuff that would fit not only mainstream Republican Party thought but also Democratic Party orthodoxy, as exemplified by Hillary Clinton.
Advertisement
For instance:
Putting America First. I mean, who doesn't want that?
Destroying the Islamic State. Isn't that what Obama wants to do?
Getting NATO to increase its defense expenditures. It was NATO itself, in a 2014 meeting in Wales, which set a 2 percent minimum, even if hardly anyone has reached that objective.
Support for allies. Well, Trump certainly flipped on that one after basically telling NATO to bug off. Now he's all okay with working with allies, including in Asia.
America is weaker militarily. The usual boilerplate for whatever party is out of the White House. Remember John F. Kennedy's missile gap?
Deal with China and Russia from a position of strength. Sounds like Diplomacy 101.
Speaking of conventionality, Trump also dropped one of his more sound, if not really new, ideas: that when involved in Israel-Palestinian negotiations, the US should remain neutral. In past bipartisan language of US Middle East policy, neutrality meant being an "honest broker." Nowadays, such a concept is taken as being too tough on Israel.
Advertisement
If you need more evidence of Trump's copy-cat approach toward Israel policy, see his March 21 speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) speech.
Trump also provided the usual list of Republican criticisms of Obama's foreign policy: The deal with Iran is bad; Obama has let China and North Korea run amok; Obama hates traditional US allies; No one respects us; Raul Castro didn't even meet Obama at Havana airport!!
But Trump set himself apart from Republicans and Democrats in one broad, telling area. He declared 1990 as a beginning of the period when, he thinks, US foreign policy went off the rails. He thereby lumped the Bill Clinton and Barack Obama administrations together with the Republican reign of George W. Bush as the source of current foreign policy ills.
Trump attacked the roles of Obama, and especially Hillary, in the careless Libya intervention, but he also scorned Bush's nation-building, global-wide democratizing pretensions. He didn't try, unlike many Republicans, to pretend that Bush's 2007 military surge permanently fixed Iraq and that Obama let it go all down the drain.
Rather than nation-building or dabbling in other country's problems, Trump prioritized a need to bolster Western values at home rather than export them abroad. "Instead of trying to spread 'universal values' that not everyone shares, we should understand that strengthening and promoting Western civilization and its accomplishments will do more to inspire positive reforms around the world than military interventions," he said.
Advertisement
Trump linked this approach to a hyper-nationalistic critique of free trade and the globalized economy: "We will no longer surrender this country, or its people, to the false song of globalism The nation-state remains the true foundation for happiness and harmony. I am skeptical of international unions that tie us up and bring America down, and will never enter America into any agreement that reduces our ability to control our own affairs."
In short, Trump's divergence from the norm centers on his embrace of a nationalism unadulterated by adventures abroad and multinational economic tie-ups.
Of course, Trump offered few hints as to how he would actually manage foreign policy to suit this vision. It was all vague: "America is going to be strong again...a reliable friend and ally again....have a coherent foreign policy based upon American interests, and the shared interests of our allies...out of the nation-building business...instead, focusing on creating stability in the world.
So. What kind of military action will he take against the Islamic State? What does he mean by fixing relations with Russia-cave into the annexation of Crimea? And with China-accept its occupation of South China Sea islands? Pull out of NATO if cash-strapped countries don't meet military spending quotas? And what about not-so-wealthy Asian allies? Will he really put America's Tel Aviv embassy in Jerusalem, as he promised AIPAC?
And is Trump going to withdraw from NAFTA, other trade agreements, the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank--all agents of globalization?
Advertisement
sen. hillary clinton speaks at ...
At this stage in the 2016 race for President, Hillary Clinton is not just in a better position than Donald Trump according to polling data, but also because her primary battle is over, and his isn't.
Given her insurmountable delegate lead over Bernie Sanders, Clinton is flying faster than the speed of light towards the Democratic Party's nomination. Having raked-in roughly 90% of the needed delegates, it's plausible that she could lose every state moving forward and still be crowned as the Democratic Party's nominee.
Advertisement
Trump, on the other hand, is in a significantly weaker position. Short of Ted Cruz and John Kasich dropping out of the race, he still needs to secure close to 47% of the remaining GOP delegates to clinch the Republican Party's nomination. That means Trump has to legitimately compete all the way to California.
Meanwhile, Trump has to find a way to marry the warring factions within the GOP and fuse together a cohesive coalition among Trump supporters, Cruz loyalists, Washington GOP elites, Tea Party activists, evangelicals, the anybody-but-Trump alliance and others. This won't be an easy undertaking by any measure.
The more that this reality sets in, the more that the political chattering class is making the assumption that Clinton will handily defeat the expected GOP nominee, Donald Trump, in November. President Barack Obama even implied such this past weekend during his remarks at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.
It's indisputable that Clinton is a far more seasoned campaigner than Trump, and at this point, basically every poll to date shows that she pummels him at the ballot box.
Advertisement
Despite her sturdy position in the race over Trump and her virtual guarantee of becoming the Democrats' standard bearer, Clinton ought to take advantage of this ripe opportunity to grapple with and attempt to dismantle her vulnerabilities before the race becomes a one-on-one match-up.
Why? Because as we've seen throughout this unpredictable and mind-blowing election that is full of surprises, anything can happen. Clinton can and should build up her defenses by limiting her liabilities and fortifying her assets.
Prior to Sanders' entrance into the nomination battle, Clinton was riding high, polling with strong net favorables. Now, while not nearly as low as Trump's, her poll numbers are under water, hovering at double-digit unfavorables. Much of this is due to the prolonged trench warfare between Sanders and Clinton and the extended period of mudslinging that raised her negatives.
Sanders, like Trump, campaigned in the primary on an outsider versus insider platform, portraying Clinton as part of the problem with Washington. It didn't work for Sanders among party faithful Democrats, but he did make some inroads with independents and working-class voters-- groups that Trump will certainly target in the general election. Both Sanders and Trump vilified Clinton-backed free trade deals, demonized big-monied special interests and their control over Washington, and criticized her judgement and trustworthiness.
With the general election on the horizon, Trump is gearing up to capitalize on attacks lobbed by Sanders against Clinton. He's already openly elaborating about his general election playbook, making public about how he plans to focus like a laser on these issues, glue Clinton to them, and exacerbate the rift between Sanders' supporters and the predicted Democratic nominee.
Advertisement
Considering that she has a lock on the Democratic Party's nomination, Clinton should use this moment in the campaign to rehabilitate her image and minimize her baggage for the looming November contest.
How? First, she must confront her Achilles heel, which is voters' concerns over her trustworthiness. A lot of this has been driven by the onslaught of attacks from the Republican Party's political machine. And, without bluntly stating that Clinton can't be trusted, Sanders used this issue for political gain by weaving innuendos about her into his narrative. In an attempt to fan the flames, he also raised questions about Clinton's honesty by making a case that she's hiding something by not releasing the transcripts of her paid speeches to Wall Street firms.
Most political strategists will acknowledge that a candidate being perceived as untrustworthy is a worse issue than a perception that a candidate is too cozy with Wall Street.
The solution? Clinton should take a preemptive strike against the notion that she's not trustworthy. To begin the cleansing process, Clinton ought to publicly release her transcripts to show that she's not hiding anything and that she's willing to be upfront and transparent about what she's said behind closed doors. Such a move will help to calm the nerves of skeptical voters, many of which may have previously sided with Sanders.
Now that the primary is essentially over for Clinton, the worse case scenario is that if the transcripts reveal a warm and fuzzy relationship with the financial industry, she'll need to put the issue in perspective by illustrating the Grand Canyon sized gap between herself and Trump when it comes to finance issues. Clinton's job will be to contrast whatever she said to Wall Street against Trump's shoddy business record, which is full of fraudulent practices, bankruptcies and deceptive scams like Trump University.
Advertisement
Beyond publicly disclosing the transcripts to rinse herself of the perception that she's not trustworthy or that she's hiding something, Clinton will have the upper hand in making the case in a general election that Trump is concealing his true colors by not divulging his taxes to the American people. It's an issue that plagued Mitt Romney against President Obama in the 2012 election and can have a similar negative affect on Trump.
Just as important for Clinton to tackle the honesty issue will be to deal with working class voters' animosity towards free trade. Sanders won several rustbelt states like Michigan and Wisconsin in large part because he has railed against a free trade system he's claimed is rigged in favor of the wealthy and which ships homegrown American jobs oversees. It's a message that has resonated with American workers who feel marginalized and that such policies work against their interests.
Invoking a similar theme, Trump has condemned free trade on the stump just like Sanders. He's also using it a justification for how he can shake up the electoral map in a general election and put traditionally blue states like Michigan and Pennsylvania in play for the GOP.
To combat a barrage of attacks Trump will no doubt aim towards Clinton on the trade issue, somehow, some way, she needs to make a compelling case to disenfranchised working-class voters that she will stand against any free trade deal that puts their jobs at risk.
Perhaps it's candidly calling the TPP deal a mistake instead of the "gold standard," like Clinton did of NAFTA, in 2008. Otherwise, she could potentially put forward an alternative fair trade proposal that better safeguards American jobs. Either way, Clinton will need to convey a convincing argument to these voters that she'll be better for them than Trump, particularly given his duplicity on trade as he's reaped millions in profits by shipping Trump clothing manufacturing, and thus jobs, overseas.
Advertisement
Although there's much to praise in the Young Vic-Joshua Andrews co-production of Tennessee Wiliams's superb A Street Car Named Desire, now transported to St. Ann's Warehouse, the laurels go mostly to the cast. About other prominent aspects, there's much to question.
Indeed, the off-kilter impression begins not when the play, directed with obvious confusion by Benedict Andrews, begins. It commences as the patrons enter to be seated on four sides and get a lengthy gander at the set. (FYI: The Young Vic is constructed as theater-in-the-round.)
What patrons see, designed by Magda Willi to conjure the dilapidated Elysian Fields enclave in late 1940s New Orleans, is a large steel frame housing a pristine, predominantly white abode looking not unlike a luxury studio in a contemporary Upper East Side Manhattan high-rise.
Advertisement
It could be more than one ticket buyer eyed the minimalist flat and thought, "I wish I could find a place like that." Certainly, when Blanche DuBois (Gillian Anderson) arrives to visit married younger sister Stella DuBois Kowalski (Vanessa Kirby) and starts deriding the cozy home, spectators have to be wondering why she's carrying on so. And say, what's that cordless landline telephone doing there. Huh? No computer?!
Ticket buyers also have to be wondering about Blanche's immaculate appearance. She's gussied up in a tailored suit of the sort many workingwomen might be wearing to Madison Avenue offices this spring. (Victoria Behr is the costume designer.) Blanche surely doesn't look like someone who, as Williams stipulates, has been traveling all day in sweltering heat and has alighted that streetcar named Desire pretty much having slid down her tether nearly to its end but is still able to fall back on her long-mastered, desperate survival tactics.
The misconception affects Blanche's earlier scenes as Anderson plays them. Announcing to Stella that their beloved Belle Reve home has been lost, she's aggressively argumentative about the sad development rather than broken and defensive in her wily manner. This goes some way towards making the compulsively dissembling, self-absorbed Blanche into someone even more unsympathetic to audience members than she should be.
Before learning further about the performances, however, readers need to be alerted that the set in the round goes literally round. During the first act it moves clockwise, mostly slowly but sometimes more quickly as tension builds. In the second act, it starts going counter-clockwise--as if attempting to reverse the events of the first act. The clinical merry-go-round eventually goes clockwise again and then counter-clockwise and so on and so forth.
Advertisement
As it rotates, everyone watching gets to see or not see the actors' fronts or backs, as, for instance, Stella sits on the bathroom toilet while having a chat with Blanche. This, by the way, doesn't appear to be one of Wiliams's stage directions, whereas Blanche crooning "It's Only a Paper Moon" (which is about the appeal of illusion, of course) is definitely stipulated by the playwright. Actually, this Blanche honks the old standard.
Incidentally, the question during the toilet scene becomes, Is Blanche the kind of person who gabs casually with someone, even a sister, who's responding to nature's call? No, the showily fussy Blanche isn't that kind. Lacking any other recourse, she clings tenaciously to accepted manners.
As for songs provided, Williams doesn't request "You Always Hurt the One You Love," which sound designer Paul Arditti (at Andrews's command?) pipes in when the proceedings get underway. That's hardly the most off-putting aural insertion. Between scenes Arditti forces clashing, crashing, deafening music. Even worse, when Blanche is recalling the past and falling prey to it, he floats in eerily cliche music to let viewers who might be slow on the uptake know just how bonkers she's becoming.
Luckily, the cast members, also under Andrews's direction, of course, behave for the most part as if they're in circumstances not compromised by the physical attributes provided here. The more Anderson moves into the action the more she relates--or properly loses the ability to relate--to the others. She's extremely good at Blanche's flirtations, a mixture of traditional Southern coquettishness and inborn calculation. She also knows how to pull off a drunk scene. Then, when all Blanche's marbles have rolled away, she real rolls.
It may be that no other actor has to confront the memory of a previous performance than an actor succeeding Marlon Brando as the brutish but unfailingly perceptive Stanley. The physically compact, muscular Foster stands up to it solidly. Tattooed according to today's ink esthetics, he's Stanley as not only intuitively smart but noticeably intelligent. That he puts up with Blanche as long as he does becomes a credit to him, although this Stanley's rape is no more acceptable than Williams would allow. "She's been asking for it" remains a misguided rationale.
Advertisement
Kirby's blond Stella is appealing and absolutely right for its being so natural. She's fallen in love with a man she knows is different from the men she was raised to admire, but she understands that those class differences are only superficial. Williams has written her as a battered wife, but whether she recognizes the situation or how long it will take her to do something about it is up in the air. Kirby's Stella is a woman weighing the pros and cons and continuing to favor the pros.
Corey Johnson is an immensely likable Mitch. He confidently depicts Mitch's love for his mother and his deference to Blanche until he learns the truth she's hidden about herself. (In one of Williams's most trenchant lines Blanche insists that she only tells "what ought to be the truth.") Johnson blends the momma's boy and the man's man elements well. Also making strong impressions are Sarah-Jane Potts and Mark Letheren as the upstairs battling Eunice and Steve Hubbell. Lachele Carl is the Mexican Woman who walks around the revolving set from time to time symbolizing something or other.
GULFPORT, Mississippi -- A 19-year-old Gulfport resident has been charged with murdering another Gulfport man inside a home Sunday morning.
According to Gulfport police Sgt. Damon McDaniel, officers responded to a report of a shooting at a residents in the 8000 block of 34th Avenue around 10:34 a.m. Sunday.
Upon entering the residents, police found a male subject, deceased from what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the upper torso. The victim has been identified as 63-year-old Aaron Wilson. He had been originally found inside the home by his cousins, who notified police.
Investigators learned that Wilson and 19-hear-old Warren Jevon Perkins had been inside Wilson's residence and at some point Perkins brandished an unknown caliber handgun and shot Wilson.
Perkins fled the scene on foot, but Wilson's home surveillance system captured footage of Perkins leaving.
Based on evidence, a warrant was issued for Perkins arrest and he was taken into custody at his home without incident.
He was charged with 2nd degree murder and is being held at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center under a $1 million bond.
Often times, I tell my friends and family back at home that I am venturing off to Vietnam & Cambodia for a few days, or I am going to try backpacking through Myanmar (Burma) for some odd number of weeks, or that I have decided to run away to Thailand to see every city from Chiang Mai in the North to Ko Phi Phi in the South. And believe it or not, the questions are always the same; Where is (insert destination here)?What's there to do in (insert different exotic destination here)? Why don't you just go someplace closer? Isn't that too long of a flight? Is it safe? Whom are you going with?
And while the people I may be telling are a bit biased Americans who have not left the country much, nor have much of a desire to travel, it never fails that I end up answering these questions more than I should. But that's more then alright, because to me part of the fun of traveling to these exotic destinations is being able to talk about all these exciting places I am jet-setting off to with my friends and family. I enjoy getting to share all of my experiences I incur on my travels, and always come back with a plethora of unprecedented stories.
But more often than not, I am heading off to a lot of these exotic destinations alone, and people are genuinely concerned about my safety and well-being traveling to countries they've barely even learned about in school. However, I am not writing this blog post to discourage you from traveling, I am actually trying to do the opposite. You see, I have spent a greater portion of the last few months backpacking around various destinations in Asia alone, and within the last two years I've backpacked through five continents, alone. Within the last couple of months or so, I've been to Cambodia, Hong Kong, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam- alone. As in completely alone. And since I fly for an airline and generally use my staff travel passes, that usually means I'm not just doing this alone but also on a standby basis. So in other words, if there is an extra seat on the aircraft I get to go, and if not I have to wait for the next flight, which is sometimes a day or two later, so my travel plans have to be extremely flexible. Actually in reality, flexible is an understatement.
Advertisement
However the point of this post is not to explain to you the joyous life of flying standby, I am writing this to convince you that you also, can do it alone. More and more, I'm starting to notice a bunch of millennials that are doing this. Millennials that are around the same age as me, which would be twenty-three years old in case you are wondering, who have just decided to up and leave their lives at home, to see a bit more of the world. And while it is rare that I see an American in Southeast Asia that has had this revelation, the amount of Europeans, Australians, and even Brazilians I have seen is immense. A bunch of young kids in their twenties that just want to have a good time, see everything that the world has to offer, and ultimately settle down where ever they please when they are finished.
So why do it alone, you may be wondering? For starters, it is really hard to get some one to do it with you. It is extremely hard to get a friend that has little or no life commitments at this very moment in time. Unfortunately most of us are all so busy working to live, and most of our friends have careers, families, university, or something else that ties them down from just abandoning their life and joining you.
In reality, you would be surprised at how easy traveling is for a "solo traveler" as we're known, and how hostels are ideally set up with us in mind. I've met more people over drinks in the hostel bar during happy hour than I have from any other environment, and these turn out to be genuine people who most likely have the same interests as you. Most of us want to see the sights, trek off somewhere exotic outside the city, enjoy some beers from the pubs, and even check out the local nightlife scene. Which you would actually be surprised how vibrant of a nightlife scene South East Asia has.
Advertisement
There are a multitude of people who are in the same situation as you, that have close or similar itineraries to yours, and would not mind some company while completing their checklist items. What is even better about this is sharing the information you both have about the city, and learning about things you had not even heard of before. Sometimes you will even meet people who are traveling for quite some time, with flexible plans similar to yours, and you can travel to destinations together. I just recently met two friends that said they met only a few weeks ago in Chiang Mai, and had decided to change their plans a bit and travel around together. And even though it seemed as if they were best friends and had known each other forever, they just met a few weeks ago.
But I still haven't quite hit the nail on the head so to speak, about why you should travel alone. And oddly enough, it's just one of those things that's enormously hard to put into writing. A lot of people live there entire lives thinking 'what if'? What if I would have done this or that, would my life be different now? And they spend what seems like an eternity questioning if they have made the right decision. You see, if you keep waiting for what may seem like the right moment to go abroad and travel, chances are you will keep finding excuses of why you should not go. Something in your life will always stop from you from jet-setting off, and you will eventually fall complacent to the idea of never being able to do what have always dreamed of doing.
It is through the more I travel that I really understand and learn about the world in different contexts then you would expect. I have found that the more I travel, the more I understand and become more tolerant of different cultures. The more I learn to adapt to unique situations that arise, which has helped me tremendously with problem solving skills, especially at work. It is through this type of solo travel that I have enhanced my own education in ways that studying at university and reading from textbooks could not have taught me.
Traveling alone has made me an extremely independent person as well. I have noticed that while I do enjoy my time hanging out with my friends, that I also enjoy my time with myself. I no longer mind doing activities alone that I may have once thought were weird for people to do alone, such as going to dinner or seeing a movie. I have discovered that I am no longer going to allow being alone as an excuse for not doing something that I want to do. Additionally I have noticed that I am enjoying my everyday life more, and I am generally more happy knowing that I have the flexibility and freedom to do what I want to do alone, and I am not scared.
Advertisement
Interestingly enough, lately I have read a few news articles online about employers who prefer hiring potential candidates who are well-traveled versus their peers. Employers understand that traveling is one of the best ways to understand cultures and customs, improve your multitasking skills, and enhance your problem solving skills. Simultaneously it shows that you are willing and able to take initiative if need be, which is a strong desirable trait in potential job candidates. So ultimately if you are worried about up and leaving your job for some time, just know that the opportunities for finding a new one are available and enhanced when you decide to settle down.
I am not saying that traveling alone is not going to be hard at times because that would be a lie. But I will say that every time I have traveled to these destinations solo, I have always made friends extremely fast, and usually never feel truly alone. Some of the greatest friends that I have now I made from traveling solo. You will notice that most people are truly kind and when you are alone you are setting yourself up to really meet people from all different parts of the word. When you travel as a group of two or more you tend to isolate yourselves to just each other or your group, and often times you miss the cultural aspect of traveling. You are so involved with your friend or group of friends that you do not actually separate from them and have a chance to meet the locals or other travelers.
It is honestly from traveling the world alone that has helped to shape the person I am today. I have learned essential life skills, which help me in my everyday life. I have experienced strange and exotic cultures that have allowed me to have a deeper understanding of the world, and have learned how to interact and communicate with people better. They say that a person is defined by their character, and I believe that there is truly no better way to define your character then to see the world.
After all, Mark Twain once said "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
Advertisement
Until next time, XoXo.
https://thenycwanderer.com/2016/05/01/why-you-need-to-travel-alone-now/
Also on HuffPost:
Senior mature older gay couple on vacation or honeymoon in European or American city smiling affectionately at each other
You can't control getting older, but you can influence the quality of life. Does your retirement plan provide for the cost of Long Term Care? More importantly would you like it to? Financial Planner David Rae outlines the ins and out of aging well for the Gay Community.
By David Rae CFP, AIF
I was just at a big charity fundraiser filled with "power gays" (as one guest put it), well-off gentlemen of a certain age who are heavily involved in philanthropy and business within the LGBT community. The topic of aging came up with several people voicing concern about what is in store for our soon-to-be-elderly LGBT population.
Advertisement
We as a community need to talk about this. On the one hand, there's a lot of denial going with our emphasis on youth in gay male culture. On the other, there was a whole generation of gay men who perished during the AIDS crisis meaning that today's Boomers and Gen-Xers don't necessarily have a road map to follow (or the ability to learn from the mistakes) from those who came before us. Furthermore, with marriage equality comes a whole new paradigm meaning that we're making it up as we go along.
Living in context
American LGBT Baby Boomers who are beginning to enter retirement age now helped advance the gay rights movement in this country. During their adult lives, they saw homosexuality change from being classified as a mental or criminal disorder to winning marriage equality both in the courts and at the ballot box. To be sure, health care and aging will be a challenge for all Boomers - nobody, but nobody has save or invested near enough to cover the costs -- but LGBT boomers face a few extra challenges. These may include gay-specific issues such as homophobia in nursing homes or by health care providers of the Kim Davis persuasion. And as a community that still has more single people than coupled ones, we are more vulnerable to increased costs of Long Term Care incurred by single and/or childless seniors.
Also a concern for many is the long term effect of treatment of HIV. Once an assumed death sentence, HIV has become much more of a chronic illness that can be managed. That said, current treatments are still terribly hard on the body, strict diligence is absolutely necessary and a cure remains elusive. How years of these treatments will change the quality of retirements for people living with HIV has yet to be seen.
Ins and Outs of Long Term Care (LTC) the LGBT Community
LTC is defined as the assistance or supervision that a person who is physically or cognitively impaired needs to get through the day. With few exceptions, no federal or state program will pay for custodial assistance over an extended period of time. Quite often, and traditionally, much of this care may be given by children or family members. With so many in the LGBT community less likely to be partnered or parents, they are at greater risk not necessarily having family relations in place to help with this care.
Advertisement
Repeat after me: Long Term Care is one of the biggest expenses in retirement. According the US department of Health and Human Services about 70 percent of people 65 and over will need some form of Long Term Care during their lives. The prices are shocking, and they're certain continue to rise exponentially between now and when you actually need care. For example, currently in Florida a semi-private nursing home room costs around $78,000 per year, while a private room in New York will run a whopping $131,000 per year.
The average Boomer has nowhere near that amount saved, let alone set aside enough to cover health care expenses. In fact, only one seventh of Boomers, gay or straight, have purchased any LTC insurance at all. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about how LTC will be paid for. People may expect Medicare or their health insurance to cover these costs but guess what? They won't.
Since a majority of people who purchase LTC coverage are married couples, it follows that so far the LGBT community, much of which is single, is less covered than the population as a whole. But there is good news for married gay couples. The calculations used to quality for Medicare coverage are often more advantageous for a married pair versus two "single" individuals. Plus, all married couples will have fewer hurdles to jump through to avoid tax problems when one spouse is paying for care for the other.
All Up to You
Single people are at more risk of needing to pay for care since they don't have a spouse other to provide it.
Advertisement
But whether married or single most of the responsibility for cost and care will fall on the individual, or individually purchased insurance.
Similarly, people without children are also at a greater risk of sky high medical bills. You may have heard about the sandwich generation, providing care or support for aging parents, while still raising kids. But who will be taking care of the childless Baby Boomers when they need help . . . especially if they have used funds they needed for their own retirement to pay for their own aging parents' care.
What should you do now? Should You Buy LTC Insurance?
Make sure your retirement plan is on track, and takes into account potential future health care expenses. Also consider purchasing a Long Term Care Policy, Hybrid Long Term Care Policy or a Life Insurance Policy with Living benefits that can cover LTC needs. A Certified Financial Planner can be invaluable in helping clarify your options. I often recommend purchasing (if appropriate) the insurance sooner than later, to avoid the risk of being uninsurable due to pre-existing conditions, and may lower monthly premiums.
Things are looking up for the LGBT community as we grow up, and indeed, find new ways of enjoying full and rewarding lives up to and including our later years. We are living longer, happier and healthier than ever. We keep moving closer to equal rights as well social and political parity, even in the hinterland (we're not there yet, but we're getting there.) As time passes, homophobia issues in nursing homes will hopefully decrease too.
What you can do for yourself now is prepare for the future by making sure you have a plan prepared for both the fun and challenges ahead.
DAVID RAE Certified Financial Planner, Accredited Investment Fiduciary is a Los Angeles Retirement Planner with Trilogy Financial Services, focusing on helping the LGBT Community become more Fiscally Fabulous for over a decade.
Advertisement
Article Originally published in the Advocate Magazine
[Education Dept. investigator Powers] performed a "Google" search of HHC and noted that it had no Internet web presence. He then checked the address on Google Maps, and the street view showed a residential block, not a commercial area... Mr. Powers also performed a "Google" search of DTH and noted that it had limited Internet web presence.... He then checked the address on Google Maps, and the street view showed a vacant lot....
CSI's factual defense is predicated upon the claim that CSI lacked knowledge that the two identified employers were fictitious. It has not claimed that the employers were legitimate, and that students who claimed they did not receive jobs from these grifters were responsible for lying to the Department....
[T]he Department believes that CSI either knew, or should have known, that what it was representing to the Department and its accrediting agency contained untrue information. For example, while CSI states that the Department did not "provide any indication that any of the students interviewed complained to CSI," ... in an interview conducted by Agent Ewert on April 5, 2016, with Alyssa Weel, CSI Career Development Coordinator from April 2013 to January 2016, Ms. Weel affirmed that students came to the small office space she shared with four other Career Development Coordinators in late 2013 to complain about the lack of meaningful employment they received from Mr. Quinn and HHC.... As such, CSI had knowledge, long before the Department's program review, and the supposed conduct of its own internal investigation in mid-2014, that employers it was using to inflate its placement rate were suspect....
CSI' s marketing materials, provided to the program reviewers while onsite ... were aggressively targeting a potential student base.... Advertisements set forth in bold headlines: "NO DIPLOMA, NO PROBLEM!" The students' declarations convey that they took these words quite literally, and those who failed to possess a high school diploma or a GED did not know until they began their job searches that the lack of these credentials alone hamstrung them in their ability to find employment in their fields of study. This constitutes evidence of yet another possible misrepresentation by CSI to its students.
CSI paid bonuses to the Career Development staff based on the numbers of placement verifications they could complete.... As with the scourge of abusive practices that resulted from the payments of incentives to recruiters of students, promises of extra financial remuneration for additional employment verifications creates an environment conducive for the sort of fraudulent misrepresentation that occurred in CSI' s practices. Second, CSI maintained the remarkable practice of allowing employers to verify placements on the first day a student was hired, and even sometimes permitted verifications before a student had actually graduated!
Perhaps most important, the Department's grueling investigation would have been largely unnecessary had CSI promptly told the Department what it claims it found out about the falsity of the two "employers." And it had an absolute legal obligation to do so.
Today on her television show, in honor of the upcoming Mother's Day, Ellen DeGeneres gave a $25,000 college scholarship to Courtney, an Oklahoma stay-at-home mom who wants to be an ultrasound technician. That's fantastic.
Except that the scholarship is to attend the for-profit University of Phoenix, which even with a $25,000 scholarship could turn out to be a bad deal for Courtney. The University of Phoenix is currently the subject of investigations by multiple federal and state law enforcement agencies. And Department of Education data has shown that the University of Phoenix's graduation rate for first-time, full-time students is about 16 percent; that graduation rate for the school's online programs is about 4 percent.
DeGeneres's award of the scholarship was clearly a paid promotion, highlighted not only on TV but also her show's website home page and special University of Phoenix page, as well as its Instagram page. DeGeneres announced in the same breath that the University of Phoenix would be giving out 10 full-tuition scholarships.
Advertisement
[UPDATE 05-04-16: By late yesterday, the posts about the award of the University of Phoenix scholarship had been deleted from the "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"'s Instagram and Twitter, as well as from the front page of her website. No explanation as to why. The page on Ellen's site promoting the scholarships is still up. Student advocates had raised concerns publicly, and Marketwatch wrote about the controversy yesterday.]
The University of Phoenix, which has been getting $2 billion to nearly $4 billion a year in taxpayer funds, has a troubling record of spending too little on instruction, charging high prices, and leaving many students worse off than when they enrolled.
After an investigative media report last June highlighted troubling, potentially unlawful recruiting practices by the University of Phoenix directed at military service members, the Defense Department in October put the school on probation, kicking the school's recruiters off bases and suspending student tuition assistance to the company. The report found that the University of Phoenix, which is owned by Apollo Education Group, paid the military for exclusive access to bases through sponsoring concerts and other events, sidestepping President Obama's 2012 executive order aimed at preventing for-profit colleges from gaining preferential access to U.S. troops. The school also reportedly held "resume workshops" for troops that seemed to serve as recruiting sessions, and it handed out "challenge coins" that included University of Phoenix logos on one side and, without the required permission, military branch insignias on the other side.
Advertisement
In January, following an aggressive public push to lift this ban by Senate armed services committee chairman John McCain (R), the Pentagon reversed course, ending the probation, and simply put the school on "heightened compliance review" for a year.
But while some students do well at the University of Phoenix, and the school has some fine instructors, the institution, especially in the past fifteen years, has left many other students worse off. As John Murphy, co-founder of the company, explained in a 2013 book, the University of Phoenix lost its way when it moved beyond its mission of training and credentialing working adults. Instead, lured by too-easy federal aid money, the company joined other predatory companies in seeking to enroll recent high school graduates, low-income single parents, and young service members and veterans, into programs that often were not strong enough to help those students succeed.
The 2012 comprehensive report on for-profit colleges by then-Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) found that the University of Phoenix spent $892 per student on instruction in 2009, compared to $2,225 per student on marketing, and $2,535 per student on profit. "This," the report found "is one of the lowest amounts spent on instruction per student of any company analyzed."
Around 25 percent of University of Phoenix students default on their loans within three years of leaving school.
Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, has said that the University of Phoenix has been the "worst by far" for-profit college in terms of taking advantage of the vets who are members of his organization. A letter sent last fall to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter from more than 30 veterans, civil rights, and consumer organizations supported the Pentagon's investigation and cited, as support, the complaints of hundreds service members and veterans "who experienced deceptive recruiting" by the University of Phoenix.
Advertisement
At the time of the Pentagon suspension action last fall, four state attorneys general, along with Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Education, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Securities and Exchange Commission were all already investigating or suing the University of Phoenix for fraud and other misconduct.
The school's parent company, Apollo, is in turmoil right now, desperately trying to reinvent its image with the public and ramp up revenues as it seeks to sell itself to a group of private equity firms.
Ellen DeGeneres is not the first celebrity to shill for the troubled University of Phoenix -- Suze Orman, Al Sharpton, and others have taken turns. (The University of Phoenix was the lead sponsor of Education Nation, an event hosted for years by NBC, whose owned-and-operated local stations have a syndication deal with DeGeneres's show.)
Vendy Plaza is opening for the 2016 season at East Harlem's historic open-air market place, featuring local street chefs and celebrating New York City's diverse food culture. In addition to supporting new food entrepreneurs, Vendy Plaza is part of an effort to breathe life back into the market space at 116th Street and Park Avenue, La Marqueta, a cultural and commercial center in East Harlem for nearly 100 years.
Vendy Plaza is organized by the Street Vendor Project (streetvendor.org), the same group behind the Vendy Awards, which have determined New York City's top street chef for over 10 years, and have become one of the most beloved and widely-anticipated food events in New York and across the country.
There are as many as 20,000 street vendors in New York City -- hot dog vendors, flower vendors, t-shirt vendors, street artists, fancy food trucks, and many others. These entrepreneurs are mostly immigrants and people of color and many are US military veterans. In recent years, vendors have been denied access to street vending licenses from the city, resulting in a black market for licenses in addition to many other hurdles they must face in order to make ends meet.
The emerging "gig" or sharing economy is generating considerable debate in legal, business and culture circles in Silicon Valley and elsewhere. Start-up companies in ride sharing, delivery, personal services and other sectors are disrupting established industries and firms while generating investor excitement about the economic potential of these new organizations. They are also testing conventional views of how labor is organized to provide services and meet the needs and interests of today's workforce.
The organizational foundation of these companies rests on worker relationships that are, in many respects, new and novel but potentially at odds, in fundamental ways, with traditional employer-worker relationships. Labor policy in the United States has promoted a relationship between employers and their employees based on wage and hour regulation, requirements of workplace and worker protection, protection of governmental taxation system, A great deal of this government policy was enacted in the 1930s over fears of exploitation of workers, including child labor, and the articulated need to protect income taxation systems.
The introduction of new models of workplace relationships has resulted in lawsuits to determine if the workers are employees who are protected by these workplace laws or independent workers who are contracting with companies to provide services on a fee for hire basis. Uber is an example of a venture that utilizes a new relationship with its workforce and is facing lawsuits in which some drivers claim they have been improperly treated as contractors rather than employees. Uber and Lyft, another ride-sharing service, recently settled two of their class action lawsuits with the drivers agreeing to remain classified as contractors.
Advertisement
One of the underlying constraints that the new model firms face is the rigidity of the labor laws that force the relationship between firms and their workers into one of only two classifications--employees or independent contractors. Recently, the US Department of Labor (DOL) issued a restatement of its policies on classification of workers as employees and independent contractors. The report largely rehashes existing policies on when workers are to be classified as employees and receive the full range of benefits provided by company human resources offices. The Department of Labor report was issued because of its view that there were too many instances of "misclassification" of workers as contractors and, somewhat ominously, articulates its view that "most workers are employees" under federal labor laws. While the traditional employer-employee relationship may be the norm, it doesn't necessarily follow that most workers benefit from being treated as employees under federal and state law. Indeed, there are strong incentives for workers to choose an alternative relationship within which to perform work - flexibility, chief among them -- and similarly strong incentives for new economy companies to match those workers' interests with the companies' business plan.
Complicating matters further, the DOL's restatement of its binary classification is just one of many similar tests imposed by a labyrinth of federal and state agencies. For example, the IRS uses a 27 factor test to determine the classification of a worker. The Department of Labor uses an "economic realities" test of many factors while the Employee Retirement Income Security Act uses a "common law agency" test. All fifty states have employee definition tests for unemployment compensation and workers' compensation benefits. There is no comparable maze of definitions for the only alternative--independent contractors--other than they are the opposite of being an employee. Recently, efforts have been made to use entrepreneurial initiative and incentives to demark the distinction between employees (who are considered not to possess such incentives) and independent contractors (who do possess this initiative or purpose). The courts considering whether sharing economy workers are "controlled" by the companies they work for or if the "economic reality" is that they are employed by the companies have been struggling to articulate a thoughtful analysis and, as a result, there are inconsistent outcomes in court cases.
Advertisement
In the current situation involving demand economy workers the workers select their own working hours and often provide the instrumentality or tools for performing the work (e.g., their own automobiles) which would indicate they are independent contractors. However, opponents of this viewpoint argue that the employer has the right to evaluate the driver's performance and to terminate the driver for failure to adequately perform his duties, factors that they claim make the drivers employees and not contractors.
Last week the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEOO) released its annual report on the state of higher education finances. It shows that spending has increased moderately at the state and local levels and on a per capita student basis.
In the Chronicle of Higher Education, Eric Kelderman notes that the report demonstrates the impact that "the long shadow of the Great Recession has cast over public higher education." He further determines that "beneath the national figures are wide variations in both increases and cuts in state money for public colleges, and evidence that many states have taken up what looks like a permanent residence at the bottom of the list."
While the report shows mixed results, there is some good news. Forty states have increased spending, representing a 5.2 percent increase from the previous year. This is the third consecutive annual increase in per-student appropriations, augmented by almost a 2 percent decrease in the number of full-time equivalent students since 2010. More generally, enrollment is still almost nine percent higher than it was before the Great Recession, matched by healthy increases in the number of students earning degrees and new credentials.
Advertisement
There is bad news. While state spending has increased, it is still 15 percent less per student than before the economic slowdown. Only five states are spending more per student than they were in 2008. In 22 states, tuition accounts for more than half of the per student revenues at public colleges.
It's important to set the SHEOO finding in context. Most sectors of the American economy that receive state and federal support took a funding hit as the economy tanked and subsequently sputtered along. In an important way, however, the story is not really about funding. It's more a chilling tale of the failure of current planning to match better to state and federal economic, social and cultural priorities.
Is America still able to draw a line in the sand to lay continuing claim that it produces well-educated citizens who form the best and most productive workforce in the global economy?
If you follow the money, the answer is "no." The current crop of political candidates seems to argue that fundamental questions of income inequality and college affordability can be solved by new programs like free public community college tuition. It's an "ice cream for everyone" moment determined by anecdote and polling.
Advertisement
The problem is that we need to move beyond what polling can tell us. We must imagine how to use oversight and funding to shape an American future that produces better coherence, consistency and predictability.
It starts with an understanding of the complexity of American higher education. And the principle should be "do no damage." Vice President Biden was right when he argued recently that America was still a place where great things can get done. But it's unwise to propose a band-aid solution when research, like the SHEOO annual study, suggests that complex funding strategies at the state and federal level are now at best incremental changes that support the cultural inertia built on the status quo.
If a well-educated citizenry and workforce is a national priority, it should be funded accordingly. If America is going to educate a global workforce, it must figure out a better way to fund a decentralized higher education system already under stress without wrecking it. It's less about winners and losers and more about how the chaos of scattered puzzle pieces fit together into a comprehensive plan.
Part of the puzzle is to determine how to fund higher education better, including public higher education. Make no mistake about it. America's colleges and universities - public and private and at all levels - must be accountable. But the solution is bigger than whether to use the carrot or the stick.
It's about how best to change incremental funding at the state and federal levels into a longer-term investment strategy. This will require cooperation at all levels, including better definition at the state and federal levels as to what each other's funding responsibilities should be.
Advertisement
There's a lesson to be taken from the mindset that shapes much of the public campaigns defining cutting edge health research on disease. It's almost a square-jawed, teeth-clenching determination to beat whatever horrific cancer is under study. In a sense, it's kind of a "Manhattan Project" approach. Higher education needs to make the same case as global labor force changes shape new needs.
Federal and state officials can be criticized for a bureaucratic, baby step response to the funding of American higher education. Funding on an annual appropriations cycle ignores critical data, good and imaginative ideas, and the capacity of governments working together to invest in the future of their citizens. A sound investment strategy requires broad sustainable cooperation between local, state and federal governments based upon research and a prioritized set of national education goals that do no harm while doing good.
Twenty years ago, I unsettled the notoriously secretive college admissions process with the publication of my first book, A is for Admission, which caused something of a scandal upon its release. For years, the Ivies and top colleges had been denying that they used any kind of formula and were anything but forthcoming about their admissions process. My intent was, and still is, to make the admission process more transparent and accessible to students of all backgrounds. Much to the chagrin of the admissions old guard, I disclosed the secret formula they had been using for years, the Academic Index, and walked readers step-by-step through how every applicant's file is read. This calculator is now available on my website as a free resource for anyone who wishes to see how the Ivies have been evaluating students.
Since publishing A is for Admission, I cofounded TopTierAdmissions.com with Mimi Doe, an education and parenting expert, to expand my platform and work directly with students and their families to demystify the admissions process and help students get into the school of their dreams. The next step was to distill our insider knowledge and help rising seniors create college applications that respond to the rubrics of admissions officers. Twelve years ago, we again disrupted admissions and launched the first ever College Application Boot Camp, a 4-day program designed to fast-track students into their top choice college and help them complete all their applications in an accelerated time frame. We have run our Boot Camps every summer since 2004 to wide acclaim from students and their families from around the world. Over 50% of our students are siblings or friends of past participants and we fill up every year. Our results speak for themselves. Top Tier's Class of 2020 boasts 43 acceptances to the Ivies/Stanford.
The Environmental Protection Agency's "Clean Power Plan" unleashed a firestorm of criticism -- but New York has been well ahead of the debate by setting out the most ambitious environmental targets in the country. In fact, Governor Andrew Cuomo has staked his reputation on achieving "50 by 30," meaning that by 2030 the state would get half of its electricity from renewable energy sources. This is a bold but achievable goal. If it were embraced by today's presidential candidates and then embraced nationally, the United States would make a huge contribution to preventing climate change.
"If" is the key word, unfortunately.
Generating sufficient electricity with clean energy is a big lift. It requires having the attitude John Kennedy manifested about going to the moon: "we do this not because it's easy; we do it because it is hard." To make it even harder, in addition to the 50 by 30 commitment, Governor Cuomo has said no to fracking and wants to close one nuclear plant (Indian Point) while keeping others open with new subsidies. Indian Point is a huge source of zero carbon electricity, so shuttering it commits the state to an even more ambitious program of clean energy resources and infrastructure development.
We've examined how the state could meet its 50 by 30 goal. Large quantities of clean power can be achieved by combining wind, solar and stored power, of which large-scale hydro is by far the most economical. Because the New York grid, like others in the region, was essentially built for coal, oil and gas-fired generators, these bundles of wind-and-hydro power will be delivered to market via new and enhanced delivery infrastructure.
Advertisement
This clean power future is feasible. It's within our grasp. Renewable energy is all around us, in the breezes we feel and the sunshine we enjoy. Hydro to firm up these intermittent resources already exists in New York and more can be imported from Canada. Once all these terrestrial resources have been tapped, New York can turn to offshore wind, which also has immense potential.
Clean energy commitments have become more attractive politically for two reasons. First, developing wind and solar within the state of New York promotes economic development in the north and west of the state, where such development is essential. Second, thanks to sustained technological progress, clean energy supply as well as more efficient energy demand are more and more economical. "Outsourcing" power production to natural gas is no longer necessary: gas prices are inevitably volatile, so while natural gas is cheap today, it will not always be cheap. Wind and solar and hydro generation, once built, rely only on "fuels from heaven" -- the free wind and solar and hydro resources that are all around us.
So New York's clean energy commitment is a great economic strategy, a fact that's not lost on Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, both of whom are committed to national Clean Power Plan implementation. However, it's likely that, if elected, both Donald Trump and Ted Cruz will scrap the Clean Power Plan because, in Senator Cruz's words, "The scientific evidence doesn't support global warming." Yet in a multitude of polls, that point of view is not held by the majority of New Yorkers. So as an energy policy, scrapping the Clean Power Plan -- federal or state version -- is a loser of an idea.
Here's the truth: Developing this kind of new grid for clean power should not be a political wedge issue.
Advertisement
Driving home from work last week it was surreal to listen to local news coverage of the live press conference in Chanhassen, MN, knowing that the whole world was tuning in to my home town. Local law enforcement was addressing the public outside of Paisley Park, home of the rock legend Prince who, of course, had just died. The grief for us Minnesotans is unique and multilayered because Prince, while being an intensely private man, was also deeply embedded in his Minneapolis community and its suburbs where he was born and raised. After the renovation of the Minneapolis fixture the Uptown Theater, a local movie critic mentioned in passing that Prince occasionally slipped in to watch a film. (It became my habit after that to scan the audience to see if he and I had the same cinematic taste.) He had his own private table at the Dakota Jazz Club downtown. Some of my friends live a few doors down from one of his rental properties. I had even heard that he would once in a while do some door to door evangelizing for his small church located in St. Louis Park just minutes from my own home.
But nothing has made Prince's humanity more real to me personally than my recent discovery that Prince and then-wife Mayte Garcia lost a child to a rare and incurable disease in 1996. Prince was virtually silent on the subject, but I read Matye's words with complete understanding as she talked of how the death of their son, Boy, contributed to the collapse of her marriage. "I believe a child dying between a couple either makes you stronger or it doesn't. For me, it was very, very hard to move forward and for us as a couple I think it probably broke us." When my own daughter died I walked the same path. My husband and I were lucky. We made it. But there were ugly, ugly moments, Mayte. And we didn't have the pressures of fame and public scrutiny that you and Prince had to shoulder.
Advertisement
The tributes to Prince are numerous and I have smiled at some of the wittier recollections of people like Liz Meriwether who had the privilege of working directly with him on an episode of New Girl. But these pieces, as lovely as they are, also remind me that fame is isolating. My own personal journey taught me that grief is isolating and Prince had to deal with both. I don't know how much of Prince's personal loss contributed to his need for privacy, but I feel a deep sadness thinking that perhaps his fame made it that much harder for him to grieve for the loss of his child. I wonder if all of the hype and idolizing of him obscured the fact to his associates that at end of the day each and every one of us have this in common; we all suffer.
I also don't know anything about how Prince grieved. It never occurred to me to expect a Prince sighting in the Minneapolis cemetery where my own daughter is buried. I don't know when he finally got the courage to take down the swing set in the yard one of his backup dancers said he put up in anticipation of the birth of his child. I don't know if he could bear to eventually change the play room he showed Oprah into a room with a functional purpose. I don't know if he ever wondered on Boy's birthday what life would have been like if he had lived. I don't know any of these things, but I hope that he found some way to be a parent to his child or at the very least hold Boy's memory in a sacred place inside him.
Jackson County will once again hold a National Day of Prayer service on the steps of the county courthouse in Pascagoula Thursday. The cities of Ocean Springs and Gautier will also have ceremonies in front of their respective city halls. All of the ceremonies begin at noon.
(File photo/Gulflive.com)
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Jackson County will once again participate in the National Day of Prayer with an extensive program on the steps of the county courthouse in Pascagoula.
The Continental Congress proclaimed the first National Day of Prayer in 1775. Observances ended at the conclusion of the Revolutionary War. In 1952, the National Day of Prayer was re-instituted, making this year's observance the 64th annual.
The theme of this year's National Day of Prayer is "Wake Up, America."
The Pascagoula program will feature remarks and an prayer for government and military by Mississippi State Auditor Stacey Pickering.
Others scheduled to offer prayers for various groups and causes include Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell, Dr. Jay Cook of First Baptist Church, Rev. Larry Hawkins of Unity Baptist Church, Jamey Foster of First Methodist Church, Steve Jordan, owner of Turf Masters and Noah Britt of WPMO radio.
Frank Corder, chairman for the county's National Day of Prayer, will deliver the 2016 national message, with Rev. Eric Camp delivering the benediction. The Oasis Worship Team will sing two hymns during the program.
The ceremony begins at noon.
The cities of Ocean Springs and Gautier will simultaneously hold National Day of Prayer ceremonies at noon in front of their respective city halls.
As Black America begins to tap into a new consciousness of our identity, much of that is owed to Africa. We haven't had much conversation about our cross-continental relationship with the Motherland as a collective unit, and that baffles me. Still in 2016, much of the misperceptions of African life and our ancestry still runs rampant.
While the political climate of American sees deep divides within ideologies, ethnicities, gender, and class -- I could not help but think about the African diaspora and what this all means for my future.
Recently, I had the opportunity to reconnect with a mentor and scholar whose cross-cultural wisdom of the Motherland reshaped my purpose in invoking it into my everyday consciousness.
Advertisement
Dr. Kingsley Fletcher is a humanitarian, businessman, scholar and Ghanaian leader who's devoted his life to reshaping the narratives that deter progress and reconnection amongst displaced souls in the diaspora. In the midst of this highly competitive national election, I couldn't help but take my mind off politics for a second and think about Africa. I got the opportunity to speak with Dr. Fletcher earlier this month about his experiences and words of advice to Black Americans who are consciously committed to revitalizing their understanding of Africa.
Here's some of the brilliant messages that I learned from that conversation:
1) "Africa doesn't need handouts, it needs partnerships."
Since birth, I can't begin to recount how many times I saw Africa depicted as a needy continent desperate for international welfare. "People come, volunteer temporarily, and leave," Fletcher says. "That isn't sustainable or helping the problem at all." He's right. So much of the "voluntourism" that has plagued the continent has not eradicated many of the issues are still affecting the continent. In fact, some have argued that it has now become more exploitative, than beneficial. "You want to help Africa, invest in it," Fletcher recommends. "Build smart business relationships with industries in the countries that resonate with you." And if you're not necessarily an entrepreneur or venture capitalist, you can still contribute your support by purchasing and promoting 100% African owned businesses worldwide.
Advertisement
2) "To know Africa is to be Africa."
My first trip to Africa forever taught me the true difference of being black in America. The experience would forever shape the way I thought about the continent and my contributions to it. "Many black America see Africa as another place outside of them...little do they know there's a mutual desire to connect," Fletcher says. As I watch many of my friends plan their summer travel, I can't help but push them to explore a country in a continent I now consider my second home. "If one really wants to understand themselves and know what it's like to see their heritage, Africa is the first start," Fletcher says. "Why travel another continent where you're the minority, come see what it's like to feel included."
3) "One should not rely on European validation to embrace their African heritage."
The discussion of cultural appropriation has run rampant in recent years as much of white pop culture has been under the microscope of taking blackness and positioning it as its own. "It surprises me how much people are now talking about because white people are trying to take it," Fletcher says. "We have always been great, intellectual, talented, and beautiful...one doesn't need the new colonial efforts of European ideals to tell us that." He makes a solid point. Our African heritage and blackness shouldn't only be celebrated in times of contention with culture vultures. "We should feel our black even when others aren't looking," Fletcher says. "It is a reflection of our values, of ourselves."
4) "Africa could teach America a thing or two about interfaith political relations."
As the political climate of the presidential campaign build up in America, the religious divides have taken its toll as well. An unqualified GOP candidate who doesn't deserved to be named has suggested that Muslims be banned from entering the country. Across the political aisle, there has been new legislation that has ignored the religious inclusion of many others outside of Christianity. "If you look at how Africa has been set up, we have always been a place that has embraced Muslims, Christians and many others in politics," Fletcher says. "Countries like Nigeria has had Muslim leaders succeed while Christians have been accepting of that...America needs to reconsider their position on this issue in front of the world." When hearing him speak of this, it's truly hard to imagine having nationally elected Muslims in office with the current political climate. For a nation that prides itself on the First Amendment right of freedom of religion, it could be more interfaith in its political representation.
5) "Blackness shouldn't be looked at as a statement, but a lifestyle."
Iraqi detainees rest their hands on razor wires as they watch a group of freed prisoners leaving the Abu Ghraib prison on the outskirts of Baghdad, 16 September 2004. Some 108 detainees were released from the notorious Abu Ghraib prison home to 2500 detainees, including foreigners. AFP PHOTO/Jewel SAMAD / AFP / JEWEL SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)
"Jo, that one should knock them out." Laughter.
That is what happens at the end of a video showing five Spanish soldiers kicking and beating two prisoners in a Spanish military base in Iraq in 2004. The images are chilling.
A soldier asks one of the prisoners to get up, as the others stomp on him and position him in a way that gives them clearer shots. How would these soldiers justify their actions? What could have been going through their minds that would compel them to do something like this?
Advertisement
In this torture case, detainee records have vanished, witnesses have retracted their accounts, and the courts have decided not to consider certain testimonies -- all this sounds like something out of a horror movie. But what took place in the Spanish base in Al Diwaniyah, Iraq, in 2004 -- and the following years -- was fact, not fiction.
Early on, we started to suspect that there was misconduct. But at that time, it was mere suspicion. By 2013, we had approached Minister of Defense, Pedro Morenes, and expressed our concerns over the violence depicted in the video, and asked for an exhaustive and independent investigation into these events to take place in civilian courts, not military courts.
In late 2015, something happened that was key to our investigation: We gained access to wiretap transcripts, testimonies, and photographs of the alleged perpetrators in the brutal beating.
Soon, our suspicions were confirmed: The torture investigation was replete with irregularities. For example, there were two witnesses who had recognized the soldiers responsible for the beating. One of them (the person who had filmed the incident) later renounced his claims and said that he knew nothing about the incident and that he had been confused. The suspicions were deepened by the fact that there was a parallel investigation into threats that had been made against that witness. The testimony of the other witness, who watched an unpixelated version of the video, simply wasn't taken into account in the military court investigation. Just like that.
Advertisement
Another example: The prisoner registry, which would have allowed for the victims to be identified, vanished. Its disappearance was not investigated. In addition, some of the information on detainees in the Spanish base was provided by a report prepared by the staff of Spanish army. In this document, there are names, passport numbers, addresses and other information about the detainees. But in that case, again, the military courts did not ask the detainees if they were the ones who appeared in the video.
These examples, and others, continue as we chronicle in the report "Tortures Committed by Spanish Soldiers in Iraq: 12 Years Without Justice," published in April 2016.
All these irregularities reaffirm a deeper, more general concern at Amnesty International: Investigations into human rights violations should not be carried out in military courts; they should be investigated in ordinary courts.
Within this worrisome picture, there are two positive aspects to consider: The fact that the investigation has been filed "provisionally," and not definitively; and the willingness of the Attorney General to provide information to Amnesty International.
There is still a chance to reopen the investigation if, for example, the evidence showing these irregularities is taken into account, or if other evidence emerges.
Advertisement
Recently, Amnesty International launched a campaign directed at the Attorney General to transfer the case to civilian courts. A torture case like this one cannot go unpunished. I imagine that many people will share my sentiments: What kind of person can laugh as they beat someone up? It doesn't make me laugh.
Protesters shout slogans on Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul on April 27, 2016, during a protest against a call for the country to adopt a religious constitution.Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu vowed on April 27 that Turkey's draft constitution would guarantee secularism, after calls for a religious charter sparked controversy in the predominantly Muslim country. The call led to protests in major cities where police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators in Ankara and Istanbul. The separation of religion from state affairs is one of the fault lines in Turkish society. The founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, based the post-Ottoman republic on a strict separation between religion and state. / AFP / BULENT KILIC (Photo credit should read BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)
Finally, after over a decade in power, the true face of Turkey's governing Justice and Development Party, or AKP, is surfacing. The speaker of the Turkish Parliament, Ismail Kahraman, said that the new constitution that the AKP is preparing will have no reference to secularism.
AKP officials quickly denied the intention but many Turks felt as if an idea was planted in their brain -- an idea they would have to get used to. Fearing a secularism-free constitution would be the first step towards introducing Shariah law in their republic, secularist Turks immediately started defending secularism fiercely. Apparently, they do not realize that this secularism got them in trouble in the first place.
Advertisement
From the very first day the AKP won its first elections in 2011, many Turks feared that the AKP, rooted in Islamist parties that were banned by the Constitutional Court for undermining the secular order, would "Islamize" Turkey. Turks feared the AKP's initial democratic reforms were no more than a cloth to cover their hidden agenda: to introduce Shariah law in Turkey. Over the last couple of years, that fear has been overshadowed by another fear, or more precisely, by another reality: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, party leader and prime minister in the first years of AKP rule and president since 2014, became an increasingly authoritarian leader. Instead of Turkey turning into another Iran, it started to resemble Putin's Russia.
Turkey refuses to transform its 'secularism' to serve all citizens.
With the suggestion that the new constitution will no longer have any references to secularism, the "Iran fear" is back. And so is the old divide in the Turkish political debate: Islamism versus secularism. The slogan "Turkey is secular and will remain secular" is heard again. The slogan was extremely popular in 2007, when Erdogan's predecessor, Abdullah Gul, one of the AKP's founders, was about to become president. Secular Turks feared that the combination of one-party AKP rule and a president of the same denomination would undermine the secular state's foundations.
In those days, tens of thousands of people gathered in cities like Izmir and Ankara to defend Turkey's secularism. There as a journalist, I saw hardcore Turkish nationalism, with king-size (easily 100 meters long) Turkish flags and countless portraits of Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Many attendees were working for state institutions like the army and the judiciary and were actually sent to the rallies by their employers. These state institutions considered themselves the guards of Turkish secularism and feared takeover by the new religious powers.
That fear has become a reality in the last couple of years. The army was discredited with a huge trial based on concocted evidence, and generals who were not loyal to the government were forced to resign. The judiciary has been brought under full government control, with the help of constitutional reform; this intensified after corruption charges emerged against government officials up to the highest echelons in 2013. The AKP is appointing and replacing prosecutors and judges as it pleases and ordering political trials against its opponents -- be it Kurds, leftists, followers of the U.S.-based preacher Fethullah Gulen or just average citizens who dare to "insult" the president.
Advertisement
Turks who now speak out for secularism apparently don't see that it is exactly this Turkish form of 'secularism' that put their country in this situation in the first place.
The interesting fact is that the AKP didn't have to alter the foundations of the state to shape Turkey to its current form. In fact, the AKP has not touched the secular basis of the republic in any way. Instead, it used existing structures to give religion a greater role in society.
One of the key institutions that is at the AKP's disposal is Diyanet, the directorate for religious affairs. It was once installed by Ataturk to control the influence of religion. If you define secularism as the separation of state and religion, which is the most common definition, Turkey isn't secular at all. From the early years of the republic, state and mosque have been closely intertwined. All mosques are state-owned, all imams are state-employed and for decades, the Friday sermons were centrally written and distributed.
The religious curriculum at primary and secondary schools is obligatory and defined by the state. It focuses solely on the state's preferred version of Sunni Islam, thus getting children of parents of another faith or atheist parents in trouble. Houses of worship of other religions or of other sects of Islam, like churches or cemevis (the prayer houses of Alevis), don't benefit from state support like Diyanet mosques do and are thus discriminated against. The European Court of Human Rights has spoken out against these practices on numerous occasions, including last week, but Turkey refuses to transform its "secularism" to serve all citizens.
Turkey's non-secular secularism will continue to be used by anybody in power to suppress other groups in society.
By using state institutions to give Sunni Islam a greater role in society, the AKP has also served the interest of its voter base and thus actually broadened the rights of pious Turks. For example, the discrimination against headscarved women has ended, enabling pious Islamic women to attend universities and to have seats in Parliament. This expansion of religious freedom has, however, infringed on the rights of secular Turks. For example, it has become harder to find a school for their children that matches their ideology, they are faced with more restrictions on the purchase and use of alcohol and they risk prosecution for criticizing the president.
Turks who now speak out for secularism apparently don't see that it is exactly this Turkish form of "secularism" that put their country in this situation in the first place. Without Turkey's non-secular secularism, there would be no way to impose the conservative Islamic values of the AKP on school children. Without Turkey's non-secular secularism, imams wouldn't be on Erdogan's side. Without Turkey's non-secular secularism, no mosques would be built with state funds in villages mainly inhabited by Alevis.
Turkey does need a new constitution. It needs a constitution that finally gets rid off Turkey's non-secular secularism, which will continue to be used by anybody in power to suppress other groups in society. Of course, the non-secular secularism shouldn't be replaced by an even more religious constitution as Kahraman suggested, but by a pluralist legal system that enables freedom and equality for all who live in Turkey and that gives every Turkish citizen the right to be who he or she wants.
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin speaks during Milwaukee County GOP's 'Wisconsin Decides 2016' presidential candidate event at the American Serb Banquet Hall in Milwaukee April 1, 2016. REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski
With 7 out of 10 women rejecting Donald Trump, will the misogynist-in-chief try to salvage his chances by selecting a female running mate? In keeping with opponents Ted Cruz and Carly "Look at that Face" Fiorina, he may indeed play the "woman card" that has given this country so many female presidents and vice presidents since 1789. Trump will most definitely get schlonged if he continues to repel female voters with such astounding success, but the question remains: what candidate would actually accept the job? Madeleine Albright may believe there's a special place in hell for women who don't support women, but surely there's a very special place in hell for women who support Donald J. Trump.
The options are quite limited due to the presumptive nominee's staggering heights of chauvinism, but here's a short list of female contenders that could conceivably say yes:
Advertisement
Ann Coulter
The notorious commentator would be an ideal selection for Trump for several reasons; her galling use of racial epithets--she has called for the profiling of "suspicious looking swarthy males"--as well as that critical, hard-to-find trait among female contenders: a dependable level of sexism matching Donald's. This is a woman who said with a straight face that "it would be a much better country if women did not vote." Mr. Trump should be so lucky.
Sarah Palin
A Trump-Palin ticket has the distinct advantage of positioning The Donald as a foreign policy scholar in relation to the other half of the team. His vice presidential pick would stand strong with our North Korean allies and refudiate all who would oppose us. The Palin doctrine ensures that the spotlight remains exactly where it should: on the veep, rather than on Trump's amorphous political agenda. He'd get some much-needed breathing room.
Michele Bachmann
The options are dwindling for Donald, but there's still one last contender remaining. This former congresswoman and Tea Party spokesperson shares Trump's incredulity of climate change, or as she calls it, "voodoo, nonsense, hokum, a hoax." Her strengths as a candidate don't end there; she taps into racism and xenophobia like a champ. In true Trumpian fashion, she has exclaimed that the president is "pro the goals of Islamic Jihad." Such staid comments could prove too moderate for the Trump campaign, but at this point the pickings are slim.
Coulter, Palin and Bachmann each fit the bill for that elusive Trump woman card, and they're 3 of the 4 people on the planet that might actually accept the offer. Christie, keep your fingers crossed that they don't pick up the phone.
Advertisement
In my years as an agent I have booked hundreds of models for 26 fashion week seasons and have seen countless runway shows by designers both known and unknown. Some of these unknown designers have risen to fame. Some of the known fashion houses have been sold, rebranded in order to regain acclaim and financial stability or, in some cases, entirely perished. This everlasting shuffle of fashion's musical chairs always intrigued me. What makes a designer or a label appealing? What makes a label survive in such a competitive market crowded by fast fashion knock-offs?
I recently turned my attention back to the Brazilian label UMA, which set up shop in New York upon the arrival of its 20th anniversary. UMA had not crossed my mind in more than five years, as I have been mostly removed from the South American fashion scene. As soon as I heard about this new shop on Bleecker Street my ears perked. I was transported back to the days when I used to fight for a spot in UMA's show for the models I represented. For a model, there was a certain coolness that was added to their image by being associated with this brand.
Historically, UMA (which in portuguese means unique) has never joined the herd, they were the black sheep in a market that craves for celebrities, top models and trends. The minimalist designs paired with muted color palettes, bold lines and asymmetrical features crafted by Raquel Davidowicz are the main attraction, but definitely not what makes this brand shine. If UMA has acquired a cult following, comparable to labels such as Comme des Garcons or Maison Martin Margiela, it's because of it's commitment to beautiful aesthetics that incorporate art and fashion in symbiotic manner.
Advertisement
The art scene, a monster in its own right, has now more than ever gotten in bed with fashion. Art has found in fashion a way to expand its domains. Brands like the established Rodarte, or the young Eckhaus Latta for instance, repeatedly collaborate with artists and museums, generating a crossover and a hype that comes from breaking boundaries.
Like art, fashion is supposed to provoke something in the individual, it's supposed to be a part of their expression and personality. Fashion has been a struggle for most of my life. It wasn't until I learned who I am that I began to dress in a way that made me feel 100% comfortable and yet presentable. Particularly, fashion communicates a part of me that may not be immediately obvious, it's that identity that resides in my core, not set to a trend or a moment in time. Davidowicz understands this about her customer. She makes clothes for a person who knows where they stand in their own life. She makes clothes for those who go from work to an art opening or the movies and don't feel pressured to put on a "look".
Raquel and Roberto Davidowicz, founders of the label, have played with that relationship long before it became a fad; the duo has always maintained an interesting collaboration with the artists they work with. Geova Rodrigues, a long time friend of the brand, has crafted unique embroideries for a limited run of cardigans this season, but the friendship with this artist goes deeper. When Geova launched himself into the fashion business as a designer, UMA sponsored and supported his work, making his launch known to the industry. This type of intimate connection is not rare for the Davidowicz's.
One of their most regarded partnerships is with the iconic artist Lygia Clark. Initially, Clark's work was merely a source of inspiration for sketches, out of the notion that this artist had an angst to reach the viewer and to connect their life with art, just as Raquel did. As the designer dove into her work she felt the need to connect more intimately with Clark's soul and that's when she reached out to the estate. Their initial encounter expanded and moved on to art installations on the runway of UMA's shows, to art pieces at the store, and the creation of prints for the clothing line. Ultimately, replicas of Clark's "Bichos" series were made and sold at Uma's shops, reverting all profits towards the Clark Arts Center, which benefits underprivileged communities in Rio de Janeiro.
Advertisement
Whether UMA takes dance troupes to their runway, or utilizes poetry to illustrate clothing items, their relationship is as effortless as what they create. This year the brand is sponsoring movies that are participating in New York's Tribeca Film Festival and thus bringing together another sector of the arts. The way this label is positioning itself in this new market makes a case for smart branding. Instead of hiring celebrities to attend their store opening or collection launch parties, UMA is sticking to its core values and making itself present in the cultural scene, capturing the attention of a specific audience. It is not the first time this is done, and nor will it be the last.
United Talent Agency has caught up with this tendency and recently launched an entire department in order to marry art and commerce in seemingly organic partnerships. Whether they are placing artwork by up and coming artists at a car company's new showroom, attempting to make the brand cooler; inviting a performance art group to be in a TV commercial for a soda company, or having a fashion label sponsor an art show, the opportunities are being created at large. Now, more than ever, brands see that their audience is not necessarily impressed only by the latest bag spun by a Kardashian.
These black-sheep fashion labels are more concerned with selling clothes to people who are self-aware and who don't follow a group. These are the people who much like the labels they wear, succeed in their plights because they are true to who they are and their beliefs. These are people who have grown up observing the times and the world around them. Like these people, UMA is a label that is mature but remains playful, thriving in it's unconventional creativity, making clothes that stand the test of time. When the clothes stand the test of time, then so does the label, and this is where the answer to the initial question lays.
Cans of Pepsi and Coke are shown in a news stand refrigerator display rack in New York Friday, April 22, 2005. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
They say all politics is local. It's not quite that simple. Successful politics is about astute marketing.
Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are cleaning up in the primaries and for good reason. Each is out-marketing their opponents.
Advertisement
Great marketing starts with a strong message that appeals to more consumers than does your opponent's message. By that measure, Bernie Sanders was woefully out-marketed. As of this writing before the Indiana primary, Clinton has 2165 delegates (includes 520 superdelegates) to Bernie Sanders 1,357 delegates (includes only 39 superdelegates).
Clinton knows her base, many of whom want the status quo, policy-wise. They want her to continue to fight for equality for women and minorities domestically, but not to veer too far off course internationally. Basically, it means sticking to what President Obama started. This appeals to a great majority of the Democratic base.
Sanders' marketing pitch is far weaker. His message about free college education and broader anti-business, socialist sentiment tends to appeal to a narrower target audience. That accounts for the abundance of 18 to 21-year-old consumers who surround him at rallies (Yes, I know I'm using the term consumers instead of constituents, and that's the point). While he tries to paint Clinton as being in the pocket of big business, that message is virtually meaningless to the Democratic base. That's an attack that works against Republicans who often side with business interests, not Democrats. Thus, he is targeting too narrow an audience for starters, and he uses an attack message that simply doesn't ring true.
Bernie Sanders never had a chance, marketing-wise. Estimates vary, but one source claims he spent $60 million on television advertising compared to Clinton's $53 million. It's not the money, Bernie, it's the size of your audience and the power of your message. Just ask Procter & Gamble.
Advertisement
Donald Trump has out-marketed his Republican challengers at every turn. As of this writing before the Indiana primary, he has 996 delegates to Ted Cruz's 565 delegates and John Kasich's 153.
First, Trump had stronger brand name recognition. Whoever heard of Cruz and Kasich before the primaries? No one, unless you lived in their states. It's not impossible to gain recognition fast, like that achieved at the 2004 Democratic National Convention by then Senator Barack Obama who nailed the keynote address. But neither Cruz nor Kasich had an Obama moment. And while other contenders had name recognition, such as Jeb Bush, a lot of consumers have grown tired of "establishment" politicians, fueled in great part by the way Trump "negatively positions" sitting statesmen. Outsiders = good. Insiders = Bad. That is masterful re-positioning.
But it's Trump's bigger messaging that dominates. His populous message of "Make America Great Again" speaks to a large swath of Americans who believe that America has fallen both domestically and internationally. That message is simple and easy to comprehend, and fits nicely on the bumper sticker of the mind. Nike says "Just Do It". Apple says "Think Different". McDonald's says "I'm Lovin' It". L'Oreal says "Because You're Worth It". Obama promised "Hope and Change". And Trump wants to "Make America Great Again".
I often laugh at pundits who dispel Trump as being short on specifics. News flash; many consumers care less about exactly how their needs are satisfied; many just care that they are satisfied. To them, Trump's tenacity is proof enough that he will somehow get it done. That's why the policy wonk candidates fell short; they were long on specifics that consumers did not care about and short on a powerful, universal message that they craved.
One report claims that Jeb Bush spent $77 million on television advertisements. Trump spent about $17 million. How did he pull that off? His message is so simple and controversial, that the news media carried it for him for free! That's a marketer's dream. When talking heads on television shows would chide Trump for disparaging Hispanics, his growing supporters instead heard "I'll fix the immigration problem and you'll have more jobs for yourself."
Advertisement
So now, it is all but inevitable that Clinton and Trump will battle for the most powerful job in the world. This is a marketing battle of two brands, no more or less than Coke vs. Pepsi. I don't mean to trivialize the importance of the issues involved by calling attention to the marketing aspects of the battle, but the marketing campaigns will determine whose vision of America will reign.
Importantly, each of our final candidates has a marketing strength and weakness that will ultimately determine the outcome of the battle.
Trump has the BIG, universally appealing message to Make America Great Again. It has universal appeal because consumers read into it what they want. Make America Great means a job for the jobless and respect abroad for those who want greater respect. That gives Trump an advantage, message-wise. Clinton has not created a consistent, universal message on which to rely. Her anti-Trump rhetoric is not persuasive enough because it does not rely on a big message that solves a universal problem. Instead, she has smaller segmented messages. Her website is currently peppered with the phrase "woman card". How does that message benefit an African America father of two who lost his job? It doesn't.
Trump also promises change, which reflects what many Americans want, and that message tends to "re-position" Clinton as wanting the status quo. That's dangerous for Clinton, because wanting to stay the course is not often a good message when most people feel that they have lost ground. But she can't really challenge the current state of affairs too much because those reflect years when she and Obama were in power. If there's a problem with America, why didn't they fix it already? Trump gets to paint her as part of the problem.
Trump has the big message, but his weakness is in marketing segmentation. His rhetoric and some policies weaken him among Hispanics, Blacks, women, and the LGBT community. All marketers know that a grand message isn't good enough by itself; you also need to make meaningful policies for each segment that fulfill on the promise of the grand message. While Clinton has yet to create an over-arching message as powerful as Make America Great Again, she is masterful at creating messages that appeal to these segments, while at the same time "re-positioning" Trump as not good for these segments.
Advertisement
And name-calling is done for a reason. It works. When Trump calls Clinton "Crooked Hillary" and Trump gets painted as dangerous and a racist, they are added bumper stickers for the mind.
That's the marketing battle. Trump has the big universal message, but Clinton has the demographic segments. Trump needs to explain to those segments how America being great will directly benefit them. Clinton needs to create a message as universally appealing as Make America Great Again, one that does not rest on the status quo nor on simply being anti-Trump.
By Barbara Friedberg, Finance Writer
With President Barack Obama's recent visit to Cuba, the media is ablaze with hopes that the U.S. embargo on the country will be lifted. There are dreams of cheap rum and Cuban cigars flooding the shelves of U.S. shops.
Although the embargo on Cuba seems to be mired in congress, Obama recently stated that the U.S. would lessen restrictions on trade and travel. With that in mind, many Americans wonder what they can hope to buy from Cuba, and how this could impact prices on existing goods and services.
The U.S. can now import some Cuban goods, and American companies can also hire Cuban workers if they fall within Cuba's guidelines. From there, the basic tenets of supply and demand will drive the impact that Cuban imports to the U.S. will have on prices. Here's a look at how prices on certain goods and services could be impacted if the U.S. lifts its embargo of Cuba.
Advertisement
1. Cuban Rum
Currently, several spirit distributors are prepared for the embargo to be lifted so that delicious Cuban rum can flow into the U.S. However, the company that imports it must comply with Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau regulations, obtain the necessary permits and pay the required taxes and tariffs.
Once that happens, it's possible that the price of rum might drop somewhat as more of the liquor enters the marketplace. The increase in supply, with a steady demand for rum, would tend to drive rum prices down.
For now, Americans who visit Cuba can bring home up to $100 worth of tobacco and alcohol. A one-liter bottle of Havana Club rum purchased in Cuba starts at $5, according to Esquire.com.
2. Cuban Cigars
Cuban cigars are considered to be among the best in the world. Currently, Americans can bring $100 worth of tobacco products into the U.S. A box of Cuban cigars purchased in Cuba can run between $150 and $775 plus currency exchange fees, according to Fortune.com.
Advertisement
But if further Cuban cigar restrictions are lifted, and more of these delectable treats for smoking aficionados come into the market, their prices might fall. Yet if greater availability causes the demand for Cuban cigars to grow and outpace supply, prices might remain high. In fact, some experts predict prices will go up, according to Fortune.com. Only time will tell how the availability of Cuban cigars will impact the price.
3. Cuban Computer Programmers
Cuba has relaxed requirements on its service-oriented entrepreneurs. This Cuban policy change, combined with the opening of trade with the U.S., is opening the door for many Cuban services imports. Because computer programmers often can work from anywhere, this could make Cuba an option for U.S. companies who are hiring remote workers.
To figure out how additional computer programming work imported into the U.S. might impact prices, take a look at the cost of living in Cuba. Rent is 67 percent lower than in the U.S.; excluding rent, the cost of living is 27 percent lower than in the U.S. The U.S. median computer programmer is paid $38.24 hourly, according to the most recent pay scale data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Additionally, the BLS predicts an 8 percent decline in demand for U.S. computer programmers between 2014 and 2024, exactly because their work can be easily performed by workers in lower cost-of-living countries such as Cuba. Therefore, the entrance of Cuban programmers in the U.S. market might further depress the price of computer programming services.
4. Cuban Bookkeeping Services
Similar to computer programmers, bookkeepers can work from anywhere. Importing bookkeeping services -- but not accounting services -- from Cuba can be beneficial as it brings more work to Cubans.
Advertisement
This could also have a ripple effect in the U.S. If bookkeeping service pricing declines, the hiring firm can either lower prices on its products or keep them the same, which would benefit U.S. consumers.
5. Used Cars
Cuba's roads are filled with what people in the U.S. consider "vintage cars." This means that Cuban demand for newer vehicles might impact prices on used cars in the southeast regions of the U.S.
Mike Arman previously exported U.S. cars to St. Maarten. Arman, who is currently in another line of work, said that with the pent-up Cuban demand for newer cars on the tiny island, it's likely that the prices on later-model, good condition used cars in southern Florida and the surrounding states will skyrocket. As the demand by Cubans for U.S. cars grows, the existing prices of these vehicles, already on the upswing, would trend upward unless more used cars come on the market.
6. Cuban Translators
At $38,000 per year, Spanish translator salaries are currently lower than 34 percent of job postings nationwide, according to job search website Indeed.com. If the U.S. relaxes its embargo on Cuba, those salaries are likely to fall.
Cuban entrepreneurs are allowed to offer document translation services by their government. Thus, with Cuba's lower cost of living and relaxed trade barriers, companies can hire lower-priced Cuban-English speaking translators to cut costs. Should this trend grow, it would place further downward pressure on the already low-salaried translator jobs.
Advertisement
7. Cuban Tourism
Americans are already drifting into Cuba via Canada, Mexico, Europe and other countries. If it were easier to visit Cuba from the U.S. via cruise ships, airline flights and travel packages, this tourism opportunity might afford adventurous U.S. citizens with greater low-cost vacation options.
Cuba is only 90 miles off the coast of Florida, a short boat or plane ride. With Cuba's low prices and beautiful scenery, U.S. tour companies could profit handsomely by marketing visits to the island. Closer to the U.S. than the expensive island of Hawaii, U.S. tourists stand to benefit from lower-priced exotic vacation opportunities to visit Cuba.
8. Vacation Homes
Anyone who's tuned in to watch HGTV network's "Caribbean Life" or "Beachfront Bargain Hunts" understands there is demand for a vacation home in an exotic location. If buyers who ordinarily would have sprung for a lower-cost beachfront home on the Texas panhandle or Florida coast choose a lower-priced option in Cuba, that could cost a sale on U.S. beachfront property.
Although not technically an import, the additional supply of beachfront homes in Cuba might put downward pressure on comparable U.S. beachfront vacation homes.
9. Cuban Sugar
Today, raw sugar is one of Cuba's largest exports. However, if Cuban sugar is imported by the U.S., consumers might not see much price benefit.
Advertisement
Sugar prices have been falling for years, and are currently as low as they were in the 1980s. As of January 2016, U.S. producers receive 25.76 cents per pound for unrefined sugar. From 2010 to 2013, U.S. raw sugar prices fell 50 percent due to the influx of sugar imports from Mexico flooding the marketplace. This led to a surplus ratio of 20 percent.
Should Cuban sugar enter the U.S. marketplace, this will hurt the U.S. sugar producers who will be forced to compete with additional cheaper sugar imports. Although U.S. sugar producers would experience declining profits if the trend continues, U.S. consumers likely won't feel the benefit of the lower sugar prices, as grocers and food manufacturers rarely pass along their price savings.
10. U.S. Food
Currently, Cuba imports approximately 80 percent of its food. With the lifting of the U.S. embargo on Cuba, U.S. food sellers will have access to a new market. Increased exporting of U.S. food to Cuba could have a financial impact on U.S. consumers.
In fact, in 2013, American companies sold $348 million worth of agricultural products to Cuba. The top products were frozen chicken, soybean meal and corn.
Farmers in the southeastern U.S. have the most to gain from the looser trade restrictions. This change could increase demand for U.S. products and potentially encourage greater production. Time will tell how these exports will have an impact on consumer prices of the related exported foods.
Advertisement
What's it like to live in Louisville, Kentucky with one of the shortest lifespans in the U.S.? This fact may be unknown to most but it is frightening those whose lives are needlessly cut short. Longevity and the number of years of healthy life here in the state of Kentucky, the city of Louisville, and particularly neighborhoods like West Louisville are among the shortest in the nation. Strongly associated with this these shortened lives is that these places have some of the worst air pollution in the country.
Across America, indeed, states with cleaner air have citizens who live longer. The Centers for Disease Control show that in real numbers: the 53,000 Kentuckians who are 65 and over are sicker than the national average. The healthiest Seniors in the U.S. are in the similar size state of Oregon where its 94,000 elders are healthier than Kentucky seniors. For the nation as a whole 73% of citizens self-report that they are "healthy" at age 65, but that number decreases to, 62% in highly polluted Kentucky. Sixty-five-year-olds in Oregon, a state with strong environmental regulations including clean air protections, rate themselves the healthiest at 78%. Senior blacks in Kentucky (56%) are even less healthy.
Louisville is also ranked as having one of the shortest lifespans for poor men in the nation. The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that the lives of poor men in Louisville are about 1,643 days or four and half years shorter than those in Santa Barbara which has some of the cleanest air, water and soil in the nation. In Louisville, for example, differences in life expectancy can be as much as 13 years from one West Louisville neighborhood compared to East Louisville according to a report "Building a Healthier Louisville" by the Greater Louisville Project. Our analysis using the same data finds a ten-year difference between East and West neighborhoods.
Our city leaders, foundations, and industry have betrayed us with junk science that is a cover up for the causes of these shortened lives. Why didn't the prominent foundations of Louisville, which spent hundreds of thousands of dollars, hire a team from the School of Public Health and Center for Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods at the University of Louisville? Instead they chose to produce an unscientific study to cover up how industrial pollution is shortening lives. The leader of the Greater Louisville Project, which has strong ties to the Mayor's Office and Chamber of Commerce, has no medical degree or Ph.D., just a Master's degree in business from a local college. The Greater Louisville Project broke another scientific rule by refusing to share their data with University of Louisville investigators. Echoing activities from the infamous Watergate debacle, the data were leaked to us for further study.
Advertisement
Louisville provides a powerful case study of the uses and misuses of statistical analysis in arguments about how "place" shapes lives. According to Greater Louisville Project analyses, low levels of individual educational attainment appear to be the single best predictor of premature death, an even stronger determinant than income or exposure to environmental contaminants. The problem is that the Louisville study overlooked a basic fact all first-year statistics students learn: correlation is not causation.
When the study was released, the media touted the idea that lack of education is the primary explanation for neighborhood gaps in premature death rates. The Louisville Courier Journal made it front page news and even produced a short video stating the solution to a longer life was riding in a "yellow school bus." But consider the odd logic: Do health officials really mean that high school or college degrees are the prescribed remedy for cancer, lung and heart disease? Common sense - and sound science - reveal that two people breathing the same amount of toxic air are going to be similarly affected, even if one is a high-school dropout and the other has earned a PhD degree. People with advanced degrees are not immune from toxic fumes in the water, soil, and air. The point they might be making is that higher education enables people to live in cleaner areas or they might make smarter decisions of where to live away from pollution. But moving all residents from West Louisville is hardly a policy option.
Another major problem is the report's emphasis on lack of access to medical care as a major contributor to premature deaths. In fact, residents of Louisville neighborhoods with high premature death rates live about half as far away from the city's major medical center as other residents typically do. This statistical fallacy is like claiming that hospitals are bad for you since so many people die there.
The Louisville study claims that environmental factors have a minimal effect on premature death rates giving it a measly weight of just 10%. Our research suggests they are a far more powerful factor. We examined Louisville neighborhoods, using two different measures of environmental degradation. One refers to the location of "brownfield sites" in which dangerous toxins were abandoned on formerly industrial sites primarily in poor and black neighborhoods of West Louisville; and the second refers to proximity to chemical factories in a neighborhood known as "Rubbertown."
Advertisement
Using standard statistical techniques, we found that such environmental contaminates constitute a major cause of shortened lives in Louisville. Once the high concentration of brownfields and toxic stew of chemical companies are taken into account we found, as we reported at the 2014/2016 Annual Conference of the Urban Affairs Association, in a policy brief published by Harvard's Scholars Strategy Network and an article in the scholarly Journal of Urbanism, that environmental pollutants equal the impact of racial and income disadvantage. But it is race and income that shapes where we live in hyper-segregated Louisville with blacks and the poor not being able to escape from these pollutants.
Beyond bats, bourbon, and horses, Louisville has the well-deserved reputation as the junk science capital of the world starting with the fraudulent smoking studies in the 1960's. Louisville already has enough blood on its hands with these erroneous studies. Now we have a new set of studies repeating these methodological and statistical errors that ignore the hard science on the subject.
But we don't have a pollution problem just here in Louisville or in Flint, but in hundreds of cities where air, water, and soil pollution sit next door to mostly poor and minority neighborhoods. There is another word for this: environmental racism.
Frustratingly, saving lives and cleaning the air require bucking politics where elections are routinely won by politicians who decry environmental protections as "job killers." But the real "killer" is pollution. Effective environmental protection, not junk science, can reduce the disparity between healthy living in Louisville and most of the rest of the nation.
John I. Gilderbloom recently accepted a position as Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Louisville while he still Directs the Center for Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods. http://sun.louisville.edu.
Advertisement
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 1: Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) speaks during a news conference at the National Press Club, May 1, 2016, in Washington, DC. Sanders' April fundraising numbers, which were released on Sunday, show he raised $25.8 million, down 40 percent from the previous month. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Bernie Sanders will become Democratic nominee, primarily because Hillary Clinton is a brilliant individual, and far too intelligent to simply use a private server for "convenience." While a former U.S. attorney general has already made the case for Clinton indictments, every defense from "legal scholars" ignores one obvious fact: Clinton didn't own the server merely for convenience. There was a political motive, and the same experience in politics lauded by supporters ensures that circumventing U.S. government networks had a specific purpose.
Furthermore, the Espionage Act has a clause stating "gross negligence" (President Obama stated there was "carelessness" involved) is enough to prosecute anyone mishandling state secrets.
Advertisement
If you combine the fact that Clinton's excuse of convenience is most likely an overt lie, along with the "gross negligence" clause, then it's easy to see why Democrats must rally around Bernie Sanders. I explain to Hillary supporters why this email fiasco is very simple to understand in the following YouTube segment. These issues are straightforward, not difficult to comprehend, and I also highlight why Clinton likely faces indictments in this YouTube segment.
If you want a great summary from an IT perspective, Tim Black of Tim Black TV has a brilliant segment titled Hillary Clinton's Email Investigation Just Went Thermonuclear.
The actual Espionage Act "gross negligence" passage is worded in the following manner:
(f)Whoever, being entrusted with or having lawful possession or control of any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, note, or information, relating to the national defense, (1) through gross negligence permits the same to be removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of his trust, or to be lost, stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, or (2) having knowledge that the same has been illegally removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of its trust, or lost, or stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, and fails to make prompt report of such loss, theft, abstraction, or destruction to his superior officer-- Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
Every defense of Clinton's emails assumes that there was no intent, or motive, to circumvent U.S. government computer networks.
In reality, Hillary Clinton is too intelligent to simply claim "convenience." Clinton intended to circumvent government networks, for the purpose of hiding information, knowing that Top Secret data shouldn't be anywhere else other than government servers.
Most importantly, "gross negligence" or carelessness isn't a defense. It's the basis for prosecution.
Also, there were 31,830 deleted emails, that Clinton's team destroyed. This too, falls under the Espionage Act, since as it's written, classified intelligence can't be "lost, stolen, abstracted, or destroyed" through "gross negligence."
If only one government document was deleted, guess what happens?
Last year, the reasons Clinton could face Espionage Act indictments were highlighted in great detail within a Huffington Post piece titled How Hillary Clinton Could Be Targeted Under The Espionage Act:
The relevant section of the law says that it is a crime to retain classified material. Clinton, for her part, said Tuesday that she did not send classified information from the personal address, and that the server she used was protected by the secret service and suffered no security breaches. The Justice Department leveled just that charge against NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake and James Hitselberger, a former Navy linguist who sent classified documents to an archive at the Hoover Institution. ...There are two big hurdles to making such a determination in Clinton's case, said Steven Aftergood, who heads the Federation of Americans Scientists' Project on Government Secrecy. Officials have said it does not appear as if Clinton discussed classified matters over email, and the secretary of state has broad latitude to decide what is classified.
While American whistleblowers are sent to jail, Clinton likely broke the same laws. First, we now know that Clinton had 22 Top Secret emails stored on her private server. Second, we know that hackers in foreign nations already tried to hack into her server. Third, we know a Romanian hacker ("Guccifer") was recently extradited to the U.S. and successfully hacked into the email of Clinton's confidant. Fourth, and most importantly, Clinton communicated with the White House, and President Obama, via her private server.
As explained in POLITICO, "As State Department releases the latest batch, the White House is trying to hold back the release of Clinton's emails with Obama."
For all of these reasons, and more, I explain in this YouTube segment why the FBI's reputation is at stake with Clinton's emails.
While Bryan Pagliano was recently granted immunity, "Guccifer" should also be given immunity if he can help with this investigation. Guccifer's role in this scandal is highlighted in a POLITICO piece titled Trial set for suspect who allegedly hacked Bush family, Sidney Blumenthal:
Advertisement
Marcel Lazar, alleged to be the hacker known as "Guccifer," entered a not guilty plea... Lazar's actions may have resulted in the first public disclosure of Clinton's private email address in 2013, when the hacker using the name "Guccifer" obtained access to an AOL account used by Sidney Blumenthal, a former White House adviser to President Bill Clinton who frequently traded back-channel intelligence, diplomatic messages and political gossip with Hillary Clinton during her tenure as secretary of state. ...He did apparently obtain access to Blumenthal's account, leaking some of his exchanges with Clinton and prompting her to change her email address.
It's feasible that a hacker could have gained access to Clinton's account, via the email of a close confidant. Remember, as stated in POLITICO, others "traded back-channel intelligence, diplomatic messages and political gossip with Hillary Clinton during her tenure as secretary of state."
But how was Clinton to know that a hacker would hack into a friend's email account, thus posing a risk to U.S. national security?
Again, gross negligence, or carelessness, isn't an excuse. Under the law, if you're Secretary of State and you're so careless, that you allow state secrets to be compromised, then you could face repercussions from the Espionage Act.
Furthermore, Clinton knowingly sent and received classified information, as Secretary of State. First, did Hillary Clinton really believe she'd never receive Top Secret intelligence, on her private server? It would be impossible to perform the tasks of Secretary of State.
Second, the NSA denied her request for a secure Blackberry. This state of affairs is described in a CBS article titled Emails show NSA rejected Hillary Clinton's request for secure smartphone:
Advertisement
WASHINGTON -- Newly released emails show a 2009 request to issue a secure government smartphone to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was denied by the National Security Agency. ... "We began examining options for (Secretary Clinton) with respect to secure 'BlackBerry-like' communications," wrote Donald R. Reid, the department's assistant director for security infrastructure. "The current state of the art is not too user friendly, has no infrastructure at State, and is very expensive."
Reid wrote that each time they asked the NSA what solution they had worked up to provide a mobile device to Obama, "we were politely told to shut up and color."
Thus, the NSA didn't want Clinton to use a Blackberry. When the NSA says you can't use a device, and you use the device anyway, then you've knowingly jeopardized classified data.
Of course, according to CBS News, "The following month, in March 2009, Clinton began using private email accounts accessed through her BlackBerry to exchange messages with her top aides."
Hillary Clinton used a Blackberry without NSA approval.
What could go wrong?
Since we don't know the real reasons Clinton had the server, it's only logical that Bernie Sanders is the true Democratic front-runner, regardless of delegate count. In the 2016 Democratic Primary, it's never been about delegate count; it's the fact Bernie Sanders has created a progressive political revolution, and isn't linked to an FBI investigation.
As for the Espionage Act, the Top Secret data and deleted emails constitute not only carelessness, but "gross negligence" and perhaps far more. Ultimately, the great thing about Bernie Sanders is that he beats Trump by a much wider margin than Clinton, as I explain on CNN International and CNN New Day. He can also type an email without scandal, which is why Democrats must rally around Vermont's Senator sooner than later.
Small businesses play an important role in the United States by creating over 50% of the private jobs and by infusing hundreds of millions of dollars into our country's economy. And while several small businesses are being honored this week during the Small Business Administration (SBA) National Small Business Week for their achievements and great contributions to their respective communities, the truth is a significant amount of small business owners are facing challenges that seem insurmountable and many are struggling to make good decisions for their businesses to survive.
Lack of capital is often cited as the main reason for a small business failing. While cash is vital for success, from my interactions with small businesses across the country in my workshops, one-on-one meetings and keynotes, many small business owners are unsure how to handle tough problems because they lack vision and do not have a written plan on achieving their business goal.
With free and low cost resources as shown in the list below, small businesses can obtain assistance in creating cash flow projections, developing growth plans, receive training or simply request a retired executive to lend an ear and practical advice.
Advertisement
To encourage those small business owners to continue to reach for their dreams (#DreamSmallBiz) by tapping available help, below are the top seven resources to help conquer small business problems and grow
Small Business Administration - The SBA is a no cost and valuable resource which is funded through your federal tax dollars. Under the leadership of Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet, the SBA has elevated its game in providing information on how to obtain financing, in educational development and with one-on-one counseling. For more information, visit www.sba.gov.
Chambers of Commerce - Chambers of commerce have been around for centuries and started in the United States in the mid 1700's. Chambers are comprised of large to small businesses and have a focus on developing and promoting the interest of their business members. There are chambers of commerce for women owned businesses, for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, and Transgender owned business, Asian owned businesses and for many more types of businesses. Chambers offer a wealth of information, business connections and other benefits for small businesses. To locate a chamber of commerce in your area, visit www.officialusa.com/stateguides/chambers/
Peer-to-peer Learning Programs like the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses offer small business owners with a safe environment to share and get ideas on tackling problems and creating a written 3-year growth plan with a clear vision to propel small businesses to next level. This is a proven model that has shifted many small businesses from the brink and this program provides a plethora of networking with other Goldman Sachs 10,000 small business cohorts across the U.S. For more information, visit www.goldmansachs.com/citizenship/10000-small-businesses/US/
Advertisement
Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) - When corporations like ConstantContact.com started and eventually grew their business by learning from the resources of retired experts and then developed a strategic partnership with SCORE then it behooves other small business owners lacking the understanding on the components of business to use this valuable resource to help mold your small business's success plan. For more information, visit score.org.
Three other resources include the following: Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC), Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) , and you can contact your local City and State Small Business Departments for assistance in tackling problems. In Houston, small businesses can visit the City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity Solutions Center.
NASA has selected 20 small satellites from 12 states to fly as auxiliary payloads aboard rockets planned to launch in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Launch opportunities will be available via existing launch services of government payloads, as well as dedicated CubeSat launches from the newly selected Venture Class Launch Services contracts. The proposed CubeSats come from educational institutions, universities (including Rowan University), non-profit organizations and NASA field centers.
CubeSats are a class of research spacecraft called nanosatellites. The cube-shaped satellites measure about 4 inches on each side, have a volume of about 1 quart and weigh less than 3 pounds each.
The selections are part of the seventh round of the agency's CubeSat Launch Initiative. After launch, the satellites will conduct technology demonstrations, educational research or science missions. The selected spacecraft are eligible for placement on a launch manifest after final negotiations, depending on the availability of a flight opportunity. The organizations sponsoring satellites are:
Atmospheric & Space Technology Research Associates, Boulder, Colo. -Scintillation Observations and Response of The Ionosphere to Electrodynamics (SORTIE) CubeSat is a scientific investigation mission to advance understanding of ionospheric irregularities and the roles of various drivers in their formation in order to improve predictive capabilities.
Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah - Passive Inspection CubeSat (PICS) is a technology demonstration mission of a spacecraft capable of performing inspection, maintenance and assembly on another spacecraft. It will demonstrate ultrafast booting and power-up operation of system electronics and the low-risk inspection of the exterior of a spacecraft by a passive, flyaway probe. The two flight systems deployed simultaneously will enable the collection of image data from each other as well as the parent spacecraft.
California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo - EXOCUBE is a technology demonstration mission of a mass spectrometer sensor suite, EXOS, into low-Earth orbit to measure neutral and ionized species in the exosphere and thermosphere. Mass Spectrometer Incoherent Scatter models are essential in Earth system science and upper atmosphere composition.
Carthage College, Kenosha, Wis. - Canopy Near-IR Observing Project (CaNOP) is a science Investigation mission to develop a CubeSat-based remote sensing platform for performing multispectral imaging of global forests to help understand large-scale biomass production and carbon uptake in both mature and harvested forests.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. - CubeSat Infrared Atmospheric Sounder (CIRAS) is a technology demonstration mission of three key infrared (IR) sensing and cryogenic technologies designed to reduce the size and cost of future space-borne IR remote-sensing instruments. It will advance the technology readiness level of the High Operating Temperature Barrier Infrared Detector, Coaxial Micro Pulse Tube CyroCooler and the Mid-Wavelength Infrared Radiance Grating Spectrometer to a seven.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. - RainCube is a technology validation mission to demonstrate the operation and performance of a miniaturized Ka-band Atmospheric Radar for CubeSats (miniKaAR-C) in the space environment on a low-cost, quick-turnaround platform. This mission will validate a new architecture for Ka-band radars and an ultra-compact deployable Ka-band antenna in a space environment. This new instrument will enable constellation missions and potentially transform climate science and weather forecasting.
MIT Lincoln Labs, Lexington, Mass. - Micro-size Microwave Atmospheric Satellite CubeSat (MicroMAS-2b) is a technology demonstration mission that will validate new ultra-compact and low-power technology for CubeSat-sized microwave radiometers and validate operational high-performance cross-track scanner technology and CubeSat attitude control and stabilization. It will raise the technology readiness level of the radiometer and scanner from five to seven.
Michigan Technological University, Houghton - The Stratus CubeSat mission is a science investigation to deploy and demonstrate a low-cost CubeSat platform capable of measuring cloud fraction, cloud top height and cloud top wind with performance comparable to the best data obtained from NASA's flagship Earth-observing spacecraft. Cloud properties are important for the energy budget of the Earth, as both incoming sunlight and outgoing thermal radiation are sensitive to cloud variables.
NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. - The Global Network of Swarms (GNS) is a technology demonstration mission of swarm-networking algorithms using eight small, chip-based spacecraft called Basic Electronic Elements or BEEs provided by Swarm Technologies LLC. These flat, single-board spacecraft are fully autonomous and capable of forming radio frequency networked nodes in space. Swarms or constellations of BEEs can relay data in real time and can create global, space-based relay networks for scientific, industrial and government applications.
NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. - Shields-1 CubeSat is a technology demonstration of environmentally durable space hardware to increase the technology readiness level of new commercial hardware through performance validation in the relevant space environment. It incorporates three experiments: vault electronics, charge dissipation film resistance and vault shielding development that will provide radiation and operational data from the inner proton and outer electron belt regions.
New Mexico State University, Las Cruces - Ionospheric Neutron Content Analyzer (INCA) is a scientific investigation mission that will study the latitude and time dependencies of the neutron spectrum in low-Earth orbit for the first time to improve current space weather models and mitigate threats to space and airborne assets. The measurements will come from a new directional neutron spectrometer, which is being developed in conjunction with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of New Hampshire.
North Idaho STEM Charter Academy, Rathdrum - DaVinci is an educational mission that will teach students about radio waves, aeronautical engineering, space propulsion and geography by sending a communication signal to schools around the world.
Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, Idaho - MakerSat-0 is a technology demonstration mission of a 3-D printed CubeSat, which contains common satellite power, control, computing and radio communication tasks connected to four science boards. Eventually, the MakerSat system will allow students to do open-source design and programming of space science experiments from their own MakerSpace and load them onto generic MakerSat science boards aboard the space station for later deployment.
The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio - CubeSat Radiometer Radio Frequency Interface Technology (CubeRRT) is a technology demonstration mission that will validate advanced technologies for Earth remote sensing in space by conducting radiometer radio frequency interference technology validation. It is a space-borne technology readiness level seven demonstration of real-time mitigation of radio frequency interference.
Rowan University, Glassboro, N.J. - MemSat is a technology demonstration to fly a memristor evaluation payload to characterize and compare the behavior of memristor memory devices against standard, silicon-based memory technologies to determine potential advantages and/or disadvantages of memristors for space applications. Memristors are electronic devices in which information is stored in the resistance state of the device and can be retained during power-off modes, allowing for energy efficient power shutoff as well as system resiliency in power failures.
SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif. - The Ionospheric Scintillation Explorer (ISX) is a space weather investigation to better understand the physics of naturally occurring Equatorial Spread F ionospheric irregularities by deploying a passive ultra-high frequency radio scintillation receiver. Plasma irregularities are naturally occurring ionospheric structures that can significantly degrade the performance of satellite-based communication and navigation systems.
United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. - RSat is part of a technology demonstration mission to provide an in-orbit mobile platform to survey and possibly repair a much larger, conventional spacecraft. This component of the system comprises a 3U CubeSat with two 60 cm, 7 degree-of-freedom robotic arms fitted with claws and is intended to demonstrate diagnostic and repair capabilities by validating five robotic functions in orbit.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, La. - The Cajun Advanced Picosatellite Experiment (CAPE-3) is an educational mission that will fly the Smartphone CubeSat Classroom, which allows anyone with a smartphone to set up a ground station with a kit. Interactive educational activities will give students the ability to interact with the CubeSat via an app on their smartphone and use their smartphone to design their own CubeSat experiments.
Utah State University, Logan, Utah - Compact Infrared Radiometer in Space (CIRiS) is a technology demonstration mission of an imaging radiometer instrument for the 7 to 13 um infrared wavelength range. It will raise the technology readiness level of the new uncooled detector and carbon nanotube source from level 5 to 6, enabling future reduced cost missions to study the hydrologic cycle, characterization of ocean/atmosphere interactions vegetation and land use management.
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. - RadFXSat-2 is a technology demonstration mission to advance the state of the art in understanding the effects of space radiation on electronic components. It will demonstrate a short interval, cost-effective, on-orbit platform for enhanced qualification of components for space flight. The data collected will be used to validate and improve computer models used to predict radiation tolerance of integrated circuits.
To date, the CubeSat Launch Initiative has selected 125 CubeSats from 32 states and has launched 43 CubeSats as part of the agency's Launch Services Program's Educational Launch of Nanosatellite (ELaNa) Missions. This past year, five separate ELaNa missions ferried 13 CubeSats to orbit, including the first CubeSat from the state of Alaska; the first CubeSat built by a tribal college, Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, Mont.; and the first CubeSat built by an elementary school, St. Thomas More Cathedral School of Arlington, Va. This year, the agency made selections from New Jersey and Idaho, two states that had not previously been selected by the CubeSat Launch Initiative.
For more information on NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative, visit go.nasa.gov/CubeSat_initiative.
It is easy to fall in love with Charlotte.
Charlotte is a captivating place; a modern and a quiet urban city with a solid financial network of banks and well-preserved historical neighborhoods. It seems to have been pulled out from a children's book. However, the book is including a new chapter to its story. The story is now embracing the growing community of Latinos which is not only changing demographically, but it is also changing the town's view on bilingualism.
Having been able to travel to Charlotte almost every month in the last four years, I have been able to see how much the Latino community has grown. It used to be very difficult to find someone of my own ethnicity, but today I have seen how the city has been evolving shyly but steadily into a multicultural place.
According to researchers, Hispanics are an important ethnic group in rural places of North Carolina. Moreover, they are increasingly moving from rural to urban areas. The highest percentages of Hispanics are overly represented in small towns and cities across the state.
Advertisement
'I suspect without Hispanic in-migration many of these small towns would be emptying out, losing population. Hispanics play an important role in many economic needs of rural N.C. statewide,' pointed out John Chesser, a researcher and author of 'Hispanics in N.C.: Big numbers in small towns'.
As we can acknowledge, Latinos are not just exploring new job opportunities in Charlotte, but they are also discovering a safe environment to resettle and raise their families.
This rapid growth of a new ethnic group within the community has forced them to re-evaluate their current education curriculum. Recently, I have been surprised by a new heading that The Charlotte Observer newspaper published in their article last week,"Bilingual Learning of Latino Children Grows". Despite of whether we agree or not , the whole concept about "bilingualism" in this community lacks substance.
I couldn't be happier to realize that the story supports my own thesis that Charlotte is becoming a more multiracial community, thus forcing the board of education to take action upon their multiracial students. It has been prognosticated that in less than a decade, Charlotte will be overflowing with multi ethnicity groups.
Advertisement
As a result, education is becoming a true challenge for Charlotte authorities, especially in Mecklenburg. This county has the highest numbers of immigrants that come mostly from Mexico.
According to The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte-Mecklenburg School has nearly 17,000 of its students coming from a household whose primary language is Spanish. "Most of the students were born in the United States, but their parents weren't," stated Marc Price, The Charlotte Observer reporter.
Some programs and nonprofit organizations have identified the need and the priority to help Hispanic families achieve a better integration within the school system and cope with other social structures as well.
However, the task is not easy for those groups pursuing the initiatives. One of the first obstacles they are facing is the immigrants' fears. A significant number of Latinos are living in the shadows with no legal status in the country, thus struggling everyday with a strenuous issue like deportation.
Hoping that with time things might be better for them, immigrants are currently enjoying programs that have been oriented to their needs. La Escuelita at The Church of the Holy Comforter has launched a Spanish-English immersion program for English and Spanish speaking preschoolers that will allow them to learn together in both languages, maintained The Charlotte Observer.
Advertisement
Another innovative project is Creciendo Juntos (Growing Together) -- launched last January at Charlotte Bilingual Preschool-- a series of parenting classes for Latinos whose children are too young for preschool.
'The program is also working to bring Latino parents out of the shadows and into the broader community. In doing so, Creciendo Juntos intends to prepare them for the challenges of an English speaking school system,' emphasized The Charlotte Observer.
Joanne Stratton Tate, head of Charlotte Bilingual Preschool, explained to the newspaper, that this approach is much needed in order to deal with the growing of Latino parents wanting to enroll their children in school.
US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses the California Republican Party 2016 Convention in Burlingame, California, April 29, 2016. Hundreds of protesters jostled with police in riot gear outside a California hotel where Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump was to give a speech, forcing the candidate to duck into a back entrance. / AFP / GABRIELLE LURIE (Photo credit should read GABRIELLE LURIE/AFP/Getty Images)
The suffering of extremely religious therapists whose faith calls upon them to turn away LGBT clients keeps too many of us awake at night.
Seriously, though, this is what Republicans, in Tennessee at least, think they should be spending their time on? Tennessee's not alone either. Mississippi and North Carolina have also passed laws recently that--in the guise of addressing such pressing issues as the freedom of wedding cake bakers and the supposed rash of bathroom gender impersonators--further demonstrate the Republican Party's obsession with discriminating against the gays. House Republicans, at least those on the Armed Services Committee, don't want to be left out of the fun either. One locality, however, takes the proverbial gay wedding cake. Oxford, Alabama will now punish an adult (other than one accompanying a small child) who goes into the "wrong" bathroom with either a $500 fine or six months in jail.
Advertisement
Here's the thing: Those policies are far from the top of the list of priorities our politicians should be addressing, at least according to the American people--and that includes conservatives. Gallup does a monthly, open-ended poll asking: "What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today?" The issue of religious liberty doesn't register at all, and the broader category of "religious decline"--even with Gallup lumping it together with "moral and ethical decline" (the latter of which could certainly include progressives and others who would recoil at anti-LGBT discrimination)--averaged only a few percent between January and April.
How about the question of how important the positions of the presidential candidates are to voters? Gallup tackled that one as well earlier this year, listing 15 issues and asking voters whether they considered them either extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not important. For Republicans specifically, "social issues such as abortion and gay rights" scored second from the bottom. Only climate change scored lower, but that's an issue for another day.
Finally, another Gallup poll from this January found that 60 percent of Americans--including a majority (54 percent) of Republicans--are either very or somewhat satisfied with the "acceptance of gays and lesbians in the nation." That overall rate of satisfaction is up from 41 percent to 60 percent in just the last four years. This poll, remember, was conducted before the most recent spate of anti-LGBT laws, and thus reflects the environment after the Supreme Court decision recognizing marriage equality as a constitutional right.
Yet somehow, in state after state, Republican elected officials are pushing hard in the opposite direction, a direction even those voters participating in the GOP nomination contest seem to reject. That's what I've been thinking about this week, after Tennessee stepped up to protect the right of therapists to abandon all compassion.
Advertisement
As important as the passage of that law was, the biggest political story of the week was Donald Trump's dominant performance on Tuesday night--his victories in five out of five states and his capture of virtually all the delegates therefrom. So, is Mr. Trump in sync with the Republican-run governments of Tennessee, Mississippi, and North Carolina on anti-LGBT discrimination? Nope.
Late last week, Trump criticized the North Carolina law specifically, and characterized it as "discriminatory." He later added that the country had bigger problems to face and, although he called the matter something to be addressed by "local communities and states" rather than the federal government, he didn't change his personal take that the law was a bad idea.
Ted Cruz, on the other hand, thought he saw an opening, and attacked. He put up an ad that asks: "Should a grown man pretending to be a woman be allowed to use the women's restroom? The same restroom used by your daughter? Your wife? Donald Trump thinks so." It then plays a clip of Trump on the North Carolina law: "People go -- they use the bathroom that they feel is appropriate." Then the ad hits Trump again: "It's not appropriate. It's not safe. It's PC nonsense that's destroying America. Donald Trump won't take on the PC police. He's one of them."
Let's not touch the absurdity of calling Donald Trump politically correct. Moving on, Cruz apparently couldn't resist going further, offering the following last Sunday: "If Donald Trump dresses up as Hillary Clinton, he still can't go to the girls' bathroom." It's doubtful America's stand up comics are quaking in fear over their newest competitor for laughs.
Cruz has been making "religious liberty" an issue for a while now. He is advised by a "Religious Liberty Advisory Council," which helped him craft a 15-point plan chock full of goodies that essentially enshrine into law the fundamentalist Christian viewpoints on LGBT and women's rights.
Advertisement
For example, echoing the North Carolina and Mississippi laws that allow discrimination, the Cruz plan would "rescind Executive Order 13672 -- an order that requires certain federal contractors to not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity." In the name of religious liberty, he proposes to all but establish conservative Christian doctrine as our state religion.
How has Cruz's focus on sticking it to gay people worked out in the past few weeks? Oh yeah, he's had his clock cleaned six states in a row, while Donald Trump may well have locked up the Republican nomination. Nevertheless, Cruz is keeping this attack up in Indiana, where a Trump victory would likely seal the deal completely.
Make no mistake, Donald Trump is a dangerous man. I've called him a fascist. Saying that his views on LGBT discrimination are better than those of Ted Cruz is an awfully low bar to clear. My point is that he is winning the race for the Republican nomination because -- whether the GOP establishment wants to admit it or not -- he is the candidate most directly addressing the issues that Republican primary voters care about. Of course, his solutions -- from immigration to trade to terrorism and on down the line -- range from incoherent to horrifically destructive.
I hesitated for a while before writing this. I thought what I am going to say here maybe nothing new.
Nonetheless, I am writing this with a belief that recalling some facts which may have been forgotten or misunderstood would be necessary at this juncture.
Regarding Japan, several things are said:
Japan is a free rider and not paying sufficient dues in defense.
Japan is actually bearing a major part of the U.S. forces stationing cost which would amount to nearly 2 billion dollars yearly. I presume the figure would be by far the No.1 in the world.
Advertisement
The fact that Japan is not required to defend the U.S. whereas the U.S. is obliged to defend Japan is not fair.
In return for the U.S. obligation to defend Japan, under mutually agreed security arrangements, the U.S. is granted the use of facilities and areas in Japan for the maintenance of international peace and security in the Far East. Moreover, the interpretation of the constitution was recently changed so that Japan can exercise the right of collective self-defense. Japan introduced new security legislation last year to this effect.
The US should take an ambiguous attitude if Japanese Senkaku islands are attacked by other countries.
Strategic ambiguity means not to give assurances to two sides so as to keep both sides from taking adventurous steps. The U.S. is said to be taking such stance regarding Taiwan situation. But alliance is a totally different issue. It is based on the notion that clear commitments would deter opponents to take offensive actions. Any ambiguity would undermine the credibility of the alliance. Japan appreciates the fact that bipartisan commitment by the U.S. consecutive administrations has been expressed unequivocally regarding the security of these islands. Japan is determined to continue its defense-oriented security policy as long as the US remains a credible partner. The Japanese market is closed to American products such as automobiles and the US is accumulating deficit from trade with Japan.
Advertisement
These are arguments often heard in the 80s. Back then, 70 percent of the US trade deficit came from trade with Japan. Now it's below 10 percent. Japanese industries have changed their policies and started to manufacture products in the U.S. They are hiring more than 700,000 employees directly in the States. It is true that not too many big American cars are seen in Japan. But smaller European cars are sought after as they fit narrow streets of Japanese cities. It is not a trade barrier issue. It is a market demand issue.
Having pointed about above facts, let me underline that we in Japan have great respect for the American role in the world after WWII.
Your founding fathers' philosophy such as freedom, democracy and human rights are now accepted in many quarters of the world as common values.
We fervently adhere to these principles.
The U.S. has been bravely leading the fight against terrorism. You have our support and admiration.
Japan was helped immensely by Americans during the disaster 5 years ago. I know that because I was in DC and was a channel between two countries.
Advertisement
More than 70 percent of Japanese think the U.S. is a credible partner and the same portion of Americans feel affinity towards Japan. We have built up such incredible trust relations in the last 70 years.
In its report on a Denver judge's decision to allow U.S. Senate candidate Jon Keyser on the Republican primary ballot, after the Secretary of State had rejected his petitions, The Denver Post's John Frank and Mark Matthews reported:
Once considered a favorite in the race, Keyser must now overcome other challenges that are injecting questions into this campaign -- not least among them, the fact he needed a court ruling to keep his campaign alive. [BigMedia emphasis]
It's unclear just how much of a liability Keyser's signature-gathering fiasco will be, but the reporters were correct to write that it raises questions--as yet unexplored in detail by journalists--about whether Keyser's short stint on the campaign trail and in public service has shown him to be competent not only to run a campaign but to be an effective U.S. Senator, to replace Democrat Michael Bennet.
Advertisement
Keyser's Republican colleague in the Colorado State House, Rep. Justin Everett of Littleton, jumped on Facebook last week to write that Keyser "isn't ready for prime time," as evidenced by Keyer's fundraing troubles and other bungles.
Everett: Not to say he won't cure, suers gonna sue. But what's interesting here is how close he was in Congressional District 1 (20 signatures), in heavily Republican CD5 (a mere 76 signatures), and CD 6 (75 signatures). If another candidate were to contest the validity of those Congressional Districts, he may be deemed insufficient in other areas. Not to mention his announcement claim that he had $3 million pledged to his campaign but only raised $200K, while contributing $100K of his own money. After serving with him for a mere year in the legislature, it is still pretty clear he isn't ready for prime time...
Everett was a serious backer of one of Keyser's opponents, State. Sen. Tim Neville, also of Littleton, who was rejected by Republicans last week.
Still, in saying,"After serving with [Keyser] for a mere year in the legislature, it is still pretty clear he isn't ready for prime time," Everett is leveling a serious accusation.
Advertisement
With this year's college graduation ceremonies on the near horizon, employers are once again tuning in to how best to attract and retain the new workforce generation.
Guy Berger, PhD, Economist at LinkedIn, and Gloria Yang, Senior Associate of Business Operations Analytics at LinkedIn, recently evaluated LinkedIn user data and extrapolated that "job-hopping" is increasing steadily over time.
This particular analysis of millennial retention speaks to a larger issue: employers must adjust corporate values, workplace environment, and team structures to stay competitive. Integrating corporate education into a company's strategic goals is the way to enact these needed changes and create and maintain an agile business.
Advertisement
By investing in corporate learning, employers have the power to address millennial retention in three key areas: talent attraction; job readiness; and culture change.
Corporate Learning for Talent Attraction
PwC's major survey of millennials in the workplace investigated what this population seeks in a job. Apart from opportunities for advancement and competitive compensation, the survey pointed to one top priority: training and development.
Corporate learning has been critically under-leveraged in the race to attract millennial talent.
Millennials want to know whether they will have the opportunity to develop a strong set of competencies and transferable skills that can not only be useful now, for their current employer, but in the future, as well, as their careers advance. They are considering their future career trajectories and committing to working now for companies that will support that priority--whether they end up staying or leaving.
In my book, Learning to Succeed: Rethinking Corporate Education in a World of Unrelenting Change, I profile Melissa, a 27-year-old computer programmer with multiple Ivy League degrees. With her education, experience, and skill set, she was highly sought-after as a prospective employee.
Advertisement
The primary question in Melissa's mind when searching for opportunities was whether her new employer would help her learn what she needed to know to be prepared for a position in senior management; would she have access to training that enhanced her leadership, negotiations and communications skills so that she could progress in her career?
She compared reputational values to make her choice: which companies had strong rankings in terms of developing people? Which were featured in the media or in journals? What did her network think about specific organizations? She chose a tech/media company reputed to be strong in training and learning, and has to date stayed there for five years.
Corporate Learning for Job Readiness
Moreover, high turnover hurts attraction and retention. Job cultures that have a reputation for extracting the best from their employees, only to replace them with more highly skilled and developed workers later, are perceived as far less attractive than those that have a reputation for injecting the best in transferrable skills and career development direction for their pool on a consistent basis.
A second example from Learning to Succeed speaks to the importance of corporate learning for job readiness, for the benefit of both employer and employee.
Jeff was an administrative assistant for a partner in a Chicago-based national accounting firm. His division experienced tremendous growth, and so part of Jeff's added responsibility in expanding the firm was to source job applicants. Jeff's responsibility with the recruiting effort escalated beyond the intended scope. Since his experience and skills with the leading social media applications was limited, Jeff struggled to source, sort, analyze, and communicate with the pool. He proved to be less than effective with the hiring project and, in the process, sacrificed quality on his baseline projects and responsibilities as well. Jeff was replaced.
The impact on Jeff was clearly devastating. The impact on the organization was more significant than expected, given the time involved to onboard a new person into a complex and nuanced culture. If Jeff's older firm had helped Jeff develop a new skillset at the outset of this process, a proper course of training would have been assessed and implemented to support the strategic recruiting effort--and Jeff would have stayed in his job.
Advertisement
Corporate Learning for Culture Change
Corporate learning not only addresses the hard skills--it can also address culture. Corporate learning guides people, particularly people of different generations, to work better together. And corporate learning can guide company culture to become a more attractive place to work.
Take an example of a startup that, at first, failed to curate its cross-generational teams, then enacted a culture-focused workshop that helped right the ship.
This software startup launched a next generation messaging app. To increase the security of its messaging platform, its leadership agreed to merge with a well-established encryption company. The average age of the engineers at the start-up was only 23, while the average age of the engineers at the encryption company was nearly 40. This created an unanticipated culture gap between the two sets of engineers, which interfered with the integration of the units. Each unit had age-linked differences in approaches to time management, collaboration, strategic goals, and work habits. It became apparent that the two engineering teams were having difficulty working together.
As a result, productivity suffered. The learning professional in the encryption company proposed a three-day offsite workshop designed to address the culture gap by encouraging a focus on shared interests, goals, and commitment to results. After the session, there was a notable improvement in cooperation and morale that led to increased productivity. The investment in the logistics of the workshop, a concrete cost, and the lost time in the office of key staff members, a less concrete cost, paid off. The effort integrated both teams into one engineering department and facilitated the design of secure, new products.
More and more women who, after taking two or more years off of work to stay at-home to raise their kids, were contacting me seeking support to re-enter the workforce. Their reasons varied: their kids were in school, their marriage was on unsteady ground and they wanted financial security, work was a core part of their identity and they missed the collaboration for a higher purpose, and so on.
A woman's prolonged transition back into the workplace was often not easy, and it took its toll on her self-esteem. Many female clients and mom-friends were facing massive pay and title reductions while others struggled to even get interviews. Technological advancement had outpaced seasoned experience for many.
Kerry Dolan, Founder of OptIn (www.OptBackIn.com) experienced these set-backs first-hand. She started Optin in California a couple of years ago after facing her own career transition challenges. OptIn is a multi-platform start-up resource for women looking for support as they navigate the challenges when re-entering the workplace.
Advertisement
"When he met me, I was a high-power executive. By the time I thought to go back to work, I had no resources, I had self esteem issues and I'd lost my sense of self. It [work] turned out to be a very big part of who I was. I had lost a big part of me." - Kerry Dolan, Founder, OptIn
Dolan, herself a mom and former successful Manhattan executive in the tech start-up industry for over 15 years, got married and gave up her career a year-and-a-half later when her doctor gave her an ultimatum: "Go on bedrest or your babies are going to die," she says. Dolan spent the next 8 months tending to her delicate identical fetuses, who are now healthy 12 year-old girls.
Work was on the back of her mind even as she nursed her then newborns, but Dolan says, "I couldn't keep my foot in the door at the rate I was used to working. I was used to giving 115% and at the time, it wasn't going to be possible." So she stayed home full-time while her husband worked full-time. The couple went on to have a third child.
"I felt totally trapped. I had even considered taking a job as a dental assistant. My husband reasoned that it wouldn't even pay for the gas and dry-cleaning bills. My self-esteem took a big hit," Dolan boldly acknowledges. Eventually, she and her husband started having marital issues and sought the support of a therapist. Her "aha" moment came when the therapist asked what the conversation around career and staying at home had been like. She realized then there had never been a conversation. After giving birth, she says, "I just kind of fell into being a full-time mom."
Advertisement
Dolan and her husband are now divorced. She contends her not going back to work ruined her marriage. "When he met me, I was a high-power executive. By the time I thought to go back to work, I had no resources. I had self esteem issues and I'd lost my sense of self. It [work] turned out to be a very big part of who I was. I had lost a big part of me."
With two girls of her own, Dolan says she wanted them to know women needed to be independent and financially secure for themselves. Her bigger life's purpose today is to be what she calls a mother's advocate. She envisions a cultural shift around the perceptions of working moms, one state at a time. And this is what she says she hopes to achieve with OptIn, to help women find their way back to work and, for some, their selves. Optin offers a 6 week workshop including interview prep, self-esteem courses and connection to other women like themselves. Dolan notes many of the women are well-educated women who were feeling down on themselves. She says they were grateful for the opportunity to stay at home, but many were not fulfilled the way they had once been in their careers.
Alysia Pearson, a former full-time CNN news employee-turned Master Gardner in Atlanta, Georgia opted for a different approach when she and her husband decided to have children over a decade ago. She said since she and her husband (a fellow CNN employee) were financially stable, they agreed Alysia would stay at home with the kids and, Pearson says, "We agreed if it didn't work, we could figure it out."
Pearson was at home full-time for a year and a half after their first child was born before she realized she wanted to return to work. She said she found full-time mommy-hood isolating, so Pearson picked up freelance writing and producing. She notes she was grateful for the opportunity and that it was a good transition back into the workforce while still being at home with her then-toddler. Eventually Pearson decided to go back to work part-time and the couple gave birth to their second child.
Pearson acknowledges her peeling back to part-time impacted her career. She was now doing less challenging work and for lower pay. But she also says she has no regrets. "It was a conscious choice. My kids and Bryan (Pearson's husband) were my first priority and still are." And she adds, "The only thing I would have done differently is maybe gone back to work part-time sooner. I found it was really good for my 'mommy-brain'...the social aspect outside of the home was key for me."
Advertisement
Jen Levinson, a LA-based online mommy blogger for over 20,000 families throughout the Los Angeles region says she doesn't know if she would have been able to go back to traditional work from a financial position after having her first set of twins. (Now she and her husband have a total of five children.) Levinson notes that when she birthed her first set of twins, like Dolan, she was placed on bedrest for almost 5 months. It was there she founded Jen's List (www.JensList.com).
Levinson says the blog started more as a way to keep her mind busy. "Then my girlfriends started emailing me, so I started creating a group. It went from 5 to 1,0000 in four years without pay. Then I started getting advertisers and now I've been running it for 10 years."
Levinson says she thinks that women do experience difficulty with being a mom and balancing work. "What I see a lot, if the woman does go back to work, they still feel responsible for the home. I take care of all the bills, school, after school stuff...and I still have a job," Levinson says. She adds, "If I didn't have Jen's list, I would not have wanted to go back to work. I am fortunate to be able to work from home and to be my own boss." She says she knows this isn't the case for everyone.
And for those women, Dolan believes she has the answer. "I do believe that a woman, or man, can go back to work 9-3." She says she was working much longer than she was getting paid for when she went back to work before starting Optin. She says she got into the officer earlier and never took an hour to eat or talk at the water cooler like the younger culture did. "That's their social," Dolan says. "I went in, did my task and left. I realized how much more I accomplished in that time than they did."
Dolan acknowledges she must create a whole cultural mind-shift. She says she believes the idea of women in high-ranking positions bringing their kids to the office puts a lot of pressure on women who don't share the same resources. "I didn't have the option to bring my twins and a nanny. That's not what the average woman gets."
Advertisement
Still, Dolan believes that in time, she can pioneer more room for transitional moms. "I spoke to a large male-oriented real estate company in LA and I was surprised how responsive they were. All the projects that need to get done, the current workforce is not staying later to get it done or they get trained and leave the company for more money. Companies are looking to hire some of my mom clients to get these projects done and to stick around. This is where flexibility helps."
While there remains no one right answer for all women today, Levinson notes, if she could have one wish, it would be that we, as a society, would stop judging women for whatever decision they choose about work and motherhood. She says, "Being a good parent is hard enough. I wish more people would just embrace what's right for them and not expect it to be right for everyone."
To that end, I salute all primary caregivers this week with the rest of the country. If you want to treat yourself or your mom with a relaxing and fun gift, check out a few of these affordable ideas for Mothers' Day specials/gifts found in your own neighborhood:
1. beGlammed (www.beGlammed.com) offers 10% on hair and makeup services on-demand in 20 cities nationwide and Toronto. Use promo code MothersDayGlam15 upon checkout.
2. SkinLaundry (www.SkinLaundry.com) offer facials and more. First-timers get a free 15-minute service, with moms getting an anti-aging mask using MOM16 promo code.
Advertisement
3. Birchbox (www.Birchbox.com/gift) is a great way to treat mom year-round with beauty and skin care products delivered straight to her home each month.
4. Soothe (www.soothe.com) offers safe, in-home massages for hard-working ladies and men.
5. ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/americas-10-coolest-mothers-day-brunches) collected some of the best places in metropolitan cities across the country to treat mom to brunch.
May 1 is the decision deadline by which many high school seniors need to select their colleges. Some of these choices will be institutions founded by women! As stated in the 1848 Declaration of Sentiments (the document issued at the first women's rights convention held in Seneca Falls, New York), women were denied an education and it was up to the women to establish institutions where they would be welcome and receive an education comparable to that available to men. Match the woman (all of whom have been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame) with her accomplishment:
____ 1. Her school, established in 1904 in Daytona Beach, Florida with $1.50 is today a coeducational university that carries her name.
____ 2. The founder of Mount Holyoke College. Famous for her saying "Go where no one else will go. Do what no one else will do."
____ 3. She established what became Xavier University, the only black and Catholic university in the U.S.
____ 4. Her bequest established a college that today is her namesake.
A. Mary Lyon
B. Sophia Smith
C. Mary McLeod Bethune
D. Saint Katharine Drexel
At a time when women did not speak in public, Mary Lyon, the founder of Mount Holyoke, did something even more daring - she asked for money so that she could start a school to educate girls. In the middle of a severe economic depression, Lyon was successful and Mount Holyoke Female Seminary opened in the fall of 1837. At that time, there were 120 colleges for men and 0 for women. Demand for the limited spots at Mount Holyoke far outstripped the supply. An educational pioneer, Lyon had proven that women were deserving of and capable of an education equal to that offered to men. The first of the Seven Sisters to exist as an educational institution, Mount Holyoke (which is located in Massachusetts) received its collegiate charter in 1888 and became Mount Holyoke College in 1893. Mount Holyoke students still live by Mary Lyon's mantra "Go where no one else will go. Do what no one else will do."
Advertisement
One of seven siblings, Sophia Smith became very wealthy when the last of her siblings died. Having lost her hearing by the time she was 40, Smith considered establishing a school for the deaf with her inheritance. However, a school for the deaf was endowed upon the death of someone else and she viewed that need as taken care of. Aware that Mount Holyoke Seminary (not yet a college) was in operation neaerby and that educational opportunities for women at the collegiate level were non-existent, Smith decided to leave her funds for "the establishment and maintenance of an Institution for the higher education of young women, with the design to furnish for my own sex means and facilities for education equal to those which are afforded now in our Colleges to young men." She died in 1870. Smith College, one of the Seven Sisters, was chartered in 1871 (in Massachusetts) and the first students entered in 1875.
Considered the most influential black woman in the U.S. for more than thirty years, Mary McLeod Bethune was determined to provide educational opportunities for all blacks, especially women. Born of freed slaves, Bethune attended Scotia Seminary (today Barber-Scotia College) and began teaching. She moved to Daytona Beach, Florida and established her school in 1904 with $1.50. Her initial student population was six students - five girls and her son. By 1923, the Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute had grown to 300 female students and 25 faculty. In 1929, it became Bethune-Cookman College when it merged with the Cookman Institute of Jacksonville, becoming coeducational in the process. Today, Bethune-Cookman University is a tribute to the dedication of Mary McLeod Bethune.
Advertisement
Born in the Philadelphia area, Saint Katharine Drexel learned about philanthropy at an early age. After a meeting in Rome with the Pope, she decided to establish a missionary order that could staff educational institutions that she was funding, primarily for Native Americans and African Americans. In 1891, she founded an order that today is known as the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. In 1894, she headed to Santa Fe, New Mexico to establish a school for Native Americans. The secondary school that she established in New Orleans in 1915 would become Xavier University. By the time of her death, the Sisters had established 49 elementary schools and 12 high schools. Xavier University is the only historical black college or university that is also Catholic.
Learn about more she-roes and celebrate amazing women. These women all understood the importance of education and are among the more than 850 women profiled in the book Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America. I am grateful for their efforts and proud to stand on their shoulders.
Gold Butte Culture Walk See Gallery
Before the sun has risen, a line of vehicles crosses rural Nevada's Virgin River heading to a gravel parking area at the head of narrow and winding New Gold Butte Road. Coinciding with Earth Day, the indigenous Moapa Band of Paiute along with local environmental protection groups have organized an 11-mile Culture Walk to raise awareness of the damage being done to the culturally important and environmentally sensitive area of Gold Butte.
There is still an early morning chill in the air as flag standards are lined up representing the Moapa Band of Paiute, Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, Shivwits Band and Paiute Indian Tribes of Utah. The Maori Tino Rangatiratanga flag from Aotearoa (New Zealand) is also present in support, along with a kiwi contingent.
After a dawn prayer, former Moapa Band Chairman William Anderson speaks of the importance of the Gold Butte area, previously inhabited by the Paiute's nomadic ancestors, the Tudinu, known as the Desert People. The indigenous name for the area is Mah'ha ga doo, (Many Bushes) due to the abundant vegetation found there. Amongst the towering sandstone formations are numerous examples of ancient petroglyphs, telling stories of a deep spiritual connection with the land.
Advertisement
The area is currently in the hands of the Bureau of Land Management, but in part due to disputes over land use and an intimidation campaign of BLM staff, the environment is under threat on numerous fronts. Petroglyphs have been graffitied and used as target practice, with some sections cut out and removed altogether. Burial sites have been violated and delicate vegetation on the desert floor crushed by off-road vehicles. Armed with images showing both the natural beauty of the area, and the damage being done to its cultural sites, Senator Harry Reid is using the Antiquities Act to petition President Obama to designate National Monument status.
Certainly, change has been unmistakable. We have women on the Supreme Court, female Presidential candidates, women CEOs in the Fortune 500 -- well, all 21 of them, anyway -- and a rising generation of female tech wizards. Since 2010, women have outpaced men in graduating from college and even earned more doctoral degrees.
Never mind studies that show women face stiffer wage penalties than men when mounting costs force students to drop out of college to look for work. That means women opt to stay in school even as loan and interest payments balloon, making crippling student debt a particular woman's issue. Still, all those degrees have been a nifty woman's first.
Advertisement
It gets complicated
The problem is that the pace of change remains glacial. Women continue to earn less than men in all ten fields monitored by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of July 2015, including management, professional, service and farming sectors.
Admittedly, little about this issue is easy. Many entwined threads weave the complicated tapestry of women's entrance into business and executive suites, including the demands of family and childcare, deep-rooted social conventions, women's comfort levels and sense of identity, male legislative and economic power and all the other stuff.
But when you pull the root thread of that tapestry, the real culprit for the never-ending gender pay gap turns out to be labor policies established during World War II, which unintentionally sanctioned treating women as second-class citizens. Over time, women's lower status became entrenched and institutionalized.
Unintentional consequences of WWII
It began with a federal directive designed to do just the opposite. The National War Labor Board, made up of representatives from labor, government and management, was formed in January 1942 to smooth any industry problems that might slow war production. Women were streaming onto factory floors to replace men who had been called up to serve.
Advertisement
By the mid-1940s, the workforce consisted of 45% women, up from 24% in the century's early years. Images of patriotic "We Can Do It" Rosie the Riveter flooded wartime culture, but those women earned only about 60% of what men did for the same jobs. In response, and bowing to union concerns that paying women lower wages would permanently undercut salaries for returning men, in November 1942, the NWLB came up with a mandate that reverberates to this day: "Equal pay for equal work" for women workers who replaced men.
Cue "Equal Pay for Equal Work"
However, then came the kicker of a caveat. Presumably playing to the tenor of the times and trying to be equitable, the Board stipulated an exception:
"Where the plant management, in order to meet the necessity of replacing men by women, has rearranged or lightened the job, perhaps with the employment of helpers to do heavy lifting or the like, a study of job content and job evaluation should afford the basis for setting 'proportionate rates for proportionate work.'"
Such "evaluations" were left to employer discretion. So, from the get-go, employers had an unregulated loophole they could drive a truck through -- one that allowed them to create lower-paying and de facto "female tracks." Over time, that loophole solidified into institutionalized justification for women's unequal pay.
Debut the "female track"
After the war, federal and civilian policies permitted employers to fire women to ensure that returning veterans had jobs to support their families. With that dispensation, many companies reinstated prewar policies and refused to hire women, whether out of flag-waving, discomfort or both. Companies that continued to hire women just reclassified jobs, dropped the pay permanently and never looked back.
Advertisement
Two decades after Rosie the Riveter flexed her muscles, women accounted for 37% of the workforce and still earned only 59 cents to every male dollar. By then, "proportionate" terminology had segued into "comparable pay for comparable work" -- and that's been the slippery slope down which equal pay has slid ever since.
What exactly is "comparable work"?
No one seems to know. Later legislation moved in the right direction but passed only as compromise measures. That includes the 1963 Equal Pay Act (actually only an amendment to another labor bill because the business community protested supposed new costs, like women's restrooms) and the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which banned sex discrimination.
Since women's large-scale entry into the workforce in the 1940s, and after 75 years of progress, only 21 more cents, on average, has been added to that "comparable pay" for women, or 80 cents to the male dollar, for white women. Not so much for women of color. In fact, we seem to have hit the wall: That ceiling has been in place since the 1990s.
Establishing girl ghetto industries
One of the most popular explanations for the pay gap, put forward by opponents every time they vote down the Paycheck Fairness Act, is that women simply work in lower-paying fields, such as social work and education.
But Harvard labor economist Claudia Goldin has found that female financial specialists earn 66% of what male counterparts do. For female doctors, it's 71%, and notches up to 82% for female lawyers and judges. The gender pay gap is hardly a chimera of women's "softer" work.
Advertisement
Over time, whenever a field becomes female-dominated, say nursing or teaching or that social work example, salary levels typically drop. That industry turns into a "girl ghetto," like the World War II "female" jobs.
At that point, it's not only women who are being shortchanged. "A persistent wage gap not only cheats women and their families out of the earnings they deserve, but artificially constrains the purchasing power of women, and therefore hampers the American economy as a whole," reports a recent Congressional report overseen by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), called "Invest in Women, Invest in America."
The Hypocrisy of Democracy or When the Glue Comes Undone
As an artist, satirist and activist, I am very fortunate that I live in America. My freedom is never taken for granted and I cherish my rights to criticize the misuse of power. I'm well aware of what happens to people who live in other countries where there is no tolerance for dissent. Not that this is a perfect country... If it were, I would be out of a career!
I read an article by Andrew Sullivan called "Democracies end when they are too democratic", published May 1, 2016, in New York Magazine and I think it's worth sharing. The messages are vital to our democracy.
This article led me to want to share a short story I like to tell every time there's an election. This was told to me by Lew Jain, an old cowboy who lived in Northern Idaho. I met him in 1965, when I spent a summer painting landscapes near Lake Coeur dAlene.
Advertisement
Once upon a time, a very long time ago -- way before people existed -- the world was populated only by dogs. It was very difficult being a dog, because all they did was fight amongst themselves. Consequently, there were homeless dogs; hungry dogs; sick, suffering and dying dogs. Big dogs picked on little dogs. Little dogs picked on littler dogs. It was, in essence, a dog-eat-dog world.
So, after what seemed like an eternity of turmoil, the dogs gradually realized they better do something to change their world. They decided to have a Bow Wow and put an end to their problems by electing a leader. One dog barked, "I think we should elect for our leader the French Poodle, the smartest dog!" A French Poodle seconded the motion, but another dog yipped, "Wait! Just because the French Poodle is a smart dog, he's not a tough dog. He's not as tough as the Doberman or the Pit Bull or the German Shepherd. I say we should elect the German Shepherd as our leader." "Woof woof," barked a German Shepherd, seconding the motion. "Grrrrr," said another dog. "Just because the German Shepherd is a tough dog, he's not as fast as the Whippet or the Saluki or the Greyhound. I say we should elect the Greyhound, the fastest dog, as our leader." "Bow wow!" said a Greyhound seconding the motion.
"You gotta be kidding me," howled another dog, "Just because the Greyhound is the fastest dog, he can't pull the sled like the Huskey." "Wait," said another dog, "He can't swim like the Labrador, he can't smell like the Bloodhound, or do tricks like the Border Collie." And the vicious fighting started all over again.
Advertisement
It seemed none of them could ever agree about who should be their leader. Finally, one little mutt, with a long wet nose, floppy ears and a bushy tail said, "Wait! I know who should be our leader!" All the dogs stopped their fighting, raised their ears and wagged their tails, looking at him as he proclaimed, "We should elect the dog whose asshole smells the sweetest!"
All the dogs barked in agreement and began sniffing each other's butts, looking for their leader. This tradition continues to this day, which is why dogs sniff butts. They're still looking for the asshole that smells the sweetest. And this explains how I've always felt about politics.
This article can also be found on my Art of the Prank blog at http://artoftheprank.com/2016/05/02/when-dogs-ruled-the-world/. For information about ART OF THE PRANK, the new feature documentary film by Andrea Marini about my work, visit http://artoftheprank-themovie.com. For more, visit http://joeyskaggs.com.
The first mistake we must not make in fighting ISIS is to assume the task is simple. The challenge is stupefying in its complexity, involving, among other things, the split between Sunni and Shia Muslims, a bitter history of Western interventions including blowback from America's war in Iraq, overlapping power struggles today among at least six nations, the ongoing political chaos of the Middle East, unrelenting poverty and social and political decay throughout the region, and the power of an ISIS vision that welcomes dying in an apocalyptic battle.
Defeating ISIS demands an approach that is patient, highly sophisticated, and multi-pronged, one tightly focused on their vulnerabilities, and a thorough knowledge of the group's history, intentions, motivations and strategies.
ISIS relies much more on the power of its ideas than on the power of its guns. Their leaders have created a core ideology, mission and message that have been enormously successful in attracting recruits, ongoing fealty and financial support. That ideology combines two of the most powerful yet contradictory ideas in Islam--the return of the 7th century Islamic Empire--and the end of the world. Understanding these two elements is vital to Western strategies.
Advertisement
By tradition, ISIS can credibly declare a rebirth of the Islamic Empire only by holding physical territory governed by a supreme ruler, a caliph--an office that began with Muhammad but had not existed since the last Ottomans in 1924. When ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed himself caliph after the capture of Mosul in June 2014, he was declaring himself the legitimate successor to the Prophet, qualified to demand the allegiance of all Muslims everywhere, Sunni and Shia alike. Anyone who refuses to give their allegiance to Abu Bakr is subject to death, according to ISIS' strict interpretation of Islamic law.
For disenfranchised, desperate Sunni Muslims in the Middle East, this was an earthshaking event. Thousands flocked to join the new caliphate they had only dreamed about, and which not even Osama bin Laden had been rash enough to proclaim. "Rash" because bin Laden knew that the decision to try to control physical territory (as opposed to operating in hidden, mobile small bands as Al Qaeda does) would not only divert scarce resources to the tasks of running hospitals, repairing roads, and managing an economy, it would also make their operations far more vulnerable to airstrikes.
ISIS has chosen to take the path of ancient prophecy rather than this-world practicality. Their apocalyptic narrative goes something like this: the military fortunes of the Islamic State grow and grow, using military ground forces, sleeper cells in Europe--perhaps even stolen nuclear weapons. Terrorist attacks and refugee streams drive a hard wedge between Muslim and infidel populations around the world, so that the Muslims worldwide will have no choice but to join ISIS and become their army, overthrowing local governments. All of this draws infidel armies into a climactic battle at Dabiq in Northern Syria in 2025. The West is defeated and the caliphate is global. But it does not last long. New gods, Gog and Magog, appear and the entire planet is destroyed while all true believers are raptured to heaven. Game over.
Advertisement
It may sound crazy to us, but this vision is enthralling to many young Sunni men who have nothing to lose and are desperate for something great to believe in. They are buying it, signing on for the lead-up operations, and eager for the final battle that will erase the infidels and this earth while they make it to well-earned paradise.
We have to take this vision seriously and plan our strategies accordingly.
A core aim of ISIS is to goad the West into putting boots on their ground for the final battle. We must not bite. Our military choices must be subtle and constrained. We need a stiletto, not a broadsword. Certainly "shock and awe" air attacks or a massive ground invasion in Syria and Iraq would be huge mistakes, and not just because of the intense blowback from the inevitable collateral damage. Such action would be stepping into the ISIS plan, and would provide a big boost to their recruiting as they could say the prophecy was playing out.
Recent reverses on the ground in Syria and Iraq may have set back their timetable for the apocalypse. After losing the symbolic prize of Kobani last year in northeastern Syria, and then the Iraqi city of Tikrit, ISIS has more recently lost large stretches of crucial Syrian territory along the Turkish border to Kurdish fighters backed by American airstrikes. Its hold on Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, has been weakened.
But ISIS is clever and flexible in its tactics. These reverses on desert battlefields have prompted more attacks on soft targets such those that were so powerful in Paris and Brussels, and also the extension of its global reach with new strategic footholds in Libya and West Africa.
Western anger at these attacks, coupled with alarm over the huge movement of Muslim refugees into western nations, both feed the ISIS narrative. The more that "infidels" fear Muslims in their midst and react against them, the more young Muslims turn to the enticements of ISIS. And the closer we get to the final battle.
Advertisement
Strategic partnerships with other anti-ISIS fighters on the ground are a risky course, given that there are dozens of armed groups in Syria and Iraq of every ideological stripe. The US has already demonstrated a limited ability to pick winners. Still there seems to be a workable option in careful, constantly monitored alliances that supply arms and limited training by US special forces to more or less proven allies such as the Kurds.
Fortunately for the West, ISIS has two significant military vulnerabilities. The first is their open, desert terrain--perfect for Western air attacks against their troop concentrations, military infrastructure, oilfields and transport.
The second is their need to physically hold territory as a caliphate--a decision absolutely central to its mission and messages even if it presents a serious military liability. If ISIS loses their grip on the territory they now control in Syria and Iraq, there is no caliphate. Take away their command of territory, and no one owes allegiance to the caliph.
There would still be freelance jihadists who could and would continue to attack in the West and behead their enemies. But the propaganda power of the caliphate would disappear, and with it the demanded religious duty to immigrate and serve it. ISIS would lose its power.
Western and, to some extent, Russian airstrikes are successfully exploiting the bombing vulnerabilities. Remember the Gulf War scenes of absolute carnage when American warplanes caught fleeing columns of Saddam Hussein's troops in the open? Any significant massings of ISIS fighters would suffer the same fate, so their ability to maneuver is severely constrained.
Advertisement
Bombing has real costs for the West. Airstrikes have to be reconnoitered and technology has its limits, as evidenced in errant drone strikes. We need a limited number of our own special forces troops to help pick targets and guide the bombs. One of them has already been killed and there will be more.
The costs of a caliphate. By capturing towns and cities, ISIS takes on significant expenses. They must pay the costs of maintaining minimum infrastructure to avoid massive defections of the people living under their control. And since they don't have nearly enough qualified personnel in their own ranks to staff hospitals, city halls and the like, they must call for experienced people to do the jobs--and pay them. But that call has come up short, according to people who have fled their territory. ISIS is struggling to find people able to run oil equipment, fix electricity networks and provide medical care.
ISIS has been largely paying its bills with loot stolen from banks in the towns and cities they've conquered. But that can't last forever. Increasingly ISIS is dependent on revenues from oil pumped from the fields in their territory and sold to smugglers based in Turkey and elsewhere. But that oil can only be moved from wellheads by slow-moving trucks--easy targets for Western warplanes.
The caliphate project is now in some distress, according to interviews with people who have recently fled. Under pressure from airstrikes by several countries, and new ground offensives by Kurdish and Shiite militias, ISIS is beginning to show the strain. Some of their fighters have taken pay cuts, while others have quit and slipped away. Important services have been failing because of poor maintenance. And as its oil business has suffered under air attacks, ISIS has resorted to ever-increasing taxes and tolls imposed on its squeezed citizens.
Given everything we know about the Islamic State, continuing to slowly bleed ISIS through airstrikes and proxy warfare appears the best military option. Neither the Kurds nor the Shia will ever subdue and control the whole Sunni heartland of Syria and Iraq--they are hated there, and they have no appetite for such an adventure anyway. But they can help us keep ISIS from fulfilling its mission to expand. And with every month that it fails to expand, it resembles less the conquering state of the Prophet Muhammad than yet another Middle Eastern government failing to bring prosperity to its people.
Advertisement
Economic options. The West must do more to shut down all revenue streams to ISIS. Bombing oil trucks and wellheads is part of it, but non-military options are at least equally important.
We need to demand that the Turks, our NATO allies, clamp down on smuggled oil by closing their porous border with ISIS-held areas in Syria, stopping the flow of that ISIS oil onto the black market.
We need to call out any nations who buy smuggled ISIS oil and use whatever diplomatic and economic levers we have to force them to stop it. Reportedly this list could include some of our friends, but if that is the case then so be it. The stakes are too high now to back away from calling out allies who need to get with the program.
We need to increase pressure on the Saudis and other Gulf Arabs to crack down on any of their citizens who send money to ISIS. If this pressuring did happen during President Obama's recent visit, it happened behind very tightly closed doors.
We need to work with the international financial community to identify and shut down all financial channels used by ISIS, the smugglers who move ISIS oil, and the buyers of that oil. The more we can limit the mediums of exchange available to ISIS, the more difficult it becomes for them to pay their bills.Cyberwar options. The Pentagon has now thrown the full weight of its cyberwar capabilities into the fight against ISIS, joining NSA and the other civilian agencies already busy at that task. Clever online messaging is absolutely key to ISIS extending its siren song to Muslims everywhere, seeking recruits and support. The more we can undermine that messaging, the harder it gets for ISIS to survive.
Advertisement
A final thought. The worst mistake we can make in fighting ISIS is to overreact to the threat, clouding our strategic judgment overseas and undermining civil liberties at home. Overreacting builds a climate of fear that threatens our own way of life--which is what ISIS wants to do. There have been only 38 Americans killed in the U.S. by Islamic terrorists since 9/11. Drunk drivers in 2012 alone killed more than 10,000.
The last paper I have written, Revision of the Bill of Rights, part III, has garner interesting opinions and perspectives on the matter. Yet, I think there were details that have been missed, which is not surprising. They were very tiny details that can easily be unacknowledged.
When I wrote, "impose," it was a matter of a balancing act between different people's rights. For example, if you press yourself onto a wall, there is only a certain amount of force a wall can hold. This is imposing one's self onto that wall. As civilian self-defense imposes on a fair trial because civilian self-defense is not in the Bill of Rights, but fair trial is in the Bill of Rights. Civilian Defense is in common law, which means it is to the States to decide a few questions, "What is a Civilian? Are there cases where self-defense does not impose on fair-trial?" Then the important thing to note is that the Fifth Amendment gives military, naval, and militias the right to override the balancing act between the two. The passage reads as such, "...except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger..." Whereas, there is nothing written on civilian self-defense in the Bill of Rights. Therefore, there are more questions to ask, "Does retired people from the military, naval, and militias have the right given by the Fifth Amendment to carry and still protect? Why is there this specifications between civilian defense and non-civilian defense?" These are the questions one must think about and think of any other questions that may arise.
Advertisement
Moreover, the Constitution was not the first document of the United States. The Articles of Confederation were before the Constitution. George Washington wanted to retire, grow his crops, and become a farmer. Yet, the prior documents were not keeping the States together. So, the Founding Fathers of America drafted the Constitution. The Constitution is a guiding principle of how States should operate together, "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union..." Thus, the purpose of the last article I written was to introduce new ideas to the conversation, so people can think and debate.
Last, the paper was adding to the debate between Originalism and Living Constitution. It is a debate on how to read the Constitution. Do we read it as the words stated in it (Originalism)? Or does it morph through time (Living Constitution)? I have debated for Originalism because if we leave all laws to the emotions and sociality norms of our time. We may lose the founding principles of the Constitution to populist opinions.
How often do we muse about how wonderful life would be if there were no confusion and doubt! And all the while, we know the solution to the problem, because whenever we are inspired from within, it cannot be contested, only heeded, for that is the heart's language. It is magical, a veil lifts, a vision is adjusted, and hope breathes fresh life, conveying an assurance of what is possible.
Such inspired moments always carry a great promise: if we act upon the inspiration it will be transformational. It can only do us good, for that is the heart's promise. You and I have felt it all our lives.
We can wait for that inner inspiration to come or we can actively cultivate it. The choice is ours. Choosing to actively cultivate the inner inspiration of the heart is heartfulness.
Advertisement
Let's say I want to make a meaningful decision at work or in my family. If I impose that decision on others it will be like a child who is forced to eat rather than cajoled with affection, a teenager forcibly disciplined by a parent, or a caring boss trying to convey something. We resist external suggestions, however logical they may be, and we end up with enforced discipline, rules and policies, which have not arisen naturally. As a result, the child refuses, the teenager rebels, and the boss gives up wanting to help. Making and abiding by decisions becomes a matter of following rules rather than allowing the heart's intrinsic goodness to inspire and lead. The possibility of living in a society where the innate precept is "just do the right thing," is perhaps a far off thing, or is it? Are we responsible for keeping that golden era at bay?
There are many issues at play. The most powerful arise when we ignore the intrinsic goodness and the intrinsic peace that exist in all of us. These are our core inner qualities, so one does not have to think to be good or at peace. They simply happen, because that is our underlying nature. Yet we frequently go against our underlying nature.
How do we compromise our intrinsic goodness?
Knowingly or unknowingly, we tend to color every living moment, as our awareness scans the world, by judging, with constant chatter inside our minds: "I like this," "I do not like this." Slowly, the eventual game of our lives is played out in response to the conscious and subconscious inventory of likes and dislikes we build within ourselves.
Advertisement
This fickle inventory of likes and dislikes plays, pauses, stops, rewinds, fast forwards and slows, and not always in that order! The result is that we often stand perplexed at the crossroads of likes and dislikes, this or that, instead of heeding the heart. How many times have we asked: "Is this good for me or not?" or "Should I do this or not?"
How does the heart speak?
There is an even more mundane construct: "Is this decision from my mind or my heart?"
When we analyze how we make decisions, we witness the interplay of the heart and mind. We observe that the heart protests loudly when we choose something not so good for us, whereas when we make the right decision the same heart remains silent and at peace. That's how the heart speaks; there are no loud signals when we do the right thing.
Why is this so? To do the right thing requires little effort from within. For example, to convey my name and position in life correctly to someone I meet demands no effort or serious thought, but if I boast of what I am not the heart quibbles! It becomes heavier, doesn't it? That's how the heart speaks.
To breathe, hear and see normally is natural. My heart does not congratulate me for that. It is precisely when something is wrong that a feeling, spreading out from my core, signals that it is time to visit my physician. That's how the heart speaks.
In reassuring silence and in timely vigilance the heart speaks. When we heed the heart, there are only confident decisions instead of disabling doubt and confusion.
Easing the burden: the play of heart and mind.
Habitually we are caught between the play of mind and heart: mindfulness versus heartfulness! We create this polarity within. Is it possible to reconcile?
Advertisement
When the heart is right, there will always be an unquestioning agreement between the mind and the heart. In fact, a perfect synchronicity exists between them and they function as one. Integrating these two principal players in our life eases our burden of existence. By ignoring either one, we cannot move ahead purposefully in life.
How to integrate the heart and mind?
Still the mind in meditation and you will witness the heart's signals and its inspired thoughts. For 20 to 30 minutes every day, capture inspired moments of heartfulness.
It is in the stillness of the mind that we perceive the heart with clarity. By constantly observing the inner weather, we steer through life wisely, steadfastly, sans regrets.
Effective meditation must lead the meditator to the heights of the infinite sky of superconsciousness and facilitate the plunge into the deepest ocean of subconsciousness, and emerge the wiser. This way our consciousness evolves.
To lead a life simply going through the motions, reacting to whatever life brings, is one thing. An altogether different experience is to lead it with responsive heartfulness - with the heart's most loving and magisterial guidance. Whatever activity you are engaged in, take a detour by the heart. After all, who can resist the heart's signals!
Advertisement
I was in Montreal for weekend and met up with my two oldest friends for Sunday brunch. Since we are Hebes we begin meal not with wine, but with whining. We were talking about our upcoming annual vacation to South Beach and our subsequent food and sun fest. Marla spoke first and said she would probably be eating way too much; Gayle said something similar and I; allowing my competitive spirit to kick in announced that I have been bingeing with food since I was fourteen and would enjoy more of the same for the duration of our holiday. I had never shared my out of control eating with these girls, but my competitive spirit kicked in and my secret shame became something here that I could be proud of.
Last night after watching the premiere of season 12 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' (Yes, I am a fan!) I lit some candles and sat in contemplation.
I asked myself this question.
Do I really want to be Queen of the Fucked?
And the answer was:
While being Queen of anything has a certain soigne charm, I feel the need to re-prioritize. I shall begin today to make food my fuel, and not my friend. Lately, I have struggled with eating mindfully and I have been wavering in my desire to do the work necessary to become whole and healthy.
Advertisement
I feel so much better when I am eating mindfully and healthily. I have been wanting to go to this yoga class for seniors that meets every Monday for months now; but not even the luminous white haired teacher has been incentive enough. I have to reprioritize and try to drag my round and resistant bum to that class today. I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and then stop turning to food for comfort.
I have always felt as if I have won the trifecta of the damned. Born disabled to dysfunctional parents with the added bonus of a mean spirited sister; I have felt entitled to my addiction; food was my reward and my protection; for if I eat myself into a stupor I don't have to feel. Anything. Ever.
The nature of my disability affected my tongue and mouth. I was born without the ability to suck; the nurses had to feed me out of a dropper. I literally could not take in nourishment. My ADHD mother checked out early on and left me first in the hospital and then with a series of nanny/nurses. By the time I was 6 months old I was out of the hospital and able to eat normally but my driver to eat as if my life depended on it has never left me.
Food has always been my drug of choice; my best friend, lover , sister and mother all. Food has never hurt me, never ridiculed me and never left me alone. For over forty years food has been my go to for every feeling; happy -- sad, glad, mad, alone, terrified. I am so much better than I used to be back when I would binge all day until 11:59 that evening because I knew, I just knew that tomorrow would be another day and I would stop hurting myself and could begin again.
Advertisement
For the most part I do eat mindfully, trying my best to cut back on sugars/fats/soft drinks, and I often say to myself "Katharine, you got this!" and I let myself feel proud of where I have come from. Sadly these moments, days and sometimes weeks where I am aligned body/mind/spirit always come to an abrupt end.
First of all, I must eat; everyone must eat, so I can not for example "just say no" to food or I will die. Secondly, while I am doing my best to be with my feelings and just allow them to pass through my body, sometimes the pain becomes too much and I collapse into the pure relief of overeating .
My dining room table is now clean, for most of my adult life was table was filled with bags of chips, opened cans of peas or corn, half eaten bowls of cereal along with books and magazines. I could never just eat the food; I always had to read as I ate. I try now to be present with my food, to be grateful that I have "Made It Through the Rain," to quote Barry Manilow.
I am trying really hard to relinquish my crown, but this is so difficult for me to do because even though I am Queen of the Fucked; I am still Queen of Something; which still sounds better than the alternative: Queen of Nothing. Perhaps I can be the Princess of Love. What a wonderful place that would be to live and to reign.
Right now this Princess getting off her duff and off to yoga class. I'll be taking my crown with me for support!
Protesters shout slogans and hold placards reading 'We will resist for secularism' on April 26, 2016 at kadikoy district in Istanbul, during a protest against a call for the country to adopt a religious constitution.Turkish police today fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators who had gathered outside parliament to protest a call for the country to adopt a religious constitution. Police broke up a group of more than 100 protesters, preventing them from making a press declaration outside the parliament in Ankara, an AFP photographer reported. / AFP / OZAN KOSE (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)
ISTANBUL -- In September 2011, Turkey's then prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was greeted at Cairo airport by members of the Muslim Brotherhood who cheered him as his cortege moved along a road covered by billboards with his image. While there, Erdogan gave a speech at the Cairo Opera House in which he talked about his vision of the Middle East.
"Now, in this transitional phase in Egypt, as well as in what comes after it, I believe that the Egyptians will establish democracy very well, and they will see that a 'secular state' does not mean 'an irreligious state,'" he said during an interview with Mona El-Shazly on Dream TV. "Rather it means respect for all the religions and giving all individuals the freedom to practice religion as they please."
Advertisement
At the time Erdogan's words sent shockwaves among Muslim Brotherhood figures who were opposed to the separation of state and religion. Brotherhood figures expressed anger at the promotion of Turkey's secular system and even issued a statement in which they characterized Erdogan's speech as "interference" in Egypt's local issues.
The idea of a secularism-free constitution brought out many of the fears and anxieties among Turks and produced a somewhat awkward consensus among Turkey's much divided civil society.
Five years on, Erdogan's words have gathered new significance. Last week, the Turkish parliamentary speaker told a crowd in Istanbul about how he would like his new Turkish constitution: one that does not name-check secularism and has more religious content -- a religious constitution. The speaker's recommendation of removing the word "secularism" from the Turkish constitution produced the same amount of anger Erdogan's recommendation of including secularism in the Egyptian constitution had created in Cairo. A committee is currently drafting a new constitution in Ankara. The idea of a secularism-free constitution brought out many of the fears and anxieties among Turks and produced a somewhat awkward consensus among Turkey's much divided civil society about the necessity of keeping the word "secularism" in the constitution.
Advertisement
Secularism is, after all, firstly a word. Its meaning has changed over time. It is a word with numerous connotations in Turkey, and with a fascinating, protean history. Turks have admired and critiqued secularism in equal measure. Often the greatest supporters of secularism have been those who critiqued it the most. Just take Turkey's Alevi groups: mostly associated with left-wing movements, Alevis, a religious minority in the country, say the Turkish state has never been truly secular and that through its directorate of religious affairs, it has supported and promoted a Sunni version of Islam, which is not becoming of a truly secular state. And Turkey's atheists? Well, they have also found numerous faults with Turkish secularism. Many are opposed to the existence of the declaration of one's religion on Turkish identity cards, which for decades have been formatted to note one's gender and religion. Atheists also complain about facing death threats and discrimination, which they see as related to this imperative to publicly declare their beliefs about religion.
Turkish Jews and Christians will tell you how a so-called "wealth tax" had been levied on them in 1942, at the height of Turkey's single party rule. While Muslims paid 5 percent tax, Turkish Jews paid 179 percent and Christian Armenians 232 percent. And that happened when secularism was a somewhat sacred concept whose critique was unthinkable.
Erdogan delivers a speech in the Cairo Opera House in Egypt on Sept. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Sunni Turks also don't have good things to say about Turkish secularism. Talk to a middle-aged headscarved Sunni woman today and she will most probably tell you how the Turkish state had interfered with their right to education and how it had kept them away from the public sphere. Less than a decade ago headscarved girls were not allowed into universities, when this was seen as a violation of secularism.
Advertisement
All these criticisms were set aside after the speaker's speech when people rushed to the defense of secularism as a concept. Secularism means different things for different people; the iteration of the word brings out hopes and disappointments, passionate defenses and stories of trauma. And yet the word itself provides the door that leads into this debate that had been going on for the past 150 years.
"The new constitution needs to be a declaration of a transition from the French type of militant laicism to a more libertarian British type of secularism," Turkish anthropologist Ali Murat Yel wrote in an op-ed last week. "In other words, the Turkish state should provide its citizens with a freedom to believe or not believe whatever they like instead of dictating only one form of religion."
Secularism means different things for different people; the iteration of the word brings out hopes and disappointments, passionate defenses and stories of trauma.
As religion became much more visible in the public sphere over the past few years, dictating one form of religion became increasingly impossible. These days on the streets of Istanbul you come across religious festivities of not just Sunni Muslims but also Turkish Jews and Christian Armenians. From Greek Orthodox celebrations of the Feast of the Epiphany, where Orthodox Christians dive into the cold waters of Istanbul's Golden Horn to retrieve the wooden cross tossed there to commemorate Jesus Christ's baptism to the Hanukkah celebration by Turkish Jews that was held publicly for the first time last year, the public visibility of religion has become less of an issue. In February this year, Turkey's minister for EU Affairs, Volkan Bozkr, announced that Turkey would be removing the "religion" category from its new identity cards, in line with its EU visa liberalization deal.
"In the new constitution which we are preparing, the principle of secularism will be included as one guaranteeing individuals' freedom of religion and faith, and the state's equal distance to all faith groups," Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in a speech last week. Turkey has passionately debated what the word secularism means, should and shouldn't mean over the past century and keeping the word in the new constitution will be a reminder of its legacy from late Ottoman modernization to the postmodern politics of our own day.
Nowadays, Turkey is going through a difficult period, and there is a growing sense of public anxiety following attacks by militants from the self-proclaimed Islamic State and the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. But the current political climate, with its heated debates about big issues like secularism, is not unique in Turkey's history: the country has been here before. In the mid-nineteenth century, Ahmed Cevdet Pasa -- father of the novelist Fatma Aliye, seen today as an Ottoman Jane Austen -- created Mecelle, a civil code applied in the secular courts. Secular schools and laws were implemented in the nineteenth century empire and the last Ottoman caliph Abdulmecid was a painter. While she faced major challenges, from the rise of nationalism and modernity in Europe to the difficulty of fulfilling the needs of numerous religious groups, the empire confidently pressed on with human-centered reforms. Today's debate about secularism is no doubt part of this long and fascinating history of Ottoman modernization. Earlier on WorldPost:
"In the last 48 hours, we have had an average of one Syrian killed every 25 minutes, one Syrian wounded every 13 minutes."
That's the carnage that is happening in Syria right now, says the UN special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura.
Advertisement
So if you thought the war in Syria was pretty much over, it looks like you were wrong.
A hospital for kids was bombed.
An airstrike turned a hospital in Aleppo, Syria, into rubble.
And it wasn't any ordinary hospital:
1. It was a pediatric hospital. The 27 people killed there include kids and doctors--including one of the only remaining pediatricians in Aleppo.
"My baby's doctor died." Strikes on a hospital in Aleppo killed one of the area's last remaining pediatricians https://t.co/XLP7czOdHw The New York Times (@nytimes) April 28, 2016
Advertisement
BREAKING: Aid group says 14 patients, staff among those killed in MSF-backed hospital in Syria's Aleppo. The Associated Press (@AP) April 28, 2016
2. It was being supported by two humanitarian organizations: Doctors Without Borders, known as MSF (the acronym for its name in French, Medecins Sans Frontieres), and the International Committee of the Red Cross. These organizations have been providing medical care, clean water, and medicine.
We condemn the destruction of the Al Quds hospital in #Aleppo, depriving people of essential healthcare. Hospitals are #notatarget, #Syria MSF International (@MSF) April 28, 2016
The frequency of @MSF-hospital-bombings over last year is one of the more repugnant trends. https://t.co/sQNFjTsxDk https://t.co/BnMM5TZJfy Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 28, 2016
International Red Cross says Syrian city of #Aleppo is "being pushed to brink of humanitarian disaster" after a week of escalating violence Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) April 28, 2016
Advertisement
The government has been bombing Aleppo for days.
That children's hospital isn't the only target: the Syrian government has been assaulting Aleppo for about a week now, killing about 150 ordinary citizens.
Wave of airstrikes killed over 60 people in less than 24 hours in the Syrian city of Aleppo https://t.co/MShSdBFv5q pic.twitter.com/AIJMEoBu4K Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) April 28, 2016
The ICRC says everyone in Aleppo fears for their lives, as there is constant bombing and shelling in every neighborhood in their city.
https://twitter.com/StateDept/status/725392797679775744
The bombings might keep aid from reaching Syrian people.
Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy to Syria, says the bombing in Aleppo and also in Homs has gotten so bad in the past few days that the UN may not be able to deliver aid to people and places in Syria who seriously need it.
Deputy Spokesperson @Toner_Mark comments on Monday's aerial strikes on a Syrian Civil Defense Station#Syria https://t.co/pXMNw9Un00 Department of State (@StateDept) April 27, 2016
Advertisement
Syrians in these areas really depend on aid.
#Syria: 778,175 people have been reached with aid in besieged, priority, and hard to reach areas in 2016 pic.twitter.com/LuGpfkeyEK UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA) April 28, 2016
The ceasefire in Syria could be over.
A bombing in Aleppo, Syria in 2014. (FreedomHouse/Flickr)
Back in February, a ceasefire was agreed upon in Syria, with help from the United Nations and the leadership of other countries that have been involved in the Syrian civil war, like the US and Russia. But all of this bombing in Aleppo makes it pretty clear that ceasefire isn't holding.
In pictures: Death rains down on Syria as ceasefire wobbles https://t.co/XijwLoMNQK pic.twitter.com/mfBFpoH2bc Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 28, 2016
The UN believes the ceasefire is "hanging by a thread."
Thousands of innocent people have been killed in Syria this year.
And Aleppo isn't alone--there's major fighting going on elsewhere in Syria too.
VIDEO: #ISIS releases footage of them destroying 3 Turkish tanks with ATGM on Turkey-Syria border - @DrPartizan_ pic.twitter.com/xitO5eZVw8 Conflict News (@Conflicts) April 28, 2016
Obama is sending more US troops to Syria.
A few days ago, President Obama said he is sending up to 250 extra US troops to Syria to help rebels who are fighting ISIS there. That means there will be 300 US forces in Syria.
Advertisement
These are special forces, not combat troops, there to provide support.
Sending more troops to Syria should indicate "dismantling" ISIS is a priority, @POTUS says: https://t.co/zi6mx6qKa2 https://t.co/4enAqWjwje CBSN (@CBSNLive) April 25, 2016
(The war in Syria is tangled, with the government fighting rebels, and both fighting ISIS and other terrorists who have taken advantage of the situation there. Plus, the US supports the rebels, while Russia supports the government.)
Meanwhile, many Syrian refugees are being blocked from coming to the US.
Your own government bombing the hell out of your city, including a children's hospital: This is the horror of life in northern Syria. If this was your reality, would you stay in your country, if you could get out? This is why there are so many Syrians fleeing--and why there are so many Syrian refugees who need help. Yet Republican governors in numerous states are blocking Syrians.
I remember that when I was in 3rd grade, people started talking. I heard that class sizes were going to have to increase because we didn't have the money to pay as many teachers anymore. They said we may even have up to 22 students in one class, like that was some crazy number. The adults were all concerned that we wouldn't be able to learn as much if we had that many students in a classroom at the same time. Fast forward. I am now in 10th grade, and several of my classes have around 30 students in them. We don't have enough desks for every student; a couple students in each class have to share a desk, sit on the floor, or sit at the teacher's desk while he or she is teaching. We don't have tissues in the classrooms for when we have to blow our noses; much less textbooks that are in adequate shape to be used in a learning environment. I feel as though I do more fundraising than I do homework. We've had to cut the remainder of the school year, causing us to cram all our tests and reviews into a few very short weeks. This is what the Oklahoma education crisis is. In 2008, we were concerned about having 22 students in a classroom. In 2016, we don't even have enough desks for students to sit at, much less enough teachers. The Oklahoma government has failed to provide me, along with every other public school student in the state, with an education that will prepare me for college and the rest of my life.
PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK - APRIL 11: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton talks during a conversation on gun violence at the Landmark Theater on April 11, 2016 in Port Washington, New York. The New York Democratic primary is scheduled for April 19th. (Photo by Andrew Theodorakis/Getty Images)
While I am still open to Bernie Sanders pulling off a miracle upset to win the Democratic nomination, I am coming to the point where I realize I must do something very hard in the general election that I think is in the best interests of our nation. If Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic nomination, I will vote for her. My vote should not be viewed as enthusiastic support for Clinton or her policies, but as a protest of all that Donald Trump's campaign has been and will be in the coming months. I ask myself: who is the worst person for the job? The answer, obviously, is Trump and I will vote to make sure he does not come to power as President of the United States.
I have written at length about the Clintons' record and history of policy blunders while in the public eye. I have nearly no confidence in Hillary Clinton's judgment based on her vote to support war in Iraq. The fact that she made speeches to Wall Street for six figure sums knowing financial regulation would be a major subject of discussion in the upcoming presidential election is further evidence of a lack of proper judgment. I find her pandering approach to addressing Black and Brown issues to be dishonest and manipulative considering the fate of many Black and Brown people during her husband's administration and after. And, it is still fresh in my memory how she reacted to being upstaged by Barack Obama with Black voters in 2008.
Advertisement
So, when I say that I am going to vote for Clinton, believe me when I say that I do not take the matter lightly. I almost feel like I am compromising my principles. However, the reason I know my principles are in tact is because I realize the clear and present danger represented by Donald Trump.
Trump would be much worse than a bad president. Sure, his grasp of policy is air thin. His recent foreign policy speech exposed him as a lightweight. The actual policies he does support, like his call for a ban on Muslims entering the country, are sometimes unconstitutional. He has been racist toward Mexicans and Black people. He is snide and nasty with several women. He gives his opponents insulting nicknames. He is about as unpresidential as you can get.
But, worse than that we would be sending a message to two groups of people in the world. To the nation's conspiracy minded, xenophobic band of intolerant conservatives we would be saying that your views are validated in present day America. And, to the rest of the world we will be saying that we are represented by the total fiasco that is Donald Trump. We can not send those messages and staying home on election day, writing in a candidate or actually voting for Donald Trump are all options that will be like lighting simultaneous beacons--one for the nation's political outcasts and another to the rest of the world.
So, don't be fooled into thinking doing anything but voting for the Democratic nominee is a prudent decision. Even though the Democrats revealed an unbeatable coalition in 2008 and 2012, Trump can win in 2016. The recipe for a Trump victory is that he wins Independent voters, reasonable Republicans decide Hillary is a worse option than him and Bernie voters do not turn out for Hillary. I am sure Trump's campaign is hoping many Democratic voters are turned off by Hillary and stay home on election day. In fact, I bet they are planning on it.
Advertisement
Editor's Note
A HuffPost article that previously existed at this URL has been removed.
Dear Mr. Leamer,
I read what you wrote in The Huffington Post last week. I have not read your book The Price of Justice: A True Story of Greed and Corruption in Coal Country, but as a native West Virginian I feel as though I know what it says. Growing up in Hurricane and unaffiliated with the mining community, I read the Gazette every morning at breakfast. Another meth lab bust and another polluted body of water. Flash floods and two trailers washed away with a family of seven and their dogs. Crazed addicts. Unemployment. The natural dam didn't hold. The new elected official had a long history in industry. Nepotism. An ever-shrinking population. Just when I thought it couldn't be any worse, the ever-present twist proved truth is stranger than fiction.
I couldn't wait to leave. As an environmentalist who accepted the fact of climate change, as a nature-lover who realized the destruction of the landscape by the coal industry, as a young person who felt limited by the attitude of the people, I knew my future wasn't here. Death and desperateness was here.
I studied at WVU. I studied international development. I saw what poverty did, and what it begat. I would rather devote my efforts elsewhere, not in a place plagued with apparent apathy. I went, travelled, lived elsewhere. I would describe my home state to outsiders as full of kind people, largely impoverished, lacking a future. West Virginia was a "developing" state in the United States. This analogy was embittered with my idea that it was full of people that wouldn't help themselves. West Virginians' stoic resoluteness was a source of pride and a curse. Their ability to support coal, no matter what, was to me unfathomable and unshakeable. I felt too impotent to try.
All of this changed when three weeks ago the New York Times headlines appeared on my phone: Don Blankenship was sentenced the maximum of one year to prison for the Upper Big Branch disaster. I was elated and saddened. One year for the deaths of 29 men. My frustrations for West Virginia, after five years away, came back full force. My fury mirrored the montages of a protagonist who trained for years in some distant place to suddenly and surprisingly decide to return and throw down. The UBB deaths are only the wretched tip of the tragedies. You know as well as I do the innumerous injustices that West Virginia has had to endure.
I had had a realization, the people did not have a voice. West Virginians' desperateness paired with long-time industry influence in politics made them so powerless as to lose their ability to speak out. They were disempowered. There was no one listening. Very few people had their best interests in mind when decisions were made.
The Making One Year Count letter-writing campaign was formed. The goal was to write one letter a day to Don Blankenship when he was in prison. We couldn't change the law, not for him anyways, but we could make that one year more meaningful. The notion of writing a letter to a villain so above the law, making him accessible, resonated with people. We are three weeks into the campaign and have 80 letters. A network has been formed full of West Virginia writers, teachers, families of UBB miners, and fellow WVU alum who have likewise left the state. The campaign has been a conduit, lowering the cost of speaking out. We hope the campaign will help in some way.
In the last paragraph of your piece, you write, "the people in West Virginia are waking up." I wanted to write to you Mr. Leamer and let you know that I have woken up. I want to help wake up others. Making One Year Count (facebook.com/MakingOneYearCount) is about the everyday person speaking out about the injustice of Upper Big Branch, but it has the potential to be more than that. I am writing to ask you for your help, to spread the message of the campaign and to contribute a letter yourself. Honestly, this is a shot in the dark, but we could use any help we can get.
Thanks very much for your time,
Ann Bybee-Finley
Will Ferrell won't be portraying a declining Ronald Reagan in the political comedy "Reagan" after all. Following reports last week that the comic actor had signed on to produce and star in the film -- followed swiftly by outcry from the Reagan family and others blasting the film for what they say is insensitivity -- Ferrell is backing away from the project, the New York Posts' Page Six is reporting , citing a representative for the actor.
"The 'Reagan' script is one of a number of scripts that had been submitted to Will Ferrell which he had considered," the rep is quoted as saying. "While it is by no means an 'Alzheimer's comedy' as has been suggested, Mr. Ferrell is not pursuing this project."
Written by Mike Rosolio, "Reagan" focuses on a White House intern tasked with convincing the president and former actor -- who is portrayed as already being in decline at the film's start, which picks up at the beginning of his second term -- that he is merely playing the part of the commander-in-chief in a movie.
While the film has garnered enough interest in Hollywood to land it near the top of the 2015 Black List, an annual ranking of the best unproduced screenplays in town, it has also prompted no small amount of outrage. That includes from Reagan's daughter Patti Davis, who said Alzheimer's is no laughing matter.
"Perhaps if you knew more, you would not find the subject humorous," Davis wrote last week in an open letter to Ferrell on her website. "Alzheimer's doesn't care if you are President of the United States or a dockworker. It steals what is most precious to a human being memories, connections, the familiar landmarks of a lifetime that we all come to rely on to hold our place secure in this world and keep us linked to those we have come to know and love. I watched as fear invaded my father's eyes this man who was never afraid of anything. I heard his voice tremble as he stood in the living room and said, 'I don't know where I am.' I watched helplessly as he reached for memories, for words, that were suddenly out of reach and moving farther away. For ten long years he drifted past the memories that marked his life, past all that was familiar...and mercifully, finally past the fear
"There was laughter in those years, but there was never humor."
Will Ferrell as declining Reagan: Good fun or poor taste? The political comedy 'Reagan' will tell the story of an intern tasked with convincing the 40th president that his is an actor playing a role.
Among those expressing pleasure over Ferrell's departure from the film were the Alzheimer's Foundation of America as well as Reagan's son Michael Reagan, who said via his Twitter account , "Thank you for taking the right path."
A former actor, Ronald Reagan was America's 40 th president, serving from 1981 to 1989. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease eight years later, in 1994.
"I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life," he said in an emotional speech announcing his diagnosis.
Reagan, who is celebrated as an icon of conservative ideals, died in 2004 at the age of 93.
What do you think about Will Ferrell's 'Reagan'? Now that is my kind of movie.
It could go either way. The subject matter is touchy, but it could work if it's done right.
I'll wait until the movie comes before judging it.
There is nothing at all funny about dementia. The makers of this film should reconsider.
Ronald Reagan is an American icon. Shame on Hollywood for trying to besmirch his image.
I have another answer, which I will add to the comments stream below. Vote
This post is dedicated to mamas who do what it takes to help their children have the best lives possible. It's for moms who are perfectly imperfect and don't always get it right. It's for mothers who stand by their children and remind them that they are loved, even when the world around them tries to diminish their worth. It's for anyone who plays the role of mother in the life of a young person and helps them find their greatness. The following notes from transgender and gay activists express love and gratitude for three of these women. I hope they touch your hearts as they have mine.
To Alicia Tapia
"She is the one that showed me that my true value was defined by none other than myself". Rexy Amaral Tapia
Mi querida mama ,
Tu superpoder es amor. Your superpower is love. Ever since I was little there was one person who showed me unconditional love. She showed me how be strong and how to properly flip a tortilla. She did everything possible to keep a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs, clothes on our backs, and love in our hearts.
Advertisement
She showed me the importance of remembering where you come from. Every step of the way she was there for me, at times when I was lost she was there for me even tho she might have been as lost as me. She made an effort to try to support me, she went to find an education that was kept away from her. She learned what LGBT is and she showed me. I remember having long talks in the kitchen where she went over new things that she learned whether it was a new word in English or a new term in LGBT.
I am proud of you mama. The one who never gave up, the one who always was willing to learn and educate. The one that was a beacon of hope and light for other parents who were lost in the darkness of ignorance. She is the one that showed me that my true value was defined by none other than myself. You are that person mami, eres tu la persona que me inspira a ser la mejor persona que pudiera ser, me ensenaste ser fuerte y poderosa. Y por eso siempre vas a vivir en mi corazon. You inspired me to be the best person I could be, you taught me to be strong and powerful. And for that you will always live in my heart.
Thank you mami. I love you too much. Rexy
Rexy Amaral Tapia is a 19-year-old Latina transwoman, Her biggest hero is her mother Alicia.
To Brenda Joyce Williams
"What I cherish is how you've never allowed me out of your sight without filling me up with guidance." Ken Williams
Dear Ma,
I imagine that raising a kid like me didn't always feel comfortable. You were a 32-year-old professional woman with a husband and daughter already, and being the mother of a soon to be black gay boy was the farthest from your plan. I recognize I came with no instructions.
As a child I watched you defend me when your instincts hadn't provided you with the language to do so; falling into the social melodrama of being a mother of an unusually sensitive son, you protected me always. There were times I thought you deserved to be frustrated with always having to "figure it out", yet it was also in those times when you appeared most compassionate.
I see you as a renaissance warrior. It takes a hero of a woman to raise a child in the best care her circumstances can afford and you reared me in a full-bosomed, nurturing kinda way--there was a bounty of love in every scolding you gave and for 3 meals a day you gave me wisdom on each plate.
What I cherish is how you've never allowed me out of your sight without filling me up with guidance. How you've always given your best even when in struggle. You were forced to make a decision about how to love a gay child of color in America when raising a black man was already pressure enough and you were triumphant, Ma. How you found the capacity to love me, I will never know. But I am grateful that you did.
Amen to you, Brenda Joyce Williams. I exalt you. Ken
Ken Williams is an HIV Activist and award-winning video blogger Ken Like Barbie.
To Marsha Aizumi
" I love you for always reminding me that I am loved no matter what."Aiden Taiko Aizumi
Dear Mammo,
Happy Mother's Day! I have the greatest fortune of being your son and getting to experience your love. I have watched you become an amazing voice in the LGBTQ community and to see you fight for me so that I can have the best life possible. There aren't enough ways to say how grateful I am for that. I know that I don't always say, "I love you," but I want you to know that even when I don't say it out loud that I do.
Advertisement
I love you for holding my hand when I was feeling anxious. I love you for standing by me when I came out as trans and taking care of me after top surgery. I love you for always reminding me that I am loved no matter what. And even though you do all these awesome LGBTQ things that I also love you for, I love you for just being my mom. I don't know where I would be without the love and support you have given me. You are always there to support me in the times that I struggle, and are there to celebrate the times where I succeed. Thank you for loving me unconditionally. I love you the most!
Your loving son, Aiden
Aiden Takeo Aizumi is a Japanese American transgender activist and graduate student in the Educational Counseling Program at the University of La Verne.
For information and resources for parents, caregivers, providers, educators, and youth, see Out Proud Families.
Steven Epp as Long John Silver and John Babbo as Jim Hawkins in Mary Zimmerman's adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's tale.
Photos by Kevin Berne
Who could possibly dream of trotting out another version of a story that has been adapted for film and TV more than 50 times, in addition to spawning a host of prequels, sequels and stage treatments? The ever-inventive Mary Zimmerman, that's who. The story is Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson's enduring swashbuckler. And it's a high-energy knockout in Berkeley.
Jointly produced by Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre and Berkeley Rep, the tale of adventure, loyalty, treachery, greed and mayhem is like nothing that Zimmerman has fashioned before. She earned her status in contemporary theater by creating unique enchantments from exotic and frequently ancient sources, among them the Argonauts' quest for the Golden Fleece, Ovid's Metamorphoses, The Arabian Nights and a pair of Chinese legends. As in those productions, she serves as director as well as adapter of this latest show.
Advertisement
With Treasure Island, she put aside any urge toward the fantastical and tells the story straight, with its principal characters and events intact. Doing that takes about two-and-a-half hours, and may leave some viewers wishing she had taken still more time to flesh out incidents that are rich with detail and tension in the 1883 novel. If you blink, you just might miss a significant transition.
The story takes place in the mid-1700s, in locales that range from English taverns to a ship at sea to the island where honorable Brits and savage cutthroats pursue buried treasure. The vessel -- the schooner Hispaniola -- is the centerpiece of the Berkeley set. Suspended from heavy rigging that looks thoroughly seaworthy, it occupies most of the Peet's Theatre's thrust stage, and at times rocks perilously as if in tumultuous seas. When the action moves off the ship, it requires a hearty suspension of disbelief to "see" the other venues.
But that's a trivial matter in the context of the story-telling by Zimmerman and her cast of 14, who fill more than 20 roles with vitality and passion. Those performers include two who appear purely as musicians and two more who double as actors and instrumentalists, in the latter role adding subtle and effective underscoring.
At the adventure's center is the pre-teen Jim Hawkins (John Babbo), who endures threats to life and integrity from the tale's first moments to its last, forever displaying the spunk expected of a well-raised English boy in Victorian times, when the novel was written. Babbo, who originated the role in Chicago, delivers a performance of astonishing range and depth.
Advertisement
Even pirates can laugh: From left, Kasey Foster, Demetrios Troy, Steven Epp, Travis Delgado, Anthony Irons and Christopher Donahue
The show's most memorable role, predictably, belongs to the peg-legged Long John Silver, who morphs from amiable sea cook to murderous pirate and shrewd conspirator. Berkeley veteran Steven Epp dispatches it with extravagant leers, laughs and screams, commanding the stage at every appropriate moment, and perhaps even at a few when more restraint might have worked better.
Kasey Foster has the tale's most sympathetic role as Jim's widowed mother, who operates the Admiral Benbow Inn with her son. Reflecting her times, she accepts Jim's departure to sea with stoicism and only a hint of sadness. He has in effect been drafted into the treasure hunt by local aristocrats, and dutifully joins their quest; she has no choice but to acquiesce. Foster later returns, in beard and male attire, as a chattery pirate. She also contributes a haunting vocal solo in the early going.
Christopher Donahue, Steve Pickering and Anthony Irons quickly establish the pirates as vengeful nasties: Donahue as Billy Bones, who possesses the treasure map and fears for his life; Pickering and Irons as Billy's malevolent ex-shipmates, pursuing him. All are impeccably dressed in the scruffiest, patchiest costumes imaginable, wonderfully designed by Ana Kuzmanic. Piracy has never looked so gritty.
As noted above, the story unfolds swiftly, without embellishment. If you plan to attend, you might want to download and at least skim the novel, which is available free online. A quick read will enrich what is already a hearty theatrical feast.
Advertisement
A labourer walks on the steel bars at a steel and iron factory in Changzhi, Shanxi province January 11, 2010. China's imports of iron ore hit 62.16 million tonnes in December, the second highest monthly volume ever, as a revival of steel prices helped the trade rebound for a second month, Customs data showed on Sunday. REUTERS/Stringer (CHINA - Tags: BUSINESS SOCIETY EMPLOYMENT) CHINA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN CHINA
Forged with the despicable dividend of stolen trade secrets, priced with monopoly collusion, then traded with fraudulent labeling to dodge U.S. duties, steel from China violates every principle of capitalism. Thats in addition to defying both U.S. and international trade laws.
Its outlaw steel. And last week, U.S. Steel Corp. asked the U.S. government to outlaw its import.
U.S. Steel requested this unusual intervention after China hacked into its computers, ripped off trade secrets, then used those secrets to directly compete with U.S. Steel in the American market. China is flooding the international market with excess, government-subsidized steel. That is closing mills and killing jobs from South Africa to Great Britain to North America. The United States can choose to ignore this. It can become a weakling, reliant on other nations for steel, including some, like China, that clearly are not allies. Or, the United States can act now, as U.S. Steel demands, to secure Americas industrial strength and independence.
Advertisement
Graph showing Chinese steel exports rising while prices declining. Source: U.S. Steel pleading
U.S. Steel is the largest integrated steel company headquartered in the United States. Integrated means that it does everything from mine ore, convert iron to steel and finish steel into sheets and plates and beams. Last year, it lost $1.5 billion, even as it slashed costs by closing operations in Fairfield, Ala.; Gary, Ind.; Keewatin, Minn.; and Granite City, Ill., and furloughing more than 5,000 blue and white-collar workers.
As U.S. Steels petition to outlaw steel imports from China explains, theres no amount of cost-cutting American steel companies could do to keep up with the illegal activity thats supporting the steel industry in China.
The petition puts the racketeering in three categories. Theres price fixing conducted through a government-established cartel called the China Iron and Steel Association. There was the theft of trade secrets that took U.S. Steel a decade to develop. And there is a scheme to duck U.S. trade duties imposed on Chinese steel involving shipping the steel to another country, such as Malaysia, and claiming it was produced there.
The petition to outlaw imports starts to read like a spy novel when it gets to the part describing the scam that Chinese steel distributors established to elude American duty payments.
Advertisement
Investigators knew something was fishy with Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam because steel shipments from these countries spiked after 2009 when the United States imposed duties on a certain type of steel pipe, Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) from China.
In 2009, none of these countries shipped more than 5,000 metric tons of OCTG to the United States. But the following year, Taiwan suddenly sent 50,000 metric tons. By 2012, Vietnam shipped 200,000 metric tons.
Straw buyers started talking to distributors of steel from China and got some fascinating responses. Its all documented in the U.S. Steel pleading to the U.S. International Trade Commission.
The straw buyers asked the steel distributor for a price, then expressed concern that the quote was too high. The distributor would then offer to lower the price by duping U.S. customs officials by routing the steel through a country like Indonesia or Malaysia or Thailand, where the steel would be marked as made there sometimes without ever leaving the original ship. That was the cheapest option.
The straw buyer would ask for documentation that the steel actually was produced by a specific company in China. The distributor often would offer to email the straw buyer a certificate from the company in China. That, U.S. Steel asserts, means the companies in China were in on the scam.
Advertisement
U.S. Steels petition includes copies of the email offers. Heres a sample:
We load the casings from China mainland, and deliver to port Klang, Malaysia. Then our agent will reloaded the casing into new containers, to transport to H[o]uston. Meanwhile, they will change the documents in the name of one exporting company in Malaysia. Also they will issue the certificate of origin to certify the casings are from Malaysia origin. Thus, there will no high anti dumping duty for the customer.
Its not just one example. This is not a piddling case. The document includes nine instances of distributors offering to falsify documents and trans-ship for some of the largest steel companies in China including Baosteel, Hebei, Ansteel, Shandong, Wuhan, Shougang and Benxi.
The largest of these companies operate with the benefit of state-imposed collusion. The U.S. Steel petition describes how the government established the China Iron and Steel Association and required the biggest companies to participate. Its purpose is to help companies control the price of raw materials, share cost and capacity information and regulate prices, including prices of products exported to the United States. All of this, of course, enables them to destroy competitors.
If this sounds like a bunch of U.S. railroad and oil magnates sitting in smoke-filled rooms establishing monopolies before the Sherman Antitrust Act was passed in 1890, thats exactly what its like. And thats exactly why U.S. Steel says Chinas monopoly steel should be blocked at the border. Commodities manufactured in connection with a Sherman Act conspiracy may be denied entry into the United States.
Chart shows allegations in U.S. Steel filing against specific Chinese companies.
Then, of course, theres the outright theft of trade secrets from U.S. Steel by the government of China. Throughout 2010, the Chinese government subjected U.S. Steel to cyber-attacks. Then in 2011, government hackers in China hijacked information from U.S. Steel on advanced high-strength steel used in the auto industry.
Advertisement
Companies in China had been unable to develop this technology and were under pressure from their domestic car companies to get it. So their government stole it for them. After the theft, one of the largest steel companies in China, Baosteel, used the trade secrets to produce the specialized steel and export it to the United States in direct competition with U.S. Steel.
Two years ago, the U.S. government criminally charged five Chinese military officials with economic espionage and other offenses for hacking into the computers at U.S. Steel. In addition, the government indicted the Chinese military officials with stealing trade secrets from the computers of the United Steelworkers (USW), Allegheny Technologies, Alcoa, Westinghouse Electric and SolarWorld.
Thirty-two years ago we opened the doors of our daycare center in Queens, New York, with the aim of providing a safe haven and a quality education to our neighborhood's children, including our own.
We called it A Child's Place and it began with just eight kids in a converted basement. Now, three decades later, we serve 250 children in our own building and employ 65 staff members. Our business became our family's lifelong passion.
Now, as members of the Baby Boomer generation, we are looking to retire. We are far from alone. What has been dubbed a "silver tsunami" is sweeping through the United States economy. One study at the University of California, San Diego, showed every year some 150,000 to 300,000 businesses owned at least in part by Boomers have owners that hit retirement age. Together they employ millions of Americans.
Advertisement
Like many other retiring Boomers, we worried A Child's Place might be downsized by a new owner or have to close. Those looking to buy our business could not guarantee it would continue as a daycare. So we decided to solve the problem in a way we never dreamed possible. We would sell A Child's Place to the very people we knew would take care of it best: the staff who worked there.
Now A Child's Place is set to become a worker-owned business. Aided by a loan from The Working World, the current staff -- including our two children -- will buy the business and continue to do the work they love. Only now they will also be the owners as well as the workers. The future of A Child's Place will be in their hands.
Three generations of the Coles family.
The advantages for us, as owners, of converting to a worker-owned business are obvious. Like many Boomer business owners looking for a succession strategy, we were concerned new owners would not preserve the values and community legacy of our life's work. By selling the business to the people who already work there, and share in our mission, we have solved that problem.
There are also advantages for the staff of A Child's Place. They are going to be worker-owners, sharing in the profits of their work once the loan is paid back. Their jobs will also be secure; something rarely said about workers in a business sold to a new owner.
Advertisement
A report released this week by the Surdna Foundation, called Ours to Share, shows worker-owned businesses pay better wages, have more generous benefits and are better able to survive economic downturns than traditionally-owned companies. At the same time, they are often just as or more productive.
But it is about much more than just material benefit. Being worker-owned represents a fundamental shift in workers' relationship to their workplace. It offers a third way to either working for someone else or working for yourself; instead you work for your colleagues at the same time as they work for you. Worker-owned businesses offer their staff clearer paths for advancement and skill building. They bring democracy and participation into the workplace in ways that ensure workers are deeply invested in the future of their company.
For us, converting into a worker-owned enterprise also goes deeper than that. Inequality is perhaps the most pressing issue in America today and now A Child's Place will help fight that. The staff will eventually see their wages significantly rise at a time when earnings for the working and middle classes have beenstagnant for decades. The daycare industry, which is a sector marked by low wages, is also dominated by women and people of color who have faced historic discrimination when it comes to economic opportunities. By selling A Child's Place to its staff -- many of whom are African American women -- we are helping correct that imbalance.
Our decision will also ripple out into the wider community. We are keeping a viable business local and anchoring wealth in the neighborhood for people who already live there. As gentrification sweeps through New York, the new worker-owners of A Child's Place will be well placed to resist some of its impact in terms of displacing lower income residents and communities of color.
Hepatitis Awareness Month is observed the entire month of May. Unlike HIV or breast cancer, hepatitis B and C are the awkward diseases that comedians joke about, but few understand the seriousness of these problems. Viral hepatitis desperately needs every bit of awareness and subsequent intervention and prevention it can muster.
Consider hepatitis C, the more prevalent of the two chronic forms of viral hepatitis. Beginning in 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the number of deaths associated with hepatitis C surpassed all 59 other notifiable infectious conditions. Despite the high mortality rate, funding for viral hepatitis-related services is paltry. Currently, there is no money for a nationally coordinated chronic viral hepatitis surveillance system.
The CDC conservatively estimates that there are 3.4 to 5.3 million people with chronic hepatitis B and C in the US. Between 2010 and 2013, new hep C infection rates increased by 151 percent, largely because of opioid use. For the first time since 1990, the number of acute hepatitis B cases has increased.
Advertisement
The majority of people living with chronic viral hepatitis do not know they have it. Hepatitis Awareness Month isn't reaching them. Viral hepatitis doesn't have its own postage stamp or national spokesperson. Hepatitis organizations can't even agree on the color of its awareness ribbons. Are they red, yellow, red and yellow, or red and blue? What we can agree on is that viral hepatitis is a huge problem and if we don't act now, the death rate will continue to rise.
Although viral hepatitis does have an entire month devoted to awareness, the campaign pales in comparison to an entire month of pink everything in October. Women dying from breast cancer is an awful reality, one that we as a nation can get behind. However, the American public isn't sympathetic to hepatitis C sufferers, a disease that that is deeply stigmatized because of its sometimes-association with injection drug use.
And while I am comparing diseases, let's look at HIV. It can be tricky comparing the two, because people living with HIV fought mightily for the services they finally got, and they need every penny of funding they have. AIDS day on December 1 is a powerful reminder of how precious everyone is, and why we need to find a cure for HIV. But more people are dying from hepatitis C than from HIV, and obviously Hepatitis Testing Day on May 19 is not getting the attention it needs.
Stigma plays a large part in keeping hepatitis C in the shadows. Between its association with injection drug use and the fact that it is infectious, it makes it hard to walk into the doctor's office and request a test. The majority of those who are infected do not know it, and baby boomers bear the lion's share of this silent disease. Nearly 75 percent of Americans with hepatitis C are baby boomers; the CDC recommends testing all people born from 1945 through 1965.
Advertisement
What if we had a world without baby boomers? Or a world without musicians and other remarkable people with hepatitis C? We already know what it feels like to live in a world without Lou Reed, Natalie Cole, Ken Kesey, Etta James, Danny Kaye, and Allen Ginsberg. Then there are the ones you don't know about, the many patients and friends I lost to hepatitis C. This virus could have also taken David Crosby, Greg Allman, and Naomi Judd but medicine intervened. Medical intervention spared the lives of my friends Karen, Chris, Jack, Lynn, Jane, Mike, Teresa, Rick and others.
I am also on the spared list. Now cured, I lived with hepatitis C for 25 years. And although I am grateful to be virus-free, it's not enough. It's hard to be a survivor when others are needlessly dying from a curable and preventable disease. Hepatitis C is treatable, but many don't have access to treatment. Therein lays the problem. Only about 6 percent of those with hepatitis C have been treated and cured. In the meantime, Australia is on track to treat everyone with hepatitis C. Europe also has a plan to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030. The U.S. is not as far along, but experts are considering the notion that we have the tools to eliminate hepatitis B and C.
Sunday, May 1 marked the beginning of Asian Pacific Heritage Month. And 2016 is the fiftieth anniversary of University of California sociologist, Thomas Petersen, coining the pernicious term "model minority" in the New York Times Magazine. What better way to commemorate Asian Pacific Heritage this month than to end once and for all use of this label on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), which has been employed countless times by major media outlets like Time, Newsweek, and the Los Angeles Times since 1966?
Academic scholars and AAPI community-based organizations like my own have fought against the myth of the model minority for decades. The term, which may seem a compliment to some, has been used to define our broader community as uniquely intelligent and universally hard-working and financially successful, especially when compared with other communities of color. In Petersen's article, he specifically compared the economic attainment of Japanese Americans to that of less economically successful groups, whom he described as "problem minorities," not only because of their lack of upward mobility, but also because of their need of "Great Society" anti-poverty programs and their demand for increased civil rights.
Beyond the harm of labeling an ethnic group a "model" minority, the tag is simply inaccurate when it comes to describing the AAPI community as a whole. The Color of Wealth in Los Angeles, a joint publication of Duke University, The New School, UCLA and the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, which was released on March 10, examines the economic disparities faced by several ethnic communities in the Southland and found that a number of Asian American communities have much lower income and net worth than White Americans. For example, the median total assets possessed by Korean Americans in the Southland is only $28,000 and $40,000 for Vietnamese Americans. White Americans in Los Angeles, by contrast, have a median total assets exceeding $350,000. Similarly, the per capita income in Los Angeles for some AAPIs is significantly lower than for Whites; the per capita income for Tongans is a mere $8,146, for Cambodians, $14,276, and for Bangladeshis $18,909 while the income for Whites is $47,503, according to the 2006-2010 American Community Survey.
Advertisement
Despite this evidence, the model minority myth continues to be perpetuated in mainstream media. In his October 10, 2015 column in the New York Times, Nicholas Kristof discussed the "Asian Advantage," describing Asian Americans as "disproportionately stars in American schools and even in American society as a whole." Similarly, at the February 28 Academy Awards, Chris Rock brought three AAPI kids onto the stage as the apparent accountants responsible for tallying the votes (read: Asian kids are so good at math, they can do the job of adults).
To be sure, some segments of the Asian American population are doing quite well financially. The median net worth of American households of Indian and Chinese descent are among the highest of any groups in Los Angeles, exceeding $450,000 and $400,000 respectively. But what most media outlets fail to recognize is that a majority of those immigrants welcomed to the United States after passage of the 1965 Immigration Act were well-educated professionals who possessed higher levels of wealth than the average American prior to entering the U.S., as noted by the Color of Wealth authors.
AAPIs are a diverse population. Treating them as a monolith fails to account for differences between AAPI communities, especially in terms of their immigration pathways and socioeconomic origins. Moreover, assigning them a label that assumes generalized wealth or educational success prevents government resources and philanthropic investments from being distributed equitably across all Southland communities; and it leaves tens of thousands of low-income and frequently limited-English proficient Tongans, Cambodians, Bangladeshis, Koreans and Vietnamese in Los Angeles without access to necessary medical services, affordable housing and adequate wages.
Advertisement
Acknowledging the community's complexity is a step in the right direction. Members of the California Assembly and Senate with Governor Brown should take that first step by enacting AB 1726 to collect and disaggregate data for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in publicly-funded colleges and universities and a number of state Departments. State and local policymakers and foundations can then begin to allocate resources more equitably and develop appropriate responses to meet the challenges experienced by individual AAPI communities.
LISTEN HERE:
Underestimating Trump, Shrum/Christie/Green prognosticate again post-primaries: Will great persona + viral message be ticket for future presidents? Will reactionary GOP reconstitute after realigning loss? Will Trump put bully Christie in VP pulpit or go nuclear with Knight? Should no-drama Hillary choose a guy to help with guys or win with Warren?
Presumptive Trump? Bob and Ron agree that unless Cruz thinks of something even more head-turning than Fiorina -- maybe nominating a successor to Scalia's seat? -- the GOP race and #nevertrump are effectively over. It's kneel Zod time.
Can Trump be "sooo presidential," as he promised? Based on his foreign policy address this week, the panel doubts it. They agree with Charles Krauthammer that his scripted, tele-prompted speech was as wandering, hollow and confused as his off-the-cuff rants.
Advertisement
Can his repeated technique of "assertion" that persuades credulous people by creating reality -- we'll destroy ISIS! Obama-Clinton a weak disaster! great trade deals! -- convince not only 40 percent of Republican primary voters but also some Independents and Democrats in the Fall? Bob and Ron laugh. "He thinks being unpredictable is a good way to work with our allies? And how'd that work for Nixon in Vietnam after 1968?"
His Veep? Might he just "go it alone" as Gene Robinson joked? Ron predicts that choosing Kasich would be smart but his friend the Governor would never do it. Then he speculates about Rubio, Haley, CChristie. Shrum says most credible Rs would shun him knowing s/he would be on a ticket to nowhere.
Last, would this time the GOP seriously reevaluate its strategies after losing the popular vote for the 6th out of seven tries? Ron hopes so because the party's survival depends on it, but he doubts it. "The had eight years under Obama to reach out to minorities and woman and didn't. He wants his party to start dealing again with Democrats to get things done but can't suggest how since today any compromise assures a Tea Party primary opponent.
Shrum concurs that the GOP is sharply divided into ideologues and realists, with the former having the upper hand. How'd that happen -- Obama Derangement Syndrome, Right-Wing Talk Radio, a party weighed down by Southern 'lost causists'? He explains all that with JFK's famous Inaugural metaphor, "He who rides the back of tiger ends up inside." Party leaders rode the Tea Party to off-year wins in 20 and 2014 but are now being devoured by them.
Advertisement
Host: This is a party with the fringe on the bottom. For a longer analysis what that means for November and the next decade, see last chapter of BrightInfiniteFuture.net -- "Economy & Democracy: The Progressive Majority vs. The Fringe Fourth" -- coming out the first week of May.
Presumptive Clinton? Why did Clinton end up prevailing only 55-45 over Sanders in voters and delegates when the opening line was more like 75-25? There's agreement again -- that his message really penetrated and she made unforced errors, like her email server and Wall Street speeches.
Bob lauds her primary night remarks in turn lauding Sanders and his voters as a smart way of getting 90 percent of her party to support her ticket. But given Trump's campaign of insults and apostasy, Bob doubts that the GOP will even get to 80 percent of Republicans.
We discuss how Clinton would be smart to combine her victory with much of Sanders's program. Bob assumes that she could choose Senator Warren as VP but it's unlikely given he need to shrink the opposition of angry white men. Where will Millennials -- who are more numerous than Boomers and who voted for Sanders 80-20 and for Obama 75-25 in 2012 -- go? Christie praises a Paul Ryan town hall of Millennials at his school Georgetown and thinks they're open to a GOP message on entitlements and spending. But Shrum is confidant that they'll swing hard to the Democratic ticket when faced with Trump's craziness and party's anti-gay stance.
Host: Earlier election cycles lead to new strategies and candidates, like McGovern's mailing list, Carter's border southern appeal, Dean's use of the internet. But the astounding success of Trump's personality in his party and Sanders's viral message raising scores of millions may re-shape POTUS politics for a generation. Can say some dynamic professor, author, athlete, TV broadcaster with a sticky message leap over the usual cadre of governors and senators to compete and win? Maddow vs. Scarborough in 2024?
Photo: Lynn Rosen
Lynn Rosen has lived in the Midwest, on the East Coast, and in Japan. After earning three graduate degrees at the University of Rochester, she served on its faculty. She was the Dean of Liberal Arts at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland. Her literary work has appeared in The Texas Quarterly and Caprice. A Man of Genius is her literary debut novel, which she completed after 15 years of writing, and had published at age 84.
A Man of Genius centers on Samuel Grafton-Hall, an architect whose work is revered the world over. Arthur Dolinger--Grafton-Hall's lawyer and the executor of his estate--tries to piece together a mystery prompted by a strange codicil to the architect's will. Reading the novel, the reader is made privy to the mind and misdeeds of a genius who revels in his cynicism and disdain, a man who leaves colleagues, lovers, and friends deeply scarred for having known him. There is also the matter of a murder: who committed it, and the conundrum of who actually died; and what the answers to those questions mean for those left behind.
Samuel Grafton-Hall is an extraordinary character. Tell us a bit about him.
The novel is really driven by the backstory of Samuel Grafton-Hall. As a character, he raises many questions I think apply to today's world. Samuel's story and his character traits drove me to look at how we pick our idols, authority figures, and those we trust or follow.
Advertisement
The media are so instrumental in anointing authority figures, and we often blindly trust and follow these people without question. Once something occurs which forces us to examine these leaders, do we allow ourselves to forgive them for being human and fallible?
Samuel Grafton-Hall is so flawed, and if we look at him in the context of comparing him to those in whom we, in our real lives, vest authority, what does it say about us and our own moral obligations? The flaws in Samuel's character are so compelling, they drove me to keep writing this novel, which took a very long time. From my perspective, these questions transcend the book.
How long did it take to write the novel?
It took a span of fifteen years, nine of which were taken up by writing draft after draft. I lacked faith in myself since I had never before attempted to write a novel.
One famous writer I knew told me my attempts to write a Gothic novel while leaving loose ends were ill-advised, so I wrote and re-wrote. Finally, after so many years, a friend looked at a draft and said, 'Finish it your way.'
Advertisement
So that's exactly what I did.
A Man of Genius is told through the words of Grafton-Hall's attorney, Arthur Dolinger, an unreliable narrator. What thoughts do you have about such narrators?
I think all narrative voices are unreliable. The truth is, we all struggle with narration. In fact, none of our memories are pure. They become distorted over time, and while we may think we're reliable narrators, we really provide our own versions of what happened in the past. My narrator, Arthur Dolinger, says at the outset that he can't be sure of his facts and he struggles with some parts of his narration.
That's part of what I liked about him. He says early on in the novel, 'You may not be able to trust everything I say but I'll do my best.'
That's exactly it. He recognized the universal tendency for memory of long-ago events to be terribly unreliable.
In A Man of Genius, Grafton-Hall's first wife, Catherine, makes significant--but not publically acknowledged--contributions to his work. Tell us about the barriers women experience in relation to achievement.
I lived them. As you said, I have three graduate degrees and personally experienced a great deal of resistance and many barriers. I'll give you two examples.
After getting my Master's degree in English, I applied for the Ph.D. program in the Gothic novel at the University of Rochester. I was already teaching concurrently with my course work, and had graduated with honors. During my interview for the Ph.D. program, the chairman of the department told me if I persisted on pursuing admission, they would seat me 'under the seminar table.' That's an exact quote. This was well before Title IX was enacted and they weren't accepting women. A dean who had come over from Columbia suggested I get a doctorate in higher education, which is what I did. But I suffered by that compromise because I really wanted that doctorate in the Gothic novel.
When I was in public relations, I had major clients--Rod Serling, Peter Lorre, and others. Yet, my credit card wasn't accepted at restaurants when I took those clients to lunch or dinner. In some places, I couldn't sit at a table waiting for a client because a woman seated alone was not acceptable. I must tell you, my sadness isn't that it occurred; it's that young woman today don't have a sense of what we went through.
Advertisement
At age eighty-four, your debut novel has been published. What made you undertake writing a novel beginning at age seventy?
I don't consider myself a writer. I'm a storyteller. Some stories just stay with me--not in pure form because our memories don't retain events as they actually happened. They've been reconfigured. A certain story stayed with me--one concerning my 1949 visit to Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright's home in Wisconsin.
I'd read a great deal about him and his architecture. I was privileged to have Mrs. Frank Lloyd Wright take me on a personal tour of Taliesin and invite me to have tea with her. During our conversation, the question I wanted to ask was, 'Mrs. Wright, did your husband really kill his mistress?' Of course, I didn't pose that question to her.
There had been stories about the relationship between Mamah Borthwick Cheney and Frank Lloyd Wright, which ended when she was murdered. Stories circulated that he had arranged the murder because he was looking at a prison term on morals charges. The story of Wright, his mistress and wife stayed with me. And then, other notions materialized--about idolatry and authority--and became reconfigured in my mind. So, I finally began to write it as a novel.
The writing style of A Man of Genius is reminiscent of Daphne Du Maurier and Emily Bronte, with its evocative literary quality. Talk about your writing style and literary influences.
My writing style is simply the voice in my head. I write down what that voice tells me. I'm very interested in Gothic literature for its sublime elements and psychology. For me, the creative and performing arts involve transcendence beyond the moment. Gothic literature pushes you toward that state. I'm engrossed by the question of how we access art and process our feelings about it, and that informs my writing. I admire Du Maurier, but I don't write the way I do in a purposeful way. It's simply a result of how I think.
As for my literary influences, I'm an enormous admirer of Laurence Stern and Tristram Shandy. The plot manipulations in that novel are mind-blowing.
Advertisement
What's coming next from Lynn Rosen?
I have several ideas bubbling in my mind. They all derive from experiences--little vignettes from my life that have stayed with me.
Congratulations on penning A Man of Genius a lyrical contemporary novel with Gothic elements addressing themes of morality, memory, guilt, and hubris while providing unremitting suspense for the reader.
Happy May Day! Let's light bonfires on hilltops and celebrate Life: old and new. The decayed compost nourishes fresh offspring. Aged wisdom and young blood commune in heart-felt exchange. Steady warmth and flames of inspiration encourage us to create in mindful cooperation.
Hug a tree, embrace a friend, revel in the beauty of Nature, immerse yourself in dance to the sounds of human speech and live acoustic music. Allow your Spirit to be on fire; nurture the warmth of your body. Yellows and reds blend into expansive orange, the color of inspired living.
We inhale the cosmic ideas of the future, and exhale the joyful creations in the present. Breathe in and breathe out. Live. Air moves through the body; move the air in space with your bodies. Life is expansion and contraction, the never ending, always changing relation between you and me, the harmonious movement of the Universe.
Advertisement
Planets and stars shine, tones and vowels and consonants sound, and I am danced in harmony. My bones sing, my feelings move. The overgrown skin falls away. The self-imposed cocoon cracks open. Mercury in retrograde grants additional three weeks this year to let go of the worn-out attire and create a fresh one in vibrant colors.
The first buds on the branches of the river birch and the oak in the backyard were small reddish bursts of early spring. And now, the vibrant green leaves are pushing through them. The initial breakthroughs from within have become too narrow for the exuberant growth ahead. The weaving of the Summer garments is in full sway.
Growing up in Slovenia, Europe, I looked forward to two occasions when bonfires were lit on the rolling hills surrounding my hometown: May 1 and June 23. May 1 is the Labor Day in Europe: a new title for the ancient pagan festival of Beltane. Time to forgo the daily routine of work and obligations. A night to gather outdoors and dance. Mhm, yes, and to mate.
The blossoms of fruit bearing trees are merrily blanketing the grass with soft white and pink petals for you. Sink into the fragrant carpet with grateful abandon. It's wonderful to make love with another person, but don't forget to love yourself first.
Advertisement
Beltane and the beginning of May are about the Cosmic Union. May Day as My Day. The Sacred Marriage of your earthly self with your Highest Self, who is at home in the Universe. You can change her/his name to Muse or Cosmic Beloved, if you wish. You are invited to enter into the harmonious flow of the Earth and the Sky anew.
We are to discover the cosmic dance of weeks and seasons, of stars and planets, of vowels and consonants and sounds of music. We are to embody the abstract sacred geometry of Life in breathing creations and movement that is alive.
Rudolf Steiner gave indications how each verse in the Calendar of the Soul is to be moved in eurythmy, the art of harmonious movement. His verse that inspired these week's sparks, holds a special place in my heart: with four of my classmates, we performed it in July of 2014 in Dornach, Switzerland, at the gathering of the graduates from eurythmy schools world-wide. The Steiner's form is a harmonious co-existence of a square, a triangle, circles, six-pointed and five-pointed stars.
The costumes are white silk gowns with red, yellow, and purple thin silk veils. No orange on the physical plane for this choreography: the orange emerges on the cosmic etheric plane in the opposing field of purple and yellow, and through the attraction of yellow and red.
The words, forms, gestures, and colors bring to life an understanding of the world as an intricate interlacing of creativity, breathing, and deep spiritual truths.
Over to you, dear Soulful Reader:
How do you celebrate the Mid-Spring at the beginning of May?
BROOKLYN, NY, UNITED STATES - 2016/05/04: Hillary Clinton speaks at Hillary Town Hall with Congresswomen Yvette Clarke and First lady of New York City Chirlane McCray. (Photo by Louise Wateridge/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Years before the 2016 presidential campaign got underway, pundits and the public alike were debating "Clinton fatigue." Back in 2007, the Wall Street Journal even invented "Clinton Book Fatigue," to go along with the regular variety. The updated version from Keep the Promise I, a PAC backing Ted Cruz, debuted in a video in August of 2015. It depicted a hospital ward full of barely-alive patients suffering from the "disease" of Clinton Fatigue.
Agony and attack ads notwithstanding, it seemed a legitimate question: was it desirable or even right to concede the presidency to a political royal family once again? And if so, should a candidate share credit or blame for the past sins and successes of a family member in the White House?
Advertisement
Now that the choice is here, it's no longer a theoretical issue. But it's moved beyond mere association, and into the realm of personal responsibility for one's political forebears. Donald Trump was first in the ring months ago -- charging Hillary Clinton with being an "enabler" to Bill's sexual shenanigans while in office. In the past few days he has reprised the accusation, no doubt hoping to keep it alive for the general election. (Trump also blamed the late Jeb Bush for his bro's big boo-boo in Iraq.)
Fair or not fair? Clearly not fair when it comes to the enabler charge. We don't know what Hillary knew and when she knew it. We do know she held her head high and she tried to minimize the damage to save her husband's career and probably their marriage to boot. It's a path countless women have taken for centuries under similar circumstances. And "by the way" (as Trump is fond of saying) there's more than a little sexism here. Betty Ford had a drug and alcohol problem when Gerald Ford was in the White House. No one ever called him an enabler.
But that's all really beside the point. Bill Clinton is not running--Hillary Clinton is. Besides being irrelevant to her campaign, his wandering eye is irrelevant to his record in matters of governing and the country's well being. If sexual escapades count, we'd have to downgrade the presidencies of at least half the guys who have served, from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower to JFK -- and that's just the 20th century. So maybe Eleanor, Mamie, Jackie and Hillary can all be blamed for picking imperfect partners, but surely not for their husbands' successes or failures at leading the country.
When asked in a public forum right after Trump's initial "enabler" attack, Bernie Sanders put it best. "Look, Hillary Clinton is not Bill Clinton. What Bill Clinton did, I think we can all acknowledge, was totally, totally, totally disgraceful and unacceptable," the Vermont senator told a crowd at an Iowa town hall. "But I am running against Hillary Clinton. I'm not running against Bill Clinton. I believe what we need to do as a nation is focusing on issues facing this country. So what I am doing is contrasting my record with Hillary Clinton's record, and they are very, very different records. . ."
Advertisement
Sanders is right. Hillary is woman enough to take credit or blame on her own record, which is extensive. She's not running for Bill Clinton's third term. She's running for her first term, and even though he campaigns for her, neither of them touts his resume as a reason to vote for her.
Hillary has been straightforward about what she's for, what she's against, and why she has changed her mind on such matters as her vote for the Iraq war and support for the Trans Pacific Partnership. It's certainly fair to accept or reject both her record and her explanations, as we do for all other candidates.
Back in the 1990s, the British anthropologist Robin Dunbar noticed a remarkable correlation between primate brain size and the social groups they formed. This correlation was simple: the bigger their brains, the larger their social groups. And the explanation seemed reasonable: animals with bigger brains can remember, and therefore interact meaningfully with, more of their peers.
That led Dunbar to a famous prediction. By plotting the correlation and extrapolating the curve to the size of the human brain, he predicted that humans could have no more than about 150 people in their social sphere.
He and many others have gone on to find much evidence for Dunbars number in the sizes of hunter-gatherer societies, Roman legions, and effective businesses. Dunbars number has even been shown to hold on modern social networks. Humans really do seem to have a natural limit to the number of meaningful relationships they can have. And this number is about 150.
In recent years, Dunbar has taken his idea further by taking into account the emotional closeness between individuals. This has led him to the idea of Dunbar layers: that an individuals group of 150 contacts is layered according to the strength of emotional ties.
Individuals, he says, generally have up to five people in the closest layer. The next closest layer contains an additional 10, the one beyond that an extra 35, and the final group another 100. So cumulatively, the layers contain five, 15, 50, and 150 people.
However, the evidence for this kind of layering in social groups has been hard to gather. Today, Dunbar, who is at the University of Oxford in the U.K., and a few pals, say they have found evidence of Dunbar layers in a massive data set of mobile phone calls. And the numbers provide a curious insight into the nature of human social contact.
The new data set consists of some six billion calls made by 35 million people in an unnamed European country throughout 2007. The team assumes that the frequency of calls between two individuals is a measure of the strength of their relationship.
To screen out business calls and casual calls, Dunbar and co include only individuals who make reciprocated calls and focus on individuals who call at least 100 other people. That screens out people who do not regularly use mobile phones to call social contacts.
That leaves some 27,000 people who call on average 130 other people. Each of these people make 3,500 calls per year, about 10 a day. The team says that the individual who made the highest number of calls to another person called over 15,000 times. On average, thats more than 40 calls a day for a whole year. Thats surely close to an upper limit.
The team also point out that 2007 is a good year to look for Dunbar layers because it predates the widespread use of smartphones and social networks like Facebook. These provide other avenues for social contact that would have made the study much harder.
The teams method is straightforward. Dunbar and co mine this data by counting the number of calls that each individual makes to his or her contacts and using clustering algorithms to look for patterns within the results.
But the results make for interesting reading. Different clustering methods give slightly different results, but nevertheless, the team says the average cumulative layer turns out to hold 4.1, 11.0, 29.8, and 128.9 users.
These numbers are a little smaller than the conventional numbers for Dunbar layers, but within their natural range of variation, they say. The numbers could be smaller because mobile phone data captures only a portion of a persons total social interactions.
The team also finds some evidence of an extra layer among some people. This could, for example, mean introverts and extroverts have a different number of layers of friends, they suggest. But interestingly, extroverts, while having more friends, still have a similar number of layers.
In total, the study shows good evidence for the existence of the innermost and outermost layers but with some variability for the size of the intermediate layers. The clustering yields results that match well with previous studies for the innermost and outermost layers, but for layers in between we observe large variability, they say.
Interesting stuff. Perhaps next theyll look to see whether similar evidence emerges from the study of online social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and so on that could allow more nuanced studies.
Ref: arxiv.org/abs/1604.02400 : Calling Dunbars Numbers
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601369/your-brain-limits-you-to-just-five-bffs/
With the 2016 presidential election now appearing to be a match-up between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, many Democrats are breathing a deep sigh of relief, or better yet, laughing uncontrollably. After all, polling suggests Donald Trump is the most unpopular general election candidate in modern history.
However, to write off the election as a done deal for Clinton now would be foolish. Clinton has her own flaws as a candidate. Therein lies an opening for Trump to use his populist, outsider persona to do what many have called impossible, win the presidency. Here are the 4 keys to a Trump victory in November.
1. Contrast with Hillary: Donald Trump will have one big thing going for him as the Republican nominee. That is Hillary Clinton's undeniable, personal unpopularity and lack of trustworthiness among the American people.
Advertisement
Trump has his flaws, but he is a natural foil to Clinton in many ways on this issue. If Trump synthesizes his "tell it like it is" attitude into an all-out assault on political correctness and the progressive left, he will inspire those who came out for him in the primaries to bring their friends and family out in the general election.
The image of Trump jabbing Clinton as the epitome of a bought out career politician could turn one of his perceived flaws, a lack of poise and formal training as a candidate for public office, into an asset during televised debates.
Trump's own flip flopping on several issues along with his history of donating money to Democrats including Clinton would provide one possible counter-punch to this strategy for the former Secretary of State.
2. Continue to utilize fear of ISIS: Trump has already realized one thing he can do to garner support, stoke fear of terrorism. Trump's decision to publicly advocate ceasing all Muslim immigration to the United States was a carefully calculated and crafted move to win over a large swath of the Republican base.
Advertisement
Trump's challenge for the general election will be finding a way to continue displaying strength on the issue of terrorism having already gone so far to the right. What Trump ought to do is show why Clinton is weak on the issue and contrast himself as the alternative that will keep the country safe.
The 2012 Benghazi attacks and President Obama's heavily criticized counter-terror strategy give Trump some background for attacks on Clinton's record as Secretary of State. If Trump wants to win this election, he needs to make sure terrorism is the number one issue on the minds of voters as they head to polls in November
3. Outreach to Minorities with economic message (and some actual empathy): The death knell of Trump's campaign may very well be his tremendous unpopularity with minorities and women. There are two obvious ways for Trump to try and make up ground with these voters. Trump's background as a successful businessman could allow him to send a message of economic empowerment to black and Latino Americans.
Both of these minority groups are more economically disadvantaged than white Americans and may find Trump more credible on the economy than Clinton as someone who has run a large business in the private sector vs. someone who has made several paid speeches to Wall Street insiders and hasn't had a job outside of Washington in 25 years. If Trump can conjure up a coherent, populist plan to address income inequality, he can contrast himself with Clinton on yet another issue in a way that may appeal to minorities and women.
Throughout this process Trump would be required to do something he has failed to do up to this point. That is to show some genuine empathy for minorities and women that contrasts many his previous controversial remarks throughout the primary season.
Advertisement
If anything ever required a candidate to make the kind of dramatic apology that Paul Ryan made earlier this year about his past rhetoric on economic issues, it would be Trump's highly incendiary remarks about Latino's, Muslims and women.
4. Keep Bernie voters home: Bernie Sanders voters are not Trump voters. That is an undeniable fact. Yes, both of these groups are disenfranchised, anti-establishment members of their respective party's bases, but that's where the similarities end. Trump will not be able to absorb much of the socialist septuagenarian's support, but he can keep them from coming out to support Hillary Clinton, whom they are already skeptical of.
Trump would do well to speak highly of Bernie for his honesty and integrity, once again contrasting himself with Clinton via the spirit of the Vermont Senator's own populist campaign.
There are several factors from Clinton's past that would allow Trump to do this, including the aforementioned Wall-Street speeches. If Trump can convince the economically frustrated whites that made up so much of Sander's support that Clinton is merely pandering to them, they may very well stay home or vote third party.
It's almost impossible to imagine Trump winning the votes of Sanders voters after his lurch to the right on social issues during the Republican primaries, but every vote he can keep from Clinton will bring him one step closer to the Whitehouse.
Advertisement
An earlier version of this article originally appeared on the WideNet Blog. Click here for the original post.
Recently,famed entrepreneur and snapchatter, Gary Vaynerchuk, wrote a great article about non-profit marketing in which he gives some valuable insights on content creation and audience communication (if you run or work with a non-profit, we highly suggest you check it out).
This article struck a chord with us at WideNet. There are over 600 non-profits within a 40 mile radius of our office; so, as you can imagine, we do a lot of work these types of organizations. And like so many businesses in the for-profit world, a lot of non-profits are behind the curve when it comes to modern marketing and advertising.
Advertisement
While Gary's piece provides some good information and advice, he doesn't get too specific on what exactly a non-profit can do to better market themselves. So we put together a list of four (affordable) ways non-profits can utilize the digital world to spread the word about their cause.
Facebook Ad Event Promotion
When it comes to your fundraising events, Facebook is a great way to raise awareness and invite people to attend. But did you know there is an ad option for promoting an event?
Most Facebook event pages are limited by the number of people you invite and the amount of engagement they get. And unless you're having a private fundraiser with a specifically selected list of attendees, advertising your event is a great way to reach people who aren't connected to your Facebook page.
The process is relatively simple, even for those new to Facebook advertising. It's also pretty affordable! You can get a full rundown on how to set up Event Promotions here.
Advertisement
And speaking of fundraisers...
Use Snapchat and Other Real-Time Apps for Live Updates on Projects and Events
Earlier this year, we wrote about why businesses should pay more attention to Snapchat, and the same can be said about non-profits.
People who give to non-profits want to know their money is being put to good use. So besides educating people about your cause, your marketing should aim to show donors and contributors the work that's being done--and you can do that through Snapchat.
When you're working on a project--whether it's building a home, providing a service to children, rescuing animals, or whatever--snap the progress to your followers. Let them see the action in real time.
And don't think you have to limit yourself JUST to Snapchat. If you don't have a huge Snapchat audience, then you can utilize Instagram and Facebook live streaming for the same thing.
Sign Up for Google for Nonprofits
Google, in their eternal quest for total omnipotence over the Internet, has an entire program dedicated to nonprofits. It's called Google for Nonprofits.
Advertisement
By signing up, you gain access to all sorts of online resources to help promote and grow your organization. Even better, many of these resources are aimed at helping you cut costs and save money. For example, Google Apps provides you with free access to the productivity suite, which includes Gmail, Docs, Calendar, and more.
You can also sign up for Google Ad Grants, which gives you free AdWords advertising, and you get access to YouTube Nonprofit Program, which helps you maximize your organization's impact on YouTube.
There are a few exclusions, however. You must be a registered 501(c)(3), and certain types of organizations are not allowed to join. These include: government entities and organizations, hospitals and healthcare organizations, schools, child care centers, academic institutions, and universities (philanthropic arms of educational organizations are eligible however).
To learn more about Google for Nonprofits, their products, and how to apply here.
Target Influencers on Social Media
Influencer Marketing through social media is huge right now--and it just keeps growing.
In case you're unaware, a social media influencer is simply someone with a large, dedicated following on a particular social media platform. Influencers have a TON of value with their followers, which is why many businesses have started marketing to them instead of focusing solely on a targeted audience.
Advertisement
Part of the reason influencers are so effective is because people are tired of advertisements. Banner ads, billboards, commercials, radio ads, etc. aren't as effective as they once were. However, when a trusted influencer endorses a product or advocates a cause, their followers are more likely to get on board.
Keep in mind that an effective influencer doesn't necessarily mean someone with a billion Instagram followers. For small or local non-profits, focus on targeting community leaders, local business owners, council members, county commissioners, or board executives. Pay attention to which local leaders have a large, engaging social media following, and then reach out to them about promoting your nonprofit. (Once again, Gary V has some good advice about targeting social media influencers ,which you can check out here.)
Targeting influencers might take a little time, but the payoff is more than worth it.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama
Pam Vogel is the education program director of the nonprofit Media Matters. She has been with Media Matters since August 2015. Her previous experience includes four months in 2014 as an intern in the office of Vice President Joe Biden. For another six months in 2014, Vogel interned at the Clinton Foundation. Vogel graduated from Whitesboro High School (NY) in 2008; Vasser College in 2012, and Teachers College in 2014.
On April 27, 2016, Vogel published this piece for Media Matters, entitled, "Here Are The Corporations And Right-Wing Funders Backing The Education Reform Movement: A Guide To The Funders Behind A Tangled Network Of Advocacy, Research, Media, And Profiteering That's Taking Over Public Education."
Now, from the title, it sounds like Vogel's piece is exhaustive -- "a guide to the funders." However, as one continues reading, one finds this summation:
Advertisement
Media Matters outlines the many overlapping connections in an echo chamber of education privatization advocacy groups, think tanks, and media outlets that are increasingly funded by a handful of conservative billionaires and for-profit education companies -- often without proper disclosure.
Interestingly enough, Vogel's "many overlapping connections" fails to include the Big Three corporate-reform-purchasing philanthropies: Gates, Walton, and Broad.
Amazing.
But she does include such notable names as the Scaife Foundations, Thomas A Roe Foundation, and Adolph Coors Foundation. (Tongue in cheek, my friends. Tongue in cheek.)
Also remarkable is that Vogel includes the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, which has received to date $2.6 million from the Gates Foundation just to remain in existence (i.e., for "general operating support"). She also includes Stand for Children (to date, $17 million from Gates). Still, Vogel omits Gates.
Advertisement
What else is noteworthy is that Vogel includes Campbell Brown's The 74 but omits Peter Cunningham's Education Post (which is really Results in Education Foundation, or RIEF). These two peas share a pod, with Ed Post carrying articles originally from The 74 and The 74 offering the disclaimer, "Disclosure: The 74 sometimes partners with Education Post to share content."
The 74's funders include the Walton Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, same as RIEF-uh- Ed Post.
In Vogel's report, The 74 is shamed and Ed Post escapes.
In addition, Vogel makes no mention of the corporate reform money and proselyte funnel, Teach for America (TFA), which is Walton-Broad-Gates-funded ($5 million from Walton in 2015; between $1 million and $5 million from Broad in 2015, and $761,000 from Gates in 2015- and $11 million from Gates since 2007), nor does she mention the election-purchasing Democrats for Education Reform (DFER).
Why omit the likes of Walton, Gates, Broad, Ed Post/RIEF, TFA, and DFER from a report that supposedly exposes the corporate reform agenda "increasingly funded by a handful of conservative billionaires..."?
Well. We already know that Vogel is connected to both the Clintons and the Obama administration. And therein lies the answer.
Advertisement
Media Matters is a nonprofit chaired by David Brock, who happens to be Hillary Clinton's controversial campaign manager. Here's a bit of the Brock-antagonized, Clinton campaign controversy:
Hillary Clinton's campaign recently sunk to a new low by allowing political operative David Brock to file ethics lawsuits on their behalf against Bernie Sanders' campaign. Despite vocally advocating for campaign finance reform, Ms. Clinton has received millions of dollars in contributions through her joint super PAC with the Democratic National Committee--the Hillary Victory Fund--and several other super PACs lobbying on her behalf. One of them, the American Democracy Legal Fund (ADLF), had the audacity to file three ethics complaints with the Federal Election Commission alleging Mr. Sanders--who does not have a super PAC--received too much money from individual donors, and accused the National Nurses Union of operating as a super PAC. The ADLF is run by Brad Woodhouse, president of the pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC, Correct The Record. Mr. Brock is the founder of ADLF, and is also involved with Correct the Record as well as another Clinton super PAC, American Bridge--where he simultaneously advises Ms. Clinton's campaign and helps their super PACs raise millions of dollars from wealthy contributors.
And still, Brock runs Media Matters, which advertises the following mission on its 2013 990 tax form:
Media Matters for America is a web-based not-for-profit progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing and correcting conservative misinformation in the US media... Media Matters for America works to notify activists, journalists, pundits and the general public about instances of misinformation, providing them with the resources to rebut false claims and take direct action against offending media institutions.
Hmm. I guess in trying to pass its April 27, 2016, slanted funders report as trustworthy, Media Matters needs to write a report about themselves and the Don't Connect to Obama or Clinton game they play with that "many connections" half truth.
Media Matters also plays a game by tossing in the term "conservative misinformation." When it comes to privatizing reform, there is little distinction between the liberal- and conservative-billionaire cash toss.
But there are reasons why the Vogel report glaringly omits mention of Gates, Walton, Broad, DFER, and Ed Post, and it has to do with the White House- both who is there now and who hopes to be there soon.
Obama and Clinton, respectively. Both Democrats.
In February 2016, Alice Walton donated $353,400 to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. And why not? Hillary Clinton served on the Walmart board from 1986 to 1992. (Sam Walton was under pressure to put a woman on the board of the Arkansas-based company, and Bill Clinton was governor, and Clinton's wife was a lawyer, and she was a woman....)
Advertisement
Though Clinton apparently returned $5,000 in Walton super PAC money in 2005, in 2016, she seems fine with accepting Alice Walton's contribution. Still, Clinton does not publicly disclose her Republican, anti-union, Walton history.
Moving on.
After Bill Clinton reassured Eli Broad in late 2015 that Hillary really does support charter schools, Broad opened his wallet to a Clinton-friendly super PAC. (Hillary Clinton was once Broad's lawyer.) It seems that this reassurance also brought DFER on board as a Hillary Clinton supporter.
Another notable Clinton supporter is the Chicago-based Pritzker family. The Pritzkers are connected to Obama; Penny Pritzker is now part of the Obama administration:
For the past two years, Ms. Pritzker served the Obama Administration as a member of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board which formulated and evaluated economic policy. She was National Finance Chair of the Barack Obama for President campaign and co-chair of the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee.
The Pritzker Group has contributed $2.8 million to the Hillary Clinton campaign. Given that Ed Post is really the nonprofit RIEF, and given that RIEF has many ties to Obama's White House (including that Pritzker connection via one of RIEF's funders), it seems only right that Ed Post should be excluded from that Vogel report.
Advertisement
As for Vogel's TFA omission: How could she include a corporate reform incubator to which Obama himself sent a congratulatory message during the TFA 25th Anniversary shindig? Here's an excerpt:
Wendy [Kopp]'s dream to get great teachers into our classrooms has fundamentally changed our country.
Media Matters expose TFA? No way.
So, there we have it:
Media Matters: Selectively exposing corporate reform while trying not to implicate or offend the current or potentially-future Democratic White House.
That's about right.
***
Originally posted 04-30-16 at deutsch29.wordpress.com
Schneider is a southern Louisiana native, career teacher, trained researcher, and author of the ed reform whistle blower, A Chronicle of Echoes: Who's Who In the Implosion of American Public Education.
Our first challenge is to obtain a suitable definition of the term "chronic disease." The World Health Organization asserts that the term is synonymous with "noncommunicable diseases," noting that they are of long duration and generally slow progression. WHO further identifies the four main types as cardiovascular diseases; cancers; chronic respiratory diseases; and diabetes. Given this roster, it is hardly surprising that chronic disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide -- representing 60 percent of all deaths.
The CDC's list is slightly different, and includes obesity and arthritis. According to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, a chronic disease is one lasting three months or more. In general, they cannot be prevented by vaccines or cured by medication, nor do they just disappear. Let's go with that one.
Inasmuch as 88 percent of Americans over 65 have at least one chronic condition, it is easy enough to blame these afflictions on aging. However, plenty of younger folks engage in unhealthy practices such as tobacco use, lack of physical activity, and poor eating habits; and plenty of people much younger than 65 have chronic conditions, as well.
Advertisement
Unfortunately, too many seniors are discovering that following the conventional precepts of a healthy lifestyle hardly guarantees that they will be exempt. Perhaps the best known example is the death (1998) -- at age 56 -- of Linda McCartney. As a strict vegetarian, wealthy enough to embrace whatever aspects of a healthy lifestyle she could conjure up, she nonetheless contracted metastatic breast cancer. Reaction at the time ranged from astonishment (but, she did everything right!) to bizarre rumors and fan theories.
Closer to home, a high school classmate who always kept in shape lamented that she too did everything right, and especially liked dancing. Apparently, she became quite the devotee of Zumba and was rewarded with... a hip replacement.
In her case, the standard shopworn reply from the experts is that she is still better off because of the cardiovascular benefits. Maybe, except this sort of "tolerable side effects" rationalization is beginning to wear thin. Indeed, the notion that nearly all drug side effects are acceptable, as long as they are disclosed, is truly a sick joke.
Some would argue that chronic illnesses will never be cured, since there is much more money to be made in their lifelong treatment. Even if you don't accept that premise, you will likely acknowledge that a lifetime of taking meds -- with all their side effects -- is surely not a benign course of action.
Advertisement
Others will argue that the answer to chronic illness is for people to take ownership of their health, be proactive, and get informed. Fair enough, but given the amount of available resources, discerning what might be safe and effective -- for you -- is no simple task. One useful shortcut is to be wary of those who promote their approach as some sort of universal cure.
Which brings us to the Cynefin Framework, a knowledge management tool, which allows decision-makers to see things from new viewpoints, assimilate complex concepts, and address real-world problems and opportunities.
In the original article on Cynefin (a Welsh word that signifies the multiple factors in our environment and our experience that influence us in ways we can never understand), authors David Snowden and Mary Boone stated that:
All too often, managers rely on common leadership approaches that work well in one set of circumstances but fall short in others. Why do these approaches fail even when logic indicates they should prevail? The answer lies in a fundamental assumption of organizational theory and practice: that a certain level of predictability and order exists in the world. This assumption, grounded in the Newtonian science that underlies scientific management, encourages simplifications that are useful in ordered circumstances. Circumstances change, however, and as they become more complex, the simplifications can fail. Good leadership is not a one-size-fits-all proposition.
Cynefin speaks of four domains:
Commentator Robert Paterson observes that, "Modern Medicine lives in the right hand quadrant but our chronic illness lives in the left hand side."
Advertisement
Paterson suggests that since medicine's greatest successes have been based on simple answers, it is now geared to see only local cause and effect. He predicts that it will continue to fail in treating chronic illness -- a complex problem brought on by interactions between your ancestry, the food you eat, what you do with your body, how much time you spend outdoors, your social status and how much sleep you have.
There is no one cause. There are only many variables interacting over long periods of time that result in emergence of disease that in turn result in the emergence of more disease. "Modern medicine," he says, "is a linear world where the payoff is in the sale of a drug, a test, or a procedure such as an operation or a Botox shot. No one gets paid to work with complexity. So no one does."
The time has come to start looking seriously at what a Trump presidency would entail. The surprise: when you poke beneath the surface it may not be anything like what we expect.
The President does not govern alone. Just like two hundred years ago when life in Washington was much simpler, the vast workings of the government apparatus are run by civil servants -- thousands of civil servants. Those folks will remain. They will continue to do their jobs. Most of the "government" will just keep on trucking.
The President sets policy and tone. The President makes speeches and through his personal involvement indicates priorities. BUT, it is the President's political appointees who need to carry that messaging to the civil service rank and file. And, here is the rub -- President Donald is going to have a very hard time filling those political appointments. The troops will go on doing their "thing" because there will be no new political layer above them to influence change.
Advertisement
President Donald has two key problems in getting his political appointees: 1) suitable candidates and 2) Congressional approval. There are few qualified prospects for Cabinet and sub-Cabinet jobs who are willing to work for "President Narcissist" who makes no errors, lives on soundbites, and sets impossible goals for those around him. Those who pass that gauntlet must then survive a hostile confirmation process from a Congress which will be dominated by anti-Trump politicians from both sides of the aisle.
A recent New York Times article highlighted the resistance amongst the qualified to the idea of sharing the presidential ticket with Trump. That resistance is negligible compared with that felt by sitting governors, mayors, congressmen and their ilk who will be asked to subsume their own expansive egos in servitude to the demands of the Donald. President Trump will take 110% of the credit for anything that goes right and promises to send you off with 300% of the blame if anything goes wrong. Always watching out for those fateful words: "you're fired." What an appealing job description. NOT. Which means the actual nominees will be, by definition, either unknown or less than stellar.
And they will be men (or at least self-identified gender category: man). The Donald makes it very difficult for a female to agree to work for him -- and maintain her self-respect. Unless, in the not yet seen pivot, the Donald announces that Megan Kelly will be his Chief of Staff. When the only prominent female willing to speak up for the Donald is his daughter, presidential events in the USA will start to resemble those in North Korea -- endless unnamed men in black suits all glorifying a leader with bad hair.
It then becomes the job of the Congress to screen and approve the nominees. 2017 is shaping up to be the year when for the first time EVER Congress will reject the vast majority of the nominees sent its way. Remember we have precedent, there is this judge named Garland ... Hearings will focus on both qualifications and how the nominee proposes to deal with the demands of the Donald. How will the nominee balance the powers lawfully vested in her/his proposed office with the "it's all me all the time" focus of a President Trump? When the phone rings in the middle of the night (or more likely when the President decides to tweet instructions in the middle of the night) how will the nominee respond?
Advertisement
In another first, America will find these hearings spellbinding. C-SPAN will have a shot, for a while at least, of winning the ratings game. NOW and its ilk will be out in force at every hearing -- complaining about the lack of women appointees, and thereby assuring the hearings of the daytime TV audience. President the Donald will brag about the strength of the ratings while at the same time complaining that the media "is not doing its job" -- after all the focus is supposed to be on the Donald not on his minions.
The priority of the 115th Congress (the one that starts next year) will be to fix the mess that gave us President Donald. This will be the one task that Democrats and Republicans alike will agree upon. For the sake of making the possibility of a repeat performance impossible, differences will be put aside and reform will pass. It will need a two-thirds vote to survive the Donald's veto, so it will be bi-partisan. That experience may give rise to further pro-the-Donald versus anti-the Donald coalitions. Paul Ryan may invite Nancy Pelosi to be the majority leader of the new "America First" coalition. Our government will look more and more like England's every day.
President the Donald will be a ferociously active monarch. Appearing everywhere. Taking credit for everything. But, as in any constitutional monarchy, able to get next to nothing done. Subtlety is not the Donald's way. We should not be surprised if he tries to hire ex-King Juan Carlos of Spain to advise him and, in a brilliant PR coup, ex-queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. President the Donald will, of course, reject their advice -- but remember he only hires "the best."
By contrast to our new monarch, the Government will be busy. Civil servants will be able to do what they are supposed to -- free of political interference since the political appointees normally above them will be absent. Congress will keep finding ways to get two-thirds votes (anything to show up the Donald). Our aging Supreme Court Justices will find new vigor -- they will not take responsibility for dying and allowing the Donald a court seat.
Our fear of President Donald is based on his talk -- his "role playing." If that talk could be put into action .... the prospects horrify. But, the actual prospect of President Donald may not be anywhere near as bad. Our Founding Fathers displayed much wisdom in insisting on a government with checks and balances. Trump's own personality will create the necessary checks -- would YOU agree to work for the man? The appall of the political class will create the balance.
Advertisement
April 22nd is annually celebrated as "Earth Day" and what a better way to celebrate this wonderful day then with the signing of the Paris Agreement. This treaty, which will ultimately reduce global warming in our lifetime, was signed by more than 177 UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) members at the UN on Earth Day.
The ultimate goal of the Paris Agreement is to change the policy of climate change globally. It's setting the bar for an ambitious goal of limiting warming to well below 2 degree celsius. This would mean the entire world would need to get off fossil fuels in this century. This is a very revolutionary request of the UNFCCC but they have high hopes, even North Korea is interested in joining the party.
Leonardo DiCaprio U.N. Messenger of Peace, also an outspoken activist for the Paris Agreement, still believes that the agreement was nowhere near enough to save the planet. "Our planet cannot be saved unless we leave fossil fuels in the ground, where they belong," Leonardo went on to say, "An upheaval and massive change is required, now. One that leads to a new collective consciousness. A new collective evolution of the human race, inspired and enabled by a sense of urgency from all of you." True and thoughtful words from the same man who talked about climate change during his Oscar acceptance speech. (See: "Leonardo DiCaprio - Best Actor & Best Humanitarian Award?")
Advertisement
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry signed the Paris Agreement at the UN while his granddaughter sat on his lap. This treaty will ensure her a cleaner earth to live on in the future. Before the ceremony had started Kerry had this to say: "The power of this agreement is the opportunity that it creates. The power is the message that it sends to the marketplace. It is the unmistakable signal that innovation ... is what we now know definitely is what is going to define the new energy future, a future that is already being defined but even yet to be discovered. None of what we have to achieve is beyond our capacity technologically. The only question is whether it is beyond our collective resolve."
Some countries are already taking the second step to ratify the agreement and came to the signing with high hopes to join the agreement in full force. The Prime Minister of Tuvalu, said that "the people of Tuvalu are so committed to the Paris Agreement that our own parliament has already agreed to ratify."
The Prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, said "Climate change will test our intelligence, our compassion, and our will, but we are all equal to that challenge, In every possible sense we are all in this together. Together we will make ours a better world." Very promising and forward thinking words spoken by the Prime Minister.
Written by: Kareem Yaghnam, Senior at MSU, Studying Communication and Media Arts.
@Bigsexykerm
Before my first trip there, I had no idea what to pack for a winter week in Iceland. It just looks so cold, but it was actually the same temperature as Ireland (home for me) the week I went in January. I flit about Dublin all winter (and summer for that matter) in just a leather jacket, so practicality isn't my strong suit. Would I need thermals and a base layer? Specialist boots for snow and ice? Ski clothes for snowshoeing? Fancy stuff for going out at night in Reykjavik? I hadn't a clue. Now, I'm much more confident and ready to share my tips about what to pack for a winter week in Iceland.
I spent some time in the Westfjords, the most remote part of Iceland and arriving at Isafjordur airport, I quickly realised my leather boots weren't going to cut it, as even the runway wasn't cleared from ice and slush. In panic preparation packing mode, I'd made a big order from Helly Hansen, the Norwegian ski and sail brand before I left and proper snow boots were first on my list.
I think I was about the only tourist in the town, so the last thing I needed was to be sliding all over the place showing myself up. Walking became a lot easier when I switched to my Helly Hansen boots.
A post shared by Nadia daily s'elf travels (@nadia_dailyself) on Feb 27, 2016 at 6:29am PST
Advertisement
The Isafjorder hotel cleared the pavement in front of the entrance, but pretty much everywhere else was covered in deep snow or ice, even right up to the door of the (one open) bar and the bakery in town, so in my opinion good quality snow boots for a winter week in Iceland should be your top priority.
If you really don't want to invest (although you should because they're insulated and 100% waterproof) then you should at least buy the clip on grips for your shoes, Amazon has loads of options like these or these. Either way, you need something above calf height if you're anywhere in Iceland in winter that isn't built up i.e. where the snow hasn't been cleared.
A post shared by Nadia daily s'elf travels (@nadia_dailyself) on Feb 29, 2016 at 2:23am PST
Everyone, bar some toughened locals, wears gloves at all times outdoors, they must be used to it because I couldn't feel my fingers after taking my gloves off for just a minute to use my camera. If you want to be able to use your devices, then go for something like Helly Hansen's Smart Gloves. If it's just warmth you require, then I like the Thinsulate brand. You can even get heated gloves like this pair
Advertisement
Keeping with accessories, you'll want at least a hat and probably a scarf too, but I noticed lots of people were wearing Buff neck warmers which you can wear loads of different ways and they sell them everywhere in Iceland. If you get too warm you can just wrap it around your wrist. When I got back to Reykjavik, I realised everyone was wearing less practical but more fancy furries. Decide which is more important to you, I chose comfort and practicality, sprinkled with a little bit of decoration. For sunglasses, polarised are your best best as the glare of the bright white snow can be very tiring on your eyes, especially if you're driving.
When it comes to clothes, here's what not to wear: ripped jeans. Yeah, I know, obvious. I don't know what I was thinking, but I didn't know what to pack for a winter week in Iceland, so just don't make the same mistake as me. They were fine for a bar crawl in Reykjavik, but not so much in knee-deep snow at Heydalur in the Westfjords frolicking with the Icelandic horses. If you follow my Snapchat story (nadia_dailyself), you will have seen me drying both my jeans and my knees with the hairdryer back at the cabin. Moral of the story? Do as I say, not as I do.
A post shared by Nadia daily s'elf travels (@nadia_dailyself) on Feb 25, 2016 at 7:24am PST
For outdoorsy stuff, I went for Helly Hansen's slim fit ski pants. I wore them snow shoeing, sea kayaking and on the Golden Circle tour where you were pretty exposed to the elements and they kept me warm and dry on all occasions. They aren't the type that hideously cover your boots in a sort of dodgy flare that adds five inches to each leg look, they're more like water-resistant thick black leggings that you can tuck in, ideal.
A post shared by Nadia daily s'elf travels (@nadia_dailyself) on Feb 26, 2016 at 1:27pm PST
Advertisement
What about thermals and stuff? If you've got the right coat and accessories, they're not an essential. Of course it can get much colder than when I was there (hovering around zero celsius or a couple below), but speaking to lots of locals the temp never drops to crazy lows like you'd find in Canada or even New York. In fact, during my snowshoe trek, I had to stop to peel off a layer. Even though we were rising in altitude, the activities really warm you up, especially if it's sunny. You want to have something ready to throw on if you're stationary or the sun's not out though.
Back in the city, normal clothes and shoes are fine if you're just going out downtown but you'll still want to be wearing your big coat, plus gloves and maybe a hat. Some paths or sidewalks can be slippy, so consider this when choosing your footwear, almost no one wears heels.
If you're venturing out at night to chase the Northern Lights or if you're going on a tour to Geysir or National Park where there's more of an open landscape, then that's when you really want to wrap up and wear all your layers.
To summarise, here's a list of what to pack for a winter week in Iceland:
Clothes and shoes
Snow boots and/or snow grips for normal shoes
Warm, thick, long socks (bring more than you think you need)
Gloves x 2 (for different activities, in case one pair gets wet)
Warm, water resistant pants
Hat
Scarf or buff
Trainers or leather shoes for non-snowy areas
Layers - cotton t-shirts and wickable fabric base layers
Wind and waterproof coat with hood and lots of pockets
Jeans - without ripped knees
Sleepwear depending on accommodation, most will be heated in winter so nothing too warm
Other
Camera, memory card and spare batteries - batteries can drain faster in cold weather
Dry bag if you're doing any activities on water and want to bring electronics
Polarised sunglasses
Backpack with waterproof cover
Advertisement
Nake M. Kamrany, University of Southern California, Ghaffar Mughal, Qatar University, Center for Humanities and Social Sciences, Mathew Jackson, University of Montana and member of the Global Income Convergence Group, Jessica Greenhalgh, Global Income Convergence Group and Sam Kosydar, Global Income Convergence Group
The recent surge in immigration is caused because more bombs being dropped, millions are dead, and millions more march to perceived safety, or in many cases internment camps in Europe. And all the while America still does nothing except to threaten massive deportation of some 11+ million who have lived in the U.S. for years. Although President Barrack Obama may have tried to avoid getting more in the Middle East war of entanglement, but he is presiding over one of the largest humanitarian disasters of this century.
To be fair, Obama's hands have been tied. No American president of the modern era, with the exception of perhaps FDR in last term, has faced a Congress as obstructionist or as intent on undermining the legislative policies of its chief executive. Even if Obama moved to take in more refugees or send ground forces into Syria, would Congress allow him? The answer would most likely be a resounding no. And while criticism can be leveled at both parties, Robert Kagan's assertion that the current Republican Party is suffering from a "racially tinged derangement syndrome" is starting to gain credence with a lot of Americans, particularly young Americans. More importantly, American leadership has not expressed no interest in giving PEACE a chance as an alternative.
Advertisement
This frustration has funneled itself into what has to be one of the most anti-establishment, 'let's burn the house down' style presidential campaigns of the last sixty years. Trumped with anger, popular discontent has once again found its willing historical victim: immigrants. Particularly, the 11 million undocumented immigrants who call America home have been singled out. The bluster and braggadocio of the primary season alone, in which we have heard assertions of building walls and mass deportations have rendered the once storied words, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free" all but hollow.
Immigration issues in the United States transcends those of Europeans, although the root causes are substantially different. U.S. immigration issue consists of some 11+ million non-documented due to economic disparity. Europeans receive a flood of people who are seeking both economic equity, personal safety and political asylum as refugees.
Immigration consists of peoples' movement for resettlement from sending countries to receiving countries due to (1) political and social repressions in the home country or political immigration caused by dictatorial home governments such as the Syrian exodus. And, (2) economic immigration due to wage/income differentials between the sending and receiving countries who are motivated by economic incentives.
Historically the world has experienced several waves of non-documented immigration, mostly motivated by economic incentives and opportunities, and they have largely proven favorable for both the receiving and sending countries just the same as the mutual benefits of un-impinged free international trade. All parties have gained by international trade and immigration. Sending countries have gained from the annual remittances of the immigrants who have send billions of dollars annually to their home countries.
Advertisement
Concurrently, the receiving countries have benefited by the availability of cheaper labor than the prevailing labor cost. However, in the current wave of immigration into Europe, the receiving countries confront the European Migration Crisis and are overwhelmed with political refugees which have overwhelmed the infrastructure and socio/political /economic capacity of the receiving countries. The United States is confronted with millions of undocumented immigrants who must conform to U.S. Immigration laws.
However, the current immigration issue in the United States election is the existence of an alleged 11+ non-documented immigrants that candidate Donald Trump has singled out for deportation and to build a tall wall between Mexico and the U.S. borders. Although these measures may have some impact to stemming the flow of non-documents into the U.S., however, these measures do not augur well with the public. Donald Trump has highlighted the issue of immigration in the forefront of the U.S. 2016 presidential election. However, a majority of the American public would opt a humanitarian approach for those non-documents who have lived in the U.S., have held jobs, have paid taxes, have raised families, are law abiding individuals and are productive individuals the same as productive citizens. Equity demands a fair and humanitarian treatment.
In a recent survey conducted by USC Dornsife /Los Angeles Times statewide poll found that 62% of the voters said that they believed illegal immigrants in California is at least a major problem while 36% believed the issue was a small problem. Or not a problem at all. However, the state voters rejected the measures proposed by presidential front runner Donald Trump's mass deportation proposal. More than three- fourth of the voters expressed the view that immigrants who are already in the U.S. be granted permission and allowed to stay and apply for U.S. citizenship. By 2 to 1 voters opposed building a wall along the southern U.S. border to prevent immigrants entering the U.S. without proper legal documentation. The young voters in the state of California, which is housing the largest non-documented immigrants in the U.S. have taken a nuanced approach in contrast to older voters who are more likely to favor mass deportation of illegals.
President Obama has submitted a bill to Congress designed to grant millions of non-documents to avoid deportation from the United States. The issue is being challenged by some states on grounds of jurisdiction issue over immigration subject of the federal government vs. the state governments. During the Supreme Court initial deliberation on April 20, 2016 the prospect vote ostensibly will be on ideological line rather than on the merit of the subject which means the lower federal ruling will prevail in view of 4-4 split in the Supreme Court.
FUNDAMENTAL SOLUTION TO IMMIGRATION
Walls and deportations have been tried before and they are not effective in addressing the issue of immigration as long as political repression and economic disparity prevail on global scale. The solution to immigration issue is to single out the above two problems and devise and apply an effective global approach.
With respect to political repression, most notably tribal, religious, and sectarian divide must be countered through democracy, education, communication, and technology. Measures of domestic, political, social and economic indicators as they apply to repression must be established for troubled countries and followed over time under the auspices of the World Bank/IMF.
Positive and negative incentives must be applied to encourage progression over time. With respect to economic immigration the response to stem it must be to stimulate economic development and employment opportunities in the home countries. The target should be 4% annual growth of the GDP and an unemployment rate of less than 6%. The affected countries and the international community of the rich countries must work together to increase the per capita income and wage level and employment opportunity of the sending countries. When these indicators reach some proximity to development standard, then the flow of emigration due to economic incentives will subside. There exist an innate desire for a majority of the people to remain in their homes and villages. Whenever emigration from sending countries reach equilibrium the issue will subside or get resolved. This approach will require transfer of substantial amount of investment funds from the rich to low income countries. However, resources are scarce everywhere.
However, the sources of these funds could be tapped by re-allocating the military budget in the rich countries and apply it for reducing economic and political immigration in the low income countries. This process may continue until the income and wage level in the sending countries reach a level of income that would stem emigration. In the past the rich countries had agreed to allocate up to 1% of their GDP for economic development in LDCs, but it never materialized due to former cold-war - East-West completion.
It is, frankly speaking, depressing.
The Grand Old Party is about to nominate a grand old fraud.
The misogynist, congenitally uninformed, race-baiting birther and tweeter-in-chief, Donald Trump.
What went wrong?
Even the post-mortems are depressing.
The conventional view is that the Republicans are now reaping the whirlwind they have been sowing for over forty years. Going back to Nixon's tough-on-crime appeals to the silent (and mostly white) majority, through George H.W. Bush's turning Willie Horton into a poster child for liberalism's ostensible idiocy, to Romney's trope on the 47% who believe they are "victims" "dependent on government" (we all know who they are), the dog whistles on race have, it is said, come home to roost. The party of Lincoln has been reduced to a rump caucus where (mostly) angry, un- or under-employed white men easily swallow the Trump lie that illegal immigrants, affirmative action, feminists, foreigners and minorities (including the current President) are responsible for their plight.
There is a lot of truth to this view.
But there is also a lot about it that is false.
Because it lets the GOP elites off the hook . . .
Way too easily.
The plain fact is that opposing Donald Trump should have been a no-brainer for any Republican office-holder in this country. The list of disqualifiers was so long that none of them needed to wait much longer than a nano-second before declaring their opposition.
Whether you focused on Trump's support for the birthers (a truly psychotic bunch who spent years questioning Obama's birthright citizenship), his misogynistic comments on women ("fat pigs," "dogs," "disgusting animals"), his racism (undocumented Mexican immigrants as "rapists" and "criminals"), his equivocation on David Duke (who everyone knows is a white supremacist but about whom Trump professed ignorance), his modern day brown-shirtism (telling supporters to "punch the crap out of" protesters; he'll pay the legal fees if the "punchers" are charged), or his ignorance on fundamental issues of policy (as in what constitutes the nuclear triad or whether, after seventy years of bi-partisan non-proliferation, we should be encouraging any country to go nuclear), Trump offered an almost daily-reason to say "be gone."
Advertisement
And even if none of the Republican elite, being politicians, needed to analyze the necessity of disavowing Trump much before seeing the poll numbers he was generating last year in the run up to the primaries and caucuses, the responsibility to get rid of him -- or at least try very hard -- became unavoidable once he started winning.
But the vast majority of them sat on their hands . . .
And are still doing so.
The latest equivocator is Indiana Governor Mike Pence. He announced yesterday that he thought Trump was "great" but would vote in the next week's Indiana primary for Cruz. This was considered an endorsement for Cruz. In truth, however, it was more in the nature of a "who cares." It's as if a German in the summer of 1932 said "I'm voting for the Centre Party but congrats to Adolf, who sure is telling the post-Versailles world -- and all those bankers -- a thing or two." Lindsey Graham lauded Pence for "standing up for conservatism" in endorsing Cruz. But Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post was right when he called Pence's "stand" more of a "crouch."
Pence's approach, however, has been pretty typical. Just before the Pennsylvania primary last week, that state's incumbent Republican Senator Pat Toomey announced that he too was voting for Cruz.
Advertisement
Others have not been even that forthright.
New Hampshire's top Republican (and Senator), Kelly Ayotte, has remained neutral in the Presidential contest, as has Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. Both are up for re-election this year. Though only ten members of the Republican caucus in the House have endorsed Trump, of the remaining 236 GOP members, 233 of them have been silent on the choice that remains. The other thirty-three have endorsed Cruz, who has thirty-two supporters, or Kasich, who has one (to go along with his long list of former members endorsing him). On the Senate side, of the fifty-four Republican Senators, six have endorsed Cruz, two have endorsed Kasich, and one has endorsed Trump. That means forty-three GOP Senators remain neutral.
These people should be embarrassed.
For years, the whole group of them has regularly criticized Obama for ostensibly "leading from behind" (which, to them, means "not at all"). In their world, the current President has taken a back seat to Islamic fundamentalism (and its terrorist results), refusing to credibly engage while allowing or encouraging power vacuums and issuing false threats . The charge is false; in fact, what Obama has done -- in the face of a reality that renders American ground troops ineffective in what are now civil religious wars in Mesopotamia -- is lead through persuasion and diplomatic initiative, something the neo-cons decided to put on the shelf over a decade ago, much to our everlasting chagrin, but which has created (albeit slowly) measurably positive results (e.g., the nuclear deal with Iran, and the multi-lateral (and largely local) pushback against ISIS). To the GOP, this is all still a failure.
Nevertheless, you would think that a group hell bent for leadership would at least have seized the obvious opportunity to exhibit some as a fraud like Trump hijacked their presidential nomination.
Because . . .
If those 233 GOP members of the House of Representatives and forty-three GOP Senators had collectively led the fight to rid their party of Trump, there was at least a reasonable chance he would not be the GOP's presumptive nominee today.
Advertisement
Dante is reported to have said that "The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who in time of moral crisis preserve their neutrality." In fact, he didn't say it. Instead, President Kennedy attributed the quote to him, as have many others using variations on the theme.
Never mind.
JFK's Dante was right.
And today he is looking at all those Republican office holders . . .
Sitting on the sidelines . . .
Will Coley is many things.
He's a small businessman--he sells silver coins and other free-market Milton Friedman type shwag at various Libertarian events across the country--he's a father of 7, with 1 on the way, and he is a political activist.
He's also a devout Muslim, and has been for a decade.
Will is a staple of the Libertarian community, and national director of Muslims4Liberty.
He hosts a nationally broadcast libertarian radio program, speaks at national conventions, and rubs shoulders with Libertarian heavyweights.
Like Vermin Supreme, pictured (with Mr. Coley) above. Vermin's a perennial protest candidate and a performance artist perhaps best known for running for president in 2012 on a Zombie-Apocalypse preparedness ticket.
Advertisement
If you just thought these Libertarians are so fringe it's kinda hard to take the whole thing seriously, you'd be right.
And Will Coley is about as fringe as they come. He is the wingnut used to fasten the other wingnuts in place.
He is an unheard of idealist existing in the far outer reaches of American political thought.
And now he's on the Libertarian ballot, and contesting the 2016 Presidential Election.
Sort of.
Through a fluke of Libertarian Presidential politics, Will is running for Vice-President as the preferred running mate of Darryl W. Perry--a Libertarian Presidential candidate, and a character all unto himself. There is an unnecessarily confusing reason behind this, not worth discussing when we as a nation can barely understand the nominating processes of those parties which might actually win the Presidency--but the point remains.
Will Coley is a Muslim, and he's on the ballot of an official American political party.
This is, in it's own obscure and odd way--a historic first.
In fact, obscure third parties have a history of presaging our future politics.
In 1904, George Edwin Taylor became the first African-American to run for president on the National Negro Liberty Party ticket. And while Mr. Taylor never had snowball's chance in a Mississippi summer, he inspired a generation of black leaders who inspired a generation of black leaders who inspired a generation of Americans who elected Barack Obama.
Advertisement
And to my very liberal chagrin, this wouldn't be the first time the Libertarian Party themselves have broken political ground the rest of the country wouldn't consider stepping on until decades later.
In 1972 John Hospers and his running mate, Tonie Nathan, simultaneously became the first openly gay man--and the first woman--to receive a vote in the electoral college.
They did this when Roger MacBride, a Republican delegate, defected from the GOP and endorsed the Libertarian ticket over his own party's nominee--Richard M. Nixon.
The Libertarians would reward Mr. MacBride for his startling decision with their party nomination four years later.
Will Mr. Coley become the first Muslim Vice-President of the United States?
No. He will not.
But will his official place on that official ballot in an official election serve to cut the very beginnings of a path for some future political aspirant--like George Edwin Taylor, or Tonie Nathan?
Advertisement
Perhaps so.
Enough of a shot to warrant these 600 words and the hours worth of reading I had to do to discover who the hell Darryl W. Perry is.
And while I'll never consider myself a libertarian--I like public schools too much for that--I can get behind a person whose candidacy breaks down barriers and fosters understanding across political lines.
Shine on you crazy diamond, Mr. Coley.
Hailing from the Republic of Slovenia, a European country rich in history and culture, Melania Trump is well prepared to represent the United States of America as First Lady with grace and wisdom. Her elegant presence, global work experience, international mentality, deep appreciation and great love for America are strong assets in the modern diplomatic role of First Lady. She brings a particular personal understanding of a complicated region in the world which historically has a significant bearing on the ongoing geopolitical crisis in the turbulent Middle East. Mrs. Trump's dedication to her primary role as devoted wife and "Mother First" is inspirational to mothers who often feel the pressure to place career goals before family. Melania Trump knows her priorities and clearly communicates the importance of imparting "virtues and values" to our children as the number one priority of parents, just as she learned from her mother and father, married for more than four decades. Mrs. Trump brings to the White House a unique perspective. She has lived in a once communist-socialist state of the former Yugoslavia and she knows first-hand the merits of life in a free, capitalist, entrepreneurial America. Mrs. Trump will be an exceptional American First Lady for the world stage.
Tale of Two Worlds and Where Dreams Do Come True!
Melanija Knavs was born in 1970 in Sevnica, a charming village-city, when it was still part of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Slovenia has been inhabited since pre-historic times. The history of Slovene territory dates back to 5th Century B.C. until present. Once upon a time it was in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, then the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and later ruled under the Hapsburg Monarchy. The Slovenes, mainly of Slavic background, maintained cultural autonomy throughout their long complex history. Although Melanija Knavs personal story began with a humble origin, the picturesque setting of her hometown's historic Sevnica Castle, a favorite stop for tourists, looks like a scene from "The Sound of Music" or an enchanting fairytale. Slovenia on the north borders Austria and has also experienced German influence including being occupied by the Third Reich in World War II. Sarajevo in another nearby former Yugoslavia state was the site where Archduke Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated, triggering World War I. Slovenia's western border is Italy and it was once part of the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire. Predominately Roman Catholic, there are also Lutherans and Orthodox Serbian Christians, Muslims and a small Jewish community as well as reportedly a growing number of atheists in this interesting to visit nation.
Advertisement
Every young girl dreams of meeting her Prince Charming and being swept off her feet to a castle. Melanija Knavs became the successful fashion model Melania Knauss, fulfilling one exciting chapter in her life. But it was meeting and marrying her "true love" that made her dreams come true. She became his "Princess Bride" and he her romantic and adventurous Wesley. She became Mrs. Donald J. Trump in 2005 at The Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida, with the expressed mission: "to experience the clear and strong presence of God, and to understand and spread Christ's teachings through collective worship, learning, and service." Her desire is to "love and serve," first as a loving wife and mother of their son Barron. And if chosen, "to love and serve" the American people as First Lady of the United States of America. Her blessed life was complete with her happy marriage, but her full destiny is yet to be revealed.
Humble beginnings with an independent professional background, combined with the inimitable exposure and life-style of being married to the extremely successful New York Real Estate Developer Donald Trump, helps Melania Trump relate to people of all demographics and life stories.
On The Road of Wars and Peace
It was in 1970 as a teenager that my best-friend Bobbie and I visited central Slovenia and Sevnica, a special place in "The Green Heart of Europe," with lush hills on the Sava River-the greatest tributary of the Danube. We travelled to Ljubljana and drove throughout the entire seven states of the former Yugoslavia. Being from California, the magnificent Adriatic Coast reminded us of Pacific Coast Highway 1. We visited Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo and Macedonia on our way to Greece, Turkey and finally Israel. I can recall how it seemed that everyone of different ethnicities and religions at that time in former Yugoslavia seemed to get along, although the economic conditions were severely strained. When Tito passed away in 1980, so passed any semblance of unity. Marshall Tito, President for Life, ruled with an iron fist and purportedly kept all factions in line and cooperating, albeit under a failed economic system. Yugoslavia was more open than the Soviet-controlled countries we visited. On a subsequent visit to this war-torn region in 2001, I discovered Medjugorje, a special peaceful place on a "holy hill" where "Our Lady of Peace" appears to villagers in apparitions and miracles abound since 1981, shortly after Tito died, promising peace and good when there is more prayer and love of God in the world.
Advertisement
Some analysts would argue that the Middle East, other than Israel, should be governed similar to the former Yugoslavia. That a "benevolent" dictator (if ever achievable) is necessary to protect the rights of minorities. It goes counter to our American Constitutional principles of freedom and democracy which guarantees the people the right to decide, but so does Sharia Law counter basic freedoms.
Hail Mary in Slovenia and The U.S.A.
May is the month of Mothers. For Catholics, May is dedicated to Mary, Mother of Jesus and Queen of Peace. It is interesting to note, Holy Mother Mary is the Patroness of America and Slovenia. Our Lady of Brezje, "Marija Pomagai (Mary, help me)", is venerated at The Basilica of St. Mary, Help of Christians. This sacred place is located just over an hour from Sevnica near Bled. Many miracles have been
attributed to Our Lady of Brezje since 1863.
In Washington D.C., at The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, there is a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Brezje with the image of the original painting found in the National Marian Shrine of Slovenia.
"Slovenian" has the word "love" within it and "American" has "can." Perhaps, the graceful "Slovenian-American" Mrs. Melania Trump, will be the First Lady of "Love Can, conquer all, bring us together and Make America Great Again." Born on April 26, appropriately the Feast-day of Our Lady of Good Counsel, lovely Melania Trump can lead us in "The Hail Mary" prayer to help our nation unite for peace, good and prosperity.
Advertisement
Zdrava Marija, milosti polna,
Gospod je s teboj,
blagoslovljena si med zenami
in blagoslovljen je sad tvojega telesa, Jezus.
Sveta Marija, Mati Bozja,
prosiza nas gresnike,
zdaj in obnasi smrtni uri. Amen
Hail Mary, full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Labor Day and the anniversary of Poland's entry into the European Union, Polish Flag Day, and the anniversary of the May 3rd Constitution; from Sunday to Tuesday (May 1-3) Poland celebrates these three important holidays. These days on the streets of Gdansk white-red flags are displayed along the streets and in private home windows, and the city itself is illuminated in white and red.
Photo: J. Pinkas
This special night illumination has already become Gdansk tradition. During the long weekend in May the city residents and guests are greeted by white-red illuminated Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers, some more spectacular bridges and the King John III Sobieski monument in the city center.
It's a 12th anniversary of Poland's accession to the European Community. Benefits of our membership in the Union are of a political, economic and social nature, and greatly outweigh any possible losses. The integration allowed the citizens to travel freely(without border controls), settling and working in different member states, export our products and invest abroad. Through a substantial increase of imports and foreign investment, it has improved the quality of life and an opportunity to get closer to the European standards in the field of internal security, labor, health and education.
Advertisement
Photo: J. Pinkas
2nd of May marks the relatively new holiday - a Day of Polish Flag. A national holiday but not a public holiday. Why on that day? There is a reason. During the communist times all cities were decorated with red and white flags for the celebration of 1st May. But there is a Constitution holiday on 3rd May which was not accepted by the communists and for many years it was banned. That was why all the flags for 1st May celebrations had to be taken down by 3rd May. Leaving a flag up that day could bring serious trouble. This holiday has been re-instated and was declared official in February 2004 by the Polish Sejm. It awakens patriotism among the Poles and in Gdansk is marked by patriotic concerts and shows.
This year marks the 225 anniversary of the Constitution of May 3.
The Polish Constitution of May 3rd, or the Government Act of 3rd of May - adopted on 3 May 1791, is generally accepted as first in Europe and second in the world (after the American Constitution of 1787). It was designed to eliminate the long-standing defects based on free elections and nobility-based political system of the Republic of Two Nations (Poland and Lithuania). The Constitution changed the country's political system to a constitutional monarchy. Beloved by Poles, it was forbidden during the socialist period (1945-1989). However, even in those times, the democratic opposition activists illegally summoned independently-thinking crowds to the King Sobieski Monument. There we sang songs, delivered and listened to speeches, prayed together. Today the same songs will be heard as those, which accompanied these May meetings for decades.
Here are the words of a well-known May hymn:
Meet Joni Ernst. Could she be Donald Trump's choice for Vice President?
The main attributes of a vice president are to balance the ticket, help raise money and then step back for four/eight years until it is her turn to run. You want someone good, but not too good, especially if you have an ego the size of Trump's.
And with Hillary Clinton as the likely Democratic nominee, a woman VP on the Republican ticket would be no small advantage. Ernst is the first woman to represent Iowa in the United States Congress and the first female veteran to serve -- from any state -- in the Senate. Those kinds of things will pull a lot of the air out of Hillary's calls to empower women in politics.
The Washington Post calls Joni Ernst, currently the Republican senator from Iowa, "a breakout star of the 2014 midterm election with her plain-spoken populism." That matches some of Trump's appeal, and plays well to the populism that fuels the Sanders campaign.
Advertisement
Ernst has been critical of Trump's comments about women, which could be a smart way to make Trump appear more open-minded, and pull in additional female votes. He could also use Ernst's criticism to soften his comments going forward, explaining she has helped him better see the error of his ways.
Ernst also aligns well with Trump and Republican positions.
She's proposed eliminating the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Education, and the Environmental Protection Agency to cut federal spending. She wants to eliminate the Department of Education "not just because it would save taxpayer dollars, but because I do believe our children are better educated when it's coming from the state." She is also no friend of Planned Parenthood, another signature Republican issue. In 2014, Ernst delivered the official GOP rebuttal to President Obama's State of the Union Address.
And a bonus -- Ernst is a good friend of the Koch Brothers, and her being on the ticket could help them feel better about a President Trump. A lot of Koch money flowed into Ernst's Senate campaign via the Koch-backed consulting firm Aegis Strategic. The brothers are known to be wary of Trump, and having one of their own people in the White House would go a long way to garnering their support.
Keep an eye on Joni Ernst. She might make for some very smart politics by a guy who says he knows a good deal when he sees one.
As we clock the second year anniversary of the abduction of 276 girls from their school in Chibok, Nigeria, how can we explain the lack of international response to the expansion of Boko Haram?
As a British-Nigerian-American attorney and activist, I have learned a thing or two about the strength of foreign currency. My diverse background informs my worldview on the delicate dance between two of the monetary super powers that be: the Almighty American Dollar and the British Pound Sterling. As it stands, the exchange rate for the American dollar to the British pound is 1=0.68, while the Nigerian Naira touts a deflated 1=N200 exchange rate. Similar calculations plague the FOREX market when highlighting the disparate value of currency in the developed versus developing world. This reality, coupled with my worldview, has led me to conclude that the value of human life is often determined, not by its sanctity, but by the strength of a country's currency exchange rate on the global market. Justice, for those left dangling on the "developing" end of this matrix, is therefore often fluctuating and convertible.
Advertisement
As a Nigerian, I have watched tens of thousands slaughtered like sacrificial lambs in an unrelenting "holy war" against Africa's most populous nation. Like other insidious terrorist organizations that preceded it, Boko Haram has brazenly inflicted a deplorable indictment against the Nigerian government for its alleged chorusing of western education. Its agenda is to render Nigeria an Islamic state and it is clear that both death and life embody its aberrant definition of victory. It has declared a caliphate (Islamic government) in portions of North-East Nigeria and in April 2014, abducted 276 girls from their school in Chibok, many of whom it is now feared are being used as "suicide bombers." Its brutal attack in Baga, Nigeria in January 2015 is reported to have eliminated 2,000 human lives, thus rendering the attack the group's most deadly and widely coordinated. The insurgency has left more than 2.1 million people displaced within Nigeria while hundreds of thousands now bear refugee status in neighboring Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Although the Baga massacre occurred in the same week as France's Charlie Hebdo January 2015 attack, minimal international news coverage dignified the lives of the slain in Nigeria.
Boko Haram has been declared the world's deadliest terror group. While the United States designated Boko Haram a terrorist organization in 2013 and has provided the Nigerian government with intelligence and some anti-terror training, it has reportedly not placed boots on Nigerian soil because American interests or assets have not been jeopardized. However, it is hypocritical to take this position, which dispenses a selective dose of justice on one matter or people, and does not consistently maintain it across the board. Yes, we are to understand that the insidious dance between big money and political decisions is...well, complicated. So while America perfects her plie, thousands perish at the hands of a group that has also uttered direct threats against her.
Great Britain, on the other hand, proudly contends that Nigerians living there can be proud of her support for Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram. According to its Foreign Office Minister, it has contributed to global efforts headed by the UN to address the threatening insurgency and humanitarian crisis in Nigeria and has expanded its resident training and advisory teams to Nigeria. However, like the United States, it has yet to utilize targeted military force as has been the case in Syria or Iraq in that fight against Islamic State. Again, the situation is...well, complicated.
Advertisement
Complicated...a word that profoundly describes the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the self proclaimed "Giant of Africa." It currently boasts the largest economy in Africa and reportedly allocated $6 billion to its national defense in 2014, the same year the Chibok Girls were kidnapped. The foregoing begs the question of why then Nigeria has not independently come to her own rescue. Experts theorize that corruption and/or poor governance have led to her abject failures and impotence in the fight to overcome and eliminate Boko Haram. An interesting phenomenon, however, starts to develop when one has repeatedly been valued, not by her humanity, but by the weakness of her currency in the foreign market. Similar to the lingering effects of colonialism, the West's disparate value of human life has inevitably provided a prism via which Nigeria's leadership views her own people. In other words, blinded by greed, Nigeria has adopted the West's prevailing view that the overwhelming majority of her own citizens, particularly her women and girls, bear the value allocated by the West. This mindset explains why, two years later, the rallying cry to #BringBackOurGirls appears to have fallen on deaf ears. Regardless of Nigeria's "complications," the war against Boko Haram remains Nigeria's fight to lead.
The unfortunate reality is that on a global scale, the strength of one's currency parallels what you bring to the table (assuming you were invited) and what portion of the tablecloth you ostensibly control. In other words, based on U.S. conversion rates, one Western life maintains the same value as 200 Nigerian lives, 927 Congolese lives and 2,875 Ugandan lives. A poignant example of this reality was the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Just weeks in, only two Westerners had received a potentially life saving drug while thousands of Africans were being infected as the death toll ultimately surpassed 11,000.
Irritating and irascible, the subject of the documentary short, Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah, the French intellectual writer and filmmaker, Claude Lanzmann, could be charming, and cunning as he got his desired interviews. His epic-length Shoah (1985) went farthest to document the Holocaust, the most cataclysmic and defining event of the twentieth century, even as some deny it ever happened. In Spectres of the Shoah, to air on HBO on May 2, Adam Benzine, interviews the interviewer at age 90; the result is essential viewing for understanding Shoah's remarkable backstory.
A lover of Simone de Beauvoir and friend of Jean-Paul Sartre, Lanzmann's life meshed with those of other French intellectuals. As an interviewer, Claude Lanzmann knew what he was after. The film shows a younger Lanzmann chain-smoking in trendy sunglasses, finding one subject in Queens, a Holocaust survivor who cut the hair of Jews on their way to be gassed. "You know we both have to tell this story," he speaks gently to the man as emotion builds on Abraham's face. In the 9-hours of Shoah, this man is memorable as he tells of women he knew, naked, stripped of dignity and hope, coming into the room. How easily the imagination fills in the horrific aftermath, even as the barber's words transfix.
The problem with a short documentary with so fascinating a subject as Claude Lanzmann, it leaves you wanting more, especially as his art dovetails with history. See his astounding memoir, The Patagonian Hare (2012), opening with an extended explanation of the power of beheadings. After Lanzmann filmed survivors for Shoah, he teased out several interviews from the 200 hours of interview footage he amassed for stand-alone films. In 2013, he released The Last of the Unjust, focused on Benjamin Murmelstein, third and last president of the Jewish Council of the Thereseinstadt ghetto in Czechoslovakia, who fought with Adolf Eichmann on matters of liquidating the Jews, and how best to complete the final solution.
Advertisement
For him, Hannah Arendt's summation of Eichmann's "banality of evil," is pure rubbish; Eichmann was no bureaucrat, but a particularly inventive murderer. Claiming to have saved lives, Murmelstein, an erudite former rabbi from Vienna, was a controversial figure after liberation, accused of being a collaborator, but freed of these charges. What Claude Lanzmann has said about his film Shoah works for his treatment of Benjamin Murmelstein, his other film subjects, and his world view: "I am not here to judge."
HAVANA, CUBA - MAY 2: A Cuban woman waves with a flag symbolizing the 26-7 Moncada movement of Revolution leader Fidel Castro Cubans as Cubans welcome the arrival of the cruise ship Adonia, the first US cruise ship in nearly forty years to arrive in Cuba, on May 2, 2016, in Havana, Cuba. The Adonia, belonging to the Carnival group, carried some 700 passengers on its sail from Miami to Havana, officially re-establishing the US cruise business in Cuba.(Photo by Sven Creutzmann/Mambo photo/Getty Images)
I am pleased that the first U.S. cruise ship to make a voyage to Cuba in almost 40 years arrived in Havana, Cuba, yesterday morning carrying 700 passengers, including Cuban Americans on board. This is an exciting development since my historic trip with President Barack Obama who led a small bipartisan delegation to the Island Nation.
The last sitting U.S. President to visit Cuba before the Cold War was Calvin Coolidge in 1928, two years before I was born. I would have never imagined in 1995 when Fidel Castro visited Harlem that I would be traveling to Cuba with my President to meet with his brother, President Raul Castro. We reaffirmed our efforts to cement our new ties and push for ending the embargo. I am confident that both of our nations and citizens will benefit through the exchange of people, goods, and ideas.
Advertisement
I was fortunate to witness the excitement on the streets of Havana in December 2014, when President Obama first announced his plan to chart a new course in our diplomatic relationship with Cuba. As the sponsor of the Promoting American Agricultural and Medical Exports to Cuba Act, I had originally traveled to Havana with few other congressmen to explore how the United States could gain access to a miraculous drug that could cure ulcers. Because I had stayed an extra few days, I was able to report through multiple television interviews from Havana to the American audience how Cubans embraced the news of rekindling our ties.
The recent landmark visit by President Obama, which also included American entrepreneurs coupled with the Administration's New Course in Cuba policy, has compelled us to take more concrete actions towards removing outdated barriers that are currently limiting opportunities for our country and people. As President Obama acknowledged, it is up to the U.S. Congress to lift the embargo which was first imposed in February 1962, and currently maintained through five statutes, including the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917, the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992, the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996, and most recently the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000. The current embargo is the most enduring trade embargo in modern history and shortchanges the American people from pursuing business opportunities in Cuba. In 2014, the United States was the eighth largest exporter to Cuba, accounting for just 3% of Cuba imports. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that the embargo costs our economy $1.2 billion per year in lost sales and exports,
I have long recognized that the embargo has proved futile. I first introduced my Free Trade with Cuba Act in 1993, and since have repeatedly introduced bills and pushed for policies that would end it. Through numerous discussions with people, businesses, and organizations, and it is abundantly clear to me that economic relaxation affords many American firms to increase their services to the people in Cuba, which includes the hospitality industry, agriculture industries, and any number of other American businesses and it creates a climate for successful American investments. For example, we know that Cuba imports about seventy to eighty percent of its food supply, representing a market estimated to exceed over $1 billion per year for U.S. agriculture exports.
Through 2008, U.S. rice exporters shipped over 12,000 metric tons with an estimated farm gate value to our economy of $7 million. Since 2008, due our trade restrictions and corresponding inability to provide competitive credit terms, we lost this Cuba market to Vietnam, Brazil, and others. If we were to lift the embargo, the global advocate for the U.S. rice industry, the USA Rice Federation estimates within two years, we could regain 20 to 30 percent of the Cuban import market, worth nearly $70 million and in five years 50 percent of the market, about 300,000 metric tons worth about $153 million to the US economy. Not to mention the increased jobs in the rice growing, milling, and shipping industries associated with the increased exports.
Advertisement
Furthermore, allowing trade with Cuba will not only generate revenue for our economy, but will also enable us to exchange American culture and ideals that can help foster democratic principles in Cuba.
After the President left, I remained in Havana with a delegation from the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce consisting of 21 key professionals in the fields of art, culture, education, engineering, health, law and business. Together we met with senior ministers of the Cuban government to finalize the first annual 'Havana in Harlem Cultural Festival' which will be launched in August 2016 in our own backyard in Harlem. The Festival will then take place annually during the summer in Harlem and during the winter in Havana. It will focus on the Harlem-Havana Afro-Cuban exchange of performing arts, fine arts, and cultural seminars.
With New York City's shared African and Cuban roots, the annual festival is expected to initially attract thousands of visitors from around the world annually to Harlem and to Havana and continue to grow. Through such people-to-people exchanges and culture, we can promote peace, democracy and human rights.
The owner of the Chobani yogurt company, Hamdi Ulukaya, made news last week when he announced that he will give his 2,000 employees a 10 percent ownership share when the company is sold. The average stake will be worth $150,000.
Several of America's largest corporations also made news by canceling events in North Carolina, to protest that state's discriminatory new laws against transgender people.
And a few retail corporations, like Costco and Trader Joes, have calculated that paying far above minimum wages is actually a good business decision as well as common decency. Even Walmart, which continues its disgraceful record when it comes to worker pay, is something of a leader in shifting to greener products.
Advertisement
Is there a larger trend here? Are some corporations becoming allies of progressive reform -- or does it just look that way because most of the corporate elite and the Republican Party are now so far to the right?
The interesting phenomenon here is the CEO who plays against type. Hamedi Ulukaya didn't have to decide to share his anticipated windfall with the employees who helped build Chobani. As an immigrant who came to America with almost nothing, he just decided that this was the right thing to do.
Most founders of companies, alas, just take it all for themselves when a start-up goes public. And most corporate executives exercise a conservatizing influence on politics and ideology.
But the exceptions are instructive.
Consider my friend James Stone, a former regulatory official who became a wealthy man by founding a successful company, the Plymouth Rock group of insurance companies. Stone is in the sector that produces relentless advice from CEOs to cut taxes and spending, reduce regulation, privatize government.
Advertisement
If you read the pronouncements of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation on the fiscal catastrophe headed our way, most of the signatories have backgrounds exactly like Stone's. But Stone takes a very different view.
In his newly published book, Five Easy Theses, Stone calls for restoring fiscal balance. But by fiscal balance he means something very different than what the austerity crowd demands. For instance, he proposes increasing tax revenues by getting rid of the tax deduction for interest paid.
That would increase government revenues and also reduce tax subsidies to the wealthy -- as well as killing a lot of corporate takeovers that enrich insiders but make no sense but for the interest deduction.
He also calls for shoring up Social Security by adjusting the program to demographic realities rather than privatizing it. Stone's arguments reveal that there is more than one path fiscal balance.
Stone also calls for a far more equal society. "An overly concentrated democracy will not only hurt democracy," he writes. It will also undermine prosperity." He calls not only for more progressive taxation for more and better investment in education as well as infrastructure. And he advocates movement towards a single payer health system, just on equity grounds but on efficiency grounds.
Advertisement
Perhaps Stone's most interesting and illuminating chapter is on financial reform. He's been there, both as a financial company CEO and before that as the second chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and before that as Massachusetts Insurance Commissioner.
His view of the financial system is well informed and straightforward. Immense banks, hedge funds, trading in derivatives -- "None of these are valuable for the country's growth, it's wealth distribution, or its commercial economy -- and none of them are in any way necessary." And he provides persuasive detail to make his case.
Wow! It's one thing for lefties to argue that the financial sector is a bloated mess, another for a prominent business leader who has had a ringside seat.
Why do we not have more corporate leaders like James Stone? A few years ago, Ralph Nader wrote a fantasy novel titled, Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us.
What if the richest and most powerful people in American, Nader wondered, got serious about applying their insight and influence to solving national problems? What if they developed, of all things, compassion?
Advertisement
Alas, the peer culture of today's financial elite causes most of America's business moguls to buy Milton Friedman's dictum that the only duty of a corporation is to make as much money as possible for its shareholders (and CEO's.) And to the extent that many financial leaders, such as Pete Peterson, profess concern for the broader common good, that common good usually gets defined in ways that benefit the same financial elite and the broader public only incidentally if at all.
Stone's purpose in writing Five Easy Theses was to present policy solutions to seemingly intractable problems and see whether a new consensus might be formed.
His book has some nice blurbs from Paul Volcker on the right and writer Steven Kinzer on the left, among others.
Most such efforts tend to be pretty rightwing. Not this one. But attaining a new consensus will be much harder than describing it.
At one point, Stone and I were going to write this book together. After several fascinating discussions, we decided that we disagreed on a handful of details and that it would be best if he wrote his own book.
I'm glad he wrote this one, which deserves a wide audience. It's all the more persuasive for the fact that it's written by a financial executive.
Advertisement
What an irony that Donald Trump, who represents the worst in America and the worst in the corporate culture, is running for president as a successful businessman.
Some of America's corporate elite are distancing themselves from Trump by invoking the values and policies of the traditional Republican Party -- shabby values that look enlightened only by comparison to Trump.
James Stone, and entrepreneurs like Hamdi Ulukaya of Chobani, demonstrate that business leaders can sometimes be national leaders. But we need a lot more of them.
--
Robert Kuttner is co-editor of The American Prospect and professor at Brandeis University's Heller School. His latest book is Debtors' Prison: The Politics of Austerity Versus Possibility.
Sparks Fly at Expats panel: Pen World Voices Festival (April 27, 2016)
Saying the word expats to educated Americans of a certain age evokes images of neighborhood bistros in Paris with lace curtains and smoky, book-lined literary salons where Gertrude Stein presided over soirees with an astonishing community of American expatriates including Ernest Hemingway and Ezra Pound. Stein was far from her birthplace in the Allegheny West neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA, but as Kwame Anthony Appiah, a panelist on the Pen World Voices Festival Expats session and a professor of law and philosophy at New York University, reminded the audience on April 27th at Instituto Cervantes, Stein understood what to hold on to: "There isn't much use to roots, if you can't take them with you," she once said.
Moderator Eric Banks, Director of the New York Institute for the Humanities and former Editor-in-Chief of Book Forum, launched the evening with a barb thrown directly at the panelists, Jamaica Kinkaid, Marlon James, Colin McCann, Valeria Luiselli and Kwame Anthony Appiah, but also directed at the audience. Banks confessed that he cannot stand the term expats which "says too much and too little at the same time." He described the term as overburdened, "just too pat, closing off other ways that identities are created." And, as if he had not been critical enough, he added that the ex part is also a problem.
"Do you share in my discomfort?" he asked the panelists.
The question unleashed a torrent of emotion. Appiah jumped in first, describing the expats who came to Ghana, his birthplace, as folks who replaced the missionaries. "They were not committed to the place," he said. Kincaid was even less kind. "The way I became familiar with the word was from these rancid people from England. They were always going back there but they never did." Kinkaid called them "privileged and incredibly lazy." Then, she added, "I came to America from Antigua but I don't think of myself that way. A black person is not an expat."
Advertisement
We were not quite ten minutes into the discussion and the temperature had already risen by more than ten degrees. These writers clearly did not see themselves as expats.
Marlon James described the expats that he knew in Jamaica as "mediocre people from abroad who could not hack it in their own country." Reflecting on the term, Colum McCann said that the word "has the tingle of ice in a glass" while Valeria Luiselli described it as very Anglo-Saxon. "I don't have a relationship with any country," said the novelist who writes in Spanish and English. "I have not lived in any place for more than a few years."
When the discussion shifted to their own experiences, to the ways that they were received in America, McCann was the most positive. "I don't feel foreign here at all," he said, arguing that one of the things that is brave in the American literary establishment is that it allows foreigners to come here. "It doesn't strip away the citizenship of where you come from." McCann described America as offering a "radical welcoming. I could not have come here if I had to say goodbye to my country Ireland," he said.
Luiselli, who has spent the last eight years living in Harlem in New York City, said that the theme of foreigners is tolerated here, although she did not quite feel welcome in a place where stadiums of people are shouting about building walls to keep immigrants out. "Mexicans work underground. They are so invisible," she said.
Advertisement
Appiah, who came to the United States in his late twenties, found two things that were particularly welcoming in America. First, that when he tells people he is an American, people don't laugh. "Here," he said, "Citizenship is all." Second, that African Americans welcomed him into their midst as a brother.
Kincaid and James held harsher views. "It's easy for you," Kinkaid said, nodding to McCann. "You are a white man and you have a distinguished Irish history." Then, with a half-smile, she added, "I'm glad that white guys enjoy themselves so much." James, echoed Kincaid, although he spoke in softer language. "My first novel was rejected by about 80 people," he said. "Here there is lip service to diversity and the melting pot. I'm allowed to be an antiseptic Jamaican."
Photo courtesy Rumni Saha
Governor LePage of Maine recently made some unfortunate comments about immigrants. To me this reeked of ignorance. I was not offended simply because of my Indian heritage; the governor was merely stating a fact. Of course there are many Indians who are hard to understand just like there are many New Englanders, including the governor himself, who if they moved to old England, would probably have to enroll in English classes, with an emphasis on diction. (Also let's not forget that it is doubly difficult to understand the governor because of his constant petulance of speaking with his foot in his mouth). What bothered me instead was his comment about Indians being "lovely people". Indians are NOT all "lovely people" just like all men from Maine are NOT yahoos. There is good and bad in every place and in every race and to say that an entire ethnicity is bad (or for that matter good) is, simply put, shallow. What the uninformed governor probably does not get is that by making such a cliche comment about Indian accents, he essentially engaged in stereotyping; there is nothing more dangerous than this for it was labeling such as this that resulted in the annihilation of 6 million Jews not so long ago.
The governor's comments also appear to be xenophobic. How often has he come across an Indian worker at a restaurant who needs an "interpreter"? Quite frankly even I would have an issue with an employee, Indian or not, who cannot be understood but I wouldn't be angry with him for not being able to communicate fluently. I would be annoyed with those who hired him because obviously, I am missing something that his employers see. What makes him more qualified for this particular position than other Mainers -- I wonder? Is it that these businesses are not willing to pay their workers well? Is it that hard-working immigrants are the only ones willing to do the work without mooching off of the taxpayers? (And by the way, if someone has a problem understanding an Indian at an Indian restaurant, perhaps he should stay away from ethnic gastronomical delights and eat at a more refined restaurant where it is easier to understand the accent -- say for example the governor's mother tongue -- French).
Advertisement
Unfortunately, the governor's insensitive remarks spiral back to the color of one's skin. This is the same man who refused to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.'s Day and defiantly mocked the NAACP by asking the civil rights group to "kiss my butt".
This is the same guy who made racist comments about those supposedly responsible for bringing in heroin to Maine: "These are guys with the name D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty -- these types of guys -- they come from Connecticut and New York, they come up here, they sell their heroin, they go back home... Incidentally, half the time they impregnate a young white girl before they leave, which is a real sad thing because then we have another issue we have to deal with down the road."
This is also the same person who concluded that, asylum-seekers are the "biggest problem in our state" because "what happens is that you get Hepatitis C, Tuberculosis, AIDS, HIV, the ziki fly, all these other foreign type of diseases that find a way to our land." By "ziki fly" I think he was referring to the Aedes mosquito, whose bite is known to cause the Zika virus. I must say that I would like my governor to be a little more educated and a bit more literate than that, accent or not. And let me add one more choice word to the list provided -- codswallop.
Advertisement
The governor also appears to suffer from selective memory loss. How easily he forgot that he is one of 18 kids of an impoverished immigrant family who moved to America looking for a better life. Was it the color of the fair skin that made it acceptable for his parents to migrate to this country? After all, his father worked as a daily laborer all his life and his parents did not speak any English. Also, how does the governor not remember that he himself was rejected as a young man by a local college because of his poor SAT scores since English was not his first language? May I also politely remind the governor that the majority of Indians move to America not just to make a better life for themselves but to enrich the life of others by way of their invaluable contributions in the field of engineering, technology, medicine and the arts. Most are also highly educated, smart and can communicate in English better than many native speakers.
Uncovering the governor's background also revealed rampant duplicity and hypocrisy. Where does he (and others like him) get the audacity to make a statement demeaning something so trivial as someone's accent? Drawing attention to something so insignificant is tasteless, petty, unnecessary and sends the chilling message to those who lack judgment, that it is okay to indulge in condescending rhetoric which in turn leads to bigger (and sicker) expressions of hate.
After carefully reviewing the governor's executive (functioning) decisions, this is what I, a proud immigrant, have to say:
Governor LePage -- I love the state you represent. Exactly a year ago when I camped in Maine with my dear family and some loving friends, I was so smitten by its pristine beauty that I vowed to return every year. My experience was spectacular -- thanks to many people I met -- some of them immigrants. I felt like I had found heaven (and peace) on earth. Don't tarnish the natural beauty of your state by injecting hostility, fostering animosity and interpolating thoughtless, vile ideas. Accents are easier to get rid of than indignity. There is no glory in a false sense of superiority, governor.
Advertisement
Let the wooing begin. After her latest primary win, Secretary Hillary Clinton has shifted her focus to the general election. And with that comes the task of uniting the party and wooing the Bernie Sanders supporters to her side. It won't be easy - her pro-interventionist track record or Goldman Sachs speaking fees may be deal-breakers for some, but in a contest with Donald Trump there are voting blocs that she can win over if she meets them halfway. The Iranian American community is one such group.
There is no disputing the fact that Senator Sanders has outperformed expectations and that his message has shown particular resonance with young voters and Americans of Middle Eastern descent, including Iranian Americans. Sanders had a commanding lead in a recent poll of supporters of the largest grassroots Iranian-American organization, NIAC Action. Sanders won 62% support to Clinton's 19%. This is a significant gap and Secretary Clinton should take note.
Clearly, Iranian Americans who have gravitated towards Sanders have largely done so for the same reasons as other Sanders supporters - because of a distrust of the Washington establishment, anti-war and anti-interventionist sentiments, disillusion with incrementalist political change and concerns about increased economic injustice.
Advertisement
But Clinton's approach toward Iran is also a major reason why she lagged behind Sanders among Iranian Americans.
What it comes down to is this: President Barack Obama, against all odds and the scorn of the Washington foreign policy establishment, pursued patient and committed diplomacy and managed to score an amazing win with the Iran nuclear deal. In one stroke, two disasters were avoided: The disaster of an Iranian nuclear bomb and the disaster of war with Iran. The deal also carried the added benefit of reducing US dependency on Saudi Arabia, whose support for radical Wahhabi ideology has helped destabilize the region and threaten the West.
The question Iranian Americans ask themselves is: If diplomacy could resolve the toughest issue between the US and Iran - the nuclear dispute - what else can be resolved if America continues on Obama's path of sophisticated diplomacy? If Iran and the US can't be friends, can they at least stop being enemies? Can diplomacy be used to address Iran's deplorable human rights record? Can diplomacy that includes Iran finally put an end to the carnage in Syria? And can increased US-Iran cooperation enhance America's maneuverability vis-a-vis Saudi Arabia and counter Riyadh's destabilizing activities?
The message from Sanders has been clear: Not only would he continue Obama's path of diplomacy, he would work to widen the window of opportunity with Iran. The message received from Clinton has been more muddled. She supports the nuclear accord, but signals minimal desire to built upon that success. Rather than being the floor of potential US-Iran cooperation, the nuclear deal could be it's ceiling under a Clinton Administration.
Advertisement
Additionally, while Sanders has signaled a willingness to challenge the conventional Washington wisdom on Iran by indicating that the U.S. should pursue normalization, Clinton has attacked him for that statement and accused him of naivete. To many, the dispute reflected the debate eight years ago when Clinton, along with other candidates, attacked Obama for his statement that he would sit down with hostile nations, including Iran, without preconditions. According to foreign policy advisor Ben Rhodes, on the day the Iran deal was agreed upon the President traced the historic agreement all the way back to the question submitted to the candidates during the YouTube debate in 2007, showing how important campaigns can be in shaping the direction of Presidencies.
Clinton's stance toward further Iran negotiations might not ultimately be that different than Sanders, but her attacks on normalization send a worrying signal that engagement would be the exception rather than the rule. This runs counter to the lessons of the nuclear accord. When the U.S. doubled down on isolation at the expense of negotiations, Iran's nuclear program moved steadily forward in response. When the Obama administration demonstrated seriousness in reaching an accord, however, it succeeded in freezing Iran's nuclear program and then significantly rolling it back. Why not signal greater openness toward addressing the full spectrum of differences with Iran? By rejecting normalization at the outset, Clinton only succeeds in shrinking the range of diplomatic possibilities during her potential Presidency.
Even if Clinton does seek a further reduction in tensions, there is a fear that her hawkish language could help close the window of opportunity with Iran. Clinton's statement in the very first Democratic debate that she was proud to list the Iranians among her enemies remains a major source of contention for Iranian Americans. Of course, Clinton was referring to the Iranian government and not its people, but she never clarified the off-the-cuff statement. The episode suggested to many that she was more comfortable maintaining animosity at the expense of exploring conflict resolution and areas of mutual interest.
When President Obama began on the path of diplomacy, the first thing he changed was America's language on Iran. Recognizing that the hawkish and threatening language of George W. Bush rendered diplomacy next to impossible, President Obama adopted a much more sophisticated language on Iran to create an atmosphere conducive to the success of diplomacy. Obama never hesitated to criticize Iran, but he always did so while stressing that relations can change and that the U.S. is pursuing a relationship of mutual respect. If Clinton wants to score points with Iranian Americans, she could start by adopting rhetoric that sounds more like President Obama instead of a return to the saber rattling of President Bush.
Advertisement
Of course, the poll also shows that the inflammatory message of Donald Trump has not been well received by the Iranian-American community. Indeed, it's difficult to imagine that a large number of Iranian or Middle Eastern Americans will shift to Trump, mindful of his willingness to stoke fear and racism for political gain. But some may choose to sit out this election unless Clinton shows that she values their votes and that she is interested in building on Obama's opening toward Iran.
So you may have read that a team of negotiators hashing out regulations for the Every Student Succeeds Act did not reach an agreement about supplement-not-supplant language. Thats shorthand for the requirement that federal aid to low-income students supplement, and not take the place of, state and local money. One reason those talks broke down was because some negotiators said the U.S. Department of Educations proposed regulations would be very complicated and expensive to comply with.
So has anyone put a price tag on the proposed regulations, or at least similar proposals? The answer is yesat least twice in the past five years, in fact.
First, lets quickly go over a few background details. In its initial proposal to the negotiating committee, the department floated the following requirement for complying with supplement-not-supplant: Districts would have to show that per-pupil spending in Title I schools (those with a high share of poor students) is at least equal to the average per-pupil spending figure in their non-Title I schools.
Supporters of this idea on the committee when it met over the past month, including those from the civil rights community, argued that the language would constitute a true test of whether districts were using Title I money in a supplemental fashion. They urged the department to have robust regulations on this front last week .
But state and district leaders vigorously objected. Among other reasons, they argued it was an unfair, backdoor maneuver the department was using to change a different part of the federal law known as comparability, which requires equitable local spending between Title I and non-Title I schools.
Two Studies, Two Similar Answers
Lets look at the first price tag of two put on this idea recently. In 2012, the Center for American Progress put out a report on hypothetically changing the portion of federal law about teacher-pay comparability. According to some, the fact that federal law allows staff salary schedules to be used, instead of actual teacher salaries, means the law has a notable loophole. Keep this in mind, however: Others, including many district leaders, dont agree at all that this is really a loophole at all. (More on that below.)
And also remember that because educator compensation makes up a majority of districts costs, how its handled in calculations of district spending, and therefore supplement-not-supplant, is crucial.
Using 2011 data collected by the U.S. Department of Education about school-level expenditures , CAP looked at how much it would cost to close the loophole and require actual disparities in teacher salaries between schools to be equalized.
The price tag came out to $6.83 billion in new state and local funds that would be required. At the time, that constituted just under 4 percent of state and local spending on schools, according to the report. That calculation assumed that if the loophole were closed, states and districts would increase per-student spending for Title I schools in order to comply.
An aside: The CAP reports author is Ary Amerikaner, whos now a deputy assistant secretary at the Education Department. She served as the departments point person during ESSA negotiated-rulemaking committee discussions on supplement-not-supplant.
At CAP, Amerikaner analyzed two scenarios. In the first one, $6.83 billion in new cash was pumped into an unchanged system with no fix. In the second, the same cash was put in, but the so-called loophole was closed. Then she looked at how it would impact various student groups and types of schools. Heres are two examples of what she found:
Amerikaner reported that at the time, this change would have impacted about 3,390 districts where approximately 77 percent of U.S. students attended school.
We know, in short, that allowing the comparability loophole to remain is a recipe for disaster, especially as minority students become an ever-larger part of our nations school population, Amerikaner wrote in her report. Unlike so many social science problems, this one comes with a fairly obvious policy lever to pull.
One final thing to remember: When Amerikaner proposes using actual teacher salaries in school-to-school spending comparisons, this change would not completely equalize the funding playing field between rich and poor schools within districts. After all, there are other district costs and spending decisions at work.
Lets go back a bit further to 2011, when the Education Department put out its own policy brief on the matter. It examined the impact of closing the loophole and looking at actual school expenditure requirements if you assumed either 1) an infusion of additional cash, or 2) no additional cash, as well as how to measure whether districts were in compliance with the teacher-pay comparability portion of federal law, which back then was No Child Left Behind. Heres what the report found for the projected cost of compliance, as a share of existing state and local spending:
So both reports essentially say that closing the loophole in comparability law would incur a 3-4 percent increase state and local spending. Thats assuming thered be additional money provided to schools. The cost of compliance would drop by about half if only existing money were used, according to the Education Departments 2011 analysis.
One other important point: Depending on how you calculate spending levels between schools, the Education Departments 2011 report estimated that between 18 to 28 percent of districts would not be in compliance with a non-loophole world.
Not an Easy Task?
In her 2012 report, Amerikaner ultimately recommended gradually increasing spending for funding systems in a non-loophole worldin one scenario, she proposed a ramping-up period of four years, under certain conditions. Nationwide, state education funding has increased gradually in recent years in the wake of the Great Recession. But many stress that schools costs are going up and that regardless, these state spending increases havent kept pace, or even matched pre-recession spending levels in many states. And state funding is a factor districts dont control. Roughly speaking, Washington provides 10 percent of public school funding, while districts and states split the remaining tab for K-12.
But the impact of the change on a district-by-district basis could vary dramatically. Some districts might not have much trouble getting the additional funds from the state or local taxpayers. Others might struggle mightily to come up with the additional funds.
Either way, its a big mistake to breezily assume that getting a roughly 4 percent hike in state and local spending to address intra-district spending inequities would be an easy task, said Noelle Ellerson of AASA, the School Administrators Association. And thats true, she added, even if the increased spending is phased in.
Thats just one problem with the planjust one among many others, Ellerson argued, is that the proposal endangers many local collective bargaining agreements. And it squashes the decisionmaking power of administrators as well in a way that simply isnt fair, she added.
Its not good policy, Ellerson said.
However, Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. has argued that teacher transfers arent automatically the only way districts could comply with the departments proposed supplement-not-supplant language. And when he defended the proposed language to Congress, he stressed that the use of the average spending figure in non-Title I schools in supplement-not-supplant calculations would give districts some leeway.
We asked the Education Department last week if it had come up with its own cost estimate, or it could point to any recent cost estimate, tied to its supplement-not-supplant regulatory proposal. Well update this post if we hear back.
Remember the important caveats when considering the current state of debate: Congress did not change teacher-pay comparability when it approved ESSA, and comparability was technically not a subject for recent rulemaking negotiations. Also keep in mind that the teacher-pay comparability issue also touches on the debate of whether a teachers salary is generally commensurate with that teachers effectiveness.
Possible Next Steps
With the talks having broken down, the department can now go ahead and write its own regulations. We dont know yet whether the departments proposal will be included in the supplement-not-supplant regulations it comes up with. But theres clearly a strong interest at the department in using per-pupil spending figures in rich and poor schools as a key metric.
However, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. and the chairman of the Senate education committee, wont stand for that . He made it very clear to King earlier this month that if the departments proposal to make per-pupil spending in Title I schools at least equal to the average per-pupil expenditure in non-Title I schools is included in their regulations, hell use the federal budget process to try to overturn it, and encourage others to sue the department if it wont back down.
It remains to be seen, however, if Alexander would be successful in stripping out any regulatory language he doesnt like, assuming that any such regulatory language from the department includes the controversial supplement-not-supplant language.
So what do you think? Do the cost scenarios laid out in the 2011 and 2012 sound reasonable and fair for poor students, or prohibitively expensive and unworkable?
Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
Sergiy Taran is the Director of the Kiev-based International Democracy Institute think tank, and the head of the Board of the Center of Sociological and Political Researches "Sotsiovimir". Taran is also an activist and political scientist specializing in post-Communist Ukrainian politics. His opinions on Ukrainian politics have appeared in numerous leading Western publications like the Financial Times, BBC, and The Guardian. Taran shared his thoughts with me about the current political turmoil in Ukraine via Skype in April 2016. The transcript of our interview is below:
Arseniy Yatsenyuk recently resigned as Ukraine's Prime Minister. His resignation was widely expected due to public dissatisfaction with his anti-corruption efforts; but why do you think he decided to resign now?
Sergiy Taran: Yatsenyuk had very low popular support, and the parliament decided to do something about it. The parliament decided to reshape the formation of the coalition. As a result, Yatsenyuk resigned. In my opinion, Yatsenyuk had a mixed legacy. He moved Ukraine on the path towards a balanced budget, but he had to increase taxes to do that, which made him unpopular. Improving Ukraine's fiscal position was vital for talks with the IMF to begin. Another positive contribution was stopping Ukraine's economic dependence on Russian gas. Every Ukrainian government has had to negotiate with Russia over gas prices. And these negotiations were more about politics than economics; Ukraine had to make concessions. Ukraine still buys Russian gas; but Russian gas is no longer critical.
Advertisement
In the process, he eliminated the corruption associated with dealing with Russia, and pivoted Ukraine towards Europe, which was necessary in a time of war with Moscow. He also succeeded in small-scale reforms, like the creation of a new police force. Under Yanukovych, the Ukrainian police was one of the least trusted institutions; now it is one of the most trusted. Ukrainian government tenders also developed an electronic procurement system; which rooted out the corruption associated with inter-personal interactions in banking. Despite these successes, Yatsenyuk did not move Ukraine towards deregulation. Excessive regulations still complicate the tax code and business registration. More progress needs to be made in liberalizing the economy; there are a lot of state enterprises, which are highly corrupt. Yatsenyuk was seen as responsible for failing to take on state businesses. He also did not communicate well with the people about reforms. The Ukrainian people did not see the reforms as tangible. Yatsenyuk failed to set optimistic, but viable targets that people could understand. He would have been more popular if he convinced the Ukrainian people that the country was progressing in the right direction.
Volodymyr Groysman was appointed as the new Prime Minister after Yatsenyuk's resignation. Do you think he will be more successful than Yatsenyuk or fall prey to the same problems that his predecessor faced?
Sergiy Taran: We cannot expect a miracle from Groysman as the reforms that Ukraine needs took 7-10 years to be implemented in other parts of Eastern Europe. But I think his plans could be more successful than Yatsenyuk's. Internet registration of businesses so people can circumvent the bureaucracy associated with visiting offices is a good thing. Groysman is likely to reform the tax code and will be a better communicator than Yatsenyuk. He won't produce miracles, but he also won't repeat Yatsenyuk's mistakes.
Advertisement
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was implicated in the Panama Papers over his creation of an offshore account. How damaging will that be to his authority as president; and do you think that he could face impeachment proceedings over these actions as some have speculated?
Sergiy Taran: The offshore scandal is bad for Poroshenko but not something that can break his career. He was a businessman and he made a connection with an offshore company, because up until two years ago, Ukraine was a very bad place to do business or invest in companies. Extensive regulations in the Ukrainian economy did not attract businesspeople. So some people here can understand the rationale for his offshore company. The majority of people do not even understand how an offshore company works. Journalists, members of parliament and experts understand it; but the masses will not grasp the severity of the problem. If Poroshenko can make the relationship between business and government more transparent, he will survive the scandal.
There was a recent debate in the Atlantic Council about the possibility of Ukraine holding earlier than expected parliamentary elections. Do you think this would be a good idea or a destabilizing action?
Sergiy Taran: As of now, the earliest Ukraine can viably have elections, is in one year. For fall elections to take place; the government needs to fall in the next 1 or 2 months, right after the government was appointed. That would be unrealistic. The earliest date for early elections would be spring 2017. I don't think that early elections are a good idea for the Ukrainian parliament right now, but for them to happen, it would require Groysman's government to lose public support. Right now, the Poroshenko Bloc and Yatsenyuk's Popular Front dominate the parliament. As populist and opposition forces gain momentum; that might change. But early elections will not likely have catastrophic consequences (even though I am not in favor of them).
Mikhail Saakashvili has recently gained a lot of attention due to his populist rhetoric, and there is speculation that he might run for the Ukrainian presidency. Do you think he is a viable political contender?
Advertisement
Sergiy Taran: Saakashvili is very appealing to a group of people in Ukraine who expect quick changes. These people now vote for radical parties and they might see Saakashvili as a better alternative. By drawing on his Georgian experience, Saakashvili can also flip the coin and say he is not really a populist. Right now, he draws support extensively from progressives, staunch advocates of European integration, and human rights activists. But his reforms in Georgia required a large concentration of power, and he enacted very radical reforms without taking into account opposition rights. This can be very effective but also anti-democratic. It is unclear whether Ukraine can accept this kind of model. Most Ukrainians who support Saakashvili have little knowledge about his policies in Georgia.
Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin recently resigned, after facing widespread criticism for his reluctance to prosecute high-level criminals from the Yanukovych-era. Do you think these corrupt and human rights violating officials will be tried eventually? And how can confidence in the Ukrainian court system be restored?
Sergiy Taran: The Prosecutor General's office has declined in importance. Two new institutions have been created under Poroshenko: the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and the Anti-Corruption Bureau. These institutions have taken on new responsibilitie that the Prosecutor-General once had, but I agree that Shokin did not make adequate reforms. The courts and prosecution office need reform as many officials in place have been in power for 15 years through the Yanukovych-era. The police reforms could be a model for the courts to replicate.
Last year, Ihor Kolomoyski retreated from direct political involvement, prompting Poroshenko to claim that he was going to crack down on Ukrainian oligarchs. How successful has his de-oligarchization policy been?
Sergiy Taran: The de-oligarchization policy is moving slowly. The role of Ukrainian oligarchs in politics has declined but the people want more radical changes. The influence of Ukrainian oligarchs over the parliament explains the slow pace of reforms. If Poroshenko cracks down on oligarchs, he automatically loses 2 factions of the Ukrainian parliament. Parliament officials rising to power as a result of oligarch support will not back Poroshenko. Populist parties like Samopomich are resisting Poroshenko. Leaders like Yulia Tymoshenko are criticizing unpopular reforms and insinuating that Ukraine doesn't need to work with the IMF because they want early elections. The pro-Russian Opposition bloc is also complicating the situation. In light of this delicate political balance, Poroshenko's best way to confront oligarch influence is to liberalize the economy and break up monopolies.
Advertisement
Turning to foreign policy, the Dutch public overwhelmingly rejected a recent referendum over Ukraine's EU association agreement plans. Do you think this is a sign European leaders are losing patience with the slow pace of reforms under Poroshenko?
Sergiy Taran: This referendum was not about Ukraine at all. It was about the special relationship between Dutch institutions and Brussels. Ukraine was the focus of a struggle between Netherlands and the EU. The turnout was only 32%. Dutch politicians are only going to approach Ukraine after a lengthy period of compromise with the EU and amongst their own political leaders. I think the referendum will not change the EU-Ukraine relationship. But it provides some lessons. First of all, it shows that Ukraine needs to more active in promoting favorable information about its policies abroad. Second, the rise of Euro-skepticism is dangerous for Ukraine and all of Europe.
Another controversial issue affecting Ukraine today is the unresolved problem of external debt. Many have speculated that this could be harmful for Ukraine's relations with the IMF, EU and Germany, in particular. How do you think Ukraine's struggles with the IMF can be resolved?
Sergiy Taran: Relations between Ukraine and the IMF are going to be the same. Unfortunately, at the moment there is little that can be done to improve the situation until Ukraine's economy starts growing for 3-4 years. Once that happens, then Ukraine can revive the relationship with the IMF it had a number of years ago. I believe closer ties with the IMF can be an option for the future, but not for now. The IMF does not care too much about the debt default to Russia; it is almost treated as a kind of private debt. The IMF considers numerous extenuating political and economic arguments, which will preclude a halt in cooperation with Ukraine over the Russian debt issue.
Advertisement
Finally, the situation in Eastern Ukraine had shifted decidedly towards a frozen conflict and the Minsk Accords looked to be making serious progress. But there was a recent re-inflammation by Russia in Donbas. Do you think that the current relative peace is a mere lull in Russian aggression or do you think that the status quo will be maintained in the long run?
Sergiy Taran: The most likely outcome for Ukraine is still a frozen conflict. Russia cannot remove its military forces from Ukraine because there would be a huge political backlash. Every other outcome would be problematic for both Russia and Ukraine.
Dear Fellow Survivors,
If you're reading this it means you're somewhere safe where there aren't airstrikes going on in the background or drone attacks -- or maybe there are shots fired and there is still a secure wifi connection -- either way I am thankful for the internet.
It's easy to often lose sight of that first letter in the alphabet.
Because we often forget the first things we learn as we proceed to move on to learn greater and more complex things. But every word in the alphabet matters, and words can only be created when we use the full alphabet. Likewise every city affected by conflict matters. One such example is Aleppo in Syria -- where a few days ago, Dr. Mohammed Wassem Maaz, one of the last paediatricians in Aleppo, was killed in an attack on Al Quds Hospital. He was so devoted to his patients that he stayed in Aleppo even after his family left for Turkey.
According to MSF (Doctors Without Borders), in 2015 alone, there were 94 attacks against 63 hospitals that they supported in Syria. In this year alone, they have had 11 attacks against hospitals that they have supported. So clearly there's no distinction being made whatsoever between what should be protected under International Humanitarian Law as a medical facility, and what would be a legitimate target to attack in war.
Advertisement
It's easy to often think that superheroes only wear capes.
Because the human brain likes easy. But fortunately enough it doesn't learn through easy. It learns through difficulty and challenges as new neural circuits are formed every second -- as we proceed from one task to another and learn a skill or recall some information or connect some dots that we couldn't link together before. One such example are doctors and nurses. They don't wear capes but they wear scrubs and cease to have a life to save the lives of others. Because that's what heroes do.
Against all odds they decide to dedicate themselves to the services of others. After spending tireless days and nights and years learning body parts they can't even pronounce, to healing them whilst being on call they make a choice to live this superhero lifestyle with minimal sleep and maximal healing -- for the rest of their lives. But that is the beauty of medicine -- getting a chance to make this choice of healing over harming.
And so even though the hours are long and the days are tough, the adrenaline rush kicks in when they see that heart monitor working again and the patient's vitals restoring or when they realize that they made the right incision in time or delivered your breach baby or when they see that child smile and hug them after dental treatment -- because they have created a bit of magic in this muggle world.
But in this world if you are a medical student, an intern, a doctor or any other healthcare professional -- although you are known to be a wizard for your expertise, you are often not consulted on anything outside your domain. Because how could a doctor influence the world at large, right? Wrong.
Advertisement
Well that's not how magic works.
Because being human far supersedes political and geographic borders. And because being a doctor is primarily about being a human -- just with some extra knowledge on fixing the human body -- fixing people and lives. Whether it be as a junior doctor in the NHS fighting for fairer treatment at the hands of domestic politics or a doctor in a conflict zone carrying babies in incubators to safety during shelling in a hospital at the hands of international politics.
You still wear the same scrubs and you are still the same superhero.
If you are a medical professional --know that your voice matters outside the operating theatre and into the cinema theatre and beyond.
Imagine this.
"At the bed of the first injured child, the female doctor explains, "Both her legs and her hands are injured. There is a fragment inside her brain. She had surgery, and now she is in the intensive care." "Her situation is very dangerous," an older nurse says. "She could be dead any minute." "In another bed, the third child (a three year old)'s head is wrapped in bandaging. Her case is critical, Ali tells me. She lies still, her only movement from the mechanical ventilator."
You don't need to imagine this. It really happened. Voldemort(s) are as present in the muggle world as they are in the wizarding world.
But as survivors, lucky enough to be alive -- you have the power of life. And with that comes your active citizenship responsibility. You have the power to use your voice to influence the headlines on timelines that cease to make media headlines. You have the audacity to call out the UN Security Council and its permanent member states who are involved in these heinous attacks to uphold the International Humanitarian Law without cartoonizing their existing veto power. You have the freedom to express your voices on platforms and arenas that are available to you at the click of a finger.
Advertisement
Because you survived. You are a boy or girl who lived.
Such attacks that go unheard or unnoticed such as attacks on health facilities and the denial of healthcare services as well as medical equipment are not only a blatant violation of International Humanitarian Law, but deprive families and communities of essential health care when they need it most. The type of services you take for granted everyday because you have survived.
After all, in this muggle world -- we can decide to be either wizards or death eaters. And making that choice depends on if you can trump love with hate. Because tiny boys and girls in conflict zones may live because of the strength of your love that is translated into action by moving -- shaking and -- creating chaos for change from No. 10 Downing Street to Tahir square. Because the strength of love for humanity has powers that defy the unforgivable curses of loss of willpower, torture or killing.
We need armies of peace (both online and offline) who use soft power around roughened edges. We need Gandhis and Mandelas who blog and snapchat with bulletproof vests lined in compassion and empathy. Those individuals can be any of you. And upon resistance, we need to kill with kindness. Because I know you know that peace heals -- always.
So use every word in the alphabet to create sentences that matter.
Start with the first letter in the alphabet. It's A for Aleppo.
From a Dental Student,
Peace,
The month of May will be filled with "goodbyes:" to teachers, professors, friends, and the college campus that has been your home. And it is also an incredible time for "hello's." New experiences, job opportunities and connections are waiting for you out in the "real world." As an experienced world traveler and business woman, I have some insights on ways to take your next meaningful steps.
Research your next steps:
Whether you are taking a gap year, going to graduate school, moving to a new city, or starting your career, understand the next step. Take time to understand yourself, what you want in your career and in your personal life, and the steps you need to take to get there.
Make Decisions:
Recent research shows that your twenties are an exciting time in your life but not your happiest. Happiness actually peaks in your late 50's and increases through your 80's. Although these years may not be your happiest, your twenties will define you more than any other decade. For example, getting a job in a certain industry may reveal it's not for you. That happened to me with "the law." Moving to a new city may present you with opportunities you never believed were possible. Don't just think about all the ways you can grow and the things you want to accomplish. Get out there and make it happen. You have time and flexibility to meet people, change paths, and gain experience in all different facets of life.
Advertisement
Make Connections:
Whatever your next steps may be, start building your relationships and network. Reach out to professionals in your field for informational interviews. Sit down with professors at potential schools. Apply for internships across the world and create friendships wherever you may find yourself. Be sure to bulk up your LinkedIn profile. Clean up your Social Media profiles as these are reviewed during recruiting.
Start Saving Now:
Having fewer responsibilities allows you to save your money. Your first job will generally have a 401k matching program. Start saving as soon as possible to help build your savings from an early age. The founder and editor-in-chief of The College Investor website, Robert Farrington advises; "The younger you are when you start, the more powerful compounding interest works for you. By starting at 22 versus 30, you could add hundreds of thousands of dollars more to your retirement account."
Put your best foot forward:
Your undergraduate degree has come to a close and now it is time to figure out how to secure your dream job. Refine your resume, adapt your cover letter, and invest in a quality suit to make the best impression during job interviews. Use our interview tips to help you get your dream job when the time comes.
Be a lifelong learner:
Continuous learning reaps rewards. Read titles such as the "Defining Decade," to help you make the most of this time. Learn about investing and budgeting early on to help you in the future. Explore new areas! Now's the time to learn a new language or give rock climbing a go.
Advertisement
Take some time:
If you aren't sure what your next steps are, take some time to figure it out. Get some global experience. Work in a position that intrigues you to gauge your interest. Taking some time to travel at this point in your life can also help you to decide what you want, gain some perspective and blow off some steam after your laborious college career.
Find your passion:
This is the first time in your life where you are free to explore independently, personally and professionally. Take time to volunteer for different causes such as Nature Conservancy, the Peace Corps or International Volunteer Headquarters, do informational interviews with professionals in all fields, and find your own voice.
We just held our fifth week of the Hacking for Defense class. This week the teams passed the half way mark in the class. They've collectively talked to over 550 beneficiaries (users, program managers, stakeholders, etc.) Their focus for this week was to figure out how to get products rapidly deployed into their sponsors organization. Our advanced lecture explained how to get buy-in for your solution by creating an insurgency among your supporters and advocates.
(This post is a continuation of the series. See all the H4D posts here (and also read Pete Newell's weekly class summaries here.) Because of the embedded presentations this post is best viewed on the website.)
This is not a typical class
If you've been reading these weekly blogs, you've seen by now this is not a typical class.
Advertisement
The class is a combination of theory and intensive practice. First and foremost, it is experiential and hands-on. The teams live and die by the Lean Startup credo: "There are no facts inside the building so get the hell outside." That's why, just halfway through the class, they've already talked to 550 beneficiaries (users, program managers, stakeholders, etc.)
The Lean Methodology requires teams to abandon their preconceived notions of how one builds startups and solve problems - The class is designed to break students out of that all too common mindset that they understand customer's problems, can design a solution and want to get right to work on building it - all without contact with the stakeholders, users, decision makers, etc.
After decades of teaching I have found that getting students to really change these beliefs cannot be done with reading, case studies or in-class simulations - at least not in the short time we have them in the class. If we really want them to understand how to efficiently and rapidly understand and solve customer problems, we needed to immerse them with customers on day one.
And if we want them to understand what life outside the classroom in an early stage venture will look like, then they need to experience chaos, conflicting data, uncertainty and good-enough decision making for 10 confusing weeks.
Advertisement
We start by pushing the teams incredibly hard to set the pace (and wash out any of those who can't work at this pace.) Teams hit the class running. Before the first class, each team has already spoken to 10 customers, and they are challenged to present their mission model canvases within 20 minutes of walking through the classroom door. Within 5 minutes from the first time a team starts to present, they get hit with "relentlessly direct" critiques.
If you can't see the presentation click here.
But by week 5, (this week) the teams have either embraced the Lean process or we're not going to get through to them. So at this point in the class we begin to dial down the tone and tenor of the comments, and over the next four weeks become their cheerleaders rather than their taskmasters.
In week 9 we'll stop and use the week and class for "reflection". We've found that getting the teams off the customer discovery treadmill at this point helps them to look back and reflect on what they've really learned, not just about their product/customers but more importantly about the lean processes, themselves, and team work.
Team Presentations: Week 5
This week the teams were primarily trying to answer how products get from demo to deployment in their sponsors agency.
In all team presentations, note that their new learnings each week are highlighted on their Mission Model canvas in red.
Advertisement
Sentinel initially started by trying to use low-cost sensors to monitor surface ships in a A2/AD environment. The team has found that their mission value is really to enable more efficient and informed strategic decisions by filling in intelligence gaps about surface ships from heterogeneous data.
Slides 4-27 is one of the best illustrations (actually an animation) of how all the beneficiaries work and interact. Slide 29-33 is their detailed drill-down on how their solution could get acquired and deployed in the Navy.
Slide 34 summarizes their current Mission Model canvas. Notice that each beneficiary has a matching value proposition. These relationships are expanded in detail on slides 35-38.
If you can't see the presentation click here
NarrativeMind is developing tools that will optimize discovery and investigation of adversary communication trends on social media, allowing the U.S. Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER) and others to efficiently respond and mitigate threats posed by enemy messaging.
Advertisement
This week, in slide 3, the team further refined where ARCYBER sat in the org chart of who owned the problem within the DOD/IC and the acquisition process.
They learned about getting rapid funding of R&D and prototypes through a funding mechanism called Other Transactional Authority in slide 4. They further refined their Minimal Viable Product to product/market fit in Slides 7 and 8. Their Mission Model canvas in slide 9 has an updated set of beneficiaries now refined in the Value Proposition canvases in slides 10 - 17.
If you can't see the presentation click here.
Guardian is trying to counter asymmetric threats from commercial drones. This week the team worked to understand a day-in-the-life of a Forward Operating Base (FOB) documenting the roles of the captain, lieutenant and a private on a guard tower (slides 5 and 6). They worked on understanding how they would get a counter drone solution deployed through the Army's Asymmetric Warfare Group (slides 7-9).
Advertisement
If you can't see the presentation click here.
Fishreel is combating Catfishing, the practice of impersonating an individual for malicious purposes, threatening security, privacy, and trust. Their solution will use publicly available social media data to assess whether a given userID refers to a real person, a real person acting under a false persona, or a bot. Last week we were concerned that the team was too focused on building MVPs and not enough on understanding their sponsor organization and how they buy and deploy products. The team really rose to the occasion. Slides 3-6, show their first-pass reconstruction of the sponsor organization and its procurement and acquisition process.
Slide 7-13 is an excellent discussion in figuring out the relationship of their Minimal Viable Product to product/market fit and a version 1.0 product.
Fishreel's Mission Model canvas (slide 15) and the detailed Value Proposition canvases (slides 16-21) are case studies on how to get to true understanding of the problems of all the beneficiaries and stakeholders in an organization.
If you can't see the presentation click here.
Skynet is using drones to to provide ground troops with situational awareness - helping prevent battlefield fatalities by pinpointing friendly and enemy positions.
The team validated several critical hypotheses about technology and acquisition (slide 2), further refined their Minimum Viable Product (slide 3) and really dug into the path of getting a solution acquired and deployed in the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in slides 4 - 9. Their summary of their learning is highlighted on their Mission Model canvas on Slide 10. Like Fishreel's analysis, Skynet's detailed Value Proposition canvases (slides 11 - 16) are also case studies on how to get to a deep understanding of the problems of all the beneficiaries and stakeholders in an organization.
Advertisement
If you can't see the presentation click here.
Capella Space is launching a constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites into space to provide real-time radar imaging.
Capella Space is pivoting towards commercial customers based on consistent feedback from the government. They're finding that the government doesn't want to pay for launch and sustainment, but instead would rather be users of commercial data.
One of the previous weeks' hypotheses was that the Coast Guard would want and need synthetic aperture radar images and data (slide 5.) The team did extensive customer discovery at the Coast Guard 11th district command center and seemed find that the problem was not all that acute. Depressing - but great learning. They continue to believe that the National Geospatial Agency may be a potential DOD customer (slide 9), but are struggling to find the people to talk to.
Advertisement
If you can't see the presentation click here.
Aqualink started the class working to give Navy divers a system of wearable devices that records data critical to diver health and safety and makes the data actionable through real-time alerts and post-dive analytics. Their customer discovery helped them to understand that there were three beneficiaries (slide 2): the operators (SEAL divers), medical officers and medical researchers. Slides 4 and slide 5 show their decision process to focus on the more immediate problem - underwater geolocation. Slides 6 and 7 describe the organization of SOCOM and how products get deployed to the divers. Slide 8, their mission model canvas, highlights their new learnings about deployment and beneficiaries in red. Slides 15-17 diagrams their understanding of the product acquisition and deployment process.
If you can't see the presentation click here.
Right of Boom is trying to help foreign military explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams better accomplish their mission. Now they are developing systems, workflows, and incentives for allied foreign militaries with the goal of improved intelligence fidelity.
This week their customer discovery got them to the current lead in Iraq for the Joint iED Defeat Agency (JIDA) (slide 2). This helped them refine their map of how IED information flows (slide 6). They mapped how to get a product deployed in JIDA in slide 9. This is leading them to a Minimal Viable Product neither they nor JIDA expected in slide 15.
Advertisement
If you can't see the presentation click here.
Advanced Presentation Supporters and Advocates- Creating an Insurgency
The advanced lecture for this week explained how to create "buy-in" among all the beneficiaries. Pete Newell described how to use anecdotes, artifacts and story-telling to create an insurgency among the advocates for your solution.
If you can't see the presentation click here.
Team Learning Updates
A few of the teams independently starting writing weekly one-page status reports to their sponsors and mentors. This was a great idea. It keeps the sponsors and mentors informed and makes them feel they're part of the team.
Hacking for Defense Goes National
This week three Universities announced their intention to offer Hacking For Defense this fall - The University of California at San Diego (UCSD), the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Rochester/ Rochester Institute for Technology.
As we scale the program, the DOD/IC sponsors have requested they have a single point of contact for the soliciting and validating the problems. So we'll have a single site acting as the "sponsor challenge clearinghouse" for the schools that will be teaching the course.
Advertisement
We'll have more to say about scaling the program, funding and the Hacking for Defense educators course in later blog posts.
Lessons Learned
The teams are learning what it takes to turn a demo into a deployable solution that gets to the field
The teams and sponsors are both learning how to accurately define the problem(s)
This learning will save time, money and lives
For academics, the month of May signifies the end of the year, a time to assess the work of your students, and the start of revising courses for the next academic year. Here at Columbia, this is reinforced by the transformation of our town center, "College Walk," into a small stadium with bleachers, platforms, big screen TVs and a sound system suitable for a rock concert. I always use this time to take stock of the accomplishments of our students, and to think hard about what we are teaching them and our responsibility as educators.
Education is always about choice and perspective, no matter how technical and complex your subject. A teacher always asks: What do I choose to present? What do I leave out in order to focus more on what I leave in? What are the boundaries of my subject matter? When a subject is new, in the enthusiasm of new knowledge, we sometimes don't mention skeptics and contrary perspectives. After things settle down, a good teacher remembers to mention that his or her view of reality is not the only one. Since I teach sustainability management, my teaching needs to include dissenting views, if only to explain why many organizations do not adhere to those principles.
I direct two sustainability master's programs at Columbia; one is an intensive full-time, year-long program at the School of International and Public Affairs (MPA in Environmental Science and Policy), and the other is a largely part-time program in the School of Professional Studies (MS in Sustainability Management). Both programs are designed to prepare professional sustainability managers and both are taught by full-time academics and by practitioner adjunct faculty. The adjuncts all hold full-time jobs in addition to their teaching duties. Among the practitioners I find an underlying optimism about the degree to which the sustainability perspective is influencing their work world. Among the academics I find a mix of optimism and dire pessimism. It's a recurring theme--can we build an economic life that can preserve the planet, or is it already too late? My responsibility is to ensure that our students hear both perspectives.
Advertisement
My colleagues in environmental and ecological sciences are the most prone to despair. They see the trend lines and are deeply worried about sea level rise and species destruction. They also believe that we've known these facts for some time, have not solved the problem, and so the proper response for the ethical and responsible scientist is to issue dire warnings in the clearest possible language. I have colleagues who tell me I should sell my bungalow by the ocean because it will someday be underwater and who are grateful that Columbia's Morningside Heights campus is many feet above sea level. Well, I'm not selling my summer home and I note that Columbia's new campus is right next to the Hudson River and has been designed for climate resiliency.
Don't mistake my intent here. I am deeply concerned about the future of the planet. I know that our current path is not sustainable. But I believe we have already begun to chart a new path. After World War II, U.S. GDP and population rose constantly, along with our pollutant levels. In response, we saw the growth of the environmental movement, the creation of EPA in 1970, and a comprehensive array of environmental laws enacted through the 1970s. By 1980, GDP and population continued to grow, and the absolute level of pollution started to decline. With the exception of the Great Recession, GDP and population in this country have increased every year since 1980 and pollution has continued to decline.
This is not to say that we have "solved" the problem of environmental pollution, but we have made it less bad. Places like Los Angeles and Pittsburgh are no longer known for their air pollution (that's now Beijing's reputation). We have made tremendous progress and there is more to come. In the case of climate change, 2015 was an important year in the U.S.; our GDP grew, but greenhouse gas emissions fell. We have demonstrated that we can grow the economy while reducing greenhouse gases. We have a very, very long way to go, but the turn around has begun. That's my view, but it is far from universal.
Advertisement
Scientists, like journalists, have learned that bad news attracts more attention than good news. The old tabloid expression was, "if it bleeds, it leads." Watching the local evening news, it sometimes appears as if everyone in the world has smashed their car, been robbed, or shot. Traffic slows down as drivers rubber-neck to get a look at a traffic wreck. Progress and success gets less attention than failure and destruction. While too much of the world remains desperately poor, two hundred years ago most of the world's population lived in poverty and today most of the world does not. Human ingenuity has created a powerful world economy that is capable of providing everyone with food, clothing and shelter, but is also capable of destroying the ecosystems that we all rely on.
Presenting that fact with a sense of balance is a challenge to educators. Most of us teach one part of the story and it is easy to despair that problems will outpace progress. As educators, our job is to present our own views, but to also ensure the legitimacy of the views of other analysts and scholars. In the case of climate science, the issue has become so politicized that it is difficult to do. The facts of the planet's heating over the past century are simply facts that cannot be argued. The arguments are over how to model the future and especially the amount of time we have to make the transition to a fossil fuel-free economy. This is compounded by the role played by some fossil fuel companies in trying to influence those analyses and their communication.
I worry less than some about the fossil fuel companies and believe their influence is vastly overrated, but I worry about the actual facts of ecosystem damage and how the future will unfold. All models are simply estimates, and as near as I can tell, no one can predict the future. We can, however, seek to understand the present world that we live in. We can teach our students about our understanding of that world and, more importantly, teach them to engage in dialogue about how the world works.
The problem with focusing only on either optimistic or pessimistic views of the world is that either is a form of propaganda, rather than education. How we feel about the future inevitably influences our choice of topics, reading materials and themes in the classroom. An educator needs to understand the views he or she holds and the way those views are reflected in the courses we teach. But then we need to open our perspective to choice and to an open thought process.
In a management course that is relatively easy to do. Each week I teach a case study or two and I ask my students to answer some version of the same question: What should the manager do? I always stress that unlike a multiple-choice exam, there is no right or wrong answer. Each answer presents a distinct set of costs, benefits and impacts. They are asked to identify and discuss those impacts.
Advertisement
The U.S. has been slow to embrace climate change as a reality and slower to embrace climate action as a policy priority. Environmentalism more broadly struggled to take hold until the later half of the 20th century, with the publishing of major works like Rachel Carson's Silent Spring in 1962 heralding it into the public conversation. Some presidential administrations took some action in response to the public outcry, with President Nixon, for example, founding both the EPA and the White House Council on Environmental Quality. The Carter administration issued the first comprehensive report on global environmental challenges and listed global man-made climate change as one of the key issues. However, theirs and subsequent administrations and congresses produced few, if any, policies to address it.
One of the key legislative developments, however, occurred in the Energy Policy Act of 1992: the production tax credit (PTC), which provides a federal tax break of 2.3 cents/kilowatt-hour for wind and geothermal energy sources. Unfortunately, the PTC has been subject to several expirations and hesitant extensions, leading to a "boom and bust" cycle of production in the wind industry. In immediate years following expiration, installations would drop 76-93 percent with corresponding job losses for wind workers. Although Bush did sign the Energy Policy Act of 2005 into law, which continued subsidies for renewables, the administration prioritized subsidies for carbon-emitting ethanol to a far greater degree. The Bush administration did little to advance renewable energy development and even withdrew the U.S.'s non-binding signature from the Kyoto Protocol.
Advertisement
Before the Obama administration, no president made addressing climate change a leading priority in his administration. Obama has been keen to break that trend. During the 2008 campaign he said he would aim to reduce overall carbon emissions by at least 20 percent by 2020 and 60 percent by 2050, compared to 2005 levels. Right after he was sworn into office he addressed the "violent conflict, terrible storms [and] shrinking coastlines" that result from climate change, saying the "planet [is] in peril" and that "the time for denial is over." Appointing Clinton era EPA Administrator Carol Browner as his "climate czar" and Dr. John P. Holdren as the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology signaled the administration intended to follow through on his campaign promises. While his climate policies may not have unfolded in the way he initially intended, i.e. through making compromises with Congress, Obama's various executive actions and international negotiations have put the U.S. in a prime position to be a worldwide climate leader. His policies and rhetoric promoting renewable energy and smart energy policies have been key in establishing this field as a central topic in American politics and policy.
Obama was initially very keen to push a climate agenda through legislative means. With Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate, the administration had a strong chance of pursuing a legislative strategy. In 2009, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), chairman of a key subcommittee, introduced the American Clean Energy and Security Act on May 15. Nicknamed the "Waxman-Markey Bill," it would have established a cap-and-trade program that would aim to reduce emissions 20 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and have revenues from permits go towards research and development on clean energy. However, a significant number of Democrats, who represented coal and rust belt districts, refused to support the bill. Because their states could be hit with deep costs, these lawmakers understood that supporting the bill could have resulted in the loss of their seats. When the bill went to the floor, about 183 congressional members supported it, and it would need about 35 more to pass. While the administration declined to vocally endorse the bill, Obama personally telephoned undecided representatives to vote in favor, helping make compromises with those concerned Democrats. On June 26, the House passed the bill 219-212, with 44 Democrats voting no and 8 Republicans voting yes. Despite this narrow victory, the Senate did not build upon the House vote. Despite a few Democratic-led Senate committees pushing legislative proposals that included a cap-and-trade system, Majority Leader Harry Reid did not include that measure in the comprehensive energy bill the Senate was developing, noting the lack of bipartisan support for cap-and-trade. The Waxman-Markey bill thus never made it to the Senate for a vote.
Advertisement
Instead of pursuing broad national action unilaterally, Obama, in addition to promoting a legislative agenda, ensured federal regulations considered climate and environmental concerns in their operations. A 2009 executive order required federal agencies to increase energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve water conservation, and improve waste management. Other than this, however, in his first-term Obama mostly pursued relatively fruitless legislative strategies instead of executive action to encourage renewable energy development. This may have been strategic: at the time, excluding concerns among most Democrats, global warming ranked among the last of American concerns, and the administration wouldn't risk pursuing executive action on such a generally unpalatable issue, especially during the 2012 election. I noted back then that neither the President nor Mitt Romney even mentioned climate change in the foreign policy debate, marking the first time in decades it was omitted in this particular forum. Its absence was likely due to the country's growing partisan chasm that made global warming resonate almost solely with Democratic voters and unpalatable to the average voter. That is not an excuse for downplaying the issue during the election, but it is understandable why the President wouldn't bring it up too often on the campaign trail.
However, in the first June of his new term, Obama laid out an in-depth and long term strategy in a Georgetown University speech on how his administration would take unilateral steps to address climate change. He broke new policy ground by proposing to incentivize all states to actively work towards reducing America's emissions. In declaring his goal, he used the precedent set by the Supreme Court in the 2009 case EPA v. Massachusetts, which required the agency to regulate carbon gases under the provisions of the Clean Air Act. The Clean Power Plan (CPP) is the first policy of its kind, providing nationwide incentives for all states to develop renewable and clean technologies and setting up carbon reduction standards. It also directs the EPA to provide mechanisms for states to cooperate in developing energy and reducing individual state spending; emissions trading is one of these proposed mechanisms, a system by which power plants can buy and trade permits to emit carbon, similar to a cap-and-trade program. This creates a relatively low cost financial incentive to decrease emissions and gives clean energy plants a key market advantage.
Unlike previous administrations, Obama did not simply propose some vague reductions goal to tout at the next UNFCCC meeting. He took further steps to craft the policy infrastructure for the U.S. to be a climate leader. He is, essentially, the first president to demonstrate decisive leadership in this field. At the international level, he vocally encouraged others to do their part. His bilateral negotiations and agreements with China saw both countries setting carbon goals and committing to develop renewables, sending a signal to both developed and developing nations to do the same. Although he took time making the decision, Obama vetoed the Keystone XL Pipeline. While it would have emitted a marginal amount of carbon compared to the whole of current emissions, the refusal to partake in the development of the environmentally disastrous Alberta Tar Sands signaled a new environmentally conscious approach in a president's decision-making.
Environmentalists have bemoaned, however, how his administration has ushered in the fracking boom (both in the US and abroad). While producing overall fewer emissions than coal or oil, natural gas production indeed has severe environmental and health risks. Regardless of where you stand on fracking, however, Obama clearly aimed to present the natural gas boom as a two-pronged win for reducing emissions and the American energy industry. Rhetorically at least, he wanted to paint it as a step forward for the climate cause, helping prove emissions could be reduced (even if only marginally) at the same time as increased economic growth. He has also repeatedly voiced his concern about climate change in his touting of natural gas as a "stepping stone" fuel while increasing renewable capabilities. And there are signs he is pursuing more regulation on the industry. Recently, for example, he and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to reduce methane emissions from natural gas pipelines, a crucial measure, as methane gas has 80 times the potential of carbon dioxide to trap atmospheric heat.
Obama's success is intricately tied to the energy landscape he entered as president, in which renewables have surged in the market. In 2007 cumulative wind energy production was 16,702 MW and gradually rose to be 65,879 MW in 2014. In 2007, the US installed just 160 MW worth of solar PV. With a variety of innovations in rooftop solar and large-scale plants, the number rose to 7,260 MW installed in 2015. The renewable appetite is clearly in the populace, and Obama has taken note, offering a variety of loan guarantees and other incentives to boost the industry's development. The President has used the issue of addressing climate change as an economic incentive, encouraging the development of tens of thousands of jobs in the building and maintenance of renewable energy plants, debunking the myth that economic development and environmental protection must remain diametrically opposed. He has even touted home-generated solar power as an issue that unites environmentalists and Tea Partiers, as the latter group strives for independence from large-scale utilities, an independence that is created by generating power at home.
Advertisement
Obama and the broader climate movement's successes are evident in recent congressional developments. On April 20th the Senate passed the Energy Policy Modernization Act, which is slated to promote renewable energy, improve the energy efficiency of buildings, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and speed the export of domestically produced natural gas. The act united Democrats and Republicans, with a landslide vote of 85-12. However, the Senate passed this act by avoiding mentioning "climate change" explicitly, concentrating on the economic benefits more than on any environmental concerns. Yet, its passage helps prove that Obama's economic argument on renewables is politically palatable and can result in legislative breakthroughs.
Maryland's governor made history last week by enacting the Orange Ribbon Bill for Healthy School Hours, the nation's first legislation to help schools implement later, safer, healthier class times.
The bipartisan legislation - D, Montgomery County) - sponsored by Delegate Aruna Miller, with a companion bill cross-filed by Senator Bryan Simonaire (R, Anne Arundel County) - becomes effective July 1st of this year and keeps Maryland on course as a national leader the Start School Later Movement.
Hundreds of thousands of Maryland students stand to benefit from this incentive program, which encourages school districts to work with their communities to find feasible ways to run schools at times that allow for healthy sleep. The requirements for recognition are based on the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Advertisement
An Innovative Approach to a Longstanding Problem
This bill is an innovative way to address a longstanding public health problem: extremely early, unhealthy, and counterproductive school hours that many communities haven't been able to address on their own.
While health professionals have been calling for later start times since the early 1990s, many Maryland public high schools still begin before 7:30 a.m., some waiting at bus stops before 5:30 a.m. These hours conflict with 40 years of scientific research and the recent recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that no middle or high school start before 8:30 a.m. for reasons of health, safety, and learning.
The only two other school start time bills passed by states involved studying the issue, the first one in the Maryland (2014) and the second in New Jersey (2015). New Jersey's study is currently underway, with hearings being held this week. The Orange Ribbon incentive program picks up on recommendations made in Maryland's study, which was completed in December 2014.
"I am pleased that Maryland continues to set the standard for academic excellence," said Danielle Brooks, an Annapolis mother of three who leads Start School Later's legislative efforts in Maryland. "I am proud to have my children in Maryland public schools."
Advertisement
No-Cost, Voluntary, Incentive Program
Proponents of later school start times throughout Maryland are optimistic that this no-cost, voluntary, incentive program will finally break the logjam that has obstructed districts from delaying bell times for two decades.
What this program will do," Paul Katula of the Maryland State Department of Education's Department of Assessment, Accountability, and Data Systems observed, "is to give school leaders something to work toward, a small token, that tells their students and communities that they have brought their fortitude, creativity, and leadership to bear in creating a better school climate."
Katula added that this recognition program would encourage school systems to "do the right thing for kids" in a way that would cut costs and minimize impact on the community.
Deb Jung, a Howard County, MD attorney and a Start School Later chapter leader, is hopeful that this incentive program will help turn years of well-meaning studies and efforts - including last week's decision in her district to delay bell times by 2017-18 - into actual bell time change. "Parents want this change. Almost 80% of the parents surveyed last year in Howard County stated they wanted to see school start times for high school students begin after 8:00 a.m."
Andra Williams Broadwater, chapter leader of Start School Later Baltimore County, agreed. "This legislation gives Baltimore County Public Schools a firm goal and recognition for moving its school start times to ones that are healthier for our students," she said.
Advertisement
Three Levels of Recognition
Rather than requiring districts to change bell times, the Orange Ribbon Program establishes three levels of recognition, with the top level of award reserved for districts where middle or high schools start class no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and elementary schools no earlier than 8 a.m. unless bus runs start after 7 a.m. At least four school systems in Maryland are tentatively eligible for recognition should they choose to seek it: Anne Arundel, Garrett, Howard, and Montgomery Counties.
According to Lisa VanBuskirk, leader of Anne Arundel County, MD's Start School Later chapter, her district is currently eligible for the lowest level of recognition, which is awarded to districts studying the issue and conducting outreach efforts to community stakeholders. "We look forward to working with the Board of Education to progressively acquire additional recognition levels as the school system successfully implements healthier and safer school hours over the next few years," she said.
Districts like Montgomery County, which moved its high school bell time by 20 minutes last year (from 7:25 to 7:45 a.m.) may be eligible for the next level of recognition. Ann Gallagher, a founding member of Montgomery County's Start School Later chapter, said that parents hoping for continued progress there and around the state are pleased that state legislators understood the need for state-level support for county school systems struggling to address this issue.
"Montgomery County's multi-year, full-county effort to change start times, supported by over 80% of county parents, resulted in only a small step toward healthful start times," she said. "Our supporters of healthy school hours hope the Orange Ribbon legislation will make it easier for other Maryland counties to establish appropriate start times for students' health."
Editor's note: This article is part of our collaboration with Point Taken, a new program from WGBH that will next air on Tuesday, May 3 on PBS and online at pbs.org. The show features fact-based debate on major issues of the day, without the shouting.
Pay transparency is all the rage these days.
President Obama has taken action to increase pay transparency among federal contractors. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces laws prohibiting employment discrimination, recently issued a regulation requiring large companies to disclose aggregate salary information in their annual informational filing. And states have been taking action as well, with California and New York enacting legislation to support pay transparency efforts.
WGBH
Their primary goal is to eliminate the gender wage gap. Currently, in the United States, women earn approximately 21 percent less than men. The gap between men's and women's wages remains even when taking into account factors such as career choice (e.g., college-educated women become teachers more often than men do, and teachers are paid less than many other jobs requiring a degree), experience and education. One study found that 10 years after graduation, women earned 12 percent less than men after accounting for all other factors that could affect pay.
Advertisement
Pay transparency laws represent the latest effort to close the gap, which has remained stubbornly in place for decades. But will they be effective?
The answer depends in part on whether employees are willing to disclose their salaries and how employers address the concerns that are likely to arise when a salary gap is revealed.
No salary disclosure required
Part of the problem is that with one exception -- government employees -- the laws currently in place to promote pay transparency do not actually require disclosure of individual salary information.
Advertisement
For example, the federal regulation that has been touted as a pay transparency law only prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who disclose their own salary. California's and New York's laws are essentially the same. The idea behind these anti-retaliation laws is to allow employees to disclose their pay without repercussion, eliminating pay secrecy policies and customs.
For these laws to create actual pay transparency, however, employees must be willing to share salary information. And while there appears to be a trend toward employee willingness to do so, it is at odds with the longstanding social norm against discussing pay.
Rebecca Cook/Reuters
Finding a link to pay equity
In the absence of a legal requirement to disclose wages, an increasing number of companies are making salary information transparent on their own.
Different companies have taken varying approaches to this. For example, Whole Foods allows workers to check their colleagues' salaries, while social media scheduler Buffer publicly discloses the formula it uses to determine employees' salaries. At the extreme end of transparency, many governmental employees' salaries are publicly available, depending on the state.
One could argue, and many do, that increased pay transparency decreases the gender pay gap.
The argument has logic: if employers disclose salaries, they will also be disclosing any gender pay gap that exists, and this will lead to efforts to eliminate it. This is precisely what happened at Buffer, which, after disclosing employee salaries, found a wage gap and changed its compensation system and hiring priorities to eliminate it.
Advertisement
Pay transparency in the federal workforce can also be seen as support for the argument that pay transparency helps eliminate the gender wage gap. It is significantly lower in the federal workforce -- in which salaries are publicly available online -- than in the private sector.
Assessing pay transparency's impact
Despite this anecdotal evidence of the effect of pay transparency, a note of caution is warranted.
First, there appears to be no empirical study of the effect of pay transparency on the gender wage gap. Specifically, there is no systematic research of what happens to the gap when companies shift from withholding to disclosing employee pay. Nor is there research comparing the gender wage gap in companies that keep salaries secret with companies that disclose employee pay.
While there is research comparing the federal workforce's gender wage gap with that in the private sector, it does not show whether pay transparency is a factor. And, in fact, it is quite probable that the most important factor explaining the smaller federal wage gap is the government's highly structured pay and promotion system.
Second, when one looks closer at the anecdotal evidence, what it suggests is that pay transparency is only one piece at play. Comparing the experiences of Buffer, the example that appears to be most popular in the press, with Salesforce illustrates this.
At Buffer, the company disclosed salaries then took concrete steps to eliminate the gender wage gap that was revealed. In contrast, Salesforce conducted an internal review but did not disclose salaries. On the basis of the review, the company adjusted the pay of six percent of its employees to eliminate the gender wage gap.
Advertisement
The common link in these approaches is not pay transparency but recognition of a gap between men's and women's pay and a commitment to close it. Thus, pay transparency can assist in pushing companies toward recognition of a problem, but it isn't an essential component to eliminating it.
Robert Galbraith/Reuters
Corporate attitude
Indeed, a company's attitude toward the wage gap and its causes may be more significant in eliminating it than putting in place a transparent pay policy.
Consider the fact that differences in an employee's initial salary contributes to the gender wage gap. Is this caused by differences in previous salary? Or that men are usually rewarded for negotiating a better salary -- while women are penalized for doing the same?
Pay transparency would reveal a gap in starting salary, but the company could decide that it is not due to gender but "market forces" -- e.g., the man had to be paid more to take the job in order to avoid a wage cut -- or because of his negotiating ability. That would make it less likely that the company would take action.
Advertisement
To take another example, women take off more time than men do after the birth of a child. A "gender neutral" policy of basing raises on seniority will result in women having lower salaries over time than men do. Pay transparency will reveal this difference.
Yet seniority is generally considered a neutral, nongendered reason for a wage gap, and a company can explain away any differences based on this, claiming that it has nothing to do with sex. But isn't a pay gap based on gender if it is caused by the fact that women have babies or that they stay home with sick children more often than men?
Companies have to be willing to reconsider many such components of compensation to eliminate gender disparities in pay.
Pregnant worker via www.shutterstock.com
Negative consequences
Taking a step back and accepting that pay transparency would at least allow differences to be revealed, which could lead to a decrease in the gender pay gap, one must also consider the negative repercussions.
Advertisement
One downside to pay transparency is the effect on employee morale. A fascinating study on the effect of revealing salaries of University of California employees showed that employees below the median salary for their position had decreased job satisfaction and an increase in desire to change jobs.
This was not offset by improvements in employee morale among those who were paid higher than the median salary. Thus, there was a net overall decrease in employee morale.
On the other hand, a recent PayScale survey suggests that transparency has the opposite effect, encouraging retention, because employees tend to think they're more underpaid than they actually are.
To avoid negative consequences, the Society for Human Resource Management recommends that employers be prepared to explain any reasons for pay disparities that are revealed. This also suggests that how an employer handles a pay gap matters more than the disclosure of it.
Putting this all together, pay transparency in and of itself doesn't necessarily help close the gender pay gap. It creates opportunities for employers to reconsider their current compensation systems but doesn't mean they'll necessarily do anything about it.
Advertisement
So while pay transparency is a good idea, on its own it probably won't be able to eliminate the persistent pay disparities between men and women.
When asked to choose between the candidacies of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina, remarked,
It's like being shot or poisoned. What does it really matter?
But, in fact, it really does matter for the Republican Party.
REUTERS/Brian C. Frank
Based on a survey taken before the Iowa caucus, voters see Cruz as the most orthodox neoconservative candidate on issues such as trade liberalization, taxes and shrinking the role of government. Simultaneously, he represents a slightly less authoritarian choice. By contrast, Trump is seen as taking a more moderate economic stance on trade and taxes, but a more extreme position on authoritarian values.
Most importantly for the electoral fortunes of the GOP, both candidates are located some distance away from the position of the median American voter.
Advertisement
Clearly, candidate positions evolve. Nominated candidates usually pivot toward the center in the general election. Nevertheless, candidates are often unable to ditch the image about their positions which were first formed in the public mind during the primary season.
If there is a contested Republican convention - a prospect which looks increasingly unlikely - delegates will probably support a candidate based on their positions and who is regarded as the least-bad electoral risk.
Two rival interpretations about the basis of support for the candidates are commonly heard. Let's consider both:
Interpretation #1: It's the economy
Numerous commentators regard both Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders as economic populists with strongest support among those who are economically struggling and dissatisfied with growing social inequality.
Advertisement
Economists like Dani Rodrik blame globalization for rising populism and the politics of anger. In this thesis, blue collar and less educated voters have grown weary of growing income disparities, stagnant or falling wages, lack of corporate accountability for the 2008 financial crisis and the continued exodus of manufacturing jobs overseas. Researchers at The Hamilton Project found that American men without a college degree, in particular, have fared poorly in loss of real wages since 1990.
Washington Post reporters Max Ehrenfreund and Scott Clement found that Republicans worried about maintaining their economic situation are more likely to support Trump. It is thought that anti-establishment pitchforks are directed against both parties because Congress is perceived to continually promise job growth and rising living standards while in practice kowtowing to corporate donors, favoring trade liberalization and expanding tax loopholes for the rich.
From this perspective, Cruz provides an extreme version of Reaganesque economic orthodoxy on free trade, while Trump has trampled upon these neoconservative nostrums, such as by suggesting taxes on Chinese imports.
Likewise among Democrats. Sanders' appeal to white, younger voters is often attributed to his progressive economic mantra of tackling income inequality, cleaning up campaign finance, reducing student debt and taking on Wall Street. His campaign has been a one-note angry shout for the "have-nots" against the "haves." Hillary Clinton's speeches have gradually tacked closer to Sanders on these issues, although she is saddled with her husband's legacy of NAFTA.
Interpretation #2: It's cultural backlash
The alternative argument suggests that popular support for Trump taps most deeply into a cultural backlash, rather than any economic issue. In this view, authoritarian populism in the U.S. and other Western democracies has been driven most strongly by cultural values. Trump's rhetoric stirs up a potent mix of racial resentment, intolerance, American First nationalism and isolationism. It emphasizes mistrust of outsiders, misogyny and sexism, attack-dog politics, and racial and anti-Muslim animus.
Advertisement
Racial politics are clearly part of this witch's brew. Nat Cohn found that support for Trump was strongest in areas with measures of racial animosity. Survey data point toward the same conclusions. Jason McDaniel and Sean McElwee have shown that racial animosity is a critical driver in Trump's support.
But American racial attitudes are arguably part of a broader phenomenon. My book comparing support for the radical right in many countries found that authoritarian populists typically scapegoat outsiders. Populists favor nationalism, social conformity, order and strong leaders.
Taking up this broader theme, Matthew MacWilliams in his research found that support for authoritarian values was one of the best predictors of Trump's support.
Trump's willingness to trample upon "political correctness" is thought to be catnip for less educated, older, blue collar Americans. This group finds themselves stranded like fish losing oxygen in a shrinking pool on the losing side of cultural tides, powerless to push back against long-term social evolution transforming the diversity of peoples and values in the United States. Meanwhile, Trump's speech is anathema to civil discourse among educated liberals and establishment Republicans like Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney.
Survey on favorability
For evidence of which interpretation is right, we can dive into the American National Election Study, conducted in January 2016, just before the first votes were cast in the Iowa caucus.
Advertisement
The survey of 1,200 American citizens monitored candidate preferences by asking "Regardless of whether you will vote in the Democratic primary this year, which Democratic candidate do you prefer?" An equivalent question was asked for Republican contenders.
This does not imply that sympathizers necessarily cast a primary ballot for these candidates. Rather, the questions tap into overall favorability toward the candidates before the first vote was cast.
The position of the candidates can be assumed to reflect that of their sympathizers. These positions can then be compared with the median voter.
Economic values
What does the NES survey say about the economic issues interpretation of candidates' appeal?
Author provided
The chart above shows two classic indicators of these positions in the survey, including where supporters of each candidate placed themselves on the liberal-conservatism scale and whether they favored less or more government services and spending.
The evidence suggests that among Democrats, both Clinton and Sanders sympathizers saw themselves as liberal and favoring an expansion of government services and spending. Surprisingly, Clinton supporters were slightly more left wing than Sanders supporters.
Advertisement
Among Republicans, those most favorable toward Jeb Bush placed themselves remarkably close to the Democrats. Supporters of the other Republican candidates were all on the right of the median voter. Most supporters of the GOP candidates were fairly close to the median voter - with the exception of those most sympathetic toward Trump and Cruz. Cruz supporters were the most extreme and farthest from the average American on economic issues.
Cultural backlash?
What does the evidence say about the appeal of authoritarian values in America?
Author provided
The chart above taps into social tolerance (how favorably respondents felt toward Muslims) and attitudes toward authority (how favorably they felt about the police).
The results provide a perfect snapshot of the range of choices on cultural values in the 2016 primary campaign. As expected, Sanders sympathizers show least support for authoritarian values. They are followed by Clinton supporters, who were closest to the mainstream position of the average American.
By contrast, supporters of most of the Republican candidates clustered together as more favorable toward these authoritarian populist values. Bush sympathizers were predictably more liberal than those of Cruz.
The most striking outlier concerns supporters of Trump, who displayed the strongest sympathy toward authoritarian populist values. This reinforces the notion that his distinctive brand of populism strikes a chord among less educated and older voters, who regard social diversity as a threat to traditional American values.
Advertisement
These factors continue to predict favorability toward Cruz and Trump even after controlling for other factors associated with political attitudes and electoral choices, including the age, gender, race, education and income of voters.
With Trump versus Cruz, the GOP faces a Hobson's choice between two types of extremes. Which is the riskier bet for the future of the party - and indeed for America and the world?
Cruz's support now appears to be lagging, while Trump has surged in recent primaries, so Trump may get a majority of delegates in the first round at the Republican convention. If the contest goes into a second round, however, the answer for Republican delegates probably depends upon whether they are most fearful of the dangers of authoritarian populism or neoconservatism.
Pippa Norris, ARC Laureate Fellow, Professor of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney and McGuire Lecturer in Comparative Politics, Harvard University
We are always in constant need of caffeine: Our working week revolves around endless trips to Starbucks. Every day, we get through cup after cup after cup of hot or iced beverages, and they almost always come from that ever-busy Starbucks on the corner of the block. But this unstoppable, totally natural caffeine-addiction isn't a cheap one. Our need for caffeine and our lack of money are clashing horribly, but don't worry, these six money-saving hacks are here to help.
Bring a Cup
If you bring a reusable cup or a paper cup from another coffee shop, Starbucks will take 10 cents off the price of your order. It may not seem like much, but it requires almost no effort on your part, and all those dimes will add up to something more substantial if you save them carefully.
DIY Iced Latte
Skip ordering a standard iced latte, and make your own with this simple, money-saving trick. Ask for two espresso shots, served over ice (in whatever size cup you prefer), and then add milk and sweetener at the condiments bar. It's not quite a latte, but it is a cheaper alternative that is just as tasty as an iced latte.
Advertisement
Don't Buy Bottled Water
Resist reaching for that bottle of water while you're waiting in line, and ask for a glass of tap water instead. This water will be free, and is filtered anyway, so is just as good (if not better) than its bottled counterpart.
Get a Refill
Sometimes one drink just isn't enough. At any point during the day, and with any size cup, as long you're on the same visit, you can pay 50 cents to have your cup refilled with brewed or iced coffee or tea. Take a break in the store while you enjoy your first drink, get your refill, and then make your way back to your desk.
Order a Short
You may not know it, and it may not appear on the menu, but there is a size smaller than a tall, and it's called a short. As the short is smaller, it's obviously less expensive than a tall, but if you order an espresso-based drink, such as a latte, cappuccino, or americano, then you're getting the same amount of caffeine in your paper cup.
Split a Venti
A North Carolina non-profit that received about $35 million in competitive grants from the U.S. Department of Education through the Obama administrations Investing in Innovation program announced last week that it had closed. The news was first reported by WRAL, an NBC affiliate in the Tarheel State .
North Carolina New Schoolswhich had recently changed its name to Breakthrough Learningpartnered with more than 100 public schools to help high school students take advantage of college coursework.
The 13-year old non-profit was the first i3 grantee to go from the validation levelfor programs with some evidence to back them up, to the Scale Up, for proven approaches ready to go big. It received its $15 million validation grant in 2011, and its $20 million Scale Up grant in 2014. New Schools also received a congratulatory visit from then-U.S. Secretary of Education in 2014. And we profiled the program , which was in the process of helping spread its success early college high school approach beyond North Carolina, to rural districts in Mississippi, South Carolina, Illinois, and Indiana.
So what happened to North Carolina New Schools?
Apparently, New Schools expansion happened too rapidly for sustainability. We ran into cash flow problems that were directly related to growth and the speed of growth, Jeffrey Corbett, the president of the organizations board of directors told the Raleigh News & Observer. It was very, very unfortunate.
The Education Department is closely monitoring this situation, and [has] taken immediate actions to limit North Carolina New Schools access to federal grant funds, said Dorie Nolt, a spokeswoman, in an email. As we learn more details about this matter, we will take additional steps as necessary to protect federal funds and the interests of students and families.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
By: Paola Crespo
Ypsilanti, Michigan was a safe place to live in the peace and free love era of the 1960s--until the bodies started piling up.
Over the course of three years, a serial killer referred to as the "Ypsilanti Ripper" (pronounced Ip-sih-lan-tee) tortured, killed, and mutilated half a dozen victims. All were female college students; all were missing one or more limbs.
But what was most terrifying was the discovery of the killer's identity: an all-American boy, who wasn't at all what he seemed.
Advertisement
In The Michigan Murders, Edward Keyes gives the enthralling true account of the savage murders that tormented a Midwestern town.
READ AN EXCERPT FROM THE TRUE CRIME BOOK BELOW.
At midafternoon on Friday, in the sparsely inhabited northeast section of Ann Arbor, two construction workers became aware of something odd.
It was a muggy, hot day, and the men were taking a five-minute water break from the sapping toil of excavating storm drains for a new subdivision off Glacier Way. Slouched along the edge of the trench, their bare torsos running with sweat, breathing deep, they were silent until one, Tony Cola, cocked his head a moment, then said to the other: "There must be something dead around here."
Caleb Freeman groaned, "There sure is. And I'm sitting on it."
"No, really," Cola insisted. His nose lifted again, testing the air. "Smell... Do you smell it?"
Freeman sniffed and his face began to pinch up. "Christ! Did you lay one?"
"Up yours." Cola got to his feet. "I tell you, there's a dead thing around here someplace." He started prowling tentatively through the high browned-out grass and weeds along the shoulder of Glacier Way. Freeman, bemused, tagged behind.
Advertisement
READ MORE: THE UNSOLVED KILLING OF GEORGETTE BAUERDORF
After a dozen yards, Cola halted stiffly. When he turned back to the other, his features were contorted. He pointed toward a clump of growth a few feet ahead of him. Freeman couldn't make out anything at first. He moved closer, and then he saw it: part of a bare arm protruding from the grass, elbow bent at an awkward angle, skin grayish, slack, lifeless.
Freeman edged past Cola to the spot. The arm was part of a body, which appeared to be nude. The stench was awful, but Freeman made himself bend and part some of the tall grasses. Almost instantly he had to recoil.
It was a woman. It was hard to tell how old, because not only was much of the thin, pale body slashed and caked with blood but from the bosom and upper arms to the head the skin was black, peeling with rot. Where the face would have been was a fearsome charcoal death mask, the mouth frozen open in a wide, silent scream, the teeth huge and sneering like a skeleton's because the lips were gone; the sunken eyes were also open, showing only blank whites.
Freeman and Cola ran to find their foreman, back down the road. Lane Beasley, who for a brief recent period had tried his hand as an Ann Arbor police officer, listened to the two panting men with some curiosity. Were they pulling his leg?
He saw soon enough that it was no joke. Beasley examined the scene with what he hoped was the care learned as a policeman. The dead woman's muddy clothing was bunched around her neck--white undergarments and a blue dress of some type--like some grotesque clown's collar. The body lay on its right side, arms thrown out from the trunk. The face was horrible, unrecognizable. In the black, swollen left ear lobe was a round golden earring. Beasley noticed that some of the damp grass around the corpse appeared to have been trampled, indicating that some other person or persons had been there recently. Yet, though the body was mottled with dried blood, there were no traces of blood on the grass or ground.
Advertisement
Beasley rose, faintly sick from the sight and the smell, and said to Freeman and Cola, who had held back: "You stick by and don't let anybody near. I'll go call the police."
The Michigan Murders is available on Amazon.
"In the coming days and weeks," writes Weis, "voters in Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, California and Washington, DC have a chance to write their names into the history books as protectors of the flame of the political revolution."
Bernie's difficult path to the nomination just got a little rockier, but it's still three months to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. If there's anything I've learned from my years in presidential politics, it is to expect the unexpected, and that three months is an eternity in a political campaign. Anything can happen.
As they have tried to do throughout this campaign, the corporate media and political establishment are once again trying to coronate the Clintons before the votes are counted. In an affront to the democratic process, some are even calling for Bernie to get out of the race. This a slap in the face to millions of voters in ten states, three U.S. territories and the District of Columbia who have not yet had their say in who the Democratic nominee should be. Sanders surrogate Tim Robbins said it best at a campaign rally in Wisconsin:
Advertisement
"We are no longer surprised. We get it. You want Bernie to go away. You want your anointed candidate to win."
Well, Bernie is not going away. Bernie is going all the way.
Sanders currently trails Clinton by about 330 pledged delegates. To overtake her, he needs to win 65% of the remaining 1083 pledged delegates (California has 475), a steep, but not impossible, climb. Even more unlikely, though, is for Clinton to reach a majority of convention delegates with pledged delegates alone. This means we're headed for a contested convention in Philadelphia, where it will be decided which candidate is the Democratic Party's best hope to win the White House in November.
There, convention delegates will have to weigh the fact that Senator Sanders, not Secretary Clinton, consistently polls the strongest against Mr. 1%, Donald Trump. They will also have to weigh Hillary's likeability and trust liabilities against Bernie's unprecedented popularity with young voters, Independents (42% of Americans), and even Republicans. The outcome will hinge as much on politics as on math.
I have nothing personal against Hillary Clinton, but I do have a problem with entrusting our future to an establishment politician who got it so predictably wrong on the Iraq War; who supported trade agreements that destroyed millions of good-paying American jobs; who made it her job as Secretary of State to sell dangerous fracking to the world; and whose campaign is funded by Wall Street billionaires and super PACs (to the tune of $3.25 million from fossil fuel interests).
Advertisement
As to that last point, maybe you saw Hillary's response to a perfectly reasonable question asked by a climate activist in a rope line at one of her campaign events: "Thank you for tackling climate change. Will you act on your words and reject future fossil fuel money in your campaign?"
Instead of answering, Hillary repeatedly jabbed her finger at the young woman (who works for Greenpeace, not the Sanders campaign) and angrily snapped: "I am so sick, I am so sick of the Sanders campaign lying about me. I'm sick of it!"
For a presidential candidate to lash out like this at a young person who has so much more at stake (like potentially her own long-term survival) than the candidate in how things turn out over the next half century is just wrong.
Days later on "Meet the Press," Hillary insulted millions of young Sanders supporters by speaking condescendingly about those who don't trust her to lead on climate: "I feel sorry sometimes for the young people who, you know, believe this; they don't do their own research." Well, some friends and I did a little research of our own and this is what we found:
Hillary represents timid incrementalism at a time when the people are restless for bold transformational change, and at a time when such dramatic change is needed to ensure our survival as a species. Fortunately, we have another choice. Consider what Bernie had to say about the climate emergency at the last Democratic debate:
Advertisement
"On climate change... we have a global crisis. Pope Francis reminded us that we are on a suicide course. We have got to stand up and say right now, as we would if we were attacked by some military force, we have got to move... urgently and boldly... in 1941, under Franklin Delano Roosevelt, we moved within three years... to rebuild our economy to defeat Nazism and Japanese imperialism. That is exactly the kind of approach we need right now."
Because we have waited so long to act, a Sanders administration-led national mobilization may be our last best chance to get it right. We are already breaching the dangerous heating threshold 196 nations just agreed in Paris not to breach. We don't have the luxury of appeasing the fossil industry for four more years. Maybe that brave little bird who flew onto Bernie's podium in Portland knows something the rest of us don't. This much I do know: the stakes in this election could not be higher for humanity and for all life on Earth.
When our children look back at this chapter in America's history, how will the story end? Will they mourn our tragic embrace of more of the same that failed to avert climate catastrophe? Or will they celebrate the success of a once-in-a-lifetime president who, against all odds, sparked a political revolution that rallied America to heroically respond to the gravest threat humanity has ever faced?
In the coming days and weeks, voters in Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, California and Washington, DC have a chance to write their names into the history books as protectors of the flame of the political revolution.
Which side of history do you want to be on?
Cross-posted with Common Dreams
A new survey of almost 2,000 U.S. teachers revealed that the 2016 presidential campaign might be having a negative impact on students' well-being and interactions with each other.
For example, educators have seen an increase in bullying and harassment of students whose racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds have been attacked during the campaign. They also report that some campaign rhetoric is triggering fear and anxiety in children of color:
While the survey did not identify candidates, more than 1,000 comments mentioned Donald Trump by name. In contrast, a total of fewer than 200 contained the names Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders, or Hillary Clinton. More than 500 comments contained the words fear, scared, afraid, anxious, or terrified to describe the campaign's impact on minority students.
Teaching Tolerance admits that their survey--titled The Trump Effect: The Impact of the Presidential Campaign on Our Nation's Schools--establishes correlation, but only hints at causation: We can't really know for sure if the rhetoric is actually causing the increase in identity-based bullying. It was also unscientific: They sent it only to their members, as well as members of other groups with similar missions. This is a self-selected group of teachers who most likely emphasize the value of diversity, equality, equity, and connection in their classrooms, which creates a bias. A stronger study would have recruited a randomized sample of educators.
But even accounting for those weaknesses--and regardless of one's political leanings--we need to pay attention to this report.
When educators--whether it's two or 2,000--report that students do not feel safe in their schools (or in their country, for that matter) and are hurling discriminatory insults at each other, this is no longer a political issue. It's a human one--and a call to action for educators.
What pits students against each other?
Children need to feel safe to learn. Period. And a crucial part of cultivating that sense of safety is creating a school climate where everyone--staff and students alike--feels they belong, have value, and matter.
Advertisement
In today's political climate, this can be tricky given that every school will have people who fall everywhere on the political spectrum (schools are a slice of humanity after all). But as the adults committed to the well-being of all of our students, we need to set aside our differences and work together to stop students from calling another student "criminals" or "terrorist" or "loser" or "deadbeat" because of their cultural and racial identities. These are words we've heard used in this year's presidential debates, which are never okay to use against another human being.
Indeed, research on school connectedness has found that when students believe that both the adults and their peers care about them as individuals, they are more likely to succeed academically and engage in behaviors that increase their physical and mental well-being. And, pertinent to Teaching Tolerance's report, having friends from several different social groups that integrate gender and race increases students' sense of connection.
When many teachers and administrators are already doing so much to instill values of inclusiveness in their students, it can be alarming to see them suddenly behave in such a way. One educator wrote, "Any unity developed by Mix It Up at lunchtime [a program that encourages students to connect with someone new] has flown out the window."
Obviously, students are copying the behavior of the adults they see running for president on TV; extensive research corroborates that the modeling of behavior is a powerful tool for learning. But for students to adopt such shocking behavior--which many of them probably know at their core to be wrong--it's possible that something deeper than just the mimicking of adults is going on.
While the human psyche is very complex and difficult to understand, one clue may come from what renowned Stanford psychologist Albert Bandura calls moral disengagement. In his recent book on this topic, Bandura theorizes that people stop themselves from engaging in immoral acts because they want to maintain a sense of self-worth and uphold their moral standards. However, when faced with pressure from either the situation or others around them to act in ways that go against their moral standards--such as bullying or name-calling--people use various methods for justifying their choices that, at the same time, maintain their moral integrity.
Advertisement
Bandura describes eight ways we morally disengage. For instance, we might blame the victim ("it's the woman's fault that she got raped because of the way she was dressed"), or minimize personal responsibility (CEOs who claim not to have known about the unlawful actions of their employees), or we might ignore, distort, minimize, or disbelieve the effects of our harmful behavior (using weapon technology that increases the facelessness of the enemy).
Yet moral disengagement isn't limited to large societal issues; it also occurs in our daily lives, including in our schools. Several studies have found that school bullies score higher than non-bullies on moral disengagement and justify their actions through strategies such as dehumanization of their victim and moral justification (bullying to fulfill a higher moral or social goal, such as "weeding out the weak").
Could it be that the presidential campaign is creating an atmosphere that incentivizes bullying, by modeling the idea that victim-blaming, name-calling, and overpowering minorities is justified and the way to get ahead? We can't say for sure. We only know that students' interactions with each other are suddenly changing, but not in a positive direction.
Whatever the cause, it behooves all of us in education--even if we can't control what is happening on the political stage or people's responses to the drama--to increase our efforts at making sure all our students feel safe and welcome in our schools.
Here are some research-based ways to start.
1. Help students see the impact of harmful words
Bandura suggests that it's easier to suppress our built-in empathic mechanisms that keep us from behaving in unkind ways when we can't see how our actions affect others. Unfortunately, politicians don't see the effect their words are having on students. But the teachers are seeing it.
Advertisement
"We heard about students from second grade to high school crying in class [and]....a California art teacher described a fifth-grader who had begun having 'full-blown panic attacks,'" the report states.
Students, too, need to see the effects of their harmful slurs. Those on the receiving end may be too scared or shocked to reply in the moment and perhaps too confused to know whether or how to respond later. Thus, educators need to take the matter into their own hands and provide opportunities for students to share their experiences with each other.
SEL and mindfulness expert Linda Lantieri tells a story of how an activity she calls the "Social Barometer" helped one group of European-American students see the impact of racism on their African-American classmates. In this activity, students respond to questions by placing themselves physically on a continuum that ranges from "1--It doesn't bother me" to "3--I don't know how I feel" to "5--I feel really, really upset."
"When students were asked to move to how you feel when you're called a name that has to do with your background," explains Lantieri, "the responses were divided by race. The African-American students all went to 4 or 5 on the continuum, whereas the European-American students were all at 1."
The students were then invited to say why they were standing where they were or to ask others about their choice. "The European-American students were confused about why the African-American students were all standing on 4 or 5, so they asked them why," says Lantieri. "The students told them, 'because this happens to us almost every week.' The other students were able to visually see and hear the impact of racism on their classmates and that was what was so powerful."
Advertisement
2. Encourage students to find their "Shared Identity"
As stated above, schoolyard bullies often stifle their moral inclinations by "dehumanizing" their victims, or viewing them as sub-human without any feelings or concerns--a practice, according to researchers, used to engage people in genocide or in everyday divisive in-group/out-group ethnic, racial, and religious conflicts and one that has been found to correlate with the belief that some groups should maintain dominance over others.
To help students "humanize" each other, have them complete the Shared Identity practice found on Greater Good in Action:
Think of a person in your life who seems to be very different from you in every way that you can imagine. They might have different interests, different religious or political beliefs, or different life experiences. They may belong to a group that has been in conflict with a group to which you belong.
Next, make a list of all of the things that you most likely share in common with this person. Perhaps you go to the same school or like the same sport. At the broadest level, you both belong to the human species, which means that you share 99.9 percent of your DNA.
Review this list of commonalities. How do they make you see this person in a new light? Instead of simply seeing this person as someone unfamiliar to you, or as a member of an out-group, now try to see this person as an individual, one whose tastes and experiences might overlap with yours in certain ways.
By listing all the things they might have in common with someone who looks different than they do or who may have different beliefs, students can overcome their fear and distrust of that person through the simple reminder of their shared identities. As a result, they may be more inclined to show compassion and cooperation towards that person.
Advertisement
3. Bring out students' innate kindness
Bandura reminds us that even while many people may morally disengage, there is "equally striking evidence that most people refuse to behave cruelly." Indeed, much research exists showing that, even at a very young age, our capacity for altruism and compassion may be greater than that for selfishness and cruelty.
So, rather than focusing on the ugly side of ourselves that separates us from each other and causes undue harm, offer students opportunities to demonstrate kindness, respect, and compassion for one another.
One of my favorite examples of this is The Breakfast Club--a group of students at a middle school who performed anonymous acts of kindness for the entire school, students and staff alike, transforming the climate of the school in the process.
Another powerful method might be to ask the students how they would address this campaign's critical issues such as immigration and income inequality with compassion for everyone involved. Indeed, research has found that students who are directly taught to consider an issue from each party's viewpoint are better able to devise solutions that benefit all concerned groups.
When summing up his thoughts on why we morally disengage from what we know in ourselves to be the right behavior, Bandura states in an interview: "The difference is who do you include in your category of humanity and who do you exclude from your category of humanity."
Advertisement
If you're like me, you've probably never seen that word. If you have, you probably haven't read or heard it in awhile. However, bad trends have a way of coming back, literally. On May 1st, Old Navy trended on Twitter for most of the day, and not for a good reason. When I saw why it was trending, I grabbed my dictionary, sang the alphabet song, and found what I was looking for.
Miscegenation is defined as the interbreeding of people from different racial backgrounds. It was mostly used before and during the Civil Rights Movement in the context of anti-miscegenation laws; laws that prohibited interracial couples to marry.
It wasn't Old Navy who taught me this word, but a cyber mob of Twitter users attacking Old Navy. Why did so many people feel the need to attack an All-American clothing retailer?
Advertisement
Old Navy tweeted this ad.
Oh, happy day! Our #ThankYouEvent is finally here. Take 30% off your entire purchase: https://t.co/nGQ9Pji1pN pic.twitter.com/vq4mIczm6A Old Navy Official (@OldNavy) April 29, 2016
This is a beautiful, fake family, one that resembles many real American families today. It's something that many people scroll through without noticing race, at least that's what I thought.
Like most people, I know that racism still exists. However, I was foolish in thinking that 58 years after Mildred and Robert Loving were arrested for miscegenation and successfully battled their case in the Supreme Court, people accepted marriages without thinking of race.
Had I done my research, I wouldn't have been so shocked. The last state to overturn such a law was Alabama in 2000. That's right, laws prohibiting people of different races to marry were not abolished in the United States until the 21st century. That's not even an entire generation ago.
Advertisement
So, I started thinking about racism in the U.S. on a deeper level, something I've been doing more and more since the beginning of the primary election season. Now, candidates like Donald Trump and Ted Cruz and their rhetorics are not to blame for negative race relations in the U.S. In fact, they may have done us a favor. They exposed the hidden racism and bigotry that still exists in the U.S. Their hate speech has allowed generations of Americans to come out of the bushes, Americans who still believe in white supremacy. The same Americans who attacked Old Navy for their ad. Here are the top comments under Old Navy's tweet -
Is racism in the U.S. dead? Obviously not.
But if it was only 16 years ago that laws prohibiting interracial marriage were completely abolished, we shouldn't expect it to be. Racism is alive and well, people were just better at hiding it in the 21st century until Donald Trump made it okay. I mention Donald Trump because most of the commenters (there's a lot of them) were Trump supporters. His angry rhetoric has given people the confidence and approval to be openly racist. It's almost sad to think the progressive America we're proud of could be a mere facade.
However, there is a silver lining. Even though many every-day Americans may still hold these terrible values, many famous American companies like Old Navy have recently begun providing a more accepting and realistic image of 2016 America. They don't just include interracial families either, but also depict Muslim families, families with same-sex parents, and mixed families.
These are some of the commercials that made headlines:
Cheerios
HoneyMaid
Campbell's
Coca-Cola
Cheerios received the most backlash for their commercial, which speaks to how deep racism in America runs. A mixed family having breakfast shouldn't have caused an uproar, much like Old Navy's tweet shouldn't have. But they did, and that's because acknowledgment and representation are different.
Advertisement
Representation is everything. The only people who complain about representation are the ones that already have it. Seeing these ads pop-up on social media, televisions, and billboards make every American feel like they have a place in this nation.
The negative side to that is it could possibly give us false hope. Maybe progressive commercials will be enough to expel racism from the U.S., or maybe stronger intervention is necessary. It's hard to come up with a simple solution, but it's not hard to see that racism in the 21st century has catapulted to a whole new level. This is evident by the fact that a term that hasn't been used in everyday language since the Civil Rights Movement, has resurfaced.
When I told my 17-year-old brother what the word meant, his response was, "That shouldn't even be a word".
Until yesterday, that's exactly what the word miscegenation was to many people - nonexistent. To give this concept a word means we see marriage as something other than universal, regardless of our skin colors.
Which begs the question - what does it say about the place we're in as a nation if we're reverting back to these words and ideas?
Me and Boyfriend General at the Concrete "Wall"
Chapter 15 Excerpt
THE DAY I HIT THE WALL
I didn't remember selecting "Concrete Wall" from the list I'd been given when choosing activities for my customized itinerary. And a concrete wall certainly didn't sound like something that would normally have piqued my interest (akin to choosing "watch paint dry"). But it was on our agenda for the day after the DMZ, and quite frankly it sounded better than some of the other shit I'd been dragged around to (can you say, Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum?), so it felt like a win.
For a minute it seemed like Fresh Handler was trying to talk me out of visiting the Concrete Wall--not that I was dying to visit it, or even had any idea what the Concrete Wall was, aside from the obvious.
FRESH HANDLER: You want go Concrete Wall?
ME: I don't know. What's the Concrete Wall?
FRESH HANDLER: It's a concrete wall.
ME: I don't understand. It's just a concrete wall?
FRESH HANDLER: Yes.
ME: Why would we go look at a concrete wall?
FRESH HANDLER, giggling, shrugging shoulders while making a face that says, "You got me...I don't know why we'd go look at a concrete wall": You can't see wall.
Advertisement
ME: What do you mean we can't see the wall? I don't understand. I thought you said we were going to see a concrete wall?
FRESH HANDLER: Wall is very far. You can't see it. You look at wall through hole.
ME: What do you mean we look at wall through hole?
FRESH HANDLER, giggling, covering her mouth with her hand while looking to the sky for the right word: Ahh, wall is very far away. You look through, ahh...
ME: Binoculars?
FRESH HANDLER, delighted: Yes! You look through binoculars to see wall. But can't see wall.
Okay, got it. We look through binoculars to see a concrete wall that we can't see. I'm so happy I understand her that I momentarily forget I don't understand her.
ME: So we're going to look at a concrete wall that you can only see through binoculars, but you still can't see it?
Advertisement
FRESH HANDLER, motioning with her hand to indicate something close to "Yes...I told you this was a stupid idea.": Sort of.
She looked a little embarrassed.
Sensing that my current line of questioning was likely to end up with Fresh Handler in tears, I changed tack.
"Is it close to where we are now?" We were still at the DMZ.
FRESH HANDLER: Ohhh, nooo. Very far. More than one-hour drive back to Kaesong, and then one-hour drive back to wall. And road is very bumpy. Road not so good.
This was sounding fricking awesome.
"So we drive from here all the way back to Kaesong, then we drive another hour on a bad, bumpy road to a concrete wall that we can only see by looking through binoculars? But we can't see it. So what do we see?"
FRESH HANDLER: Just wall.
She smile-giggle-shrugged.
I was in, and we were off.
By Mat Schaffer, for WhereTraveler.com
(Banyan's Cha Yen Thiy tallow-washed rum drink)
Is there a fat-washed cocktail coming to a bar near you? Inventive local mixologists have been experimenting with adding fats to their drinks because 1) fat tastes good, and 2) why not?
At Banyan Bar+Refuge in the South End, bar director Jon Kochis makes a high-octane Thai iced tea libation he calls "Cha Yen Thiy." The main ingredient is tallow-washed Old Monk Rum. That's rum infused with the fat from beef suet.
Kochis first heats the suet to melt it down, then freezes the mixture to separate the fat from any impurities. He skims off the cold fat as you'd skim off frozen chicken soup, reheats it and pours it through a chinois sieve into the rum. The rum goes into the freezer for 45 minutes and then is strained through a coffee filter.
Advertisement
Voila, tallow-washed rum.
Old Monk is aged black rum that's been produced in India for more than 50 years. A side-by-side tasting of the original versus Banyan's tallow-washed version shows the tallow rum is smoother, with more of a full-bodied mouth feel. It's also slightly darker in color and has more pronounced vanilla and caramel notes than unadulterated Old Monk.
Kochis' "Cha Yen Thiy" is made with the tallow-washed Old Monk, brewed Thai iced tea and creamy coconut milk, and then garnished with a sprinkle of crushed cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.
"I look for layers of flavor," Kochis says.
Bring on the fat.
Other Fat-Washed Cocktails
That'll Do: Smoked pigtail-infused scotch, Dolin Rouge vermouth, maple liqueur and absinthe. Bar manager Seth Freidus developed the cocktail to use the smoked, pig's-tail bones left over from the kitchen's popular roasted clam and smoked pig's tail entree. Alden & Harlow, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA, 617.864.2100
Summer Nog: Devised by bar director Todd Maul as a year-round alternative to eggnog (and it's vegetarian). It's made with pineapple juice, Zaya rum and homemade coconut butter extracted from coconut milk using a centrifuge. Cafe ArtScience, 650 E. Kendall St., Cambridge, MA, 857.999.2193
Advertisement
Grabthar's Hammer: Bartender Adam (AJ) Bauer combines house-made, bone marrow-infused, over-proof, white whiskey with simple syrup, lemon, Peychaud's and Mole bitters. It is an homage to the character Dr. Lazarus (portrayed by Alan Rickman) in the movie "Galaxy Quest." The Kirkland Tap & Trotter, 425 Washington St., Somerville, MA, 857.269.6585
Ward 8 Bloody: Jazz up your bloody mary by choosing bacon-infused vodka, made by steeping browned, double-smoked bacon in vodka. It's garnished (of course) with a crisp, bacon strip. Ward 8, 90 N. Washington St., Boston, MA, 617.823.4478
(Grabthar's Hammer at The Kirkland Tap & Trotter)
For more
that you might like:
Author Mat Schaffer is a contributor for Where.
US Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz addresses the California Republican Party 2016 Convention in Burlingame, California on Saturday, April 30, 2016. / AFP / GABRIELLE LURIE (Photo credit should read GABRIELLE LURIE/AFP/Getty Images)
Donald Trump gave what was billed as a "major foreign policy speech" last week, with the aim of demonstrating that he has the knowledge, judgment, and temperament to be Commander-in-Chief. Trump failed the test.
The first thing one has to do in evaluating any statement of Donald Trump's is to look at his history. His racist policy proposals - from building a wall on the Mexican border to keep out people he claims are potential "rapists" and "criminals" to barring all Muslims from entering the United States on the theory that they could be terrorists - should be enough to disqualify him from being president of the United States. Add to that the fact that most of his major factual assertions are false, and it should be case closed. This man cannot be allowed to be our next president.
Advertisement
Because he has yet to pay a political price for being wrong, many of us have stopped keeping track of how often Donald Trump misstates the facts, or simply makes things up. An analysis of key Trump statements by the fact-checking organization Politifact found that over three-quarters of the statements they looked at were either false, mostly false, or "pants on fire." And only three percent of the Trump statements they analyzed were judged to be fully true. So anything Trump says has to be taken with an ocean of salt. This holds as true for his foreign policy pronouncements as for anything else he has to say.
That being said, it's still worth looking at Trump's foreign policy speech, simply because of the sobering fact that he may become the nominee for president of one of our two major political parties. In addition, many of his statements are damaging in their own right, regardless of how he follows up on them.
The first thing that jumps out from the Trump speech is that it is a bundle of contradictions. For example, after saying that "America First" would be his watchword, Trump proceeds to praise the efforts of the "greatest generation" in beating back the "Nazis and Japanese imperialists" during World War II. But as Michael Crowley of Politico was one of the first to point out, one of the most potent movements aimed at keeping the United States out of that war was organized under the slogan "America First." The Anti-Defamation League urged Trump to drop the term, noting the "undercurrents of anti-Semitism and bigotry that characterized the America First movement." And in an opinion piece for CNN, Susan Dunn of Williams College pointed to the following quote by America First spokesperson Charles Lindbergh to underscore the same point:
Advertisement
"The British and Jewish races, for reasons which are not American, wish to involve us in the war
. . . Their greatest danger to this country lies in their large ownership and influence on our motion pictures, our press, our radio, and our government."
Is Donald Trump unaware of the history of the America First movement, does he support its ideology, or does he simply not care?
In another bit of twisted logic, Trump argues that "our friends are beginning to think they can't depend on us." But he also threatens to leave our European allies to their own devices if they don't spend more on their military forces. And he said in last week's speech that he would work closely with "our Arab allies," but he failed to explain how his proposal to bar Muslims from the United States, and his past pledges to engage in torture of terror suspects and kill family members of suspected terrorists would make any Arab nation want to work with him. Trump has since backtracked on his statements about torturing suspects and killing family members of terrorists, but the fact that he said these things at all is telling. And Trump being Trump, there's no guarantee that he won't say them again.
On the topic of not working well with others, Trump also threatens to rip up the Iran nuclear deal, which was concluded after a complex set of negotiations that involved the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, three of America's closest allies. The agreement also involved Russia and China, evidence that engagement with these nations can yield results even at a time of tension on other issues. And contrary to Trump's claim, the deal is working, as evidenced by the fact that Tehran has already destroyed 12,000 nuclear centrifuges, disabled a reactor that would have been capable of producing fuel that could have been used to build a nuclear bomb, and shipped 98 percent of its highly enriched uranium out of the country. In the face of these realities, Trump's claim that he can negotiate a "better deal" rings hollow.
Advertisement
The Iran deal isn't the only issue of nuclear weapons policy that Trump gets wrong. He argued in last week's speech that "our nuclear weapons arsenal . . . has been allowed to atrophy and is desperately in need of modernization and renewal." Apparently he is unaware that the Pentagon is already in the midst of developing a new generation of nuclear-armed bombers, submarines, and ballistic missiles, not to mention a dangerous and destabilizing new nuclear cruise missile, all at a cost of $1 trillion over the next three decades. This buildup is unaffordable, provocative, and unnecessary, but the fact that Trump doesn't even know that it exists - alongside a plan to pour hundreds of billions into building new facilities to build and maintain nuclear warheads - is yet another example of his lack of seriousness on vital national security issues.
Then of course there is Trump's off-the-cuff suggestion that Japan and South Korea should get nuclear weapons, put forward in the same forum in which he assured us that he's opposed to nuclear proliferation.
Trump also buys into the claims of military hawks that the changes in the size of the U.S. military since the end of the Cold War are a sign of weakness, even though, as vice-chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Paul Selva has noted, the United States has "the most powerful military on the planet." And Trump isn't saying whether his statements mean he is going to play the numbers game by dramatically increasing troop levels, massively expanding the Navy, or otherwise reversing what he sees as a problem of a military that is too small. If so he will contradict his pledge to do "more with less" in expanding U.S. military power.
Advertisement
And then there is Trump's secret plan to get rid of ISIS. He won't tell us what it is; we'll just have to trust him on this one. But as Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies has noted, "secret plans" can make things worse - much worse - as in Richard Nixon's secret plan to end the Vietnam War. Trump should be pressed to at least provide an outline of how he would proceed against ISIS. How different would his approach be? What would it cost? Is he going to try to bomb ISIS into submission, or send more troops, or offer them some prime real estate if they behave themselves? Voters deserve answers to these questions.
Alongside his aggressive, contradictory positions on a wide range of national security issues, Trump also tried to use the speech to soften his image by giving a nod to diplomacy, claiming he would work with Russia and China, and excoriating the damage done by interventions like the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq. But can he be believed when he says these things? For example, despite Donald Trump's repeated claims that he opposed going into Iraq, veteran journalist and national security expert James Fallows found no evidence of such opposition until well after the war had started. His conclusion was simple and to the point. Trump is "making it up" when he claims that he was an early opponent of the war. Or to put a finer point on it, Fallows says that "Trump. Is. Lying. About. Having. Publicly. Opposed. The. Iraq. War."
But as bad as Donald Trump's jumbled foreign policy views are, Ted Cruz's may be even worse. From his assertion that he would use carpet bombing and see if "sand can glow in the dark" in the fight against ISIS to his pledge to mindlessly lavish 4 percent of our Gross Domestic Product on the Pentagon, Cruz is arguably even more reckless than Donald Trump.
Threatening to carpet bomb Iraq or Syria, with the massive civilian casualties and devastating human and environmental consequences that would entail, is not worthy of a major presidential candidate - or any candidate. And the notion of "making the sand glow" suggests that Cruz may have been referring to the use of nuclear weapons, an issue he has never clarified. The fact that Cruz made the remark in a flippant fashion with a smile on his face makes it all the worse.
Advertisement
And Cruz's plan to throw 4 percent of the United States' economic resources at the Pentagon would be both costly and counterproductive. Benjamin Friedman of the Cato Institute estimates that Cruz's proposal would add another $1 trillion to the Pentagon's budget in his first term alone, money that could have a huge impact if spent on health, education, infrastructure and other essential needs. And in a report commissioned by the National Taxpayers Union, Matthew Fay of the Niskanen Center dismantles the argument for spending four percent of GDP for defense, noting that linking defense spending to GDP is "neither fiscally responsible nor strategically coherent." Fay's analysis is worth reading in its entirety, but the basic point is clear - spending on the Pentagon should be tied to a strategy to address the actual threats facing the country, not to an arbitrary number.
Cruz's recklessness extends to his choice of foreign policy advisors. His chief advisor is none other than Frank Gaffney, an uncritical booster of Star Wars anti-missile systems and a major league Islamophobe who has suggested that President Obama himself may be a Muslim, and that the president has some sort of secret plan to undermine America from within (there go those secret plans again). The fact that any candidate would take any advice on any subject from Frank Gaffney is troubling in the extreme.
temptations lab
A company in the US has built a collar that will help cats communicate their world domination plans better to their human caretakers.
The collar developed by the company, The Temptation Lab, has digital sensors to detect what a meow means. They are 3D printed and coated by the rubber lacquer for the comfort of the cats. It also has a set of LED light to indicate that the collar is active.
Advertisement
Owners can choose from a range of voices to have pre-recorded phrases spoken to them when the cat meows. The language processing has been developed by an English ad agency.
"An adult cat's meow is their way to communicate with humans, and by investing in this prototype device we can start to improve understanding between them both," said Oliver Down of Temptations to Stuff New Zealand.
Advertisement
The company claims that they are fascinated with cats and wanted to understand them better. So they analyzed a lot of meows to understand what cats are trying to say to us.
In 2007, there was a device called Meowlingual as well which claimed to understand the cat language. There have been attempts at understanding dog woofs as well.
Now, temptations is a cat food company. So is it just an ad for their food or there is truly a technology which helps us finally unveil the mysteries of the cat world, we have to see. The prototypes have been launched in the US and New Zealand.
Advertisement
Contact HuffPost India
SAUL LOEB via Getty Images The logo of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is seen at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, April 13, 2016. / AFP / SAUL LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
On 1 May, 2011, US special forces carried out an operation to attack the residence of then Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. They succeeded in killing the terrorist mastermind, bringing to an end a decade-long man-hunt.
On the fifth anniversary of this raid, the CIA took the controversial step of live-tweeting the entire raid, reconstructing it tweet by tweet as if it were happening in real time.
Advertisement
To mark the 5th anniversary of the Usama Bin Ladin operation in Abbottabad we will tweet the raid as if it were happening today.#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
The raid started with the approval of top officials, including the President of the United States.
1:25 pm EDT-@POTUS, DCIA Panetta, & JSOC commander Admiral McRaven approve execution of op in Abbottabad.#UBLRaidpic.twitter.com/YhvuJVrMVc CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
Two helicopters left Afghanistan, but one of them crashed. The operation still continued.
3:30 pm EDT - 2 helicopters descend on compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. 1 crashes, but assault continues without delay or injury#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
3:30 pm EDT - @POTUS watches situation on ground in Abbottabad live in Situation Room#UBLRaidpic.twitter.com/59KPF7eUTr CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
3:39 pm EDT - Usama Bin Ladin found on third floor and killed#UBLRaid CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
The CIA tweeted other details, including pictures, maps and the plan of the house Bin Laden was staying in.
Daring #UBLRaid was an IC team effort & in close collaboration with our military partners.https://t.co/rklCIRLlgFpic.twitter.com/xZObdGeqPR CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
Features High walls/barbed wire Double entry gates No internet/phone connection Trash burned not collected#UBLRaidpic.twitter.com/KyPIFPxA4d CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
While the capturing of Osama Bin Ladens compound was touted as a proud moments for the US, a lot of Twitter users rolled their eyes at the re-enactment.
Any spy agency worth its salt doesn't brag or seek attention. Retrolive tweeting a raid seems to be opposite the mission. #UBLRaid@cia Mat Chavez (@matchavez) May 2, 2016
@CIA This is grotesque and embarrassing. You should fire your web team. Hank Single (@Hanksingle) May 1, 2016
In 2011, a resident of Abbottabad named Shoaib Athar (@ReallyVirtual) unknowingly live-tweeted the raid in a series of tweets that went viral all over the world. The IT consultant was tweeting about rather unusual activities that were taking place in the town that night.
In 2012, a Hollywood movie based on the raid was released; Zero Dark Thirty earned positive reviews in general.
Advertisement
piccerella via Getty Images Shut up
With the police failing to identify the culprits who raped and brutally murdered a 30-year-old Dalit woman at her residence in Kerala even five days after the incident, the opposition attacked the state government for 'inaction' in the case.
Police said Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav is supervising the probe by a team of officials, headed by Perumbavoor Dy SP after it was reported that 30-year-old Jisha was subjected to rape and fatal assault at her small wayside home in Kuruppampadi police limit.
Advertisement
Jisha was found dead in a pool of blood at 8 PM by her mentally challenged mother when she reached her single-room house after her daily menial job.
"It was a brutal murder. There were stab injuries on her body. We suspect she was subjected to smothering and strangulation," Yadav said.
He, however, refused to share details about the investigation.
Police said whether the woman was subjected to sexual assault before or after the murder would be clear only from the postmortem report.
The perpetrator could have been inside the house for a long time considering the number of wounds and the manner in which the victim was assaulted, her friends told India Today.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, with the state assembly polls approaching fast, the CPI-M latched onto the murder which occurred on April 28 to accuse the Congress-led UDF government.
"Police have failed to get any lead about the culprits even five days after the incident," CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said in Thiruvananthapuram.
Rejecting the charge, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said a "scientific" probe was being conducted into the incident and asserted that the culprits would be brought to book.
(With PTI inputs)
Advertisement
Contact HuffPost India
Also See On HuffPost:
Teacher protests shut down nearly all of Detroits public schools Monday amid concerns that the district wont be able to pay any of its employees this summer.
In all, 94 of 97 schools closed as a result of a coordinated sickout called for by leaders of the teachers union.
The protest comes in response to an announcement by Detroit schools Emergency Manager Steven Rhodes that the district will run out of money at the end of June when its emergency aid expires.
That means some teachers who elect to have their checks spread out over the entire year, rather than just during the school year, wont be paid for work theyve already done.
Overall, the district is saddled with more than $500 million in debt .
Rhodes has said he would not ask Detroit schools employees to continue working without pay if the district couldnt pay them.
But, during this weekends announcement, he also warned that a walkout would harm his efforts to convince state lawmakers to approve a $715 million plan to rescue the 46,000-student school district from financial collapse. The Detroit schools reform plan was approved in late March by the state Senate and is awaiting action in the state House.
The coordinated sickouts , where teachers call in sick en masse, began in November and have grown in size and scope since then as the frustrated educators continue to protest pay and benefit concessions, large class sizes, and building conditions that have left dozens of schools in disrepair .
Public school teacher strikes are illegal in Michigan. The series of sickouts in Detroit have had some state lawmakers searching for ways to tighten the definition of what constitutes a strike .
Google
MUMBAI -- Keeping with its tradition of honouring noted personalities from across the globe, Google on Monday dedicated their special 'doodle' to one of the most renowned Indian cartoonists, Mario de Miranda, on his 90th birth anniversary.
Miranda, who developed his an independent style of creating cartoons and characters, is remembered for his portrayal of the bustling cityscape of Mumbai, featuring complex, multi-layered scenes. His works were primarily featured in The Times of India and The Illustrated Weekly of India among other newspapers, periodicals and books.
Advertisement
Cartoonist Mario Miranda (right) with his close friend Policarpo Vaz during the release of a book.
Guest doodler Aaron Renier, another comic artist known for portraying large crowds told Google, I approached Marios work by pretending I was drawing with him. I chose his most popular style, very flat with criss-crossing interactions.
In this homage to Miranda, one can see a rich cacophony of people, each unique in their perspective.
That is what I liked most about his work, Renier explained. Trying to pick out who knows who, who's watching who, who's annoyed by who, who's enamoured by who. Hopefully people will see something of Miranda's spirit in it, Renier said.
Miranda passed away on 11 December, 2011 at his ancestral home in Goa.
Miranda's friend and curator of Mario Gallery, Gerard da Cunha, will release a book today titled The Life Of Mario - 1949, the latest in a series which include 1950 and 1951.
Advertisement
Miranda held solo exhibitions in over 22 countries including the US, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Singapore, France, Yugoslavia, and Portugal, among others, reported Mid-Day.
Miranda is also featured in the famous video Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, which included of India's notable personalities from the arts, cinema, literature, music, and sports, among others.
Mario was conferred the Padmashri and posthumously, the Padma Vibhushan, by the government.
Here's a glimpse of the legendary artist's work:
Mario Miranda Artwork See Gallery
Advertisement
HuffPost Staff
One of India's most loved watch manufacturers, Hindustan Machine Tools Ltd (HMT), shut their gates on the last factory in Tumkur, Karnataka, on International Labour Day.
The move triggered nostalgia among the few HMT workers who decided to come to bid their workplace a final adieu. The factory unit, which once manufactured wristwatches for brands such as Sangam, Utsav, Elegance and Pilot, among others, had about 120 workers on board as of now, reported The Times of India.
Advertisement
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had in January announced closure of HMT Watches Ltd, along with HMT Chinar Watches Ltd and HMT Bearings Ltd.
General secretary of the workers' union S Chandrashekhariah told The Hindu, In some ways, it was all our fault. When the losses started, the management didnt care, and the government kept giving loans without any intention of reviving the factory. This process should have been done some time ago."
Interestingly, none of the HMT employees have more than eight years of service left and are on the verge of retirement, as the last person recruited by HMT Watches Ltd was almost three decades ago in 1987.
But on a positive note, many of the employees were happy with the factory shutting down, as they would get their salaries and arrears, which have been due for over a year, said a report in The New Indian Express.
Advertisement
All the four HMT units three in Karnataka (including Tumkur) and on in Uttarakhand were shut on the same day.
Contact HuffPost India
Also On HuffPost:
Danish Ishmail / Reuters Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, (R) Chairman of Kashmir's moderate faction of All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference (APHC), and Syed Ali Shah Geelani Chairman of the hardliner faction of APHC hug on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr in Srinagar October 1, 2008. Thousands of Kashmiri Muslims attend special prayers in Eidgah during Eid-al-Fitr, which is celebrated at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. REUTERS/Danish Ismail (INDIAN-ADMINISTERED KASHMIR)
NEW DELHI -- Kashmiri separatist leaders are "Indian citizens" who can speak with Pakistani officials if they so choose, the Modi government quietly informed Parliament on April 28th.
In the din around the AgustaWestland scam, which consumed the second part of the Budget Session, last week, this rollback by the Modi government of its thumb rule on conducting talks with Pakistan, went unnoticed.
Advertisement
The Times of India reported today that V.K. Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, submitted a written answer to Parliament in which he said that it was okay for leaders of the Hurriyat Conference to speak with Pakistanis, but their interaction had no role in bilateral talks.
"Since the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the Union of India and these so-called Kashmiri 'leaders' are Indian citizens, there is no bar on their meetings with representatives of any country in India," Singh said in his answer to Parliament, last week.
"India has consistently maintained that there is no role for a third party in the bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan as per the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration. India's displeasure at Pakistan's attempts to interfere in India's internal affairs has been repeatedly conveyed to Pakistan," he added.
Singh's answer was in the context of Kashmiri separatists attending Pakistan Day celebrations in March.
Advertisement
In August 2014, the Modi government cancelled Foreign Secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan after a meeting between Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit and separatist leader Shabir Shah.
In August 2015, National Security Advisor-level talks were once again derailed after Islamabad refused to accept "preconditions" which ruled out its officials meeting with Kashmiri separatists when visiting India.
While some welcomed the Modi government's tough approach, others felt that it was unnecessary since Pakistani officials had always met Hurriyat leaders when they visited India, and a hardline stance was not conducive if any headway had to be made in the difficult talks.
The Centre's erratic dealings with Pakistan, which have swung from one extreme to another over the past two years, have been intensely scrutinised and criticised.
After months of New Delhi berating Islamabad over violating the ceasefire, which led to deadly border skirmishes in 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to Lahore on Christmas Day. It also happened to be Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's birthday.
Advertisement
Modi's bold move was hailed as a breakthrough by his party, and it was welcomed by several foreign policy experts at the time, but his political rivals regarded it as a mistake in light of Islamabad's failure to respond to India's long-standing demand of prosecuting the terrorists behind the 2008 Mumbai Attacks, who are living in Pakistan.
At the time, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said, "More than grand gestures we need consistency."
Advertisement
Contact HuffPost India
Also on HuffPost India:
Bloomberg via Getty Images Auto-rickshaws kick up dust as they travel near the Delhi city boundary in Faridabad, Haryana, India, on Friday, April 8, 2106. The odd-even car rationing plan is scheduled to return on April 15 as Delhi Supreme Court is also set to hold a hearing regarding the large vehicle diesel ban. Both measures are aimed at curbing emissions in the world's most polluted city, according to a 2014 World Health Organization database. Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
With pollution levels rising in India, especially in New Delhi, which is ranked number one on a WHO list of cities with the foulest air, there comes a breather.
A Canadian company is all set to sell in India fresh air bottled from a national park in Alberta from this year May, according to a report in the Hindustan Times. The Edmonton-based start-up -- Vitality Air -- will sell the product available in 3-litre and 8-litre cans, with twin-packs costing between Rs 1,450 and Rs 2,800.
Advertisement
Earlier this month, Delhi government rolled out the Odd-Even II rule scheme to cut down the pollution levels in the national capital.
In a second attempt to bring down the pollution levels in New Delhi, The Supreme Court on Saturday also refused to extend the deadline for conversion of diesel taxis into CNG. Last year, in a desperate bid to cut pollution levels in the national capital, the apex court had banned registration of luxury diesel cars until March 31, 2016.
The company made headlines in Canada in 2015 after it launched its product in China, where smog levels are quite high. It had a huge demand in the Chinese market with its cans of mountain air.
Vitality Airs founder Moses Lam said he found a distributor in China and now covers seven cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, and has shipped nearly 12,000 pieces to that country.
Advertisement
"The product consists of compressed air, breathed in through a mask, and comes in two flavours Banff and Lake Louise. Banff in Alberta is a national park and a popular resort", Lam said.
We suck up all the air in Banff, about 150,000 litres every time and it takes about 40 hours, Lam told Hindustan Times.
The users of bottled air included pregnant mothers, corporate executives, and even students preparing for examinations. And now they are waiting for the product to hit the markets of pollution-hit India and if the concept will be a success or not.
The test marketing of a hundred bottles of the air will start soon, including setting up kiosks in malls, said company official Justin Dhaliwal.
Here's their website -- vitalityair
Advertisement
The product:
We're hopeful.
Advertisement
Contact HuffPost India
Also On HuffPost:
ebay
The Morning Wrap is HuffPost India's selection of interesting news and opinion from the day's newspapers. Subscribe here to receive it in your inbox each weekday morning.
Essential HuffPost
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Sunday that he would present the detailed chronology of the AgustaWestland chopper deal before Parliament on Wednesday. The controversy over the chopper deal has escalated in the past few weeks, with Parrikar seeking a clarification from the former UPA regime on who received the alleged kickbacks in the deal.
Advertisement
A video by a daughter of an army officer who died in the 1999 Kargil war is going viral on social media. The daughter tries to explain why it is important to know the difference that it wasn't Pakistani's or Muslims that killed her father it was war. Using simple placards and slight background music, the video sends out a powerful message and makes all the 'haters' on both the sides of the border think about the issue.
A mobile shopkeeper in Ludhiana committed suicide by jumping under a running train, after posting a suicide note on his Facebook page, accusing the police of harassing him in their hunt for a notorious gangster.
Prince Harry and the Obamas have been engaging in some high level trash talking ahead of the Invictus Games in Florida this year and even Queen Elizabeth II got involved by challenging, "Oh really, please!"
Main News
Forest fire that blighted around 1,900 hectares of forests in Uttarakhand, has gone out in over 70 per cent of the affected areas, as the NDRF had deployed over 135 personnel to tackle the massive blaze. Latest satellite images show that the effective area under fire has come down to 110-115 locations from the earlier 427. The authorities also added that it was expected that these figures would be brought down to 50-60 over the next few days.
Advertisement
Congress party's poll strategist Prashant Kishor has reportedly suggested that the party vice president Rahul Gandhi be made the campaign's face in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2017. However, if Rahul does not agree to the proposal, Priyanka may be made the party's face in UP, the report suggests.
Indian fighter pilots in their Sukhoi-30MKI and Jaguar jets are all set to take on American top guns in the high-voltage Red Flag exercise at Eielson USAF airbase in Alaska from 3 May. The IAF pilots will hone their combat skills in the exercise with thousands of targets, realistic threat systems and an opposing enemy force. This is the second time IAF is participating in the Red Flag exercise, having earlier taken part in the intense combat manoeuvres at the Nellis airbase in Nevada in 2008.
Off The Front Page
The HMT watch factory unit in Tumkur, Karnataka, which once manufactured the premier brand of wristwatches such as Sangam, Utsav, Elegance and Pilot, among others, was finally shut down and pink slips were handed out to their 120 employees. Ironically, the employees got their pink slips on 1 May, which is also celebrated as International Labour Day.
To save stray animals from being mowed down by cars on roads, a non-profit organisation in Chennai has come up with an initiative to fit these animals with reflective collars. On Sunday, around 300 dogs and cattle were fit with these 'magic collars,' made of a reflective cloth stuck on a nylon tape. The collars have reportedly been successfully tested and used for dogs in Bengaluru, Pune and Jamshedpur.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on a tour of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, took a break from his hectic schedule on Sunday by taking a ride on the newly-launched e-boat on the river Ganga.
Advertisement
Opinion
Around 48 million people filed income tax returns in fiscal year 2015; the effective number is perhaps even less given the fact that many of them had zero tax liabilities. Now, compare the number of taxpayers with the 814 million people eligible to vote in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. This means that there is one taxpayer for every 16 votersan asymmetry that has profound consequences for national policy, says an editorial in Mint. "The result has been a political system that quite naturally cares more about spending to buy votes rather than building a more effective tax system that will spur economic growth," says the article.
The problem with the judiciary is ironically the very thing it is revered for: transparency and accountability. Judges cannot be beyond accountability especially when they show the mirror to all and sundry, writes Suhel Seth in Mumbai Mirror. "Today, we have a situation where the pace of decisionmaking in the lower courts is not only slow but riddled, many a time, with acute corruption and while we do see industrialists and politicians being sent to jail, very rarely do we judicial officers being sent to prison for their misdemeanours," he says.
Last week, when the Delhis National Museum of Natural History (NMHM) caught fire, one was surprised to realise how little Delhi residents remembered of this city icon. Apart from charred manuscripts, burnt down specimens of endangered birds, reptiles and mammals and fossils dating back to as far as 160 million years, the museum left behind a story of how to kill our heritage, says Shivani Singh in Hindustan Times. "Across the world, many vibrant cities are proud of their museums. It is not merely about timely restoration of displays but about connecting with people.... These museums are becoming increasingly aware that they need the best of ideas to draw visitors. In India, the management of museums is still a sarkari domain. The 2012 parliamentary report had recommended that the government set up a panel of museologists, environmentalists and educationists to revisit the concept of curating. It may be too late for the NMHM. The others could use that thought," she says.
Advertisement
Hindustan Times via Getty Images UTTARAKHAND, INDIA - MAY 1: Forest fire approaching very close to the residential area at Buakhal near Pauri on Saturday night, on May 1, 2016 in Uttarakhand, India. Two Indian Air Force (IAF) choppers began spraying water over the burning forests in Uttarakhand on Sunday morning. Major forest fires raged across Uttarakhand even as two Indian Air Force (IAF) choppers have begun spraying water to extinguish the flames. Presently, some 5,000 workers -- including 3,000 daily wagers -- are engaged in putting out the fire. More than 2300 hectares of forest have been gutted in the fire since it was first reported in February this year. Dry winters and soaring temperatures are blamed for the fire that has affected all 13 districts of the state. (Photo by Arvind Moudgil/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Union Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar has said he has asked to deploy more than 10,000 employees to put out the Uttarakhand forest fire in three-four days.
"More than 6,000 employees are already on the job, while DG (Forest) is leading and coordinating the operation from the front for the past two days," he said, adding that t6he government has already sanctioned the required amount.
Advertisement
"The Prime Minister's Office (PMO), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Indian Air Force are working in tandem, and I am sure that the fire will be put out in three-four days," he added.
We have been informed that fresh images from satellite has shown that the effective area under fire in Uttarakhand has come down to 110-115 locations from the earlier about 427.
Speaking about the reason behind the fire, he said extreme dry weather with no humidity was the reason behind the massive fire.
Latest satellite imageries of Uttarakhand have reported that the forest fire has gone out in over 70 per cent of the affected areas, even as the NDRF has deployed over 130 personnel to tackle the massive blaze.
Advertisement
"We have been informed that fresh images from satellite has shown that the effective area under fire in Uttarakhand has come down to 110-115 locations from the earlier about 427.
"It is expected that these figures will be brought down to 50-60 in the next few days by the combined forces fighting to douse the jungle fire," NDRF Director General O P Singh told PTI.
He said the images from the sky were taken on April 29-30 and this has now given hope to all the agencies combating the fire that it will be contained soon.
The Director General said the NDRF men are also working to save animals who could have been trapped in the blazing fire.
Advertisement
A squad of over 135 personnel of this special force are deployed in Uttarakhand as part of multiple firefighting teams to combat the fire that has destroyed about 2,269 hectares of jungles in several districts and claimed at least seven lives till now.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have spread out in 13 affected areas of three districts of Pauri Garhwal, Almora and Chamoli with fire fighting equipment to tackle the massive blaze.
"Our teams are working in 13 sectors in coordination with the officials and personnel of the state fire and forest department. The teams have been instructed to adopt the conventional method of cutting the fire line and containing the fire. We are using fire beaters and green bushes to cut the fire from spreading. About 135 personnel as part of multiple teams are working in Uttarakhand at present," Singh said.
He said in Chamoli the NDRF is working in Pakhi and Gopeshwar areas, while in Almora the teams are working in areas like Binsar, Someshwar, Bikisen, Siplakhet and Dhauladevi.
Advertisement
Each team is covering an area of 8-10 sq km, he said, adding, additional NDRF teams have been kept on standby at its camp in Ghaziabad.
The force also saved a house from getting engulfed in the fire in the hilly jungle area of Mehlchori in Pauri district in which a family of four members lived.
Singh said he is in constant touch with his team leaders working in the state.
Advertisement
Contact HuffPost India
Also on HuffPost:
Immigrant children living in the United States as unaccompanied minors have been blocked or discouraged from registering for school in at least 35 districts in 14 states, an Associated Press investigation has found .
In the past three years, the federal government has placed more than 100,000 unaccompanied minors with adult guardians in communities nationwide; the children, many of whom are English-language learners from Central American countries, are expected to attend school while they seek legal status in immigration court.
Under federal law, all children, regardless of their immigration status, have the right to enroll in public schools, but even when enrolled some of these students are pressured into what advocates and attorneys argue are separate but unequal alternative programs, the Associated Press investigation found.
Social workers and immigration attorneys in Alabama, California, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and South Carolina told the Associated Press that migrant students were barred from enrolling in K-12 schools, kept out of class for months, or sent to alternative programs that are deemed inferior.
A 2015 report from the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute found that unaccompanied minors have vastly different educational experiences depending on where they settle. The students, almost all of them from Central America and many with yearlong gaps in their formal education, represented a new challenge for the schools
Many school districts have struggled to meet the educational needs of these students , who often have gaps in their formal education and suffer from emotional trauma.
In fall 2014, the U.S. departments of Education and Justice issued joint guidance reminding districts that states cannot deny children a public education, regardless of immigration status . Districts found to have broken the law can be forced to change their enrollment policies, but it often requires intervention from law enforcement.
In New York, investigators found that a number of districts, despite repeated warnings from federal and state law enforcement agencies, continued to bar children from enrolling based solely on their immigration status . Last February, the state attorney general announced that 20 school districts in the state agreed to develop new enrollment policies after investigations unearthed a pattern of illegal enrollment requirements , including schools that made students or their guardians present Social Security cards.
Despite those efforts, the state is still listed among those with school systems that have shortchanged unaccompanied minors.
To determine where children were barred or discouraged from enrolling in school , the Associated Press analyzed federal data to identify areas where the number of migrant children was relatively large when compared to public school enrollment, along with the number of students formally learning English.
Related Stories
Will Schools Be Prepared for Latest Surge of Unaccompanied Minors?
Surge of Unaccompanied Minors Crossing Borders Presents Education Challenges
Los Angeles Unified Lawyers to Represent Students Facing Deportation
Photo credit: Candelario Jimon Alonzo, 16, is shown at his home in Memphis, Tenn. The teen came to the United States after fleeing Guatemala dreaming of going to high school and becoming more than what he saw along the rutted roads of his hometown. Instead, local school officials have kept Candelario out of the classroom since he tried to enroll in January. --Karen Pulfer Focht/AP
Photo credit: High school teacher Dennis Caindec, right, talks with a student during a 12th-grade senior seminar class at San Francisco International High School in San Francisco. While some districts in numerous states have discouraged migrant minors from Central America from enrolling in their schools, San Francisco International High School accommodated its youths by rewriting young-adult novels at a basic level to spark the newcomers interest in reading. --Jeff Chiu/AP
DA plans new diversion program for first-time felony drug possession
Change in law that allows Community Correction officers to oversee cases of those placed on diversion makes program possible.
Note: This weeks guest-blogger is Mike McShane, director of education policy at the Show-Me Institute in Missouri.
Over the past year, Ive seen a whole lot of the great state of Missouri as Ive travelled around researching the states education system and talking with various groups about improving Missouris schools.
Just since January, Ive talked to the Branson Daybreakers Rotary club, which meets at the Golden Corral at 7:00 on Thursday mornings. Ive spoken at the Discussion Club, a speakers series that has been going on in St. Louis since the 1950s. I sat on a panel for Kansas City Public Television with the Mayor of Kansas Citythere was a civility bell just in case talk got too heated. I testified before both the House and Senate in Jefferson City. All told, Google Maps tells me Ive driven more than 3,600 miles across the state since the first of the year, and I talked to anyone who was willing about making our schools better.
I say this because before moving back to my hometown to work on education issues, I worked for three years in DC. I attended many a confab and sat on a whole bunch of panels talking about what seemed to be the pressing issues facing education today. The folks I spoke with were good people who cared deeply about students. They were convinced that the issues they cared about were the ones that mattered to our communities.
The crowd at the Golden Corral might disagree.
Now, misunderstanding people who live in a different place or might think differently from us isnt just an education phenomenonits a broader problem of our politics. In a fascinating paper , Douglas Ahler and Guarav Sood found that when a representative sample of Democrats was surveyed, they thought that 38% of Republicans earned more than $250,000 per year. In reality, its 2%. Republicans werent much better. They thought that 32% of Democrats identified as LGBT. Its 6%. Incredibly, the researchers found that perceptions were positively correlated with interest in politics. Yes, the more people care about politics, the less they know about people who think differently than them.
In education policy, those who participate in debates at a national level tend to follow politics pretty closely. They might think that their opinions are all the more informed because of their engagement, but they could be dead wrong about that. The issues they care about might not be the issues that resonate with everyday people across the country.
Here are a couple examples.
Some issues we routinely overlook are critically important to large swaths of the population that were trying to serve. For example, here in Missouri, almost 400,000 students attend rural schools. On average they are poorer than their urban and suburban peers, they score lower on the ACT, and they have access to fewer higher-level courses. Sixty-two percent of Missouris rural school districts did not have a single student take an AP class last year. Fifty-six percent had no students take calculus, 47 percent had no students take physics, and 23 percent had no students take chemistry. (I recently released a deep-dive into these issues . To say it was eye-opening would be a serious understatement.) This is outrageous, but for some reason these kids seem to evoke less sympathy than their urban and suburban peers, and they get precious little national attention.
There are other issues that we do talk about but misread the fault lines. With respect to school choice, for example, many of the most fervent and effective opponents today are not teachers unions or those with an entrenched interest in the status quo, as you might read on a blog somewhere. Instead they are private school leaders who worry that if they get in bed with the government theyll lose their autonomy and destroy what is unique about their schools. If you go to an education research conference or attend a panel discussion about school finance, youll see that conservatives are routinely characterized as being wholly against spending more money on schools. But if you looked at Missouris recent local school tax levy elections, numerous deep-red communities voted to tax themselves more to provide more money for their schools. The world is a lot more complicated than it appears from thousands of miles away.
If we actually take the time to understand people who think differently than we do, and dont just lump them hastily into a pile with all of the other people with whom we disagree, we would do a better job advancing the causes we care about.
Im still learning, and later this week I hope to share several other insights Ive picked up recently. I also want to talk about how they intersect with some cool new projects I have coming out in the near future, not the least of which is the new book Rick Hess and I wrote, Educational Entrepreneurship Today .
--Mike McShane
ADVERTISE
Hypebot & MusicThinkTank
With the internet and digital technologies driving rapid change within the music industry, articles about new releases and who has been hired and fired are no longer enough. Our up to the minute industry news alongside insightful commentary helps our readers sift through the rumors and developments to find the information they need to keep their businesses moving forward.
Hypebot is read daily by more than 30,000 music industry professionals including executives and senior staff of music related tech firms, internet based music sites, every major label group and most indies as well as many managers, artists and members of the live music community:
Contact us for the latesst stats, ad rates and sponosorship opportunites. We also offer combined rates with MusicThinkTank.
A member of the House of Representatives has called for the resignation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency director as well as a full-scale Congressional investigation into the National Flood Insurance Program.Using strong language, New Jersey Republican Tom MacArthur criticized FEMA for its performance following Hurricane Sandy and cited new revelations from whistleblowers that the agencys efforts to re-examine claims from the Storm following allegations of fraud had itself become subject to fraud.The investigation looked into complaints that engineering companies had altered reports on property claims to eliminate flooding as the primary cause of damage.I have seen doctored engineering reports with my own eyes, MacArthur said Thursday. I have seen doctored adjusters reports with my own eyes, where an adjuster wrote something was caused by flood and somebody else inserted the word not caused by flood.MacArthur said he had been provided by three affidavits outlining the accusation, written by people who had worked on the review process set up by FEMA, one of whom joined him during his congressional address.An experienced claims adjuster, Jeff Coolidge reviewed roughly 1,000 flood claims while working as a contractor for FEMA last fall. Coolidge said that despite his findings, he was required to either deny or underpay nearly all of those claims.I left the Sandy review process because it is a sham, Mr. Coolidge said. I was literally losing sleep because I didnt want to be a part of that fraud anymore.Nearly 142,000 homeowners filed claims with FEMA following the 2012 storm. Though FEMA denied deliberate wrongdoing, it did say its handling of the claims may have been flawed and announced a new review for affected property owners.Now, MacArthur wants more.I called for the resignation of the FEMA director, and I call for it again today not because I want a scalp but because there has to be accountability, he said. There has to be. Somebody has to answer for this.MacArthur also pushed for a House or Senate investigation into NFIP something New York Senator Chuck Schumer echoed.[These are] very serious allegations of fraud and criminal activity, Schumer said. I think FEMA has an obligation to get to the bottom of them quickly and take strong action.And though FEMA stressed it had absolutely no incentive to cheat homeowners on their claims, several lawmakers have supported a reform to NFIP even one that would include removing private insurance companies from the program.Theyre still on the job in these places, said Schumer, who claimed private insurers were in cahoots with assessors. And thats a disgrace.
The experience mod is critical for employers who must manage it below a given level to bid on jobs.
The experience mod is still a piece of the workers comp premium calculation. This means that even if the carrier is pricing to target, you can still measure the impact of an individual injury on the experience mod and on their costs.
We cant see the insurance companies internal models, so the experience mod remains the best way we have to keep score on an employers performance in workers compensation.
Preston DiamondThere has been some chatter online recently regarding the waning importance of experience rating and the increased use of predictive modeling by insurance companies. The argument is that because large insurance companies are beginning to track more and more data and are pushing for their pricing to match what their global models want, rather than simply measuring the experience of a single employer, the experience mod is largely an out of date tool and should not be of much concern to employers.While there is no doubt that many insurance companies are making efforts to leverage big data and we hear increasing reports from agents about companies pricing to target, there are a few things that have not changed, such as:The experience mod is the sum of an employers payroll and their history of employee injuries. It measures a business against the average of other businesses like theirs.Individual results still matter. An employer who is classified correctly, has a recovery at work program, a physician relationship, and all the other critical components of a successful workers comp program will have better experience, which will translate into a lower experience mod. That lower experience mod will almost always lead to an employer paying less for their workers compensation than a comparable employer who has an elevated experience mod.Bottom line: The experience mod is showing no signs of becoming less important in workers compensation. If anything, with the advent of businesses using the experience mod as a proxy for safety performance, it could be argued that the mod is more important than it has ever been.There may be a day in the future where rating bureaus and the entire concept of experience rating becomes obsolete.But that time just isnt here yet. Insurance company underwriters will always be interested in writing profitable business and until the companies start sharing their models with us (spoiler alert: they wont), the experience mod is the most effective tool that agents and employers have to measure the performance of an employer.Preston Diamond is the founding member and current Managing Director of The Institute of WorkComp Professionals, which educates, certifies, and mentors insurance agents in Workers Compensation insurance. During his long career, Preston has taught insurance at a California Community College, chaired a week long insurance agency management school for six years, presented more than 300 times at seminars and workshops and has consulted with more than 400 insurance agencies. For more information visit www.workcompprofessionals.com
Advocates Continue to Push on Williamstown Preschool Program
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Four members of the Williamstown School Committee on Thursday again explained their reasons for supporting a fiscal 2017 budget that includes a reduction to the school's popular preschool program.
At a special meeting originally rescheduled from April 13, the committee members explained why they did not oppose the school administration's decision to eliminate the full-day option for Side-By-Side.
Superintendent Douglas Dias, acting in consultation with the district's director of pupil personnel services, decided this year that the special education population Side-By-Side was designed to serve can have its needs met in two half-day sessions.
Traditionally, the program has offered half-day and full-day classes for both the special needs population and the non-special needs population both "sides" referred to in the program's name.
Since Dias announced that decision in February, the program's teachers, parents, parents of former Side-By-Side students and other community members have alternately lobbied and demanded that the full-day option be restored.
At the latest in a series of contentious meetings on Thursday, Dias said he erred by casting the Side-By-Side reduction as being driven by fiscal concerns. In fact, for him, it is more a matter of evaluating the program's place in the district's educational program.
"My biggest regret was, early on, I did present it as a budgetary matter," Dias said. " It really wasn't a budgetary matter. It came to my attention in October or November when I was looking at the budget. But as I delved more deeply and identified the needs of the kids, I realized it was not a budgetary matter.
"My first concern has always been for the students in this building. And I know this change is drastic, but that's part of my job. Part of my job is to shine light into corners that sometimes we don't want to look at and to make recommendations to you and make decisions that are not popular. I didn't get into this career to be popular. I got into this job to help our kids get the best education possible, and they will."
One by one, the School Committee members explained that they believed Dias was acting in the school's best interest and trusted his assessment that the half-day programming will meet the needs of children.
"To me, that's largely where the discussion ends," Chairman Dan Caplinger said in a meeting telecast on the town's community access television station, WilliNet. "In my role as a School Committee member, there are two things I have direct control over: hiring a superintendent to administer the district and overseeing the budget to fund the superintendent's programs. That's my justification for having supported the budget as presented."
Committee member Catherine Keating said she likes the idea of a full-day preschool program, but she did not like the ideas floated by Side-By-Side's proponents for using the preschool program to generate revenue.
"I don't think tuitioning in more children or even raising tuition to make the program a revenue source for the school is the answer or even very appropriate," Keating said. "I think that would undermine what the program is actually about in terms of having classroom diversity and being a program that is congruent with the philosophy of a public school.
"I think to lower tuition and make the program more affordable to everyone living in this town actually makes more sense. Doing so would increase the cost of the program."
She also said that she does not believe the administration would cut a program if it believed the cut would negatively impact education as some in the community have alleged.
"We are two points away from being named a Level 1 School District," Keating said. " I don't think the administration of this school would do anything to undermine all this work. If changing the structure of Side-By-Side would have a detrimental effect on the long term achievement of children with special needs, that would completely undermine much of the other work being done at this school."
Committee member Joseph Johnson agreed.
"Clearly, Side-by-Side, when Dr. Dias decided to do what he did, is a big skunk to poke," Johnson said. "This affects a lot of people. To my mind, that is all the more reason to believe Dr. Dias has the best of intentions. He wouldn't do this lightly.
"I don't think the School Committee should hold up the budget based on one item in it. I do think the School Committee hires and fires the superintendent. I think the superintendent, any superintendent, has the right to move resources around in the school in the way feels best affects all students."
Committee member John Skavlem said he abhors change but applauds those who have the courage to make change when they see a need to do so.
"As with any program, Side-By-Side should be evaluated every year," Skavlem said. "And our new superintendent and his administration are doing what perhaps was lacking in the past.
"This year with the benefit of fresh thinking and new eyes on it, we have the opportunity to consider the best way to allocate our resources."
Committee member Richard Reynolds did not attend Thursday's meeting.
It is unlikely any of those arguments swayed the nine residents who spoke in favor of restoring the full-day preschool in a 20-minute public comment period at the beginning of Thursday's meeting.
In fact, after the committee members discussed the issue, members of the public asked for an opportunity to make a rebuttal. Caplinger declined to give them that chance, telling the group that their comments were heard and taken into consideration but the public comment part of the meeting was over.
During the public comment, the committee heard from veteran preschool teacher Fern Murtagh, who told the panel that two half-day sessions cannot take the place of a full-day preschool experience for children who need it.
"When I think about the prospect of the full-day Side-By-Side being eliminated, I don't think of the program," Murtagh said. "I see the faces of individual children with [individual education programs] who are in my class and the faces of their parents who sat with me at team meetings not even a year ago, where we decided a cohesive full-day program was what their child needed.
"You are making a decision that will change the future of children I teach every day."
Three of the nine residents who spoke during the public comment period are running in a five-person race along with the incumbent Caplinger for two seats on the School Committee. Joseph Bergeron, Liam Brody and Maura McCarthy Lawson each used the two minutes allotted them to argue for restoration of the program.
Another resident made a thinly veiled threat that the Side By Side issue could be used to defeat the school budget at the May 17 annual town meeting.
"I hope the administration and the School Committee will shed some light on this [decision] today," David Irwin said. However, many in the community disagree with the administration and the School Committee. If that's the case, that's fine. We can move on and discuss this at the town meeting."
Town meeting will be asked to approve an omnibus budget, basically saying yea or nay to the bottom line figure. Town meeting will not have the option of reopening the budget and directing the district how to spend its money.
After Caplinger denied the request for a second public comment period, the majority of the audience left the school library. One could be overheard by the committee to say the decision not to continue the discussion "speaks more volumes than I can," which drew an angry retort from Skavlem.
"I'd like to make a point that most of the audience just left, and, clearly, the rest of the school's business is not of their interest," he said. "And I find that very shameful. That's indicative to me. That's shameful."
In other business, the School Committee decided to form a finance subcommittee, following the model at Mount Greylock, where the subcommittee meets regularly with the superintendent and business manager to review the budget in more detail and reports out to the full committee at its monthly meetings.
Caplinger said he had received a letter from the chairman of the town's Finance Committee encouraging some sort of advisory body for the School Committee. But Caplinger noted that the committee had discussed the formation of a subcommittee long before his appearance before the Finance Committee last month.
Although the School Committee's subcommittee could have the option of asking outside experts to participate in its meetings, the committee and the superintendent agreed it was best to limit subcommittee membership to members of the School Committee itself.
"One of the advantages of having it be a committee of elected officials is we're aware of the legalities, and familiar with the confidentiality requirements and have been trained to deal with them," Caplinger said.
The committee decided not to fill the two subcommittee spots but rather wait until after the May 10 town election and the committee's subsequent reorganization meeting.
The committee did decide to add Williamstown Elementary's name to the list of districts signing resolutions calling for maintenance of the current charter school cap and implementation of the recommendations of the Foundation Budget Review Commission.
Dias explained to the School Committee his plans for two community forums this spring to look at long-range planning for the school. Caplinger told his colleagues that he, his counterparts at Lanesborough Elementary School and Mount Greylock and Dias met with the School Committee chairs in New Ashford, Hancock and Richmond for a preliminary discussion as the Shaker Mountain Union No. 70 looks at the possibility of a shared services agreement for administration.
And the panel discussed the procedure for its upcoming evaluation of Dias and the possibility of a Tri-District School Committee daylong work session sometime this summer. Dias said he hoped that in addition to talking about issues that affect the Williamstown and Lanesborough elementary schools and Mount Greylock, the daylong meeting would be a chance to receive training for all three committees from a consultant with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.
Pittsfield Airport Fence Revision Will Curb Deer Incursion
PITTSFIELD, Mass. About three to five deer a day are among visitors to Pittsfield's municipal airport each day.
It's a form of unwanted traffic the airport is looking to curtail, with the systematic repair or replacement of several significant sections of its perimeter fence
The city's Conservation Commission on Thursday looked favorably on a proposal to conduct "in kind" replacement of existing fencing sections near and within wetlands there, a project that is due to be completed by the end of June.
One of the key sections eyed for replacement is an 688-foot piece of fencing that was not upgraded during a previous installation project, and measures only 6 feet high. This is 2 feet shy of Federal Aviation Authority regulations for perimeter fencing, and has also presented a measurable challenge from uninvited four-legged guests.
"What we've found is that deer are jumping it without any problem," said Randy Christianson of Stantech Consulting Services, representing the Pittsfield Airport Commission. "We continuously have three, and sometimes up to five, deer on the airport property, requiring a lot of wildlife management on the part of the very limited operations staff that are at the airport."
A portion of this section runs into the wetlands buffer zone, while other sections slated for overhaul have poles located within wetlands sections.
Christianson said "there's no net change" and no wetlands impact, because they will just be replacing existing fencing.
Commissioner Tom Sakshaug asked about the possibility of moving poles back out of where they're located in wetlands portions, "at least as much as possible, without encroaching on airspace."
Christianson said this may not be possible, as with the FAA regulations on airspace, there's little leeway for moving the perimeter fence in closer.
"As long as it doesn't interfere with airspace, the engineers can absolutely make an effort to do that," he offered.
Commissioner Jonathan Lothrop added the stipulation that the consultants report back to the city conservation officer on whether they are able to do this, as a condition of approval. With this amendment, the commission voted unanimously to issue a negative determination of applicability of the Wetlands Protection Act for the project.
In other business, the commission also reviewed several other projects before them:
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is preparing to commence reconstruction work on the Lulu Pond Dam at Pittsfield State Forest. Attorney Christine Baker, speaking on behalf of Mass DCR, called this "a limited project" aimed at replacing the spillway and slide gate at the aging dam. The three-month project is expected to begin sometime in fall 2016 or spring 2017. The application was incomplete for the full permitting needed to proceed, and the commission tabled action on this to the May 18 meeting to allow the state to complete the application process.
The commission voted approvingly on a notice of intent for work to be done at the Pittsfield Wastewater Management Plant on land bordering a flooding area. The plant intends to replace a portion of sewage main at the Holmes Road plant.
It also reacted favorably to planned improvements at the Riverview Homes housing complex at 341 West St. These include new sewer lines, as well as driveway repair and alterations to existing walkways. A playground renovation is also called for in the plans, and new plantings to offset the green space impact of a new walkway being added. The complex will add 50 new shrubs, consisting of a diverse array of wildlife-friendly native berry species.
Downing to Give Keynote Address at 56th BCC Commencement
PITTSFIELD, Mass. State Sen. Benjamin Downing, D-Pittsfield, will be the keynote speaker at Berkshire Community College's 56th Commencement Exercises to be held June 3 at Tanglewood in Lenox.
Downing was first elected in 2006 at the age of 24. During his decade of service, Downing, who recently announced that he will not seek a sixth term, has represented 52 communities of the Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden District, the largest Senate district in the commonwealth.
"Throughout his decade of service, Senator Downing has been a familiar face at our institution always supportive and willing to help. He has been a true friend not only to BCC, but to so many important institutions and causes in the communities he represents," said BCC President Ellen Kennedy. "He's a shining example for our students of the best qualities of public service integrity, compassion and the clarity of purpose and commitment. We are thrilled that he will serve as our keynote speaker during his last term."
Downing's priorities have included clean energy, the environment, expanding broadband Internet access, the expansion of transgender rights and mitigating poverty. An advocate for higher education, he has worked to secure investments in higher education including the multimillion dollar Center for Science and Innovation at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
He chairs the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy and the Senate Committee on Redistricting; vice chairs committees on tourism and on audit and oversight; and is a member of the influential Ways and Means Committee.
Before his election to the Senate, Downing worked for U.S. Reps. William Delahunt, Richard Neal and John Olver. A Pittsfield native, his family has a long history of public service. He is the son of Pamela Downing and the late Berkshire District Attorney Gerard D. Downing.
We work towards an equitable,
gender-just, self-reliant and
sustainable fisheries,
particularly in the small-scale,
artisanal sector
We work towards an equitable,
gender-just, self-reliant and
sustainable fisheries,
particularly in the small-scale,
artisanal sector
We work towards an equitable,
gender-just, self-reliant and
sustainable fisheries,
particularly in the small-scale,
artisanal sector
We work towards an equitable,
gender-just, self-reliant and
sustainable fisheries,
particularly in the small-scale,
artisanal sector
Boston
Get ready to hear a whole lot more about grit.
Angela Duckworth, the University of Pennsylvania psychology professor and 2013 MacArthur genius grant winner, released a new book on Monday that explores and explains her research on grit, which she defines as the ability to develop and sustain passion and commitment to achieving long-term goals.
Duckworth has captured much attention from educators and policymakers in recent years for her findings that high levels of grit correlate with success in many areas of life, from college completion to making it to the final rounds at the National Spelling Bee.
In her book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Duckworth explains her idea by exploring the life stories and philosophies of people she calls paragons of grit, including the Seattle Seahawks, West Point Cadets, and successful business leaders.
Where is it that we find the ability or the inclination to sustain our interest so that we are pointing in the same direction day after day and to motivate ourselves through big setbacks or the little setbacks that happen every day? Duckworth said, summarizing her research for an audience at the Education Writers Association national seminar Monday.
Duckworths book delves into her own personal story. As a child, her father would remind her: You know, youre no genius! If she could go back in time, the Harvard graduate and genius award winner, writes, she would tell her father that raw talent and intelligence arent the sole drivers of success:
I would say, 'Dad, you claim I'm no genius. I won't argue with that. You know plenty of people who are smarter than I am.' I can imagine his head nodding in sober agreement. 'But let me tell you something. I'm going to grow up to love my work as much as you love yours. I won't just have a job; I'll have a calling. I'll challenge myself every day. When I get knocked down, I'll get back up. I may not be the smartest person in the room, but I'll strive to be the grittiest.' And if he was still listening: 'In the long run, Dad, grit may matter more than talent.' "
Grit Is Not Unfamiliar to Educators
That notion wont be unfamiliar to many educators, whove embraced the grit concept in recent years along with a wave of research and policy centered on a variety of non cognitive traits and social-emotional skills, like growth mindset, self control, empathy, and healthy relationship skills.
Perhaps most interesting for educators, the book asserts that grit can be developed both by individuals within themselves and by outside forces who help them feel challenged and supported. For schools, that means giving students opportunities for deliberate practice so they can learn what its like to face a challenge and persist through it, developing the skill like a muscle, Duckworth said.
Teachers should ask themselves: Is there a clear learning goal thats very specific and do my students really know it? Do they have a clear strategy to remove distractions so they can focus 100 percent? Duckworth said.
And they should offer frequent feedback, she said.
They should ask themselves, Am I encouraging repetition and refinement, or, as when I hand back your term paper or your test, is it over?
That advice is similar to advice researchers have given to promote a growth mindset, an idea popularized by Stanford University researcher Carol Dweck. If students learn that they can persist through challenges and eventually succeed, they will begin to define themselves by that persistence and not by momentary failures or challenges, Duckworth said.
Schools can also create supportive cultures and climates where students feel inspired to incorporate effort and persistence into their core identity, the book says. If youre a leader, and you want the people in your organization to be grittier, create a gritty culture.
For example, both the Superbowl-winning Seahawks and the KIPP network of charter schools have promoted common language, behaviors, and norms that encourage effort and persistence, the book says.
And it wouldnt be a book with education applications if it didnt mention the oft-praised nation of Finland. But, instead of focusing on international test scores or student-teacher ratios, Duckworth hones in on the Finnish word sisu, a version of gritrefined by long, dark winter daysthat many people there consider a part of their national identity. As one Finn told the New York Times: A typical Finn is an obstinate sort of fellow who believes in getting the better of bad fortune by proving that he can stand worse.
That norm-setting is important, Duckworth writes:
First, thinking of yourself as someone who is able to overcome tremendous adversity often leads to behavior that confirms that self-conception. If you're a Finn with that 'sisu spirit,' you get up again no matter what. Likewise, if you're a Seattle Seahawk, you're a competitor. You have what it takes to succeed. You don't let setbacks hold you back. Grit is who you are. Second, even if the idea of an actual inner energy source is preposterous, the metaphor couldn't be more apt. It sometimes feels like we have nothing left to give, and yet, in those dark and desperate moments, we find that if we just keep putting one foot in front of the other, there is a way to accomplish what all reason seems to argue against."
Clearing Up Misconceptions About Grit
Importantly, Duckworth told the EWA audience that she has not yet developed a curriculum package that interested schools can use to develop the character trait in their students.
But that hasnt stopped schools and occasional third-party providers from promoting sometimes shallow or poor applications of her research, she said.
She told a story of a school principal who said her school was celebrating Grit Week by requiring its students to set goals for their growth in their scores on a standardized test they would take later that month.
Raising your standardized test scores next week would not be the goal I would pick for 17,000 reasons, Duckworth said.
The notion of grit has faced criticisms that educators who buy into the concept will ignore systemic problems, saddling poor and disadvantaged students with the full burden of their academic success by saying theyre just not gritty enough when they fail. Some students who face normalized trauma have to display a hefty amount of grit just to make it to the classroom every day, such critics say.
Author Paul Tough said in another address at EWA that the brains response to trauma can cause some students to appear disengaged or lacking in grit.
In response to audience questions Monday, Duckworth acknowledged that criticism and said schools shouldnt use her research as a scapegoat to excuse themselves from responsibility for students success.
None of these things are scapegoats because the whole point of the grownups in the room is that its our responsibility to get kids where they need to be, she said.
Related reading on grit:
Follow @evieblad on Twitter or subscribe to Rules for Engagement to get blog posts delivered directly to your inbox.
Misdemeanors Are an Obstacle to Employment in Many States
A misdemeanor on your criminal record is not a bar to most types of employment, or it should not be, and many states have laws that govern how or if employers can consider these. Despite that, a new study reveals that in many states across the country a minor offense presents a major obstacle to licensing and certification for certain jobs.
Although 40 states have laws governing the consideration of criminal records in employment, the problem is reportedly widespread. According to the study by the National Employment Law Project, reported in The Wall Street Journal, the majority of state licensing boards do consider criminal records to deny people licenses to work in healthcare and education.
Isn't That Good?
Maybe this doesn't sound too bad to you -- why should people with criminal pasts be allowed to care for kids or sick people or the most vulnerable among us? But the reason the revelations are disconcerting is that they show the collateral consequences of an encounter with the criminal justice system, consequences that are not intended by the authorities and which are often inappropriate.
In Georgia, for example, a person may be denied a license based on a mere arrest, according to The Wall Street Journal. This is problematic because an arrest is not a conviction: it is an officer's suspicion that an offense has occurred. Why should a person who was ultimately not convicted -- or perhaps not even charged -- be barred from an occupation for a lifetime based on the unfounded suspicion of an officer long ago?
Some states, like Minnesota, will not allow consideration of an unrelated criminal record and also considers time passed since a conviction, as well as any evidence of rehabilitation. This more nuanced approach allows individuals whose charges do not reflect on the type of work they plan to do, or who have since proven to be reliable members of society, to get work.
Economic Impact
According to The Wall Street Journal, the findings are a cause for economic concern for all of us. One in four jobs requires a license or certification and one in three Americans has had an encounter with the criminal justice system. That might leave very few people eligible for employment in areas that pay reasonably well.
Then there is also the question of basic fairness. The criminal justice system punishes people for their actions and when they have paid the price, the debt to society should be considered fulfilled. What this study reveals is that for some the stain of a mistake in the past -- sometimes not even their own error -- will haunt them all their lives.
Talk to a Lawyer
If you have been accused of a crime, or have a crime on your record you hope to get expunged, speak to a lawyer. Many criminal defense attorneys consult for free or a minimal fee and will be happy to discuss your situation.
Related Resources:
Can I Sue for Injury Due to an Allergic Reaction?
This is not a safe world, especially if you are allergic to things in it. You can't always find someone to blame for your pain. But sometimes you can do exactly that -- if another person or entity acted negligently then you can certainly sue from an injury associated with an allergy to a product. Just as in any other negligence claim, you will have to prove all of the elements, and an allergic reaction alone won't suffice. Let's look at allergic reactions and negligence.
Failure to Warn
No one is actually liable for your allergies. But with so much attention given to food allergies in particular lately there is a lot more awareness of the prevalence of allergies in people. Still, food and other products do not have to all be hypo-allergenic as a result.
But what does have to happen is that food producers do have a duty to warn customers about allergens. The Food Allergen and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 ensures that food that contains "a major food allergen" -- such as peanuts -- must clearly declare its presence. Cosmetics and other manufacturers also have allergen labeling requirements.
Some states require restaurants to do the same, or even put the responsibility on allergic customers to warn the chef, which makes sense. In Massachusetts, for example, the restaurant menus all state, "Before placing your order, please inform your server if a person in your party has a food allergy." Restaurants there must also have at least one certified food protection manager who has undergone the state's allergen awareness training.
Negligence
Negligence occurs when someone with a duty owed to another breaches that duty and causes the other harm. So, using the above example of restaurants in states that must warn of allergens, let's look at how a negligence claim might go.
Restaurants that have a duty to warn of allergen presence and fail to do so could get sued if someone with a severe nut allergy ends up in the hospital because no one mentioned the pistachios in the pie before the item was ordered. In that situation the restaurant breached its duty to warn, the breach caused an injury, the injury was foreseeable and the harm can be quantified and compensated. Chances are good then that under these facts you could recover for an allergic reaction.
But if you're in Massachusetts, say, and you order the pie with the nuts without warning the server that you're allergic, then you too have breached your duty of care to the restaurant and now recovery is not as obvious.
Talk to a Lawyer
If you were injured due to an allergic reaction to a food or product, talk to a lawyer. Many personal injury attorneys consult for free or a minimal fee and will be happy to assess your case.
Related Resources:
Imperial Valley News Center
Johns Hopkins Joins Effort to Teach Math, Science Through Music
Baltimore, Maryland - Music can make you want to dance, sing and clap your hands, but can it also make you want to learn math? A Johns Hopkins University professor of applied mathematics hopes so.
This summer, professor Daniel Q. Naiman will offer a course on the Mathematics of Music, part of a national effort to use music to teach the STEM disciplines science, technology, engineering and math from elementary school through college.
The four-week course created by Naiman is being unveiled in conjunction with the 5th observance of International Jazz Day on Saturday, April 30, organized by UNESCO the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, based in Washington, D.C.
Some of the materials to be used in Naimans classroom course will be posted online for the general public to view. These materials along with others created by professors across the country will be offered as part of the UNESCO-Monk Institute Math, Science & Music project. The effort will be discussed in a forum on Tuesday, April 26 at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington. Naiman is scheduled to be there, along with faculty members from Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Massachusetts, University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco State and New York University.
We want to open the door to science and math to students who might not otherwise be interested in math, said Naiman, who is also an amateur saxophone and bass guitar player. For those who find the abstraction of math hard to grasp, he said it often helps to tie mathematical concepts to a practical application.
In this case, students will be learning to apply mathematical principles to musical questions: What is harmony? What is an octave? What does it mean to tune an instrument? What makes music sound good?
His three-credit course will be open to up to 25 high school and college students who have completed some high school mathematics. Lectures will be conducted four days a week from June 27 through July 29. Students can use the credits toward their college graduation.
The classroom and online teaching materials represent a culmination of years of effort that began with an idea hatched by Grammy-award winning jazz musician and composer Herbie Hancock. Hancock, who took some electrical engineering courses while studying for his undergraduate degree in music at Grinnell College, explained in an interview that he became concerned both about students in the United States falling behind in STEM fields, and about diminishing arts education.
Why not, he thought, blend the two and try to appeal to students through their musical enthusiasm?
What are young people interested in? asked Hancock, who is chairman of the Monk Institute, and a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. Why are they wearing their Beats headphones all the time?
The connection between music and math is plain, said Hancock. Consider the arithmetic values of beats per measure, of knowing which note gets one beat, of the numerical relationships underlying chord theory.
Naimans 3-credit course builds on this fundamental relationship to draw music enthusiasts into stronger grasp of math. Naimans students will learn how to use number theory to solve problems dealing with aspects of rhythm and harmony. Theories of probability and random processes will be engaged to understand how spontaneity works in music. Students will learn how to use software to analyze the elements of musical signal, including amplitude and frequency modulation.
If we see that young people are showing more interest in science through programs stimulated from a musical formulation, said Hancock, I think we can safely say its a successful direction.
Imperial Valley News Center
American Psychological Association Marks Mental Health Awareness Month with Focus on Barriers to Care
Washington, DC - The American Psychological Association will engage a variety of audiences during Mental Health Awareness Month in May with the following activities:
Thursday, May 5: APA Hosts Discussion Focusing on Childrens Mental Health Awareness Day
APA Capitol View Conference Center, 750 First St., N.E., Washington, D.C., 6 p.m. (EDT)
APA's Office on Children, Youth and Families will host a discussion and viewing of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations Childrens Mental Health Awareness Day webcast. Families, service providers from community-based organizations focused on childrens mental health and other members of the public will discuss the barriers families encounter accessing childrens mental health care and ways to overcome those barriers. RSVP via email.
Friday, May 13: Speaking of Psychology Podcast Surviving a relationship with a narcissist
Narcissists can be found in our offices, politics or even in our own homes. Narcissism is a psychological disorder but it can be hard to know exactly how to recognize it and build a relationship with a narcissist. In this episode, psychologist and author Ramani Durvasula, PhD, talks about how social media is shining a light on narcissism and offers insight and research into how to survive a relationship with someone who suffers from the disorder.
May 16-22: Older Adult Mental Health Week
APAs Office on Aging will work with the National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging to bring attention to the mental health needs of older adults. Useful resources for providers and the public include: What Mental Health Providers Should Know About Working with Older Adults, APA Family Caregivers Briefcase and blog posts on aging issues. May is also Older Americans Month.
Tuesday, May 17: International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
Focusing on mental health and well-being, APAs Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Concerns will recognize International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia with social media posts highlighting its various resources on issues related to the mental health of LGBT communities.
Tuesday, May 24: Congressional Briefing on Psychologys Role in Eliminating Health Disparities Among Boys and Men
Rayburn House Office Building, Room B-369, 12-2 p.m. (EDT)
Boys and men in lower socioeconomic and ethnic/minority communities have some of the worst health outcomes in the country. Psychology can help in addressing these health disparities and the needs of underrepresented boys and men. This briefing will focus on key findings of the APA Working Group on Health Disparities in Boys and Men, including incidences of violence, trauma and substance use. Participants will also discuss public policy recommendations, including legislation and research.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes more than 117,500 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.
This Isnt Our Last Love Letter
Dear Don Don,
Way back in 92
I walked into the room and knew
Never felt this way before
I shook your hand while gazing into your eyes
And the feeling grew
As I took a seat I knew
A love that would have my heart
Forever
I knew
Way back in 92
They say love at first sight doesnt always last or isnt true
We were the exception to that rule
Our love had no where to hide
A spark set fire
As if this is how the universe started
I never doubted our love or what we could do
Together we grew
Forming a bond everlasting
That became our glue
My euphoria was YOU
Im eternally grateful for the love and life we shared
For how fortunate we were :
to have and to hold
through sickness and in health
Til death do us part
Until we are together again
This isnt our last love letter
I love you with all my heart and soul
Yours forever,
Deirdre (Mrs. Hank Snow)
Im fortunate to have fallen in love with, marry and make a life with the sharpest, coolest, funniest, most rare, bad ass, tender loving, loyal man on the planet, my husband Don Imus.
A True American Hero
I dont know why it has been so hard for me to write about my dear friend Don Imus.
I certainly know what he meant to me, my family, my charity, my hospital and the millions of fans that listened and loved him for so many years.
I keep reading all the beautiful condolences that people are writing about how much a part of their lives were effected by listening to him over the years.
But what most people dont talk enough about is what he did for all of us.
In every sense of the word, he was an American Hero. His work with children with so many different illnesses and his dedication to their future was unmatched by anyone I have ever known or heard about.
Besides raising over $100,000,000 for so many causes, he took care of young people for over 20 years in a state where he could not breathe. Along with his incredible wife Deirdre, he created a world where children were not defined by their disease. That was a miracle! He was a miracle.
I will miss him ever day for the rest of my life.
I was blessed to be a part of his and Deirdes life.
No one will ever do what he did.
I love you Don Imus - A TRUE AMERICAN HERO
David Jurist
IMUS IN THE MORNING
FIRST DAY BACK!
Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
A brother and sister have inherited a disease that will stop them from ever sleeping again - and which will eventually kill them.
Lachlan and Hayley Webb from Queensland, Australia, suffer from a rare hereditary disease called Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI). They do not know when it will strike.
Affecting less than 10 million people worldwide, there it no known treatment or cure for the illness.
It prevents sufferers from achieving deep sleep, leading to speedy mental and physical deterioration.
Lachlan, 28, and Hayley, 30, first became aware of the genetic disorder when their grandmother became ill when they were teenagers, Nine News reports.
Their mother died from FFI aged 61, while their aunt died at the age of 42. The siblings' uncle, their mother's brother, also died from FFI aged only 20.
How much should you sleep?
FFI damages nerve cells which leads to sponge-like holes in the part of the brain that regulates sleep - the thalamus.
This then prevents the body from rejuvenating and makes it feel like the sufferer is awake for the last six months of their life.
Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty
Ms Webb, a Nine News reporter, said: "In my early teens I remember becoming aware of it, aware we had this family curse.
"My grandma started getting sick and dying. Her eyesight went, she had signs of dementia, she was hallucinating and couldn't talk.
"Eventually she was diagnosed with FFI, that was the first time the family even knew that FFI existed."
Lachlan Webb, 28, participating in a study at the University of California looking for a cure (Nine News)
Ms Webb added: "I remember leaving for work to my new post on the Sunshine Coast and mum saying 'have a great day, I'm so proud of you' and then later that week coming back and she was calling me Jillian and she thought I was the housekeeper.
"It was incredibly aggressive.
"Your body is not allowing you to rejuvenate at all so it's like being awake for the last six months of your life."
The pair have been participating in a pioneering study at the University of California led by Eric Minikel and Sonia Vallabah, who are trying to find a cure.
Wisconsin Polling of Jury During Trial Leads to Mistrial
A criminal defendant is entitled to a polling of the jury after a verdict has been reached and announced. But one slip of how the polling is done could basically necessitate a whole new trial. And this is exactly what happened in a Wisconsin federal district court.
The case below discusses interesting aspects of the Fifth Amendment's "overly coercive" doctrine.
Trial and Mis-Polling
A criminal defendant was convicted by a Milwaukee jury and the defense counsel exercised the defendant's right to a polling of the jurors. Each of the jurors was individually asked "Was this and is this your verdict with regard to the defendant, Lemurel E. Williams?" The first juror said "No." It appeared that the presiding judge did not hear juror one and continued to ask all the other jurors who all agreed "Yes."
A re-polling of the jurors revealed the same answers and the lawyers requested a sidebar. The judge ordered the jurors to re-deliberate. When they returned a verdict of guilty to the judge again, he declared the verdict "cured" of any misunderstanding of the earlier question that juror one claimed to be confused over. Appeal followed.
Unconstitutional Coercion
Coercion, the circuit concluded, occurs when any one of the jurors surrenders his or her honest opinion for the purpose of returning a verdict. The court worried that in this case, the one juror who had revealed that she did not believe the defendant was guilty was essentially put in the spotlight as being the only dissenting juror in the entire group, thus persuading her to change her personal vote.
Two major points were clarified in this opinion. First, it is always reversible error to ask a divided jury to reveal its numerical division, but polling a jury that is believed to be unanimous is is different as the latter's purpose is to confirm unanimity. Here, since the verdict here required a unanimous vote, it was pointless for the judge to continue hearing the later votes.
This brought the circuit to the second point: it did not believe that the judge continued in bad faith. Rather it believed that the judge did not hear juror 1 respond in the negative. But the intent of the judge was actually irrelevant. What mattered was that juror 1 revealed herself to be the sole dissenter which could have impermissibly coerced her into later changing her vote to reach a verdict. Since this was contrary to justice, a mistrial was the proper finding.
Related Resources:
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Why are we talking about this now?
Negotiations over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership have been turbocharged by US President Barack Obamas visit to Europe.
Obama is trying to push through the biggest transatlantic trade deal in history before the end of his time in the White House.
Opponents of the deal say that TTIP will destroy the NHS as we know it by making the UK Government powerless to stop privatisation, or at least make it impossible to reverse privatisation.
Are they right?
Unite the Union cites legal advice from Michael Bowsher QC, a former chair of the Bar Councils EU law committee, that TTIP will pose a real and serious risk to the future ability of the [UK Government] to regulate the NHS.
EU has said that it will include a tried-and-tested system to make sure that TTIP doesnt affect EU governments freedoms to organise public services like the NHS.
Because TTIP negotiations are conducted in secret, theres no way of knowing what that system will look like until the agreement is signed.
But trade deals like this one are designed to remove barriers to trade. During his visit, Obama called them regulatory and bureaucratic irritants and blockages to trade.
Giving free access to private companies means abolishing state-run services like the NHS, unless the NHS is removed from the treaty altogether.
Could the NHS be removed from the treaty?
Opponents of the deal are campaigning for the NHS to be exempt from TTIP altogether.
Michael Bowsher QC said in his legal advice: The solution to the problems which TTIP poses to the NHS is for the NHS to be excluded from the agreement, by way of a blanket exception contained within the main text of TTIP.
Would an exemption be enough?
The EU has said that its existing draft treaty with Canada would be a model for the TTIP deal. That includes an exemption for health services that are provided by the government.
But what that actually covers is unclear. IT services and non-health services might not be covered by the term health services.
Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.
In the event of a dispute, any cases arising from this would be referred to international courts called the Investor-State Dispute Settlement, which give companies special rights to sue governments if a trade treaty has been breached.
If the ISDS ruled that the company had been subject to unlawful nationalisation, they would have a right to seek compensation.
When will we know for sure?
We wont really know the implications of TTIP on the NHS until the deal is signed.
All EU member countries are expected to have a say on whether the agreement passes, which would in theory mean the UK government would be able to delay it.
Sign up for a full digest of all the best opinions of the week in our Voices Dispatches email Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Voices Dispatches email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Now that Malia Obama is planning to take a gap year after high school and before starting college at Harvard University in 2017, some questions arise: What exactly do students do while on a gap year? What do colleges think of them?
The answers are: There are myriad options for students who have the resources to take a gap year though they do not have to be expensive. And some colleges actually encourage admitted students to take a gap year including Harvard.
What exactly is a gap year? Laura R. Hosid, an expert on gap years at the Vinik Educational Placement Services in Bethesda, told me in an interview some time ago that a gap year typically describes a year off between high school and college. They have long been popular in Britain and other countries, she said, but have been gaining popularity in this country, too, in recent years. They offer students with means an opportunity to travel, explore different interests, and gain experience and maturity before beginning college.
There are no solid statistics on how many students take gap years in the United States, according to the American Gap Association, but anecdotal evidence shows that students benefit significantly from taking time off. A study by the dean of admissions at Middlebury College found that the average GPA for Middlebury students who had taken a gap year was consistently higher than those who had not.
In 2012, Harvards website noted that 50 to 70 students take gap years before entering as freshman. The website today says:
Harvard College encourages admitted students to defer enrollment for one year to travel, pursue a special project or activity, work, or spend time in another meaningful way provided they do not enroll in a degree-granting program at another college. Deferrals for two-year obligatory military service are also granted. Each year, between 80 and 110 students defer their matriculation to the College.
The top 10 universities in the world Show all 10 1 /10 The top 10 universities in the world The top 10 universities in the world 1. California Institute of Technology The top 10 universities in the world 2. University of Oxford The top 10 universities in the world 3. Stanford University The top 10 universities in the world 4. University of Cambridge The top 10 universities in the world 5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology The top 10 universities in the world 6. Harvard University The top 10 universities in the world 7. Princeton University The top 10 universities in the world 8. Imperial College London The top 10 universities in the world 9. ETH Zurich Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich The top 10 universities in the world 10. University of Chicago
Also on the website is an article titled, Time Out or Burn Out for the Next Generation, describes how pressured K-12 schooling has become, noting that training for college scholarships or professional contracts begins early, even in grammar school. It says:
Faced with the fast pace of growing up today, some students are clearly distressed, engaging in binge drinking and other self-destructive behaviors. Counseling services of secondary schools and colleges have expanded in response to greatly increased demand. It is common to encounter even the most successful students, who have won all the prizes, stepping back and wondering if it was all worth it. Professionals in their thirties and forties physicians, lawyers, academics, business people and others sometimes give the impression that they are dazed survivors of some bewildering life-long boot-camp. Some say they ended up in their profession because of someone elses expectations, or that they simply drifted into it without pausing to think whether they really loved their work. Often they say they missed their youth entirely, never living in the present, always pursuing some ill-defined future goal.
Some early remedies
What can we do to help? Fortunately this young fast-track generation itself offers ideas that can reduce stress and prevent burnout. In college application essays and interviews, in conversations and counseling sessions with current college students, and in discussions with alumni/ae, many current students perceive the value of taking time out. Such a time out can take many forms. It can be very brief or last for a year or more. It can be structured or unstructured, and directed toward career, academic or purely personal pursuits. Most fundamentally, it is a time to step back and reflect, to gain perspective on personal values and goals, or to gain needed life experience in a setting separate from and independent of ones accustomed pressures and expectations.
Recommended Read more The 7 best ways to save up for a gap year abroad
Other schools encourage gap years, as well. For example, Princeton University offers the Bridge Year Program, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has Global Gap Year Fellowship Program.
Students who wish to take a gap year are supposed to apply to college and, once accepted, present a plan to the university for why they want to defer. Many colleges will be happy to comply.
For those students who dont apply to college, hoping that activities undertaken during a gap year will enhance their admissions profile, Hosid said a gap year cant compensate for deficiencies in your high school record.
She also said in the earlier interview:
Q) What kinds of things do students do on their gap years?
Many students choose to spend their gap year in structured programs volunteering abroad or in the United States. There are also many opportunities to explore interests in the environment, arts, and other cultures. Taking courses to improve academic skills is another option. Within these broad categories, there are a myriad of options, ranging from studying at the International Culinary Center in New York, to performing musical stage performances in multiple countries while living with host families with Up With People, to building trails in state parks with the Student Conservation Association.
One thing to keep in mind is that gap years need not be expensive or involve international travel. City Year, part of AmeriCorps, provides a stipend and scholarship for 10 months of service in inner-city schools. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms offers meals and housing in exchange for farming work.
A gap year also does not need to be one full-year program. Students often piece together different options to explore a range of interests or can work for a few months to fund a shorter opportunity. Short-term options can range from three weeks at a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa with BroadReach to a month studying French at Concordia Language Villages in Minnesota.
Q) How do families get help planning one?
There are several good books available, including The Complete Guide to the Gap Year by Kristin M. White and The Gap-Year Advantage by Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson. Websites such as Teen Life offer listings of gap-year programs by type many private high schools and colleges also have lists available online. In addition, USA Gap Year Fairs offer over 30 different fairs throughout the country. Finally, there are a small number of educational consultants who focus on gap-year advising and can help students figure out what they want to do and help identify specific programs that would be a good match.
Washington Post
Sign up for a full digest of all the best opinions of the week in our Voices Dispatches email Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Voices Dispatches email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Schoolchildren will stage their very first strike action on Tuesday in protest over SATs (Standard Assessment Tests) for six and seven-year-olds.
A petition started by the Let Our Kids Be Kids campaign has been signed by nearly 40,000 people calling on teachers to boycott SATs tests for children at the end of Year 2.
SAT exams test a childs progress in English, Maths and Science and are conducted at the end of infant school, primary school and in Year 9 across England.
But campaigners say the focus on testing has left their children "over-tested, over-worked and in a school system that places more importance on test results and league tables than children's happiness and joy of learning".
The petition said: We're a group of Year 2 parents who've had enough... enough of endless testing, enough of teachers not being trusted to teach, enough of an Ofsted driven, dull, dry curriculum aimed solely at passing National Curriculum Tests (SATs).
We want our kids to be kids again and enjoy learning for learning's sake not for Ofsted results or league table figures. Bring back the creativity and the fun - say goodbye to repetition and boredom!
It said six and seven-year-olds were now expected to sit a whole weeks worth of exams focused on comprehension and arithmetic.
Outdoor learning has decreased, childhood anxiety has increased, games have been replaced with grammar, playing with punctuation," it added.
Recommended Read more Thousands of parents to boycott school over exams
It is currently unknown how many children will go on strike but the campaign has put a form up on its website asking parents to record their participation.
In an open letter to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan on their website, the campaign said it represented "the voice of parents across the country who want an end to the exam regime now.
It said: "Please take a long, hard look at this.
"Do you want your legacy to be the confident cancellation of unneeded and unnecessary SATs, showing you are listening to your electorate and the teachers you claim to support ... or the overseeing of a shambolic testing regime desperately unwanted by millions of people to the point that this country saw its first open parent revolt?
"You have the power to stop these tests. NOW. Our children, our teachers and our schools deserve better than this."
In a speech on Saturday, Ms Morgan warned that missing school for even a day would be "harmful" and called the campaign "damaging".
She said: "To those who say we should let our children be creative, imaginative, and happy - of course I agree, both as a parent and as the Education Secretary.
UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 Britain's former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Conservative MP, Rishi Sunak leaves from an office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA
"But I would ask them this: how creative can a child be if they struggle to understand the words on the page in front of them? They certainly can't enjoy them.
Schools Minister Nick Gibb added: "These tests are vital in helping schools to ensure that young children are learning to read, write and add up well.
"The truth is if they don't master literacy and numeracy early on, they risk being held behind and struggling for the rest of their lives.
"Children should only ever be taken out of school in exceptional circumstances and we'd urge the organisers of this campaign to drop their plans because it simply isn't fair on children to deprive them of a day of their education".
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Gerry Adams has apologised for using the word n****r in a tweet.
After initially defending the use of the word by saying it was used in an ironic way to draw comparisons between the way Irish nationalists and African- Americans have been treated, the leader of Sinn Fein has now apologised for any offence.
Speaking at Connolly House in Belfast, the 67-year-old said: "I have acknowledged that the use of the n-word was inappropriate. That is why I deleted the tweet. I apologise for any offence caused.
The republican said however that he stands by the context and main point of the tweet which was the parallels between people in struggle.
Like African Americans, Irish nationalists were denied basic rights, he said. [] This changed because we stood up for ourselves. We need to continue to do that.
The civil rights movement here, of which I was a founding member, was inspired and based its approach on the civil rights campaign in the USA.
People news in pictures Show all 18 1 /18 People news in pictures People news in pictures 7 October 2015 Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in an ice hockey match between former NHL stars and officials at the Shayba Arena in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Vladimir Putin spent his 63rd birthday on the ice, playing hockey with NHL stars against Russian officials and tycoons EPA People news in pictures 6 October 2015 German designer Karl Lagerfeld (R) and model Cara Delevingne (C) appear at the end of his Spring/Summer 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for fashion house Chanel at the Grand Palais which is transformed into a Chanel airport during the Fashion Week in Paris, France Reuters People news in pictures 5 October 2015 Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne addresses the Conservative party conference in Manchester. The Chancellor argued that reducing the payments to people in low paid jobs would give them economic security by reducing the Governments spending deficit Getty Images People news in pictures 4 October 2015 Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston takes a moment in the centre of the field with his daughter Frankie Thurston, holding dark-skinned doll, after winning the 2015 NRL Grand Final match between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. The image quickly became the talking point of Australias National Rugby League Final and provoked a strong reaction on social media, with many praising Thurston for giving his child a toy that promotes inclusiveness and diversity Getty Images People news in pictures 3 October 2015 Pope Francis gives a thumbs-up as he greets people at the end of an audience to the participants of a meeting organized by the "Food Bank" at the Paul VI audience hall in Vatican Getty Images People news in pictures 2 October 2015 Britain's Finance Minister George Osborne (L) throws an American football as he meets with former American football players Dan Marino (2nd R) and Curtis Martin (not pictured) at 11 Downing Street in London, ahead of the New York Jets playing against the Miami Dolphins at London's Wembley Stadium on 4 October Getty Images People news in pictures 1 October 2015 An honor guard opens the door as Russian President Vladimir Putin enters a hall to attend a meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia People news in pictures 30 September 2015 Former Mrs America Lisa Christie, who alleges misconduct by Bill Cosby, holds up photos of her younger self during a news conference at the law office of attorney Gloria Allred in Los Angeles People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Matt Damon has defended himself against claims that he instructed gay actors to remain in the closet. He had said I think youre a better actor the less people know about you and sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether youre straight or gay, people shouldnt know anything about your sexuality but an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show said, I was just trying to say actors are more effective when theyre a mystery. Right? Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Marion Cotillard has said that there is no place for feminism in Hollywood. Speaking to Porter magazine, she saidFilm-making is not about gender/ You cannot ask a president in a festival like Cannes to have, like, five movies directed by women and five by men. For me it doesnt create equality, it creates separation. I mean, I dont qualify myself as a feminist." Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Paul Walkers daughter, Meadow, is suing Porsche over her fathers death in a lawsuit that claims he was trapped in the burning car because of design flaws and the seat belt. The Fast and Furious star was killed when the Porsche Carrera GT he was a passenger in hit a pole in California in 2013. The driver, his friend Roger Rodas, also died when the vehicle burst into flames. AP People news in pictures 28 September 2015 Robert Mugabe waits to address the United Nations General Assembly. The leader of Zimbabwe reportedly exclaimed 'We are not gay!' as he criticised Western nation's "double standards and attempts to prescribe new rights that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs. In 2013 he described homosexuals as worse than pigs, goats and birds. Reuters People news in pictures 28 September 2015 South African comedian Trevor Noah hosts the first 'Daily Show' since taking over from Jon Stewart as host. Stewart had presented the US satirical news show since 1999 and was described by Noah during the show as a 'Political father' 2015 Getty Images People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Sir Elton John may have received a phone call from the real Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin's spokesman announced he had made contact weeks after the singer was duped by pranksters pretending to be the Russian President. Getty People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was mistakenly declared as the artist who produced the Mona Lisa by Fox News anchor Shepard Smith. It was in fact Leonardo da Vinci. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 A new biography claims Donald Trump expected to be dead by 40 and never marry. The Guardian says the a new book also claims that in 1980, Mr Trump manufactured a fake vice-president of his real estate conglomerate, whom he called John Baron. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 The Dalai Lama has said that Britain's policy towards China is just about 'Money, money, money.' And asked 'Where is morality?' People news in pictures 24 September 2015 Puff Daddy secured the number-one spot on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings list, with the publication calculating he made an estimated $60million (39m) between June 2014 and June 2015.
I have long been inspired by Harriet Tubman; Frederick Douglas; Rosa Parks; Martin Luther King and Malcolm X who stood up for themselves and for justice.
Adams received criticism after he sent a tweet to his 111,000 followers on Sunday evening while watching the Quentin Tarantino-directed film about an emancipated slave in the US. The tweet said: Watching Django Unchained - A Ballymurphy N****r!
He soon deleted the tweet and later issued a statement defending it, saying: If anyone is genuinely offended by my use of the N-word they misunderstand or misrepresent the context in which it was used."
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Gerry Adams has defended a tweet where he used a racially offensive word claiming the context of the tweet was misunderstood as he was attempting to draw comparisons with the way Irish nationalists and African Americans have been treated.
The leader of the Sinn Fein party received criticism after sending a tweet on Sunday night which used the word n****r while he was watching the 2012 film Django Unchained. The Quentin Tarantino-directed film documents an emancipated slave (played by Jamie Foxx) who embarks on a journey.
Mr Adams has now said his used of the word was ironic and quashed any suggestion of racism, instead proposing that nationalists in northern Ireland were treated in a similar manner to African-Americans in the US.
People news in pictures Show all 18 1 /18 People news in pictures People news in pictures 7 October 2015 Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in an ice hockey match between former NHL stars and officials at the Shayba Arena in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Vladimir Putin spent his 63rd birthday on the ice, playing hockey with NHL stars against Russian officials and tycoons EPA People news in pictures 6 October 2015 German designer Karl Lagerfeld (R) and model Cara Delevingne (C) appear at the end of his Spring/Summer 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for fashion house Chanel at the Grand Palais which is transformed into a Chanel airport during the Fashion Week in Paris, France Reuters People news in pictures 5 October 2015 Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne addresses the Conservative party conference in Manchester. The Chancellor argued that reducing the payments to people in low paid jobs would give them economic security by reducing the Governments spending deficit Getty Images People news in pictures 4 October 2015 Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston takes a moment in the centre of the field with his daughter Frankie Thurston, holding dark-skinned doll, after winning the 2015 NRL Grand Final match between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. The image quickly became the talking point of Australias National Rugby League Final and provoked a strong reaction on social media, with many praising Thurston for giving his child a toy that promotes inclusiveness and diversity Getty Images People news in pictures 3 October 2015 Pope Francis gives a thumbs-up as he greets people at the end of an audience to the participants of a meeting organized by the "Food Bank" at the Paul VI audience hall in Vatican Getty Images People news in pictures 2 October 2015 Britain's Finance Minister George Osborne (L) throws an American football as he meets with former American football players Dan Marino (2nd R) and Curtis Martin (not pictured) at 11 Downing Street in London, ahead of the New York Jets playing against the Miami Dolphins at London's Wembley Stadium on 4 October Getty Images People news in pictures 1 October 2015 An honor guard opens the door as Russian President Vladimir Putin enters a hall to attend a meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia People news in pictures 30 September 2015 Former Mrs America Lisa Christie, who alleges misconduct by Bill Cosby, holds up photos of her younger self during a news conference at the law office of attorney Gloria Allred in Los Angeles People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Matt Damon has defended himself against claims that he instructed gay actors to remain in the closet. He had said I think youre a better actor the less people know about you and sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether youre straight or gay, people shouldnt know anything about your sexuality but an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show said, I was just trying to say actors are more effective when theyre a mystery. Right? Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Marion Cotillard has said that there is no place for feminism in Hollywood. Speaking to Porter magazine, she saidFilm-making is not about gender/ You cannot ask a president in a festival like Cannes to have, like, five movies directed by women and five by men. For me it doesnt create equality, it creates separation. I mean, I dont qualify myself as a feminist." Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Paul Walkers daughter, Meadow, is suing Porsche over her fathers death in a lawsuit that claims he was trapped in the burning car because of design flaws and the seat belt. The Fast and Furious star was killed when the Porsche Carrera GT he was a passenger in hit a pole in California in 2013. The driver, his friend Roger Rodas, also died when the vehicle burst into flames. AP People news in pictures 28 September 2015 Robert Mugabe waits to address the United Nations General Assembly. The leader of Zimbabwe reportedly exclaimed 'We are not gay!' as he criticised Western nation's "double standards and attempts to prescribe new rights that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs. In 2013 he described homosexuals as worse than pigs, goats and birds. Reuters People news in pictures 28 September 2015 South African comedian Trevor Noah hosts the first 'Daily Show' since taking over from Jon Stewart as host. Stewart had presented the US satirical news show since 1999 and was described by Noah during the show as a 'Political father' 2015 Getty Images People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Sir Elton John may have received a phone call from the real Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin's spokesman announced he had made contact weeks after the singer was duped by pranksters pretending to be the Russian President. Getty People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was mistakenly declared as the artist who produced the Mona Lisa by Fox News anchor Shepard Smith. It was in fact Leonardo da Vinci. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 A new biography claims Donald Trump expected to be dead by 40 and never marry. The Guardian says the a new book also claims that in 1980, Mr Trump manufactured a fake vice-president of his real estate conglomerate, whom he called John Baron. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 The Dalai Lama has said that Britain's policy towards China is just about 'Money, money, money.' And asked 'Where is morality?' People news in pictures 24 September 2015 Puff Daddy secured the number-one spot on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings list, with the publication calculating he made an estimated $60million (39m) between June 2014 and June 2015.
On Sunday night Mr Adams wrote to his 111,000 followers: Watching Django Unchained A Ballymurphy N****r! Ballymurphy refers to the killing of 10 civilians by a British army Parachute regiment in 1971 in the Belfast area.
After many social media users criticised the tweet and decried the use of the word, Mr Adams deleted the tweet.
In a statement he said: My tweets about the film Django have triggered a lot of interest, Anyone who has seen the film, as I did last evening, and who is familiar with the plight of nationalists in the north until recently, would know that my tweets about the film and the use of the N-word were ironic and not intended to cause any offence whatsoever.
Attempts to suggest that I am a racist are without credibility. I am opposed to racism and have been all my life.
The fact is that nationalists in the north, including those from Ballymurphy, were treated in much the same way as African Americans until we stood up for ourselves.
If anyone is genuinely offended by my use of the N-word they misunderstand or misrepresent the context in which it was used. For this reason I deleted the tweets.
The Independent has contacted a spokesperson for Mr Adams for comment.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Princess Charlotte of Cambridge has received a more lavish array of gifts in her first year than most of us will receive in our drawn out lifetime. In a year, the regal toddler has already received presents from three Prime Ministers, two Presidents, one King and one Queen.
But alas the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges daughter, who is celebrating her first birthday today, must be careful with her generous offerings. While most rattles are made of garish pliable plastic, the one gifted to Princess Charlotte from the President of Mexico and Senora Angelica Rivera is made of (non-chewable) silver.
Princess Charlotte, who has already topped Tatler's list of "The People Who Really Matter", has been showered with gifts from as far afield as Armenia and Zambia.
Princess Charlotte's first birthday Show all 4 1 /4 Princess Charlotte's first birthday Princess Charlotte's first birthday Princess Charlotte in pictures taken by her mother HRH The Duchess of Cambridge 2016 Princess Charlotte's first birthday Prince Charlotte at Anmer Hall in Norfolk in April HRH The Duchess of Cambridge 2016 Princess Charlotte's first birthday Prince Charlotte at Anmer Hall in Norfolk in April HRH The Duchess of Cambridge 2016 Princess Charlotte's first birthday Princess Charlotte in the garden in Anmer Hall in Norfolk in April HRH The Duchess of Cambridge 2016
A list released by Kensington Palace reveals some of the presents the Princess has received. While the Prime Minister of New Zealand gave her an array of teddy bears, baby blankets and bootees, all made from the finest Stansborough wool, the King and Queen of Bhutan gave her a coat.
The Australian Government sent an embroidered cot blanket made from Tasmanian merino wool sourced from Launcestons eminent Waverley Woollen Mills and contributed AUS$10,000 to the Healesville Sanctuary.
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, bestowed the one-year-old with a snowsuit, a book, and made a $100,000 donation to Immunize Canada, a vaccination charity.
Barack Obama and the First Lady of the USA gave Princess Charlotte a children's rocking chair and baby blanket after she was born. While David Cameron gave her a copy of Hans Christian Anderson's Fairy Tales.
Of course, these are just some of the gifts bequeathed to the Princess.
A spokesperson for Kensington Palace said: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are incredibly grateful for all the letters, gifts and good wishes they have been fortunate to receive in the year since Princess Charlotte was born.
Princess Charlotte, whose full name is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, is fourth in line to succeed her paternal great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, after her paternal grandfather, father, and elder brother Prince George.
Sign up for a full digest of all the best opinions of the week in our Voices Dispatches email Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Voices Dispatches email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Some 1,300 pounds of bronze Roman coins dating to the 3rd and 4th centuries have been unearthed by construction workers digging ditches in Spain.
The find, in 19 amphoras storage containers is unique not only because of the volume of coins but because the coins appear to have never been in circulation, making them almost pristine by comparison with other discoveries.
Workers in the city of Tomares, in Andalusia, were working on installing a water line to a park in the city of 24,000, according to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, when they noticed irregular terrain inside a ditch about a meter below ground level.
Some of the containers were broken, with the coins spilling out of them, while others were intact. They show an emperor, Maximian or Constantine on one side and Roman allegories on the other, researchers told reporters. Experts are speculating that the coins were meant to pay taxes or support legions of the Roman armies in Spain at the time.
We have a team looking into the discovery right now. We believe it is hugely important and will have more information very soon, a spokesman at Andalusias Ministry of Culture in Seville told The Local on Thursday.
Ana Navarro, head of Sevilles Archeology Museum, offered no precise estimate for the value of the haul, saying only that the coins were worth certainly several million euros.
This photo made available by the City Council of Tomares on Friday, April 29, 2016, shows some of the bronze and silver-coated coins dating from the end of the 4th century.
The majority were newly minted and some of them probably were bathed in silver, not just bronze, Navarro told reporters.
I could not give you an economic value, because the value they really have is historical and you cant calculate that.
The Romans invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 206 B.C. and stayed for about 700 years, turning Andalusia into one of the empires richest colonies.
Copyright Washington Post
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
A woman has lambasted Jeremy Hunt for attempting to destroy and discredit NHS staff after her daughter died in hospital, hours after the conclusion of the latest junior doctors strike.
Julie Ann Lovells daughter, Karen, died at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester at 9pm on Wednesday; just four hours after the strike over proposed doctors contracts came to an end.
The 33-year-old had been in critical care for several weeks following a heart operation.
In a Facebook post addressed to Mr Hunt, Ms Lovell said she fully support[s] the junior doctors actions, saying her daughter did not die due to this strike.
The 51-year-old said she would not accept her daughters death being included in any statistics aimed at demeaning striking doctors, praising the staff at Wythenshawe Hospital for their care and attention.
(Facebook ) (Facebook)
The Health Secretary warned last week's strike action, which was the first all-out stoppage to include NHS emergency medical care, would create an unacceptable risk of patient deaths and labelled the strike as a very, very bleak day for the NHS.
Ms Lovell's post, which has been shared over 53,000 times, reads: Jeremy Hunt. How dare you! My darling daughter passed away at 9pm Wednesday evening in Wythenshawe hospital at the end of the two day strike by the young doctors whom I fully support. She did not die due to this strike and I will NOT accept her name included in any statistics saying it was.
Every member of the doctors and nurses who looked after and worked tirelessly for the 4 weeks she was in there were and remain amazing people. How dare you Mr Hunt. I challenge you to sit quietly in intensive care and watch the staff treat patients with so much care and attention. Both nurses and doctors at all levels. 12 hour shifts 16 hour shifts and more.
Leading Junior Doctor quits live on air
Our NHS is amazing and deserves to be supported and saved.
My daughter Karen had many procedures some surgical and Mr Hunt even on Sundays! How dare you Mr Hunt! Karen and every other patient in that Critical Care Unit received expert care and treatment day and night and 7 days a week despite your attempt to destroy and discredit these wonderful people who I know did everything in their power to save my beautiful daughter.
How dare YOU Mr Hunt. And thank you everyone at Wythenshawe.
In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Doctor in acute medicine, Melissa Haskins, holds up a 'I ain't afraid of no Hunt' sign whilst striking with other junior doctors outside her hospital, St Thomas' Hospital in London Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Accident and emergency junior doctor, Jennifer Hulse, holds a homemade placard outside St Thomas' Hospital as she strikes with colleagues in London Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Demonstrators and Junior doctors hold placards as they protest outside the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, in Basingstoke during a strike by junior doctors Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Demonstrators and Junior doctors hold placards as they protest outside the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, in Basingstoke during a strike by junior doctors Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike A supporter displays a slogan on her bag during a junior doctors' strike outside St Thomas' Hospital in London Reuters In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike The picket line outside King's College Hospital in London PA In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike The picket line outside King's College Hospital in London, as thousands of junior doctors begun the first all-out strike in the history of the NHS after the Health Secretary said the Government would not be "blackmailed" into dropping its manifesto pledge for a seven-day health service PA In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Junior doctors and supporters take part in a strike outside the Royal United Hospital in Bath Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Doctor in acute medicine, Melissa Haskins, holds up a 'I ain't afraid of no Hunt' sign whilst striking with other junior doctors outside her hospital, St Thomas' Hospital in London Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Dave Prentis, UNISON general secretary visits a British Medical Association picket line at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, to show support for striking junior doctors on the second day of the union's annual health conference PA
A survey for the Independent found a majority of people supported last weeks all-out strike by junior doctors, with 58 per cent of the pubic agreeing doctors were right to strike over the Governments decision to impose a new contract on them. Three in 10 people (31 per cent) disagreed with this statement, while 11 per cent replied dont know.
Doctors say the new contract will harm patient safety by incentivising unsafe shift rosters. The Government says it will help improve care at the weekends.
A Department of Health spokesman said monthly and weekly death statistics would be published online as usual, however there is no indication data specific to the doctors strikes would be gathered.
Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Four major UK parties have unexpectedly joined forces in an effort to put forward the environmental case for Britain to remain in the EU.
In a rare show of solidarity across the Labour Party, Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats and Green Party, a document has been released exemplifying the European Unions central role in helping Britain to battle climate change.
The document, published by Britain Stronger in Europe and composed by Ed Miliband, Liz Truss, Ed Davey and Caroline Lucas, contains a list of 10 ways the EU supports Britains efforts to help the environment:
Keeping our oceans clean and protects ocean wildlife;
Taking action to improve our air quality;
Investing in renewable energy, helping us ensure a more sustainable future;
Leading the fight against climate change;
Leading the way on global climate agreements for thirty years;
Providing vital protections for Britain's nature and wildlife;
Standing up against the killing of endangered species and for animal rights worldwide;
Providing environmental expertise and information to Britain from across Europe.
What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Show all 5 1 /5 What's the European Parliament ever done for us? What's the European Parliament ever done for us? A cap on the amount of hours an employer can make you work The Working Time directive provides legal standards to ensure the health and safety of employees in Europe. Among the many rules are a working week of a maximum 48 hours, including overtime, a daily rest period of 11 hours in every 24, a break if a person works for six hours or more, and one day off in every seven. It also includes provisions for paid annual leave of at least four weeks every year Getty Images What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Helping the people of Britain to avoid smoking In 2014 MEPs passed the Tobacco Products Directive strengthening existing rules on the manufacture, production and presentation of tobacco products. This includes things like reduced branding, restrictions on products containing flavoured tobacco, health warnings on cigarette packets and provisions for e-cigarettes to ensure they are safe What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Helping you to make the right choices with your food Thanks to the European Parliament, UK consumers have access to more information than ever about their food and drink. This includes amount of fat, and how much of it is saturated, carbohydrates, sugars, protein and so on. It also includes portion sizes and guideline daily amount information so people can make informed choices about their diet. All facts must be clear and easy to understand What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Two year guarantees and 14-day returns policy for all products Consumers across the EU have access to a number of rights, from things which are potentially very useful, to things which used to be annoying. For example, shoppers in the UK receive a two-year guarantee on all products, and a 14-day period to change their minds and return a purchase, these things are useful www.PeopleImages.com-licence restrictions apply What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Keeping your air nice and fresh (and safe) Believe it or not, although the situation is improving, some areas of the UK have appalling air quality. A report by the Royal College of Physicians released on 23 February says 40,000 deaths are caused by outdoor air pollution in the UK every year. Air pollution is linked to a number of illnesses and conditions, from Asthma to diabetes and dementia. The report estimates the costs to British business and the health service add up to 20 billion every year
In the report, the four politicians said: "Being in Europe magnifies Britains voice in the world on the issues that will define our future. Climate change and the future of our environment is a defining issue of our generation.
"Our environment at home is a source of joy and wellbeing for many, but also a vital resource. Its multiple habitats, features and species must be protected.
"Our global climate must be safeguarded to prevent against further global warming, and collective action is the only solution to rising seas and rising temperatures.
"The European Union is central to both these challenges."
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Tony Blair has reportedly warned dissenting Labour MPs that it would be impossible to keep Jeremy Corbyn out of a future leadership contest.
The former Labour Prime Minister told rebellious MPs plotting a coup that even if they were initially successful in keeping Mr Corbyn out of the contest, the National Executive Committee would likely intervene to hand him a place on the ticket.
According to the Times, Mr Blair made the comments at the end of 2015, adding Mr Corbyns popularity would mean he would be re-elected by the party members. The intervention emerged as the newspaper revealed that Labour frontbenchers are issuing threats to the leadership with resignations over the handling of antisemitism accusations in the party.
Mr Blairs comments come after Diane Abbott, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, branded the idea that the Labour Party has a problem with antisemtism as a smear.
In an interview with the Guardian, Len McCluskey, General Secretary of Unite, said that some rebellious MPs had been nothing short of treacherous and set stupid traps for Mr Corbyn by claiming the party should win a certain number of seats.
We have had Michael Dugher saying Jeremy has 99 days to prove himself and suddenly 5 May becomes a litmus test on Corbyns ability to lead the party, he said.
Diane Abbott: Smear against Labour
We have had Liz Kendall saying we should win 400 council seats. This is the woman who got 4.5% of the vote in the leadership election. We wont be taking lectures off people like that who are interested in setting false traps.
A poll carried out as the controversy unfolded gave the Conservatives an eight-point lead, and experts tip Labour to lose up to 150 council seats in England and face a hard night in elections to the Scottish and Welsh governments.
However, Sadiq Khan, Labours candidate for London Mayor, is widely expected to win the contest in the capital. The elections across the UK will be the first nationwide test of Mr Corbyns leadership since winning a significant mandate from Labour Party members in September 2015.
Mon State Hluttaw (Photo MNA) Mon State Hluttaw (Photo MNA)
Concerning the petition letters, committee members will visit project locations and meet with companies. Based on the gathered data, the committee will report to the State Hluttaw and then to state government.
Thus far, we have received 25 letters. We prioritize matters of natural resource management and public related cases. Personal matters, matters that police shall resolve and unjust matters will be transferred to respective departments, said U Aung Kyaw, chairman of analyzing Committee for Petition, Appeal, Submission and General matters.
U Aung Kyaw added that public reasoning for submitting the letters is reduced to the absence of transparency and responsibility from companies carrying out their respective projects. This view is also backed up by the Committee for Petition, Appeal, Submission and General matters.
Among the petition letters, the committee considered to prioritize the cement factory in Kyaikmayaw Township and mining projects in Oukthanthar Village, Paung Township.
We have policy in place for how to petition, what kind of matter can be petitioned and what kind of matters shall be handled. The committee will then go to the location or meet with the companies that have been petitioned, said U Zaw Zaw Htoo, member of analyzing committee for Petition, Appeal, Submission and General matters.
There are 11 members of the analyzing committee for Petition, Appeal, Submission and General matters that gather for a weekly meeting.
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
John McDonnell has been forced to try and dispel rumours of a rift with Jeremy Corbyn, amid reports he was planning an organised takeover in the event of a coup by dissenting Labour MPs.
It comes after several turbulent days for the Labour leader, who has been forced to suspend three councillors, an MP and the former Labour Mayor as the row over anti-Semitism within the partys ranks intensified.
An article printed in the Daily Telegraph on Monday said the Labour leaders handling of the furore had led to claims Mr McDonnell is waiting for an organised takeover as leader if MPs stage a coup.
An editorial in the newspaper added: So shambolic, so offensive has Jeremy Corbyns leadership of the Labour Party become that the shadow Chancellor John McDonnell is thought to be planning a putsch to unseat him.
Mr McDonnell, who appeared to take aim at the newspaper, said: Media and right-wing dirty tricks and lies trying to divide me and Jeremy. They should know it only unites us even more and makes us stronger.
A source close to the shadow Chancellor, speaking to The Independent, dismissed the ludicrous nonsense printed about the pair in the press, adding that Mr McDonnell and Mr Corbyn were best of friends. It is absurd to suggest otherwise, the source added.
On Monday the Labour Party acted swiftly to suspend Ilyas Aziz, a Nottingham City councillor, and Salim Mulla, a councillor in Blackburn, over controversial social media posts highlighted on the Guido Fawkes website.
A third councillor, Shah Hussain, who represents Burnley's Daneshouse with Stoneyholme ward, made comments attacking Israel's foreign policy made on Twitter in 2014.
When approached by the Press Association, Mr Hussain said he would "most definitely" fight the suspension.
On his Facebook page Mr Aziz appeared to liken the actions of Israel against the Palestinians to those of the Nazis against the Jewish population. In a post, from 2014, Mr Mulla also shared a post allegedly showing footage of a Palestinian boy being arrested with a comment from the councillor saying: "Apartheid at its best. Zionist Jews are a disgrace to humanity."
Diane Abbott: Smear against Labour
Last week the Labour leader was forced to suspend his long-time ally Ken Livingstone, the former London Mayor, and Labour MP Naz Shah. When approached by The Independent, Mr Livingstone said he would be making no further comments before the London Mayoral election later this week.
The two high-profile suspensions led Mr Corbyn to announce that the party had set up an independent inquiry led by the former Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti tasked with tackling antisemitism in Labour. A code of conduct will also "make explicitly clear for the first time that Labour will not tolerate any form of racism, including anti-Semitism, in the party" and provide guidance on acceptable language.
Meanwhile, the general secretary of Unite Labours biggest union donor Len McCluskey took aim at dissenting MPs on Monday. In an interview with The Guardian the union chief said that some rebellious politicians had been nothing short of treacherous and set stupid traps for Mr Corbyn by claiming the party should win a certain number of seats at the elections later this week.
Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said Show all 14 1 /14 Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Israel and Palestine The simple fact in all of this is that Naz made these comments at a time when there was another brutal Israeli attack on the Palestinians; and theres one stark fact that virtually no one in the British media ever reports, in almost all these conflicts the death toll is usually between 60 and 100 Palestinians killed for every Israeli. Now, any other country doing that would be accused of war crimes but its like we have a double standard about the policies of the Israeli government Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Antisemitism in the Labour Party As Ive said, Ive never heard anybody say anything antisemitism-Semitic, but theres been a very well-orchestrated campaign by the Israel lobby to smear anybody who criticises Israeli policy as antisemitic. I had to put up with 35 years of this Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Naz Shah Its completely over-the-top and rude, but who am I to denounce anyone with all of that. It was wrong. I dont think she is antisemitic, it was incredibly rude but I dont believe she is an antisemite. When the NEC investigation is finished they'll say it was rude and over the top but they wont find any evidence that she actually hates Jews. Weve got to investigate all these charges and the context in which they are made. If she is antisemitic like the other three or four members weve found who are antisemitic, shell be expelled Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On other alleged antisemites in Labour That is part of the classic antisemitic thing about an international Jewish conspiracy that is the reason we need to have an investigation. Ive got an open mind. Ive seen nothing to suggest to me that she is antisemitic. I wouldnt have supported her if I [thought] she was antisemitic Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On whether what Hitler did was legal, as stated by Naz Shah Thats a statement of fact Hitler, Im sure, passed all those laws that allowed him to do that its history literally, Hitler was completely mad, he killed six million Jews. Shes not saying its legal to kill six million Jews: what they were doing in that country allowed them not just to kill six million Jews, kill all the communists, kill all the leftists like me, my father almost died when a Nazi sub sank his boat. I have no sympathy with Hitler Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On another alleged antisemite in Labour No, that is, and thats why shes been suspended or expelled. What Ive said is that in 47 years of the party in all the meetings Ive been in Ive never heard anyone say anything antisemitic. There are bound to be in a party of half a million people youll have a handful of antisemites, youll have a handful of racists. Youve managed to dig out virtually every antisemitic comment that Labour members have made out of half a million people. Ive never met any of these people. Theres not a problem. Youre talking about a handful of people in a party of half a million people. Jeremy Corbyn has moved rapidly to deal with them Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Jeremy Corbyns response to the allegations He met with Naz and she agreed she would stand down while the investigation is going on. He called her in to see her. Theres been a huge investigation of virtually everything that anybody put on the internet many of these people are quite new and recent members of the party that joined in the big influx. 300,000 new people came in Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On his meeting a man accused of antisemitism in London This is the man who called for Muslims around the world to donate blood after the attacks of 9/11 when he came to London I went with him to the Regents Park mosque where he said no man should hit a woman and you should not discriminate against homosexuals. So I cant equate what I heard him say he made no antisemitic statement while he was here in London. I dont investigate people. Ive simply said what I believe to be true which is that Naz was not antisemitic. She was completely over the top, very rude, but that does not make her an antisemite Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On John Manns comments He went completely over the top. I was actually doing a radio interview at the time that he was bellowing that Im a racist antisemite in my ear. Ive had that with John Mann before a few weeks ago screaming that I was a bigot down the phone. Im not an apologist for anyone who makes antisemitic statements. What Im saying is dont confuse antisemitism with criticism of the Israeli government policy Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On calling a Jewish journalist a concentration camp guard whilst Mayor of London I cant tell if a journalist is Jewish or Catholic or anything. If a journalist is chasing you down the street at nine of clock at night you might be rude to them. Some people might have hit him! He said he was just doing his job. We went all the way to the High Court and the judge opened his judgement by saying I hope no one here is going to suggest that Mr Livingstone is antisemitic. We won the case Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On claims about Hitler and Zionism I cant tell if a journalist is Jewish or Catholic or anything. If a journalist is chasing you down the street at nine of clock at night you might be rude to them. Some people might have hit him! He said he was just doing his job. We went all the way to the High Court and the judge opened his judgement by saying I hope no one here is going to suggest that Mr Livingstone is antisemitic. We won the case Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On John Mann Id simply say to John Mann go back and check. Is what I say true, or is it not? The BBC, youve got a huge team of researchers, it will take just an hour or two to go back and confirm. I was asked a question, I answered it. I have never in 45 years since I won my first election, I have never lied. I have always answered the question Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On raising the issue if Hitler It lays you open to people smearing and lying about you. Ive always answered the questions put to me and that simple fact is weve had a handful of people saying antisemitic things in the Labour Party, theyve been suspended, some of them are on their way to being expelled, some of them have been expelled already Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On people calling for him to be suspended All my usual critics but the simple fact is I agree with them; there is no place for antisemitism in the Labour party. For them to suggest I am antisemitic is a bit bizarre considering we worked with Jewish groups and put on exhibitions about the scale of the holocaust, we worked with Jewish groups to tackling the scale of antisemitism back in the 1970s. Ive always opposed every form of racism whether its against black people or Jews. Im going to stay in the Labour party and continue to fight against all forms of racism and discrimination as I have my entire life
We have had Michael Dugher saying Jeremy has 99 days to prove himself and suddenly 5 May becomes a litmus test on Corbyns ability to lead the party, he said.
We have had Liz Kendall saying we should win 400 council seats. This is the woman who got 4.5 per cent of the vote in the leadership election. We wont be taking lectures off people like that who are interested in setting false traps.
A poll carried out as the controversy unfolded gave the Conservatives an eight-point lead, and experts tip Labour to lose up to 150 council seats in England and face a hard night in elections to the Scottish and Welsh governments.
However, Sadiq Khan, Labours candidate for London Mayor, is widely expected to win the contest in the capital. The elections across the UK will be the first nationwide test of Mr Corbyns leadership since winning a significant mandate from Labour Party members in September 2015.
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Labour has acted swiftly to suspend two councillors after social media posts emerged of them suggesting Israel should be relocated to the United States and describing Zionist Jews as a disgrace to humanity.
Ilyas Aziz, a Nottingham City councillor, has been suspended pending an investigation in the latest row over controversial comments to hit the party. Mr Aziz also appeared to liken the actions of Israel against the Palestinians to those of the Nazis against the Jews.
Shortly after a second councillor for Blackburn, Salim Mulla, became the second elected politician on Monday to be suspended after controversial comments emerged on his Facebook feed.
In a post, from 2014, Mr Mulla shared footage allegedly showing footage of a Palestinian boy being arrested with a comment from the councillor saying: "Apartheid at its best. Zionist Jews are a disgrace to humanity."
A Labour spokeswoman confirmed that both councillors have been supsended pending investigation.
It comes after Jeremy Corbyn insisted the party is "united" in opposing antisemitism in the wake of a turbulent week which has also seen the suspension of MP Naz Shah and former London mayor Ken Livingstone.
"Ilyas Aziz has been suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation," A Labour spokeswoman said.
Among Facebook posts from Mr Aziz's account highlighted on the Guido Fawkes website was a comment saying: "Jews and Muslims lived together in the Middle East, in peace pre 1948. Perhaps it would have been wiser to create Israel in America it's big enough. They could relocate even now."
Screengrab of Ilyas Aziz's Facebook page (PA)
On Sunday Diane Abbott, the shadow International Development Secretary and one of Mr Corbyns closest allies in Westminster, dismissed claims that the Labour Party has a problem with antisemitism as smears.
"It's something of a smear against ordinary party members, it is, it is a smear to say the Labour party has a problem with antisemitism, Ms Abbott said on the BBCs Andrew Marr Show.
Diane Abbott: Smear against Labour
Len McCluskey, General Secretary of Unite and Labour's biggest donor, added that Mr Corbyn was the victim of "a cynical attempt to manipulate antisemitism for political aims".
"The idea that there is an antisemitic crisis within the Labour Party is absolutely offensive but it is being used in order to challenge Jeremy Corbyn," he told Pienaar's Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live.
"Once the mood music of antisemitism dies down, then next week and the week after there will be another subject. It is an issue that comes up because somebody says something stupid and then immediately it becomes a crisis."
Screengrab of Salim Mulla's Facebook page (PA)
The row had been "got up by the right-wing press aided and abetted by Labour MPs" and party grandees who "get out of their wheelchair and toss a few hand grenades in", the union chief added.
According to Press Association, after his suspension had been announced, Mr Aziz said: I have no comment at all.
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Serious failings in the Governments privatisation of the probation services have been exposed in a damning report amid warnings that David Camerons half-baked and reckless policies have left the criminal justice system in a mess.
The report by the independent Parliamentary spending watchdog, the National Audit Office, warns the Government has no way of knowing how well companies responsible for running the countrys probation services are performing due to a failure to collect accurate information.
It also says some of the Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) may be manipulating or withholding data from government agencies while others are putting financial profit above public safety by ignoring difficult offenders who require the most help because it costs them too much money to treat them.
Recommended Read more Government quietly announces plan to privatise another agency
The disclosures have sparked fears that companies are not subject to adequate oversight or scrutiny and led to calls for an urgent investigation into the rushed policy of selling off parts of the probation service en masse.
Andrew Neilson, from the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the report raises serious questions of whether companies were protecting financial profits rather than public safety.
He told The Independent: This clearly is not safe. A lack of reliable data means this report stops short of entirely condemning [the privatisation scheme], but the major problems it identifies suggests that the programme is a mess. This is an inauspicious start for untested reforms that could have disastrous consequences if they fail.
Shadow Justice Secretary Charlie Falconer called for an immediate inquiry into the reports findings: This important independent report from the National Audit Office adds to the growing criticism of David Camerons half-baked and reckless privatisation of the probation service.
UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 Britain's former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Conservative MP, Rishi Sunak leaves from an office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA
With prisons in crisis and now the probation system seemingly failing to effectively rehabilitate offenders, we need a serious study of how private companies running prisons or probation reports their success or failure to the public. They should be open, transparent and should publish fully accurate and reliable data on reoffending whenever possible. Any suggestion that CRCs are withholding information from the National Probation Service should be investigated thoroughly.
The report itself states that the Ministry [of Justice] should as a matter of urgency ensure data are available to support the contract, noting that under current provisions no data will emerge until late 2017, meaning there will be no accurate way of assessing the private companies performance until then.
Privatisation of probation services began in 2014, with responsibility for low- and medium-risk cases being outsourced to CRCs held in public ownership, before the scheme suddenly extended shortly before the general election in February 2015 to apply to commercial companies in the private sector.
But the sudden rolling out of the proposals means the Government did not wait to find out the results of its own pilot scheme to test whether privatisation was appropriate for the probation service.
The rushed nature of the scheme also meant that Ministry of Justice staff struggled to cope with the demands: Ministry teams appeared stretched in dealing with so many bidders with relatively junior staff sometimes fielding complex commercial, operational or legal questions, the report outlines.
A number of the companies that were awarded contracts had no experience of the sector at all and a number of others were set up shortly before being awarded contracts, meaning that they had no track record from which they could be assessed for their suitability.
The report also states that the Government has no way of knowing how well the CRCs are performing after failing to collect accurate data required to assess them. It adds that the Government has no data or insufficiently robust data in a variety of assessment criteria, concluding: Performance of CRCs remains unclear given limitations around data quality and availability.
The reports authors also express concerns that the private companies may be manipulating data, warning: In the four CRCs we visited only three provided initial caseload data and these were presented as an average, which masks any variation within and across CRCs.
It also notes that many junior staff in the National Probation Service thought that their CRC contracts were often not providing them with necessary information.
These revelations led to accusations that the CRCs are putting commercial profit above quality of services and public safety, as many junior staff in the National Probation Service thought their CRC contacts had become too focused on their commercial interests as opposed to the best interests of the offenders. The report also describes how the companies are paid per task they perform rather than whether reoffending rates go down, raising concerns that they are engaged in a box-ticking exercise rather than producing real results which reduce reoffending and protect the public.
Concerns have been raised that privatisation carries an inherent risk that private companies may avoid working with some offenders who need the most support because this could cost them more money and carry the risk that they will miss performance targets and subsequently incur financial penalties, despite the fact that working with difficult cases is necessary for public safety.
Probation services are responsible for monitoring and engaging with offenders once they are released from prison in order to reduce reoffending rates and ensure public safety. In February of last year, a privatisation scheme introduced under the coalition government saw responsibility for low- and medium-risk offenders sold off to CRCs, while responsibility for high risk offenders remains in state control through the National Probation Service (NPS). Around 80 per cent of probation work is now the responsibility of CRCs, costing the taxpayer some 450m per year.
Serious concerns have also been revealed regarding the NPS, which remains a state agency and manages high-risk offenders. The NPS has been found to have little awareness of how it operates or what contracts it holds. It only has copies of around 30 per cent of its contracts and does not know exactly what it spends on good and services its best estimate being 60m.
The NPS has been described as having no proper storage of records, instead using a chaotic system relying on information on older cases coming from staff who had been working there for long periods remembering the case details. The system has been described as having extensive miscalculation and mis-recording of allocation decisions about offenders.
A spokesperson for The Ministry of Justice told The Independent: "Major transitions in public services are always challenging but figures show the performance of the new probation system which was introduced only a year ago, is continually improving. As the report notes, the majority of offenders found that services had remained stable or improved since our reforms. Thanks to these reforms, offenders in prisons for less than 12 months are now receiving support from the probation service for the very first time.
"However we are not complacent and have been addressing the problems which have been identified. Public protection is our top priority and we will continue to support staff to deliver these important changes."
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
The UK government has launched a secret propaganda campaign to stop young British Muslims from joining extremist groups, it has been revealed.
A Home Office unit has been set up called the Research, Information and Communications Unit (Ricu) which uses local community groups to spread counter-extremist messages to vulnerable young people who are at risk of being seduced by the slick online propaganda of Isis.
The programme, which was set up in 2007, has focused on Isis for the past two years following the group's declaration of a caliphate in its territories in Syria and Iraq. The programme is inspired by a similar scheme set up to fight Communism during the Cold War.
The messages are overwhelmingly targeted at Muslims, particularly males, between the ages of 15 and 39.
But some Muslims have expressed dismay over its techniques, which they say risk undermining the existing Prevent counter-radicalisation programme and alienating some groups.
Insiders told the Guardian Ricu is working at an industrial pace and scale to combat the active propaganda machine run by Isis, and rarely uses government branding.
One initiative, called Help for Syria, advertises itself as a campaign providing advice on how to help raise money for Syrian refugees. It attends university freshers fairs to talk to hundreds of students face-to-face.
It also delivered leaflets to 760,000 UK homes using the same campaign.
The scheme has focused on tackling the slick propaganda released by Isis
Much of its work is outsourced to a London communications company called Breakthrough Media Network which has produced dozens of websites, leaflets, videos and social media campaigns with titles such as The Truth About Isis and Help for Syria.
Breakthrough organises events at schools and universities and works with a number of Muslim organisations to help spread its message.
Ricu has also set up a PR company to sell stories to national newspapers.
The countries most impacted by global terrorism Show all 11 1 /11 The countries most impacted by global terrorism The countries most impacted by global terrorism Thailand Thailand The countries most impacted by global terrorism Libya Libya The countries most impacted by global terrorism Somalia Somalia The countries most impacted by global terrorism Yemen Yemen The countries most impacted by global terrorism India India The countries most impacted by global terrorism Syria Syria The countries most impacted by global terrorism Pakistan Pakistan The countries most impacted by global terrorism Nigeria Nigeria The countries most impacted by global terrorism Afghanistan Afghanistan The countries most impacted by global terrorism Iraq Iraq The countries most impacted by global terrorism France
The community groups have said they use Ricu to help them get their message to a wider audience and retain editorial control over what they disseminate, but documents seen by the Guardian show that the programme privately says it has ultimate control over the projects.
The Home Office acknowledged there was a propaganda programme but defended its conduct saying: All were trying to do is stop people becoming suicide bombers.
Westminsters intelligence and security committee, which oversees the governments counter-terrorism work, has said it supports the Ricu initiative.
One former minister told the Guardian it was naive to assume the Government could openly release counter-extremist propaganda but another said although the supported the project overall hiding the source of the messages could damage trust between the Muslim community and the Government.
Human rights lawyer Imran Khan said:If the government wants its Muslim citizens to listen to it, it needs to be trusted. And to be trusted, it needs to be honest. What is happening here is not honest, its deeply deceptive.
Furthermore, this government needs to stop thinking of young British Muslims as some sort of fifth column that it needs to deal with.
Breakthrough says their relationship with Ricu is not covert and it is up to the individual community groups to decide if they want to disclose the governments support.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "The battle against terrorism and extremism must be fought on several fronts including countering its twisted narrative online and in our communities. The need for this work is recognised at a national and international level.
"This work can involve sensitive issues, vulnerable communities and hard to reach audiences and it has been important to build relationships out of the media glare. We respect the bravery of individuals and organisations who choose to speak out against violence and extremism and it is right that we support, empower and protect them.
"Our guiding principle has to be whether or not any organisation we work with is itself happy to talk publicly about what they do. At the same time we are as open as possible about RICUs operating model, and have referenced the role of RICU in a number of publications and in Parliament.
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Healthcare, the Edinburgh schools' fiasco and the shipyards on Glasgows river Clyde all proved topics of contention during the final TV debate of the Holyrood election campaign, but it was the issue of Scottish independence that dominated clashes between the countrys five main parties.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was accused of keeping [a] wound open with talk of a second referendum, as she argued, along with Patrick Harvie of the Scottish Greens, that opportunity to continue the debate is still there if the Scottish people want it.
Held at Hopetoun House near Edinburgh, the often fractious BBC Scotland debate came just days before the Scottish Parliament election on Thursday.
Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon (PA)
Alongside Ms Sturgeon and Mr Harvie, the hour-long debate also featured Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie, all three of whom dubbed suggestions of another referendum as undemocratic.
Ms Sturgeon argued that if there is clear and sustained evidence that independence has become the preference of a majority of people in Scotland then no politician has the right to stand in the way of the democratic wishes of the Scottish people.
The First Minister added: The question for other politicians on this platform is, What is it they think gives them the right to stand in the way of a majority? Scotland will only become independent if a majority backs that, that is democracy and none of us should fear the democratic wishes of the people of this country."
"I believe in something, I have convictions, I have principles, I will continue to try to persuade people. But whether I succeed or not will be down to the strength of the arguments I put forward and ultimately down to the wishes of the Scottish people."
Scottish Conservative leader Ms Davidson retaliated saying: "As First Minister she has responsibilities, and her responsibilities are to all of Scotland not just the SNP.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson (PA)
"Her responsibilities mean she shouldn't be keeping this wound open, it's not good for our country, it's not good for our economy, it's not good for encouraging jobs and growth and all the things we want to see."
In light of Labours proposed increase to Scottish income taxes, Ms Dugdale said: "So many people just want to move on from that referendum. We have substantial new tax and welfare powers coming to the Scottish Parliament, wouldn't it be great if we just used them to talk about the future, how we will improve our schools and the NHS, create opportunities for young people and build the Scotland we all want to see."
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Mr Rennie claimed the SNP was being "anti-democratic" in its continued arguments for independence, demanding that nationalists "respect the result" of the 2014 Scottish Referendum.
But Ms Sturgeons views were backed by Scottish Greens Mr Harvie, who argued: "Respecting the result means respecting the fact that a substantial number of Scottish voters did vote for independence. Respecting the result doesn't mean we all have to crawl away and shut up about it. The opportunity to continue to debate this is still there."
Ms Davidson faced tough questions over the NHS, following proposals from the Scottish Conservatives saying they would reintroduce prescription charges north of the border, in order to bring in 65 million for the NHS per year.
The Tory leader said her party was "looking at increasing GP services" claiming the proportion of the NHS budget spent on primary care has been cut by the SNP.
Scottish Green Party co-convener Patrick Harvie (PA)
But Mr Harvie challenged her, saying: "If we went down Ruth's line what would be next, charges to visit your GP?"
The shipyards on Glasgow's River Clyde proved a fierce point of contention in the debate, after union leaders raised concerns a contract for the yards to build new Type 26 frigates for the Navy has been delayed.
Ms Davidson said UK Government ministers had "categorically assured" her the work would go ahead, accusing Ms Sturgeon of "shameful" scaremongering, adding: "If you had had your way 14 months ago none of these frigates would have been built."
Ms Dugdale accused Ms Davidson of "having told a porkie" when she said there was no change to the Ministry of Defence order.
Additional reporting by Press Association
Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Nadine White Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race Report Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
The Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
An Oxford University student refused to tip a waitress in South Africa until white residents in the country "return the land" to black residents.
Ntokozo Qwabe, who is a law student at Oxford, was criticised for the incident in which he appeared to mock a waitress whom his friend refused to tip to make a point about racial repression.
Both friends, the other named as Wandile Dlamini by Mr Qwabe, are reportedly part of the Rhodes Must Fall movement which campaigned for the removal of a statue of colonialist Cecil Rhodes from Oxford's Oriel College.
But their actions at a cafe in Cape Town, which Mr Qwabe recounted in a post on Facebook, have led to more than $4,000 being raised for waitress Asheigh Schultz on a Gofundme page.
The scale of the response led some commenters to suggest an equivalent outpouring of emotion for a black person would have been unlikely.
Mr Qwabe wrote in his post, now deleted after his Facebook account was suspended, that he was "unable to stop smiling" after the incident.
The Facebook post which appears to be written by Ntokozo Qwabe. He says later 'go to your fellow white people and mobilise for them to give us our land back.' (Gofundme.org)
He said his friend wrote on the receipt "We will give a tip when you return the land."
"The waitress comes to us with a card machine for the bill to be sorted out. She sees the note and starts shaking," he wrote.
"She leaves us and bursts into typical white tears (like why are you crying when all we've done is make a kind request? lol)."
Mr Qwabe said the act had brought "the pressing issue of land onto the agenda" by causing other restaurant staff to come and speak with them.
He said: "The part where we take up arms hasn't even come and y'all are already our here drowning us in your white tears? Really white people. Wow [...]
"Moral of the story: the time has come when no white person will be absolved. We are tired of 'not all white people' and all other bulls***. We are here, and we want the stolen land back."
The controversial statue of Cecil Rhodes on the front of Oriel College, Oxford (Rex)
Amid criticism for the act, one Facebook commenter questioned the nature of the media and popular response.
"Firstly, what Qwabe and his friend did was deplorable [...] so doing because the server is white, and then mocking her on social media, is reprehensible," said Orlole Friedemann.
"Secondly [...] many black servers deal with macro and microagressions on a daily basis, and no social media storm results.
"This is not to say that a reaction to the mistreatment of the server was wrong, but it does throw into strong relief the different responses to white and black pain."
As prime minister of the Cape of Good Hope, Cecil Rhodes passed laws which historians say laid the foundations for apartheid.
The Independent has approached Oxford University and Mr Qwabe for comment.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Honduran authorities have arrested four men linked to the March assassination of environmental activist and indigenous leader Berta Caceres.
Police made the arrests based on scientific evidence that support the allegations presented, according to a statement released by prosecutors. Two of the suspects, who were taken into custody on Monday, reportedly have ties to Desarrollos Energeticos SA (DESA), the company building the hydroelectric dam that had been at the centre of Caceres more recent activism.
Recommended Read more Hondurian activist killed in own home over opposition to electric dam
Sergio Ramon Orellana worked as an engineer for DESA, while Douglas Geovanny Bustillo served as the companys head of security. The other two suspects, Mariano Diaz Chavez and Atilio Edilson Duarte Meza, both have ties to Honduras armed forces, La Prensa Honduras reports.
Two men broke into Caceres La Esperanza home on 3 March and shot her to death, sparking international outrage and large-scale protests in Honduras. She had previously reported Mr Orellana for threatening her life - in addition to more than 30 other reports - according to the Guardian.
The US ambassador to Honduras, James D Nealon, issued a statement expressing support for the arrests.
From the very beginning, we have called for a thorough investigation into Caceres murder - one that followed the evidence and that would lead to those who committed the crime, including the intellectual authors, Mr Nealon wrote.
Caceres won the Goldman Environmental Prize for her activist work against the Agua Zarca dam, which DESA was building on indigenous land.
Despite the arrests, Caceres family and colleagues are condemning the investigation. They had demanded the state to hire independent investigators - who they say took 11 days to finally approach DESA for questioning - as Honduras is too closely linked to the activists assassination.
Prior suspects reportedly interviewed by Honduran authorities belonged to the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), the group to which Caceres belonged.
If it wasnt for our struggle and international pressure for justice, my mothers murder would already be extinct, Laura Caceres, 23, told the Guardian. We have woken up to this news [of the arrests] but it doesnt change our demands for an international investigation.
Honduras is widely considered to be one of the deadliest countries in the world for environmental activists. According to Global Witness, at least 109 activists were killed in the Latin American country between 2010 and 2015.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
The CIA has been ridiculed after 'live tweeting' the special forces operation to kill Osama Bin Laden to mark the fifth anniversary of the raid.
Having spent the previous 10 years as the world's most wanted man, the al-Qaeda terror chief was shot dead at the compound where he was holed up in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in May 2011.
The assault, carried out by 23 US Navy SEALs, saw two helicopters descend on the compound but one crashed on landing. The raid continued regardless and Bin Laden, who is thought to have ordered the 9/11 attacks on the US and Washington in 2001, was found on the third floor and shot a number of times. Bin Laden's body and a number of materials were removed from the compound while the damaged helicopter was destroyed.
At the time of announcing Bin Laden's death, President Barack Obama said it was "the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al-Qaeda."
But the reaction to the US intelligence agency's decision to recount the operation as it happened was largely negative, with users calling it utterly tasteless and completely inappropriate.
To mark the 5th anniversary of the Usama Bin Ladin operation in Abbottabad we will tweet the raid as if it were happening today. #UBLRaid, the Central Intelligence Agency tweeted.
A series of tweets went on the describe the events of the day, from the moment one of the helicopters crashing on arrival, to Bin Laden being found on third floor and killed, to a picture of President Barack Obama sat in the Situation Room watching the events unfold.
The tweets recounting the events have each been 'liked' and retweeted hundreds of times, some thousands, but many on Twitter criticised the decision to mark the operation in this way.
One user tweeted a screengrab of them reporting the CIA for being abusive or harmful, while many posted pictures of celebrities showing shock or disbelief.
Pictures of Bin Laden's body have never been publicly released. Officials from the Pentagon said at the time that he was buried at sea after a Muslim funeral was carried out on board an aircraft carrier.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
More than 90 Detroit schools are shut down due to a massive teacher "sickout" that resulted following word that the district lacks the funds to pay them after 30 June.
The Detroit Federation of Teachers called for the districts 2,600 teachers to call in sick to work - which will affect 94 of the districts 97 schools for the citys 46,000 students.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the citys emergency manager, Judge Steven Rhodes, told the labour union that the district does not have the money to honour the teachers already-earned salaries beyond the 30 June date.
The district would also have to cancel summer school and special education services, unless state representatives approve a $715m education reform package. State senators already approved the package in March, the Free Press reports.
I urge our legislators to act thoughtfully, but with the urgency that this situation demands, Mr Rhodes said in a statement.
Michigan Gov Rick Snyder - who is embroiled in controversy surrounding the Flint water supply - signed a bill in March that sent $48.7m to Detroit Public Schools in order to keep them open through the month of June.
Teachers said that they were ensured that the money would cover the two-thirds of teachers who opted for reduced salary every two-weeks - or a 26-week pay cycle - in order to receive paychecks over the summer.
We just received information that this is not the case and we are outraged, union interim President Ivy Bailey told members in a Saturday email. The district has enough cash to make payroll through June 30, 2016 for all employees, but after that point, the district will not be able to continue paying employees unless our advocacy to secure the funds through legislation is successful.
The lack of funds raises questions for teachers of whether or not the teachers who on the 26-week cycle were factored into the $48.7m emergency funding.
A 21-year veteran music teacher at the Duke Ellington Conservatory of Music and Art told the Free Press that he finds it hard to believe these people - who are smart people failed to consider the year-round payments.
It just baffles me, actually, it just angers me, Mr Patton said. It sounds as if we are being used as pawns. It seems theres no accountability.
Detroit teachers staged a similar sickout in January that closed 83 schools, during a visit by President Barack Obama. They wanted to bring attention to the school system's poor funding and unstable infrastructure.
The teachers union plans to hold a rally Monday morning.
Representatives of the Detroit Federation of Teachers were not immediately available to respond to request for comment.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Federal authorities have arrested a man after they thwarted an attempt to bomb a South Florida synagogue.
The FBI apprehended the suspect, identified as Joseph Medina, 40, on Friday. He is charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction on the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center.
Recommended Read more Sikh man detained on bus after being falsely accused of bomb threat
Miami US attorneys office spokesperson Sarah Schall confirmed that a national security-related had been made on Friday, in an email to The Independent. Ms Schall added that there is no current threat to public safety associated with this arrest.
More information will be released after the suspect makes his initial appearance before a Miami federal judge Monday afternoon.
Leaders of the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center thanked law enforcement in a statement posted to their Facebook page. They said they are working with security contractor to evaluate their security protocols.
We all share in the responsibility for our congregations and communitys security, the statement read. We urge you to always and immediately report any suspicious activity, persons or objects to synagogue staff or the police.
In other words, If You See Something, Say Something.
The Miami Herald says Mr Medina has had minor brushes with the law in the past. But in 2012, he was reportedly charged with aggravated stalking after repeatedly sending threatening texts to a south Florida family and their church. Despite a temporary order of protection, Mr Medina had sent the family at least 50 texts - one of which included a threat to bomb them and "rampage" the church.
Mr Medina was described as anti-Semitic by police officials following his Friday arrest.
Florida congresswoman and head of the chair of the Democratic National Committee Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who represents the southern district of the state, said that the thwarted attack is a harsh reminder of bigotry and violence.
As a community and a nation, she said, we must work together to confront this kind of hatred."
A state judge in the Brazilian state of Sergipe has ordered all mobile phone operators in the country to block Facebook-owned WhatsApp for 72 hours, nationwide. Those five telecom providers put the ban into effect today, and it affects about 100 million people. In Brazil, WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app.
No reason for the order was released, because of legal secrecy surrounding an ongoing case in the Sergipe state court.
WhatsApp today said the company is "disappointed at the decision" after doing its best to cooperate with this and other tribunals in Brazil. In those cases, the US-based technology company has been asked to provide user data to Brazilian authorities.
The Sergipe state decision to block WhatsApp "punishes more than 100 million users who depend upon us to communicate themselves, run their business and more, just to force us hand over information that we don't have," the statement said, without further elaboration.
At The Intercept, Glenn Greenwald predicts the move will reverberate far beyond Brazil, in the growing number of global conflicts between governments and the technology community around encryption, security, and privacy online. Greenwald is based in Brazil.
The ruling, issued on April 26, became public today when it was served on mobile service providers. It took effect at 2 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET); as of that time, people in Brazil who tried to use the service could not connect, nor could they send or receive any messages. Failure to comply will subject the service providers to a fine of 500,000 reals per day ($142,000 per day). WhatsApp is the most-used app in Brazil, a country of 200 million people (it is now owned by Facebook, the country's second-most used app). An estimated 91 percent of Brazilian mobile users nationwide more than 100 million individuals use WhatsApp to communicate with one another for free (it has 900 million active daily users around the world). Brazilians spent this morning, in the hours before the block took effect, frantically sending each other messages on WhatsApp warning that the service was going down for three days. This ruling comes from the same judge, Marcel Maia Montalvao, of a small town in Sergipe state, who two months ago ordered Facebook's vice president for Latin America, Diego Dzodan, to be detained over WhatsApp's failure to cooperate with a subpoena issued as part of a criminal investigation. The judge said the arrest was justified by Facebook's "repeatedly failing to comply with judicial orders" in a drug-trafficking case. Pursuant to that order, Dzodan was arrested by federal police and held in custody for a full day, until an appellate court overturned the order.
The Committee to Protect Journalists was one of a number of groups that condemned the ban.
"Journalists in Brazil regularly rely on WhatsApp for their reporting," CPJ said in a statement. "Blocking access to such a widely used platform is an overreach that violates the open nature of the Internet and disproportionally damages the free flow of information."
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
The first cruise ship to Cuba from a US port in almost 40 years has arrived at Havana harbour, launching a new era of commercial travel between the two countries after half a century of Cold War opposition.
The Adonia, which left Miami on Sunday en route for Havana with about 700 passengers onboard, was seen off amid both celebrations and protests.
We will never forget this day as we enter the city, said Captain David Box as the Adonia pulled into the harbour.
This is an awesome event for our travellers and crew, he added, citing the historical significance of the voyage.
Restarting the cruises was part of President Barack Obama's hopes to increase tourism to Cuba after he visited the country in a bid to restore diplomatic relations providing opportunity for economic growth to the island nation. US cruises to Cuba could generate some $80m of much-needed revenue for the Caribbean country, according to estimates from the US-Cuba Trade and Economic Council.
The historic cruise also comes after Cuba loosened its policy banning Cuban-born people from arriving to the country by sea a prohibition first put in place when Cuban exiles used to launch attacks from the water following the Cuban revolution.
Arnold Donald, the of Carnival, the cruise firm of the Adonia, said it was a poignant moment for many.
"Times of change often bring out emotions and clearly the histories here are very emotional for a number of people," he said.
Yet a boat carrying activists protesting against the cruise set sail, reportedly from nearby waters in Florida, before the ship's departure on Sunday.
They were carrying signs addressed to Raul Castro, the country's President, saying "Castro why do you ask Cubans for a Visa to visit their own country?" in reference to travel restrictions on residents.
Many Cubans have left their country for the US, lured in part by a policy specific to Cubans that they will be granted residency if they reach its shores.
Pictures of everyday life in Cuba Show all 20 1 /20 Pictures of everyday life in Cuba Pictures of everyday life in Cuba A man rides his modified bicycle past a vintage American car in Havana Getty Images Pictures of everyday life in Cuba A taxi sits parked by Ancon Beach waiting for returning bathers in Trinidad Getty Images Pictures of everyday life in Cuba Afrocuban carnival group "Los componedores de batea" performing in the streets of La Habana Vieja Rex Pictures of everyday life in Cuba Pastel colours for an ice-cream place and a vintage American car in Cienfuegos after sunset Rex Pictures of everyday life in Cuba A man on the phone in a bookshop in Old Havana (Habana Vieja) selling books and displaying propaganda poster of the Cuban Revolution Rex Pictures of everyday life in Cuba Street Musicians in Santiago De Cuba Rex Pictures of everyday life in Cuba A man works to repair his classic American car after it broke down along the Prado, a wide avenue that runs from Parque Central to the Malecon seafront highway, in Havana Getty Images Pictures of everyday life in Cuba Members of the 'Ladies in White,' a group founded by the partners and relatives of jailed dissidents that regularly protests against the Cuban government, demonstrate on the streets of Havana Getty Images Pictures of everyday life in Cuba Street vegetables vendor in Havana Getty Images Pictures of everyday life in Cuba The sun setting through the palm trees and creates long shadows on the pool deck at this resort in Cuba Varadero Rex Pictures of everyday life in Cuba General view of a street in Havana Getty Images Pictures of everyday life in Cuba A girls plays on a street in Havana Getty Images Pictures of everyday life in Cuba Girls walk past graffiti art along the Paseo de Marti, the wide boulevard that runs through the heart of the historic Old Havana neighborhood in Havana Getty Images Pictures of everyday life in Cuba A woman smokes her Havana cigar Getty Images Pictures of everyday life in Cuba A man harvests tobacco leaves for drying at a tobacco drying house on a co-op plantation in Pinar del Rio Getty Images Pictures of everyday life in Cuba Men play chess on a street in Havana Getty Images Pictures of everyday life in Cuba Locals take part in a gay parade in Havana Getty Images Pictures of everyday life in Cuba Scene of the Memories Paraiso Azul resort in Santa Maria Key Getty Images Pictures of everyday life in Cuba Beach on the Bay of Pigs, Zapata Peninsula Pictures of everyday life in Cuba Divers swimming above coral reef in Caribbean Sea Rex
The 704-passenger ship will also visit the ports of Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba on the seven-day trip, which is the first of its kind since 1978. It is expected to arrive in Havana on 9 May.
The cruise is among the many changes in US-Cuban relations since a thaw between the former Cold War foes began in late 2014. It follows years of strained relations involving US intervention in the country and Fidel Castro's communist reforms beginning in 1959.
Since then, his brother Raul has eased restrictions on Cubans wishing to leave the country, although some still exist.
Mary Olive Reinhart, a retired parks service ranger, told the Miami Herald that she and some friends from Philadelphia were drawn to the voyage by the sense of adventure.
"It's exciting to go places where we're forbidden. For me, I want to be at home in the world the whole world," she said.
Additional reporting from Press Association and Miami Sun-Sentinal
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Tom Angel, a top official with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, resigned on Sunday after after he was caught sharing racist emails at his previous job.
Angel served as the chief of staff for Sheriff Jim McDonnell since 2014, and forwarded emails that contained stereotypes offensive to women, Muslims, blacks and Latinos while working as the number two official at the Burbank Police Department in 2012 and 2013.
"I took my Biology exam last Friday," one of the forwarded emails reads, "I was asked to name two things commonly found in cells. Apparently 'Blacks' and 'Mexicans' were NOT the correct answers.
Several emails attempted to justify the racial profiling of Muslims as terrorism suspects, the Los Angeles Times reports, and listed 20 reasons Muslim Terrorists are so quick to commit suicide.
Sheriff McDonnell accepted Angels resignation on Sunday, calling the revelation deeply disturbing.
Despite the Sheriffs Departments many recent efforts to fortify public trust and enhance internal and external accountability and transparency, this incident reminds us that we and other law enforcement agencies still have work to do, McDonnell said in a statement. I intend to turn this situation into a learning opportunity for all LASD personnel.
Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, previously called for Sheriff McDonnell to force Angels resignation after the racist, Islamophobic and misogynistic emails came to light.
"Sheriff Jim McDonnell has a reputation for building bridges across all of Los Angeles communities, Al-Marayati said in a statement. Holding Mr. Angel accountable for his actions by demonstrating a zero tolerance policy for hate and bigotry is critical for the LA Sheriffs Department to maintain public trust, especially in the face of the growing climate of bigotry and racism we are witnessing across the country.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, criticized Sheriff McDonnell for waiting to act until public criticism grew against Angel.
Youre not doing anything if your initial reaction is, 'Thats horrible, thats terrible, but theres nothing I can do or nothing I intend to do,' Hutchinson told the LA Times. This is your department. You are the man at the top, you set the direction, the tempo, the climate for the department. If you don t take action, what youre saying is the department doesnt care.
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Donald Trump never fails to take an opportunity to rail against the Obama administration or the deals it cuts with other nations.
But his language reached a new level over the weekend when he accused China of raping the United States through its trade policy.
Campaigning in Indiana ahead of a primary contest on Tuesday, he told supporters that China was responsible for the greatest theft in the history of the world. He said its manipulation of its currency to make its exports cheaper, was damaging American workers and businesses.
Mr Trump was speaking in Fort Wayne (AP)
We cant continue to allow China to rape our country, and that's what we're doing, he told the campaign rally on Sunday.
Were going to turn it around, and we have the cards, don't forget it. We have a lot of power with China.
Speaking in Fort Wayne, Mr Trump said he was not angry at China, but with US leaders who he said were grossly incompetent.
Mr Trump, in his campaign manifesto, has pledged to cut a better deal with China that helps American businesses and workers compete.
He set out four goals that include immediately declaring China a currency manipulator and putting an end to China's illegal export subsidies and lax labour and environmental standards.
Latest figures from the US government show the trade deficit with China reached an all-time high of $365.7bn ast year. By February this year, it had already reached $57bn, the BBC reported.
There was no immediate response from Beijing to Mr Trumps comments.
Ted Cruz has said he has to win in Indiana (Gabrielle Lurie/Getty)
Last week, the US Treasury placed China and others on a currency watchlist, after pressure on the US government to be more robust in combating any currency manipulation by trading partners.
The Treasury stated that none of its large trading partners had engaged in currency manipulation in the past year, but indicated it was concerned about growing imbalances with some of those partners, including China.
Mr Trumps use of the rape analogy come as Trump is under fire for remarks he made about Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton that critics have said were sexist and for boasting about the endorsement of boxer Mike Tyson, who was convicted of rape in Indiana.
This is the first time Mr Trump has used the word rape in the context of China and trade, but his campaign for the Republican Party's presidential nomination has been punctuated by inflammatory comments. He was confronted by hundreds of protesters in California on Friday before giving a speech to the state's Republican convention. Mr Trump was forced to enter the building by the back entrance.
Protesters were angry at his views on immigration: he has advocated building a border wall with Mexico, and has also referred to Mexicans as rapists and murderers and criminals responsible for bringing illegal drugs into the US.
Polls suggest Mr Trump is several points ahead of his nearest rival, Ted Cruz, in Tuesday's primary. Mr Trump has said - and Mr Cruz has effectively concded - that the Republican race is over, if he wins here.
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
It has become his catchphrase, a slogan that glides from his lips, and which adorns the red caps worn by his supporters - "Make America great Again".
On the eve of the primary contest in Indiana, an election the polls suggest could hand him a decisive victory, Donald Trump was hitting the line again.
We are so embarrassing, he told an audience of cheering supporters in Carmel, north of Indianapolis, denouncing the Obama administration.
Mr Trump said the 'race was over' if he wins Indiana (AP)
We are going to make our country so great again. We are not going to be embarrassed again.
One thing the New York tycoon has never made clear is when, precisely, he believed his country was truly great, a paradise that he alone can restore. Was it in the 1970s when he was making a name for himself as a playboy and celebrity, in the 1980s when he established casinos in Atlantic City that would eventually go bust, or in the 1990s when he married his second wife, Marla Maples, and divorced his first, Ivana?
On Monday evening, speaking with no small energy inside the ornate Palladium at the Centre for the Performing Arts, he offered a few clues. He condemned a situation in which American jobs had been allowed to leave America for countries such as China, Mexico and India, and he vowed to bring them back.
He also promised he would enact an overhaul in the USs military prowess. Decisions - such as the US's withdrawal from Iraq - would not be announced in advance, and certainly not to the enemy, he said. We have to be unpredictable, especially when it comes to the military.
And he said the days of making deals with the likes of Iran were over. Were going to take care of people, but its America first now, he said, to more roars and applause.
Those gathered to see him, and those unable get inside the 1,600-seat performance centre and listening outside on speakers, said they believed Mr Trump was the only candidate ready to shake things up. He was an outsider, they insisted, and it needed an outsider to shake up the politics-as-usual that had engulfed America.
I made my mind up to support him six months ago, said Doug Schaeffer, a financial trader. I lost a good friend because of my decision to support him. Hes a liberal.
And when, in Mr Schaeffers opinion, was America last great, and why?
It ended with Obamas first term in office. He has been a disaster for the country, he said.
Pamela Sasse said she thought Mr Trump would be like Ronald Reagan (Andrew Buncombe ) (Andrew Buncombe)
Janet Logan said she believed the US had last been a great nation during the two terms of Ronald Reagan. The economy was good, the military was strong and America was looked up to, she said. Now we give it all away.
Walter Maruin, a retired software engineer who had driven almost four hours from Kentucky to see Mr Trump, said America had changed after World War II, but that it had really suffered during the 1990s.
Russ Beale, 63, said he believed America had been great in the 1960s but that it had changed during the administration of Lyndon Johnson, who served from 1963 to 1969 and who introduced the so-called war on poverty. We spent millions and what did we do? he said.
Pamela Sasse, an optician from Indianapolis, said she was also someone who believed the Reagan years represented the good times. He brought things around, she said. And I think that Trump is going to be the same.
Her friend, Peggy Yoerger, a retired teacher, said she also admired the way George W Bush, had sought to rally the country after the attacks of 9/11.
He did a good job. He stood up for what he believed in, she said.
Mr Trump oozed confidence and he missed no opportunity to take a dig at Senator Ted Cruz, who is trailing the tycoon by several points. He said Mr Cruz could not stop lying about him, and he mocked his way of speaking.
Why is everything like Shakespeare, he said, to loud laughs.
Mr Cruz is desperately trying to stop Mr Trump securing the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the nomination ahead of the partys convention in July. Mr Trump currently stands on 996, more than 400 clear of Mr Cruz on 565. Mr Trump will not be able to pass that total until the final primary, California, in June.
But most observers believe that Indiana, with its haul of 57 delegates, is the last chance for Mr Cruz to stop Mr Trump. If the 69-year-old wins here on Tuesday, most experts believe he is almost certain of securing the nomination.
Mr Trump certainly believes so. If we win Indiana its all over, he declared on Monday night. We have a very easy path.
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Heidi Cruz has endured more than a few challenges as her husband has run for the White House.
First, Donald Trump retweeted an unflattering photograph of her alongside a glamorous shot of his former model wife. Then there was the insult of tabloid allegations - loudly denied - that her husband of 15 years had engaged in extra marital affairs. And just last week, there was fresh indignity when the former Speaker of the House, likened her husband to the devil.
If any of this gets to her, she has not let it show, as she campaigns across Indiana, sometimes at his side, and sometimes in the company of Mr Cruzs newly-minted running mate, Carly Fiorina.
Mr Cruz has said he is determined to stop Mr Trump (Gabrielle Lurie/Getty)
On Sunday night, Ms Cruz and Ms Fiorina were shaking hands and trying to win hearts at the Almost Home restaurant in the town of Greencastle, an hour from Indianapolis.
I can personalise Ted, and talk about him as a husband and a parent, she told The Independent, when asked what she believed she brought to the campaign trail. People like a principled president.
She claimed people had been responding strongly to the the message she was pitching - that the Texas senator would deliver on jobs, conservative values and national security. He will also unite our party, she said.
Mr Cruz needs all the help he can get as he battles to beat Mr Trump, the Republican frontrunner, in Indianas primary election on Tuesday. The senator has admitted to supporters that it is vital he win, if he is to succeed in stopping the New York tycoon from securing the nomination ahead of the partys convention in July.
Most polls suggest he is trailing Mr Trump by four of five points, despite his campaign securing an agreement from Ohio Governor John Kasich not to campaign here.
Ms Cruz and Ms Fiorina spoke to supporters in the town of Greencastle (Andrew Buncombe ) (Andrew Buncombe)
I cant emphasise enough how important the vote in Indiana is going to be and, frankly, it could be the deciding factor, he wrote last week.
Make no mistake, Indiana is absolutely pivotal. The bad news is that if Trump wins all the delegates in Indiana, his nomination could be all but determined.
Ms Cruz and Ms Fiorina both spoke in front of a colourful quilt hanging from the wall of the restaurant, and a modest, nodding crowd. Ms Cruz said her husband had proved he was a man of word.
We need a president who is running on a mandate from you, she said. The current president is running against you. If we have a president running on a mandate from you, we will be able to get things done.
Mr Cruz is a devout Christian who has been seeking to reach out to Indianas social conservatives. One of the ways he has tried to do this is by making an issue of controversy raging in several states as to whether transgender people should be able to use the toilet designated for the gender of their birth, rather than how they identify.
A number of states have passed laws on this issue. Mr Cruz has been telling voters he supports the measures and is seeking to contrast himself with Mr Trump. (As it was, the Almost Home restaurant only had a single lavatory, to be used by everyone.)
Mr Cruz has said he must win Indiana if he is to stop Donald Trump (Andrew Buncombe ) (Andrew Buncombe)
Ms Fiorina, who Mr Cruz announced as his vice presidential choice only last week, said the senator was someone people could trust. She said he would simplify the tax code, get rid of red tape and delegate more power to individual states.
We need a president who is thoughtful, not someone who spends all day on their Twitter feed, she said, delivering a jab at the frequently tweeting Mr Trump.
Donald Trump invested in Hillary Clintons campaign seven times. Guess what folks - you cant count on him. He wont challenge the system because he is the system.
Jack Billman, 81, a retired airline captain and the chair of a local chapter of the Tea Party, sat and listened and approved of what the two women said.
We dont need an establishment Republican, he said. He said Mr Cruz would protect both free speech and gun rights, which he said were enshrined by the first and second amendments to the US constitution. He is a principled man, he added.
Keith and Susan Parsons said they were also going to vote for Mr Cruz.
They said there were some things they admired about Mr Trump, but they were not certain he was a genuine conservative.
Mr Parsons, a business analyst, said: [Mr Cruz] is very conservative when it comes to keeping the constitution and maintaining our freedoms.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
The consequences of the Zika virus could be far worse than previously thought, with microcephaly in newborns merely the most immediately visible effect, scientists in the US and Brazil have said. The mosquito-borne virus, which began a major outbreak in Brazil last year, may be responsible for birth defects and other harmful neurological conditions in the babies of more than 20 per cent of infected pregnant women.
The medical community agrees a Zika infection during pregnancy can lead to microcephaly, which restricts brain development in babies, causing them to be born with unusually small heads. The condition is estimated to affect the children of 1 per cent of pregnant women with Zika. The virus has also been linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare and potentially fatal disorder that causes the immune system to attack the nerve system, leading to paralysis.
But a study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 29 per cent of pre-natal scans of women infected with Zika showed abnormalities in the womb, a result its authors described as worrisome. On Sunday, at a meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Baltimore, Dr Sonja Rasmussen from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said: The microcephaly and other birth defects we have been seeing could be the tip of the iceberg.
Meanwhile, doctors in Brazil have said around a fifth of pregnancies affected by Zika result in some form of brain damage to the child. The country has already seen at least 2,844 cases of the virus in pregnant women, but infection rates in some regions have been hindered by health education efforts. Experts have said the epidemic is likely to have abated in Rio de Janeiro by the time the Olympics are held in the city in August, in the depths of Brazils winter.
Much is still unknown about the long-term consequences of Zika infection. One Rio doctor told the BBC he had seen an increase in several neurological conditions in babies, including ventriculomegaly, damage of the posterior fossa, craniocynostosis and cerebral calcification. Dr Renato Sa, an obstetrician, said the conditions were difficult to spot in newborns and often became evident later in a childs development, with convulsions or other tell-tale signs.
Newborns with microcephaly act similarly to other infants, but go on to develop learning, vision, hearing and/or physical disabilities. The condition has no cure. We really dont know what will happen with these kids long-term, Dr Rasmussen told NBC News.
Scientists in several countries including the US, Brazil and France are working on almost two dozen different projects to develop a Zika vaccine. Meanwhile, areas of southern Europe and the US are being told to prepare for the possibility of outbreaks during the warm summer months, when Zika-transmitting mosquitoes could arrive in US states such as Florida, and Mediterranean countries including Spain, Italy and Greece.
Last week a 70-year-old man in Puerto Rico died from complications due to Zika, the first US death caused by the virus. Almost 700 people in the island territory have been found to have traces of the infection. So far there have been no cases of infection from local mosquito bites on the mainland US, but more than 400 people have been infected abroad and diagnosed upon their return to the country. Congress is currently considering a $2bn (1.4bn) emergency funding package to tackle the disease.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Weddings and funerals have been banned and Pyongyang is in lockdown as preparations for a once-in-a-generation party congress get underway in North Korea.
The ruling Workers Party of Korea, headed by the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, is due to stage the first gathering of its kind for 36 years on Friday.
Free movement in and out of the capital has also been forbidden and there has been an increase in inspections and property searches, according to Daily NK, which claims to have sources in the country.
Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Show all 30 1 /30 Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Farmer works in a field Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Women soldier walk on the street Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A female soldier guards railway Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A general view of platform of Pyongyang Railway Station Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Students stage a protest against South Korea and the US in Pyongyang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Students rehearsal for celebrating the 70th birthday of Workers' Party of Korea Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone People enjoy the cool at the carriage door Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A general view of countryside Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Korean People's Army soldier rest on the rail 2015 Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A little boy begs food on the platform in Hamhung Railway Station in Hamhung 2015 Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Children swim in a river in noon Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone People cross a railway crossing 2015 Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A boy collects corn cob beside a railway Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A customs officer is seen on the train No.100 from Moscow to Pyongyang at Tumangang railway station in Tumangang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A customs officer checks a passenger's mobile device on the train to Pyongyang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A railway station in Tumangang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A general view of the railway station in Tumangang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Kids pass by Tumanggang railway station in Tumanggang 2015 Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A general view of Tumangang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A general view of Tumangang - a small town located at North Korea and Russia border Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A train carriage on it's way to Pyongyang is delayed for a day and half due to military transportation in Tumangang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A customs officers talks to a passenger at Tumanggang railway station in Tumanggang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A little girl walks on the street in Tumanggang 2015 Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone An elderly man is seen in Tumangang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Kids go to school in morning in Tumangang 2015 Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone
The temporary measures are said to be an attempt to minimise the risk of mishaps at the event, according to Cheong Joon-hee, a spokesman at South Koreas Unification Ministry.
The last party congress was held in 1980, during which Kim Jong-uns father - Kim Jong-il - was confirmed as the successor to the states founder, Kim Il-sung.
Kim, 33, who is already the countrys supreme leader, is expected to use the congress to cement his leadership, declare North Korea a nuclear state and outline his vision for the nations economic and military future.
The partys official newspaper, said: The [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] proudly joined the ranks of advanced nuclear and space powers while demonstrating the might of the invincible politico-ideological, military and youth power and is now dashing ahead toward to a socialist economic power and highly civilised nation.
In March, the UN Security Council approved its toughest sanctions yet on the nation, with an aim to withhold funds being used to finance the states nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, following a series of military tests this year.
The sanctions have added to the socialist dynastys economic turmoil. Following the vote, US ambassador Samantha Power explained, Virtually all of the DPRK's resources are channelled into its reckless and relentless pursuit of weapons of mass destruction.
Speaking in New York ahead of a UN climate change conference, North Koreas foreign minister Ri Su-yong told reporters the economy remained at the forefront of the congress.
He said: One of the most important things through this party congress is to show to the entire world the union of our people. I'm sure our country will be even more vibrant after the party congress to build up a more prosperous and powerful, economically sound nation.
The first thing is to advance the pace of economic building for a powerful nation. The second is to improve the people's living standards and to find the best, optimum ways to improve the people's living standards under these circumstances, and the third, to strengthen our national defence capabilities.
The real source of power in our country isn't nuclear weapons or any other military means, but the single-minded unity of the people and the leader. This power of unity we have is the real source of power that leads our country into victory."
North Korea propaganda video depicts imagined attack on Washington
The congress is likely to last four or five days.
It follows a 70-day loyalty drive which has seen members of the countrys workforce put in extra hours to increase productivity and show their devotion to the leader and the Workers Party of Korea.
Reuters and AP contributed to this report.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Mothers from an Indian tribe who revere the natural world as part of their religion have explained why they breastfeed deer alongside their children.
The Bishnoi religious group in the northern state of Rajasthan place a strong emphasis on the importance of protecting nature and treat deer, such as black bucks, as sacred animals.
Orphaned or injured fawns are taken in by women who are breastfeeding infants and nursed to health as part of their religious duty to protect animals.
"They are not orphans when they have us around, they have new mothers like me who offer them a mother's feed for a healthy life," Roshini Bishnoi told the MailOnline.
A woman who follows the Bishnois religion in Rajasthan nurses an orphaned fawn (YouTube)
The Bishnois religion, which is more than 500 years old and has about one million followers, was founded by Guru Jambheshwar who preached the worship of Hindu god Lord Vishnu and said divine power existed in all creatures equally.
One of the religion's most important tenets is "praan daya", which equates to compassion for all living things.
They also set up a conservation group, the Bishnoi Tiger Force, which has reportedly been instrumental in preventing poachers from killing animals in the region.
Ms Bishnoi added: "I have grown up with these little deers.
Critically endangered species Show all 10 1 /10 Critically endangered species Critically endangered species Yangtze Finless Porpoise There are as few as 1,000 of this highly intelligent dolphin from the Chinese river of Yangtze. Wikmedia Critically endangered species Cross River Gorilla There are around 200-300 left in the wild. Wikmedia Critically endangered species The Amur Leopard There are only around 30 left, exclusively in the Russian Far East. Wikmedia Critically endangered species Black Rhino Improving numbers, but with fewer than 5,000 left in central Africa, it is critically endangered. Wikmedia Critically endangered species Hawskbill Sea Turtle Mostly threatened by wildlife trade; their shells highly valued. Wikmedia Critically endangered species Javan Rhino The most threatened rhino species - there are as few as 35 in Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia. Wikmedia Critically endangered species Leatherback Turtle Having lost many of its habitable beaches, and impacted by fishing operations, this seaturtle is considered by WWF to be 'critically endangered'. Wikmedia Critically endangered species South China Tiger It is believed to be 'functionally extinct', with none of the species left in the wild. Wikmedia Critically endangered species Sumatran Elephant There are between 2,400 - 2,800 of this elephant native to Borneo and Sumatra. Wikmedia Critically endangered species Sumatran Orangutan There are an est. 7,300 but the gradual deforestation of their Sumatran habitat may threaten further. Wikmedia
"It is our responsibility to keep them healthy and help them grow."
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
An executive of British-based firm Reckitt Benckiser has been slapped by a protester as he offered a public apology for selling a deadly disinfectant that killed at least 100 people in South Korea.
Ataur Safdar, head of Reckitt Benckiser Korea and Japan, was shouted at and physically attacked during a news conference at a Seoul hotel, which marked the first public acceptance of responsibility by the firm for its role in selling the disinfectant, called Oxy Ssak Ssak.
Reckitt Benckiser was ordered to withdraw its product from the market in 2011 after South Korean authorities suggested a link between chemicals in the disinfectant used to sterilise home humidifiers and lung conditions.
The company has promised to compensate all those who died as well as hundreds of others injured, setting up a multimillion dollar "humanitarian fund" last month. Many of the victims were children and pregnant women.
The company had previously been condemned for refusing to take responsibility.
Mr Safdar said the company now accepted responsibility and wanted to make amends.
Today's apology was about acceptance of responsibility for the harm that Oxy HS [humidifier sterilizers)] has caused," said Mr Safdar.
Atar Safdar, the head of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser Korea, bows during a press conference at a hotel in Seoul (AFP)
"This is the first time we are accepting the fullest responsibility, and we are offering a complete and full apology.
"We were late, five years have passed, we are also apologising far too late. This is what we are apologising about."
During his speech a man stepped on stage, shouting and slapping Mr Safdar on the back of the neck.
"This is heartbreaking," Mr Safdar said. "I apologise again. I would request that I am allowed to finish my statement, please."
In response, another man who took to the stage shouted: "It's too late.
Another protestor approached the stage wearing a green oxygen tank.
In a press conference outside the prosecutors' office, victims and campaigners lined up the products made by Reckitt Benckiser and asked the public to boycott them.
The apology came as South Korean prosecutors investigate Reckitt Benckiser and around a dozen other companies for selling or manufacturing unsafe disinfectants.
Around 500 people are believed to have died or been injured after coming into contact with the toxic chemicals used in humidifier disinfectants manufactured and sold in South Korea between 2001 and 2011.
South Korea is understood to be the only country where the products were sold, according to a government official.
Civic groups representing the victims said they planned to file a complaint against Rakesh Kapoor, the British company's chief executive officer, and the company's seven other board members for failing to conduct safety tests before the disinfectant's launch in 2001 and until sales were discontinued in 2011.
The victims have already filed a complaint against 10 disinfectant manufacturers and 19 companies that sold the products.
An Australian court recently ordered Reckitt Benckiser to pay 1.7 million Australian dollars ($1.3 million) in penalties after ruling the company misled consumers about the effectiveness of a popular painkiller.
Reckitt Benckiser's global brands include Dettol antiseptic wash and Durex condoms.
Additional reporting by agencies
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
A widow has spent the past few years openly defying the Taliban's strict rules designed to control women's appearance and behaviour.
Gul Jima, a mother-of-six, has lived in South Waziristan in Pakistan for ten years after fleeing from her native Afghanistan.
But she seemingly refuses to obey the strict rules imposed by the Taliban rebels - who had control of the province between 2007 and 2009 - which forbid women from going out in public without a male relative and a burqa.
Ms Jima is spotted near every day sitting at a village market in Wacha Khawarah and telling stories about her past to anyone who stops to listen and give her some loose change, the Daily Pakistan reports.
This is despite the Taliban continuing its insurgency after being overthrown and repeatedly threatening women who do not obey their commands.
Men with Kalashnikovs patrol the streets but seem to pay no attention to the elderly woman sitting and telling her stories.
Some locals say she is mentally ill and call her names, but she is regarded as a lovable feature of the town.
Taliban attacks Kabul security compound - in pictures Show all 7 1 /7 Taliban attacks Kabul security compound - in pictures Taliban attacks Kabul security compound - in pictures Kabul attack An relative of one of the victims who was killed in a suicide bomb blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, 19 April 2016. (EPA) EPA Taliban attacks Kabul security compound - in pictures Kabul attack An injured girl is carried to safety following the blast in Kabul (EPA) EPA Taliban attacks Kabul security compound - in pictures Kabul attack A man stands inside his damaged shop near the scene of a bomb blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, 19 April 2016 (EPA) EPA Taliban attacks Kabul security compound - in pictures Kabul attack Afghan quick reaction forces arrive at the site of a suicide car bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan April 19, 2016 (Reuters) Reuters Taliban attacks Kabul security compound - in pictures Kabul attack Afghan security forces carry an injured security personnel after a suicide car bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan April 19, 2016. (Reuters) Reuters Taliban attacks Kabul security compound - in pictures Kabul attack Afghan security forces inspect the site of a Taliban-claimed attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 19, 2016. (AP) AP Taliban attacks Kabul security compound - in pictures Kabul attack Relatives and loved ones carry the coffin of a victim killed in the April 19 Taliban truck bomb attack, at a funeral in Kabul on April 20, 2016. (AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images
The Pakistan Express Tribune reports that people say she reminds them of a time before the Taliban arrived where women could move freely and work in the fields in peace.
Ms Jima lives in the region where education activist Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head for campaigning for young girls right to go to school in 2012.
The Taliban has blown up several schools across the Peshawar region including the massacre of 141 people, including 132 schoolchildren, at a military-run school in 2014.
She had been writing and campaigning on the importance of girls education in the Swat Valley since 2009 and was shot by Taliban insurgents while on a bus with her school friends.
After several months in intensive care in the UK, Ms Yousafzai recovered and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her work campaigning for girls education.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
The parents of a murdered six-year-old boy have been charged with his death, 19 years after he was declared missing.
Peter Kema Sr and Jaylin Kema have been arrested by Hawaii police and charged by a grand jury with second-degree murder.
Their son, "Peter Boy" Kema, disappeared from his Hawaii home in 1997 and while his body was never found, police had concluded he was murdered.
Peter Boy was not reported missing until January 1998, months after he was last seen alive.
His parents have denied wrongdoing.
In 2015, his younger sister Lina Acol called on her mother to "say something", Hawaii News Now reports.
She said: "Just come out already. It's time to come out.
"We all want to know what happened."
'Peter Boy' Kema went missing from his Hawaii home in 1997 and his body was never found (AP)
The parents of Peter Boy had long been suspects but prosecutors say they had not had enough evidence until now.
Hawaii County deputy Prosecutor Rick Damerville said the charges had been "a long time coming".
Peter Kema Sr., right, appears Friday, April 29, 2016, for arraignment in Hilo Circuit Court in Hilo, Hawaii (AP)
He added: "Peter Boy, this Sunday, would have been 25 years old.
"We'd like to thank the members of the community ... civilians that came forward over the years and helped move this case forward.
"Even the community didn't forget."
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
A second refugee has set herself on fire on the island of Nauru just days after the first died in hospital of his injuries from a similar incident.
The 21-year-old Somali woman, known as Hadon, is being treated for severe burns in a hospital on the island.
Last week, a 23-year-old Iranian refugee named Omid died in a Brisbane hospital after setting himself on fire crying: This is how tired we are, this action will prove how exhausted we are. I cannot take it anymore, during a visit by UN officials to the Nibok settlement where he was being held.
It comes amid an attempt by the Australian immigration to shift detainees out of mainland facilities. Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has said that no one who attempts to travel to Australia illegally by boat would be allowed to settle in the country.
Several sources on Nauru - which is an independent country but hosts several Australian immigration removal centres in exchange for aid - told Guardian Australia that she is currently being treated on the island by Australian trauma specialists.
The source said: The situation is much worse than Omid. Other refugees have asked for her to be transferred to the mainland for treatment.
Hadon is one of three detainees who were forcibly returned to Nauru last week after receiving medical care in Australia for injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident late last year.
In a statement the government of Nauru said it was distressed that refugees are attempting such dreadful acts in order to attempt to influence the Australian Governments immigration policies.
The island of Nauru where refugees are being increasily taken following a crackdown on the mainland (Getty Images)
It told ABC Australia: "These actions are purely and simply being taken because they believe that political protests will influence the Australian Government and possibly help them gain entry to Australia.
"The Government of Nauru calls on all who care about these people to work with us in sending the message to refugees on Nauru that such drastic actions will not work, and to refrain from such protests."
It comes as Australias immigration policy was struck by a major blow last week after Papua New Guineas supreme court ruled that the detention of more than 900 current and former refugees on Manus Island is illegal.
Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily.
The Papua New Guinean government has now said it will remove the refugees from the centres and could be liable to pay compensation to each detainee.
The spokeswoman for UNHCRs Regional Representation in Australia,Catherine Stubberfield, said there was no doubt that the current policy of offshore processing and prolonged detention is immensely harmful.
There are approximately 2,000 very vulnerable refugees and asylum-seekers on Manus Island and Nauru. These people have already been through a great deal, many have fled war and persecution, some have already suffered trauma. Despite commendable efforts by the Governments of Papua New Guinea and Nauru, arrangements in both countries have proved completely untenable.
She said the principal concern was to get refugees moved into more humane conditions with adequate support and services to prevent further unnecessary suffering.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Members of the anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD) have backed an election manifesto that says Islam is not compatible with the constitution and calls for a ban on minarets and the burqa.
Set up three years ago, the AfD has been buoyed by Europe's migrant crisis, which saw the arrival of more than one million, mostly Muslim migrants, in Germany last year. The party has no lawmakers in the federal parliament in Berlin but has members in half of Germany's 16 regional state assemblies.
Opinion polls give AfD support of up to 14 per cent, presenting a serious challenge to Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and other established parties ahead of the 2017 federal election. They rule out any coalition with the
.In a raucous debate on the second day of a party congress, many of the 2,000 members cheered calls from the podium for measures against "Islamic symbols of power" and jeered a plea for dialogue with Germany's Muslims.
"Islam is foreign to us and for that reason it cannot invoke the principle of religious freedom to the same degree as Christianity," said Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, an AfD lawmaker from the state of Saxony-Anhalt, to loud applause.
Merkel has said freedom of religion for all is guaranteed by Germany's constitution and has said on many occasions that Islam belongs to Germany.
Up to 2,000 left-wing demonstrators clashed with police on Saturday as they tried to break up the first full AfD conference. About 500 people were briefly detained and 10 police officers were lightly injured, a police spokesman said.
World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty
The chapter of the AfD manifesto concerning Muslims is entitled "Islam is not a part of Germany". The manifesto demands a ban to minarets - the towers of a mosque from where the call to Muslim prayer is made - and the burqa, the all-encompassing body garment worn by some conservative Muslim women.
Germany is home to nearly four million Muslims, about five percent of the total population. Many of the longer established Muslim community in Germany came from Turkey to find work, but those who have arrived over the past year have mostly been fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Last month the head of Germany's Central Council of Muslims likened the AfD's attitude towards his community to that of Adolf Hitler's Nazis towards the Jews.
Although the AfD aimed to broaden its political agenda during the congress, members hardly debated on domestic issues, such as taxation and social welfare.
The party's leadership has proposed the introduction of an income tax bracket system and the abolition of inheritance taxes, which experts say would benefit high earners.
The head of Germany's DGB confederation of trade unions, Reiner Hoffmann, sharply criticised the AfD's programme.
"Their alternatives are nothing but simple, dull and inconsistent," Hoffmann said in a speech at an DGB event in Stuttgart to mark Labour Day.
He said the AfD was not only conducting a hate campaign against refugees, but also aiming for a tax policy that was against the interests of workers.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
One of Frances most successful and decorated police detectives has gone on trial for allegedly sharing in the ill-gotten gains of the criminals who he was supposed to catch.
The long-awaited trial of Michel Neyret is expected to lift the veil on a long-standing but forbidden French police practice of paying off informers with parts of intercepted drugs shipments.
The 60-year-old, who has a style more akin to a TV or film detective, denies all charges. He admits making mistakes in getting too close to organised criminals but says that his sole ambition was to enforce the law.
In the course of a three week long trial in Paris, the prosecution will allege that ex-Commissioner Neyret accepted stays in luxury hotels in Morocco, Cannes and the Lyon area, expensive watches and 40,000 (31,000) worth of clothes.
He also, it will be alleged, opened a joint off-shore bank account with two convicted criminals to receive millions of euros obtained by defrauding the European system of carbon pollution taxes.
At the time of his arrest in 2011, Mr Neyret was deputy head of detectives in Lyon and reputed to be the best-informed policeman in France on the activities of drug traffickers and other organised criminals. In 2004, he was awarded the Legion dHonneur by Nicolas Sarkozy, then interior minister, for his exceptional service to the French state.
Mr Neyret is charged with corruption, associating with criminals, violating professional secrecy, receipt of stolen goods, drug-trafficking and money-laundering. His wife Nicole, 67, three other former police officers, a former lawyer and an alleged criminal are also appearing in court on related charges. A second alleged criminal is on the run.
The former detectives lawyer Gabriel Versini-Bullara, said: Michel Neyret was determined to go to the limit in gathering intelligence, to the point of teaming up with certain wrong-doers. His objective was to allow the police to make spectacular arrests of a kind that otherwise dont fall from the sky.
Mr Neyret is alleged, amongst other things, to have raided police stores of seized drugs to pay-off informants. He is also alleged to have allowed favoured criminals to keep part of intercepted drugs shipments in return for information on their associates.
The court will be told that this was a long-standing means used by police in France to pay off their tontons (literally uncles or snouts). The practice was officially banned in 2004 but the court is expected to hear evidence that it is still commonly used.
The prosecution will allege, however, that Mr Neyrets relationship with one convicted criminal, Gilles Benichou, went much further. According to the prosecution case, the detective accepted gifts and money from Mr Benichou in return for tip-offs on police activity and intervening to suppress minor prosecutions.
In a bugged phone conversation, whose transcript was leaked to Le Monde, Mr Neyrets, wife Nicole, was allegedly heard complaing to Mr Benichou that he had turned her husband rotten.
Ever since you started giving him money, hes not the same man, Nicole Neyret was allegedly recorded as saying. Hes blowing it all on champagne, on nights out. Please dont give him money, or he will go to the casinos and hand it to floozies. Youve turned Michel rotten. Now hes a bigger crook than any of you. Hes obsessed with dosh, dosh, dosh.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Producers of foie gras have said they will lose millions of euros as France introduces a three-month ban on production.
The measure, which has been prompted by a bird flu scare, means breeders in 18 departments in south west France will not be allowed to have any ducks or geese in their slaughterhouses until August.
Foie gras - or fattened duck or goose liver - is considered a delicacy by some but is denounced as cruel by animal rights campaigners due the practice of force-feeding.
Breeder Florence Lasserre told the France Info news channel that her gavage room - meaning the room where the birds are forced fed - was currently empty.
She said: "Usually it's full here, and it feels a bit lonely now, but the main thing is that the virus doesn't return."
A highly virulent strain of the H5N1 virus was identified at a chicken farm in Dordogne in November last year triggering an investigation by a watchdog.
H5N1 is highly lethal for birds but humans are typically only infected when they come into close contact with the animals.
Peta protesting against foie gras production in Paris in 2012 (Getty Images)
The Ministry of Agriculture has said it will compensate the breeders for their estimated 130m (102m) loss but a spokeswoman for the breeders federation, Cifog, said around 4,000 jobs could be lost.
Marie Pierre Pe told Le Figaro: "This interruption to our business will cause cash flow problems, additional wage costs linked to the temporary unemployment of around 4,000 workers, and fixed costs that will have to be paid despite us not having any income".
There will also be nine million fewer ducks on the market and the price of foie gras will inevitably go up, she added.
World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty
France produces around 75 per cent of the world supply of foie gras, exporting nearly 5,000 tonnes in 2014, the Local reports.
Force feeding - which involved put pipes down the throats of the birds - is illegal in many countries, including the UK, but legal in France.
Animal rights group, Peta, has called the practice cruel and said the birds livers can swell up to 10 times their nature size.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
A French man has told a labour tribunal that his former employer had "bored" him out of a job.
Frederic Desnard, 44, said that he had fallen ill in 2014 not because of burn out but because of bore out months of being given nothing to do at work.
He claimed that this was a deliberate strategy on the part of his employer to get rid of him while avoiding severance pay. He was seeking 150,000 (117,600) in damages from Interparfums, a company which markets luxury perfumes under leading fashion brand names. Mr Desnard was also claiming compensation for missed pay, which included holiday pay - bringing the total claim to around 360,000 (282,000).
Mr Desnard told Agence France Presse that he had been shoved in a back room and suffered a descent into hell, a nightmare after the company lost a big contract and needed to restructure.
After working for the company for eight years as logistics manager, he found himself ostracised, he said. I was given no more work to doMy friends became my enemies. People were only concerned about saving their own jobs.
As a result of this treatment, he claimed, he suffered serious health problems including an ulcer, depression and insomnia. After seven months sick leave, he was fired without compensation.
I was depressed. I was ashamed because I was doing nothing, he said.
His lawyer, Montasser Charni, said: Frederic Desnard was clearly the victim of a deliberate side-lining by his former employer with one sole objective: to be able to fire him without having to pay compensation.
The company rejected the allegations. It pointed out that in December 2015 a court had ruled against Mr Desnard for defaming the company, with Mr Desnard judged by the court to have a personal animosity towards Interparfums.
Initially, the company claimed, Mr Desnard had brought a case for burn out but then switched to bore out.
Under French law, deliberate side-lining and silent treatment of an employee or placardisation (putting into a cuboard) is regarded as a form of bullying.
Judgement was delayed.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
The German government is reconsidering its support for Israel due to growing frustrations over the country's construction of settlements in occupied territories, it has been reported.
Advisors to Chancellor Angela Merkel were furious about an article published in Israel following a meeting in Berlin in February between the German leader and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to German magazine Der Spiegel.
The article, which appeared in pro-Netanyahu newspaper Israel Hayom, had the headline Merkel: Now is not the time for 2-state solution, which the advisors felt had twisted the Chancellors words to suggest she agreed with Mr Netanyahus policies.
Instead, advisors said Mrs Merkel had actually reiterated her belief that a peaceful coexistence was ultimately built on a two-state solution.
The Chancellor has always maintained the building of Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian territory is counterproductive to establishing a peaceful and lasting two-state solution in the region.
And senior government officials in Germany are now said to be less inclined to continue the country's unconditional support of Israel, according to Der Spiegel.
They are increasingly concerned Mr Netanyahu is exploiting Germanys friendship with Israel for his own political gains and are becoming sceptical of the relationship, the magazine said.
A German government official sought to dismiss the report, saying: The guidelines of German Middle East policy have not changed.
Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Show all 20 1 /20 Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau The main gate entering the Nazi Auschwitz death camp Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau A warning sign is seen in front of a watch tower of the former Auschwitz concentration camp held by the Nazis in Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Visitors walk between barbed wire fences at the Auschwitz Nazi death camp in Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Guard towers and barbed wire fences stand at the former Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on the night prior to commemoration events marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the camp on 26 January 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Holocaust survivor Mordechai Ronen (C) from the US is comforted by his son as he is overcome by emotion standing next to President of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder (2nd R) as he arrives at the former Auschwitz concentration camp in Oswiecim on 26 January 2015 Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Auschwitz and Belsen concentration camp survivor Eva Behar shows her number tattoo in her home in London Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau A wall with historic photos is pictured at the memorial site of the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau A general view of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau The 'wall of death' at the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau General view of wooden bunks inside a destroyed barracks at the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau near Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau View of the barracks of the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau View of the barracks of the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Empty Zyklon B canisters are displayed at the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Prosthetic limbs confiscated from Auschwitz prisoners lie in an exhibtion display at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp, which today is a museum, in Oswiecim, Poland Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Eyeglasses confiscated from Auschwitz prisoners lie in an exhibtion display at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp, which today is a museum, in Oswiecim, Poland Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Children's shoes confiscated from Auschwitz prisoners lie in an exhibtion display at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp, which today is a museum, in Oswiecim, Poland Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Suitcases confiscated from Auschwitz prisoners Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Enamel bowls used by Auschwitz prisoners Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Visitor are seen walking behind barbed-wire fences at the memorial site of the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau A cargo wagon is parked at the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau near Oswiecim
An Israeli official also responded to the claims, telling Israel Hayom: The relationship between Israel and Germany is strong and good, and remains that way.
It seems that these comments are an internal German effort to take a swipe at Merkel's close relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu."
Norbert Roerrgen, a member of Mrs Merkels Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and chair of the Bundestags (parliament's) Foreign Affairs Committee, told Der Spiegel: Israel's current policies are not contributing to the country remaining Jewish and democratic. We must express this concern more clearly to Israel.
Meanwhile, a member of the Socialist Democrats - the CDUs junior coalition partner Rolf Muetzenich, told the publication: The perception has been growing in the German government that Netanyahu is instrumentalising our friendship.
In the past Mrs Merkel has spoken about a special obligation to support Israel. The European country has felt duty bound to support the Middle Eastern state due to Nazi Germanys murder of six million Jews in the Holocaust during Second World War.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Pope Francis has used his weekly Sunday message to denounce paedophilia, following the emergence of new details surrounding the alleged rape and murder of an Italian girl in 2014.
This is a tragedy. We should not tolerate the abuse of minors, said Pope Francis, in his message and blessing to St Peters Square.
We must protect our minors and severely punish abusers.
The Popes comments followed new revelations in the case of a six-year-old girl who died in June 2014, after allegedly being thrown from an eighth-story balcony in Naples.
A 43-year-old man is being held in a prison in Rome charged with throwing the girl from a housing block in a deprived area of the city after raping her, following a re-opening of the case. He has denied the charges.
Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Live and let live.' GETTY IMAGES Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Proceed calmly" in life' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Be giving of yourself to others' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Even though many parents work long hours, they must set aside time to play with their children' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Sunday is for family' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Respect and take care of nature' OSSERVATORE ROMANO/AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Stop being negative' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: Respect others' beliefs' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive' FP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness AFP/Getty Images
The case has dominated Italian media coverage in recent days and on Saturday, Italian President Sergio Mattarella called for an ample, rapid and severe judicial process during the case.
For decades, the Catholic Church has been shaken by its own abuse scandals and has been reluctant to admit culpability in the widespread abuse by priests in its orders.
Scandals have been discovered around the world and tens of millions of dollars have been paid in compensation.
The film Spotlight, which won the 2016 Oscar for Best Picture, focuses on the investigation by journalists at the Boston Globe in 2002, which exposed a cover up of sexual abuse by local church authorities.
The Pope has vowed a zero tolerance for abusers in the Church, however victims groups have accused him of not doing enough.
In March, Cardinal George Pell, the Vaticans treasurer and the highest-ranking official called the violation of more than 50 children by one priest a subject that wasnt of much interest to him, while testifying in an Australian inquiry into historic child abuse within the clergy.
The Australian Cardinal was a priest in the city of Ballarat in the early 1970s and was questioned on his knowledge of widespread sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy in the area over a period of decades.
Additional reporting by Reuters
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Hundreds of leaked pages from the controversial Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) show that the deal could be about to collapse, according to campaigners.
The huge leak which gives the first full insight into the negotiations shows that the relationship between Europe and the US are weaker than had been thought and that major divisions remain on some of the agreements most central provisions.
The talks have been held almost entirely in secret, and most information that is known in public has come out from unofficial leaks. But the new pages, leaked by Greenpeace, represent the first major look at how the highly confidential talks are progressing.
The leaks could be enough to destabilise the deal completely, according to campaigners who have claimed that the agreement couldn't survive the leaks.
UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2022 Number 12 Company Irish Guards at Wellington Barracks, central London, before commencing their first Guard Mount at Buckingham Palace PA
"Now that we can see the actual texts, the EU negotiators have nowhere left to hide," John Hilary, the executive director of War on Want, told The Independent. "The gloves are off, and they know they are in for a proper fight."
They indicate that the US is looking strongly to change regulation in Europe to lessen the protections on the environment, consumer rights and other positions that the EU affords to its citizens. Representatives for each side appear to have found that they have run into irreconcilable differences that could undermine the signing of the landmark and highly controversial trade deal, campaigners say.
For instance, the papers show that the US is looking to weaken the EUs precautionary principle that governs how potentially harmful products are sold, Greenpeace says. The US has much weaker regulation that aims to minimise rather than avoid risks, and that same less strict regime could come to the UK and Europe under the deal.
What is TTIP?
If the EU made further changes to similar regulations, it would have to inform the US and corporations based there, according to the documents. American companies would then be able to have the same input into EU regulation as European ones do.
There are also notable missing parts of the agreement. None of the texts includes any reference to the global effort to cut CO2 emissions agreed in Paris last year, according to Greenpeace, despite a commitment from the European Commission that it would make environmental sustainability a key part of any deal.
Those who support TTIP argue that it represents an important step that will allow the US and EU to work together more closely and that it will support business in both regions. But parts of the deal and the secrecy that surrounds it have led campaigners to argue that it could include dangerous changes to the consumer protections that are guaranteed by the EU.
Poverty, environmental and other campaigners have claimed that the new leak could be enough to undermine those already controversial talks.
"The TTIP negotiations will never survive this leak, said John Hilary. The only way that the European Commission has managed to keep the negotiations going so far is through complete secrecy as to the actual details of the deal under negotiation. Now we can see the details for ourselves, and they are truly shocking. This is surely the beginning of the end for this much hated deal."
Other campaigners criticised the fact that the only public information that has emerged about TTIP has come from leaks.
TTIP is being cooked up behind closed doors because when ordinary people find out about the threat it poses to democracy and consumer protections, they are of course opposed to it, said Guy Taylor, trade campaigner at Global Justice Now. Its no secret that the negotiations have been on increasingly shaky ground. Millions of people across Europe have signed petitions against TTIP, and hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets to call for an end to the negotiations.
"These leaks should be seen as another nail in the coffin of a toxic trade deal that corporate power is unsuccessfully trying to impose on ordinary people and our democracies.
But campaigners said that the leak of the agreement wouldn't be enough to kill it in itself. But it may be embarrassing enough for national governments that they will pull out.
"EU leaders will now have to assess the political fallout from the leak and decide whether they can still afford to be associated with this toxic deal," said Mr Hilary. "The French and German governments, both of which are preparing for general elections next year, have already signalled that they might pull the plug on TTIP. Today's revelations bring that possibility a great deal closer."
Kevin Smith, a spokesperson for Global Justice Now, told The Independent that those who oppose TTIP would have to continue fighting it if it is to be dropped.
"However on the ropes that TTIP might seem to be, its critical that concerned citizens and campaign groups dont rest on their laurels, but instead use this moment to escalate their opposition and make sure that this outrageous corporate power grab is seen off once and for all," he said.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
The five women crowded together around the kitchen table in New Jersey, their eyes fixed on a laptop screen. It was 7 a.m., and none of them had slept well the night before; they were too anxious and excited for this moment. Jess Katz logged into Skype as her mother and three sisters watched.
A face flickered into view: their cousin, the son of a long-missing uncle, the family they thought they had lost forever in the Holocaust.
On the other side of the screen, on the other side of the world, Evgeny Belzhitsky sat with his daughter, his granddaughter and a translator in his home on Sakhalin Island, Russia. The eight family members smiled at each other, speechless. Then, Katz recalls, they all started to cry.
What do you say to someone youve been searching for your whole life? Katz says.
More than 70 years had passed since Katzs grandfather, Abram Belz, first tried to find his younger brother, Chaim. Abram last saw Chaim in 1939, the year their family was relocated along with thousands of other Polish Jews to the Piotrkow Trybunalski ghetto at the start of World War II.
The brothers died without seeing each other again, but on April 20 their families had been joyfully reunited.
[These researchers used Holocaust survivors memories to track how our brains process gratitude]
The young men were separated soon after the family was forced into the ghetto following the Nazi invasion of Poland. Abrams mother had begged her two sons to escape and save themselves, Katz says.
My grandfather, because he was the oldest son, felt an obligation to stay, she says. But it was important to their mom that Chaim try to escape.
With his mothers help, Chaim slipped through a gap in the ghetto wall and fled across the border to the Soviet Union. The family knew he made it there, Katz says, because he sent letters and packages to his family. But then the letters and packages stopped coming.
Abram described what happened next in a 1990 testimonial for Steven Spielbergs USC Shoah Foundation project:
Less than a year after we moved into the ghetto, my grandfather dropped dead in the house. Two weeks later, my 24-year-old sister died of tuberculosis. My uncle who was 26 years old was shot, his wife and baby were sent to Treblinka where they were gassed to death by the Nazis. The rest of my family was exterminated. My parents were sent to Treblinka and were killed in the gas chambers.
Of more than 60 relatives, Abram and one of his cousins were the lone survivors of the concentration camps. Abram was liberated from the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp in 1945, and eventually resettled in Brooklyn, NY.
He never stopped looking for Chaim. When Abram moved to the U.S. after the war, he wrote to the Polish government and sought the help of nonprofits that worked to connect survivors to their families. In the 1980s, his daughter Katzs mother, Michelle Belz Katz penned letters to the Red Cross, Yad Vashem (Israels Holocaust Remembrance Center), and Russian and Polish officials, to no avail.
I cant find anything about my brother who escaped to Russia, Abram wrote in the final lines of in his 1990 testimonial. My daughter wrote all kinds of letters to try to find him. We cant find him.
Last month, Katz a tech-savvy 25-year-old who works for a software company in New York City and has blogged about her familys Jewish roots had extra time on her hands as she recovered from minor surgery at home. She decided to take up the search.
After decades of tedious research and letter-writing, it took Katz two weeks to find Chaims son.
It was a success born of an improbable alchemy: the serendipity of social media, the generosity of helpful strangers, and access to technology that allowed distant relatives to bridge thousands of miles, a 14-hour time difference and a language barrier.
With the help of a Jewish heritage website, JewishGen.org, Katz contacted a genealogist who quickly tracked down Russian military documents with Chaims name and army unit, dated 1942. Katz shared the documents in a Jewish Facebook group, where she was directed to another Russian forum, where with the help of Google Translate Katzs post caught the attention of an Israeli woman who matched Chaims last name to a man on a Russian social networking site called Classmates. That man, it turned out, was Evgeny Belzhitsky.
Katz created an account on Classmates and sent Belzhitsky a message. He responded right away: He said I dont have the words to explain my emotions right now, but I want to send you a picture of my father. Do you see any resemblance? Katz says. My sisters and my mom are sitting on the bed together, and my mom just screams, because he looks just like my grandfather.
But her family wanted to be certain, so they asked Belzhitsky what his fathers birth date was. He answered with the correct date: Nov. 17, 1918.
We were shaking, we were crying, we couldnt believe it, Katz says. The next morning, she says, the family met for the first time over Skype, and spent two hours talking about their families and their shared history, about Abram and Chaim.
On different continents, the lives of the two brothers followed remarkably similar paths: both became successful tailors after the war. Both married women eight years younger. Both were gentle, doting fathers. And each had searched for the other, writing letter after letter, hoping his sibling had somehow survived.
Neither lived to see last months reunion. Abram died five years ago at age 95; Chaim succumbed to a brain tumor at 51. Belzhitsky showed his American relatives a photograph of his fathers grave.
It was so much to process, Katz says family lost and found, all at once. Her mother was especially moved by the bittersweet reconnection.
Its difficult for her to know that her dad never got to find his brother, Katz says. Its difficult to think that this is all my grandpa would have wanted to have his brother, to have a nephew and Im sure Chaim also would have wanted that. So its a blessing, but theres also a lot of pain.
Since their first Skype session, the newfound relatives have been in touch daily. They send messages to each other over Facebook, sharing stories and photos. They are trying to make up for so much lost time, Katz says, and they hope to arrange a visit as soon as they can.
And they want other people, those who are still hoping and hunting for lost relatives, to know that a miracle is always possible.
Since I shared the post, Ive gotten a lot of messages from families who are also still searching and asking how I did it, Katz says. We want to show that there are these different tools that technology can offer now these Facebook groups, Google Translate and that can really help in finding relatives. We want to give hope to families who are still searching for loved ones.
The reunion came at a particularly poignant moment, she says: this year, Holocaust Remembrance Day falls on the May 5 anniversary of Abrams liberation from Mauthausen, the beginning of his long search for his sibling.
I wish he was here to see this, Katz says. I cant even imagine the love and joy he would have felt to have found his brother.
But there were so many lucky turns that led her to find Chaim so quickly, she says so many people who helped her at precisely the right moment. She likes to think the brothers might have had something to do with that.
I feel like they somehow orchestrated it, she says, and they are beaming down with happiness now.
Copyright Washington Post
An honest essay has numerous characteristics: original thinking, a good structure, balanced arguments, and plenty more.
But one aspect often overlooked is that an honest essay should be interesting. It should spark the readers curiosity, keep them absorbed, make them want to stay reading and learn more. An uneventful article risks losing the readers attention; whether or not the points you create are excellent, a flat style, or poor handling of a dry subject material can undermine the positive aspects of the essay. The matter is that a lot of students think that essays should be like this: they believe that a flat, dry style is suited to the needs of educational writing and dont even consider that the teacher reading their essay wants to search out the essay interesting. You might want to have online essay editor service to boost your confidence in writing with an error-free output. Academic writing doesnt need to be and shouldnt be bland. The excellent news is that there is much stuff you can do to create your essay more attractive, while youll be able only to do such a lot while remaining within the formal confines of educational writing. Lets study what theyre.
Have an interest in what youre writing about
Dont go overboard, but youll be able to let your passion for your subject show.
If theres one thing bound to inject interest into your writing, its being fascinated by what youre writing about. Passion for a subject matter comes across naturally in your essay, typically making it more lively and fascinating and infusing an infectious enthusiasm into your words within the same way that its easy to talk knowledgeably to someone about something you discover fascinating.
Include fascinating details
Another factor that may make an essay boring maybe a dry material. Some topic areas are naturally dry, and it falls to you to form the article more interesting through your written style and by trying to seek out fascinating snippets of knowledge to incorporate, which will liven it up a small amount and make the data easier to relate to. A way of doing this with a dry subject is to create what youre talking about that seems relevant to the critical world, as this is often easier for the reader to relate to.
Emulate the fashion of writers you discover interesting
When you read lots, you subconsciously start emulating the fashion of the writers you have read. Reading benefits you a lot, as this exposes you to a spread of designs, and youll start to require the characteristics of these you discover interesting to read.
Borrow some creative writing techniques
Theres a limit to the quantity of actual story-telling youll do when youre writing an essay; in the end, essays should be objective, factual and balanced, which doesnt, initially glance, feel considerably like story-telling. However, youll apply a number of the principles of story-telling to create your writing more interesting.
consider your own opinion
Take the time to figure out what its that you think instead of regurgitating the opinions of others.
Cut the waffle
Rambling on and on is dull and almost bound to lose the interest of your reader. Youre in danger of waffling if youre not completely clear about what you wish to mention or havent thought carefully about how youre visiting structure your argument. Doing all your research correctly and writing an essay plan before you begin will help prevent this problem.
Editing is a vital part of the essay-writing process, so edit the waffle once youve done a primary draft. Read through your essay objectively and eliminate the bits that arent relevant to the argument or labor the purpose.
employing a thesaurus isnt always a decent thing
Avoid using unfamiliar words in an essay; theres too great a likelihood that youre misusing them.
You may think that employing a thesaurus to seek out more complicated words will make your writing more exciting or sound more academic, but using overly high-brow language can have the incorrect effect.
Avoid repetitive phrasing
Please avoid using the identical phrase structure again and again: its a recipe for dullness! Instead, use a variety of syntax that demonstrates your writing capabilities and makes your writing more interesting. Mix simple, compound, and complicated sentences to avoid your paper becoming predictable.
Use some figurative language
Using analogies with nature can often make concepts more accessible for readers to know.
As weve already seen, its easy to finish up rambling when youre explaining complex concepts mainly after you dont know it yourself. One way of forcing yourself to think about a couple of pictures, present it more simply and engagingly is to form figurative language. This implies explaining something by comparing it with something else, as in an analogy.
Employ rhetorical questions
Anticipate the questions your reader might ask.
One of the ways ancient orators held the eye of their audiences and increased the dramatic effect of their speeches was by using the statement. A decent place to use a statement is at the top of a paragraph, to steer into the following one, or at the start of a replacement section to introduce a brand new area for exploration.
Proofread
Finally, you may write the top interesting essay an instructor has ever read. Still, youll undermine your good work if its plagued by errors, which distract the reader from the particular content and can probably annoy them.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
A senior British jihadi who boasted of recruiting hundreds of Britons for Isis has reportedly been killed in Syria.
Raphael Hostey, also known as Abu Qaqa al-Britani, left Manchester to join Isis in 2013.
The 23-year-old became a key recruiter of British fighters and jihadi brides for the terror group and was also heavily involved in its propaganda.
Amarnath Amarasingam, a post-doctoral researcher at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, told The Independent he had been informed of the death by several fighters in the region.
Mr Amarasingam said he understood he was killed in a drone strike, adding that he was trying to confirm the death of at least three other British jihadis.
Hostey was heavily involved in Isis propaganda and is believed to have been instrumental in attracting Britons to Syria.
Shiraz Maher, a war studies lecturer from King's College London, said the death of the British jihadi was "huge".
He said Hostey was the last survivor of a hugely important group of Isis fighters from Manchester and Portsmouth who were responsible for the flow of Britons to Isis.
Hostey was also heavily involved in Isis propaganda, he added, and probably helped produce the group's recruitment magazine Dabiq.
"The death of Abu Qaqa represents the end of another era of British fascism," he said.
In pictures: The rise of Isis Show all 74 1 /74 In pictures: The rise of Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters of the Islamic State wave the group's flag from a damaged display of a government fighter jet following the battle for the Tabqa air base, in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from Islamic State group sit on their tank during a parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from the Islamic State group pray at the Tabqa air base after capturing it from the Syrian government in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from extremist Islamic State group parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping A video uploaded to social networks shows men in underwear being marched barefoot along a desert road before being allegedly executed by Isis Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Haruna Yukawa after his capture by Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Khalinda Sharaf Ajour, a Yazidi, says two of her daughters were captured by Isis militants Washington Post In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Spokesperson for Isis Vice News via Youtube In pictures: The rise of Isis A pro-Isis leaflet A pro-Isis leaflet handed out on Oxford Street In London Ghaffar Hussain In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Isis Jihadists burn their passports In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A man collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A woman collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid Local civilians queue for aid administered by Isis. Since it declared a caliphate the group has increasingly been delivering services such as healthcare, and distributing aid and free fuel In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces detain men suspected of being militants of the Isis group in Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Mourners carry the coffin of a Shi'ite volunteer from the brigades of peace, who joined the Iraqi army and was killed during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Samarra, during his funeral in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Shiite Turkmen family fleeing the violence in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, arrives at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Arbil, in Iraq's Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi A photograph made from a video by the jihadist affiliated group Furqan Media via their twitter account allegedly showing Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivering a sermon during Friday prayers at a mosque in Mosul. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared an Islamist caliphate in the territory under the group's control in Iraq and Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Smoke and debris go up in the air as Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul. Images posted online show that Islamic extremists have destroyed at least 10 ancient shrines and Shiite mosques in territory - the city of Mosul and the town of Tal Afar - they have seized in northern Iraq in recent weeks In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq A bulldozer destroys Sunni's Ahmed al-Rifai shrine and tomb in Mahlabiya district outside of Tal Afar In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces celebrate after clashes with followers of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi, in front of his home in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi at his home after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A vehicle burns in front of a home of a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman holds her exhausted son as over 1000 Iraqis who have fled fighting in and around the city of Mosul and Tal Afar wait at a Kurdish checkpoint in the hopes of entering a temporary displacement camp in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees Displaced Iraqi women hold pots as they queue to receive food during the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, at an encampment for displaced Iraqis who fled from Mosul and other towns, in the Khazer area outside Irbil, north Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A militant Islamist fighter waving a flag, cheers as he takes part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa. The fighters held the parade to celebrate their declaration of an Islamic "caliphate" after the group captured territory in neighbouring Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters wave flags as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters travel in a vehicle as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade with a missile in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from an al-Qaida splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from the splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters hold a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A member loyal to the Isis waves an Isis flag in Raqqa In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi anti-government gunmen from Sunni tribes in the western Anbar province march during a protest in Ramadi, west of Baghdad. The United Nations warned that Iraq is at a "crossroads" and appealed for restraint, as a bloody four-day wave of violence killed 195 people. The violence is the deadliest so far linked to demonstrations that broke out in Sunni areas of the Shiite-majority country more than four months ago, raising fears of a return to all-out sectarian conflict In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces hold up a flag of the Isis group they captured during an operation to regain control of Dallah Abbas north of Baqouba, the capital of Iraq's Diyala province, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Isis fighters parade in the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against the predominantly Sunni militants from the radical Isis group, demonstrate their skills during a graduation ceremony after completing their field training in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Kurdish Peshmerga troops fire a cannon during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Jalawla, Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference Iraqi Prime Minister's security spokesman, Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference about the latest military development in Iraq, in the capital Baghdad. Iraqi forces pressed a campaign to retake militant-held Tikrit, clashing with jihadist-led Sunni militants nearby and pounding positions inside the city with air strikes in their biggest counter-offensive so far In pictures: The rise of Isis A police station building destroyed by Isis fighters An exterior view of a police station building destroyed by gunmen in Mosul city, northern Iraq. Iraq's new parliament is expected to convene to start the process of setting up a new government, despite deepening political rifts and an ongoing Islamist-led insurgency. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani issued a decree inviting the new House of Representatives to meet and form a new government In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Smoke billows from an area controlled by the Isis between the Iraqi towns of Naojul and Tuz Khurmatu, both located north of the capital Baghdad, as Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces take part in an operation to repel the Sunni militants In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An elderly Iraqi woman is helped into a temporary displacement camp for Iraqis caught-up in the fighting in and around the city of Mosul in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Christian woman fleeing the violence in the village of Qaraqush, about 30 kms east of the northern province of Nineveh, cries upon her arrival at a community center in the Kurdish city of Arbil in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman, who fled with her family from the northern city of Mosul, prays with a copy of the Quran AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq The body of an Isis militant killed during clashes with Iraqi security forces on the outskirts of the city of Samarra Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi civilians inspect the damage at a market after an air strike by the Iraqi army in central Mosul EPA In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Members of the Al-Abbas brigades, who volunteered to protect the Shiite Muslim holy sites in Karbala against Sunni militants fighting the Baghdad government, parade in the streets of the city AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Shia tribesmen gather in Baghdad to take up arms against Sunni insurgents marching on the capital. Thousands have volunteered to bolster defences AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A van carrying volunteers joining Iraqi security forces against Jihadist militants. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced the Iraqi government would arm and equip civilians who volunteered to fight AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters of the Isis group parade in a commandeered Iraqi security forces armored vehicle down a main road at the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An Islamist fighter, identified as Abu Muthanna al-Yemeni from Britain (R), speaks in this still image taken undated video shot at an unknown location and uploaded to a social media website. Five Islamist fighters identified as Australian and British nationals have called on Muslims to join the wars in Syria and Iraq, in the new video released by the Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Al-Qaida inspired militants stand with captured Iraqi Army Humvee at a checkpoint belonging to Iraqi Army outside Beiji refinery some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Baghdad. The fighting at Beiji comes as Iraq has asked the U.S. for airstrikes targeting the militants from the Isis group. While U.S. President Barack Obama has not fully ruled out the possibility of launching airstrikes, such action is not imminent in part because intelligence agencies have been unable to identify clear targets on the ground, officials said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants attacked Iraq's main oil refinein Baiji as they pressed an offensive that has seen them capture swathes of territory, a manager and a refinery employee said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants from the Isis group parading with their weapons in the northern city of Baiji in the in Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A smoke rises after an attack by Isis militants on the country's largest oil refinery in Beiji, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad. Iraqi security forces battled insurgents targeting the country's main oil refinery and said they regained partial control of a city near the Syrian border, trying to blunt an offensive by Sunni militants who diplomats fear may have also seized some 100 foreign workers In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group stand next to captured vehicles left behind by Iraqi security forces at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province. For militant groups, the fight over public perception can be even more important than actual combat, turning military losses into propaganda victories and battlefield successes into powerful tools to build support for the cause In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An injured fighter (C) from the Isis group after a battle with Iraqi soldiers at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis aiming at advancing Iraqi troops at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group taking position at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group inspecting vehicles of the Iraqi army after they were seized at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq One Iraqi captive, a corporal, is reluctant to say the slogan, and has to be shouted at repeatedly before he obeys Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group force captured Iraqi security forces members to the transport In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group transporting dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members to an unknown location in the Salaheddin province ahead of executing them In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A major offensive spearheaded by Isis but also involving supporters of executed dictator Saddam Hussein has overrun all of one province and chunks of three others In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group executing dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants taking position at a Iraqi border post on the Syrian-Iraqi border between the Iraqi Nineveh province and the Syrian town of Al-Hasakah In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis rebels show their flag after seizing an army post AFP/Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants waving an Islamist flag after the seizure of an Iraqi army checkpoint in Salahuddin Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Demonstrators chant slogans as they carry al-Qaida flags in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad. In the week since it captured Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, a Muslim extremist group has tried to win over residents and has stopped short of widely enforcing its strict brand of Islamic law, residents say. Churches remain unharmed and street cleaners are back at work
Hostey used several methods in his recruitment attempts, including providing theological justification for Isis, appealing to video gamers and flirting with potential female recruits, according to the Counter Extremism Project.
He had previously boasted of smuggling "hundreds" of people into Syria and also posted several tweets inciting and glorifying acts of violence and beheading.
Other posts cheered on those responsible for the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo offices in January 2015, which killed 12 people.
Originally from Moss Side, Manchester, Hostey studied graphic design at John Moores University in Liverpool.
He left for Syria in September 2013 with two friends who also studied at John Moores University, Mohammed Javeed and Khalil Raoufi, both 20. Javeed and Raoufi are thought to have been killed fighting in Syria.
At least 700 people from the UK have travelled to support or fight for jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria, according to police.
Around half have since returned and are being monitored by intelligence services.
The Foreign Office said they were unable to confirm reports of Hostey's death.
Palmyra after Isis
Isis recently suffered one of its biggest military defeats in Palmyra, which was seized by regime forces backed by Russian air strikes.
Last month, US President Barack Obama said Isis fighters were coming to "realise their cause is lost".
Mr Obama said the size of the group's army was at its lowest level for two years and that it had lost 40 per cent of its territory in Iraq and 10 per cent in Syria.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Iraqis bursting into the Green Zone in Baghdad over the weekend were able to see for the first time the palatial homes and offices of the corrupt and dysfunctional Iraqi leadership that has misgoverned the country for the last 13 years.
As the security forces stood aside, protesters toppled a section of the 15-foot-high blast walls and poured through the gap into this well-fortified and exclusive enclave on the banks of the Tigris and in the centre of the Iraqi capital. After taking over the parliament building, the crowd chanted the name of the Shia populist nationalist cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, to whose movement many of the protesters belong, and denounced the failures of the present government of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.
The Green Zone, with its fountains and well-watered lawns, has long been a hated symbol of the isolation of the rulers of Iraq who never experience the harsh living conditions and shortages endured by ordinary Iraqis. By breaching its walls, the demonstrators who splashed in the fountains and took pictures of themselves on the lawns showed that the Iraqi elite is more vulnerable than in the past to expressions of popular anger.
Mr Sadrs stated aims are reform rather than revolution: he does not want Mr Abadi to resign, but he does want him to appoint a cabinet of technocrats and to end the quota system by which the sectarian or ethnically based parties appoint loyalists regardless of their abilities. This is opposed by existing parties, which operate extensive client and patronage systems. At least 8,000 of Iraqs bureaucrats some put the figure as high as 25,000 are political appointees who are notorious for their corruption and incompetence.
Mr Sadrs purpose may be to strengthen the Iraqi state and make it more effective and honest. But the very ease with which the Sadrists and their supporters penetrated the Green Zone and took over parliament without resistance from the security forces makes the state look even more weak and ineffectual.
Though the Sadrists say that many of the protesters do not belong to their movement, they appeared to have the eruption into the Green Zone very much under control from the beginning. Sadrist stewards prevented equipment in parliament being smashed and say they cleaned up the parliamentary chamber on leaving. The well-disciplined exodus of protesters from the zone on Sunday without any looting shows the degree to which the action was organised by the Sadrist movement.
Iraqi PM calls for arrest of parliament protesters
The people are saying that if the government does not appoint a government they will be back [to take over the Green Zone again], a Sadrist leader, who did not want his name published, told The Independent. He believed that the other political parties had been hoping that the protests would get out of hand and lead to the ransacking and looting of the Green Zone which would have provided an excuse for the Iraqi security forces to use force against the demonstrators. The parties hoped for chaos so the army would clear away the protesters, he said. He did not think that the other Shia movements were in a position to use their militias against protests that have mass support.
There is deep anger among most Iraqis of all classes against a ruling elite that is seen as having stolen much of Iraqs oil revenues since 2003. The sense of crisis was exacerbated by the disintegration of the large and expensively equipped Iraqi army in 2014 when it was attacked by much smaller Isis forces. But the alarm today is less to do with Isis, which has been losing ground, and more to do with the fall in the price of oil, which means the government is fast running out of money. The state is by far the biggest employer in Iraq, paying some seven million people out of a population of 33 million as employees or pensioners. This costs $4bn (2.73bn) a month but oil revenues have been running closer to $2bn.
There is deep anger among most Iraqis of all classes against a ruling elite that is seen as having stolen much of Iraqs oil revenues since 2003 (REUTERS)
The Sadrist leader said that Mr Sadr was aware of the difficulty of reforming the corrupt Iraqi administration. He said that we cant change hundreds of director generals and thousands of officials, but we have to start somewhere. He added that independent ministers could push for changes in important financial institutions like the Central Bank, where those in charge were often only acting officials connected to the ruling Dawa Party, though they should have been approved by parliament under the Iraqi constitution.
Mr Sadr, who comes from a clerical family famous for its opposition to Saddam Hussein, has a devoted following among the Shia poor. He led his Mehdi Army militia against the US occupation in 2004, fighting two battles against US troops in the Shia holy city of Najaf, but he later dissolved the Mehdi Army amid accusations that it was centrally involved in the murder of Sunni during the sectarian killings of 2006-7 when tens thousands were killed.
In an interview with The Independent in the Shia holy city of Najaf in 2013, Mr Sadr forecast that the near future of Iraq is dark, saying that the unity and independence of the country was endangered by Sunni-Shia hostility. He warned against the marginalisation of the Sunni and said that the danger was that because of sectarianism the Iraqi people will disintegrate and it will be easy for external powers to control the country. He remains adamantly opposed to intervention from the US, UK, Iran, Turkey or Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, asserting that they always make the crisis in Iraq worse. The protesters who stormed the Green Zone at the weekend shouted both anti-American and anti-Iranian slogans.
Mr Sadr comes across as politically astute and cautious about what he says and does, quite contrary to his image in the West a few years ago when he was portrayed as a firebrand cleric. He said that the problem in Iraq is that the Iraqis generally have been traumatised by the last half a century, during which there has been a constant cycle of violence: Saddam, occupation, war after war, first Gulf war, then second Gulf war, then the occupation war, then the resistance this would lead to a change in the psychology of Iraqis.
Patrick Cockburn is the author of Muqtada: Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia Revival, and the Struggle for Iraq, published by Scribner (US) and Faber and Faber (UK).
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
When the former London mayor Ken Livingstone said in an interview that Hitler was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews, he was quickly suspended from the Labour Party, which was already in the throes of a painful row over anti-semitism. But while Livingstones tone-deaf comments came at a very politically sensitive moment, the historical error at their heart is all too familiar.
Claims that Hitler was a Zionist, or supported Zionism, before his anti-Jewish policies turned into murder and extermination flare up at regular intervals. They usually cite the controversial Haavara Agreement (Transfer Agreement) of August 1933 as the most potent evidence of a wilful cooperation between Hitler and the Zionist movement. When viewed in a certain way, this deal does superficially seem to show that Hitlers government endorsed Zionism but just because it was a mechanism to help German Jews relocate to Palestine it does not imply it was Zionist.
The Haavara Agreement was the only formal contract signed between Nazi Germany and a Zionist organisation. The signatories were the Reich Ministry of Economics, the Zionistische Vereinigung fur Deutschland (Zionist Federation of Germany) and the Anglo-Palestine Bank (then under the directive of the Jewish Agency for Palestine).
Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said Show all 14 1 /14 Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Israel and Palestine The simple fact in all of this is that Naz made these comments at a time when there was another brutal Israeli attack on the Palestinians; and theres one stark fact that virtually no one in the British media ever reports, in almost all these conflicts the death toll is usually between 60 and 100 Palestinians killed for every Israeli. Now, any other country doing that would be accused of war crimes but its like we have a double standard about the policies of the Israeli government Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Antisemitism in the Labour Party As Ive said, Ive never heard anybody say anything antisemitism-Semitic, but theres been a very well-orchestrated campaign by the Israel lobby to smear anybody who criticises Israeli policy as antisemitic. I had to put up with 35 years of this Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Naz Shah Its completely over-the-top and rude, but who am I to denounce anyone with all of that. It was wrong. I dont think she is antisemitic, it was incredibly rude but I dont believe she is an antisemite. When the NEC investigation is finished they'll say it was rude and over the top but they wont find any evidence that she actually hates Jews. Weve got to investigate all these charges and the context in which they are made. If she is antisemitic like the other three or four members weve found who are antisemitic, shell be expelled Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On other alleged antisemites in Labour That is part of the classic antisemitic thing about an international Jewish conspiracy that is the reason we need to have an investigation. Ive got an open mind. Ive seen nothing to suggest to me that she is antisemitic. I wouldnt have supported her if I [thought] she was antisemitic Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On whether what Hitler did was legal, as stated by Naz Shah Thats a statement of fact Hitler, Im sure, passed all those laws that allowed him to do that its history literally, Hitler was completely mad, he killed six million Jews. Shes not saying its legal to kill six million Jews: what they were doing in that country allowed them not just to kill six million Jews, kill all the communists, kill all the leftists like me, my father almost died when a Nazi sub sank his boat. I have no sympathy with Hitler Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On another alleged antisemite in Labour No, that is, and thats why shes been suspended or expelled. What Ive said is that in 47 years of the party in all the meetings Ive been in Ive never heard anyone say anything antisemitic. There are bound to be in a party of half a million people youll have a handful of antisemites, youll have a handful of racists. Youve managed to dig out virtually every antisemitic comment that Labour members have made out of half a million people. Ive never met any of these people. Theres not a problem. Youre talking about a handful of people in a party of half a million people. Jeremy Corbyn has moved rapidly to deal with them Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Jeremy Corbyns response to the allegations He met with Naz and she agreed she would stand down while the investigation is going on. He called her in to see her. Theres been a huge investigation of virtually everything that anybody put on the internet many of these people are quite new and recent members of the party that joined in the big influx. 300,000 new people came in Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On his meeting a man accused of antisemitism in London This is the man who called for Muslims around the world to donate blood after the attacks of 9/11 when he came to London I went with him to the Regents Park mosque where he said no man should hit a woman and you should not discriminate against homosexuals. So I cant equate what I heard him say he made no antisemitic statement while he was here in London. I dont investigate people. Ive simply said what I believe to be true which is that Naz was not antisemitic. She was completely over the top, very rude, but that does not make her an antisemite Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On John Manns comments He went completely over the top. I was actually doing a radio interview at the time that he was bellowing that Im a racist antisemite in my ear. Ive had that with John Mann before a few weeks ago screaming that I was a bigot down the phone. Im not an apologist for anyone who makes antisemitic statements. What Im saying is dont confuse antisemitism with criticism of the Israeli government policy Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On calling a Jewish journalist a concentration camp guard whilst Mayor of London I cant tell if a journalist is Jewish or Catholic or anything. If a journalist is chasing you down the street at nine of clock at night you might be rude to them. Some people might have hit him! He said he was just doing his job. We went all the way to the High Court and the judge opened his judgement by saying I hope no one here is going to suggest that Mr Livingstone is antisemitic. We won the case Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On claims about Hitler and Zionism I cant tell if a journalist is Jewish or Catholic or anything. If a journalist is chasing you down the street at nine of clock at night you might be rude to them. Some people might have hit him! He said he was just doing his job. We went all the way to the High Court and the judge opened his judgement by saying I hope no one here is going to suggest that Mr Livingstone is antisemitic. We won the case Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On John Mann Id simply say to John Mann go back and check. Is what I say true, or is it not? The BBC, youve got a huge team of researchers, it will take just an hour or two to go back and confirm. I was asked a question, I answered it. I have never in 45 years since I won my first election, I have never lied. I have always answered the question Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On raising the issue if Hitler It lays you open to people smearing and lying about you. Ive always answered the questions put to me and that simple fact is weve had a handful of people saying antisemitic things in the Labour Party, theyve been suspended, some of them are on their way to being expelled, some of them have been expelled already Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On people calling for him to be suspended All my usual critics but the simple fact is I agree with them; there is no place for antisemitism in the Labour party. For them to suggest I am antisemitic is a bit bizarre considering we worked with Jewish groups and put on exhibitions about the scale of the holocaust, we worked with Jewish groups to tackling the scale of antisemitism back in the 1970s. Ive always opposed every form of racism whether its against black people or Jews. Im going to stay in the Labour party and continue to fight against all forms of racism and discrimination as I have my entire life
Under the agreement Jewish emigrants had to hand over their possessions before they left Germany, and the proceeds were used by a company specifically set up for this purpose in Tel Aviv to purchase German goods for sale in Palestine. The proceeds of these sales were then paid in Palestinian currency to the emigrants in Palestine.
Recommended Read more Full transcript of what Ken Livingstone said about antisemitism
The agreement was immediately criticised from all sides. The Zionist Federation was accused of collaboration with the Nazis, and the Nazi authorities were criticised by fellow Nazis for helping Jews when their official policy was to solve the Jewish question. Still, at this point in time, both sides no doubt saw potential benefits for themselves in such an agreement.
For the Zionist Federation, it was a way to save Jews from the claws of an increasingly hostile regime and attract them to Palestine, while for the Nazi state signing an international agreement was further proof of its legitimacy, broke the Jewish movement of boycotting German goods, and helped the recovery of German exports at a time when the German economy was still in the depth of depression.
Twisted road
The Haavara Agreement does not mean the Nazis were ever Zionists. Instead, it is testament to the fact that Nazi policy towards the Jews was not clear-cut from the beginning, but evolved greatly over the years. The only constants were a fanatical hatred of Jews, the insistence that the Jews were the root cause of all of Germanys problems, and that the Jewish question must be solved once and for all.
Claims that Hitler was a Zionist flare up at regular intervals (Hulton/Getty)
While this implicitly always suggested murder and extermination, it took time until it became clear how this extermination could be effectively executed and until the Nazi authorities felt that such a radical final solution could be pushed through. In the meantime, the Nazis tried various means of ridding Germany of its Jewish population including encouraging Jews to emigrate, forced relocation, and outright evictions while at the same time pauperising them and confiscating their possessions.
The Haavara Agreement is the first example of a Nazi programme of organised Jewish relocation. Other and more radical examples include the mass expulsion of Polish and stateless Jews from Germany to Poland in October 1938, and the so-called Madagascar Plan, the attempt to relocate the Jewish population to the island of Madagascar, then a French colony. The latter plan became unfeasible when Germany was unable to defeat Great Britain in 1940.
John Mann MP call Ken Livingstone MP a 'Nazi apologist'
But it is crucial to remember that at the same time as these and other forced relocation plans were discussed, Jews were being increasingly marginalised and disenfranchised in Nazi Germany. They were expelled from German civil service and from the professions, their shops and businesses were boycotted and their German citizenship was taken away. Step by step, they were excluded from German political, economic, legal, social and cultural life.
And in the aftermath of the night of broken glass pogrom of November 9 1938, widely known as Kristallnacht, more and more Jews were deported to concentration camps.
Distorted history
These policies do not in any way resemble Zionism. However critical one might be of Zionist policies in action, Zionism was a movement based on the right of self-determination. It originated as a national liberation movement, both mirroring the aims and aspirations of other national movements in 19th-century Europe and responding to the surge of anti-semitism in the newly established European nation-states.
The Nazis' plans for concentrating Jews in specific territories, be they Palestine or Madagascar, had nothing whatsoever to do with self-determination. These were expressions of the complete opposite: the use of force to strip Jews of all their rights, property and dignity.
As was proved by the establishment of the General Government in central Poland in October 1939, the Nazis were not in the least concerned that the territories where they intended to concentrate Jews were in a position to help their populations sustain themselves. They were looking for dumping grounds for Jews and other undesirables. These people were at best treated as assets to exploit or, later, a stock of slave labour, and at worst simply expected to die of disease and starvation.
Any claim that Nazis and Zionists ever shared a common goal is not only cynical and disingenuous, but a distortion of clearly established historical fact.
Rainer Schulze is Professor of Modern European History and General Editor "The Holocaust in History and Memory", University of Essex
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Lego-landings
The latest unusual destination for British Airways from Heathrow Terminal 5 is Billund in Denmark, adjacent to the original Legoland. This week the airline starts flying 11 times a week to the airport, which also serves the city of Aarhus. Fares are remarkably low even during the school summer holidays, with plenty of availability at 90 return. ba.com
App discount
Etihad has launched an iPhone app, and to encourage people to use it the Abu Dhabi airline is offering a 10 per cent discount for bookings made with it. You must book before 30 May and travel before 15 December. But the discount does not apply for flights 20 June-20 July and 15 August-15 September. Neither does it apply to taxes, fees and charges. bit.ly/EtihApp
Get your bearings
Theres life left in paper maps and compasses - and to remind travellers how to use then, Stanfords Bristol is organising an OS Map Reading and Compass Workshop on 25 May as part of the Bristol Walking Festival. An Ordnance Survey expert will explain grid references and compass use. Tickets (4) at bit.ly/MapsChat
Barbados plus
A new budget link between Florida and Barbados opens up the prospect of a two-centre trip combining the Sunshine State and the island. JetBlue has launched flights from Fort Lauderdale (25 miles north of Miami) to Barbados, with fares as low as $115 (82). Open jaw tickets, flying out from Heathrow to Miami and back from Barbados to Gatwick, are available on either BA or Virgin Atlantic. jetblue.com
Safe travels
Protect your valuables with the new 5900 Series Portable Safe. Featuring a concealed cable that can be locked to fixed objects, its also water resistant and shock absorbent, making it a good solution for the beach or active holidays. Its compact, but can fit a phone, camera, keys, cash and jewellery inside what looks like an oversize glasses case. 29.99. masterlock.eu
Room for two
Sands Studio has opened in St Ives. The Scandi-chic self-catering apartment is owned by the same duo behind the towns popular Trevose Harbour House B&B. Its bright and breezy interiors have been inspired by the Cornish coastline: blonde parquet flooring, a white, bespoke kitchen and cheerfully patterned fabrics. With one bedroom, it also comes with sliding doors that open onto a balcony, shower room with towels, local artwork and a private parking space. From 150 per night. sands-studio.co.uk
Walk this way
The Inca Trails busy summer trekking season is approaching. However, 250 extra permits per day in addition to the current 500 that includes guides and porters have been released for treks via the Sun Gate. Visitors to Peru are expected to incrase with the reintroduction of direct flights from the UK when BA starts flying from Gatwick to Lima on Wednesday. peru.travel
Gir Lion Lodge
Mane attraction
Spend the night with Asiatic lions in central London. The experience is being offered at London Zoos new Gir Lion Lodge, which opens on 25 May. The nine wooden chalets will be available for overnight stays six nights a week in the Land of the Lions development, with dedicated family and adults-only nights. Dinner and breakfast are included, as well as tours at sunset, at night and in the morning and two days access to the zoo. Prices from 378 per couple and 50 per child. zsl.org
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
At first glance, Thursdays elections to the Scottish Parliament look far from exciting since there is no threat to the hegemony enjoyed by the Scottish National Party. It has turned failure in the 2014 independence referendum into success. So the Holyrood elections are inevitably being viewed as a close race for second place between Labour and the Conservatives.
Jeremy Corbyns election on an anti-austerity ticket last year should have been a springboard for a Labour revival north of the border, but does not appear to have improved its fortunes. Coming third would be another milestone in Labours remarkable decline in a country whose politics it long dominated. Second place would be a coup for Ruth Davidson, the Tories impressive leader in Scotland, a rising star who may soon be asked to shine on the Westminster stage.
Labour does not lack boldness. It would use the new powers heading Holyroods way by raising income tax by 1p in the pound and increasing the top rate for incomes over 150,000 to 50p. The Liberal Democrats and Greens would also raise taxes but the SNP has been more cautious and, like the Conservatives, would leave tax rates where they are.
Despite a highly personal campaign built around the popular Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP has not had it all its own way. The final leaders TV debate on Sunday night was dominated by lively exchanges between three strident women Labours Kezia Dudgale; Sturgeon and Davidson which often left the two men, Willie Rennie (Lib Dems) and Patrick Harvie (Greens), literally on the sidelines. Before the debate, Sturgeon had said it was more likely than not that a second independence referendum would be held while she is First Minister. But, revealingly, the loudest cheers from the audience came when her opponents argued that it was time for the SNP to move on from the independence debate and get on with the job of improving the country.
Of course, if Scotland votes to remain in the EU in June while the UK decides to leave, there would be strong grounds for another independence vote. Without that, even if the SNP achieved its apparent goal of consistent 60 per cent opinion poll support for a breakaway, there could be resistance to another vote so soon after what the Nationalists described as a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
How long can an insurgent party that has become the ruling establishment in Scotland play the anti-establishment card? The answer, perhaps, is: as long as it can blame Scotlands ills on Westminster and the Tories. But there must and should come a time when the SNP is held accountable for its record, and nine years in power is enough to judge. On some issues, notably education and health, its performance has not lived up to its rhetoric. For the SNP, it is time to deliver over the next five years.
In Wales, it is Labours record which is under scrutiny. It has enjoyed 17 years in power since the Cardiff assembly was created, though it had to share it in the past with the Liberal Democrats and later Plaid Cymru. Labours current overall majority is at risk after a drop in support in the polls blamed partly on its performance of the NHS.
The threat to steel jobs in South Wales has dominated the campaign. With most fire directed at the Conservative Government, the issue may help Labour. But Labour has a new challenger in the principality Ukip, which could land about six seats under the proportional representation system, as it tries to prove it can win working class votes in Labour heartlands.
Although the main opposition party at Westminster would normally expect to do well in mid-term elections, it is Labour which has most to lose in both Scotland and Wales. One benefit of devolution is that voters have a chance to pass judgement on those who deliver services locally; on Thursday, they should take it.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
As Labour slowly eats itself over the antisemitism row, the finger of blame is pointed in an ever increasing number of directions.
Ken Livingstones bizarre intervention last week just as the party seemed on the brink of dealing with the Naz Shah episode was explicable only by reference to his own record. Not only does he symbolise the worst excesses of the unreconstructed, 20th century hard left, but Livingstone also has a habit of adding fuel to fires. The one positive is that the Labour Party has been forced into a proper, internal investigation off the back of his comments.
Livingstones comments were so strange both in their detail and their apparent intent that no sane voice has been heard in his defence. But then, some things are genuinely indefensible. Even so, Labour is desperate to challenge the narrative that has Livingstone as merely a symptom of a wider problem in the party, one tolerated by its current leadership. The consequence is that we are now hearing some Labourites argue that the criticism of Livingstone, however justified, is primarily being kept up as a means to undermine Jeremy Corbyn a kind of plot between the Tories and a right-leaning media.
While people like Diane Abbott are right that most Labour members are not antisemitic, by railing against media smears there is a danger of playing into the hands of those who are and who believe the outrageous conspiracy theories about the world being run by a cabal of Jewish financiers, politicians and newsmakers. Indeed, it is that particular belief which lies at the heart of so much antisemitism, on both the right and the left of the political spectrum, and which is one of the factors which marks out anti-Jewish discrimination from other forms of racism and religious intolerance.
The other point which distinguishes antisemitism is the Holocaust. The brutal facts of Hitlers attempts to destroy Europes Jews present a unique set of circumstances because they prove what can happen to virulent racism if left unchecked. It is why antisemitism provokes such unique pangs of anxiety and why Ken Livingstones remarks were so extraordinary.
Yet there are plenty who remain committed to dismissing any notion that antisemitism has specific characteristics. At one end of the scale, this can lead to grumbles about not being allowed to criticise Israeli government policies towards the Palestinians for fear of being called an antisemite. (Sure enough those lines are blurry as I know, having defended critiques of Israels military action in Gaza and been roundly condemned for it.) But at the other end of the scale are the conspiracy theorists Ive mentioned and, worst of all, Holocaust deniers.
This vile fringe has been given succour by the internet, which allows revisionists to plead free speech in the name of spreading lies and hate. It is a problem for any news outlet which seeks to engage with its audience online and to encourage comments by readers. The space below the line ought to be a forum for genuine debate. But in response to articles about Livingstones outburst, Holocaust deniers suddenly appear with alacrity, just as Islamophobes pop their heads above the parapet any time we write about refugees fleeing Syria.
It is enough to make you wonder about the state of humanity. But it also raises practical questions for outlets such as The Independent: do we need to hire dozens of moderators to stem the tide; should we have a longer list of prohibited terms so we can automatically filter out the worst comments; or ought we simply to close comment boards? The more steps we take, the more we will be accused of stifling debate; hold back and ever more bile will slip through. Whatever course we steer, one thing is plain: responsibility for combatting discrimination lies with every right thinking person it isnt a subject for buck-passing.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Today is the third anniversary of my father Mohammed Saleem's brutal Islamophobic murder by neo-Nazi terrorist and mosque bomber Pavlo Lapshyn.
I will never forget the day I received the phone call from my sisters whilst I lay on my sofa in my London flat. Those horrifying words remain etched in my mind forever: Dads been stabbed, cried my sister Fazia on the phone. Seconds later came the next call: Dads dead, sobbed my eldest sister Shazia.
The shock and horror I felt at the time is still pretty hard to fathom today. I instantly packed my case and headed towards the tube, in tears. I could hardly take in what Id just been told. Within an hour I was driving to Birmingham with Shazia and my brother-in-law Hanif. The journey to Birmingham was spent in complete silence, mainly due to shock, and punctuated with sudden bursts of tears. None of us could understand why this had happened.
We arrived at Heartlands Hospital in the early hours of the morning. What happened from then on is all a bit of a blur, but I remember running into the hospital and noting the police presence as my sister explained who we were. We were told to go and wait in a special room inside, as hundreds of our relatives and neighbours had already congregated in the other hospital waiting rooms, hoping for news about Dad. That huge presence was testament to Dads life and personality: he was a kind, loving man who spent most of his time helping family and neighbours alike.
After a short amount of time, a surgeon walked into the special room we were gathered in with immediate family. He seemed very distraught. I remember him saying he had never seen such horrific injuries on an elderly man and at that point I couldnt listen to any more. I left the room and sobbed outside the door.
We were told by the police that we could not see Dad, even though his body was in the room in front of us, because we could contaminate vital evidence with our breath.
Pavlo Lapshyn is now serving 40 years for my fathers murder and three mosque bombings in the West Midlands all acts of terrorism. He was charged under terrorism laws. Yet, to this day, the media, the police and the government have not treated Pavlo as they would if the terrorist was a Muslim.
Recommended Read more 15 things I learned about Islam as a gay boy living opposite a mosque
Since my fathers passing I have been an active campaigner against racism and Islamophobia, and Ive had the privilege of being invited to speak on many high-profile platforms. But its safe to say that Ive never been given as high up a platform as our prime minister David Cameron, whose message seems very different to what I believe about Muslim victims and integration.
Cameron blames Muslim women not learning English for their lack of opportunity and equality. He makes veiled threats that those needing visas extended might be removed if they don't learn the language. His policies have strengthened institutionalised racism. He is further fuelling the Islamophobia which is burning through the world right now. And he is silent on the issue of Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith, who has been criticised for campaigning against Sadiq Khan by referring to him as a radical and saying he has links to people with extremist views.
We are still struggling to cope with the tragic loss of our father in my family. We are Muslims and the victims of terrorism. Quite rightly, we do not equate all white people with Pavlo Lapshyn, but we are tired of being treated like potential terrorists by so many white British people ourselves.
Zac Goldsmith claims to love Bollywood but fails to name a single actor or film
The brutal murder of my father may be one of many. But its important that we pay attention to the killings of Muslims, each and every one of them, and resist the temptation to turn a blind eye. Muslims are enduring intense discrimination in everyday life, at the hands of some sections of the media and through government policy.
We should all unite and continue to fight this tide of Islamophobia which will continue to devastate the lives of families like ours until it is brought to an end.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}
Todays shock leak of the text of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) marks the beginning of the end for the hated EU-US trade deal, and a key moment in the Brexit debate. The unelected negotiators have kept the talks going until now by means of a fanatical level of secrecy, with threats of criminal prosecution for anyone divulging the treatys contents.
Now, for the first time, the people of Europe can see for themselves what the European Commission has been doing under cover of darkness - and it is not pretty.
The leaked TTIP documents, published by Greenpeace this morning, run to 248 pages and cover 13 of the 17 chapters where the final agreement has begun to take shape. The texts include highly controversial subjects such as EU food safety standards, already known to be at risk from TTIP, as well as details of specific threats such as the US plan to end Europes ban on genetically modified foods.
The documents show that US corporations will be granted unprecedented powers over any new public health or safety regulations to be introduced in future. If any European government does dare to bring in laws to raise social or environmental standards, TTIP will grant US investors the right to sue for loss of profits in their own corporate court system that is unavailable to domestic firms, governments or anyone else.
For all those who said that we were scaremongering and that the EU would never allow this to happen, we were right and you were wrong.
TTIP controversy: what an FOI request revealed Show all 14 1 /14 TTIP controversy: what an FOI request revealed TTIP controversy: what an FOI request revealed TTIP controversy Responding to a Freedom of Information request from an EU watchdog regarding contacts between officials and the tobacco industry, the European Commission released a set of documents that had been so heavily redacted as to be meaningless. In this 14-page letter from British American Tobacco from its London HQ, outlining its serious concerns with the consistency of [redacted], only five per cent of the text was visible. TTIP controversy: what an FOI request revealed TTIP controversy Page 2 TTIP controversy: what an FOI request revealed TTIP controversy Page 3 TTIP controversy: what an FOI request revealed TTIP controversy Page 4 TTIP controversy: what an FOI request revealed TTIP controversy Page 5 TTIP controversy: what an FOI request revealed TTIP controversy Page 6 TTIP controversy: what an FOI request revealed TTIP controversy Page 7 TTIP controversy: what an FOI request revealed TTIP controversy Page 8 TTIP controversy: what an FOI request revealed TTIP controversy Page 9 TTIP controversy: what an FOI request revealed TTIP controversy Page 10 TTIP controversy: what an FOI request revealed TTIP controversy Page 11 TTIP controversy: what an FOI request revealed TTIP controversy Page 12 TTIP controversy: what an FOI request revealed TTIP controversy Page 13 TTIP controversy: what an FOI request revealed TTIP controversy Page 14
The leaked texts also reveal how the European Commission is preparing to open up the European economy to unfair competition from giant US corporations, despite acknowledging the disastrous consequences this will bring to European producers, who have to meet far higher standards than pertain in the USA.
According to official statistics, at least one million jobs will be lost as a direct result of TTIP and twice that many if the full deal is allowed to go through. Yet we can now see that EU negotiators are preparing to trade away whole sectors of our economies in TTIP, with no care for the human consequences.
What is TTIP?
The European Commission slapped a 30-year ban on public access to the TTIP negotiating texts at the beginning of the talks in 2013, in the full knowledge that they would not be able to survive the outcry if people were given sight of the deal. In response, campaigners called for a Dracula strategy against the agreement: expose the vampire to sunlight and it will die. Today the door has been flung open and the first rays of sunlight shone on TTIP. The EU negotiators will never be able to crawl back into the shadows again.
The leak of the TTIP text comes at a time when senior politicians across Europe have already begun to distance themselves from the increasingly toxic deal. President Hollande announced this weekend that France will veto any TTIP agreement that could endanger the countrys agricultural sector. Germanys economy minister Sigmar Gabriel has also spoken publicly of TTIP collapsing, and has pointed the finger at US intransigence as the cause. When politicians start playing the blame game in this way, you know they are already preparing their exit strategies. The writing is on the wall.
For those of us in the thick of the EU referendum debate, the contempt shown by the TTIP negotiators to the people of Europe is the most potent reminder of the democratic deficit at the heart of the EU institutions. Todays leak of the TTIP text leaves the leaders of the European Union with a choice. Either they abandon the TTIP negotiations immediately or they risk seeing the entire European project come crashing down about their ears. They have until 23rd June to decide.
John Hilary is Executive Director of War on Want and author of 'The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: A Charter for Deregulation, An Attack on Jobs, An End to Democracy', now available in 12 European languages
U2 pictured at Dublin Airport before their departure for their tour. L-R: The Edge (David Howell Evans), Adam Clayton, Paul David Hewson (Bono), and Lawrence Joseph "Larry" Mullen, Jr. Pic: Bryan O'Brien, 6/5/93 (Part of the Independent Ireland Newspapers/NLI Colection)
Print t-shirts, ill-fitting blazers and faded jeans - yes, it was the nineties.
And although some things change, some things don't change at all. Bono's still wearing the shades, The Edge still has his trademark headpiece and Larry Mullen is still rocking that moody look.
This blast-from-the-past snap shows U2 in 1993 - six years after their 1987 album 'The Joshua Tree' brought them to a whole new level of fame worldwide. They had come a long way from that first performance of 'Stories for Boys'.
The photograph shows (from left to right), The Edge, Adam Clayton, Bono and Larry Mullen.
The rock band were pictured at Dublin Airport on May 6 before they departed again for their Zoo TV Tour.
U2's worldwide concert tour took place in 1992 and 1993, just after the release of their first album, 'Achtung Baby'.
It began in Lakeland, Florida and wrapped up 22 months later in Tokyo, Japan. Critics still regard Zoo TV as one of rock's most memorable tours.
Twenty-three years later, Bono and The Edge are still reeling in the gongs. Last month, they won the Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in California.
Click here if you're interested in purchasing this exclusive Independent Archives photo
The grandson of a leading 1916 rebel who was never awarded a military medal for his role in the Easter Rising says hundreds more have not been officially recognised.
Cathal MacSwiney Brugha, a university professor, said he is "not bothered" that his famous grandfather, after whom he is named, was never issued the 1916 medal.
But he has called for a national effort to once and for all establish who was involved in both the Rising and the War of Independence.
"As far as I know, a lot of people who actually did fight - and a lot of them who got injured couldn't get work subsequently - didn't get any recognition of one kind or another," he said.
"I think it is hundreds."
Last week, it emerged three household names from the Easter Rising were never awarded with a military medal for their role in the insurrection.
They include Cathal Brugha, Countess Markievicz and Sean Russell.
The Department of Defence said although the three had "verifiable, historically proven service during Easter Week 1916" they were not honoured because no claim was ever made by them or on their behalf.
Dismissing official "definitive" numbers on combatants as wide of the mark, Prof MacSwiney Brugha said the high-profile omissions were only a fraction of those never recognised by the State for their part in the revolutionary period.
"I think this is worth looking at," he said.
"We are celebrating the fact that people are free, but a lot of the people who participated (in the fight for independence) didn't get properly recognised.
"Now is the time to actually gather all the information - a lot of very good books have been written, a lot of family papers are coming out and military records are now becoming available.
"Let's have some transparency and let's have the job completed."
Files just released into the newly-opened Military Archives show 2,594 recognised veterans were awarded the 1916 medal. Most were issued using records from the military pensions.
But Prof MacSwiney Brugha said applications for recognition were often sabotaged in the early years of the Free State, while later governments could not afford to grant pensions to everyone who fought.
"The actual list of the people who were all in the different places and the list of people who got recognition - they don't match," he said.
The University College Dublin professor said it was not necessarily about issuing medals, but the names of those who took part in the revolutionary period should be recognised by the State.
"We could have a national approach ... let's find out for once and for all who was involved, and not just in 1916 but also in the War of Independence," he added.
Cathal Brugha was second in command of the rebels stationed at the South Dublin Union garrison - where St James' Hospital stands today - under Eamonn Ceannt.
Believed to be the only person outside of the Rising leaders who had a copy of the insurrection plans, he survived despite being shot 25 times and was reportedly found in a pool of blood singing to keep himself conscious.
He went on to become a TD and defence minister but was later killed during civil war fighting on O'Connell Street.
Gerry Adams said those criticising his tweets either did not understand them or were misrepresenting them
Gerry Adams has been forced to apologise for using the N-word in a reference to a Quentin Tarantino film about black slavery in America.
The Sinn Fein leader has admitted his controversial tweet - later removed from his Twitter account - was inappropriate but defended his comparison of the treatment of Irish nationalists to African Americans.
"I apologise for any offence caused," he said.
Mr Adams provoked an angry backlash on Twitter and from political opponents after tweeting on Sunday night about Django Unchained, the Oscar-winning film about slavery in America.
It said: "Watching Django Unchained - A Ballymurphy N*****!" He also referred to the main character as "an uppity Fenian".
Mr Adams was born in Ballymurphy, a republican heartland of west Belfast.
Speaking outside Sinn Fein's Belfast headquarters at a hastily arranged press conference on Monday, he admitted deleting the tweet minutes after posting it.
"Django Unchained is a powerful film which highlights the injustices suffered by African Americans through its main character Django," he said.
"In my tweets I described him as a 'Ballymurphy n......' and 'an uppity Fenian'.
"I have acknowledged that the use of the N-word was inappropriate.
"That is why I deleted the tweet."
In an earlier statement, Mr Adams had defended his use of the offensive term and said anyone genuinely offended by it either misunderstood him or misrepresented the context.
"Like African Americans, Irish nationalists were denied basic rights," he said.
"The penal laws, Cromwell's regime, and partition are evidence of that.
"In our own time, like African Americans, nationalists in the north (of Ireland), including those from Ballymurphy and west Belfast, were denied the right to vote; the right to work; the right to a home; and were subject to draconian laws.
"This changed because we stood up for ourselves. We need to continue to do that."
Mr Adams said he has " long been inspired by Harriet Tubman; Frederick Douglass; Rosa Parks; Martin Luther King and Malcolm X who stood up for themselves and for justice".
The embarrassing gaffe comes as his party and others face elections later this week for the Northern Ireland Assembly.
It also comes just weeks after he was accused of comparing himself to civil rights icon Rosa Parks when he was excluded from a St Patrick's Day celebration at the White House.
After being held up at security in Washington, he left and stated: "Sinn Fein will not sit at the back of the bus for anyone."
Colum Eastwood, leader of the rival nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party, said Mr Adams' " public use of a racist slur falls well below the standards demanded by us all".
"If a similar remark had been made by any other political leader on this island, Sinn Fein would have unleashed an orchestrated wave of angry condemnation," he said.
"They would not accept any talk of context or of irony. They should hold themselves to the same standard.
"No-one in Ballymurphy or any other area affected by the Troubles will accept this use of language to refer to events here."
It is not the first time an Irish political leader has been forced to apologise over the use of the N-word.
In 2002, Taoiseach Enda Kenny - then opposition leader - faced calls for his resignation when he recalled at a private function an anecdote about a Moroccan barman "with shiny teeth" in Portugal saying a cocktail called a Lumumba was named after "some n***** who died dans la guerre (in the war)".
Patrice Lumumba was the assassinated African nationalist who was the Congo's first democratically elected leader.
Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt described Mr Adams' comments as contemptible.
"I find it extraordinary that the leader of a political party can even think to utter the words that he did," he said.
"To try to liken the fight against slavery to what was happening in Northern Ireland in the 1960s is contemptible.
"And then for him to claim that he was one of the founders of the civil rights movement - even (Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister) Martin McGuinness must be rolling his eyes at that one.
"The civil rights campaigners wanted to reform Northern Ireland, not destroy it. This is just Gerry Adams trying to re-write history."
Mr Nesbitt said the relative silence of other Sinn Fein leaders was deafening and he called on the party's candidates in the imminent election to make clear their positions on the remarks.
The Canadian economist Kenneth Galbraith once made a rash statement during one of his legendary broadcasts that Ireland never produced a great economist.
He deeply regretted saying so because from behind every bush, from that day on, he was assailed with names and dates of spectacular Irish contributors to the 'dismal science'. However, Galbraith said something else that no Irish person can do anything but endorse. He said poverty can only be solved by emigration or education.
In many respects in Ireland we have made an unfortunate business out of emigration but it is a pity we haven't made a bigger business out of education.
Our company this morning, Pearson plc, has chosen education as its business and made it a global one. But even noble endeavours like education are not guaranteed consistently high growth performances, as the recent experience of Pearson has shown.
Up to last year it was in the newspaper publishing business and the owner of the 'Financial Times' and 'The Economist'. Investors asked if this exit was keeping 'ahead of the curve' or was it a reflection of the willingness of Pearson to be constantly dynamic? Pearson, after all, started life 172 years ago as a construction company.
Getting out of newspapers wasn't exactly an abrupt change. It's been a gradual process. It has long controlled the paperback pioneer, Penguin, and three years ago it merged its publication business with the German group, Bertelsmann. The new company, Penguin Random House, publishes more than 15,000 new books annually, producing blockbusters like the 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' series, among others.
Today Pearson is a worldwide education business with a 47pc interest in Penguin Random House. It delivers its educational content in a variety of forms including books and online services.
Its products serve governments, institutions and individuals. The services include content, testing, administration and processing for teacher development including software, operating in 70 countries worldwide.
The company operates in three segments which it designates as 'North America', 'Core' and 'Growth.' The North American business offers learning from early education through elementary, middle, high school, colleges and universities. The US is the company's largest market with 63pc of sales and also the most profitable segment accounting for almost three-quarters of the group's operating profit.
Pearson regards its 'core' markets as Australia and Western Europe which account for almost one fifth of sales and operating profit. Its 'growth' markets notched up sales last year of 700m but was unprofitable.
The group's sales of 4.5bn have been buffeted in the last 3 years, declining by almost 1bn with its core and growth segments suffering the most.
Operating profits last year were 723m and guidance for this year is 600m but this hinges on cost savings. While the company has benefited from currency movements and the removal of executive bonus payments, the gains have been eroded by trading pressures and reconstruction costs.
Unfortunately for investors the shares have dropped from a ten-year high of 15 to 6 at the end of last year.
Following a second profit warning it would appear that investors are again warming to Pearson, the shares rising to 8 giving the company a market value of 6.6bn.
Unsurprisingly, failure to reach profit targets displeased investors. In addition investors were unhappy with management vagueness about the promise of a return to growth in 2018.
To some analyst this is unrealistic. They are, however, pleased that the dividend remains unchanged and that net debt was reduced by 1bn.
Overall the outlook for 2016 remains 'challenging' in all of Pearson's major markets. But before investing clarity as to the speed and scales of its savings is essential, so I remain neutral.
Nothing in this section should be taken as a recommendation, either explicit or implicit to buy any of the shares mentioned.
Britons are to go to the polls on June 23
All eyes will turn to Brussels tomorrow as it releases its spring economic forecast.
It will, of course, be interesting to see what it makes of Ireland's stellar recovery in GDP rates. But perhaps more pressing will be the outlook for the region's economic powerhouses, including Germany.
Last month, the IMF lowered its global economic forecast by 0.2 percentage points to 3.2pc.
It also warned that a Brexit would be potentially damaging to the world economy.
There will also be a meeting of the European Central Bank Governing Council tomorrow.
Tomorrow also sees the release of Ireland's purchasing managers' index for April for the manufacturing sector released. Data for the services sector will be out on Wednesday.
There's a veritable deluge in indicators this week. US trade balance figures will be revealed, as will PMIs from Markit for the EU.
There will also be closely-watched Irish retail sales figures for March out on Thursday, which will give a useful indication of just how confident consumers are feeling. Those figures will also incorporate Easter. Recent data from research group Kantar Worldpanel showed that Irish shoppers went on a bit of a splurge for Easter at the nation's supermarket chains.
Two high-profile annual general meetings this week too: Insulation maker Kingspan has its AGM on Thursday, while packaging giant Smurfit Kappa holds its meeting on Friday and releases first quarter results the same day.
Trading statements are also out this week from a number of UK firms, including retailer Next; insurance firm RSA; and Paddy Power Betfair on Wednesday. Investors will undoubtedly be looking for an update on the continuing integration process at the two gambling firms.
On Friday, the deputy British Ambassador to Ireland, Neil Holland, will be among the special guests at an Irish Exporters' Association event in Cork.
The association is 65 years in business this month, and will host a lunch there for key exporters and local businesses in the Munster region.
Firefighters can be called on to tackle a variety of different emergencies, but evicting a bear burglar must be one of the more unusual.
Eagle River Fire Protection District received an early morning call on Saturday to help remove a bear that had broken into a second floor apartment and was raiding a fridge.
According to a statement from the fire district, the apartment owner - who locked himself in his bedroom - and the bear were unharmed.
Watch the fire crew scare away the bear in the video above.
Expand Close Fireman scares the bear in order to drive it out of the building CREDIT: EAGLE RIVER FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT/EAGLE RIVER FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp Fireman scares the bear in order to drive it out of the building CREDIT: EAGLE RIVER FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT/EAGLE RIVER FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT Video of the Day
Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
This debut novel opens with the rather ominous disappearance of four-year-old Georgie. She had been playing hide and seek with her elder sister, Monica, on the disused mining area around their caravan.
Twelve-year-old Monica retraces their movements behind oil barrels, giant wheels and old tyres thrown in the scrub. It is 1985 and their parents have moved to the opal-mining town of Akarula in Australia, in search of paradise.
But what they found was a one-tree town in the searing outback heat. Monicas uncle Eddie had encouraged his brother to move from England.
A bachelor-dreamer, Eddies big project as a property speculator is Akarula and hes obsessed with his brothers wife. The promise of paradise and a fatal attraction persuaded Monicas mother to move. Her dreams of a singing career had died with the birth of her daughters.
The family know nothing of the other disappearances, while the villagers search down disused mine shafts for the little girl.
Craters of hollow earth remain where the arid bush was ransacked and abandoned by the mining corporation. All the while, Mr M sits beneath the lone gum tree, his aboriginal presence symbolising colonial oppression over indigenous landscape and peoples.
The novel is told from four points of view, a daring technique for a debut. Just as the reader is getting comfortable they are abruptly interrupted with a different voice. The most compelling is that of Monica, full of hope and beguiling innocence, despite the behaviour of the three adult characters around her. She is wise beyond her years, with an instinct to survive the unfolding drama of her parents lives.
The gum tree remains a spectre throughout each narrative, engaging a troublesome theme of self-destruction.
Born in Cheshire, Helen Blackhurst now lives in Ireland. She had an opportunity to meet publishers and agents at the 2015 Greenbean Novel Fair at the Irish Writers Centre which provided up-and-coming writers with an invaluable chance to bypass the slush pile.
Swimming on Dry Land is one of many successes to be published over the last three years.
Sledgehammers are omnipresent in Jean-Marc Vallee's latest tale of self-help redemption by way of a trite metaphor. In 2014's Wild, the Canadian director shot Reese Witherspoon as a wayward woman finding herself out in 'the wild'. No prizes then for guessing what gets Jake Gyllenhaal's character back on his feet after his wife's death in Demolition.
But while some of these sledgehammers are tangible, most are figurative ones wielded by Vallee to push the film's "rip it up and start again" symbolism. The point is laboured, to say the least.
Davis (Gyllenhaal) is a dead-on-the-inside Manhattan executive whose young wife dies in a tragic road accident. He seems unable to mourn, which doesn't help his already problematic relationship with father-in-law and boss Phil (Chris Cooper). He writes all this (and anything else his troubled mind excretes) in letters to a troubled customer-service worker called Karen (Naomi Watts). Soon, he has moved in with her and is bonding with her troubled teenage son, Chris (Judah Lewis).
You may have noticed that many of Demolition's white middle-class suburbanites are "troubled". Davis and Karen in particular subsist on the kind of navel-gazing, free-associating waffle that New Yorkers love to relay to overpaid therapists. Put simply, hardly a single line sounds like anything uttered by real people in real life, and this makes them difficult to fully relate to.
Of course, this isn't real life. This is that America where people in million-dollar glass boxes without financial cares are entitled to totally extricate themselves from society if the happiness boat is rocked. Vallee's 2013 Oscar-winner Dallas Buyers Club hit a note because redemption came at a cost in that film. Here, it's couriered straight to the door along with some pretty cinematography.
Atlantic Cert: Club. Now showing at the IFI
Rating: 5/5
Review by Aine O'Connor
Risteard O'Domhnaill does things so the rest of us don't have to. Or that is sometimes what it feels like as he lays out the effects of capitalism and corruption in a world in which many of us are too daft, scared or worn out to notice. His previous award-winning documentary The Pipe examined the Shell to Sea campaign and his latest documentary makes similarly vital, if somewhat depressing, viewing.
Atlantic focuses on three fishing communities - in Ireland, Norway and Newfoundland - each affected by different large interests. When Ireland joined the then EEC in 1973 we handed over control of fish stocks, and each year the member countries are allocated a fishing quota.
This means that small Irish fishing operations look on as supertrawlers from other jurisdictions swallow vast quantities of fish from the Irish sea, killing off the indigenous industry and wreaking havoc on North Atlantic fish stocks.
It was sweeping measures to counteract a threat to cod stocks that put the fishermen of Newfoundland out of business in the 1990s. They then reinvented themselves for the oil business, but now that is under threat too. In turn, it is oil exploration that threatens the closely protected Arctic fishing industry in Norway. The documentary reveals a cycle of short-sighted measures based on short-term gain that wreak long-term destruction both on the small communities immediately affected and the entire eco-system of the North Atlantic.
Video of the Day
Well researched and put together, this is important stuff, not least because there is still time.
Captain America: Civil War Cert: 12A
Rating: 4/5
Review by Aine O'Connor
I confess that the prospect of yet more super heroes duelling it out did not fill me with joy - I have a limited capacity for super folk and this year's supply is all but used up. However, this serving of conflicted mega peeps, almost all of the Marvel characters now familiar on the big screen, proved an enjoyable, if overly long, episode in a series that still has a long way to run.
Following the destruction wrought in Avengers: Age of Ultron, the UN and the US Secretary of Summat (William Hurt) want the Avengers to either submit to official control or cease and desist all world-saving ops.
The issue for the authorities is whether they are heroes or vigilantes, but the issue for Avengers is the quality of the power they will be subject to.
Fuelled by guilt and the need to get back in with his girlfriend, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) leads a cohort, including War Machine (Don Cheadle) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson, pictured below), who are keen to agree to regulation. On the other hand, Captain America (Chris Evans), aware that their first task will be to kill the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) - his childhood friend turned ruthless killer - is more conflicted. With him are Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Falcon (Anthony Mackie). The remaining heroes, and a few extra recruits, pick sides and civil war ensues.
Directors Anthony and Joe Russo, working from a screenplay by Christopher Marcus and Stephen McFeely, keep a firm hold of what, with so many characters and so many stars, could have gone badly wrong. They deliver a strong story about friendship and principle that hits the right notes without getting po-faced and has a very different tone to Batman V. Superman, the film that it will inevitably be compared to.
There's a light touch, and it is often funny. There are many series in-jokes - the scene where Iron Man recruits Spider-Man (Tom Holland) is a classic example. And the action scenes are outstanding.
Son of Saul Cert: 15A
Rating: 5/5
Review by Aine O'Connor
It is a further measure of the utter insanity of the Nazi regime that when it became obvious that it was losing the war, rather than focus on military efforts it stepped up the extermination rates in the concentration camps. This put pressure on one aspect of the death camps rarely focused upon, the actual system of mass murder.
The system required that some inmates, known as Sonderkommando, be chosen to process the ones who were to be killed. These Sonderkommando were kept alive long enough - but not too long - to be able to do all of the work involved in murdering thousands of people each week.
In this extraordinary film, Hungarian director Laszlo Nemes, working from a script he co-wrote with Clara Royer, tells a story set over two days in Auschwitz from the point of view of Hungarian Sonderkommando Saul Auslander (Geza Rohrig). The entire film is shot via close-up of Saul, who, at the beginning of the story, sets himself a mission to find a rabbi. This mission overrides almost all other concerns, including at times the escape plans of his co-Sonderkommando. The camera angle is wearing in places but effective in that it expresses the focus the men must have needed in order to do the work demanded of them.
They each had a task handling the "pieces", as the SS referred to the bodies, and in the background, out of focus but still present, tasks such as extracting gold teeth from the corpses continued. But life of sorts always goes on, the valuables stolen from the murdered were not always handed over and became currency for other inmates, for food, sex or favours. But Saul's mission to find a rabbi is his personal fight against dehumanisation.
It's a rarely expressed side of an oft-told story that proves simple, harrowing and effective.
A group of Irish students have come together to make sense of the 2008 economic crash with their short film Crash Crash Bang.
Most people probably hadnt heard the phrase mortgage-backed securities until around 2008, when the subprime-mortgage crisis erupted and sent the global financial system into chaos.
But what exactly happened? Thats the central question of Crash Crash Bang.
It tells the same story as the 2016 Oscar-winning film The Big Short, based on an adaptation of Michael Lewiss 2010 book.
For those who haven't seen it, The Big Short is about a handful of Wall Streeters who uncovered the underlying problems in the mortgage market and bet against (or shorted) the securities made up of subprime debt before the great economic meltdown in 2008.
The script, narration, shot ideas, and the music found in Crash Crash Bang are original and gives an Irish angle to the crisis.
It was created by a group of students from the UCD Smurfit Business School and director Phat Meek has created a film that's fun to watch but based on themes that are frightening to consider.
It even gives a cheeky nod to The Big Short's famous bubble bath scene with Margot Robbie right at the end.
The Edge poses for a picture with Irish bishop Paul Tighe (right) at the Vatican. Photo: Reuters
The Edge has become the first rock star to play in the Sistine Chapel, a venue that he described as "the most beautiful parish hall in the world".
The guitarist, whose real name is David Evans, sang four songs on Saturday night for around 200 doctors, researchers and philanthropists attending a conference at the Vatican, called Cellular Horizons on regenerative medicine.
Backed by a choir of seven Irish teenagers and wearing his trademark black beanie cap, The Edge played acoustic guitar and sang a cover of Leonard Cohen's 'If it Be Your Will', and versions of U2 songs, including 'Yahweh', 'Ordinary love' and 'Walk On'.
The Edge, whose father died last month from cancer and whose daughter has overcome leukaemia, is on the board of foundations that are working for cancer prevention.
He joked with his audience, telling them that he was stunned when asked to play in the chapel, which was painted by the Renaissance master Michelangelo in the 16th Century.
"When they asked me if I wanted to become the first contemporary artist to play in the Sistine Chapel, I didn't know what to say because usually there's this other guy who sings," the musician said, referring to U2 front man Bono.
"Being Irish, you learn very early that if you want to be asked to come back, it's very important to thank the local parish priest for the loan of the hall," he said.
He then thanked Pope Francis and other Vatican officials "for allowing us to use the most beautiful parish hall in the world".
The Edge dedicated his performance of 'Walk On', written in 2000 for Myanmar democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi when she was under house arrest, to Pope Francis, whom he described as "the people's Pope".
"He's doing an amazing job and long may he continue," he added.
The rock star sprinkled his address with technical terms, such as biomarkers and angiogenesis. "I can tell this is a really cool audience because normally when I say angiogenesis eyes glaze over," he said.
Angiogenesis is the process through which new blood vessels, which tumours need to grow, are formed. Scientists are seeking ways to block tumour angiogenesis.
Video of the Day
The Vatican conference, which was addressed by the US vice-president Joe Biden on Friday, was organised by the US-based Stem for Life Foundation to share ideas and treatments on the use of adult stem cells to cure rare diseases.
Last month, the Edge led mourners at the funeral for his father, Garvin Evans, who died at the age of 84.
He paid tribute to his father's "unswerving positivity" in the face of a decade-long battle with illness.
An elegiac piece on RTE Radio One's Sunday Miscellany from novelist Julie Parsons imagined the Protestant community in Dun Laoghaire, or Kingstown as it then was, as the murmur of guns on Easter 1916 began a process that changed their world forever, and how that community slowly drifted away from the Republic that followed.
Sunday Miscellany is a show that deals in nostalgic evocations of time, family and place, but this - together with another piece by Bryan MacMahon on Timothy Finn, who fought against the British army in the city that day and then died a few years later fighting for it on the Western Front - was a timely reminder that it can deal with more complex subject matter, and that there are many different Irelands.
On Tuesday's Newstalk, Moncrieff discussed another complicated issue, that of so-called revenge porn - the posting of sexual images of a former partner online either to humiliate or blackmail them.
What was interesting was the way in which the websites which host this material are able to hide behind their "first amendment" right to free speech. The problem, Sean's guest explained, is that the images themselves are not illegal, so countries can do little to shut the sites down unless they're being run in the same jurisdiction, which usually they are not.
That same day, an author of a new book about the secret online world of teenage girls spoke to The Anton Savage Show on Today FM, describing the even more disturbing phenomenon of boys and girls as young as 10 sending explicit pictures via smartphones to other users, often as a result of being manipulated or bullied.
Sometimes it doesn't even need that. Young people know that provocative pictures on social media attract more "likes", so they're increasingly being lured into a hypersexualised culture from whose clutches they then simply cannot escape.
As Nancy Jo Sales put it chillingly, this is nothing more than child pornography, which is meant to be illegal, but it is children themselves who are now producing it. In less than a decade of their existence, she said, smartphones have "completely transformed, some might say completely destroyed, childhood".
Talking on the line to Shane Coleman, who was sitting in for George on The Right Hook, Eoghan Harris lifted spirits with a typically feisty analysis on Wednesday of negotiations for the new government, during which he mocked "Fine Gael trots" who thought the threat of another election would get them their own way, when it was they who had most to lose, and lambasted left wing and independent TDs now predicting gloom and doom.
Cynicism is an easy stance to adopt, but Harris showed that optimism can be equally infectious as he looked forward to a "good three years of democracy".
Drivetime went instead with Socialist TD Ruth Coppinger, who sounded rather miffed for a woman claiming that her political opponents were on the run.
Sister Clare Theresa Crockett with a student at the school in Ecuador. Photo: PA/Home of the Mother order
Sister Clare Theresa Crockett with a pupil at the Home of the Mother order school in Ecuador. Photo: Home of the Mother order/PA
Sister Clare Crockett, who was killed in an earthquake in Ecuador. Photo: Family Handout/PA Wire
A young Irish nun killed in the earthquake in Ecuador was an inspirational example of womanhood, mourners at her funeral service have been told.
Sister Clare Theresa Crockett (33) died when a stairwell collapsed in the school where she was working in Playa Prieta earlier this month.
Hundreds of people packed into St Columba's Church close to her family home in the Brandywell area of Londonderry for Requiem Mass.
Fr Eamon Graham, who led the service, said: "She was a striking example of Derry womanhood.
"Clare asked herself what she could do to make the world a better place and how she could serve God and help the most vulnerable.
"And to do that she went to the far end of the earth and she took her goodness with her."
More than 480 people were killed and 4,000 others injured in the powerful quake, which had a magnitude of 7.8 - the strongest to hit the country since 1979.
The US Geological Survey said the shallow quake which struck on April 17 was centred 16 miles (26km) from Muisne in a sparsely populated area of fishing ports popular with tourists.
Sister Clare, a nun in the Home of the Mother order, had been teaching children in a rural part of the country, including guitar lessons.
She died alongside a number of local girls in the school.
Fr Graham told the congregation that many who met the self-confessed former party girl and budding actress had been inspired to change direction.
He added: "She continued to do this in her death.
"She enjoyed life and she loved life.
"She always said she wanted to be famous - but she gave all that up. But in a way she has achieved fame and that will help her good work continue."
As her coffin, adorned with floral bouquets, was carried into the church, a guard of honour was provided by girls from St Cecilia's College where Sister Clare had received their first-ever award for kindness.
A large number of Catholic clergy including Bishops Edward Daly and Donal McKeown as well as the high profile Presbyterian minister and former Army chaplain Reverend David Latimer were among those who took part in the ceremony.
Some members of Sister Clare's order were also in attendance as were Stormont politicians including Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and SDLP leader Colm Eastwood, both Derry natives.
A guitar was among the gifts offered during the service.
Outside the church Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown said Sister Clare's family had drawn comfort by the level of support.
He said: "I didn't know her but, her smiling face, her guitar, is the way that she will be remembered.
"I understand she was found with the guitar cord round her neck, and in many ways that's the image most of us have seen of her over the past few weeks.
"I am sure she will be remembered as somebody who was full of energy and full of life and who wanted to give the best that she had for people who were not as well off or as fortunate as she was."
Senior figures at the National Maternity Hospital are exploring a range of possible sites for its relocation as the row over a move to the campus of St Vincent's Hospital deepens.
The executives in the hospital, which is currently located in an out-dated building on Holles Street and is earmarked to move to the Dublin 4 campus, are now spreading the net to examine other sites where it could construct a modern premises.
However, it is understood that the Department of Health remains of the view that building a new maternity hospital on the grounds of St Vincent's is still the best option.
It is ultimately a matter for the department to decide where the 150m of Exchequer funding will be used to construct the new hospital.
A decision on whether to abandon the planned move to St Vincent's and review other locations will be one of the first items on the agenda of the next health minister.
St Vincent's Healthcare Group is adamant that it must have control of the corporate governance of the new hospital but this is being resisted by the maternity hospital's board.
Overcrowding
The St Vincent's board is embroiled in the row over corporate governance at a time when its public hospital emergency department is facing dangerous levels of overcrowding and it has had to close its doors to new patients with skin cancer.
Health Minister Leo Varadkar reiterated yesterday that his preference is for the maternity hospital to retain its independence as part of a co-location structure.
"Clinical care at Vincent's has clearly benefited from having its own independent board and there is every reason that the same independence should be retained at the maternity hospital," he said.
Dr Peter Boylan, chair of the Institute of Obstetricians, warned yesterday that any more delays would leave pregnant women at a disadvantage as they gave birth in out-of-date and cramped conditions.
Even if the maternity hospital is represented on an all-embracing board, it would be down the priority list, he said, adding: "The three maternity hospitals in Dublin are overcrowded and they need to be re-located. It is time to get on with it."
A spokesman for the National Maternity Hospital said: "We are committed to seeking a resolution of the current impasse and developing a world-class hospital... at the St Vincent's site. We don't want to speculate on other options at this stage."
Intel announced last week it was shedding 12,000 jobs globally due to lack of demand for its PC computer chips. Stock photo: Reuters
Thousands of Intel workers are bracing themselves for the worst when they return to work this week amid reports that more than 400 Irish jobs are to be lost.
Staff at the computer chip giant's Leixlip plant in Co Kildare, which employs 4,500 people, fear they will bear the brunt of compulsory and voluntary redundancies at its Irish operations. The company also has bases in Shannon and Cork.
Intel announced last week it was shedding 12,000 jobs globally due to lack of demand for its PC computer chips.
The 'Sunday Business Post' reported that 420 out of 5,500 jobs here will be axed, which the company has dismissed as "speculative".
But local councillors in Leixlip and nearby Celbridge said there was a "sense of impending doom" in both communities over the weekend as workers await more information on the job cuts this week.
"There are husbands and wives both working there a long time," said Celbridge councillor Ide Cussen.
"There is a sense of impending doom, but people didn't see it coming."
She said the fact that the company would not tell staff how many jobs were on the line until this week had made people very anxious. "The drip feed of giving people the news has been torture," she said.
And it was not just the Intel workers who would be affected but local shops, pubs and other businesses as well, she added.
Leixlip councillor Joe Neville said the impending job losses were all his constituents had been talking about, including four of his personal friends who work at Intel.
"Everybody is on tenterhooks," he said. "You can feel the tension. People just don't know what to expect."
Aside from the immediate job losses, the community fears the plant itself will eventually wind down if Intel can't keep up with rapidly evolving technologies, which would be devastating to everyone, he added.
An Irish basket maker has won the battle of the rattles as his simple woven toy was given to Princess Charlotte for her first birthday by her grandfather, the Prince of Wales.
Native Galway weaver Ciaran Hogan (34) says he is flattered with all the attention hes received since his simple willow woven rattle was listed among hundreds of presents given to the little princess over the last 12 months to celebrate her birthday on May 2.
The simple toy might seem out of place in the royals toy box, which already contains a 40k white gold rattle studded with diamonds, rubies and sapphires as well as gifts from a king, two queens, four presidents and three prime ministers, but according to the weaver sometimes the simplest toy is the best.
It looks like Im beating the sapphires, joked the 34-year-old craftsman from Joyce Country.
Expand Close Princess Charlotte, an image taken by the Duchess of Cambridge at Anmer Hall in Norfolk in April / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp Princess Charlotte, an image taken by the Duchess of Cambridge at Anmer Hall in Norfolk in April
Children usually like the straightforward toys the most, so Im flattered that my rattle has got the attention it has.
Its got seven stones inside to make the noise.
Expand Close The woven rattle / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp The woven rattle
These represent the seven deadly sins, so when the child shakes it, theyre banishing them.
First presented to Prince Charles last May during his historic visit to Galway, Ciaran said he was surprised that his gift had made its way into the Royal Highness granddaughters toy chest.
Expand Close Native Galway weaver Ciaran Hogan (34) says he is flattered with all the attention hes received / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp Native Galway weaver Ciaran Hogan (34) says he is flattered with all the attention hes received
Its a simple enough design and only takes 10 to 15 minutes to make, so when I heard about the Princes new grandchild I thought it would be an ideal gift to remember his visit to the area.
It was very nice to meet him as he was very friendly and did seem to be genuinely interested in the rattle.
Expand Close Princess Charlotte poses for a photograph taken by her mother Kate Middleton, who is to appearon the cover of Vogue, inset, for its June centenary issue. Photo: Reuters / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp Princess Charlotte poses for a photograph taken by her mother Kate Middleton, who is to appearon the cover of Vogue, inset, for its June centenary issue. Photo: Reuters
He added: Im delighted he kept it to be honest. Its very flattering.
Ciaran, who followed his father into the weave trade some years ago, said that the majority of his business was making log baskets from willow sourced locally from Loch Na Fooey.
Expand Close The young Princess Charlotte Credit: HRH The Duchess of Cambridge / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp The young Princess Charlotte Credit: HRH The Duchess of Cambridge
"Ive always enjoyed the idea of being able to go out cut and harvest the willow and use it to create something from noting. Theres a pride in that."
A list of gifts released by Kensington Palace shows that among the more extravagant presents received by Princess Charlotte over the past 12 months include a silver rattle given to her by the President of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto, and his wife, Senora Angelica Rivera.
Even more lavish was an 18k white gold rattle studded with diamonds, rubies and sapphires made by the Natural Sapphire Company and valued at 40,000.
In total, Princess Charlotte received gifts and letters from 64 countries around the world.
John Douglas posted the comments on the Facebook page of a former Tesco worker. Photo: Gerry Mooney
General Secretary of Mandate trade union, John Douglas, has accused his own members of having "no balls".
Mandate has been representing workers in an ongoing dispute with Tesco, after the supermarket chain announced plans earlier this year to reduce pay and conditions.
In an outburst on the Facebook page of a former Tesco worker, the union head hit out at some workers, who he later referred to as "sour grapes".
Mr Douglas called the worker whose page he posted on a "solid, solid union member" who "lead from the front" and was leaving Tesco with dignity.
But then he launched a salvo against other workers.
"Sadly, unlike some others who wish to cover their tracks by blaming their union because they have no balls to admit that their time has come and the price is right," he wrote.
He was referring to the voluntary redundancy that was offered by Tesco, which was accepted by about 700 long-term workers, but rejected by about 300.
Contacted yesterday, Mr Douglas insisted he stood over the comments on Facebook, but said that he was only talking about a small number of Mandate members.
"The union's position is that we are standing and fighting for jobs, but the company opened a redundancy deal," Mr Douglas said.
Blaming
"There's a couple of people taking it and blaming the union, [saying] that the union couldn't stand and fight for their jobs," he added.
"A small number of people, who have taken the redundancy and wish to justify their decision to take [it] by blaming the union, that's all."
Asked to explain the phrase "their time has come and the price is right", Mr Douglas highlighted the Tesco redundancy deal.
"I mean, they're getting five weeks' pay per year of service, so they're getting nice cheques. So if you could just go with dignity. There's nothing more in it than that," he said.
Defence Minister Simon Coveney has admitted that he expects Irish sailors to face "deeply harrowing" scenes in the Mediterranean as more than a million migrants are set to try to reach Europe this year.
Mr Coveney was speaking as he inspected the LE Roisin at Haulbowline Naval Base. The patrol ship has become the fourth Irish vessel to be deployed to the Mediterranean to assist with migrant rescues.
Two further Irish vessels will be deployed later this year.
The LE Roisin, under Lt Cdr Ultan Finegan and with an operational crew of 57, sailed from Haulbowline at noon yesterday, bound for Malta.
And among their temporary crew mates are two endangered loggerhead turtles, which will be released back into the wild when the ship arrives in the Mediterranean.
The turtles were washed ashore at Barryrow, west Cork, and Cornwall, England during winter storms.
They will be released some distance from the LE Roisin by crew members in a rigid inflatable boat when they reach the warm waters east of Gibraltar.
As in previous missions, the ship will operate under the direction of the Italian Coast Guard. Two of the crew, Cdr Ken Minihan and Sub Lt David McKenna, served on migrant rescue missions last year.
EU chiefs have admitted that migrant numbers this year are expected to far exceed 2015 levels. Some estimate that more than a million people will attempt to enter Europe in 2016.
With Turkey now cracking down on migrant movements under a new deal with the EU, there are mounting concerns that the more dangerous north African route will become the main entry point to Europe.
Mr Coveney said: "This is not easy work but it is vital work. It will not solve the migration crisis but it will save lives.
"But everyone appreciates that this will be harrowing work over the next few weeks."
Ireland's notoriously strict defamation laws have been called into question ahead of World Press Freedom Day on May 3.
Ireland's notoriously strict defamation laws have been called into question ahead of World Press Freedom Day on May 3.
The representative body for the national newspaper industry, NewsBrands Ireland, is highlighting the significant challenge posed to freedom of expression by Ireland's defamation regime and, in particular, the level of awards made in defamation cases.
Defamation awards are much higher here than the rest of Europe.
The decision of the Supreme Court to award 1.25million in a case which it accepted was not the most serious of defamation actions puts Ireland wholly out of kilter with its neighbouring jurisdictions.
The award is approximately ten times higher than would have been made in the UK.
Ireland is also the only country in Europe where defamation actions are heard before a jury. In Britain, trials are held without a jury unless the Court orders otherwise.
The retention of the jury system creates delays and also a lack of certainty for publishers who have no way to ascertain the extent of their potential liability. As a result, many newspapers simply wont take the risk of publishing an article.
This has a chilling effect on the medias role as the watchdog of the public and is at odds with the theme of this years World Press Freedom Day Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms: This is your Right.
World Press Freedom Day was declared by the UN General Assembly in 1993 and 100 national celebrations take place each year to commemorate it on May 3.
The date celebrates the "fundamental principles of press freedom; to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession".
This year's World Press Freedom Day will be hosted by UNESCO and the Government of Finland in Helsinki between May 2 and 4.
Finland currently holds the top spot of the press freedom index.
Ireland is ranked at number nine out of 180 countries.
The Netherlands, Denmark, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Switzerland, Sweden and Jamaica finishing up the top 10.
Five men suspected of being involved in the Regency Hotel murder are still being sought by the Kinahan cartel - despite the individuals being either in prison, out of the country or in hiding.
The criminals, who are all associated with the Hutch mob, are suspected of being directly involved in the gun attack which left gangland figure David Byrne (33) fatally wounded.
The hit squad included three men dressed in uniforms similar to those worn by the elite Emergency Response Unit (ERU), as well as a shooter disguised as a woman and a heavy-set gunman wearing a flat cap.
Read More
Serious
One young criminal suspected of being one of those carrying an AK-47 is currently on remand facing serious charges.
Meanwhile, the man suspected of being 'Flat Cap' has been hiding out in Northern Ireland, having fled to his hometown in Co Tyrone in the immediate aftermath of the Regency Hotel hit.
Read More
His home address was recently raided and he is a close associate of Michael Barr (35), a dissident republican who was gunned down in Summerhill last Monday night as part of the deadly feud.
Another Regency Hotel suspect has fled the jurisdiction following an attempt on his life. Senior gardai recently revealed how "preventative measures" had been taken in recent weeks as part of an attempted hit.
Assistant Commissioner John O'Mahony, in charge of Crime and Security for An Garda Siochana, added that the intended target "will probably never know" about the foiled hit.
The two other men, one suspected of being the man in drag and the other a fake ERU officer, are still believed to be in the greater Dublin area - but have been keeping a relatively low profile.
The suspected cross-dressing hitman was a close associate of feud murder victim Gary Hutch, and has been warned that he is under active threat from the Kinahan cartel due to his suspected involvement in the murder.
Armed gardai previously raided the home address of the other hitman dressed as an ERU officer. However, the man aged in his 20s was not arrested during the raid. The criminal issued a stark warning to detectives searching his home, saying that the feud wouldn't end until Daniel Kinahan was killed.
Botched
The Herald previously revealed how he was targeted in a botched gangland hit after being set up by an associate. However, the feared criminal fled the scene after becoming aware of the planned hit.
Sources previously revealed how one of the AK-47 shooters still in the jurisdiction has been carrying out "inquiries" in an attempt to track down the chief suspect in a feud murder.
The 42-year-old said he refused to pay 3,400 (2,700) to an Ivory Coast gang (stock)
A married Irish father has spoken out after a gang of cybercrime blackmailers published intimate pictures of him online when he refused to hand over money.
The 42-year-old said he refused to pay 3,400 (2,700) to an Ivory Coast gang - and the Facebook fraudsters followed through on their threats to publicly shame him.
Upon realising he had been duped by the gang, the man - who wished to be identified only by his first name Robert - said he confessed to his wife about his "stupid" mistake after revealing too much online.
"I had a friend request from somebody I don't know on Facebook," he said.
"I accepted it, and about five minutes later I received a message through Facebook messenger.
"A girl then called me on a video message - basically she stripped off and asked me to show her my bits.
"I stupidly done it and the next thing I know they were asking for $4,000 or they were going to send the pictures to everybody on my friends list."
Read More
After insisting he was unemployed and had no money to send, Robert said the gang swiftly posted the images online, trying to send them to his contacts, including his son and brother.
Despite deleting his social media account the images remain online.
Robert took screenshots on his phone of the threatening messages but said he believed there was nothing police could do.
"When I told my wife she blew up. I don't blame her, I feel stupid. But she doesn't want any of her family knowing about it," he said.
"I just wanted to warn other people. I took the only way to get out of it, which was to confess."
Reacting to Robert's story, online safety expert Jim Gamble said "sextortion" cases like this were being orchestrated on an "industrial scale" by gangs in Ivory Coast, Nigeria and the Philipines, as well as the United States.
He said that the PSNI was investigating many similar cases across Northern Ireland and urged Robert to share any information he could to assist with its investigations.
"I think a lot of people get involved in this because they don't see it as a real world betrayal, it's a person far away whom they'll never meet. Lots of men view it as if it's interactive pornography; it's not," he said.
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams was at the centre of an international storm over the use of a racist slur on social media.
Mr Adams' apparent use of the word "n****r" drew condemnation from both side of the Atlantic.
Mr Adams has apologised to reporters for using the N-word in a tweet about film Django Unchained in which he compared the struggle against slavery in the US to the plight of Irish nationalists.
"I stand over the context and the substance of the point I was making which is the parallel between the plight of people here in Ireland and the struggle of people of African-American extraction," he said.
Expand Close 'Click to enlarge' / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp 'Click to enlarge'
Earlier today, the Sinn Fein president defended his use of the word, saying he had either been misunderstood by those who had taken offence at his use of the term, or they were misrepresenting the post.
Expand Close Mairia Cahill's tweet this morning / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp Mairia Cahill's tweet this morning
Read More
The offending tweet about the Oscar-winning Quentin Tarantino film appeared on his profile late on Sunday night.
It said: "Watching Django Unchained - A Ballymurphy N*****!" Although the tweet was removed swiftly it provoked a furious reaction.
The republican later issued a statement in which he said attempts to suggest he was a racist were "without credibility".
He said: "I am opposed to racism and have been all my life.
Read More
"The fact is that nationalists in the north, including those from Ballymurphy, were treated in much the same way as African Americans until we stood up for ourselves.
"If anyone is genuinely offended by my use of the N-word they misunderstand or misrepresent the context in which it was used. For this reason I deleted the tweets."
Mr Adams said that anyone who had seen the film, which stars Jamie Foxx as the emancipated protagonist, Django, and Christoph Waltz as his ally, and was familiar with the plight of nationalists in the north until recently "would understand the tweet was not meant to insult".
"My tweets about the film and the use of the N-word were ironic and not intended to cause any offence whatsoever," he said.
This morning former Labour Party Senator Mairia Cahill criticised Gerry Adams explanation of the tweet.
"My family is from Ballymurphy.There is no comparison with people taken into slavery and there."
The controversy began when the Sinn Fein president put the racist phrase on his Twitter account. He quickly deleted the derogatory word after he received a backlash from users of the social media website.
But in the intervening period, the comment was picked up by international news outlets.
In the US, 'The Washington Times' reported: "The longtime leader of the Irish Republican Army's political wing used the most toxic of all racial slurs Sunday night."
The newspaper quoted Michael Brendan Dougherty, an Irish-American columnist, who wrote: "Gerry Adams survived the RUC, the UVF, and British intelligence. This tweet he may not."
At 11.27 last night, the Sinn Fein leader tweeted: "Watching Django Unchained - A Ballymurphy N*****r". He added: "Django - an uppity Fenian!" He removed the tweets within minutes.
Mr Adams later tweeted: "Time 4 leaba. Oichey oichey", but offered no explanation for his use of the word.
Last night Ms Cahill said: "There is something wrong with him. I've said it before, and still he never fails to reinforce the point."
She added later: "Four days before an election. Leader of a party tweets that tweet. If the media don't bounce all over Sinn Fein they're not wise."
'Django Unchained' is an extremely violent Quentin Tarantino movie following the plight of a black slave who is seeking to free his wife.
Ballymurphy is an area of Belfast. The so-called Ballymurphy massacre refers to the deaths of 11 people allegedly killed by the British Army in 1971.
Mr Adams is a frequent visitor to the US, where he lobbies politically and attends Sinn Fein fundraising events.
Mr Adams's comment came less than two months after he caused controversy here and in America when he compared himself to American Civil Rights campaigner Rosa Parks after he was excluded from the White House by security personnel when he was forced to wait 90 minutes to attend a St Patrick's Day event.
Security staff kept him waiting while they quizzed his documents, prompting him to leave.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny was caught up in a racism controversy almost 15 years ago when he used the so-called 'N-word' in an anecdote about about a murdered African liberation hero. Mr Kenny was forced to make an apology for the joke about Patrice Lumumba.
Leo Varadkar's Fine Gael leadership ambitions have been damaged by his latest outburst on water charges.
The Health Minister attacked Fianna Fail over the deal which sees water bills being suspended.
Fianna Fail and Independents have identified Mr Varadkar as a problem within the government talks.
The minister's comments went down well with Fine Gael supporters. But party backbenchers are said to be wary of his erratic nature and outspokenness.
"The membership don't understand how delicate this whole situation is and he is seen to be a guy who just says what they want to hear," a senior party figure told the Irish Independent.
Simon Coveney, who is viewed as Mr Varadkar's main competitor for the party leadership, yesterday dismissed suggestions Taoiseach Enda Kenny will soon be departing as speculation.
Meanwhile, Independent TDs will today argue for a retention of the 100 water grant for 360,000 families who already pay for water in group schemes or by having their own wells.
TDs in the six-member Independent Alliance believe that rural families risk being discriminated against in the arrangement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail that underpins an emerging minority coalition.
Fine Gael negotiators today begin two separate sets of talks with 11 Independent TDs seeking as many votes as possible to have Enda Kenny elected Taoiseach later this week.
The Independents will scrutinise the weekend deal between the two big parties on how a minority government can be made work for three Budgets into 2018. They will also examine a general statement on policy matters agreed by both parties.
Assuming this is agreeable to the Independents, they will then proceed to work on their demands with the Fine Gael negotiators. These include action on rural development, agriculture supports, housing and mortgage distress, transport - and a speeded-up delivery on rural high-speed broadband.
But two members of the Independent Alliance, Michael Fitzmaurice and Kevin 'Boxer' Moran, have confirmed that compensation for rural families funding their own water will be a crucial issue.
Both deputies said they will seek retention of the 100 payment - ostensibly "a water conservation grant" - now scrapped as water charges have been put on hold. They said it must be retained for those funding their own water supply.
Mr Fitzmaurice said 190,000 families are members of group water schemes and a further 170,000 families provided their own wells and pumps.
"If we're giving free water to everyone else we have to some semblance of fair play for these rural dwellers. Let's try to cherish all the children of the nation equally," the Roscommon-Galway TD said.
Mr Fitzmaurice said they will also fight for a refund scheme for the six out of 10 households that complied with the law and paid their water charges.
Meanwhile Kevin 'Boxer' Moran backed calls for tougher rules on setback distances for wind turbines. Both deputies said this issue was extremely important for many rural communities.
Sources close to the process suggested that a compromise on water grants might revolve around reversing cuts to group water scheme supports of 45 per household.
However, acting Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney yesterday insisted that households that have not paid their water charges must still be pursued, even though water charges have been shelved.
"I think the likely approach that we will take, and certainly the one I will be advocating, is that those who have paid should see others who haven't paid being required to pay.
"One of the things in the written document we have hopefully agreed now with Fianna Fail is that people who have paid charges won't be disadvantaged."
Independents Day at Leinster House
Enda Kennys shaky deal with Fianna Fail depends on securing Independents votes. He must secure the backing of at least six Independents to complete a Fine Gael-led minority coalition and to become Taoiseach. In practice, he needs eight or more to give him stability.
A record total of 23 Independents were elected on February 26. These break into specific groups and from the earliest a maximum of 16 Independent TDs appeared open to discussions about backing government. But this number has dwindled over time.
Mr Kenny can rely upon the support of former Fine Gael Minister Michael Lowry for his proposed minority administration but he would prefer if Mr Lowrys vote was not the deciding factor.
Independent newcomer, Katherine Zappone, is also expected to support a Fine Gael-led minority after becoming one of the first to pledge her support for Enda Kenny as Taoiseach
Seven left-leaning Independents have never figured in government formation talks. These are:
Seamus Healy
Thomas Pringle
Catherine Connolly
Mick Wallace
Clare Daly
Joan Collins
Tommy Broughan.
The Healy-Rae brothers are unlikely to support a deal. Newcomer Danny has ruled it out. Michael Healy-Rae kept his options open but his demands were deemed excessive by Fine Gael. Independent Maureen OSullivan remains undecided but is unlikely to back a deal.
In the six-member Independent Alliance, Shane Ross, Kevin Boxer Moran, Finian McGrath, Michael Fitzmaurice, and Sean Canney appear open to striking a deal. Big doubts surround John Halligan, who is seeking guarantees on coronary care services for Waterford University Hospital.
There are five Rural Independents. Of these, Denis Naughten and Dr Michael Harty appear ready to deal if conditions are right. Michael Collins and Noel Grealish are undecided. Mattie McGrath appears most unlikely to participate.
Forecasts are predicting settled weather and temperatures rising to levels more typical for this time of year in the coming week
It could finally be time to banish winter coats to the back of the wardrobe - as forecasts are predicting settled weather and temperatures rising to levels more typical for this time of year in the coming week.
However, this comes after the mixed conditions experienced over the May bank holiday - during which we saw gusty winds, hail and sunshine.
Although Ireland's monthly weather data won't be released until next week, April is expected to prove one of the coldest on record.
But - following the long winter - it seems that after today breezy yet brighter conditions are expected to bring temperatures more normal for the month of May.
The last of the rain is forecast to depart from the east coast today, leaving sunny spells and scattered showers, with fresh westerly winds.
Similar conditions are expected across the country, although it will be blustery, according to Met Eireann.
Maximum temperatures will be 10-12C.
Tonight, showers will be confined to north and west coasts, with clear spells developing elsewhere. However, it will turn cold, with a touch of grass frost in inland parts of the south.
Less rain and more settled conditions are anticipated for the coming days.
"The outlook for the week is a bit better than it has been," said Met Eireann forecaster John Eagleton.
"Temperatures will be a bit higher and more towards normal at 13C or 14C.
"There is a good sign it will be a bit warmer next weekend, it might be 16C. It's hard to call it for sure, there are signs of it settling, but there are signs of more rain coming up from the south.
"One thing we can be pretty certain of is that it will be a lot warmer than the week gone by," he added.
Tomorrow, showers will persist in the north and west but many places will be dry and bright with sunny breaks, although still on the cool side.
Wednesday will be a milder day, with temperatures in the low to mid-teens. Much of the country will be dry with sunny spells, although there is a likelihood of rain in the west towards the afternoon and evening.
On Thursday, apart from a little rain in places, it will be dry with broken cloud.
Ireland has no gambling regulator and there are no guidelines governing how bookmakers report suspicious gambling activity here. (stock picture)
Ireland has no gambling regulator and there are no guidelines governing how bookmakers report suspicious gambling activity here.
Betting companies are required to obtain a licence that governs tax compliance, payment of duties and ensuring that the bookmaker is fit to hold a licence.
But no laws have been implemented requiring bookmakers to monitor for suspicious gambling activity, in contrast to industries such as banking and accountancy.
In 2013, proposals for the introduction of gambling regulations were drawn up and agreed on - but three years later the law is yet to be signed off.
Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has refused to comment on the glaring hole in regulation of the gambling industry, despite repeated requests.
Her department will ultimately be responsible for regulation, according to the Government.
A statement from the Revenue Commissioner said that it collects tax from licensed betting operators, but does not regulate their betting activities.
"Revenue has no role in the regulation of licensed betting operations, or in the investigation of suspicious betting activity," it said, adding that the Department of Justice was responsible for policy in the area.
A statement from the Department of Justice said that Revenue was responsible for issuing gambling licences.
It said that the Government had approved a bill on gambling regulation in July 2013 and that it would provide for a "unified regulatory structure governing all gambling activities," when implemented.
"Upon enactment of this legislation, the Minister for Justice, through an office to be located within this department, will assume regulatory responsibility for gambling," it said.
One of the biggest gambling companies in the country, Paddy Power Betfair, said any suspicious activity by its Irish customers is actually reported to authorities in the Isle of Man.
That's because, in the absence of regulation in Ireland, the company follows UK regulations that oblige it by law to monitor and report suspicious activity such as suspected money laundering.
The company's spokesman, Paddy Power, said that as the company was regulated in the Isle Of Man, part of its obligation was to report suspicious activity there, regardless of where it took place.
"So even if something suspicious happens in Ireland we'll raise a 'suspicious activity report' with the regulator in the Isle of Man and they have lines of communication with the relevant authorities in Ireland or elsewhere as the case may be," he said.
"In terms of responsibility, we are responsible for spotting and reporting suspicious activity and then acting on advice received by the regulator and relevant authorities" he added.
The Irish Independent attempted to obtain details of the number of suspicious activity reports for gambling held by the Isle of Man on Irish citizens, but authorities refused to release figures.
Steve Brennan, chief executive of the British island's Gambling Supervision Commission, said that it was currently helping international assessors to rate the compliance of the Isle of Man with international anti-money laundering standards.
He said that any suspicious gambling activity reports were sent to the island's financial crime unit.
However, that unit refused to release figures regarding reports it has on Irish customers.
Gardai here also refused to reveal how many cases have been passed on to them from the Isle of Man.
It was love at first sight. The moment those saucer-like brown eyes gazed into mine, I was smitten. And I felt this was going to be for life.
We met on January 4 this year, the day I arrived in Kampala, full of excitement and trepidation to volunteer with Hospice Africa Uganda, a charity whose mission is to ensure dying and seriously ill people in Africa have a peaceful and pain-free end of life.
My plan was to stay in Uganda for four weeks. I didn't bargain on still being here four months later. And I certainly didn't bargain on Pearl, and the way she would look at you, and the fact she would steal my heart.
Pearl is almost three years old. She is a tiny imp, bright as a button, and full of personality, mischief and fun. Her mum, Lydia, is 24 and unmarried, typical of so many young women in Uganda. Lydia got pregnant by Pearl's dad a second time last year and gave birth to Liam at the end of January. Again, typical in Uganda, Pearl's father is not around to support them.
Until Liam's birth, Lydia worked in the home of the founder of Hospice Africa and Hospice Africa Uganda, Dr Anne Merriman. 2014 Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr Anne, who is almost 81, is an inspirational woman. She introduced palliative care to Africa in 1993 and over the last 23 years her charity has ensured that 27,000 people have had a dignified end to their life.
Dr Anne's house is full of love and activity. There are 10 dogs, six cats, and lots of visitors passing through. But best of all there is Ryan, aged 6, Vicky, aged 3, and Pearl, children of the girls who work there.
Expand Close Miriam Donohoe with the extended family. / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp Miriam Donohoe with the extended family.
I lived with Dr Anne for three months and it was joyful to come home from hospice in the evening - often stressed after a tough day on a home visit to a dying patient - to be met by three cheeky faces waiting to be entertained by "Jaja " Miriam. (Jaja means grandmother in Uganda. I now have them trained to call me "Aunt Miriam" instead)
As I settled into life here, I began to learn a lot about the country and the culture. I was shocked to realise that education was not free and I saw first-hand how parents struggled to pay school fees so they could give their children a decent chance in life.
For people in low-paid jobs, there are three priorities in life: to provide a roof over the family's head; to feed them; and to get the fees so the children can go to school. The children of the girls who work for Dr Anne are lucky because they have "sponsors" - through Dr Anne's network - who pay their school fees. The girls and their children are part of Dr Anne's extended 'family'. She loves and cherishes each one dearly and takes a huge interest in their welfare and education.
One of the issues I struggle with here is the fact that so many women are second-class citizens and they face huge challenges - discrimination, low social status, lack of money, and risk of HIV/AIDS infection.
Men expect their women to be docile and subservient. They generally make the decisions and are often proud and boast of the fact that they have cheated on their wives. I have heard how men are unwilling to use condoms and force themselves on their wives or girlfriends. Dreadful in a country where HIV/AIDS is still prevalent.
Sadly, many young girls sell sex for economic survival. It is common for girls to become sexually active at a much younger age than men, adding to the incidences of HIV/AIDS.
Teenage pregnancy is also high and poses a huge risk to the health of both the mother and the baby.
Pearl's mother is a bright, pretty, intelligent woman with a bubbly personality. Lydia has completed a catering course and at one stage worked in the kitchen of an international school.
Her mother died when she was very young and she was raised by her dad, a good man who did his best for his family.
Lydia has a dream, and that is to bring Pearl and Liam abroad to live. She feels she and her family will have more opportunities there.
I was honoured and chuffed to be asked by Lydia to be Pearl's godmother. She had both her children christened at St Denis's Shrine in Munyonyo on April 10 by a wonderful Polish Franciscan priest, Father Adam Mutebi.
I knew that, unlike in Ireland, where god-parents don't often play an active role in their god-children's upbringing, being Pearl's godmother meant responsibilities. There is an expectation that I will guide and mentor her, and assist in any way I can with her upbringing.
As part of this role, I have decided to pay for Pearl's education. She starts kindergarten in Savannah Nursery School in Makindye, Kampala, in June, when she turns three. I visited the school last week. It's a happy, cheerful place.
Financially, it is not going to be a huge drain. Her term fee will be around 120 and I will also pay for her school uniform and books. To put this in context, the most Lydia can expect to earn a month with her current skills is 70. There is no way she could pay for her children's education as well.
I will get Pearl's school reports every term and will closely follow her progress, even when I am back in Ireland. I am looking forward to seeing her blossom and do well.
I am doing this for several reasons. Not to show off or be praised or to be told I am great. First off, I love Pearl. Secondly, I am lucky that I am in the financial position to be able to pay for her school fees. Thirdly, I would hate to think that Pearl might end up in the situation that so many young women in Uganda fall into. I would love to help her so she gets a decent education and a good chance at life.
I am also helping Lydia with fees to do a night course in Tourism and Administration. I know that with the help and guidance, Lydia can make a real go of her life. She has the brains to do it.
Pearl is only one of thousands of children in Uganda who would flourish if they got the right start in life. I have already reared my own two children, now aged 26 and 24. They have been very lucky and blessed with their lives and they are very supportive of Pearl, their little "god-sister".
The last four months have been life-changing for me. My experience here has put lots of things into perspective. I am proud to be involved with a charity that is giving people the greatest gift of all - that of a peaceful end of life.
And I am proud to be taking a little bit of Uganda home in my heart. A little person called Pearl.
Hospice Africa Uganda has Give a Chance projects in the UK, Denmark and the USA which support young patients, and children of patients, in their education. It is planning to start Give a Chance in Ireland later this year. If you would like to help email miriamdonohoe@gmail.com
Parents are more worried about violence in films than they are about sex and bad language, according to the censor
Parents are more worried about violence in films than they are about sex and bad language, according to the censor.
They also believe that bad language is harmful to their children, and want new technology to be developed to make it easier to check a film's suitability.
Research conducted by the Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO) also found there were concerns that cinemas were not enforcing age restrictions on movies.
According to the IFCO's annual report for 2015, which has been laid before the Oireachtas, the depiction of violence in all forms is the main concern of the parents of secondary school children when it comes to movies.
The research also found that sexual content was the second greatest concern, coming slightly higher than Hollywood's depictions of drugs.
Acting director of classification Ger Connolly said that this was "slightly surprising", given that children in secondary schools face greater exposure to drug use issues than those in primary schools.
Harmful
The report also noted that 62pc of those surveyed still regard coarse language to be harmful rather than just unpleasant. But language was the area of least concern, according to the research, which was carried out with the assistance of the National Parents Council (Post-Primary).
It also found that the vast majority of parents favoured having IFCO classification at the start of films being shown on television.
Parents were also in favour of the development of a film classification app for smartphones, so that they can find out easily if a movie is suitable for their child to watch. Concerns were also expressed about a perceived lack of enforcement of age restrictions in cinemas.
The research will be used to inform a review of the IFCO's guidelines taking place this year.
The report said the IFCO had certified 371 movies in 2015, down 20 on the previous year.
It also certified 4,065 DVDs, an increase of 7pc on 2014. This marked the first annual increase in DVD certifications since 2005. Film distributors paid 1.5m for certification of cinema and DVD releases last year, the report said.
Almost half of the movies released here came from the US. Just 22 Irish films were certified for release, and five more were international co-productions involving Ireland.
You could be forgiven for thinking that hosting an establishment is a dying art in this country. There is a new breed of shops, restaurants and pubs where the aim seems to be less about making the customer feel comfortable and more about making them feel privileged for being there. There is an increasing number of restaurants that don't take bookings, the idea apparently being that you fit in with their plans rather than them fitting in with yours. In many of these establishments we are invited to pay to come and admire the chefs or proprietors, to treat them as artists.
The phenomenon of more and more limited choice has also hit these shores. It seems this new breed of hospitality workers even knows better than us what we should choose to eat.
Which is a shame. Because we have always been a nation of great shopkeepers and hosts. There is a reason why you will find Irish people working in some of the greatest hotels in the world, and why Irish hotels are often recognised as being the greatest in the world.
There is a reason too why the concept of the Irish pub has been exported all over the world. Our warmth and friendliness and sense of fun is not a myth. If you don't believe me, go to some pubs abroad.
And this nation of shopkeepers, of traders, of talkers, still knows how to run an establishment, whether it be a hotel, a pub, a shop or a restaurant. We still know how to make somewhere feel special.
This week we publish your choice of the best eating experiences in Ireland. And this week we are also putting out a call for your choice of Ireland's best establishments - the pubs, clubs, shops, eating houses, cafes and hotels that make you feel special, that make you feel at home.
We want to know the places that have that special charm, the places where you feel a little bit of magic when you walk in the door, the places where you feel special, where you feel instantly at home, or indeed the places that transport you.
Establishments are the texture of Irish life in many ways. Public life is still to some extent lived out in work, in clubs, at Mass, outside Mass or in school and outside school - but more and more we conduct our public lives, and indeed some of our private lives, in commercial establishments.
This is where we interact, where we bump into people, where we catch up with old friends, where we gather with our families.
And establishments are also part of the daily ritual of our lives. For some people, that small interaction in the shop when they go to buy the paper, that same chat had every day with the barman in their local, that cup of tea in the local cafe that breaks up the morning can be a valued part of the day. In a good establishment, we all connect. We remember that we are all human beings.
A good establishment also delights us. It's a treat to go there. It adds a bit of colour to your day, maybe a bit of escapism. In a good establishment they will serve you without being servile. You'll be treated like royalty, but in the most casual way.
It could be your local pub or shop, or the hotel you go back to every year, or the place you bring your Granny for afternoon tea once a month where they make her feel special. Equally it could be your local ethnic food shop, a weekly market. It could even be a street food stall.
Lots of shopkeepers and restaurateurs and publicans and traders can be the sort of people who are the cornerstones of the local community. So maybe you'll pick an establishment that is the heartbeat of your community, a place that brings people together, a place that has reached out beyond its own doors and become more than just a place.
We need your entries in as early as possible in the week. And remember, everyone who sends in a suggestion is a potential winner of our fabulous prize this week.
Next week, we will print your guide to Ireland's best establishments.
See pages eight and nine for your great eating experiences.
Tell us about Ireland's best establishments by emailing GreatLittleCountry@independent.ie, or tweet using the hashtag #Great LittleCountry. Or visit Independent.ie/GreatLittleCountry to submit your entry, or post it to A Great Little Country - Experience It, c/o 27/32, Talbot St, Dublin 1.
Decca Aitkenhead is one of the UK's most respected journalists. But when, two years ago, her name appeared across the press in the headline rather than the byline, it was a sign things had gone terribly wrong in her life. She had found herself, like so many people she'd interviewed over the years, as the bewildered and shell-shocked subject of a national news story.
Catastrophe struck out of the blue while she and her partner Tony Wilkinson were on holiday in Jamaica with their two young sons. They'd had a stressful few months juggling work, children and the ambitious renovation of a farmhouse in Kent when Decca suggested they return to their favourite holiday spot in the Caribbean. Early one morning, Tony and the couple's eldest son, Jake, went for a beachside stroll, leaving Decca to her yoga stretches. From where she stood outside their hotel room she caught a glimpse of her four-year-old's head bobbing in the surf. He'd been pulled out to sea and his father went in to save him. She raced down to the beach and could see that Tony, who was not a strong swimmer, was struggling to bring Jake to shore. She went in too, and all three were caught in a powerful rip-tide. Decca eventually managed to get to shore with Jake and expected Tony to be right behind her. Instead, as she looked on in horror, he was dragged further out to sea. By the time a rescue team had got to him and pulled him out of the water, it was too late. He died in front of them on the sand.
When the unthinkable happens, the journalistic reflex is to provide an account. And so Aitkenhead has done so in her new book, All At Sea. It is a lucid, gripping and heartbreaking memoir of her love story with Tony, and the terrifying and abrupt manner in which she lost him. When he was alive, Tony often badgered her to write about him - he was convinced that his life would make a brilliant book. But it was only after he died that she realised he'd been right.
A lot of people in extremis would find it hard to summon the presence of mind to sit still long enough to write, but Aitkenhead didn't struggle to concentrate on the task. She has said the book was written in an agitated burst, like "running over hot coals". It was only afterwards she became aware that the act of writing had been driven by a hidden impulse - one tied up with denial.
"At various points, I discovered that I actually, somewhere subconsciously, thought that he was coming back," she says. "One of them, funnily enough, was when I finished writing the book. And I realised when I gave it to the editors and the editors said lots of amazing things about it and they were really happy, and I thought: 'Well, why am I not feeling any sense of achievement? Or why is nothing good coming in with their kind words?' And I realised that somewhere along the line I thought that if I was really good, if I wrote a good enough book, it was going to bring him back."
We are in The Groucho Club for lunch. At a glance, Aitkenhead blends in with the well-groomed arts and media crowd here - another tall, glamorous creative professional. But in fact, the thick blonde mane is not her own hair, and the perfectly arched eyebrows are tattoos. Last year, just as she and her sons Jake and Joe were finally starting to emerge from their fog of grief, disaster struck again. She was in the shower when she found a lump in her breast and a biopsy soon after confirmed she had cancer - the same disease that had killed her mother when she was 39, and Decca was just nine.
Expand Close Decca Aitkenhead's late partner Tony with their two sons Joe and Jake / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp Decca Aitkenhead's late partner Tony with their two sons Joe and Jake
It was, quite simply, the worst possible luck. "I've been a compulsive planner all my life," she says now. "I love plans. And I had a fairly clear idea of where I was going to go to university, what I was going to study. I knew I was going to be a journalist when I was about 12 years old." But now, with her family ruptured by tragedy and her body recovering from chemo, the idea of future plans holds little concrete meaning. "It's absolutely bizarre now to be 45 years old and have less idea about where our life is going than I did when I was 15," she says. "And I hate it. I hate it. Because on the one hand I think, 'Instead of just feeling crippled by a sense of loss, how about trying to reinvent the experience as a kind of freedom,'" she says, explaining how she reels from one day to the next, between different, and equally unlikely, possibilities for her family's future, thinking one minute of going to live in San Francisco, or "going to live in a yurt, in a commune and knit yogurt". But in truth, it's about imagining them all into a different reality, anything other than the exquisitely painful one they are living through right now. "Meanwhile, all I'm actually trying to do is get through the day. . . I thought I knew who I was going to be bringing my kids up with, and we'd found the house where it was all going to happen, and then it was a complete illusion," she says.
Though she likes order, Aitkenhead has always had little interest in convention. Which explains how she ended up in a relationship with Tony. She was in her early 30s and married to the press photographer Paul Hackett when they first met. She and her husband had moved to a new house in Hackney, and Tony was a neighbour. A tall, commanding, dreadlocked local who knew and chatted to everybody, he lived a few doors down with his Californian wife and their young daughter. For the sake of appearances, he ran a property development company, but in fact he was a career criminal and wholesale cocaine dealer.
They started out as friends - Tony would drop in regularly to Decca and Paul for cups of tea and chats. With her reporter's nose and interviewer's skill, she eventually drew out his life story. Born as a mixed-race kid to a white British teenager, he was given up for adoption. He spent a stint in foster homes, where his early experiences were of emotional neglect until, by chance, he was adopted by a stalwart, lower middle-class couple who, despite his increasing delinquency, never wavered in their love for him. Though they always stood by him, the Wilkinsons couldn't control their son. As a teenager, Tony ran away to London and became a Soho hustler. Soon after, when his prostitute girlfriend was abducted by her pimps, he shot them. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison and served five.
As her marriage began to flounder, Decca found herself spending more and more time with Tony. As a couple, she admits, they seemed an utterly implausible match. She inhabited arts and media circles, he sold drugs on council estates and was "heavily addicted" to crack cocaine. But there was something about Tony's outsider status that appealed to her. She'd grown up in "genteel poverty", the daughter of radical intellectuals who regarded the cosy certainties and bourgeois values of middle-class life with contempt. "I could never just have quite seen myself living with somebody who got up in the morning, put on a suit and tie and went to work for the London Review of Books and gave speeches at Chatham House in the evening. That person would be really interesting, but I just can't quite see myself in that emphatically middle- class life," she says. "It's so much to do with class. Because I never really belonged to the middle classes. I just couldn't see myself as a fully fledged member. I just couldn't. Whereas Tony's completely heterogeneous approach to the world meant that he was friends with people from all walks of life, and barely noticed that they were from different walks of life. That was part of it. It was in no way contrived on his part whatsoever. Not at all. The only thing he really noticed was race. That was the only category distinction that he noticed between people."
Initially, her family were horrified at her new relationship, and for a long time she was estranged from them. But Tony defied both typecasting and expectations, and, after meeting Decca, steered his life through an unexpected plot twist worthy of a Hollywood script. When, after six months together, Decca left him because of his addiction to crack, he went to Narcotics Anonymous and started therapy. He never took crack again. Soon after, he stopped dealing drugs and went back to education, getting his degree and eventually a job with the now-defunct charity Kids Company as an outreach worker, mentoring troubled teenagers.
"Lots of people have been very curious about how I could have fallen in love with a man who had a violent history," Decca says today. Especially as she's been a committed pacifist since she was a teenager.
"One thing that I would say, and this comes under the context of my difficulties about not really fully belonging to the middle class, one of the things I've always found deeply alienating about the vast majority of middle-class men, and particularly middle-class men who live in London, is that I realise that they are physically scared of men who live on council estates and don't wear suits to work and don't talk like them and don't read the newspapers that they read. . . . And that upsets me so much - that they have a physical fear of them, almost as if they are wild animals or something. I find it really alienating, because I think you can't on the one hand talk a good game about not looking down on the lower classes, you can't claim to be this liberal person who believes that they are no better than everybody else and everyone is equal. That's not true if when you see someone in a hoody on a night-bus, your first instinct is that you get an animal response that that person represents a physical threat to you."
For her part, Decca has never been someone much bothered by fear or anxiety - she's got to the age she is now without succumbing to the contemporary tendency to catastrophise. So she was horrified when, in the aftermath of Tony's death, she found herself fearful for the first time ever.
"What had happened in the course of my relationship with Tony was that without me noticing, I had become used to there being somebody to protect me. And in the early months after he was gone, I felt absolutely naked and frightened, and I thought 'God, is this going to be who I am? How do you know if this is now a permanent state of affairs or temporary?' And I'm so relieved that it was a temporary state of affairs," she says.
It was harder still to witness the crisis of confidence that followed in her sons, particularly the eldest. "I felt towards the end of the first year [after Tony's death] to some extent their fearlessness had come back, and then when I got cancer Jake became very anxious and fearful, and that was unbearable. I thought they can't withstand two disasters and retain their robust fearless relationship with the world, and that's impossible to ask of them. But I have had a sense in the last month or so, with both of them, that they do have some of their old boldness back. And I'm eternally grateful that I'm not still panicking . . . I wouldn't have known who I was. That's someone that I don't ever want to be."
The only thing, she says, that she can be hopeful about is that her sons can get through the terrible upheaval without losing confidence in the world. "I'm not Pollyanna-ish. I don't think, 'Ooh, let's look on the bright side.' It's not really in my nature. I think if they've learnt resilience from this, then they're going to be stronger. Because the whole time you are worrying, are they going to be broken? Is this going to define them forever? Or are they going to have a sense of perspective, and empathy and resilience. Of course I pray that it's the latter. But again, it's going to be 20 years before I really know the answer." In the meantime, both she and Jake have been seeing therapists. For Jake, the idea was to help him deal with the survivor's guilt he'd been wrestling with in the aftermath of the accident. In her case, she explains, it was prompted by the huge responsibility she now carries as the single parent of bereaved sons. "If two little children are depending on you, then you can't make them pay the price for anything that's wrong with you, and they will if you don't get it sorted out." She finds it useful to have a professional perspective on how they are managing. "When you live with a partner, or you have a partner, somebody is noticing what you are like. A lot. Because it really makes a difference to them. But if you don't have a partner, even if you see lots of people all the time, you are seeing them for lunch, or for school pickup, these are discrete meetings that you organise, which isn't the same as this open-ended period of exposure. I think we all underestimate our reflex to perform. But nobody can perform for their partner. Or for your children. And so, because I don't have a partner, there now [is no one] who knows what I'm really like, then the only people that will be noticing it are the kids, and they won't be able to tell me. So for them I think it's probably quite helpful if I'm seeing somebody."
It's tempting, she admits, especially when shaping life's messy chaos into a narrative, as she did for her book, to succumb to our need to upswing at the end, to tie things off neatly on a positive note. Of course, it is never that simple. But there are, nonetheless small, important signs of green shoots. She's back at work again, and physically, there is improvement every day since she stopped cancer treatment at the end of last year. "Six months ago I felt I had the body of an 80-year-old, and gradually it's coming down by decades," she says. There is a "sense that everything is going in the right direction - nothing is getting worse; my hair is getting longer, my tiredness is receding, my scars are healing."
'All At Sea' is published by Fourth Estate, 22.50. Decca Aitkenhead will appear at the International Literature Festival Dublin on May 22 at 2pm at Smock Alley. See ilfdublin.com
Those of you who buy glossy magazines can't have failed to notice the sumptuous advertisements by Gucci, which feature the clashing of retro-like prints on clothes styled into evocative ensembles.
Yes, digital print has been around for a while, and designers such as Mary Katrantzou and Peter Pilotto are the most high-profile champions of print.
Irish print designer Susannagh Grogan, a Brown Thomas Create veteran, whose work is on sale in the cool and uber-discerning Anthropologie stores in America, sees digital print as being as limitless as fashion itself.
"Gucci is making print interesting again with that nerd-chic look they are doing, and the models all wearing headscarves," says Susannagh. "But there is always a customer who loves quality and beauty that is timeless."
Susannagh, who is from Wexford originally, but is now Dublin-based, studied design at Chelsea College of Art, London, and then went on to work in design studios there and in New York, before returning to Ireland in 2002. Her prints, which she applies to luxurious silk scarves, wraps and tunics, are mainly floral interpretations, often brightly coloured, and always feminine and pretty.
"I do a lot of florals because I love them. They are pretty; they are forgiving," Susannagh says. "I do two collections each year, and I introduce one core new print. This season, I have a ribbon print and, next autumn, a new tile print. But I try to keep my signature, which is floral and colourful.
"My son just asked me the other day about what inspires me. In the past, I would have gone out and actively looked for inspiration. But I think as you get more experience, you absorb things, things around you - or little things that I may have picked up along the way then find themselves into what I am working on," she says.
"Then sometimes, I will do something really random - like when I see a piece of crockery my mother has in her house - and that will set me off. And I always keep an eye on vogue.com and stay in touch with fashion."
Susannagh's collections are in the finest silk fabrics of varying lengths, from cute neckerchief styles that also look lovely wrapped around the wrist, or tied to a bag; to generous wraps. She has just started making tunics, and she is currently developing a kimono collection. She has some leather pieces, too, that are printed with her designs.
"I try things, such as printed leather, just for fun," says Susannagh. "I try to contain myself, and do what I do and do it well. It is fun to try new things, try them and see. I am launching men's ties next autumn. But the small neck scarf and the classic neck scarf are the core items."
Susannagh Grogan loves her work, creating functional beauty. And above all, she hopes you will love it too.
Photography by Emily Quinn
Styling by Aisling Farinella
Fashion edited by Constance Harris
I woke last Sunday preparing to drive the new Ford Mustang Convertible but felt that I had already spent the night with it. I had had this constant dream that we had roared up to our normal coffee stop and left Sam on the back seat. Nothing wrong there.
However, the dream turned bizarre when we came out with our supplies and saw a crowd gathered around the Mustang. There was the dog opening and closing the roof. It is fast and easy but what intrigued us and the crowd was the way he was able to not only push buttons but also turn the locking handle. Maybe we have been underestimating him.
Predictably, in real life, the Mustang convertible always draws great attention to itself. It looks the part and the fantasy, especially in the race red colour of the test car. The Convertible had the 2.3 Ecoboost engine rather than the V8 in the coupe I was driving a few weeks back. However, some of the brilliant sound has been artificially transferred to the 2.3 although you do feel rather a fraud, especially as I knew Steve McQueen's son was in town at the same time.
The texture roof of the convertible means that you will be even more wary of the places you will park the Mustang, but it does mean that it takes a lot less space from the boot. It folds with incredible speed and feels that bit more real. We both loved having the top off and Sam's nose twitches went almost out of control from all the senses that were rushing towards him. Of course the car is still impractical for any more than two adults, despite two large and comfortable seats in the rear. The convertible costs 55,000 but the test car had an additional 2,800 of extras on the top of a really good spec.
The last time I wrote about the Mustang, the writer and well-being journalist Edel Cush told me about hiring a Mustang for 100-a-day in Florida. Edel writes, "Best drive and the most fun experience of my holiday. We flew into Orlando, welcomed the newcomer, a Lady red convertible into the family and hit the open road of the Florida Keys, driving down to Cocoa Beach. With the throaty roar we sang along with my crew. My baby turned 18, with tunes of Happy Birthday in the background, the Commitments rendition of Mustang Sally belted foremost on the air waves. Who is the biggest kid? This is one of my dreams to come true. How could the day not be bright with a convertible Mustang for company, and memories of McQueen?". Ride Sally ride
TripAdvisor's No.1 ranked Irish hotel offers a special welcome on the shores of Donegal's Lough Eske, says Frank Coughlan.
Set the mood
There's just something about leaving the stresses of everyday life (bosses, children, dogs) behind and gliding up the gears as the motorway opens up ahead of you.
On this occasion, it's the M3 on a Friday afternoon. The SatNav is primed to tell us when we're within decent distance of Harvey's Point, the four-star hotel judged Ireland's best by TripAdvisor now for four years running.
Sitting with a certain majesty and discreetness on the shores of south Donegal's tranquil Lough Eske, it's a family establishment which has grown in scale and reputation as if by stealth.
The welcome is effusive but authentic rather than invasive or cloying. I like it already. Our roomy suite is lit by a setting sun that's twinkling on the lake outside.
You couldn't make it up.
Guilty pleasure
Expand Close Four-star hotel: Harvey's Point / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp Four-star hotel: Harvey's Point
I'm a man of simple tastes, but I couldn't resist the Twisted Irish Breakfast starter for dinner in the hotel's Lakeside restaurant: white pudding, spiced sausage, quail egg and bacon ice-cream. Bacon ice-cream! All wrong really, but so, so right.
My compliments to the chef, not only for his cheeky talent but his sense of humour too. The hotel's renowned Wine Experience - tastings tutored by a respected connoisseur and the restaurant manager - was not something that I had the opportunity to be guilty about (worse luck), but it does come highly recommended. You've been told.
Cheap kick
Harvey's Point is worth every one of its four stars, but its bar menu prices could compete very favourably with your uppity local. Mains come in at around 15 or under, and decent wine by the glass is competitively pitched.
And while you might come for the nosh or a tipple, chances are you'll stay for the music of Martin Jonathan. Normally the sight of an entertainer hauling his amps is my cue to retire. But not this time.
Top tip
Expand Close Fransican Abbey near Donegal town / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp Fransican Abbey near Donegal town
The historically curious could do worse than visit the medieval Franciscan Abbey on the shores of the bay in nearby Donegal town. What bloody tales are secreted away in its ruins. Amazing what's under your nose when you look!
Insider intel
If Donegal sold itself with the same sort of brash self-belief that both West Cork and Kerry do, there would be traffic jams into the place every weekend.
But the truth is that even an afternoon leisurely motoring along the county's zig-zaggy share of the Wid Atlantic Way will open a world of breathtaking beauty, both coastal and inland. Rugged and bleakly magnificent, it is still Ireland's best kept secret.
Glitches
There are a number of options when driving from the east, but the most obvious and direct - through Fermanagh - can be a bumpy irritation. Lough Erne, tracking your journey starboard, has a myriad of inviting pitstops, however.
Get me there
Driving to South Donegal isn't the long-haul it used to be, and we were pleasantly surprised to have parked a little over three hours after setting out from Dublin on the M50.
Two nights' B&B with one dinner at Harvey's Point (074 972-2208; harveyspoint.com) starts from 105pps per night. It also offers weekend getaways including two nights' B&B with dinner from 299pps.
For more, see govisitdonegal.com or Uncover Donegal on Facebook.
Premium
Billy Keane Opinion Even a dash to the Croke Park toilet wasnt enough to get rid of space invader who gave me Covid
I did the time, but there was no crime. Banged up I was, under house arrest after two red bars showed up on the Covid test. Im not too bad, thanks for asking. I have it down on a man who was nearly close enough to kiss me at the All-Ireland football final between Kerry and Galway.
Premium
John Downing Opinion Pension reforms are dicey territory but grand plan by minister Heather Humphreys just might win through
Pension system changes all across the western world have a great propensity to infuriate those most feared by politicians: the grey brigade. And when the oldies take to the streets, they usually play for keeps.
In all the talk about housing, the cost of building is never mentioned. Yes, builders are sitting on land waiting for prices to rise. But in south county Dublin, all along the Luas lines and the M50, there are hundreds of acres of land with planning permission for thousands of houses. I can assure you, these landowners want to build.
But Dun Laoghaire Rathdown council struck a levy in 2008 of 70,000 per unit to build a new road from Kilternan to the roundabout at Carrickmines retail park. This was costed at 143m, yet the plan for that road is now abolished and replaced with a smaller, much cheaper road where the ESB cables will go underground.
A quote for that was requested last September and there was a meeting in December and March. Still no costings. The landowners have offered the land for the road, in some cases for nothing, and some at a reduced rate.
There have been letters, meetings with architects, planning consultants and builders, all to no avail. The council has left the levy in place.
The Central Bank is under the impression that a house can be built for 220,000, with no account taken for the levy (70,000 per unit) and 13.5pc VAT.
In some cases, the planning has withered and this has cost time and money, but is never mentioned. The Central Bank is so removed from the cost of building, even though they talk about keeping house prices down.
Who are these people sitting on land? It costs a lot of money to get planning, who can afford to sit on it? There are many landowners in this area ready to build but can't.
It is a total scandal this situation is allowed to continue.
Mary Berry
Carrickmines, Dublin 18
Beware of electoral groupthink
As someone who straddles "old Ireland" (slightly, I hasten to add) and "modern, liberal" Ireland, the incredible vote received by Ronan Mullen in the Senate elections is a cause of some satisfaction.
While it is definitely true that the "old Ireland" had many faults, the self-satisfied smugness of "modern, liberal Ireland" has become increasingly irritating and annoying. Cheap, uncontextualised sneering at the past has become a virtual cottage industry among the liberal commentariat.
We have been subjected to much of this drivel during the recent 1916 reflections where, for instance, the deep faith of many of the leaders (including the great James Connolly) has been conveniently airbrushed out of the contemporary narratives. It was reminiscent of Stalinist revisionism, where inconvenient truths were similarly erased from "official" history.
While one wishes well to those who campaigned for last year's same-sex marriage referendum, the degree of arrogant triumphalism displayed at the time (and continued to be displayed in much media commentary) far surpasses anything associated with the "old Ireland".
The vote for Senator Mullen, in my opinion, is a small, though welcome, reminder that not all people are comfortable with the uncritical groupthink which has emerged in Ireland in recent times.
Eric Conway
Navan, Co Meath
Ignoring votes for change
The Taoiseach will shortly announce his 11 nominees for the Seanad. Of those, he is expected to select members of Fine Gael who were rejected by the electorate.
Why can't our Taoiseach select new professional faces rather than "old" failed politicians? Where is our new politics?
Damien Carroll
Kingswood, Dublin 24
In the recent election, we voted for change. Yet, we learn that Katherine Zappone is maximising her Dail expenses and Paul Murphy is availing of free legal aid. Sadly, neither of these deputies seems to have a problem taking money from the taxpayer. Can they honestly claim to be in such financial distress?
In contrast, Enda Kenny did not accept his teacher's superannuation of 100,000 and took a salary cut of 30pc on his Taoiseach's salary. So we voted for change...change for the worse.
Sheila Brennan
Coolcullen, Co Carlow
Luas drivers push and pull
With reference to your article by Alan O'Keeffe (April 29) in which Luas drivers claim to be demonised, I completely agree with the driver Eileen Carolan. Luas drivers do far more than push a lever - they also pull it.
Jim Lineen
Cork City
Paying for politics
As a taxpayer of this country, I object vehemently to the news that I as a taxpayer am being forced to finance the Anti-Austerity Alliance Party, a party I might add, I did not vote for in any election. The decision to grant Paul Murphy TD free legal aid is equivalent to handing a cheque from the taxpayers to his party as the decision to give up most of his salary to that party was a personal decision and should be viewed as such.
I'm sure Revenue views all his TD salary as income and taxes Mr Murphy accordingly, so why should the judiciary see it any differently?
Murphy once again tries to have it both ways, by saying he is on a low income but also expecting hard-pressed taxpayers to fund his own party.
To follow that logic, would Murphy be entitled to social welfare payments, medical card or a council house if he gave the rest away?
Eugene McGuinness
Kilkenny
Importance of funding water
I voted for Fine Gael and Independents in the election. I am not a Labour supporter. But as a Dublin man living in the west of Ireland, I can see the importance of paying for water.
I have been in a group water scheme for the last 12 years. The quality of the water is always excellent because we pay for it. Before it was paid for down here, the fields used to be full of water in areas all around the parish, through leaking hoses that were used to water livestock. Within a matter of weeks of meters being brought in, all those leaking pipes were fixed. Why? Because people were made responsible for the water they use.
The whole idea about Irish Water being a dealbreaker or red-line issue is populist crap from the kings of popularity, FF, not to mention SF.
Environment Minister Alan Kelly, in his speech to the Dail about the suspension or scrapping of Irish Water, was the best in honesty from a TD to date. It's a pity that Labour did not speak out with such passion in the run-up to the election, or things might have been different.
But let's ignore the truth and celebrate this as a victory for the people of Ireland.
Anthony Malone
Oscar-winning actor Cate Blanchett has been appointed an United Nations goodwill ambassador.
The United Nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) made the announcement as the Hollywood star returned from a mission to Jordan where she witnessed the ongoing humanitarian operation for people displaced by the conflict in Syria.
While there she met Syrian refugee families to hear first-hand about the perilous journeys they had undertaken and their daily plight.
Blanchett said: "I am deeply proud to take on this role. There has never been a more crucial time to stand with refugees and show solidarity. We are living through an unprecedented crisis, and there must be shared responsibility worldwide.
"It feels like we're at a fork in the road, do we go down the compassionate path or do we go down the path of intolerance? As a mother, I want my children to go down the compassionate path.
"There's much more opportunity, there's much more optimism and there is a solution down that path."
Prior to her appointment, Blanchett worked closely with UNHCR for more than a year to raise awareness about the forcibly displaced.
Usually the possibility of a sex tape has the world rushing to Google search as fast as its collective fingers can type. But with Kris Jenner, who is supposedly following in the footsteps of her most famous daughter, an exception must surely be made. Not on grounds of age - we have a world of respect for dyed hair - and not even on grounds of Kris being faintly reptilian. But we've already seen enough Kardashian flesh to last us several lifetimes. Kris would want to have something seriously different - a fetching 1970s bush perhaps - to shake us awake.
The tape was supposedly made with her late ex-husband Robert Kardashian so some retro foliage might still be a possibility. What's unlikely, however, is that Kris would be able to follow Kim in parlaying an on-camera blowjob into a delightful range of home furnishings. Pulling yourself up by your bra straps only works if you're not quite famous yet. Once you've made it to the extent that Kris already has, letting footage of your nocturnal antics into the public domain just seems careless. And that's not a word that could ever be associated with the momager.
Still, the Ab Fab movie is out this year, so acting like a bigger teenager than your kids is huge for 2016. And perhaps if the latest episode of Kardashian naughtiness does reach Google, we'll see Kris teaching the younger generation a thing or two.
Water fudge upsets our Berlin friends
By Pat Fitzpatrick
Guten tag Ireland. It has come to our attention here in Berlin that you are on the verge of forming a government. Excellent.
The illusion that you are somehow in charge of your own affairs is good for everyone involved. We also note you are planning to suspend water charges for a few years. We have a word for this in German. It is called Nein! Suspending the charges is verboten under Article 9 of the Water Framework Directive, which states you should have had a usage-based charge in place since 2010. Now we will be forced to issue threats and fine your freckled asses for this impertinence. We will probably get some EU lackey from Sweden to make these threats, but everyone will know it is us.
Worse again, we note that people who didn't pay any water bill are 100 up because they got something called the conservation grant. This is so bizarre that even we Germans don't have a word for it. As for your idea to form a commission to 'look' at the issue. We told Chancellor Merkel and she started crying. We thought the Greeks were tricky. But it is fair to say that they have nothing on you.
Normal service has now resumed
By Eilis O'Hanlon
There were street parties across the country last week as talks between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail finally came to a head. It was like Italia '90 all over again. Not.
Well, what do politicians want for doing their jobs - a badge?
Video of the Day
Now attention turns to the really big question: will the new minority government prove to have been worth the wait? Let's accentuate the positives.
One: At least it's not Donald Trump. Two: At least it's not Boris Johnson. Three: At least it's not that far right chappie who's just won an election in Austria. Four: At least it's not (insert name of another peculiar foreigner).Five: A FG/FF pact means there won't be another election for a while, especially with new research apparently showing that the Irish have the longest lasting marriages in Europe. Though try telling that to Sinead O'Connor. Six: It will give folk who demanded the two main parties do a deal something to moan about as they now set about predicting it'll all end in tears. Normal service has been resumed.
Trump's self-comfort
By Christopher Jackson
It was revealed recently that in 2004 Senator Ted Cruz, then Texas Solicitor General, defended a ban on sex toys, arguing that people don't have the right to 'stimulate their genitals'. It's a revelation that's sure to have gone down poorly.
Of the many things most Republicans oppose, masturbation is usually not one of them.
Donald Trump, no stranger to self-love, surely doesn't oppose it. I mean what else is he meant to do when he thinks of himself at night. Trump, much more so than Cruz, opposes things many Republicans get fired up about, like Muslims, Mexicans, uppity blacks and, as Trump as shown time and again, women who talk back.
Previously Trump, now the presumptive Republican nominee, didn't have much trouble dealing with such women. He either fired, divorced or, as was the case with Fox News's Megyn Kelly, insulted and ignored them. But in Hilary Clinton he'll face a woman too far. She will undoubtedly crush him in November. Although at least he can take solace that under Clinton, unlike Cruz, he'll still have the right to find some self-comfort in defeat.
Beyonce's Broken Heart
By Anne Marie Scanlon
Depending on which track on Beyonce's new album Lemonade you play backwards, you will hear the words "Paul is dead," "I am the walrus," and "a certain person, far be it from me to mention any names, is a big cheat and broke my heart, and I'm mad as hell, especially about that Becky madam".
Who is this Becky who was allegedly hooking up with Bey's man behind her back? And who knew that 'Becky' is actually a derogatory word for white women? One thing Jay Z and B know is how to make a bob or two. Cynics might say the controversy is being generated to shift units - the tills are certainly ringing.
Whatever the realities of their marriage, it is a truth universally acknowledged that heartbreak sells, especially if it's a woman singing about it. Adele, Amy, Aretha, Patsy - they loved, lost and made a mint. Why not Bey? And her fella.
Vogue Williams has admitted she has been cheated on in the past and said women who choose to see men who are in committed relationships should not be forgiven.
The television presenter admitted that she could not forgive a woman who knowingly slept with a man who had a girlfriend or wife.
Being with someone in a relationship breaks girl code, Vogue wrote in her column in The Sunday World.
If someone didnt know a man was attached and was completely honest in their mistake, then I could personally forgive that girl, not so much the person I was with though.
Expand Close Vogue Williams / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp Vogue Williams
The only thing I couldnt forgive is a girl who knows a man is with someone and still chooses to go there anyway, Vogue said.
The presenter, who split with her husband Brian McFadden last year, said she still cannot stand the woman who kissed her ex-boyfriend several years ago.
I have been cheated on in the past and I still dont speak to the girl who kissed my boyfriend.
I bumped into her recently and that feeling of anger came right back after all those years, because one thing I cannot stand is a fake girl. Do not act like my friend when you plan on stabbing me in the back, she said.
Vogue recently came under fire after she admitted she is to take a legal high as part of a documentary on RTE.
Vogue (30) will take LSD or a similar lawfully obtained substance under medical supervision for her series.
Video of the Day
LSD, also known as acid, is a psychedelic drug known for its psychological effects, which include altered thinking, hallucinations, synaesthesia, an altered sense of time, and spiritual experiences.
"I'm terrified, it's not something I've ever done before," she told the newspaper on Saturday night.
"It was never my thing, but we are going to do it for the show as we are looking at addiction - my mother is going to be delighted I'm sure."
Barack Obama, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge plays with Prince George Credit: The White House
The Natural Sapphire Company in America has announced that they will be gifting baby Charlotte a whopping $40,000 baby rattle. Credit: The Natural Sapphire Company
Ciaran Hogan a basket maker from, Ceardlann, Spiddal presents HRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall with a hand made rattle 'for the newest addition to the Royal family' during a welcome reception which included traditional music and Irish dancing performances and craft demonstrations at the National University of Ireland Galway .Photo Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography 2015
Princess Charlotte, an image taken by the Duchess of Cambridge at Anmer Hall in Norfolk in April
An Irish basketmaker has been hailed for his simple woven rattle which was given to Princess Charlotte for her first birthday.
Co Galway basketmaker Ciaran Hogan presented the woven rattle to the Prince of Wales for his granddaughter and it has been included on a list of gifts which include a 40k 18k white gold rattle studded with diamonds, rubies and sapphires.
Princess Charlotte's toy box already contains gifts from a king, two queens, four presidents and three prime ministers, so if the past year is anything to go by, she'll need an extra bedroom for all of her presents when she celebrates her first birthday.
Expand Close Ciaran Hogan a basket maker from, Ceardlann, Spiddal presents HRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall with a hand made rattle 'for the newest addition to the Royal family' during a welcome reception which included traditional music and Irish dancing performances and craft demonstrations at the National University of Ireland Galway .Photo Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography 2015 / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp Ciaran Hogan a basket maker from, Ceardlann, Spiddal presents HRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall with a hand made rattle 'for the newest addition to the Royal family' during a welcome reception which included traditional music and Irish dancing performances and craft demonstrations at the National University of Ireland Galway .Photo Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography 2015
Read More
While the William and Kate Middleton apparently want nothing more than a low-key family party, the rest of the world is determined to make a fuss of the royal toddler.
A list of gifts released by Kensington Palace shows that among the more extravagant presents she has received over the past 12 months is a silver rattle given to her by the President of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto, and his wife, Senora Angelica Rivera, during their State visit to the UK last year.
Expand Close The young Princess Charlotte Credit: HRH The Duchess of Cambridge / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp The young Princess Charlotte Credit: HRH The Duchess of Cambridge
Even more lavish was an 18k white gold rattle studded with diamonds, rubies and sapphires made by the Natural Sapphire Company and valued at 40k, but the battle of the rattles is likely to have been won by a simple willow one woven by Mr Hogan, which was given to the Prince of Wales for his granddaughter.
The President of China, Xi Jinping, brought Prince Charlotte a set of silk figurines depicting the Dream of the Red Chamber, a classic 19th century Chinese novel, when he came for a State visit in October last year.
Expand Close Israeli president Reuven Rivlin has sent the couple a little pink dress / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp Israeli president Reuven Rivlin has sent the couple a little pink dress
Princess Charlotte may, however, have spent more time playing with her gifts from the US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle . When they met Prince George at Kensington Palace earlier this month, Princess Charlotte was already in bed, but they had not forgotten her birthday. They left her a jigsaw and a cuddly toy version of the Portuguese Water Dog, Bo, suggesting she might have taken a shine to an identical toy the Obamas gave to Prince George a year ago. The Obamas had also given her a childrens rocking chair and a baby blanket when she was born.
In total, Princess Charlotte has received gifts and letters from 64 countries around the world, from Armenia to Zambia, meaning that if she ever decides to take up stamp collecting, like her ancestor George V, she will already have an enviable ready-made album.
Expand Close Barack Obama, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge plays with Prince George Credit: The White House / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp Barack Obama, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge plays with Prince George Credit: The White House
Video of the Day
Schools, community groups and royalists have sent her blankets, clothes, books, toys and plenty of hand-knitted clothes, including a large supply of bootees.
David Cameron demonstrated taste and restraint when he gave Princess Charlotte a copy of Hans Christian Andersens fairy tales when she was born. The then prime minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, was rather more generous, giving her a snowsuit and a book and making a 54,000 donation to Immunize Canada, which aims to eradicate vaccine-preventable diseases in the country.
Expand Close New images released by the Duchess of Cambridge celebrate her daughter's first birthday C / Facebook
Twitter
Email
Whatsapp New images released by the Duchess of Cambridge celebrate her daughter's first birthday C
Another snowsuit came from the Wellington Rugby team via Prince Harry when he toured New Zealand last year, together with a New Zealand Rugby sleepsuit, while the countrys Prime Minister, John Key, sent a selection of teddy bears, baby blankets and bootees made from Stansborough wool.
One garment the Princess is unlikely to have worn, given the political sensitivities that prevent members of the royal family travelling there, is a pink dress sent by the Israeli President, Reuven Rivlin, embroidered with the words From Israel With Love.
Princess Charlotte will be able to decide whether she prefers New Zealand wool or Tasmanian merino wool, as the Australian Government sent her a cot blanket sourced from the Waverley Woollen Mills in Launceston, embroidered with the Australian floral emblem, the wattle, by members of the ACT Embroiderers Guild.
The Australian Government also contributed 5,200 to the Healesville Sanctuary, part of Zoos Victoria, to support its conservation work for the mountain pygmy-possum.
Most recently, both Prince George and Princess Charlotte were given coats by the King and Queen of Bhutan when their parents visited the country this month.
Most practical of all of her presents was a set of biodegradable nappies bought by the Duchesss sister Pippa Middleton, made of natural mull cloth and costing 4 each.
There are, of course, gifts from another Queen her great-grandmother, known as gan-gan by Prince George. The Duchess said recently that Her Majesty always leaves a little gift or something for Charlotte and George whenever they come to stay at one of her residences.
A spokesman for Kensington Palace said: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are incredibly grateful for all the letters, gifts and good wishes they have been fortunate to receive in the year since Princess Charlotte was born."
The presents
* Silver rattle President Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico
* White gold rattle with diamonds, rubies and sapphires The Natural Sapphire Company
* Willow hand-woven rattle Ciaran Hogan, basketmaker
* Set of silk figurines depicting Dream of the Red Chamber President Xi Jinping of China
* Jigsaw, cuddly toy Bo dog, rocking chair, baby blanket President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama
* Hans Christian Andersens fairy tales David Cameron
* Snowsuit, book, and 54,000 charity donation Stephen Harper, former Canadian prime minister
* Snowsuit Wellington Rugby, New Zealand
* Sleepsuit New Zealand Rugby
* Teddy bears, baby blankets, bootees made from Stansborough wool Prime Minister John Key of New Zealand
* Pink dress embroidered with From Israel With Love President Reuven Rivlin of Israel
* Merino wool cot blanket and 5,200 donation to mountain pygmy-possum sanctuary Government of Australia
* Bhutanese coat King and Queen of Bhutan
* Set of biodegradable nappies Pippa Middleton
The CIA has been ridiculed after 'live tweeting' the special forces operation to kill Osama Bin Laden to mark the fifth anniversary of the raid.
Having spent the previous 10 years as the world's most wanted man, the al-Qaeda terror chief was shot dead at the compound where he was holed up in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in May 2011.
But the reaction to the US intelligence agency's decision to recount the operation as it happened was largely negative, with users calling it utterly tasteless and completely inappropriate.
To mark the 5th anniversary of the Usama Bin Ladin operation in Abbottabad we will tweet the raid as if it were happening today. #UBLRaid, the Central Intelligence Agency tweeted.
A series of tweets went on the describe the events of the day, from the moment one of the helicopters crashing on arrival, to Bin Laden being found on third floor and killed, to a picture of President Barack Obama sat in the Situation Room watching the events unfold.
The tweets recounting the events have each been 'liked' and retweeted hundreds of times, some thousands, but many on Twitter criticised the decision to mark the operation in this way.
One user tweeted a screengrab of them reporting the CIA for being abusive or harmful, while many posted pictures of celebrities showing shock or disbelief.
Colombian police have announced the capture of an alleged dangerous drug lord described as Peru's most-wanted criminal.
Gerson Galvez, or "Caracol", was arrested on Saturday at a Medellin shopping centre and deported to Peru less than 24 hours later because he did not have migration papers.
Galvez was first spotted in March in Ecuador before being seen in Panama and Colombia.
Dubbed by Peruvian media as the "new El Chapo", in reference to Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, Galvez is wanted in connection with 101 killings in Peru, where he is also alleged to have managed large shipments of cocaine from the nation's main seaport in Callao.
The head of Peru's police, General Vicente Romero, came personally to Bogota to oversee the deportation of Galvez, who is considered highly dangerous.
Peruvian authorities had been offering a $150,000 reward for information leading to his arrest - the largest bounty offered against any Peruvian criminal.
Among his many alleged crimes is the 2015 attempted murder of a rival who was attacked while driving by a barrage of gunfire and two grenades. He is also believed to have threatened prosecutors and used his Barrio Kings gang to extort businesses in Callao.
"I have the right to be presumed innocent," Galvez shouted to journalists as he was handed over to Peruvian authorities in handcuffs and wearing a bulletproof vest.
Authorities said he might have been in Medellin trying to meet with partners in the Office of Envigado crime syndicate or to arrange a visit with his Venezuelan girlfriend. Colombian police said he owned a luxury apartment in the city's El Poblado neighbourhood.
The US government says Peru is the world's largest producer of cocaine.
If the bill passes, Georgia will become the ninth state to do so. Photo: PA
A US state could soon make it legal for students over the age of 21 to take a gun to university.
The Governor of Georgia will this week decide whether or not to veto a bill, allowing licensed gun holders carry concealed guns into universities and colleges.
If the bill passes, Georgia will become the ninth state to do so.
Last August, a student died at Savannah State University in Georgia after being shot on campus.
Starbucks is facing legal action in the US over its use of ice
Starbucks has been accused in legal action of overfilling its cold drinks with ice instead of using the advertised amount of coffee or other liquid.
The lawsuit was filed last week in Chicago on behalf of Stacy Pincus, a local woman who accuses the coffee giant of misleading consumers.
The action alleges that an iced beverage advertised at 24 ounces contains about 14 ounces of fluid.
Starbucks spokeswoman Jaime Riley said on Monday that the company considers the lawsuit to be without merit. She said customers understand that ice is part of an iced beverage, noting that Starbucks remakes beverages if customers are not satisfied.
The lawsuit seeks class-action status, which could allow it to cover customers for the last decade.
Among other things, the claimant is seeking damages, restitution and legal fees.
A teenager in India has died after he accidentally shot himself in the head while trying to take a selfie.
Ramandeep Singh (15) was rushed to hospital at Pathankot in India when he shot himself with his father's gun, police said.
The incident happened when the teenager was playing with the licensed gun, which is normally stowed in a wardrobe at home, according to deputy police superintendent Manoj Kumar.
The boy's father and family said that he was trying to take a selfie with his gun," he said.
"We think that part of the blame obviously goes to the father for not keeping his loaded gun under lock and key at their home."
Tragically, the teenager later died of his injuries.
Police in Mumbai began an awareness campaign about dangerous selfies, after they identified 16 dangerous selfie spots in the city.
A man drowned trying to save a girl who fell into the sea while snapping one, and police requested the local council to put up warning signs and deploy lifeguards.
Gerson Galvez shouts at the press as he is escorted by police officers into a Peruvian Air Force plane, in Bogota, Colombia (AP)
Colombian police have announced the capture of an alleged dangerous drug lord described as Peru's most-wanted criminal.
Gerson Galvez, or "Caracol", was arrested on Saturday at a Medellin shopping centre and deported to Peru less than 24 hours later because he did not have migration papers.
Galvez was first spotted in March in Ecuador before being seen in Panama and Colombia.
Dubbed by Peruvian media as the "new El Chapo", in reference to Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, Galvez is wanted in connection with 101 killings in Peru, where he is also alleged to have managed large shipments of cocaine from the nation's main seaport in Callao.
The head of Peru's police, General Vicente Romero, came personally to Bogota to oversee the deportation of Galvez, who is considered highly dangerous.
Peruvian authorities had been offering a 150,000 US dollar (102,000) reward for information leading to his arrest - the largest bounty offered against any Peruvian criminal.
Among his many alleged crimes is the 2015 attempted murder of a rival who was attacked while driving by a barrage of gunfire and two grenades. He is also believed to have threatened prosecutors and used his Barrio Kings gang to extort businesses in Callao.
"I have the right to be presumed innocent," Galvez shouted to journalists as he was handed over to Peruvian authorities in handcuffs and wearing a bulletproof vest.
Authorities said he might have been in Medellin trying to meet with partners in the Office of Envigado crime syndicate or to arrange a visit with his Venezuelan girlfriend. Colombian police said he owned a luxury apartment in the city's El Poblado neighbourhood.
The US government says Peru is the world's largest producer of cocaine.
Schools are closed across Detroit as teachers call in sick amid a dispute about their pay
Most of Detroit's public schools are closed for the day after the teaching union urged members to call in sick following a weekend announcement that the district will not be able to pay school staff from this summer.
District spokeswoman Michelle Zdrodowski said in a statement on Monday morning that 87 out of 100 schools will be closed for the day. About 46,000 students are enrolled in the district's schools.
The move by the Detroit Federation of Teachers was announced on Sunday, a day after Detroit Public Schools said the district would have no money to continue paying teachers this summer without further funding from the state.
"There's a basic agreement in America: When you put in a day's work, you'll receive a day's pay," Detroit Federation of Teachers' interim president Ivy Bailey said in a statement.
"DPS is breaking that deal. Teachers want to be in the classroom giving children a chance to learn and reach their potential.
"Unfortunately, by refusing to guarantee that we will be paid for our work, DPS is effectively locking our members out of the classrooms."
In March, Governor Rick Snyder signed into law emergency funding that is keeping the district operating through the end of the school year as the state legislature considers a 720 million US dollars (490 million) restructuring plan that would pay off the district's enormous debt.
Former bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes, who was appointed this year to oversee the district, also said that DPS would be unable to fund summer school or special education programmes after June 30.
On Sunday night, he said in a statement that the union's "choice for a drastic call to action was not necessary", and said the action is "counter-productive and detrimental" to the efforts of those trying to help the school district.
"I understand the frustration and anger that our teachers feel," Mr Rhodes said. "I am, however, confident that the legislature will support the request that will guarantee that teachers will receive the pay that is owed to them."
Teacher strikes are illegal under Michigan law.
Hundreds of May Day marchers, including one carrying a Donald Trump, took to the streets of Los Angeles (AP)
A Donald Trump pinata has been paraded around Los Angeles as marchers took to the streets on May Day.
The demonstrators were calling for improved rights for workers and immigrants and protesting against what they see as hateful presidential campaign rhetoric.
It was one of several events in cities across the US calling for higher wages for workers, an end to deportations and support for a government plan to give work permits to immigrants in the country illegally whose children are American citizens.
Norberto Guiterrez, a 46-year-old immigrant from Mexico who joined families, union members and students who marched through the city, said: "We want them to hear our voices, to know that we are here and that we want a better life, with jobs."
Demonstrators repeatedly called out Mr Trump for his remarks about immigrants, workers and women. The leading Republican presidential contender has called for a wall on the border with Mexico and criticised Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton for playing the "woman card".
"In addition to fighting for workers' rights, we are fighting for our dignity this time around, our self-respect," said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesman for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.
"We can certainly encourage folks to look at what they're watching, what they're hearing and have them represent themselves and their families - whether they can vote or not - and say, 'We are not the rapists. We are not the criminals you are talking about. And we are quite good for this country.'"
In the United States, the May 1 marches have become a rallying point for immigrants and their supporters since massive demonstrations in 2006 against a proposed immigration enforcement bill.
Marchers along San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf rallied in support of immigrant and workers' rights and to demand justice for several men fatally shot by city police.
About 300 people, including members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, held signs that read "Long Live May Day" and "Stop Police Terror," and chanted "No Justice No Peace! No Racist Police!".
Tomas Kennedy, organiser of a rally in Miami, said: "The Trump effect has taken over the media and silenced our voices.
"It's time to stand up against the current threat to democracy, freedom, human rights, equality, and the welfare of our country and all our people."
A protester carries a backpack bearing a placard reading 'No to the labour law, No thank you!'. Photo: Getty
Trade unions and other groups staged rallies around the world to mark International Workers Day with violence breaking out in Paris on the fringes of one protest.
Fearing Frances worker protections are under threat, hundreds of angry youths on the sidelines of a rally hurled stones and wood at police in the capital, receiving repeated bursts of tear gas in response.
The traditional May Day rallies took on greater weight this year as parliament is debating a bill that would allow longer working hours and let companies lay workers off more easily.
The bill has prompted the most violent labour-related protests in a decade, with marches and sit-ins frequently degenerating into clashes with police.
Police encircled a few hundred suspected troublemakers on the sidelines of the Paris march yesterday, and frustrated youths threw projectiles.
In Marseille, at least five people were arrested after scuffles with riot police. Marchers held banners calling President Francois Hollande a traitor and chanted Everyone together!
The Socialist government hopes the relatively modest labour reform will reduce chronically high unemployment and make France more globally competitive, by allowing companies more flexibility.
Opponents say it erodes hard-fought worker protections and call it a gift to corporate interests.
A teenage girl has died after taking a "MasterCard" ecstasy pill, prompting police to urge anyone else who may have taken the drug to seek urgent medical attention.
The youngster's death is being investigated after officers were called at around 5am on Monday to the Victoria Warehouse on Trafford Wharf Road in Trafford, Greater Manchester.
The teenager was found suffering an adverse reaction after allegedly taking one "MasterCard" ecstasy pill during a night out.
US Secretary of State John Kerry is in Geneva for talks on bringing stability to Syria
US Secretary of State John Kerry has said "several proposals" aimed at finding a way to restore at least a partial truce in Syria are being discussed, amid continuing attacks in the city of Aleppo.
Speaking after meeting with Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir and the UN envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, in Geneva, Mr Kerry said progress is being made towards an understanding on how to reduce the violence in Aleppo - but more work is needed.
"There are several proposals that are now going back to key players to sign off," Mr Kerry said.
"We are hopeful but we are not there yet... we are going to work very hard in the next 24 hours, 48 hours to get there."
He did not say what the proposals are, adding that he would telephone Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov later on Monday and that Mr de Mistura is heading to Moscow on Tuesday for talks.
He said the United States and Russia have agreed that there will be additional personnel stationed in Geneva around the clock to make sure there is more accountability and a better ability to enforce the cessation of hostilities on a day-to-day basis.
Speaking later to staff at the US mission in Geneva, Mr Kerry said he hopes an agreement about Aleppo could be announced within the next few days.
For Aleppo, the US is considering drawing up with the Russians a detailed map that would lay out "safe zones".
Civilians and members of moderate opposition groups covered by the truce could find shelter from persistent attacks by Syrian president Bashar Assad's military, which claims to be targeting terrorists. One U.S. official said "hard lines" would delineate specific areas and neighbourhoods.
It was not immediately clear whether Russia would accept such a plan or if Moscow could persuade the Assad government to respect the prospective zones. Some US officials are sceptical of the chances for success, but also note that it is worth a try to at least reduce the violence.
US officials also say the safe zones will not be "no-fly zones" per se. However, details, such as the locations of those, have not yet been agreed to and these issues will be discussed by Mr Kerry and Mr Lavrov in a phone call later Monday, as well as by Mr Lavrov and Mr de Mistura in Moscow.
Earlier, Mr al-Jubeir called the situation in Aleppo with continued air strikes an "outrage" and a criminal violation of humanitarian law.
He said Assad would be held accountable for the attacks and would be removed from power either through a political process or by force.
"There is only one side that is flying air planes, and that is Bashar al-Assad and his allies, so they are responsible for the massacre of women, children, and the elderly," he said.
"They are responsible for the murder of doctors and medical personnel, and this situation, any way you slice it, will not stand. The world is not going to allow them to get away with this."
Mr Kerry's meetings in Geneva came as Syria's state news agency said the military has extended its ceasefire around Damascus and opposition strongholds in eastern suburbs for another 48 hours.
Mr Kerry said he hoped the truce in these areas would be extended further.
But it excludes Aleppo, where more than 250 people have died in shelling and air strikes in the northern city over the last nine days, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Russia's Tass news agency, meanwhile, quoted Russian Lt Gen Sergei Kuralenko, head of the Russian co-ordination centre in Syria, as saying that talks are continuing about a ceasefire for Aleppo.
Russia announced yesterday that talks were taking place to include Aleppo in a temporary lull in fighting declared by the Syrian army in some western parts of the country, a sign of intensified efforts to halt the surge of violence in its former commercial capital.
The United States said stopping the bloodshed in Aleppo, which has been at the centre of an escalation of violence that all but destroyed a wider ceasefire deal and broke up peace talks in Geneva, was a top priority.
Nearly 10 days of bombardments by both the government side and insurgents in the city of Aleppo has killed more than 250 people, a monitoring group says, confounding hopes of an end to five years of war.
Moscow and Washington brokered the February 27 ceasefire deal, which applied to western Syria but excluded al Qaeda and Isil fighters. World powers and the United Nations have been trying to salvage that truce.
Syria's army announced late on Friday a "regime of calm", or lull in fighting, which applied to Damascus and some of its outskirts, and parts of northwestern coastal province Latakia, but excluded Aleppo.
A senior Russian defence ministry official said yesterday that negotiations were taking place to "establish a regime of calm also in Aleppo province", Interfax news agency reported.
The official did not say who was negotiating on Aleppo.
Fighting
He said the lull in fighting had been extended around Damascus for another 24 hours. It had been respected in both Damascus and Latakia, the Russian official said.
Syria's army confirmed the extension of the lull around Damascus, but did not mention Aleppo.
Late on Saturday a number of rebel groups rejected the partial "regime of calm" in Damascus and Latakia, saying any truce must include all areas where the government and main opposition were fighting, as under the February deal.
"We will not accept under any circumstances... regional ceasefires," they said, adding that they would respond as "one bloc" to attacks in any area of the country.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was due to travel to Geneva yesterday to discuss Syria with his Jordanian and Saudi counterparts and the UN's special envoy, said efforts to revive a cessation of hostilities must include Aleppo.
The US state department said Washington wanted Russia to put pressure on its ally President Bashar al-Assad to stop "indiscriminate aerial attacks" in Aleppo, which has long been split between government- and opposition-held areas of control. Both sides have bombed residential areas for nearly 10 days, killing more than 250, including at least 40 children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The monitoring group said it had recorded no air strikes or shellings inside the city early yesterday, after some fire overnight.
The Imam Mousa al-Kadhim shrine commemorates the anniversary of the Imam's death in Baghdad eight years ago (AP)
At least 18 Shiite pilgrims were killed when a car bomb exploded in Baghdad.
The pilgrims were commemorating the anniversary of the death of a revered imam, officials said.
Shortly after the explosion, the Sunni extremist Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in an online statement. It said the assault was carried out by a suicide bomber, but Iraqi officials denied that.
IS militants frequently target commercial areas and public spaces in mainly Shiite towns and districts.
According to an Iraqi police officer, the car was parked in Baghdad's southwestern Saydiyah district and blew up shortly after midday. The explosion killed at least 18 and wounded 45 people, the officer said.
Tens of thousands of Shiite faithful have been making their way this week to the northern Baghdad district of Kadhimiyah, where the 8th century Imam Moussa al-Kadhim is buried.
Security forces have blocked major roads in Baghdad in anticipation of attacks against pilgrims who traditionally travel on foot from different parts of Iraq.
Monday's attack came a day after two car bombs in the southern Iraqi city of Samawah killed at least 31 people and wounded 52, an attack that was also claimed by the Islamic State.
The annual Shiite pilgrimage prompted anti-government protesters on Sunday to disband their demonstration - at least temporarily - in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone that they had stormed a day earlier.
While IS has suffered a number of territorial defeats in the past year, the group still controls significant stretches of territory in Iraq's north and west, including the country's second largest city of Mosul, estimated to still be home to more than 1 million civilians. Militants have recently increased attacks inside Baghdad in what officials say is an attempt to distract from their recent battlefield defeats.
A solar-powered plane has taken off from California to continue its journey around the world using only energy from the sun.
The Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 left Mountain View south of San Francisco shortly after 5am local time on Monday for an expected 16-hour trip to Phoenix, Arizona.
Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg is at the helm of the plane, which began its circumnavigation of the globe last year.
Mr Borschberg's co-pilot Bertrand Piccard, also from Switzerland, made the three-day trip from Hawaii to the heart of Silicon Valley, where he landed last week.
The Solar Impulse 2's wings, which stretch wider than those of a Boeing 747, are equipped with 17,000 solar cells that power propellers and charge batteries. The plane runs on stored energy at night.
After Phoenix, the plane will make two more stops in the United States before crossing the Atlantic to Europe or northern Africa, according to the website documenting the journey.
The two legs to cross the Pacific were the riskiest part of the plane's travels because of the lack of emergency landing sites.
"We have demonstrated it is feasible to fly many days, many nights, that the technology works," Mr Borschberg, 63, said.
He piloted the plane during a five-day trip from Japan to Hawaii and kept himself alert by doing yoga poses and meditation.
The crew was forced to stay in Oahu for nine months after the plane's battery system sustained heat damage on its trip from Japan.
The single-seat aircraft began its voyage in March 2015 from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and made stops in Oman, Burma, China and Japan.
The layovers give the pilots a chance to swap places and engage with local communities along the way so they can explain the project, which is estimated to cost more than 100 million US dollars (68 million) and began in 2002 to highlight the importance of renewable energy and the spirit of innovation.
Donald Trump mocked his Republican rival Ted Cruz as he looked ahead to the main event, most likely against Hillary Clinton, in the autumn (AP)
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are looking beyond their struggling primary-season rivals and focusing on the one-on-one battle to come if they sew up the Republican and Democratic presidential nominations.
Mr Trump, campaigning on the eve of Indiana's primary, made clear that he will have more to say about his accusation that Mrs Clinton is playing gender politics: "We're making a list of the many, many times where it's all about her being a woman."
The billionaire also told CNN: "I haven't started on Hillary yet," although he has actually been attacking her record for quite some time.
For her part, Mrs Clinton told thousands at an NAACP dinner in Detroit on Sunday that US president Barack Obama's legacy cannot be allowed to "fall into Donald Trump's hands" and be consumed by "these voices of hatred".
She cited Mr Trump's "insidious" part in the so-called "birther" movement which questioned Mr Obama's citizenship.
But the front-runners still have party rivals to dispatch. Mr Trump's next challenge is to beat senator Ted Cruz in Indiana on Tuesday. He has further to go win the prize than Mrs Clinton in her contest with Bernie Sanders.
Mr Trump is exuding confidence, telling a cheering crowd in Terre Haute: "If we win here, it's over, OK?"
This is not quite the case, as the New York real estate mogul cannot win enough delegates on Tuesday to clinch the Republican nomination. But after his wins in five states last week, Mr Trump no longer needs to win a majority of the remaining delegates in coming races to lock up the Republican nomination.
Mr Cruz has no such cushion. Already eliminated from reaching 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination outright, he desperately needs a victory in Indiana to keep Donald Trump from that number and press ahead with his strategy of claiming the nomination at a contested convention in Cleveland this summer.
"This whole long, wild ride of an election has all culminated with the entire country with its eyes fixed on the state of Indiana," Mr Cruz said at a late night rally.
"The people of this great state, I believe the country is depending on you to pull us back from the brink."
The importance of Indiana for Mr Cruz became evident even before he and fellow underdog John Kasich formed an alliance of sorts, with the Ohio governor agreeing to pull his advertising money from Indiana in exchange for Mr Cruz doing the same in Oregon and New Mexico.
But that strategy, which appeared to unravel even as it was announced, cannot help either man with the tens of thousands of Indiana voters who had already cast ballots: early voting began in Indiana three weeks before they hatched their plan.
It also risks alienating those who have yet to vote, according to veteran Indiana Republican pollster Christine Matthews. She said she believes many have continued to vote for Mr Kasich in Indianapolis and in the wealthy suburbs north of the city.
"Indiana voters don't like the idea of a political pact, or being told how to vote," Ms Matthews said.
Mr Trump suggested evangelical conservatives have "fallen out of love" with Ted Cruz, and mocked his decision to announce former Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina as his running mate.
"They're like hanging by their fingertips," he said, mimicking Mr Cruz and Mr Kasich: "Don't let me fall! Don't let me fall!"
Mr Trump admitted he is eager to move on to a likely general election race against Mrs Clinton.
He said the end game of the primary battle with Ted Cruz is "wasting time" that he could be spending raising money for Republicans running for the Senate.
"It would be nice to have the Republican Party come together," Mr Trump told supporters in Fort Wayne.
"With that being said, I think I'll win anyway."
Fist-fights have taken place in the Turkish parliament for the second time in a number of days
A committee of the Turkish parliament has once again erupted in chaos over a contentious ruling party proposal to strip legislators of their immunity from prosecution.
Politicians hurled bottled water at each other across the committee room while others engaged in a fist-fight, forcing the committee head to halt proceedings.
The committee is discussing a proposed constitutional amendment that could pave the way for the trial of several pro-Kurdish legislators on terror-related charges.
The proposal was prepared after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the party of being an arm of the outlawed Kurdish rebels.
The move comes amid a surge of violence in Turkey's south-east after a fragile peace process with the rebels collapsed.
A fist-fight also broke out during Thursday's committee meeting and five legislators later sought medical help.
A relative of a victim complains to Ataur Safdarr, head of Reckitt Benckiser Korea, right (AP)
British firm Reckitt Benckiser has apologised and has pledged to compensate hundreds of those killed or injured by deadly disinfectants it sold in South Korea.
The move came five years after the government ordered the company to remove the offending products from shelves for health risks.
Ataur Safdar, head of Reckitt Benckiser's Korean division, said the company accepted responsibility and wanted to make amends.
He spoke at a news conference where he was interrupted by angry and tearful victims and family members who swore and hit him.
A teenager using an oxygen tank, and four other people who were apparently victims or their families, walked to the stage to confront Mr Safdar.
"Can you save the child? What are you going to do?" said a woman, in a scene broadcast live on television. "Why did it take so long?" a man said.
Mr Safdar said the company, based in Slough, Berkshire, will come up with a plan to compensate victims. It will also provide 10 billion won (6 million) to a humanitarian fund for them, including 3m it had previously pledged.
He called the day "an important milestone in achieving progress for victims".
But the victims and families rejected the apology, appealing to the South Korean public to punish Reckitt Benckiser with a boycott.
In a press conference outside the prosecutors' office, victims and campaigners lined up the products made by Reckitt Benckiser and asked the public not to buy them.
The apology came as South Korean prosecutors were investigating Reckitt Benckiser and about a dozen other companies for selling or manufacturing unsafe disinfectants. Earlier the company had refused to take responsibility.
In a separate statement after the press conference, civic groups representing the victims said they planned to file a complaint against Rakesh Kapoor, the British company's chief executive officer, and the company's seven other board members for failing to conduct safety tests before the disinfectants' launch in 2001 and until sales were discontinued in 2011.
The victims have already filed a complaint against 10 disinfectant manufacturers and 19 companies that sold the products.
The health risks from the disinfectants came to light in 2011 with mysterious lung ailments that killed pregnant women. Later that year, authorities said the chemicals PHMG and PGH in the disinfectants that many South Korean households used to cleanse humidifiers were to blame.
Nearly all households in South Korea use a humidifier during the dry winter season. Most victims were children and pregnant women who had the most exposure to the chemicals emitted by their home humidifiers.
South Korea's government said it would compensate 221 confirmed victims, 95 of whom died. Another 309 people were denied government compensation on the grounds they had not proven their sicknesses were linked to the chemicals.
Civic groups said the government tally understates the number of victims. They estimate that the disinfectants killed 239 and injured 1,289. Officials are investigating and expect more applications for compensation.
Reckitt Benckiser sold millions of bottles of disinfectants containing the harmful chemicals for about a decade.
A report posted by the US National Institutes of Health says the chemical PHMG can pose a "impose a critical health hazard when inhaled in the form of droplets". The NIH has also recorded acute toxic effects for both PHMG and PGH
The first US cruise ship in nearly 40 years has crossed the Florida Straits from Miami and docked in Havana, restarting commercial travel on waters that served as a stage for a half-century of Cold War hostility.
Carnival Cruise Line's Adonia became the first US cruise ship in Havana since president Jimmy Carter eliminated virtually all restrictions of American travel to Cuba in the late 1970s.
Travel limits were restored after Mr Carter left office and US cruises to Cuba only become possible again after presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro declared detente on December 17, 2014.
Hundreds of workers and passers-by gathered to watch, some cheering, as the gleaming white 704-passenger ship pulled into the dock - the first step towards a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most US-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.
The straits were blocked by the US during the Cuban Missile Crisis and tens of thousands of Cubans have fled across them to Florida on home-made rafts - with untold thousands dying in the process.
The number of Cubans trying to cross the straits is at its highest point in eight years and cruises and merchant ships regularly rescue rafters from the straits.
The Adonia is one of Carnival's smaller ships - roughly half the size of some larger European vessels that already dock in Havana - but US cruises are expected to bring Cuba tens of millions of dollars in badly needed foreign hard currency if traffic increases as expected.
More than a dozen lines have announced plans to run US-Cuba cruises and if all actually begin operations, Cuba could earn more than 80 million US dollars (54.5 million) a year, according to the US-Cuba Trade and Economic Council.
Most of the money goes directly to the Cuban government, council head John Kavulich said. He estimated that the cruise companies pay the government 500,000 US dollars (340,700) per cruise, while passengers spend about 100 US dollars (68) per person in each city they visit.
Carnival says the Adonia will cruise twice a month from Miami to Havana, where it will start a seven-day circuit of Cuba with stops in the cities of Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. The trips include on-board workshops on Cuban history and culture and tours of the cities that make them qualify as "people-to-people" educational travel, avoiding a ban on pure tourism that remains part of US law.
Optional activities for the Adonia's passengers include a walking tour of Old Havana's colonial plazas and a trip to the Tropicana cabaret in a classic car.
Before the 1959 Cuban revolution, cruise ships regularly travelled from the US to Cuba, with elegant Caribbean cruises departing from New York and overnight weekend jaunts leaving twice a week from Miami, said Michael Grace, an amateur cruise ship historian.
New York cruises featured dressy dinners, movies, dancing and betting on "horse races" in which stewards dragged wooden horses around a ballroom track according to rolls of dice that determined how many feet each could move per turn.
The United Fruit company operated once-a-week cruise service out of New Orleans, too, he said.
"Cuba was a very big destination for Americans, just enormous," he said.
Cruises dwindled in the years leading up to the Cuban Revolution and ended entirely after Castro overthrew the US-backed government.
After Mr Carter dropped limits on Cuba travel, 400 passengers, including musical legend Dizzy Gillespie, sailed from New Orleans to Cuba on a 1977 "Jazz Cruise" aboard the MS Daphne. Like the Adonia, it sailed despite dockside protests by Cuban exiles, and continued protests and bomb threats forced Carras Cruises to cancel additional sailings, Mr Grace said.
The following year, however, Daphne made several cruises from New Orleans to Cuba and other destinations in the Caribbean.
Cuba cut back on all cruise tourism in 2005, ending a joint venture with Italian terminal management company Silares Terminales del Caribe and Fidel Castro blasted cruise ships during a four-and-a-half-hour speech on state television.
"Floating hotels come, floating restaurants, floating theatres, floating diversions visit countries to leave their trash, their empty cans and papers for a few miserable cents," Castro said.
Today, the Cuban government sees cruises as an easy source of revenue that can bring thousands more American travellers without placing additional demand on the country's maxed-out food supplies and overbooked hotels.
Before detente, Americans made surreptitious yacht trips to Cuba during Caribbean holidays and the number of Americans coming by boat has climbed since 2014, including passengers on cruise ships registered in third countries and sailing from other ports in the Caribbean. Traffic remains low, however, for a major tourist attraction only 90 miles from Florida.
Aiming to change that as part of a policy of diplomatic and economic normalisation, Mr Obama approved US cruises to Cuba in 2015. The Carnival Cruise Line announced during Mr Obama's historic trip to Cuba in March that it would begin cruises to Cuba starting May 1.
SHARE
By Mike Ellis of the Independent Mail
A man died at AnMed Health Medical Center Sunday morning after being taken there by Anderson Police Department officers who responded to a call about him acting strange, said deputy Anderson County Coroner Don McCown.
McCown said Benston Clinkscales, 26, went into cardiac arrest around 12:20 a.m. and an emergency room physician was not able to revive him.
Clinkscales was declared dead at 12:51 a.m.
Anderson Police Department spokesman Lt. David Creamer said that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division was investigating the death.
Police Chief Jim Stewart said information from the police department would be limited because of the state investigation.
Clinkscales' mother called 911 around 11:15 p.m. Saturday, saying her son was acting strange and had been drinking heavily before putting his arm through a window, McCown said.
McCown said police who arrived at the residence found a belligerent man and they used a Taser on him, but the effects didn't last long because Clinkscales removed the prongs from the Taser.
McCown said officers eventually were able to give Clinkscales some medical care before an ambulance arrived and he was restrained to a stretcher and taken to the hospital.
McCown said Clinkscales continued to be belligerent at the hospital and was restrained there as well.
McCown said an autopsy is scheduled for Monday but his preliminary work indicates the restraints were not a factor in Clinkscales' death.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating the death because the man was in the custody of Anderson Police Department officers at the time, said Thom Berry, a spokesman for the state agency.
Follow Mike Ellis on Twitter @MikeEllis_AIM
CONCORD- Coltrane-Webb Elementary School celebrated culture and its students during its El Dia de los Ninos event Thursday evening.
Principal Timothy Taylor said El Dia de los Ninos is a traditional Mexican holiday that the school expanded to honor the many different countries represented in Coltrane-Webbs diverse student body.
Its a community outreach program. We did some activities during the school day and expanded it this evening to represent all the countries, Taylor said. Its really about celebrating the kids.
Sarah Collins, English as a second language teacher, said since this was a first-time event the school expected around 200 RSVPs. Instead they received 600 and families were scrambling for a place to park when they arrived.
This is exciting, especially for the students from other places, Collins said.
Activities for the evening included lantern-making, traditional dancing and a bike raffle for those in attendance. Several activities were also STEM-related problem solving activities.
We just want to get the community in here to participate and have some fun, Taylor said.
International and B-Town beauty Priyanka Chopra was over the moon, when she met US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. She recently attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner looking gorgeous and ravishing as ever.
Priyanka is currently shooting for her first Hollywood movie 'Baywatch' in US. PC dazzled at the gala event in a deep-cut, black and sheer-stripe gown. That I'm sure made eyes pop out!!
This precious moment came to light when, Priyanka took to Twitter to share about her meeting with the Obamas. She said: "Lovely to meet the very funny and charming @barackobama and the beautiful @flotus. Thank you..," she wrote along with a picture.
She was draped in a black shimmery frill gown with a plunging neckline, by her current favorite designer Zuhair Murad.
The Washington-insider event was attended by journalists, celebrities, politicians and advertisers. Sources say that, Obama did not hold back and he took jibes at Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, CNN`s Jake Tapper among others.
As per the latest report from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), that sugar cane production in Zimbabwe will decrease by five percent to 3,180 Million MT in the 2016/17 MY. This will result in a three percent decrease in sugar production to 400,000 MT in the 2016/17 MY. The decrease in sugar production and low stock levels is forecast to result in a 32 percent decrease in exports to 110,000 MT in the 2016/17 MY.
USDA forecasts that sugar consumption in Zimbabwe will marginally decrease by less than one percent to 340,000 MT in the 2016/17 MY, from 342,000 MT in the 2015/16 MY due to the prevailing difficult economic conditions, namely, high levels of unemployment, liquidity challenges and low disposable income. USDA forecasts that sugar imports will decrease by eight percent to 35,000 MT in the 2016/17 MY, from 38,028 MT in the 2015/16 MY based on the available stocks and the drive by the industry to address the sugar refining quality issues, and an increase in the local manufacture of bottler grade industrial white sugar in 2016. USDA forecasts that Zimbabwe sugar exports will decrease by 32 percent to 110,000 MT in the 2016/17 MY, from 160,662 MT in the 2015/16 MY, as a result of the low stocks available and the decrease in sugar production. It is forecasted that Zimbabwe will be able to satisfy the 2016/17 MY United States Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) allocation based on the production forecast, and assumption that the TRQ will remain economically viable for Zimbabwe.
Powered by Commodity Insights
Atos, an international leader in digital services, announced that it has signed an exclusive three-year partnership agreement with ClickFox to improve its managed services through greater use of automation and robotics. With ClickFox, Atos is able to gather evidence-based insights for addressing service enhancement across its global operations by determining highest-value opportunities for robotics process automation.
In the new digital world, our focus at Atos is to orchestrate the complexity of legacy technology and digital services under one unified view, supported by service analytics to deliver new levels of quality, agility and savings through automation, said Michel-Alain Proch, Group Senior Executive Vice President, CEO North American Operations. Our partnership with Clickfox is a key foundation in this approach by providing the necessary insight into the customer journey so we can more accurately identify where to automate for the best results.
By integrating ClickFox within its managed services business, Atos is able to collect and analyze data across its entire global operations. These digital service journeys provide visibility into previously obscure operational performance dynamics, and thus allows Atos to prescriptively reengineer and automate procedures that deliver maximum impact for its customer base.
Clickfox enables us to gather data that is mapped to journeys, which align to key IT and business processes within our Managed Services offerings, said Eric Grall, Head of Managed Services for Atos. This enables us to apply our analytics expertise against these journeys to quickly analyze trends and areas which need improvement. These insights are also used streamline and automate the delivery of our IT solutions and services across multiple channels.
It's exciting to see new industries embracing journey sciences as the best vehicle for advanced analytics, said Marco Pacelli, ClickFox CEO. "Atos will leap ahead of its competition by applying advanced data connectivity and journey analytics to its Big Data environments to deliver Service Automation and Intelligence Use Cases to its 2,200+ clients."
Amanta Healthcare, said that the company has received the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approval for its two products made at its Small Volume Parenterals facility at Kheda. (ET)State Bank of India, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank are among the lenders that have sold their portion of the nearly Rs 3,000- crore loans of Arch Pharma to JM Financial Asset Reconstruction Company at less than half the value, said three people aware of the development. (ET)Lupin is planning to strengthen its branded and specialty business in the US, according to reports. Report says that the company is planning to launch new products, brand acquisitions and even buyout of other specialty companies.Expressing satisfaction on the export performance last year, Rita Teotia, Commerce Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, emphasized that the Indian pharmaceutical sector is strong and has ability to grow to a much larger global market share. The Indian pharmaceutical industry is best placed to take this leap as India offers several advantages such as skilled manpower, large pool of scientists, favorable policy framework and global experience of the industry, she says.Sanofi India Ltd, a subsidiary of French pharma giant Sanofi SA, has announced the financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2016. The company has posted a net profit of Rs. 80.6 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 as compared to Rs. 64.5 crore reported in the same period a year ago.Aurobindo Pharma Limited is pleased to announce that the company has received final approval from the US Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) to manufacture and market Lacosamide Tablets, 50 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg and 200 mg.Dr Lal PathLabs, an established brand is provider of diagnostic and healthcare related tests and services in India. The company through its integrated, nationwide network offer a broad range of diagnostic and related healthcare tests and services to patients and healthcare providers for use in core testing, patient diagnosis and the prevention, monitoring and treatment of disease and other health conditions.Government is looking at the financial viability for providing Rs 200 crore each to three new bulk drug manufacturing parks in order to create common minimum facilities, Parliament was informed. (ET)
For all the animated talk about Indias rapidly-growing, medical-tourism attracting healthcare sector and projections of it becoming a US$280bn industry by 2020, the fact remains that our health sector is bedevilled by major disparities when it comes to accessibility between urban and rural areas.
According to estimates almost 70% of the doctors in India are concentrated in urban centres, serving around 30% of the total Indian population. Urban India enjoys access to almost 65% of the countrys hospital beds despite having less than 30% of the total population.
At a time when technology and infrastructure make distances shorter, we still have a long way to go in building the bridges to cover the gaps in rural healthcare. Home to more than 60% of the national population, India can no longer simply dismiss its rural sector as the sick child, and needs to take essential steps in order to steer its healthy recovery.
One of the raging issues in the upliftment of health and sanitation in remote areas has been the sheer lack of trained medical professionals to cater to the everyday needs of the habitants, who are thereby deprived of the basic medical facilities necessary for survival.
Forget the rural hinterland, remote villages and tribal areas, quality tertiary healthcare is not available even to a bulk of urban population living outside a few glittering metropolitan cities. For example, in north India while Delhi NCR remains a hub of the best multi-specialty hospitals, even a 100 km move outside the region will leave you without a decent tertiary care hospital. This is evident from the fact that the Delhi NCR hospitals are crowded with people coming from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and even West Bengal.
A lot of people have to travel long distances to avail of life-saving treatments like dialysis. In the absence of quality cardiac care in smaller towns and villages, many people fail to survive a heart attack as they are required to travel long distances to nearby cities with decent healthcare facilities.
At Paras Healthcare, we have closely studied this discrepancy in Indias healthcare delivery. Resultantly, as a healthcare entity, we have planned our expansion keeping in mind this skew. Not only are we working to expand our footprint in smaller towns and cities of India which are bereft of quality healthcare, we are also working on parallel initiatives to fill in the gaps wherever possible.
While primary healthcare facilities continue to suffer from shortage of staff and absenteeism, private sector finds little incentive in investing heavily in rural areas. However, through some low cost but effective initiatives, the private sector can play a positive role in helping address the deficit of manpower in rural healthcare to some extent:
Telemedicine Centres
Telemedicine, as we know, refers to the use of information technology to provide medical consultation in far flung areas. It is intended to overcome geographical barriers, connecting users who are not in the same physical location with an aim to improve health outcomes. Remote populations, which often lack minimal physician presence can benefit to a large degree by telemedicine centres through which physicians can offer basic minimum consultation and medical advice. Notably, communicable diseases are among the leading afflictions affecting rural populations and basic consultation and hygiene advice can also go a long way in treatment and reducing their incidence.
Private-Public Partnerships
We need more public private partnerships to involve the private sector in rural areas. These partnerships can offer incentives to doctors to offer services in rural areas for a small number of days of a year. With severe shortage of specialized cardiologists, nephrologists, neurologists and gynaecologists, rural populations often have to make with less skilled doctors or worse quacks. PPPs that can take skilled doctors of reputed hospitals to offer services in rural health centres and recommend patient transfer if needed, can play a role in bridging this gap.
Turning to smaller centres
It is understandable that for a private entity it doesnt make much business sense to open tertiary care hospitals in villages. However, the needs for profit and social benefit can be balanced by opening hospitals in smaller towns and cities which cater to large surrounding populations. With this thought Paras Healthcare has opened the first private tertiary care hospital in Darbhanga, Bihar, a region where private participation in healthcare has been dismal. Through this facility we aim to serve large populations in and around Darbhanga, a bulk of them would be from rural areas who will now not need to travel long distances to Patna, Kolkata or Delhi in search of specialized treatment. Such endeavours also attract doctors who have left their state in search of greener pastures back to their roots.
Training local manpower
Notably, the deficit in manpower in rural areas is not just about doctors, it is about healthcare providers in toto. Even nurses, radiologists, pathologists and paramedics are hard to find. Launching training programs for nurses and paramedics in smaller centres is another important initiative that can help address manpower shortage to an extent.
At Paras HMRI, Patna, we have initiated such training programs. By incorporating locals into the extensive training programmes, the initiative ensures a long term solution to the low manpower in rural healthcare, with a motive to not only provide quick medical assistance by experienced professionals but a broad vision to empower the community. This encouragement to generation of rural employment is no surprise, considering the position of the company as the highest private employer in health industry.
The author is MD & CEO, Paras Healthcare
The Karnataka governments state-level single window clearance committee (SLSWCC) has cleared TVS Motor Companys INR 310-crore proposal to expand its Mysuru facility, reports a business daily.
When expanded, the TVS facility is likely to offer employment to 200 people, says the financial newspaper.
SLSWCC also cleared Ruchi Soya Industries' INR 455 crore proposal to set up a new facility at Dakshina Kannada in the food and agri-business sector. The new facility, when ready, will offer employment to 1,700 people.
Among the cleared projects by SLSWCC belong to few publicly listed companies proposals, like the INR 69 crore project of South India Paper Mills to expand its facility at Mysuru offering employment to 50 people, INR 38 crore project for the expansion of Jindal Aluminium in Bengaluru rural (offering jobs to 150 people) and the INR 10 crore proposal of Page Industries to expand its facility at Tumakuru (offering employment to 500 people).
The SLSWCC meeting held on Saturday cleared 42 projects with a total outlay of INR 3,028 crore and offering employment to 7,114 people, Karnataka Minister for Large & Medium Industries R.V. Deshpande has been quoted as saying.
The Karnataka government has also allocated 5 acres to the Central Institute of Plastic Engineering & Technology (CIPET) for setting up an advanced polymer design and development research laboratory at Devanahalli in Bengaluru.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, has today announced that the two largest banks in Myanmar, KBZSC and AYA Trust were able to participate in the historic opening of the Yangon Stock Exchange (YSX) with two parallel deployments of the TCS BaNCS for Securities Trading and Settlement.
The two banks cumulatively process about 80 percent of the countrys total equity transactions. The commencement of stock trading marks a new chapter in the history of Myanmar, and the establishment of its domestic capital markets stands as an important milestone towards fuller participation in the world economy.
Commenting on this landmark event, Mr. Rudi Rolles, Managing Director of KBZSC, said TCS is now part of the history of Myanmar I was pleased and impressed by the talent, skill and experience shown by the TCS team in customizing and implementing the trading system within three months. Their dedication to the project and goal-based, action-oriented approaches are much appreciated
Mr. David Soe Lin, Managing Director of AYAtrust, commented With only three months to build an entire brokerage, TCS overcame many operational, technical and market structure reforms related challenges to enable us to go live on TCS BaNCS. The functionality and flexibility of TCS BaNCS exceeded our expectations and got us to the finish line.
Ajay Wadkar, Regional Director Asia-Pacific, TCS Financial Solutions, remarked: It is not often that we get an opportunity to play such a critical role in the birthing process of a nations capital markets. We are committed to strengthening market infrastructures throughout the region, and we hope that TCS BaNCS can play a role in empowering key players in their important nation-building efforts.
KBZ Group, the parent company of KBZ Bank, formed a joint venture with Stirling Coleman Capital Ltd., an independent corporate finance advisory firm based in Singapore. The joint venture, KBZSC, provides broker-dealer and investment advisory services, and also underwrites new company listings on YSX. KBZ Bank was also named as the fund settlement bank for cash settlement on stock trading at YSX.
AYA Trust Securities Company, or AYAtrust, the underwriting and broker-dealer business of AYA Bank, provides corporate finance, advisory and underwriting services. AYA Bank, the second-largest bank in Myanmar, has been recognized for its governance and sustainability efforts by World Finance magazine, and since 2012 has been a participant of the United Nations Global Compact corporate sustainability initiative.
TCS Financial Solutions will continue to enable the development of Myanmars capital markets and is also working on a hosting option with a local partner to be made available soon. TCS Financial Solutions will also support Myanmar financial institutions with complementary solutions for financial inclusion, insurance and core banking.
TCS provides a full range of business consulting services, enabling financial institutions to expand their offerings with new operations based upon the embedded business processes and best practices in the TCS BaNCS solution.
The University of Nebraska, globally renowned for quality education and research, and the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute honoured the founder of Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd., Bhavarlalji (Bhau) Jain for his lifetime achievement. The University of Nebraska (USA) has named their research project as Bhavarlal Hiralal Jain- University of Nebraska Water for Food Collaborative Program, permanently, to honour Bhavarlaljis pioneering efforts starting a new green revolution through his achievements in effective research, sustainable use of natural resources by bringing together farmers, agronomists, scientists, technologists and industrialists for the same noble cause. University of Nebraska has made an announcement that, under this program, the scientists joining the university will be honorably called as B. H. Jain Scholars and the ones who will complete the research successfully will be felicitated as B. H. Jain Fellows.Dr. Hank M. Bonds, President, University of Nebraska, did the honors of making this announcement and handing a memento to Mr. Anil Jain, Managing Director, Jain Irrigation in the ongoing Water for Food Global Conference at Lincoln, Nebraska.In 2012 the University of Nebraska and Jain Irrigation entered into a formal memorandum of agreement, highlighting co-operation in irrigation technology, crop improvement, and strengthening of talent through education and joint research of young Indian and U.S. scientists. The MOU called for the establishment of a Jain Irrigation University of Nebraska inspired by and to carry forward Jain Irrigations path breaking concept and motto: More Crop Per Drop to develop new approaches in India through practical multi-disciplinary research in collaboration with farmers. For effective communication of this work to different audiences and complementary education, outreach and capacity building programs, last year, Jain Irrigation, entered a grant agreement with the University of Nebraska Foundation, donating resource to support scientific research and educational exchange in those priority areas. University of Nebraska honoured Bhavarlalji with following words:Bhau was the first international leader to recognize the importance of the Water for Food Institutes mission and the first to suggest a mutually beneficial collaboration with Nebraska to overcome the global challenges of food and water security. He was known for his commitment to educational access, equity and quality. He founded the Anubhuti Schools, supported by the Jain Charities, now known as Bhavarlal and Kantabai Jain Multipurpose Foundation, serving Indian children from different socio-economic sectors in residential and day school settings. The Anubhuti-2 day school serves indigent, at risk children in Jalgaon. Bhau Jain welcomed University of Nebraska-Lincolns College of Education and Human Sciences into an ongoing relationship that provides UNL students with practical experiences and professional development through teaching and research at Anubhuti-2.The primary relationship between Jain Irrigation and University of Nebraska institutions relates to Life Sciences, Agriculture and Water Resources. Bhau Jain also provided opportunities for University of Nebraska undergraduate students to spend time at Jain Hills in Jalgaon learning about resource management, agriculture and at the Gandhi Research Foundation he founded.University of Nebraska (USA) has set new paradigms in education through their innovative educational programs over past 147 years. It is really a proud moment for India that Bhavarlalji, a son of Indian soil has been honoured by such a globally renowned university. He never spared any effort to brighten the future of Indian agriculture and Indian farmers. He always gave priority to the development of Indian farmers while making MOUs with international universities. Agriculture will surely prosper when if is supported by propagation of agricultural education. Jain Irrigation will always promote agricultural research by taking initiatives in collaborating with various international universities. -Ashok Jain
Those who are yet to see Game of Thrones's second episode 'Home' must proceed with caution. This article is dark and full of spoilers.
Jon Snow has been resurrected.
After that 'breath-taking' Jon Snow shocker - God bless you Melisandre! - fans everywhere failed epically in trying to contain their emotions. They reacted in every possible way imagined and more so because of Kit Harington's (the actor who portrays Jon Snow) apology.
hypable
During an exclusive interview, the actor said "sorry" for lying about his character's fate on the show. He said,
"Sorry! Id like to say sorry for lying to everyone. Im glad that people were upset that he died. I think my biggest fear was that people were not going to care. Or it would just be, 'Fine, Jon Snows dead.' But it seems like people had a, similar to the Red Wedding episode, kind of grief about it. Which means something Im doing or the show is doing is right."
A lot happened in 'Home' which deserves discussion, but nothing can come close to Melisandre's abracadabra working its beautiful charm on Jon Snow's lifeless body. Speculations were rife for ten months where fans literally lost their sanity over his possible resurrection. Here's how they broke Twitter after Jon drew that very life-affirming breath.
So he just needed his hair washed?#GameofThrones #JonSnow Joe 'Monk' Pardavila (@joepardavila) May 2, 2016
Always remember, there's a big difference between being mostly dead and all dead. #JonSnow #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/bhSQ2xnaTR Minstra (@ViceRoyMinstra) May 2, 2016
Hey Kit, you're a terrible liar. I don't hold it against you, though. You were contractually obliged. #GameofThrones Mandy (@LadyMandyisms) May 2, 2016
I bet she's just pretending to do some magic as an excuse to wipe a wet cloth over #JonSnow's body. I would. #GameofThrones Amber Jamieson (@AmberPickette) May 2, 2016
What do we say to the god of death?
Not today. #GameOfThrones Jon Snow (@LordSnow) May 2, 2016
You're forgiven, Kit. There never was even a moment's doubt that you'd come back.
And now that you have: KILL OLLY!
It's shocking how inhuman human beings can be.
1. Black spotted freshwater turtles are pictured after they were seized in a raid, at Sindh Wildlife Department in Karachi, Pakistan.
REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro
2. A policeman holds a water bottle with a yellow-crested cockatoo put inside for illegal trade, at the customs office of Tanjung Perak port in East Java.
REUTERS/Antara Foto/Risyal Hidayat
Police arrested one man traveling by ship from Makassar, Sulawesi, with 22 of the endangered cockatoos held inside water bottles.
3. A wildlife department official holds a Malayan sun bear for the media in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
REUTERS/Olivia Harris
It was among other animals estimated to be worth $20,000 including juvenile eagles and a slow loris, seized by the wildlife department during an operation against illegal wildlife traders earlier this month. The illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be $8 billion a year worldwide, according to TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network.
4. Cambodian police officers hold a python before handing it to members of the NGO WildAid after it was recovered from smugglers, in Kandal province, outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
REUTERS/Samrang Pring
5. A baby orangutan lies in a plastic crate, after it was seized from a wildlife trafficking syndicate, at a police office in Pekanbaru, Riau province, Indonesia
REUTERS/FB Anggoro/Antara Foto
According to local media, police investigators arrested individuals from a wildlife trafficking syndicate who were attempting to smuggle out three orangutan babies, ranging between 6 to 12 months of age, from their forest in Aceh with the intention of selling them to buyers in Pekanbaru for the price of Rp25 million per orangutan.
6. A veterinarian holds a Mexican tarantula which had been rescued with other animals while being trafficked illegally, at the Federal Wildlife Conservation Center on the outskirts of Mexico City.
REUTERS/Carlos Jasso
7. A keeper gives a peanut to an orangutan inside a cage shortly after it arrived from Thailand at Halim Perdanakusuma airport in Jakarta.
REUTERS/Beawiharta
Fourteen orangutans smuggled into Thailand illegally were sent back to Indonesia, but the operation was not without incident -- one of the powerful apes tore a wildlife officer's finger off when he tried to put them in cages.
8. A turtle is seen as Cambodian police officers hand over wild animals to members of the WildAid NGO after they were recovered from smugglers in Kandal province, outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
REUTERS/Samrang Pring
9. A plastic bag containing thousands of confiscated elvers (young eels) are shown to media at a cargo terminal in Ninoy Aquino International airport in Manila, Philippines.
REUTERS/Cheryl Ravelo
Airport authorities confiscated some two million elvers, weighing around 949 kg and amounting to 22,000 pesos ($524) per kilo. The elvers were supposed to be shipped to Hong Kong, local media reported. According to Philippine law fingerlings are not to be exported unless for scientific or education purposes.
10. An officer holds a baby saltwater crocodile at BKSDA (Natural Resources Conservation Board) office in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
REUTERS/Dwi Oblo
The reptile is one of 27 saltwater crocodiles confiscated as they were being smuggled from Central Kalimantan province to Central Java for trade.
11. Long-tailed macaque babies are seen inside a basket as police seized a truck smuggling them from Vietnam to China, in Changsha, Hunan province, China.
REUTERS/Stringer
12. Rescued baby iguanas are pictured in a cardboard box, in an office of the Ministry of Environment in San Jose, May 25, 2015.
REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate
Officers from the national police force of Costa Rica rescued 81 iguanas that had been confined to a box at a hotel in San Jose. It is presumed that the captive iguanas were the subject of an exotic pet smuggling, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Public Security. The Ministry of the Environment rehabilitated the iguanas to a natural habitat today.
13. A Mexican coyote that had been rescued with other animals while being trafficked illegally, is seen through the bars of an enclosure at the Federal Wildlife Conservation Center on the outskirts of Mexico City.
REUTERS/Carlos Jasso
14. Falcons are seen at the offices of Sindh Wildlife Police after they were seized in Karachi, Pakistan
REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro
Twenty-two falcons worth one million rupees ($9,600) each were seized by the Rangers paramilitary force after they were discovered during a snap inspection along a toll booth, as they were being smuggled from Peshawar to Karachi. The birds were later handed over to Sindh Wildlife Department, reported local media.
15. Terrapins are seen during a news conference in San Salvador, El Salvador
REUTERS/Jose Cabezas
More than 90 turtles, monkeys and parrots were found in plastic bags inside a dumpster, ready to be smuggled into Salvadorean territory.
16. A slow loris, seized during an operation against illegal wildlife traders, is carried in a cage by a wildlife department official in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
REUTERS/Olivia Harris
17. A worker holds a green turtle (Chelonia mydas) after unloading it from a truck in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.
REUTERS/Murdani Usman
Police said they foiled an attempt to smuggle 71 green turtles for food. The turtles, caught in the waters off Sulawesi Island, have an average weight of 100 kilograms (220 pounds).
18. A woman on a flight from Singapore to Melbourne shows the 51 live tropical fish hidden in a specially designed apron under her skirt.
REUTERS/Handout/Australian Customs Service
Customs officers became suspicious after hearing "flipping" noises coming from the vicinity of her waist, and an examination revealed 15 plastic water-filled bags holding concealed fish.
19. A coati, which had been rescued from a home along with two others of its kind, sits inside its enclosure at the Federal Wildlife Conservation Center on the outskirts of Mexico City.
REUTERS/Carlos Jasso
20. A newborn baby pangolin climbs the walls of a cage in Bangkok, Thailand.
REUTERS/Damir Sagolj
The Thai custom office showed 175 pangolins they found hidden in a truck heading into Bangkok.
21. Tarantulas, shipped by a German national into the United States by mail and confiscated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
REUTERS/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
22. A serpent eagle sits inside its cage after being seized from illegal traders, at Manila's police district, Philippines.
REUTERS/Cheryl Ravelo
23. Spider monkeys that had been found on a bus inside a bag with three dead monkeys, rest in a hammock at the Federal Wildlife Conservation Center on the outskirts of Mexico City.
REUTERS/Carlos Jasso
24. A black rattlesnake which had been rescued with other animals while being trafficked illegally, is seen inside a plastic cylinder at the Federal Wildlife Conservation Center on the outskirts of Mexico City.
REUTERS/Carlos Jasso
25. African grey parrots rescued from an illegal trader by Ugandan officials at the Uganda-Democratic Republic of Congo border crossing are seen at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe, southwest of the capital Kampala, Uganda.
REUTERS/James Akena
26. A Pakistan customs official releases a falcon seized during a raid in Karachi, in Kirthar National Park, Pakistan.
REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro
I myself have surgically rejoined severed neurolinkages. The nerve endings have been fused, the healing process begun, said Dr. Strange as he shows off to Iron Man and Spider-Man.
This might become a reality soon enough as Sergio Canavero prepares himself to do what no one has ever imagined doing before. The 51-year-old Italian neurosurgeon recently announced he would be able to do a human head transplant. Making this the first ever human head transplant, ever!
kotaku
But he does have a fair number of people dismissing the concept.
What's the concept?
Canavero explains the process would be a two-part procedure. The first part he terms as HEAVEN - a head anastomosis venture. The second, Gemini - a spinal cord fusion
Dailymail
He already has a volunteer.
Canavero already has a volunteer willing to risk his life in return of a better one. A 31-year-old program manager in software development, Valery Spiridonov suffers from Werdnig-Hoffman disease, a terrible muscle-wasting condition that degenerates voluntary muscle movements and respiratory disorders. Apart from the movement being restricted, a patient suffering from this also has severe difficulty in chewing, swallowing and breathing. Spiridonov found out about what Canavero is proposing and has volunteered to be his first patient, in the hope that his life improves manifold. Canavero considers his move to be a bold one.
dailymail
His detractors say Canavero is "peddling false hope"
Many are rubbishing Canavero's claims, calling it fantasy. You can't say they are crazy either, for this does sound too good to be true. One person, in particular - call him Canavero's nemesis if you will - is Arthur Caplan. The founder of the Division of Bioethics at New York University's School of Medicine calls Canavero a "Looney Tune" who's "peddling false hopes. Some are even going to the lengths of calling him modern day's Dr. Frankenstein trying to seek fame at the cost of human life.
aqu52
Canavero couldn't care less.
Canavero is unperturbed with these comments though, saying it's funny how people first dismiss him in public and then approach him personally to know more about his plans and ideas. He believes when other parts and organs, like heart, kidney, uterus, lungs etc. can be transplanted, why not a human head?
losandes.com
History of head transplants
It dates all the way back to 1970 when an American neurosurgeon called Dr. Robert White conducted the first successful transplant of a head on another body. This was performed on a monkey. The modern day spinal cord fusion technology had not been developed at that point in time. Probably the reason why the animal lived for only a few more days before succumbing to its death.
Newsweek
The procedure will be a daunting one, no doubt
In a paper submitted, Canavero explains the whole procedure at length. It will apparently be a 36-hour-long surgery involving, at the very least, 150 people, including doctors, nurses, technicians, psychologists and virtual reality engineers. The whole process will cost a whopping $20 million or Rs 133 crores approximately.
Explaining further, Canavero explains to Newsweek that the specially equipped hospital suite will have two surgical teams working in tandem. One that will just focus on the patient, Spiridonov in this case, and the other that will specifically focus on the donor's body- a brain-dead patient with physical characteristics and immunotype matching the Russian's. Both patients will be anesthetized and connected with breathing tubes. Their heads would then be locked used metal clamps and pins. Electrodes would be attached to their bodies to monitor brain and heart activities of both the patients. Spiridnocv's head would then be completely frozen, brought down to 12 to 15 degree Celsius, making him temporarily brain-dead.
The blood would then be drained off his brain and replaced with standard surgery solution instead. A vasculkar surgeon would then connect sleeve-like tubes made out of silicone and plastic, or Silastic as it's commonly known, around the carotid arteries and jugular veins. These tubes would be used to stop and increase blood flow when the head is connected to a new body.
The surgeons would then move on to the most crucial part of the whole process. Cleanly chopping through the spinal cord under a microscope with the help of a $200,000 (1.32 crores). diamond nanoblade, making thin and precise incisions. Time would be the key from here on.
Once clied out of his original body, Spiridonov's head would have to be attached to his new body and connected to his blood flow, in no longer than an hour's time. Air could create blockages, no air can pass into any of the vessels, so the surgeons would have to make sure that the head is completely sealed when the transplant is happening. Surgeons would then sew the arteries and the veins of the patients head to his new body. The donor's blood flow would then start re-warming Spiridonov's head to a normal temperature within a matter of minutes.
East2WestNews
But is it ethically wrong?
A question that often pops up while talking about such procedures is the question of morality because the chances of survival, for now, even if things go as planed remain extremely slim. So when people posed a question about the ethics of this all to Spiridonov, he retorted with a question of his own - would you like to be in his shoes? Needing help with defacation, urination, and living a life without sex. The audience didn't have an answer. He believes he'd rather risk death than live the quality of life he's living at the moment.
We are truly very excited. More about Spiridonov experiencing the simple pleasures of life all over again than anything else.
This story was first published by Newsweek.
In a bid to save animals from meeting their untimely death, an NGO in Chennai has come up with a brilliant idea. On Sunday, nearly 300 street animals were seen sporting reflective collars to help motorists spot the animals from afar and not mow them down.
Hindustan Times
The move will definitely decrease the number of hit-and-run accidents claiming the lives of street animals. It will help vehicles to avoid mowing down animals especially at night in areas where street lighting is not up to the mark.
TOI
These 'magic collars', that were fit onto dogs and cattle, are made of a reflective cloth stuck on a nylon tape.
TOI
The initiative is the brainchild of People For Cattle in India (PFCI), an NGO that has successfully tested and used the collars for dogs in Bengaluru, Pune ad Jamshedpur. The collars are designed to reflect light from vehicles and motorists thereby preventing animal deaths.
A thief behind over a 100 burglaries and robberies in Karnataka and neighbouring states finally gave up his secrets, after he was brought back from the brink of death thanks to the police.
timesofindia
The Banaswadi police, who made it their mission to catch this elusive thief finally found him on his deathbed suffering with Aids, after an almost eight-year manhunt. They made sure he was nursed back to some semblance of health and then made him tell them about his capers. The result was the recovery of 10 kg of gold and a smile on the faces of 90 of his victims.
Born in Thiruvaruru in Tirchi, Murugan decided that a life of burglary and robbery was the one for him, and he literally turned into a menace sans frontiers. He marauded through Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh stealing from hundreds of homes and even looting a few banks along the way.
In 2008 the cops finally nabbed the career criminal in Madiwala, but after he was released on bail, Murugan simply picked up from where he had left off. His crime spree continued unabated and the cops were left chasing shadows across state lines. The police scoured CCTV footage from the scenes of his crimes, but no evidence was forthcoming. The hunted remained at large, and the hunters were being frustrated at every turn.
Enter Banaswadi police subinspector Mirza Ali. Ali looked at Murugan's case as a personal challenge. Little did he know that in order to apprehend Murugan...he would first have to save his life.
In 2008 the cops finally nabbed the career criminal in Madiwala, but after he was released on bail, Murugan simply picked up from where he had left off. His crime spree continued unabated and the cops were left chasing shadows across state lines. The police scoured CCTV footage from the scenes of his crimes, but no evidence was forthcoming. The hunted remained at large, and the hunters were being frustrated at every turn.
Enter Banaswadi police subinspector Mirza Ali. Ali looked at Murugan's case as a personal challenge. Little did he know that in order to apprehend Murugan...he would first have to save his life.
Tracing shadows
Ali mobilized the resources available to the Banaswadi police, and after weeks spent scanning CCTV footage of burglaries, finally managed to find some footage of Murugan in the act. Now they had a time and date. They then began to analyze calls bounced off the local tower during that period and finally got their hands on a phone number. A bit more digging under rocks never turned, and they found the mother lode - Murugan's hometown. Murugan left his home and family and began his life of crime. But early last year, he found out he was HIV positive and his health deteriorated rapidly as he was not under medication. Eventually he couldn't even eat or walk. His condition got so bad that members of his gang took him home, but once there, his family refused to take him in. He was then admitted to hospital where his treatment was basic at best.
And it was in this condition that Ali and his fellow officers found him...frail and knocking on death's door.
Doctors gave Murugan just eight days to live, but the police were having none of it. Determined to not only document each of Murugan's crimes, they also wanted to track down as much of the loot as they could. The Bengaluru police rushed to a court where they asked that Murugan be released into their care. The assured the court that they would get him on a proper treatment regime and take him back to Bengaluru.
The high price of longevity
As soon as the police -led by additional Commissioner (East) P Harishekaran; DCP, (East) Satish Kumar; and subdivision ACP Badrinath -brought Murugan to Bengaluru, the first thing they did was book an AC ICU ward and have him admitted. The hospital started treating Murugan to get his physical condition up to some semblance of health, while his HIV was treated at Bowring hospital.
It took his doctors a full two months and round-the-clock care, but eventually Murugan began to limp back to health.It also helped that the police convinced his family to come visit him in the hospital.Maybe his conscience had been pricked by all the help the police had given him, either way Murugan started to sing like a bird. He started tell ing the police all they needed to know about the crimes he had committed "We started talking to him and he did too after seeing the kindness of the police," said an officer involved in the case.
The bumpy road to recovery
As Murugan began spilling the proverbial beans, the police finally realised the state-spanning extent of his sprees. So off they went, with Murugan in tow. They hired an ambulance and nurse and visited all the places Murugan claimed to have plied his trade in. The journey took them from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh to the length and breadth of Karnataka. They visited all the places where he had either sold or pledged his ill-gotten gain. Over the course of the trip the Banasawadi police managed to recover nearly 10 kilograms of stolen gold, and in turn they solved over a 100 cases and brought a smile back to the faces of more than 90 of Murugan's victims. Needless to say Murugan snitched on his former partners-in-crime and now they're cooling their heels in jail.
The first time the residents of Ghatkunang and Khangav villages saw a bulb light up their homes, they were so moved, they prayed. Thanks to the efforts of four Bengaluru students, these two remote villages of Joida taluk in Uttara Kannada district will no longer be in darkness.
bangaloremirror
What started out as a project by Sunny Arokia Swamy, Balachandra M Hegde, Kumara Swamy, and Kotresh Veerapura, all students of MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, has become a blessing for the 18 households that now have solar-powered lighting.
The idea came to the students while working on a project for a competition. The four wanted to put their engineering skills to good use. They had read about villages in the state that had yet to be electrified and decided to do something about it. The 23-year-olds then approached their head of department for help.
bangaloremirror
"We first decided to survey the villages," Kotresh said. "We wanted to install our systems where it was really required," he added.
In the course of their research, they came across several villages near Joida taluk that had not been electrified ever. They set out on a recce, and soon realised how 'remote' these were. These clusters of houses, located in the Western Ghats, didn't even have proper roads leading up to them. It took them a while to reach there, following a trail, a mud road, to these villages.
To get a better understanding of the life the residents lived, the students decided to stay.
Sunny said: "We started our journey to the dense forest region on February 5 this year. We had planned to survey the villages for at least two days. We witnessed the life there and interacted with the people. It was unbelievable that a service we take for granted has never found its way into this dense forest. And this was just two hours away from Goa."
greenpeace
The inhabitants of the village are mainly paddy farmers. When they fall short of money, they go to Goa and work as daily wage labourers.
"We took down the details required for designing the system and came back to Bengaluru. We spoke to our department head, Premila Manohar, about the idea. She readily accepted to take up the project. The whole project was funded by our college," said Kumara.
How they did it
bollywood
As there was no infrastructure available for drawing electricity lines, it had to be completely solar-powered. With help from other students, they started working on a system that would suit the climatic conditions of the village. The team met every Saturday and Sunday in the college lab to work on the project. The prototype was tested for durability and reliability in a private lab.
Once it was approved, 20 more such systems were made. Each system cost them Rs 20,000.
The systems were installed last month in the houses. Each consisted of a 100Wp solar panel, 65Ah battery, 1 tubelight and 3 bulbs. In the absence of electricity, the installation itself was quite the task. They had to use manual drills and work under the light of a torch. The high-power solar panels can light four sources of light for up to 48 hours.
The residents were also taught to maintain the system. Local electricians were also trained to tackle any problems. When the first bulb was lit in early April, the smile on their faces was unforgettable, said Balachandra. "Their first reaction was to pray. That moment made us realise how much their lives had changed," he said.
Propelled by their success, the students now want to reach out to more such villages, "because there was nothing happier than that smile".
Over 10,000 personnel and 3 IAF helicopters (1 ALH and 2 Mi 17) fitted with fitted with aerial firefighting bucket have been deployed to douse the raging Uttarakhand forest. This includes 6,000 personnel of the NDRF, SDRF, state police, forest staff and volunteers.
Uttarakhand forest fire: MI-17 helicopter ready to take off, will drop water in affected area to douse flames. pic.twitter.com/sE4xQcBOt4 ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016
WATCH: Latest visuals of #Uttarakhand fire, 5 districts affected as fire spreads across 1900 hectares of forest areahttps://t.co/cn7kviBKr6 ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016
Here's Everything You Need To Know About Forest Fires
An assessment team, including Special Director Centre for Fire Explosives K C Wadha and director of Delhi Fire Services G C Misra have reached the state to suggest measures within a week to the Home Ministry.
Uttarakhand Forest Fire Claims Five Lives Even As Government Steps Up Effort To Bring It Under Control
#WATCH: Aerial view of areas affected by fire in Uttarakhand's Srinagar which has engulfed 2270 ha of forest areahttps://t.co/6hZRRET0aX ANI (@ANI_news) May 2, 2016
The Centre has already assured the Uttarakhand government of all assistance. The choppers have rained water on forest fires today across Nainital and Pauri districts. According to satellite data, 75% of the affected areas have seen the fire being doused. The fire across forests has killed 7 people, and destroyed 2,269 hectares of forested land, and threatens to spread to sparsely populated remote hill areas.
Now 50 Hectares Of Forest Area Has Caught Fire In Himachal Pradesh!
If you were anywhere around India in 2012, we are sure you must have heard of the Italian marines who were arrested for killing of two Indian fisherman off the Indian coasts.
huffpost
The case created lot of ripples back then and it kept cropping up every few months before cooling off.
Later, one of the pair, Massimiliano Latorre, returned to Italy with health problems, but India has refused to let the other man, Salvatore Girone, leave the country. Latorre was supposed to be back in January, but he never returned.
Now a UN arbitration court has ruled that India should release an Italian marine, who has been detained in Delhi for more than four years, and allow him to return home, according to what the Italian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
The case has soured relations between India and Italy, but the two countries agreed last year to move the case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and abide by its decisions.
The Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that in an initial ruling, the court had decided that Girone should be allowed home. It said it would be in immediate contact with India to try to make sure he would return as soon as possible. The court will continue to review the merits of the case against the two marines.
Sources in the Indian government told NDTV that Italy is misrepresenting the UN court's verdict to make it seem as if it has ordered the release of Salvatore Girone.
Bringing the conversation around the Odd-Even scheme to an awkward pause a day after the second phase ended, air quality measuring devices have recorded a 23 percent increase in air pollution in New Delhi.
ALSO READ: Since The Odd-Even Scheme Began, Delhi Pollution Has Actually Gone Up By 50%
The data, put together by a Indiaspend.org with live monitoring through the Central Pollution Control Board, indicates that the scheme cannot be considered as a long-term solution to the Capital's air. Without additional action and better implementation of public transport systems, Delhi's residents will continue to suffer the poor air.
During the odd-even period, 7 am was the worst hour in Delhi, based on hourly averages between April 15 and April 29, with PM 2.5 levels indicating poor air-quality levels of 124.3g/m3, a 31% increase (94.67g/m3) in the hourly average recorded at the same time before the rule was implemented from April 1 to April 14.
Evening 5 pm was the best hour for Delhi during the odd-even phase, with PM 2.5 levels at 21g/m3, indicating good air quality.
Central Pollution Control Board
Central Pollution Control Board
Despite the fact that there were fewer violators of the odd-even scheme (5,814 during the first 10 days) compared to the last phase, the lack of buses to aid in public transport was among the key reasons that worked against reducing air pollution.
Delhi was reported to have more than 8.8 million motor vehicles as on March 31, 2015, registering an increase of more than 6 percent over the previous year.
AFP
Delhis transport sector produces six times as much greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) as that of Kolkatas, five times as much as Ahmedabads and three times as much as Greater Mumbai and Chennai.
The fire at the Bhalaswa landfill in New Delhi could also be considered a contributor to the poor quality of air.
ALSO READ: Air Pollution Claims More Lives In Delhi Than Road Accidents Every Year!
bccl
A study of the biography of Afghanistan's King Shah Shuja Durrani's autobiography reveals how Ranjit Singh tortured his son to make him give up the diamond, writes William Dalrymple.
By forming an alliance with the Company, but maintaining the most magnificent and up-to-date indigenous army of its day, Maharaja Ranjit Singh made sure that no Briton could enter the lands of the Khalsa without an invitation. Distinguished visitors like Emily Eden were allowed to see the Maharajah wearing the great jewel on his arm during state banquets, but when he died, he left the Kohinoor in his will not to the Company, nor to the British, nor even to Queen Victoria, but to the Jagannath temple at Puri. But What happened after? Read More to find out
Check out what else ruled the headlines today:
1. It Will Take 10,000 People And 48 Hours To Douse The Uttarakhand Forest Fire!
10,000 personnel and three IAF choppers fitted with firefighting water have been deployed in Uttarakhand to douse the forest fire that engulfed large parts of the state.
Uttarakhand forest fire: MI-17 helicopter ready to take off, will drop water in affected area to douse flames. pic.twitter.com/sE4xQcBOt4
Here are more details.
2. Yet Another Rhino Killed In Kaziranga, Toll Goes Up To 8 For This Year!
Not even a month after the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Kaziranga National Park - home to the one-horned rhinoceros, has recorded its second poaching incident which has claimed another rhino.
Reuters
The royal visit was targeted at increasing awareness for rhino protection at Kaziranga but things seem to be getting out of hand. Read more details here
3. The Men Of Madhya Pradesh Are Guarding Their Water With Guns!
In Madhya Pradesh, they guard their water supplies with guns. India is officially in the grip of its worst water crisis in years - 330 million people have been affected after 2 monsoons failed. MP is second worst affected state in a list that includes Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Telangana, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Read more details here.
4. Cops Nurse Dying HIV+ Thief Back To Health, Solve 100 Cases And Recover 10 Kilograms Of Gold!
timesofindia
Murugan, a thief behind over a 100 burglaries and robberies in Karnataka and neighbouring was nursed back to health by police after they caught him on his deathbed, suffering with Aids, after hunting for him for almost 8 years! Get the hillarious details here.
5. Indian Students Invent Hydrogen Powered Bike That Gives 148 Km For 1 Litre Of Gas!
thehindu
Engineering students at the RVS School of Engineering and Technology just created a bike that runs on hydrogen. We are not making this up, get the lowdown here.
Since #OddEven hasn't been the curative the state government promised in a bid to fight the world's most polluted air, Delhi citizens might literally start importing their air.
Canadian startup Vitality Air might soon start shipping fresh air from the Canadian Rockies to Indian consumers this month, soon after they made a debut in China.
India will love it
Vitality Airs founder Moses Lam told the Hindustan Times: It started as a novelty back in the summer of last year. There were forest fires in Calgary and with all the smoke, people started using our product.
The air is sold in 3-litre and 8-litre cans. We suck up all the air in Banff, about 150,000 litres every time and it takes about 40 hours, Lam said. Key clients from the China debut include "pregnant mothers, corporate executives, and even students preparing for examinations", and he's certain India is going to love it. The pollution in India is more than in China, we expect it to be our largest market. Their head of India operations said that they're sending samples to the Canadian high commission in New Delhi, and setting up mall sales activation to hype it up for an audience who needs to buy a breath to catch.
According to a report in the Times of India, Vitality Air sold fresh air from two of Canada's lakes, with a bottle of 'premium oxygen' costing between US$15.85 and 18.50 (Rs 1050 and 1230). The company, which started operations in October, claims to have sold out its first batch of 500 bottles in just two months.
But who better to sell to Chinese folks than a Chinaman?
The popularity of Canada's Vitality Air is nothing compared to the monumental success achieved by Chen Guangbiao, a Chinese multimillionaire, who sold eight million cans of fresh air in China in a ten-day period in February 2013. Each can costs roughly 80 cents (Rs 53), and purportedly contained air from pristine areas of China like Xinjiang and Taiwan. As smog levels in Beijing and nearby areas rose to alarming levels, the sales of the cans soared too.
Tightening the noose around Vijay Mallya, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are looking at around 40 companies in which he is said to have a stake, directly or indirectly.
bccl
Most of these companies (TOI has the list) are based abroad, including in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, South Africa, China and Nepal, and it is being suspected that the money allegedly embezzled by him from bank loans was routed to these companies. Mallya, the ED and the CBI have found, also owns a large number of immovable properties in many countries, which are being investigated.
"The worth of properties owned by him, including some palatial houses and his shares in the companies is being estimated," said a source. The ED alone is probing 25 companies where it is suspected that Mallya has either 100 per cent or part stake. "We also have information and details of his movable properties, including his yacht and vehicles in some of these countries. We need to question him about his investments/shareholding in many companies but since he has refused to join the probe,we are gathering evidence through different channels and taking assistance from agencies abroad," said an ED official.
At least six countries, sources said, were approached for information. Sources said the Financial Intelligence Unit, which looks into suspected investments by Indians, has gathered information about these companies and has shared it with CBI, ED and the income tax department.
Mallya fled to London in March, a move which has irked the government and investigation agencies. The government has since revoked his passport and has officially requested the UK to deport him to India. Both CBI and ED have registered separate cases of cheating and money laundering against Mallya in the Rs 900 crore loan taken by now defunct Kingfisher Airlines from IDBI Bank.
As part of its larger probe into non-performing assets of banks, the CBI is probing loans given to Kingfisher Airlines by other public sector banks including UCO Bank, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India, Vijaya Bank, Bank of Baroda, Corporation Bank, Bank of India, United Bank of India, State Bank of Mysore and Indian Overseas Bank .
Shah Shuja Durrani's autobiography is clear on how Ranjit Singh tortured his son to make him give up the diamond, writes William Dalrymple
Earlier this month Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar told the Supreme Court that the Kohinoor was given freely to the British in the mid-19th century by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and had been "neither stolen nor forcibly taken by British rulers".
bccl
This was by any standards a strikingly unhistorical statement, all the odder because the facts of the case are not really in dispute. In truth, Ranjit Singh jealously guarded both his kingdom and his state jewels, and spent much of his adult life successfully keeping both from the grasping appetites of the militarised East India Company. By forming an alliance with the Company, but maintaining the most magnificent and up-to-date indigenous army of its day, he made sure that no Briton could enter the lands of the Khalsa without an invitation. Distinguished visitors like Emily Eden were allowed to see the Maharajah wearing the great jewel on his arm during state banquets, but when he died, he left the Kohinoor in his will not to the Company, nor to the British, nor even to Queen Victoria, but to the Jagannath temple at Puri.
The British got their hands on the jewel only a decade later, after taking advantage of the Sikh divisions and general anarchy which engulfed the Punjab following Ranjit's death. They finally defeated the Khalsa during a series of notably bloody battles in the Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1849. On March 29, 1849, the Kingdom of the Punjab was formally annexed by the Company, and the Last Treaty of Lahore was signed, officially ceding the Kohinoor to the Queen and the Maharaja's other assets to the Company.
indianexpress
Article III of the treaty read: "The gem called the Koh-i-Noor, which was taken from Shah Sooja ool-Moolk by Maharajah Runjeet Singh, shall be surrendered by the Maharajah of Lahore to the Queen of England." On December 7, 1849, in the presence of the Board of Administration for the affairs of the Punjab, Duleep Singh, the ten-year-old son of Ranjit Singh, was compelled to hand over the great diamond.
ibgnews
So who should now own the Kohinoor? The case is often made in India that as the Kohinoor was taken by the British at the point of a bayonet, the British must therefore give it back. Yet the reality is more muddy. While the Kohinoor certainly originated in India, most probably in the Kollur mines of Golconda, Persia, Afghanistan and Pakistan also have good claims on the jewel, as it was owned at different times by Nadir Shah of Persia, Ahmed Shah Durrani of Afghanistan, and Ranjit Singh of Lahore. All three countries have at different times claimed the jewel and issued legal action in attempt to get it back.
File photo of William Dalrymple from BCCL
Moreover, as the third article of the Treaty of Lahore hints, Ranjit Singh also took the jewel by force, just as the British did. In the same way that British sources tend to gloss over the violence inherent in their seizure of the stone, so Sikh ones do likewise. Yet the autobiography of its previous owner Shah Shuja Durrani, which I found in Kabul when I was working on my last book, Return of a King, is explicit about what happened.
On arrival in Lahore, to which he had been invited by Ranjit on his fall from power, Shuja was separated from his harem, put under house arrest and told to hand over the diamond: "The ladies of our harem were accommodated in another mansion, to which we had, most vexatiously, no access," wrote Shuja in his Memoirs. "Food and water rations were reduced or arbitrarily cut off."
Slowly, Ranjit increased the pressure. At the lowest ebb of his fortunes, Shuja was put in a cage, and according to his own account, his eldest son, Timur Shah, was tortured in front of him until he agreed to part with his most valuable possession. On June , 1813, Ranjit Singh was received by Shuja "with much dignity, and both being seated, a solemn silence ensued for nearly an hour. Ranjit then, getting impatient, whispered to one of his attendants to remind the Shah of the object of his coming. No answer was returned, but the Shah with his eyes made a signal to a eunuch, who retired, and brought in a small roll, which he set down on the carpet at an equal distance between the chiefs. Ranjit Singh desired his eunuch to unfold the roll, and when the diamond was recognized, the Sikh immediately retired with his prize in his hand."
timesofindia
India's greatest diamonds the Darya Nur, the Hope diamond, the Noor al-Ayn, the Orlov and Pitt-Regent diamond all have exceptionally blood histories, with long litanies of betrayals, blindings, thefts, torture, assassination and murder associated with them. My personal view is that looking into the distant past, and attempting to right wrongs with claims for compensation and restitution, while understandable, is little more than a recipe for conflict and division. History everywhere is full of horrors and where should the accounts stop? Should the British sue Norway for Viking raids and Italy for the gold looted by the Romans? Should the Sri Lankan governments sue India for the destruction of the cities of Polonnoruwa and Anuradhapura by the Cholas in 993, when they invaded Sri Lanka, sacked all the towns, plundered the stupas and destroyed all the temples? According the Culavamsa chronicle:
The Cholas violently destroyed here and there all the monasteries,
Like blood-sucking yakkhas they took all the treasures of Lanka.
They took away all valuables in the treasure house of the King,
They plundered what there was to plunder in vihara and the town.
The golden image of the Master [Buddha],
The two jewels which had been set as eyes in the Prince of Sages,
All these they took.
They deprived the Island of Lanka of her valuables,
Leaving the splendid town in a state as if it had been plundered by yakkhas.
Rather than lawsuits, I think money and time would be better spent on proper education in history for all concerned. History is more complex and muddled than most people realise. How many Indians are aware, for example, of the bloody punitive raids the Chola navy made on the cities of Java and Indonesia when the coastal ports were looted and burned down?
The British in particular need to learn what they did to pre-Colonial peoples across the world. For the same empire which led to the huge enrichment of Britain, conversely, led to the impoverishment of much of the rest of the non-European world. India and China, which until then had dominated global manufacturing, were two of the biggest losers in this story, along with hundreds of thousands of enslaved sub-Saharan Africans sent off to work in the Plantations. Yet, astonishingly, most British people are by and large completely unaware of the many horrors of their imperial history as it does not appear on any history curriculum taught in British schools.
We cannot change what has happened in the past, but we can try to understand and to learn from past errors and to make sure the worst of them are not repeated. For as Edmund Burke, the greatest scourge of the East India Company rightly put it, "those who fail to learn from history are destined always to repeat it."
(Dalrymple is the author of 'Return of a King' and co-writing a book on Kohinoor)
l
Were excited to announce that indmin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com.
A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets.
Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials.
If you already have a Fastmarkets account, youll still have uninterrupted access to your markets by logging in with your current details.
China - Preserving Sovereignty or Sliding into Western Sponsored Color Revolutions
Washington and its Vassals are demonizing China for Keeping a Check on Foreign NGOs
By Peter Koenig May 02, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - On April 28, the New York Times was blasting Clampdown in China Restricts 7,000 Foreign Organizations. A perfect reason for demonizing China for infringing on the liberties of foreign NGOs NGOs that try to help and do good in China. The doing good is a concerted effort by foreign agents, including international and national organizations and NGOs that receive foreign training and funding to influence public opinion and eventually to cause civil unrest. Imagine, foreign agents teaching and influencing students at Chinese universities with western interests of, for example, privatizing Chinas public and social services; or directly interfering in sovereign state affairs, by for instance attempting to rig the Shanghai stock exchange. Lets put this Chinese clampdown in perspective. What would Washington say and do, if thousands of Chinese and Russian NGOs were to infiltrate US territory under all sorts of philanthropic pretexts, but in reality to subvert the US population against their government? Well, there is no need to speculate with the answer. Its very clear, they would simply be banned. So, this is not even a game on equal footing. Its as usual Washington pretends making the rules. When China announced in March 2015 a planned reduction in GDP growth from 12%-14% of the past years to 6%-7% for at least 2016 and possibly beyond, it was a well-calculated move by the Chinese Central Bank. The past more than 10% growth was not sustainable not for Chinese internal equality and stability, nor for the stagnant western export markets. The stock market plunge was made to look like a reaction to a faltering Chinese economy. It peaked at a drop of about 30% in mid-July 2015. The decline had nothing to do with the Chinese economy failing, as western pundits wanted the general public to believe. Something even Forbes journalists argued, the "stock market crash does not indicate a blowout of the Chinese physical economy, but it may indicate a shift from a focus on manufacturing to service industries. After all, a 6% to 7% growth rate is more than any western country can claim. The Shanghai stock crash had much to do with foreign agents, in this case Wall Street banks, some of which have been accredited to the partially liberated Shanghai bourse. A bust in the Chinese stock market meant the Chinese economy is faltering negative propaganda, so much needed these days by Washington and its minions, to boost their own empty glory. The western media were immediately lambasting the Chinese economic model as failure. In order for foreign banks to intervene so drastically, foreign trained and funded local counterparts are necessary. To exacerbate the propaganda message, such prominent financial institutions, as Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse and Bank of America warned that Chinas market was a bubble. On 29 June 2015, the market regulator, China Security Regulatory Commission ( CSRC) called out on their Sino Weibo site, There have been people calling out the Chinese economy in an attempt to destabilize faith in the stock market and to disrupt the order of the market. The CSRC wishes investors to act independently of such rumors, not to fall for such claims, and not to follow them blindly. ----
No wonder under these circumstances, and merely observing what is going on around the globe with western interference in national elections, organizing regime change by all possible illegal means, Color Revolutions, parliamentary coups, proxy wars and conflicts, it is but common sense for President Xi Jinping, as reported by the New York Times, to take a major step on Thursday, imposing greater control and limit Western influences on Chinese society, as [the government] passed a new law restricting the work of foreign organizations and their local partners, mainly through police supervision.
---- This affects some good-hearted 7,000-plus NGOs working in the fields of environment, philanthropy, cultural exchanges, and maybe even in business promotion. What a shame. The authoritarian Chinese Government clamps down on those foreign agencies, which attempt to destabilize China by influencing people via the media, universities, industries and by associating with local civil society. Most of these foreign and dissident local groups and individuals are trained and funded by the National Endowment for Democracy - NED, a Washington based, fully State Department sponsored and funded agency, receiving hundreds of millions of dollars for precisely the purse of training and financing local dissidents and NGOs. There are others in the US doing similar work. They are very strong and determined. They set an objective and wont let go. Again, ask yourself what would Washington do, if similar Chinese and Russian trolls were to intrude the US of A with the same objective mobilizing the American public against their government? --- This piece of fragmented and twisted China news reported by the NYT was copied and blasted into the airwaves every hour on the hour by every European mainstream radio and TV station for every European to once more getting the message, China is an oppressive police state. Most of these 7,000 NGOs, if not all, are foreign agents with one purpose destabilizing unaligned, sovereign and autonomous China. Russia is facing the same phenomenon, especially now, shortly before parliamentary elections. Heeding the lessons from the various NGO initiated coup attempts and demonstrations before the 2012 elections, and in foresight of this years elections, Mr. Putin has already put similar laws in place, especially the so-called undesirable organization legislation which he introduced soon after his re-election in 2012. It requires those agencies or NGOs receiving foreign funding to register as foreign agents, who may be surveilled by police and whose finances are subject to government control. In March 2015, Mr. Putin called NGOs a threat to national security. Western special services continue their attempts at using public, non-governmental and politicized organizations to pursue their own objectives, primarily to discredit the authorities and destabilize the internal situation in Russia. They are already planning their actions for the upcoming election campaigns of 2016-18. A similar law limits foreign ownership in Russian media to 20%. Of course, the western media in which neither Russia or China would be allowed to own a single percent, lambasted Russia for censuring freedom of press and freedom of expression. Vladimir Putin was personally accused of stifling dissent. As you know by now, this has nothing to do with censuring freedom of expression. It is just a means of limiting the public damage caused by propaganda-lies propagated by the western media throughout any territory they have access to and want to conquer. Curtailing foreign media influence is what all of sovereign South America should have done long ago, especially Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela. Now its (almost) too late. The Washington backyard is nearly cooked, ready for usurping and atrocious consumption.
----- Foreign-funded and trained NGOs and other politicized groups can be extremely dangerous, as many of them are so well camouflaged and integrated into society that they become almost invisible. They may be in a country for several years before they act, pulling the trigger when the right time arrives to launch an act of unrest and destabilization, almost always with the goal of regime change. The new puppet chief of state is usually groomed by Washington, ready to take over at command. The various Arab Springs, were the brainchild of the CIA, prepared during several years and executed by foreign groups and nationals, trained for subversion and funded abroad. The Arab Spring, launched in Tunisia in December 2010, also known as the Tunisian Revolution, spread subsequently and conveniently throughout the Arab League countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and is ongoing, always guided by foreign trained, funded and armed locals; and supported by the secret services of Washington and its allies. It was successful in creating sufficient chaos to justify foreign military intervention - US-CIA, NATO, Mossad, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf States, applying the old principle: divide to conquer a doctrine still valid after hundreds of years and counting. This Washington sponsored, State Department funded around-the-globe destabilization program has been a success story in most cases. One of the most glaring examples in recent history was breaking the tenacity of the Soviet Union, where they, the Masters of the Universe, used heavier artillery than just NGOs with the final financial blow coming from the Washington Consensus FED, IMF, World Bank. The Washington Consensus moved in quickly after the Soviet Unions manufactured collapse, restructuring the new Russia with billions of dollars in loans, as well as privatization of almost the entire state apparatus, leaving behind a country in shambles; a country that was not prepared with legislation to deal with the private market place western-style. The ensuing chaos, corruption and mafia-type crimes have since become legendary. Only with President Putin after 2000 order and control with the appropriate legal framework was re-instated. The destabilization effort continued almost seamlessly to the former Soviet Republics which became the CIS countries (Commonwealth of Independent States). Internal subversion by foreign sponsored groups early on in their new found identity as free states was necessary for the west, lest these new republics may stay in the Russian orbit, and not allow expansion of NATO closer to Moscow. The German-US promise to never expand NATO eastwards was a farce. Here is what the Spiegel-Online of 26 November 2009 says about the promise: On Feb. 10, 1990, between 4 and 6:30 p.m., Genscher spoke with Shevardnadze [Soviet Foreign Minister]. According to the German record of the conversation, which was only recently declassified, Genscher said: "We are aware that NATO membership for a unified Germany raises complicated questions. For us, however, one thing is certain: NATO will not expand to the east." And because the conversion revolved mainly around East Germany, Genscher added explicitly: "As far as the non-expansion of NATO is concerned, this also applies in general." Shevardnadze replied that he believed "everything the minister (Genscher) said." So much for trusting the West. NATO was expanded in 1999 to Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, followed in 2004 by the Central and East-European countries Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. In 2009 Albania and Croatia joined. Under debate is now NATO membership of Sweden, Finland and Serbia. At its creation in 1949 NATO had 12 members. At present it has 28members; all in an expansion towards the east, encroaching Russia. Al this goes to say that without the infamous NGOs or foreign trained and funded political inserts into the former Soviet Republics, countries the west needed to convince that NATO was good for their protection, NATO expansion may not have been possible. The convincing was done with massive anti-Russia propaganda, the danger to be absorbed again by expansionist Russia, leading to the so-called Color Revolutions, a western invention, promoting western friendly parties in the country targeted for regime change, with massive displays of brightly colored flags. Secretary of State, John Kerrys sidekick, Victoria Nuland is famous for boasting in a recorded telephone call with US Ambassador Pyatt in Kiev with such infamous words, fuck the EU; we have spent 5 billion dollars for regime change [in Ukraine] and wont let others interfere. She and US Ambassador Pyatt, with the help of CIA and NATO intelligence, instigated the bloody coup in Maidan Square in February 2014. Ukraine, for hundreds of years was part of old and new Russia; today it is a shambles, a bloodbath; corrupted to the bones by a US-NATO installed and maintained pro-western Nazi Government. ------ A Latin formula of Color Revolutions was also conceived to destabilize Washingtons backyard Central and South America also ongoing. Already under US control are Panama, Honduras, Guatemala, Peru, Colombia, Uruguay, and since December 2015 Argentina. Currently thousands of foreign (US) trained destabilizing local politicos are working hard on a parliamentary coup in Brazil. After having turned the Venezuelan Parliament from the left to the extreme right last December, they Washingtons Secret Services, be sure, always with the help of Mossad using their local patsies, have now initiated a referendum with the objective to overthrow President Maduro. There is apparently no way of halting them. And there is no decisive move by affected governments in peril, aka Brazil and Venezuela, to use constitutional legislative forces to stop these illegal coups. Have the leaders of these countries and their families been threatened with their lives? John Perkins Economic Hit Man, the old and the new versions, tell plenty of such stories. This website, albeit incomplete may also give insight. https://wikispooks.com/wiki/US/Foreign_Assassinations_since_1945 ------- In this western instigated moves to subdue non-obedient governments, NGOs and other foreign trained, funded and often also armed groups and individuals, merely prepare the ground. They make sure the time is right and are in constant communication with CIA and other secret services under the Empire of Chaos. Before Washingtons actual move to check-mate, they Washington and its stooges put the appropriately bought local puppets into key positions, using to the extent possible constitutional procedures no matter whether the executioners are crooks, corrupt or even murderers. The empire has no scruples. Why should they? They get away with murder all the time. China has first-hand experience with the student uprising in Hong Kong, the so-called Umbrella Revolution that lasted from 24 September to 15 December 2014, protesting against what they called the Beijing influenced Hong Kong Congress electoral process. After all, Hong Kong is part of China. Although it was clear to most observers that this show of force was foreign funded, instigated and supported throughout, nobody in the western media reported the truth. Every Anglo-Saxon MSM bashed China for using dictatorial means in imposing electoral rules in Hong Kong. The Umbrella Movement failed miserably. Mind you, those swell-sounding NGOs like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Green Peace and more of the sort, they are all majority US-western funded and know very well who is their master. For example, you probably have never seen any Amnesty International Report accusing the United States of America of human rights abuses. Yet, by all accounts the US and its minions are arguably by far the most atrocious human rights abusers on this globe, being responsible for the death of at least ten to twelve million people over the past 60 years by wars and conflicts carried out directly by US-NATO forces, or indirectly by Washington instigated and paid proxy wars and conflicts. Obama boasts about being involved in 7 wars around the globe, let alone the thousands and thousands of drone killings carried out under his personal command. No wonder President Xi and President Putin put measures in place to stop these Washington directed, paid and often armed aggressive and violent separatist groupings, camouflaged as NGOs. The lies, uncomplete and biased reporting have turned the New York Times and similar once-upon-a-time prominent and credible media outlets into a ridiculous farce. Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. He is also a former World Bank staff and worked extensively around the world in the fields of environment and water resources. He writes regularly for Global Research, ICH, RT, Sputnik, PressTV, CounterPunch, TeleSur, The Vineyard of The Saker Blog, and other internet sites. He is the author of Implosion An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed fiction based on facts and on 30 years of World Bank experience around the globe. He is also a co-author of The World Order and Revolution! - Essays from the Resistance .
Washington Brings Regime Change To Venezuela By Paul Craig Roberts May 02, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - According to President Obama, the worlds only superpower, the unipower, the exceptional country is threatened by small Venezuela in South America ! In an executive order last year, renewed this year, President Obama declared Venezuela to be an unusual and extraordrinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States and declared a national emergency to counter the Venezuelan threat
( http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2016/03/03/obama-extends-order-declaring-venezuela-national-security-threat/ ). This manufactured extraordinary threat serves as the Obama regimes excuse for overthrowing President Maduro in Venezuela. It is a Washington tradition to overthrow elected Latin American governments that try to represent the interest of the people, and not the interest of US corporations and banks. I wrote about Washingtons attack on Latin American reformers on April 11 (http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2016/04/11/washington-continues-to-destroy-latin-american-reformers-paul-craig-roberts/) and on April 22
(http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2016/04/22/washington-launches-its-attack-against-brics-paul-craig-roberts/). Decades ago US Marine General Smedley Butler confessed that he was a gangster for capitalism, imposing the will of New York Banks and the United Fruit Company on Latin American countries by force of arms. In his book, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, John Perkins reports the 1981 assassinations of Panama President Omar Torrijos and Ecuador President Jaime Roldos, both of whom got in the way of US corporate interests. After being duly demonized by the US media, in 2009 Honduras President Manuel Zelaya, who thought that Honduras should be for Hondurans and not for the United Fruit Company, was overthrown in a military coup greenlighted by President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The president chosen by the people was replaced with Roberto Micheletti, a tool of US corporations, chosen by Washington. Washington has been conducting economic warfare against Venezuela in order to undermine
President Maduros public support. The media is controlled by the elite and blames Maduro for the economic problems caused by Washington. Washington has succeeded in having its agents among the elite regain control of Venezuelas National Assembly. A recall attempt is underway against Maduro. It is possible that confused Venezuelans will cut their own throats by returning to power the elite that has traditionally oppressed them. Washington tried to destabilize Iran with the Washington-funded Green Revolution, but it
did not work. Both Russia and China open themselves to destabilization by hosting Washington-funded Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), participating in Western economic institutions, and permitting foreign investment. Washington has had success in entangling Russia and China in Western economic institutions and economic ways of thinking that put the two countries independence at risk. Considering the control freak character of Washington, Russian President Putin should be on his guard against assassination. In the neoconservative drive for US world hegemony, no means are impermissible. Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West , How America Was Lost , and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order .
Kerry To Negotiate New Ceasefire In Syria - But With His Own Side By Moon Of Alabama May 02, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Moon Of Alabama " - U.S. Secretary of State is in Geneva today to renegotiate a cessation of hostilities between the Syrian government forces and the foreign supported "rebels" in Syria. But there is something very curious going on with these negotiations. Kerry will neither talk with the Syrian government nor with the Russians. The Russian Foreign Minister is not even expected to come. No, Kerry is negotiating with the U.S. allies Jordan and Saudi Arabia who support the same "rebels" that are opposed to the Syrian government that the U.S. itself supported all along. He now asks them to separate their proxy forces in Syria from the terrorist organization al-Qaeda/Jabhat al-Nusra. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday he hoped to make progress in talks in Geneva over the next two days toward renewing a cessation of hostilities agreement throughout Syria and resuming peace talks to end the fighting. "The hope is we can make some progress," Kerry said at the start of a meeting with Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh shortly after arriving in Geneva.
...
The Syrian army announced on Friday a "regime of calm", or lull in fighting, which applied to Damascus and some of its outskirts, and parts of northwestern coastal province Latakia. But it excluded Aleppo. Kerry made clear that a ceasefire was needed throughout Syria and he hoped to be able to reaffirm the cessation of hostilities after talks in Geneva. He is due to meet Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and De Mistura on Monday. According to military spokesperson of the U.S. alliance against the Islamic State, Colonel Warren, the "rebel" occupied parts of Aleppo city are under control of al-Qaeda: [I]t's primarily al-Nusra who holds Aleppo, and of course, al-Nusra is not part of the cessation of hostilities. So it's complicated. Two UN Security Council Resolution calls on all UN members to "eradicate" al-Qaeda/al-Nusra. ALL UNSC members agreed to Resolution 2254 which: Reiterates its call in resolution 2249 (2015) for Member States to prevent and suppress terrorist acts committed specifically by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as Daesh), Al-Nusra Front (ANF), and all other individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities associated with Al Qaeda or ISIL [...] and to eradicate the safe haven they have established over significant parts of Syria, and notes that the aforementioned ceasefire will not apply to offensive or defensive actions against these individuals, groups, undertakings and entities,... There is simply no basis for Kerry to beg for a ceasefire for "rebel" held areas of Aleppo city when his own military says that these are in the hands of al-Qaeda which the UNSC calls to eradicate. The Russian's have said that much. So here is what Kerry is left to do: Beg the U.S. allies to move away their "Free Syrian Army" proxy groups from al-Qaeda so al-Qaeda can be eradicated by the Syrian Army and its allies. But al-Qaeda is by now an integrated part of those Saudi/Qatar/U.S. paid proxy forces and well accepted by those groups. It gets its weapons and ammunition from the very proxy groups the U.S. now wants to separate from it. Even if the Saudis and Jordanians assert their influence over these groups it is unlikely that the fighters on the ground will follow their directives. The Russian air force is ready to renew its bombing campaign against all opposition forces in Syria that do not agree to a cessation of hostilities. No U.S. propaganda campaign can wave away al-Qaeda's presence in Syria nor the UNSC resolutions the U.S. itself agreed to. Either Kerry manages to pressure Saudi Arabia and Jordan to move their proxies away from al-Qaeda or there will be again an all out Russian campaign to eradicate them. It is unlikely that any of those proxies would survive such a campaign. Kerry is now left to negotiate with U.S allies against al-Qaeda. He now has to argue from the same perspective as the Syrian and Russian government. This is a mess of his own making. How will he escape from it?
What Is a Global Citizen, and Can it Save Us? By David Swanson
May 02, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - Headlines this past week claimed that for the first time ever more than half of poll respondents around the world said they saw themselves more as a global citizen than as a citizen of a country. What did they mean in saying that? Well, first of all, to lower the heart-rate of U.S. readers, we should state that they clearly did not mean that they were aware of a secret global government to which they had sworn loyalty until the Dark Side crushes all light from the Force, or until Mom, apple pie, and sacred national sovereignty expire in the satanic flames of Internationalism. How do I know this? Well, for one thing, something that a majority of the planet is aware of is the opposite of a secret. But, more importantly, what's at issue here is the poll respondents' attitude, not their situation. In many nations, the responses were almost evenly split; half the people weren't wrong, they were just differently minded. Still, what did they mean? In the United States, rather stunningly, 22 percent of respondents supposedly said they strongly agreed that they saw themselves more as a global citizen, while another 21 percent somewhat agreed. How you can somewhat agree with a binary choice I haven't the foggiest idea, but supposedly they did. That's 43 percent total agreeing either strongly or somewhat in the land of flag-waving militarized exceptionalism, if you can believe it -- or if it doesn't actually mean much. Canada is slightly higher at 53 percent. But what does it mean? Were respondents shocked into agreement with a sensible sounding idea they'd never heard mentioned before? Is a strong minority really enlightened beyond the common nationalism? Russia, Germany, Chile, and Mexico had the least identification as global citizens. Should we look down on that? Nigeria, China, Peru, and India had the highest. Should we emulate that? Are people identifying with humanity or against their country or in support of their own desire to emigrate, or against the desires of others to immigrate? Or are people employed by globalized capital actually turning against nationalism? I've always thought that if people would stop speaking in the first person about the crimes of their country's military, and start identifying with all of humanity, we might achieve peace. So I compared the "global citizen" results with the results of a 2014 poll that asked if people would be willing to fight in a war for their country. The results of that poll were also stunningly encouraging, with strong majorities in many countries saying they would not fight in a war. But there does not appear to be a correlation between the two polls. Unless we can find a way to correct for other important factors, it does not seem that being a global citizen and refusing to fight have anything consistently in common. Nationalistic countries are and are not willing to fight in wars. "Global citizen" countries are and are not willing to fight in wars. Of course, the willingness to fight responses are sheer nonsense. The United States has numerous wars up and running, recruitment offices in most towns, and 44% of the country saying it "would" fight if there were a war. (What's stopping them?) And, again, the global citizen responses may be largely nonsense too. Still, Canada does roughly as much better than the United States in each of the two polls. Perhaps they make the sort of sense I'm looking for but only in North America. Asian nations, however, are both biggest on global citizenship and most willing to participate in wars (or to make that claim to a pollster). Whatever it may mean, I take it to be wonderful news that a majority of humanity identifies with the world. It's up to us to now make it mean what it should. We need to develop a belief in world citizenship that begins by recognizing every other human on earth, and other living things in their own way, as sharing in it. A citizen of the globe does not expect to necessarily have much in common with the inhabitants of some far-off corner of the earth, but does certainly understand that no war can be waged against fellow citizens. We don't need clean elections or an end to war profits or the expansion of the ICC to impose the rule of law on countries outside of Africa in order to create world citizenship. We just need our own minds. And if we get it right in our own minds, all of those other things had better get ready to happen. So how do we think like world citizens? Try this. Read an article about a distant place. Think: "That happened to some of us." By "us" mean humanity. Read an article about peace activists protesting war who say aloud "We are bombing innocent people," identifying themselves with the U.S. military. Work at it until you can find such statements incomprehensible. Search online for articles mentioning "enemy." Correct them to reflect the fact that everyone has the same enemies: war, environmental destruction, disease, starvation. Search for "them" and "those people" and change it to us and we humans. This is in fact a massive project, but apparently there are millions of us already identifying with it, and many hands make light work. To receive updates from After Downing Street register at http://afterdowningstreet.org/user/register - To subscribe to other lists go to http://davidswanson.org/node/921
Report says no fewer than nineteen persons have been killed in a cult clash in Idoha and Ulapata communities in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Correspondents gathered that suspected Iceland and Greenlanders cult groups have been locked in a battle for supremacy in the area which led to the setting up of a vigilante group called Isakaba boys by the paramount ruler of the community to curb the activities of the cult gangs in the area.
In a fresh attack, it was revealed that suspected Greenlanders had on saturday wiped out a family of four persons in Idoha community in the same Local Government Area who were later identified as member of the Iceland cult group in the area.
A source closed to the community who simply gave his name as NNAMDI told correspondents that suspected Iceland cultists in a reprisal attack early hour of today laid siege to Ulafata community and allegedly killed the terrifying number of fifteen persons.
Also confirming the incident to Today FM correspondent, the Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Police Command, GRACE KOKO said that the command was aware of cult related war but that the number of casualties remain unknown for the moment, stressing that the command have started investigation.
In the meantime, the Ulapata community has been deserted after the killings following an alleged fresh letter issued to the community by one of the groups engage in another.
Meanwhile, also in Agba Ndele community in Emohua Local Government Area of the state, a twenty-six year old boy was shot dead early hour of today by unknown gunmen.
It was gathered that before the murder of the twenty-six year man, he was a student of Igunatus Ajuru University of Education, year two in the department biology.
Source:BreakingTimes
Nigerian Workers will join Working People all over the World to mark Workers Day. The event which will be held throughout the country will be attended by all organized workers, professionals, students, market men and women, as well as members of other civil society organisations.It is based on this that INFORMATION NIGERIA has put together the brief history of workers/May day.
Working people around the world have always had to struggle to win decent wages, and safe working conditions.
In the 1860s they campaigned for shorter working hours in many countries.
On May 1, 1886, workers in Canada and the United States, held peaceful strikes and rallies to demand an eight-hour work day.
Two days later, Chicago police killed several demonstrators at a clash between workers and scabs in that city. A rally was held in Hay market Square to protest the killings, and when the police tried to forcibly disperse the crowd, a bomb was thrown. Seven policemen were killed; dozens in the crowd were injured.
Although, none had thrown the bomb, eight leaders of the Chicago workers movement were charged with the death of the policemen. They were all convicted. Four were executed, one died in custody, and three were given life imprisonment, but were eventually pardoned.
In memory of this struggle and the struggle of all workers for better conditions, May 1 was declared an eight-hour holiday in 1889, by the International Workers Congress in Paris.
In many countries May 1 is a workers holiday celebrated every year.
In Nigeria, May Day as a holiday was first declared by the People Redemption Party (PRP) Government of Kano State in 1980.
It became a national holiday on May 1, 1981.
US spy agency the CIA has live tweeted the military raid that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan five years ago, drawing derision and satire from many people on Twitter. Bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seal commandos on May 2, 2011, when they raided his compound in Abbottabad.
Several of the tweets included diagrams and maps of the compound, providing a rundown of the operation from the moment US President Barack Obama and intelligence officials approved it until the president received confirmation that bin Laden had been killed.Several social media users criticised the CIAs posts, while others satirised them. Writing on its Twitter account, The Daily Show, a popular US news satire programme, mocked the agency. Speaking to ABC News, CIA spokesperson Ryan Trapani defended the operation, arguing that the takedown of bin Laden stands as one of the great intelligence successes of all time. He said: On the fifth anniversary, it is appropriate to remember the day and honour all those who had a hand in this achievement.
As Mary Sia Kombo walks through the trees and shrubs of her familys cocoa farm, images of her father flood her memory. He used to carry me to the farm with him, recalls 23-year-old Kombo. It was a special time spent with my father. I learned a lot.
Though her father died in 2007, she remembers how he encouraged her to pursue farming and to work hard at it. He showed me many techniques of farming. Im always missing him, she says. However, the farm her father owned could not be maintained after the devastation of the countrys 11-year civil war. When the war ended in 2002, he father tried to revitalise the farm, but it was difficult. After his death, there was still a lot of work to be done.
Despite agriculture accounting for almost half of the countrys gross domestic product, farms neglected owing to the war are common. A project initiated by the German government is hoping to revive the cocoa industry by offering a programme known as the Integrated Farmers Training to youth like Kombo, who has been involved with the programme since its launch in February 2014.
The project is implemented by the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ) with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Currently, about 5,000 young people from the eastern districts of Kailahun and Kono are learning about the cocoa farm trade, many of them owning the plantations upon which they learn to farm. So many [farmers] died, and younger generations were not able to take care of plantations. The knowledge was lost and interest was not there, says Ralf Zimmermann, the team leader of the cocoa component of the programme.
Aljazeera.
The Ondo State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the just-concluded local government election as a fraud perpetrated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission, ONSIEC, had declared the PDP winner in all the local government areas following a boycott of the exercise by the APC and majority of other political parties in the state.
The Ondo APC Chairman, Isaac Kekemeke, said if forensic investigation is conducted on the ballot papers used, it will reveal they were thumb-printed by just a few people.
Mr. Kekemeke, who spoke during a reception ceremony for PDP members that recently joined the APC, said the figure of over 600,000 released by ONSIEC as the total number of voters in an election reported as having widespread voters apathy, is far from being credible.
He wondered why the PDP decided to rig an election in which it was the only contesting party.
The APC chairman recalled that during the last governorship election with large voters turnout, the total number of votes amassed by the then leading Labour Party (LP) under which Governor Olusegun Mimiko contested before defecting to the PDP, was a little above 200,000 votes while the combined votes of the LP, the PDP and that of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) was just 400,000.
Kekemeke, therefore, wondered how the PDP-led government came about 600,000 in local government polls that witnessed very low turn-out of voters.
According to him: The polling unit where Mimiko was reported to have voted had only 21 voters, and this number of voters multiplied by the total polling units across the state would give you about 45,000 votes. How do you explain the difference?
What we have now in Ondo State is a union of people who can no longer endure the pain and hardship caused by this PDP government.
Today is a manifestation of the willingness of Ondo people to change the PDP.
I want to assure members that there shall be no imposition of candidate.
Kekemeke also cautioned some party members, who he claimed are abusing party aspirants on social media, to desist.
The Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr Saleh Dunoma, on Monday in Lagos said the agency was working towards providing the best terminals for airport users across the country.
Dunoma stated this while speaking with aviation correspondents at the inauguration of the Aviation White House built by Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN).
According to Dunoma, a lot has been done to improve on safety of both the airlines and passengers at airports.
He said that work had been completed on the air side in some airports which could be attested to by pilots who used the facilities.
According to him, passengers will soon start experiencing better facilities as soon as the new terminals are put into use as works have reached advanced stage.
On the construction of cargo airports in some designated states, he explained that some equipment for the airports had arrived but work had slowed down due to paucity of funds.
Dunoma said that FAAN would commence work by prioritising six of the cargo airports and completing them as soon as funds are available. He said the revenue generated from the airports will be channelled towards completion of others.
Reports has it that the accident happened on their way to Kaduna yesterday. Five of the passengers died at the spot while 6 others sustained varying injuries. Members of the Federal Road Safety Corps later arrived the scene with ambulance to take the injured to the hospital. So sad. See graphic photos below;
Source: 9ja News Arena
An Indian teenager accidently shot himself in the head with his fathers gun while trying to take a selfie photograph, police said Sunday, the latest in a series of such accidents. The 15-year-old is being treated in hospital at Pathankot in Punjab state and is expected to survive, said the citys deputy police superintendent, Manoj Kumar.
The accident happened on Friday evening when the schoolboy was playing at home with the licensed revolver which is normally kept in a wardrobe, Kumar told AFP. The boys father and family said that he was trying to take a selfie with his gun, he said. We will speak to the boy when he is declared medically fit. We think that part of the blame obviously goes to the father for not keeping his loaded gun under lock and key at their home.
A teenager was run over and killed in the southern Indian city of Chennai in February as he tried to take a selfie in front of an oncoming train. In January police in the western city of Mumbai moved to crack down on dangerous selfies after a man drowned trying to save a girl who fell into the sea while snapping one.
Police identified 16 dangerous selfie spots in Mumbai and asked the local council to erect warning signs and deploy lifeguards. A man was seriously injured in April by an elephant when he tried to snap a selfie with the chained animal at a festival in Kerala, according to the Hindustan Times on Sunday.
Yahoo!
Kate Middleton is the picture of country chic in new photographic portraits released yesterday. The photographic portraits are to be displayed as part of the Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery and are also featured as part of a wider shoot for British Vogues centenary June 2016 issue, which will hit newsstands on May 5.
Kate is pictured in her jacket, blouse and hat in a color photos on the cover. This marks the first magazine shoot she has ever consented to.
The Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, says the National Assembly will not support the creation of grazing reserves anywhere in the country.
Addressing newsmen on Sunday after a meeting of the South East governors and stakeholders in Enugu, Ekweremadu said that there was no bill on the creation of grazing reserves before the National Assembly.
There is no such proposal or bill on the creation of grazing reserves either in the Senate or House of Representatives.
Nobody is considering it; not even at the executive level. I do not think they are considering it but we will not support it even if it has been considered, he said.
Ekweremadu said that the meeting was convened in reaction to the attack on the people of Uzo Uwani by suspected herdsmen. According to him, the meeting reviewed all that happened since then and thanked all stakeholders who had shown sympathy to victims of the attack.
Speaking further, the Deputy Senate President said: The South East governors proposed to meet today to review these matters but regrettably, the message did not get to Imo and Anambra governors.
So you can see mainly the PDP governors are here. So, they had to review the matter and more importantly, ensure that every governor will be in attendance in the next meeting.
The meeting is rescheduled within the week where all the governors are expected to be in attendance, he said.
Ekweremadu said that the meeting looked at a more regional approach to curbing the menace of the herdsmen so as to ensure that it did not happen again. We are looking at a concrete and more coordinated approach on how to protect our people from this carnage, he said.
Nigeria may soon have access to $480 million (N153.6 billion) looted by fraudulent Nigerians and kept in the United States of America.
The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, confirmed to Vanguard, weekend, that there had been an appreciable progress between officials of the two nations over the repatriation of the cash to Nigeria.
Malami explained that the decision to return the funds followed his recent visit to the US in company of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, during which they met with the Department of Justice and other relevant agencies over the matter.
The money that is due for immediate repatriation is $480 million (N95b) and we are confident that we have reached a point that it will be drawn down before long, the minister said.
Malami said that the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was trying its best to ensure all stolen moneys kepat abroad were repatriated back into the country.
I can tell you that the Buhari administration is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that all looted Nigerian funds are retrieved and those found to have aided and abetted same brought to justice to serve as a deterrent to potential looters, Malami said.
Punch
The Federal Government on Sunday kept mum over the recent demand by the organised labour for a new minimum wage of N56,000.
Vanguard
The Federal Government has condemned calls by some individuals and groups in the south-east geo political zone for herdsmen to leave the region.
Thisday
As Nigerians yesterday celebrated Workers Day, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) called on the federal government to urgently set up a special and separate account for recovered looted funds and channel such funds to job creation, describing rising unemployment as Nigerias greatest economic crisis at present.
The Sun
THE Odubu Campaign Organisation yesterday raised the alarm over an assassination attempt on the life of the deputy govern or, Rt. Hon. Pius Odubu, at the All Progressives Congress (APC) Secretariat at Auchi on Saturday, April 30, 2016.
Daily Times
About nine persons were killed in two separate attacks on two communities in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Guardian
The Director General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Sule Zakari Kazuare, at the weekend disclosed that all orientation camps in the North East, which were closed because of insurgency would be re-opened soon.
Daily Trust
Jackson Lekan Ojo is a political analyst, who defected from the PDP recently to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview, he speaks on the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), happenings in the APC and the forth-coming PDP national convention among others.
Leadership
Troops of the Nigerian Army, at the weekend, discovered yet another Boko Haram bomb making factory near the border town of Ngala in Borno State.
The Nation
The Catholic Diocese of Ekiti has filed a suit against the imposition of levies on pupils in its primary and secondary schools by the Ekiti State government.
Tribune
Chairman, Association of Fulani Chiefs of South-West of Nigeria, Alhaji Muhammed Bambado, in Lagos, at the weekend, called for caution in the way people jump into conclusion that any attack on any community should be traced to Fulani herdsmen.
Punch
Edo State Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, on Sunday narrated how he narrowly escaped death in the hands of suspected assassins in Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.
Vanguard
Ndigbo Unity Forum, an Igbo socio-cultural group, has given Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo an ultimatum of 60 days to pay workers outstanding salaries and allowances.
The Sun
The Manager of Yobe Livestock Development Programme, Dr Mustapha Gaidam, on Sunday advised the Federal Government to exploit the potentials in livestock agriculture to reposition Nigerias economy and create employment.
Thisday
The Nigerian military has vowed to deal decisively with marauding herdsmen that have been terrorising people and killing in different parts of the country, the same way it is dealing with the Boko Haram insurgency, Niger Delta militancy and other acts of criminality.
Daily Times
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has commiserated with the government and people of Edo over the demise of the Oba of Benin, Omo nOba nEdo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa.
Guardian
Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo on Sunday announced the increment of the National Minimum Wage from N18,000 to N25, 000 with immediate effect, for employees in the State Public Service.
Daily Trust
A faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Oyo State led by Sule Odumuyiwa yesterday called on the Federal Government to approve a new minimum wage of N96,000 for workers to reflect the economic situation in the country.
Odumuyiwa, while addressing his group during the May Day celebration held at the IPMAN Building in Odo-Ona, Ibadan, said considering the loot so far recovered from corrupt politicians by the present administration, the country is buoyant enough to pay the new wage.
When Nigerians cry, we feel the pain most. We have been to many countries; we have travelled far and wide and have seen the way other countries are being governed and managing their available resources.
But here in Nigeria, reverse is the case. It is on this note that the NLC hereby calls for a minimum wage of N96,000, which will fairly take care of the plight of Nigerian workers, Odumuyiwa said.
When asked how feasible for the government of the day to afford this new minimum wage going by the current economic downturn, Odumuyiwa said the government can afford it if it can prioritise its spending. Workers in the state have not been paid any salary this year.
Organised Labour at yesterdays May Day celebration, told President Muhammadu Buhari that workers and ordinary Nigerians were beginning to lose faith in the change mantra of the All Progressives Congress, APC-led Federal Government.
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, were unanimous in condemning increasing poverty, unemployment, insecurity, erratic power supply, fuel scarcity, and called on government at all levels to urgently address the mounting hardship and frustration in the country.
Addressing the gathering at Eagle Square in Abuja, factional leader of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, urged the President to provide people-based actions and programmes and not elitist programmes. He said the government should come up with discernible strategies and directions that would tell Nigerians where his government was headed economically.
He also implored the federal government to stop further attempts at privatisation, especially of railways, return local refineries to full capacity and invest in new refineries and in, the short-run, sort out the supply bottle-neck that had made product availability difficult in Nigeria.
On insecurity, he said: At the beginning of the year, we had cause to assert that on the security front, our armed forces within the year, redeemed their reputation as a resilient fighting force and fought the Boko Haram insurgents, inflicting heavy defeats on them in the North Eastern part of the country.
We said that our conviction was that though the war was still on-going, Nigerians now believed that it was only a matter of time before these evil forces are defeated.
As workers, who have been direct victims of the violence in the North East, we want to use this May Day to restate our call for Mr. President to combine the military success with a marshal plan for the reconstruction of the devastated infrastructure of the geo-political zone.
The ruling APC government in its manifesto, promised to create three million jobs annually. We have waited one year for the government to bring out its blueprints on how it intends to go about achieving this. Congress will seek audience with Mr. President to get more information on this important matter, Wabba said.
The other factional leader of the NLC Joe Ajaero who held his own May Day rally in Lagos said It is a shame that we have continued to import petroleum products. It is also a shame that we have also privatised it so that the products have become inaccessible to majority of the citizens, causing serious distortions to our economic processes.
Fuel scarcity has persisted far longer than ever, foisting on our people the most horrendous of sufferings ever meted out to them by any ruling elite in our nations history.
This has driven the prices of staples far above the reach of the ordinary people. Bread has gone up by 25%; Garri from N300 per paint bucket to N500; rice from N8,000 to N15,000; Milk and Chocolate beverages by about 50% while toiletries and other home products have all skyrocketed beyond the reach of workers and the masses.
As a nation, we cannot be seriously thinking of economic development, when we allow our domestic manufacturing capacity to continue to decline. We cannot move forward as a nation, when instead of producing more products internally, we allow the existing ones to fold up.
We cannot make progress when our tastes are heavily foreign. We cannot be talking of economic development when we continue to import petroleum products, allowing our local refineries to lie comatose. Has anybody imagined what would happen to the foreign exchange market and the pressure on the Naira if we stop this national insanity of importing petroleum products and refine our products locally? Ajaero asked.
Incredible footage shows the moment a former Olympic wrestling champion took on SEVEN police officers trying to arrest him after being bloodied and pepper-sprayed.
Vyacheslav Oliynyk, who took home the gold for Ukraine in Atlantas 1996 Summer Olympics, was reportedly pulled over on suspicion of drink-driving in Kiev but argued with the officers.
A video released by officials appears to show him lunging towards one and then pushing him, only to be given a face full of pepper spray by a second.
Oliynyk later told local media:
Im partly guilty because I did not stop and I was ignoring the police.
But I am not a criminal. As far as I can see there will be a court hearing and they will punish me somehow because they always do.
However the fact that police let me go home on the same day shows I didnt do anything that bad.
Source:Dailymirror
A 19-year-old boy identified as Gafar Ayoola, who resided at 16, Bridge Road, Otto, Ebute Metta in Lagos Mainland, had been allegedly tortured to death while in detention at Denton Police Station, Lagos.
Vanguard gathered that Gafar Ayoola, who was a barber at Okoafo, Badagry Area, was arrested Friday morning by a policeman attached to Denton Divisional Police station, Oyingbo, on his way to board a cab to his work place. It was learned that when news of Gafars arrest got to his parents, they stormed the station demanding to know why he was arrested, but the policemen on duty denied having any suspect with that name in their custody.
According to his father, Sulaiman Ayoola, he was arrested by one of the officers at Denton police station named Taye.
When the news got to us, we went to the police station but the officers on duty lied that they did not see or know the reason behind Gafars arrest. However, this morning (Saturday) at the police station, one of the police officers was trying to pacify us by disclosing that Gafar was rushed to Dunik Hospital at Kano Street by Bola in Ebute Metta (East) where he breathed his last.
An Islamic scholar, Muhammed Ambali Obadina, has allegedly been killed by a soldier, who accused him of snatching his wife in Iberekodo area of Badagry, Lagos State.
The cleric before his murder was said to be in charge of the mosque in Iberekodo where he mainly taught Quran.
An elder brother to the cleric, Taiwo Obadina, told Lagos Metro: On the day of the incident, my brother had just left the mosque, when he went to Iya Bilikis shop that the two of them could go home together. Iya Biliki was preparing to go home, when the soldier came and asked about the guys who snatched his girlfriend but the woman quickly responded that nobody was in her shop, apart from Alfa.
The soldier was said to have enquired about Alfa and asked to see the Islamic scholar, who by then was not in front of the shop, where they were standing. Alfa came out of the shop only for the soldier to start slapping, kicking and punching him.
Iya Biliki ran to the neighbourhood to call residents to come and rescue Alfa but the soldier had taken him away, before they arrived. Not even the vigilante members on the area could rescue Alfa from the soldier.
Adewale Akinsanya, a cousin to the deceased also explained that it was already late in the night and people could not go to the barracks that night so they concluded that they would go and bail him the following day. When they got to the barracks, the army officials told them that there was nobody with such names in their custody and they even said that nobody was brought in there the previous night. It was later in the afternoon of the following day that they saw his body by the road side, not too far from the barracks.
Lagos Metro gathered that the army officials brought out some of their officers and Iya Biliki was able to identify the soldier, who perpetrated the act.
The matter was reported at Badagry police station and subsequently taken to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID).
The remains of the Islamic scholar was last week buried, after almost a month of trying to conduct an autopsy to ascertain the cause of his death.
Attempts to get Iya Biliki, the eyewitness by Lagos Metro were unsuccessful as she was said to have fled the neighbourhood, following persistent harassment by the alleged killer soldiers colleagues, for identifying the culprit.
Meanwhile, police at the SCID of the Lagos State Police Command confirmed the death of the deceased and added that investigations were on going.
A senior police officer from the SCID, who spoke with Lagos Metro under the condition of anonymity, said that the police were making the necessary documentation to arrest the suspect.
You know he is a soldier and we cannot just arrest him at the barracks like that. We want to write to the Army authority for them to hand over the suspect to us for prosecution, the policeman said.
Meanwhile the image maker in charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmos could not be reached as her mobile phone line was switched off as at the time of filing this report.
Source: Tribune
A man arrested by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command for being a major buyer of stolen mobile phones in Lagos, has confessed to have bought over 4,256 mobile phones from robbers, pickpockets and one chance gangs operating in the state. The suspect, Kazeem Bamidele, 42, who is the Second Vice Chairman of the National Union of Road and Transport Workers (NURTW), Ajegunle Unit, equally confessed to the RRS Intelligence Team that he has over 52 boys in Lagos State, who steal and sell clean phones to him constantly.
Kazeem, popularly known as Elewure in the social circle, was arrested , when the RRS Intelligence Team quizzed two stolen phones users in Kogi State in connection with abduction and robbery cases in Lagos State. The operatives had upon returning from a week long investigation to Port Harcourt, Enugu and Kogi State, swung into actions by arresting Elewure from his shop in Boundary Market, Ajegunle, after he was manipulated to have been the seller of two Blackberry Z10 phones and a CAT phone collected from victims of robbery and abduction incidences in the metropolis.
Kazeem said, I have over 52 boys who sell clean stolen mobile phones to me. On the average, I receive 38 clean phones in a week. I have been in the business for more than two years He also confessed that Boundary Market in Ajegunle, where I have office and shop, is where they sell the phones to me and that is where the buyers equally get them. I know they are stolen phones. Nearly every guy in Ajegunle is involved in this kind of runs. It is what they do to survive.
I was pushed into the business by family pressure. I have two wives and seven children. I have so many dependants. What I pay as school fees alone is staggering the suspect claimed. Bamidele also stated that I had too many problems in life. My mother gave birth to 13 children for my father. Though both of them are no more, only three of us are left. I am the breadwinner of the family.
The Nation.
On this day in 2010: Navy seized a Greek-flagged vessel carrying more than eighty (80) tons of stolen crude oil and arrested its crew in a crackdown on a multi-million dollar smuggling racket in Nigeria.
Also on this day in 2012: Nigerian soldiers killed one suspected Boko Haram militant during a pre-dawn raid in Kano over weekend attacks against church services that left around twenty (20) people dead.
David Joseph Webster was born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1945. He became involved in politics while studying at Rhodes University in Grahamstown in South Africa. He studied Anthropology at the University of Grahamstown and later went on to teach the subject at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits).
While studying at Rhodes University, Webster became involved in politics. He was active in the anti-apartheid movement, especially in the Detainees Parents Support Committee (DPSC). The aim of the committee was to support those who the apartheid government had detained without trial. Webster was gunned down outside his house by Ferdi Barnard on instruction of the Civil Cooperation Bureau, a government agency. In 1992, Wits University named a new hall of residence for students after him.
Equally on this day in 1995:President Nelson Mandela of South Africa addressed a May Day rally at Umlazi Stadium. He was escorted from the stadium in an armoured car when shots were fired from a hill. He warned that grants to KwaZulu-Natal may be stopped if it resisted government as Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi had threatened.
On this day in 1885: The Congo Free State was established by King Leopold II of Belgium.
Congo was a large region in central Africa that had been able to resist European penetration. It occupies most of the Congo River basin and was controlled by the Belgian King. The regions workers were ordered to use a small percentage of land that was not farmed as state property and the population could only sell its developed products. The Congolese were forced to meet quotas of rubber and ivory; when they failed to do so they were tortured and killed by the Belgium guards. Estimates of the number of people that were killed during the rule of Leopold range from 5 million to 22 million.
In 1908, the Belgian parliament eventually annexed the Congo, as a colony of Belgium to be run by state rather than the King. In 1960 the region gained its independence. It was renamed the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Quick! Name a log analysis service. If the first word that popped out of your mouth was Splunk, youre far from alone.
But Splunks success has spurred many others to up their log-analysis game, whether open source or commercial. Here is a slew of contenders that have a lot to offer sysadmins and devops folks alike, from services to open source stacks.
Elasticsearch (ELK stack)
The acronym LAMP is used to refer to the web stack that comprises Linux, the Apache HTTP web server, the MySQL database, and PHP (or Perl, or Python). Likewise, ELK is used to describe a log analysis stack built from Elasticsearch for search functionality, Logstash for data collection, and Kibana for data visualization. All are open source.
Elastic, the company behind the commercial development of the stack, provides all the pieces either as cloud services or as free, open source offerings with support subscriptions. Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana offer the best alternative to Splunk when used together, considering that Splunks strength is in searching and reporting as well as data collection.
Morning Cotton Weaker for New Week Barchart - 1 hour ago Cotton futures are heading into the new week with 20 to 60 point losses. Cotton futures traded in a wide 413 point range from +253 to -160 (Dec). At the close the front months were 32 to 173 points in... CTZ22 : 78.37 (-0.96%) CTH23 : 77.90 (-0.83%) CTK23 : 77.53 (-0.79%)
Monday Hog Market to Respond to Last Weeks Rally Barchart - 1 hour ago Lean hogs extended their rally into the weekend with another $0.20 to $2.10 gains in the front months. December was up the most on Friday, but is still a $1.40 discount to Feb. Through the week, December... HEZ22 : 87.725 (-1.57%) HEJ23 : 92.800 (-1.12%) KMZ22 : 98.000s (+1.16%)
Fridays CoF Report Gets Market Response Barchart - 1 hour ago Cattle added another 62 to 75 cents to the upside on Friday, with December printing a new life of contract high of $152.50. Dec gained a net $4.65 for the week. The weeks cash trade picked up on Thursday... LEV22 : 150.600 (+0.08%) LEZ22 : 153.075 (+0.43%) LEG23 : 155.975 (+0.29%) GFV22 : 175.375 (+0.06%) GFX22 : 179.200 (+0.48%)
Wheat Red Into New Week Barchart - 1 hour ago Wheats initially gapped higher out of the weekend, but overnight trading quickly closed the gap and hasnt looked back with morning losses of as much as 6 1/2 cents. CBT SRW futures ended the last trade... ZWZ22 : 839-4 (-1.32%) ZWH23 : 859-0 (-1.21%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.7408 (-1.43%) KEZ22 : 936-6 (-1.21%) KEPAWS.CM : 8.9420 (-1.28%) MWZ22 : 954-0 (-0.78%)
Double Digit Weakness for Soy Market Barchart - 1 hour ago Soybean futures are trading with double digit losses so far for the Monday session. Meal and soy oil futures are also weaker so far. The Friday session ended with soybean futures 3 1/4 to 4 cents higher... ZSX22 : 1374-6 (-1.49%) ZSPAUS.CM : 13.2990 (-1.51%) ZSF23 : 1384-0 (-1.46%) ZSH23 : 1392-4 (-1.36%)
Nickel Losses into Monday for Corn Barchart - 1 hour ago Corn prices are trading off their overnight lows into Mondays day session, but are still showing 5c losses into the new week of trading. Corn futures firmed up on Friday for a fractionally UNCH close... ZCZ22 : 679-6 (-0.66%) ZCPAUS.CM : 6.6893 (-0.66%) ZCH23 : 686-0 (-0.65%) ZCK23 : 685-4 (-0.62%)
Chart of the Day: Exxon Mobil - Great Buy Barchart - 1 hour ago The Chart of the Day belongs to the energy company Exxon Mobil (XOM) . I found the stock by sorting Barchart's All Time High list first by the most frequent number of new highs in the last month and having... XOM : 107.06 (+1.13%)
Healthcare tech giant Philips scraps 4,000 staff worldwide AP - Mon Oct 24, 4:24AM CDT THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) Dutch healthcare technology giant Philips is scrapping 4,000 staff worldwide amid the fallout from a recall of sleep apnea machines and economic headwinds, the company announced... $SPX : 3,784.93 (+0.86%) $DOWI : 31,356.83 (+0.88%) $IUXX : 11,338.69 (+0.25%)
Mexicos defense secretary, General Salvador Cienfuegos, recently made a public apology for the human rights abuses committed by soldiers in the countrys armed forces. The apology was a response to a YouTube video released last year showing federal police officers and soldiers torturing a woman by repeatedly placing a plastic bag over her head while threatening to kill her.
The problem with General Cienfuegos act of contrition is that he insisted the incident was isolated, perpetrated by a few bad eggs. Unfortunately, this case was far from unique, as Human Rights Watch and other NGOs have documented. As Zeid Raad Al Hussein, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said, For a country that is not engaged in a conflict, the estimated figures are simply staggering: 151,233 people killed between December 2006 and August 2015, including thousands of transiting migrants. Thousands of women and girls are sexually assaulted, or become victims of the crime of femicide. And hardly anyone is convicted for the above crimes.
Given this horrifying situation, it's good to know that some funders are paying attention to Mexicos widespread human rights abuses. Four big ones that spring to mind are the Hewlett, Ford, and Open Society Foundations, as well as the Sigrid Rausing Trust.
In recent years, Ford has been a big backer of various human rights efforts in Mexico, often those related to gender equity. OSF has made grants to the Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights, among other grantees.
Hewlett has a footprint in this space through its funding to advance government transparency and accountability, with an eye on defending the rights of vulnerable populations. (Hewlett also funds on gender issues.) The foundation has a long history of working in Mexico, although it closed its office there in 2014. Examples of its grantmaking include a recently awarded grant of $230,000 to Article 19 Mexico and Central America. That organization works to advance freedom of expression, access to information, and improved human rights.
Another notable funder in this space is the U.K.-based Sigrid Rausing Trust, which names defending human rights in all of its forms as a top priority in its grantmaking. The trust also has a long history of supporting groups fighting for the rights of Mexicos marginalized populations with a particular emphasis on womens rights. Recent examples of related grants include a 35,000 award to the Center for Womens Rights in support of its work defending victims of gender-based violence and enforced disappearances; and a 250,000 grant to Information Group on Reproductive Choice for its work advocating for reproductive rights, with an emphasis on abortion rights, within a human rights framework.
These funders are all heavy hitters in the international rights field. But when it comes to Mexico, small funders are also doing some pretty heavy lifting in the human rights space. Heres a quick look at some small, but powerful funders fighting for rights in Mexico:
Angelica Foundation
Suzanne Gollin, co-founder of the Angelica Foundation, spent a lot of time in Mexico as a child. Main areas of grantmaking interest, here, include the promotion of democracy, increased transparency, womens rights, indigenous peoples rights, drug policy reform, and advanc[ing] humane immigration and economic policies. Angelica has also partnered with Sigrid Rausing Trust for human rights programs and projects in Mexico and around the globe.
Peace Development Foundation
The Peace and Development Foundation works to address the social, environmental and economic causes of injustice. PDF's Community Organization grants program funds organizations in the U.S., Haiti and Mexico, focusing on building local movements that are advancing social change by exploring the root causes of injustice and connecting local rights and justice issues with the larger need for systematic change.
General Service Foundation
The General Service Foundation has been around since the mid-1940s, and throughout the decades, it has evolved its grantmaking priorities to reflect the most pervasive social problems of the times. The foundations international rights grantmaking is squarely focused on Mexico. GSF support is largely directed to labor and economic rights groups, many of which, the foundation claims, are led by women who break cultural barriers by stepping into public roles. Grants are awarded through its Human Rights & Economic Justice program, which also cuts checks to both Mexico and U.S.-based rights groups.
***
There are other funders that also care about Mexico's human rights situation, but this still is not a very long list. You would think more American foundations would be tuned in to Mexico, given its importance to the United States.
See more articles by Sue-Lynn Moses.
An active philanthropic couple made one of the largest gifts in recent years toward neuroscience research, a field increasingly known for drawing massive contributions. Here are a few important takeaways.
Joan and Sanford Weill, the latter being former CEO of Citigroup, just made a $185 million commitment to the University of California-San Francisco to establish the new Weill Institute for Neurosciences. Its the largest gift UCSF has ever received, and while not the largest the couple has made in a long run of donations to various educational, medical, and arts causes, it does tip their philanthropy past the $1 billion mark.
A while back, we named Sandy Weill one of the most generous leaders of the financial sector, noting that he and Joan were parting with big chunks of their wealth through aggressive "giving while living." This latest gift further underscores that fact, and it brings the Weill's impressive philanthropy back into proper focus after last year's debacle of a cancelled naming gift to Paul Smith College.
Related:
In some ways, this big neuroscience gift is your run-of-the-mill gigantic research institution grant, but there are some interesting dynamics at play. Let's take a look.
Its just the latest in a scorching hot field
It says something about a field's philanthropic popularity when $185 million can get lost in a salvo of comparable donations, as is the case with funding for neuroscience and neurological disorders. Within the past 10 years or so, weve seen some huge influxes of cash from private sources toward the field.
Paul Allen has made brain science his signature issue (although his interests are ever-diversifying) with total giving hitting $500 million, plus additional funds for Alzheimer's research. Big science funders like the Kavli Institute and Simons Foundation have stepped up funding efforts for brain research. And if you widen the scope to research on mental disorders in general, youre looking at billions given just in recent years, including Ted Stanleys $650 million commitment to psychiatric illness.
Related:
This is due to a combination of factors. For one, the field is booming right now, with brain scanning, microscopy, data analysis, imaging, and genomics advances yielding deeper understanding of the brain. Theres also federal momentum like President Obamas BRAIN Initiative, although on the flipside, NIH cuts have prompted private investments as Band-Aids. Many people are passionate about the topic, some of whom happen to be billionaires.
Once again, the gift is highly personal
Its not always the case, but very often, we see these mammoth gifts motivated by personal experience. It seems to be especially the case when it comes to brain science. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates neurological disorders like Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and autism spectrum disorders strike 50 million Americans a year.
Watching someone experience any serious disease is painful, but when someone you care about suffers from some of these neurological disorders such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons, it can be particularly personal and brutal. While some criticize philanthropy steered by emotion, it plays an undeniable role in delivering surges of much-needed funding.
Paul Allens mother suffered from Alzheimzers, Ted and Vada Stanleys son has bipolar disorder. And Sandy Weills's mother also had Alzheimers. Additionally, his father had severe depression, and one of his best friends committed suicide. Sandy Weill is now 83, and the couple have seen friends battle Parkinsons and ALS. That particular combination of life experiences also uniquely influenced this gift.
Its about breaking down boundaries
Another common thread we see in big university research grants is efforts to unite separate disciplines. Its been a hallmark of grants to areas like biomedical research and data science, for example, with donors collaborating with university leadership to create a setting for creative collaboration. The research topics and neurological issues mentioned above are related, but they dont always live under the same roof when it comes to how they are studied.
Related:There's Moore Where That Came From: A Donor's Vast Giving to a Top Science School
In the case of the UCSF grant, the couple was interested in bridging psychiatry and neurosciencethe former being rooted in study and treatment of disorders, the latter traditionally basic research of nervous system biology. The Weills particularly wanted to bring psychiatry and neuroscience under one roof, in hopes of removing the stigma associated with mental disorders and recasting them as diseases of the brain.
But there are tangible research benefits. For one, the center aims to unify research and patient care, by supporting both labs and patient clinics. Also, the more we learn about the brain, the blurrier the lines between fields get, and the more hope there is for turning neuroscience advances into patient treatmentsomething that has been slow to develop. Those involved in the future center hope to see more interaction between different the arenas.
See more articles by Tate Williams.
The Voice of America and the Kigali-based digital media company Hooza have signed an agreement making VOAs VOA60 Afurika program in Kinyarwanda available to mobile subscribers on the MTN Rwanda and Airtel Rwanda networks.
Increasingly, people are using their mobile phones to access information that is important to them, said VOA Africa Division Director Negussie Mengesha. We are happy to partner with Hooza to give the people of Rwanda the ability to stay abreast of the latest news.
The 60-second daily news roundup in Kinyarwanda, produced by VOAs Central Africa Service, will be available to smart and feature phone users by sending the keyword VOA to 2656. Subscribers will receive an SMS alert when new content is added, and when breaking news occurs. Subscribers also will have access to archived content and can engage with the service by leaving comments on the programs they hear.
Since 1996, VOAs Central Africa Service has been the only international source of news and information in Kirundi and Kinyarwanda for Rwanda, Burundi, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Southern Uganda and Northwest Tanzania. VOA broadcasts have a 36 percent audience share in Rwanda. VOA60 Afurika also is available on the services mobile site and social media.
Hooza, Ltd. is a media service provider, and a digital media and communications consultancy. The firm has more than a decade of experience in broadcast programming and management, with expertise in social development, finance, economics and peace building in Africas Great Lakes Region and the East Africa Community.
Hoozas mission is to offer innovative media services and a unique communications expertise. The company can be reached at: 250-788-537-894, info@hooza.rw and www.hooza.rw.
The Voice of America reaches a global weekly audience of more than 187 million people in more than 40 languages. VOA programs are delivered on satellite, cable, shortwave, FM, medium wave, streaming audio and video, and more than 2,350 media outlets worldwide. VOA is funded by the U.S. Congress through the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
Since taking the reins as chief investment officer in 2009, Mark Burbach has run the Amstelveen, Netherlandsbased fund manager like a laboratory, with the daring and calculation of a good scientist. Blue Sky Group, which started out managing airline KLMs pension fund, now oversees $19.3 billion for six Dutch pensions and one U.K. plan, with pooled vehicles doing everything from asset-liability management to aiming for real return targets. It looks like we have an all-weather portfolio, but it certainly goes into more-innovative areas, says Burbach, 43.
With some 55 percent of Blue Skys assets in fixed income, finding yield requires creativity these days. In 2014, Dutch insurer Aegon and Achmea Investment Management made Burbach an offer he couldnt refuse: funds containing Dutch mortgages offering spreads of 180 to 250 basis points over swap rates, an opportunity created by bank deleveraging. Burbach allocated 4 percent of assets to the mortgage funds. A mortgage should have a bondlike structure, but since we have to mark to market with nominal rates and nominal rates have decreased a lot, we see huge gains while we know there is a constant rental income every month, he explains.
In 2012, Blue Sky ventured into private equity, which now accounts for up to 10 percent of the equity allocation for most clients. The firm invested more than $100 million with Hong Kong private equity firm Asia Alternatives Management, which was an early investor in Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi and took a small pre-IPO position in e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding. Those were little successes, but they help, says Burbach. Blue Sky keeps about 35 percent of its total portfolio in equities, with smart-beta approaches like low-volatility indexes making up a fifth of the equity allocation. They actually enhance the risk profile both in an ALM context and in an absolute-return context, Burbach says. The final 10 percent of total assets are tied up in real estate. Under Burbachs leadership Blue Sky has adopted a core-satellite model in which the core real estate portfolio aims to generate stable cash flow from rental income while the remainder seeks private equitylike returns.
The 7.6 billion Pensioenfonds KLM, which uses a blended approach representative of Blue Skys aggregate portfolio, had annualized returns of 7.2 percent from 2011 through 2015. Returns like that let Burbachs 50-strong asset management team continue to innovate. Were allowed to deviate from the beaten path as long as we prove it helps make their goals, he says.
Return to Europes Money Masters of 2016.
2016 European Money Masters
As an investment consultant in Towers Watson & Co.s Dublin office, Paul Droop spent eight years telling Irish pension plans what they should do with their money. Since June 2011 hes been putting his ideas into practice at Bank of Irelands 5.3 billion ($6 billion) pension fund.
Droop has taken a risk factorbased approach to diversifying the funds exposures. The aim, he says, is to build a portfolio that is resilient to as many possible things that could happen in the world. To that end, he has tilted the funds 17 percent credit allocation from core Europe to global mandates, grown private equity to 4 percent (with a target of 5 percent) and moved into such new asset classes as loans, infrastructure and reinsurance, including catastrophe bonds. We can feel pretty confident about the resilience of those in the face of a market sell-off of equities, he explains. Another new area is secured income assets, which for Bank of Ireland means a 5 percent allocation to long-lease real estate, which Droop sees as an attractive alternative to bonds. The fund has an additional 10 percent invested in real estate both listed and private and infrastructure.
An Australia native, Droop, 51, earned a bachelors in economics from Macquarie University and an MSc from University of Londons Birkbeck college. He worked as an economist at the old County NatWest and at InterContinental Hotels Group before moving into the pension business.
Bank of Ireland aims to fully de-risk its pension by 2040. That means evolving into a fully liability-matched portfolio, up from 35 percent today. Droop says the banks so-called Journey Plan seeks to generate strong returns now with an eclectic and opportunistic approach: How would I build a portfolio if I couldnt make any assumptions?
Return to Europes Money Masters of 2016.
2016 European Money Masters
Private equity firms have typically framed themselves as investment vehicles rather than as actual business managers. But in March, Judge Douglas Woodlock of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts upended that idea. In a ruling on the Sun Capital Partners III, LP, Sun Capital Partners III QP, LP, and Sun Capital Partners IV, LP, v. New England Teamsters and Trucking Industry Pension Fund case, Judge Woodlock found that a private equity firm met the test for being considered a trade or business.
This decision, which leaves Sun Capital Partners on the hook for retiree pensions at one of its portfolio companies, makes general partners liable for such businesses in many of the same ways that CEOs are. It could also have an impact on pension plans at other private equity firmowned companies.
Sun Capital had no comment on the ruling. The Boca Raton, Floridabased company has been fighting in court since 2013 to avoid paying pension liabilities at Scott Brass, a Rhode Island metals manufacturer. Jerome Schlichter, a founding managing partner at the St. Louis law firm Schlichter Bogard & Denton who represents unions in employment benefits cases, says other pensioners could use the case as a model for their own claims.
The lesson we should learn from this case is that the court isnt just looking at the form of a private equity transaction, Schlichter notes. Theyre looking at the substance of that deal.
To determine who controls a portfolio company, a judge looks at both ownership and who is active in the business; the latter depends on how the deal and the company are structured. Private equity firms have avoided the appearance of being active in portfolio companies by leaving the CEO in place or installing a new one more aligned to the general partners interests. But federal ERISA legislation includes the so-called investment-plus standard: Even if a private equity firm relies on traditional investment fund structures, when it comes to control the court will consider which party is most active, regardless of the structure.
When $9.1 billion Sun Capital bought Scott Brass in 2006, the metals maker was required to contribute to the New England Teamsters & Trucking Industry Pension Fund, but it stopped doing so in 2008, triggering a withdrawal liability under federal retirement rules. The Teamsters argued that, as the companys owner, Sun Capital should cover the pension payments.
In 2013 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit sided with the union, holding that a private equity firm can be liable as a trade or business for the withdrawal liability of its portfolio company if any of its funds received economic benefits from their investment. The case has been on appeal since then. In March, Judge Woodlock said that the way Sun Capital structured the Scott Brass transaction made it a partnership in fact, which meets the investment-plus test for active control.
The basic structure of the investment is common in private equity: Sun Capital spread it across two funds and used a holding company to make the purchase. Beyond the acquisition Sun Capitals funds offset the management fees that they owed to the holding company by taking other fees from Scott Brass. Given that two funds joined forces to look for deals and set up fee offsets, the structure met the investment-plus test, the judge ruled.
Because of the possible application of common control principles, direct investors investing together need to be mindful of how they are organized and operate, says Ronald Richman, a New Yorkbased partner and co-head of the employment and employee benefits group at law firm Schulte Roth & Zabel. Common control principles are a legal standard by which courts determine who really owns and controls an entity. GPs should consider all of the implications here, Richman concludes.
One major consequence could be a drop in valuations, according to David Fann, president and CEO of TorreyCove Capital Partners, a San Diego, Californiabased private equity consulting firm. When private equity firms look at potential portfolio companies, any pension liability could now be reflected on the balance sheet as a cash flow risk, Fann says. I think deal teams have to consider the risks here, but so do investors, he warns. If the valuation is lower, that will impact returns.
The notion that private equity is purely an investment gets harder to support as general partners create internal consulting outfits and advisory groups and become organizations that are in the business of buying and selling companies, Richman observes. It is definitely possible that other courts will use the investment-plus test, or even a more rigorous test, to find that private equity firms are trades or businesses, he says, adding that he wouldnt be surprised to see more such cases, especially in industries under financial stress.
Attorney Schlichter agrees: When private equity comes into a distressed company, the active role required of private equity in a turnaround makes it that much easier for the court to say, This is a business, he notes.
The Sun Capital ruling also paves the way for a player like the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. to become more aggressive in targeting private equity owners for unpaid pension insurance premiums; likewise, it could help the PBGC to determine who should pay pension liabilities if a general partner has struck a deal similar to the Scott Brass purchase. If the Internal Revenue Service adopts the courts view of private equity, it might change how carried interest is treated in the tax code, which could have material implications for firms and their investors.
Broadly speaking, private equity firms market themselves as active investors, TorreyCoves Fann explains. But many of the investment standards in these rules treat investments as purely passive vehicles, so there is a tension there, he says of ERISA and other legislation, predicting that it will get tougher for firms to claim a passive role. Its a symptom of a maturing industry, and the industry may have to change.
For many investors, 2016 got off to a rocky start, with the sell-off that started last summer extending into February. Small-cap stocks were one of the few bright spots. After largely underwhelming performance for the past couple of years, U.S. small-cap funds used the drawdown to load up on cheap equities and ride them through the rally that started in March. Thats made the asset class one of the top performers in recent weeks.
Cycles like this, in which small-caps outperform in challenging conditions, show why theyre a core part of institutional portfolios, but are they right for individual investors? In a volatile and low-growth market, wealth managers may want to take a closer look.
Neumeier Poma Investment Counsel, a $635 million registered investment adviser based in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, deals exclusively in small-cap stocks. The sell-off created a lot of opportunities for us in terms of adding to our positions, says partner and portfolio manager Brian Poma. In many cases, investors were selling as part of a macroeconomic panic and not because of fundamentals, Poma contends.
According to regulatory filings, Neumeier Poma has a wide-ranging U.S. small-cap portfolio that includes names like St. Louisheadquartered retailer Build-A-Bear Workshop and Kenosha, Wisconsinbased toolmaker Snap-on. Last year the firms small-cap strategy gained 5.61 percent, versus 2.88 percent for its benchmark, the Russell 2000 index.
Pomas call that the sell-off wasnt driven by fundamentals turned out to be right: U.S. small-cap funds have largely turned positive for the year, whereas other asset classes remain flat. The S&P SmallCap 600 index is up from its February low, too, by 19.4 percent through April 29, versus 14.1 percent for the S&P 500. The S&P SmallCap 600 is also handily beating its performance for the first four months of 2015, when it was down about 1.8 percent.
The rest of the world is paying attention. In a recent global survey of 100 investment managers by Chicago-based Northern Trust Corp., respondents were bullish on U.S. small-cap stocks as an asset class, ranking them third in 14 categories for the first quarter of 2016, one notch above U.S. large-cap equities.
Still, small-cap stocks are known for being highly volatile, even when there isnt a major sell-off. That unpredictability and concerns about other risks, like poor governance or investing in young, untested companies, have kept more conservative retail investors away. Meanwhile, thin analyst coverage of small companies makes it tough for wealth managers to gather information beyond the pitches they get from small-cap funds.
But David Adams, Boston-based principal and coportfolio manager for small- and midcap at Aristotle Capital Management, thinks those worries may go too far. The risk in small-cap is probably overstated, explains Adams, whose Los Angelesbased RIA manages $11 billion in assets. Not all of these companies are mom-and-pops. Many are well established. Aristotle owns several such stocks, including Atlanta-based childrens clothing maker Carters and delivery service 1-800-Flowers.Com, headquartered in Carle Place, New York.
The U.S. small-cap market has consolidated over the past few years as performance waned, Adams says. Many of the riskier names folded, leaving those companies that were strong enough to weather the recent rough patch.
Small-cap companies can offer other benefits. More often than not, theyre tied to local economies, have relatively simple business models and lack the big asset flow swings that come from being included in several exchange-traded funds, as many large-cap stocks are.
Youre investing in a local store or a local industrial operation, and often local economies are much more stable, says Reid Galas, portfolio manager of the international small-cap strategy at Boston-based, $22.8 billion GW&K Investment Management. Walmarts size, for example, means theyre only going to do as well as the retail sector as a whole.
In Galass view, global exposure to small-cap stocks can benefit all types of portfolios in a low-growth environment. Right now, hes focused on Japan. Galas argues that although many investors view the country as an exporter and one plagued by a sluggish economy the small-cap story is more internal. Hes overweight Japanese small-cap consumer companies that have steady local demand. Consumer names drive much of Galass international small-cap universe, which comprises equities from 21 other countries, including Australia, Canada, China and Israel.
Small-cap can be a way to get what you actually want from global exposure, he contends. Many investors who allocate globally get tied up in emerging-markets debt or utilities or parts of the export economy, all of which are much more sensitive to changes in the market, Galas adds. If youre investing in a local company, the local consumer is always going to be there, he says. Youre investing in the middle class.
When it comes to investing in the U.S., managers like Michael Thomas, senior portfolio manager at $1 billion, San Franciscobased Falcon Point Capital, have taken a shine to the deep-value opportunities that have emerged in small-cap U.S. tech stocks. In that category, Thomas says theres a strong growth story for business services outfits like WageWorks, which provides employee health benefits services. Falcon Point holds the New Yorkbased company, whose stock closed at $53.86 on April 29, up 18.7 percent for the year. Small-cap industrials also rebounded in March and April as worries about a U.S. recession diminished, Thomas notes.
For investors who need growth, small-caps can be a consistent source, GW&Ks Galas says. I think investors are struggling with where to find yield, and were all going to have to think about asset management differently going forward, he observes. Small-cap names can be one of the growth drivers in a portfolio, if done well.
Aristotles Adams agrees. The key lesson for wealth managers is that small-caps can be uncorrelated to macroeconomic trends, leading to good performance even when other parts of the market are down, he explains. That can be a boon for portfolios in a rocky market. We think that small-cap should be part of the core equities holding, Adams says. We take a long-term view in terms of how we trade these stocks.
This content is from: Culture
People investing in ESG funds want their money to have an impact. They just dont have a way to ask for that information, says Jason Saul of the Center for Impact Sciences.
A widely known and well respected member of the Australian insurance industry has announced he is bowing out after nearly half a century in the business.Accident and Health General Manager Kevin Kinsella will be retiring, effective June 30.The industry veteran, who started out in the accounts department at Royal Insurance Group in the 1960s and worked his way up the corporate ladder from there, said it was time to hand over the reins to the younger generation of industry professionals.The Australian insurance industry has been very good to me over the years and while I am sad to be leaving, I am thrilled the industry is in such safe hands, he said.He said the biggest challenge for the industry over the next few years was its ability to digitally transform but he felt this was already being tackled head on. AHI for example, in the past year has launched its own app and we just launched TeleHealth, an online doctor service for its policy holders, he said.After various roles as operations manager at Royal Insurance, General Manager at GIO and Managing Director at Gerling Insurance in the 1990s, Kinsella joined AHI in 2004 as General Manager and helped grow the business across Australia.AHI CEO Peter Banks said Kevin was well known for his razor-sharp wit and great sense of humour and will be greatly missed by the AHI staff.A regular MC at AHI and industry events, he would often have the audience in stitches, Banks said.But underneath all of that you have an experienced professional who has a strong belief in the power of building relationships in the insurance industry.He has mentored countless staff at AHI, from young recruits right up to AHIs management. The result has been positive, with a large portion of staff being with the company for more than a decade.Banks said Kinsella always encouraged his staff to go the extra mile to underwrite risk, if it made strong business sense.Our reputation as a fearless can-do company has a lot to do with his management over the past decade, Banks said.
The states building consulting industry says South Australias domestic building insurance scheme desperately needs fixing.The Association of Building Consultants believes the scheme is struggling to stay feasible and urgently needs revising in order to address deficiencies in consumer protection.ABC spokesperson Chris Short said the states domestic building insurance scheme is struggling under the weight of growing insolvencies as well as gaps in the insurance pool.He puts this down to exemptions from the scheme for public housing and high-rise residential building in addition to property owners who work under an owner builder not being obligated to carry insurance in order to indemnify subsequent purchasers of the property in respect to defects relating to the work they perform.He wants these exemptions removed and owner builders to be treated the same as licensed builders in this respect.Short also said that maximum pay-outs under the scheme need to increase from $80,000 to $200,000, while consumer protection outside of matters relating to insurance should also be improved by extending the regime of certificate of compliance beyond electrical, gas and plumbing to cover other trade contractors.He also wants a licensing regime for building consultants to be introduced.Weve got some fairly big holes in terms to the premium pool its just simply not big enough, he told Sourceable.That coupled with a spate of builder insolvencies which we have had in recent years has seen private insurances decide that it wasnt worth their while and that its just become non-viable for them.He said while its not quite a perfect storm there are still some escape holes in the net, such as some owner builders escaping it completely. Added to that is a declining housing market and a number of builders having gone into liquidation.All of those things collectively serve to reduce the premium pool and it takes away the attraction for private insurers, he said.If high-rise apartments and public housing and owner buildings were all roped into the scheme, it would increase the premium pool.
Brokerage has established ambition to grow further in the aerospace sector
The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that it does not have jurisdiction in a case brought by an injured nurse that challenged the constitutionality of the entire Florida Workers Compensation system.
In the case of Stahl v. Hialeah Hospital, the Court said After further consideration and hearing oral argument in this case, we have determined that we should exercise our discretion and discharge jurisdiction. Accordingly, we dismiss review.
On April 6, 2016, Mark Zientz, the attorney for injured worker Daniel Stahl, argued before the court that since the law was first enacted, the legislature has so eroded the available benefits that the law no longer passes constitutional muster. Things have gotten so bad, according to Zientz, that the present law no longer represents the fair exchange intended by the original grand bargain in which workers gave up their right to sue in civil court in exchange for guaranteed benefits.
But judging by the questions asked during oral argument by Justices Barbara Pariente, Peggy Quince and James Perry and to a lesser extent by Justice Fred Lewis the Supreme Court seemed to be struggling with whether the court should be hearing the case at all. The Court seemed receptive to the arguments made by their former colleague and current attorney for the defendants, Kenneth Bell, who served on the Court from 2003 through 2008.
As the attorney for the employer (Hialeah Hospital) and their insurance company (Sedgewick Claims Management Services), Bell raised a procedural defense highlighting the legal path the Stahl case took to get before the Court. Bell argued that the only route to challenge the entire statute (a facial challenge, as opposed to an as applied challenge) was to seek a declaratory judgment in circuit court.
In support of his argument, Bell noted that the Stahl case was on appeal from a lower administrative judge, and the record for review was only about 20 pages. Bell argued that Stahls challenge could only have been made in circuit court. He also maintained that it would be improper for the Court to rule on the constitutionality of such a significant legislative scheme on the basis of such a minimal record.
In addition, Bell argued that the 2003 amendments to Floridas Workers Compensations scheme were enacted in response to an insurance crisis in the State of Florida at a time when premiums were the highest in the country. He said there was no evidence that the legislature had acted arbitrarily, capriciously or without a reasonable basis.
On behalf of the injured worker, Zientz argued that the exclusivity clause (a provision that prevents injured workers from bringing civil suits against their employers except in very limited situations) is no longer constitutionally permissible because of cumulative reduction in medical and indemnity benefits.
Zientz argued that the system has been so diluted over time that workers were no longer getting a fair deal. Specifically, he said that the injured worker no longer has a right to full medical benefits and he pointed to the requirement that after an injured worker reached maximum medical improvement, he was required to make a $10.00 co-pay in order to see a doctor. He also noted that the system allows for apportionment (or carving out a portion of medical benefits related to preexisting conditions), although he conceded that his case did not involve a preexisting condition. The entire categories of wage loss benefits, he said, had been eliminated over the years.
Zientz comprehensive argument was dismissed by Bell as being a kitchen sink argument.
Nevertheless, several of the justices seemed to be sympathetic to the argument. Justice Pariente stated in her questioning that the inadequacies of the system had been pointed out before specifically mentioning the changes regarding attorneys fees and doctors being chosen by the insurance company and went on to conclude it looks like it has become a very meager amount of compensation for an injured worker . . . and its hard to deny that whats happened over the last 50 years has not been a diminution in workers compensation benefits.
The Stahl case is not the only workers compensation case currently pending before the Florida Supreme Court at this time. There are two other cases Castellanos v. Next Door Co., et. al, and Westphal v. City of St. Petersburg that involve constitutional challenges to the workers compensation law, although Stahl is the only one of the three which presents a challenge to the entire statute. The Florida Supreme Court heard Westphal in June of 2014 and Castellanos in November of that same year, yet no decision has been rendered on either case.
The workers compensation law was originally enacted in 1935 as part of the grand bargain in which injured workers gave up the right to civil lawsuits in exchange for a no fault system where they receive medical care and wage loss benefits with a goal of returning them to work.
In recent years, the Republican-dominated Legislature has focused on keeping insurance premiums down for businesses, while balancing cost-cutting measures with increased efficiencies and anti-fraud measures. Bell argued that the policy concerns raised by the Stahl case were more appropriately resolved by the Legislature, and not the Court. Four justices asked no questions whatsoever, which could indicate they agree with Bell on this point.
In his rebuttal, Zientz concluded This is an important issue. This is something that involves tens of thousands of people who are hurt every day, not hurt on the job, but hurt by the system. And this is the court that has to make that decision as to whether or not they continue to get hurt or on whether or not we can stop that.
Related:
Topics Florida Workers' Compensation
A growing number of insurance companies envision a large, robust insurance market for liability and property coverage associated with drone use. However, many insurers currently are proceeding with caution in light of uncertainty about how the drones will be used and regulated and the related risks they represent for owners and operators.
According to a white paper prepared by Assurex Global with insurance brokerage Shaw Sabey & Associates and managing general agent Plus Underwriting Managers, businesses and government entities relying on drones face potential liability exposures that may not be covered under standard commercial general liability (CGL) insurance policies. Meanwhile, insurance companies are becoming increasingly concerned about aviation risks the proliferation of drones represents.
Indeed, the potential property and liability exposures for drone operators range from theft of the drone and its related equipment to property damage and bodily injury caused by drones, as well as premises liability at sites used for scheduled flights, malicious damage, system hacking and contractual liability.
Insurers Cautious
According to Assurex Global, larger insurers operating in the U.S. generally have been reluctant to offer specific coverage for drones as they wait for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to finalize and implement the regulatory framework it proposed in 2015. In the interim, several specialty insurers, including many based outside the U.S., have begun offering liability insurance and other commercial coverages for drone-related risks.
The FAAs proposed regulations allow routine use of certain small unmanned aircraft systems in todays aviation system, while maintaining flexibility to accommodate future technological innovations. The proposed rules address such issues as height restrictions, operator certification and operational limits.
The final rules should be announced soon. Last June, a senior FAA official said the agency expects to finalize regulations within the next 12 months. The rule will be in place within a year, FAA Deputy Administrator Michael Whitaker said in testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Hopefully before June 17, 2016, he added.
The FAA has estimated that as many as 30,000 commercial and civil drones could be in the skies in the U.S. by 2020. The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) estimates that between 2015 and 2025, the drone industry will create 100,000 jobs and contribute $82 billion to the U.S. economy.
A 2015 Munich Re survey of risk managers found that the use of drones could become common practice for almost 40 percent of businesses in fewer than five years.
Insurance Market
Since last June, insurers have had ISO forms they can use to tailor drone coverage. The ISO options modify coverage under ISOs Commercial General Liability and Commercial Liability Umbrella/Excess programs. Six core options are available under each program (three optional exclusions and three limited-coverage endorsements) and can be used to address a number of potential exposures with respect to bodily injury, property damage, and other potential liability related to drones.
According to the Assurex Global paper, the market for drones might expand significantly early on and attract many new insurers; however, it could contract dramatically following any large losses. In the event of such a scenario, underwriters already specializing in aviation risk may have the most staying power on the basis of their experience with these types of exposures.
Last June global insurance broker Marsh said that insurance capacity for unmanned aircraft operations is plentiful as insurers seek to to secure an early foothold in the sector, while acknowledging that regulatory uncertainty remains the biggest obstacle to the market reaching its full potential.
Meanwhile insurers are doing what they can, according to John Hanslip, senior vice president, Marshs Aviation and Aerospace Practice. Insurers are using their extensive experience of manned aircraft to assess the risks associated with drones and are providing insurance coverage based on size, uses, and values of the aircraft, he said. :Traditional policies for manned aircraft are being brought up to date and many only need tweaks to be usable for drone technology and deployment.
Why Buy Insurance
As the commercial insurance market for drones evolves, businesses and government entities planning to use drones or to expand their deployment should assess their risks and evaluate available insurance coverage, said Jeffrey McCann, vice president, digital strategy for Shaw Sabey & Associates, a member of The Vertical Insurance Group.
The paper by Assurex Global, which is a partnership among commercial insurance, risk management and employee benefits brokerages, cites some reasons drone operators should purchase insurance:partnerships
Existing policy exclusions. Most insurance company commercial general liability (CGL) policies contain exclusions for aviation exposures, which are likely to apply to drones.
Most insurance company commercial general liability (CGL) policies contain exclusions for aviation exposures, which are likely to apply to drones. Contractual requirements. Business customers eventually may require liability insurance as a condition of doing business.
Business customers eventually may require liability insurance as a condition of doing business. Legal environment. The plaintiffs bar may be gearing up to bring suits against companies whose drones cause property damage or bodily injury.
The plaintiffs bar may be gearing up to bring suits against companies whose drones cause property damage or bodily injury. Reputation. Drone insurance signals prospective customers that the insured firm is professional, thorough and reputable.
The Assurex Global authors note that businesses applying for insurance coverage should be prepared to provide extensive details of their drone utilization, including: standard operating procedures; drone operators experience, training and certification; flight and maintenance logs; FAA approval or exemption from regulatory requirements for manned aircraft; flight conditions, including travel routes and times (day or night); and accident history.
Related
Topics Carriers USA Trends Legislation Aviation Property Market
Hackers are likely to get away with about $70 million of Bangladeshs foreign reserves after a brazen cyber-attack against the South Asian nation, according to Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith.
The Philippines where most of the funds ended up will probably recover as much as $10 million of the $81 million stolen in February from Bangladeshs account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Muhith said. The rest is hard to track, he said.
The way it has been lost, its very difficult to identify the beneficiaries, Muhith said by phone from Dhaka on Friday. It has gone largely into casinos and casino accounts.
The attempted theft of almost $1 billion has prompted central banks around the globe to review defenses against hackers looking to loot bountiful foreign reserve accounts. While the Fed blocked most of the transfers, about $81 million ended up in the Philippines. Another $20 million sent to a bank in Sri Lanka was returned.
The Philippines is investigating the heist. Muhith said Bangladesh is also conducting a probe, adding that definitely some of our people mustve been involved. He declined to disclose further details.
NY Fed
Muhith repeated criticism of the NY Feds handling of the money transfers, saying it allowed four transactions to go through without confirmation.
That way they become liable for that part of the fraud, Muhith said, referring to the NY Fed. There have been security lapses and the Federal Reserve cannot be excused for some blame in this trouble.
The Fed said last month that instructions to make the payments from the account of Bangladeshs central bank followed standard protocols and were authenticated by the SWIFT message system used by financial institutions.
Bangladeshs security systems are very vulnerable and consultants are working on improving defenses, Muhith said. A detailed report on the investigation will be completed in about six weeks, he said.
Bangladeshs foreign reserves climbed to a record $29 billion this year as a weaker yuan cut the cost of raw materials used in its garment industry. Exports are holding up despite the drop in global demand, Muhith said.
He called the crime a very unusual event, adding that the world hasnt seen anything like it in recent memory.
Its a large sum of money for Bangladesh, Muhith said. This is a very good warning, a signal to the world to take proper security measures in respect to money transfers.
Related:
Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
Topics Cyber New York
Several weeks ago I released an article questioning the need for the primary and noncontributory (PNC) requirement found in most construction contracts. I followed that article with a piece stating that the insurance industry should band together to save the little guy (the lower tier contractor).
Readers went crazy, both in the sites comments section and in personal emails to me. These posts and emails were on both sides of the issue for and against the requirement. The most passionate were those who felt I threatened their way of life (and the advice they give clients). A few acted as if I had kicked their dog or called their kid ugly it was very entertaining. To be fair, a few were very professional in their responses, which allows for open discussion and debate.
As I read the responses sent by those most vehemently opposed to the articles suggestion, it quickly became clear that they were blinded by anger, accusing me of all kinds of ills. I was accused of saying things I never said; improperly defining terms (and when they defined the term, it was the same as I had used); I was even accused of blasphemy OK, maybe Im being a bit facetious with this one. Suffice it to say, many who had a major issue didnt read the article in full or very closely before attacking.
However, as a result of those opposing responses, I did learn that there is some bad case law in various states that may actually make the primary and noncontributory requirement necessary. To those who pointed this out thank you. This information was given in a professional manner, free of attacks or accusations; in other words, they didnt take the article personally, but saw it as a chance to have a professional and adult dialogue.
Those who responded in favor of the article were just as passionate. Some responses went even further than the article and made some interesting points of their own. Some in favor and supportive of the articles goal even responded directly to the detractors. Again, this became quite entertaining.
So obviously we have folks on both sides of this issue. Both sides are very passionate about their personal belief. But is either willing to have a professional discussion without taking it personally? This is business after all.
During the recent unpleasantness, several points were made (in public responses and private responses) that were fascinating. The responses called into question the ethics, irony and ridiculousness of the primary and noncontributory contractual requirement.
The Ethics of Primary and Noncontributory Requirements
The Ethics of the Construction Contract
A contract is a formal, private agreement between two or more parties intent on accomplishing a specific task, purpose or goal. The Second Restatement of Contracts further defines a contract as a promise or set of promises for the breach of which the law gives a remedy, or the performance of which the law in some way recognizes as a duty.
Construction contracts are contracts of adhesion. The contract is created by the upper tier contractor and the lower tier rarely, if ever, has the opportunity to negotiate the terms and conditions of the contract. In short, the contract is offered to the lower tier on a take it or leave it basis.
Yes, the lower tier could walk away (leave it), but because of the ubiquity of the PNC requirement the lower tier would go bankrupt. Trade contractors are stuck, with no ability to say no. That is an abuse of power resulting from unequal bargaining positions which is unethical.
Although some try to assert the Doctrine of Reasonable Expectation to support the ethicalness of the use of primary and noncontributory requirement, this is a false claim. When first introduced, PNC was not reasonable or expected; only because the lower tiers and the insurance industry caved in did PNC become reasonable and expected.
(IMPORTANT SIDENOTE: Most construction contracts specify that the lower tier will show proof of complying with all insurance and contractual risk transfer requirements prior to beginning work. However, the reality of many (not all) construction projects is that the work is begun before the final contract is ever signed meaning the upper tier has violated its own contractual provisions. But even though the upper tier has ignored and violated its own contract, it still holds the lower tier to all the requirements and withholds payment until it does. Lower tiers are stuck. Again, an unethical use of power and maybe in some states a violation of law.)
Anti-indemnification Statutes and the Ethics of Primary and Noncontributory
Forty-one states have laws prohibiting the use of contractual wording that requires a lower tier contractor to indemnify another party for that partys negligence. Most of these states, 27 in fact, prohibit any contractual provision requiring the lower tier to indemnify the upper tier for ANY of the upper tiers own negligence. These are known as limited transfer states.
In limited transfer states, the upper tier cannot require the lower tier to pay for any part of a claim that results from the upper tiers own actions. Basically, the only indemnification allowed is the upper tiers vicarious liability for the actions of the lower tier. If the upper tier is partially or wholly at fault, it must pay for that cost itself.
The other 14 anti-indemnification states allow the upper tier to contractually require the lower tier to indemnify it (the transferor / upper tier) for actions the lower tier and the upper tier contribute to jointly. These are intermediate transfer states. In these states, the only liability that cannot be transferred to the lower tier is responsibility for the sole negligence of the upper tier.
In the nine remaining states, there are no specific anti-indemnification statutes, but case law may apply.
What does all this have to do with the ethics of the primary and noncontributory requirement? Im glad you asked. If the PNC requirement is artfully written, it may (or be an attempt to) circumvent statute.
Many anti-indemnification statutes include a phrase similar to this, This section shall not affect an insurance contract, workers compensation, or any other agreement issued by an insurer. Some assert (and some believe) this means a primary and noncontributory endorsement added by the insurer allows broader protection to the additional insured than is allowed in statute. Such interpretation is incorrect; this wording within these statutes applies to the contractual relationship between the insurer and its named insured only not to any additional insured.
Although legal standards are lower than ethical standards, the principle is the same. Any attempt to bypass statute is unethical even if pseudo legal.
Referring to Another Carrier/Agent and Ethics
Well, if your insurance carrier (or agent) wont or cant provide you with a primary and noncontributory endorsement, I will refer you to one who can. This is completely legal, but it is unethical.
This is the upper tier being nothing short of self-serving. They certainly dont do this for the benefit of the lower tier or the agent/carrier from whom they are recommending the business be moved.
The Irony of the Primary and Noncontributory Requirement
Some general contractors play both sides of the fence relative to insurance coverage. For small to mid-sized jobs, the upper tier wants everyone else to be responsible for and provide coverage on a primary and noncontributory basis. For large jobs, they want to provide coverage for everyone under one policy called a Controlled Insurance Program a CIP.
Its ironic, in one instance, they dont want to be responsible for anything. In another, the upper tier wants to be responsible for everything. Pick a side!
Well, you just dont understand the purpose and benefits of a controlled insurance program. OK, lets take a look. The stated purpose and benefits of a CIP include:
Uniform coverage and limits for all participants;
Allows the consolidation of insurance policies into one uniform program;
Allows for single-entity defense rather than the involvement of many lawyers and carriers;
The reduction in insurance costs because the costs are excluded from the lower tiers policies; and
The avoidance of cross claims.
So for smaller projects, the upper tier is obviously OK with variations in coverage (since the policy language isnt reviewed); the involvement of multiple lawyers in a large claim; and a higher bid cost (because the cost of required endorsements is included in the bid). Seems odd.
Why the two ends of the spectrum? I want to control all the coverage. No! Wait; I want you to provide all the coverage and protect me.
Isnt the PNC requirement the upper tiers attempt to control the coverage provided by the lower tier while shifting all the cost to the lower tier? And isnt the CIP the upper tiers desire to control all the coverage and lower the cost because its all paid for by them? How ironic.
Maybe there should be a primary and subragatory provision in the construction contract stating, We (the upper tier) shall provide coverage on a primary basis for all bodily injury and property damage that occurs while the project is ongoing and after project completion ending upon the expiration of the statutes of limitation and or repose. We wholly reserve and shall fully exercise the right to recover (subrogate) against the at fault party or parties, including the undersigned, causing or contributing to the bodily injury or property damage.
Such a provision accomplishes the same thing as a CIP except that it allows the upper tiers insurance carrier to subrogate against and recover from any lower tier that is at fault. There are several benefits to this approach: 1) every party pays for its responsibility; 2) the injured party gets paid quicker without having to wait through all the court battles; 3) only one carrier/lawyer is involved in the initial claim; and 4) no additional endorsements are required for the lower tiers policy making premiums lower and thus bid costs lower (theoretically).
Yes, every other contractual risk transfer provision except primary and noncontributory would still apply to the lower tier:
Indemnification requirements;
Hold harmless requirements (only for the injury or damage caused by the lower);
Waiver of subrogation requirements; and
Additional insured requirements (maybe).
The Ridiculousness of Primary and Noncontributory
An upper tier being willing to submit its defense and protection to a lower tier trade contractor seems the most ridiculous part of the primary and noncontributory requirement. It seems ridiculous that a large, multi-million (or billion) dollar general contractor would be comfortable with allowing a three-man electrical contractor, who is barely making ends meet, provide its defense and coverage seems rather strange.
The lower tiers attorney is working primarily for its named insured and secondarily for the additional insured. Further, once the limits are exhausted, the insurer walks away. If the primary and noncontributory provision is not self-limiting (limited to the amount of insurance carried), the lower tier could be on the hook for any amounts over the insurance limits (but likely cant pay).
Further, if the primary and noncontributory wording is not tied to the breadth of insurance protection provided, the lower tier could be on the hook personally. Does the upper tier really want to depend on this for its risk financing?
Transferring risk to one financially less capable of sustaining the loss is false security. Loss allocation, originally, was about assigning loss to the party either responsible for the loss or most capable of sustaining the loss. If an entity wants to better control the financing of its risks then it would want its own limits, be a named insured on its own policies and have primary representation by claims in the event of a loss. Relying on others to protect you is potentially dangerous.
A second area of ridiculousness is that few other industries seek to assign responsibility for damages up front. Most make each responsible party make the injured party whole to the level of their fault after the injury or damage has occurred.
Oh, but if we did this, there would be more court battles. Maybe initially, but then some attorney would figure out how to get rich by creating and gaining approval in every state an alternative dispute resolution program in the contract that would avoid the time and expense of a lawsuit. Besides, since there will be a primary and subrogatory provision in the contract, who cares the at fault partys insurance carrier will eventually pay.
The EndMaybe
As I said before, we cant end this conversation here (note I said conversation, not blind rage, unprofessional attacks). Just because weve been doing it that way for years, doesnt mean we should continue down that road.
Lets go!
Topics Carriers Contractors Construction
Consolidating separate legal entities loss experience to develop a common experience modification factor has the potential to cause confusion for the client and sometimes the agent. Clients may view such mixing of loss experience due simply to common majority ownership/interest as less than reasonable, especially if the commonly-owned entities substantially differ with regard to the relative hazard presented (i.e. the owners of a heavy equipment contracting company purchase a marina).
Combinability rules do not merely marry the experience of entities that are currently in operation and related via common majority ownership, they also assure that owners do not avoid their historically poor loss records simply by closing down one entity and reopening and operating under another corporate name. Most agents would agree that such a stunt is unethical at best and may be considered fraud. Changing the name of the operation does not change the operational methods of the owner(s).
Understanding combinability rules necessitate a basic understanding of the theory and practice behind the calculation of experience modification factors. Following is a brief synopsis of experience modification calculations.
Calculating Experience Modification Factors
Combinability rules do not merely marry the experience of entities that are currently in operation and related via common majority ownership.
Workers compensation loss costs are calculated and charged based on the average expected losses for that particular business classification. All insureds in the same hazard class (based on the assigned code) are charged the same basic loss cost (individual carriers apply conversion factors to these loss costs to develop individual rates). However, not all insureds within a particular hazard class operate in the same manner, nor does each experience the same losses. To adjust for these differences in operation and loss histories, a method had to be created allowing for premium and rate differentiation between the above average, average and below average insureds within any particular hazard class code.
Experience modification factors (experience mods) allow such customizing and individualization of the workers compensation premium. Basing the standard premium on the insureds unique loss history allows the classs average rates to remain relatively constant and the subject insured to be rewarded or punished based on its own experience (rather than be subject solely to the experience of the group).
Stop loss limits used as part of the experience mod calculation makes loss frequency weightier than loss severity. One large claim will not damage an experience mod factor as drastically as three small claims in a single period.
Calculating experience modification factors is far more complicated than presented in three short paragraphs. Modification calculations are a function of expected losses, actual losses, payrolls, class averages, loss limits (medical only versus medical plus indemnity) and formulary factors applied by NCCI (or the applicable rating bureau) to all such collected data.
Knowing and understanding that experience modification factor calculations allow for the reward or punishment of individual employers and allow one to more clearly view the need for loss experience combinability. Employers should not be freed of their premium responsibility simply due to legal structure. And rarely are majority-owned entities not interrelated such that employees work for multiple entities even though they appear to be operating for just one employer in the course and scope of their daily duties (combinability avoids some of the problems created by the borrowed servant doctrine).
A Case for Combinability Rules
Owners theoretically run each and every operation (past and present) in essentially the same manner and with the same attitudes. An employer that is concerned with safety and strives to provide the best equipment and training will likely always act the same with each entity. Likewise, employers looking for the easiest and cheapest way out will likely continue down the same path in the future. Combinability rules are, to some extent, based around the theories:
Employers that operate in the supposed best interest of their employees should have all their entities (current and future) rewarded due to such attitude. Commonly-owned operations will likely be managed in the same manner and the same care. Concern is expected to be shown for all employees (regardless of the hazard of the operation).
If an employer allows unsafe operations in one entity, it is reasonable to postulate that such attitude will carry over to the new entity and all commonly-owned entities (current and future). Employers not operating (or not appearing to operate) in the best interest of their employees should be subject to their past (or current) experience.
Past actions are not a guarantee of future actions, but they stand as a good indicator. To not reward or punish allows employers and owners to act with impunity, knowing that as long as no law is broken, all that is necessary to escape a poor loss history is to kill off of an old and birth a new corporation.
Combinability rules do not merely marry the experience of entities that are currently in operation and related via common majority ownership.
Without the ability to combine loss histories, workers compensation carriers would potentially be victims of inadequate premiums.
Similarly, average and above average risks would be victimized by higher premiums than necessary. The average loss cost balance would be tilted and all employers would likely see an increase in their rates rather than just the ones that earned the increase. Rate predictability and possibly rate adequacy may be compromised without combinability rules.
Granted, there are exceptions to every rule as is demonstrated by the employer that had a hiccup in its loss history not indicative of its past. Not every injury can be avoided, even with top-notch safety and training. Bad things sometimes just happen. This is why there is underwriting discretion and the availability of rate credits and debits. A historically above-average employer with a bad year or two in its experience modification calculation can have the debit mod negated by a rate credit.
Conversely, an average or below average employer that has been fortunate can be debited to account for the increased hazard presented to the insured. Employers that do not practice or refuse to comply with recommended safety practices, as reported by the loss control department, can see their rates increased by a debit factor in anticipation of the increased potential for employee injury.
Combinability Guidelines
Common majority interest is the basic rule of combinability. When the same person, group of persons or a corporation owns a majority interest in another entity, the owned entitys loss experience is combined with the owning entity to develop a common (combined) experience modification factor.
The combinability concept seems simple enough, however achieving common majority interest can be accomplished in one of several relational constructs:
The corporation owns a majority interest in other entities. When Corporation A (a legal person) owns a majority interest (this term will be defined in upcoming paragraphs) in Corporation B, the loss experience of both corporations is pooled to produce a single, combined experience modification factor;
When Corporation A (a legal person) owns a majority interest (this term will be defined in upcoming paragraphs) in Corporation B, the loss experience of both corporations is pooled to produce a single, combined experience modification factor; The businesss owner (natural person) individually or collectively maintains majority interest in more than one entity. If John holds majority interest in Corporation A and he individually gains majority interest in Corporation B, the two entities are combined for experience rating. However, if John has majority interest in only one of the two entities, they are not combinable (i.e. John maintains 75 percent interest in Corporation A but only 25 percent in Corporation B). To continue, assume that John and Joe combine to own majority interest in Corporation A and Corporation B; common majority ownership exists and the experience is combinable;
If John holds majority interest in Corporation A and he individually gains majority interest in Corporation B, the two entities are combined for experience rating. However, if John has majority interest in only one of the two entities, they are not combinable (i.e. John maintains 75 percent interest in Corporation A but only 25 percent in Corporation B). To continue, assume that John and Joe combine to own majority interest in Corporation A and Corporation B; common majority ownership exists and the experience is combinable; The corporation combines with some or all of its owners to hold a majority interest in another entity. Corporation A maintains 30 percent interest in Corporation B; John and Joe (100 percent owners of Corporation A) hold 25 percent of Corporation B. The combined ownership of the legal person and the natural persons result in common majority ownership (55 percent) of Corporation B making the two entities combinable; or
Corporation A maintains 30 percent interest in Corporation B; John and Joe (100 percent owners of Corporation A) hold 25 percent of Corporation B. The combined ownership of the legal person and the natural persons result in common majority ownership (55 percent) of Corporation B making the two entities combinable; or The business owns a majority interest in another entity which, itself, owns or owned a majority interest in a third entity currently operating or which operated in the past five years.
This is not an exhaustive list of relationships that can lead to combinability of loss experience, but it is a representation of the most common relationships. These guidelines are subject to NCCI and/or individual state rating bureau interpretations. Agents, brokers and carriers should use these descriptions only for informational purposes as final determination rests in these other advisory bodies.
Natural and Legal Persons
Common majority interest can be created when a single person or a group of persons combine to hold a majority interest in multiple entities. It matters little whether the owners of other entities are natural persons, legal persons or a combination. Nor does it matter how they combine to create common majority interest between or among two or more entities.
Legal persons are generally created by the actions and desires of natural persons. Some legal persons are owned by one or only a few natural persons (a small business) while some are owned by many shareholders (traded on the stock exchanges). Natural and legal persons are defined as follows:
Natural person: A flesh and blood human being. In workers compensation, the employer is a natural person(s) in sole proprietorships and partnerships. Managers and members of an LLC are viewed as natural persons in a majority of states making these persons the employers.
Legal person (a.k.a. juridical person): A legal fiction, a person created by statute and born with the filing of articles of incorporation. These legal persons are given the right to own property, sue and be sued. Corporations are legal persons, and several states consider LLCs a legal person.
Majority Interest
Majority interest is created when the same person or group of person(s) combine to own more than 50 percent of an entity. Majority interest can be created in many ways. NCCI lists the following:
An entity or persons (as detailed above) owns the majority of the voting stock of another entity; or
Both entities share a majority of the same owners (if there is no voting stock). Generally these are natural persons that own multiple entities.
If neither of the above applies, majority interest is created if a majority of the board is common between two or among several entities;
Participation of each general partner in the profits of the partnership (limited partners are excluded); or
When ownership interest is held by an entity as a fiduciary (excludes a debtor in possession, a trustee under an irrevocable trust or a franchisor).
Combinability Conclusion
Based on and applying the common majority interest rules, the possibility exists for more than one combination of commonly related entities. Deciding which combination of entities applies is based on the following two rules (presented in order of importance):
Which combination involves the most entities? If the above does not apply, the combination is based on the group that produces the largest estimated standard premium.
Regardless of how a group is created and combined, no entitys experience will be used more than once.
Finally, although separate entities may be combinable for experience modification calculation, this does not preclude each from having separate workers compensation policies. Separate legal entities are entitled (and really required) to be written on separate workers compensation policies. Combinability rules exist merely to assure that loss histories are not escaped by the creation of multiple legal entities or the closing of one and opening of a new one.
Topics Workers' Compensation Profit Loss Talent
An employee of a suburban Chicago furniture warehouse is facing federal arson charges for allegedly starting a fire that destroyed the building.
Ruben Ochoa Cruz is charged in the April 21 fire that destroyed The RoomPlace furniture warehouse in Woodridge. The 50 workers in the warehouse were able to escape without injury. No firefighters were injured by the blaze, which caused $70 million in damage.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives investigators said the 20-year-old Cruz had an argument with management over his attendance the day the fire broke out. After returning to his duties, Cruz then allegedly lit a piece of packing slip on fire and dropped it from a raised forklift.
It wasnt immediately known if Cruz, who is due in court May 4, has a lawyer.
Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A pair of California trucking company owners were arrested for cheating their workers compensation insurer out of millions of dollars.
Alvin Shin Chen, 54, and Fiona Xilin Chen, 46, both of La Canada Flintridge, Calif., were arrested this week at their home by detectives from the California Department of Insurance and charged with multiple felony counts, including workers comp insurance premium fraud for allegedly cheating their carrier.
The Chens, owners of Metro Worldwide Inc. and Pacific Coast Distribution, operate a trucking company in Long Beach and are accused of attempting to reduce their workers comp premiums by providing fraudulent information to their insurer regarding the number of their employees and what work those employees performed.
CDI detectives reportedly luncovered evidence indicating the Chens paid cash to employee truck drivers to avoid reporting them to the insurer and reduce their payroll tax obligation. Audits of the Chens records show they underreported their payroll by more than $4.7 million. As a result, the Chens allegedly cheated their insurer out of more than $1.6 million in workers comp premium.
Employers that cheat the system through premium fraud and tax evasion create an illegal marketplace advantage that costs Californias economy billions, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said in a statement.
The Chens were booked into the Century Station in Los Angeles and are held on $950,000 bail each. Arraignment is scheduled for April 29 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The Los Angeles District Attorney is prosecuting this case.
Topics Carriers California Workers' Compensation Trucking
The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that the states mandatory attorneys fee schedule for workers compensation cases is unconstitutional under both Floridas and the U.S. constitution as a violation of due process.
The states top court also declined to rule in another case challenging the very constitutionality of the states reformed workers compensation system.
The attorneys fee schedule ruling came in the case of Marvin Castellanos, an injured employee who sued his employer Next Door Co. and its insurer, Amerisure. The high court noted that the issue has been raised in as many as 18 lower court cases.
The Castellanos court ruling said that the schedule, passed in 2009, is invalid because it eliminates the right of a claimant to get a reasonable attorneys fee, a right it says is a critical feature of the workers compensation law. The court said the statute violates due process by installing an irrebuttable presumption that whatever fee the schedule comes up with is reasonable and by not providing any way for a claimant to refute the fee.
In the Castellanos case, the attorney fee calculated under the mandatory sliding scale turned out to be $1.53 per hour for 107.2 hours. The claimants attorney had sought a fee of $350 an hour.
The ruling upends a lower court ruling and a finding by a Judge of Compensation Claims (JCC) that both upheld the schedule and the fee in the case.
The high court said that while the Legislature has said it intends the workers compensation system to deliver benefits to injured workers efficiently and quickly, in reality the system has become increasingly complex to the detriment of the claimant, who depends on the assistance of a competent attorney to navigate the thicket.
The court said that it is undeniable that without the right to an attorney with a reasonable fee, the workers compensation law can no longer assure the quick and efficient delivery of disability and medical benefits to an injured worker.
The court said it found the irrebuttable presumption, or inability of any claimant to challenge the fee, and not the particular fee, to be unconstitutional.
Stahl Case
The Castellanos ruling came down the same day that the Florida Supreme Court changed its mind and decided it does not have jurisdiction in another closely-watched workers compensation case brought by an injured nurse. The court had earlier said it would rule in the Stahl case that challenged the constitutionality of the entire Florida workers compensation system. The plaintiff questioned whether the workers compensation system has provided an adequate alternative for injured workers since its major overhaul in 2003. More specifically, the case asked if the elimination of a type of partial disability benefits by lawmakers was legal.
In the case of Stahl v. Hialeah Hospital, the court today said simply, After further consideration and hearing oral argument in this case, we have determined that we should exercise our discretion and discharge jurisdiction. Accordingly, we dismiss review.
The high courts decision to pass on Stahl means the First District Court of Appeals opinion in this matter, which upheld other elements of the workers compensation law, stands, according to state officials.
Complete Frustration
In the Castellanos decision, the court said the right of an injured worker to recover a reasonable prevailing party attorneys fee has been a key feature of the states workers compensation law since 1941. Through the 2009 enactment of a mandatory fee schedule, however, the Legislature has created an irrebuttable presumption that every fee calculated in accordance with the fee schedule will be reasonable to compensate the attorney for his or her services, the court said. The $1.53 hourly rate in this case clearly demonstrates that not to be true.
The court said that it did not view the absolute limitation from the point of view of the attorneys rights because the attorney always has the option to refuse representation. Rather, it viewed the conclusive irrebuttable presumption in the context of the complete frustration of the entire workers compensation scheme designed to provide workers with full medical care and wage-loss payments for total or partial disability regardless of fault and without the delay and uncertainty of tort litigation.'
The high court remanded the case to the JCC for entry of a reasonable attorneys fee.
According to the Office of Insurance Regulation, until the legislature addresses this decision, attorney fees will be evaluated under the reasonable award standard articulated in the Murray v. Mariner Health decision.
Topics Florida Legislation Workers' Compensation
Anyone who has had embarrassing photos posted on social media or been deluged with angry messages can attest to the high emotional cost of cyber bullying. But there is also a cost in real dollars for some to clean up their online reputations, including legal fees, security measures and even counseling.
For the 40 percent of adult Internet users who are dealing with this issue, according to 2014 Pew Research Center data, and numerous school-age children, there is a new insurance policy to help mitigate the financial repercussions.
Chubb Ltd recently began offering optional cyber bullying coverage for its homeowners insurance clients. The coverage is included in the companys Family Protection policy, which costs around $70 a year. It covers up to $60,000 in compensation to clients and their families to pay for services including psychological counseling, lost salary and, in extreme cases, public relations assistance.
Its so hard to have complete control online, said Christie Alderman, vice president of client product and services, Chubb personal risk services. We do know that when it does occur it can be really devastating.
Nicole Prause, a neuroscientist from California, learned the costs of cyber bullying the hard way.
After publishing a 2013 peer-reviewed paper that suggested sex addiction is not a clinical diagnosis, Prause said she was subjected to online insults from people she believes oppose her work.
The abuse varied in scope, from repeated claims that she faked her data to comments about her appearance.
I had a TED Talk (posted online) and they just filled it with tranny comments, said Prause, who worked at the University of California-Los Angeles at the time the attacks began. They have definitely singled me out.
Prause filed a cease-and-desist order against her harassers, and said those persons are no longer allowed to contact her directly. But Prause said she spent around $5,000 to mitigate the damage over the years, hiring an attorney and someone to take screenshots of the abuse lobbed at her online.
Rich Matta, the chief executive officer of ReputationDefender (https://www.reputationdefender.com/), an online reputation management firm, says that the average consumer dealing with this problem can spend around a few thousand dollars a year to combat cyber bullying.
Its no surprise that remediation of cyber bullying is now insurable, Matta said, referencing the Chubb insurance policy.
But some feel that taking out an insurance policy against online harassment is going too far.
Sameer Hinduja, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center and a professor of criminal justice at Florida Atlantic University, said insurance for cyber bullying reinforces a victim mentality and is tapping (in to) the fear.
You can do a lot on your own to safeguard your reputation, Hinduja said.
Experts say it is important for consumers to be proactive in protecting their online reputation, by taking a few simple steps.
Here are a few tips to avoid the cyber bully trap:
Keep it private
Hinduja recommends setting social media profiles to private, to avoid writing posts that are too frequent and opinionated, and to block or mute accounts that go too far.
You are going to be a much better advocate for yourself, Hinduja said.
Be proactive about your childs online presence
While more schools are educating kids about cyber abuse, Matta said parents still need to monitor how their kids use social media. They need to establish some boundaries and rules around when its OK to use technology, he said.
Get help when you need it
For those who feel overwhelmed managing their online presence, resources like online ReputationDefender can offer a reprieve for a price. ReputationDefender typically charges private clients between $3,000 and $20,000 per year, while Reputation 911 (http://reputation911.com/) offers monthly packages for personal reputation management between $195 and $995.
(Editing by Beth Pinsker and Matthew Lewis)
Topics Cyber Chubb
Legislation that requires health insurers to cover the treatment of children with autism has received final legislative approval in the Oklahoma House.
The House voted 65-26 for House Bill 2962 and sent it to Gov. Mary Fallin for her signature.
The bill requires coverage for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder in children younger than 9 years old. Under the measure, children would have access to applied behavior analysis for up to 25 hours a week, with a limit of $25,000 a year.
Autism spectrum disorder affects how a person processes sensory information and their ability to interact and relate to others. Oklahoma is one of only seven states in the nation that does not require insurers to cover autism.
Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Topics Oklahoma
In less than an hour early on April 29, more than 7 inches of rain had accumulated at the water treatment plant in Palestine, Texas. The flash-flooding that occurred as a result is blamed for six fatalities.
Palestine Mayor Bob Herrington signed an emergency declaration on Saturday, saying that he had not seen so much water rise so fast in the 59 years hed lived there.
About 35 homes sustained major damage, businesses in the low-lying areas were flooded, and a railroad track was washed out, Palestine Police Spokesman Nate Smith said.
Lisa Asberry Davis said on Saturday that she and her three children waded to safety through water up to their chins after torrential rains in East Texas swamped a cul-de-sac of homes during the night and forced some residents onto rooftops.
Firefighters lifted them out of the water at a rescue point but Davis cousin and the womans four great-grandchildren who lived down the street in Palestine, Texas, didnt make it.
The bodies of Davis cousin, 64-year-old Lenda Asberry, and her great-grandchildren, 6-year-old Jamonicka Johnson; 7-year-old Von Anthony Johnson Jr.; 8-year-old Devonte Asberry and 9-year-old Venetia Asberry were found in the receding water. The bodies of two of the children were in the front yard of a residence near the street. Asberry and the two other children were found behind the neighborhood, Smith said.
Authorities found a sixth body later on Saturday, identified as 30-year-old Giovani Olivas of Palestine, who was swept under the flood waters. Autopsies were being performed on all six victims and results will be known Monday, Smith said.
The water got up here extraordinarily quickly. The individuals tried to get out, however, the water was already on the roof of the home, Palestine Police Department Capt. James Muniz said.
Merta White was waiting to be rescued from the roof of her house when she saw a bump in the water, the Palestine Herald-Press reported.
I thought it was a mailbox, but then I realized what it really was, and I started screaming, she said of seeing the body.
City officials used a dump truck to rescue a man from the roof of a home, Muniz said. One neighbor told authorities that he saw the family who were killed but lost sight of them as he waded through water.
The water came down the hill, Muniz said. The street was full of mud, so the water just came up. With the enormous amount of rain we had, we had people tell us that within minutes, the water was waist deep.
The Red Cross set up a makeshift shelter in Palestine, which is about 100 miles southeast of Dallas and home to about 18,000 residents. Between 20 and 30 people were displaced by the floods, according to Red Cross spokeswoman Anita Foster.
One person, a 30-year-old man, remained missing in rural Anderson County, Smith said.
When Davis spoke to AP, she was trying to salvage items from her damp, muddied home, and console her children, who went to the same school as Asberrys great-grandchildren. The two families attended church together.
Davis said Asberry had relocated to Palestine from Dallas several years ago.
She was just looking for a nice place to raise her kids, she said.
Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Topics Texas Flood
The Senate has approved a bill providing $40 million to South Carolina farmers devastated by last falls flooding.
Senators voted 33-3 Thursday on legislation allowing farmers in disaster-declared counties to apply for up to $100,000 in grants covering up to 20 percent of crop losses.
The amended bill returns to the House, which passed its version 95-6.
Agriculture officials say Octobers torrential rains wiped out $330 million worth of crops at harvest time. Farmers lost an additional $45 million because they couldnt plant winter crops in bogs.
Supporters say the bill aims to help family farms survive until the next harvest.
Gov. Nikki Haley has threatened to veto the bill, saying while she feels badly for farmers, she feels badly for small businesses too, and farmers shouldnt be treated differently.
Related:
Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Topics Flood Agribusiness Politics South Carolina
The mayor of Gulfport, Mississippi, has declared a state of emergency because of heavy rain and widespread flooding in the largest city on the states Gulf Coast.
Gulfport emergency managers say 5 to 12 inches of rain fell in the city during a thunderstorm Thursday. Mayor Billy Hewes says some storm drains were blocked and several roads were closed. City officials were assessing damage, and the number of flooded homes and businesses was not immediately available.
The area was under a flash flood warning most of Thursday, and police asked residents to stay home until water receded.
The National Weather Service says hail was reported in several locations along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, including parts of Gulfport and Ocean Springs. Half-dollar sized hail was reported in the St. Martin community.
Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Topics Flood Homeowners Mississippi
The Hawaii Legislature has approved a bill that will enable Hawaii drivers to show proof of insurance with their cellphone in a traffic stop.
House Bill 1705 will give consumers the choice to use a paper insurance card or use their smartphone to show proof of coverage.
The bill is now headed to the desk of the governor, and it has the support of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.
Today, people are using their smartphones to do more and more things electronically and this bill gives them the convenience of being able to use them to display their insurance card, Mark Sektnan, PCI vice president, said in a statement. They shop, bank and pay bills from their phone. They even use them to board airplanes. Yet in Hawaii, motorists are still required to carry a physical insurance identification card with them. The vast majority of states give motorists the choice to carry a paper identification card or use the electronic format and we are urging the governor to sign HB 1705, so drivers here will have that option.
House Bill 1705 is permissive, meaning it does not require anyone to use a particular format. Additionally, insurers are also not mandated to provide electronic proof of coverage. Under HB 1705, state officials viewing someones smartphone are prohibited from viewing any other information on the phone. This means a motorist does not give up his or her privacy simply by showing someone they have insurance.
If HB 1705 is signed by the governor, Hawaii will become the 46th state to enact legislation or regulations allowing electronic proof of coverage, according to PCI.
Topics Legislation
Panoramica privacy
Questo sito web utilizza i cookies per fornire all'utente la miglior esperienza di navigazione possibile. L'informazione dei cookie e memorizzata nel browser dell' utente, svolge funzioni di riconoscimento quando l' utente ritorna nel sito e permette di sapere quali sezioni del sito sono ritenute piu interessanti e utili.
Il regime di Bashar al Assad e responsabile dellattacco con gas Sarin compiuto lo scorso 4 aprile a Khan Sheikhun, villaggio della provincia di Idlib. Lo afferma il rapporto della Commissione Onu sui crimini in Siria, secondo cui il raid e stato compiuto da un aereo di fabbricazione russa utilizzato dalle forze militari del presidente siriano Bashar al Assad.
Nellattacco rimasero uccisi 84 civili, tra cui molti bambini. Nello stesso rapporto, si criticano gli Usa per non aver preso tutte le precauzioni necessarie per proteggere i civili nel raid contro una moschea di Aleppo lo scorso marzo.
Il jaccuse dellOnu contro Damasco arriva nel giorno in cui la Russia ha ufficializzato la vittoria delle truppe governative sullIsis nella battaglia di Dayr az Zor, il cui assedio durava da 3 anni. I terroristi del sedicente Stato Islamico, secondo quanto riferito dal ministero russo della Difesa, hanno quasi completamente distrutto le infrastrutture vitali della citta. Nei distretti cittadini liberati dalle truppe siriane, le infrastrutture vitali sembrano essere state quasi completamente distrutte dai miliziani: tutte le stazioni elettriche e le stazioni di pompaggio dellacqua sono state fatte saltare in aria, gli ospedali, le scuole e le strutture sociali sono state distrutte. Il sistema idrico non funziona, tutte le imprese sono chiuse e prima di lasciare la citta, i miliziani hanno minato abitazioni residenziali, edifici industriali e amministrativi, cosi come le piazze della citta.
Il comando delle forze armate di Damasco ha definito la rottura dellassedio di Dayr az Zor una svolta strategica nella guerra al terrorismo, sottolineando che la citta sara usata come un trampolino di lancio per espandere le operazioni militari nella regione. In particolare, presumibilmente, per riprendere il controllo di tutto il territorio lungo il confine con lIraq. Forse proprio come conseguenza dellavanzata delle truppe lealiste siriane nella regione, la Coalizione anti-Isis a guida Usa aveva condotto nelle ultime due settimane una serie di missioni lampo in questarea per recuperare spie e collaboratori infiltrati precedentemente nel Califfato.
Australian equity mutual funds provide diversification to a traditional investment portfolio. Investors looking to diversify their portfolios while receiving high dividend yields should consider the AMP Capital Equity Income Generator Fund (40660.AX), the T. Rowe Price Australian Equity Fund (19448.AX), and the Aberdeen Australian Equity Fund (5685.AX).
All information presented here was accurate as of March 1, 2022.
Key Takeaways Many investors seeking income from their portfolio will look to dividend income.
While income mutual funds are well-known in the United States, global markets such as Australia also feature income funds.
Here, we consider three high-yielding income funds for Australian investors.
1. AMP Capital Equity Income Generator Fund
AMP Capital issued the AMP Capital Equity Income Generator Fund in 2013. The fund aims to provide dividend income that is greater than that of the S&P/ASX 200 Accumulation Index, its benchmark index. The dividend income includes franking credits or credits that return taxes the company paid on corporate profits back to the shareholder. The fund aims to provide an average annual yield of 5.0% over the long term and has an annual management fee of 0.72%.
The AMP Capital Equity Income Generator Fund focuses primarily on high dividend-paying sectors. About half of its top holdings are in the financial services sector, and sectors for other fund allocations include real estate, communications services, and consumer cyclical. The fund has a minimum investment of $10,000.
2. T. Rowe Price Australian Equity Fund
The T. Rowe Price Australian Equity Fund aims to provide long-term capital appreciation by holding a diversified portfolio of Australian equity securities. The fund has outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 Index, its benchmark index, with an average annual return of 8.48% since its inception in 2012.
If investors choose to invest directly with T. Rowe Price, there is no minimum investment requirement. However, if investors do not invest directly with T. Rowe Price, there is a minimum initial investment requirement of AU $500,000, or US $356,320 which is extremely high for the average investor. The fund charges an annual management fee of 0.60%.
The T. Rowe Price Australian Equity Fund has total net assets of around AUD $75 million, or US $54.5 million, among its 36 holdings. About a third of the fund's top holdings were in the financial sector, and sectors for other fund allocations include real estate, consumer discretionary, and materials.
3. Aberdeen Australian Equity Fund
Although the Aberdeen Australian Equity Fund does not offer yields as high as those of the T. Rowe Price Australian Equity Fund and the AMP Capital Australian Equity Income Fund, it had a distribution yield of over 10% as of March 1, 2022, and charges an expense ratio of 1.53%.
Aberdeen Asset Management issued the Aberdeen Australian Equity Fund in 1985. The fund seeks to outperform the S&P/ASX 200 Accumulation, its benchmark index, over rolling three-year periods. To achieve its investment objective, the fund invests 88.5% of its assets in equities of listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) that have increased earning potential and the potential for capital appreciation.
The fund has total net assets of AUD $135.1 million, or US $98.1 million. About a third of the fund's top holdings were in the financial sector, and sectors for other fund allocations include health care, materials, energy, and industrial.
China exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offer a way for investors to geographically diversify their portfolios by owning stakes in a basket of companies based in the worlds second-largest economy. Despite the large number of state-owned Chinese enterprises, there are still many companies there whose shares are publicly traded, including Tencent Holdings Ltd. (700), Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China Ltd. (601318), and China Yangtze Power Co. Ltd. (600900).
Certain Chinese stocks were delisted by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) after an executive order signed by then-U.S. President Donald Trump in November 2020 banned U.S. investors from investing in Chinese companies with alleged ties to the Chinese military. In May 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden said his administration was reviewing tariffs on China imposed by Trump, with the possibility of dropping them in an effort to lower consumer prices. In late August, Chinese and U.S. regulators announced an agreement to cooperate on inspecting the audit work papers of U.S.- listed Chinese companies. While Chinese companies continue to risk being delisted from U.S. exchanges, this is an important step to resolve ongoing disputes.
Chinas gross domestic product (GDP) grew 2.3% in 2020 as the economy began to rebound by the end of the year from the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, that growth rate was the lowest in decades. China's GDP rebounded sharply in 2021, growing by 8.1% largely due to strong industrial production. But ongoing COVID-19 concerns and geopolitical issues have hampered the recovery. China's GDP grew by just 0.4% for Q2 2022, with analysts estimating 3.4% growth for the full year.
Key Takeaways Chinese equities significantly underperformed the U.S. stock market over the past year.
The China exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with the best one-year trailing total returns are CNYA, KBA, and ASHR.
The top holding of each of these funds is Class A shares of Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd.
There are 17 China ETFs that trade in the United States, excluding inverse and leveraged ETFs as well as funds with less than $50 million in assets under management (AUM). Chinese equities, as measured by the MSCI China Index, have significantly underperformed the U.S. stock market over the past 12 months, posting a total return of -29.9% compared to the S&P 500s total return of -11.0%, as of Sept. 1, 2022. The best-performing China ETF for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2022, based on performance over the past year, is the iShares MSCI China A ETF (CNYA).
We examine the three best China ETFs below. All numbers below are as of Sept. 2, 2022. In order to focus on the funds' investment strategy, the top holdings listed for each ETF exclude cash holdings and holdings purchased with securities lending proceeds except under unusual cases, such as when the cash portion is exceptionally large.
Performance Over One-Year: -21.4%
Expense Ratio: 0.60%
Annual Dividend Yield: 0.98%
Three-Month Average Daily Volume: 167,363
Assets Under Management: $522.9 million
Inception Date: June 13, 2016
Issuer: BlackRock Financial Management
CNYA tracks the MSCI China A Inclusion Index. The fund holds hundreds of stocks with a broadly diverse basket of names. Financials, consumer staples, and industrials stocks are the top three sectors by portfolio representation, accounting for about half of invested assets. This large-cap fund follows a blended strategy, including both value and growth stocks in its holdings. The top three holdings of CNYA are Class A shares of: Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd. (600519:SHG), a partially state-owned Chinese spirits manufacturer; Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (300750:SHE), a Chinese battery maker and technology company; and China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd. (600036:SHG), a commercial bank.
Performance Over One-Year: -21.6%
Expense Ratio: 0.56%
Annual Dividend Yield: 0.64%
Three-Month Average Daily Volume: 342,989
Assets Under Management: $611.4 million
Inception Date: March 4, 2014
Issuer: CICC
KBA targets the MSCI China A 50 Connect Index, which is comprised of 50 large-cap stocks listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen. The fund includes some of China's largest, most liquid stocks that receive the most foreign interest and inflows, including those that may benefit from increased global investment in Chinas onshore market over the long term. KBA focuses on a blend of value and growth stocks. The top holdings of KBA include Class A shares of Kweichow Moutai, Contemporary Amperex Technology, and LONGi Green Energy Technology Co. Ltd. (601012:SHG), a Chinese maker of photovoltaic solar modules.
Performance Over One-Year: -22.5%
Expense Ratio: 0.65%
Annual Dividend Yield: 0.84%
Three-Month Average Daily Volume: 6,381,852
Assets Under Management: $1.7 billion
Inception Date: Nov. 6, 2013
Issuer: DWS
ASHR seeks to track the CSI 300 Index, an index comprising 300 large- and mid-cap China A-Share stocks listed on the Shenzhen or Shanghai Stock Exchange. ASHR is one of the oldest ETFs providing direct exposure to stocks on either of these exchanges, and the sizable trading volume and AUM reflect this. Because its focus is on the Shenzhen and Shanghai exchanges, ASHR does not include stocks listed outside mainland markets, such as companies listed in Hong Kong. Financials, industrials, and consumer staples stocks make up the largest portions of the fund's portfolio. The top holdings of ASHR include Class A shares of Kweichow Moutai, Contemporary Amperex Technology, and Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (601318:SHG), a conglomerate offering insurance, banking, asset management, financial, and other services.
The comments, opinions, and analyses expressed herein are for informational purposes only and should not be considered individual investment advice or recommendations to invest in any security or adopt any investment strategy. Though we believe the information provided herein is reliable, we do not warrant its accuracy or completeness. The views and strategies described in our content may not be suitable for all investors. Because market and economic conditions are subject to rapid change, all comments, opinions, and analyses contained within our content are rendered as of the date of the posting and may change without notice. The material is not intended as a complete analysis of every material fact regarding any country, region, market, industry, investment, or strategy.
A number of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are devoted exclusively to gold, a precious metal valued for its industrial uses and its use as a store of value. The shiny metal is used in jewelry and is a key component in a number of electronics products.
Investors have long viewed gold as a hedge against inflation and as a safe haven in times of economic turmoil. Gold ETFs provide investors with a way to take advantage of golds unique investment characteristics, whether by tracking the price of the physical commodity or through shares of companies that mine the metal.
Key Takeaways The Bloomberg Gold Subindex has outperformed the broader market over the past 12 months.
Two of the four leveraged gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs), UGL and DGP, offer 2 daily long leverage. The other two, GLL and DZZ, provide 2 daily short leverage.
These ETFs invest in futures contracts to take leveraged positions in gold.
Gold investors looking to amplify returns might consider a leveraged ETF. Unlike traditional ETFs, whose portfolios are designed to track an index or commodity price on a one-to-one basis, leveraged ETFs use derivatives and debt to magnify the returns on the portfolio by a factor of two or even three. Though the use of leverage can lead to significantly higher gains, it can also lead to significantly higher losses, making leveraged funds much riskier than traditional ETFs.
Some leveraged ETFs amplify gains when the underlying index or commodity falls and amplify losses when the underlying index rises. These instruments are called inverse leveraged ETFs, and their added complexity makes them even riskier than traditional leveraged ETFs. Both leveraged and inverse leveraged ETFs are extremely complex financial instruments and are not meant for beginner investors.
Leveraged ETFs can be riskier investments than non-leveraged ETFs given that they respond to daily movements in the underlying securities that they represent, and losses can amplify during adverse price moves. Furthermore, leveraged ETFs are designed to achieve their multiplier on one-day returns, but you should not expect that they will do so on longer-term returns. For example, a 2 ETF may return 2% on a day when its benchmark rises 1%, but you shouldnt expect it to return 20% in a year when its benchmark rises 10%. For more details, see this U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) alert.
There are four leveraged gold ETFs that trade in the U.S., two offering 2x daily long leverage and two offering 2x daily short leverage. These ETFs provided leveraged exposure to the commodity gold, not stocks of companies that mine for gold. Some of these funds are relatively small, with low assets under management (AUM) and/or low trading volumes.
For example, the DB Gold Double Long Exchange Traded Notes (DGP) and the DB Gold Double Short Exchange Traded Notes (DZZ) have extremely low trading volumes, making them relatively illiquid and adding to the overall costs of trading them. Investors also should be aware that the websites of these two funds are no longer operational. These funds are considered extremely risky and should be used only by sophisticated investors.
There also used to exist 3 leveraged gold ETFs, such as the VelocityShares 3 Long Gold ETN (UGLD) and the VelocityShares 3 Inverse Gold ETN (DGLD). However, these funds were delisted, with the last trading day of these two funds taking place on July 2, 2020. There are no more gold commodity ETFs trading in the U.S. that offer 3 leverage.
The price of gold was volatile throughout 2021, mostly trading sideways. Gold is down sharply from its most recent peak in March 2022. The total return of the Bloomberg Gold Subindex, which is meant to indicate the price of gold, is -5.0% over the past 12 months. By comparison, the total return of the S&P 500 is -8.1%, as of Sept. 12, 2022.
However, investors should note that leveraged gold ETFs are not meant to track gold over long time periods. The leverage resets on a daily basis for these funds, which are not intended for long-term, buy-and-hold strategies. The price growth figure cited above is to be used only as a reference illustrating how gold has performed over the past year.
All data below is as of Sept. 12, 2022. In order to focus on the funds' investment strategy, the top holdings listed for each ETF exclude cash holdings and holdings purchased with securities lending proceeds except under unusual cases, such as when the cash portion is exceptionally large.
The first two ETFs listed below provide 2 daily long leverage to gold, while the second two provide 2 daily short leverage. Each pair is ranked by daily trading volume, a measure of liquidity.
Inverse ETFs can be riskier investments than non-inverse ETFs because they are only designed to achieve the inverse of their benchmarks one-day returns. You should not expect that they will do so on longer-term returns. For example, an inverse ETF may return 1% on a day when its benchmark falls -1%, but you shouldnt expect it to return 10% in a year when its benchmark falls -10%. For more details, see this SEC alert.
Three-Month Average Daily Volume: 109,686
Performance Over One-Year: -12.2%
Expense Ratio: 0.95%
Annual Dividend Yield: N/A
Assets Under Management: $184.6 million
Inception Date: Dec. 1, 2008
Issuer: ProShares
UGL is structured as a commodity pool, combining investor contributions to trade futures-based leveraged long positions in gold. The fund offers bullish investors daily investment returns (before fees and expenses), corresponding to 2 the daily performance of the Bloomberg Gold Subindex. Investors should be advised that this ETF resets on a daily basis, so any investments in it should be monitored daily. Significant losses are possible, especially in volatile markets.
Three-Month Average Daily Volume: 7,019
Performance Over One-Year: -10.5%
Expense Ratio: 0.75%
Annual Dividend Yield: N/A
Assets Under Management: $75.9 million
Inception Date: Feb. 27, 2008
Issuer: Deutsche Bank
DGP is structured as an exchange-traded note (ETN), a type of unsecured debt instrument that tracks an underlying index of securities and trades like a stock. ETNs share characteristics similar to those of bonds, but they do not make periodic interest payments. The fund provides 2 daily long leverage to the Deutsche Bank Liquid Commodity Index-Optimum Yield Gold. It offers a powerful trading tool for investors looking to take a short-term bullish position in gold futures. DGPs leverage resets on a daily basis, meaning that returns are compounded when held for multiple periods. It is intended for sophisticated investors and not meant for use in a long-term portfolio.
ETFs with very low assets under management (AUM), less than $50 million, usually have lower liquidity than larger ETFs. This can result in higher trading costs, which can negate some of your investment gains or increase your losses.
Three-Month Average Daily Volume: 78,103
Performance Over One-Year: 2.8%
Expense Ratio: 0.95%
Annual Dividend Yield: N/A
Assets Under Management: $31.7 million
Inception Date: Dec. 1, 2008
Issuer: ProShares
GLL is an inverse leveraged fund that uses futures contracts to take a leveraged short position in gold. Its structured as a commodity pool. The fund offers daily investment returns (before fees and expenses), corresponding to -2x the daily performance of the Bloomberg Gold Subindex. GLLs leverage resets on a daily basis, resulting in compounded returns when held for multiple periods. This ETF is a powerful tool that can amplify returns and should be used only by sophisticated investors. Investors with low risk tolerance should avoid this fund.
Three-Month Average Daily Volume: 14,372
Performance Over One-Year: 7.4%
Expense Ratio: 0.75%
Annual Dividend Yield: N/A
Assets Under Management: $6.0 million
Inception Date: Feb. 27, 2008
Issuer: Deutsche Bank
DZZ is structured as an ETN and provides 2 daily short leverage to the Deutsche Bank Liquid Commodity Index-Optimum Yield Gold. This fund is useful for investors looking to take a bearish short-term bet on gold. It is not meant to be held in a long-term, buy-and-hold portfolio. Also, investors should take note of the fund's extremely low trading volume and AUM, indications that the fund is not heavily traded and thus may be harder to buy and sell. This makes DZZ relatively more risky than GLL, which is already considered a small fund with low trading volume and AUM.
The comments, opinions, and analyses expressed herein are for informational purposes only and should not be considered individual investment advice or recommendations to invest in any security or adopt any investment strategy. Though we believe the information provided herein is reliable, we do not warrant its accuracy or completeness. The views and strategies described in our content may not be suitable for all investors. Because market and economic conditions are subject to rapid change, all comments, opinions, and analyses contained within our content are rendered as of the date of the posting and may change without notice. The material is not intended as a complete analysis of every material fact regarding any country, region, market, industry, investment, or strategy.
Craig Wright (b.1970) is an Australian computer scientist who claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious inventor of Bitcoin. According to Wright, he was involved in Bitcoins creation along with his friend, the deceased computer security expert Dave Kleiman. He made this claim after Wired magazine and Gizmodo floated the possibility of his being Nakamoto in a December 2015 article. The article quoted from numerous sources, including Wrights email correspondence and chat transcripts with acquaintances, and referenced business dealings to make its case.
Wrights claim generated intrigue and skepticism within the Bitcoin community. Some supported his claim. For example, Gavin Andresen, a director of Bitcoin Foundation who corresponded with Nakamoto while doing initial programming work in Bitcoin, said he was convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Wright was Satoshi. But critics have largely remained unconvinced about Wrights story and asked for conclusive proof. Security researcher Dan Kaminsky pointed to Wrights botched attempt to prove his story to buttress his claim that the entire exercise was a scam. In 2021, Andresen retracted his earlier claim, saying that it was a mistake.
Wright currently works as chief scientist at nChain Inc., a blockchain research and development company.
Key Takeaways Craig Wright is a computer scientist and early contributor to the Bitcoin project.
Wright has asserted that he is the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonym for Bitcoin's otherwise anonymous creator.
Despite his claims, most of the cryptocurrency community either rejects or remains highly skeptical of Craig Wright being Satoshi.
Early Career and Education
Craig Wright was born in Australia in 1970. He graduated from high school in Brisbane in 1987.
He claims to have earned several academic degrees and certifications, including masters degrees in quantitative finance (from University of London-SOAS), law (University of Northumbria), statistics (University of Newcastle, Australia), information security systems (Charles Sturt University), network & systems administration (Charles Sturt University), IT management (Charles Sturt University), IS engineering (Sans Technology Institute), and political science (Liberty University). He also claims to have received a doctorate in business administration (from Grand Canyon University) and a Ph.D. (Charles Sturt University), a doctorate in theology (United Theological College).
He has been a lecturer and researcher in computer science at Charles Sturt University, authored many articles, academic papers, and books, and has spoken publicly at conferences on IT, security, Bitcoin, and other topics relating to digital currency.
Some have called out Wright for either embellishing or lying about his academic credentials. In fact, Charles Sturt University in Sydney, Australia sent Forbes a statement in 2015 stating, "Mr Wright has not been awarded a PhD from CSU."
Notable Accomplishments
Aside from Bitcoin-related matters, Wright claims that he has personally conducted in excess of 1,200 engagements related to IT security for more than 120 Australian and international organizations in the private and government sectors. Dr. Wright claims to have also held senior executive positions with companies focused on digital currency, digital forensics, and IT security, including holding the title of vice president of the Centre for Strategic Cyberspace and Security Science.
He has also worked on technology systems that protected the Australian Stock Exchange, and has trained Australian government and corporate departments in SCADA security, cyber warfare, and cyberdefense, and helped design the architecture for the worlds first online casino (Lasseters Online in Australia).
Is Craig Wright Satoshi?
Wired magazine and tech news site Gizmodo were the first publications to suggest that Wright invented Bitcoin. Wright also claims to be Satoshi on his personal website. Wired based its claim on an assortment of evidence, from a trove of cached documents to deleted blog posts on Wrights personal site to emails passed onto the editors from his acquaintances.
The Case for Wright Being Satoshi
According to the publication, Wright used the same email address as Nakamoto for correspondence. Gizmodo also published emails from Wright lobbying for regulatory acceptance of Bitcoin to political figures and government agencies. In the emails, he alluded to the possibility of resuscitating Nakamoto, who disappeared after revealing the existence of Bitcoin, to make a case for the cryptocurrency. Would our Japanese friend have weight coming out of retirement or not? he wrote.
Wright is also supposed to have published a blog post announcing Bitcoins launch on January 10, 2009. The post, titled The beta of Bitcoin is live tomorrow, has since been deleted. In another bit of "proof," Wright claimed in a conversation with his tax lawyers that he has been running Bitcoin since 2009.
Besides Wrights posts and correspondence, the publications also pointed to his business interests, which resemble those required to run cryptocurrency mining operations. Through his company, Tulip Trading, Wright is said to control the 1.1 million bitcoins held by Nakamoto. Those bitcoins cannot be moved until 2020, according to a trust fund PDF signed by the late Dave Kleiman, Wired stated.
The Wired article speculated that Wright may be holding on to the stash for future investment purposes. Tulip Trading was also reported to have made the worlds 17th-fastest supercomputerC01Nthat had a speed of 3.52 Petaflops. (One petaflop is 1,000 teraflops or one trillion floating-point operations per second).
Wright also possessed a streak of anti-authoritarianism like Nakamoto. He subscribed to a cypherphunk mailing list that served to fine-tune and evolve standards for cryptocurrencies. Wright is also a libertarian who recommends a return to the gold standard, and a fan of Japanese culture.
Verifying Wrights Claims
According to cryptography experts, Wright needs to perform either of the following two tasks in order to back up his claim of being Nakamoto.
He could conduct a bitcoin transaction using Nakamotos private key.
He could cryptographically sign a message using the same set of keys. (A message signed with a private key is cryptographically secure and can only be unlocked with a corresponding public key).
Bitcoin Foundations Gavin Andresen met Craig Wright in 2016 at a hotel in London to ascertain proof regarding his claims. During his meeting with Andresen, Wright signed a messageGavins favorite number is elevenwith his initials and a private key from one of the first 50 bitcoin blocks ever mined.
Wright signed the message on his own laptop and transferred it onto a brand new computer using a USB stick owned by Andresen. After an initial hiccup, during which Andresen realized they had forgotten to add Wrights initials, the signature was verified by Bitcoins software Electrum. I believe Craig Steven Wright is the person who invented Bitcoin, Andresen proclaimed on his website the following day.
However, it was later revealed that Wright likely duped Andresen.
The Case Against Wright Being Satoshi
But Wrights attempt to publicly prove himself as a creator of Bitcoin failed. The day after his private demonstration with Andresen, Wright posted a message on Bitcoins public blockchain with text from French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. The document was incomplete and signed with a private key that was supposed to extract the full version. Security researcher Dan Kaminsky found that Wrights key extracted to transaction data from 2009, which had Satoshis publicly-available signature from parts of the blockchain.
Critics have also analyzed other evidence and found Wright's claim wanting. Wrights PGP keys were created in 2009 and could be traced back to Satoshi Nakamotos email address. Both Wired and Gizmodo claim this as an important part of their case for Wright being Nakamoto. But Motherboard, a Vice publication, debunked that theory. PGP keys can be backdated and also fixed to point to anyones email address.
Adding to the murkiness are accusations that Craig Wright misrepresented his academic credentials and lied about his companys partnerships. In an earlier version of his profile on LinkedIn, the job networking site, Wright stated that he had earned a doctorate from Charles Sturt University in Australia. But the University told Forbes that it had not awarded a doctorate to him.
Cloudcroft, Wrights company, also claimed to have partnered with Silicon Graphics International, a high-performance computing firm that was subsequently acquired by Hewlett-Packard, to develop two supercomputers that are listed among the worlds top 500. But SGI denied that Cloudcroft was a customer and said it had no record of the C01N supercomputer.
In 2021, Craig Wright appeared in court, where he was the defendant in a lawsuit brought by a former business partner claiming that Wright stole intellectual property and also alleged fraud, theft, and breach of fiduciary duty. At stake was 50% of Wright's verified 1.1 million BTC. The jury found Wright guilty only of intellectual property theft and demanded he pay $100 million in damages. He did not, however, have to relinquish any of his bitcoins.
How Many Degrees Does Craig Wright Hold? A self-proclaimed "genius," Wright claims to have in excess of 20 academic degrees and certificates. In addition, he holds several more professional certifications and credentials.
What Is Craig Wright's Net Worth? Wright has been verified to hold approximately 1.1 million bitcoins, worth roughly $25 billion as of June 2022.
Who Sued Craig Wright? Craig Wright was sued by the estate of his former business partner, David Kleinman, who co-ran the company W&K Info Defense Research with Wright. The Kleiman estate sued Wright for half of the bitcoin in the Tulip Trust (an entity that held over 1 million bitcoin), as well as intellectual property. In the end, the court awarded $100 million to the Kleinman estate but allowed Wright to retain all of the bitcoin.
The Bottom Line
While still claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto, much of the crypto community and media have now decided that these claims are either false or at best unverifiable. Wright furthermore claims that the 'true" bitcoin today is a hard fork of Bitcoin Cash known as Bitcoin SV ("Satoshi's vision"). Even without being Satoshi, it is clear that Wright was an early adopter of Bitcoin and managed to accumulate a substantial amount of it early on. Today, he claims to be a lawyer, banker, economist, pastor, coder, investor, mathematician, stats, and "world-curious".
What Is the Government Pension Fund of Norway (GPFN)?
The Government Pension Fund of Norway is made up of two separate Norwegian investment funds with different mandates. The first is the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), also known as the Oil Fund. Established in 1990 to invest surplus revenues of the Norwegian petroleum sector, the GPFG is the worlds largest sovereign wealth fund. It also holds real estate and fixed-income investments.
The second fund is the Government Pension Fund of Norway (GPFN). Established in 1967 as something of a national insurance fund, it is smaller than the Oil Fund. It is managed separately and limited to domestic and Scandinavian investments. As a result, it is a major shareholder of many consequential Norwegian companies via the Oslo Stock Exchange.
Key Takeaways The Government Pension Fund of Norway is made up of two separate Norwegian investment funds: The first is the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), also known as the Oil Fund, and the second fund is the Government Pension Fund of Norway (GPFN).
The Government Pension Fund of Norway is managed under the guise of the Ministry of Finance.
The stated goal of the Government Pension Fund is to facilitate government savings to account for the rising costs of the public pension program.
Understanding the Government Pension Fund of Norway (GPFN)
The Government Pension Fund of Norway is managed under the guise of the Ministry of Finance, as laid out by the Act of Parliament and guidelines that include a set of supplementary provisions.
The Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), which is part of the Norwegian Central Bank, manages the global fund on behalf of the Ministry of Finance. Since 2004, an ethical council has set the parameters for the funds investments. The council has the authority to exclude from the fund firms that take part in activities deemed objectionable. Investment manager Folketrygdfondet manages the domestic fund.
The stated goal of the Government Pension Fund is to facilitate government savings to account for the rising costs of the public pension program. It also intends to support long-term considerations related to how the government spends Norways significant petroleum revenues.
The Ministry of Finances investment strategy for the Government Pension Fund looks to maximize returns while taking on a moderate level of risk. The strategy is based on assessments of expected return and risk in the long run and is derived from the purpose and distinctive characteristics of the fund, comparative advantages of the asset manager, as well as assumptions regarding the functioning of the financial markets. The ministry attaches considerable weight to financial theory, research, and accumulated experience.
Notably, the Government Pension Fund Global may divest its oil and gas holdings in the near future. At the end of 2017, the fund recommended the removal of more than NOK 300 billion (about US $35 billion) worth of oil and gas holdings from the funds equity benchmark index in order to make Norway less vulnerable to a permanent drop in oil and gas prices.
After hitting the $1 trillion mark in 2017, the fund divesting from oil and gas investments could have meaningful global investment implications, given the economic importance of the energy sector. Investor attention on Environmental, Social, and Governance Criteria has increased as part of their investment due diligence. The Norwegian government reached a final decision on the proposal in the fall of 2018.
Top News - Investor Idea
Mullen (NASDAQ: MULN) Continues Acquisition Path With Purchase of ELMS Assets Including Factory in Mishawaka, IN., Enabling EV Production for Retail and Commercial Vehicle Lines
BREA, Calif. - October 19, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), an emerging electric vehicle ("EV") manufacturer, announces the US Bankruptcy Court approval on Oct. 13th, 2022 of its acquisition of electric vehicle company ELMS's (Electric Last Mile Solutions) assets in an all cash purchase.
Top EV Stock News - Investor Idea
Breaking EV Stock News: Mullen (NASDAQ: MULN) Announces the I-GO, New Urban Commercial Electric Delivery Vehicle Available Now for European Markets
BREA, Calif. - October 24, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), an emerging electric vehicle ("EV") manufacturer, announces today it has secured exclusive sales, distribution and branding rights to the new compact urban delivery electric vehicle, the I-GO, which is fully EU Standard homologated and certified for sale in select European Markets.
Top EV Stock News - Investor Idea
EV Stocks Driving Higher: (NASDAQ: $MULN) (NASDAQ: $TSLA) (NYSE: $NIO) (NYSE: $F)
Vancouver, Delta, BC - October 20, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investorideas.com, a leading investor news resource covering EV and automotive stocks releases a special report featuring Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), covering the continued growth of the EV market as government policy and infrastructure plans sync up with consumer and investor interest in the EV space.
Top AI Stock News - Investor Idea
Breaking AI Stock News: FatBrain (OTCQB: LZGI) Acquires Confidential Computing Platform ZeroTrust to Protect Data Privacy and Accelerate Innovation for Millions of Growth Businesses
NEW YORK, NY - October 19, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) (OTCQB: LZGI), the leader in powerful and easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for star enterprises of tomorrow, has acquired the confidential computing and privacy intellectual property (IP) plus software assets of Zero2A PTE LTD ("ZeroTrust Platform"), a software company based in Singapore.
Check out our Podcasts for great investor ideas:
Get new posts by email: Subscribe Powered by
Investorideas.com Newswire:
Subscribe to Investor Ideas Newswire
No trip to Ireland is complete without venturing into the wild, rugged expanses of Connemara. Chances are good that you'll want to stop at Kylemore Abbey, and if your route heads north after that, you're going to run into one of the most beautiful areas in Connemara: Killary Harbor.
The harbor is a nine mile (16-kilometer) long fjord that cuts through the rugged mountains between County Galway and County Mayo. The mountain Mweelrea, Connemara's highest, towers over the north side of the fjord while twisting, turning roads weave through rocky hills and pastures filled with sheep and separated by old stone walls built generations ago by the families that still work the land.
Killary is deceptively deep 148 feet (45 meters) at its deepest point. That makes it ideal for shellfish farming, and local farmers are constantly bringing in some of the freshest mussels around. Nets strung for miles along the fjord are used to grow the mussels and clams, and keep an eye out for the trucks set up along the beaches selling their wares. They're also suppliers for restaurants and markets throughout the area, so when you stop in Westport chances are good that your shellfish platter came from right around the corner.
Regular boat tours coast up and down the fjord, and whether you decide to take a tour or if you stay on the shore, it's also likely that you'll see some of the harbor's most exotic residents. A school of dolphins lives in and around the harbor, and typically comes out to greet boats when they're in the area.
Like many places in Ireland, the land around Killary Harbor has its dark past. At one point, the population of Connacht topped more than a million and a half, with people forced westward by the steady march of Cromwell and his armies. Today, you can drive for miles without seeing a home or native soul, but during the first half of the 1800s it was an area known as a Congested District, overburdened with families struggling to survive. Most of the people living around Killary Harbor depended on the humble potato for their livelihood. Look up into the mountains and you can still see the lines and ridges that were made by people who were planting their crops as far up into the mountains as they could, hoping to make use of every piece of arable land that might yield another meal for their families.
The area was particularly hard hit during the 1845 famine, and the population still hasn't recovered the numbers lost during the years of hardship and starvation. Spend some time walking along Killary Harbor and you'll find there's still traces of hardship that the rugged people weathered as best they could. The Killary Harbor Famine Walk is a 6-hour trek along a famine relief road known as the Green Road, built only as a famine relief project and still touching on the now-abandoned famine village of Foher.
Today, there's still only a few pockets of civilization that dot the landscape around Killary. Leenaun sits at the eastern end of the harbor, and Rossroe is nestled near its mouth where the harbor empties into the fickle Atlantic Ocean. Just outside Rossroe is the post-war home of the Austrian-British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. Wittgenstein, who had fought on the front lines of World War One and worked in a London hospital during World War Two, retreated to the solitude of Killary to write after the war years.
Visiting the area around Killary Harbor today, it's clear why he chose this retreat. At a time when the fast-paced world seems overwhelming at times, Killary Harbor has managed to stay untouched by the relentless march onward that has swept away much of the outside world... and that can be a wonderful thing.
What do you think is Ireland's best kept travel secret? Send in your tips to submit@irishcentral.com
---
Originally from Attica, NY Debra Kelly is a freelance writer and journalist who has seen most of the U.S. during her travels. Ready for something new, she's now living in the wild hills of Connemara with her husband and plenty of animals. She is a frequent contributor to Urban Ghosts, Listverse and Knowledgenuts.
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has been criticized for using a derogatory term for people of color within a tweet last night.
Since deleted, the tweet, which contained an uncensored version of the racial epithet read,
"Watching Django Unchained -- A Ballymurphy N----r!" He has since claimed that he was comparing the plight of slaves in the United States to that of Irish nationalists.
Django Unchained refers to the 2012 Quentin Tarantino movie in which a free slave (Jamie Foxx) attempts to rescue his wife from a plantation. Ballymurphy is an area of Belfast where British soldiers murdered civilians in 1971, an event known as the Ballymurphy massacre.
Removing the tweet amid intense criticism, Adams has claimed that he does not have a racist bone in his body and released a statement Monday morning apologizing for any offense caused.
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams admits N-word tweet 'was inappropriate' https://t.co/DiWJyW4IY5https://t.co/ZEfE6BWNg3 RTE News (@rtenews) May 2, 2016
He continued, however, to argue that if "anyone is genuinely offended by my use of the N-word they misunderstand or misrepresent the context in which it was used."
The Sinn Fein President claimed initially that he used the word ironically and that "Nationalists in (Northern Ireland) were treated like African Americans."
The official statement read: "Attempts to suggest that I am a racist are without credibility. I am opposed to racism and have been all my life."
"The fact is that nationalists in the north, including those from Ballymurphy, were treated in much the same way as African Americans until we stood up for ourselves."
When speaking at a Friends of Sinn Fein 1916 centenary event in New York last week, the Louth TD also spoke about race but contrary to the racist tones shown in last nights tweet, he spoke of the need to ensure that race does not create barriers for citizens of Northern Ireland.
Adams explanation left many wanting more, however, with some asking for an apology instead of an attempt at justification.
"For anyone to use such a term is unacceptable," said Stewart Dickson, chief whip of Northern Ireland's Alliance Party.
"The attempted explanation from him is not only historically inaccurate but deeply offensive to many."
Any1 who saw Django would know my tweets&N-word were ironic.Nationalists in Nth were treated like African Americans. Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) May 2, 2016
Adams has since released a further statement in which he apologized but still argued that parallels could be drawn between Irish nationalists and African-American slaves.
"I have acknowledged that the use of the n-word was inappropriate, he said.
"That is why I deleted the tweet. I apologise for any offence caused. I stand over the context and main point of my tweet about the Django which were the parallels between people in struggle.
"Like African-Americans, Irish nationalists were denied basic rights," he continued.
"The civil rights movement here, of which I was a founding member, was inspired and based its approach on the civil rights campaign in the USA. I have long been inspired by Harriet Tubman; Frederick Douglas; Rosa Parks; Martin Luther King and Malcolm X who stood up for themselves and for justice."
Earlier this year, Adams was also criticized for his understanding of the race struggle in America when he compared himself to Rosa Parks after not being allowed entry into the White Houses St. Patricks Day celebration.
The Sinn Fein leader suggested that he would stand up to those who were discriminating against Irish nationalists by delaying in letting him into the exclusive event in the same way that Parks refused to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus because of her race. Critics felt that it was insulting to compare his own situation to that of Parks.
The Irish politician is known for his unusual Twitter habits often quoting nursery rhymes, pictures of his teddy bear and a rubber duck, amidst his political statements.
A book was recently released of his best tweets and selfies and he has previously mentioned attempts by others in Sinn Fein to restrict his Twitter activity.
Gerry Adams tweet was stupid and he used a highly poor choice of words, but he is far from a racist. Liberal types attacking him are clowns Caolan Doherty (@CaolanDoherty) May 2, 2016
By suggesting that US Black suffering is comparable to that of of Irish people in the 20th century, Gerry Adams is helping a racist agenda. J. Guevara (@BocktheRobber) May 2, 2016
Gerry Adams, Conor McGregor and yer da, sitting in the pub, convincing each other that the Irish were the "blacks of Europe". Joey Kavanagh (@JoeyKavanagh_) May 2, 2016
A retired Florida surgeon with early dementia will be sentenced next week for bringing 100,000 worth ($113,843) of cocaine into Dublin Airport after falling for an online phishing scam.
Dr Carlos Cruz Soriano, 76, of Cove Circle, Riverview, FL began responding to phishing emails after his retirement, and was in contact with the scammers for a number of years.
The scammers told him that long lost relative had died and he was due to inherit $2.3 million.
Dublin Circuit Court heard that Soriano, who has early onset dementia, became isolated and depressed following his retirement from a glittering career, and communication with the email scammers became his only contact with the outside world.
The scammers, who first contacted Soriano by email three years ago, gained the doctors trust and sent him on a dry run to Hong Kong before flying him to Columbia where he was given the paperwork for his inheritance as well as a gift in a red bag for Irish banking officials who would facilitate the transfer of funds, the Sunday World reports.
Soriano pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine valued at 107,000 in the arrivals hall at Dublin Airport on September 1, 2015.
He has no previous convictions and since his arrest, has been held in custody in Ireland.
Sergeant Fergal Finnegan told the prosecuting lawyer that immigration officials had concerns about Soriano when he arrived in Dublin as he had only $300 and did not have a return ticket to the United States. He had traveled to Ireland from Bogota via Panama and Paris.
When questioned, Soriano told customs officials that the red bag he was carrying contained a gift for banking officials which would facilitate the transfer of his inheritance from a relative he had never heard of until recently.
The doctor cooperated with the officials, allowing them to X-ray and examine the red bag, in which they found 1.86 kilograms of cocaine in three packets.
Sgt Finnegan said that at first police were skeptical that Soriano could have fallen for such a scam, but as the interviews went on they became aware that there were underlying issues.
He said police found documentation that Soriano had printed out about other phishing scams. He admitted he knew that they were scams, but he said he was lonely and would respond to them for a little bit of fun.
Despite this, said Sgt Finnegan, Soriano remained adamant that he was still due the inheritance.
Soriano became excited when he was told he was going to prison because the thought he would now be around people and have a chance to make friends.
He told police that he was a surgeon with a practice in Florida until he retired in 2004. Soriano said he had not expected to live so long and all of his savings were gone leaving him and his wife living on social security. He has four children and seven grandchildren.
Defending lawyer Caroline Biggs told the court that Soriano had an eminent career as a surgeon, had written a book about his life, published papers and had been honored with keys to the city of St Petersburg, FL.
Psychologist Dr Ian Gargan said that Soriano had bipolar and depressive disorder, as well as early onset dementia. He agreed with Biggs that the doctors life had fallen apart after retirement and that he was highly suggestible. He said it was a very extreme and very sad case.
Judge Melanie Greally said Soriano's isolation and ailing mental health had contributed to him being susceptible to manipulation by sinister forces, and that she believed he did not appreciate the serious nature of his conduct.
She also noted that rather than availing of other options he had chosen to plead guilty early on.
Sunday World reports that the judge indicated that she would impose a five year sentence which she would fully suspend on condition Soriano leave the country. She adjourned the case until next week for finalization to allow arrangements be put in place for his return to the United States.
Ned Daly was commandant of Dublin's 1st battalion during the Rising. He was the youngest man to hold that rank, and the youngest executed in the aftermath.
The Easter Rising, the rebellion which took place over the course of five days in Dublin in 1916 and forever changed the course of Irish history and led to the execution of its leaders.
Below, Dermot McEvoy takes an in-depth look at the life of Edward Daly and his contribution to Irish history
Read more Irish government announces new permanent exhibition 20th Century History of Ireland
Edward Daly
Edward (Ned) Daly was born in Limerick City in 1891. He was born into the fiercely nationalist Daly family. His father had taken part in the Rising of 1867 and his uncle, John Daly, was one of the most relentless Fenians of his generation. He was the only boy in a household of nine sisters, one of whom was Kathleen Daly Clarke, which made him the brother-in-law of Tom Clarke.
Daly moved to Dublin in 1912 and moved in with the Clarkes. In 1913 he joined the Irish Volunteers and quickly rose to the rank of Commandant of the First Battalion of the Dublin Brigade. He was intimately involved in the landing of guns at Howth in 1914 and in the planning of Jeremiah ODonovan Rossas funeral in 1915.
Daly had 260 men under his command and on Easter Monday 1916 his target was the capture of the Four Courts on the Liffey, which he accomplished by noon that day. It was an important position because it was placed strategically between two military bases and the center of Dublin: Royal (now Collins) Barracks to the west and Marlborough Cavalry (now McKee) Barracks to the northwest. His command also extended into North King Street which was to become notorious for the murder of 15 innocent civilians by the British Army during Easter Week. Barricades tightly cordoned off the streets making it a nightmare for the British. The Four Courts also served as a safe haven for Volunteers who were scattered throughout the area.
Dalys men burnt the Linenhall Barracks to the ground and captured 25 Dublin Metropolitan Policemen who were hiding in the basement of the Bridewell Police Station near the Four Courts. He assured his prisoners that they would be treated with the rules of civilized warfare.
By Wednesday, one Volunteer observed that Daly was beginning to look very tired and haggard. His tunic was torn at the sleeve. I believe that he had not closed his eyes since the outbreak on Monday. He cared nothing for himself or any hardship he endured[and was]at all times solicitous for each and every one of his men.
The British officer in charge of the area said, This whole neighborhood was strongly held by the rebels, who had elaborately prepared and fortified it against the military with barricades across the street, and by taking out house windows and sandbagging them, etc.
In the North King Street area, the British suffered losses of 16 dead and 31 wounded. Their frustration with the rebels guerrilla street warfare might have been the reason they turned vicious against the innocent civilians of North King Street or as General Maxwell was to say later, the soldiers saw red. Possibly unfortunate incidents, stated General Maxwell after the rebellion, which we should regret now, may have occurred. It did not, perhaps, always follow where shots were fired from a particular house the inmates were always necessarily aware of it or guilty, but how were the soldiers to discriminate? They saw their comrades killed beside them by hidden and treacherous assailants, and it is even possible that under the horrors of this peculiar attack some of them saw red. Translated, this means shoot first, ask questions later.
Read more 50 facts about the Easter Rising
When Elizabeth OFarrell arrived with the surrender orders from Pearse she found Daly was very cut up about it, but accepted it as a soldier should. A Cumann na mBan woman inside the Four Courts described the scene: It was a terrible, shattering moment. They cried and they wept and they protested and they did their best to destroy their guns. I could see them hacking away at them. But there was no escape for them then.
At Richmond Barracks Daly was sorted out by DMP detectives. His crimes, put bluntly, was that he was 1) the brother-in-law of Tom Clarke and 2) his superb defense of the Four Courts and the surrounding neighborhood streets had caused the British much damage. Along with Eamon de Valera and Sean Heuston, Daly had caused the most direct casualties on the British forces.
At his court-martial, Daly stated: The reason I pleaded Not guilty was because I had no dealings with any outside forces. I had no knowledge of the insurrection until Monday morning April 24. The officers including myself when we heard the news held a meeting and decided that the whole thing was foolish but that being under orders we had no option but to obey. His penalty would be death. General Maxwell told Prime Minister Asquith: This man was one of the most prominent extremists in the Sinn Fein organization.
Dalys statement that he didnt know about the Rising until Easter Monday seems to conflict with what his sister, Kathleen Clarke, wrote in her autobiography, "Revolutionary Woman." Apparently, Pearse was to alert all the commandants of their duties on Easter Sunday, but Ned Daly hadnt heard anything. This alarmed Kathleen and she told her husband: Tom was very annoyed when I told him. He believed Pearse had issued instructions to all Commandants as it had been agreed he should. He could not understand how it was Ned had not received them. He then had a long talk with Ned and explained matters to him. I could see Ned got a bit of a shock. Even though he knew the Rising would take place someday, this was very short notice.
As he prepared for his execution Daly said of his men: Such heroes never lived. He added that he was glad and proud to die for his country and that he knew the weeks work would bring new life to Ireland.
Kathleen Clarke in her autobiography described the last meeting between her, Ned, and their sisters Madge and Laura: Ned jumped up from the floor where he had been lying without covering. He was in his uniform and looked about eighteen years of age, his figure was so slim and boyish Madge and Laura entered the cell first. I stopped just inside the door, deliberately, to prevent the officers crowing in as they seemed inclined to do. This would give Ned an opportunity to say anything to Madge or Laura he would not wish the officers to hear.
The officers remained outside the door; to get in they would have had to push me aside, or further into the cellOnly about fifteen minutes had passed when the officers outside said, Time up, and so far I had not had a word with Ned. I protested, saying that I had got much longer with a prisoner [her husband, Tom] the previous nightMy protest was unheeded; the officers insisted we must go. I had only time to kiss Ned goodbye. He whispered to me. Have you got Toms body? I said, No, but I have made a request for it and have told Madge to make the same request for yours. I thought it strange he should ask that question. He got no time to say more.
Ned Daly was shot on May 4 between 4:00 a.m.- 4:30 a.m. Fittingly, he was buried next to his brother-in-law, Tom Clarke, in the patriots ditch in Arbour Hill.
---
*Dermot McEvoy is the author of "The 13th Apostle: A Novel of a Dublin Family, Michael Collins, and the Irish Uprising and Irish Miscellany" (Skyhorse Publishing). He may be reached at dermotmcevoy50@gmail.com. Follow him at his website and Facebook page.
* Originally published in 2016.
IrishCentral History Love Irish history? Share your favorite stories with other history buffs in the IrishCentral History Facebook group.
Mr Buffett presided over his 51st Berkshire annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, where he and vice chairman Charlie Munger fielded five hours of questions on such matters as Coca-Colas sugary drinks, lower shipping volumes on the BNSF railroad, risks from derivatives, and who might succeed Mr Buffett as chief executive.
Berkshire owns close to 90 businesses in energy, insurance, manufacturing, railroad, retail and other sectors, and invests well over $100bn (87bn) in stocks.
Mr Buffett, a staunch supporter of Democrat Hillary Clinton for president, was asked about the regulatory impact on Berkshire if Republican frontrunner Donald Trump wins the 2016 US presidential election.
That wont be the main problem, he said to audience laughter.
If either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton becomes president, and one of them is very likely to be, I think Berkshire will continue to do fine, he said.
The meeting filled a downtown arena and overflow rooms.
Mr Buffett suggested that 40,000 people may have shown up for his Woodstock for Capitalists, close to last years record, though the meeting was streamed online for the first time.
At the meeting, Mr Buffett and Mr Munger fielded dozens of questions from shareholders, analysts and journalists.
A shareholder proposal for more disclosures on the risks to Berkshire on climate change was overwhelmingly rejected.
Mr Buffett parried concerns raised by a shareholder, and previously by hedge-fund manager William Ackman, that Berkshire promotes bad health through its roughly 9% in Coca-Cola.
Mr Buffett, who consumes 700 calories of Coke a day, said it seemed wrong to blame calories alone for rising obesity levels.
He also renewed his defence of Brazilian private equity firm 3G Capital, which with Berkshire has a controlling stake in food company Kraft Heinz, where it has built on its reputation as a ruthless cost-cutter.
He also emphasised his worry that derivatives could cause major risks for most of the worlds largest banks if markets were disrupted.
It is still a potential time bomb, he said, but said he was not in the least troubled by Berkshires big stakes in Wells Fargo and Bank of America.
Mark Hughes, a money manager from Ashton, Maryland attending his 25th meeting, said he sees no sign of Mr Buffett and Mr Munger are winding down.
Theyre 85 and 92, and look as good as they ever did, he said. n Reuters
Fianna Fail TD Robert Troy has won widespread praise for revealing his battles with anxiety and depression, writes Daniel McConnell of the Irish Examiner.
Among those to lavish praise on his courage in speaking out today was Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney, who described Mr Troy as brave and honest.
In an article, Mr Troy detailed his own issues with his condition saying he was reluctant to speak out as politicians are supposed to be resilient go-to people.
He wrote: This week after announcing 12m cuts in mental health service, the Government made time available to make statement on Mental Health in the Dail. Having considered speaking on the issue I decided to share some real life experience.
I was scared, nervous and anxious about the prospect of speaking out in front of my peers knowing that they would all know my weaknesses and sufferings, he added.
I suffer from anxiety and at times minor depression. I find it crippling and all consuming and it makes the smallest challenge seem like an impossible high jump that will ultimately destabilise me. However I crashed hard after the high of the election and I am now struggling to get back my balance since that day, he wrote with admirable candour in a piece for TheJournal.ie.
I have been forced to deal with things that I ignored and in the absence of other parts of my life I placed politics, maybe to fill voids maybe in a misjudged pursuit of happiness, he concluded.
He spoke too about getting help.
What became increasingly apparent to me over the last number of months, as I sought professional help, is the inaccessibility of the crucial services to people who cant afford private treatment. I cant imagine feeling so low and alone and not being able to access help. I cant imagine how you can even begin to gain the strength to deal with these feelings without the right help, he wrote.
The article received a huge reaction online in the wake of its publication.
One well known Independent Fingal County Councillor, Dr Justin Sinnott, commended Mr Troy's honesty in speaking out about his battles with anxiety and depression.
Powerful piece from Robert Troy. Very open, brave and honest, tweeted Dr Sinnott.
Mr Troy, who is from Ballynacargy, County Westmeath, bucked the national trend in 2011 to be elected in the Longford-Westmeath constituency. He was appointed Childrens' spokesman for the party by his leader Micheal Martin.
An investigation has been launched into the death of a man in Dublin.
It is understood he took ill on Trinity Street at about 3am this morning and was rushed to hospital, where he later passed away.
This year it fell on April 24, marking how long it has taken the US economy to earn enough tax to pay all its bills for 2016.
Running a similar calculation for Ireland gives what may be a surprising result.
Our tax freedom day would have fallen on April 16, illustrating that less of our economic output goes in taxes than in the US. Surely some mistake?
Despite how it feels, we are not a particularly highly-taxed country. Our income tax rates are high, but the lions share of income tax is paid by a quarter of the workforce.
Our VAT rates are also high 23% is among the highest in Europe but it doesnt apply to everything. Most groceries, for instance, dont attract VAT.
This has never stopped anyone looking for tax reductions, such as the recent observation by the chief executive of the Irish Stock Exchange, Deirdre Somers.
She was widely reported as saying that our tax system acts as a disincentive to entrepreneurs from scaling up their businesses.The tax system does tend to do that.
She also suggested that we are less good at growing indigenous Irish business than bringing in foreign direct investment from abroad.
Bias in the tax system can be problematic. Tax systems only work well where there are no exceptions to a general set of rules.
A corner shop pays corporation tax at the same rate of 12.5% as the bank next door, and at the same rate as the multinational factory down the road.
There are both economic reasons and EU law reasons why this should be the case, but should there be different tax rules for companies in the early stages of growth and development?
As it happens, there are different rules for at least some of these companies.
For example, a number of special tax treatments exist to give entrepreneurs a tax break for capital investment.
These incentives known variously as Business Expansion Scheme, Employment and Investment Incentive and Seed Capital Relief have been used over 3,000 times by companies since 2007.
This isnt huge in the overall scheme of things it has to be said, and that is because these incentives are riddled with restrictive terms and conditions.
Any case for a tax incentive for business development will have to prove that the investment cant be sourced without tax relief. That can be a high hurdle to jump.
This is a pity. We know how property incentives which lasted too long distorted the property market, but there are better examples of tax incentive policies.
The hospitality sector will point to the effect of the 9% rate of VAT as positive for its industry.
It is hard to move away from economic assessments of the effects of tax reliefs because tax is a key component of economic activity.
Yet we decry the outcomes of the property reliefs, not so much for their negative economic impact, but for their negative societal impact. Excess tax breaks on residential property come to mind.
The social consequence is more important than a mere economic outcome.
Many commentators pour derision on our 12.5% rate of corporation tax, claiming that it results in companies not making a sufficient tax contribution.
This narrow criticism excludes the very important societal contribution companies make in terms of creating employment.
Ireland hasnt the natural resources, climate or population to cut it as a modern economy aspiring to full employment.
We have to offer some compelling reasons for foreign investors to locate here.
Similarly, the compelling reason for fostering the growth of our indigenous industry should be the social aspiration of having our own people creating employment and growth opportunities for our own people.
Im not sure that the tax system should be the primary mechanism to provide such support for the practical reason that emerging industry doesnt make very much money, and therefore has less capacity to use tax reliefs.
What emerging industry can use is more support in raising funding and reduced hiring costs.
In both of these areas, the tax system could certainly help a bit more than it does at present.
Brian Keegan is director of taxation at Chartered Accountants Ireland
It may seem perverse for a management team to be tasked with running large international firms in addition to ensuring that they are able to meet quarterly estimates of analysts, but the market can be brutal in its treatment of companies that miss forecasts, even slight misses.
Likewise, small beats to guidance can result in significant moves higher in the share price.
Ultimately, analysts focus a lot of their attention on short-term fluctuations in quarterly earnings that can overshadow longer-term trends which may be intact.
In the majority of cases, companies do beat consensus expectations, but this is usually as a result of those expectations moving lower in the run up the results.
The current earnings season has been mixed in that many US companies that are upgrading guidance are doing so because the weak dollar is now working in their favour, rather than seeing a material improvement in the global macro environment.
However, the outlook for the world still appears challenging and many companies are happier increasing stock buyback programmes rather than investing in capital expenditure.
In some cases, such as Intel, management have sought to reduce staff levels in order to maintain profitability.
Few sectors experience the level of volatility associated with earnings seasons than technology.
Apple last week reported disappointing guidance, linked to lower shipments of iPhones, and experienced a sharp 6% decline in its shares the following day, exacerbated by the disclosure that Carl Icahn sold his shares in February.
Google shares also came under pressure after the company released earnings that were below consensus forecasts. The shares which were trading at $780 before the results are now trading in the region of $710.
Countering the challenges experienced by both by Apple and Google, Amazon impressed the market by revealing that it will make an operating profit in the next quarter of $1 billion (873m), twice the expectation of analysts.
The result was a 12% increase in the shares, or the creation of $35bn in additional market value.
Linkedin also delivered strong results and management tweaked guidance higher or the remainder of 2016.
The shares reacted positively, increasing 10%, which is in stark contrast to the drop in the stock earlier in the year.
In Ireland, there have also been mixed results and trading statements last week. Irish companies exposed to the food and agriculture markets have provided weaker trading updates in recent days with disappointing results coming from Kerry, Glanbia and Origin Enterprises.
Having long been in vogue, the performance of Glanbia, Kerry and Origin has been disappointing so far in 2016, as headwinds build that are likely to persist for the rest of the year.
CRH bucked the negative trend, highlighting the groups core geographies are performing in line with expectations and profits continue to be buoyed by a strong US construction market in particular.
Upcoming updates from Paddy Power-Betfair, Kingspan and Smurfit Kappa will also be of interest to investors.
Paddy Power-Betfair has experienced downgrades to a sell recommendation for the first time in several years. The trading statement and news on the integration of the two companies will be closely watched.
Kingspan is likely to be experiencing good trading across many of the companys geographies but there will be the headwind of a strengthening euro.
With a very strong balance sheet, management will likely provide an update on further acquisitions.
Smurfit Kappa tends to provide a good insight as to how the underlying economy of Europe and, increasingly, the US are performing.
The area of challenge for the company is likely to be South America, where Venezuela is experiencing an economic crash - though it accounts for a small part of the group.
Earnings season provides an update as to how trading is going relative to earlier forecasts but for investors it is worth bearing in mind that it can be among the most volatile periods of the year.
Beating estimates by a small amount can generate windfall performances, while small misses can result in big stock losses.
David Holohan is chief investment officer at Merrion Capital
MANY things are made possible by the Internet including the sale across Europe of fishing boats made by Murphy Marine Services on the small island of Valentia off the south-west coast of Ireland.
Five minutes after we launch a boat we can put the photos on the Internet its like having a shop window. We use Facebook and advertise on findafishingboat.com and probably get more business from online enquiries than anywhere else, says founder and managing director Fionan Murphy.
With its online presence, the company now sells to customers in Scotland, England, Norway, Holland, France, Belgium, and also Greece.
finalist in this years National Enterprise Awards, Mr Murphy has been building boats on Valentia since 2008.
Turning a fit-out and repair business into a manufacturing operation was made possible by the purchase, with the help of Kerry Local Enterprise Office, of a mould tool from well-established UK company Cygnus Marine when it closed.
I bought the mould and the rights for the Cyclone, one of Cygnuss most sought after boats, which is synonymous with safety, reliability and efficiency, says Mr Murphy explaining that he saw an opportunity to use this mould to develop a range of boats.
Registering the Cygnus trademark and establishing Murphy Marine as a limited company, he engaged the services of an agent in Antwerp and began advertising on the Internet.
It was 2008, Ireland was entering recession so his focus was on the UK and mainland Europe.
The first sale was to a Belgian customer who bought a Cyclone 30 after seeing it advertised on the web.
Over the next few years the company worked on building a reputation for building quality custom-made boats.
The Cyclone range now includes six models and continues to be the most popular.
But Mr Murphy has also purchased other Cygnus moulds and now offers a range of 12 models on his website.
In 2015 we again got help from Kerry Local Enterprise Office to buy the mould for the Cygnus Typhoon which can be built up to 45ft and is now our largest model, says Mr Murphy, adding that work has now commenced on the construction of the companys first Typhoon for a customer in Donegal.
Since 2008, Murphy Marine has built 28 boats and is expecting to build six more this year. With assistance from the Leader programme, the company expanded the boatyard in Valentia to 8,500 sq ft in 2013.
Now employing a staff of 10, the company is in the process of recruiting two more and expects to have 14 people by the end of the year. Mr Murphy estimates that sales have been growing by 5% to 10% every year.
Since the economy improved here, the market has picked up and the Typhoon for Donegal will be its fifth Irish sale.
I dont think we could do this to the same scale without the Internet. It would take a massive amount of marketing, says Mr Murphy.
He says its success is becuause of the reputation of the Cygnus brand and its ability to produce high-quality and custom-made boats.
Not relying solely on the Internet, he and his Belgian sales agent regularly attend trade shows in across the rest of Europe.
Plans for the future include growing sales in the French market.
Mr Murphy also sees increased opportunities to sell passenger vessels to service the marine tourism sector here and acrss the rest of Europe.
Company: Murphy Marine Services
Location: Valentia, Co Kerry
Managing director: Fionan Murphy
Staff: 10
Exports: 70%
Business: boat builder
Website: cygnusboats.com
ITS NOT easy to address a group of people you dont know about your psychosis. But on Wednesday next, 26-year-old Francesca Collard will do just that.
The courageous young Bantry woman is joining a panel of medical experts for a public Q&A session to highlight the unusual, but highly successful, techniques which helped her recover.
Francesca participated in an innovative Finnish programme now being used to treat mental health problems in Bantry.
The Open Dialogue programme is different to the mainstream Irish mental health services it encourages patients to involve loved ones or close friends in their treatment and its also completely transparent, explains Dr Iseult Twamley, senior clinical psychologist with the HSE:
All important decisions are made in conjunction with the service-user and any family members they choose to include in the process, she explains, adding that a guiding principal of the programme is Nothing About Me, Without Me.
Francesca joined the Open Dialogue clinic some months after its launch in Bantry last September, following the conclusion of a successful three-year pilot programme.
She had initially been referred to the mainstream mental health services after experiencing the onset of psychosis in April 2015.
This was the first time Id ever experienced anything like this, adds the 26-year-old, who recalls that she was assessed by doctors in the mainstream mental health services and put on medication.
By September, Francesca seemed to have made a full recovery so she moved to Cork city and returned to the workplace.
But she relapsed, and this time, her GP referred her to the towns newly-launched Open Dialogue clinic.
The Open Dialogue approach to treating mental illness had originally been introduced to Bantry on a pilot basis in 2012 following demand for a more inclusive treatment style from service users, family and mental health service staff. About 20 service users participated in that initial programme, which ran until 2015.
Feedback from the pilot, says Dr Twamley, was so positive that in September 2015 a mental health clinic using Open Dialogue techniques was established for all new adult referrals from the Bantry area.
Francesca attended her first Open Dialogue meeting three months later, in November 2015.
I was asked to bring family members or anyone from my support network to the meetings and we were all able to express our needs and concerns, and process what we had been through, she says, adding that the experience was incredibly positive.
Being surrounded by a circle of people caring for me in a non- judgemental way and taking my long-term recovery seriously has ended my sense of isolation and made me believe that full recovery is possible, she reflects, adding that the experience was very different to her first interaction with the traditional mental health services months before.
At that time, she recalls, she met with a number of different doctors and felt the service was intimidating and impersonal and that my treatment was not in my control.
In the Open Dialogue programme, she recalls, her care was consistent and she was listened to and valued as an equal.
Its transparent, unlike the mainstream system where the psychiatrist is writing notes while speaking to you and also speaking with other family members about you when youre not present, which, as she points out, is especially distressing for someone experiencing paranoia, a major symptom of psychosis.
In Open Dialogue, youre present during every conversation directly about you.
No decisions about you are made without you being present, she explains, adding that in the established mental health services, she had the feeling that because she was unwell, her judgment was considered to be impaired and unreliable.
Open Dialogue, she says, has brought me hope about my future, allowed me to stay off medication and return to a much better quality of life.
Francesca now plans to return to university next autumn to qualify for a career in the mental health services.
TO DATE, says Twamley, the results at the Open Dialogue clinic in Bantry are extremely positive.
The clinic, which is treating about 40 service users from the area, is currently working with colleagues in the UK and Finland to access the long-term success of the programme, and to look at its feasibility for a future roll-out across Cork and Kerry.
Its supporters say the Open Dialogue approach is in line with the official policy of the Irish mental health services that the approach of the mental health service should be more inclusive of service-users and their families.
One of the biggest attractions for service-users, Dr Twamley believes, is its strict policy that no decision-making in terms of a service-users treatment takes place in their absence.
People find that very important, she says. We write the notes in front of the client and they can amend the notes. They also get copies of any letters or documentations concerning their care.
Its very transparent and very open and that is a shift in practice, she says.
Our service-users tell us they feel heard, and that they feel listened to.
Its one of a number of initiatives the army is currently collaborating on with universities and the private sector to make itself not only more hi-tech but also a revenue generator.
The Defence Forces are already the first military force in the world to be awarded the prestigious ISO 50001 for energy efficiency and they are pursuing a host of innovative ideas.
The army now forms part of a successful consortium building a remotely-operated mobile system that can detect and collect forensics in the aftermath of a bomb attack while keeping the crews at a safe distance.
The project is set to receive 7 million in funding with partners from the National University of Ireland, Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal also working on it.
One of the reasons the army was selected was for its acknowledged expertise in bomb disposal and it runs training course annually on bomb disposal techniques which are attended by military personnel from around the world.
Through collaboration with Defence Forces Reservists, who work in high-tech industries, the army has developed the Network Enabled Operations concept for their ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target, acquisition, and reconnaissance) unit which was praised by senior military officers in a number of countries for its innovation.
This is an extension of technology which was developed by Irish troops who form some of the most technologically-advanced military units in the EU.
Forward ground troop units carrying laptops, cameras on their helmets and webcams can relay instant information about enemy positions to commanders back at headquarters through secure 3G/4G networks.
This gives commanders a serious edge in responding to threats and the concept is being advanced with a plan to put cameras on the outside of tanks, armoured vehicles and troop carriers which would allow those inside to get a 360 degree view on their personal visor headsets or computers inside to counter attacks.
It is understood the Army is looking at simulation systems would be used to replicate firing ranges, but would save on bullets and they could be enhanced to provide virtual reality scenarios in war games.
The Naval Service initially stole an advance on the army with collaborations with the private sector and researchers at IMERC (Irish Maritime Energy Research Cluster), but the army is catching up fast.
The Defence Forces have confirmed the army is working with many of the countrys premium research centres.
Soon, ringing schemes were up and running in Germany, Hungary, Britain and Scandinavia. The technique, known as banding in America, has been invaluable to bird study but, with millions of rings fitted in over a century, you might expect that little more can be learnt using it. The environment, however, is in constant flux and so are the lives of birds. Ringing remains an indispensable tool.
Responding to global warming, some species are moving closer to the poles. Black-tailed godwits, for example, used to return to their Icelandic breeding grounds in May. Now they arrive in April. Does earlier nesting affect a birds breeding success? Are migrants adapting successfully to new, more northerly, environments? How important is temperature at nesting sites?
The report on ringing and nest recording in Britain and Ireland during 2014, which has appeared, examines some of these issues. A constant effort ringing method, known as CES, is yielding particularly valuable results.
Of seven migratory species studied, only one, the reed warbler, bred more successfully at higher latitudes although, the authors say, there was evidence of local adaptation in six species. Breeding success, however, is not all down to conditions where birds nest. Studies of flycatchers and warblers revealed that carry-over effects of passage regions impacted on the timing of breeding more strongly than climate on the breeding grounds. Redstarts, for example, bred earlier in years with higher rainfall in the Sahel.
Over 1m birds were ringed during 2014 and 28,187 rings were recovered, yielding some interesting records. A roseate tern, ringed as a nestling at Rockabill, Co Dublin, travelled to Iceland. Its only the second record of the species there. Roseates go south for the winter; that one flew 1,301km northwards is odd.
A bar-tailed godwit, ringed at Dublin Bay in January 2014, was in the extreme northeast of Norway four months later. Only four bar-tails ringed in Ireland or Britain have been recorded there. Rings usually come to light when a bird is found dead but this one was alive and well; its ring number was read in the field.
Others were not so lucky. A snipe from Belarus was shot in Monaghan, 2,324km from home. The body of a little tern was found on a ship off Sierra Leone, 4,998km from Kilcoole, where the tern had been ringed as a nestling. A redwing from the Cote dOpale, France, was killed by a car in Ballyhale, Co Kilkenny.
Another casualty is especially interesting. A chaffinch, ringed in Lithuania, was killed by a cat, 1,940km away in Gurteen, Co Galway. Chaffinches from mainland Europe visit us in winter but this is the first Lithuanian one known to have travelled to Ireland or Britain.
Dunnocks were regarded as dull unadventurous birds until a famous Cambridge study showed what scandalous lives they lead. It was thought also that they didnt travel much. However, one ringed on the Isle of May in September 2013 was trapped by a ringer in Norway the following March. It was caught again, six months later, 129km away by another Norwegian ringer.
New longevity records have been set. A black-headed gull, ringed in Worcester and found dead in the Netherlands, was at least 32 years and four months old.
A guillemot, ringed as a chick on Canna in the Inner Hebrides in 1978, was 35 years 11 months and 29 days old when re-trapped back there in 2014. Little things tend to have very short lives but a long-tailed tit, weighing the same as a 2 coin, had reached the ripe old age of eight years and 11 months when re-trapped in Wiltshire.
Celtic Mist, the 16m ketch which was previously owned by the late former Taoiseach before being renovated by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), sets sail from Fenit, Co, Kerry next Saturday, from where it will travel clockwise around the island of Ireland until the end of July.
The IWDG said the sanctuary designation was a seminal moment in the history of whale and dolphin conversation, as up to then there had been very little awareness of the existence of cetaceans off Irelands coast.
Since the introduction of the 20% deposit requirement and stricter loan to earnings limits, the Central Bank has come under huge political pressure to relent, but the bank is now insisting the tough rules will remain.
As reported in the Irish Examiner on Saturday, a key demand from the Independent Alliance revolves around the issue of mortgages and debt.
Finance Minister Michael Noonan has led the political pressure on the bank, saying he thinks a deposit requirement of 10% would suffice, but the bank looks set to defy such pressure. While it says it is collecting data to review the policy later this year, the rules are here to stay.
Any changes to the callibration of the rules will require a high evidence threshold, said Cyril Roux, deputy governor for Financial Regulation at the bank. While these rules have attracted much comment, including some spirited criticism, it remains the case that risky lending brought banks and many Irish borrowers into protracted financial difficulties.
Mr Roux insisted the Central Bank introduced mortgage lending limits to protect borrowers by reducing the likelihood of them going into arrears and negative equity.
He also said they were introduced to help the banks become more resiliant to economic shocks and to prevent bank credit and house price spirals developing.
He said it is the duty of the bank to protecting customers and safeguarding the stability of the banking sector.
The new rules achieved the effect of cooling the market in Dublin on their introduction which had begun to overheat.
However, there have been loud criticisms from younger buyers, who say the rules effectively exclude them from getting on the property ladder.
Fianna Fails finance spokesman, Michael McGrath, TD for Cork South Central, has called for rental income to be factored in to banks assessment of prospective mortgage customers, as a clear sign of means.
For its part, Fine Gael has proposed to cut the amount of Vat paid on new homes and introduce a Help to Buy scheme as part of efforts to tackle the ongoing housing crisis.
A housing paper to be tabled by Fine Gael proposes a range of measures such as temporarily reducing Vat on new homes and apartments from 13.5% to 9%.
It is scandalous to be putting short-term profit ahead of moral obligation, he thunders. Moneypoint and the peat-fired stations are massive contributors to our greenhouse-gas emissions.
Last year, Irelands greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions rose by 5.5% in the industrial sector.
Why? Moneypoint. The plant increased its electricity-generation significantly.
Moneypoint, Co Clare, is the biggest contributor to GHG in Ireland. EPA director general Laura Burke has warned that using it more which we are bound to do under EU market rules, because its the cheapest source of electricity runs counter to the spirit of the 2015 White Paper on Energy. That paper suggests we reduce emissions by 80%-95%.
Mr Ryan also argues that, aside from belching 4.5m tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere last year, it is also enormously inefficient, as far more power goes up the chimney than is created for homes.
At a certain point, do we not have a moral obligation to choose a sustainable energy future? he asks. There is no denying climate change any longer.
But will a need to reduce our emissions carry more weight with electricity customers than cheaper bills? Moneypoint is saving Irish customers 200m a year, according to the ESB.
Due to the rise in availability of cheap gas in the US, from fracking, coal prices have dropped, which means lower costs for Moneypoint. Also, carbon prices in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) have never been lower. ESB management say they made major investment in 2008 to reduce emissions at the plant.
Earlier this year, Ms Burke warned that we need a stronger incentive to move away from carbon-intensive fuels, like coal, in the short-term.
She said change needed to be driven at European level.
Reforming the EU ETS, to give a stronger carbon price, would speed up the decarbonisation needed for a carbon neutral economy.
Mr Ryan agrees that the EU has been overly generous to energy-intensive industry, but says change must come from home.
The Green Party see a mixture of wind, solar, and gas, and improved interconnection with the UK and US, as the keys to us having a clean and secure supply of electricity.
Failte Ireland bosses have warned that tourism operators cant get carried away and start hiking prices and being complacent about standards.
It is vitally important that everyone in tourism keeps a firm grip on those things we can control, particularly competitiveness and our value for money, said Failte Ireland chief executive Shaun Quinn.
It says tourists are not just heading to Dublin and the other cities, with the Wild Atlantic Way a huge attraction for holidaymakers.
Some 75% of tourism businesses reported a strong first quarter, with European and US numbers up.
Up to 78% of hotel owners said business was improving year on year, and half noting an increased domestic spend, with a stronger economy meant people had more money to spend on weekend and short breaks.
Despite the growth in Airbnb, 63% of guesthouse owners saw more overseas guests in the past quarter compared to last year. Hostels are doing well with 67% reporting better business.
Mr Quinn said: After years of retrenchment, accommodation providers have returned to putting money back into their business and are now seeing the rewards.
However, he warned that the sector is vulnerable to changes in international economics and politics.
As always, when sentiment is upbeat, there is a need for caution to avoid any complacency, he said. Indeed, some operators are acutely aware that things could change quickly and the possible fall-out from Brexit, should it happen, has been raised by some.
Several Independents were adamant that such a generous cut to the USC can only be considered if all of their issues are addressed first.
Several Fine Gael ministers, speaking yesterday to the Irish Examiner, confirmed that the party won 50 seats on a promise to abolish the USC, while Fianna Fail also sought to have it abolished for earners up to 80,000.
The ministers added that it now no longer is seeking the taxs total abolition for everybody but that it would work towards getting rid of it for income earners up to that 80,000 level.
One minister said that tax revenues are positive and it is looking like there could be at least 1bn in additional spending for the government come budget day.
We won a mandate to reduce USC and that remains our focus and desire. Given the so-called fiscal space has increased from 450m to 900m, we believe there will be enough to deliver on that, the minister said.
Fine Gael ministers will convene in Government Buildings today to meet members of the Independent Alliance, with whom they have been engaging with over the weekend.
Key ministers such as Simon Coveney, Paschal Donohoe, and Michael Noonan will be available tomorrow to help address concerns raised by the Independents, whose support Fine Gael needs to form a government.
However, while there is unanimity on the issue of the USC, some disagreement is emerging between Fine Gael TDs on whether or not water charges will be reimbursed.
The party has agreed a three-budget deal with Fianna Fail and is expected to take office as a minority government this week. A vote will be held on Wednesday to elect a Taoiseach.
As part of the deal, water charges are being suspended for at least nine months and there are calls within Fine Gael for the fees to be reimbursed to those who paid.
Environment Minister Alan Kelly said: If charges are abolished, people are entitled to a refund.
However, Fine Gaels Regina Doherty disagreed with reimbursing those who have paid.
My mindset is about reintroducing the suspended charges, so my answer would be no, she said. They are law-abiding citizens who abided by the law, and those who did not will be pursued.
Ms Doherty said she believed the charges would be back within 12 to 18 months.
Fianna Fails stance on refunds is not yet clear. Party negotiator Niall Collins said: All I can say is water charges have been suspended and it will be a matter for Dail Eireann to reinstate water charges if a vote is taken.
Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy questioned whether a Fine Gael-led minority government would be stable.
He also called for all those who paid water charges to be reimbursed, now that a suspension of at least nine months of charges has been negotiated.
We think anybody who paid water charges should now be refunded, he said.
Opinion: 10
As talks with the Independent Alliance and the Rural Five recommence this morning, Mr Kenny and his ministers will have to go beyond their desired number of three, if a government is to be formed.
It is understood that Katherine Zappone will be in Cabinet, as will one member of the group of Rural TDs.
However, the Independent Alliance of six TDs look set to demand two Cabinet seats in return for their support.
If Zappone gets one and Denis Naughtens group get one in return for three votes, then if the alliance has six votes, more would be needed, said a source.
Several Fine Gael ministers, speaking to the Irish Examiner yesterday, also confirmed they will not veto Independents Shane Ross or Michael Fitzmaurice from becoming Cabinet ministers, should they be selected by their grouping to take office.
However, the fate of the alliance was not clear as Waterford TD John Halligan said he needs a deal on cardiac care for the southeast or he will not back a Fine Gael minority Government.
If I dont get an agreement, then I am out, said Mr Halligan.
However, in a shift in their previous position, Mr Halligan said that should he decide not to enter government, he will not stand in the way of the other five members of the Independent Alliance from signing up to a deal.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Defence Minister Simon Coveney said Fine Gael will try to do all it can to secure Mr Halligans support, but only if it is in line with medical advice.
We wont do anything that is inappropriate. It will have to be subject of a review, but we will only act in accordance with on medical advice, he said.
Mr Coveney also made a fresh appeal to the Social Democrats and the Green Party to rethink their decision not to enter government.
We want as diverse a Cabinet as possible. I would ask them to think again, he said.
Mr Coveney said he hoped a deal would be secured by Thursday.
However, Mr Fitzmaurice said such a suggestion was overly ambitious.
In response to recent criticism from frontline garda supervisors that they werent being briefed on the threat, or trained to deal with Brussels- or Paris-style attacks, assistant commissioner John OMahoney said a network of trained commanders had been put in place nationwide and training exercises held.
Giving a rare in-depth interview, the head of garda crime and security said Counter-Terrorism International was being expanded.
Absolutely: In numbers, expertise. These are issues. Its a new issue to us, said Mr OMahoney. We have responded to it, but were looking at what is happening, the landscape that is out there. Obviously, we have to look at further expanding on what we have currently.
He said many areas were being expanded and that investigative skills was certainly one.
He said interviews were ongoing for Counter-Terrorism International, which is part of the Special Detective Unit and under the direction of Security and Intelligence Section at Garda HQ.
Concerns have been expressed around the small size of the unit and the reported shortage in security and intelligence of key skills, including dedicated expertise to tackle online radicalisation and recruitment and staff competent in Arabic.
Mr OMahoney declined to comment on the units size. Separate sources have previously given differing estimates as to its strength and the Irish Examiner understands it has around 20 members. On monitoring online radicalisation, Mr OMahoney said they did some work on this area, but leveraged very much on Europol, the EU police agency.
He added: We see it as a very critical area in relation to our intelligence.
He declined to comment on reports that the force was exploring the adoption of software developed by the PSNI to track and analyse social media sites.
Mr OMahoney declined to confirm if the unit had people with proficiency in reading or speaking Arabic, but stressed he had adequate linguistic skills.
He would not comment on claims at the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors conference last month that gardai would run around like headless chickens if there was a Paris/Brussels-style attack.
The associations national executive itself highlighted a lack of briefings about the terror threat and called for a skills analysis of members capability to deal with an attack. Mr OMahoney said considerable work had been carried out, particularly since 2015, including:
A network of commanders, strategic and operational, have been set up around the country, tasked and trained to respond to any potential attacks;
Special training exercises, simulating Paris and Brussels-style attacks, took place last year and this year;
Two internal co-ordinating groups have been set up: a strategic group and an operational one, bringing together relevant sections.
Mr OMahoney said the threat level here was moderate, meaning an attack was possible, but not likely.
First and foremost, this country is a safe environment to work and to live in. Thats not to say we would be in any way complacent, and we prepare, he said
He said gardai had briefings with French and Belgian authorities to learn from their attacks. Garda commissioner Noirin OSullivan has strengthened the mandate of 270 garda ethnic liaison officers to reach out to the Muslim community.
Travel bible Lonely Planet has singled out the thatched restroom, nestled in the stunning 1,000-acre Co Cork forest park, as one of the planets most stunning lavatories.
Its new publication, Toilets: A Spotters Guide, highlights the most memorable outdoor public lavatories in the world, including a remote toilet island in Belize, a waterfall washroom in Taiwan, and an Arctic outhouse in Lapland.
Newly elected TD Danny Healy-Rae says he will not be supporting Enda Kenny and says no Independent TD should support a Fine Gael Government.
However, his younger brother Michael, a TD for his second term, says the Independents are going to have to support a minority government or its going to be an election.
Michael, who achieved the highest vote in the country, adding that he is not mentally, physically, or financially able for another campaign so soon.
However, Danny believes looking for Independents to support a minority Government is a cynical move by the bigger parties.
He said that, come the next election, it is the Independents who will be the scapegoats, and that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael know the only way they can get stronger at the next election is to do down the Independents.
I feel strongly no Independent should support Enda Kenny and Fine Gael, Danny said.
In Kerry, the Government lost two TDs, and a lot of people will be very upset and angry about allowing Fine Gael back into Government, he believes.
Danny said he cannot forgive Enda Kenny and Fine Gael for what they did to rural Ireland in terms of health, broadband, garda numbers, infrastructure, and every other area.
The Independents who offer support will be blamed for anything that goes wrong and all independents will then be tainted come the next election, he added.
And he says Fine Gael and Fianna Fail should treat the Independents with more respect out of respect for the people who voted for them.
Why do they need the Independents at all we are only the butter in the sandwich, we are not even the meat, and come the next election all Independents will be tainted, Danny said.
However, Michael Healy-Rae says there is no prospect of a coalition between the two parties.
If the two parties were coalescing it would be different, he says, but independents are needed to form a government.
Its fine to say no Independent should vote for Fine Gael but the only alternative then is an election, he said. People are not calling for an election. I dont want an election, and people dont want an election.
Michael who it is understood is being earmarked by Rural Affairs said there is no bitterness between the brothers in the difference of opinion.
He said members of the Healy-Rae family have taken different positions in the past, without rancour.
Most of the areas councillors rounded on the state agency for its failure to attract foreign investment and industry. Councillors from all main parties, along with independents, highlighted concerns about a migration crisis in West Cork due to a lack of jobs.
Elected representatives issued an invite to IDA Ireland representatives to address issues with them, in County Hall. Several county councillors insisted IDA Ireland had no interest in bringing industries to West Cork. However, they did accept IDA Ireland recently sought a site to be rezoned in Skibbereen to accommodate a proposed new plastics manufacturing project.
An Irish-American family with very strong links to the region approached the county council and the IDA to get a site rezoned from agricultural to industrial in the hope of building a plant which will employ up to 50 people.
The family already own 18 factories worldwide and locating one in Skibbereen would be a huge boost for the town, councillors said.
The land has now been rezoned by the council and while the IDAs involvement was welcomed in this case, Skibbereen-based Councillor Joe Carroll (FF) said, overall, he didnt believe the IDA was doing its best for West Cork. Down the line well become the outback. They (IDA) could say there is no workforce there (West Cork). There would be a workforce if there was work in Skibbereen, Dunmanway, Bantry and Castletownbere, he said.
Christopher OSullivan (FF) agreed with his colleague while Declan Hurley (Ind) said it was great to see a family who had left West Cork years ago offering to provide investment locally. However, he questioned the IDAs willingness to push West Cork. Dunmanway has lost 300 jobs from three major industries in the last 10 years and theres now an outward migration of people to get work elsewhere. We need answers from the IDA, he said.
Paul Hayes (SF) said the N71, the main road servicing West Cork, was a major impediment to future development of the region due to it being in such a poor state.
We dont want towns in West Cork to turn into commuter towns with people driving out of them to go to Cork City in the morning and only returning at night, he added.
Mary Hegarty (FG) said that if IDA Ireland did show more interest in West Cork, there would be pressure on other bodies to improve infrastructure.
Mr Halligan said that, should he decide not to enter government, he will not stand in the way of the other five members of the Independent Alliance from signing up to a deal.
Several members of the alliance, speaking to the Irish Examiner, insisted they will not simply be rubber-stamping the deal agreed between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail last Friday.
The alliance is to meet with Fine Gael ministers today at 10am, but Mr Halligan said he has the support of his other five colleagues despite pressure to support Fine Gael.
Mr Halligan said he was told by Health Minister Leo Varadkar that funding for other hospitals would be called into question if issues at University Hospital Waterford were to be addressed to his satisfaction.
Fine Gaels agreement with Fianna Fail to form a minority government must now be accompanied by guarantees of support from at least six Independent TDs.
Mr Halligan made his comments during an appearance on RTEs The Week In Politics.
Fellow Independent Alliance TD Finian McGrath said he will only support a deal if he gets what he needs in terms of his priorities.
Michael Fitzmaurice played down the chances of a deal being done this week.
He said he did not think it would be possible to finalise their deal before Thursday, as issues such as rural affairs and agriculture remain to be agreed.
We paused our talks with Fine Gael. We still have a lot to agree upon. Agriculture alone could take a day, he said.
Discussions between some Independents and senior officials have also taken place in conjunction with the face-to-face meeting on Friday with Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
Everything from health services, increased spending on services for those with disabilities, and the future of rural post offices have been discussed.
Denis Naughten, of the so-called Rural Five group of TDs, is another who could be offered a cabinet seat in exchange for his support.
With Mattie McGrath increasing unlikely to support any deal, just three of the group Mr Naughten, Noel Grealish, and Michael Harty could be involved.
The Healy-Rae brothers are yet to make up their mind as to what to do. Michael Healy-Rae said: What I am doing is I am keeping my counsel until after that meeting tonight. There is a lot to be considered.
Bougainville Technical, Vocational and Trade Education boosted
A total of 53 teachers from the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville graduated today with Australian recognised Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
The newly upskilled teachers will deliver a range of important vocational training across Bougainville in tourism and hospitality, carpentry and construction, plumbing, agriculture, business administration, and electrical, automotive and metal fabrication trades.
The TVET training was delivered by the Australia-Pacific Technical College and Papua New Guinea National Department of Education TVET wing with support from the Bougainville Department of Education.
Australian High Commission Counsellor Suzanne Edgecombe said: The Australian Government is proud to support the Bougainville Education Board and the PNG National TVET wing in their aim to introduce nationally certified competency based technical and vocational training. The teachers graduating today will help give their students important practical skills and professional competencies. Ms Edgecombe said it was pleasing that a large number of graduates are women.
Australia works closely with the Governments of PNG and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville to promote gender equality and social inclusion in the education sector. The teaching of technical and vocational subjects is a traditionally male-dominated area so it is good to see that some 40 percent of the graduate teachers are women, Ms Edgecombe said.
The TVET instruction in Bougainville was supported by the Australian Government in partnership with the Governance and Implementation Fund managed by the Governments of Australia, Papua New Guinea, Bougainville and New Zealand.
It also emerged that the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) has begun examining alternative sites to the St Vincents Hospital Group site in Ballsbridge including the Beacon Hospital, Cherrywood, and Merrion Rd.
The groups chairman, James Menton, informed the Department of Health it would continue its dealings on the proposed development with the department, but would not meet with the joint project committee, describing it as futile and pointless.
Mr Menton also said that the offer from SVHG to house the new National Maternity Hospital remains on the table for the time being.
He was harshly critical of the NMH in a Sunday newspaper, accusing them of trying to string us along and embarrass us into signing the planning permission.
A mediator was brought in between both sides when an impasse arose over SVHGs refusal to allow the project go to An Bord Pleanala until it receives a commitment the NMH will come under its corporate governance. The NMH has pointly refused to cede its control to SVHG.
Health Minister Leo Varadkar has said he supports both hospitals retaining their corporate independence, as it is a sound governance model. However, he can not intervene as while both hospitals receive HSE funding, they are privately owned with their own voluntary board.
Under plans proposed by St Vincents, the NMH would have two to three directors on the St Vincents board, a chief executive, and a master, but there would be a clinical oversight committee and the master would not sit on it. St Vincents argues the maternity hospital would have full clinical autonomy, but it does not like the master model where one person is both clinical director and CEO. SVHG also warned that there can not be two separate boards if both hospitals are to function effectively on the one site, but NMH wants to stay independent.
Former master of the NMH and chair of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Peter Boylan, sits on the board of the NMH.
He has warned that, as a Catholic Church-controlled hospital, there could be potential problems providing elective vasectomies and tubal ligations, IVF, and gender reassignment treatment to patients at the NMH.
A retired civil servant was hired to chair mediation talks which halted in advance of the general election and need to re-commence after a new minister for health is appointed.
Acting chief executive of St Vincents, Michael Keane, added there would be absolutely no issue with staff carrying out procedure that they are doing now, such as IVF, sterilisation etc.
Meanwhile, Mr Menton warned that SVHG did not suddenly change their stance on governance.
The board had made this a condition since the very beginning, said Mr Menton, as a single system is needed for the project to be effective .
In contrast, the NMH say they were first told of the plan in 2014.
However, only a small proportion of complaints were upheld following investigation.
Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald revealed that a total of 348 Category A complaints were made against prison staff and other prisoners in the past three and a half years. Figures provided by the Irish Prison Service show that just 18 complaints have been validated, while 249 complaints almost three in every four were not upheld.
One complaint was not proven while 57 complaints have not yet been fully investigated. A total of 23 complaints were terminated under the Prison Rules whereby a prison governor seeks an explanation why a complaint is withdrawn by a prisoner to ensure it was not as the result of a threat or intimidation.
The prison governor must forward a report on the case to the director general of the Irish Prison Service who decides whether the investigation can be terminated or should continue.
Allegations of assault account for more than half of all complaints made by prisoners. Racial attacks are the second most common type of complaint with 69 reported incidents, representing a fifth of the total.
There were also 42 complaints relating to mistreatment of prisoners as well as 27 classified as sexual. Another 27 complaints were made concerning threats and intimidation.
The Inspector of Prisons, Judge Michael Reilly, has recently carried out a review of the prisoners complaint procedure operated by the Irish Prison Service and made a number of recommendations including the possible role for a Prison Ombudsman.
In reply to a parliamentary question by Independent TD, Clare Daly, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said she and her officials were currently examining the inspectors recommendations.
The intention was to have robust procedures in place which would give prisoners access to a credible complaints system that deals with genuine complaints in an open, transparent, and independent way, said Ms Fitzgerald.
The system is categorised based on the nature of the complaints with the most serious type such as physical assaults or serious intimidation classified as a Category A case.
Category B complaints include allegations of discrimination, verbal abuse by prison officers and inappropriate searches, while Category C complaints relate to cases where prisoners are unhappy with the level of service by prison authorities. Category D complaints are those made against professionals providing services to prisoners such as doctors and dentists.
Under legislation, Category A complaints are examined by investigators from outside the Irish Prison Service whose reports are sent to the relevant prison governor as well as the director general of the Irish Prison Service and the Inspector of Prisons. A panel of 22 external investigators were recruited to examine such complaints.
Official figures show that Cloverhill Prison has accounted for almost a quarter of all serious complaints by prisoners a total of 86 since November 2012.
Prisoners in Mountjoy have made 56 serious complaints over the same period.
The literary festival promises a jam-packed programme of events including workshops, readings, storytelling, public performances, panel discussions and art exhibitions.
Running from Thursday until Sunday, it kicks off with a childrens event in City Hall before moving on to The Book Centre for a whistlestop tour of James Joyces famous novel in Robert Gogans Strolling Through Ulysses!
Journalist and writer Gene Kerrigan will be one of Fridays highlights as he speaks to Waterford historian James Doherty about 1916 and his latest non-fiction book The Scrap.
Madeleine Keane will also be in conversation with Carlo Gebler on Friday, who will discuss his book The Projectionist The Story of Ernest Gebler, which tells the story of his estranged fathers life.
Writer and presenter of The Book Club, RTE radios Sinead Gleeson will be in Central Library for a free event on Friday night. Perfectly Formed; The Art of the Short Story will also feature Nuala OConnor, Tom Morris and Waterford native Orla Shanaghy.
A long-term commemorative tribute to the memory of Waterford writer Sean Dunne will also take place on Friday night with the presentation of the Sean Dunne Young Poets Award 2016.
The festival was originally known as the Sean Dunne Writers Festival (1996-2010) before being renamed. However, the Young Poets Award remains an integral part of the Waterford Writers Weekend.
A bumper programme of events will take place on Saturday including free storytelling, arts and crafts and workshops for children. An exclusive preview of Little Bones by Sam Blake will take place on Saturday and Waterford native Eibhear Walshe (The Diary of Mary Travers) will also be speaking with Carlo Gebler.
The highlight of Saturday is expected to be Amnesty International director Colm OGorman who will speak at the Greyfriars Gallery between 6pm and 7pm.
The four-day event is organised and run by Waterford City and County Council Library Services and Arts Offices and is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.
Lucy Aughney from Waterford City and County Library said local people and businesses in the Deise have really got behind the festival.
And she said there is a lot of talent in Waterford.
We have a local writers group doing a Sunday Miscellany-style evening and weve two local writers running workshops so we do like to support homegrown talent and give them a platform to show off their craft and teach others about it, she said.
And as the bid to be crowned European Capital of Culture for Ireland in 2020 heats up, the Three Sisters (Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny) will be hoping to gain momentum as they hold an open mic night in Downes Bar as part of the weekends activities. The night will be facilitated by Waterford-born actress Lynda Gough.
The final day of the literary celebration will incorporate a Getting Published Workshop and A Workshop for Your Inner Editor.
TV3s Andrea Hayes will also speak at a public event about her book A Pain-Free Life. n For a full list of events, or to book tickets: www.waterfordwritersweekend.ie.
LAYLAS VBF is strikingly handsome and exceptionally perceptive. Google is a golden doodle, assistance dog to Layla, who has autism.
Mum Edel describes the magic Google brought to Layla, 7, husband Stephen, Karl 19 and Chloe 13.
The benefit to Layla of Googles devotion was gradual, says Edel. We got Google at 16 weeks from My Canine Companion in Cork. We socialised him for a year, getting to know and love each other. Socialisation involved bringing Google to supermarkets, on public transport, to restaurants and public places.
Edel describes My Canine Companion: It is a national charity founded in 2011 by Cliona ORourke. Everyone with autism needs a dog like Google. These highly-skilled dogs cost on average 8,000. Finance is imperative; there is zero Government or other funding.
Google is extraordinarily intuitive, enthuses Edel. He knows what Layla is thinking or about to do almost before she thinks it or he sees any action.
See the wall at the gate? We built that to protect Layla. Once, she and Google were barely a minute outside. Google dashed inside, out again, back in... I was puzzled. Glancing out after 10 minutes, I was horrified! Layla had climbed the pillar onto the wall. If Google hadnt alerted me... Edels voice fades away.
Googles dedication is obvious. Layla doesnt verbalise her undeniable love. If Google is not instantly visible, she screams, explains Edel. His effect on us is remarkable. A child with autism is highly stressful on the family. Google is soothing and calming.
Edel describes the innovative approach of Cliona and husband Niall as inspired. My Canine Companions pioneering concept of the assistance dog living with the recipients family before training is dramatically different to, say, Guide Dogs for the Visually Impaired. Those are socialised by dog-lovers. We had the pleasure of knowing and loving Google in advance.
Edel, seven-year-old Layla and her retriever doodle assistance dog named Google. Pictures: Nick Bradshaw
EDELS TRAINING IN CORK WITH GOOGLE
At 18 months, Googles extensive training commenced. I joined him towards the end, says Edel.
They received group training with three parents and their dogs. The sounds, sights and basic commands were familiar to Google because of his socialisation with Edel.
All commands are essential, the most significant being Leave it! because Google learned to ignore all distractions: edible treats on the sidewalk, dogs approaching, admiration... any diversion from assisting Layla.
We visited hotels, restaurants, public places, climbed stairs, travelled on buses and a train trip. Throughout, the dogs socialised with each other.
The training was gruelling.
It was nerve-wracking, exhausting, exciting, says Eded. Most of all, it was thrilling.
Google took up his royal residence on December 18, 2014. The best Christmas present imaginable.
Three sessions of attachment training followed four weeks later. Google, in front, is attached to Laylas belt by a short lead and Edel holds the longer lead, which is attached to Layla. Both walk on Edels left.
Google is treated royally hes like another child, smiles Edel. He sleeps in Laylas room but we welcome him with open arms in all our bedrooms.
IN-SERVICE TRAINING:
Although not compulsory, Edel enjoys monthly in-service training at Liffey Valley.
Ten minutes are spent supervising basic commands. Google and I are monitored walking slowly, quickly, beside, behind or in front for 20 minutes.
Together with the other handlers, these sessions reinforce and refresh the excellent training.
They automatically involve pack training, both with the other assistance dogs and curious canine on-lookers.
Then, the cuppa, all dogs at ease. I love going, both for training and comparing notes. Liffey Valley staff are brilliant.
Edel doesnt allow visitors to pet Google. He adores attention. Sitting beside Layla at family meals, Google is working and shouldnt seek notice or beg for treats.
Everyone gets down and dirty with Google before leaving. Every dog, he rolls over, paws waving, enjoying his tummy and ears being tickled.
Googles presence indicates that Layla may behave differently in crowds or around excessive noise. Embarrassment and explanations are now non-issues. Google is a game-changer, says Edel.
Laylas sense of touch developed enormously. She puts her arms around his neck, holds him by the ears and constantly lies with her feet on his back. He laps up her love and attention.
Layla helps me bathe Google, handing me the shampoo and brushes. She loves his freshly fragrant coat. Not so much the wet doggy coat, but then, who does? laughs Edel.
When working, Google excitedly dons his working uniform and steps nobly out.
Its surprising these three amigos get anywhere, with the admiration, questions and enthusiasm showered upon them from everyone.
Work, work, work... Google adores working and is constantly vigilant. He stops whenever he perceives danger.
Edel praises the kindness encountered. Stephen ordered a crane to hoist a hot tub onto the patio. The guy discovered Laylas special needs and refused the fee of 1,000.
The family had had no holiday in five years.
Weve been to Lanzarotte twice last Christmas and since. exclaims Edel. Aer Lingus was marvellous. Google was the cover boy on the in-flight magazine.
Niall, co-founder of My Canine Companion, explains that golden doodles and labradoodles are chosen for their temperament, robustness and stamina.
Each child with autism definitely deserves their Google.
An essential part of its normal lifecycle was in rats, which it made reckless so that they would be an easy prey for cats. Inside a cat, it could initiate the first stage of its development. So it reproduced itself, rat to cat, cat to rat, saecula saeculorum. That it sometimes ended up in a human was not part of the plan.
Unfortunately, having lodged in a human brain, it could steer the host into acts of fatal recklessness, such as running across a highway populated by fast-moving vehicles. This was something the professor, Dr Flegr, often did as a young man, and it was the memory of that insane behaviour that caused him to investigate it when he became a biologist at Charles University in Prague.
There, he discovered the virus Toxoplasma gondii (Toxo for short). I said in my article that perhaps criminals should be brain scanned to see if their minds were possessed by the reckless virus, and possibly plead exonerating cause for their behaviour. A surprising 30% to 40% of humans do carry it, but it remains largely inactive in most.
Recently, I read of another fascinating and bizarre case of one species invading another and controlling its behaviour. This time, it is a fungus controlling an insect, zombiefying it, if such a word exists.
Papa Doc Duvalier who once ruled Haiti was believed to have the power to turn his subjects into zombies if they displeased him. Having turned them into the living dead, he would then have them work as automatons in his gold, copper or diamond mines.
Or, he could hand them over to the Ton Ton Macoute, his secret police, who would then make the dead dead, equally exploitable in that the family business included selling Haitian cadavers and body parts to foreign medical schools. Thousands of Haitians were murdered for this purpose, and hundreds of thousands fled the island.
After Daddy Doc became dead himself, his son, Baby Doc, aided by his sister, Michelle, held power for a further 15 horrendous years. Jimmy Carter, as US president, managed to exert some restraint, but then Ronald Reagan again cosied up to them because they were (of course) staunchly anti-communist. However, Baby Doc didnt have the alleged zombiefying powers that helped his father rule by fear, and he was deposed by popular revolution in 1986.
The aforementioned fungus, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, popularly known as the zombie ant fungus, is a tropical mushroom that invades the body of Camponotus leonardi, a species of ant, and uses it as a vehicle for its self-perpetuation.
The way it invades the living ant is sinister, and what follows is bizarre, as other members of the ant colony attempt to save themselves from being similarly zombified.
The fungus releases microscopic spores that free-float in the air. One attaches itself to an ant and releases enzymes that eat through the insects external skeleton the shell that supports and protects the body and takes over its central nervous system. The ant becomes a zombie, with no mind of its own. It is living but it is a machine, an automaton entirely in the funguss control.
So powerful is that control that it can entirely negate the ants instinctual behaviour and send it wandering away from its colony to search for conditions precisely favourable to the fungus: humidity 94% to 95%, temperature 20C to 30C. Having located this microclimate, the ant is steered to climb to the top leaves of a plant tall high enough to catch air movements, and locking onto the leaf with its powerful mandibles, to hang there, suspended, until it dies.
Finally, with the ant dead, the fungus releases its spores over the jungle floor to infect new ants.
However, the ants fight back. So vulnerable is the species to the fungus that it has learned to quarantine colony members exhibiting the first symptoms of zombiehood. If it did not, the fungus would take over, and kill, the entire colony. It is surely extraordinary that primitive vegetables and insects has evolved sequential, cause-and-effect strategies.
To end on a local note, I see that weeks ago, writing from La Gomera, I said that bluebells would shortly be carpeting the forest floor at home. I was premature. Bluebells are still unusually thin on the ground, as are ramsons. Blackthorn is flowering, and primroses are having a good year. Yesterday, I saw my first tortoiseshell butterfly slowly wakening after its winter-long hibernation.
WITH seven weeks to go to the Brexit polling day, in the UK, much can be learned from Irelands frequent referendums on EU treaties.
Even the undoubted star power of US President Barack Obama has done little to quell the impression that the UKs Remain campaign is floundering.
With the Brexit outcome uncertain, Ireland provides important lessons, which the Remain side would do well to absorb.
This will be the first referendum on the European Union held in the UK since 1975. Ireland has held nine EU-related referendums since 1972. The more recent of these have been volatile. Twice the Irish electorate has rejected EU treaties (Nice Treaty, 2001; Lisbon Treaty, 2008), only for those decisions to be emphatically reversed in subsequent polls.
Irish referendum results have been heavily influenced by early, consistent, and diverse mobilisation of social forces, encompassing not just political parties, but also cross-sectoral support and strong civil-society engagement.
Where there has been broad mobilisation, referendums have passed. Where mobilisation has been weak or haphazard (2001, 2008), referendums have failed.
Business organisations, trade unions, and farmers are crucial contributors to EU referendum debates and have the potential to mobilise significant numbers of voters. Their input is typically utilitarian, outlining how a vote to remain or leave will impact directly on the interests and welfare of their sectoral constituents.
Political parties do not necessarily have the same resonance or credibility with voters, as they tend to be encumbered by ideology, and ill-will towards politicians pervades contemporary politics.
Irish referendums also demonstrate, emphatically, that turnout matters. Low turnout in 2001 and 2008 contributed significantly to the defeat of the Nice and Lisbon referendums.
In both cases, the failure to mobilise pro-EU voters in sufficient numbers contrasted with a committed core of staunchly EU-opposed voters. Thus, low turnout is associated with a greater likelihood of the proposition before the voters being defeated; high turnout seems to favour the pro-EU side.
Recent polling evidence demonstrates a key weakness of the Remain campaign, namely, the failure (thus far) to engage younger voters. An opinion poll for The Observer newspaper put the Leave side on 43%, four points ahead of Remain, on 39%.
Some 18% of voters said they were undecided. But the most worrying finding of the poll was the apathy of younger people. Support for remaining in the EU is strongest among the 18-34 age group, with 53% of this cohort saying they want to stay in, against 29% who want to leave.
But only 52% in this age group said they were certain to vote. In contrast, older voters are more likely both to vote, and to vote to Leave, with 55% in favour of leaving and a striking 81% saying they were certain to vote.
This hugely significant generation gap may well hold the key to the outcome of the referendum. Put simply, the Remain side must reach out to, engage, and mobilise younger voters, if the UK is to avoid a Brexit.
Referendum campaigns matter more than election campaigns and voters are more likely to change their minds during a referendum campaign. Within this context, the mobilisation of voters is the key challenge for both sides.
Last years marriage equality referendum, in Ireland, demonstrated conclusively that a bottom-up campaign, led by civil society and cleverly utilising social media platforms, can succeed in mobilising young people in large numbers.
Without the support of younger people, the referendum would not have passed. Thus Remain campaigners would do well to pay attention to that campaign and how it succeeded in getting the younger vote out.
UK campaigners might also consider that EU referendums in Ireland have been the victim of a broader problem, namely the knowledge vacuum on Europe. This has been a consistent theme around EU referendums in Europe generally.
Simply put, the electorate demonstrates profound ignorance of EU institutional structures and decision-making, and this facilitates the persistence of all kinds of mischaracterisations of the EU, what it is, and what it does. Post-referendum research on the Lisbon Treaty referendum, in Ireland, in 2001, demonstrated that 35% of those surveyed said they did not know what the Treaty was all about and only 8% had a good understanding of the issues.
This is especially important in the UK, for two reasons. Another recent opinion survey found that British voters have significantly less knowledge, and thus understand significantly less about the European Union, than the citizenry of any other EU state.
If voters are to make rational decisions about the choice before them, the Remain campaign will have to emphatically bridge the information and knowledge gaps, and provide voters with sufficient information that they are properly able to understand the issues and what is at stake for the United Kingdom.
A second reason relates to the nature of the leadership of the pro and anti-European campaigns. In Ireland, the case for the EU has always been made by a strong consensus among elites within the three main political parties: Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, and the Labour Party.
By contrast, in the UK referendum, the Remain campaign is being led by David Cameron and George Osborne, who, throughout their careers, have demonstrated pronounced Eurosceptic leanings.
They now argue that the UKs future can only be securely guaranteed from within the EU, but they have spent most of the last 20 years bashing Brussels, railing against alleged EU encroachments on British sovereignty, and thus reinforcing the myriad tabloid myths about the evils of the Brussels bureaucracy.
Now, David Cameron has to campaign for the case to Remain and he faces a formidable challenge.
Not alone are all the big guns of the Eurosceptic press lined up against him, but his own party is in disarray on the subject.
Winning a referendum against this backdrop will be no easy feat. The Irish experience of EU referendums might be notably different from that of the UK, but the lessons learned may nevertheless be remarkably prescient.
Mary C Murphy is Jean Monnet professor of European politics at the department of government, University College Cork. John OBrennan is Jean Monnet professor of European integration at the department of sociology, Maynooth University
IN THIS year of celebration of nationhood, it is both ironic and shameful that the freedom to govern ourselves ,won at such a cost, should be so lightly regarded by those to whom the people have entrusted power, following Februarys election.
The power as well as the responsibility to form a government rests with elected representatives. The people neither get it right nor wrong. They vote as they always do for a multiplicity of reasons. Some voters are well informed, others not at all.
They vote to help shape the next government according to their individual preferences, be they whimsical or weighty. What happens afterwards depends on how everyone else has voted.
Then it is over to the newly elected parliamentarians, especially those of larger parties, to forge the alliances that will produce a stable administration that reflects, however imperfectly, the will of the people.
It is the democracy for which blood was shed. Not a perfect system, just the best there is. How ironic that what was won with blood is now being reduced to pointless, populist squabbling over water.
Fianna Fail, in particular, stand apart in their opportunistic obduracy. Safe water is not a gift from heaven, a national birthright, as leftist politicians insist.
You can indeed lay claim to all the water that falls into your troughs, buckets, barrels, and butties. But pumps, pipes and treatment plants do not fall from the sky. Fianna Fail should take a responsible position in the matter and support the legislation introduced by Fine Gael and Labour in the last administration rather than ditching in with political players whose radical populism has never been tested with the responsibility of political power.
FG TDs disagree on whether to reimburse water charges to those who paid https://t.co/F42Tqk5p6R pic.twitter.com/D8KmXJXkHb Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) May 1, 2016
Attempts to justify their position by leveling charges of bloated bureaucracy at Irish Water are a bit rich coming from a party that surrounded itself by self-aggrandising quangos. A culture that Fine Gael, it must be said, were quite happy to take on board.
Despite pledging to abolish quangos in the 2011 election campaign, they have dismally failed to do so. In fact they have added a few of their own including of course Irish Water.
Why would anyone expect Irish Water to be an exception to the established way of doing things? At least, they are providing a tangible and necessary service upon which the health and convenience of every family in the country depends, which is more than can be said for the majority of quangos.
Fianna Fail should know better. Every country in the EU has water charges under an EU directive. They themselves, when last in power, initiated legislation that would have cost more than current charges.
In fact, water charges here are the cheapest in Europe, followed by Bulgaria, a country with a very low cost of living. Water supply and water quality are top of the worldwide ecological and agenda. It has to be paid for and for the sake of conservation the best way of paying is to, in one way or another, link charges to usage. The 30,000-litre cap on charges per household, topped up with 21,000-litre allowance per child under 17 is generous. A typical bill for a two-person adult household is 260 annually. Compare with the annual TV licence of 160 which you are obliged to pay, whether or not you view the national channels, it seems like very good value indeed.
The Green Party pointed out, prior to the general election, that 50% of water pumped into the system is lost through leaks and that there is still raw sewage discharged from 44 urban centres.
The installation of meters has enabled the water authority to locate and deal with such leaks. We get constant reminders of how broken and obsolete and downright hazardous our water system still is whenever boiling notices are served by local authorities.
Over hot summers we have all experienced recurring water stoppages around the country. Sometimes, there is no water to fill a kettle in the morning, depending on how elevated the site of your house is.
The problem can be blamed on infrastructure but also on the early riser with the water hose who has doused his roses or his car with abandon. He or she would most likely not be so particular if the cents were flowing with the water.
The Green Party, however, has become somewhat guarded on the issue. According to Eamon Ryan, most people use water responsibly. Surely not as responsibly as they would if they were charged for it.
If most people were responsible with plastic bags, we would not have needed a supermarket bag levy either, something vigorously and rightly promoted by John Gormley back in 2002 and which has massively reduced their usage.
It is not, it must be said, that the Greens have changed their stance on water charges but they have become somewhat a skittish on the issue, citing the need for public investment and generous allowances and calling for a referendum to vest the ownership of water as a national resource in the people of Ireland.
A more nonsensical reason for a referendum would be hard to dream up. Populist, costly, and diversionary.
The State ultimately controls and regulates the system and few have any problem with that.
It is paying for it that is causing the angst along with the established belief that for a new formed quango, water is the new gravy train.
With two seats in the new Dail, the Greens cannot be blamed for the current impasse.
It is Fianna Fail, too busy settling scores, old and new, with the old enemy who deserve to be water under the bridge if another election is forced.
Even if they prop up a minority Fine Gael administration for a while, cat and mouse style, for tactical reasons, they deserve no better.
Putting party before country is shameful anytime but at this time of centenary celebration it is more than shameful, it is shameless.
However, it does take two to play out the game.
Fianna Fail have tabled a killer hand in the high stakes game of political power and Fine Gael in their desperation to hold power have, it appears, decided to see them and finesse away principle and common sense in the desire to scoop the prize.
In a few more years, we will have reached the centenary of the Civil War and the divisions that produced both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
What a tribute to the maturity of our politicians and what a gesture to those who secured our independence if, by then, their descendants could have shown that as a country we have grown up to the point where we can make common cause when the national interest requires it.
Some people seek fame while others, like Vietnamese-born Kim Phuc Phan Thi, have it thrust upon them. She was barely nine years old when a photo of her running naked from a napalm attack during the Vietnam War caught the worlds attention. Crying, burned, and fleeing with other children away from the attack, she became emblematic of human suffering during the war. Her skin is still blistered from the napalm that hit her body and scorched off her clothes.
More than four decades on, she has become a symbol of not just endurance but of the power of the human spirit to rise above adversity. She has used the fame that came with that horrific moment to send a message of peace and forgiveness.
Indeed, the two men discussed the future of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) and the people who used to live there. Obama later met opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, who also raised the resettlement of the exiled islanders. Obama was said to have listened sympathetically.
While there has as yet been no statement on what was said in the meeting between Obama and Cameron, the US president seems unlikely to have made any objections to the return of the Chagos exiles.
This clears the way for Cameron to agree to a pilot settlement scheme, probably on Diego Garcia, the location of a strategically important US base.
In 1965, the Chagos archipelago was detached from Mauritius, before its independence in 1968, and transformed into a new UK colony, BIOT.
Then, between 1968 and 1973, the UK authorities forcibly removed the 1,500-strong indigenous population of the archipelago on the pretence that they were contract workers to make way for the US base.
The islanders were dumped at the quayside in Mauritius or the Seychelles and left to fend them for themselves.
Commentators invariably refer to the 1966 deal struck between Harold Wilsons Labour government and Lyndon Johnsons Democrat administration for the use of Diego Garcia as a lease but in fact there is no lease the agreement was simply an exchange of notes between the two governments.
However, the agreement runs out at the end of 2016 and an optional 20-year extension has yet to be signed.
There is little doubt that this will happen because it is in the perceived interests of both countries to maintain a powerful military and naval base on Diego Garcia in a world of global terrorism and Middle East instability.
Since the decision of the UK High Court in 2000 to restore the right of the Chagossians to return to the outer islands in the archipelago, there have been several obstacles put in the way of resettlement, including the worlds largest no take (ie, no fishing) Marine Protected Area (MPA) announced by the then foreign minister David Miliband in 2010.
Since its independence, successive Mauritius governments have called for the return of the Chagos archipelago.
The government in Port Louis achieved a notable success in its efforts when in March 2015 a UN arbitration tribunal found the MPA to be unlawful and requested Mauritius and the UK to hold discussions to resolve the issues.
Over a year later there seems to have been little, if any, progress between the UK and its former colony. Whether sovereignty was discussed at Obama and Camerons meeting remains unclear.
But it seems unlikely that the issue would have been ignored at this first meeting between a US president and the British PM at which BIOT was discussed.
Meanwhile a few days ago, Henry Smith, Conservative MP for the West Sussex town of Crawley, where it is estimated that around 2,000 Chagossians now reside, stated that US bases around the world are often located alongside civilian populations without compromising security, and implied that the US had a moral obligation to come up with some or all of the money needed for resettlement.
While US opposition, defence, security and treaty obligations are no longer deployed by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office as reasons against resettlement, as well as the fact that an independent study carried out by KPMG in 2015 found that resettlement was feasible, the only outstanding question remains funding.
Unlike his predecessor, William Hague, and despite pressure from some of his own backbenchers like Smith, current UK foreign secretary Philip Hammond, a small government enthusiast, seems reluctant to commit money to the project.
David Snoxell, co-ordinator of the 46 strong Chagos All-Party Parliamentary Group, which has representation from all 10 political parties in Parliament, commented: This is the first time resettlement has been discussed by a British prime minister and a US president. Its the last hurdle.
Cost is not the big issue it is made out to be and with help from our US ally there is no longer any reason why resettlement should not be agreed this year. What a perfect legacy for both leaders who will not be standing for election again.
In case anyone is in any doubt about the moral implications of the islanders forced removal nearly half a century ago, he added: Lets not forget that the Chagossian exile has lasted longer than the biblical Babylonian exile.
Dr Sean Carey is honorary senior research fellow in the School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester
Helicopter operator CHC confirmed that the Super Puma had to turn back to Flesland Airport in Bergen last Tuesday when the pilot spotted the indication light.
After a part was replaced, a test flight the following day was also aborted and another component changed when the light reappeared.
The company said the aircraft completed six commercial flights with no indications of problems on Thursday, the day before the fatal accident.
The helicopter was carrying two crew and 11 passengers from the North Sea Gullfaks B oil field, around 120km off the Norwegian coast when it crashed en route to Flesland.
Television footage has shown what appears to be a helicopter rotor blade spiralling down minutes before the helicopter crashed.
A statement from CHC said: It is correct that the helicopter returned to base on Tuesday 26 April.
The pilot had a warning light and returned to Flesland according to procedure.
At Flesland the helicopter was inspected, according to procedure, and a part was replaced.
Wednesday, the helicopter was taken on a test flight, where the warning light reappeared, the helicopter returned to base, changed another component, the next test drive was completed without any warning light.
Thursday, the aircraft completed six commercial flights, all without any indication of problems. None of the changed parts were physically connected to rotor or gearbox.
The statement added: These returns to base are essential for flight safety and part of operating in a highly regulated industry.
Speculation about the cause of the accident is unhelpful and we must also be careful to respect the feelings of the families who perished in the tragic events of Bergen, it said.
The Labour leader joined the crowds at Clerkenwell Green in the capital to mark the international day honouring workers.
Corbyn addressed workers from the top of a red London bus and said the Labour movement stood united.
We stand in solidarity now against the growth of the Far Right in Europe.
His appearance marked the first one by a Labour leader at a May Day rally in 50 years.
The rally celebrates what was won by workers campaigning over many years, including the NHS, education, pensions and affordable housing, which organisers claimed were under attack by austerity.
With placards brandishing slogans such as Cameron must go, the rally marched to Trafalgar Square where more speakers addressed hundreds of workers.
A brass band played as the rally marched through the streets of London, along the Strand, to Trafalgar Square.
Workers held placards representing dozens of unions. Many held banners and placards calling for Prime Minister David Cameron to resign.
There was a large contingent calling for international solidarity on human rights and trade union rights. Several others held placards in support of junior doctors.
At one point the rally was stalled as it passed along the Strand where a group from Unite set off red smoke flares.
Junior doctor Yannis Gourtsoyannis told the May Day rally at Trafalgar Square that the NHS would be the site of the last stand against austerity.
He pleaded with the rally to not let the NHS fail and to defend the BMA. We need you and you need us, he said.
Fr Berrigan died peacefully at Murray-Weigel Hall, a Jesuit healthcare community in New York after a long illness, according to Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province.
Fr Berrigan and his younger brother, the Fr Philip Berrigan, emerged as leaders of the radical anti-war movement in the 1960s.
The Berrigan brothers entered a draft board in Catonsville, Maryland, on May 17, 1968, with eight other activists and removed records of young men about to be shipped off to Vietnam.
The group took the files outside and burned them in rubbish bins.
The Catonsville Nine, as they came to be known, were convicted on federal charges accusing them of destroying US property and interfering with the Selective Service Act of 1967.
All were sentenced on November 9, 1968, to prison terms ranging from two to three-and-a-half years.
Rev Fr Daniel Berrigan and some friends participating in a fast and vigil to protest the bombing in Cambodia, on the steps of St Patricks Cathedral in New York City.
When asked in 2009 by America, a national Catholic magazine, whether he had any regrets, Fr Berrigan replied: I could have done sooner the things I did, like Catonsville.
Fr Berrigan, a writer and poet, wrote about the experience in 1970 in a one-act play, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, which was later made into a movie.
Fr Berrigan grew up in Syracuse, New York, with his parents and five brothers.
He joined the Jesuit order after high school and taught preparatory school in New Jersey before being ordained a priest in 1952.
As a seminarian, Fr Berrigan wrote poetry.
His work captured the attention of an editor at Macmillan who referred the material to poet Marianne Moore.
Her endorsement led to the publication of Berrigans first book of poetry, Time Without Number, which won the Lamont Poetry Prize in 1957.
Fr Berrigan credited Dorothy Day, founder of The Catholic Worker newspaper, with introducing him to the pacifist movement and influencing his thinking about war.
Much later, while visiting Paris in 1963 on a teaching sabbatical from LeMoyne College, Fr Berrigan met French Jesuits who spoke of the dire situation in Indochina. Soon after that, he and his brother founded the Catholic Peace Fellowship, which helped organise protests against US involvement in Vietnam.
Fr Berrigan travelled to North Vietnam in 1968 and returned with three American prisoners of war who were being released as a goodwill gesture.
He said that while there, he witnessed some of the destruction and suffering caused by the war.
The Berrigan brothers continued to be active in the peace movement long after Catonsville. Together, they began the Plowshares Movement, an anti-nuclear weapons campaign in 1980.
Both were arrested that year after entering a General Electric nuclear missile facility in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and damaging nuclear warhead nose cones.
Philip Berrigan died of cancer in 2002 at the age of 79.
In Russia, tens of thousands of people marched across Moscows Red Square in a pro-Kremlin workers rally. The protesters were carrying the Russian tricolour and balloons.
As is typical for rallies organised by the ruling United Russia party, the May Day rally steered clear of criticising President Vladimir Putin or his government for falling living standards. The slogans focused on wages and jobs for young professionals.
Left-wing Russian groups held their own rallies.
This year the May Day coincided with the Orthodox Easter in Russia. Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov told Russian news agencies ahead of the rally that he celebrates Easter despite the Communist partys history of oppressing the Russian Church.
In Turkey, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse dozens of May Day demonstrators in Istanbul.
Small scuffles broke out between police and demonstrators trying to reach Istanbuls Taksim Square. Taksim has symbolic meaning as the centre of protests in which 34 people were killed in 1977.
In the Istanbul districts of Sisli and Bakirkoy, police fired tear gas and water cannon to scatter other protesters. They also rounded up at least 36 demonstrators, according to Anadolu Agency.
The state-run news agency said police deployed around 15,000 officers and 120 water cannons in Istanbul, which has witnessed two suicide bombings this year.
May Day marches were held elsewhere in Turkey without incident but were cancelled in the southern city of Gaziantep after a car bomb attack on a police station.
In Manila, about 2,000 left-wing protesters scuffled with riot policemen, who used shields and a water cannon to try to prevent the flag-waving demonstrators from getting near the US embassy. Labour leaders said 20 protesters were injured.
Some of the protesters managed to break through the police cordon. TV footage in the Philippines showed some of them punching a retreating police officer and using wooden poles to hit a fire truck.
Police made no arrests and protesters dispersed after about two hours.
May Day rallies were held across the Philippines, with campaigning entering the final week ahead of the May 9 presidential election. Some of the candidates pledged to address labour complaints.
In Taipei, Taiwans capital, labour unions took to the streets with a march to call on the government to reduce working hours and increase wages.
Many among the Taiwanese public have been concerned that outgoing President Ma Ying-jeous push for closer economic ties with China has benefited just a few. Young Taiwanese have seen wages stagnate and good full-time jobs harder to find as the export-led economy has slowed.
Chen Li-jen, a protester with the Taiwan Petroleum Workers Union, said that while companies were seeing their earnings per share grow every year, workers salaries were not rising in tandem.
Hardworking labourers are being exploited by consortiums, Chen said.
For the past decade, our basic salary has not made any progress, he said. Laborers rights have always been neglected. This is why I hope to take advantage of the May 1 Labour Day protest and tell the government that we are determined to fight for our rights.
Asia China Trains Fishing Militia to Sail Into Disputed Waters
The fishing fleet in a tiny port town on Hainan island is being turned into a sophisticated fishing militia to sail into the disputed South China Sea.
BAIMAJING, China The fishing fleet based in this tiny port town on Hainan island is getting everything from military training and subsidies to even fuel and ice as China creates an increasingly sophisticated fishing militia to sail into the disputed South China Sea.
The training and support includes exercises at sea and requests to fishermen to gather information on foreign vessels, provincial government officials, regional diplomats and fishing company executives said in recent interviews.
The maritime militia is expanding because of the countrys need for it, and because of the desire of the fishermen to engage in national service, protecting our countrys interests, said an advisor to the Hainan government who did not want to be named.
But the fishing militia also raises the risk of conflict with foreign navies in the strategic waterway through which US$5 trillion of trade passes each year, diplomats and naval experts say.
The United States has been conducting sea and air patrols near artificial islands China is building in the disputed Spratlys archipelago, including by two B-52 strategic bombers in November. Washington said in February it would increase the freedom of navigation sail-bys around the disputed sea.
Basic Military Training
The city-level branches of the Peoples Armed Forces Department provide basic military training to fishermen, said the Hainan government advisor. The branches are overseen by both the military and local Communist Party authorities in charge of militia operations nationwide.
The training encompasses search and rescue operations, contending with disasters at sea, and safeguarding Chinese sovereignty, said the advisor who focuses on the South China Sea.
The training, which includes exercises at sea, takes place between May and August and the government pays fishermen for participating, he said.
Government subsidies encourage fishermen to use heavier vessels with steelas opposed to woodenhulls.
The government has also provided Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) equipment for at least 50,000 vessels, enabling them to contact the Chinese Coast Guard in maritime emergencies, including encounters with foreign ships, industry executives said.
Several Hainan fishermen and diplomats told Reuters some vessels have small arms.
When a particular mission in safeguarding sovereignty comes up, government authorities will coordinate with the fishing militia, the advisor said, asking them to gather information on the activities of foreign vessels at sea.
Row With Indonesia
That coordination was evident in March, when Indonesia attempted to detain a Chinese fishing vessel for fishing near its Natuna Islands in the South China Sea. A Chinese coast guard vessel quickly intervened to prevent the Indonesian Navy from towing away the fishing boat, setting off a diplomatic row. Beijing does not claim the Natunas but said the boats were in traditional Chinese fishing grounds.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea. The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and Brunei also have conflicting claims over the islets and atolls that constitute the Spratly Archipelago and its rich fishing grounds.
State-controlled fishing companies dominate the fleets that go regularly to the Spratlys and are recipients of much of the militia training and subsidies, industry sources said.
China has by far the worlds biggest fish industry, but depleted fishery resources close to Chinas shores have made fishing in disputed waters an economic necessity, fishermen and industry executives say.
State-owned Hainan South China Sea Modern Fishery Group Company says on its website it is both military and commercial, both soldiers and civilians. One of its aims, the company says, is to let the Chinese flag fly over the Spratlys.
Defending sovereignty is primarily the governments concern, said Ye Ning, the companys general manager, in an interview at his office in Haikou. But of course, regular folks being able to fish in their own countries waters should be the norm. That goes for us too.
The company provides fishermen who sail to the Spratlys with fuel, water and ice, and then purchases fish from them when they returned, according to a written introduction to the companys work that executives provided to Reuters.
A Lot More Risky
Its gotten a lot more risky to do this with all kinds of foreign boats out there, said Huang Jing, a local fisherman in the sleepy port town of Baimajing, where a line of massive steel-hulled fishing trawlers stretches as far as the eye can see.
But China is strong now, he said. I trust the government to protect us.
Chen Rishen, chairman of Hainan Jianghai Group Co. Ltd, says his private but state subsidized company dispatches large fleets of steel-hulled trawlers weighing hundreds of tons to fish near the Spratly Islands. They usually go for months at a time, primarily for commercial reasons, he said.
If some foreign fishing boats infringe on our territory and try to prevent us from fishing there Then were put in the role of safeguarding sovereignty, he said in an interview in Haikou, the provincial capital of Hainan.
China does not use its fishing fleet to help establish sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said: This kind of situation does not exist.
China had taken measures to ensure the fishing fleets conduct business legally, he told a ministry press briefing last month.
Rules of Engagement
Chen said his fishermen stop at Woody Island in the Paracel islands, where China recently installed surface-to-air missiles, to refuel and communicate with Chinese Coast Guard vessels.
They look forward to using similar facilities China is developing in the Spratly Islands, he said.
China has been pouring sand from the seabed onto seven reefs to create artificial islands in the Spratlys. So far, it has built one airstrip with two more under construction on them, with re-fueling and storage facilities.
This all points to the need for establishing agreed protocols for ensuring clear and effective communications between civilian and maritime law enforcement vessels of different countries operating in the area, said Michael Vatikiotis, Asia Director of the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, which is helping claimant states design such confidence-building measures.
A regional agreement on communications and procedures when rival navies meet at sea applies only to naval ships and other military vessels, he said.
Asia Foreign Minister Reaffirms Japans Economic Ties to Thailand
Japans foreign minister arrived in Bangkok on Sunday to reaffirm economic ties after a slump in Japanese investments in Thailand amid political concerns.
BANGKOK Japans foreign minister arrived in Bangkok on Sunday aiming to reaffirm economic ties after Japanese investments in Thailand slumped last year amid political concerns as well as stiff competition emerging from more nimble neighbors.
Japan has historically been the largest investor in Thailand, Southeast Asias second biggest economy, which it sees as an important production base.
However, Japanese investments in Thailand nosedived by 81 percent last year, according to official data, something analysts say mirrors concern about Thailands economy which continues to struggle under prolonged military rule.
Increased competition from the regions newer economies, such as Vietnam and Burma, is posing another threat to foreign investment in Thailand.
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told a news conference after meeting his Thai counterpart at the beginning of a two-day visit that Thailand remained an important stakeholder.
Thailand is a stakeholder that Japan cannot be without as many big and medium-sized Japanese firms from over 4,500 companies are based here, Kishida told reporters.
Japan still came top in foreign direct investment (FDI) in Thailand last year, with total investments approved valued at more than 144 billion baht (US$4.13 billion).
A senior Japanese diplomat, who wanted to remain anonymous, said Thailands military government was keen to allay Japanese fears on potential political obstacles to investment.
Thailand has been ruled by a junta since the military took power in a May 2014 coup. The junta has promised a swift return to democracy but has pushed back a general election now expected to take place in mid-2017.
The military government, led by Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, has struggled to revive Thailands export-dependent economy.
The country has seen a fresh wave of small, anti-junta protests over the past two weeks ahead of an Aug. 7 referendum on a draft constitution that critics say will enshrine military power.
Kishidas visit to Bangkok kicks off his tour of the region including Burma, Laos and Vietnam.
It follows his visit to Beijing where China and Japan both expressed willingness to improve strained relations over conflicting territorial claims in the East China Sea.
Burma Calls for More Women in Peace Process on European Study Tour
Leading women from minority and civil society groups advocate more female participation in Burmas peace process and federalism during trainings in Switzerland and Norway.
GENEVA, Switzerland Bringing more women into Burmas peace process and construction of a federal state is crucial, several of the countrys female leaders said during a training tour in Europe last month.
The women have played various roles in Burmas peace process and were invited to Switzerland and Norway to learn more about federalism, peace and security issues, and womens empowerment. Both European countries are staunch supporters of conflict resolution in Burma.
The participants reflected on how a political dialogue could be conducted in Burma and how federalism could enrich the countrys young democracy.
Naw Zipporah Sein, the vice chair of the Karen National Union (KNU), an ethnic armed organization that signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement with the government last year, said: A federal system is best-suited to Burma to ensure equality and democratic rights.
Our public needs to understand how to share power, resources and tax revenue, she said. Participation from the people in these core aspects of the federal state is essential.
Meanwhile, Burmas State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi said last Wednesday that the government was planning to hold a 21 century Panglong-style conference within the next two months, referring to a 1947 agreement Suu Kyis father, Gen. Aung San, forged with several major ethnic minorities.
[This conference] would be a good venue to talk about federal principles, Zipporah Sein said, adding that she hoped the government creates a space to include all of the countrys ethnic groups, even ones that did not participate in last years ceasefire signing.
Zipporah Sein said that the commitment of the Burma Army, also known as the Tatmadaw, would be important to building genuine peace and a federal union. Additionally, there needed to be reforms within both the Tatmadaw and the ethnic armed organizations, she continued.
Chin Chin, an ethnic Chin peace negotiator and the director of the Nationalities Brotherhood Federation, agreed that power sharing among the states and the central government was important to creating a truly federal system like the one used in Switzerland.
We are now able to talk about federalism, something which had been barred from discussion under the military regime, she said. That makes me satisfied.
The delegation is the fourth group to study federalism in Switzerland and was made up of women from ethnic armed organizations, political parties, lawmakers, peace envoys, civil society groups, womens affairs organizations and journalists.
Ja Seng Hkawn Maran, a Kachin State parliamentarian from the Kachin State Democracy Party, said that in order to have more women participate in decision-making processes, We have to change our mindset [that only men can lead], which has been deeply ingrained in us.
Not just the men, but we women too must change our attitudes so that we can learn and lead, she said. We must cooperate and share responsibilities so that we can achieve equality and basic human rights.
Tin Tin Latt, the vice chair of the Myanmar Womens Affairs Federation, said that the knowledge she gained about conflict resolution and federalism during the trip would help her as a participant in Burmas peace process.
The information [about federalism] is all new to me, she said. We can take some of these practices and apply them [to building our country].
The Myanmar Womens Affairs Federation (MWAF) is the largest womens organization in Burma and boasts the wives of generals and high-ranking military officers as its leaders.
I am now going to share this knowledge with other women in the MWAF, so that they know when building a federal government, collaboration and respecting minority rights are key, Tin Tin Latt said.
Switzerland, a federal state, previously hosted three delegations: the Karen National Union (KNU), the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) and representatives from the Burma Army. Both the KNU and the RCSS signed a ceasefire agreement with the government in October 2015.
Last months delegation focused on Switzerlands federalism, the role of the police and the army in state building, power sharing among the central government and regional counterparts, ceasefire processes and minority rights protection under a federal state.
Co-organized by SwissPeace and the Burmese NGO Nyein Foundation, and supported by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, the delegation stayed in Switzerland for 10 days and attended two days of seminars in Norway with support from the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.
Editors Note: The author of this story was among the womens delegation visiting Switzerland and Norway.
Burma Heavy Winds Hit Mandalay
El Nino winds strike Mandalay Division again, damaging homes, causing blackouts, and injuring residents.
MANDALAY Heavy winds hit towns in Mandalay Division on Friday, leaving them littered with debris and killing at least one person in Pyawbwe Township.
Myint Myint Aye, a 32-year-old Pyawbye resident, died when a tree collapsed on top of her on her way home. The division had no other reported fatalities, but the strong winds ripped the roofs off schools and monasteries and damaged local pagodas.
The winds uprooted trees, toppled lampposts and injured three residents in Chanmyathazi and Maha Aung Myay townships, parts of Mandalay city.
Areas near Kandawgyi Lake in Chanmyathazi were hit hard. Big trees collapsed and lampposts broke. A tent outside a restaurant blew away and at least three people suffered minor injuries, said an officer from the Mandalay Municipal Department, who was at the scene.
The debris blocked roads around Kandawgyi Lake and in Chanmyathazi and Maha Aung Myay townships. Old trees collapsed, damaging power cables and causing severe blackouts.
We are trying our best, with the help of the fire brigade and police, to clean the debris, the officer added. Technicians from the electrical department are rushing to repair the power cables to restore electricity to the townships.
Moreover, in Tatkon Township, near Burmas capital Naypyidaw, three men were struck by lightning and hospitalized with minor injuries, while three others were injured when their homes collapsed.
According to Tatkon locals, about 1,000 homes collapsed, while other buildings sustained damage.
The winds also destroyed homes, schools, pagodas and monasteries in Mahlaing, Singu, Madaya, Yamethin and Thazi townships.
According to a Department of Meteorology announcement, Mandalay, Sagaing and Magwe divisions, along with Kachin, Shan, and Chin states, are expected to receive more heavy winds and rain in the next two days.
Independent meteorologist Tun Lwin issued a statement on his website and on social media that the severe weather was a result of El Nino, and warned about future storms as well.
Although the country has faced the effects of El Nino, we also need to prepare for La Nina. The weather forecasts show El Nino weather weakening, and ending in June, while there is a 70 percent chance that La Nina will arrive in September, he wrote on his Facebook.
Burma KNU, RCSS Meet to Ready for Second Panglong Summit
Members of the two largest signatories to the nationwide ceasefire meet to discuss strategy ahead of the Panglong-style summit proposed by Aung San Suu Kyi.
CHIANG MAI, Thailand The Karen National Union (KNU) and Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) held private talks here over the weekend about a second Panglong-style peace conference, an idea proposed by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi last week.
As the state counselor focuses on federalism, we are discussing what this Panglong conference should include, as well as the countrys current political landscape, KNU Maj-Gen Saw Issac Po told reporters in the northern Thai city.
Suu Kyi called for a Panglong-style summit to be held within two months, when she addressed the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (JMC) in Naypyidaw on Wednesday, a meeting that included representatives from signatories to the so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA). That accord was signed on Oct. 15 under Burmas previous quasi-civilian government.
The two groups meeting in Chiang Mai talked about the type of federalism that the eight NCA signatories would demand during peace talks, the new governments negotiation team, and Suu Kyis proposed Panglong conference, said RCSS spokesman Lt-Col Sai Hseng Murng.
The first Panglong Conference was held on the eve of Burmas independence in 1947 by Suu Kyis father, Gen. Aung San, and leaders from three of the countrys ethnic minority groups. The meeting to determine how the new union of Burma would be constituted is widely praised for the spirit of cooperation that it fostered between the dominant Burman majority and ethnic minorities at the time.
The term 21st century Panglong Conference has been used by Suu Kyi. So far, we dont know what [the conference] will be like. We are discussing the sort of federalism that the ethnic groups envision in preparation for the talks, the lieutenant-colonel told the press.
The KNU and the RCSS are the two most powerful groups among the eight NCA signatories, as well the leaders of the Ethnic Armed Organizations Peace Process Steering Team (EAO-PPST), which was formed by the signatories to provide leadership during future peace talks.
KNU chairman Gen. Mutu Say Poe is the EAO-PPST leader, RCSS chairman Lt-Gen Yawd Serk serves as deputy leader, and other leaders of the NCA signatory groups are team members.
Burma Minister Warns Engineers Will Be Jailed for Poor Roads
Win Khaing says engineers will be jailed if the roads they construct dont last at least five years, the length of his governments term.
RANGOON During a press conference on Saturday about a 100-day plan to reduce road accidents on the Rangoon-Mandalay motorway, Construction Minister Win Khaing said engineers involved in building Burmas new roads will be thrown in jail if the roads do not last at least five years.
We firmly guarantee that if the roads dont last the five years of the new governments tenure, well send those engineers [involved in construction] to jail, Win Khaing said.
The warning comes amid long-standing public criticism against previous government attempts to construct new roads, many of which are rendered unusable during monsoon season and are in generally poor condition throughout the rest of the year.
Win Khaing acknowledged that, on its own, his ministry lacks the budget necessary to repair the entire Rangoon-Mandalay motorway, which spans nearly 400 miles and has become notorious for fatal road accidents since it was opened in 2010. He added that his staff would do their best to repair a 20-mile stretch of the motorway and that he would seek international assistance to repair the rest.
We dont have the budget [to repair the entire motorway]. If we divide the budget, we can only allocate about 10 billion kyats [US$8.6 million] for each township. [Therefore] we have to find international development partners [in order to fully repair the motorway], Win Khaing said.
The minister stressed that Burma is in desperate need of general infrastructural development, describing improvement to infrastructure as key to citizens socioeconomic development.
Its critically important that roads linking villages and districts are fit for purpose so that people can have a better standard of living, he said.
From its opening in 2010 to the end of 2014, some 400 people have been killed and more than 1,000 more wounded in road accidents on the Rangoon-Mandalay motorway.
According to Win Khaing, the Ministry of Construction is also planning to launch an affordable housing project in the capital Naypyidaw. This new housing is expected to include about 40 apartments, each priced lower than 10 million kyats [$8,605].
Burma Proposed By-Election Changes Aim to Limit Polls Frequency
Parliament looks to reduce the frequency with which by-elections are held by banning them in the first and fifth year of parliamentary terms.
RANGOON Burmas Union Parliament is looking to modify election laws to reduce the frequency with which by-elections are held by blocking off the first and fifth year of parliamentary terms as periods in which polls to fill empty seats cannot be called, according to a statement issued on Friday.
The amendment would be applied to all of the countrys legislative bodiesthe Union Parliaments Upper and Lower houses and 14 regional legislatureswhich currently require by-elections within six months of a chamber seat being vacant, as per modifications made earlier this year.
The change would mark the fourth time amendments were made to a set of three election laws that were enacted in 2010.
Sai Kyaw Thu, a director from the election department of the Union Election Commission (UEC), expressed support for the modifications, while noting the important role by-elections play in ensuring voters have a voice in legislatures.
If a constituency has vacant seats for both chambers of the Parliament or regional parliaments for too long, it will not be good for voters [in those constituencies], he told The Irrawaddy.
Election watchdog Thant Zin Aung, who is chairperson of the Forward Institute, agreed with half of the new by-election restrictions, but highlighted the legislative terms first year as critical and suggested that a ban on by-elections in this period would be a mistake.
During the first year of a Parliament, representation of lawmakers must be really strong, especially on a path to democracy like [Burmas] current situation, he said.
Every seat [in Parliament] should be occupied to raise voters voices. If not, the vacant constituencies will become really weak, he added. The first year of a Parliament is all about proposing new bills, submitting important proposalswhich every lawmaker should be actively involved in.
However, Thant Zin Aung said he supported a prohibition on by-elections in the last year of the countrys five-year legislative terms.
Holding a by-election in the last year of the Parliament is a waste of money as the legislative body should be already stable and the term will expire in the following year, Thant Zin Aung said.
Burma has held just one by-election since its transition to quasi-civilian government began more than five years ago. That by-election, in April 2012, saw the now ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) contest and win dozens of seats, though the party remained an opposition force in the legislature with little power until last years general election, when it won nearly 80 percent of elected seats.
The 2012 by-election was called to fill 45 seats in the Union Parliament, many of which were vacated by members of the formerly ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) who took up positions in the cabinet. The NLD has selected fewer of its cabinet members from the national legislature than its USDP predecessor.
Nonetheless several other constituencies remain without representation after the UEC decided not to hold elections in some Shan State townships, citing instability caused by conflict, or in the case of the Wa Special Region, the local Wa authorities decision not to allow polls in the semi-autonomous zone.
Burma Protesters Push for Peace in Arakan, While Lawmakers Bicker in Rangoon
Thousands protest in Arakan State to demand a cessation of hostilities after a recent escalation of violence leaves more than 1,000 displaced and homeless.
RANGOON Thousands of people protested throughout northern Arakan State on Sunday demanding that the Burma Army halt operations against the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed organization. Fighting has flared in the restive state since April 16, forcing thousands of villagers to flee their homes.
According to local sources, thousands of Arakanese staged peaceful protests in nine townships of northern Arakan State, which borders Bangladesh.
Saw Shwe Maung, a police officer in the ancient city of Mrauk-U, said that 1,500 people participated in a protest in the township, which was led by two influential monks. They had received permission from local authorities.
The Arakan National Party (ANP) led about 1,000 protesters in the state capital of Sittwe, according to police officer Aye Khin Maung, who said that permission had been granted for the demonstration.
Local sources told The Irrawaddy that some protesters held posters that read: Burma Army, get out of Arakan State!
An official with the Arakan State government, Min Aung, said that the state administration had discussed how to approach resolving the conflict, but the recent intensification of hostilities had been largely ignored. The Arakan Liberation Party, another ethnic political organization, has accused the Burma Army of war crimes and violating the Geneva Conventions.
Min Aung declined to comment on the accusations, saying that it was a military matter.
A delegation of lawmakers from across the political spectrum supplied rice and oil to internally displaced people (IDPs) last week. According to the government, more than 1,000 IDPs are now living in monasteries.
The Arakan State government does not yet have a resettlement plan for the IDPs, according to Min Aung, who said that the victims are not too far from their homes to return, but we dont have an official count of how many there are.
Khine Pyay Soe, vice chairman of the ANP, said his party has donated five million kyats (US$4,265) to those who have found shelter in monasteries.
Some villagers were killed by the Burma Army after being forced to be porters, said Ba Gyi Kyaw of Wunlark Development Foundation, which is providing relief efforts, stressing that the states affected civilians eneed more support.
Meanwhile, ANP members are trying to generate support in Rangoon.
Wai Sein Aung, an ANP parliamentarian in the Upper House, submitted an emergency proposal to call a halt to further hostilities in Arakan. This move received immediate opposition from military appointees in the Upper House, who objected to referring to the ethnic armed organization as the Arakan Army, rather than the Arakan Armed Group, which the military prefers.
Upper House Speaker Mhan Win Khaing Than said that the term Arakan Armed Group will be used in the proposal, which is expected to generate heated debate tomorrow.
We mainly proposed two things, the ANPs Wai Sein Aung said. We want to stop deadly clashes and invite the AA to join peace discussions.
Burma Ruling Party Members Meet Powerful UWSA in Panghsang
Three members of the National League for Democracy meet United Wa State Army leaders as the new government begins delving into Burmas fractious peace process.
RANGOON Three members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) met leaders from the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Burmas largest ethnic armed group, at the latters Panghsang headquarters last week, according to a source along the Sino-Burmese border, as the new government begins delving into the countrys fractious peace process.
Kyi Myint, a spokesperson for the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the two sides discussed how they will cooperate in the new governments work for peace and development of the country. Kyi Myint is close to UWSA leaders and his armed group has an informal alliance with the Wa.
Xiao Ming Liang, vice chairman of the UWSA, and other senior leaders from the group met the three NLD members on April 28 in Panghsang, capital of the Wa Special Region in northeastern Shan State.
According to Kyi Myint, the three NLD membersSoe Htay, Than Lwin, and Myint Kyiwere not visiting Panghsang as official envoys of the new government.
As I understand, they did not go as a delegation from the government. They visited there in a personal capacity. This group was not sent by Daw Suu [NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi], said Kyi Myint.
UWSA leaders, Kyi Myint added, warmly welcomed the delegation and believed that the three NLD members would convey the meetings takeaways to Suu Kyi and her government despite the informal nature of their visit.
Soe Htay is an elected Lower House lawmaker representing Kawkareik Township in Karen State. Than Lwin is an NLD parliamentary communications officer, while Myint Kyi is a member of the Myanmar-China Friendship Association.
Both the NLD and UWSA have appeared reluctant to discuss the meeting. Zhao Gaoan, a spokesperson for the UWSA, refused to offer comment when contacted by The Irrawaddy by phone.
Tun Tun Hein, an NLD central executive committee member, said he had not heard anything about his party sending the three men to Panghsang.
Last week Suu Kyi, the NLD chairwoman and Burmas state counselor, met delegations from the eight non-state armed groups that signed a so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement in October, along with members of the Burma Army.
The UWSA is not among the ceasefire signatories, though a 1989 truce between the group and successive central governments has held strong over the years.
Kyi Myint said his NDAA and UWSA leaders had agreed to participate in the coming NLD-led peace negotiations with the aim of furthering the countrys development.
Terre Haute, IN (47809)
Today
Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 79F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph..
Tonight
Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 63F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
A developer got the idea to install Windows 95 on an Apple Watch so that all those fans of the old Microsoft operating system can enjoy experiencing it again on Apple's wearable gadget.
According to The Verge, developer Nick Lee announced in a blog post that Windows 95 can run on an Apple Watch. He also posted a video on YouTube showing how Windows 95 looks like on Apple's device. The old operating system is functional but slow.
It makes sense that the Apple Watch should be capable to run Windows 95 since the wearable gadget's specs are well above those of a typical computer running Microsoft's old OS. The Apple Watch comes with 8GB of storage. It features a 520 MHz processor and 512MB of RAM -- specs that are well above the original minimum specs Microsoft recommended for Windows 95.
However, there are quite a few challenges to install Windows 95 on an Apple Watch. Among them are including the fact that the Apple has not vetted the app and it does not provide a way to install new operating systems on its wearable tech.
According to the same publication, in order to get Windows 95 running, Lee modified Apple's development software. A loophole within the WatchKit SDK allows developers to run their own code rather than Apple's. This way, Lee was able to emulate an environment for the Microsoft operating system to run on and to finally turn Windows 95 into a Watch app.
Another issue Lee also had to deal with is the fact that the Apple Watch's screen is programmed to turn off when it is not in use. In order to prevent the watch's screen from falling asleep, the developer set up a device that constantly turns the Watch's crown every few seconds.
According to Digital Trends, Tenigi Insights' Nick Lee is the same developer who gained notoriety in 2010 for sneaking onto the App Store a flashlight app with a hidden tethering feature. After the press publicized his efforts, Apple discovered Lee's handiwork and removed the app just after a few days of sticking it to mobile phone carriers.
Verizon has warned that data breaches are on rapid ascent despite organisations repeatedly told that they are at risk and then failing to implement even basic defences and training.
iTWires Peter Dinham has covered the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) that is one of the most anticipated each year as there are few others that match its integrity, depth, and scientific rigor.
The DBIR report independently analyses and highlights common attack patterns using data from 67 companies worldwide it identifies how often an attack vector results in a successful breach. Many organisations look to incorporate DBIR findings into their security programs.
Tenable Network Securitys Cris Thomas has responded with some insights into how to make the Verizon DBIR report actionable.
In this years report, the year-over-year trends in the breach data have not shown many distinct revelations or changes. Despite what many vendors on the RSA Conference show floor were saying, the report clearly shows that most attacks are still coming from outside of the organisation. The two top motivators for attackers remain money and espionage - the recent increase in ransomware attacks may have contributed to those numbers.
It is also somewhat shocking to see that internal discovery [or mean time to discovery] of a breach continues to decline. What this says about the industry is that organisations still dont have a handle on the traffic flowing through their networks.
Its important to remember that despite this globally reaching report, the DBIR is only a subset of data, and many breaches still go unreported, and many have yet to be discovered by their victims.
In fact, none of the problems detailed in the DBIR are new issues, which is why the tried and true methods of good security hygiene remain the most effective ways to protect against modern attackers. From vulnerability mitigation and proper patch management to credential control and continuous monitoring, the goal should always be to aim for continuous visibility and a comprehensive solution that eliminates blind spots and proactively reduces risk.
Phishing/Credential Stealing
One theme within the DBIR is clear - attackers are becoming smarter. They know how to leverage multi-pronged, financially motivated attacks, which is why [socially engineered] Phishing continues to be one of the biggest threats.
The DBIR combined the results of over eight million phishing tests in 2015 from multiple security awareness vendors and found that the mean time from the start of phishing campaign to first click is 3 minutes and 45 seconds. Thats less than 4 minutes from an attacker targeting your organisation until they have a foothold on your network.
Attackers also take advantage of weak passwords and steal credentials because they know it is much easier to simply log into a service than to attempt to find an exploit that works against it. In fact, the Verizon DBIR revealed that 63% of breaches used weak, default or stolen credentials.
The best way to outsmart attackers is to go back to the basics: segment your network, continuously monitor your environment, enable two-factor authentication and keep track of which credentials are used where, when and by whom, and then flag and investigate any anomalies. This will go a long way in helping to eliminate any blind spots, tighten up security and mitigate the potential losses from a phishing attack.
Exploits/Vulnerabilities
The median time to exploitation in the wild after a vulnerability has been published is around 30 days. Vulnerabilities in Adobe products see the shortest time from publication to exploitation with the mean time to exploitation being around ten days. This means that attackers are exploiting vulnerabilities extremely quickly, leaving the defender precious little time to apply patches or mitigations.
According to the 2015 DBIR, 99.9% of the exploited vulnerabilities were compromised more than a year after the CVE was published, and we continue to see this trend in the 2016 DBIR. Older and well-known vulnerabilities continue to be the source of most attacks, with the top 10 known vulnerabilities accounting for 85% of successful exploits. However, the other 15% is made up of over 900 vulnerabilities.
The DBIR recommends vulnerability scanning as a way to help identify new devices, services and changed configurations. The key to any scanning program is to reduce or eliminate your between-scan blindness. Simply running a quarterly, monthly or even weekly scan will not be sufficient. Active scanning must be combined with passive network traffic scanning to enable discovery of new devices and services in near-real time.
Thats why a comprehensive security assurance program, including vulnerability management and continuous monitoring, is far more effective at preventing data breaches than fire drills focused on the threat of the day.
Mobile/IoT
Just as in last years report, the 2016 DBIR still shows no significant data on breaches involving mobile or IoT. This could be sample bias, or it could be that these areas just arent as big of a threat as many corporate marketing departments would lead you to believe.
However, that does not mean that mobile and IoT should not be included in an organisations risk assessment strategy and security program. The threat environment continues to evolve, so its a good practice to monitor and secure all devices, be they desktops or mobile, to make it more difficult for attackers to gain entry in the future. Just be sure that you assess the risk from mobile and IoT appropriately for your environment.
Make the Verizon 2016 DBIR actionable for your organization
The Verizon 2016 DBIR is loaded with statistics and analysis about the threats, vulnerabilities, and actions that lead to security incidents. However, the process of gathering and analyzing the data needed to act on Verizons recommendations is an iterative, challenging, and time-consuming process. Most organizations simply dont have the time to manually extract data from different parts of the business and iteratively filter and convert the information into security monitoring and an actionable program.
Use Tenable dashboards to gain visibility, context, and actionable intelligence from the DBIR findings
Tenable has created easy-to-use Verizon DBIR dashboards that collect contextual information about attack patterns based on several sections of the 2015 DBIR to give you the visibility, context, and actionable intelligence you need to apply DBIR information to your networks.
Emerchants announced on Monday it had agreed to the acquisition from SFS which is a leading provider of prepaid stored value programs in the USA and Canada, with closed-loop shopping mall card programs representing 85% of funds loaded and evenly split between the two countries.
The acquisition will be fully funded through an A$58.5 million placement of 40.35 million shares to investors at $1.45 per share and an A$11.7 million equity placement to the vendors at $1.45 per share.
The managing director of the ASX-listed Emerchants, Tom Cregan said SFS has been profitable since 2009 and the acquisition will be immediately EBITDA accretive for Emerchants.
Cregan said in the first 12 months post-acquisition, Emerchants anticipates SFS will generate revenues of AU$33.3 million and contribute AU$4.7 million in EBITDA to the groups results.According to Cregan, there is a compelling strategic rationale for Emerchants acquisition of SFS and the company has been actively focused on a platform in North America for the past six months.He said the acquisition provides Emerchants with an established, profitable business in North America that has a track record of success, long-term customer relationships, low concentration risk amongst its customer base and has been EBITDA positive since 2009.And, Cregan says the deal expands Emerchants service offering to the largest prepaid market in the world with loads in the USA projected to exceed US$715 billion per annum across a range of reloadable and non-reloadable segments.He said the Canadian market is also a significant market in its own right, with prepaid volumes expected to exceed CA$19 billion by 2017.In the past 18 months Emerchants has transformed itself from a company operating in Australia, with revenues in FY12 of $3m and with 90% of revenue concentration in one key customer, into a company operating in 11 countries with our largest customer representing no more than 10-15% of revenues, Cregan said.In that time we have demonstrated that we have been able to seamlessly integrate the UK/EU business and with the recent announcement of bet365 in the United Kingdom, that we can leverage our technology and solutions to other markets and offer shareholders exposure to markets with significant long term growth.We believe this acquisition will generate similar long term benefits for our shareholders. It provides the Company with access to the market in the USA, the largest prepaid market in the world, and another significant prepaid market in Canada. In the process, we will grow the business and diversify the risk profile of the business, by operating in 13 countries, in 5 currencies and where the largest single customer will represent no more than 5% of revenues.Cregan said the Board of Emerchants has established clear approval requirement for acquisitions, notably that they provide an expansion in EBITDA as our most important measure, and that they provide us with access to additional geographic markets and/or access to new technologies that we can translate into other markets. The Board believes that this acquisition meets those criteria and (thus) is in approval of the acquisition.Emerchants lists SFS key customers in the US and Canada markets as including Lenovo, T-Mobile, AT&T, HYLA Mobile and Cadillac Fairview, Ivanhoe Cambridge, Shell Canada and US Bank.
BlackBerrys PRIV on Android now runs Android Marshmallow 6.0 a great update to an interesting, secure smartphone.
iTWire has reviewed this unique handset and calls it a 'Wolf in Android' clothing. It is pretty goo - not perfect - but it is secure and possibly the only choice for absolutely private communications.
PRIV with Android M is now available on ShopBlackBerry.com, and coming soon to all major carriers offering the smartphone. Existing PRIV users will be able to upgrade to Android M by downloading the software update on their device.
Android Marshmallow on PRIV brings users more ways to improve their mobile security by providing new opportunities to monitor and control privacy with its unique DTEK app. Users will obtain greater productivity through enhancements to the BlackBerry keyboard, Hub, launcher, Camera and battery performance.
PRIV by BlackBerry is the most secure Android device in the market and we continue to find ways to further enhance users security and privacy by adding new features with the Marshmallow operating system update, said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO, BlackBerry.
Features include:
Raising the Standard for Privacy and Security
Building on BlackBerrys legacy of security and keeping customer data private, DTEK by BlackBerry has been updated to empower users with more ways to monitor and control their privacy better protecting PRIV from malware, hacks and data breaches.
Customised Personal Data Permissions Apps demand access to personal data, even when its not necessary for the app to function properly. DTEK gives the power back to users to control what to share and when. Turn permissions off at any time and still continue to use the app.
Improved Notification Settings Users will only be shown notification controls for sensors that a given app has specifically requested access to. For example, if an application does not request microphone it will not appear in the list.
S/MIME Support The new S/MIME feature in BlackBerry Hub adds another level of security by allowing users to digitally sign and encrypt their emails.
Enhanced BlackBerry Keyboard
The BlackBerry Keyboard has been updated to provide better predictive typing, accuracy, and control.
More Emoji Users now have access to over 200 new and updated emojis.
New Gesture Typing The new swipe capability allows users to slide their fingers from key to key to enter words on the virtual and/or physical keyboard.
Enhanced Word Prediction Better word predictions anticipate the next word based on where users place their fingers on keys. Predictive typing now also learns words with numbers and provides better name suggestions based on a users contacts.
Better Cursor Control Activate Cursor Control mode on the physical keyboard for easier positioning and control. Tapping a key on the physical keyboard more accurately places the focus cursor on screen.
Know What You Want, When You Want
Customised notifications to better organise apps and manage productivity with a touch of a button.
Mute Indicator Users can now see the phones mute status at a glance via the floating phone indicator that appears when a call is active. Green for when call is active and not muted, yellow for when a call is active and currently muted.
New Apps in BlackBerry Hub Staying connected with friends has never been simpler. Now view notifications from app favorites Instagram, Skype, Slack and Pinterest directly in BlackBerry Hub to easily manage all messages in one place.
Updated BlackBerry Launcher Better organise apps and widgets into Recent, Personal, and Work sections. Pop-up Widgets are now turned on by default for new users. Set a default home screen, delete a home screen, and remove apps with a flick.
More Battery Life
Get even more out of PRIV with updates to further improve the battery life. When PRIV is at rest, Doze automatically puts the device into a sleep state to increase standby battery life. The App Standby feature will keep infrequently used apps from impacting the battery life.
Engage Your Creative Side
Added tools help customers capture the perfect image with ease and add their own creative flair.
Capture Professional and Cinematic Quality Videos Record videos at 24fps in 4k, 1080p or 720p, for high-quality footage to share on social media.
Slow Motion Video* Capture smooth slow motion video with the PRIVs camera thats up to four times slower. Capture video at 120 fps, which plays back smoothly at 30 fps. The slow motion effect can be applied after taking the video and can be applied to all or any portion of the video. *Audio is not enabled for slow-motion video at this time.
For more information on PRIV, go to BlackBerry.com/PRIV. Follow all updates to PRIV on the Inside BlackBerry blog (blogs.BlackBerry.com). A full list of Android 6.0 Marshmallow updates can be found at: https://www.android.com/intl/en_ca/versions/marshmallow-6-0/
Most IT departments have project road maps that will require open-source skills, but finding recent college grads with open source talent can be challenging.
Whether your company is planning an open-source-based big data implementation, installing an open-platform file manager, or adopting an open approach to customer relationship management, experts say traditional computer science departments might not be turning out students you need.
We still see that the status quo in computer science is very much missing an open-source component, says Tom Callaway, team lead for Red Hats University Outreach program. Therefore, hiring managers and recruiters should look to non-traditional schools that have committed coursework and even degree programs to open source.
Colleges and universities need to be doing more than just having students use open-source applications or platforms; they need to be teaching them about the culture of open source and how to collaborate within the , he says.
Here are six academic institutions and instructors immersing students in the open-source community.
1. New York Institute of Technology
Richard Simpson, associate professor, School of Engineering and Computing Sciences
In his three years at New York Institute of Technology, Richard Simpson has relied heavily on open-source as a key engineering and computer sciences teaching tool. The thing we always struggle with at a university level is having the latest and greatest version of an application, he says.
Proprietary applications such as computer-aided design software require time to gain purchasing approval and to integrate with classwork. And students can quickly fall behind the industry standard. Our priority has always been graduating students ready for work, he says.
Open-source applications and platforms provide students instant access to the updated versions and new features. Open source helps us prepare students for the cutting edge and can demonstrate to employers they are familiar with the latest technology, he says.
He adds that open source offers students a comprehensive package vs. the lite version of applications universities usually license. This allows students to do things in class that are more realistic and ambitious than before, he says.
For instance, a recent class developed a job search application with open-source tools such as the Eclipse and NetBeans integrated development environments and managed and synchronized their code development using GitHub.
The students used real open-source tools to build a real open-source application with the same open-source process theyll use when they step into a job, he says. With those fundamentals, they can learn anything.
2. Rochester Institute of Technology
Stephen Jacobs
Stephen Jacobs, professor and associate director of the MAGIC (media, arts, games, interaction, creativity) center
In the fall of 2014, Rochester Institute of Technology introduced its minor in free and open-source software and free culture, teaching students the intricacies of the open-source movement.
The minors required courses focus on history, becoming a member of a community and contributing, and the impacts of different licenses and FOSS and free culture business practices, according to Jacobs. The electives come from degree programs across campus to allow students to bring what theyve learned back to their specialty and to the other students and faculty in their major community, he says.
Some students might be hired on (either for coop or post-graduation) in engineering roles. Others, he says, need to know about open source to be business consultants or to hold other broader roles. At the end of the day, open source in and of itself is about process and community, not about specific technical skills, he says.
Joshua Pearce
Joshua Pearce, associate professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Joshua Pearce went to open source as a primary tool for his 3-D printing class after his go-to proprietary gateway vendor was bought out and the product was canceled. Pearce had built an entire research program on that software and vowed never to get stuck like that again. I was left with a paperweight, Pearce says.
Today his students use open source modeling languages such as OpenSCAD and the RepRap open source 3-D printing community to build and enhance an open-source 3-D printer. All students are asked to make some significant improvement to the printer itself, he says.
His open-source, hands-on approach is appealing to local employers such as Ford and GM, which look to hire his students into additive manufacturing jobs. The concern within industry is that things taught in universities are too pie in the sky and not applicable. We have a longstanding reputation of creating bloody-knuckled tech engineers who dive into the code, he says, adding the school has strong industry-university partnerships.
Sabine Brunswicker
Sabine Brunswicker, associate professor for Innovation and director of the Research Center for Open Digital Innovation
When Sabine Brunswicker came to Purdue University in 2013, she brought with her the notion that open source should be a priority. It took effort to expose students to the principles of open source and open innovation, she says.
Open source plays an integral role in her research and classroom instruction. Her students dont just focus on coding, she says. They also learn how to act in the open-source community and how to make contributions.
Open source needs to be embedded in the skill sets of all individuals so they can understand its implications for the organization.
Sabine Brunswicker, associate professor for Innovation and director of the Research Center for Open Digital Innovation
Anyone who works in a technology-related area, in her opinion, should know how to work with open source. Open source is important for software engineers and developers but also the managerial levels, she says. She points to those making purchasing decisions in an organization, lawyers and project managers as examples of non-technical positions that should understand the principles of open source.
+ ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD: +
Her researchers, who used to use proprietary statistics programs, also depend on open-source alternatives such as R.
Open source needs to be embedded in the skill sets of all individuals so they can understand its implications for the organization, she says. To prepare future leaders, system designers, and engineers for working the open source way, she was instrumental in the creation of a new masters program in the area of open and digital innovation.
5. Western New England University
Heidi Ellis
Heidi Ellis, professor in the Computer Science and Information Technology department
Heidi Ellis is not a fan of sink or swim so she goes to great lengths to ease her students into the open-source community. Each semester, she helps them select a project that is open to student involvement and identifies areas where they could make contributions. Ellis introduces her students to the online community, explains that they are working in 15-week terms, and shares the goal of their participation. For instance, one class contributed written installation instructions to OpenMRS, a global open-source electronic medical record system platform.
By doing this, she says, she helps students avoid getting off on the wrong foot with existing contributors and can observe how they handle themselves in the collaborative environment.
A smaller university like Western New England, she says, provides the unique opportunity to nurture these talents. Trying to do this with a class of 50 students would be a difficult task; doing it with 15 students is more achievable, she says.
She teaches students the importance of soft skills such as business and process in the world of open source, helping them navigate tricky aspects of the coding world, including proving your abilities. Students can start with bug verification and bug fixes and then move on to contribute code. By the time they complete their Computer Science or Information Technology degree, which includes open source, Ellis says they are able to step into an open-source job. Contributions to open source hold huge potential for elevating students above the crowd with respect to hiring, she says.
Ellis is vocal with local business partners about her students knowledge of open source, making it easier for them to identify prospective job candidates. Our partners understand that our students have the ability to produce something the community wants in the way they want it. Thats a huge positive, she says.
6. University at Albany
Patrick Masson
Patrick Masson, instructor in Informatics in the College of Computer Engineering and Applied Sciences
Patrick Masson is firm in teaching students that they shouldnt wait until everything is perfect to post a key tenet of the open-source development community. Release early and release often is a good development practice because it is easier to identify and fix small changes rather than the whole program, he says.
Masson, who also is general manager and director for the Open Source Initiative, an organization devoted to managing and promoting and protecting open source, says open source has revolutionized teaching. Students can post their work and get feedback directly from the open-source community, he says. We can foster key principles around collaboration and transparency.
He shares examples of open-source communities with his students, lets them pick one and then gives them questions they can only find answers to by engaging directly with those communities.
Masson says its essential for teachers to immerse students in these communities because the model of how organizations identify talent is drastically changing. Companies are going directly to the communities and engaging with contributors, he says, so academic institutions must prepare students accordingly.
Gittlen is a freelance writer. She can be reached at sgittlen@verizon.net.
Solar Impulse 2, a pioneering solar-powered aircraft attempting to fly around the world without burning a single drop of fuel, set off early Monday for the U.S. coast-to-coast leg of its flight.
The aircraft departed Moffett Field in Silicon Valley at 5:30 a.m. local time bound for Phoenix, where it is expected to land at around 9 p.m. Solar Impulse 2 had been in California for just over a week after arriving from Hawaii.
The goal of the flight is to highlight and promote clean energy.
The aircraft is powered by solar energy, gathered from thousands of solar panels that blanket the top of the aircraft. They charge up four batteries with enough power to keep the aircraft in the air day or night.
Theoretically, it could stay aloft for months at a time, but the needs of the human pilot mean flights are limited to no more than a couple of days. On the journey from Hawaii to California, pilot Bertrand Piccard flew Solar Impulse 2 for almost three straight days, catching 20-minute naps in the cramped cabin during the flight.
The journey began in Abu Dhabi last summer and has seen the aircraft traverse Asia and across the Pacific to Hawaii. A problem with the battery charging system delayed its departure from Hawaii and, by the time it was fixed, the team decided to wait until the better spring weather to resume the flight.
From Phoenix, the aircraft will fly across the U.S. to New York, making stops at cities on a route yet to be determined. From New York, it will cross the Atlantic to either southern Europe or northern Africa before arriving back in Abu Dhabi sometime in the middle of 2016.
EMC is going back to basics -- but for a new generation of users -- on the first day of EMC World on Monday.
This years annual user conference will be the last for EMC as an independent company, assuming Dell's pending US$67 billion acquisition goes through later this year as planned. Michael Dell will join EMC's Chairman and CEO on stage during the Monday keynote session.
But EMCs core storage business is likely to stay much the same in the short term, because it complements Dell, said Enterprise Strategy Group analyst Mark Peters.
Clearly, Dell is buying a bigger and better storage company, Peters said.
EMC, a diverse federation of businesses, is kicking off the conference with a new backup offering and a storage array priced for mid-sized enterprises. Backup and arrays have been EMCs bread and butter for years. The modern twists here are cloud and flash.
The company is launching Virtustream Storage Cloud, a service designed for seamless backup and data tiering from EMC gear in enterprises. Its meant as an alternative to public-cloud storage services such as Amazon S3.
The advantage of Virtustream Storage Cloud is that EMC users could take advantage of it without buying a cloud gateway from another vendor and signing a contract with yet a third company, the service provider, said Jeremy Burton, EMCs president of products and marketing. EMC would supply the gear on premises, the backup software, the cloud storage and the service and support.
Enterprises could back up older data from their own arrays to the service or just make the cloud a less expensive tier for cold data in primary storage. Less-used data on arrays at the customer site would automatically migrate to the cloud.
Theres a lineup of EMC products that are ready to work with the Virtustream cloud. They include the EMC Data Domain and EMC Data Protection Suite backup systems and the VMax, XtremIO and newly announced Unity arrays. EMC Isilon NAS (network-attached storage) can archive less-used data based on Isilon Cloud Pools policies.
Also on Monday, the company is unveiling EMC Unity, an all-flash array designed primarily for small and medium-sized enterprises and departments.
Flash storage can save enterprises space, power and cooling compared with using spinning hard disks, but theres still a cost premium for flash that makes it more attractive to bigger enterprises than to smaller companies. EMC says it wants to attract smaller customers to flash.
An all-flash Unity system with 2.2TB of capacity will cost about US$18,000, EMC says. (Hybrid configurations will start below $10,000.)
The all-flash pricing may well determine the systems success, analyst Peters said. Most smaller enterprises dont actually need the added performance of all-flash storage, but they might jump on the shiny new technology for the right price, he said.
EMC sees Unity as the eventual replacement for its VNX arrays, and its name is fitting. The VNX line has evolved over the past several years and is now available in all-flash configurations, but at heart its an aging platform that combines two even older systems: EMCs Clariion SAN (storage area network) technology and Celerra NAS controller.
Starting fresh with a new design, Unity will be faster than VNX and take up less space. That 2.2TB all-flash configuration will be two rack units high (1.75 inches, or 44.5mm) versus 7U for VNX, Burton said.
This article has been corrected to show that the entry-level Unity array has 2.2TB of capacity.
The U.S. government has indicted a Virginia couple for running an H-1B visa-for-sale scheme the government said generated about $20 million.
Raju Kosuri and Smriti Jharia of Ashburn, Va., along with four co-conspirators, were indicted last week by a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Va., according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The scheme involved, in part, setting up a network of shell companies and the filing of H-1B visas applications for non-existent job vacancies.
Workers were required to pay their own visa processing fees and were treated as hourly contractors, the DOJ alleged. Treating H-1B workers as hourly contractors is in violation of the program rules, the government said.
More than 800 H-1B visa petitions were submitted over a period of nearly 15 years, according to court documents.
The six people indicted in the case face prison time of anywhere from 10 to 30 years if convicted.
Neither Kosuri nor Jharia could be reached immediately for comment.
The H-1B program may be susceptible to fraud. In 2008, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service reported that a review of 246 randomly selected petitions filed in 2005 and 2006 revealed a fraud rate of just over 13%.
The government's analysis found forged documents, fake degrees and shell companies with fake locations.
Jail time is a risk for people convicted of H-1B fraud, although it's difficult to know how many have actually been sent to prison for it. One H-1B fraud case that may involve a prison sentence is pending in Texas.
A U.S. District Court judge in Dallas is scheduled to consider sentencing, as early as this week, for brothers Atul Nanda and Jiten "Jay" Nanda, for visa fraud following a jury verdict last November. They face up to 20 years in prison for using the visa program to create an on-demand workforce, the government alleged.
Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO of Chobani, met with his workers on Thursday at the company's Twin Falls plant, and announced that he will give around 2,000 full-time employees ownership stakes representing about 10 percent in his privately held company.
The amount that each of these workers will receive will be based on their time with the company, but the median will likely be around $150,000. But for those who have been working for Chobani for a long time that could be over $1 million.
"This isn't a gift. It's a mutual promise to work together with a shared purpose and responsibility," Ulukaya said.
The meteoric rise of Chobani started in a dilapidated Kraft yogurt manufacturing plant in New York. Ulukaya's experience in the dairy industry was his mother's delicious strained yogurt made in his Turkey hometown.
Ten years later, his company has gobbled up $1 billion in annual sales. Chobani now currently operates two plants with 2,000 employees and an estimated company value of $3 billion.
He is still the majority owner of the company and told his employees to think of the grants as a pledge to keep on expanding the company even more.
"We used to work together; now we are partners," he told workers at the company's New Berlin, N.Y. factory.
When employee ownership is made available to company workers, whether through a stock program or an ESOP, it can have a powerful impact on worker culture, said Corey Rosen of the National Center for Employee Ownership.
Workers' performance improves and they build wealth much, much faster, added Rosen.
The CEO of Chobani is vocal about corporate civic duty. Ten percent of his company's profits are given to charity, one third of his workers are refugees, and this employee ownership grant has always been a part of his dream plan.
Puma has developed an amazing gadget that can help track and field athletes train better. Called BeatBot, it goes beyond the conventional wearables that were available in the past years.
This device is propped up with wheels, shaped like a box and is designed to race against track runners so that they can improve their times. An accelerometer is integrated in the device together with a front-facing camera from GoPro, plus infrared sensors for following track lines, and lastly an Arduino microcontroller.
Together, all these features make BeatBot able to count the number of times the wheels revolve to compute the speed of the runner and the distance he has already travelled.
And best of all, it can be set so that a runner can beat the speed of 27.7 miles per hour, the rate at which Usain Bolt set his record in 2009.
According to Puma, BeatBot is able to make as much as 100 adjustments per second, depending on the data it gathers regarding the distance and speed covered. Thus, it can help runners push their limits in fast sprints. But it can also help runners negotiate long distances.
Currently, the globally popular shoe brand is negotiating a shoe deal with Usain Bolt. But Bolt can't certainly beat BeatBot because it can race up to 28.993 mph, or 44.66 kilometers per hour (much faster than his record of 27.7 mph).
Shaped like a Puma shoebox, the price of BeatBox is not yet certain since the company didn't volunteer any information in that regard. However, it said that it is expensive and is strictly for the use of athletes that the company sponsors.
An advertiser, J. Walter Thompson New York is working with the company on this project and a video shared by the company displays its amazing features.
Apparently, SpaceX founder Elon Musk may have even bigger plans for its Mars 2018 goal. The company recently partnered with NASA for the project.
Quartz reported that the private-owned company's well-funded and veteran engineers combined with its dreams of a Mars landing in the next two years is definitely a unique mix. Moreover, SpaceX has a "stealthier goal," too.
Last month, the company was successfully able to land a rocket at sea. This is believed to be a step forward with regards to being able to land on Martian soil without parachutes, airbags or "skycranes" but with rockets alone.
The publication added that SpaceX faces a different challenge in making a rocket successfully land on Mars. The Red Planet's gravity is more than twice as strong as the Moon's. This means that a spacecraft needs more help decelerating after it breaches the planet's atmosphere.
Moreover, Mars's atmosphere is much, much thinner than Earth's. SpaceX would need to address that problem and be able to produce a spacecraft that can land safely on the Red Planet.
"The idea, essentially, is to skip the parachute and go right to the rocket," San Martin, a senior engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, said. It was said that adding a heat shield to the Dragon space capsule's engines could be used to slow down its high-speed entry to a safe landing on the surface.
Meanwhile, BuzzFeed News reported that NASA has requested Congress for $1.3 billion for the development of its "next jumbo rocket." The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved the request and even added an extra $995 million to build it.
The space rocket is named the Space Launch System (SLS). There are no plans to send astronauts to space yet, until 2023. It also does not have a destination yet.
"The point is to spend money and create jobs the way the Soviet Union did on its rocket design bureaus," NASA Watch's Keith Cowing told the publication. He also deemed the SLS as "a rocket to nowhere."
The Verizon strike 2016 could cost union members to lose their jobs. The protests have continued from Apr. 13 until now.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Denny Strigl, who ran the company's wireless operations until 2009, urged wireless employees to not join a union. It was said that he rushed to Boston after the 2000 merger that formed Verizon Communications Inc.
"We fought it tooth and nail," Strigl said. "There's a mentality that builds up in a unionized workforce that pits the union against its management. And that's not the kind of culture that you want in a new startup."'
This was one of several episodes where Verizon had to keep unions from getting in on its fast-growing wireless business. In turn, this resulted to the company being able to avoid work stoppages and generated about 33 percent of its $132 billion revenue last year.
It was previously reported that the Verizon strike 2016 saw more than 35,000 employees going on strike. It was caused by contract disputes. Employees' protests and picket lines stretched across the Northeast.
Out of the thousands of Verizon employees who went on strike, though, only about 160 were part of the company's wireless unit. Now, as its landline business shrinks, the union may also be losing its influence on the company.
Verizon has already presented a revised and final contract proposal to the unions that represent about 40,000 workers who are on strike. The company has offered a wage increase of 7.5 percent over the term of a new contract.
According to a former employee, if it weren't for a union, it could take years before workers can earn a meaningful wage increase. Bianca Cunningham was fired in September on her "failure to be honest and forthcoming" during an investigation.
Cunningham believed that it was because she helped organize a union with the workers. "We were just trying to fight for ourselves and see some changes," she admitted.
Email
Links to our top local news stories of the day, Monday through Saturday.
Land and Space Journal Sentinel business reporter Tom Daykin talks about commercial real estate and development. SHARE
By of the
The development firm that wants to build a new Festival Foods supermarket in Hales Corners is seeking village funds to help finance that project.
Green Bay-based Commercial Horizons Inc. is seeking $1.65 million to help pay for demolishing a former Kmart store, and doing an environmental cleanup to make way for the new supermarket, said Mike Weber, village administrator.
Those funds would be repaid to the village through new property taxes generated by the proposed 78,000-square-foot Festival Foods. It would be built at 5600 S. 108th St., and would cost $12.8 million, Weber said.
The village funds would take an estimated 15 years to be paid back, he said. That would occur through a tax incremental financing district that the village would create.
That district would encompass the former Kmart, and other nearby retail buildings, east of S. 108th St. between W. Grange and W. Scharles avenues. That district, which needs Village Board approval, will be the subject of a Plan Commission hearing scheduled for May 16.
Commercial Horizons would likely begin demolishing the former Kmart in early 2017 if the project and financing district receive village approval, Weber said.
The Festival Foods would be completed by early 2018, he said.
Outlook Development Group, which would sell the former Kmart to Commercial Horizons, is considering renovations to the remaining retail buildings it owns within the proposed tax financing district, Weber said.
Onalaska-based Festival Foods operates stores throughout Wisconsin, and lately been expanding into the state's southeastern portion. Its closest store to Milwaukee is in the Racine County community of Mount Pleasant.
Land and Space Journal Sentinel business reporter Tom Daykin talks about commercial real estate and development. SHARE
By of the
Life sciences firm Dohmen Co. has purchased a Historic Third Ward office building, the latest in a series of expansions for the Milwaukee company's operations.
Dohmen announced Monday it has bought a five-story office building at 215 N. Water St. for an undisclosed price.
The company's corporate headquarters team will operate there, "focusing on bringing new capabilities to the life science and health markets," according to a company statement.
Dohmen's services include obtaining regulatory approval on new drugs, designing new technology for health care providers, and working with drug manufacturers to provide care for people with rare diseases.
Also, the firm's investment group, and Dohmen Co. Foundation, will operate from the newly purchased building.
Dohmen has been leasing the third and fourth floors of the 27,000-square-foot building since 2009. The company will continue to share the building's space with its first-floor retail tenants, and other businesses.
The company has been based at 190 N. Milwaukee St. since 2015, when it moved its headquarters to that renovated 42,000-square-foot Third Ward building from Menomonee Falls.
In February, Dohmen began renovating a nearby 12,000-square-foot building, at 200 N. Jefferson St., for its Red Arrow Labs software development firm.
The company has around 200 employees in the Third Ward.
All Politics Blog From Milwaukee, Madison and beyond, a daily dose of political news and glimpses behind the scenes SHARE
By of the
Madison -- A group backed by the Koch brothers is spending $2 million on ads featuring a Department of Veterans Affairs whistleblower criticizing former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold over a scandal at the department's Tomah clinic.
But the spot doesn't mention the same whistleblower, Ryan Honl, has also criticized U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson over the issue.
The ad centers on a 2009 memo about problems at the facility. Feingold and the author of the memo contend Feingold didn't receive that memo at the time.
Johnson unseated Feingold in 2010 and the two are having a rematch this fall. Johnson is a Republican and Feingold a Democrat.
The spot was produced by the Freedom Partners Action Fund, a group funded by the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch. It features Honl sitting at a dining room table discussing falsified records and other problems at the clinic.
Inspectors in 2014 found doctors at the Tomah medical center were prescribing high amounts of opiate pain pills to patients. The deaths of three people who were treated there are being investigated.
In the ad, Honl says Feingold received a copy of a 2009 memo detailing harm to veterans -- a claim Feingold denies.
"Russ Feingold ignored veterans' concerns, while veterans were dying at the facility," he says. "I just want the voters to know the real story."
But the ad doesn't include Honl's past criticism of Johnson on the same issue.
Honl filed complaints in the fall of 2014 with Johnson's office. An aide there forwarded them to Johnson aides assigned to the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Contracting Oversight.
No further action happened at that point. A Johnson spokeswoman has said the staff didn't appreciate the severity of the problems at the clinic and didn't bring them to Johnson's attention.
Honl last year said "all three offices have egg on their face" over the Tomah clinic, referring to Johnson, Feingold and Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
But he has also said Johnson has been the most responsive since news broke about the clinic. He praised him in an interview Monday for holding a hearing on problems there.
The ad refers to a memo one union official sent to another that says it was also delivered to Feingold's office. Feingold has said there is no record of his office receiving the memo.
The union official who wrote the memo, Lin Ellinghuysen, has also said it was not delievered to Feingold and was improperly marked as having been sent to him.
On Monday, Honl said he didn't believe the memo wasn't delivered, calling that claim "convenient."
"Feingold knew," Honl said. "Of course he knew."
Honl said members of Congress should take bold action by allowing veterans to access use their health care benefits at private hospitals. He said they should also abolish unions for federal workers.
"You dismantle the unions at the federal level; that's how you take care of it," he said of fixing problems at veterans facilities.
Feingold spokesman Michael Tyler said in a statement Johnson and his allies had politicized a tragedy.
"Sen. Johnson knows for a fact that this attack is false," Tyler's statement said.
Here's the ad:
Epic Systems trainer Amanda Haase conducts a class for customers in December. Epic requires nondisclosure agreements that protect the companys confidential information. Credit: Mark Hoffman
By of the
In June 2014, Epic Systems Corp. in Verona received an email that no software company can ignore: Employees of a company working for one of its customers had gained unauthorized access to a restricted website and may have stolen documents that contained trade secrets.
Within four months, Epic, which designs systems for electronic health records, sued the contractor, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., a company based in Mumbai, India, and its U.S. affiliate.
Last month, after a 10-day trial in federal court in Madison, a jury awarded Epic $940 million in damages, including $700 million in punitive damages one of the largest awards ever in a trade-secrets case in the United States and the largest in Wisconsin's history.
Tata Consultancy, which has denied the allegations, plans to appeal, and the judge indicated he is likely to reduce the award. But the speed with which Epic moved and the size of the award make plain that for many companies in today's economy, their ideas are their biggest assets.
"The value of their business is really in trade secrets of different types," said Robert Gomulkiewicz, a professor who specializes in intellectual property at the University of Washington School of Law and a former associate general counsel for Microsoft Corp.
The lawsuit stems from work that Tata Consultancy did in testing Epic's software for Kaiser Permanente, one of the country's largest health systems and one of Epic's largest customers.
In all, Epic alleged that Tata Consultancy employees downloaded 1,687 files containing 6,477 documents. Tata Consultancy contends the documents were user guides and training manuals. But 36 of the files allegedly contained trade secrets.
Those files could save Tata Consultancy tens of millions of dollars in improving its own system for electronic health records that it sells in India and plans to sell in other countries in the developing world.
Epic doesn't allege that Tata Consultancy stole the so-called source code at the core of the system. That's copyrighted. But some of the documents allegedly stolen outline the design of parts of Epic's system, and that can have more value than the code itself.
"If you talk to software designers, they will say that the greater value is in the design and ideas that went into the design," Gomulkiewicz said. "If you just got the design without the source code, you may have most valuable thing right there."
That is what can save time and millions of dollars.
"It is telling you how to write the code in the most effective way possible," he said.
In an opinion and order before the jury determined damages, William Conley, the federal judge in the lawsuit, said there was a "complete lack of proof of any specific use of Epic's confidential information in the development or improvement" of Tata Consultancy's software.
But Conley also noted that determining the value of the stolen documents and proving damages was difficult partly because of Tata Consultancy's "failure both to preserve certain evidence and to produce other evidence timely."
Epic's attorneys repeatedly had to ask the court to order Tata Consultancy to produce information requested through the legal discovery process, and Conley and Federal Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker, who heard most of the disputes involving discovery, were straightforward about their mounting impatience with Tata Consultancy.
"If Judge Conley thinks that he has been gamed or that a party has not met its discovery obligations, the consequences will be notoriously bad for the side he finds to be in defiance of the court's order," Crocker warned Tata Consultancy's attorneys in an October hearing.
Conley reportedly indicated after the jury verdict that he is inclined to impose sanctions on Tata Consultancy.
Tata Consultancy is an information technology company that had $15.5 billion in revenue last year and employs more than 325,000 people, including 27,000 in the United States, according to court documents.
It is part of the Tata Group, an Indian conglomerate founded in 1868 that through its various companies owns Land Rover, Jaguar and Eight O'Clock Coffee. Tata Consultancy is a public company but is 73% owned by Tata Sons Ltd., which in turn is 66% owned by philanthropic trusts.
Epic employs about 9,600 people, almost all of them on its campus in Verona, and had revenue of about $2 billion last year. The privately held company sells software for electronic health records, billing and other tasks for large health systems, large hospitals and large physician practices.
It is known for being fiercely protective of its products. Its licensing agreement, for instance, prohibits customers from allowing photos to be taken of its software on a computer screen.
Tata Consultancy is developing its own system, known as Med Mantra, for electronic health records in India, but the company contends that it and a similar product that it is developing are not suitable for the U.S. market because of the differences in the U.S. and Indian health care systems.
However, the company has explored customizing parts of the system to meet specific requirements of customers in the United States, and it is working with DaVita HealthCare Partners, which operates dialysis centers, to develop a laboratory information and management system, according to court documents.
Epic moves quickly
After receiving the email alleging that Tata Consultancy employees had gained unauthorized access to certain documents on its system, Epic quickly hired Jenner & Block, a law firm known for its expertise in complex litigation.
Tata Consultancy acknowledged that some of its employees improperly downloaded Epic documents. But it contended that the employees needed the documents to do their work and that the information was not used in the development of its own system for electronic health records.
It also contended that Kaiser Permanente repeatedly asked Epic to make the documents and other information available to Tata Consultancy employees.
In addition, Tata Consultancy filed a counterclaim alleging antitrust violations and contending that Epic interfered with Tata Consultancy's business. The counterclaim will be dealt with later by the court.
Epic has not commented on the lawsuit, and most of the filings with the court are sealed. But publicly available filings provide a general outline of the lawsuit. They also provide a glimpse into the steps that companies take to protect trade secrets.
Epic requires customers and their consultants as well as their employees to agree to nondisclosure agreements that protect the company's confidential information. It also maintains confidential information on its computer systems that can be accessed only by authorized users through what it is known as its UserWeb portal.
Only a portion of the UserWeb portal typically is available to consultants working with a customer. In the case of Tata Consultancy, access was never granted because of Epic's wariness about working with a company that was developing its own system for electronic health records.
Tata Consultancy which had about 1,000 people working on the Kaiser contract in the United States and in two cities in India instead had to rely on a "workaround" set up by Kaiser Permanente.
The insider
In June 2014, Philippe Guionnet, a Tata Consultancy manager on the Kaiser Permanente account, told Epic of his suspicion of illegal activity and fraud involving access to Epic's portal by Tata Consultancy employees to benefit their company's electronic health records system.
Guionnet, who was later put on leave by the company, previously had sought a promotion and increased responsibilities. In one order and opinion, Conley described him as a disgruntled employee.
Guionnet's email to Epic led to the company's discovering that an account associated with Ramesh Gajaram, a Tata Consultancy employee who worked on the Kaiser Permanente account, had downloaded thousands of documents from the UserWeb portal.
Epic later determined that his credentials were used by at least a dozen Tata Consultancy employees in the United States and India.
The downloaded files included information on training, setup, support and operation, and details on the features and configuration of Epic's software.
Epic also offered evidence that someone using Gajaram's credentials downloaded documents relating to Epic's laboratory module, "Beaker," in September 2012 from India and that these documents could not have been used for Tata Consultancy's work for Kaiser Permanente, which doesn't use that particular Epic product.
The documents were downloaded at a time when Tata Consultancy was working on developing a laboratory information and management system for DaVita.
Conley issued a worldwide injunction against Tata Consultancy making use of the information that the jury determined was stolen. That could be hard to enforce.
But Tata Consultancy already has paid a price: Kaiser Permanente fired the company after the lawsuit was filed. It also is unlikely to win contracts with other health systems that use Epic's system.
And though the appeals could take years, if nothing else, Epic has made clear to other contractors that it will move swiftly and forcibly when it believes the ideas that went into designing its software have been stolen.
Tony Grandson holds his spot in line as he waits for Ikea to open its first Miami-Dade store to customers in Sweetwater, Fla., in 2014. Ikea has selected roughly 30 acres west of I-94 and north of W. Drexel Ave., according to a source. Credit: Associated Press
By of the
Ikea is planning its first Wisconsin store for a large site along I-94 in Oak Creek.
The Swedish furniture and home goods chain, which has been considering the Milwaukee area for nearly a decade, has selected roughly 30 acres west of I-94 and north of W. Drexel Ave., according to a source.
That source, who characterized it as "a done deal," said the announcement is scheduled for Thursday.
A major announcement is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday at City Hall, according to Gary Billington, a former Oak Creek Community Development Authority board member.
Billington was invited to the announcement, but said he has no idea what it involves. He did say there have been rumors about Ikea and other large retail chains that might be interested in the Drexel Ave. site.
Mayor Steve Scaffidi could not be reached Monday for comment. Ikea spokesman Joseph Roth said plans for a possible Milwaukee-area store haven't received internal approval.
The future Ikea store is part of a larger site, with more than 100 acres, that has long been owned by Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. Inc.
Northwestern Mutual in January said it was considering a possible mixed-use development at the Oak Creek site, revising a plan the company first discussed around five years ago.
The company operates its Franklin campus north of W. Drexel Ave. and west of S. 27th St., west of the future Ikea store.
A Northwestern Mutual spokeswoman declined to comment on whether Ikea will be part of the Oak Creek project.
"Because our suburban campus straddles the borders of Franklin and Oak Creek, we support economic development in both locations. We will continue to work with the local communities to identify the best use of the property we own," said Betsy Hoylman, corporate communications director, in a statement.
The Ikea location will take advantage of its position near the I-94/Drexel Ave. interchange, which opened in 2012.
The city paid for half the costs of that interchange, which helped encourage the development of Drexel Town Square, a $162 million project that includes apartments, stores, restaurants, a hotel, a health care facility and a new City Hall and Oak Creek Public Library.
Drexel Town Square is being built on 85 acres south of W. Drexel Ave. and west of S. Howell Ave.
Ikea has been considering the Milwaukee area since 2007, including a Wauwatosa site west of Highway 45/I-41 and north of W. Watertown Plank Road.
The retail chain operates stores throughout the world, including the Chicago area.
Ikea stores often range upward of 300,000 square feet, and include such features as a supervised play area for children and in-house restaurant.
An Ikea store in Oak Creek would draw more interest from developers to the S. 27th St. commercial corridor that is the border between that city and Franklin, according to Franklin Mayor Steve Olson.
Facebook: facebook.com/JSBusiness
Twitter: twitter.com/TomDaykin
By of the
Nine proposed Milwaukee apartment developments, including five on the city's north side and two downtown locations, are receiving federal tax credits to help finance their construction.
Those Milwaukee proposals, which total 470 apartments, are among 28 projects statewide, totaling 1,307 apartments, that are receiving the credits through the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.
The authority distributes the tax credits through an annual competition. Developers sell the credits to raise equity cash to help finance apartment buildings.
In turn, the developers provide apartments at below-market rents to people earning no more than 60% of the local median income.
Monday's 2016 allocation announcement by Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and the authority included an unusually large number of Milwaukee developments.
Five of those local developments will be on the city's north side. They are:
Chicago-based VeriGreen Development LLC's 64-unit development at the former Blommer Ice Cream Co., 1500-1504 W. North Ave., and a parking lot west of that building. A duplex between the two properties would be razed. The three-story building, built in 1910 and now used for storage, would be converted into apartments, with a new three-story building and townhomes constructed on the empty lot. VeriGreen is partnering with Milwaukee-based Legacy Midwest Renewal Corp. on the proposal.
Oregon, Wis.-based Gorman & Co.'s Washington Park Townhomes, to build 40 two-story townhouse-style apartments on the former Esser Paint factory site, south of W. Galena St. and east of N. 32nd St. Gorman also would develop a community center for Washington Park Partners, a neighborhood improvement group.
Gorman's redevelopment of the former Fifth Street School, 2770 N. 5th St., into a 48-unit apartment building for seniors. Gorman initially planned to create apartments for families with children. But that would have competed with two similar nearby proposed developments, including The Griot.
Maures Development Group LLC's The Griot, a four-story, 41-unit building to be constructed just north of the former Garfield Avenue Elementary School, 2215 N. 4th St. Milwaukee-based Maures also has plans to convert the former school into space for cultural and arts activities, along with roughly 35 apartments, in a future phase of The Griot, a word that references the West African storytelling tradition.
The 51-unit CityPlace, which Institutional Housing Inc. and Vangard Group, both of Milwaukee, plan to build between W. Vine, W. Walnut, N. 5th and N. 6th streets. It would feature a four-story building, and townhomes.
The other Milwaukee developments are in downtown, Walker's Point and northwest side. They are:
Oshkosh-based Keystone Development LLC's creation of 50 apartments on four upper floors of the eight-story Century Building, 808 N. Old World Third St. The 110,000-square-foot building has offices on its upper floors and street-level retail. Keystone would keep the retail and some office space, while adding apartments to the building.
Chicago-based Heartland Housing Inc.'s conversion of a former community corrections facility, 1004 N. 10th St., into the 60-unit St. Anthony's Apartments. The five-story building would provide supportive housing.
Milwaukee-based Rule Enterprises LLC's four-story, 56-unit 704 Place Apartments, 704 W. National Ave. That site now has an older industrial building, owned by El Rey Enterprises LLP, which would be demolished to make way for 704 Place.
The city Housing Authority's Victory Manor, a 60-unit development that is part of the Westlawn housing project's redevelopment, bordered by W. Silver Spring Drive, Lincoln Creek, N. 60th St. and N. 68th St. The Housing Authority's application for tax credits to help finance another 30 units was placed on hold.
Facebook: facebook.com/JSBusiness
Twitter: twitter.com/TomDaykin
Development database
To track this project and others, check out the Land & Space Development Database, at jsonline.com/business
SHARE
By of the
An 18-year-old Milwaukee man was wounded Monday morning in a shooting on Milwaukee's north side.
The shooting happened around 10:15 a.m. in the 3200 block of N. 25th St., Milwaukee police said in a news release.
The circumstances weren't immediately clear, but the victim is expected to survive. Police are seeking suspects.
Columbia County Sheriff Dennis Richards speaks during a news conference at the Wisconsin State Patrol's DeForest Post. Credit: M.P. King / Wisconsin State Journal
SHARE Investigators respond to the scene of a fatal shooting Sunday in the 2300 block of S. 92nd St. in West Allis. The suspect was later shot and arrested by authorities on I-94 in Dane County. Rick Romell Police vehicles on the scene of a shooting that shut down a stretch of Interstate 39-90-94 in both directions for several hours Sunday. Columbia County Sheriffs deputies shot an armed man who was linked to an earlier homicide in West Allis on the highway near DeForest. Jeff Glaze / Wisconsin State Journal
By of the
An Illinois family heading home after spending the weekend visiting Wisconsin Dells was caught up in the string of shootings Sunday that ended when a 20-year-old West Allis man accused of killing his neighbor was shot by deputies in Dane County.
The West Allis man was wanted in the fatal shooting of his downstairs neighbor, 42-year-old Gabriel Sanchez, Sunday morning, according to the Dane County Sheriff's Office. Somehow the West Allis man ended up on Interstate90/94 near Wisconsin Dells, shot a woman in what authorities believe was a random act, and then continued for several miles speeding on the highway until he was shot by deputies.
A 43-year-old Illinois man, his 44-year-old wife and their two minor children were traveling home when they passed the 1998 Chevy S10 Blazer driven by the 20-year-old West Allis man. As they passed, the West Allis man rolled down his window and fired three shots into the family's vehicle, officials said.
The first round lodged in the passenger side door, the second shot struck the neck of the wife as her horrified family watched. The third round struck the vehicle's hood.
"All of our thoughts and prayers are with this family who are traveling back to their home state after enjoying our beautiful surroundings here in Wisconsin," Dane County Sheriff David J. Mahoney said. "As this victim struggles and that family struggles, our thoughts and prayers are with them."
The woman was first taken to a hospital in Baraboo before being transferred to the University of Wisconsin Hospital, where she was in critical condition Monday. Authorities declined to release the family's names or hometown.
The chain of events began shortly before 7 a.m. Sunday when someone called 911 to report a man had forced his way into two apartments in the 2300 block of S. 92nd St. in West Allis. When police arrived, they found Sanchez suffering a gunshot wound. His front door had been kicked in. West Allis firefighters tried unsuccessfully to save his life.
West Allis police sent out information about the homicide to law enforcement agencies throughout the state. Epikos Church in Milwaukee canceled its 5:30 p.m. service because authorities said the 20-year-old West Allis man had made threats against a church member. Epikos Church officials did not respond to inquiries Monday.
While West Allis police were searching for the suspect and sending out alerts to other law enforcement agencies in the state, the suspect fired at the Illinois family. At some point he also fired at a Nissan sedan that was struck by at least one round, but the Florida woman driving the car was not hit.
At 2:58 p.m. Columbia County sheriff's emergency dispatchers received a call about two vehicles traveling very fast eastbound on I-90/94 and shortly after learned from Sauk County dispatchers of the drive-by shooting near mile marker 95.
A witness who saw the shooting began following the Chevy Blazer, and at 3:03 p.m., Columbia County dispatchers were given the vehicle description and license plate number, Columbia County Sheriff Dennis Richards said.
Troopers from the Wisconsin State Patrol, a state Department of Natural Resources warden, a Lodi police officer and deputies from the Columbia County and Dane County sheriff's offices responded to try to intercept the SUV.
By 3:10 p.m. a Columbia County deputy and DNR warden had spotted the Chevy Blazer and began following it. They were joined two minutes later by another Columbia County deputy.
Meanwhile, Dane County deputies quickly moved eastbound traffic to the side as they deployed stop strips. At 3:20 p.m. the Chevy Blazer ran over the strips as it crossed into Dane County and slowed to a halt, air escaping from its tires.
Deputies shoot suspect
At 3:22 p.m. the 20-year-old West Allis man got out of his vehicle and began walking toward authorities holding a firearm. They yelled at him to drop the gun but the man refused. One minute later dispatchers were notified that the suspect was down shot in the shoulder by two Columbia County deputies who are now on paid leave, which is standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting.
When asked if the public was in danger, Mahoney said, "any time you have an individual shooting at vehicles traveling on a highway at highway speeds, 70 mph, there's always that potential of great danger. That's why we're all taking this investigation very seriously."
The man, whose identity has not been released, was taken by helicopter to UW Hospital. He was still being treated at the hospital Monday afternoon. Authorities declined to reveal his condition other than to say he's in custody and being cared for.
Two male passengers inside the SUV, ages 30 and 34, believed to be the suspect's brothers, were arrested and taken to the Dane County jail. One was booked on a tentative charge of being a felon in possession of a gun, while the other faces a tentative charge of expelling bodily fluids on a law enforcement officer.
Authorities are seeking witnesses who may have seen the Chevy Blazer driving erratically on I-90/94 Sunday afternoon. Traffic was backed up for miles on the busy stretch of interstate north of Madison.
The chase took about 12 minutes and lasted less than 15 miles, Mahoney said.
"Traffic was fairly heavy. It was a Sunday," Mahoney said. "Many, many people were traveling back south after vacationing in the Dells."
West Allis police on Monday declined to release information about a possible motive in the fatal shooting and what relationship, if any, the suspect had with Sanchez before the shooting, citing the ongoing investigation.
Shooting shocks neighbor
Dianne Buchenauer has lived next door to the apartment where Sanchez was slain for 13 years. She knew the 20-year-old suspect and his 30-year-old brother, who moved in around three years ago. Buchenauer, who uses a cane, remembered the suspect and his brother as nice young men who occasionally helped her.
"I've never had a problem with them. It was always 'Hello, neighbor.' They often shoveled the snow or helped carry in my groceries," said Buchenauer, who works third shift and returned home about 7:30 a.m. Sunday to see barricades barring traffic leading to her apartment.
Buchenauer talked to a neighbor who lived upstairs from Sanchez and across the hall from the suspect. Sanchez moved in to the ground floor apartment of the four-unit building a short time ago.
"She said she heard shouting, then a crash, and (someone shouting) 'Open the door,' and then gunshots," Buchenauer said.
Buchenauer did not know of any problems between the two brothers and Sanchez or what could have motivated the 20-year-old to kill Sanchez. She said the 20-year-old suspect moved in with his brother while he was still a teenager and they had worked jobs in waste management. She said the older brother was in a traffic accident and lost his job because he no longer had a car.
"I have to say right now I don't feel afraid of them. I'm just shocked by the whole thing," Buchenauer said.
SHARE
By of the
A 27-year-old man wanted in the fatal shooting of a teenager last month was arrested after Milwaukee police officers noticed something unusual about a vehicle.
Fifth District officers were on duty in the 2200 block of W. Capitol Drive shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday when they saw a small SUV with an out-of-state license plate that did not list to the vehicle, according to a news release.
The officers stopped the vehicle and the driver was identified as a 27-year-old man who is a suspect in the homicide of 17-year-old Kemone J. Love, police said.
The man, whose name has not been released, was arrested and officers confiscated more than three grams of cocaine and several cellphones from the vehicle, according to the release.
The passenger in the car, a 19-year-old man, was arrested on several municipal warrants and in connection with possessing a narcotic drug, police said.
The case will be referred to prosecutors for possible charges, police said.
Love was shot about 3 p.m. April 11 and was driven away from the shooting scene before being found dead at N. 19th St. and W. Capitol Drive, according to police. The shooting occurred in the area of N. Green Bay Ave. and W. Capitol Drive.
In the week after his slaying, his family and Common Council members Milele Coggs and Ashanti Hamilton urged those with information to come forward. The council members said the teen was "yet another victim of the kind of tragedy that has become all too common."
Grief-stricken relatives told WITI-TV that Love was in the "wrong place at the wrong time" and had recently left Lincoln Hills School for Boys in connection with a weapons charge.
Members of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Faculty Senate listen to a debate on a no-confidence vote Monday. Credit: JOHN HART / Wisconsin State Journal
By of the
Madison Faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison overwhelmingly voted Monday to protest UW System President Ray Cross and the Board of Regents, saying they had no confidence in their support for the system's guiding principle.
The UW-Milwaukee faculty is expected to discuss a similar resolution next week, and professors at campuses across the state are also looking at expressing their dissatisfaction with recent budget cuts and new tenure policies.
Monday's voice vote was taken by UW-Madison's Faculty Senate, which consists of 220 senators representing more than 2,200 faculty members.
Supporters of the measure argued UW System leaders should have fought GOP Gov. Scott Walker and Republican lawmakers harder to mitigate $250 million in cuts over two years. They also opposed a budget provision that weakened some of the strongest job protections in the country.
Sociology professor Chad Alan Goldberg wrote the no-confidence resolution for UW-Madison, which stated the actions of Cross and the regents "give the UW-Madison Faculty Senate no confidence in their commitment to defending the Wisconsin Idea, extending the benefits of the university to every citizen in the state."
The measure urged Cross and the regents to work toward making college more affordable and embracing shared governance, in which faculty and staff participate in planning and decision making.
In a statement, Cross said he respected the right of faculty to speak up but disagreed with their resolution. He said he takes seriously his duty to work with faculty, lawmakers and other stakeholders.
"This state and its people are counting on us, working together, to help improve and expand quality of life and economic prosperity," his statement said.
Regina Millner, president of the Board of Regents, in a statement called the resolution an overreaction to a new tenure policy that she said is fair, more accountable and in keeping with the ones other major university systems have.
Even before the vote, UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank warned a no-confidence vote could lead to a backlash from state lawmakers, noting discussions are about to begin for the next two-year budget cycle. Blank presided over Monday's debate but did not weigh in on the issue during the meeting.
Goldberg rejected the idea that the vote would hurt the faculty's relationship with UW officials, saying that relationship is already damaged.
"Colleagues, if fear of political reprisal...prevents us from speaking our minds, then our academic freedom is already lost," he said in arguing for the resolution.
Republican lawmakers removed tenure from state law last year and gave chancellors more flexibility to lay off staff. A policy adopted by the regents in March would allow layoffs if an academic program were discontinued. Previously, faculty could be dismissed only in a campuswide financial emergency or for just cause.
Some faculty pushed for removing the phrase "no confidence" from the resolution, in part because of concerns of how UW officials, lawmakers and the general public would react.
Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna) called the vote counterproductive.
"The Legislature's goal is to continue to keep UW-Madison as a premier higher education institution while responding to the requests of our constituencies who cannot afford ever-increasing tuition costs," Steineke said in a statement.
Milwaukee Ald. Nik Kovac, who had been chairman of the councils powerful finance committee, acknowledges that backing several of his colleagues opponents in the April 5 election may have cost him politically. Credit: Rick Wood
SHARE
By of the
Rumors have been flying since this spring's election that several members of Milwaukee's Common Council were aiming to punish Ald. Nik Kovac for backing challengers against other aldermen.
Those rumors only intensified after Ald. Michael Murphy, widely viewed as a close ally of Kovac, was ousted as council president. And when Murphy's successor, Ald. Ashanti Hamilton, released committee assignments last week, Kovac's name was notably missing from the list of committee chairs.
Kovac, who had been chairman of the council's powerful finance committee, acknowledges that backing several of his colleagues' opponents in the April 5 election may have cost him politically.
"I've heard that rumor. I don't know if that rumor is true, but a lot of people are speculating that it might be true," Kovac said in an interview. "Clearly, if the rumor is true, I put my principles ahead of my own political gain, and I certainly put my principles ahead of protecting incumbents for the sake of it. And I'll do it again."
But Kovac says that while he'll miss serving as finance chair, he doesn't think he did anything wrong supporting the candidates who took on Aldermen Bob Donovan, Tony Zielinski and Mark Borkowski.
Kovac, who has represented the east side, Riverwest and north downtown since 2008, specifically criticized Donovan's comments about African-Americans in the wake of a 2011 incident near State Fair Park. In a news release shortly after the incident, Donovan linked the violence to "a deteriorating African-American culture in our city," comments Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett also slammed during this year's mayoral race between him and the longtime south side alderman. Barrett defeated Donovan by a wide margin in that race, but Donovan held onto his council seat after defeating his challenger by 161 votes.
"Blaming the culture of nearly half of our city I think is unacceptable and out of bounds," Kovac said. "I thought so when he first said it, still think so today. It's not consistent with my principles to support someone who says things like that."
Kovac also criticized Borkowski's comments about the conduct of police officers leading to a $5 million settlement with 74 African-American residents who say they were subjected to illegal strip searches and body cavity searches. When the Milwaukee Common Council voted in January to approve the settlement, Borkowski raised concerns about the "wimpification of police" and railed against the plaintiffs and their attorneys, calling them "ambulance chasers."
"Alderman Borkowski has defended the police officers who committed felonious assaults, committed crimes, raped people in their custody," Kovac said. "And cost the city $5 million. And he defended them."
Kovac also raised concerns about Zielinski's record, saying the alderman has opposed affordable housing projects in Bay View.
And he criticized the three aldermen, as well as former Ald. Joe Davis, for repeating "proven false" statements that the Milwaukee streetcar project would take money from police and public schools.
"I believe very strongly in the principles of racial justice, I believe very strongly in investments in public transportation, and I believe very strongly in honest budgeting. And all three of them violated all three of those principles," Kovac said. "And so I supported their opponents because I was staying true to my principles, and the principles of most of the people in this city."
But Zielinski said Kovac is a "bully" who has been targeting people opposed to the streetcar project.
"He did not have any problems with me until I told him I would not support the streetcar," Zielinski. "When I told him I wasn't supporting the streetcar, he blew up and he said he's going 'to make it hurt.' And that's when our relationship took a downward turn."
Zielinski accused Kovac of disruptive behavior.
"What he's trying to do is bully people on the council to do what he wants, and he wants to help get people elected that he can control," Zielinski said. "He's been attempting to bully people and it backfired on him. He's been a very disruptive force on the council."
For his part, Kovac still said he trusts that Hamilton will be a good leader.
"Personally, yeah, of course I'm disappointed," Kovac said when asked about the committee assignments. "But, you know, I voted for Ashanti. It was 15-0 vote, and I've known Ashanti for a long time. He's an effective colleague. He's a good friend. And when you vote for somebody for president, implicit in that vote is a trust that they'll make the decisions that they think are in the best interests of the city. So I'm sure he did that with his committee assignments."
Kovac also praised Ald. Milele Coggs, who will replace him as chair of the finance committee.
Hamilton didn't directly address the rumors floating around the council.
"We have people on the council who have strong opinions across the board. And we have members of the council who have a wealth of legislative experience," Hamilton said. "This is an opportunity for people who didn't get tasked with chairing a committee to show their leadership in a different way."
Kovac will not serve as chairman or even vice chairman of any of the Common Council's committees for this term, but will serve on both public works and zoning, neighborhoods and development committees.
Murphy and Donovan declined to comment. Borkowski could not be reached for comment.
Ed Schultz, formerly of MSNBC, now works for a network connected to the Russian propaganda machine. Credit: Journal Sentinel files
SHARE
By
Like most people, I never paid much attention to Ed Schultz. A loud, bullying, meaty man in the even meatier middle of the distribution when it comes to smarts, Schultz was your classic "lunch pail populist" as host of MSNBC's "The Ed Show."
During his six-year run on the network, I don't think anyone ever asked, "Did you hear what Ed Schultz said?" save when he uttered something ridiculous enough to make smart or decent liberals wince.
Still, I always thought he meant what he was saying. Sure, he exaggerated and was prone to hyperbole. But that was his shtick.
It's clear now I thought too highly of him.
Politico Magazine's Michael Crowley has a fascinating story about how Vladimir Putin supports Donald Trump. This isn't all that shocking for anybody who's been attacked by the Twitter division of Putin's Ministry of Propaganda. But there's more significant evidence, including the much reported "bromance" between Putin and Trump and the fact that one of Trump's top consigliere, Paul Manafort, was previously a one-man brain trust for Viktor Yanukovych, the Putin stooge and kelptocrat who until recently ran Ukraine.
Crowley begins and ends his piece with a close study of none other than Schultz. You see, when Schultz lost his show at MSNBC, he cast about for a new broadcast job. He found it on Russia Today's American channel RT America, the newsy facade of Russia's global propaganda machine.
At MSNBC, there was no praise of Hillary Clinton too effusive and no slander of Republicans that was too extreme. Schultz often spent his days spewing out such statements as, "This is what the Republican Party stands for, though: racism. I think Donald Trump is a racist."
In 2011, when Trump was reportedly thinking of running for president (again), Schultz wrote in The Huffington Post, "When it comes down to the devil in the detail of dealing with the issues and making real change, Trump, you don't have it. You've never had it. Money is not a measure of a man's character or success in the arena of public service."
Now I happen to agree with that second bit. The interesting thing is, Schultz doesn't anymore. The man who once mocked Putin, now cashes his checks, as a pundit on his network, lending aid and comfort to the Kremlin's pro-Trump PR campaign.
Schultz recently told Larry King, his RT colleague, that Trump was like Ronald Reagan (he meant it in a good way). Trump, Schultz explained, "certainly has shaken up the Republican establishment, and I think he's done it by talking about things that people care about." Schultz now says Trump is a great and decisive decision-maker.
So what explains the transformation? I don't like speculating about peoples' motives in part because 99% of the time, I find those who try to guess mine are wrong (Former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke recently attacked me on Twitter for being a Zionist stooge for opposing Donald Trump). Still, one possibility is that Schultz is simply sincere. A more obvious explanation is that he's doing it for the paycheck. Both of those things are possible. But there's a third possibility: Some people need to be on TV or some other public arena. As with Trump himself, the money comes second to celebrity.
Russia Today was likely the only broadcaster offering to keep Schultz on TV and that offer perhaps came with strings attached.
I don't know Schultz personally, so maybe none or all of these explanations apply. But I do know that some people get addicted to being recognized at airports and speaking into a TV or microphone. I've seen it for more than 20 years.
Heck, poor Larry King is a bit like Richard Gere in "An Officer and a Gentleman": he's got nowhere else to go. But King is different from Schultz and other pundits on the left and the right. King's job is to ask questions, not opine on what is right and wrong, politically, analytically or even morally. That's the life Schultz chose for himself, and in the era of Trump, it is interesting and dismaying, to see who thinks the limelight by which I mean ratings, popularity, celebrity and relevance is more important than long-held principles, or basic truth-telling.
Schultz's case is interesting because of the Russia connection. Sadly, if I'm right about his motives, Schultz's case is not unique.
Jonah Goldberg is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior editor of National Review. Email goldbergcolumn@gmail.com Twitter: @JonahNRO
SHARE
Remembering Manesis
The recent passage of Dale Manesis has closed another chapter in the long history of Milwaukee area nostalgia merchants ("News buff was eager to share clippings," April 8).
Before the dawn of computers, eBay and dreaded price guides, Manesis was the godfather to all lovers of nostalgic collectibles who flocked to his Gold Old Days shop not only to dive through piles of Timely Comics, Weird Tales pulp, stacks of vintage movie posters, rows of slot machines and tons of vintage newspapers, but also to just talk, hang out and, every once in a while, share a nip or two with the always talkative owner.
Manesis' love of all things nostalgia soon spawned a new group of young collectors who quickly picked up his passion for all things past and soon Ronnie Gillian, Jeff Parker, Artie Rickun, Kenny Schmitz, Mr. Mike and others dotted Milwaukee with The Turning Page, Polaris Comics, Collector's Edge, Noah's Ark and other way cool nostalgia and comic book stores.
Manesis was one of my idols, and I also followed in his footsteps, spending 20 years plus in the nostalgia business trying as hard as I could to capture that magic that was the Good Old Days. But there was and will only be one Dale Manesis he was truly one of a kind and just a great, great guy.
Thanks for those Good Old Days, Dale, and for all those fabulous memories!
Marc Belich
West Allis
Catch and release for muskies
Journal Sentinel outdoor editor Paul Smith's column offered an excellent insight into the shortage of muskies in Wisconsin ("Club makes large musky deposit," April 28).
I have a suggestion. Let's turn Okauchee Lake into a mandatory 100% "catch and release" lake for muskies, not allowing trolling with live suckers, and also requiring debarbing of treble hooks.
Look at the catch-and-release program for bass on Chequamegon Bay in Ashland. Fishermen now travel all the way from Texas to catch and release the now plentiful four- to five-pound bass.
Can't we learn that the shortage of Wisconsin's walleyes and muskies has driven many to skip fishing in Wisconsin and head to Canada, especially to the catch-and-release lakes?
William J. Carney
Wauwatosa
Bizarro wasn't funny
I usually find the Bizarro comic funny. On April 28, however, it was extremely offensive to suggest that animals from a shelter be used for restaurant food.
With all the cruelty that some animals have to go through at the hands of humans, for Dan Piraro to draw this is insensitive and just very uncaring. That the Journal Sentinel did not review this before it was printed was poor oversight. If this was reviewed, then it was very poor judgment to print it.
I believe an apology should be printed by the Journal Sentinel and possibly a donation made to the Wisconsin Humane Society.
Jeannie Crowley
Wauwatosa
Pick on Facebook, not mourners
I just wanted to share my understanding and yet complete disagreement with Christian Schneider about the tendency toward public grieving ("Sad about Prince? No one cares," Opinions, April 28).
People now have more tools than ever to express themselves, and more platforms to do so, and I imagine it might be overwhelming to see all of these displays. Perhaps Schneider needs to rail against Facebook for introducing live video or social media in general instead of at the people who are only marking their loss.
That's one choice. Another: unplug a bit.
Matthew Frets
Franklin
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan should worry less about ideas and more about process as the Trump nomination appears to be inevitable. Credit: Getty Images
SHARE
By
From my perspective, the Wisconsin establishment should have supported Donald Trump in the Wisconsin primary. It did not. That is OK, but I still think Trump is the best available candidate, and I still think he is going to be the first ballot nominee.
So if that proposition is true, what should the Wisconsin establishment do? How should it move forward to minimize the political damage to itself, advance the state's interests and turn what might taste like a lemon into lemonade?
First, something must be done about the fact that Reid Ribble, a retiring congressman from the Green Bay area, is simultaneously the chair of this year's GOP state convention and a leading "never Trump" spokesman. By all accounts, Ribble is a nice man, and it is too bad he crossed the line on this one. But politics is a rough game. It is disrespectful to Trump, the future GOP nominee, as well as millions of Trump voters in this and other states, to have Ribble (a figure from the past) occupy such a prominent place at the state GOP convention which is geared to the future.
Furthermore, Ribble would be foolish to end his distinguished career by making a "never Trump" spectacle of himself at the convention. Ribble needs to either muster up the courage to say "I was wrong" and say he will join the Trump train if Trump is the nominee or find someplace else to be during the convention weekend, and then, like an old soldier, "fade away."
Second, the slate of delegates the Wisconsin GOP is sending to the national convention contains some Cruz supporters, some Kasich supporters, but no Trump supporters. Of course, since Wisconsin delegates are much more tightly bound than delegates from other states, and there is not going to be a contested convention (Trump will win on the first ballot barring incredibly strange circumstances), it doesn't really matter whether Wisconsin delegates are Cruz, Kasich or Trump supporters except for the political optics generated by the composition of the delegation.
Wouldn't it make sense to include a few Trump supporters in the delegation just as a gesture of good will and reconciliation from the establishment in Wisconsin to the future POTUS? Failure to initiate such conciliatory gestures appears (whether intentional or not) spiteful and petty. Trump, as well as the voters, have an eye for detail and this is the sort of thing that might get noticed. Why poke a stick at the future president when you can extend an olive branch?
Third, Wisconsin GOP establishment figures need to stop waiting for Trump to reach out to them (he has already done so by saying things like "Walker might make a nice VP pick") and instead say nice, unprompted things about Trump, the presumptive nominee.
It might be appropriate for Paul Ryan to focus on the process aspects of his role as House speaker, and spend less time attempting to generate a platform for the nominee to adopt. In our current situation, the nominee will be the ideas man and Ryan will be the process guy who does the heavy lifting necessary to move legislation (like a budget) in the House of Representatives. Division of labor is a wonderful thing and the speaker of the House is a process job. If Ryan stopped worrying about ideas so much (and left that job to Trump, the GOP presidential nominee) he could, perhaps, perform more efficiently and effectively at his current process job.
Fourth, while it is of course a free country and Wisconsin's radio talkers can say whatever they like, responsible GOP figures should either 1) persuade the radio talkers to at minimum abandon the "never Trump" rhetoric or 2) distance themselves from radio talkers who are attempting to undermine the party's nominee and prevent the emergence of party unity. If they continue along their current trajectory, their choice should be recognized and denounced by the state GOP .
There is no doubt that the rise of Trump has obliterated many plans. But Trump is probably going to win and, from my perspective (and the perspective of most GOP primary voters nationwide, if not in this state), he should win. He is the best available candidate. It will be better for the establishment GOP figures in this state, as well as the interests of the party and state as a whole, if all Republicans make peace among ourselves sooner rather than later.
Together, we will make America great again.
Van Mobley is president of the village of Thiensville. His blog, "The Wealth of Nations" is at jsonline.com
Members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War stand at attention Sunday in Brookfield's Pioneer Cemetery, at the stone memorializing Joseph and Andrew Wright and their mother, Margarett. Credit: Rick Romell
SHARE
By of the
Brookfield Tribute was paid Sunday at a chest-high stone that stands as testimony to service to the nation, the suffering of war and a mother's grief.
At the edge of Pioneer Cemetery, just past a row of tall evergreens and separated from North Ave. traffic by a split-rail fence, the stone bears the name WRIGHT.
That's for Joseph H. Wright; his brother, Andrew; and their mother, Margarett. So tightly are their deaths linked that it is appropriate they be marked by a single memorial.
Residents of Waukesha County, Joseph and Andrew enlisted in the Union Army in 1861, joining the 7th Independent Battery, a light-artillery unit organized at Racine.
For more than two years, the battery saw relatively little fighting. It served in the fortifications at New Madrid, Mo., and guarded railroad lines in Tennessee.
But in June 1864, the 7th Independent was part of a Union force that was defeated by Confederate cavalry wizard and former slave trader Nathan Bedford Forrest in the Battle of Brice's Crossroads in northeastern Mississippi.
With all their horses shot and half of their soldiers dead or wounded, the battery surrendered. The survivors, including the Wright brothers, were sent to Andersonville, the notorious Confederate military prison in Georgia.
The place was a nightmare of hunger, sickness and filth. By August, 33,000 men were penned in a stockade meant for 10,000. Almost 13,000 died there.
"Both boys starved and contracted disease," H. Craig Wheeler said Sunday as he and other members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War gathered at Pioneer Cemetery to honor the Wrights.
"Andrew succumbed to it," Wheeler told the group. "He was buried in the camp cemetery with only a small wooden marker for his resting place."
The marker disintegrated and all sign of Andrew's remains was lost, Wheeler said.
Joseph made it out of Andersonville when he was so ill and starved that he clearly could no longer fight and the Confederacy allowed Margarett to get him and take him home to Wisconsin.
There, she tended to her son until Jan. 17, 1865, when he died. Three weeks later, Margarett was dead too.
She had "watched day & night by the bedside of her starved & dying son," the now-faded inscription on her tombstone says. But with him finally gone, it says, "she sank down from fatigue & grief & died."
She isn't counted among the more than 600,000 who died fighting in the war that kept America together as one nation, but perhaps, as a mother "who nobly gave her sons to her Country's cause," as the stone says, she should be.
The Sons of Union Veterans is the successor organization to the Grand Army of the Republic, founded in 1866 to support veterans of the Union forces.
Besides honoring the Wrights, and five other Civil War veterans buried in Pioneer Cemetery, Sunday's ceremony commemorated the Grand Army's 150th anniversary.
Leaning against the Wright family stone was a soldier's worn knapsack and a Lorenz rifle fixed with a long, shining bayonet. Two small flags were planted in front of the stone, and wreaths were placed at its sides.
Seven members of the Sons, dressed in Union blues, fired three volleys in salute. A bugler played taps. Then the group of a few dozen melted away.
Left at the cemetery was what Wheeler called "only a mute stone" commemorating the Wrights.
But he said, it also stands as a reminder. It is, he said, a memorial "to their sacrifice, and to the society that we all here now today inhabit."
SHARE
By of the
A Wisconsin National Guard unit is preparing to deploy to Cuba this spring.
Around 120 soldiers of the 32nd Military Police Co. are deploying to U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay for detention operations as part of Joint Task Force Guantanamo.
The Milwaukee-based unit began preparing for the mission in 2014, and about 60% of the company will go to Cuba. The unit of around 200 soldiers is part of the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.
The 32nd Military Police Co. previously deployed to Iraq twice, in 2003-'04 and 2009-'10, to Kosovo in 2011-'12 and also to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
In January, 65 Wisconsin National Guard soldiers left the state for Iraq as part of the 101st Airborne Division Multi-Component Unit. And the Wisconsin Air National Guard 128th Air Refueling Wing recently completed a series of air refueling operations in the Middle East.
A motorist retrieved this big box of blood from the middle of a Madison street on Sunday. Credit: Madison police
SHARE
By of the
The incident Sunday afternoon on Zeier Road in Madison could have gotten bloody fast.
Instead, thanks to a quick-thinking motorist, a misplaced box of donated human blood was retrieved from the middle of the street and eventually returned to the American Red Cross.
"The good news is it was not struck by a car or truck, and was undamaged: good to go," Madison police said in their online incident report.
The driver, a 68-year-old Stoughton man, spotted the large box in the street near the East Towne Mall around 2:30 p.m. Sunday. He stopped and got out to inspect it and found the words "HUMAN BLOOD" on the box.
The man put the box in his trunk and quickly flagged down an officer, yelling that he had just found a "big box of blood, human blood," the incident report said.
On closer inspection they saw the box belonged to the Red Cross, which asked that it be brought to its Sheboygan Ave. location.
How did the box end up in the street? A lab technician told police that a volunteer who was transporting six boxes from a satellite location likely left one of the boxes on a car, and it ended up in the street.
But ultimately, no harm done. Police notified the driver that "his potentially life-saving find had arrived 'safely' at the Red Cross."
By of the
Welcome a new week. Welcome a new month.
Latino Arts in the United Community Center, 1028 S. Ninth St., presents Tropicalisimo by photographer John Sevigny. The photographs capture conditions that cause things and people to fall apartheat, humidity, and impoverishmentand asks whats to come in places that seem to be about to collapse.
What won't they put in beer? The Brass Tap, 7808 W. Layton Ave., Greenfield, offers up two tastes of summer with a Ballast Point tasting of Pineapple Sculpin India Pale Ale and Watermelon Dorado, a double IPA with watermelon. Tastings start at 5 p.m., according to the event page on Facebook.
Attorney Steve Kohn and Thomas M. Justice appear in Waukesha County Circuit Court. Credit: Rick Wood
By of the
Waukesha West Bend's recently resigned city administrator asked a court commissioner Monday if he could use the internet to look for a new job.
Thomas M. "T.J." Justice, 49, was charged last month with two felonies after investigators say he solicited a 16-year-old girl for sex, offering as much as $500, during a yearlong series of text messages.
He appeared in court Monday with attorney Steve Kohn of Milwaukee, who said that because the prosecutor assigned to the case has been out of town, Kohn had been unable to discuss matters in the case. The court set another status hearing for May 20.
Kohn indicated to the court that a preliminary hearing may not be an issue, which suggests he hopes to work out a plea deal. Justice did not speak during the hearing or to reporters afterward.
Justice has been free on bail. One condition is that he have no contact with minor females. Kohn asked for clarification that the order did not include teens he might encounter working at a store's cash register or service counter. Such incidental contact, Court Commissioner Thomas Pieper said, would not be considered a violation.
A second condition of Justice's bail was that he use the internet only as required as part of his job as West Bend administrator. But since he resigned from the position last week, he now needs to use the internet on his own to search for new employment, Kohn said.
Assistant District Attorney Lesli Boese objected to any unmonitored use of the internet, but the court allowed it for the limited use requested, and for any employment-related work if Justice secures a new job that would require him to use the internet, but only while at work.
According to the criminal complaint, the mother of Justice's victim found messages on her daughter's phone and contacted police, who then posed as the girl on her phone and continued an often salacious text dialogue with Justice, who seemed bent on having sex with the girl even after he learned she was only 16.
Police arrested Justice April 21 in Muskego near a Dairy Queen where an officer, posing as the girl, suggested they finally meet. Police found a prescription bottle of Viagra in Justice's car, according to the criminal complaint.
A week later, Justice resigned from his position in West Bend, effective May 13. He is on paid administrative leave until then.
Justice posted his $5,000 bail and signed a $20,000 bond on April 25. Police later served a search warrant at his home in West Bend, as well as his city office.
Reddit Email 0 Shares
Christopher R. Hill | Project Syndicate |
DENVER US President Barack Obama supposedly cleared the air with Saudi King Salman before the latest meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh, Saudi Arabias capital. Given how strained the bilateral relationship is a situation long in the making that was probably the best outcome that could reasonably be expected. But it is not enough.
Americas relationship with Saudi Arabia is based on a pragmatic give-and-take approach aimed at advancing mutual interests, the most important of which is maintaining relative peace and security in a volatile region that is vital to the global economy. But this approach is fast becoming passe. Indeed, we have entered a new age of ideology, in which the case for pragmatism, rather than shared values, is increasingly difficult to make.
Against this background, it should perhaps not be surprising that cracks in the bilateral relationship have begun to show. In a recent interview, Obama described the Saudis (as well as other US allies) as free riders on American foreign policy. That sparked discussion not only about whether it is true (the Saudis purchase huge amounts of military hardware from the US), but also about whether it should have been said out loud. After all, in politics as in life, not everything a person believes needs to be shared publicly.
But Obama did not stop there. In the same interview, he declared that Saudi Arabia needs to learn to share the Middle East with its archrival Iran. And he has been openly critical of the Kingdoms treatment of women, arguing that a country cannot function in the modern world when it is repressing half of its population.
Overall, however, US officials remain meek in discussing Saudi Arabia. When they acknowledge differences with Saudi Arabia concerning how and where to fight terrorism, they sound like they are describing a disagreement between Roosevelt and Churchill about where precisely the Allies should strike Nazi Germany.
In fact, the differences are huge, and many are rooted in the Kingdoms internal attitudes and policies. Consider, for example, Saudi Arabias approach to the Islamic State (ISIS) and, more broadly, to Sunni radicalism throughout the Arab world.
It is often alleged that the Saudis export terrorism. They dont. But what they have done is encourage their own radicals a natural byproduct of Wahhabism, Saudi Arabias fundamentalist brand of Islam to commit their terrorist acts elsewhere. As the radicals leave, so does Saudi money, which funds their violent activities.
During President George W. Bushs administration, the US worked with the Saudis to track financial flows to radical groups and thus weaken such groups operations throughout the region, including in western Iraq. Their efforts brought some results. In fact, instead of congratulating itself for the supposed success of the US troop surge in Iraq in 2007, perhaps the Bush administration should have been touting the impact of that funding-focused initiative.
Unfortunately, the effort to interdict financial flows from Saudi Arabia weakened substantially after 2011, when parts of North Africa and the Middle East became engulfed in the so-called Arab Spring (a moniker that surely will be replaced with something both less cheerful and more accurate). The chaos that ensued fueled the spread of radical Sunnism a trend to which Saudi inattentiveness surely contributed.
And Saudi Arabia is unlikely to start paying attention now, when it is facing a perfect storm of problems, beginning with rock-bottom oil prices. Then there is conflict over the royal succession process, with King Salmans effort to consolidate power in the hands of his aggressive and talented but not particularly popular 30-year-old son causing considerable upset within the extended royal family.
Iraq poses another problem for the Kingdom, as it sets an example of Shia consolidating political power. That example, the Saudis fear, could sustain political unrest in the Kingdoms Shia-majority Eastern Province, where most of the countrys oil production is based. If Iraqs government deepens ties with Iran, the risk to stability could be heightened further.
For Saudi Arabia, these challenges are a higher priority than defeating ISIS, which accounts for the countrys virtual disappearance from the fight. Indeed, while many Saudis (not necessarily the elites) view ISIS as a barbaric movement with the potential eventually to harm their own country, they are willing, for the time being, to allow ISIS to continue its violent campaign. After all, for all the horrors seen in Paris, Brussels, and San Bernardino, the victims of ISIS have been, by and large, Shia.
Christopher R. Hill, former US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, was US Ambassador to Iraq, South Korea, Macedonia, and Poland, a US special envoy for Kosovo, a negotiator of the Dayton Peace Accords, and the chief US negotiator with North Korea from 2005-2009. He is currently Dean of the Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver, and the author of Outpost.
Via Project Syndicate
-
Related video added by Juan Cole:
CNN from last week: Uncomfortable tensions during Obama Saudi Arabia visit
Reddit Email 160 Shares
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |
The US government has never understood insurgency for the most part. Smart USG officials with whom Ive interacted have had a firm belief that leadership is a rare quality and that you can attrite an organization by killing its leaders. This theory is patently false. It moreover gives false hope to counter-insurgency officials and fools them into thinking simple tactical steps will be effective.
When Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, on whom the Pentagon rather ridiculously blamed 80% of the violence in Iraq in 2005, was killed from the air in spring of 2006, many observers thought that al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia, his guerrilla group, was doomed. But his successor, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, renamed it the Islamic State of Iraq and decided to experiment with holding territory in Diyala and other provinces under the noses of the US military.
Then in 2011 President Obama appears to have had Usama Bin Laden assassinated (there is nothing in the public record to suggest that at any point there was any order to capture him alive). Al-Qaeda was fading at that point. But Ayman al-Zawahiri, the no. 2 man, just took over the operation. Al-Qaeda and its local ally, the Haqqani group, continued to hit the US in Afghanistan, sometimes quite hard, and sought to destabilize Pakistan. The Yemeni affiliate, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, remained vigorous.
The Iraqi affiliate had run into some roadblocks. When Abu Omar was killed in Iraq 2010, again some thought that the group was over with.
But Ibrahim Samarrai took over, called himself Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and took the fight so Syria, renaming the group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or in Arabic Daesh). It went on to conquer most of al-Raqqa and Deir al-Zor provinces in Eastern Syria. In 2013, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi came into an internal conflict with ally Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, and this al-Qaeda branch in Syria split into the Nusra Front (al-Qaeda proper, reporting to Ayman al-Zawahiri), and Daesh.
The Nusra Front or al-Qaeda in Syria became the best rebel fighting group against the Baath government of Bashar al-Assad. Since the US backs remnants of the Free Syrian Army (mostly de fact Muslim Brotherhood factions) who have tactical alliances with al-Qaeda on the battlefield, the US became allied with the allies of al-Qaeda, repeating all the mistakes of the Reagan administration in Afghanistan in the 1980s. US weapons given to the rebels often end up in al-Qaedas hands, and the few victories the rebels have had, as in Idlib, were spearheaded by al-Qaeda, so that the US-backed rebels cant be convinced to abandon the alliance of convenience.
As for Daesh, in 2014, al-Baghdadis group took over 40% of the land area of Iraq. It could not have done that if the Sunni Arab population of Iraq were not outraged at the sectarian, Shiite fundamentalist government that the Bush administration installed in Baghdad, and which Washington continues to back to the hilt. (Theres nothing wrong with the Shiite majority coming to power at the ballot box; but democracy involves avoiding a tyranny of the majority, which Iraqs Shiite parties have not avoided).
In 2015 Saudi Arabia launched a war on Yemen to beat back the victorious Houthi Zaidi militia. It ignored al-Qaeda in the south, which promptly took the major port of Mukala and also several other cities. Only in the past month have Saudi Arabia and its allies bothered to try to deal with AQAP, the most deadly of the al-Qaeda affiliates aside from Daesh). Al-Qaeda has withdrawan from Mukala, but there are rumors that it was allowed simply to walk away (the Saudis claim to have killed 800 in fierce fighting but this allegation cannot be substantiated). Saudi Arabia has virtually ignored Daesh in Iraq and some think it is happy enough to see a champion arise for Iraqi Sunnis that ties down the Shiite government in Baghdad, which the current government in Riyadh despises.
So I think we may conclude that the decapitation strategy of dealing with al-Qaeda does not work and has never worked.
Moreover, al-Qaeda has meant different things to different people, and its appeal has changed over time. Zawahiri was hoping it would become the reining ideology in Egypt and Saudi Arabi, the heartlands of Islam. Instead, Egyptians have gone in for a nationalism that despises Muslim fundamentalism. And Saudis have largely remained loyal to the royal family, and opinion polling suggests that if they could have a change, it wouldnt be in the direction of even greater puritanism.
Instead, al-Qaeda and its affiliates and offshoots have become what Maoism was to peasant revolutionaries of the 1950s and 1960s an ideological franchise you could pick up and beat the Establishment with where the Establishment was intolerably overbearing. Al-Qaeda is modular, in the sense of offering a model and tool kit. Thus, the al-Qaeda-allied Taliban Movement of Pakistan represented the poorer villagers in places like the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Swat Valley, places either neglected or bossed around by the authorities in Islamabad. The Sunnis of Iraqi experimented with the Daesh version of al-Qaeda when they felt oppressed by the Shiite fundamentalist government in Baghdad. Syrian rural and small-town Sunnis experimented with Nusra (al-Qaeda in Syria) and Daesh when they felt oppressed by the one-party Baath socialist state and its high officials (many of them Alawi Shiites). Some of the appeal of AQAP seems to map onto Sunni discontents in south Yemen; there is no al-Qaeda in the north of the country. In Sinai, neglected and discriminated-against rural clans are fighting the Egyptian army.
But these disparate, largely rural insurgencies also face extreme challenges. They depend on government being weak. Even a slight assertion of Saudi power against AQAP in Mukalla caused it to be rolled up there almost immediately. Daesh has lost enormous territory to Shiite militias and Kurdish guerrillas where those two stood and fought. The Russian intervention in Syria has pushed back al-Qaeda in Syra/ Nusra on several fronts, virtually wiping it out in Idlib and along the Lebanese border.
AQAP and Daesh have attempted to recruit Europeans by pulling off the attacks last year in Paris. But their terrorism focuses on soft targets and has little obvious benefit to them, and has made NATO and Russia de facto allies again, in Syria. The strategy of holding territory and yet engaging in long-distance terrorism against a powerful foe is epically stupid. The only advantage of a terrorist group is that it doesnt have an obvious return address. The current al-Qaeda affiliates all defied Bin Ladens advice not to give the enemy a clear target. So they are all in the process of being rolled up.
Al-Qaeda in its various permutations cant be defeated on the battleground. It cant be defeated by decapitating leaders (leadership, contrary to what the Pentagon thinks, isnt that unusual or special).
That is, insurgencies are not mindless nihilism that can be wiped out with some drone strikes or aerial bombardment, some assassinations or regime change. They are manifestations of forms of class struggle (though the class may be inflected by sectarian or ethnic identity). Where there is great inequality and injustice, and where the state is weak, there will be spaces for insurgency, and often such uprisings see a benefit in franchising, signing on to the discourse, techniques and prestige of an umbrella rebellion.
Obamas killing of Usama wasnt the end of anything precisely because the US has not known how to, or has not always even wanted to, promote social justice in the Middle East. The bizarre and embarrassing commitment of the US government to helping the Israelis keep 4.5 million Palestinians stateless and without rights is an example of this blindness. But so too was Ronald Reagans alliance with Saddam Hussein and the Baath Party against the Shiites of Iraq and Iran (the latter having rebelled against decades of heavy-handed US hegemony and a coup that put a megalomaniacal monarch back in power in Tehran). George W. Bush reversed Reagans policy, siding with Iraqi Shiites against Saddam and the Baath, which only created new inequities and led to the rise of Daesh. The Obama administrations acquiescence in the praetorian brutality of the current Egyptian government (in the Sinai and elsewhere) has also not been helpful.
Rather, just as Maoist peasant insurgencies were often best forestalled or foiled by land reform, which turned the peasants into rural middle classes and gave them a stake in the status quo, so rural al-Qaeda insurgencies would be best addressed by fostering social justice policies. Pakistan and Afghanistan never had land reform (pre-modern landholding patterns are typically extremely unequal). FATA in Pakistan needs to receive more investment from the center and should be made a province, with a provincial legislature and prerogatives.
In Iraq and Syria the land is not perhaps as important as government services and government investment in communities, which has often been done on a sectarian basis and very unequally. Egyptian policies in the Sinai are so opaque it is even difficult to know exactly what drove so many there into insurgency, but that someone is making a lot of money with Sinai resources and locals are being kept down and excluded is almost certainly part of it.
The US does not always have good levers to push reform (though it did militarily occupy Iraq for 8.5 years, so youd think they could have accomplished something). It also has leverage with Pakistan and Egypt. Where it does not, Washington shouldnt fool itself that taking X out is an equally good option, or that targeted assassinations will do more than call forth more resistance to an unbearable and unjust status quo.
-
Related video:
CCTV Africa: Fifth year anniversary of the killing of Osama Bin Laden
Ana Kasparian & John Iadarola | (The Young Turks) |
Donald Trumps favorability, or lack thereof, continues to plummet among female voters. Even Republican women are turning away from the candidate. Ana Kasparian and John Iadarola, hosts of The Young Turks, break it down. Tell us what you think in the comment section below.
For the Republican women who have spent the past few years working to broaden the appeal of the Grand Old Party, Donald Trump arrived on the scene like a wrecking ball, tearing down the foundations they had laid over the past few years to try to create a more diverse and open party.
With his penchant for bluster and disdain for political correctness, there are few slices of the American electorate the billionaire businessman has yet to offend. But one group in particular poses a real problem for Trump, should he become the nominee, and for the party, should it win the presidency and keep control of Congress in November and that group happens to make up 51% of the population.
General election women voters think hes abhorrent, said Katie Packer, the chairwoman of Our Principles Pac, which opposes Trump. They think hes a sexist. They think he doesnt respect women, and doesnt really view women in any real way beyond their physical appearance.
If the party leadership embraces Donald Trumpas the general election nominee than I think it will damage our party for a generation.
Reddit Email 0 Shares
Maan News Agency |
BETHLEHEM (Maan) Israels punitive ban on cement imports into the Gaza Strip has prevented hundreds of families from rebuilding their homes devastated by the 2014 war, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a press release Thursday.
As a result of the debilitating cement scarcity and price increases, organizations providing assistance have had to suspend cash assistance for house repairs to over 1,370 families, OCHA reported.
In addition, payment to 1,550 families scheduled to start reconstruction are being delayed due to the lack of available cement.
Construction site in Shujaiyeh, Gaza Strip, March 2016. Photo credit: UNOCHA The current shortage of cement has also suspended jobs for some 40,000 construction workers in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Contractors Union.
The Israeli authorities implemented the ban on April 3, following the discovery of a tunnel passing from the Gaza Strip into Israel the first to be found since Israels devastating military offensive on the coastal enclave in 2014 and accused Hamas of diverting construction materials from its intended legitimate beneficiaries.
Israeli authorities have previously accused the Gaza Strips de facto ruling party Hamas of stealing reconstruction material to sell on the black market and use to build tunnels.
However, according to OCHA, Most of the previously entered shelter repair and reconstruction material has already been sold to beneficiaries.
A spokesperson for Israels Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) told Maan last week the entry of construction materials into Gaza would be suspended until the issue is addressed.
COGAT did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding new developments towards lifting the crippling ban.
Shipments of cement to international organizations has continued despite the private sector ban, with international projects receiving 2,000 tons of cement last week.
However, this shipment pales in comparison to the average of 75,000 tons of cement that entered the Gaza Strip every month since October 2015, toward reconstruction of more than 171,000 units that were damaged or destroyed in the war.
According to the UN, 75,000 Palestinians remain homeless in the blockaded Gaza Strip nearly two years after Israels last devastating offensive.
OAKVILLE, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 2, 2016) - Giyani Gold Corp. (TSX VENTURE:WDG) (the "Company" or "Giyani") was in technical default of the provisions of NI 51-102 requiring the Company to file its Audited Annual Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 ("Annual Financial Statements") and MD&A by March 30, 2016 resulting from its listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange ("JSE"). The Company remedied this default by filing its Annual Financial Statements and MD&A on April 29, 2016.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Giyani Gold Corp.
Duane Parnham, Executive Chairman
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Giyani believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Giyani's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Giyani undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.
May 2, 2016 / TheNewswire / Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia - Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV: BGM) ("Barkerville") and Williams Creek Gold Limited ("Williams Creek") (TSXV: WCX) are pleased to announce that the companies have entered into a definitive arrangement agreement dated April 29, 2016 (the "Agreement"). Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, Barkerville has agreed to issue an aggregate of 6,800,000 common shares of Barkerville in exchange for all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Williams Creek held by Williams Creek shareholders (the "Transaction"). Upon completion of the Transaction, Williams Creek will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Barkerville and former shareholders of Williams Creek will hold approximately 2.27% of the shares of Barkerville on an outstanding basis.
The Transaction will be implemented by way of plan of arrangement (the "Arrangement") under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia). The Arrangement must be approved by two-thirds of the votes cast by shareholders present and voting at the special meeting of Williams Creek shareholders called to consider the Arrangement.
Tom Obradovich, CEO of Barkerville commented "The board of directors of Barkerville believes the proposed transaction will add an important central land package within our dominant land position in the Barkerville camp. This acquisition fits with our strategic focus on finding and mining high-grade gold deposits across British Columbia's highly celebrated and prospective Cariboo gold district."
Stephen Leahy, CEO of Williams Creek commented: "This business combination offers Williams Creek shareholders the opportunity to maximize the potential value of their main assets by accessing Barkerville's more extensive technical and financial resources which are needed to explore and advance our project area. This transaction provides our shareholders exposure to Barkerville's much larger land base that includes more advanced stage gold targets with defined resources. In our view, the proposal offers shareholders of the combined company the potential for enhanced value appreciation with exposure to a larger asset base in B.C.'s prolific historic Cariboo gold district."
Elaine Ellingham, Chairman of Williams Creek commented: "Our board of directors believes that our shareholder base will benefit from this combination of companies. We are pleased by the premium that shareholders are receiving from Barkerville and the benefits of greater trading liquidity and access to capital. Barkerville's management team has a solid track record of adding value to exploration projects and has the funding capacity and technical team to unlock the project's potential with minimal dilution to its shareholder base."
Summary of Proposed Transaction
Currently, Barkerville has 293,035,668 common shares outstanding and Williams Creek has 109,057,249 common shares outstanding. The board of directors of each of the companies have approved the Arrangement.
Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, Williams Creek shareholders will receive 0.062353 common shares of Barkerville for each one common share of Williams Creek held, representing a value of approximately $0.0355 per share based on the closing price of Barkerville on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") on April 29, 2016. This represents a 65% premium using the 20-day volume weighted average pricing and represents an aggregate value to Williams Creek shareholders of $3.876 million.
Pursuant to the Agreement, Barkerville has agreed to advance Williams Creek an aggregate amount of up to CDN$500,000, available in multiple draws bearing interest at an effective annual rate of 5% per annum (the "Loan") evidenced by a grid promissory note. The Loan will be secured against the assets of Williams Creek. Subject to the approval of the TSXV, Barkerville shall have the right, at its option, at any time following the termination of the Agreement under the terms and conditions thereof, to convert the Loan into common shares of Williams Creek at a conversion price equal to $0.02. The parties further agreed that Williams Creek will not give effect to any conversion, if, after giving effect to such conversion, Barkerville would own or exercise control or direction over greater than 19.9% of the total outstanding common shares of Williams Creek immediately after giving effect to such conversion
The Arrangement is subject to the approval of the Supreme Court of British Columbia and all applicable regulatory authorities, including the TSXV and the conditions set out in the Agreement. Barkerville and Williams Creek expect to close the transaction on or about August 5, 2016.
The Arrangement includes customary provisions, including fiduciary-out provisions, covenants not to solicit other acquisition proposals and the right to match any superior proposal.
Upon completion of the Transaction, Williams Creek's common shares will be de-listed from the TSXV and it is expected that Barkerville will apply to cause Williams Creek to cease being a reporting issuer under applicable Canadian securities laws.
A copy of the Agreement will be filed on SEDAR and will be available for viewing under the respective profiles of Barkerville and Williams Creek at www.sedar.com.
Advisors & Counsel
Irwin Lowy LLP is acting as legal counsel to Barkerville. Morton Law LLP is acting as legal counsel to Williams Creek. Primary Capital Inc. has provided a verbal fairness opinion to Williams Creek's Board of Directors that, as of the date thereof and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications set forth therein, the transaction is fair, from a financial point of view, to the shareholders of Williams Creek.
About Barkerville:
Barkerville is focused on developing its extensive land package located in the historical Cariboo Mining District of central British Columbia. Barkerville's mineral tenures cover 1,164 square kilometres along a strike length of 60 kilometres which includes several past producing hard rock mines of the historic Barkerville Gold Mining Camp near the town of Wells, British Columbia. The QR Project, located approximately 110 kilometres by highway and all weather road from Wells was acquired by Barkerville in 2010 and boasts a fully permitted 900 tonne/day gold milling and tailings facility. Test mining of the Bonanza Ledge open pit was completed in March of this year with 91,489 tonnes of ore milled producing 25,464 ounces of gold. Barkerville has completed a number of drilling and exploration programs over the past 20 years and is currently compiling this data with all historical information in order to develop geologic models which will assist new management and provide the framework to continue to explore the Cariboo Gold Project. An extensive drill program is currently underway with the goal of delineating additional high grade gold mineralization.
For further information on Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd., please contact:
Tom Obradovich
Chief Executive Officer
(416) 361-2511
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For further information on Williams Creek Gold Limited, please contact:
Stephen Leahy
Chief Executive Officer
604-729-4573
Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release and has in no way passed upon the merits of the Arrangement and has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer of securities in the United States. The securities issuable in the transaction have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless exemptions from such registration requirements are available
Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Arrangement, any information released or received with respect to the Arrangement may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of Williams Creek or Barkerville should be considered highly speculative.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The information in this news release has been prepared as at May 2, 2016. Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", constitute "forward-looking statements" under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. These statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expected", "may", "will" or similar terms.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Barkerville and Williams Creek as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate to, among other things: anticipated benefits of the Transaction to Barkerville and Williams Creek and their respective securityholders; the pro rata shareholdings of the current shareholders of Williams Creek in Barkerville; the timing and receipt of required securityholder, court, stock exchange and regulatory approvals for the Transaction; the ability of Barkerville and Williams Creek to satisfy the other conditions to, and to complete, the Transaction;; the closing of the Transaction. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: satisfaction or waiver of all applicable conditions to closing of the Transaction including, without limitation, receipt of all necessary securityholder, court, stock exchange and regulatory approvals or consents and lack of material changes with respect to the parties and their respective businesses; the synergies expected from the Transaction not being realized; business integration risks; fluctuations in general macro-economic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets and the market price of Barkerville's shares; fluctuations in the spot and forward price of gold, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in the currency.
Copyright (c) 2016 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
ROUYN-NORANDA, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - May 2, 2016) - GLOBEX MINING ENTERPRISES INC. (TSX:GMX)(FRANKFURT:G1M)(STUTTGART:G1M)(BERLIN:G1M)(MUNICH:G1M)(XETRA:G1M)(OTCQX:GLBXF) is pleased to inform shareholders that it has acquired three lithium projects located in LaCorne and Figuery Townships, Quebec between the towns of Amos and Val D'Or.
The projects called the Chubb, Bouvier and McNeely properties all have recorded spodumene (lithium mineral) occurrences in surface showings, trenches and drill holes. In all properties, multiple spodumene bearing pegmatite dykes are reported with spodumene content of up to 20% reported in some dykes.
Globex acquired 100% interest in the properties in exchange for undertaking the renewal of certain claims and reserving a one percent (1%) Net Smelter Royalty (NSR) for the vendor which may be purchased by Globex at any time for $200,000.
Chubb Property, LaCorne Township
Spodumene bearing pegmatite dykes varying from 1.6 to 6 m width
Spodumene content varying up to 15% and tested to a depth of 100 m and length of 300 m
Most recent drill holes 1.68 Li0 2 wt % over 3.72 m and 1.25 Li0 2 wt % over 2.38 m
Bouvier Property, Figuery Township
Spodumene bearing pegmatite dykes varying from 5 to 14 m width
Spodumene content varying up to 25% and tested along a strike length of 183 m by drilling and trenching
Source: Technical Report and Recommendations on three Li-Mo properties associated with the Preissac-Lacorne Batholith in the Abitibi Sub-province, Quebec, Canada: The Chubb, International and Athona properties" written on February 5, 2010.
McNeely Property, LaCorne & Landrienne Townships
Spodumene bearing pegmatite dykes
Drill holes up to 1.0% Li over 2.44 m
Geological similarity to the Quebec Lithium Mine
Source: Sigeom Examine Quebec government Internet Site 32C/05-0018
This press release was written by Jack Stoch, P. Geo., President and CEO of Globex in his capacity as a Qualified Person (Q.P.) under NI 43-101.
We Seek Safe Harbour. Foreign Private Issuer 12g3 - 2(b) CUSIP Number 379900 50 9
Forward Looking Statements: A detailed discussion of the risks is available in the "Annual Information Form" filed by Globex on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
44,797,706 shares issued and outstanding
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - May 02, 2016) - North Arrow Minerals Inc. (TSX VENTURE: NAR) announces it has signed a binding letter of intent with Athabasca Nuclear Corp. (TSX VENTURE: ASC) to sell mineral claims covering two northern Canadian lithium prospects.
Under terms of the letter of intent, North Arrow will sell its 100% interest in the Torp Lake, Nunavut and Phoenix, Northwest Territories mineral claims for 2,500,000 common shares of Athabasca at a deemed value of $0.08 per common share. As additional consideration, North Arrow will also receive 1,000,000 common share purchase warrants, each warrant entitling North Arrow to purchase one common share of Athabasca for $0.20 for a period of two years from the date of closing the transaction. Closing of the transaction is subject to the completion of definitive documentation and any required regulatory approvals.
About North Arrow Minerals
North Arrow is a Canadian based exploration company focused on the identification and evaluation of diamond exploration opportunities in Canada. North Arrow's management, board of directors and advisors have significant successful experience in the Canadian diamond industry. North Arrow is currently evaluating each of the Pikoo (SK), Qilalugaq (NU), Redemption (NT), Lac de Gras (NT), Mel (NU), Luxx (NU) and Timiskaming (ON/QC) Diamond Projects.
North Arrow's diamond exploration programs are conducted under the direction of Kenneth Armstrong, P.Geo., President and CEO of North Arrow and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr. Armstrong has reviewed the contents of this press release.
North Arrow Minerals Inc.
/s/ "Kenneth A. Armstrong"
Kenneth Armstrong
President and CEO
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility
for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" including but not limited to statements with respect to North Arrow's plans, the estimation of a mineral resource and the success of exploration activities. Forward-looking statements, while based on management's best estimates and assumptions, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: risks related to the successful integration of acquisitions; risks related to general economic and market conditions; closing of financing; the timing and content of upcoming work programs; actual results of proposed exploration activities; possible variations in mineral resources or grade; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes, title disputes, claims and limitations on insurance coverage and other risks of the mining industry; changes in national and local government regulation of mining operations, tax rules and regulations. Although North Arrow has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. North Arrow undertakes no obligation or responsibility to update forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
TORONTO, May 2, 2016 /CNW/ - Sulliden Mining Capital Inc. ("Sulliden" or the "Company") (TSX: SMC) has entered into an option arrangement with First Quantum Minerals Ltd. ("First Quantum") to acquire the past-producing Troilus Mine, located in the Abitibi mining region of Quebec, Canada.
Justin Reid, CEO and director of Sulliden, commented, "This agreement is a step towards our strategy of building a portfolio of mining projects alongside our portfolio of investments. For over two years, we have been actively evaluating and visiting projects in the Americas in search of the right opportunity, and we believe there to be potential value in the Troilus Project."
Peter Tagliamonte, Executive Director of Sulliden, commented, "We have been reviewing the potential of the Troilus project and after thorough due diligence by our technical team, we look forward to moving ahead with more detailed engineering studies. It is our belief that this project has good mine development potential and exploration potential in a friendly mining jurisdiction."
Sulliden has engaged Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. ("RPA") to complete an updated mineral resource estimate for Troilus based on the high quality historical drill data of the project. The Company looks forward to announcing these results within the coming month, before moving ahead with engineering and technical studies to evaluate the economic viability of the project.
Option Agreement
A wholly owned subsidiary of Sulliden has entered into a two-year option agreement with First Quantum with respect to the Troilus Mine.
As a result of the arrangements, Sulliden will hold a two-year option to purchase a 100% interest in the Troilus Mine. To exercise the option under the First Quantum agreement, a minimum of $1,000,000 must be spent on engineering and technical studies to evaluate the economic viability of the project. Upon signing, an initial cash payment of C$100,000 was made to First Quantum. In order to exercise the option and acquire the Troilus Mine, an additional cash payment of C$100,000 will be made to First Quantum on the first anniversary of the Agreement, and a final cash payment of C$100,000 will be made on the date of exercise of the Option. Additionally, a variable Net Smelter Royalty (NSR) of 1.5% or 2.5% depending of the gold price being more or less than $1,250/oz during the reference period will be granted to First Quantum.
Sulliden intends to enter into a subsequent option agreement with 251 Ontario Ltd ("251") whereby 251 would be able to acquire 40% of the Troilus mine and all associated properties with Sulliden retaining the remaining 60% ("Joint-Venture").
Troilus Project Description & History
From 1997 to 2010 Inmet Mining Corporation ("Inmet") operated the Troilus Mine, which produced in excess of 2,000,000 ounces of gold and 70,000 tonnes of copper.
The Troilus property is located approximately 175 km by road from the town of Chibougamau, Quebec, Canada. The property consists of 81 mineral claims and one surveyed mining lease that collectively cover approximately 4,700 hectares. The acquisition will include all infrastructure such as roads, power lines, camp buildings, permitted tailings pond, and associated water treatment facilities. The mill was sold and removed during the first phase of reclamation.
Inmet commissioned the Troilus mill in 1996 and achieved commercial production in April 1997 at a rate of 10,000 tonnes per day with recoveries of 86% gold and 90% copper and a concentrate grade of 18% copper, eventually reaching a production milestone of 18,000 tonnes per day. First Quantum acquired the Troilus property through its acquisition of Inmet in 2013.
About Sulliden Mining Capital
Sulliden is a Canadian venture capital company focused on the acquisition and development of quality mining projects in the Americas, in addition to identifying opportunities for active investments.
Sulliden Mining Capital Inc.
On behalf of the Board
"Justin Reid"
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Caution regarding forward-looking information:
This press release contains "forward looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" and includes plans regarding the Troilus project, timetable to possible mineral resource estimate, and the positive exercise of the option agreement. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; other risks of the mining industry and the risks described in the public disclosure documents of the Company. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
SOURCE Sulliden Mining Capital
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!
Go to form
Kiplinger's spoke with Karlene Hunter, 63, cofounder and CEO of Native American Natural Foods Inc. (opens in new tab), a natural food company located on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Kyle, South Dakota, about how she got her company off the ground. Here's an excerpt from our interview:
What's your connection with Pine Ridge? I'm Oglala Sioux, and while growing up in Denver I visited my grandmother here. I met and married my husband here, and we raised our family on Pine Ridge. I earned my master's degree from Oglala Lakota College and worked in education and economic development. The reservation has a 70% unemployment rate, and the average per capita income is $5,600. We're isolated, and creating a business here isnt easy. To change things, we have to create opportunities from within. In 1996, I cofounded Lakota Express, a direct-marketing company, with my business partner Mark Tilsen. It's still going strong.
How did you get into the food business? At local chamber of commerce meetings, Mark and I heard local buffalo producers say they wanted new avenues to sell their products. Being marketers, we said, What if we created a value-added product? We thought of a traditional food called wasna, a combination of buffalo and berries packed into buffalo horns and carried by Native American runners and hunters.
Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up
How did you develop the product? We worked with food scientists at the University of South Dakota to make wasna in bar form. We wanted to call it the Red Power Bar, but our youth said that was "so '70s." They named it Tanka, which means "Huge!" We found two food processors that could make the bars to our specifications. We launched in 2007, and we were the first meat protein power bar.
What was your marketing plan? Online and 800-number sales kept us alive until the economy stabilized and large distributors were willing to take new products. We associated ourselves with the natural/specialty sales division of Acosta [a national sales, marketing and merchandising company], which took us under its wing. Now we're in Whole Foods, REI and Costco. We also have a division to get healthy products into native lands, which are often food deserts.
How did you finance the start-up? It took us about $1.2 million to get to the large retailers. We took a loan of about $800,000 that was federally guaranteed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Later, we took a line of credit from a Native American community development financial institution. A CDFI is like a credit union that lends in depressed areas. We've had investors from native organizations and some foundations, too. They own about 30% of the company.
Where do you get your ingredients? Last year we secured about 25% of our raw ingredients from native producers -- buffalo from many tribes, cranberries from Wisconsin and wild rice from Minnesota.
How's business? We project $7 million in sales in 2016.
Are you making a living? Yes. No one else would work for what Mark and I pay ourselves, but we pay our staff well -- nobody works for minimum wage. Last year, we gave 5% of the company to our 22 employees so they could have ownership in what they're building. We want to create career-path jobs and help Native American people build assets.
Kiplinger's spoke with Annamaria Lusardi (pictured at left), the director of the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center at the George Washington University School of Business about a recent study she coauthored, How Financially Literate Are Women?, which looks at financial literacy in the U.S., Germany and the Netherlands. Here's an excerpt from our interview:
You say your study turned up some "striking findings." Please elaborate. In all three countries -- and, in fact, in all 15 countries to which we have extended this researchwomen are less likely than men to answer the financial literacy questions correctly. And they are disproportionately more likely to answer "do not know." There is a clear gender difference, and it exists regardless of age, income, education or marital status.
Why the gap? I think it's due to access. If financial literacy isn't taught in school, you acquire it through experience and through others around you -- for example, your parents or colleagues. Women are at a disadvantage if parents don't talk to girls about finance in the same way they talk to boys. And women are more likely to be surrounded by other women at work or socially, so theres less opportunity to learn.
Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up
You say language is also an issue. I think we have made the language of finance foreign to women. For example, we call a mutual fund "aggressive growth," which we know indicates a type of risk, but those words are unfamiliar to women. One thing we ask in our survey is whether it's safer to invest in an individual stock or in a stock mutual fund, and thats a question with many technical terms. If we asked instead, "Would you spread your money over a lot of investments," my impression is that we'd have a different answer.
What are the implications for financial decisions? In a follow-up study, we asked the same financial literacy questions, but we didn't give the option of saying "do not know" and forced respondents to answer. Women tended to be right, but expressed less confidence in their answers. In yet other research, we show that women are less likely to plan for retirement, and lack of confidence is a big component of that. Their caution is probably a good feature in making financial decisions. But we need a targeted approach to give women knowledge and confidence.
What's the solution? Women are an ideal audience for financial education programs, and they feel more comfortable when there is a peer group they can rely on. All of the financial programs we have conducted have been attended mostly by women, and women are more likely to change their behavior. For example, after attending a seminar on retirement goals, they're more likely to increase their planned retirement age and adjust their saving behavior. We see that when they get the information, they can do quite well.
Then:
High school economics teacher Brett Burkey (pictured at left) appeared in our July 2006 issue when he asked the Portfolio Doctor (a monthly feature at the time) about his stock market strategy. Burkey, then 45, was doing well by accumulating shares of blue-chip growth stocks and letting them ride. He wanted reassurance that bucking the common wisdom to rely on mutual funds in general and index funds in particular was okay.
Now:
Ten years later, Burkey is still teaching at Spanish River Community High School, in Boca Raton, Fla., and hes still partial to investing in individual stocks. And, he tells us, hes prospering. Even though he got beat up like everyone else, he wisely stayed in the market through the collapse of 2007 and 2008. I assumed it to be a temporary thing, and I did some buying all along.
As he gets closer to leaving the classroom and taking his teachers pensionhes in his 32nd year as an instructorBurkey has shifted his holdings from growth stocks to stocks that pay generous dividends, such as Realty Income (O (opens in new tab)), AT&T (T (opens in new tab)) and Southern Company (SO (opens in new tab)). One thing that hasnt changed, however, is his dedication to buying shares of solid businesses and not looking at their stock prices from day to day. Hes satisfied to receive steadily rising dividends, which he almost always reinvests in additional shares. Burkey and his wife, Diana, a commercial banker, are looking forward to a debt-free, active retirement with a dividend bounty to help support it.
Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up
In addition to cultivating his own portfolio, Burkey has incorporated his sideline interest in finance into his profession. He has developed a popular course in personal finance for freshmen at his high school. Six sections of 30 teenagers each get a semesters grounding in financial literacy, starting with the basics of credit and banking and moving on to how to buy a car and pay for college. And yes, he issues each student $50,000 of virtual money so the students can simulate stock portfolios.
Burkey is also working to persuade other educators in Florida to make personal finance a high school requirement. He has testified in front of the state legislature in Tallahassee and gives workshops at Florida Atlantic University for public school teachers who would like to introduce personal finance content into their classesa gig he plans to continue after he retires. Managing money and investing wisely are critical survival skills for teachers as well as rising generations of students, says Burkey, because younger teachers arent assured of long careers and a secure pension.
Consider a pair of twins who grow up together, have the same talents and education, nurture the same desire to raise a family, and embrace the same ambitions for their career. But in adulthood, one twin consistently earns less than the other, has a spottier work record and gets stuck further down the career ladder. That twin reaches retirement age with a smaller cache of savings, less guaranteed income and a real risk of running out of money later in life.
The difference between the siblings? Gender. In this parable of fraternal twins, the female twin earns 79 cents for every dollar the male twin earns. She takes more breaks from the workforce to care for children and other family members, and consequently has less access to employer-sponsored savings plans, such as a 401(k). She also has a smaller Social Security benefit, based on her reduced earnings. And heres the real kicker: Because she has a longer life expectancy than her twin (a 65-year-old woman can expect to live to 85, on average, compared with 83 for a 65-year-old man), she will have to stretch her resources that much further.
Like all parables, this one is based in fact: the gender gap that has long put women at an economic disadvantage. The good news is that the gap is closing. Women now graduate from college in higher numbers than men and hold more masters degrees. They represent almost two-thirds of the workforce, according to a report by U.S. Bancorp. The pay gap narrows considerably (often to the point of disappearing) for men and women with similar educational backgrounds and jobs. And to a large extent, differences in income and economic circumstances reflect womens decisions about which jobs to hold and their choices (made with their families) about who stays home to care for kids or elderly relatives.
Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up
But those circumstances are no less real, and the decisions women make about managing their money, staying in the workforce, and saving and planning for retirement can make all the difference. No one can turn the ship around alone. But whatever your stage of life, you can chart a course to financial security. (In the interest of equity, well point out that the advice that follows can apply to men, too.)
(Image credit: Anna Knott)
1. Stay in the Game
Erin Williams of Ossining, N.Y., planned to return to her job as a clinical trial coordinator after the birth of her daughter, Lucy. But once Lucy arrived, Williams realized she would clear only $100 a week after paying for child care. I wanted to be with her. It wasnt worth it to work full-time, she says. Williams and her husband, Kyle Fortin, agreed that she would stay home and earn money through writing and other projects. A year and a half later, Williams is cofounder, with blogger Jordan Reid, of GlamCamp.co, an online store featuring original work by women artists, and she writes a blog, Goosecamp.co. She and Reid recently signed a deal with Penguin Random House for a book about pregnancy.
Williams, 33, has been able to arrange her schedule around Lucys by taking her career in a new direction. For other women, however, child care or caregiving can lead to career atrophy. Rather than let that happen, consider working part-time, says Catherine Collinson, president of the TransAmerica Center for Retirement Studies. Keeping your foot in the door makes it that much easier to reenter the workforce full-time when youre ready.
Negotiating for fewer hours is easiest if youre already a valued employee, says Collinson. But if a part-time arrangement isnt in the cards, stay marketable by taking classes at a local college, volunteering and networking. Thats what Evelyn Ross did after being a stay-at-home mom. Ross, who lives in Silver Spring, Md., took business classes, worked on a local mayoral campaign and, with the help of connected friends, landed a job in the mayors office after her candidate won. Relationships pay off, she says.
[page break]
2. Be Involved in the Finances
Ross may have been savvy about how to reenter the workforce, which coincided with her divorce, but she describes herself as ignorant about finances. Oh, God, I didnt know anything. Money scared me, she says. No surprise there. Women control 80% of all household spending, but when it comes to investing and other financial decisions, usually its the man who steps up, says Angie OLeary, senior vice president at US Bank. Ceding financial responsibilities can be disastrous for wives, especially because they are likely to outlive their spouses. For the most part, all this wealth is going to them, says OLeary. They really need to understand what to do with it. (Men and women often speak different languages when it comes to money.)
One way to close the knowledge gap is simply to communicate with your spouse. A 2015 Fidelity survey on couples and their finances showed that more than 40% of couples didnt even know how much each spouse earned, and 36% disagreed on their joint investable assets. Cluing each other in and deciding on goals together can make both spouses financially more secure and avoid leaving one spouse in the dark after a death or divorce.
Another strategy is to consult a financial planner. If youre married, go togetherbut whether youre married or single, find a planner youre comfortable with. A recent study by the Insured Retirement Institute showed that women find it much more important than men to work with a planner who listens and is responsive. Not surprisingly, they also seek advisers who address them and not just their spouse. For Ross, discovering a sympathetic adviser in Marguerita Cheng, a certified financial planner in the Washington, D.C., metro area, was a blessing, she says. We would sit at my kitchen table and discuss my finances over tea or coffee. If not for Rita, I dont know where Id be.
(Image credit: Anna Knott)
3. Save, Save, Save
Patricia Glosner says her attitudes toward money were shaped by her parents separation, which left her stay-at-home mother with few resources of her own. One of my goals when I went into the workforce was to always be financially secure and financially independent, says Glosner, 48, who lives in Chicago. A clinical pharmacist with Pfizer, she always contributed the maximum to her 401(k) plan, as did her husband, Scott, who also works for Pfizer. They usually maxed out their plans by September or October; after that, they continued to make after-tax contributions. They also contributed to 529 college-savings plans for their two children.
As a result, Glosner has achieved her goal of retiring early. She may go back to work at some point, possibly in the field of health and wellness. In the meantime, she has taken over management of the household finances and has become more involved in making decisions about the couples investment portfolio. In the past, Scott managed the money, and taking over that responsibility was an eye-opener, Patricia says. I really got a clear idea of what we were spending. Thats becoming more common among women her age and younger, says Glosners adviser, Pamela Wise, a certified financial planner with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Because many of them have been high earners, says Wise, this generation of women want a seat at the table.
Whether you plan to retire at 50 or 70, theres a good chance youll live into your nineties, so you need to save accordingly, by contributing the maximum to your 401(k) or other workplace plan (see Retire Rich). If youre self-employed, as many women are, or you have a side business, as many women do, you can save even more in a tax-advantaged plan. With a SEP-IRA, for example, you can put aside up to $53,000 a year.
And because you can look forward to such a long time in retirement, you may need to invest a larger percentage of your portfolio in stocks than your husband does, says Kevin Meehan, a certified financial planner in Itasca, Ill. (see The Secrets of Women Investors). If your investments are too conservative, you risk running out of money before you run out of breath. Plus, women investors may need stocks not just to benefit from potential growth but also to outpace inflation, Meehan says.
4. Cover Your Bases
You and your spouse should have a will. Otherwise, the courts will divide up your assets based on your states intestacy laws. The surviving spouse, likely the woman, may receive only half of the estate, with the rest divided among your children (or if your spouse was married before, any children from that marriage, which could get really messy).
You both also need end-of-life documents. A durable power of attorney allows a family member or designated agent to make financial decisions and transactions, such as paying the bills, on your behalf if you become incapacitated. A durable power of attorney for health care gives someone the authority to make medical decisions. A living will specifies the kind of end-of-life medical treatment you want.
Many married couples give each other power of attorney for finances and health care. If you outlive your husband, be sure to update these documents so that someone else you trust can assume those responsibilities.
Its critical to check the beneficiary designations on your retirement plans, IRAs and insurance policies to make sure theyre up-to-date, and ask your spouse to do the same. In most cases, beneficiary designations take precedence over the will, so its important to review them after a major life change, such as marriage, divorce or death of a spouse. You dont want the assets going to your mother-in-law, your spouses ex-wife or children from a previous marriage unless you have agreed to such an arrangement.
[page break]
5. Set Retirement Goals
Couples nearing retirement will have to make key decisions about where and how to live, as well as how to ensure that any pension or annuity payments go to the survivorusually the wifeand how to maximize Social Security for both of you when one spouseusually the husbandis the high earner.
(Image credit: Anna Knott)
For many women, working longer is often the best solution to a shortfall, not only because it bolsters your savings but also because it helps you delay taking Social Security. Youll get an 8% boost in benefits for every year you delay past full retirement age, until age 70. And Social Security benefits adjust with inflation. Trying to buy an annuity with similar benefits in todays marketplace would be extremely expensive, says Diane Oakley, executive director of the National Institute on Retirement Security.
If youre planning to work longer anyway, try to switch to a job with a pension, advises Oakley. Rare in the private sector, traditional defined-benefit plans are still common at jobs in health care, education and public administration, and many vest after five years. Adding that income to other resources will go a lot further than trying to catch up on savings when youre close to retirement, says Oakley.
Your house is also a great resource if you can tap the equity through a reverse mortgage (see Reverse Mortgages Get a Makeover) or continue to live there after paying off the mortgage. Kathryn Siebert, 59, has a more creative idea. She loves her job at a nonprofit in Portland, Ore., and has no plans to retire soon, but she also has to repair her finances after a divorce. She kept the family homea Craftsman-style houseand, for now, rents out a room to help cover monthly costs. When she retires, she will either sell the house and reap the considerable profit or invite her sons, Emil, 26, and Austin, 22, to move in. My boys cant afford to live in this town, but they could afford to live in the house and take over the mortgage while I travel the world, says Siebert. Ultimately, shed like to come back home and enjoy a multigenerational household, as she did growing up.
6. Anticipate Health Costs
Health care costs can jeopardize your retirement security. Fidelity Investments estimates that a 65-year-old couple who retired in 2015 will spend $245,000 on health care throughout retirement. Thats up 29% since 2005, reflecting rising medical costs and longer life expectancies.
If youve been saving for retirement, youve already put aside funds for health care costs. And if youre healthy, you may not need that much. Still, as you approach retirement, its a good idea to calculate premiums and deductibles for Medicare Part B (which covers doctor visits and outpatient care), along with supplemental insurance, such as Part D for prescription drugs and a medigap policy to cover out-of-pocket expenses.
If you have an eligible high-deductible health insurance policy, you can open a health savings account and put aside money to cover your out-of-pocket health care costs. An HSA gives you a triple tax break: contributions are tax-deductible (or pretax if you make them through your employer), the money grows tax-deferred, and it can be used tax-free for medical expenses. You can let the account grow until you retire, when you can use tax-free withdrawals to pay the premiums for Medicare parts B and D, Medicare Advantage or other health costs. Once you turn 65, you can even use the money for non-medical expenses without paying a 20% penalty, but youll pay taxes on the withdrawals.
Because women live longer, they are more likely to spend time in an assisted-living residence or require home care. Long-term-care insurance can help cover the costs, but premiums are pricey, especially for women. If youre married, you can reduce premiums by purchasing a shared-benefit policy that provides a pool of benefits both spouses can use.
Another option is a hybrid policy that combines long-term-care coverage with life insurance. Thats what Rose Swanger, a certified financial planner in Knoxville, Tenn., purchased after her husband, Stephen, was diagnosed with atypical Parkinsons disease at age 49. Stephens illness makes him ineligible to buy his own policy, but if Rose dies first, hell receive a lump-sum payment that he can use for medical expenses. If Rose outlives her husband, shell use the coverage for her own long-term care. We have three boys, she says, and we want them to chase their dreams and not be burdened by caring for us.
As long as you have an eligible high-deductible health insurance plan, you can open a health savings account with many banks and brokerage firms.
Caveat: If your employer limits payroll deduction of your HSA contributions to its recommended HSA provider, use that account so that your contributions avoid the 7.65% Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes and to ensure you get any company match. Once youve taken advantage of those benefits, though, you can transfer your funds to another HSA.
Great Deals on Practically Everything
Consider these deals for different types of HSA savers:
Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up
For long-term goals
If you use money outside of the HSA to pay medical bills now, you can build up cash tax-free in your HSA for future medical expenses, such as health care in retirement.
HSA Bank offers a large menu of mutual funds and other investments through TD Ameritrade. The monthly account-maintenance fee of $2.50 is waived if you maintain a balance of $5,000 or more.
For near-term expenses
Credit unions offer the most-competitive rates. For example, Lake Michigan Credit Union (opens in new tab), which is open to anyone who donates $5 or more to the West Michigan chapter of the ALS Association, is paying 1.5% or 2% on savings of $5,000 and up.
For a complete list of rates on HSAs, go to www.hsarates.com.
The public symposium of ZAK focuses on flight, mobility, and residence. (Photo: Gabi Zachmann/KIT)
The public symposium Unterwegs. Nirgends daheim? (On the way. Nowhere at home) of ZAK I Center for Applied Cultural and General Studies of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) will take place on April 22 and 23, 2016, and focuses on the current situation of refugees in Germany and worldwide as well as on historic dimensions of migration and residence. The public symposium will be opened on Friday, April 22, 2016, 19.30 hrs, at the Karlsruhe city hall by an evening lecture of Professor Ernst Ulrich von Weizsacker, Co-President of the Club of Rome.
[]
Being The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.
Innovative telecommunication products result from a competition of ideas on the market. Here, the Optonaut 3D photo app with community interface made by KIT students is shown. (Photo: KIT)
Smartphones and tablets come from Asia and the USA, German and European industry is far behind. The causes are dealt with by a study of KIT published in the journal Telecommunications Policy. According to this study, risk aversion made the companies offer own data services at a high price instead of using the open internet. Competitive pressure by Europe-wide granting of mobile telephone licenses or the deregulation of the radio spectrum might improve the situation. Computers protected against the manipulation of data also open up market chances.
While US companies, such as Apple and Google, dominate the consumer market, European companies in the information and communication technologies sector, such as Nokia or Siemens Communications, are irrelevant today, co-author Arnd Weber of KITs Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) says. According to the study, this loss of relevance was caused by repeated attempts of European suppliers to oligopolistically market communication capacities in closed environments instead of using the open internet, as it is done by US companies. In the mid-1980s, for instance, manufacturers and network operators tried to push the closed system Bildschirmtext (videotex) with a payment per page. US modems, by means of which any server could be accessed, were excluded from the market. This strategy was continued in the late 90s: Already when the mobile internet emerged, did European companies try to sell expensive services, such as SMS, MMS, and applications of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).
Furthermore, the authors of the study criticize the establishment of a competition-reduced market in Europe. It exclusively relied on the GSM mobile radio standard developed by European companies and ignored cheaper technologies, such as the PHS standard applied in Japan and China at that time. A monopolistic tradition regularly blocked innovations in Europe, with expensive technologies being marketed instead. This strategy did not only go at the expense of the customers, but ended up in the decline of European information and communication technologies (ICT) suppliers in the long term. Willingness to search for new, cheaper or more flexible technologies was lacking, Weber summarizes.
Another reason for the decline is the fact that Europe is lacking the capacity to search for new ICT markets and to commercialize large series of new products. This does not only apply to smartphones. PCs with graphic user interfaces might have been a European product already. First devices of this type were manufactured in Switzerland in 1980, four years before Apples Macintosh. But the banks were afraid of investing in production.
European investors did not only sleep through new developments, as is pointed out in particular by UK and US media. It is even worse. For more than 20 years, they have known novel, attractive products, but did not take the risk of investing in their manufacture. Instead of offering the open internet and high-performance computers, they supported the attempt to sell individual, more or less attractive data services and relatively simple end devices at high costs, Weber says. The result: Contrary to automotive industry, where strong competitors have established and flexibly react to the Japanese market leader Toyota with high investments, European manufacturers of computers and mobile phones are now irrelevant.
More Competition, More Innovation
In the opinion of the authors of the study, recovery of European manufacturers would require investors and managers with a feeling for successful innovations. As in other branches, competitors are needed which surprise each other. There are still many competences in the ICT sector in Europe, and also much capital, co-author Daniel Scuka, mobile communications expert of the Japanese consulting company Mobikyo, says. Competition might be enhanced by granting Europe-wide licenses to mobile operators. In this way, internationally competitive companies would be given more power than manufacturers of mobile devices. This power could then be used to market new services, such as cost-free communication over large distances through improved WiFi, or to launch something completely new and not even thought of now, Scuka says.
Another market opportunity lies in eavesdropping-proof and complete communication between computers and smartphones. If there were legal regulations and standards for highly secure computers without any loopholes similar to safety regulations for airplane construction or in medicine, this might be advantageous for Europe. Security made in Germany might then be in demand worldwide. In the past years, media reported a lot about the hacking of company servers, Arnd Weber explains. Here, countermeasures may be taken and profitable markets might be created for ICT companies. The USA have already started doing this by using unhackable computers for military purposes.
Publication:
Arnd Weber, Daniel Scuka: Operators at crossroads: market protection or innovation? Telecommunications Policy, April 2016, doi:10.1016/j.telpol.2015.11.009
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308596115001962
More on the Optonaut app made by KIT students:
http://optonaut.co
Being The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.
Adam Sawasy, co-owner and chef at the Butcher & Baker Provisions in Port Gamble, fills lunch orders Friday. The restaurant is in the old gas station on Highway 104.
SHARE The Butcher & Baker Provisions in Port Gamble took over the spot where a barbecue restaurant had been. LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN A hamburger at the Butcher & Baker Provisions in Port Gamble. Shannon Mead (right), of Kingston, has lunch Friday at the Butcher & Baker Provisions in Port Gamble with friend Megan House.
By Tad Sooter of the Kitsap Sun
PORT GAMBLE The butcher and the baker arrive at 5 a.m.
The lights go up before dawn at a former service station on Highway 104 in Port Gamble. The butcher, Adam Sawasy, begins breaking down beef or stuffing sausage casings. Patricia Horton, the baker, preps pastries, pies and cakes. The pair work steadily through the day and remain in the kitchen until well after dark. They repeat the routine seven days a week.
Butchering and baking demand long hours, but Sawasy and Horton are determined to start off their first restaurant on the right hoof.
"When you love what you do, it doesn't feel so rough," Sawasy said of the long days.
The fruits of their labor line counters and fill plates at Butcher & Baker Provisions, a market and "farmhouse restaurant." The business opened in April, taking over a space vacated by Mike's Four Star BBQ.
Diners order from the counter and seat themselves at heavy wooden tables. Shelves surrounding the dining area are stocked with eggs, fruit, preserves and other provisions. Baked treats and cuts of meat are displayed in a glass case. Sawasy and Horton hope the shop will capture the atmosphere of a European market cafe, where the locally sourced ingredients used to build the menu also are available for sale.
"As you're eating, you see that same great pasta on the shelf that's on your plate," Sawasy said. "Or the sausage hash you can buy out of the case."
An all-day menu offers dishes fit for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Diners can start off their morning with a chorizo burrito, stop in midday for a goat-cheese burger and a bottle of beer, or round out their evening with a plate of fettuccine topped with a poached egg.
That was on the menu one week anyway.
"Our menu will be changing frequently," Horton said.
The entrees and provisions offered at Butcher & Baker reflect the diverse talents of the two chefs. Sawasy, 35, began his career busing tables in California restaurants, gradually earning his way into the kitchen. He attended culinary school in San Francisco and worked in Napa Valley before "migrating north" to Kitsap. Sawasy said he became fascinated by butchering and curing meats and has devoted time to studying the trade.
"I have a huge passion for it," he said.
Horton, 48, attended culinary school in New York and cooked in restaurants in San Francisco for more than a decade, eventually gravitating toward baking. Sawasy and Horton joined forces at a local restaurant and began planning a venture that would combine their butchering and baking interests. They saw the historic Port Gamble service station as a unique setting for their unique shop.
"We loved the building," Sawasy said. "It was a great location."
The Butcher & Baker chefs say they want their fare to complement what's available at Port Gamble General Store's expanded cafe and bar. Sawasy believes having more dining options available will help entice more visitors to the old mill town.
"The hope is it becomes a really cool food destination for people," he said.
Butcher & Baker Provisions
What: A market and "farm fresh" cafe
Where: 4719 NE Highway 104 in Port Gamble
When: 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
More info: Go to www.butcherandbakerprovisions.co, call 360-297-9500 or find the business on Facebook
Teen suspected of robbery at Central Kitsap High found with gun after second search
Peter Dunne has announced:
A $303 million overhaul of New Zealands fire services will create an organisation fit for the 21st century, the Government says and your insurance could cost more to help pay for it. The NZ Fire Service, mainly responsible for urban parts of the country, will merge with the National Rural Fire Authority and more than 40 other rural fire services to create a single organisation Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
This is a very good thing, as finally there will be one fire authority for NZ. The status quo has seen silos with professional firefighters, volunteer firefighters and rural firefighters.
Announcing the merger to firefighter representatives, Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne described it as the single biggest change to happen to our fire service in around 70 years. There was a recognition that we needed to have a fire service that was fit for purpose for the 21st century, that was flexible, modern and efficient. Were not grafting one bit on to another were building a completely new organisation. The changes would put the countrys 12,000 volunteer firefighters in a direct relationship with the main organisation for the first time, while recognising the increased medical and emergency work being carried out by firefighters.
In the past the professional firefighters union (and some officers) have basically hated the volunteer firefighters as they see them as unpaid scabs or the like. 20 years ago the relationships were toxic. While there are still challenges, my understanding is that relationships are far better today.
Share this: Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
WhatsApp
More
Pinterest
Print
Tumblr
SHARE
Crye-Leike puts regional headquarters in Knoxville
Memphis-based Crye-Leike has opened a East Tennessee regional headquarters at 9539 Kingston Pike. The 6,000-square-foot building will feature office space for 40 agents and includes commercial, property management and relocation services. Realty Title also will occupy the renovated space.
Crye-Leike's East Tennessee operations experienced a 29.3 percent increase in sales volume in 2015. Crye-Leike, which employs 140 agents in East Tennessee, plans to open branch offices in Farragut and Oak Ridge in 2016. Melonie Carideo will serve as office manager over the Kingston Pike office.
Crye-Leike is the fifth largest real estate company in the U.S.
Dover Development renovates Farragut Hotel
Rick Dover, president of Dover Development, announced that the historic Farragut Hotel, currently undergoing $22 million in renovations, will re-open in summer 2017 as Hyatt Place.
The city of Knoxville approved a $7.7 million, 25-year PILOT deal, or payment-in-lieu-of-taxes, for the project.
The Hyatt Place concept, geared for business and leisure travelers, won an award as highest in customer satisfaction among upscale hotel brands in 2015.
The Farragut Hotel originally opened in 1919. Dover said he plans to use documents from the East Tennessee Historical Society to guide the restoration efforts. White Lodging of Merrillville, Ind., will manage the hotel.
The nine-story, 165-room hotel at 530 S. Gay Street will include a cocktail bar, meeting and event space, fitness center and rooftop venue.
Gannett Co. acquires Journal Media Group
Gannett Co. Inc., of McLean, Va., completed the acquisition of Journal Media Group's publishing assets, including the Knoxville News Sentinel, for $280 million.
Gannett owns USA Today and 92 additional daily publications across the U.S. and Guam, including six newspapers in Tennessee.
The News Sentinel, which was founded in 1886 as The Sentinel, was owned by The E.W. Scripps Co. until it spun off its newspaper division into the Journal Media Group, an independent, publicly traded company, in April 2015.
Shareholders of Journal Media Group approved the deal on March 1. They will receive $12 per share in cash.
Scripps Networks donates $10 million to ETCH
Scripps Networks Interactive made a $10 million donation to East Tennessee Children's Hospital, the largest donation in the hospital's history, to accelerate their planned $75 million expansion.
The donation will go toward completion of the Scripps Networks Tower, a 245,000-square-foot building that will house a neonatal intensive care unit, computerized pediatric simulation lab for training health care providers in the intricacies of treating emergency medical situations in children, an inpatient/outpatient surgery center and a family lounge and resource center.
The tower is expected to be completed this fall.
Ken Lowe, chairman, president and CEO of Scripps Networks Interactive, said "East Tennessee Children's Hospital has been instrumental in the well-being of so many families' lives here in our headquarters location of Knoxville, and this new partnership will help secure its success for people across the region."
Del Conca USA announces Loudon expansion
Del Conca USA announced plans to expand its 320,000-square-foot Loudon manufacturing plant and hire 40 workers to increase production of its Italian-designed porcelain tiles.
Ceramica del Conca of San Clemente, Italy, the parent company of Del Conca USA, opened the Loudon plant in 2014 and invested $30 million in state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment.
Hobby Lobby will open shop in Oak Ridge in September
Hobby Lobby has signed a 15-year lease for a 628,000-square-foot former Kroger grocery store site along Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. The company will begin renovations in June. It announced plans to hire 35 to 50 people by the time of the projected opening in September. Hobby Lobby is a national retailer of arts and craft supplies and home decor.
US Chamber of Commerce cites four area businesses
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce chose four Knoxville-area small businesses to receive 2016 Blue Ribbon awards, an honor that measures a company's success in strategic planning, employee development, customer service and community involvement.
Analysis and Measurement Services Corp., a nuclear engineering consulting firm, won a Blue Ribbon award for the fifth year in a row. Other area winners include All Occasions Party Rentals, a full-service event rental company; Proton Power, a company based in Lenoir City that uses biomass material to create renewable energy; and All Occasions Catering, a Knoxville-based catering company.
The Blue Ribbon award winners will be recognized at the 12th annual America's Small Business Summit in Washington, D.C., on June 13-15. One honoree will be chosen as the Dream Big Small Business of the Year, and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.
Clayton Homes purchases River Birch Homes
Clayton Homes acquired manufactured home-builder River Birch Homes of Hackleburg, Ala. River Birch Homes employs 240 people in northwest Alabama and makes single- and multi-section homes, which it markets in nine states throughout the Southeast.
Clayton Homes now operates 37 manufacturing facilities in the U.S. The Maryville-based company, which became a component company of Berkshire Hathaway in 2003, specializes in site-built homes, modular homes, apartment complexes, manufactured housing and "tiny" homes. They built more than 34,000 homes in 2015.
First Tennessee Bank establishes community fund
First Tennessee Bank has established a $50 million Community Development Fund to assist citizens with low to moderate incomes to obtain affordable housing.
The fund also will help support local organizations involved in home repair, foreclosure prevention services and financial literacy services.
The fund will award $3 million each year in grants to nonprofits and community organizations in First Tennessee markets.
Joshalyn Hundley has been named regional community development manager for the Community Development Fund for the Knoxville region.
SHARE Frank Munger
The Uranium Processing Facility is obviously the big-ticket item on the horizon at the Y-12 National Security Complex. It has a projected price tag of $6.5 billion, which speaks for itself.
But there are other projects under development at the Oak Ridge plant, including plans for a new Emergency Operations Center.
According to a recently released report by staff of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, the National Nuclear Security Administration has approved Critical Decision-1 for the new emergency center at Y-12.
"The new facility will replace Y-12's Plant Shift Superintendent's Office, Technical Support Center and the Fire Department alarm room," the March 4 report said.
The safety board report reiterated that the new EOC will not replace the current one, which is located several miles away at the East Tennessee Technology Park.
"The emergency response capabilities that will be relocated into the new facility are currently housed in facilities that were built in the mid-1940s and do not meet modern DOE requirements for seismic performance and habitability," the report stated.
The report also said the preliminary "execution plan" indicates that the new emergency center due to become operational in early 2021 will be "designed to current code requirements for facilities with emergency response capabilities."
The National Nuclear Security Administration, a semi-independent part of the U.S. Department of Energy that oversees the nuclear weapons complex, declined to comment on the CD-1 milestone.
In federal lingo, CD-1 is the approval stage in which one of the alternatives is chosen, along with the project's cost range.
According to budget documents, the new Emergency Operations Center at Y-12 has a cost range of $20.4 million to $33.6 million.
Consolidated Nuclear Security, the government's managing contractor at Y-12, last December solicited expressions of interest from companies wanting to design the EOC. The Y-12 contractor later acknowledged that it received interest from 12 companies.
The Emergency Operations Center reportedly will be between 8,000 and 12,000 square feet on a single story, with more details to become available once the qualified bidders have been selected.
The facility will provide offices and meetings rooms for daily operations for about 20 people and have emergency operations space for about 50 people, with special electronic capabilities and other advanced technologies.
Better as One: When the National Nuclear Security Administration awarded a giant-sized contract that combined the management of two nuclear weapons plants Y-12 in Oak Ridge and Pantex in Amarillo, Texas the goal was to make operations more efficient, eliminate redundancies and save taxpayer dollars by the truckload.
In a recent posting on its website, Consolidated Nuclear Security the Bechtel-led contractor team at Y-12 and Pantex cited work on the B61-12 life extension project (which consolidates multiple versions of the nuclear bomb and replaces aged parts) as an example of a collaborative work environment and gains made by combining the management of the two facilities.
Under the heading of "Becoming one team, better together," CNS said it had synchronized weapons baseline schedules for Y-12 and Pantex. and reworked a number of project activities.
"The team also consolidated the Earned Value Management System the method used to plan and measure the cost and progress of large projects on both unclassified and classified platforms," CNS said.
James Fine, the CNS senior director of enterprise planning and controls, characterized the results to date as a success.
SHARE Bunch Katherine Clark Steve Cruze Jerry L. Epps
Covenant Health has announced that David Bunch, chief executive officer of Community Health System's Heritage Medical Center in Middle Tennessee, has been named president and chief administrative officer at Cumberland Medical Center in Crossville. He succeeds Jeremy Biggs, whom Covenant recently named as president and CAO of Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge. Bunch will assume his new responsibilities April 25.
Katherine Clark has joined Rheumatology Associates of East Tennessee, a Summit Medical Group practice, as a physician assistant.
Steve Cruze has been named chief operating officer of Premier Surgical Associates. Cruze previously worked as practice manager for Premier's Fort Sanders Regional office.
UT Medical Center announced that Dr. Jerry Epps has been named senior vice president and chief medical officer. Epps most recently served as chair of the department of anesthesiology with the medical center and UT Graduate School of Medicine.
Physiatrist and pain management physician Dr. Bruce Hairston has joined Blount Memorial's active medical staff, and will see patients at East Tennessee Medical Group, located at 266 Joule St. in Alcoa. He recently worked at MedManagement, Inc., in Franklin.
Dr. Nicole Kissane-Lee has joined UT Medical Center as a bariatric and general surgeon as well as an educator teaching surgical education and medical simulation.
Dr. Lynn Massingale has been named to Modern Healthcare Magazine's list of "50 Most Influential Physician Executives and Leaders" for 2016.
Todd M. Peters, M.D., of Summit Medical Group's Norwood Family Medicine, received the second-highest patient satisfaction score out of 12,000 providers nationwide in the first quarter of 2016. The scores are determined by patient polls conducted for Summit Medical Group and other provider groups by SurveyVitals.
Jean Sanford, meeting planner for TeamHealth, has achieved the distinguished Certificate in Meeting Management, the business standard of excellence for meeting and travel professionals.
Tennova Healthcare has named Steve Simpson as chief executive officer of Lakeway Regional Hospital in Morristown, effective April 18. Simpson has been serving as interim chief executive officer at the hospital since March 14. He replaces Clyde Wood, who was recently named chief executive officer at North Knoxville Medical Center.
Orthopaedic trauma surgeon Dr. Kostas Triantafillou recently joined University Orthopaedic Surgeons located at The University of Tennessee Medical Center.
GREATER KNOXVILLE BUSINESS JOURNAL FILE PHOTO The main foyer of Holston Middle School has the lights turned off to conserve energy. The lights are on in the office and a hallway leading to administrative offices because employees are working in those areas of the school.
By Mamie Kuykendall of the Knoxville News Sentinel
It may seem strange that a business reliant on sales would encourage people to use less of their product, but that's exactly what the Tennessee Valley Authority is doing.
The TVA, which provides electricity in seven states, is offering incentives in exchange for energy-efficient utility upgrades through its EnergyRight Solutions program. Founded in 2008, the program offers $0.3 to $0.8 per kilowatt hour saved for pre-approved projects, such as lighting, HVAC, and door and window upgrades.
Because the program encourages lessened power usage, many wonder why the TVA is so focused on reducing its bread and butter, according to Tom Irwin, program manager for the Northeast region.
"The TVA is investing in the future efficiency of the valley's major employers," Irwin said. "It's good to help to save energy, because you help sustain the future and keep jobs in the valley. In essence, if we pay someone to lower their utility bill, we're investing in the future of all the jobs that employer is giving to the valley.
"To me, it ties right into our mission. It's about energy, environment, and economic development."
This tactic makes even more sense considering the world-wide competition that large, East Tennessee companies face, according to Irwin.
"It's a very competitive environment," he said. "To the extent they can be efficient, I think we can help them win."
Standard rebates are offered for set changes, like variable speed drives on cooling towers and window films that reduce solar gain, while a catch-all customer incentive can be used for almost anything that verifiably saves energy.
The plan has been effective. In the Northeastern region, businesses and industries collectively save about 30 million kilowatt-hours each year through the program, according to Irwin. These figures do not include residential savings.
"At 10 cents per kilowatt hour, that's a big chunk," Irwin said. "We're getting a lot of traction on the residential side as well, through home audits and self audits."
The Knoxville Utility Board has been a big supporter, according to Irwin, who said KUB customers saved more than seven million kilowatt hours last year.
Local businesses and schools have thrown themselves into the process.
"We've worked for several years with the folks for the University of Tennessee," Irwin said. "They're looking at everything over there. I'm working hand-in-hand with them to reduce total energy consumption."
The TVA has paid about $10,000 in incentives to the university, and another $6,000 is on the way, according to Irwin.
"(Those incentives) were for lighting conversions, we changed from florescent to LED lighting," said Derek Bailey, general superintendent of UT Facilities Services' STAR Team. "We chose the older buildings that took the most power on campus, and started with those."
The school paid $48,000 for the project.
More changes are planned for the not-so-distant future. Students voted to put a portion of tuition environmental fees aside and create a revolving loan fund for efficiency projects, a fund which has grown to $450,000. The money will be used for lighting and HVAC upgrades, expected to be completed by the end of the calendar year, according to Bailey.
UT also buys green power through TVA's Green Switch Program, which made up one-third of the school's energy needs last year.
Knox County Schools also has been a heavy hitter. Nearly all facilities have been upgraded through an energy service contract with Trane, a heating and cooling equipment supplier that funded the upgrades. The schools are saving more than three million kilowatt hours per year, according to Irwin.
Trane also is working with the Knox County government, which has around 60 efficiency projects in the works that will save an estimated 3.5 million kilowatt hours each year.
A program powerhouse on the business side is Weigel's, which has made light and refrigeration upgrades throughout East Tennessee. After projects are completed, the gas station chain is expected to save more than 2.1 million kilowatt hours annually, garnering more than $80,000 in incentives through the TVA program.
"Headquartered right here in Knoxville, it's another great story to tell," Irwin said.
The TVA has other conservation processes in the works, contracting a demand response service through EnerNOC, which requests local businesses to reduce power usage when needed.
UT, Knox County Schools and the Knoxville Convention Center are among participating responders.
"If the temperature is 100 degrees outside, the demand on TVA is so great," said Jason Bourgoyne, director of event services and operations for the convention center. "Instead of TVA starting up a new electrical plant to meet the demand, (we) will shut down or reduce demand on the grid, which lowers the demand to TVA."
The menu topper
By Mary Constantine of the Knoxville News Sentinel
Rumor has it that Chef Matt Gallaher will officially open his new Italian restaurant, Emilia, on Tuesday, May 3. But so far it's only a rumor as the chef has yet to make the official announcement.
He did, however, explain in a text message how he chose the restaurant's name.
"My first restaurant job was at 9 years old in my mom's catering business, Miss Emily's. It was named for my grandmother, Emily Jackson, and my younger sister, Emily Cowan. Several months ago I was reading one of the 60 Italian cookbooks that I've collected over the last couple of years, and Emilia-Romagna kept coming up over and over. It's the region where so many quintessential Italian ingredients are produced Parmesan, pecorino, prosciutto, balsamic, etc.
"Simple food requires great ingredients so it's a region that spoke to me, and then it clicked. Emilia is the Italian form of Emily, and the idea of bridging simple, honest Italian ingredients and dishes with the grace and hospitality that I grew up with is exactly what I want to offer at Emilia," he wrote.
Over the weekend, Gallaher and his staff held a soft opening at the 16 Market Square location previously occupied by Latitude 35.
But there is little resemblance to the former operation. Gone are the televisions that hung from the black-tiled ceiling. There is not a hint of orange or white. And the staircase has totally disappeared, leaving in its place brick flooring surrounded by the original acid-washed concrete flooring.
The former red brick walls have been whitewashed and the ceiling tiles replaced with white, which gives the space a brighter, more open feel.
There is bench seating on the left side of the dining area with movable two-top tables that can be easily adjusted for larger parties. Four-top tables are positioned in the center of the dining area and to the right.
A simple gray shelving unit is at the center of the room for guests to check-in. And to the back is the bar with an industrial-look shelving unit.
There is also a menu that features the pasta dishes of the day. During Saturday's soft opening those included lobster risotto, polenta and meatballs Pomodoro and agnolotti primavera. All the pasta is made in-house.
The drinks menu offers three draft beers including Blackberry Farm's classic saison and Fanatic blonde, and nonlocal bottled beers such as Good People oatmeal-coffee and YeeHaw pale ale. Featured wines available in bottle or by glass include selections from Italy, California, Washington State and France.
Prices average $7 or $8 per antipasti dish; $5 for side dishes; and $13-$34 for main courses. Hours listed on the OpenTable reservation system website states that the eatery will operate 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 4-9 p.m. Sunday.
To keep up with what's happening at Emilia follow it on Instagram at Emilia_Knoxville
Georgiana Vines Columnist SHARE Thailand's minister of natural resources and environment Gen. Surasak Karnjanarat, left, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash are pictured last week at Sugarlands Visitors Center. Karnjanarat signed the Paris Climate Control Agreement at the United Nations on April 22 and then visited the Smokies. (DANA SOEHN/NATIONAL PARK SERVICE) Tobias Miller, trails program manager at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, center, explains Chimney Tops trail improvements to the Thai minister of natural resources and environment, Gen. Surasak Karnjanarat. Smokies Superintendent Cassius Cash is partially obscured at right. Songtam Suksawang, department of natural parks inspector, is at left. The Thailand delegation visited the Smokies from April 23-25. Karnjanarat was in the U.S. to sign the Paris Climate Control Agreement at the United Nations on April 22 and then visited the Smokies with his delegation. (DANA SOEHN/NATIONAL PARK SERVICE) Georgiana Vines
Thailand's minister of natural resources and environment, Gen. Surasak Karnjanarat, joined U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and nearly 170 representatives of other countries to sign the Paris climate agreement in New York on April 22, and the next day he came to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in East Tennessee.
Thailand and the U.S. have more in common than an interest in limiting global warming and carbon emissions. They have national parks that are similar and agreements in which Smoky Mountains park officials will provide technical know-how on wastewater issues and trail sustainability to Thailand's sister park, Khao Yai National Park.
Karnjanarat led an eight-person delegation to be briefed on what happens next between the two parks, said Smoky Mountains park spokeswoman Dana Soehn. Staff information exchanges have transpired since 2013.
"While not exactly twins, our two parks share similar resources and challenges as the most visited national parks in our countries," Smoky Mountains park Superintendent Cassius Cash said. "In particular, we have provided technical guidance on improving trail accessibility and sustainability and waste water management that will enable Khao Yai to be a national park leader in environmental stewardship. We were thrilled to be able to take the delegation in the field to show them first hand some examples of best practices. Through the field visit, we were able to truly showcase the possibilities and opportunities of working together to solve similar challenges."
Judging by the schedule from when the delegation arrived on April 23 until departing on April 25, it was a whirlwind trip. The group included the Thai park superintendent, Kanchit Srinopawan.
They went on the Chimney Tops Trail to see restorative efforts as explained by trails manager Tobias Miller and backcountry specialist Christine Hoyer.
They also toured the Cades Cove Loop, where most visitors go to see bears and deer. The Thais got to enjoy the scenery, too, but after lunch at the visitors center, they went to the campground and toured the water treatment and wastewater system there, with explanations from public health service environmental engineer Steve Sauer and facility management specialist Alan Sumeriski. Deputy Superintendent Clay Jordan was part of that conversation, too.
Former Smoky Mountains park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson, who helped draft the agreement with the sister park in 2013, also met with the group. His interest in Khao Yai began nearly 20 years ago, early in his park service career, when he was at Harper's Ferry training center and a delegation came for training in interpretation, he said.
Ditmanson knew four members of the delegation from previous visits to the Thai park, more recently in a program for retirees, called Global Parks, which is supported by the International Conservation Caucus Foundation.
The parks are similar in their physical shape, he said.
"Biodiversity is huge. Their mammals are a little larger than ours," he said laughingly, referring to elephants. "The flora-fauna-bird population is similar."
Also meeting with the delegation were retired Deputy Superintendent Kevin FitzGerald, who has visited the Thai park with Ditmanson; Jim Hart, Friends of the Smokies president, and Laurel Rematore, Great Smoky Mountains Association executive director.
When leaving the area Tuesday evening, the Thailand delegation went to Washington for meetings with U.S. officials, ambassadors and congressional delegates, Soehn said.
"They did make a trip to the Statue of Liberty and also hoped to see the monuments in D.C.," she said.
Cash is scheduled to lead a delegation to Khao Yai in late October. Others going are Hoyer, Miller and Sauer.
SHARE Michael Anthony Benanti, of Lake Harmony, Pa. (KNOX COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE) Brian Witham, 45, of Waterville, Maine. (FBI/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS SENTINEL)
By Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel
If the federal government has its way, the alleged ringleader in a plot to rob banks by holding executives and their families hostage will die behind bars.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lewen has obtained from a federal grand jury an enhanced 23-count indictment against Michael Anthony Benanti that ensures with its 13 gun charges alone the Pennsylvania man will face hundreds of years in prison if convicted.
In addition to the gun charges, Benanti is accused of crimes including conspiracy to commit bank robbery via extortion, carjackings, kidnappings and robberies. Benanti and Brian Scott Witham were initially indicted in December on a 15-count indictment based on three bank extortions involving the kidnapping of families in East Tennessee two in Knoxville and one in Elizabethton.
But Witham, 45, of Maine, struck a deal in March to plead guilty, laying out for prosecutors the entirety of the pair's alleged crime sprees since their meeting in a federal prison years before. Lewen late last month then sought a superseding indictment against Benanti, who was arraigned by U.S. Magistrate Judge Clifford Shirley and a Nov. 7 trial date set before Chief U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan. Witham faces a minimum 42-year prison term as part of his plea deal.
The new indictment against Benanti and the plea agreement filed in Witham's case, detail an elaborate, exacting and violent plan to hold bank executives' families hostage to force the executives to effectively rob their own banks.
The pair, both robbers, met in federal prison. When Benanti was freed, he launched a venture known as Prisoner Assistant, in which he convinced prison inmates to pay him a fee and give him power of attorney over their finances and he, in turn, would provide them with banking and investing services. He later hired a freed Witham. The Wall Street Journal reported on the business, which operated from Benanti's Pennsylvania basement, in 2014.
The venture was a sham, prosecutors said, and the operation began to unravel as Benanti and Witham squandered the inmates' money. So, Lewen alleged, Benanti hatched a plan for quick cash using identity theft, but it proved too much trouble for the return.
In September 2014, the pair turned to a carefully planned robbery of the Peoples Security Bank and Trust in Clarks Summit, Pa., prosecutors said. They bought a series of cars to use and then burn, stockpiled guns, food and water and spent days dressed in camouflage with a camera and binoculars to surveil the comings and goings of bank employees before executing the robbery, Lewen has said.
Prosecutors said Benanti and Witham then decided to target bank executives and their families, using Facebook and LinkedIn to identify targets and to learn all about the families. Witham's job was to hide outside the families' homes and surveil them. He spent hours at that task, even bagging his excrement to avoid detection.
The pair targeted families in Connecticut, Oak Ridge, Knoxville and Elizabethton, holding a toddler and a baby at gunpoint, strapping a fake bomb on a man's chest and using elaborate disguises, one of which was designed to convince authorities there was a third female suspect, Lewen wrote. They allegedly had plans to continue their hostage-taking down the coast when they were nabbed in North Carolina after a chase and crash in November.
Mountain View Youth Development Center (HAYES HICKMAN/NEWS SENTINEL)
By Hayes Hickman of the Knoxville News Sentinel
DANDRIDGE Six Mountain View Youth Development Center staffers were injured in an incident the day after a new management team arrived in the wake of the superintendent's firing last week.
Tennessee Department of Children's Services officials Monday would not speak specifically to a number of staff-related incidents reported at the state facility in Jefferson County that preceded the firing of superintendent Tommy Francis on Friday.
A team of DCS management staff arrived to take over the facility after Francis, who had been on the job for about 90 days and was accused of using a racial epithet against a student, was terminated. It was the latest in a series of staff issues at the facility for male juvenile felony offenders. As of Monday, the facility had 46 inmates with a cap of 48.
DCS administrators would not cite any specific reason for Francis' departure, describing it as a mutual decision to end his contract. No other staffers were fired, officials said.
"We weren't seeing that leadership to turn this program around," said DCS Commissioner Bonnie Hommrich during a news conference at Mountain View on Monday. "There were a variety of issues that arose. Some of those, because of (Human Resources) rules, we really cannot go into. You all are well aware of the variety of issues that have occurred here in recent months."
On April 11, a former Mountain View guard, 25-year-old Breanna Rose Garber, was indicted on charges of statutory rape by an authority figure, two counts of sexual battery by an authority figure, two counts of sexual contact with an inmate, two counts of official misconduct and bringing alcohol into the facility.
In January, former nurse Rita Anette Dalton, 41, was indicted on six counts of sexual contact with an inmate and seven counts of official misconduct in connection with several alleged incidents in 2014.
Misty Neeley, DCS director of residential operations, was named acting superintendent at Mountain View on Friday.
Among the new staff joining Neeley at Mountain View are Dave Anderson, a DCS internal affairs officer who's expected to be on site at least one day a week, and a new interim security manager, Neeley said.
On Saturday, the day after the new team's arrival, there was an incident in which at least one guard was assaulted, Neeley said. Three staff members were taken to a local emergency room "as a precautionary measure," said Neeley, who would not discuss details of the incident, citing federal medical privacy laws.
"It lasted about 20 minutes and the staff handled it very well," Neeley said. "It was not a riot."
She said she witnessed the incident and no local law enforcement was called to the facility.
Dandridge Police Chief Carson Williams said after the news conference he heard unofficial reports that the incident involved six staffers, including one who was transported by ambulance.
"But no reports have been filed with us," Williams said.
DCS spokesman Rob Johnson later said, "Three (staffers) went to the hospital and three others received first aid and finished their shifts. People were afforded the opportunity to get checked out."
Johnson added that law enforcement is not called to disturbances at the center unless "we feel we need their assistance.
"If an employee wanted to file charges that would be between the employee and law enforcement."
DCS administrators on Monday would not confirm another recent report that several Mountain View staff members had beaten handcuffed students in an area of the facility not monitored by security cameras.
"It was investigated and action was taken," said Debbie Miller, DCS deputy commissioner of juvenile justice. "I can't share the outcome. Appropriate corrective action was taken."
DCS currently is seeking accreditation for its three youth development centers across the state from the Council on Accreditation, a nonprofit accrediting organization for a variety of social services agencies.
Tennessee would be the first state to receive COA accreditation for its juvenile "hardware security facilities."
As part of the process, DCS is implementing a new "incentive/reward" behavior modification program that moves away from a more traditional youth correctional model, Miller said.
"There are always going to be fights," Miller said. "Kids are going to fight, kids are going to pick up a chair and throw it across the room if they get angry or frustrated.
"The issue is do the staff react appropriately? Do the staff handle that situation appropriately so that you're minimizing any injuries to youth or injuries to staff and how are you handling those?"
SHARE Travis Worley
By News Sentinel Staff
A second South Knoxville man has been arrested in a string of car burglaries at several South Knox County churches.
Travis Lynn Worley, 42, has been charged with aggravated burglary, according to the Knox County Sheriff's Office.
According to arrest documents, Worley admitted to climbing through an open window at a residence in the 900 block of Valley Drive and taking a Remington .22 caliber rifle and a toolbox. He told authorities where he sold the items, and they were recovered, records show.
Charles Lee White, 39, of South Knoxville was taken into custody on Thursday afternoon after a brief foot chase and was charged with one count of felony vandalism in the damaging of a vehicle on April 17 at Stock Creek Baptist Church. The Sheriff's Office announced Monday that White has also been charged with five counts of vehicle burglaries and evading arrest.
According to arrest documents, White admitted to authorities that he broke into cars in the parking lots of Valley Grove Baptist Church, Galilee Baptist Church, Southside Baptist Church, New Hopewell Baptist Church and Ye Olde Steak House.
He is being held at the Knox County jail on a $25,000 bond.
SHARE McKinley Lane Cody, charged with first-degree felony murder, robbery, second-degree murder and abuse of a corpse in the death of 42-year-old Lora Costner of Newport who went missing on Jan. 7, 2016. Her remains were discovered near Lane Drive in Cocke County on March 10. (TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION)
By Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel
A teenager accused in the killing of a Cocke County woman who went missing earlier this year was arraigned Monday.
McKinley Lane Cody, 19, was arraigned before Cocke County Circuit Court Judge Ben Hooper II in the death of Lora Hale Costner, 42.
Cody is charged with felony murder and an underlying charge of robbery in addition to a lesser charge of second-degree murder under an alternate theory by the state of the slaying of Costner. He also is charged with abuse of a corpse.
Hooper set a July 12 plea deadline in the case. Attorney Nick Kear was appointed to represent Cody.
Costner went missing Jan. 7. Her remains were discovered March 10 buried on the property of Jerry Cody, who is McKinley Cody's grandfather, near Lane Drive between Newport and Cosby. Cody was indicted by a Cocke County grand jury last week after an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Cocke County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities have said Costner died from blows to the back of her head. Cody is accused of killing Costner while robbing her of prescription painkillers, according to a release issued in the case last week.
Three days before Costner's remains were discovered, McKinley Cody and his mother, Kathy Cody Williams, as well as two other people were charged with conspiracy to introduce Suboxone pills, a prescription drug used to relieve opiate cravings, into the Cocke County Jail. The quartet is to appear in court Wednesday in that case.
Williams was fired in 2013 from her job as Cocke County's E-911 director following her indictment on a charge of official misconduct by using the Tennessee driver's license database for personal use.
McKinley Cody remained jailed Tuesday in lieu of $1 million bond. A trial date in the slaying case against him was not immediately available Monday.
SHARE Billy Jason Carson (Scott County Sheriff's Office)
By Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel
The widow of an Indiana monster truck driver killed after he tried to stop an angry, drugged motorist's vehicular rampage through a crowd of patrons at a country music concert in Scott County is suing the campground that hosted the "Full Throttle" holiday festival and the event vendor now charged in the death.
Cheryl Farrell has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the Trails End Campground on River Road in Huntsville, Tenn., and Cleveland, Tenn., resident Billy Jason Carson, a food vendor at the campground's 2015 Memorial Day weekend festival.
The lawsuit, drafted by Indiana attorneys David Craig and Scott Faultless and filed locally by Knoxville attorney Tasha C. Blakney, involves the May 23, 2015, death of Cheryl Farrell's husband, Tony Farrell, 50, of North Vernon, Ind., and the injury of the couple's son, Ethan Farrell.
Carson, 43, faces a 15-count indictment in what authorities alleged was an angry rampage by a drugged-out Carson, who took umbrage when his drunken friend was punched and twice drove his Toyota SUV into a crowd of patrons and fired a gun into the same crowd as a Trace Adkins concert came to a close.
Carson faces charges including vehicular homicide, reckless homicide, a gun count, six counts of reckless endangerment, four counts of aggravated assault and felony vandalism. He was scheduled to appear Monday in Scott County Circuit Court for a motions hearing in that case.
Defense attorney James Logan did not return a phone message seeking comment. A representative of the campground could not be reached Monday.
According to the lawsuit, prior court testimony and state court records, Tony Farrell, a well-known monster truck driver in Indiana, his wife and their two sons were attending a festival hosted by the Trails End Campground dubbed "Full Throttle," that included a monster truck show and a concert by Adkins. Carson was peddling food as a vendor at the event.
At some point, Carson's friend, Josh Baulcom, showed up, got drunk and began "touching, grabbing and harassing women," the lawsuit stated. Someone at the event punched Baulcom, and that sent Carson into a rage, according to prior court testimony and the lawsuit.
With Baulcom in the passenger seat, Carson allegedly began driving his SUV "at an excessive speed and in a reckless manner while yelling profanities and holding a firearm near patrons who were attempting to leave the concert venue," the lawsuit stated. An arrest warrant also alleged he fired the gun during the vehicular rampage. Carson's vehicle hit Ethan Farrell and Michael Roysden of Georgia before fleeing, records stated.
A short time later, Carson returned in the SUV, and Tony Farrell tried to stop him by reaching into the Toyota and pulling the key from the ignition, the lawsuit stated.
"Billy Jason Carson continued to operate the Toyota in a reckless manner by driving around the field at a high rate of speed with Tony Farrell hanging from the Toyota, causing Tony Farrell to be thrown to the ground," the lawsuit stated. "Billy Jason Carson then ran over Tony Farrell while he was on the ground and caused serious injuries, all of which was witnessed with shock, horror, distress, anger, worry and fright by (his wife and sons)." He later died.
A patron "finally stopped" Carson by ramming his vehicle into Carson's Toyota and pointing a gun at him, according to the lawsuit. A blood test later revealed the presence of Xanax, a prescription sedative in Carson's system, but no alcohol, although Carson allegedly told a detective with the Scott County Sheriff's Office he had been drinking, according to prior court testimony.
The lawsuit accuses campground owners of negligence in allowing Carson to work as a vendor, failing to eject Baulcom from the event, doing nothing to stop Carson's alleged attack and failing to render Tony Farrell medical aid. A specific amount of damages sought is not listed in the lawsuit.
Laura Ann Buckingham, 29, Kingston woman charged with criminal intent to commit first-degree murder for allegedly planning a murder-for-hire scheme to kill her ex-spouse, Bradley Sutherland of New Albany, Ind. According to authorities, Buckingham repeatedly asked her boyfriend, Joseph Chamblin, if he could make her ex-spouse "go away." Chamblin is one of four Marines filmed urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters in a 2011 incident in Afghanistan that gained him nationwide notoriety. (ROANE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE)
By News Sentinel Staff
KINGSTON The case of a pregnant suspect in a murder-for-hire plot goes before the Roane County grand jury next month, and the defendant is free on $150,000 bail posted by a bonding company and her brother, authorities said.
Laura Ann Buckingham, 30, is accused of trying to at first coerce her live-in boyfriend into killing her ex-boyfriend over a custody dispute involving their 3-year-old son.
The current boyfriend, Joseph Chamblin, is a former Marine sniper infamous for a YouTube video where he and other Marines are seen urinating on dead Taliban fighters in Afghanistan in 2011.
After Buckingham repeatedly asked Chamblin details about how former boyfriend Bradley Sutherland of New Albany, Ind., could be killed, Chamblin became concerned, secretly recorded Buckingham, and provided those digital recordings to a Roane County deputy and an investigator.
A Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent posing as a hit man met with Buckingham and recorded on audio and video "many conversations" with Buckingham, according to court records.
Buckingham, also a former Marine who was stationed in combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, was arrested Feb. 24 and charged with attempted first-degree murder.
Related: Baker accused of murder plot tested limits
The state at first filed a motion for an increased bond, contending that Buckingham, who had moved to Kingston from Indiana two months earlier, had no local connections.
The motion also cited Buckingham's "unique military training and experience, coupled with reported historical mental health concerns," in seeking a higher bond.
The state and Buckingham, who had earlier waived her right to an attorney, came to an agreement in March after prosecutors became aware of her pregnancy that she could be released on the $150,000 bond. A pregnant inmate is "always an issue for the jail from an expense and medical liability standpoint," District Attorney General Russell Johnson said Monday.
Under the agreement, Buckingham must wear a GPS monitoring ankle bracelet and she must remain in Tennessee for now. The option to live with her father out of state could be reconsidered "if good cause is shown," a court order states.
Buckingham on Friday waived her right to a preliminary hearing, and her case goes before the grand jury June 20. The public defender's office was appointed to represent her.
The case has spurred national media attention.
The defendant, who stands 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 110 pounds, reportedly boxed in high school, rejected a modeling career in favor of the military, and owned a cafe and bakery in New Albany. Chamblin wrote a book about his wartime exploits titled "Into Infamy."
Heavy storms caused a tree to fall onto Knoxville City Councilman Duane Grieve's home in Sequoyah Hills on Monday. (SAUL YOUNG/NEWS SENTINEL)
By News Sentinel staff
Luckily, the worst damage Knoxville Vice Mayor Duane Grieve's West Knoxville home suffered from a fallen tree was the crushing of some azalea bushes and shrubbery.
"Which is really too bad, but it could have been a lot worse," he said.
On Monday, after a line of thunderstorms went through East Tennessee, Grieve arrived home to find a tree had fallen on his house. The tree hit the back of the house and rolled off. One small area needed to be covered by a tarp, he said, but no water got into the home.
"We're really lucky," he said, noting that other trees blocked the falling one from cause more damage to the house.
"It could have caused a lot of damage as far as water on the inside. It broke the plaster and cracked the plaster, but there's no water on the inside."
The National Weather Service in Morristown said a line of thunderstorms that developed ahead of a cold front was the culprit Monday evening.
"There were one or two of those storms that reached severe levels and they remained a good chunk of the late afternoon and early evening hours," said meteorologist Mary Black. "We had reports as it was moving through of several trees down across the area and including some large hail."
Related: Preliminary storm reports
Black said the storms dropped quarter-sized to ping-pong ball sized hail. And there was at least one report of golf-ball sized hail in the Farragut area, she said.
"Most of the storms along that line pretty much did not cause any significant situations," Black said. "But there were one or two storms they were definitely putting out some strong winds and some hail."
The amount of rain that fell at McGhee Tyson Airport was about 0.27 inches, but Black said some areas may have seen up to 2 inches.
While some showers may appear Tuesday morning, the main band of storms and heavy rains have moved out of the area.
"In the morning hours we could still some of that lingering stuff but that should be quite minimal," she said. "Most people are going to see a dry morning and we go into the afternoon with a little bit of sunshine we might see some isolated thunderstorms develop but again we're not looking for anything significant.
"They should just be scattered, hit or miss kind of showers."
High temperatures are expected between 70 and 75 degrees.
Superintendent Jim McIntyre, left, chats with Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen at Green Magnet Math & Science Academy on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015. (ADAM LAU/NEWS SENTINEL)
By Jason Gonzales, USA TODAY NETWORK, The Tennessean
Tennessee officials knew of concerns about Measurement Inc.'s ability to fulfill its five-year, $108 million contract to administer the new online TNReady standardized test even before this year's failed rollout, according to documents and interviews with education officials in other states.
During the state's contract vetting process, the company's ability to oversee online testing at the level required by Tennessee was a concern. Measurement Inc.s online system was relatively untested at the scale the state was asking, the records and interviews show. Concerns about the company existed in at least one other state.
Connecticut officials in a 2014 Tennessee reference check first raised issues about the companys online testing platform known as Measurement Incorporated Secure Testing, or MIST.
"Their online test delivery system, MIST, has not been top notch," according to the documents used to vet the company in the contract selection process. "MIST has not been easily responsive to changes and additions, especially for innovative tests types or test accommodations."
Continue reading at The Tennessean, a News Sentinel partner.
SHARE
Last week Gov. Bill Haslam signed House Bill 1840 into law. Often called Hate Bill 1840 or the counseling discrimination bill, it states that a counselor or therapist can deny services and refer a client based on their strongly held personal beliefs.
In short, this bill represents legalized discrimination that specifically targets lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, and it places both LGBT youths and clients in rural areas at particular risk.
Proponents of Hate Bill 1840 argue that the bill is necessary to protect the rights of the counselors. They further claim that therapy is a service like any other business, and that the "freedom of the marketplace" should allow businesses to sell what they want and consumers to purchase exactly what they desire.
By this reasoning, shouldn't we require all counselors to explicitly stipulate the issues they eschew on their professional websites, business cards and other public relations materials? Imagine the scenario drawn out: Disagree with the LGBT lifestyle? Say it loud and proud on your homepage. Disagree with war? Hang a sign in your window indicating that you cannot and will not help veterans. Any counseling professional can imagine the chaos that would surely ensue and the damage that would incur.
The overarching problem with this framework is that therapy is not a typical business transaction. The well-being and safety of the clients, not profit, is the primary concern. Which is precisely why the ethical standards of counselors do not discriminate between types of counseling: counseling equals counseling equals counseling. Whether counseling issues of the heart, the mind or the body, the code of ethics is universal in order to protect the clients. In counseling, the relationship is the fundamental mechanism of change.
HB 1840 would upend this fundamental assumption and jeopardize the health of the clients. Under existing Tennessee counselor licensure law and the American Counseling Association's Code of Ethics, both the client and the counselor are protected. Counselors are already allowed to provide an appropriate referral of a client to another counselor or therapist. Further, the existing law stipulates that counselors must inform their clients of their theoretical orientation, so that the clients are able to make an informed decision about their own treatment. The right to refuse service is given to the client first, rather than the counselor.
The difference between the protections offered through Tennessee counselor licensure law and Hate Bill 1840 is that this bill would permit counselors to deny services based on quick, rash judgments without fear of professional repercussions, resulting in detrimental consequences for the client and their health. Hate Bill 1840 is, fundamentally, in opposition to the primary goal of counselors and therapists alike: the protection of our clients.
Leticia Flores is a licensed psychologist based in Knoxville and is the director of the University of Tennessee's Psychological Clinic, which trains doctoral students to provide culturally competent therapy and assessment services. The views expressed in this column are those of the writer and not the university.
SHARE
The announcement last week that the Tennessee Valley Authority would move out of its headquarters and into a new building could be a catalyst for further growth in downtown Knoxville.
First and foremost, TVA management's decision which would need to be approved by its board of directors renews the federal utility's commitment to keep its headquarters and employees in the city.
Second, the move opens up redevelopment possibilities for the twin towers that have been TVA's home since 1976.
TVA President and CEO Bill Johnson said the utility plans to sell the towers and the Summer Place office building and garage just west of the headquarters. The deal would require the new owner to build a headquarters on the Summer Place location to TVA's specifications. The developer would be able to renovate or replace the 12-story towers.
TVA has retained the CBRE Inc. global commercial real estate group to handle marketing of the property and plans to go before its board with a proposal later this year.
Congress established TVA in 1933. Initially its headquarters was in Muscle Shoals, Ala., but it soon moved to Knoxville. In 1981 the state of Alabama lost a legal battle seeking the return of the headquarters to Muscle Shoals.
TVA made its decision as part of an agency-wide review of its real estate holdings. Officials say their primary focus is on buildings with low occupancy rates and those in poor condition.
The move across Walnut Street makes sense for TVA. The utility occupies only about 40 percent of the towers, and the number of TVA employees downtown has shrunk from about 5,000 in the mid-1970s to 740 today.
Though TVA's workforce is smaller, keeping its headquarters downtown, where it has been since the late 1930s, is important for the city.
"We are very encouraged that TVA wants to stay downtown and is committed to keeping its headquarters here," Jesse Fox Mayshark, the city's director of communications, said. "We look forward to working with them to assist in the development or redevelopment of the property."
TVA had considered selling the headquarters buildings in 2004, but market conditions weren't favorable. In the past dozen years, however, downtown has seen a dramatic revival and the towers' prime location on north edge of historic Market Square should generate interest.
A developer would have manifold options. Renovating the towers, which have a combined 620,000 square feet of space, would seem to make sense only if the demand for Class A office space is strong or a major tenant lined up ahead of time.
The possibility of replacing the towers with a mixed-use building or buildings more in keeping with the historic character of Market Square would be ideal if the new owner could make it financially feasible.
TVA is part of the fabric of the city, and keeping the federal utility's headquarters here is of vital importance. The possible redevelopment of a prominent downtown property is an added bonus. The plan has the potential to benefit both TVA and the city of Knoxville.
SHARE
I respect Tom Humphrey, and through the years, I have agreed with about 95 percent of his opinions about the state Legislature. His comments relative to "corporate welfare," however, are in the 5 percent with which I differ.
If state and local governments do not offer incentives to new and expanding industries, new companies will locate in states that do offer incentives. The upside of offering incentives and securing additional jobs and capital investment from new industries (and expanding resident companies) is more than any governor or legislator can oppose. Almost everyone understands that new companies and expanding resident industries in our state help all of us.
It is even more difficult for local and state officials to deny resident companies incentives. Existing companies frequently threaten to leave and expand in states and communities that do extend incentives. Few local and state officials are going to call a threatening company's bluff and risk losing the jobs and tax base. In addition, those jobs would create salaries for employees who in turn would have income to buy goods and services that generate sales taxes to fund Tennessee and local governments, not to mention property taxes paid at the local level.
It is unrealistic to expect local and state officials not to offer incentives to meet the competition. It is also unrealistic to expect American companies not to ask for incentives. They are in a fight to survive and compete with foreign companies that do not have the tax, environmental and regulatory burdens that are imposed in America. If incentives are offered to domestic industries, companies from outside the country demand them, too.
No one is enamored with incentives, but they are a necessary evil. Until every state and community refuses to offer them, and do so at the same time (which is highly unlikely), incentives will continue.
Jack Hammontree, Knoxville
GM Korea, the local unit of U.S. automaker General Motors Co., will recall 3,987 units of its Aveo subcompact for problems with their headlights, the transport ministry said Monday.
The headlamps of the model were found to be tilted at a higher angle than what local car safety regulations allow, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The problem has been detected in 3,987 Aveo subcompacts produced between Aug. 10, 2015, and Dec. 19, 2015.
Free repair services will be available starting Tuesday at GM Korea service centers throughout the country.
The ministry also said Nissan Korea Co. will call back 395 Maxima luxury sedans produced between Nov. 25, 2015, and Feb. 12, 2016, for defects in their brake actuators.
Toyota Motor Korea Co. will also recall 229 units of Lexus-branded ES350 sedans manufactured between Sept. 10, 2015, and Feb. 18, 2016, for the same problems. (Yonhap)
South Korea's top cosmetics maker AmorePacific said Monday its first-quarter earnings jumped 33.1 percent on-year thanks to a strong performance in overseas markets.
Net profit came to 325 billion won ($284 million) in the January-March period on a consolidated basis, compared with a profit of 244 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing.
Operating income rose 31 percent on-year to 419 billion won during the cited period, while sales gained 22 percent to 1.75 trillion won, it said.
The company said global sales showed faster growth as its products enjoyed popularity in China, its largest export destination.
Sales from the global and domestic markets jumped 46 percent and 14 percent, respectively, in the first three months of this year.
"The overseas market drove profitability through the expansion of distribution channels online and offline," a company official said.
Revenue from the North American region continued to grow on the back of the expanded distribution channels, with luxury brand Sulhwasoo and casual lineup Laneige logging solid sales.
In contrast, the European market showed sluggish performance due to an economic slowdown, it said.
Among brands, Innisfree, a natural-themed budget line, marked the highest growth of 31 percent, while Etude House, a color makeup line, recovered from last year's slump to advance 16 percent during the period, the company said. (Yonhap)
[Reporter's Notebook]
By Choi Sung-jin
The tug-of-war between the Finance Ministry and the Bank of Korea over how to finance the restructuring of shipping and shipbuilding industries appeared to end as BOK Governor Lee Ju-yeol backed down on Monday.
The Park Geun-hye administration has asked the central bank to print money to replenish the capital base of the state-run banks holding the equities of companies in trouble, in what financial officials describe as "Korean-style quantitative easing."
The BOK opposed the move, saying the government should finance its economic policy with the budget instead of trying to use the central bank as a tool and hurting the latter's independence. "They are attempting to cushion the shock of failed policy with more government-dictated financing," the BOK union said.
In principle, the BOK is right. The primary role of any central bank is to stabilize the value of money, and printing more weakens the value of the national currency, including money held by ordinary people. And many economists think the situation is not grave enough to justify the means of last resort.
But government officials say the situation is so urgent that they can hardly wait for the National Assembly to approve such a move. Moreover, increasing fiscal spending directly increases taxpayers' financial burden, they say.
In any case -- whether the central bank prints more money or the government formulates an extra budget -- it is people, mainly taxpayers, who will foot the bill for bailing out troubled industries and companies.
The financial authorities, or the government, and the central bank are just playing drop-the-handkerchief to pass the final buck to each other.
So it is high time to discuss who should take the biggest responsibility for the industrial and corporate failures, and the rap, if for no other purpose than preventing a repetition of similar industrial fiascos.
First and foremost, large shareholders and top managers of the two large shipping companies and three shipbuilders have to hold themselves accountable for mismanagement by, for instance, selling non-essential subsidiaries and even private assets. It was ethically unforgivable in this regard for the largest shareholder of Hanjin Shipping and her family to sell their shares just before the company began a corporate work-out program with creditors.
Some labor aristocrats are not completely free from responsibility, because they have demanded wages more than twice the national average during the boom while trying to ensure jobs even for their children and shifting the hardest work to in-house subcontract workers.
The two government-run banks -- the Korea Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of Korea -- should be responsible for their poor supervision of the businesses into which an enormous amount of taxpayer money has already been invested. These state-run lenders instead were bent on sending their retiring officials to the shipping and shipbuilding companies, who could not, and would not, check these companies' important management decisions, let alone their day-to-day operations.
At the top of this chain of responsibility are the government's policymakers.
These know-all technocrats weakened the competitiveness of shipping companies by forcing them to keep debt ratios suitable for other sectors while encouraging shipyards to jump into offshore plant business when oil prices reached a peak only to see the prices slump in a few years.
Successive presidents and their parties also filled the top posts of state lenders with their confidants and unsuccessful election candidates.
When these industries and companies return to normal, either thanks to successful restructuring and the return of a boom or both, most of those who should take responsibility will likely remain at their posts, having cost taxpayers' several dozens of trillions of won.
How long must Koreans endure this exploitation under the pretext of restructuring?
By Lee Hyo-sik
Korean companies are rushing to capitalize on lucrative opportunities in Iran, which has emerged as a new El Dorado for local builders, shipbuilders and other struggling manufacturers desperate to prop up their slowing businesses, according to industry analysts Monday.
Automakers and other consumer goods producers are also betting high on Iran, with its 80 million consumers having shown a growing appetite for a wide range of made-in-Korea products, after the United States and other Western economies lifted sanctions on the Middle Eastern nation in January.
Reflecting high expectations among Korean business communities, 236 CEOs of large and small companies, including SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and GS Group Chairman Huh Chang-soo, are accompanying President Park Geun-hye who is now in Tehran for a three-day state visit to discuss an array of issues with Iranian leaders.
The business delegation is the largest ever when President Park went to the United States last October, she was accompanied by 166 CEOs.
During Park's visit, local construction firms are widely expected to sign multiple deals to build ports, railways, refining plants and other infrastructure-related facilities in Iran. Shipbuilders will also likely secure new orders to construct container and LNG ships, while shipping firms will boost cooperation with their Iranian counterparts.
Electronics makers, carmakers, banks and trading firms are also hoping that the President's visit will help them expand or set up a presence there.
"The largest-ever business delegation is accompanying the President to Iran, which shows domestic companies are desperate to find new opportunities amid the prolonged global economic slump," said Kim Yong-tae, a director at the Korea International Trade Association. "Iran has the world's fourth-largest crude oil reserves and the second-largest natural gas reserves. The nation will also provide a boon to local consumer goods makers as its 80 million people have become wealthier on the back of strong growth."
Kim said construction firms will be the biggest beneficiary of Iran's return to the global community as the country needs to upgrade its aging infrastructure under decades-long international sanctions.
"Iran needs to improve roads, railways, ports and other urban infrastructure, as well as enhance refining plants and other industrial facilities," the director said. "Park's visit will also help domestic consumer goods makers enter Iran. Hallyu, the Korean cultural wave, has significantly improved Iranians' view of Koreans and Korean products."
According to SK Group, Chairman Chey is accompanying President Park to seek new business opportunities in the areas of refining and construction. SK Innovation plans to import more crude oil from Iran and ship back more refinery products.
GS Group Chairman Huh Chang-soo went to Iran with the President to help GS Energy secure exploration rights for crude oil and natural gas from the Iranian government. The company is competing fiercely with Shell, Total, British Petroleum and other oil majors.
POSCO Chairman Kwon Oh-joon is also in Iran to facilitate the steelmaker's project to build a FINEX plant, capable of producing 1.6 million tons of steel annually, while Korean Air sent its president Chi Chang-hoon ahead of the beginning of regular flights between Seoul and Tehran.
KT&G, which opened a cigarette plant in Iran in 2009, is considering expanding its production capacity to increase its market share.
Hyundai Motor, South Korea's leading carmaker, said Monday that its sales in April dropped 5.5 percent from a year earlier on weaker demand both at home and abroad.
Hyundai Motor said in a press release that it sold 412,626 vehicles in April, compared with 436,742 units a year before.
Domestic sales fell 5.7 percent on-year to 59,465 units, with its sales in overseas markets also retreating 5.5 percent to 353,161.
During the first four months of the year, its cumulative sales came to 1,520,288 units, down 6.2 percent from the same period a year earlier, the company said. (Yonhap)
GM Korea, the local unit of U.S. carmaker General Motors, said Monday that its sales in April dipped 4.1 percent from a year earlier on a lackluster overseas performance.
The carmaker said in a press release that it sold 50,580 units last month, compared with 52,746 units a year earlier.
Its domestic sales expanded 10.2 percent on-year to 13,978 units, with the Spark city car and Impala midsize sedan leading the way. The company's overseas shipments, however, shrank 8.6 percent to 36,602 units.
During the first four months of the year, its cumulative sales grew 1.3 percent to 200,528 units, the company said. (Yonhap)
By Jhoo Dong-chan
AmorePacific's operating profit surged 21.5 percent to 337.8 billion won ($297 million) in the first quarter, as sales of its affiliated cosmetic brands including Sulwhasoo were successfully expanded to the global market, the company said in a press release.
The sales reached 1.48 trillion won while net profit recorded 262.9 billion won, each 23.3 and 24.4 percent up from the previous year's figure.
The nation's leading cosmetics and beauty brand said that strong demand in overseas markets led to the sales success. Its overseas business surged 46 percent in sales and 37 percent in operating profit. Of them, sales growth jumped by 50 percent in the Asian market to 378.7 billion won in the first quarter.
"The company's five global brands Sulwhasoo, Laneige, Mamonde, Innisfree and Etude have received favorable demand especially in the Asian market, leading the company's growth," said a company official.
AmorePacific also continued its sales growth by 24 percent in the North American market. Also, the company's luxury brands Sulwhasoo and Laneige were reportedly leading the drive.
Due to shrinking consumption in Europe, however, the company saw a 6.4 percent decrease in sales in the period.
Thanks to AmorePacific's positive sales report for the first quarter, the shares surged 0.86 percent to 411,000 won Monday, up 3,500 won from the previous day.
Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Kim Soo-an / Courtesy of DAUM Movie
By Bahk Eun-ji
The thriller "Train to Busan" has been invited to screen at the 69th Cannes Film Festival, the film's distributor NEW said on Monday.
Actors Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Kim Soo-an and director Yeon Sang-ho will attend the world premiere there and the red carpet event.
The film is about people trying to flee from Seoul to Busan by train.
It is the director's second invitation to the festival. Yeon was invited to the 65th festival for his animated film "The King of Pigs" in 2011.
This year's festival will be held from May 11-22.
Park Hae-jin / Courtesy of Mountain Movement
By Bahk Eun-ji
Actor Park Hae-jin will be a guest on popular Chinese talk show "Fei Chang Jing Juli," Mountain Movement agency said Monday.
The show is one of the oldest talk shows in China and special guests have included many Asian stars, such as Andy Lau, Yang Mi and Berlin Chen.
Park will share his experiences while shooting the popular Korean romance drama "Cheese in the Trap" on tvN.
The episode of the Chinese talk show in which Park appears will go to air early next month.
Park will hold fan meetings in Beijing on May 20, Taiwan on June 9 and Thailand on July 31.
By Kim Da-hee
The Dongwon Group will help victims of the earthquake that struck Ecuador on April 16, the group announced Monday.
Lee Myung-woo, CEO of Dongwon Industries, Korea's largest deep-sea fishing company, met Oscar Herrera Gilbert, the Ecuadorian Ambassador to Korea in Seoul on Monday.
Lee said the company would donate $50,000 and send food and other goods worth about $100,000.
"The group feels deeply sorry about the earthquake in Ecuador, which offered aid to Korea during the Korean War," the group said. "[The group] also want to help the victims because Dongwon's subsidiary StarKist Co. runs factories in Ecuador."
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake has left hundreds dead and thousands injured.
By Kim Da-hee
Police have nabbed more than 20 Korean-Chinese workers for using of illegal drugs, Goyang Police Station in Gyeonggi Province said Thursday.
The police arrested 13 workers and booked 10 without detention for violating drug laws.
Police said some of the suspects smuggled drugs from China and sold them for $440 per gram from Feb 1 to Apr 22.
Police confiscated 15 grams of methamphetamine and 1.5 million won ($1,300).
The workers told the police they took drugs "to forget loneliness and the difficulty of living in Korea," according to Kyunghyang Shimmun.
Police said they would crack down on drug trafficking among Korean-Chinese here.
Lee Jin-seog, director general of the education ministry's academic research affairs and financial aid bureau, looks at press release papers about the ministry's inspection of admissions to the nation's 25 law schools during a media briefing at the Government Complex in Sejong, Monday, as he faced difficult questions from reporters critical of the "poor" inspection results. / Yonhap
By Kim Bo-eun
An investigation by the education authorities into allegations of admissions fraud at the nation's law schools has finished without any meaningful findings, failing to uncover evidence of children of high-ranking legal professionals being given preferential treatment.
The Ministry of Education said Monday that it uncovered fraud in only five cases of admissions out of 6,000 students at 25 law schools across the country from 2014 to 2016.
The results came after months of investigation into the schools following suspicions that children of former and incumbent high-profile legal professionals entered them unfairly by highlighting their family backgrounds in their self-introduction essays, one of the key admission requirements, as their parents have ties with professors.
According to the investigation, there were 24 cases in which students who had been accepted had disclosed the jobs of their parents or relatives in their essays. Among them, the ministry found five in which the applicants wrote about their parents' jobs in detail such that the schools could identify their parents or relatives in high-ranking positions.
"One applicant wrote that his father was the head of a district court, while another wrote that his father was the head of a law firm," Lee Jin-seog, director general of the ministry's academic research affairs and financial aid bureau, said during a briefing at the Government Complex in Sejong.
However, the ministry did not disclose the names of the parents and their institutions "due to concerns of privacy."
But only one out of the five violated admissions regulations, because the school had stated that applicants were banned from writing personal details about their parents and relatives in their essays, while the other four had not, the ministry said.
It added that it could not make the schools cancel admissions of those students who wrote about the work of their parents and relatives, as it was unable to determine whether their parents' jobs were the decisive factor in their admission.
"The students are evaluated based on various factors such as legal education eligibility test (LEET) scores, undergraduate GPA, English scores and interview performances," Lee said.
However, most of the schools do not disclose the percentage of each factor in the evaluation.
Instead of cancelling admissions, the ministry imposed warnings on the schools, adding that this will be reflected later when the ministry evaluates the schools for financial support or license renewal.
Top schools such as Seoul National, Yonsei and Korea University were included among the schools that did not state that applicants were banned from disclosing job titles of family members.
The ministry ordered all 25 schools to ban this from the introductory essays and disqualify applicants who violate it.
Since the law school system was adopted in 2009, there have been rumors about children of high ranking officials being granted "special" admissions. The latest suspicion was raised by a book by Shin Pyeong, a professor at Kyung Pook National University's law school, published in March.
According to the book, a professor at the law school lobbied fellow professors to accept an applicant whose father was a lawyer and also an acquaintance of his.
Many parents in the legal profession, call professors at the law schools requesting that their children be admitted with the promise of hiring the school's graduates, Shin said in the book.
/Courtesy of Twitter
By Lee Jin-a
Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency will launch a crackdown on taxi and van drivers who overcharge foreigners near Incheon Airport and Incheon Harbor.
Police will clamp down on drivers without a taxi license or a taximeter, who overcharge customers, tout on streets or issue false receipts.
The police will distribute report cards in English, Chinese and Japanese at taxi ranks near the airport and harbor, because the offences mainly occur during the ride.
Passengers who believe they have experienced any of the offences can fill in a report card and file the report with police.
The police agency will also create a Facebook page on which foreigners can file reports.
"Even though the police regularly clamp down on drivers, overcharging or touting on streets has not decreased," said a police agency official. "We are worried that Korea's image is being damaged. Please call 112 if you experienced or witnessed illegal actions by drivers."
Ataur Rashid Safdar, head of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, bows as he apologizes to the victims of the company's toxic humidifier disinfectants and sterilizers, and their families during a press conference at the Conrad Seoul Hotel in central Seoul, Monday. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Reckitt Benckiser short of details on compensation
By Kim Se-jeong
The head of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser (RB) apologized Monday to victims of the company's humidifier disinfectant and sterilizer products that were allegedly responsible for the deaths of more than 100 people. The company said it would set up a panel by July to negotiate individual compensation.
However, the belated apology five years after the products were found to be responsible for the deaths and lung problems drew howls of protest and criticism from the victims.
They claimed the company apologized only because it faces an investigation by the prosecution and a massive boycott campaign.
Critics also said the company fell short of disclosing details on how to compensate victims and its responsibility.
Speaking at a press conference in Seoul, Ataur Rashid Safdar, a company director, said the company will negotiate first with family members of victims who died, and people who developed serious lung problems according to government classifications. He said the company will take care of other victims.
"OXY RB accepts responsibility for the role that Oxy products played and the delay in providing an adequate remedy," Safdar said.
He said he is representing both the Korean unit and the British head office of Reckitt Benckiser.
He vowed several times before the camera and several victims at the press conference. "I would like to offer a heartfelt and sincere apology to all victims and their families who have suffered as a result of the humidifier disinfectant issue."
Ataur Rashid Safdar, right, head of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, is interrupted by relatives of victims of the company's toxic humidifier disinfectants and sterilizers, during a press conference held at the Conrad Seoul Hotel in central Seoul as he was delivering an apology, Monday. / Yonhap
Oxy's product was one of more than 10 brands sold in Korea until August 2011. Government-confirmed deaths from the products have reached 146, and 103 among them were Oxy consumers. Among all 530 victims, both dead and alive, 403 said they had used Oxy products.
Safdar did not elaborate on who will form the panel and how it will operate. He also didn't answer about the estimated amount of compensation.
"I cannot give the amount, as the panel has to decide that," he said.
He firmly denied the company's knowledge about the toxicity of the chemical used in the products, known as PHMG.
"What I can tell you is we never, ever knowingly sell a product that might be harmful. We'd also like to know the outcome of the investigation," he said.
Safdar said that if the prosecution's investigation discloses any evidence that the company's employees were aware of the harmfulness in advance, "We will take swift and immediate action."
A much delayed apology was not enough to console victims.
Some of the bereaved family members interrupted him in the middle of the speech and attempted to physically attack him during the nationally-televised conference. They also cursed at the director out loud.
Choi Seung-woon, a father who lost his child because of the use of the Oxy product, refused to accept the apology.
"It is just a show for Oxy to influence the prosecution's investigation and allay mounting pressure," he said after taking the microphone at the end of the press conference. "Do you know how often I called your office? You never answered me. Now, you say you're sorry before all these cameras. How am I to believe that you're sincerely sorry?"
After the conference, the Asian Citizen's Center for Environment and Health, an NGO helping the victims, also filed a complaint with the prosecution against eight employees of Reckitt Benckiser's headquarters for allegedly knowingly letting the Korean branch sell toxic products.
U.S. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump is willing to strengthen relations with allies, even though he will seek to have them pay more for American defense support, a foreign policy adviser was quoted as saying Sunday.
Walid Phares, an expert on terrorism and Middle Eastern affairs who served as a foreign affairs adviser for former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, made the remark in an interview with the Jiji Press, according to the Japan Times.
Trump "would like to strengthen" the alliance, Phares was quoted as saying.
In a major foreign policy speech last week, Trump said that allies are not paying their fair share for U.S. defense support, and the U.S. must be prepared to "let these countries defend themselves" unless they foot more of the bill for defense.
Though the real-estate tycoon made no mention of South Korea, the remark spurred concern that if elected, he could seek to pull the 28,500 American troops from the Asian ally unless Seoul agrees to pay more.
Trump made the case again on Sunday,
"Look, we're defending Germany, we're defending Japan, South Korea, we're defending Saudi Arabia with all of that money, and we're not getting properly reimbursed," he said on "Fox News Sunday." "We're like the policeman to the world. What's going on is crazy."
He also said that foreign countries are concerned about him because they feel he's very strong, and that he will have much more respect than Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton from foreign leaders.
Phares said that strengthening alliances is one thing and renegotiating cost-sharing is another.
"When it comes to the defense matters and spending, spending is one track and the alliance is another track," he said in the interview.
"Our commitment to allies ... is going to be permanent," Phares was quoted as saying. "This is part of our policy. If there are intentions by hostile forces against our allies, we will actually be standing with our allies."
Phares said Trump's apparent threat to pull American troops from allies could be "a theoretical scenario," but that does not in any way mean he is going to abandon the alliances.
Trump's remarks mean that he's serious about negotiating cost-sharing.
Phares described Trump's controversial suggestion that South Korea and Japan could be allowed to develop nuclear weapons for self-defense as "extreme scenarios," adding that Trump prefers to have all options on the table. (Yonhap)
Kuwait's Prime Minister Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah will visit Seoul this week for talks with high-level South Korean government officials and business leaders to bolster bilateral economic cooperation, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.
Jaber will arrive here on Sunday for a four-day visit on the invitation of South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn. Korea is the fourth leg of his five-nation trip to Asia that includes Bangladesh, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Japan.
During his stay here, he is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on President Park Geun-hye, hold talks with his South Korean counterpart Hwang and meet with leaders of major firms and medical facilities here, the ministry said in a press release.
It was his first visit to South Korea since he took office in December 2011. He is to be accompanied by the Middle Eastern country's ministers in charge of oil, education, housing, foreign affairs and healthcare, the ministry said.
"Since President Park visited Kuwait in March 2015, the two countries have continued bilateral exchanges among high-level officials. Despite a fall in oil prices, our enterprises have actively advanced into Kuwait's market," the ministry said.
"We hope that Prime Minister Jaber's visit this time would serve as an opportunity to further deepen and expand such cooperative ties between the two countries."
The trade volume between the two countries was tallied at $9.89 billion last year, according to data from the Korea International Trade Association. (Yonhap)
Argentine Vice President Gabriela Michetti will visit South Korea next week for a series of high-level meetings as the two nations seek to expand bilateral ties, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.
Michetti, who doubles as president of the Argentine National Senate, will arrive in Seoul on Sunday at the invitation of Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and stay here for three days, the ministry said in a press release.
She is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on President Park Geun-hye, hold talks with Hwang and meet with National Assembly speaker Chung Ui-hwa.
"Vice President Michetti's visit is expected to contribute to the expansion and development of practical cooperation based on the two countries' friendly ties," the ministry said.
Michetti is also scheduled to receive an honorary doctoral degree at the Catholic University of Daegu, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Argentina is the third largest economy in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico. Last year, two-way trade between South Korea and Argentina reached $1.75 billion, with the Asian country exporting $1.05 billion worth of cell phones, cars and other goods to the South American nation, according to official data.
Argentina, which is rich in natural resources such as copper and lithium, has adopted pro-market, pro-West policies under President Mauricio Macri, who took office in December. (Yonhap)
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani hands President Park Geun-hye his microphone after her mike failed during a joint press conference held after their summit at Saadabad Palace in Tehran, Monday. / Yonhap
Korea urged to seek balancing role between Saudi, Iran
By Yi Whan-woo
South Korea needs to pursue balanced diplomacy in the Middle East, said analysts Monday with President Park Geun-hye currently in Tehran amid escalating rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
It's hoped that Park's visit to Tehran will result not only in huge economic benefits for Seoul, but will also be a help in dealing with North Korea. However, it could put Korea's ties with Saudi Arabia and other friendly nations to the test.
"We should join the rush to Iran while bolstering ties with Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern nations led by Sunni Muslims," said In Nam-sik, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy.
"Park's visit to Iran could be wrongly interpreted as South Korea turning its back on Saudi Arabia. Korea should seek understanding from this and continue to enhance economic cooperation with the country."
Park is the first South Korean leader to visit Iran since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1962.
But they have only been engaged in limited trading activities and had no political ties due to the now-scrapped U.S.-led international sanctions against Tehran for its nuclear ambitions.
North Korea and Iran have, in general, had positive relations over the past decades, with suspicions that they may have cooperated on their respective nuclear programs.
Both countries were once branded as the "axis of evil" countries by former U.S. President George W. Bush in 2002 for their pursuance of weapons of mass destruction.
And a landmark agreement between Iran and the U.S., China, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and Germany leaves North Korea as the only country under U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions for continuing to seek nuclear arms.
South Korea and Iran agreed Monday to promote partnerships in science and technology, riding on President Park Geun-hye's landmark visit to Tehran.
The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning here said it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran's Ministry of Science Research and Technology on "various research cooperation" in both the basic and applied science fields.
The two sides plan to launch a joint science-technology committee next year to discussion the details, it added.
The ministry will also update an MOU with Iran's Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for closer ties.
South Korea signed the accord with Iran in 1990 before joining international sanctions against Tehran for its nuclear program.
"In the ICT sector, in particular, Iran was South Korea's key cooperation partner in the region before the economic sanctions," South Korea's ICT Minister Choi Yang-hee said.
The ministry will try to actively use Park's trip as an opportunity for South Korean advanced technology and ICT firms to tap into Iran, he added.
Iran's ICT market was valued at US$17.9 billion in 2014 and it's expected to grow to $29.8 billion in 2020.
The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute of South Korea inked a separate accord with TEM Invest Co., a top Iranian firm specializing in ICT investment, on strategic partnerships.
The Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology also agreed to push for joint research projects with the University of Tehran.
South Korea's major mobile carriers such as KT Corp. and SK Telecom Co are also seeking to strengthen cooperation with their local peers on mobile phone and broadband services. (Yonhap)
Kim Kyung-jae, new president of the conservative civic group Korea Freedom Federation (KFF), holds an interview with The Korea Times at the KFF headquarters in central Seoul on April 25.
/ Korea Times photo by Jun Ji-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
The new president of the conservative civic group, Korea Freedom Federation (KFF), said the group, which has some 5 million members nationwide, will lead the preparations for the unification of the two Koreas.
During a recent interview with The Korea Times, Kim Kyung-jae, who was inaugurated on April 28, said he will do his best to attract centrists as well as conservatives to help push the KFF's initiatives.
Kim's election as the president of the far-right civic group on Feb. 25 for a three-year term came as a surprise, given that he was one of the closest confidants of late liberal President Kim Dae-jung.
The 73-year-old served as a two-term lawmaker from 1996 to 2004, representing the liberal Suncheon district in South Jeolla Province.
The group usually holds the inauguration ceremony around March 10, but Kim postponed it to April 28 this year, out of concern that the ceremony, which invites a number of influential politicians, may affect the April 13 general elections.
"I think I was elected as the president because the KFF wanted a change," he said. "I want the KFF to embrace a broad range of forces, from conservatives to centrists."
He said he decided to run for the presidency of the KFF with the belief that the conservative forces would not be enough to achieve the national task of the unification of South and North Korea.
He believes his background as a former aide to the liberal president could considerably help the KFF, which was established in June 1954 with the initial aim of rejecting communism, expand its horizons and move toward national integration.
"Progressive forces can also be integrated once they strip their bloc of North Korean sympathizers," he said, noting that the recent political trend, in which the conservative party recruits liberal leaders and vice versa, seems to be a good idea.
To overcome ideological divide
As part of efforts to overcome the deepening division between ideologies, which Kim cited as a major obstacle to the unification, Kim called for erecting statues of four former Presidents Syngman Rhee, Park Chung-hee, Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul.
This is an artist's conception of the statues of four former Presidents, from left, Syngman Rhee, Park Chung-hee, Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung, which Korea Freedom Federation President Kim Kyung-jae wants to erect at Gwanghwamun Square in an effort to address an ideological divide in Korean society.
/ Graphic by Cho Sang-won
"Syngman Rhee founded the country, and Park Chung-hee achieved industrialization and spectacular economic growth, while the two Kims contributed a lot to achieving the nation's democracy," he said. "Today's Republic of Korea would have never existed without the four. The people should embrace them all."
Kim said the lower portion of the statues should be attached to each other in order to prevent critics from destroying the statue of the president whom they do not respect.
"When all the statues are attached, the people will have to show respect to all of them even if they want to do so to only one," he said. "By doing so, Gwanghwamun Plaza will be a place that brings national harmony."
Kim made the proposal because the conservative Syngman Rhee and Park Chung-hee have been criticized by liberals for holding back democracy, while Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung have been cited as symbols of the nation's struggle for democratization.
Despite the criticisms against Rhee and Park, the father of incumbent President Park Geun-hye, Kim stressed that their respective roles in laying the constitutional and economic foundations of the country should never be ignored.
Kim said achieving national harmony first in South Korea will help lay the ground work for the unification of the Korean Peninsula, and eventually give freedom to the people of North Korea.
"The terrible living conditions of North Korean people are unimaginable. We are focusing on unification to alleviate their sufferings as soon as possible," he said. "A dictator like Kim Jong-un never existed in the past and will never exist in the future. He has viciously killed his people."
He also believes a big change in the North Korean regime will happen in three or four years, as complaints among its people have been significantly increasing.
Kim said he was once a supporter of the so-called "Sunshine Policy" of late President Kim Dae-jung that called for active engagement and reconciliation with the North. However, his thoughts changed after he visited the communist state as the then president's secret emissary.
"I visited the North for eight days. At the time, Kim Jong-un's father, Kim Jong-il, was in power. I was treated really well there," he said. "During the visit, I wanted to check whether the enormous amount of rice that the Kim administration sent to the regime was delivered to the ordinary people, but the North did not allow me to do so."
Kim said he thought the rice was not sent to the people, but to the North Korean People's Army, noting that he asked the late president to make a change in his Sunshine Policy in accordance with the situation, rather than providing whatever the regime wanted.
"I was so angry and asked the president, What kind of country starves its people?'" he said. "My thoughts about the North changed at this time, and I decided to do something to save those people."
He recalled how his decision to join the presidential campaign of the conservative Saenuri Party's Park Geun-hye in 2012 surprised the public.
"Park called and asked me to help her in the lead-up to the presidential election," he said. "I told her my ideas regarding North Korean policy and said I was going to partner with her if she agreed with my ideas. And she did."
Among the ideas Kim suggested was constructing a peace park in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a four-kilometer-wide arms-free buffer running between the two Koreas, which have been under a cease-fire since after the 1950-1953 Korean War.
President Park has been indeed pushing for the project since her inauguration, saying it will serve as the first step toward inter-Korean rapprochement.
"The unification of the two Koreas should not be a topic in which only the government is interested," said Kim, who became a special aide to President Park in 2015. "It should become a national topic, and all people should unite."
By Doug Bandow
North Korea without doubt is unique. If nothing else, its claimed accomplishments rival the faux Russian achievements cited by Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek. Yet only the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has established a Communist monarchy, now reaching the third generation.
The real question for Kim Jong-un is whether he, like his father and grandfather, will follow the Ottoman practice of producing multiple children from multiple consorts. That always makes a succession fight much more interesting. Even so, royal baby sightings still are rare in the DPRK.
But the North Korean regime has gone a step further in claiming that Great Leader Kim Il-sung, grandfather to Cute Leader Kim Jong-un, as I call the latter, is not only god, but recognized as such by America's legendary evangelist Billy Graham. On Kim Il-sung's recent birthday, reported Adam Taylor in the Washington Post, the DPRK paper Rodong Sinmun stated that Graham, who traveled several times to North Korea, praised the senior Kim's rule.
Indeed, "said" Graham: "Having observed the Supreme Leader Kim Il-sung's unique political leadership, I can only think that he is God." Moreover, "if God is the leader of another world, savior and ruler of the past and future life that exists in our imagination, I acknowledge the Supreme Leader Kim Il-sung is the God who rules today's human world."
The man who raised the Bible at thousands of crusades then "said," according to the Rodong Sinmun, "Kim is this world's God. Why would a country like this need the Holy Bible?"
Graham is long retired, in ill health, and out of public view. Officials at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association dismissed the claims as not reflecting "Mr. Graham's theology or his language."
Certainly there's no evidence that in thrall of the Great Leader the evangelist tossed aside his life's calling to worship the modern equivalent of Baal. Kim offered the faith no favors. To the contrary, he became one of the last century's great religious persecutors.
And Kim's pernicious policies continued under his son and grandson. If anything, the repression has worsened. While most North Korean refugees returned to the DPRK are treated atrociously, the greatest punishment is inflicted on those thought to have fallen under the sway of foreign Christians. The Kim dynasty is premised on loyalty to the top leader, who long has been treated with reverence and said to be capable of super-human feats.
Indeed, the biography of Kim Jong-il, father of the Cute Leader, was rearranged to have the former born on sacred Mt. Paektu rather than in Siberia. That buttressed Kim's claim to semi-divinity as well. Presumably the son of a god also is a god. And the latter's son as well.
Yet it would behoove the North Koreans to be careful before so cavalierly claiming divine status. One of the great Old Testament face-offs came during the reign of Ahab, not one of Israel's more benighted rulers. The prophet Elijah challenged 50 advocates of Baal, rather like the retainers surrounding the Kims today.
Both sides prepared a bull for sacrifice on Mount Carmel. Baal's prophets danced, shouted, and "slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom," but still there was no response. Then Elijah called upon the one true God and "the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil." At Elijah's instruction, the people seized the false prophets and slaughtered them. (1 Kings 18: 19-40)
Then there was King Herod, his hands washed in the blood of John the Baptist. Herod spoke to the people of Sidon and Tyre, who were seeking to reconcile with the king. They responded: "This is the voice of a god, not of a man.' Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died." (Acts 12:21-23)
It seems there is a price to be paid for claiming to be a god.
Christianity once flourished in the north as well as in the south of the Korean peninsula. Despite extraordinary persecution under the Kim dynasty, the faith survived. Its continued existence challenges the current Kim's rule. Perhaps he believes that he can bolster the regime's credibility by claiming an improbable endorsement from Graham.
But that's not likely to work. Too much information passes over the DPRK's borders for anyone any longer to believe the fantasies propagated in Pyongyang. Moreover, North Korean officials should beware of what happened to past prophets of Baal. A little fire from heaven just might be in store.
Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and former Special assistant to President Ronald Reagan.
/Courtesy of Korea Military Academy
By Lee Han-soo
Army, Navy and the Air Force cadets can now drink alcohol and wear non-military clothes outside the academy.
Although the changes were made in March last year, the military announced them only recently.
"We revised our cadet rules in all three academies last March," a military official told TV news outlet SBS.
However, the rules do not mean cadets can get drunk. The rules also do not apply to cadets who are under age.
The official said cadets were still forbidden to smoke cigarettes, but were now allowed to get married.
Previously, cadets were not allowed to drink, smoke or marry.
The rules, introduced in 1951 when the Korea Military Academy (KMA) was founded, were criticized in 2013 for violating basic human rights.
/Courtesy of Twitter
By Lee Han-soo
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has banned all weddings and funerals as the nation prepares to anoint him as its leader, according to Britain's Sunday Times newspaper.
With thousands of delegates expected to travel to Pyongyang to congratulate Kim, weddings and funerals have been canceled for security reasons.
Security forces in provinces across the military state have been brought into the capital Pyongyang.
At the congress, which is expected last four-five days from May 6, Kim will make his leadership official and praise the nation's recent nuclear and missile tests.
The Workers' Party of Korea Congress will be the first in 36 years.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani suggested Monday that his country is opposed to North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
"We want changes on the Korean Peninsula and we are, in principle, opposed to any nuclear development," Rouhani said in a joint news conference with South Korean President Park Geun-hye. (Yonhap)
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee remains in stable condition, as he is to mark the second anniversary of being hospitalized for a heart attack, which falls on May 11, company sources said Monday.
The sources said Lee has remained in the Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul and is currently awake 15 to 19 hours a day.
Lee was hospitalized on May 10, 2014, after suffering a heart attack. He was transferred to the Samsung Medical Center the next morning, where he underwent a procedure to widen his blood vessels. The business tycoon has since remained there.
The medical team said in November 2014 that Lee's physical functions were normal, adding he was going through rehabilitation including sitting in a wheelchair. Samsung and medical sources said Lee's condition has not changed significantly since.
Other sources said Lee has been responding stronger to stimulation including music, but it has not been confirmed.
Samsung and its medical team have declined to provide details on Lee's health citing privacy. Lee's wife Hong Ra-hee and their son and daughters make frequent visits to the hospital, sources said.
Since Lee's hospitalization, Samsung has been rolling out various restructuring efforts, in an apparent bid to pave the way for managerial succession to his son, Jae-yong.
Last year, Samsung C&T was formed out of a merger between then-Samsung C&T and then-Cheil Industries to become the group's de facto holding firm.
Samsung also offloaded chemical businesses to Lotte Group, selling Samsung SDI Co.'s chemical arm, along with Samsung Fine Chemicals Co. and Samsung BP Chemicals Co. Earlier, it also offloaded four of its defense and chemical units to Hanwha Group. (Yonhap)
By Patrick M. Guilfoyle
Thomas Monson, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in "Pathways to Perfection" said: "Some are young people who don't know who they are, what they can be or even want to be. They are afraid, but they don't know of what. They are angry, but they don't know at whom. They are rejected and they don't know why. All they want is to be somebody. "
I have been teaching in Busan, South Korea since 1996. During the last twenty years, I have been blessed to have taught some bright students at very good schools. However, by far the best students I have ever taught are the students I have been teaching at Pusan Foreign Language High School since 2012.
From 2012 to 2015, I taught my students in TOEFL and English conversation. In 2015, my dream finally came true when my Toastmasters training and experience paid off as I started teaching "English Presentation Skills" to my students.
In addition to teaching my students essential skills such as impromptu speaking, interview English readiness, essay writing and presentation skills, APA citation skills, effective body language and gestures, voice modulation and evaluation skills, I have taught a multitude of special classes.
I have had the honor of teaching APA European History, APA Political Science, Debating and Communication and leadership classes. Teaching at Pusan Foreign Language High School is the next best thing to teaching at a foreign school or a school back in Newfoundland, Canada.
During my past four years teaching at Pusan Foreign Language High School, I have come to appreciate how challenging the lives of my students truly are. They are literally in school 16 hours a day if you include their travel time to school.
I don't know how they manage. When my students, especially freshmen, are preparing for their exams, I can sometimes see the look of desperation in their eyes.
Getting to know my students, I realize they sometimes don't know who they are or where they are going. Sometimes I can see anxiety or anger in their eyes. I don't blame them when you consider how much pressure they endure: the pressure of getting good grades, the pressure of entering a good university and the pressure of not letting their parents down. As Thomas Monson said, "All they want is to be somebody."
In the spring of 2013, having been a member of Toastmasters for less than six months, I decided to help my students be "somebody." The Pusan Foreign Language High School Gavel Club, the only official Gavel Club in Korea, was chartered on June 30, 2013.
Since its chartering, it has been a great honor to be the mentor of the Pusan Foreign Language High School Gavel Club. It has been a privilege presiding over five Gavel Club speech contests as a chief Judge. Importantly, I feel honored knowing that my students are using the skills that they picked up in the Gavel Club.
One of the greatest affirmations that I have ever received regarding my service as a mentor came from Lily, one of my former students and a Gavel Club member just before she graduated high school. In the note she gave me she said: "Teacher, thank you for sharing a little light during my first two years of high school." As a teacher, as a Toastmaster, I feel Lily's note is what it is all about.
My experience as the mentor of the Pusan Foreign Language High School Gavel Club reminds me of the four core values of Toastmasters: integrity, respect, service and excellence.
Why do I do what I do? In the words of Clint Eastwood, "It's not about you. It's about them."
Patrick Guilfoyle teaches at Pusan Foreign Language High School. He has been a member of Toastmasters since 2012. He is the founding member of Korea Carpe Diem Toastmasters Club and TIFO Toastmasters Club.
By Doug Bandow
America's political silly season will rush toward a close with the November presidential election. Both party conventions are likely to be lively.
But these spectacles will fall short of the pageantry expected at the communist party congress in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. For the first time in 36 years, before current leader Kim Jong-un was born, the Korean Workers Party is gathering.
We still don't know the exact date that delegates will convene some observers speculate May 5. But North Koreans only just finished a 70-day campaign to prepare for the grand event. In the DPRK appearances are everything.
Although the masses reportedly are marching as one behind the "Young Marshall," the regime helpfully provides slogans as encouragement. When I visited years ago there were slogans in buildings, on buildings, over streets, on billboards, and more.
One of the current slogans, reported Anna Fifield of the Washington Post, is "Let us all become honorary victors in the '70-day campaign' of loyalty." Turn your life over to others and feel good about yourself!
Of course, the regime isn't quite so crass. It says the campaign is to "defend the leadership authority" of the KWP and resist the "U.S. imperialists." At least Kim Jong-un has emphasized economic development; his father, "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il, pushed a "military-first" policy.
The question for the U.S. and South Korea is why the congress? It is only the seventh in the DPRK's 68-year-history.
At the latter "Great Leader" Kim Il-sung inaugurated a system of monarchical communism when he announced that his son would succeed him. The more than 3000 delegates also affirmed Kim's philosophy of "Juche," or self-reliance.
In succeeding years the party seemed to lose relevance. Kim instituted the rule of one, eventually augmented by the rise of Kim Jong-il. After the latter took over he shifted power toward the military and away from the KWP. A party congress would have been almost superfluous.
No longer, however. Since Kim Jong-un took over after his father's death in December 2011, Kim fils has been reshaping Pyongyang's power structure. He turfed out most of the top officials appointed by and loyal to his father and ruthlessly eliminated any challenge to his power. Moreover, Kim moved decision-making back to the KWP.
The party congress will emphatically reestablish the authority of the party, with Kim at the helm. The gathering also will solidify the rise of Kim's new generation of officials.
Although he looks secure from challenge, his promiscuous resort to execution suggests he feels otherwise. Indeed, Kim's rule might need bolstering. This month his regime suffered embarrassment from a raft of defections.
Moreover, Kim may use the congress to ratify his more reformist economic policies. The younger Kim appears committed to economic development, whether to improve the lot of his people or strengthen the nation which he rules.
The changes are dramatic enougha proliferation of marketsas to require a more formal framework. Kim likely will use the congress to formalize his new economic initiatives. Ruediger Frank of the University of Vienna observed: "all major reforms of state socialismbe it in China under Deng Xiaoping, the Soviet Union under Gorbachev or Vietnam under the slogan of doi moihave been announced at such regular party congresses or related events."
A more robust and systematic program of economic reform may be the best hope for the North. Such a strategy obviously offers the greatest opportunity for the nation to escape from immiserating poverty.
Economic reform also creates the possibility of political liberalization. China has demonstrated that moving toward markets does not automatically deliver democracy. But the PRC today is far freer in every way than during the rule of Mao Zedong. This may be why Kim's father, Kim Jong-il, resisted Chinese-style economic reforms.
Since nothing else yet has worked, Washington should greet the congress by expressing a willingness to talk to Pyongyang, and not only about nuclear weapons, which almost is certainly a dead-end with the Kim dynasty. With war the worst of all possibilities and sanctions able to hurt but not transform, the U.S. needs to explore other options.
America's political conventions will be consequential since they will determine who takes over the helm in Washington. But the DPRK's political meet-up will offer the ultimate in political choreography.
It also could ratify a change of direction in Pyongyang. The U.S. and Seoul should encourage such a possibility. While the chance of success might be small, that would be better than continuing today's dead-end approach.
Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan. He is author of Tripwire: Korea and U.S. "Foreign Policy in a Changed World" and co-author of "The Korean Conundrum: America's Troubled Relations with North and South Korea."
Dictatorships thrive on the silence of people who are scared by or are ignorant of their ruthless use of brute power. Korea has had more than its share of iron-fisted rule by strongmen.
Jurgen Hinzpeter, a German journalist, refused to turn a blind eye when democracy was usurped by an Army general.
Although his Korean colleagues kept mum, he rose to the occasion and went into the thick of the action. That was how the world came to know of the May 18, 1980, Gwangju Uprising, when citizens were shot and beaten by paratroopers on the orders of Chun Doo-hwan, the Army general who grabbed power in a coup and became president through a rubber-stamp "gymnasium election."
His report first made it onto his German television station and then to the rest of the world, breaking the silence and forcing the dictatorship to take a step back.
This brave German will come back to Gwangju to rest in spirit ahead of the anniversary of this tragic event, according to his will. A memorial for him will be dedicated with an urn containing clippings of nail and strands of hair he left in the city's cemetery where hundreds of victims from the popular struggle rest in peace. He died in January at the age of 79 and was buried in his fatherland, according to the wishes of his family.
It remains to be guessed how many lives his heroic action saved in Gwangju. But there are plenty of hints which he had indeed helped to hasten the advent of democracy.
In 1986, the German came to Seoul to cover protests against President Chun and was beaten severely by what was believed to be a group of plain-clothes policemen. The following year, Chun and his "coup mate," Roh Tae-woo, agreed to accept the popular demand of direct presidential vote. Both Chun and Roh were imprisoned by President Kim Young-sam. Park, the strongman before Chun, was in power for 16 years, compared with Chun's eight-year rule.
Perhaps on a smaller note for the people in his line of work he is a shining example that journalism is the fourth estate that should refuse to be coaxed or coerced by power and play the role of salt to keep the absolute form of it from going bad. One man did it and we hope that his surviving colleagues can do it as well as Hinzpeter did. We remember him and welcome him for coming back to his second home. May God be with him.
Tech giants from home and abroad are battling to garner a larger slice of the South Korean market for cloud computing solutions, industry watchers said Monday, as local demand for the services is expected to grow sharply down the road.
The South Korean market for cloud computing solutions is expected to reach $1.2 billion in 2019, up from the $540 million posted in 2014, according to the data compiled by industry tracker Gartner.
Cloud computing solutions allow users to access their photos, documents and other content saved on servers through smartphones and PCs. The service has been gaining popularity around the globe, especially at the office, as it cuts down on costs.
In January, U.S. tech giant Oracle Corp. held a large-scale cloud computing conference in Seoul to tap into the fast-growing South Korean market. Oracle currently has around 70 million users through its clients in its cloud computing segment around the globe.
Microsoft Corp. also plans to kick off a cloud computing conference in Seoul next month, inviting developers and engineers to share their experiences related with the technologies.
Amid the influx of overseas players eying the South Korean market, local firms are also rolling out full-fledged efforts to take the lead in securing the new growth engine, with some even eying overseas markets.
KT Corp., the country's top fixed-line network operator, kicked off a data center in Los Angeles in February. The company plans to open one more in the U.S. during the second half of 2016.
SK C&C also plans to open its cloud computing service dubbed "Cloud Z" next month in South Korea. The company said it plans to forge ties with overseas players, including IBM.
LG CNS Co., an IT affiliate of LG Group, is also operating data centers not only in South Korea but in the U.S., Europe and China as well.
"As the local market for cloud computing services is beginning its full-fledge growth following the influx of global players, the competition will also intensify," an industry insider said. "Accordingly, local players must focus on their distinctive services for survival." (Yonhap)
By Lee Min-hyung
The nation's media watchdogs plan to revise a law that will allow Android users to delete Google's "non-removable" preinstalled apps.
The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) and the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) voiced a consensus that legal measures were necessary to stop customers from falling victim to such monopolistic schemes.
"The KCC is in talks with the MSIP over completing the revision no later than July," said an official. "There are guidelines for the same issue, but they have been under no legal compulsion. Some business operators have not followed the guidelines, hurting users' rights."
The MSIP previously issued the guideline to make non-essential apps that come bundled with the phone removable. The number of preinstalled apps has been scaled back over the past two years since the measure took effect in January 2014, according to the MSIP. But the regulator said this has failed to "completely root out" the so-called "bloatware." Most such apps have become user-removable due to the guidelines, but still some 10 Google apps remain uninstallable.
The KCC official added the EU's recent decision over Google is another major reason for the law revision.
Last month, the European Commission (EC) issued a statement of objection, saying the company has imposed restrictions on Android device manufacturers, a clear breach of the EU's antitrust rules.
At that time, the MSIP said the Korean government will also step up its monitoring of Google to take additional regulatory measures.
"The KCC and the MSIP have considered adopting some legal measures to end the antitrust controversy, even before the EU statement was released," said the official. "But we cannot deny that the EU decision has significantly influenced our recent decision."
In response to the EU statement, Google headquarters previously issued a statement that it is open to talks with the EC over resolving the issue. But the world's largest portal operator did not specify that it will make the controversial irremovable apps "removable."
Google Senior Vice President Kent Walker said in a statement that the company will do its best to demonstrate its Android model was designed in a way to foster constructive competition and consumer benefit.
The MSIP was also on par with the KCC's stance.
An MSIP official said, "We are going to take comprehensive measures not just on Google, but other Android business operators involved in the preinstalled app controversy."
This includes mobile carriers, handset manufacturers and Internet service operators, according to the official.
"At the moment, we need to gather opinions from experts over deciding which apps should be removable or not," he said. "For example, we are in dilemma over such apps as Google Play Store. Some experts argue the app should remain irremovable for some elderly users who are not accustomed to using smartphones."
The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary
Read more
Sheriff Jim McDonnell announced Sunday that he had accepted the resignation of his chief of staff, Tom Angel, over racist email jokes he forwarded while with the Burbank Police Department in 2012-13. Since the Los Angeles Times published the emails last week, criticism of Angel and McDonnell had been growing. The emails that Angel forwarded mocked blacks, Mexicans, Muslims and women but apparently he didn't find funny any jokes about white men or cops.
When confronted by the Times, Angel's apology wasn't very apologetic: "Anybody in the workplace unfortunately forwards emails from time to time that they probably shouldn't have forwarded," Angel said. "I apologize if I offended anybody, but the intent was not for the public to have seen these jokes."
Angel was a key part of McDonnell's team as a longtime insider who could help push the outsider sheriff's reform agenda in a department badly in need of a shakeout, and McDonnell tried to save him. "Everybody's got their own take on humor. This was divisive and nonproductive," McDonnell told the Times. "It's a shame the whole thing happened at all." But the pressure continued to mount from minority communities and Muslim groups, and on Sunday McDonnell said, "This incident is one that I find deeply troubling.
Despite the Sheriffs Departments many recent efforts to fortify public trust and enhance internal and external accountability and transparency, this incident reminds us that we and other law enforcement agencies still have work to do.
McDonnell said he would introduce random audits of employee email accounts and would meet with community groups to share thoughts and ideas about improving our understanding of the varied cultures and orientations and deepening our appreciation of the many ethnicities and religions that are part of the vibrant fabric of the population we serve. The department would also examine its training and existing policies for ensuring accountability and enhancing cultural and ethnic sensitivity, he said. [skip] Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said Angels resignation was not a moment to rejoice but to roll up our sleeves and help the sheriff develop a culture of partnership and accountability and transparency within his office. Haroon Manjlai, a spokesman for the greater L.A. chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the sheriff's decision to accept his chief of staff's resignation sent an important message going forward. Hopefully now, if incidents like these happen again, the precedent is to step down or be dismissed, Manjlai said. It promotes zero tolerance when it comes to any kind of xenophobic or insensitive behavior to any community.
Added: The ACLU released a statement praising the move.
"The ACLU SoCal is heartened to see that Tom Angel has stepped down in light of the racist, sexist, anti-Muslim emails he sent while at the Burbank Police Department. We hope Sheriff Jim McDonnell will seize this opportunity to reaffirm his pledge to reform the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and demonstrate that he will take a zero tolerance stance in addressing misconduct, bias and other behavior that undermines the public's trust in LASD."
Coverage by the Daily News, CNN.
Also noted: Terri McDonald, the veteran state corrections official who joined the LASD a few years to clean up the jails, announced last week that she is leaving the department to go home to Sacramento.
Clover POS systems are a great solution if you want to streamline your internal services and want to replace an old kit like cash registers, payment terminals and other equipment. Clovers point of sale solution allows you to get rid of all that and replace it with a more integrated system with state of the
Harrison Scott discovered the Ridge Route in 1955. Then 18, he was out freewheeling in a brand new Ford hed bought with a loan from his parents.
The sinuous route, an engineering marvel that tamed the San Gabriel Mountains through the highway corridor that is now known as the Grapevine, was already a relic.
Opened in 1915, and credited by historians with uniting the economies of Northern and Southern California, the notoriously slow and dangerous roadway had been superseded in 1933 by Highway 99, itself to be replaced in 1970 by the 5 Freeway.
Advertisement
Scott liked the abandoned motorway, but did not return to the route until exploring it again in 1991, this time on a road trip with his son. Spurred by the boys interest, and retired from a long career with Pacific Telephone, Scott became an amateur historian and began collecting photos and stories of the highway.
He learned it had once been dotted with gas stations, diners, nightclubs and hotels that hosted gangsters and Hollywood stars. Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and Bugsy Siegel visited places such as Kellys Halfway Inn set dead center in the 12-hour automobile journey between Bakersfield and Los Angeles and Sandbergs Summit Hotel, which had a sign by the front door that said, No Dogs or Truck Drivers Allowed.
The inns were long gone, but the roadway was intact. Scott began what has been a quixotic campaign to secure historic preservation status for the highway, and perhaps bring tourists back.
Sixty years after first driving the Ridge Route, Scott surveys it from a high bluff midway between Castaic and Gorman. He ran a hand over his sandy hair and said: I didnt think when I started this that I was going to die on this mountain. But now I do.
::
The Ridge Route was born after engineering crews operating horse-drawn scrapers carved a narrow two-lane passage between Castaic and Grapevine, shaving 24 miles off the previous route. The new road included 697 curves and climbed to more than 4,000 feet above sea level.
Fully paved by 1919, it was considered a construction triumph. Though it featured dangerous curves and a speed limit of only 15 mph, the route was soon home to commercial enterprises.
Queen Nells Castle sold gasoline and cold soda. The National Forest Inn and Garage fed motorists home-cooked meals and fixed their broken flivvers.
The shorter drive attracted truck traffic and tourists. Its success helped quiet voices that had been calling for California to be cut in half.
The Ridge Route made it possible for commerce and traffic and tourism to get between the two parts of California, said Alan Pollock, president of the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society. This road united the two halves of the state.
But in some ways, the route was too successful. The increased traffic demonstrated the need for a better, safer thoroughfare. Using newer construction techniques that allowed for a straighter route, Highway 99 opened in 1933 and cut an additional 10 miles off the trip.
The quaint Ridge Route began losing its businesses. The cafes and gas stations were gradually shuttered, many of them in the 1940s and 50s. Sandbergs was destroyed in a 1961 fire. The once-grand but fading Hotel Lebec was torn down three years later. The Gorman Hotel was demolished in 1972.
Working with government officials, Scott succeeded in 1997 in getting the highway listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He wrote a book about the road, formed the nonprofit Ridge Route Preservation Organization to raise funds to maintain it, and organized volunteer work crews to ensure it was safe for driving, biking and hiking.
He hoped to have the route named a National Scenic Byway, like the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Appalachians, or the Natchez Trace Parkway, which runs through Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. That would have qualified the Ridge Route for federal money, Scott said, for signage, guardrails, vista pullouts and other improvements.
He had the written support of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) and now-former Rep. Howard Buck McKeon (R-Santa Clarita), and there were precedents: Highway 1, through Big Sur, was given the same title in 1996, as later was the Arroyo Seco Scenic Parkway, a stretch of the 110 Freeway, in 2002.
But Scott gradually found his proposal snarled in red tape. In 2005, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors elected to vacate the Ridge Route, giving up their control of the mountain motorway and ceding stewardship to the U.S. Forest Service, over whose land the road had always traveled.
That should have helped Scotts cause, until massive rainstorms in 2005 forced the Ridge Routes closure. The Forest Service, without sufficient funds to repair storm damage to the road, erected huge metal gateways, and shut off access to all but the utilities and energy companies whose gas pipes or power lines still follow the Ridge Route.
Worse, the transfer of control of the roadway also relinquished easements onto it. Suddenly, access to the northern and southern ends of the Ridge Route, already gated, was in the hands of homeowners.
Scott began to believe he had been wasting his time.
A scenic view of Interstate 5 from Old Ridge Route. Harrison Scott, executive director of the Ridge Route Preservation Organization, has tried for 25 years to preserve the old highway that connected Los Angeles County and the San Joaquin Valley. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
::
Today, despite Scotts persistence, the stalemate continues. The Forest Service confirmed that it had given up the easements in question, and that the public Ridge Route is now landlocked by private citizens.
The easements were not transferred, said Sherry Rollman, the Forest Services public and legislative affairs officer.
The southern gate to the roadway is a 12.5-acre parcel owned by retired graphic artist Greg Olson, who said he has lived on the property for 26 years. Olson said he had several conversations with Forest Service officials and Scotts Ridge Route Preservation Organization about granting right of passage, and was prepared to give it to them free of charge.
But those conversations ended in 2008 and never resumed. Olson, who has plans to develop the property, is no longer willing to reopen the road to full-time traffic.
Scott charges that the Forest Service has abrogated its responsibility to maintain the road for public use.
This is our land! he said, waving his arms at a remote stretch of the motorway. The road was open for damn near 100 years. Its a prescriptive right of way. The Forest Service cant just close it.
But it didnt, Rollman said. Its not closed to the public, she said. Its open for hiking, and biking, if you walk in. You just cant drive there right now.
SIGN UP for the free California Inc. business newsletter >>
Some who contend hes wrong to expect the Forest Service to restore the road admire Scotts single-minded commitment to it.
Harrison does have the passion, and his heart is in the right place, said Dianne Erskine-Hellrigel, a local hiking enthusiast who specializes in proposing wilderness legislation. But the road is in bad shape, and its on Forest property, and theres no funding.
Even landowner Olson sympathizes with Scotts frustration.
I really like Scotty, and I like what hes trying to do, said Olson, who added he might support a limited opening of the road for a month or two a year. Im kind of in his way, even though I dont want to be.
Today, Scott, as founder of the Ridge Route nonprofit, is one of only a few private citizens with keys to the gates that block the historic roadway. Standing on a windy hill, he extolled the joys of early motor travel and the legacy of the old hotels and cafes their ruins marked with plaques that Scott was instrumental in helping fund and install.
Many have been vandalized, stolen or destroyed. Upon one bluff are a crumbling stone archway and wall partly rebuilt by Scott and his volunteers that are the remains of the Tumble Inn, which boasted rooms, a restaurant and a Richfield filling station.
Scott said recently that the Forest Service may agree to let him and his work crew do light maintenance work again, for the first time in years.
Now 79, and having spent 25 years trying to save the road, Scott wonders whether the Ridge Route would still be open if he hadnt begun the lobbying that led to its transfer to the Forest Service.
It would have been better, I hate to say this, if I wouldve done nothing, he said.
charles.fleming@latimes.com
Twitter: @misterfleming
ALSO
Junk bond king Michael Milken looms large in L.A. finance industry
Hulu is developing a cable-like package of channels
Record number of firearms uncovered at nations airports
Hulu is preparing a cable-like digital service that would stream feeds of broadcast and cable TV channels, a move that highlights how major media companies are grappling with the so-called cord-cutters who are ditching high-cost subscriptions.
The Santa Monica streaming service, which has long been a source to catch episodes of broadcast television shows the day after theyve aired, is planning to create a more full-bodied online rival to pay-TV providers that would stream entire broadcast and cable channels to consumers for a monthly fee, said a person familiar with the matter who was unauthorized to discuss the talks.
Hulu, a joint venture of major TV network owners 21st Century Fox, Walt Disney Co. and Comcasts NBCUniversal, is the latest media company to get into the skinny bundle business, which refers to the idea of creating slimmer TV packages with fewer channels that are cheaper than standard cable or satellite services.
Advertisement
Hulu is in active negotiations with Disney, Fox and NBCUniversal for access to their broadcast and cable networks, which include ESPN, Disney Channel, Fox News, FX and others. The proposed new service is significant because it means those powerful media companies dont want to get left behind as consumers shed or pare cable packages that can include hundreds of channels they never watch.
All the big network-owning companies realize that its impossible in an over-the-top world to stop the eventual creation of smaller, more flexible consumer video offerings, said Todd Juenger, an analyst with Bernstein. They all want to proactively be a part of these offerings.
The move gives Hulu, which boasts nearly 10 million subscribers, another leg up in courting cost-conscious consumers and others who live in the 10 million homes in the U.S. without a pay-TV subscription. Twenty-four percent of Americans do not subscribe to a cable or satellite TV service in their homes, according to a December survey from the Pew Research Center 15% have canceled their cable or satellite subscription and 9% have never had a cable or satellite subscription.
A Hulu spokesperson declined to comment. But the news comes just days before Hulu is set to appear before advertisers in New York on Wednesday, where the venture could be officially announced.
The unnamed service would let customers watch live streams of participating channels, and would also include a DVR-like functionality to let users watch shows on their own time.
Hulu has been making aggressive efforts to distinguish itself in the increasingly competitive digital TV market, particularly against streaming rivals Netflix and Amazon. Hulu has pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into buying or making original shows and landing high-powered licensing pacts with TV studios, including its deal to acquire streaming rights to the entire Seinfeld library.
We believe the important takeaway is that this is
a way for programmers to take more control of their destiny in a fragmented pay TV ecosystem with heightened risk of skinny bundle inclusion/exclusion, wrote Steven Cahall, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets, in a research note Monday.
Hulu is planning to introduce the new service early next year for about $40 a month. Hulu currently has two options for its subscription service: an ad-supported version that costs $7.99 a month and an ad-free version, which it introduced last fall, that costs $11.99 a month.
Finalizing licensing deals has proved problematic for those looking to enter the space. Apple was said to be announcing a similar service for its Apple TV set-top box last year, but efforts to license programming at rates that would not negatively affect the retail price of the technology have stalled its efforts.
Other media companies, including HBO and CBS Corp., also have launched digital services targeting cord-cutters.
Even so, TV networks must tread carefully so they do not jeopardize their relationships with pay-TV operators that provide a lucrative source of revenue via carriage fees. Thats especially true for NBCUniversal parent Comcast, which owns both a leading cable service and a broadcast network. A spokesperson for NBCUniversal declined to comment.
Hulus new service would be similar to the slimmed-down packages of broadcast and cable TV networks offered over the Internet by Dish Networks SlingTV, available for $20 a month, and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation Vue, which starts at about $40 a month. Hulu, however, would benefit from greater name recognition.
Analyst Juenger pointed out that although Hulus offering would give TV companies the chance to capitalize on the push toward more tailored bundles, its too soon to tell how considerable the disruption will be and whether it will yield significant cost reductions for consumers.
Whats really hard to do is to get a skinny bundle that has a low-enough price to be interesting to consumers and has enough networks its a hard needle to thread, Juenger said. We dont even know what networks are involved yet.
Hulus initiative could prompt the networks left out of the new offering to band together to create their own lower-cost challenger.
I think whatever companies or networks are left out of this Hulu service must be expected to get together and be part of some over-the-top service of their own.
News of the service was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
yvonne.villarreal@latimes.com
Hollywood veteran Brad Weston will step down as president and chief executive of New Regency, the Los Angeles film production company behind The Revenant and Birdman.
Westons impending departure from the company, which hes led for the last five years, was unexpected and it is unclear why Weston is leaving the firm founded by Israeli billionaire Arnon Milchan.
In a statement released Monday, New Regency said Weston would leave with the support of Milchan. The company has not named a replacement, and did not say what Westons next move would be. His departure date also has not been revealed.
Advertisement
New Regency has boasted a strong run of awards season contenders in recent years. It put up most of the money for The Revenant, which was nominated for the best picture Oscar this year and grossed $526 million worldwide. Birdman won four Oscars in 2015, including the top prize.
The companys upcoming film slate includes Warren Beattys Howard Hughes biopic, the video game adaptation Assassins Creed and an untitled Gore Verbinski thriller. New Regency recently teamed with Hunger Games studio Lionsgate on a television joint venture to produce and distribute shows.
Media conglomerate 21st Century Fox holds a 20% stake in New Regency, and Fox has a deal with the production company to release its movies. New Regency co-finances some of its movies with Fox and fully finances others.
Weston has long been a player in the studio system. Before joining New Regency, he served as Paramount Pictures production president until 2009, when he was fired by studio chairman Brad Grey in a broader shakeup.
Much like the reading of names of the dead at a small-town Memorial Day service, J.K. Rowling continues to remember the deaths of Harry Potter characters in her own special way.
Specifically, by apologizing.
But first, some background information.
Fans of the Harry Potter books will know that May 2 is the anniversary of the final battle of the series, in which the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters bloodily fought until Voldemort was vanquished and his followers conquered.
For people who arent fans of the book: In the last of the seven Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the good guys and the bad guys face off and the good guys, including Harry Potter, win. People who are fans of the book take these events very seriously and remember May 2 as the day all of this took place.
Advertisement
Beginning last year, J.K. Rowling decided that she should start apologizing for killing characters off during this final confrontation to try to assuage the hurt of a legion of fans who werent aware that their favorite tertiary character could die because, apparently, theyd never read Little Women.
Last year, Rowling recognized the (fictional) sacrifice of (a character she created) Fred Weasley, brother of Ron and Ginny, twin of George. This year, shes directed the apology train at Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Remus Lupin, who was killed by a Death Eater at the Battle of Hogwarts.
For her part, Rowling seems increasingly disenfranchised with the act of apologizing for killing off characters that belonged to her, as this years apology seems pretty half-hearted.
Once again, it's the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts so, as promised, I shall apologise for a death. This year: Remus Lupin. J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 2, 2016
Perhaps even a bit defensive?
He had to die, okay? I didnt enjoy doing it. Im not a monster, Rowling seems to say, even as she apologizes for making Lupins infant son, Teddy, an orphan.
Rowling herself has been resistant to letting the Harry Potter universe die its own respectful death or, at the very least, exist quietly in its published form, as the author seems very invested in clarifying any and all lingering questions about the book series, despite the final book being published nine years ago.
Thats how we know the name of other wizarding schools and why Harry named his son after Severus Snape and that Dumbledore was actually gay, despite that none of the revelations really add anything substantial to the body of work shes created.
It seems the reason Rowling continues to apologize to fans is because she struggles with the idea that a piece of art can be many things to many people, no matter what the artists vision may have been. If she can tackle that notion, shed be able to dispense with the explanations and apologies and let the dead rest in peace.
Follow me on Twitter @midwestspitfire
ALSO:
Harry Potter henchman becomes MMA fighter
What to know about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
J.K. Rowling reveals two rejection letters she got for The Cuckoos Calling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone to screen with a live orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl
My goodness, Good-Wife-ers! I cant believe its almost the end. Theres only one episode left in our favorite law procedural, and it doesnt feel like it. Things dont feel like theyre tying up, and now Im afraid the finale will end on an enormous, disappointing cliffhanger. But theyre not guilty yet. Lets talk about the episode at hand first.
So we finally meet the infamous Lloyd Garber and its a bit anticlimactic. Hes on the stand, testifying against Peter, his supposed friend, but its clear Connor Fox trained him on what to say to inflict the most damage. Diane does her best to represent Peter, especially with Judge Cuesta (David Paymer) on the bench and everyone knowing he doesnt like Peter. Its a bit surprising that he would be chosen to preside over this case when his opinion of Peter seems common knowledge. But hes obliged to be professional and not show any bias.
See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour >>
Advertisement
Fox makes another plea-deal offer to Alicia: eight years in prison (what happened to the three years they were talking about before?). He knows Peter is guilty, and tells Alicia so, but she insists that he prove it. What a concept! It doesnt matter what you think you know, wheres the proof? Hard as they try, its not quite there yet. But Fox says he has a secret witness.
This terrifying new witness is Geneva Pine (Renee Elise Goldsberry, taking a break from Broadways Hamilton). What could she know that is so damning? Apparently, her coworkers signed affidavits claiming that she and Peter had a very long affair, and that shes now out to get Peter because he broke up with her. Pitiful. I am amazed that people are taking this at face value. How can they believe it? I know Peter has a terrible reputation, especially where women are concerned, but this seems preposterous to me. I think there would have been some hint or tiny indication at some point if there were even the slightest bit of truth to it, but the only thing weve seen while he was her boss is animosity, and I dont see that turning into sexual tension. Plus, she had been sleeping with that detective back when Cary was on trial. Shes also too strong, too awesome a character to play the part of the spurned lover.
Louis Canning, looking out for his client, Cary, tells Alicia that Geneva is lying. This again goes against Genevas character: What could she possibly gain from committing perjury? The defense team tries to prove the falseness of her testimony by going after her motive, but Peters reputation is too damaged.
Diane asks Kurt to take the stand and explain his preliminary findings. He hesitantly agrees, and Lucca cross-examines him. But Fox retaliates by putting Kurts sexy blond student, Holly Westfall, on the stand to destroy Kurts testimony. Diane and Lucca object on the grounds of hearsay, because Holly wasnt there, but the judge allows it. Makes no sense to me. Lucca asks Holly another question that clears Kurt of wrongdoing, but Diane regrets putting Kurt through it and later begs his forgiveness. Uncharacteristic weakness from Diane.
The major fallout from Hollys testimony is that it makes Cary a scapegoat, something the defense promised not to do. He and Canning are angry about it, and tell the jury as much, though I dont think its really the defenses fault. It feels more to me like the writers needed a reason for Cary to be in the episode. Hes been mostly absent this whole season.
I still dont get why Fox is so hellbent on taking Peter down. Im probably too naive and too trusting, but I believe Peter when he says he learned from being in prison and wants to do his best to run a clean office, be it as states attorney or as governor.
Thats why it also seems like a no-brainer when Peter insists that Diane put him on the stand. The evidence against him sounded strong last week too, until they asked Peter what happened. His explanation makes perfect sense to me. I have no reason to think he would lie, and I believe hes learned from serving time.
As the case goes on, Alicia plays the dutiful wife, holding Peters hand and doing her best to convince the watching, judging jury that shes standing by him. This doesnt sit well with Jason, whether he admits it or not. He does a little work for Alicia at her request, but then feels he needs to stop and will see her after the case. Lucca tries to get Jason to admit that hes in love with Alicia, but he wont. Jason also thinks that if Peter is convicted, Alicia will never divorce him and that Jason will lose her. Yet he also wont admit that he wants her. He really needs to make a decision and, as Lucca says, stop playing it cool.
Meanwhile, David Lee is back, listening to Gilbert and Sullivan again (bringing back an old reference with a telling song choice) and being a general nuisance, as usual. After a ridiculously surreal incident in which construction workers tear apart the offices, mistaking them for the expanding 18th-floor law firm, Diane decides to enlarge her new women-partnered firm and David threatens to sue her for discrimination. I still dont understand why he agreed to vote with Diane on the firm in the first place. Is it just me or has the writing gotten a little sloppy with situations like this?
As Alicia and Peter discuss the case, Peter seriously considers taking Foxs latest plea deal: two years. Hes afraid his reputation will destroy him, despite his impressive turn on the witness stand. But before he can fully decide, the jury is back. Aaaaand, fade to black. No answer for us yet! Of course.
So what do you think, Good Wife-ers? Could Peter go to jail again? And if he does, will it mean Alicia wont divorce him, as Jason thinks? Could Jason and Alicia have a happy ending? Or will the series come full circle, with Alicia standing by her man despite her own happiness? I dont see that happening, but you never know.
MORE
The Good Wife recap: A homecoming family reunion party
The Good Wife recap: Everything old is new again
The Good Wife recap: The not-so-good wife?
Tricked into believing an expectant mother and her unborn child are in distress, the Abigail crew responds with empathy and is repaid with treachery on Blood in the Streets, Episode 204 of AMCs Fear the Walking Dead.
Chris Manawa (Lorenzo James Henrie) and Ofelia Salazar (Mercedes Mason) are on deck when they see a raft approaching. Onboard are two men and a pregnant woman. She screams that somethings wrong with the baby!
Should I shoot? Chris nervously asks. Before he can act, the newcomers scramble onto the yacht, claiming they drifted for days.
Advertisement
While Madison Clark (Kim Dickens) tries to help, her daughter Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) recognizes a voice. It belongs to Jack (Daniel Zovatto), a young man she befriended over the CB radio. With him are Vanessa (Veronica Diaz) and Reed (Jesse McCartney).
Now that Jack is identified, the visitors reveal their sinister intent by overpowering the yacht crew.
Youre making a mistake, warns Chris father, Travis (Cliff Curtis).
No, I think your son made the mistake, Reed replies, mocking Chris for wondering if he should open fire.
Piece of advice, Reed offers. If you have to ask the question, somebody should already be dead.
During the commotion, Abigail skipper Victor Strand (Colman Domingo) flees on a raft and is shot at by Reed. If bullets dont finish Strand, he could die from hypothermia in the cold Pacific.
Speaking of Strand, viewers learn about his shady past via a flashback to 2005 just after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Hes at a bar with real estate speculator Thomas Abigail (Dougray Scott), a parasite who turns tragedy into treasure.
When theres blood in the streets, buy land, Thomas advises his new acquaintance.
I bought before the storm, Strand bitterly admits. Im bankrupt.
Strand isnt broke for long, however, because he steals Thomas credit cards and takes out $36,000 in cash advances.
Thomas and his assistant Luis Flores (Arturo del Puerto) confront Strand the next morning. Their conversation is surprisingly cordial.
Thank you, for the pardon, Strand says, promising to repay the stolen money with interest.
I didnt pardon you, Thomas explains. I obligated you. A business and sexual relationship ensues.
Back on Abigail, Alicia uses her feminine charms to win over Jack, who follows a mysterious leader named Conner (Mark Kelly).
Im gonna stick my neck out for you, Jack tells Alicia. However, Conner doesnt invite just anyone to live at his base and tap its precious resources.
I can be with you, Alicia says seductively, but you have to protect my family.
Before long, Conner arrives to inspect the yacht, calling it a gorgeous vessel. Then he abducts Alicia and Travis and speeds away with Jack and Vanessa. Guards Red (Sarah McCreanor) and Ben (Josh Wingate) are left behind.
Big heart, strong mind, weak stomach is how Reed describes Conner. And now that sadistic Reed is in charge, the yacht crew is in grave danger.
Racing to the rescue are Maddies son Nick (Frank Dillane) and Luis, who rendezvoused at a gated coastal community Strand and Thomas developed.
Hey, theres people onboard, man, Nick exclaims, peering through binoculars. They have guns!
Luis, an expert marksman, is also armed. He takes out Red and Ben with head shots while Maddie breaks free and stabs Reed in the back.
So wheres Strand? Because no ones crossing into Mexico where a mansion in Baja awaits unless his boss is present, Luis insists.
Strand floated in the ocean all this time, turns out, and Maddie pulls him to safety.
But what about Alicia and Travis? Are they safe with Conner and company? Thats the big question.
MORE:
Fear the Walking Dead is renewed by AMC for a third season
Game of Thrones recap: Jon Snows fate is revealed
Hulu is developing a cable-like package of channels
The Walking Deads Melissa McBride on Caryl -- the chemistry between Carol and Daryl
HBOs Game of Thrones is famous -- perhaps infamous -- for killing its stars. This includes well-known actor Sean Bean, whose Ned Stark character lost his head in a Season 1 shocker.
Now this lethal trend is temporarily reversed in Home (Episode 52). Because Neds son, Jon Snow (Kit Harington), lord commander of the Nights Watch, returns from the dead. Its joyous news for Jon fans worldwide.
At the end of last season, treasonous Nights Watch crows led by Alliser Thorne (Owen Teale) murdered Jon because he made peace with the hated Wildlings.
Advertisement
In danger of being murdered this season are Jons friends, notably Ser Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham). They stand watch over Jons corpse while his direwolf Ghost growls nearby.
Lay down your arms, Thorne offers, and no one else will die. Hes a liar, of course, for his men have their crossbows at the ready.
Ive never been much of a fighter, Davos admits while drawing his sword. Apologies for what youre about to see.
What they see is rescuer Edd Tollett (Ben Crompton), who slipped out of Castle Black and returned with Wildling reinforcements. They include red-haired Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju) and an actual giant who brushes off arrows like hes swatting flies.
Thorne and his fellow conspirators are soon captured or killed.
While Tormund prepares a funeral pyre for Jon, Davos beseeches Lord of Light priestess Melisandre (Carice van Houten) to raise Jon from the dead.
There are some with this power, Melisandre says. But not her, for shes filled with self-doubt.
Everything I believed, the great victory I saw in the flames, all of it was a lie, Melisandre sadly tells Davos. You were right all along. The Lord never spoke to me.
Im not asking the Lord of Light for help, Davos clarifies. Im asking the woman who showed me that miracles exist.
So Melisandre bathes Jons body, drops hair cuttings into a fire and recites incantations. All to no avail, it seems, until Ghost awakens. And then Jon awakens, bolting upright and gasping for air.
Here are some other key developments:
Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) hones his warg abilities under the tutelage of that Three-Eyed Raven (Max von Sydow) after it assumes human form. They travel back in time to see Brans father, Ned (Sebastian Croft), as a lad. They also see massive Hodor, whose real name is Wyllis (Sam Coleman), when he was a stable boy.
At Kings Landing, Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) is prevented from attending the funeral of her daughter, Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free). Its for Cerseis protection, since the High Sparrow (Jonathon Pryce) and his religious zealots are out in full force.
In Braavos, Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) may not be blind for much longer. Her shape-shifting mentor, Jaqen Hghar (Tom Wlaschiha), promises to restore her sight.
Aryas sister Sansa (Sophie Turner) heads north to Castle Black, believing her half-brother Jon is alive. Well, suddenly he is, thanks to Melisandre.
Sansas husband, Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon), adds patricide and infanticide to his list of heinous crimes. Lord Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton) and his wife, Walda (Elizabeth Webster), just had a son. And because Ramsay is a bastard, his new half-brother could one day rule House Bolton. So Ramsay stabs his father and feeds Walda and baby to the dogs.
Finally, Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) befriends Rhaegal and Viserion, the fearsome dragon brothers that havent eaten since their mother Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) fled Meereen. Tyrion gingerly frees the dragons from their chains. Next time I have an idea like that, Tyrion tells Lord Varys (Conleth Hill), punch me in the mouth!
MORE RECAPS:
The Good Wife recap: Is there any defense against reputation?
Fear the Walking Dead recap: Good deed punished with treachery
Outlander recap: Claire and Jamie stop being polite and start getting real
Florida Gov. Rick Scott is back, and he is again gunning for Californias businesses.
On Sunday, Scott arrived in Los Angeles, where he will spend three days trying to persuade companies and regular Californians to pack up and head for Florida. He made a similar trip last year, to entice shipping companies to move goods through Floridas ports.
Now he says he has extra leverage: Californias pending minimum wage hike.
Advertisement
My goal, one-hundred percent, is to get individuals and companies to move to Florida, Scott said in an interview. By raising the minimum wage in California, 700,000 people are going to lose their jobs, there are a lot of opportunities for companies to prosper in Florida and compete here and thats what Im going after.
On Monday, California Gov. Jerry Brown sent a letter to Gov. Scott suggesting that his fixation on California is misguided. Were competing with nations like Brazil and France, not states like Florida, Brown wrote. He also sent Gov. Scott a report with research on the effect of climate change on Floridas coastline, and urged the Governor to stop the silly political stunts and start doing something about climate change.
An arm of Floridas government released a radio ad that aired in L.A. and San Francisco last week criticizing the $15 minimum wage, which goes into full effect in seven years, warning of layoffs and job-stealing robots.
Californias current minimum wage is $10 an hour. Floridas is $8.05 an hour.
This place is beautiful, but you just cant afford to live here, the spot warned.
Gov. Browns office has defended itself against Scotts persistent jabs by pointing out that California seems to be doing just fine, job-wise.
As one of the millions of tourists flocking to the Golden State this time of year, wed like to extend a warm welcome to the governor, said Evan Westrup, Browns press secretary. Since his last 2,000-mile cross-country jaunt, California has added twice as many jobs as Florida.
California employers have added new 420,800 new jobs since March 2015, compared with 234,300 added in Florida. Jobs have grown by 2.6% in California, and by 2.9% in Florida.
See more of our top stories on Facebook >>
It is not yet clear how raising the wage floor gradually through 2023 will affect employment. American Apparel and other garment manufacturers have indicated that the wage increase may induce them to shift their production out of the L.A. area.
Scotts estimate of 700,000 jobs comes from a study that is not based on data about California, and some economists say that projection is off-base.
Its way outside the consensus of economists, says Michael Reich, an economist at UC Berkeley.
Reich led a 2015 study on the impact of a $15 minimum wage in Los Angeles, and found that giving people more money to spend would balance out any negative effect of more expensive labor, even after factoring in price increases and automation.
That study found no net job loss in the city.
Whats more, Reich said, the industries that will feel the strain of higher wages most are ones that are least likely to move. About a third of workers who will get a pay bump with the new law are working in stores or restaurants.
A restaurant isnt going to move to Florida to serve California customers, same with retail, Reich said.
Scott said that hes fixated on getting people, not just businesses, from California to move to Florida, with the aim of boosting the states income base.
The Tax Foundation, a conservative group, has gathered data from the IRS that it says show people with incomes totaling a net $105 billion moved to Florida from other states between 1993 and 2010. California saw a net $51 billion migrate out of the state during that period, according to the data.
However, census data show that more people moved from Florida to California than the other way around in 2014.
Twitter: @NatalieKitro
ALSO
Rising confidence in Californias economy is a challenge for GOP presidential candidates
When it comes to paying taxes, California is Bernie Sanders kind of state
Top L.A. County sheriffs official resigns over emails mocking Muslims and others
I have been a longtime reader of the Times Travel section, but I might have to stop reading it one day in the near future because it has become the fee-whiner section, and its getting more annoying each week [Rental Owners Displeased With Fees, On the Spot by Catharine Hamm, April 10].
Businesses must charge a fee because they need to stay in business and hopefully make a profit.
Most things in life are not free. However, many things appear to be free: The buffet on a cruise ship is free. Meals and alcohol on most international flights are free. Some hotels provide free Wi-Fi and free breakfast. Many rental car companies give free upgrades and free unlimited mileage.
Advertisement
Marketing costs are expensive, and consumers have been paying for them since the beginning of marketing. Whether its a car, a smartphone or a can of soda, the price you pay includes the costs of marketing that product to you.
Many consumers are oblivious about paying for fees and costs that are built into the pricing structures of products or services. But when the fee is made transparent, naive consumers scream, Why is there a fee?
Rob Lam
Orange
This Guinness
is for you, really
I hope readers of A Short but Sweet Stroll Through Dublin [April 10] wont be put off by Diane Haithmans description of her first pint of Guinness (It was still nasty).
This Southern Californian tasted her first Guinness, poured in a pub in Kilkenny, on Day 1 of my two-week driving trip through Ireland. I found it to be a smooth, malty ale, with almost a melting chocolate creaminess to it. I drank Guinness with almost every meal, and Jameson at the end of every day. The Irish really have wonderful national drinks. (On a fun note, I happened to arrive in Ireland on Arthurs Day, an unofficial national holiday when Arthur Guinness birthday is celebrated.)
Ann Stice
San Diego
Cruisers missing the boat
on seeing the real city
The best off-ship trip is one that doesnt involve a ship [Comparing Off-Ship Trips by Rosemary McClure, April 17].
Cruise-ship travelers would be far better off choosing one island on which to stay or one area to visit, rather than deluding themselves into thinking they are seeing Barcelona, Rome or Venice, or getting to know seven Caribbean islands, with one- or at most two-day stays in port.
Those who think theyre seeing the world on a cruise with excursion trips are the ones who are missing the boat. They are missing out on seeing the real city or island, on getting to know an area so well that they dont feel they need to see it again for many years.
Cruises should be reserved for those with health or energy issues who just cant do it on their own.
Those who are afraid of venturing into the world without disembarking from a cruise ship would be surprised to learn how safe and easy travel on their own can be.
Although it helps to speak a few phrases in the local language, almost everyone in the tourist industry speaks passable English, and it just isnt that hard to travel on ones own these days.
Daniel Fink
Beverly Hills
The Navy is putting the fleet back in San Diego Fleet Week.
The Sea n Air Parade will return to San Diego Bay this September, restoring one of San Diego Fleet Weeks signature events.
About half a dozen U.S. Navy warships will parade around the bay Sept. 10, in addition to Navy and Marine Corps aircraft demonstrations. The U.S. Coast Guard and the navies of Canada and Mexico have been invited to participate.
Advertisement
U.S. ships will also be available for public tours at downtown San Diego piers, officials said.
We are delighted its back, said Larry Blumberg, a retired Navy captain who is chairman of the parade committee.
The annual parade was canceled in 2001 because of security concerns after the Sept. 11 attacks. It returned from 2002 to 2008, but the event was again nixed in 2009 because of the demand for Navy warships around the world and the start of tighter defense budgets, officials said.
Blumberg, like others, credited Vice Adm. Nora Tyson, the commander of the San Diego-based U.S. 3rd Fleet, with green-lighting the ship parades return this year.
She didnt understand why San Diego isnt like all the rest of the fleet weeks, Blumberg said.
In short, for several years, San Diego ships have traveled to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle for those cities fleet week events. Sailors in dress uniforms hit the town and raise awareness of the sea service.
But the Navy hasnt spared any San Diego hulls to assume a dramatic, starring role in their citys own annual celebration of the Navy and Marine Corps. Ships were only made available for pier-based public tours.
Meanwhile, the Miramar Air Show became the de facto marquis event of San Diego Fleet Week, drawing the biggest crowds of any air show in the nation.
All these other places [Navy ships] went to, and here where they are all home-ported we didnt have it, said Brian Sack, executive director of the nonprofit Fleet Week San Diego Foundation.
We couldnt be more excited to bring back this signature event, Sack said.
jeanette.steele@sduniontribune.com
Steele writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Thousands of people took to the streets in the annual May Day marches in downtown Los Angeles and Boyle Heights on Sunday to advocate for immigration reform, police accountability and an end to racism.
The diverse array of protesters shared one thing in common: all were offended by something Donald Trump had said. The Republican presidential candidate literally loomed over one of the rallies in the form of a giant balloon effigy carrying a Ku Klux Klan hood.
Hes plastic, he doesnt have a heart, he doesnt have a brain, organizer Francisco Moreno said, as he gestured at the swaying effigy. Were not going to vote for Trump!
Advertisement
Even small children were shouting anti-Trump slogans as protesters assembled in two groups in downtown Los Angeles at noon. They marched parallel routes that ended at Grand Park and Olvera Street, blowing horns, riding bicycles and waving signs supporting various causes.
One banner seemed to sum up the rallies many fronts.
The International Workers May Day march and rally and the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition march and rally were held in downtown L.A. on Sunday.
Stand with immigrants, black lives, Muslims, LGBTQ people and low-wage workers!
Elmer Deleon, a 37-year-old mechanic from Huntington Park, was one of the many immigrant protesters who said they were galvanized into marching by Trumps campaign for president.
Deleon said he experienced a political awakening this year as he listened to Trumps criticisms of immigrants. He brought his wife and three children to the march to show solidarity with other immigrants who have yet to gain work papers an experience, he said, that changed his life.
All we want to do is work, Deleon said. We start from the bottom and try to build something.
Interested in the stories shaping California? Sign up for the free Essential California newsletter >>
To Gloria Carrasco, an undocumented house-cleaner from Los Alamitos, Trump represented a fundamental challenge to immigrants rights and her status as an American. On Sunday, she tied an American flag scarf around her neck, climbed up on a truck festooned in red, white and blue and told her story in Spanish.
Im not a drug addict, Im none of what [Trump] says, Carrasco shouted. I want immigration reform.
Carrasco came to the U.S. 27 years ago to find a better life for her family. When her father died seven years ago, she couldnt return to Mexico to see him because she was afraid she wouldnt make it back without papers. Things would only get worse for her with Trump as president, Carrasco said.
As the marchers passed the Los Angeles Police Department detention center, dozens of Black Lives Matter protesters called on the crowd to chant the name of Wakiesha Wilson, a 36-year-old mother who died in police custody at the facility in March.
No group is omitted from police brutality, said Hirashio Wilson, 29, as he lifted a yellow banner that read D.A. Lacy file charges now.
Tim Vanco, a white UCLA student who identified himself as gay, marched to demand a living wage. His friend Angel Contreras, a Mexican American, was worried about how a Trump presidency would affect his family. They were joined by Grace Nsavu, a 22-year-old Congolese immigrant who said Trump was magnifying racism, bigotry and hatred with his rhetoric.
It doesnt matter what you are supporting politically, said Vanco, 20, a Chicago native. As long as you are fighting for progressive causes and human rights.
Below a thicket of wagging Mexican and American flags, Eydee Rivera held her daughter, Arlette Martinez, tight in her arms.
Rivera, who is from Puerto Rico, dressed her daughter in the colors of the Mexican flag to acknowledge her roots. Arlettes father is a Mexican immigrant in the U.S. illegally. A Trump victory, Rivera fears, would mean a family split and broken by deportation. She called the possibility of a Trump presidency a disaster for the United States.
Hes ignorant, Rivera said of the candidate. Were human beings.
Los Angeles police made no arrests at Sundays rallies, which included another march through Boyle Heights that ended at Mariachi Plaza.
It was a peaceful 1st Amendment exercise, with no incidents, said Sgt. Barry Montgomery, an LAPD spokesman.
Authorities wrote 129 parking citations and impounded 59 cars improperly parked in downtown along the march routes, Montgomery said.
Sundays marches drew a significantly smaller crowd than in previous years. Police did not provide official crowd estimates, but organizers at both downtown rallies estimated that 6,000 people had turned out.
::
Ten years ago, did you march in the biggest protests California has ever seen? Share your story for a project the Los Angeles Times is doing on the legacy of the marches. Fill out this form or text march to (213) 296-0214.
brittny.mejia@latimes.com
garrett.therolf@latimes.com
angel.jennings@latimes.com
Times staff writer Frank Shyong contributed to this report.
See more of our top stories on Facebook >>
ALSO
On his Santa Monica mountaintop, a billionaire envisions lofty thoughts on politics and culture
Why most of the freight engines that Metrolink is leasing to improve safety are sitting idle
Top L.A. County sheriffs official resigns over emails mocking Muslims and others
The two families gathered in a cramped apartment in Highland Park, sharing stories and tears about two boys whose bodies were pulled from a river that, even in drought, never stops running.
Gustavo Ramirez, 15, and Carlos Daniel Jovel, 16, were best friends, Carlos mother, Reina Ardon, said Monday from inside her home, where the walls are lined with photos of her smiling son, the youngest of her two children.
Police said the pair may have ended up in the Los Angeles River after one fell in and his friend tried to save him, Los Angeles Police Sgt. Frank Preciado said Monday, based on accounts from two other teenagers who were with them at the time.
Advertisement
The teenagers told police they were hanging out Friday evening along the river behind their school the Sotomayor Learning Academies complex when Gustavo fell in the water, Preciado said. Carlos jumped in after him, he said, but neither surfaced.
The two friends panicked, Preciado said.
One called 911 and said someone was in the river, Preciado said. But the teens didnt stay, he said. When the 911 operator tried to call back for more information, the phone was off.
See the most-read stories this hour >>
Three helicopters two from the Fire Department and one from the LAPD flew over the river and the area behind the school, Preciado said, but didnt see anything.
The same night, the teenagers families went to police to report the two missing, worried because neither had returned home. At the time, the detectives did not connect the missing boys to those reported in the river, Preciado said.
Los Angeles experienced a remarkably dry winter, extending a severe drought that has lasted four years. But even during dry periods, the river still flows.
It runs at a somewhat steady flow year-round, fed by a continuous supply of water from the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant in the Sepulveda Basin, which dumps 23 million gallons of reclaimed water a day into the river.
In 2006, a 14-year-old boy fell into the river while fishing with his friends in Glassell Park and drowned, according to a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power newsletter at the time.
One of the teens dropped his pole into the water and as the 14-year-old tried to get it, he fell into the water and disappeared. His body was found submerged downriver two hours after the incident was reported.
Join the conversation on Facebook >>
Carlos had told his parents Friday that he was going to play basketball near the school with a group of friends, including Gustavo, his mother said. The 16-year-old knew he needed to be home by 4 p.m. to pack for a weekend camping trip with his father.
It shocked me when the time passed and he wasnt home yet, said Juan Carlos Jovel. He was so excited.
The two planned to leave at 6 p.m., but Carlos never returned. The family searched for the teenagers, optimistic, even as days passed, that they would find them, said Ardon, Carlos mother.
We never lost hope. I never lost hope, Ardon said, as she began to cry, putting a hand over her face. But I was so scared.
On Sunday morning, Preciado said, the two teenagers who had been with Jovel and Ramirez told their parents that their friends had fallen into the water. After the parents called police, Preciado said, detectives spoke to the two teenagers, who directed them to the very specific area where Gustavo and Carlos were last seen.
The soil under the moss-covered concrete bank had eroded, leaving a hollow area and a stream of water about 12 feet deep, Preciado said.
On Sunday, a sonar-equipped boat was launched to scan the area and detected a few spots for a dive team to examine further. As the sonar equipment was pulled from the water, Preciado said, a cable caught one of the bodies.
Divers found the second body about 45 minutes later.
Gustavo Ramirez, center, participates in a rap battle with friends. Gustavo, 15, and 16-year-old Carlos Daniel Jovel went missing Friday. Their bodies were discovered in the L.A. River Sunday.
I had the hope wed find them alive, Macario Ramirez, Gustavos father, said Monday, as he clutched a tissue in his right hand, sitting at a table in the apartment with his 19-year-old daughter and Carlos parents. He began to cry.
I had the hope until the last minute that it wasnt them, Gustavos mother, Antonia Ramirez, said. That the ones they took out of the river werent them.
Throughout Monday morning, loved ones descended on the apartment, offering condolences and a warm embrace to each set of parents. Both boys had been happy and entertaining, always joking around with their parents, siblings and with each other, the families said.
When Carlos would tell his mother a joke, it would make her laugh so much she would have him tell it repeatedly, Ardon said.
Mom, Im not a recorder, he would say. Ardon smiled as she recalled what her son known to his family as Titos would tell her.
He was the kind of person that you didnt have to try and you were laughing, his 18-year-old sister Sandra Jovel said.
Gustavo was known as Smiley to his soccer teammates because of the smile he always had on his face. And the only trouble Gustavo would get into in school would be for interrupting class with his laughter, his mother said.
He always made his two older sisters laugh, Antonia Ramirez said nodding toward her 19-year-old daughter Griselda Ramirez, who began to cry. Gustavo had told Griselda Ramirez on Friday that he was going to play basketball and she told him not to be home later than 6 p.m.
He just said bye and he left, she said tearfully. He never came back.
Times staff writers Doug Smith, Veronica Rocha and Matt Hamilton contributed to this report.
Twitter: @Brittny_Mejia
Twitter: @katemather
ALSO
12 rescued from sinking boat near Marina del Rey
Police shoot, kill knife-wielding man after Panorama City domestic dispute
Granada Hills Charter High Schools national Academic Decathlon champions to be honored at rally
The Orange County district attorney filed charges Monday against a 19-year-old man who was arrested during the demonstrations that turned violent after a Donald Trump rally in Costa Mesa.
Luis Fernando Alarcon, a car detailer, was charged with one felony count of vandalism causing damage of $400 or more and one misdemeanor count of inciting a riot, according to a criminal complaint.
TRAIL GUIDE: All the latest news on the 2016 presidential campaign >>
Advertisement
Alarcon, a resident of Anaheim, was demonstrating Thursday night when he and several protesters marched south on Newport Boulevard toward the entrance of the 55 Freeway. A California Highway Patrol officer in a cruiser managed to gain access to the entrance to block the crowd from entering the freeway while a second officer responded to the area. Prosecutors say Alarcon walked about 12 to 15 feet of the second officers vehicle, yelled an obscenity and hurled what appeared to be a rock or roof tile at the cruiser, causing damage.
The demonstrations outside the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa blocked traffic and caused tense moments. Some protesters performed screeching burnouts in their cars or did doughnuts at intersections. Others kicked at and punched approaching vehicles, shouting expletives. Ranchera and hip-hop music was blasted throughout the streets. At least 17 people were arrested. Charges against the others are still pending.
Alarcon, who pleaded not guilty, remains in Orange County jail in lieu of $20,000 bail, according to jail records.
Trump also faced large and hostile demonstrations at the Burlingame hotel, where he delivered a speech to the California Republican Convention on Friday.
The billionaire businessman is leading in several polls of California Republican voters. But his outspoken comments about people in the country illegally and his advocacy for a border wall have sparked a backlash by younger Latinos.
Twitter: @LATvives
ALSO
Teacher falls in Eaton Canyon and ends up stabbed in the back with her pencil
Rivals for Knabe seat face off in Torrance forum
Teens tell police two friends died in L.A. River after one fell in, other tried to save him
U.S. Rep. Janice Hahn said Monday that if elected to the seat being vacated by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, she would consider dipping into the countys rainy day fund to pay for initiatives to reduce homelessness.
The comment, at a candidates forum in Torrance, drew quick criticism from one of Hahns rivals in the race for Knabes seat.
Knabe, who has been on the Board of Supervisors for two decades, will be pushed out by term limits at the end of the year. He is one of two Republicans on the five member board.
Advertisement
Interested in the stories shaping California? Sign up for the free Essential California newsletter >>
Hahn (D-San Pedro), a former Los Angeles City Council member and the daughter of former longtime supervisor Kenneth Hahn, is giving up her congressional seat to run for a spot on the low-profile but powerful county board. She is runing against Knabe aide and former Manhattan Beach Councilman Steve Napolitano and Whittier school board member and pastor Ralph Pacheco.
Mondays forum, hosted by the Torrance Chamber of Commerce, provided a rare chance to see the three candidates face off on issues including public safety, transportation and balancing the countys $28-billion budget.
In response to a question about the best way to manage the countys $338-million rainy day reserve fund, Hahn said, Currently, I would think homelessness has become a crisis. I would consider using or looking at that, whether that can be leveraged to provide some resources toward this emerging crisis.
The countys homeless population has swelled to more than 44,000, and the city and county of Los Angeles have been grappling with how to pay to address it, including considering asking voters for a tax increase.
Napolitano took issue with the suggestion that reserve funds should be put toward the problem, saying that the county needs to leave the fund untouched in case of another economic downturn.
The thing about homelessness is, its not going to be solved tomorrow, he said. Its taken a long time to get to where it is. Its going to take a long time to solve it.... Rainy day funds are one-time funds. Homelessness is going to be an ongoing cost to the county.
Asked to elaborate on the use of the rainy day fund after the forum, Hahn said she thought the fund should generally be reserved for an emergency, but that county leaders should look at whether homelessness has risen to the level of an emergency.
If we had a natural disaster that caused this many people to be living on the streets, we would look at it differently, she said.
Hahn is widely seen by political observers as the front-runner in the race. Her election would tilt the county board further to the left.
Napolitano, the lone Republican in the race, and Pacheco, sought to portray themselves as careful fiscal stewards.
While in elected office, Ive passed balanced budgets for 29 consecutive years and have coalesced over half a billion dollars to the communities I represent, Pacheco said. Honestly, no other person standing on this stage can make the same claim.
Napolitano pointed to the countys record of fiscal restraint, which allowed it to get through the recession without major cuts.
The county did not lay off or furlough a single employee, compared to the city of L.A. and others, which laid off many ... because they gave away too much to begin with, he said.
The candidates also differed on the question of mandatory paid sick leave. The Los Angeles City Council has moved toward implementing a law that would require employers to give workers six days of paid sick leave a year. The county has not taken up that question for unincorporated areas.
Napolitano said he thought the economic impacts should be studied before the county takes any action. Hahn said she would back a sick day policy like the one the city is pursuing.
I think if we have happy, healthy employees, I think ultimately thats better for our businesses and better for our economy, she said,
The candidates largely agreed on other issues, including the need for more public safety resources and support for an amendment to the states prison realignment, which shifted responsibility for jailing and supervising lower-level felons from the state to the county.
They were also united in criticizing the allocation of regional transportation funding, which many in the smaller cities of Los Angeles County see as unfairly benefitting the city of Los Angeles over other areas.
Napolitano referred to the sucking sound of the city of Los Angeles taking all those dollars and putting them toward the subway to the sea and to their projects. Hahn said she would push to extend the Metro Green Line train to the terminals at Los Angeles International Airport.
In addition to the race for Knabes seat, the seat currently held by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich is up for grabs.
The field running for Antonovichs seat is more crowded, with eight candidates who have qualified for the ballot.
Twitter: @sewella
ALSO
Anti-Trump protester charged with trashing CHP cruiser, urging others to vandalize
Teens tell police two friends died in L.A. River after one fell in, other tried to save him
California suburbs growing fast as many are priced out of cities, data show
Traffic congestion and safety conflicts among vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians continue to plague traveling conditions along Orange Countys portion of Pacific Coast Highway, according to a newly published transportation study.
The nearly $400,000 report, released last month and conducted by the Orange County Transportation Authority and the California Department of Transportation, examined the iconic but aging 37-mile highway from Seal Beach to San Clemente.
The studys goal was to provide cities with strategies to make traveling the state highway safer and more efficient. It began in 2013 at the behest of local municipalities.
Advertisement
Improvements to traffic flow and safety were cited as universal needs.
But as OCTA Chairwoman Lori Donchak said in a statement, Each city has its own priorities and its own needs. Our job now is to brief each city on the studys finding so we can figure out what improving PCH will look like for them.
In Newport Beach, the study pinpoints 11 areas for improvement.
Some of the major issues stem from heavy volumes of pedestrians, bicyclists and traffic through Mariners Mile and in west Newport Beach, especially at Prospect Street, Orange Street and Superior Avenue.
The combination of significant traffic, narrow roadways, pedestrian activity, bicyclists and on-street parking also delays travelers along East Coast Highway in Corona del Mar.
Bicyclists on East Coast Highway in the Newport Coast area also face safety hazards because of traffic using the right turn lanes onto Newport Coast Drive, the study shows.
Newport Beach Public Works Director Dave Webb said the city has long been aware of the conflicts along its portions of Coast Highway.
See more of our top stories on Facebook >>
However, the study provides an opportunity for cities to move forward in solving their problems and seeking grant funding to do so, he said.
The city and OCTA have already started moving forward with improvements at 27 traffic signals along a nine-mile stretch of the highway between west Newport Beach and Newport Coast. The City Council this month approved an agreement with OCTA to install signal equipment and fiber optic cable, update signal timing and install closed-circuit television cameras along Coast Highway at Superior, Riverside Avenue and Dover Drive. The project is expected to enhance traffic signal coordination.
Much of the estimated $2.25-million project will be funded by a county grant. Newport Beach has agreed to chip in $450,000.
In Huntington Beach, the study identifies 11 points for improvement, including peak-hour traffic congestion along PCH at Warner Avenue and traffic backup as a result of signal timing problems citywide.
It also names traffic delays caused by pedestrians who cross at major intersections along PCH, particularly between Main and Huntington streets and between Huntington and Beach Boulevard.
Bicycle safety is a problem between Warner and Goldenwest Street, the study says, as are cyclists traveling between parked cars and vehicles traveling along PCH between Goldenwest and 6th Street.
In Laguna Beach, the combination of traffic, limited street capacity, pedestrians and parking issues delays travelers along Coast Highway between Broadway and Cress streets, the study says. Sections of the highway with narrow or missing sidewalks pose problems for pedestrians in South Laguna, according to the study.
The report highlights possible solutions, including improving sidewalks, installing illuminated pedestrian crossings and adding bike lanes, street striping and signage to improve traffic flow and safety.
In an email, Laguna Beach City Manager John Pietig called the studys suggestions good ideas, but said removing lanes or parking along Coast Highway or reducing lanes on Glenneyre Street to fit in some bike lines will require significant consideration to better understand the impacts to traffic flow, parking, bicycles, businesses and neighborhoods.
OCTA officials are expected to present their findings to local city councils over the next several months.
It will be up to the cities to take the next steps on the projects, OCTA spokesman Joel Zlotnik said. This includes prioritizing and securing funding for projects, developing them, handling environmental review, design and implementation. Competitive funding would potentially be available from local, state and federal sources.
hannah.fry@latimes.com
Fry writes for Times Community News.
Times Community News writer Bryce Alderton contributed to this report.
ALSO
Man and his dog die in suspicious Seal Beach duplex fire
Drink up! Mesa Water District relaxes outdoor watering rules starting Sunday
Protests rage outside Trump rally in Orange County; 17 arrested, police car smashed
The defense attorney representing convicted murderer Daniel Wozniak argued in court last week that he needs access to any secret records kept by Orange County Sheriffs Department deputies who worked with jailhouse informants.
Public defender Scott Sanders said the documents could be crucial to a motion hes crafting asking an Orange County judge to grant Wozniak a new trial or throw out the death sentence recommended by jurors.
Wozniak, a 31-year-old community theater actor from Costa Mesa, was convicted last year of a gruesome double murder and bizarre attempted coverup in 2010.
Advertisement
Jurors convicted Wozniak of fatally shooting Army veteran Sam Herr, 26, and Juri Julie Kibuishi, 23.
After the killings, Wozniak tried to throw police off his trail by staging Kibuishis body to look as if Herr had sexually assaulted her and fled, according to prosecutors. He then tried to dispose of Herrs body by dismembering it and leaving some of the limbs in a Long Beach park, authorities said.
After finding Wozniak guilty, jurors took about an hour of deliberation to decide he deserved the death penalty.
For the sentence to be finalized, a judge must confirm it at a hearing scheduled for next month.
Sanders, however, has crusaded against capital punishment for his client, arguing its impossible for death-penalty defendants to receive a fair trial in Orange County because, he alleges, law enforcement and prosecutors routinely fail to turn over evidence to defendants that theyre entitled to see. Most of his allegations focus on the use of informants in the jails.
The county district attorneys office has said that any failure to hand over evidence was incidental and unintentional.
Most recently, Sanders issued two subpoenas seeking any notes kept by sheriffs deputies about their interactions with jailhouse informants.
In court papers, Elizabeth Pejeau, deputy county counsel representing the Sheriffs Department, called Sanders request overly broad and irrelevant to the Wozniak proceedings.
She has asked Superior Court Judge John Conley to quash the subpoenas for any records not related to the Wozniak case.
Sanders and Pejeau are scheduled to present their sides to Conley on Tuesday.
A jailhouse informant did speak to Wozniak while he was behind bars, according to court records, but prosecutors say they immediately ruled out using any evidence gleaned from informants.
In the courts view, the issue of informants was off the table before I ever got the case, Conley said during Fridays hearing.
If the notes prove to be important, Conley said, hes open to delaying Wozniaks May 20 sentencing date so Sanders can argue his point.
But what happens depends on the contents of the documents Sanders has subpoenaed.
This could be a bombshell or it could be a dud. We dont know, Conley said.
jeremiah.dobruck2@latimes.com
Dobruck writes for Times Community News.
ALSO
12 rescued from sinking boat near Marina del Rey
After removing the rotting whale carcass from beach, crews decontaminate sand
Top L.A. County sheriffs official resigns over emails mocking Muslims and others
The Republican candidates for president have campaigned all over the country lamenting the rough recovery from the recession and condemning President Obama and by extension Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton as failures when it comes to jobs and the nations well-being.
Then they come to California, where the states unemployment rate is 5.4%, more than eight percentage points below what it was when Democrat Jerry Brown took over from a Republican governor less than six years ago.
At the weekend state Republican convention, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz tied himself in rhetorical knots when he tailored his pitch to California.
Advertisement
Yall are a hardy bunch, he told Republican delegates. You are used to adversity and you have seen the absolute disaster, the absolute train wreck that is out-of-control liberalism.
See the most-read stories this hour >>
But a few minutes later, he doubled back to deliver a backhanded acknowledgment of the states rising economy.
Thats the mighty California spirit that built this state into such an incredible economic engine that you have survived and thrived in the face of Democratic mismanagement year after year after year, he said.
Its a basic rule of politics: Economic booms are often the result of outside forces, like a national upswing, but they accrue to the advantage of the incumbent party, just as economic downturns hurt the party in power. One of the challenges facing Republicans this year as they seek to regain the White House is increasing confidence in the recovery nationally and in places such as California.
The recovery has been spotty enough that economic troubles remain. The loss of manufacturing jobs and stagnant wages have been prime topics in the Republican and the Democratic presidential contests this year. But in California, the notable improvement has forced the Republican pitch onto more nuanced and less politically potent ground: Things are OK, but they could be better.
As new voters equate better economic times with Democratic rule, the GOPs efforts to rebuild here become even more difficult.
Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | April 26 primary election results | Track the delegate race | Sign up for the newsletter
To be sure, GOP candidates have a somewhat easier time convincing their own voters of the need for improvement. Republican voters are far more sour on the economy than Democrats, a fact that rests on their views of government and taxes and their powerfully partisan sentiments.
This is how hyper-partisan and polarized weve become, said Dan Schnur, director of USCs Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics. It used to be that voters based their political allegiances on real-world experience. Now they view the real world through the lens of their partisan allegiances.
Just as there were many Democrats who refused to accept any positive outcome if George Bush or Ronald Reagan had anything to do with it, these Republicans simply cant handle the idea that the economy has improved under Obama and Brown.
An April Field Poll found that California voters, by 52% to 42%, felt that the state was going in the right direction. When Brown took over for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, only 10% felt that the state was going in the right direction.
Underneath the current numbers was the sharp partisan divide. Among Democrats, 71% felt the state was doing well. But among Republicans, only 21% did. Nonpartisan voters, the much-sought-after and growing electorate group, were closer to Democrats at 54%.
The state is still in the throes of recovery, another April Field Poll made clear. Asked whether the economy was enjoying good times or bad, 46% said bad, to 39% for good. Although not upbeat on its face, the finding represented the fourth straight year in which the percentage saying times were good had grown and the negative percentage had dropped. In 2010, the year Brown was elected, 93% of California voters said the state was experiencing bad times.
Those numbers, too, have a partisan tilt, but state job figures show improvement even in strongly Republican areas. In Orange County, the states most populous Republican area, the jobless rate in March was 4%, down from 9.1% when Brown took over. In Kern County, a GOP stronghold, it dropped from 16% to 11.6% despite job losses because of the drought.
Even in the tiny farm town of Mendota, signs of improvement are evident. In her 2010 race for the U.S. Senate, Republican Carly Fiorina dared incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer to meet her in Mendota, whose unemployment rate was approaching 50%. Fiorina blamed environmental measures backed by Boxer.
Fiorina raised the towns woes again this weekend at the state GOP convention. Yet while Mendota continues to have problems, its circumstances have changed: the jobless rate in March was 20.6%.
Republicans point to difficulties that transcend the jobless rate: taxes, regulations, even the troubled schools.
Mariam Noujain of Placerville attended the convention as a guest. The 62-year-old DMV employee said shes supporting Republican presidential front-runner and businessman Donald Trump in part because America was built on business; it wasnt built on government.
She used to own a cafe in Sacramento that sold sandwiches and juices, but closed it in 1999 because of the onerous burdens posed by government. She said: The regulations kill you.
California, she said, should be booming.... OK, were not underwater. We could do so much better if the private sector could flourish.
Claire Chiara, 21, a delegate from Berkeley and a candidate for state Assembly, said that some very minor changes have been made in Sacramento in recent years, but at the end of the day, we have issues.
Even in the face of oppressive government systems that Republicans dont like, she said, I think California still finds a way to thrive.
cathleen.decker@latimes.com
Twitter: @cathleendecker
seema.mehta@latimes.com
Twitter: @LATseema
Times staff writer John Myers contributed to this report.
ALSO
Cruz campaign focuses on the only way he can win: Convention delegates
Bernie Sanders supporters strategizing to build a lasting progressive movement
Trump, Kasich and Cruz make their cases to California GOP: On unity, electability and fish
The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday ruled that state law overrides local efforts to limit hydraulic fracturing, dealing a setback to opponents of oil and gas development but potentially adding momentum to a broader fight that could play out at the ballot box this fall.
The ruling rejected as invalid and unenforceable measures that were approved by voters in two cities north of Denver, an area where hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, surged for many years before low oil prices prompted a steep slowdown.
In 2012, residents of Longmont voted to ban fracking within the city limits. The following year, voters in Fort Collins approved of a five-year moratorium there.
Advertisement
The oil industry and the state took both cities to court, arguing that the power to regulate the industry belonged to the state. Lower courts agreed, but the cities appealed, eventually sending the case to the states highest court.
The industry praised Mondays decision, with a lawyer for the Colorado Oil and Gas Assn. telling reporters that the ruling drew a bright line affirming state authority. Opponents said it would motivate activists who are collecting signatures to put several anti-fracking measures on the state ballot this fall.
The measures, which would change state law, include giving regulatory power to local governments and requiring fracking activity to be substantially farther away from homes, schools and churches than is currently allowed.
NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>
The trend has been to prioritize oil and gas profits over the rights of people to protect our communities, said Lauren Petrie, the Rocky Mountain regional director for Food and Water Watch. The industry and the state are just shoving it down peoples throats.
The group is supporting Initiative 75, which would give local governments the right to ban fracking to protect public health and safety. The initiative needs nearly 100,000 signatures by August to qualify for the November ballot.
Its going to be the biggest environmental fight in the country, Petrie said.
Michael Freeman, a lawyer for Earthjustice, says that in Colorado the oil and gas industry operates under legal precedents that do not properly factor in the rise of new fracking technology and its expansion into urban and suburban areas.
Case law has not really evolved to recognize the reality of drilling in 2016, he said.
Other cities and counties nationwide have passed resolutions, bans or moratoriums on fracking. State leaders in Vermont and New York have banned fracking, and in some states, including Texas, lawmakers or courts have in effect imposed bans.
Dan Haley, president and chief executive of the Colorado Oil and Gas Assn., told reporters in a conference call Monday that a ballot fight over fracking would disrupt Colorados economy and shred the private property rights of Colorado citizens.
ALSO
Woman files lawsuit claiming Starbucks overfills cold drinks with ice
Anti-Trump protester charged with trashing CHP cruiser, urging others to vandalize
In a down-on-its-luck Oregon mill town, the savior theyre waiting for is Donald Trump
He used to wake her up nights, shouting out his terror in the dark, his tattooed biceps continuing their clench-and-spasm dance long after a shift feeding cedar logs into the endless maw of the lumber mill.
In his nightmare, Keven Jones pushed the logs into neat rows, but as he dreamed, the logs started to tumble. They swung down, log after rolling log, bouncing off his rib cage, burying him. He would wake, eyes wide, mouth agape. Only seconds later did he hear himself screaming.
Carol was used to her husbands unconscious thrashing. The nightmares were once the price he paid for a good job. But the Rough & Ready mill that employed Jones all of his adult life closed in early February, and now what Carol Jones often wakes to in the middle of the night is her husband sitting alone in the living room with a bottle of Jack Daniels.
Advertisement
Hes all wired up, nothing to do with that energy, she says. Before, when he was working, hed pull extra shifts and come home tired, really tired. Now hes got just time.
Keven Jones, 36, blames a band saw for the two fingers he lost years ago on his right hand. For the quiet panic hes in now, for the over-regulating that hes convinced shut down the mill and threw 63 people out of work, that, he figures, was the governments fault.
We have what we need to stay in business right here, Jones says, pointing to the lush pine and cedar forests that surround this town of 1,800 people on the northwest slope of the Siskiyou mountain range. But we cant get out there to cut it down because one agency wont talk to another one, or the environmentalists tie it up in court.
When Jones thinks about what kind of president might be able to do something, he looks at the one who seems to him least like a politician: Donald Trump.
Oregons politics are dominated by the Democratic Party machine in Portland and Salem the state hasnt elected a Republican to statewide office since 2002. But this mountainous corner of southwest Oregon, just up the Redwood Highway from the California border, has always leaned Republican.
And even as GOP voters across the state have waffled ahead of the May 17 primary, drifting from retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich before leaning toward Trump, the New York real estate magnates support in Josephine County has never wavered.
------------
FOR THE RECORD
6:13 a.m.: An earlier version of this article stated that the Oregon primary is scheduled for May 19. It is is set for May 17.
------------
A regular smokes outside Sportsman Tavern in Cave Junction, a small town in Oregons economically distressed Illinois Valley. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
Here, people talk about electing a president who will stop immigrants in the country illegally from flooding in and taking jobs, wholl be tough on Americas rivals abroad, who knows enough about business to keep the country from going further into debt.
Trump is like choosing the least-bad STD, you know what I mean? Jones says.
Hes going to do the least bad, the least governing, and he knows how to delegate, he adds. I dont expect him to know how to fight the wars or rebuild the economy. But hes a CEO. Hell hire the right people to do that.
***
From Oregons earliest days, the seemingly unending supply of timber from the coastal rainforest made the local lumber barons rich men. For more than a century, demand for the boards produced by Cave Junctions mills led to massive tree cutting and soaring profits.
Jones and his friends grew up planning to stay in town and raise families. Hed known Carol from childhood. When he was 18 and she was 16, she told him she was pregnant, and he got hired as a saw filer at Rough & Ready. They raised their children in rooms built from wood planed at the mill.
Keven Jones greets daughter Emilee upon his return home from a trip to town. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
Then a series of environmental lawsuits in the 1980s and early 1990s brought new federal restrictions on logging from public lands. To keep timber-dependent counties afloat, the federal government offered money to replace the taxes they lost, until they could develop new industries.
But the payments have dwindled and are scheduled to expire next year. People here are waiting to hear whether Washington will provide job training to laid-off timber workers via the federal Trade Act. If the money is approved, Jones hopes he can send Carol to nursing school; shed earn four times what he was making at the mill. If the federal money comes through, town leaders keep saying, Cave Junction just might make it.
Jones roams his house, restless, doing laundry and the dishes, trying and failing to avoid thinking about the Trade Act money. Once again, Jones finds himself at the mercy of the government.
Carol Jones learns about health coverage options while her husband, a saw filer, is on unemployment. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
Needing something from the government is the last place Jones wants to be in. He doesnt trust Obamacare, so he and his family have gone without health insurance since the mill closed. He doesnt believe the state has the right to require vehicle insurance, so he has been cited multiple times for driving uninsured.
Still, it was the federal government most people turned to the last time the mill closed, eight hours into a nine-hour shift in 2013. That time, 85 people were out of a job. Two committed suicide.
Trade Act money helped Jones start classes to earn a commercial truck drivers license. Then the mill owners came back with a promise: The mill was reopening, and if he dropped the truck driver training and came back to work, they would guarantee him five years of employment. So I dropped it, Jones recalls.
The mill didnt make it to a second anniversary, much less five years.
***
Carol Jones crunches to a halt in the parking lot of Rogue Community College under the lazy drifting petals of a just-blooming lavender dogwood. She looks into the back seat, where two 10-year-old girls sit, her daughter Emilee and her niece, Alicia.
The family adopted Alicia seven years ago when Carols brother, driving drunk, had a crash that killed his other child. His wife ended up in a mental asylum. Alicia moved in while her father was in prison.
I already know all the bad words, Alicia begins. Fart, booger
Carol leads the two girls like a pair of chittering ducklings across the campus, silent and abandoned during spring break. Coming back to school for Carol is a calculated investment. College costs $500 a semester, plus $400 for books and the gas it will take to drive 40 minutes each way to school from Cave Junction. Keven is getting $470 every two weeks in unemployment, and the math is giving her a dull ache behind her eyes.
She leads the kids through the double doors of a low-slung stone building with a sign that reads ADMINISTRATION. Inside, they settle into a narrow waiting room.
She shifts in her seat and runs more numbers in her head: The college opened at 10 a.m. and the woman on the phone told her she would need to wait at least 20 minutes for an academic counselor, but Carol has to get Alicia to a doctors appointment for a broken pinkie at 11. If the wait drags on, shell have to reschedule the doctors appointment and drive the 28 miles twice. That takes at least four gallons of gas, which will cost $8 more than she has this week.
Carol is worried that the Trade Act money wont come through, but she also worries what happens if it does. She will have to upend her life again, switching her job as a pharmacy technician to part time, juggling the schedules of four children and her schoolwork.
Twenty minutes pass, then forty. No one emerges from the counseling office.
Keven Jones talks with his former boss, mill owner Linc Phillippi, a month after being let go. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
A slumped young man in a gray hoodie skulks through the double doors and collapses into a chair across the room. His iPhone lights up and plays the brief, loud sound of what seems like a political speech as he scrambles to silence it. Carol fixes him with a stare, then looks down.
I already know all the bad words, Alicia continues. Fart, booger and Donald Trump.
Carol giggles despite herself. Her husbands choice of a New York billionaire to be president still confuses her. But everybody seems to be talking about Trump these days now her kids are too.
Where did you hear that? she asks.
Carol checks her phones clock again. 10:50 a.m., just 10 minutes to get to Alicias doctor. She stands and stretches and tells the girls to follow her. Community college, Trade Act money, all of it will have to wait another day.
***
The timber payments are nearly over, but money for most public services ran out long ago anyway. Candy wrappers and dirty yellow earplugs drift in lonely puddles outside the silent mill.
The Cave Junction public library is only open for three half-days each week. The sheriffs office answers the phone weekdays until 5 p.m., then hands off to the lone Oregon State Police trooper who patrols hundreds of miles of interstate.
Keven Jones, left, takes a shot of whiskey with brother Dave Frokemke at Sportsman Tavern. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
The town pays a police officer from nearby Grants Pass to patrol on weekdays, but residents complain he only sits in his car, eyeballing us from behind his window, as one man puts it, waiting to ticket them for speeding.
A small group of volunteers have taken it upon themselves to patrol Cave Junction. Most nights, theyre the only semblance of law enforcement. But Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniels worries when they try to take things into their own hands, confronting suspected meth dealers and burglary suspects. Someones going to get hurt, Daniels said.
In March, a $4,000 radio went missing from a Rogue River Fire Department fire engine, and an anonymous caller said the radio might be returned for the right amount of money. The fire chief said he wasnt going to respond to extortion.
With the unemployment rate now exceeding 7.2% in Josephine County, the biggest issue in this years election here is who can put people back to work. Many are betting its the businessman in the race, even if hes a brash real estate mogul from New York whose chief previous contact with lumber was the veneered reception desks in his swank hotels.
Cave Junction residents on volunteer patrol check an abandoned home where meth users have taken up residence. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
Southwest Oregon is not a natural fit for a billionaire East Coaster, but neither are any of the other GOP candidates, particularly those running on a religious platform; Oregon is among the nations least church-going states.
Trumps conviction that global trade deals are selling Americans short plays well with the independent streak that runs through Oregon Republican politics. Trump, many here believe, would never put up with letting the Western timber industry falter to protect endangered birds and owls.
Its a part of the world that sees itself as having been abandoned, said Jim Moore, a political scientist at Pacific University outside Portland. These were not Mitt Romney people; they did not vote for George W. Bush. Theyve latched on to Trump as they have latched on to other outside candidates. The difference is, hes winning.
***
What is left of the Rough & Ready workforce gathers slowly in a tiny meeting room at the mill on a sunny spring afternoon.
A couple of teenagers in sweatshirts thumb through their phones. A gray-haired health insurance agent stands in front next to a whiteboard, handing out packets titled What am I likely eligible for?
Carol arrives two minutes before 3 p.m. and takes a seat near the front. She traces her finger over the front page of the packet, which lists monetary amounts for public assistance programs, including health insurance, based on family size.
A representative of Rogue Workforce Development, the local unemployment office, tells the assembled workers not to wait for the Trade Act or think of it as their only hope.
Dont hesitate, he says. If you see something in another sector, take it.
Jimmy Evans patrols a neighborhood in Cave Junction, which cant afford its own police force. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
But the jobs they are qualified for, without new training, are few. Mill employees are a specialized workforce, Kevens brother Dave Frokemke explains. They are masters of the craft of turning logs into boards. After that, someone else has to make the boards into stuff.
As a saw filer, Keven was trained to keep the band saws sized to an exact standard; done incorrectly, it could cost other men their lives. But who needs this now?
The two brothers have come ambling into the meeting room 10 minutes late, grinning, in cut-off T-shirts. Keven shakes hands with the mills owners, Jennifer and Linc Phillippi, and lowers himself into a seat near the whiteboard.
The insurance presentation drones on. Carol is carefully taking notes. Keven spies a small pile of Ghirardelli chocolates, picks off two and begins loudly unwrapping them. The teenagers at the back of the room smirk.
Insurance agent Mary Reynolds tells them about health insurance options, including the pricey insurance available under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, or COBRA, offered to workers who have lost or changed jobs.
Finally, its time for questions. Keven raises his meaty, maimed right hand.
Hows anybody supposed to pay for COBRA? he asks.
Well, its just the first option, Reynolds replies.
Jones stands.
He tells the room, in three well-chosen words, what he thinks of their offers of help. Dave rises too. They walk out together, followed by the teenagers in the back. Five middle-aged former millworkers exchange uneasy glances. Carol ignores the commotion and continues taking notes.
You guys are missing the point about help, Reynolds calls after them.
Health insurance people are full of ..., Jones shouts back as he makes his way down the hallway.
Several seconds of silence ensue. Then the five middle-aged millworkers stand up and leave.
Follow Nigel Duara on Twitter.
See more of our top stories on Facebook >>
MORE POLITICAL COVERAGE
Rising confidence in Californias economy is a challenge for GOP presidential candidates
Skelton: When it comes to paying taxes, California is Bernie Sanders kind of state
Obama drops the mic at his last White House Correspondents Dinner as president
Im Davan Maharaj, editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I dont want you to miss today.
TOP STORIES
Two Sides of Trump Nation
Advertisement
In Laredo, Texas, Patti Magnon knows shes in the minority as a Donald Trump supporter who grew up in Mexico. But shes also not alone. Meanwhile, in the timber town of Cave Junction, Ore., Keven Jones has struggled after the lumber mill went under. He too supports the New York billionaire, but is a bit more philosophical: Trump is like choosing the least-bad STD, you know what I mean? Theyre featured in the latest installments of our continuing look at Trump Nation.
Cruzs Last Stand?
Indiana will go to the polls on Tuesday in whats shaping up to be a turning point in the Republican race. Its being billed as Ted Cruzs last chance to block Trumps momentum, and the first time in a generation that so much attention has been paid to the Hoosier State. So what do voters think of the commotion? Its what Iowans experience all the time, said one. Read on to see the varied approaches the candidates took in Indiana after this weekends GOP convention in California.
Emails That Were No Joke
The emails mocked Muslims, blacks, Latinos, women and others. They were sent from Tom Angels Burbank police work account in 2012 and 2013. Now, Angel has resigned as chief of staff for L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell. And after initially saying he had no immediate plans to discipline Angel, McDonnell will use the incident as a learning opportunity for the department. Was the response appropriate? Read on for reaction from community leaders and to read the emails.
Californias Road Less Traveled
Before there was the Golden State Freeway or Highway 99, there was the Ridge Route -- a winding highway that connected Northern and Southern California and once had gas stations, diners, nightclubs and hotels that drew gangsters and Hollywood stars. For Harrison Scott, its historic preservation has been a passion project. But is this the end of the road?
Lord Ganesh Is One Skype Away
It seems as if you can get anything online these days. For busy and devoted Hindus, that includes religious services known as pujas, part of a burgeoning e-worship sector in India. People want to keep traditions alive but no one has time to keep up, especially if you are far away from home, says one site operator.
OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND
-- The government wants your fingerprint to unlock your phone. Should that be allowed?
-- Why most of the freight engines that Metrolink is leasing to improve safety are sitting idle.
-- A parallel Chinese-language Internet helps immigrants navigate life in America.
-- Latino activists vow more Trump protests as tensions heighten.
-- Steve Lopez: President Trump and California is a beautiful union. Believe me.
-- A 113-year-old Japanese American newspaper in L.A. must get 10,000 subscribers by years end or else close its doors.
-- Luke Walton says the Lakers coaching job was an opportunity he couldnt pass up.
-- Bill Maher outlasts others in an industry that eats its young.
CALIFORNIA
-- Donald Trump acts as a unifying force for May Day marchers in downtown L.A.
-- Rising confidence in the states economy is a challenge for GOP presidential candidates.
-- The state wont celebrate John Wayne Day; one lawmaker calls the actors views on race disturbing.
-- George Skelton: When it comes to paying taxes, California is Bernie Sanders kind of state.
NATION-WORLD
-- China has a bold gambit to cement trade with Europe ... along the ancient Silk Road.
-- As Russian planes bombard Syrian rebels, the debate over anti-aircraft missiles returns.
-- President Obama drops the mic at his last White House Correspondents Dinner as president; Al Sharpton says Larry Wilmores calling Obama the N-word was in bad taste.
-- A weeping miracle icon is drawing thousands of pilgrims to an Illinois church.
-- Malia Obama will take a gap year, then attend Harvard in 2017.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
-- The Stagecoach festival in Indio has a cross-country-music appeal.
-- Can Stephen Colbert get his Late Night groove back?
-- Will Ferrell is no longer attached to a Ronald Reagan film after a backlash.
-- The Hamilton effect: The hit re-shapes Broadways Tony season.
-- For artist Betye Saar, theres no dwelling on the past; at 90, she has too much future to think about.
-- Foxs Houdini & Doyle: The game is afoot in turn-of-the-last-century London.
-- Album review: Contradictions abound on Drakes bitter but sensual Views.
BUSINESS
-- Junk bond king Michael Milken looms large in the L.A. finance industry.
-- How Chobanis CEO ensures that employees will share in the companys success.
SPORTS
-- Dominguez High freshman multi-sport standout Sean Harlston stays true to his Compton school.
-- Ben Bolch: Doc Rivers shouldnt even think about breaking up the Clippers core.
OPINION
-- Why has there been an exodus of black residents from West Coast liberal hubs?
-- Dont judge me for my Jesus memes.
WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING
-- A startup in Florida quietly looks to lead the way in virtual reality. (Wired)
-- Look sharp: the messages behind the style of African American dandyism. (PrimeMind)
-- More cheese, please? The U.S. has its largest stockpile of cheese since 1984. (Bloomberg)
ONLY IN L.A.
Nicolas Berggruen was once known as the homeless billionaire, staying in hotels as he jetted around the globe. But with his 2-month-old babies -- a brother and sister born from one egg donor and two surrogates -- hes put down stakes in West Hollywood. Nearby, he wants to build the headquarters for his think tank, the Berggruen Institute. Read on to see why hes picked the eastern Santa Monica Mountains for a secular monastery.
Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.
Despite Donald Trumps recent primary victories, Republicans may yet be headed toward a brokered party convention this summer in Cleveland. In an earlier era, that would have been business as usual. Today, its considered a crisis.
Americans cling to the notion that the people alone can and must choose their own leaders. By that logic, direct election through primaries is the only legitimate way to pick presidential candidates. (Delegates deliberating at a party convention are seen as fundamentally undemocratic.) When things go smoothly, this notion flatters our self-importance. But when the voice of the people is garbled and no majority emerges, as may happen this year, we are left with no legitimate way forward.
In the early years of the American republic, presidential candidates were selected by fellow politicians. But the professionals got sidelined over time by successive waves of reform. Legislative caucuses were supplanted by national conventions in the early 19th century. Then at the turn of the 20th century some states began to bind convention delegates based on the outcomes of state primaries. But politicians and party leaders still held significant sway until 1968.
Advertisement
Exclusive reliance on popular votes to select our candidates isnt just a harmless bit of idealism. Theres reason to worry that it has saddled us with less capable presidents.
That year, delegates at the Democratic convention nominated Hubert Humphrey, who had not even run in the presidential primaries. Disgruntled young Democrats and police clashed violently in the streets of Chicago and Humphrey went down to defeat in November. Afterward both parties reformed their nominating processes, replacing the remaining state conventions (and most caucuses) with additional primary elections. A Democratic Party reform commission declared that popular control of the Democratic Party is necessary for its survival.
Americans enthusiasm for greater popular control as the solution to every political problem reflects their faith in what we call the folk theory of democracy: the notion that ordinary citizens can, somehow, steer the ship of state from the voting booth. Scientific evidence and political experience suggest this faith is misplaced. The verdict of ordinary citizens in a presidential election is essentially random not quite a coin flip, but strongly influenced by idiosyncratic factors such as whether the economy was growing in the months before Election Day. Why, then, would primaries and caucuses spread over five months and involving a dozen candidates be expected to arrive at a clear choice, much less a wise one?
When party delegates were prominent political figures in their own right, selected as a significant matter of party business, their deliberations at a convention had substantial legitimacy. Perhaps not enough to justify nominating Humphrey, but enough to credibly swing the nomination to a contender who fell short of a popular majority. Not so today. Deliberation has fallen out of public favor.
As a result, delegate selection has become an arcane, largely invisible process that, in most election cycles, decides nothing more important than who will get a trip to the convention to cast a symbolic vote for the winner of a states primary. A candidate sufficiently organized to manipulate the complex state-specific rules for selecting delegates (read: Ted Cruz) might be able to prevail in a brokered convention. But it would most certainly infuriate the party rank-and-file.
Ironically, given the Democratic Partys stated commitment to popular control, its nomination rules retain a layer of professional oversight. Having been stung by the improbable nominations of outsiders George McGovern and Jimmy Carter, Democrats since the 1980s have reserved a block of votes at their convention for superdelegates top party leaders and elected officials who can choose whom to support. This year, about 15% of the delegates at the Democratic convention will be superdelegates, and they tilt sharply toward Hillary Clinton.
That too is causing grousing among those in the thrall of the folk theory. Bernie Sanders supporters call superdelegates at home urging them to respect the will of the people. Political commentators charge that it is outrageous and thoroughly undemocratic to give so much power to party elites. Yet is it really so far-fetched that professional politicians many of whom know Clinton and Sanders, and whose careers hinge on the partys performance in November might have valuable opinions about the candidates aptitude for the presidency?
Exclusive reliance on popular votes to select our candidates isnt just a harmless bit of idealism. Theres reason to worry that it has saddled us with less capable presidents. As rated by historians, the average quality of presidents has been distinctly lower in the 40 years since the party reforms of the early 1970s than in the 40 years before. By this rough test at least, the folk theory of democracy has entailed real costs.
American government is founded on checks and balances. But our unchecked enthusiasm for voting in primaries, with no balancing counterweight of considered deliberation by professionals, bears considerable blame for the GOPs potential debacle in Cleveland.
Christopher H. Achen and Larry M. Bartels are political scientists at Princeton University and Vanderbilt University, respectively, and the authors of Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government.
Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
One of the curiosities of Americas current presidential campaign is that the Republican front-runner is a self-confessed serial adulterer, yet few conservative voters seem to care. In The Art of the Comeback, Donald Trump bragged about his sexual experiences with seemingly very happily married and important women. That so many people arent holding it against him suggests a tolerance that should be better reflected in our laws and policies.
Adultery is illegal in 21 states, including New York, where Trump lives. In 2008, the issue came briefly to popular attention when the states governor, David Paterson, acknowledged at a news conference that he had had several extramarital relationships but claimed that he didnt break the law. A follow-up story in the New York Times began Well, actually. Adultery, it turns out, is a misdemeanor in New York, punishable by a fine of $500 or 90 days in jail.
Adultery is rarely prosecuted as a criminal offense, but when it is, the arbitrariness of enforcement erodes confidence in the rule of law and unfairly singles out those blindsided by the charge. When a 2004 affair ended badly in Virginia, one of the states where infidelity is still illegal, the other woman went to the police. Her lover pleaded guilty. He cleared his record with community service, but he lost his job. In defending the charges, the prosecutor claimed, Were not out beating the bushes and certainly were not peeking in windows. However, in this case, it was thrown in our face.
Advertisement
More common than criminal prosecutions for adultery are job terminations, sanctions or demotions. The military can discharge or prosecute soldiers for infidelity, and courts have permitted dismissals or discipline of police officers, librarians, fire department employees, and FBI trainees based on marital infidelity that had no demonstrable connection to their job performance. Adultery also figures as a factor in allocating property and custody in divorce cases, although it isnt necessarily relevant to parental fitness or financial need.
A few states even permit aggrieved spouses to sue paramours for alienation of affection. Youve got to be kidding me, said a 61-year-old Chicago man sued on that ground. Is this thing for real? In another celebrated 2010 case, a jury ordered a woman who had broken up a long-standing marriage to pay $9 million in damages.
There is no evidence that a decline in legal sanctions would result in an increase in adultery. According to the best available research, somewhere between 19% and 23% of men, and 14% to 19% of women report being unfaithful at some point in their marriage, a rate substantially lower than in 1950 when Alfred Kinsey conducted the first studies. Legal prohibitions persist largely for symbolic reasons.
Most Americans -- typically between two-thirds and three-quarters of those surveyed -- dont think adultery should be a crime... The law needs to catch up.
As legal scholar Thurmond Arnold observed three-quarters of a century ago, Most unenforced criminal laws survive in order to satisfy moral objections to our established modes of conduct. They are unenforced because we want to continue our conduct, and unrepealed because we want to preserve our morals.
Two decades ago, opponents of decriminalization in Connecticut claimed it would turn the state into a moral wasteland. In 2009, the executive director of Cornerstone Policy Research opposed repeal of the states criminal statute saying such an action would diminish the harmful effects of adultery.
Yet no evidence suggests that repealing prohibitions on marital infidelity in Connecticut (in 1991) or in New Hampshire (in 2014) has had the corrosive consequences that opponents have predicted. At the same time that legal sanctions for adultery have declined, social disapproval has increased. In 2013, over 80% of Americans said that adultery is always wrong, compared with 70% in 1979.
Despite this strong condemnation, however, most Americans typically between two-thirds and three-quarters of those surveyed dont think adultery should be a crime. Nor do they think it disqualifies a person from being president (72%), a CEO (72%), a member of Congress (66%) or a military general (64%).
The law needs to catch up. There are, to be sure, strong reasons to disapprove of adultery. It can have devastating consequences for spouses and children. But the steady recurrence of infidelity suggests the ineffectiveness of trying to use legal sanctions and workplace penalties to prevent infidelity. Legislatures should repeal criminal prohibitions and alienation of affection statutes, and where legislatures decline to act, courts should strike down adultery penalties as an infringement of constitutionally protected rights of privacy. There are better ways to signal respect for marriage and better uses of resources than policing private consensual sexual activity.
A time-honored joke recounts how Moses came down from his mountain meeting with God and announced, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I bargained him down to only 10 commandments. The bad news is that adultery stays in. For centuries, law sought to shore up that commandment with criminal and civil penalties. It is now an anachronistic, intrusive and misdirected effort.
Deborah L. Rhode is a professor of law at Stanford University and the author of Adultery: Infidelity and the Law.
Follow the Opinion section on Twitter@latimesopinion and Facebook
When it was announced that Donald Trump would be giving a major foreign policy speech, I imagined he might actually have something to say or at least that whoever may be advising him about international relations would be writing a speech for the candidate to read that would lend coherence to the random notions that he has expressed throughout the early and middle stages of the 2016 presidential campaign.
Silly me. Last weeks speech was no more than a somewhat formalized regurgitation of the proudly ignorant and potentially dangerous ideas the Republican front-runner has been spouting for months.
Reviews of the speech from the voices of serious journalism were not kind. The New York Times said the speech did not exhibit much grasp of the complexity of the world, understanding of the balance or exercise of power, or even a careful reading of history. The Economist said Trumps description of statecraft as a series of deals, brokered in eyeball-to-eyeball negotiations with foreign powers, bears no resemblance to real diplomacy. The Wall Street Journal said, For prepared remarks, or for that matter even an after-dinner talk, Mr. Trumps speech was especially rife with contradictions.
Advertisement
Among those contradictions: Trump said he would give unflinching support to American allies, even as he denigrated NATO and said he would demand that U.S. strategic partners, from Europe to Japan, cough up more cash to pay the defense bill or else suffer certain unnamed consequences. He pledged to destroy Islamic State but gave no clue as to how he would do it or betray any complex understanding of the underlying forces that gave rise to ISIS. He insisted he wants friendly relations with China while condemning President Clinton for letting the Chinese into the World Trade Organization.
Trump could not resist straying from the script to dip into his trademark riffs about things that are tremendous and beautiful or people who dont know what they are doing.
The truth is, Trump does not appear to know what he is doing, especially when it comes to foreign policy. Disturbingly, though, he evidences no awareness about how much he doesnt know, instead indicating that his own self-described brilliance puts him at a level of qualification higher than anyone who has spent a career studying and working within the complex realm of international policy. Although Vladimir Putin has expressed admiration of Trump either because he sees Trump as a kindred spirit or as a guy he can easily bamboozle the rest of the world, and American allies in particular, are appalled that, by November, there might actually be a majority of Americans confused enough to put this braggart in charge of the world.
Average Americans have never been especially savvy about international policy, ignoring events in foreign lands until they are called upon to send their sons and daughters into battle to crush the latest threat from abroad. Voters generally prefer candidates who talk tough and keep things as clear cut as an action movie. Even though we have the recent example of George W. Bush whose bold talk and simple thinking got the country into costly, tragic trouble overseas, we never seem to learn.
Most people will not have heard or read Trumps foreign policy address. Those who are inclined to support him will merely take note that Trump read some big words about foreign affairs in front of an audience of gray-haired guys in suits and they will hear chatter on cable news that this performance makes Trump look more presidential. That will be enough to confirm that he is their guy and all will be right with the world.
If only it were that simple.
Ted Cruz, in his outsiders bid for the White House, has depended heavily on the largesse of just three wealthy donors to establish credibility and stay afloat amid a chaotic nominating process that killed off most of his rivals.
Now, at perhaps the most desperate moment in his quest to win the Republican nomination, Cruz is learning the perils of relying on strong-willed magnates who carry their own agendas and have demanded an unprecedented level of control in how their money is spent.
One of the three primary donors to Cruzs presidential efforts, a private equity manager who recruited the other two top donors, has refrained from spending the vast majority of his $10 million contribution to bolster the Cruz campaign. He is instead fighting openly with the top strategist for the super PACs that were set up to spend the money.
Advertisement
The man at the center of the fight, Toby Neugebauer, is a close friend of Cruz and his wife, Heidi. Neugebauer and his own wife have vacationed with the Cruzes, and he still counts himself a major supporter. But he has refused to spend $9 million of the $10 million he put into a super PAC.
He was going to go up with ads in October or November. That came and went, and then he said hes saving it for Super Tuesday, said Kellyanne Conway, who oversees a network of super PACs supporting Cruz.
I dont know if hes having a $10 million party in Cleveland, or what. It became apparent almost immediately that his money wasnt really there.
Neugebauer, though, said he was alarmed by the profligate spending of other super PACs that spent vast sums on candidates who flamed out. He said he is relieved to have set up a strategy where he and two other major donors dictate how their money is spent.
How we set up in these big PACs was a response to how unhappy people were in 2012, he said in an interview. Trust me, all the other big donors wish their PACs were set up the same way.
After Citizens United and other court decisions opened the door to nearly unlimited campaign donations, many donors became frustrated with the control they surrendered to campaign consultants, who blew through millions of dollars on TV ads in a fruitless effort to elect Mitt Romney in 2012. This year, an outside group supporting former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush spent more than $100 million from big donors in a disastrous endeavor that saw Bush falter as soon as the first primary voters went to the polls.
See more of our top stories on Facebook >>
To counter the risk of a repeat of 2012, Neugebauer, the son of Texas Rep. Randy Neugebauer, helped set up three super PACs last year to support Cruz, each using a variation of the name Keep the Promise one for each major donor. The groups, forbidden by law to communicate with the Cruz campaign, planned to divvy up responsibilities for aiding his candidacy.
But that strategy proved unwieldy, and the super PACs united in early March under the name Trusted Leadership PAC to raise more money. Neugebauer, however, has yet to come aboard. He complained that the political consultants remain addicted to buying negative television ads, a strategy that has proven particularly ineffective against the star power of front-runner Donald Trump. Neugebauer said he has instead pressed for positive ads placed in social media, but has been rebuffed.
There were some political consultants, especially the establishments favorites, who didnt know they were extinct, Neugebauer said. People are going to be looking for a completely fresh set of talent.
Neugebauer said he would not start spending money on Trump during the primary but declined to disparage Trumps credentials for office, as many other Cruz backers have done.
Ted and I are close friends. I am going to support the nominee. Im not Never Trump, he said, referring to the effort among some Republicans to deny Trump the nomination. I think all that talk is just disgusting and shows a complete lack of understanding of what the middle class is going through in America. I want those voters for Ted in November.
If the other two donors are frustrated that the man who helped recruit them to the effort appears to be bailing on it, they have not said so publicly. Neither Robert Mercer, who has donated $13.5 million to help Cruz, nor Farris Wilks, who along with his family donated $15 million, agreed to be interviewed or responded to written questions submitted to their representatives. The Cruz campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Conway said the division of labor among the funders was baked in the cake from the beginning and that Neugebauer knew his money was to be used for television ads. The other super PACs, she said, were concentrating on contacting voters directly, sending direct mail, radio ads and digital advertising campaigns.
The guy could be a hero, Conway said. He could be a white knight right now.
Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | Track the delegate race | Sign up for the newsletter
The separate super PACs raised eyebrows from political consultants and other campaigns, who wondered whether it made sense to hand over so much control to donors.
But Cruz former communications advisor Rick Tyler said the $38 million infusion from the big three was critical to establishing Cruzs bona-fides as a serious presidential contender, disproving early doubts that he could compete with establishment candidates.
One of them was Cruz might be able to raise grass-roots money, but hell never be able to raise big money, Tyler said. It was important for people to understand this was a well-funded campaign, and it was balanced.
Yet the power and lifestyles of the Cruz mega-donors have also highlighted the wide gulf between Cruzs populist critiques of crony capitalism, and the relationships he maintains with the ultra-wealthy to fuel that message. Ten donors have given a total of $48 million to his super PACs, more than three-fourths of the money he has raised from outside groups. Many of them made their money in oil and gas, industries that have received strong support from Cruz.
They make an eclectic group.
Neugebauer, for example, lives in Puerto Rico with his family among a community of mega-wealthy Americans who are taking advantage of the islands generous income tax breaks.
Farris Wilks and his brother Dan founded Frac Tech, which provided equipment and services for hydraulic fracking; they sold the company, of which they owned a majority, for more than $3 billion in 2011. Wilks serves as a pastor in Assembly of Yahweh, a church that forbids the celebration of Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter.
Wilks has called climate change Gods will and condemned homosexuality as a perversion tantamount to bestiality, pedophilia and incest, according to recordings of sermons reviewed by Reuters.
Mercer, a hedge fund executive, is a strong advocate for returning to the gold standard who has funded groups that have cast doubt on the science of climate change.
Cruz also has criticized the consensus scientific view of climate change, and has suggested he too would welcome a return to the gold standard, an idea that has little backing among mainstream economists.
The Fed should get out of the business of trying to juice our economy and simply be focused on sound money and monetary stability, ideally tied to gold, Cruz said last year during a debate.
Neugebauer said he and the other donors were not motivated by personal issues or gain, nor do all of them necessarily agree with Cruzs sharply conservative views on social issues. Rather, he said, they are united by a concern for the countrys debt.
I know it sounds crazy, he said. We are anti-establishment and we all think the country is on the precipice of insolvency.
With Neugebauer on the sidelines, the other super PACs have begun spending money on television ads. In Indiana, where Cruz desperately needs an upset Tuesday to slow Trumps rise, the super PAC is spending nearly $2 million. Strangely, the biggest chunk, $1.3 million, is going toward a television ad attacking John Kasich for his support of Obamacare; after the money was spent, Cruz and Kasich announced a deal where Kasich would not compete in Indiana.
Neugebauer said he still is weighing whether to spend money in California before its June 7 primary.
There have been a lot of opportunities to waste money this political cycle, he said in an email.
Staff writers Maloy Moore and Anthony Pesce contributed to this report.
Twitter: @noahbierman, @jtanfani
ALSO
As Cruz (once again) secures more delegates, Trump camp (once again) calls process unfair
Rising confidence in Californias economy is a challenge for GOP presidential candidates
Bernie Sanders supporters strategizing to build a lasting progressive movement
Cruz appeals to Indiana voters Midwestern values on eve of primary
Once again, Sen. Ted Cruz is relying on a dose of Midwestern niceness to boost his flagging campaign prospects.
I could not be more gratified, I could not be more encouraged that this primary is coming down to the Midwestern common sense, to the good judgment of Hoosiers, Cruz said at a Monday night rally at the Indianapolis fairgrounds, capping off a frenetic day barnstorming the state before Tuesdays pivotal Republican primary.
Cruz has been buoyed by the region before; his victory in Wisconsin last month surged the Texas senators momentum and put the GOP front-runner Donald Trump on the defensive. Now, after a series of losses on the East Coast, Cruz is trying to re-create that Midwestern magic.
To do so, he played up the qualities most likely to appeal to his conservative, religious and generally mild-mannered audience: truthfulness, respect, humility.
He encouraged the crowd -- which filled up about two-thirds of a cavernous pavilion -- to find online an exchange he had earlier in the day with a Trump supporter, who heckled him outside a meet-and-greet at a cafe.
Most candidates would let the protesters go do their thing. I made a different decision, Cruz said.
Cruz described his end of the conversation as respectful and civil, contrasting it with the Trump fans insults and cursing.
I was glad to see he was channeling the candidate he was supporting, Cruz said.
Cruz described the exchange as a futile attempt to engage on policy issues with his sparring partner.
Instead, he just began yelling, Cruz said.
Still, Cruz said, he walked across the street to confront the protester because Im campaigning to be everybodys president.
Cruzs message of wholesome values makes sense when courting voters like Karen Roorbach, a university administrator from Marion.
Roorbach, who was at Cruzs cafe visit earlier in the morning, said she hoped in the Indiana primary the states Hoosier values would be apparent.
How would she describe those values?
Faith and family. Education, Roorbach said. And working hard. Hoosiers are known as hard workers.
Im Christina Bellantoni. Lets get started.
It was supposed to be a snoozer of a state party convention. Then the presidential race came to California. And the events in Burlingame Friday through Sunday gave a little taste of what the next five weeks could be like on the Republican side.
It started Friday when Donald Trump attracted angry protesters who forced him to traipse through a field to get into the convention site, then dismissed them during his brief speech to California Republican activists. He declared the race was close to over.
Advertisement
I think its going to come to an end very soon, Trump said. And really, Im speaking to the people in this room, because there has to be unity in our party.
Sen. Ted Cruz went after Trump for donating to Democrats, and his new running mate Carly Fiorina offered a feisty stump speech to delegates Saturday night, taking sharp jabs at Trump and those who oppose Cruz.
She pointedly said she would rather have a friend like Cruz backer Utah Sen. Mike Lee than former House Speaker John Boehner, who compared the senator to Lucifer in the flesh.
You can find every minute of our convention coverage on our Essential Politics news feed, from intense video of the first protesters crashing the barricades to Ralph Reeds promise the partys divisions would heal.
In her Sunday column, Cathleen Decker writes that the weekend seemed to lean toward Trumps inevitability; no giant groundswell rose on behalf of Cruz, despite his red-meat speech that touched on the environment, immigration and the 2nd Amendment, or for Ohio Gov. John Kasichs more laid-back approach.
The convention came after Thursday nights raucous Trump rally in Costa Mesa. We covered every push and shove here.
Trumps focus on immigration is one reason for the backlash that has given rise to newly energized Latino activists, but also risks collateral damage to a California state party that has worked to distance itself from the immigration wars of two decades ago, Decker writes.
His opponents clashed in the streets with police in an eerie reminder of the mass protests in 1994 that greeted the campaign surrounding Proposition 187, the measure to bar state services for immigrants here without papers, she writes. Although the proposition passed, the backlash toward those who supported it has been a leading cause of a precipitous decline in the number of Republicans registered in California.
The guy synonymous with Prop 187 Pete Wilson endorsed Cruz this weekend.
Kasich suggested his rivals are scaring Hispanics and continued to play the nice-guy routine as he proclaimed his love for the Big Sur.
SO CAN TRUMP BE STOPPED?
As the overt campaigning was happening in California, a more complicated math game was happening behind the scenes in a suburb of Phoenix. Melanie Mason takes you inside, detailing how Cruz was able to win 35 of 55 Arizona delegates, despite Trumps 22-point win in the state in March.
They are bound to the billionaire businessman on the first ballot at the convention, but all bets are off if it gets to a second ballot.
Mason and Seema Mehta explain what the dual strategies mean for Cruzs prospects.
Track the delegate race in real time.
A super PAC backing Kasich warned donors that they have but two choices: fund its effort in California or watch Trump win the nomination in the states primary. We have five weeks to stop Trump. If there was ever an Alamo in presidential politics, this is it, says a letter sent to donors by the New Day for America Super PAC, Mehta reports.
Mehta also learned that Our Principles PAC, which spent $16 million on anti-Trump efforts in a handful of states, including Iowa, Florida and Wisconsin, is joining forces with Victory California, a group founded by three veteran GOP operatives in Sacramento.
WHERE DOES SANDERS MOVEMENT GO FROM HERE?
An eclectic mix of labor loyalists, gay rights advocates, antiwar protesters and political neophytes may never have united if it werent for Sen. Bernie Sanders. As the prospect of the democratic socialist they adore winning the White House rapidly fades, Sanders supporters are scrambling to keep the movement he has built from fading like earlier liberal efforts have, Joseph Tanfani and Evan Halper report.
Will the Sanders phenomenon end up as more of a moment than a movement?
BILL CLINTON RETURNS TO GOLDEN STATE
The former president is campaigning for his wife Wednesday in San Diego and Los Angeles.
Hell also headline a $1,000-per-person Friday evening fundraiser at the Los Angeles home of Laura and Sanford Michelman, co-chaired by Teresa and Sean Burton.
For $10,000, a co-host can attend a reception with Clinton.
PRESIDENT BIDS FAREWELL TO ANNUAL DINNER
President Obama seemed to relish his eighth, and final, address to the White House Correspondents Assn. at its annual dinner Saturday night, taking digs at himself, potential replacements in the Oval Office and even Britains little Prince George, in addition to the partisan rancor that has pervaded his time in Washington.
When he finished, he literally dropped the mic. Sarah Wire rounded up the best lines from the night.
The room of 2,700 journalists, politicians and celebrities seemed overall pleased with the presidents performance, even as many panned comedian Larry Wilmore for his scathing routine that left no one unharmed.
Al Sharpton told Stephen Battaglio he was not amused by Wilmores use of the N-word, and former Secretary of State Madeline Albright sat stonefaced through the Nightly Show hosts routine.
PODCAST: SLEEPER SENATE RACE
Last weeks first debate in the race for Californias open U.S. Senate seat was also the first time many voters may have heard about the contest in weeks. Or longer.
On this weeks California Politics Podcast, John Myers leads a discussion about the potential outcomes in this sleepiest of statewide elections.
In another testament to the lack of interest in the race, just a handful of convention attendees bothered to listen to the GOP Senate candidates Sunday afternoon, Phil Willon reports.
TODAYS ESSENTIALS
-- George Skelton writes in his Monday column that Sanders may say the richest 1% should pay their fair share, but no one can argue they arent already in California, at least in state taxes. In fact, theyre forking over more than their fair share to Gov. Jerry Browns regime, he writes.
-- Sanders fundraising dropped in April.
-- Steve Lopez explains why Trump and California are a great match, the greatest match.
-- The latest in our Trump Nation series takes readers through Oregon.
-- ICYMI, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom said he has collected 600,000 signatures of California voters, more than enough to qualify a gun control initiative for the November ballot. Were there, Newsom told Patrick McGreevy.
-- Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin made her choice in the presidential race.
-- Meet one congressional candidate who showed up at the convention this weekend.
-- What do you think of Trump? Readers can weigh in with our quick survey.
LOGISTICS
Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox daily. And keep an eye on our politics page throughout the day for the latest and greatest. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics? Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com.
Political tension ramps up at legislative hearing on Newsoms gun control initiative
Backers of a gun control initiative proposed for the November ballot argued during a legislative forum Tuesday that it is needed to make California safer, while opponents said it will unfairly harm law-abiding gun owners and is primarily aimed at getting Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom elected governor.
Newsom turned in 600,000 signatures last week for an initiative that would require background checks for ammunition purchasers, ban large-capacity magazines, make gun thefts a felony and require those convicted of serious crimes to give up their firearms within 14 days.
The Assembly and Senate Public Safety committees held a joint hearing on the proposal Tuesday in anticipation of the measure qualifying.
Craig DeLuz, head of the Firearms Policy Coalition, told lawmakers that most of the provisions in the initiative have been rejected by the Legislature or the governor as too extreme or unworkable.
He said the real purpose of the initiative is to get Newsom elected as governor in 2018.
Its for one individual to get his name in the paper so he can run for higher office, DeLuz told the lawmakers.
That drew a rubuke from state Sen. Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley), chair of the Senate panel.
I do take offense at the personal attacks on the proponents of the intiative, Hancock said during the hearing.
Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) responded, saying the initiative is unnecessary.
I am equally offended that the person who came up with this initiative isnt here today to address this body, she said. Thats incredibly disrespectful.
Newsom, who has fueded with legislative leaders who are pursuing their own gun control bills, did not attend the hearing, instead participating in a memorial service held for California Highway Patrol officers, a representative said.
Attorneys for the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which co-wrote the initiative, told lawmakers it will plug serious loopholes in Californias tough gun laws.
We believe reasonably that more can and should be done to protect California families and keep lethal weapons out of dangerous hands, added Ari Freilich, a staff attorney at the center.
The initiative was criticized by Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Michele Hanisee, president of the Assn. of Deputy District Attorneys of Los Angeles, who predicted many people will not obey the new laws requiring them to get rid of high-capacity magazines.
The initiative places additional burdens on an already overburdened court system, she added.
None of the lawmakers at the hearing commited to endorsing the initiative.
Lawmakers raised questions about the cost of enforcing the initiative, but the Legislative Analysts Office said the bulk of costs may be recovered by fees authorized by the measure.
Hancock said she is interested in alternative approaches to addressing gun violence, including a look at improving mental health services.
Bernie Sanders wags his finger and shouts that the richest 1% should pay their fair share. No one can argue they arent already in California, at least in state taxes.
In fact, theyre forking over more than their fair share to Gov. Jerry Browns regime.
The latest figures have just been released, and the top 1% paid nearly half 48% of the states personal income taxes in 2014.
Advertisement
Thats pretty generous sharing. The other roughly half of the revenue came from 99% of the taxpayers. Well, not exactly all of them.
The bottom 60% were good for only 2% of the taxes. But the highest 10% contributed 79%, according to the state Franchise Tax Board.
OK, but the top 1% earned the most, right? Right. They earned about 24% of the income, but paid 48% of the taxes.
All but a few right-wingers support a progressive tax structure, with the rates rising as income climbs. But Californias tax goes beyond progressive. Its almost perpendicular.
Brown may be embarrassed to remember this, but he ran for president in 1992 touting a federal flat tax with everyone paying the same 13% rate, regardless of income.
Californias governor turned 180 degrees 20 years later and won voter approval of a sock-the-rich plan that raised the highest state tax rates from 10.3% to 13.3%.
The current top federal income tax rate is 39.6%. Sanders has advocated lifting it to 54%. Nationally, the richest 1% pay 35% of federal income taxes.
In California, to reach the loftiest 1% requires an adjusted gross income of at least $556,638. Earnings of about $149,000 get you in the top 10%.
See more of our top stories on Facebook >>
So whats wrong with Californias top 1% paying half the tax?
That is, besides ticking them off, prodding them to take their money and head for a more friendly state? Many claim thats a myth. But a lot of us know people who have hit the road.
Heres the real answer: Its lousy fiscal policy.
The problem isnt about fairness. Its about stability mainly the stability of programs that benefit the poor, such as healthcare and welfare. It also jeopardizes services for everyone: education and public safety.
When the inevitable recession circles back, its the flow of revenue from the rich that slows most. Their capital gains no longer soar, they sour.
California government leans heavily on capital gains, taxing them as ordinary income. Thats also what Sanders advocates for the federal government. The feds tax them at a lower rate.
In Sacramento, about 70% of the general fund revenue is projected to come from the state income tax in the next fiscal year. Thats way too much dependence on one levy. In 1950, the income tax generated only 10% of the general fund.
Californias economy has shifted from mainly manufacturing to service. But the tax code hasnt kept up. The sales tax still applies mostly only to retail goods (for example, auto parts) and not service (auto repair labor). Consequently, the sales tax is projected to produce only about 22% of the general fund revenue next year. In 1950, it supplied 60%.
Heres an example of the result: In 2008, as the economy began tanking, Californias gross domestic product fell by 3.7%. But tax revenue plummeted 23%. Sacramento was forced to butcher programs that still havent recovered.
Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | Track the delegate race | Sign up for the newsletter
A Brown-sponsored rainy day fund approved by voters in 2014 should help slightly by committing some capital gains revenue to a budget reserve. But thats just a very temporary, tiny patch.
Whats sorely needed is a thoughtful, thorough restructuring of the tax code: less reliance on the super-rich with their iffy incomes and extension of the sales tax to popular services. And perhaps some tweaking heaven forbid of the sacrosanct commercial property tax.
When you tax the rich with the most progressive system, what youre going to get is not just progressivity but volatility, says state Controller Betty Yee, who created a study group that intends to issue a report soon.
It makes fiscal management very, very difficult. We need a system thats more sustainable, more predictable, more fair.
State Sen. Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) also has been preaching reform.
Ive got one issue: How do we fix the zig and zag and create a stable, growing tax base thats aligned with the economy, he says.
One thing he suggests is a consumption tax that nails non-Californians who do business here.
But other than Yee and Hertzberg, theres little political courage for any of this.
I dont see the path forward, Brown said last year. It may be logical [to] some green-eyeshade accountants, but I dont know from a political point of view that its very viable.
In fact, Democrats not necessarily Brown are being pushed in the opposite direction by the California Teachers Assn. Its planning a November ballot initiative to extend Browns higher tax rates. Theyre slated to expire at the end of 2018.
The tax hike was sold to voters as temporary, youll recall. Its advertised purpose was to tide schools over until the economy recovered. But public employee unions and thus, Democrats got addicted to the money: currently around $7.6 billion a year.
Sanders would love it. California seems more suited for the senator than Vermont. There, the highest state income tax rate is 8.95%, only roughly two-thirds of Californias.
Maybe Sanders should focus on making fellow Vermonters pay their fair share before trying to reform the country.
george.skelton@latimes.com
Follow @LATimesSkelton on Twitter
ALSO
Workers wonder whether Bernie Sanders fight for them will really help them compete
A truce between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton? Not so fast.
Updates from Sacramento
Over the last two decades, California and the federal government have faced harsh criticism for failing to take stronger actions to stop a highly contagious disease that has killed millions of trees along coastal regions from Big Sur to portions of Oregon.
Now, a new computer modeling study suggests that the sudden oak death epidemic, which emerged in 1995, has grown too big and is spreading too fast to eradicate statewide.
The analysis is the first to integrate knowledge of the pathogen with topography, weather and resources like government budgets to predict the likely effects of various management strategies over such a large area -- in this case, Californias 163,707 square miles of land.
Advertisement
See the most-read stories in Science this hour >>
The results are somewhat hopeful: Because the epidemics growth rate increases with its size, focusing on restoring and treating small, local forests is now the most practical and cost-effective option for managing the destructive fungus, Phytophthora ramorum.
The findings were published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
At this point, were going to have to learn to live with it, and try to slow its spread with local management efforts and lots of experimenting, said UC Davis ecologist Richard C. Cobb, who worked on the study with colleagues from North Carolina State University and the University of Cambridge in England.
We wont be able to avoid much of the ecological impacts of losing all these trees, he said. But there is still time to avoid the worst possible outcomes of this epidemic by prioritizing trees that are most at risk, and taking steps to protect them.
The teams computer models predict that sudden oak death will accelerate in California after 2020. This will be driven by the pathogen reaching the northwestern coast [of the state], where large regions of continuous host and suitable weather conditions facilitate spread, they wrote in the study.
Billions of tanoak and oak trees spread over 50 million acres of land are at risk, they added.
The only treatment shown to be effective in reducing pathogen prevalence at the landscape scale is removal of host species, according to the study.
This strategy has been used in the United Kingdom but is rarely used in North America. The only exceptions are attempts in Humboldt County, Calif., and Curry County, Ore., Cobb said.
The fungus, which is related to organisms that caused the Irish potato blight in the 1840s, was first identified in California in 2000, after a group of Mill Valley homeowners asked horticulturalists for help in determining why dozens of tanoaks on their properties had suddenly died.
Unlike other tree diseases with symptoms that begin with a branch or limb and then spread, sudden oak death immediately involves the whole tree.
Young shoot tips of branches wilt, leaves and twigs die and a dark red sap bleeds from the lower portion of the trunk. New suckers grow from the trunks of some trees, but fail to survive.
Weakened by the fungus, stricken trees are finished off by infestations of tiny ambrosia and oak bark beetles.
Particularly susceptible are tanoaks, trees revered by Native American tribes for their acorns, and once a major source of tannin used for processing leather.
But tanoaks hold little commercial value for foresters because of their crooked growth and porous wood grain -- a major reason why the disease didnt attract more attention when it was first detected.
In 2002, UC scientists confirmed that two of Californias most commercially valuable trees -- coast redwoods and Douglas firs -- had been infected with the fungus. That raised the stakes for the timber industry significantly.
Government funds were increased to fight the disease statewide, and the two types of trees were made subject to state and federal quarantine rules governing the movement of plants and tree products affected by sudden oak death.
At that time, according to the modeling study, the disease was perceived to be a potentially serious threat, but there was sufficient data available about the pathogen and its spread to contain it.
However, the cost in 2002 would have been very high, and practical implementation would have required unprecedented cooperation among agencies and landowners, the researchers wrote.
By 2014, the epidemic had grown too big and was spreading too fast to control, according to the study.
A version of the model has been calibrated to help devise strategies for managing the disease in the United Kingdom, where it is ravaging stands of larch trees.
UC Davis ecologist David M. Rizzo, who also worked on the study, said the results of the analysis are crystal clear.
When it comes to the arrival of new diseases, our computer modeling conveys a powerful message, he said. Jump in with both feet, or face the consequences later on.
Follow me @LouisSahagun for more fascinating stories.
MORE SCIENCE NEWS
Even with no brain, slime molds quickly learn bitter lessons
Scientists discover coral reef near the mouth of the Amazon River
Three Earth-sized planets orbiting a dim, red sun: Best target yet in the search for life?
Four Hindu priests sat cross-legged on the floor in front of silver trays of rice, flowers and vermillion powder, chanting in low baritones that reverberated off the bare walls of the old brick temple.
An iPhone propped on a chair captured the service known as a puja and beamed it via Skype to a home in San Francisco, where a middle-aged woman wearing a red bindi and a head scarf watched intently.
Every so often, the priests peered into the screen and instructed her to mimic a gesture or repeat an invocation.
Advertisement
In Hinduism, the dominant religion among Indias 1.2 billion people, there are elaborate pujas for virtually every life event and now there are virtual pujas too, along with last rites and other religious ceremonies being sold over the Internet.
This digital twist on a mystical, ancient faith is a growing part of Indias multibillion-dollar spirituality market. E-commerce sites also have popped up for Indian Muslims as well as minority Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists.
Offering their services anywhere in the world, the companies are capitalizing not only on improved Internet connectivity throughout India but also on a growing diaspora as more citizens emigrate for higher education and employment, leaving behind their families and spiritual networks.
According to a 2011 census, 11.4 million Indian citizens lived overseas. There are more than 3 million people of Indian origin living in the United States.
Among the companies cashing in is Shubhpuja.com.
The idea for selling religious services online came to Saumya Vardhan when she was living in London. A friends father died in New Delhi and his widow struggled to manage the extensive rituals of the traditional 13-day mourning period on her own.
Leaving her career as a management consultant, Vardhan moved back to India to start the company in 2013 with her father, Harsh Vardhan, a retired bureaucrat and aviation expert who practices Vedic astrology on the side.
The company now employs five priests, all with advanced degrees from Hindu religious institutions. It has equipped a decades-old temple in New Delhis Noida suburb with high-definition cameras and hard drives to record pujas for out-of-town clients.
Each month, the priests conduct hundreds of pujas and consultations, mainly for Indian customers but also for a growing roster of Hindu clients in the U.S., Europe and the Far East.
People want to keep traditions alive but no one has time to keep up, especially if you are far away from home, Vardhan said.
The company offers 151 pujas covering much of the human experience extramarital affairs, bad grades, business setbacks, criminal cases, distractedness, studying abroad, stomach problems and being unpopular. Prices start at $10 and go up to nearly $500 for the full wedding package.
The San Francisco client wanted to resolve problems in her romantic life. Her service was custom-designed based on discussions with the priests and an astrological reading by Harsh Vardhan.
NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>
The priests began the ceremony by summoning Ganesh, the Hindu elephant god and remover of obstacles. It ended a little more than an hour later with an arti a ceremonial offering to the gods of light from a fire before each person in the room turned 360 degrees to mimic Earths rotation.
But can an online puja work as well as having the devotee in the room?
The most important thing in a puja is the vibrations, said Narayan Shastri, one of the dhoti-clad priests. As long as she is following the actions with her own hand and saying the mantras, the sound travels the same whether its through the air or through a mobile phone.
At least some customers report good results.
One, who grew up in New Delhi and now lives in Northern California, turned to Shubhpuja more than a year ago when he felt he wasnt advancing in his job as a program manager. Ankit, who did not want his full name used so as to protect his privacy, said several telephone and Skype sessions convinced him that his rough career patch was due to a temporary planetary alignment.
He stuck with the job and soon received a promotion.
Though he was not very religious growing up, he said the professionalism of the priests reconnected him to the family pujas of his childhood. The day before a Skype session, he would receive a list of instructions: Dont eat meat, dont drink alcohol, wear light colors and find a quiet place in your house to sit.
Then you just log in at the appointed time and follow along, he said. Its way more convenient, to be honest. It fits with our lifestyle.
In a faith laden with complicated rituals and unscrupulous gurus, many of the new companies pride themselves on the transparency that comes with publishing a menu of services and a price list online.
Rahul Chotia was running a Web development company in suburban Mumbai a few years ago when his father complained that priests in Gaya a pilgrimage site in northern India had taken advantage of him during a ritual for a deceased relative.
So Chotia traveled to Gaya, hired a few trusted priests and a technician to stream services over the Internet and started Gayapahunchao.com.
Five or 10 years ago, we couldnt have done this, said 30-year-old Chotia, who runs the company from his apartment. But the 3G network is there across India now, so there is no problem at all.
Even when Hindu priests are available in person, some Indians have come to prefer the online variety.
After her mother back in India was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, Babita Lakhanpal turned to Hindu priests near her home in the Bay Area, where she works for a semiconductor company. But she grew disillusioned when they charged her thousands of dollars and provided scant proof that the rituals had been performed.
She eventually hired the priests at Shubhpuja to conduct a monthlong puja at the temple in Noida. It was performed entirely offline, but when it was over Lakhanpal received a parcel in the mail containing photos of the ceremony and holy food known as prasad.
She said she believes the puja brought her mother some relief, though she remains ill. Her brother in the Bay Area has since done a Shubhpuja service over Skype in hopes of reducing the pain from a chronic eye ailment.
Pujas give solace, and I believe in the powers of prayers, Lakhanpal said.
That the company was based in India was a extra source of comfort.
They have access to the best priests and they can use all the traditional materials, she said. And they know Sanskrit. Its a feeling of authenticity.
Join the conversation on Facebook >>
ALSO
As Russian planes bombard Syrian rebels, debate over anti-aircraft missiles returns
Hindu tailor hacked to death in Bangladesh
The Donald Trump of Asia? Brash, unrepentant mayor leads Philippine presidential race
The Israeli justice minister has said she wants to extend civil laws to Jewish settlements in the West Bank, a move that critics say would put the country at odds with the international community.
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked told a forum of right-wing lawyers shes pushing a policy that would ensure that all legislation passed by parliament, the Knesset, would automatically be applied to settlements in the West Bank.
The land has been under Israeli control since the 1967 Middle East War. Palestinians want to form an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
My goal is that, within a year, for every law passed by the Knesset, there will be a team that will translate it in Judea and Samaria, Shaked said Sunday, using the biblical names for the West Bank.
Advertisement
Shakeds right-wing Jewish Home party is a junior partner in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition government. Its unclear whether Netanyahu would support such a policy because it would undercut his declarations of support for negotiations to create a Palestinian state and could deepen Israels international isolation on such issues.
Opposition politicians and legal critics said Shakeds proposal would enhance the legal disparity between 370,000 Israelis living in West Bank settlements and 2.6 million Palestinians living in cities and villages.
Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, said such a policy would hurt Israels international standing and would likely be struck down by Israels Supreme Court.
Can two people live at a distance of 30 meters, and one person will have one law and the other will have another law? he said in an interview with Israel Army Radio. Its an unfounded proposal. Theres no legal logic. Its not legal internationally or under Israeli law. It wont happen.
See the most-read stories this hour >>
Since capturing territories from Arab neighbors in the 1967 war, Israeli governments have taken steps to extend Israels laws to the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem and offer permanent residency to Arabs living there, but have avoided a similar move in the West Bank even though it has expanded settlements criticized by Palestinians as a land grab.
Shakeds comments are in line with a more explicit annexation supported by her party and are a political play for Netanyahus voters, said Gilead Sher, a former legal advisor to Israeli government negotiating teams.
Theres no way to state that the direction that this government is going leads to a two-state reality when you have this kind of initiative and policymaking within the government, he said.
Mitnick is a special correspondent.
All material is subject to strictly enforced copyright terms & conditions and cannot be repurposed or reproduced. 19882022 Latin American Financial Publications Inc.
Donald Trump has sprinted out to a huge 27-point lead in the California Republican primary, attracting more overall support than his two remaining rivals combined.
A Fox News poll now shows Trump with 49 percent of the vote, compared to 22 percent for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and 20 percent for Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
Trump Leads Among Virtually Every Demographic
As the June 7, primary date draws closer, pollsters found Trump leading by wide margins among virtually every demographic, including women, young voters, college grads and those who self-identify as very conservative.
Up until now, all those are groups Trump has struggled mightily with as he battles to secure the GOP nomination prior to the republican convention scheduled for Ohio later this summer.
Indeed, a deeper analysis of the data reveals Trump still has much work to do.
Pollsters found only 53 percent of Cruz and Kasich supporters admit they would support Trump in a general election and more than four in 10 GOP voters insist they will consider a third-party candidate.
Data shows Cruz only fares slightly better than Trump in terms of keeping the party faithful should he emerge as the face of the GOP. Pollsters found in a match-up of Cruz vs. democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, 40 percent of non-Cruz supporters insist they would vote against him.
Clinton Leads Among Democrats
On the democratic side, pollsters found Clinton leading Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders just 48 percent to 46 percent. Data shows of those who insist they "definitely" plan to vote, her leads jumps to a more comfortable six percent.
Among Hispanics, Sanders holds a 19 point edge, building on a trend that also saw him capture that voting bloc in Nevada and Illinois.
Overall, the issue of immigration continues to be one of the most hotly debated in California, with voters favoring some sort of reform legislation over deportation by a 75 to 17 percent margin.
By comparison, GOP voters favor a path of legalization by a 59 percent to 30 percent count. Based on a recent Washington Post-Univision Poll, Republicans have much work to do with Hispanic voters, 80 percent of which revealed they have a negative view of party front-runner Trump.
Sanders' also continues to poll well with young people, leading Clinton by a whopping 56 points among voters under age 35. Meanwhile, Clinton leads among seniors by 37 points.
Protesters from across the country took to the streets on May 1, in observance of annual May Day demonstrations that were heightened this year by rising concerns about immigration.
In Los Angeles, chanting protesters walked side by side in a march designed to call attention to immigrant and worker rights. Many demonstrators also hoisted signs and at least one carried a Donald Trump pinata.
Trump a Primary
The Republican front-runner for the 2016 presidential nomination was at the center of many of the protests with demonstrators calling for an end to his stated plan to deport as many as 11 million immigrants and build a wall along the Mexican border if he is elected as President Obama's successor.
"We want them to hear our voices, to know that we are here and that we want a better life, with jobs," said 46-year-old Mexican immigrant Norberto Guiterrez, who was also among those expressing support for Obama's plan to grant work permits to immigrants who have children that are legal American citizens.
Demonstrators also took exception with remarks made by Trump regarding workers and women, including his recent claim that Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton was playing the "woman card."
"In addition to fighting for workers' rights, we are fighting for our dignity this time around, our self-respect," said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesman for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.
Seattle Protest Marred by Violence
In Seattle, nine people were arrested and five officers were reported hurt after violence broke out that ended with police using pepper spray on a group of anti-capitalist protesters dressed in black.
Authorities claimed the group hurled rocks, bricks, flares and Molotov cocktails at officers. Earlier in the day, large throngs of immigrants and workers peacefully marched across the city.
Around the globe, union members have traditionally marked May 1, as a time for advocating the rights of workers. Here in the U.S., the day has also become synonymous with rallying for the rights of immigrants.
With the issue building in steam this election season, some crowds were even larger and much passionate this time around.
In Oakland, nearly 1,000 demonstrators descended on the Fruitvale district to largely denounce Trump and call further attention to the issues of immigration, workers and housing rights.
A total of eight marijuana growers in Oregon have been given licenses by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. The agency has the responsibility to oversee Oregon's recreational marijuana market.
The OLCC chair, Rob Patridge, said the licenses reflect the pioneering spirit of Oregon. Patridge added that these cannabis growers came from different backgrounds and possess different entrepreneurial spirit of the industry as per OPB.
The OLCC has granted licenses to growers in Lane, Washington, Tillamook, Jackson, Clackamas and Josephine countries with a variety of mix medium and large scale indoor and outdoor cultivation growers. The agency said these growers can start their operations the moment they pay their annual licensing fee.
Mark Pettinger, the spokesperson of the OLCC said that the agency's main agenda is to approve growers first in order for them to establish the supply chain before they can approve the dispensing. The dispensing license though will be approved by October this year.
According to KDRV, dispensaries under the Oregon Health Authority's medical marijuana program can make sales to persons 21 years old and older. The provision though will expire at the end of this year. The agency has already scheduled to approve several more for the coming weeks. The agency expects to approve 850 applications by the end of the year.
As reported by the Statesman Journal, among the first licensed marijuana flower or bud producers is Terra Master, a Clackamas County company which is partly owned by Antonio Harvey, a radio analyst for the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA. Harvey said in an interview that his company is on the leading edge of Legal Cannabis in the state of Oregon.
The OLCC has already received more than 900 applications for licenses in the recreational marijuana industry. The agency will assume full control of the state's regulation of the recreational marijuana industry by the end of the year. OLCC has already noted 300 dispensaries that are participating in the early sales of recreational marijuana in Oregon.
A high school teacher from Tennessee was given a suspension for letting the students watch the graphic horror movie, "Human Centipede 2". The movie which contains gore, torture and violence earned complaints from the students and parents.
The Jackson-Madison County School System conducted an investigation regarding a teacher who screened the movie "Human Centipede 2" during a class period, The Wrap reported. "Upon learning of an alleged movie viewing, the district immediately launched an internal investigation regarding the alleged viewing of an inappropriate film at Jackson-Central Merry High School," the school stated. The teacher will still be suspended pending the outcome of the probe.
Tom Six, the writer and the director of the said movie, found out about the news and he seems he not against the idea. Six took on his twitter saying, "It should be mandatory to watch THC2 in school classes. It deals with a character that is bullied and what to do!"
The movie tells a story of a mentally ill surgeon, who was intending to create human centipede by kidnapping people and sewing them up together.
The students of Jackson Central-Merry High complained about watching the said horror movie. International Business Times reported that it was not disclosed on why the teacher showed the film to the students. Six, who was delighted on the teacher's initiative, said he will send a copy of the movie with his autograph. It is still unclear if the teacher will face charges regarding the issue.
The Human Centipede 2 Full Sequence movie was shortly banned from showing in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand due to its excessive gore and violent content. It was also criticized as torture porn, Fox7 cited.
Despite receiving negative reviews in its story, nature of content, the franchise has proven incredibly popular. A third film was made in 2015 involving a 500-person human centipede.
May 1, 2016, 5:00pm ET
VW discusses ambitious brand realignment for US market
The long-term strategy would develop the brand for the \"aspirational middle class.\"
Despite woes stemming from the emissions cheating scandal that it's currently mired in, Volkswagen is embarking on an ambitious new product strategy for the US, its most market in the long term.
"We believe that the USA has in fact the greatest potential for Volkswagen worldwide in the next decade," said Volkswagen brand chief Herbert Diess at a press conference in Germany. It was reported on by Automotive News, who calls the plan a far-fetched "miracle view."
Diess then continued, "We didn't succeed in giving the brand a clear profile and consistent product portfolio that could allow us to expand step by step in the market." However, the long-term strategy goes well beyond balancing out a sedan-centric lineup with upcoming products like midsize crossover and a long-wheelbase Tiguan.
Instead, Diess wants VW to target a demographic he's calling the "aspirational middle class." This includes those who harbor positive feelings about iconic cars like the original Beetle and Microbus. However, Diess's team is still waiting on a strategy from the parent company on how to prevent that from stepping on the toes of brands such as Audi.
In the meantime, though, Volkswagen is still dealing with a massive blow to its brand image. Diess was starkly aware of this, adding, "naturally not in the near future, since we are starting from zero in the U.S."
A Bethlehem Township man is accused of fighting four Allentown officers as they tried to arrest him, including putting one officer in a headlock.
Malcolm Woolridge's legal problems only worsened Saturday, after police say he then accidentally dumped cocaine in a holding cell as he tried to get rid of it.
Woolridge, 26, of the 3800 block of Cypress Lane, is charged with two counts each of aggravated assault, simple assault and harassment, as well as resisting arrest, tampering with evidence, possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Woolridge was sent to Lehigh County Jail, where he remained Monday in lieu of $75,000 bail.
Allentown police said they were called about 2:45 a.m. Saturday to a home in the 300 block of Hickory Lane.
They found the home's front door wide open and the dining room ransacked. An officer asked Woolridge for identification, which he refused to provide, police said.
Woolridge then dropped the clothes he was holding, took off a book bag and assumed a fighting stance with an officer, police said. Woolridge then yelled at his girlfriend, balled his hands into fists and walked toward her before an officer got between them, according to police.
Woolridge grabbed an officer by the waist, pinned him to a couch and started swinging, police said. As other officers tried to restrain Woolridge, he grabbed a sergeant and put the officer in a headlock, police said.
It took four officers to wrestle Woolridge to the ground and handcuff him, authorities said. Even after being handcuffed, Woolridge allegedly kept trying to kick officers.
While in a holding cell, Woolridge took out a plastic baggie of what was later determined to be cocaine, and dumped the powder on the cell floor as he tried to get rid of it, police said.
Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Historic Bethlehem Tour with Hostesses on 5.14.1948.jpg
A look at a reception at the Historic Bethlehem Tour on May 14, 1948, where hostesses, Mrs. Allen W. Stephens is pouring tea, and Mrs. William Bewley is serving sugar cake.
(Special to Lehighvalleylive.com)
Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites is gearing up for the May 14 unveiling of the "Bethlehem Back When" exhibition, a selection of photos displayed on the second floor of the Luckenbach Mill.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a members' reception slated for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
This is the first-ever exhibition dedicated to showcasing the photo collection, which spans decades and captures moments, big and small, in the lives of Bethlehem residents.
A snapshot from 1893 of the Lehigh River boat landing on Memorial Day on Calypso Island, now known as Sand Island. (Special to lehighvalleylive.com)
The project began as a community driven effort to digitize and catalogue a collection of over 8,000 photographs that were taken for Bethlehem Steel and catalogued prior to being donated to Historic Bethlehem in 1980. Volunteers from Bethlehem Historic District Association met weekly to scan and record the condition of the photographs.
Snapshots taken by Bethlehem Steel photographers encompass portraits, street views, landscapes and the occasional oddball: like a man in tights or a woman on a donkey. Other photos include: a snapshot from 1893 of the Lehigh River boat landing on Memorial Day on Calypso Island, now known as Sand Island, as well as a look at a reception at the Historic Bethlehem Tour on May 14, 1948, where hostesses, Mrs. Allen W. Stephens is pouring tea, and Mrs. William Bewley is serving sugar cake.
The "Bethlehem Back When" exhibit will run May 14 to Nov. 1 in the newly renovated Luckenbach Mill Learning Center. The Luckenbach Mill hasn't been home to an exhibition or open to the public in over 10 years, making "Bethlehem Back When" its inauguration.
Beginning May 15, hours of operation for the Luckenbach Mill will be Friday-Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In upcoming months, portions of the collection will be accessible to the public through an online catalogue, which will serve as a window back in time to the daily lives of the Bethlehem residents throughout history. The photos will also be available to order as print copies.
For information, call 610-360-TOUR. For volunteering information, contact Lindsey Jancay, curator, at 610-868-6868 ext. 63 or LJancay@historicbethlehem.org.
Follow lehighvalleylive.com on Twitter at @lehighvalley. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
High school lockdown to be lifted, classes to resume as usual
A lockdown put in place May 2, 2016, Emmaus High School over the discovery of bullets in a boys' bathroom is scheduled to be lifted May 3, 2016, East Penn School District officials said. (Lehighvalleylive.com file photo)
Monday's lockdown at Emmaus High School is scheduled to be lifted Tuesday, when classes are set to resume as normal, the East Penn School District announced.
Emmaus police and district administrators continued Monday night to investigate the incident in which two .22-caliber bullets were found in a boys' lavatory at the 500 Macungie Ave. school, East Penn spokeswoman Laura Groh said.
The lockdown began shortly after 8 a.m., and officials appealed to students to assist in the probe.
A .22-caliber Long Rifle bullet is a rimfire cartridge, whose projectile can travel up to a mile. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)
Investigators as of mid-morning said they had identified who was responsible for placing the bullets and found there was no threat.
They were believed to have been left in the restroom in an effort to spur an early dismissal Monday.
Students were allowed to move within the building and attend classes once authorities had identified the culprit.
The Stinger, the school's student newspaper, kept the school community and public apprised during the lockdown on its Twitter account.
[<a href="//storify.com/lehighvalley/emmaus-high-school-newspaper-live-tweets-lockdown" target="_blank">View the story "Emmaus High School newspaper live-tweets lockdown" on Storify</a>]<h1>Emmaus High School newspaper live-tweets lockdown</h1><h2>The Stinger, the student newspaper at Emmaus High School, kept the school community and public apprised during a lockdown May 2, 2016, caused by .22-caliber bullets left in a bathroom.</h2><p>Storified by <a href="https://storify.com/lehighvalley">lehighvalleylive.com</a>· Mon, May 02 2016 21:41:56 </p><div>EHS goes into exterior threat lockdown around 7:45 AM, nearly six months after bullets incident forced school closure.The Stinger</div><div>Administrators announce lockdown to continue after two 22-caliber bullets found in boys bathroom in science wing; ask for students' help.The Stinger</div><div>Lockdown continues into first of four lunches as students stay in rooms. Those in AP testing take break; others tweet they need bathrooms.The Stinger</div><div>Students attempt to entertain themselves during a nearly 3-hour lockdown; still stuck in 1st period classrooms. https://t.co/cre1bCTzIFThe Stinger</div><div>Lockdown continues into period 2 as students remain in 1st period classes, all while some take Advanced Placement testing.The Stinger</div><div>Emmaus police remain on the scene as investigators continue to search for suspect or suspects in bullets drop as lockdown continues.The Stinger</div><div>External lockdown to remain but classes to resume at 10:35. Admins found student responsible, citing intent was to cause early dismissal.The Stinger</div><div>News crews remain @EHS; admin says no weapons/additional bullets found. School ruled safe; classes resume as usual. https://t.co/9EhaQtBiSBThe Stinger</div>
Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Two missionaries who worked for a Lower Macungie Township organization that does religious outreach in Jamaica were killed over the weekend, the organization said on Facebook.
"On Saturday... Harold Nichols and Randy Hentzel ... were murdered," TEAMS for Medical Missions, which is based at 6201 Hamilton Blvd., said on Facebook. "We do not know who would do this or what their motivation was. These men greatly loved the people of Jamaica and were greatly loved in return."
The men were found in separate areas in what the Associated Press called a rural area of the island "that has long struggled with high rates of violent crime."
The men and their families did evangelism and Bible ministry and built homes, the Associated Press said.
US missionaries Randy Hentzel & Harold Nichols killed in Jamaica #caribbean - https://t.co/sXS0GUmkpN pic.twitter.com/CMgnQ6PhW1 Headline Hound (@headline_hound) May 2, 2016
Fellow missionary Merlin H. Pratt said on Facebook that the men were "on their way to check on the foundation of a house soon to be built for Jamaica's Poorest of the Poor."
Hentzel was originally from Donnellson, Iowa, his Facebook page said. It wasn't immediately clear where Nichols lived prior to Jamaica.
"Tragically, one of our own missionary partners, Randy Hentzel, was killed in Jamaica Saturday morning. From what we currently know, he and his co-worker, Harold Nichols, were out on a motorcycle ride and were attacked and murdered," according to the First Family Church's Facebook page.
TEAMS for Medical Missions, which "is a mission organization that seeks to link the Church in America with the Church in Jamaica by means of full-time missionaries and short-term teams," will continue its work, according to its Facebook page.
"TEAMS for Medical Missions remains committed to serving the people of Jamaica and demonstrating the unconditional love of Christ," the Lehigh County organization said. "Our T4MM family is grieving and we covet your prayers. We serve an amazing God who is able to bring beauty from ashes and it is in Him that we put our trust."
Hentzel, 48, who lived in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, was married with three children, while Nichols, 53, was married and lived in Huddersfield, Jamaica, according to Facebook.
Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
In the fall, the federal government will lift the cap on the number of hourly takeoffs and landings at Newark-Liberty International Airport.
The reclassification, from a Level 3 airport to a Level 2 facility, will open up Newark to more carriers -- potentially low-cost airlines -- that were previously kept out by Newark's flight restrictions.
JetBlue has already jumped onboard, announcing Thursday it would add six roundtrip flights to Florida; others may soon follow suit.
But what will it mean for fliers? Cheaper fares? More flight options? Or could it lead to longer lines and departure delays?
First, it's important to understand what the changes mean.
What are airport levels?
Airlines pay for takeoff and landing slots at airports. The guidelines for allocating those slots are set by an organization called the International Air Transport Association, a trade group made up of about 260 airlines.
The IATA breaks down airport designations like this in its Worldwide Slot Guidelines:
Level 1
: Airports where the capacity of the airport infrastructure is generally adequate to meet the demands of airport users at all times.
Level 2
: Airports where there is potential for congestion during some periods of the day, week, or season which can be resolved by schedule adjustments mutually agreed between the airlines and facilitator. A facilitator is appointed to facilitate the planned operations of airlines using or planning to use the airport.
Level 3
: Airports where capacity providers have not developed sufficient infrastructure, or where governments have imposed conditions that make it impossible to meet demand. A coordinator is appointed to allocate slots to airlines and other aircraft operators using or planning to use the airport as a means of managing the declared capacity.
Newark was a Level 3 airport and was restricted to 81 slots per hour. It's moving to a Level 2 in the fall, meaning those restrictions will be lifted.
Other Level 2 airports in the United States are located in Chicago, Los Angeles, Orlando and San Francisco.
Will ticket prices drop?
The FAA says so.
Officials say they believe the reclassification will increase competition at the airport, where United accounts for more than 70 percent of flights.
While JetBlue didn't specify pricing for its added flights, its vice president of network planning, Dave Clark, said the airlines will bring "more choice and more lower fares" to Newark.
"This will be very good for New Jersey," he said.
"Lifting arbitrary slot restrictions means greater competition at our airports and lower prices for passengers," said Joe Sitt of Global Gateway Alliance, an advocacy group.
But Douglas Kidd, executive director at the National Association of Airline Passengers, disagrees.
"It remains to be seen what effect, if any, increased competition will have on ticket prices," said Kidd. "The real benefit to passengers, I expect, will be a great choice of flights and destinations, as United apparently has not made the fullest use of the slots they have. "
In addition to JetBlue, two low-cost carriers, Spirit and Alaska airlines, have both told NJ Advance Media that they are considering putting in for additional service at Newark.
What about the lines?
Experts say that it may take longer to get through security, but the TSA remains optimistic.
In March, the TSA told fliers to make sure they arrive two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight because officials expected delays. Since then, there have a been a number of reports of screening lines snaking through terminals, causing longer than normal wait times.
"It's still six months out and we will work closely with airlines and partners to prepare," said Mike McCarthy, a spokesman for the TSA.
Passenger advocacy groups aren't as optimistic.
Paul Hudson, the president of FlyersRights.org, the largest airline passenger advocacy group in the country, told NJ Advance Media "there's going be delays."
"There's only so much in the [TSA] budget and people available," he said.
"There is room for increased capacity, but the FAA and TSA have to make smart decisions so delays and security lines don't get even worse," said Sitt said, of Global Gateway Alliance.
Will there be more flight delays?
Possibly, according to experts.
The reclassification will remove the current cap of 81 flights per hour at Newark, which was put in place in 2008 to decrease delays, an issue the FAA said the airport has improved.
Global Gateway Alliance calls these caps arbitrary and wants to remove them from LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports as well, though Hudson said "delays will probably get worse."
"The risk is that were going to have more congestion [in air]," Hudson said. Hudson said that the airlines should utilize larger planes and reduce the number of flights.
The New York City skies are a "big bottleneck" for flights, he said.
The FAA hasn't said what increase in flights per hour, if any, it expects after the reclassification. Air travel rose 5 percent year-over-year in 2015.
What about the noise and pollution?
"More volume equates to more noise and pollution," Rover Belzer of the NJ Coalition Against Aircraft Noise. "We expect more noise because of the designation."
The FAA expects an increase in pollution, but said it will have limited effect on the environment.
Belzer, who has also asked for details from the FAA on expected volume, told NJ Advance Media that the amount of noise and pollution will ultimately depend on the total number of flights at the airport.
Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A North Catasauqua police officer will not face misdemeanor charges in connection with shooting an injured cat he believed was a danger to the community, Northampton County's district attorney said Monday.
District Attorney John Morganelli during a news conference said he decided after a lengthy investigation that Officer Leighton Pursell should receive a summary citation for cruelty to animals but nothing more serious than that.
"It was a tough call," Morganelli said of the Dec. 6 incident. "I did not find Officer Pursell acted with any malice or maliciously."
However, the district attorney concluded the animal should have not been killed without more of an effort to isolate the animal, and perhaps offer veterinary care.
Pursell's attorney Gary Asteak said his client will fight the summary charge.
He said Pursell was a part-time officer on the North Catasauqua force at the time of the shooting, but declined to comment on his most recent employment status.
"He came upon an attack in violation of the borough ordinance with an animal that had no tags; no sign of ownership; was injured," Asteak said. "In accordance with borough police regulations, he did what was required of him under the regulations and in his judgment at the time. He did not have an animal control officer to call upon and consequently he was required to use force."
Asteak said Pursell considered the cat a threat.
"He viewed the animal as injured, snarling and a threat to public safety on a private property owner's property who wanted it gone," Asteak said. "He had no choice but do do what he did under his code of conduct."
When the cat, Sugar, got out on Dec. 6, owner Tom Newhart got worried the cat could be injured and a neighbor who eventually found the cat on his property called police. Pursell responded to the call and reportedly found the cat several houses away on Mike Lienert's property.
Sugar was hiding under a grill and, besides hissing at Pursell, showed no signs of aggression, attorney Jenna Fliszar, who represented Newhart, had said. The officer poked and prodded Sugar but made no other effort to capture the cat or call for help from animal control, according to Fliszar.
Pursell shot Sugar in the neck, killing the animal.
The shooting prompted an online petition with several thousand signatures for prosecutors to file animal cruelty charges against Pursell, Morganelli said.
'Meticulous, detailed investigation'
An investigation into Pursell's actions began after Fliszar on Dec. 21 requested a probe as to whether Pursell did the right thing in shooting the animal under the Pennsylvania Crime Code's cruelty to animals section.
Morganelli described the probe, conducted by Northampton County Detective John Casciano, as "meticulous" and "detailed."
The investigation included interviews with Fliszar, North Catasauqua Police Chief Kim Moyer, Lienert, a veterinarian and a state dog warden. Various documents were obtained, as well as photographs from the scene of the shooting, X-ray images of Sugar and the 911 call made by Lienert.
Letters from the community were reviewed, as well as a review of two studies about stray animals in the county, Morganelli said.
"Municipalities do not legislatively regulate cats, which means that police officers, animal control officers and dog wardens are not picking up stray cats, despite their large population," Morganelli said. "In fact, most states do not regulate the control of stray cats ... there are more stray cats in the public than stray dogs."
Dog warden Kathy Andrews provided data showing the county does not provide services for injured, sick or stray cats. Police departments also have no provisions dealing with such animals.
"Essentially, she said, no one will take them," according to Morganelli.
Officer cited
Despite Newhart claiming the cat was not injured, Morganelli said the cat was indeed injured when Pursell arrived.
The 911 call from Lienert also described an injured cat. The animal showed signs of mange, hair loss and was bleeding from the back area, as well as walking with an "exaggerated limp," Morganelli said.
"At this time, it was not known to the police officer that a domestic cat was missing in the jurisdiction," Morganelli said, noting the cat was not wearing a collar.
There also was a rabies concern in December, with five cases that month and seven cases reported in November.
The North Catasauqua Police Department's use of force policy allows an officer to discharge a firearm if an animal "represents a threat to public safety" and as a "humanitarian measure when the animal is seriously injured," Morganelli said.
Fliszar said she was disappointed Pursell wasn't charged with a misdemeanor for his actions and her client disputes any claim of the animal being injured when found by Pursell.
"The objective veterinarian evidence showed that's not the case," she said. "The story has changed. I feel like he (Morganelli) blamed the victim here and that's Mr. Newhart."
Asteak said charging Pursell with the summary offense will have an effect on police officers who are asked to address stray animals in municipalities that don't employ animal control officers.
"It is not their job to deal with stray dogs and cats and skunks," Asteak said. "They're only going to get in trouble if they follow what they are trained to do.
"We plan to defend this case to the very end."
Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
school bus 2.png
To make the school bus, some students need to be at their stops at 6:30 a.m. or earlier.
( Express-TImes file photo)
Two years ago the American Academy of Pediatrics told us something we already knew: It takes kids, especially teen-agers, a long time to get their brains in gear after getting up to make an early school bus. To be in top form in class, students need 81/2 to 91/2 hours of sleep; first period shouldn't begin until 8:30 or later. Those who get by with inadequate sleep are more susceptible to obesity, depression and distracted driving, the academy said.
None of that was entirely earth-shaking, but New Jersey agreed the physicians' warnings were worth a second look. State education officials are asking for people's opinions about it. Public hearings are being held this week. Anyone who wants to contribute observations and recommendations can do so online by sending an email to laterstarttime@doe.state.nj.us, until May 20.
That input probably will determine whether Gov. Chris Christie and the Legislature decide to approve a pilot program, allowing students at selected schools to sleep in. Or at least sleep a little longer. Part of the state's study is polling administrators to ask how later starts would affect school bus scheduled, after-school activities, parents' work issues, child care, etc.
What do you think? Should school begin later for the middle and upper grades? Is 8:30 a.m. doable -- or likely to create more havoc than it's worth? What's your experience with the current start times?
Have a say in our informal poll, and feel free to join the conversation in the comments section.
A man aged in his thirties charged in connection with the false imprisonment of an 11-year-old girl in the Cullohill area has denied that he tried to abduct her.
A man aged in his thirties charged in connection with the false imprisonment of an 11-year-old girl in the Cullohill area has denied that he tried to abduct her.
Last Friday, March 6, before a special sitting of the Portlaoise District Court, Michael Martin (35), with an address listed at 3 Shandon Court, Yellow Road, Waterford, was charged with false imprisonment.
Garda Declan Quinlan gave evidence that there were two charges against Mr Martin. Garda Quinlan said that when he cautioned the accused, Mr Martin replied: I did not abduct anyone.
Defence, Ms Anne Manning told the court she had been instructed to seek bail, but the gardai objected to bail on a number of grounds.
Mr Martin, dressed in a grey hoody and dark grey tracksuit bottoms, took the witness box to say he would appear in court to meet the charge.
However, Judge Catherine Staines said it was one of the most serious charges to come before the court and she refused bail.
Mr Martin was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court this Friday, March 13.
Ms Manning said she had serious concerns over the accuseds psychiatric state. Judge Staines ordered a psychiatric report on Mr Martin.
As Mr Martin was led from Portlaoise Courthouse last Friday, there was a considerable garda presence on the street outside the court, where a crowd had gathered. Some members of the public shouted remarks as Mr Martin was being put into a waiting garda car.
The arrest came after a nationwide alert following the incident in Cullohill on March 4, in which a man is alleged to have tried to put an 11-year-old girl into his jeep. She is understood to have been playing with her young brother near the family home at the time.
The gardai in Portlaoise appealed to the public in assisting them to trace the whereabouts of a silver Nissan X-Trail 4x4 vehicle which was believed to have been involved in the incident in Cullohill on March 4 at approximately 11am. This 4x4 was reported stolen in the Kilkenny area on March 3.
The male driver of the vehicle was described as approximately 62 of thin build with grey hair. The vehicle was seen acting suspiciously in the area prior to the incident.
A local text alert was put out in the community following the incident, and the principal of Cullohill National School, Ms Anne-Marie Bowe texted all parents requesting them to collect their children after school.
We did send out a text to all their parents and asked them to pick their children up promptly and they were accompanied by class teachers to the gate, she said.
Gardai subsequently arrested a man in Castlecomer, Kilkenny in connection with the attempted abduction and the stolen vehicle was located and recovered by the gardai.
Seriously, Im not joking.
See for yourself.
A snapshot of the audience reaction to Willie Rennie #leadersdebate https://t.co/3HZRKyV7kU pic.twitter.com/WSHc1G2uyt The Daily Record (@Daily_Record) May 1, 2016
I thought he would do well, but I wasnt quite expecting cheering, and rapturous applause for him.
On this occasion, it was his answer to a question on a second independence referendum which got the audience on his side. He said that the Parliament and Government needed to concentrate on the neglected issues like health and education, to concentrate on making Scotland the best country in the world again. You cant do that, he said, while having a groundhog debate about independence. He told Nicola that she was the one being anti-democratic by refusing to accept the result of the poll just 20 months ago.
When you dont get the result you want, you just want to do it all again. he shouted in an exasperated tone that had the audience with him.
I somehow managed to pass the BBCs rigorous selection test, which consisted not just of an online questionnaire but also a phone interview. Here I am, on the right, in the blue dress, behind moderator Sarah Smith as she introduces the debate, captured on my friend Jades tv.
The debate was, rather bizarrely, held in the opulent surroundings of Hopetoun House in South Queensferry. From there, you can just about see where Willie Rennie rocked the political establishment by winning the Dunfermline and West Fife by-election in 2006. I arrived to discover that there was no internet signal. Being offline for four whole hours during waking hours is almost unheard of for me, but I somehow managed.
Unfortunately there wasnt enough signal to tweet that for some reason the BBC didnt trust us to walk a few feet from the place where we registered to the ballroom where the debate was being held. They hired a bus to take us over. I kid you not. You could walk it in less than a minute. The ballroom is more used to hosting weddings than political theatre. There was certainly plenty of drama.
Tory leader Ruth Davidson has been making a big push to replace Labours Kezia Dugdale as Leader of the Opposition. Handily, the BBC put her right next to Nicola Sturgeon so they could spend the hour picking fights with each other, panto style. The thought of that happening every Thursday at noon at First Ministers Questions is not appealing. It was all a bit unedifying. Ruth really struggled, though, on the issue of the delays to the building of Royal Navy frigates at the Govan shipyards. She tried to make out she had a direct line to the Defence Secretary and that it was all going to be fine, but nobody believed her.
Willies answer to a question about the long-term future of the yards was the most forward-looking and thoughtful. He alone talked about the need for diversification into things like renewables, before giving Ruth yet more pain by reminding the audience how the Tories had cut the support for the renewables sector.
He managed to get all the key points about his positive vision for Scotland investment in education, improvements in mental health care, protecting civil liberties and the environment. He showed himself to be sincere, knowledgable, reasonable and passionate about making Scotland the best. He did a very good job of reinforcing the points hed been making through the campaign. And he certainly nailed the Tory lie that we had dropped our opposition to independence. Nobody could be in any doubt of that.
People were coming up to him afterwards and telling him they were going to vote Liberal Democrat for the first time. This has been happening all over Scotland, even in places where you would traditionally find only one Lib Dem in the county, let alone the village.
Id say Kezia Dugdale, the most talented Labour leader in a long time, came second. She doesnt get into the scraps, but shes sincere, authentic and reasonable. Her contributions were thoughtful and practical. You can always tell when someone does well, because the cybernats get a bit overheated.
The Greens co-convener, Patrick Harvie was, as ever, high on rhetoric but low on practical detail.
Here are Willies best bits:
And you can watch the debate in full here.
Here are a few snippets of what people were saying on Twitter about Willies performance:
Looks like Willie Rennie won #Scotsleadersdebate tonight if takes momentum into Thursday Lib Dems might win a few seats Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday94) May 1, 2016
Great job from @willie_rennie tonight, reasoned and focused on policies not the silly shouting down of opponents #leadersdebate Dreams by day (@matt_s_andrews) May 1, 2016
Willie Rennie just told us his "face went red" when he got that wild applause. He's not used to it, he says. Jamie Ross (@JamieRoss7) May 1, 2016
But you cant please everybody
@thommo_g Well when Willie Rennie gets rousing applause, you KNOW the audience is umballanced Moreida Lord (@Leadinglady0609) May 1, 2016
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
LifeStyle
The best LifeStyle shows are right here, from Australia and around the world. Catch up with the experts on home design and interiors, food and cooking, the property market, and get fresh ideas with the savviest of renovators. Whether you need inspiration for cooking up a storm, to refresh a tired room, or tips to sell your property, Foxtel LifeStyle will always something new for you to watch. Enjoy your favourite experts like Andrew Winter and Neale Whitaker, or Deb Hutton and Jamie Oliver live or On Demand.
Get Foxtel
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
May 1, 2016, 11 PM
Lyricist Lorenz Hart is commemorated on this 33 stamp issued Sept. 21, 1999, in the Broadway Songwriters set in the American Music series (Scott 3347).
By Michael Baadke
Lyricist Lorenz Hart was born May 2, 1895, in Harlem in New York City. He met musician Richard Rodgers in 1918, and the two formed a songwriting partnership, collaborating on amateur productions at Columbia University, where Hart was studying journalism.
In 1925, their show The Garrick Gaieties opened on Broadway with the popular hit Manhattan, which has since been performed in numerous films and television programs.
Harts lyrical sophistication contributed to the duos success. His struggles with depression were sometimes reflected in a poignant undercurrent of the songs he wrote with Rodgers.
Connect with Linns Stamp News:
Sign up for our newsletter
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Their Broadway success led to a series of films in the 1930s. They returned to New York and produced more top musicals including Babes in Arms (which produced the hits The Lady is a Tramp and My Funny Valentine) and Pal Joey (including the songs I Could Write a Book and Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered).
Lorenz Hart died of pneumonia in 1943. Richard Rodgers collaborated with new partner Oscar Hammerstein II on huge hits, including Oklahoma! and The Sound of Music.
Hart was commemorated on a 33 stamp issued Sept. 21, 1999, in the Broadway Songwriters set in the American Music series (Scott 3347).
Only one word can describe Francesco Yates, wow. He was the opening act for Carly Rae Jepsen and Hedley on Friday at the Air Canada Centre, a Live Nation presentation, and I was impressed not only with his vocal abilities but his stamina on stage. Francesco was jumping around on stage while singing notes that seasoned professionals would have a hard time hitting. I was disappointed that not more people in the audience got to hear him because they missed out for sure, but, the ones that were in attendance screamed and enjoyed every second of his set. The last song of his performance was Purple Rainby Prince, which, just about everyone has done in the past couple weeks. This became quite a somber moment and Francesco performed this song with the utmost respect it deserves. When Justin Timberlake tweets about Francesco summer jam of 2014 it is time to take notice of this 18 year old. This is one person I will be happy to see again on a headlining tour.
Carly Rae Miss Call Me Maybe graced the stage after Francesco Yates at the Air Canada Centre, she came out wearing a pair of black leather shorts and a white jacket, sporting a brand new pixie hair cut which suits her perfectly. She started her set with Run Away With Me and after the 3rd song she had had enough of everyone sitting down and asked everyone to get up and sing along. This petit little lady managed to fill this huge stage with her voice easily. During her song Good Time the crowd finally got into the spirit and danced or should I say bounced to the beat of the music. She exclaimed she is on the all boys tour. Carly Rae Jepsen of course sang Call Me Maybe unto which the crowd went bonkers as to be expected.
Hedley now bounded into the stage and I now know what thousands of screaming girls sound like and wow are they loud. They started off the show with Hello which is quite the appropriate song to begin a concert. Jacob was on stage running back and forth making sure he sang to everyone, including the people in the farthest corners and in the rafters of the Air Canada Centre. I wish I could bottle his energy and sell it, I would make millions.
I did get a kick out of Jacobs stage presence, hamming it up for everyone. This being said Dave Rosin definitely made himself known as well, he came to the edges of the stage and made sure people knew he was there. He has quite the dance moves and facial expressions down pat while playing the guitar with ease.
I had the privilege of being part of an interview with Hedley for Live In Limbo earlier this year with Jacob and Dave and I was surprised at how down to earth they really are. I am sure the interview process has to be daunting at times but if they dont like doing them they didnt make it known, they were cracking jokes and just looked like they were having a great time.
Hedley slowed their set down a bit and played Cant Slow Down and Gunnin and I am pretty sure the whole band at this point in the night took the welcome break, and rightfully so, they have been running around like maniacs on stage since the second they started. The Air Canada Centre lit up like a Christmas tree during Gunnin after Jacob asked everyone to raise their cell phones and the thousands of fans obliged the request, this will never get old to me, I personally love seeing this.
Jacob sitting at a grand piano made quite the crack at the audience asking them to sing along during For The Nights then stopped after the first line and said that didnt sound like singing that sounded like mumbling and texting That sounded like Ottawa That got quite the boo from the Toronto fans. He restarted For the Nights and everyone in unison sang at the top of their lungs, Jacob seemed pleased and continued the song and stated God, I love you Toronto there was no lack of audience participation at this concert, they completely took over the chorus to Perfect which also happened to be the ending of the laid back portion of the evening. Hedley has come a long way from Idol performing to millions of people all over the world and he made mention of this and his appreciation of his fans more than once during their concert stating as long as you are there for us we will always be there for you. Thank you.
With no problem at all Hedley got everyone back on their feet and I could actually feel the floor vibrating under my chair. The running gag for the evening was every time Jacob said Toronto On-tar-i the whole audience screamed at the top of their lungs O this went on for 90% of the show every chance they got.
As they have in previous performances Jacob decided it was time to take a young ladys cell phone (Alex) and scroll through her contact list making sure the audience knew the names of these contacts. Jacob decided to ask Alex who Andrew was. The entire audience laughed when Jacob said it was her ex boyfriend and said maybe we should call him. Of course the fans egged him on and the phone call was placed much to the chagrin of Alex. The cell phone was held up to the microphone so we all could hear what Andrew was saying. After Andrew decided this phone call was real and not a prank Jacob told Andrew heard you broke up with her, that was a f**k up dude you gave away a great catch Alex was mortified but was invited up on stage for a selfie with the band to prove to Andrew this was real.
There is no lack of showmanship or musicianship in Hedley, they all play off each other and put on a show that not many of the thousands of screaming ladies in the audience will forget.
Once again I must thank the crew because without them there is no show!
Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Yellowstone Volcano Observatory always pooh-pooh these worrisome memes, but that doesn't mean researchers are ignoring the possible consequences of a supereruption. Along with forecasting the damage, scientists constantly monitor the region for signs of molten rock tunneling underground. Scientists scrutinize past supereruptions, as well as smaller volcanic blasts, to predict what would happen if the Yellowstone Volcano did blow.
Here's a deeper look at whether Yellowstone's volcano would fire up a global catastrophe.
Probing Yellowstone's past
Most of Yellowstone National Park sits inside three overlapping calderas. The shallow, bowl-shaped depressions formed when an underground magma chamber erupted at Yellowstone. Each time, so much material spewed out that the ground collapsed downward, creating a caldera. The massive blasts struck 2.1 million, 1.3 million and 640,000 years ago. These past eruptions serve as clues to understanding what would happen if there was another Yellowstone megaexplosion. [Yellowstone and Yosemite: Two of the World's Oldest National Parks (Photos)]
An example of the possible ashfall from a month-long Yellowstone supereruption. (Image credit: USGS)
If a future supereruption resembles its predecessors, then flowing lava won't be much of a threat. The older Yellowstone lava flows never traveled much farther than the park boundaries, according to the USGS. For volcanologists, the biggest worry is wind-flung ash. Imagine a circle about 500 miles (800 kilometers) across surrounding Yellowstone; studies suggest the region inside this circle might see more than 4 inches (10 centimeters) of ash on the ground, scientists reported Aug. 27, 2014, in the journal Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems.
The ash would be pretty devastating for the United States, scientists predict. The fallout would include short-term destruction of Midwest agriculture, and rivers and streams would be clogged by gray muck.
People living in the Pacific Northwest might also be choking on Yellowstone's fallout.
"People who live upwind from eruptions need to be concerned about the big ones," said Larry Mastin, a USGS volcanologist and lead author of the 2014 ash study. Big eruptions often spawn giant umbrella clouds that push ash upwind across half the continent, Mastin said. These clouds get their name because the broad, flat cloud hovering over the volcano resembles an umbrella. "An umbrella cloud fundamentally changes how ash is distributed," Mastin said.
But California and Florida, which grow most of the country's fruits and vegetables, would see only a dusting of ash.
A smelly climate shift
Yellowstone Volcano's next supereruption is likely to spew vast quantities of gases such as sulfur dioxide, which forms a sulfur aerosol that absorbs sunlight and reflects some of it back to space. The resulting climate cooling could last up to a decade. The temporary climate shift could alter rainfall patterns, and, along with severe frosts, cause widespread crop losses and famine.
The walls of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone are made up predominantly of lava and rocks from a supereruption some 500,000 years ago. (Image credit: USGS)
But a Yellowstone megablast would not wipe out life on Earth. There were no extinctions after its last three enormous eruptions, nor have other supereruptions triggered extinctions in the last few million years. [Wipeout: History's 7 Most Mysterious Extinctions]
"Are we all going to die if Yellowstone erupts? Almost certainly the answer is no," said Jamie Farrell, a Yellowstone expert and assistant research professor at the University of Utah. "There have been quite a few supereruptions in the past couple million years, and we're still around."
However, scientists agree there is still much to learn about the global effects of supereruptions. The problem is that these massive outbursts are rare, striking somewhere on Earth only once or twice every million years, one study found (opens in new tab). "We know from the geologic evidence that these were huge eruptions, but most of them occurred long enough in the past that we don't have much detail on what their consequences were," Mastin said. "These events have been so infrequent that our advice has been not to worry about it."
A far more likely damage scenario comes from the less predictable hazards large earthquakes and hydrothermal blasts in the areas where tourists roam. "These pose a huge hazard and could have a huge impact on people," Farrell said.
Supereruption reports are exaggerated
Human civilization will surely survive a supereruption, so let's bust another myth. There is no pool of molten rock churning beneath Yellowstone's iconic geysers and mud pots. The Earth's crust and mantle beneath Yellowstone are indeed hot, but they are mostly solid, with small pockets of molten rock scattered throughout, like water inside a sponge. About 9 percent of the hot blob is molten, and the rest is solid, scientists reported on May 15, 2015, in the journal Science. This magma chamber rests between 3 to 6 miles (5 to 10 km) beneath the park.
Estimates vary, but a magma chamber may need to reach about 50 percent melt before molten rock collects and forces its way out. "It doesn't look like at this point that the [Yellowstone] magma reservoir is ready for an eruption," said Farrell, co-author of the 2015 study in the journal Science. [Can You Outrun a Supervolcano? Maybe, Study Finds]
How do researchers measure the magma? Seismic waves travel more slowly through hot or partially molten rock than they do through normal rock, so scientists can see where the magma is stored, and how much is there, by mapping out where seismic waves travel more slowly, Farrell said.
The magma storage region is not growing in size, either, at least for as long as scientists have monitored the park's underground. "It's always been this size, it's just we're getting better at seeing it," Farrell said.
Hot springs in Yellowstone National Park are just one of the types of thermal features that result from volcanic activity. (Image credit: Dolce Vita/Shutterstock)
Watch out for little eruptions
As with magma mapping, the science of forecasting volcanic eruptions is always improving. Most scientists think that magma buildup would be detectable for weeks, maybe years, preceding a major Yellowstone eruption. Warning signs would include distinctive earthquake swarms, gas emissions and rapid ground deformation.
Someone who knows about these warning signals might look at the park today and think, "Whoa, something weird is going on!" Yellowstone is a living volcano, and there are always small earthquakes causing tremors, and gas seeping from the ground. The volcano even breathes the ground surface swells and sinks as gases and fluids move around the volcanic "plumbing" system beneath the park.
But the day-to-day shaking in the park does not portend doom. The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory has never seen warning signs of an impending eruption at the park, according to the USGS.
What are scientists looking for? For one, the distinctive earthquakes triggered by moving molten rock. Magma tunneling underground sets off seismic signals that are different from those generated by slipping fault lines. "We would see earthquakes moving in a pattern and getting shallower and shallower," Farrell said. To learn about the earthquake patterns to look for, revisit the 2014 eruption of Bardarbunga Volcano in Iceland. Both amateurs and experts "watched" Bardarbunga's magma rise underground by tracking earthquakes. The eventual surface breakthrough was almost immediately announced on Twitter and other social media. As with Iceland, all of Yellowstone's seismic data is publicly available through the U.S. Geological Survey's Yellowstone Volcano Observatory and the University of Utah.
"We would have a good idea that magma is moving up into the shallow depths," Farrell said. "The bottom line is, we don't know when or if it will erupt again, but we would have adequate warning."
Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
In Mediterranean waters, off the coast of France, a diver recently visited the shipwreck La Lune a vesssel in King Louis XIV's fleet which lay untouched and unexplored on the ocean bottom since it sank in 1664. But the wreck's first nonaquatic visitor in centuries wasn't human it was a robot.
Dubbed "OceanOne," the bright orange diving robot resembles a mecha-mermaid. It measures about 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length and has a partly human form: a torso, a head with stereoscopic vision and articulated arms. Its lower section holds its computer "brain," a power supply, and an array of eight multidirectional thrusters.
Guided by a computer scientist from a boat, using a set of joysticks, OceanOne combined artificial intelligence, sensory feedback and dexterous mechanical construction to perform delicate tasks underwater, such as retrieving a fragile artifact from the wreckage and placing it in a box so it could be brought to the surface. [In Images: A 'Robo-Mermaid' Embarks on Its Maiden Dive]
A virtual diver
Remotely operated vehicles (ROV) are commonly used in ocean exploration. But OceanOne's creators designed a new kind of diving robot that can not only investigate parts of the ocean that are less accessible to people, but can do so with the flexibility and dexterity of a human diver.
The engineers also created an interface that allows a person to not only control the robot, but to actually "feel" what the robot is touching, using force sensors and haptic feedback in OceanOne's articulated hands.
"The intent here is to have a human diving virtually," said Oussama Khatib, who piloted OceanOne on its La Lune visit. Khatib, a professor of computer science at Stanford University in California, explained in a statement that the experience of guiding the robot is almost like being the diver.
You can feel exactly what the robot is doing, Khatib said.
OceanOne is also capable of interpreting and responding to its environment autonomously, detecting whether its hands-on work requires a lighter touch and when it needs to adjust its momentum to stay in place or change direction.
The team behind OceanOne conceived of the robot as a means for studying Red Sea coral reefs at depths that were inaccessible to a human diver. OceanOne's flexible digits would allow it to conduct underwater research manipulated by a scientist on the surface without damaging the reef or its inhabitants.
Rise of the machines
While we may not have quite reached the point where robots that resemble people are on every street corner, OceanOne isn't the only humanoid robot in town.
A two-legged, humanoid disaster-response robot named "Atlas" made its public debut in 2013. Designed by the robotics design company Boston Dynamics to navigate challenging, outdoor terrain, Atlas stands 6 feet 2 inches tall (1.9 meters) and weighs 330 pounds (150 kilograms).
Recent videos of Atlas demonstrated that the robot could keep its balance over uneven surfaces, navigate around trees, and even recover after it had been pushed.
And another bipedal bot designed to detect and put out fires may soon help Navy firefighters extinguish blazes at sea. The Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot (SAFFiR) is 5 feet 10 inches (1.8 meters) tall and weighs about 140 lbs. (64 kilograms). It can withstand exposure to smoke and heat and is capable of wielding a hose with its mechanical "hands."
Diver down
For now, these groundbreaking robots including OceanOne are still one-of-a-kind protoypes. But OceanOne's engineers are eager to build more of these mechanical divers, in order to test their prototype's ability to work as part of a team of diving units.
Robotic divers would be a promising alternative for tackling underwater environments that might be too dangerous for humans, but the sensitivity of the computer interface would still allow a human "presence" during the dive that can't be achieved with traditional submersibles. The robots' manual dexterity would also enable these machines to perform tasks that formerly only people could carry out.
"The two bring together an amazing synergy," Khatib said in a statement. "The human and robot can do things in areas too dangerous for a human, while the human is still there."
Follow Mindy Weisberger on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
A French jet ski champion has set a new world record for the longest hoverboard flight, far surpassing the previous record.
Franky Zapata flew a hoverboard 7,388 feet (2,252 meters) from a height of 164 feet (50 m), according to Guinness World Records. The daredevil set the new record on the Flyboard Air, a futuristic craft developed by his company, Zapata Racing.
Previous world record holder Catalin Alexandru Duru piloted a hoverboard prototype of his own design that flew 905 feet, 2 inches (275.9 m). [Hyperloop, Jetpacks & More: 9 Futuristic Transit Ideas]
The "Flyboard Air" hoverboard was developed by Zapata Racing. (Image credit: Guinness World Records)
The hoverboard is essentially a flying skateboard, similar to the one that Marty McFly famously rode in the 1989 classic movie "Back to the Future Part II." Though the board from that film was only a piece of movie magic, a number of functional prototypes have been introduced in recent years.
Zapatas record-breaking flight, which flew more than eight times the distance of Durus, was staged off the coast of Sausset-les-Pins, in the south of France, on April 30. Followed by a fleet of boats and jet skis, Zapata can be seen piloting his Flyboard Air over the water in a video of the event that Zapata Racing shared recently.
On site to confirm the record-setting distance, Guinness World Records adjudicator Sofia Grenache said in the video that the flight as a phenomenal sight to see.
Prior to the Guinness World Record attempt, Zapata Racing had shared footage from a test flight of the Flyboard Air that went viral. The company has developed a range of other devices, including the original Flyboard, which connects to a watercraft turbine via a long hose. In comparison, the Flyboard Air is powered by an "Independent Propulsion Unit" to fly hose-free for up to 10 minutes, according to Zapata Racing. The company also claims that the hoverboard can reach a height of 10,000 feet (3,048 m), with a maximum speed of 93 miles per hour (150 km/h).
The Flyboard Airs technology took four years to develop, reported The Verge. The board has four 250-horsepower turbo engines, fueled by Jet A1 kerosene carried in a tank strapped to its rider's back. There are also two engines for stabilization on each side of the board.
Its extremely hard to stabilize its not only my balance, Zapata told The Verge. For example, we use, like, the same kind of electronics like you use on a drone to stabilize. The problem is to create the algorithms, the right algorithms, to combine the intelligence in the board and in your brain.
Follow Kacey Deamer @KaceyDeamer. Follow Live Science @livescience, on Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
The U.S. Space Force has been established to keep a keen military eye on the space domain that is congested and contested by numbers of nations.
Here on Earth, the air, land, and sea are zones of conflict, clashes and combat. There is a growing perception that next up is the ocean of space , transformed into an arena for warfare.
There is ongoing chatter regarding military use of space by various nations. The freshly established U.S. Space Force , for instance, is busily shaping how best to protect U.S. and allied interests in the increasingly contested and congested space domain.
What conditions could lead to clashes in space? Is such a situation a given, or can conflicts be short-circuited ahead of time ? Could nations "slip into" off-planet muscle-flexing, quarreling and actual warfighting in space that might spark confrontation here on terra firma?
Space.com contacted several leading military space and security experts, asking for their opinions on the current status of the militarization of space.
Related: The most dangerous space weapons ever
Pass interference
The term " warfare in space " could entail things that are already taking place, said Mark Gubrud, an adjunct assistant professor in the Curriculum in Peace, War & Defense at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He pointed to jamming satellite communications, laser dazzling of photo-snapping satellites, hacking systems to selectively block or eavesdrop on phone or data streams, and probing systems to see if they can be hacked.
"While the full extent of such activities may not be known, they appear to occur sporadically up to now," Gubrud said. According to some reports, he said, the U.S. and perhaps others have made extensive use of the ability to intercept and interfere with commercial telecom traffic, though this is an asymmetric capability of major powers that presents little risk of escalation.
Gubrud said that all of these forms of harmful interference could potentially lead to escalation risks as they are more widely and commonly practiced and as adversaries develop reciprocal capabilities.
"Therefore, we should build on the United Nations Outer Space Treaty with a further treaty that bans all forms of harmful interference and weapons for causing interference," he said.
Absence of binding commitments
The greatest danger will arise from a massive proliferation of Earth-based anti-satellite systems that are able to affect spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit and beyond, or the pre-deployment of various types of such weapons in space that would allow them to reach their targets within minutes or seconds, rather than hours, Gubrud said.
"Here the potential for rapid escalation becomes a severe threat to nuclear stability, as the main confronting powers would almost certainly be the US, Russia and China," he said. The only good news here is that this hasn't happened yet, he added, probably because there is enough recognition of how dangerous it would be.
"So really, the path to war in space is a space arms race , one that has long been postponed but that is only made more imminent and potentially explosive as technology advances in the absence of binding commitments to space arms control," Gubrud concluded.
Tailgating
Space is already weaponized by dual-use robotic spacecraft serving as weapons to disable our satellites , said Brian Chow, an independent policy analyst with over 25 years' experience as a senior physical scientist specializing in space and national security.
"Because their peaceful uses are important to space prosperity, they should not be banned," Chow said. "Actually, we can accept some rules and measures so that we can enjoy the benefits of these spacecraft and prevent them from harming our satellites at the same time."
Chow senses that the present problem is that the international community has not prohibited spacecraft, whether peaceful or hostile, from staying arbitrarily close to satellites operated by another nation. An adversary is not prevented from placing its dual-use spacecraft close to our satellites in peacetime.
"Once these spacecraft are in place, mounting attacks from such a close range would give us insufficient warning time to fashion a defense and save our targeted satellites," Chow told Space.com.
The international community is ambiguous about whether a nation is allowed to tailgate another country's satellites, Chow said. Also, the current U.S. national security space strategy is ambiguous about preemptive self-defense, including when it faces a threat from space stalkers, he said.
Related: 2 Russian satellites are stalking a US spysat in orbit, and the Space Force is watching
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a constellation of satellites that provides position, navigation and timing data to military and civilian users globally. Next-generation satellites are designed to thwart jamming and signal-spoofing by aggressors (Image credit: Lockheed Martin and U.S. Space Force)
Dangerous ambiguities
The uncertainties surrounding preemption and stalking are dangerous, Chow said. For instance, China could reason that space stalkers would be the best type of anti-satellite system, because it would present the United States with two bad choices.
"First, the United States could preemptively destroy the space stalkers to save the targeted satellites so as to maintain space support to military operations during crisis and war," Chow said. "However, without discussing and resolving these two ambiguities with the international community in peacetime, the United States could be condemned as the aggressor who fired the first shot, which led to a war in space possibly spreading to Earth something both sides tried to avoid," Chow said.
Secondly, Chow said that the United States may not be able to fight effectively without the support of some critical satellites.
"Facing these two bad choices, the United States might end up not intervening at all. This would be the perfect outcome for China, as it prevented U.S. intervention without firing a single shot," Chow said. "If we keep using the current space policy without necessary and needed changes, the U.S. and other nations could 'stumble into' such conflicts."
Related: Military Space: Spacecraft, weapons and tech
Lose-lose proposition
"I'm not a huge believer in inevitability," said Wendy Whitman Cobb, an associate professor of Strategy and Security Studies at the U.S. Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. "Analysts have constantly been saying that attacks and weapons in space are inevitable and right around the corner since the 1960s."
It has long been recognized, said Whitman Cobb, that one country attacking a satellite of another is a lose-lose proposition for those concerned.
"Not only would the space environment be cluttered with debris making it harder to operate there, but it would be open season on all satellites including their own," she said. "Because of the stability that monitoring from space gave to the nuclear arms race, it was just better to allow satellites to freely operate rather than threaten your own strategic position."
In 2019, India tested an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon. The target of the Mission Shakti test was the country's Microsatellite-R satellite, specifically built to be destroyed as it replicated the size of a typical adversary's defense spacecraft. China, Russia and the United States have also seriously researched ASAT technology. (Image credit: India Defense Research & Development Organization)
Economic repercussions
The flourishing commercialization of space and the global economy's reliance on space-based systems makes open conflict in space very costly, as Whitman Cobb points out in her recent book, "Privatizing Peace: How Commerce Can Reduce Conflict in Space" (Routledge, 2020).
"It only takes one piece of debris to take down a satellite through which financial transactions and key communications are routed. The wrong satellite could have significant economic repercussions that would not be isolated to one country alone," Whitman Cobb said. "Thus there should be both strategic and economic considerations that restrain countries in their use of weapons in space."
That said, Whitman Cobb added that it is still possible for states either to stumble into conflict or to have conflict be initiated by rogue states like North Korea or Iran. The electromagnetic pulse from a detonating nuclear device, for example, would quite quickly and easily take out all satellites in the vicinity.
"It's certainly a non-discriminatory weapon, but, backed into a corner, it's not far out of the realm of possibility for North Korea or Iran," she said.
Because of the dual nature of space technology and the inherent secrecy involved, there's a significant chance of misperception, Whitman Cobb said, stressing that misunderstandings of not just technology but also intent could easily lead to conflict. (Her views are her own, based on open source, unclassified information and are not representative of the Department of the Defense or the Air Force.)
Chest thumping
There is a lot of talk that space is now weaponized, so the attitude in certain quarters is that the U.S. would be remiss to not "keep up," said Joan Johnson-Freese, a professor of national security affairs at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.
"Dual-use technology has meant that there have been 'potential' space weapons around for at least a decade, but now we are moving, if not running, toward the overt weaponization of space," Johnson-Freese said. She thinks what might be going on relates to putting some parameters around the Space Force mission to organize, train and equip.
"That can be broadly defined as the Trump Administration seemed inclined to do or reined in a bit to abate some of the chest-thumping, warfare-fighting connotations given to its creation, some of which Space Force has since perpetuated," Johnson-Freese added, noting that her views are her own and not those of the Department of Defense, Department of the Navy, nor the Naval War College.
Perhaps the Biden Administration will tone down the chest-thumping rhetoric. But should technology development and war fighting plans continue?
"Yes, I think that's inevitable. I also think, however, that without some measure of accompanying space diplomacy, there is a distinct danger of space war of some sort being a self-fulfilling prophecy," said Johnson-Freese. "I would like to see a major effort by this new administration in space diplomacy, specifically toward transparency and confidence building measures."
Leonard David is author of "Moon Rush: The New Space Race (opens in new tab)," which was published by National Geographic in May 2019. A longtime writer for Space.com, David has been reporting on the space industry for more than five decades. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
There was a widespread sense of sadness in the Kenagh area recently as word spread that well known local man Peter Carberry had passed away at the age of 92.
Known far and wide for his mastery of the uilleann pipes, Peter had been a patron of the uilleann pipers' association, Na Piobairi Uilleann, for two decades.
His love for the instrument stretched right back to his childhood, when as a young boy he saw the travelling musician Johnny Doran performing outside the gates of Pearse Park in 1937.
It was the first time the young Peter saw the instrument being played and from that moment he was hooked.
When learning the pipes, Peter obtained his first instrument from the renowned pipe-maker James Mulcrone, who was himself a native of Carrickedmond.
As he did not have the money to hand, his father gave him a heifer to rear and once he had done this its sale covered the cost.
Together with his late brother Kevin, who was a noted banjo player, one of Peter's first forays into live performance came as a tin whistle player with The Rising of the Moon ceili band, which was put together by Michael 'Black Mick' McGann.
With that group, the Carberry brothers played alongside fiddle players Sean Egan and Larry Kelly, accordionist Michael McGann (no relation to the band's founder), flautist Michael Geraghty, and drummer Pat Higgins.
Peter would go on to play with many other leading traditional musicians such as Jimmy Donlon and Jimmy Hanley an uncle of Sean Keane of The Chieftans and among the regular visitors to sessions at the Carberry household throughout the 1950s and '60s was Dr Noel Browne.
It was also around this time Peter joined Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, with whom he toured extensively, performing as far afield as the United Kingdom, Portugal, USA, Canada, Brazil, and Libya where he played to an audience which included Colonel Gaddafi.
Aside from music, Peter also turned out for his local GAA team in his younger days and was also known to feature for Longford Minors.
He worked for Bord na Mona for 46 years, operating the company's 'bagger' turf cutting machines in the boglands of south Longford and often worked nights at the height of the peat harvest.
He married Patricia Rogers from Ardagh in 1946 and the couple went on to have six children.
Peter died peacefully on Thursday, April 14. A proud Kenagh native and Irishman, the tricolour was flown at half mast outside Peter's home while he was waked.
His remains were removed to the Church of the Blessed Virgin in Newtowncashel on Saturday, April 16, where Funeral Mass was celebrated. Burial took place afterwards at Clonbonny Cemetery.
He is predeceased by his son Brendan and is survived by his wife Patricia; sons Noel and Peadar; daughters Kitty, Mairead, and Patricia; grandchildren, brothers and sisters, extended family and friend.
May he Rest in Peace.
Family & Parenting, School & Education, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Health & Wellness, Press Releases
By Long Island News & PR Published: May 02 2016
The New York State Education Department announced today in conjunction with Senate Majority Leader John J. Flanagan and Assembly Assistant Speaker Felix W. Ortiz that it will work with organizations that promote organ and tissue ...
Albany, NY - April 28, 2016 - The New York State Education Department announced today in conjunction with Senate Majority Leader John J. Flanagan and Assembly Assistant Speaker Felix W. Ortiz that it will work with organizations that promote organ and tissue donation to develop model curriculum, exemplar lesson plans and best practice instructional resources on the importance and value of organ and tissue donation. These materials will be made available free for every school district in the state starting in September at the start of the school year.
Thousands of New Yorkers are waiting for organ and tissue donations right now, Board of Regents Chancellor Betty Rosa said. These tools will help school districts teach students that people of all ages and medical history can donate organs and tissue and help save lives. Its a valuable lesson in good citizenship; helping others in need. NYSED will issue guidance to every district statewide to inform them that these materials are available for use in the classroom.
The State Education Department is committed to making sure this lifesaving information gets to as many students as possible, State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia said. These materials can be used in a number of ways, such as part of drivers education courses. As young people get their drivers licenses, they will also get information on the need for organ and tissue donation. That little heart printed on their drivers license will be a sign of their compassion and caring. I want to thank Senator Flanagan and Assistant Speaker Ortiz for their leadership and for working with the Department on a sensible approach to this important issue.
Education is key to increasing the number of New Yorkers enrolled to be organ donors and increasing the number of lives that are saved with organ transplants across the state each year, Regent James Cottrell said. By giving districts tools like model curriculum and lesson plans, we are ensuring that students have the information they need to make what could be a lifesaving decision.
This is a great day for the thousands of New Yorkers in need of life-saving transplants, Senate Majority Leader John J. Flanagan said. I applaud the State Education Department and Commissioner Elia for collaborating with organizations that promote donation on our recently passed legislation so that young people can become better educated about the many benefits of organ, tissue, bone marrow, and blood donation. High school students will be able to make informed decisions about whether to become donors and, by getting the word out on the importance of registering when they become eligible, we can increase participation in donor programs that give more people a chance at living longer, healthier lives.
The State Education Department's new effort to create instructional materials on the importance and value of organ, tissue and blood donations for high school students will improve donation consent rates among the next generation of New Yorkers, Assistant Speaker Felix W. Ortiz said. As the sponsor of Laurens Law that created the Donate Life Registry through DMV applications, I am pleased to announce this next step to help educate young New Yorkers about the importance of organ donations. I look forward to seeing our states consent rates rise as a result of it.
The New York State School Boards Association applauds the states efforts to educate students on organ donation without imposing another curriculum mandate, said New York State School Boards Association Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer. We thank Chancellor Rosa, Commissioner Elia, Majority Leader Flanagan and Assistant Speaker Ortiz for their leadership in providing this information.
In addition to producing guidance materials, NYSED will remind districts about the materials each year in April as part of Organ Donation Awareness Month.
Pets & Animal, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases
By Long Island News & PR Published: May 02 2016
Suffolk County Legislator Robert Trotta is most appreciative of the support he received from the residents who donated to his pet food drive to benefit Baxters Pet Pantry at Long Island Cares.
Smithtown, NY - April 29, 2016 - Suffolk County Legislator Robert Trotta is most appreciative of the support he received from the residents who donated to his pet food drive to benefit Baxters Pet Pantry at Long Island Cares. In addition, many customers at the IGA Markets in Fort Salonga and East Northport contributed items to the bins stationed at the stores, as well as from Splash and Dash Pet Grooming in St. James. Everyone was incredibly generous in donating cat and dog food/treats and bird seed, as well as other items for the pet pantry at LI Cares. I am thrilled that we collected 435 pounds, as well as a donation of $100 from a local resident, said Suffolk County Legislator Robert Trotta.
Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com
Columnists Press Releases
ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- Hillary Clinton wants you to know she's in on the joke.
The Democratic presidential candidate praised President Obama for his remarks at his final White Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night, even acknowledging the digs he made about her.
"Nice job last night. Aunt Hillary approves," Clinton tweeted Sunday. (The tweet was signed "-H," meaning it's from Clinton herself.)
Obama teased Clinton for her difficulty appealing to younger voters at the dinner.
"Look, I've said how much I admire Hillary's toughness, her smarts, her policy chops, her experience," Obama told the crowd of politicians, celebrities and journalists. "Youve got to admit it though: Hillary trying to appeal to young voters is a little bit like your relative who just signed up for Facebook.
"'Dear America, did you get my poke?'" he continued, impersonating Clinton. "'Is it appearing on your wall? Im not sure I am using this right. Love, Aunt Hillary.'
"It's not entirely persuasive," Obama concluded.
Clinton did not attend the annual dinner. Her rival for the Democratic nomination, Bernie Sanders, however, was there, as well as some of Clinton's top staffers, including campaign manager Robby Mook and vice chair Huma Abedin.
Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Starting around eight years ago, browsers could be tapped by websites to provide an approximate to exact notion of where you are. Fortunately, from nearly the beginning, there was an understanding by those developing standards and implementations that such information should require affirmative permissionopt-in! From the advent, in nearly every case, youve been prompted whether or not you wanted to give a site your current location, often with some limitations.
Its very handy to offer up your whereabouts to, say, a retail chain or bank site, where it can automatically show the nearest locations without you having to type in a zip code. Were used to this convenience in mobile devices, and iOS has extremely granular app-based location controls. But in a mobile browser, as long as the browser can use location, any site you visit can request position; the permission granted is unique to each site.
However, once youve provided your location, it gets trickier. Do you want to opt in for all eternity? Every major browser has a different way of handling your initial and subsequent choices and how to change forever decisions you made in the past.
Google just improved one underlying security weakness, which prompted this column, but also makes me wonder whether other browser makers will step up.
Cloak and decloak
Desktop versions of Safari, Chrome, and Firefox each have a different approach in the permission you can initially grant to a site.
Safari first relies on system-wide location permissions, something that Firefox and Chrome bypass, even though youd think that should be forbidden? You can disable all app-based location privacy at a go, or prevent Safari from even asking. In the Security & Privacy system preference pane, click Privacy, and then click the lock in the lower-left corner and enter your password. You can now uncheck Enable Location Services or scroll through the list and uncheck Safari.
You can also set a variety of limits within Safari. In Preferences > Privacy, you can disable all location prompts by choosing Deny Without Prompting. I have mine set to Prompt for each website once each day. Oddly, even with that choice, Safaris prompt when a site requests your location leaves the checkbox Remember my decision for one day unselected. (The results of this interaction arent totally clear.)
If you choose Prompt for each website one time only in Safaris preferences and leave Remember my decision for one day unchecked, Apple doesnt provide a suggestion about deleting this choice except for selecting Safari > Clear History, which wipes cookies, location, cache, and history. (Hold down the Option key and it just deletes browsing history.)
Safari in OS X (left) and iOS prompt in the same way, but you cant delete individual choices in iOS.
However, I found an undocumented feature. In Preferences > Privacy, click Details below Remove all website data (it may take a moment for the Details button to appear), then search on a site for which you want to remove your location preference. Delete the entry by clicking Remove. In my testing, this resets the preference.
Chrome will prompt by default if a site requests your location, but you can only opt in or outnot for a period of time. Once youve made that choice, you can modify it. Visiting chrome://settings/content lets you scroll down to Location and click Manage Exceptions where you can see all the sites you allowed and denied to track.
Chrome lets you set your sharing preference for all sites, and then edit individual choices later. You can also make changes while visiting a site.
Firefox has a bit of the worst of both Safari and Chrome. It lacks an option to share your location for a day or other period, asking only whether you want to allow or not, and doesnt let you edit these permissions without visiting a site. Its a bit problematic and paradoxical that you have to visit a site you no longer want to allow to track you in order to disable that sites ability to track you. (On a given page, use Tools > Page Info, click the Permissions tab, and modify the settings for Access Your Location.)
Firefox has a somewhat florid prompt. You can change permissions for a site only by revisiting it.
In iOS, Safari will prompt you just as it does in the desktop version. However, while you can disable Safari location awareness entirely (Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Safari Websites), you cant remove or change settings for an individual site. You can reset all site preferences via Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data, which is a nuclear option and, if youre signed into the same iCloud account on multiple iOS devices and Macs, wipes all that information from every copy of Safari on those pieces of hardware.
Broadcasting from a secure location
Websites have always been able to place someone approximately using the Internet protocol (IP) address thats part of the browsers connection to a Web server. If you use anonymizing services (like Tor) or virtual private network (VPNs) tunnels, this can obscure where you are to a site. Outside of that, you cant outright prevent sites from guessing about where you are.
Browser-based geolocation is a lot more private, though, and the long-imposed safeguards that require a browser asks permission are a nice exception in a digital world that doesnt seem to value our privacy over the interests of advertisers and marketing.
There remains one outstanding security weakness, however, that Google just addressed after months of alerting website developers to the change. As of Chrome version 50, the browser only provides a location response if the connection is secured.
As Googles developers blog neatly explains, If the users location is available from a non-secure context, attackers on the network will be able to know where that user is. This seriously compromises user privacy. Because the information could be sent in the clear, an attacker could be at any position in the network, from a public Wi-Fi network through intervening network connections and backbones to a data center. Thats a big area of risk.
Safari and Firefox, however, worked just fine with a number of sites that request location using unencrypted http connections instead of https. Its probably past time that all browsers enforce this same policy.
Marie Claire newsletter Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Thank you for signing up to . You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions (opens in new tab) and Privacy Policy (opens in new tab) and are aged 16 or over.
Jennifer Lawrence opens up on her lack of preparation for new Hunger Games Catching Fire movie
Jennifer Lawrence talks preparation, or lack of, for Hunger Games Catching Fire film.
She may be starring in one of the biggest movie franchise's around, but Jennifer Lawrence has revealed that she isn't losing any sleep over playing Katniss Everdeen again.
JENNIFER LAWRENCE CAREER IN PICTURES
The 22-year-old actress recently opened up about her preparation for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in Total Films Future 100 issue, saying: 'If possible, there was even less preparation because I was like, Ive done this before.
'We had a lot of the same crew. Josh [Hutcherson] and Liam [Hemsworth] were there. Normally, when I do a movie, Im meeting people for the first time, so it was amazing to be able to have the same group of people. It was so fun,' she added.
Yesterday the Hollywood beauty- wearing a black maxi dress, hat and sunglasses- jetted out of LAX to Montreal where she will begin filming her upcoming project X-Men: Days of Future Past.
LATEST JENNIFER LAWRENCE NEWS
LATEST CELEBRITY NEWS
Got a tablet? You can now download Marie Claire magazine straight to your iPad (opens in new tab), Kindle (opens in new tab) (just search the store for 'Marie Claire magazine'), Nook or Google Nexus (opens in new tab).
Nordic American Tankers Limited ("NAT" or the "Company") announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire four existing Suezmax sister vessels built in Japan at a world-class shipyard. The aggregate price is $106 million. NAT expects the vessels to be delivered during May, June and July 2016.
Between July 2014 and January 2017 a total of 10 vessels have been added to the NAT fleet, including the previously announced two newbuildings due for delivery in August 2016 and in January 2017. Going forward, this total of a 50% fleet increase within a short time span can be expected to produce significantly increased cash flows and solid dividends compared with a smaller fleet.
The seller is a well-respected group that has owned the four more or less identical sister vessels since they were built. The fact that they are sister vessels is a positive factor of significance. Two were built in 2004, one in 2003 and one in 2000. Shipbuilding technology for crude oil tankers has not changed much over the last 20 years, so whether a ship has been around five years or fifteen years or longer does not matter anywhere near as much as the quality of the ship itself. We would note, that renewal of our fleet is a natural element on our agenda going forward. Our vessels remain first-class, and these four additional tankers only enhance our fleet's reputation for safety and dependability. We are particularly confident about the technical quality of the vessels. Members of NAT management, staff and board have comprehensive experience from Japan, having concluded business with several of its high quality shipbuilders over decades.
The Company noted that the acquisition represents a natural step in the further development of Nordic American. By adding four more ships to 30 units we increase the dividend capacity and bolster our earnings potential. Our well-defined and transparent operating model, including one type of ships, dividend policy, strong balance sheet, are elements supporting the competitive position of the Company.
Danelec Marine informs it has supplied new-generation Voyage Data Recorders (VDRs) for three U.K. Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Bay-Class Landing Ship Dock (LSD) vessels.
The three ships, RFA Lyme Bay, RFA Mounts Bay and RFA Cardigan Bay, have been fitted with Danelec DM100 VDRs, replacing the existing VDRs which are no longer supported by the manufacturer. The type-approved Danelec DM100s bring the ships into compliance with the new IMO performance standards, which came into force in 2014.
The orders for the RFA ships were taken by Radio Holland U.K., which was responsible for overseeing the installation and commissioning of the VDRs on the three ships. Radio Holland UK is also providing worldwide service and support for the VDRs, including mandatory annual performance tests, as well as full life-cycle management of the full suite of bridge electronics on the vessels.
The RFA installations are the latest manifestation of our excellent working relationship with Radio Holland, said Hans Ottosen, CEO of Danelec Marine. Radio Holland has been a valued distributor and global service partner for Danelec Marine products since 2005.
The Bay-Class ships, which entered service in 2006-2007 are multi-mission craft designed for a wide range of sealift, amphibious and relief operations.
International Energy Agency (IEA) chief Fatih Birol said on Sunday that oil prices may have bottomed but that would depend on global economic growth.
Asked if oil prices had reached a bottom, Birol told Reuters: "It may well be the case, but it depends on economic growth."
He expected global oil demand to grow by 1.2 million barrels per day this year while non-OPEC oil production would fall by more than 700,000 bpd.
(Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen Section has announced the recipients of its annual student bursaries programme for 2015-2016.
In total, 7,500 was awarded to seven students attending Aberdeen, Robert Gordon, Dundee, Heriot-Watt and Strathclyde universities. Almost 100 applications were received and for the first time this year, the shortlisted finalists were invited to present one of their answers from their bursary application to a panel of judges before the final recipients were selected.
Two bursaries of 2,500, were awarded to Andrew MacDonald, MEng Mechanical and Offshore Engineering student at Robert Gordon University, and Mohammed Mehdi Walji, MSc Petroleum Engineering student at Heriot Watt University.
Mr MacDonalds chosen topic was entitled: How can innovation from other industries improve efficiency in the energy sector?, whilst Mr Walji presented: Recruitment/apprenticeships are often impacted by industry downturns - what would you suggest are the best ideas for graduates to distinguish themselves or outshine others?
A further 500 was awarded to five other students to help with their studies: Adam Zalewski, MSc Petroleum Engineering, University of Aberdeen, Edris Joonaki, PhD Petroleum Engineering, Heriot Watt University, Alexandra Kuznetsova, PhD Petroleum Engineering, Heriot Watt University, Rachael Hunter, PhD Applied Geoscience, Heriot Watt University and Naroshinii Annaselam, MEng Naval Architecture with Ocean Engineering, University of Strathclyde.
All students were awarded their bursaries by Katy Heidenreich, Student Development Committee Co-Chair, at the SPE Aberdeen Section evening meeting in March where Mr MacDonald and Mr Walji also gave their winning presentations.
On receiving his award, Mr MacDonald explained: I applied for this bursary because as an international student, I dont receive financial support from the government or university and tuition fees can be expensive. The bursary grant will allow me to complete my Masters degree and concentrate on producing quality research by covering my academic expenses and other costs associated with attending university.
Mr Walji added: It is truly an honour to receive such an award, and I plan to use it to deliver two of my aims. Firstly, I would like to develop my own technical skills and enhance my programming skills. Secondly, I intend to create an online platform for high school students thinking of pursuing a career in the industry. As a home student, whilst in high school, there was very little information on what UK positions were available within the industry and I hope to address this for the next generation."
SPE Aberdeen chairman, Ian Phillips, said: We are particularly proud of our annual student bursary scheme and were delighted to receive so many applications at such a high standard. It is vital now more than ever that we continue to support the young people keen to enter our industry.
The support which our events receive from the industry and the commitment from our volunteers makes our bursary scheme possible and enables us to continue inspiring the next generation. I would like to congratulate all the winners and wish them well in their future careers in the industry.
The funding was awarded to those studying a degree relevant to the oil and gas industry, at an under-graduate, post-graduate or PhD level. Students were required to demonstrate an intention of working in the oil and gas industry on completion of their studies, as well as academic merit and active involvement in the SPE.
SPE Aberdeens Student Development Committee, which is responsible for awarding the annual bursaries, consists of industry professionals, representatives of SPE Aberdeen student chapters and academic sponsors. The committee provides opportunities for Scottish university students to enhance their technical knowledge and professional competence through industry events and specialised conferences, as well as more informal meetings.
Damen and Expedition Voyage Consultants team up to develop globally capable expedition ship.
In response to interest from clients in the fast-growing expedition cruise market, Damen has teamed up with Expedition Voyage Consultants Ltd. to develop a specialist Damen cruise ship, with capacity for around 100 passengers. The cruise ship combines Expedition Voyage Consultants unmatched operational experience with Damens shipbuilding excellence, providing unforgettable experiences in luxury travel to destinations from Polynesia to the Northwest Passage.
Henk Grunstra, Damen Product Director says: This expedition ship will be a significant advance in the market, making it possible for expedition companies to deliver their customers the best expedition experience. This ship will be able to offer innovative and exciting itineraries with a higher level of safety, economy and comfort. Capable of visiting virtually any destination, the design will offer cruise lines the option of including activities such as helicopter operations and submersible diving alongside traditional small boat landings and watersports. Innovative design features for smooth operations and an immersive guest experience will be incorporated from the experience of Expedition Voyage Consultants.
The move is driven by the fast growing expedition cruise sector, which has seen unprecedented expansion into remote destinations. Mr. Grunstra explains, Expedition cruising requires small, comfortable and highly capable vessels that customers can be confident in, no matter if they are cruising Polynesia or the Northwest Passage. With the existing tonnage aging and environmental regulations tightening, it is important that operators have vessels they can rely onwell into the future.
This partnership follows a successful cooperation with Expedition Voyage Consultants sister company, EYOS Expeditions,which resulted in Damen developing the worlds first Polar Code compliant expedition yacht the SeaXplorer.
Ben Lyons, Chief Executive Officer of Expedition Voyage Consultants Ltd. and EYOS Expeditions says: This vessel will be capable of taking expedition cruise passengers beyond the usual range in terms of both geography and experience. The vessels high ice capability and endurance make her globally capable, and she will be equally at home in the tropics or polar waters. She is designed to be a multi-functional platform equipped with all of the tools an operator mightneed.
Expedition Voyage Consultants Ltd. will infuse the design with the lessons learned during their teams collectives 100+ years of experience in the expedition cruise business. During that time, the team has sailed aboard a wide range of commercial expedition vessels ranging from icebreakers to luxury cruise ships.
Capability matters
An expedition vessel should be able to reach remote destinations safely and deliver a super experience in often challenging conditions. Because the ships design effects the experience of the guests, whether that be how quickly they can reach shore or how safely operations can be run in all types of weather, capability matters.
Well take our collective experience, gained from a wide variety of vessels, and apply the best features weve seen to this design. Combining that operational knowledge with Damens expertisewill create a highly functional and reliable vessel purpose built for expedition cruising, and it is very exciting to be able to incorporate these operational elements into the design from the first line,explains Mr. Lyons.
Mr. Grunstra adds, This partnership brings two industry leaders together; Damen has unparalleled experience from building over 5500 vessels, including complex vessels such as passenger ships, offshore patrol vessels, sail training vessels and superyachts. EVC has decades of expedition knowledge operating voyages from the polar regions to the remotest tropical islands. Combining this will create an exceptional product.
The final design will be unveiled in the Autumn.
A cruise ship is sailing to Cuba from the U.S. for the first time in more than 50 years. The Bermuda-flagged Adonia sailed from the port of Miami carrying some 700 passengers on Sunday.
Cruise firm Carnival's Adonia left Miami bound for Havana and will also visit the ports of Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba on the seven-day trip.
To be a part of truly making history and preparing for an even more positive future for everyone is one of the greatest honors any company can have, Carnival Corporation chief executive Arnold Donald said.
The cruise, which sails for Carnival's Fathom "impact travel" brand, comes after Cuba loosened its policy banning Cuban-born people from arriving to the country by sea, a rule that threatened to stop the cruises from happening.
According Carnival, the Adonia will cruise every other week from Miami to Cuba, with promises to engage passengers "in an ongoing cultural exchange program that gives you the opportunity to interact with the Cuban people."
The voyage is the first of what Carnival says will become weeklong cruises to Cuba twice a month, with the goal of promoting cultural exchange between the two countries following a warming of ties that began in December 2014 and culminated last year with the restoration of full diplomatic ties.
Cyberhawk Innovations, the world leader in aerial inspection and survey using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), is set to boost its international credentials with the launch of a Houston office in the USA.
The new office comes as a result of increasing demand from existing oil and gas customers who recognise the significant cost and time savings on offer from UAV inspection and want to utilise Cyberhawks expertise for their USA operations. Cyberhawk has already undertaken oil and gas inspection work in North America, for operators in Canada, and has a number of projects lined up with oil and gas supermajors in the US over the coming months.
The company has also made significant progress in other sectors in the US over the last nine months since the launch of its Asset Management Partnership (AMP) programme. AMP is aimed towards powerline, wind and rail industries and combines Cyberhawks cutting edge asset management software, iHawk, with local, on-the-ground skills and experience. Multiple projects have already been completed with selected partners in the USA.
The new Houston office will further bolster these efforts in the US by focusing predominantly on the onshore and offshore oil and gas industry.
The launch follows Cyberhawks recent funding injection from Clydesdale Bank, which not only supports international growth plans but also the continued development of Cyberhawks pioneering work in asset management software.
Craig Roberts, CEO at Cyberhawk, said: The feedback we have received over the last 12 months has confirmed our understanding, that although there are many UAV operators in the US, few have either the depth or the range of experience and expertise offered by Cyberhawks proven oil and gas inspection solutions.
We have, for example, completed significantly more than 200 live flare inspections on and offshore in Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa and North America. Clients who have worked with us know that they can trust our highly trained teams to safely capture data and deliver powerful inspection reports. Our qualified inspection engineers are also able to have peer to peer conversations with the clients inspection professionals before leaving the site, a service which our clients advise us is invaluable.
Over the coming months, we expect to see significant uptake with operators who are looking for more efficient and cost effective inspection solutions, particularly during this challenging period for the oil and gas industry.
Cyberhawks operations director, Chris Fleming, has spent the last three months in the US undertaking market research and will relocate to Houston permanently, to become general manager for America. The coming months will see Cyberhawk increase staff numbers in the region through a combination of recruitment and mobilisation of UK-based personnel.
Headquartered in Livingston, Scotland, Cyberhawk adds the new Houston base to its existing international offices in the Middle East and SE Asia. The company carried out the very first ROAV industrial inspection in 2009 and since then, has completed more than 25 world firsts to date, with blue-chip customers in more than 20 countries on four continents.
Cyberhawk is exhibiting at OTC this week on stand 2063/04, Scottish Pavilion stand number 11.
TEKEVER will present at Xponential/AUVSI its new vessel detection capabilities for its UAS product lines. Available for TEKEVERs AR3 and AR4 product lines, the new capabilities allow for an increased effectiveness of the systems in multiple types of maritime missions.
Automatically detecting vessels from visual images at sea presents multiple technical and operational challenges, such as highly dynamic background, sun reflections and even dealing with the sky/sea contrast. Although the presence of a small vessel can usually be seen in an image, clearly differentiating it from other patterns, like foam or reflections, can be challenging, especially in rough sea and wind conditions, and require higher computational resources than the ones usually available in small UAVs.
Following an intensive R&D effort on the development of maritime domain capabilities, such as automatic vessel detection, classification and tracking, TEKEVER is now making them available in its AR3 and AR4 UAS product lines. These shipborne UAS can now play an even more effective role as range extenders for maritime patrol vessels.
Pedro Sinogas, TEKEVER CEO, said, Vessel tracking is a very demanding operation, that we can now offer even in our most compact and flexible systems, such as the AR4 Light Ray.
TGS announces the expansion of its multi-client library offshore Eastern Canada with plans to acquire more than 36,000 km of 2D seismic data, in partnership with PGS, utilizing two vessels during the 2016 acquisition season.
The M/V Sanco Spirit and M/V Atlantic Explorer, utilizing the PGS GeoStreamer technology, will acquire seismic and gravity data in the Labrador Sea, Newfoundland Orphan-Flemish Pass basins and Grand Banks areas. Data acquisition will commence during late May 2016. Pre-processing of the initial GeoStreamer signal will be performed by PGS following which TGS will perform data processing with final data available to clients in Q3 2017.
This new data will complement the existing TGS-PGS joint venture library which already comprises over 112,000 km of modern 2D data and 9,172 km2 of 3D data in addition to 83,700 km of TGS vintage data. TGS also offers an expansive well log library and advanced multi-client interpretation products that will improve play, trend and prospect delineation in this region.
"Offshore Newfoundland and Labrador has been an area of high interest from exploration companies in an otherwise challenging market as evidenced by the successful licensing round in November 2015. This will be our sixth consecutive season acquiring data in partnership with PGS in this highly prospective region, targeting expected Areas of Interest (AOIs) to be released under the scheduled land tenure system," commented Kristian Johansen, CEO for TGS.
This project is supported by industry funding.
The first shipment of a core kit for Russias Yamal LNG project has set sail for northern Russia from the Chinese port of Qingdao.
China's first batch of two air cooled condensing modules of LNG project are the biggest and heaviest kits being used for the project. They are set to arrive at the construction site in late June, says China Central Television.
Yamal is a liquefied natural gas project located deep in the Russian Arctic. It is expected to start operating next year. 85 percent of the liquefied natural gas will be transported to the Asia Pacific market.
It is China's first export of LNG core modules, indicating that China has entered into the international high-end oil and gas equipment market.
The semi-sub vessel carrying the modules weighing of more than 1,000 tons will travel 13,000 nautical miles and is expected to arrive at the port of Sabetta in the North Pole by the end of June.
The modules are the two of the six such modules contracted for by the Wuchang Shipbuilding Group Co., ltd. The other four are in the process of building and are expected to be completed by the end of July.
It is also the first time a Chinese company-- the China Offshore Oil Engineering Corporation-- will install equipment for such a project by implementing its own technologies for liquefied natural gas production.
PetroChina is the second largest shareholder of the project. 3 million tons of liquefied natural gas will be transported to China annually.
Decom North Sea (DNS), the representative body for the offshore decommissioning industry, which promotes and facilitates collaboration and cost reduction, today appointed a new chief executive.
Roger Esson brings over 20 years highly relevant experience as DNS continues to play a critical part in the development of the UK decommissioning sector. Having held a variety of leadership positions within companies ranging from SMEs to tier 1 contactors, his previous roles have included time with Stork Technical Services and Amec Foster Wheelers decommissioning division.
He has played an active role in the execution of several of the UKs most significant decommissioning projects - including the MCP01, North West Hutton and Brent Delta installations - and is widely recognised for his stewardship of the oil and gas sector, not least through his participation on a number of industry boards and forums.
Commenting on the appointment, DNS chairman Callum Falconer said: We are exceptionally pleased to welcome Roger to this position. Decom North Sea has no doubt that his combination of knowledge and experience will prove invaluable in addressing the challenges inherent in this fledgling industry - ensuring that our members, as well as those in the wider oil and gas industry and beyond, have the ability to grasp the opportunities within decommissioning.
On behalf of Decom North Sea, sincere thanks go to interim chief executive, Karen Seath, and the wider operational team for the work they have undertaken during the past six months. They have successfully built upon our key objective to deliver value to our members, whilst working collaboratively with our strategic partners to ensure that an effective and sustainable supply chain addresses the requirements of this emerging sector.
Roger Esson added: I am delighted to join Decom North Sea and look forward to applying my knowledge and experience to the role. This is a challenging time for the North Sea industry and it is vital that we focus upon helping our members understand and prepare for the opportunities that are available.
For example, DNS has long recognised the critical effect late life asset management has upon the success of the decommissioning process - as well as the vast number of opportunities it presents. With our members requirements firmly at the forefront of our minds, DNS has created the Late Life Planning Portal (L2P2), a trailblazing toolkit designed to encourage the all-important sharing of knowledge and the opportunities available within this phase.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Monday he was committed to building all of a new Australian submarine fleet in Australia, apparently contradicting the French contractor who said last week the deal would create jobs in France.
Valls stopped off in Australia while headed to New Zealand for a scheduled visit, just days after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said France had beaten out Japan and Germany for the A$50 billion ($38 billion) contract.
Valls said he would personally oversee the drafting of the contract, one of the world's biggest defence deals, between France's state-owned naval contractor DCNS Group and Australia over the next few months.
"We would like to conclude as soon as possible this contract," Valls told reporters through an interpreter after meeting Turnbull.
"We will now deliver on all of our commitments .. the choice of the Australian contract was to have the 12 submarines built in Australia and that was the basis of our agreement."
Comments by DCNS chief Herve Guillou last week that the deal would create about 4,000 jobs in French shipyards caused consternation in Australia, where the contract was heavily sold as a local build.
The deal will likely play a critical role in Australia's general election due on July 2, with it expected to shore up support for the ruling Liberal Party-led coalition in the state of South Australia where the bulk of benefits will flow.
The victory for DCNS underscored France's strengths in developing a compelling military-industrial bid, and was a blow for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's push to develop defence export capabilities as part of his security agenda.
Japan, with its Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries boat, had been seen as the early frontrunner, but their inexperience in global defence deals and an initial reluctance to say they would build in Australia saw them slip behind DCNS and Germany's ThyssenKrupp AG.
"Right from the beginning it was supposed to be a partnership that would create jobs right from the beginning, so it is a win-win partnership," Valls said.
DCNS' share of the overall contract to build 12 submarines will amount to about 8 billion euros ($9.02 billion), according to sources with knowledge of the deal.
Turnbull said the potential to transition the fleet into a nuclear-powered one was not a factor in the decision.
Australia is increasing defence spending, seeking to protect interests in the Asia-Pacific as the United States and its allies grapple with China's rising power.
By Jane Wardell
The U.S. Coast Guard will conduct a second round of public hearings May 16-27 for the Marine Board of Investigation into the loss of the U.S.-flagged cargo ship El Caro, and its 33 crewmembers.
The second round of hearings, to be held in Jacksonville, Fla., will focus on shipboard operations, cargo loading, lashing and stowage operations for the accident voyage while also examining the vessel's analysis of stability and weather conditions forecasted and encountered, the Coast Guard said. In addition, the regulatory oversight for the El Faro will be examined to determine and potential implications of that oversight on the accident voyage. The Coast Guard completed its first round of hearings in February 2016.The second round of hearings, to be held in Jacksonville, Fla., will focus on shipboard operations, cargo loading, lashing and stowage operations for the accident voyage while also examining the vessel's analysis of stability and weather conditions forecasted and encountered, the Coast Guard said. In addition, the regulatory oversight for the El Faro will be examined to determine and potential implications of that oversight on the accident voyage.
A third hearing (date to be determined) will examine additional elements of the investigation including crew witnesses, TOTE company officials and contents of the El Faro's Voyage Data Recorder , if it can be recovered and analyzed.
The 790-foot, U.S.-flagged, cargo ship El Faro sank October 1, 2015, during The National Transportation Safety Board, is conducting its own investigation, and will fully participate in the Marine Board of Investigation hearings.The 790-foot, U.S.-flagged, cargo ship El Faro sank October 1, 2015, during Hurricane Joaquin while sailing from Jacksonville, Fla. to San Juan, Puerto Rico. All 33 crewmembers aboard were lost in the accident.
According to the Coast Guard, the investigation aims to determine as closely as possible the factors that contributed to the accident; whether there is evidence that any act of misconduct, inattention to duty, negligence or willful violation of the law on the part of any licensed or certificated person contributed to the casualty; and whether there is evidence that any Coast Guard personnel or any representative or employee of any other government agency or any other person caused or contributed to the casualty.
Cruise ship MV Adonia sailed into Havana this morning, completing the first leg of its historic inaugural voyage to Cuba that began on May 1, 2016, from Miami, marking the first time in over 50 years that a U.S. cruise line has sailed from the U.S. to Cuba.
The Bermuda-flagged ship Adonia, operated by U.S. based Fathom, the 10th and newest brand of Carnival Corporation & plc., was greeted in the Port of Havana by fanfare and a festive celebration.
Havana is the first of three destinations that guests will visit as part of the Fathoms seven-night voyages to Cuba. Following this weeks inaugural trip to Cuba, Fathoms 704-passenger Adonia luxury cruise ship will begin operating its weeklong itineraries to Cuba every other week.
The ships entry into Havana also marked the first time in decades that Cuban-born individuals have been able to travel by sea to or from Cuba.
Our arrival today in Havana is a special moment in history that contributes to a more positive future, and we congratulate our colleague Arnie Perez on being the first person born in Cuba to step ashore under Cuba's new policy, said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation.
1863 - During the Civil War, the steam screw sloop Sacramento, commanded by Captain Charles S. Boggs, seizes the British blockade-runner Wanderer off Murrells Inlet, N.C.
1896 - A landing party of 15 Marines and 19 Seaman from USS Alert arrive at Corinto, Nicaragua, to protect American lives and property during a period of political unrest.
1942 - USS Drum (SS 228) sinks Japanese seaplane carrier, and USS Trout (SS 202) sinks a Japanese freighter off the southeast coast of Honshu.
1945 - USS Springer (SS 414) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese frigate in the Yellow Sea and then sinks a Japanese coastal defense ship the next day.
1945 - Hospital Apprentice Robert E. Bush administers aid to a wounded Marine officer and fires back at the Japanese at the same time, earning the Medal of Honor.
1992 - USS Anzio (CG 68) is commissioned at her homeport of Norfolk, Va. The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser is named for the Italian allied amphibious assault in May 1944 during World War II.
2011 - President Barack Obama announces Navy SEALs raided Osama bin Ladens compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed America's most wanted terrorist during Operation Neptune Spear.
(Source: By Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division)
Ten Indonesian tugboat crewmen held by the Abu Sayyaf terror gang in the southern Philippines were freed unharmed Sunday.
The sailors arrived in Jakarta late on Sunday night, hours after they were released from captivity. They arrived at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, East Jakarta, at 11:30 p.m. on Sunday using Jet Victoria News aircraft.
Indonesia paid no ransom to free the sailors taken hostage, with efforts relying on negotiations, the lead Indonesian negotiator claimed on Monday.
They were welcomed by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and the National Armed Forces Chief General Gatot Nurmantyo. All crew members will be taken to hospital for medical examination, Retno said Sunday, May 1, 2016 before adding that the victims would be returned to their family after the examination.
The Indonesians said their captors hadnt harmed them and believed that they had been released because of stepped-up pressure being applied by the Philippine military.
The militant group had demanded a ransom of $1 million from the Indonesian government in exchange for releasing the 10 seamen held captive since March 26, setting an initial deadline of April 8.
However, the government paid no money to the terror group, according to retired army general Kivlan Zein, who led the Indonesian team of negotiators in the release efforts.
President Joko Widodo of Indonesia said during a televised address in his country on Sunday night that the sailors were in good condition and would be flown to Jakarta immediately.
He thanked the Philippine government and said that Jakarta would continue working for the release of four other Indonesian mariners seized in a separate incident.
India will join US and Japan conduct joint naval exercises in the northern waters of the Philippine Sea, an area close to the East and South China Seas where Beijing is locked in an increasingly tense standoff with other countries.
The multinational maritime exercise in the strategically important South China Sea, which will also have the Japan, Russia, Australia and China along with other countries as participants.
IANS quoted an official statement said it is part of the Indian Navys endeavour to "enhance maritime security in the Indo-Pacific".
The exercise is a multinational exercise on maritime security and counterterrorism under the aegis of ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus, or ADMM Plus consortium.
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Airavat has already reached Brunei.
The participants of the exercise, to be held in Brunei, include Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and South Korea. It is being held at the South China Sea.
The current edition will commence at Brunei and culminate at Singapore, with various drills and exercises in the South China Sea.
"Indian Navy and the navies of ASEAN countries have a mutual interest in promoting peace and prosperity in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific, given our shared maritime security interests," the statement said.
The statement added the exercise is aimed at enhancing mutual understanding with respect to maritime security issues and streamlining drills on counter-terrorism operations at sea.
Damen Shipyards Group has announced the opening of a new branch office in Houston, Texas. This expansion, under the name of Damen North America, meets the increasing demand for Damens shipbuilding concepts and repair and conversion services.
The branch office representing the Damen Shipyards Newbuild, and Damen Shiprepair & Conversion businesses across North America and Canada has decided to open offices in the heart of the Energy Corridor of Houston.
Arnout Damen, Chief Commercial Officer, said, In this difficult economical climate, we are of the opinion that it is important to support the oil and gas market and are thrilled to expand our business to customers across North America and Canada.
We seek to provide our customers the best quality, proven designs, short delivery times, low maintenance and excellent resale value and trustworthy repair and conversion solutions, combined with our commitment that we will deliver an unrivaled service to the highest safety and reliability standards.
Establishing an office out of Houston demonstrates the power of the Damen global presence for mutually beneficial and cost effective solutions, said Jan van Hogerwou, Manager U.S.A. and Canada for New Buildings. I look forward to working closely together with both ship operators as well as shipyards to maximize the value of having a local presence with the use of proven designs, high quality craftsmanship and low Total Cost of Ownership.
We expect a lot from our new License to Build program in which we offer our ship designs and our construction expertise to any shipyard in the U.S. Our standardized shipbuilding approach, known as The Damen Standard, has become one of our fundamental core values. It gives us the ability to offer our customers well-proven, innovative vessels and/or designs for competitive prices.
Ruud Haneveer, Market Development Executive for Damen Shiprepair & Conversion, said, The new office demonstrates our ever-expanding focus on customers needs. Through this local office, we are closer to our customers in the region. We value our customers feedback and the contribution it makes to advancing our ambition to improve our performance continuously and to set new standards in the repair and conversion of ships. The repair and conversion services represented by us are related to the groups Shiprepair and Conversion shipyards located outside the United States of America.
Abu Dhabis RoRo volumes up 31 percent; general and bulk cargo increases 13 percent; container cargo edges up 5 percent
Abu Dhabi Ports, the master developer, operator and manager of ports and Khalifa Industrial Zone (Kizad) in the Emirate, has attained double-digit growth in two major cargo sectors during the first quarter of 2016.
Roll-on-roll-off (RoRo) traffic at Khalifa Port witnessed a 31 percent increase with 33,687 vehicles, up from 25,709 vehicles in the same period in 2015. The trend highlights Khalifa Ports growing status as a premier RoRo hub in the region with its yard and facilities that could cater to the growing demand.
Meanwhile, general and bulk cargo across Abu Dhabi Ports saw a 13 percent upturn, and stood at 3.98 million freight metric-tons (FT), as compared to 3.5 million FT registered in the first quarter of 2015. The increased volume of general and bulk cargo indicates vigorous import and export activities related to the industrial and infrastructure development projects in the Emirate. Increased business activities of companies operating across the Emirate, especially in Kizad and Musaffah industrial area, have also contributed to this growth.
The first quarter results for Khalifa Port Container Terminal, which is operated by Abu Dhabi Terminals a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ports, showed that it handled five percent more containers compared with the same period in 2015. The terminal moved 316,996 TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units/containers), up from 302,151 TEUs in the first quarter of 2015. Continuing the last years upward trend, the container cargo volumes indicate increasing demands from the Abu Dhabi market.
Commenting on the business growth, Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports, said: These achievements demonstrate Abu Dhabi Ports commitment to its strategy of sustaining performance and growth across all its operations. With the guidance of our leadership coupled with the support from our stakeholders and the UAEs economic stability, we are able to witness such success.
We aim to continue investing in innovative technologies and solutions, remaining customer focused in our service offerings and in building the capabilities of our national workforce, Al Shamisi added.
Khalifa Industrial Zone also witnessed increased business activities during the first quarter of 2016. Four prominent companies, including KSB Service LLC and Polysys Additive Technologies Middle East (PAT ME), commenced operations from within the industrial zone and National Food Products Company (NFPC) and Gulf Printing and Packaging Company, started construction of their facilities.
Kizad has a total of more than 90 national and international investors, and 13 million square metres of land leased that represent a total investment of more than AED 55 billion.
Schlumberger announced today the launch of the MaxPull high-pull wireline conveyance system that can pull from 18,000 lbf to 30,000 lbf in wells 40,000 ft [12,192 m] deep or more. The MaxPull systems engineered integration of wireline conveyance components brings efficiency, reliability and sticking avoidance to complex well trajectories that were not previously wireline accessible.
With the industrys highest-pull wireline conveyance system, drillers can expect drillpipe-free wireline operations in any environment with vertical well efficiency and minimum sticking risk, said Hinda Gharbi, president, Wireline, Schlumberger. In addition, our customers can mitigate operational risk and save time during comprehensive data acquisition by eliminating the use of conventional drillpipe conveyance.
The MaxPull system can pull up to 30,000-lbf line tension, which is 43% higher than previously possible. Pairing the system with wireline tractors further improves well access in complex well trajectories while minimizing the number of logging runs.
The system has been tested in a wide variety of well environments and trajectories in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, West Africa, and North and South America.
A customer deployed the MaxPull 30000 system in a deepwater Gulf of Mexico well where job modeling indicated logging tension of 20,900 lbf. The existing highest-pull system of 21,000 lbf did not provide an overpull capability in the event of tool sticking. By using the MaxPull 30000 system, the customer had the safety margin of 9,000 lbf of additional pull. A sticking incident occurred during a reservoir fluid sampling station. A pull in excess of 29,300 lbf was applied to free the toolstring, avoiding a four-day fishing operation and the loss of valuable reservoir fluid data, and saving more than $3 million.
Ballast water treatment (BWT) specialist Optimarin has signed a contract with Saga Shipholding for the provision of three of its Optimarin Ballast Systems (OBS). The order marks a new chapter in the working relationship between the two, with Saga originally purchasing an initial 26 systems from Optimarin in 2012.
According to Nils Otto Bjorhovde, Saga Shipholdings Hong Kong-based Technical Manager, its the performance of those systems to date that persuaded the firm to return for more: We spent 2011 evaluating the entire BWT market, Bjorhovde said. At that time Optimarins simple technological solution, their professional approach and commitment to developing a totally compliant system gave us the confidence we needed to make a significant fleet wide investment.
Four years of operation, with every system operational from its very first day of installation, has shown the wisdom of that choice. The technology is proven, and the team are as hardworking, open and honest as they were on day one. The choice this time round was much easier.
The three new 2,000 m3 BWT units will be installed on newbuild open hatch vessels currently under construction at Oshima Shipbuilding in Japan. Like the majority of the firms 32 current ships, the new additions will predominantly carry pulp from South America to markets in Europe and the Far East.
Bjorhovde also sees a likelihood for trades in U.S. water, making OBS upcoming USCG approval, expected in the second half of the year, of critical importance.
Were a global shipping firm and we need global compliance to be as flexible as our customers demand us to be, he states. USCGs standards are obviously more stringent than those imposed by IMO, and I think Optimarin have been very wise to commit to them. That gives us complete confidence that the systems on-board our vessels will comply with regulations now, and into the future, and thats vitally important for a responsible shipowner such as Saga.
Optimarin said it has seen its best ever start to a year in 2016, signing deals with, amongst others, Atlantis Tankers for 10 systems, Sinopacific Shipbuilding Group for nine, and Carisbrooke - a fleet agreement with the potential to encompass retrofits on 46 bulk and multipurpose vessels. The Saga contract pushes the number of systems sold by Optimarin towards the 450 mark.
Despite the success with the new names, Optimarin CEO Tore Andersen is keen to highlight the importance of repeat business with customers such as Saga. This really is the best endorsement for our proven BWT solution, he said. When customers like Saga, who use the system day-in day-out, across entire fleets, come back for more it cements our position as a preferred partner for responsible ship companies who require performance, reliability and compliance.
With BWM ratification now upon us, this sends a very clear message to shipowners everywhere we are tested, trusted and ready to talk. We can give them the same quality service, carefree operation, and compliant technology that Saga has experienced for the last four years.
Of the 26 systems currently installed on Saga vessels, seven were newbuildings and the rest retrofits. Optimarin, together with its global engineering partners Goltens and Zeppelin, has now installed more than 70 units on existing vessels, and more than 200 on newbuilds. Its flexible, modular and simple solution allows it to make the most of limited space on vessels, making it perfect for retrofit tasks.
Alongside Saga, Optimarin customers include names such as MOL, Grieg Shipping Group, Gulf Offshore, Farstad Shipping, NYK, Nor Line, and Evergreen Marine Corp, amongst others. The OBS is certified through DNV GL, Lloyds, Bureau Veritas, MLIT Japan, and American Bureau of Shipping. Together with its upcoming USCG approval, it is also fully IMO compliant.
Unfamiliar specifications and processes often result in rework, delays and misunderstandings, and are adding thousands of engineering hours to the design and construction of offshore oil and gas installations. Cost savings are delivered by addressing variations in owner, operator, and regulatory requirements during engineering and construction phases. Phase one, led by DNV GL, established new proposed international standards for offshore oil and gas projects and a second phase is now underway to further develop the proposed standards named Integrated Offshore Standard Specifications (IOSS) and to test its application.
Initiated in 2015, the Korea-based JIP aims to develop common, globally accepted, best practices for standardized offshore components and equipment in a recommended practice. The first phase successfully focused on the constructability viewpoint and addressed items for structures, piping, and E&I. Phase two will extend the scope to include equipment packages, documentation requirements, and procedures. The IOSS will be developed with the aim to be applied and tested against upcoming offshore development projects.
In the current climate of low oil prices it is often difficult to sanction projects, says Peter Bjerager, Executive Vice President, DNV GL - Oil & Gas Region Americas. These new standards will contribute to lowering the cost of projects and ensuring that work moves forward. This JIP represents a new approach to standardization and is truly a global effort in the oil and gas industry. Phase one provided promising results that if successfully applied will push forward projects that may otherwise be put on hold."
In all, phase two of the JIP will include a global constellation of about fifteen partners, of which the majority operates in the Americas. These partners include oil majors, fabricators, classifications societies, ship yards, and engineering companies.
A signing ceremony for the second phase of this project will take place at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) on Wednesday, May 4 in Houston, Texas. Technical seminars on the sharing of information for the JIP will be held within the Korean Pavilion.
Designers, yards, and suppliers work more efficiently when projects apply standards with which all players are experienced, said Petter Ellingsen, Group Leader Offshore Risk Advisory - Korea, DNV GL - Oil & Gas. Our ambition is to establish a standard for oil and gas projects that builds on a well-established approach for classification. Industry estimates for potential cost savings on construction of installations range well into double-figure percentages, he continues.
Turkey has launched the building phase of its amphibious landing platform dock (LPD) warship for the Turkish Naval Forces with a ceremony on April 30, says Hurriyet.
Last year, the Turkish government announced it signed a nearly $ 1 billion deal with a local shipyard to produce the country's first LPD.
Turkey's procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), said SSM and Sedef, a Turkish shipyard, agreed to pen the deal after contract negotiations.
Turkish companies, including Aselsan and Havelsan, will produce and install several parts of the ships components, including armaments, electronics and communications systems.
A Spanish company, Navantia, will help in designing the ship.
The 231-meter-long ship will be capable of carrying over 1,000 personnel and transporting helicopters, army vehicles and equipment.
The new craft will be the biggest landing dock in the naval forces inventory and also have a hospital.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: Turkeys defense industry needs to be 100 percent self-sufficient at a time of increased threats. Our goal is to be totally self-sufficient by 2023."
Kalvari (Tiger Shark), the first of the Scorpene-class submarines, went to sea for the first time on Sunday marking the commencement of sea trials.
The submarine sailed out at about 10 am under her own propulsion for the first sea trial, off the Mumbai coast.
Kalvari is the first of the India's six Scorpene-class submarines being built under the much-delayed Project 75.
The vessels are being built by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) Mumbai in collaboration with French company DCNS.
She is part of the ongoing project for constructing six Scorpene class submarines, in collaboration with DCNS, which will include transfer of technology to MDL.
Kalvari is expected to be commissioned by the end of September. It is 67-metres long and 6.2-metres wide and displaces 1500 tons. The Kalvari carries torpedoes and missiles which it can use to bring down enemy ships.
Over the next few months, the Kalvari will undergo a barrage of sea, surface, diving, weapons, noise trials, etc., so the submarine can be tested thoroughly to ensure it meets the stringent standards required of it.
The Kalvari is stealthier than nuclear subs as it can work without needing to surface or send up a snorkel for oxygen thanks to the use of Air-independent propulsion system found on the Scorpene subs that can help it stay underwater for up to 21 days at a stretch.
The commissioning of INS Kalvari will take place by the end of 2016, following the completion of all the trials. This is expected to be a major boost to the current government's "Make in India" initiative.
Two Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members approached a table covered in gear, weapons and laptops, grinning from ear to ear. One of them began to speak to the contractor standing at the table. The other pulled out a cell phone and recorded the interaction. The contractor showed the service members how to use his system, which is essentially a tactical game of laser tag. The system tracks the marksmanship of each player through a laptop, which then records the results. A CD is given to the command to discuss their after-action report.
The laser tag simulator was part of Marine Corps Installations Pacifics semi-annual Training Expo here, April 29. The event also included the Supporting Arms Visual Trainer, Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer, Combat Convoy Simulator.
Herbert Gray Sr., the director of the MCIPAC Tactical Training and Simulation Support Center, said this event allowed units to explore the tools available to them for training and improve their unit readiness.
Gray said training expos are held semi-annually because service members on Okinawa are always coming and going, especially Marines with unit deployment program battalions, which rotate every six months.
Gray said that the key part of Marines training is developing muscle memory. He thinks Marines should get to the point where they automatically react, based on repeated rehearsals of realistic combat scenarios. He uses the example of when Captain Chelsey Sully Sullenberg landed the American Airways flight 1549 safely on the Hudson River.
In an interview with CBS, Sullenberg said, One way of looking at this might be that for 42 years, I've been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education and training. And on (Jan. 15, 2009) the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal."
Gray said some of these simulators are multi-million-dollar systems, but added that the overall savings of manpower, fuel, live fire and ranges outweigh the price of the expensive gear.
Its better to drop bombs in a simulated environment than to drop bombs on a range all over the place, said Gray. It saves us a lot of money.
Simulators may soon play an even greater role in training for Marines stationed in Okinawa. Gray said MCIPAC is trying to construct a two-story building on Camp Hansen containing all, or most, of the simulator systems. The two-story building would save space by consolidating all the different stations of simulator systems spread throughout Camp Hansen. The consolidation is part of a larger project that reduces the Marine Corps footprint on Okinawa, returning land to local citizens.
Decoding the Uighur Puzzle
Yes, it was embarrassing for the part of the Indian government to first approve the e-Visa of Dolkun Isa and then cancel the same. An Uighur activist rallying for the cause of the largely suppressed 10 million odd Uighur Muslims in Chinas supposedly autonomous region of Xinjiang, was supposed to attend a conference in India on democracy in China at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.The cancellation of the visa burst the dam of a plethora of criticisms ranging from the ruling governments toothless foreign policy to their larger indecisiveness on matters related to terrorism and national security. Perhaps, it was all unwarranted. As stated earlier, it is surely embarrassing, but certainly not highly deplorable because rationally speaking India cannot be thrashed for Chinas weaknesses!
The Uighurs of Xinjiang are a living mystery. The Uighur Muslims of China, which have Turkic roots, are largely ring-fenced by the Chinese regime from the rest of the world. There is very little that you can learn about their literature, art, history, language, and existence per se. Seems like very little has been preserved by the Chinese regime or allowed to be preserved. In reality, the Dragon has used grossly draconian measures to control potential unrest in the restive resource-rich region of Xinjiang.
Since 2009, some Xinjiang cities have witnessed some deadly clashes with the Han Chinese and the Chinese security personnel stationed in the region. Beijing has been vocal about the Uighur separatists that are allegedly trained in Afghanistans Nuristan and Pakistans lawless Pasthun-dominated tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. The Chinese government has accused these separatist groups of fanning the religious and sectarian strife in the otherwise peaceful region, which have led to some knife attacks at train stations and markets. As a matter of fact to a very large extent the reasons for the violence is the heavy-handed policies imposed by Beijing on the Uighur Muslims.
Xinjiang became a part of the Communist China in 1949 as a result of the Chinese military conquest. After the conquest the Communist regime officially begun the tinkering of the regions demographics. The Han Chinese which constituted just 6% of the population in Xinjiang in 1949 are over 40% in present day Xinjiang! The Communist regime in China ferried scores of Han Chinese from other parts of the country to Xinjiang to manipulate the regional demographics. While around 80% of Uighur work on farms the Han Chinese have built businesses and have occupied high paying private sector jobs or lucrative public sector vacancies. For instance, the capital Urumqi, a city of skyscrapers has 75% Han Chinese population, which is a glaring manifestation of how the demographics of the region have been artificially tinkered by the Chinese regime.
Some of the other draconian measures are the monetary motivation for interfaith marriages between the ethnic Uighurs and Han Chinese. According to James Leibold a political scientist at Australias La Trobe University, the Chinese government has announced an annual payout of 10,000 Yuan (over $1,600) for five years. Undoubtedly, the ethnic Uighurs are perceiving it as an unwelcome interference in their ethnic and religious affairs. Astonishingly, Ramadan fasting is prohibited in Xinjiang at the same is perceived by the Communist regime as a form of radicalization that needs to be curtailed!
Also, the Chinese have already begun to bulldoze the Old city of Kashghar that once was at the heart of the fabled Silk Road travelers. The Old city of ancient mosques and mud houses that once offered much needed respite to the exhausted traders has been bulldozed to pave the way for more skyscrapers and special economic zones. The government also demolishing the old bazaars and localities with narrow streets and lanes for bigger gated community-like apartments. The Uighurs are seeing their hundreds of years of houses and bazaars being demolished for more modern amenities, which they had never requested for. As an Indian, imagine our government thinking about doing the same in Old Hyderabad or Purani Delhi! Its an attack on the ancient credentials of the place and tantamount to gross violation of history and cultural heritage!
Another way the Chinese government manipulates the demographics in Xinjiang is through, the hukou system. Unlike India migrating to a new city in China is a very complex affair. If someone wishes to shift into a different and a larger city within China, the migrants are required to have advanced degrees, should be skilled, or must secure a job at a well-known private company or a government establishment. Without these the migrants wouldnt be eligible for the hukou, or household registration and other state-level entitlements like access to education, healthcare and social insurance. However, in the case of Xinjiang, the hukou is available without any professional qualifications or required skill set, whatsoever!
An Anxious and Insecure China
The Chinese manipulation of the Uighur demographics and the vocal criticism of India for entertaining the idea of granting a visa to an Uighur activist manifests Chinas own weakness. Interestingly, in Kashmir, which is Indias equivalent of Chinas Xinjiang, India has done a remarkable job by protecting the demographics, culture, language, and unique identity of the Kashmiri population. Today, a lot of tourists, both domestic and international visit Kashmir for leisure and religious pilgrimage. A lot of local Kashmiri newspapers report local incidents freely. Indian media personnel can freely cover events in the Jammu and Kashmir. This reflects the confidence of India in her liberal and secular credentials! On the contrary, Xinjiang is being ring-fenced from the world, where no foreign journalists and tourists are allowed to enter without the government approval! This unsurprisingly reflects Chinas lack of confidence in her supposedly progressive activities in the Xinjiang region.
Besides, the Chinese support for the Pakistani terror assets is a manifestation of their fears related to their territorial integrity, concerning Xinjiang. The Chinese Politburo is counting on the Pakistani intelligence-Military-Terror Assets nexus to neutralize the Uighur militia allegedly thriving in Nuristan & the tribal areas of Pakistan. While I agree that Indias move of denying a visa to the Uighur activist was grossly upsetting, however, Chinese reliance on Pakistans dubious terror assets exposes Chinas lack of self belief in her ability to deal with the Uighur separatists, independently. Despite of Chinas flamboyant exhibition of her military might a bunch of Knife wielding Uighurs are forcing China to cut deals with failed states & failed individuals who have not just failed themselves but their larger & progressive Ummah, too. While Indias weaknesses are largely overblown theres little talk about Chinas lack of self belief!
Does it really make sense to thrash the Indian government for Chinas lack of self-belief? While its true that we could have allowed Dolkun Isa to deliver that speech in India, but, as a country, are we really that strong a global power to become the voice of the oppressed and suppressed people all over the world? Is India really prepared for it?
U.S. Military Drafting Women Means Equality in Slavery
Last week the House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act requiring women to register with Selective Service. This means that if Congress ever brings back the draft, women will be forcibly sent to war.
The amendment is a response to the Pentagon's decision to allow women to serve in combat. Supporters of drafting women point out that the ban on women in combat was the reason the Supreme Court upheld a male-only draft. Therefore, they argue, it is only logical to now force women to register for Selective Service. Besides, supporters of extending the draft point out, not all draftees are sent into combat.
Most of those who opposed drafting women did so because they disagreed with women being eligible for combat positions, not because they opposed the military draft. Few, if any, in Congress are questioning the morality, constitutionality, and necessity of Selective Service registration. Thus, this debate is just another example of how few of our so-called "representatives" actually care about our liberty.
Some proponents of a military draft justify it as "payback" for the freedom the government provides its citizens. Those who make this argument are embracing the collectivist premise that since our rights come from government, the government can take away those rights whether it suits their purposes. Thus supporters of the draft are turning their backs on the Declaration of Independence.
While opposition to the draft is seen as a progressive or libertarian position, many conservatives, including Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater, and Robert Taft, where outspoken opponents of conscription. Unfortunately, the militarism that has led so many conservatives astray in foreign policy has also turned many of them into supporters of mandatory Selective Service registration. Yet many of these same conservatives strongly and correctly oppose mandatory gun registration. In a free society you should never have to register your child or your gun.
Sadly, some opponents of the warfare state, including some libertarians, support the draft on the grounds that a draft would cause a mass uprising against the warfare state. Proponents of this view point to the draft's role in galvanizing opposition to the Vietnam War. This argument ignores that fact that it took several years and the deaths of thousands of American draftees for the anti-Vietnam War movement to succeed.
A variation on this argument is that drafting women will cause an antiwar backlash as Americans recoil form the idea of forcing mothers into combat. But does anyone think the government would draft mothers with young children?
Reinstating the draft will not diminish the war party's influence as long as the people continue to believe the war propaganda fed to them by the military-industrial complex's media echo chamber. Changing the people's attitude toward the warfare state and its propaganda organs is the only way to return to a foreign policy of peace and commerce with all.
Even if the draft could serve as a check on the warfare state, those who support individual liberty should still oppose it. Libertarians who support violating individual rights to achieve a political goal, even a goal as noble as peace, undermine their arguments against non-aggression and thus discredit both our movement, and, more importantly, our philosophy.
A military draft is one of -- if not the -- worst violations of individual rights committed by modern governments. The draft can also facilitate the growth of the warfare state by lowing the cost of militarism. All those who value peace, prosperity, and liberty must place opposition to the draft at the top of their agenda.
Dr. Ron Paul
Project Freedom
Congressman Ron Paul of Texas enjoys a national reputation as the premier advocate for liberty in politics today. Dr. Paul is the leading spokesman in Washington for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to sound monetary policies based on commodity-backed currency. He is known among both his colleagues in Congress and his constituents for his consistent voting record in the House of Representatives: Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution. In the words of former Treasury Secretary William Simon, Dr. Paul is the "one exception to the Gang of 535" on Capitol Hill.
Dr. Ron Paul Archive
2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.
How Brexit Could Help All of Europe
Ferghane Azihari writes: The United Kingdom (UK) is about to hold a referendum on June 23rd on whether it should leave or remain within the European Union (EU). Once unthinkable, the "Brexit" is becoming more and more plausible. It is seen by the mainstream media as a factor of uncertainty in Europe. For its critics, Brexit would lead to increasing nationalism and protectionism. Nevertheless, those same critics forget the European Union is not a free-trade area.
On the contrary, Brexit could open new perspectives for the old continent, not by bringing more protectionism but by bringing more competition between governments.
Europe Needs More Institutional Competition
Europe has a very long intellectual tradition in favor of institutional competition. One of the first modern thinkers concerned about it is the French philosopher Montesquieu. While comparing the European with the Asian political system, he notes in "L'Esprit des lois":
In Asia one has always seen great empires; in Europe they were never able to continue to exist. ... Therefore, power should always be despotic in Asia. For if the servitude there were not extreme, there would immediately be a division that the nature of the country cannot endure. In Europe, the natural divisions form many medium-sized states in which the government of laws is not incompatible with the maintenance of the state; on the other hand, they are so favorable to this that without laws this state falls into decadence and becomes inferior to all the others. This is what has formed a genius for liberty, which makes it very difficult to subjugate each part and to put it under a foreign force other than by laws and by what is useful to its commerce.
This European political fragmentation leads toward a jurisdictional, fiscal, and regulatory pluralism which is itself useful in opposing laws that are especially damaging to commerce. In the presence of burdensome laws, citizens may be prompted to "vote with their feet" by taking their capital and industriousness to a place where individual rights are better protected. This is a vital mechanism in order to increase general prosperity. Many economists and historians have shown institutional competition was one of the key factors of Europe's accumulation of wealth. The historian Paul Kennedy wrote in his book The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers:
The political and social consequences of this decentralized, largely unsupervised growth of commerce and markets were of the greatest significance. In the first place, there was no way in which such economic developments could be fully suppressed. There existed no uniform authority in Europe which could effectively halt this or that commercial development; no central government whose change in priorities could cause the rise and fall of a particular industry; no systematic and universal plundering of businessmen and entrepreneurs by tax gatherers. In Europe there were always some princes and local lords willing to tolerate merchants and their ways even when others plundered and expelled them.
This is exactly why the European centralization process is harmful. The European political integration is indeed a project against jurisdictional competition. Like many international organizations, the EU is a way for governments to mutualize their respective sovereignties and to cartelize their powers in order to increase their control over individuals. The problem is this kind of cartelization tends to increase the burden of public policy.
In the long run, the consequence of this lack of competition can only be less freedom, and therefore less prosperity. Under these circumstances, the Brexit would be a positive development. It would weaken the political cartelization of the continent and stimulate indispensable competition in Europe.
Brexit Does Not Threaten Free-Trade in Europe
The "In" campaigners' arguments are contradictory. The Economist, for instance, has on one hand warned in several articles a Brexit could undermine free-trade across Europe. But on the other hand, one of the arguments used against those complaining about EU regulation for member states is that any country which wants to trade with the European Union must comply with them. Even though this last argument is partly incorrect, it amounts to an admission that the EU is more a protectionist alliance than a free-trade area. A genuine free-trade area would not impose regulatory barriers to impede international competition.
After all, as George Stigler showed in his famous article "The Theory of Economic Regulation," government regulations are a way to satisfy rent-seeking special interests which try to impede free enterprise and competition to enhance state-granted monopoly power.
The EU: A Force for Regulated Trade, Not Free Trade
The European Union is a powerful regulatory power and should not be underestimated. Brussels didn't become the second world capital of lobbying after Washington D.C by accident.
Brexit is unlikely to undermine free-trade in Europe any more than the EU already does. Leaving the European Union does not necessarily mean less international trade and more protectionism. In fact, Brexit is an opportunity for British people to get rid of the EUs regulatory burdens, the EU common tariff and trade policies, and the highly protectionist common agricultural policy. The UK might then be free to favor a genuine free-trade with Europe and the entire world. This is particularly true when one considers free-trade does not require any intergovernmental agreement. Free-trader schools of thought have always been categorical on that matter. As Vilfredo Pareto stated in the article "Traites de commerce of the Nouveau Dictionnaire dEconomie Politique" (1901) :
If we accept free trade, treaties of commerce have no reason to exist as a goal. There is no need to have them since what they are meant to fix does not exist anymore, each nation letting come and go freely any commodity at its borders. This was the doctrine of J.B. Say and of all the French economic school until Michel Chevalier. It is the exact model Leon Say recently adopted. It was also the doctrine of the English economic school until Cobden.
Free-trade is a domestic issue which consists in abolishing unilaterally every kind of tariff and non-tariff barriers against products wherever they come from.
Brexit's Symbolic Reach
The European Union pretends to be a rational and inevitable project. Its legitimacy derives from the idea that globalization requires large political entities to guarantee high standards of living and to address modern issues. A Brexit would undermine this Euro-constructivist ideology by increasing the number of small and wealthy countries in Europe and in the world. It would increase the regionalist and localist pressures at the European level, but also within the nation-states themselves if one considers the case of Scotland, Catalonia, Corsica, Flanders or some northern Italian regions.
One might be skeptical about this perspective given the fact European regionalist and secessionist movements are not always liberty-friendly. They remain indeed often collectivist and nationalist. Many Euro-skeptic movements are part of the far right.
The European Free Alliance, for example the political party which contains several regionalist movements across Europe sits with the European Greens at the European Parliament. But, the fact remains that the more institutional competition there is in a geographical area, the more political leaders are constrained and the less they can adopt statist policies in the medium and long term.
In their book How the West Grew Rich published in 1987, Rosenberg and Birdzell wrote: "It may be that a prerequisite to sustained economic growth is an economy trading across a geographical area divided among a number of rival states, each too small to dream of imperial wars and too fearful of the economic competition of other states to impose massive exactions on its own economic sphere."
While Europe is facing what is perceived as a long and unresolvable economic and social crisis, the British people by exiting the EU could help the old continent to restore the institutions which made its historical prestige and prosperity possible.
By Ferghane Azihari
Ferghane Azihari is a 21-year-old law student in Paris at Universite Paris-Est Creteil. He is currently an intern at the Institut Coppet, a think tank which aims to promote the French classical liberal school and its inheritors. He is also Local Coordinator for European Students for Liberty and president of the Parisian Group. Twitter: ;@AzihariF. Blog: Autogestion.
http://mises.org
2016 Copyright Ferghane Azihari - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.
2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.
RICHMOND Republican leaders in the Virginia General Assembly have hired a top conservative lawyer to guide an expected lawsuit against Gov. Terry McAuliffes executive order that restored voting rights for 206,000 felons.
Charles J. Cooper a former assistant attorney general under President Ronald Reagan who was once named Republican lawyer of the year will lead the effort to challenge the Democratic governors order, GOP leaders announced Monday.
It is the obligation of the legislative and judicial branches to serve as a check on overreaches of executive power, House of Delegates Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford, said in a news release. To that end, we are prepared to uphold the Constitution of Virginia and the rule of law by challenging Governor McAuliffes order in court.
Cooper, who defended Californias ban on same-sex marriage before the United States Supreme Court in 2013, is a former partner in the D.C. office of McGuireWoods. He practices civil litigation at Cooper & Kirk PLLC, a Washington-based firm he helped found in 1996.
We have retained Mr. Cooper to examine the legal options to remedy this Washington-style overreach by the executive branch, said Senate Majority Leader Thomas Norment , R-James City. Mr. Cooper is an extremely qualified attorney and we have every confidence he will proceed prudently, judiciously and expeditiously.
Taxpayer funds will not be used to fund a lawsuit, Republicans said.
McAuliffe has said he has the legal and constitutional authority to restore voting and civil rights for all felons who had completed their sentences, probation and parole by April 22.
McAuliffe spokesman Brian Coy said Monday that the governor is disappointed that Republicans would go to such lengths to continue locking people who have served their time out of their democracy.
These Virginians are qualified to vote and they deserve a voice, not more partisan schemes to disenfranchise them, Coy said.
The specific plan of attack against the order is unclear. Two key issues will be finding a plaintiff and determining the proper legal venue.
A challenge would likely focus on whether McAuliffe has the authority to go further than previous governors by restoring rights for nonviolent and violent felons en masse rather than doing so on an individual, case-by-case basis.
McAuliffe has highlighted language in the Virginia Constitution granting the governor power to remove political disabilities for felony convictions. Constitutional expert A.E. Dick Howard has backed McAuliffe, saying the executive branch has unqualified authority on the matter.
To argue the governor must follow a more individualized process, a legal challenge could point to other constitutional language saying no person convicted of a felony can vote unless his civil rights have been restored.
An advisory committee convened by then-Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli reported in 2013 that governors lack the power to enact automatic, self-executing restoration of rights for all felons.
While the Constitution of Virginia does confer on the governor the power to remove political disabilities consequent upon conviction for offenses, a court likely would find it difficult to sustain a governors exercise of this clemency power in so sweeping a manner that the Constitutions general policy of disenfranchisement of felons is voided, the committee wrote in its report.
McAuliffes order does not create an automatic restoration of rights. Going forward, he plans to sign similar orders monthly to restore rights for those transitioning out of the criminal justice system.
Republicans have argued McAuliffe overstepped by issuing a blanket order that applies to all ex-offenders regardless of whether they submitted an application. Coming in a presidential election year, Republicans have accused McAuliffe of playing politics by adding thousands of likely Democratic voters to the rolls as a boost to longtime McAuliffe friend Hillary Clinton.
McAuliffes order has received national acclaim in progressive circles. Supporters have applauded the order as a bold move that does away with a restriction that disproportionately impacts African-Americans and brings Virginia more in line with policies of other states.
In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used.
This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. Please read it carefully to understand how we use your personal data. We may update this Policy from time to time without notice to you, so please check it regularly.
The provision of your personal data to us is voluntary. However, without providing us with your personal data, you will be unable to (as appropriate): contact us; subscribe to our mailing list; subscribe to any of our publications; or receive information about In Defence of Marxism.
We collect information about you:
(1) When you give it to us DIRECTLY
You may give us your personal data in order to subscribe to a newsletter or publication, when you contact us by phone, email or post, when you sign a petition / statement, and/or when you donate money to us.
(2) When you give it to us INDIRECTLY
Your information will also be provided to us when you follow us or otherwise interact with on or via Twitter, when you like and/or join our page on Facebook or interact with us in other ways on or via Facebook.
(3) When you give permission to OTHER ORGANISATIONS to share it or it is AVAILABLE PUBLICLY
We may combine information you provide to us with information available from external publicly available sources. Depending on your privacy settings for social media services, we may also access information from those accounts or services. We use this information to gain a better understanding of you and to improve our communications and fundraising activities.
(4) When you visit our WEBSITE
We use cookies to identify you when you visit our website. Please refer to our Cookies Policy for details on the way our use of cookies affects your personal data.
What information do we collect?
We may collect, store and use the following kinds of personal data:
(1) We will typically hold your name and contact details, including telephone number, location, and e-mail address. However, we may request other information where it is appropriate and relevant, for example:
Your bank details or debit/credit card details (if making a donation).
(2) any communication preferences you give;
(3) information about your computer and about your visits to and use of this website including your IP address, geographical location, browser type, referral source, length of visit and number of page views; and/or
(4) any other information shared with us as per clause 1.
Do we process sensitive personal information?
Applicable law recognises certain categories of personal information as sensitive and therefore requiring more protection, including political opinions and trade union membership. In limited cases, we may collect sensitive personal data about you. We would only collect sensitive personal data if there is a clear reason for doing so; and will only do so with your explicit consent.
How and why will we use your personal data?
Personal data, however provided to us, will be used for the purposes specified in this Policy or in relevant parts of the website.
We may use your personal information to:
(1) Enable you to subscribe to our hard copy publications;
(2) Send you information about our work, campaigns, organisations and any other information, products or services that we provide (this will not be done without your consent);
(3) Provide you with the services, products or information you have requested;
(4) If you request, put you in touch with other supporters in your area (who have also provided such consent);
(5) Handle the administration of any donation or other payment you make via credit/debit card, cheque, standing order or BACS transfer;
(6) Collect payments from you and send statements and/or receipts to you;
(7) Conduct research into the impact of our activity / campaigns;
(8) Deal with enquiries and complaints made by you relating to the website or us in general;
(9) Make petition submissions to third parties, where you have signed a petition and the third party is a target of the campaign to which the petition relates; and/or
(10) Audit and/or administer our accounts.
Supporter Analysis
Google Analytics
We may use some of your personal information to analyse our digital performance, for example to see how our website can be improved to help us achieve the purposes set out in section 9 below, to record how you are using our website or to assess the popularity of different articles / campaigns.
For more information on how we use your personal information in relation to Google Analytics, please view our cookie policy by clicking this link cookies policy
You can opt-out of the collection of information for such purposes here: http://www.aboutads.info/choices
Communications, updates, fundraising
Where you have provided appropriate consent, we will contact you by telephone and e-mail, with targeted communications to let you know about our events and/or activities that we consider may be of particular interest; about the work of In Defence of Marxism; and to ask for donations or other support.
Donations and other payments
All financial transactions carried out on our website are handled through either:
PayPal (Europe) S.a r.l. (PayPal), a third party payment services provider. We recommend that you read PayPals privacy policy (available at https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-full?locale.x=en_GB ) prior to effecting any transactions with us through PayPal; or
GoCardless Ltd (GoCardless), a third party payment services provider. We recommend that you read GoCardlesss privacy policy (available at https://www.gocardless.com/legal/privacy) prior to effecting any transactions with us through GoCardless.
We will provide your personal data to PayPal / GoCardless only to the extent necessary for the purposes of processing payments for transactions you enter into with us. We do not store your financial details.
Childrens data
We do not knowingly process data of any person under the age of 16. If we come to discover, or have reason to believe, that you are 15 and under and we are holding your personal information, we will delete that information within a reasonable period and withhold our services accordingly.
Security of and access to your personal data
We endeavour to ensure that there are appropriate and proportionate technical and organisational measures to prevent the loss, destruction, misuse, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or of access to your personal information.
Your information is only accessible by appropriately trained staff and volunteers.
We may also use agencies and/or suppliers to process data on our behalf. We may also merge or partner with other organisations and in so doing transfer and/or acquire personal data.
Please note that some countries outside of the EEA have a lower standard of protection for personal data, including lower security requirements and fewer rights for individuals. We may transfer and/or store personal data collected from you to and/or at a destination outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Such personal data may be processed by agencies and/or suppliers operating outside the EEA. If we transfer and/or store your personal data outside the EEA we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient implements appropriate measures to protect your personal data.
Otherwise than as set out in this Privacy Policy, we will only ever share your data with your informed consent.
Your rights
Where we rely on your consent to use your personal information, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This includes the right to ask us to stop using your personal information for direct marketing purposes or to be unsubscribed from our email list at any time. You also have the following rights:
(1) Right to be informed you have the right to be told how your personal information will be used. This Policy and any other policies and statements used on our website and in our communications are intended to provide you with a clear and transparent description of how your personal information may be used.
(2) Right of access you can write to us to ask for confirmation of what information we hold on you and to request a copy of that information. Provided we are satisfied that you are entitled to see the information requested and we have successfully confirmed your identity, we have 30 days to comply.
(3) Right of erasure as from 25 May 2018, you can ask us for your personal information to be deleted from our records.
(4) Right of rectification if you believe our records of your personal information are inaccurate, you have the right to ask for those records to be updated.
(5) Right to restrict processing you have the right to ask for processing of your personal data to be restricted if there is disagreement about its accuracy or legitimate usage.
(6) Right to data portability to the extent required by the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) where we are processing your personal information (i) under your consent, (ii) because such processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are party or to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contact or (iii) by automated means, you may ask us to provide it to you or another service provider in a machine-readable format.
To exercise these rights, please send a description of the personal information in question using the contact details in section 15 below. You can also unsubscribe from our email list by sending a blank email to news-unsubscribe@marxist.com
Where we consider that the information with which you have provided us does not enable us to identify the personal information in question, we reserve the right to ask for (i) personal identification and/or (ii) further information.
Lawful processing
We are required to have one or more lawful grounds to process your personal information. Only 4 of these are relevant to us:
Personal information is processed on the basis of a persons consent Personal information is processed on the basis of a contractual relationship Personal information is processed on the basis of legal obligations Personal information is processed on the basis of legitimate interests
(1) Consent
We will ask for your consent to use your information to send you electronic communications such as newsletters and and fundraising emails, and if you ever share sensitive personal information with us.
(2) Contractual relationships
Most of our interactions with supporters are voluntary and not contractual. However, sometimes it will be necessary to process personal information so that we can enter contractual relationships with people. For example, if you subscribe to one of our publications, or purchase merchandise online.
(3) Legal obligations
Sometimes we will be obliged to process your personal information due to legal obligations which are binding on us. We will only ever do so when strictly necessary.
(4) Legitimate interests
Applicable law allows personal information to be collected and used if it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate activities (as long as its use is fair, balanced and does not unduly impact individuals rights).
We will rely on this ground to process your personal data when it is not practical or appropriate to ask for consent.
Achieving our purposes
These include (but are not limited to) promoting socialist policies
Governance
Internal and external audit for financial or regulatory compliance purposes
Statutory reporting
Publicity and income generation
Conventional direct marketing and other forms of marketing, publicity or advertisement
Unsolicited messages, including campaigns, newsletters, and fundraising appeals
Analysis, targeting and segmentation to develop and promote or strategy and improve communication efficiency
Personalisation used to tailor and enhance your experience of our communications
Operational Management
Maintenance of suppression files
Processing for historical, scientific or statistical purpose
Purely administrative purposes
Responding to enquiries
Delivery of requested products or information
Communications designed to administer existing services including subscriptions, administration of petitions and financial transactions
Thank you communications and receipts
Maintaining a supporter database and suppression lists
Financial Management and control
Processing financial transactions and maintaining financial controls
Prevention of fraud, misuse of services, or money laundering
Enforcement of legal claims
Reporting criminal acts and compliance with law enforcement agencies
When we use your personal information, we will consider if it is fair and balanced to do so and if it is within your reasonable expectations. We will balance your rights and our legitimate interests to ensure that we use your personal information in ways that are not unduly intrusive or unfair in other ways.
Data retention
The length of time each category of data will be retained will vary depending on how long we need to process it for, the reason it was collected, and in line with any statutory requirements. After this point the data will either be deleted, or we may retain a secure anonymised record for research and analytical purposes.
In the event that you ask us to stop sending you direct marketing/fundraising/other electronic communications, we will keep your name on our internal suppression list to ensure that you are not contacted again.
Policy amendments
We keep this Privacy Policy under regular review and reserve the right to update from time-to-time by posting an updated version on our website, not least because of changes in applicable law. We recommend that you check this Privacy Policy occasionally to ensure you remain happy with it. We may also notify you of changes to our privacy policy by email.
Third party websites
We link our website directly to other sites. This Privacy Policy does not cover external websites and we are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any external websites you visit via links on our website.
Updating information
You can check the personal data we hold about you, and ask us to update it where necessary, by emailing us at webmaster@marxist.com
Contact
We are not required by law to have a Data Protection Officer however we have a Data Protection Manager.
Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com
SPRINGFIELD -- At many stores these days, customers can have a hard time getting a meat cutter to trim a steak or roast just they way they want it.
But not at 90 Meat Outlet, which has its own custom cutting counter.
"We'll trim it just the way the customer likes it, right in front of the customer," said owner Jim Vallides. "None of this taking something in the back and then coming back out with it. You watch us do it."
And customers looking at many stores for something a little out of the ordinary for that ethnic dish -- think beef tongue, oxtail or hog maw made from a pig's stomach -- at a chain store are more likely to come away frustrated, not satisfied.
"We have all that type of things," said Vallides. "We do a tremendous business with ethnic food. We sell lamb. We sell a lot of goat."
Vallides and his 90 Meat Outlet staff will celebrate a grand-re-opening at the store May 12, 13 and 14 following a large-scale renovation project that saw the store expand from 3,000-square feet of display space to more than 7,000-square feet. The new space opened around Thanksgiving time.
Vallides founded 90 Meat Outlet out of a few small coolers in the front of the building in 1998. At the time, he had a company across the street that made breaded chicken like cutlets and nuggets.
Today, 90 Meat now has 50 employees. And it is the center of a three family-run and family-owned businesses.
His daughter, Alexis, is the manager at Armata's Market in Longmeadow.
"It is a very different operation," Vallides said. "But we do custom cut at the butcher counter there, too."
His son Michael manages Latino Food Distributors which brings in and distributes foods and brands popular in Puerto Rico like Titan-brand frozen foods. Latino Foods Distributors manufactures its own Puerto Rican sofrito, a type of seasoning flavored with cilantro, which is popular in Latino cooking.
Since the new space became available in November, Vallides said he's spent the past few months rearranging things, making sure the products are displayed in a logical order and that foot traffic flows nicely through the store.
"People like it better. They were in here elbow-to-elbow," he said. "They don't feel like they are being pushed along by the flow of foot traffic."
The new layout also gives more space for that custom cutting counter and might allow more space for new products.
It also allowed Vallides to move and expand the cutting room in back where his employees prepare meat for sale.
"They are back here all day, every day we're open," he said.
At one station, workers fed cuts of beef through a tenderizing machine to make cube steaks. At another station, employees cut pigs feet to the proper size with a saw.
One worker carefully rolled steaks in a seasoning rub. The store transitions every spring from meat cuts used in soups and stews -- like oxtail -- to cuts for grilling.
"We sell a lot of chicken," Vallides said.
Meat cutters Jose Gonzales and Diego Marte cut beef short ribs into thin-sliced flanken, a favorite of ethnic cuisines in the of Asia and Latin America.
"The Brazilians love them," Vallides said. "A lot of ethnic groups love them in stews and soups.They are big in Korean cooking, too. But you can't get them."
One customer comes to Springfield from Worcester to buy flanken, Vallides said.
The prices at 90 Meat outlet draw in a lot of out-of-towners. People from the Albany, New York, area come to buy meat by the freezer full.
"My big thing has always been 'buy direct and save.'" Vallides said. "I work directly with the packing houses in the Midwest, the chicken distributors. The potatoes come from Hadley."
In April, he got a call from an egg distributor who was oversupplied and looking to move inventory. Was 90 Meat outlet interested?
"I normally don't carry eggs," Vallides said. "But it was something I was able to bring it at a reasonable price and offer to people as an opportunity buy. You aren't going to see them that cheap anywhere else."
On this day, he had them stacked in the store priced at 99 cents a dozen. One woman stopped and picked up six dozen eggs.
UHaulLogoMedium1.jpg
EAST LONGMEADOW -- U-Haul Company of Massachusetts and Ohio, Inc.has announced that that Colonial Auto has signed on as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer to serve East Longmeadow.
Colonial Auto at 631 N. Main St. will offer U-Haul trucks, towing equipment, support rental items and in-store pick-up for boxes.
Colonial Auto partners Daniel and Brian Murray are proud to team with the industry leader in do-it-yourself moving and self-storage to better meet the demands of Hampden County.
U-Haul and Colonial Auto are striving to benefit the environment through sustainability initiatives.
Every U-Haul truck placed in a community helps keep 19 personally owned large-capacity vehicles, pickups, SUVs and vans off the road. Fewer vehicles means less traffic congestion, less pollution, less fuel burned and cleaner air.
transgender flag.png
The transgender flag, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
(Wikimedia Commons)
This post was been updated on May 5: After reviewing photographs, organizers of the flag-raising now say Worcester actually beat Boston in raising a transgender flag. More available here.
_____________________
BOSTON - Mayor Marty Walsh, Senate President Stan Rosenberg and transgender advocates huddled under City Hall's concrete overhang as they celebrated the city raising the transgender flag.
The rainy day flag-raising came as Massachusetts lawmakers are pushing a bill aimed at creating anti-discrimination protections for transgender people, allowing them to enter a bathroom based on their gender identity.
The Legislature's Judiciary Committee voted to approve two bills they say do that, and the Senate version is scheduled for a debate in the state Senate on May 12.
Supporters call the bills civil rights measures and say they are needed to close a gap for transgender people under anti-discrimination laws covering public places.
Opponents say the legislation would open the door to privacy violations in women's bathrooms. The Massachusetts Family Institute's Jonathan Alexandre told the Associated Press that the House version of the bill "is essentially the same as it still offers no protections to women and children who don't want to be eyed by or exposed to naked men in locker rooms or other intimate spaces."
Boston on Monday became another municipality in Massachusetts, after Worcester, to hoist up the transgender flag, and the fourth one in the United States, according to organizers.
"I've been an advocate for transgender rights for over ten years now, and this is the first time I actually get to see it raised, and that means more than I can possibly explain," said Mason Dunn, executive director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition.
The city of Boston has had anti-discrimination protections in place for transgender people, similar to the proposed legislation on Beacon Hill, since 2002.
"We've proven there's nothing to fear from being inclusive," Walsh said. "Quite the opposite. We are safer, we are stronger when everyone enjoys the same protections."
Here's how they voted: Transgender anti-discrimination bills clear Massachusetts State House committee
Rosenberg, D-Amherst, said with passage of the transgender bill, "we'll send a message that we are not Mississippi, we are not Georgia, we are not North Carolina," he said.
Rosenberg said in an interview with The Republican/MassLive.com earlier on Monday that the Senate put the transgender public accommodations bill on its agenda in June of 2015, and he is "ecstatic" that the bill finally got out of the Judiciary Committee.
"This anti-discrimination language is really critical," Rosenberg said. "People run into very painful and challenging situations and the sooner we end it the better."
Rosenberg said he has had enough votes to pass the bill in the Senate for nearly a year. "It's about time," he said.
But state Rep. Jim Lyons, R-Andover, a member of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee and an opponent of the bill, said the legislation has "nothing to do with discrimination."
"It is important to emphasize this bill removes protection for our children in public rest rooms and segregated locker facilities," Lyons said in a recent Facebook post.
"The Supreme Court of Massachusetts has already determined that transgender people are protected under existing law," he added.
House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, has said he supports the legislation, while Gov. Charlie Baker, R-Swampscott, has declined to say whether he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk.
Republican reporter Shira Schoenberg contributed to this report.
The Boston Common will be filled with bubbles big and small later this month during the first-ever Boston Bubble Festival.
The afternoon event's activities will include "make your own bubbles" stations, employees from the Museum of Science Boston discussing the science of bubbles and an appearance by Terry Murray, better know as The Inventor Mentor.
"Children have always loved playing with the bubbles at our festivals in Franklin Park so we decided to dedicate a day to this fun activity and bring it downtown to Boston Common," Boston Parks Commissioner Chris Cook said.
In addition to bubble-themed activities, the festival will feature music, children's fitness activities, and performances by a magician and a juggler.
The event will be held around Parkman Bandstand at 167 Tremont St. from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 14. It is presented by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department with the following sponsors: Uncle Bubble, Massachusetts WIC Nutrition Program, Fisher College, HP Hood LLC, Disney's "Alice Through The Looking Glass," Disney-Pixar's "Finding Dory," Columbia Pictures' "The Angry Birds," and partners Magic 106.7, WERS-FM, and Jim Dichter.
ROWLEY
Two men were shot at, one was wounded, in a wooded area behind a shopping center in Rowley Sunday.
IN a written statement, Rowley police said they received 911 call reporting shots fired in the area of the Market Basket supermarket on the Newburyport Turnpike at about 5:15 p.m.
Responded officers were met by an 18-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the leg. He was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for his injury and released.
Meanwhile, a second young man arrived at the Rowley Police Department and told police he, too, was shot at in the same area as the first victim. However, he was not injured.
Authorities said they are searching for a known individual for questioning. Police did not say if the attacks on the two people are related. Police did say they believe that the attacks were not random and the public is not in danger.
Earlier in the afternoon, a victim was shot and wounded on Lowell Street in Somerville.
Police described the victim as a young male. He was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital for treatment of what police said was a non-life-threatening injury, the the Boston Globe reported.
Somerville Police said the incident remains under investigation.
There is no word on the shooter in the second incident.
BOSTON - A Roxbury man was furious when he found out his new refrigerator was the wrong size, so he aimed a rifle at the men delivering it, police allege.
John Mahoney, 48, was arrested Saturday morning at his home on Folsom Avenue in Roxbury. He's charged with assault with a deadly weapon, along with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Police said two appliance store employees delivered a refrigerator to Mahoney's house at around 10:30 a.m. He and another resident allegedly became upset when they found out the new refrigerator was not the same size as the old one.
"One of the male residents then emerged from a room with what was described to officers as an 'AK-47 style assault rifle,' pointed and racked the firearm at the delivery men, and yelled at them to get out of the house," police said in a news release. Police also said the model of the weapon is actually "unknown."
Officers searched the house and found a rifle, two revolvers and 67 rounds of ammunition.
move that block indy start.JPG
Polesitter and IndyCar driver Dario Franchitti (10), of Scotland leads the pack at the start of the MoveThatBlock.com 225 Indy 225 auto race, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2011, in Loudon, N.H. IndyCar driver Ryan Hunter-Reay went on to win the race.
(The Associated Press)
BOSTON - First, Boston's bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics collapsed last July, and the show moved on to Los Angeles as recriminations over who killed the bid played out in the press.
Just a few days ago, there were echoes of last summer: IndyCar ditched its plans for a Grand Prix race in Boston's Seaport District, dumping the news as people headed home for the weekend.
John Casey, president of the event, told the Boston Globe that the relationship with the city had become "untenable," and said the effort to bring the race to Boston had become "ridiculous." A top aide to Mayor Marty Walsh, Patrick Brophy, fired back in a statement calling Grand Prix organizers "unwilling or unable to meet the necessary requirements to hold an event of this size."
Walsh told reporters on Monday he had first learned about IndyCar's decision to pull out of Boston through the media.
The news is starting to spawn thinkpieces on what it means for the city, with former Boston City Councilor Michael Ross penning a column titled, "Boston, I love you but you're bringing me down," while a former state transportation secretary, Jim Aloisi asked, "Whither Boston?"
Asked on Monday whether Boston is becoming the city that often says "no," Walsh said the Olympics and the Grand Prix were "two very different events," since the Olympics would have taken years of planning and the event itself would've lasted a month.
"I think there were a lot of questions that were unanswered and I think that when we got the announcement that we were going to potentially host the 2024 games, a lot of people jumped on it and had a lot of questions," Walsh said. "And they didn't get the answers they wanted right away."
IndyCar was to be a much smaller affair, a three-day event that would have taken place around Labor Day weekend, according to the mayor, who called himself a "big advocate" for the proposal.
"It's unfortunate that it went the way it went," Walsh said. "But I think that, again, we have to make sure everything we do is right by the taxpayers and everything we do is done properly."
Martin Walsh
Walsh said he was still working on finding out "where the breakdown" was with IndyCar.
"I want to see if there's a breakdown on our part," Walsh told reporters. "You know, there were certainly some questions unanswered on IndyCar's part that we were asking on Friday."
Walsh pointed to city and state officials convincing General Electric to re-locate its world headquarters to Boston from Connecticut, and Verizon moving ahead with plans to replace a copper-based system with a fiber-optic network to compete with Comcast.
"We've pulled off a lot of big things," Walsh said.
umm.jpg
University of Massachusetts Amherst Police released a photograph from a surveillance camera showing three burglary suspects in Washington Hall. (University of Massachusetts photograph)
(University of Massachusetts photograph)
Updates a story posted at 10:54 a.m. Monday.
AMHERST - Two of the three men charged in connection with an armed burglary at the University of Massachusetts Sunday denied charges in Eastern Hampshire District Court Monday and have been released on $2,000 bail and ordered to stay away from the university.
The third is expected to be released on $5,000 bail later Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown.
UMass student Damien G. Earp, 19, of Lynn, and fellow Lynn resident Kyle Morrill, 18, were released on bail following their arraignments Monday. Morrill is not a student at the university.
Both men were ordered to stay away from UMass and observe a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew.
UMass student Garrett B. Johnston, 20, of Belle Mead, New Jersey is expected to be released later Monday on the higher bail, according to Northwestern District Attorney spokeswoman Mary Carey.
Johnston reportedly lived in the dorm, according to a witness.
All three are charged with two counts of armed burglary, larceny under $250, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, resisting arrest and assault and battery on a police officer.
Police said the three masked men were trying to break into rooms in Washington Hall at around 4:45 a.m. Sunday.
The two students, Earp and Johnston, were arrested as they tried to escape from responding officers, police said. Morrill later called police after he returned home, and admitted he was with Johnston and Earp, according to police records.
According to police records, responding officers came upon a man later identified as Earp who was holding a knife with the blade exposed and a pillowcase "that later was found to contain a pair of shoes belonging to a victim."
Earp attempted to fight with the officers, police said.
The officers told him to stop and get on the ground, but Earp and Johnston continued running down the hallway. Earp was later found hiding in a laundry room on the building's eighth floor.
Both Earp and Johnston allegedly fought with officers during the incident, striking officer Jason Minich, according to police records.
Earp and Morrill are due back in court June 2.
Both Morrill and Earp were signed into the dorm together, according to records.
On his Twitter account, Johnston describes himself as an "extreme sport enthusiast" and member of the UMass class of 2018.
Earp on his Facebook page lists himself as a 2015 Lynn Classical High School graduate.
Amherst police SUV.jpg
Amherst police arrest 3 on drunk driving over the weekend.
(Republican file )
AMHERST - Police arrested three men on drunk driving over the weekend, two of which were involved in crashes.
At 2:30 p.m. Saturday, police arrested Mathew D. Burns, 53, of Stafford Springs, Connecticut on charges of operating under the influence of alcohol, second offense, and operating a motor vehicle to endanger after allegedly crashing his 2015 Toyota Prius into another car on South Pleasant and Amity streets.
Just before the crash, a caller reported observing a Prius weaving all over the road before turning onto South Pleasant Street.
No one was injured in the collision, police said.
At 1:32 a.m. Monday, police arrested Conor P. Doherty, 23, of Woburn for operating under the influence of alcohol, operating a motor vehicle to endanger- negligent and marked lines violations after he allegedly struck a utility pole at 45 S. Pleasant St.
He as not injured and no wires were taken down, according to police.
At 12:09 a.m. Sunday, police arrested Alexander J. Booth, 22, of North Andover for operating under the influence of alcohol, operating a motor vehicle to endanger- negligent and a lights violation after he was stopped on Main and Shumway streets.
All three are expected to be arraigned Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown.
umass.jpg
University of Massachusetts Amherst Police released a photograph from a surveillance camera showing three burglary suspects in Washington Hall.
(University of Massachusetts photograph)
AMHERST - Three suspects arrested in connection with an armed burglary early Sunday morning have been identified and are facing arraignment Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown.
Damien G. Earp, 19, Lynn, and Garrett B. Johnston, 20, of Belle Mead, New Jersey are listed as UMass students. The third man, Kyle Morrill, 18, also of Lynn, is not a student at the university.
All three are charged with two counts of armed burglary, larceny under $250, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, resisting arrest and assault and battery on a police officer.
A university spokesman declined to release the suspect's names Sunday. The incident, listing the names and charges, appeared in the police department's daily crime log.
Police say victims reported three masked men trying to break into rooms in Washington Hall at around 4:45 a.m. Sunday.
The two students were arrested as they tried to escape from responding officers, according to police.
On his Twitter account, Johnston describes himself as an "extreme sport enthusiast" and member of the UMass class of 2018.
Earp on his Facebook page lists himself as a 2015 Lynn Classical High School graduate.
This is a developing story that will be updated after further reporting.
by Karlene Lukovitz @KLmarketdaily, April 29, 2016
This week timed to make a splash before next weeks digital video Newfronts the Video Advertising Bureau released a research report that proposes the adoption of average audience per minute as a common currency for evaluating audience claims across television and digital media.
The metric combines three measurements applicable across media: Unique audience is multiplied by average minutes viewed, then divided by the total minutes in the time period being evaluated.
According to the VAB, a trade association of broadcast and cable networks and MVPDs, when this apples to apples method is used, it reveals exaggerated audience claims for Internet platforms and non-TV devices. VAB reports that TVs audience per minute averages 45.4 million versus just 12.7 million for smartphones and 9 million for PCs, and that in any given minute, TV accounts for 95% of video consumption among adults overall (and 88% among Millennials). It also offers specific examples showing TV beating competitive platforms, including Facebook (by a factor of 7 to 1), Pandora (15 to 1) and YouTube (15 to 1).
advertisement advertisement
Audience Buying Insider asked three respected media research analysts for their takes on the VABs proposal.
Foster: All Impressions Not The Same
VAB is right on the mark in underlining that we not only need cross-platform measurement, we also need to evaluate this idea that all impressions are equal, says Frank Foster, a consultant who most recently served as SVP, general manager for TiVo Research and Analytics. I would posit that they are not equal that an impression associated with a 30-second ad with a $2-million production budget thats viewed within premium content, on a 70-inch TV screen, is worth more than an impression associated with a low-quality video ad viewed on a 4-inch phone screen.
That said, Foster adds, we do need standards but theres no rush. Until a couple of years ago, we had no cross-platform measurement. I would prefer an open approach, where we dont necessarily default to the dominant providers, but also give new companies with new ideas a chance to devise solutions. Lets spend a few years trying secondary metrics with secondary guarantees associated with a variety of approaches in the real world. Spend the money, share the results, and let buyers and sellers determine and negotiate what works, rather than trying to figure it all out in three days behind closed doors.
Feldinger:Buyers And Sellers Will Likely Decide
Without a doubt, there is ease of use in adopting a uniform metric to measure content consumption on all screens, says Sheryl Feldinger, a media measurement and market research specialist who served in several executive positions at NBCUniversal, most recently SVP strategic marketing and metrics. And when the content is of the same duration, mathematically, that works. Hence the interest in pure program ratings that remove the ad load which often varies in duration by platform so that the same exact content can be measured in VOD, linear and other formats.
I would add that I agree with a point made recently by [veteran media researcher] Bruce Goerlich: Using the same metrics to count platforms doesnt mean that they will be valued in the same way, Feldinger says. I also think that the metrics will most likely be sorted out by buyers and sellers.
But she cites one factor likely to pose challenges. Having worked for large media publishers, I know that they distribute content on all platforms, she says. And theres a huge amount of digital content available in apps and online, beyond whats available on television.
If I own a major media brand, I want to know how many consumers are touching my brand, in reach and average minute audience terms. That extends beyond the accumulation of consumption of the long-form video content that was televised. And that raises a question that Im not sure VABs proposal addresses: If I spend a few minutes every morning visiting WeatherChannel.com, will my visit contribute to an average audience for the morning day part, or how would that be counted toward total brand consumption?
Harvey: Good To Go Back To Basics
Media research consultant Bill Harvey points out that while averaging TV audiences by minute is the dominant approach, audiences can also be averaged on a by-second basis, which provides more precision when commercials are shorter than a minute. (The TRA viewership/buying habits matching system, which he co-founded part of TiVo Research since 2012 aggregates set-top box data by second.)
That aside, he says, This average-minute approach that VAB is proposing for cross-media comparison is very sensible, because it puts everything on a level playing field. And that debunks myths, like the myth of Facebook having bigger viewership than television, which have resulted from people not using a comparable yardstick. Its a good idea to go back to basics.
by Karlene Lukovitz @KLmarketdaily, May 2, 2016
Six years after calorie labeling on menus was mandated as part of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, the Food and Drug Administration has released final guidance on implementing the regulation.
Compliance and enforcement will kick in a year from now, in early May 2017.
The requirements apply to chain restaurants, supermarkets and other foodservice venues with 20 or more locations.
The National Restaurant Association stopped opposing menu labeling in 2009. McDonalds set a high-profile precedent by posting calorie counts on U.S. menu boards in 2012; Panera Bread was among those that followed. Subway (shown) said it did the same as of last month.
advertisement advertisement
But pizza chains and some other restaurant chains along with grocery and convenience store retailers have maintained that application of the FDAs guidelines in their businesses would be burdensome, expensive and confusing for retailers and consumers.
Most recently, they backed the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2015, which would allow posting calories on Web sites instead of in-store menu boards, among other changes to the FDA draft guidance that was released last September. The Disclosure Act was passed in the House in February, and backers are still pushing for its passage in the Senate.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, which began advocating calorie disclosure on menus in 2003, said in a statement that it believes the bill is unlikely to advance in the Senate. It also noted that since 2006, when New York City overcame a court challenge by the restaurant industry to become the first jurisdiction to require calorie counts on chain menus, California, Seattle and about 20 other jurisdictions have passed similar legislation.
Food Marketing Institute president and CEO Leslie Sarasin says that the final guidance fails to provide the supermarket industry with enough flexibility for practical implementation of labeling in stores. The supermarket industry still seeks flexibility from FDA, she said in a statement.
The FDA said that its committed to working flexibly and cooperatively with establishments covered by the menu labeling final rule and to providing educational and technical assistance for state, local, and tribal regulatory partners to support consistent compliance nationwide.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, May 2, 2016
University of California, San Diego bioengineers have created what they believe to be the first online search engine for functional genomics data. Dubbed GeNemo, the engine allows researchers to search for genomic data from online data repositories.
Since functional genomics data records the diverse activities of every piece of an organism's genome and is directly relevant to health and disease, engineers hope the search engine will help researchers uncover the functional aspects in specific parts of genomes that are associated with normal physiology or disease of specific organs and tissues.
Rather than searching by text, the engine allows researchers to search inside functional data, which many seem similar to deep linking in apps and across the Web. For example, someone might search for binding patterns similar to a novel transcription.
The work from the Sheng Zhong bioengineering lab at UC San Diego was published online by the journal Nucleic Acids Research.
by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, May 2, 2016
Earlier this year, Clear Channel unveiled a new outdoor advertising initiative that involves telling marketers whether their stores are visited by consumers who have viewed ads on billboards.
Clear Channel's new program reportedly draws on location and demographic data from at least three other companies: AT&T, PlaceIQ (which uses location data from apps) and Placed (which pays customers to track them). Clear Channel told The New York Times that the data, which is anonymous and aggregated, doesn't identify individual customers.
When the program rolled out, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota) criticized Clear Channel for failing to clearly explain its plans to consumers. "Given the sensitive nature of location data, all parties involved in Clear Channel's Radar service should provide clear and comprehensive privacy policies and should disclose detailed information about their data-sharing relationships with other companies," Franken said in a letter sent to the company in March. "Unfortunately, as currently written, Clear Channel's privacy policy, which appears to apply to all of its products and services, leaves consumers largely in the dark."
advertisement advertisement
Clear Channel answered Franken, but the company's response has yet to be made public. Franken told the Minnesota Post last month that he appreciates "Clear Channels willingness to provide detailed information" and will "continue to keep the dialogue open between my office and the company."
Now, a second lawmaker is raising concerns about Clear Channel's program. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) is urging the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether Clear Channel's "spying billboards" are an unfair or deceptive practice.
"Clear Channel Outdoor has tens of thousands of mobile and digital billboards across the United States and plans to provide advertisers with data on individuals who pass its billboards -- some of which are equipped with small cameras that collect information," Schumer says in a letter to the FTC. "Using the data and analytics, Clear Channel can amass a collection of information, such as the average age and gender, about individuals who view a particular billboard, in a certain place, at any given time. I am worried about the way this data will be collected for so many unsuspecting individuals."
He wants the FTC to investigate whether Clear Channel "is acting transparently in this initiative," and whether consumers should be able to opt out of the sale of their data.
For its part, Clear Channel suggests that people have misunderstood the initiative. The company has reportedly denied that its billboards are equipped with cameras that capture information about consumers.
Instead, a spokesperson says it purchases "aggregated and anonymized statistical reports" from third parties. The spokesperson also says that the companies compiling those reports either allow consumers to opt out or obtain their opt-in consent.
"This type of campaign planning, attribution and measurement solution has existed for years in other media and is now being applied to out-of-home media, the spokesperson says.
Clear Channel can hardly blame people for not understanding the program, given its vague explanations of the initiative. The company said in a Feb. 29 announcement that it uses "mobile-derived, location-based data." While Clear Channel said the data came from AT&T, Placed and PlaceIQ, it didn't explain what precise information came from which company, or how the data was analyzed.
Although Clear Channel says the data is anonymous, that conclusion isn't especially helpful, given that policymakers and courts about what kind of information is "anonymous."
Last week, FTC consumer protection head Jessica Rich blogged that the agency considers data personally identifiable when it can be "reasonably linked" to a computer or device. "In many cases, persistent identifiers such as device identifiers, MAC addresses, static IP addresses, or cookies meet this test," she wrote.
Location data often is seen as especially sensitive. Consider, on Friday a federal appellate court ruled that Gannett may have transmitted personally identifiable information by allegedly sending users' device identifiers and GPS coordinates to Adobe.
Jules Polonetsky, CEO of the think tank Future of Privacy Forum, tells MediaPost that Clear Channel would do a service to consumers by providing more information about how its program works. "It may not be deceptive, but it's certainly not transparent -- which is driving the concerns," he says.
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, May 2, 2016
Search agency Resolution Media, part of Omnicom Media Group, has expanded rapidly since the firm was acquired by the holding company a little more than a decade ago. Back then it was 35-person shop in Chicago. Todaythanks in part to a consolidation of Omnicom search agencies under the Resolution umbrella a few years back-- it employs 2,000 people in 50 markets around the world and manages $2 billion (and counting) in media spend.
Its also no longer just a search agency but has branched out to offer social, mobile, email, ecommerce and other services.
Just as the company is opening its sixth U.S. office (in Dallas) it has also appointed a new presidentGeorge Manas, previously the firms Chief Strategy Officer. He succeeds Alan Osetek who left to become CEO of programmatic operation Digilant in March.
advertisement advertisement
Manas joined Resolution Media in 2012 as Director of Services & Platforms. He was promoted to CSO a year ago. Hes credited with the driving the expansion of many of Resolutions services beyond the search domain. He helped architect the firms suite of social activation services known as Current@Resolution as well as the StoryConnect@Omnicom platform which integrates data-driven strategy, creative, media, and analytic services globally.
Going forward Manas is tasked with overseeing the design and implementation of the agencys core and emerging services and managing key partnerships across publishers, technologies and the Omnicom Network. In addition to its own set of clients, accounting for about 40% of its business, Resolution provides search and social services across the OMG client roster and also works with a number of the holding companys creative agencies.
For clients, says Manas, job one is helping them engage audiences as the media landscape gets more complex. Search has become the center of so much that it has changed the digital world, he said, noting that search and social combined account for about 70% of digital ad investment.
The Dallas office opening was a pretty big deal strategically, Manas says. In the U.S., the agency has offices in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Charlotte. We were lacking a Southwest presence, he says. Not only does Dallas fill the gap, it does so as a fast growing city with a great talent pool, an entrepreneurial culture and rapidly expanding health and technology-related sectors.
According to Manas, the firm has delivered rapid and for the most part organic growth over the past five years, much of it due to the expansion of the product offering. Now, he says the challenge is to create consistency and global scalability with our capabilities.
More and more clients are looking at that, Manas adds, noting that the firm has over a dozen global clients, including Unilever, which the firm won last year in a joint pitch with sibling agency PHD.
And with the world so anchored to Google, Facebook and a handful of other tech giants, creating a global platform for all biddable media is critical to competing effectively in the agency space says Manas. He thinks Resolution is well positioned for the future. Given that its expanding product line has grown from within, driving a seamless and globally scaled offering, while challenging, will be less difficult than integrating a sack full of bolt-on acquisitions.
A team working in the field of warfighter performance suggests gut microbes may hold the key to curing or preventing post-traumatic stress disorder and mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression.
Share on Pinterest Gut microbes may play a strong role in peoples ability to deal with stressful situations.
Researchers from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, came to this conclusion about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after reviewing recent experimental and clinical data.
From research on laboratory mice, the team found imbalances in the animals gut bacteria seriously affected their mood and demeanor.
The researchers also found that stressed mice became calmer when they fed them live bacteria from fecal material collected from calm mice.
The research is part of a project sponsored by the Warfighter Performance Department in the Office of Naval Research, headquartered in Arlington, VA.
ONR Program Officer Dr. Linda Chrisey comments on the teams work:
This is extremely important work for United States warfighters because it suggests that gut microbes play a strong role in the bodys response to stressful situations, as well as in who might be susceptible to conditions like PTSD.
Our digestive tract holds trillions of microbes, without which we could not digest food, defend effectively against disease, and even transmit signals to the brain that affect mood and behavior.
Collectively known as the gut microbiome, they form an integral part of the biology that keeps us alive and well.
Improper functioning of the mitochondria, a cell's source of energy, may help account for the fact that African-American men with prostate cancer respond poorly to the same conventional therapies provided to Caucasian-American men, according to research led by Dhyan Chandra, PhD, Associate Professor of Oncology in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI). The study was published online ahead of print in the British Journal of Cancer.
"In an earlier study, we provided the first evidence that African-American men possess reduced levels of mitochondrial genetic material in healthy prostate tissues, compared to Caucasian-American men. This new study highlights the importance of mitochondrial dysfunction as one of the main reasons for prostate cancer health disparities," says Dr. Chandra. "We conclude that the presence of severe mitochondrial dysfunction in African-American men with prostate cancer, compared with Caucasian men with the disease, would be one of the potential reasons for the increased cancer resistance to chemotherapy and the recurrence of disease."
Mitochondrial dysfunction is strongly linked to chemotherapeutic resistance leading to relapse of prostate cancer, but its effects can sometimes be overcome by treatment with the small molecule dichloroacetate. In prostate cancer cells from African-American men, dichloroacetate did not restore mitochondrial function to required levels.
This mitochondrial dysfunction within prostate cancer cells appears to make African-American men more resistant to current chemotherapy, putting them at greater risk for disease spread. The identification of new anticancer agents that would restore mitochondrial activity may result in better disease control, the researchers emphasize.
"These findings may provide an explanation for the higher incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer among African-American men. African-American patients might get more positive outcomes after major restoration of mitochondrial function, which could improve the anticancer effects of therapy," adds Dr. Chandra.
"Although these findings are extremely insightful, more basic and clinical studies are needed to understand their impact in reaching our goal of eliminating the racial disparities in prostate cancer mortality," says co-author Willie Underwood, III, MD, MS, MPH, Associate Professor in the Department of Urology at Roswell Park.
This research was supported, in part, by grants from the National Cancer Institute (awards R01CA160685 and P30CA016056), American Cancer Society (RSG-12-214-01), Department of Defense (awards W81XWH-14-1-0013 and W81XWH-12-1-0406) and the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Georgia.
A modified surgical technique may provide a simpler approach to the surgical treatment for one type of chronic headache, according to an "Ideas and Innovations" paper in the May issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Using an incision originally designed for another purpose, surgeons can gain direct access to the nerves involved in some types of chronic temporal headache, according to the report by ASPS Member Surgeon Dr. Ziv M. Peled of Peled Plastic Surgery, San Francisco. He hopes his new technique will "lower the bar to adoption" of effective surgical treatment for patients with this debilitating headache condition.
Efficient Approach to Surgery for Chronic Temporal Headache
In recent years, surgery has emerged as an effective treatment option for selected patients with chronic, severe headaches. Developed by plastic surgeons who noticed that some migraine patients had fewer headaches after cosmetic forehead-lift, these procedures address "trigger sites" linked to certain headache patterns.
Severe temporal headaches can result from muscle spasms or enlarged blood vessels putting pressure on specific nerves located on the side of the head--specifically, the zygomaticotemporal branch of the trigeminal nerve (ZTBTN) and sometimes the auriculotemporal nerve (ATN). During these operative procedures, surgeons seek to relieve pressure on these nerves or to disconnect the nerves in order to prevent them from triggering future headaches.
The technique is a new use of an approach that many surgeons are already familiar with: the Gillies incision, used for surgical repair of cheekbone fractures. Dr. Peled found that this short incision, placed in the temple behind the hairline, provides direct access to the ZTBTN and ATN. He describes his initial experience with the new approach in 19 patients.
All patients had chronic temporal headaches that did not improve with medications. They also had a positive result on preoperative testing--either injection of botulinum toxin (Botox) to temporarily block muscle activity, or local anesthetics to temporarily block the involved nerve. Before and after surgery, headache symptoms were assessed using a standard score, the Migraine Headache Index (MHI).
As in previous studies, surgery provided significant relief from chronic temporal headaches. Average MHI score decreased from about 132 points before surgery to 52 points afterward. Of the 19 patients, 16 had at least a 50 percent reduction in headache symptoms.
It's unclear why the three remaining patients didn't have good improvement, although Dr. Peled notes that two of the three had had temporal headaches for decades before surgery. None of the patients experienced complications, and there was little or no visible scarring.
The experience supports a growing body of research showing good outcomes with surgery for chronic temporal headaches. Most recently, a study in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery reported similar results whether the nerve is decompressed or disconnected. However, previous studies have used technically more complex approaches to access the ZTBTN.
The simplified approach using the Gillies incision combines the advantages of other approaches to chronic temporal headache surgery while minimizing the disadvantages, Dr. Peled believes. He comments, "This is a straightforward technique and effective procedure that may make it easier for plastic surgeons to adopt and offer surgical options for patients with this debilitating condition."
A Novel Surgical Approach to Chronic Temporal Headaches. Peled, Ziv M. M.D. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. DOI:10.1097/PRS.0000000000002051. Published online May 2016 - Volume 137 - Issue 5 - p 1597-1600.
RINVOQ is now approved as the first and only oral JAK inhibitor for adults with active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) RINVOQ is the first and only JAK inhibitor approved for both active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and ...
Advertisement
Umbilical cord infections are more prevalent in Africa and Asia, where there are more births at home typically done using unsterile objects, such as dung ash, for the umbilical cord stump.The gel will be mainly sold at a not-for-profit price. It is designed to hold up both hot and humid conditions without needing much refrigeration as both continents endure such weather condition.Dr. Pauline Williams, a senior GSK scientist at GSK's UK research and development center in Stevenage initiated the efforts in coming up with the gel which took four years to develop.In a report by the United Nations in 2012, chlorhexidine was identified as a forgotten "life-saving commodity".The report stated that chlorhexidine had the potential to save baby lives if made available across poor parts of Africa and Asia.Dr Williams realized that Chlorhexidine was being used in GSK's mouthwash brand Corsodyl."It's been a great example of bringing together expertise and resources from across the company to work on something that can make a big difference to public health," said Dr Williams.Umbipro received approval from the European Medicines Agency on April 29. This breakthrough is one of the first approvals for any medical drug to reach the developing countries.However, the antiseptic gel is yet to be approved by the local regulators in all the countries where the company intends to serve its drug. GSK is confident though that it could pass these local approvals.Source: Medindia
Advertisement
The study involved 722 babies in New Zealand, Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States undergoing hernia repair.The effects of a general and a spinal (local) anesthetic on long-term cognition, memory, and motor skills were compared.Most of the anesthetists are nervous about spinal anesthesia in babies.Prof Davidson acknowledged there had been a criticism of the study, and researchers were following up the children three years later to ensure there were no effects that took longer to show up. However, he did not think that would be the case."Because at 2 years there was absolutely no skerrick of a difference, the chances of there being much at 5 years is pretty small.''Prof Davidson said he was involved in a new study to test for effects from longer exposure."Most of the procedures that kids get are fairly short procedures.''Infants recovered more quickly from a local than a general anesthesia."If you have a general anesthetic, the babies were more likely to have temporary breathing problems afterward.''Anesthetists had to be confident in their ability to do the procedure to perform a spinal anesthesia."To put it in, you need to scrunch the baby up and put a little needle in their back until you get a drop of cerebral spinal fluid.""Not all anesthetists are happy doing spinals. It's a technique that you need to learn to do,'' said Prof Davidson.Source: Medindia
Dengue fever is a disease caused by mosquitoes infected by the dengue virus and is prevalent in the tropical regions of the world. It is a painful, disabling disease, with the severity of pain similar to that of bones breaking - hence it is also known as Breakbone fever.
Dengue fever affects close to 400 million people worldwide each year, with about 40% of the worlds population being at risk of exposure and infection. Since dengue fever is caused by a virus, it cannot be cured by antibiotics.(1 Trusted Source
Dengue
Go to source)
The major symptoms of dengue fever include sudden high fever (as high as 40 C or 104 F), chills, severe headache (usually behind the eyes), muscle ache and joint pain, nausea, vomiting, flushed skin and in some cases, a skin rash similar to measles. Dengue fever symptoms may be mild initially and mistaken for a flu, cold or a viral infection. In rare cases, dengue fever may develop into a more life threatening form known as dengue hemorrhagic fever, which results in bleeding, decreased blood platelet count or thrombocytopenia, blood plasma leakage or the more fatal dengue shock syndrome, which causes dangerously low blood pressure.(2 Trusted Source
Dengue Fever
Go to source)
Dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever spread from human-to-mosquito-to-human by the bite of mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus. The dengue virus belongs to a group known as Flavivirus and can be typically divided into four viral serotypes, DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4, which are closely related but differ in their antigens. Many species of mosquitoes under the genus Aedes transmit dengue; in particular, the Aedes aegypti species is most commonly associated with it and the major cause of dengue transmission. This species of mosquito breeds in stagnant waters and usually bites during daylight hours. The virus circulates in the blood for 2-7 days after a person is infected, during which time a mosquito biting the person would acquire it and in turn bites and infects another person.
The symptoms typically develop anywhere between 3 to 14 days, but usually start within 4 to 7 days of infection, and may last from 7 or 10 days. The dengue virus doesnt have any detrimental effect on the mosquito that carries it, and the mosquito remains infected for life. Dengue disease is spread when a mosquito bites an infected person and becomes a carrier of the dengue virus. The mosquito then bites another healthy person and thus spreads the disease causing a possible epidemic breakout. A person infected with a single type of dengue virus serotype out of the four, develops resistance to only that particular virus. However, they become much more susceptible to infection by the other three serotypes.(3 Trusted Source
Dengue Fever: A Wikipedia Clinical Review
Go to source)
Advertisement
Dengue fever may sometimes develop into more dangerous forms such as dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome, which may lead to the development of life-threatening symptoms. Some of the complications caused by the disease include:
Severe dehydration
Continuous bleeding
Low platelets, due to which clotting of blood doesnt occur
Blood pressure may go dangerously low
Bradycardia (heart beating less than 60 counts per minute)
Damage to the brain due to bleeding, seizures or encephalitis
Damage to the immune system
Enlargement of liver and liver damage
Diagnosis of dengue is considered when sudden high fever is accompanied by severe body, muscle or joint pain. It is important to be evaluated when a person develops fever within two weeks of being in the tropics or sub-tropics. Dengue often causes symptoms that are similar to other diseases such as flu, measles, and typhoid fever etc. Hence investigations are always performed to exclude other disease conditions. Usually, the blood of the patient is tested for the presence of antibodies and virus. Diagnosis of dengue infection can be done by the following methods:
Isolating the virus by collecting serum sample from patients within 5 days of appearance of symptoms.
Detection of specific antibodies can be done by collecting serum within 6 days after onset of symptoms. The serum is tested for specific anti-dengue antibodies by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Titres of IgM and IgG antibodies increase four-fold in serum sample.
Using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for detecting viral genomic sequence from Serum or Cerebro Spinal Fluid (CSF) samples collected from the patient, which is more expensive and complicated.
In the case of more serious complications such as dengue hemorrhagic fever, the following diagnosis must be performed:
A tourniquet test is to be conducted, where a tourniquet is tied to the arm and if blood blotches tend to appear beyond the tourniquet, the patient may be suffering from increased bleeding, which may indicate dengue hemorrhagic fever
A decrease in platelet count, also known as thrombocytopenia occurs when platelet count falls below 100,000. Normal platelet counts are between 150,000 to 400,000. A decreased platelet count may be due to dengue fever.
An increase in hematocrit i.e., the volume percentage of red blood cells (RBCs), by 20% could be another indicator as it occurs due to a rise in the vascular permeability of the plasma. Signs of plasma leakage appear as increased fluid accumulation in the chest and abdominal cavity known as pleural effusion or ascites respectively.( Trusted Source
Dengue Fever Test
Go to source Trusted Source
Since there are no known antiviral drugs or injections available for the cure of the disease, dengue fever treatment or management mainly involves plenty of supportive care that would eventually help save the patients life. Dengue is characterized by fever and intense body ache. Dengue treatment comprises of reducing the fever with antipyretic drugs such as paracetamol and the body ache with analgesics that help relieve the pain. Drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen should be avoided as they may increase the risk of hemorrhage. The patient can also be treated with natural home remedies such as papaya leaves, kiwi and other food items that have been proven to help in the increase of platelet count, which becomes lower during dengue. In the case of more severe forms of dengue, such as dengue hemorrhagic disease or dengue shock syndrome, the patient must be admitted to a hospital immediately and given proper care. The mortality rate of a dengue patient without hospitalization is higher by about 50 percent. Treatments such as intravenous fluid replacement should be administered to these patients to prevent shock. Patients should drink plenty of fluids, as dehydration is common among those affected with Dengue.(5 Trusted Source
RNAi: Antiviral Therapy against Dengue Virus
Go to source)
The world's first dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia or CYD-TDV) developed by Sanofi Pasteur was approved for use in Mexico, Philippines and Brazil in December 2015 for the prevention of the deadly mosquito borne disease in people living in dengue endemic areas.
Advertisement
According to Dengue Vaccine: WHO position paper - July 2016, WHO says that countries should consider introducing the CYD-TDV in areas where there is epidemiological data suggesting a high incidence of dengue.
The discovery of CYD-TDV marks a major advance in the field of medicine. CYD-TDV is a prophylactic viral vaccine approved for use in people between the ages of 9 - 45 years. It is a triple-dose vaccine administered on a 0/6/12 month schedule via the subcutaneous route. It contains all 4 serotypes (1, 2, 3 and 4) of the dengue viruses.
CYD-TDV demonstrated protection against severe dengue cases in its phase 3 trials conducted in Asia and Latin America. However, there were limitations in its overall efficacy which was affected by factor like serotype, serostatus at vaccination (whether the person has had a prior infection or not), region or country and age.
New dengue vaccines TV003/TV005 have been developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. They produce antibodies to all 4 dengue virus serotypes. In earlier trials, a single dose of either of the vaccines was able to elicit a robust antibody and cellular immune response.
A Phase 3 trial of TV003 has begun in January 2016 in Sao Paulo to test how effective the vaccine is in preventing dengue and to test its safety. Early indications of its efficacy may be seen in less than two years.
Another vaccine developed by Takeda called the Tetravalent Dengue Vaccine (TDV) has also entered its Phase 3 trials early in 2016 in Latin America and Asia. Data from its Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials indicate that it is safe, well tolerated and immunogenic. The Phase 3 trial will check if the vaccine protects individuals at risk for symptomatic dengue across geography, irrespective of their serostatus.(6 Trusted Source
Dengue Vaccine: Global Development Update
Go to source, 7 Trusted Source
Dengue Vaccine Enters Phase 3 Trial in Brazil
Go to source)
Following certain basic steps is really the most effective way to prevent and fight dengue. Since the only way to get dengue is from a mosquito bite, the best way to prevent it is to avoid mosquitoes and prevent from mosquito bites. This is particularly important if a dengue epidemic is underway in your city or town. Some ways to prevent dengue are described below:
Mosquito breeds in stagnant water. Hence it is advisable to avoid stagnant water and pools on the ground, in flowerpots, buckets, barrels etc., in and around the neighborhood and the house. Water should always be stored in closed containers. Stagnant pools of water on the floor should be mopped up.
Bleaching powder may be used in water sources that are not meant for drinking, as it will prevent the development of mosquito eggs.
Avoid being bitten by the mosquitoes in the first place. Mosquitoes bite us as they require the protein present in human blood to produce eggs. To prevent being bitten, keep mosquitoes away by using mosquito repellents, mosquito repellent plants whether indoors or outdoors.
To avoid mosquitoes, it is best to live inside a well screened or air conditioned house. If this is not possible, mosquito nets should be attached to all windows.
In response to the massive attack of the Syrian regime and its allies on the city of Aleppo in the last few days, in which over 200 people have already been killed, Shi'ite Lebanese journalist Hannan Al-Sabbar penned a scathing article in which she renounced Hizbullah as well as the Shi'ite sect that follows it blindly. Al-Sabbar, who is known for her criticism of Hizbullah, especially since it joined the war in Syria, wrote on the news website newlebanon.info that Hizbullah was an "immoral and murderous" organization that was deviating from God's path and from the path of the fathers of the Shi'a. She compared the events in Aleppo to the battle of Karbala in 680 CE, between the supporters of the Prophet's grandson, Hussein bin 'Ali, and the supporters of the first Umayyad caliph, Yazid I, which is a seminal event in the history of Shi'ite Islam.
The following are excerpts from her article:
"I am a Shi'ite from South [Lebanon, the stronghold] of the resistance [i.e., Hizbullah], and I used to be proud of this. [In the past] I never thought that the resistance was wrong or would ever be wrong, and I staunchly defended the beliefs of my society and my surroundings. I did not know that a day [would come] when I would renounce [my] society, my blind sect and the party [Hizbullah,] which I have condemned since it became involved in the Syrian crisis.
"Today I asked myself: where is the conscience of the 'resistance' when it comes to the children [of Aleppo]? How can we be the party of God [Hizbullah] when we do not obey God's directives? Every morning, I went over the reports [from Aleppo], trying to find even one piece of proof that Assad has the right to do what he is doing - but I found only words filled with sadness and grief over loved ones killed in the airstrikes. I found only the tears of an old man calling on Muhammad's nation to help him, and a young man who insists on his honor and declares, 'we stay here. This is our land, not the Russians' or the Americans.'
"This loyalty to the land, despite the crisis these residents of Aleppo are experiencing, filled me with embarrassment and caused me to wonder what was the source of this loyalty to a city that is nearly in ruins... [At that point] I finally decided to revolt and take off the false mantle of Shi'ism, for my Zainab[1] would not allow the women of Aleppo to become the Zainabs of this age, and my Imams, 'Ali and Hussein,[2] would not want the children of Aleppo to become the 'Abdallah al-Radhi' of this age.[3]
"If [the battle of] Karbala is being waged all over again by those who hide behind a mantle of piety, then [Hizbullah] is immoral and murderous and I cannot but say: Aleppo, I feel shame towards you and I hereby renounce the Shi'a and the party [Hizbullah] that supports the one who is destroying you.'"
Endnotes:
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) A New Jersey mall Easter bunny who got into a scuffle with a father last month has had a criminal charge against him downgraded.
NJ.com reports (http://bit.ly/21jO9eB ) a Hudson County judge Wednesday downgraded the aggravated assault charge against Kassim Charles to the disorderly persons offense of simple assault. The case also was sent to the Jersey City Municipal Court.
Charles is from Jersey City. He had been playing the role of the Easter bunny. Authorities say Juan Jimenez-Guerrero attacked Charles when his toddler daughter slipped from a chair while getting her photo taken.
A video posted online shows them exchanging punches at the Newport Centre.
Charles' defense attorney says they look forward to vindicating "the bunny."
An update on an aggravated assault charge against Jimenez-Guerrero is unavailable. Jimenez-Guerrero's wife says he was trying to protect their child.
The city's tourism agency, NYC & Company, has announced that the sewer-dwelling reptiles will star in ads to encourage families to explore New York.
Agency CEO Fred Dixon says the turtles are "the perfect guides to help families discover the vibrancy and excitement throughout the five boroughs."
The crime-fighting ninja turtles Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael started out in comic books in the 1980s before branching out to TV and film. The latest movie came out in 2014 and a sequel is set for release in June.
They succeed Dora the Explorer, who served as last year's ambassador.
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. (AP) It literally was a whale of a job.
Crews on Friday finished removing the 60,000-ton carcass of a rotting whale from a Southern California beach.
A contractor working for the state parks department spent two days using an excavator to cut up the 40-foot whale, which was hauled off to a San Diego County landfill.
The end of the two-day, $30,000 project included skimming the top layer of sand off the Lower Trestles, a surfing beach near San Clemente where the whale washed ashore on Sunday.
That was to eliminate any sand contaminated by the whale's body fluids.
"As they started to dismember the carcass, they said it was messy but it wasn't as messy as it could have been," Rich Haydon, area state parks superintendent, told the Orange County Register (http://bit.ly/1XYwAPb ).
"It's to be expected there will be a little bit of a smell down there for a while," he said, "but I think we dodged a bullet."
The whale was a tourist attraction for a few days. Despite an overpowering stench, some people skipped work or school to snap photos with the towering carcass.
However, few people were on hand Friday for the finish.
Nick Lind of Newport Beach and Matthew Howell of San Clemente were surfing as the last remnants of the whale were being removed.
"It did have an interesting stench to it, sort of like a rotten baked potato," Lind said. "It was overpowering when we were near shore."
Lind said he wasn't worried about sharks that might have been attracted by the whale's remains.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has ordered the military to teach the lessons learned from the Kunduz airstrike that destroyed a hospital and killed at least 42 to all units before they deploy, with an emphasis on what to do when their technology breaks down.
"I am committed to ensuring that similar incidents do not occur in the future," Carter said in a memo to the service secretaries and combatant commanders that went out last Friday after the release of the 3,000-page U.S. Central Command investigation of the tragic incident in the early morning hours last Oct. 3.
Carter called on leaders to "incorporate the Kunduz scenario into pre-deployment training as an example of the complex environment into which units are deploying." He also ordered them to "establish a standard operating procedure to address contingencies when systems fail."
Related story: Punishments but No Criminal Charges in US Attack on Hospital
Related story: 'Fog of War' Led to Deadly Kunduz Airstrike
Related story: Aircrew Had Doubts in Kunduz Airstrike; Ground Team Said 'Engage'
Carter's directive urged the leadership to "identify incompatible technological systems and generate solutions to enhance interoperability among operational forces."
In a Pentagon briefing last Friday on the investigation, Army Gen. Joseph Votel, the new CentCom commander, said, "The investigation ultimately concluded that this tragic incident was caused by a combination of human errors, compounded by process and equipment failures," that resulted in the devastating attack on the Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) Trauma Center.
The 3,000-page investigative report itself called the 30-minute and eight second attack a "disproportional response to a threat that didn't exist."
Votel singled out the failure of the TV sensor aboard the AC-130U gunship which carried out the airstrike on the north-central Afghan city. The sensor was supposed to transmit and receive images of the target for relay to the JTAC (Joint Tactical Air Controller) and the ground forces commander with the Special Forces team calling for the strike.
"This was a failure at that point of this -- this specific radio system and antenna that is designed to receive data and transmit data to the ground," Votel said.
"They were absolutely trying to do the right thing," Votel said of the aircrew and the Special Forces team. "There was no intention on any of their parts to take a short cut, or to violate any rules that were laid out for them."
"Unfortunately, they made a wrong judgment in this particular case, and ended up targeting this Doctors Without Borders facility," Votel said. The actual target was an Afghan National Directorate of Security building about 400 meters away from the MSF compound that had been taken over by the Taliban.
"The first equipment failure we talked about was the radio system, the antenna system that prevented them from receiving digital information that would have told them of no strike areas and other things, and then would have been able -- allowed them to send a picture to the ground," Votel said.
The result was that "there was not complete situational awareness on the ground with what the aircraft was seeing. There was not complete situational awareness from the aircraft with what was happening with the ground force," Votel said.
The confusion led to a series of back and forth communications between the aircrew and the JTAC, and among the aircrew members themselves, the investigation showed.
Just before the gunship started firing, the aircrew's navigator and Fire Control Officer (FCO) had a brief discussion:
FCO: "I don't want to tell you how to do your job but ..."
Navigator: "Only slightly confusing. I feel like -- lets get on the same page for what target of opportunity means to you and what target of opportunity means to me."
FCO: "I mean when I hear target of opportunity like that, I'm thinking (redacted) you're going out, you find bad things and you shoot them."
In his memo, Carter suggested that the Kunduz failure was indicative of communications problems across the military. He ordered the military to review its policies and rules of engagement to "clarify conflicting or confusing directives." He also cited "problematic guidance" from top commands and problems with "hierarchies of competing policies and authorities."
The possibility of the failure of the various GPS, communications and computer systems, and their vulnerability to being hacked by an enemy, has been a growing concern for the Pentagon.
Last year, the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, brought back courses in celestial navigation after a hiatus of nearly two decades.
"We went away from celestial navigation because computers are great," Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Rogers, deputy chairman of the academy's Department of Seamanship and Navigation, told the Annapolis Capital Gazette. "The problem is, there's no backup."
-- Richard Sisk can be reached at richard.sisk@military.com.
Retired Military Officials Are Finding High-Paying Jobs With the Saudi Government and Can Make up to 7-Figure Salaries Working for Other Foreign Governments
Retired U.S. military personnel cannot receive consulting fees or jobs from foreign governments without expressed approval...
The Central Intelligence Agency on Monday defended "live-tweeting" the U.S. military raid that killed Osama bin Laden to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the covert mission.
The Langley, Virginia-based agency the day before had posted a series of tweets chronicling key moments during the May 2, 2011, raid by Navy SEALs on the terrorist leader's home in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
"1:25 pm EDT-@POTUS, DCIA Panetta, & JSOC commander Admiral McRaven approve execution of op in Abbottabad," it tweeted, referring to the local time the go-ahead was given by President Barack Obama, then-CIA Director Leon Panetta and then-Joint Special Operations Commander Navy Adm. William McRaven.
The agency's decision to do so came under fire from many observers on Twitter and other social media sites.
One of those was Phillip Carter, a former Army officer who served in Iraq and now works as a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, a think tank in Washington, D.C., where he directs the organization's military, veterans and society research program.
"I get @CIA desire to take victory lap but tweeting #UBLRaid seems contrary to Intel Community ethos & good judgment," Carter tweeted.
But the intelligence agency defended the move.
"The takedown of bin Ladin stands as one of the great intelligence successes of all time," Glenn Miller, a spokesman for the CIA, said in an emailed statement to Military.com, using a different spelling for bin Laden. "History has been a key element of CIA's social media efforts. On the fifth anniversary, it is appropriate to remember the day and honor all those who had a hand in this achievement."
Miller added, "In the past we have done postings to note other historical events including the Glomar operation, Argo, U-2 shootdown, and the evacuation of Saigon."
In an interview that aired Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" show, CIA Director John Brennan said the raid on bin Laden's compound less than a mile from Pakistan's prestigious military academy represented "the culmination of a lot of very hard work by some very good people at CIA and other agencies."
He added, "We have destroyed a large part of al-Qaeda. It is not completely eliminated, so we have to stay focused on what it can do. But now with this new phenomenon of ISIL, this is going to continue to challenge us in the counterterrorism community for years to come."
He was referring to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, which overtook large parts of both countries following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in late 2011 and the start of civilian uprisings in Syria against the regime of President Bashar al Assad.
Brennan said killing bin Laden was an important victory for the U.S. in both a symbolic and strategic sense, given that he was the founder of the terrorist group and a key player in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C.
"It was important after 9/11 that we remove the person responsible for that," he said.
While Brennan said eliminating ISIS' leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, "would have a great impact on the organization," he also called the al-Qaeda offshoot a "phenomenon" that appeals to tens of thousands of followers in not only Syria and Iraq, but also Libya, Nigeria and elsewhere in part because of endemic corruption and a lack of governance and economic opportunity in those regions.
"Although the counterterrorism community has an important obligation to try to prevent these attacks, we need to give the diplomats and other government officials both here in this country and other countries the time and space they need to address some of these underlying factors and conditions that facilitate and contribute to the growth of these organizations," he said.
Brennan also pushed back against a recommendation from former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, a Democrat from Florida who helped lead a congressional inquiry into the 9/11 attacks, to release a 28-page chapter from the investigation that may help determine whether the attackers received Saudi support.
"I think there's a combination of things that are accurate and inaccurate," Brennan said of information in the pages in question. "I think that the 9/11 Commission took that joint inquiry and those 28 pages or so and followed through on the investigation and they came out with a very clear judgment that there was no evidence that indicated that the Saudi government as an institution or Saudi officials individually had provided financial support to al Qaeda."
-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry.
Everything You Need to Know About the Amazon Military Discount, Tips and Tricks
The Amazon military discount is a promotion Amazon.com has given around Veterans Day for its Amazon Prime service.
The no-trade protection in Ryan Brauns contract allows the star outfielder to block a deal to every team besides the Angels, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants, Marlins and Padres, FOX Sports Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link). Like most players with partial no-trade clauses, Braun has the ability to change the teams on his no-trade list each year; last season, the Angels, Dodgers, Marlins, Nationals and Rays were the only clubs that escaped Brauns veto power.
Braun is in his first season of a five-year, $105MM extension that he signed way back in 2011, when he still had almost five full years remaining on his previous extension with the Brewers. Its been a roller-coaster for Braun and the Brewers ever since superstar seasons in 2011 and 2012, a 65-game suspension in 2013 for his role in the Biogenesis scandal and some recurring injuries, particularly to his thumb.
Braun rebounded for a very productive year in 2015, though his future salary commitments have made him a possible trade chip now that the Brewers are rebuilding. That same contract, as well as Brauns age (32) and PED history, could also just as easily limit his trade market unless the Brewers ate some salary in a trade or took on another big contract.
There are any number of reasons why a player could include or omit a team on a no-trade list, though in Brauns case, geography could be a factor. Braun was born and raised in the Los Angeles suburbs and he went to school at the University of Miami, which could explain why the Angels, Dodgers and Marlins didnt appear on either no-trade list. The Dodgers and Marlins are rather unlikely trade partners, however, given that both teams are already set for corner outfielders. The Angels have a big vacancy in left field, though they may not be a fit for Braun for a variety of other reasons, as Rosenthal explained yesterday.
Brauns southern California roots may also explain why he wouldnt block a trade to the relatively-nearby DBacks, Padres or Giants. It generally appears as though Braun would prefer to stay in the National League, as the Angels are the only AL team on his current veto list.
If the Brewers worked out a trade that would send Braun to a team on his no-trade list, of course, that doesnt necessarily mean the former NL MVP would choose to remain in Milwaukee. He could decide to join a contender rather than stick it out through the Brewers rebuilding process. Like other players with no-trade protection, Braun could ask for more financial incentive in order to allow a deal to be consummated. Brauns deal contains a $15MM mutual option for the 2021 season that can be bought out for $4MM, so its possible he could ask to have that option year guaranteed to allow a trade to happen, though that would be a tough ask to give him another $11MM in his age-37 season.
ANN ARBOR, MI -- The Ann Arbor City Council is expected to reconsider a recent controversial vote when it meets Monday night.
At its last meeting, the council voted 6-5 against a $37,549 contract to design a new foot bridge over Malletts Creek in the Lansdowne neighborhood.
The new bridge between Delaware Drive and Morehead Court would replace a foot bridge the city removed years ago from the same spot due to structural deficiencies.
The City Council has voted multiple times in the last five years to set aside funds to design a new bridge, leading residents to believe it was going to happen, but the council changed course at its last meeting, prompting outcry from neighbors.
In an email to fellow council members on Friday, Mayor Christopher Taylor, who has taken some criticism for voting against the project, said he's done some thinking and he believes it's wise for the council to revisit its decision.
Taylor said his thinking has been influenced by resident communication, multiple conversations with Council Member Graydon Krapohl, D-4th Ward, and several documents provided by city staff regarding conversations between the city and the neighborhood going back several years.
Council Member Sabra Briere, D-1st Ward, explained in her constituent newsletter over the weekend that council members have learned since their last vote that a written commitment to replace the bridge was made in 2009.
Briere, who last month supported following through on the city's commitment to replace the Lansdowne bridge, said funding for the design and engineering was included in the city's 2012-13 budget.
"As a result of these and other factors, the mayor has indicated that he will be seeking reconsideration of the vote," Briere wrote in her newsletter.
The City Council approved a $120,000 funding allocation in September 2011 to cover the cost for design of a replacement bridge. That went through 9-1 at the time with only Tony Derezinski dissenting, even though the city was struggling to come out of the recession and had just eliminated 20 positions in the police and fire departments, among other budget cuts.
The approved resolution from September 2011, co-sponsored by former 4th Ward Council Members Marcia Higgins and Margie Teall, directed staff to include capital funds for the bridge construction in the 2012-13 budget.
But the project was delayed to accommodate the need to restore weirs owned by Lans Basin Inc., an association made up of property owners adjacent to the creek, and that's apparently resolved now.
The association reports it spent close to $100,000 to make weir repairs in anticipation of a new bridge being installed by the city.
Council Member Jack Eaton, D-4th Ward, has tried to get the project moving forward again, but it's been the subject of much debate.
"I'm pleased that the other members of council are taking a second look at this," Eaton said on Monday, adding it's always been his understanding the city told neighbors if they fixed the weirs, then the city would replace the bridge.
"We paid close to $100,000 to repair all three weirs, though most of that went to the first and largest weir, where the bridge should be located," said Michael Psarouthakis, a representative for the Lans Basin neighborhood association.
"The association paid the entire amount, collected over a few years from assessments made on all members of the association."
Council members opposed to the bridge project at the last meeting included Taylor, Zachary Ackerman, Julie Grand, Chip Smith, Chuck Warpehoski and Kirk Westphal. Some of them have made the argument that the city's commitment to replace the missing bridge is numerically ranked last among 32 alternative transportation projects in the city's Capital Improvements Plan in terms of community need, so they couldn't support it.
The city's top priority on that list is building a new Amtrak train station, which is expected to cost tens of millions of dollars.
Other projects on the list include the Connector light rail project, which is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and various non-motorized projects, including new sidewalks and crosswalk repairs.
Supporters of the Lansdowne bridge project argue a lone pedestrian bridge in a corner of the city is always going to score low when ranked against bigger projects and new initiatives, but the city still has an obligation to remedy the situation given that it was an existing city asset.
Taylor said he plans to call for both a reconsideration and postponement Monday night, and he has support for his approach from Grand, who joined Taylor in opposing the project last time, and Krapohl and Eaton.
At the last meeting, Grand was one of the co-sponsors of a resolution to defund the bridge project and redirect the money to different priorities, including $288,000 for installing more flashing crosswalk beacons in the city and $150,000 for conducting a study in cooperation with Western Michigan University to look into how to affect driver behavior at pedestrian crosswalks.
That resolution to redirect funding away from the bridge project was postponed last time and is back on the council's agenda Monday night.
Taylor said he's going to propose an amendment to remove references to redirecting $288,000 for flashing crosswalk signals.
Instead, he said, he's going to ask city staff to engage in discussions with neighborhood residents to determine how to achieve a solution that meets their aspirations and the city's duty to conserve its resources.
"I believe that this approach will: i) serve as follow-through on the city's undertaking to restore bridge functionality; ii) improve pedestrian safety throughout Ann Arbor by means of the Driving Culture Study; and iii) recognize the consensus that the $450K price tag exceeds all parties' expectations and comfort level," Taylor wrote to his council colleagues.
The $450,000 figure Taylor cited is an initial cost estimate the city staff provided for replacing the bridge, a figure many believe is unreasonably high. Some residents have taken it upon themselves to solicit price quotes from different companies, arguing a bridge could be installed for a much cheaper price.
The Ann Arbor News requested records under the Freedom of Information Act showing the cost of two pedestrian bridges installed along the Argo Cascades in recent years. The city provided the records last week.
One document shows the pedestrian bridge at the entrance to the Cascades cost $82,800, plus $21,505 for design work. There are smaller, miscellaneous costs, including permit fees, shown on the document, though it's unclear if they're directly related to the bridge work.
Another document shows $147,000 in costs for the pedestrian bridge further downstream at the other end of the Cascades, including new abutments, box culvert work and concrete deck.
Ryan Stanton covers the city beat for The Ann Arbor News. Reach him at ryanstanton@mlive.com.
Jewish Community Center in Ann Arbor
The Jewish Community Center in Ann Arbor, located at 2935 Birch Hollow Dr, Ann Arbor. Melanie Maxwell | The Ann Arbor News
ANN ARBOR, MI -- An unknown person called in a bomb threat to the The Jewish Community Center of Greater Ann Arbor Monday morning, police say.
David Shtulman, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Ann Arbor, said an unidentified person called the center at 10:13 a.m. May 2 and said a bomb in a locker would explode in 30 minutes.
The center, 2935 Birch Hollow Drive, is home to the Jewish Federation and the Hebrew Day School.
Staff immediately evacuated the building and students, Shtulman said.
Ann Arbor police responded to the center within minutes, he said, and called several bomb-sniffing dogs to the scene to search inside and out.
Within an hour, police declared the building safe and students returned.
Ann Arbor Police Sgt. Earle Fox said they've started an investigation to find out who made the call and why.
"We handle all these calls seriously," he said. "At this point, we have not located any devices or anything that would be a threat to the school."
Shtulman said the Hebrew Day School regularly drills for active shooters, missing children and tornadoes, but Monday was the first time they did a drill under real circumstances.
"The Ann Arbor Police were absolutely excellent," Shtulman said. "You can't take safety for granted in Jewish Communities these days."
University of Michigan police, Eastern Michigan University police and Macomb County Sheriff's deputies also responded to center.
Lindsay Knake is a cops and courts reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Follow her on twitter or contact her at 989-372-2498 or lknake@mlive.com.
UPDATE: Organizers notified MLive at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday that the food collection drive has been cancelled. No date has been set to reschedule it.
ANN ARBOR, MI -- The Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel is collecting food donations from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 3 to help feed Ann Arbor children through the summer.
Nonperishable food items can be dropped off at a bus in the parking lot at Pioneer High School. The items will be delivered to the Food Gatherers Ann Arbor to help feed children who don't have access to school meals in the summer.
"People are generous with donations to food banks during fall and into the holiday season, but not necessarily at other times of the year," said Mark Guastella, MARSP executive director, in a press release. "Our goal is to help stock the food banks of Ann Arbor this spring so that children don't have to miss meals when school is out for summer."
The collection is part of MARSP's "Summ're Hungry" campaign, a collaboration between MARSP, the Food Bank Council of Michigan, the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals, Michigan Association of School Administrators, Ann Arbor Public Schools, Durham School Services and other districts across the state that host their own food drives.
BAY CITY, MI -- Already imprisoned for a rash of burglaries, a Bay City man has had more years tacked onto his stay for breaking into a house and stealing a gun while on parole.
Bay County Circuit Judge Joseph K. Sheeran Monday, May 2, sentenced 42-year-old Michael J. Gorski to prison terms of 38 months to five years and a flat two years. The terms are consecutive to one another, but concurrent to other terms for which Gorski is already incarcerated, Sheeran said.
Sheeran did not give him any credit for time served.
The shackled Gorski, with two Michigan Department of Corrections officers beside him, made no bones about his crimes.
"Um, there ain't no excuse, so there ain't nothing I can really say," he said when the judge gave him the opportunity to speak. "It just all happened at the same time. Again, that ain't no excuse. Whatever you give me, I gotta accept."
Gorski's most recent sentences stem from the break-in of a house on Bay City's West Side on Jan. 17, 2015. The victim, a 65-year-old woman, told police she arrived home and saw her house's rear window was open. She called 911 and did not enter her home until police arrived, court records show.
Police entered the home and found no one present. The window had its screen cut and bent outward, and the glass was broken. Inside, a kitchen door was partially broken off its hinges and its jamb was damaged as well, court records show.
Throughout the house, drawers had been pulled out and rummaged through, court records show. The resident told police about $1,700 in cash was missing, as was a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, court records show.
A report from the Michigan State Police Crime Lab dated Sept. 29 indicates some of the broken window glass featured three latent fingerprints from Gorski. Authorities issued a warrant for Gorski on Jan. 26 and he was arraigned in Bay County District Court on March 8.
Gorski later pleaded guilty to single counts of felony firearm and larceny of a firearm.
Gorski's past
Monday's hearing marked the second time this year Sheeran sentenced Gorski to prison. On Jan. 11, the judge sentenced Gorski to concurrent terms of five to 15 years and five to 10 years in prison on convictions of second-degree home invasion and breaking and entering with intent to commit a larceny, respectively.
Those convictions stem from police on the night of Aug. 29 responding to a home in the 200 block of Stanton Street for a strong-arm robbery. The victim told officers that Gorski had stopped by her house to see his 20-year-old daughter. During the visit, the daughter gave the woman some cash and asked her to buy a Slurpee and some cigarettes for her, the woman told police.
The woman and Gorski then left the residence to walk to a nearby store, she told officers, according to court records. At some point, Gorski asked the woman how much money his daughter gave her, court records show. The woman then counted $70 in front of Gorski, she told police, according to court records.
"Michael looked at me and said something like, 'You don't have $70, I have $70' and pushed me to the ground," the woman told police, according to court records. "He grabbed the money from me and started kicking me. After several kicks, I heard him running away."
The woman said she went home and she and her husband drove around looking for Gorski, but the search proved fruitless, according to court records.
Nearly a month later, in the wee hours of Sept. 23, police responded to a burglar alarm at Jamie's Dairies, 603 Columbus Ave. They arrived to find a broken window with blood on the sill, on an ice cooler and on a grocery bag hanging halfway inside the window, court records show. They also found a half-empty 20-ounce bottle of Minute Maid lemonade on a counter inside, police reports state.
A neighbor appeared and told police he was in his apartment when he heard glass break, then went outside and saw a man enter the business and remain inside for a while. When the alleged burglar exited, he looked at the witness, said, "Gotta go, bro," then took off running, the witness told police.
The witness provided officers with a description of the culprit.
While officers were at the scene, a resident in the 700 block of North Grant Street called Bay County Central Dispatch to report a possible home invasion in progress after hearing someone banging on her door. Officers responded to the home and found a basement window smashed out, court records show.
Entering the basement, they found Gorski hiding behind a water heater and arrested him without incident. He matched the description of the Jamie's burglar and had small cuts on his arms, legs, and left pinky finger, court records show.
"I'm kind of glad you got me," Gorski told police as they arrested him, according to officers' reports contained in court records. "It is finally over. This has been going on way too long."
Gorski has a substantial criminal record, serving time behind bars for larceny of a firearm, receiving stolen property, larceny in a building and home invasion, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections. The MDOC's website says he absconded from parole Sept. 1, but does not state when he was paroled.
A record number of students came to Bay City Central High School April 30 for Michigan History Day competition.
Of the nearly 500 elementary, middle school and high school students who attended, 153 got top honors at the state finals, an educational program of the Historical Society of Michigan. Finalists in the junior and senior divisions will go to the National History Day in June in College Park, Maryland.
Students work with a theme, and use writing, art, literature, music, drama and visual communications to convey their message of history.
"This year's theme--Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History--challenged the students to really think outside the box," said Andrea Lorion, Michigan History Day state coordinator in a written statement. "As a result, there are many outstanding and diverse entries in all five categories--performances, exhibits, papers, websites and documentaries."
Main sponsors of Michigan History Day 2016 include Meijer, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Amway and Bay City Public Schools.
MIDLAND, MI -- Two years after she was sentenced to prison for her part in the multi-county Ponzi scheme of Joel I. Wilson, a Bay City woman has been ordered by a court to pay more than a half-million dollars in restitution.
Midland County Circuit Judge Stephen P. Carras Friday, April 29, ordered Shawn K. Dicken, 42, to pay $663,531.48 in restitution. A jury in March 2014 found Dicken guilty of seven counts of false pretenses between $1,000 and $20,000, and single counts of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult between $50,000 and $100,000 and racketeering. The jury acquitted her of securities-fraudulent sales, a 10-year felony.
Carras in June 2014 sentenced Dicken to 140 months to 20 years in prison, exceeding the guidelines of 51 to 85 months. He gave her credit for 36 days already served and ordered she pay $742 in fines and costs.
Dicken's legal woes stem from her role in defrauding senior citizens out of more than $2 million in a scheme orchestrated by the Wilson-owned The Diversified Group Advisory Firm LLC, a former Bay City-based company that employed Dicken as a saleswoman. Diversified's business model involved buying and rehabilitating homes in the Saginaw and Bay City areas and selling them on land contracts.
"This woman broke the trust she was given and in the process broke the law," said Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, whose office prosecuted Dicken. "She is serving jail time and now this order forces her to take responsibility for the life savings she stole from Michigan seniors."
Schuette added that due to Dicken's prison stint, it's unclear when the restitution will be repaid. Dicken's earliest possible release date is Jan. 13, 2026.
During her trial, Schuette's office argued that during her time with Diversified, Dicken misrepresented the investments she marketed to investors, saying investments offered by Diversified were without risk, completely liquid, and featuring a guaranteed rate of return of between 9.5 and 10.44 percent.
"Dicken failed to disclose the risks associated with the actual investment in question -- a highly leveraged real estate investment that could result in the loss of all of the investors' money," Schuette's office said in a press release. "Many investors, including senior citizens, risked their life savings. Dicken swindled investors out of more than $2 million and investigation revealed she took an 8 percent commission, pocketing approximately $160,000 for herself."
Dicken was represented by the Bay City law firm Gower Reddick. Attorney Jason P. Gower maintains Dicken is innocent and that she received "an unjust and unfair sentence." He added she's filed an appeal with the Michigan Supreme Court.
After Dicken's trial and conviction, Wilson went before a jury in Bay County in March 2015. That jury found him guilty of all six counts he faced -- two counts each of fraudulent sale of securities and sale of unregistered securities and single counts of continuing a criminal enterprise or racketeering and larceny by conversion $20,000 or more.
During Wilson's trial, Assistant Michigan Attorney General Norm Donker argued Wilson used Diversified to pilfer millions from investors.
Bay County Circuit Judge Joseph K. Sheeran in April 2015 sentenced the 32-year-old Wilson to concurrent terms of 105 months to 20 years and five terms of 80 months to 10 years, getting less time than Dicken.
The judge gave Wilson credit for 462 days already served and ordered he pay $6.5 million in restitution, plus $11,000 to the Attorney General's Office for the costs of having to extradite him from Germany so he could face his criminal charges.
In January 2016, Wilson faced a bench trial before Saginaw County Circuit Judge Janet M. Boes. The judge found Wilson guilty of fraudulent sale of securities, sale of unregistered securities and larceny of more than $1,000 but less than $20,000 by conversion. The following month, Boes sentenced Wilson to six years and 33 months to 10 years in prison.
A third person involved with The Diversified Group, saleswoman Mary Faher, in July 2014 was charged in Berrien County and pleaded no contest to four counts of securities fraud. She testified for the prosecution in Wilson's trial and days later was sentenced to 23 months to 10 years in prison. Her sentencing judge ordered Faher to pay $2.59 million in restitution.
Update: Teachers shut down road in protest amid fears of not being paid
DETROIT, MI -- With the school district unsure whether there will be enough money to pay teachers in May and June as it awaits a decision from the state legislature on debt relief, protests shut down at least 94 schools Monday.
Teachers employed "sick-out" protests earlier this year to bring attention top poor school conditions, shutting down dozens of schools on a number of occasions by calling in sick.
The demonstrations continued Monday. This time, because school administrators can't guarantee they'll be paid, with operating funds dwindling while lawmakers mull a $720-million plan to dissolve the debt-burdened district and and relaunch it with a clean slate.
Three differences between House, Senate plans to fix Detroit Public Schools
"There's a basic agreement in America: When you put in a day's work, you'll receive a day's pay," Detroit Federation of Teachers Interim President Ivy Bailey said in a statement. "DPS is breaking that deal. Teachers want to be in the classroom giving children a chance to learn and reach their potential. Unfortunately, by refusing to guarantee that we will be paid for our work, DPS is effectively locking our members out of the classrooms."
Teachers planned to demonstrate outside district headquarters at Detroit's Fisher Building at 10 a.m.
"It is unfortunate that the DFT has chosen to make a statement in this way," said Detroit Public Schools Transition Manager Judge Steven Rhodes, the fifth state-appointee to run the district since emergency management began in 2009.
"I am on record as saying that I cannot in good conscience ask anyone to work without pay. Wages that are owed to teachers should be paid. I understand the frustration and anger that our teachers feel. I am, however, confident that the legislature will support the request that will guarantee that teachers will receive the pay that is owed to them. The DFT's choice for a drastic call to action was not necessary."
The full list of closed schools as of 7 a.m. is below:
A.L. Holmes
Academy of Americas
Ann Arbor Trail
Bagley
Bates
Ben Carson
Bennett
Blackwell
Bow
Breithaupt
Brewer
Bunche
Burton International
Carleton
Carstens
Carver
Cass Technical High School
Charles Drew Transition Center
Charles Wright Academy
Chrysler
Clark
Clippert
Cody APL
Cody DIT
Cody: MCH
Coleman Young
Communication Media Arts
Cooke
Crockett CTC
Davis Aersospace
Davison
Detroit College Prep
Detroit International Academy
Detroit Lions Academy
Detroit School of Arts
Dixon
Dossin
Douglass Academy
Duke Ellington
Durfee
Earhart
East English Village
Edison
Emerson
Fisher Lower
Fisher Upper
Fleming
FLICS
Gardner
Golightly
Golightly CTC
Gompers
Greenfield Union
Harms
Henderson
Hutchinson
J.R. King
Jerry L. White
Keidan
Ludington
Mackenzie
Mann
Marcus Garvey
Mark Twain
Marquette
ML King High School
Mason
Maybury
Moses Field Center
Munger
Neinas
Nichols
Noble
Osborn College Prep
Osborn Evergreen
Osborn Mathematics and Science
Palmer Park
Pasteur
Paul Robeson
Priest
Pulaski
Randolph HS/CTC
Renaissance
Roberto Clemente
Ronald Brown
Sampson
Schulze
Spain
Thirkell
Thurgood Marshall
Vernor
Wayne Elementary
Western International
Westside Academy
DETROIT, MI -- A mother and daughter who entered the U.S. from Mexico illegally in 2001 won a reprieve from deportation and the possible breakup of their family last week.
They had one-way flights booked to Mexico and were scheduled to leave Friday, but the Board of Immigration Appeals issued a temporary stay about 5 p.m. Thursday, said Brad Thomson, the Ann Arbor-based immigration attorney who is fighting for Susana Bernabe-Ramirez, 39, and her 16-year-old daughter, Sayra Hernandez, to remain in the U.S.
Thomson on Wednesday filed a formal request asking the Board of Immigration Appeals to reopen their case requesting political asylum and the Board expedited its response.
"So what that means is Susana and her daughter will not be deported until we have a decision ... about whether they are going to reopen the case," Thomson said. "If we lose the motion to reopen, then they'll enforce removal."
If they win the motion to reopen the case, the case will go back to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for more testimony about why the mother and daughter deserve to be granted asylum.
Thomson expects a ruling on the motion to reopen within the next few months.
If asylum is denied, they must wait at least a decade before being allowed back into the country.
Bernabe-Ramirez admits she came into the U.S. illegally with her daughter in 2001 and settled in Ypsilanti. She then gave birth to her second daughter, Isabella, who is now a legal U.S. citizen.
The mother said she nearly had to make the difficult decision to leave her youngest daughter with grandparents in the U.S. if she and her eldest daughter were deported.
"I would decide to leave my youngest daughter here, even though it is very painful to do so," Bernabe-Ramirez told MLive at an immigration hearing in Detroit last Wednesday. "She needs constant medical treatment. She has epilepsy, and so I wouldn't take her to a place where she would be exposed to other dangers.
"Getting the right medicine, getting enough medicine ... and getting a doctor there would be very difficult because she is not part of the social security system of Mexico."
Sayra and Isabella's father was deported in 2010. Sayra told The Guardian during a protest in Washington D.C. last month her father committed no crimes in the U.S. and was deported "unfairly."
Bernabe-Ramirez and the father of her children are estranged.
Had the mother and her children remained in the U.S. continually since 2001, they wouldn't likely be targeted for deportation, but they did not.
Bernabe-Ramirez and her daughters returned to Mexico between 2010 and December 2014 to care for Bernabe-Ramirez's sick mother.
She returned to the U.S. with Sayra in 2014 -- Isabella returned separately -- and rather than enter illegally again, requested political asylum at the border in Tijuana, their attorney says.
"Susana Bernabe-Ramirez, a citizen of Mexico, was enrolled in U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Alternatives to Detention program in January 2015, shortly after illegally entering at the southwest border," ICE officials in Detroit told MLive by email Wednesday. "She has since remained free from custody.
"Ms. Bernabe-Ramirez is an ICE enforcement priority as a recent border entrant and because she was ordered removed by an immigration judge after January 2014."
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security in November in 2014 issued a memo establishing three levels of priority for deporting immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
Homeland Security memo
Based on ICE statements, it appears they regard Bernabe-Ramirez and her daughter as the second highest priority for deportation. Those who entered the U.S. illegally or who have been detained subsequent to January 2014 are the second highest priority for removal.
Thomson, however, disagrees with the ICE claims that Bernabe-Ramirez and Sayra entered the U.S. illegally when they returned.
"Susana and Sayra did not illegally enter the (U.S.) in 2015," he told MLive in an email. "They went to the Tijuana border crossing and requested asylum and were paroled into the" U.S.
"ICE officials have repeatedly stated that they illegally entered in 2015. This is an important distinction because it changes them from a Priority 2 for deportation to a Priority 3 for deportation."
During her four years spent back in Mexico, Bernabe-Ramirez says she sold beauty products, children's clothing and other items from a roadside cart. This is when she claims members of drug cartels extorted money from her, sometimes as much as 75 percent of her earnings, according to Thomson.
"I sold things in the street," Bernabe-Ramirez said. "People would come -- sometimes the same person, sometimes a different person -- with hats and sunglasses, and they would say, 'You have to give me this amount of money in order to keep working.'"
Extortion is not an offense for which the U.S. government grants asylum.
Thomson says public statements made by Bernabe-Ramirez and her daughter -- including MLive, the New York Daily Post and the Guardian -- "significantly increase" the risk of harm to them and should qualify them for political asylum.
Thomson also cites an April 18 Board of Appeals ruling stating single, working mothers may deserve additional asylum consideration.
Motion to reopen the request for asylum:
DETROIT (AP) -- The union that represents Detroit's public school teachers is urging members to call in sick Monday.
The move by the Detroit Federation of Teachers was announced at a press conference Sunday. It comes a day after the district's transition manager said DPS will have no money to continue paying teachers this summer without further funding from the state.
In March, Gov. Rick Snyder signed into law emergency funding that is keeping the district operating through the end of the school year as the state Legislature considers a $720 million restructuring plan.
Sick-outs earlier this year shut down schools, causing tens of thousands of students to miss class.
District spokeswoman Michelle Zdrodowski said in a statement that the district had not yet closed any schools for Monday.
DETROIT, MI -- At least two investigations into what caused Detroit demolition prices to skyrocket last year are still underway.
Detroit Auditor General Mark Lockridge said the Special Inspector for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) submitted a subpoena Thursday requesting documentation from January 2014 to present related to the Detroit blight program.
The subpoena calls for records of more than $100 million received from the Department of Treasury's Hardest Hit Fund.
The Detroit Free Press first reported on the federal subpoena Sunday.
The city has so far used the Hardest Hit money to demolish more than 7,700 abandoned homes deemed unsalvageable.
Erica Ward Gerson, the chair of the Board for the Detroit Land Bank Authority, said she welcomes any investigation into the demolition process.
The state Housing Development Authority already "came in and took a look and gave us a clean bill of health," Gerson said Monday.
Craig Fahle, Director of Public Affairs for the Detroit Land Bank Authority, said trucking and fill dirt costs, elevated due to significant MDOT construction projects last year, contributed to a sharp increase in per-house demolition costs.
Mayor Mike Duggan's office also blamed tighter asbestos abatement standards and the high-volume and expedited pace of demolitions when facing scrutiny over the rise in prices last year.
Some questions raised last year surrounded contracts awarded to three companies -- Adamo, Homrich and MCM Management -- who were "handpicked" to attend "pre-bid meetings" and received nearly 72 percent of $51.5 million awarded between March 2014 and January, the Free Press reported.
The city spent about $9,500 per demolition between March 2014 and January 2015, but the cost increased nearly 60 percent to over $15,000 per demolition during the second batch of Hardest Hit Fund demolitions contracted between May 2015 and March 2016, according to contract data on the city's website.
Fahle said the average is down to about $12,700 per demo this year.
Detroit Land Bank Authority demolition contracts
Detroit is currently competing for a portion of another $324 million awarded to Michigan in February. Duggan said he believes the city's demolition strategy will stand up to federal scrutiny.
The Detroit Office of the Inspector General, an office created by the 2012 City Charter to root out waste and fraud, began conducting its own investigation in late 2015.
Deputy Inspector Kamau Marable said the investigation is nearly complete. The findings will be presented to the affected departments allowing them an opportunity to respond.
He expects to have a report ready for public viewing in about three weeks.
Gerson said the the Land Bank Authority hired Plante Moran to perform its own audit last year and they "again found nothing."
The fact that SIGTARP is conducting its own investigation "doesn't bother me in the slightest," Gerson said.
Billy Chambers
FLINT, MI - A federal appeals court rejected a Flint man's claim that he was racially profiled by police when they stopped him for walking in the middle of a city street.
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday, April 27, that it would not overturn a lower court's decision allowing a gun discovered during a Michigan State Police stop to be used in the federal prosecution of Billy Chambers.
Chambers claimed the police stop was inappropriate and that he was the target of an alleged state police policy targeting black men in the city.
The state police have denied such a policy exists and denies that race plays a factor in stops from troopers.
Chambers pleaded guilty Feb. 3, 2015, in Flint U.S. District Court to being a felon in possession of a firearm after he was arrested Aug. 31, 2013, while walking in the middle of Bonbright Street.
State police troopers stopped Chambers around 10:05 p.m. for failing to use the provided sidewalks, according to court records.
Chambers told police during the stop that he did not have anything illegal on him, according to court records. The troopers asked if they could pat down Chambers and he agreed.
Troopers discovered a .38-caliber pistol in Chambers' left-front pants pocket during the search. Troopers said Chambers told them that he found the gun on the street and kept it, hoping to trade it for crack cocaine.
Chambers, who has three previous felony convictions on drug-related charges, was arrested and indicted in Flint U.S. District Court on a single charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Attorney Richard Korn, who represented Chambers in the case, argued state police had no authority to stop Chambers for illegally walking in the street because the poor condition of sidewalks in the area forced him onto the roadway.
However, the appeals court upheld the lower court's ruling that troopers had the authority to stop Chambers.
State law requires pedestrians to walk on sidewalks where they are provided. When they are not provided, pedestrians are required to walk on the left side of the highway facing passing traffic.
The appeals court also upheld the lower court's ruling that Chambers consented to the pat down.
Korn initially argued in his appeal that the state police instituted a policy of stopping people - primarily black men - in the streets even where sidewalks were impassible.
However, the court declined to hear the claim after Korn failed to address it or produce evidence of the alleged policy.
Chambers was sentenced in May 2015 to one year and one day in federal prison.
FLINT, MI -- Now that he is back on U.S. soil, Gov. Rick Snyder said has resumed his daily intake of Flint water.
Taking sips of ice water from a glass at Blackstone's Pub & Grill during a stop in Flint on Monday, Snyder said his vow to use Flint water for 30 days never included the time overseas during his recent European trade mission trip.
"No and I never intended to. I said very clearly when I said I was drinking Flint water I was going to drink it at home and at work," he said, after filling up water jugs at the restaurant where water results are posted for customers to see like many businesses in the city have done over recent months.
The 30-day promise was made by Snyder during an April 18 visit to a Brookside Drive home in Flint where gallons of water were collected out of Cheryl Hill and Todd Canty's filtered kitchen faucet.
Snyder embarked on the trade mission trip to Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands less than one week later.
Gov. Rick Snyder fills up four one-gallon jugs with Flint water from a bar dispenser at Blackstone's Pub & Grill on Monday, May 2, 2016 in downtown Flint, which he says he is drinking while at work and home. Snyder has requested some face-to-face time with President Obama during his May 4 visit to Flint to get a firsthand look at the city's ongoing water crisis. Jake May | MLive.com
"You weren't going to be able to take gallons of water through airport security in the U.S., let alone internationally," he said. "The way I viewed it is with the trip coming I'll just extend the amount of time I'm drinking Flint water. It's pretty straightforward."
The governor chatted with Blackstone's employees while filling up one-gallon jugs with water from a dispenser behind the bar, noting while speaking with general manager Spencer Ruegsegger that it was a much easier method than through an at-home filter.
He also emphasized the flushing program in which residents have been asked to run cold water unfiltered in their tub and kitchen faucets for five minutes at a time for a 14-day period during May.
Testing is expected to take place later this month or early next month to determine if the water quality has improved after the period, Snyder said, while continue to push for lead service line replacements.
"The research shows that drinking filtered water is safe," he said, encouraging people to visit Flint businesses. "That's why I'm trying to be a person showing that can work effectively."
Snyder said better testing protocols need to take place statewide, adding "That's why we came out with the recommendation to replace the dumb, or to supplement the dumb and dangerous federal lead and copper rule.
"We should have a higher standard here in Michigan and hopefully nationally," he said, while avoiding a timeline on when the water crisis may be over when prodded by reporters.
A formal request has been by Snyder to sit down with President Obama and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver during the president's scheduled May 4 visit to the city, but there had been no response as of Monday morning.
Barack Obama
FILE - In this Feb. 17, 2016 file photo, President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. The president said Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016, he'll raise human rights issues and other U.S. concerns with Cuban President Raul Castro during a history-making visit to the communist island nation. The brief visit in mid-March will mark a watershed moment in relations between the U.S. and Cuba, making Obama the first sitting U.S. president to set foot on the island in nearly seven decades. While in the country, Obama plans to meet with groups advocating for change in Cuba, a condition the president had laid out publicly for such a trip. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
(Carolyn Kaster)
FLINT, MI -- President Obama has no plans to publicly drink Flint's water during his May 4 visit to the city.
The Hill reported Monday, May 2 that White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said "I'm not aware of any photo ops that involve the president's consumption of the water."
Gov. Rick Snyder was in Flint Monday morning to discuss a Medicaid program from people 21 and under impacted by the water crisis and to fill up water jugs as part of a 30-day promise to drink filtered water coming from taps the city.
He'd made the pledge during an April 18 visit to a home in Flint's College Cultural neighborhood.
Obama's visit comes after he received a letter from 8-year-old Amariyanna Copeny, who urged him to stop in Flint to get a feeling of the impact on the city and its residents.
Earnest said he was glad to see the governor's schedule cleared up for a sit-down with the president, according to The Hill's report, and has been invited to greet the president at the airport.
Snyder told reporters in Flint Monday that he never said his schedule was too busy to meet with the president following previous media report, but that he could not confirm if or when Obama was going to be in the city.
FLINT, MI -- Gov. Rick Snyder has requested some face-to-face time with President Obama during president's planned May 4 visit to Flint to get a firsthand look at the city's ongoing water crisis.
Snyder made the remarks during a May 2 press conference at Blackstone's Pub & Grill in downtown Flint ahead of which he took time to fill up four, one-gallon jugs with water from a dispenser behind the bar.
"Hopefully I'm going to have an opportunity to sit down with the president and Mayor Weaver," he said, while addressing the flushing program that began May 1. "(I) made a request to have a meeting, so we can talk about how we can work in a bipartisan fashion to support Flint."
Snyder said he has not heard from the White House on whether or not the president will meet with him.
"Still waiting to hear back on that request," said Snyder.
Obama is set to visit with 8-year-old Amariyanna Copeny, the girl who sent him a letter and has become an international name upon the president's acceptance with media requests and stories circling the globe.
The president signed off twice on a federal emergency declaration, providing government oversight and some funding, but a request for a federal disaster in Flint has been rejected on more than one occasion.
When asked about what he would ask or discuss with the president, Snyder said "It's really a question of how we can work together," including a Medicaid program that expected to move through the state Senate this week to provide care for people 21 and under in the city.
"It's really to have a dialogue about saying there's major challenges here given the water crisis," he continued. "There were significant challenges in Flint prior to that. How can we all work together to make Flint a stronger better community and address the water questions as much as possible?"
Details about the president's visit have yet been released by the White House.
montcrash.png
A Grand Rapids couple was killed in a head-on crash with an oncoming car that was passing other vehicles, Montcalm County sheriff's deputies say. (Courtesy photo Montcalm County Sheriff's Department)
MONTCALM COUNTY, MI - A Grand Rapids couple was killed Sunday, May 1, in a head-on crash with an oncoming vehicle that had been passing multiple vehicles, police said.
Raymond J. Wrona, and his wife, Mary Wrona, both 88, died in the crash in Montcalm County's Belvidere Township.
The other driver, Joel Ibarra, 26, of Wyoming, and his passenger, Maria Mancha, 28, of Comstock Park, were hospitalized.
The crash occurred around 7:20 p.m. on M-66 near Schmeid Road.
Sheriff's deputies said the victims' 1999 Buick LeSabre was headed south on M-66 as Ibarra's northbound 2012 Audi S4 attempted to pass multiple vehicles.
Ibarra was not able to complete the pass.
Both drivers swerved their vehicles to the west shoulder to avoid crashing but collided head-on, police said.
Mary Wrona died at the scene. Her husband was taken to Spectrum Health Kelsey Hospital in Lakeview, where he later died.
Both Ibarra and his passenger were treated at Kelsey for their injuries, police said.
All of those involved used seat belts, police said.
The crash remains under investigation.
Belvidere Township Fire Department, Montcalm County Emergency Medical Services, and state police assisted at the scene.
John Agar covers crime and other issues for MLiveE-mail John Agar: jagar@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ReporterJAgar
TRAVERSE CITY, MI - The former leader of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians has been sentenced to at least 25 years in prison for sexually assaulting children.
Derek Bailey was convicted at separate trials of two counts of first-degree criminal-sexual conduct and two counts of second-degree criminal-sexual conduct.
He was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison on the first-degree convictions in Grand Traverse County, and 10 to 25 years for the second-degree convictions in Leelanau County.
The sentences will run concurrently.
The assaults occurred while he served as tribal chairman from 2008 to 2012. He denied that any of the attacks happened, reports said.
Bailey ran as a Democrat in bids for the state House of Representatives and U.S. House of Representatives.
He was serving on the tribal council when he was arrested nearly a year ago.
John Agar covers crime and other issues for MLiveE-mail John Agar: jagar@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ReporterJAgar
EMPIRE, MI - More than 1.5 million visitors to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore last year spent an estimated $163 million on food, lodging, gas and other items in communities near the Northern Michigan landmark, according to a new report from the National Park Service.
The tally of the park's 2015 financial impact showed the tourism spending supported 2,586 jobs in the area surrounding the park. Its overall benefit to the local economy? $205.8 million.
"Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world," Acting Superintendent Tom Ulrich said in a news release. "We also feature the park as a way to introduce our visitors to this part of the country and all that it offers.
"National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the NPS, and it's a big factor in our local economy as well."
Overall, the analysis conducted by economists with the park service and the U.S. Geological Survey found $16.9 billion being spent by 307 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park.
The National Park Service this year marks its 100th anniversary, and some of its Michigan sites have announced special programming to celebrate the milestone.
Sleeping Bear Dunes, which will get a new superintendent this summer, is hosting a bevy of star parties and other sky events in the coming months. For information on the park, click here.
A little farther north, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is offering a hiking challenge with a special gift for those who log 50 or 100 miles on its trails.
OTTAWA COUNTY, MI - A gay man who allegedly made signs implying that area churches support same-sex marriage is being sued.
Attorneys for Jenison Bible Church claim that Daniel Vanderley did not have permission to put the church's name on a sign that was used at a June 2015 demonstration outside an event featuring the anti-gay owner of the Dieseltec auto body shop. In the context of the pro-gay demonstration outside the event, the sign intentionally distorted the church's belief about same-sex marriage, according to a lawsuit filed Monday, May 2, in Kent County Circuit Court.
The suit states that the church's ministry was harmed because the sign suggested the church is "opposed to the biblical definition of marriage and in favor of 'same-sex marriage.'" The complaint seeks a public apology from Vanderley.
"Jenison Bible Church, and any other church for that matter, has the right to teach and hold fast to its Biblical beliefs and teaching and to defend against having those beliefs intentionally and falsely misrepresented to the public," said Jim Wierenga, an attorney for the church.
"Vanderley tried to bully Jenison Bible Church, and other local churches, by threatening that, if they did not hold a sign conveying that their church believes in so-called 'same sex marriage,' that he would make sure that someone of his choosing held such a sign and misrepresented the church's position to the media and the public at large. Vanderley knew that he did not have Jenison Bible's permission to associate the church with his message. Yet he did so anyway."
RELATED: Anti-gay auto shop supporters, protestors spar at 'God and Country' talk
The demonstration occurred outside the Jenison Center for the Arts which hosted a "God and Country" event organized by Dieseltec owner Brian Klawiter, who previously caused a stir by saying he'd refuse to serve openly gay customers at his business. Prior to the event, Vanderley put churches on notice that he would use their name on a "Church Name Stands for Love" sign, and pay someone to hold it for media publicity, unless they contacted him to say no, according to documents in the lawsuit.
Vanderley, who earlier last year organized a small protest outside a Zeeland church, urged churches to stand against the talk of Bradlee Dean, a speaker who appeared at the event.
RELATED: Pastor's comparison between gays, axe murderers prompts protest, call for apology
The Jenison Bible suit states the church believes the definition of sin includes homosexual practice, and that Vanderley's sign instead communicated "a pro-homosexuality message in violation of their sincerely held biblical beliefs."
Vanderley declined comment on the lawsuit Monday.
"Jenison Bible believes that the gospel, when received and believed through faith, breaks the bondage of sin and changes all sinners into new creatures, who are clean in God's sight," the suit states. "(Vanderley) has harmed Jenison Bible's position in and ministry to the community by falsely implying the church supports homosexuality and believes it is not sin.
"Any intentional and public distortion of Jenison Bible's position on marriage or sexual immorality negatively impacts Jenison Bible's ability to effectively share the gospel."
In a June 2015 email copied to MLive, the pastor of Georgetown United Methodist Church, who took part in the demonstration, criticized Vanderley for how he handled communication with the churches.
"I do not find your tactics particularly helpful," the Rev. William Bills wrote. "One's means must be a pure as one's desired ends. I am sure that you feel strongly about this matter, as do I, but that doesn't mean that you are entitled to bully or otherwise chastise pastors or churches who choose not to be involved."
Wierenga, a Georgetown Township trustee, is one of two candidates seeking the Republican nomination to township supervisor in the Aug. 2 primary election. Co-counsel for the church, Jeffrey W. Johnson, is one of six candidates running for the GOP nomination to a Michigan House 86th District seat representing parts of Kent and Ionia counties.
A court worker said the suit was improperly filed in Kent County and will be sent back to Wierenga for filing in Ottawa County, where the June 2015 incident occurred. Wierenga said the suit will be filed in Ottawa on Tuesday.
RELATED: Former school board member convicted of larceny now running for Michigan House
Matt Vande Bunte writes about government and other issues on MLive. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
Recent restrictions on importing vehicles and machinery into Myanmar from China and Thailand are causing headaches for leasing and logistics companies.
The government has made it far harder for firms to bring vehicles and machinery across the countrys land borders in recent months.
The restrictions started around four months ago, partly in response to huge volumes of trucks and other types of machinery entering Myanmar from China, said businesspeople in the automobile, leading and logistics industries.
It got to the point where it was bedlam and there was no control over it, said John Hamilton, country manager for CEA Project Logistics.
This sheer volume of imports made regulation difficult, resulting in unregistered imports and tax manipulation, said industry figures.
Last December the government closed Kachin States Kan Pike Tee border trading station to vehicle and machinery imports, following allegations that illegally imported heavy machinery was being used at the jade mines in Hpakant, resulting in a spike in deadly landslides.
Regulating trade at some Thai border crossings has also been problematic, said U Khin Tun, managing director of Capital Automotive the sole dealer of Ford vehicles in Myanmar.
The governments response was to make it much more difficult to import vehicles and industrial machinery at those border points, industry figures said.
Businesspeople with a Myanmar Investment Commission licence to import a specific project have not been affected, and farmers can still import tractors although not large machinery.
But leasing and logistics firms are facing severe problems.
Mr Hamilton said before the border restrictions he could have asked a trading company to buy a forklift in Bangkok and within four days secured a permit to bring it across the border.
But the Muse and Myawaddy border points the main trading points with China and Thailand are now shut to most kinds of heavy machinery and vehicles, he said.
Now everything has stopped. Ive just bought a trailer which will be ready in June, so I need to figure out how Im going to bring it in [to Myanmar], he said.
Logistics and leasing companies do not have import licences, which means they rely on trading companies or dealers with showroom licences to import vehicles and machinery.
Imports can still come through ports in Yangon, but the government has also tightened restrictions on import permits limiting logistics and leasing firms to only 10 of a particular type of vehicle or machine.
And although dealers with showroom licences can still import equipment and vehicles, there are not many of these.
We have a trailer in Thailand [thats been there] since the end of January, which we cant bring in because we cant find anyone with a showroom licence to import it, said Allan Davidson, general manager at leasing firm Yoma Fleet.
Industry figures could only point to only two truck dealers with showroom licences Scandia Trucks dealer Scandia Myanmar and Mercedes dealer Cycle & Carriage Automobile Myanmar.
The biggest issue is trucks, said Mr Davidson, adding that for pick-up trucks and smaller cars shortage was less of an issue.
Fords dealer Capital Automotive has a good stock of cars and has been managing its business well, he added. Mitsubishi, which has a partnership with Yoma Strategic Holdings, recently received a showroom licence and an import order has arrived at Yangons port, he added.
Suzuki has a manufacturing plant in Myanmar, which means vehicles can be delivered to Yangon in just five days, he added.
We just cleaned them [Mitsubishi] out of white vehicles, Mr Davidson said. We placed an order with Toyota [this week] for delivery in July, but customers want things yesterday.
U Khin Tun, Capital Automotives managing director, said stricter border controls had not affected his business because his firm imports its vehicles by sea to Yangon port. That route is also cheaper, he added, although the process of getting imports offloaded and though customs can be time-consuming.
Not all logistics firms are affected by the import restrictions, which are primarily an issue for companies looking to import specialist, high-quality or specific branded equipment.
When it comes to basic-level trucks and trailers the local logistics market is in fact oversupplied, said U Ni Moe Aung, general manager for Kerry Logistics Myanmar office.
He described the oversupply as a seasonal trend. Firms were eager to secure imports before Chinese New Year in February and the Myanmar New Year holiday in April, while government enterprises are typically keen to use up their budgets before the end of the fiscal year on March 31.
But for more sophisticated projects for example those requiring transporting very heavy cargo machinery and vehicles are hard to secure. It is for these projects that border restrictions are an issue, he said.
Its true the local logistics market is completely oversupplied, said Yoma Fleets Mr Davidson.
But although the restrictions are mainly affecting firms hoping to import best-quality equipment, they could also begin to correct some of the oversupply if they continue long enough, he added.
U Ni Moe Aung said that although the new governments policy on border imports is not yet clear, he expects it to relax the restrictions and show some degree of flexibility.
Former deputy minister of finance U Maung Maung Thein has resigned from his position as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Myanmar and the Insurance Business Regulatory Board.
He will not take on a new role in government but will focus instead on teaching and writing, he told The Myanmar Times. I have put out my resignation letters. I want to give financial space to the new generation.
I am going back to my first love, teaching and writing. I want to impart my knowledge and experience, he said. He will continue to offer support to the insurance and finance sectors if his expertise is needed, he added.
He did not know who would replace him in either role, saying, The process of choosing a new chair is still some time away. The Securities and Exchange Commission could not be reached for comment yesterday.
U Maung Maung Thein held several senior positions under the former government, including deputy finance minister and chair of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) working committee. He said yesterday that the committee had been disbanded. There is no official EITI team at the moment, he said.
He told state media on April 30 that he had served duties to establish the Yangon Stock Exchange [YSX] and encourage private companies to enter the countrys insurance market.
Now you can see these markets are implemented although they are not very developed. So it is time to transfer [the] duty to others, he said.
The YSX opened last December and First Myanmar Investment became the first company to list in March. Myanmar Thilawa SEZ Public, the developer of a special economic zone to the south of Yangon, is expected to become the second company to list on the exchange in mid-May.
U Maung Maung Thein had spoken optimistically to media about the future of the exchange.
Kensuke Yazu, Myanmar representative for the Japan Exchange Group, which co-owns the bourse, said yesterday that U Maung Maung Theins resignation was unexpected.
The YSX did not receive any information about it. We were surprised to learn the news, he said.
In the insurance sector, U Maung Maung Thein ran state-owned Myanma Insurance until he was tasked with liberalising the industry in 2012 and set up the Insurance Business Regulatory Board.
Two years later, industry sources complained that outdated policies, uncompetitive premiums and restrictive procedures imposed by the IBSB were hindering efforts by new insurance firms to find their feet.
Foreign insurers have since been allowed to operate in the Thilawa SEZ, but the market remains imbalanced and highly controlled, with state-owned Myanma Insurance the dominant player, according to a report published earlier this year by research firm Oxford Business Group.
Translation by Khant Lin Oo
If you like Ngapali, youre going to love Gaw Yan Gyi Island or so local residents hope. The village, located in Nant Thar Pu village, Ngapudaw township, Ayeyarwady Region, is becoming quietly more popular among domestic tourists thanks to the beauty of its beaches and surrounding scenery.
Because of the shortage of good accommodation, most visitors stay in villagers homes and eat home cooking.
One sign of future popularity is the fact that most beachfront sites have been bought up by out-of-town businesspeople at prices that have doubled over the past three years. Local people are said to be in favour of the development of their community as a tourist resort, along the lines of Nwge Saung beach, and it was their opposition that blocked a plan to build a coal-fired power plant nearby.
U Saw Mya Thein, minister for electricity and transport in the Ayeyarwady Region government, confirmed to The Myanmar Times that the regional government cancelled the project last year because of local resistance.
U Ye Htut, administrator of Nant Thar Pu village, said, We didnt want the kind of damage that would have been inflicted on our island by a coal-fired plant. We believe the island will develop in future and it will be better than Ngwe Saung beach.
He said large Myanmar companies and some individuals had been buying beachfront property to build hotels. Land prices have reached at least K50 million per acre, he said.
First, though, something has to be done about the road from Pathein.
The town will never develop unless the government or the hoteliers repair the road, he said.
Even local fishermen are prepared to change their ways to allow development in nearby Nga Yoke Kaung town. When the beach starts to look nice, well move our boats somewhere else, said fisherman U Aung Soe.
Gaw Yan Gyi Island is located 25 miles (40 kilometres) south of Chaung Tha and Ngwe Saung beach and is celebrated for its elusive charm. Nearby Nga Yoke Kaung town can be reached by express bus for a K10,000 ticket, then on by motorbike to the island, where a visitor can stay at a guest house for K2000 a night. Group bookings are available by prior arrangement with residents, who will make available their homes for K20,000.
Most trips are arranged by tour companies, with about 100 visitors arriving every weekend.
We provide tents for foreigners who want to camp by the beach, and other visitors prefer to stay in guest houses, said a spokesperson for Get up & Go travel and tours. The company offers a US$100 package for foreign guests and K79,000 for domestic tourists.
Among the attractions is Myawaddy Pagoda, for those willing to climb its 400 steps.
After swimming, visitors can go to see the cobras. They dont bite, said Nga Yoke Kaung resident U Sit Aye. Meals are provided by local residents on request.
Most of the 21 people confirmed drowned when a boat carrying Muslim IDPs sank off Rakhine State last month were ethnic Kaman and not Rohingya as widely reported, according to relatives and survivors who say they are forgotten victims of religious persecution in Myanmar.
The loss of life in rough seas on April 19 after the sinking of a boat carrying 40 to 60 people from Sin Tet Maw in Pauktaw township soon hit social media and then international headlines. A US embassy statement expressed deep concern, using the controversial name Rohingya to describe the victims.
That wording prompted protests outside the US embassy in Yangon on April 28 from nationalists who vehemently object to the term and insist that they be called by their official label of Bengalis.
But a Myanmar Times investigation reveals that most on board were internally displaced persons IDPs who originally came from Kyaukphyu and were of Kaman ethnicity. Their families and community are angry that more people, locally and internationally, do not defend their rights and recognise they are different from the Rohingya.
People should not call us Rohingya. We are Kaman and we have rights, said U Khin Maung Hla, leader at Sin Tet Maw IDP camp.
Of the 21 people known to have died it remains unclear if some people are still missing nine were Kaman from his camp, U Khin Maung Hla said. Three were residents of a nearby Muslim village, its leader U Ka Luu said.
The other nine were based in IDP camps around Sittwe and returning there from Sin Tet Maw. According to relatives and neighbours, most if not all of those were also originally from Kyaukphyu. Medical staff at Tet Kae Pyin village near Sittwe, where five survivors and three bodies were taken, confirmed all those they treated were also Kaman.
I dont know of anyone on board who was Rohingya, U Khin Maung Hla said. With the exception of around 200 people from Myebon, most of the 2272 residents of Sin Tet Maw were Kaman from the Kyaukphyu area further south along the coast, he said.
The various reasons they made the fateful journey that day underscores how government policy of keeping communities in isolated camps where they receive internationally funded rations is pushing not only the Rohingya but also other Muslim people into taking major risks to survive and support their families.
Restrictions and human rights violations against the stateless Rohingya minority have been widely condemned by the international community. But Kaman Muslims who are recognised as an ethnic group in Myanmar and often have citizenship rights were also caught up in the enforced segregation introduced after communal violence broke out between Muslims and ethnic Rakhine in 2012, displacing over 120,000 people.
Many Kaman who fled the violence lost their ID papers as their houses burned and now remain trapped in camps facing restriction of movement, despite having citizenship or residency rights.
My three grandchildren drowned when the boat sank, but even though they found their bodies I could not go to see them because of the restrictions, said Ma Khin Hla at Sin Tet Maw camp.
My daughter and son-in-law were taking them to Thae Chaung because they had fevers and they couldnt get medical care [in the camp]. When I first heard the children had all died I lay awake all night crying and when morning came I tried to throw myself into the sea, but my neighbour stopped me, she said. Her grandchildren were aged 11, seven and one.
Many who died were women and children travelling to get medical care or food. Others were visiting relatives from whom they were separated during the 2012 violence and ended up in different camps.
My 70-year-old mother drowned coming back from visiting us. It was the first time we had seen her since the violence, said Ma Khin Cho, 40. I have been going out of my mind. All I can think about is my mother and that it is the first time she made the journey and then the boat sank.
Geography dictates that most travel to and from the coastal camp of Sin Tet Maw is by boat. But residents say government restrictions on IDP movements meant they were forced to take the dangerous sea route to Thae Chaung, a Muslim village outside the state capital, rather than the safer crossing to Sittwe itself, from which they are banned, or to the nearer market town of Min Gan.
Four boats have sunk in the last three years crossing to Thae Chaung, said Ma Khin Lay Than, 38, a neighbour of victims. Now theyve banned us from travelling to Thae Chaung too since the accident. I have asked the government administrator if we can travel to Min Gan instead. Otherwise I dont know how we will get food.
While camp residents are expected to remain where they are registered, a number of people from Sin Thet Maw have in effect moved to Thae Chaung for work, where there is more opportunity to fish, or to be with relatives and get better access to food or treatment.
However, according to the camp administrator, most who move to camps around Thae Chaung are not allowed to transfer their rations, meaning it is not practical to take their families. So they regularly have to return to Sin Tet Maw to see relations and claim rations. Such passengers were also among the victims.
Others, with very few options of earning a living in an IDP camp, make the dangerous K8000-to-K10,000 crossing to buy produce to sell to those in Sin Tet Maw who cannot travel themselves.
Kaman families and representatives want the international community to recognise they are not Rohingya.
The Rohingya people spread the news about things on social media, so people hear about them and what happened, and they get a lot of attention. But there are also things happening to the Kaman that people just say happened to the Rohingya instead, and it is very difficult for us to speak out, said U Hla Maung, a resident of Tet Kae Pyin.
Eleven of those on the boat were residents of the original Muslim village of Sin Thet Maw, close to the camp. The village leader there says they identify neither as Rohingya nor Bengali but simply as Muslim ethnicity. Three of them died: a woman over 60, a four-year-old boy, and a baby girl of 18 months.
I saw bodies floating around me. I thought I was going to die, recalls Muhammed, 26, who swam for over an hour to reach shore, holding on to an empty water barrel with an 11-year-old boy clinging to his back.
The Kaman IDPs say deaths would not happen if they were allowed to return to Kyaukphyu. They say the government told them in 2012 they would be safe in Sin Tet Maw so they got in their boats and fled the mayhem. They have not been allowed to go back.
We just want to go home, said Ma Khin Hla. But dreams of taking her grandchildren back to their family land have now gone forever.
This article has been updated to correct an earlier misspelling of the ethnic name Kaman. The Myanmar Times regrets the error.
Ousted Union Solidarity and Development Party leader Thura U Shwe Mann and his allies are still battling their expulsion, demanding an emergency meeting at the end of the month.
In a letter sent to USDP members on April 29, Thura U Shwe Mann called for the annual committee meeting to be held in accordance with party principles. The letter suggested the meeting be held on May 28 and 29, following from last years annual convention on May 30, 2015.
According to the partys charter, an emergency conference can be convened if more than one-third of the central committee members agree it is necessary.
U Zaw Myint Pe, a former central executive committee member who was expelled from the party along with Thura U Shwe Mann, said that already 136 of the 219 central committee members have added their signatures to the call for an emergency conference.
Its inevitable that the central committee will heed the call to hold the party conference where all party matters can be decided, he said.
On April 22, just one day after former President U Thein Sein resumed leadership of the party, 17 USDP members received a notice of their expulsion. The notice reportedly provided no official reason, but purged many of the same people who were ousted from senior party posts during an internal party coup in August last year. The expulsion of long-time rival Thura U Shwe Mann and his camp was U Thein Seins first move since resuming party work after his presidential term ended.
Once the number-three general under the former military junta, Thura U Shwe Mann earned the ire of some within his party and within the military for his close working relationship with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, going so far as to back her partys proposals to revise the 2008 constitution.
Some of the expelled USDP members have accused U Thein Sein of behaving like a dictator in handling the purge. Thura U Shwe Mann has vowed to fight the decision but also said he has no intentions of setting up a rival party.
We are going to do things according to the decision of the central committee, he said at a press conference on April 29.
U Zaw Myint Pe said the former ruling party must uphold a sense of dignity and set an example as a strong opposition party.
This isnt about personal feelings, this is about solving party issues according to the partys basic principles We are asking to keep the party from deteriorating, he said.
It cannot be called a multi-party system if only one party is very strong. There must be another strong party there [for checks and balances]. If a formerly strong party deteriorates, it could have an impact on the people and members of the party, U Zaw Myint Pe added.
While Thura U Shwe Mann and his allies claim to hold the numbers needed to force a party conference, it remains unclear what U Thein Seins next move will be and whether he will accept the demand.
When The Myanmar Times called USDP officials about their response to Thura U Shwe Manns request, no one could be reached for comment.
If they deny our party rights, they will be in the wrong, said U Zaw Myint Pe.
Political analysts have expressed doubts that the USDPs continued feuding will have much impact beyond those involved in the squabbling, as the public does not support either Thura U Shwe Mann or the USDP.
No one is interested in their issues, said political commentator U Sithu Aung Myint.
He added that internal fighting could reflect negatively on the USDPs future however, as both party members and the electorate will have trouble trusting the party.
Myanmar's most powerful ethnic armed group, the United Wa State Army, has set out its demands for the peace process including Chinas participation following talks with a delegation from the National League for Democracy.
U Soe Htay, a former senior military officer elected last year as NLD MP for Kawkareik township in Kayin State, confirmed yesterday that he had led a delegation of observers to the Wa stronghold of Panghsang in Shan State on the border with China from April 26 to 28.
The MP, a member of parliaments peace and ethnic affairs committee, said he had served in the Wa area as a Tatmadaw commander and had friendly relations with the chief commander of the UWSA.
U Soe Htay said his visit was aimed at understanding the region. We are going to the Wa region to observe the ethnic area for peace-building but were not assigned by the president or the state counsellor, he said. He added that he had urged the UWSA to take part in a conference of all ethnic armed groups which Daw Aung San Suu Kyi called last week to be held within two months.
The UWSA maintains close ties to China and runs what amounts to a quasi-autonomous enclave serving as a conduit for jade and narcotics smuggled out of Myanmar. It refused to sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement along with other major armed groups, leaving Myanmar government and military officials convinced that China was behind the boycott.
Chinese media at the weekend carried an eight-point statement by Xiao Mingliang, deputy chair of the UWSA administration, in which he said the Wa region looked forward to cooperating with the new government and that it respected the results of last Novembers elections boycotted by the UWSA.
He then stated that the UWSA called on the government to hold a peace conference with the participation of the United Nations and China as witnesses to urgently resolve the conflicts in northern Myanmar. Such a conference would include the federal government, parliament, the military and all ethnic armed groups, Mr Xiao said.
Separately he called on the government to set up liaison mechanisms with ethnic armed groups. When conditions were ready, he said, then the government should embark on constitutional changes which should be neither wholesale nor minor. One change he appeared to endorse was removing the ban on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi serving as president.
Reflecting the UWSAs close ties to China, the statement urged the NLD government in pursuing its economic policies to take advantage of Chinas One belt, one road strategy of major infrastructure projects linking its near neighbours to markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The new government should also stick to a non-aligned foreign policy, the statement concluded.
U Tun Tun Hain, an NLD central executive committee member, said he had not known about U Soe Htays talks with the UWSA and that his visit had not been commissioned by the party or members of parliament. However a senior member of the NLD, who asked not to be named, told The Myanmar Times that U Soe Htay may have gone on the instructions of U Tin Myo Win, personal doctor to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who said last week said he would take on a liaison role with ethnic groups.
U Soe Htay said the most important aspect of peace-building was to build reliable trust and strong relationships with leaders of the ethnic armed groups.
Clashes were reported to have resumed yesterday between two ethnic armies in northern Shan State following a pause of several weeks.
The Taang National Liberation Army said fighting had erupted with the Restoration Council of the Shan State (RCSS) near Sai Lain village in Mine Ton/ Mong Ton township.
Fighting started at 8:50am. According to reports from on the ground, minor clashes continued until evening. The fighting area was far away from local people, said Mong Aik Kyaw, a TNLA spokeperson.
Tatmadaw troops had withdrawn from some positions in northern Shan State early in April so fighting had subsided compared to the previous month, he said. The Tatmadaw deployed reinforcements as clashes between the two ethnic armies flared up, he added.
The RCSS, which signed last years nationwide ceasefire agreement, has denied accusations by the TNLA that it is collaborating with the Tatmadaw in a bid for territorial expansion in northern Shan. Clashes that began last year led to the displacement of several thousand civilians, many of whom have since returned to their homes.
On the night of April 25 fighting also occurred in Mine Ton township between the Tatmadaw and TNLA troops. There were injuries on both sides but neither released any official numbers.
On the same day a brief, 15-minute skirmish between the RCSS and TNLA was reported in Namhsan township in the Palaung Self-administered Zone.
The government is delaying elections for Yangon City Development Committee, calling for amendments that would allow far more people to vote.
The first YCDC election in 50 years was held in December 2014. Only 401,000 out of 5.2 million residents were allowed to participate in the December 27 poll under the election act, which granted one vote to each household that possessed government residency documents.
The limited participation in the municipal election was widely criticised by regional hluttaw MPs, election monitors, civil society organisations and the media. The law also bars political parties from contesting municipal elections and does not specify limits for campaign financing.
Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein is demanding the election law be changed to grant voting rights to everyone over 18 years old.
He told The Myanmar Times that the government will amend the election law before the next ballots are cast.
We will discuss with our government members and parliament too. This section needs to be amended for all the people, he said.
The chief minister also said that he and the mayor would select four YCDC members who are not elected by popular vote in accordance with the election law and that the election dates would be announced when the government is ready.
U Nyi Nyi, secretary of YCDC, said while the Yangon Region government has not yet issued any instructions related to the election, YCDC would cooperate.
YCDC has always followed rules and regulations under each government and will continue to do so, U Nyi Nyi said.
YCDC member U Khin Maung Tint said that he expects details about the YCDC election will be announced this week after the Yangon Hluttaw convenes.
In the previous election, to be eligible to stand for election to YCDCs central body or its township and district committees, candidates had to be Myanmar citizens and their parents also both had to be Myanmar citizens. The candidates must have lived in the relevant area for at least 10 years, be a resident when they submit their candidacy, have basic knowledge about urban planning, and be loyal to the country and its citizens.
Those standing for YCDC must be aged between 45 and 65, while those standing for district positions must be between 40 and 60. Township-level candidates must be between 35 and 55 years old, according to the election rules.
Nearly 300 candidates contested the previous election.
The heat wave is bearing down on elderly Yangon residents and claiming lives, according to the Free Funeral Service Society.
Every year the organisation gets an increase of clients needing their services during hot season. While the total deaths the society has assisted with this year is not as high as last year, 895 compared to 899, the group attributes the difference to other organisations helping to provide funeral services this year.
Elderly residents in Yangon are particularly vulnerable to the heat, with disease or underlying health issues exacerbated by the high temperatures, according to Ko Ye Thwin Tun, a spokesperson for the FFSS.
He told The Myanmar Times the service has been providing hearses to carry about 40 coffins to burial or cremation sites around Yangon each day.
The FFSS was founded as an NGO in 2001 by film director Thukha and is headed by many prominent entertainers, including actor Kyaw Thu. The FFSS has helped fund more than 158,655 funerals since it first started.
Today we already received 20 coffins to carry between 8am to 10am. Every day we are receiving 40 bodies to carry to a funeral. Most of the deceased are over 60 years old and died of diseases made worse by the heat, said Ko Ye Thein Tun.
One of most intense heat waves to hit Southeast Asia has caused record-breaking temperatures across Myanmar.
In several cities the mercury has been threatening to break the all-time heat record for Myanmar of 47.2 Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit), which was set in Myinmu, Sagaing Region, on May 14, 2010.
Dr Myint Oo, owner of the Win clinic in Kyeemyindaing township, said the number of patients coming for heat-related problems like heat exhaustion has been increasing since March.
Around 60 percent of my patients are suffering from heat exhaustion. Most are elderly and some are children with heat rash, he said.
Medical superintendent of Yangon General Hospital Dr Aye Ko Ko said there were two heat-shock patients at the hospital April, and no heat-related deaths. He added that the heat can be problematic for patients with heart problems, diabetes and hypertension.
I am seeing more heat-related problems this year, he said.
According to the Department of Meteorology and Hydrologys April 29 announcement, in addition to the extreme heat, the UV levels are high enough to pose an elevated risk of causing harm. The department has recorded levels of 9.7 in Nay Pyi Taw, 9.1 in Yangon and 9.5 in Mandalay. According to the US Environmental Protection Association, a level between 8 and 10 means that there is a very high risk of harm with unprotected sun exposure, which should be minimised between 10am and 4pm.
When I first lived in Thailand, almost two decades ago, the prevailing attitude toward Myanmar was predictably dismissive. Myanmar was considered backward, destitute and despotic.
Thai school textbooks dwelt on old battles between mainland Southeast Asias duelling Buddhist civilisations. Young students quickly got the message about the wickedness of Myanmar kings and the brutality of their armies. There was little sympathy for the neighbours 20th-century woes.
Back then, Pama was still used as a schoolyard put-down. In Thai society, where hierarchy is prized above all else, Myanmar people were at the bottom of the pecking order, even lower than Khmer or Lao.
Where I lived, the only Myanmar people we ever met laboured on rubber plantations or as household staff. Others, of course, crewed fishing boats or did the hard work of tending prawn farms.
Myanmar workers were also starting to arrive in large numbers to do the factory jobs that Thais were reluctant to take on.
Back then, Thailand was riding high reasonably democratic, effectively governed and primed for another surge of economic success.
When you put Myanmar and Thailand side-by-side there was, at least superficially, almost no comparison. Under the State Peace and Development Council, Myanmar was rightly derided for its disastrous human rights record and economic paralysis.
The news about Myanmar that drifted across the national frontier to Thailand was always negative. Most stories picked up common themes of drugs, war and dystopia.
In response, the Thai authorities kept a steady watch on their mountainous border, an interested party to the long-running conflicts of the Mon, Kayin, Kayah and Shan. For most Thais, the rest of Myanmar was a mystery, shrouded behind language and cultural differences that felt insurmountable.
In those days, Thailand was considered Southeast Asias great democratic beacon. Its 1997 constitution set a framework for government that was the envy of activists elsewhere in the region. Thais were proud that it looked as though their meddling military was back in the barracks for good.
What many people tended to ignore in the Thai case was the way that the influence of the military and the palace would persist long after regular elections were held.
In the past decade there have been two military coups in Bangkok. The countrys status as a democratic model for the region is now long forgotten. In its stead there is a greater understanding than ever for the unflinching commitment of the armed forces to secure its own interests and those of its backers in the royal family.
Thailands experience of democratic unravelling offers stark lessons in what can go wrong if elite powerbrokers elevate their own judgements above a popular vote. The economy is now sputtering, struggling for new momentum. Some analysts even talk of a lost decade from which a once-vibrant and energetic society will struggle to fully recover.
Today, the Thai people watch their words carefully, fretful about being branded subversive. Websites are blocked. Activists are kept on their toes. Those who find themselves on the wrong side of the political divide are invited in for questioning. In the toughest cases, re-education is prescribed.
These strictures are grimly familiar to those who suffered over recent decades under military rule in Myanmar.
How quickly things change. For a long time, Thailand provided safe haven and support to Myanmars democrats. The backstreets of Chiang Mai, Mae Sot and Mae Sai long echoed with Myanmar voices plotting a better future back home.
What is incredible about the recent reversal of political fortunes is that Myanmar is now significantly more democratic and transparent than Thailand. It just goes to show that political conditions are not set in stone. In a region of great flux and tension we need to keep an open mind about alternative futures.
In Thailands case, the people are waiting for the end of King Bhumibol Adulyadejs historic reign. He has been on the throne for almost 70 years and there is some trepidation about what happens next. Of course, the plotters of the 2014 coup will seek to exert their disciplining influence over the palace succession, but it is never easy to replace such a towering figure.
For Myanmars new democratically elected government there is a further lesson from Thailands turbulence. Put bluntly, even when democracy appears like it is consolidated, there is still a risk that the military will step back in. Nobody in Myanmar wants to consider this scenario right now. Why should they?
But the track record of failed democratic flirtation across the vastness of Asia suggests that only rarely do militaries remove themselves completely from the political fray. In most cases they retain some involvement, poised to re-assert themselves if conditions warrant.
Right now, Myanmar is Southeast Asias best democratic bet. It is an increasingly exciting place for ideas, business and culture. Such a happy situation is not inevitable. Just look at Thailands bleak prognosis and consider how it can all go so badly wrong.
New Mandala
Nicholas Farrelly is director of the Myanmar Research Centre at the Australian National University and the co-founder of New Mandala. His column appears each Monday.
Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL.
Accra, 30th April: Thirty young women eagerly absorbed important lessons from leading women in the broadcast industry, including Bridget Otoo and Berla Mundi among others, as part of a new initiative from Anita Erskine Media and Brand Woman Africa titled Conversations Leading Change Through Young Women in an Evolving Africa, held at the Oak Plaza Hotel today.
I believe our young women have so much incredible potential to create the kind of social change Ghana urgently needs, but sometimes its just a matter of finding the right motivation to push you in the direction of success, said award-winning television and radio host Anita Erskine, who organized the event. I created Conversations which will be a quarterly event covering a range of sectors, to give young women an opportunity to interact with and have real conversations with experts on how to build a successful career within a particular industry.
Conversations for Change
The following speakers were in attendance to share a range of experiences and advice on topics across the broadcast industry in Ghana and show the audience what powerful women are capable achieving within the media:
- Bridget Otoo: Presenter, TV3
- Berla Mundi: Radio & TV Presenter, LiveFM and 4Syte TV
- Chantelle Asante: TV Presenter & Producer, Viasat 1
- Akua Boatemaa: Video and Photography Director
- Owusua Dacosta: TV Presenter & Producer, Discovery +233
- AJ Sarpong: Radio & TV Presenter / Producer, StarrFM and GH One TV
- Akosua Hanson: Radio & TV Presenter, LiveFM & Celebrity Fanzone on Viasat 1
- Caroline Sampson: Radio & TV Presenter
Inspiring Global Progress
The program, designed to educate and inspire young women from the Ghana Institute of Journalism, the African University College of Communication and NAFTI, gave aspiring females the chance to connect, communicate and network with industry experts including Anita Erskine.
After listening to each of the broadcast industry experts tell their stories, the students were spilt into small groups to provide more intimate conversations between the students and the professionals. Key parts of the program focused on broadcasting online via Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn and how it can encourage wider participation and reach a global audience.
The event served as the first installment of a recurring program designed to encourage the next generation of female leaders across a variety of industries. Sponsors including Oak Plaza, EcoBank, the Vodafone Ghana Foundation, Microsoft and Lux are thrilled to have taken part in such a positive experience focused on growing a new generation of empowered female entrepreneurs.
02.05.2016 LISTEN
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Folks, there is no gainsaying the fact that Akufo-Addo lost Elections 2008 and 2012, not because he didnt have any message for Ghanaians to hang on to but because he lacked the personal appeal that the voters needed to assuage all doubts and apprehensions that he would provide a better administration of affairs to make Ghana habitable by them. In effect Akufo-Addos approach to politics scared the voters more than needed. No amount of massaging of feelings after-the-fact could save him from electoral doom.
Thus, he lost Election 2008 in the run-off, clearly because those why were expected top partner with him saw through the veil and thought otherwise. None of the mushroom anti-NDC parties that partnered Kufuor to win the 2000 run-off joined arms with him even though he had a slight edge of 49 point something per cent over the late Atta Mills.
Thereafter, events didnt work well for him. The consequences? Election 2012 saw him in the ditch again on account of his lack of appeal and many other factors that worked well for President Mahama. All that whiloe4, he was riding on the crest of the NPPs strategic choice of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia (a northerner and Muslim) to relive the Alhaji Aliu Mahama memory. Truth be told, Dr. Bawumia had little to offer the NPP. He still has little to do so even after re-engineering himself as the political-opponent-in-chief of a fellow Northerner in the person of President John Dramani Mahama.
In his bid to paint President Mahama as bad for Northern Ghana, Dr. Bawumia is burning steam and unwittingly playing himself into the hands of Fate. He has said a lot to damn the Mahama-led administration that has turned out to have a boomerang effect on his own integrity and to jeopardize the very cause for which he is being used. The vicissitudes of the useless petition hearing that continue to haunt him are glaring.
He played a yeomans role that hasnt redounded to his own political quests of those of the Akufo-Addo hiding in the shadows to manipulate him just because he claims to be an economist and was the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (under whom the Kufuor government did surreptitious things, including the redenomination of the Ghanaians Cedi, which is one of the major contentions dogging him. How much the government spent on that exercise i9s still being kept secret while the rush to sentimentalism about the slumping of the Cedi is has become the NPPs anti-Mahama gig. In this sense, Dr. Bawumia hasnt yet passed the credibility test, which pegs him on a horrible pedestal when it comes to truthfulness in national affairs. Is such a person really worthy of being entrusted with the affairs of state?).
To worsen his credibility problem, he is going around the country, especially the northern sector, playing the tribal card. As already known, he is on record as having urged his siblings and others of the Great Naa Gbewaa origin to root for him against President Mahama because he is also a northerner. This recourse to the tribal card goes against the grain that Ms. Dzifa Ativor of the NDC is accused of sowing. She is on record as urging the electorate of the Volta Region (Ewes) to retain the Mahama-led NDC administration in power if she is not to be jailed by an Akufo-Addo-led NPP government. Forget5 about the narrow-selfish personal interest behind her appeal to concentrate on larger-level issues of tribal politics, which brings in Dr. Bawumia too. He has made two terribly spurious moves that constitute nothing but a drawback on the Akufo-Addo move. Here they are:
1. Speaking at Nyohini, in the Tamale South Constituency, Dr. Bawumia said many things wrapped around tribal politics, even if he set out to undermine President Mahama as a failure. Here are his own words as reported in the news:
My elders, my brothers, my sisters, in 2008 and 2012, we were told by the NDC that because John Mahama was a Northerner, we should vote for him. Indeed, John Mahama himself asked the people of the North to vote for him because he was from the North
My elders and siblings, if John Mahama is claiming that you should vote for him because he is a northerner, then I would like to remind you that I am also from the North as a grandson of Na Gbewaa and I am asking for you to vote for Nana Akufo-Addo and myself (See http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Mahama-has-failed-Bawumia-435227).
2. Addressing supporters of the New Patriotic Party in the Sissala East district of the Upper West region Dr. Bawumia stated that the Presidency is religiously skewed against Muslims, which does not adequately reflect one part of the two dominant religious groupings in the country. He, therefore, urged the residents to vote for the NPP in the upcoming elections in order to bring religious balance to the presidency.(See http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Flagstaff-House-religiously-skewed-Bawumia-435154).
Abject political mediocrity and dishonesty to the truth. Complete childishness. Is Ghana a theocracy to warrant this kind of nonsense? By going this way, Dr. Bawumia is charting a path to be wary of. Records reveal that all Ghanaians of all religious faiths are doing government business all over the country, not only at the Flagstaff House because Ghana is a secular state. President Mahama has on several occasions made it clear that Ghanas secular stateness wont permit it to do anything to favour any particular sect. Dr. Bawumia should have known better than going this way. So, what is he doing, after all? Playing the religious card in addition to the tribal one that he has played in Tamale? And claims to be a grandson of the Naa Gbewaa?
Truly, with characters like him, any crisis emanating from ethnic or religious conflicts/misunderstandings cannot be resolved as long as they pull strings. And to say that he was on a pilgrimage last year to seek the face of Allah is a farce. Allah upholds peace among all nation, contrary to what Dr. Bawumia upholds in his political quests. A bad omen already!!
Folks, we can say with all confidence that what has been unleashed by Dr. Bawumia at this point in his electioneering campaign bid raises more worries than he and Akufo-Addo can contain. He has added more woes to the plate and should be prepared for the consequences. Before the NPP power brokers even step in to question him on his choice of political mobilization strategy, suffice it for me to conclude that he has done nothing but add more spokes to Akufo-Addos wheel. The man himself is still struggling to solve his personal credibility problems. Why add more from a wo9der dimension to it?
I shall return
02.05.2016 LISTEN
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Because it is confident that the voters will be more swayed by their own living conditions to vote against President Mahama than anything else. But is that enough to win it Election 2016?
Folks, in assessing the electioneering campaign strategies of the political parties toward Election 2016, it is clear that even though we are not yet in the main season, a lot is happening to tell us how the tide flows.
The Mahama-led administration insists that it has laid a solid foundation by satisfying the electorate with development projects and tackling longstanding major national problems such as Dumsor to warrant its being retained in power so it an turn attention to other aspects of governance. As President Mahama has put it, a further four-year term for him will enable him to ensure that money is put in the pockets of Ghanaians. Whatever that claim portends, it suggests that President Mahama feels his government has done enough in broad terms and will use its next tenure to concentrate on policies and programmes to enrich the lives of Ghanaians. It means doing what will reduce the cost of living or give the people the means to cope with it.
Those opposed to his bid for a second term have so far not given us anything new with which to assess the situation. They have remained fixated on abject criticism, outright peddling of rumours, scaremongering, and tribal politics disguised as a campaign of fellow-feeling. They are no more making copious promises but are insistent on being given the mandate because of their self-serving claims that President Mahama is incompetent or has failed.
So far, nothing new has come from the NPP front to make the difference in how it wants to approach Election 2016. If it is not confronting the EC or denigrating the NDC administration, then, it is flexing muscle to engage in a useless wordy warfare. There is still preference for their favoured political strategyissuing threats, intimidating opponents, physically attacking opponents or property of opposing political parties, and many others.
On his part, Dr. Nduom and his PPP continue to tout their own worthiness, even as nothing exists to prove that they are firm on the ground. Its all a campaign of wishful thinking on the basis of an individuals success in business management and expansion of his private economic concerns. The misconception here is that success in business can be automatically translated into success in politics and the management of Ghanas affairs. Deceptive!!
The CPP front has Ivor Greenstreet in the saddle but isnt going anywhere because it has no traction. No constituency in the country exists for it. So, all the noise coming from Greenstreet reaches nowhere to woo voters.
I have nothing specifically relevant from the other mushroom parties (the PNC and its Dr. Edward Mahama, Nana Konadu and her NDP) and any other that exists in the imagination of its leader or in the media for whatever noise it makes just to prove that it still remains a legal entity, registered and acknowledged as such by the EC.
Where am I heading toward? I want to say that politicking toward Election 2016 seems to be offering Ghanaians nothing new. All that is doing the rounds has already been heard before. Those who lost Elections 2008 and 2012 havent changed their tune (After all, retaining the losers means getting nothing new from them to change the equation, clearly because they havent learnt any lesson from previous elections to add value to themselves). In that sense, should we be surprised that they have no convincing campaign message for the electorate?
Well, it may be so. But certain opinions suggest that they dont need any message because the voters themselves already know what they need to know to inform their electoral decision. In clear terms, the position is that he who feels it, knows it (as the Jamaican reggae musician puts it). Thus, the electorate will not need any message to decide how to vote. They will be informed by their living conditions under President Mahamas watch. This stance seems to fit into the NPPs message for Election 2000 (Hwe wasetena mo na tu aba pa), which didnt win Kufuor the elections outright. But for the support of the mushroom parties, he couldnt have won the run-off. So, now that the same tune seems to be on air, what next?
Will the voters simply write off President Mahama in favour of Akufo-Addo? Or will this feeling that President Mahama is incompetent be enough of a campaign message?
To make the matter more pointed, I reproduce verbatim a comment at ModernGhana.com by a reader of my opinion piece (So soon, a victory ram for President Mahama) that speaks a lot to why the NPP may not want to hinge its campaign on any specific message:
Dr Borkor, I know you are an NDC supporter, so am I. The difference between the two of us is that I have now gone off Mahama because he is so INCOMPETENT. What is more, you live in the USA but I live in Ghana and as such can SEE first-hand the damage Mahama is doing to the country. The bottom line is Mahama is NOT a CLEVER person and as such he does not know how to move the country forward.
I want Mahama to LOSE on November 7 to give the country a chance to breathe and to recover. Mahama would be better off teaching English Literature at University of Ghana, Legon. Better still, he had said in the past that he would be a cocoa farmer when he was no longer in politics. Let us give John Dramani Mahama the chance on November 7 to become a cocoa farmer. Maybe he will make a better cocoa farmer than he is president. He is NOT cut out to be president; I am not saying Akufo-Addo is either!
If Ghanaians make the mistake of voting for Mahama on November 7, it will mean Ghanaians will be in the doldrums for another FOUR, PAINFUL WASTEFUL years. Mahama is just not doing anything tangible to HELP this country for the simple reason that he is at a DEAD END as far as his abilities are concerned. The kind of politics required to move Ghana forward is a BOLD one, and Mahama is NOT a bold person. He is hiding behind IMF's politics and economics (political economy), which is detrimental to a developing country such as Ghana. We Ghanaians must show POLITICAL MATURITY on November 7 by trying someone new.
Here is the deal. Ghanaians should take a good look at Ivor Greenstreet and Kwesi Nduom to see if we can take a risk with one of them. (The GBC should organise US-style presidential debates for the NDC, NPP, CPP and PPP so that we can take a CLOSER look at these candidates.) If the prospect of Greenstreet or Nduom is too risky, then we must take a chance with the NPP; anything is BETTER than Mahama. The plus side for electing the NPP will be that Bawumia, who in my books is cleverer than Mahama, might help MOVE the country forward. The negative side will be the NPP might move the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to the tax haven of Panama for their convenience! This is a risk we must be prepared to take.
Another FOUR years of Mahama will COLLAPSE the country! Ghana is at the "point of inflection"; it needs bold and drastic measures. The Ghanaian electorate is not sophisticated; therefore, it is likely Mahama can manipulate it and win on November 7. However, that will be a HALLOW victory because it is not a question of winning power, but whether the power can be put to good use.
Accra, not to mention Tema and Kumasi, has become so SHABBY and DIRTY that it is only someone as BENIGHTED as Mahama who cannot see the significance of keeping a clean environment! He never talks about how he plans to remove the dirt and sludge, which is in almost every gutter in Accra, and how he plans to clean the filth that is ENGULFING our major towns and cities and the wider environment.
A monkey would do a better job than Mahama. A monkey would have enough intelligence to know that we need to CLEAN our environment and BUILD our shattered roads. Some of the roads in Accra are so ineffably shattered that I do not know why Mahama keeps BOASTING about building roads. (See http://members.modernghana.com/GhanaHome/columnist/admin/listblogs.asp?saction=comments&id=689169#comments).
Folks, the comment is really loaded and reflects the thinking of someone who has his own beef against President Mahama. I dont intend to unpack it, even if I want to fault the writer for being so intemperate and misguided in his attitude toward the President. He seems not to know what a President is constitutionally mandated to do or not. On environmental hygiene, for instance, I dont think that it is the responsibility of the President to clean our gutters or living spaces. Why was the National Sanitation Day launched by President Mahama? So he will physically clean the country or so the citizens will be responsible enough to do so themselves? A lot of food-for-thought here.
I have already written an opinion piece to say that President Mahama is not Ghanas problems and that Ghanaians are their own (and their countrys) problem. Anybody thinking otherwise will only be helping his opponents fail to hit the campaign trail with messages to woo the electorate. Is the NPP falling into this trap?
I shall return
02.05.2016 LISTEN
One of the loudest and most fruitless political disputes in Washington has been about climate change. If youre even vaguely concerned about climate change, take note: The political climate itself may be changing. Capitalism to the rescue!
Many progressives consider climate change an existential threat to humanity and the environment. They have been stymied by proposing a solution that would impose punitive costs on, well, voters ... such as a carbon tax. As polling by Pew consistently shows, climate change continually ranks near the bottom of voter concerns. The economy ranks at the top. Republicans, of course, have been fiercely resistant to imposing the economically punitive measures many progressives endorse. Deadlock.
Over many years of this partisan impasse the magic of free markets, behind the scenes, has begun to change the political calculus. Emerging technologies are reducing energy costs dramatically, using emission-free energy sources such as sunshine and wind. In recently working on a research project funded by the Grace Richardson Foundation I encountered compelling evidence that the emergence of inexpensive, emission-free, energy is fast approaching.
There are opportunities to accelerate these good things, not by subsidies, through targeted tax rate cuts and removal of arbitrary regulatory barriers. Follow along.
We confront the possibility of energy and climate policy becoming what academics call a valence (consensus) rather than a "values" (polarizing) issue. Conservatives do not champion climate change. We are unpersuaded that it threatens to be as catastrophic as many progressives believe. We also are unpersuaded that the proposed costs of addressing it, which are excruciating, pass a cost-benefit analysis.
But we are not deniers. It would be reckless to dismiss the possibility that climate change could have catastrophic consequences. Conservatives aren't reckless.
Dr. Joseph Romm, formerly acting assistant secretary of energy for energy efficiency and renewable energy for the U.S. Department of Energy, now a senior fellow with the Center for American Progress, recently published an impressive book written for the intelligent layman. It lucidly presents the case both for deep concern and and optimism): Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know . As described by the publisher, Oxford University Press:
Climate change will have a bigger impact on humanity than the Internet has had. The last decades spate of superstorms, wildfires, heat waves, and droughts has accelerated the public discourse on this topic and lent credence to climatologist Lonnie Thomsons 2010 statement that climate change represents a clear and present danger to civilization. In June 2015, the Pope declared that action on climate change is a moral issue. This book offers the most up-to-date examination of climate changes foundational science, its implications for our future, and the core clean energy solutions.
Romm presents worrisome, even potentially apocalyptic, scenarios. Most dramatic, if the global temperature gets high enough to trigger it. might be the potentially dire further climate impact from release of methane from melting permafrost.
But he counsels hope, and action, not despair. He lucidly analyzes the many emerging technologies that could (and already are beginning to) reduce the emission of CO2.
Romm provides a lay reader a consistently fascinating guide, qualifying some, and disqualifying other, technologies. He observes:
I personally have become more optimistic about humanitys chances in the last year. Another hopeful sign is that the key technologies needed to avert catastrophic warming solar power, wind, energy-efficient lighting, advanced batteries have seen a steady and in some cases remarkable drop in prices. This price drop has been matched by a steady improvement in performance. Maybe at some point in the past you could believe that climate action was too expensive, but not any more. The nations top scientists, energy experts, and governments have all spelled out in great detail that even the strongest climate action is super cheap.
Super cheap? This would be a transformational development.
What evidence is there that we might be reaching an inflection point in developing emission-free energy sources cheaper than fossil-fuels? The evidence is abundant. Futurist Ramez Naam blogging in Scientific American , on March 16, 2011:
Over the last 30 years, researchers have watched as the price of capturing solar energy has dropped exponentially. Theres now frequent talk of a Moores law in solar energy. In computing, Moores law dictates that the number of components that can be placed on a chip doubles every 18 months. More practically speaking, the amount of computing power you can buy for a dollar has roughly doubled every 18 months, for decades. Thats the reason that the phone in your pocket has thousands of times as much memory and ten times as much processing power as a famed Cray 1 supercomputer, while weighing ounces compared to the Crays 10,000 lb bulk, fitting in your pocket rather than a large room, and costing tens or hundreds of dollars rather than tens of millions. If similar dynamics worked in solar power technology, then we would eventually have the solar equivalent of an iPhone incredibly cheap, mass distributed energy technology that was many times more effective than the giant and centralized technologies it was born from.
Technological progress is going much faster than even the techno-optimistic Naam believed. As New York Magazines Jonathan Chait wrote last year in The Sunniest Climate-Change Story Youve Ever Read :
Four years later, in the spring of this year, Naam revisited his post and admitted his prediction had been wrong. It was far too conservative. The price of solar power had already hit the 50-cent threshold. In the sunniest locations in the world, building a new solar-power plant now costs less than coal or natural gas, even without subsidies, and within six years, this will be true of places with average sunlight, too. Taller turbines, with longer and more powerful blades, have made wind power competitive in a growing swath of the country (the windy parts). By 2023, new wind power is expected to cost less than new power plants burning natural gas.
To compensate for the variability of solar and wind, storage mechanisms are required. Bloomberg News reports, in a recent article entitled Wind and Solar Are Crushing Fossil Fuels: "Whats more, the price of batteries to store solar power when the sun isnt shining is falling in a similarly stunning arc."
These developments have not been lost upon advocates for free market policy. Among the leading lights of the right are Tea Party Patriots board member and co-founder Debbie Dooley, head of Conservatives for Energy Freedom , and entrepreneur Jay Faison, founder and CEO of Clear Path Foundation . Faison has committed $175 million of his own money to persuade Republicans to take climate change seriously and to use free market policies to end it.
There has been encouraging openness within The American Spectator and a blog on his own site by its senior editor Quin Hillyer, entitled Supply-Side Clean Energy . There has been consistent effort by Grace Richardson Foundation president Rod Richardson, a thought leader in applying free market principles in this sector, to forge coalition between the right and the left.
There is still much to be done. Solar and wind power, while growing by leaps and bounds, now make up a tiny fraction of our energy supply. There is good reason to accelerate the process of the development and adoption of cheap, emission-free, energy by cutting tax rates. Doing so would deliver the goods, goods held dear by Republicans lower cost energy for consumers and by Democrats reducing, and then eliminating, carbon dioxide emissions.
Using conservative means to advance progressive ends isnt really so odd. (Communism and socialism struggled for a century materially to improve the lot of working people. Using romantic, rather than realistic, means they failed in a big way.) China, adopting free market policies (euphemistically called socialism with Chinese characteristics") under the great supply-sider Deng Xiaoping and his successors brought almost a billion people out of subsistence and into affluence so quickly that Karl Marx spins in his grave. When Russia adopted a low-rate flat tax its economy took off like a rocket. (Bernie Sanders, take note!)
I previously cited here the moving words of NASA climatologist and retired astronaut Dr. Piers J. Sellers from his Jan. 16, 2016 piece on climate change in The New York Times Sunday Review :
These engineers and industrialists are fully up to the job, given the right incentives and investments. You have only to look at what they achieved during World War II: American technology and production catapulted over what would have taken decades to do under ordinary conditions and presented us with a world in 1945 that was completely different from the late 1930s.
Key words: given the right incentives and investments. The free market is developing, producing, and adopting cheaper and cheaper, emission-free energy. This depends on enterprising men and women focused on technological development and deployment. Technologies are governed by different laws than commodities. By credible estimates such ventures soon will start becoming profitable without subsidy.
Do you wish your electricity bills, or CO2 emissions, or both, to go down? Then it makes compelling sense to reduce marginal tax rates on, and to eliminate unnecessary regulatory barriers. Let the free market work its magic to bring on inexpensive, emission-free, energy.
Capitalism to the rescue, Happy Earth Day to you!
Originating at Forbes.com
Colonel Ferron Williams returned back to the island this weekend with a delegation of Accompong Maroons whom he had led to the Kingdom of Ashanti, Ghana, for a historical meeting with the Asantehene.
Maroon delegation from left to right: Timothy McPherson, Toni-Ann Williams, Cassandra Wall, Col. Ferron Williams, Opal Dickson-Clarke, Novadean Newsome, Julette Osbourne
The Maroon delegation was invited as the Asantehenes guests of honour during the Akwasidae Festival, which is the Kingdoms most important celebration. The King of Ashanti, Otumfou Osei Tutu II, described the meeting as being a very important spiritual re-unification particularly because the Maroons in Accompong trace their ancestry back to the Akan and Ashanti people. These are my people, they have come back home, he said when introducing the delegation.
In addition to meeting with the King, the Maroon delegation was also welcomed by President John Mahama. Colonel Ferron Williams has described the trip as a major milestone in African and Caribbean relations, highlighting the important role that traditional leaders can and must play in achieving an African Renaissance.
Accompongs Colonel Ferron Williams (left) meeting Ghanas President John Mahama
During the three-day official visit, the Accompong Maroon delegation enjoyed several sites, among which was a tour of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park & Mausoleum as well as the Cape Coast Slave Castle.
In addition to the cultural re-unification between the Accompong Maroons and the Kingdom of Ashanti, the visit also ventured into the economic sphere. Accompongs Minister of Finance, Timothy Elisha McPherson Jr., signed a trade agreement with the Kingdom of Ashanti that would establish a new era of pan-African cooperation on various fronts, particularly in the area of climate change mitigation and renewable energy finance. Minister McPherson said, Accompongs climate change initiative has become the driving force behind all of our current activities.
We created the Central Solar Reserve Bank of Accompong as a unique and modern institution to facilitate renewable energy finance, and now through this trade agreement we will be granted access to our ancestral land of Ghana as well as the whole ECOWAS region. So this is truly a great step for Accompong both on the economic and cultural front.
Colonel Ferron Williams described the trade agreement as a landmark event not only for the Accompong Maroons but for the whole Diaspora. He said, we are oldest sovereign Africans in the Western hemisphere, and it is very appropriate that this agreement be established with us. We do this in honour of our ancestors who fought for our freedom.
Established in 1738-9 through its peace treaty with the British, the Accompong Maroons are the only Maroons in Jamaica who still have full sovereignty. The community is committed to a transformation from a cultural historic relic into an economic force within the pan-African Renaissance.
02.05.2016 LISTEN
The Ghanaian worker has never been so pushed to the wall by government-inflicted economic circumstances. He has been so impoverished that he soliloquises when no one is looking at him a newfound trait symptomatic of stress and near hopelessness.
The tariff hikes and the now unannounced fuel price increases worsen his plight by the day. Some of his colleagues, unable to withstand the challenges, have embraced alcoholism as others take the abominable route of suicide. The rate at which people are taking this abominable route as well as spousal murders is alarming, both attributable to the difficulties flowing from the economic hardships.
Social interventions introduced by the previous government to cushion him from the economic challenges imposed by external forces have faded into insignificance.
Yesterday was May Day. We wish to congratulate the Ghanaian worker and to plead with him to take heart and pray for better times ahead. There is still hope for Ghana; her human resource base and natural wealth extractive and agricultural still in abundance but only waiting for better and visionary managers.
Let him not lose hope and take to abominable decisions which only expose his family to very serious consequences.
.
As a routine, those whose stewardship of the state has led us to where we are now have spoken, painting a very beautiful picture of an economy seen by them only.
They think that it is in their interest to live in denial about the reality of the economy, continuously presenting it as resilient and robust. The truth of the matter is that the economy is in a dire state and requires occasional treatment in the form of increased taxation as in the almost fortnight increment in the price of petroleum products. Many of his colleagues in the private sector have lost their jobs, their employers unable to withstand harsh tax regime dictated by the government which is suffering the uncontrollable effect of self-inflicted bad economic decisions and corruption.
This year's May Day is worryingly significant. Taking place in an election year, government in a bid to have more Ghanaians vote for it will definitely engage in reckless expenditure, the effects of which would be transferred to the already indisposed economy, with the Ghanaian absorbing the brunt.
Paradoxically, government has already said it would not engage in the aforementioned economic anomaly associated with an election year. We have taken this with a pinch of salt: no government with a penchant for this alternative would say otherwise.
We congratulate the Ghanaian worker on enduring the difficult times this far. It is an election year and in a country democratic in nature, you have the power to alter your circumstances. Even as the political parties go about canvassing for your vote, you are in a better position to compare their records with a view to making informed choices. A faux pas in the choice of a political leadership can lead to rather regrettable consequences. The choice is yours.
The General Secretary of the Public Utility Workers Union, Ato Bondzie Quaye has commended president Mahama for assuring workers the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) would not be privatised.
Speaking at this year's May Day celebrations in the Upper West regional capital, Wa, President Mahama stated that, ECG is and will remain a wholly state enterprise.
However, in an exclusive interview with Joy News, Ato Bonzie Quaye said they hope that President Mahama will walk his talk this time round.
It is not the first time we have heard this, but if he is saying it we have heard it and we believe it is so, then there will be peace for us, otherwise, those who have been contracted need to meet with the workers and iron out the little little things that we are not clear of, Mr. Quaye said.
He said the President has listened to them and was categorical that the Company won't be sold, but the rate at which bidders are pushing the agenda of concession is mind-boggling.
Workers want to know what is the concession that is being talked about regarding a takeover, he said, citing the management contract government did with Ghana Water Company which failed.
According to him, the President has repeatedly denied plans by government to privatize ECG and yet the posture and actions of government showed otherwise.
When asked what they want government to do, Mr. Quaye told Joy News reporter Rafiq Salam that, they want everything to be suspended as Ghanaians are very capable of managing it.
Whoever is managing it that we find fault with were appointed by them [government]. If you think they are not performing well, change them, Mr. Quaye stated.
-myjoyonline
The National Democratic Party (NDP) has confirmed former first lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings as the party's presidential candidate for the November election.
The confirmation was made at a congress held in Accra on Saturday, April 30 at the International Trade Fair Centre. The party also elected new executives ahead of the presidential and parliamentary polls.
The former first lady after her confirmation called on Ghanaians to demand accountability from government.
She said, I believe that the role of a democratic government is to protect and strengthen liberties and redress the balance between powerful and weak, between the rich and poor through a government which invests in people but at the same time is prepared to be accountable to the people for their actions and omissions.
We can only redress the imbalance if we identify the weakness and emphasize on structural changes which will go a long way to block the loopholes which allow the injustices to be perpetrated in the first place, she added.
Mrs. Rawlings urged Ghanaians to vote for a visionary leader.
It is our responsibility to build a country that gives each individual an equal opportunity. It is our responsibility to give power to leaders who have a vision and the common goal of Ghanaians at heart, Mrs. Rawlings said.
The former president Jerry John Rawlings and two of his daughters were at the congress to support the former first lady.
-myjoyonline
The National Peace Council has condemned as irresponsible, a statement made by NPP Vice-Presidential candidate, Mahamudu Bawumia, suggesting the Flagstaff House is religiously skewed.
Addressing New Patriotic Party supporters last week at a village in the Sissala East District of the Upper West Region, Dr. Bawumia said, another major issue that I want to bring to the attention of the people is that; if we look at the flagstaff house today, it does not reflect the people of Ghana in terms of religion.
He said, In this country, we are living peacefully and nicely Muslims and Christians. So we believe in the NPP that Christians and Muslims should work together and that is why whenever we pick a president as a Christian, we pick a Muslim as a vice.
"And when we come and pick a Muslim as a president, we will pick a Christian as a vice. So if, Insha Allah, Nana Akufo-Addo becomes president, he will swear with the Bible and enter the Flagstaff House and I will swear with the Qur'an and enter the flagstaff House.
But in a statement signed by its Chairman, Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, the Peace Council said, "We find this statement unfortunate, irresponsible, unwarranted, and a recipe for chaos if allowed to go without condemnation."
Please see the full statement below:
BAWUMIA ON POTENTIALLY INFLAMMATORY RELIGIOUS COMMENTS
It has come to the attention of the National Peace Council that the running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) made statements calling for Muslims to support him because he is a Muslim, while addressing his party supporters at the Sissala East District of the Upper East Region.
He was quoted as saying, another major issue that I want to bring to the attention of the people is that; if we look at the flagstaff house today, it does not reflect the people of Ghana in terms of religion.
We find this statement unfortunate, irresponsible, unwarranted, and a recipe for chaos if allowed to go without condemnation.
Elections are contested and won at the polling stations when Ghanaians are convinced with superior policy alternatives. The national constitution did not prescribe the religion to which the occupants of the seat of government must belong.
We find it rather unfortunate that a running mate of the caliber of Dr. Bawumia would stoop this low in inciting religious sentiments in a country where religious sects had peacefully coexisted.
As we head into this years elections, we want to urge politicians to be circumspect in their utterances, focus on the challenges facing this country and put forward how they intend to resolve them if given the mandate.
We, therefore, cringe at the careless resort to religious association, rather than policy quality, by Dr Bawumia as a basis for which he should be voted for. If voters begin to be incentivised by their religious association, the consequences of defeat can be dire since they may consider their rejection as rejection of their religion.
By this statement we are calling on all Ghanaians to avoid all political activists who mobilise them along religious lines.
Let us jealously guard our national peace.
Thank you.
Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante,
Chairman,
National Peace Council.
On 27th April 2016, the German Federal Cabinet approved the signing of the Economic PartnershipAgreement (EPA) of the European Union with the SADC member states.
The Agreement will guarantee permanent tax and quota free access to the European market forproducts from Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Swaziland. South Africa, as the mostdeveloped country in the region, will receive extended market access to the European market. Inreturn, the above mentioned countries are supposed to open their markets for about 80% ofEuropean products over the course of 12 years. As already practiced in other EPAs, products thatare locally produced or have added value for the local economy, will remain permanently protected.
As an additional protection mechanism, the SADC-EPA countries may defer the liberalization ofspecific products or increase customs duties, if noticeable damage of the local industry is looming.
Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Dr. Gerd Muller said: Thisagreement will create new opportunities for economically and socially sustainable development inSouthern Africa. Trade barriers will be reduced. This will, for example, make it easier for SouthAfrican or Namibian farmers to offer their agricultural products to the EU market. The same appliesto processed products. Thus we create the conditions for added value in these countries. Only 17%of trade is inner-African while inside the EU it is 45%. We want to help our African partnercountries to become more competitive, so that they can participate successfully in the world'smarkets. This is an important requirement for a region in Africa whose economy is growingdynamically.
In addition to the reduction of trade barriers, the agreement contains binding environmental andsocial standards and gives the European Commission the possibility to demand certain human rightsstandards. The agreement is therefore an important instrument in development cooperation for thefurther cooperation with SADC-EPA countries. The signing by the EU is planned during the sessionof the Foreign Affairs Council on the 23rd of May 2016 in Brussels and by SADC on the 10th ofJune 2016 in Gaborone. When the signing process is completed, the EPA will be presented to theGerman Federal Parliament for approval. Thus, the German Federal Government has done all that isnecessary for the agreement to come into force in all SADC member states.
The Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rationalized comments made by the party's vice-presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, condemned as inflammatory.
Nana Akomea on Joy FM's Super Morning Show, Monday, said the Vice Presidential Candidate of the party was making a case for balance and inclusion in the national political leadership of the country.
Addressing party supporters in the Sissala East constituency in the Upper West Region over the weekend, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia said the seat of the current NDC government does not adequately mirror the two dominant religious groups in Ghana.
He then urged them to vote for the NPP in the upcoming elections to bring religious balance to the presidency.
...In this country, we are living peacefully and nicely Muslims and Christians. So we believe in the NPP that Christians and Muslims should work together and that is why whenever we pick a president as a Christian, we pick a Muslim as a vice."
"And when we come and pick a Muslim as a president, we will pick a Christian as a vice. So if Insha Allah, Nana Akufo-Addo becomes president, he will swear with the Bible and enter the Flagstaff and I will swear with the Quran and enter the flagstaff House,
"So that when we combine the Quran and the Bible, Ghana will be the major beneficiary. The blessings of God will be upon Ghana if we have the two religions are in the castle," he ended.
His comments have since aroused condemnation from the general public.
But Nana Akomea insists the intention of the comments of the vice presidential candidate is to promote religious balance at the presidency.
"Bawumia didn't say don't vote for somebody because he is not a Muslim. He is saying that if we have a balanced ticket in terms of religion, he thinks it will be better for the country."
"He may have said something that may arouse legal sentiments and if that is the case then we are all learning as we move forward but all of us talk about having ethnic balance in our political appointments, don't we?" Mr Akomea quizzed.
But the National Organizer of the National Democratic Congress, Kofi Adams, said Dr Bawumia's remarks are "silly" and must be condemned.
He said the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana is short of messages for Ghanaians and is, therefore, resorting religious politics.
"All his economic theories, following President Mahama's Accounting to the People's tour [have] been thrown off so he has no message again when it comes to the economy so he must move to these other areas which will not help him," he indicated.
Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com| Akosua Asiedua| [email protected]
Notions are that water is one medium through which pathogenic organisms are spread. The substantiation is that sachet or packaged water, which is the major means of drinking water in Nigeria, is not exempted of deadly organisms, due to its microbial substance.
Unsafe water supply and laughable sanitation are fingered as the cause of over 70 percent diseases in the developing countries.
A-case-in-point is Miss Eruchi Chinda, a resident of Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, who is fond of drinking chilled sachet water. She starts experiencing symptoms of fever. She visits her doctor and is diagnosed of typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella typhi and related illnesses.
Professor Amobi Ilika, the Director of Community and Public Medicine at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State, in March 2013, when in a civic presentation, cautioned that sachet water exposed to heat is capable of exposing the drinkers to cancerous materials. Many wont listen!
Chindas doctor informed her that the typhoid fever was unconnected to drinking impure water. The doctor touched sachet or packaged water as the causative factor, cases of people having diseases like cholera, dysentery, diarrhoea, typhoid fever, and so many others, abound today.
How sachet water gets contaminated
Professor Ilika was of the view that polythene bags made of synthetic petroleum deteriorates water in them, because the polythene bags are weather-susceptible. He averred that some of the sun ray or heat, melt some of the synthetic petroleum into the water. He enthused that the materials that will drop into the water are called carcinogenic. Not only that, the polythene bags also build-up germs and micro organisms.
Chindas doctor confirmed that the diseases occur, because of the presence of bacterial features such as Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Klebsiella sp., Streptococcus sp., and oocysts of Cryptosporidia sp., which have been traced to be present in sachet water.
There are also traces of other microbial pathogens connected with water pollution which include Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio, Campylobacter, Yersinia, Cryptosporidium and Giardiaspecies, according to the experts, and they are not farfetched in this type of water.
The highlight of this is that vendors of the sachet water are not technically and scientifically grounded on handling and producing sachet water through storage and handling.
Why Nigerians drink sachet water
Water, which is essential to human being, has recorded immeasurable years of neglect in Nigeria by the successive governments, hence leaving the supply of drinking water in the country in undependable hands of sachet water producers.
The populace loves this brand of water, which comes in sizes ranging from 60 mL to 2 L, due to its portability. However, many citizens are oblivious of the health hazards that it portends. The citizens may not be blamed, since they need ways to douse their urge for water. And it is cheap to purchase a sachet.
But that is not the least. As a viable business in Nigeria, the sellers of sachet water protested in some parts of the country in February 2016, due to the economic downturn that the country experienced. Their anger was that a bag of the product, with habitually 20 sachets that was sold at N100, had skyrocketed for N150.
A sachet that was sold for N10, jumped for N20. The failure to provide safe, pipe-borne water for human consummation by the successive governments, led to the production of sachet water in Nigeria. The governments ineptitude geared the sale of such water by individuals, with many of the producers not having in-depth knowledge of producing quality water.
Re-Certification of sachet water producers
The authorities, having earful of complaints on the dangers associated to sachet water proposed a bill in the recent past, to ban this type of water in the country. But the bill later bit the dust.
The Director of Special Duties, Mr. Abubakar Jimoh of National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on February 10 2014, said the agency, in cooperation with the Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, and the Senate Committee on Health, had put every modality in place towards the re-certification and examining of sachet water producers in the country, with effect from March of the year in quote.
His words were that the agency spurred for the monitoring, because it had newly acquired mobile laboratory kit just like a van, well equipped with latest ultra-modern testing kit. What was intended to be done was for the agency to be moving with the vehicle from one factory to another.
That was coming after January, 2014, the Federal Ministry of Environment mouthed its plan to phase out light weight non-biodegradable plastics in the country, having collaborated with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO, in December 2013, in a workshop, to put Nigerians on notice. Their gesture was that countries like China and South Africa had placed outright ban on light weight plastic bags, likewise some other countries.
Environmental Degradation
Sachet water packs are known as major sources of environmental degradation in the country. On June 5 2013, the authorities made known their plans to ban the use of plastic bags in the country, beginning by January 2014.
The Minister of Environment, Mrs. Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia, disclosed this then, during the 2013 World Environment Day celebration in Abuja. The statement has not hold water as used sachet packs liter everywhere across the country. In some states of the federation, upon the introduction of waste banks, buy-back programme, to checkmate the nuisance of used sachet packs, orderliness is still elusive.
The country is in a big problem, as synthetic, black bags, polythene bags have crowded the ecosystem, constituting about 70% of Nigerias non-biodegradable waste. There are indications that it takes over 20 years for a sachet water bag to get wholly decayed inside the soil.
Its presence decreases the quality of soil texture. The fear among experts is that these bags are in the landscape. And they are not bio-degradable, comprising a pain-in-the-neck. The mockery is that the country is in dearth of framework to address the issue.
The wastes block drains, gutters and canals. Not only that, they cause odiferous atmosphere. A new time comer to metropolis and urban centres in the country is greeted with the foul odour. To the residents, the offensive smell has become part of their life. It means nothing to them.
Apart from the foul odour, sachet packs gathered by flood during the rain, do not allow easy flow of water, hence causing overflow of erosion into residences. Seeing this, the states government often introduces levies to residents to help dispose them of their wastes, but this does yield little or no result.
Suggestions: How to get out of the puzzle
Checks revealed that waterborne disease outbreaks can be checkmated by the provision of portable water, which is often regulated to keep public health, owing to the fact that drinking water is an important environmental determinant of health.
In order to rearrange the system, water treatment plants should be provided, such with a capacity over 5,000 m3/d, based on the population, but should be handled by trained personnel. Specialists intoned that poor operation and lack of maintenance that led to the breakdown of the water systems should be reviewed. This will enable the citizens not to rely on unreliable wells, unprocessed water from rivers and streams used in producing sachet water.
Odimegwu Onwumere is a Rivers State-based poet, writer and consultant and winner, in the digital category, Nordica Media Merits Awards 2016. Tel: +2348057778358. Email: [email protected]
02.05.2016 LISTEN
We have observed keenly as group the unpopular manner to which the Ashanti Regional Police and Chairman Wontumi have acted in this short time Voter registration.
We find their actions as distasteful and we clearly see that it smacks a conspiracy and a real plan to frustrate the grounds of us in the NDC.
We just cannot understand why the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP can boldly gather and call for the arrest of sympathizers of us in the NDC who tries to stop them in their attempt to register minors and bus people to strength their numbers in their weaker zones in the region. A clear example is what happened at Asawase Constituency, where Chairman Wontumi can gather and call for the arrest of NDC faithful who refuse to allow the NPP to under carry this agenda.
Its shocking to find a party in power been treated in this manner and all our regional Executives can do is fold their arms and watch this happening. The NPP has conspired with the Security agencies and are having no resistance to under carry such unacceptable acts in the limited registration.
The NPP is registering virtually every child who knows his name and what we see our Regional Executives do is look ajar. It hurts badly, because we find these actions have detrimental effects on our fortunes in the Region
It will be of our interest as a party to stop them now. Lets stop the continual registration of minors and further bussing of people to their (NPP) weaker zones.
We want the Regional Executives of the NDC and Kojo Bonsu to act for once in order to prevent the NPP through this plan. We dont want to believe that, they are only in the party to enrich themselves as people claim. It is so sad to see their ill commitment to the party.
Also, the Regional Police Councils actions against us the NDC clearly confirms our earlier call on the president to reassign Kofi Boakye. We find him clearly in bed with the NPP and his presence in the Region would never help the NDC achieve its one million vote target from the Ashanti Region.
We therefore call on the president to step in because; all has not been well for us as a party in this limited registration. We also, want the regional executives of our party, the NDC to possibly act in the interest of the party in the region.
Signed.
Abdul Musa Rashid
0244253232
Victory for Mahama, 2016
02.05.2016 LISTEN
President John Dramani Mahama cut sod for the commencement of the Offshore Cape Three Points Integrated Oil and Gas Project at Sanzule in the Ellembele District of the Western Region on Saturday, 30th April 2016.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Mahama said this marks the beginning of his vision to make Ghana a petroleum hub with the creation of a petrol-chemical industry in the western region of Ghana.
" This is a project that will transform the western region and the country. This is a project that will change the lives of Ghanaians ", he said.
He said Western region should therefore be proud and that happy that the two major gas projects; the Gas Processing Plant at Atuabo and Sanzule Offshore Gas project are both located here in the region.
" And Am going to be back here many more times to cut sod for the commencement of the Lonrho Oil and Gas Free Port"
"I will be back here to cut sod for the b:490 and Liquid Exported Facility at Bonyere and Domunli, I also be back here to cut sod Power Farm Plant at Bonyere and Domunli and come again to cut sod for the commencement of Power Pack at Domunli enclave", President Mahama stressed.
President Mahama therefore challenged the youth to be acquired training skills so that they can take advantage of the facilities springing in the region.
ENI Ghana Exploration and Production Ltd is the operator of the Offshore Cape Three Points Integrated Oil and Gas Project with Vitol Upstream Ghana Limited and Ghana National Petroleum Corporation as partners.
The Offshore Cape Three Points Integrated Oil and Gas Project will produce dry gas of 180 million standard cubic feet per day for a period of not less than 20 years.
The Gas Receiving Facility will also be tied-in to the Ghana Gas Pipeline to deliver gas to Aboadze and the Tema enclave.
The project is expected to produce its first gas in the first quarter of 2018 and facility will generate 1000 megawatts of electricity.
02.05.2016 LISTEN
We have as many motivational books as the speakers feeding us with maxims and principles daily. As Stonebwoy puts it in his Bhim Nation, dem say this dem say that ooo as principles. One of the dem say this dem say that ooo principles is imitation is limitation. In fact, I think I came across a motivational book with that title. I have forgotten who authored it though. Of course, I have not read the book. I guess many of my friends did in our university days. Some bandied the maxim about in the name of motivation.
I agree it is not good to evaluate a book by its cover. But when the title is intrinsically categorical, we can at least attempt evaluating it as such. So I am focusing on the maxim as the title. And that would be done against the background of China and Nigeria on the World and Africa stage respectively. First, let us start with the human species in general.
MAN AND NATURE
No creature imitates others and processes in nature than the human species. When bats, sharks and whales among others were using sound in long distance navigation in their habitats, man had no idea of sound navigation ranging, SONAR. When the avian creatures were using the air as means of transportation, man was still glued to the land. When plants and others animals were producing poisonous substances to kill any invading creature, man had no idea of medicine curing sickness. Technically, medicine poisons any invading organism to defend the host.
But today, man had imitated the locomotive modalities of the creatures of air and how they do it. The outcome is flying crafts of all kinds. Not only can we fly today, we can even fly to space; places that the avian creatures who started or were naturally equipped to make use of the air will never dream of, let alone reach. We mastered SONAR as well in our ships, submarines and other technologies in and on the water bodies. We explored, imitated and understood the mechanism of poisons as medicines, hence can use plants, and even extract the main ingredient and multiply them in our laboratories for curative and treatment purposes.
In sum, our technological prowess is mostly bionics, imitation of nature. Some of them better than we can find in nature, others very close and others too crude to compare to that of nature. Given that Nature is an interactive place Man is the only animal that imitates with the potentiality of becoming better at it, best in it and eventually innovative and creative with it. So the question must be asked is imitation really limitation for man? How do you think our world would look like today without man imitating other creatures and processes in Nature and becoming better at it, best in it and creative with it?
CHINA AND THE WORLD
Every nation has its primitive technology anchored on the knowledge base of the time. Yet when the developed Western nations were revolutionizing their economy via the use of science and technology culminating into industrialization, China was just populating the world. When they were into the space race, China was grappling with how to provide for the population at home. As these Western nations were extending and stamping their influences beyond their immediate borders and all the way to Africa, China had no such influence even beyond its immediate borders.
Today everyone knows the story. China had not only joined these Western powers economically to improve upon the living standards of her citizens; she has equaled them in almost every corner of influence that matters in world politics. Chinas influence in Africa now is challenging if not eliminating that of some Western powers. Unable to join the internationally collaborative heavenly laboratory of man, International Space Station, ISS, China is literally building its own Space Station that will soon dock in space around 2022. China does not only announce its readiness for space exploration by launching satellites up there, it also put a Chinese astronaut in space, the third nation to do so after US and Russia.
And this is happening at a time that funding for NASA from US Congress is declining. This simply means China is likely to overtake US in space exploration, research and technology. The sudden boom in the economy, which is traceable to information technology, reflects the importance of space technology. Space technology is essentially information technology. Chinese military is no longer solely number dependent as their movies depicts in the past, it is now technology dependent with all the modern sophistications. So as we marvel at the Chinese achievements, let us also ask how they did it.
HOW CHINA COULD HAVE DONE IT
They did it by leaning from, and imitating the doers. They enrolled in their universities to acquire the analytic intelligence necessary to fire the synthetic intelligence into action. With this knowledge acquired, they came down in their numbers to build China. They begin to restructure the educational system with emphasis on science, technology, mathematics and engineering. Education becomes practical, meaningful to many. It begins to bring the needed visible positive change.
The capacity to feed the industries with not only natural resources but Chinese human resources with the necessary knowledge for the actualization of the dream became obvious. The politicians understood the dream. They pumped in the necessary investment. Industry and education corporate than compete in prosecuting the dream, which is to develop China. Whether they achieve the dream via originality or imitation, which is never exclusive to any individual or nation, does not matter. What matters is Chinas development. As far as knowledge is concerned, development is essentially an amalgamation of originality and imitation. China is simply doing that.
When Ghanaians hear of Chinese products, we literally say it is of low quality at best. What we forget is that whether it is of low quality or not, it means they learnt and imitate how to make the product since they were not the first to make it. Industrialization begins with knowing how to manufacture something. Chinese now knows how to make almost all electronic products as well as non-electronic ones. They even came to Ghana to learn and imitate our traditional symbols at our blind side. Later, they will imprint these symbols cloths as designs and sell to us at affordable price.
We can continue calling their products low quality, and they will continue making them, strengthening their economy with the manufacturing knowledge via the exportation of the products. Meanwhile China is penetrating even the Western nations with their manufactured goods. This means China exports the quality of manufactured goods that Asia, African, US and European markets can afford to such markets. So what we can afford is the low quality one we are having. Every market that affords products of low, high or highest quality is useful to the manufacturer. Is imitation really limitation for man, hence a nation?
NIGERIA IN AFRICA
When looked at from the angle of whether imitation is really limitation, the story of Nigeria is not different from China. Similarly, most of the arguments for China equally hold for Nigeria. After all, Ghanaians treat Nigerian products with the same suspicion and contempt. When South Africa was leading Africa economically and therefore probably scientifically and technology and in service delivery, Nigeria was just populating the continent. When South Africa was engaging in space program by launching satellites into space and even thought of becoming a nuclear armed state, Nigeria was struggling how to take care of its growing population.
Yet today, Nigeria has become a force to reckon on the continent. Like China, Nigeria had imitated the doers scientifically and technologically. They also learnt how to manufacture, the foundation of their industrialization. Not only is Nigerias space program doing well by launching satellites into space, when all things go well Nigeria will send astronaut to space before 2016 ends. That is Nigeria announcing its readiness to join the space race, which means information technology research, exploration and use. And it seems that despite the increasing corruption bedeviling the nation, the politicians at least understood the importance of science and technology to sustain fueling the economy from the manufacturing therefore service delivery perspective.
Like China, when Nigeria goods flood the Ghanaian market, we say that is low quality product. Again, what we forget is that they have learnt how to manufacture these products. With the exception of few charlatans bent on making money out of nothing, fake or low quality products do not mean fake knowledge. Affordability determines what your market can get. When the Ghanaian movie industry was leading Africa, Nollywood was nowhere near. What did they do? They came to Ghana to learn and imitate. Today, we have to ask where the Ghanaian movie industry is on even the African map. Nigerias Nollywood has imitated and innovatively handled the acquired knowledge in ways that the imitation is virtually overshadowed. Nollywood movies industry is not only dominating Africa markets, it is penetrating the world after Hollywood of US and Bollywood of India. Is imitation limitation for man, hence a nation?
CONCLUSION
Though not exhaustive accounts, the above journey from how man is imitating Nature in all his technology and how China and Nigeria are imitating others who took the lead and today they are doing well as far as development is concerned shows that imitation is not limitation. If anything at all, imitation is just the beginning to unveiling our own potentialities especially if we have clear dreams as individuals and nations. A robust and functional higher education educational system is the crucible of originality, and imitation of others for the development of a nation.
Today the developed Western nations are afraid of Chinese proficiency in imitating information that no week passes with them accusing China of espionage. It is now obvious that what makes a nation super-power and sustain it is not necessarily the form of political governance system but the robust and functional higher education educational system anchored on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Ghana can replicate the same feats as China and Nigeria are doing.
Let us be weary of that age-old mantra that we are the first sub-Sahara African nation to do this or that. Others are developing, yet when we open our mouth, we say we are the first sub-Sahara nation to do this or that. Either we are convinced that imitation is limitation or pride is chaining us down from learning and imitating the best means of ensuring appreciable development from others. Imitation is not limitation.
Email: [email protected]
Whatsapp: 0248412308
FB: Seshie Stanley
A former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, on Saturday received an overwhelming endorsement to lead the National Democratic Party (NDP) into the 2016 elections as the party's flag bearer.
While accepting the endorsement, Nana Konadu said progressive leadership entailed reclaiming the meaning of true citizens' democracy where there was equity in governance participation and national development.
The former First Lady was endorsed through acclamation at the second national delegates conference of the party held at the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre in Accra.
The congress, on the theme: 'United for Change; Probity and Accountability', also saw the acclamation of a nine- member national executive to steer the affairs of the party into the 2016 elections and beyond.
The colourful event, which had been expected to start at 8 a.m., began at 11 a.m., even though most of the delegates had arrived at the venue earlier.
But the party faithful, particularly the exuberant youth, took advantage of the delay to dance to popular Ghanaian dance hall tunes and the party's anthem.
Some of the delegates took the opportunity to make some extra money by selling party paraphernalia.
Former President Jerry John Rawlings and two of his daughters were at the congress to support Nana Konadu.
The former President, as usual, stole the show with his entry to the conference ground at exactly 12:30 p.m.
He was received with thunderous cheering, amid drumming and dancing.
Data available at the registration desk indicated that more than 2,000 delegates drawn from the 10 regions of the country had attended the conference.
Background
The NDP, which broke away from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), went to congress in Kumasi on October 13 2012 to elect its presidential candidate just in time to meet the Electoral Commission's (EC's) October 17-18, 2012 deadline for the filing of nominations for the presidential and parliamentary elections.
Nana Konadu was overwhelmingly endorsed as the standard bearer of the party in Kumasi but she was not successful in filing her candidature to contest that year's elections..
Progressive leadership
After receiving the overwhelming acclamation from the NDP faithful, Nana Konadu called on the citizenry to demand accountability from the government as part of their civic responsibilities.
To her, citizens' democracy included 'harnessing less fanciful ideas for governance at the community level, instead of the current top-to-down model of governance that had deprived our communities of freedom of self-actualisation''.
She said the greatest unexploited national resource was not the mineral resource, the oil find or the cocoa but rather the human resource which formed the building blocks of the country.
According to her, the NDP understood the need for participatory democracy necessary for national development and, therefore, the party had been built on the principle of inclusiveness.
Ideals
''The NDP is founded on the ideals of former President Rawlings, which are probity, accountability and selfless devotion to duty which place people and the needs of the ordinary Ghanaian at the centre of national development,' she said.
She said the role of a democratic government was to protect and strengthen liberties and redress the imbalance between the powerful and the weak, as well as the rich and the poor.
Nana Konadu said those imbalances could be redressed through a government which focused on investing in its human resource and, at the same time, was prepared to be accountable to the people for their actions and omissions.
'We can only redress the imbalance if we identify the weakness and emphasise structural changes which would go a long way to plug the loopholes which allow the injustices to be perpetrated in the first place,' she added.
Former President
Former President Rawlings urged political parties to preach unity to signify that multi-party democracy had come of age in the country.
He explained that the parties ought to demonstrate that they had matured by eschewing divisiveness, animosity, tribalism and acrimony.
He said political parties should rather embrace unity as a vehicle of development and creative energy for the service of the country.
The former President explained that it was through unity that the best of the people could be brought together for the rapid development of the country.
He called for a level playing field that would ensure free and fair elections to ensure peace and stability during and after the elections, stressing that there would be no peace and stability in the country if the elections were not free and fair.
He called on all stakeholders, particularly the Electoral Commission (EC), to discharge their mandates diligently and transparently without compromise in order to safeguard the peace of the country.
Probity and accountability
Dr Richard Amoako-Baah, a senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), commended the leadership of the NDP for selecting probity and accountability as the theme for the conference.
He explained that the open-door policy of the party which allowed newcomers into the fold was putting in practice the principles of probity and accountability.
Dr Amoako-Baah said some political parties in the country were so corrupt that they had closed their doors to newcomers and new ideas, fearing that their nefarious activities would be exposed. He stressed that there could be no peace without justice and no progress without unity.
He, therefore, called on the EC to structure its operations well and ensure that all lapses were addressed ahead of the 2016 elections.
'If a tradition is becoming non-beneficial and not working too well, it has to be changed,' he said, adding, 'We often hold on too tight to tradition and that is hindering progress.'
In their solidarity messages, representatives of the Convention People's Party (CPP) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) called on all opposition parties to work together to vote out the ruling NDC and commended the NDP for the near-perfect organisation of the event, although it was a relatively young party.
The national executives elected unopposed at the convention were: National Chairman, Dr Asare Bediako; Vice-Chairman, Mr Anthony Kusi; General Secretary, Mr Mohammed Frimpong; Deputy General Secretary, Mrs Betty Akufo Amoabeng; Women's Leader, Mrs Peace Aryee; Deputy Women's Leader, Hajia Salah; Director of Communications, Maame Yaa Edusei; Deputy Director of Communications, Ernest Owusu Bempah; Youth Leader, Dr David Sunu; Deputy Youth Leader, Charles Opoku, and Treasurer, Mrs Margaret Appiah
The Government of Japan welcomes that the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) of the Republic of South Sudan has been established in South Sudan on the 29th of April, 2016, based on the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan signed in August 2015. The Government of Japan also highly appreciates the efforts that the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) and the countries concerned exerted in bringing about this establishment of the TGoNU.
The Government of Japan hopes that all the parties cooperate in tackling various challenges such as the improvement of the humanitarian situation, restoration of security, and reconstruction of a sound economy, so that the people of South Sudan can enjoy peace and stability as soon as possible.
The Government of Japan intends to continue supporting South Sudan's efforts toward peace and stability in coordination with the international community.
02.05.2016 LISTEN
By Samuel Osei-Frempong, GNA
Tema, May 2, GNA - The MTN Ghana Foundation, the corporate social responsibility wing of MTN, has donated Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN) to pregnant and nursing mothers at the Tema General Hospital.
According to Mr Samuel Koranteng,the Acting Corporate Executive, the donation was made to commemorate this year's World Malaria Day under the foundation's "Save a Life" initiative.
"To mark the day, MTN staff volunteers are distributing more than 300 ITNs to pregnant and nursing mothers in selected hospitals in Accra, Bolgatanga,Takoradi, and Cape Coast.
He said the objective to suppport the nationwide campaign for children and mothers sleeping under treated nets is because they are at a higher risk of being infected by malaria.
"Once we reduce malaria infections, we would have reduced the pressure on our health facilities. We will also spend less resources to drive malaria elimination campaigns and the importation of malaria drugs."
Dr Kwabena Opoku-Adusei,Medical Director of the Hospital, thanked the Foundation for the gesture and appealed to government to provide the Tema Metropolis with a well-resourced Regional Hospital to meet the needs of residents.
GNA
An AU High Level delegation visited the Nordic Countries of Sweden, Finland and Denmark from 23-29 April 2016. The delegation was composed of the Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Smail Chergui, and the AU High Representative for Mali and the Sahel and Head of the AU Mission for Mali and the Sahel (MISAHEL), former President of Burundi, H.E Pierre Buyoya.
In Sweden, the delegation held consultations with the State Secretary to the Minister of Defense, Mr. Jan Salestrand; Swedish Supreme Commander , General Micael Byden; Ms. Ulrika Modeer, State Secretary to the Minister for International Development Cooperation and the Director General of the Folke Bernadotte Academy, Mr. Sven-Eric Soder. The consultations between the two delegations were hailed as timely as the Swedish Government is in the process of developing a five year strategic plan for sub-sahara Africa that could take into account joint priorities of the AUC and the Swedish government.
In Finland, the delegation met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Timo Soini, and his Special Representative on Mediation, Mr. Pekka Haaviso and held discussions with Finland's Former President Martti Ahtisaari who is currently the Chairman of the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI). In Denmark, the delegation met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kristian Jensen and interacted with members of the Danish Parliament and other senior officials from the Ministries of Defense, Foreign Affairs and the Danish international development cooperation (DANIDA). The delegation also had an opportunity to interact with students of the National Defense University of Finland and the Centre of African Studies, University of Copenhagen.
In all three countries, the discussions focused primarily on enhancing the partnership between the AU Commission and the Nordic countries in the areas of conflict prevention. They also exchanged views on the the latest developments in Mali, Libya, the Sahel, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lake Chad Basin, South Sudan, Somalia and AMISOM. The delegation also discussed the AU's efforts to address violent extremism and radicalization in the framework of the Nouakchott and Djibouti processes meant to enhance regional security cooperation in the Sahel and East Africa.
The AU Commissioner for Peace and Security also briefed on the AU efforts to ensure sustainable and predictable funding for AU-led peace operations; noting that the urgency was to bridge the gap for AMISOM stipends following the EU's decision to reduce support by 20 percent. The Commissioner highlighted that as part of its long-term strategy, the AU has appointed the High Representative for the Peace Fund, Dr Donald Kaberuka and that he is working around the clock to find sustainable solutions.
All three countries expressed interest in the work undertaken by the Commission on women, gender peace and security and the AU zero tolerance stance on sexual exploitation and abuse in peace operations and the upcoming AU Summit on Maritime Security, Safety and Development to be held in Lome, Togo in October 2016.
Khartoum (AFP) - Sudan insisted on Monday it had "sovereign rights" over two border territories whose ownership has been the subject of a long-standing dispute between Cairo and Khartoum.
Sudan has regularly protested at Egypt's administration of Halayeb and Shalatin near the Red Sea, saying they are part of its sovereign territory since shortly after independence in 1956.
Since April, Khartoum has stepped up its claim to the territories after Egypt transferred two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia in a move that triggered street protests in Cairo.
"We will not let go of our sovereign rights on the Halayeb triangle," Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour told parliament on Monday.
"We have adopted legal and political measures to assert our rights in the Halayeb triangle."
Ghandour said Khartoum was also trying to get a copy of the agreement between Cairo and Riyadh on the transfer of the two islands in the Straits of Tiran.
"We need to gauge the impact of this agreement on our maritime borders," he told lawmakers.
Cairo's transfer of the two islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia became a key factor behind street protests in the Egyptian capital last month.
More than 1,000 demonstrators rallied on April 15 in Cairo demanding "the fall of the regime" in the largest challenge to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's regime in two years.
02.05.2016 LISTEN
Groupe Nduom is continuing its commitment to long term investments in the Ghanaian economy.
The Upper West Region, will in this coming week, witness the launch of massive Groupe Nduom investments in a region considered to be the poorest in the country.
It is the single largest private sector investment commitment by a Ghanaian business, truly unprecedented in the region.
Groupe Nduom is all set to outdoor some of its variety of companies in Wa and other parts of the Upper West Region throughout next week.
The companies are those in the Financial Industry: GN Bank and GN Life Assurance; Media, First Digital Television (which includes over 30 channels); Manufacturing, Fresh Pak and GN Electronics; Technology, Qualtek; Real Estate, Yorke Properties.
This visit will mark the beginning of the construction of a hotel and affordable homes in the Wa area by Groupe Nduom.
These companies are all housed in a newly-built Groupe Nduom Regional Office situated in Wa.
A statement signed by GN Corporate Affairs Manager, Richmond Duke Keelson said the official launch of the Regional Office will be done by Groupe President and Chairman, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom on Wednesday, May 4th 2016.
Senior management personnel of the Groupe, including Senior Vice President, Mrs Yvonne Nduom and others will participate in this event. Before the commissioning, the Groupe Nduom team will pay a courtesy call on the Catholic Bishop of Wa.
Groupe Nduom has a policy of investing in areas in need of development and starved of investment capital. The Upper West investments are living proof of Dr. Nduom's call to Ghanaians to invest and support creation of local jobs.
In the estimation of Groupe Nduom directors, investing in businesses outside the mainstream cities and towns is meant to encourage others to do their part to create value and contribute towards the improvement of lives of people in a region tagged as the poorest in the country.
According to Dr Nduom, with a well thought-out poverty alleviation programme, no region in the country should earn the derogatory description as poorest.
Dr Nduom will also commission newly constructed offices of GN Bank in some locations in the Upper West region.
They include Bamahu, Loggu, Bulenga and Tumu. The others are Funsie, Busie, Charia and Nadowli.GN Bank is well established in Upper West towns like Hamle, Nandom, Jirapa, Lawra, Lambusie and Gwollu.
Dr Nduom will end his tour of the Upper West Region by attending the ordination of the new Catholic Bishop of Wa on Saturday, May 7th 2016.
Story by Ghana/Myjoyonline.com
The Security and Intelligence Committee of the Ashanti Regional New Patriotic Party (NPP), has appealed to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the National Peace Council and all security agencies in the country to call upon the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region to halt their "disruptive and truancy" ways that was hurting the peaceful nature of the NPP.
The NPP said it has had to restrain its law-abiding supporters whose patience was running out from retaliating in attacks and insults mounted on them by their opponents, adding that 'we are getting to our wits end. Our patience are running out'.
Addressing the media in Kumasi, Col Serebuor Ababio, the coordinator of the Regional Security and Intelligence Committee of the NPP enumerated some of the acts of the NDC to include the following.
He pointed to the alleged invasion of the studios of Fox FM in Kumasi and the subsequent arrest and detention of their Communications Director, Dr Kwesi Kyei who he said knew nothing about the invasion; as well as the destruction of election materials and equipment by NDC thugs at the Gyenyase registration centre.
He also said that at Appiadu, NDC thugs invaded the registration centre, led by the chief executive officer of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Mr Kojo Bonsu, and the Deputy Chief of Staff, My Jonny Osei Kofi who he said also invoked deities to curse the people of Kumasi.
He added that at Asokore Mampong, the MCE, Mr Nuredeen Amidan led a group to destroy registration materials in the full glare of the police who refused to arrest the perpetrators, and added that the thugs were also wielding pistols and displayed state-owned communication gadgets.
Col Serebuor said the last straw that broke the camel's back was the threat by the police to arrest the NPP Regional Chairman, Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako, a move he described as an attempt to frustrate the NPP and push the NDC's agenda on achieving one million votes in the region.
We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message.
you are here:
business Maruti to launch LCV in H1FY17; eyes annual sales of 30k units While Maruti confirmed to CNBC TV18 that the proposed LCV will be launched in the first half of the current fiscal, it declined any further details.
current-affairs-trends Bankruptcy Code will be a game-changer, workmen to benefit This code takes the dues outstanding to workmen for two years dating back from the time insolvency proceedings are initiated against the defaulting company, says Lalit Kumar, Partner, JSA.
The Tenant who lost Rs 1 crore by buying an apartment
May 02, 2016
Kerry To Negotiate New Ceasefire In Syria - But With His Own Side
U.S. Secretary of State is in Geneva today to renegotiate a cessation of hostilities between the Syrian government forces and the foreign supported "rebels" in Syria. But there is something very curious going on with these negotiations. Kerry will neither talk with the Syrian government nor with the Russians. The Russian Foreign Minister is not even expected to come.
No, Kerry is negotiating with the U.S. allies Jordan and Saudi Arabia who support the same "rebels" that are opposed to the Syrian government that the U.S. itself supported all along. He now asks them to separate their proxy forces in Syria from the terrorist organization al-Qaeda/Jabhat al-Nusra.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday he hoped to make progress in talks in Geneva over the next two days toward renewing a cessation of hostilities agreement throughout Syria and resuming peace talks to end the fighting. "The hope is we can make some progress," Kerry said at the start of a meeting with Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh shortly after arriving in Geneva.
...
The Syrian army announced on Friday a "regime of calm", or lull in fighting, which applied to Damascus and some of its outskirts, and parts of northwestern coastal province Latakia. But it excluded Aleppo. Kerry made clear that a ceasefire was needed throughout Syria and he hoped to be able to reaffirm the cessation of hostilities after talks in Geneva. He is due to meet Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and De Mistura on Monday.
According to military spokesperson of the U.S. alliance against the Islamic State, Colonel Warren, the "rebel" occupied parts of Aleppo city are under control of al-Qaeda:
[I]t's primarily al-Nusra who holds Aleppo, and of course, al-Nusra is not part of the cessation of hostilities. So it's complicated.
Two UN Security Council Resolution calls on all UN members to "eradicate" al-Qaeda/al-Nusra. ALL UNSC members agreed to Resolution 2254 which:
Reiterates its call in resolution 2249 (2015) for Member States to prevent and suppress terrorist acts committed specifically by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as Daesh), Al-Nusra Front (ANF), and all other individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities associated with Al Qaeda or ISIL [...] and to eradicate the safe haven they have established over significant parts of Syria, and notes that the aforementioned ceasefire will not apply to offensive or defensive actions against these individuals, groups, undertakings and entities,...
There is simply no basis for Kerry to beg for a ceasefire for "rebel" held areas of Aleppo city when his own military says that these are in the hands of al-Qaeda which the UNSC calls to eradicate. The Russian's have said that much.
So here is what Kerry is left to do: Beg the U.S. allies to move away their "Free Syrian Army" proxy groups from al-Qaeda so al-Qaeda can be eradicated by the Syrian Army and its allies.
But al-Qaeda is by now an integrated part of those Saudi/Qatar/U.S. paid proxy forces and well accepted by those groups. It gets its weapons and ammunition from the very proxy groups the U.S. now wants to separate from it. Even if the Saudis and Jordanians assert their influence over these groups it is unlikely that the fighters on the ground will follow their directives.
The Russian air force is ready to renew its bombing campaign against all opposition forces in Syria that do not agree to a cessation of hostilities.
No U.S. propaganda campaign can wave away al-Qaeda's presence in Syria nor the UNSC resolutions the U.S. itself agreed to. Either Kerry manages to pressure Saudi Arabia and Jordan to move their proxies away from al-Qaeda or there will be again an all out Russian campaign to eradicate them. It is unlikely that any of those proxies would survive such a campaign.
Kerry is now left to negotiate with U.S allies against al-Qaeda. He now has to argue from the same perspective as the Syrian and Russian government. This is a mess of his own making. How will he escape from it?
Posted by b on May 2, 2016 at 11:00 UTC | Permalink
Comments
The Registrar of Mortgage Brokers has suspended the license of a sub-broker after he allegedly took a real estate examination in place of another professional.Indeep Singh (Ted) Aulak, a registered BC submortgage broker with Dominion Lending Centres Mountain View, has been accused by the BC Registrar of Mortgage Brokers of taking a real estate examination for another individual.On April 15, 2016, the Real Estate Council of British Columbia contacted (Registrar of Mortgage Brokers) and advised that on January 20, 2016, Mr. Aulak may have written the Real Estate Trading Services Licensing Examination in place of Mr. Ryan Gurinder Rana, the Registrar said in a suspension order, signed by Carolyn Rogers, CEO of FICOM.According to the suspension order, the photographs supplied with Ranas RET exam ticket did not match the headshots on his website.An investigation of Ranas social media also found that Rana and Aulak are friends. The Council hired a private investigator who compared the submitted exam photos and Aulaks social media photos and determined the two photos are likely a match.After reviewing all of the photographs of both Mr. Aulak and Mr. Rana, (the Registrar of Mortgage Brokers) is of the opinion that the Submitted Rana Photographs are that of Mr. Aulak and not Mr. Rana, the Registrar said.The Registrar found Alauk unsuitable for registration and suspended him from acting a submortgage broker in British Columbia until a final penalty is decided upon.
I started volunteering at the Midland Soup Kitchen on Jan. 5, 1999, after reading about it in the Midland Reporter-Telegram. That October, I began volunteering with Habitat for Humanity to provide homes for the poor. I spend about four hours at the soup kitchen each Tuesday and Thursday helping the Midland Soup Kitchen serve lunch. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I help Habitat for Humanity build homes as a member of the Grumpy Old Men group.
Why did you choose Midland Soup Kitchen and Habitat for Humanity as the places to donate your time?
I heard they needed help, so I showed up and have never left. At the soup kitchen Ive helped serve meals, wash and dry trays, and pick up donations from local stores. I regularly go to H-E-B to pick up donations and then come back to the soup kitchen to slice up the cakes. Through Habitat Ive done everything I can to work on homes for those who cannot afford them.
Why is volunteering important to you?
Its something to do to help people, and it beats lying around the house. I am able to establish and maintain friendships with people I likely never would have met otherwise. I dont have much of an opportunity to talk with the people we serve, but I have made great friendships with the other volunteers.
Volunteering keeps me busy and alive. Im 90 years old and if you stay busy, you live longer. I know so many people who retired, sat down and died. A lot of people dont want to volunteer and they die.
What advice would you give to those interested in volunteering?
Make sure its something you want to do. If you arent interested in it, youll only show up once and wont ever come back. Find somewhere that you truly want to spend your time.
How long has Midland been your home, and why have you stayed?
I worked as a chemical salesman for Exxon in the oilfield and moved to Midland on Jan. 6, 1986. I enjoy serving my community and feel Midland is a great place to live.
The new magic number in the oil industry is $50.
BP Plc, rig-owner Nabors Industries Ltd. and explorer Pioneer Natural Resources Co. all said in the past 24 hours that prices above $50 will encourage more drilling or provide the needed boost to cash flow. With oil bouncing close to $45 a barrel, an industry that has been shaving costs to stay competitive is ready for signs of stability at a price level less than half of 2014s average.
At an average price of $53 per barrel of oil means the worlds 50 biggest publicly traded companies in the industry can stop bleeding cash, according to oilfield consultant Wood Mackenzie Ltd. Nabors, which owns the worlds largest fleet of onshore drilling rigs, said it has already been talking with several large customers about plans to boost work in the second half of the year if prices rise comfortably above $50.
Its not just about touching $50, Fraser McKay, vice president of corporate analysis at Wood Mackenzie in Houston, said Tuesday in a phone interview. Its about touching, maintaining and having the perception of future prices above $50 a barrel before you start sanctioning projects that are economic at $50 a barrel.
The global oil industry slashed more than $100 billion in spending last year and is in the midst of further cuts this year to survive what Schlumberger Ltd. has called the industrys worst-ever financial crisis. In North America alone, spending is expected to drop by half from last year.
Prices have rebounded by about two-thirds from a 12-year low, with Brent, the international crude benchmark, trading above $45 a barrel Tuesday. The rally has explorers from BP to Pioneer looking ahead to an eventual recovery as they release first quarter earnings this week.
Next year, BP will be able to balance cash flow with shareholder payouts and capital spending at an oil price of $50 to $55 a barrel, down from a previous estimate of $60, the London-based explorer said. Pioneer expects to add as many as 10 horizontal drilling rigs when oil reaches $50 and the outlook for supply and demand of crude is positive, the company said Monday in its earnings statement.
For every $5 that oil prices climb, above a baseline of $37, Continental Resources Inc. adds another roughly $200 million in revenue, Chief Operating Officer Jack Stark said last month in an interview in New Orleans. By the time oil prices reach $52, the Oklahoma City-based explorer would probably look at adding more rigs, he said.
We wont chase price spikes, Stark said. Were committed to being patient.
Yet even talk of ramping up again is bringing a stinging reminder of last years failed attempt to restart activity too quickly after oil prices rose.
We got out ahead of ourselves bit of a head fake there, Tony Petrello, chief executive at Nabors, told analysts and investors Tuesday on a conference call. Were going to be a little more guarded here.
Exactly when oil prices hit that level and how long they need to stay there is a question no one can say for sure. Nabors said the activity could start up in the middle of the third quarter or into the final three months of this year. Continental estimated that supply and demand could be nearing balance later this year and be absolutely in balance or in need of more oil next year.
The absolute timing may be off a bit, Stark said, but ultimately its going to happen.
Hillary Clinton needs to drop her anti-hydraulic fracturing rhetoric if she's serious about fighting climate change.
To her credit, she never talked about an outright ban like her opponent Bernie Sanders, she just promised to smother it in regulations.
By the time we get through all of my conditions, I do not think there will be many places in America where fracturing will continue to take place, she promised during a presidential debate last month.
But now that she's won the primaries in Pennsylvania and New York, where anti-fracturing movements are strong, she should acknowledge that fracturing has done more to lower America's carbon emissions than any environmental regulation. Banning it would hasten global warming, which ironically, she says is the biggest threat to the world today.
This will come as a shock to green-minded progressives because activists who want to ban fossil fuels have played fast and loose with the facts to manufacture unrighteous outrage.
Take, for example, the Carroll County Concerned Citizens of Carrollton, Ohio. This not-in-my-backyard group hired researchers at the University of Cincinnati Department of Geology to drill up the dirt on fracturing. When researchers came back with no evidence that it hurts the environment, the Concerned Citizens quashed the report.
I am really sad to say this, but some of our funders, the groups that had given us funding in the past, were a little disappointed in our results, said Amy Townsend-Small, the lead researcher, explaining in a video posted to YouTube why she cannot release the report.
Like any energy source, fracturing does raise some environmental concerns, but some simple regulations can address the biggest problems.
Americans need to first understand the engineering and tune out the hyperbole.
All wells can potentially contaminate groundwater because they begin with a drill bit cutting thousands of feet into the earth and passing through the water table. To protect groundwater, which is within the first 1,000 feet, drillers are required to pour cement around the pipe so that oil and gas don't flow up the hole and mix with the water.
In conventional wells, the oil and gas flows up the pipe by itself. But to release the oil and gas from shale, operators must pressurize an immense amount of water mixed with sand and chemicals to break the rock at the bottom, 5,000 to 8,000 feet down.
Anti-fracturing activists complain about gas getting into well water, insidiously suggesting that the broken rock 8,000 feet down somehow contaminated the water at 1,000 feet. But peer-reviewed research shows drillers don't pour the cement properly in 1 percent to 3 percent of all wells and that causes the contamination.
The Environmental Protection Agency last year found no evidence that hydraulic fracturing causes widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water. States can solve the decades-old contamination problem by requiring well operators to use a special tool that inspects the cement before the driller accesses the oil or gas.
Activists also like to blame earthquakes on the fractured rock, but scientists again point to another culprit: wastewater disposal wells.
Oily water has always been a byproduct of drilling, and operators have disposed of it in old wells for decades. But because fracturing produces millions of gallons of wastewater, disposal companies have injected it under pressure into some old wells that are near fault lines, triggering earthquakes.
When the disposals stop, so do the earthquakes. Requiring operators to clean and recycle the water would end the temblors and address complaints about water consumption.
Lastly, numerous studies have shown that drilling natural gas wells releases large quantities of methane into the atmosphere. Again, responsible operators are already sealing up those leaks, and the EPA is generating rules to make it a requirement in the future.
Solve those problems, and the benefit of cheap natural gas is indisputable. Widespread fracturing began in 2008, when natural gas prices were $9 for a million British thermal units, and U.S. wells produced about 2 trillion cubic feet. The U.S. produced 15 trillion cubic feet in 2015, and the price this year is below $2, a major achievement championed by the Obama administration.
That low price triggered huge investment in gas-fueled power stations that will generate more electricity than coal in the U.S. for the first time in decades. As a result, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions dropped to a 27-year low last year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
A fracturing ban would cut U.S. gas production by 30 percent, drive the price up to at least $6 and make coal cost-efficient again, Rice University researchers Ken Medlock and Peter Hartley found. A return to coal would boost greenhouse gas emissions.
When Clinton was secretary of state in 2012, she encouraged other countries with shale gas to adopt fracturing to replace coal. Candidate Clinton needs to put party politics behind her and promote fracturing at home.
---
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A public policy manager for Uber was asked point-blank if the company would respond to the new vehicle for hire ordinance by leaving the city, and he answered no.
He also said, the devil is in the details, and he hadnt had the time to view the ordinance line-by-line.
The amended vehicle-for-hire ordinance the council approved on first reading this past Thursday was being tweaked up until a few minutes before the council met, so not everyone was able to review all its details. This was partly the reason for the one vote against it by Mayor Glen Robertson, who said a change as sweeping as this requires more thoroughness and discussion with the companies it effects.
The vote was the first of two needed for the amended ordinance to pass. So for the next two weeks ahead of the next meeting, Chris Miller of Uber and the members of the council said theyll review the ordinance for more discussion ahead of the second vote.
Councilwoman Karen Gibson, whod been working on the amended ordinance since mid-2014, said she met with the stakeholders -- police, attorneys and representatives from taxi, limousine and transportation networking companies -- throughout the entire process to make sure its in everyones interest and to make sure Uber stays.
She also said she met with Miller Thursday morning to go over it one more time.
The council heard from a number of Uber supporters Thursday, including drivers, citizens and the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce.
Alex DeRossi, who was recently elected external vice president for Texas Techs Student Government Association, also spoke to the council on the importance of Uber.
It would be detrimental to students if Uber were to leave, he told A-J Media Friday. The general consensus is that Uber reduces drunk driving by a significant margin in many cities. Lots of students use it. Im in the Energy Commerce department at Texas Tech and were very close with all our professors, and even they use it.
Gibson calls her ordinance a blanket solution that both legalizes transportation networking companies while also deregulating traditional transportation companies to create what she said is fair competition.
I believe our job as elected officials is to maintain a safe and open transportation marketplace, free of excessive government regulation, that allows all manner of transportation-for-hire services to prosper based on the quality of their service, she said.
The new vehicle-for-hire ordinance is broken down into two sections: one for traditional operating vehicles such as taxis and limousines (which are currently regulated) and one for new transportation network companies.
The amended ordinance calls for Uber and Lyft to go through the process similar to that required of taxi companies -- to purchase a permit, ensure each vehicle has passed a state-authorized inspection and drivers have insurance that meets the minimum requirements for vehicles under state law.
Gibson said the company will basically check a box to make sure its completing these requirements, and is subject to audits if the city finds it necessary. The city holds the authority to suspend or revoke a companys permit.
Miller told the city council Uber uses a national, accredited third-party vendor to conduct its background checks, and its insurance requirements meet the states requirements. In short, he said, this ordinance will require nothing new for both the company or the drivers.
In limiting regulation on taxi companies, the updated ordinance no longer sets their rates, no longer places restrictions on the number of vehicles in a fleet and no longer requires rate meters if electronic pay is available.
There will also no longer be vehicle inspections conducted by the city and drivers do not need their own chauffeurs permit.
Tommy Weatherford, owner of Checker Cab Company, said Uber so far has not had to go through any of the requirements placed on traditional companies -- having a city permit, an airport permit, city-conducted vehicle inspections and city-approved background checks.
Weatherford, who said hes been in the taxi business for almost two decades, brought up one incident where one of his applicants failed the background check and then he saw him driving for Uber shortly after.
Its not fair for us having to go through all of this and them not do anything, he said.
Speaking on the ordinance, Weatherford said hes in favor of what he called de-regulations and making Uber legal so long as its enforced.
Theyre trying to make differences and they can make all the laws in the world, but if they do not enforce them, it makes no difference, he said.
Robertson, who said he had time to look over the ordinance Friday morning, said theres still some things in it hes not in favor of. One is if a taxi company uses technology at all, such as a website, theyll need a transportation networking company permit.
I still feel like its critical, he said, that if youre going to make sweeping changes to public ordinance, you need a work session devoted exclusively to go through the ordinance line-by-line and make sure that what you think youre doing in an attempt to help everybody long-term isnt hurting them.
Robertson said hes considering putting a work session on the agenda ahead of the next meeting to discuss the ordinance before the final vote.
---
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Midland Association of Retired School Personnel (MARSP) would like to congratulate the Educate Midland board on the time and efforts its members have made to include all stakeholders in the process of improving education in Midland. They have named board members from businesses, nonprofits and foundations. They have held four community meetings, including one in Spanish. They have made parental surveys widely available. They have been sensitive to teachers, who asked to be included in the process.
Where does MARSP -- the local unit of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) -- fit in? We include all retired school personnel -- certified teachers, administrators, librarians, counselors and non-certified teachers aides, nurses, custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and others. The sole purpose of TRTA is to protect the interests of retired educators, especially their pensions and health insurance.
Most educators in Texas do not get Social Security. They are dependent solely upon their pensions from the Texas Retirement System. Many people think that everybody gets Social Security, and the TRS pension is icing on top of the Social Security cake. Not so. Some people worked at other jobs before -- or even during -- their teaching careers, and thus may be eligible for Social Security. But because of federal regulations (the Windfall Elimination Provision), even they are not allowed to collect full Social Security benefits in addition to their TRS pension.
So the purpose of MARSP is to work to ensure a secure retirement and thus attract teachers, librarians, counselors and other educators to Midland. Midland and other West Texas communities have to compete with larger districts that are often more attractive to beginning teachers. And school districts have to compete with other employers who may offer more attractive working conditions, salaries or benefits. MARSP tries to promise a secure retirement that is not dependent on individual savings or investments (although many educators try to add to their pensions with various kinds of individual savings). So our primary role in Educate Midland is to help attract star college students into the teaching profession with the promise of a reasonable retirement with a pension and health benefits.
MARSP members may also be willing to serve Educate Midland in various volunteer roles. Some of us are tutors or mentors to teachers. Not all of us are able or willing to volunteer in schools, especially on a long-term basis. But we might be willing to serve on ad hoc committees. Some of us can edit or proofread documents. We can research resources. Some of us are excellent public speakers. We belong to many other organizations -- from bridge clubs and book clubs to churches and civic organizations -- and we can support Educate Midland through word-of-mouth (a potent source of support).
On a personal note, as president of MARSP and a retired teacher (19 years) and central office administrator (15 years), I believe that the first element of the collective impact statement is the most important: All participants have a common agenda for change, including a shared understanding of the problem and a joint approach to solving it through agreed-upon actions. This statement may sound obvious, but it is not always evident in practice.
I once participated in a change process in which the superintendent hired an expensive consultant to guide the district curriculum leaders to develop a plan for increasing academic success. After many days of discussion, the plan was developed. However, the superintendent never came to a meeting and was eventually unwilling to commit any additional resources -- money, time, district involvement -- to the plan. It was a very frustrating experience. Even the consultant was surprised -- and discouraged. We didnt have a common agenda with the superintendent, we didnt have a shared understanding of the problem, and we certainly didnt have a joint approach to solving it. So I believe that the Educate Midland collaboration must have an agenda, an understanding of the problem, and a solution that is shared by all stakeholders -- parents, students, teachers, Educate Midland board members, MISD administrators, community organizations, civic groups, employers and local colleges. Success is more likely if were all on the same team throughout the whole game.
I am looking forward to seeing the Educate Midland alliance draw in more support from various stakeholders, including students. The Midland Association of Retired School Personnel will certainly do our part to ensure success.
HOBBS, N.M. (AP) Hobbs police has started another hiring push despite an oil downturn in eastern New Mexico.
The Hobbs News-Sun reports (http://goo.gl/dltxgk) that the Hobbs Police Department has launched a new hiring campaign as the agency is experiencing a shortage in officers.
Central Florida activists are now fighting to get a local elephant out of her cage and into a sanctuary, just like the recently-retired Ringling Bros. elephants.
Nosey the elephant is at a petting zoo in Kissimmee
Animal activists say Nosey is being mistreated
FWC says Nosey is OK, although there have been citations over the years
Nosey the elephant is 34 years old. Her owners say she loves eating hay and posing for pictures. For Cathalina Liebel, Nosey the elephant is like family.
I actually learned to walk holding her trunk. I held her trunk, took my first steps I cant make this up, Cathalina said.
Nosey and her circus family travel all over. Right now she is at a petting zoo behind the Gator Motel along U.S. 192 in Kissimmee, where she gives rides. But some believe Nosey should be free.
Kissimmee resident Malinda Burian went from starting a petition online called Save Nosey the Elephant, to protesting on the streets.
Lets put you in a cage. I wanna ride on your back then, $5, Burian said. Protesters like her claim Nosey is mistreated.
The United States Department of Agriculture said they dont have any open investigations into Noseys license at the moment. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said it has conducted several unannounced inspections, the most recent one being two weeks ago.
FWC said Nosey was deemed to be in good physical condition.
However, through the years the Liebels have received a number of citations for things like rusted metal bars and overgrown toenails.
Citations are small things like a little bit of rust on an outer perimeter fence, not even where she is, Cathalina explained. Its just a small thing that the inspector sees. Its not really a problem but they would like to have fixed in the future.
In 2011, the Leibels were fined $7,500 by the USDA for violating the Animal Welfare Act with regard to Nosey.
Nonetheless animal activists say Nosey deserves better. So not only is it animal cruelty, its just immoral, said protester Kai Rivers.
This is not the first time protesters have rallied for Nosey.
A group of activists protested in Port Richey, Pasco County back in January. They say Nosey is old, sick and mistreated. Nosey's owner, Hugo Leibel, said Nosey was an orphan the family had raised -- and Leibel was used to protesters.
Meanwhile, after 145 years, the Ringling Brothers elephants performed their last act Sunday.
The elephants of the famed Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus performed for the final time in Providence, Rhode Island. The elephants will retire to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation in Polk County.
A high school principal has left her position two weeks after singling out black students' poor test scores over the school's intercom system.
The Everman Independent School District announced Kathy Culbertson's departure in a Tuesday statement. It said her comments had overshadowed district achievements.
During an address on the first day of classes at Everman High School, Culbertson said black students who failed math on the state's accountability test had caused the high school to be rated unacceptable.
The remarks set off a racially charged debate at the suburban Fort Worth campus, which is about 59 percent black.
"Neither the district nor Ms. Culbertson believes in the isolation of any student group or that students are solely to blame for campus performance," the district said in a statement. "Nevertheless, Ms. Culbertson believes the best way for Everman High School to move beyond the distraction caused by the announcement is for Ms. Culbertson to relinquish her assignment as the principal."
Low math and science scores among black students on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills reduced the school's rating to academically unacceptable this year. About 33 percent of black students passed math, and 32 percent passed science.
Under the state's accountability system, a school fails if any subgroup of students, by race or ethnicity or those who are economically disadvantaged, does not meet standards.
Culbertson, a 29-year educator who was starting her fourth year as the Everman High principal, said she announced over the intercom that eight more black students needed to pass math for the school to meet state standards.
"I was trying to use it as a motivational factor to let the kids know that we were so close," she said. "It was not derogatory in any way. It was not racial. It was just common knowledge of the TAKS breakdown."
Culbertson apologized to the school four days after her comments.
Superintendent Jeri Pfeifer said Culbertson's remarks were true, but shouldn't have been made over the PA system.
"The first order of business is to restore the students' confidence," Pfeifer said. "I want them to know how capable they are."
Netia Tunson, the parent of a high school student, said Culbertson should have resigned immediately.
"You can't put this school's performance on one race," Ms. Tunson said. "I think she should have worked with her staff (on the test scores). It starts with the staff."
Lester Bell, a 16-year-old junior, said he wasn't offended.
"I know I passed my tests," he said. "If it was us, it was us. I can't be offended."
___
Information from:
The Dallas Morning News, http://www.dallasnews.com
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, http://www.dfw.com
QUITAQUE -- Come join in all the fun activities at Caprock Canyons State Park during the month of May.
--On May 7, Much Lovin From a Dutch Oven at 2 p.m. We will discuss the techniques in using a Dutch oven and pass along our favorite recipe for biscuits in this fun demonstration. Later in the evening at 9:15 p.m., join us for Constellations in the Canyons for some astronomy underneath one of the darkest night skies in Texas with Arthur Schneider and his large telescopes. Please bring a comfortable lawn chair and flashlight with you. Program is subject to cancellation due to weather.
--On May 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., join us for our Sixth Annual Frontier Days. Visit 19th century encampments of buffalo hunters, Native Americans, pioneer women and much more. This year, Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight will even be here. View authentic artifacts and visit with our living history re-enactors where were bringing history to life! This is an all-day event and its free with your paid park entrance fee, so dont miss it.
--On May 21, join us for a Beginners Photography Workshop at 1 p.m. If you love photography, professional photographer Derrick Birdsall will show you some of the best techniques for nature photography right here in Caprock Canyons State Park where nature abounds! An optional hike later on in the day will follow where Derrick will take you out to put those techniques to practice so be sure to bring your camera. Our evening will end with a Full Moon Hike beginning at 8:45 p.m.
Our newest program is all for the birds. Join Texas Master Naturalist Drew Harvey on the kickoff day of our first Monthly Bird Walks. Meet up with Drew in the Visitors Center Parking Lot at 9 a.m. to spot some of our feathered friends in the park. Later on in the evening beginning at 8 p.m., join photographer Melany Serafis for a Light Painting Workshop. But, dont bring a paintbrush, bring your camera. Melany will show you a technique for taking pictures illuminated in light. A DSLR camera is required for this program. Participants will need a wide angle lens with an F2.8 aperture, a tripod, intervalometer, and headlamp with a red light.
May is a great month for night sky viewing and Arthur Schneider will return for Constellations in the Canyons on May 28. Enjoy viewing some constellations, planets, stars and more with Arthurs large telescopes beginning at 9:30 p.m. Bring some comfortable lawn chairs with you. Program is free and is subject to cancellation due to weather.
Our last program for the month of May will end up bugging you. Literally. Join scientist Barry Lombardini on May 29 at 8:45 p.m. as he enlightens us on the wonderful world of moths and butterflies! His presentation, The Butterflies of West Texas & a bit of West Texas History, will discuss some of the species you are likely to see here in our area.
Park admission: adults, $4; seniors, $2; children 12 and under, free. Camping is available, along with hiking, biking, fishing, and many other outdoor and recreational opportunities. All programs are free with paid park entrance fee. For more information, please call 806-455-1492.
Dr. Paul Armes sits comfortably at the small conference table in the corner of his third-floor office in Gates Hall. The Kenneth Wyatt original House Call hangs above the table.
The grandfather clock, donated to the university in memory of his mother, sings its hourly song.
Dr. Armes is leaving, but not for a few more weeks. There is still work to be done. Plenty of paperwork is piled on his desk and his day planner is open and full. The bookshelf is packed with books and crawling with frogs - a favorite collectible.
The 12th president of Wayland Baptist University, looks around his office.
Its time, he says.
Not one to talk about himself or his accomplishments, its difficult for Dr. Armes when he reflects on his time at Wayland, but he knows that time has come to an end and he is comfortable and secure in that decision.
Nothing here is in any way pushing us away. No one has ever encouraged us to do this. Everyone has been extraordinarily gracious and kind in their response to us, he said. But its time.
Dr. Armes will retire effective June 30, leaving behind the university he has served for the last 15 years. His last official duty as president will be to conduct graduation ceremonies on May 7, but he will continue to work through June to accomplish a few personal goals and fulfill some commitments to which he feels obligated.
Wayland has grown under Armes leadership. Since being named president in 2001, Waylands budget has grown from $25 million to $65 million. Enrollment reached a record high of 6,834 students in 2012. Davis Hall, Jimmy Dean Hall and the Laney Student Activities Center all opened. Wayland developed a Mission Center and began offering courses and a religion degree in the African nation of Kenya. The School of Music reached All-Steinway School status. Numerous academic programs have been added to the curriculum, including the Doctor of Management degree that Wayland will begin teaching later this year.
Knowing, however, that it took a lot of work from a lot of people, Armes is slow to take credit for any of it.
The thing I would say that I will always remember about my 15 years at Wayland is that I was surrounded by wonderful folks who worked really hard, he said. And together as a team, as a family, including the entire university family, we took some really positive steps in really positive directions.
When looking back, Armes said it is the people that will always be his fondest memories. Not just the ones he worked with, but the ones he came in contact with throughout the last 15 years.
I remember early in my tenure, going to Sierra Vista to participate in commencement, he said. I was the speaker that day.
After the ceremony, Dr. Armes was approached by a new graduate named Paula who asked about the medallion he wore. The question sparked a conversation that resulted in Paula telling him her story. As a non-traditional student, she didnt want to attend Wayland because she would be required to take six hours of Biblical history in order to graduate. Waylands price and schedule, however, were the best fit for her so she reluctantly registered to attend. Little did she expect the effect those two Bible courses would have on her life.
She really came to the point of understanding that what she considered to be faith in her life wasnt, Armes said. At the end of the New Testament class, [campus dean Jeff Barnes] prayed with her, and she prayed to receive Christ.
As a result of her decision, she witnessed to her family and both of her children made commitments to Christ and her husband made a recommitment of his life to Christ. After telling her story, Paula told Dr. Armes to never stop requiring those six hours of Biblical history.
Thats really who and what we are, Armes said. That is the unique element of Wayland that you cant always find at other locations and in other schools.
Those types of stories are what have fueled the man who never expected to work in higher education. He surrendered to the ministry as a teenager and never saw his career taking him out of the pastorate - especially not into a role in higher education.
I was not a stellar student in college, he said. I did OK, but not exceptional.
That changed when he entered seminary. Seeing the proverbial writing on the wall, Armes understood that to be a better pastor he should be a teaching pastor. To that end, he sought a Ph.D. at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth.
The pastorate eventually led him to First Baptist Church in Corpus Christi. While there, he served on the board for San Marcos Baptist Academy, a preparatory boarding school affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas and accredited by the Southern Associate of Colleges and Schools, the same agency that accredits Wayland.
As the president of San Marcos Academy prepared to retire, several members of the board approached Dr. Armes, asking him to resign so they could consider him for the presidents position.
I did resign, Armes said. I wanted to give them a fair opportunity to consider me and I wanted a fair opportunity to consider the possibility.
Dr. Armes said he and his wife, Duanea, loved the church in Corpus, where they had served for 8 1/2 years, and they were not looking to leave. As they prayed about the decision, they did not feel led to pursue the position at San Marcos. But the board was persistent, returning two more times to talk to him.
We decided we hadnt prayed quite enough about it, he said. As we prayed and thought and reflected it became clear to use that it was exactly what God wanted us to do.
Dr. Armes accepted the position and five years later, he was approached by the Wayland Board of Trustees and asked to interview for the presidents position at the Wayland campus. At that time, Dr. Wallace Davis was moving into a chancellors position to oversee the Wayland system. The presidents position would oversee the operations of the Plainview campus.
Dr. Armes accepted the position in 2001. A year later, Davis retired and the Board of Trustees opted to return to a system in which the president oversees the entire Wayland system. It was in 2002 when Dr. Armes moved to his corner office on the third floor.
In a way, all of this has kind of been a surprise to me, he said. I never sought to be an educator. Im still a pastor at heart.
Dr. Armes leadership style was similar to how he would lead a large congregation, giving some clear direction when needed, but trying always to care about the people who are part of the family.
Looking back on the last 15 years, there are some things Armes wishes he could have done differently. He wishes he could have raised another $50 million for the university and seen the completion of a new Flores Bible Building. He also wishes he would have done more to celebrate the successes of the university family throughout the years.
Im not sure Ive always celebrated the good things that we have done as a university -- not me, but the university - maybe as dramatically or as significantly as we needed to, he said. Im just aware of the fact that everything I have done has been dynamically linked to very special people who have walked beside. Who have given so much of their lives to this university. Who have done superb work that I am proud of. But there are times as a university that you ought to celebrated. When good things happen, you need to acknowledge those.
As retirement grows closer, Dr. and Mrs. Armes have already begun making plans . . . and most of those plans revolve around their five grandchildren.
I would just like to be a part of their lives. I would like to be able to interact with them, and Duanea would, too, he said. Duanea is such a wonderful grandmother. She is better at her job than I am at mine.
Dr. Armes credits much of his success to his wife, and he gets emotional talking about how their relationship has grown over the past 15 years.
The delight of the love that we have for each other and the dependence that we have on each other and on the Lord in this journey, particularly at Wayland, has been something that we have learned and experienced together, he said. We are closer now than we have ever been. If you had asked if that would have been possible 25 years ago I would have said absolutely not. But we have grown together.
Dr. Armes said they plan to travel in retirement, visit the Grand Canyon and all the national parks in Utah. But the first planned trip may be to Germany to visit their granddaughter . . . and her parents, of course. The Armes daughter, Ashley, works with the military and is currently at a military base in Germany. Their other daughter, Sarah, is a nurse in Lubbock.
Along with traveling and grandkids, Dr. Armes hopes to have the opportunity to preach more in retirement. He says it is still a very important part of his calling to ministry and it is a part that he hasnt been able to exercise quite as much as he would have liked.
As for Wayland, he feels that the university is on the verge of a prosperous period. New programs targeting Texas Department of Criminal Justice employees and Dr. Clinton Lowins Kaleo project in religion are just a few of the areas where Dr. Armes feels the university has real opportunity to grow. He also expects Wayland to remain a beacon for Christian higher education.
This is a place where life-changing conversations happen, he said. Not just about knowledge, but about the spiritual dynamic of life. About a persons relationship with Christ. About what Gods plan is for life.
Those conversations happen every day in classrooms, the cafeteria and other locations. Im proud of that fact.
San Antonio TV personality Cassandra Lazenby was bitten by the broadcast bug as far back as kindergarten, when Albert Flores came to her class to demonstrate how to do the weather.
"I fell in love with everything television and wanted to be part of it," she said.
Dear Mr. Premack: I have an issue that I thought was unique, but am discovering is more common than I thought. I am alone. I do not have any family who can look out for me if I become ill or if I die. I do have friends, but the closest ones are older than I am and the others are more in the acquaintance category. What options do people like me, who have no close relatives, have for doing our legal planning? RM
When you are alone, your options include:
The Money Management Program, a volunteer organization run locally by Catholic Charities and funded partially by the taxpayers. To qualify, you must be 55 or older, live in Bexar County, and be low income. A volunteer will be arranged to help with a budget and to help pay bills. Clearly this is limited and does not meet all the needs presented, nor is everyone able to use this service.
Calling upon an Accountant. You can ask your CPA or other accounting professional if their office provides a bill paying service. They would charge a fee for their service, and it would very likely not include helping in the event of a medical crisis.
Guardianship. If you make no plans at all, when you become disabled the courts may appoint a volunteer Guardian. You do not want this to happen, as it is expensive and you will never have met the person who becomes your Guardian.
Using a Bank Trust Department with a Standby Trust arrangement. With a Standby Trust your attorney helps by drafting a Trust and a Power of Attorney. The Trust remains "unfunded," receiving only a token amount of money so it can exist legally. You give the Power of Attorney and Trust to the bank with instructions to gather the rest of your assets together if you become disabled. The bank has no powers while you are well. If you are disabled, the bank must act quickly to provide you with assistance.
If you become disabled, then you must have someone who will contact the bank, but the bank will handle the details of your finances. If you pass away before the bank has time to gather your assets, then your Will must go to probate. This is not an ideal solution, but it is a workable solution for those who are alone and have adequate financial resources to pay the bank's fee.
Using a Bank Trust Department with a fully funded Living Trust. A fully funded Living Trust, on the other hand, becomes owner of all your assets when you create it. You give it title to your home, your savings and your investments. You name yourself as manager of the assets, and the bank as alternate. They wait to charge a fee until you are disabled. However, when they do take over, the Living Trust already possesses your resources. If the fully funded Living Trust is established correctly, care is provided to you and probate is avoided. As such, I generally recommend fully funded living trusts instead of standby trusts.
Medical decision-making is much more difficult to delegate when you are alone. Your doctor cannot be appointed as your medical decision-maker as there is a conflict of interest. A bank or an accountant will not, generally, agree to be your medical surrogate. You may, however, feel more open to asking friends to take this duty as you will have already made other arrangements for your financial management. Your friends would not be handling your money, just communicating your medical preferences to your physician.
Paul Premack is a Certified Elder Law Attorney with offices in San Antonio and Seattle, handling Wills and Trusts, Probate, and Business Entity issues. View past legal columns or submit free questions on legal issues via www.TexasEstateandProbate.com or www.Premack.com.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Apple has created more than 2,000 new jobs in Austin since 2012 and is on track to meet the area hiring goals it promised in exchange for millions of dollars in public incentives, according to documents filed with the city.
The technology giant is set to receive $35 million in tax incentives over the next several years from the city of Austin, Travis County and the state of Texas for an expansion of its operations in central Texas, the Austin American-Statesman reported (http://bit.ly/1NMgvvD ).
Under the terms of the incentives package, which was signed in March 2012, Apple Inc. agreed to create more than 3,600 new full-time jobs in Austin in 10 years while retaining at least 3,100 existing full-time jobs year over year.
According to the agreement, the average wage for those new jobs is to be $54,000 a year in the first year of the expansion and will stretch to $73,500 in the 10th year.
More for you NWS predicts isolated strong, severe storms possibly on Monday
Apple said last year that it was well ahead of hiring projections. A more recent report filed in March by Terry Ryan, Apple's senior tax manager indicated that the company continues to outpace the requirements.
As of Dec. 31, the total number of full-time Apple jobs in Austin was 5,102, according to the company's report. That includes 2,089 new jobs created since 2012, according to the report an average of more than 550 a year. The agreement calls for Apple to create 300 new jobs by the end of 2016.
Also, report says there were 904 contract employees as of the last day of 2015.
If Apple reaches its hiring goals, it will become the second-largest technology employer in Central Texas, behind only Dell Inc.
In a written statement, Apple said: "We're incredibly proud that Apple's innovation supports tens of thousands of jobs across a wide range of industries in Texas."
Jon Hockenyos, an Austin economist, said the types of jobs Apple is creating at the campus are a key component to the region's economy.
"They provide solid middle-class incomes that sustain families," he said. "They're the kind of jobs any city wants to see being created."
___
Information from: Austin American-Statesman, http://www.statesman.com
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
In its third year, the Big Give SA a 24-hour online giving campaign that began at midnight has once again set its sights higher.
When it began in 2014, the goal was $1 million raised for San Antonio area nonprofits, all from donations over the course of one day. The event brought in twice the goal $2 million. Last year, a whopping $4.3 million flowed in for more than 800 charitable organizations.
This year, by 11:59 tonight, the campaign part of a nationwide effort called Give Local America wants to raise $6 million for 1,000 participating nonprofits in Bexar and 13 other counties.
We expanded the number of counties this year and were really excited about that, said Kate Edwards, director of communications and marketing for the San Antonio Area Foundation, one of the sponsoring groups. Were hoping to get 45,000 donors, and we know with the help of the entire community, we will reach our goal.
More for you NWS predicts isolated strong, severe storms possibly on Monday
Edwards said that in addition to donations, more than $400,000 in prize money, given by area businesses and private foundations, will be awarded to nonprofits that reach certain goals.
Were going to be giving away $1,000 every hour to the nonprofit that has the most number of unique donors, she said. And were giving a $15,000 grand prize to the nonprofit that raises the most money overall, and another $15,000 to the group with the most individual donors.
The way it works: Donors go online to thebiggivesa.org and select from the participating nonprofits listed there. They represent a wide range of categories, from education to arts to health care and more. Donors can search by name or charitable cause area, or they can also give to multiple organizations in one transaction on the home page.
There is no maximum amount, and the minimum gift is $10.
Some nonprofits are planning special events and performances around the day of giving, including SAMMinistries, which provides housing and services to those who are homeless or at risk of becoming so.
Houseless, Not Homeless, a performance art piece, will take place at 11:45 a.m. today at Main Plaza to depict the struggle of homelessness in San Antonio, where some 20,000 children are without homes every night, according to a SAMMinistries news release.
At Stinson Municipal Airport today, military veterans who served in various wars will receive dream flights in a 1940s Boeing Stearman biplane, courtesy of the Ageless Aviation Dreams Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring seniors and military veterans.
Donations to that group will go toward the purchase of a fourth biplane that would be based in San Antonio.
Another local nonprofit that already knows where its donations will go is Say Si, a San Antonio youth arts program. The group aims to raise $10,000 toward the purchase of a van.
Transportation is one of the biggest challenges for our students, and with a van we can pick them up after school and bring them here, said Stephen Guzman, communications manager. We also take students on field trips through the year, to visit studios and galleries, to give them a chance to connect to the artistic community. We also take our theater productions outside the San Antonio community, as far as Dallas.
Edwards said donors who dont have a computer or Internet access can bring their debit or credit card to the San Antonio Area Foundation office at 303 Pearl Parkway, Suite 114, during the 24-hour period and volunteers will walk them through the process.
Those who dont have credit or debit cards can still participate, she said.
Even if you cant give online, we still encourage donors to write checks directly to the nonprofit of their choice, she said.
mstoeltje@express-news.net
SAN ANTONIO A San Antonio police officer was hospitalized Monday morning after his patrol car was rear ended while stopped on Interstate 10 on the Northwest Side.
San Antonio Police Department Sgt. Mark Graf said the officer, a man who has not been identified, pulled up a few hundred yards behind another officer who had stopped near Wurzbach Road to help a stranded motorist just before the crash around 9:45 a.m.
SAN ANTONIO This years Fiesta celebration saw a slight uptick in DWI arrests over last year, according to the San Antonio Police Department.
SAPD officers made a total of 233 arrests for driving while intoxicated from April 20 through April 30.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
State and local law enforcement agencies near Fort Hood nabbed six men during a four-day sting operation last week targeting suspected online child predators.
RELATED: Report: South Texas man arrested in prostitution sting has ties to Catholic Diocese
The suspects, ages 22 to 36, were trying to solicit minors online and travel to them with the intent of committing sex crimes, the Texas Attorney General's office announced in a news release Friday.
"Six individuals have been arrested and no longer pose a threat to the children of Texas," Attorney General Ken Paxton said in the release. "I am grateful for the individuals working in our Child Exploitation Unit and the dedicated law enforcement officials they work with to bring individuals like these to justice."
More for you NWS predicts isolated strong, severe storms possibly on Monday
RELATED: Police: 12 men, 2 women arrested in South Texas prostitution sting
The attorney general's office and Copperas Cove Police Department arrested the individuals at a predetermined meeting place in Copperas Cove, where the suspects believed they would engage in sexual contact with minors.
All six suspects drew charges of online solicitation of a minor.
The charge is a third-degree felony punishable by a maximum 10 year prison sentence unless the victim is younger than 14 years old.
In that instance, the charge becomes a second-degree felony, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years upon conviction.
RELATED: 17 arrested in Texas in national underage sex sting
One suspect Brock Alan Monson, a 22-year-old China Springs man also drew five counts of possession of child pornography,
jfechter@mySA.com
Twitter: @JFreports
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 By Filipa Ioannou, Express-News Show More Show Less 2 of 3 By Filipa Ioannou, Express-News Show More Show Less 3 of 3
A man who was shot late Sunday morning and drove to the parking lot of a West Side H-E-B has died, police said.
San Antonio police found the man around 11:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the Las Palmas Mall H-E-B at 721 Castroville Road. He was taken to University Hospital where he later died from his injuries. The man has not yet been identified.
SAN ANTONIO A suspect accused of fatally shooting a man from a moving car on the West Side Sunday morning has been charged with murder, according to the San Antonio Police Department.
Matthew Zavala, 27, was taken into custody shortly after the shooting, which happened near General McMullen Drive and Castroville Road around 11:30 a.m.
An arrest warrant affidavit said Zavala was involved in a fight with Jeremy Rabago and three of his friends at an apartment complex in the 1900 block of Jamar just before the shooting.
RELATED: Shooting on the West Side leaves one dead
More for you NWS predicts isolated strong, severe storms possibly on Monday
After the fight, Rabago got into a black Cadillac with his friends and headed north on General McMullen.
As the group drove down the street, a gold Toyota pulled up alongside them.
The document said Zavala sat on the passenger side of the car and opened fire at the group over the vehicle.
Police said Zavala fired multiple rounds at the car, one of which hit Rabago in the head.
After the car Zavala was riding in stopped chasing the Cadillac, the driver pulled into an H-E-B in the area to get help.
Emergency crews arrived and took Rabago to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
mdwilson@express-news.net
Twitter: @MDWilsonSA
Some politicians are known for throwing a punch. Ted Cruz has developed a knack for becoming a punch line.
Cruzs critics including everyone from media commentators to late-night talk show hosts are ridiculing the Texas senator for picking Carly Fiorina as a running mate despite the fact that Republican voters have yet to pick him as their nominee.
One of the best digs came from Conan OBrien, who quipped that since Cruz recently lost a string of primaries Fiorina was now a heartbeat away from never being president.
At the very least, many political observers agreed, the gesture was desperate and cynical.
It was neither. In fact, it was brilliant. Anyone who doesnt see that is missing something. Make that several things.
Cruz clearly knows how to change the subject after a series of losses and get the medias attention focused back on him. Its a skill that the senator might have picked up from Donald Trump, who always managed to change the script whenever he lost a primary to Cruz.
Fiorina has attributes that make her a strong pick. She is a gifted communicator, understands business and nullifies the canard that Republicans are anti-women. She could also help Cruz win votes in the crucially important state of California, where she used to live and where she won a GOP Senate primary in 2010.
While its true that Fiorina dropped out of the race because she lacked the support to stay in, the same thing can be said of 13 other GOP presidential hopefuls all of whom are men. And yet this wouldnt prevent them from being mentioned as viable running mates. In fact, some have been.
The senator is good at the nuts and bolts of politics. He put together a strong ground game to win Iowa and many other contests. Its one reason he has survived this long in the GOPs version of Game of Thrones.
Cruz has a long-term strategy. He is focused not on polls but on what happens at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. If he can deny Trump the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination on the first ballot, he has a shot at convincing enough Trump delegates to defect for him to win on the second. Fiorina could help, if those delegates like the idea of to borrow a phrase getting two for the price of one.
In a campaign that has been steeped in narcissism, voters might like the idea of electing a team. Now that Cruz has chosen his running mate, perhaps he should introduce voters to his picks for the top four Cabinet positions: secretary of state, defense secretary, treasury secretary and attorney general.
Its obvious that Fiorina gets under Trumps skin, as have other strong women. Hillary Clinton gets to Trump, who recently said that the likely Democratic nominee was shouting. And Fiorina has the same effect on Trump, who last fall attacked the former Hewlett-Packard CEO on her looks.
Cruz likely remembers how that particular skirmish did not go well for Trump. Fiorina crushed the front-runner in a GOP debate with a stinging 36-word response that demonstrated strength, restraint and class. Polls taken afterward showed that most Republicans thought Fiorina won the matchup.
And finally, there is a very real possibility that, with Fiorina back in the picture and taking frequent shots at Trump, the billionaire blowhard will be distracted and pulled off his game. Maybe hell become newly obsessed with attacking Fiorina. Or maybe hell make more boneheaded statements as he did recently when he accused Clinton of playing the womans card and insisted that the only reason that she is doing well in this election is because of her gender.
Cruzs campaign slogan insists that voters can TrusTed. With his latest move, his supporters should trust that he knows what he is doing. If the objective is to flip the script and flummox the front-runner, Fiorina is a smart choice at the right moment.
ruben@rubennavarrette.com
Since President Barack Obama nominated career diplomat Roberta Jacobson to be the U.S. ambassador to Mexico in June, the presidential campaign has been rife with talk of a wall and enhanced border security. A new influx of Central American refugees has swarmed across the border. And Mexicos war with the cartels, which are still saturating the U.S. with drugs, continues to threaten the stability of a key ally.
Her confirmation by the Senate on Thursday was welcome, but how long it took to get there should prompt some introspection about the ability of one senator to place a hold on such a vital post.
16e. Heaven/Eternal Bliss: The fifth line of the six-line Greco-Roman narrative we are in the process of deconstructing has all those who believe that by suffering on the cross Jesus placated the wrath of God on their behalf, going to heaven after death. While some believe that their physical bodies are resurrected as spiritual bodies fit for heaven at the moment of death, most hold that while their bodies remain behind, the souls of deceased believers wing their way to their eternal home in heaven there to be forever with their Lord.
This is where platonic notions begin producing folkloric notions of spiritual existence much superior to life connected with human bodies. How wonderful it will be to leave materiality behind! Quiet music forms the backdrop to the many family reunions continually taking place in the spirit. And the souls of departed loved ones keep an eye out for beloved former earthlings crossing the Jordon to join them in their spiritual home. Beyond family gatherings, most of their time is taken up in a perpetual worship service praising God for bringing them here instead of letting them languish in hell.
Ironically, such spiritual existence does not diminish visions of heavens street being paved with gold nor of individual mansions of unimaginable opulence in which the blessed will reside. For true believers death is not real; just an opening door into eternal bliss where they will keep the coffee hot while they wait for loved ones to join them.
The Bible gives no license for such a sellout to platonic imagination. Jesus did promise the thief on the cross that after his death he would meet him in paradise. Paul was sure this would happen to him as well. Beyond that we enter the realm of mystery. At best, life immediately after death is a disembodied existence in which we are at rest and present with the Lord in an interim state while we await the resurrection.
In his book, Surprised by Hope, N.T. Wright offers some helpful insight. He declares that the ultimate biblical hope of early Christians was to keep body and soul together; hence, the new heaven and the new earth inaugurated at the end of time is not a far-off spiritual place. In fact, the parousia is not about being whisked away but about Christ appearing to dwell with us who now have resurrected bodies. Our ultimate state will be to live with Christ in a world in which our life-long prayer, They Kingdom come, they will be done; on earth as it is in heaven will finally have been answered. The two verses used to promote a rapture theology (I Thessalonians 4:16-17) should be read as a non-literal expression of the many other biblical passages that speak of Christ reappearing to bring to fruition the cosmic redemption promised throughout scripture.
All this means that we have to leave a lot of what precisely happens after death to mystery, not to the kind of certainty many Christians demand.
16f. Hell/Eternal Damnation: Perhaps the most troubling line of the six-line narrative we are questioning is the last one in which all the ungodly spend eternity in conscious, eternal torment in hell. From a platonic perspective, this ultimate reality for 95 percent of the people who ever lived, such damnation makes perfect sense.
The perfect God, Theos, would prefer to destroy the reprobate but is unable to do so because these souls are incurably immortal. Brain McLaren picks up the story in, A New Kind Of Christianity:
Theos has no choice, really; this tainted universe and all it contains must be destroyed, which will leave the eternal essences of the unredeemed all undressed with no place to go. So they are banished to hell the Greek Hades, intensified and decorated with plenty of borrowings from its Zoroastrian counterpart and seasoned liberally with imagery misappropriated from Jesuss parables and sermons. And what is hell? It must be a state, since no story can ever exist in a universe purged of change and becoming. Thats why nobody can ever repent and leave it (44).
As I have often said, this version of ultimate reality terrorized me as a youngster and it continues to be the biggest impediment for thoughtful and sensitive people to embrace the Christian faith. Of course I cannot do justice to this topic here. But I recommend Brad Jersaks book, Her Gates Will Never Be Shut: Hope, Hell, and the New Jerusalem as the most thoroughly academic and yet accessible book on the subject I have come across.
I never cease to be amazed that for many sincere Christians, hell is the cornerstone of their faith. That is what salvation is all about; providing a way to escape this horrible destination where most people are headed. For them, the gospel declaration is three-fold: Everyone deserves to go to hell. There is a way of escape if you jump through the right hoops. However most people wont do so and therefore will suffer consciously for all eternity.
I am aware that if you start with a platonic worldview, there are certain biblical passages that can be made to support such a perspective. But to do so is to leave off many passages that speak of a much broader and more holistic salvation; for example, We have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe (I Timothy 4:10).
I realize that the hope of cosmic redemption needs further reflection such as I did in a series of essays a few years back. But I am not alone. There are an increasing number of Christian thinkers and writers who are moving away from the notion of conscious, eternal torment in hell. That is the way of the future and the only way to finally bury the six-line Greco-Roman narrative that has distorted our vision of a beautiful gospel for too long.
By Lambert Strether of Corrente.
TPP/TTiP/TISA
Barack Obama Readies For Final TPP Push, Which Could Benefit Presidential Library Donors [Business Insider]. Ka-ching.
A salient goal of TTIP is to shadow the Investor-State Dispute Settlement system (ISDS), an instrument of public international law granting firms the right to raise an action in a tribunal on the basis that a states policies have harmed their commercial interests [London Review of Books]. The implications for national governments seeking to regulate capitalism in the public interest are obvious.
Leaked TTIP documents cast doubt on EU-US trade deal [Guardian]. The Greenpeace document dump.
TTIP could cause an NHS sell-off and UK Parliament would be powerless to stop it, says leading union [Independent]
2016
Policy
Donald Trumps Foreign Policy: Implications for Asia [The Diplomat]. The question of whose finger you want on the red button is not a bad one. However, as the New York Times shows, Clintons bias is toward action. Does that translate to an itchy trigger finger? Why Zalmay Khalilzad Is Taking Donald Trump Seriously [Slate]. I think intellectually he is not the least capable person who would become president.
Money
[Clinton] says shes raising big checks to help state committees, but theyve gotten to keep only 1 percent of the $60 million raised [Politico]. Remember when all the Clintons supporters were busting Sanders chops because he wouldnt participate in that effort? Surprise! It was a Clinton scam, and a shameless one, too. Time Warners cable news network has more than doubled target prime-time audience this year and continues to raise ad rates [Wall Street Journal, CNN Enjoys Outsize Ratings Boost From Presidential Race]. When CNN President Jeff Zucker saw the ratings for Fox Newss first Republican debate last Augusta staggering 24 million viewershe immediately called up his head of advertising sales and told her to raise prices, by a lot. Welll, that explains a lot.
Corruption
Canadian Partnership Shielded Identities of Donors to Clinton Foundation [New York Times]. Aides to former President Bill Clinton helped start a Canadian charity that effectively shielded the identities of donors who gave more than $33 million that went to his foundation, despite a pledge of transparency when Hillary Rodham Clinton became secretary of state. And: But the [Clinton Foundation] statement did not make clear whether parallel organizations like the Canadian entity would be allowed to accept donations from governments that the foundation itself would not take. Say, from the Saudis?
The Voters
UPDATE Some positive feedback for Andrew Sullivan: These 3 paragraphs. Everything I have seen, and all I have tried to write/photograhp in last year. By @sullydish pic.twitter.com/6CxNCP0Qeh Chris Arnade (@Chris_arnade) May 2, 2016 UPDATE Clinton Campaign Has Astounding Record Of Smugness Toward Young Voters [Shadowproof]. A fine compilation.
The Trail
Trump Said to Lack Plan for Fundraising, Running Mate Vetting [Bloomberg]. Leave The Donald alone! Hes done pretty well so far. UPDATE Mr. Trump has seen his support grow in a broad range of places, but has seen particular sharp growth in dense suburban areas [Wall Street Journal, How Suburban Voters Put Donald Trump Back on Track]. Before the April 19 New York primary, Mr. Trump was winning about 37% of the vote coming from the urban suburbs. But after New York and Mr. Trumps five-state sweep on Tuesday, he saw that number jump to about 42%. It is virtually impossible for Hillary Clinton to reach a majority of convention delegates by June 14, which is the last day a primary will be held, with pledged delegates alone, [Sanders] added. She will need superdelegates to take her over the top at the convention in Philadelphia' [Guardian]. Again, in 2008, Clinton fought to the last delegate in 2008, and then cut a deal with Obama in Denver. So, what the faction of the political class that is calling for Sanders to quit really wants is for Sanders not to have the same power. And one might ask why. UPDATE Clinton compromising on Sanders policy demands: We cant do it, the [Clinton] ally said. But theres going to be a place for him to weigh in on the campaign and at the convention and he should have the satisfaction that he raised some issues that have been a part of the conversation [The Hill]. Conversation is one of those Democratic nomenklatura words you should always watch out for. Because the nice thing about conversations is that they dont have power relations. UPDATE Bernie Sanders rips Carrier execs: They have no shame' [Indianapolis Star]. UPDATE Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has withdrawn his lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee, putting an end to an intraparty dispute over unauthorized access to proprietary data belonging to rival Hillary Clintons presidential campaign [Wall Street Journal, Sanders Campaign Withdraws Suit in Intraparty Fight]. A smallish olive branch? UPDATE The complete transcript of Larry Wilmores 2016 White House correspondents dinner speech [WaPo].
Stats Watch
PMI Manufacturing Index, April 2016: The manufacturing sector has started out the second quarter completely flat, based at least on the April PMI which fell 7 tenths to 50.8. New orders did rise modestly in the month but thats the only good news in the report [Econoday]. And manufacturers continue to work down inventories as much as possible. Prices for raw materials, reflecting higher costs for oil-related products, did rise but not selling prices which are decreasing further.
ISM Mfg Index, April 2016: Aprils 50.8 for the ISM manufacturing index may be moderately below expectations for 51.5 but details in the report are positive [Econoday]. New orders did slow by 2.5 points but the level at 55.8 still points to a very solid rate of growth. One gets the feeling that if the index exceeded expectations theyd go mad with joy. PMI isnt closely watched but ISM is. And: [The ISM is] in expansion for the second month after 5 months in contraction however it declined and is barely positive. The key internals likewise declined and remained positive [Econintersect]. And: Another worse than expected report, and now its been over a year since it all started going bad, even as analysts continue to find reasons to be optimistic that have yet to pan out [Mosler Economics].
Construction Spending, March 2016: Construction spending did inch 0.3 percent higher in March, which is lower than expected, but February is now revised sharply higher [Econoday]. Year-on-year, total construction spending is up 8.0 percent, which includes a 7.8 percent gain on the residential side and a 9.3 percent gain on the non-residential side. These are down from 10 percent rates in prior reports but are still very hard to match anywhere else in the economy. And: The headlines say construction spending improved but slightly below expectations. The backward revisions make this series wacky but the rolling averages declined [Econintersect].
GDP Q1 (April 29): The initial Q1 GDP estimate shows economic growth as a stagnant 0.5%. Consumer spending was all services consumption. Private investment just walloped the economy as both nonresidential fixed investment and the changes in private inventories contracted. Exports also receded [Economic Populist].
The Mohamed A. El-Erian interview: How bad a slowdown do you need as a wake-up call? [Business Insider]. This is a couple weeks old and Yves linked to it, but the elites do seem to have a bad case of the jitters.
As venture capital dries up, tech start-ups discover frugality [Los Angeles Times]. So startup culture depended on J-Yels gusher of free money. Im shocked.
What Good Are Hedge Funds? [David Dayen, The American Prospect].
Todays Fear & Greed Index: 68, Greed (previous close: 64, Greed) [CNN]. One week ago: 70 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated May 2 at 1:12pm. All well at the club on Sunday afternoon.
The 420
But Schedule I is different: It lumps together every controlled substance that has no approved medical use, regardless of dangerousness. Distinctions between the degree of risk were ignored by the crafters of the scheduling system because they assumed that if there were no medically approved uses, there was no reason to make fine regulatory judgments concerning who is allowed to manufacture, prescribe and research a drug and who is not [WaPo].
Walgreens wants to talk weed [MarketWatch].
How Pot Can Save Big Tobaccos Future [Bloomberg]. Great.
Black Injustice Tipping Point
Formation-inspired protest blocks streets in Chicago [Rolling Out].
Water
Brita Unveils New In-Throat Water Filters [The Onion]. You laugh!
The Jackpot
3 ways AI could help save the planet [Business Insider].
Class Warfare
UPDATE Warren Buffetts mobile home empire preys on the poor [Public Integrity].
Money, Race and Success: How Your School District Compares [New York Times].
The Emerging Wealthy White Male Donor Class: A Chicago Case Study [The American Prospect]. Emerging?
The WHCA Gave Even Less Money to Scholarships in 2014 and 2015 [Washingtonian].
News of the Wired
Are these cats the answer to Chicagos rat problem? [MarketWatch]. How many legs do the rats have?
Excerpts from How Not to Network a Nation: The Uneasy History of the Soviet Internet [First Monday].
Who invented the cash machine? I did and all I earned was 10 [Guardian]. And the PIN. Bankers: Thanks. Well take it from here.
* * *
I think I fixed my fershuggeneh contact form below. Just to keep the NC comment section clean, will only those who already have my email address tell me if they have issues, using email? Thank you!
Readers, feel free to contact me with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, and (c) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi are deemed to be honorary plants! See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. And heres todays plant (Keith E):
Keith writes: A custom bred camillia, developed by my ex-wifes grandfather. Gorgeous!
* * *
Readers, Water Cooler will not exist without your regular support. Your tip will be welcome today, and indeed any day. If you enjoy what youre reading, please click the hat!
Lambert here: This piece, given that its in essence an argument from the authority of a model that incorporates new trade theoretic features, is perhaps best situated in the ramping up of trade deal propaganda weve taken notice of lately. Notice the blithe, technocratic dismissal of the electoral process in paragraph two. It does, however, bookend todays TTiP piece neatly. (Oddly, the second reference, to Baker, Dean in 2016, contains a broken link. Here is a working one.)
By Peter A. Petri, Carl J. Shapiro Professor of International Finance, Brandeis International Business School, and Michael Plummer, Director, SAIS Europe. Originally published at VoxEU.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership faces serious a political challenge in the US, with some viewing it as primarily benefitting the wealthy. This column argues that it will slightly favour middle- and low-income US households, while also generating substantial benefits for poorer developing countries. As with any trade agreement, the gains and losses will be asymmetrically distributed, but the gains should permit ample support for individuals adversely affected.
In the fog of the 2016 presidential elections, the US appears to be abandoning 70 years of support for international economic integration. Whether due to a bout of populism, the trauma of the recent economic crisis, or the amplified reach of anti-trade lobbies through social networks, immigration and trade have become prominent political targets. The debate has also taken a toll on the prospects of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, inopportunely concluded at this politically charged moment (Menon 2015).
More constructively, the debate has raised legitimate concerns about how TPP would affect vulnerable groups. We explore this issue by collecting results from recent work on TPP by us and other researchers. Much of this work is based on a global computable general equilibrium (CGE) model1 that incorporates new trade theoretic features, including monopolistic competition and productivity-heterogeneous firms, extensive detail on trade barriers and trade agreements, and on linkages between them.
On the whole, the results show significant benefits from TPP. We project member-country incomes to rise by $465 billion (1.1%) and exports by $1,025 billion (11.5%) annually by 2030, when the agreement is nearly fully implemented. The US will gain the most in absolute terms ($131 billion), led by a 9.1% increase in exports, and Vietnam will gain the most in relative terms, with an 8.1% increase in real incomes. But other members will also benefit, with substantial gains estimated for Japan, Malaysia, and Canada. The model suggests modest trade-diversion, with effects on non-members ranging from slightly positive for the EU to slightly negative for China.2
Despite potentially widespread gains, the ratification of TPP is not assured. In the US, opposition has coalesced around purportedly negative employment and income distribution effects. In fact, our results and work by Lawrence and Moran (2016) suggests that TPP will:
Not significantly affect general employment levels;
Raise productivity and wages for both skilled and unskilled labour;
Displace some workers during implementation but also make it possible to compensate them generously from national gains;
Improve the US income distribution slightly, by raising wages relative to capital returns and lowering prices particularly for low-income households;
Prevent a race to the bottom in labour standards and improve labour rights in several economies; and
Disproportionately benefit poor countries and labour within them.
Effects on Employment: Short- and Long-Run Considerations
Employment effects are prominent in the TPP debate, even though economists do not usually expect trade policy to change employment levels significantly (Krugman 1993). Rather, trade agreements both add high-productivity jobs in export-related firms and eliminate low-productivity jobs in import-competing firms. However, supporters of the agreement often claim employment gains, while those opposed expect unemployment. Our results project no significant general employment effects. In the long run, we assume that employment converges to normal trends with or without the TPP agreement. In the short run, macroeconomic shocks are of course possible, but the results suggest that significant US shocks via trade policy are unlikely. At the same time, they indicate that some workers will have to change jobs during the implementation of the agreement, and some may suffer unemployment and other significant adjustment costs. These costs have an important bearing on policy and will be discussed below.
Since trade agreements are implemented graduallymany changes under TPP will take ten years, and some as long as 30 yearsour analysis is mainly conducted in a long-term modelling framework. In the long run, if the economys normal adjustment processes work, shocks encountered during implementation will fade away and employment and savings (which determine trade balances) will converge to fundamental trends. Critics have argued, however, that mechanisms that may have once restored equilibrium are no longer working in the aftermath of the financial crisis (Baker 2016). That view is not supported by data (from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis). Since the exceptionally severe shocks of 2008, the US economy has recovered steadily and has now added 13 million jobs, reaching levels exceeding pre-crisis years. The unemployment rate and a broader variant (U6) that includes part-time and discouraged workers are again at or near levels in pre-crisis, non-recession years.
Macroeconomic shocks due to TPP could generate employment effects in the short run, along the implementation path. For example, if changes in exports and imports failed to offset each other along a segment of the path, they would generate net positive or negative shocks in aggregate demand. But the scale of such effects is likely to be very small in the US. Exports and imports are projected to change by 9% each by 2030, or about 1.3% of GDP. If these changes occur gradually, they would imply annual changes of around 0.1% of GDP. Even these small export and import changes will tend to be balanced by policy design and by exchange rate and other equilibrating forces. Remaining net imbalances are not likely to have perceptible demand effects.
Although general employment effects are unlikely in either the long or short run, structural changes due to the TPP will imply adjustment and transitional unemployment. Research warns that these adjustments can weigh heavily on some workers (Autor et al. 2014). We estimate that the number of jobs affectedin the sense of jobs lost in import-impacted industries and gained in export-impacted industriescould range from 18,900 to 160,700 jobs per year, depending on assumptions about how far structural adjustments extend beyond directly affected firms into other sectors of the economy. Lawrence and Moran (2016), using somewhat different methods, estimate a range of 23,800 to 169,000 jobs. These numbers increase the ongoing flow of employment changes in the US labour market, or job churn. Given 55.5 million job changes in 2014, a typical number for non-recession years, mid-point estimates of the effects of the TPP would increase job churn by less than 0.1%.
Based on worker experiences following layoffs (e.g. Reed 2013), Lawrence and Moran (2016) estimate the cost of employment dislocations due to TPP at 1.4 years of the salaries of affected workers, representing both periods of unemployment and lower wages in new jobs as job-specific human capital is sacrificed. Using this estimate and the national gains derived in our study, they calculate benefit-cost ratios for TPP ranging from about 3:1 to 20:1 (depending on the displacement scenario used) during the agreements most intense implementation period. The ratio rises to 100:1 over the full 2015-2030 projection period. However, US experience with adjustment assistance has been spotty, and better policies are needed to improve the fairness and flexibility of labour market outcomes given accelerating change in technology and globalisation. An important class of such policies involves wage insurance (Brainard et. al. 2005).
Effects on Real Wages and Income Distribution
As already noted, our modelling incorporates new trade theoretic features such as productivity gains associated with scale economies, shifts in output toward more productive firms, and gains from access to wider varieties of products. Thus, factor return results are not restricted to the famous Stolper-Samuelson prediction that more trade leads to lower wages in countries like the US. Rather, as TPP increases productivity, it raises returns for all three factors (skilled labour by 0.63%, capital by 0.39%, and unskilled labour by 0.37%). In the US skilled wages make up 60% of labour income and wages overall increase relative to capital returns.
Lawrence and Moran (2016) trace the effects of changes in factor returns and product prices to household quintiles in order to examine changes in the US income distribution. They find that households in all quintiles benefit from TPP by similar percentages, but the middle three quintiles benefit slightly more than the lowest and highest quintiles. On the expenditure side, low-income households spend more on TPP-imported products than high-income households (the lowest quintile spends 8% more than the top quintile). Overall, they conclude that TPP will have a marginally positive effect on the US income distribution.
Implications for Labour in Developing Partner Countries
Fostering growth and reducing poverty in developing countries through market-oriented reforms has been a long-standing global priority for the US and other developed countries. Nowhere has this policy approach been more successful than in the Asia-Pacific, with results that have lifted more than a billion people from poverty. Curiously, however, the role of the TPP in sustaining integration has received virtually no attention in the US, even from some prominent international and development economists. Their commentary, fuelling the criticism of the TPP, has focused almost entirely on current US interests. This is short-sighted, even from a strictly US perspective.
Our results suggest that the agreement will strongly benefit its poorest members, including Vietnam, with income gains of 8.1% of GDP, Malaysia with 7.6%, and Peru with 2.6%. (Effects on non-members, which are negative in some cases, are small compared to these gains.) Several economies also see TPP as a tool for strengthening internal reforms. In addition, as Table 1 shows, in all of TPPs developing economies unskilled labour would gain the most among all factors of production. In Vietnam, for example, 93% of garment and textile production is semi-skilled- or unskilled-labour intensive, and 52% of unskilled workers are female (see Plummer et al. 2014 and the 2010 National Labour Market Survey of Vietnam). The expansion of such sectors is particularly advantageous in reducing poverty.
Table 1. Changes in factor returns due to TPP (%)
Source: Authors calculations. See: www.asiapacifictrade.org
The labour chapter of TPP represents the state of the art in free trade agreements between developed and developing economies. The agreement commits parties to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles of Rights at Work, guaranteeing freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining, and the prohibition of forced labour, child labour, and discrimination. The labour provisions are actionable and their implementation is spelled out in side letters between the US and Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, respectively. Such provisions are understandably controversial in developing countries, but they will benefit workers in the long run and, most importantly, enable trade relations to deepen despite rising expectations for labour standards in developed markets.
Conclusion
As are all modern trade agreements, TPP is controversial. But recent opposition in the US has grown especially strong, with concerns focused on the economic effects of TPP on vulnerable groups. Our analysis is reassuring in this regard. The gains from TPP appear to be fairly distributedlabour will gain relative to capital, and cost reductions will favour low-income households. Some workers will need to change jobs, but they constitute a small fraction of normal job churn in any given year, and the national benefits argue for generous compensation for their adjustment costs. The agreement will also benefit workers in TPPs poorest member countries.
Still, the distribution of gains and losses will be unequal, as is often the case for efficiency-enhancing policies and innovations. This is not an argument against TPPthe ratio of benefits to costs is highly favourablebut underscores the need to manage it. TPP crystallises a central challenge of contemporary economic life; various current labour market outcomes are unfair and, absent more effective policy responses, undermine support for economic integration even in traditionally market-oriented economies like the US.
References
Autor, DH, D Dorn, and GH Hanson. 2014. The China Syndrome: Local Labor Market Effects of Import Competition in the United States. American Economic Review..
Baker, Dean. 2016. Peterson Institute Study Shows TPP Will Lead to $357 Billion Increase in Annual Imports. Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/ .
Brainard, Lael, Robert E. Litan, and Nicholas Warren. 2005. Insuring Americas Workers in the New Era of Off-shoring. Brookings Policy Brief no. 143. Washington: Brookings Institution.
European Commission. 2012. 20 Years of the European Single Market. Brussels: European Commission.
Menon, J. (2015), TPP unveiled, VoxEU.org, 10 January
Krugman, Paul R. 1993. What Do Undergrads Need to Know About Trade? American Economic Review 2 (May): 2326.
Lawrence, Robert Z., and Tyler Moran. 2016. Adjustment and Income Distribution Impacts of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, PIIE Working Paper 16-5, March.
Petri, Peter A., Michael G. Plummer and Fan Zhai. 2012. The Trans-Pacific Partnership and Asia-Pacific Integration: A Quantitative Assessment. Washington, DC, DC: Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Petri, Peter A., and Michael G. Plummer. 2016. The Economic Effects of the Transpacific Partnership: New Estimates, Ch. 1 in PIIE Briefing 16-1, Assessing the Transpacific Partnership: Volume 1, Market Access and Sectoral Issues (Peterson Institute for International Economics, Washington), February 2016, pp. 6-30
Plummer, Michael G., Peter A. Petri and Fan Zhai. 2014. Assessing the Effects of ASEAN Economic Integration on Labor Markets, ILO Asia-Pacific Working Paper Series, September, pp. 1-54.
Walker, W. Reed. 2013. The Transitional Costs of Sectoral Reallocation: Evidence from the Clean Air Act and the Workforce. Quarterly Journal of Economics 128, no. 4: 1787835.
Zhai, Fan. 2008. Armington Meets Melitz: Introducing Firm Heterogeneity in a Global CGE Model of Trade. Journal of Economic Integration 23 (3): 575604.
Endnotes
[1] See Petri et al. (2012) and most recently Petri and Plummer (2016). The model was developed by Zhai (2008) and is based in part on GTAP data. Additional information is available on www.asiapacifictrade.org.
[2] The simulations assume that 20% of non-tariff barrier reductions are on a non-preferential basis, as in several studies of by the European Commission (2012), often with a higher spillover factor. The rationale is that some agreement provisionsfor example, intellectual-property protection, regulatory transparency, trade facilitationcannot be restricted to members alone.
Elephants perform for final time at Ringling Bros. AP (Furzy Mouse).
Fading risks of global recession Gavyn Davies, FT
Fed may need more powers to support securities firms during crises: Dudley Reuters. Like access to the discount window.
Freddie Mac may need another taxpayer bailout next week MarketWatch. Why are we hearing about this only now?
Fiscal and monetary policy can be uneasy bedfellows FT
Half of leading investors ignoring climate change: study Reuters
The Latest: Berkshire investors reject climate change report AP
The Right Time for Climate Action Project Syndicate
Oil Bulls Bet the Waning U.S. Shale Boom Will Curb Global Glut Bloomberg
Halliburton and Baker Hughes to Call Off $35 Billion Mega Oil Merger Fortune
Taking the Temperature of U.S. Jobs and Global Manufacturing WSJ
Asias factories stay sluggish, stimulus lacks traction Reuters
Buffett Says Hedge Funds Get Unbelievable Fees for Bad Results Bloomberg. Yves: Piling on when it is cheap to do so. This is the finance news version of a momentum trade.
Goldman targets mass affluent borrowers with unusual lending plan Reuters
Lousy 401(k) plans may spark more lawsuits CNBC
Deutsche Bank continues to be plagued by legal uncertainty FT
China Lending Inflates Real Estate, Stocks, Even Egg Futures NYT
TTIP Documents Revealed Suddeutsche Zeitung (MR).
According to the documents, Washington is threatening to prevent the easing of exports for the European car industry in order to force Europe to buy more U.S. agricultural products. The U.S. government concurrently has criticized the fundamental prevention principal of the EU Consumer Centre which protects 500 million Europeans from consuming genetically modified food and hormone-treated meat. The documents further reveal the fact that the U.S. has blocked the urgent European call to replace the controversial private arbitration tribunals, responsible for corporative lawsuits, with a public State model; instead, Washington has made a suggestion on the matter that had hitherto not been disclosed to the public.
Syraqistan
Black Injustice Tipping Point
2016
Democracies end when they are too democratic Andrew Sullivan, New York Magazine. Im so old I remember when Sully endorsing Obama was a big deal.
America Becomes What Its Founders Feared The National Interest
America now has nearly 5 PR people for every reporter, double the rate from a decade ago Muck Rack
Class Warfare
CIAs Recounting of Bin Laden Raid Gets Mixed Reaction Voice of America. Oddly, or not, the story doesnt mention Seymour Hershs new book.
Antidote du jour:
See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
SoapFest weekend includes a boat ride with the stars on the Marco Island Princess yacht for the afternoon Cruisin' Boozin' & Schmoozin.' Submitted
SHARE
By Submitted
SoapFest returns for its annual weekend festival featuring daytime celebrity actors and signature events that raise funds for local children's charities. Tickets are now on sale for the 17th annual Southwest Florida Soapfest Charity Weekend May 27-30.
"This year's SoapFest children's beneficiaries include Camp Able and the Island Theater Company Kids Camp," said SoapFest founder Pat Berry. Camp Able provides a program for local special needs children and the three week summer theatre camp teaches children aged 8-18 about all aspects of the theatre with an emphasis on props, costumes, lighting and sound.
"You don't have to be a soap fan to have a great time and lend your support to the kids," said Berry. "SoapFest is a great weekend that showcases Marco Island's innate hospitality amid its white sandy beaches and waterways nearby the Gulf of Mexico to daytime drama actors and fans from around the world," she added.
A dozen actors from treasured daytimes shows such as "General Hospital," "Young and the Restless" and "Guiding Light" are expected to attend, many for return visits. "These actors generously donate their time and talents to raise money for our kids," said Berry.
The three days of nonstop festivities include favorites such as "A Night of Stars," "Cruisin', Boozin' and Schmoozin' with the Stars," "Celebrity Karaoke Bar Bash", and "Brunch with the Boys."
A partial list of celebrities scheduled to appear include ...
"General Hospital's" Brytni Sarpy, Ryan Peavey, Donnell Turner and Robert Watkins.
"The Young and The Restless' " Sean Carrigan, Kate Linder, John Driscoll, Jeff Branson and Christian LeBlanc.
"Guiding Light's" Tom Pelphrey.
"Days of Our Lives" and "One Life To Live's" Melissa Archer.
SoapFest Charity Weekend kicks off at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 28 with "A Night of Stars," held at the Marco Island Yacht Club. This VIP event, catered by Chef Bob, will offer several opportunities for up close and personal time with the actors.
There will also be a chance for autograph signings, photos, Q and A, and live auctions.
"A Night of Stars" tickets (including dinner) cost $125 per person. A limited number of VIP tickets are available for $200 and guarantees VIP seating with your favorite celebrity guest.
The fun continues on Sunday, May 29 aboard the Marco Island Princess yacht for the afternoon "Cruisin' Boozin' & Schmoozin with the Stars," to be held noon until 3 p.m., departing from Marco River Marina. The 3-hour boat ride is a perfect opportunity to mix and mingle with your favorite soap celebrity, while sightseeing Marco Island's coastal beauty as dolphins frolic in the water. Guests meet with actors for additional photographs and autographs. Auctions and raffles will be held for one-of-a-kind daytime drama memorabilia (signed scripts, iconic clothing, jewelry, among others). Tickets limited to 130 and cost $130 per person including a luncheon buffet.
The annual Celebrity Karaoke Bar Bash takes place at 9 o'clock until closing Sunday evening at Chad's Martini Bar, located at 695 Bald Eagle Drive. This cherished event features daytime actors singing favorite tunes while pouring drinks to raise money. Featuring DJ Jared. Tickets cost $75 per person.
SoapFest concludes on Monday, May 30 with a VIP brunch. Planning for this exclusive, one-of-a-kind event is underway with a very limited number of tickets available.
Tickets for all events, updates to schedules, including current actor attendees, can be found at theatreonmarco.com/soapiest. Tickets may also be purchased by phone by calling 239-394-0080.
SHARE
1. Tuesday: Indigenous residents lecture
Marco Islanders and visitors alike often confuse the Seminoles with our early indigenous residents, the Calusa and the Muspa. Two award-winning authors and historians John and Mary Lou Missall, will be at Rose Auditorium at 7 p.m., May 3, at Rose History Auditorium to explain the differences, the arrival of the Seminoles on the scene in the early 18th century and their resultant violent history.
The Missalls are the editors of the official State of Florida Seminole Wars Heritage Trail Guide. Their lecture, A Seminole Wars Tour of Florida, will highlight places around the state where visitors can go to learn about the Seminole Wars. They also are the authors of several award winning books about the Seminoles including "The Seminole Wars: America's longest Indian Conflict, Hollow Victory" (winner of the 2012 Patrick D. Smith Award from the Florida Historical Society), Elizabeth's War (winner of the 2016 Patrick Smith Award) and This Torn Land.
This lecture, sponsored by the Marco Island Historical Society, is free to members of the Society and $5 for nonmembers. Rose History Auditorium is located at 180 S. Heathwood Drive.
Information: 239-389-6447 or theMIHS.org.
2. This weekend: Talk Derby To Me
Upon A Star Foundation's 10 Annual Talk Derby To Me fundraiser will be Saturday, May 7, at the Marco Island Brewery. VIP seating from 3 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. General admission starts at 4 p. m. There will be live and silent auctions, best hat contests, games and more. Benefits Upon A Star and Marco Island Charter Middle School.
Information: 239-272-3090.
3. Mother/Daughter Mad Hatter Tea Party
The city of Marco Island Parks and Recreation Department invites all mothers, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, nieces, and friends to the annual Mad Hatter Tea Party at Mackle Park.
The Mad Hatter and all the usual characters will celebrate Mother's Day on Saturday, May 7. Mad Hatter tea time is 10 a.m. until noon.
There will be delightful delicacies, tea sandwiches, scones and various teas; games and crafts. Cost is $20.
Registration deadline is Thursday, May 5.
Rasha Zamamiri, left, portrays Zarina and Rajesh Bose portrays her father, Afzal, in the Gulfshore Playhouse's production of the play "The Who and the What?" at the Norris Community Center in Naples, FL on Tuesday, April 26, 2016. (Photo by Gregg Pachkowski/Special to the Daily News)
SHARE Lipica Shah portraying Mahwish, front, and Rasha Zamamiri portraying Zarina perform during the Gulfshore Playhouse's tech rehearsal of the play "The Who and the What?" at the Norris Community Center in Naples, FL on Tuesday, April 26, 2016. (Photo by Gregg Pachkowski/Special to the Daily News)
By Harriet Howard Heithaus of the Naples Daily News
Let's dispense with the fact the Gulfshore Playhouse offering, "The Who and the What," is about a Muslim family. There are no veils in sight; sleeveless dresses and jeggings are in its women's closets.
We hear recollections of Graceland trips and nights at the movies. It's possible to imagine many broad-base religions Roman Catholic, Mormon, Jewish, Hindu providing the theological tinder for the fires that start in Ayad Akhtar's story of painful realizations our children were not necessarily created in our image. The real flashpoints in "The Who and the What" come from an entire thicket of differences in approach to culture, faith, gender, generation. Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Ayad Akhtar's story will offer everyone opportunities to wince, weep and laugh.
In "The Who and the What," the heat is in the family of Afzal, an overbearing, well-set Pakistani-American patriarch with two daughters: the academic, independent Zarina and the compliant, if conflicted, Mahwish. (She is tellingly nicknamed "Wish.")
Akhtar' s familial issues smolder like the conflicts of "Fiddler on the Roof," with 33-year-old Zarina's resistance to her father's matchmaking, and Afzal's puffer fish stances on his daughters' independence. Variants of "I should have been sterner" are shot through the play, a lament many of us rolled our eyes through as children.
But their fights are forest fires, spreading to everyone around them. After Mahwish allies with her angry father, who discovers Zarina has written a book that makes the prophet Mohammed sensually human, Zarina blurts out the secret of her sister's long-running sexual abdication to her boyfriend. For Eli, defying his father-in-law's insistence that "women must be broken" prompts Afzal's suggestion that Eli is a choice on the rebound for Zarina, whose Irish Catholic boyfriend was denied Afzal's permission to marry her.
Still, love is life-giving water to the flames, at the most unexpected moment. Even in his most intransigent, Afzal frets about his daughter's safety if she publishes her story: "In Pakistan, she would be killed for this." That is well ahead of what the fallout will be among the employees of his cab company. And on the heels of a fight with his wife, Eli still shouts down his father-in-law's objections to her book.
It's a story that requires quick and strong character development, and director Emily N. Wells has a cast equal to it. Rasha Zamamiri adroitly develops the headstrong Zarina, with her own conflicts has she really given up that sweet Catholic boy? and why, in her stance on women's rights, did she bow to her father's insistence that any husband must be of her religion? Likewise, Lipica Shah handles the role of "yes" daughter Mahwish with fingers crossed and heart in constant angst as she marries a man whom she admits only brings anger to her mind. Her character-setting first-scene lines could use a little slower delivery and more projection for comprehension, however.
Rajesh Bose comes barreling in as Afzal, clearly a person who expects to be heard as the owner of Atlanta's largest cab company and the sole parent, after his wife's death, to his two daughters. He loves them dearly in his own, as he concedes to Zarina, "lying, manipulative" way.
Only Eric Clem gets a slow start but to an eloquent finish as Eli, the white Muslim cleric who has answered Afzal's phony muslimlove.com ads to find an acceptable spouse for his older daughter. His low-key, nonchalant case made his status as a cleric a stretch, even in a social-justice contingent, and it didn't help to be wearing a kufi, or skullcap, in a distractingly bright white.
The flexible set from David Arsenault morphs nicely into two different kitchens, a park bench and a bedroom, a good deal of that thanks to a partnership with lighting designer Michael Barnett. We'd skip the entr'acte music, which doesn't enhance the mood.
But we love that this play is done without intermission. "The Who and the What" is a roller-coaster ride that demands you hang on for dear life straight through, thanks to Gulfshore Playhouse's strong, sensitive production.
'The Who and the What'
What: Gulfshore Playhouse production of family drama by American Pulitzer Prize-winner Ayad Akhtar
Where: Norris Community Center, 755 8th Ave S., Naples
When: Tuesdays through Sundays through May 15; times vary
Tickets: $20 to $64
To buy: 866-811-4111 or gulfshoreplayhouse.org
A 26-year-old woman was arrested at an East Naples hotel Wednesday night, after Collier County Sheriff's officials said she was caught in an undercover prostitution sting.
According to Sheriff's Office reports, on Wednesday at around 7 p.m., an undercover detective with the Sheriff's Office Vice and Narcotics Bureau called a number advertising ?escorts' in Naples. The detective spoke with a man going by the name of Sergio, who reports said told the detective he ran the escort service.
The undercover detective then told the man he would be interested in seeing 'Valery' from the service's online ad, according to reports. In response, Sergio set up a meeting between 'Valery' and the detective at a hotel on Bedzel Circle in East Naples, according to reports .
At approximately 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, reports said the detective arrived at the unnamed hotel and told via a phone in which room to meet 'Valery.'
Once in the room, the woman -- who later identified as Veronika Gorcikova by her passport -- agreed to perform a sexual act on the undercover detective in exchange for money.
Gorcikova, whose address was unknown, was arrested and was charged with prostitution or offering to commit/ engage on prostitution.
As of Friday afternoon Gorcikova remained in jail on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold.
Pity the endangered smalltooth sawfish, swimming anonymously around Southwest Florida except for the occasional accidental snaring by a fisherman's net or hook.
They are not furry or huggable. They don't have their own Florida license plate like the endangered panther or manatee.
But a plan to restore the smalltooth sawfish population is raising hopes among researchers that the first marine fish to land a spot on the federal endangered species list will finally find a soft spot in the public's consciousness.
'It's these chance encounters with the public that are the most crucial (to sawfish recovery),' said Colin Simpfendorfer, a sawfish researcher at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota.
Southwest Florida is the last stronghold of the odd-looking creature, which shares a branch of the animal kingdom tree with sharks and rays. Smalltooth sawfish once ranged from New Jersey to Central America. Some experts guess there might be 2,000 smalltooth sawfish left.
Habitat degradation and gill-netting are blamed for their decline. The Ocean Conservancy petitioned the National Marine Fisheries Service to list the fish as endangered in 1999. It was listed in 2003.
Until Oct. 23, NMFS is taking public comment on a recovery plan that focuses on public education, protecting, research and habitat restoration.
The plan estimates it could be 100 years before the smalltooth sawfish can be taken off the endangered species list.
'This (the recovery plan) is a really important step on the way,' said Sonja Fordham, director of the shark conservation program at The Ocean Conservancy.
Simpfendorfer said work already has been done to help the sawfish, starting with Florida's ban on gillnets in 1994. It has been illegal to possess a sawfish in Florida since 1992.
The biggest hurdles to sawfish recovery rest with the sawfish itself. They grow slowly, taking 10 years to mature. They produce 15 to 20 pups at a time. And then there's that pesky saw.
Sawfish use it to stir up the bottom to find food or to stun or injure fish before making a meal out of them. But the saw also makes it easy to get tangled in nets.
Simpfendorfer said the key to untangling a sawfish is patience. The fish should be kept in the water as much as possible and the net cut off. If a fishermen hooks a sawfish, the line should be cut as close as possible to the hook and the fish released, he said.
NMFS is working on educational videos to show to commercial fishermen, brochures to distribute to recreational anglers and signs to post at busy boat ramps, Simpfendorfer said.
The fish is of little commercial value as food, but collectors are thought to pay more than $1,000 per foot for a sawfish. Trophy hunters also can't resist cutting off the saw for a souvenir. In January, eBay banned the sale of smalltooth sawfish parts at the online auction site
'If we can let people know how important it is to get this animal back into the water safely, I think we can go a long way to recover the species,' Simpfendorfer said.
Finding out more about where sawfish spend their time also is key to protecting them, said John Carlson, a research biologist with NMFS in Panama City.
'The smalltooth sawfish has kind of been under the radar screen for quite a while and we really don't know much about these animals at all,' he said.
Mote research on the Caloosahatchee River, for example, has shown that smalltooth sawfish like moderate salinities that can be upset by too much freshwater being emptied from Lake Okeechobee, Simpfendorfer said.
Tagging studies have found that juvenile sawfish find refuge in mangrove roots and are highly loyal to the same shallow mud flats for days, or longer, at a time, Simpfendorfer said.
Everglades National Park is an important piece of the sawfish recovery puzzle. Preliminary analysis shows that sawfish abundance increased by about 3 percent to 6 percent per year between 1989 and 2002.
Further strides will require a long-term commitment and enough public support to move Congress to fund the recovery plan, Fordham, at The Ocean Conservancy, said.
'Sawfish don't really have a champion,' she said. 'They don't have the congressional appropriations that other cuddly species get.'
???
? To report a sighting of a smalltooth sawfish, call Mote Marine Laboratory at 1-800-691-6683 or send an e-mail to sawfish@mote.org.
? To get the proposed recovery plan for the smalltooth sawfish, go to www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/recovery/plans.htm. Information about how to comment is available by calling 727-824-5312 or by e-mail to Shelley.Norton@noaa.gov.
Peter Thomas served in World War II with the 1st Infantry Division and went in as a replacement soldier the day after D-Day. "During that war you went in as teenager and you came out as a man," Thomas said. "It was a war where you made friends like you'll never make again and had experiences like you'll never have again." Veteran World War II
By Jay Schlichter of the Naples Daily News
The man may be gone, but the voice is eternal.
Peter Thomas, 91, a voice-over icon and World War II veteran, died Saturday, nearly two years after he lost his wife and high school sweetheart, Stella Barrineau Thomas.
His distinctive vocal cords made him a part of Americana, but locally Peter Thomas became famous for his humanitarian heart.
"He was loved by so many people," said Peter Thomas Jr., the 65-year-old son who was by his father's side in Naples when he passed, along with Peter Thomas's two other children, Doug Thomas and Elizabeth Joyoprayitno.
During a career that spanned seven decades, Peter Thomas lent his smooth and silky baritone to everything from commercials to documentaries, his most well-known work being the narrator of "Forensic Files." He was a radio announcer, a newspaper reporter, television anchor for CBS New York and finally, a voice-over actor.
A family man
Born in Pensacola to a Presbyterian minister, Peter Thomas had a strict upbringing, but he credited it as instrumental to his future career. In a 2014 interview, Peter Thomas said his Welsh father required him to read and memorize Bible passages, and encouraged him to paint mental pictures of words while speaking.
In high school, Peter Thomas started reading poetry and news on the local radio station. That's when he met Stella. After spotting her at a school dance, he began to woo Stella by dedicating a song and poem to her on his show. They began dating.
Stella and Peter Thomas were married on June 29, 1946, and raised three children together in Greenwich, Connecticut.
The couple purchased a home in Naples in 1966 on a whim during a vacation, but they didn't move to Southwest Florida permanently until 1985, as Peter Thomas continued to travel extensively for his career.
Peter Thomas Jr. and Joyoprayitno both mentioned that one of their most cherished memories was being taken to numerous Broadway shows by their parents, who wanted their children to have an appreciation for the arts.
"He was a very caring person and very caring father," Joyoprayitno said. "He would do anything at all that you asked of him. You didn't have to ask him twice. He cared so much for other people."
The love of performance art was definitely a trait that was passed on, as both Peter Thomas Jr. and Doug Thomas have also worked as voice-over actors, as well as one of Peter Thomas's seven grandchildren. The couple also had two great-grandchildren.
Serving his country
In 1943, Peter Thomas volunteered for the Army and was shipped out to Europe that December. Several months later, he was on the shores of Normandy, France replacing soldiers killed the day before in the D-Day invasion.
"I was 19 when I joined the war. My parents were immigrants who did their part during the First World War. Being an immigrant child, my parents inculcated in me a love of this country," Peter Thomas said in a 2007 Naples Daily News interview. "They would say to me, 'Remember you are living in the greatest country in the world with opportunities and a chance to do any thing you want.' They said that to me with an expectation that I'd give back to my country."
"My parents lost so many people in the First World War. I grew up hearing all these stories about my family in that war. You know, my Uncle Bill was in the trenches of France in World War I. I had to go and do my part as well," he continued. "I think that was a general feeling all the way through America at that time. Everybody wanted to go. Not like today."
While overseas, he fought through France, Belgium and crossed the Rhine into Germany while serving with the First Infantry Division. In addition to Normandy, he was in four other major campaigns, including the Battle of the Bulge and was issued a Battle Star for each of the five campaigns as well as the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Unit French Croix de Guerre and Belgian Fourragere.
Using his God-given talent
Upon returning to the states, Peter Thomas traveled to New York and fell right back into voice work there. He connected with Walter Cronkite to produce "The Jack Paar Show."
"I did that for eight years. They offered me a chance to do the 11 o'clock news. But then corporate sent these contracts over saying I couldn't do anything but CBS news programs," Peter Thomas said. "I wanted to do documentaries and commercials as well and didn't want to limit myself. It wasn't for me. Later, Walter told me I made the right decision. He said, 'They made me retire at 65.' And, I said, 'I'm still going as long as the voice holds up.'"
That is exactly what Peter Thomas did, working until almost the end of his life.
Along with narrating all 403 episodes of "Forensic Files" during its 17-season run, the legendary voice-over actor has a body of work too numerous to list. He also won innumerable awards, but the one he was most proud of was receiving an Oscar for "One Survivor Remembers," an HBO documentary about concentration camp survivor Gerda Weissman Klein.
While Peter Thomas was most known for his serious voice on documentaries, he also had quite a funny bone. That was shown in multiple commercials, particularly in one he did for Cool Whip.
"The images you are about to see may be difficult to look at," Peter Thomas says in his unique pensive tone for the commercial, as images of limp, sad-looking cakes are shown. "Sadly, every year millions of innocent cakes are mangled, mistreated and hurt, but there is something you can do. Go to the freezer section and pick up new Cool Whip frosting."
While the mention of his name didn't always evoke recognition, Peter Thomas's voice was one millions of people worldwide immediately recognized. That wasn't surprising, seeing as how it could be heard pretty much everywhere one looked. As he was being recognized at the 2014 Marine Corps League of Naples Honor the Free Press event, a speaker reminded the audience that Peter Thomas was the one responsible for the famous "Don't leave home without it" line in the American Express commercials.
He's also the man who was asked to record instructions for Philips's HeartStart automated external defibrillator (AED) devices, because as Peter Thomas put it, "they wanted a voice that wouldn't scare people." Thanks to his calm, reassuring tone, the devices have helped save many lives.
"I had somebody on a plane tell me, 'You saved my life,'" Thomas said in an 2014 interview. "There happened to be an AED machine and they followed the instructions. He said if the machine hadn't been there, he wouldn't have been there. It's a wonderful feeling to know that you're doing something that is contributing to mankind."
"(His voice) still amazes me," said Peter Thomas Jr. "Dad has piles of fan mail from all over the world. He was known internationally because of 'Forensic Files'."
The executive producer of that show, Paul Dowling, understands that better than most.
"It got to the point quickly where Peter not only became a part of the show, it was where we gave him no direction," Dowling said, because Peter Thomas was known for always being extremely prepared and knowledgeable about the subject matter.
While Dowling said he has been encouraged many times to bring "Forensic Files" back, the producer doesn't think it will be possible. The show's reruns are broadcast in the U.S. on the HLN network and syndicated internationally.
"He can't be replaced," Dowling said. "He was that great at it. I don't want to water it down or change it."
Caring for his community and others
Peter Thomas was known for his love of veterans.
He contributed his time, voice and more to the cause close to his heart, working on various committees and organizations whose goals were to honor and recognize those who fought for this nation's freedom, like himself.
"When I see American soldiers, I think, 'That's the greatest thing we have in this country the American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. These are the same kind of guys, with the same kind of courage, that we had in the Second World War,'" Peter Thomas said in 2007. "They need to know, they are beloved."
Many years after returning from WWII, Peter Thomas wrote a poem about that and titled "Omaha Beach." He would later go on to recite it during a 2013 Memorial Day ceremony at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Amy Snyder, the executive director of the Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida, said Peter Thomas "was a giant of a man a true gentleman and a humble servant."
"Because of his role in WWII as a liberator of the Nordhausen concentration camp, Peter wanted to make certain the story continued to be told," she said. "He supported the Holocaust Museum in many ways from narrating the museum's original audio tour and documentary, to sharing his WWII experience with high school students. Peter was always gracious with his time and the students learned so much from him. He will be greatly missed, but has left a lasting legacy for future generations."
Failing health
Stella and Peter Thomas were a love story come to life. She meant more to him than many people realize, family and friends said.
"They were a team. They supported each other in everything they did," Joyoprayitno said on Monday from the couple's 10th Avenue South home in Naples. "But (Peter) gave Stella the credit for everything he did."
Therefore, losing her was a major blow to Peter Thomas's life, and particularly his health, his children said. She passed away on June 16, 2014.
"This past year and a half were very difficult without Stella," Joyoprayitno said, adding that a recent infection after visiting a dermatologist was causing her father a lot of pain.
With his children flying in to be by his side, Peter Thomas seemed to finally be at peace.
"We were encouraging him to let go," his daughter said. "It seemed to happen in the most beautiful way. We witnessed him making the conscious decision to let go of this life. We're very happy that he is no longer suffering.
"It's the end of an era. The Peter and Stella era. It's bittersweet," she said.
The family is finalizing funeral arrangements with the pastor of Naples Community Church where the couple attended, but plan to open the service to the public.
Gulf Coast Town Center on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014. (David Albers/Staff)
By Patricia Borns, The News-Press
Less than two years ago Gulf Coast Town Center was coming out of the recession like gangbusters, on its way to being a Southwest Florida mecca of dining and retail.
Now south Lee County's commercial epicenter is stunning the region with news its going on the auction block as a result of a $212.7 million foreclosure - the largest stand-alone foreclosure in Lee County history.
No one thought it would come to this when Wells Fargo Bank sued the malls owners last year for defaulting on their $191 million loan.
The owners, The Richard E. Jacobs group of Cleveland, and CBL & Associates Properties Inc. of Chattanooga, were considered fiscally healthy. Realtors called the lawsuit a negotiating tactic.
If so, it didnt work. The online foreclosure sale is set for May 18.
CRE Consultants partner Stan Stouder said the turn of events is surprising, but not troubling.
When I look at the fundamentals, they couldnt be better: minutes to the interstate, extremely good anchors, a great tenant mix, and the product has curb appeal, Stouder said.
Anchored by Bass Pro, SuperTarget and a 16-screen Regal Cinema, the 100-store mall is minutes from I-75, an expanding Florida Gulf Coast University and Southwest Florida International Airport. Outwardly, you wouldnt guess theres a problem.
It has more to do with the owners situation than with the south Lee County market, local experts agree.
The income wasnt paying the debt. Thats the issue in these situations, real estate asset management advisor Ed Bonkowski said.
CBL is one of the largest mall REITs in the country, but its had a string of defaults, according to media reports.
Lenders took over two CBL malls in South Carolina and one in Ohio in 2014, while this year the company demanded an unsecured $4 million loan from the City of Wausau, Wis. to save Wausau Center mall from foreclosure.
What happens next
The mall is being managed by Dick Wilscher, who works for receiver McKinley based in Ann Arbor, Mich. Wilscher said he has a capital budget to do some marketing and maintain the property to keep the tenants in place.
The tenants wont have a hugely different experience than theyre having now, Stouder said. From a public view, it wont be evident whether John or Jeff owns the center.
Commercial real estate consultant Paige Rausch calls the mall a blue ribbon for whoever becomes its owner.
Theres always going to be demand for high quality assets in prime locations surrounded by new high-end housing, Rausch said.
The online foreclosure sale starts at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 18,. The case number is 15-CA-051063.
Peter Thomas speaks to the audience during the Honor the Free Press event at the Hilton Naples on Wednesday, April 9, 2014. (Photo by JAY SCHLICHTER/STAFF)
By Naples Daily News Editorial Board
Southwest Florida lost a beloved patriot, gentleman and humanitarian this weekend when Peter Thomas of Naples died. He was 91.
If you didn't know the man, chances are you knew the voice.
Thomas gave to his country. A Florida native from Pensacola, he joined the Army in 1943 at age 19, earning the Bronze Star, five battle stars and the Purple Heart for his participation in the Battle of the Bulge. In his World War II service, he fought through France, Belgium and crossed the Rhine into Germany. As part of the 1st Infantry Division, he also was a replacement soldier the day after D-Day.
Thomas gave to his family. He and his wife of 68 years, Stella, who preceded him in death, came to Naples in 1966. During their visit, to the community's good fortune, they bought a home. They raised three children together.
Thomas gave to his audience. He was a radio announcer, news reporter and television anchor for CBS New York. His smooth baritone became widely sought nationally, landing him work from commercials to documentaries. He narrated films on the Holocaust, notably the 1995 Academy Award-winning documentary "One Survivor Remembers," a short film chronicling six years of Nazi persecution. His voice was heard on commercials for Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil and major car companies, among others.
Thomas gave to his community. He served on the board of the Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida and the National D-Day Memorial Foundation. His talents benefited the then-Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples (now Artis-Naples), Collier County United Way, the Boys and Girls Club, St. Matthew's House homeless and recovery shelter, Humane Society Naples, the NCH Healthcare System, the Collier County Historical Society, the Freedom Memorial and others.
His many local accolades included Humanitarian of the Year from then-International College (now Hodges University). One community icon earns that honor every year. It fittingly went in 2004 to one patriot, one gentleman and one humanitarian Peter Thomas who became Southwest Florida's gain in 1966 and its loss 50 years later.
SHARE
Mary Jo Kittle, Arlington, Va.
Gulfshore Opera
Brava to Steffanie Pearce, director of Gulfshore Opera, for the spectacular production of Gaetano Donizetti's comic opera, "L'elisir d'amore," which I attended at ArtisNaples on April 21 and in Punta Gorda on April 15.
(Full disclosure opera is my favorite music genre.)
Opera lovers in Southwest Florida were treated to two most delightful performances of "L'elisir" and the voices of four extremely talented soloists: Nemorino, sung by Anthony Kearns; Adina, sung by Danielle Talamantes; Dr. Dulcamara, sung by Musa Ngqungwana, and Sgt. Belcore, sung by Wes Mason. Clearly, the company worked very hard to make these such excellent performances.
From the masterful conducting of the Naples Philharmonic by Ryan McAdams, and creative stage direction by Edwin Cahill, to the lovely village scenery designed by Samuel Vasquez, and period costumes designed and sewn by Ena Gleeson and her volunteer seamstresses, the four principles and chorus members enchanted us with Donizetti's beautiful music, and amused us with his humor.
Kearns has previously sung in several operas in Naples. In "L'elisir," he has found the real metier of roles for his beautiful voice. With great use of his prop, the bottle of "elixir," he showed more talent for acting than I have seen him display in five previous opera roles. His exquisite "Una furtive lagrima" reminded me of Luciano Pavarotti's rendition and brought most in the audience to their feet in applause and bravos.
I had not heard the rich, full voice of Talamantes' before, and was much impressed. I hope to hear her voice again.
Ngqungwana has a fine, full voice, and a flair for comedy. Mason also has a strong voice, making a fine rival to Nemorino for the affection of Adina.
Thank you, Gulfshore Opera, for the wonderful experience.
Ian derails Murder Mystery Dinner Train: Owners promise return soon
The popular Fort Myers attraction will be closed until mid-November. Damage caused to the railway by Hurricane Ian has put the operation on hiatus.
Lets be real most people dont know to commemorate the Mexican armys unlikely 1862 victory over the French at the battle of Puebla on May 5. They do know great deals on delicious food and drink from south of the border are worthy of a holiday. In that spirit, Fathoms Restaurant & Bar invites Southwest Floridas residents and visitors to Cinco de Drinko.
If its five oclock somewhere, make it 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 5 for the start of some major chippin, dippin and margarita sippin and unique surprises. Enjoy specials on refreshing margaritas, authentic recipes that some of Fathoms kitchen staff will share from their home country and an extraordinary performance of traditional Mexican Indian dance from Danza Azteca Guadalupana, happening at 6 and 7:30 p.m.
Then on Sunday, May 8, treat mom to a scenic waterfront Mothers Day feast, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Enjoy sumptuous selections from Fathoms extensive menu, from New Zealand lamb lollipops, to a Caribbean lobster roll with avocado, mango and chipotle mayo and chayote slaw, to 12 varieties of signature gourmet pizzas or Fathoms famous Bourbon Street seafood mac and cheese. Chefs Fabrice Deletrain and Benjamin Voisin are also planning some extra special Mothers Day specials featuring creative applications of traditional techniques, colorful presentations and fresh meats, seafoods and locally sourced seasonal produce.
A new summer cocktail menu featuring handmade infused liquers is now available, too. And what Mothers Day would be complete without chocolates? Every mom is sure to feel appreciated with a complimentary work of edible art from Norman Love Confections.
With decades of experience, Hoffman Group Holdings LLC is a hospitality company that owns Fathoms Restaurant & Bar and The French Press at Cape Harbour Marina. With the creation of Black Salt, acclaimed French chefs Fabrice Deletrain and Benjamin Voisin offer their engaging personalities, creative synergy and unique artistry to elevate every occasion.
The mission of HGH is to continue to grow as one of the most competitive and performance driven companies, with respect and support to the Cape Coral and Southwest Florida community. Timothy and Meredith Hoffman, in partnership with Chef Benjamin Voisin and Valeria Zanella Voisin, are the leading minds behind a group of highly acclaimed eating establishments. Timothy and Meredith own also Montpelier Plantation & Beach, a Relais & Chateaux property in Nevis, West Indies.
Visit www.thefrenchpressfl.com and fathomsrestaurant.com for info.
Key players in 2022-23 Silly Season Can you hear it? Just listen. That is the sound of the NASCAR rumor mill starting up, and there are plenty of questions to answer for 2023.
A federal judge approved Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s $272 million settlement with investors who claimed the bank misled them about the safety of billions of dollars worth of residential mortgage-backed securities.
U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska in Manhattan on Monday allowed the settlement, reached in August, to go forward, finding it is fair, adequate and reasonable.
The bank was sued in 2008 by pension funds led by NECA-IBEW Health & Welfare Fund of Illinois. The investors claimed Goldman Sachs provided inaccurate information about the appraisals and credit quality of home loans underlying the securities, whose value collapsed in the 2008 financial crisis.
Goldman denied wrongdoing and claimed it acted properly at all times.
The settlement was among the last of a group of investor class actions against banks tied to the credit crisis. They had been triggered by home loan failures and the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
Goldman Sachs in 2014 agreed to buy back almost $3.2 billion in mortgage bonds from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to settle claims by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which sued on behalf of the government lenders.
Capitalism good, capitalism bad?
Badges of honor
(NaturalNews) Anytime a mainstream media outlet gets an opportunity to take cheap shots at an alternative media rival, especially one that is extremely influential, profitable and popular, they'll do it. And that's what happened last week, when Bloomberg decided that a single, mentally unstable source would make a great basis for a hit piece against a financial news rival,Full disclosure: We here athave often usedand the analysis by its team of writers as sources for our own stories, because the site has proven time and again to be accurate and up-front about its positions. But apparently the editors atthink that kind of reliability is a threat, and so,Following a productive, personally profitable and topsy-turvy year as one of the writers using the pseudonym "Tyler Durden," a.k.a. Brad Pitt's character in the cult classic "Fight Club," Colin Lokey who said he was paid $6,000 a month and a $50,000 bonus at year's end in 2015 decided to "out" his shadowy co-writers and the site's creator: Daniel Ivandjiiski, 37, the Bulgarian-born former analyst long reputed to be behind the site, and Tim Backshall, 45, a well-known credit derivatives strategist.Ivandjiiski, long thought to have been's creator, was named in ahit piece on the site in 2009, following his correct prediction that Goldman Sachs employees were plotting to manipulate the stock market in ways that would make them personally wealthy. But Backshall was a surprise to many; all three, according to Lokey, wrote under the "Durden" pseudonym.In "outing" the site to, Lokey said:-- The publishing schedule is too hectic and ultimately led to his being hospitalized;-- The site (which is very profitable) isfocused on profit;-- Too much political bias on the site;-- Too much pro-Russia;-- The founders are hypocrites because,, and they're supposed to be speaking for the masses by railing against the (financial) machine.In defending the site, himself and Backshall to, Ivandjiiski said that first and foremost there was never ato fool readers into thinking profit motives didn't exist.Further, he noted (and then provided proof in the form of text message screenshots), that Lokey himself thanked Ivandjiiski for literally "saving his life" by giving him a job, despite his own very checkered past which included, by Lokey's admission (according to the screenshots), alcohol abuse (big time) and being a one-time large-scale coke dealer while in college."To an extent we were surprised, because while much of the 'information' Bloomberg claims it reveals could have been discovered by anyone with a cursory 30 second google search, this time the accusation lobbed at Zero Hedge by Bloomberg was a new one: that we are capitalists who seek to generate profits and who have expectations from our employees," one of the Durdens wrote in response to thepiece."This comes from a media organization which caters to Wall Street and is run by one of the wealthiest people in the world."The site's creators said that Lokey was hired after begging for a job when he was fired from another website,, for fighting with a co-worker. While describing him as "a good writer, covering topics ranging from finance to economics to politics," therebuttal noted that Lokey had no problem with capitalism when he was being so well-compensated for his work there.And just two months ago, as the site showed through text screenshots, Lokey pleaded with the site creators to keep him on as he began having drinking problems and other issues, because he did not want to "[screw] it up."There is a lot more, and you can read the full rebuttal here . But suffice it to say that's sole antagonist for their story was a demonstrably unstable person who, for some reason, had a falling out with his employer and had an axe to grind and he wanted to do it in public. When independent media sources are few in number and have checkered pasts, we are pilloried by the mainstream media's superiority complex.The only thingreally accomplished here was to demonstrate once again that the mainstream media is a desperate, dying entity willing to do anything to lash out at its successful, more trusted indy media competition. What is mysterious to us is that MSM editors and reporters, said (by themselves) to be the better, smarter, more savvy media operators, are so clueless to the fact that every time they bash us, it'scredibility that takes a hit, not our own.That's why we wear such attacks as badges of honor.
Double trouble for diabetes medicines
A team led by molecular toxicologist Donna Zhang at the University of Arizona in Tucson has now taken a different tack. With colleagues in China, she focused on a protein called NRF2. It regulates a cellular defense response that helps protect cells from oxidative damage caused by environmental toxins or carcinogens. Although NRF2 has many benefits, loss of NRF2 regulation leads to high levels in certain cancer cells, such as some lung cancers, and it may help them migrate, Zhang says.
Antioxidants "like petting" tumors
(NaturalNews) Most people who are attuned to heathier living have long known that substances called antioxidants, which come in supplements but are more effectively found in superfoods like blueberries and broccoli, are major cancer fighters, and that, in general, the more of them consumed, the better protected we are.But there are new hints that this health food dogma may not be completely accurate and, as noted by the journal, in some cases they may even help cancersAnd what's more, a new study now adds some fuel to that growing fire: Researchers believe that a pair of commonly prescribed diabetes drugs that contain antioxidant properties can also boost metastasis at least in mice, the journal reported. Now whether this will actually apply to humans is a mystery at this point, but if proven true, it means that, once again, Big Pharma may have done more harm than good.For years and years, scientists have known that reactive oxygen species otherwise known as free radicals have the ability to cause serious damage to cells and can even trigger some cancers. Antioxidants, research suggests, can neutralize those effects. Ashas reported, recent genetic testing has demonstrated that antioxidants can prevent and treat cancers.But several recent studies indicate that there may be some negative outcomes associated with antioxidants as well. For instance, according to researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center reported last fall , if cancer is already present in the body, then antioxidants can boost the process by which those cells also grow and spread,noted.Martin Bergo, a cancer biologist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, suspects that though free radicals can harm healthy cells, they can also be toxic to cells that are already cancerous. So that may mean if antioxidants curb free radicals they may also be of benefit to cancer cells rather than hurting them (once the cells are present).reported further:And as it happens, some diabetes drugs also activate NRF2 as a side effect, explains Zhang.People who have type 2 diabetes are already at an increased risk of cancer, so what they will do with this new information regarding antioxidants "is a dilemma," said Zhang, adding that she believes diabetes patients with cancer should not take drugs that activate NRF2, just to be on the safe side.Dr. David Nathan, director of the diabetes center at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, toldin an email that "what is ironic here is that [free radicals are] generally thought to be bad in human diabetes," because they can cause dysfunction in cells that manufacture insulin, as well as lead to vascular complications. As such, antioxidant treatment has been touted as necessary, especially given the results of prior research indicating that such treatment is effective against cancer."Giving an antioxidant to a tumor cell is like petting it," Bergo says. "Groups all over the world are starting to find this [and] this paper really adds to the urgency."
FDA commissioner bribed Hillary for nomination to the post, says lawsuit
Hillary's long history of influence-peddling
(NaturalNews) Although the story has received scant attention in the mainstream media , a racketeering lawsuit has been filed against departing FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg and among the charges listed in the complaint is the claim that she bribed both Hillary Clinton and President Obama to gain her appointment as head of the agency.The lawsuit alleges that Hamburg, her hedge fund executive husband David Hamburg, and the FDA conspired to cover up the health dangers of the drug Levaquin a drug that may have killed more than 5,000 people, and one which David Hamburg had a financial interest in, due to his position as a major shareholder of Johnson & Johnson stock, the company that manufactured Levaquin.The Hamburgs failed to disclose the "clear-cut" conflict of interest regarding the hundreds of millions invested in Johnson & Johnson stock by David Hamburg's hedge fund, Renaissance Technologies, L.L.C.Along with the racketeering charges, the lawsuit revealed that:"Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg was nominated as a result of huge political and other gratuities to Hillary Clinton and The Clinton Foundation, and at Mrs. Clinton's recommendation. ..."Defendant Hamburg, on behalf of all of the Defendants as part of this racketeering conspiracy, gave political contributions and gratuities to Hillary Clinton in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 to induce Mrs. Clinton to recommend and push for Defendant Hamburg to be nominated by President Obama."This revelation will come as no surprise to those already aware of Clinton's track record as a "politician-for-hire" to anyone who coughs up enough cash in campaign fund contributions.As Mike Adams, founder and editor ofand author of the new book Food Forensics wrote:"From what we now know about the Clinton Foundation's deep financial ties to Big Pharma and Wall Street hedge funds, none of this comes as any sort of surprise. In fact, while these allegations may have been easily dismissed as a 'conspiracy theory' in 2008, so much more awakening has happened among the American public that they are now likely to be understood as an 'actual conspiracy' being carried out among the political and financial elite."If Hillary Clinton is elected president, we can expect to see a huge increase of influence-buying activity in Washington. Her record shows numerous examples of influence-peddling on her part, stretching back to her career in the U.S. Senate.From Hillary Rodham Clinton's efforts to provide favors to major donors to her husband's global charity or her own political career stretch back far earlier than her tenure as America's top diplomat, dating to the time she served as a U.S. senator and had the power to earmark federal funds and influence legislation, records show."For instance, Mrs. Clinton introduced a bill when she was New York's junior senator that allowed a donor to the Clinton Foundation to use tax-exempt bonds to build a shopping center in Syracuse, New York, public records show."She also went to bat for Freddie Mac, working to defeat legislation that would have subjected the mortgage giant to tougher regulations before the housing bubble burst and led to a major recession. That same year, Freddie Mac donated $50,000 to $100,000 to her husband's charity, originally called the William J. Clinton Foundation records show."And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Her refusal to disclose the transcripts of paid speeches made to Goldman Sachs and other large banks, her acceptance of contributions from foreign nations, and her campaigning abroad on behalf of the fracking industry , are just a few examples of her shady dealings with powerful special interests.Electing Hillary Clinton will be tantamount to painting a big "For Sale" sign on the doors of every federal agency in Washington.Is that really what this nation wants or deserves?
'Average age is 67'
Available arable land going unused
(NaturalNews) It isn't something that many people talk about or are even aware of, but the day of the robot is coming . And when it finally arrives, hundreds of millions of people will no longer be able to earn a living at least not in the "old-fashioned way." That's because robots are coming to take them.Robots may be pricey at first, but those costs will quickly be recouped as industries most conducive to them realize unheard offrom not having to have a mostly human workforce.Businesses and factories won't have to deal with sick days (when employees really aren't sick); drama (from life's little problems); theft; Obamacare-mandated health insurance; government labor rules and regulations; and outsized minimum wage requirements to name just a few things.For farmers especially large operations that rely on illegal immigrant labor no more hassles with federal and state governments.Farming? Yes, even farming is at risk of becoming fully automated thanks to advances in robotics. As reported by , Japan's next generation of farmers may actually be robots.Spurred by the reality that farmers the world over are aging, retirement for them looms ever larger, and fewer people are turning to the profession, Japanese engineers have turned to robots and driverless tractors to solve the problem.As Bloomberg reported further:The concept is also rooted in the reality that, without farmers, most of the world won't eat.U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has even warned that, if the problem is allowed to continue, aging farmers will die or retire without replacements, threatening global food security and stability.In developed countries the average age of a farmer is about 60, according to data gathered by the United Nations. Japan plans to spend tens of millions per year to speed development of autonomous farming equipment in helping to develop 20 kinds of robots, including one that separates over-ripe peaches during harvest time."There are no other options for farmers but to rely on technologies developed by companies if they want to raise productivity while they are graying," Makiko Tsugata, senior analyst at Mizuho Securities Co. in Tokyo, said, as reported by. "The government should help them adopt new technologies."The meeting will also be attended by agriculture ministers and officials from other countries, including Germany, Italy and Canada. At the beginning of a bilateral meeting with Vilsack, Moriyama said that he would be serving Kobe beef, which Tokyo wants to promote internationally.Already in water-locked Japan , available land for cultivation is going unused. In fact,reported, unused land has doubled over the past 20 years, reaching 420,000 hectares (about 1 million acres) in 2015, as farmers have retired and not been replaced by younger ones, Japanese data shows. Of the remaining farmers, about 65 percent of them are 65 years old or older.As the dearth of younger farmers widens, there are growing concerns that Japan will have to rely more on food imports in the future. Already Japan gets about 60 percent of its food supplies from outside the country."Aging farmers are threatening the sustainability of agricultural communities in Japan as the population globally is expanding and raising the need to boost food production to meet demand," Moriyama said in his opening remarks to the seven-member meeting. "We, as the members of the Group of Seven nations, share common problems and want to discuss them together for a solution."In the U.S. and California, especially, which grows the bulk of food for our country seasonal farming jobs are just about the only income for millions of illegal alien laborers. A robotic revolution in farming, especially, may be all the "immigration reform" we'll need to solveproblem.As for the future of human labor, here is one prediction . It isn't pretty.
Massive protest
China jailing vaccine protesters
U.S. is heading in the same direction
(NaturalNews) Recently, a massive vaccine scandal in China exposed the weakness of government efforts to build up China's immunization program. It uncovered the system's flaws regarding the way in which vaccines are distributed, and revealed close links between vendors and government clinics.Although the vaccines were made by licensed manufacturers, they were transported and stored without any refrigeration, and then sold by unlicensed distributors. Improper storing conditions may have ruined the vaccines , leaving children unprotected and at risk of disabilities and death.According to Li Guoqing, who is in charge of drug supervision, investigators revealed how government clinics have been selling expired or near-expired vaccines to vendors on the cheap, who in turn have been selling them to other government clinics in remote areas where there is no oversight.Authorities were well aware of these practices, and let an illegal vaccine shop continue its operations, thereby poisoning thousands of its citizens, especially young children.Chinese parents have lost all confidence in the government and government clinics, and are demanding answers.People across the country have gathered and joined forces in a nationwide protest over the vaccine scam. Dozens of Chinese parents have filed a lawsuit demanding justice for the children who have been harmed by these tainted, improperly stored vaccines, amid reports of child and infant deaths and illnesses following such immunizations."Everybody gathered outside the National Health and Family Planning Commission today, and then we all marched to their complaints department in the Xizhimen district," parent activist Liu Lixin told(RFA)."We are calling for a vaccines law, because there is no legislation covering vaccinations right now, and families who have been victims of this disaster have no judicial redress," he said."Our children have suffered varying degrees of harm and disability as a result of immunization injections," the lawsuit reads. "Some have even lost the ability to live independently."The impact of the scandal couldn't be brushed under the carpet, so the Chinese government announced that 357 officials have been dismissed or demoted for "poor performance," and has promised to take further actions to ensure better storage and distribution methods.However, the reality seems a bit different. As many as 2,000 people gathered outside the Health and Family Planning Commission in Beijing, among them many parents whose children have been affected.The authorities took large numbers of people participating in the protests or lawsuits to an out-of-town unofficial detention center, and some were put under 24-hour surveillance at their homes."I had planned to take part [in the Beijing protests and lawsuits], but I was forcibly escorted home by officials from my hometown on April 13," parent activist Wang Liangqing said. "Now they are watching us 24 hours a day, so we weren't able to go." Wang called on the government to take the victims of tainted vaccines seriously.This incident is a perfect example of how governments collude with Big Pharma , and the U.S. isn't doing any better.Soon, we will have no say when it comes to our own health. The CDC has set up a " police state" registry system to identify and track areas of so-called "under vaccination," and while this may seem like innocent data gathering, in the future people will be pushed to follow national vaccination guidelines against their own will.Pro-vaccine activist and fanatics, such as Dr. David Gorski, are doing everything in their power to promote vaccines and conventional drugs and discredit all that is natural and holistic And, just as in China, key people in the U.S. government are involved. Last year, California's vaccine mandate bill SB277 was halted by the public. Unfortunately, the vaccine mafia's henchmen came out to play, and helped replace seats on the committee with pro-vaccine activists to vote in favor of stripping Californians of their vaccine exemption rights.
Economic boom of GM cotton short-lived as quality of fiber worsens over time
High hopes for Monsanto's Bt cotton fade to disappointment
(NaturalNews) The 10th largest cotton producer in the world is giving up on Monsanto's genetically modified Bt cotton . Burkina Faso, Africa's top cotton producer, has been having some serious problems with the quality of the cotton being produced from Monsanto's GM seed. The strands of cotton being produced are far too short, making them unworkable for spinning applications. The yarn produced from GM cotton is weaker and takes longer to spin. The entire region is now planning "tactical withdrawal" of Monsanto's transgenic cotton. The sub-par GM product is proving to be economically unviable.Burkina Faso's biggest cotton company, Sofitex, along with the national cotton farmers' union and the rest of the country's main producers are now shifting toward "100 percent conventional" production to save their agricultural economy.Experimental GM cotton planting began in Burkina Faso in 2003. Promising to be an economic boom, Monsanto's GM cotton seed passed all field trials and was launched on a large scale in 2007. This was the first time GMOs had taken root on a wide scale basis in the great continent of Africa. Right off the bat, it produced higher yields. Within two years, 80 percent of the country's cotton crop was taken over by transgenic seed. Now, millions of people are economically dependent on its production. Transgenic cotton quickly replaced gold as Burkina's top export product.But the boom was short-lived. Over time, the quality of the cotton deteriorated. Burkina Faso's new President Roch Marc Christian Kabore told media sources, "The cotton fibre we are producing today is short."Shorter strands negatively affect the strength of yarns and the speeds at which it can be spun. Longer fibers from natural cotton plants produce a stronger yarn because they can be spun around one another more numerously and more quickly.GM seeds have produced inferior cotton fiber. As the value of the fiber goes down, Burkina Faso's president sees economic troubles for everyone in the sector. "In market terms it's an activity which is no longer very attractive for us," the president commented. In the interview with, he said Burkina's authorities are "pursuing talks with Monsanto ," as producers in the region start to demand redress for their lost income.Between 2011 and 2016, even after all the government subsidies and price controls were used to jump start GM cotton, its production started to falter due to quality issues. During those years, producers lost some $82.4 million. Now the producers are demanding that Monsanto compensate them for the losses.One genetician, Jean-Didier Zongo, is accusing Monsanto of "criminal" acts. "The principal of precaution was not respected," he says, pointing out that Monsanto failed to provide sufficiently tested seed varieties.Producers were sold on Monsanto's high hopes, after they promised up to 90 percent increase in yields. Per hectare profits were scheduled to go through the roof. As it was being introduced to the country, GM cotton was praised as the answer to the continent's most pervasive pest, the African bollworm. Monsanto's transgenic Bt cotton was engineered to produce its own insecticide from within, promising reduced use of insecticides that no longer worked on the highly resistant bollworms anyway.It turns out that the genetic changes also elicit anChristian Legay of the national council of organic food processors wholeheartedly supports Burkina Faso's five to 10 year "tactical withdrawal" from Monsanto's transgenic cotton. He says, "It's a battle won," and "a timely warning for other African countries."
Skeptical activists cruise together to collaborate Wiki takeover
'Pseudoscience debunker' lacks background in science!
Using skepticism as a weapon
Overdosing on herbs
(NaturalNews) Last week, exposed the utter and total takeove r of the free online encyclopedia, which we have now learned is being orchestrated by a community strangely referring to themselves as "skeptical activists," of which pro-vaccine troll and Karmanos breast cancer surgeon David Gorski is a member.Trusted sources confirmed Gorski has administrative privileges onwhere he writes and edits content under the username "MastCell." Under these administrative controls, Gorski and his team of skeptics are thought to have penned a defamatory review of Andrew Wakefield's documentary, a film instrumental in widening the discussion on vaccine safety Skeptical activists have taken it upon themselves to debunk and control information viaon a variety of topics including vaccine safety, alternative medicine, natural health , homeopathy, cancer treatments, the paranormal, astrology and psychic mediums.In other words, if a topic does not fit inside mainstream science's limited paradigm, skeptical activists will go to great lengths to discredit and stifle discussions on topics they consider "quackery."A genuinely weird and pathetic bunch, skeptical activists routinely gather at conferences, host "psychic stings," conduct protests and even take cruises together.In 1996, magician James Randi founded a nonprofit organization called the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) aimed at "educating the public and the media on the dangers of accepting unproven claims."From this organization was born the Amaz!ng Meeting, an annual conference where skeptics gather to purportedly discuss "science, skepticism, and critical thinking," according to the meeting'sentry, which isWhat these so-called skeptics are really doing is organizing an international effort to smear and discredit anything they consider to be "pseudoscience." This type of collaborated effort is characterized by a pattern of racketeering, as skeptical activists write, edit and promote biased profiles onto generate income, notoriety and legitimacy.At the center of it all is seasonededitor Susan Gerbic, who just so happens to be a close friend of Gorski. Gerbic, we've learned, has played a critical role in the infiltration ofThough she has absolutely no qualifications to do so (her educational background includes a B.A. degree in social history), Gerbic has grown obsessed with "debunking" pseudoscience.Gerbic is the co-founder of Monterey County Skeptics and leader of "Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia" (GSoW), whose self-described mission is to "improve skeptical content on Wikipedia..., providing noteworthy citations, and removing the unsourced claims from paranormal and pseudoscientific pages [emphasis added]."This is why healthy food advocates like Mike Adams have false and defamatorypages.Gerbic and other skeptics have capitalized on the fact that people viewas a "neutral" place to get information, which is why they've hijacked it to promote their agenda. Not only do Gerbic and her allies trash opposing viewpoints, but they "improve" Wiki pages for skeptical spokespeople; in other words, they alter the pages to favor their twisted, cult-like community.When skeptical spokespeople are in the public eye, "their Wikipedia page views are going to spike... we want to make sure they are getting great information," says Gerbic. And by "great information," she of course means information favorable to the "skeptic" community.Gerbic has been accused of promoting biased pages, deleting hundreds of articles, and banning thousands of contributors on Gerbic admittedly takes pride in her and her team's ability to "frustrate editors with opposing views to the extent that editors have given up editing Wikipedia."Rupert Sheldrake, a biochemist and plant physiologist trained at Cambridge University accuses Gerbic of propagating "scientific materialism.""Scepticism is a normal, healthy attitude of doubt. Unfortunately it can also be used as a weapon to attack opponents. In scientific and medical contexts, organized skepticism is a crusade to propagate scientific materialism," Sheldrake wrote in his blog "Most materialists believe that the mind is nothing more than the physical activity of the brain, psychic phenomena are illusory, and complementary and alternative medical systems are fraudulent, or at best produce placebo effects," he says, adding that most materialists are also atheists."The Guerrilla Skeptics have carried the crusading zeal of organized skepticism into the realm of Wikipedia, and use it as a soapbox to propagate their beliefs."Gerbic and her fellow skeptics have engaged in some pretty bizarre behavior, such as overdosing on homeopathic tablets. Gerbic says she took "80 pellets" of belladonna , a plant with potentially poisonous properties that's used for Parkinson's disease, colic and motion sickness, and as a pain killer.On another occasion, during one of their peculiar gatherings, more than 100 skeptical activists overdosed on coffea cruda, a homeopathic remedy used to induce sleep.When they're not overdosing on homeopathic medicine , skeptical activists are actively recruiting. The GSoW website states: "We train We mentor Join us." I don't know about you, but that phrase alone is enough to send chills up and down my spine.Stay tuned as Natural News continues to go down the rabbit hole with skeptical activists and their plan to control science-related conversations on. We've already been tipped off that their agenda is much more sinister than we've documented here.
Dole Food Company, Inc. is being investigated by the U.S Department of Justice (DOJ) concerning a deadly Listeria outbreak in Canada and the United States.
The DOJ contacted the company regarding the outbreak, The Wall Street Journal and other media reported last week.
Westlake Village, California-based Dole said it would cooperate with the DOJ, which declined to comment to the Journal on the probe.
The multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes (listeriosis) was traced to packaged salads produced at Doles processing facility in Springfield, Ohio. Nineteen people in nine states were infected and one person from Michigan died from listeriosis. The same outbreak was linked to illnesses in Canada, where 14 people fell ill and three died. On Jan. 27, Dole voluntarily recalled all salad mixes produced in the Springfield, Ohio processing facility.
Dole revealed the probe after Food Safety News reported that the company found positive results for Listeria contamination at its facility several times in 2014 and 2015, but continued to produce salads there. In July 2014, Dole performed swab tests of surfaces in the Springfield plant, which revealed positive results for Listeria, and Doles internal tests showed Listeria contamination at least five more times in 2014 and three times in late 2015, the article said, citing FDA inspection reports that were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Dole, whose roots track back to the 1800s, said it has corrected" issues raised in the FDA observation reports. We have been working in collaboration with the FDA and other authorities to implement ongoing improved testing, sanitation and procedure enhancements, which have resulted in the recent reopening of our Springfield salad plant," the company said in an April 29 statement.
The DOJ has investigated and prosecuted a number of companies in recent years in response to outbreaks of foodborne illness.
Thousands of tusks from illegally killed elephants and rhinos will be set in flames in Nairobi National Park to highlight the plight of the world's iconic endangered species.
"For the past week, several dozen men have circled a site in Nairobi National Park, unloading elephant tusks from shipping containers -- many of them so big it takes two men to carry one tusk -- and building them into towers of ivory up to 10 feet tall and 20 feet across," CNN reports
History dubs it as the biggest destruction of wildlife goods and the last-ditch effort to control a poaching trade that kills 35,000 elephants and thousands of Rhinos a year.
Burning confiscated ivory is the greatest symbol, pronouncing the country's struggle to save the elephants from extinction. By doing so, illegal trade in the black markets where raw tusks sell for around $1,000 per kilo will be stomped out.
In an interview with CNN, Wildlife trade expert Esmond Bradley Martin said the illicit wildlife goods would be worth more than $172 million; that's 105 tonnes of elephant ivory and 1.5 tonnes of rhino horn.
Kenya's president Uhuru Kenyatta made a speech at the inaugural Giant Club Summit held Friday, affirming a total ban on trade in ivory to prevent the extinction of elephants in the wild.
"To lose our elephants would be to lose a key part of the heritage that we hold in trust. Quite simply, we will not allow it," his statement read.
Savetherhino.org said by the end of 2015, the number of African rhinos killed by poachers had increased for the sixth year in a row. Meanwhile, it is estimated up to 36,000 elephants are killed annually, that's one life lost every 15 minutes.
African governments are fighting the illegal trade in wildlife goods, but they have long puzzled over what to do with confiscated ivory and horn.
The Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) allows for the trade of ivory under certain circumstances, such as those ivory and horn that has been confiscated from illegal poachers.
In 2008, stockpiled ivory gathered in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana was auctioned. A total of $15 million generated from the bidding has been used for elephant conservation initiatives.
Kenya first burned ivory in 1989, under president Daniel Arap Moi. This Saturday's ivory burn is Kenya's fourth, and the largest one in history by a large margin.
The Guardian reports the ceremonial burningwill be attended by Kenya's president, Uhuru Kenyatta, heads of state including Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, high-ranking United Nations and US officials, and charities.
Depression is a serious psychological illness that affects millions of Americans. If not treated right away, depression can lead to suicide.
With this in mind, researchers from University of Oxford conducted a study to know if Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) can serve as an effective alternative treatment to help prevent the relapse risk of recurring depression.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy is designed to help people who suffer repeated bouts of depression and chronic unhappiness by combining the ideas of cognitive therapy with meditative practices and attitudes based on the cultivation of mindfulness.
"Depression is a recurrent illness," Richard Davidson of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison told Reuters. "Relapse is a very significant problem with depression, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy may be particularly valuable in reducing the risk of relapse."
For the study, researchers analyzed the data from nine randomized control trials consisting of 1,258 participants comparing MBCT to other treatments of recurring depression among people with full or partial remission.
After crunching the data, researchers discovered that people who underwent MBCT have 31 percent decreased risk of having depression again after 60 weeks, compared to other people who did not receive MBCT. They also found out that people who received MBCT and discontinued the use of antidepressant medications were 21 percent less likely to relapse compared to those people who stopped MBCT and continued taking antidepressants.
Other factors such as age, sex, level of education and how long the person has had depression did not have any significant influence on the effectiveness of MBCT. However, the study reveals that MBCT is more effective in people with more severe depressive symptoms.
The study shows that MBCT can be an effective choice for battling recurring depression, but it may not be for everyone. There is still no best treatment for depression, but an addition of a safe and effective option in the table can be of great help.
"It offers people a safe and empowering treatment choice alongside other mainstay approaches such as cognitive-behavioural therapy and maintenance antidepressants," said Lead author, Willem Kuyken, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, in a statement.
The findings of the stuyd was published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
A Stone Age fossil of a mother holding a baby were found by archeologists in Taiwan. They claim it could be the earliest sign of human activity found in central Taiwan.
According to reports, the mother was just 160 cm tall, or 5 foot 2 inches, while the infant is 50 cm - just over a foot-and-a-half.
The fossil of the mother and her baby is just one of the 48 sets of remains unearthed in graves in the Taichung area, Reuters reports. The excavation of the site began in May 2014 and took a year to complete.
"When it was unearthed, all of the archaeologists and staff members were shocked. Why? Because the mother was looking down at the baby in her hands," Chu Whei-lee, a curator in the Anthropology Department at Taiwan's National Museum of Natural Science, said in a statement.
Using carbon dating, the archeologists said the remains date back to 4,800 years ago.
"They date to the Neolithic period. Other evidence of humans in Taiwan from around this period have been found in more coastal areas. This includes the Dapenkeng culture, which emerged between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago in northern Taiwan," notes Ibtimes UK.
Citing People's Daily Online, Daily Mail writes this is not the first time such a notable discovery has been made, "Chinese archaeologists unearthed the interlocked skeletons of a mother and child last year from an early Bronze Age archaeological site branded the 'Pompeii of the East.'"
Around the world, archeologists have been making outstanding discoveries that could help trace back the origins of the human species. Recently, an ancient human skull has been discovered in Sangiran. According to Jakarta post, the skull of a Homo erectus has been unearthed after the absence of any discoveries of ancient human fossils for 80 years.
"This archaic skull fossil adds to around 100 ancient human skulls we have. For the archaic type, we now have two fossils. The first fossil was found in 1936 and the second is the one we found in February 2016," said Sukronedi, head of the Ancient Human Site Conservation Agency ( BPSMP ) Sangiran, told the paper.
Authorities in Hawaii reportedly arrested a 19-year-old man after footage of him beating a pregnant, endangered monk seal made rounds on the Internet.
On Tuesday, witnesses of the brutal incident called the County officials to inform them about the attack which happened at the Salt Pond Beach in Kauai. The police then brought the issue to the State Department of Land and Natural Resources and NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement.
The 18-second long clip allegedly shows the local Shylo Akuna, repeatedly throwing blows at the marine mammal as it tries to crawl back into the water to avoid the hits, Carbonated TV reports.
Wildlife officials identified the seal as RK3 who is well known in town as she is easily recognized because of the shark bites and evident scar around her neck caused by a fish line entanglement.
"She's a well-known adult here on Kauai for being a survivor as well as being an excellent mother," said Jammie Thomton, Kauai's marine mammal response coordinator for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association told Hawaiinews.
The seal, roughly 17 years old, is nearing the end of her seventh pregnancy, according to the Honolulu Star Advertiser.
National Geographic calls Hawaiian monk seal as a "rare tropical exception," as most seals live in frigid countries. While they spend most of their time at sea, they often go ashore to rest. Hawaiian monk seals are endangered and their numbers are believed to have fallen more than ten percent per year since 1989, the article ntoes.
Since the attack, onlookers claim they have seen RK30 "resting comfortably" on the same beach with no visible injuries.
However, the attack still poses a concern for wildlife officials. Akuna faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000 if convicted of harassing the monk seal, which is protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Huffingtonpost notes that this is not the first time a seal monk has been abused. In December 2014, a female pup was found bludgeoned to death along Kauai's eastern coast. And in 2009, a 78-year-old man was sentenced to 90 days in jail after shooting a pregnant monk seal to death.
Kauai County Mayor Bernard Carvalho, who has also seen the clip already made a statement saying that the behavior is unacceptable and illegal and that everyone should strive hard to protect the Hawaiian monk which is one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world.
China has proven once again that they have the ability to excel in the field of robotics. They recently launched a robot called Jia Jia, which eerily resembles a real human being. But aside from the physical aspect, Jia Jia is capable of having a conversation with humans. The robot responds to questions and converses properly.
The University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefie just presented their new innovation, Jia Jia, according to a report by CCTV America. Jia Jia, who looks like a realistic robot, can speak both Mandarin and the English language.
CCTV America quoted Jia Jia during the press conference when she said, "Hello everyone, I'm Jia Jia. Welcome!" on April 15, 2016.
A new interactive robot named Jia Jia was unveiled Friday by the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province.
Because of Jia Jia's beautiful features, she was even dubbed as the "Robot Goddess" according to a report by Daily Mail. The report added that "The humanoid is programmed to recognize human/machine interaction, has autonomous position, navigation and offers services based on cloud technology."
When asked by the developer, the news reported that Jia Jia immediately replied, "Yes, my lord, what can I do for you?".
The team of developers took three years to build a realistic robot which can talk to its owner. Aside from its ability to talk, Jia Jia is also capable of showing minute facial expressions. The robot's lips can move as stated by Chen Xiaoping, the teams' Lead Director. According to Engadget, this is to make sure that the lips and eyeballs are moving in seemingly natural way.
The developers said that as compared to the older robots, Jia Jia's eyeballs can roll in sync with its speech, making the robot seem more realistic. Audiences from the launch were able to get Jia Jia to even look at the camera for a selfie.
New research shows that other technologically advanced civilizations apart from our planet may have existed in our universe, but they are most likely extinct or were young to have had communication with us.
Many scientists are still reluctant to acknowledge extraterrestrial life, but researchers from the University from Rochester reveals that the probability of highly-advanced aliens is still high.
Using a simplified from of Frank Drake's Drake Equation, researchers tried to calculate the odds of the existence of life in the universe by incorporating the observations of exoplanets with habitable zones made by NASA's Kepler satellite and other planetary searches.
According to the study, published in the journal Astrobiology, human civilization is likely to be unique in the universe only if the odds of a civilization developing on a habitable planet are less than about one in 10 billion trillion, or one part in 1022.
"One in 10 billion trillion is incredibly small," said Adam Frank, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Rochester and co-author of the paper, said in a statement.
"To me, this implies that other intelligent, technology producing species very likely have evolved before us. Think of it this way. Before our result you'd be considered a pessimist if you imagined the probability of evolving a civilization on a habitable planet were, say, one in a trillion. But even that guess, one chance in a trillion, implies that what has happened here on Earth with humanity has in fact happened about a 10 billion other times over cosmic history!" Frank added.
On the other hand, the odds of another technological planet to exist our galaxy, the Milky Way, are better than one chance in 60 billion.
"The universe is more than 13 billion years old," noted Woodruff Sullivan of the astronomy department and astrobiology program at the University of Washington and co-author of the study.
"That means that even if there have been a thousand civilizations in our own galaxy, if they live only as long as we have been around-roughly ten thousand years-then all of them are likely already extinct. And others won't evolve until we are long gone. For us to have much chance of success in finding another "contemporary" active technological civilization, on average they must last much longer than our present lifetime." Sullivan explained.
According to the authors, their study is not simple to determine if life beyond earth is still probable, but also to help other researchers better understand the sustainability and climate change crisis we are currently experiencing.
"Our results imply that our evolution has not been unique and has probably happened many times before. The other cases are likely to include many energy intensive civilizations dealing with their feedbacks onto their planets as their civilizations grow. That means we can begin exploring the problem using simulations to get a sense of what leads to long lived civilizations and what doesn't," the authors concluded.
According to Telegraph UK, new research found out that the elderly, who are suffering with worsening symptoms of depression, have a high risk of developing dementia, a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties of thinking.
Depression is a mental disorder that affects countless individuals. Symptoms include depressed mood, loss of interest in any activities, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, sleeping problems, low energy, and difficulty focusing.
A group of scientists at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, who conducted a recent study, tracked 3,325 people over 21 years. After tracking the people, they discovered that those who had experienced depression for more than three years were over a fifth more likely to have dementia. However, people who recovered from episodes of depression were not at a greater risk.
According to BBC, research published at The Lancet Psychiatry that followed more than 3,000 adults aged 55 and over living in the Netherlands, showed all of them had depression but no symptoms of dementia during the start of the study. However, Dr M Arfan Ikram of the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam said that depressive symptoms that increase over time appear to be a predictor of dementia.
"There are a number of potential explanations, including that depression and dementia may both be symptoms of a common underlying cause, or that increasing depressive symptoms are on the starting end of a dementia continuum in older adults," he said.
Meanwhile, another study related to depression reveals that excessive use of social media networks may cause depression among users. Forbes reports that a group of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine led by Brian A. Primack, M.D., Ph.D., a senior author of the research project and the director of Pitt's Center for Research on Media, Technology and Health, conducted a study about the effects of social media habits on the moods of users.
The research team polled 1,787 adults (ages 19 to 32) in the United States. They gave questionnaires that requested some details about the social media usage of the chosen participants and the answers of the participants were coordinated with a depression assessment tool. Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, Google Plus, Tumblr, and Youtube were the social media platforms analyzed in the questionnaires.
"Because social media has become such an integrated component of human interaction, it is important for clinicians interacting with young adults to recognize the balance to be struck in encouraging potential positive use, while redirecting from problematic use," said Primack.
The participants of this study spent 61 minutes per day on social media and that they visited different social media accounts is 30 times per week. The overall results of the study shows that young adults who spend more time on social media are more likely to be depressed.
Astronomers recently discovered a unique, tailless comet that could provide important clues and answers to questions about the formation and evolution of our solar system.
In a paper published in the journal Science Advances, observations done with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and the Canada France Hawai'i Telescope revealed a comet called C/2014 S3. Because of the comet's lack of the characteristic tail that they usually have when approaching close to the Sun, the newly discovered space object is dubbed a "Manx" comet, after the breed of cats without tails.
Usually, as comets approach the Sun, the ice vaporizing gleam and reflect due to the sunlight. But when the Manx comet was spotted, it was very dark, like an asteroid.
Reuters reported that the C/2014 S3 was discovered in 2014 using the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System, or Pan-STARRS. This device is a network of telescopes that looks out for fast-moving comets, asteroids and other celestial objects in the night sky.
This comet has also an interesting composition. It is made up of rocky materials, rather than the usual ice.
Researchers believe that the Manx comet was formed in our solar system, around the same time as the Earth itself. However, they concluded that it was booted out of our system at an early stage, just as the planets were jostling around and getting to its current positions.
The study said it has been preserved in the Oort cloud for billions of years and is now making a comeback to our solar system.
Lead author Karen Meech of the University of Hawai'i said in a press release that this is the "first uncooked asteroid" that astronomers could study. She said, "It has been preserved in the best freezer there is."
This new discovery can lead to other stems of studies on our solar system. However, there isn't much time to dilly-dally.
New Scientist reported that the team hopes to find 100 more similar Manx objects, but they have to ask fast. It was only 18 months after the discovery of the C/2014 S3 that they were able to observe it under a full moon. Soon after their observations, the sun blocked it from view. It cannot be seen for another 860 years.
Millenial parents can spend more time for bedtime stories with their kids even they are distance apart. This made possible by Samsung's Bedtime VR Stories.
Bedtime stories with parents are one of the greatest parts of the childhood. This activity make the bonding of parents and their kids tighter. However, due to the hectic schedule of parents' job that requires traveling across the globe, they can't find a time to spend storytelling with their kids.
Virtual reality is defined as an artificial world that includes images or graphics and sounds.To explore the virtual reality world, Samsung has created a technology that will connect parents and their kids,
According to The Verge, Samsung's Bedtime VR Stories is currently a prototype app and in development, but it has been tested to some families in United Kingdom.
Samsung released a video on Apr. 27 that introduced their new technology Bedtime VR Stories. In the video, a mom wears a Gear VR and her child wears a Google Cardboard headset. Both of them enter the same virtual world.
As they enter the virtual world, the mother starts to narrate the story "Most Wonderful Place to Be." Both of them see and traveling the "magical places" of the story while they are sitting in their beds.
According to the source, the app only works with Galaxy S7 Edge and the Gear VR headset. Samsung has not confirmed if they will release the app to a wider audience.
An acid-fuel-like toxic hot spring between Ethiopia and Eritrea has been unveiled during a three-day journey in April.
"After mineral and geochemical characterization, we will know what kind of materials and bacteria are present and be able to identify the most interesting sites for astrobiology purposes. We are now starting the analysis of our samples and are planning a follow-up trip in a few months time," said Gomez, according to Popular Science.
The expedition headed by Felipe Gomez Gomez, an astrobiologist from Centro de Astrobiologia, Madrid from April 5th to 7th set out to discover life in places near hydrothermal springs. They measure pH, temperature, humidity and oxygen to help identify if life on other planets could possibly exist in spite of the environment which is beyond human tolerance.
Danakil Depression lies along Dallol Volcano to Lake Assal in Ethiopia. With its 107 degree-Fahrenheit temperature, burning smell of sulfur and chlorine, they found Danakil Depression in Ethiopia as the perfect location for their study.
Underground magma heats up the mixture of salt water and rain forming heat-filled bubbles rising up to the surface which makes the spring appear as though it is boiling, which technically is true as the spring warmth is near boiling point.
An alien place for many, this hydrothermal system appeared to be very peculiar that it did not immediately became a subject for scientific studies. Things have changed however after the expedition as this toxic hot spring has now become of great interest to astrobiologists, as per Gizmodo.
As Tadias reported, the trip was just the first part of the series of expedition and studies astrobiologists plan to conduct over the place.
Danakil Depression's toxic hot spring may appear to be one of the weirdest and most inhospitable places on earth, but the rich information and wider amount of discovery it can reveal may pave the way for bigger science explorations.
Take a trip over the toxic hot spring through this video.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as the Puerto Rico Department of Health, announced last week that a man from Puerto Rico died from complications of the Zika virus in February.
CNN reported that the center declared this to be the first case in the U.S. and its territories that Zika infection has been linked to a death.
The unidentified Puerto Rican man is 70 years old and lived in the San Juan metro area. He was reportedly treated for symptoms of Zika that lasted less than a week. But after his recovery, he returned to the hospital due to a bleeding disorder.
The man was then diagnosed with immune thrombocytopenic purpura, said Tyler Sharp, an epidemiologist with CDC based in Puerto Rico. With the disorder, the affected immune system attacks the blood cells that allow clotting.
New York Daily News reported that the man died of internal bleeding, less than 24 hours after seeking help at the health center.
Sharp added that this is the ninth reported case of bleeding linked with the Zika virus, but they are still uncertain if contracting the Zika virus would make the patient more susceptible to the disorder.
If that is the case, it might be similar to the association between the Zika virus and the Guillain-Barre Syndrome, in which the immune system attacks the nerves.
Deaths related to the Zika virus are rare. Reported cases are often associated with microcephaly in babies of infected pregnant women.
Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, is currently battling an outbreak, with more than 700 reported Zika cases. Across the 50 continental states, there have been 426 recorded cases. These have all been associated with traveling to areas where there is an outbreak.
In U.S. territories, the CDC recorded 599 cases of the Zika virus.
Since Zika can also be transmitted through sexual contact, New York City has decided to send a million condoms to Puerto Rico, where the outbreak is at its worse in all of the U.S.
Dubbed "NYC Condoms," these will be donated to the island nation through the local health department, as per the NY Daily News.
While there is still no vaccine to combat the virus, some preventive measures can be done, such as keeping the environment clean to prevent mosquitos from breeding in the area and using insect repellent or bug spray. CDC also advises against traveling to countries and areas where there is a Zika virus epidemic, such as Brazil, Venezuela and areas in The Caribbean and the Pacific Islands.
One woman and her four grandchildren died after flood waters swept them away on Saturday at Palestine, Texas.
CNN reports that Lenda Asberry, 64 and her grandchildren Jamonicka Johnson, 6; Von Anthony Johnson Jr., 7; Devonte Asberry, 8; and Venetia Asberry, 9 tried to escape the rapidly increasing floodwater in the middle heavy rain fall and dark night.
A heavy rain creating quite a lot inches in less than an hour resulted in the hasty floodwater rise. Waters were already up to the roof of their low-lying house near the creek when the family managed to flee, which turned out to be a late escape.
"The water came up extremely quickly. The people tried to get out, but before they could get out, the water was already at the roof of the house," said James Muniz, police spokesperson.
Doniell Hudnall, Lenda Asberry's son suspects that his mother got weak after taking so many steps which resulted in her tragic death.
The bodies of the five victims were recovered three hours after the incident when the water finally receded. They have been turned over to Palestinian police for autopsy, according to The Guardian.
Meanwhile, a temporary shelter has been set up in Palestine by the Red Cross, 100 miles southeast of Dallas to house the 18,000 residents affected by the flood.
An emergency declaration has been signed by Bob Herrington, Palestine mayor saying that this is the first time in his 59 years of living in the city that he saw such amount of rain in such a short period of time.
Another body was recovered on the incident known as Giovani Olivas, 30. She was discovered by Merta White, one Palestine resident.
"I thought it was a mailbox, but then I realized what it really was, and I started screaming," said White, as per SF Gate.
This video gives a glimpse on the actual site of the flash flood.
News / Africa
by Sapa
The leader of South Africa's opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party has launched his party's campaign for the upcoming local elections, promising to rescue citizens from poverty, unemployment and corrupt government.Around 40,000 people turned up at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday displaying massive support for fiery EFF leader Julius Malema's promises to seize white-owned land without compensation and nationalise the banks.The huge turnout was a shot across the bows of the ANC, which failed to fill a similar stadium during the launch of its own manifesto in the coastal city of East London two weeks ago. "We're not chasing the whites away. We're saying you have too much land. We want you here in South Africa, but 80 percent of the land belongs to us," Malema told the crowd.The white minority still holds the vast majority of farmland as well as a disproportionate share of the country's wealth. The EFF is capitalising on black discontent over the perceived lack of change under the ANC government since the end of apartheid 22 years ago.Malema, clad in the EFF's signature red overalls and beret, made many promises from free land, water and electricity for the poor to flushing toilets in all homes as he campaigned ahead of municipal elections in August."We want black communities to be like white communities," he told the enthusiastic crowd. The ANC, which has ruled since its iconic leader Nelson Mandela took power in 1994, showed in 2014 national elections that it still had overwhelming support.However, it has been hard hit by a series of scandals involving President Jacob Zuma and some commentators predict it could lose a couple of major municipalities in the upcoming vote. The EFF was founded 2013 by Malema after he was thrown out as the leader of the ANC's youth wing.In national elections less than a year later it won more than a million votes, taking 25 seats in parliament and becoming the third largest party behind the centrist Democratic Alliance, which holds 89 seats.This will be the first time the EFF has contested local elections, where issues such as housing, service delivery, poverty and unemployment rank high on voters' lists of complaints.Meanwhile, Malema says there are only two parties that should contest the elections in South Africa the ANC and EFF. "Everyone else is wasting time," Malema said to loud applause. "We don't compete against anyone else but the ANC." Malema said the EFF was already winning, as they had managed to fill Orlando Stadium. He said people were still fighting outside to get in while he was speaking."ANC failed to fill Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. We've beaten them. We're contesting against the ANC and no one else. Not any other Mickey Mouse party. Bring it on, we're ready for you. We're not scared of you," he said to another round of cheers and ululations. "We're reclaiming the legacy of Winnie Mandela, Robert Sobukwe. The black nation must be proud. This is for the poor people. This is for you, Africa."Malema said people should accept that they could never defeat the black nation. He maintained that his party was being funded by black people and that no white person was pulling strings in the background."This is a party for black people. This is a socialist party that's unstoppable," said Malema. Earlier, he took a jab at the DA, mentioning a banner that it had flown over the stadium. "This is a real banner," he said, in reference to an EFF banner at the stadium, "not that Mickey Mouse banner that was flying here".While the DA banner was flying above the stadium, an SMS reportedly from the DA was distributed around the country. It read: "EFF wants to bring back violence and chaos. They're too extreme to be trusted to govern SA."Earlier on Saturday that DA issued a statement calling on Malema to apologise during his manifesto launch for various controversial statements made in the past."I today challenge Malema, to use the opportunity of live coverage to apologise to South Africa as a whole for his radical and hateful statements which have over many years sought to divide South Africa," Democratic Alliance spokesperson Phumzile Van Damme said in a statement.
A big-rig caught fire and is blocking multiple lanes of traffic on eastbound Interstate Highway 580, according to a California Highway Patrol officer.
The accident, which occured this afternoon, is reported in Alameda County east of Livermore. According to CHP Officer Kevin Bartlett, a fire was reported shortly before noon near the North Flynn Road off-ramp, and was blocking three right, eastbound lanes until about 12:30 p.m.
Bartlett reported that the driver suffered burn injuries, but the extent of these injuries were not known.
"The flames spread to nearby grass and fire crews are at the scene to extinguish the blaze," he said.
According to Bartlett, an estimate for when the three lanes will reopen is not known at this time.
More than one-third of Bay Area residents want to get out of the beautiful but pricey region in the next few years, citing high housing costs and traffic as their biggest reasons, according to a poll released Monday.
Of the 1,000 people polled by the Bay Area Council, 34 percent said they are considering leaving. Those who have lived here five years or less are the most likely to want to leave. In terms of transportation, 34 percent of those surveyed said it was "somewhat harder to get around than a year ago." And 20 percent said it was "much harder" to get around than a year ago.
In terms of housing, 74 percent of those surveyed said it was harder to find housing than a year ago.
And it certainly isn't cheap to leave here. The Economic Policy Institute statistics shows that it costs a family of four about $84,000 to live in San Francisco a year, about $79,000 a year to live in San Jose and Sunnyvale, and about $75,000 a year to live in Oakland and Fremont.
The poll was first reported by the Bay Area News Group.
"This is our canary in a coal mine," said Jim Wunderman, president of the Bay Area Council told the newspaper. "Residents are screaming for solutions."
In addition, this year's poll found that 40 percent of respondents felt the Bay Area was on the wrong track, the newspaper reported. Just 37 percent of Santa Clara County residents believe the Bay Area is headed in the right direction, and only 33 percent of San Francisco residents think the region is on the right track. And, 52 percent of San Francisco residents say the Bay Area is on the wrong track, the poll showed.
"This survey underscores that we have a choice," Carl Guardino, president of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, told the newspaper. "We can be enraged, or we can be engaged. We can engage the broader community on solutions that actually tackle these seemingly insurmountable problems."
The Solar Impulse 2 will be leaving the Bay Area Monday morning following an extended stay in the Bay Area due to weather concerns.
The solar plane, which is in the midst of a trip around the world, will take off from Moffett field for a 16-hour flight headed to Phoenix, Arizona.
Crewmember Elke Neumann said crosswinds in Phoenix had been too high for the plane's expansive 236-ft wingspan to bear, giving the team cause to stay in the Bay Area a little longer than they had planned. The team was planning on taking off on Friday.
All told, the plane and its crew spent a week in the Bay Area after making a 3-day flight from Hawaii across the pacific. The pilot, Andre Borschberg, spent a whopping 62 hours straight inside the small cockpit during the journey.
Solar Impulse 2 will make three more stops in the U.S. before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or Northern Africa.
A 27-year-old woman was shot and killed at an Antioch Quik Stop on Monday, and a male employee of the same age was shot too, and taken to the hospital, police said.
An argument between two customers the slain woman and the alleged shooter turned violent around 7:11 a.m. at the convenience store at 2760 West Tregallas Road, police said.
Officers took Thomas John Williams Jr., 34, of Antioch, into custody outside the police department soon after he gunned down Cynthia Flores-Crose, also of Antioch.
The pair had a "heated exchange" outside the store, and Williams followed Flores-Crose into the Quik Stop and shot her, police said
The employee's father, Tom Payne, said it was his son who was shot in the forearm, and taken to an area hospital. He lives nearby and watched his 27-year-old child, Thomas Payne Jr., get wheeled off in a gurney.
"He had a lot of blood on his hands and it wasn't his," Payne said.
Payne Jr.'s neighbor Vicki Briggs said the store clerk tried to step in and help when the argument spun out of control
"He's just that kind of guy," she said. "He's such a great guy, he tried to de-escalate the situation and ended up getting hurt. Thank God he didn't get seriously hurt."
Briggs added that it is "mind blowing" that Payne Jr. didn't suffer a mortal wound, adding, "I'm glad he's OK. It could have been worse."
Witness Valerie Hernandez, who said she knows Payne Jr., painted a similar picture of an "outstanding young man." She said he is the type of young man who "always wants to be there for people. That's totally in his nature, to step in."
Payne Jr.'s father said he was grateful his son survived, but was shaken because Monday marked the second time the clerk's come face-to-face with a gun since he started working at the Quik Stop two years ago.
"I don't think he should be going back to work there ... I mean twice within a year," he said.
Briggs expressed disappointment at the sorry state of affairs in a town she calls home.
"It's absolutely crazy this town has really gone downhill," she said. "I've lived here all my life, born and raised here ... We can't believe what goes on here."
Williams faces charges, including murder and attempted murder, and is being held at the Martinez Detention Facility.
A man standing in a San Jose home's driveway was shot Sunday afternoon, police said.
Police believe a black truck pulled up outside a residence in the 1600 block of Havana Avenue and someone inside opened fire on the victim.
The assailants fled the scene and remain at large, according to San Jose police. The victim was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Police have not detained anyone and have not provided information about the incident.
Three people were killed and at least 25 others were wounded in shootings across Chicago between Friday afternoon and Monday morning.
Most recently, a 21-year-old woman was shot to death early Monday in the Edgewater neighborhood on the North Side, police said.
The woman and a male were in a vehicle stopped at a red light in the 5900 block of North Ridge about 12:55 a.m. when another male got out of a gray car nearby and opened fire, according to Chicago Police.
The woman was shot in the head and taken to Presence Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, where she was pronounced dead, police said. The Cook County medical examiners office could not immediately confirm the fatality.
A police source said the male sitting in the vehicles passenger seat is a documented gang member. He was not injured in the shooting.
About 1:20 p.m. Saturday, a 36-year-old man was killed in a Washington Park neighborhood shootout on the South Side.
Deitrick Stogner and 17-year-old boy were firing on each other in the 100 block of West Garfield, authorities said.
Stogner, who lived in the 4600 block of South Prairie, suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and side and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:24 p.m., according to police and the medical examiners office.
The boy suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and was taken to the same hospital in good condition, police said. Charges were pending against him.
The weekends first fatal attack happened about 2 a.m. Saturday in the North Lawndale neighborhood, where a 30-year-old Southwest Side man was gunned down.
Lamar Watson was standing outside in the 2200 block of South Kolin when someone walked up and shot him in the head, authorities said.
Watson was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 6:30 a.m. He lived around the corner in the 2200 block of South Kirkland.
The most recent nonfatal shootings happened Sunday evening on the West and Far South sides.
About 9:40 p.m., a 65-year-old man standing in the backyard of a West Pullman neighborhood home was shot in the lower back and right arm by someone in the alley of the 12100 block of South Wentworth. The man was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where his condition was stabilized, police said.
At 7:05 p.m., a 36-year-old man walked into Loretto Hospital after an Austin neighborhood shooting in the first block of North Long Avenue. He told detectives he had been sitting in a parked vehicle when three people walked up and one of them shot him in the chest and shoulder. The documented gang member was transferred to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said.
About 5:30 p.m., a 27-year-old woman was shot in the right arm by someone in a silver van while she was driving in the 200 block of North Homan in East Garfield Park. She took herself to the University of Illinois Hospital, where she was listed in good condition, police said.
At least 21 more people were wounded in other shootings between 8 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Monday.
The young Chicago boy battling incurable cancer, whose request for birthday cards was shared around the world, passed away Sunday, according to his family.
Lucas "Bear" Cervone would have turned 6 in just under a week, and hundreds of people joined in the effort to fulfill his request for cards for his birthday on May 7.
In a Facebook post Sunday, the Cervone family asked for privacy, writing, "At 506pm CST, Lucas BEAR took his last breath. He is cancer free and no longer in pain."
The family gave Lucas one last birthday party in his final days.
Lucas was first diagnosed with pediatric leukemia in August 2012.
"He fought through three very long years and very intensive years of treatment and he won, he beat it," said Lucas' father, Anthony Cervone, in an interview this week.
But a short time later, he was diagnosed with another form of cancer, this one incurable. After a stem cell transplant in November 2015 and months in the hospital overcoming viruses, Lucas returned home to celebrate Christmas with his older brother, Franco, in February.
Then, just a few weeks ago, the Cervone family received the news it had been dreading: doctors found an incurable tumor near Lucas' heart.
The family of a little boy battling incurable cancer is hoping the Chicago community can help give him a very special birthday. Lucas Bear Cervone turns 6 on May 7, and all he wants are cards and letters. NBC 5s Katie Kim reports.
"It has been decided that there are no further curative options," the family wrote April 25 on a Facebook page set up to support Lucas. "In simplest terms, there is nothing more we can do to fight this. We have started palliative chemo to attempt to slow the growth of the tumor. The tumor is wrapped around the pulmonary artery and is pressing on Lucas' heart."
The Cervone family then focused on making Lucas' remaining days his happiest.
"I want him to have the best quality of life I can give him until the end," his father said at the time
Lucas loved to read cards and received 500 letters from well-wishers for Christmas. His family reached out to supporters to try and surpass that number of his birthday.
That call was heard around the world, with hundreds of people, including 'Modern Family' star Ariel Winter, joining in to send cards to Lucas.
"He's my hero," said his mother, Rina Cervone. "I don't think I could ever be as strong as him."
"What we want to show him is his family will be here with him, as well as everyone else," Anthony Cervone added.
News / International
by Staff Reporter
Jah Redeem Zimbabwe
Human Rights Defender and Democracy Activist Nkosilathi Emmanuel Moyo is set to launch a reggae album in exile.The 28 year old activist made headlines for sending a prison uniform as a birthday present to President Robert Gabriel Mugabe early this year before fleeing the country after suspected state agents hounded him over that present.Moyo told Bulawayo24 that he is set to launch a reggae album titled '' which is comprised of seven songs namely;Ras Bob15 BillionThey Wanted Me DeadJah Redeem ZimbabweSet The People FreeCoalition Against The DictatorDemocrats Never Die.'I love reggae and protest music a lot so I would like to express myself this time through reggae music. I am inspired by the late Peter Tosh, he was one of my favourite reggae artists and I can tell you this album am working on is superb' he said. Moyo also authored four political books titled 'Zimbabwe A Revolution Waiting To Happen' 'Robert Mugabe from Freedom Fighter To The People's Enemy' The Rise of Grace Mugabe; The Fall of ZANU PF' and 'Everything Is Possible Without ZANU PF'. The reggae album he is set to launch is his first musical album protesting against the status quo in Zimbabwe.He told Bulawayo24 that he is looking forward to launch it in June this year in Johannesburg, Amsterdam and London.Moyo can be reached on his whatsapp number +263775037579.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Monday that construction will soon begin on a 95-story skyscraper that will become the citys third-tallest building.
The Vista Tower along the Chicago River will house a 5-star hotel with approximately 200 hotel rooms, more than 400 condominiums and approximately 9,000-square feet of retail space, according to a press release from the mayor's office.
The building will stand at nearly 1,200 feet tall on Wacker Drive near Lake Michigan, making it the third-tallest. The Willis Tower still takes the city's top spot, reaching 1,729 feet tall to the tip, followed by Trump International Hotel and Tower spanning up to 1,362 feet.
Studio Gang Architects
Vista Tower is designed by award-winning architect and Chicago native Jeanne Gang at Studio Gang Architects. The building could also reportedly become the worlds tallest building designed by a woman-owned firm.
The project will create more than 2,000 construction jobs and more than 500 permanent jobs, city officials said.
At a cost of $900 million, the project is China's largest-ever real estate investment in Chicago and one of the largest in the U.S.
Parents in Chicago may not have to worry about a teachers strike this school year.
The Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey confirmed to NBC 5 Monday that a strike is unlikely to happen this month, but he's not ruling out the possibility of a strike in September.
State law allowed teachers to walk off the job as early as mid-May, but the union decided against it because it would result in the loss of their salary and health insurance heading into the summer months.
Teachers were also concerned about losing the support of parents who would be forced to find last-minute child care during a disruption to the end of the school year.
A more likely strike date would be in September, after teachers get their first paychecks of the new school year, Sharkey said.
Summer months would give both CTU and Chicago Public Schools additional time to come to terms on a new contract. It also gives state legislators time to consider additional school funding proposals.
The union bargaining committee plan to meet Wednesday to discuss a possible strike date.
The union said in a statement released Monday, however, that members have yet to make an official decision.
"The Unions members have yet to decide when or if we will go on strike in the coming days or during the next school year. State law requires a 10-day notice to our employer if we intend to do so," CTU spokeswoman Stephanie Gadlin said in a statement. Until such notice is given, the CTU is asking all of its members to continue to show solidarity in CPS buildings by wearing red on Fridays, using lunch breaks to talk about long-term revenue solutions and continuing to work with parents and students as this school year creeps to a close. If CPS ends the school year now, it is because its broke-on-purpose budgeting schemes could not afford to keep the doors open in the first place.
A 21-year-old woman was shot and killed as she sat in her car at a red light on Chicagos North Side early Monday morning.
The woman was stopped in her Jeep SUV at the intersection of Ridge and Peterson avenues in the Edgewater neighborhood when someone in a gray sedan pulled up alongside the vehicle and started firing shots, police said.
She was struck in the head, according to police, but managed to keep driving for nearly a block before coming to a stop a near a train viaduct along the roadway.
Officials say a man who was riding with the woman at the time in the passenger seat is a documented gang member, but he was uninjured in the shooting.
The silver vehicle could be seen with a shattered front passenger window as investigators combed over the crime scene hours later.
Police hope some of the businesses near the busy intersection, opposite the Heart of Chicago Motel and the Barrelman Tavern, may have security footage that can aid them in the investigation. Authorities say they are also looking at video from a nearby red light camera to find the killer.
No one is in custody.
A historic Manhattan cathedral was gutted in a blaze hours after its Serbian Orthodox parishioners celebrated Easter on Sunday
The fire started Sunday evening and quickly engulfed the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sava in the Flatiron District, the FDNY said.
More than 700 parishioners had celebrated Easter earlier in the day and enjoyed a luncheon, but the cathedral was empty when the fire started.
A building caretaker attempted to rush inside when he noticed the fire, but was turned back by the flames, fire officials said. He suffered from minor smoke inhalation.
Five other people, including four firefighters, also had minor injuries, according to fire officials.
Onlookers watched in horror as flames shot from stained glass windows.
"It was apocalyptic. Very frightening. And it's a shame," said tourist Herman Tulp.
Members of the Serbian community that worships at the church called the blaze heartbreaking.
"It means the world to me and to see it [...] I was just here four hours ago for Easter," parishioner Jovana Djurdjevic said as she cried.
"This loss is epic. An epic tragedy," another parishioner said.
A church priest, the Rev. Djokan Majstorovic, told The Associated Press that he felt like he was "in a nightmare" as he tried to get to the fire scene that was blocked off by firefighters.
"This church brought everyone together, because although there are Serbian churches in New Jersey, this is like the only one in New York," Djurdjevic. "This is absolutely horrible. Absolutely horrible. My heart is completely broken."
Fire officials said portions of the roof had collapsed and the structure was unstable and in danger of falling down.
The fire continued to burn overnight and crews were still dousing hot spots throughout Monday morning. The blaze was fully extinguished by about 2 p.m.
Investigators say the cause is still under investigation, but fire marshals are looking into whether candles might have been to blame.
Three other Orthodox cathedrals burned the exact same day around the world -- one in Russia, two in Australia -- but police said there's no evidence they are linked. The fire is not thought to be suspicious in nature.
"I just hope it was a candle left out, forgotten somehow," said parishioner Luka Vojdodich. "It was a very old church, it had a lot of wooden pews and carpet, very dry, so it probably went up in flames very quick."
The cathedral, formerly known as Trinity Chapel, was designed in 1850 by architect Richard M. Upjohn in the Gothic Revival style.
The chapel was an Episcopal Church for several decades until 1915, when the area became more commercial and parishioners decided to relocate.
The Serbian Orthodox Church purchased the structure from the Episcopal Diocese in New York in 1943.
The church, on West 25th Street was designated a New York City landmark in 1968.
And despite the destruction, Vojdodich couldn't help notice Monday the flags out front remained intact.
"The flag is still standing, which I think is pretty incredible," Vojdodich said. "I don't even know how that's even possible with all the blaze... That's the meaning I would like to give it."
A Hindu man was hacked to death in central Bangladesh in the latest attack claimed by radical Islamists in the Muslim-majority nation, police said.
Authorities are investigating whether the killing on Saturday of Nikhil Joarder was connected to a 2012 complaint against him for alleged comments he made against the Prophet Muhammad, said Aslam Khan, a police officer in the district of Tangail, where the attack took place.
The Islamic State group-affiliated Aamaq news agency issued a statement saying "elements of the Islamic State stabbed to death by knife a Hindu in Tangail in Bangladesh who was known for insulting Prophet Muhammad." It did not give further details.
Joarder was attacked with sharp weapons by two men on motorcycles as he sat in his tailor shop, Khan said.
Joarder spent two weeks in prison in 2012, and was released after the complaint against him was withdrawn.
The killing was similar to other recent attacks on atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and most recently a gay rights activist by Muslim extremists.
Five people have been killed this year, including Xulhaz Mannan, a U.S. Agency for International Development employee and gay rights activist, and Tonmoi Mahbub, a theater actor, this past week. Two days earlier on April 23, a university professor, A.F.M. Rezaul Karim Siddique, was hacked to death. Nine others were killed last year.
While there have been some arrests mostly of low-level operatives there have been no prosecutions so far and authorities have struggled to make any headway in naming those planning the attacks.
Two men were sentenced to death and six others to prison for the 2013 killing of an atheist blogger.
Nearly all the attacks have been claimed by international Islamist extremist groups, including the Islamic State group and various affiliates of al-Qaida. The government, however, has refused to accept that these groups have a presence in Bangladesh, and has blamed the violence on the political opposition.
San Diego researchers have discovered that some sharks use their fluorescent glow to communicate with other sharks deep under water, and their research has provided some really cool images to show how it works.
Scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, working with experts at the American Museum of Natural History, used a custom-built "shark eye" camera to do the research.
"This study provides the first evidence that sharks can see the fluorescence of their own species," said Dimitri Deheyn, a researcher at Scripps and co-author of the study. "It's not just beautiful but has an ecological purpose."
How does it all work?
Well, people and other land animals live in a full-color environment, but fish live in a world that's mostly blue, because water quickly absorbs most of the visible light spectrum the deeper you go. The research team figured out that many fish absorb that remaining blue light, and then re-emit it in neon colors of greens, reds and oranges.
Then researchers were able to take their findings a step further. They designed a camera that could capture that fluorescent light and they were able to capture a hidden universe.
They focused on two catsharks: chain catsharks and swellsharks.
The scientists went on a number of expeditions at Scripps Canyon in San Diego County. They observed swellsharks in their native habitat, about 100-feet underwater. The team stimulated biofluorescence during night dives with high-intensity blue lights in watertight cases.
The research team recorded the activity (which you can't see with the human eye) using the custom-built underwater camera. The camera had different sets of filters.
"The set of filters we used for the shark-eye had similar effects as if using yellow filters to see fluorescence, as commonly done by divers," Deheyn told NBC7. "The shark eye filter set is just more finely tuned to match the data collected from the eye."
The scientists mathematically modeled the images from the camera, and found that the contrast of the patterns on the biofluorescent sharks increases with depth. That suggests the animals cannot only see the light, but are also probably using it to communicate with one another.
"This is one of the first papers on biofluorescence to show this connection, and a big step toward a functional explanation for fluorescence in fishes," said John Sparks, a curator in the American Museum of Natural History's Department of Ichthyology and a co-author on the paper.
The study was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The FBI is digging outside the Manchester, Connecticut, home of Robert Gentile, a reputed mobster who the FBI has accused of being linked to long-sought paintings stolen from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990.
Officials from the FBI said only that there is court-authorized activity in connection with an ongoing federal investigation, but they had no further comment about what is happening at the home on Frances Drive.
"It's like deja vu all over again. It is reminiscent of the second search that they did of the house where they had found guns and drugs," Gentile's attorney, Ryan McGuigan, said on Monday.
The FBI believes the 80-year-old Gentile, who has a criminal record dating to the 1950s, knows something about the 1990 theft of $500 million in art from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
"I would have to deduce that they're probably looking for evidence from the Gardiner Museum," McGuigan said.
Prosecutors previously said that Gentile told an undercover FBI agent he had access to two paintings and could negotiate their sale for $500,000 each.
Gentile has denied any involvement in the thefts and said he's never possessed any of the paintings.
His lawyer previously said the FBI believes his client has not been forthcoming with everything he knows about the heist and has set him up for arrests twice in the last three years, but his client is not withholding any information.
The 13 pieces of art stolen from the Boston museum have never been found and nobody has been charged in the robbery. The paintings include works by Edouard Manet, Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer, Govaert Flinck and Edgar Degas.
When McGuigan called his client to tell him about the search, Gentile laughed, McGuigan said.
Waterbury, Connecticut, police have arrested dozens of people suspected of mid-level drug sales in the city, including heroin dealers, and they are still looking for nearly 20 additional suspects.
"Operation Stamp Out" is a multi-jurisdictional investigation that has been going on since 5:30 a.m. and police arrested 38 suspects as of 2 p.m.
They said many of them have sold drugs to undercover officers, several times in some cases. Others are believed to be affiliated in the drug trade and felony warrants have been issued for them.
During the bust, police seized one shotgun, crack cocaine, heroin and more than $20,000 in drug sale proceeds, according to a news release.
Officers are still looking for several people and posting photos of them to the Waterbury Police Facebook page.
Delvon Allen, 24, and Ernest Caldwell, 31, are wanted for sale of narcotics and sale in a school zone.
Brandon Garcia, 24, is wanted for two counts of sale of narcotics.
Jorge Gonzalez, 22, Gilbert Irizarry, 24, Shannon Jones, 36, Teryn Jones, 19, Paul Kinion, 56, Rayshawn Maxwell, 26, Monique Reed, 24, Miguel Soto, 20, and Corey Stakely, 25, are wanted for sale of narcotics and sale of narcotics in a school zone.
Tyree Jones, 19, is wanted for sale of narcotics.
Lionel Overstreet, 28, and Abraham Vincente, 31, are wanted for two counts of sale of narcotics.
Malik Pete, 19, is wanted for sale of narcotics, sale in a school zone and tampering with evidence.
Eric Fussell, 21, is wanted for first-degree kidnapping with a firearm and third-degree assault.
Willimantic police arrested eight people during Eastern Connecticut State University spring weekend, but said they are pleased with the way the weekend turned out.
We are very pleased with how the weekend turned out. The fireworks display at the ECSU ball field was well received by all including city residents who were on hand to view them. The bar crawl Saturday night also went smoothly with a couple of hundred students participating. City police would like to thank all of the students for their fine behavior and to wish the out-going seniors all of the best with the next chapter in the lives, Cpl. Stanley Parizo, Jr. said in a statement.
Eight people were charged with breach of peace and released on promises to appear in court.
Please help stop the fighting in Syria. That was the plea as a church leader from that war-torn country stops in Connecticut.
And it came the same day the governor picked up a prestigious prize for his work to defend Syrian refugees.
The Knights of Columbus pushed for the U.S. to call whats happening in Syria and nearby countries a genocide. Secretary of State John Kerry finally did that back in March.
Now the question is what do next and thats part of why the Knights of Columbus helped bring an important figure to the state on Sunday.
At a place usually seen as a safe haven the talk turned to a dangerous part of the world.
I fear for the good people, says Father Edward Kakaty of the Melkite Catholic Church of Waterford.
Hundreds of people filled the pews at St. Marys Church in New Haven for a discussion called Witness to Genocide.
An archbishop from Syria, Jean Clement Jeanbart, described the killings and brutal treatment of Christians and other religious groups at the hands of ISIS.
Its getting much worse than it was before, much worse, says Father Kakaty.
The archbishop delivered a similar message to the United Nations last week. We sat down with him to talk about his message there.
To do what they can to stop this war, says Archbishop Jean Clement Jeanbart.
Many people have fled Syria. Some who tried to find safety in the United States were blocked.
After the terror attacks in Paris, many U.S. governors stopped Syrian refugees from resettling in their state last fall.
"Suddenly in the middle of darkness there emerged a light," says Fatema, a refugee from Syria.
Fatema and her family, who did not want their last name released to protect family in Syria, was prevented from going to Indiana.
In their moment of need, Governor Dan Malloy offered them a new start in New Haven.
For that he was awarded the 2016 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in Boston on Sunday.
"And to raise my voice when people would subjugate other individuals... Would bar them at the door because of the land they came from or the religion they practice. We, as Americans, can not tolerate that, says Malloy.
The governor joins previous award recipients including former President George H.W. Bush and former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
News / International
by Thulani Nkala
Chairperson
Vice chairperson
Sec for Admin
Sec for finance
Sec for mobilisation
Sec for info and publicity
Sec for policy and strategy
Sec for Security
Sec for culture
Sec for Education, health and welfare
Zawu chair
Youth Chair
Committee members:
On Saturday 30 April 2016, Zapu Europe chose its new provincial executive committee (PEC). Arthur Molife was given a clear mandate to lead this PEC after fighting a strong and spirited challenge from the only other contender, Ms Thembie Mpofu. Ms Susan Ndlovu took over the vice chairperson's position uncontested due to her popularity following her achievements as the outgoing Zimbabwe African Women's Union (ZAWU) chairperson. The women met separately to endorse Ms Sipho Sibanda as the new ZAWU head. Mr Siqhelile Ndlovu came out all guns blazing to reclaim his finance portfolio. The youth were not to be left out as Nkosiphathise Cakes 'Makhekhe' Vundhla snatched the policy and strategy post from two other candidates while Arnold Dube fought a strong field of contenders to make it as one of the new four committee members.Results apart, this AGM was a resounding success. The Church of the Martyrs in Leicester was abuzz with excitement throughout. This is not to say there was not a few tense moments with members from the floor challenging some procedures, what with the ever questioning youth. This writer was impressed with the maturity shown in reaching quick but fair resolutions. The council of elders and its Elections committee showed great skill in navigating the proceedings leading to a peaceful casting of votes. Elders Reginald Mhlanga, Brian Muvirimi, Herbert Mafohla and Mr Lawrence Siziba's team deserve a pat on the back. What was even more striking was the good attendance and good camaraderie shown by the delegates. This was reminiscent of the Milton Keynes days when Zapu was re-launched in Europe after its revival back home. Ms Florence Moyo was quoted as saying,'This is an indication that the party's fortunes are about to change for the better, more people will flock to our next meetings just as in the early years after Zapu's revival'. Colleagues drove all the way from as far as Newcastle while a party of five flew from Northern Ireland just to cast their free vote. A free vote is something that remains a pipe dream in modern day Zimbabwe. 'My vote is my secret and I want to make it count' stated Mr Titus Dongo from Birmingham.The NPC nominee Mrs Sakhile Sibanda kicked off the speeches with a message from the Zapu president, Dr Dumiso Dabengwa who wished the delegates a successful AGM. The outgoing chairman gave a powerful speech beseeching the party in Europe to maintain the unity that had been cultivated in the last four years. Former Magistrate, Mr Johnson Mnkandla challenged the younger delegates in the hall to continue the fight to bring Zanu-pf to account for atrocities committed in the early 80s which are better known as the Gukurahundi atrocities and the current misrule.There was joyful singing, dancing, sloganeering, toyi-toying and for a moment one could be forgiven for thinking that these people were free at last. This continued until the all the cast votes were counted. Below is the full list of those who were voted into the new committee:- Arthur Molife- Susan Ndlovu- Thabiso Mabhena- Siqhelile Ndlovu- Adi Moyo- Bokani M Vundhla- Cakes Nkosiphathise Vundhla- Eckem Ndlovu- Ms Zenzo Siziba- Nomathamsanqa Tholo- Ms Sipho Sibanda- Awaiting Youth Congress1. Rosina Ncube2. Cosmas Sikhosana3. Arnold Dube4. Princess Khumalo"This committee awaits its formal confirmation which should soon follow after we submit our reports about the conduct and results of this elective AGM to the national Zapu structures in Zimbabwe. The people have spoken," stated Mr Mafohla, chairman of the Elections Committee.
The University of Connecticut is providing its students with therapy dogs to help relieve the stress of final exams.
The dogs will be available for petting at the school's Homer Babbidge Library from Monday afternoon through Friday afternoon.
The program, named "Paws to Relax," began in the spring of 2010, when a library staff member suggested that puppies might help students cope with stress during finals week.
Registered therapy dogs from multiple organizations including Cold Noses, Warm Hearts; Allen's Angels; and Tails of Joy are taking part in the program.
The school says it is keeping the dogs in a space that won't impact students with allergies who may also need to use the library.
Willimantic police arrested a woman accused of driving with a breath alcohol content over four times the legal limit Sunday.
Police say they responded to Spring Street around 5:10 p.m. for reports of a driver crashing into two parks cars then fleeing. A short distance from the scene on Prospect Street they stopped 39-year-old Jacqueline Steinberg, of Willimantic.
Steinburg, who was not injured, was arrested after failing roadside standardized field sobriety tests. Police say her BAC registered at .332 percent. The legal BAC limit in Connecticut is .08 percent.
Steinburg is charged with driving under the influence, evading responsibility, and failure to drive right. Her bond was set at $1,500.
A BAC this high is fairly uncommon and is one of the top 5 highest I have seen here in the past 19 years. It is irresponsible for anyone to get behind the wheel of a vehicle impaired, but this border lines on egregious behavior with a BAC this high, said Corporal Stanley Parizo, Jr. of Willimantic police.
An unsettled weather pattern will grip Connecticut through the upcoming weekend.
Showers and possibly even a period of rain will return tonight as temperatures remain in the 40s.
The rain will wind down during the morning commute tomorrow, so it will be another soggy drive.
However, tomorrow is more murky than it is wet. While there can be drizzle at any point, there shouldn't be any organized rain. High temperatures will be in the upper 40s.
Wednesday will be mostly cloudy with a chance for showers, with temperatures again in the upper 50s.
The chance for showers continues again on Thursday, with highs in the upper 50s.
Organized rain returns Friday to close the workweek. Yet again, temperatures will be stuck in the upper 50s.
The next dry day appears to be Saturday, just in time to start the weekend! It will be warmer, with highs in the middle 60s.
Apple has created more than 2,000 new jobs in Austin since 2012 and is on track to meet the area hiring goals it promised in exchange for millions of dollars in public incentives, according to documents filed with the city.
The technology giant is set to receive $35 million in tax incentives over the next several years from the city of Austin, Travis County and the state of Texas for an expansion of its operations in central Texas, the Austin American-Statesman reported.
Under the terms of the incentives package, which was signed in March 2012, Apple Inc. agreed to create more than 3,600 new full-time jobs in Austin in 10 years while retaining at least 3,100 existing full-time jobs year over year.
According to the agreement, the average wage for those new jobs is to be $54,000 a year in the first year of the expansion and will stretch to $73,500 in the 10th year.
Apple said last year that it was well ahead of hiring projections. A more recent report -- filed in March by Terry Ryan, Apple's senior tax manager -- indicated that the company continues to outpace the requirements.
As of Dec. 31, the total number of full-time Apple jobs in Austin was 5,102, according to the company's report. That includes 2,089 new jobs created since 2012, according to the report -- an average of more than 550 a year. The agreement calls for Apple to create 300 new jobs by the end of 2016.
Also, report says there were 904 contract employees as of the last day of 2015.
If Apple reaches its hiring goals, it will become the second-largest technology employer in Central Texas, behind only Dell Inc.
In a written statement, Apple said: "We're incredibly proud that Apple's innovation supports tens of thousands of jobs across a wide range of industries in Texas."
Jon Hockenyos, an Austin economist, said the types of jobs Apple is creating at the campus are a key component to the region's economy.
"They provide solid middle-class incomes that sustain families," he said. "They're the kind of jobs any city wants to see being created."
Giovani Oliva, 30, was swept away by flood waters on a county road after more than 7 inches of rain fell in an hour late Friday evening.
Oliva was headed home after a family gathering at a relatives house in Palestine, said Oliva's brother, Marcelino Oliva.
"His truck stalled when he was driving through the heavy water. A tree had fallen in the road," said Oliva. "He was just three or four feet away from us. Waters were about waist deep. We had him in our grasp and let him go."
Oliva said Giovani exited his truck and tried running for higher ground.
"That was the last time we saw him. He got swept away from the current. He was just trying to get home."
Giovani Oliva leaves behind a wife and two young children.
"Not only did he have a big smile, he had a big heart," said Oliva. "He was a good father, a hard worker and one of the best brothers we had. He'll be missed."
The Oliva family is in the process of planning funeral arrangements.
At a previously scheduled community meeting Tuesday night, Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Michael Hinojosa told concerned parents the district is reviewing the policies and procedures regarding the use of metal detectors in Dallas schools.
"I doubt if anything changes for this year, but there's going to be a significant review, and I anticipate some significant changes for next year," Hinojosa told reporters.
Hinojosa says surveillance video showing the student entering the building will be released, but only at the proper time in the investigation.
Dallas ISD police added extra officers Tuesday at an Oak Cliff high school after a shooting at the school Monday morning. [[377823221,C]]
Police say a 15-year-old student brought a loaded .22 caliber pistol, a Derringer, to Justin F. Kimball High School with him.
The student then accidentally shot himself in the hand and leg in a classroom at about 10:30 a.m. He was rushed to hospital.
"His injuries are quite serious," said Dallas ISD Police Chief Craig Miller. "But they are non-life threatening injuries."
Officers are still investigating why the 15-year-old brought the loaded gun with him to school in the first place, and also where he got the weapon. He now faces mandatory expulsion.
Some parents are demanding security changes at an Oak Cliff high school after a school shooting Monday morning.
Police say they haven't decided on any charges yet for the student or his parents.
There is a metal detector at the front door entrance to Kimball High School.
Miller said the student arrived with a parent Monday morning after the first period bell had already rung to begin the school day, and it appears no one stopped the student as he walked through the detector.
"We want to talk to the person who was there monitoring the metal detector stand. We certainly want to make sure the metal detector was working," Miller said.
A Dallas ISD statement said that "procedures for use of the metal detectors was not applied" in this case.
Our apologies for the typos earlier. We got in a rush. Our revision: pic.twitter.com/of9oT7w9EF Dallas ISD Media (@DallasISDMedia) May 2, 2016
Many parents are outraged.
"Having just one metal detector at the door is just unacceptable. The school needs to be brought up to par," said parent Eva Alexandro, who rushed to Kimball after her 16-year-old daughter texted her about the shooting.
"She just said, 'Mom, I'm at the gym. I'm hiding. I'm scared, but I'm safe,'" Alexandro said.
Miller said the student was in a classroom with about 25 other students when he accidentally shot himself with the small-caliber pistol.
"The student came in this morning for a parent-teacher conference. The metal detectors are monitored differently after school starts," he said. "The student, in this instance, came into the school building for this meeting with a parent, and the metal detectors weren't being observed at that point."
Many parents said that in light of the shooting, the front-door entrance needs to be monitored all day long.
"I'm furious. I'm just furious right now," said parent Lashell Booker, waiting to get word from her ninth grader son.
Chopper 5 was above Kimball High School in Oak Cliff shortly after officials say a student inadvertently shot himself Monday morning.
She said it's scary that people students, or visitors aren't automatically stopped if they set off the metal detector, regardless of the time of day.
"I'm very scared. Because we drop our children off, our students come to school, and we hope they are fairly protected and I come to find out today they are not," she said.
One student snapped a photograph of the gun moments after the shooting, after it fell to the floor. It quickly circulated among high school students' social media accounts.
Dallas ISD police say they are still taking statements from witnesses about what led up to the shooting, and they still need to review the school's front-door surveillance video.
"We want to look at the video and see exactly what took place here and make sure guns don't come onto campuses," Miller said.
Many students say security could easily be improved by keeping a staff member or hall monitor at the front door at all times.
"There's only one metal detector at the front of the school. It's understandable, but honestly security should have been better," said 10th grader Liberty Pena.
"It's pretty scary. I'm fearful of my life because of what happened," she said, being comforted by her parents.
Teachers are also upset.
"There are all kinds of weapons that can be hidden, and if the detectors are not working then everyone at that campus is at jeopardy in some way," said Rena Honea, with the Dallas Teachers Union.
NBC 5's Kevin Cokely, Holley Ford and Brian Roth contributed to this report.
A team from Granada Hills Charter High School was welcomed with cheers, awards and lots of praise Monday after winning the 2016 U.S. Academic Decathlon in Anchorage, Alaska -- the school's fifth title in the last six years.
The San Fernando Valley school scored 54,195.1 out of a possible 60,000 points to win the overall competition Saturday, where more than 450 students from the U.S., Canada, China and the United Kingdom gathered to compete.
Team members Mark Aguila, Julian Duran, Isha Gupta, Joshua Lin, Christopher Lo, Aishah Mahmud, Melissa Santos, Mayeena Ulkarim and Jorge Zepeda returned to school Monday morning, and were greeted with a rally to celebrate their win.
"We're really just grateful to be here with everyone who is here to celebrate with us," said Melissa Santos, a junior at the school and member of the decathlon team. "It's an incredible feeling."
The victory was not only for the students, but for their teachers, friends and parents.
"I don't want to brag," Aida Santos, Melissa's mother said. "She has potential to be a leader."
"Congratulations to the decathlon team for a stellar performance throughout the Academic Decathlon season," said Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Michelle King. "The entire L.A. Unified family is extremely proud of your unwavering determination, pride and selflessness. You are all champions."
The nine-member team is made up of A, B and C average students who have gained more than medals along the way.
"I came into decathlon really shy," said Joshua Lin, a senior at Granada Hills Charter. "These guys have really shown me that I can be myself in front of them."
Granada Hills Charter High School has dominated the state and national competition recently. The team beat 68 other schools at the California Academic Decathlon in March, scoring a record 61,149.6 points out of a possible 65,400. It has also won four of the last five national titles -- from 2011 to 2013, and again in 2015.
A California school has now won the U.S. title 14 years in a row, and LAUSD schools have won 17 national titles since 1986. City News Service contributed to this report.
City News Service contributed to this report.
A 44-year-old man who went hiking in Chatsworth was rescued Sunday after braving the elements for two days, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.
A LAFD helicopter hoisted the man to safety around 4:45 p.m. after rescue crews found him in rugged terrain near a radio tower.
The man's cellphone battery was running low after he had been in the area near 11160 De Soto Avenue for two days, fire officials said.
He was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation, LAFD said.
Authorities on Monday were searching for an inmate who went missing from a conservation camp near Azusa.
Wade Anthony Raffaniello, a minimum-security inmate serving time for transporting and selling a controlled substance, was last seen in his dorm at Julius Klein Conservation Camp about 12:05 a.m. during a routine security check, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a press release.
When he was discovered missing, staff searched the inmate dormitory area, surrounding buildings and camp perimeter, but he was not found. Local law enforcement agencies have launched a search for Raffaniello.
He is described as a 50-year-old white man, about 5 foot 9 and 200 pounds, with a shaved head and hazel eyes. Raffaniello is serving a four-year sentence and had been set to be released in April 2018.
Anyone with information on Raffaniello's whereabouts was asked to call the Julius Klein Conservation Camp commander at 626-910-1213 or their local law enforcement agency.
News / Local
by Staff Reporter
A man from Bulawayo's ghetto suburb of Makhokhoba was today found hanging dead from a tree in a suspected case of suicide.In pictures: Bemused residents stampede to catch a glimpse of the deceased man.Police later came and dispatched the onlookers.Residents amongst the crowd identified the late man only as "saNkanyiso".More details to follow...
Two bodies recovered from the Los Angeles River are that of two teenage boys reported missing Friday night, coroner's officials confirmed Monday.
Police and firefighters found two bodies matching the description of Gustavo Ramirez, 15, and Carlos Jovel, 16, Sunday after family reported them missing. The bodies were positively identified by the Los Angeles Coroner's Office early Monday morning.
It was the news that the families of two missing teen boys hoped and prayed they would not hear.
The families had been distributing fliers in search of the boys since they disappeared Friday afternoon.
Both boys were students at Sotomayor Learning Academy.
Police and firefighters launched a search to find the teens after receiving a call about two boys in the LA River about 5 p.m. Sunday.
Police weren't sure if the missing child reports were connected to the LA River until Sunday when new information became available.
An anonymous call linked the disappearance and the call on Friday, and rescue dive teams immediately went to the water.
LAPD media relations posted on social media that crews were searching the water at 6 p.m. Sunday.
The first body was recovered at 7 p.m. and the second just 30 minutes later.
A member of the citys crisis team gave the news to the families standing on the riverbank.
On Friday, four teens were hanging out at the LA River in Cypress Park near San Fernando Road and Granada Street.
One of the boys fell into the water, and another jumped in after him to try and help.
"We dont have a necessarily strong current here but it doesnt mean there wasnt something moving on that day," Meghan Aguilar with the LAPD said.
The LA River is usually shallow however, in the area near Glassell Park, the water reaches 12 feet in depth.
The LA River tends to swell around times of heavy downpour, like in the case of three people and dog becoming trapped in a tree in September.
Grief counselors were to be on hand Monday morning at Sotomayor Learning Academy, LAUSD Monica Corazo said.
John Cadiz Klemack contributed to this report.
Thousands of people rallied in the streets of downtown Los Angeles Sunday for annual May Day marches supporting rights for immigrants and improved conditions for workers, while also rallying against what they see as hateful presidential campaign rhetoric.
"The housekeepers in the hotels, the cooks and the dishwashers -- they make this nation strong," Maria Elena Durazo of Unite Here said to a crowd.
Demonstrators carrying signs and chanting slogans have taken to the streets at two marches that began at 12:30 p.m. downtown.
The May Day Coalition of Los Angeles gathered at 11th and Figueroa streets, to march east on 11th Street and north on Los Angeles Street, ending with a rally on Aliso Street northeast of the Civic Center area.
The Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition held a march and rally, themed "Build Bridges Not Walls,'' with participants gathering at Broadway and Olympic Boulevard. The group will march north on Broadway and Spring Street, ending with a rally at Grand Park in the Civic Center area.
Police urged motorists to avoid the area and plan alternate routes.
Organizers spoke out against hateful rhetoric targeting immigrants, workers and women following remarks by leading Republican presidential contender Donald Trump.
Trump has called for a wall on the border with Mexico and chided Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton for playing the so-called "woman card."
Hundreds of marchers also moved a large inflateable "Trumpzilla" down Broadway.
"In addition to fighting for workers' rights, we are fighting for our dignity this time around, our self-respect," said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesman for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.
Police said that no arrests were made, and despite a minor confrontation, the marches were peaceful.
More than 120 parking tickets were issued, and 60 cars were towed.
For more than a century, International Workers' Day has been celebrated on May 1 to mark the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago, when a bomb turned a worker rally into a deadly event.
The marches have roots in labor movements calling for worker rights. But it recent years, demonstrations in the United States have taken up various timely causes.
Large marches are also planed in Portland, Cleveland, Miami, San Francisco and Oakland.
Copyright Associated Press/NBC Southern California
Lions rescued from circuses in Colombia and Peru and airlifted to South Africa scratched their manes on trees and explored their new territory in the African bush after being released into a sanctuary north of Johannesburg Sunday.
One of the 33 lions, a male known as Zeus, let out a mighty roar before stepping out of his cage into an enclosure where he will spend the coming months being monitored by a vet.
The lions arrived at the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary shortly after dawn on Sunday to end a two-day journey from South America.
The lions were freed after the use of wild animals in circuses was outlawed in Peru and Colombia.
It will be impossible for the lions to survive in the wild as they were bred in captivity and their circus owners mutilated many by breaking their teeth and removing their claws. Because they cannot hunt they will be fed game meat and will have water in their enclosures.
"They are remarkably calm after such a long journey," Tim Phillips, the co-founder of Animal Defenders International which led the rescue of the lions told The Associated Press. "It was a dream come true watching them step of those cages into their new homes in the African bush."
Ted Cruz responded to a young heckler who yelled out "you suck" during a campaign event in Indiana by telling the child that such an outburst would land him a spanking in the Cruz household.
The heckler, described by an NBC reporter as a boy who appeared to be 10 years old, interrupted Cruz as he was speaking in La Porte on Sunday.
"Apparently there is a young man who is having some problems," Cruz said.
The person could then be heard yelling, "You suck!"
"Thank you son. You know I appreciate you sharing your views," Cruz responded. "You know, one of the things that hopefully someone has told you is that children should actually speak with respect."
The audience roared its approval as Cruz, a father of two, continued to riff on his parenting views.
"Imagine what a different world it would be if someone had told Donald Trump that years ago," he said. "You know, in my household, when a child behaved that way, theyd get a spanking."
Cruz faces a key vote in Tuesday's key Indiana primary against front-runner Trump, who has a 15-point lead in the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll.
There was an overdue reunion for a man who spent half a decade on the streets. He has been homeless and separated from his family for six years.
On Monday, he and his loved ones reconnected and NBC 6 South Florida was there for the special moment.
"He was just always happy, go lucky, dancing," said Gabby Cordell with the Choose Love Foundation.
But a lot has changed since Cordell met Roberto Ulloa six years ago on the streets of Downtown Miami. Ulloa has lived a hard life that would transform that dancing to an assisted, wobbly shuffle.
"He had a stroke, then another and then another. He's had three. One right after another," Cordell explained.
There were more changes ahead for Ulloa as Cordell plucked him from the streets. Loaded in her car was Ulloa's world: a radio, CD player and a couple coolers.
"A folding chair, a walker, a five-gallon bucket," Cordell said.
She began trying to reunite Ulloa with his family using the organization, Miracle Messages, along with a YouTube video.
After emails and phone calls, Cordell located Ulloa's family in New Brunswick, New Jersey. They made the trip to see the man they haven't heard from in six years. A hug for Ulloa from his uncle's wife; an introduction to a second cousin, who didn't exist when he took off.
"I'm so happy. Just between happy and sad, because I never thought something like that," Francisca Salvador said. "I never expected to see him in this condition."
All Christina Salvador knew was that her cousin took off for Florida. Three years ago, she found out he was in jail and figured it wasn't the worst thing.
"Okay, so maybe he's not on the street, he's there. In prison they feed you and everything. That's what we thought," Christina said.
Ulloa then took another car ride; 18 hours to New Jersey with family to catch up on the last six years.
Choose Love and Miracle Messages have worked together in the past. It doesn't always work out; the homeless person doesn't want to go home or the family wants nothing to do with that person. They have reunited two other families.
A man's planned explosive attack on a South Florida Jewish center was thwarted by the FBI through an undercover operation involving a dummy bomb, authorities said Monday.
James Medina, 40, made his initial appearance in federal court Monday following his arrest last week in the alleged plot against the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center, which includes a synagogue, school and meeting halls. Medina is charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, which carries a potential life prison sentence.
To read Medina's full criminal complaint, click here
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton said the FBI learned in March that Medina, a Muslim convert who said in court he also goes by James Muhammad, planned to bomb the center by placing a device under a car or throwing it over a wall. An FBI undercover operative was used to provide Medina with a fake bomb, and he was arrested after accepting it on Friday near the Jewish center, Anton said.
A judge appointed a public defender for Medina, who began his court appearance by announcing "I got a few words of my own.'' U.S. Magistrate Judge William C. Turnoff told Medina he might want to keep his mouth shut.
"I urge you to understand that anything you say can be used against you,'' Turnoff said.
A bail hearing was scheduled for Thursday.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., who represents many of the Jewish center's 800 congregant families, suggested that Medina may have been motivated by anti-Jewish bias. The plot would have struck during the synagogue's Passover celebration last week.
"This attempted attack is a harsh reminder that there are many in our community who are motivated by bigotry and violence," she said in an email statement. "As a community and a nation we must work together to confront this kind of hatred."
A 17-page FBI affidavit unsealed Monday includes numerous comments allegedly made by Medina about his plan, which initially envisioned use of AK-47-style weapons to shoot up the Jewish center. Several of these conversations were recorded by an informant identified only as a "confidential human source" in the document.
According to the FBI, Medina wanted to create a leaflet to be left at the scene in which he would claim the attack was traced to the Islamic State terror group. There's no evidence the group was actually linked to Medina, but he told the informant that leaflet would "make it look like it's ISIS (Islamic State) here in America. Just like that."
The plot, Medina said in one conversation, would be to "strike back at the Jews, by going to a synagogue and just spraying everybody ... It's a war man and it's, like, it's time to strike back here in America." Later, Medina called the plan "my call of duty."
"When I'm doing this, I feel that I'm doing it for a good cause for Allah," he is quoted as saying.
Another undercover FBI employee several times asked Medina whether he really wanted to go through with the plot, which might include killing women and children.
"I'm up for it. I really am. This is no joke. This is serious, dog," Medina said on an FBI recording.
The Aventura center's Rabbi Jonathan Berkun and Executive Director Elliott Karp released a statement on the center's Facebook page saying the FBI stepped in before any harm could be done. Berkun and Karp said they had been briefed on the case by law enforcement officials.
"They assured us that the synagogue and school were never at risk at any time during the investigation and arrest, and that there are no credible threats directed against us at the present time," their statement said.
Medina said in court he is unemployed, divorced and has no assets. He has been arrested several previous times on relatively minor state charges, including a 2012 stalking case in which he was accused of threatening a Coral Springs family and their church with violence. The charges were later dropped.
A well-known St. Petersburg couple whose bodies were found in their home on Friday died in a murder-suicide, police said.
Former St. Petersburg police officer Gerard Joseph Stempinski, 69, shot his wife, Marie Stempinski, then himself, police said.
Gerard worked for 25 years as a police officer and detective before becoming a successful financial adviser, The Tampa Bay Times reported. Marie, 72, was president of a communications firm and a frequent business columnist for the paper. A former television reporter, she also taught TV and radio production at St. Petersburg College.
A friend told the newspaper that Gerard had seemed depressed recently because of an injury that required him to use a walking cane. Marie had also recently suffered a severe hip injury.
"He once told me, 'If you don't have health, then you don't have anything,'"' family friend Hardy Bryan III told the newspaper. "He basically went from someone who was very healthy to almost an old man overnight."
Police were called after the couple's daughter alerted friends that she hadn't heard from her parents. People became concerned when Gerard Stempinski did not show up for work at the financial services firm where he was an associate vice president for investments.
Former St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster lowered a U.S. flag hanging outside the couple's home to half-staff.
"(Gerard) and Marie were a fantastic couple," Foster told the Times. "Both were very involved in the city. They loved St. Petersburg. They were never going to move. I guess I just wanted to honor them somehow."
A spiraling Puerto Rico debt crisis reached a new milestone as the island missed nearly $370 million on a bond payment Monday and officials warned of worse to come if the U.S. Congress doesn't help it dig out from a mountain of debt.
The default was the largest in a series of missed payments by the struggling U.S. territory since last year and Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla warned it was unlikely to be the last.
Puerto Rico has payments totaling nearly $2 billion coming due on July 1, including about $700 million in general obligation bonds that are supposed to be guaranteed under the island's constitution. In an ominous warning directed at Congress and creditors that include U.S. hedge funds, Garcia said the outlook for the next payment is bleak.
"We don't anticipate having the money," he told a news conference in the capital, San Juan.
The remedy, Garcia warned, is either a restructuring arrangement with creditors or legislation from Congress. U.S. lawmakers left for recess last week while a bill that would restore Puerto Rico's legal authority to restructure as states are able to do and set up a fiscal control board was stalled in committee.
Garcia, who inherited the crisis when he took office in January 2013, blamed lobbying by "vulture" hedge funds and what he called "racist" attitudes toward Puerto Rico.
"Our worst enemy at the moment is politics," he said.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday's default should be another red flag for Republicans in Congress. "This situation requires an urgent response and Republicans in Congress have been dragging their feet for too long," Earnest said.
The White House has put forward a plan that would allow Puerto Rico's government to restructure its debt and impose new oversight on finances, among other measures. Earnest said the oversight measures distinguish the proposal from a bailout, a charge Republicans have lodged against the plan. But, Earnest warned, continued delay in Congress "only makes a bailout more likely."
Following Monday's default, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew released a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan in which he urged him to work quickly to resolve the "few outstanding issues" on the legislation to help Puerto Rico. "Going forward, Puerto Rico's $70 billion of debt is unsustainable by any measure. It simply cannot afford to pay its debt," Lew said.
Garcia has been warning since last year that the island's overall public debt of more than $70 billion is unpayable. On Sunday, he announced the suspension of a payment on debt issued by the island's Government Development Bank, a day before a scheduled $422 million was due on the GDB's $3.8 billion in debt.
Puerto Rico managed to reach a restructuring deal with island credit unions that shaved off about $30 million from the total due Monday, and paid $22 million in interest. But that still left it short nearly $370 million, and in default.
Garcia said he had no choice but to suspend the debt payment to avoid cutting essential public services such as schools and medical care.
The default was expected to trigger investor lawsuits, though Treasury Secretary Juan Zaragoza and Justice Secretary Cesar Miranda told The Associated Press before the news conference that none had been filed so far. It did not cause upheaval in U.S. financial markets, likely because the island's economic troubles have been known for years.
Puerto Rican citizens have struggled through a decade of recession, cuts to public services, rising taxes and much higher unemployment than on the U.S. mainland, and it now stands at nearly 12 percent. Many on the island are anxious about the default, but agree there was little choice.
"If they pay the debt, they are going to cut health care and that's what worries everybody," said 83-year-old Jose Ugarte as he sat with friends discussing the implications in a plaza in Old San Juan. "This is a debt that isn't ours. It belongs to (former governors) Luis Fortuno and Pedro Rossello. Let them pay it."
But 24-year-old Vilmarie Galarza says she isn't so sure. "To me, it's bad because you have to pay," she said as she paused while taking photos in the plaza.
Puerto Rico has been suffering through more than a decade of economic decline since Congress phased out tax cuts that had made the island a center for pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturing. Garcia's predecessors, with the acquiescence of the island legislature, borrowed heavily to cover over budget deficits.
The total debt of the island of some 3.5 million people is greater than any U.S. state except much more heavily populated California and New York.
During the 2009-2013 term of Garcia's predecessor, former Gov. Luis Fortuno, some 30,000 public sector workers were laid off in an unsuccessful effort to get the budget under control. Asked if he was considering anything similar, Garcia said that would hurt families and would just ripple across the private sector as it has in the past. He said he would only cut the public payroll if ordered by a court.
"It's a very complicated situation. We are navigating waters that no one has ever navigated," he said. "There's no map."
A Hallandale woman is facing a number of charges after police say she made threats to kill and blow up Miami Beach Police officers.
An arrest report states 39-year-old Johanna Garcia made phone calls and left several threatening messages on the Miami Beach Police internal affairs phone number last week.
In the voicemails, Garcia reportedly threatened "I'm gonna kill you all" and said she was going to "blow you up" using expletives to refer to officers.
Garcia is also accused of sending an email to Miami Beach's records manager on Sunday, April 17 saying "answer me or watch me blow u up, so u never forget my name!"
A Facebook page which appears to belong to Garcia shows her holding two AK-47 assault rifles, police said.
She was arrested Sunday and is facing numerous charges, including making written threats to kill or do bodily injury and making bomb threats.
In court Monday, Garcia told the judge, "I am suing the state for being sexually assaulted and they don't want to investigate. That is the entire case here."
In response to the "blow you up" allegations, Garcia defended herself in court, "I said 'blow up your phone' meaning, 'I'm gonna call you.'"
Garcia had several outbursts in court Monday, with the officer eventually cutting off the microphone.
On the fundraising website called, Fundly, Garcia wrote how she was raped by police officers. Back in 2009, she sued MBPD, arguing they did not seriously investigate her claim that several officers sexually assaulted her.
Garcia was ordered held on $23,000 bond. It's not known if she has hired an attorney.
News / National
by Stephen Jakes
Teachers at Zeda Primary School in Mutare were reportedly forced to contribute $1 towards independence.This was revealed by the Zimbabwe Peace Project which said that on 22 March 2016, in Mutare West Ward 10 at Zeda Primary, every teacher at theschool was ordered by Zanu-PF to pay US$1-00 each towards the Independence celebrations."The instructions were relayed through the school head who passed the message on to the teachers," ZPP reported. "The instruction has affected other schools in the ward including Nzvenga, Mafararikwa, Gwindingwi and Masharu. The instruction has come despite the economic hardships facing the generality of the population."ZPP said on 22 March 2016, at Lydia Chimonyo High School, Chimanimani West, teachers were forced to pay US$1 each towards the Independence Day celebrations by Zanu- PF local leadership."It is alleged that those who refused to pay were told to put that in writing. The majority of teachers complied due to fear," ZPP said."On 22 March 2016, Jane Nzanga (not real name), an MDC-T member of Dangamvura, was physically assaulted by Beaven Kakomwe, a Zanu-PF member. The actor and fellow party members were at a meeting when the victim passed through the venue of the meeting. The actor suspected that the victim was on a spying mission and went to her and began to assault her using clenched fists. The victim sustained a swollen face and broken wrist."
The apartment shared by Stanley and Stella Kowalski in the Streetcar revival now open at St. Anns Warehouse sits on a constantly-in-motion turntableone probably not unlike the carousels real streetcars glide onto, when reversing direction.
Streetcars may be liberating, because they take us away. But the one Gillian Anderson steps onto, as tragic Blanche DuBois in a stylized update of the Tennessee Williams classic, keeps turning and turning, and getting her nowhere.
The smoldering star of TVs The X-Files and The Fall was Olivier Award-nominated for her work as the fading Southern beauty who pays an ill-fated visit to her sister and brother-in-law in New Orleans. Blanches foil, Stanley, here is played by an animal-like Ben Foster, who made his Broadway debut in 2013s Orphans.
Aside from the set, this production (a co-effort by the Young Vic and Joshua Andrews) is notable for its modernities: the Kowalskis French Quarter apartment could be a sterile Williamsburg condo. Foster, with his tattoos and tank tops, wears cargo pants that might be from Old Navy; the band of his Under Armour boxer-briefs is exposed when the trousers come off.
Not making the trip to the 21st century, however, is Anderson, in a performance rife with mid-20th century assumptions about politesse.
Blanche retains a facade of courtliness that may not exist anymore, even among proud Southern families. Andersons interpretation strikes a note of dissonance with the other performances from this castit will surely be a polarizing point for audiences; I liked it. Inarguably, its almost as if she were in an entirely different play from the other performers.
Andersons hair is lightened blonde from its usual auburn, lending her face a starkly washed-out appearance. Her Blanche is clearly a woman who has lost all she loved the most: her home, her social standing, her youth and beauty. By the plays devastating final scenes, she looks like a childs makeup-smeared Barbie doll.
Foster, the 3:10 to Yuma and Alpha Dog actor, went full-on method for his characterization of the ape-like Stanley, watching YouTube videos of gorillas seeing themselves in mirrors, reports said. Rather than memorializing a simmering Marlon Brando, Foster creates a different Stanley, just a smart-alecky guy in a working class job.
For chills in this 3-hour-plus staging, directed by Benedict Andrews (currently helming the film adaptation of David Harrowers Blackbird), theres no better moment than when Stanley slips into the kitchen as Blanche is telling Stella (the excellent Vanessa Kirby) how common she finds her spouse.
Never aware Stanley is overhearing the discussion, Blanche steps backward so close to the combustible Foster that I was surprised she couldnt feel his breath on her neck. The two leads have a tantalizing and twisted chemistry.
Impressive, as well, is Corey Johnsons Mitch, the articulate fella who hopes Blanche could be the woman to provide him companionship once his mother passes. Mitchs disappointment, when he learns truths about Blanches past, is expressed in a horrifying scene where he nearly smothers her with the full weight of his body.
Because the set rotatesmostly, it crawls at about the speed of The View restaurant, atop the Marriott MarquisAndrews must ensure scenes are blocked so that audience members on all sides of the nifty turntable get their big moments with a character. There will be a few times your view is obstructed by a pillar or door (all walls have been removed).
Supporting characters often yell from catwalks. Scene changes are noted with jarringly loud songs, among them Chris Isaaks Wicked Game and P.J. Harveys To Bring You My Love.
This is an enjoyable interpretation of an American classic, unfrozen from its typical place in time. If Streetcar doesnt expose the emotional crises of its central characters, theres no point watching it. The sterile backdrop here does its job, with all that blankness forcing our attention onto the chaos being played out in its midst.
A Streetcar Named Desire, through June 4 at St. Anns Warehouse, 45 Water Street, DUMBO. Tickets: $85 & up. Call 718-254-8779.
Follow Robert Kahn on Twitter@RobertKahn
A 7-year-old girl with autism was taken to the hospital with injuries Monday morning after she fell two stories from a Bronx apartment building, authorities said.
The girl fell from the building on Andrews Avenue near West 183rd Street in University Heights at about 3:30 a.m. Monday, police said.
The girl might have been chasing a cat on a fire escape when she fell, according to the NYPD.
Authorities initially said that the girl fell four stories, but later said she was on a second-story fire escape when she fell.
After lying on the ground for about 15 minutes, she was able to get up and knock on neighbor Sandra Crespo's door, but collapsed again soon after. Crespo told NBC 4 New York she had heard the impact of the girl's fall -- first hearing the knocking, and then groaning.
"When I looked out the window, I saw her feet, I thought, 'oh, my God, it's a kid,'" she said.
Crespo's 13-year-old son climbed through their first-floor window, she said. He saw the girl bleeding from her mouth, picked her up and brought her to safety.
"She was limping a lot. So I just helped her walk a little bit, I put her on over my shoulders and make her walk better," said Daniel Castro.
A family that lives in the neighborhood believes it was their cat Black she was chasing.
"I can understand why she was trying to go, she loves kitties. She was probably trying to just rescue him," said young Destiny Matthews.
The girl was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. She was alert and conscious, but bleeding from her injuries, police said.
The girl's sister told NBC 4 New York said she has minor injuries.
"She's OK, she's alive and breathing and everything," she said.
No criminality is suspected. The building's superintendent claimed the fourth-floor fire window has a safety gate but police are investigating.
"It shows how unsafe buildings can be. I do hope that the building can be made safer for kids," said Castro.
A historic Manhattan cathedral was gutted in a blaze hours after its Serbian Orthodox parishioners celebrated Easter on Sunday
The fire started Sunday evening and quickly engulfed the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sava in the Flatiron District, the FDNY said.
More than 700 parishioners had celebrated Easter earlier in the day and enjoyed a luncheon, but the cathedral was empty when the fire started.
A building caretaker attempted to rush inside when he noticed the fire, but was turned back by the flames, fire officials said. He suffered from minor smoke inhalation.
Five other people, including four firefighters, also had minor injuries, according to fire officials.
Onlookers watched in horror as flames shot from stained glass windows.
"It was apocalyptic. Very frightening. And it's a shame," said tourist Herman Tulp.
Members of the Serbian community that worships at the church called the blaze heartbreaking.
"It means the world to me and to see it [...] I was just here four hours ago for Easter," parishioner Jovana Djurdjevic said as she cried.
Flames shooting from Cathedral of St. Sava on 25th in #NewYork. No word on injuries. pic.twitter.com/pGJRhrLbWO Bob Redell (@BobNBC) May 1, 2016
Witnessing a huge church fire in flatiron. Flames billowing out. Rood pouring the smoke. Completely engulfed. pic.twitter.com/8qJfgc2zcE Mollie Tavel (@MobileMollie) May 1, 2016
"This loss is epic. An epic tragedy," another parishioner said.
A church priest, the Rev. Djokan Majstorovic, told The Associated Press that he felt like he was "in a nightmare" as he tried to get to the fire scene that was blocked off by firefighters.
"This church brought everyone together, because although there are Serbian churches in New Jersey, this is like the only one in New York," Djurdjevic. "This is absolutely horrible. Absolutely horrible. My heart is completely broken."
Fire officials said portions of the roof had collapsed and the structure was unstable and in danger of falling down.
The fire continued to burn overnight and crews were still dousing hot spots throughout Monday morning. The blaze was fully extinguished by about 2 p.m.
Investigators say the cause is still under investigation, but fire marshals are looking into whether candles might have been to blame.
Three other Orthodox cathedrals burned the exact same day around the world -- one in Russia, two in Australia -- but police said there's no evidence they are linked. The fire is not thought to be suspicious in nature.
"I just hope it was a candle left out, forgotten somehow," said parishioner Luka Vojdodich. "It was a very old church, it had a lot of wooden pews and carpet, very dry, so it probably went up in flames very quick."
The cathedral, formerly known as Trinity Chapel, was designed in 1850 by architect Richard M. Upjohn in the Gothic Revival style.
The chapel was an Episcopal Church for several decades until 1915, when the area became more commercial and parishioners decided to relocate.
The Serbian Orthodox Church purchased the structure from the Episcopal Diocese in New York in 1943.
The church, on West 25th Street was designated a New York City landmark in 1968.
And despite the destruction, Vojdodich couldn't help notice Monday the flags out front remained intact.
"The flag is still standing, which I think is pretty incredible," Vojdodich said. "I don't even know how that's even possible with all the blaze... That's the meaning I would like to give it."
A Brooklyn man was surprised to find that his parked SUV had been moved and even more stunned when shown a video of how it was relocated: with a forklift.
Henry Nahrwold says the unauthorized forklift ride, which occurred two weeks ago, caused about $2,600 in damage to his small SUV.
"I felt violated," he said. "You just can't touch someone else's property."
His vehicle was moved from a parking spot on South 3rd Street in Williamsburg and placed on the sidewalk next to a tree. Nahrwold said he had received no request to move his vehicle.
A neighbor showed him a video of the forklift picking the SUV about two feet off the ground and moving it to the sidewalk.
A company working on the redevelopment of the former Domino Sugar refinery site blames a subcontractor for damaging Nahrwold's SUV and told NBC 4 New York that Nahrwold will be compensated.
Christian Vazquez hit a two-run homer over the Green Monster to break a seventh-inning tie Sunday night, sending the Boston Red Sox to an 8-7 victory over the New York Yankees and a three-game sweep of their archrivals.
Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts each had three hits and Travis Shaw homered for Boston, which has won seven of eight to move into first place in the AL East.
Alex Rodriguez homered for the third time in four games and added a two-run double for the Yankees, who have lost a season-high five in a row.
David Price (4-0) earned the win despite allowing six runs and eight hits in seven innings. Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth for his eighth save.
Dellin Betances relieved Ivan Nova (1-1) with one on and two outs in the seventh, but Vazquez hit the first pitch over the left-field wall for his first homer of the year, and just the second of his major league career.
Nathan Eovaldi, who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning at Texas in his previous start, gave up hits to the first two batters on Sunday as the Red Sox took a 1-0 lead in the first.
Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in the third, then Boston took a 4-3 lead in the bottom half when Hanley Ramirez singled to score two runs before Shaw's single brought in David Ortiz.
Rodriguez drove in two more runs in the fifth and then scored to make it 6-4 on Mark Teixeira's single. But Boston again answered, this time on Shaw's two-run homer that tied it 6-all.
It stayed that way until Shaw singled off Nova with one out in the seventh. Brock Holt replaced Shaw on the bases with a fielder's choice, then Betances replaced Nova.
Police are searching for the man who threw coffee on another man following an argument in Brooklyn.
The suspect got into a dispute at Gourmet Deli on Bedford Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant on April 19.
At some point during the argument, he allegedly tossed hot coffee on a 32-year-old man.
The victim suffered burns to his chest, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.
A driver was arrested after she allegedly ran down two children walking to school in New Jersey Monday morning and before fleeing the scene, according to police.
The two kids were hit at 7:48 a.m in front of Our Lady of Victories School in Sayreville, according to police. A five-year-old boy sustained head injuries and a broken leg, while his 8-year-old brother suffered abrasions, police said.
The boys were taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, according to Capt. Glenn Skarzynski. They are expected to survive.
The driver, 36-year-old Margaret Cheheli, allegedly drove off after hitting the children but was arrested a short time later, according to police.
Skarzynski praised a mother who "whipped out her cell phone" to get a picture of fleeing car and a father who got a good look at the driver and identified her after her apprehension.
Authorities are also looking into whether the driver was distracted.
"Phones, radios, there's a lot of distractions, so one of the things that will have to be looked at is whether this driver had her on the verge of attention on the road," said Sayreville assemblyman John Wisniewski.
Some children attending the school were shaken after seeing the chaos.
"She's pretty emotional now, she's pretty scared," parent Milo Pawelczyk said of his 5-year-old daughter Kayla.
"As soon as we pulled up, she saw the cop car and started crying and I had to tell her it would be OK," he said.
"It was very hectic, lots of police and worried parents," said parent Dianna Ruiz.
Additional police arrived around dismissal time Monday to reinforce the crossing guard in front of the school. Police said it's not normally a dangerous crossing, and even parents backed up that assessment.
"Most people will stop, but some drivers, if they're in a hurry, they don't stop," said parent Rob Sekarak.
Police say they play a sort of whack-a-mole game with speeders as they look for them: put enforcement in one place, and speeders pop up elsewhere in town.
Cheheli faces several counts including aggravated assault, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash involving a serious injury, endangerment and evidence tampering. Authorities say Cheheli allegedly threw here keys after stopping the car.
Attorney information for the woman wasn't immediately available.
Campus police at Stony Brook University are searching for a suspect accused of groping a female graduate student.
The woman told officers she was forcibly touched by the man on Saturday inside the Social and Behavioral Science building, police said.
The suspect has been identified as 33-year-old Miguel Angel Condori, police said.
The university police department notified the campus community about the incident and deployed additional officers at various locations throughout the night.
Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to contact the campus police at 631-632-3333.
Lehigh University Police told students to avoid Palmer Hall as police investigated a possible device in the dormitory for more than an hour Monday.
The university police worked with Bethlehem firefighters to do "full search" of the dorm in the Centennial II Complex around noon Monday, said the campus' Twitter feed. [[377822891, C]]
Police told students to avoid the entire Lower Centennial area until giving the all clear after 1 p.m., said students.
No word yet on what, if anything, police found while searching the building.
It was a Blue Cross Broad Street Run that one local couple will never forget and it had nothing to do with their time of the rain at Sundays 2016 race.
Thats because Mike Dziura got down in the middle of Broad Street City Hall in the background and proposed to his girlfriend Paula Barg right in the middle of Broad Street as family and friends watched on both sides of the street.
I had no idea, said Paula. All I knew was that I was upset with the weather, that my hair was ruined and I was really into my time so I kept looking down at my watch.
The couple was on a 7:40 pace a short distance from their home along Locust Street when some of the signs along the way started to make sense including friends and family along the course calling ahead to the next people. Then Mike and a friend pulled a quick switch with Mikes best friend (also named Mike) right near City Hall.
My fiance Mike gave him his sweatshirt and then (other Mike) gave him the ring, said Paula.
They then made the turn back onto Broad Street and toward their home at Broad and Locust
His family was on one side of the street so we ran to them and they told us that my family was actually on the other side of the street so were trying to cut across to get to them which was part of the plan and then in the middle he got down on one knee. [[377792061, C]]
Philadelphia-based photographer Amanda Coe, strategically placed in the middle of Broad Street near Locust Street (about 6 miles into the 10-mile run) captured the moment Paula an expression of shock said yes.
Video shot by Paulas family captures the proposal and the cheers of other fellow runners and elated family members some who ran halfway on the course and nearly got ran over in the process. After a kiss and hug, the newly engaged couple ran toward Paulas family tears in their eyes.
Paula, who works at Comcast, says she kind of blacked out and doesnt remember exactly what Mike, who serves as an assistance principal at a Center City charter school, told her.
Mike filled her in, he said, I love you more than anything and I would love to have the rest of my life by your side, something along those lines.
The couple never did finish the race.
It was very convenient to be able to stop the race at that point, said Paula. My family must think I was crazy for this, I even said I was going to finish but there was no way, I could barely walk and could have cared less. [[377726131, C]]
So will they eventually get back on Broad Street?
Paula and Michael often run together and that maybe sometime they will run the final four miles to the Navy Yard.
Congrats to the couple.
News / National
by Stephen Jakes
Mthwakazi Republic Party is today honouring the ex-Zipra cadre David Moyo popularly known as Sharp Soot for his wonderful fight against the colonial soldiers during the liberation struggle such that he became known by the enemy as a fight who can not miss.MRP spokesperson Mbonisi Gumbo said the party is excited to announce that on Monday 2 May 2016 will present goodies to Moyo a Zipra cadre popularly known as Sharp shoot, because of his shooting skill and prowess in the manner he fought the war during the liberation struggle even the former White Colonialists recognized him as a brave and a gallant son of the soil."In Kezi, Maphisa there is a Camp which was named David Camp after David Moyo by the Smith regime. The ceremony will be held at Emganwini," Gumbo said."Moyo was born in 1925, he joined Zapu at its formation in 1961 and was instrumental in the liberation struggle during his Youthful days, and he is also a brother to Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo who was a respected Zipra cadre as well," he said. "In the formation of Zipra, Sharp Shoot took part and played a pivotal role in recruitment and training of Zipra Forces Moyo was in the same trenches with Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma the current South African President, Zipra and Umkhonto weSizwe worked hand in hand during the Liberation struggle."He said Sharp shoot as he is affectionately known played a key role in the struggle of this country, but he is not being recognized by theZanu PF Regime probably because he is Ndebele person."We have officially invited Zipra Officials to attend the ceremony in honor of our Hero. Moyo doesn't know Zuma as President but as a Cde in arms, we realize that Zipra forces played a key role in the attainment of Zimbabwe's independence as former Ian Douglas Smith commander General Peter Walls acknowledged that if he could get an army like Zipra and umkhonto wesizwe he was going to conquer Africa from Cape to Cairo within a short space of time," he said. "But they are not recognized in this country. He never mentioned Zanla because they were not a force to reckon with. Moyo is still alive though he is now disabled after he lost his two legs during the struggle."He said but he is not living a befitting life like his counter parts from the Zanla side, he is struggling to make ends meet his situation is more dare considering his condition and age as he is now 91 years."Apart from the role Cde David Moyo popularly known as Sharp shooter played as a Zapu and Zipra official. He is now one of the Key Elders within Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP), Sharp Shoot was with us even during the early days of the formation of MRP. We applaud him so much as our Hero and Cadre of repute at his age of 91," he said. "He has been so active and has been giving us the much needed wisdom and information as far as our true history is concerned. Cde Sharp Shoot is a strong advocate of Mthwakazi Restoration, for him the struggle continues. We are yet to achieve true independence as Mthwakazi people."
Nearly three years after he was shot and nearly killed in the line of duty, Philadelphia Police Officer Edward Davies returned to work on Monday.
Davies, now 43, was a six-year veteran working in North Philadelphia's rough-and-tumble 25th Police District in August 2013 when he was shot and wounded during a violent struggle inside a Feltonville corner store with a man who police said fled a car stop.
On Monday, the Philadelphia Police Department shared on its Facebook page a picture of Davies with his son, who is holding up a sign that reads, "993 days later ... First day back to work!"
Davies, a father of four, will be working in the Advanced Training Unit at the Police Academy, a department spokesperson said.
Davies was shot during a violent confrontation with Eric Torres inside the Almonte Mini Mart at 4th and Annsbury streets the afternoon of Aug. 13, 2013. Police at the time said that Davies and Torres struggled over a stolen gun that Torres had been carrying, and that Torres managed to fire the .45-caliber Glock during the struggle, sending a bullet tearing through Davies' abdomen.
The bullet badly damaged one of the officer's kidneys, forcing doctors to remove it, and severed an artery, causing him to lose a dangerous amount of blood. He underwent several surgeries as a result of his injuries, was placed into a medically induced coma and spent more than a month at Temple University Hospital.
A jury found Torres guilty in March 2015 of aggravated assault, assault on a police officer and related offenses, but acquitted him on an attempted-murder charge, drawing ire from the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 and Davies' fellow officers. Torres is now serving a 66- to 132-year sentence in state prison for the officer's shooting.
In 2014, Davies received the police department's Valor Award for "exceptional bravery and disregard for personal safety."
When he received the award, Davies told NBC10 that he hoped to "get 100 percent back to where I was before this happened." He added that his youngest son, Justin, helped him in his recovery.
"He's my therapy every day," he said.
Jury selection in the federal racketeering case against U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah is underway in Philadelphia, setting the stage for one of the most prominent trials of an area politician in a decade.
Jury selection is underway in the federal corruption trial of 11-term Congressman Chaka Fattah. Defense attorney Enrique Latoison tells us what Fattahs attorneys will be looking for in a juror.
Opening arguments are scheduled to begin May 16, and picking a jury could take several days. Various motions by both Fattah's defense and federal prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia are also expected between now and the beginning of the trial in two weeks.
Fattah, 58, is charged with bribery, racketeering, money laundering, and other charges in an alleged scheme that dates back to a $1 million loan during his failed 2007 run for mayor.
Four others, including a wealthy longtime political supporter, are also charged.
The congressman, who hails from West Philadelphia and has represented the city-based 2nd Congressional District for 22 years, lost his re-election bid last Tuesday to state Rep. Dwight Evans.
Jury selection got underway Monday in the trial of U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., who is facing federal corruption charges. .
Fattah is most known for his role in establishing a scholarship program for Philadelphia students called CORE, which provided thousands of scholarships to college.
His son, Chaka Fattah Jr., was convicted in February for tax and bank fraud and sentenced to five years in prison. He was convicted on 22 of 23 federal charges that he filed false tax returns and stole from the Philadelphia School District.
A memorial service was held for a 16-year-old girl who died following a fight with other girls at a Wilmington, Delaware high school.
Loved ones of Amy Joyner-Francis offered their condolences to her family Sunday evening at St. Paul UAME Church in Wilmington.
On April 21, Joyner-Francis was involved in a fight with at least two other girls in a first-floor womens bathroom inside Howard High School of Technology at the start of classes that day. After the fight, she complained about head and chest pain. A school resource officer called 911 and Joyner-Francis lost consciousness before medics arrived. CPR was performed as she was flown to a nearby children's hospital where she later died.
An autopsy was performed, but the results haven't been released because the investigation is ongoing, the coroner said.
Three girls who were considered persons of interest in the teens death were suspended by school officials but so far no charges have been filed.
"These things take time," Wilmington Police Chief Bobby Cummings said of the investigation. "We are not at a position at this time to file charges."
The girl's death left the high school community reeling. Students held vigils and mourned their friend's death and parents flooded school officials with calls about student safety. The school held two nights of parent meetings to allay parent's fears.
"It's very, very sad inside," said Wilmington mayoral candidate Steven Washington. "Everybody is hurting. The little kids, the high school students, there's a lot of them in there."
Cummings did not say when police may wrap up the investigation, but assured the community that it would be thorough.
During Sunday's memorial, friends, family and even strangers gathered to say goodbye.
Were all hurting, said Marselino Candelaria, a family friend. For your daughter not to come home or your son not to come home because youre going to get an education and then nobodys been charged yet. Whats going on in Wilmington?
All New Jersey public schools will be required to test for lead in their water supplies starting next school year.
Gov. Chris Christie asked the legislature on Monday to authorize $10 million to pay for the testing, but will mandate it either way. In March, testing found elevated lead levels in school buildings in Newark.
"I think its the right thing to do because theres a public concern about it," Christie said.
The governor also announced the state is lowering its lead action level to match the standard set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The action will guarantee state aid to children with lower detectable levels of lead in their blood then previously.
"Were going to lower it there so parents have absolutely no concern about the effect lead might have on their kid," the governor said.
The governors announcement come one month after he steered $10 million toward ridding his states aging homes from lead paint. This March, the NBC10 Investigators exposed New Jersey diverting millions of dollars from its lead remediation fund to the states general fund.
William Miller, IV, a political consultant who helped forge the campaigns of some of Philadelphias most prominent politicians, died at the age of 68 Saturday. Millers family confirmed he died at Abington Memorial Hospital of complications from a stroke.
Born in West Philadelphia, Miller served in the United States Air Force and then received his Bachelors degree from St. Josephs University and his Masters Degree in Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania.
Miller spent over two decades working in Philadelphias city government in which he held several positions, including the Chief Deputy Register of Wills. He then founded Ross Associates, Inc. in 1981, a Philadelphia-based political consulting firm that directs electoral politics and campaigns. That same year he served under Philadelphia Mayor William J. Green as the architect and Executive Director of a Task Force which worked to increase minority hiring in the Philadelphia Police Department. In 1983 he was the political and field director for W. Wilson Goode, helping him become Philadelphias first African-American mayor.
Miller was also the co-founder of former Pennsylvania Governor Robert P. Caseys Advisory Commission on African-American Affairs, a founding board member of the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Philadelphia, and the senior consultant to the Pennsylvania State Democratic Party. As the senior consultant, Miller became the first African-American to lead a state delegation to a national convention during the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco.
Among his other accomplishments, Miller was also appointed to the Tax Reform Commission in 2003 in which he researched ways to lower taxes and attract businesses to Philadelphia. In 2004 he created Philadelphia Forward, a nonprofit public policy advocacy organization, serving as the groups chairman until December, 2006. Miller also served on the Board of Directors of Allion Healthcare, Inc., Delaware River Waterfront Corporation.
Miller is survived by a wife, daughter, son, daughter-in-law, three grandchildren and two sisters. A viewing will be held for Miller Friday, May 6 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Salem Baptist Church on 610 Summit Avenue in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. A funeral service will immediately follow at the church.
A New Jersey Institute of Technology student was fatally shot at his Newark fraternity house during a robbery early Monday morning, police say.
Shots were fired in a robbery attempt at about 3:30 a.m. at the Tau Kappa Epsilon house on Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard, police said.
The victim, 23-year-old Joseph Micalizzi, was taken to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Micalizzi studied mechanical engineering and graduated from Freehold Township High School in 2011.
His best friend from high school, Tyler Gdovian, said that last time he talked to Micalizzi he mentioned not feeling safe at the frat house. Micalizzi told his friend he had been robbed twice that semester.
"No one wants to hear this news," Gdovian said.
NJIT said that it was "saddened" by the death and that the school is extending thoughts and prayers to Micalizzi's family and friends. The national organization that oversees the TKE chapter at NJIT likewise said it was saddened by the shooting.
Streets surrounding the fraternity house were cordoned off Monday morning as police investigated.
Students said they woke up Monday to an email alert about the killing. One, junior Asad Ahmed, said he's now worried about his safety.
"I can't even walk around the block," he said. "That's how scary this is now."
It's the second fatal shooting in Newark involving a college student in the last month.
On April 10, Rutgers University - Newark student Shani Patel was shot and killed at his off-campus apartment. Marcus Feliz, 25, was arrested in the Toms River 21-year-old's death.
Authorities and the college are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in Micalizzi's death.
Anyone with information should call the Essex County Prosecutor's Office at 1-877-TIPS-4-EC.
A teenager with just four fingers gained so much attention online for his talent on the piano that he was invited by a renowned international pianist to play at Manhattan's iconic Carnegie Hall.
Darrius Simmons, a 15-year-old from Warren, Ohio, was born with three fingers on his right hand and one finger on his left, and no bones below both knees.
He taught himself to play the piano at 10 years old when his grandfather introduced him to the instrument, he told NBC 4 New York, and learned to make his prosthetic legs press the right pedal.
Recently, Simmons began posting videos of himself playing onto Facebook, and they got the attention of Korean pianist Yiruma, who was about to perform at Carnegie Hall on April 22 as part of his first North American tour, the boy said.
"He saw it and invited me to play with him," Simmons told NBC 4 New York over the phone.
Yiruma told Simmons during their first meeting, "All those determination and all that, I learn from you, really," reports Ohio news station WFMJ, which followed Simmons to New York for his performance. "I have so many things that can be learned from you."
"It's just amazing. How can you do that? All those jumps, you must find it really difficult?" said Yiruma after watching the teen play in person.
Simmons replied, "It's not that difficult to me, honestly."
New York concertgoer Kirk Aleman told WFMJ that Simmons' performance "blew me out of the water."
"It was very exciting," Simmons told NBC 4 New York of playing at the storied venue last Friday.
Simmons said he learned to play the piano simply by listening to music and mimicking the notes on the keys.
"I listen to a lot of songs repetitively, over and over, and I guess by doing that, I developed an ear. I can play a lot of music by ear," he said.
His mother said her son has never been inhibited by not having 10 fingers. She said he's been playing instruments at home, at church and at school.
Now that Yiruma has advised Simmons to start working on his own music, "I'm really going to take what he said to heart and compose my own stuff," he told WFMJ.
Two men are being held in Hawaii in the killing of a former Encinitas resident who lived in Maui, Maui police confirmed.
Maui police arrested Healohaomakanaamekai Akahi Pua, 24, Saturday in the death of Michael Colby, a 39-year-old artist described by friends as an amazing painter.
Pua, charged with second-degree murder, was being held on $1 million bail.
A 16-year-old male was arrested on Friday by Maui police and turned over to the Sheriffs Department.
Colby moved from Encinitas five years ago and enjoyed painting around the island.
A beach goer discovered his body on March 18 in the area of Kaa Point, just west of Kanaha Beach.
Colbys friends raised money to hold memorial tributes to Colby in Maui and Encinitas.
This years annual Breath of Hope walk was dedicated to Craig Blower, the Chief Operating Officer at Balboa Parks Reuben H. Fleet Science Center for more than 15 years.
Blower passed away two weeks ago from lung cancer.
Hundreds of people came out to Cancer Survivors Park at Spanish Landing for UC San Diego's annual 5K, which helps raise money for lung cancer research and supports people living with the disease.
Every year the "Breath of Hope" walk funds at least one clinical trial at UCSD's Moore's Cancer Center.
"This is my mom's legacy, Rebeca Enriquez, the "Breath of Hope" Chair told NBC 7. This is what I get to be a part of to honor her every year, her doctors, her nurses, the people who supported us and brought us chemo dinners, the people who gave us a community.
Eight years ago Enriquez, along with her mother Maria and several other patients, started the walk. Maria Enriquez, who never smoked, passed away in 2013.
Blower, who was diagnosed in 2013, kept an online blog of his journey through the disease. He often used humor to deal with the diagnosis with posts such as To Benign or Not to Benign: No Longer the Question, and another Can a Mole Get a Sunburn?
I have two options: focus on the positive or the negative. The negative doesnt do me or anybody else any good, so Id rather stay on the positive side as much as possible and hope thats forever, said Blower in an interview with NBC 7 two years ago.
Blower, who never smoked a day in his life, lived in Scripps Ranch and volunteered every Wednesday at Rady Children's Hospital for 25 years.
He will be remembered Sunday at the Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park.
More than a thousand people are expected to attend the ceremony.
NBC 7 was the exclusive sponsor of the Breath of Hope" walk.
News / National
by Stephen Jakes
ZIMBABWE Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) have said they stand in solidarity with workers of Zimbabwe in commemorating International Workers' Day on 1 May 2016.ZLHR says it salutes all courageous working women and men who have sacrificed so much to promote and defend the right to a dignified life free from poverty, a living wage, social justice and human rights for all, regardless of socio-economic status or privilege.International Workers' Day is a day full of history and symbolism for workers' solidarity and the struggle for decent working conditions, and is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the achievements of workers in the social and economic spheres."In Zimbabwe, it is dismaying that for those who are still engaged in formal employment, this year's International Workers' Day commemorations is another difficult day on which they continue to grapple with grinding poverty, slave wages in much of the public and private sector, and continued assaults on their fundamental rights and freedoms," said the ZLHR."This is so despite the hollow claims that Zimbabwe has enjoyed 36 years of independence from its oppressors. It is terrifying that a country which was once prospering and even considered the bread basket of southern Africa, can sink to such low levels where workers who were gainfully employed have been left without jobs as a result of forced retrenchments occasioned by massive closure of companies."ZLHR said those workers who are fortunate to be employed in the private and public sector continue to earn slave wages that do not allow them and their families to live above the poverty datum line, while unemployment and inequality is increasing at a shocking pace."Sadly, the government and employers in private enterprise have turned their backs on the working people. The promise that was delivered to Zimbabweans in 2013 of creating 2.2 million jobs has remained a fallacy and a crowd-pleasing pre-election sweetener," ZLHR said."Workers in both the public and private sector have had to endure slashed and delayed salaries while some identified and unidentified heavy weights in the corporate, and indeed some government entities have abused their position, to unjustly enrich themselves."The organisations said while Zimbabwe's constitution now guarantees some key provisions, social and economic rights violations continue on the increase, with more cases being attended to by organisations such as ZLHR since May 2015."Of great concern are violations of the rights to shelter, which has been by far, the biggest challenge from the legal and socio-political perspective as forced demolition of houses and informal sector trading stalls continue. As a result, workers and their families have been left displaced and had their property and livelihoods destroyed," said the ZLHR."With most workers condemned to informal sector trading, it is worrying that those eking out a living by way of informal employment are always at the mercy of government. The never-ending economic decline continues to result in growing formal unemployment and increased informal trading, which the government has attempted to formalise with various challenges, including disrespect for constitutional protections."The ZLHR said these populations are at risk of repression and political manipulation."Running battles continue to be experienced between informal sector traders and the municipal police and ZLHR regrets that at times the action taken by authorities has been arbitrary leading to loss of wares by the informal traders even when the law is clear on how confiscated goods must be dealt with.While the new Constitution has some provisions which protect labour rights, freedom to demonstrate and petition and the right to collective job action and collective bargaining, it is saddening to note that the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), a police service sworn to work for the protection of the populace continues to disregard workers' rights through attempting to suppress their legitimate activities in cases where they are not legally mandated to intervene," said the organisation."To prove their unrepentant nature, some members of the ZRP continue to deny workers and other citizens the right to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed and recognised fundamental rights and freedoms of association and assembly.Just in January, police in Harare suppressed a protest organised by Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe while in August 2015, ZRP prohibited the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) from staging street protests over the massive job losses in a move which exposed high levels of paranoia by state security functionaries."ZLHR said the unilateral actions by the police are contemptuous of commitments in the new Constitution, which ensures freedom of assembly, association and freedom to demonstrate and petition."We are perturbed that the police seem not to learn, even after ZLHR has on numerous occasions in recent years fought on behalf of the ZCTU and labour union leaders to secure one court order after another nullifying the ZRP's unlawful use of the offensive Public Order and Security Act to stop workers' union activities," said ZLHR."We reiterate that ZRP should desist from prying into, and destabilising, labour union activities as the police have no business in trade union work. On the remuneration front, ZLHR is disheartened that both private and public sector workers continue to receive slave wages despite endless promises by politicians to review and improve their torrid working conditions, while at some state-run institutions such as National Railways of Zimbabwe and Grain Marketing Board, protests in demand of payment of their outstanding wages and salaries continue to be disregarded."The organisation said it is lamentable that, while workers who have been condemned to slave wages struggle to survive, some privileged people in government, who are enjoying lavish lifestyles, have elected to be blind to the workers' plight because they are covered by the unfair salary structures and the allowances they amass from sometimes superfluous foreign jaunts and other questionable activities including the opaque accounting for the country's mineral wealth."From the unsolicited and shocking disclosures revealing that Zimbabwe could have lost $15 billion in potential diamond revenue, ZLHR calls upon Parliament to launch a probe into the authenticity of such a scandalous revelation and take appropriate remedies in line with its mandate," ZLHR said."The government must end its insensitivity towards workers, implement labour law reforms and the recommendations of the International Labour Organisation's Commission of Enquiry Report on violations of trade union rights, and reduce the high levels of income tax that are a millstone on beleaguered workers of Zimbabwe."ZLHR also called upon all employers and the government to respond to the workers' plight by paying all workers a minimum wage above the PDL, and improving their working conditions including access to life-prolonging anti-retroviral drugs and functional health facilities."To us responsibility for the failure to remunerate workers with Poverty Datum Line (PDL) linked salaries and improve their working conditions lies squarely and fully on the shoulders of the government, which has proven that almost three years after presiding over the state of the country's affairs since the last election, it is simply unconcerned with the challenges faced by workers and those outside their ivory towers," said ZLHR."ZLHR remains fully committed to promoting, protecting and defending workers' rights and we stand together with the working and unemployed masses in Zimbabwe in calling for a better and more dignified life for all."
Joan Klinke waved the American flag for her 97-year-old husband before his flight landed at the San Diego Airport Sunday.
Hundreds of family and friends waited for 76, mostly World War II, veterans on the Honor Flight. The vets returned from Washington, DC after visiting the WWII Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Arlington Cemetery and other memorials with Honor Flight San Diego, a non-profit branch of the nationwide Honor Flight Network.
Klinke, festively sporting two American flags on her head, has been married to her former WWII pilot for 74 years.
Our mom followed him through all the basic training and its just a beautiful story of love, one of Klinkes daughters said.
Their father, Ray, was shot down over a German prison camp and held there as a prisoner of war, his other daughter explained.
The day my dad was shot down was the day she came home with my brother, the one that [accompanied their father] on the trip, her daughter said.
Whatever they say is true, Klinke laughed.
Sharon Kocaya and her sister Jane Muntz traveled with their 92-year-old father who served in the Army in the Pacific during WWII on the cross-country trip.
The experience is something we wish everyone could experience, Muntz said. Its amazing to be with all these seniors that have had such experiences that we will never know.
Private First Class Adam Ballard also waited for his father who served in the Navy in the Vietnam War. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1970 from President Nixon after he fearlessly threw himself upon a lethal hand grenade to save Marines, Ballard said. Fortunately for him the hand grenade didnt go off until after hed thrown it away.
Ballard said his father is one of the reasons he joined the Marine Corps himself.
Fred Warner served in the Navy in Guadalcanal.
I heard about this Honor Flight, and they called me and they treated me like a king. Thats the most wonderful thing Ive ever seen. It was a wonderful weekend. I enjoyed it. ..I cannot believe this crowd. There was a crowd in Washington, DC that couldnt compare with this crowd. I so appreciate it. All my girls are here, my daughter, Warner said getting emotional. It means the whole world to me. I thought everybody forgot about us World War II veterans. Not many of us left.
Sheriff's investigators say a man randomly stabbed while walking home alone in Fallbrook in January was a hate crime, and three men now behind bars attacked him because of the color of his skin.
Hugh Pettigrew, 33, died on Feb. 9 after succumbing to stabbing wounds suffered on Jan. 22, San Diego County Sheriff's investigators said.
Kevin Garcia, Tyler Dean and Ryan Valdez were charged with murder, criminal gang acitivity and hate crime Monday, San Diego Sheriff's deputies (SDSO) announced Monday. Garcia and Dean were in custody on unrelated charges and were rebooked. Valdez was arrested and booked into the Vista Detention Facility.
You had three individuals that are known documented gang members that are out on the street late at night they see this individual walking down the street late at night again, based on part of their motive, would have been the race of Mr. Pettigrew and decided to attack him," said SDSO Lt. Kenneth Nelson.
The arrests come after months of uncertainty for family members and friends, who pleaded for answer's in their loved one's death.
Sheriff's investigators say the 33-year-old man was walking home along the 400 block of Ammunition Road in Fallbrook on Jan. 22 when he was stabbed multiple times. Investigators say the wounded man was able to stumble to his nearby home where he collapsed.
SDSO detectives were investigating the death for months. Part of that investigation, they said, was surveillance video from nearby businesses that shows three men--believed to be in their late teens or early twenties--wanted in connection with Pettigrew's murder.
Nelson said he believes the three people seen on the surveillance tape are, in fact, the people they arrested. He said there was a myriad of evidence, including witness statements and forensic evidence, and it took a while to put all the pieces together.
In the surveillance video, the men are seen exiting a red, 1997 Honda Civic, driven by a woman who parked in an Albertson's parking lot.
Homicide detectives say the trio of men headed to the side of the grocery store toward the area where Pettigrew was stabbed around 10:45 p.m. Pettigrew died from his injuries nearly three weeks after the attack.
Family members and friends previously told NBC 7 the death was a tragedy, but they were thankful they knew him.
He got me through a lot of stuff in life, Sherry Weevie said of her friend through her tears. "Weevie still remembers the dance moves Pettigrew taught her to do whenever she was feeling bad.
He looked out for everybody and made sure everybody was okay, friend Sonya Menard recalled. That's why it kind of hurt, I felt like nobody was there for him in his time of need."
Lot owners say theyre unhappy with Mount Olivet Cemeterys board of directors after it refused to answer questions following the News4 I-Teams investigation into the cemeterys finances.
When you buy a gravesite at the cemetery in Frederick, Maryland, you become a lot owner, and almost two dozen of them showed up demanding answers at the cemeterys first board meeting since a News4 I-Team investigation raised questions about the cemeterys finances.
The key issue is to have all records opened up, Carl Thomas, who buried his wife at Mount Olivet in December, told the I-Team during the meeting. To see where money has been spent for non-cemetery use, basically what you reported on."
Another lot owner, and former board member, Joe Shelton told the I-Team most of his family was buried at the cemetery. I'm very dedicated to this cemetery, growing up here in Frederick, he said. If it's still mismanaged and a lot of illegal things continue to go on, they're going to bankrupt this cemetery.
Media were not allowed inside the chapel used for the meeting.
But just before he went inside, Shelton told the I-Team he already filed a criminal complaint with the Frederick City Police Department and Frederick County States Attorney J. Charles Smith after watching how the I-Team pieced together receipts showing questionable spending by the cemeterys Assistant Superintendent Rick Reeder and his stepfather, Superintendent Ron Pearcey.
The Frederick City Police Department and the state's attorney both confirmed to the I-Team they launched a formal investigation.
Pearcey and Reeder declined to comment as they left the meeting.
Unfortunately those who listen to one side of this story may have a preconceived opinion, their lawyer, Dan Loftus, who also represents Mount Olivets board of directors, later told the I-Team.
Acknowledging, of course, that we've reached out multiple times to try and get that other side of the story from everyone involved, but we've been told they're not going to make a comment, I-Team reporter Tisha Thompson responded.
Well, I still can't make a comment because, you appreciate this, Tisha, I can't talk about something that is a personnel issue, Loftus said.
The board could not answer some of the questions brought up by lot owners during the meeting, citing the ongoing investigation, Loftus said. He previously told the I-Team the board took prompt and appropriate action when it investigated the two men but does not wish to discuss its actions publicly.
We'll restore the trust, there're no questions about it," Board member Tim Horman then said.
But several lot owners, including Thomas, say the board didn't answer any of their questions during the meeting.
I'm disgusted, I'm annoyed, I'm mad, Thomas said. I'm at the point now where I will be contacting the State's Attorneys Office. I tried to do this on their terms. They don't want to do it on their terms, so I'm going to deal with it on mine."
Reported by Tisha Thompson, produced by Rick Yarborough, shot by Jeff Piper and Steve Jones, and edited by Jeff Piper.
Amtrak says two of its trains that travel between Pittsburgh and Washington are being affected by the CSX derailment over the weekend.
Amtrak said in a statement Monday that its Capitol Limited train, which runs daily between Washington and Chicago, won't run between Pittsburgh and the District of Columbia. Amtrak will be busing passengers to and from Pittsburgh to complete their journeys.
On a normal day, Amtrak has one Capitol Limited train that runs from Washington to Chicago and another that runs from Chicago to Washington. Amtrak's train 29 leaves Washington around 4 p.m. for Chicago and its train 30 leaves Chicago around 6:45 p.m. for the District of Columbia.
Amtrak says Monday's train 29 will begin in Pittsburgh, not Washington, and its train 30 will stop in Pittsburgh and not continue to Washington.
The suspect who police say killed a pregnant Montgomery County school bus driver is now facing a first-degree murder charge in her death.
Thierry Kinshala Nkusu, 33, was previously charged with second-degree murder in the death of 36-year-old Maria Veronica Mbunga. The charge against him was upgraded Monday; he was also ordered held without bond.
Takoma Park police announced Nkusu's arrest Thursday, a day after Mbunga was found suffering from multiple stab wounds inside her Houston Avenue apartment.
Police said they found Nkusu by an elevator near the lobby; he also had a stab wound.
He was taken to the hospital along with Mbunga, but police soon learned his wound was superficial and did not match the story he told officers. Nkusu was later transported from the hospital and taken into custody.
Mbunga and her unborn child died at the hospital.
Investigators have not commented on the relationship between the two. Police say the investigation into her death is ongoing.
Mbunga worked for the Montgomery County Public School Transportation System as a bus driver.
Nkusu is scheduled for a preliminary hearing May 27 in Rockville District Court.
MARC passengers should expect "major service disruptions" on the Brunswick Line Monday after a CSX freight train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in D.C., the Maryland Transit Administration says.
The Brunswick Line is currently blocked between Union Station and Silver Spring due to the derailment, according to MTA.
The Brunswick Line will operate on a very limited service.
The following Brunswick Line trains are the only trains that will operate Monday morning. All three trains will make all stops and terminate at Silver Spring. Passengers continuing to Washington may transfer to Metro at Rockville or Silver Spring:
Train 892 (6:05am departure from Frederick)
Train 878 (6:25am departure from Martinsburg)
Train 880 (7:45am departure from Brunswick)
The following Brunswick Line trains are the only trains that will operate in evening service on Monday. All three trains will originate at Silver Spring and make all stops:
Train 875 It will depart Silver Spring at 4:39pm.
Train 893 It will depart Silver Spring at 5:34pm.
Train 881 It will hold 30 minutes and depart Silver Spring at 7:04pm. This train will terminate in Brunswick; EPTA buses will meet the train at Brunswick for service to Harpers Ferry, Duffields, and Martinsburg.
CSX crews are expected to work overnight to clean up the chemicals spilled after the 175-car train derailed near the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station in D.C.
Fourteen of the train cars went off the tracks and three of those cars leaked chemicals includng sodium hydroxide, a calcium chloride solution and ethanol. All leaks have been sealed, CSX said.
CSX did not have a timeline for how soon the chemicals would be cleaned from the area or how long it would take to move the trains from the tracks.
MARC said Brunswick Line passengers should consider alternate options for Monday's commute.
Those options include:
Metro: Passengers can show MARC tickets to the Metrorail station managers to enter the station. Metro parking charges, however, are not included and must be paid upon exiting the parking lot. Reimbursement is not provided.
MTA Commuter Bus is working to add additional buses to the 505 and 515 lines. All MARC tickets will be honored on both routes. These buses operate from Hagerstown, Frederick and Monocacy to Shady Grove Metro.
Passengers boarding at Germantown and points east may utilize Ride-On bus service to connect to Washington Metro. Ride-On buses honor all MARC weekly and monthly passes.
Amtrak's Capital Limited service, which runs between D.C. and Chicago, also operates on the tracks and is unavailable.
Service on Metro's Red Line was suspended between NoMa and Brookland stations Sunday. Metro expects service to resume Monday at 5 a.m.
The mother and housemate of a slain 20-year-old University of Mary Washington student gave dramatic testimony as the trial of her accused killer began Monday.
Steve Briel is charged with the April 17, 2015, slaying of Grace Mann in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, strangulation and abduction.
Police say Briel, a part-time student at Mary Washington, strangled Mann to death in the home they shared with two other women near campus. He was still in the house when the two other housemates came home and discovered Mann's body.
Melissa Mann and many in the courtroom were in tears as she testified about getting the call about her daughter's death.
"I was pretty hysterical," she said. "I just kept saying, 'She's dead?'"
Holly Aleksonis and another housemate returned home to find Briel drenched with sweat and speaking very quickly. Aleksonis testified he stood before a closed bedroom door and said, "Grace and I got in an altercation. She hit me so I had to defend myself ... She bit me. What would you do if she weren't here anymore?'"
Aleksonis opened the door and saw her purple comforter on the floor.
"I pulled the comforter off," Aleksonis testified, "and Grace was there with a plastic bag over her head. I pulled it off and screamed and ran from the room."
As many in the courtroom sobbed, prosecutors played the 911 call from Aleksonis that day. She was so distraught, the dispatcher had trouble getting information until Aleksonis finally shouted, "My roommate strangled her!"
Last year, Briel's attorney said an insanity defense would be used for his murder trial. The attorney will try to show his client suffered from severe mental illness and was insane at the time of the crime.
In the defense's opening statment, Briel's attorneys said their expert psychiatrist found Briel suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and last April imagined there was a global conspiracy and became convinced Mann was somehow a threat to him.
One night while texting with his mother, she told him to calm down and say Hail Marys and he texted back, "So it's Hail Mary Full of GRACE," the defense said.
Briel's mother was the first person he texted after the homicide, writing, "I've made a MESS What should I do? Run?" To which Briel's mother replied, "Yes, get out of the there."
Briel changed his clothers and shaved his face before leaving, which prosecutors argued is not the act of someone who is insane.
Prosecutor LaBravia Jenkins told jurors she'll counter that theory.
"What they are going to try to convince you is he was sane, then he was insane for 30 minutes, then he was fine," she said. "I suggest to you that's ludicrous."
Mann's female housemates said Briel behaved strangely just before they came home. One of the women said she received a text message from Briel asking when she and another roommate would be home. He allegedly wrote, "I was in [victim's roommate]'s room and I made a mess."
When the women arrived at the home, they found the door to that bedroom closed. The two knocked, and a sweaty, fast-talking Briel emerged.
The women then described finding Mann's body under a purple comforter; a plastic grocery bag was over her head, and several were stuffed into her mouth.
One of the roommates testified that in the days leading up to Mann's death, Briel sent an insistent text message asking for a blanket back.
Mann was a well-known activist on campus and helped lead a group known as Feminists United. The exact motive in the case remains unclear, but many have tried to link Mann's killing to her involvement in the group.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Education launched a civil rights investigation into the university. Feminists United said that some of its members -- including Mann -- had been threatened on the social media site Yik Yak, and that the university didn't do enough to investigate the threats.
Yik Yak allows users to remain anonymous and is popular on college campuses.
Mary Washington President Richard V. Hurley has said there is no evidence to support that Mann's killing was linked to the social media attacks.
A man driving the wrong way on the inner loop of the Capital Beltway was killed when he struck another vehicle in Fairfax County, Virginia, early Monday morning.
Virginia State police say they got a call at 1:35 a.m. Monday about a wrong-way driver in the westbound lanes of I-495 near Eisenhower Avenue. Within minutes, before officers had arrived, another caller reported that the wrong-way driver had collided with another vehicle.
Police believe the man was driving 65 mph when he struck a Chevrolet Tahoe head-on. The axle from the wrong-way driver's Honda CR-V struck a third vehicle, a Dodge Caravan, police said.
The wrong-way driver has been identified as Francisco Taveres, 37, of the Bronx, New York, Virginia State Police said. Taveres, the only occupant of the Honda CR-V, died at the scene.
Three other people -- the driver and a passenger from the Tahoe and the driver of the Caravan -- were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said Tuesday afternoon that the cause of the crash remained under investigation.
This story has been updated.
What to Know The NTSB said Metro's deadly 2015 smoke incident was probably caused by "a prolonged short circuit that consumed power system components."
On Jan. 12, 2015, many riders, including Carol Glover, 61, were stranded when their Yellow Line train stopped in the tunnel. Glover died.
The NTSB also found that Metro routinely used trains filled with passengers to look for sources of smoke -- a claim Metro is disputing.
The Washington, D.C. Metro often used trains filled with passengers to look for sources of smoke or fire, according to a revelation at a federal safety hearing Tuesday on a 2015 incident that killed an Alexandria woman.
It's a claim that Metro is now disputing but earlier Tuesday, Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said the practice is no longer in place.
Wiedefeld said he didn't know whether such an action was performed Jan. 12, 2015, the day that 61-year-old Carol Glover died and scores of others were sickened when smoke filled a Metro tunnel and trains near L'Enfant Plaza.
Wiedefeld said trains with passengers aboard are no longer sent to check out smoke or fire, but an empty train may be sent. Wiedefeld, who took over Metro in November, said he didn't know when the practice had changed.
Later, Metro disputed the finding from the National Transportation Safety Board. But the NTSB said it was a common practice at Metro an action the agency called "reprehensible."
Metro is now disputing that trains full of passengers were ever sent toward smoke/fire incidents #wmata @nbcwashington Adam Tuss (@AdamTuss) May 3, 2016
"[The] investigation found that it was common practice to use trains with passengers to investigate reports of fire or smoke instead of stopping all trains and using a qualified person to follow up on a report," the NTSB said during Tuesday's hearing.
A Metro source said the Rail Operations Control Center (ROCC) tells the train operator to perform a "track inspection," usually with passengers on board. With that process, if the train happens to come across a fire, or other hazard in the tunnel, it's too late to perform a reverse.
Wow - NTSB found that Metro often used trains w/ passengers on board to pinpoint source of smoke #wmata @nbcwashington Adam Tuss (@AdamTuss) May 3, 2016
On Jan. 12, 2015, an electrical malfunction caused a Metro tunnel to fill with thick, black smoke and stranded many riders, including Glover, when their Yellow Line train stopped in the tunnel.
Glover died of acute respiratory failure due to smoke exposure.
During Tuesday's hearing, the NTSB also released the probable cause of the deadly incident: "a prolonged short circuit that consumed power system components resulting from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) ineffective inspection and maintenance practices." The hearing comes with a familiar line from the NTSB: that safety is not a big enough priority at Metro.
Transportation Reporter Adam Tuss has a preview of what the agency plans to say in a hearing tomorrow.
The NTSB said Tuesday that whatever could have gone wrong that afternoon did go wrong.
If Metro had followed the proper procedures to stop all trains at the first report of smoke, the NTSB said, the train never would have gotten stuck in the tunnel. Instead, 15 minutes elapsed from time that Metro initially reported smoke until the time a call for emergency assistance was made. As time went on, power failed.
The NTSB said Tuesday the problems that led to the deadly incident were caused by senior management's failure to proactively deal with "foreseeable safety risks," as well as the "inadequate oversight" of the Tri-State Oversight Committee and the Federal Transit Administration.
The NTSB said a strong oversight group is needed to force Metro to make safety its top priority. NTSB Chairman Christopher A. Hart said Metro focuses on safety after an incident, but then takes its eye off the ball.
Hart has confidence in the new leadership at Metro, he said Tuesday.
During the hours-long hearing, the NTSB issued a list of 43 findings that it says led to the the deadly L'Enfant Plaza incident including improperly secured and covered power cables, water problems, poor training and lack of procedures and proper maintenance.
The NTSB said both the tunnel fans during the L'Enfant incident were in "pull" mode, therefore drawing smoke toward the station and over the train.
The NTSB also found fault with the distance between smoke detectors during the L'Enfant incident: 2,000 feet, or more than half a football field. Metro needs more smoke detectors, the NTSB said.
Glover's family has filed a $50 million lawsuit against Metro, accusing the transit agency of negligence.
Patrick Regan, an attorney representing Glover's family, said in everything he's studied about the accident, Metro simply wasn't taking care of its system.
"That's absolutely at the top of the list to see just what preventive maintenance they've been doing," Regan said. "Apparently from what we've been told by our experts, they were just ignoring it. They weren't doing any preventative maintenance."
"Carol was the heart of that whole entire family," Regan said. "She was a mother, a daughter, a grandmother and a sibling."
The lawsuit in federal court was unable to move forward until a cause of the incident was determined, which the NTSB released during Tuesday's hearing.
This is the 13th NTSB investigation of a safety incident on Metro and the ninth since 2004.
News / National
by Stephen Jakes
Members of the Zimbabwe National Army have been accused of harassing and assaulting Kariba villagers recently.This was revealed by the Zimbabwe Peace Project in its monthly report.ZPP reported that on 30 March 2016, members of the Zimbabwe National Army from the Wafawafa Training Centre in Chirara, Kariba intimidated people in public places such as beer halls and streets."On the said date they assaulted people in Nyamhunga 2 in Gadzi Road. One of the people who fell victim to the assaults was Henry Musore (not real name). Musore is a young man who already had an existing eye disorder. He had cataract in one eye and so relied on a single eye to see. He resides in Nyamhunga 2 and was brutally assaulted by soldiers who were moving in a white army truck," reads the report. "It is believed to be an issue of mistaken identity. Three army personnel who spoke isiNdebele asked Musore if he was a driver of a commuter omnibus (kombi) who had on some previous occasion taken the possessions of some fellow soldiers who had failed to pay for the ride they were given by the Kombi."ZPP said Musore, who has the same name as the Kombi driver the soldiers were looking for, said he was not a kombi driver but an engineer."But still the soldiers forcibly dragged Musore to some water tanks behind Nyamhunga beerhall where they punched him with fists and a weapon they reportedly alternated in using believed to be an iron bar. More soldiers came to join their colleagues in the assault such that there ended up being 11 soldiers kicking and beating Musore," reads the report. "They left him for dead. His face is said to have been scarred by the military boots that stepped on his face resulting in him losing sight even in the eye that had previously been working well. He also sustained injuries on his back, arms and fingers. Musore sought medical services for the injuries through the assistance of Counselling Services Unit."ZPP said police were notified but nothing has been done to bring the culprits to account."ZPP spoke to Mashonaland West police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Ian Kohwera who said he would get back to the organisation, but did not. Subsequent calls to follow up further with Kohwera went unanswered," reads the report..
Police in Rowley, Massachusetts, have issued an arrest warrant for an unnamed 16-year-old boy in connection with a shooting near a shopping plaza on Sunday afternoon.
According to the Daily News, the suspect is a Rowley resident who is known to police. Police officials wouldn't release the suspect's name because he is a juvenile.
The Union Leader reported that police were searching for the Rowley shooting suspect on Monday morning in the area of Harriman Hill Road in Raymond, New Hampshire. The suspect was not found and remains on the loose.
Raymond Police said they were following up on information received from the Rowley investigation. They said there is no danger to residents.
The shooting was reported around 5:15 p.m. Sunday behind the shopping center at 225 Newburyport Turnpike.
While police were searching the area, a man approached them and said he'd been shot in the leg. The victim received treatment at a nearby hospital and has been released.
Around that same time, another man entered the Rowley Police Station reporting that someone had shot at him in the area of the shopping center. The second man was not hit.
Officials do not think the shooting was random.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Rowley Police Department at 978-948-7644.
A young woman, Allison Warmuth, was killed when the motorized scooter she was driving Saturday afternoon collided with a duck boat on Beacon Hill.
Warmuth's employer, American International Group, confirmed her identity and said in a statement: "We are deeply saddened by the passing of our colleague Allison Warmuth. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Allison's family and all who were closest to her."
The male passenger on the scooter only suffered minor injuries and no one on the tour was injured. Police are still investigating the accident, but so far no charges have been brought against the tour driver.
In the last five years there have been several deadly duck boat accidents across the country, but this is a first for the Boston company that started tours in the city.
Should duck boats be banned in Boston?
[CLICK HERE to vote if you are using the necn app]
Attorney Robert Mongeluzzi says it's a tragedy that could have been avoided and he's asking duck boats be banned across the country.
"This proves again that duck boats are dangerous on land and on water," he said.
Mongeluzzi represented the families of victims in two deadly accidents in Philadelphia. In 2010, two tourists drowned after a disabled "Ride the Ducks" boat was run down by a barge. Last year, a woman from Texas was hit and killed by also by a "Ride the Ducks" boat while crossing a street in Philadelphia.
"These were designed in WW2 to invade other countries from the sea they were not designed to be driven on streets where you have pedestrians and cars," said Mongeluzzi.
Joe Garcia is visiting from Seattle where last year five people were killed when a "Ride the Ducks" boat veered into a charter bus on a bridge. He supports the tours. "I think they're great for tourists but accidents happen, it's unfortunate but I think they should be around," said Garcia.
Boston Duck Tours operates the "Penelope Pru," the duck boat involved in Saturday's deadly collision. They have been in business since 1994 and this is the first time they've been involved in a deadly accident.
"I think they are iconic and a great part of the city," said Andrea Vinson of Rockport. "It's just so much fun to go through the city and then go right into the Charles in a vehicle... It doesn't get more fun than that."
The CEO of Boston Duck Tours says they are waiting for more details about what happened on Beacon Street before commenting further.
The driver of the duck boat that collided with a motorized scooter on Saturday, killing the woman who was driving it, had a lengthy driving record featuring numerous violations, according to information provided by the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
The driving record includes 10 speeding violations, one accident, and several more minor violations over a 22-year period. In all, 38 incidents are listed dating back to 1994.
The driver, identified as Victor Tavares by the RMV, has had his license revoked indefinitely, which the DOT said is standard operating procedure for a fatal accident. Tavares did have a valid license to operate the duck boat at the time of the accident.
In a statement, Boston Duck Tours says the company regularly obtains information from the RMV regarding drivers, including when they're hired, and say his most recent driving record check was in March.
"Given the discrepancies between the information we received from the DMV and the information reported, we will be contacting the respective agencies... and we will provide any updated information," the statement read.
Allison Warmuth, 28, was killed when the motorized scooter she was driving collided with a Boston Duck Tours vehicle Saturday on Beacon Hill. A male passenger on the scooter suffered minor injuries. No one on the tour was hurt.
Boston Duck Tours issued a statement Monday defending the company's safety record in the wake of calls from some corners to ban duck boats from city streets altogether.
"For 22 years, the people of Boston have accepted Boston Duck Tours as part of the community. We value this unique relationship and take safety very seriously," Boston Duck Tours CEO Cindy Brown said.
Brown said Boston Duck Tours have carried more than 10 million guests since 1994, and its drivers go through a "rigorous" 8 to 10 week training period focusing on the operation of the vehicles and safety procedures. All drivers are also subject to random drug testing.
She said all drivers must hold a Class B Commercial Driver's License, a Boston Police Hackney Sightseeing License, a Cambridge Jitney License, a United States Coast Guard License and must be trained in first aid and CPR.
All duck boats are inspected annually by the Coast Guard and the Department of Public Utilities and daily by Boston Duck Tours mechanics.
"Safety has always been our number one priority," Brown said.
In the last five years, there have been several deadly duck boat accidents across the country, but this is a first for the Boston company that started tours in the city.
Saturday's accident remains under investigation by police, but so far no charges have been brought against the tour driver.
Philadelphia attorney Robert Mongeluzzi said the accident could have been avoided and he's asking that duck boats be banned across the country.
"This proves again that duck boats are dangerous on land and on water," he said.
Mongeluzzi represented the families of victims in two deadly accidents in Philadelphia.
In 2010, two tourists drowned after a disabled "Ride the Ducks" boat was run down by a barge. Last year, a woman from Texas was hit and killed by also by a "Ride the Ducks" boat while crossing a street in Philadelphia.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is also speaking out as police continue to investigate the tragic accident.
"I think that this is still under investigation this case, we'll see what happens and if an action has to be taken we'll take an action," Walsh said.
Walsh said while some may question why World War II-era amphibious vehicles make sense in a city with tight, busy streets and older infrastructure like Boston, he said there are 18 wheelers in the city every day.
Boston Duck Tours released a statement Monday on the death of a 29-year-old woman involved in a collision with a duck boat on Saturday.
"We know we don't have a big city, we have a small city with small roads, so we ask people to be very careful," he said.
But as to whether it makes sense to have the duck tour drivers both giving the tour and driving the vehicle, Walsh wasn't ready to say whether that could have played a role in this accident.
"This case hasn't been fully vetted through yet, so until I see a final report of what exactly happened here, then I'll be able to make more comment on it," he said.
The Coast Guard says it last inspected the Duck Boat involved in the fatal accident on March 17, 2015. It passed inspection at that time.
An elderly woman crashed into a police cruiser on Interstate 495 northbound, according to police in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.
The accident occurred around 8:30 p.m. Sunday near exit 37. The police officer was in his vehicle working a construction detail when a 71-year-old woman hit him.
The officer and woman were taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Both vehicles were seriously damaged.
Chelmsford Police is investigating the incident in conjunction with Massachusetts State Police.
A former Vermont police officer convicted of stealing guns, drugs and money from his department's evidence locker has been sentenced to serve prison time.
Tyler Kinney, who served as a Colchester police officer, was sentenced to four years in federal prison and three years probation on Monday. He pleaded guilty to heroin distribution, firearms trafficking and theft back in May 2015.
Affiliate WPTZ reports his lawyer, Robert Katims, told the court that Kinney suffered from an opioid addiction that led to him stealing from the Colchester Police Department's evidence locker.
Kinney may become eligible for compassionate early release if his ex-wife, who is being treated for cancer, dies or is no longer able to care for their children, according to the judge.
He must report to prison on June 28 to begin his sentence.
A Massachusetts family has been burned out of its new home just hours after moving in.
Anthony Rodriguez, his wife Nicole, and three of their five children were spending the first night in their Winchendon home when they were awoken at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday by the sound of fire alarms and the smell of smoke. A neighbor called 911.
Everyone escaped safely, but the home sustained heavy damage.
Nicole Rodriguez says they closed on the home Tuesday and moved in Saturday, but she's just glad everyone got out alive.
Fire Chief Thomas Smith said the cause of the fire is unclear, although it does not appear to be suspicious. It remains under investigation.
Firefighters from Gardner, Ashburnham, Templeton and Royalston assisted Winchendon crews.
An Ecuadorian immigrant serving prison time for the dragging death of a Milford, Massachusetts, man has appealed his sentence.
Nicolas Guaman was sentenced to 12-to-14 years in death of Matthew Denice in 2014.
Police say Denice was on his motorcycle when Guaman hit him and dragged him for a quarter-mile in 2011.
"I'm fighting for my son. I'm fighting for everybody else's family," she said outside of court.
Guaman was living in the country illegally and the incident sparked a debate about immigration enforcement in Massachusetts.
The Metrowest Daily News reports that Guaman is appealing his sentence for mental reasons and that he didn't understand the events after the crash.
The hearing lasted for about 30 minutes and Guaman's attorney expects a response in about 60 days.
An 18-year-old man was shot Sunday behind a shopping center in Rowley, Massachusetts, according to police.
Officials learned of a shooting around 5:15 p.m. behind the shopping center at 225 Newburyport Turnpike. While police were searching the area, a man approached them and said he'd been shot in the leg.
Around the same time, another man entered the Rowley Police Station reporting he'd been shot at near the shopping center.
The victim received treatment at a nearby hospital and has been released.
Officials don't think the shooting was random.
Rowley Police have identified a person of interest and are trying to locate the individual for questioning.
Officials are asking anyone with information to contact them at 978-948-7644.
A Taunton man was indicted on charges for carjacking a car and robbing two women in Brockton, Massachusetts, at gunpoint.
According to the district attorney's office, Jose Robles, age 33, was indicted on one count of Armed Carjacking, one count of Armed Robbery, one count of Attempted Armed Robbery, and one count of Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle.
On February 16, Brockton Police and the Massachusetts State Police responded to a report of a carjacking at 200 Westgate Drive in Brockton.
The victim told officers she pushed the unlock button on her car key and walked towards the car with her mother and infant daughter when she noticed a male sitting in the drivers seat.
The man, later identified as Jose Robles, told the victim he accidentally entered the wrong car then exited.
The victim began buckling her child into the car seat when Robles told her he was going to take the car and instructed her to take the child out of the car seat.
Robles pulled back his coat to reveal a firearm then sped off with the car with the woman's purse inside.
Police put out a description of the car, a Toyota Camry and pursued Robels to Stoughton where he crashed the car.
He attempted to run from officers but was caught.
The gun was later determined to be a BB gun.
Robles is being held without bail and will be summonsed to superior court for arraignment on the charges.
News / National
by Pamela Shumba/Auxilia Katongomara
CHURCHES said yesterday that the national pledge will not be recited at their schools when schools open for the second term tomorrow. Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku last Thursday dismissed the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights' urgent interdict to stop the reciting of the national pledge paving way for the government to implement the national pledge policy.Chief Justice Chidyausiku in his chambers threw out the urgent application but directed the registrar of the Constitutional Court to set down the main challenge at the earliest convenient date. The government has said it is dismayed by the resistance as the national pledge is meant to instil honesty, hard work and commitment at a tender age.The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has said parents should accompany their children to schools tomorrow and hand them gifts after they recite the pledge, a directive that is being resisted by churches.Brethren in Christ Church which runs some of the top schools in Matabeleland region that include Matopo High School, Mtshabezi High School and Wanezi High school, said pupils at its schools will not recite the pledge.In a statement the church said the pledge violates chapter 4 section 60 (2) of the Constitution that says "no person may be compelled to make an oath that is contrary to their rights or belief" as well as chapter 2 section 19 subsection (3) (b) which says the state must take appropriate measures to ensure that children are not required to perform activities that place at risk their morals or spiritual development."As BICC Zimbabwe conference together with like-minded organisations, we are unequivocally against the pledge and its implementation. We therefore appeal to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and government to rescind the decision. Our position as BICC Zimbabwe conference is that we will neither participate nor encourage our institutions, members and our children to participate on matters contrary to our beliefs and conscience," the church said.Reverend Useni Sibanda, the director of Christian Alliance which represents many churches, said those in their religious grouping will also not allow their children to recite the national pledge."Our children will not participate in the national pledge. We reject it on the grounds of our constitutional provisions and our religion. This uproar could've been avoided by the ministry through consultations with parents and the schoolchildren. We would've highlighted that the pledge is against our belief systems and violates our freedom of conscience as Christians," he said."We know countries like India, South Africa, the United States of America and many other countries have similar pledges but here in Zimbabwe there was no consultation before the pledge was imposed on our children. The fact that parents have been asked to present their children with presents means that it's no longer a pledge but a ritual, which is against our Christian values. "The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta), the largest teachers' union, has also rejected the pledge which it says is unconstitutional and violates the rights of pupils and teachers.The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Sylvia Utete-Masango said the recital will go on as planned tomorrow and urged parents to support their children."The words in the pledge talk about hard work, commitment and dignity, I don't know if there are parents who don't want honest and hardworking children. The words are derived from the constitution and means those who are saying it's wrong don't support the constitution," said Utete-Masango.She said the national pledge was not a once off thing, and would be recited every day during assembly time after the singing of the national anthem. "So I don't know whether parents who are withdrawing their children from school are withdrawing them forever," she said.Utete-Masango said parents were consulted on the pledge during the curriculum review process. The ZLHR is representing a Harare man who is contesting the constitutionality of forcing his children to recite the national pledge. The father of three school going children says reciting the pledge is against his religious beliefs and is unconstitutional.
Authorities in New Hampshire are asking for the public's help with finding a 15-year-old girl.
State police say Joyce Gilbert of Salisbury was reported missing on Friday night by her family.
Her family told troopers that Joyce had argued with her father in the family's backyard, and then ran away from home after going back inside the home.
The investigation traced Joyce's last appearance on Saturday as she left the Tilton Walmart while riding a white mountain bike.
She's described as about 5-foot 4-inches and weighing about 115 pounds. She has dark blond/auburn hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a gray camouflage zip-up hoodie sweatshirt with tan pants, and had her hair up in a brown hair tie.
Authorities and her parents are concerned for her welfare due to her age and weather conditions.
Foul play isn't suspected.
Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call 603-223-4381.
We've arrived at the advertised transition week - an unsettled week as cool, Canadian air that was so dominant in April begrudgingly loosens its grip on New England to allow for our foray into the warmer spring air that's been present across much of the rest of the Eastern United States in recent weeks.
The clash between stubborn cool and incoming warm air is rarely a pleasant event, and this week is no exceptions - lots of clouds, periodic showers and rain, and relatively cool temperatures, noticeably below the average high temperature in the mid 60s for this time of the year.
So, the biggest challenge becomes timing the periods of showers and rain, and right now we see one slug of rain and thunder impacting us today, another round for Southern New England Tuesday morning through midday, showers Wednesday, particularly inland, and more clouds with showers late in the week!
As you may expect, lots of clouds and showers will keep the temperatures down over the coming days, with highs reaching the 60s where sun breaks out, and 50s or even some 40s where it doesn't.
By the weekend, breaks of sun will become more prevalent, affording milder temperatures regionwide, and next week it looks right now like our transition to warmer air will be complete, with highs into the 70s if all goes as planned in our exclusive, Early Warning Weather 10-day forecast.
A pair of serial thieves has been arrested again.
Police arrested Amanda Bean and Lawrence Ritchie, both of South Burlington, Vermont, in connection with a shoplifting case last Tuesday, according to affiliate WPTZ.
Bean is accused of stealing hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise from a store, and was cited that day.
Two hours after that citation, police say she and Ritchie made off with more stolen merchandise from a ski store.
Ritchie is being held on bail, while Bean is due in court on Tuesday.
Police say that there have been 90 arrests between the two.
Police in New Ipswich, New Hampshire, are searching for the people responsible for putting bullet holes in traffic signs and mailboxes over the weekend.
"The hole they put through that stop sign that could have killed somebody," said resident Stephen Gnibus.
It's an unsettling sight on the stop sign right across from the New Ipswich home where Gnibus has lived for 40 years.
"The police said it could be a shotgun, a sawed-off shotgun, wow," he said in disbelief.
Police went door to door Monday, trying to get more information about the people who might be responsible for the weekend vandalism.
According to resident Clinton Parhiala, it started early Saturday morning.
"About 2 o'clock, right after I put my lights out, I heard either a gunshot or loud fireworks," Parhiala said.
The use of weapons isn't the only concern.
The spray-painted "FTP" on the stop signs is an acronym for an anti-police message often used by protesters.
"This to me looks like kids being kids and a stop sign kind of represents authority," said Parhiala.
Residents admit they've seen their share of mischief in town, from stolen street signs to tire fires, but they say things are getting too dangerous when they wake up to find bullet holes in private property.
"The slug is at an angle that goes off into the woods, that was a little reckless," Parhiala said. "But stupid kids are stupid kids, they probably came from stupid parents."
If you know anything, call police.
Officials at Bryant College in Smithfield, Rhode Island, say they are investigating after multiple reports of an intruder breaking into student residences.
According to necn affiliate WJAR, five students reported a stranger broke into their residences and groped them as they slept.
These incidents happened at the university's town houses.
Police do not have a description of the victim.
"We have reached out to all students and asked for their assistance in sharing any information that might be helpful in identifying the individual responsible for what we believe to be five instances of entering unlocked residences and inappropriately touching students while they slept. When the students were awakened and confronted the intruder he left," John Saddlemire, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, said in a school letter.
Eight people were injured when a vehicle crashed outside the Princeton Station restaurant in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, on Monday afternoon.
The restaurant is located at 147 Princeton St. The accident occurred shortly before 5 p.m.
Chelmsford Fire said the injuries were minor.
An employee at the restaurant said the car did not crash into the building, but struck the exterior. However, a police spokesperson told necn the vehicle did not strike the building.
HOLLYWOOD, Calif.When Lyra Louvel visited AVN last year during one of its talent nights (see photos here), she was still just getting started in the mainstream porn game. In just a few short months, she's worked for a wide array of studios and raised her profile at industry events. But in the process of making a name for herself, she's decided to pick a new one.
Now working under the moniker Lyra Law, the statuesque performer is rebranding herself in other ways: changing her look, adding additional sex acts to her repertoire, and teaming up with Nexxxt Level Talent Agency for adult booking. And today marks her new start as Lyra 2.0.
According to Law, The reason I changed my name is because I did not have complete control over the branding of Lyra Louvel. It was the dynamic duo of Jonathan Morgan and Andre Madness that explained to me the power and control of owning your own stage name, when it comes to porn. Plus, I like the word Law. It's simple and easy to spell but still has an authoritative tone, keeping me still feeling close to my domination roots.
Law added, I decided to choose Nexxxt Level because I want to be represented by agents that have real on-set industry experience. I found Jonathan and Andre to be the ideal combination of personality and experience.
Complimenting his new client, Nexxxt Level co-owner Jonathan Morgan said, Lyra is one of the most unique performers I have had the pleasure to met in my 26 years in this industry. She talks about sex as an art form and this is why I have given her the nickname The Picasso of Porn. I am excited to watch her blossom into something very special and capture the hearts of both fans and directors alike.
Nexxxt Level co-owner Andre Madness chimed in: I had the unique pleasure of shooting Lyra in a Wicked Pictures feature before she reached out to our agency. Her professionalism and extremely positive attitude on set left a huge impression on me back then, and I couldn't be more proud to be her agent today. With the right guidance, training and experience, this fresh new talents future is going to be an amazing journey and both Jonathan and I look forward to sharing that experience with her.
Lyra Law is available for booking immediately. Her current info and recent pictures can be found on her model profile here.
There will be opportunities to improve your painting skills and indulge in some biblical feasting next month at the Pleasaunce in Overstrand in North Norfolk.
There will be opportunities to improve your painting skills and indulge in some biblical feasting next month at the Pleasaunce in Overstrand in North Norfolk.
National award for Dereham Christian bookshop The Green Pastures Christian bookshop in Dereham has won a national award for providing boxes of Christian books to 21 local schools. Read more
Norma's care home jigsaw challenge complete A resident at Norwich-based care home Corton House has completed an incredible 70 jigsaw puzzles in celebration of the homes 70th anniversary this year. Read more
Norwich charity's appeal to support Palestinian students A Norwich educational charity, set up in memory of a Norwich Anglican priest, to support students from a Palestinian refugee camp, is inviting people to support its Christmas appeal to be launched on November 29. Read more
Norfolk drug and alcohol charity pays tribute to its founder Andy Sexton, CEO of the Matthew Project, introduces a series of tributes from the charity to its founder, Peter Farley. Read more
Cliff look alike at Cromer Church breakfast Cliff Richard tribute performer Will Chandler will be the speaker at a special Mens Breakfast at Cromer Parish Hall next month, and all men are welcome to come along. Read more
Heartsease Lane Methodist church to close As part of a reorganisation of the Norwich Methodist Circuit, Heartsease Lane Methodist Church will be closing towards the end of the year. Read more
Free Julian of Norwich reflection and prayer day The Friends of Julian of Norwich present a free Quiet Half-Day with Robert Fruehwirth, author and former Priest Director of the Julian Centre, on Saturday November 12, 10.30am-2pm. Read more
What it means for us to repent Nigel Fox believes that now is the time for a tide of repentance, and shares his thoughts about what that actually means for our society. Read more
Christmas card shop opens in Norwich church Thousands of Christmas cards from around 30 local Norfolk charities have gone on sale today (October 19) at the Original Norwich Charity Christmas Card Shop inside St Peter Mancroft church in Norwich city centre. Read more
Revelation Christian Resource Centre and Cafe Revelation in Norwich is a Christian resource centre, offering a bookshop, a meeting place and a welcoming refuge for refreshment open to visitors of any faith or none. Read more
Farewell as Yarmouth church leader moves on Captain Marie Burr, the Salvation Army leader in Great Yarmouth, has paid tribute to everyone at the church and charity after she left her post at the end of last month to move to a new role. Read more
Norwich Cathedral chorister in BBC final Norwich Cathedral chorister Alice Platten has her sights set on being crowned BBC Young Chorister of the Year after reaching the final stages of the prestigious nationwide competition. Read more
Norwich to hear pastor, Policeman and tramp tale Essex Baptist Pastor Dave McDowell has been a Policeman, fed orphans in India and lived under a boat as a tramp. He will tell his remarkable story at the October dinner of Norwich FGB on Wednesday October 26. Read more
Pioneer UK leader speaks at Sheringham church Ness Wilson, national leader of the Pioneer network of churches, was the main speaker at a day of teaching and worship held at Lighthouse Community Church in Sheringham on 12 October, to be followed up by Word and Worship sessions at October half term. Read more
Norwich event to give tips on bouncing forwards St Stephens in Norwich will be hosting an evening in October with Patrick Regan OBE, as he explores themes from his book Bouncing Forwards. Read more
Youth for Christ lights a fire in north Breckland North Breckland Youth for Christ will be putting on a mini residential camp this year to coincide with Bonfire Night. Read more
Delia Smith interviewed at Norwich church Top TV cook and well-known writer Delia Smith spoke about her faith at SOUL Churchs weekly Chapel gathering on October 11. Read more
At the OpenStack Summit in Austin recently, one of the companies invited to keynote on the first day was a cloud, hosting and services vendor from France, OVH. Like most of the people in the room, the name OVH raised my eyebrows. I've been covering the cloud world since it existed, and I'd never come across the company. Maybe they were a new startup or something?
It turns out that, far from being a new startup, OVH is a mature and expansive vendor. It's just that they're primarily involved in Europe in general, and France in particular. That looks set to change, however, and I took the opportunity to sit down with Pascal Jaillon from OVH to hear what the company is up to. The OVH product line spans traditional hosting, hosted Microsoft Exchange, domain name provisioning, and, of course, cloud.
Who is OVH?
First, some statistics about OVH. The company has 17 data centers across Europe, with a single North American facility located in Montreal to service the North American market. OVH has some pretty impressive statistics. Here's a selection:
1,300 employees, the vast majority of which are engineering-related
300 employees in North America (this despite being pretty much unknown in the region)
Funded internally, with zero external investment to date
250,000 physical servers in production
OVH public cloud introduced in the summer of 2015 and has already scaled to the point where 430,000 production instances were spawned in March alone
18 million web apps hosted by the more traditional OVH business in Europe
Has a Dropbox-like offering that has amassed 800,000 customers
Those statistics would be impressive for a company with funding and serving the large U.S. market. For a company funding itself and working only in Europe, it is fairly staggering. So, the news from OVH that it is planning an aggressive U.S. market entry is certainly interesting, perhaps analogous to the market entry of AliYun, Alibaba's cloud unit that has proved so successful in China.
Last year OVH announced it is committed to building 12 new data centers globally in the next two years. And this isn't a case of leasing a bunch of off-the-rack servers and sitting them in an Equinix data center. OVH own the entire process, even going so far as to design and build its own physical servers.
This vertical integration goes even further, however. OVH has an approach that sees it utilizing its new server for a period of time for its primary services. Thereafter, servers get moved, over time, to secondary and tertiary brand offerings. At the economic end of life of the servers, a facility in France disassembles the units entirely and sell components that pass testing protocols. This hyper-focused approach allows OVH to achieve economics not dissimilar from those they would obtain by using commodity OEM hardware.
Entering the U.S. market
Given that many other non-U.S. vendors have tried to enter the U.S. market and failed dismally, how is OVH going to do this differently? Jaillon explained that the company is well aware of what it doesn't know. This isn't an arrogant organization that thinks it can come and wipe the floor with the local vendors. Rather, OVH is taking a measured approach and taking the time to understand the U.S. market. They are helped in this by an approach that sees them initially servicing their existing European customers' footprints in the U.S. and from there slowly building a U.S. customer base.
OVH doesn't plan to embark on a big marketing push within the U.S., rather it intends to spread the word to developers, invest in building its data center footprint and rely on organic growth. The company realizes it needs to do business differently in the U.S. than how it does things in Europe and is building a go-to-market and organizational plan with the more usual U.S. aspects, such as an inside sales team and 24/7 local support.
History is rife with companies that have tried and failed to scale outside of their home markets and into the hyper-competitive U.S. space. OVH, with its pedigree, operational excellence and willingness to listen and learn, looks like a contender to not join that long list of failures.
Microsoft has tried in the past to make apps communicate, like with Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) in the 1990s. It worked, but in a limited fashion, allowing for linking data between Word and Excel. But if you wanted to share data from non-Microsoft apps, you were out of luck.
Now, however, Microsoft has come out with a service (it's not right to call it an app) called Flow, which brings the If This Then That (IFTTT) functionality of the Web to desktop apps. IFTTT is a feature for Web services that generates actions based on conditions. It's how Twitter informs you when someone follows you, likes your tweet or responds to your tweet, for example.
Microsoft Flow connects apps and services and automates tasks, so data is automatically moved from one app or service to another and you are notified of changes or updates. This eliminates the hassle of checking for updates in apps or copying and pasting data.
Flow connects Office, Office 365 and SharePoint, among other Microsoft apps, to non-Microsoft services such as Twitter, Slack, Google Drive and Dropbox. As part of the launch of Flow, Microsoft is offering a number of templates, such as generating SMS alerts from emails, pulling tweets into Excel or getting Slack notifications when a file is uploaded to a Dropbox folder.
Flow went live last week with more than 35 services supported. Some of them are pretty neat, too, such as saving email attachments on Dropbox, getting a text notification if your boss emails you, creating Salesforce tasks based on emails, getting alerts from Twitter based on keywords and creating tweets from Facebook posts.
The preview currently supports Office 365 account or a non-Outlook.com email address. For some reason, Microsoft doesn't support its own Outlook.com accounts. You can sign up at the Flow site.
The worst part of this mistake other than the pain caused to innocent weasels is that it should have been avoided, at least here. After all, as I was typing last Fridays post about an electrocution-sparked electrical outage at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) the question did occur to me: Is a weasel actually a rodent, as I am about to allege?
Unfortunately, I failed to act upon that inquisitive impulse and the answer to the question is no, a weasel is not a rodent. And I am hearing about it from those who know better.
Among those stepping up to correct the error via email is Bede McCall:
Thank you for a most entertaining post "Weasel Pops Large Hadron Collider." Adds a new dimension to the colloquial term "weasel" and what they can do to you if you don't pay enough attention to them. Many years ago, as one of the newborn World Wide Web Consortium's (w3c.org) Advisory Committee founders, I was at one of our tiny group's earliest meeting receptions: It was held deep underground in the LHC, due to Tim Berners-Lee's connection with CERN. This message, however, is about an outrageous (!), perhaps even species-insulting (!!) error in your recent column: you describe a weasel (Musteloidea) as a rodent (Rodentia). T'ain't so. A quick bite test will confirm. A profound apology to the hundreds of millions of now-aggrieved non-human weasels (other than the profligate homo erectus sub-subspecies of Musteloidea, in approximately equal numbers) on our planet is now required, although I can't begin to suggest an appropriate medium for doing so. ;-)
This one will have to do.
[For sale: The nuclear fallout bunker of your dreams]
R.C., another correspondent sympathetic to the weasel, writes:
Ill keep the criticism of the article short and succinct. Weasels are not rodents!! Granted, you are into electronic tech, and are not into biology (though you might dabble a bit into the bionics world). However, wouldnt you wince if you heard biologists repeatedly say that ROM is the same thing as RAM?
Well if you put it that way
Its worth noting at least to my mind that this blog was not the only media outlet to besmirch the noble weasel by lumping it in with rats, chipmunks and pigeons (aw, cmon, a pigeon is nothing but a flying rat, I dont care what the biologists say).
The headline on ABC News read: World's Largest Atom Smasher, the Large Hadron Collider, Reportedly Shut Down by Rodent. The Sydney Morning Herald used the R-word in its story. Maine News Online tried to weasel out by using weasel-like rodent in its headline. Nature World News, which you might think could be held to a higher standard, offered up: Tiny Rodent Shut Down Worlds Largest, Most Powerful Particle Collider.
No excuses for any of us, though.
Sorry, weasels.
Welcome regulars and passersby. Here are a few more recent buzzblog items. And, if youd like to receive Buzzblog via e-mail newsletter, heres where to sign up. You can follow me on Twitter here and on Google+ here.
LOS ANGELESBoutique brand B Swish is promoting its Bwild Deluxe Bunny, which continues the companys commitment to affordable luxury.
The Bwild Deluxe Bunny satisfies with modern design, body-safe silicone construction and rumbling vibrations at both the curved head and pinpoint-precise ears. Intuitive controls with red backlight and convenient AAA battery operation add to the experience.
The Bwild Deluxe Bunny is perfect for solo stimulation or can easily be brought into couples play. The Bwild Deluxe Bunnys natural feel and waterproof engineering is enhanced by its quiet and super powerful dual motors.
The Bwild Deluxe Bunny has a MAP of $53.99 and as a member of B Swishs Deluxe Line of personal massagers arrives in sleek packaging and is available in three colors: Raspberry, Jade and Blue Lagoon.
Learn more about the Bwild Deluxe Bunny with educational flyers and online marketing support available on B Swishs B2B site at us.bswish.com or email [email protected]
Dells planned US$67 billion acquisition of EMC will create a broad collection of businesses called Dell Technologies.
Under that umbrella, the pure Dell name will live on in the companys client business, including its PCs, while its enterprise infrastructure division will be called Dell EMC, Chairman and CEO Michael Dell announced on Monday at EMC World in Las Vegas.
Dell Technologies will be the only company selling everything from edge devices to core data centers and cloud infrastructure, a mission that rival HP backed away from when it split into Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Inc., Dell said.
He pitched the end-to-end strategy as a boon to customers who want a single partner that can do everything, letting them focus on business growth.
You want technology made easier, Dell said.
Dell Technologies will include all of whats called Dell today, plus EMCs core Information Infrastructure storage division, Pivotal, Virtustream, the partly public VMware and two security businesses: Dells SecureWorks and EMCs RSA unit.
For EMC, owning a collection of semi-autonomous businesses and making them add up to something more is called federation, and it has come under attack from some investors and skeptics. On Monday, Dell called it a family and said Dell Technologies will be able to align its businesses and invest in new technologies at its own pace as a privately held company.
The acquisition is on track under its original terms and timeline, Michael Dell said. The deal still needs regulatory and shareholder approvals.
EMC Chairman and CEO Joe Tucci received a standing ovation as he addressed the annual conference for what is likely to be the last time, before introducing Dell. Tucci has been CEO since 2001, one of the longest tenures in the tech industry.
EMC is joining Dell to take advantage of a revolution in technology brought about by cloud computing, the Internet of Things and agile software development, Tucci said.
We have to rediscover the art of writing software, Tucci said. Thats going to take IT to new heights, and youll see IT budgets go up significantly.
Champaign, IL (61820)
Today
Cloudy with gusty winds developing this afternoon. High 78F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph..
Tonight
Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low 61F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Reporter/Columnist
Julie Wurth is a reporter covering the University of Illinois at The News-Gazette. Her email is jwurth@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@jawurth).
Reporter
Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
NOTICE: This Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) is intended for persons living in Australia.
Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) summary The full CMI on the next page has more details. If you are worried about using this medicine, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
Why am I using Glivec?
Glivec contains the active ingredient imatinib. Glivec is used to Glivec is used to treat children and adults who have certain types of cancer and leukemia. For more information, see Section 1. Why am I using Glivec? in the full CMI.
What should I know before I use Glivec?
Do not use if you have ever had an allergic reaction to Glivec or any of the ingredients listed at the end of the CMI. Talk to your doctor if you have any other medical conditions, take any other medicines, or are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breastfeeding. For more information, see Section 2. What should I know before I use Glivec? in the full CMI.
What if I am taking other medicines?
Some medicines may interfere with Glivec and affect how it works. A list of these medicines is in Section 3. What if I am taking other medicines? in the full CMI.
How do I use Glivec?
Your doctor will tell you exactly how many tablets of Glivec to take Follow the instructions provided and use Glivec until your doctor tells you to stop More instructions can be found in Section 4. How do I use Glivec? in the full CMI.
What should I know while using Glivec?
Things you should do Remind any doctor, dentist or pharmacist you visit that you are using Glivec. Have regular check-ups to make sure the treatment is working Things you should not do Do not stop using this medicine suddenly (unless your doctor tells you to) Driving or using machines Be careful before you drive or use any machines or tools until you know how Glivec affects you Drinking alcohol There are no known interactions between Glivec and alcohol Looking after your medicine Store it in a cool dry place away from moisture, heat or sunlight Keep out of reach of children For more information, see Section 5. What should I know while using Glivec? in the full CMI.
Are there any side effects?
Common side effects include headache, dizziness, light-headedness or vertigo, upset stomach, nausea (feeling sick), vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, rash, eczema, itchy or dry skin, skin darkening or lightening, symptoms of sunburn which happens more quickly than normal, noticeable swelling, stiffness in joints or muscles, pain in bones or along veins, weakness, feeling generally unwell, numbness, tingling in fingers and toes, change in sense of taste, irritated eyes, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, changes in appetite and weight, hair loss, throat pain, cough or cold symptoms, loss of interest in sex, problems with sexual function, breast enlargement, nipple pain, painful periods, slowing of growth in children and adolescents For more information, including what to do if you have any side effects, see Section 6. Are there any side effects? in the full CMI.
Why am I using Glivec?
Glivec contains the active ingredient imatinib. Glivec belongs to a group of anti-cancer medicines known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Glivec is used to treat children and adults who have certain types of cancer and leukemia, including chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia with Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph-positive ALL). Glivec is also used to treat adults for: Myelodysplastic / myeloproliferative diseases (MDS/MPD). These are a group of blood diseases in which some blood cells start growing out of control. Aggressive systemic mastocytosis (ASM). It is a cancer in which certain blood cells, called "mast" cells, grow out of control. Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) and or chronic eosinophilic leukaemia (CEL). These are blood diseases in which some blood cells, named "eosinophils", start growing out of control. Gastro-intestinal stromal tumours (GIST). This is a type of cancer of the stomach and bowels. This cancer affects the tissue that surrounds the stomach and bowels and the cells grow uncontrollably. Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP). DFSP is a cancer of the tissue beneath the skin in which some cells start growing out of control. Glivec works by slowing the growth of and killing cancer cells while leaving normal cells alone.
What should I know before I use Glivec?
Warnings
Do not use Glivec if: you are allergic to imatinib, or any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet. Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any other medicines, foods, dyes or preservatives. If you experience an allergic reaction, stop using the medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately. Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include: include shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body rash, itching or hives on the skin
Check with your doctor if you: have any other medical conditions take any medicines for any other condition During treatment, you may be at risk of developing certain side effects. It is important you understand these risks and how to monitor for them. See additional information under Section 6. Are there any side effects
Pregnancy and breastfeeding Check with your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. This medicine may be harmful to your unborn baby. If it is necessary for you to take it during pregnancy, your doctor will let you know. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding or intend to breastfeed. It is not known if the active ingredient, imatinib, passes into the breast milk. Breastfeeding is not recommended because this medicine could affect your baby.
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any of the following medical problems or procedures: kidney or liver problems problems with your heart you have had your thyroid gland removed hepatitis B infection. As during treatment with Glivec, hepatitis B may become active again. Your doctor may want to take special precautions in this case.
What if I am taking other medicines?
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any medicines, vitamins or supplements that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop. Some medicines may interfere with Glivec and affect how it works. St. John's wort, a herbal medicine found in many products that you can buy without a prescription paracetamol, a medicine found in many common pain relievers and cold remedies (e.g. Panadol, Panadeine, Codral, Tylenol) which are known to be associated with liver toxicity. antibiotic medicines such as rifampicin, ketoconazole, erythromycin, clarithromycin, itraconazole antiviral medicines used to treat HIV/AIDS dexamethasone, a steroid medicine medicines for high cholesterol, such as simvastatin medicines used to treat epilepsy, such as phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbitone warfarin, a medicine used to prevent blood clots some medicines used to treat mental disorders and depression some medicines used to treat high blood pressure and heart problems cyclosporin Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure about what medicines, vitamins or supplements you are taking and if these affect Glivec.
How do I use Glivec?
How much to take Your doctor will tell you exactly how many tablets of Glivec to take Do not exceed the recommended dose prescribed by your doctor Follow the instructions provided and use Glivec until your doctor tells you to stop Your doctor may direct you to take a higher or lower dose or stop treatment depending on how your body responds to Glivec. Glivec is usually taken as a single dose each day. However, your doctor may want you to take them in two doses, one in the morning and one in the evening
When to take Glivec Take Glivec every day; at the same time, with water and food for as long as your doctor recommends
How to take Glivec Take Glivec with a large glass of water and food. This will help avoid stomach irritation If you are unable to swallow the tablets: Put the required tablets in a glass of water or apple juice (approximately 50 mL for a 100 mg tablet or 200 mL for a 400 mg tablet) Stir with a spoon to completely dissolve the tablets Drink immediately
If you forget to use Glivec Glivec should be taken regularly at the same time each day. If you miss your dose at the usual time, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, then continue with your normal schedule. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to. Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose you missed.
If you take too much Glivec If you think that you have taken too much Glivec, you may need urgent medical attention. You should immediately: phone the Poisons Information Centre
(by calling 13 11 26), or contact your doctor, or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital. You should do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
What should I know while using Glivec?
Things you should do Make sure you follow your doctor's instructions carefully and keep all appointments. You will need regular check-ups to make sure the treatment is working. Regular blood tests, weight checks and urine tests can also find side effects before they become serious. Use a method of contraception to prevent pregnancy during treatment and for 15 days after ending treatment. Some children taking Glivec may have slower than normal growth. Growth will be monitored at regular visits by your doctor.
Call your doctor straight away if you Become pregnant or think you might be pregnant Think you might be having an allergic reaction to Glivec treatment Remind any doctor, dentist or pharmacist you visit that you are using Glivec.
Things you should not do Do not stop using this medicine suddenly unless your doctor tells you to Do not give this medicine to anyone else even if they have the same condition as you
Drinking grapefruit juice Avoid drinking grapefruit juice while you are being treated with Glivec. Grapefruit juice may interact with Glivec and affect how your body uses this medicine.
Treating a headache, cold or other minor aches and pains Try to avoid taking medicines containing paracetamol (e.g. Panadol, Panadeine, Codral, Tylenol) to treat minor aches and pains. Ask your pharmacist to suggest an alternative medicine.
Driving or using machines Be careful before you drive or use any machines or tools until you know how Glivec affects you. Glivec may cause dizziness, light-headedness or drowsiness in some people.
Wear sun protection when outdoors When you are outdoors, wear protective clothing and use at least a 15+ sunscreen. Do not use sunlamps or tanning beds. This medicine may cause your skin to be much more sensitive to sunlight than it normally is. Exposure to sunlight may cause a skin rash, itching, redness or severe sunburn. If your skin does appear to be burning, tell your doctor.
Drinking alcohol Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol. There are no known interactions of Glivec with alcohol.
Looking after your medicine Keep your medicine in the original container until it is time to take it Follow the instructions in the carton on how to take care of your medicine properly. Store it in a cool dry place away from moisture, heat or sunlight; for example, do not store it: in the bathroom or near a sink, or in the car or on windowsills Keep it where young children cannot reach it.
Getting rid of any unwanted medicine If you no longer need to use this medicine or it is out of date, take it to any pharmacy for safe disposal. Do not use this medicine after the expiry date.
Are there any side effects?
All medicines can have side effects. If you do experience any side effects, most of them are minor and temporary. However, some side effects may need medical attention. See the information below and, if you need to, ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any further questions about side effects.
Less serious side effects Less serious side effects What to do Stomach and intestine problems: pain or burning sensation in upper tummy area and/or chest (heartburn), feeling sick, vomiting, feeling of fullness and bloating, black-coloured stool (signs of stomach ulcer). Skin problems: skin rash with flaking or peeling (exfoliative dermatitis). blisters on skin (signs of pemphigus). painful and/or blistering skin areas decreased or increased skin sensitivity. changes in skin colour. red bumps or white-headed pimples around the roots of the hair, possibly with pain, itching or burning feeling (signs of swelling of the hair follicles, also called folliculitis). painful red lumps on the skin, skin pain, skin reddening (inflammation of fatty tissue under the skin, also called panniculitis). General problems: feeling dizzy or weak. itching. unusual hair loss or thinning. dry mouth, dry skin or dry eye. hot flushes, chills or night sweats. severe headache felt as a throbbing pain or pulsing sensation, usually on one side of the head and often with sick feeling, vomiting and sensitivity to light or sound (signs of migraine). overwhelming urge to move the legs (restless leg syndrome). burping/belching. difficulty swallowing. increased sweating. brittle nails. generally feeling unwell. increase in appetite. nail discolouration. slowing of growth in children and adolescents. Ear problems: hearing noises (e.g. ringing, humming) in the ears that have no external source (tinnitus). Eye problems: discharge from the eye with itching, redness and swelling (conjunctivitis), watery eyes or having blurred vision. Blood problems: nose bleeds. Infection problems: viral infection such as cold sore. swelling of the lips. mouth ulcers. cough, runny or stuffy nose, feeling of heaviness or pain on pressing the area above the eyes or on the sides of the nose, nasal stuffiness, sneezing, sore throat, with or without headache (signs of upper respiratory tract infection). flu-like symptoms (influenza). pain or burning feeling while passing urine, increased body temperature, pain in groin or pelvic area, red- or brown-coloured or cloudy urine (signs of urinary tract infection). Nutrition problems: anorexia, weight loss or a change in sense of taste. Bone and connective tissue problems: joint pain with swelling. pain and swelling of your joints (signs of arthralgia). Kidney problems: Increased frequency of passing urine lower back pain resulting from kidney problems Muscle problems: joint and muscle stiffness. Nervous system problems: difficulty in sleeping (insomnia). a constant feeling of sadness and loss of interest, which stops you carrying out your normal activities (signs of depression). a feeling of nervousness and worry along with physical changes such as pounding heart, sweating, trembling, dry mouth (signs of anxiety). sleepiness/drowsiness/excessive sleep. confusion. memory loss. trembling or shaky movements (tremor). Heart and circulation problems: numbness of the hands or feet. reddening and/or swelling on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet with tingling feeling and burning pain. Reproduction problems: breast enlargement (may occur in men or women). dull pain and/or feeling of heaviness in the testicles or lower tummy area, pain during pee, sexual intercourse or ejaculation, blood in urine (signs of oedema of the testicles). unable to get or keep an erection (erectile dysfunction). heavy or irregular menstrual periods. difficulty achieving/maintaining sexual arousal. decreased sexual desire. nipple pain. slowing of growth in children and adolescents. Speak to your doctor if you have any of these less serious side effects and they worry you.
Serious side effects Serious side effects What to do Blood problems: unexpected bleeding or bruising (when you have not hurt yourself). feeling light-headed, dizzy or fainting (signs of low blood pressure). pale skin, feeling tired, difficulty breathing or breathless and having dark urine (signs of low levels of red blood cells). numb or cold toes and fingers (signs of Raynauds syndrome). muscle weakness and spasms with an abnormal heart rhythm (signs of changes in the amount of potassium in your blood). bruising. feeling sick, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, cloudy urine, tiredness and/or joint pain with abnormal blood test results (eg. high potassium, uric acid and calcium levels and low phosphorous levels in the blood). tired, dizziness, shortness of breath, bruises, gum/nose bleeds, minor cuts bleed a lot, feeling confused, sleepiness, seizures, decreased urine, swollen legs, fever (problems with blood clotting). Stomach and intestine problems: severe stomach pain, blood in vomit, stool or urine, black stools (signs of gastrointestinal problems) stomach pain with feeling sick (nausea) feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting), diarrhoea, or upset stomach or heartburn General problems: rapid weight gain. Glivec may cause your body to keep water (severe fluid retention). combined widespread severe rash, feeling sick, fever, high level of certain white blood cells or yellow skin or eyes (signs of jaundice) with difficulty breathing, chest pain, severely decreased urine output and feeling thirsty etc. (signs of a treatment-related allergic reaction). headache or feeling tired. swelling such as around your ankles or puffy eyes. weight gain. Skin problems: rash rash, red skin with blisters on the lips, eyes, skin or mouth, peeling skin, fever, raised red or purple skin patches, itching, burning feeling (signs of skin problems) sudden swelling and redness of the skin (signs of a skin infection called cellulitis). Ear problems: difficulty hearing Eye problems: eye pain or worsening eyesight, bleeding in the eyes Liver problems: Feeling sick (nausea), with loss of appetite, dark-coloured urine, yellow skin or eyes (signs of liver problems). Infection problems: Signs of infection such as fever, severe chills, sore throat or mouth ulcers. Glivec can reduce the number of white blood cells, so you might get infections more easily. Bone and connective tissue problems: muscle cramps or joint, muscle or bone pain, during Glivec treatment or after you have stopped taking Glivec. pain in bones or joints (signs of osteonecrosis). Nervous system problems: severe headache, weakness or paralysis of arms/legs or face, difficulty speaking, sudden loss of consciousness (signs of nervous system problems such as bleeding or swelling in skull/brain). Heart problems: chest pain, irregular heart rhythm (signs of heart problems). Excretory system problems: feeling sick (nausea) with diarrhoea and vomiting, stomach pain or fever (signs of bowel problems). Muscle problems: muscle spasms with a fever, red-brown urine, pain or weakness in your muscles. Call your doctor straight away, or go straight to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital if you notice any of these serious side effects. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything else that may be making you feel unwell. Other side effects not listed here may occur in some people.
Reporting side effects After you have received medical advice for any side effects you experience, you can report side effects to the Therapeutic Goods Administration online at www.tga.gov.au/reporting-problems . By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine. Always make sure you speak to your doctor or pharmacist before you decide to stop taking any of your medicines.
Product details
This medicine is only available with a doctor's prescription.
What Glivec contains Active ingredient (main ingredient) imatinib Other ingredients (inactive ingredients) Cellulose-microcrystalline Crospovidone Hypromellose Silica colloidal anhydrous Magnesium stearate Iron oxide yellow CI77492 (E172) Iron oxide red CI77491 (E172) Macrogol 4000 Talc Potential allergens Glivec does not contain sucrose, lactose, tartrazine, azo dyes, or any animal products. Do not take this medicine if you are allergic to any of these ingredients.
What Glivec looks like Glivec 100 mg tablet is a round, very dark yellow to brownish orange tablet with NVR on one side and SA and score-line on the other side; packs of 60 tablets. AUST R 94216. Glivec 400 mg tablet is an oval, very dark yellow to brownish orange tablet with 400 on one side and score on the other side and SL on each side of the score; packs of 30 tablets. AUST R 94217.
Radiation therapy not only kills cancer cells, but also helps to activate the immune system against their future proliferation. However, this immune response is often not strong enough to be able to cure tumours, and even when it is, its effect is limited to the area that has been irradiated. Now, however, research to be presented to the ESTRO 35 conference today (Sunday) has shown that the addition of an immune system-strengthening compound can extend the radiation therapy-induced immune response against the tumour sites and that this response even has an effect on tumours outside the radiation field.
Ms Nicolle Rekers, MSc, from the Department of Radiation Oncology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands, will describe to the conference how a combination of radiation therapy and L19-IL2, an immunotherapy agent, can increase significantly the immune response when given to mice with primary colorectal tumours. L19-IL2 is a combination of an antibody that targets the tumour blood vessels and a cytokine, a small protein important in cell signalling in the immune system.
The researchers found not only that the mice were tumour-free following treatment, but also that when re-injected with cancer cells 150 days after cure, they did not form new tumours. There was also an increase in the number of cells with an immunological memory.
"Radiation therapy damages the tumour creating a sort of tumour-specific vaccine," Ms Rekers will say. "It feeds the immune system and ensures that it notices that something is wrong. What is unique about our latest experiments is that we have been able to create a so-called abscopal effect, where a localised radiation treatment has also had an effect on other tumour sites outside this radiation field."
The lifespan of mice is quite short - about two years - so 150 days is a relatively long time. "Of course, these mice are models of human disease and can never be 100% comparable with a patient, but the fact that the cured mice never formed new tumours, compared with a 100% tumour formation in untreated mice of the same age, is significant. We will know more after analysing results from the Phase I/II clinical study in human patients that we started recently," says Ms Rekers.
L19-IL2 is known to be safe in patients, with only mild side effects limited to injection site reactions. The new trial will look at the combination treatment in patients with oligometastatic solid tumours. "Our ultimate aim is to increase the time during which the disease does not progress by using this combination to bring about an immune response that will attack both the primary tumour and its metastases," says Ms Rekers.
Although reprogramming the immune system has only been feasible relatively recently, research to date seems to indicate that it is without damaging long-term effects. "We believe that the risk/benefit equation is likely to come down firmly on the side of benefit. We hope that this treatment will not only destroy tumours, but also enable the immune system to develop a memory that allows it to annihilate them in the future as well," Ms Rekers will conclude.
ESTRO President Professor Philip Poortmans commented: "A couple of years after the first breakthrough of immunotherapy in medical oncology, we are now on the verge of an exciting new era that combines this novel approach with radiation therapy. This could open the door to shorter treatment durations, thereby reducing side effects and costs compared to common palliative approaches in mono-immunotherapy, as well as to potentially new curative options where we had none before. It is time to join forces with all partners, including industry, to explore these capabilities."
Source: European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO)
For 10 days in February one hospital's records hung in limbo. At Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in California, a ransomware attack kept health care records in control of anonymous hackers, until hospital officials paid $17,000 to take back their system.
Data ransom attacks are today's technological version of kidnapping. It's anonymous, more cost-effective and more appealing to criminal enterprises than taking physical hostages. And it's the reason health care institutions today are taking steps to ensure security.
As part of an ongoing conversation, health care professionals and government agencies will meet on May 1-11 in Washington D.C. to discuss health data as part of the Health Datapalooza event presented by Health Data Consortium.
At Creighton University, law professor Edward Morse is researching the technological and legal limitations for paying data ransom.
"If you can deny access to patient care records, you shut down hospital operations," Morse said. "With HIPAA, a patient's electronic records are protected under law. But, a patient's medical information is only as strong as an institution's weakest link.
It can be as simple as a disgruntled employee; someone who is willing to give up a password to a potential hacker, so hospitals are working to increase security and limit the number of employees who can access sensitive data.
Adam Kuenning, attorney with Erickson | Sederstrom and a Creighton law professor, teaches HIPAA privacy and security.
"Patient care comes first for any medical professional," Kuenning said. "The importance of keeping the information secure, may sometimes be lost while the medical professional is focused on the patient's care."
Any HIPAA breach of more than 500 patients must be reported to the media, and the Department of Health and Human Services keeps a record of these cases online. Since 2009, more than 1500 cases have been recorded. For cases affecting less than 500 patients, only a letter sent to affected persons is required.
To ensure HIPAA compliance, HHS is conducting audits healthcare companies, but often carelessness is the root cause of a breach. A frequent problem are laptops and thumb drives with private medical information left in an employee's car.
"Data that's not encrypted is being stolen somehow," Kuenning said. "People are breaking into your office, stealing your computer, your servers when you didn't encrypt your records that evening."
In the California hospital case, an outside hacker stole records by taking over the computer system. In these cases, it's common that patient information isn't actually stolen; rather, hackers freeze the system, making the records inaccessible to medical personnel who need the information to properly care for the patients.
Last June, President Barack Obama stated while the U.S. government won't pay ransom for hostages, American families have never "been prosecuted for paying a ransom." In most health care cases, private ransom payments often go unnoticed. Few cases like Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital are publicized. According to Morse, thousands of attacks are attempted, but it's unknown how many are successful.
"With this crime, it's embarrassing to institutions, that their systems aren't secure," Morse said.
Payouts to criminal enterprises are relatively inexpensive. The black market values each patient's record at $50 or $60, Morse found. According to a Ponemon Institute Survey, hackers only earn about $28,000 annually, but Morse notes that this wage could equate to a lot more with hackers coming from developing countries.
Without patient's records, the hospital reaches a standstill, creating the need to comply and pay ransom.
"If you can pay, you would do it in a New York minute," Morse said.
As the health care industry becomes more invested in technological innovations, institutions must keep privacy in mind, as a data breach can "ultimately, sully the reputation of an institution," Morse said.
Mario Miranda's sly sense of humour was evident in all of his illustrations which spoke so much about the society, more than words in fact. 2 May 2016 happens to be Miranda's 90th birth anniversary. And to celebrate the artists and his illustrious life, a Diary is being released. Titled, 'The Life Of Mario 1949', the book captures Diary entries by a young 22-year-old Mario all through illustrations.Five years earlier, Mario's dairies of 1950 and 1951 were published. In 1949, Mario was studying at St Xavier's and often visited Goa. His beautiful illustrated diary entries depict typical Goan village scenes, bars and Sundays at Chruches. The Diary was the centre of his life and it is in the latter half of this diary, that one can see Mario displaying originality which will catapulted him to become a great artist in later years.Gerard Da Cunha, architect and curator of Mario gallery in Goa has says the Diaries of 1950-51 and 49 have lot of similarities. "Mario the artist was evolving very rapidly in terms of story telling and composition in 1949. Mario was just 22 and there was an innocence about him and his life which is compelling," said Gerard who has himself written a book on the artist.The Diary is largely in black and white though he intersperses it with many landscapes of Goa which are in colour. Mario is seen slowly experimenting with colour and most of 1951 and 1952 ( incomplete) are in colour. The diary was originally in Portuguese and has been translated by Nalini Sousa.Gerard, who has personally curated all the images for the diary, is aware of the fact that in the age of digitization, the audience for books is limited. "This extraordinary story must be told and what better occasion than Mario's 90th birthday," reasoned the architect who was in the middle of preparation of the concert that would take place in the evening in Mario's honour.So what new things can a fan of Mario's work expect in the Diary? "Mario's "sociological" studies of the village which includes local elections and the church are fascinating. Mario and his gang are also great dance organisers with mixed results. There is an exodus of his friends moving out of Goa and there are many touching farewells," said Gerard.You can find more of Mario Miranda's work here.
One of India's most celebrated cartoonists Mario de Miranda died on December 11, 2011. A few weeks before his death, he gave an interview in which he spoke about his growing years, influences, travels and, of course, Goa.Google has posted a doodle on its home pages in seven countries around the work honouring the late cartoonist on his 90th birth anniversary.Like most cartoonists, Mario de Miranda appeared to be a serious, shy, no-nonsense but soft-spoken person to a first-time acquaintance, but gradually warmed up.Born on May 2, 1926, Mario displayed a keen love and interest in sketching and caricatures - using the walls in his own house in Loutolim for practice! Until his horrified mother brought him a bookThough never formally trained in the fine art of drawing, Mario started making small, cutely illustrated personal postcards for his friends for a token payment - earning him some pocket money in his early days in the 1930s-1940.While studying at the famed St Xaviers College in Mumbai, Mario's eyes were trained on competing for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). He went on to study architecture and gave up, before moving to an advertising agency for four years.The restless artist in him finally persuaded him to take up cartooning as a full-time vocation, around the time when stalwarts like RK Laxman, Bal Thackeray and others were also blooming in the field.Way back in the 1960s, he got his first major break with the now-defunctwhere his sketches and cartoons brought him wide recognition and also a job with the now-defuncttabloid.His creations like the bosomy Miss Nimbupani, Miss Fonseca, Khushwant Singh drinking and others became an instant hit - and are remembered till date.Around a year later, he finally got a slot in theedition of, where Laxman had already become a legend. Later, he contributed to other Times group publications likeand other supplements.At this time, he bagged a Portuguese scholarship, the FC Gulbenkian Scholarship, and he lived in that country for a year, which helped him, in his own words, "broaden his horizons."From there, he went to London and spent five years working for various newspapers and television animation, and his caricatures were featured in internationally reputed magazines likeandAfter travelling around many countries, conducting exhibitions or working, he finally decided to make India his home base in the late 1980s.In south Mumbai's famous Mondegar Cafe, Mario was commissioned to paint murals which adorn the cafe's walls even today. His calendars, year-planners for various publications, private and government organisations, illustrated diaries and books continue to be treasured possessions.During his long career, Mario penned and illustrated several books, includingandBesides, he illustrated books penned by the Goan, Dom Moraes (), Manohar Malgaonkar () and Mario Cabral de Sa (), children's books authored by Uma Anand likeandOver his career spanning six decades, Mario conducted solo exhibitions in 22 countries and was decorated with Indian civilian honours like Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.An avid traveller and music lover, Mario married an artist, Habiba Hyderi. The couple has two sons - Rahul, a hair stylist in New York, and Rishad, a cartoonist based in Goa.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday began the questioning of former Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal scam. The former IAF chief has also been issued summons by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
CNN-News18 has accessed the details of the line of CBI questioning of Tyagi. According to sources, the CBI is examining Tyagi on the various meetings he had with Agustas parent company Finmeccanica.
Of the various meeting Tyagi had with Finmeccanica, the first was in 2004 while there were two in 2005, wherein one happened at an airshow in Bengaluru where the company had set up a stall.
In 2006, Tyagi met the companys representatives at his cousin Julies office in the national capital.
Tyagi met officials of Finmeccanica socially as well, said sources. The intention is to understand what went on in these meetings and whether criminality can be established about having favoured Agusta by using official position.
The ED had served summons to Tyagi after it was able to track alleged bribe money related to the AgustaWestland deal to two of Tyagis cousins.
Tyagi was the IAF Chief when the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal was struck and has been accused of tweaking requirements to favour the company.
The agencies will also continue to question former deputy air chief JS Gujral in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said that he will provide a detailed chronology of the AgustaWestland deal in Parliament on May 4.
"I will place the detailed chronology, giving facts about the chopper deal before Parliament on Wednesday. I will place the detailed chronology, giving how and when necessary clauses or provisions were relaxed to suit the company," Parrikar had said.
"Those who received kickbacks will not leave behind the proof for us to prosecute them, but we will have to prove it (that kickbacks were received)," he said.
"It is for us to prove everything now. Since the issue would be placed in Parliament, I would not like to speak in detail to media," the Defence Minister further said.
"Why no action was taken against the company till 2014? Why was the company not blacklisted by then UPA government?" Parrikar questioned. "I challenge the Congress to show the UPA government's order blacklisting the AgustaWestland company. Let them reply first why it was not banned. It was during our (NDA) government that we banned it," he said.
Parrikar had recently challenged the Congress to show the order by the UPA government confirming the blacklisting.
AgustaWestland was not blacklisted during the UPA rule, top Modi government sources had recently claimed, asserting it was the NDA dispensation which had put on hold all acquisition proposals with the VVIP chopper scam-tainted firm.
(With PTI Inputs)
New Delhi: A makeover for Air India's cabin crew is in the offing soon with an internal committee, mostly comprising the in-flight staff, suggesting various sartorial options for draping themselves.
A 10-member committee, set up from within the ranks and headed by the General Manager for Cabin Crew, has suggested various options for patterns, material, texture and colours, among other things for the cabin crew uniform in its report, a senior Air India official said.
The options in the report are now being evaluated by the management before taking a final call on the issue, he said. The cabin crew strength in Air India currently stands at around 4,000.
"The use of indigenous fabric 'khadi' for draping the cabin crew is one of the several choices suggested by the committee," the official said, not ruling out the possibility of the management looking at this option keeping in view the Prime Minister's flagship project 'Make in India'.
Significantly, the cabin crew operating Air India One, the official aircraft of the President, the Prime Minister and the Vice-President, during a recent official trip of Modi to Belgium and the US was all draped in khadi uniform.
"This was for the first time that such a committee was set up at the airline with all its members drawn from the cabin crew from across regional bases and also across fleets - wide-body and narrow-body. The idea was to give them a flexibility and freedom to chose the uniform they feel comfortable with," the official said,
"Sampling of the clothing based on the committee's suggestions is being carried out currently. Once this exercise is completed, the samples would be placed before the authorities concerned for a final view," the official said.
The state-owned carrier had in April 2015 given a makeover to the cabin crew uniform.
At that time, while retaining the traditional saree as part of the uniform, it had introduced kurtis, churidars and trousers, besides Western style clothing to give a more contemporary look to its flight attendants.
Air India had the uniforms designed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology.
Indias Silicon Valley will be unliveable in the next five years screams an alarmist headline in leading English newspaper "Deccan Herald". It has carried an article based on a study conducted by the reputed Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bengaluru which presents a bleak picture for the city.The IISC study claims that Bengaluru has witnessed an alarming growth of builtup area in the last 40 years. The growth has been a phenomenal 525%. It also says that the vegetation of the once Green City Bengaluru has seen a decline of 78%.The city also known as "Lake City" has lost 79% of its water bodies during the same period."These are not just figures, but the lakes and trees that surrounded you have quietly disappeared as a result of the urban sprawl," says the IISC study.According to Professor TV Ramachandra of the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the IISc the city is seeing a mad, senseless growth and its consequences can be disastrous in the near future.He warns that Bengaluru, the most sought after city in India till a few years ago, will be unliveable and a dead city within the next five years. A rag picker prepares to pack a sack filled with recyclable materials at a garbage dump in Bangalore. (Photo: Reuters)Till recently, Bengaluru was known as Indias only naturally air-conditioned city because of its pleasant weather all through the year. The British made it a garrison city after the fall of Tipu Sultan in 1799.They liked the place so much and even started calling it a home away from home. Bengaluru was a small provincial town till the 1970s with a modest population.Situated 3000 feet above sea level, Bengaluru has no rivers. Over 600 small and big lakes kept the city cool and green.But the economic boom in the last two decades has destroyed most of them. The city gets water from Cauvery river which flows almost a thousand feet below and 100 KM away through giant pipes. If the Cauvery dries up, Bengaluru will turn into a desert.The economic liberalisation of the early 1990s changed the city forever. In the last 25 years, its population has gone up by 150% - from a manageable 40 lakh to unmanageable 1 crore plus in 2016.Many old time city residents lament that "land has become scarce, decent economy has now become hyper and politics is rotten".Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is held responsible for the decline of a great city. BDA is accused of functioning like a real estate agency.According to the Deccan Herald, former principal chief conservator of forests AN Yallappa Reddy, the government should use 40,000 acres of land reclaimed after evicting squatters for community benefits such as creating lung space, water bodies and playgrounds.The IISC study clearly says "decongest immediately or perish forever".The study may be an alarmist one and Bengaluru may not become unliveable in just five years. But it is a fact that the future is bleak for a wonderful city.
The weather department has predicted rain for Tuesday in Uttarakhand, which has been battling forest fire that has gutted over 2200 hectares of forest land. This comes as a major relief for the state where the Centre has deployed NDRF and IAF for rescue operations.
While the NDRF has claimed that 70% of the affected area has been brought under control, the authorities have said that only 11 fires remain in the state, adding that small fires remain the cause of concern.
Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the Centre is keeping a close watch on the situation, assuring that the fire would be brought under control in the next three to four days.
I immediately sent DG forests. He is there and is leading the operations. The amount required has been released. PMO, NDRF and IAF are working together, I am sure the fire will be brought under control in coming 3-4 days, he said.
There was no end to the politics either over the forest fire, with Congress rebel and former CM Vijay Bahuguna blaming the ousted government of having no contingency plan to contain such forest fires. He also blamed late deployment of forces for the tragedy.
Meanwhile, there were reports that the fire has spread to neighbouring Himachal Pradesh with outbreaks spotted in rural Shimla. A sporadic fire erupted in a forest of Cheed trees near IIT Nahan on Sunday. The entire area surrounding the forest was engulfed in smoke and fire tenders had a hard time making their way inside the forest due to the terrain. The fire is supposed to have caused heavy losses to the forest.
Forest officials suspect the unprecedented fire could be a man-made disaster. Several people have been arrested so far.
The fire, which started in the first week of February, has killed seven people and destroyed 2,269 hectares of forested land.
New Delhi: Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "doctoring" information on his date of birth and his educational qualifications and threatened to reveal the 'facts' behind his degrees on Tuesday.
Party leader Jairam Ramesh told reporters that Modi has been "doctoring information" on his date of birth and educational qualifications.
He claimed Congress spokesman Shaktisinh Gohil is coming from Gujarat with all the documents and would be addressing a press conference on Tuesday on the issue of educational qualifications of the Prime Minister.
On Sunday, Vice-Chancellor of the University MN Patel said that Modi completed his post-graduation in political science from Gujarat University in 1983 and had scored 62.3 per cent as an external student of the varsity.
Patel revealed the information days after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused the Central Information Commission (CIC) of covering up the Prime Minister's educational qualifications.
Congress had on Sunday alleged "discrepancies" in Modi's date of birth.
"In students' register of MN College Visnagar (where Modi took admission in pre-science, equivalent to class XII) Narendra Modi's date of birth is mentioned as August 29, 1949.
In his election affidavit, he did not reveal his date of birth, but mentioned his age. His official birth date, as available in the public domain, is September 17, 1950," Gohil had said in Ahmedabad.
Gohil had also questioned the timing of Gujarat University sharing details of Modi's Masters degree which it had earlier refused to disclose citing secrecy.
New Delhi: Business tycoon Vijay Mallya, facing a case of loan default of over Rs 9,400 crore, resigned on Monday from Rajya Sabha, a day before its Ethics Committee was set to recommend his expulsion.
In his resignation letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari, he said he does not want his "name and reputation to be further dragged in the mud".
"And since recent events suggest that I will not get a fair trial or justice, I am hereby resigning as a member of the Rajya Sabha with immediate effect," Mallya said in the letter.
Sources however said his letter to Ansari was a scanned copy - which is not proper procedure - and that he may still be expelled from Parliament.
This is Mallya's second term in Rajya Sabha and it would have otherwise come to an end on July 1.
Welcoming the decision, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Shaina NC said, "This will set a precedent. Mallya now must pay back the Rs 9000 crore he owes to banks."
The ethics panel of Rajya Sabha, which had taken up the matter, had unanimously decided in its April 25 meeting that Mallya should no longer remain a member of the House and was planning to recommend his expulsion in its next meeting on Tuesday.
At the same time, the panel headed by Karan Singh had given Mallya one week time to explain his conduct, which some members described as "procedural formality."
The government had over a week ago revoked his diplomatic passport and approached UK for his deportation.
Commemorating what would have renowned cartoonist Mario de Miranda's 90th birthday, Google has posted an illustrative doodle on its homepage today.Miranda had not formally studied Art and started his career as a cartoonist for The Times of India and The Illustrated Weekly of India in 1953 and also illustrated numerous books including, andHis works were inspired by the bustling city of Mumbai and often featured complex, multi-layered scenes with each character maintaining its individuality.The beloved illustrator had also been invited to sketch and exhibit in many countries including the US, Japan, Germany, Spain, and France.He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002 and All India Cartoonists's Association, Bangalore, honoured him with a lifetime achievement award. He was posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan on 4 April 2012.Guest doodler Aaron Renier, who is also a comic artist, has created today's doodle. The doodle is inspired by Mario's work and picked on his most popular style - flat with criss-crossing interactions.In honour of the cartoonist, the doodle shows a rich litany of people, each unique in their perspective.
Washington: Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump on Wednesday slammed US President Barack Obama's foreign policy, alleging it is a "complete disaster" and has "weakened" the country.
"Our foreign policy is a complete and total disaster. No vision, no purpose, no direction, no strategy," Trump said in his first major foreign policy speech here after he declared himself as a "presumptive nominee" when he won primaries in all the five States.
He alleged that Obama has weakened US military by weakening its economy.
"He has crippled us with wasteful spending, massive debt, low growth, a huge trade deficit and open borders. Our manufacturing trade deficit with the world is now approaching $1 trillion a year. We are rebuilding other countries while weakening our own," he said.
The real-estate tycoon said "the legacy of the Obama-Clinton interventions will be weakness, confusion, and disarray."
"We have made the Middle East more unstable and chaotic than ever before. We left Christians subject to intense persecution and even genocide. Our actions in Iraq, Libya and Syria have helped unleash ISIS. And we are in a war against radical Islam, but President Obama wont even name the enemy," he said.
Attacking his Democratic counterpart Hillary Clinton, Trump said, "She also refuses to say the words 'radical Islam', even as she pushes for a massive increase in refugees."
"After Secretary Clinton's failed intervention in Libya, Islamic terrorists in Benghazi took down our consulate and killed our ambassador and three brave Americans. Then, instead of taking charge that night, Hillary Clinton decided to go home and sleep! Incredible," he alleged.
"Clinton blames it all on a video, an excuse that was a total lie. Our Ambassador was murdered and our Secretary of State misled the nation and by the way, she was not awake to take that call at 3 o'clock in the morning. And now ISIS is making millions of dollars a week selling Libyan oil," he alleged.
Trump said that because of Obama's foreign policies, "rivals no longer respect the US".
"In fact, they are just as confused as our allies, but an even bigger problem is that they don't take us seriously any more. When President Obama landed in Cuba on Air Force One, no leader was there to meet or greet him perhaps an incident without precedent in the long and prestigious history of Air Force One," he said.
"Then, amazingly, the same thing happened in Saudi Arabia -- it's called no respect. Do you remember when the President made a long and expensive trip to Copenhagen, Denmark to get the Olympics for our country, and, after this unprecedented effort, it was announced that the United States came in fourth place," he said.
"He should have known the result before making such an embarrassing commitment. The list of humiliations goes on and on. President Obama watches helplessly as North Korea increases its aggression and expands even further with its nuclear reach," he said.
He alleged that Obama has allowed China to continue its "economic assault" on American jobs and wealth, refusing to enforce trade rules or apply the leverage on China necessary to rein in North Korea.
"He has even allowed China to steal government secrets with cyber attacks and engage in industrial espionage against the United States and its companies. We have let our rivals and challengers think they can get away with anything. If President Obama's goal had been to weaken America, he could not have done a better job," Trump alleged.
Rome/New Delhi: A UN arbitration tribunal has ruled in favour of an Italian marine, held in India on murder charges, by allowing him to return home pending the arbitration proceedings at the Hague.
Two Italian marines -- Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone -- are facing charges of murdering two fishermen in 2012 off the Kerala coast. Latorre is back in Italy after a stroke in 2014 while Girone is staying in Italian embassy in New Delhi. The two countries have agreed to arbitration by the UN Court.
Reports from Rome said the UN tribunal court has ruled that pending arbitration proceedings, Girone may be permitted
to return home.
In a statement, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in New Delhi that the Arbitral Tribunal unanimously prescribed that India and Italy would approach the Supreme Court of India for relaxation of bail conditions of Girone.
He said the tribunal left it to the Supreme Court to fix the precise conditions of Girone's bail and noted that while the marine may return to Italy during the present arbitration, he would remain under the authority of India's apex court.
The tribunal's order is expected to be made public on Tuesday.
Sources in New Delhi denied reports that marine has been ordered to be freed, saying Italy was "misrepresenting" the order which actually affirms the Indian Supreme Court's authority over the matter.
"While remaining under the authority of the Supreme Court of India, he may return to Italy for the duration of the present arbitration. The Tribunal confirmed Italy's obligation to return him to India in case it was found that India had jurisdiction over him in respect of the incident.
"The Tribunal left it to the Supreme Court of India to fix the precise conditions of Salvatore Girone's bail. This could
include him reporting to an authority in Italy designated by our Supreme Court, surrendering his passport to Italian authorities and not leaving Italy without the permission of our Supreme Court," Swarup said.
He said Italy will have to apprise the Supreme Court of his situation every three months.
"Let me also emphasise that the Tribunal placed on record undertakings given by Italy in regard to Girone's return to India. It noted that these undertakings constitute an obligation binding upon Italy under international law.
"It has also confirmed that Italy is under an obligation to return Sergeant Girone to India if the Tribunal finds that India has jurisdiction over him," the MEA spokesperson said.
Girone is one of the two Italian marines - on board ship 'Enrica Lexie' - accused by India of killing two of its fishermen. He has not been able to leave India, aside from a few brief permits, since the incident.
Swarup said the tribunal considered that provisional measures should not alter the situation where the Supreme Court of India exercises jurisdiction over Girone.
"Government is studying the order which was received today. It would, in due course, approach the Supreme Court for its directions on this matter. "We believe that Government's consistent positions and key arguments in this particular case have been recognised by the Tribunal. The authority of the Supreme Court has been upheld. We remain confident that the issue of jurisdiction will be determined in our favour," the MEA spokesperson said.
Italy in March had asked the PCA judges to order India to release its detained marine Girone, saying otherwise he risks four more years in India without any charges being made which would amount to "grave violation of his human rights".
The PCA is hearing oral arguments by the two sides.
"Foreign Ministry informs that the arbitral tribunal set up in The Hague has anticipated today its decision that Girone Rifleman (be allowed to go) back in Italy until the end of the arbitration proceedings, initiated by the Government on June 26, 2015. The return of the conditions will be agreed between Italy and India," the Italian ministry said.
In 2015, Italy had sought international arbitration in the case under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Arbitral Tribunal was requested by Italy to prescribe provisional measures for the duration of the arbitration which is expected to conclude in 2018.
The arbitration "could last at least three or four years" which means that Girone risks "being held in (New) Delhi, without any charges being made, for a total of seven-eight years", Italy's representative had told the court.
Meanwhile, Italian new agency ANSA quoted Italian Premier Matteo Renzi as saying that he was sending a message of "friendship and cooperation to the great people of India and to the Indian prime minister (Narendra Modi)" after the news that marine Salvatore Girone is to return to Italy. "We are always ready to cooperate," Renzi added in Florence, as per ANSA.
Washington: Nearly 250 delegates short of bagging the Republican presidential nomination, party front- runner Donald Trump has exuded confidence that he would be able to defeat his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton very easily in the November general elections.
"Every week boom, boom, boom, I knocked them off," Trump told his supporters in California referring to the defeat of other Republican candidates by him. From 17, only three are left in the fray.
"She (Hillary) will go down easier than any of the people we just beat. You are going to have an unbelievably good result in November," 69-year-old Trump said. Trump on Friday claimed that he has crossed the 1,000 delegate mark.
He needs 1237 delegates to earn the party's presidential nomination. His other two presidential rivals Senator Ted Cruz from Texas and Governor John Kasich from Ohio are lagging far behind Trump in delegate count.
In order to prevent him from becoming a party nominee, Cruz and Kasich have reached a strategic alliance to campaign in different States during the rest of the primaries.
Meanwhile, the controversial real-estate tycoon had to face public protest in California for the second consecutive day. "That was not the easiest entrance I've ever made," he said when he took the stage.
According to reports, Trump and his staff had parked their vehicles, crossed a median and entered the building through a side door to avoid protesters.
"My wife called and said there were helicopters following you... and then we went under a fence and through a fence. Oh boy, it felt like I was crossing the border, actually," he said.
Trump's rival Cruz condemned these protestors alleging that they are trying to silence a voice that they do not like. Cruz is more than 400 delegates away from Trump. The two are battling out in Indiana where the next round of primaries is scheduled.
A latest poll suggested that Trump has 41 per cent support followed by 32 per cent from Cruz and 21 per cent by Kasich. Trump told his supporters that he is on his way to be the party nomination. Meanwhile Republican women lawmakers urged Trump to have a women on his vice presidential ticket.
"I would suggest a woman, because some of the remarks he has made about women are not going to help him appeal to some of the 53 per cent of the voting populace that are women," Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis said.
Trump would be well served by a running mate with more discipline to balance his unpredictability, she said. "He has succeeded on the strength of his personality, so having a regional balance, as frequently happens, is not as important as perhaps having a personality balance," she said.
Atop Wintergreen Mountain sits a three-story house with a patio and a steep driveway. Inside is a personal museum of collectibles ranging from beautiful dolls, porcelain breakables, dozens of photographs and themed tables set for the current holiday.
The home belongs to 94-year-old Julia Manherz, whose warm and energetic personality is as fierce as her fiery red hair. Manherz sits in her living room, catty-corner from a large portrait of her and her late husband, Jack Manherz.
Ive got pictures of Jack everywhere, she said. He was so gorgeous. He looked like William Holden. He was drop-dead gorgeous and so healthy looking.
The two were married for 47 years, until he died of pancreatic cancer 15 years ago.
At her age, she still gets around, even driving a Cadillac to run all of her errands. She wears blue eye shadow and red lipstick and high heels. A petit woman, she has an elephant-sized memory that includes her career in the film industry as a supporting actress.
One of five children one boy and four girls Manherz was born in Manchester, New Hampshire, to parents of Greek heritage who immigrated to America to open a clothing store, Jims Oxford Shop. Manherz still speaks fluent Greek.
She longed to be a movie star but with strict parents, there were obstacles, she said.
At age 11, during a spat with her sister, Betty, she recalls singing and discovering her soprano voice.
And after that, all growing up, all I wanted to do was be in show business, she said.
She met her first husband, a pilot named Cecil Dunk Duncan, during an evening out at an officers club with Betty.
After he asked her to dance, he looked at her and said, youre just the kind of girl Ive always wanted to marry, Manherz recalled.
I got so upset, she said. I said, No, I dont even kiss boys on the second date. He had some nerve, I wanted a career. I didnt want to get married and have children.
Dunk was 5 years older than her and, at age 23, he was heading to England in a week to fight in World War II.
They married anyway.
I was so unhappy during that first week, she said. They say, if youre unhappy, youll either cry and cry and cry or laugh and cant stop laughing. Well guess what? We were at the altar, the priest was about to marry us and I couldnt stop laughing.
Her parents didnt speak to or forgive her until a year later, when the two welcomed their son, Tommy, into the world, she said. They also had a daughter, Debbie, who died of breast cancer about eight years ago.
She describes Dunk as a wonderful human being who never argued with her and gave her everything she ever wanted.
He wrote beautiful love letters but never talked much. Id say, Say something and he would say, Well what do you want me to say and Id say, Anything. Tell me how an onion grows, she said.
After 13 years of marriage, Dunk died in a car wreck.
While she was living in Inglewood, California, a talent agent took Manherz to see movie studios in Hollywood.
20th Century Fox was the biggest and the best, she said.
She had a screen test with one of the other actors to show how well she appeared onscreen. When she met with the manager of the studio, he told her she was a natural-born actress, Manherz said.
She signed a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox and starred in western films and was featured on billboard ads under the name Judy Duncan.
She remembers working with film director and producer Harold Lloyd.
He opened more doors for me, you would never believe.
She knew stars like Vera Ellen, who she worked with on Big Leaguer; Gregory Peck, who she worked with on "Twelve O'Clock High;" and Frank Sinatra.
After acting, she went on to modeling in Norfolk and Virginia Beach and even opened her own modeling school called American Beauty Charm and Modeling School.
While she was still married to Dunk, Manherz met Jack, who she described as the love of her life. Though the two would only have dinner together once in a while, Jack always told Manherz he was not the marrying kind.
After Dunk died, the two began dating and Jack would visit her on the weekends but never told her he loved her.
After a jealous spat involving a doctor who was treating Manherz for a concussion, Jack showed up on her doorstep and told her he had decided to get married.
I said, Who is she? and he said, Its you, she recalled. When he was dying, he said, Youre the best woman I could have ever married and, just think, I didnt want to get married.
She said she misses him every day and when other suitors came along asking to take her out, she said, Im waiting to join my darling in heaven.
Now Manherz lives in the large house the couple designed from the ground up. The home is filled with memories and photographs on the walls of beauty shots from Hollywood and her co-stars as well as photos of family members.
Tommy Harvey, member of the Nelson County Board of Supervisors and owner of Afton Service Center, said he met both Manherz and her husband when they moved to the area. Harvey worked on their cars.
Shes a wonderful person with so much knowledge and excitement in her life, he said. When you talk to her, to be 94 years old, shes just like a 40-year-old. She has a very young soul.
Bette Bowman, of Henrico, has been friends with Manherz since 2000.
She is the most interesting and intriguing individual Ive ever met in my life, she said She is entertaining and she has more life stories than most people would have in 100 lifetimes.
Bowman said she is completely enamored by her loveliness and charm, calling her vibrant, healthy, beautiful, active and can do anything and everything.
Like Harvey said she said the 94 year old doesnt look her age by at least 20 years. She doesnt act or move like her age either.
She says Manherz is remarkable and is an ageless beauty.
She is truly one of a kind, Bowman said.
The secret to a long and happy life?
Live life with a lot of love, understanding and happiness, Manherz said. Be active and caring. Ive had a wonderful life. Ive had my disappointments; Ive had my happy moments. Stay busy and dont think negative, just be with the Lord.
Skeptics of Gov. Terry McAuliffes decision to grant Norfolk Southern Corp. nearly $2 million in state taxpayer money to move jobs from Roanoke to Hampton Roads included officials at the agency that administered the deal.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership discussed reasons to kill the plan in October when the railroad sought last-minute reductions of jobs and other commitments, and officials at the agency repeatedly questioned the grant amount, according to records obtained by The Roanoke Times.
Rob McClintock, the partnerships vice president of research, wondered whether the investment was justified.
Sort of like when my wife shows me how much we save by going to the outlets, he told colleagues by email.
Ultimately, McAuliffe approved $1.925 million in state money for the railroad to ship 165 jobs from Roanoke to Norfolk, a move announced in March, six months after the governor signed off on a grant.
In addition to the state money, the railroad expects to receive a $2.25 million break on municipal parking expenses from the city of Norfolk under a performance agreement approved last month by the city council. The agreement, which has all its required signatures, could trigger the release of the state grant to the railroad within a month.
That would end a saga that began with Norfolk Southerns bombshell Jan. 27, 2015, announcement that it would close its office tower in Roanoke and ship 500 jobs to Norfolk and Atlanta. The following day, state Secretary of Commerce and Trade Maurice Jones began a drive to get the railroad tax money as an incentive to keep jobs in Virginia.
Inside the partnership, senior staff ran the numbers and wrote reports to assist Jones but questioned the deal.
Agency officials angst echoed what some Roanoke-area lawmakers said after learning earlier this year of the planned payout.
The state grant would be drawn from the Commonwealths Opportunity Fund, formerly the Governors Opportunity Fund, a pool of tens of millions of dollars in tax money used by governors to entice businesses to add jobs in the state.
That incentive and others are being scrutinized by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the General Assemblys investigative arm, as part of a study of the partnership, which has served as Virginias economic development agency for more than 20 years.
State law generally prohibits dipping into the opportunity fund to shift jobs from one Virginia community to another. But the move is allowed when the commerce secretary sends a prompt, written justification to the chairmen of the General Assemblys money committees. Agency records include an Aug. 28, 2015, letter addressed to those officials and signed by Jones explaining the Norfolk Southern deal.
Compete aggressively
Jones has said he decided to compete aggressively to dissuade the railroad from making good on a warning it could move all 500 Roanoke jobs to Atlanta. State officials see any loss of Norfolk Southern jobs from Virginia as more reason to fear the eventual shuttering of the companys headquarters in Norfolk, Jones said.
He negotiated with James Squires, who became Norfolk Southerns CEO in June 2015, and Executive Vice President James Hixon, both friends from his days in Norfolk, wrote Liz Povar, vice president of business expansion at the partnership. Jones worked from 2005 to 2012 in the Norfolk area for Landmark Media Enterprises, former owner of The Roanoke Times. He served as publisher of The Virginian-Pilot, a Landmark paper, from 2008 to 2012 and is a Norfolk resident.
In a Feb. 3, 2015, email to Jones, Hixon wrote that the railroad had been analyzing the funds available in Georgia under various job programs. I would like to talk with you or someone from your office about possible incentives from Virginia, Hixon wrote.
Railroad spokeswoman Susan Terpay said the railroad told Virginia that a number of locations were under consideration for the Roanoke office functions and the jobs they represented. Atlanta and Norfolk were the two finalists, she said.
Hixon gave Virginia about 30 days to make an offer. The company wanted to notify Roanoke employees where their jobs were going in the near future, he said.
Jones told partnership staff he wanted all the jobs transferred to Norfolk but believed that an even split between that city and Atlanta was more realistic, Povar wrote.
Povar recommended Virginia offer the railroad no grant unless all jobs stayed in Virginia. Her colleagues agreed. Agency officials later relaxed that stance and began to formulate a possible offer for a share of the jobs. Sandi McNinch, the partnerships general counsel, wondered about the amount.
$3 million sounds like an awful lot
The number isnt up to me, but $3 million sounds like an awful lot for jobs that are not net new jobs in Virginia, McNinch wrote in a Feb. 9, 2015, email. Can we get away with a smaller token number? Theyll put the executive jobs where it makes business sense to have executive jobs. Im not sure the size of the incentive will be particularly---.
The remainder of McNinchs thought was redacted in the records she provided to The Roanoke Times. The amount of Jones offer to the railroad a short time later and other details of the negotiations also are redacted under an open-records act exception that protects disclosures that could adversely affect state finances.
Railroad officials advised that Virginias offer did not blow away Georgias, Povar told the partnership team Feb. 12, 2015. Georgias economic development arm, Invest Atlanta, considered offering Norfolk Southern a financing package to help defray the cost of improving the railroads Atlanta headquarters, according to agency records. That deal didnt go through.
Jones said he wanted to save as many jobs as possible. He got some relief when the railroad reduced the number of jobs it planned to move from 500 to 426 after deciding to leave some office staff in place. Among those holding jobs still scheduled to relocate, 135 declined to go. That left about 290 available to move.
Pay also mattered, Jones said. The higher the wages, the sooner the state could recover its grant through income tax revenue. The state tries to limit grants to no more than three times the additional income tax revenue it expects to collect annually from new jobs. In the case of the railroad jobs, state officials decided to call any jobs relocated from Roanoke to Norfolk new jobs.
Employee number falls
However, the number of Norfolk Southern employees in Virginia has fallen by more than a fourth, from 4,530 a year ago to 3,240 after various furloughs related to a cost-cutting plan.
Reasoning that all, rather than only some, of the Roanoke jobs could leave the state, Jones pressed ahead. He issued preliminary approval Feb. 19 to offer the railroad $2.5 million for 182 jobs with an average annual pay of $120,807 and an investment by the company of $2 million in its corporate headquarters in Norfolk.
That raised eyebrows.
This could be an historic occasion where the state investment exceeds the private sector investment! McClintock, a 17-year agency veteran, wrote to colleagues. Virginia has never before awarded a GOF grant for an amount greater than the projects private sector capital investment. If its being considered, its something that [Jones] should consciously pause and reflect on and be comfortable with before moving forward. And I think its our job to raise these issues for reflection in case there are public inquiries about this and the visual optics of it all, once done.
On March 16, 2015, less than a month after Jones preliminary approval, the railroad donated $25,000 to Common Good VA, McAuliffes political action committee.
During the spring or summer that year, Norfolk Southern increased its pledged investment to $9 million, as the company wound down its Roanoke operations and employees pondered whether to stick with the railroad. That amount met the opportunity funds investment standard.
But Katherine Goodwin, a research manager at the partnership, wondered about another standard. State law requires grant recipients to create at least 50 new jobs.
Saved versus new
The Roanoke jobs bound for Norfolk were described in agency paperwork as saved jobs.
Do you know if these are new? Goodwin asked Povar.
We called them new to qualify for GOF, because they were slated to go to Atlanta, Povar wrote.
Partnership officials calculated income taxes from the relocated jobs as new revenue that would allow the state to recover its outlay.
By July, workers in Roanoke had begun moving to Norfolk.
McAuliffe approved the grant proposal in September.
In an email to Jones a few days later, the governor wrote: Great chat with Norfolk southern folks. Atlanta putting push to move them but not happening. At least as long as I am sitting here!
Jones replied, Great. Thanks.
Jim is a big advocate for us, McAuliffe added.
Yes he is! Jones wrote.
The names of Hixon and Squires both were scrawled on notes Povar took during a Jan. 28, 2015, phone conversation with Jones about Norfolk Southern.
Hixon donated $10,000 to McAuliffes campaign in 2013, while Squires gave $1,000 to the governors PAC in mid-2015.
At the time of the governors exchange with his commerce secretary, officials were readying for an announcement, crafting performance agreements as a public relations officer started work on a news release.
Then the deal almost crashed.
On Oct. 1, Randal Noe, a lawyer for the railroad, sent revisions that shocked partnership staff. The number of jobs and the anticipated average pay had been cut. Details were redacted.
Crap, Povar said by email.
Jones wrote, Never a dull moment!
Kara Hart, the partnerships assistant general counsel, said: This last minute change is a signal that NS has a full Atlanta consolidation plan underway that may not be reversible.
The public relations officer backtracked on the news release, ditching language that mentioned 182 jobs.
McClintock recommended two options for reducing the proposed grant and a third option that began gaining traction among partnership officials.
Scenario 3: Stop the deal altogether, he wrote.
I prefer Scenario 3, he added.
McNinch said she could live with giving the railroad a grant, but I prefer scenario #3.
Povar summarized the options and said she wanted the decision left in the hands of the Administration. That Oct. 5 email referred to a draft memo that said, In this version the recommendation is made that the COF be rescinded.
Jones himself appeared ready to call it off.
10-year commitment?
Norfolk city officials, who also were part of the negotiations, wanted a commitment from the railroad to keep the added jobs in town for 10 years. Norfolk Southern balked, countering with a proposal for a shorter duration on the jobs. The length was redacted from agency records provided to the newspaper.
No to Norfolk Southern, Jones wrote to partnership staff Oct. 11. Must have 10 years on the jobs.
Povar asked her boss if she should stand firm with the railroad. Martin Briley, the partnership CEO at the time, said Jones would do it. This is his deal so I suspect he will follow-up to tell them, Briley wrote.
While the railroad committed in mid-October to Jones mandate of 10 years on the jobs, months passed with little progress on negotiations.
Finally, in January, almost a year after talks began, Jones told partnership staff that he and Norfolk Southern had a deal. The partnership cut the opportunity fund grant from $2.5 million to $1.925 million, a reduction of 23 percent. That was based on the railroad reducing the number of jobs to 165 and the average annual pay to $97,000.
Partnership records indicate Virginia will lose money on the deal, but not as much as the state would have lost had all the jobs gone to Atlanta.
How much the state might lose is unclear. That information was redacted.
Red Hulk, Ronin, and more: 10 Heroes and Villains whose secret identities were hidden from readers
There's a longstanding superhero tradition of hiding the identity of certain characters even from readers
A local Chattanooga student is back home after attending a leadership program this spring the Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville.
Victor Cheng, who attends the McCallie School, was selected to join 320 students from 36 countries and 30 U.S. states to participate.
The Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy is a scholarship program for children of Honeywell employees, uses interactive technology and science-oriented workshops and team exercises to teach them leadership skills in science, technology, engineering and math. The week-long program runs twice in the spring at the USSRC in Huntsville and is open to all students, ages 16-18, of current full-time Honeywell employees.
HLCA provides innovative activities that develop students leadership skills through technology and science-oriented workshops, lectures, and team exercises. Activities are delivered in fun and exciting ways that bring STEM studies to life, said officials.
Students meet scientists, engineers and former astronauts who help reinforce core leadership competencies and share their first-hand experience.
Students engage in team-building challenges such as designing, building and testing their own model rockets; participating in simulated astronaut training sessions, shuttle missions and a moon walk; and performing scientific experiments and other activities.
Each year, several hundred students apply for admission to one of the two week-long sessions. The sessions run consecutively. Entry into the program is granted after an application and review process based on academic achievement and community involvement.
Since its launch in 2010, Honeywell, in partnership with the USSRC, has awarded more than 1,770 scholarships to students.
For more information about the program, visit http://leadership.honeywell.com/
The supernatural takes on social issues
DR GLENVILLE ASHBY
HOW VIVIDLY we recall childhood tales of bogeymen ever ready to snatch the souls of the living. We listened with bulging eyes and gaping mouths as we heard of phantoms and other mythical characters bearing names that burrowed into our subconscious only to emerge with the slightest trigger. These stories terrified, at times serving to quiet our incorrigible.
indiscipline nature. That is what they were meant to do. In the age of technology ghost stories are still extant but they have gone through a transformative process, a peeling away of old skin to take on a new look in a substantively different world. In The Haunted Tropics a modern-day thriller, there is the unmistakable presence of zombies.
deceptive spirits, earthbound.
souls, and flawed characters that dabble in the occult, but they never wield the same dread as their counterparts of bygone years. The macabre gives way to a joie de vivre, an optimism and excitability. Here, suspense and darkness trail an ever present feeling of rebirth. A psychological labyrinth weaves through Helen Klonaris Ghost Children, a pulsating, climatic tale of mediumship that challenges religious and social norms. Here, the unquiet dead call for attention; they too have their story to tell. And it is through the protagonist that they find a channel. Secrets, hushed desires, collective judgments against individual will are unearthed. And throughout.
sexual femininity yearns for expression. Maybe Renoulas gift isnt a curse after all, but a truth serum, a catharsis for the living and dead. Obeah man, Obeahed is more about respect for the individual spirit than the necromantic wiles of Carmelien who tempts fate by transforming Bella into a zombie upon her passing. Once spurned.
he anticipates a better outcome as his lascivious desires simmer uncontrollably. But his ploy backfires. He too is entombed alive.
if only for him to fully register Natures retaliation. [H]e was wrapped in a fog. He was incapable of making the slightest movement.
but he heard everything. Every sound was magnified and amplified: a beetle that had flown into the room by mistake the evening before banged into the walls seeking a way out; a rat or mouse scratched furiously in the corner. The lesson is lucid: As tempting as it seems we cannot force others to surrender to our will. We risk a tragic outcome if we ignore the law. Geoffrey Philip shines as a raconteur as his poignantly witty expressions litter Dawn of the Dread.
a spin-off from the movie, Night of the Living Dead. This time, the scene and culture are all Jamaican. Before my father died, he writes.
I used to work [in the shop] but I never liked the smell of mackerel.
salt fish and pigtails over my clothes. The kids in school used to tease me and say, Chinee dread.
how come you smell like pork? All they see is the colour of my skin and the shape of my eyes But beneath the levity is his uncompromising position on the legalisation of cannabis and the banning of genetic modified organisms (GMOs). His herbs.
he boasts are cultivated with care and precision, and more over.
with natural fertilisers. And it is his produce that saves many who are transformed into dreadlocked zombies after smoking or inhaling inferior, artificial-laden marijuana. He recalls his daring efforts: I blessed the fire, prayed to Jah that our sacrifice would be worthy and that the smoke of this herb would rise like burnt offering and per Book: The Haunted Tropics: Caribbean Ghost Stories Editor: Martin Munro DR GLENVILLE ASHBY HOW VIVIDLY we recall childhood tales of bogeymen ever ready to snatch the souls of the living. We listened with bulging eyes and gaping mouths as we heard of phantoms and other mythical characters bearing names that burrowed into our subconscious only to emerge with the slightest trigger. These stories terrified, at times serving to quiet our incorrigible.
indiscipline nature. That is what they were meant to do. In the age of technology ghost stories are still extant but they have gone through a transformative process, a peeling away of old skin to take on a new look in a substantively different world. In The Haunted Tropics a modern-day thriller, there is the unmistakable presence of zombies.
deceptive spirits, earthbound.
souls, and flawed characters that dabble in the occult, but they never wield the same dread as their counterparts of bygone years. The macabre gives way to a joie de vivre, an optimism and excitability. Here, suspense and darkness trail an ever present feeling of rebirth. A psychological labyrinth weaves through Helen Klonaris Ghost Children, a pulsating, climatic tale of mediumship that challenges religious and social norms. Here, the unquiet dead call for attention; they too have their story to tell. And it is through the protagonist that they find a channel. Secrets, hushed desires, collective judgments against individual will are unearthed. And throughout.
sexual femininity yearns for expression. Maybe Renoulas gift isnt a curse after all, but a truth serum, a catharsis for the living and dead. Obeah man, Obeahed is more about respect for the individual spirit than the necromantic wiles of Carmelien who tempts fate by transforming Bella into a zombie upon her passing. Once spurned.
he anticipates a better outcome as his lascivious desires simmer uncontrollably. But his ploy backfires. He too is entombed alive.
if only for him to fully register Natures retaliation. [H]e was wrapped in a fog. He was incapable of making the slightest movement.
but he heard everything. Every sound was magnified and amplified: a beetle that had flown into the room by mistake the evening before banged into the walls seeking a way out; a rat or mouse scratched furiously in the corner. The lesson is lucid: As tempting as it seems we cannot force others to surrender to our will. We risk a tragic outcome if we ignore the law. Geoffrey Philip shines as a raconteur as his poignantly witty expressions litter Dawn of the Dread.
a spin-off from the movie, Night of the Living Dead. This time, the scene and culture are all Jamaican. Before my father died, he writes.
I used to work [in the shop] but I never liked the smell of mackerel.
salt fish and pigtails over my clothes. The kids in school used to tease me and say, Chinee dread.
how come you smell like pork? All they see is the colour of my skin and the shape of my eyes But beneath the levity is his uncompromising position on the legalisation of cannabis and the banning of genetic modified organisms (GMOs). His herbs.
he boasts are cultivated with care and precision, and more over.
with natural fertilisers. And it is his produce that saves many who are transformed into dreadlocked zombies after smoking or inhaling inferior, artificial-laden marijuana. He recalls his daring efforts: I blessed the fire, prayed to Jah that our sacrifice would be worthy and that the smoke of this herb would rise like burnt offering and perfume the mansions in heaven. In Shani Mootoos The Bonnaire Silk Cotton Tree, Nandita Sharma is an aspiring photographer. We rally behind her. She is unyielding.
confident, determined to buck the trend. But the world is unresponsive. She does not quit; she pushes the envelop making a Faustian deal like no other. Her discourse with a harrowing spirit that resides at the foot of the legendary cotton tree could be her ticket to stardom, but there is a far more compelling message. This archfiend embodies the victims of all the murdered souls that roam the island. Bursting at the seams from this carnage.
he too craves an outlet - to be seen - to be heard - to be photographed by only Sharma a feat made possible by the power of darkness, And what better time than JOuvert morning in Trinidad to showcase the evils fomenting through that nation. The warning from this demon is telling.
provocative: We will make our selves visible to all and sundry Every person who got killed on this island since the beginning of the first injustice to the present-day victims of robberies and drug-related and poverty-related.
greed-related and envy-, and jealously and power-related crimesYou think the dead dont bleed? Wait! Youll see! It is a mystical arrangement made in hell. And we are moved to ask: Can good come from evil? And in Travelling.
an inscrutable offering by writer Patricia Powell, the indissoluble bond between the living and the dead is spelled out. The ancestors are ever present.
guiding, consoling.
instructing. They forgive our transgression.
serving as a reservoir of psychic and spiritual development. It is an intense journey into consciousness and all its possibilities. And equally engaging are Anansi, The Wedding Photograph.
The Voyage of the Centipede.
Fantom, and in truth, just about every tale that appears in this captivating delivery. The Haunted Tropics is demonstrative of collective genius; that rare ability to coalesce different occult fantasies around a definitive worldly theme. Editor Martin Munro is proficient in ensuring that every contribution adds to the contextual framework of this unique undertaking. Straddling the phantasmagoria are enduring.
ethical admonitions on the environment.
violence, human dignity, and ancestral veneration. Therein is an inviting philosophical menu so eclectic that we return for more long after the final tale is served. The Haunted Tropics: Caribbean Ghost Stories Edited by Martin Munro (@) 2015 Publisher: University of the West Indies Press, Jamaica ISBN: 978-976-640- 551-9 Available at Amazon Ratings
Sat: Look at age children having sex instead
Maharaj made the comments during an interview with Newsday, when asked to comment on comments made by Chief Justice Ivor Archie about the minors marrying.
Archie made the comments as a panelist at the NGC Bocas Lit Fests human rights seminar held at the National Library on Saturday.
The CJ said at the seminar,We cant talk about the rights of children and have laws which allow people to marry minors. He was also reported to have said a lot of the conversation on gender and child marriage required an open societal conversation about religion.
In response to comments made by Archie, Maharaj said under the Hindu Marriage Ordinance a Hindu Girl can be married at the age of 14 with parental consent. If you look at the statistics you will see that none of this took place this year nor last year. The discussion instead should focus on sex outside of marriage, he said to Newsday.
Maharaj further said as it currently stands in the legislation it is simply a safety net for the young Hindu girls and boys. Many politicians, he said, were following international organisations who have made similar calls abroad. Instead, Maharaj said, the society needed to focus its attention on the age at which young people commence sexual activity and, encourage our young people to restrain themselves. He added that any change in legislation required a consultative process.
A similar sentiment was echoed by Inter-Religious Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (IRO) head, Brother Harrypersad Maharaj in a phone interview with Newsday. He too said the focus of Governments attention should be on the high divorce rates and the disintegration of family life. He said, Each of the different religions have an age at which they allow marriage. It is something that has to be dealt with between the religious bodies and Government. The religious bodies, he added, held fast to their doctrines. There are obvious and specific reasons why people choose to marry at a particular age. That is not the practice today.
All cultures practiced arranged marriages, he said.
Maharaj said many young people in TT today were choosing who they wanted to marry and that it often resulted in quick divorces as many married for lust.
Soon after marriage they have to wait six months to a year before they get a divorce, he said. He, too, said that it there werent many child marriage occurring in TT today. Maharaj said he would not support any move that is irrational. Any legislative change, he said, required due process and consultation.
Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General, Stuart Young, said in an interview with Newsday that any such change required consultation.
I have not seen the comments attributed to the honourable Chief Justice. However, before addressing any issues related to religion there would have to be a consultative process in part with the religious authorities, from the religious authorities of the respective religions.
This process under the current administration has not yet been invoked.
But this Government would have such a consultative process considering the addressing of the specific legislation.
Wet weather to favour agriculture
Kerr noted that for the seven day period, the country is likely to experience light to heavy showers.
Rainfall totals are expected to range between 15.0 and 25.0 mm although temperatures are expected to remain warmer with maximum temperatures likely to peak near 34.0 Celsius in Trinidad and 31.0 Celsius in Tobago.
He has advised farmers to keep their crops cool and retain moisture in crop root areas, after rainfall and wetting, by covering crops root areas with grass (mulching).
Kerr said the forecast for improvement in the rainfall across Trinidad and Tobago will be beneficial for agriculture although there will still be a few dry days during the period. Both islands will still experience high temperatures and warm nights are expected to cotinue.
Daytime average humidity percentage values are likely to be in the high 50 to 60 degree Celsius while wind speeds will continue to be moderate with moderate gusts, especially during the early afternoon, he noted.
Kerr told Newsday that the wet weather conditions over the next few days will bring shortterm relief for the dry conditions, green up and improve grass fields and benefit farming and livestock operations in general across the country. He also noted that longer-term dryness will impact low water storage levels and drier than usual deep soil zones will remain for a bit longer.
Kerr still encouraged farmers to continue mulching and also cautioned that the mixed conditions of wet and dry with high temperatures will favour some agriculture pests and diseases.
The Meteorological Service yesterday issued a bulletin advising of inclement weather over a 6-8 hour period, yesterday.
The bulletin noted that the islands were experiencing cloudy conditions with periods of rain and showers, some of which were moderate to heavy in intensity, and had been accompanied by strong winds at times.
The bulletin went on to state that, Gusty winds were expected in the vicinity of heavy showers or thundershowers and there was the possisibilty of localised street or flash flooding in heavy or prolonged downpours.
The weather activity was to the passage of a surface trough of low pressure being enhanced by favourable conditions in the upper levels of the atmosphere, according to the Met Service bulletin.
Disband Service Commissions
Each ministry should have its own disciplinary and human resource unit to do the work that service commissions do, he suggested on Saturday during the launch of his latest book, Inequality Crime & Education in Trinidad and Tobago: Removing the Masks, at the Radisson Hotel, Port-of-Spain.
Referring specifically to the Teaching Service Commission (TSC), of which he has been a member, Deosaran said the existing system of monitoring and investigation within service commissions was inadequate.
There are teachers on suspension for years and receiving full pay, he told reporters.
Some of them are even opening rum shops and driving PH (private hire) cars. We need a new vehicle (for disciplining workers in the public sector). In the absence of the model he is proposing, the former independent senator said the time has come to review the performance of all of the countrys service commissions.
All of the service commissions should be reviewed on levels of efficiency and relevance given the manner in which society has evolved since 1962 (Trinidad and Tobagos Independence), he said.
Deosaran said the TSC remains hard-pressed to fulfill its constitutional mandate to oversee the nations 14,000 teachers.
When you have five people (TSC members) meeting once a month, it cant work. It is like trying to drive a car that is 40 years old up a steep hill, he said.
Saying that there were too many persons with disciplinary matters pending for lengthy periods of time, Deosaran also complained about the number of persons in acting appointments in the system.
These are injustices being done to good workers and you run the risk of getting them demoralised, he said.
Traffic solution for Trincity
Vehicular traffic was one of the main topics raised at a consultation meeting at the Bishop Anstey High School East on the construction of a proposed five-storey building by Bhagwansinghs Hardware at Trincity Central Road.
Residents repeatedly raise the topic of the current traffic congestion and expressed concern for increased traffic once construction begins, and later because of the increase number of vehicles when the building opens for business.
Regis noted that traffic would always be an issue, so it was necessary to apply a long term solution, regardless of the Bhagwasingh development.
The issue of the traffic is a long-standing issue and Im well aware of it, said Regis.
Based on that and what Im hearing today, I am giving you the undertaking that on Monday I will meet wit the Minister of Works and Transport to ask him and his team to meet with the Ministry of Planning and Development and come up with a solution to the traffic problem in this area. She assured residents that, within two months, she and Hinds would make a definitive statement on the issue.
UWI receives $80M during Global Giving Week
The cheque was presented by Republic Banks executive director Derwin Howell to outgoing principal of UWI Professor Clement Sankar and President Anthony Carmona during a reception at the Hilton Trinidad, on Friday night.
It was also announced that night that Prof Brian Copeland was named as principal designate of the UWI, St Augustine.
Vice Chancellor of UWI, Sir Hilary Beckles praised the institution as being one of the best in the world, touted against some of the other major universities.
The time has now come for us to say to our graduates, this is the time now for you to come to your support for your university.
They are looking to us to find a way to reduce our dependence on them and to find a path where we can be more self reliant. In that self reliance there is the importance of our graduates who have done well and we are proud of them We call upon them to find a way to make significant contribution to the institution that has made you a success.
There is no limit to what we will receive from you because there is no limit to what are prepared to give you.
We have given you the best can, we are asking you to give the best you can afford Beckles said.
This give back week is a strategy to sustain the resources of this university in order to maintain the excellence we have achieved.
He said the start of contributions would begin in the first week of August, Emancipation week, which he said symbolised reliance and taking responsibility for ourselves and education for our children.
Emancipation week will forever be linked to the jubilation of freedom but also for the education of your families. The time has now come for us to say to our graduates, this is the time now for you to come to your support for our university.
We need your support.
Government support is having challenges in meeting the social needs of the country.
They are looking to us to find a way to reduce our dependence on them and to find a path where we can be more self reliant.
No longer Young and Restless
But that has not kept Jason (not his real name) from leading one of the most successful businesses in Maloney.
For many, his nondescript establishment, an institution in the hub of the eastern housing development, is the preferred choice for residents and visitors alike so much so that he has developed a loyal and respectable clientele over the years I have been around for 25 years. I have the reputation of being the first business on the streets of Maloney where people coulda get things to eat, Jason said with pride during a candid interview on Thursday. But for this laid-back entrepreneur, life in Maloney is no longer the heady, reckless affair he enjoyed as a youth.
Rather, Jason said his days are spent at home where he often contemplates ways to ensure the happiness of his eight children, one of whom, a girl, lives abroad.
I am proud of their success, he declared.
I ask God everyday to bless them. I dont want any blessings for myself. And while some may hold him up as one of Maloneys notable success stories, Jason maintains that he no longer took pleasure in lofty accolades but was simply content to lead a decent life and mind my children. What I do now is feed my family, he said.
Jason is a founding member of the notorious Young and Restless gang, which originated in Maloney during the 1980s and 90s and led a virtual reign of terror in communities throughout the country..
However, he revealed that quite unlike the wanton murders, brazen brutality and turf battles which have dominated the news headlines for more than a decade, the Young and Restless, during its heyday, functioned as an unofficial Robin Hood unit, where the focus was on helping the less fortunate in Maloney.
We never robbed poor people.
We took from the rich to give to the poor, he claimed, adding that many families in Maloney survived because of their concern and influence.
I have even sent a few fellas away, back in the day, so that they could avoid making jail. He recalled that bars, groceries and jewel stores were among the businesses the gang often targeted for heists but luckily for me, I was able to get out before I got too deep. Unlike the days of the Young and Restless, Jason said the youths involved in crime were being misled by so-called gang leaders in hotspot communities.
In fact, he claimed that the surviving members of the gang do not associate with the youths from the area and elsewhere currently involved in crime The gang leaders of today are really misleaders, he contends.
I have never seen them take anybodys child to help build a community. They are just shooters out to build the blocks. Jason claimed that when members of the gang at times numbering up to 300 went to parties, it was more about bling and enjoying themselves than getting involved in any violence.
We never used to leave to go parties with guns in we waist like what is happening now, he claimed.
Chronic unemployment and overwhelming despair among the youth gave rise to the Young and Restless gang in Maloney in the early 1980s, Jason claimed.
It was a lovely, warm weekday and I was out and about downtown, dipping in and out of a few eclectic, local stores. Walking down Market Street, I noticed the porch at Public House, packed with people enjoying the sun and a late lunch. I decided to stop by.
With a pale wooden floor and white napkins already set in place at the tables, the vibe inside the restaurant was classy. I immediately understood that it was the kind of place where servers box up your leftovers for youthe kind of place where people order a glass of wine and appetizers in the middle of the day to meet up with friends or chat with business partners.
Without even looking at a menu, I also realized Public House was perhaps a little fancier and a little pricier than the typical restaurants Lionel and I frequent, but since it was just lunch, and I was alone, I figured I'd give it a shot.
I got a small, wooden table outside where I sat on a long, cushioned bench. The atmosphere was really fantastic, right down to the background music coming in through the speakers and the plants growing over the rails of the porch. I could tell it would be beautiful at night in the summer.
The water was served in tall, glass bottles that stayed at your table while you ate. I would have preferred my glass iced, but I didn't bother asking.
My server was knowledgeable and attentive. The soup of the day was Southern Vegetable Minestrone with black beans and okra ($5.00), but it was too warm out for me to imagine eating something so hot and hearty. The selection of salads was nice, and there was a whole list of cheese to choose from if that's what you wanted to snack on with your wine.
Though there were items as basic as fried chicken ($8.50 included two sides and a cheddar muffin), there was also a decent amount of seafood on the menu, as well as some pretty interesting dishes like Duck Confit ($14.00) or a small plate of Stuffed Quail Andouille with apple and grits ($11.00).
I went with a marinated mushroom and goat cheese grilled cheese sandwich, which came with seasoned shoestring fries ($10.00). The fries and the sandwich were both good, but it wasn't a lot of food, and for a grilled cheese there was hardly any cheese at all.
I was still a bit hungry, so I decided to order dessert. They happened to have my very favorite dessert of all time so I splurged. I couldn't help it. A couple minutes later, out came an order of creme brulee ($6.00).
I have to say, I was a little hesitant to order a dessert that cost almost the same amount as my entree, but I sure didn't regret it. It was delicious, creamy and rich. I always love cracking that brittle caramelized shell, and this one was perfect.
The late lunchers finished up around me, and after a while I really had the porch to myself. I used the free restaurant wi-fi to dash out a couple articles as I enjoyed the nice weather. Lionel was going to be very jealous of my creme brulee.
Location: Warehouse Row, 1110 Market St., Chattanooga, Tn 37402
Hours: M - Sat 11 am - 2:30 pm , 5 pm - 9 pm
Sun - Closed
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.
Seems like Redmond giants Microsoft have begun experimenting new ways for storing electronic data. Microsoft are now looking to make their way to tap into the human-based DNA model to implement the same to their data-storage as the amount of digital data has been outpacing the amount of stored data made available.
The blog explains that most of the world's data today is stored on magnetic and optical media. Despite improvements in optical discs, storing a zettabyte of data is still a long way probably hundreds of years ahead and use significant physical space.
This project enables molecular-level data storage into DNA molecules by leveraging biotechnology advances in synthesizing, manipulating and sequencing DNA to develop archival storage. Microsoft and University of Washington researches have combined in a collaboration to use DNA in high-density and durable medium where it's easy to manipulate in order to make ways for data storage. Microsoft have also said that while this new project has not been made practical due to the existing state of DNA synthesis and sequencing, technologies have helped improving them researches with advancements in bio-technology industry.
Given the impending limits of silicon technology, we believe hybrid silicon and biochemical systems are worth serious consideration. Biotechnology has benefitted tremendously from progress in silicon technology developed by the computer industry; now is the time for computer architects to consider incorporating biomolecules as an integral part of computer design" Microsoft said.
The firm have now purchased a 10-million long DNA molecules from a San Francisco start-up to carry further their efforts for a new way to store data. The reason for this is being the fact that Microsoft's data might need to be preserved for thousands of years down the lane and this prompted the Redmond based software-giants to look into DNA storage as an alternative.
This news goes out to all Microsoft's competitors: Firefox, Google, Opera, Yahoo, and virtually everyone all that competes with Microsoft's very own Bing search engine will be shut off within Cortana digital assistant in the tech giant's latest OS, Windows 10.
Recently announced in the company's blog post, Cortana's personalization of search engine results will block third-party searches as a counter-response to Google's sneaky workaround to establish itself as the dominant, if not default, search engine in the Microsoft environment.
In plain English, Bill Gate's brainchild is now forcing internet users to switch to Bing with Cortana digital assistant integrated in Windows 10. This means every search a user makes will have to be coursed through its own web browser, Edge.
"Unfortunately, as Windows 10 has grown in adoption and usage, we have seen some software programs circumvent the design of Windows 10 and redirect you to search providers that were not designed to work with Cortana. The result is a compromised experience that is less reliable and predictable," Microsoft announced as quoted in their official blog post.
"The continuity of these types of task completion scenarios is disrupted if Cortana can't depend on Bing as the search provider and Microsoft Edge as the browser. The only way we can confidently deliver this personalized, end-to-end search experience is through the integration of Cortana, Microsoft Edge and Bing - all designed to do more for you."
Despite the recent announcement, this doesn't mean that Google and other search engines will be totally taken off the grid. Users can still access them by means of a conventional browser search. This seemingly vengeful counter-response is quite surprising and even so un-Microsoft in a kind of way. The Silicon Valley giant finally gave in to the demands of the competition while contradicting the principles of digital neutrality.
"Both Siri and Android's voice search feature lock users into obscured default search engines, a choice that some have criticized as contrary to the principles of neutral user choice. Still, it is bad news for anyone who had been using the new extensions, and an unusual direction for an operating system that has typically distinguished itself as more customizable than its competitors," observed Russell Brandom of The Verge.
For a long time, Microsoft has been keen on nabbing a significant chunk of market share away from Google. As per BBC News, statistical report suggest that more than 90% of the world's digital searches are done through Google. Bing, on the other hand, only has 3% of the share global share.
Fifth grader Christopher Ward, Jr. was visually challenged. But electronic eSight glasses helped him to see his mother, Marquita Hackley, for the first time ever. This new wearable technology was being used by the 12-year-old for the first time in his life.
The wearable, hands-free headset has a small, high-speed camera that is able to capture a live video and send it to an LED screen before the user's eyes. This can give the user visual clarity.
Hackley found her son's experience "overwhelming and exciting."
"The very first thing he did was turn to me and say, 'Oh, Mommy! There you are!" Hackley said. "And then to hear him say, 'I saw my mom, and she was very pretty,' was so heartwarming. And aside from pretty, just the fact he could even see me meant the whole world to me."
The reason for Ward's visual challenge was optic nerve hypoplasia, stemming from an underdevelopment in the optic nerve that reduced light perception in his right eye and led to low vision.
"Something has to be up in his face, almost touching for him to see it," said Hackley. "And even though Ward wears glasses on a daily basis, they're more for protection than vision because there is a strong possibility he could lose the little sight he does have if were to get hurt or hit in the face."
The eSight glasses cannot work for 14 percent of the world's sight-impaired population. People who are completely blind or severely sight-impaired cannot use them. However, those who are legally blind and with low vision can see the world once more.
The first eGlasses were offered as a free demo by the company for Ward, who travelled from Forest VA to Washington DC for the trial.
Though they were priced at $15,000, Hackley was determined that she was going to somehow raise the money to get the glasses.
"Whatever it takes to raise the money for it, that's what I was determined I was going to do," Hackley said.
A crowdfunding campaign that she set up raised $25,241 from 565 donors before she put a closure to it. She now feels overwhelmed, and said, "All the messages that we've gotten on Facebook and emails, I mean it's just amazing."
She has set aside the extra money for a trust to fund his college tuition.
Descendants of one of Marion Countys earliest pioneers and members of the Daughters of the American Revolution from across the state of Tennessee will gather at Pine Grove Cemetery in Jasper on Saturday afternoon, May 21, for a grave marking ceremony to honor Alexander Kelly, a captain in the Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.
Mr. Kelly, whose family became residents of the Sequatchie Valley in the earliest days of its settlement as part of the state of Tennessee, was one of the commissioners who acquired property from Betsy Pack that became the town of Jasper, and determined that it would be the county seat town of the newly formed Marion County. Prior to his arrival in the newly opened settlement area of present-day Marion County, Mr. Kelly had been an active participant in the establishment of settlements in several areas of east Tennessee.
Born about 1755 in County Armagh, Ireland, Mr. Kelly was brought to the American colonies as a young child. By the time of the Declaration of Independence, he was living in the Greenbrier area of Virginia, which is now a part of West Virginia, in the Allegheny Mountains, a scenic area of the United States whose natural setting might be called to mind when one views the Sequatchie Valley. Mr. Kelly enlisted in the Revolutionary forces on July 9, 1776, only five days after the Declaration of Independence.
An article in the University of Tennessees UT Alumnus (Winter, 1975), entitled Alexander Kelly: Frontier Lawmaker, Indian Fighter, recounts that Mr. Kellys son, John Kelly was born in Greenbrier County, Va. on June 2, 1779, but that some time between 1779 and 1783, Mr. Kelly took his family southward into Tennessee country. Old records reveal that Mr. Kelly was appointed as assessor in Greene County, N.C. (Tennessee) in April, 1783; and two years later he was named a major of Greene County militia in the short-lived State of Franklin.
Mr. Kelly was married to Nancy Robinson, by whom he had at least six children, all of whom became pioneer settlers of the Sequatchie Valley. John Kelly, the eldest son, married Nancy Mayo, and became the first clerk of Marion County when the new county was formed in 1817. He also later owned and operated Kellys Ferry on the Tennessee River near the county line between Hamilton and Marion Counties. Captain Kellys son, Alexander Kelly, Jr., married Sally Prigmore on Feb. 17, 1817, in Roane County, Tenn., and they were also early Marion County settlers and farmers. William Kelly married Ruth Prigmore (daughter of Joseph and Kizziah Prigmore) in Nov., 1809, in Roane County, Tenn., and they also became early residents of Marion County, with many of their descendants also settling in Bledsoe County and Sequatchie County. Viny Kelly married Adam Lamb in 1815, and they became residents of the part of Bledsoe County which intersects with present-day Sequatchie County. Margaret Kelly, known as Peggy, married Ephraim Prigmore (son of Joseph and Kizziah Moore Prigmore) on Nov. 9, 1809, in Roane County, Tenn., and they became pioneer residents of the part of Marion County near the present-day Prentice Cooper State Forest, where they farmed and began a grist mill operation later owned by their Ketner descendants and still known today as Ketners Mill. Annie Kelly married Richard Stone, and they lived in Marion County.
The following accounts are taken from the article about Alexander Kelly in the UT Alumnus: By 1792, Kelly had moved his family to Knox County, where he became a farmer and miller. He was appointed a colonel of Knox County militia, and in 1793, he took part in the expedition against the Indians who had attacked outlying stations and threatened the territorial capitol of Knoxville.
Under John Sevier, the military pursued the Indians into Georgia and defeated them at the forks of the Coosa and Hightower Rivers, near the present site of Rome, Georgia.
In that battle, Colonel Kelly led a maneuver that settled the issue in the militias favor. Finding the river ford obstructed by Indians entrenched on the opposite shore, Sevier sent Kellys party downstream to make a crossing. Kelly and some of his men swam the river, thus getting the attention of the Indians who left their entrenchments and ran down the river to oppose their passage. The main force of militia quickly forded the river and routed the Indians.
When the territorial legislators were elected in 1793, Alexander Kelly was chosen a representative from Knox County.
In 1795 Knox County was divided and Blount County was formed. Kelly was one of seven Commissioners named to find a site for the county seat and to erect county buildings. The site of Maryville was chosen, and the town was named in honor of Governor William Blounts wife, Mary Grainger Blount.
Kelly moved his residence to Blount County about that time, settling in the vicinity of present-day Louisville and building a mill on Lackeys Creek.
Appointed commandant of the county militia, Kelly lost no time in fulfilling his responsibility to protect the settlers of Blount County.
Early in 1795 Indians came out of their mountain towns and raided isolated homes in the new county. Kelly raised about fifty men and marched across Chilhowee Mountain to Tallassee Old Town. Upon reaching the river and seeing smoke rising from the opposite shore, he sent a detachment across the stream to attack from the rear a maneuver employed so effectively at Hightower. The surprised Indians were routed from the river bluffs, with eight being killed. Kellys company suffered no injuries.
The swift action brought peace to the new county.
When the first Legislature of Tennessee met on March 28, 1796, 11 counties were represented. Mr. Kelly was the senator from Blount County, serving in that role in the first and second General Assemblies. He was one of the two members appointed to wait on his Excellency John Sevier at his inauguration as governor of Tennessee. According to the Congressional ordinance, for the United States South of the Ohio River the Territorial Legislature was to consist of the governor, Legislative Council, and the House of Representatives.
The General Assembly met at Knoxville Aug. 25, 1794. William Blount was the governor. The Legislative Council was composed of Griffith Rutherford, John Sevier, James Winchester, Stokley Donelson, and Parmenas Taylor. The Honorable Griffith Rutherford was unanimously elected president; George Roulstone, clerk; and Christopher Shoat, doorkeeper. The House of Representatives was composed of David Wilson, James White, James Ford, William Cocke, Joseph Harden, George Doherty, Samuel Wear, John Baird, and Alexander Kelly.
According to the UT Alumnus article: Sometimes a conflict of interest arose, and Alexander Kelly had to choose between sitting in the legislative chamber and riding against marauding Indians. In those rare instances, military duty took precedence.
For example, while the territorial legislature of which he was a member was meeting at Knoxville on Aug. 28, 1794, on motion of Mr. Kelly, seconded by Mr. Hardin, ordered that Mr. Kelly and Mr. Beard have leave of absence to go on a scout against the Indians.
A threatened incursion of hostile Cherokees made it necessary for the two militia officers to put aside their legislative duties for days of hard riding through the neighboring hills and valleys.
A week later, Mr. Kelly returned and took his seat in the legislative hall just in time to vote on the resolution to create Blount College.
Mr. Kelly was a charter trustee of Blount College, which was the forerunner to the University of Tennessee, thus making Mr. Kelly, in the words of the UT Alumnus article, a champion of education in the infant State of Tennessee.
Mr. Kellys experience in the settlement of counties in east Tennessee made him well-suited to assist other pioneer settlers in the establishment of Marion County when it was formed. After his participation in locating and naming Jasper as the county seat town, and determining where the courthouse would be located, he was apparently satisfied to have his son, John Kelly, and other descendants take on the duties of civic office. Others of his children and grandchildren became prominent farmers, mill operators, merchants, landowners, and political figures in the parts of the Sequatchie Valley where they lived. Most of them also became active participants and leaders in their churches, particularly the Cumberland Presbyterian churches in the Sequatchie Valley. Although Mr. Kellys descendants have spread throughout the United States and other parts of the world, many of them still live in the Sequatchie Valley.
Some time after settling in Marion County, Mr. Kelly drowned in the Sequatchie River, and his remains were apparently lost. Although Mr. Kelly's descendants are buried in family burial grounds and other cemeteries throughout the Sequatchie Valley, Mr. Kelly, Revolutionary War captain and leader of early Tennessee, has had no monument to mark his life until the present day.
Recently, one of Mr. Kelly descendant, Edwin Zachariah Kelly, Jr., a retired attorney and lifelong resident of Jasper, instituted a project for Kelly descendants to place a monument at Pine Grove Cemetery, where many Kelly descendants are buried, to honor the life of Mr. Kelly. The monument will be inscribed with information about Mr. Kellys life in the history of Tennessee. The National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, have authorized the Judge David Campbell Chapter of that organization to place a DAR marker at Pine Grove to honor Mr. Kellys service as a captain in Americas Revolutionary War.
The ceremony to dedicate the markers and to honor the life of Mr. Kelly will take place on Saturday, May 21, at 3 p.m., Central time, at Pine Grove Cemetery in Jasper, at the intersection of Valley View Highway and Mel Dixon Lane. The Sequatchie River, where Mr. Kelly died, runs through Marion County near that place. All interested people are cordially invited to attend.
This Sunday, the White House made the announcement regarding the college selection that many in the nation are debating about---which college would the eldest daughter Malia Obama attend?
It turned out to be pretty simple. Just.... Harvard University.
However, the 17-year-old Sidwell Friends senior will not be attending it this Fall session.
President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama said that Malia "will take a gap year before beginning school." She will commence her Harvard session in the fall of 2017, as a member of the 2021 class.
Last September, President Obama gave some advice to Malia: "Don't worry too much about which school you choose."
One simple Stanford University t-shirt that she wore in 2014 immediately began the speculation. Was she planning to join Stanford or one of the more than a dozen other colleges?
On Sunday morning, the questions were put to rest when the White House emailed reporters a two-sentence news release on the traditional May 1 deadline, announcing Malia's selection.
It had definitely been a much-debated topic in their home. Malia's specific choice of college was regularly discussed during their dinner conversations, while they also shared the advice they gave her, even as she navigated the college-admissions process.
"The one thing I've been telling my daughters is that I don't want them to choose a name," Michelle Obama told the editors of Seventeen magazine in an article published in April. "I don't want them to think, 'Oh, I should go to these top schools.' We live in a country where there are thousands of amazing universities. So the question is: What's going to work for you?"
Michelle is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. She was giving the same suggestion that the president, who has graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law, said he had given Malia. "Just because it's not some name-brand, famous, fancy school doesn't mean that you're not going to get a great education there," Obama had explained to some high school students last September.
However, some see her choice of Harvard as actually a kind of rebellion, "sort of".
"The challenge of being a first child is to be normal within the context of all the scrutiny, and the challenge of everybody around them is to pretend like they're normal and nothing's out of the ordinary, which puts an enormous amount of stress on both the kid and the school," said Gil Troy, a presidential historian at McGill University and the author of "The Age of Clinton: America in the 1990s." "The larger the institutional ego of the place, the more comfortable you can feel about the ability to cope with that and still have as close to a normal experience as possible."
The details of the daughters' activities are a secret, so The White House was not forthcoming with more comments on either her choice of college or her "gap year."
However, while Malia's test scores, as well as grade-point average, are not known, her interest in films is well known, as she has been an intern for the CBS series "Extant" and HBO's "Girls."
Still, the Obamas have described their firstborn as a scholarly and "avid reader." She is the sort of student who was not satisfied with average grades, said her father.
Michelle was wary about 'bratty' moments being caught on the social media and shared with millions, as her daughters have been the first children to have grown up in the White House during the age of the social media.
The sisters have been spared the collective scrutiny of the country, as Malia's visit to Brown University was captured in the student newspaper there, which was followed with an editorial titled "Sorry, Malia Obama."
"It is a shame that Malia was unable to visit Brown and enjoy herself at a party without several news headlines coming out about it the next day," the editorial read.
"Malia did not choose to grow up in the White House, and it is unfair that everything she does at just 17 years old is subject to such harsh scrutiny," said the editorial, agreeing that "the chances of her selecting Brown have probably decreased since the publication of those articles."
Michelle too recently noted that the "fishbowl" of living in Washington was enervating for them. "The older they got, the less excited they were about living in a museum, and they just wanted to live in a regular home," she added.
Next year, Malia will emerge from her secluded existence when she joins a "regular" college freshman year, but she would perhaps be protected as usual by Secret Service officers.
Malia sure does her own laundry, though. As Michelle Obama said in a 2011 interview with Oprah Winfrey: "I don't want her to be that kid who is 15 or 16, and [she's saying], 'Oh, I don't know how to do laundry.' I would cringe if she became that kid." She said she wanted both of them to do "their own business."
"And you're not living in the White House forever," the first lady said. "You're going to college."
For a long time, scientists have long been puzzled over the nature of sleep across different animal species. A new study, however, cast a new light on how sleep occurs in a group of lizards known as Australian dragons. It seems that dreaming is not just a monopoly of mammals and birds. Apparently, lizards dream too.
In recently published study featured in the journal Science, German researchers studying five Australian bearded dragons seem to have uncovered startling evidence that reptiles actually dream which could trigger fundamental revamp of previously held notions about sleep.
For the first time, scientists discover that reptiles also experience phases of sleep similarly experienced by people- the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and another stage known as slow-wave sleep.
Interestingly, dreaming occurs during the REM sleep stage which begs the question, what do lizards dream about when they sleep?
"If you forced me to speculate and to use a loose definition of dreaming, I'd speculate that those dreams are about recent notable events: insects, maybe a place where there are good insects, an aggressive male in the next terrarium, et cetera," said neuroscientist Gilles Laurent of the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Germany as quoted by ABC Australia.
He jokingly added saying, "If I were an Australian dragon living in Frankfurt, I'd be dreaming of a warm day in the sun."
Studying sleep was never the intended goal of the German scientists. Laurent and his team were more actually interested with how the cortex works using lizards as a lab example to study that part of the brain. Throughout their research, the scientists implanted electrodes in the brain of the Australian dragons and record the reptiles' brain activity.
"In the middle of some experiments we were doing, we decided to let the recordings go overnight after a day's work, just to see what would happen during the night," Laurent exclaimed as quoted by Live Science.
"And upon analyzing the results, there were interesting oscillations of activity that were very regular, that suggested the potential existence of sleep-related patterns of activity in the brain."
In the course of the study, the researchers discovered two distinct sleeping patterns among the lizards. One pattern is characterized by high-frequency wave forms of 20 cycles per second. The other one consisted of low-frequency wave forms of just less than 4 cycles per second.
What are the implications of the study?
From an evolutionary standpoint, this discovery could raise more questions than answers and undermine previously-held notions about sleep as well as its patterns and functions across the animal world.
While scientists admit that more studies are required to see any similarity of function of brain wave patterns across different animal species, the provocative results suggest that these REM and brainwave patterns during sleep can be traced all the way back to the pre-ancient common ancestor of all animal species.
"There is something that goes on during sleep that is important to the function of all animals," remarked neuroscientist Matt Wilson of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge as quoted by the Science Mag.
Thank you for reading!
Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
New Delhi:
Anti-Sikh riots lawyer and AAP leader H S Phoolka today claimed that poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who has been helping the Congress in Punjab, contacted him to seek suggestions on the issue of justice to the Sikhs, Kishors organisation I-PAC, however, dismissed the claims as canard.
Maintaining that Kishor wanted his suggestions to incorporate it in Congress manifesto, the noted lawyer trained guns on the Congress leadership on the issue.
Before giving any suggestions, Phoolka said the Congress should come out clean on the genocide of the Sikhs.
Prashant Kishor contacted H S Phoolka and wanted to have a meeting with him. When Mr Phoolka declined to have a meeting and even refused to meet his mediator, the mediator sent an SMS to Mr Phoolka that Prashant Kishor wants Mr Phoolkas suggestions on the issue of justice to the Sikhs for incorporating the same into the Congress manifesto, the lawyer claimed in a Facebook post.
When contacted Prashant Kishor, he was unavailable for comment.
Prashant Kishors organisation I-PAC however, dismissed he claim as complete farce and canard. PK contacting
@hsphoolka is complete farce and typical AAP canard. We challenge him to present proof else apologise for this publicity stunt, I-PAC tweeted
In his suggestions to Kishor, which Phoolka chose to give through the media, the lawyer said Capt Amarinder Singh, Congress Chief Ministerial candidate in the state, should apologise to the victims for giving a clean chit to Jagdish Tytler and should ensure that henceforth he will support the victims in their struggle for justice.
Mrs Sonia Gandhi should disclose what all transpired in their house on November 1 and 2, 1984 when one Sikh was killed every minute within the radius of 5 kms of her residence and over 4000 sikhs were killed in a span of 48 hours.
She should disclose who was the main conspirator for these killings, the Facebook post said, adding the Congress President should also apologise for the remarks made by her husband Rajiv Gandhi after the carnage that when a big tree falls, the earth beneath it shakes.
He said Congress Vice-President should inform the people whether he was aware about the killings going on November 1 and 2, 1984 and deprecate his father for killings of innocent citizens of this country.
For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Twenty women comprising of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area volunteers and Lowes Heroes employee volunteers will devote the day before Mothers Day to help a mother build an affordable place she can call home on Saturday. This project is part of Habitat for Humanitys National Women Build Week, which takes place April 30-May 8.
The project also supports Home for the Holidays, a nationwide initiative launched by Lowes and Habitat for Humanity to work alongside 1,000 families to help them build or repair their homes by December.
Habitat for Humanitys National Women Build Week is a week-long event created by its Women Build program that invites women to devote at least one day to help families build strength, stability and independence through housing. The week is meant to spotlight the homeownership challenges faced by women.
Lowes donated $2 million to Habitats 2016 National Women Build Week and will provide the support of Lowes Heroes employee volunteers. The home improvement chain will also conduct how-to clinics at stores to teach volunteers construction skills.
Habitat for Humanity and Lowes Heroes celebrating National Women Build Week is helping to build a new Habitat home for a mother of a 2 year old son. The home will be at 1723 Newell Ave. in East Chattanooga.
More than 300 Habitat for Humanity organizations across the country are hosting Women Build projects this year.
Ahmedabad:
Amid a row surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modis educational qualifications, Congress today alleged discrepancies in his date of birth.
It also questioned the timing of Gujarat University sharing details of Modis MA degree which it had earlier refused to disclose citing secrecy.
In students register of M N College Visnagar (where Modi took admission in pre-science, equivalent to class XII) Sri Narendra Modis date of birth is mentioned as August 29, 1949. In his election affidavit, he did not reveal his date of birth, but mentioned his age. His official birth date, as available in the public domain, is September 17, 1950, senior Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil told reporters.
He showed a copy of the purported school register which mentioned the PMs name as Narendrakumar Damodardas Modi, along with his date of birth.
We want to know what is the reason behind different dates of birth, what is the date of birth on his (Modis) passport, on the PAN card and on other documents? And what is the reason behind different dates of birth? Gohil said.
Modi, in his affidavit filed before the returning officer in 2014 (Lok Sabha polls), had stated that he pursued his BA from Delhi University and MA from Gujarat University. In the same affidavit, he, for the first time, revealed his marital status as married to Jasodaben, he said.
Taking a swipe at Modi over his 56-inch chest remarks, the senior Congress leader said, The country does not have much interest in knowing PMs 56-inch chest, but public has interest in knowing his date of birth...where he got his BA degree from, when, and at least names of 10 students who studied with him.
Gujarat University today shared details of Modis MA degree, saying he scored 62.3 per cent as an external student of the varsity after Central Information Commission directed it to provide the same to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who had recently criticised the functioning of the transparency panel.
Questioning the timing of the disclosure by the varsity, Gohil said, Till today, at least 70 RTIs were filed in GU seeking the same information, but the reply was always information is secret, cant be revealed. After CIC asked GU to give reply, overnight it turned vibrant, progressive, and instead of calling it secret, it decided to give information along with marks.
How come GU does not have details of his (Modis) BA degree? Because while getting admission in MA, he should have given his BA details. If you migrated from DU to GU, your migration certificate should also be there with the GU, he said.
For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Paris:
Paris, May 2 (AFP) A French journalist infiltrated a cell of would-be jihadists, filming them with a hidden camera as they plotted an attack in the name of the Islamic State group, before they were arrested, he said.
The journalist, a Muslim using the pseudonym Said Ramzi, carried out the investigation for a documentary entitled Allahs Soldiers which gives an insight into the minds of young jihadists, and will be shown in France tonight.
Ramzi describes himself as a Muslim of the same generation as the killers who carried out the November 13 terror attacks which left 130 people dead in Paris.
My goal was to understand what was going on inside their heads, he told AFP.
One of the main lessons was that I never saw any Islam in this affair. No will to improve the world. Only lost, frustrated, suicidal, easily manipulated youths.
They had the misfortune of being born in the era that the Islamic State exists. It is very sad. They are youngsters who are looking for something and that is what they found.
To make contact with the group, Ramzi said the first steps were easy, following and interacting with those preaching jihad on Facebook.
Then, he had to meet the person presented as the emir of the group of about a dozen youths, some of them born into Muslim families, and the others converts.
This took place in Chateauroux, a town in the centre-west of France, at an outdoor activities centre that was deserted in winter.
The emir was a young French-Turkish citizen named Oussama, and on their first meeting he tries to convince the journalist he knows as Abu Hamza, that paradise awaits him if he carries out a suicide mission.
Towards paradise, that is the path, Oussama says, a chilling smile on his face. Come, brother, lets go to paradise, our women are waiting for us there, with angels as servants.
You will have a palace, a winged horse of gold and rubies.
During another meeting in front of a mosque in the Paris suburb of Stains, a member of the group points to an airplane approaching the nearby Bourget airport.
With a little rocket-launcher, you can easily get one of them... you do something like that in the name of Dawla (Islamic State), and France will be traumatised for a century.
Some of the gang, like Oussama, try and reach the Islamic State group in Syria. He was arrested by Turkish police and handed back to France where he spent five months in jail before being released.
While he had to show his face at the local police station once a day under his release conditions, he stayed in touch with the group via encrypted messaging application Telegram to organise meetings at which plans to launch an attack took form.
In January 2015 two brothers attacked the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 people.
For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Rome:
Fifteen migrants are missing after their boat sank on Friday, the second shipwreck that day in the Mediterranean, bringing the number of lives lost to almost 100, the UN said today.
A boat carrying around 120 people had sunk early Friday, four hours after leaving Libya for Italy, UN refugee agency (UNHCR) spokeswoman Carlotta Sami told AFP, adding that some 15 persons went missing.
Among the missing were four Nigerians, two people from the Ivory Coast, three from Guinea, two from Sudan and one from Mali, she said.
Survivors were being disembarked in Pozzallo, Sicily, she said, adding that eight people had been taken straight to hospital due to their serious health conditions, and that two bodies had also been disembarked.
The news came a day after the International Organization for Migration said that only 26 people were rescued from an inflatable boat carrying around 110 migrants when it sank off Libya in a separate shipwreck Friday.
Sami said Sunday that 27 people, including four women, were rescued from that boat sinking.
Survivors had provided harrowing accounts of the tragedy, both UNHCR and IOM said.
Due to the very bad conditions of the sea, some two hours after the departure the small boat started to take on water, just a few miles off shore, Sami said in an email.
IOM spokesman in Italy, Flavio Di Giacomo, told AFP Saturday that the vessel had been in a very bad state, was taking on water and many people fell into the water and drowned.
The boat in the end broke into two parts throwing all the passengers into the waves, Sami said.
Rough seas and waves topping two metres (seven feet) hampered attempts to find any other survivors.
Sami said the health conditions of several of the survivors were reportedly serious.
Survivors say they lost relatives and friends during the shipwreck, she said.
The first hint of the tragedy came early Saturday, when Italys coastguard said an Italian cargo ship had rescued 26 migrants from a flimsy boat sinking off the coast of Libya but voiced fears that dozens more could be missing.
The coastguard received a call from a satellite phone late Friday that helped locate the stricken inflatable and called on the merchant ship to make a detour to the area about seven kilometres off the Libyan coast near Sabratha.
The migrants rescued were transferred to two coastguard vessel and taken to the Italian island of Lampedusa.
More than 350,000 people fleeing conflict and poverty have reached Italy on boats from Libya since the start of 2014, as Europe struggles to manage its biggest migration crisis since World War II.
The Red Cross also voiced alarm at Fridays tragic boat sinkings, warning that more were likely to come.
For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:
Former president of Bharatiya Jan Sangh (BJS) and veteran RSS leader Balraj Madhok passed away in Delhi on Monday. Madhok (96) was unwell for some time and had been admitted to AIIMS for a month, where he died around 9 AM. The last rites will be conducted in the evening. A two-time Parliamentarian, Madhok represented the NCT of Delhi and South Delhi in the 2nd and 4th Lok Sabha in 1961 and 1967 respectively.
Born on February 25, 1920, in Jammu and Kashmirs Skardu area, he was the founder Secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). In 1951, he was the convener of the first convention of Bharatiya Jana Sangh and was appointed the national Secretary. In 1966, he was elected as National President of Bharatiya Jana Sangh. (Also read. Ruckus in Rajya Sabha over AgustaWestland Issue)
A teacher, he was head of the Department of History in PGDAV College, New Delhi and edited Organiser in 1947-48 and Hindi Weekly Veer Arjun in 1948. He was also Founder Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir Praja Parishad.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condoled the demise of Madhok and said his ideological commitment was strong, had immense clarity of thought and was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. Heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of a stalwart leader of Jan Sangh Shri Balraj Madhok. Balraj Madhok jis ideological commitment was strong & clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation & society. (Also read. President Pranab Mukherjee wraps up six-day state visit to New Zealand, PNG)
Had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions. His demise is saddening. Condolences to his family. RIP, Modi said in a series of tweets. His close associate L K Advani also described him as one who was fully committed to its ideology and principles.
I am deeply grieved to learn about the passing away of Balraj Madhok. I mourn Balraj Madhoks passing away and offer my heartfelt condolences to his two daughters. May the departed soul rest in peace, he said in his condolence message. Advani said Madhok led the party in the general elections of 1967, when the party won 35 seats in Lok Sabha. He was fully committed to its ideology and principles. During the Emergency he was detained under MISA for 18 months, he said. (Also read. BJP only alternative in UP, says Union minister Kalraj Mishra)
Union Minister of Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan tweeted, Balraj Madhok left for heavenly abode today - India loses a great intellectual, thinker and a social reformer. May his soul rest in peace.
For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:
Social media giant Facebook introduced chat bots to developers last month. So Indias first Facebook Messenger bot is here. Lybrate, online doctor consultation platform is among the first ones to announce its Lybrate bot.
This Lybrate bot appears on messenger chat list just like another contact. It will allow people to communicate, seek advice on health queries from doctors that will help you stay updated on health-related issues.
To make users aware about multiple health issues, a Quiz on Health is also there. You can also use it as a smartphone app. This is the platform where you will find over 1,00,000 doctors from more than 50 specialties from across India.
These days social bots are quite popular. Facebook and Microsoft are also betting on social bots. What are these? Chat bots offer a standardized way of connecting with businesses (similar to Twitter handles or email addresses), reducing the complexity of finding the contact info for a company.
While we are making doctor availability seamless through our online doctor consultation platform via Messenger, our innovative solution in the form of a health quiz will help in spreading more awareness about health issues, said Saurabh Arora, Founder and CEO, Lybrate.
When they integrate with Facebook chatbots allow for automatic verification of personal information. Microsoft will also introduce bots on Skype.
New Delhi :
Google today honoured renowned Indian cartoonist Mario de Miranda with a doodle on his 90th birth anniversary. The Padmashri and Padma Vibhushan awardee cartoonist was known for his trademark stylish strokes which told detailed colourful stories with shades of humour, largely based on life in Mumbai and Goa.
The commemorative doodle was created by another comic artist Aaron Renier known for portraying large crowds.
It shows a rainstorm scene in a crowded Mumbai, with the hazy hint of a prominent landmark building and people of various communities that spice up Mumbai in their traditional attire, running around.
I approached Marios work by pretending I was drawing with him. I chose his most popular style, very flat with criss-crossing interactions. In this homage to Miranda, we see a rich litany of people, each unique in their perspective, Renier was quoted as saying in an official statement.
That is what I liked most about his work, trying to pick out who knows who, whos watching who, whos annoyed by who, whos enamoured by who. Hopefully people will see something of (Mirandas) spirit in it, he added.
The doodle depicts people struggling with their umbrellas, newspapers, a spontaneous lovers hug, the typical dog chasing a stray cat and dragging his master on the leash.
On a ground floor is someone quietly observing the goings
on outside, on the first floor a woman absently empties the bucket of water onto the roads after cleaning her home, while on the left side appears an image resembling Miranda himself struggling with his next creation on the canvas.
Miranda died of natural causes at his home in Loutolim in Goa in 2011.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002 and was conferred the Padma Vibhushan posthumously in 2012.
Mumbai :
Honouring Satyajit Rays immense contribution to the film industry, Bollywood directors like Shoojit Sircar and Madhur Bhandarkar have paid their respect to the maverick filmmaker on his 95th birth anniversary.
Ray, regarded as one of the finest filmmakers India has ever seen, helmed classics like Pather Panchali, Charulata and Devi.
Ray received many major awards in his career, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, a number of awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies, and an Academy Honorary Award in 1992. He was honoured with the Bharat Ratna in 1992.
Piku director Sircar tweeted, Today is Ray day. Happy birthday to the Master Satyajit Ray...
Happy Birthday to the master of Indian cinema. Satyajit Ray sahab. Respects, wrote Ashoke Pandit.
Bhandarkar posted, Master film maker and one of the most influential directors in world cinema, Satyajit Ray, was born on May 2, 1921.
For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Rome:
Italian marine Salvatore Girone, one of the two marines facing murder charges for killing two Indian fishermen, will be able to return to Italy while his case is subject to an arbitration procedure, Italian Foreign Ministry said today, citing an order of the UNs Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague.
However, the ruling about the same will be made public tomorrow, according to Italian news agency ANSA.
Foreign Ministry informs that the arbitral tribunal set up in The Hague has anticipated today its decision that Girone Rifleman (be allowed to go) back in Italy until the end of the arbitration proceedings, initiated by the Government on June 26, 2015. The return of the conditions will be agreed between Italy and India, the Italian ministry said.
The Government has been working to submit the whole matter to international arbitration and, in this framework, bringing home the two Riflemen Marina. The announced order paves the way for this result.
Italy in March had asked the PCA judges to order India to release its detained marine Girone, saying otherwise he risks four more years in India without any charges being made which would amount to grave violation of his human rights.
The PCA is hearing oral arguments by the two sides.
The arbitration could last at least three or four years which means that Girone risks being held in (New) Delhi, without any charges being made, for a total of seven-eight years, Italys representative had told the court.
Girone is one of two Italian marines - on board ship Enrica Lexie - accused by India of killing two of its fishermen during an anti-piracy mission in 2012 off the Kerala coast after mistaking them for pirates.
He has not been able to leave India, aside from a few brief permits, since the incident. The other marine, Massimiliano Latorre, is back in Italy after a stroke in 2014.
The Italian government has taken the marines case to international arbitration after repeated delays in the trial in India.
According to Italian Foreign Ministry, the government will immediately start consultations with India that the conditions to give effect to the decision of the arbitral tribunal are quickly defined and agreed.
For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi :
Future group chairman Kishore Biyani has resigned from the post of Managing Director of Future Retail Ltd as part of realignment of the groups business.
Besides, Rakesh Biyani has also resigned from the post of Joint Managing Director as well as Director of the company as part of a restructuring to execute the merger Bharti Retail with the company announced last year.
The resignations would be effective from May 1, 2016, Future Retail said in a BSE filing.
However, Kishore Biyani would continue to hold office as non executive director of Future Retail Ltd, it added.
In May last year, Future group agreed to merge its retail business with rival Bharti Retail in an all-stock deal worth Rs 750 crore to create one of the biggest supermarket chains with Rs 15,000 crore turnover.
The two-tiered deal also involved merger of their respective retail infrastructure business into Future Retail thus creating two separate companiesone the front-end retail and another for infrastructure activities.
Riyadh:
One of Saudi Arabias most powerful firms, the Saudi Binladin Group, has laid off 77,000 foreign workers, a Saudi daily reported today, citing an anonymous company official. Saudi Binladin Group confirmed to AFP that some staff have been let go, but gave no numbers.
The report in the Al-Watan newspaper is the latest alleging tens of thousands of layoffs, unpaid salaries and unrest by employees of the firm which built some of the Gulf countrys landmarks.
Sources in March told AFP that delayed receipts from the government, whose oil revenues collapsed over the past two years, have left employees of the kingdoms construction giants struggling to survive while they await their salaries. However, Saudi Binladin Group was also sanctioned by the government after a deadly crane accident in Mecca last September.
The size of our workforce is always appropriate to the nature and size of projects and the timeframe they are to be carried out by the group, Yaseen Alattas, a Saudi Binladin Group spokesman, told AFP.
He said workforce changes would be normal especially when some projects have ended or are about to end. Most of the jobs eliminated are on specified term contracts for particular projects, Alattas said in an email.
We understand that the reduction of the workforce isnt easy on everyone. But the Group will continue to implement its obligations towards everyone including the employees it has let go of. They have received their full dues under the law, said Alattas.
The unnamed company official cited by Al-Watan said that as of Sunday 77,000 Binladin Group workers had received exit visas. He added that they were among 200,000 expatriates employed by the company, one of the largest builders in the world.
In addition, 12,000 out of the 17,000 Saudis working for the firm as engineers, administrators and inspectors were expected to be let go, the source said.
On Friday, Al-Watan reported that 50,000 of the groups staff were refusing to leave the country while their salaries remained unpaid after more than four months.
Another newspaper, Arab News, on Sunday cited Saudi Binladin Group employees as confirming massive layoffs. An Arab News report on Monday blamed unpaid workers for torching several Binladin Group buses in Mecca over the weekend.
Authorities confirmed seven buses were burned but did not give the cause. Egyptians account for a large percentage of Binladin Group employees.
For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
A Methodist group is planning 33 homes on 16.8 acres on Snow Hill Road.
The proposal by Barry Kidwell, executive director of Mustard Tree Ministries, goes before the Planning Commission next Monday at 1 p.m. at the County Courthouse.
The site at 9125 Snow Hill Road is owned by the Methodist Committee on Church Extension and Congregational Revitalization.
The homes are to be one story.
There will be a central green space and community area.
There is to be a pond and a large agricultural area on the northeast portion of the site.
The Regional Planning Agency staff is recommending approval for the rezoning.
Beirut:
Syrias military extended a unilateral cease-fire around Damascus and opposition strongholds in the eastern suburbs of the capital for another 48 hours today, as a humanitarian convoy delivered aid to 12,000 families trapped in a government-besieged area in central Syria.
In Geneva, US Secretary of State John Kerry today said that several proposals were being discussed aimed at finding a way to restore at least a partial truce in the war-torn country.
The latest partial truce in Syria does not cover Aleppo, the countrys largest city and the scene of its worst violence in recent weeks.
Aleppo remains on knifes edge as rebels and government forces trade rockets and bombs across the northern city and its outskirts, according to activist monitoring groups.
Rebels today lobbed rockets into government-held areas in the western part of the city while government helicopters dropped crude and unguided barrel bombs on opposition-held areas in the city and surrounding villages, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Separately, a car bomb detonated in the rebel-held Salhin neighborhood of Aleppo, appearing to target an Islamic judiciary council. The explosion wounded a lawyer and several other people, according to the Local Coordination Committees, an activist network.
The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, which organizes rescue operations in opposition-held areas of Aleppo, said several civilians were killed and wounded, including a judge for the hard-line jihadist faction Ahrar al-Sham.
Still, Aleppo was safer Monday and Sunday than it had been in over a week. Fierce violence took the lives of more than 250 civilians over the previous nine days, according to the Observatory, while only six died in violence Sunday.
The government declared its cease-fire on Friday around Damascus, the capitals eastern Ghouta suburbs, and the coastal Latakia region, in the wake of two weeks of rising violence that spoiled a previous cease-fire brokered by the US and Russia in late February.
Russias Tass news agency quoted Russian Lt Gen Sergei Kuralenko, head of the Russian coordination center in Syria, as saying that the Damascus area cease-fire was brokered by the Russia and the United States, in agreement with the Syrian leadership and the moderate opposition.
For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Week of May 2 - National Teacher Appreciation Week
Cleveland City Schools celebrates National Teacher Appreciation Week and the dedicated faculty and staff in all our schools. Show your support and thank a teacher who made a difference in your life.
Board of Education will meet on Monday , 5:30 pm at the Administrative Office Building. Cleveland City Schoolswill meetat the Administrative Office Building. Click here to view the agenda. For more information contact Andrea Byerly, abyerly@clevelandschools.org. For more information contact Andrea Byerly, 423-472-9571
Fine Arts Festivalwill be Monday , 6:00-8:00 pm in the Raider Dining Hall and Courtyard. The program features the choral and art departments. Student art work will be for sale, plus hear solos, duets, and dancers from the different choirs. Dresses by Sage, and Plunder Jewelry will also be available for purchase. Admission is $5. For more information Cleveland High School Annualwill bein the Raider Dining Hall and Courtyard. The program features the choral and art departments. Student art work will be for sale, plus hear solos, duets, and dancers from the different choirs. Dresses by Sage, and Plunder Jewelry will also be available for purchase. Admission is $5. For more information click here or contact Shirley Pace, space@clevelandschools.org
iMom Celebration on Tuesday, 5:30 pm in the Blythe-Bower cafeteria. There will be a photo booth, pizza and six craft stations for moms and their children. B.E.S.T. Partner South Cleveland Church of God is helping to organize the event. For more information contact Laura Murray, lmurray@clevelandschools.org. Blythe-Bower Elementary will host theon Tuesday,in the Blythe-Bower cafeteria. There will be a photo booth, pizza and six craft stations for moms and their children. B.E.S.T. Partner South Cleveland Church of God is helping to organize the event. For more information contact Laura Murray, 423-479-5121
All Pro Dad Dinner Thursday , 6:00 pm at South Cleveland Church of God. There will be a cookout, games, blow up toys and woodworking. All students and fathers are invited to attend this end of year program. For more information contact Laura Murray, lmurray@clevelandschools.org. Blythe-Bower Elementary School will host theat South Cleveland Church of God. There will be a cookout, games, blow up toys and woodworking. All students and fathers are invited to attend this end of year program. For more information contact Laura Murray, 423-479-5121
Senior Night will be Thursday , 6:00 pm at the North Cleveland Church of God. Senior awards and scholarships will be presented. Students and their families are invited to attend. For more information contact Whitney Harden, wharden@clevelandschools.org. Cleveland High Schoolwill beat the North Cleveland Church of God. Senior awards and scholarships will be presented. Students and their families are invited to attend. For more information contact Whitney Harden, 423-478-1113
Student of the Month Breakfast will be Friday . Class representatives demonstrating Respect will be honored at the breakfast. For more information contact Lisa Earby,learby@clevelandschools.org. E.L. Ross Elementarywill be. Class representatives demonstratingwill be honored at the breakfast. For more information contact Lisa Earby, 423-479-7274
Kindergarten Parent Programwill be Friday , 1:30 pm . In this Mothers Day program, all the kindergarten classes will pay tribute to their mothers. The students will sing to their mothers and then have some refreshments. For more information contact Carolyn Ingram, chingram@clevelandschools.org. Yates Primarywill be. In this Mothers Day program, all the kindergarten classes will pay tribute to their mothers. The students will sing to their mothers and then have some refreshments. For more information contact Carolyn Ingram, 423-479-1723
Screen on the Green Friday starting at 8:00 pm . All Ross and Yates families are welcome to watch the Peanuts movie. Don't forget to bring your chairs and blankets for this free event! For more information contact Lisa Earby, learby@clevelandschools.org. E.L. Ross Elementary and Yates Primary hoststarting at. All Ross and Yates families are welcome to watch themovie. Don't forget to bring your chairs and blankets for this free event! For more information contact Lisa Earby, 423-479-7274
More than 22,000 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies have been delivered to members of the U.S. armed forces within the local Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians jurisdiction, thanks to patriotic cookie customers and hard-working girls, officials said. Girl Scouts delivered a major portion of those cookies to the U.S. Army National Guard Armory in Chattanooga on April 15.
The donation is part of the councils annual Operation: APPRECIATION effort allowing customers to purchase cookies directly for members of the armed services.
Our girls are thrilled to have exceeded this years 20,000 box donation goal, said Lynne Fugate, the councils CEO. Cookie customers made a generous decision to support two great causes at the same time.
The 2016 Girl Scout Cookie Program sale was proclaimed a success, with girls earning almost $1 million directly for their troop treasuries. Girls use the proceeds to fund troop activities for the upcoming year. The councils portion of proceeds support girls and volunteers.
The photos shown were taken Friday, April 15 at the U.S. National Guard Armory at 1801 South Holtzclaw Ave.
Gun Store Owner Sues 64 People trying to put him out of Business
A gun store owner in Virginia has had it with people attempting to put pressure on him to close. So, the owner of what has been dubbed as the closest gun shop to Washington, DC has filed a civil suit against 64 individuals claiming that they conspired to put him out of business.
Guns.com reports:
Arlington-based Nova Armory held its grand opening in a strip mall on North Pershing Drive last month, doing what others have failed to do in recent months by becoming the only licensed gun dealer with a storefront in the city.
However, they got more than just a cold shoulder from locals including six state lawmakers who penned a letter to Novas landlord on official letterhead urging her to cancel the lease on the store three weeks before it was set to open. In the letter, the group cited concerns that the store could be a magnet for robbery and that it could help create a black market in the area to sell firearms for cash or drugs.
One of those behind the letter, local Democrat Delegate Mark Levine, took to social media to blast the store.
Are you ready to pay for all the funerals of all the people that your guns murder? And provide reimbursement for all wrongful deaths you cause? If not, then please, we beg you, leave Arlington, Levine posted before advocating for a boycott of the entire strip mall and protests of the store.
Actions such as this prompted Broadstone Security, owner of Nova Armory, to name 64 individuals in a conspiracy including Levine and the other lawmakers, in a civil suit filed April 18 in Richmond City Circuit Court, contending the defendants communicated among themselves to cripple the business.
According to the complaint, The Defendants used social media to communicate and to post messages to each other and to the public of a defamatory nature intended to smear Plaintiff and destroy his business.
Thats not all. Apparently, there were also death threats issued against Novas business managers daughter.
The suit seeks more than $2 million in damages and expenses related to the conspiracy.
Lawmakers are even cited in the suit. The claim is that they abused their authority by attempting to interfere between the property owner and the store.
Thats considered malfeasance in office which is a common law crime, said Nova attorney Daniel L. Hawes. This has absolutely nothing to do with their legislative abilities, but they sent it on official Commonwealth of Virginia letterhead underneath the seal.
While gun grabbing communists are attacking the gun store owner and his business, pro-gun Americans have started an online petition, which has since been removed.
Levine is clearly an anti-Constitutionalist as he picks and chooses what he wants in the Constitution. While he attacks the Second Amendment and the rights of the people to keep and bear arms, which would also include purchasing them, he claims that the lawsuit is frivolous because he believes he has an absolute First Amendment right to comment any way I want to and to represent my constituents in the way that they want to be represented.
The problem for Levine is that he may represent the people, but he may not misrepresent the law, and in this case, the law is opposed to him. This is a common problem for elected representatives as they believe they can enter office and undermine the rights of the people and the established laws based on the laws of God.
Submit a correction >>
DANBURY - The City Council is set to adopt a $244 million budget for next year that prepares for the worst Hartford can do while hoping for the best.
This document prepares us for what is coming from the state of Connecticut, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said during a recent public hearing, referring to state lawmakers fight to close a $900 million budget gap for next year.
The reality is from this years operating budget, we have lost almost $850,000, Boughton said, adding that news could be worse if the state discontinues the sales tax sharing plan.
The biggest problem, the GOP mayor said, is Hartford continues to underfund the city school district.
We receive about $25 million from the education cost-sharing grant, Boughton said during a late April public hearing. New Britain, which has less students, gets $75 million from the state of Connecticut for doing the very same job we do.
The citys nearly quarter-billion-dollar budget for 2016-2017 carries a tax rate increase of 1.4 percent.
More than $2 million in new spending will go to the city school system, which already has the largest high school in the state and which expects enrollment to increase 1.5 percent in the fall.
Other new spending is going for raises to public safety employees.
About 90 percent of our budget is salary, benefits and contractual obligations, Boughton said. We of course want to hire more people, have more resources, and pave more roads, but we are proud of this document.
The budget carries a tax rate of $28.68 per $1,000 of assessed property value. A homeowner with a house assessed at $270,000 would pay $7,744 in taxes next year, or about $70 more than this year.
The City Council held a public hearing on the budget on April 20.
Among five speakers who shared concerns during the hearing was school board member Richard Jannelli. He said although the $126 million school portion of the budget is a $2 million increase, it falls well short of the $129.5 million the school system had asked for.
I cannot blame the city, Jannelli said. Danbury has a disproportionate share in state (education cost-sharing) money.
The city is part of a coalition that is suing the state over education funds that were promised but never paid. City leaders say Danbury is owned more than $30 million.
That to me is the only way to solve this problem, Jannelli said.
The City Council is expected to vote on the budget during its regular monthly meeting Tuesday at City Hall.
We have done everything we can to maintain cost, Boughton said.
rryser@newstimes.com; 203-731-3342
HARTFORD In celebration of national Drinking Water Week, the state Department of Public Health has recognized several Connecticut water operators for their contributions to the health and safety of the states drinking water.
Judy L. Simpanen, operations manager for the Aquarion Water Company, received the 2016 Educational Public Health Driking Water Merit Award.
The department also gave Ron W. Black, president of Water System Solutions & Design, Inc., the 2016 Certified Operator Public Health Drinking Merit Award and the Putnam Water Pollution Control Authority the 2016 Small Community Public Health Drinking Water Merit Award.
Connecticut is home to superior drinking water quality, largely due to a robust infrastructure and committed water professionals who monitor and protect water quality and safety, said Lori Mathieu, the departments Drinking Water Section Chief, in a statement.
During Drinking Water Week, we take time to recognize the vital role water plays in our daily lives as well as some of Connecticuts outstanding public drinking water systems and professionals who exemplify Connecticuts high standards for water quality and adequacy, Mathieu added.
About 75 percent of the states residents are served by public drinking water systems.
National Drinking Water Week, May 1 through May 7, will coincide with a charter signing by the Connecticut Source Water Collaborative, a group of organizations with the goal of protecting states drinking water at the source, on Thursday at the Middletown Water Departments Mount Higby Reservoir and Charles B. Bacon Water Treatment Plant.
The charter formalizes member commitment to developing and supporting strategies to preserve, protect and maximize the conservation of the lakes, streams, rivers and aquifers used for drinking water and the land that protects and recharges these sources of water.
HARTFORD Legislation that would have allowed luxury electric carmaker Tesla to sell directly to consumers had all but died in the state Senate.
But in a last-ditch attempt to win their battle to do business in Connecticut, Tesla Motors Inc. on Monday afternoon sweetened the pot. Company officials said they would build a regional distribution center in Connecticut with 150 new, well-paying jobs, if the bill passes.
Tesla is prepared to make a real and lasting commitment to Connecticut, said Will Nicholas, Teslas government relations manager. We want to invest here. We want to create jobs here. And we want to serve Connecticut customers.
After weeks of off-and-on negotiations between Tesla representatives, the states new-car dealers and General Motors, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said Monday morning that a compromise deal failed.
Without an agreement I couldnt bring it to a vote in the Senate, said Duff, who vowed the revisit the issue next year. New car dealers and GM are powerful lobbyists.
The states franchise law requires that manufacturers sell new cars only through dealerships. The proposed bill would have allowed Tesla to open up to three stores in the state, with up to 75 new jobs. The company has a service center in Milford, but cannot sell cars there.
But then Tesla raised the ante, promising to create 150 new jobs over the next year and a half as the companys lower-price vehicles hit the production line, in addition to the 25 employees that would staff each Tesla store.
In all, the upstart carmaker would create 275 jobs new jobs in the state, with salaries ranging from $40,000 to $100,000, plus benefits and equity opportunities. Salespeople are full-time employees of Tesla with what the company calls marginal commission supplements.
State Rep. Antonio Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill, a co-chairman of the legislative Transportation Committee who favors allowing Tesla to do business in the state, said there remains a slight chance that the bill could be salvaged this year.
It was my impression that the Senate was trying to work this out among the members of the Democratic caucus, Guerrera said. In light of the economic situations were enduring right now, I think that its a great opportunity for us to enhance a new business like Tesla to come to the state.
Bradley Hoffman, a board member of the Connecticut Auto Retailers Association and an executive with the Hoffman Auto Group, said dealers would welcome Tesla if they were to abide by franchise laws that date back to the early years of the 20th Century in Connecticut.
The franchise system has worked very well for nearly 100 years, Hoffman said in a statement. It establishes a fair playing field for us the local dealers, national manufacturers, and customers looking for the best price and customer service.
kdixon@ctpost.com;
Bellhops, a Chattanooga-based tech-enabled moving company, has added former Atlanta Brave great, Ryan Klesko, to the inaugural Homers for Heroes roster. Though he wont be competing in the home run derby, Mr. Klesko will be taking batting practice and attendees will be able meet him and get his autograph from 2-5 p.m. at AT&T Field.
Homers for Heroes is slated to be an annual charity home run derbythis year, featuring teams from 16 local businesseswhich supports a new local hero every year. The 2016 hero is Nathan Sexton, a local man fighting Stage 4 glioblastoma (brain cancer).
Were beyond excited that Ryan Klesko will be helping us launch this new family-friendly fundraising initiative, said Event Organizer and Bellhops President Cameron Doody, Hes a champion at the highest level, and we hope hell help us get folks in the stands to raise funds for another champ, our friend Nate Sexton.
Homers for Heroes is this Saturday from noon-5 p.m. at AT&T Field. To learn more about the event and buy tickets, visit Homers4Heroes.com. Tickets can also be purchased at Lookout.com. Tickets are $5 each if ordered in advance, or $10 at the event.
About Ryan Klesko -- Ryan Klesko played 16 years in the Major Leagues, the first 8 of those with the Atlanta Braves. In 1994 he hit 17 home runs in just 92 games to finish third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. From 1995 through 1999 he averaged 24 home runs per year for the Braves including a career best 34 home runs in 1996 and a career best batting average of .310 in 1995. That year, Ryan helped lead the Braves to their lone World Series victory, batting .313 with three home runs against the Cleveland Indians. Those home runs made him the first player in World Series history to homer in three consecutive games. During his career with the Braves, Ryan hit 10 post season home runs.
Ryan was chosen as a National League All Star in 2001, as a member of the San Diego Padres, batting .286 with 30 home runs and 113 RBI. The following year, also for the Padres, he batted .300 with 29 home runs and 95 RBI.
For his career, Ryan batted .279 with 278 home runs and 987 RBI. He had a career on base percentage of .370 and a slugging percentage of .500. His .525 slugging percentage as a member of the Atlanta Braves places him third in team history, behind only Hank Aaron and Chipper Jones (and ahead of Hall of Famer Eddie Matthews).
TORONTO, May 2, 2016 /CNW/ - Dr. Philip Awadalla, Senior Investigator at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research and Principal Investigator for the Ontario Health Study has been awarded $2 million by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The award will fund the study of the role of both genes and the environment on the development of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of medical conditions that are common in aging adults, including obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and insulin resistance.
These conditions are considered to be both risk factors and causal factors in the development of cancer and chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke and diabetes. A better understanding of how to prevent and treat the conditions of metabolic syndrome could also help in the design of new strategies to prevent these diseases before they develop.
Awadalla and his team will use data and samples from the Ontario Health Study, which is part of the larger Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project, to conduct their research.
"There are currently no research projects at this scale looking at the genetic and environmental risk factors of metabolic syndrome or related aging-associated traits, which affects close to one quarter of Canada's adult population," said Dr. Awadalla. "This funding will allow us to tap into the vast data holdings of the Ontario Health Study to investigate the interplay among varying environmental exposures, aging, and epigenetic factors across Ontario and Canada. Ultimately we hope to find new ways to better manage these conditions and other linked diseases such as cancer."
"The Ontario Health Study is proud to be involved in this important research project that will help us understand a range of health conditions that increase the risk of serious disease," said Kelly McDonald, Program Manager of the Ontario Health Study. "We thank the many Ontarians in communities across Ontario who have participated in the study to date and provided the valuable information that has made this research project and others like it possible."
"Congratulations to Dr. Awadalla on this important award," said Reza Moridi, Minister of Research and Innovation. "Dr. Awadalla's leadership in the fight against cancer and chronic illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes is commendable. We look forward to the findings of his work, which will pave the way for future advancements that will help people living in Ontario and around the world live longer and healthier lives."
The team has partnered with Illumina to assist with genome sequencing, as well as Environment Canada and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer.
Dr. Awadalla was one of eight recipients of funding announced today by The Hon. Jane Philpott, federal Minister of Health. All the teams share a common goal of working to better understand how genes and environmental factors such as air pollution contribute to the development of chronic conditions. The results will provide evidence to guide the development of new treatments and prevention strategies.
About the Ontario Health Study
The Ontario Health Study is one of the largest long-term health studies in Canada. Since 2010 over 230,000 Ontarians have taken online surveys, provided blood samples or physical measures, to help researchers better understand the causes of chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes, and to develop new ways to prevent and treat them. If you live in Ontario and you're 18 years or older, you're eligible to participate. A small investment of your time today will help to improve public health for generations to come. Visit www.ontariohealthstudy.ca for more information.
About the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR)
OICR is an innovative cancer research and development institute dedicated to prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Institute is an independent, not-for-profit corporation, supported by the Government of Ontario. OICR's research supports more than 1,700 investigators, clinician scientists, research staff and trainees located at its headquarters and in research institutes and academia across the Province of Ontario. OICR has key research efforts underway in small molecules, biologics, stem cells, imaging, genomics, informatics and bio-computing. For more information, please visit the website at www.oicr.on.ca.
SOURCE Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
Image with caption: "Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) (CNW Group/Ontario Institute for Cancer Research)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160502_C1064_PHOTO_EN_679521.jpg
For further information: Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Christopher Needles, 416-673-8505, [email protected], @OICR_news
TORONTO, May 2, 2016 /CNW/ - Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jani Yates to the position of President and CEO effective June 13, 2016. A renowned leader in the Canadian advertising industry, Jani brings over 30 years of industry experience to ASC, most recently at the Institute of Communication Agencies (ICA), where she served as President for the past nine years. In this capacity, Jani served as the ICA's representative on ASC's Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Before joining ICA, Jani held various senior roles within a number of leading Canadian communication agencies. A tireless volunteer both in the advertising and marketing industry and in civic society, Jani is currently Chair of the CASSIES, on the ACTRA Fraternal Benefits Society's Board of Governors, and serves as a member of the Humber Advisory Board.
"On behalf of the Board, we are thrilled to welcome Jani on board as President and CEO. Her breadth of experience, energy and drive are a perfect fit for the next chapter in ASC's history," commented Sandy McLeod, ASC Chair of the Board and Chief Operating Officer, Print, Toronto Star Newspapers, Ltd. Following the announced resignation of Linda J. Nagel, ASC's long-standing President and CEO of 22 years in November 2015, the Board initiated a national executive search in early 2016. McLeod noted, "Jani is an insightful and ardent proponent of responsible advertising self-regulation. Her rich knowledge of ASC and the complexities of self-regulation, and strong ties with a broad range of industry stakeholders, will certainly continue to advance our mission and mandate in the years to come. We look forward to working with her."
About ASC
Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) is the national independent advertising industry self-regulatory body committed to creating and maintaining community confidence in advertising. ASC members leading advertisers, advertising agencies, media and suppliers to the advertising industry are committed to supporting responsible and effective advertising self-regulation. A not-for-profit organization, ASC administers the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards, the principal instrument of advertising self-regulation in Canada, and a national mechanism for accepting and responding to consumers' complaints about advertising.
SOURCE Advertising Standards Canada
Image with caption: "Jani Yates (CNW Group/Advertising Standards Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160502_C6730_PHOTO_EN_678510.jpg
For further information: Christian Campbell, Communications Coordinator, Tel: 416 961-6311, ext. 227, [email protected]
(TSX-V | OYL)
TORONTO, May 2, 2016 /CNW/ - CGX Energy Inc. (TSX-V - OYL) ("CGX Energy" or the "Company") announced today the release of its audited consolidated financial results for the year ended December 31, 2015, together with its Management Discussion and Analysis. These documents will be posted on the Company's website at www.cgxenergy.com and SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Dewi Jones, Chief Executive Officer of CGX Energy, commented: "In 2015, the Company's business plan was significantly impacted by the prevalence of low international oil prices and a global downswing in exploration budgets. Despite these difficulties the Company was successful in its ability to dramatically cut costs, deal with its significant payables and move towards monetizing some of its non-core assets. We continue to be very optimistic about exploration and development drilling in Guyana and look forward to a stronger 2016."
2015 Year-End Overview and Highlights
On November 16, 2015 , Company issued a convertible debenture (the " Convertible Debenture ") by way of private placement in the amount of $1.5 million (the " Principal Amount ") to Pacific Exploration & Production Corp. (" Pacific "). The Convertible Debenture has a term of twelve months and an annual interest payable of 5% and will be convertible at the option of the holder at a conversion price of $0.335 . The Principal Amount has been funded in full. In the event that the Company fails to satisfy any of its obligations under the Convertible Debenture, Pacific shall have the right to take a pledge of shares in the Company's subsidiaries.
, Company issued a convertible debenture (the " ") by way of private placement in the amount of (the " ") to Pacific Exploration & Production Corp. (" "). The Convertible Debenture has a term of twelve months and an annual interest payable of 5% and will be convertible at the option of the holder at a conversion price of . The Principal Amount has been funded in full. In the event that the Company fails to satisfy any of its obligations under the Convertible Debenture, Pacific shall have the right to take a pledge of shares in the Company's subsidiaries. As a result of the continuing decline in oil prices in 2015, the Company obtained a deferral of its commitment well in the Corentyne Block. Currently, the spud date for this well is July 1, 2016 .
. On March 4, 2016 , CGX entered into a bridge loan facility with Pacific in an amount up to U.S. $2 million . This facility shall be used to help CGX fund monthly general and administrative expenses and is a drawdown facility that is approved by Pacific on a monthly basis. Pacific has the right to take a pledge of shares of CGX's subsidiaries in an event of default under the facility. As of April 29, 2016 , the Company has drawn U.S. $586,000 on the facility.
, CGX entered into a bridge loan facility with Pacific in an amount up to U.S. . This facility shall be used to help CGX fund monthly general and administrative expenses and is a drawdown facility that is approved by Pacific on a monthly basis. Pacific has the right to take a pledge of shares of CGX's subsidiaries in an event of default under the facility. As of , the Company has drawn U.S. on the facility. On February 10, 2016 , the Company announced the resignation of John Cullen as a director.
, the Company announced the resignation of as a director. On April 18, 2016 , CGX entered into a term sheet with a potential partner (the " Partner ") in respect of CGX's wharf and logistics yard located in Berbice, Guyana (the " Term Sheet "). The Term Sheet contemplates an initial payment upon signing of the Term Sheet and subsequent payments based upon agreed milestones. The Term Sheet also provides the Partner with a seventy-five day exclusivity period within which to conduct further due diligence and to allow the parties to negotiate definitive documentation.
, CGX entered into a term sheet with a potential partner (the " ") in respect of CGX's wharf and logistics yard located in Berbice, (the " "). The Term Sheet contemplates an initial payment upon signing of the Term Sheet and subsequent payments based upon agreed milestones. The Term Sheet also provides the Partner with a seventy-five day exclusivity period within which to conduct further due diligence and to allow the parties to negotiate definitive documentation. On June 19, 2014 , CGX Resources, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, entered in to: (i) a drilling rig agreement (the " Drilling Agreement ") with Japan Drilling Co., Ltd. (" JDC "); and (ii) a rig sharing agreement (the " Rig Sharing Agreement ") with JDC, Teikoku Oil (Suriname) Co., Ltd (" INPEX ") for the use of JDC's HAKURYU-12 drilling rig (the " Rig "). Upon termination of the Drilling Agreement, the total amount payable to JDC by CGX Resources was U.S. $20.35 million (the " JDC Payable "). Pursuant to the terms of a definitive agreement entered into with JDC effective November 30, 2015 (the " JDC Settlement Agreement "), the JDC Payable will be paid as follows: (i) U.S. $5.5 million payable in Common Shares; (ii) U.S. $500,000 on or before December 1, 2015 ; (iii) approximately U.S. $7.18 million on or before March 25, 2016 ; and (iv) approximately U.S. $7.18 million on or before June 15 , 2016. The total amount of the JDC Payable is subject to adjustment based upon the demobilization fees under the Drilling Agreement. JDC will be issued 16,522,500 Common Shares (the " JDC Settlement Shares ") at a price of C$0.44 per share resulting in JDC owning approximately 15% of the Company on a non-diluted basis. The JDC Settlement Agreement also provides for a parent guarantee from CGX Energy to JDC in respect of the JDC Payable. As a result of the much lower prices for rigs currently available, the Company is of the view that notwithstanding the JDC Payable, drilling the next exploration well offshore Guyana on the Corentyne Block will ultimately cost approximately the same as under the Drilling Agreement. The Company is in continuous negotiations with INPEX and JDC with a view to determining how to address these significant payables in light of depressed oil prices.
, CGX Resources, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, entered in to: (i) a drilling rig agreement (the " ") with Japan Drilling Co., Ltd. (" "); and (ii) a rig sharing agreement (the " ") with JDC, Teikoku Oil (Suriname) Co., Ltd (" ") for the use of JDC's HAKURYU-12 drilling rig (the " "). Upon termination of the Drilling Agreement, the total amount payable to JDC by CGX Resources was U.S. million (the " "). Pursuant to the terms of a definitive agreement entered into with JDC effective (the " "), the JDC Payable will be paid as follows: (i) U.S. payable in Common Shares; (ii) U.S. on or before ; (iii) approximately U.S. on or before ; and (iv) approximately U.S. on or before , 2016. The total amount of the JDC Payable is subject to adjustment based upon the demobilization fees under the Drilling Agreement. JDC will be issued 16,522,500 Common Shares (the " ") at a price of per share resulting in JDC owning approximately 15% of the Company on a non-diluted basis. The JDC Settlement Agreement also provides for a parent guarantee from CGX Energy to JDC in respect of the JDC Payable. As a result of the much lower prices for rigs currently available, the Company is of the view that notwithstanding the JDC Payable, drilling the next exploration well offshore on the Corentyne Block will ultimately cost approximately the same as under the Drilling Agreement. The Company is in continuous negotiations with INPEX and JDC with a view to determining how to address these significant payables in light of depressed oil prices. CGX continues its initiatives to secure a joint venture partner for all 3 Petroleum Prospecting Licences ("PPL") and is actively pursuing this initiative. In the short term, the Company will require additional financing and seek to widen its shareholder base, but still with a view to negotiating farm-out transactions as the primary way to enhance shareholder value. The Company is pleased about ExxonMobil's announcement of a significant oil discovery of more than 295 feet of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs on the Stabroek Block located approximately 120 miles offshore Guyana .
About CGX Energy
CGX Energy is a Canadian-based oil and gas exploration company focused on the exploration of oil in the Guyana-Suriname Basin.
NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE
Forward-Looking Statements:
This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur in the future. These forward-looking statements are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by CGX Energy. CGX Energy believes the expectations and assumptions on which it develops forward-looking statements are reasonable; however, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements as there can be no assurance they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. In addition, other risks that may affect the forward-looking statements in this news release are outlined further in the Company's Annual Information Form dated April 29, 2015 filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and CGX Energy undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.
SOURCE CGX Energy Inc.
For further information: Michael Galego, General Counsel and Secretary at (416) 843-3858 or [email protected]
Food banks across the country are raising food and funds to ensure shelves are stocked for the summer
TORONTO, May 2, 2016 /CNW/ - In its second year, the #EveryPlateFull campaign, is once again urging Canadians to address the 26,548,725 summer meal gap that is facing Canadians struggling with hunger. During the month of May, over 120 food organizations are raising much needed food and funds to ensure shelves are full during the summer months.
Food donations are at their lowest from June to August, and food assistance organizations find their shelves often close to empty at a time when the need doesn't diminish. The #EveryPlateFull campaign aims to raise awareness of the continued need for support while asking Canadians to help raise the food and funds that food banks and provincial food bank organizations need to get them through this challenging period.
"Over 918,000 men, women and children will have a really difficult time accessing enough food during the summer months," says Pam Jolliffe, Executive Director, Food Banks Canada. "In turn, food banks will also find themselves under strain to meet the need as food bank shelves slowly get bare."
To show support for Canada's hungry and raise awareness of this campaign, Food Banks Canada is asking Canadians to support their local food bank in a number of ways:
Spread the word on social media using #EveryPlateFull
Start a campaign page at www.everyplatefull.ca to encourage donations from friends, family and peers
Make a monetary donation through www.everyplatefull.ca to a participating food bank or provincial food bank association.
"The summer is a particularly difficult time for families living with food insecurity as school based meal programs take a break for the holidays often leaving families with fewer supports," says Ryan Noble of North York Harvest Food in Toronto. "We want to ensure that our food bank can meet the need of our community and being prepared for the summer will allow us to do that."
About Every Plate Full
Every Plate Full (everyplatefull.ca) held its inaugural year in 2015 with the goal of raising much needed food and funds for food banks to cover the summer months. The summer is a time when shelves often go bare when over 918,000 are struggling to put food on the table.
About Food Banks Canada
Food Banks Canada is the national charitable organization representing and supporting the food bank community across all of Canada. Our network of 550 food banks support 85 per cent of people turning to food banks help. Together, we strive to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow. Visit foodbankscanada.ca for more information.
SOURCE Food Banks Canada
Image with caption: "#EveryPlateFull (CNW Group/Food Banks Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160502_C8813_PHOTO_EN_679090.jpg
For further information: Sonia Prashar, spPR, [email protected], (416) 560-6753; Marzena Gersho, Food Banks Canada, [email protected], (647) 242-5919, (905) 602-5234 x228
OTTAWA, May 2, 2016 /CNW/ - The Canadian forest products industry is pledging to help Canada move to a low-carbon economy by removing 30 megatonnes (MT) of CO 2 per year by 2030 more than 13% of the Canadian government's emissions target.
The "30 by 30" Climate Change Challenge was issued today by the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), making the forest sector the first to voluntarily contribute to the federal government's climate goals. Canada has signed the Paris agreement on climate change and is now promising to reduce emissions by 30%, the equivalent of cutting 225 MT of CO 2 a year by 2030.
The forest sector has a solid record of reducing greenhouse gases from its manufacturing processes. Since 1990 for example, Canada's pulp and paper industry has reduced GHG emissions by about 66%.
"Our industry is uniquely positioned to be a crucial part of the solution to climate change because our renewable forests and forest products all store carbon," says Derek Nighbor, the CEO of FPAC. "We want to step up to the plate and do our part to help Canada reach its ambitious targets".
The sector has calculated the 30MT can be reached by such measures as forest management practices that can maximize carbon storage in the forest and spur the growth of trees, by increasing the use of innovative forest products and clean tech to displace materials made from fossil fuels, and by further efficiencies at mill sites.
"According to a survey of international customers by Leger Marketing, Canada's forest products industry has the best environmental practices and reputation in the world," says the President and CEO of Resolute Forest Products, Richard Garneau. "The forest sector is already ahead of the curve, for example in significantly cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Now our industry is taking the next step by raising the bar yet again, helping Canada reach its new climate goals."
Ted Seraphim, President and CEO of West Fraser, adds "30 by 30 is an important challenge, and one we have the determination to achieve. Our sector, in partnership with governments at all levels, has been able to accelerate our progress to reach our ambitious targets. We are ready to step up again and make a significant contribution to Canada's climate goals."
FPAC is now working hard on a detailed road map to further flesh out the details on how it intends to meet the Climate Change Challenge. For more details on the challenge go to fpac.ca/30by30.
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna welcomes the plan: "I truly appreciate how the forest products industry has become the first sector to unveil how it can help Canada reach its emissions reduction target. This is the kind of contribution that we need from industry and I would encourage other sectors to show similar initiative"
Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, Jim Carr, also welcomed the announcement: "There can be no global solution to climate change without the forest sector, and the 30x30 challenge demonstrates the sector's leadership. Through innovation in sustainable forest management, tall wood buildings, and the development of forest-based bio-products, including biofuels, the forest sector continues to adapt to meet the demands of changing global markets and the goal of a low- carbon economy."
The executive director of the Canadian Climate Forum, Deirdre Laframboise: "Canada needs leadership from all sectors if we are truly to become a climate change responsible nation. FPAC has shown such leadership with '30 by 30', and the Canadian Climate Forum applauds and supports this important initiative. The wise management of our forests and their products as proposed by FPAC can have a significant contribution to Canada meeting its domestic greenhouse gas emission targets, as well as those committed to under our international commitments made at COP21, December 2015."
FPAC CEO, Derek Nighbor will be holding a conference call at 1:00 pm eastern for media.
Conference number is 1-888-289-4573 (North America); Participant passcode 4785306#
FPAC provides a voice for Canada's wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. The $65-billion-a-year forest products industry represents 2% of Canada's GDP and is one of Canada's largest employers operating in hundreds of communities and providing 230,000 direct jobs across the country.
Follow us on Twitter: @FPAC_APFC
Read the Tree Talk blog: http://www.fpac.ca/forestry-news-canada/blog/
SOURCE Forest Products Association of Canada
For further information: Simon Tuck, Senior Director, Public Affairs, Forest Products Association of Canada, [email protected], 613-563-1441 x313
TORONTO, May 2, 2016 /CNW/ - As Ontario marks First Responders Day 2016, the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) continues to call on the Premier and provincial government to amend Bill 163 to recognize nurses.
ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN, says that, "In the legislature today, the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services will stand up and pay tribute to the professionals including nurses who are first responders. Yet Bill 163, Supporting Ontario's First Responders Act, has omitted these same nurses."
Haslam-Stroud praises Bill 163, passed last month. It provides presumptive coverage for PTSD for first responders under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. However, she notes that while the legislation covers male-dominated professions including firefighters, police and correctional workers, it excludes nurses, a female-dominated profession.
ONA has written to the Premier to call for nurses to be covered under the Act. Haslam-Stroud says nurses deserve action by the government to change this oversight.
"In the course of our working lives, nurses are witness to and experience many critical and traumatizing events," she says. "Health-care workers, including registered nurses, are among the sickest and most injured professionals of all, including firefighters and police. Nurses suffer not just physical injuries in these attacks, they suffer PTSD as well. Yet this government forces nurses to spend up to a decade or more fighting for coverage for PTSD from the WSIB. It's shameful."
Because nurses were excluded from the legislation, ONA will continue to call for their recognition under Bill 163.
ONA is the union representing 60,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals, as well as more than 14,000 nursing student affiliates providing care in hospitals, long-term care, the community, public health, clinics and industry.
Visit us at: www.ona.org; Facebook.com/OntarioNurses; Twitter.com/OntarioNurses
SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association
For further information: Ontario Nurses' Association: Sheree Bond, (416) 964-8833, ext. 2430; cell: (416) 986-8240; [email protected]; Melanie Levenson, (416) 964-8833, ext. 2369; [email protected]
MONTREAL, May 2, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - As part of the Emergency Preparedness Week, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) would like to remind everyone how important it is to be prepared for all kinds of natural disasters.
Whether it's a tornado, torrential rains or an earthquake, IBC stresses that every household needs an emergency plan, which can make all the difference. In fact, it's not when the roof blows off or the earth shakes that you need to think about it. Every family should have an emergency kit handy with a 72-hour supply of water and other basics, including a radio, flashlight and first aid kit should someone get hurt.
There have been more frequent and more extreme weather conditions in recent years. "Extreme weather events which, in the past, occurred every 40 years are now happening every six years in certain regions," explained Pierre Babinsky, IBC's Director of Communications and Public Affairs for Quebec.
In 2013 alone, two episodes of torrential rains in Alberta and Ontario caused major damage that forced families from their homes, and cost at least $3.2 billion in insurance claims. "While we can't prevent such occurrences, one can however limit property damage by taking certain preventive measures, and protect one's family with a well-rehearsed evacuation plan", stressed Mr. Babinsky.
The infoinsurance.ca site provides a wealth of information about how to prepare your home and family for a natural disaster. You'll find the brochure "Your emergency preparedness guide 72 hours", issued by Public Safety Canada.
In addition, IBC has been sponsoring La Grande Secousse du Quebec, an annual international earthquake preparedness drill, during which three simple gestures are practiced that could save lives, namely Drop! Cover! Hold on! This year, the Quebec Great ShakeOut will be held in October 20, at 10.20 am.
About Insurance Bureau of Canada
Insurance Bureau of Canada, which groups the majority of Canada's P&C insurers, offers various services to consumers in order to inform and assist them when purchasing car or home insurance, or making a claim.
SOURCE Insurance Bureau of Canada
For further information: (journalists only): Caroline Phemius, Public Affairs Consultant, Telephone: 514 288-1563, ext. 2232
Canada's largest social enterprise working to bring positive change to end of life journeys
through local partnerships, knowledge leadership and community investments
MARKHAM, ON, May 2, 2016 /CNW/ - Saint Elizabeth Community Enterprise is investing $4 million over two years to strengthen end of life care for people and families and the networks that support them. The funding will expand access to residential hospice care and community-based services, in addition to supporting spiritual care and a variety of education and research initiatives.
There is a growing national need for hospice palliative care as our population ages. The vast majority of Canadians (96%) support hospice palliative carei, yet many continue to die without access to high quality, coordinated end of life care.
"Across the country, there is a groundswell of passionate, committed people who are propelling this issue forward," said Shirlee Sharkey, CEO of Saint Elizabeth. "By leveraging the unique strengths of our organization and working together with communities, we can escalate impact."
Saint Elizabeth is currently partnering with a number of local hospices to support innovative models and better access to care. The not-for-profit social enterprise is also collaborating with Hospice Palliative Care Ontario to increase access to online training for thousands of community-based volunteers.
In honour of National Hospice Palliative Care Week, May 1-7, 2016, Saint Elizabeth is inviting all Canadians to pause, recharge and remember their experiences with death and dying.
Launched online nationally today, the Reflection Room is an innovative research effort that leverages the power of shared storytelling and experiential design to inspire conversations and support advance care planning. In addition to the online space, installations of the Reflection Room will be held in public spaces such as art galleries, shopping malls and libraries, as well as hospice and hospital environments.
"Death is something that inevitably touches us all and yet there is a huge opportunity to make the end of life journey more meaningful and accessible," said Nancy Lefebre, senior vice president and the executive lead for Saint Elizabeth's end of life strategy. "The Reflection Room is just one example of how we are tackling tough problems, catalyzing new solutions and delivering impact."
Saint Elizabeth teams from coast to coast are also supporting the effort through their participation in the national fundraising event, Hike for Hospice Palliative Care. The Community Enterprise has pledged to match dollar-for-dollar the total amount of funds raised by Saint Elizabeth employees, with 100% of the money remaining in local communities to benefit hospice care.
About Saint Elizabeth
Saint Elizabeth is a national health care provider that has been opening the door to new possibilities and care experiences for more than a century. Recognized as Canada's largest social enterprise, we employ 8,000 people and visit 18,000 clients every day. With Elizz, our breakthrough brand dedicated to all things caregiving, we are bringing fresh thinking, exceptional services and positive change to caregivers nationally. Through the Saint Elizabeth Research Centre, our Health Career Colleges and the Saint Elizabeth Foundation, we are helping to make the future of health care brighter and stronger. saintelizabeth.com
___________________________
i Data from Harris/Decima survey commissioned by the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association
SOURCE Saint Elizabeth Health Care
Image with caption: "Hike for Hospice: Saint Elizabeth Corporate employees joined their colleagues from coast to coast in raising funds and awareness to support end of life care in their local communities. (CNW Group/Saint Elizabeth Health Care)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160502_C3162_PHOTO_EN_679583.jpg
For further information: Media Contact: Madonna Gallo, 905-968-6430, [email protected]
Anthony Bourdain's Chicago Episode Had Nary A Deep-Dish Pizza
By Mae Rice in Food on May 2, 2016 5:20PM
Anthony Bourdain's Chicago episode of Parts Unknown aired at 9 p.m. Sunday nightand Bourdain explained its glaring lack of deep-dish pizza, Chicago dogs and Italian beef in an essay for CNN.
"We've done all those things," Bourdain writes, of the classic Chicago dishes. He wanted to try something a bit different with this episode. "It's not a 'fair' show, it's not comprehensive, it's not the 'best' of the city, or what you need to know or any of those things."
Instead, the show has its roots at one of Bourdain's favorite Chicago bars: Old Town Alehouse, a dive bar that made our list of the best Chicago dives last month.
Old Town's owner, Bruce Elliott, has a blog called Geriatric Genius that Roger Ebert followed loyally while he was alive, Bourdain writes, and Bourdain has taken a shine to it, too. He describes it as an un-PC (and, at times, poorly spelled) portal into the lives of a "spellbinding array of characters."
Sample paragraph, from a post called "Cigarettes And Whiskey, And Wild Wild Woman!":
Last night the Old Town Ale House was lively. While I was chatting with Lee, Russian Mike came in with a middle-aged fellow he plays cards with. After moving a few stools around Mike and his card playing friend sat down on the other side of me. About a half hour later the Cougar walked in. She looked sexy in a leopard skin dress that showed her perky tits to great advantage. After I complimented her outfit she pointed at her skinned knee and said that she fell down a flight of stairs. "I was texting and not paying attention." Later I found out from Russian Mike she was texting her ex-boyfriend about gold futures.
The cast of characters at Old Town is "the beating heart of this [Chicago] show," Bourdain writes, though the episode also featured Lupe Fiasco, chef Stephanie Izard of Girl & the Goat, and of course, "ass-burning" Sze Chuan food.
For more on Bourdain's Chicago episode, check out Eater's round-up of the show's ten best Bourdain one-liners, including: "Bar people do not live as long as vegan joggers. However, they have more fun."
Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the increment of the minimum wage in the state as a Greek gift and s...
Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the increment of the minimum wage in the state as a Greek gift and something that was coming late.It said Governor Adams Oshiomhole took politics too far when it announced a minimum wage increase for government workers from N18, 000 to N25, 000.The party noted that Governor Oshiomholes action was hasty and a betrayal of trust as it was done at a time the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was negotiating a N56, 000 minimum wage for civil servants.State chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, who stated this in a press statement issued in Benin City said the real challenge in the state civil service was about recruiting people into the service and not about deceiving the people with unrealistic wage increase.Orbih stated that political appointees of the governor were on the increase while civil servants have continually dwindled owing to death of workers and retirement of existing workers without replacing them.According to him, This is a Greek gift to Edo workers considering the fact that the governor has continually neglected workers welfare and treated them with disdain before now. Who does not know the motive behind this fake gesture that is coming at a time every state in the federation is facing economic recession?As at the time of the windfall, he (Oshiomhole) didnt pay workers for many months. Right now, local government workers are being owed over six months salary. Retirees pensions and entitlements are also not being paid under Oshiomholes watch.We are beginning to see Oshiomhole as a slave driver going by his policy on workers welfare. Here is a governor who has never recruited workers into the civil service since he became governor, but is now talking about salary increase in the twilight of his administration.We challenge the governor to pay outstanding salary arrears, pensions and other entitlements of workers rather than talk about a N25, 000 minimum wage. We challenge him to free the local governments from the bondage he has put them.
The Federal Government has been silent over the recent demand by the organised labour for a new minimum wage of N56,000.
The Federal Government has been silent over the recent demand by the organised labour for a new minimum wage of N56,000.The issue of the minimum wage was not mentioned by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari, at the May Day rally in Abuja.Officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress expressed disappointment at the failure of the President to personally attend the annual event which would have given him the opportunity to address some of the issues raised by the workers.For instance, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, Alhaji Ibrahim Khaleel, who doubles as the National Treasurer of the NLC, said that the Presidents absence was a minus as he missed the opportunity to hear directly from the workers.He said that Buhari would have had the opportunity to directly respond to the workers who believed in his cause as President.The last time the President openly identified with labour unions was at the 11th delegates conference of the NLC in February, 2015, shortly before his election.When asked that both the President did not mention the issue of the new proposed minimum wage, he said that the Presidents absence caused it.That is one of the bad feelings we have as workers representatives on May Day. We believe that it was as a result of the absence of Mr. President. There is no way the President of the country would grace an occasion and salient issues like that would be raised, without Mr. President at least responding to them.Khaleel said that while the organised labour did not have the exact reasons for the governments refusal to comment on the issues, it was a fact that labour had always achieved welfare demands for its members through sustained struggle.We cannot say sincerely or talk about the reasons behind the government side not to say anything about it. But we believe that nothing, absolutely nothing, comes to the working class in the history of struggle free of charge, so we are determined and we are ready to pursue our agenda because we believe in our cause, he said.There were high expectations that the Federal Government would comment on the issue of the minimum wage during the event.The expectations of the Presidents personal presence at the even reflected in the address read by the President of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, who expressed gratitude to the President for accepting our invitation to personally grace this May Day celebrations.NLCs Deputy Director in charge of Press, Mr. Samuel Olowookere, had told our correspondent in a telephone conversation on Saturday to wait for the response of the Federal Government on the issue of the proposed new minimum wage on May Day.In an address read on his behalf by Ngige, the President called on the workers to collaborate with the government in the fight against corruption in the public service.He said, In this fight against corruption, I need you all to be very willing partners. Fighting corruption in the public service in particular requires the workers to play major roles by cooperating with the government.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the weekend in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, launched a new initiative tagged Zero Hunger to clearl...
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the weekend in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, launched a new initiative tagged Zero Hunger to clearly articulate what the country needs to do to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs).Obasanjo tasked the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, ban importation of vegetables, carrots, cucumber, lettuce and other fruits into the nation.Obasanjo bared his mind at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan at the inaugural meeting of the Nigeria Zero Hunger Strategic Review Committee comprising an assemblage of representatives of the World Food Program, African Development Bank, members of the Diplomatic Corps, captains of industry as well as technocrats drawn from both the public and private institutions across the country.Addressing the forum, Chief Obasanjo, who is the convener of the initiative called for collective change of mind from all Nigerians insisting that a multi-stakeholder and multi-dimensional approach is highly desirable to achieve the goal of a zero hunger nation by 2025 ahead of the 2030 deadline given by the United Nations.He declared: Although the SDGs are laudable, the key to achieving them depends on implementation and our collective will. Let me reiterate that the task of attaining the SDGs cannot be left for the government alone, neither can it be left for the civil society nor the private sector. It is going to take the collective effort of each and every citizen of this great nation and our partners. It will require our collective change of mindset to at first identify the opportunities that abound. It is in this context that we have invited you to this meeting. We will be looking at the second goal of the SGDs which is Zero Hunger. Our main focus will be to clearly articulate what the country needs to do to achieve the SGDs.
At a period the payment of salaries has become a herculean task to most of the state governments in Nigeria, the Governor of Cross River ...
At a period the payment of salaries has become a herculean task to most of the state governments in Nigeria, the Governor of Cross River State, Professor Ben Ayade, made the issue look like a childs play when he announced the payment of May salaries of workers in the employ of the state government on Sunday.He made the announcement while addressing workers in the state during the 2016 May Day celebration held at the UJ. Esuene Stadium, Calabar.Apart from the payment of this months salaries to the workers, Ayade announced the appointment of labour representative into the state executive council, release of funds for the building of Labour House, and donation of a new Toyota coaster bus to the NLC.Ayade who minutes earlier had been pronounced Best Labour Friendly Governor in Nigeria by the organised labour in the state, said his administration would continue to dignify its workforce by ensuring that they get their dues promptly.No infrastructure is more important than labour that is why in all my programs, I focus on people.Anybody who pulls down labour does not understand the philosophy of existentialism, hence the need for labour to come before infrastructure and skyscrapers, Ayade said.
Governor Oshiomhole of Edo State while condoling with the crowned Prince of Benin Kingdom, Eheneden Eradiauwa, on the demise of his father...
Governor Oshiomhole of Edo State while condoling with the crowned Prince of Benin Kingdom, Eheneden Eradiauwa, on the demise of his father, Oba Erediauwa, Uku Akpolokpolo, encouraged him to sustain the legacies of the late king.The governor who visited the crowned prince at Uselu on Monday, descried the Oba's transition as a great loss.Though a statement had already been issued by my office on the life and times of the Oba, we are consoled that the vacuum created will be filled by a true royal crowned prince. The crowned prince has sufficiently gone through the rigours of life and royalty.We believe that the late Oba has prepared him as he has what it takes to step into his shoes and face the challenges that may arise. The late Oba was not only a unifying factor to the people of the state, but to the nation in general. I therefore, appeal that the legacies and national respect he commands be sustained, he said.Responding, the Edaiken thanked the governor for the visit, and said that there was not much to say as his heart was heavy and grieving due to the demise of his father. He explained that he was most pained because of the love and closeness he had with his late father which appeared to be the first in the history of the Kingdom.The crowned prince appreciated the governors assistance and contributions to the palace as well as the development achieved so far in the state.The crowned prince further commended the media for their commitment, dedication and objective in reporting of events in the palace.He assured the people and the governor that he would do his best to justify the confidence reposed in him to lift the Kingdom to an enviable height.Edo State Government had on April 29 issued a statement announcing the death of the Oba of Benin.
Senator Dino Melaye, Chairman Senate Committee on FCT has addressed media reports on 36 cars purchased by the Senate.
Senator Dino Melaye, Chairman Senate Committee on FCT has addressed media reports on 36 cars purchased by the Senate.Speaking with newsmen, Melaye said, I do not have information about the number but I know vehicles were purchased for committee responsibilities. I know we have about sixty committees but only 36 was purchased. The walk in price for those vehicles is about N31 million so it was ridiculous to read on Sahara reporters that the vehicles were bought double the amount.Once you give out contracts, the public procurement acts require that you give maximum 25% profit. But this particular contract had only 10% profit. Senators are higher than ministers. It is possible that we should put into situation, the economic situation.The legislative arm of government is not the only arm of government . Director generals use the same vehicles, NGO of parastatals use the same vehicle, ministers have two or three of such vehicles in their fleets, they all come to the National Assembly and we see what they come with. Because of the economic situation, I can understand that but to say that we are not entitled to it is wrong. I dont even need it. It is not our car, people forget that. It is a government vehicle and at the expiration of your tenure, you must return it or pay for the devalued price.People must understand these issues but because of the misinformation of Sahara reporters, with due respect, Nigerians are gullible. Once you pick a story from there, like wild fire is bring propelled. Let Sahara reporters bring a car dealer that will sell a land cruiser at 17 or 18 million. Even Prado is not 18 million.
The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Jamaatul Nasir Islam, Saad Abubakar lll, on Sunday, condemned the incessant attacks...
The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Jamaatul Nasir Islam, Saad Abubakar lll, on Sunday, condemned the incessant attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen across the country and called on the relevant security agencies to fish out the perpetrators.The perpetrators when apprehended, the Sultan said, must be made to face justice and to forestall a recurrence.Abubakar, while condemning the attacks, which he described as unfortunate, however, cautioned some Nigerians and groups against packaging crimes in religious and ethnic garments.Crimes are abominable and whoever commits them is a criminal, he said.He called on security agencies to be proactive and utilise maximally intelligence reports in order to nip in the bud possible eruptions of security problems within and around communities.The Secretary-General of the JNI, Dr. Khalid Abubakar-Aliyu, who issued a statement on behalf of the Sultan in Kaduna on Sunday, said the Sultan was pained over the attacks and the blame heaped on certain ethnic race and Islam.He viewed the fallout of the serial attacks, particularly the taking up of arms against other citizens, as another trend of insecurity that portended grave danger to the Nigerian nation.The monarch said Nigerians must not forget so soon the adverse effects of the Boko Haram menace that claimed the lives of thousands of innocent lives.The Sultan said, Jamaatu Nasril Islam received with great shock and deep concern the news of incessant killings and maiming of innocent lives and the destruction of public and private properties. Of particular concern is the brutal murder of people in Agatu, Benue State, Nnibo, Enugu State and some parts of Nasarawa State.It is indeed alarming that within few weeks, deadly attacks were reportedly unleashed while the perpetrators go un-arrested.We therefore call for a thorough investigation by appropriate agencies in order to fish out the evil perpetrators, bring them to justice and forestall recurrence.It is indeed absurd and most unfortunate that certain groups or people ascribed the incidence to ethnic and/or religious premise and to whimsically apportion blame in order to batter the gradual restoration of peace and security in Nigeria.We must thus be cautious of packaging crimes on religious and ethnic garments.Meanwhile, communities, under the aegis of Conference of Autocthonous Ethnic Communities Association, have appealed to the Federal Government to treat the constant Fulani herdsmen/farmers clashes as a national crisis and give it the adequate attention it deserves.The communities also told the Federal Government to forget the idea of a grazing reserve as no ethnic community was ready to relinquish an inch of its land for that purpose.In a communique at the end of its conference in Jos, the communities said the frequent clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers all over the country were sometimes complicated by the involvement of some bad eggs in the security agencies who were sometimes involved in the ongoing conflicts.The communique, which was signed by the Secretary General, Mr. Solomon Sukukum, and made available to our correspondent in Jos on Sunday, said Fulani herdsmen tended to focus their attention on river valleys, highlands, mountain ranges, forests and hills. He said this has a great grave implication on the communities and the nation. He said the vast land belonging to autochthonous peoples, such as the Berom, Tiv in Taraba, northern banks of the River Benue, were later occupied by Fulani herdsmen after dislodging the native population.According to him, the result is that such areas are now Fulani territories as natives are no longer allowed into the places.The communique said, Most of the attacks faced by our communities are not directly arising from farming or grazing activities. Most of the attacks are carried out with the prior knowledge and approval of the Hardos; with clear acknowledgement by Miyetti Allah that they are reprisal. There are clear indications that the conflicts are complicated by religion, ethnicity, crimes and politics.The communities called on the Federal Government to dislodge and relocate Fulani from all occupied areas belonging to the indigenous communities and to ensure the return of the rightful owners.Also, the Nigerian Army has said it will explore all means to combat insurgency in the North-East and stop the incessant attacks by the herdsmen on the farmers in the Middle-Belt and the South.The General Officer Commanding, 2 Division, Ibadan, Maj. Gen. Laz Ilo, stated this at the annual military training/competition hosted by the 32nd Artillery Brigade, Owena Barracks, Akure, the Ondo state capital, on Friday.He said the issues of insurgency and Fulani herdsmen were being tackled headlong and the army would continue to tackle the menace until there is peace in the affected areas of the country.
The Federal Government recently claimed that there is hope for Nigeria as it will soon draw down $480 million (N153.6 billion) looted by f...
The Federal Government recently claimed that there is hope for Nigeria as it will soon draw down $480 million (N153.6 billion) looted by fraudulent Nigerians and warehoused in the United States of America.The optimism stems from a recent comparison of notes between top US and Nigerian officials on the looted funds, which were spread in many banks and commercial ventures in America. The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, confirmed to Vanguard, weekend, that there had been an appreciable progress between officials of the two nations over the repatriation of the cash to Nigeria. Malami, Minister of Justice, explained that the decision to return the funds followed his recent visit to the US in company of acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, during which they met with the Department of Justice and other relevant agencies over the matter.The money that is due for immediate repatriation is $480 million (N95b) and we are confident that we have reached a point that it will be drawn down before long, the minister said.It was learned that the US had, however, given Nigeria some undisclosed conditions to meet before the money would be drawn down, apparently to prevent a repeat of what happened with such funds during previous administrations.The Abacha cash is said to have been revealed, following the forfeiture hearings against the family and others conducted by the US Department of Justice, DoJ, over the years to track the funds from different banks and entities.The proceedings made it possible for the Abacha family and its associates to forfeit over $550 million and 95,910 in 10 accounts and six investment portfolios linked to them in France, Britain, British Virgin Islands and the United States.On efforts so far made to stem looting in Nigeria, Malami said: I can tell you that the Buhari administration is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that all looted Nigerian funds are retrieved and those found to have aided and abetted same brought to justice to serve as a deterrent to potential looters.Malami was optimistic that the repatriation of the huge cash would send a clear and stern signal to corrupt Nigerians that there was no safe haven anywhere to keep stolen Nigerian funds.
A Light Pole Fell On 3 Girls In Hyde Park And Broke One Girl's Leg
By Mae Rice in News on May 2, 2016 6:39PM
Photo via H. Michael Miley on Flickr
Three girls were hit by a falling light pole in Hyde Park on Monday morning, police said. The impact broke one girl's leg.
A police sergeant saw the pole fall on the three girls at about 11 a.m., police said, in the 5200 block of South Lake Park. The sergeant and "some citizens" lifted the pole off the girls.
One girl, age 16, suffered a broken leg, and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in "serious condition," police said. The other two girls, ages unknown, were taken to University of Chicago Hospitals as a precaution.
"They didn't have any visible injuries," a Chicago Police Department spokesperson told Chicagoist.
So far, it's unknown why the light pole fell, police said.
LONGPORT -- A retired Longport police officer settled his whistleblower lawsuit against his former employer for $70,000.
The news was first reported by NJ Civil Settlements, which provides a partial list of settlements paid by New Jersey government agencies and their insurers to those who have sued them.
A Thompson submachine gun. A retired Longport police officer who complained that a rare magazine belonging to a Thompson submachine gun was sold for less than market value settled his lawsuit against the borough for $70,000.
Lieutenant William Hewitt's alleges his troubles began when spoke up after the department sold a rare drum magazine of a Thomson submachine gun for less than market value to an antique collector.
The magazine was worth more than $3,000, according to the suit.
Hewitt said that after he complained he was retaliated against when he put in for 18 hours of overtime after filling-in as the department's top cop while the chief was absent for eight days. He alleged he was stripped of his position of range master and firearms instructor, denied the use of earned personal days off and stripped of his computer access.
In agreeing to the settlement, Longport admitted no wrongdoing.
Hewitt retired last year and collects a yearly pension of $75,392. He made $113,800 during his final year on the force, according to public records.
The Atlantic County borough is home to fewer than 900 people, according to census figures. The department employs 14 police officers, according to its website.
Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP - A 4-year-old boy was found dead in a pool in Egg Harbor Township on Saturday night, police said.
The child's parents called police after he slipped out of the family's residence in the London Court Condos in the Farmington section of town, Egg Harbor Township police said in a news release.
A 4-year-old boy drowned in a pool in an Egg Harbor Township condo complex Saturday night, police said.
Two hours after an intensive search that involved bloodhounds and a State Police helicopter began just after 9 p.m., authorities found the boy in the community pool at the condominium complex.
Emergency responders performed CPR on the child. He was flown to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. His identity hasn't been released.
Police didn't release any other information, but a PressofAtlanticCity.com report said the death was accidental.
Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
ATLANTIC CITY -- A 63-year-old fisherman in South Jersey was medevaced by the United States Coast Guard Sunday morning and the rescue was caught on video.
The fisherman became sick and was in need of medical attention while aboard a scallop boat 60 miles southeast of Atlantic City.
A crew member aboard the 90-foot fishing vessel "Linda" contacted the USCG Sector Delaware Bay in Philadelphia at roughly 3:30 p.m.
A MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from the Atlantic City air station responded and hoisted the main to safety at 4:50 p.m.
The fisherman was transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Mainland Campus in Galloway Township.
The video of the rescue was released by the Coast Guard.
The condition of the fisherman is not known at this time.
Brittany Wehner may be reached at bwehner@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @brittanymwehner. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
P1 Postal Problems
A former mail carrier admitted in federal court that he stole IRS checks out of the mail for 50 each. (Seth Perlman | AP)
CAMDEN -- The check indeed was in the mail, but a former Burlington County mail carrier admitted in federal court Friday that he didn't deliver the goods.
Earl Champagne, 47, of Willingboro, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to a count of theft of U.S. Mail and a count of theft of government money.
According to a court document charging Champagne, two unnamed New Jersey residents approached Champagne about handing over IRS checks he was to deliver.
Prosecutors said that from March to July of 2014, Champagne, a 19-year veteran mail carrier, was told to look for IRS mailings directed to individuals with "Spanish" names. He was told to pick the checks out of the mail to hand over to them or to notify them that checks were in mailboxes that they could intercept.
Prosecutors said Champagne was paid $50 for every check stolen from the mail.
He admitted to stealing 72 government checks totaling $442,776, the court record said.
If he was paid for each of the 72 checks, Champagne would have made $3,600 in the scheme.
The theft of U.S. Mail and theft of government money charges to which Champagne pleaded guilty both carry maximum penalties of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Champagne is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 3.
U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman credited special agents of the IRS-Criminial Investigation unit and the U.S. Postal Service's Office of Inspector General with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
TRENTON -- New Jersey is considering the potential benefits of pushing back school start times, and the state Department of Education wants to hear what teachers, parents and students think.
The state is holding a series of public hearings this week, beginning Monday, and accepting online comments until May 20.
The comments will be incorporated into a report the Department of Education will submit to Gov. Chris Christie and the state Legislature recommending whether to establish a pilot program to test later school start times.
New Jersey lawmakers passed a bill last year ordering the state to study the benefits and drawbacks of starting middle and high school school no earlier than 8:30 a.m.
The bill followed a recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics that schools for teens shouldn't start before 8:30 a.m. About 85 percent of New Jersey middle and high schools currently start earlier than that time, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Sleep-deprived adolescents can suffer physical and mental health problems and often experience a decline in academic performance, according to the academy. However, schools face a number of logistical challenges in changing their schedules.
Here's how to contribute the debate:
Online:
Email comments to laterstarttime@doe.state.nj.us
In person:
4-7 p.m. Monday
Camden County College, Blackwood Campus
Civic Hall (CON 105)
200 College Drive, Blackwood
Register for the May 2 meeting
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Wednesday
New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, Room 1
12 Centre Drive, Monroe
Register for the May 4 meeting online
4-7 p.m. May 10
Franklin Williams Middle School auditorium
222 Laidlaw Avenue, Jersey City
Register for the May 10 meeting
Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
PRINCETON -- Princeton University professor Johannes Haushofer's resume, which includes degrees from Harvard and Oxford and numerous prestigious jobs and awards, is pretty impressive.
But, it's Haushofer's failures that have made him an internet star.
Haushofer, an assistant professor of psychology and public affairs, posted a "CV of Failures" on April 23 on the Princeton website. The document looks like a curriculum vitae or resume, but it lists everything he was rejected for during his academic career, including jobs he failed to get and universities that rejected his applications.
"Most of what I try fails, but these failures are often invisible, while the successes are visible. I have noticed that this sometimes gives others the impression that most things work out for me," Haushofer wrote. "This CV of Failures is an attempt to balance the record and provide some perspective."
Haushofer's failure resume includes rejections from doctorate programs at Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge and other schools. He was turned down for jobs and fellowships at Harvard, the University of California at Berkeley and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He also lists nine awards and scholarships he failed to get, five papers rejected for publication by various academic journals and numerous foundations that turned down his applications for research funding.
His "CV of Failures," which he linked to from his Twitter account, has gone viral. It has been shared thousands of times on social media and featured in news stories as far away as London and India.
Haushofer, who has been at Princeton since 2014, said a rejection resume wasn't his idea. He was inspired by a 2010 article in Nature by a University of Edinburgh lecturer calling on people to list all the things they failed at before they found success. Many other academics have published similar failure resumes online.
But, Haushofer's failures are being circulated around the world via Twitter, Facebook and other social media. The professor said the irony is not lost on him. He has added a new line to his rejection resume.
"This darn CV of Failures has received way more attention than my entire body of academic work," he wrote, under the heading "Meta-Failures."
Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Screen Shot 2015-12-08 at 11.05.49 AM.png
Left to right: Orange East Ward Councilman Kerry Coley, Mayor Dwayne Warren and political newcomer Jan Morrell. The trio are vying to earn a four-year term as mayor in a May 10 election.
ORANGE - A trio of mayoral candidates will face off in a final debate on Wednesday, less than a week before voters head to the polls.
Dwayne Warren, Kerry Coley and Janice Morrell have all confirmed they will take part from 7 to 9 p.m. at the city's YWCA, according to organizers. Jonathan Alston, co-host of the "All Politics Are Local" show on WRNU radio, will serve as moderater.
The debate will help cap a heated campaign season, as East Ward Councilman Coley and relative political newcomer Morrell seek to deny Warren a second term as mayor.
Warren began attacking Coley in July 2015, calling him a misogynist for allegedly sharing an explicit video via his personal Facebook page. Coley claimed he was hacked and called Warren's attacks little more than dirty politics.
Since the campaign began in earnest earlier this year, Warren has faced attacks over his 2013 endorsement of Gov. Chris Christie and ties to Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo. Meanwhile, a political action committee tied to the mayor has continued to raise issues over the Facebook video and internal affairs complaints against Coley during his tenure as a city police officer, according to Politico.
Last month, Coley filed a lawsuit over the allegations he shared the explicit video.
Morrell, a retired talent and admissions officer at Rutgers University who has held a longtime seat on the city's Zoning Board of Adjustment, has largely steered clear of any direct attacks. Last month, a spokesman for her campaign denied to PolitickerNJ that she was behind an anti-Coley flier that purported to show Councilwoman Donna Williams sleeping on the job.
Warren may have scored a late boost from one of the area's largest labor groups last week, when he appeared along Communications Workers of America representatives at a press conference outlining an ordinance that would regulate Uber and other mobile car-hailing services.
Voters are set to decide which candidate will earn a four-year term on May 10.
Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK -- A Newark man pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of striking and killing a 3-year-old boy in September during a chase with city police.
Troy Ruff, 22, entered the plea through his attorney when he was arraigned before Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler in connection with the Sept. 11 crash that killed Rahmere Tullis.
Ruff was indicted on April 1 on aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide and related offenses. He remains in custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility in lieu of posting $500,000 bail.
During Monday's brief hearing, Ruff's attorney, Angela Guidetta, indicated she needs to review the evidence in the case before pursuing any motions.
Ruff is scheduled to return to court on June 20.
The crash occurred at about 7:40 a.m. when officers from the Newark Police Department's Fugitive Apprehension Team were attempting to apprehend Ruff on aggravated assault and weapons charges stemming from an incident in May, authorities said.
After officers spotted Ruff driving a 2002 Hyundai Sonata, they tried to pull him over, but Ruff continued driving, authorities said.
Authorities said Ruff struck a car that was driving on 15th Avenue and then mounted a curb near the intersection with 7th Street, where he crashed into Rahmere as he was standing on the sidewalk with his mother.
Ruff was immediately arrested, authorities said. Rahmere was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
As the incident sent shock waves throughout the Newark community, one family friend described Rahmere as "a gift."
"He was an adorable child, he touched everyone's heart," said the friend, Latayna Wright, during a Sept. 13 vigil at the intersection where Rahmere was killed.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka called the crash "a crime against humanity."
"This tragedy touches us on so many levels and the loss of young Rahmere is felt in our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities and throughout Newark," Baraka said in a statement at the time. "The way in which his life was taken is not just a crime against the laws of the land but a crime against humanity."
Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK -- The Essex County Prosecutor's Office identified the NJIT student shot and killed Monday morning in a fraternity house as a Freehold man.
Joseph Micalizzi was 23.
Micalizzi was shot at about 3:22 a.m. in the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house on the 300 block of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, the prosecutor's office said. He was pronounced dead at 5:02 a.m. at University Hospital.
Micalizzi was a junior studying mechanical engineering. He transferred to NJIT from Brookdale Community College. He lived at the fraternity house during the school year.
Police have not made any arrests and or identified any suspects.
NJIT is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the shooting. The Essex County Sheriff's Office is offering another $10,000 on top of that.
"This is a tragic time for the student's family, friends and the entire NJIT campus and we extend our thoughts and prayers to all affected," NJIT President Joel Bloom said.
About a dozen cars were parked Monday afternoon in front of the Micalizzi home in Freehold. Friends and family members hugged outside. They declined to comment.
Diane McCool, a neighbor, knew Micalizzi.
"He's a good boy," she said. "He works hard. This is just a horrible tragedy."
In Newark, a woman living down the street from the fraternity house said she was good friends with Micalizzi. She did not want to be identified.
The two of them were studying until early Monday when he left to go to a local convenience store, she said. Micalizzi's fraternity brothers said someone followed him back from the store and shot him in the fraternity house.
Micalizzi was one of 30 current NJIT students who belonged to the TKE chapter, said Alex Baker, chief information officer for at the fraternity national headquarters in Indianapolis, In.
Baker said the fraternity is still seeking details about the shooting.
"We are saddened to hear about the shooting of a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon that happened at NJIT. Our thoughts and prayers are with the member's friends and family," Baker said in a statement.
"We are still working to learn the details of what occurred and both the men at the Kappa-Eta chapter and International Headquarters will fully cooperate with the police investigation," he said.
TKE opened its chapter at the Newark school in 1965, Baker said. He said it is one of more than 10 chapters the fraternity has in New Jersey.
Anyone with information can call the Essex County Prosecutor's Office tips line at (877) 847-7432.
Micalizzi's death comes weeks after the shooting death of Rutgers-Newark student Shani Patel, just a few blocks from campus. Authorities believe Patel, 21, may have been a target of a drug-related robbery.
Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Tom Haydon, Steve Strunsky and Alex Napoliello of NJ Advance Media contributed to this report.
EAST ORANGE -- Three years ago, before the country focused on Flint, Michigan for a water crisis that exposed thousands of children to elevated levels of lead, a New Jersey city was making headlines for a water catastrophe of its own.
Two water officials in East Orange were indicted on charges that they knowingly hid elevated levels of toxins in the city's water supply. The state Department of Environmental Protection intervened to control and monitor a remediation of the water supply. About 80,000 people were exposed to elevated levels of an industrial solvent that has been linked to potential cancer risks.
But, leaders of the 153-year-old city say they were able to avoid becoming the next Flint, thanks to the foresight of East Orange's founders, and a healthy influx of funding to overhaul its water system. Since 2014, the city has spent about $15 million on capital projects to improve its water system, and is planning another $22 million worth of renovations in the coming years. The fixes, Public Works Director Christopher Coke said, were able to happen swiftly and effectively, because of the century-old water system in place.
SETTING THE STAGE
The story of East Orange's water supply, Coke said, is as old as the city itself. The city is one of the few in the state, he said, to own and control its own wells, which are located in nearby Short Hills and Florham Park. The town's founders purchased the land and set up the independent system around when the town was founded in 1909.
"These guys were really innovative and forward thinking," Coke said, noting that the fixes being made now are possible because the town owns its own water supply. "We're not dependent on anyone else for water."
The system suffered a staggering setback in 2013, when elevated levels of the chemical solvent tetrachloroethene were found in the water, and top city officials admitted to falsifying test results that made the water appear safe to drink.
Much of the fallout from the East Orange water crisis fell into the lap of the then newly-elected Mayor Lester Taylor in 2014. The mayor replaced most members of the East Orange Water Commission.
The commission's former assistant executive director William Mowell was sentenced to three years in jail after pleading guilty to charges relating to a scheme to hide the water contamination, and the city settled a lawsuit with an employee who claimed he was ordered to carry the scheme out. With the city's eyes now on continuing improvements, "that chapter is closed," Coke said this week.
ROAD TO RECOVERY
In the wake of the scandal, the city was required to enter into an Administrative Consent Order with the state Department of Environmental Protection, which now monitors the city's water quality and system renovation progress on a quarterly basis.
"They are in compliance," DEP spokesman Bob Considine said last week.
"Sampling continues on a weekly or more frequent basis and the running annual average for the contaminant of concern, tetrachloroethylene, remains below the maximum contaminant level."
As part of the agreement, an interim operation, which includes the city supplementing its supply with water purchased from Newark, was put in place while East Orange rehabbed its own system, officials said.
Construction happening now includes the installation of airstrippers, which remove volatile organic contaminants from the water supply, and complete well rehabilitation.
After this phase is completed at the end of this year, the water commission will request the city council bond another $22 million for additional work, including new piping, measures that will make water delivery more efficient, and the addition of an emergency generator that could run the system in the event of a prolonged power outage.
The scandal, officials said, served as a wake up call that they acted upon quickly.
"Since I took office in 2014, the East Orange Water Commission has made a substantial financial investment to improve and modernize our aging water infrastructure," Taylor said, calling the city's management of the rehabilitation "aggressive."
The renovation may also increase the capacity of the system, Coke said, from its current level, which carries about 10.3 million gallons of water per day. The city has a contract in place through the end of the year to supply water to its neighbor, South Orange. After that expires, the capacity increase could allow the city to sell water to other municipalities, officials said.
Some of the improvements being made, the second round of which should be done by 2020, were mandatory, Coke said. But, some were voluntary.
"We stepped up," he said. "We have more testing; we stepped up our level of employee training. ... Inaction is what caused a lot of the (past) issues."
WHAT ABOUT LEAD?
Flint is not the only city that has reignited national attention on lead. In March, East Orange's neighbor, Newark, reported that thousands of children in the state's largest district were being exposed to elevated levels of lead at school. The revelation prompted East Orange officials to work with the city's school district to run its own tests.
Samples taken from all 22 public schools, the district administration building, the city's water supply, and the supplemental water purchased from Newark, reported results below the federal safe levels of lead and other contaminants, officials said.
The district will continue to work with the city to monitor levels, and address any issues that arise, officials said.
"My board colleagues, the administration, and I are very happy with the positive outcome," East Orange Board Of Education President Bergson Leneus said in a statement.
"However, we will not rest on our laurels. We are committed to being proactive and strictly monitoring these potential issues in order to safeguard our children, staff and families."
Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Logan Square Is Throwing A Party For That Super Old 'Aloha' Billboard
By Kirsten Onsgard in Arts & Entertainment on May 2, 2016 4:18PM
The Logan Square "Aloha" Billboard, via Kirsten Onsgard/Chicagoist.
Its been nearly a year since Logan Square residents said aloha to a billboard plastered with the giant face of Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone. But because it does not seem like they will be saying alohaahem, goodbyeanytime soon, residents are throwing the sign a one-year anniversary bash.
On May 29 fans of the Aloha movie billboard are invited to gather at noon near the Logan Square Centennial Monument and celebrate with tropical garb and refreshments.
Bring a covert tiki drink or two, wear a tropical-print lQQk (sic) (and) eat snacks (to) honor the anniversary of the longest movie marketing campaign ever, reads the Facebook event.
Logan Square tiki bar Lost Lakewhich is only a few months older than the coincidentally on-theme Aloha billboardalso confirmed to Chicagoist that they will be selling walking mocktails to enjoy at the celebration and hosting an after party, which will include cheekily-named drinks.
The event was spawned after creators Brian Solem and Cornell Bar were walking past the billboard and realized it was nearing the one year anniversary of the films release. Why not have a party to celebrate?
We, as many Logan Square residents, have been perplexed as to why this billboard is still up, Bar told Chicagoist. They invited a few friends, and it spiraled into something much bigger.
Even with the more than 350 people who have RSVPd, they hope to keep it loose and community-focused.
This very tiny, 20 person hangout has evolved into something that feels very Logan Square right now. People just want to hang out and appreciate the beauty of Logan Square and have an ironic friend gathering, Solem said. It has surprised me every step of the way, but it feels right, in a way.
The Logan Square "Aloha" Billboard, via Kirsten Onsgard/Chicagoist.
The billboard and its mysterious longevity has gathered a cult fan following over the past year. A Tumblr page created last fall, appropriately titled logansquarealohabillboard.tumblr.com, provides periodic updates on the question, Is the poster for the movie Aloha still on that billboard in Logan Square? Of course, the only answer is yes.
One person on Facebook suggested that it has been a part of the Logan Square tapestry long enough to be considered a historical landmark.
That idea is presumably a tongue-in-cheek nod to the long legal battle between the billboards company, VisualCast, and Logan Square Preservation about two separate billboards on the building below the Aloha sign. According to DNAInfo, because the historic boulevards and square were designated as a historic district, Logan Square Preservation argued it would compromise the historic look of the neighborhood. However, the Aloha billboard existed prior to its historical designation.
But even the billboard is arguably more beloved than the love-triangle romantic comedy dud that premiered last spring. Besides being hated by critics (one called it Cameron Crowes worst film) Aloha was also criticized for being racially incentive toward Asian-Americans and Hawaiians due in part to its very white cast.
We still have this billboard up that has this movie that has been critically panned and has these problematic elements in it, and its just kind of funny thats over all of Logan Square, which is exploring its own uncomfortable moments, in terms of racial changes, Solem said.
Still, at least its inspired a little tropical fun. Lets just hope they dont decide to take it down quite yet.
We want people to come out into the square and enjoy each others company, Bar said. If this silly billboard is the thing that gets people out into the world to experience each other together, thats great.
NEWARK - The man killed in the city's South Ward Sunday afternoon has been identified as a Montclair resident.
George R. Allen III, 42, was found suffering from a gunshot wound inside a vehicle in the area of 48 Van Ness Place around 2:30 p.m., Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a joint statement.
Allen was rushed to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 3:15 p.m., they said.
No arrests have been made in the slaying, though an investigation by the prosecutor's office's Major Crimes and Homicide Task Force remains active.
Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK -- The NJIT community reacted to the fatal shooting of a fraternity brother Monday with added security and more sorrow than fear, according to university officials and students interviewed on campus.
"It was just really heartbreaking," said Vidhi Parekh, 19, a freshman from North Bergen. "When I read the (president's email) messages, I thought, 'Oh, my god,' I hope that's not true.'"
Parekh, a sister at Alpha Sigma Tau, said she knew the shooting victim, Joseph Micalizzi, a mechanical engineering student, through recent Greek Week activities that mingled her sorority with his fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon.
Christian Tavares, a Rutgers junior who attended parties at the TKE fraternity house at NJIT, left a bouquet of flowers. "A great bunch of people," he said.
The messages she referred to were campus-wide emails sent out by NJIT President Joel Bloom, notifying students and faculty of what had happened, but assuring them that, "there is no imminent threat to the campus."
Micalizzi, 23, was shot at about 3:22 a.m. in the TKE frat house on the 300 block of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said.
The incident remained under investigation, with no arrests made as of Monday evening. Early in the day, NJIT offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the shooting, followed by another $10,000 offer on top of that from the Essex County Sheriff's Office.
It was the second fatal shooting of a student in less than a month in Newark's University Heights section, after the death of Shani Patel, 21, of Toms River, a junior economics major at the Rutgers Newark campus neighboring NJIT.
Parekh and a friend, Priya Ravi, 18, a freshman from Kearny, were in between classes when they paused to talk about their reaction in a busy NJIT quad between the Campus Center and Fenster Hall, which was abuzz with students and looked as if all was normal on Monday afternoon.
Both said they felt safe on campus, and noted that NJIT had provided safety tips during orientation and intermittently throughout the year, for example, don't text while you're walking, which could distract you from potential threats.
They also said they were reassured by the president's emails.
"It's good because they want everybody to be informed, and it shows that they care," said Ravi, whose parents told her at the start of the year not to leave the campus after 9 p.m.
Joe Gedutis, a 20-year-old freshman business major from Hawthorne, said he was "not too concerned" about his safety after the Rutgers or NJIT shooting, and that he tried to follow the advice he got from the school.
"They told us walk in twos or threes, don't be on your phone noticeably, mind your own business," Gedutis said, adding that the school did not discourage students from venturing off campus, only to be mindful of their surroundings while doing so.
A spokeswoman for NJIT, Lauren Ugorji, said patrols by the NJIT Police Department were being bolstered in the wake of the shooting, and that messages wold go out to students reiterating basic safety precautions, including the availability of off and on-campus escorts or rides by NJIT officers.
"Our students can call public safety any time of the night and they can get an escort," Ugorji said. "And we can't emphasize that enough. If they feel unsafe in any way they should call security."
Ugorji said plainclothes and uniformed officers patrolled the campus on foot, on bikes, and in patrol cars, watching out for the school's 11,300 students, inlcuding nearly 7,000 undergraduates. She said about 1,800 students live on campus, although many live in private housing within blocks of the school, including the TKE fraternity house.
Newark's acting public safety director, Anthony Ambrose, said he would meet with Rutgers Chief of Police Carmelo Huertas and NJIT Police Chief Joseph Marswillo "to work on strategies to increase patrols in the area."
Ugorji said that TKE brothers whose house is now a crime scene were being offered free on-campus housing for the two weeks remaining of the semester.
Graduation is May 17, and most classes had ended by Monday, before the start of later this week, she said. Students upset or disrupted by the shooting would be given extra time, Ugorji said.
"Of course, whenever a student feels they need extra time for anything, they can always toalk to our dean of students, and we can make accommodations," she said.
Over the years, Ugorji said NJIT has tried to move fraternity houses onto the campus in order to better police security and other activities, though the issue is a sensitive one because the frats are private organizations that traditionally have resided in private housing. There are now 10 fraternities on campus, and seven off, most on a the same two-block fraternity row along MLK Boulevard where TKE is located.
There are actually two TKE frat houses on that row, one of them the Rutgers TKE house on the 400 block, one block north of the NJIT house. Members of both houses declined to comment on the incident.
Micalizzi was one of 30 current NJIT students who belonged to the TKE chapter, said Alex Baker, chief information officer for at the fraternity national headquarters in Indianapolis, In.
"We are saddened to hear about the shooting of a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon that happened at NJIT," Baker said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the member's friends and family."
Like several other local frat houses, each TKE house had its own security measures: an "Emergency" call box outside the Rutgers chapter house front door; and at teh NJIT house, a box with a large red button reading "Help," was well as a sign posted reading, "Warning: Premises protected by 24-hour surveillance."
While several students said they were not concerned for their own safety, that didn't mean mothers and fathers weren't worried. Parekh and Ravi, the NJIT freshmen, said some of their classmates had been ordered home for the remainder of the semester.
"We have friends whose parents were freaked out about it," Parekh said. "And they said, 'We're going to take you home right now.'"
Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
UPDATE: 23-year-old student killed at NJIT frat IDed
NEWARK -- A man shot and killed in a fraternity house early Monday was an NJIT student, authorities said.
Rutgers University Police said in an email to students that the man was shot at an off-campus house. The Rutgers-Newark campus is just across the street from NJIT on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
The student was shot at about 3:22 a.m., Essex County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas S. Fennelly said. The man was shot at a Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house on the 300 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, just north of the NJIT campus.
The man was pronounced dead at 5:02 a.m. at University Hospital, Fennelly said. He was later identified as Joseph Micalizzi, 23.
The student was killed in a robbery, NJIT president Joel Bloom said in a statement. There was no threat to the campus, he said.
The school is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading the successful prosecution of whomever killed the student.
"This is a tragic time for the student's family, friends and the entire NJIT campus and we extend our thoughts and prayers to all affected," Bloom said.
A woman who lives down the street from the fraternity house told NJ Advance Media she was good friends with the slain student. The woman, who was visibly distraught and did not wish to be identified, said she was studying with the student into the early hours Monday before he left to go to a local convenience store.
The student's fraternity brothers told her a man followed the student back from the store and shot him in the fraternity house.
Paris Hall, a Rutgers-Newark student, lives a block away from the Tau Kappa Epsilon house during the school year. Hall, who is a member of the Alpha Phi Delta fraternity at Rutgers, said he and his fraternity brothers strive to keep drug activity out of their house.
He and his brothers discussed security concerns at the very beginning of the school year.
"The first thing we talked about was getting a new door and new cameras and then this happens," Hall said. "It's crazy."
Melvin Goldsmith, a student at Essex County Community College, just a few blocks east of the fraternity house, said he avoided taking night classes for safety reasons. He said he was shocked that the shooting had taken place so close to the colleges, "but it's in Newark."
Investigators were going in and out of the three-story brick fraternity house Monday morning.
Police have closed Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard between Central Avenue and New Street, Newark Police Capt. Derek Glenn said. Parts of Bleeker and Summit streets are also closed. Rutgers University-Newark issued a statement saying the closures would last until 10 a.m.
Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Bayonne police headquarters.jpg
A Jersey City man wanted out of Pennsylvania for violating his parole was found in Bayonne after he shoplifted about $100 worth of gum from a Rite Aid, police said.
(Journal File Photo)
BAYONNE -- A Jersey City man wanted out of Pennsylvania for violating his parole was found in Bayonne after he shoplifted about $100 worth of gum from a Rite Aid, police said.
On April 17 at 8:40 p.m., William E. Alston Jr., 49, of Virginia Avenue was found shoplifting $95.56 worth of gum from the Rite Aid at 471 Broadway, police said.
Police did not provide details about the nature of Alston's alleged parole violation.
Police said Alston was arrested on the charges of shoplifting and fugitive from justice. He was taken to the Hudson County jail in Kearny pending extradition on a $10,000 bail with a 10 percent option, according to police.
Meanwhile, a Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania man was arrested last month in Bayonne on a warrant for violating his probation out of Williamson County, Tennessee, according to city police.
On April 20 at 10:03 p.m., Richard Andino Jr., 23, was arrested in the area of Avenue A and Route 440 South and sent to the Hudson County jail in Kearny on a $100,000 cash-only bail, police said.
Police did not provide information about the nature of Andino's probation.
Jonathan Lin may be reached at jlin@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @jlin_jj. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY -- The investigation into a large-scale, Hudson County-based drug organization culminated in the seizure of seven kilos of cocaine and $180,000, as well as the arrest of 13 people across several states and Puerto Rico.
Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced today that the probe concluded with the execution of search warrants in Hudson County, Puerto Rico, Mississippi and Florida on April 25.
The warrants were executed by various agencies, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and several local, state and federal law enforcement entities, said Gene Rubino, acting chief of investigations for the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office.
The investigation started in January after law enforcement received information suggesting Carlos Rios, 25, of Union City, headed a local organization that was acquiring kilos of cocaine shipped to the New York/New Jersey area by Victor Noble-Canales, 54, of Puerto Rico, via the U.S. Postal Service, Rubino said.
Rios then allegedly used associates, including Ricky Cedeno, 24, and Michael Carrasco, 25, both of Union City, and Xavier Pena, 28, of the Bronx, to obtain the packages when they arrived on the U.S. mainland, Rubino said.
Also identified as part of the organization were Yemile Ortiz, 24, of Union City, and Josephine Pacheco, 27, of Florida, who are believed to have participated in laundering proceeds derived from the distribution of the cocaine, Rubino said.
Noble-Canales was arrested in Puerto Rico on April 16 by members of the Caribbean Division of the DEA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. A 9mm handgun, a large sum of U.S. currency, and a large quantity of cocaine and marijuana were also seized, Rubino said.
Rios, Noble-Canales and Johnny Olmedo, 58, of Brooklyn, are charged with leading a narcotics trafficking organization, conspiracy to distribute cocaine in a quantity greater than 5 ounces, conspiracy to commit financial facilitation and financial facilitation, Rubino said.
All three face 10 to 20 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge alone. Noble-Canales' bail has been set at $1 million cash only and bail for Rios and Olmedo has been set at $750,000 cash only, Rubino said.
Others charged with lesser drug and financial offenses are Cedeno, Ortiz, Pacheco, Pena, Carrasco, Wilfredo Montanez, 34, of Jersey City and Union City residents Carlos Mendoza-Rivera, 25; Jesus Rosario, 24; Jose Lopez, 28, and Jake Rivera, 28, Rubino said.
Also involved in the investigation were the Hudson County Sheriff's Office, Hudson County Department of Corrections, and Union City, North Bergen, Harrison, Kearny and Secaucus police.
fulop-bertoli resized.jpg
A new group headed by an adversary of Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, left, is seeking texts and emails he exchanged with his chief political operative, Tom Bertoli, right. Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal
(Jersey Journal file photo)
JERSEY CITY -- A new group headed by one of Mayor Steve Fulop's chief local adversaries is suing the city in Hudson County Superior Court, saying city officials "wrongfully withheld" emails and text messages the mayor has exchanged with his chief political operative.
A lawyer for Jersey City Civic Committee, co-founded by Bill Matsikoudis, the city's top attorney under former Mayor Jerramiah Healy, wants a judge to order the city to provide the emails and texts, requested by JCCC under the state Open Public Records Act. The request was denied by the city for being "overly broad."
JCCC is seeking conversations Fulop had with Tom Bertoli between July 1, 2013 -- the day Fulop became mayor -- to March 23, 2016. A longtime Fulop ally, Bertoli helped to engineer Fulop's 2013 election victory. The group also wants emails Fulop and his aides exchanged about Bertoli during that time, a separate OPRA request also denied by the city for being overly broad.
The seven-page lawsuit, filed on April 27 by Matsikoudis' law partner, Derek S. Fanciullo, says Bertoli "while not a city employee, allegedly enjoys close ties to -- and may hold undue influence over -- members of the city's mayoral administration."
Bertoli told The Jersey Journal he has exchanged no emails or texts with Fulop about development in Jersey City. He said he suspects the city doesn't want to set a precedent "where any nitwit can ask for correspondence between friends."
"I have no Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or anything like that and barely text except with my wife and kids," Bertoli said, adding that Matsikoudis is "obviously working for outside political interests."
Asked to comment, city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said there "aren't many responsive emails" because Fulop and Bertoli don't typically discuss city business.
"In this case we asked for a little more direction from Derek due to the excessively broad request as we wanted to make the city's response entirely complete," Morrill said. "Unfortunately Derek declined."
Fanciullo is a former city attorney. He became Matsikoudis' law partner after the two left city government following Fulop's election as mayor.
Bertoli has worked for various developers as an expediter, someone who files permits with city departments. Last year, a group of condo owners, including John Thieroff, Fulop's 2013 campaign manager, made similar allegations that Bertoli holds undue influence over city government, which Morrill at the time called "unsubstantiated" and "inappropriate."
The Jersey Journal filed an OPRA request for emails related to Bertoli in May 2015 that city officials denied, saying the two emails found that were responsive to the request are exempt from OPRA on the basis that they are "advisory, consultative or deliberative material."
Fanciullo says in the lawsuit that the city's response to The Jersey Journal indicates the JCCC request "is not 'overly broad.'"
"It objectively appears the city simply does not want to release the requested information -- which is patently impermissible under OPRA," the lawsuit says.
JCCC, describing itself as the "loyal opposition," launched in March, founded by Matsikoudis and April Kuzas, a community activist who lives in the Heights. Its website says the group is "committed to making Jersey City the great city it deserves to be," and it has taken positions on some issues -- the stalled property revaluation, the plan to move city elections to November -- that puts it at odds with Fulop.
Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
d'amore and appice.jpg
Authors Jon D'Amore and Carmine Appice will do book readings and signings at the Secaucus Public Library on May 12.
Secaucus residents who enjoy hearing tales of rock n roll or Hudson County's history of organized crime are in luck next week.
Mob writer Jon D'Amore and drumming-legend-turned-author Carmine Appice will take part in book reading/signing sessions on May 12 at 7 p.m. at Secaucus Public Library.
D'Amore, a former resident of Secaucus and Union City, will be reading excerpts from his recently-released "The Boss Always Sits in the Back -- A Memoir." The book is a comedic and suspenseful retelling of what D'Amore says are the true events that led to the downfall to some of New Jersey's mobsters. One section of the original book highlights how the mob swindled millions of dollars out of several Las Vegas casinos over two years.
The author has visited the Secaucus Public Library twice before and given two readings of the original version of the book -- "The Boss Always Sits in the Back," a fictionalized tale based on relatives and others he knew growing up.
"No need to worry about hearing the same thing over again," D'Amore said in a statement. "I'll be reading different sections guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat -- and laughing."
Appice's book "Stick It!" gives readers the high and lows of the drummer's turbulent globe-trotting life. Appice has worked with artists like Rod Stewart --who penned the book's forward -- and Jeff Beck, and was part of groups like Vanilla Fudge, King Kobra, and Blue Murder. The book also features cameos from celebrities like Steven Segal and John McEnroe.
Bert Baron, the host of WCTC 1450-AM's weekday morning show "Jersey Central" will also be at the event. He will be accompanied by his station's promo van filled with giveaway prizes for attendees.
Both books will be available for purchase. The library's director Jenifer May says that this is the first time the library will have readings by two authors on the same day.
"We know from Jon's previous two appearances that he can draw a crowd," May said. "Now to be joined by legendary musician Carmine Appice and Baron, one can only imagined how entertaining the evening will be."
Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei delivers a speech at the opening of the first Meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Shanghai on February 26 [Xinhua]
China will take the G20 presidency for the first time this year and report to other major countries in September regarding its promised accelerated reform on the financial market.
Sources revealed that there will be heavy news announced during the G20 Summit which may include the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, the Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and the reforms concerning China's central bank as well as the three financial regulatory bodies. Once the Shanghai-London Stock Connect opens, China's A-Share is more likely to be included in the MSCI Inc.'s global indexes.
Financial restructuring is apparently one of the key areas of China's reforms, in which the opening-up of the financial sector has drawn heavy attention from international investors. Therefore, decision makers in China have been mulling over how to accelerate the financial reform so as to make the sector more accessible to foreign capital.
Not long ago, the Chinese currency was included in the SDR, a clear sign of the quickening pace of China's financial reform and opening-up policies. With the Chinese yuan's inclusion, there are growing international expectations for China's financial sector.
These expectations are reasonable as China has made concrete steps forward in terms of financial reform and opening-up. Beijing has made fundamental breakthroughs in liberating its exchange rate, launching the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, initiating the AIIB and opening the financial sector to private capital. These achievements have reflected higher openness and a marketization of China's financial sector as it docks with international practices.
Blessed by its financial reforms, China's finance now enjoys an expanding influence and rising global role, particularly evident in the latest international financial crisis as China played a vital role instabilizing the world's financial market.
China joined the SDR last year; the country's AIIB proposal was positively greeted by a handful of countries, especially Western powers like Britain, France, and Germany. This shows that China's financial reform has boosted Beijing's international status and expanded its influence on the global financial market.
The Hangzhou Summit will be China's first time taking the G20 presidency, a valuable chance to announce major reform achievements. It, therefore, is highly likely that the summit will be an Open Day for China's financial sector.
Foreign governments, international organizations and investors will be mostly concerned about China's reform of the financial regulatory system as the latest international financial crisis caused the world to reflect on the current financial regulatory mechanisms. China, as a country continuing reforms, hopes to improve its own financial regulatory system in order to make it more adaptable to the market economy.
Hence, reform plans to be unveiled in Hangzhou will help the world better understand China's financial reforms and help the country's financial sector integrate into the international financial market.
To sum up, the upcoming G20 Summit shall play a positive role in helping raise the country's financial efficiency and China will certainly seize the chance to exhibit the progress in the reform and opening-up of its financial sector. To make it happen, agencies across the government should work on perfecting all reform measures, especially those concerning docking with the international regulatory system while considering the actual situation of China's own financial development.
The author is a contributor for China.com.cn.
The article was translated by Chen Boyuan. Its unabridged version was published in Chinese.
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
Flash
A U.S. cruise ship started its historic journey to Cuba on Sunday for the first time in 38 years.
Carnival Corp.'s Adonia left a Miami port on Sunday afternoon and sailed to Havana, with 704 passengers aboard, including several Cuba-born passengers.
During its seven-day journey, the ship will also visit ports of Cienfuegos in south-central Cuba and Santiago de Cuba in the southwest.
Carnival's cruises to Cuba will be operated by its tenth and newest line Fathom.
According to the company, the Adonia will cruise every other week from Miami to Cuba, with promises to engage passengers "in an ongoing cultural exchange program that gives you the opportunity to interact with the Cuban people."
The cruise comes after Cuba loosened its policy of forbidding Cuban-born people from travelling to the country by sea. The last such cruise from a U.S. port to a Cuban destination happened in 1978.
The company got the green light from the Cuban government to begin sailing from the U.S. to the island on May 1 during U.S. President Barack Obama's March 20-22 trip to Havana.
Obama has relaxed U.S. travel and trade restrictions toward Cuba, allowing Carnival, which touts itself as the world's largest cruise ship operator, to apply and get permission from the U.S. government back in July 2015.
The cruises will be part of the thaw in relations between the United States and Cuba after Obama and his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro decided to reestablish ties in late 2014.
May-Britt Moser Biographical
I was born and raised in Fosnavag, a small town on an island on the west coast of Norway, in one of the most beautiful parts of the country (Fig. 1).
My parents owned a small farm, although my father worked as a carpenter. My mother took most of the responsibility for the farm and cared for me and my four older siblings, in addition to having small jobs now and then. Before I was born, we had a lot of animals on the farm, with cows, chickens and a horse, but by the time I was born, we only had sheep. Both my father and mother worked very hard all the time, and I learned at an early age that work makes you happy.
I was a happy, curious child with a lot of dreams and a lucky star above my head. I was also a tomboy who played with the boys a lot. But because we were five children, we didnt have much money and we didnt have a car, so I would stay home during the summers when my friends would go away. I was the youngest child by 10 years, and had a lot of time to myself to study animals on my own, and I loved it. I would spend time out in our fields where I would play by myself. I even studied the behaviour of snails as they ate grass. As I watched, I would always wonder about the reasons behind what the animal was doing.
My mother liked to tell me fairy tales, but she didnt want to frighten me with the scary parts. Instead, she would tell me the parts of the stories that talked about hopes and dreams, like Askeladden, a boy who had nothing, but he used his head, he was kind and he worked hard so he succeeded. I loved it when my mother would read me these fairy tales. It also made me believe that even though you have nothing you can become something it was a bit of the American dream!
My mother had her own dreams, too: she wanted to be a doctor. The area where I grew up is somewhat religious, so I also met missionaries who had travelled to distant countries. My mothers dream and the experience of meeting missionaries made me eager to go abroad so I could work as a doctor and save the world. I also loved animals, so I thought perhaps if I didnt study to be a doctor, I could be a veterinarian. My dad had taught me to care for animals, and was a warm, good role model for me.
Schoolyears
I was not always the best student with the highest grades, but my teachers saw something in me and tried to encourage me. My mother had persuaded the local school officials to let me start school a year earlier than other students because my birthday was in January (the cut-off was the end of December) and because she saw that I was ready. My main primary school teacher would say Wow, you are the youngest child in the class, and yet you still know this!
I also had a teacher in high school who would call on me in class and say, Frken Andreassen, you know the answer! I believe in you! And I had a physics teacher who really encouraged his female students by telling us that he wanted us to come back and show him that we had become engineers. There were other teachers, too, like my Norwegian teacher who said she thought my writing was good, but the bottom line is that I felt like I got a lot of special attention, and I was noticed. It made a difference.
At the same time, though, I wasnt that motivated in high school, because I spent too much time with friends, and I didnt have the drive to get the grades I needed to get into medical school. But my grades were still good, because my mother warned me that if I didnt work hard I would have to go to school to study home economics and be a housewife. That thought horrified me.
The University of Oslo
When it came time to go to university, I decided I would go to the University of Oslo, in part because I had two older sisters in the Oslo area. I was also able to live for some time with one sister in Asker, an hour outside Oslo, while I looked for a place to live.
I loved university, it was fantastic there was so much freedom, and I was very social. But I still wasnt sure what I wanted to do. I loved mathematics and physics in high school, and thought about studying biology or geology and maybe becoming a teacher, but I didnt see myself as a teacher. I also applied to dentistry school, in part because I had a boyfriend at the time who was studying dentistry. The dentistry school accepted me, but I decided not to pursue that either.
It was about that time that I met Edvard with a friend of mine on Karl Johans gate, the main pedestrian mall in downtown Oslo. I recognised him, of course, as the smart kid from my high school. He was visiting before he started at the university, and when I found out that he would be coming back to Oslo to start his studies in January, I told him to look me up so that I could show him around. And he did.
We quickly became friends. We decided that we would study psychology together, so we could learn about the brain. That brought me back to my dreams of my childhood, when I was so eager to understand why we do things. I was in heaven.
During our first year in the main psychology programme we were in the same social psychology class, called Psychology of Small Groups. We published a paper with several classmates and our teacher, Professor Skardal, as a result of our research from that class. This was our first paper The interactional effects of personality and gender in small groups: A missing perspective in research, published in the International Journal of Small Group Research. Professor Skardal liked us so much he tried to encourage us to study social psychology, but we said, No thanks, we want to study the brain! We simply burned with eagerness to understand the brain.
Terje Sagvolden and Per Andersen
We started in Terje Sagvoldens lab during our second semester. He was studying hyperactivity in rats. At the same time, our own relationship had changed from a friendship to a romance, and we got engaged on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It was a dream place for both of us Edvard loves volcanoes, all volcanoes, and since my childhood encounters with missionaries, I had always wanted to go to Africa.
Working in the Sagvolden lab involved studying pure behaviour for two years. It was quite exciting, and it was interesting to work with rats, to try to understand why these animals were hyperactive. He taught us experimental design, especially the need to have controls in an experiment, and we learned a lot of behavioural theory. But we pushed him very hard, we kept asking him, Cant you go into the brain? We had this crazy energy, this drive to know it wasnt just Edvard, or just me, it was the two of us together.
Eventually it came time for us to do our masters thesis work and we realised that if we were going to have any opportunity to study the brain directly, we needed to work with Per Andersen in the neurosciences group. This was a problem, because we knew he didnt really like psychologists all the people in the Department of Neurosciences at that time were medical doctors and that his research group was full.
When we finally got to talk to him, I decided that I was not going to leave the room until he accepted us as graduate students. I felt like I had been glued to the chair. In the end, I think he just realised he couldnt get rid of us. He finally told us, Fine, if you are going to do your masters research here, you have to read this paper (by Richard Morris on water mazes), see if you understand it, and then build a water maze lab. If that is a success, then you will be allowed to do a masters thesis in my lab. I remember I said, Oh wonderful, because we want to do a PhD with you, too!
Building a Water Maze Lab
Per wanted us to build a water maze literally from scratch a tank 2 metres in diameter by 50 cm high. When we left the meeting, I said to Edvard, This is crazy! Fortunately my brother-in-law worked at Det Norske Veritas and I called him, and he was able to help us buy a tank. We also had to get a marine pump so we could pump 1,250 litres of water out of the tank we had a hose so we could pump the water into a toilet across the corridor. The water had to have milk in it because it had to be murky. That meant we had to change the water every day or it would smell, because the water temperature had to be at 25 degrees C so that the rats would feel comfortable in the pool when they searched for the hidden platform.
So we were psychology students during the day, and then worked in our lab at night. Per had a programmer who helped us write a programme so that we could track the rats as they swam in the maze this was at the point where you couldnt buy anything off the shelf. Early on we realized we had to use hooded rats rather than the albino Wistar rats, because it was easier to track their movement and because they are dark eyed and have better vision than the red-eyed albino rats.
Per showed us how to make tiny lesions in the hippocampus, because he had this idea that he wanted to study LTP in the living brain. Long-term potentiation, LTP, is how the connections between neurons in the brain are strengthened, and had actually been discovered in 1966 by Terje Lmo, in Pers group and supervised by Per. We first had to make lesions in the dorsal and ventral parts of the hippocampus so that a hippocampal slice was left on both sides of the brain. Pers idea was that it would be easier to detect LTP in the living brain if the area where such changes could occur was restricted. This was a brilliant idea, but in order to find out how big this slice had to be to support learning we had to make lesions of different sizes, both in the dorsal and the ventral hippocampus. Theodor Blackstad helped us to figure out where the boundaries of the hippocampus and the subiculum were.
The challenge for us was that we were psychologists, we didnt know much about the brains anatomy. We first had done one brain dissection on a human cadaver, and that was it. But we learned fast.
Looking for LTP
Pers idea was to give the animals extensive training in the water maze so after they had learned a lot, we could measure the changes in the tiny hippocampal slice that was left in the brain. He predicted that this slice would have increased synaptic efficiency (LTP) compared to animals who did not learn. He was so excited when he told us about his dream. His excitement was so important for us, and he was a great inspiration.
We thought that we first needed to find out if the animals could learn at all if they had these kinds of lesions, and then we also needed to have controls. We needed to know if we left the middle part of the hippocampus untouched, would the rats be able to learn if we removed the dorsal part, and what would happen if we removed the ventral part.
Once we did this, we found out that when the rats had a lesion in the dorsal part of the hippocampus they didnt learn, but if they had a lesion in the ventral part they were fine if we made large lesions in the ventral part they could still navigate perfectly well. The hippocampus was known to be involved in this behaviour, but what we found out was that it was only the dorsal part of the hippocampus that was involved in spatial learning and memory, and that the hippocampus was functionally heterogeneous even though it looked like a smooth sausage from the outside.
The Pink Poster
Per was president of the European Neuroscience Association (ENA) at that time, and so he allowed us to bring a poster of our research to a meeting of the ENA in Sweden. I have to confess that when I made the poster, I made it pink as a way to tease Per a bit. But maybe the pink also helped it to stand out, because when Richard Morris walked past the poster he commented that he thought our findings on the dorsal-ventral difference were interesting, and he also saw that we had used the water maze.
But he told us that he didnt like our lesion method, because we had used aspiration, which can cut passing axons. He encouraged us to work with Len Jarrard who had just had a sabbatical in Edinburgh and who was an expert in making lesions without removing the fibres, and he thought that was crucial. Richard gave a plenary talk at the meeting and he mentioned our poster, and I thought that was pretty amazing. Edvard and I were so proud!
We published our results in The Journal of Neuroscience. This was also our joint masters thesis we were able to write it together. It was a pretty thick thesis, and a pretty thorough study of the two parts of the hippocampus. We got help from a few external people who came to the lab because Per was an internationally recognised scientist. These visitors included Eric Kandel from Columbia University, who told Per, You really have to publish this with them, and Larry Squire from the University of California, San Diego, who also encouraged Per to let us publish our results.
Funding for Two PhDs
Our experiment also raised the question, if the dorsal part is involved in memory, what does the ventral part do? So we started to read a lot about anatomy, and wondered about the nature of the connections between the entorhinal cortex and the dorsal and the ventral parts of the hippocampus. That was the first time we wrote to Menno Witter at the Free University in Amsterdam, because he had done a lot of work on hippocampal connections.
As we finished our masters thesis, we both wanted to continue with Per on our PhDs, but the challenge was how to get two fellowships to study with him. At the time it was very difficult to get this kind of funding. The Research Council of Norway at the time was concerned about geographic distribution of these grants.
Per had one question that he felt certain would be funded, the relationship between long-term potentiation and memory, which was both a timely and very interesting question. Per told us that we would have to decide which one of us would take the topic and get funded for a PhD. I told Edvard that I thought Pers question was a good topic for him, since he was so interested in the question. Then Per told me that he thought I should also get a PhD, and that he would help me find money.
His plan was for me to collaborate with a colleague of his, Jrg Mrland, in the Toxicology Department, to study what happened to hippocampal synapses if you gave alcohol to an animal. But I didnt like the topic, because I thought the manipulations were too general to learn anything specific about learning and memory and also because I couldnt see myself giving rats the high, high doses of alcohol that you would need to see an effect. So I found a way to convince him that I couldnt do the project I told him that I was from the Bible Belt of Norway and I simply cant do this. He pushed me but I just refused.
But I was very interested in the fact that we could see synapses with a laserscanning confocal microscope. This was very new at the time we had just got the microscope, and it was new enough that people didnt believe that it was possible to see synapses with this equipment. But Per had a dream, and was enthusiastically convinced that it should be possible. Per was still trying to get me to do experiments with alcohol, but I said, no, Im a psychologist, I want to do exactly the opposite instead of trying to see if alcohol will reduce the number of synapses, I want to train the animals to see if there is an expansion of the number of synapses with learning. So I started to read, and I was convinced it was possible.
What was interesting was that Per was so sure that this project would be a failure and that it would not be funded that he tried to stop me from sending the grant proposal to the Research Council. I kept going to his office with the application I wrote to see if he had changed his mind, and finally he just gave in he always had to give in, like my dad typically gave in when I insisted. Then I sent in my application, and both Edvard and I got grants a surprising and joyful moment in our lives.
PhD Research
By then we had gotten married, on July 27, 1985 in Oslo. We had the same supervisor, we were studying the same structure in the brain, but we still both got funded from the Research Council of Norway. It was about this time that I realised how insistent I could be I was always very nice and polite, but if I really wanted something, no one could stop me.
My PhD research involved offering an enriched environment to rats, so I made a big animal enclosure that had different floors. By this time I had Isabel, our oldest daughter, so I made all these toys for the animals when she was there with me, and I changed the environment every day and even moved the floors so that it would be a new environment. I had Isabel on my lap when I observed the animals in the large enclosure.
After 14 days of 4 hours of daily exposures to the enriched environment I took living slices of the hippocampus and filled individual hippocampal cells with Lucifer yellow to stain them. That allowed me to visualise and count the spines in 3-D.
I counted spines blind to the group to which each rat belonged, and found that there was a difference between the rats who lived in the enriched environment and those who didnt. I then trained animals with similar experiences in the water maze, and showed that the animals that had lived in the enriched environment were faster and better at remembering the hidden platform in the water maze. I published two papers on my work on spines, one in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences of the United States) and the other in The Journal of Comparative Neurology. I also published a third paper on dorsal and ventral differences in the hippocampus in PNAS.
Children and the Lab
Many people ask me how I managed to do all this work with two small children Isabel was born in June 1991, right after we started our PhDs (Fig. 2 and Fig. 3), and Ailin was born in 1995 (Fig. 4), right before we completed our PhDs. The answer is that we were so driven to understand the brain that we simply made things work, we could not see any problems nothing could stop us. From the earliest days, we took the girls to the laboratory they were both very good children, very well behaved. Or if I couldnt take them with me, Edvard could take turns watching them. Of course we had nannies and preschool places for the children both of them attended preschool in Edinburgh, but in the afternoon and in the weekends they often played in the office.
If people objected, I would ask them what was the harm in what I was doing? It wasnt that I had the freedom I just assumed I could do things, like take my children to scientific meetings and breast-feed them in public, or bring them to the lab. I just didnt see the barriers that others might have seen. We were somewhat naive we couldnt imagine that people would object so people mostly were very nice and didnt try to stop us.
Edinburgh and London
During our PhD work, Richard Morris had invited Edvard and me to the University of Edinburgh to follow up on our masters research findings on the difference between the dorsal and the ventral part of the hippocampus, but using chemical lesions instead of aspiration.
We went there several times during our PhDs, and confirmed our earlier results that the dorsal and the ventral parts of the hippocampus are different. We also conducted another experiment with him on saturating hippocampal synapses with LTP and testing the animals ability to learn to find the platform in the water maze. We later completed this work after we came to Trondheim and published the results in Science.
We defended our PhDs in Oslo in December 1995, but by that time we were already in Edinburgh with Richard Morris we even had the girls in a preschool there. In the spring of 1996, Per Andersen and Morris graciously suggested that we go work with John OKeefe at University College London to learn how to do single cell recordings. We had already met John OKeefe in Oslo when we defended our PhDs, because he was the opponent for Ole Paulsen, who was one of Pers six students (including us) who defended our theses in the same week.
We had an incredible party after the defences, with all of these top international scientists who served as our opponents, with seminars and sleigh ride! Many of the opponents later became important members of our scientific network, which helped us to win status as a centre of excellence from the Research Council of Norway.
The stay in London, in John OKeefes lab, was one of the most learning-rich periods in our lives. John spent an enormous amount of time with us and taught us everything about single cell recordings. He sat with us in the surgery room, showed us how to turn down the tetrodes and do the recordings, how to cluster the data, he talked about the literature it was all absolutely formative for our future. Edvard had three months with John, and I had just one, in part because of the difficulty of finding care for the children. In Edinburgh we had spots in a preschool for them in Edinburgh only, so in London my brothers wife, Olaug Andreassen, came for a month to help care for them.
Two Positions and a Lab
At the same time, one position had opened up at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, and our former supervisor, Terje Sagvolden, encouraged us to apply for it, just for the experience if nothing else. We knew it was a long shot when we applied we were still months away from defending our PhDs, and we really werent thinking that we were ready to settle down just yet.
Suddenly we were called in for an interview, in the autumn of 1995. We told the interview committee that we would not be interested in one position, but Sturla Krekling, the individual at the Department of Psychology who was most involved in the process, really pushed for us and so they offered us two positions. They were in the process of trying to build up the department.
We then said we need a new lab because we wanted to do research we didnt just want a salary to teach so we came to them with a list of all the equipment we needed, the prices, the suppliers, because we had been through the process with Per to build the water maze in Oslo. We also knew what was required to build a combined electrophysiology-water maze lab, we had the experience, and we basically got it all. The only condition was that we begin in August of 1996 so that we could teach.
That completely upended our plans, because we had hoped to stay longer with John OKeefe, or go to the University of Arizona to work with Carol Barnes and Bruce McNaughtons memory and hippocampus group. Both Barnes and McNaughton had been involved with us as PhD examiners, and Arizona was a real neuroscience mecca at the time. We really wanted to go there. But that wasnt possible once we had the offer of positions in Trondheim the prospect of two jobs and a lab just seemed too good an opportunity to turn down.
(In fairness, we eventually did get a six-week sabbatical in Arizona in 2001, where we learned to do what is called parallel recordings from many dozens of hippocampal cells. It was a technique that was invented by Bruce in the 1990s in Tucson.)
Funding for Collaboration
In parallel with teaching we managed to have our lab operating after a half year of set-up, and after a year or so we had the first results. It took a long time to get data because there was only Edvard and me, and we had to do all the technical aspects of the work along with the actual science everything from cutting brains to cleaning the rat cages. Our daughters learned to become real Trndersk, an expression that describes the residents of mid-Norway in the counties of Norand Sr-Trndelag, where Trondheim is located.
One of the first questions we started with was how are the place cells that OKeefe discovered generated? What is the basis for the place cells in the hippocampus? To answer this question, we applied for and received a collaborative grant from the European Commission in 2000 that gave us three years of funding (Fig. 5).
At the same time, we also applied for funding from the Research Council of Norways Centre of Excellence programme, a 10-year grant for basic research. This was also approved and as of the December 2002, our group became known as the Centre for the Biology of Memory.
The Centre of Excellence money allowed us to bring internationally recognised researchers to Trondheim for brief but significant periods. We had Menno Witter from the Free University in Amsterdam, Richard Morris from the University of Edinburgh, Bruce McNaughton and Carol Barnes from the University of Arizona, Alessandro Treves from the International School for Advanced Studies in Trieste and Ole Paulsen from Oxford University, all experts in their field, to make a coordinated effort to conduct integrated neural network studies of hippocampal memory. In addition we brought in Randolf Menzel from Freie Universitat Berlin who studied neurobiology and spatial memory in the honeybee.
Finding Grid Cells
A few weeks after the centre of excellence grant was announced we published a paper that guided us to search for the spatial signal that resulted in place cells in the hippocampus (Brun, Otnss, Molden, Steffenach, Witter, Moser and Moser, 2002, in Science). These exciting data suggested that we should search for the spatial signal in structures upstream of the hippocampus like the entorhinal cortex. That is what helped us to eventually discover grid cells.
In the Brun et al. (2002) paper we asked where the signal to the place cells came from. The reason this question was so intriguing is that the place signal is buried so deeply in the brain, it really cant be traced back to any sensory input, so how is it made?
We tried to answer this question by making small lesions in the early stages of the hippocampal circuit, in the CA3 area, as a way to interrupt the intrinsic circuit. We then put electrodes in the CA1 area of the hippocampus, which is where most of the place cells had been recorded.
If the place cells were a product of processes that happened at earlier stages of the hippocampus, we should have been able to block those signals by interrupting the hippocampal circuit. But what we found was that we still had spatial signals, even after we made the lesions that should have stopped the signal.
That led us, together with PhD students Marianne Fyhn and Sturla Molden and our colleague Menno Witter, to go to the part of the entorhinal cortex that few other groups had recorded from, the dorso-medial entorhinal cortex. For many reasons people had not worked in the dorsal part of the medial entorhinal cortex before, partly because it was technically difficult, and partly just because of convention.
And this turned out to be the spot, in 2005, where we found grid cells (Fig. 6). Even before we realised that we had discovered a new kind of cell, we realised in 2004 that something was going on in this region with respect to space. The cells there had spatial activity, they had multiple firing peaks and the pattern looked regular but we really didnt understand what was going on until we extended the size of the environment that we let the rats roam around in a 200-cm-diameter cylinder. And finally, there it was, a clear hexagonal pattern, and that was the discovery of grid cells.
That last sentence makes our discovery sound very simple, but when we first had our results, they were so clear we almost didnt believe them. We thought perhaps that the hexagonal pattern was an artefact of how we made our measurements. But over time we were convinced that this was in fact how the cells were firing.
We did this research with our students Torkel Hafting, Marianne Fyhn, and Sturla Molden. Marianne came to Trondheim in 2004 to work with us, and Torkel was her boyfriend (and later husband). We offered Torkel a position as a technician in our lab so that they could stay together, and we asked him to work with Marianne on the grid cell project. He later became a postdoc with us. The grid cell results were published in Nature in 2005.
The Brains Own Internal Code
Finding grid cells was exciting because it gave us another piece in the puzzle of how we navigate in space. But the larger significance of the find is that for the first time, we were able to see how the brain takes complex information in this case, information about where we are and how we move in space to generate its own internal code to make use of that information. There is no grid pattern out in the world this is just how the brain makes sense of the environment.
The door was opened on this discovery by John OKeefes discovery of place cells, which fire when an animal is at a specific place. In the past, it has been difficult make associations between the firing of neurons deep in the higher parts of the cortex and sensory input, because as the distance between the sensory input and the neuron increases, the firing of the neurons may be triggered by a multitude of converging sensory channels along with intrinsic processes that we dont really understand.
But OKeefe and his colleagues found that most hippocampal cells had place fields with distinct firing patterns that collectively allowed the brain to create a map of that environment. Here we had neural activity the firing of the place cell, deep in the hippocampus that was clearly associated with a property of the environment, the animals location. The discovery of grid cells took this a step further and it raised new questions that have continued to shape our research, as we seek to understand how grid cells operate and are generated and how they interact with other cell types and in more distant brain structures. Here, we think, lies a key to unlocking the mystery of how the brain computes.
Border Cells and Becoming a Kavli Institute
We have made a great deal of progress since our 2005 discovery. In 2006, for example, we and our colleagues, led by Francesca Sargolini, a postdoc, found cells in the medial entorhinal cortex that tell the animal which direction it is facing, called head direction cells. Previously these had been reported in the dorsal presubiculum by Jim Ranck in 1983.
In 2007, we were selected by the Kavli Foundation as the fourth Kavli neuroscience institute, an award that provides funding for basic research in perpetuity. This meant our lab had two names, the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and the Centre for the Biology of Memory, and a significant increase in funding and support.
In 2008, we and our colleagues, led by then PhD candidate Trygve Solstad, discovered a third type of entorhinal cell type that we called border cells, because they fire at the edges and boundaries of the local environment. We had already seen these kind of cells when Francesca Sargolini discovered the head and conjunctive grid-head direction cells in the medial entorhinal cortex, but we needed a student to search systematically for them and to do the manipulations that were required to call them border cells like inserting a wall in the box and seeing that the cell would fire again, along the new wall.
Gamma Oscillations, Map Resolutions and A Protein
Parallel with studying border cells, we asked how CA1 cells in the hippocampus were able to cope with receiving what appeared to be conflicting information from the hippocampus itself from CA3 and from the upstream structure, the entorhinal cortex, at the same time.
Laura Colgin, our then-postdoc, published a paper in 2009 in Nature showing that the brain uses gamma oscillations to route information between grid networks in the entorhinal cortex and the place and memory networks in the hippocampus, which effectively allows the brain to filter out distracting information and focus on one bit of information. We worked for more than five years to finish this amazing story, which shows that passion and persistence go hand-in-hand to produce ground-breaking results.
Also in 2008, with our PhD candidates Kirsten Kjelstrup and Vegard Brun (who were also a couple), we described how the brain makes maps of different resolutions both in the hippocampus and in the entorhinal cortex, thus using place cells and grid cells to create everything from a larger overview map to a finely detailed map. That led the way to the discovery in 2011 led by our colleague Lisa Giocomo that the brains ability to make these detailed maps at fine resolution was controlled by a single protein. This last paper was published in Cell with a companion article in the journal Neuron, published by our sister Kavli Institute in New York, headed by our friend and colleague Eric Kandel, whose laboratories had created the mice used in the experiments.
Recording From Many Grid Cells
By 2012, with the ability to record from many grid cells from individual rats, and as many as 186 neurons in one rat called Flekken, we were able to describe how the brain shifts between different map resolutions in a step-wise fashion rather than continuously, and that the brain has at least four difference maps of location, where grid cells are organised into different independent modules in which the scale, orientation and phase relationships are all preserved. These results were published in Nature with another fantastic couple and PhD candidates Hanne and Tor Stensola as first authors.
It had not been possible previously to record from so many cells, which is why we suddenly could show that the hippocampal maps were independent. What was also exciting about these data was that we showed in 2007 that when cells in the hippocampus formed statistically significant different ensembles of active cells different maps for each environment (Fyhn et al., 2007), this was accompanied with a re-anchoring, or shift of the position of the grid cells relative to the boundaries of the boxes in the different rooms.
The models that had already been developed in 2005, just after we discovered grid cells, suggested that place cell activity was the result of the linear summation of grid cell activity (see Solstad, Moser and Einevoll, 2006, for example). Thus, the discovery of different independent grid modules solved the question we faced in 2007, which was to figure out how grid cells could contribute to the activation of several thousands of different ensembles of hippocampal cells if the grid cells were all part of the same map. Independent grid modules suggested that the entorhinal cortex cell activity could trigger the separation of different memories. However, we have not yet been able to prove that this is the way it works.
Optogenetics and Viruses
To address this issue, we first needed to know that grid cells project to the hippocampus. In 2007, we got an email from Sheng-Jia Zhang that eventually led to us being able to answer this question. He asked if we would be interested in having him come to our lab to set up a molecular lab so that we could use a new molecular tool called optogenetics to address questions we were interested in. He came at a moment when we were very eager to understand the entorhinal hippocampal circuit so we accepted him, his wife Jing Ye and two students he brought with him, Chenglin Miao and Li Lu. They built a molecular lab with the help of a technician in our lab, Alice Bury.
In 2013 we were able to use defanged viruses to introduce a gene for a fluorescent marker in addition to a gene for the light-sensitive protein channelrhodopsin. The AAV virus was injected into the hippocampus. It was manipulated in a way so that it would go into the axons of cells projecting to the hippocampus. In this way we could examine which neurons in this part of the brain send axons to place cells in the hippocampus. Thus, when we found grid cells, border cells and other cells in the entorhinal cortex responding to the light at a very short latency (less than 10 ms) coming through an optic fibre that we had inserted into the entorhinal cortex along with the electrodes, we started to believe that these cells sent information to hippocampal place cells. Of course we had to do a set of control experiments to be sure. This is why such ground-breaking data usually takes more than four or five years to write up and get published. This story tells us that the way we like to work is not limited by the lack of methods or tools. Either collaborate with other good labs or set up the method in your own lab to follow your dreams!
Remapping
We have also worked with cells inside the hippocampus. Since we know from the late 1950s (Scoville and Milner, 1957) that the hippocampus is important for encoding and storing episodic memories, it is exciting to understand how the hippocampus solves problems like not mixing similar information and recognizing an object or an environment with only slight changes. These processes are called pattern separation and pattern completion.
In the mid-1980s, Bob Muller and John Kubie showed that small changes in the environment caused large changes in the hippocampal place maps, in a process they called remapping. In 2005, with Stefan Leutgeb, his wife Jill Leutgeb and others, we found that there are at least two types of these kinds of remapping processes. One we called global remapping and the other rate remapping. Rate remapping is recognised by cells keeping their place preference in the test box, but changing the rate when there is a minor change in the environment, such as changed colours on the wall of the test box.
In contrast, global remapping was typically seen if the changes in environments were big, for example that the test rooms were different even though the test boxes were almost identical. In CA3 of the hippocampus, different cells were active or if they were active in both rooms the spatial preference would be shifted, for example a cell with a place field in the middle of the box in the first room could then have a place field in one of the corners of the box in the other room.
This year we published a study, led by PhD candidate Charlotte Alme, showing that the hippocampus can form ten significantly different new maps when rats were tested in ten new rooms over two days. The ten-room experiment demonstrates that when graduate students are passionate about their work and their animals, impossible data collection is made possible.
Teleportation
The remapping experiments in the lab led us to ask what happens if there is a conflict in the animals current idea of where it is and the sensory inputs the animals perceives. In order to address this exciting question, Karel Jezek, a postdoc in the lab, ran the animals in a science-fiction inspired experiment. The experiment involved making the animals feel as if they had been teleported from one box to another in a fraction of a second. We were able to create this illusion by training the rats in different boxes that were differentiated only by their lighting schemes. First the rats ran between the boxes, which were connected with a corridor, then the corridor was closed and the rats were tested in only one box where we were able to flip a switch to change the lighting scheme that was associated with one box to the lighting associated with the other box. Thus, while the animal was foraging for chocolate crumbs in one box, we could flip the switch and it would suddenly perceive itself to be located in the other box.
This procedure allowed us to see that each map can be represented in chunks of one theta cycle, or 125 milliseconds, and that the brains two maps would compete until one took over, and the hippocampus reliably represented the box that was consistent with the landmarks for that given box. This experiment can typically be compared with a situation we all have experienced: We suddenly wake up in the middle of the night in a hotel room. We are confused, and before we realise that we are not at home but in a hotel, our brains have been switching back a forth between the map for the hotel room and our bedroom at home.
Six Research Groups
Our centre now consists of six research groups, led by Menno Witter (functional anatomy), Yasser Roudi (statistical physics of interference and network organization), Clifford Kentros (transgenic investigation of neural circuits), Jonathan Whitlock (cognitive motor function) and ours (space and memory). Our sixth and newest research group is headed by Emre Yaksi, who studies sensory computations in zebrafish.
The strength of this structure is that we can collaborate across groups. One beautiful example of this was a collaboration between three of the six groups which led us to resolve a question that we had puzzled over for almost eight years. Even with new analyses, new ideas and a lot of discussions of the data both in the lab and at international meetings, we could not figure out what was going on, which is why we did not publish the data.
Menno Witters group had discovered that stellate cells did not communicate directly with each other, but with a re-route through inhibitory cells. Thus, the grid cells were surrounded by inhibition. At the same time, Yasser Roudi and some of the people from his group had made a computer model of this network and were able to show that this kind of network could produce a functional grid cell network. The excitation could come from the hippocampus and head direction input. The prediction from this model was thus that by removing the excitation from the hippocampus, the grid cells would change from being grid cells to becoming highly head direction modulated.
This is exactly what we found in our lab but could not explain before the collaboration. We submitted two manuscripts to Nature Neuroscience and were lucky enough to get them published back-to-back in 2013. We were so happy and proud to finally be able to publish 8-year-old data that had been so intriguing and yet so difficult to decipher and to be able to work so closely between the different groups at the centre.
The Norwegian Brain Centre
The Norwegian government recognised the importance of neuroscience in Norway by funding the Norwegian Brain Initiative in 2011, which led to us open the Norwegian Brain Centre in 2012 as a collaboration between our lab and research groups working with medical imaging from St Olavs Hospital. The University of Oslos Centre for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience is a partner in the Norwegian Brain Initiative. We got a new, big, beautiful lab, with the equipment we need to do ground-breaking science.
We are also working hard to make sure that some of our most important lab workers, the rats and mice, have the best environment a science lab can offer. Most of the animals live in big enriched cages, with toys and nests and together with their cage mates. We also try to let animals that wear electrode implants live with their siblings, since rodents are such social creatures. We have a veterinarian who works full-time for our centre, and four well-educated animal care-takers who love animals. In order for them to always remember that the animals are individuals, they have their own pet animals in the animal quarter. Our goal is that our animals be as happy as possible.
A Second Centre of Excellence
Our lab was also awarded funding at the end of 2012 for a second 10-year-long Centre of Excellence by the Research Council of Norway, just as our first decade-long grant ended. Our new centre is called the Centre for Neural Computation, and is directed by me. It was such a relief when we got that grant. We had just ended the first ten year of CoE funding and we were so worried that we could not keep our lab running at the level we had ambitions for if we did not get new funding.
The day the second CoE funding was announced we were euphoric, and we celebrated (Fig. 7)! And celebrations are important as motivation and glue for the team. The support made us even more inspired and enthusiastic than we had been before, and I was handed an exciting new challenge to serve as director of a centre that had grown from two people to almost one hundred people from different backgrounds and nations (Fig. 8).
The continued support from our colleagues, the Kavli Institute, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the Norwegian government, as well as the city of Trondheim and the county of Sr-Trndelag has made it possible for us to pursue our dream of unravelling the mysteries of how the brain computes and makes memories and behaviours.
Early on in our careers we realised the importance of bringing in different kinds of expertise in the pursuit of common goals. We also recognise the risks that come from being wedded to only one kind of investigative tool. Were continually looking to expand our neuroscience toolbox. Our six groups are all eager to work together towards our vision: how does the brain generate cognition and mental function. We have an exciting future in front of us.
Two Children and a Lab
Through hard work and persistence together with fantastic colleagues, I have worked towards my dreams and vision from my childhood: to understand how the neural activity in the brain generates behaviour and cognition. By discovering the grid cell network, we suddenly understood something fundamental about the mystery of the brain how the brain generates a universal map of the environment. The grid cells that do this are located far away from the senses that tell the animal what is out there. In the same deep structure, the entorhinal cortex, we have also discovered other functional cell types that signal the boundaries of the environment, cells that signal the direction the animal is moving in and cells that combine the head direction and grid signals.
We have shown that with changes of sensory input the universal grid map is shifted and anchored differently to the environment probably changing the active ensembles of hippocampal place cells. Knowing that the hippocampus contains engrams involved in episodic memories, we have shown that this magic circle of entorhinal and hippocampal cell interactions is part of the mechanism for memory. We are working with findings that are the very essence of being a human being: our conscious memories are what make us who we are, and these memories are anchored in space, in knowing where we are in the environment.
Our two daughters have long joked that our lab is like our third child, and in many ways, they are not wrong. We are proud parents to all three of our children. Having real biological children in addition to our laboratory child has brought an amazing happiness to my life. I think that makes it easy for me to do good science.
I have been lucky to live a fairy tale life, with a partner and a long-time collaborator, Edvard Ingjald Moser, who has supported me and helped me fulfil my dreams ever since we met. We have two wonderful daughters, Isabel Maria Moser and Ailin Marlene Moser. They are wise and loving human beings. Being an internationally recognised scientist brings a lot of adventures and a large network of friends and colleagues across the world (Fig. 9). We have travelled to so many different places and learned so much. Our children have come to think it is quite normal to live like this. Ailin was still a pre-teen when she asked us: why havent we visited Easter Island yet? She could also have asked; why havent we understood our brains yet?
From The Nobel Prizes 2014. Published on behalf of The Nobel Foundation by Science History Publications/USA, division Watson Publishing International LLC, Sagamore Beach, 2015
This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and later published in the book series Les Prix Nobel/ Nobel Lectures/The Nobel Prizes. The information is sometimes updated with an addendum submitted by the Laureate.
Copyright The Nobel Foundation 2014
To cite this section
MLA style: May-Britt Moser Biographical. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2022. Mon. 24 Oct 2022.